Author's Note: I was commissioned by Shiranai Atsune to write an arranged marriage AU with a fem!Yuri. The song that is referenced in the story is "Moondance" by Nightwish. I hope you all enjoy!

Love doesn't discriminate
between the sinners and the saints;
It takes and it takes and it takes
and we keep loving anyway.
We laugh and we cry
and we break and we make our mistakes.
~ "Wait for It" from Hamilton

Victor Nikiforov had no idea how he had ended up here - here being in bed with a wife sleeping on the other side of the queen-sized mattress, a gold wedding band on his left ring finger, and feeling overwhelmed. The day had passed in a blur, and now that he was in bed intending to sleep, he found himself attempting to make sense of everything that had happened over the past few months instead of resting like he wanted to.

The Nikiforov family ran a well-known business empire in Russia. They owned resorts around the world that were regarded as premiere vacation destinations. Victor had been groomed to inherit the company when his father retired, and he looked forward to the day that he could be his own man. His father was a shrewd businessman and controlling in all aspects of his life, especially when it came to Victor, their only child. Victor had known from a very young age that his life was not his own, and over the years, he had grown to accept it because he knew no other way to live life.

Despite Victor's feelings of resignation when it came to his life, he continued to imagine having some small part of it that he could call his own - free from his father's influence and the demands of the business. He dreamed of falling in love with a woman of his own choosing and having a family. He imagined that he would be the opposite of his father in every way - present, kind, and accepting of the dreams of his children. Victor swore he would never force his children into inheriting the Nikiforov empire. This fantasy was effectively crushed a few months ago when his parents traveled to Japan, a country they hadn't built in yet, to scout out locations for a new resort.

When the Nikiforovs returned to St. Petersburg, Victor was surprised to learn that his parents had found a tiny town in Japan called Hasetsu that had once been famous for its hot springs. They talked of a family that owned the last hot spring resort in the dying town, and after spending a few days there, they had decided they wanted to pursue a partnership with the Katsukis. They envisioned rebuilding Hasetsu and restoring it to its former glory. Victor had never been to Japan, and as his parents discussed the features of Yutopia Akatsuki, Victor developed a desire to visit this resort that his family would now have a stake in.

Negotiations for the partnership were fast and furious. There was a flurry of emails, phone calls with the use of a translator, and endless reams of paper used to print contract revisions on. Victor barely paid attention because he knew all the fine details would be settled before he had a need to focus any sort of attention to Yutopia. He would hear arguments spring up between his parents as they wrestled with the demands of the Katsukis. It made Victor chuckle to know that this family was not so easily cowed by his overbearing parents.

Then one day, the contracts were settled and signed by both parties. This day was like any other day to Victor, but that was before he knew that it was far more monumental than he could ever imagine. That night, over a casual meal of borscht, Evgeni and Anastasia Nikiforov announced that Victor was engaged. Victor's mouth dropped open and his spoon slipped from his fingers and clattered on the glass tabletop.

"Excuse me?"

"In order to really solidify the partnership, we have decided, along with the Katsukis, to have you marry their daughter, Yuri. The wedding date is set for the end of June," Evgeni stated in his gravelly voice.

Victor could feel his stomach drop, and the appetite he had was now gone. It took him a few minutes to realize that the tiny dream he had of choosing love had been shattered. He could feel anger building up inside, but he knew better than to argue with his father. He had learned that he would never win. Without a word, he got up from the table and stormed to his downtown flat. He felt helpless and desolate - the desire to fight for himself had been broken long ago. He now knew there would be no escape for him. The freedom he had longed for had been stripped away and replaced with a gilded cage.

The engagement had been rushed as both families worked out the details of a destination wedding. The families had decided on a traditional Japanese ceremony in Hasetsu and then the couple would return to St. Petersburg for a Russian reception before Victor and Yuri settled into their new life as the heirs to the Nikiforov-Katsuki empire. Before Victor knew it, he was boarding a plane and jetting away to Japan. He slept fitfully on the plane, unsure what he was getting himself into. He had not met this young woman or even seen her. She apparently had a limited social media presence (he checked), and his parents had failed to retrieve a picture for him. To them, Victor liking her wasn't high on their list of priorities for the marriage.

When they finally arrived in Hasetsu, the Nikiforovs were greeted at the train station by Yuri and her best friend, Nishigori Yuuko. Victor's first view of his fiancée made him stop in his tracks. He had to admit that she was beautiful - with large, dark brown eyes and long jet black hair that shone almost blue in the harsh flourescent light of the station. She was short and slender with an athletic build. Victor had been told she was a ballet dancer and figure skater. Victor didn't know what he had been expecting from his fiancée, but he hadn't been expecting someone so shy and pure looking. They bowed to each other in greeting without exchanging a single word. It was a strange first meeting.

The party then traveled to Yutopia, where Victor had his first dose of the hot spring. As he soaked in the warm waters, he decided that if he wasn't lucky enough to marry for love, he could settle for the bliss that came with soaking in the hot spring. He contemplated his soon-to-be wife and wasn't sure what to think. She had been quiet throughout supper and easily forgotten. He had been drawn to the warm relationship between Hiroko and Toshiya. While they were never explicitly affectionate, it was clear from their glances, simple gestures, and vocal tone that they cared a great deal for each other. It made Victor realize just how frigid his parents were compared to the Katsukis. In Victor's mind, there was no doubt that Toshiya and Hiroko loved each other, but he couldn't say the same about his own parents. Did they love each other? What did they know of love? He realized that he, himself, had no idea what true love felt like.

The morning of the wedding came too quickly for Victor's taste. As he was dressed into the formal black kimono, grey striped hakama, and black haori for the ceremony, Victor realized that he hadn't really had the chance to interact much with Yuri and here he was, about to marry her! He wanted to rail against this whole arrangement, run and return to Russia. He was willing to risk his parents disowning him if it meant freedom. He had nothing against Yuri - he was sure she was a lovely young woman - but how could he make this type of commitment?

Staring into a full-length mirror, Victor didn't recognize the person standing before him. The reflection looked like him but everything about him down to the clothing felt so alien to him. He was still full of the heady rush of dreaming of escape and a smile lit his face with a joy that had been absent for weeks. Suddenly, a sober voice in the back of his mind stole that moment of bliss from him in the form of a realistic question. What will you do to support yourself? He sighed, resigned to his fate. He knew that if he did escape, he would have no way of supporting himself. He was too dependent on his future as the Nikiforov heir.

Victor was ushered into a car and chauffeured to the local shrine. As he stepped out of the car, he had to admit that he was taken by the simple beauty of this religious place. He walked up the stairs to the entrance of the shrine to wait for his bride. He peered inside, seeing several people seated within, surrounded by orange pillars. He knew no one here except for his parents, who were standing beside him. Victor realized that he would have to go through the entire ceremony without knowing Japanese and without a translator in order to preserve the solemnity of the proceedings. He had no idea what he had to do, which further compounded his anxiety.

"Konnichiwa!" Hiroko's gentle voice sounded behind him.

Victor turned, and for the first time that day, he was struck dumb. Standing before him was Yuri dressed in an elaborate white kimono. Her hair had been arranged into a low chignon adorned with flowers as opposed to the traditional hat of a Shinto wedding. She looked stunning in the traditional outfit, and Victor felt his heart flutter in his chest. If he could say anything about Yuri it was that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes remained downcast, but he could see the subtle pink blush on her cheeks. Here, they exchanged luck charms as a symbol of their engagement in the form of two simple golden bands on their left ring fingers.

The couple was ushered into the shrine and the ceremony began. Victor felt bereft in an unfamiliar ocean. He didn't understand the ceremony, the clothes were heavy, and the people were strangers to him. His heartbeat sounded in his ears, and he latched on to that sound as a steadying force. He could hear the lyrical foreign language as they went through the ceremony, and Victor wished he knew what was being said. Soon, he and Yuri were offering food to God followed by more Japanese. Victor stole glances of Yuri, wondering if he would be able to read what she was feeling. He got nothing from her expression - just peace.

Then, his parents and her parents were joining them at the altar and three shallow cups of increasing size were presented to all of them. Victor was instructed to take three sips of the spirits within, and he did so, scrunching his nose at the veracity of the sake. Each cup was passed to each couple, and everyone took three sips of the sake to represent the three couples, the flaws of hatred, ignorance, and passion; finally for freedom from each of those flaws. Once this was completed, Victor and Yuri were given a branch of greenery, which they presented to the altar with a bow and final prayer.

Victor and Yuri were married. They vacated the shrine and returned to Yutopia for a banquet. A large banquet room had been cleared and decorated for the reception. Victor was seated at a table in the front of the room as the rest of the party gathered at similar tables. Everyone began helping themselves to various foods set out and the sake after a brief ceremony in which more Japanese was spoken and a lid was lifted off of a barrel of sake. Yuri soon joined Victor beside him at the table, and Victor noticed that over her white kimono was now a colorful robe embroidered with golden cranes and red flowers.

Victor had no idea what to say to her. This was the first time he had the chance to talk to Yuri, and he didn't know where to start. Yuri gazed up at him with her dark eyes, and a curiosity was within them.

"Is...is everything to your satisfaction?" she asked.

Ah...English. She speaks English. Victor smiled, glad that they had a way to communicate. "Everything is fine," he lied as he returned his attention to his sake.

The party continued with many speeches and performances from the guests. Through it all, Victor continued to steadily partake of the sake. By the end, he hadn't noticed that Yuri had changed from kimono to a strapless, long red evening gown, his parents had disappeared long ago, and that he still didn't understand anything the guests had been saying. He had stopped caring about how foreign everything was to him. The room and people swam around him, his body warm from the copious amounts of sake. He knew he was tipsy but not completely drunk. The next thing he remembered was that he had been escorted to a bedroom on the second floor with his wife trailing behind him.

Victor stumbled into the room, the shoji sliding shut behind him and his wife. He turned to see Yuri standing before him with her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes downcast once again. Victor shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind from the influence of alcohol, but it was utterly ineffective. She is beautiful, he thought for what seemed like the millionth time that day. He slowly approached her, reaching out to touch her for the first time.

Wide eyes met his as his fingers brushed the smooth skin of her cheek. Victor started at the fear that those eyes conveyed. He lowered his hand, unsure what to do now. He knew that the next step was to consummate the marriage, but he wasn't sure this was what she wanted. He knew he would have no trouble actually fulfilling this part of the marriage - he was attracted to her, but he didn't want to force her.

It hit Victor then. This was not what he had wanted for his wedding night. He wanted it to be passionate; to be in love with the woman he would be spending the rest of his life with. For them both to know that forever together was what they wanted. Instead, he had this exquisite but quiet creature standing before him, and he knew absolutely nothing about her other than she was gorgeous, an athlete, and that his parents and her parents wanted them together.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, suddenly feeling the beginnings of sobriety poking at the edges of his muddled brain.

Curiosity once again. "Why?"

"I barely know you...and now here we are..."

"H-have I done something to disappoint you?" Yuri's English was accented in such a way that made Victor's heart flutter. It was so difficult to focus on anything other than how charming she was.

Victor shook his head vigorously and stumbled to the side. Yuri reached out, her hands coming to rest on his biceps to keep him steady. Victor's blue eyes focused on hers, and he saw the blush deepen on her cheeks. "No...you could never disappoint me," he found himself saying.

A nervous laugh as Victor righted himself. "I think that's bold of you to say. You barely know me," Yuri stated quietly.

Victor found himself laughing bitterly as the alcohol continued to lose its hold, and the reality of the situation was beginning to overwhelm him. "Well...that didn't stop any of this from happening."

He realized his bluntness surprised Yuri. Her hands slipped from his arms, and Victor didn't realize how much he was enjoying her gentle reassurance. She stepped back, appearing to curl into herself. Victor wanted to take it all back, but now he was angry. Angry that he was robbed of making one of the most important decisions in his life for himself. He didn't want to take it out on Yuri. He turned away from her and looked around until he found a folding partition painted with ocean waves crashing on a beach.

He made his way behind the partition and began to strip himself of his heavy fabrics. Once they were removed, he sighed and peered around to look for his own clothing. Sitting on a low stool was his pajamas neatly folded. He quickly dressed and emerged to find Yuri already in the bed. Victor sighed. This was how he would spend his wedding night. His wife laying on the other side of the bed without any form of contact. Victor would lay there, wide awake, wondering if this would ever get better. He glanced at Yuri, her back to him, one last time before rolling over and attempting to fall asleep.

Back in St. Petersburg, everything felt so surreal to Victor. He was returning to the familiar territory that was his home, and he should've found comfort in that, but he couldn't. His world was irrevocably changed. Instead of coming back to his flat a bachelor, he was bringing a woman he had married less than two days ago. His flat had always been a place of escape for him, but now he wasn't sure what to expect from his new flatmate.

The first night back was uneventful. Severely jet-lagged, Yuri had immediately crawled into the king-size bed and promptly fallen asleep. Victor was left alone to wonder where he should sleep - in the bed with Yuri like he was expected to, or on the couch with his trusty poodle Makkachin. He would be much more comfortable on the couch even if he had to share the small space with his giant dog. As an act of rebellion, he chose the couch.

The following morning found Victor dressed in a pale grey business suit and cobalt blue tie standing before his father in his large office with windows overlooking the city. Evgeni sat behind his huge wooden desk, his elbows resting on the sparsely covered surface with slender fingers entwined. Victor quailed under his father's intense gaze and tried his best to appear impassive.

"Now that you're married, you'll be taking a more active role in the business." Victor waited for his father to continue. "I am putting you in charge of the Yutopia project. I expect you to make your wife a partner in this as she is familiar with the language and customs of Japan."

"Of course," Victor murmured, the mention of his wife causing annoyance to percolate in the back of his mind.

"It is also your duty to produce an heir for the Nikiforovs. I will not let our business die with you or be taken over by another family. I have worked too hard to make us what we are today to entrust it to someone who hasn't been involved with the company since birth."

Duty. The word generated an intense anger that burned deep in Victor's chest. Duty had become the padlock of his cage, and Victor was now questioning everything about his life - had been since his engagement had been announced. He wished he had the gift of foresight and found some way to secure independence for himself so that when this life became too much of something he didn't want, he could walk away without a care.

I'm a coward, Victor thought bitterly. He knew the only reason he didn't fight with his father was because it made his life easier. Avoiding conflict was always better than the soul-crushing embrace of it because his father was always victorious, especially when he threatened to disinherit him. Victor was certain this wasn't an empty threat.

And yet...Victor suddenly felt wicked. He knew there were other ways to rebel, and he realized that he had started it his wedding night by leaving the marriage unconsummated. Being married was affording him limited freedom in the fact that his parents wouldn't be constantly checking on him. It was a small opening, but Victor would take it, and he would begin planning an exit strategy for himself.

Thoughts raced through Victor's mind as he contemplated the implications of his indirect conflict. While there was always the risk of being forced into open conflict with his father, the lure of having control of his life in some way was too strong to ignore. Yes, he was married to Yuri, but he could determine the course of their relationship and when children would enter the equation. Victor left that meeting with a grin of mischievous satisfaction, knowing that freedom lay in his marriage.

When Victor returned to his flat, he was feeling more in control than he had in months, and it was a exhilarating feeling. As he walked through the door, he stopped short at the sight of his wife curled up on the couch with a book in her hand and Makkachin lying next to her. She looked toward him when she heard him enter the flat, and a small smile that communicated her unease was visible on her lips. Victor regarded her, noting her body was tense, her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail and that her comfortable clothing, which consisted of a sweatshirt and yoga pants, was immaculate. Victor could feel a slight blush in his cheeks as he thought, not for the first time, that his unwanted wife was quite beautiful. Makkachin barked in greeting as he bounded across the room to Victor.

"How was your meeting?" she asked as she closed the book and set it on the couch cushion.

"Fine," Victor's reply was short as he unbuttoned his suit coat and began loosening the tie around his neck. "Father wants you involved in the Yutopia project...and he wants you to learn Russian."

He knew he shouldn't be so cold towards Yuri, but he couldn't help himself. Victor was still so, so bitter over her being around despite his surface attraction for her. Fundamentally, he was set against her because she wasn't his choice. He knew that if he had met her on his own, he would pursue her because her looks were intriguing. The fact remained that he hadn't, and he was going to maintain distance between them.

"O-oh. I can try. Is there a program you recommend?"

Victor paused in untying his tie to regard his wife. A derisive snort escaped from him. "How would I know? I already know how to speak Russian."

Yuri blushed furiously out of embarrassment. "Of course," she mumbled.

Victor sighed with exasperation, feeling slightly guilty for treating her this way. "I apologize," he said formally. "I'm in a mood. I'll...I'll find something to help you. You don't want to disappoint my parents, believe me."

"I'll do my best," Yuri said. Silence filled the room as Victor finished with his tie and hung it off the coat rack before bending to ruffle Makkachin's fur. Yuri picked up the book, but bounced it in her hand instead of opening it back up. "What will I do in the project?"

"Hm? Oh...mostly translate things for me. I just don't have the time to learn Japanese while we work on the upgrades to the property. And...if you know what will draw tourists, you'll let me know. This has to make money for our union to be worth it."

Victor's last off-hand and direct comment made Yuri flinch, but he didn't notice. He had gone into the kitchen to rifle through the refrigerator for something to eat. As he searched, he hummed with irritation. Nothing looked appetizing. When he stepped back to shut the door, he turned and startled to see Yuri standing before him. She continued to look apologetic and unsure. He wondered how long it would take for her to become comfortable in Russia and to pull herself out of her uncertain shell.

"If you would like...I could make you something to eat."

Victor's smile was honest. "Okay."

Another thing he learned that night was that Yuri could cook delicious food. Victor wasn't sure how she accomplished it, but she was able to take the limited and sometimes unfamiliar to her ingredients and turn them into something outstanding. As they sat to eat, Victor couldn't help the exclamations of pleasure that rolled out of his mouth. His genuine smile coupled with the praise, making Yuri blush a deep red.

"How did you do this? I know my pantry and fridge weren't well stocked."

"My mother cooks all the food for the guests at the inn. She learned at an early age how to maximize the ingredients she had and not let anything go to waste. She passed that skill on to me as well."

"I'm glad she did!" Victor crooned as he licked the last bit of sauce off his spoon. He knew it was rude, but he couldn't help it. There was no way a single morsel was going to be wasted.

Yuri's only response was a breathy chuckle before she helped herself to another bite of food. Victor watched her, attempting to discern any other emotions from her. He found her surprisingly guarded, and he wondered what he could do to break through the wall.

Why do I care so much? Victor asked himself. He then sighed. I'm not completely cold-hearted. It's okay if I worry a little about her well being. It's not like she had a choice in this either.

"My parents told me you're a dancer and figure skater."

Yuri regarded him with muted surprise. "Yes. I compete in figure skating."

"Really?" Victor leaned forward, letting Yuri know she had his full attention.

She blushed. "I'm not that good. I mean, I'm certified by the JSF, and I've been a national champion, but I've never won an international competition."

"That sounds like you're pretty good to me," Victor argued gently. "Not everyone can claim to be a national champion."

Yuri shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with the praise. "Do you do anything in your free time?"

Victor was about to retort with a sarcastic reply, but he stopped himself. He knew Yuri was attempting to get to know him, and he knew his own defensiveness wouldn't help break down the wall he was so concerned with a few minutes ago. "I used to ice skate."

Yuri smiled. "Why don't you anymore?"

"I just don't have the time. My father made it clear that skating was a waste of time because it had nothing to do with the business."

"Oh. That's too bad." Yuri was abashed, and she looked as if she took pity in this fact of Victor's life.

"It's fine," Victor brushed the disappointment away. "I'm used to it. My father has controlled every aspect of my life for as long as I can remember. It's just one thing out of a string of many that he has denied me."

The lull in conversation fell between them; unspoken was the nature of their marriage and how it pertained to what Victor had just divulged to Yuri. Victor became oblivious to Yuri's emotions, feeling his own resentment flood him momentarily. He viciously stabbed a vegetable with his fork and looked at it briefly before putting it into his mouth. He used the time it took to chew and swallow to calm himself and return to more pleasant conversation.

"I wouldn't mind seeing you skate. I want to see what the Japanese National Champion is capable of."

Yuri just blushed in response. The rest of the meal was finished with more small talk. For the first time in months, Victor felt at ease and allowed himself to truly enjoy the moment. The magic of the evening meal was broken once the dishes were cleaned and put away. Victor retreated to the bathroom to shower and immediately went to bed. He no longer felt the need to try to connect to Yuri and just wanted to wallow in his own misery. He fell asleep before she came to bed. She seemed to be aware of Victor's desires because when he awoke the next morning, she had maintained space between them the whole night.

Weeks melted into months. Victor had no idea how Yuri spent her days while he was at the office. Well, that wasn't completely true. He knew she was diligently working on learning Russian. There were were several days he came home to see her sitting in front of the television with a Russian to English dictionary and then an English to Japanese dictionary in front of her. The look of intense concentration on her face was rather adorable to Victor, and he chuckled fondly. When he was certain she wasn't looking, he had peered at the dictionaries out of curiosity and saw that one was getting more use than the other. This confirmed that her grasp of English was better than he had thought.

The other thing he noticed was that Yuri always either had dinner on the table or was in the kitchen cooking when he came home. He began to look forward to these home cooked meals. Before she came along, Victor either ate dinner with his parents at their home or he ate out. He wasn't one for cooking his own food as it took far more effort than he was willing to expend at the end of the day. He loved everything she cooked, especially when she started introducing him to Japanese cuisine. It was one of the ways she was beginning to endear herself to him.

Other than learning Russian and cooking, he wasn't sure what else she did. He found himself wondering that one day instead of worrying about budgets and building renderings. He had a pencil in his hand that he was twiddling in between his fingers, his head resting on a propped hand. He sighed, completely distracted by the thought of his beautiful wife skating on the ice. He imagined her in some dark sparkly and gauzy dress that was form fitting. One of her long legs was extended behind her with arms spread wide as she glided gracefully over the ice.

He could feel lust coil deep in his pelvis, and the twirling pencil dropped from his hands. He attempted to stop it from clattering on his desk, but he couldn't catch it. His erection was slightly uncomfortable as he exhaled to try to calm his whirling thoughts. Victor retrieved his pencil and attempted to return his attention to his work, but it was proving more difficult than he anticipated. All he could think about was Yuri's alluring attractiveness.

With a frustrated growl, Victor slammed his pencil down on his desk and rose quickly, buttoning his suit jacket to hide his increasingly noticeable arousal. On his way out of the office, he ran into his father. He gave a quick excuse why he was leaving the office early and vacated before Evgeni could protest or stop him. Victor drove all the way to his flat, attempting to tamp down imaginings of his wife in erotic situations. He knew he needed to calm himself before he lost complete control. He wasn't sure how well a sexual advance would be received, even though they were married. They still hadn't crossed that boundary.

Arriving at the flat, Victor immediately noticed that the place was empty. Makkachin was making his way into the living room from the hallway, his tail wagging with excitement. Victor bent down to pet Makkachin with a fond smile.

"Where's Yuri?" he asked the poodle.

Makkachin just gazed at him with a soft woof. Victor sighed and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He wasn't sure if Yuri drove, and even then, he wasn't sure where she would go. He wasn't even certain that she had ever left the flat. They hadn't gone anywhere together since they had married. He called down to the concierge. He hoped the man would be able to tell him the whereabouts of his wife.

"No, sir. I haven't seen her, but..."

"Yes?"

"A few weeks ago, she requested a key to the dance studio we have on the third floor. Have you looked there?"

Victor thanked the man before hanging up. He didn't even know there was one in the building. He returned to the elevator and made his way down to the third floor. When the elevator door opened, he saw a sign that directed him to the left. He walked down a grey colored hallway until he came to a glass door. Beyond it was a brightly lit room with a wooden floor and mirrors on the walls. When he came to the door, he could see Yuri dancing in pointe shoes, dressed in a black leotard, white tights, and a sheer pink skirt tied around her waist. Her hair was pulled back tightly into a bun.

Victor watched in awe as Yuri stepped her way across the floor en pointe before moving into an arabesque. The lines of her body were graceful yet strong, and Victor was drawn into the sheer beauty of her movement. The music that he could hear through the glass was gentle sounding with flute and piano but soon melted into heavy drumming, full orchestra, and electric guitar. With the change came sharper movements from Yuri. Despite the hardness the music conveyed, her dance remained graceful, but even if the dance had become a little more sloppy, Victor wouldn't have cared. He was mesmerized.

This was the first time Victor was seeing deep emotion from Yuri, and he was helplessly pulled in by the strength of it. He could feel the deep passion she was conveying, and it made his heart ache from the intensity of it. The dance ended, and Yuri's chest heaved from her exertion. Without a second thought, Victor burst through the door, startling his wife. She hastily stood from her finishing pose, her eyes wide.

"Victor!" she called, her shock dampened by her deep breaths.

"Yuri...that..."

"I'm sorry!" she cried with a deep bow, which surprised Victor. "I wasn't expecting you home so soon! If I'd known, I would've-"

"Stop," Victor commanded.

Yuri rose from her bow. She regarded him with a careful gaze, wondering what he was going to say. Victor wasn't quite sure what to say. He felt his words would be inadequate to express exactly what he was thinking at this time. Her dance had been stunning and had forced him to see his wife in a new light. There was more of her to appreciate beyond her cooking and her dedication to learning Russian, and Victor realized he needed to acknowledge this side of Yuri he hadn't seen.

"I...Yuri, that was incredible. It...it was so...I don't know..." Yuri nodded, unsure how to take his utterance. Victor cleared his throat. "I didn't know you were still dancing."

Yuri nodded, her hands clasped and fingers twisting in each other. "Yeah. I come down here almost every day."

Victor could tell Yuri was expecting a lecture from him like she was a naughty child. He immediately felt guilty that he elicited those types of responses from Yuri, and he wanted to fix it. He took a step towards her, and felt his heart fall when he saw her unconsciously move back a step.

"The choice in music was...unexpected. It doesn't seem...you."

A nervous chuckle as her eyes wandered toward the floor briefly. "Oh. I was annoyed."

"Oh?"

Yuri sighed, her body swaying with her sudden burst of agitation. "Your language! I don't think I'll ever get it! Eto...eto slozhno!"

It took a moment for Victor to process what she had said in his native language due to her Japanese accent and mis-emphasis on one of the syllables. When he realized what she had said, he couldn't help the broad smile and hearty laugh that escaped his mouth. He saw the annoyance in Yuri grow, but he approached her and threw his arms around his wife. He didn't pay any heed to the stiffening of her body - all he thought about was how perfectly she fit in his arms. He was enjoying the feel of her body against his, and he wanted to keep her close.

"I'm sorry...I'm laughing because it was adorable!" He looked down and loosened one of his arms around her to reach up and brush away a stray lock of hair from her face. "Have I told you that I think you're beautiful?" he murmured before he could stop himself.

Yuri's eyes grew so wide that Victor thought her eyeballs might pop out of their sockets. "N-n-no."

"How remiss of me," his tone was deep and volume low. "You're breathtaking."

Yuri squeaked before pulling away from Victor. Her face was bright red and not from her dancing. She turned and went to a bag that held all of her accessories for dance. Next to it was her water bottle, which she picked up as she sat on the floor while she took a swig from it. Victor just continued to watch her, and then he sighed. It was clear that she wasn't looking for anything more. Victor's lust still lingered, and he knew he would be having a date with his hand in the shower later that evening.

"So...Russian is proving a little difficult?"

Yuri nodded, appearing relieved with the change in topic. "I'm trying...honestly."

"I can help you...if you want?"

The hesitant question hung in the air between them, and it took a moment for Yuri to realize that he was being serious. She smiled wide and nodded. "Yes. I would appreciate that...if it doesn't inconvenience you."

"Well, I am going to want something in return."

Yuri's response was ambivalent. "Okay..."

"I want to see you dance more."

Eto slozhno: It is difficult.