End of episode one slight divergence, between Viktor seeing the video and Yuuri walking in on him in the bath.

From the moment, Viktor saw that video he made up his mind. He was going to coach. No more dead performances and no more empty golds.

Makkachin wriggled in his lap, while Viktor replayed the video. Resting a hand on his poochy's head. He would have to call Yakov, and book tickets, it was impulsive, and probably stupid. He called Chris back, "I'm going to detroit."
"Your what?" Chris probably spat something out, probably his fabulous champagne. "Viktor, when I sent you the link I didn't mean go and get!" He gasped, "You watched it I take it?"
"That's what you get." He replied cheerfully, "Can you help me find out where he lives?"
"I'll have a look." Chris sighed and hung up.

"Come on Makkachin, let's go pack. We need to make sure we have your toys and your favourite leads and bed."
When the phone finally rang, Chris had managed to track down his rink mate in Detroit – peachy something, luckily the man was a social media addict and always online. Turns out Yuuri had left Detroit, going home to Japan. A slight change in plan, he would have to buy a Russian or English to Japanese dictionary.
Come practise the following day, Yakov being made aware of this development was Viktor's biggest regret. He should've just left and called him later.
Yakov exploded, listing every possible reason not to go. Yet to Viktor. None sounded... good enough.
"You can never come back!" he finished on a desperate threat but Viktor kissed his cheek, smiled sadly and murmured; "Dasvidanya." before he walked away.

Sleeping with a Makkachin shaped neck pillow and a poodly fuzzy pink blanket. 15 hours passed rather quickly and when he dragged his cases out of the station, carving grooves in the snow while flakes landed on his shoulders having arrived there only due to many English speakers and his circled pocket map, he heaved a massive sigh, Makkachin bounding endlessly at his side. A 20 minute taxi and he was dumping his bags outside the Yutopia inn. Finally.

"W-watashi wo- no uh wa heyu,yi,ya o m-motemasu ka?" He struggled through the first phrase from his book. Can I have a room please?

"Um... English?" The women offered, a pleasant smile lighting up her chubby cheeks.

"uh... yes please." His shoulders slumping his relief. From there it was easy and the women pleasantly welcomed his (very) long stay and Makkachin (thank goodness). Her Daughter helped him with his bags while her husband showed him the bathing area and later helped him settle showing the toilets and where to come down for breakfast.

He changed and headed downstairs again, Makkachin at his heels. "You a bit late for breakfast," Mari told him, "We don't serve lunch on Sundays. But there are some nice Raman bars intown."
She was distracted by another customer before he could ask about an Ice rink so instead left.

Outside, the snow had stopped falling and lay thick and silent. A man, wrapped up like sushi roll, was shovling it out of the path to the door.

"Excuse me..." Viktor barely heard the directions, the man's voice, although speaking with a clear accent and fluent English, was hard to understand due to his annoyingly muffling scarf.
"ah? Thank you." He left the man to work, whistling for Makkachin to follow, from the sound of things she pummelled through the snow, barking after him.

He did eventually find the Ice rink, it was almost empty and desolate, but so much more tranquil than the one in St-Petersburg. A young woman behind the spoke in rapid Japanese when he opened the door.
"Eh – sorry..." Viktor started. "English?"
"yes," The women stood on tiptoes to place another pair of skates on the racks. "Of course. Um... If you" She struggled for a moment head buried in the shelves, "need skates its - yen and if you have your own its - yen."
"My own." Viktor replied, walking up to the counter where she met him with an expectant hand. He counted it out, having to read each coin. "Thank you." He ignored that fact that she was still not looking at him but was now reading something below the racks of skates.
"enjoy," She murmured, hand clutching the money as she pulled a pair of skates out and moved them. Still not looking his way.
The rink was pleasantly empty, when he left the woman was gone. He had planned to ask when Yuuri Katsuki practised and if indeed this was the right place but he left.

Makkachin slept with him that night, cuddled into his side while Viktor texted Chris who sadly didn't know exactly where in Hatsetsu Yuuri lived. So, Viktor would hang around the busier parts of the small town hoping to run into the younger skater.

Yuuri groaned as his mother called his from his warm refuge. Snow? He opened his curtains. "she wasn't kidding." He breathed. "But no weather alert."
He opened his phone. Of course. He had turned off -well- everything. Aeroplane mode. Currently his bestfriend and only defence against a social media onslaught. He wasn't going to answer to any of his friends calls, or anything the skating world threw.

He bundled himself up in warm clothes, hat and a scarf wrapped high around his face to ward off the chill as he set to work outside with his hat slipping onto his glasses and his feet slipping on ice.

"Excuse me? Is there an Ice rink nearby?" The accented voice cut through his thinking and without a pause answer in English.
"yes – if y-you follow this road down," He turned to face the man blindly. "Follow it all the way past the sea front, and there are cross roads, turn right and it's on the left, it's called Hatsetsu castle."

"Ah, Thank you!" The foreigner left with a short whistle and a moment later Yuuri was knocked into a snow drift face first. His hand half raised to push his hat back out of his eyes.

"Mum," He walked into the kitchen from serving tea, "I'm going to Minako's"
"Ok Yuuri," She fondly dusted off his jacket. "Have fun."

"I'll see you later." He grabbed his practice ballet stuff and hurried to the door, he was not turning up for skating after that viral video so he would hide out at the ballet studio and the inn. At least, that's what he planned, but a call on the land line from Yuko changed that.

"Hey, Yuuri. The girls are really sorry about what happened." He tried to ignore the yell, probably Axel, yelling, "No we're not!" As Yuko spoke over her. "Could you help me with their basics tomorrow? I know your suff-struggling slightly coming to the ice because of that video. So I though if the girls were in your sights, on the ice, no phones, no cameras it might help you feel... more at ease?" Yuuri remained quiet, "and it would really help me. I can't watch them all on my own and Takeshi has work tomorrow. I'm stuck. It'll be like old times. Kind of." She really was trying.

"Ok, I'll come around at about 9.00?"

"Thank you so much Yuuri!" Yuko ended the call on a nice note and Yuuri slouched against the kitchen side. Clicking the phone back in place and grabbing a snack bar from the fridge.

He almost screamed when he saw a giant Vicchan standing in the doorway, at first thinking it a huge ghost. But it was paler, a golden colour, its fur not as long and even its eyes, although dark excitable browns were somehow different. "K-konichiwa." He said gently, the door wriggled its hunches and launched itself across the room, bowling Yuuri over. Licking his face and nicking his snackbar before jumping back into the hallway. Yuuri followed, watching as the dog perked up at a faint whistle and took off down the hall and into the main dining area.

Yuuri grabbed a second snack bar and left for his room. Trying to wipe away the prickle of tears that the dog had caused.

Viktor found that the roos here were quant and comfy, the futon surprisingly good for his back.
The baths were absolutely divine and the food brilliant. He had yet to try the Yutopia special; Katsudon.

He left after a hearty breakfast with Makkachin. Outside the same man who had been shovelling snow was doing the same today along with one of the inn owners, To-something. Toshiya?

They were both wrapped up well, but the snow shovelling sushi roll was – as his name suggest – rather ridiculous and looked pretty shady. His fuzzy hat low over blue ringed glasses. They were talking in rapid Japanese, Viktor gave up his attempt to interrupt and tried to follow the route he did yesterday to the ice rink.
But he was, if nothing, Very Fogetful. And finding the ice rink or indeed the sea proved impossible.

The town was small but there were stalls that all looked the same, signs that all looked the same and tiny roads that when he showed people his skates they'd point him down and he'd end up lost again.

Many of the people he asked would just say Yuuri Kasuki along with a babble of Japanese and twice Viktor found himself back at the inn before he almost screamed, stomping he followed his nose well – Makkachin's who unhelpfully ended up sat, tail wagging, outside a small food stall with octopus thingies on sticks.

The inn, he thought irritably, was apparently the centre of the towns universe or something, he had now turned up for a third time outside its gates, he had yet to even see the sea and it was now well past morning. Finding Hiroko, he asked for ice-skating she nodded, pointing and speaking in her stunted English. "My son... he skate too. He very good." She added indulgently, like a mother would. "he's there now, wears glasses. He can help if you need anything."

Viktor thanked her and left, Hiroko waving his off.
He found it this time, the same girl from yesterday was behind the till. Scrolling through her phone, he watched as her eyes widened and she almost dropped it. Ducking below the desk just as he opened the door silently. She dumped a sign on the desk and scurried out behind the shelves of skates leaving her phone where it was. The little door behind her swung in her wake but she was gone before Viktor could ask for entry. Unable to read the sign he looked down at her phone, hoping to gain some insight to her rushed departure.

He recognised that face anywhere, Yakov.

It was a video with Japanese subtitles, more Japanese underneath. Why didn't Yuuri stay in Detroit?
He pressed play.

"is it true Viktor left to coach?" Yakov's face grew redder. "Viktor could Never be coach!" He screeched, the phone almost jumped form the volume.
So his escape had become public knowledge? Oh well.

Viktor looked up, hoping the girl would come back. No luck. Instead he left the same amount of money from yesterday on the desk and headed through to the rink.

But this wasn't the rink.

Thoroughly done with getting lost he was about to storm away when through the corner of his eye he saw a edge of white. Turning back into the dark room he realised – and should've noticed before really – that it was an observing box. He headed to the window, nose pressed against when he noticed a very familiar figure on the ice;

Yuuri Katsuki.

He was not performing or even real figure skating. He was with three children, all standing on the ice. All facing one women, who was half collapsed over the railing. Hand in her pocket. A look of confusion over her features until she shook her head and yelled something instead, to which Yuuri dropped his head slightly to the left. Like Makkachin did while learning a new trick.

He was then shaking his head, skating over to the woman and picking up a pair of blue rimmed glasses from the side. Putting them on.

He had forgotten Yuuri wore glasses. The man down on the ice listened to the next thing she said then shook his head vehemently. Flapping his hands as well while the three girls had skated into a little group, inching closer to what seemed to be a phone on the side.

The mother snapped when she spotted them.
Viktor had a feeling he had just found the culprits of the Yuuri Katsuki skates Viktor's free-skate video.

He could not thank them enough.

When Yuuri Katsuki stepped off the ice, picking up his blade guards Viktor realised he was going to miss him!
He ran out the room, down the stair case and towards the rink. He found two doors, different symbols on each. Were these the changing rooms? He couldn't tell which was male, and which female.
He back tracked until he found the entrance. Following the largest hallway and came out on the Ice rink.
It was empty.

Annoyed he stormed back to the changing rooms. He should've just stayed there. His eagerness had just lost him one Yuuri.
He gave up waiting after what felt like ages. Yuuri Katsuki had gone. And Viktor had missed him yet again.

Once he had returned to the inn he headed to the baths. Leaving Makkachin asleep in his room. There was already a man in the mans, most of his back hidden by water. A towel on his head which was resting on his arms against the hot stone side.

Viktor sunk in at the opposite side, watching as the man sighed, his back rippling with muscles and a tad of chub. Viktor gave a short sharp sigh when the mystery man wriggled closer into his arms before snapping his head away. Resting back against the side with his eyes closed. Viktor thought back to the man in the rink. Those dorky blue glasses had seemed familiar, he must have seen them at the Sochi banquet. That had been a wonderful night.

Yuuri headed over to the Ice rink soon after he finished helping his father shovling snow. The triplets did apoligise for the video but twice he had to snatch a filming item off them.
He had been helping them make little jumps for over 2 hours with a big break in the middle. And a time when he just practised, girls on the ice, phones and camara's guarded by Yuko. Then he was helping them again when Yuko had left to man the front desk.

It wasn't long before he could hear her yelling. "YUURI! Yuuri! Viktor is, I mean He's YUURI!" She burst from the back rooms onto the ice rink ground. She was waving her hand as if she were holding her phone – she clearly wasn't. She crashed into the railing, not caring about her knocked knees. She glanced at her hand, shoving them both into her pockets. "where's my phone, wheres's my phone! Oh whatever!" She smacked her hands on the side, "YUURI! Viktor, Viktor he-he OMG Viktor Nikiforov has left competitive skating!" She was grinning. How was this Good news?

"What!" Yuuri yelped, drifting over, "Yuko slow down, what?" Viktor couldn't quit, Viktor was an amazing skater! He was a legend!

"He left skating to couch! He left Russia!" She was babbling now. "He's coaching and it's not Yuri Plisetsky like his coach lead us to believe. He's he here-he's... YUURI! It'syouheswantstocoachyouomgHOWCOOLyuurihescoachingyou!" She took a gulp of air. "Yuuri! He's coming to japan to coach you! He wants to help you!"

"What!" Yuuri almost tumbled backwards. "No way!" He scrambled. "It's a mistake. It must be!" he shook his head enough to slide his glasses down his nose. "Anyway! I have to get home," He escaped as quickly as he could.

Running home with his bag slung over his shoulder. Even if it was true it was very unlikely Viktor would find out where he lived, if he did find his home rink he would be lead to Detroit, if he did find out he had come home he wouldn't know where Hatsetsu was. If it was true.

Which it wasn't.

He returned home, his mother seeing his worn expression and sending him through to the baths.
"Relax dear, helping those girls is hard work!"
He sank into the water. Eyes closed. The bath were empty outside and he leaned his elbows on the stone side. Resting his cheek in his arms. Sighing into the humid air.

The towel on his head adding to the overall heat and comfort around him. Faintly, he heard someone else moving into the bathing area, the slosh of water over another body as they settled into his bath.
A heavy sigh escaped the other man's mouth.

When Yuuri stood finally all wrinkly and hot, the other man had left. He ate supper late with his family before retiring to bed. Looking up at the posters around his room. They were a bit... much. He pulled down some, tucking them in a box under his bed. Leaving only one, five more pinned up inside his wardrobe.

He checked his phone, daring to flick it off aeroplane mode for a moment, but the onslaught of tweeting sounds, robot noises and dings made him it down almost immediately. Cruel since he recognised Phichit's name immediately, but he wasn't ready to face his friend from Detroit.

Not yet.

Viktor returned to the Ice rink in hopes of finding Yuuri the next day. He went for a skate in the morning, paying a man who looked at him in something akin to recognition but said nothing for which Viktor was glad, anywhere he went in StPetersburg, hell, anywhere in Russia – Europe maybe – he was recognised. He had the freedom to skate without fear of video, spare maybe from those three girls, he took the risk, working on the two, short program's he had produced; Eros and Agape. He loved both. Agape, pure and innocent. Eros, Rich with passion. So, different and yet strangely overlapped. And he knew, he definitely knew. He knew which one he would have Yuuri skate. He would reveal that power, that beauty, that Eros he had been witness to that night.

Sweaty and tired he left the ice rink, hoping the man was still on duty. He was not.

It was the women, and three girls. All staring at him. All gaping like fish. Frozen and just... staring.
"Thank you." He smiled charmingly, "I had a good time." He approached them. Hoping to ask about the whereabouts of one Yuuri katsuki.

"Viktor Nikiforuv!" One of the girls shouted, while another hoisted up a phone. The third in purple pointing at him.

"Its actually Nikiforov." Viktor chuckled.

The women muttered something harshly in Japanese, and the girl in blue grumpily dropped the phone.

"um, Mr Nikiforov?" The women asked tentively. "The ice skater... Viktor Ni-"

"Yes?" He asked, "I was wondering if you could tell me where Yuuri Katsuki lives?" He began hopefully, his smile almost dropped when mother and more so for the daughters, looked lost. "Uh, Yuuri? Katsuki?" he tried. He pointed to a poster on the wall. "Where does Yuuri live?"
"Oh!" The woman scrambled for a piece of paper. Snatching the phone the girl in blue had raised again. He slapped the paper on the desk, plusking a pen from the pockadot pot on the side.

She scribbled something onto the paper. A couple of squares, a zigzagging line, going straight past the sea which he guessed by the little wiggles and a fish. Finishing at a little circle, with some Japanese written by it.
"he live here." She pointed at the circle. "in the..." She struggled for a word. "not family house, family there... but not just family..." she finished awkwardly.

"Thank you!" He smiled, taking the paper before leaving. Following the line to the dot. He stopped to ask a few stall workers and bought some strange fish biscuit which he lived very much. Buying another to give to Makkachin as an apology for being gone so long.

He recognised the road the map had taken him down. He looked closely at the paper. He had definatly come the right way. He didn't look up until he had passed all 7 buildings before Yuuri's house of the map.

This was it. It was Yuuri's house!

He looked up.

"Cursed Inn!" He hissed. Anger finally catching up. Everytime he tried to go somewhere he ended up here! This place, as lovely as it was, was now also his worse nightmare. At least he could get Makkachin before finishing his search.

On his way down stairs he bumped into Sushi snow shovling man again. His very familiar blue eyes fogged up with from the bath.
"A-ah! Gomain..."
"it's ok." Viktor assured.
"oh English. Sorry, I can't see much with my glasses like this..." Than man shuffled past, the tips of his cheeks, the only part not hidden by his scarf, was rapidly turning red as he hurried away unbuttoning his coat as he went and ripping off his hat. Showing spiky black hair below.

Viktor headed towards the front door, Makkachin running ahead when he spotted Mari coming from the bathing area. "Mari!" Viktor called, she grinned.
"yes?"
"I'm trying to find this place." He pointed to the map, the Japanese words the rink women had written. She blinked twice and looked up at him weirdly.
"Here?" She pointed to his map, when he nodded she slowly shook her head, "I'll show you." She walked outside and he followed. She stopped outside the yutopia gates, waiting until he stopped next to her. She pointed at the writing on his paper. He nodded, waiting. Then she pointed to her families' inn sign. He blinked, once, twice. She sighed audibly. "This here." She pointed to his map again, "Says Yutopia." She explained. "Who drew this map?"

Viktro slumped, almost falling to his knees in despair.
This stupid stupid annoying (with amazing baths and dog policies) stupid irritating INN!
"A women, at the Ice rink... With three girls."

Mari blinked ins surprise. "Yuko? She understands English pretty well..." She pondered. "what did you ask."

Viktor sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I asked her where Yuuri Katsuki lives! The skater." He explained, misunderstanding her widened gaze. "But no matter who I ask, or which poster I point to I end up here!"

"Viktor..." Mari started. "Do you know my surname?"

"huh? Yes Katsudon?"

"no... That's our special, that's a type of food." Mari smiled. "It's Katsuki. And I can tell you now that Yuuri doesn't like the attention he gets from skating..."

Viktor took a moment to respond, "HE lives here! Your related?" Or married? He mind crindged.

"Yeah, he's my little brother. He's been here. Mostly outside shovling snow."

"He's the snow sushi roll!?" Viktor whispered under his breath. Eyes wide with happiness. "Where is he now?" He demanded.

"woah!" Mari's smile flipped. "What do you want with him? Why are you here?" She squinted. "I knew I recognised you when you first came, are you a reporter? Are..."

"no, no, no! I'm a fellow skater." Viktor grinned, "I want to coach him! I saw some of his competitions up to the grand pre. He did well, but flumped at the end. Then we met at the banquet." He explained. "When he danced at the banquet though! I want to find a way to get that onto the ice!"

"I thought it was formal... Wait! You're that Niki Viktoforov guy! That legendary skater person."

"Viktor Nikiforov. Yes?"

Mari snatched the paper of him and ran back inside. Coming back within seconds. A new line had been drawn from Yutopia. In Japanese she had written something new. Two things in Japanese, one in English.

"Ballet studio?"

"He'll be there." Mari answered, grinning. "He's going to freak out, now get!" She gave him a shove and he and Makkachin ran down the road.

He was finally going to see Yuuri! "He pointed to the japanese. The top one. He got different directions from different people. He found a bar, the name on it's sign matching the top line of Japanese – he thought. But Mari's writing was quite bad. He asked a none English speaking lady as he walked ot the door. She read it, muttering a quiet "Mari..." she pointed to the bar.
"Minako." She said. Then Pointed down the road. "Barē."

He thanks her (with bad pronounciation) and headed off to the ballet studio. He was finally finally going to see Yuuri!

It was small, and quant... but Yuuri had already left. The woman inside had gaped for a moment before yelling. "YOU REALLY DID QUIT TO COACH YUURI!"

Well, Viktor thought, that was one of the most interesting ways to be greeted. At least she spoke English. "Is he here?"

"n-no... He just went for a run. He'll get home in an hour. D-do you know where?"

"yes! I'm staying there!"

"How..." she shook her head. For all she knows Viktor could've just arrived while Yuuri was here practising. The dog at his side jumped about, tong lolling. "Yuuri was talking about a giant dog nicking his snack the other day." Minako replied nonchalantly.

"Makkachin!" Viktor rebutted. "what have I said about stealing food!" He pulled at her cheeks, and then squishing them. "I guess I'll wait for him at the inn! Thank you!" Viktor left. Almost racing to the inn to soak in the bath and wait for Yuuri's arrival.

Yuuri yelped as the poodle knocked him down upon opening the door.
"welcome back Yuuri!" He fathers greeted. "He looks like our Vicchan doesn't he?"
Yuuri agreed as the dog licked his cheek. "Yeah... um who does he belong to?"

"Some good-looking foreigner. Silver hair. Europian-ish accent." His father explained as Yuuri jaw dropped further and further.

Yuuri pushed, firmly past the dog. nicking a table as he raced to the baths.
Heart pounding.

No way.

No way, no way.

No way, no way, no way!

He burst into the baths, looking around as he wiped fog from his glasses.

Not here.

Outside?

The door smacked open and tumbled through. Looking up to a deviously handsome man, in the water.
"Vik-ktor?" He stuttered. "wh-what are you doing here?"

The man in question dragged the towel from his head. "Yuuri~" He drawled. Standing up in the water. "I'm going to be your coach!" he reached out a hand. Oh... he was very naked, very very naked. His privates behind some strategic water falling from the small statue.

He winked.

Oh god!

A/N - Hello! If anyone is interested in other one shots like this like:

What if Yuko stops Yurio from leaving after the hot springs on ice and he stays at the inn for a week?
- Mari takes some well liked photos.

Viktor asks yuuri if he ever thinks of the banquet, Yurio is left to explane.

After the grand pre the skaters all have a sleep over, truths and dares ensure.

Viktor attempts to woo Yuuri with pick up lines on valentines. "Hey~ I'm Viktor." "Yes... I know?" "I have enough fans to break the ice... with their weight... you... break the ice so i can talk to you... uh... not that their over weight. i just have lot..." He's not very good.