I wrote this for the Viktuuri Reverse Big Bang. My original partner Dragonic Giggles dropped out but YuuriwithViktor agreed to take their place. They have drawn art for each chapter. I will be posting once chapter each day. Enjoy the first two here since I didn't have time to post this one yesterday.

Skate Like No One Is Watching

Level 1

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After Viktor had won Worlds again and came back to his home rink, he was in a slump. Usually, he immediately had a new idea for a program for the next season. Heck, he was usually struggling to pick between multiple ideas and Yakov had to yell at him to just pick one already. This year was different though since nothing was coming to mind.

Any time he tried to piece one together, Viktor realized it was like one of his past programs. Nothing was original anymore. He gave up on song after song because they were giving him no inspiration. It just felt like he had done everything before. Having a 15-year career could do that to you. He performed the hardest jumps, broke multiple world records, and won gold medals one after another. It was hard to come up with something new that would surprise his fans.

It felt like the last month had been a waste. There had been no confirmed choreography or even a track picked out. He was having a really hard time coming up with a new program for nationals. Ever since Viktor had started to choreograph for himself, he had never had this problem.

Viktor made sure to still go to the rink every day so that he didn't become rusty. Inspiration could hit at any time though it didn't feel like it would happen here. Russia was a cold and dreary country most of the year.

Lacing up his golden skates, Viktor headed out onto the ice. His team mates were already there. He had many different ones over the years. Figure skaters were always coming and going. Either retiring or coming up from juniors. Yakov only accepted the best. Russia as a country had very high standards for all of their athletes. Their newest addition was Yuri Plisetsky. He was a hot headed teenager who had taken the juniors by storm.

"What's your problem, old man?" Yuri asked as Viktor had almost skated into him in his distraction.

It was true that Viktor must seem like an old man to a 15-year-old. The younger boy made him feel ancient. Of course, he would never show his inferiority. "I was thinking."

"Well think off the ice," Yuri instructed heatedly as he skated away and performed a triple axel as if to prove something.
"That kid is just showing off," Georgi complained as he skated past.

"He has a lot of natural talent but his attitude gets in the way," Viktor replied as he continued to watch Yuri perform jump after jump until Yakov yelled at him to stop before he hurt himself.

"I was supposed to take the spot light when you retired," Georgi complained. "I guess it is true what they say. There is always someone younger and more talented to take your place."

The words 'take your place' reverberated through Viktor's brain. He knew that Georgi wasn't talking about himself but him. Was Yuri going to take his spot as the number one skater on the Russian team before he was ready?

"I'm glad that I don't have to compete against that little cat," Mila commented.

"Don't rub it in." Georgi snapped as he skated off to the other side of the rink to sulk by himself.

"I think he broke up with his girlfriend again," Mila said as she tied her hair back.

"Stopped gossiping and get to work!" Yakov yelled from the edge of the rink.

They skated in different directions and tried to look busy.

Viktor skated with his ear buds in as he tried to come up with choreography for a new song he had picked out late last night. Hopefully, this was the one that stuck.

"Look its Viktor!" He could hear squealed during an emotional part of the song; totally breaking his concentration. Viktor lost his footing even. He ripped out his ear buds and looked over towards the bleachers where a group of three teenage girls had gathered.
It was a widely known fact which arena the Russian skating team practiced at. Their home rink was always surrounded by gushing fans in one way or another. Security often had to escort the more out determined fans out after they had managed to break in. It had become a much more frequent occurrence lately.

It broke Victor's concentration every time it happened. Usually, Viktor liked to play it up for his fans but after 15 years he was getting a little tired of it. The world of professional figure skating was beginning to lose some of its shine.

The teens squealed again when Yuri Plisetsky skated past them.

"Get them out of here!" Yakov yelled and a pair of two security guards headed towards them. The teens didn't fight being escorted out. They quickly snapped a few photos with their phones on the way out though.

Internally cursing, Viktor headed to the exit off the ice. He almost had something before he was disturbed. The fleeting idea that had been forming had been destroyed with one squeal. He was too frustrated now to try and come up with something new.

"Where do you think you are going?" Yakov asked as he stormed towards him.

"Home," Viktor replied as he put his skate guards on.

"Practice has only just started," Yakov claimed with irritation.

"There are too many distractions here. I'm going to try and brain storm somewhere quiet." Viktor stood up from the bench and headed towards the locker room to collect his stuff.

Yuri skated to the edge of the rink as he walked by. "Giving up already?"

One thing he liked about Yuri Plisetsky was that he wasn't afraid to give him shit for his actions. It should be intimidating for the younger skater to even talk to him let alone berate him for his unprofessional behavior.

Viktor decided to not respond and keep walking.

...

When Viktor unlocked the door to his apartment, he was immediately greeted by his dog. He leaned down to pet Makkachin, who was the only other resident.

His apartment felt lonely. There were no touches of it being a home. Viktor hardly ever spent any time here. It was more like a place to dump his stuff between competitions. Hotel rooms felt more comfortable to him than his own apartment.

The only truly warm thing in it was Makkachin. He had the dog since he started juniors. Makkachin had been a gift from his mother after winning his first gold medal ever. Truthfully the dog felt like more of a prize than his gold medal ever did.

When Viktor was young his parents divorced. His mother was awarded custody of him and his father ended up leaving the country for work. Viktor visited him in England a couple times a year but it made his relationship with his father very distant because they didn't see each other often enough.

Once Viktor was older, his mother told him about a job offer she received to go work in Korea. She wanted him to come with her. He was already well established on the junior Russian figure skating team and didn't want to leave. Yakov agreed to become his guardian since he believed in his talent so much. Viktor moved into his coach's apartment after his mother left the country.
Makkachin was more of a goodbye gift than anything.

He bought this apartment once he turned eighteen with the check from his first big endorsement deal. You would think that would make it special to him, it didn't because he had no one to share it with.

Looking out the window of his condo all he saw was the dreary weather. Viktor yearned for the sun to shine. Sunlight always felt much more inspiring than the rain. Viktor felt like Russia was smothering him. Just like that, he had made a decision.
Viktor needed to get away for a bit. It was time for a change of scenery.

Just leaving his home rink wasn't good enough. It would be impossible to hide in Russia so he decided he had to leave the country altogether. But to where? It was a hard decision to make since it could make or break the rest of his career.

Viktor didn't want to go too far away though. Victor looked towards lower Asia. China was crossed off right away because there were too many athletes that knew his face. India was too hot and Korea was where his mother lived.

Viktor sat down to eat some take out in front of the TV while he contemplated. During the commercial break, one of those tourists adds came on. This one was advertising the Japanese country side and focused heavily on their natural hot springs.
He practically drooled at the thought of getting to soak in the hot springs after a long day of training.

Then it hit him. Japan had always intrigued him. Why not spend the next month there. Viktor decided to do some research before he packed his bags. Deciding he wanted to pick a rink in a small town. Somewhere where he could actually relax for once.

He looked up towns with hot springs and then searched which ones had a skating rink. Only one really fit his criteria. Hasetsu looked perfect. It was a quaint coastal town with a hot spring walking distance of a skating rink.

Viktor looked up the contact information for the Inn that had been listed in the tourist information. It was weird that there was only one left in the area. They didn't have a website that you could book through, there was just a phone number listed. It was very old school but Viktor figured the owners must have run it so long they didn't feel the need to change with the times.

He dialed the number for Yu-topia and listened to it ring. An older female voice answered in Japanese. Viktor guessed the women said the usual greeting so he replied with. "I would like to make a reservation."

"Ah, English. One moment." The women said in English. He could hear a short conversation go on in the background. Then the phone being passed over to someone else.

"You have called the Yu-topia onsen and hot springs, how may I help you?" A younger female voice spoke.
"I would like to make a reservation to stay for a few weeks," Viktor replied. Informing the speaker that he would like to book for an extended stay if that was possible.

"How long?" The inn worker asked.

Viktor replied with "I'm not sure." He was leaving to get over his creative block. Would he want to come back to Russia once it was over? "I'll be there for at least three weeks but I don't have a date of return pinned down yet."

"We can charge you by the day after the three week period has passed, so you can leave anytime." The woman offered on the other end of the phone.

"That would be great," Viktor replied cheerfully.

"Our rooms come with meals and full access to the hot springs. It is all included in the price." The woman informed him and gave the cost for the three weeks. "Will that be alright?"

"That will be fine," Viktor replied as Makkachin rested his head on his knee. He usually left his poodle at a pet hotel while he was out of town but it was generally only for a week during competitions. It would be hard for him to be separated for so long. "What's your policy on pets?"

"They are allowed as long as they stay out of the bathing areas." The women replied.

"I'm surprised. Most hotels forbid them." Viktor said his first thought out loud.

"My brother has a dog so it would be hypercritical of us to not allow our guests to bring them." She explained.
"So I'll be bringing my poodle if that's ok," Viktor informed.

"Another one..." The women mumbled under her breath. "What date would you like your arrival to be set at?"
"As soon as you have an opening," Viktor replied with eagerness.

"It is the slow season right now so you can come any day." The women explained. Their main draw was the hot spring which was more popular in the winter. The Pacific Ocean was currently still too cold to swim in. Early spring was their in-between time.
Thinking over what he had to do before be left Viktor calculated the time. "Would two days from now be too soon?"

"No. We'll make sure to have a room ready." She assured him. "What name would you like the booking to be under?"

"Oh, uh..." Viktor decided to make the booking under a fake name on the spot. You never know who might recognize his real one. "Nikolai Stepanov." The last name meant crown which was fitting. The first name meant 'victory of the people' but it could also mean flower. So he came up with a name that could mean flower crown.

"That'll be fine. How would you like to pay?" She asked.

"Here's my credit card number." Viktor hung up the phone once they finalized his stay. It almost shocked Viktor how quickly he made the decision to leave and making a hotel booking. Yakov always did call him impulsive. Now all that was left was to buy a plane ticket and to pack.

"It looks like you and I are going on a trip." Viktor said to his poodle, who just wagged his tail in response.

o0o

Viktor showed up to practice the next day like usual to not let on that he was going anywhere.

He had booked a plane ticket for later that night. He had decided to take a late flight so he would fly through the night. After he lands in Japan there was a long train ride to get to Hasetsu and he would much rather do that during the day time.

Once Viktor was finished for the day he discretely emptied everything he had in his locker into a duffle bag and then locked it back up. He left a note inside explaining to Yakov that he was going somewhere quite to train but left out the location.

...

Everything was set for him to leave. Viktor had gone back to his apartment to have a quick shower and pick up his suitcase and dog. After throwing on some comfy travel clothes, he made sure everything was off. Satisfied that he hadn't left the TV on or anything he headed to the front door.

"Ready to go Makkachin?" Viktor asked his poodle, who woofed in response.

Suddenly there was banging at his apartment door. "Viktor, open this door right now!"

With a sigh Victor went to answer the door. He thought for sure he would have more time because of where he left the note. How often did Yakov snoop in his locker?

"Yakov." He greeted brightly as if nothing was going on.

"What the hell are you thinking Victor? Just up and leaving at the start of training." Yakov pushed his way into the apartment. Narrowing his eyes as he looked around the room."Where the hell is all your stuff."

"Shipped it." Viktor answered. The night before he had packed all the things he wanted to bring from his apartment. He had a guy from fed ex pick them up that morning. They would probably arrive after he got to the onsen.

Leaving him with just a small carry-on he packed with a few change of clothes and any valuables he couldn't live without; like his skates. Viktor liked traveling lightly.

"To where?" Yakov inquired forcefully.

"Can't tell you that." Viktor answered slyly.

"I'll drive you to the airport." Yakov offered since he figured there was no stopping the boy now.

"I already called a taxi. It should be here any minute now." Viktor replied and seconds later his cell rang. "Good bye, Yakov."

o0o

When Viktor got to the airport he headed towards the gate that was headed towards Tokyo. There were no direct flights from St. Petersburg to Kyoto. He had been to so many skating competitions in Tokyo over the years. He had wanted to avoid the city since he was so well known there. It was just where he would make a stop over to catch his flight to Kyoto which was much closer to his final destination.

It was a much longer trip since his stopover in Tokyo would last a couple hours. It stretched his travel time to over 17 hrs and he wasn't even at his final destination. Hasetsu was located in the Kyushu province, which was the furthest Southern Island of Japan. He had to take a train that would travel for several hours to get there. He really hoped all this traveling was worth it.

After he got off the plane the only thing Viktor had to collect was his dog. Makkachin was used to flying so when he was let out of the crate he was good to go. When Viktor was younger he couldn't stand to be away from his dog for long periods of time.

Viktor walked with Makkachin's leash in one hand and his carry-on in the other. The airport had already grown busy because it was close to lunch time already. Japan was 6 hours ahead of Russia.

He took the express bus to the train station. It was packed full of people but luckily they cleared out of his way easily because he had a dog with him. Viktor was glad he hadn't picked to catch the train directly from Tokyo because he knew the crowds there were worse.
They had another hour until the train was going to leave so Viktor decided to go to the bathroom. Now that they had gotten through airport customs, Viktor was able to change his appearance without causing a scene.

Viktor opened his carry-on and took out the package he had quickly picked up on his way to the rink yesterday. Opening the box it revealed the two items; a hair net and a short brown wig. He knew changing his name wasn't enough for him to slip under the radar.
Tucking his hair into the hair net and then pulled the wig cap on. He had originally tried to go with a black one but the colour had totally washed him out. The brown colour he had gone with even warmed up his skin tone a bit. After adjusting it Viktor checked his appearance in the mirror.

This wasn't any cheap costume wig either. Viktor had bought the best quality wig because he wanted to be able to figure skate with it on and not have now worry about it falling off. Viktor was satisfied with the realistic results.

Next he took out a small box of coloured contacts. Viktor knew his eye color was just as distinguishing as his hair. A very large percentage of the population had brown eyes in Japan, his blue ones were considered exotic in compare and would gain attention. After putting the lenses in, he looked at himself in the mirror.

Viktor hardly recognized himself. With the brown hair and eyes it totally changed the way he looked. He doubted even Yakov would recognize him if he passed him on the street.

His train was called so Viktor quickly packed everything up and headed for business class. Viktor had paid extra to be able to keep Makkachin with him. He settled in for a couple hours of train travel.

.0.

Viktor was jolted awake when the train pulled into Hasetsu station. Only a couple people got off at the same stop with him. There was only a platform with a small building that held a ticket booth, waiting area, and bathrooms. It was much smaller than the grand ones he was used to.

According to the map he had looked at for the town on his phone, he should be able to walk to the inn from the station. Decided to take a cab straight to the onsen's front door. Viktor knew he would only get lost if he tried to take the scenic root because he wouldn't be able to read any of the signs.

He showed the driver the address of where he wanted to go. The man nodded and took his suitcase to put in the trunk. Viktor opened the door and had Makkachin jump in before entering himself.

Viktor looked at the town with fascinated eyes as the shops whizzed by. So far Hasetsu looked just as charming as Google made it appear. His smile widened when the beach came into view.

The taxi stopped in front of a place with a sign that read Yu-topia. Viktor took out some of the cash he had exchanged at the airport to pay the driver. Luckily he was familiar with the money from competing in Tokyo before. He got out then held opened the door so that Makkachin could get out.

The poodle stood obediently beside him as Victor received his suitcase. "Arigato." Viktor knew enough Japanese to be polite.
The driver replied with "Iiyo"(Don't mention it) and then climbed back in his taxi. He drove off, probably back to the train station to probably pick up another fare. The town was small enough that locals probably walked everywhere.

Once Viktor entered, he noticed a sign in both Japanese and English that told patrons to remove their outdoor shoes and change into indoor shoes. There were packages of slippers on a shelf beside it as well as a few well-used ones that were off to the side.

Viktor made sure to be respectful and follow instructions. He slipped off his dress shoes and placed them next to a pair of well-worn trainers that were on the shelf already. Opening a new package, he placed the slippers on his feet.

Rolling his single suitcase to the front desk area where there was a man waiting at the check-in desk. Makkachin followed behind him obediently.

"How may I help you?" The innkeeper asked in English. He could probably tell just by looking at Victor that he wouldn't know Japanese so had switched to English that was a more universal language.

"I'm here to check in. It should be under the name Ni-Stepanov." Viktor had to mentally remind himself to check-in under his fake name.

"You are the one that is staying three weeks?" The innkeeper asked as he checked his bookings. It stood out because they usually only received guests for a few days or the weekend.

"Yes," Viktor replied in confirmation.

"Your room is ready." The man offered him a key with the number three etched into the keychain. "My wife will show you the way."
A woman appeared from the kitchen. She froze when she saw him and whispered something to her husband. After he said something back she pulled herself together. "Right this way Mr. Stepanov."

He followed her further into the inn. They entered a hallway with rosewood rice paper doors along both sides. The women opened the third door down on the right side and made a motion with her hands for him to enter.

Viktor rolled his suitcase into the room. It had a tatami mat floor but also featured a western style raised bed. He had noticed when they passed some of the other rooms they had the usual futons; so this room must be reserved for foreign patrons.
"Ok?" The women asked if everything was to his satisfaction with her limited English.

"It's perfect," Victor replied. Makkachin pushed passed him to examine the room. He planned to dump his suitcase and then immediately go check out the skating facilities but then his stomach growled loudly.

The woman was still standing right there. "If you are hungry, I can make something for you?" She offered after hearing the noise his stomach made.

"That would be lovely," Viktor replied as he held a hand over his abdomen with a blush.

...

Viktor shoveled in the food that the women supplied him with. He hadn't realized just how hungry he had become. He had eaten on the plane but even first class didn't have the best food. The Japanese noodle dish they had served him was delicious.
"What's this called?" Viktor asked so that he could request to have it again later.

"It's a pork cutlet bowl." The wife explained. "It's my son's favorite."

"Itte kimasu!"(I'll go and come back) could be heard shouted out and then the sound of the sliding door opening and closing.
"That's just our son heading off to work." The innkeeper explained.

The sound of whining and scratching followed. "Koko ni kite!"(Come here) The man exclaimed in a commanding voice. A small dog came running from around the corner. Viktor was delighted since it was like a mini Makkachin. "That's my son's dog, Vichan."

"As in Viktor?" Pausing in his motion to pet the small poodle. He knew the different versions of his name from all the traveling he does. No one had used that version of his name since he leveled up from the Junior league.

"Yes, I believe so. My son named him after his favorite figure skater or something." The innkeeper clarified.

Viktor avoided eye contact because he knew they were talking about him without knowing it. "I'm actually from Russia so I know exactly who that Viktor is."

"Oh, I was trying to place your accent but I thought it would be rude to ask." The wife commented. "I don't know any Russian."

"It's fine. I don't expect you to speak my native language." Viktor assured her. "I have to travel a lot for work so I have become very good at conversing in English." It was true that Viktor did have to travel a lot and communicate with skaters from all around the world.
The women smiled at him in understanding. "What do you do?"

Viktor hadn't thought of a career for his fake identity. He thought of something off the top of his head that would require a lot of traveling. "I'm a flight attendant."

"It must be nice to fly all over the world." The wife commented and Viktor nodded in agreement. It was nice though it could be very lonely because many of your friends didn't live in the same country as you. That was why he spent so much time on social media. "It's nice to have guests from other places."

Viktor finished his meal with a sound a satisfaction.

"You may enjoy the hot springs if you would like?" The male innkeeper offered.

"Actually, do you know where the skating rink is?" Viktor inquired, they gave him directions to the Ice Castle.

Victor noticed the trainers were gone when he went to retrieve his shoes. They must be owned by the son they were talking about.

.0.

Viktor followed their verbal directions to make his way to the skating rink. Currently, the symbols on the street signs meant nothing to him. He went across the bridge and walked the three blocks and then turned left, then he could see the top of the skating rink poking out of the trees.

He walked towards the Ice Castle at a brisk speed. Viktor was excited to check out where he would be training for the near future.
It had grown late already so he wasn't even sure if it would even be open. Viktor tried the door and found it unlocked. When he entered, Viktor noticed many of the lights were off. They must be in the process of locking up for the night.

Viktor didn't think it would hurt to take a peek. He slipped in the front door and headed towards the ice. The lights above the rink were still on.

It was the usual hockey-size rink, though it didn't have the glass surrounding it that was required for safety from flying pucks. It wasn't surprising since Hockey wasn't a popular sport in Japan. It looked like the ice had been recently cleaned.

Music started to play suddenly. Viktor thought it was one of the workers who wanted to listen to something while they cleaned up. It was a cover of the Imogen Heap song Hide and Seek. A young man started to skate out to the middle of the rink.

It surprised him when they started to figure skate along to the music. It was a sad song so his movements were slow to match the pace. It seemed like the music was coming from the skater. That he was actually feeling the sad and longing emotions. It made him want to comfort the stranger.

The man was in no rush and was skating for pure enjoyment. Viktor miss the days he used to do the same. Skating had become more of a job than something he did for fun. He was too far away to make out the man's facial features.

Viktor had seen a lot of figure skating over the years but this one seemed different for some reason. The skater launched himself into a waltz jump that was perfectly performed. It was quickly followed by a complex step sequence. He didn't know what a talented skater was doing here.
Dancing across the ice as if no one was watching. The skater probably believed that he was alone. There was so much expression in his poses as if he had all the confidence in the world. You always performed best when no one was watching.

The figure glided around the rink performing movements that were soft and mournful and utterly captivating. Viktor never wanted the program to end. He watched the mysterious skater glide across the ice, without even knowing he was seducing him.

The music was cut off in the middle of the song. Viktor was disappointed because he wanted to see more.

"Breaking in the ice?" A young women commented from the side of the rink. The man stopped skating and turned to look at her. "I have to lock everything up now."

Viktor hid in the shadows so he wouldn't be noticed. Slipping out while the two were still talking.

...TBC