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If Victor said he couldn’t believe what was happening right now, he would be flat out lying.
This wasn’t unbelievable, this wasn’t the story of passion and something as simple as feelings beating the odds to stand on top, the scores weren’t even in yet, but Victor didn’t need those set of numbers to believe what he’d just seen with his very eyes from the best spot in the building.
’This isn’t a miracle.’ Victor wanted to scream as everyone in the stands stood collectively on their feet and lost their minds, as they threw the flowers they’d all been saving for the medal ceremony onto the stark white ice and littered the arena with colours that weren’t half as vibrant as the gem that was Yuuri standing breathless in the middle. Even from here, Victor could see how wary he was, how utterly exhausted he was from pushing himself for so long.
Yet Yuuri looked like he couldn’t quite believe it himself, that last quadruple flip at the end of his skate that he’d finally landed with the poise and grace that he’d fought tooth and nail for, for that Victor wanted to scream some more, because if anyone should believe what they’d just done; it should be Yuuri himself.
Everyone seemed to think that Yuuri’s rise in the ranks was Victor’s doing, that Yuuri had somehow become talented because of Victor, it was so far from the truth that Victor didn’t even know how he’d begin to prove them all wrong, but seeing Yuuri pull off a perfect performance certainly went a long way into helping his cause.
The roar of the crowd and the camera flashes, the thunderous applause and shrieks of adoration were all white noise to Victor now, insignificant compared to Yuuri, bowing with his usual shy modesty and a look on his face that said he didn’t know why everyone was going crazy already.
Victor knew why, he knew why more than anyone, the cold early mornings and even colder late nights, the pulled muscles and blistered feet, the sprained ankles that Yuuri endured with strapping tape and gritted teeth just so he could keep going, longer, harder, faster, more hungry than anyone Victor had ever known. If anyone said that Yuuri Katsuki wasn’t strong, Victor would punch them in the fucking teeth. He was the strongest person Victor knew.
It was scraped hands and bruised knees from failing jump after jump, it was fits of frustration that ended up in late night arguments and Victor’s heart fucking breaking every time he heard Yuuri say he couldn’t do it after all.
It was Victor losing sleep as Yuuri tossed and turned in bed next to him, in pain after pushing himself way beyond his limits and getting up in the morning to do it all over again with a smile on his face because it wasn’t just Yuuri’s name on the line with this.
It was the fucking fact that Yuuri had performed Victor’s winning performance in half peak condition last year after months off and nailing it, something that every one suddenly seemed to have forgotten about, something that Victor wouldn’t ever forget for as long as he lived. Not just anyone could skate like that, not just anyone could skate a Grand Prix Final winning performance, no, only someone who could actually win could, Victor knew this. No one else seemed to, not even Yuuri.
And between all their kisses and displays of open affection on the ice that had continued to shock everyone, as Victor’s feelings continued to grow until it was clear to the world just what Yuuri meant to Victor, until it was obvious that Yuuri wasn’t a whim to him; Victor could admit he wasn’t surprised at this turn of events at all.
Victor had been happy himself to win, had been happy with the wreaths on his own head and medals around his neck, but he’d never been proud like he was now. Through all those downs Victor had been there for the ups as well, every single one of them written into his memory like history in the making.
He’d seen Yuuri find himself and all his vibrant colours on the ice amidst all that stark white, and in turn Victor had found a part of himself too. He’d seen Yuuri gape and then smile as he posted scores he never thought possible, he’d seen Yuuri’s pure elation as he pulled off jumps that used to scare the living day lights of him, he’d seen the world come to adore Yuuri Katsuki, as well they should because Yuuri fucking deserved this all and more.
He’d been there for those rare mornings off, woken up next to him with this itching feeling in his chest that’d been growing ever since he saw that first video. He’d tasted Yuuri’s breathless kisses in changing rooms in between whispers of ‘I did it.’ and ‘I can’t believe it.’
He’d seen Yuuri’s resolve grow into this unbeatable will after building himself back up, he’d kissed away all Yuri’s hurts and held him tight after their fights and promised Yuuri that he could do this, that he would do this. And Yuuri had done it all, just because Victor said he could.
It was only now, amidst all the pandemonium and gasps of disbelief that Victor understood what that feeling in his chest was, only now that knew what he could do that would shut the whole world up once and for all, to make them realise that this wasn’t impossible, that Yuuri was a rightful champion, a competitor and someone worthy of standing on top.
Yuuri looked to Victor as he skated, fatigued and dazed, towards him on the edge of the ice, and he was looking at Victor for his reaction, like the crowds wasn’t saying enough, and Victor drowned in the elation that all Yuuri cared about was what Victor thought. The crowd stilled as Yuuri edged closer, as Yuuri’s expression grew blank because somehow he was still always nervous about what Victor would say or do there on the ice for all to see, everyone was waiting for their earnest hugs and kisses like the type only lovers shared. Right now, there was only one thing that Victor wanted more in the world.
He was Yuuri’s coach, his best friend, his boyfriend, and after all these months he finally realised that he was Yuuri’s biggest fan, that he adored Yuuri and idolised the sheer strength it had taken to get to this point in time, Victor was a prodigy, yet he knew if it the tables were turned and he had to fight the same fight that Yuuri had, that he himself would have given up long ago.
Yuuri’s skates hissed underfoot, camera’s flashed and the world fell still, and finally Victor could make Yuuri himself realise just how truly amazing he was, he’d offered Yuuri the same thing so carelessly last year, now the tables were turned.
His cheeks were still flushed, his chest still heaving with heavy breaths, his eyes on Victor like the world around them didn’t exist, expectant because Victor hadn’t given him any sign nor clue as to what he was really thinking. The arena stood still has Yuuri reached the gate to exit the ice, as he stopped in front of Victor who slowly pulled a scrap of paper and a pen from his pocket and smiled.
The look on Yuuri’s face was priceless, and Victor hoped all the camera men were taking photos to their hearts content because Victor wanted to live this moment again and again.
“Victor…?” Yuuri questioned, and before he could start to deflate with thoughts like maybe he hadn’t been good enough after all, Victor thrust the measly scrap of paper and the pen that they’d used to many times before for insubstantial things in Yuuri’s direction.
“Yuuri, can I have your autograph?”
The crowd went crazy anew as Yuuri’s jaw dropped, because here was Victor, world champion figure skater, unrivalled and unparalleled, asking for Yuuri’s autograph and making the world acknowledge Yuuri for being Yuuri, not the Yuuri who was coached by Victor Nikiforov.
The scores would be ready by now, and despite that it didn’t look like Yuuri cared as he finally laughed with an expression like he really did believe it, he put the pen to paper and scrawled the lines of his name that Victor already knew that like the back of his own hand.
“Stupid Victor.” came the blush at last as he handed the pen and paper back with shaking hands. Victor had never been so full to bursting with pride and fulfilment as he was right now, because he was lucky to be this close to someone so amazing.
And as Victor laughed with the joy of it all, at last it hit home for Yuuri, his smile cracked and the sheer exhaustion finally sunk in now that he’d really done it, and Victor had his arms around Yuuri before the first tired sob wracked his body, before he could fall to his knees on the ice because he was so empty of strength that he couldn’t stand for a second longer, and still Victor would say that Yuuri was the strongest person he knew.
“Can you believe it?” Victor mumbled into the top of Yuuri’s hair as they stood there in their tight embrace, Victor knew the only thing better than making the world see was making Yuuri himself see it too, and he finally got that as Yuuri pushed back just enough to look at him in the eyes with a smile that Victor knew was all for him.
“I can.” Yuuri said.