Work Text:
Returning to competition after coming second at the Grand Prix in Barcelona was difficult, to say the least. Emotions were high and expectations higher. Could Yuuri surpass last Prix’s scores? Or was he truly destined to be a one-hit-wonder? The events leading up to the Grand Prix this time around weren’t a walk in the park, but he was confident in his abilities, especially with Victor as his coach again.
The stands were deafening and the lights too bright, as Yuuri prepared to perform his short program in the sixth event of the season. Victor had helped choreograph the piece and so far he hadn’t made any drastic mistakes at the various events, but a lot was riding on doing well today.
If he managed to place, he would get into the Grand Prix final and be up against Yurio once again. The kid had come so far in a short space of time, and now that he was training together with Otabek it was obvious how much he’d grown. Yuuri kept in touch with the pair but it had been a while since they’d seen each other. He was almost ninety present sure they were banging, but Yurio would never confirm his suspicions. Victor often laughed with him about it, watching Yurio’s ears turn pink whenever they brought the subject up over video call.
The commentator announced that Yuuri was up next and he turned to Victor, expecting a kiss or at least a ‘good luck’, but he was nowhere to be seen. Yuuri’s heart rate spiked at the disappearance of his partner. It had become somewhat of a tradition for Victor to kiss Yuuri’s skate before a match like this, a gesture that had started last season and had stuck for whatever reason since. Spectators urged Yuuri onto the ice, despite his obvious dismay at Victor’s vanishing act.
When he reached the centre of the rink he caught a glimpse of a familiar face out of the corner of his eye. The music started and he began the program, prying the stands for a view of his coach. As he completed a toe loop (stepping out of it slightly at the end, but hopefully no one would notice), he saw Victor. He looked preoccupied, rushing back to the entrance of the rink where he should have been before the short program had started. Where he should have been to kiss Yuuri’s skate like he always did.
Yuuri could feel himself losing concentration on the skating, movements not as precise as they usually were. He managed to regain focus and pull it off at the end, but it obviously wasn’t his best skate. When he stepped off the ice Victor was there, but he didn’t say anything to Yuuri, engrossed in whatever he was looking at on his phone. The rest of the competitors and their programs were a bit of a blur, but Yuuri didn’t end up scoring as badly as he thought his lack-luster performance deserved.
“You did well today, Yuuri! I’m proud of you!” Victor said as they returned to the hotel they were staying in. Bold of him to say so. How could Victor just ignore the fact that he hadn’t been there for Yuuri’s skate? Or even if he was, it didn’t look like he’d actually paid any attention.
“Thank you,” Yuuri replied, curtly. He was still confused about the complete 360 he’d witnessed. One moment Victor was ignoring him when he needed him most, and the next he’s praising him as per usual. It didn’t make any sense.
“Are you okay, moya dorogaya?” Victor asked, concerned about Yuuri’s brusqueness. He opened the door to their hotel, letting Yuuri go inside first, shrugging off his jacket, and following him down the hall.
“Yuuri? Lyubov? Please talk to me.” Yuuri closed the curtains in their room and sat on the bed. “I’m sorry, it’s just - were you even watching me today? I couldn’t find you when I was about to go onto the rink and it - I was worried. I am worried.” Victor wrapped his arms around Yuuri, sitting opposite him.
“I am so sorry, dorogoy. I was busy with something -” Yuuri broke away from Victor.
“Something more important than the Grand Prix? Something more important than… me?” His voice broke on the last word.
“No, Yuuri, that’s not what I’m saying -”
“You didn’t even kiss my skate like you usually do!” Yuuri felt the tears welling up. He didn’t think something trivial like that was so important to him. Why did it matter if Victor kissed his skate or not?
“Yuuri…” Yuuri got up to switch off the light. He kicked off his jeans and got under the covers, face concealed from view. Mostly so Victor couldn’t see how much this was affecting him. He heard Victor get in as well, leaving a space between them that wasn’t normally there.
“Goodnight, lyubov.” Yuuri didn’t reply.
The next day Yuuri avoided Victor like the plague. He hated doing so, but he couldn’t think straight and didn’t want Victor to be on the receiving end of his anxiety. He was last up for the free skate and he stepped onto the ice without searching for Victor. He made a silent promise to himself that he would put everything he had into this performance. If he didn’t, he’d have to wave goodbye to the hopes he had for five consecutive finals.
When the soundtrack began, Yuuri discarded his nerves and flew across the ice like he was dancing in midair. He wanted Victor to look at him, to be the only thing on his mind and the focus of all his attention. As he swept over the rink their eyes met. A hint of a smile was present on Victor's lips and his eyes were full of awe. Anyone could tell that he had eyes only for Yuuri. The music finished and Yuuri’s chest heaved at the exertion. He practically sprinted off the ice as soon as the cheering faded and into Victor’s waiting arms.
“I’m so sorry, Victor.”
Victor chuckled. “What could you possibly be sorry for? I’m the one who should apologise. That was definitely your best skate yet.”
Yuuri released him from the hug with a small frown. He inspected Victor’s face, no remnants of yesterday’s debacle remained. He seemed… excited? All of a sudden, Victor stepped back and down to his knee, reaching into his pocket. Yuuri let out a small gasp, caught entirely off guard. The audience averted their attention from Canadian skater Jean-Jacques Leroy who had begun his free skate. All eyes were on the pair, watching with bated breath at what would ensue. Victor's hands were clasped around a small box, staring affectionately at the breathless skater in front of him.
“Yuuri. My love. Moya dorogaya. My little katsudon.”
Yuuri let out a small noise that sounded like both a laugh and a sob at the same time.
“You never cease to render me speechless. My heart is so full and I am beyond grateful to have you in my life. When I first met you I knew you were something special. What I didn’t know at the time was that I wanted you to be mine. That I wanted you to be with me for the rest of my life. Because, honestly? I don’t think I could live without you anymore, lyubov. You brought so much joy and so much love into my life and for that I-” He choked a little.
“Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me, and for that I love you. I love you more than I love skating, and I never thought I would say that out loud, but it’s true. So, Yuuri?” Yuuri blinked away the tears clouding his vision. “Yuuri, will you marry me?” He was nodding before Victor had even finished the sentence. He grabbed Victor's hands and pulled him into a dizzying kiss. A cheer erupted from the stands, JJ’s performance long forgotten.
“Was that… a yes?”
Yuuri laughed, giddy from the emotion of it all, barely noticing the hundreds of spectators.
“Yes! Oh my god, Victor, yes!”
As the crowd’s gaze returned to the end of the free skate, Yuuri buried himself in Victor’s neck, wetting the collar of his coat with his tears. “I love you so much, Victor.” Victor clutched him tighter, only breaking apart to bestow Yuuri’s hand with the ring (on the left hand this time, complementing the promise ring from last season on his right), and as the scores were announced, Yuuri taking first place by a close margin.
Yuuri collapsed on their hotel room bed as soon as they arrived back. Victor joined him, pecking Yuuri’s lips as their bodies softened into the mattress, exhausted from the influx of emotions from the day. Between a proposal and placing for the final, it had been a lot.
“Was this why you were distracted yesterday?” Yuuri questioned.
“I am so sorry about that! I was just so nervous about what you would say and I was trying to write this whole speech about how much I love you and then I lost you before your program - I was kind of a mess, huh?” Yuuri laced their fingers together, noses almost touching between them on the bed.
“It’s alright. I forgive you. To be fair, my reaction was a little exaggerated. My anxiety was getting to me and I took it out on you, so I’m sorry as well.”
Victor pressed his lips to the newly situated ring on Yuuri’s hand. “How about we leave all that in the past? Focus on me now, dorogoy.” His mouth traveled down Yuuri’s wrist, lingering in places, venturing on and moving up to his neck, leaving hot, open-mouthed kisses on his throat.
“Wow, so was that whole proposal just a scheme to get into my pants?” Yuuri gasped as Victor migrated to his jaw line.
“Hmm, maybe,” he nudged a kiss to Yuuri’s cheek. “But I meant every word I said back there. I love you so much - too much - my adorable little pork cutlet bowl. And I want to spend every moment of my life with you. I want to be there when you win this Grand Prix and all the Grand Prix’s after that.” Yuuri pushed their faces together, smothering Victor’s mouth with his own.
“I’m so lucky to have you.”
“Do you still want me to kiss your ice skate?”
Yuuri grinned and pushed Victor back onto the bed.
“I thought you were planning to make me forget all about yesterday’s mishap?”
“Mmm, we’re getting there.”
Now that Yuuri was Victor’s fiance, there was no way he’d let go of him for a single minute. Fortunately Yuuri didn’t have to worry about any competitions the next day, and let’s just say, you would not want to be in the neighbouring hotel rooms that night.