Chapter Text
Otabek watched as Yuri slipped his clothes back on, then grabbed his ring. It had been almost four years since he flew to Russia after receiving the Hanahaki Box and Yuri was going through his final check-up today. The nurse had brought them back to the exam room, making a grumpy Yuri sit in the wheelchair the whole ride.
They both talked about how they weren’t worried- besides a couple of fights in the being where Yuri stormed away and shut off his phone- there hadn’t been any more petals. He had been in remission, no signs of petals, for just over three years. This check-up was it. He’d be declared healed.
But they were both nervous. Yuri always worried he got too mad and pushed Otabek too far, Otabek was worried his reserved nature wouldn’t be enough for Yuri’s soul to believe in the love that had grown in his heart.
Yuri had insisted this happen before they officially got married. Well, he had insisted on a bunch of things before they got married. This was just the final obstacle. Through it all, Otabek had just shrugged and kissed his temple.
First, Yuri had insisted that he couldn’t say yes to the proposal until he entered remission.
Except, Yuri initially only said “No."
It took Victor and Yuuri a week to get through to the younger couple and get them to talk to each other. Yuuri had found Yuri next to a garbage can full of hyacinth petals, the salt from his tears dried on the hoodie Otabek kept at his place.
Victor had found Otabek surrounded by takeaway wrappers, looking like he hadn’t slept in three days (which wasn’t far off), working on the angriest mix he had ever heard.
When Victor showed Otabek the text from Yuuri, he barely had time to lock the door and stop Otabek from hopping on his bike and speeding over to Yuri’s apartment. He spent the entire drive telling Otabek arriving alive was important so he wasn’t going to go 140.
When he saw the size of the garbage can, he knelt next to the bed and drew Yuri’s torso as close as he could. “Yura, why?”
“I’m so sorry Beka,” Yuri said before another coughing fit pulled even more petals from him.
Otabek didn’t let go, even as they stuck to his back and Yuri collapsed against him, mumbling complete nonsense. He gently rubbed Yuri’s back until he calmed down enough to get actual words out.
“I just… This is the only reason you’re here and then the ring… I can’t Beka, I can’t.”
“Yuri… you think I only proposed because,” he gathered some of the petals and held them out, “This happened? Yuri… Even if it hadn’t… You know Victor would have dragged us all into some big wedding production-”
“-Hey!”
Both of them looked over at the older couple as Yuuri was gently pulling Victor out of the room.
“We would have met there. And you can’t tell me I wouldn’t have fallen for the groom’s bratty little brother from the DJ booth.”
“Tsch, I’m not his brother.”
Otabek gently kissed his temple. “You and I both know that’s barely true. But Yuri, I wouldn’t have proposed over these,” he finished, letting the petals fall from his hands.
“Can we wait? Until after this doesn’t happen anymore?”
“Of course Yura. Here,” he pulled a necklace from his neck, sliding it over Yuri’s head- a simple chain with the engagement ring on it, “I will gladly take this back and try again whenever you’re ready.”
When asked about the proposal, later on, both would stick with the original proposal, where Otabek took Yuri for a ride on his bike to Yuri’s favorite park to propose next to the water, neither would admit Yuri said yes while still wearing a hospital gown in the hanahaki ward where it all started.
It wasn’t the only time Yuri shoved Otabek away and ended up relapsing, but that was by far the worst. It was part of the reason they all started to live together- though they’d claim it was to save money.
Next, it was Otabek retiring. He had managed to catch a few more golds in the final year he competed, retiring with Yuuri and Victor. All four of them knew Otabek could have skated a while longer, but without the two older men on the ice with him, and the mix he finished once Yuri woke up going viral, he simply switched to his other love.
The three of them took the podium their final GPF, the papers after arguing about where the powerhouse trio should be credited to. Everyone who knew the skaters knew it boiled down to one feisty blonde. He had brought them together and they just stayed together, traveling between the three hometowns and driving the coaches to drink.
Both Victor and Otabek had rented out larger apartments and Yuuri’s parents always had two rooms open for them. Mama Katsuki had taken in Otabek as her own, fussing over them just as she had Victor and Yuri the first time they showed up.
Yuuri and Yuri had worked together to make the training easier for the coaches, setting up a decent video system at each of the home rinks. Yuri ended up in charge of keeping an eye on time zones.
Minako had started to work with Yuri while they were in Japan, helping Yuri stay on track for the shows Lilia wanted him in. It was harder for him in Almaty, but he was stubborn enough to make it work.
Once they retired, they still traveled a lot. Otabek was welcomed into the top clubs, and it helped that he brought three good dancers with him each show. Yuuri and Victor had started to choreograph the younger skaters and helped Phichit get his ice show planned out. Yuri still danced as much as he could but was helping Yuuri and Victor more often as the months passed. Yuri had created a family with them and refused to let any of them drift away.
After that, it was Yuri’s official retirement from dance. Lilia and Minako had both offered to take him in as an instructor, but Yuri had different plans. They all spent time before his final show setting up the charity he and Otabek had thought up.
Lilia had allowed Yuri to choreograph a solo piece that would be danced after final bows, one telling his story as a patient. The dance was a surprise for all the attendees of that final night, the last night that Yuri Plisetsky would ever perform on this level.
That night, they unveiled the Emilia Tiger Hanahaki Charity. It was set up to make sure any focus was able to afford what they needed to see their patient, but also to provide them support and help centers around the world evolve to better assist everyone involved. Each registered pair was given a box, designed by Emilia, Yuri, and Otabek. Among the contents, every box had a handmade blanket tucked in, just big enough to snuggly wrap around two people comfortably.
The donations they received that night would fund the charity for years to come.
It had been a little over a year since that day and they were just waiting for the final step, then Yuri would pick a day and Otabek’s Maman and Mama Katsuki would start planning… well, at least officially planning. It wasn’t a secret that they kept in touch after Maman had invited the whole Katsuki family when Otabek had finally brought Yuri home to properly introduce him to the family.
When the doctor gave him the all clear, Yuri handed Otabek back his ring, taking a deep breath. “Well, it’s over now, you don’t need to stick around for me to live anymore. So…” His voice by the end was almost a whisper, choked off and pained.
If had been years ago, Otabek might have taken this as Yuri breaking up with him, like he had with the refused proposal. Instead, he slipped the ring back on Yuri’s finger and wrapped him up in a hug. “Yura, I haven’t stuck around this long because of the hanahaki. It hasn’t been about that since you woke up from that coma. I’m still yours.”
Yuri dropped them both to the floor when he collapsed, crying and holding on to Otabek. They stayed like that for a while before heading back to the waiting room where Victor, Yuuri, and Nikolai were waiting, catching up with Emilia who had just come in for her shift.
“So, there’s going to finally be a wedding?”
Yuri nodded before hiding his blush in Otabek’s shoulder.
“Good, I was starting to think you took lessons from Georgi.”
“Tsch. Shut up, old man.”
Yuri had wanted a quick wedding after that, ready to move on with life. Mama and Maman managed to get everything all set up in just under a month from that final checkup.
They had skipped flowers for everyone, opting to turn all the glitter hair pins Otabek would buy for him into small tiger and bear boutineers. Each one had small hoop attached that let the two charms dangle off it.
The ceremony itself was held at the Altin’s house, outside under the trees. Yuri had been led in by Emilia and Mama Katsuki, meeting Nikolai at the end of the walk for a final blessing. Otabek had approached from the other side, standing between his parents. The day was marked with many tears from everyone who came.
Their vows were simple- Yuri promising to stop trying to break up with Otabek, and Otabek promising to keep ignoring his attempts.