Work Text:
“Good morning.”
Victor spooned Yuuri from behind and sing-songed into his fiance’s ear, putting light kisses into his hairline and onto his neck to wake him up.
“Mmm…” Yuuri groaned into his pillow. He curled further into the warmth of Victor’s embrace and the nest of blankets that surrounded them, burrowing down until only the top of his head was visible.
Victor smiled and tried again. Smiling, he put another kiss to the back of Yuuri’s head and slowly peeled the blankets away from his sleeping form.
“Yuuri, it’s time to get up.”
Yuuri blinked into the mid-morning light streaming in through the window. He flipped over in Victor’s arms and pressed his face against the broad expanse of chest now in front of him. From underneath his chin, Victor heard him whine weakly, “Nooooo, it can’t be.”
Victor pressed his lips together to stifle a laugh at the cuteness in bed with him. He hugged his fiance tighter and spoke a little bit louder into the quiet of the bedroom. “It’s morning, my love, and we have many things to do today.”
Yuuri shook his head, rubbing his forehead against Victor’s shirt. “It’s an off day.”
“I know, but it’s also a very important day for you, so we need to get up. I already let you sleep too long, and we’ll be behind schedule if we stay in bed.”
Yuuri’s face, scrunched with confusion and sleep, tilted up to look at Victor. “What? We don’t have any plans today.”
Victor cocked one eyebrow and smirked. “Yuuri, what day is it?’
“November...29th. Crap.” Yuuri took a deep breath and closed his eyes as if willing his body to move but not strangle the beautiful man in bed with him.
“Happy Birthday, my love.” Victor smooched Yuuri quickly on the forehead before throwing the covers off of them both and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “You have much to do and see today, but I promise later tonight we can cuddle all you want, okay? You don’t want to miss out on your birthday surprise, right?’
The Japanese skater sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his still-exhausted brown eyes. “I hate surprises.”
Victor smiled and leaned back again to put another kiss on Yuuri’s mouth. “I think today, you love them. Shall we get dressed and see what awaits outside the bedroom for you?”
“Only if it includes coffee.”
***
Breakfast did include coffee, as well as a small pile of gifts and cards from Yuuri’s friends and family all over the globe. As Victor poured them coffee and mashed the avocados for their toast, Yuuri took the time to open each one, reading the messages out loud for Victor to hear. A new set of pajamas and socks from his parents and Mari - thick and warm for the chill in St. Petersburg, a new video game from Phichit, framed candid photos of himself and Victor from the Nishigoris - along with an apology from Yuuko for her girls’ spying, and even cards and messages from competitors and coaches, wishing him well and all hoping to compete against him again some day.
Victor joined him with their breakfasts, making the appropriate ‘hms’ and ‘awws’ at each gift, but Yuuri noticed he seemed unable to sit completely still. Underneath the table, the Russian’s leg bounced, he fidgeted with his napkin and his eyes kept flicking over to the last gift on the table. It was a small, almost flat box, wrapped in dark blue paper. No card, no message attached. Yuuri smiled watching Victor react to him pulling it across the table and slipping his finger under the tape.
“Since I haven’t seen one from you yet, this must be yours.”
Victor nodded. “I know you said you didn’t want anything big, but I couldn’t not do something. So, I hope you like it. But if you don’t, that’s fine too!”
“I’m sure I’ll love it, whatever it is,” Yuuri assured and opened the box in his hands. It took him a moment to actually see what was taped to the bottom - a series of black pixels arranged in the form of a square. “What is this? A QR code? What’s it for?”
“I told you, you have much to do today, and the code is the beginning. I won’t say anything else. You’ll have to follow the directions to find your gift.”
“Like a scavenger hunt?”
“Perhaps. You won’t know until you scan the code.”
“Are you going to help me?”
“I’ll help with the first one, but you’ll have other help for the rest. Oh! And you’ll probably want to wear comfortable shoes.”
***
On this most happy day of your birth,
We’ll show the world how much you’re worth.
A series of codes and clues await
Around the city where you live and skate.
Help you’ll receive from those you know,
Both family found, friends and former foes.
One thing, though, you cannot miss,
The first of codes and clues is this:
When you look around your home,
There are two beings that you know.
One wears your ring upon his hand,
But the second wears what kind of band?
Clue number two awaits you there,
So arm your wits and say a prayer.
It won’t be as easy what you now read,
But perhaps this sage advice you’ll heed:
Remember, love is all around.
Asking for help doesn’t make you less proud.
Good luck.
Yuuri puzzled over the message glaring at him from his phone. He was excited, sure, but he was also highly competitive, and wanted to figure out as much about this hunt as possible without help. Luckily, this first clue was fairly straight-forward. The next puzzle was somewhere in the apartment. The beings in the apartment were Victor and Makkachin, obviously, and if Victor wears his engagement ring, then Makkachin’s band must be--
“Makkachin, come here boy!”
The clicking of nails on hardwood and the jingle of tags announced the arrival of the poodle. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he trotted over to his second master, and he sat down promptly to receive the pets he so deserved. Yuuri reached out to run his hands over the dog’s collar and glanced up at Victor, smiling mischievously when he unclipped another QR code from it.
“Good boy, Makka. Good boy! That was easy. Are all of these clues going to be written in iambic pentameter?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Guess you’ll have to find them all and see, won’t you? But I have complete faith in you.”
“How many of them are there, though?”
Victor said nothing but smiled and got up from the table, picking up both his and Yuuri’s plates and kissing the top of the birthday boy’s head as he did so. Yuuri watched him walk away - distracted from his clue for a moment by Victor’s perfect posterior. Shaking his head to clear it, he scanned the second code. It redirected him to another few lines of text.
Congratulations on your find.
Onward to the second rhyme.
If you step out with man and dog,
Where do you go when there’s too much fog?
Is it friend or foe waiting for thee
With the code for clue number three?
“Victor, what does that even mean?”
“What does what mean?” Victor asked from the kitchen.
“This line…’too much fog.’”
“It’s a mystery. You still have time to figure it out. Like I said, I have complete faith in you.”
Yuuri puzzled over the words for a moment, brow furrowed and mouth set in a line. Step out with man and dog. Victor and Makkachin again, apparently, but where do they go? There’s a typical route they would take on a long walk, but no place they really stop and it never has anything to do with fog. Unless…
He smiled knowingly. “The fog isn’t fog, is it? It’s not talking about the weather.”
“You think so?”
“I told you when I first moved in about my foggy days, and you said sometimes you feel the same way. So it’s talking about...where we go when we have foggy day walks with Makka! The park we found just a few blocks over. And…and there’s someone waiting there with the next clue?”
Victor smiled back and crossed his arms. “Only one way to find out.”
“Are you coming too?”
“Only if you think you truly need me, but you should be able to find everything on your own.”
“I guess I had better get my coat, then.”
***
Armed with his phone and his two codes, Yuuri searched the park for someone he knew. He’d been there ten minutes already, but between the number of walking paths, coffee carts and clusters of trees, he didn’t see anyone or thing that stuck out. That is, until he caught a flash of orange tiger print in the corner of his eye.
Standing under a tree a dozen meters away, Yuri Plisetsky glared beneath his hood as he scrolled through his phone. By chance, he saw Yuuri before Yuuri could greet him first.
“OI, KATSUDON!” He pushed himself off the tree and waited for his rival to jog within speaking distance.
“Yurio! What’re you doing here?”
Yuri rolled his eyes heavenward. “Don’t call me that. I’m here to meet you, of course, idiot. The old man roped me into this whole thing. Said it would be worth it because I got to choose your challenge for the next code.”
“Well, I’m here now. What do I have to do?”
“Dance battle. You and me. Right here in the park.” With a smirk, Yuri scrolled through his phone, syncing his phone to a small portable bluetooth speaker and cueing up an obviously well-curated playlist that he thought would give him an edge. “I’ve got Beka on video chat to be the judge, and despite being MY friend, he’s agreed to be impartial. Say hi.”
Surprised but always polite, Yuuri joined Yuri at his side so he could see the younger skater’s phone. Sure enough, the trademark undercut and dark eyes of Otabek Altin looked back at him, stoic but still amused. Yuuri waved. “Hi, Otabek. How are you?”
Otabek smiled and nodded back. “Happy birthday, Katsuki. I hope it’s been a good one so far.”
“Yeah yeah yeah. Let’s get this thing over with. Beka, I’m putting my phone down. DON’T go easy on us.”
“Ready whenever you are, Yura. Davai.”
Yuuri never really knew what Yurio expected in a dance battle. Every time the kid challenged him, it ended the same way: Yuri out of breath on the ground and cursing the world and Yuuri barely winded and still vertical. Every. Single. Time. This time was no different. The blond threw limbs and shapes as aggressively as he could in time to the music, and Yuuri met every one with the fluidity and grace of a long-time trained dancer. After only a few minutes, the younger skater all but collapsed on the ground, smiling mischievously. Yuuri sat next to him, patting his back and glancing towards Otabek who was still watching via video chat.
“Another valiant effort, Yura, but I think Katsuki won again this time.”
Yurio turned his head towards his phone and raised his middle finger, still smiling like a fool. “You think? Just take the damn code, Katsudon, and don’t say I never gave you anything.”
He pulled a small velvet bag out of his pocket and tossed it to Yuuri, who batted it away out of reflex. The Japanese man could dance like a dream, but he couldn’t catch worth a damn. Too many games of “Think Fast!” with Phichit had only made him paranoid enough to swat away whatever someone threw at him, including stuffed animals, pillows, clothes and, on one memorable occasion, an entire open bag of Skittles that they weren’t supposed to be eating anyway.
So while Yurio laughed himself silly with Otabek and bid him a fond farewell, Yuuri scrambled to grab the bag from where it landed a few feet away. When he pulled out the next code and scanned it, another rhyme filled his screen.
Once again, your mind is great,
But you’ve got an appointment, so don’t be late!
A friend of yours had the thought
To fit you for something long forgot.
Find clue number four at a place
Like where - in Spain - your limbs were graced.
If you need a better hint,
Look to the Tiger before he sprints.
Yuuri looked up at Yurio, who now stood above him, smirking and slowly backing away.
“I’ll give you thirty seconds to figure it out. Then you gotta catch me.”
Yuuri raised his eyebrows but nodded solemnly, already physically primed and mentally fortified to chase the younger man for the hint. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the task at hand. If someone - let’s be real, it’s Victor - had arranged an appointment somewhere, it was either someplace official or very fancy. Knowing Victor, fancy won out every time. Fit him for something he forgot...in Barcelona. Why would Victor want him to think about Bareclona. A better question would be why wouldn’t Victor want him to think about Barcelona.
“Twenty seconds, Katsudon.”
“I’m thinking. Just wait.” Okay, Barcelona. He made Victor drag him sightseeing around the city. He lost that bag of nuts, and they went through the Christmas market. They got engaged, but this wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would it? Could it be a church of some kind? Or a jewelry store? Neither he nor Victor really wore any jewelry other than their rings.
“Ten seconds...nine...eight.”
Crap! Something ‘long forgot.’ Something that Yuuri would forget but Victor wouldn’t. Something fancy that needs to be fitted.
“Three...two...”
“A suit! Victor got me a new suit for my birthday, before our first GPF together! He wants me to get fitted for another one somewhere.”
Yurio narrowed his eyes, assessing his counterpart for a moment before pulling a dark blue business card out of his pocket. He crouched down so he was in front of Yuuri and gently pressed it into his hand
“The address is on here. Come on, I can walk you part of the way so you don’t get lost.”
***
Yurio kept his promise and dropped Yuuri off at a street corner just a few blocks away from a nondescript gray building with glass doors frosted with white script. Yuuri looked right and then left, as if searching for someone he knew, but knowing deep down that he’d actually have to open the door to find them. He took a deep breath and pulled open the heavy door, stepping into a small lobby decorated in muted grays and silvers. Taking in the obviously high-end decor, Yuuri approached the reception desk, where a young man in a perfectly-tailored black suit and coiffed brown curls didn’t wait for him to ask the most obvious question. The man stood and offered a small, expectant smile.
“Mr. Katsuki?”
Yuuri nodded. “I think I’m expected around this time? I’m not exactly sure.”
“You’re actually a few minutes early, Mr. Katsuki, but yes, we have you in to be fitted for a suit today. My name is Anatole, and I’ll be one of your liaisons this afternoon. The other gentleman in your party is already upstairs.”
“Other gentleman?”
“Oh, yes. Mr. Nikiforov booked a double appointment. If you’ll follow me.”
Anatole gestured for a wide-eyed Yuuri to step into an elevator just behind the desk. Once they were both inside, he pressed a button for the designated floor and explained further.
“Mr. Nikiforov has been a client of ours for a few years now. He comes in a few times during the year, always with new ideas for his wardrobe which has forced us to innovate and add to our services, and we couldn’t be more grateful to him for opening up new avenues for us. When he called us to arrange a fitting for you and your friend, of course, we cleared the afternoon for you both. You’ll have the chance to choose your preferred style, color and fit, and then we’ll take your measurements and have it fitted to your specifications. ”
With a soft ping, the elevator opened to a large, airy loft with high windows and two platforms each standing in front of a semicircle of mirrors. A small table stood between them bearing two iced bottles of champagne, one of them already open. Two older gentlemen with measuring tapes around their necks waited patiently in front of the windows, chatting quietly with two younger men who looked to be young apprentices and a smiling woman holding a tablet. All five of them glanced towards Yuuri and smiled, then waved him in. In a matter of moments, his coat and scarf were gone, as were his sneakers and glasses. Anatole continued while the tailors took in Yuuri’s outfit and build and apparently came to a consensus.
“Mr. Nikiforov spoke very highly of you when he called. I hope you don’t think me forward, but he showed us all a photo of your old suit. From a press conference, I believe? He made it evident how much he detests it, and I must agree the cut and fit are less than ideal. Though the one he purchased for you in Barcelona is much more flattering, he brought it to us to have it altered as well. Both you and your friend have access to a private video link in your fitting room, should you need the input or advice from Mr. Nikiforov himself, and we’ll have refreshments available in about an hour, if it suits you. I was told to remind you not to concern yourself with the bill. It’s already been taken care of. We’ll satisfy all of your sartorial needs today, Mr. Katsuki, and if you need anything else, we will do our best to help you.”
Yuuri gaped at the quiet dignity and glamour surrounding him.
“Victor did all of this for me?” he asked with reverence. Suddenly a tall blond pulled him into a bear hug so tight, Yuuri nearly saw stars.
“Yuuri! It’s been far too long!”
“Chris? What the hell are you doing here?! My apologies for my rude language!”
The tailors waved off Yuuri’s reflexive apology and bowing, still arguing softly over fabric swatches. Meanwhile, Chris laughed and put a kiss on either of Yuuri’s cheeks. As he wandered over to the open bottle of champagne, he explained.
“Darling, when Victor called me about his plans for your birthday, I couldn’t say no! A trip to Russia to see my dearest friends, plus a new suit courtesy of your fiance? How could I pass that up?”
Some of the tension in Yuuri’s shoulders melted away knowing he’d have support from a familiar face. “So, you’re here to help me with choosing a new suit.”
Passing him a full glass and touching the rim with his own, Chris and gestured with a flourish. “Naturellement, there’s no one else Victor trusts when it comes to fashion. The wonderful gentlemen and I are going to find you something that will have Victor and the rest of the world drooling over your - shall we say - assets. When we’re done, you get your next special code.”
Anatole interrupted with a smile and a shallow bow.
“Excuse me gentlemen, but I really must be getting back downstairs. You are in Martin and Adrien’s capable hands, and if you need anything further, just let Angelique know so she can contact our vendors directly. And Mr. Katsuki, on behalf of our entire staff, happy birthday.”
The next three hours had Yuuri shrugging in and out of shirts, pants and jackets while Chris made suggestions about the color and fit, sometimes with innuendo and sometimes without. The champagne helped to ease the discomfort of standing partially clothed in front of strangers - though the Swiss was sure to remind Yuuri that he shouldn’t have any shame in that department, for obvious reasons. The two of them chatted with the tailors, describing what they liked and didn’t like in each style, and laughing with the apprentices taking down their measurements. At the end of the entire thing, both Yuuri and Chris were fitted for a new suit and several matching shirts apiece, a bit tired from the constant flurry of activity and slightly sleepy from the drinks.
“Well, that was more fun than I’ve had in ages.” Chris said from his seat under the windows. He toasted Yuuri with the last of his drink. “Thank you for letting me share it, darling.”
“Thank Victor for making the appointment and footing the bill.” Yuuri waved from near his friend’s feet, where he lay on the floor summoning the rest of his strength. “I don’t even wanna begin to think about how much he’s dropping on me today. I hope the next stop is a little more relaxing.”
“I suppose you need this to find out, ja?”
Chris lay another code on Yuuri’s slowly rising and falling chest and gave it a gentle pat before he rose and went in search of his clothes. While the Swiss dressed back into his street clothes, the birthday boy scrambled up from the floor to find his phone. The fourth clue read:
What a day you’ve had so far -
Dogs and dancing, clothes not subpar.
It’s not over yet, my dear.
Your next stop is rather near.
Food and drink is waiting for you,
Plus a special birthday surprise, too.
Just take a single step outside.
There’s someone waiting with your ride.
“Ugh, Victor! Enough with the rhymes, already.”
“He was so excited to come up with those. Almost as excited as he was when he came up with the idea for the scavenger hunt.” The Swiss put down his drink and pulled the birthday boy from the floor and into a brief hug. With a playful smirk, he asked, “Be honest, Yuuri. Is this any worse than getting dressed up and dragged to a formal dinner with everyone you know just to go home feeling drained and guilty for not enjoying it even though it was all planned by the love of your life?”
“Geez, Chris, cut me to the core. Am I that easy to read?”
“All I’m saying is, have fun with it. It’s a present and an experience you get to keep forever. And then try to outdo when Victor’s birthday comes around next year.”
“This does mean war. Thanks for helping me out here, Chris. I couldn’t have done it alone.”
Chris waved away his thanks and started walking them both towards the door. “Think nothing of it, mon cher. Anything for my favorite couple. Now, get a move on! You have dinner plans!”
***
“Get in, bitch! We’ve got a reservation!”
“Oh, for the love of gods, you’re in on this, too?”
“Frequent flyer miles, son! Now, come on! There is a very expensive restaurant waiting to stuff us full of decadence.”
“I’m not dressed!”
“I have your clothes in the car. Get your butt over here!”
And off they went. Yuuri surveyed his best friend, who was practically vibrating with excitement and chattering a mile a minute, and slowly unzipped the garment bag on the other side of the town car. He smiled at the outfit that Victor clearly chose earlier that day: his favorite dark blue suit and a crisp light gray shirt with matching black shoes and a belt. This was the outfit that Victor begged him to wear more often for how it brought out his eyes and clung to his thighs. Yuuri shimmied out of his street clothes and into the suit while Phichit held his glasses and phone.
“So you have the last code?”
“Right here in my pocket! I think. Hold on.” Phichit dug around in his inside pocket and fished around for a moment before he pulled out a small white card. “Got it!”
“I mean, that’s a relief, but what do I have to do to get it from you?”
“Nothing as strenuous as a dance battle, if that’s what you’re thinking.” the Thai said, eyes alight with mischief. “No, Victor had very clear instructions for me.”
Yuuri groaned as he pulled his belt through the loops on his slacks. “Oh, come on. You’re my best friend and now you choose to approve of my fiance and conspire against me.”
“Hey, I don’t make the rules. Just trust me. You’re gonna love it. We’re here!” Yuuri’s glasses fell in his lap, and he took in the sight outside the car.
The car pulled up to a tall glass building that reached high into the St. Petersburg skyline. Inside, couples young and old chatted and toasted with wine over gourmet meals, white napkins in their laps and cushioned chairs underneath. A tall, smiling man opened the car door for Phichit, who lept out as if he were on fire. Yuuri tried his best to straighten his suit and hair one more time, but it was no use. He slid over to the door and tried to get out as gracefully as possible and without drawing the attention of the patrons on the other side of the glass.
Phichit, however, had no such qualms. He held the door open for Yuuri and then slipped inside behind him, straight towards the maitre’d. Yuuri looked around in awe, so entranced that he didn’t even hear his bestie summon him towards a bank of elevators a moment later.
“Come one, birthday boy! We’re going up!”
“Up?”
Up they went. The same maitre’d ushered them into an elevator and all the way to the top of the building. They exited onto a glass-domed rooftop dining area, practically deserted except for one or two other couples eating quietly near the ledges. Phichit took a quick look around and smiled wide, putting his arm around Yuuri so as to bring him back to reality and corral him to their table. A spotless and shining white and gold place setting glinted up at the two skaters as they sat themselves down. They didn’t even have to order when a young blonde woman seemingly emerged from behind them and poured them each a mug of warm spiced cider.
“Mr. Katsuki, Mr. Chulanont, welcome to our establishment. My name is Katya, and I’ll be guiding you through your meal today. You are currently drinking our House Specialty spiced cider, but if you desire something else, please don’t hesitate to ask. Your four-course menu has been curated for you tonight by our head chef and Mr. Victor Nikiforov, who has also taken care of your bill. He has alerted us of your dietary restrictions and preferences, so feel free to relax and enjoy your evening. I’ll be back in a few minutes with your appetizers. In the meantime, please enjoy the views and your company. On behalf of our establishment, Mr. Katsuki, happy birthday.”
With a small nod and a smile, she disappeared from when she came.
“The hell?”
“I know right? Victor said you would like this place after being cooped up all afternoon with Chris. DId he just funnel Champagne down your throat and ask you to strip?”
Yuuri shook his head before taking a sip of his drink. It warmed him to his core and the spices gave his system enough of a shock to make conversation. “He did not. He was a perfect gentleman.”
“Aw, boo. Well, there’s always the Banquet in December. I’ll kick your ass this year, I can feel it.”
“Let’s just leave the shop talk, okay. I haven’t seen you in months. I want to hear about you!”
Phichit blinked, incredulous. “On your birthday, the day when you are entitled to be a brat, you are asking me to talk about myself?”
Yuuri nodded, a broad smile lighting up his face. “Yes. If I can have anything, I want to freak out with my best friend in the entire world about the new game he got me for my birthday.”
Yuuri told Phichit about his birthday adventures, leaving no small detail unaccounted for. Phichit, storyteller that he was, didn’t hesitate to ask thoughtful questions or beg for photos and video. The two of them just sat and talked, reminiscing between bites of hot gourmet food, filling and flavorful but not enough to put them into a food coma. Yuuri felt content, a little bit more comfortable being spoiled and in such good company.
He waited until Phichit was almost finished with the chocolate mousse they were served for dessert to ask.
“So, my final challenge?”
Phichit smiled, putting down his spoon and picking up his phone. “Right. So, my instructions were to ask you some questions. There are no wrong answers, but you have to answer truthfully. And I get to record for posterity.”
“Do I have to?”
“Well, if you want the code, yeah. Also Victor will be devastated if you don’t show up for your last surprise. Your move, Katsuki.”
Four seconds was all it took for Yuuri to make up his mind, as if he had a choice in the first place. “Fine, lay it one me.”
Phichit hit record on his phone with the confidence of a man with no responsibility and nothing to lose. “Question one: Have you enjoyed your birthday surprises?”
“I have to answer honestly? Alright. I don’t know if I enjoyed them at the moment, but I have definitely enjoyed the memory of them and I know I’m gonna think about this birthday a lot in the future.”
“Fair, It was a lot to do in one day. Question two: What is one thing you really wanted that you didn’t get?”
“Day’s not over, right?” Yuuri asked jokingly. He sobered, though, at the thought of his fiance. “I missed Victor today. It’s kinda like being on the ice, he choreographed everything today, so he deserves to see the fruits of his labor. I would have liked to share everything with him, as codependent as that sounds, but it’s the truth.”
“Once again, the power of love wins.”
Yuuri rolled his eyes and tried to smack his friend upside the head with the flat of his hand. “Shut up, the only love you have right now is me and your hamsters.”
Phichit laughed, dodging with the practice of a former roommate. He overshot it and ended up on his butt on the floor, Yuuri smirking from his seat and taking a nonchalant sip of his drink. Indignant, he replied, “We are great platonic star-crossed lovers, you and I,”
“You need to brush up on your Shakespeare. We’re not star-crossed. I’m sitting right in front of you!”
“Irrelevant. Question three: Do you feel loved?”
“Do I feel loved?”
Did he? Everyone involved in his surprises had taken huge amounts of time and energy and frequent flyer miles to celebrate his birthday in St. Petersburg. Hell, Victor had probably dropped more than a year’s worth of sponsorship money to set everything up and pay for it. He’d been teased and chastised and prodded, but also doted on and hugged and spoiled. These people at each location were doing jobs, yeah, but they seemed to truly enjoy doing them and all of them had wished him a happy birthday. His closest friends had literally crossed borders to see him one year older, just because they wanted to and they had a good excuse. If that wasn’t love, what was?
“Yeah, I think I feel loved today. I don’t know how I’ll feel tomorrow or the day after, but today, I feel loved. And appreciate everyone who did everything to make me feel this way.”
“Perfect. Then we did good. Happy birthday, Yuuri.”
The Thai skater handed over a small white card bearing the fifth and final code. He stood from the table, buttoning his suit jacket and grabbing Yuuri’s head to put a loud kiss on the side, an affectionate little monster. Yuuri smiled and waved him off, not focused on his departing friend, but on the last poem on his screen.
Well this is it: the final clue.
Only one thing left to do.
With practiced moves you might find
A certain place that clears your mind.
A place that’s cold and filled with grace,
Where love is evident in every space.
Your favorite person waits for you there
With one more birthday surprise to share.
You’re close by, so follow the road
To the nearest place where you train for Gold.
“Victor, what are you up to?”
Yuuri took one last sip of his drink and lef the table. He knew exactly where he was headed, and he had to get there as soon as possible.
Victor was waiting for him at the rink.
***
“Victor?”
Typically, at this time of the evening, the ice was still filled with skaters cooling down or finishing up practice. But as Yuuri walked around the now-familiar boards and breathed in the smell of ice, he noticed that it was recently zambonied, smooth as glass and shiny as crystal. Weird, he thought, but not unheard of, especially if someone had booked an early practice tomorrow morning. Where was Victor, the clue said he’d be waiting.
“Vitya, where are you?”
Yuuri startled at the sound of a click from behind him. Looking around for someone, anyone to explain what was happening, the entire wall on the other side of the ice lit up. The familiar notes of Yuri on Ice rang across the ice, still so fresh in his mind that his muscles still itched to do the choreography.. A projector image flashed like an old movie, and suddenly images of a young Katuski Yuuri played in front of his eyes. They flashed with recognition and wonder as he watched his mother bring rocking him and singing a soft lullaby, his father tossing him into the air as he laughed - not yet the shy child he would become, at his sister reading him a book on the floor of Yu-Topia with drawings and picture surrounding them.
Practice videos from Minako’s ballet studio and pair skates with Yuuko came next, Yuuri still a little round but just as graceful as he still was. There were clips of him in his first skating competitions, dance competitions, home videos of him cooking with his parents, Mari shoving him off a short wall overlooking the Hasetu beach, more footage of him landing single and double jumps and looking like the happiest kid on Earth.
Yuuri smiled at the montage of photos of him in college, the familiar Detroit apartment and Skate Club recognizable to him anywhere. Jumps and spins and laughter and tears all ran together like the tears that Yuuri suddenly felt on his cheeks. He didn’t bother to wipe them away, still entranced at the footage on the wall. Suddenly, his face fell.
There it was. Yuuri skating Stammi Vicino, he and Victor on the podium during Hot Springs on Ice, the two of them hugging at Regionals with little Minami looking star-struck in the background, Victor tackling him on the ice at the Cup of China, blowing the Russian a kiss at Rostelecom, his near-perfect free skate at the Grand Prix Final last year, and finally, their exhibition skate. Yuuri watched himself dance across the ice with Victor, watching as he always did for their lifts, but it never came.
The footage cut to his family in Japan waving and smiling. “Happy Birthday, Yuuri! We’ll talk to you later, but we hope Victor is taking care of you and you’re working hard. You’ve done so well and we’re so proud of you. We will always be proud. We love you!”
The Nishigori family at Ice Castle. “Skate like you mean it, Yuuri, your groupies are counting on you! Happy birthday.”
His Russian family, Mila, Yurio, Georgi, all the novices and assistant coaches. “Yuuri! Happy birthday, from your Russian family! We’ll pull your ears later, but in the meantime, we hope you enjoy your surprise!”
Phichit, covered in hamsters in their old apartment. “Happy birthday, Yuuri. I’ll see you on the podium again soon!”
More faces from competitors, coaches, friends, loved ones, all wishing him happy birthday and telling him that they love him. Yuuri couldn’t take it. He let tears run down his face silently, happy tears at seeing so many of his people from all over the world in video clips that had to have been taken recently. Just when he thought it was over and the screen went black, it lit up again, this time with a familiar heart-shaped smile and blue eyes.
“Surprise, darling. I know I told you that I wasn’t going to do anything, but I’m terrible at doing nothing! When I was putting everything together for today, I wondered if you were really going to enjoy it, if it was too much, if I should call off the whole thing. Then, I remembered what you said to me about birthdays, that they weren’t meant to be spent alone. Birthdays should be used to thank everyone around you for helping you grow over the year into the person that you became. So I tracked down everyone I could think of and asked them personally to thank you for also helping them to grow. That includes me. Oh, my Yuuri, you have helped me really learn how to live again, how to find inspiration in everything, how to compete with a sense of pride and love for skating again. I can’t thank you enough for that. I can’t thank you enough for showing me how to really live life again, forgetting everyone else’s opinions and expectations and just living. You’re an incredible human being, zolotse, and I wish you the happiest birthday. I love you to the moon and back.”
The screen went black, Yuuri stood in silence, face wet and eyes wide. He whispered into the silence. “Victor…”
“Are you surprised?” The familiar voice combined with the swish of blades on ice grabbed Yuuri’s attention. He turned towards the sounds and found a familiar face watching him from afar. Victor, dressed in his finest athletic shirt and pants and gold skates shining, drifted slowly from the other side of the rink. “After everything today, I didn’t think you’d want a big party. So for the next few hours, the ice is reserved just for us.”
“How?”
“I reserved the block in the schedule. Traded a few hours of rest day for it, but…”
“No, not that. How did you do all of this? Everything. You have done more than enough for me today and then that--” Yuuri gestured at the wall where the video had played. Victor smiled knowingly, like he had a very obvious secret.
“I had some favors to call in, and a little name-dropping never hurt anyone.”
“I just...I think this is the first birthday I’ve had where I wasn’t skating or beating myself over a cupcake or feeling guilty that I wasn’t celebrating with my parents.”
“Well, we do have a video call scheduled with them later tonight, if that makes you feel better. But Yuuri, it’s your birthday. You deserve all the best things today of all days. Your gear is in the locker room with your gear. Go get changed and come join me!”
Yuuri watched his fiance turn figures on the ice as he walked around the boards to the locker room. He changed and laced up his skates in a daze, wondering what he did to deserve such a wonderful gift, a wonderful man. When he got back out, Victor was still there, making lazy circles around the rink, sprinkling his laps with small jumps and smiling when he landed each one. Yuuri slid off his skate guards at the entrance and pushed out to join him.
“Vitya?” he called.
Victor stopped so Yuuri could meet him at center ice. “What is it, love?” Yuuri immediately wrapped his arms around Victor and tipped his head up for a quick kiss.
“I think this is one of my best birthdays ever.”
Victor beamed, cupped his face and kissed him again, this one a little less chaste and a lot more lingering. When they separated, both brown eyes and blue shone with devotion and happiness.
“I’m glad to hear it. Happy birthday, Katsuki Yuuri.”