Chapter Text
Viktor closed his eyes against the sun that was piercing through the curtains and focused on the buzzing voice, but not the words, that were coming from his phone.
“VItya, are you listening to me?”
Viktor ran his free hand through his hair, squeezing his eyes even to try and combat the dreadful headache that he could feel coming on. “Yeah, yeah, I’m listening.”
There were some indecipherable grumbles coming from the other end, and he could hear Yakov sigh into his phone. “As I was saying,” He started up again, obviously losing his patience. “The contestants should be arriving in an hour. You’ll be greeting them as they leave their limos, and then we’ll follow that with the opening cocktail party.”
Viktor hummed. “And after that I start narrowing it down?”
“That’s right,” Yakov said in a low grumble. “By the end you’ll be picking one of two contestants.”
“What if I pick neither?” Viktor frowned. Agreeing to do this show was at his manager Yakov’s suggestion; half of him wanted to decline the offer right on the spot, but he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe something would come out of it. He had been neglecting life and love for so long, the chance of changing that was enough to convince Viktor, no matter how unlikely it was.
“That’s an option as well.” Viktor let out a breath of relief. That meant that he had a way out if need be. “You should do your best to keep the drama up, though. Even if you pick neither, wait until the last second, you hear me?”
Viktor waved a hand in the air. “Yeah, yeah… So be downstairs by 4, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. Make sure that you look nice.”
“Oh Yakov,” Viktor laughed. “Don’t I always?” He frowned, hearing the click of Yakov hanging up on the other end. “Yakov?” There was no response, and he dropped the phone to his side, draping his arm over his face.
He should have stuck with movies–it was the safer ground after all. There were no commitments beyond the filming time, and then the cycle would start again–a new role, a new location, a new mask to hide behind. He wondered if it were too late to back out of all of this– there would no doubt be a role waiting for him on the other side–but no, the contestants were already on their way.
Viktor rolled onto his side, looking at the digital alarm clock on the nightstand. It was 3 o’clock, already. He rolled out of bed begrudgingly, mostly motivated by the inevitable lecture he would get from Yakov if he didn’t.
Grabbing a suit from the closet, he went through the motions. He put it on, patting cologne onto his neck and running one last hand through his hair, making sure that it stayed slicked to the side; it was almost as if it were any other day.
Taking a breath and giving one last look around the room, Viktor decided that there was nothing more he had to take care of and he headed downstairs.
He opened the doors to the front of the building and was met with the refreshing chill of winter air. Yakov was standing by an intricate foundation that welcomed anyone coming to the building, frowning with his hands shoved in his pockets.
Viktor gave a wave when Yakov looked his way. “Yakov! You look a little chilly!”
Yakov’s frown deepened and he burrowed his chin further into his scarf. “The contestants will be arriving shortly. We normally work with nine people, but there was an applicant to our camera crew who we decided to add to the contestant list to elevate the drama.”
Viktor raised his eyebrows with a smirk. “I thought this was about me finding a soulmate.” He had watched bits and pieces of the show in previous years, mostly with past girlfriends who never seemed to stick around. Every year the show was ridiculous with drama, and Viktor supposed it was up to him now to bring it.
“When they do show up,” Yakov pressed on. “Greet them, learn their names, and just make sure they feel welcomed, okay?”
Viktor hummed. “Can do.”
Yakov gave a curt nod before disappearing without another word, leaving Viktor alone in the cold. He rubbed his hands over his arms, rocking on his heels as the first limo pulled up to the curb.
The driver got out and circled around to open the back door. A man with an undercut and a slim fitting suit stepped out, slipping on a pair of black sunglasses before walking over to Viktor. He held out his hand and Viktor took it, the other man shaking it firmly.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“You as well.” Viktor smiled. “The sunglasses are a nice touch.”
The other man smiled a little before giving a quick nod. “Thank you.”
“What’s your name, if I may ask?”
“Otabek.”
Viktor nodded, taking Otabek’s hand in his one last time. “I’m looking forward to knowing you better. I’ll see you inside.” He was met with another nod as Otabek walked away and into the building.
Viktor tapped his toe, waiting for the next limo. It rode up, and the same routine happened with the driver opening the door. The person who walked out wasn’t wearing a smile either, and had silky black hair which framed their face perfectly.
They stepped up to Viktor, holding out a hand. “I’m Seung Gil. I’m fond of your work.”
“Thank you very much. It’s wonderful to meet you. I’ll see you inside?”
“Of course,” Seung Gil said before he disappeared behind the fountain.
The next limo came up almost directly after, and a girl in a sparkling champagne dress lept out, tackling Viktor with a hug.
“Uh–hello.” He placed a tentative hand on her back, waiting for her to pull away. When she did, she looked at him with a grin, and swept a gloved hand through her red hair.
“Well Mr. Nikiforov, I hope you’re ready for a good time.”
Viktor smiled. “I always am.”
She leaned forward, bopping him on the nose with her index finger. “Well, let’s wait until I get that rose, alright? My name is Mila, and I’ll see you inside.”
She disappeared into the building and Viktor rubbed his hand over his nose. “I’m pretty sure that’s my line,” He mumbled.
The next limo pulled up and the man who emerged straightened his purple tie and pulled on the lapel of his jacket as if he were dracula. He came up to Viktor, grabbing both of his hands and looking him right in the eye.
“Viktor, do you believe in love?”
“I–maybe?” Viktor bluttered out, the whole reaction not what he anticipated from the man who had just exited the limo.
The man tsked, shaking his head and bringing his eyes down. “That’s a shame.” He let go of Viktor’s hands. “You have a lot to learn, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”
Viktor nodded slowly, not really knowing what to say. “Thank you.”
Georgi grabbed Viktor’s hand and kissed the top of it slightly. “You can call me Georgi.”
“I’ll see you inside Georgi.” Georgi nodded and left at those words, flashing Viktor one last soft smile before he left.
The next contestant who came by rushed up to Viktor, his face slightly twisted as if he were trying to force his enthusiasm.
“Hello, and you are?” Viktor greeted him with a smile and wave, causing the other man to give a small laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“I’m Michele. My sister is a contestant and actually entered me in this but I can definitely, um,” He looked over Viktor once and swallowed. “See the appeal I guess.”
Viktor laughed. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your sister.”
“She’s amazing. The best. But,” Michele leaned in closer, grabbing Viktor by the tie. “If you lay one hand on her I won’t forgive you, okay?”
Viktor blinked, once, twice, before Michele let go of him and walked off. Viktor straightened his tie, trying to process what actually just happened when the sound of heels on the macadam grabbed his attention. A darker skinned girl with flowing black hair walked up to him, holding out her hand. By instinct, Viktor brought it up to his lips, kissing the top of it.
“And what is your name?”
The girl smiled, running a hand through her hair. “Sara. I think my brother actually just came through here too?” She giggled. “I hope he didn’t give you much trouble.”
Viktor straightened, jumping a small step away from her. “That was your brother? He was awfully possessive.”
Sara put her hands on her hips, pouting slightly. “Did he say something about not coming near me?” Viktor nodded and she shook her head. “He’s got to realize that I’m old enough now to care about men who aren’t him.”
“That you are.”
Sara smiled at that and reached out a hand to tap Viktor lightly on the cheek. “I’ll see you inside.”
Viktor wasn’t even slightly sure how we was going to handle that situation… it would probably have to involve a serious talk with Michele, one that he wasn’t completely sure he was in a place to give.
The next contestant rolled up, stepping out of the limo and standing there for a minute in a contrapposto pose, his hand on his hip and his eyes searching. He looked straight at Viktor then, greeting him with a kiss on each cheek.
“Viktor, you’re looking good,” The man said with a hum.
Viktor looked the man over. His suit was nice fitting for sure, and his face was youthful and glowing. “As do you.”
“The name is Chris. It’s a pleasure.”
“Likewise,” Viktor nodded, and the man took that as his cue to go inside, blowing a kiss as he left.
The amount of people he was greeting in such a short amount of time was exhausting, and he already was counting down the people until it was over.
The next person emerged, their eyes lighting up as they saw Viktor.
“Viktor! It’s really nice to meet you! My friend and I, who is also here actually,” He gave Viktor a wink. “Watch your movies all the time. He’s practically in love with you already.” The man laughed at that, and Viktor gave a small chuckle to himself.
“Is that so?”
The man nodded with a proud grin on his face. “You’ll love him, I promise.”
“I’m sure I will.”
The other man stuck out his hand, and Viktor took it. “I’m Phichit. Keep your eye out for someone named Yuuri, okay?” He walked away, winking.
“Yuuri…” Viktor said to himself, testing the name on his tongue as the next contestant walked up, ruining his reverie.
“Hello?” The man wasn’t as dressed up as all the others, opting for a jean jacket over his shirt and tie.
“Hello.” Viktor said tentatively, not entirely sure what to say next. The man seemed almost impatient with him.
“I hope you know that you’re amazing, but I’m going to show you that I’m the best.” He blew a kiss in Viktor’s direction and Viktor blinked.
“Oh?” He said, unamused.
“Don’t worry, if you talk to me inside, I know you’ll be impressed.” He flipped his head, dramatically, his hair too short to actually be affected by it. “The name’s JJ.” He started to walk away, shooting finger guns in Viktor’s direction. “Catch you on the flip side.”
Viktor shook his head, already dreading any future interactions he might have with him. The next limo didn’t end up coming directly afterwards like all the others had, and Viktor was left waiting for a couple of minutes, the chill of the night getting worse as time went on.
At last the limo pulled up and the man who stepped out was flustered as he ran out of the car. The blue tie he was wearing with his suit was absolutely hideous, that much Viktor couldn’t help but smirk about, but the man was absolutely gorgeous despite it. He ran up to Viktor, giving a quick bow, and Viktor didn’t move one inch. He knew his mouth was slightly open and his eyes were wide, but he couldn’t do a thing except for take in the man who just ran up in front of him.
“I’m sorry I’m late.” The man was obviously embarrassed and as he looked at Viktor his eyes widened. “You look cold.”
Viktor did what he could to nod. Act natural. “It is a little chilly tonight.” He added a little laugh at the end of that, one that made the man in front of him laugh too. This was the tenth contestant, the last one… “Is your name Yuuri?” Viktor tried to keep the question from slipping from his mouth, but he couldn’t help but be curious.
“Oh god,” Yuuri swept a hand over his face. “Phichit already came by didn’t he?”
Viktor laughed at that. “Yes he did. He seems like a good friend.”
Yuuri looked him in the eye and nodded. “He is.” There was a pause. “He didn’t say anything embarrassing right?”
Viktor smirked, his heart flipping as he played Phichit’s words over and over in his mind. “Well, he said that you liked my movies…”
“Mhmm…” Yuuri motioned for him to continue.
“And he may have mentioned that you were in love with me.” Viktor couldn’t help but giggle at the way Yuuri hid his face in his hands at that.
“Of course he did…” Yuuri mumbled into his hands, his ears growing pink.
“Yuuri, it’s okay.” Viktor said with a chuckle in his voice as he gently took Yuuri’s hands away from his face and held them in his own. “I’m looking forward to knowing you better.”
Yuuri looked at him for a moment, the blush on his face still fresh and he blinked before breaking into a soft smile. “Me too.” He walked off then, and Viktor watched him as he left, slightly aware of the footsteps coming up behind him.
“So,” Viktor turned around to see Yakov, who wasn’t looking any happier than before. “What do you think?”
Viktor turned once more, looking towards the place where Yuuri had been just minutes ago before turning back to Yakov and smiling. “This might not have been a bad idea afterall.”
Viktor joined everyone inside, the quiet chatter that was going on between them coming to a stop as they all noticed his arrival.
“It’s a pleasure to have met you all, and I look forward to the upcoming weeks we’ll be spending together,” Viktor said, trying to meet the eyes of everyone in the room, but he found his eyes continuing to drift to Yuuri.
He tried to focus his mind, and thought about which of the contestants had stood out to him right away.
“Mila.”
The red head perked up, ceasing whatever conversation she was having with Sara and galloped along to follow Viktor out to a side lounge area where they both took a seat.
“I’ve got to say, your entrance had taken me off guard a bit.” Viktor laughed and she joined in.
“Thought I’d keep you on your toes,” Mila said with a smirk.
“It worked I guess. So, what do you do?”
Mila leaned back in the leather chair she was sitting in. “I write, mostly novels.”
Viktor nodded. “Not bad. Have you published anything yet?”
She shook her head, smiling to herself. “I’ve been working on some things, but I think I just need the right story, you know?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s what you do with the movies, right?”
Viktor blinked. “What?”
“You know,” Mila gestured a hand in the air. “You can’t make a hit unless you’ve got the story, right?”
Viktor shrugged. “Maybe, but I mostly just take the roles my agent suggests.”
Mila didn’t say anything at first, as if she was trying to understand that mode of thinking. “You’ve been awfully lucky, I’d say.” She tacked on a smile at the end, but Viktor didn’t feel even half of her enthusiasm on the subject.
“I guess so… Should I take you back?”
Mila nodded and Viktor lead her back into the main area where she skipped over to Sara, the people around her crowding around to get the scoop.
“Chris?” Viktor’s eyes were searching and landed on the youthful man, who greeted him with a grin. Viktor could see Yuuri on the couch wringing his hands in anxiety and wanted so desperately to skip all the pageantry and learn more about him. Viktor made a mental note to speak with Yuuri next, and lead Chris to the lounge.
“And what brings a fancy movie star like you to a show like this?” Chris said with a purr.
Viktor laughed, trying to echo the tone of Chris’ voice. “And what brings someone like you to be a contestant on a show like this?”
“Touché.” Chris gave a smile that Viktor returned. “I signed up because I like to have fun, and this seemed like quite the place. You?”
Viktor hummed. “My manager said it would be a good idea.”
Chris whistled at that, shaking his head. “That isn’t much fun, now is it?”
VIktor laughed. “No, no it isn’t.”
“Well,” Chris stood up, cocking his hip. “I should leave you to the other contestants.”
“So soon?”
“Mmm,” Chris hummed, walking towards the door as Viktor stood up. “We’ll have plenty of other time to chat.”
Viktor followed him out the door, noticing the anticipating eyes that were watching him as he entered the main area. Yakov had joined the group too, holding a tray with a rose on top of it.
“The first impression rose. You can give it out at any point tonight.” He placed the tray on the table and exited without another word.
“Thanks…” Viktor trailed off, watching the space where Yakov was previously standing. He glanced at the rose. He had already practically made up his mind about who was going to get it, but he stopped himself from doing anything right then and there and called for the next person.
“Yuuri?”
Yuuri’s head perked up and his eyes grew wide in surprise. Next to him, Phichit was elbowing him to stand up and follow, which he ultimately did.
They both settled down in the lounging room, Yuuri looking a bit on the nervous side.
“Is everything okay?” Viktor stopped, looking at Yuuri before he dared to sit down.
Yuuri waved it off. “I’m fine.”
Viktor nodded slowly, taking a seat and keeping his eyes on Yuuri. “What do you do, Yuuri?”
“I teach figure skating lessons, mostly.”
“Really?” Viktor perked up. “So you must be quite good yourself, right?”
“I’m–” Yuuri swallowed. “I did it professionally for a bit but–” He brought his eyes to meet Viktor’s own and stayed still for a second, not moving his gaze. “You’re really interested.” He observed.
Viktor nodded. “I am.”
“Oh…” Yuuri trailed off, bringing his hand to his mouth in contemplation. “I know we don’t have much time tonight but,” Yuuri wrung his hands together. “I’d love to skate for you sometime.”
Viktor felt his heart just about stop then, noticing the way Yuuri looked up to him in question with a slight blush on his face. “I’d love to see you,” Viktor said softly, earning a smile from Yuuri so sweet he never wanted to forget it.
Not long after that they walked back to join the rest of the contestants. They looked at him in curiosity, some of their eyes flickering to the rose. He hadn’t even spoken with most of them, but he wasn’t sure that he’d be able to now, with his mind focused on something else entirely.
Yuuri had sat down next to Phichit again, his own eyes on Viktor for just a moment before he turned to say something to Phichit.
Viktor glanced at the rose and picked it up, smiling. Absolutely, there was no question. He stepped forward, getting down on one knee in front of Yuuri.
“Yuuri, will you accept this rose?”
Viktor never wanted to forget the look on Yuuri’s face. The blush that graced his cheekbones, and the surprise that illuminated his eyes. Viktor smiled, awaiting an answer.
Yuuri reached forward, taking the rose and Viktor felt a weight lifted from his chest. “I will.”
“I’m glad.” Viktor couldn’t help it how his smile widened then, noticing how Yuuri echoed the expression before Viktor left the room.
One of the new members of the camera crew slumped behind the camera, glancing through the lense and seeing Viktor, playing with the petals of the remaining roses he had to give out that night.
“It’s the first day you sap,” The boy grumbled and Viktor smirked at the voice.
“That’s Mr. Sap to you, Yurio,” Viktor said with a wink, earning a deep frown from Yurio.
“I told you not to call me that.”
Viktor waved his hand in the air. “It kinda suits you.”
“No it doesn’t you ugly–” Yurio was cut off by Yakov, who walked into the room and flashed Yurio a glare.
“They’ll be coming in in a second.” He looked between the two of them. “Please act like adults for once in your life, okay?”
“Yes, Yakov,” They both mumbled in union, a silence settling over them as the contestants finally joined them in the room. They all smiled at Viktor expectantly, some of them clearly already becoming good friends with each other as they exchanged quiet comments that Viktor couldn’t hear.
Viktor smiled to himself as he saw Yuuri, the other man deep in conversation with his friend.
The chatter settled down, and the cameras started rolling. “You all have been lovely so far, but I’m afraid one of you will be leaving tonight,” Viktor said, remembering the words he had rehearsed days earlier.
“Yuuri.” Yuuri walked up timidly, watching Viktor carefully. “Will you accept this rose?”
He nodded, reaching for the flower. “Yes.” He turned around to join the others, the trace of a smile evident on his face.
“Chris.” Chris sauntered forward, greeting Viktor with a wink that made Viktor want to laugh. “Will you accept this rose?”
“Absolutely.” He took it from Viktor’s hand and turned around.
“Phichit.” Phichit came towards him with a huge grin on his face. “Will you accept this rose?”
“Sure!” He plucked the flower from Viktor’s grasp and went to join Yuuri where they were standing.
“Mila.” Mila flashed a smile to Sara and walked over to Viktor, her hips swinging as she walked. “Will you accept this rose?”
“Absolutely.”
“Sara.” Mila clapped Sara on the shoulder and Sara hurried over to Viktor. “Will you accept this rose?”
“Yes.” She gave a small bow, trying to mask her excitement.
“Seung Gil.” He walked towards Viktor with a little bit more of a smile on his face than he had had the last time Viktor was face to face with him. “Will you accept this rose?"
“Yes.”
Viktor thought about who was left. Only three left. “Georgi.” Georgi put a hand to his chest at the sound of his name. “Will you accept this rose?”
“Of course.” He gave a quick bow before taking it from Viktor.
“Otabek.” Otabek must have scrapped the sunglasses at some point that night, but his expression wasn’t any more enthused than before. “Will you accept this rose?”
He shrugged and Viktor tried to suppress his smirk. “Sure.”
After Otabek joined everyone, Viktor clapped his hands together. “Well, I’m very sorry JJ that we couldn’t know each other better…” Viktor tried to make the words sound more thoughtful but he couldn’t help the displeasure he felt in that man’s presence.
JJ shook his head, leaving the crowd of people. “It’s all good. I could tell you weren’t feeling the JJ style anyway.”
“The… JJ style…” Viktor mumbled, trying to make sense of that as JJ left the room.
“Well,” Viktor said after a small silence. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
They all nodded at him and began to file out, roses in hand. Each of them gave him a small smile but he was really only looking for one smile in that crowd. He saw Yuuri in the crowd, watching as he exited, and he smiled to himself.
That’s the one.