Pitter Patter | Victuuri Adoption AU on hiatus

Snow

Word Count: 830

The sky rumbles threateningly overhead. I look up and pray that the sky doesn't open. But do the clouds obey me? The answer is no— snow flurries soon begin to twirl lazily into my vision. Victor is lucky he lives within walking distance of the shopping plaza, otherwise I'd just turn around in this Russian degree of freezing, and go back inside a store. I tilt my head back as I walk, just to observe the snow, but the sound of a struggle soon catches my attention.

I look around myself in confusion, sweeping one-eighty until I spot two very familiar faces poised before the entrance of a long, dark alley. They face away from me, drawn back and apparently ready to leap from their positions. Surprise twinges up the nerves in my spine. Even through the thickening snowfall and the apprehension, I would know their shapes anywhere— but what are they doing?

"What the hell are you doing!?" Yurio yells from the back of Otabek's motorcycle at an unseen entity down the alley.

I quietly inch closer until I can see what's happening.

Otabek glances between Yurio and a woman wobbling drunkenly over an infant girl, worry plastered on Otabek's face.

"Shut the hell up!" the woman barks at Yurio, flipping him an obscene gesture before pressing her hands to her temples. "Mind your own business, pretty boy!"

I watch in stunned silence as the two begin to argue heatedly in Russian. Otabek, much to his dismay, watches Yurio jump off the bike and begin to confront the woman. The woman lifts her arm to strike Yurio, sending Otabek into defensive action, diving between the two.

"That's enough!" Otabek growls, placing a firm hand on Yurio's chest and giving the woman a hard look of warning.

I take this moment to jump in as well.

"Yurio, Otabek, what is all this?" I jog up to them all.

"This hag was hitting that kid!" Yurio spits. "Over the head with that grubby bottle! She probably downed the last of it just to use a weapon!" Yurio accuses.

I turn to the woman, expecting a rational defense.

"I'm not hurting anybody!" She huffs and adds, "The girl is whiny and hysteric. If you were a parent, you would know she needs discipline from her mother." She spits and stumbles but returns her attention to Yurio as she shouts, "Keep your blond head out of my parenting!"

Otabek and I exchange a glance as equally worried bystanders.

"You can't hit her with a glass bottle," I am painfully aware of my differently accented English, turning in search of the little girl as an act of something like self-defense.

She is cowering behind her mother, trembling and wiping blood from various places. She whimpers when I make eye contact with her. I catch my breath, wondering how much more she can take.

"Yurio, you're more familiar with the law here than I am— what do we do?" I direct the question at Yurio, though my gaze continues to follow the little girl while she shyly moves away.

"Call the police and tell her how stupid she is until they get here!" Yurio kicks a pile of collecting snow at the woman.

It mostly cakes the small girl, however, worsening her shivers. Otabek dials the police as more fighting breaks out. The little girl tries to bolt away, but I run after her and snatch her into arms. She cries and struggles while I panic to myself that I am holding an abused and bloodied infant. I try to stay calm.

"Hey, hey, shh," I pat her back comfortingly, although I bounce on my heels nervously. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Bad Mama!" the little girl cries simply, pushing into my chest. "Bad Mama!"

This takes me by surprise. I look down at her, hoping the smeared blood won't show on my snow-proof coat. I wonder what the heck are three ice-skaters supposed to do for this poor little girl.

The distant shouting becomes a lot louder when the woman finally lands a good punch to Yurio's face. Otabek's own face hardens, lowering his cellphone slightly, while Yurio poises for an outraged attack. I turn swiftly to direct the little girl's attention away, sitting down in the snow with her, despite the cold.

"What's your name?" I prompt her, praying for policemen to show up soon.

"Elkena," she coughs as stray snow hits her face. I quickly lean over her to protect her from the harshening weather.

"Elkena?" I ask, rubbing the blood and the snow out of her eyes. I've never heard a name like Elkena before, I struggle on the 'L' sound, I'd rather say 'Erika.'

"Yes," the girl nods, curling closer to my chest when she suddenly hears her mother call out to us.

"Hey!" the woman shouts, staggering toward us. Otabek swiftly holds her back. "What the hell are you doing!?"

I turn back to face them, but make no reply. I only want to prove Elkena is alright with me. I hold her curled in my lap so that they can see her silhouette.

"My name is Yuri," I speak softly to Elkena. "My friends and I will help you, okay?"

"Okay," she nods tearfully.

"How old are you, Elkena?" I ask, thinking fast to hold her attention.

"Five," she counts it on her fingers almost exclusively for her own view.

"Really? That's very good," I congratulate her warmly, though I would have guessed she was younger than five.

"Mama's in trouble," Elkena looks up, watching the fight.

Finally, a police vehicle rolls up.