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[yokunaru]

WHO: Yuuri Katsuki & You
WHERE: All around the ship
WHEN: After his arrival (Dec. 29)
WHAT: Exploring the ISC ELUVIO
WARNINGS: None. (Both prose or brackets work for me! Will match.)


A. Closed to Viktor

By the time Yuuri's done with the orientation, his protests have stopped and an odd sort of numbness has taken over. He takes the duffel bag they hand him and lets the crew members usher him into the main promenade, where he's promptly left to his own devices. His stomach churns.

It was an anomaly, they'd said. As Yuuri takes in the passerby (all strangers), the unfamiliar technology, everything, it really starts to sink in: he's stuck on some ship in space with no way to get home. He's never going to see his family again, or his friends. Or Viktor. With that last thought, Yuuri's hit with the realization that he's going to miss the Grand Prix Finals. That after all the work he's put into getting there, he's let Viktor and everyone else who supported him down--

Yuuri chokes, duffel bag dropping to the ground to sit there, forgotten. He sinks down to the floor beside it, back to the wall, hands pressed to his temples. Caught up in his panicked thoughts, all Yuuri can do is struggle to keep his breathing steady and wait for this to pass.

B. Residence Lounge

"Fine" still isn't the word to describe him later, after a few hours have passed. Even knowing that Viktor's here with him doesn't entirely take away the sting in his chest, not when he's still missing the Finals, and everyone else they know is still back home.

So Yuuri does what he does best: distract himself. Without a rink or ballet studio to turn to, Yuuri latches onto the shelves of books instead, brown eyes scanning the titles with curiosity. Though he pulls out a few to flip through idly, he ends up putting them back quickly, apparently having no luck finding what he's looking for.

Finally, he stands back with a sigh. There's no helping it. Yuuri turns, biting his lip as he walks up to whoever's closest. "E-excuse me," he says hesitantly. "Do you know where I can find books on space travel? Something like an introduction, if it's possible."

C. Atrium

There's something soothing about the atrium, Yuuri thinks as he wanders among the flowers. It's not what he would have expected to find on a spaceship of all places, but he's not going to complain. Having Makkachin trotting along beside him is a familiar and welcome sight, too.

Or it would be, if Makkachin actually stayed there. When the poodle suddenly perks up and dashes off, Yuuri breaks into a run after him. "Makkachin, wait up!" In his haste to catch up with his wayward companion, Yuuri almost runs right into someone when he makes a sharp turn down the path.

Comments

[yokunaru]

It's really something, the way Viktor can throw that option out so casually, as if it's something they've done often. He remembers that night he'd returned to Hasetsu from the Rostelecom Cup, and the way he'd been hyper aware of Viktor the whole time even though he was careful to leave some space between them on the bed. It's not a difficult decision.

"Okay," Yuuri says again, already slipping one bag over his shoulder. The closeness would be welcome, he thinks, especially when he it still feels like everything could slip away from him at any time. "I don't mind."

[genice]

Viktor turns his head back to Yuuri, smile quick and spontaneous and perhaps a touch too happy. He fiercely wants to hold on to Yuuri, literally if he can manage it, to know this is real. It's silly, and it's irrational, and he knows this, and Viktor can't bring himself to care.

He's glad Yuuri said yes. It's with that gladness in his heart that he nods, and laughs, and says, "I'm glad to hear that." It's with that same fierce happiness that he leads him to his room, with Makkachin and the strange furball and the curtains he's hung over the window; to the small touches and the remaining flower crowns; to the offer of his shower, first, and then the offer to head down to file the electronic paperwork.

Side by side, step by step, most all the way. This will be good. Horrible, too, because any loss is horrible, and this is a loss so complete it'd taken weeks for Viktor to fully wrap his own head around it. Yet Yuuri doesn't have to do this alone, and now, neither does Viktor. For as long as they both shall live.

So say the crewmembers. So he'll choose to believe, for now.