Chapter Six

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When Yuuri woke up, he ran to the bathroom and threw up. Twice.
When he came into the kitchen, he grabbed some ibuprofen and a plate if steaming eggs and bacon.
"Thanks," he muttered. Viktor smiled and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled to himself when Yuuri didn't brush him off. They were sitting on the couch in silence, Yuuri groaning and Viktor watching.
"Are you going to say something or sit there staring?" Yuuri asked, opening his eyes. Viktor was silent for a moment.
"Do you still love me?" Viktor asked. He studied Yuuri's face but found no comfort in the pain and confusion he saw there.
"Huh?"
"Do you still love me, Yuri Katsuki?" He was gentle, kind, sweet. He was careful.
"Viktor, do we have to talk about this now? I just wanna take a nap." Viktor's heart sank but he nodded. He grabbed his paper plate and hurried into the kitchen.

----

Viktor couldn't stand the silent house. Yuuri had gone to bed, so Viktor grabbed his skates and his rain coat before venturing down to the ice rink. It was closed of course, but Minako unlocked the door for him. 

"Viktor, what are you doing here so late?" 

"I - I needed someplace to think." Minako nodded her understanding. Viktor thanked her and began to slip his feet into his skates. The two were silent for many minutes as Viktor tightened the skates. 

"You know, Yuuri still loves you." Viktor stopped moving. He didn't turn around, but Minako knew his listening. "He loves you just as much as he did when you two got married. He still loves and respects you, Viktor Nikiforov. But he doesn't know how to show you that anymore. He did something like this when he was eleven. He refused to talk to anybody except for me, and just sulked around everyone else. He built walls to keep everybody he loved out. Because somewhere inside him, he's terrified. He doesn't think he's good enough for anybody, so he pushes them away." Viktor stared at Minako's face. She was so sad...and so determined. "But he grew out of it. You need to know that this isn't going to last forever, so please don't give up on him. You don't know how much longer you'll have him. He may be gone sooner than you know..." A look of remorse and pain flashed across Minako's face. "You  need to show him you still truly love him and believe in him." Viktor was silent as he stared at Minako. 

"I've never given up on Yuuri." A thin, sad smile slid across Minako's face.

"I'm not the one you need to convince."

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