The Drunken Deal

Chapter Two

It had been so long since Yuuri had last set foot in Hasetsu. There were many reasons why he hadn't come back before that moment. He tried to keep skating after what he could only describe as 'the incident' that was Sochi. He had tried to train, to keep motivated. There was only so much he could do when he had humiliated himself not only in front of the world, but in front of his idol. His idol who would no longer be competing. That thought haunted him, the thought that he had completely blown his one chance to show Viktor how important he was to the skating community. With each failure, Yuuri's resolve crumbled, until finally he had cut ties with Celestino. Now he'd finished college, heading back home just seemed like the obvious choice to make.

It had been a year since that fateful day in Sochi, that day where everything just seemed to fall apart around him. Yuuri was determined to leave it behind. Of course, that was easier said than done when everyone in his hometown knew who he was. He could hear the murmurs as he stepped off the plane. The people surrounding him were all wondering why Yuuri Katsuki was back home so soon. It took all his self-control not to respond. Because I failed. Because I don't belong on the ice. Because I'm not good enough.

The thoughts were promptly cut off as an all too familiar voice rang through the airport, "Yuuri! Welcome home!" And just as quickly as the voice began speaking, Yuuri was swept into a tight hug. He had to admit, it had caught him off guard. There were so many terrible thoughts running through his head over the months, he had convinced himself that no one would be pleased to see him return home. He should've known that his dance instructor wouldn't just give up on him.

Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around Minako, allowing himself to smile, "Good to be back."

She pulled away from the hug, taking Yuuri by the wrist and beginning to drag him from the airport. There was this feeling of familiarity that came with the gesture. He could recall so many times when the older woman had grabbed his arm and dragged him out of his room, encouraging him to stop wallowing in self-pity and show the world his talents. He never really believed he had any to show, but he would always indulge her. Minako wasn't one to take no for an answer, and Yuuri was never up for the fight. He had to admit that her determination had taken him far, though. Yuuri couldn't possibly have learned to move the way he did on the ice without her help. If only he had been able to show that in Sochi. If only he hadn't let her down.

"Come on, everyone's been dying to see you." With those words hanging in the air, Yuuri stopped in his tracks, causing the woman still holding his arm to stop and turn back to him, "What?" She sighed softly, seeming to understand his silent apprehension, "You made it to the finals. We're all proud of you. No one thinks any less of you after what happened, Yuuri."

I do. Yuuri's eyes were fixed on the ground. It had been so long since Sochi, and every time he thought maybe he had finally gotten over the humiliation, he remembered it all over again. Sometimes he wondered if this would follow him to the grave, if he'd still remember this horrible feeling when he's old and grey. But of course, he would. He knew he would. This wasn't the kind of feeling you could just forget, no matter how much he might want to. The thought of being in a room of people who knew he'd messed up was just too painful. Yuuri kept his eyes on the ground, biting his lip, "I just want to go home."

"But everyone wants to see you." Minako's voice wasn't quite so demanding anymore. Her grip on his arm had loosened. She knew that no matter how much she wanted to, this wasn't something she could force on him.

"Please, Minako." Reluctantly, Yuuri finally met her eyes, "It was a long flight. I want to get some rest." He wasn't lying. Not completely. The flight from Detroit to Japan had two stops, and lasted twenty-two hours. He was exhausted just thinking about it. Of course, the thought of seeing people and trying to act like he wasn't completely humiliated wasn't something he wanted to have to deal with either. Maybe once he'd had more than a few hours of sleep.