Chapter Text
Part 1
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
They had been living together for a month. A whole month in Saint Petersburg in which Victor and Yuuri were both in absolute, domestic bliss. It was their first day off in a long time, and they were more than thrilled to spend it together, hand in hand, golden ring clinking against golden ring.
"Victorrrr-uh! We are out of bread again. And everything else. Where does all our food go?!" Yuuri was rummaging through the fridge in Victor's, no Yuuri and Victor's, shared apartment (it’s been a month, and Yuuri wants to say he will never get used to calling it that, but in reality he knows he will never call it anything else ever again.) On the rare days off that they shared outside the rink, it was normally because Yakov had miraculously convinced Lilia to do something with him. This meant that most the Russian team also had a day off, leaving yurio with nothing to do except bug Victor and ‘Katsudon’ about how he is a “growing teenager who needs to eat.” The last day they had off, the three of them ended up in colorful cat hoodies eating dumplings.
“Victor?” Yuuri looked up from where he was standing in the small kitchen and saw Victor sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone. He looked surprised, and to Yuuri’s dismay, mischievous.
“Yuuri, have you noticed?”
“Noticed what?”
“We haven’t heard from Yurio all day. Normally we would be at lunch right now.”
Yuuri closed the fridge and made a little huff of confusion.
“Guess where he is?!” Victor sang. At this point, Victor was turned around, staring at Yuuri with those big blue eyes, giving him one of his signature heart shaped smiles. Yuuri felt his heart melt a little more as he fell in love all over again (not that he ever fell out of it.) Victor’s brightness made Yuuri’s stomach flutter, and not in the bad way like he would experience before he stepped out onto the rink during a competition or before he told the waiter his order when celebrating afterwards, but in a good way. A way that made him feel as if there was no where in the world he would rather be.
Victor wasn’t happy with the mute response he was getting. “Yuuri! Guess!”
“Uh, practicing?”
“Nooo!”
“Shopping for more cat stuff?”
“Nooo but close!”
“Well we are going to starve if we don’t go to the grocery soon Victor and you know I’m bad at guessing…”
Victor dramatically pouted a little bit and continued on. “He’s with Otabek! They are on a date! Yuuri! He doesn’t need us anymore! He’s found a new lunch buddy.” Yuuri couldn’t tell if Victor was elated or sad that they had been replaced, but Yuuri was still confused.
“What does that have to do with shopping for cat stuff?”
“Okay, not cat stuff maybe, but shopping. We have to go grocery shopping anyway, right? Let's go to the Perekrestok across town! They are at lunch over that way and if we are being replaced we need to know it’s by someone worth it.”
Yuuri and Victor were very similar, whether they had realized it or not. After Victor suggested practically spying on their younger friend, Yuuri’s eyes doubled in size. Yuuri knew this was a little over protective, but he desperately wanted to know how things were going. After all, they needed food anyway and he definitely did not want to disappoint his finance, so with a snort he grabbed his coat and watched as Victor’s face lit up, ridding of the look of betrayal previously there.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Part 2
Needless to say, Yuuri was freezing his butt off. Saint Petersburg in late January was anything but warm. Over Victor’s too big sweater that he was wearing, Yuuri was also bundled up in a white coat and fluffy grey scarf. As he walked outside their apartment, hand in hand with his finance, he was in awe. Not just at how beautiful the city was, or how blessed he was to be there, but also at how unfazed by the horrid weather Victor was. He was in his favorite coat, the one that he wore for their first kiss, but was not shivering nearly as much as Yuuri. In fact, Yuuri was jealous at how we was not even shaking at all. He would just have to get used to the cold, but it's not like he doesn't have all the time in the world for that.
As they made their way to the store, Yuuri couldn’t help but wonder if Victor was happy. He knew that Victor made Yuuri happy, but wanted to know if he did the same back to Victor. It’s not like Victor has never told him that Yuuri makes him happy, or tells him countless time that he loves him "bol'she chem fseevo", but Yuuri knows that sometimes people say things just to make others feel good. Victor always has always this when he was in front of cameras or an audience, but it has always bothered Yuuri that he could the same to him. Yuuri could just be oblivious to the fact that Victor felt like he had to do these things. Like it was his duty to always please everyone else. He didn't always share his personal feelings, but whenever he did he tried his best to brush it off. Yuuri knew better and could read Victor like a book, but still felt as if there was something he didn't know. Was Victor still not being himself?
No. Victor lays his heart out in the open when it comes to Yuuri. Victor promised he would always be himself that day at the beach back in Hatsetsu. The two of them knew everything about each other, and besides, with how much time they have spent together, alone, what was there to hide?
"RAdost’ moyA?” Victor knew Yuuri was thinking. He also knew not to press Yuuri too far when he was thinking like this and the best thing he could do to show the love of his life that he understood was to pull him out of his own thoughts. They were a team after all, so they had to work together to keep each other as happy as they could be.
“What do we need to get anyway?”
Yuuri hadn’t even thought to make a list. He almost always made a list, but for some reason, today, it had slipped his mind.
“Oh. Bread for sure. Do you want salads tonight? We could use some lettuce. Do you think we need anything else?”
Victor thought for a second. He seemed really concentrated on something and all Yuuri had asked him was if he remembered what they had left to eat at home. “I don’t remember. But you know I’m forgetful! We can look when we get there.” Victor chuckled at his own absent mindedness and they continued talking about what Otabek and Yurio were doing, making up a list that got more and more ridiculous with every passing second. Yuuri thought Otabek would want to see one of the many palaces around the city, but Victor insisted he knew Yurio and Beka would end up at "The Republic of Cats Cultural and Museum Complex", upon Yurio's request of course. They could imagine the two of them trying to wake up all the cats in order to pet every single one because one "couldn't possibly go without love!" They giggled all the way to the grocery.
When they arrived at the store, they stuck together. They both knew it would be more efficient to split up, but Yuuri still couldn’t read Russian well and used that as an excuse to keep holding Victor’s hand. They plucked a few things: Tomatoes, lettuce, a few bread loaves, a bottle of Sake, and a few other small things. It was not nearly as much as Yuuri thought they had needed earlier, but he was glad to be out in Saint Petersburg a little more. The first week he had been there they were constantly at the rink. The next week, they had barely left the house and were instead cuddled up all day. Victor had assured Yuuri they had the rest of their lives to explore their new home together, so there was no need to rush exploring the city.
“Victor hasn’t this almost always been your home?” Yuuri was holding Victor one morning who just happened to be sprawled out across his chest.
“No. It’s always been where I’ve stayed, but it wasn’t where I was truly alive until you came and made it my home. For awhile, Hatsetsu was my home because that's where you were.”
As Yuuri paid the cashier, Victor had his right hand in an ‘L’ shape against his lips.
“Yuuri, can we stop next door?”
Of course Yuuri wouldn’t say no, and Victor knew that. The Russian grabbed the bag of groceries and walked with Yuuri out the door.
“I just want to check out the new clothing store put in across the street! I hear they have really soft material, almost as soft as Talc! There are a few more things I would like to look at…”
Yuuri barely listened to what his finance was saying about the material (being almost as soft as a mineral?) and was trying not to look to elated at the idea of having a whole day out with his very best friend and favorite coach around their new home. They were both grinning as they walked across the street, Victor still talking about what they would do the rest of the day. Yuuri was almost about to laugh at his love’s enthusiasm until he heard him say something that caused him to stop dead in his tracks.
“… and then we need to stop at the pharmacy a few blocks down. I’m almost out of my medicine, not that I really need it anyway. You’re the real reason I’m happy! Yuuri, you could be my medicine!