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Post by marsha on Feb 1, 2009 4:35:19 GMT -5
Parker smiled for Danil, "When has withdrawing ever been an option? Let's see what the doctor has to say first."
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Post by Angela on Feb 1, 2009 4:48:31 GMT -5
Danil smiled, relieved. He reached up and dried his eyes. He was still trembling a little.
They finally managed to be seen by medical personel. They sent him to be X-rayed. After that, they had him say in a room. He insisted that only Parker stay with him. All he could think of was a pairs skater whose partner's skate had crashed into her head. It happened in the late '80s, and the girl had died after being in a coma for several months afterward. Danil couldn't bear the thought of dying. He wasn't afraid of it for his own sake, it was those left behind he was worried about. He really wants to kill me, they both want to kill me... What would happen to Parker, his newborn nephews, Slava, Rita, Zhenya, Katya, his father, Lily, Iris, Kyo, Nic, and most importantly, Peter?
"There's nothing we can do about them... He could have killed me... If he hit my head instead of my hip-" So much for no more tears, for they started to fall once again. He buried his head in Parker's chest. He hated to be seen this way.
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Post by marsha on Feb 1, 2009 4:52:31 GMT -5
"This is out of our hands for the moment, but I swear to you that they'll be punished for harming you. They were stupid to even try this. It will all come back to them." Parker vowed, trying not to sound as angry as he was. "What did he think would happen? Even with one leg you'd still out skate him."
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Post by Angela on Feb 1, 2009 5:24:50 GMT -5
Danil laughed a little through his sobs. "Thanks, Parker... I need t hear that right now." He pulled away and dried his tears, looking at the door, and sure enough a doctor was coming in with a folder.
"Danil Andreievich," he said, "I am sorry we had to meet under these circumstances. You are a beacon in your sport. I've looked at your x-rays. You have a hematoma on your right hip. We're going to keep you for tonight, and keep an eye on it. I would not suggest moving. If you need anything, just call the nurse with this button." He pointed to the call button. "Really there's nothing else that can be done."
Danil frowned. The next day was the short program. "When can I skate again?" he asked.
The doctor was quiet for a moment. "Really any rigorous activity would be rather risky for this injury. If you were to damage it again, you could end up suffering from internal bleeding. Your hip is already swelling. We'll do what we can to get that down, but if it doesn't drain then I'm afraid we'll have to surgically remove it."
Danil's throat tightened. He had never had surgery in his life, regardless of how many injuries he had sustained. The idea scared him.
He gave a brief rundown about his condition and the care he would be given so long as he was in the hospital. So far, it was just to be overnight. They would give him painkillers if he needed them. Danil was starting to be used to the pain, so he shook his head at the offer.
"I must be shielded from the media, please," he added, and the doctor nodded.
"We'll see to it that you have all the privacy you need."
After he left, a few minutes later, after answering some further questions, Danil looked at Parker. "Can you call Peter? I don't want him to hear this from someone else. Don't scare him, please. And Parker, I'd like to keep the possibility of withdrawing open... This is my non-scoring event, and if it is too risky to skate, then there is no sense in skating. But don't withdraw me just yet. We'll see how things are tomorrow."
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Post by marsha on Feb 1, 2009 21:07:29 GMT -5
"Of course I'll call him," Parker said with a smile. "Let's see how you feel in the morning, If you really feel you can't skate, we'll go home. If you want to still try, of course I'll support you." Parkers patted Danil on the back. "I'll be back." In the hall he dialed Peter's phone. "Hey, Peter."
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 1, 2009 22:42:49 GMT -5
Kyo was in the waiting room of the hospital Danil had been taken to after his injury on the ice. Kyo had been waiting for quite some time without yet hearing a word on Danil's condition. He was getting a little scared. He didn't know how serious his host father's injury was--when he had tried to speak with him back at the rink, the clearest thing he could remember was Danil's pained expression among the tons of flashing bulbs. Danil had been unable to respond to him, and Kyo assumed it was because he had been so pained. Now he sat in the waiting room and he was still a little scared. Even if one of Danil's doctors did walk by, he wouldn't be able to find out much. His Russian was extremely limited, and he no longer had Danil here to translate for him. He pondered calling home to talk to Peter, but he knew that would be a horrible idea. It seemed likely that Danil would have called Peter to let him know what had happened, and there was no need to worry his other host father anymore than he was sure he already was.
Kyo didn't want to move because he was afraid someone would come out for him and find he wasn't there. Eventually, when it seemed a great deal more time had passed and no one had come for him, he decided to get up and wander around a bit to walk off his nerves. The whole hospital was bustling with activity--people running to and from different rooms, secretaries at the desks hastily scribbling out notes and taking telephone calls...Everything was being said in Russian, so Kyo had to use his imagination to try to understand what was going on. It made him even sadder to see that the hospital was almost as full as the rink he had been at a couple of hours ago.
He shook his head. "Sooo many sick people...sooo sad..."
Watching one of the secretaries making another phone call, Kyo got an idea. Of course, he would have to run it by Danil first--and that could take some time. He didn't want to walk into Danil's room uninvited, especially if his caretaker was truly unwell. But it couldn't hurt to do what he was thinking of doing.
He pulled his cellphone out of his jacket pocket. He was going to text Nicholas. He imagined Peter would already have told him what was going on, and in a way, he wondered if it would be rude of him to bother the other boy, considering he always seemed to be very busy...but he really felt stuck in a rut and unsure of what to do. He would feel a little better talking to his friend.
Kyo's English skills with the cellphone were not so good, but he typed in his message, set "にこさん" as the resident, then clicked send.
Nic would get the following message: "Nic, think u must have herd news. Danil is so sick. Not sure what to do, alone, wish to talk to you."
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Post by Angela on Feb 2, 2009 0:56:30 GMT -5
Danil smiled as his gaze followed Parker out of the room. He moved slightly so that he was on his left side, and lay down, trying to make himself more comfortable. Cloing his eyes, he sighed. What a day.
**********************
At home, Peter had just gotten up when he heard his cell phone ringing. "Hello?" he asked. He figured it was Danil but when he looked at the Caller ID he saw that it was Parkier. "What's up?" He was completely oblivious, despite Zhenya having left some voice mails about what happened.
****************************
Zhenya was in the waiting room with Kyo, pacing back and forth. He saw Kyo get up and walk around, and figured that he was just letting off some steam, like himself. He felt bad for the boy, and wondered if he truly understood what was going on. Finally, Dr. Liev Tiomkin came out and spoke to Zhenya, who in Russia was the next-of-kin. Zhenya sat down and put his head in his hand after Dr. Tiomkin left. He had to tell Andrei.
After a long phone call with him in another room, Zhenya managed to console the horrified father. He called Peter, but he only got his voice mail. He went back to the waiting room, and was shocked to see that Kyo was not in the waiting room anymore. He went looking for him and eventually found him near a nurse's station.
"Kyo? Are you all right?" He sighed. "I'm sorry for walking away. I needed to inform Danil's father."
(Zhenya's call to Peter happens before Peter wakes up, Parker's call of course happens when he is awake)
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 5, 2009 21:37:09 GMT -5
"Kyo? Are you all right?" He sighed. "I'm sorry for walking away. I needed to inform Danil's father."
Kyo spun around quickly. He had figured someone would come looking for him the instant he ran off. He felt like a little kid who should have been latched to his parent's arm. He felt bad for running off...but he had been so troubled. He just needed to stretch his legs and...move...
He bowed his head. "I am very sorry. I did not wish to run off. Just very anxious to know what-uh will happen to my host fa-dzer." He wiped a hand a cross his brow. "Sometimes walking helps me become more patient and less trouble. So I got up to walk. You are upset?"
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Post by Angela on Feb 8, 2009 0:30:17 GMT -5
Zhenya looked at him piteously. "Oh, Kyo..." He put his arm around him to comfort him. "I am not upset. I'm just glad that I found you. But I am sure you would have found your way back anyway. Look... I honestly don't think that Danil wants to see us right now. He doesn't like anyone to see him in pain or upset. I think walking around is a great way to relieve stress. We'll walk together, shall we?" They walked around the hospital, stopping at various points to look around and talk. Anxious for a quiet place, Zhenya found his way with Kyo to the maternity ward. "You know this is Danil's hometown. He was born and raised here. As a matter of fact, his mother brought me here one day, and said that right there-" He pointed to a bassonet in the large window. "- was where he was first placed after he was born. His mother and I shared a lot of wonderful times..." Zhenya sighed, and said nothing for several minutes.
(ok, this is November, which means that Kyo would know of Anya's death since that was revealed in October to him at Zhenya's show)
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 9, 2009 20:59:54 GMT -5
Kyo was surprised. His eyes widened. "Honto desuka?" He shook his head. "Sorry...really? So surprised--I believed that he was born in Russia." Then he realized how upset Zhenya was and instantly felt bad. Here he was asking goofy questions and Zhenya was obviously reflecting on a very sad past.
"I am sorry," Kyo repeated softly. "But if it be consolation, I think maybe she would also say the same about you. Even though I do not know her." He smiled a little and patted his gut. "Just a feeling I get."
Kyo knew so much about his host's family now that he could very likely have written a mini-biography on him. It upset him to see Zhenya like this, but he was also having a hard time trying to find what to say. He was still so preoccupied with everything that had happened earlier...it kept getting replayed back to him in his head and it wouldn't stop. People would tell him this wasn't true, but Kyo got the feeling that Danil's injury was the result of his confrontation with Ivan Shotsky.
He looked up at Zhenya.
No...no, he couldn't ask him that now. Not when he was like this and certainly not when Danil was so sick.
He decided to change the topic. "I sent a message to Nic-o-san. I can be out of the way so soon, you will not even know Kyo was here. We can visit Japan another time when everyone is better, hai?"
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Post by Angela on Feb 9, 2009 22:50:01 GMT -5
Zhenya rubbed Kyo's back. "Oh, Kyo, it's all right. Danil will surely be well in time for the NHK. And whether he can skate or not, I am sure he would want to go anyway." He patted his shoulder. "I'm just so angry at Kovalev. I could kill him myself. I wish I had the ability. He's been after him for years." He let out a deep breath. "I remember the first time, he tried colliding with him on purpose. He succeeded in knocking him down then too, but he did not get hurt. I swear... I swear he shall not get away with this," he said. He looked to Kyo, and realized that he had not translated Dr. Tiomkin's earlier words to him. He explained, as generally as he could, what had happened to Danil, and his condition.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 10, 2009 22:40:56 GMT -5
Kyo shook his head. He wanted to be a little more insistent, he wanted to get himself out of the way at this time. Obviously the family was going through a very crucial moment together, fighting through what seemed a lifelong rivalry with another skater. Kyo understood Danil's plight to the best of his ability, and for that reason, he knew he would be less of a nuisance around his host just now. Pushing through all the reporters to get to Danil what seemed a number of hours ago now, had given Kyo the feeling he was in the way. He didn't want that feeling.
"Mr. Zhenya...please do not-ah feel this way. He is very bad man, this is true. But things will go on and on like they are now if each opponent continues to attack the other, out of revenge." Kyo sighed. "Ano...(Um)...I must be honest, that I feel bad to be here now and be in the way. I wrote to Ni-co-san...when he respond-ehs, I tell you, I can be on the way home very quickly. It will give you alone family time. Danil..."
He sighed again, heavily, rubbing his tired eyes with his hands.
"Zhenya, I must go home. It is my fault Danil is now so hurt. I am worried for him and I wish to stay, but I have been very confused lately, not really sure what I am doing. I do not want to make another mistake. Please allow me to return home as soon as possible? I will explain Danil when he gets back." Kyo was adamant about this, yet he looked to Zhenya for approval.
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Post by Angela on Feb 13, 2009 1:14:00 GMT -5
Zhenya looked at Kyo, a shocked expressin on his face. Oh no. This would devastate Danil. Being without Peter was bad enough. He could not let Kyo leave him too. "Well, with Peter home I suppose that would e all right... I cannot speak for Danil directly, but if I were in his position... I would really want everyone I cared about to be with me." He put his arm around Kyo. "I really hope you think about this carefully. How could this possibly be your fault? Kovalev is the one who attacked Danil, because he is a prejudiced idiot who is jealous of Danil's glory and acceptance. You had nothing at all to do with his attack. This was not your mistake. This was Kovalev's, and his coach is also to blame."
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Feb 13, 2009 2:25:52 GMT -5
Tagged by Kyo! Nicholas was finishing up with his schoolwork before the Thanksgiving break. While there was a lot of work for him to do (much of which he was meant to do during the break), he had made plans to ensure that he would be done with all his work before the time came. He wanted to devote as much time as he could to being with his father. The last thing he needed was to be stuck in his room, focusing on an essay about Greek philosophical thought. The house now seemed pretty empty. Danil had taken Kyo to Russia with him, for Danil's big skating competition. Kyo had been very excited about the trip. Peter was also excited for his husband. Unfortunately, like Nicholas, Peter had to stay behind also--not only to take care of the house in Danil's absence, but to continue his work at college. And yet, even though Peter was at home with Nicholas, the house still had an empty feeling to it. It was late at night--it had to be at least 1:30AM--and Nicholas was still working on his schoolwork. He'd been staying up until about 4:00AM every night for the past few nights. While he knew it wouldn't be in his best favor to stay up extremely late, then have to get up for school the next day, he also had made that promise to himself to complete all his homework before the break. He was doing everything in his power to make sure he met that goal. Of course, he was having a difficult time. As he read through a 60-page handout about "Mathematics in the Real World", his eyelids began to droop. He absent-mindedly reached out with one hand for the thermos full of coffee near the edge of his desk, willing himself to stay awake, but instead he overshot and somehow managed to knock the thermos off of the desk. The thought of coffee all over Danil and Peter's hard-wood floor suddenly brought him back to his senses. He shot up in his chair, then dove to the floor, grabbing his box of tissues and pulling a large amount of the tissues out. He threw these on top of the spilled coffee, then wiped up the mess. His movements were sluggish, and he realized that he was falling asleep as he tried to clean up the mess. Somehow, without really thinking about his decision, Nicholas decided that it would be okay for him to take a "quick nap" and then get back to his schoolwork. Instead of going to lay down on his bed--only a few feet away--however, he instead rested with his back against the side of his desk, his head also against the cool surface of the wood. In a matter of a seconds, his eyes closed and he became unconscious with sleep. Until his phone vibrated. Nicholas always wore his phone with him--even to bed. The only exception to this was when he was at home. The reason why he kept his phone close was because he was constantly worried about an emergency--especially an emergency regarding his dad. If his dad ever needed to text him in a hurry, Nicholas needed to have the phone nearby to feel it vibrating--to know that someone was calling. He had not yet ever been in a situation where he needed the phone in an emergency, but he felt it was better to be safe than sorry. At first, the vibrating did not wake him up. The phone was attacked to the inside of the collar of his shirt, so he could feel the vibration against his bare skin. He could feel the strange sensation, even in his sleep. But, at first, it did not wake him up. After it had been vibrating for several minutes, however, Nicholas finally woke up. It took a moment for Nicholas to fully "wake up". He opened his eyes groggily, sensing that something was wrong. He looked down, his eyes still half-closed, and saw the coffee spill, covered by a wad of tissues. Ahead of him was the wall to his room, and farther left on the wall was the door into the attic's main room. His bedroom was bathed by the warm light of his desk lamp. Outside, the sky was extremely dark. He wondered how long he had slept, but didn't have the strength yet to get up and check his alarm clock. That was when he realized that his phone was vibrating. Reaching up slowly, he pulled the phone out of his shirt, feeling a little confused and disoriented. He checked the Sender Name and saw that it said "Kyo." He frowned. Why would Kyo call at a time like this? Unless he had forgotten how early it would be back in Pennsylvania compared to Russia? Clicking "Open Message," Nicholas tried to wake himself up. He waited for the phone to process his request, then read what Kyo had written. Nic, think u must have herd news. Danil is so sick. Not sure what to do, alone, wish to talk to you.Wait. What had happened? Danil was sick? Wasn't Danil supposed to be out on the ice right now, competing? And what did Kyo mean, he was "alone"? Suddenly, Nicholas felt much more awake. He sat up against the side of his desk, then hit "Reply" on his phone. He wasn't sure when Kyo had written the message, but he knew he had been asleep for some time after the message had been sent. After all, he had felt the phone vibrating against him in his sleep, but hadn't officially noticed it until a few minutes ago. When he got to the reply screen, he typed a response back as fast as he could. Though he normally typed grammatically correct, he felt that this was an urgent case and decided to use as much chat speak as he needed to convey the message ASAP. "No, havent heard. Why r u alone? Try to stay in safe area. Plz write back fast. Nic." He sent the message as quickly as he could, then breathed in sharply. It sounded like Kyo was very scared and, suddenly, Nic was scared for him and Danil. What had happened that Danil would have to leave Kyo by himself? Nicholas knew that Danil was very protective and would never even consider leaving Kyo alone in a place as big as Russia. Something very, very bad would have had to happen. Nicholas' stomach was suddenly tying itself in knots. He didn't know if it was because of what he had just read or because he had drank so many cups of coffee, but suddenly he really had to go to the bathroom. Completely awake now, he clipped the phone back to the lapel of his shirt, picked up the coffee-covered tissues, and made his way to the bathroom.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Feb 14, 2009 0:35:17 GMT -5
Kyo saw the shocked look on Zhenya's face and immediately knew he had said the wrong thing. He knew what Danil's brother would say next, and he knew that he would agree. He had been raised to respect his elders, to listen to authority, and even if he felt that he was useless here and was partly to blame, and desired to go home, he would not do it if Zhenya or Danil did not want him to.
"Kyo... you will have to discuss this with Danil and Peter, they are your host parents. I cannot speak for Danil directly, but if I were in his position... I would really want everyone I cared about to be with me." He put his arm around Kyo.
Kyo felt sad. The fact was that he wasn't with Danil. Waiting out in the waiting room, wandering aimlessly around the hospital while doing more waiting to find out Danil's condition...he wasn't with Danil. In fact, he doubted he would be allowed to see his host father with the condition he was apparently in. He just wanted to go home...and be out of the way. This had certainly not turned out as he had expected.
However, he merely nodded his head. "Hai...okay."
"I really hope you think about this carefully. How could this possibly be your fault? Kovalev is the one who attacked Danil, because he is a prejudiced idiot who is jealous of Danil's glory and acceptance. You had nothing at all to do with his attack. This was not your mistake. This was Kovalev's, and his coach is also to blame."
Kyo managed to stop himself from bringing up his encounter with Kovalev's coach, the one who was "supposedly" to blame. It really did make sense...Kyo had somehow upset both Danil and Ivan Shotsky...the result? Danil's injury. But he doubted Zhenya would believe him.
Then, almost like some sort of respite from his dark thoughts, Kyo felt his cellphone vibrate. Nic must have written back!
Yes, Nic had written back, and Kyo felt both relieved and sympathetic at once. He was happy to hear from his other friend back home, he didn't doubt Nic would try to help out in any way he could. However, he regretted worrying someone else, and it occurred to him that it had to be very early back in Pittsburgh.
"No, havent heard. Why r u alone? Try to stay in safe area. Plz write back fast. Nic."
Kyo studied the message for a while, then turned to Zhenya. "Zhenya, I am sorry...I will be back in short-est-ah moment. I just need to send message." He waved to Zhenya then hurried away from the area, typing rapidly as he went.
"So sorry to worry you, no longer alone. Zhenya with me and safe. Very sorry. wont let see danil, seems all right. Do not think can come home. Thanks!"
He hit send, sighed, and leaned against a bare hospital wall. What was he doing, worrying everyone like this? Poor Nic had schoolwork to do too... This was getting worse and worse.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Feb 15, 2009 1:58:35 GMT -5
Immediately after Nicholas left the bathroom, his phone began vibrating again. Kyo had written back as quickly as Nicholas could have hoped. Unclipping the phone once more, he hit "Open" on the main screen and read Kyo's latest message.
So sorry to worry you, no longer alone. Zhenya with me and safe. Very sorry. wont let see danil, seems all right. Do not think can come home. Thanks!"
Nicholas read the message, then reread it. His brain felt fuzzy for some reason, and he was having a hard time comprehending. So now Kyo was okay? He was with someone and was "safe". Nicholas had only met Zhenya a few times before, but he seemed like a good enough guy. He guessed Kyo would be okay in the other man's hands.
But he couldn't help wondering...why wouldn't they let Kyo see Danil? Could it be that something so bad had happened that "family members" were not even allowed in to visit him?
One more thing bothered him to. What was that last part about? Do not think can come home. After reading this, Nicholas couldn't help thinking that Kyo must have wanted to go home. After all, why would he say something like that? Nicholas hadn't mentioned Kyo coming back home at all. And yet, now that he thought about it, this seemed the most plausible thing. If they weren't letting Kyo in to see Danil and were forcing him to be alone somewhere in the hospital (even if Zhenya was with him, he wasn't his host father), why shouldn't he come home?
Suddenly, Nicholas was eager to help. It occurred to him that if Danil had been hurt, Peter would know by now. The phone had probably been ringing downstairs and Peter was most likely awake. Hitting the "Reply" button quickly, he sent a message back to Kyo before he went downstairs to see if Peter was awake.
OK, stay with Zhenya. Do NOT leave hospital. Talk soon. Nic
After sending the message, Nicholas returned the phone to its usual place, then rushed down the stairs. He felt a little disoriented at first, moving so fast, but with a quick shake of his head, he regained his senses.
The first place he went to was Peter's bedroom. He knocked on the door before entering, then peered inside. The bed was empty, the sheets peeled back as though someone had gotten out of bed in a rush. Peter had to be awake.
Nicholas made his way to the main floor, checking in the living room and the nearby rooms, only to find them all empty. He passed through the dining room and moved into the kitchen, and that was where he found Peter.
Peter was seated at the table, still in his pajamas, and he was crying. Beside him was the phone, by which he had obviously found out what had happened to Danil. Nicholas immediately became concerned.
"Wei...wei," he said gently, moving further into the room. He pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and sat down beside Peter. Looking the other man directly in the eyes, he spoke again, "It's okay...It's okay," he said softly, soothingly. He rubbed Peter's back, trying to make him feel a little better. He actually didn't know the situation at all and couldn't really judge whether everything was okay or not, but he was hoping he could make Peter feel a little comforted by showing he cared.
"What happened?" he added, slowly, not wanting to rush Peter into an explanation. He knew that, for the moment, he would have to wait to talk about Kyo.
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Post by Angela on Feb 27, 2009 1:28:25 GMT -5
(Marsha, anytime you like you can have Parker go and get Kyo and bring him to Danil!)
****************************
Peter had been sound asleep for about two hours. It had been a miserable night of studying. He missed Danil terribly. Things at school were tougher now that he was almost a year away from his Bachelor's Degree in Education. Just when he thought he would finally get some sleep, he turned out to be wrong. The phone rang less than two hours after he had closed his eyes. Annoyed, Peter listened patiently as Parker described the events of that morning in Russia. When he revealed that Danil was hurt, Peter immediately sat up and started asking Parker to repeat what he had said.
(hope you don't mind I borrowed Parker a bit)
"Kovalev collided with Danil during practice. Danil has a hematoma on his right hip. We won't know the effects of it until morning. He should be okay," Parker had tried to reassure him, and spent the next half hour trying to comfort Peter.
Finally, Peter let Parker go, and got up, unable to sleep again, though he was exhausted. He did not bothere to put anything more than his boxers on as clothing, and he did not care that his bed was a mess. He needed to distract himself from what Parker had just told him, that was all he knew. He went to the kitchen, the phone still in his hand, and sat in the dim kitchen, not even bothering t turn on the light.
He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but finally he was surprised to hear Nic's voice and felt his gentle comforting touch on his back. He turned and faced him, grateful for the comfort he was being shown.
"Danil was hurt in practice. On purpose. By a skater who's tried to hurt him before," he told Nic, still shaking with grief.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Feb 27, 2009 2:17:35 GMT -5
"Danil was hurt in practice. On purpose. By a skater who's tried to hurt him before," he told Nic, still shaking with grief.
Nicholas was suddenly very surprised. Of course he knew Danil was hurt...but on purpose? He couldn't understand why someone would intentionally want to hurt the famous skater. Sure, Danil was probably the biggest competition there, but still...he'd never heard of figure skaters injuring each other beforehand, just so they could win. Not to mention, Danil was such a warm, kind-hearted person. It didn't seem like anyone would have a reason to hurt him--or want to hurt him.
Then again, Nicholas reminded himself, sometimes people didn't have reasons for hurting others. They just did.
He didn't speak for a moment after Peter had spoken. It was hard to find suitable words to say. He didn't want to press the topic--to make Peter repeat in what way Danil was hurt--but perhaps just talking in general would help Peter feel better.
He sighed. "Do you know the skater who hurt him?" There was another pause. "Do you know why he would want to hurt him?" His voice was even softer than before, even more gentle. Inside, he felt awful that something so horrible had happened to Danil. Danil had been so excited for the competition and had been working so hard (Nicholas often saw him practicing at the rink--sometimes when he was on his lunch break, he would go and watch). He also knew that Kyo had been excited for the competition, too. It seemed a terrible coincidence that Danil would be injured before the competition had even started.
"You...don't have to talk if you don't want to," Nicholas added, realizing that perhaps Peter wanted to be alone.
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Post by Angela on Feb 27, 2009 2:44:48 GMT -5
Peter sighed, putting his head on Nic's shoulder. It was just nice knowing that he was close to someone who cared. He took a breath, putting his hand to his face to wipe away some more of the tears that had come to him.
"Russia is a dangerous place for gays. Not as dangerous as the Middle East, but it's still bad. Kovalev, I've never met him, but he's not a bad skater. He's nowhere near the skater Danil is. Hell, Rodowsky is better than he is," he mused. "Kovalev collided with Danil on purpose because he hates the fact that he is such a respected skater who happens to be gay. That's all it really comes down to."
Peter sighed once more. "I want to be there with him so much... He has a hematoma on his right hip. Doctor says he will have to see how things are tomorrow to see when he can come home." His throat tightened. "If the swelling doesn't go down fast enough, they might have to do surgery."
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Feb 27, 2009 3:30:40 GMT -5
Peter was obviously distraught. The other man rested his head on Nicholas' shoulder, sighing. Nicholas, sitting at an awkward angle, shifted his position in his chair, trying to accommodate him.
"Russia is a dangerous place for gays. Not as dangerous as the Middle East, but it's still bad. Kovalev, I've never met him, but he's not a bad skater. He's nowhere near the skater Danil is. Hell, Rodowsky is better than he is," he mused. "Kovalev collided with Danil on purpose because he hates the fact that he is such a respected skater who happens to be gay. That's all it really comes down to."
Nicholas didn't know Kovalev nor Rodowsky, but he could believe they were nothing compared to Danil. Danil made it seem like skating was so easy. Watching him on the ice, it seemed like he was gliding so smoothly. To those who knew the whole mechanics behind skating, Danil really made skating an art form.
Worse still was that the whole incident was due not only to Danil's talent, but also because of a prejudice against his sexual orientation. Nicholas had seen far too much prejudice in his lifetime. He actually found himself a little angry that all of this was because Danil was a successful, popular homosexual.
And yet, despite his feelings, Nicholas did not say anything. He knew that agreeing could not comfort Peter. This was definitely a time where he should listen.
Peter sighed once more. "I want to be there with him so much... He has a hematoma on his right hip. Doctor says he will have to see how things are tomorrow to see when he can come home." His throat tightened. "If the swelling doesn't go down fast enough, they might have to do surgery."
Nicholas froze. A hematoma...
After the accident--after Nicholas was calm enough and well enough--his father had told him what had happened while he had been unconscious in the hospital. Apparently, after the beating to the head, the doctors had believed he'd developed a hematoma. They'd been so sure that he wasn't going to make it, but...
He felt a chill course through his body but fought to stop himself from shivering. If he did, he knew Peter would feel it too. While it might not seem as dangerous that Danil's hematoma was located in his hip, Nicholas knew the situation had to be serious. If it got serious enough, Danil's career as a skater could be over...for good.
Nicholas swallowed hard. He inhaled and exhaled slower than normal, looking toward the far end of the kitchen. This whole situation...this was so bad. He could only imagine what Kyo was going through, unsure of the situation, isolated in a country so far away from home and different from anything he knew. This was all so bad.
Unsure of what else to say, Nicholas paused, then said softly, "...And the competition?" He hoped Peter couldn't sense a change in the way he was speaking.
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Post by Angela on Mar 2, 2009 23:32:05 GMT -5
Peter pulled away and put two fingers to his eyes to calm himself. "I didn't ask," he admitted. "I don't give a damn about this stupid competition. I just want Danil to be okay and to come home." He took another deep breath, and sighed once more. "I did ask how Kyo was though. He saw it. He isn't with Parker, he's with Zhenya right now, at least that's what I'm assuming." He got up and walked over to the living room, turning on the light. He touched a photograph that was placed in the middle of the fireplace.
The photograph was of Peter and Danil, their arms around each other, facing the camera. They were wearinn fancy tuxedos, and the background was a forest and a river. Below the photograph, in fancy cursive script, were the words "Forever United, Danil & Peter, April 15th, 2008."
"I begged him not to skate anymore. He has the Olympics and three World Championships. What more can he possibly want?"
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Mar 12, 2009 10:43:44 GMT -5
Peter pulled away and put two fingers to his eyes to calm himself. "I didn't ask," he admitted. "I don't give a damn about this stupid competition. I just want Danil to be okay and to come home."
Nicholas completely understood how Peter was feeling. Peter's husband was far away in Russia with an injury that could be potentially fatal--why in the world would he care about a silly competition? It seemed almost ironic that the perfect life Peter and Danil had been leading could so suddenly become destroyed. Nicholas wondered if perhaps he had brought some kind of bad luck upon them by living in their home.
"I did ask how Kyo was though. He saw it. He isn't with Parker, he's with Zhenya right now, at least that's what I'm assuming."
At his words, Nicholas bit his lip. He knew something was wrong with Kyo too. Yes, Kyo was with Zhenya now, but what had happened before? There had been something strange about the text Kyo had sent him. He rubbed his eyes, still feeling exhausted.
He watched as the other man stood up, moving into the living room. At first, Nicholas wasn't sure if the man wanted to be alone. But then, thinking that perhaps Peter was just switching to a more comfortable room and still wanted company, he decided to follow him.
Peter was standing in front of the fireplace, looking at a photograph on the mantelpiece. Nicholas had noticed that photo the first day he had arrived in the home. It was a beautiful picture of Peter and Danil in tuxedos, looking like the happy couple that they usually were.
Nicholas knew that Peter was deeply affected by the news he had just received. Nic was too, even though he was only Danil's friend and house guest.
"I begged him not to skate anymore. He has the Olympics and three World Championships. What more can he possibly want?" Nicholas paused. It was difficult to respond to this. While he understood Peter's side, he also understood Danil's too. What had happened was neither of their faults. It was more than unfortunate that such a disaster had to befall this particular family.
Nicholas sighed. "Sometimes..." he paused again. "Sometimes...when you have a passion, it isn't so easy to just put aside...If you love it enough, you will want to do it for as long as you can, for the rest of your life."
While he knew that Danil probably didn't have plans to skate for the rest of his life, he truly believed that Danil intended to skate for as long as he could. With his talents, Nicholas would have been surprised if he just suddenly gave skating up. Aside from his family, skating was probably Danil's other motivation for living.
"I think..." Nicholas was surprised by how much he was talking, especially considering the fact that he was so tired. "...Danil never intended to hurt you by going to this Championship in Russia. It was just...too much for him to just give up. He really loves you..."
Nicholas felt strange, having this conversation with another man...and yet, the feeling was not as awkward as most people would expect. In many ways, he felt as though he were comforting a brother of his--or how he expected comforting a brother would feel like. Even he was still in shock about what had happened to Danil. He knew now that the best thing he could do was pray...maybe that was all Peter could do right now, too. But he knew that what he really needed to do was find a way to distract Peter's mind off the subject. That...and he needed to find out what was happening with Kyo.
"Can I...can I make you something to drink?" Nicholas asked. Coffee was the first thing that had come to mind, but he thought perhaps Peter would just want milk or water, or something simpler.
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Post by Angela on Mar 13, 2009 16:37:36 GMT -5
Peter sighed, lowering his eyes as he listened to Nic's comments. He knew he was right. It was wrong to ask Danil to give up competing just because he was loonely and scared for his safety. "I guess you're right," he finally said. "I just want to be with him." He sat down. "I'll have some coffee. I know I'll never get back to sleep anyway, so I might as well have caffeine." Peter felt so helpless. He couldn't help Danil here, sitting on his ass! He couldn't just fly to Russia... By the time he got there, Danil will have gotten home. All he could do was wait.
Peter got out a photo album, and started looking through it. It was the wedding album. He pulled out several more large albums, all from their summer-long honeymoon, and set them on the table. Feeling restless again, Peter got up and went to the kitchen. Nic had turned on the light so he could see better while making the coffee. Peter smiled. Nic was not facing him, so Peter moved over to where he was working.
"How about I make some breakfast?" he offered. "Some pancakes?"
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Mar 13, 2009 23:53:17 GMT -5
"I guess you're right," he finally said. "I just want to be with him." He sat down. "I'll have some coffee. I know I'll never get back to sleep anyway, so I might as well have caffeine."
Nicholas wasn't sure if Peter was just saying this to comfort him, but he did feel a little relieved. At least, if he could attempt to take Peter's mind off the situation, perhaps he could lessen Peter's anxiety. He nodded and patted Peter on the back, gently. "Alright. I'll be right back with some coffee," he said softly. He watched Peter for a moment, to make sure the other man really was okay. It just looked like Peter was exhausted and, of course, upset. Feeling it was okay to let Peter have some alone time, Nicholas made his way into the kitchen.
It was at this point that he finally realized that the lights were off in the room. For some reason, he had not made this connection when he had first looked into the room. Perhaps the sight of Peter sitting alone was what had struck him immediately--not the absence of light. Reaching out, he flicked the switch on the wall and the room suddenly became ablaze with light. Outside, the sky was still a melancholy black. Even though it was morning, it was far too early for any of them to be up. Nicholas knew it was going to take some really strong coffee to rid him and Peter of their exhaustion.
He got out a bag of the regular coffee from one of the kitchen cabinets and started preparing some for him and Peter to drink. Just as he was pulling out two coffee mugs, he saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned.
It was Peter.
"How about I make some breakfast?" he offered. "Some pancakes?"
Nicholas hesitated. He didn't want to make Peter do any work. If anything, he hoped to be the one doing things for Peter right now. The poor guy deserved it.
But then it occurred to him that keeping Peter busy was exactly what he needed. Anything to take his mind off his troubles. And Nicholas couldn't deny that he was a little hungry, even if it was ridiculously early in the morning.
He nodded and smiled. "OK. I would appreciate it."
Since the coffee had already started, Nicholas decided it would be okay for him to sit down. He took a seat at the kitchen table once more. The house seemed so lonely without Kyo and Danil here too. It seemed like the animals had almost gone into hiding. They must have missed their master as much as the humans did, if not more.
Hoping for some kind of conversation (because he felt a little uncomfortable with the silence he could sense between the two of them), Nicholas cleared his throat and asked quietly, "So...do you have a lot of midterms to study for? A lot of work in your classes?" He knew that Peter was in his final year of undergraduate college--he was sure to have a workload equal to or larger than Nicholas'.
While he was saying this, he felt his phone vibrating once more. Worried that it was Kyo calling for help, he snapped back to his senses and quickly picked up his phone. But the message was simply a message letting him know that he was running low on his phone balance. He sighed in relief, though once again he was becoming edgy about Kyo. He still wasn't sure that Kyo was really okay.
"I'm...I'm gonna write to Kyo one more time," Nicholas added, forgetting that he had been trying to take Peter's mind off of things. He began typing in a message to Kyo, praying that the other boy wasn't just trying to calm his nerves.
Are you sure youre really okay? Please tell me the truth, bc I feel concern. Nic
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Mar 16, 2009 23:14:13 GMT -5
Kyo folded his phone and stuffed it back into his pocket, with the intention of not bothering Nic again unless he really had to. Right now, he needed to get back to Zhenya, as he had promised. And of course, as Kyo made his way back to the area they had been talking in before, he was unsurprised to find the man still there, looking presumably subconciously into another room. Kyo could understand if the man was lost in his thoughts. He would be too if one of his family members was in the hospital.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Kyo told the other man quickly, bowing slightly. "Important-o message." He raked a hand through his hair and forced a laugh, hoping he could cheer Zhenya up a little. "Ah...I sound like little businessman already, right-o? Is funny..."
Kyo's phone vibrated. His hand automatically went to his pocket, but a second later, he had his eyes closed and was slowly convincing himself to refrain. He wondered if he should have made a New Year's Resolution to not bother with his phone every second it buzzed.
But this could be important, so...
Kyo took out the phone and flipped it open.
Nic had responded, of course.
OK, stay with Zhenya. Do NOT leave hospital. Talk soon. Nic
Kyo sighed. He probably had worried Nic, at least a little. He hoped it wouldn't weigh the other boy down too much. Kyo put the phone away once again and looked up to Zhenya. He didn't know what else there was to do.
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Post by Angela on May 27, 2009 11:01:55 GMT -5
Peter smiled. "It keeps my mind off this, at least I hope it will," he said to Nic as he got out the pancake mix. He started making the batter, and continued, "As for school, I have two more today, and about five mid-terms coming up. I took three already. I got an A- on one, and am waiting to see how the other two went. I think that'll be my best grade though." He shrugged as he continued mixing the batter. He wasn't making much, for the two of them, but he wanted to do it right. Finally he started putting some of the batter on the griddle and sighed.
"I wish he would call me at least," he said quietly, glancing towards Nic so he could read his lips. "I wonder if his family knows... I know I should tell mine... I'll give Mom and Dad a call in a few hours when they get up, and I'll call Andrei and Lily too." It may have sounded as if he were ranting, and he was, to keep his mind from focusing on Kovalev. "I want to kill Kovalev," he said angrily. "Danil would hate me for saying that, but I do." Peter stared at the batter on the griddle for a few minutes, not caring that the pancakes were burning. He didn't care. He was too upset to concentrate on anything, least of all breakfast.
The sound of the telephone brought him out of his stupor. Without taking a second look at the griddle, he went and answered the phone.
"Danil? Zhenya? Parker?" he asked, not sure who it was.
"Oh, no, it's me," Andrei replied. "You are awake. I thought you would be, as you usually are about this time. I take it you know about Danil."
"Yeah. I've been up since 4:30," Peter replied with a sigh, sitting down. "I wasn't sure if anyone called you. I was going to later this morning. I didn't want to wake you."
"Well, Lily and I have not gotten any sleep either, since we were called a half hour ago," Andrei said with a sigh. "Would you like us to come over?"
Peter ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, that would be nice. If it's not too much trouble, you know."
"It's no trouble at all," he said gently. "We'll be over in about a half hour then."
"Okay, we'll be here waiting," Peter said, hanging up. He turned to Nic. "Andrei and Lily are coming over- shit!" He leaped to his feet and rushed over to the griddle, where Nic was working to take care of the burning pancakes. He had everything under control, it seemed. Peter turned on the fan so that the room could be aired out. "You okay?" he asked when things calmed down. "God, I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid." He sat down. "Danil got me into cooking, you know. Before I was in a relationship with him I had no interest in it. Even while we were dating I didn't care about it. Then one day I decided to make him breakfast in bed. I had to call up Zhenya's mother and have her tell me even the most basic things, like how to melt butter in a pan." He shook his head.
(Peter will not tell Nic that he is considering not taking the mid-terms that day, he will talk to Danil soon and Danil will convince him and make him promise to take them)
**********************************************
Zhenya patted Kyo on the shoulder, chuckling as he heard his phone ring.
"Right-o," he teased as he answered it. "Allo? Yes, Parker, he's right with me. No, we haven't left... we're in the maternity ward," he explained quietly. "I brought him. This place makes me happy, seeing all the babies. Oh, absolutely! We'll be right there immediately!" He hung up and turned to Kyo. "Danil is ready to see us, finally."
He took Kyo to Parker, who told them where Danil's room was. Zhenya and Kyo almost ran to see him. Danil was drinking some water, lying on the hospital bed, covered with a light blanket. Underneath, a compress was on his hip, to ease his swelling. He smiled at the two of them, and gestured for them to come in and sit down.
"I'm sorry I wouldn't let you see me earlier," he said. "I didn't want you to see me like this until I understood what was going on. Are you all right, Kyosan?" he asked, taking his hand. "I didn't want to scare you before, but I suppose not knowing is worse. Zhenya, did you look after him?"
Zhenya nodded, pouring Danil some more water from the small nearby pitcher.
"I'm sure Bradley can manage to be on his own for a while," Danil continued, taking the fresh water from Zhenya with thanks. "But you understand, Zhenya, that you have a job to do here."
Zhenya sighed. "You sound like my father," he mused.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on May 31, 2009 21:50:36 GMT -5
Kyo saw Zhenka pick up his phone, speaking enthusiastically to the person on the other end. When he hung up the phone, he returned his gaze to Kyo, smiling.
"Danil is ready to see us, finally."
Kyo felt a lump grow in his throat. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was suddenly very uncomfortable. Oh who was he kidding? He knew what it was. Everything leading up to now had been so nerve-wracking, more so than he had ever experienced in his life. In his mind, he kept reliving that moment of horror when he had been up in the stands, trying so hard to find out what had happened to Danil. He was in a different country, his misunderstanding of the Russian people was mutual, and those moments when the paparazzi had prevented him from really finding out how Danil was doing....It was scary. He wasn't sure he wanted to see Danil now. He was afraid of what he would see.
Kyo suddenly realized how selfish he was being. It didn't matter what he was worried about. Danil wasn't dead. He didn't need to keep acting like he was...That would only make things worse. Kyo finally nodded. "Hai, I am ready."
Not ten minutes later, he was in Danil's room, standing just beside Danil's bed and nervously scratching one arm. Danil wasn't looking as well as he usually did, of course, but he didn't seem to be too bad. It relieved at least a little of Kyo's worries.
"I'm sorry I wouldn't let you see me earlier," he said. "I didn't want you to see me like this until I understood what was going on. Are you all right, Kyosan?" he asked, taking his hand. "I didn't want to scare you before, but I suppose not knowing is worse. Zhenya, did you look after him?" Kyo merely nodded his head, appreciative, but feeling somewhat resentful and selfish, that Danil was still troubling himself over his guest instead of his own health.
The others talked for a short while, none of which Kyo picked up on. He seemed to be off in another world again. Finally Kyo decided he had to ask the question that was bothering him. He felt so out of place here. It would be best if he at least tried. "Danil," he said softly, avoiding the man's gaze. "I do not-ah feel that it is right for me to be here. I am making things much more the difficult for everyone. I do not want to be the trouble. May I return home? If it will not worry you even more?"
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Post by Angela on Jun 2, 2009 2:28:15 GMT -5
Danil almost dropped his water as well as his jaw at Kyo's words. He set his glass on the table and turned his full attention to his surrogate son. "Kyosan... you are not any burden to us. I want you to understand that, and I want it to be made clear. I love you as if you were my own son, and I want you to also understand that this is in no way your fault. You do know that, don't you? I understand that you want to go home... I will not stop you, but I would really like you to stay. I know what happened with Shotsky earlier must have scared you-"
"Shotsky?" Zhenya asked suddenly, alarmed.
"Shotsky met him earlier. Tried to show him how to do a spiral position," Danil explained.
Zhenya slammed his fist on the table, knocking both the glass and the pitcher over.
"That son of a bitch!" he screamed.
"Zhenya, please, I have handled it," Danil insisted.
"Handled it? He is impossible to 'handle!' We found that out five years ago!" Zhenya was in a rage, switching from English to Russian.
"Zhenya, please calm down," Danil said calmly, continuing to speak in English.
"Calm down? Calm down? You expect me to calm down?"
"For Kyo's sake, yes, I do," Danil whispered in Russian.
Zhenya took a deep breath, and let it out in an effort to compose himself.
"What did that bastard-" Zhenya began in English, addressing Kyo.
"Zhenya," Danil interrupted.
"Monster," Zhenya continued, his teeth clenched in anger. "What did that monster do to you, Kyo?"
"What does it matter, Zhenya? We'll never be able to prove it."
Zhenya sighed, putting his hand to his head, massaging his temples. He hated to admit it, but Danil was right.
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Post by Kyo Suzuki on Jun 20, 2009 19:43:14 GMT -5
Kyo immediately felt bad he'd asked the question when he saw Danil's expression. But he figured he would have felt bad either way. He would have regretted not asking at all...
Feeling a little ashamed, Kyo resorted to watching the glass of water Danil had just set down. The water was still moving from the impact of hitting the table. It made Kyo thirsty just looking at it, and he realized his mouth was pretty dry. He hadn't drank anything since before taking his seat at the rink to watch Danil skate. Then all the stressful stuff had happened and they'd arrived here. No wonder he was so uncomfortable.
"Kyosan... you are not any burden to us. I want you to understand that, and I want it to be made clear. I love you as if you were my own son, and I want you to also understand that this is in no way your fault. You do know that, don't you?"
Kyo finally forced himself to look Danil's way and nodded his head. He opened his mouth to respond in the affirmative--of course he knew how Danil felt about him, he could never believe otherwise--but the poor skater was still speaking. Kyo realized he'd caused something of an avalanche when the conversation turned to Shotsky. He felt his stomach flip flop at the thought of the man.
"Shotsky?" Zhenya almost sounded horrified.
"Shotsky met him earlier. Tried to show him how to do a spiral position," Danil explained.
Kyo lowered his head again. He hadn't meant for Zhenya to get upset as well. He knew the man must already be heavily concerned about his brother. But he definitely wasn't prepared when Danil's water went spilling to the floor. The sound of the glass shattering on the floor was almost as strong as Zhenya's fist had sounded on the table surface.
Yelling ensued, and Kyo almost wanted to retreat into a corner and cover his ears. If this wasn't proof enough that he had caused something of a disturbance...
"What did that bastard-"
Kyo looked up at Zhenya, aware that he was being addressed.
"Zhenya," Danil interrupted.
"Monster," Zhenya continued, his teeth clenched in anger. "What did that monster do to you, Kyo?"
Did Zhenya really want him to repeat everything that had happened? Kyo didn't want to talk about that matter ever again. Not now that he knew what it had all meant. He looked to Danil as if his current care-taker could come up with a better answer for him.
"What does it matter, Zhenya? We'll never be able to prove it."
"H-how are you feeling, Dan-o-san?" Kyo realized now was never a better moment for a change of topic. He hadn't even really asked how the pro-skater was feeling, for himself.
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Post by Nicholas Wu on Jun 20, 2009 21:13:07 GMT -5
Reply to Peter! ;D
Nicholas propped an elbow up on the table, so that he could keep his head up. Even with all the bad news, his exhaustion was really starting to hit him all over again. He felt tense all over, from wondering how Danil was and whether Kyo was okay too. But even though he was so concerned, he tried not to let it show too much. Peter didn't need any more worry on his shoulders. Right now what he needed was some kind of support, something was easily made clear when Peter began to explain all that was on his mind.
"It keeps my mind off this, at least I hope it will," he said to Nic as he got out the pancake mix. He started making the batter, and continued, "As for school, I have two more today, and about five mid-terms coming up. I took three already. I got an A- on one, and am waiting to see how the other two went. I think that'll be my best grade though." He shrugged as he continued mixing the batter. He wasn't making much, for the two of them, but he wanted to do it right. Finally he started putting some of the batter on the griddle and sighed.
Ack, the midterms. Nicholas didn't even want to think about those. And poor Peter, who had two of them today. It seemed almost chillingly ironic. While Penn State was a good school, they really did seem to overwork their students. Or maybe Nicholas and Peter were just going about their work in the wrong way. Still, he shook his head.
"You shouldn't doubt yourself," he said softly. He knew that Peter was smart, and he had what Nicholas didn't really have--he was well-rounded, since he could do sports as well as his schoolwork. "Even if your highest is an A-, that's a number to be proud of, especially for college."
He understood how Peter felt. After all, an A- in middle or high school wasn't really all that great a grade. That was, at least, how Nicholas had been taught. But in college? It was something to be proud of. Because for many colleges, there was no A+--the highest grade was an A, making A- nothing short of second best.
As the smell of pancakes became more profound, Nicholas was reawakened from his thoughts. He realized that somehow, he had begun to doze off, just from thinking about school. Perhaps talking about grades had led him to think about the mountain of schoolwork awaiting him upstairs, which in turn had reminded him of just how little sleep he was running on. He felt awful, realizing that he had nearly dozed off on Peter, who might still need him awake right now.
And shame on you for even falling asleep when things are so bad, Nicholas couldn't help scolding himself. He quickly raised his head in time to see that Peter was speaking with him once more.
"I wish he would call me at least," he said quietly, glancing towards Nic so he could read his lips. "I wonder if his family knows... I know I should tell mine... I'll give Mom and Dad a call in a few hours when they get up, and I'll call Andrei and Lily too." It may have sounded as if he were ranting, and he was, to keep his mind from focusing on Kovalev. "I want to kill Kovalev," he said angrily. "Danil would hate me for saying that, but I do." Peter stared at the batter on the griddle for a few minutes, not caring that the pancakes were burning. He didn't care. He was too upset to concentrate on anything, least of all breakfast.
Nicholas didn't say anything. He knew it wasn't really his place to, anyway. He thought it was a good idea that Peter called both of their families. But he didn't really know how to respond about Peter's feelings towards Kovalev. He could certainly understand them, even if it wasn't the way Nicholas would have lashed out at an enemy. This seemed like a good opportunity just to be silent. Instead, he watched Peter carefully, who was now facing towards the griddle. The pancake smell began to turn sour, slowly being replaced by a burning smell. Nicholas was a little worried, but he didn't say anything. Peter was right there. He knew what he was doing.
And suddenly, Peter turned and left the room. Nicholas watched him leave, a little startled. He didn't know what had led the other man to just suddenly leave the room. He got up, thinking that he would go and check, but suddenly the burning smell was overwhelming. Nicholas turned and looked at the griddle and saw, with some shock, that there was smoke coming from it.
"Oh, no!" he moaned, rushing over to the griddle and choking on the thick air. He was looking for a way to turn the machine off, but he had the feeling that the on/off button would be far too hot to the touch. Searching around widely, he saw an oven mitt on a nearby counter and grabbed at it, pulling it over his right hand to turn the griddle off.
He turned his face away from the smoke and heat, switching the button off with one hand. That was when he noticed a hand towel nearby, which he grabbed and through over the top of the griddle, to smother the machine's oxygen supply before the problem became a full-blown fire.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peter come rushing over, but it seemed things were okay. The other man turned on the kitchen fan, and the two sighed audibly. Nicholas took off the oven mitt, and wiped a hand over his brow. He felt lucky that he hadn't done anything clumsy in his half-awake state, lucky that he had been able to think clearly.
"You okay?" he asked when things calmed down. "God, I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid."
Nicholas nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, his voice a little hoarse. He wondered if it was possible to swallow too much smoke. But when Peter started to insult himself, Nicholas shook his head, regaining his senses once more. "No, come on--it isn't your fault. It's early, I can barely think straight either."
He almost wasn't sure the other man had heard him, as he took a seat at the dining table. Nicholas moved to join him, deciding that since the pancakes were now ruined, there was no point in him serving them to Peter. No need for them both to choke on the taste of charcoal. He sat across from Peter, giving the other man his space--and giving Nic a good way to see what Peter was now saying.
"Danil got me into cooking, you know. Before I was in a relationship with him I had no interest in it. Even while we were dating I didn't care about it. Then one day I decided to make him breakfast in bed. I had to call up Zhenya's mother and have her tell me even the most basic things, like how to melt butter in a pan." He shook his head.
Nicholas couldn't help smiling. He loved cooking, usually. But it was difficult sometimes, and he knew it was definitely tough for a beginner. But Peter's devotion to his husband was so heart-warming.
"You even took the time to call Zhenya's mother to make sure you did it perfect...that's real devotion." Nicholas smiled.
Thinking about the two of them made him wonder something else. How did these two manage to find each other? Even though they had some different tastes, they fit together so perfectly. Though he had never really thought about it before, seeing their devotion made him wonder if he would ever find a partner to be so devoted to.
"Can I..." Nicholas paused. He hoped it wasn't too personal, nor too wrong a time, to ask this question. But he was genuinely curious. "Can I ask how you two met?"
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