Chapter Text
Before Yuuri or Viktor knew it, three months had passed since Viktor’s official retirement. The famous now-retired hockey player had a press conference shortly after his last game. As soon as he said he was retiring due to a prolonged injury and to be with his family, the media exploded with excitement from wanting more information.
The young couple hadn’t exactly been hiding anything, but they never made any official announcements online about their status together or their newborns. They wanted to keep things private for as long as they could.
There were a few fan posts from some of the games Yuuri attended and speculations online about Yuuri’s status as the partner of the famous Viktor Nikiforov. But, the couple didn’t confirm or deny those claims, and it was left as just rumors.
Until now, where Viktor briefly went over the new groundbreaking information for the crowd. He expressed that Yuuri was his mate, and they had two little babies to care for and raise together. Viktor stated he was very happy and looking forward to fatherhood.
He only talked about his personal life briefly during the press conference, before trying to divert as much attention as he could to his career and injury. He explained that his injury was related to his knees and was the main reason for him stepping back for many of the games for the last portion of the season.
Many asked what he would do next, and if would start to go into coaching. Viktor smiled his award winning media smile and kept reiterating that he was just going to focus on his family for now. If opportunities for coaching come up down the road, then Viktor would take it into consideration.
The conference ended shortly after that with Yakov ushering Viktor off of the stage and having himself and Celestino take over. They would be going over the season recap with the reporters and talking about the future of the Detroit franchise. The usual flare the coaches would do after every season.
Viktor was relieved to be finally free of those relentless people, and was greeted by baby slobber kisses from his precious Emiko and Taiyo. And, a less slobbery kiss from his darling Yuuri. His family had watched the press conference on the TV, supporting Viktor from home. No, Viktor couldn’t imagine missing any of this as he gazed at his family.
Only a few weeks after his last game and press release, Viktor woke up unable to move his knees and racked with excruciating pain all up and down his legs. He knew it was time, and it was the hardest phone call he had ever had to make.
He finally called his doctor and scheduled his surgery to fix both of his knees. He wasn’t looking forward to any of it. The surgery, the recovery, the physical therapy, all of it. The fact that it would take almost a year and possibly up to 18 months to get back to normal activities was daunting for the alpha.
He had always been an active person, and much of the next year was going to be spent inactive. The only thing that made it all slightly better was that he would be surrounded by friends and family to help him, especially with Yuuri and his two little ones by his side.
When Viktor originally tried to schedule his surgery, he thought he would have to wait a few weeks, but he never thought he had to wait almost three months for the whole process. After some preliminary scans, his right knee showed no cartilage and his left knee had very little left. What little was left was too damaged to salvage, so he would need full replacements for both of his knees, which made his recovery that much more intensive. He had to wait for a donor match for the cartilage, and he lucked out that it didn’t take too long to get one.
The day of the surgery he gave a teary goodbye to his Tyoma and Eima as if going off to war. Yuuri chuckled at his silly partner. Viktor couldn’t believe how big they had gotten, he remembered when they were barely two months old at his final game in May. They were now almost six months old and growing like weeds everyday.
Baba and Hiroko would be watching the twins while Yuuri would take Viktor to the hospital and wait for him to get out of surgery later that day. Unfortunately, Viktor would have to be admitted to the hospital for 3 days after surgery for monitoring and to make sure his body accepted the new cartilage replacements.
Hiroko quickly put the twins down for a nap, so Yuuri and Viktor could make their getaway. They had found it was easier to leave the house when the twins were asleep or occupied with something else. If they saw either of their mama or papa leave the apartment, both baby girl and boy would start wailing and crying like their life depended on it.
Yuuri drove them to the hospital and got Viktor checked in with the receptionist. Shortly afterwards, they were taken up to the room for Viktor’s stay and got his belongings settled in. A nurse came in and handed Viktor a hospital gown and surgery cap for his head. Once he was changed the Russian man tried to get comfortable on his cot, that they would wheel him out on to the operating room.
Yuuri took a seat on the edge of the bed next to him. They were just waiting for the anesthesiologist to come in and get Viktor set up. Viktor hadn’t eaten or drank anything since 6 pm yesterday, and he looked like a kicked puppy in his attire and the tiny hospital cot.
The omega still thought he was infinitely adorable. He grasped Viktor’s hand that still had his ring on it. The ring on Yuuri’s finger glinted in the late morning light coming from the window.
“Nervous?” He asked softly.
Viktor looked up at him and gave a timid smile. “Maybe a little? It’s been awhile since I’ve had to get anything done. This is definitely the biggest procedure I’ve had to do.”
“Surgery is always a bit scary, no matter what it’s for. But, I know it’s going to go well, and the lead surgeon is one of the best in Michigan.” Yuuri said with reassurance as he leaned over to give Viktor a kiss on the forehead.
Viktor hummed in affirmation and gazed down at the rings on their fingers. “Don’t leave, please.” He almost whispered and if it wasn’t so quiet in the room, then Yuuri might have even missed what he said.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here when you wake up.” Yuuri promised and meant every word. He would wait as long as the surgery took until Viktor was safely deposited back to his room.
Just for good measure Yuuri leaned over to give Viktor a soft kiss on his plush lips as well. Viktor hummed into the kiss and gripped Yuuri’s hand a little tighter as if to make sure it was still there.
The anesthesiologist came in only a few minutes later and got Viktor hooked up to the IV bag and started the drip. He was a jovial man and made small talk with the couple as he waited for the drug to kick in. Yuuri carefully pulled off Viktor’s ring and put it in his pocket for safe keepings until he returned.
After only a few moments Viktor’s eyes began to flutter shut as the drug began to flow through his system. The anesthesiologist and a nurse wheeled his cot out of the room to the operating room.
Yuuri took a seat on one of the spare chairs in the room and pulled out a book from one of the bags they brought for Viktor’s stay. He started to hunker down for the next part. The long wait for the surgery to be over.
Several hours passed and the staff finally brought Viktor back into the room. Yuuri was informed that the operation went well, and both knees were looking good. Viktor would have to stay for at least three days for observation, until he was given the green light to head home.
The doctor went over all of the care instructions and paperwork with Yuuri, since it would be some time before Viktor woke up from the anesthesia. His conversation with the doctor reminded him of when Viktor got his concussion over a year ago. However, this recovery would be a lot longer and more intense than that time.
A groan came from the bed as Viktor slowly began to rouse from his drug induced stupor. One of the nurses was still in the room with Yuuri and was checking Viktor’s vitals as the anesthesia started to wear off.
“He might be a little confused and disorientated, but that should clear up after some time. He’s also on a lot of pain killers, but if he is uncomfortable or in pain just press the call button and someone will come right away. I’ll be back in a bit to check on you guys.” The nurse smiled and left the couple alone for a few minutes.
“Vitya, wake up.” Yuuri said softly as he sat on the edge of the bed next to Viktor. He took his hand in his and rubbed the back of it gently. His hands were colder than normal, but that was a normal reaction to the anesthesia. The nurse had already put several heated blankets on top of Viktor to help keep his body warm and promote circulation through his body.
Viktor slowly moved his head a bit on the pillow and then his eyes fluttered open. He cautiously glanced around the room until his gaze fell to Yuuri. He let out an audible gasp.
“A-are you the doctor? You’re so pretty!” Viktor gushed as he stared at Yuuri dopily.
Yuuri wanted to burst out laughing, but tried to hold it in. Clearly, Viktor was still pretty high from the anesthesia if he didn’t know who Yuuri was. It was so adorable though that Yuuri felt his cheeks heat up from the compliment and couldn’t stop smiling at the dopey alpha.
“Thank you, but I’m not the doctor.” Yuuri chuckled lightly as he gripped Viktor’s hand in his.
“That's too bad, because I’d let you do my physical anytime.” Viktor tried to smirk but his facial muscle coordination wasn’t quite there yet, so it just looked like a goofy expression to Yuuri.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Do you know where you are right now?” Yuuri said while holding back another laugh, the fact that Viktor was trying to flirt with him right now was too much. The omega hoped the question would help with jogging Viktor’s memory.
“I- uh, a hospital? I think. It looks like a hospital room.” Viktor said with a questioning tone as he looked around the room more, and then he looked down at their hands clasped together. The alpha gasped again and brought Yuuri’s hand so close to his face. He just stared at the ring on Yuuri’s finger, and then a few tears leaked out of his eyes unexpectedly.
“Oh no! You’re married! But, I wanted to marry you!” Viktor wailed as more tiny crystal-like tears flowed from his beautiful blue eyes.
Yuuri was at his limit and accidentally let out a few laughs that he quickly tried to disguise as coughs. He only half exceeded though, but Viktor probably couldn't tell with the amount of drugs in his system at the moment.
Before Yuuri could answer back, Viktor blurted out, “Do you love him?” He asked in all seriousness with a hard gaze in his watery eyes.
“I do love him very much. But, we aren’t married at the moment.” Yuuri said as wiped a few stray tears from Viktor’s cheeks.
“Would you leave him for me?” Viktor asked with a pout and desperate look in his eyes.
God, Yuuri wished someone else was here to film all of this. Viktor was going to freak out when he learned about what happened.
“Hmm, I don’t know.” Yuuri said as he pretended to contemplate the question. “We have two babies together, so I have to think about them too.”
“Y-you have kids! I love kids! I’ll take care of them. I’ll be their new papa! I’ll be the best papa!” Viktor said as if that was a valid response. Yuuri tried to hold back his snickers as Viktor still looked so serious with tears in his eyes. As if he’d do anything Yuuri asked of him right at this moment. It was probably a good time to stop teasing him.
“That is sweet of you. But, not necessary. I have something for you.” Yuuri said as he brought out Viktor’s ring from his pocket and gently placed it back on the alpha’s finger.
“I have one too? Are they matching?” Viktor asked in confusion as he compared Yuuri’s ring with his.
“They are. We each have one. It’s you. I’m with you, and we have two babies at home waiting for you. They want you to make a full recovery.” Yuuri answered back as he gazed into Viktor’s eyes.
Viktor gasped again as he looked once more at the ring on his finger and into Yuuri’s dark brown eyes. “Me?” He whispered and placed his hand on his chest, still in disbelief.
Yuuri couldn’t help it now and started laughing full body laughs. “Yes, you!”
Viktor still seemed a bit confused, but he had a bright smile on his face now as he placed Yuuri’s hand on his cheek. Just wanting to feel his warmth and touch.
The couple heard some snickering from the doorway and turned to see Mari standing there with her phone out. “You two are sooo sweet. I just can’t sometimes. So glad I got all of that on film, forever.” She said as she stopped the recording and put her phone in her bag.
“Mari? What are you doing here? Also, send me that video. I’m not sure if Viktor will remember all of this.” Yuuri said as he got up to hug his sister.
“Mom wanted me to stop by to drop off food and to see how you are doing. But, I can see Viktor is still a little loopy from everything.” Mari snickered as Viktor gave her a hurt look.
“I’m not loopy.” He said defiantly like a small child.
“Of course not sweetie.” Yuuri said to placate the man, and turned back to his sister. “How are Emi-chan and Tai-chan?”
“Fine, I’m sure they will be excited to see you when you get home. Surgery go well? Everyone has been waiting for your next update.” Mari said as she took out the containers of food from her bag. It was most likely a mix of Japanese and Russian food made by his mother and Viktor’s grandmother.
“Mhmm, everything went well.” Yuuri said as he and his sister sat down to have an early dinner together next to Viktor’s bed. It was early evening by now as the August sun started to set for the day.
Yuuri updated Mari on everything, and they both spent a few minutes updating everyone else on their phones. Viktor was starting to drift back to sleep as the siblings talked. The nurse came back in and had Viktor try some jello. If that sat well in his stomach, then they’d bring more substantial food for him in a bit.
The second time Viktor woke up after a small nap and some real food, he was much more coherent and remembered who Yuuri was and why he was in the hospital. Mari showed him the video of his earlier actions and Viktor’s face blushed a scarlet red that Yuuri had never witnessed before. The siblings chuckled at the embarrassed alpha, who hid his face in Yuuri’s shoulder. Yuuri tried to console him and rubbed his back.
The evening started to draw to a close and visiting hours were almost over. Yuuri video called his mom who put the twins on the phone, so Viktor could say good night to them. The babies didn’t do much on the phone or even realize they were on camera, but it would make Viktor sleep all the easier to see his two babies were doing fine while he was away. The siblings had to say their goodbyes as well, and Yuuri promised to be back tomorrow and would bring their kids to come see him.
The next day followed suit, and Yuuri brought the twins along for his visit. Phichit and Chris came along to visit as well. The Thai and Swiss couple had just gotten back from their honeymoon in the Bahamas just last week, and hadn’t had the time to catch up with them until now.
They talked about the different islands they went to, and all of the amazing food and resorts they stayed at. The month-long trip was definitely worth the wait for them and they had a fantastic time.
They spent some time keeping Viktor company until he was too tired. They left the alpha to get some rest, and Yuuri was glad he would be discharged tomorrow so he could be home with them. The doctors had already informed him that things were going well with his recovery and should be fine to go home on time.
Yuuri was at the hospital first thing the next morning to take Viktor home. The next eight weeks for the Russian would be spent resting on the couch or using a temporary wheelchair to get around. Normally, most patients would use crutches, but since Viktor had surgery on both his knees the wheelchair was a better option in his scenario.
After eight weeks, he could be cleared to start physical therapy. Since Chris was already a physical therapist, it was an easy choice for Viktor to choose him as his therapist to help with his recovery. Chris was happy that he could help his friend during this time.
Yuuri brought his mate home and they were greeted by their two precious babies and Baba. She had cooked all of Viktor’s favorite things. She had even made plenty of meals for them to keep in the freezer, so Yuuri wouldn’t have to worry about dinners while taking care of his full grown mate and two infants.
The first few weeks of Viktor’s recovery were a little rough, due to Viktor being uncomfortable and in pain for much of the first week. But, as his incision sites on his knees healed more, everything became more manageable. Viktor would spend most of his days on the couch icing and heating his knees, or he would sit or lay on the floor and play with their babies.
It took Viktor some getting used to for the wheelchair, and they had to make some adjustments in their home to be accessibility proof. But, the couple made it work, and after a few days Viktor was a pro on the wheelchair, when he needed to use it.
At six months old, their babies were little rollie-pollies on the floor rolling and scooting all over, and quite chatty too. Their little girl was much more talkative than her brother, but the little boy always listened to her with great rapture.
Their pediatrician said they were both in great health and hitting all of their milestones, which gave the parents great joy to hear.
It was the beginning of September, almost 4 weeks after Viktor’s surgery. When the alpha got a call that he was hoping he wouldn’t get, but wasn’t surprised about it either.
He was currently sitting in one of the armchairs while he watched his son and daughter babbling baby nonsense at each other while laying on their stomachs. They were on their playmat with their toys all about. They could entertain each other for hours though without the toys, and it made Viktor chuckle at their enchanting antics.
Makka was laying by Viktor’s feet and watching the babies intently from her spot on the floor near them. Viktor’s phone buzzed next to him and he answered the call. Yuuri came into the living room with a load of fresh laundry that he wanted to fold. He set the basket on the ground and took a seat on the couch next to it. As he watched Viktor hum non-committedly on the phone with a neutral look on his face, Yuuri knew it wasn’t a pleasant phone call.
He quietly started to fold the laundry into piles next to him and took the occasional glance at the babies on the floor, but they were still quite content with playing with each other. Almost as quickly as the phone call started, Viktor said a goodbye in Russian and hung up the phone. He exhaled a long breath and set his phone down in his lap.
Yuuri’s curiosity was burning at the tip of his tongue. He wanted to know who Viktor was just talking to, but he knew the other man would inform him in his own time.
“She isn’t coming.” Viktor said quietly as he continued to watch his children.
“What?” Yuuri asked in confusion and in slight panic. Who wasn’t coming? They didn’t have any dinner plans for today. Or did they? Did Yuuri forget plans that they made?
“My mother. She told me at the beginning of summer she would have time during the first week of September to come visit. She just called and told me something came up with work and she can’t make it anymore.” Viktor said with an exasperated tone, like he was immensely exhausted from that brief phone call.
“Oh, Vitya, I’m so sorry.” Yuuri got up from his seat and went to pull the alpha in his arms. He hugged the other man tightly as Viktor took a few calming breaths. Breathing in Yuuri’s calming scent that always soothed him.
Viktor pulled back and gave Yuuri a small smile. “Thanks, love. But, it’s ok, really. I’ll be ok. I was expecting this to happen. Outside of work, my mom isn’t the most reliable person. Her husband, Anthony, is the same way. So, I guess they are kind of a match made in heaven in that regard.” He said softly with a humorless chuckle at the end.
“Even so, that is no way to treat someone. Especially her son. She should treat you better and respect your time, and honor her commitments!” Yuuri said with a huff. He’s never even met Viktor’s mother in person, but boy if he did, he’d have some strong words with her.
“Trust me Yuuri. You won’t win that fight with her. She is very intense and beyond stubborn. If she really wants to make this, me and our family, a priority then she will. But, no use in us wasting energy getting upset over it. Best thing is to let it go, that's what I’ve learned anyway.” Viktor said as he put on a more relaxed smile than before.
“Ok, well, I’m still going to be mad about it for another half an hour. Because I’m breastfeeding, and I’m still hormonal so that’s my excuse.” Yuuri pouted as he went back over to his seat and began to furiously fold the pile of tiny baby clothes.
“Do you want any help, love?” Viktor said with a chuckle. A pouting Yuuri was always a cute Yuuri to him.
“No, I want to take my anger out on these little socks and onesies. Besides, you are still recovering.” Yuuri grumbled as he continued to fold the clothes.
“Ok, well, I can still help with small stuff, but let me know if you change your mind.” Viktor said then after a moment spoke once more, “I mean if we really want a motherly Russian figure in our house, I can invite Baba over for dinner. I don’t think she is busy tonight.” Viktor said as he started sending a text message to his grandma.
Yuuri couldn’t help the small uptick of his mouth as he failed to try to keep his pout in place. “That would be nice. We haven’t seen her in a few days, so it would be nice to catch up with her.”
Viktor agreed with him and invited his grandmother over. She was available and came over as soon as she could. The small family spent a lovely evening together with food and much laughter, putting the day’s disappointing news behind them.
Another month flew by, and Viktor was cleared to stop using the wheelchair and begin physical therapy. Yuuri would drop Viktor off for his sessions with Chris at the clinic, which would take most of the mornings, while the omega took Makka and the twins to his parents' new home.
His parents had sold their house in June, right after they had handed in their resignation to Katsuki’s Weddings. It was big news when word got out, since Yuuri’s dad was the first of any of his siblings to quit the company voluntarily.
Not long after that news got out, Kaori made her lawsuit public in the Japanese press and that made world wide news like kindling catching fire. The stocks for the company plummeted for several days after the news broke, and everyone was sure that Yuuri’s grandfather was going to have a heart attack or stroke.
But, unfortunately, fate wasn’t kind in that regard and he just threw fits of rage for a few weeks. His team of lawyers were trying to play a game of catch up compared to Kaori’s group as the trial process slowly started.
Mari made a few press releases after the news broke world wide channels to distance herself, as the future heir, away from her grandfather in a very strong stance against him publicly. It was a bold move and their grandfather wasn’t expecting such an assault from two fronts in his family.
The stock prices slowly started to rise back to their normal ranges after Mari’s few press releases with her promises to help with the trial as much as she could, and to provide a new future for the company. Even though Yuuri’s grandfather was still technically in charge of the company with an iron grip, it was plain to see that Mari was making her move and beginning to turn the tides to her favor.
The lawsuit was still a slow process and the trail wouldn’t take place until at least next year. A time and date for the proceedings had not been set yet, but Yuuri knew his family would be going for the trial whenever it would take place. Hopefully, to put an end to all of this grief and heartache and have a fresh beginning for their family.
Amidst all of the commotion and chaos of the family business over the summer months, Yuuri’s parents just wanted to focus on their new venture. Yuuri and Viktor felt much the same about wanting to focus on their own family and Viktor’s surgery at the time.
So, Hiroko and Toshiya were thrilled when they were finally cleared at the beginning of July to move into their new home. It was north of Detroit on the lakefront of Lake Huron just an hour away from Yuuri and Viktor’s apartment.
It was a large antique home with an old world charm, multiple bedrooms and bedrooms. It was a perfect project for his parents to work on and set up their own bed and breakfast business. The house came with it’s own boating dock on the water and lakefront property. You could walk straight down to the beach, and the backyard behind the house was a great place to build a new deck with a firepit, chairs, and grill.
The house was technically move-in ready, but Yuuri’s parents wanted to update a lot of the fixtures in the house or restore much of the antique craftswork. They would need to do quite a bit of remodeling to update everything before they would be open for business.
On the day they finally got the keys for the house in July, Hiroko and Toshiya brought Mari, Yuuri, and Viktor up with them to see the property. Yuuri and Viktor left the twins and Makka with Baba, who volunteered to stay behind to watch the babies and see the house another time. Viktor wanted to see the house before his surgery knowing he probably wouldn’t see it anytime soon after that happened, which was just in a few short weeks at the beginning of August.
To say it was gorgeous would be an understatement. Sure, the place was old and needed some work. But once done, it would be a wonderful home for his parents and a great place for guests who were looking for a quiet retreat along the great lakes.
Seeing new people moving into the property, the neighbors came over to say hello. “Howdy neighbors!” A young woman said as a burly man next to her walked down the driveway with her.
Hiroko and Toshiya were just heading out the house after giving a tour to their children, and waiting on the porch for the rest to follow suit. Mari and Yuuri came out a moment later onto the porch, apparently Viktor was still looking at a few rooms upstairs.
Yuuri’s parents turned towards the couple and greeted them as they stepped down from the porch to join the man and woman. “Hello, I’m Hiroko and this is my husband Toshiya, and my children Mari and Yuuri.”
The siblings said hello to the young couple as well as they joined the group on the driveway. Gauging from the faint scents the couple was giving off, Yuuri would guess the man was the alpha and the woman was an omega.
“So nice to meet you guys! I’m Yuuko and this is my husband Takeshi. We live right next door just over this little dune.” She pointed to her left where you could see another house between the beach trees and small beach dunes down the road.
“It’s so exciting to have someone finally in this house! It’s been empty for ages, right Takeshi?” The bubbly woman turned to her stoic husband.
“Yeah, I haven’t seen anyone here for a long time. Going to be a big project to get it all updated.” Takeshi said as he looked around the property in interest.
“Yes, it’s a little intimidating to think about, but me and my wife are ready.” Toshiya said as he placed his arm around Hiroko’s shoulders and she leaned into him.
“You guys have a contractor or building group you are going with?” Takeshi asked as he looked back to Toshiya.
“Nothing is finalized yet. We are still trying to decide between a few groups and comparing prices. We were hoping to decide something this week, so we can get started” Hiroko answered.
“My older brother is a builder. A good one too. He has his own business up here and he can help with your house for a fair and reasonable price.” Takeshi said with a wide grin on his face.
“Really? That would be great. We’d love to talk with him about it.” Toshiya said in excitement.
“Great! He’s over at our house right now with his husband. They are watching our girls. I’m sure he’d love to chat with you guys, so let’s head over there.” Takeshi answered as he began to lead Yuuri’s parents over to their house just down the road.
“Yuuri, Mari, since you guys drove separately, feel free to head back to town whenever you guys are ready. Your dad and I will lock up the house when we leave, since the movers won’t be here until tomorrow.” Hiroko said before she left to follow her husband.
Yuuko opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted as Mari’s phone went off.
“Sorry, I have to take this. I’ll be out back, so just let me know when you guys want to go, Yuuri.” Mari said as she answered the phone and started to speak in quick Japanese. She slowly started to walk around the house, most likely going to take a smoke break in the backyard while on the phone.
Yuuri turned back to Yuuko with a nervous smile. He was never good with talking to new people and trying to make conversation.
“Guess it’s just us.” Yuuko laughed good humoredly. “So, Yuuri, do you live up here too or is it just your parents?”
“Oh, just my parents are moving up here. Me and Mari both live in Detroit. My parents want to turn this place into a bed and breakfast after they are done with remodeling.” Yuuri said.
“Wow! That’s amazing and this place will be great for that! Good for them! So exciting!” Yuuko gushed with a clap of her hands, seeming genuinely thrilled about the idea.
“Um, w-what do you and your husband do?” Yuuri sucked at small talk, and wished Viktor would get down here since he was the more sociable one.
“My family owns the local ice rink that is just a few miles from here. The Ice Castle! My husband and I have been running it together for the last couple of years. And when we aren’t doing that, we are trying to wrangle our sweet little girls, who cause havoc everywhere.” Yuuko laughed.
“I know the feeling, I have two kids too. How old are your girls?” Yuuri chuckled at the thought of how some days just felt like a mad dash to take care of just his two babies.
“They’re going to be three really soon. We were blessed with triplets, so always loads of fun every day. What about you?” Yuuko said in earnest.
“No kidding! I have twins and they are 5 months and going to be 6 months soon. I couldn’t imagine taking care of triplets though. I commend you for your efforts.” Yuuri chuckled at the thought of three babies at once. Which was too much in his mind, and truly applauded Yuuko for her strength.
“Aw, 6 months is a sweet age, I remember those days.” Yuuko said with a fond look in her eyes. “They always grow up so fast!”
Yuuri nodded in agreement and then heard his mate calling his name from inside the house.
“We are outside, Vitya!” Yuuri answered. Not a moment later, Viktor joined Yuuri out on the driveway with Yuuko. He warped an arm around Yuuri’s waist and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a scream.
“Gah!!! Oh my god!! It’s- but you’re- you-!!” Yuuko screamed, unable to complete any sentence. She was taking deep breaths and had her hands on her cheeks in astonishment.
“Ah, h-hello? I’m Viktor. Are you ok?” Viktor said in confusion and in worry as the women slowly crumpled to the ground.
“Yuuko?” Yuuri asked in concern.
“Yeah, yeah, sorry, just uh- give me a second.” She said as she took more large gulps of air while crouched on the ground.
The alpha and omega looked at each other and back at the women wheezing on the ground. Suddenly, Yuuko stood up again and finally seemed to have caught her breath.
“I-I’m truly sorry. I just wasn’t expecting to meet Mr. Nikiforov today. My husband and I are big fans! We have your memorabilia all over our rink! You guys can come to our rink anytime!” Yuuko squealed in excitement.
“Um, n-no worries. Always happy to meet a fan. Thank you for your and your husband’s support over these years.” Viktor gave Yuuko his hand for a handshake in a polite gesture.
Yuuko looked like she was going to pass out again, but vigorously took Viktor’s hand and shook it for dear life.
“What brings you here, Mr. Nikiforov? Are you also looking at houses in the area, maybe a nearby property?” Yuuko asked in confusion, not quite piecing together why Viktor was there.
“No? I came with Yuuri’s parents to see the place. Just wish we could have brought our twins, but this place isn’t very baby proof yet.” Viktor said as he glanced at Yuuri, who shrugged his shoulders in equal confusion.
Yuuko gasped and looked between the couple, finally noticing the rings on their fingers and the arm Viktor had wrapped around Yuuri’s waist.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I’m an idiot! I should have put two and two together. Just in your press conference, you said your mate’s name was Yuuri but that was it. Gah! I’m really sorry!” Yuuko said in embarrassment as she bowed repeatedly to Yuuri and Viktor in apology.
“N-no worries! It was an honest mistake. That’s not necessary.” Yuuri said frantically as he tried to get Yuuko to stand up straight again. It was a very Japanese reaction to the situation, but Yuuri always felt uncomfortable whenever someone bowed to him.
Yuuko smiled at him and pulled him into a quick hug. “Oh thank you Yuuri-kun!” She said and then quietly added on, “Also, congrats, you’re living the dream! Viktor Nikiforov! What a catch!”
Yuuri chuckled and hugged her back. She seemed like a jovial person and very bubbly, like Phichit. It seems like these were the type of people that Yuuri always attracted to his life. “Uh, thanks, I think so too.”
It was then that Mari came around the house from the sandy backyard. “Um, are you guys ready to go? I have to get back to town soon.”
“Yes, we should be getting back too. The twins still don’t care for the bottle and I don’t want to give Baba a hard time watching them. You ready to go, Viktor?” Yuuri said and Viktor nodded his head in agreement.
They said their goodbyes to Yuuko and headed back to Detroit. Not without exchanging contact information first with the new neighbor. She told Yuuri he could come to the rink or their house anytime, and they could have playdates with their children. Yuuri hadn’t had many play dates for the twins yet, since he didn’t know any other mothers or babies at the moment, so he knew he would take Yuuko up on her offer.
Ever since then, Yuuri and Yuuko became fast friends and the triplets enjoyed playing with the twins. Even if the twins were still too little to do much besides babble and roll on their tummies or backs. All of the children adored Makka, and the old dog loved all of the attention and pets the children would give her. She was infinitely patient, even as small children crawled around her or grabbed her fur, she didn’t seem to mind one bit.
After dropping Viktor at his physical therapy appointments, Yuuri would drive up to his parent’s new place. He would bring Makka to roam around the beach and house, and the twins for play dates.
Yuuri would try to help his parents as much as he could, mostly by helping them start up their business paperwork and website building, being more tech savvy than his parents. Yuuko loved to have others who could help take turns to watch the kids and just other adults to talk to while Takeshi was working the mornings at the rink. The couple switched off during the day for work at the rink, and Takeshi would usually watch the triplets in the afternoons while Yuuko worked at the rink.
The triplets loved playing house with the twins and would try to include them in some capacity. Everyone tried to focus on speaking Japanese around the house as well, so it was good exposure for Taiyo and Emiko to get used to Japanese.
Yuuri and Viktor normally spoke a mixture of Japanese and Russian at home so their child would be fluent in both. This also helped the couple learn each other’s language fairly quickly. It wasn’t perfect and neither Yuuri nor Viktor were fluent in each other’s native tongue, but they were getting there. It would serve everyone in the long run if their children could converse in both languages. The couple also wanted to pass down as much heritage as they could from both sides of the family.
From seven months on, the twins were getting to the age where they would start saying basic words like ‘mama’ or ‘no.’ The couple was just waiting for the day when they would start speaking real words instead of baby babble. When other people were at their house, they had to stick to English so they could have normal conversations with adults.
As work on the new house progressed, Toshiya usually helped the contractors by getting the rooms that needed updating all ready for them and helping make design decisions that he and Hiroko agreed on prior. Being in a family of wedding and event planners, everyone of the Katsuki's had great eyes for details and designs.
When it was close for Viktor’s appointments to be over for the day, Yuuri would pack their things and drive back to town to pick Viktor up. The alpha informed Yuuri about all of the exercises he did for the day and stuff he still needed to work on. Their routine for the next two months followed the same pattern.
Some days of therapy were a struggle for Viktor and Yuuri tried to help him as much as he could. It was basically learning how to navigate the world all over again, and his heart went out to his mate that was struggling during this period of time. Yuuri could tell that Viktor was itching to get back on the ice and wanted to skate again. But, he needed to be more patient.
By early November, Yuuri’s parent’s place was finally finished with all of the remodel work done, and they would be open for business in the coming spring. They had a small get together to show the finished house for everyone and great food all around.
Viktor also hit a major milestone for his recovery not long afterwards. He was cleared to allow light exercise like going on the stationary bike and some swimming. It was a big accomplishment for him in his therapy and Yuuri took him out to a special dinner to celebrate at one of his favorite restaurants in Detroit. He still couldn’t skate on the ice, but he was one step closer to getting there.
The holidays quickly came and went as they celebrated with everyone, and before they knew it, it was the twins' birthday at the end of March. They were officially a year old now.
Neither Yuuri or Viktor could believe it. It just seemed like yesterday when their little bunnies were born and were so tiny and small. Now, they were both so much bigger and as cute and chubby as ever. Yuuri and Viktor would kiss their squishy cheeks as much as he could every day, and the babies would laugh and squeal in delight.
Their daughter had light fluffy silvery ducky hair still with large light brown eyes. Her hair would most likely be thin and fair like Viktor’s. Being the chatty one of the twins, she spoke her first words first. Her first word was ‘papa’ that she directed towards Viktor in Russian. The Russian alpha cried that day, and she would say it over and over again. She started referring to Yuuri as ‘mama’ not long after still in Russian.
Their son was quite the opposite of his sister, being quieter and more observant. He had a thick head of silvery hair much like Yuuri’s thick hair with dark brown eyes much like his mama’s as well. To say Viktor was lowkey jealous of his son’s thick hair would be an understatement.
But, the alpha still loved him more than anything, even if he had more hair volume than Viktor. The little boy quickly caught up with his sister in the talking department, but his first word was ‘mama’ in Russian directly at Yuuri. He was very much a mama’s boy and got more upset when Yuuri left the room than his sister did.
By the time it was their first birthday, both twins could say ‘mama,’ ‘papa,’ and ‘no’ in both Russian and Japanese. Grant it, it wasn’t always clear and both babies would get words and syllables mixed up. So, it would take some deduction on Yuuri and Viktor's part to decipher what the babies needed. But, as time went on, the couple understood their children more and more with each passing day.
They decided to have the birthday party at Yuuri’s parents place, since it was the biggest house that could accommodate everyone. With it being the end of March, it was still chilly outside and parts of Michigan still had some winter snow on the ground. Parts of the Great Lake were frozen over as well. It reminded Viktor of his childhood in St. Petersburg by the water and shoreline, whenever they went up to the house.
The party was mostly inside with a few crazy brave souls going out to the deck, aka mostly Chris and Viktor to chat and check out the beach. Both Europeans embraced the cold weather wholeheartedly.
Everyone brought a dish to pass, so they had all kinds of food to share from katsudon, to Thai curry, to borscht, and pelmeni dumplings. Makka roamed around the party guests waiting for tasty scraps of food to be thrown her way. Many guests fell prey to her adorably large puppy eyes, and fed her a few pieces of food here and there.
Yuuri even made miniature ‘smash’ vanilla cakes for the twins to enjoy after eating their dinner. There was a normal cream cake for everyone else to eat that Yuuri also made for the party. Viktor and Yuuri put a candle on top of each little ‘smash’ cake while everyone sang happy birthday to the twins.
The twins just stared at the candles and didn’t know what to do with them, so Viktor and Yuuri each blew out their candles after the birthday song. Once the babies were granted access to their cakes, they smashed into them with great enthusiasm and high pitched laughter from their highchairs.
Everyone had a good laugh at that, with Phichit and Yuuri both taking videos and pictures of their first birthday that would be remembered and shared for years to come.
After Yuuri and Viktor cleaned up the babies from their cake fest, they had them open a few presents that people brought. They weren’t very good at opening presents, so the parents had to help unwrap them. And in classic baby fashion, the babies had more fun playing with the wrapping paper then their actual gifts. Makka joined in playing with the wrapping paper as well much to the babies’ delight as they laughed at the large poodle.
The couple still thanked everyone for coming and for all of the gifts. The party was officially over by that point, but everyone was invited to stay the night at the house if needed. There were plenty of rooms for everyone, and it seemed like most of the guests were taking up the offer.
Yuuri was holding Emiko a while later, who was starting to doze on Yuuri’s shoulder. He was talking with Minako and his mother while holding the little girl in his arms. Minako was softly bouncing Taiyo on her hip, who was looking sleepy as well.
It was late afternoon and the babies missed their normal naptime with the party. It would be too late to put them down now for a nap, otherwise it would take the babies forever to fall asleep at a decent time tonight. The best bet was to keep them awake until they could be put down for an early bedtime.
But, Yuuri was seeing that it might be a losing battle right now as both of his children’s eyes drooped lower and lower. At least Viktor and Yuuri were staying overnight at the bed and breakfast, so they wouldn’t have to worry about driving back.
Minako was talking about how her new dance studio was almost ready for business. Their first few classes would be starting up in the coming June. Her excitement over reopening her studio was plain to see on her face.
Especially, since Lilia and Galina (Baba) both agreed to teach a few classes at the studio as well. Since they were a bit older than Minako herself, they would only be teaching a few advanced classes together. But, they were investors in the studio, so it was a labor of love for all three ballerinas.
In fact, that is what they named the studio, Three Ballerinas Dance Studio. It was a little on the nose for Yuuri’s taste, but it was already gaining some traction around town and online. Three world renown prima ballerinas were opening a dance studio in Detroit was a big deal. Yuuri knew they would have great business once they started hosting classes.
Emiko was fully asleep on Yuuri’s shoulder now as he rocked her from side to side. He didn’t have the heart to wake her up, so he just resigned himself to his fate of having his babies up very late tonight. He saw Viktor from the corner of his eye across the room talking to Takeshi, then the Russian started to walk over to Yuuri.
He gave Yuuri a bright smile and a kiss on the cheek in greeting. “How are you, love?”
“Ah, good. These little ones are too tired out. Will probably be a handful to get them to sleep tonight.” Yuuri said in a gesture to the sleeping girl on his chest and the sleeping boy in Minako’s arms. She had turned her attention to Hiroko to give the couple a moment of privacy.
“One night won’t be the end of the world. We’ll get through it. Are you free for me to steal you away for a bit?” Viktor asked with a mischievous glint to his eye.
“Uh, sure? I guess. Hold on.” Yuuri chuckled in confusion, not sure what Viktor was up to. He gently placed Emiko into his mother’s waiting arms, who gladly took the sleeping baby.
Yuuri looked around the room and noticed everyone else talking with each other or eating cake or some of the leftover food. Makka was passed out on one of the couches all tuckered out from the day's events. But, no one seemed to be paying them much attention. Viktor took Yuuri’s hand and led him out of the main living room.
They headed to the front door and Viktor handed a curious Yuuri his shoes. With their coats on, Viktor led Yuuri down the road hand in hand.
“Where are we going?” Yuuri asked a little worriedly as he looked back at the house, where he could hear the faint voices of their party guests.
“Just down the road a bit. Don’t worry, we won’t be gone long.” Viktor said with a bright grin on his face.
The omega shrugged his shoulders as they continued walking down the road. They walked by a few tiny dunes and beach shrubbery, and could hear the waves of the lake lapping at the shoreline. Yuuri peered to his right to see them walking parallel to the beach as pink and blue hues filled the sky with the sun getting lower as the wintery day wore on.
After a few minutes, they passed by Yuuko’s house and kept walking further down the road. After about 10 minutes of walking, they turned down a few roads to see a large building and parking lot up ahead. But, it looked closed and as they got closer. In fact, there was a closed sign on the door.
“Vitya, I don’t think we can go in. It’s closed.” Yuuri said in confusion as he tried to gauge what the building was.
“No worries, I got permission from the owners.” Viktor said with a triumphant smile on his face as he took a pair of keys from his pocket. He unlocked the door and led Yuuri inside.
After passing the main lobby, Viktor opened up the doors to a large pitch black room and flooded the area with light with a flick of a switch. Yuuri gasped as he saw the clean sheet of ice before him.
“Oh! It’s The Ice Castle! I haven’t been here yet. But, um, why did you bring me here?” Yuuri asked as he turned to Viktor. The Russian man was currently going behind one of the counters in the corner of the rink, and rummaging around in there.
He came out a moment later with two pairs of skates. “To skate, of course! I promised you I would take you skating after the twins were born. And, I’m making good on my promise.” He cheered with a heart-shaped smile on his face.
“B-but, what about physical therapy, you haven’t been cleared for skating yet!” Yuuri said in a fluster. Yes, Viktor had been doing great with his therapy and was hitting great milestones so far, but the other man didn’t mention anything to Yuuri about being ready to skate again.
Viktor took a seat on the closest metal bench near the rink boards and patted the seat next to him. Yuuri followed quickly over to it and took a seat next to him.
“I got permission from my therapist, Mr. Giacometti himself. I can do light skating, but nothing fancy or too fast. And, only for 15 minutes at a time, so I asked Yuuko and Takeshi for the key to surprise you.” He beamed at Yuuri.
“Really! Oh, that’s great news, I know you’ve been dying to skate again. Thank you for doing this.” Yuuri hugged Viktor in thanks.
“Anything for you, Yuuri. Plus, I wanted my first time back on the ice to be special, and what other way to make it special than to do it with you. Let me tie your skates and make sure I got the right size.” Viktor said as he got down on his knees to tie Yuuri’s skates on his feet.
Yuuri blushed furiously the entire time as Viktor kneeled before him. His treacherous mind kept going back to the times not long ago where Viktor was in the same position, only doing much more sinful things than tying skates for him.
Luckily, Viktor didn’t notice Yuuri's internal dilemma and the skates fit Yuuri’s feet well enough. The Russian got his skates tied on quickly after that. They wobbled their way over to the entrance, and Viktor took a tentative step onto the ice.
With a deep breath he pushed himself off of the wall, and gave a breathless laugh as his body instinctively glided across the ice gracefully. It felt like coming back home as he took a lap around the rink. A few tears welled in the corners of his eyes, but Viktor held them at bay in the cold rink air.
Yuuri stood in the entrance to the ice smiling at his mate, and the happy look on Viktor’s face as he skated along the boards. Viktor always made skating look so magical and effortless whenever he was on the ice. It took Yuuri’s breath away every time he saw it in person.
Viktor came up to the entrance and held his hand out for Yuuri to take. The omega tentatively took the large hand in his, and braced his other hand on the wall.
“Now, it’s uh- been a good decade since I last skated. D-don’t let go.” Yuuri said nervously as he took his first step onto the ice, then put his second foot on.
“You’ll do great. I’ve got you.” Viktor said encouragingly as he took Yuuri’s second hand from the wall and slowly skated backyards while he pulled Yuuri forward.
After a few minutes of Viktor pulling him forward and giving Yuuri pointers, the Japanese man was slowly skating on his own. He still had one of Viktor’s hands in a death-grip, but the alpha didn’t seem to mind. At least they were now skating side by side.
“This is nice. Um, sorry if I’m bad at this.” Yuuri said with a breathless laugh as he wobbled a bit on the ice trying to refocus his body so he didn’t fall on his butt.
“Nonsense, you’re doing great. Especially since it’s been so long since you skated. Plus, having a baby changes your center of gravity. Truly impressive, my Yuuri!” Viktor praised as he guided Yuuri around another corner of the rink.
“T-thanks.” Yuuri blushed in embarrassment. Maybe one day he would get used to Viktor’s compliments of him.
They came upon another turn in the rink, and Viktor’s skate must have hit an uneven part of the ice as he slipped and fell right on his butt. One of Yuuri’s skates slid forward and back unevenly at the sudden fall of his partner. But, he was miraculously able to keep himself up.
“Vitya! Are you ok?” Yuuri asked as tried to hide his laughter behind his hands.
“I’m fine. Only my pride is wounded.” Viktor lamented and then heard Yuuri’s snickers.
“Yuuuri! Don’t laugh at me! I’m deeply wounded now by my mate!” Viktor wailed dramatically as he pouted and flopped fully on the ice now.
“Seems to me like I’m not the only one rusty around here.” Yuuri snickered some more at his silly partner.
Viktor scoffed as he quickly sat up. “You take that back! I am not rusty! My pride has been dealt a deadly blow, I’ll never recover now!”
Yuuri was full on laughing now, and eventually Viktor broke down and laughed along with him too. After several minutes of laughing, the couple finally felt like they had caught their breaths. Yuuri held his hand out to help Viktor up off the ice.
“Come on, you big baby. So dramatic, but I’m sorry.” Yuuri joked in good spirits.
“Hmph, well my pride might recover from such a heartfelt apology from my beloved.” Viktor tried to still look defiant, but could help the smile from spreading across his face. Yuuri gave Viktor a kiss on his slightly cold cheek once he was up from the ice, and they continued to skate in circles around the rink.
There was a clock on one of the rink walls, and Yuuri kept a close eye on it. He knew fully well that Viktor would not pay attention to the clock, and would try to weasel his way to having more time on the ice.
When 15 minutes were up, Yuuri was correct and Viktor whined about having five more minutes on the ice. Yuuri stayed firm and with a pout Viktor agreed to get off of the ice. They sat on the bench to take off their skates and put back on their shoes.
Viktor left the skates on the rental counter for Takeshi to sharpen and take care of tomorrow, when the rink opened. They walked out of the rink and Viktor locked the front doors.
Yuuri took Viktor’s hand and they made their way back to the bed and breakfast. Yuuri spoke softly, “Thank you again, for taking me. I’m happy I got to share that with you.”
Viktor stopped and turned to Yuuri. They were on the sidewalk with the setting sun behind them getting closer to the horizon of the lake.
“I couldn’t think of anyone else to share this with. I wanted you to be there with me, the first time I touched the ice again after everything. Thank you for supporting me during this. I don’t think I could have made it here without you.” Viktor said with a fond look in his eyes as they gleamed a bit with unshed tears.
“Oh Vitya, I love you. As long as we are together, I know we can get through anything life throws at us.” Yuuri gave a watery smile as he gazed into Viktor’s bright blue eyes.
“I love you, Yuuri.” Viktor said softly as he leaned down to cradle Yuuri’s face in his hands and place a soft kiss on Yuuri’s lips. Yuuri leaned up into the kiss and pressed their lips firmly together. It was a chaste kiss and after a few moments they pulled back to smile at each other once more.
No more words needed to be said, and they slowly continued their walk back to the house as the sun dipped lower and lower in the dark lake waters bringing the night over the lakefront.