Chapter Text
“He is slow! Anyone would be embarrassed to have him as their son!”
The five-year-old alpha hugged the dirty, old stuffed tiger close to his chest as he listened to the adoptive parents talk to the headmaster. This wasn’t new to him, so he quietly waited in his designated chair outside in the hallway.
“Enough!” The woman shrieks, “What five-year-old cannot have a simple conversation? All he does is cry and sneer at us! Do you know how embarrassing that is in public?! Something is wrong with him!”
“Mr. and Mrs. Sadorov, he has selective mutism so he will only talk when he is comfortable. Yuri had a traumatic life before this orphanage, so he needs time to adjust to this new change.”
It was the same speech the headmaster gave every couple that brought the boy back to the orphanage after an overnight stay. The pup had heard it so much from the hallway, that he’s confident he could recite the whole conversation if he really wanted to.
The boy lifted his tiny legs into his chest, trying to shrink himself into the chair. He’s heard those same words a lot now, but it still hurt like it was the first time. This always happened, so he waited patiently like he was told until the adults finished talking.
“W-wait, he needs—”
The door is jerked open where the pup saw the hopeless look on the headmaster’s face. It’s the same as always after every couple brought him back.
The adults who refuse to adopt him marched past the young alpha without another glance and head straight to the exit.
He lowered his head into the stuffed animal to hide the tears rolling down his cheeks. He would rather stay in the orphanage if it meant no one could disappoint him again. In the orphanage, he was left alone with no one having high expectations of him.
A warm hand patted his back in comfort, allowing him to express himself without judgment. They were both used to this now, so it would pass like it always did for as long as he could remember. He’ll be upset for now, and then he will just be angry at everyone. It was a vicious cycle, but it is all he knew.
“The right family will come for you, Yuri. And they will love you for who you are.” The headmaster says to comfort the child.
Only sniffles came from the young alpha. He had heard those words from the headmaster so much, now he didn’t believe them. He believed everyone else; Something had to be wrong with him. It’s his fault nobody wanted him.
______
A year later
Yuri Plisetsky was a quiet kid. While his peers would play loudly and chatter with each other, the young blonde alpha would spend most of his time in solitude. Despite being in an orphanage full of lively pups, Yuri didn’t fit in with any of them. No one wanted to be friends with him.
They all thought he was slow— A burden that they would have to drag around if they befriended him. No one cared to spend time with the kid who couldn’t speak. Aside from the headmaster, they all treated him like the plague. Everyone had made it clear after he came here that he was different than the rest.
It was currently recess and the kids were allowed outside to play. The older kids were split on the volleyball and basketball court. The younger kids scattered around between the mini playground and the bushes hunting for worms. Yuri didn’t join any of them. Like every recess, he found himself alone in the sandbox with his stuffed tiger, Potya. It was part of the norm for him now, but it doesn’t stop his eyes from lingering where the other kids played boisterously. As a child, he wanted to be accepted.
“Everyone,” He heard the headmaster call out, “Come closer. I have an announcement.”
The other orphans stopped playing, excited to see the headmaster during recess. He was an elderly beta, but that never stopped him from playing with the orphans every chance he got. Yuri watched from the sandbox as the others laughed with the headmaster until a couple walked in, catching everyone’s attention.
Another adoption was happening and Yuri dreaded the idea of talking to them. He needed to hide away. He didn’t want to meet more adults who would act kindly because he looked adorable, then turn into mean people once they realize they can’t force the pup to talk.
He grabbed Potya and sneaked behind the taller kids to hide from the headmaster and helpers. If he could just wait inside until the new couple leaves, he could avoid being called stupid by people he thought would be his parents again. Surely, they would prefer a child they can have a conversation with from the moment they meet them.
With that thought, he convinced himself that this is the best way to avoid everyone, and made it inside the orphanage which was currently empty. The best hiding place he can think of was the cafeteria since they already had lunch and no one would be entering until closer to dinner time. He knew if anyone realized he wasn’t around, they would go to his bedroom first so that was a big no.
Yuri looked back one last time to make sure no one was following him. When he saw no one, he pushed the door open to the empty dining hall.
It would be a while for that new couple to meet everyone and leave so he settled at one of the tables with his toy in the empty chair next to him.
It was moments like this when Yuri got upset with himself. Deprecating thoughts often popped up in his head, but now is when they would be louder. If he was normal, he wouldn’t have to hide from potential parents looking to adopt. No one saw him as worthy to adopt or love because he wasn’t perfect. Over time, he began to hate everything that was wrong with him.
The pup sat there for a few more minutes in misery until he heard the door to the cafeteria open. He didn’t expect anyone to come in here anytime soon.
“There you are.”
Yuri flinches hearing the unfamiliar voice. Behind him was one of the adults that were with the headmaster earlier. The scent was soft, like what Yuri has heard the helpers mention an omega would smell like. His scent didn’t carry an intimidating pheromone like all alphas or insanely sweet like the omegas that has visited the orphanage.
This stranger own was muted compared to others. He smelled like the lavender tea the headmaster gave him sometimes before going to bed.
“You looked upset when you ran inside. Are you okay?”
Yuri pulled Potya into his chest, squeezing the toy tighter the closer the adult got to him. He didn’t know what to do now that he was faced with one of the people he was trying to hide away from. He thought his plan was good enough to get away with. The young pup didn’t want to meet anyone else looking to adopt. He didn’t want to go through the yelling and insults.
“I didn’t mean to startle you, hun.” The adult stopped in front of him.
Yuri leans away when the stranger extends their hand to him. Nervous green eyes dart to the door, wishing the headmaster would walk in to save the day instead of him being expected to talk.
“My name is Yuuri Katsuki. My mate and I came to volunteer and donate some things to the orphanage.”
Yuri stares at the extended hand but doesn’t move to shake it. He was not going to fall for the “nice” act people did every time they met him. The pup watched closely for a sign from the older man in front of him. The adult had no reason to be kind to him, especially if he wasn’t trying to adopt children today.
In the cafeteria, the two didn’t say anything else. Yuri's eyebrows pulled in, unhappy that Yuuri still had his arm held out with a smile plastered on his face. If the pup didn’t know any better, he would have believed that he didn’t have any ill intentions.
Suddenly, the two can hear squeals from the orphans outside which pulls Yuri’s attention.
“Well,” Yuuri withdrew his hand away but continued to smile down at Yuri, “How about we join the others? We brought some really fun toys with us today.”
Yuri glanced at the door and nodded when he heard the children outside get louder with excitement. If what Yuuri said was true, then he didn’t have to worry about getting insulted and called names because he was nonverbal.
The omega nodded too with his palm facing up. Yuri noticed how comfortable the man was with Yuri despite the pup not talking. He didn’t see the look of annoyance or impatience like he normally dealt with from others. It was different to interact with this new person.
It was so pleasant that even when he hesitated to grab the hand in front of him, the omega gave a light squeeze to his and lead the way out of the cafeteria with a smile still on his face.
Yuri had avoided most introductions with adults looking to adopt, but the few he didn’t avoid never went smooth. Normally, everyone would ask what was wrong with him and criticize him for not greeting his elders properly.
To hold someone else’s hand other than the headmaster’s felt foreign. Most parents that tried to adopt him didn’t show affection; They didn’t speak to him kindly after he went home with them so he believed it was because he couldn’t communicate with them properly. They would become frustrated with his lack of words so he grew to believe he didn’t deserve their love. How could they be happy with Yuri if he couldn’t communicate?
“Yurachka!”
Yuri was pulled out of his thoughts hearing his name from the headmaster. The pup briefly smiled until he saw the tall man next to the beta. Then, it suddenly dawned on him that he will have to communicate in front of people he didn’t know. He wished he had picked a better hiding spot now. Another wave of anxiety rushed through him, holding his stuffed tiger against his chest as if it could somehow shield him from the undesirable interaction.
Yuuri and the other guest exchanged a few words when the headmaster signed to Yuri. “Where did you go? I was looking for you.”
The pup was hyperaware that the conversation with the couple had stopped. A glimpse toward them confirmed the guests were now focused on Yuri. He can see the puzzling expression on both of their faces and all he can think is how they must be forming their own assumptions—they had to be judging him.
As he shaped the letter ‘C’ with his hand, he starts to tremble with the new thoughts running through his head. Quickly, he signed “Cafeteria.” His face heated up with embarrassment as he saw Yuuri’s eyebrows shoot up. A telling sign that he connected the dots and realized the pup was not normal.
The headmaster smiled in understanding, “Come meet our guests.”
The pup didn’t object as he was pulled beside the headmaster when the taller man with silver hair waved to him.
“Hello, Yuri. My name is Victor.”
The young alpha noted again how kind these adults were compared to others. By now, they would have already asked the headmaster what was wrong with him or why didn’t he talk.
“I see you’ve met my mate. Now I know two Yuris in Russia.”
Everyone laughed at the alpha’s joke except Yuri. He was too befuddled that they haven’t tried to figure out why Yuri was not talking. The three adults were looking at Yuri once they all stopped laughing like he was expected to deliver the next punchline. At that moment, he felt the disconnect of not being able to talk with the couple. They were so nice, he felt like they wouldn’t criticize him. To be treated like a normal person made him want to continue communicating with them.
For the first time since his last adoption attempt, he wanted to interact with adults. He rushed to sign “wait” before running into the building and straight to his room. After a few seconds of rummaging through the little belonging he had to his name, he found what he was searching for—a book of simple sentences. This was the only thing he can think of to prolong their conversation.
Once he ran back outside, he was relieved to see the couple with the headmaster where he left them. He returned flustered and out of breath from his little exercise.
“You want to use your book?” The headmaster signed, shocked at the new development.
The beta knew how much Yuri hated the book because it only made his problem worse. Although the pup and the headmaster spent a while creating pre-made sentences for Yuri to be more involved in conversations, it didn’t last long once the other children started making fun of him. Between being humiliated and limited to certain sentences, he realized the book only added to his hardships.
Yuri nodded, handing Potya to the headmaster to free one of his hands. He tugged the pant leg of Victor and Yuuri to get their attention, which made the two crouch down to his eye level.
He pointed to the first words and Victor reads them out loud.
“Hi. My name is Yuri.” The pup bobbed his head, enthusiastically pointing to another sentence. “I have selective mutism.”
Yuri paused, waiting for a flash of judgment—A grimace at the uncommon disorder that makes him different from the other orphans. Despite him telling them what was his problem, they never stopped smiling. They waited patiently for him to move to the next sentence. His excitement grew to see them treat him like there wasn’t an obvious invisible wall in their conversation. So with newfound eagerness, he pointed to the last sentence.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
Both adults smile, and the pup feels a little hope creep into his heart. Why couldn’t everyone be this open and receptive to communicating with Yuri differently? The six-year-old alpha’s eyes positively brightened at the couple in front of him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Yuri,” Yuuri replies gently.
The pup stare at the book in his hand with a wobbly smile feeling accomplished. This was the first time he has had any kind of conversation with someone else other than the headmaster. It was liberating to know he could at least hold introductions with others if they gave him a chance.
Yuri thought of something else to keep the couple in front of him; He was not ready to give up the exchange between them. He wished they could stay here so he didn’t go through isolation anymore.
“How to spell your name?” Yuri signed fast in an attempt to keep them around longer.
The couple watched his hands intently but frowned in confusion. It was after they turned to the headmaster to translate, did Yuri avoid their eyes in embarrassment briefly about his signing. Of course, there was still a barrier between them.
The old man standing above them chuckled, “He is asking Yuuri how is his name spelled.”
With an amused reaction, the omega pulled a pen from his pocket and gestured towards Yuri’s notebook. They watched in silence as Yuuri neatly wrote his name on the corner of the page when Yuri's lips turned down.
Although they had the same name, it was not spelled the same. Somehow he was hoping to share something with somebody, even if it wasn’t physical. “It’s not the same as mine.”
As the headmaster gladly translated the pup’s sign, the adults erupt with laughter. Yuri watched on with innocent emerald eyes, and an itch to join in on the laugh.
“Yes, that’s true,” Yuuri admitted, giving the pup his undivided attention. “It’s not a bad thing to be different. It’s what makes us stand out from others.”
Yuri gawked in awe as the omega pat his head.
While the couple was saying their goodbyes to the other orphans and the headmaster, the young alpha stood in the same spot watching their retreating backs. Yuri was not sure if it was the welcoming pheromones of the couple, the kindness in their eyes, or the acceptance he felt from their short conversation. At that moment, all the pup could foolishly think is: Why can’t they be my parents?