Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/8818267. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Choose_Not_To_Use_Archive_Warnings, Underage Category: M/M Fandom: Yuri!!!_on_Ice_(Anime) Relationship: Katsuki_Yuuri/Victor_Nikiforov Character: Katsuki_Yuuri, Victor_Nikiforov, Katsuki_Hiroko, Yuri_Plisetsky, Phichit Chulanont Additional Tags: Yuuri_plays_the_guitar, Piano, violin, Victor_loves_Yuuri's_music, Yuri is_sassy, they_become_famous, Victor_plays_bass, Victor_gives_up_playing to_help_Yuuri_with_his_music, Bottom_Yuuri, Top_Victor, Christophe Giacometti_-_Freeform, MAKKACHIN_BRINGS_THEM_TOGETHER Stats: Published: 2016-12-11 Updated: 2017-01-17 Chapters: 3/? Words: 8017 ****** yuuri in a minor ****** by Soigne Summary Meet Katsuki Yuuri: a struggling musician that's trying to spread his powerful message across the world with his acoustic guitar. Unfortunately, the world doesn't agree with his so-called 'preachings' of needing to be more accepting of those around you, and it always ends with him being more self-conscious than he had started with. In fact, these feelings of self-doubt continue for quite a long time... all until his eyes connect with an icy-blue that he doesn't recognize one night when he's performing, and suddenly, he's thrown into the life that is only fit for a so-called "movie star." Yuuri also didn't expect to run into the same man after his dog pushed him into an icy river. AKA, the songwriter fic that no one asked for. Strap yourselves in for a wild ride of Makkachin and Yuuri bonding, Jealous Viktor, CHRIS BEING A FUCKING PERV-Phichit's selfies, angsty Yuri, and enough innuendos to fill an ocean. Notes MY_TUMBLR           Songs: "Girls/Girls/Boys," Panic! At The Disco (acoustic_version_here) "Annie's Song," John Denver (here) See the end of the work for more notes ***** Chapter 1 ***** I don't wanna hear you've got a boyfriend The beautifully crafted eyes of the singer looked up from the neck of his guitar and continued to strum; his fingers elegantly dancing from chord to chord, and tab to tab. Sometimes you're better off alone But if you change your mind, you know where I am Yeah if you change your mind, you know Where to find me 'Cause I don't ever wanna be your boyfriend He dropped his head and examined the strings of his guitar, breath quickening as a few of his listeners either ignored the lyrics or chatted amongst each other. Why did he feel so nervous? He had practiced this song for nearly ten hours the day before… but why did he feel so insecure with the lyrics? Was it because he was addressing the topic of bisexuality in front of a crowded bar? What exactly was it? And never did I think that I Would be caught in the way you got me Push another girl aside and just give in Yuri clenched his eyes shut, and with a tightening of his grip on the acoustic guitar resting on his lap and with a deep inhale, he sang out the lyrics of the words with as much emotion as he could possibly address. Girls love girls and boys He opened his eyes to see a mixture of reactions within the crowd: some giving him disgusted glares while others smiled faintly at the way he had described something so close to their hearts. Girls love girls and boys A man in the back of the crowd scoffed and stood from his chair, quickly leaving the building as quick as his feet could carry him. Yuuri jumped at the loud noise of the bar door slamming shut before continuing with the pattern of chords that he was in charge of following. And never did I think that I Would be caught in the way you got me But girls love girls and boys And love is not a choice Someone whooped from the back of the crowd and gave the nervous looking boy in the front of the room a thumbs up, as they understood what it was like to have such bravery in the face of said topic. Pose, you've gotta save your reputation They're close to finding out about your girlfriend But if you change your mind, you know where I am Yeah if you change your mind, you know Where to find me 'Cause I don't wanna save your reputation More people stood and left the bar, muttering words of disgust under their breath. And never did I think that I Yuuri felt tears welling behind his thick-framed glasses, but he held them at bay. Why was the world such a disgusting, hateful place? He wanted to spread a message to those around him, but everyone seemed to had differing opinions- all that were rather disheartening. Would be caught in the way you got me Push another girl aside and just give in Another moment of baited breath passed as Yuuri played through a stanza of four different chords that were repeated three times within said wait. Girls love girls and boys A woman booed for the performer to leave the stage, but Yuuri ignored her words and continued to sing, his fingers faltering momentarily as someone called him and his song a gay slur. Girls love girls and boys The singer’s voice broke during the sentence, but he held strong and blocked out the insults that were being thrown at him from each and every direction. And never did I think that I Would be caught in the way you got me But girls love girls and boys And love is not a choice ”Get off of the stage, fag!” A man yelled before laughing with a few of his friends from where he was sitting at the bar. I am just a villain vying for attention From a girl A girl who can't decide and here's the reason why ”Take your horrible music somewhere else!” Girls love girls and boys Yuuri blinked away tears and clenched the neck of his acoustic guitar until his fingers were of a deathly white. Girls love girls and boys Girls love girls and boys Girls love girls and boys And never did I think that I Would be caught in the way you got me But girls love girls and boys Yuuri wished with all of his heart and mind that the booing would transform into a symphony of clapping and smiles in his direction- in which never doing so- and with the last words of the song spoken, a tear slid down his cheek and then landed upon the wooden finish of the instrument seated in his lap.   And love is not a choice… No one applauded.   … As soon as Yuuri had returned home from the bar, he was instantly drilled by his mother –Hiroko- for how well it had went. Even though she had a kind, patient smile on her face, her son knew that she was anything but patient as of the current moment. “It was fine,” He said with a fake smile that consisted of all of the falseness that he had carried within himself ever since driving home in the cold weather of September. He would never actually own up to what had happened, let alone the reason for why he had written the song in the first place. “Is that so?” The anxiousness in her voice drained away immediately and she took her sons guitar case from where it was strapped over his shoulder and resting on his back, “I’m glad that it went so well. I know that you’ve been working on whatever that song was for quite a while…” She quickly ushered her son into the sitting room where many friends of their family were sitting around a low table. (Along with his older sister and nearly only listener/fan that Yuri had the liberty of describing as such a thing: Mari.) Everyone immediately turned away from the tv that he had been watching so in- depth and awaited the news of Yuuri’s performance down at the bar just within the nearest city. Mari was the first to address the boy, as she quickly leaped up from where she was standing and drunkenly stumbled over to her younger sibling. “Yuu-ri!” She slurred as she attempted to snag a bottle of liquor from one of the older patrons of the inn the Katsuki family owned. “How’d it –burp- go?” Hiroko slowly plucked the glass bottle from the young adult’s grip and handed it to one of the nearby elders, “That’s enough for you tonight. You hold alcohol pretty well and seeing that you’re practically blackout-drunk, this cannot be a very good thing…” She gazed down at the green-trimmed bottle of whiskey and raised a questioning eyebrow, “How many of these did you have?” Mari giggled and held up two fingers but said: “Seven.” Without another word from the older woman, she slung her daughter’s arm over her shoulder and dragged her intoxicated, limp body towards where the rooms were located. This actually wasn’t a surprise in the daily life of their family. Everyone had always been hearty drinkers- from his father, Toshiya, all of the way to his younger cousin that had just turned 21. Yuuri tended to avoid drinking alcohol due to the fact that he was practically uncontrollable when drunk, and that he had a horrible history with drinking in general. He’s pretty sure that he has given more than just a few lap-dances when under the influence. “Toshiya!” Yuuri heard his mother yell from his sister’s room as he set his guitar case next to the hearth that was located near the TV, “What did I tell you about letting her drink on the night before she was supposed to go to Yuuri’s performance? She needs to be level headed!” A loud thud echoed from the washitsu followed by a small ‘oops!’ Yuuri’s eyes flew wide and he immediately dove towards the hallway leading to where his mother and the unconscious body of his sister were currently in. “What?!” He screeched, coming to stop in the doorway appearing in a disheveled form. He couldn’t let them come see one of his performances… they wouldn’t understand his music… they’d be just another group of frowning people; they- they’d join in on the booing and insults. “You- You can’t!” He wailed, watching Hiroko attempt to set Mari on the futon but failing in doing so. She turned towards him after she managed to get the girl under one of her blankets, a strange look upon her face at the way Yuuri had denied her in going. “Why? I want to see what you have been working so hard on. I’ve heard you practice other songs from your room –ones that I’m familiar with- but you won’t play any of the songs you’ve written in front of me.” Her gaze fell and she gently brushed away Mari's hair from her forehead and gently placed a kiss where she had just recently touched. “You’ve out so much effort into this… I just want to hear it in person before you become famous… that’s all.” She smiled and glanced at her son from behind her brunette bangs. Yuuri shook his head vigorously, “Nononononono! You can’t come and listen- ah…” He thought up a reasonable excuse for her to not attend one of his so-called, “performances”, “It- It doesn’t sound well at all! It would be a complete waste of your time!” He waved his hands around overdramatically. “Oh, I doubt it,” Hiroko spoke in a gentle tone. She turned towards the latter and walked towards the door, shooing him away from the entrance so she could close the sliding door. “It isn’t that big of a deal, Yuur-“ “You can’t come!” He yelled just a bit too loudly, resulting in someone that was passing by to pause mid-step and examine the small quarrel between mother and son. It was unusual for the two to fight, as they had an amazing, healthy relationship amongst one-another. The older companion waved away the eye-witness and looked up at her son with a questioning glare; one that held no ‘real heat’ to it. She was curious as to why Yuuri didn’t want her to go see one of his performances. Was he self- conscious about how he sang? Was he nervous about how well he played guitar? Little did she know that it was all of the above, and even more so. 1) Yuuri knew that his guitar skill was mediocre- along with his singing. 2) His songs were originally supposed to spread a message to those around him, but everyone just appeared to believe that the lyrics were ridiculous- and possibly even horrible. 3) Everyone loves musicians for their good looks, and Yuuri was dealing with self-image issues and body-positivity wasn’t his strong point. Especially considering that he gained weight so easily. 4) He knew he was anything but attractive and beautiful like others. “Yuuri-“ “No! Mom, promise me that you won’t ever come to one of my performances.” “But-“ “Mom,” Yuuri repeated gently, “Please… Just promise me this one thing. I don’t ask a lot of you; just this one thing.” He blushed and looked down at his worn, dirty sneakers. Hiroko sighed but allowed a small grin to make its way onto her face. She hated the fact that she knew she would regret this promise, but she needed to sate her son with the fact that she wouldn’t try to intrude on his personal life. “Okay, I won’t go until you say I can.” Yuuri smiled at her promise and quickly hugged her before rushing out of the hallway to go out and grab his case to go lock himself in his room and practice. He had another performance the following evening, and he needed as much sleep as he could possibly fit into the few hours he would have the ability to. He was extremely tired from performing for two weeks in a row, his voice was slowly beginning to wear away, and his fingers were practically bleeding every time he attempted a chord, but he wouldn’t give up. He sat on the edge of his bed and opened his case, pulling out his acoustic guitar to tune it quickly and begin reciting the lyrics that he had worked so hard to create. His mother didn’t raise a quitter. … The following evening, Yuuri didn’t have the mental strength to play his most recently written song. There were more people than he had previously encountered before, and all he could do was settle with something he had the ability to play: A song he had named Annie’s Song.   You fill up my senses Yuuri took a deep breath and switched chords, listening quietly to his strumming pattern so he didn’t ruin the differing, clean tones of the song. Like a night in a forest Like the mountains in springtime Like a walk in the rain Like a storm in the desert Like a sleepy blue ocean He looked up from the neck of his guitar and watched as a few of the older occupants of the bar smile at the lyrics. This song in particular probably reminded them of their loved ones, and it was rather obvious that they were enjoying the tones of the guitar from the way that they were smiling and swaying in their seats in time with the music. You fill up my senses Come fill me again His hand slid down a few frets to make the sound become higher, and his breath hitched in his throat as he nearly missed the change from a Dsus and Em. Luckily, he fixed the error quickly and sped up his hand movements to catch up with the speed of his strumming. He calmed down his breathing and sang the next set of lyrics. Come, let me love you Let me give my life to you Let me drown in your laughter Let me die in your arms Let me lay down beside you Let me always be with you Come, let me love you He watched as an older couple smiled at each other and got up to dance along with the song. It nearly distracted Yuuri from his singing, but he pried his eyes away from the adorable married couple and continued to sing and play with a small furrow of his eyebrows. Come love me again Let me give my life to you Come, let me love you Come love me again With a relaxation of the planes of his face, he closed his eyes gently and drowned within the verses falling from his lips. He connected with the softly spoken words of this song so easily, that it was practically natural. It reminded him of all of the peaceful things in life, whilst bringing up the fact that he had no one to sing this song to. He didn’t have anyone to call his lover, to give his life too; and it saddened him rather frequently every time he sang this song- in particular. You fill up my senses Like a night in a forest Like the mountains in springtime Like a walk in the rain Like a storm in the desert Like a sleepy blue ocean You fill up my senses He breathed out softly and strummed not as vigorously as he had previously done; his eyes fluttering open softly and connecting with the cool tones of icy blue from across the bar. They were the eyes of someone in which he had never seen before. Come fill me again Yuuri struck the strings once more and looked away from the stranger’s eyes reluctantly as the last chord echoed through the bar. He could feel his face heating up with the realization that he had probably stared at the stranger for way longer that what should’ve been considered appropriate, but he ignored the feeling that threatened to arise in his stomach by standing up from the stool he had been sitting on to put away his guitar. He thought the bar was silent… in fact, it practically was. He assumed that no one wanted to waste the effort with an applause, and in fact, he was already swinging his guitar case over his shoulder to leave. He quickly began to leave towards the back entrance... When someone from the back of the room began to clap loudly at his performance.   Yuuri’s eyes flew open –wide-, his breath caught in the back of his throat, and he glanced over his shoulder. He had never heard such a sound directed towards himself after he had played, and it was practically foreign. The protagonist could practically feel his heart attempting to leap from his chest as he searched for the source of the sound. “Amazing!” The guitarist barely even happened to catch a glance of the man who was clapping extremely loud with a huge, open-mouthed grin. He was probably in his late twenties even though he had silver-like hair. His skin was a bit pale in the bad lighting of the bar, but even through the dim light, Yuuri could see the gleam of happiness that colored his irises with an ocean-like hue, along with a brown cargo jacket that was obviously for winter-use. Yuuri nearly stopped breathing before he turned around and dashed for the exit; his face flushed crimson and a tear streaming down his cheek. He pushed up his glasses and quickly wiped away the tear with his sleeve before a small smile surfaced on his face. He burst through the door and covered his mouth with his hands; attempting to ignore the cold that nipped at his body. ”No one had ever cared enough to waste the time to applaud… no one ever enjoyed my performance that well…” He thought. The boy sank to his knees in the freshly fallen snow and watched as more flakes came to rest amongst the others. That was entirely the first time in which someone had labeled one of his songs as amazing… He could practically hear his heartbeat drowning out the noises of the city surrounding him; the passing of a car or the voices of the night owls laughing at and with each other, consumed fully with heartfelt laughter.   Yuuri was so, extraordinarily, unconditionally….Happy…. ***** Chapter 2 ***** Chapter Summary Makkachin... this is why we love you <3 Chapter Notes Songs: "I Will Follow You," Toulouse (herel)   MY_TUMBLR   Thanks for reading! :) comments make my day. See the end of the chapter for more notes “Oh, c’mon, Yuuri! Please pose for at least one selfie!” Phichit whined at me; in which resulted in me shaking my head vigorously, attempting to back away from the electronic device that my friend was attempting to practically shove into my face. I held up both hands and covered my blushing face to hide it from the phone. “No! Phichit, you know I don’t like being in pictures!” I peeked out from behind my hands but hid my face soon after, whereas Phichit was videoing the interaction with his phone and a shit-eating grin. We had taken a walk down Main Street within the last hour or so to start looking at things for Christmas presents, and he decided to start taking random photos and videos of me when I least expected it. It was just a week before my birthday as well, and he had insisted upon taking me out for some winter sight-seeing and some good street food. Honestly, the food was great. We had fresh piroshki and bubble tea from a place down the street a bit, and the sight-seeing was amazing; we went around town and saw different, ancient buildings that I had never visited even though I’ve lived near them my entire life. But the only deal-breaker was the extremely cold weather, snow, and black ice that covered the sidewalk in different places. If I wasn’t eating the fresh pirozhki or sipping my caramel bubble tea, I was slipping on the ice and running into other shoppers that just-so-happened to be near me at the present time. “Okay, just one picture in front of that building over there!” Phichit begged with the motion of clasping his hands in front of his body, “If you let me take a picture of us together and post it on my Instagram, I’ll buy you a bag of guitar picks!” He stuck out his bottom lip. I looked at his hesitantly, “Cheap or expensive?” “Customized!” “I want a capo, too.” “Okay! We can do that! Just one photo!” “Hmm… You know what, I’ve also been wanting a GT-1-“ “You’re pushing your luck as it is.” He frowned and pulled out his phone, “Nonetheless, it’s worth it. My Instagram feed had been needing some more Yuuri on it.” He held up his phone towards the sky and make a small peace sign. I attempted to copy him, but alas, I looked extremely awkward and uneasy instead of cute like Phichit. He didn’t seem to mind the outcome of the photo, as he quickly launched Face Tune and began to smooth out his face and add different colors to the background instead of the once dreary building facades. The male held his bottom lip between his teeth as he worked, only taking two minutes to achieve the perfect photo. “There!” He suddenly exclaimed, holding out the device towards me so It would be easier to observe, “Do you like it? The colors in the background look really pretty; as a personal opinion.” Once again, his work was practically flawless and I smiled at him, nodding but pausing to stare at myself a bit closer. The colors of the background were extremely colorful, ranging from pink lights strung about the buildings to the orange colors of the cloudy sunset behind us, he completely succeeded in bringing out the natural beauty of the world around us. The piroshki within my grasp looked absolutely tangible, along with the reds that stained the sunset like the sweet taste of strawberries. It truly was beautiful, and Phichit’s talent really shone through the photo. “It’s amazing,” I said, “What filter did you use? You actually made me look not half-bad.” I smiled at my companion and took a small bite of my piroshki, waiting for a response. I knew how preachy he could get about the things he liked, but I was in a good mood today. I could deal with a bit of his lengthy explanation. Instead of an immediate answer, he said: “Oh… uh…. It’s just a bit of tuning that makes your skin smoother- and stuff…” He ignored my gaze and frowned, looking down at the cobblestone street beneath our feet. My eyebrows furrowed together and I decided to drop the subject. It was uncharacteristic for him to not know the name of a filter or tool he used… so why wasn’t he explaining it like usual? What was wrong? Why did he look so sad but happy at the same time? He was never this quiet… It was extremely as normal. “So… um, do you want to go down to the river?” I said quietly, throwing the paper wrapping my piroshki had been sold to me in into the nearest garbage bin. He nodded and set his phone into the pocket of his black coat- something in which he nearly never did on a daily basis. I nearly questioned him for his strange behavior, but I decided to not take the matter to close to heart. Maybe he had something on his mind that he was currently trying to deal with. In that case… I probably shouldn’t even be here… What if I was being a bother?? What if he had something extremely important he needed to attend to, and I was holding him back from doing so? So many unanswered questions blew through my mind at the speed of light itself, and before I knew it, Phichit was yanking me back from the crowded street. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” He yelled angrily, pulling me even farther from where I had just recently been standing. I had wandered out into the street… Because I wasn’t paying attention. “Sorry,” I spoke quietly as he let go of the collar of my shirt, “I wasn’t being aware of my surroundings.” Phichit looked skeptical, but my response had been the honest truth to the situation. I had simply let my mind become unaware of what was going on around me. I knew he didn’t mean to sound so harsh; he was only trying to look out for me like he would usually do- the whole ordeal was my fault... and my fault only. “Okay… Let’s just go down to the river. I hear it’s really pretty during this time of the year- especially with the city down below the bridge and all of the snow.” He smiled gently and tugged me along down the street, probably to make sure that I wouldn’t get lost in my head like I had just recently. I only nodded in response and decided to pay attention to the beautiful surrounding area instead of my own thoughts. “Yeah, that sounds nice.” Phichit didn’t use a single filter on Yuuri’s face in their shared selfie… … “Just as I thought…” Phichit muttered as soon as they reached the river bed and position where it led to the bridge, “It’s absolutely beautiful during this time of the year.” His eyes cast themselves downwards to examine the ice on the surrounding shoreline- all of which had the icy water splashing up against the rocky shoreline. I smiled and hummed in agreement, “Yeah, It’s really beautiful out here.” I could practically feel my face lighting up amongst the earthy tones of the thin line of woods behind us. I could’ve probably stared at the scenery for hours on end, that was, if a dog hadn’t of suddenly run up behind me and rose up on its hind legs to knock me over and into the icy water itself. Phichit yelled out in surprise at the sudden attack of the animal and fell backward onto the rock-covered shore instead of the water, stumbling back so –upon estimate- that his phone wouldn’t get drenched as of me. I gasped at the cold intrusion upon my clothing and ended up inhaling water. I coughed when I came up for air, sputtering in the foot deep water as I attempted to gain my footing on the rocky bottom so I would be able to stand up to escape its icy clutches. The dog that had knocked me over, ran into the river beside me, splashing around ice-cold water as it yipped and barked about happily. I, in fact, couldn’t find myself to be that angry at the dog. It obviously didn’t know any better since he had such tendencies and I knew what it was like to own a pet who acted in such a way. A hearty laugh left my lips and I stood up out of the water, dripping with the cold liquid whilst I attempted to stumble out of the river’s current and near Phichit; who was still shocked from the sudden appearance of the animal. It was extremely cold outside, so I reluctantly walked back into the water to coax the dog from the river. Eventually, I practically dragged him out and pulled him onto the shore. Even though It was a just a dog, their bodies weren’t built to withstand such cold temperatures- much like a human's. Without thinking twice, I tore off my coat and pulled off my sweater, which just so happened to be the slightest bit dry, and used it to towel the mammal off. “It pushed you into the river!” Phichit suddenly yelled, regaining his feet to stand up once again. He removed his own coat and tried to throw it over my shoulders, but I pushed it back towards him when he tried to hand it to me. “You have an extremely important meeting at work tomorrow, Phichit, you mustn’t get sick before then.” “MAKKACHIN! You can’t run off like that! That’s the third time today!” A man ran out from where the park was located, looking rather frazzled at the fact that his dog had so suddenly sprinted away from him. He let out a long string of angrily-spoken Russian words. Oh no… Oh shit- The silver-haired man came to a stop before me and rested his hands on his knees, breathing heavily as he attempted to catch his breath. “Oh my god! I’m so sorry about Makkachin and whatever he has done!” He stood up fully and held out his hand for me to shake it, “I really appreciate that you caught him for me-“ He paused as his eyes reached mine. I saw a ripple of recognition flash through his eyes as they connected with mine and he smiled. “Oh! You’re the guitarist from the bar!” I was rendered speechless. This was the man that had given me the strength to not give up on guitar just a few months in the past. He was the first one to applaud… the first one to offer praise towards a song I had worked so hard to create… the first one to even acknowledge my hard work. “I really liked the song you had wrote- you did write that, correct?” He quickly noticed that I was simply in a t-shirt and he began to slide off his coat as he realized what had happened between me and his dog in the time that he has ran from his owner. Phichit raised a questioning eyebrow and slowly held up his [hone, beginning to record the incident without me knowing he had begun to do so. “You two know each other?” The silver haired male only smiled and ignored my friend’s question, “I’m Viktor Nikiforov! An you are…?” I flushed red and I faintly noticed the feeling of him sliding is coat onto my shoulders. He was quite the straightforward type. My voice broke as I tried to speak in a calm voice, “Katsuki Yuuri.” I was expecting a statement of some kind snide comment towards my ethnicity, as most people introduced themselves with a racist joke of some kind or another. But not with Viktor, he just simply smiled and said: “Well, Yuuri, I appreciate what you have done for Makkachin, and I am extremely sorry about your clothing, along with the fact that he had pushed you into the river…. Is there any way I can repay you?” He honestly looked entirely worried about his pet’s actions; as his eyebrows were furrowed and his lips pressed downwards into a grim line. Without thinking, I shook my head and fought down a blush –which didn’t happen to work in this case scenario- and held up my hands. “Nonono! It’s fine-“ “New phone! New camera!” Phichit suddenly yelled, attempting to video the incident without the slightest ignition that he was filming at the current moment, “He’ll never forgive you if you don’t give –strictly him- those few things- Oh! And he really wants a selfie stick!” ”Phichit!” I shook my head vigorously and attempted to open my mouth, but Viktor only laughed and shook his head absentmindedly. “Sorry, but as I’m not made of money- I was thinking more of a new coat?” He offered me a gentle smile as he picked up the now muddy and slightly torn bit of fabric that was once a piece of outdoor wear, “Makkachin practically destroyed this, and I’m guessing that it was rather expensive from the stitching and fabric.” He threw it over his arm and smoothed out the back of it. “My mother is an amazing seamstress; she could probably fix it for you.” Phichit suddenly dove into the conversation without a single look of remorse and he quickly said: “Oh, my wouldn’t he love that! Thank you so much for this, Mr. Nikiforov- but we must get going! Yuuri, you should give him your phone number so he can contact you so you can get your coat back!” I didn’t move; I practically couldn’t. I felt extremely terrified upon the thoughts of giving my phone number to some random person- but Phichit didn’t look at all concerned. It wasn’t like he was trying to set me up with Viktor.. he just simply wanted my coat to be as good as new….right? Right? Makkachin barked happily and jumped up onto me, practically knocking me over in the process of doing so. I laughed at the dog’s attempts and reached down to pet the brown poodle’s soft fur. He was an extremely nice dog, it was hard to believe that he had just pushed me into the river mere moments before. “O-Okay… give me your p-phone…” … I will follow You Yuuri sighed and closed his eyes, playing each chord on the piano through muscle memory. He didn’t even have to think, the notes just came so naturally to him at this point. Tonight, he was playing at a small café just on the outskirts of his hometown. He had been expecting to play the guitar when he had left home that evening, but when he arrived, he saw that there was a beautiful, white grand piano in the centre of the building. Naturally, he had acted off of instinct and went directly for the piano. Follow you wherever you may go There isn't an ocean too deep A mountain so high it can keep Keep me away Away from my love The pianist smiled at the sounds that had risen from the piano’s strings. It sounded so clean… so pure; it was one of his favorite sounds. I Love you I Love you I Love you Something within Yuuri clenched at those words falling from his tongue ever so effortlessly. Except, the words didn’t fall so effortlessly. They were sour in his throat since they weren’t directed towards anyone, and they were difficult to pronounce. Where you go I follow I follow I follow I follow Yuuri let his eyes fall closed as he licked his lips, leading into the next verse. His hands danced so effortlessly from key to key, and then fro, it truly was impressive; that was, if anyone would’ve been watching him play. You'll always be my true love My true love my true love Forever I will follow you Ever since you touched my hand, I knew Near you, I always must be Nothing can keep you from me You are my destiny He felt a hollowness in his heart whenever he sang this song… like something was missing, or rather, someone. I Love you I Love you I Love you I Love you I Love you I Love you It was still those damned words that he needed to recite in order for this song to be sung properly. He couldn’t change them for his own good, since they pulled at something within himself that yearned for the love of someone… for someone to be there to tell him that everything was going to be okay, that nothing was going to foul their lives… but alas, it was necessary. Where you go I follow I follow I follow Everyone stayed silent as Yuuri neared the end of the song. He wanted at least one person to clap at the end, for someone to applaud him for his efforts. He wanted the look into the brightly lit room and see Viktor sitting at one of the white tables, sneaking Makkachin bits of his food or even pretending for him to be a service dog so he could be allowed inside. You'll always be my true love My true love my true love Forever Yuuri nearly chuckled at his own thoughts. Why was he thinking about that man so much? He barely even knew him… he was barely even an acquaintance. I will follow you Follow you wherever you may go There isn't an ocean too deep A mountain so high it can keep He ignored his thoughts for the last two sets of notes and brought himself back fully into the song. All he wanted to be able to do, was to get enough money so he’d be able to buy himself a house and live a nice, stable life. Maybe get a job somewhere in the city that had a bit of a better pay. Yuuri only shook his head at himself and played another note. He knew that it was probably never going to happen. Keep me away Away from my love There was no applause. Chapter End Notes I JUST LOVE THE IDEA OF MAKKACHIN BRINGING THESE TWO IDIOTS TOGETHER OK DONT SUE ME. And i love the song that Yuuri sang in this chapter : ') I suggest that you listen to it when reading Yuuri perform. ***** Chapter 3 ***** Chapter Summary (No songs in this chapter, but there will be one in the next.) Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes “Honey?” My mother asked in a questioning tone as she waddled into my room at nearly seven in the morning. She was still wearing the robe that she usually wore when she would just wake up as she shook my shoulder, obviously attempting to wake me up from my peaceful slumber. Little did she know, that I had absolutely no intentions of waking up whatsoever. With a small groan, I rolled over and faced away from Hiroko, trying practically desperately to ignore the way she shook my shoulders a bit more violently with every passing second. “Yuuri, you got a text message from some number that I’m unfamiliar with,” She held my phone in front of my face –in which my eyes were closed- and turned on the flashlight, nearly blinding me in the process of her doing so. “Did you finally get a girlfriend?” Her voice held just the slightest bit of teasing within its tones as she leaned over my body to flicker the phone’s flashlight again. With that being said, I was up in nearly a hundredth of a second. I could just barely tell that my hair was undoubtfully sticking up in nearly every direction, and I looked like a complete and utter mess, but I was all-too concerned with her previous statement to give anything else that much thought. “What?!” I yelped, slightly from the fact that I never found myself interested in girls at all, but also from the realization that my mother had gone through my phone; since it was unlocked and such. I grabbed, or more so: yanked, the device from her hands and observed the text messages from the unknown number. UNKNOWN (6:14) Ohayo, Yuuri! My mother just finished stitching your coat back together! I can bring It to you if you’d like?   UNKNOWN (6:16) She’s quite the morning person :p   UNKNOWN (6:16) I was also wondering if you were going to perform somewhere to-night. I’d like to hear you play again    UNKNOWN (6:32) I mean it’s okay if you don’t want to respond. I was just assuming that you’d like your fancy coat back :3   UNKNOWN (6:32) Oh wait.   UNKNOWN (6:33) You probably aren’t awake yet, are you?   UNKNOWN (6:35) Oh well. Shoot me a text when you get up, Kay? :$   I sighed at the messages and handed my phone back to my mother, “It’s just Viktor. I’m going back to bed.” My body collapsed back against the pillows and I buried myself into the many layers of blankets that lined my mattress. I had no idea as to why I was so tired recently, but I could only assume that it was purely exhaustion from playing till four in the morning for three weeks in a row. My sleep schedule was extremely unhealthy as of now. My mother’s ears perked at the name and she loomed over my body that was snuggled beneath my comforters and duvets, “Viktor, huh? Is she nice?” I fought back the urge to laugh, “Mom, Viktor is a male’s name.” She seemed taken back for a moment before she smirked at me, “Well, is he a good boyfriend? Does he go to your performances? Does he take care of you?” She crossed her arms and glanced down at my lock screen as if a new message was going to appear suddenly, “And what about this coat, Yuuri? What is it doing at his place? When were you there- and why were you there to begin with-?” “Mom…” I groaned, my face flushing a bright red from where it was hidden under my blankets, “He isn’t my boyfriend. I was down by the river and my coat got ruined because of something in relation with him. He offered to fix it and here we are. He’s just going to return it.” I pulled one of my covers over my head to block out her frown. “Oh…” Her voice was saddened, “I thought that you had finally found someone you actually liked for once…” She sighed and I felt her stand from my bed, her voice beginning to trail off with what appeared to be disappointment in the highest of masses. I thought she was just going to leave without another word being said, but she paused just before she opened the sliding door of my room and said gently: “Yuuri, always remember that I don’t care who you decide to love… You’ll always be my son, and I’ll always love you, just remember that.” “Not gay.” “I don’t care, I just thought you should know that.” “Still not gay.” … “Makkachin,” said Viktor with a small hum towards his dog, who -in this case- was laying on his small dog-bed by his owner’s much larger one- even though said owner constantly offered for him to be able to sleep in the bed, “Do you think this looks like a professional seamstress did it?” He held up the now clean coat that was stitched up the side where it had once been ripped. No, he didn’t live with his mother that was a, ”professional seamstress,” he lived in an apartment by himself with his dog, and his mother lived an entire city away with his angsty teen brother, Yuri; with one u. She wasn’t even a seamstress; she was a stay-at-home mom that had once owned a bakery. Makkachin picked up his head, huffed, and then rested it back on top of his crossed legs. Viktor pouted at his pet’s reaction and held up the coat before himself to examine his handiwork. It wasn’t that bad in his eyes, but Yuuri would most likely be able to see the flaws that littered the fabric. Makkachin was definitely not impressed by what he had done, and it was rather evident as well. “Why did no one ever buy me a sewing machine as a housewarming gift?” The silver-haired male said as he picked at the loosely sewn fabric. He knew that the job he had done was rather mediocre, but it was his first time sewing, and he was extremely happy with the fact that it didn’t end up being a giant mass of tangled thread instead of a fixed coat. He was quite proud of his work nonetheless, if Yuuri acknowledged the fact that it was absolutely horrible or not. Why did he cared if Yuuri liked it or not? It wasn’t like it mattered… He barely knew the guy. All he was doing, was fixing a coat that Makkachin had ruined with his paws… noting more, nothing less. “I should’ve just bought him a new coat,” Viktor muttered to himself, laying the coat over the back of a chair before pitifully crawling over to his dog on the floor and then curling up with him. He was so tired from having to deal with numerous things, and his guilty pleasure was spending time with Makkachin. He was always so happy and forgiving of everything. Viktor could only wish that more people would act in such a way other than being unforgiving and rude. “I’m pitiful, aren’t I?” Viktor said as Makkachin began licking his owners face, “Here I am, curled up in a ball on the floor with my dog… I mean, who does that?” He looked up at his dog’s face as if he was actually expecting a response. Makkachin barked sharply as If to say ‘you, apparently,’ and then continued in the task of licking Viktor’s face once again, his tongue lapping at the side of his cheek slobbery. Viktor lightly hummed and began to stroke his pet’s fur, resting his head on the poodle’s ribcage. His eye lids began to grow heavy and he could feel himself slipping in and out of consciousness, but every time he nodded off he’d snap back into reality with a jolt. Eventually, Makkachin became fed up with Viktor’s movements and stood from his bed, hopping up onto his owner’s instead. He circled once on the mattress, twice, and then three times before he laid down atop of the heavy mass of blankets, huffing after he did so. “Not… fair…” Viktor muttered and then yawned out. He was going to stand up and fall asleep on his own –rather expensive- mattress, but he didn’t get very far due to the fact that he soon fell into a deep, surprisingly comfortable sleep on the hard wooden floor, right next to the dog bed. He didn’t know how long he slept there before he was awoken by a loud banging on his front door. Hell, he didn’t even have time to process what was occurring until he heard someone from outside screech: ”YOU FUCKING RUSSIAN-CUNT! GET THE HELL OUT HERE BEFORE I BUST DOWN THIS DOOR MYSELF!” Viktor sat up reluctantly and groaned, slowly getting up off of the floor with a small grunt of effort. He smiled to himself nonetheless at the announced visit of his younger brother, Yuri, and walked towards the door as he yawned and stretched his arms over his head; Makkachin prancing along behind him all the while with a merry tongue flopping from his jaws. As soon as the door opened, he was greeted by the scowl of Yuri and a quick shove to allow him entrance into the home. “Ah, good morning, Yurio!” Viktor cried happily with a ginormous smile overtaking his face. He didn’t even mind the rude manners of the other male; he was just all-to accustomed to what Yurio had in store. Yuri flicked off his glasses angrily and stomped down his foot with enough force to make Viktor’s downstairs neighbor bang up against the ceiling with what was supposedly a fist to get him to quiet down since it was so early in the day. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop fucking calling me that?!” The blonde growled, stomping on the floor again to elicit a few sharp yells from beneath the duo’s feet. Viktor pouted and crossed his arms, “Yurio~, that’s not very nice. I thought Matushka taught you better!” He pointed a finger at his younger brother and then smiled brightly, “But I’ll let it slide! Mamochka would want that!” Yurio groaned and flopped down onto the nearest sofa and crossed his legs, sliding his glasses back on with a small sigh, “Why do you always say Mama’s name in such over the top ways? She’s told you millions of times to stop calling her Matushka!” The silver-hailed male stuck out his bottom lip and watched with a slightly amused look in his eyes as Makkachin ran up to his younger brother and pounced onto his legs; successfully covering Yuri’s black jeans with dirt from that morning’s walk to the park and back. Yuri yelled out at the dog and shook his leg in an attempt to free himself of the dirt covering his jeans in long streaks of brown. He hated being dirty, as he then yelled out: “You damned dog! You just ruined my designer jeans!” The blonde rubbed at it vigorously and growled out of pure distress and anger. It was no secret that the boy hated dogs, and was ultimately more of a cat person; it matched his personality. “Awe, don’t scold him, he doesn’t know any better,” Viktor drawled out with a small pout, “He didn’t mean anything by it~” “Bitch, yes he did!” Chapter End Notes Thank you for reading, guys. I haven't updated this story in a while and I felt obligated to do. So, I just decided to post what I had written nearly a month ago. It's only about 2,000 words, but I've been busy with trying to come up with another chapter for I'm Fine. I'm Fine. I'm Fine. and Changing Seasons. End Notes MY_TUMBLR Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!