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The first time he says Yuuri’s name is when he’s reading through the list of participants for the Grand Prix Final that year. There’s no emotion in it, he’s just listing names. It’s a throwaway statement, one that he won’t remember in the years to come.
The second time he says Yuuri’s name is as he’s leaving the rink after the final. The boy he just offered a photo to just walked away, and he’s standing there, focused only on the Japanese boy. Yuri mentions something about “denying that pig Katsuki”, and he only then recognises the boy as Yuuri Katsuki, a competitor. He made a mistake.
The next few times he says Yuuri’s name is at the banquet. He had been hiding in a corner, building up a large stash of champagne glasses on the table next to him, and his coach had left him to speak with other coaches. Victor is walking up to him to introduce himself, when he asks Victor if he wants to dance with him. Soon after, Yuri comes over and argues with the Japanese Yuuri for a bit, before Yuuri challenges Yuri to a dance off. He mutters Yuuri’s name, with thoughts running through his head.
The next time he says Yuuri’s name is, oddly enough, when he’s grinding against Victor’s leg, begging him to coach him.
When he realises he’s fallen in love.
Then a few months later, he says Yuuri’s name is when Yakov catches him running away to Japan. Running away from his career, and his fame, he says. Victor doesn’t care.
The first time he says Yuuri’s name to Yuuri in months is when he’s at his family’s hot spring, followed by a declaration that he’s becoming Yuuri’s coach, with a wink. Yuuri just looks shocked.
He says Yuuri’s name a lot that day, but the one time it matters is with a small sob as he sleeps, Makkachin held closely in his arms. He was in an unknown country, and unknown town, and sleeping in an unknown room, near to a man who acted like their first meeting was completely unknown to him.
He says Yuuri’s name too many times to count over the next seven months. He’s his coach, after all.
He says Yuuri’s name once again, after leaping into his arms and connecting their lips as they fell to the ice together, surprising Yuuri more than Yuuri has surprised him. This time, Yuuri’s name is said to him with love.
The next time he cries whilst saying Yuuri’s name is the night after the Short Program event of the Grand Prix Final, accompanied with a sob. He loved Yuuri so dearly, and yet Yuuri just didn’t realise. He loved Yuuri more than every gold medal he had locked away in his apartment in St. Petersburg, more than every second he’s spent gliding on the ice.
He doesn’t say Yuuri’s name as he sends him off for his final skate in the Grand Prix Series. He doesn’t need to.
They’re both crying the next time Victor says Yuuri’s name, pulling him into a tight embrace at the Kiss and Cry. Yuuri’s broken his record, his name carved into minds of the world.
He says Yuuri’s name on a warm day in Spring, cherry blossoms falling as they held each other's hands in front of everyone they know and love.
Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov has a nice ring to it.