It had been far too long since Yuuri had felt the seasonal changes in Japan - too lost in training and school to give visiting more than a moment of thought. One thing that he had noticed, however, was the way Americans celebrated the shifting seasons: winter was well lit with strings of lights and fake evergreen trees decorated with flashy ornaments, spring was filled with pastel flowers and cheesy cartoon bunnies, summer was a barrage of bright colors and creative pool toys, and autumn was always overtaken with pumpkin...everything. Being back in Japan was different. Japan was home and, despite it being the first time in five years, he knew the feeling of the oncoming autumn.

The first thing to change was always the temperature, a subtle shift in the way the wind blew that brought cooler air and shorter days. It also brought the beginnings of the Competitive Figure Skating Season and whole lot of increased anxiety. Autumn had never been a time of relaxing for Yuuri - instead, it was filled with long days, aching muscles, and a constant feeling of dread. This year was different though. This year Viktor Nikiforov showed up naked in his parents' hot spring and decided to turn his life upside-down and inside-out in a beautiful whirlwind of chaos. But April was long gone and now they were smack dab in the middle of the Grand Prix Series, with the Cup of China behind them and the Rostelecom Cup coming up at a breakneck speed. Which was why Yuuri didn't think that taking an entire day from training to go hiking in the woods was a good idea. Viktor had been insistent though, and Yuuri's resolve hadn't stood a chance, melting like freshly fallen snow in the peak of summer. Plus, Makkachin had given him very convincing puppy dog eyes.

So Yuuri drove them to a nearby park, one that he'd visited frequently as a child. He could still remember walking the long, winding trails that spread through the park, connecting to each other like the threads in a spider's web. The trees that lined each of the paths changed with the seasons like Mother Earth's clock: coating the world in ice and snow during the winter, painting the world in vibrant shades of colors during the spring, shading the paths in cool shadows during the hot temperatures of summer, and setting the world on fire as leaves changed during the fall.

The more he thought about the park, the more excited he became. In the months Viktor had been coaching him, he'd seen a lot of 'Yuuri's' Japan. He'd spent endless hours in the hot springs, traveled around Hasetsu to see all the touristy things (they'd gone back to the ninja house several times), and he had an infinite amount of precious, timeless memories with Yuuri's family and friends. However, Viktor had never seen Japan. He'd never seen the bamboo forests of Arashiyama, where thousands of bamboo trees stretched up to the sky while sunlight filtered through to light each of the winding paths; or the sky scraping towers of Tokyo, standing proudly above the skyline like beacons to the outside world; or the peak of Mount Fuji, capped with white snow whatever time of year and easily dwarfing anything in its shadow. This was Yuuri giving back to Viktor, a small bit of repayment for everything he'd given to Yuuri. There was a part of him that could still feel Viktor's lips ghosting over his own. Now Yuuri was smiling like a goofy idiot.

The color in the trees changed long before they got to the park - reds, yellows, oranges, and browns blurring by them in a mere instance as the car sped down the expressway, only to be broken by the occasional flash of an evergreen tree through the vibrant colors. The wind whipped leaves around, allowing them to dance in midair to a song of color and beauty. The still picture of the trees, however, were impossibly more stunning than those blurred by the speed of the car. The reds and yellows and oranges and browns, once obscure and indistinguishable, now stood starkly against one another in vivid kaleidoscope of fire. Out of the corner of his eye, Yuuri could see another evergreen, forever a stark green against the warm colors of fall.

Behind him, Yuuri could hear the jingle of Makkachin's tags as she hopped out of the car, tongue lolling out of her mouth and brown eyes eagerly looking around at the new environment. Her brown curls moved gently in the fall breeze and contrasted well with the pink collar wrapped around her neck. The leash, of the same pastel pink, connected to the collar kept her from roaming free was wrapped around Viktor's hand. When Viktor caught Yuuri staring, a wide, suspiciously heart-shaped, smile spread on his face - so incredibly full of love and happiness that Yuuri could feel his heart swell from that smile alone.

The two joined Yuuri; Makkachin almost too overwhelmed by the new smells to notice Viktor was walking until he called her name. As soon as Viktor and Makkachin were by his side, Viktor slipped his free hand into Yuuri's, his grip soft and warm compared to the chilly air around them. Yuuri hadn't realized how cold his hands were until the icy numbness began to melt away underneath Viktor's gentle attention. A wide, helpless smile spread on Yuuri's face and, quite suddenly, Yuuri realized that his hopeless crush on his longtime idol had formed into undying and overwhelming love.

They walked in silence, seeming to wordlessly agree that the moment was better that way. Viktor stared at the trees in awe. Autumn, he had told Yuuri, was short in St. Petersburg; everything was colored in bright yellow before the winter came and killed it all. However, despite his beautiful surroundings, Yuuri couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Viktor. The way the silver strands of hair fell into his eyes; the way a small smile curled on the corner of his mouth when he was too lost in thought; the way his lips parted ever so slightly when he wasn't paying attention.

It wasn't long before Yuuri could hear the faint hum of running water, nearly lost in the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves and branches above. The moment was peaceful and relaxing, calm in the face of the stressful season. Leaves fell all around them, slowly drifting downwards in lazy spirals and dotting the path with layers of fiery colors. Makkachin zig-zagged on the path ahead, sniffing back and forth eagerly without a possible care in the world. Yuuri tucked himself closer to Viktor's side and looked up at the treetops, blazing as the sunlight came through the leaves and branches.

Steadily, the sound of the stream grew louder, the hum growing until the trio saw a bridge of stone arch its way upwards on the path ahead. When the tree line broke, Yuuri's breath caught.

The forest opened up to a small clearing, lined with dozens of trees. Each tree was colored with autumn, blending together to surround them in the warmth of the colors. In the midst of the dying leaves, some evergreens remained a solid green, a different vibrant in the face of the other trees surrounding them. Through the center ran a stream, too wide to pass without the stone bridge that stretched over it. The clear water ran smoothly over the rocks, occasionally broken by one of the rocks that broke the surface and forced the water to ripple. Leaves from the trees fell into the stream, settling on the surface of the water before being swiftly carried away by the current.

Viktor and Yuuri walked to the center of the bridge and stopped, taking a moment to soak in the scenery. Viktor bent down and unclipped Makkachin's leash, allowing her to freely roam the area while her owners stayed on the bridge. Immediately, she bounded over to the other side, sniffing at the tree trunks eagerly.

On the bridge, Yuuri looked out at the trees, engrossed in the way the colors ran into each other seamlessly and the way the breeze rustled the leaves in unison. Viktor approached him slowly from behind, trying to find the right moment to speak to the Japanese man currently leaning against the bridge's wall and looking out at the trees.

After a long stretch of silence, filled only with the low whisper of the wind and the soft trickle of the stream, Viktor finally spoke, "It's beautiful."

Yuuri turned to look at him, sitting against the railing of the bridge as a smile lit up his face. Viktor soon became lost in the way his brown eyes held a stunning warm glow, especially when the chill surrounded them, and the breeze played with Yuuri's hair the way it played with the leaves, "Yeah, it is."

Viktor took Yuuri's hand in his own and slowly pulled him in for a hug, wanting to feel the other man's warmth in midst of the cool autumn air. He could hear Yuuri sputtering and could practically imagine how his cheeks had already grown red with embarrassment, but, instead of pulling away, Viktor felt his arms wrap around his waist.

"Yuuri?" Viktor whispered, too afraid that anything louder would shatter the moment.

A low hum was Yuuri's response.

"Can I kiss you?"

The other man pulled away just enough to look up at Viktor, his eyes blinking owlishly from behind his glasses. A look of disbelief flickered on his face and Viktor could practically hear the internal debate Yuuri was having with himself. A couple of silent seconds passed before Yuuri bit at his bottom lip and nodded.

Before Yuuri could change his mind, and before Viktor could lose his nerve, Viktor cupped Yuuri's face in his hands. Gently, Viktor pressed his lips against Yuuri's own, a smile curling on his face as he did so. Yuuri's lips were soft and warm, like they had been at the Cup of China. This was something that the couple had skirted around, partially because of their seasons and schedules, and partially because they hadn't brought it up. But now - now there was a silent agreement, a promise in the air that neither had to say. Now was beautiful and infinite because now time itself didn't matter. The two men kissed and became too lost in the way the other felt to care about the world around them. Viktor could feel Yuuri melt into him, sighing contentedly against Viktor's lips as he relaxed into it.

Then Viktor felt a cold, wetness moving against his leg. Fear ran through Viktor as he reluctantly pulled away, already knowing, deep down what he was going to find. Sure enough, Makkachin was pressed against his leg, begging for attention and absolutely soaked from snout to tail. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth in pure happiness as water dripped steadily from her coat. Internally, Viktor groaned, but beside him, Yuuri giggled. Viktor couldn't help but smile, despite Makkachin ruining the moment.

"I guess that's a sign to head back?" Yuuri asked, grinning widely and trying not to burst out into laughter.

Viktor couldn't help but chuckle, this being far from the first time Makkachin had soaked herself while Viktor wasn't looking, "I guess so."

As Viktor approached Makkachin, leash in hand, she shook herself. Water flew in all directions and her tags jingled with each shake. Viktor brought his hands up to cover his face, but Yuuri hadn't been so lucky. Large droplets coated his glasses, obscuring his view of everything. Yuuri quickly removed them, reminded of the many times Vicchan had snuck his way into the hot springs and had decided to make his way to Yuuri's room before drying off. He wiped the droplets of his glasses and saw Viktor kneeling next to Makkachin, clipping the leash back onto her collar.

Together, they made their way back to the car - retracing their steps on the path through the park and the trees and the leaves - to go back home.

Hey everybody! This was my piece for the for the YOI Home Zine and I had the great privilege of collabing with Emma DeMimsy, who made an absolutely amazing art piece for this story. I highly recommend you check her out and I hope you all enjoy!