Nikolai shifted nervously, wishing that his costume wasn't quite so…revealing. Although, objectively, there was nothing uncovered, it still felt very intimate. He supposed part of it was the fact that both of his parents had worn it during their skating careers. It also wasn't helping that this event was highly televised. He was very aware of the cameras, much more than he had ever been on the occasions when his hockey games had been taped. He felt a touch on his arm, and looked down to see his beautiful partner, understanding in her sapphire eyes. "Just don't look at the cameras and you'll be fine," she whispered.

"Yeah, but even then, we'll be the only thing for all those people to watch," he muttered back.

Behind them, Otabek spoke up. "Don't think about that. Just do the same thing you always do in practice, and you'll be fine."

Nikolai turned back towards him, and their eyes met. Otabek's steady gaze leveled Nikolai's nerves a bit, and he nodded resolutely.

Just in time, too. The announcer called out, "And next we have Aliya Altin-Plisetsky and Nikolai Katsuki-Nikiforov skating their short program to 'Let Me Be Myself.'"

Nikolai instinctively reached out and grabbed Aliya's hand to ground him. To his surprise, her hand was a little sweaty also. He glanced down at her, startled, and gave her a tiny squeeze to reassure her. The knowledge that she was nervous focused him. He had to be strong for her. He squared his shoulders and stepped out onto the rink, and a cheer rose up in the stadium. He raised up their linked hands and gave a small wave with his free hand. They glided to the middle of the rink, getting into position as the cheers died down. Nikolai positioned himself across from Aliya, and settled in to wait for the music to start. As he did, he took in her lithe form, complimented by the white, sequined outfit that echoed his own black one. The half skirt draped gracefully over the leg she had extended backwards, sleeves tapering down to fingerless gloves. The mesh on her torso sparkled as she turned slightly to prepare herself for takeoff.

The music started, a strumming of guitars, and they swayed out in opposite directions, coming back together as the words started. They got ready for a side-by-side double toe loop as the first chorus came crashing in. They pulled it off in almost perfect unison, and the crowd cheered. He smiled, feeling more confident, and felt himself relax a bit. They glided smoothly through the rest of the routine, pulling off all their components without a hitch, even managing the throw jump that Nikolai had agonized over in the past few months of practice. He tried to think about what they lyrics were saying, since Aliya had allowed him to choose this song. As he soared over the ice, he felt like he was finally allowing himself to be who he wanted to be, and tried his best to channel that feeling into his skating as they acted out a desperate play of lovers on the ice.

As the guitars died down at the end of the song, they came back together one final time, and Nikolai dipped Aliya down backwards until her head nearly kissed the ice. They held their pose until the music stopped completely, and the stadium roared into life around them. The lights came back up, and he pulled his pretty partner upright, studying her face for her reaction. She hopped up and flung her arms around the back of his neck as the best she could, squealing in his ear, "Kolya, that was great! We did so well, don't you think?"

Relief washed over him. She thought it was good. He hadn't let her down. She released him, grinning, and took his hand, prompting him as they bowed to each section of the audience.

She didn't let go of his hand as they skated off the rink to where Otabek was waiting for them. He grew a little nervous as they approached his girlfriend's stone-faced father. She had thought it was good, but Otabek was another matter altogether. Aliya allayed some of the tension by releasing his hand and hugging Otabek, exclaiming, "Wasn't that good, Әкем?"

He regarded them seriously, and nodded somberly. "Yes, it was quite good. You can expect a decent score from that."

Laughing, Aliya pulled Otabek off to the kiss and cry, Nikolai at her side. Before they even got their score, his mind was wandering, concentrating on the free skate program they were set to skate the next day. He barely heard the score they got, but managed to be excited along with his pretty love, and smile at the camera as it focused on them.

The next day came all too soon for his nerves, and it seemed like a blink of the eye before he was once again standing at the edge of the rink, waiting to be called out to perform their free skate.

This performance had a much different feeling, however. He could feel Aliya's nerves humming almost as fast as his own. He wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Why are you so nervous today?"

She looked up at him, doubt etched into her features. "I don't know, it just…feels a lot different. You know, since I picked this song."

"You mean since you picked it for your parents?"

"Well…yeah. It means a lot to me. I hope people understand our message with it."

Despite his own worry, Nikolai laughed a little at that. "I think they will. Our theme for the season makes it pretty clear, I think."

She smiled up at him, and they said together, "Love is love."

The loudspeaker crackled to life, announcing them. "Up next is Aliya Altin-Plisetsky and Nikolai Katsuki-Nikiforov doing their free skate to 'End of the World.'"

They took a simultaneous deep breath, then looked at each other and laughed. Otabek patted both of their backs from behind, and they linked hands, entering the rink to the cheers of the crowd. It might have been Nikolai's imagination, but as they got into place, he thought that the cheers seemed a little louder than they had the day before.

He focused back on the task at hand, however, as the music began, a soft pressing of piano keys and thrum of strings. They began to skate, mimicking a waltz with their movements as they skimmed over the surface of the ice. As they began to get into the technical elements of the program, Nikolai began to lose himself to the routine. He allowed himself to fall into the music and let his muscle memory take over, the places where his body came in contact with Aliya's feeling hot despite the chill coming off the ice. He focused on the feeling, carrying it through the last dying note as he suspended Aliya in one last held lift, gradually lowering her down until their foreheads rested together.

In the moment after the music ended, the stadium exploded.

The noise made Nikolai remember where he was. He gently set his dainty partner down, and they smiled at each other secretly for a moment before linking hands to bow. As they left the ice to the continued cheers, he leaned down and said in her ear, "I think your parents will be proud."

She smiled up at him, moist eyes saying everything her lips didn't.

This time, all four of their parents were waiting for them. Nikolai blinked at his parents as they stepped off the ice and put on their skate guards. "How did you two get in here?" he asked blankly.

Victor wagged a finger at him. "Please, did you think two Olympic medalists couldn't get into the kiss and cry with their son?"

Yuuri laughed. "I think it had more to do with your determination than your medals."

His husband smiled at him. "I'm sure they didn't hurt, though."

Aliya smiled up at her parents. "What did you think?" she asked, almost tremulously.

Yuri grunted. "It was good. I suppose if you and Nika keep skating like that, this could work out just fine."

Nikolai stared at him, wide-eyed. Had he just said something nice? And…called him by his name?

His pretty girlfriend was already grabbing his hand though, saying, "Come on, Kolya, let's go get our scores."

He gave in and followed her along with the throng of their parents. Looking down at their linked hands, he smiled. Yes, this was going to work out just fine.