A.N: Can someone please explain why I keep getting emails about story followers? I haven't updated this in almost a YEAR. Well as it turns out I have more of this story in my docs so here's a sizable chunk to hold you guys over for a while. If you're actually reading this let's chat. I'm bored.

Yuri looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"This is real," she smeared face wash around on her cheeks, "you beat Plisetsky. You won Victor." She huffed air out of her nose and splashed water over her face. Reaching for a towel she dabbed the water away from her skin. "You're badass," she murmured.

"Just because you say that every day doesn't make it true," Mari said from the shower. Yuri rolled her eyes. "I Yuri Katsuki, beat a pale, goth-baby in ice skating and now Victor Nikiforov is MINEEE!" Mari mimicked. Yuri walked over and flushed the toilet, smirking as Mari shrieked under the cold water. The shower turned off and Mari groaned. "I still have soap in my hair Yuri!" Yuri smiled as she turned the bathroom door handle to exit the room. "You're not badass you're just an ass!" Mari hollered, reaching for a washcloth to wipe the soapy water from her eyes. Yuri opened the bathroom door and slammed straight into a wall of rock hard abs.

"Ah-" Yuri squeaked, her nose was pressed against his skin and she reared back smacking her head on the door jam.

"Morning," a groggy, probably hungover, definitely shirtless, Victor said. He put his hands on her shoulders and stepped past her into the bathroom.

"Morning," Yuri replied barley audible. Her cheeks were on fire. The bathroom door shut and it took a minute but Yuri suddenly spun on her heels. Mari's still in the shower! Oh my gosh. Do I knock? Throw a towel over his head? Her thoughts were cut off as the toilet flushed. She could hear him turn on the sink and open one of the drawers. She paced outside the door and then she heard the towel closet door open. She threw open the door causing Victor to jump almost choking on the toothbrush in his mouth. He pulled his hand out of the closet.

"What are you doing?" He asked with toothpaste dripping down his chin.

"I'm actually not done in here so you have to get out."

"What? Yuri I have to take a shower."

"Well I have to get something so…"

"Just get it then," Victor groaned spinning into the sink and rising off his toothbrush. Yuri bit her lip and glanced over at the shower. She could see Mari peeking out from the curtain motioning for Yuri to do something.

What do you want me to do? Yuri mouthed.

Anything. Mari mouthed back, flailing her hands around. Victor tuned and Mari disappeared back into the shower.

"Do you mind?" Victor asked, motioning to the shower.

"I do actually. I need the bathroom so-" Victor cocked his head to the side and pushed the elastic band on his sweatpants down ever so slightly. "What are you doing?" Yuri deadpanned.

"I'm taking a shower. You're welcome to stay," Victor returned.

"You have to get out," Yuri snapped. "I need a sanitary pad." Victor froze and a pink blush blossomed over his exposed chest.

"Oh." His jaw snapped shut and he pulled his sweats back up over his hip bones. "Okay…" He stepped toward the door. Yuri pushed him from behind.

"There's a shower in the hot spring you can try there." She slammed the door closed after him. Mari's head popped out from the shower curtain.

"A Pad? Really Yuri?"

"What did you want me to do! He was stripping!" Yuri threw a towel to her sister and Mari stepped out with it wrapped around her.

"That wouldn't have been the end of the world if you know what I mean."

"No," Yuri said. She lowered her voice, "You saw?" Mari raised her brows and pursed her lips.

"Let's just say if you don't go for him I'm gonna have to."

"Don't speak," Yuri hissed. "Just go get dressed."

Shortly after Yuri and Mari went down to help with the guests and breakfast. Ever since the competition with Russian Yuri, there have been more guests than ever. It took them a few hours but finally, the family was able to relax and enjoy a morning of their own. Yuri took her seat next to Victor at the table.

"Here." He pushed a cup of something to her. "It's chujojo, your mom says it's the best for… women's issues." Mari started laughing from across the room.

"Thank you Victor," Yuri said taking the cup. "Uh- didn't you want to talk about yesterday's competition?" She asked trying to change the subject.

"You mean that one?" Her father asked gesturing to the TV. Sure enough, Yuri and Yuri's competition was being replayed for everyone to see.

"You should see what they're saying online." Mari took a sip of her coffee.

"Has it gotten to Ice Network yet?" Victor asked.

"Uh yeah, and a ton of tabloids."

"Excellent, what are they saying?" Mari scrolled through her phone.

"Well I'd read it aloud but…" She trailed off looking at their parents sitting at the head of the table.

"Oh honey don't stop on our account!" Her mother chimed in. Mari shrugged and stifled a smirk.

"Yuri Katsuki excites her audience in more way than one-"

"Ok that's enough," Yuri cut in.

"Where's that from?" Victor asked.

"FS Today," Mari replied. Yuri groaned and covered her face with her hands.

"How did the video get out already?".

"This is a good thing," Mari said. "People are finally giving you the attention you deserve."

"Mari's right, people will be paying attention at the next competitions so we'll have to get ready for them," Victor teased. There was enough truth behind it to cause a tightening in Yuri's chest. Yuri cleared her throat and took a sip of tea only to immediately spit it back into the cup.

"That's disgusting. Has anyone spoken to Yurio? Did he make it home safe?"

"Don't try to change the subject when, 'Japan is seeing a side of you they've never seen before'," Mari quoted from her phone.

"I'm gonna go to the rink", Yuri said getting up from the table.

"Don't be a bad sport!" Mari cried throwing her arms around her sister. "You're gonna have to clean up those jumps with… a coach from Spain coming to see you in the Kyushu Championship to scout the competition."

"Really?" Victor chirped. "That's great."

"No," Yuri said throwing her sister off. "It's really not." She looked at the faces around the room and her lungs didn't want to function. "I think I'm gonna jog there." She broke away from them and desperately moved to escape outside.

"Yuri hold on," Victor said running after her. "Don't go, we're just having fun." When he caught up with her his face dropped at her expression. "What's wrong?"

"I-I don't think I can do this," Yuri said.

"What?!" Victor said with a confused smile.

"Yurio should have beaten me." Victor's eyes narrowed.

"He didn't stand a chance." Even though he undressed each of her concerns more and more just kept popping up. She shivered harshly and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Hey, calm down, we're in this together." His words were meant to be reassuring but they didn't stop the swirling anxiety in her mind.

"But for how long? What happens if I mess up or you get bored with me? Are you going to go running back to them? I'm nothing if you leave."

"What are you talking about? We're just getting started," Victor said. Yuri leaned against the side of the house trying to catch her breath. "Calm down."

"I can't. Don't you get that? I'm a head case," Yuri snapped.

"Yuri-"

"No, if you can't handle it you should leave. I can't get my hopes up again if-" Suddenly his arms were wrapped around her. "What are you doing Victor?"

"Just breathe for a second ok? What brought this on? Huh?" He asked, rocking her deeper into his embrace.

"What am I doing breathing or answering questions?" She asked. He laughed and she could feel it vibrate through her. Closing her eyes she allowed herself to just breathe. The pressure around her chased away her desire to run. "I'm okay now."

"You're heart's still beating really hard."

"Yeah that's not- It's not the um... Can you maybe let go?" He stepped back and she adjusted her hair and clothing. "Thanks."

"Always. And I mean that I'm not going anywhere, okay?" He asked squeezing her shoulder. She nodded and he smiled. "Now what?"

"I want to skate," Yuri replied.

On the ice, everything was easier. She didn't have to find the words for him she could just show him. There was a deeper understanding between them, common ground. After a long practice, Yuri skated over to sit next to him on the bench. He was reading an email.

"A company wants to sponsor you," he said.

"Really? So soon?" Victor nodded. "You think it's a good idea?"

"I do."

And that's why a few weeks and a few competitions later they found themselves at a promotional photoshoot. Yuri stood in a room swirling with people. Props were put in her hands and set around her. They made her sit, stand, and everything in between.

"Can we get makeup back in here," the director shouted. "Yuri I'm gonna need more from you."

People fused with her face and hair. They tugged her clothing in revealing ways and then a bright flash would pop in and blind her.

"There. I think that's as good as were going to get today," the director finally said. She was so relieved to be done- until the posters were published.

They had torn her apart. There was less of her in some places and more in others. Overnight she gained a title alongside professional figure skater, as the girl the whole world wants to sleep with. It might not have been so bad if it wasn't for the constant comparison between herself and the woman they expected her to be. Every aspect of her life and appearance was under examination. Suddenly it wasn't her job to just win competitions, she had to "sell sexy".

So what if she stopped going outside. A person could survive between a bedroom and the ice rink. Right?

"Yuri are you awake?" Victor asked from outside her bedroom door. That's where he'd been standing a lot recently. "Please answer me."

"I'm sleeping," Yuri replied. Victor cracked the door open.

"Let's go for a walk." For some strange reason, Yuri agreed.

They walked over to the beach and sat on the rocks, watching the waves slid up and down the sand. A light breeze played through Yuri's hair and she looked up at the overcast sky. It so unusual gray, as if all the sky's color was trapped in the eyes of the man sitting next to her. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.

"I've never seen the ocean like this before," Victor said. He leaned back on his arms and buried his bare feet in the sand.

"You've seen oceans all over the world," Yuri replied.

"Yeah." They let silence surround them interrupted only by the flapping of a bird's wings. Victor slid his gaze over to her and stood. "Walk with me?"

Victor liked to let the water lap at his feet. Yuri stayed where the sand was warm and dry.

"You're quiet today," Victor commented reaching into the waves to pull a stone out of the water. Yuri shrugged. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Yuri said. She pulled her sleeves over her hands. Victor ran his thumb over the stone's smooth surface.

"Liar."

"Do I have to tell you everything," she snapped. Victor blinked at the spark of frustration that carried her words. "Sorry," Yuri said. She pushed strands of hair behind her ears.

"Do I upset you?" Victor asked his eyes scanning the water below. Yuri turned her attention to the emotions swirling in her heart.

"No," She murmured. She reached out and touched his arm. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"When I ask you things about yourself you shut down." Victor's eyes flashed up and locked onto hers. "Why can't I know you?" His gaze was unreadable and yet it startled her heart.

"I- You want to?" Yuri asked. Victor's mouth opened in a bewildered half smile. He shook his head lightly causing her cheeks to flame. He draped an arm over her shoulders and she stumbled down onto the wet sand.

"You're kind of hopeless you know that?" Victor said lightly, still laughing under his breath.

He didn't move his arm as they walked. Instead, he placed the rock in her hands and stood tall, soaking in the muffled sunlight. Yuri tried not to lose herself in the warmth of his side. "So tell me Yuri Katsuki," Victor took a slight pause, "who are you?" Yuri fiddled with the stone in her hands. "Besides a professional figure skater," he added quickly.

"Well… As of last spring, I'm licensed to teach." Victor beamed down at her.

"Really?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm going to teach English someday."

"What level?" Victor asked.

"Kids," Yuri replied, feeling a tender smile settle on her lips. Suddenly a thought crept into the back of her mind. Her smile fell."Or at least that's what I had planned. It probably won't happen." She hooked the smooth stone with her index finger and skipped it three times across the water.

"Why not," Victor cooed.

"What kind of school's going to hire a sex symbol?" Yuri asked bitterly. "If I'm ever able to teach I doubt it will be in Japan." Victor tightened his hold on her slightly. "But if that's what it takes to win," she said, trying to push the image of herself in a classroom as far down as possible. Victor stopped walking.

"You're hurting," he trailed off, taking in her expression. Yuri looked up at him. She wanted to ease the visible guilt he was feeling.

"It's alright, really, I have other plans now. Winning Gold for one thing." she made her voice rise to a lighter octave but her damp eyes betrayed her."I'll focus on skating like I always have and when it's over… I'll find something else."

"Yuri," Victor said. His tone amplified the aching in her chest.

"It's fine!" Yuri said. She brushed at her eyes quickly, "ugh, sorry. This is so stupid." Her lip trembled and she covered her face so he wouldn't see.

"I'm sorry. I should have thought about how Eros would affect-"

"No, don't," Yuri interrupted. "I want this. Really." She leaned against him and tried to lighten the mood. "Skating has always been my number one. I don't need to teach to be happy."

"Liar," Victor said softly. Yuri didn't correct him.

"Things are just different now that's all. I thought I was done and I let myself fall in love with something else." She turned so she was in front of him and tipped her head back so she could catch his eyes. "I want to be a champion, Victor. And I want you to help me do it." He nodded and the honest determination in her eyes eased his conscience. His arms wrapped around her and she squealed in surprise.

"You'll be the best skater in the world," he said into her hair. She blushed and pushed him away.

"We'll see…" she said taking a step away and into the surf. The cool water bathed her shins.

"We will," Victor said matter-of-factly. Yuri rolled her eyes and wandered through the shallow water. She looked down at her reflection and was content with the person who looked back at her. Her eyes moved over and she couldn't help but smile at man collecting stones and shells in his back pocket.

"Hey Victor, want to see something cool?"

She took him somewhere secret to the rest of the world. There is a section of the beach that is a cityscape of large stones and driftwood. He marveled at them the closer they got.

"Wow…"

"You haven't seen anything yet," Yuri replied. She climbed up on one of the taller rock piles and stood at the top waiting for Victor to follow. Once he had almost made it she dropped to the other side, out of sight.

"Yuri-" Victor gasped. He scrambled to the top and froze.

"Well?" Yuri asked, standing next to a cluster of tide pools.

"It's-" She walked over and took his hand, pulling him towards the biggest one. They dropped to their knees and looked inside. Muscles lined the stone walls, seaweed grew up and branched out in the water, and every now and again something would flicker and catch the light. Life swam in every inch of the shallow pool.

"Pretty cool huh?" Yuri said pushing her hair back to lean in close to the water.

"It's amazing!" Victor exclaimed. His hand fell on top of her's and he drew her attention back to him. "utterly amazing," he said slowly. Yuri swallowed as the air around them became alive. "You never stop surprising me," he murmured. Yuri's eyes lingered on his lips as he spoke. Her heart was pounding in her chest but she leaned forward anyway. He brushed away the hair that blew in front of her face and his fingers lingered behind her ear. So close. She could feel his breath on her cheek. I must be dreaming, she thought as she brought her hand up to rest on his. Her eyes drifted closed and she felt him close what little space there was between them. Right before his lips met her's something caught his eye.

"Look at that," Victor chirped. All at once he was on the other side of the pool examining something in the water. Yuri's eyes snapped open.

"What?" She sputtered.

"It's a... Ah-" Victor snapped his fingers. "What's it called in English?"

"Starfish," Yuri deadpanned.

"Right! Incredible," Victor trailed off. Yuri stared at him in disbelief. Had she imagined it all or had he really been just a heartbeat away from kissing her. He stuck his hand in the pool and poked at it gently only to draw his hand back so quickly water splashed up on his face. Yuri chuckled at him under her breath and sat back to slow her pulse. The sun emerged from the clouds and she felt it's warmth on her shoulders.

Yuri lounged next to the tide pool and watched Victor explore every inch of it. Every few minutes his head would bounce up with a question. She answered each and every one of them just to see the smile that he gave her. At one point she looked over to see him snapping pictures of her.

"What are you doing?"

"Instagram has got to see this." Yuri rolled her eyes in response. She wasn't wearing any makeup, her hair wasn't brushed nicely, and her clothes were old and comfortable

"It won't be what they're used to seeing of me."

"Yeah you dropped that sponsor," Victor said, finalizing the post.

"I did?"

"Yep." He turned his phone to her so she could see the picture he'd taken of her. "These are the only kinds of pictures that matter now." She smiled and laid back beginning to doze off under the orange sunset. An immeasurable amount of time had passed before his voice returned.

"What are you thinking about during Eros?" She opened her eyes and saw that he was sitting next to her. "I have a hard time believing it's still katsudon." She raised herself up onto her elbows.

"No it's not katsudon," she admitted. The corner of his mouth tugged up and his eyes glint mysteriously.

"Then what?" She looked away wanting to say,

"You, you big idiot."

"Come on tell me! Don't be shy," Victor said, trailing his hand over her forearm.

"Just… the usual stuff," she said finally. Victor laid down next to her with his head propped on his hand.

"So an ex-lover. Tell me, which encounter do I have the pleasure of seeing every day at practice?"

"Victor, I'm not talking to you about this." Yuri sat up and crossed her legs under her. Victor laid back with his hands behind his head.

"Fine, then I'll guess." Yuri's face twisted. "Let's see… from what I see at practice I'm guessing it was hot, steamy, romantic," his eyes flicked over to her, "wild…" Yuri snorted. "Not on the right track am I?" Victor mused. "Alright, then slow, building, and passionate." Yuri scrunched up her nose and shook her head. Victor rose up to a seated position. "Not slow and not steamy… did you at least make him beg?"

"Victor!" Yuri gasped, blushing up to her ears. He chuckled at her. "Nothing like that."

"Really? Maybe try thinking 'wild' the next time we run it through. It might add something to it."

"I can't…" Yuri said under her breath. "I never have."

"Ok then one of the other ways." Yuri felt a pulling in her gut.

"No. I never have… at all." She couldn't meet his eye. He froze.

"You're a virgin?" She bit her lip, wanting to crawl under one of the rocks around them.

"You know virgin but not starfish?" She mumbled. Victor didn't find it amusing. His eyes bore into her. "Don't be so surprised," she pleaded, begging him not to make a big deal out of it.

"But…" He trailed off. "We've talked about boyfriends."

"You've asked me about my ex's not if I slept with any of them," Yuri corrected. She dipped her toes into the pool. "I've never been able to love myself, let alone make love to someone else." She waited for him to look at her differently but he never did.

"Well you had me fooled," Victor said gently. He moved next to her so their shoulders were touching. They watched the sunset in the reflection at their feet. "There's nothing wrong with that, Yuri. Nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I know," Yuri said quickly. Victor smiled and cocked his head to the side.

"It just makes me wonder, even more, how you captivate everyone in the room all at once." Yuri shrugged.

"I can't explain it," she said. "I guess I just have a knack."

"Oh really?" Victor scoffed. "From what I've seen on the ice it's more than just a knack." Yuri pressed her chin into her shoulder and surrendered to the wave of butterflies his tone gave her.

"It's not hard really," she said. She moved closer to him, if that was even possible, and relaxed her gaze making sure his eyes never left hers."I just think of all the things I wanted to do but never did." She let the words linger on her tongue. It was meant to be a joke but Victor's breath hitched. She bit back a smile. Curiosity pushed her one step further, and she brushed her fingers over the back of his hand. "Just because I've never had it doesn't mean I've never wanted it…" His eyes reflected the splintering sunlight back to her. "Believe me… there is so much I want." And all of it you. She worked her fingers up his wrist causing his head to tip down to her. She danced her breath across his lips, "Eros isn't sex its seduction." He leaned into her words and suddenly it didn't feel like a game anymore. Worried he wouldn't stop she braced her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart racing and suddenly she was the one who didn't want to stop. It was one thing to seduce a stadium full of people but this... she was playing her own heart. Kiss him, she thought. Just an inch closer and their lips would meet. She wanted to tangle her fingers in his hair and their tongues together. She had everything to lose but just maybe… Holding her breath she pressed herself closer. Kiss him…

"You're shaking," Victor's voice interrupted. His eyes were open in an instant, holding a gaze that came dangerously close to seeing everything she was trying to hide from him. His hand reached up toward her face. She shied away from him cheeks flaming from what she had almost done. "That was quit a demonstration," Victor hummed. She wouldn't meet his eye.

"I- it was," She sputtered.

"Very Eros," Victor said. Yuri laughed uncomfortably and pushed herself to her feet. "But I think it was missing something." Yuri gasped as she was pinned up against the wall of rock behind her. She was completely trapped even with room to move away.

"And, um, what would that be?" She asked. He cocked his head to the side,

"I'll know it when I see it." Yuri thought she was going to pass out.

"I thought this was your area of expertise?" Victor laughed and his breath warmed her cheek. "Didn't you invent Eros," she murmured. Victor's lips pursed and the gaze locked on her became amused.

"You're reinventing it without giving me a chance to catch up," he said, practically into her neck. Yuri didn't comprehend what he was saying because her eyes were locked on the way his lips moved as he spoke. "This is an Eros I've never seen before." His voice melted into the sound of the surf.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Yuri said breathlessly. Gold sunlight shattered the sky. The ocean air fluttered through his hair and his smell surrounded her. Her heart danced erratically in her chest and she knew there was only one thing left to do.

"Tell me to stop," she exhaled. In one motion she raised herself up and pressed her lips against his as the sunset burst behind them.

For a moment it was everything she thought it would be and more. She begged him just to melt into the kiss and for half a second he did. Until he didn't. Victor stiffened under her hands. No. He pulled away from her completely. He was staring at her with a pinched brow. He shook his head lightly and the ocean air carried their moment away.

"Yuri-"

"Oh my God," Yuri rasped. She pushed past him and pulled herself up and over the rocks before he had a chance to stop her.

"Wait!" Victor called after her. Yuri took off down the beach. What have I done? Begging her lungs to corroborate she increased the distance between them with every step. Her fingernails dug into her palms as the moment replayed over and over in her head. Footsteps ran up behind her and an arm wrapped around her waist. She cried out as she was lifted into the air and turned back the way she'd come. "Yuri!" Victor's voice erupted in her ear. She struggled against him and he let her drop back onto the sand.

"Leave me alone," She gasped, she turned away from him and strode back down the shore.

He kept pace with her like a shadow and only let her take a few steps before tapping her wrist in his hand.

"Stop," he pleaded. Instead of facing him she dug her toes into the cold sand. "Don't run away from me."

A curse escaped Yuri 's lips and she wished the sea lapping at her feet would rise up and drown her. She tugged lightly for freedom.

"Please Victor," she whispered. He sighed and pulled her arm so she was forced to face him. He frowned at the tears that began falling from her eyes.

"It's okay," he soothed. The look on his face made her sick. Sympathy.

"No. It's not." She threw her weight towards the sea and the tension broke his hold on her. "God, I am such an idiot! Someone like you would never..." She brushed the tears off of her face but more replaced them. "I'm sorry," She said. She wrapped her arms around herself and watched as the last light of day died behind the horizon.

"Don't take it back," Victor said.

"What?" Yuri asked looking back at him.

"For months you've been hiding but now I feel like I can finally see you." Yuri grimaced. "Yuri, you sell yourself far too short." He closed the distance between them and reached for her face.

"Don't," she exhaled, shrinking away from him.

"Yuri-"

"You're my coach Victor!" Yuri exploded. She thrust her hands against his chest. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is!" She pushed him again and they both stepped deeper into the water. "Why didn't you stop me!" She slipped on something under the water and gasped as she fell into the waves. He quietly pulled her up and onto the dry sand. Her clothes were soaked and salt water stung her eyes.

"You're bleeding," Victor said examining her scraped palm. She pulled it away from him and shook her head.

"I can't be that girl," she said. "That gets to kiss you on the beach." He took in her words and rolled them around.

"Yuri, it doesn't have to mean anything." His words stung her soul and she shook with heartbreak. Victor looked at her helplessly. "I don't understand."

"I've-" Yuri's voice gave out. She closed her eyes but at this point, she had nothing left to lose. "I've had a crush on you since I was 13." She waited for the world to implode but nothing happened. "And when I thought I'd never skate again you showed up. You gave me my life back and I thought, maybe this is my chance," She inhaled, "I've had feelings for you for so long and today… I thought you could feel them too." Victor clenched his jaw. "But you're my coach," Yuri said barely audible. "So I don't get to be the girl who holds your hand and shares her secrets. I don't get to fall for you." If she were to open her eyes she would see his heart crumbling. The same hope she held for all those years was fluttering lightly in his eyes. If she would just look! Victor bit the inside of his cheek. He wanted to say, "why not?" But instead, he put a hand on her shoulder, leaned down, and gave her a single peck on the cheek.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize," he said. He stepped back and began walking in the direction of the inn. Yuri spun around and watched him go.

"Tell me I'm wrong," she whispered. "Tell me I have a chance." But Victor didn't run to her, he didn't even look back.

It was getting dark, the wind whipped up a chill in her bones, and the sound of the waves increased until she was sure they would rush up and pull her away. She fell to her knees and filled her fists with sand. It hurt to keep it a secret, it hurt to tell him, and now it hurts to cry. It was hard to tell how long she stayed there. It must have been longer than she thought judging by how many of the shops were closed when she wandered back home. She opened their door in a daze and stepped inside.

"Yuri!" She looked up to see her entire family on their feet in surprise. "It's so late!" Her mother snapped. She looked around the room and her gaze fluttered over Victor's startled expression. "Why are you all wet?" Mari demanded. Yuri ran her hands over her tangled, sandy hair.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, avoiding all eye contact. She started to kick off her shoes before remembering she wasn't wearing any. Instead, she adjusted the damp hem of her shorts and walked past them without another word. Victor ran after her.

"I shouldn't have left you," he said catching up to her. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Yuri said, refusing to meet his eye.

"We should talk a-"

"I'm cold," Yuri interrupted. Victor's mouth snapped shut. He desperately wanted to wrap her up in something warm and rub the tear tracks from her cheeks.

"Later," he said. Yuri looked past him and noticed that his bedroom door was ajar. There was an open suitcase on his bed. "You should change," Victor said but she couldn't hear him. Her vision narrowed and her feet walked without her command.

"You're packing?" She pushed open his door further and walked over to his bed. She lifted a shirt out of the suitcase and clenched it in her hands. Victor watched her with a blank expression. "But-" Her knees crashed to the floor.

"Yuri," Victor gasped. He kneeled next to her and tried to catch her attention by taking her hands. "Your skin is like ice," he said with a pinched brow.

"You want to leave?" Yuri asked. Tears gathered in her eyes. Guilt splashed across Victor's face as he peeled her fingers off of the shirt.

"We don't have to talk about that right now," he replied quietly. He rubbed his hands up her arms attempting to give them a bit of color.

"But-" Yuri couldn't remember how to breathe. "I did everything you asked me to. I told you everything," she said with her diaphragm still twitching to inhale. "You can't just go."

"I thought…" Victor shook his head. "Maybe some space would benefit-" The glare she was giving him stopped his words dead in their tracks. He swallowed, "I don't think I can stay here." Waves of ice water came crashing over her. Yuri fell back as her body greedily took in air.

"I don't understand," she said, scrambling to her feet while trying to steady her breathing. Victor looked at her helplessly,

"I don't want to make things worse for you."

A switch flipped inside her.

"Tell me you're not being serious," she demanded. "We- you…" Yuri raked her nails against her scalp. "This is it for me."

"I'm sorry," was all he said. She turned on her heels unable to even look at him. "I never meant to play with your feelings." She grit her teeth and in the blink of an eye, she was standing inches away from him with her hand raised. She shook with the effort it took not to slap him across the face. Her eyes burned into him and slowly her fingers closed into a fist and her hand dropped to her side.

"It was just a kiss," she ground out. "I put everything on the line for this. I have nothing to go back to." He looked at her wide-eyed. "Do you even care?" She gasped, struggling to keep her voice steady. He didn't respond. She reached down and pulled clothes from off his bed and stoved them into his chest. "Just go then. Get the hell out of here," he stumbled back in complete shock. Yuri blinked the red-hot tears from her eyes before they could fall."You're not the man I thought you were," she said, pushing past him and out into the hall slamming his door closed behind her.

Victor collapsed onto his bed and dropped his head into his hands. Her words echoed in his skull. Reaching over he threw the suitcase to the floor with a curse. It exploded, spewing its contents across the room. He fell back and stared up at the ceiling. Yuri pulled on a pair of shoes before running through the front door and down the porch steps.

"Where are you going!" Mari called, standing in the doorway. Her sister paused and the two made eye contact.

"Don't tell mom," Yuri said. Mari's eyebrows creased but she nodded once and Yuri turned, jogging away into the night.

Victor was only half asleep when the birds started chirping. He rubbed his eyes and sat up looking around at the mess from the night prior. Stretching, he got to his feet and wandered into the kitchen. Mari was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee while her mother prepared breakfast. Victor sat down and called Macca over to him.

"Is Yuri up?" Hiroko asked. "I want her to help with the hot spring today. She deserves it for the stunt she pulled last night." Mari sipped her coffee and chewed on the corner of her mouth. "Mari?" Her mother demanded.

"She's not here," Mari said, setting down her cup.

"What?" Hiroko exclaimed. "She went out already?"

"No… she went out last night and she hasn't come home yet." Mari jumped as her mother slammed a pot onto the counter.

"She what?!"

"I'll look for her," Victor said getting to his feet.

"Don't you think you've done enough?" Mari hissed. Victor regarded her cooly before pulling on his coat and heading out the door.

He knew where she went because he knew her. When he walked into Ice Palace the wind was knocked right out of him. There she was, in a ray of early morning sun, with bare legs speckled with goosebumps. The music. It was like nothing he'd heard before, fast, electric, and loud enough to rattle in his chest. She'd let her hair down and it tangled around her while she spun. It was a release of everything she'd been holding in her ribcage, anger, heartache, secrets… Victor felt it all melt on his skin like snowflakes. Every time she pushed the hair out of her face he felt a ping in his chest. When she dove onto her knees, arched her back and slid across the middle of the ice a fire lit in Victor's stomach. Hips. Arms. The way the light caught on a bead of sweat. There was something familiar about her movement and he shifted his weight as the banquet night fluttered in the back of his mind. The way her body curved was intoxicating, addicting… From across the rink, she caught him staring. She pulled her arms against her body, spinning faster and chasing his image away. This wasn't about him, not anymore. When the song ended Yuri caught her breath and examined the collection of fresh bruises that freckled her lower legs. Her skin was raw and pink but the cold was numb and comfortable. His presence was hanging over her. Looking back she saw his eyes locked on her the same way as before.

She stated over the gate and returned his gaze. She forced him to break the silence.

"Have you been here all night?" He asked.

"Depends, is it morning?" Victor pursed his lips at her short response. She walked past him and sat down to pull her skates off. "You shouldn't have left. You made your mother worry." Yuri scoffed and stood up to face him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You're one to talk," she spat. Victor closed his eyes and sighed.

"I didn't come here to fight with you," he said. "I made a mistake. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking last night." He looked so tired. Yuri's arms fell to her sides. "I was being selfish. I'm sorry." Yuri's body language softened. Victor grasped her arm lightly and looked at her intently. "I still want to be your coach. If you'll have me," he added. Yuri nodded, hesitant at first.

"You know I don't need you," she said defensively. It didn't matter if it was a lie.

"I know," Victor said with a half-hearted smile. Yuri inhaled deeply.

"Okay," she said finally. Victor's smile became relieved. His eyes caught on how the shirt she was wearing hung over her frame. The cut was unmistakably male.

"Yuri, who's shirt is that?" Yuri's hand flew to her chest.

"I'm- I'm not alone," she said quietly, a blush flared on her cheekbones.

"Yuri-chan!" A voice called. A man wearing a hockey jersey walked around the corner with a towel around his neck and wet hair. "Thanks for waiting." He walked over to them and wrapped his arm around Yuri's waist. Yuri looked uncomfortable. "Is this him?" The man asked. Victor was watching him with a snarl hiding under his lip. "She's too good for you," he addressed Victor in broken English.

"Oh really?" Victor said back.

"Daichi don't" Yuri mumbled. Daichi's arms tangled around her, one hand cupped her ass and the other played with her waistband. Yuri stiffened in his hold.

"What happened to us getting food?" Diachi whispered in her ear.

"That was never going to happen. I-" she was cut off when his mouth started playing with her ear. Victor glared as his tongue worked down her neck. "Stop," Yuri mumbled but her eyes fluttered against her will. Victor's blood boiled.

"Come on baby, you weren't saying that last night." Yuri's eyes widened and she blushed up to her ears. He used her surprise to plant his lips on hers. Her jaw relaxed for half a second before she felt him smirk and it brought her back to her senses. She shoved him away.

"What the hell are you doing!" She yelled. "You can't just-"

"Look how mad we've made him," Daichi said. Yuri followed his eyes and the expression on Victor's face made her want to crawl under a rock. A power play, that's all Daichi was interested in.

"I'm leaving." She turned and started for the door. "And next time I catch you here past closing I'm telling Yuko."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Daichi asked. Yuri froze. "You should just keep it. It looks good on you." Yuri turned to him and in one motion pulled the shirt over her head and threw it at him.

"Asshole," she said, and in just a few strides left the ice behind.

Victor paused with his arms crossed over his chest. Diachi turned to him with a stupid grin on his face.

"What's wrong pretty?" He asked. "You should have come in earlier, you missed the best part." Victor rolled his eyes. Diachi's English was almost too bad to understand but his smugness came through loud and clear. In a smooth motion, Victor grabbed the towel and yanked Diachi forward by the back of his neck.

"You'll lose that charming smile if you're not careful," he said. The threat was clear.

"I'm not afraid of you," Diachi laughed.

"I wasn't talking about me," Victor said, flicking the other man away and onto the floor with his wrist. "Yuri has a hell of a knee drive." He put his hands in his coat pockets and left the other man before he could scramble to his feet.

Yuri was leaning against the front desk counter hiding her face in her hands. Victor came up behind her and laid his coat over her bare shoulders. She pulled it close against her body, hiding her bra and the skin beneath.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Yuri said, burning with embarrassment.

"Is he a problem?" Victor asked seriously. Yuri shook her head.

"He's nothing." Victor felt himself unwind slightly. Victor opened his mouth to speak again but Yuri added, "I really don't want to talk about it."

"We should get home, you're family is waiting," Victor said. Yuri nodded and followed him out the door.

They walked in silence. Yuri was absolutely freezing yet at the same time sweat beaded the back of her neck. She watched the sidewalk pass beneath her and kept her feet walking in step with his. She bit her lip trying to hold in her words but the spinning feeling in her stomach won.

"I didn't sleep with him," she blurted. Victor gave her a sideways glance.

"Yuri you don't have to explain anything."

"I do," Yuri said. "I don't want you to think I'm…" She trailed off.

"I never would." She felt a weight lift off her chest and she rested her forehead on his arm as they walked. She held his sleeve in her fingers.

"Wait, never? Not even when he was leeching off my neck?"

Victor chuckled.

"He's clearly not your type. Face it, Yuri, you're obsessed with pretty men. Well… man." She turned her face away. He smiled and pulled her to his side. "Just teasing…" he trailed off as he felt her frame twitching under his arm. "You're shivering. I didn't even think about it, we should have gotten a cab." He ran his hand up and down her arm.

"I'm fine," she said. Her whole body stiffened under his touch. Victor let go like she was a burning ember. The air around them was no longer care free. She frowned, it's never going to be easy between us. The thought made her chest sore and she carried it in the back of her mind until they made it home.

The house was... empty?

"So much for being worried," Yuri muttered, reading the note pinned to the wall that read that the rest of the family was making a market trip.

"Go change," Victor demanded.

"Fine," Yuri said, slipping his coat off and tossing it on her way through the living room. A noise caught in his throat as he caught it. He quickly averted his eyes to a picture on a nearby shelf. "Can you put water on?" Yuri asked from the doorway.

"S-sure," Victor said, trying not to notice how pale she was below the collarbone. He wandered into the kitchen and set water to boil. "She won't make eye contact with me but she'll walk around without clothes on," Victor said to himself with a small head shake.

Yuri came back in almost 40 minutes later. Her hair was wet and there was a warm blush on her skin. Despite the temperature going up from the afternoon sun, she was wearing a heavy sweatshirt and sweatpants. "Sorry I took so long," she said sitting down across from him at the table. "I just can't seem to get warm." She shrunk into her clothes.

"Coffee?" Victor asked. She nodded and rested her head on her hand. When he came back in with two cups in hand she was dozing, propped up on her elbow. Victor sat back down and slid the cup over to her. "Here," he said. Yuri opened her eyes and blinked a few times.

"Thanks." She took a small sip and held the cup in both hands, soaking up its warmth.

"Your cheeks are pink," Victor commented. "You were in the hot spring for a pretty long time."

"Not that long," she replied. "Twenty..."

"Thirty," Victor corrected, looking at her glazed over expression. "More like forty." She shrugged and pressed the cup against the side of her face. "You'll burn yourself."

"Feels good." She yawned and Victor tried pulling the cup out of her hands.

"You were up all night. You need sleep not coffee," he said. "You can have it later."

"Hey!" Yuri objected, she tugged it back and the scalding contents cascaded down her hand. "Ow!" She gasped, dropping the cup on the table and shaking the coffee off her skin. She sucked in air through her teeth.

"Are you alright?" Victor asked quickly. "Let me see."

"It's not bad," Yuri said. Victor got up and disappeared into the kitchen in search of something to clean up the mess. When he came back He dried off the table and patted the back of her hand which was red but not blistered. After he was done she rested her head on the crook of her arm and listened to his footsteps as he took the cups back to the kitchen and put the coffee pot away. She was half asleep by the time he came back to the table.

"Yuri?"

"Hmmm," she hummed.

"Get up. Go to bed," Victor said. Yuri tucked her face deeper into her arm. Victor squatted next to her. "Come on," he coaxed. He put a hand on her back and shook her lightly. "You can't sleep here you'll hurt your neck." Yuri groaned and sat up slowly. She pushed herself to her feet and headrush took her vision away. Instead of getting better after a few seconds it got worse and the room spun around her. Her balance was failing so she grabbed for the nearest thing which happened to be Victor's arm. She fell weakly to the side but he caught her with a sound of surprise. "Yuri!" her weight fell into his chest and they went down together. He sunk with her to the floor supporting her from behind.

"I guess I was in there for too long," she mumbled. Victor shifted her in his arms so he could see her face. Her skin was dewy with a sheen of sweat and her cheeks were bright red. He reached up and pressed his hand to her forehead.

"You're burning up," he declared.

"No, I'm not," she whispered. He pulled her close and put one arm under her knees and the other behind her back. He lifted her into the air and the movement caused her to cling to his shirt and her head to lul against his shoulder. "Victor-" She thought she had something to say but her tongue stilled and she let him carry her away.

The sheets he laid her on were not her own. His room. His bed. She opened her eyes and in the muffled light from outside, she could see him standing over her. He pulled the blanket saturated with his smell over her body.

"Sleep," he commanded. She could hear his footsteps as he crossed the room and closed the door. She tried to decide if he was still standing in the hall. Maybe his hand was still on the knob waiting for a reason to come back inside. She pulled the blanket up under her nose and another thought danced in her mind. Was it possible that he hadn't left at all? Had he pulled the door shut and sealed them inside? She listened for his breathing, for some sign of his presence. If she didn't look she could imagine he was standing at the foot of the bed. He would climb in next to her and wrap his arms around her, easing the fever aches out of her bones. In that manner, he held her until she fell asleep.

Victor kept himself busy for as long as he could, puttering through the inn, looking at pictures on the walls, and skimming every book on the shelf. He wondered, constantly, if she needed anything if there was something he could do to make it better, make it right. He walked over and pulled his coat off the back of the chair that Yuri had left it on. He slipped it over his arms and stepped outside, leaving the door open behind him. It was too warm to be wearing a jacket as heavy as this. The sunlight burrowed through the fabric and ate away at his skin but he left it on anyway. She had worn it with the collar up, popped against the wind and the eyes of anyone who might have passed by. Victor ran his fingers along the seem, careful not to pull it down. His free hand fell into his pocket and he trailed his thumb over the stone he kept there. One from the beach. He'd found it while packing the night before, tucked away in his pants pocket. For a reason, he didn't fully understand he knew he had to keep it, had to remember… He sighed and walked back inside, hanging his jacket on a hook and keeping the stone in hand.

Walking to his room he listened for a moment before cracking the door open. Yuri was sleeping with her arms and legs were thrown across the mattress. Her hair was draped over her face and the pillow and before he was fully aware of what he was doing he was sitting next to her, brushing the strands away from her eyes. She didn't sturr as his weight caused the bed to dip under her side. "We should go back to the beach," he whispered. "I want to sit under another sunset." He leaned in close enough to feel her breath. He was glad she didn't wake up but part of him hoped she was listening. "I felt it too." Yuri slept on. He sat back and noticed how her toes peaked out from the blanket. He looked across the rest of her, she had flung off the majority of the bedding leaving only the sheet across her legs. Her sweatshirt had ridden up and a ribbon of skin was exposed above her waistband. He rested his palm against her hip and waited. When she didn't open her eyes he ran his thumb back and forth against her bare skin. He watched her face closely for a reaction. His gaze traveled lower and the rise and fall of her chest captivated him. He wanted to ease himself next to her and pull her flush against himself until the exposed skin of her stomach met his. After a moment he pulled his hand away and turned, clearing his throat, and pushing the thoughts from his mind. He was her coach. He didn't get to be the man who took her to bed, who's hand could trail across bare skin, the man who would kiss her awake. He didn't get to fall for her.

He stood and pulled the sheet over her stomach. He turned to leave but thinking again he paused. Leaning over her he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Now we're even." He stepped back and placed the small stone on the bedside table where she would see it. Because more than he wanted to remember what she'd said to him on the beach and the way she had looked under the sunlight, he wanted her to know that he felt it too. "It's too late Yuri," he murmured, "I've been falling for you for too long to stop." He sighed, "Someday we can share something more than stolen kisses. Someday." He stood and exited the room silently.

Yuri's eyes shot open and she reached for him. Her arms came up empty and she frowned. It had seemed so real. The feeling of his lips against her skin. The sound of his voice. Burying her face in his pillow she willed herself to fall back into the dream she must have been having. Frustration settled over her and she flung the pillow away, knocking the small stone he'd left out of sight. Yuri stood, pulled her hair up out of her face, and fixed the blankets on his bed. She glanced at the bedside table with one last glimmer of hope but after confirming the table was bare she hardened her defenses and set out back into reality.

Please message me I'm bored and my best friend is busy getting tumors removed from her head. Let's have a conversation about random things or about this story or about other stories. ANYTHING. Let's be friends. I'll have more of this done someday. As always, I can Never Tell