IC Continuations

[fourlevels]

Comments

[fourlevels]

[ He blinks like he has no idea what Yuuri is talking about. ]

[nextlevel]

[ Yuuri just sighs. ]

Look ... don't take this the wrong way, but ... Some of our practices are literally just "do it again, you're doing it wrong." That's nothing.

[fourlevels]

[ But that's how Yakov does it, Viktor wants to say. Instead he asks, ]

And the everything?

[nextlevel]

That's when I come off the ice and you just tell me everything at once. Everything I did wrong. Right then and there.

[fourlevels]

You mean at the kiss and cry?

[nextlevel]

Right, exactly. That's the worst time to do it.

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor blinks again as if it's a revelation to him. ]

Really? I thought you would want to know what the judges would be thinking so that you have a realistic expectation for your scores.

[nextlevel]

Some of it is good. But you go on and on. The only thing it does is make me more nervous ...

[fourlevels]

Oh. I'd thought it helped make you feel better when the scores come back better than you'd hoped.

[ He settles back against the bed to stare up at the ceiling above them. There's a few beats, then: ]

... Sorry. I'll try to be better about that.

[nextlevel]

[ Now he really feels bad. ]

I didn't mean to go criticizing your coaching out of the blue like that. Just promise me you'll really say something if I go too far.

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor stares up for a few more beats as he's thinking back to how Yuuri reacted all those past times. When he turns back to look at Yuuri though, he's wearing a faint smile. ]

I needed to hear it though. This is the lecture at the kiss and cry for me, hm?

[nextlevel]

[ Yuuri watches his face ... then relaxes slightly. ]

Yeah, I guess so. Sorry about that.

[fourlevels]

Yuuri, [ he almost interrupts, his tone sounding like it does when he's coaching. ] Do I apologize to you when giving you a lecture?

[nextlevel]

... Are you coaching me on how to coach?

[fourlevels]

I'm trying to tell you that you don't need to apologize to me.

[nextlevel]

All right, all right ...

[fourlevels]

[ He rolls onto his side, unfortunately dislodging Yuuri from his chest, but laying so that they face each other. ]

I mean it. You don't have to apologize for anything, Yuuri. Not for sassing at me, not for when your anxiety gets bad ...

[nextlevel]

And if I want to apologize anyway?

[fourlevels]

If you wanted, that's fine.

[nextlevel]

I'm probably still going to for a while.

[fourlevels]

I know, and that's fine too. Do you want me to remind you that you don't?

[nextlevel]

... That I don't apologize?

[fourlevels]

That you don't have to.

[nextlevel]

[ He bows his head again. ]

Yeah. I'd like that.

[fourlevels]

[ He leans in to press a kiss to Yuuri's hairline. ]

Okay. If there's anything else you want or need me to do, all you have to do is ask.