Yuri looked good, out on the ice: not over-thinking things, staying loose and relaxed, and Victor waits as he blows his nose before holding out a gloved hand for the used tissue. "You look almost at home, here."
That's a pleasing thought. Of course, Yuri should be comfortable in any rink he has to skate in, but Victor would have to be blind and deaf as well as unobservant to think that Moscow might hold a greater challenge for Yuri than Shanghai had, and not only because the line-up here is likely to be more difficult to beat. He hasn't forgotten Yuri's tear-soaked confession in the garage ––
( I've been secretly wondering if you want to leave! )
–– and though Yuri hasn't brought it up, he wouldn't be surprised if there are some worries about his own ties to this city and this country that he'll have to dispel.
It doesn't look like it yet, though. If anything, Yuri seems more relaxed than Victor's seen him yet before any competition, so maybe things really are improving. It's a pleasing thought, as he hands over the water bottle for Yuri to take a sip. "Does anything feel tight? How are your blades and boots feeling?"
Everything should be fine, exactly as they left it the night before, exactly how it should be. They've both done this dozens of times; Yuri knows what to expect, even if Victor has to constantly remind himself of what he should be looking for and remembering as a coach.
In many ways, this is the most important competition so far for him, too, a constant reminder as he's pushing the gate open and handing Yuri his skate guards, one after another.
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That's a pleasing thought. Of course, Yuri should be comfortable in any rink he has to skate in, but Victor would have to be blind and deaf as well as unobservant to think that Moscow might hold a greater challenge for Yuri than Shanghai had, and not only because the line-up here is likely to be more difficult to beat. He hasn't forgotten Yuri's tear-soaked confession in the garage ––
( I've been secretly wondering if you want to leave! )
–– and though Yuri hasn't brought it up, he wouldn't be surprised if there are some worries about his own ties to this city and this country that he'll have to dispel.
It doesn't look like it yet, though. If anything, Yuri seems more relaxed than Victor's seen him yet before any competition, so maybe things really are improving. It's a pleasing thought, as he hands over the water bottle for Yuri to take a sip. "Does anything feel tight? How are your blades and boots feeling?"
Everything should be fine, exactly as they left it the night before, exactly how it should be. They've both done this dozens of times; Yuri knows what to expect, even if Victor has to constantly remind himself of what he should be looking for and remembering as a coach.
In many ways, this is the most important competition so far for him, too, a constant reminder as he's pushing the gate open and handing Yuri his skate guards, one after another.