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“Vitya?” Yuuri asked softly. “Do you have a few minutes?”
“Of course, moya zvyozdochka1,” Victor replied before glancing up from his tablet. He straightened in his seat as he took in Yuuri’s hunched posture. “Is everything alright?”
“Huh? Oh yeah, everything’s fine.”
“Are you alright?” he asked more insistently, setting the tablet on the side table.
“I’m fine,” Yuuri assured. The way he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt contradicted his words.
“Yuuri, I’m insulted that you think me dumb enough to believe that.”
Yuuri laughed mirthlessly, “But I am fine. Relatively speaking, anyway.”
Victor frowned. “Yuuri-”
“I’m just a little anxious about the wedding,” Yuuri confessed, glancing up at Victor. Victor let out a small sigh of relief.
“Getting cold feet already, dorogoi2?” Victor teased.
“What? No! Of course not.”
“What has you so anxious?”
“Everything?” Yuuri admitted with a nervous laugh. He began fidgeting with his ring. “There’s so much to figure out.”
“We have time.”
“Only we don’t. Not really. If we’re getting married next September, we need to start looking at venues now. I know a year sounds like a lot of time, but I’ve been reading and it’s really not; places book up fast. If we don’t look into this now, we might have much say in where we can have the wedding.
“Yuuri, you forget that we’re famous. We’ll have no trouble finding somewhere willing to work with us.” Victor swung his legs off the couch, making room for Yuuri on the couch. Yuuri took the invitation and settled in next to Victor. Victor curled his arm around Yuuri’s shoulders and gently pulled him into his chest. “Do you want to get married on the beach?”
“The beach?”
“Getting sand in our shoes would be less than ideal, but the romanticism of the sun setting on the horizon as we say our vows would be hard to beat. We could always forgo shoes I suppose.”
“I don’t know how I feel about being barefoot.”
“Me neither. Maybe a ceremony in the park overlooking the beach? It wouldn’t be quite as symbolic as the beach, but it would look nice.”
“Why would the beach be symbolic?”
“Because of the conversations we’ve had there over the years.”
“The beach by my parents?”
“Of course.”
“Oh.” Yuuri chewed his lower lip for a moment.
“I had assumed that we were getting married in Hasetsu. Was that wrong of me?”
Yuuri shifted in Victor’s embrace to look at him more clearly. “Is that where you want to get married?”
“I would like that, yes.” Victor frowned after a moment. “Is that not where you want to get married?”
“It’s not legal in Hasetsu,” Yuuri pointed out
“No, it’s not, but it’s close to family.” Victor looked at Yuuri closely. “Does it matter to you that it’s not legal?”
“I would be nice to be registered to the same household,” Yuuri mentioned, aiming for non-chalance but not quite succeeding.
“That’s why you adopt me.”
Yuuri looked confused for a moment. “Why would I-” Understanding passed over his features. “ Victor, have you been researching same-sex marriages in Japan?”
“Of course. Russia won’t recognize us regardless of what we do, but in Japan, you can adopt me and then we’ll be in the same household.” Victor laughed slightly, “It’s kind of weird to have you adopting someone older than you, but from what I’ve read it’s what gay couples do.”
“Gay Japanese couples, yes” Yuuri agreed. “But you’re not Japanese,” he added, the corners of his lips pulling upward.
“Does that make a difference?” Victor asked, brow furrowed.
“A big one. If a Japanese national marries their foreign fiance in a country where it’s legal, the government recognizes the marriage and you,” Yuuri punctuates the word by poking Victor in the chest, “would be added to my household.”
“Oh.” Victor said simply, processing the new information. “That is a big difference.”
Yuuri hummed in an agreement.
“I… I hadn’t given a whole lot of thought to a legal ceremony,” Victor admitted. “We could get married in the United States then. Or Canada.”
“Or Spain.”
“Spain,” Victor repeated, sounding vaguely surprised.
“It’s legal in Spain,” Yuuri clarified. “I thought maybe since we got engaged in Barcelona…”
“A wedding in Spain would be fitting,” Victor finished. A bright smile spread across his face. “Yuuri, that’s a lovely idea.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely! My biggest concern with having a destination wedding was that your family might have a hard time attending due to travel costs and the hot springs and everything.”
“Oh.” Yuuri frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“It’ll be fine!” Victor reassured, squeezing Yuuri close to him again. “We can take care of the expenses! And I’m sure they could close for a week.”
“They never close the hot springs.”
“Their only son is getting married, I’m sure they can make an exception.”
“I guess…” After a moment’s pause, Yuuri added, “Oh, but Yu-chan and Nishigori…”
Victor hummed as he considered them. “Oh! We can pay for them as well! It’s no problem.”
“I don’t know if Nishigori will be okay with that,” Yuuri pointed out.
“I’ll talk with him and offer to take care of the hotel or something. We’ll work something out. I can’t imagine they would miss your wedding, lyubimiy.1”
“Not if they can help it,” Yuuri agreed. “Are we inviting the Axel, Loop, and Lutz?”
“Hmmm… I’ll leave that up to you to decide.”
Yuuri thought it over for a moment before deciding, “I’ll ask Yu-chan. She and Nishigori might appreciate having a few days vacation to themselves.”
“I’m sure. Axel, Loop, and Lutz can be a handful.”
“Now more than ever. I can't believe they're almost teenagers,” Yuuri laughed in disbelief. Victor smiled.
“A terrifying thought, isn't it?”
“Sort of. It’s more that it makes me feel old,” Yuuri admitted.
“Tell me about it. I had a midlife crisis at 27.” Victor chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “The life of a professional figure skaters is unique, that's for sure.”
“No kidding.”
Yuuri leaned more fully into Victor, nuzzling against his chest. Victor sighed, content, and kissed the top of Yuuri’s head. Yuuri hummed pleasantly.
The two sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Victor gently stroking Yuuri’s back as Yuuri sporadically placed light kisses across Victor’s chest.
“Now that we have the destination picked out, we just have to settle on our last name,” Victor mused.
“I think you’re skipping a few steps,” Yuuri laughed.
“Yes, yes, but I don’t know anything about Spanish wedding venues, so we’ll skip over that for now. We’ll let the wedding planner take care of it.”
“Wedding planner?”
“Unless you don’t want one. We could probably figure it out on our own. But neither of us speak Spanish and it’s not like we can physically be at the viewings and tastings and everything.”
“And here I thought you’d take any excuse to ditch responsibilities and take a vacation,” Yuuri teased.
“Yuuri, you wound me. I am a devoted coach and I wouldn’t ditch Yurio with competition season coming up. ...Although,” Victor considered for a moment, “I’m sure we could work in a weekend trip somewhere; it has been awhile since Yurio’s been to Almaty.”
Yuuri slowly pushed off Victor’s chest to look at him. “Victor, I was joking.”
“But Yuuri that’s a great idea! We’ll still probably need a Spanish-speaking planner to coordinate all the vendors and everything, but we could definitely fly to Spain for a few days to look at venues or go to tastings.”
“I don’t think there’s time before the season starts.”
“There’s over a month until the Grand Prix series starts.”
“But to not interfere with Yura’s training, we’d have to go, like, now,” Yuuri argued. “And we don’t have anything set up yet. And we don’t know where to start.”
“Which is why we hire a wedding planner.”
“I… I don’t know Victor. This all feels kinda rushed.”
“Rushed?” Victor looked at Yuuri, confused. “We’ve been engaged for almost five years.”
“But we never had a date before. And we never actually planned anything before.”
“Do you think next August is too soon?”
“I… I don’t know. I guess normal people plan weddings in a year. But with the Olympics coming up, we’re not going to be able to do much until spring.”
“Should we wait another year?” “No,” Yuuri said loudly, surprising Victor with his conviction. Yuuri fidgeted with his ring and repeated more softly, “I don’t want to wait another year. This is why I retired. To finally marry you.” Victor smiled gently at his fiance, gently taking Yuuri right hand in his and kissing the ring.
“Then we won’t wait. We’ll set the date for next August. Does that work, moya zvyozdochka?1”
“I guess.” Yuuri paused for a moment, before adding, “Do we have to get a wedding planner?” Victor studied Yuuri, keeping his hold on Yuuri’s hand and resting their joined hands on his chest.
“No, we don’t. You would have to take on a majority of the planning though. I’m not sure how much help I can be during the season.”
“Oh. I guess you’re right.” Yuuri chewed on his lip. Victor leaned forward to kiss Yuuri’s forehead.
“We don’t have to decide tonight, moyo syerdtse.3 Take a few days to think it over. We have time.”
“Okay,” he agreed, not sounding entirely convinced. Victor waited for him to continue, knowing from Yuuri’s expression that he was itching to say more, but debating if he should. After a long stretch of silence, Victor opened his mouth to continue, but was quickly interrupted by Yuuri. “I’m just worried that things will get out of control. You’re famous-”
“So are you, lyubimiy.2”
“Famous people always have the same wedding,” Yuuri continued, hardly hearing Victor’s words as his thoughts tumbled out faster. “What if our wedding planner plans for that? What if there’s a million people? A bunch of famous people we hardly know? What if they make me out to be the bride? Because every wedding has to have a bride. Nevermind the fact that we are both men. So there will never be a bride. Because there will be two grooms. What if-” Yuuri stopped himself, aware that he was getting more and more worked up as he continued, his heart racing and his breath quickening as his anxiety rose with each new fear confessed. Victor rubbed circles on to Yuuri’s hand with his thumb, a soothing gesture to help ground Yuuri; to calm Yuuri; to let Yuuri know he was listening, that he heard him; to remind Yuuri that he was there, that he loved him, that would never let him go through this alone.
Yuuri closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Victor watched him closely but never spoke, for which Yuuri was grateful as he rearranged his thoughts. He let out a deep exhale and opened his eyes to look into Victor’s, vulnerability evident in his gaze.
“I’m scared that if we have a wedding planner, the wedding will be this big thing that neither of us wants, but we were convinced we had to have, and that one day we’ll look back and regret it all because we lost ourselves in everything else.”
“I could never regret our wedding day, Yurochka,” Victor assured, words delivered with such love and conviction, Yuuri felt his heart catch in response. “There is nothing that would ever make me regret marrying you. Our wedding will have a bunch of famous people, but only because we have famous friends. And if anyone is to be the bride, it would surely be me,” Victor puffed out his chest and bat his eyelashes, “because everyone knows I look better in a wedding dress.” Yuuri laughed weakly. Victor squeezed his hand and smiled affectionately. “I want our wedding to be whatever you want it to be. If you want a big wedding, we'll have one. If you want to have a private ceremony with just our family, you have my full support. I would be happy holding our wedding in a bathroom stall as long as it meant I was marrying you.”
“A bathroom stall?” Yuuri laughed more genuinely at the absurdity of Victor’s claim. “How would we even fit?”
“I’m sure we could ask Chris for some tips.”
“Victor!”
“My point is, lyubimiy2, that we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. The wedding planner works for us. It’s their job to listen to us and make us happy. If you don’t like an idea, you tell them, and it doesn’t happen. If they don’t listen to you, they’re fired. If you’re anxious about rejecting their ideas, tell me and I will gladly do it for you. As we decided, I’m the bride, so really it’s only fitting that I be the opinionated bridezilla. I'm good at getting what I want.” Victor flashed a polished grin. Yuuri rolled his eyes.
“Because you flirt with everyone,” Yuuri deadpanned.
“But it works, doesn't it?”
“I'm not endorsing your playboy behavior.”
“Playboy behavior? Yuuri, you wound me.” He covered his heart, feigning a scandalized expression. “You've had me wrapped around your finger since you dry humped me pantless and asked me to be your coach.”
Yuuri groaned. “I should make you pay a fine every time you mention that banquet.” He let out a small gasp and narrowed his eyes at Victor. “I swear to God if you mention the banquet at our wedding, I'm asking for a divorce.”
Victor gasped dramatically, covering his mouth in an edxaggerate gesture. “You wouldn't.”
“Try me.”
“Yuuuuuriiiiiii,” Victor whined, throwing himself at Yuuri and nuzzling against him, “you're so mean to meeeeeee.”
Yuuri rolled his eyes. “And you're a drama queen; it all balances out.”
Victor pulled back with a pout. “Fine. No more kisses for you.”
“Oh my goodness Victor; you're being ridiculous.”
“No, I'm not.” Victor crossed his arms across his chest with a melodramatic huff.
“Just kiss me already.”
“No kisses for you!” Yuuri sighed and took out his phone. Victor frowned as Yuuri tapped at it quickly with his thumbs. “What are you doing?”
“Putting out a personal ad for a new fiance. One who will kiss me.”
“Yuuuuuriiiiiii, you're being mean again!”
“‘Olympic medalist seeking drama free husband,’” Yuuri said as he kept typing, fighting to keep the grin off his face, “‘Must kiss me whenever I want-’”
“I do that!”
“Not right now you're not.”
“Yuuuuuriiiiiii!”
“‘Doesn't flirt with every person alive. Doesn't wake me up at the asscrack of dawn everyday.’”
“You fall right back asleep!”
“‘Will watch a movie before passing judgement instead of boycotting it because it stars an actor he doesn’t like.’”
“Yuuuuuriiiiiii, don’t leave me,” Victor pleaded, shaking Yuuri. “I’ll watch all your movies and give you all the kisses and do whatever else you want.”
“Whatever I want?” Yuuri asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Of course!”
“What if I want you to love me forever?”
“I’m already doing that!” Victor laughed.
“Oh,” Yuuri pretended to consider this. “Well, then I guess I don’t need a new fiance after all.” Victor plucked Yuuri’s phone from his hands and placed it on the end table.
“Nope, you already have the best fiance.”
“I don’t know about that,” Yuuri joked.
“You’re right. I have the best fiance ever.” Victor pulled Yuuri into his chest, wrapping his arms around him and kissing his forehead.
“You’re so sappy,” Yuuri complained with a laugh, relaxing into the embrace regardless.
“Only to you, moyo zolotse.4”
“That’s a lie. You’re sappy in front of everyone.”
“Only for you, then,” Victor amended. Yuuri hummed in response, pressing closer to Victor. Victor ran a hand through Yuuri’s hair, eliciting soft sighs as he gently scratched at Yuuri’s scalp. “And is it such a crime for your husband to love you so much?”
“Fiance,” Yuuri corrected automatically.
“You don’t always have to be right, you know.” Yuuri shrugged as best as he could while more or less lying on Victor’s chest.
“I like being right.” Victor chuckled and squeezed Yuuri affectionately.
“I suppose you do,” Victor agreed with playful smile. Yuuri pulled his legs up onto the couch and rearranged himself to lay more comfortably on Victor. Yuuri placed his hand on the arm wrapped around him and stroked it gently.
“Do you think a wedding planner is a good idea?” Yuuri asked quietly. Victor looked down at Yuuri, not entirely successful at gauging Yuuri’s expression from this angle.
“I think there are benefits of having one, yes, but they’re not necessary, if having one worries you.”
Yuuri chewed on his lip for a while before asking, “What are some of the benefits?”
“We’re getting married in a country where neither of us speak the language. If we pick someone who speaks Spanish, they can research and contact vendors and coordinate all the deliveries easier that we can. They’ll know all the things we need to plan, and will have suggestions based on experience. They can help make smaller decisions so we don’t get overwhelmed. They can keep us on schedule even when we’re distracted with Yurio this season. There are probably other reasons. We can ask them during the interview; ‘why should we hire you?’”
“You’ve thought about this a lot.”
Victor shrugged. “Not really. It was actually Leroy who mentioned hiring one.”
“JJ?” Yuuri asked skeptically, glancing up at Victor.
“Yeah. A while ago, actually. At one of the competitions, I can’t remember which, sometime after he and his wife got married.”
“Oh wow, that was years ago.”
“Mhmm. He was bragging about how amazing his wedding was and I was only half listening, but then he brought up how stressed his wife had been planning and that caught my attention.”
“He actually said that? I don’t know if Isabella would appreciate him telling people that.”
“I think it was his polite way of bringing your anxiety without actually talking about it.”
“I don’t know if I should be upset or touched that he did,” Yuuri admitted.
“Me neither,” Victor agreed. “But anyway, he mentioned that getting a planner really helped her and that we should look into one.”
“Why didn’t you ever mention this?” Yuuri asked curiously.
“It’s not like we were actively planning at the time. And I wasn’t sure how you would take him implying that planning a wedding might be too much for us.”
“Too much for me, you mean,” Yuuri corrected.
“No, I would like to be involved with planning. I’m getting married too,” Victor pointed out, poking Yuuri in the cheek. Yuuri puffed his cheeks out in response, leading to Victor poking him more insistently. “Take a few days to think about it. Having a planner might be helpful, but we can get along without one. I imagine you’d want a slightly more subdued party, anyway.”
“As compared to your tastes? Definitely. But as you pointed out, it’s not all about me.” Yuuri reached up to poke Victor in the cheek as well. Victor turned his head and kissed Yuuri’s wrist.
“We’ll come to some sort of compromise.”
“Probably.”
“But you know what I will never compromise on?”
“What’s that?” Yuuri asked curiously.
Victor smiled sweetly down at Yuuri. “My love for you.”
Yuuri groaned. “That was so cheesy.”
“Doesn’t make it any less true.”
“We’re like some bad romance novel,” Yuuri complained.
“We’re like the best romance novel.”
“You’re the worst.”
“I’m the best!” Victor kissed Yuuri’s head. “And I’m all yours.”
“Cheesy,” Yuuri complained, smiling brightly regardless.
“True,” Victor corrected.
Yuuri twisted around and pressed his lips to Victor’s. “All mine,” he repeated, leaning forward and kissing Victor again. “And I’m all yours.”