You don't just flinch and say you're okay
Otabek: Viktor
Otabek: Viktor
Otabek: Viktor
Otabek: VIKTOR NIKIFOROV! I KNOW YOU'RE ONLINE!
Otabek: ANSWER YOUR DAMN PHONE!
Leo: Sweet lord
Phichit: Well then-
Yuuri K.: What did he do now?
Christophe: YUURI-
Mila: No faith in his husband
V. Nikiforov: WHAT !
V. Nikiforov: What did I do?!?!
Otabek: Did you speak to Yuri yet?! I know for a fact training ended an hour ago
V. Nikiforov: Yuri has an extra hour will Lilia and you know that
Otabek: -_-
Yuuri K.: Even I know that's bullshit
Phichit: PFFFT-
Sara: Ouch
Isabella: Called out by your own husband
Otabek: And I know that that hour ended already, which is why I said 'training' alone and not 'your training'
Otabek: Now fess up ffs
V. Nikiforov: In all honesty, I was composing myself
V. Nikiforov: I'm going to talk to him now
Yuuri K.: Don't worry, he will
Yuuri K.: And...I would rather film whatever happens...
Yuuri K.: I know it's a bit of getting into Yuri's privacy, but last night didn't calm me
Otabek: You didn't sleep either?
Yuuri K.: Barely
Michele: I doubt any of us slept peacefully
Phichit: WAIt
Phichit: While we're on the subject-
Phichit: I discussed something with Otabek last night
Phichit: Didn't want to share it with everyone since I was sure none of you would sleep AT ALL then and you'd just get even more panicked
Georgi: Oh no
Seung Gil: Oh God
Mila: What is it?!
Yuuri K.: Phichit, tell. Now
Phichit: Yuri hasn't posted a single thing on all his social media platforms for two weeks
Mila: WHAT!?!@/!?
Sara: No no no, hold on-
Michele: Tell me you're lying right now!
Yuuri K.: ....
Christophe: Literally nO
JJ-style: Oh my God, he really didn't...
Isabella: How did we not notice?!?!?
Emil: Okay, now I'm panicked for sure
Seung Gil: I was really hoping my theory would be incorrect
Georgi: PHICHIT PLEASE TELL ME YOU HAcKED HIS PHOEN
Leo: Oh, so we are going to kill someone! Nice, TALK TO YURI NOW
Guang:^^^^^^^^^ TALK TO HIM
Minami: I was hoping JJ was lying that it was true...
Yuuri K.: Viktor....
V. Nikiforov: He's in the living room, bye
Yuuri K.: We'll tell you guys what happens
Otabek: We'll be here
Otabek: Good luck
Seung Gil: Why when I only notice this one thing, it happens to be correct?
Mila: I really hoped it wasn't true
Sara: Mila, honey
Sara: Don't worry, whatever happens, we're here for Yuri.
Isabella: Exactly
Christophe: He's a strong boy, and he may have been in trouble with those private messages, but he won't give up
Georgi: They're right Mila, it'll be okay...I hope
Leo: Not helping-
Georgi: LISTEN!
Georgi: I'm trying not to have a panic attack over my sandwich in the middle of the living room right now-
Minami: We can only hope the messages, no matter the amount, aren't THAT bad
Michele: After that one panic attack??!?!
Minami: ...I'm trying to stay positive hERE
Otabek: Guys, guys, everyone calm down...let's just hope and pray for now.
Otabek: Yuuri and Viktor will tell us what happens...
Emil: That's all we can do until answers are given
Viktor's body is stiff as he walks into the living room, Yuuri behind him. They both see Yuri on the ground playing with Makkachin and Potya, a small smile on his face.
For a few seconds, the couple stands by the entrance with small smiles forming at the sight. Yuuri unconsciously intertwines his hand to Viktors, who tightens the hold. Taking a deep breath, Viktor lets go of Yuuri's hand, smile falling and heads towards Yuri.
Viktor hesitates: "Y-Yura?"
Yuri looks up at him, small smile still there: "Yes?"
Viktor takes a seat beside Yuri who unconsciously scoots away a bit. Yuuri notices, his phone held in a way not suspicious of any filming. He's filled with guilt as he films, he doesn't want to, but if Yuri is facing something that bad, he doesn't have much of a choice.
Viktor starts slow: "Do you mind if we talk for a minute?"
Yuri shakes his head: "No. I don't mind. What's wrong?"
"Well...I was going through social media and I noticed something..."
Viktor wanted to slap himself. He knows that Yuri doesn't really like when social media is brought in a serious conversation seeing as it never ends well.
Yuri's smile falls slowly.
"Oh...? What?" He asks carefully.
"Uh...You haven't posted anything in a while...I'm just worried. You usually post at least twice a week."
Yuri just stares at Viktor, not knowing how to answer. Viktor and Yuuri wait patiently for any answer.
After a few seconds of silence, Yuri averts his gaze and distracts himself with petting Makkachin before answering:
"Um...I...I just didn't have anything to post."
Viktor knew there was more to it than that, so did Yuuri who can feel a lump in his throat.
"I see...but are you sure there's nothing else? You haven't even posted Potya on there..."
Yuuri can tell Yuri was growing nervous. Yuri suddenly stands and takes a few steps away from Viktor, now standing in front of him.
"I...I just needed a break...you know social media hasn't been the best place since that photo..."
"I am aware." Viktor says calmly: "But the problem was solved...unless someone is bothering you about it...?"
"No!" Yuri answers too quickly unfortunately for Yuuri and Viktor: "No...No one is bothering me about it. I was just...scared to post anything in case it happens again..."
"...But you posted a picture of you and Mila a few days after the incident." Viktor slowly stands, trying to seem harmless as to not scare Yuri.
But Yuri takes a step back slightly, Makkachin pawing his leg as to calm him down. That alone worries Yuuri who wanted to do nothing but stop the talk and interrupt it.
"Um...Someone asked what I thought of the incident and I didn't want to deal with more comments like that...that's all..."
"Oh? Well...you know you don't have to answer these comments, right?
"I know." Yuri seemed desperate to end the conversation.
"...Then there's another reason?"
"No." Yuri shakes his head, a spark of fear in his eyes breaking Yuuri and Viktor's heart.
"...Are you sure? I just want to be sure no one is bothering you, Yura."
"No one is bothering me- I ...I need to go- I promised Otabek I'd talk to him soon-" Yuri tries to leave the living room.
"Yuri wait!" Viktor reaches out to Yuri, hand up.
And Yuri flinches harshly, hands going up in defense.
Viktor freezes and Yuuri lets out a gasp. Silence follows. No one moves or says a word.
Yuri lifts his gaze to Viktor's hand and to Viktor's face, fear in his eyes. He lowers his hands and glances around the room as to find a way to escape.
"I...I- sorry." He lowers his hands completely and steps back: "I-I'm okay...I'm okay."
No one says anything until Yuri excuses himself: "I have to go...tell mama I'll be back to help with dinner."
And with that, Yuri grabs his jacket and heads out for a walk, without his phone as to ignore something from it.
Viktor stands in the center of the living room, silent and shocked. Yuuri ends the recording quickly and walks towards Viktor who turns at the sound of his footsteps and brings Yuuri into a hug. Both in tears, they worry.
Makkachin and Potya, while confused, try and paw the couple's legs as to reassure them, but it's no comfort, not at all.
When Yuuri does eventually send the video, he captions it with: "Phichit, please hack his phone."
The responses only showed worry, fear, and anger.
~~~~~~
Phichit: Okay hell no, this is not normal
Christophe: You don't just flinch and say you're okay!
Mila: ... Yuri hasn't flinched in years...
Georgi: Mila, don't worry, he won't be flinching after we're through with the heartless person behind those messages.
Otabek: Phichit, if you don't hack his phone and find that motherfucker, I'll hack it myself. And yes, I will find a way to do that
Leo: Honestly yes ^ because at this point, it is THAT bad
Guang: Oh no...
Minami: Poor Yuri-kun... who's doing this to him?! And why?!
JJ-style: And why would Yuri hide it?
JJ-style: The only time I think anyone would hide something that important is if something personal is involved
Isabella: So you're saying someone is personally threatening Yuri?
JJ-style: I wish it wasn't what I was saying
Seung Gil: This is a whole new level of a huge fuck up
Seung Gil: Whoever this person is better stop what they're doing, this is not okay
Michele: It isn't. And that's another problem
Emil: Meaning?
Michele: Whoever it is knows that it's not okay and is personally threatening Yuri. Why else would he hide it?
Sara: ...
Seung Gil: We need to stop making good points, I'm starting to shake
Otabek: Phichit please tell me you hacked it
Phichit: I'm hacking it right now. When I find out what's going on, I'll tell you guys
Phichit: Unfortunately, this may take a while.
Phichit: At the mean time, try not to panic, I'm here and this problem will be solved, I promise
Phichit: And it's best to not bring up what happened to Yuri, Viktor. Just pretend like this afternoon didn't happen.
V. Nikiforov: Was planning on that
Mila: Okay, good luck Phichit
Yuuri K.: Phichit...
Phichit: Yes Yuuri?
Yuuri K.: Whatever you find...please make sure to save it in someway...
Yuuri K.: I have a feeling this might be court evidence...
Georgi: WHOA WHOA WHOA
Christophe: Nope, bye, not the damn court
Otabek: I sure hope the fuck it isn't
Mila: Nonononono, not another court, I beg you
Sara: Mila call me now sweetpea, it'll be okay
Seung Gil: If worst comes to worst and it is in fact something that needs to be taken to court, we'll be there.
Leo: Exactly, screw training. Our friend is not okay and he needs us
Guang: Agreed ^ The ice could wait
Georgi: Let's hope worst doesn't come to worst
Phichit: Alright, I will. And even though I pray that it wouldn't have to be used as evidence, I'll save everything
Yuuri K.: Thank you
V. Nikiforov: Come now, Yuuri darling. I made you some tea. It'll be alright
Yuuri K.: Okay...
~~~~~~~~~~
Phichit turns off his phone and goes back to his computer, trying to hack into Yuri's account on Instagram.
He hated having to do this. He knows that Yuri wouldn't like if someone did this, but given the situation, he has no other choice. Yuri is clearly having problems with someone that's privately messaging him, he just has to find out who.
He furrows his brows in concentration as he finally hacks the account.
It's now or never.
He heads to Yuri's private messages. He sees a few skaters' names there, including Isabella, he sees the one Yuri Angel that warned him about the person trying to be him (but it was from a year ago). None of the texts from these people seem suspicious or bad. So obviously, it wasn't from a figure skating related person.
At the last name, he gets confused. It's just a number, an unknown number with no profile picture. He hesitates before clicking on the profile.
It's blank. The bio was only three dots with the emoji of a fist...real original, Phichit deadpanned. No followers, one following, and nothing else. Phichit checks who this person is following and sure enough; it's Yuri.
Phichit quickly gets a bad feeling. This must be the person bothering him, who? He doesn't know. All he knows now is that this is the most likely suspect.
So without waiting any further, Phichit goes back to Yuri's private messages and clicks on the ones between him and this stranger. He scrolls all the way to the top, not reading anything as he does. He reads the date of when Yuri got the first text...
It was the night before they were on their way to Thailand...the panic attack...
This was the cause.
Phichit felt like throwing up.
He braced himself as he read the texts.
~~~~~~~~~~
'Hello Yulia.'
~~~~~~~~~~
Phichit's eyes go wide, his mouth falls open. That was Yuri's dead-name...one that no one other than the skaters (including Isabella), Yakov, and Lilia knew...
He kept reading with a lump in his throat.
~~~~~~~~~
'Your friend may have stopped the image from being proven as truth'
~~~~~~~~~
...Him...He stopped the image from being taken as a fact and this person...this person knew- THIS WAS THE SAME PERSON WHO TOOK THE PICTURE AND LEAKED IT!
~~~~~~~~~
'But who says it's over?'
'You better stay quiet'
'After all, silence is golden, isn't it?'
'We'll keep in touch'
'Yulia'
~~~~~~~~~~~
So it's true. This was a personal threat.
But why was 'silence is golden' said as an old phrase...almost like Yuri knows it from somewhere...or someone!
Phichit makes a mental reminder to ask about it as he takes a screenshot of the texts and the date.
Anger flares inside of him, he's never felt so angry. Not only did this person dead-name Yuri, they also threatened him!
Wait...Only the skaters and Yuri's coaches knew of his dead-name...only they knew about what happened to Yuri, the Russians more than the rest...no- no! No! This person can't be one of them behind a new account! It just can't! They all love and care about Yuri, why would anyone of them do this to him?! Snap out of it Phichit!
...But what if these texts are from one of them- no! He can't think like that with only these first few texts.
So Phichit goes back to reading.
The next set of dates are the day Yuri was in Thailand...they were the five texts Phichit had ignored as Yuri took a nap.
~~~~~~~~~~~
'Enjoy the family you made up'
'Not that they actually care'
~~~~~~~~~~
Phichit grit his teeth at that.
~~~~~~~~~~
'You're so obvious'
'Best keep your mouth shut'
'You don't want to say anything to make them leave you'
'Just like so many others'
'Don't you?'
'Yulia'
~~~~~~~~~
There's the dead-name again...
'Just like so many others'- what does that mean? Who left after Yuri (as they put it) 'didn't keep his mouth shut'?!
Wait-
Phichit grabs his camera beside him. The one he used to film the day of his Top Surgery. He fast forwards to that one moment at breakfast with Yuri, Yuuri, and Viktor.
Viktor: "I finished eating, now I'm waiting. The pancakes were really delicious, darling." He stands by Yuuri and the camera picks up a kiss sound from behind it.
Phichit: "Really? Right in front of my pancakes?"
Yuri starts laughing with his adoptive parents as he scrolls through his phone. Soon, his face goes into a frown as he opens something up. Yuuri looks away from Viktor and glances at Yuri.
Yuuri: "...Yura, are you alright?"
Yuri looks up and takes a small worried glance at his phone screen: "Uh, yeah, I'm fine, just saw something weird. Not a big deal. Anyway, when do we leave for Phichit's top surgery?"
Yuuri: "Alright...but if there's anything wrong, you can tell us, okay?"
Phichit pauses the video.
It was right there. The clues were all there. Isabella had said that he didn't react to the other texts as he did with the first few, but he did. They just didn't notice.
Phichit uploads the Top Surgery video to his computer to edit that clip out before taking a screenshot of the texts from that day, date included again. After all that's done, he goes back to the private messages, but none are shows to come until the night they skaters brought it all up.
Odd...Phichit then remembered the day before. Before the podium family had went back to Russia, Yuri was acting a bit weird. Phichit goes to the groupchat and scrolls back.
Yuuri K.: Yuri Nikolai Katsuki-Nikiforov ex Plistesky, Ice Tiger of Russia, dubbed Ice Fairy by fans and my adopted son that I love very much but is #done with atm
Confusion: ...
Yuuri K.: Kitchen now
Confusion: ... Mama?
Yuuri K.: I made you hot chocolate
Yuuri K.: Come on
Confusion: ... okay
Yuuri K.: Yuri, are you alright?
Confusion: Tired
Yuuri K.: Aw baby, come here
Phichit took a screenshot of this. Yuri sounded so confused, so hurt. Something happened. He was asking for his mama, Yuuri, as if he didn't think he was real.
Almost like the texts from the morning of the Top Surgery got to him on that night and he went to another app to stop his mind from actually thinking about it...
Phichit made a folder on his computer, naming it 'evidence'. He put the three screenshots he took and the edited clip in there as well as the video Yuuri sent of him flinching. The lump in his throat was so hard to swallow. But he pushed past that and went through the rest of the private messages.
The next couple were the ones Yuuri had mentioned on the groupchat when they got home.
Yuuri K.: When we landed and turned on our phones, Yuri's phone went off like twelve times????
Yuuri K.: And they're private messages on Insta
Phichit was now going to see those twelve messages...except...there were fifteen. That meant that this person messaged him another three times after Yuuri had told the groupchat about it.
Phichit took a deep breath before reading through them.
~~~~~~~~~
Yulia, Yulia, Yulia~'
'Still believing in the fairytale of you being a boy'
'Come off it, you are a girl!'
~~~~~~~~
Phichit couldn't even his his anger anymore, he clutched his mouse so hard his hand turned white.
~~~~~~~~
Your friend may have gotten that silly surgery but you won't'
'Why would you?'
'Yulia'
~~~~~~~~~
'No.' Phichit thought, anger boiling to its limits: 'He will get that surgery one day! Shut the fuck up.'
~~~~~~~~~~
'You're pathetic if you think any of your so called friends actually care'
'Would they like you if they knew?'
'Knew about ... that...'
'You know what I mean'
'And you know the answer would be no'
~~~~~~~~~
...
Wait what?!
What's 'that'? What wouldn't they like him for?!
Jesus, this really is a personal threat. This person clearly knows more about Yuri than Phichit and the skaters...the skaters...
No! No Phichit, just because the Russian skaters know a bit more than you do, doesn't mean that they're this stranger! Come off it!
God, he's going insane. He takes a screnshot of these texts and the date before moving to the last few texts, trying to keep that dark thought away.
~~~~~~~~~~
Because you're not worth staying with after that'
~~~~~~~~~~
What the hell are they talking about?! What had Yuri done that's so bad?!
~~~~~~~~~~~
'Yulia, wake up'
'This is the real world'
'All you have will be gone because it was never there'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phichit didn't even notice the tears falling. These were horrible. It's worse when he knows that Yuri knows what this person is talking about. Some secret.
As he takes the final screenshot, he remembers that this was the same night he noticed Yuri hadn't posted anything for two weeks. It all came crashing down.
And the flinch from before! What could possibly-...
...
...
No...no it couldn't be...
Mila: ... Yuri hasn't flinched in years...
He flinched when Viktor raised his hand...Viktor who had found out first about Yuri's troubles...he knows Yuri and should know him now the most as his legal parent-
NO! No! Stop it Phichit! This isn't Viktor, wake the fuck up! Viktor wasn't the one who leaked Yuri's photo. It can't be him.
But then who?
Why would Yuri flinch at Viktor-...
Oh...Oh no...
Phichit gasps, as if a knife had just stabbed through him. His tears keep falling as he grabs his phone and enters the groupchat.
~~~~~~~~~
Phichit: gys...
Phichit: guys, this s going to coiurt
~~~~~~~~
Phichit wipes his tears to see better. He keeps typing...
~~~~~~~~
Phichit: This isn't some stranger
Phichit: I have evidence to believe that the person threatning Yuri is...his parents
Phichit: They're threatning Yuri again
~~~~~~~~~
And with that final text, he sends the folder of evidence to the group. This wasn't a joking manner. This was dead serious. Yuri is in dire need of help.
Phichit wishes he could go back in time to when the texts first appeared, he should have hacked Yuri's account sooner.
But one question still remains...
What are they using to threaten Yuri? What had he done? What had he done so bad that it would make the skaters leave him?
A big part of Phichit wished to never know.
And a small part, one he tried to ignore, told him that they would find out sooner than he would have liked.