A/N I know nothing about injuries so I kind of made it up. Got writing fever after watching ep. 5, and this was posted on ao3 before the finale, so it's not canon compliant anymore.

It's not long after the Grand Prix when Victor's knee blows.

It's not as though he didn't know this was coming. He told Yuri before that his other reason for quitting competitions was that his body was no longer supporting him. This was inevitable- but damn, did it hurt like a bitch.

He's in the rink with Yuri, going over some jumps for the new routine, when suddenly he collapses, falling like a house of cards. White hot pain radiates from his left knee, seeming to pulse agony through his nerve endings. Yuri skates over to him at top speed, calling his name, but Victor can't bring himself to respond. All he can think about is the pain, even when he feels Yuri listing his shoulder and cupping his cheek.

"Victor! Victor, answer me, what happened? Victor! Where does it hurt?" Yuri says, distress clear.

"My knee." Victor grits out. He opens his eyes and looks up at Yuri, then realizes from the other man's confusion that he has spoken in Russian.

"Knee. Left." He says in English. "Yuri, I think I need to go to the hospital."

Yuri swallows, and nods jerkily. "Right. Okay. Do you want me to call and ambulance? I could ask Yuko to drive us."

Despite the pain, some part of Victor is touched that Yuri automatically said 'us'. He nods. "That would be easier, yes."

Yuri yells out in Japanese for Yuko. Victor has learned enough to make out the words 'hurt' and 'drive' (his brain reverts entirely to Russian when he is stressed, and he doesn't have the focus to search his Japanese vocabulary, which is still barley conversational). The arena door slams open, and Yuko comes running across the ice in her special shoes. She and Yuri speak in rapid Japanese, before he turns to Victor again.

"We're going to life you up, okay? Lean on me." Yuri says.

He and Yuko brace their arms behind Victor's shoulders, and help him up. He can't help crying out in pain when he puts the slightest amount of pressure on his left leg. He feels Yuri's hand tighten on his shoulder.

It takes an agonizing five minutes to get to Yuko's car. She drives, and Yuri maneuvers Victor into the back seat, angling him so that his bad leg is in his lap.

Despite his own pain, Victor can't help wanting to ease Yuri's anxiety. "Don't worry" he says, almost without thinking. "They'll fix me up. I'm going to be fine."

They both know that's a lie. When a skater goes down like that, it's physio therapy at best, and Victor isn't a teenager any more. His body has already lost the ability to knit itself back together like it used to. It's not going to be okay.

Yuri knows this. But he just smiles, and nods, and Victor loves him for that.

One of the advantages of living in a large town is that while it has its own hospital, it's not too busy. They get through Emergency quickly, even more so when one of the nurses recognizes them from TV.

Victor is dosed with painkillers, which is lovely. He's sent into an X-Ray and a CAT scan, which isn't. He doesn't even really want to know what's wrong at this point. Despite being retired, the knowledge that his competitive career is over for good is painful.

Yuri holds his hand in the waiting room, lifts their joined hands to his lips and kisses Victor's fingers when the doctor leaves. When the news is finally delivered, he holds his hand even tighter.

The doctor says at this point, Victor will need a replacement in the future. It depends how long he can hold out, and if he is willing to do physical therapy. A knee replacement, at the ripe old age of 28. It's hard to grasp exactly what you are doing to your body, when you are 17 and setting world records.

The doctor tells him to come back in a week for a check up, and to discuss other options. He realizes he zoned out through the whole explanation, but Yuri seems to have been paying attention, even writing things down on his phone. He gives the doctor a small bow, then helps Victor get on his crutches.

Mari picks them up at the exit. Yuko had to pick the girls up from school, so Yuri had called his sister while Victor was getting an X-Ray. Mari's English wasn't much better then Victor's Japanese, so Yuri explains it all to her while Victor leans his head on Yuri's shoulder. The pain medication is starting to wear off, and he winces when they turn off the highway and onto the bumpier town roads. The brace is helping, but he can't have more painkillers for three hours. They pull around the front of the Inn, and Hiroko comes running out.

"Victor-kun! Are you alright?" She says, stopping in front of him and grab his cheeks and turn his head back and forth, as though his injury will be written on his face. It's pure motherly concern, and Victor appreciates it.

"I'll be okay, thank you Mrs. Katsuki." Victor replies.

She tuts at him, and says something to Mari, who replies.

"Let's get you inside Victor-kun. I have Udon on the stove."

He allows himself to be brought inside and into the cozy back dining room. He hadn't felt hungry, but when the food is placed in front of him he finds himself ravenous, slurping the thick noodles. Once Mrs. Katsuki is satisfied that he has been fed and warmed to her satisfaction, Yuri helps him up the stairs to his room. It's really their room; ever since Yuri got a double bed when the extra wall was taken down, Victor has slept there. Neither of them ever talked about it, but it became their room, with an extra wardrobe for Victor's things and a bed for Makkachin in the corner.

Victor should probably bathe, or change, but he fins that he just doesn't have the energy. He just wants to lay down. Yuri lays next to him, on his side, while Victor stares at the ceiling.

"Are you okay?" Yuri asks.

Victor turns his head to meet Yuri's eyes. "I will be. It's strange; I knew this would happen. It's not like I even wanted to go back to competing, it's just…."

"It's still hard. And scary." Yuri finishes.

"Yeah." Victor replies. It is scary. Skating is all he's ever done; all he's ever had to define himself. Knowing it's gone is like losing a limb, even if it was on he wasn't using anymore.

He feels the bed shift next to him, and Yuri lifts himself onto one arm to lean over Victor and gently kiss his lips.

"I know. Don't think I haven't realized that one of the things you are trying to do here is redefine yourself, outside of competing. I just hope you know that I want to be a part of that. Whether you can skate or can't or if you never want to go on the ice again. I want to be there."

Yuri is blushing a little. He blushes deeply at any emotional display- it's one of the first things that made Victor fall for him. He knows that Yuri is always half afraid that Victor will leave. That he will lose interest and move on to whatever it is Yuri thinks could possibly be better then him.

Truthfully, Victor never could have imagined that his life would lead him to a castle town in Japan. But what he has here is real. However much he missed St. Petersburg, he was happy.

"Don't worry." He says, lifting his head to place a kiss on the end of Yuri's nose. "You can't get rid of me that easy."

Yuri smiles, clearly relieved. "Good. Mom's pretty much adopted you, anyway. You're stuck with us."

Yuri relaxed back onto his side, one arm reach across Victor's torso.

"Tell me if you need anything, alright? I don't want you getting up alone."

Victor nods. "I will. Don't worry, Yuri."

Yuri smiles at him. The two of them slowly drift off, huddled together against whatever was to come.