Chapter Text
After Victor's birthday in the previous chapter, the pair return to work in the new year feeling refreshed. Things get wilder when Yuri accompanies Victor and Mila to a photographer's studio for a wedding shoot, while Yuuri visits the local flower market and reacquaints himself with flower supplier Celestino to gear up for Valentine's Day.
On Valentine's Day, the pair are swamped with work (that's probably the busiest day of the year for romance-geared businesses) but they manage to have a good time that evening.
Yuuri then begins to train himself in floral design in earnest, Victor providing ideas for inspiration and the many museums in New York providing fodder for Yuuri's sense of aesthetics.
On the anniversary of their first date, they go on a dog park date accompanied by Makkachin.
On their second Hanami festival, they go along with the Katsukis, the Nishigoris, and Phichit to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and have a boisterous but entertaining day.
Chris gets engaged that spring (though he doesn't put the responsibility of planning the wedding on Victor's shoulders), and a tipsy Victor reveals his long-concealed marriage daydreams as he and Yuuri watch an old rom-com:
From my notes:
Lazy evening in with Victor sitting between Yuuri's legs on the floor while he's on the sofa + hair playing. They're tipsy and watching some old movie, and Victor is a tad sappy. He starts musing about venues and banquet arrangements and flowers and cake and he's just getting to what he'll make Chris and his groomspeople wear when Yuuri can tell he's about to doze off, because playing with his hair just does that. Yuuri manages to get them into bed with some stumbling, and just when he's gotten the covers up over them both Victor mumbles something to the effect of wanting to marry him— with a pause, then a "someday."
Yuuri can't process information at that moment, because he's drunk, but he kind of understands and brushes his bangs back against the pillow and pats Victor's forehead because it's too far away across the bed to kiss.
He probably doesn't remember till Monday when his mom asks about his weekend.
Victor's wedding dreams include having a smaller, private wedding, combed silk table runners, rose boutonnières for himself and Yuuri, and walking matching poodles down the aisle.
Later that week, Victor asks Yuuri to help him with a client's request- a prestigious and trend-setting bride wants a totally unique bridal shoot (taken by Otabek, a young up-and-coming photographer), and Yuuri pulls the project off, though he leaves exhausted and with some frayed nerves. He ends up having an anxiety attack shortly after, during which Victor soothes him. The shoot turns out to be a huge success, attracting new clientele to the Katsukis' flower shop.
In July, Victor and Yuuri take a rare week off and take a trip to France, visiting Honfleur and Paris. Alongside sleeping in, taking scenic routes, and eating lots of great food, they also visit Monet's house in Giverny, where they both love the robust gardens and famous water lilies.
(This is probably around when Yuuri starts thinking about actually marrying Victor.)
A few months later, Victor gifts Yuuri an official AIFD (American Institute of Floral Designers) textbook, believing that Yuuri has the skill and talent to become certified. It's daunting, but Yuuri dives into the material with gusto, curious to see what others have been doing with their skills.
After another quiet birthday for Yuuri, he and Victor go to Florida for the holidays, meeting Victor's family and their friends (including Yakov, Yuri, and Nikolai). Yuuri finds out he doesn't really like pickled beets.
In the flurry of their second, even busier Valentine's day, Yuuri gets sent the application for the AIFD's Professional Floral Design Evaluation program.
After the second anniversary of their meeting, Yuuri wakes up before Victor and is suddenly struck with the idea of proposing. He'd bought a ring while Victor was busy romping along Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. He slips the ring onto Victor's hand before Victor wakes up with a soft smile and a yawn. Victor doesn't actually notice the ring until he's brushing his teeth, when a golden gleam on his finger in the mirror alerts him it's there.
(It's definitely not the best flying kiss they've ever had, but it's certainly the mintiest.)
The answer is a "yes", of course!
A few months later, after Chris and Markus' ski resort wedding and lots of hard work, Yuuri passes his PFDE evaluation.
After a time skip, Victor and Yuuri have a wonderful, love-filled wedding with their matching poodle grooms'-dogs, and the story closes on the two entering a gallery for Yuuri's first solo floral design show two years later.