Chapter Text
Yuuri was splayed out on the floor, face down, the culmination of months on the road, meeting and greeting people in an attempt to sway their vote, was finally getting to him; the exhaustion was undeniable. Today was election day, and the results were already pouring in. His family was bustling around him with excitement, fully believing that after running three times, this would be the year that he would finally make it to the House. Minako, a family friend and his campaign manager, was so sure of it that she bought three bottles of champagne (Yuuri hardly ever drank, so half of that was almost definitely meant for Minako to drink herself) to celebrate, but nothing felt right about tonight. He knew there was nothing else he could do to increase his chances, and yet the anxiety was jarring. He wanted everything to be over and done with so he could move on with his life. The campaign didn't feel like a failure necessarily, in fact they had been doing okay in the polls for awhile, but it wasn't anything revolutionary. He didn't find himself connecting with people the way he saw other politicians did. It was the anxiety, he knew that, the weight of potential failure weighing on his shoulders. The worries started to swell all around him, making him slightly sick to his stomach. He could feel the worried glances of his family members on him. His parents had cooked his favorite dish, katsudon, to celebrate but it sat uncharacteristically untouched on the table.
The television had been listing off the results for hours now. First Pennsylvania, then Maryland, and Virginia. Soon enough the results would be in for New Jersey and that would be it. The deciding moment. Maybe politics wasn’t what he was meant to do. He could just work at the family bookstore and continue to volunteer in the community. There wouldn’t be the same pressure, the same potential to crash and burn. Something about the idea calmed him just a bit, only for him to be jostled out of his thoughts by the sound of Minako slamming her glass onto the table.
“Atta boy Viktor!” Minako shoved Yuuri, urging him to look up at the television.
“New Jersey politician Viktor Nikiforov has been reelected to the Senate after maintaining some of the highest approval ratings that a politician has seen in years. It will be exciting to see where he goes from here,” the announcer said, smiling wide as the woman correspondent next to him wore a dreamy expression as she looked at the camera.
Yuuri watched as the frame changed to footage of Viktor interacting with his voters. He walked along a crowd of people, looking to them with a smile as he held as many hands as he could, if only for a second or two. He held the hand of a girl on the edge of the crowd and looked at her as she spoke words that weren't picked up by the camera crew. Whatever she said prompted Viktor to lean in and hug her. That was what attracted people to him in the first place–he could connect with people on a deeply personal level, taking the time to really get to know them. The magnetism of his nature was truly irresistible to anyone who met him. It wasn’t surprising that people kept voting for him.
Minako took a long pull from her glass. “You know, that man could seriously run for president. I mean, I’d certainly vote for him.”
Yuuri nodded, never taking his eyes from the screen.
Minako continued. “You know, he’s kinda got that JFK vibe to him.” She took another big gulp from her glass.
“Yeah I suppose they do value a lot of the same things…” Yuuri trailed off before Minako interrupted him with a loud BAAAAAH.
“Obviously it’s because he’s hot. I mean look at him Yuuri! Even you can’t take your eyes off him.”
Yuuri felt his cheeks get hot. “I’m sure it’s not just because of that. People care about character too.”
Minako looked at him for a minute, and Yuuri looked back before she laughed. “You’re so cute, Yuuri, you know that?”
“You’re really, really drunk Minako… You know you don’t have to stick around for the results, right? I mean… I doubt there’ll be anything to celebrate.” Yuuri started to pick at the hem of his sweater.
Minako waved it off. “They just announced the Senate results so that means you’re coming up soon!”
Minako was obviously excited about the fact, but the words left a sinking feeling in the pit of Yuuri’s stomach.
“The final count is in for the Representative races in Essex and Passaic counties, and it looks like Guang Hong Ji has clinched the open House seat!”
Minako fell silent and Yuuri dropped his head back down to the floor. The announcer continued.
“This win marks a third consecutive loss for Yuuri Katsuki, who, despite his popularity in his hometown, has failed to inspire people across the county.”
Yuuri burrowed his face more into the carpet. It was bad enough that he lost, but the commentary was really not necessary.
“Harsh.” Yuuri could feel Minako’s eyes on him. He hummed in response and lifted his head. On the television they had already switched gears and were showing an empty podium inside the lobby of the Capitol building in New Jersey. Everyone was buzzing in anticipation for Viktor’s acceptance speech, wondering what words he would deliver to inspire his state through the upcoming years.
“Well!” Minako stood up triumphantly, stretching her arms up into the air. “I’m exhausted.”
Yuuri knew Minako wasn’t—on a good night she would end up passed out by 2 am, and certainly wouldn’t be tired at midnight, even on a Tuesday, but she knew what he needed right now—space.
Yuuri smiled softly. “Thanks, Minako.”
“Don’t mention it,” She smiled and gave a little salute, pointing her finger at Yuuri. “You’re totally winning this in two years, kiddo.” She grabbed her coat before disappearing out the door.
Yuuri couldn’t say that he was looking forward to running for office again. Every year it felt like he was running in the same circles, and at the end of every exhausting campaign there always seemed to be the same disappointment, over and over and over again.
The crowd on the television erupted into applause, and Viktor Nikiforov, clad in a well-tailored grey suit which matched his platinum hair that was carefully groomed to the side, walked to the podium with purpose in his step. There was a faint trace of a smile on his lips that wasn't as natural as it looked even in the clip the news showed earlier. He seemed sadder somehow, just going through the motions.
“As usual it’s an honor to be able to serve another term serving the great citizens of New Jersey,” He spoke with a slight Russian accent, practically giving away the fact that he had grown up in the heavily Russian town of Milburn, and his voice was so pleasing to the ear, the gentle timbre of it was like music. “And I’m always humbled by the support you constantly rush to share with me. That faith is something that cannot be replaced, and I hold it very close to my heart. Thank you.” He bowed at the end of the short speech, trying to force his smile into something bigger, and more genuine, but ultimately coming up short. No one in that crowd seemed to notice though. They roared and screamed, lovingly shouting praise at Viktor. No one seemed to notice that his eyes didn’t have the same sparkle that they had had in years past, and no one cared if he really was happy to have won. He still moved about with the same grace that he always did, and maybe that was all everyone needed to be satisfied.
Yuuri couldn’t take his eyes away, but he felt a certain sadness settle in the bottom of his chest.
What would it take to make you smile, Viktor, like, really smile?
He laughed to himself and turned off the television, as if he would ever know.
Mila was resting her feet on Sara’s desk with her laptop on her chest as she typed yet another article on Viktor Nikiforov’s recent win. The whole news office had been rushing to get out any political news as fast as possible, and the public was addicted to Viktor’s charm and political talent. She looked up at Sara and smiled, seeing her girlfriend deep in thought, working on her own piece. At least Sara didn’t have to follow Viktor’s every move… He was a nice guy and all, but people treated him like he was a celebrity. He had boundaries that he wanted to keep in tact, but the public wanted to know every little thing. But there was no girl in his life, no fun scandals on the weekends… They wanted more than he was willing to give.
Mila sighed, throwing her head back. Even his acceptance speech was vague and standard, compared to what he used to deliver back in his junior senator days.
“So,” Mila took her feet off the desk and leaned on her elbow. “What’s the scoop?”
Sara smiled wide, looking up. “Michele won again.”
“They assigned you to cover your brother again?”
Sara shrugged. “He opens up to me more than the other journalists. He does better when he knows I’m covering him. He’s got more confidence.”
Mila hummed. “Yeah, but he’s got to learn to make it on his own. Still, kudos to him on the win.”
“Has anything new happened with Viktor?”
Mila laughed. “God I wish! The kid hasn’t been exciting as usual here of late. Maybe he’s run out of ideas or something.”
Sara opened her mouth to reply when they heard a crash in the office next door, accompanied with a chorus of mumbled curses.
Mila smiled. “Yuri! You need a little help over there?”
Yuri groaned. “Leave me alone, Mila!”
Mila grinned and Sara laughed and shook her head. Yuri was the youngest journalist in the office, and, despite the overwhelming teen angst that hung in the air around him, he was one of the best writers on their team.
Mila held up a finger, asking Sara to wait a second as she snuck over to the doorway of Yuri’s office. “What’s got you down, tiger?”
Yuri didn’t try to erase the scowl on his face. “I thought I told you to leave me alone!”
“Aw! Maybe I can help!” She leaned over his shoulder to try and get a view of what he was working on. It was a piece on Yuuri Katsuki’s loss in New Jersey. She raised her eyebrows.
“Katsuki? Isn’t that kid old news basically? I mean, he’s lost for the past three elections, it’s kinda depressing when you think about it.”
“The damn bastard keeps throwing it all away!” Yuri returned to banging the keys on his laptop.
Mila nodded, reading his piece as he went. “If you care so much, then why are you telling him to retire?”
Yuri frowned and slammed his laptop closed. “I don’t care about that dumb pig! Just get lost already!”
Mila raised her hands in surrender and backed away slowly into Sara’s office.
“You probably should have let him be.” Sara had a soft smile gracing her lips, but her eyes were focused on the work on her laptop.
Mila smiled too, leaning down to kiss Sara on the cheek. “I know, but what can you do?”
Yuuri woke up with a piercing headache, pinching his eyes closed as he turned his face into his pillow. His eyes felt dry, the memory of crying himself to sleep coming back, along with the events of the previous evening. He still had to make a decision on the future, whether he'd stay on this path, and with the thing he loved the most, or if he'd be going a different route. Last night the latter was all that was swimming around in his mind, and after all, maybe it was more practical. There were plenty of talented politicians vying for the same position, many of whom could do just as well, or better than he could ever.
Yuuri opened his phone and scrolled through his notifications. Most were snapchats (probably selfies) from his friend (and House Representative) Phichit Chulanont. He wasn’t sure how Phichit managed to take selfies in the Capitol building, but each one brought a smile to his face. Phichit had been dreaming for years about making it as a politician, and the most endearing thing was that the American public was cheering him on too. He had the kind of story that touched people where it counted, and he never ceased to inspire.
Sure enough, when he opened them Phichit was pictured in his seat, doing a peace sign and waiting for the session to start. Yuuri laughed and snapped a pic of his ceiling (not that Phichit would care about seeing his drowsy face, but still).
Yuuri looked back at his other notifications. He had a text from his mom that was just a series of heart emojis, sent earlier in the morning. Yuuri felt the sting of the tears starting up again, but he swallowed them back as he thanked her and texted back some heart emojis too.
The headache didn't get any better through any of that and Yuuri frowned at the fact, rubbing his sleepy eyes and getting out of bed. He walked down the hall, hearing a slight clatter as he rounded the corner to the kitchen. It was his sister Mari, making coffee.
“Hey Yuuri, how are you feeling?”
Yuuri shrugged, leaning his elbows on the kitchen island. “I've been better.”
Mari nodded as she poured her coffee. “Coffee or hot chocolate?”
“Coffee sounds good,” Yuuri said, giving a small nod of thanks when she deposited a piping hot cup in front of him. She took a sip of her own, grimacing a little at the bitterness of it before turning around to grab some sugar.
“Hey, Yuuri?” She turned around to face him. “You haven't read any of the articles, right?”
“Not yet,” Yuuri answered slowly. “What are they saying?”
Mari waved him off. “What they're saying is crap, if I'm being honest.”
“Mari,” Yuuri warned. “You know you're just tempting me at this point, right?” He took out his phone, scrolling through the recent news.
“Okay fair point, but they're not going to help anything. Those post election pieces never do.”
Yuuri nodded, selecting Yuri Plisetsky’s article. “‘Yuuri Katsuki shows us yet again that his world of politics is one with limited success and one in which it may be better to either pony up or lay down the reigns,’” Yuuri recited quietly, feeling his stomach drop.
Mari sighed, setting down her coffee cup and walking over to Yuuri. “Look at me.” Yuuri took his eyes off his phone. “That kid has no idea who you are. He doesn't get it, and he doesn't understand how cool of a brother you are. And next election you can show him, but in the meantime you can't let someone like that bring you down.”
Yuuri hummed, setting down his phone screen down on the countertop. “I know.”
Mari smiled, patting him on the shoulder. “Good.”
The next days went by rather uneventfully, and his family tried endlessly to try and lighten the mood. They took him to his favorite restaurant Friday evening, and proposed playing Bananagrams the next night. It wasn't until Yuuri walked into the living room to find that everyone was gathered around, waiting for him, that he said something.
“Yuuri!” His father turned to face him with a grin. “We were thinking of starting a Lord of the Rings marathon. Would you like to join in?”
“I know what you guys are doing.” Everyone let out sighs of their own, and Yuuri sat down.
“We just didn't want this loss to bring you down too much, honey,” His mom said with worry on her face.
“I'll be fine,” Yuuri tried to assure them. “And besides, I've been thinking a lot about some things.” All the eyes in the room were on him in anticipation and he let out a shaken breath before continuing. “I think I'm going to get out of politics. At least for a little.”
Everyone’s eyes watched him in surprise, and his mother muttered a soft “Oh, Yuuri” in the silence.
“I'm really happy that you guys have stuck with me through all of this. Really. But I've been thinking a lot about it and I'm thinking this is the best option.”
“Are you sure about this, Yuuri?” Mari asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
Yuuri nodded, glancing at the worried faces looking at him around the room. “I am. I also made the calls to schedule a press conference in a week. The local news already knows that I’ll be retiring, and I guess they'll be reporting on that too but… I'm sure.”
His mom smiled softly despite the news. “We’ll support you through whatever you decide, Yuuri.”
“Yeah,” Mari followed. “And that includes if you end up changing your mind.”
Yuuri laughed a little. “Thanks guys.” He got up from his spot and started the movie, earning smiles across the room.
“That'll be $23.05.”
Yuuri had started working at his family’s bookstore for the time being, jumping on any chance to help them out. It was easy work, and the environment was soothing in a way that Yuuri had missed.
The customer handed him $25 and Yuuri worked on grabbing the change.
“You hear the news about our Senator?”
Yuuri raised his eyebrows as he handed over the customer’s change. “Which one?”
The customer let out a laugh. “You really haven't heard? It's absolutely crazy, but Viktor Nikiforov made a statement announcing his retirement. Right after winning another term, too.”
Yuuri felt as if a train had run straight into him. “What?” The one word was all he could manage; he could barely even breathe.
“I know! It's quite the shocker but I'm sure he had his reasons, right?”
Yuuri forced a nod. “I'm sure.” He couldn't for the life of him think of what would prompt Viktor to abandon his term only a week after winning. Even if he wanted to retire, it would make sense to simply complete the term he had just won.
The customer didn't say anything more except for a “thank you” before grabbing their books and leaving. Yuuri stayed in his place, sorting through every possibility in his mind. Everything he could think of, whether it be a family emergency or elsewise, wouldn't even constitute a full on retirement, just a hiatus.
Things were mostly quiet in the store, which was usual for a Wednesday afternoon, and Yuuri moved to distract himself by stocking some of the books from the newest shipment. He hefted a large stack in his arms and moved throughout the aisles, depositing half of the books by the time that the bell on the front door rang.
“Hello! Welcome to Katsuki Books!” He couldn’t see a thing over the tall wooden shelves lining the store. “If you need anything, please let me know!”
He could hear the customer walk through a nearby aisle with well tempered steps. “Thank you very much.” The voice was all too familiar, and had a slight Russian accent that made it almost sound like–Yuuri shook his head and shelved two more books in the s’s of the nonfiction section.
“I was wondering if you could help me find someone?” Yuuri was still looking down as the voice got closer. He froze in his spot as the voice continued. “I’ve heard that Yuuri Katsuki works here?”
Yuuri looked up finally, actually seeing Viktor Nikiforov there in front of him, there was no mistaking it. It's true that he was beautiful on the television screen, but he was almost more so in real life. His eyes were blue as Grecian oceans, capturing Yuuri’s attention, and his platinum hair fell softly over one of them. He wasn't wearing a suit, but instead a navy blue sweater and a green knit scarf. He was looking at Yuuri with a smile and Yuuri felt as if he could barely move, the shock of the moment keeping him in place.
Yuuri forced himself to move to greet Viktor, losing his footing and accidentally dropping the books and falling straight onto Viktor’s chest.
Viktor laughed beautifully, the sound light and bubbly. “Are you alright?” His arms were loosely settled around Yuuri.
Yuuri could barely find any words, his heart beating rapidly, but he managed to nod before meeting Viktor’s stunning blue eyes. He felt his face grow increasingly red and he quickly stepped back, waving his hands. “I’m so sorry!”
Viktor laughed again, the sound just as beautiful as the first time, and he waved it off as he bent down to help pick up the books. “You have no reason to be sorry.” He stood up and handed a small stack of books to Yuuri, meeting his eyes again.
Yuuri couldn't remember when he stopped breathing altogether, and he forced himself to take a slow breath before reaching to take the stack of books.
“Yuuri Katsuki, I have a proposal to make.”
“A proposal?” Yuuri said nervously and Viktor nodded as he brought his hands back.
“I’ve come here to be your campaign manager!” Viktor was so cheerful when he said that, his mouth practically turning into a heart.
“My what?” Yuuri’s head was spinning. He couldn't even fathom why Viktor would possibility want to do such a thing, nor why Viktor would even be there.
“Your campaign manager! You’re going to run for the Senate, and I’m going to help you get there.”
Yuuri’s mind was so fuzzy, he couldn’t believe anything that was happening. Yuuri was just a name in the distance of the New Jersey political realm, and had yet to even scratch the National stage, certainly not a household name, but nevertheless, Viktor was right here in front of him, all flesh and blood and smiles unlike those Yuuri had seen on Viktor’s face before.
“I—I was going to make an announcement of my retirement next week.”
Viktor waved it off. “I saw the news stories. You haven't done anything formal yet so it won't be too hard to reverse it. So, what do you say?”
Yuuri took a moment to think about it. Maybe this was all a dream, some sort of imaginary tale that come morning he wouldn’t have to worry about. But still, maybe it was real, and maybe his political idol was really here in front of him, making this proposition.
“I–Okay.”
Mila was sitting at her desk, almost falling asleep, with her thumb scrolling through social media feeds. Viktor’s Twitter had been nothing but business until it went practically silent after his out-of-the-blue withdrawal from politics just four days ago. His Facebook was nothing but reposts of his Twitter posts. For whatever reason, Instagram was the only place he was himself, more or less. He'd always be documenting his rallies, or posting selfies. On the best days, however, he would post pictures of his super cute poodle Makkachin, which didn’t exactly do anything for Mila’s job as a journalist, but hey, it was a midday pick me up in its own way.
She got a notification of Viktor just posting something new, and after clicking on it she saw it was just the kind of news she needed to find.
The photo was a selfie of Viktor and Yuuri Katsuki. Viktor looked literally overjoyed with his arm draped around Yuuri’s shoulder, while Yuuri looked surprised by the embrace. There was a caption underneath: “So happy to announce I’ll be managing Yuuri’s upcoming senatorial campaign!”
“No way... Yuri! Get over here!” She called out in the office. Yuuri had only just announced that he’d be holding a press conference to formally announce his retirement; Viktor announced his own retirement, Katsuki reverses his decision, and then what happens? Viktor goes on a vacation to Katsuki’s hometown of Montclair, New Jersey of all places.
“What is it?” Yuri growled, peaking his head into Mila’s office.
“Look at this.” She handed him her phone and watched as his face turned from anger to flat out shock.
“That Russian prick is doing what?”
“I know!” Mila sighed. “Well I guess that makes this election cycle more interesting for the two of us.”
Yuri walked away, not bothering to humor her much more, muttering something to himself, but Mila could almost swear that she could almost see him smiling as he turned around the corner.
Viktor had a small suitcase packed in his car that he carried with him as he and Yuuri crossed the threshold. Yuuri wondered how sure Viktor was about whether or not Yuuri would say yes to him. Yuuri looked over to him and watched him put down his suitcase with a huff. Maybe he hadn't been sure at all. Maybe it was all just a gamble.
“You can stay in the guest room. We don't really use it much so it should be clean.” Yuuri lead Viktor down the hallway, opening a door on his left. Viktor walked past him and set his suitcase on the bed. “Thank you.”
Yuuri nodded. “So uh–” He wrung his hands together. “Where should we start with this campaign?”
Viktor’s eyebrows raised, as if he hadn't really given it much thought. “We should first make an announcement. Nothing fancy, but enough to get the ball rolling I suppose.”
“Alright.” Yuuri didn't say anything else, and a silence settled between them as Viktor started to unpack the few things that he brought.
“Yuuri.” Viktor had paused, his hands hovering over his suitcase with a white t-shirt in hand. He set it down and stood up straight, looking right at Yuuri. “I want you to trust me.”
Yuuri felt as if time had frozen at that, the two of them staring at each other as their surroundings stayed unchanged, unmoved. “I do.” And he did. He knew Viktor enough from the years he had spent in politics, enough to see a man who didn't step back when it came to something that mattered to him.
Viktor held his gaze for awhile longer before letting out a laugh and turning back to his suitcase. “You don't even know me.”
Yuuri hummed. “And you don't know me. Guess it all evens out.”
Viktor picked up the shirt again, and it had seemed that he was less unpacking and more attempting to keep himself busy. “I’d like to know you. I mean, it would be best if…” He trailed off, seeming flustered by his own words.
Yuuri smiled. “I'm going to make that call. If you want you can take a hot bath and relax. But yeah, I'm here if you need me.”
Viktor smiled. “Thank you, Yuuri.”
Yuuri closed the door and went down the hall to his room. He arranged with the news team to keep the originally planned press conference and just change the message.
As the time crept closer, Viktor assured Yuuri that he didn’t need to worry about preparation. All he had to do was make the announcement and answer any questions that the small press pool might throw at him. That didn’t stop the nerves that still manifested themselves in Yuuri’s gut, but he tried to steady himself nonetheless.
When the day came around, Yuuri dressed in his favorite deep blue collared shirt and black slacks and ran into Viktor in the kitchen, who was sitting next to Yuuri’s mom, listening to her talk with a smile.
As he walked in they both looked at Yuuri with wide smiles, his mom dropping her train of thought.
“Yuuri! You look wonderful!” She clapped her hands together and Viktor got up from his seat to join Yuuri. Yuuri could feel Viktor’s eyes on him scanning his figure. “I hope you boys have fun.”
“Thanks mom,” Yuuri said as Viktor reached a hand to Yuuri’s shirt, buttoning a button at the chest that Yuuri must have missed.
“You missed a button,” Viktor smirked at him with soft eyes and Yuuri blushed slightly.
“Oh.” The word came out softly as Viktor pulled away. “Thank you.”
Viktor nodded and tilted his head towards the door. “Shall we?”
“Yeah.” Yuuri turned to his mom and waved goodbye as he and Viktor headed into Viktor’s car. The drive was silent and short since they only had to go to the city hall in town. Outside the weather was beautiful and the air had a crisp chill that felt refreshing after being in the heat of Viktor’s car. As the two of them walked towards the door they passed a lone local news crew that was set up, documenting their arrival.
Viktor opened the front door for Yuuri, and Yuuri stepped inside, his footsteps echoing.
He turned to the secretary who was already looking up at him, clipboard in hand.
“Mr. Katsuki right?” Yuuri nodded. “Please sign in here. You guys are set up in the first room in the right hallway.”
“Thank you.” He signed his name, the signature quick and messy, and handed the pen to Viktor, watching the careful and graceful loops of the pen before Viktor gave the clipboard to the secretary and they made their way towards the room.
Even from down the hallway Yuuri could hear the sound of chatter emerging from it, meaning that the press was already there and set up. “I guess we won’t have any buffer room.”
Viktor gave a chuckle at that, adjusting his cuff. “You’ll be okay, Yuuri. Just take deep breaths.”
Yuuri nodded, and closed his eyes, breathing in and out once before setting foot, Viktor following close behind. The cameras had already started snapping their photos as Yuuri approached the microphone, clearing his throat.
“Thank you all for coming out today. Instead of my previous plan of sitting out the next House and Senate elections, I’ve decided that I’m going to be running for the Senate in the upcoming special election. I am changing my campaign staff.” Yuuri smiled to himself. “Only slightly, at least, to include Viktor Nikiforov as my campaign manager. We’ll take any questions that you may have.”
A reporter in the front stood up, raising their pen in the air. “Being that you will be hoping to replace Senator Nikiforov in the Senate, and he is now your campaign manager, is there any conflict of interest there?”
Yuuri didn’t say anything at first. The reporter did have a point. Viktor knew his constituents better than anyone, giving Yuuri the upper hand in such a race. He looked back at Viktor, who stepped forward to the microphone.
“While it’s true that such an arrangement might prove beneficial to Mr. Katsuki, it’s his talent as a politician that will win him the seat.” Viktor smiled at the reporter and continued. “To say so otherwise is overestimating my talents as a politician and greatly undermining the decision making of the great people of New Jersey, who, quite frankly, will vote for whoever they see is the best fit.”
The reporter didn’t say anything else after that, and quickly sat down. Viktor backed away, smirking at Yuuri. Yuuri swallowed. “Any other questions?”
“Yeah.” It was Yuri Plisetsky, standing with his hand on his hip and an audio recorder held out. “Why did you announce your retirement if you were going to just go back on that half a week later?”
“Well, uh–” Something was telling Yuuri that saying the hottest politician and my idol literally showed up on day and even after I spilled books on him he wanted me to run was not the best option in such a situation. “I’m never going to stop wanting the best for the people of this state. But sometimes we all lose hope, and after this past election I had one of those moments. But,–” Yuuri paused, looking at Viktor who was smiling at him reassuringly. “Recent events have given me the courage that I need to achieve what I’ve been aiming for for years, and I knew I couldn’t let it slide.”
Yuri scoffed. “Way to turn up the sentimental crap,” he mumbled, before adding “thanks” at a greater volume as he sat down.
Yuuri nodded and scanned the room at the couple of faces that still hadn’t said a word. “Are there any other questions?” No one raised their hand and Yuuri gave a quick look back at Viktor before speaking. “Well, we thank you for coming out.” Viktor stepped forward to meet Yuuri, lightly putting his hand on the small of Yuuri’s back. Yuuri swallowed and continued, the words falling out of his mouth even faster. “And I hope that you all follow and support us in this campaign.”
Yuuri looked at Viktor who was smiling. His eyes were set on Yuuri, the applause around them seeming muted in Yuuri’s mind as Viktor gave a slight nod to him.
Our first step is already done, Yuuri thought as he turned again towards the audience, giving a wave of thanks one last time.
Yuuri walked into the living room to find Viktor sitting with Mari, laughing, with C-SPAN on in the background. Yuuri’s whole family had adjusted quickly to having Viktor around these past few days. It turned out Viktor couldn’t help anyone cook to save his life, but he definitely did make good company.
Viktor smiled as he saw Yuuri walk in, and Mari was quick to stand up, giving a quick smile at Viktor.
“I almost forgot that mom needed extra help at the store today.”
“If you need the help I–” Yuuri started, but Mari cut him off.
“You’ve got a new job to focus on. We’ll be okay.” She gave a smile and left the room, leaving Viktor and Yuuri alone.
Yuuri glanced at the television, where Senator Jean-Jacques Leroy from Minnesota was filibustering. He spoke with so much confidence, as if he was convinced anything he said was the truth.
Viktor had his eyes on Yuuri, and Yuuri could feel Viktor watching him without a word. He didn’t really understand Viktor, not at all. For so long, Viktor was a figure on the screen, in the newspaper headlines… but beyond the politics there was someone else, someone Yuuri could feel himself gradually getting to see more clearly.
“JJ is quite the entertaining orator, is he not?” Viktor spoke with a smile and softly patted the spot on the floor next to him, silently asking Yuuri to sit down.
Yuuri did, and they sat side by side, watching as JJ finished his speech and sat down with his fellow Senators. “That’s JJ style!” He said, making two J’s with his hands.
Viktor chuckled at that, the laugh beautiful and natural. “He does that every time. It’s his signature in a way.”
Yuuri nodded slowly, the figures on the screen reconfiguring themselves and moving on to the next item on the agenda. A man with an undercut moved to the front of the senate, setting his papers down in front of him.
“That’s Otabek Altin. He’s sort of a dark horse in our party.” Viktor was leaning in close, and Yuuri could feel his face getting hot from Viktor’s warm breath against his skin. He didn’t dare take his eyes off the screen, all too aware of the lack of space between them, but he nodded at Viktor’s words.
“He presents himself so well,” Yuuri said.
Viktor nodded. “He fought hard to get where he is. He’s not ready to give it up anytime soon.”
They must have been sitting there for hours, watching all of the senators make speeches and Yuuri was in awe how they all had their own way of capturing the audience and getting their point across, each with their own little spin.
“It’s amazing,” Yuuri said without another word. He could see Viktor watching him, amazed, out of the corner of his eye.
“Yes. Yes, it is.”
Yuuri was startled awake by a knock on his door.
“Yuuri!” It was Viktor, his accent slightly trilling the ‘r’ in Yuuri’s name. Yuuri grabbed his phone, checking the time. It was 7am. Yuuri groaned into his pillow and Viktor started knocking again, saying Yuuri’s name in a slight whine.
For a man who was not only a professional politician, but also a grown man in his thirties he seriously acted like a child sometimes.
Yuuri opened up the door, leaving Viktor mid-knock. He was wrapped up in a robe and hugging a pillow as if he had just crawled out of bed. He was also smiling, innocently and brightly.
“Viktor, it’s early.” Yuuri rubbed his eyes and Viktor raised his finger with a grin.
“Yes, but we need an early start if we’re going to get off the ground with your campaign.”
Yuuri sighed, meeting Viktor’s anticipating eyes. “Alright…”
“Yay!” Viktor threw his arms up and settled one around Yuuri’s shoulders.
“So what exactly are we working out?” Yuuri asked sleepily, trying not to think too much about Viktor’s warm body pressing against his own.
“Well—as your campaign manager I feel I should know everything about you!”
Yuuri raised his eyebrows. “Everything?”
Viktor nodded. “It would help knowing your policies, what’s important to you… you know, it’s the stuff the public will want to know in order for them to want to support you.”
Yuuri didn’t say anything as they walked into the living room, he just hummed. Viktor’s arm left his body, and Yuuri cursed himself for missing the warmth. They both sat down on the sofa, and Viktor grabbed a yellow legal pad that was laying on the coffee table.
“So Yuuri,” his name sounded like a cat’s purr on Viktor’s tongue. “Let’s talk policy.”
“Alright.” Yuuri felt like he was at a job interview, with Viktor’s blue eyes carefully watching him. “I suppose my priorities are protecting human rights. I tried to do a lot locally in protecting LGBT rights specifically. Especially in public schools.”
Viktor nodded, writing on his pad. “That’s good.”
Yuuri nodded and continued. “I think our state really needs criminal justice reform as well, and honestly I don’t support privatization or corporate takeovers…” He trailed off.
Viktor continued writing. “You’re firmly Liberal in views, aren’t you?”
Yuuri laughed nervously. “I guess so.”
Viktor laughed. “It’s not a bad thing. People in this state will react positively to that.”
Yuuri gave a small smile. Viktor was definitely right. New Jersey had gone blue in almost all of the presidential elections since the 1980s. And if Viktor’s impressive victories were any indication, then yeah, New Jersey liked Democrats.
“Let’s move on to more personal stuff.”
Yuuri straightened. “O-okay.”
Viktor leaned his arm on the back of the sofa and scooted closer to Yuuri. “Tell me about your family, your hobbies…” He trailed off and lightly touched Yuuri’s chin and lowered his voice. “Your love life?”
“My what?” Yuuri had grabbed Viktor’s hand, his initial hard grip on it softening. He should have let go by now, but he didn’t. He looked to Viktor, whose eyebrows were raised and his mouth open. He didn’t look angry at all, he looked just plain surprised.
Yuuri felt his face get red. Oh my god I’m still holding his hand. I’m still holding Viktor Nikiforov’s hand. He could feel Viktor’s fingers start to move to caress his own hand but he dropped Viktor’s hand quickly, noticing disappointment on Viktor’s face for a split second before it vanished. “I’m so sorry oh gosh… Can we, um, not talk about that?”
Viktor laughed quietly, moving past that moment–was that a moment?–that they just shared. “It’s okay. There’s a certain appeal to a single politician anyway.”
Yuuri looked at Viktor. Was he flirting? Viktor was smiling smugly.
Yuuri had never heard that one before–he had even seen Viktor himself be questioned about his lack of relationship, but Yuuri nodded and let Viktor move them along.
“I can tell that your family means the world to you, Yuuri.” His voice was soft and quiet, and he was focusing on writing something down.
Yuuri nodded, smiling. “I couldn’t imagine a life without them.”
Viktor met his eyes with a smile. “They love you terribly, Yuuri.”
Yuuri knew his family loved him, but something about those words coming from Viktor’s mouth made Yuuri’s face turn red.
“What about you?” Yuuri could hardly stop the words from exiting his mouth. He had always wondered about Viktor’s family. Despite his time in the public eye, that had always seemed like a blank spot in Viktor’s life, on the record at least. “Tell me about your family.”
Viktor smiled sweetly, a bit of surprise in his eyes, and he set the notepad on the table. “I never had the chance to know my father—but my mother is easily the best woman I’ve ever known.”
Yuuri smiled. “Tell me more about her.”
“Her friends always call her solnyshko, meaning sunshine, because that’s what she is.” He laughed to himself and Yuuri felt so warmed by the whole scene. It was if Viktor was literally glowing, his smile bright and his eyes sparkling. “She always dances and sings around the house—usually to popular American tunes. And she would always greet you with a smile. Not to mention she cooks the best pelmeni.”
Yuuri’s smile softened. “She sounds wonderful.”
Viktor nodded. “She is. I miss her a lot nowadays… She’s still with her brother in Russia, but I visit when I can.”
“How did you end up coming to America without her? That must have been hard on both of you.”
Viktor hummed. “It was.” He took a second to think. “I think she wanted me to be free. You know, it’s not as easy to do that in Russia nowadays.” He said the words with a soft smile before he continued. “But here, it’s different. So she sent me over when I turned twenty and I did what I could to make something of myself, to make my mom proud.”
Yuuri nodded. “I think you succeeded.”
Viktor nodded slowly, as if he didn’t quite believe that himself. He grabbed the notepad again.
“So campaign slogans…” He tapped his pen on his knee. “What have you used in local elections?”
Yuuri stopped to think. Come to think of it, his past campaigns hadn’t been the most exciting or creative. “Uh, I typically stick with the basic ‘Vote Katsuki.’”
Viktor nodded, jotting something down. “Very classic, but we should think up something new. I’ll give you three days. I’ve booked your first event for this Saturday, so that should give you plenty of time to think up something good.” Viktor grinned.
Yuuri’s head was spinning, but he nodded. Only a couple days to prepare seemed a bit last minute to say the least, but it meant that Viktor really must believe in him. Yuuri couldn’t really figure out why.
“Oh! I almost forgot—we need to perfect your greeting technique. After all, your interactions with your potential supporters are more important than they may seem.”
Viktor was right to bring it up—Yuuri didn’t have the same flair and charm Viktor did when greeting others. Viktor made everyone feel important, like you two were the only ones in the room. Yuuri knew that feeling with Viktor all too well already; it was almost as if Viktor was trying to win Yuuri’s support in his. Yuuri had tried in the past to copy Viktor’s technique in his own campaigns, but it felt unnatural for him to play that role.
“And how do you typically greet your future supporters? You know, to get their votes.”
Yuuri swallowed, pretending like Viktor was a stranger, the illusion poorly formed in Yuuri’s mind by the time he started speaking. “Uh… hi!” He shook Viktor’s hand hastily, causing the other man’s eyebrows to raise. “I’m Yuuri Katsuki. Please vote for me as your representative.”
Viktor looked at him for a moment, his eyebrows still slightly raised. “Is that all?”
Yuuri blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah.” He looked down, focusing his eyes on Viktor’s shoes and trying not to think about how lame he sounded just now.
“Let me show you what I do.” Viktor’s voice was soft and his sentence ended with a low hum. He lifted a finger and touched Yuuri’s chin, the contact causing Yuuri’s face to get even redder as he brought himself to meet Viktor’s eyes.
Satisfied, Viktor held Yuuri’s hands in his, his thumb tracing circles on Yuuri’s skin. “Tell me, what’s your name?”
“Y-Y-Yuuri.”
Viktor smiled gently, and his eyes glistened. “And Yuuri,” he started speaking softly. The name sounded like velvet on Viktor’s tongue and Yuuri felt his breath hitch at the sound. This was all too flirtatious to be how Viktor interacted normally, but Yuuri didn’t say anything, he just let Viktor continue. “What do you love most of about this state?”
“There’s just so much but I…” Yuuri paused, thinking. “I really like the parks.”
Viktor blinked and smiled, the look of it so saccharine. “Tell me about your favorite park.”
“Well,” Yuuri smiled, feeling his nerves fade away at the thought. “I really like Edgemont Memorial. There’s something about it there…” Yuuri trailed off and Viktor’s eyes watched him with a fascination that Yuuri swore he was imagining, and he continued. “Maybe it’s the location, or peacefulness of the lake, but time seems to stop there. It’s a moment shared with everyone there: the people walking their dogs, and the people out for a run, the children playing on the playground… we all have that moment, and it’s beautiful.”
Viktor didn’t speak, but kept his eyes on Yuuri. It was the same look as before, some mix of fascination and awe. Yuuri swore he could have imagined it, because just as quickly Viktor’s face went back to normal and he smiled, stroking Yuuri’s hand.
“It sounds beautiful.”
Yuuri nodded. “It is.”
“Can you take me there someday, Yuuri?” His voice was softer than before, and Yuuri stared at him in awe. This wasn’t who he had expected Viktor to be. Sure, he had the charm, but there was something softer underneath, something that Viktor seemed to only let Yuuri see.
Yuuri smiled with a courage he barely knew he had. “I’d want nothing more.”
He could have sworn that he saw Viktor start to cry then, beautiful, crystalline tears building up at the corners of his eyes, but just as quickly, Viktor whisked him into a tight hug.
“Thank you,” Viktor whispered into the crook of Yuuri’s neck, the warmth of the words against his neck making Yuuri smile even more.
Viktor pulled away, the tears basically gone and replaced with his trademark heart-shaped smile. “So! Now that you have an idea of how to interact, we should go test it out!”
The change in mood caught Yuuri off guard, but he composed himself and nodded. “Yeah.”
Yuuri could hear the sound of feet shuffling into the room.
“Wow, you guys are at it early.” Mari stifled a yawn.
“Yeah.” Yuuri stumbled away from Viktor, his face getting red. He could see Viktor looking at him, amused.
“Yuuri’s first event is on Saturday,” Viktor said with a smile.
“No way! Where?”
“The New Jersey state fair. Yuuri’s opponents will be there as well.”
Yuuri swallowed. He wasn’t even sure who all was in the race. “Who are my opponents?”
“Christophe Giacometti and Leo de la Iglesia. They’re both fine politicians.” Viktor flashed a grin. “But you’ll do better than them Yuuri, I’m sure of it.” He leaned in and his voice was low, sending shivers down Yuuri’s spine. Yuuri didn’t share Viktor’s confidence. He didn’t know Leo well, but him and Chris had worked together a number of… interesting times. He was definitely talented, but absolutely made Yuuri uncomfortable.
“But! We can’t do too much until Yuuri comes up with a slogan!”
Yuuri groaned. Actually they could do a lot, but Viktor was being… well… Viktor.
“I’ll go work on it now,” Yuuri said, about to get up from the sofa.
Viktor touched his hand to Yuuri’s cheek, letting it linger there. “That’s the spirit,” Viktor said as he flashed Yuuri a bright smile.
Yuuri was going to die.