~CHAPTER EIGHTEEN~

                                    

                                          


                          
A/N Happy Halloween!
                          


                          
~August 12th~
                          


                          
I wake up and roll over in bed to see my silver-haired boyfriend in the light cast into my room by the moon, sound asleep under the covers. He looks so peaceful while he sleeps. I kiss the tip of his nose gently as to not wake him up and roll back over. I snuggle back into the covers and poke Aiko accidentally but she stays sound asleep. Makkachin looks up at me with tired eyes from the end of the bed where he is cuddled against Aiko. He puts his head back down and starts snoring softly. Victor takes a deep breath and wraps his arms around me. I smile and-
                          
"Y/N! Where did you put the rice?" I roll over and to see if I wasn't really dreaming only to find Fruit Loop laying on top of Aiko.
                          
Well...At least Aiko has somebody to cuddle with!
                          
Aiko barks at Dai as she runs in my room and Fruit Loop jumps up, stepping on Aiko's head. Aiko growls at Fruit Loop and the pink dog steps back and falls off the bed.
                          
Good morning, Y/N!
                          
"Oh sorry were you sleeping?" I pick my phone up and check the time and cover my face in the blankets.
                          
She does this to often...
                          
"Dai...Why are you making rice at 5 in the morning?" I ask calmly and Dai laughs and sits next to Aiko.
                          
"I'm hungry?" I glare at her and she grins back.
                          
"The pantry next to the cookie jar," I answer and make myself comfortable again.
                          
"Thank you!" She says in a sing-song voice and leaves my room with the door wide open. I get up after a few minutes of looking at my door and close it. "Wait! We have cookies?" Dai yells from outside my door and I ignore her.
                          
"She's crazy, Aiko." I say quietly and tug her over to my side of the bed. "I'm tired and want to cuddle so you will cuddle with me," I say and wrap my arms around my dog.
                          
"Pokémon! Gotta catch 'em all!" Dai yells from the living room.
                          
"Gotta catch 'em all!" I yell from my bedroom and Aiko looks up at me as if telling me to be quiet.
                          
"Come and watch pokémon with me!" Dai yells again and I sigh. Aiko crawls under the blanket which leaves me no reason as to why I can't watch pokémon with my best friend at 5 in the morning.
                          
"I'm coming!" I think for a second. "You better have saved me some rice!"
                          


                          
~Viktor POV~
                          


                          
"I'm sorry I'm so late!" I turn around and smile at Yuuri.
                          
"Goodmorning Yuri! I have to admit you are impressively late!" Yuuri apologizes over and over. I study his face and he stares back at me.
                          
Why is he so nervous around me? It's almost as if he feels the need to impress me or he'll die.
                          
After Yuuri calms down he laces up his skates and begins the eros routine he had been preparing for the competition. Even from where I am standing I can see just how nervous and tired he is.
                          
I wish I knew what was wrong. Maybe he is worried about competition?
                          
Even before he leaves the ground for his second lutz I can tell that he isn't going to land it. He falls out of his jump and begins again.
                          
"I noticed you tend to flunk your jumps when you have something on your mind, care to share?" I say as I walk out onto the ice and he shakes his head. He stands up and starts again.
                          
During lunch, I speak to Y/N about the Birthday party she was planning to host for Dai. That would be a good way for Yuuri to loosen up a little. He seemed a lot happier after we meet with Y/N and Dai at the tea shop.
                          
"Hello, Yuuri!" Y/N waves to Yuuri as he walks through the front door from eating at his parent's house and he smiles.
                          


                          
~
                          


                          
Practice ends early because, Yuuri, even though he had amazing stamina, needed a break and a dip in one of the baths at the ice house.
                          
More than half-way to his parent's home I turn and look at Yuuri. "Yuuri," This was the first thing said since we left the rink. He glances over at me but doesn't make eye contact. "Would you like me to take a jump out of your program? To make it simpler." Yuuri's face turns bright red and he stops walking.
                          
"No, I-I-Um-I've got it. I just need to...Practice more." Yuuri turns and his speed increases. "I'll land them all."
                          
I wouldn't have taken that well either...
                          


                          
~
                          


                          
In the days after I mentioned shortening his program, I saw little of Yuuri. He tried avoiding me at all costs. He even said no to eating out. 
                          
{A/N I swear if you feed me or offer to feed me I'll never leave you alone!}
                          
Even during practice, he prefered to train harder than before and talk less and chose to stay longer to work with Y/N and Yuuko.
                          
"Yuuri, let's take a walk." Yuuri hesitates and I grab his arm and drag him outside until I realize that we are both still wearing our skates. We take them off and leave them just inside the door.
                          
 I tell him about how the ocean reminded me of Saint Petersburg and he seems to be calm. Calmer than I had seen him in a week or so. He tells me about this girl he knew in Detroit. From what he said it sounded like she liked him.
                          
"Tell me, what is it you want me to be? A father figure a brother or just a friend?" Yuuri shrugs and plays with his shoelaces. "Then a lover?" Yuuri jumps up and his whole face turns bright pink and he shakes his head.
                          
"No, no, no, no!" Makkachin, who had come along with us looks at Yuuri like he is a bit annoyed with how he jumped up out of nowhere. "I want you to be who you are. I look up to you and I always have. I was afraid to let you see my shortcomings. I guess that's why I've been avoiding you. I'll make it up to you by skating my best."
                          
"You have a deal and I won't let you off easy. That's my way of showing my love." Yuuri and I shake hands.
                          
After a while of comfortable silence, I take Makkachin back to the bathhouse. Yuuri chooses to stay behind most likely to collect his thoughts.
                          
I'm glad that Yuuri finally opened up to me.
                          


                          
~
                          


                          
~Word Count: 1,162~
                          


                          
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A/N Old readers might recognise this chapter because it was a combo of two of my old chapters. I'm going back through and reading some of them so they might make a reappearance!