Without Him [Victuuri Fanfic]

Chapter 8

"We're closed right now."

I heard a familiar voice as I pulled Victor toward the skate rental window. The woman behind it didn't look up at us.

"Yuuko," I called. She froze for a moment. I released a breath that had become stuck in my chest.

"Yuri?"

Yuuko looked up at me from behind the skate counter. Then her eyes drifted to the man beside me. "Victor?" She stammered.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, running around the counter to force Victor and I into a hug. She stepped away after a moment, staring at us incredulously.

"You think we can skate for a while?" I asked, wrapping an arm around Victor's back. Neither of us had stepped into a skating rink since the Grand Prix Final.

"Well yeah, I've been waiting for you to show up!" She exclaimed, "where have you been?"

I couldn't really blame her. Victor and I had practiced there every day before the Grand Prix, and then we disappeared... for a month... and a half...

"Sorry, I know," I said, pulling Victor's body closer to my side. He reciprocated by grabbing one of my hands. "A lot has happened."

"Okay, well the rink is ready whenever you are," she said, her eyes soft and a little concerned. "Stay as long as you want."

We thanked her before making our way to the empty rink, and Victor led me to a bench to get ready on.

I fidgeted with my thumbs as he removed his jacket, revealing a skin-tight black shirt that showed every contour of his body. I watched in a daze as he approached me, eyeing his body up and down. It warmed my cheeks that had been chilled by the icy air.

"Yuri," he whispered. My chin was gently pulled up by a hand, forcing me to look into a pair of soft blue eyes. "You look nervous, sweetheart." He rubbed my cheek with a thumb, the heat of his body all but pressed against mine.

"A little, yeah," I admitted, looking away from his eyes. He didn't force me to look back. Instead, he unzipped my jacket and slid it off my shoulders. "It's been a while."

"I know," he replied in a breathy tone. With a glance up at him, I found his eyes fixed on my body.

"Oi," I snapped, causing him to quickly meet my gaze. "Up here, buddy." He chuckled, laying his forehead on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," he said, pressing a kiss into my collarbone. "Let's get ready."

Victor insisted on helping me stretch, but I knew he really just wanted to touch my body. Over the course of almost two weeks, his affectionate side had come back to me, and it was coming back strong.

I watched Victor eagerly lace his skates, and by the time I was done with one of mine, he had finished both of his. He knelt down beside my unlaced skate, grabbed the laces, and pulled them tight. As his hands got to work, his lips pressed against my knee for just a moment. The rather intimate gesture sent a chill down my spine, and I could just picture the grin on Victor's face.

Once he secured the laces, he jumped up eagerly, grabbing my hand and pulling me off of the bench.

"Still nervous?" He asked, stepping onto the ice while facing me. He didn't let go of my hand.

"Yeah, what if you break a hip, old man? I don't want to have to call an ambulance," I replied, causing his jaw to drop, the corners of his lips lifted in amusement.

"You little shit," he chuckled, pulling me onto the ice. "Fine then, if you fall on your ass I'm not helping you up," he threatened, his eyes glistening playfully.