Endless night {yuri! On ice}

Rostelecom cup: free programe

The news of Makkachin's misfortune spread like wildfire. If the other skaters weren't worried over their performances, they were over Viktor Nikiforov's dog. Most conveyed worry and sympathy for Victor, others didn't care. Yuuri seemed broken up over it. 

Yuuri Katsuki had been assigned to Yakov as a temporary student until Victor could return. Yuri was not happy about that. I giggled at his annoyed face, stifling it behind my hand. Charlie was attempting the same, except she failed miserably and ended up attracting more of Yuri's ire.

The free program was the next day, causing my nerves to shoot through the roof. I had barely managed to get third place even while giving it my all. At this rate, I was concerned I wouldn't get to the finals at all. I chewed at the inside of my cheeks.

I was tempted to try to add in more jumps, but there were limits to what I could do without breaking rules. If integrated correctly, I would be able to bump up my score while also impressing the audience. Now it was just a matter of figuring out how to do so.

I thought about it in the hotel as my head hit the pillow. There are only so many things I could do well, and only a handful of skills I could complete easily. I thought of Yuri and his stunning showmanship, how his hair would shine under the hash lighting of the stadium. I drifted off seeing gold behind my eyelids.

The rink I knew so well lay before me, empty as always. I smiled, breathing in the familiar scent of ice and leather, basking in the silence. It seemed that I was back in London, on the south side with its tall buildings and busy streets.

We used to come here every day after school, Alfie and I, practice for a few hours then go home, just as exhausted as we were happy.

Two boys suddenly barged through the doors, their shouts echoing and bouncing off the ice, making it sound like there were hundreds of people in the rink all at once. My eyes widened. It couldn't be.

One, slightly taller than the other, placed both their bags on the bench and watched his brother run towards ice with reckless abandon, skate guards hastily thrown to the side in favor of getting onto the ice faster. He skated laps by the wall. The other soon joined him, checking his laces before running onto the ice, his shouts joining his brother's.

"You always were the rambunctious one." A voice came behind me and the scene blurred out, colors fading to grey. I turned, startled. Alfie stood behind me, smiling enigmatically. He glowed ever so slightly, ephemeral and warm as he was in my memory. How he was there I would never know, and I couldn't bring myself to waste time thinking about it. I jumped into his arms, throwing them behind his neck and squeezing tight. Alfie felt so solid. He was really there. My eyes flooded with tears, all the feelings I'd kept bottled up exploded outward to become a flood.

I'd ignored my brother's death in favor of all the excitement going on. The competition, the wondrous feeling of being with Yuri, and making sure the girls were okay.

"Shh, shh. Hey I'm here!" His voice rumbled through my head as I sobbed, causing his jumper to become wet with tears.

"What are you doing here?! How did you get here?!" I cried, my emotions getting away with me.

"That doesn't matter. Come on now. Let's sit." He said, guiding me towards the bleachers that sat by the rink's edge. "So, what's been happening. I've seen your performances, you've gotten better, little brother," He said, chuckling as I pouted at that name.