Yurio smiled lazily as Yuki lied on his chest, Victor was taking a small break and spent his time with his life long companion Makkachin. The pup was old, yet still, a bit active, his final times were coming.

Victor sighed and pet Makkachin's head. "Thank you so much for being with me all this time." He smiled and embraced the poodle running his fingers through the curly fur. "If only Yuuri were here, I don't want him to be heartbroken again." He stated Makkachin licked Victor's cheek as if to comfort him and let out a low whine. "I'm sorry..." Victor mumbled and reluctantly pulled away from the much-needed embrace.

He petted Makkachin's head once more before returning to his room where Yurio, Otabek, and Yuki were lying on his bed. It had taken a while for Yuki to get used to Otabek, same went for Otabek towards Yuki, but after spending a while together they had grown a tiny bit closer than before. For a moment the trio looked like a family, Yurio held Yuki in his arms while Otabek embraced the two in his large arms giving himself an aura of intimidation and protection it made Victor think that if he were a stranger approaching them Otabek would immediately put the two behind himself to protect them.

Yuki eventually caught sight of his father and let out a happy squeal reaching for him. "Hello, my love." Victor grinned and took his son from Yurio. "He should be getting heavier," Yurio grumbled. "You better be feeding him well old man!" He warned. "I am, I always make sure Yuki is healthy," Victor reassured and cooed at his child. "That goes for you too, but since I can't always be there for you I'm grateful that Otabek is with you." He nodded to Otabek who gladly returned the gesture.

Yurio huffed and crossed his arms. "I'm not a baby." He grumbled. "Well...in a way you are Otabek's baby." Victor laughed and shook his head. "Oh you teenagers with your weird slang, it's very odd indeed." Yuki laughed and grasped onto Victor's hand demanding his attention. "Hopefully you'll stay my cute and innocent Yuki." Victor cooed at his son, Yuki squealed and tightly hugged his father. "Oh right, Yurio can you please watch Yuki really quick I have to take out the trash, Hiroko is rather busy and I'd like to be of help," Victor asked. "Alright, maybe Otabek and I could help out too." Yurio shrugged as he took Yuki. "I'll be right back love." Victor kissed his cheek before leaving to gather the trash.

The task brought him so many memories of the past, he remembered how he and Yuuri would fight over who's turn it was to take out the trash and wash the dishes, Victor was always stubborn when it came to washing dishes which would sometimes end up into arguments between the couple. But even after all that they still loved each other.

Stepping outside Victor was extremely cautious ever since his encounter with Angela, at that time Victor was so close to passing out, and when she stepped closer wanting to look at his son Victor thought she was going to hurt him and the first thing he did was step back and yell, something that a cat or dog would do when a stranger gets too close to their babies, he was grateful to see the yard empty a nice cool wind blew by. "I should take Yuki out for a bit." He mumbled to himself as he walked over to the trash bin throwing the bags of trash in.

He turned back and nearly had a heart attack when he saw Mari outside, her sleeves were rolled up indicating that she was just working at the springs she looked like she were just about to take her break, he could tell when she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and took a cigar out placing it between her lips. "There are other methods that can calm you or clear your mind other than that," Victor stated. "I've grown addicted to it." She shrugged as she lit the cigar. "Maybe candy will help you with that?" Victor suppressed the urge to cough due to the foul-smelling odor.

Mari paused and hesitated, she thought about Yuki, how the smell and smoke of cigarettes could harm him. "I..." she pulled the cigar away from her lips and dropped it to the ground she stepped on it. "Guess I'll just have to buy candy from now on." She stated with a small smile. "Thanks," she sighed after taking in a long breath. "Take it easy okay?" Victor patted her shoulder giving her a kind smile. "Yeah, you too okay? Eat well and take care of your health, Yuki is going to be depending on you." Victor felt guilty, it was true that he wasn't properly caring for himself ever since Yuuri's disappearance he devoted himself to his son and his son only which meant he barely had time to tend to his own needs.

But now he understood that if he wanted to protect and care for Yuki he himself had to be strong and healthy. He stood beside Mari, both of them were silent taking in the view of the cherry blossom trees as the leaves swayed with the steady gush of wind. "Yuuri will be released from the hospital tomorrow, I think he's going to be staying here for a while." Mari dropped her head. "What will you do?" The question took Victor by surprise. He hadn't really thought about it, with Yuuri having no memories of him or their son it seemed like everything was lost and there was nothing to fix it. For a long while, Victor felt useless.

He was so deep in thought that he nearly forgot that his son was waiting for him inside, he turned to Mari. "I'll just have to keep on trying to get him back." He responded remembering that Yurio still had a plan. He thanked Mari before returning back inside only to be met with the sound of his son's crying, but it was different, it sounded like he was struggling to breathe and that terrified Victor.

He ran to the room where Yurio was trying to calm a sobbing and trembling Yuki, his breathing was quick and fast. "I don't know what happened, he just started crying when he couldn't find you," Yurio explained in a worried tone, Victor took Yuki into his arms and patted his back. "Shh..it's okay love just breathe." Victor desperately tried to calm his son down. "It's okay love I'm here, you're okay." He rocked him back and forth while repeatedly rubbing his back. "...I think I know what's wrong." Otabek stated catching both Victor and Yurio's attention. "When I was a baby my mother said that I developed a bit of separation anxiety. I cried each time she left for work, maybe it's the same with Yuki. But, his breathing is something else."

Victor felt pain squeeze at his heart while his son tried to control his stuttered breathing, Victor shushed him and patted his back trying everything he could to get his son to calm down. It was then that he was convinced that Yuki had developed anxiety, he wondered if it were passed down by Yuuri knowing that he had a long history dealing with anxiety from childhood all the way to adulthood. Victor always knew there was a possibility for his son to have anxiety or maybe even getting it at a much older age, he just wished it weren't true. Until now, everything he thought he knew just fell apart and Victor was scared for his son's future.

After a while Yuki was back to breathing normally, his cheek pressed against Victor's chest and his eyes half-lidded, he tired himself out and surely the loss of breath exhausted him. "Will a doctor be able to help?" He asked to Otabek who seemed to be familiar with what Yuki was going through. "It's not a disease, it's just something that happens to most babies, I grew out of it when I was three." He explained. "Yeah, but Yuuri has anxiety, had it when he was ah...pregnant with Yuki," Victor mumbled as his son dozed off.

Otabek nodded. "Maybe..." he trailed off not knowing what to say, Yurio frowned, he was worried about his little piglet. "I think he got it because of everything he's been through. Yuuri left him when he was only two months old, he only has you now so he's overly attached to you, after a long time he finally got to meet Yuuri again only to be taken away from him yet again, and then you leave for a while, outside he can't sense your presence. He was scared you left him too..." he explained, Otabek looked at his boyfriend with a surprised look along with Victor.

"You seem to know a lot Yurio," Victor stated as his son dozed off, Yurio shrugged and turned away, his heart ached. Victor thought for a while wondering why Yurio looked so down, it was rare to see him look sad, even Otabek was shocked. He was immediately by his side and rubbed his shoulders as if to soothe and ease him of his worry or pain. Victor gasped, he knew the answer.

He always wondered why Yurio was always with his grandfather, why he never mentioned his parents, why he didn't know how to control his mood swings when necessary. Yurio's parents were never there for him, they never cared, it was like he didn't even exist to them. Victor recalled a memory, he was with Yakov after a practice, Yurio had left home with his grandfather and Victor remembered asking. "Where are his parents?" Yakov stiffened at the question and frowned before answering. "Gone." Victor didn't dare say anything else.

Victor sighed and hugged his sleeping son. "Yuri, I know it's been hard." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "But I promised your grandfather that I'd always be there for you, and I'm going to keep that promise." Yurio scoffed as if to show that he didn't care and dropped his gaze to his feet. "Whatever." He mumbled and crossed his arms, holding himself together, keeping up the facade he held. Otabek patted his back to calm him and gave him a small encouraging smile. "Don't give me that look," Yurio grumbled and puffed his cheeks. "I'm going to the springs." He plotted his escape and took a towel from the bathroom before leaving.

Victor sighed. "He's really opening up, I don't know what you did but I'm grateful." He said, but he quickly noticed that Otabek looked troubled. "Is something bothering you?" He asked curiously. "....not really, it's just," Otabek sighed. "When I went to go meet Yurio's grandfather we both had a very serious talk about...about Yura's parents." He started. "He gave me something." As he spoke he grabbed a bag and placed it on the bed zipping it open he rummaged through it.

Victor watched as he pulled out a photo and took a long look at it, he looked so solemn and glum. "He said to give it to Yuri when I thought he was ready." He frowned. "I felt weird, this wasn't something I could do. I wasn't the right person. But you, " he looked up. "You were with him long before I was, you trained him and practically raised him. I don't want to burden you, but it feels right giving this to you. You should be the one." Victor was at a loss.

What was happening? What did he have to do with a photo? As if to answer his questions Otabek sighed. "It's something that relates to Yuri's parents, why he lives with his grandfather, and why he knows so much about abandonment and loss." He handed the photo over to Victor. "He doesn't know much about his parents, but I want him to believe that they were good."

As Victor looked at the photo he was speechless and shocked, and at the same time, he felt...relieved. "I don't know when he'll be ready, but I think you do." Otabek scratched the back of his neck and looked away. "You know him better than I do." With that, he left to go join Yurio at the springs leaving Victor with a sleeping Yuki in one arm and a small aged picture in his free hand, as he looked at it Otabek's words played back in his mind.

"He doesn't know much about his parents, but I want him to believe that they were good. "