I’ve been thinking about this for a while.  What was going through Yuuri’s mind when he found out his coach quit...

Yuuri skated around the rink slowly, going through the compulsory figures that he'd learned, but never needed.  Still, he liked them.  Not that it mattered anymore.  Everything was over.  He'd finally started competing, doing better than he'd ever imagined he would and then it was all over.  He should be watching the Grand Prix Final.  Viktor was skating in it.  He might not get gold -- even if he deserved it in Yuuri's opinion -- but his skating would be amazing.

Yuuri sighed.  He just couldn't watch it when all his hopes and dreams were likely to be dashed.  It'd only been a week or so since the Junior Nationals that had changed everything.

Takeshi was on the ice with him, skating backwards with a frown on his face and he wasn't looking at Yuuri.  He blamed himself a little.  Yuuri had realized that much.  He hadn't actually expected their coach to announce that he was going to drop Yuuri and move up north.  Takeshi had told Yuuri as much, but it didn't change the fact that if Takeshi and Yuuko hadn't quit skating when they did that he'd still have a coach.  He'd have a coach to go with him to the international competitions that he was informed he'd be assigned to after Nationals were completed near the end of the month.

Now he didn’t have anyone to go with him.  He was a Junior National medalist without a coach.  His coach must have thought his winning was a giant fluke because why else would he drop Yuuri to go train someone who wasn’t a Junior National medalist.

Maybe if Yuuri was really lucky, Minako-sensei would go with him.

Yuuri glided to a stop in the middle of rink.

Did he really think he could compete INTERNATIONALLY?!

He squatted down and looked at the ice between his skates.  He saw Takeshi's skates before he heard his voice.  There was too much static in his head to make out what he was saying, but Yuuri was sure that he was saying something.

It didn't matter.

"Takeshi, do you think they're actually going to send me to Junior Worlds?"

Takeshi's snort came through loud and clear.  "Of course, you idiot.  You won, didn't you?  They always send the winner."  There was an edge of bitterness, but Yuuri knew that it wasn't towards him.  At least he was fairly sure about that.  It'd only taken years to realize that Takeshi was harder on himself than anyone else.

"Maybe they'll realize that I only won because of a fluke."

Another snort.

"Besides, I can't go without a coach.  What am I supposed to do without a coach?"

Takeshi was quiet for a minute and then he reached down and hauled Yuuri up with a strong hand on his bicep.  "You don't worry about that.  The adults do.  Your parents.  Minako-sensei.  They'll figure it out.  All you have to do is skate."

Yuuri chewed on his lip.  "I guess."

"YuuRI!"

They both looked toward the boards where Minako-sensei had just arrived.  She was beaming.  It was the first time Yuuri had seen her smile since his coach quit.  "Minako-sensei?"

"Yuuri, I hope you have a good winter coat because we're going on a trip after New Years.  You and me.  I just finished talking with your parents."

Yuuri frowned hard enough to cause his forehead to wrinkle.  "Where?"  It couldn't be a competition because there weren't any that early in the year from what he understood.

"Saint Petersburg.  I've found you a coach."

Yuuri swallowed.  He could feel Takeshi stiffen next to him.

"Saint Petersburg?"  Yuuri only knew of one coach that coached in Saint Petersburg, but there was no way that Minako meant him.  There were others there as well.  There had to be.

"I got off the phone a little while ago with Yakov Feltsman.  He's going to coach you, Yuuri!"

Yuuko, who hadn't made it onto the ice yet, screamed.

Takeshi slapped Yuuri’s back hard sending him to his knees on the ice.  He’d have to thank him later.  If Takeshi hadn’t made him fall, he would have anyway.

“Does that... Am I...”  The question was there, on the tip of his tongue struggling to get out, but instead it was strangling him and his voice.

“That’s right, Yuuri!  You’re going to train with Viktor Nikiforov!  Aren’t you excited?”