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A drink ends up in Yuuri’s hand almost as soon as he arrives at the banquet. Champagne with bubbles drifting up to the surface, accompanied by a smile that tells him exactly how Victor wants tonight to go.
“Victor.”
Victor falters. “But-”
“I’m not drinking,” Yuuri insists. “I want to be able to remember my first Grand Prix Final banquet with you as my coach.”
Victor sighs but the subject is dropped anyways, even though he refuses to take back the glass. Or let Yuuri set it down somewhere. Just on the off chance that he changes his mind, Victor claims, although it’s more likely that he’s hoping the wide eyes will do Yuuri in. As if. Not when Yuuri wants to enjoy every moment of this.
Surreal is already the theme of the day. Yuuri doesn’t know what he expected. It’s only been a few hours since he stepped off of the ice with Victor, the coloured spotlights moving off of them. And yet, all he can do here is picture himself in this position last year. That version of himself who grieved and drank and then seduced Victor Nikiforov without even realizing it.
In a lot of way, Yuuri feels sorry for that version of himself.
It isn’t a pressing feeling, not someone he feels the need to tell anyone. Just an underlying pity that last year he had no idea what Victor would become to him, what that would consist of, how he would move forward. He used to have no idea how it felt to have Victor draped over his shoulders or what his genuine smiles look like, the one that’s just for him. No idea how it would feel to walk down the street with his fingers loosely intertwined with Victor’s.
But the pity also allows him to draw too many parallels between now and then, makes him look a bit too deeply into how things have changed.
Like the fragile edge to Chris, despite his insistence that he expected nothing else. Yuuri straightens when Chris notices him staring and grins, waving off a sponsor and walking over.
Right.
That was stupid.
If anyone is as excited to see Yuuri drink as Victor is, it’s Chris. Particularly a Chris with something to prove.
“Victor!” Chris calls. As if they hadn’t seen him a couple hours ago in their hotel room, wholeheartedly ignoring the snide suggestions to go back to his own room. “Do you mind if I steal your Yuuri away? Only for a little while, of course.”
The answering pout is nearly audible. “Only if you manage to get a drink or two into him. He’s determined to make tonight as boring as possible.”
Yuuri’s jaw drops. “Victor-”
“Who do you take me for, Nikiforov? I have no plans on returning him before he’s given me a proper dance and then perhaps sparked a new rivalry or two amongst the younger competitors,” Chris says easily. “We can’t make things too easy for you now.”
“Victor-”
“I suppose that’s acceptable then. Have fun, my love!”
Yuuri attempts to protest a third time but Victor’s laughing a bit as Chris tugs him away. His priorities always shift a little bit when he hears that laughter. Even more so these last couple days, given how tense things have been between them.
The plan is to stay sober, he reminds himself. No matter how futile it’s beginning to seem.
Futile definitely seems to be the right word to use too because Chris is leading him right towards Phichit. Celestino spares a moment to glance between the three of them before grimacing and wandering off, leaving Yuuri feeling betrayed. Of everyone here, his former coach should understand why Yuuri doesn’t want to let himself go. Why he doesn’t want to embarrass himself in front of sponsors who just saw him win silver.
Then again, Celestino must remember last year’s banquet.
Yuuri can kind of understand why he wants to get out of the way now.
Really though, this entire thing has to be a conspiracy. A conspiracy to make him getting drunk at the Grand Prix Final banquet into some annual tradition. Yuuri can already picture them writing out a twelve-step plan to make sure it happens.
If said plan did exist, it would definitely begin and end with Victor.
Still, it would work out better for both of them if they were able to hide their excitement. Phichit almost looks like he’s going to combust.
The two of them look at each other and smirk. Yuuri can almost see their eyes sparkling. Only one thing is missing from the scene and that’s menacing music in the background, a far cry from the classical music currently playing.
“I don’t trust either of you.”
Phichit gasps, dramatically slapping a hand over his heart. “My own best friend casts away his belief in me so easily. Whatever could I have done to deserve such cruel treatment?”
“You’re planning something.” Phichit and Chris look at each other again, and Yuuri lets out an exasperated huff. “You know, you could at least pretend to hide it.”
“Is it such a bad thing that we want you to enjoy yourself?” Phichit asks.
“Is it so bad that I don’t want to get drunk tonight?”
“It is when you hold yourself back so much, yes.” Chris’s smile borders the line between amused and pointed, somehow. “All of this want and intention, and yet I don’t believe I’ve seen you smile all night.”
Yuuri flinches.
“You promised we wouldn’t mention that!”
Chris sighs. “Sometimes we have to break promises in order to achieve the best results.”
“And you really think telling Yuuri that he looks miserable will make him feel better? I should know, he’s my best friend!”
Right.
This is stupid.
Not the whole drinking thing, actually. If they thought he really didn’t want to drink, they wouldn’t have bothered to say anything. Which means the planning and the insisting is all because both of them have noticed that he’s been a bit of a strange place lately, even though they’ve been competing as well.
Only he can fix this. Only he can allow himself to be happy. And really, he should be happy, even if he didn’t end up getting gold.
Everything has worked out so well. Victor will go back to competing and yet is refusing to stop coaching him, Yuri has been walking around in a daze since he finished his full skate, and they performed their pair skate at the exhibition. Yuuri can’t think of a way to make things better than this. Especially not when he can just glance over his shoulder and meet Victor’s gaze, a smile waiting on his fiancee’s lips.
Winning might have destroyed him in the end.
Yuuri knows he never would have been able to move past these last eight months. Letting himself celebrate that is the least he can do.
With that in mind, he grimaces and takes a swing of his champagne.
Chris and Phichit stop.
“Yuuri?”
“Phichit, if I find any embarrassing pictures on Instagram, I know where you skate,” Yuuri says, in lieu of explaining. “I know where you keep your skates.”
♥ 16.9k likes
phichit+chu celebratory drinks with @katsuki-don and @christophe-gc! #gpf #winners #lovethem
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katsuki-don PHICHIT!
phichit+chu what? it isn’t embarrassing
katsuki-don yes it is!
phichit+chu it was impossible to find a pic where victor wasn’t checking you out tho
v-nikiforov his new suit is very nice <3
christophe-gc all three of us are perfectly stunning, yes
Yuri finally ducks away at the sight of yet another sponsor. This one looks even creepier than the others, like he would be perfectly content meeting someone in a back alleyway. Actually, that just makes Yuri want to meet him in an alleyway. That way he could punch him in the face without Yakov breathing down his neck about it.
If he’d known winning gold meant he’d have to deal with so many creeps, he almost would have let the pig have it.
Almost.
Try and see them take it away from him now.
“Yuri!” he hears from across the room, just in time to dive behind a table. “Where did you-”
“Cool it, old man. He probably just went to the bathroom or something.”
Mila.
Fuck.
That means he’s going to have to cover for her when she skips practice to meet up with some hockey player. He doesn’t understand why they all want to date an old hag like Mila, but it keeps on happening and Yakov keeps getting on her case about it. But Yuri also doesn’t understand why the pig would go for an airhead like Victor, so it’s easier to just not think about it.
They always say he’ll understand when he’s older which is almost as annoying as having to hide behind a table at banquet for a competition he won. And ridiculous. Yuri isn’t a little kid who needs to be corralled into understanding relationships. It’s just that if he’s going to date someone, he wants them to not be an idiot.
Yuri wants them to be able to stand up on their own. To not give up everything just because of some emotion.
Sure, it would be nice to feel important to someone but love isn’t worth giving up skating. Actually, nothing is worth giving up being on the ice. He would be happiest if he died in the rink, skates tied to his feet.
“Congratulations.”
His stomach lurches as someone sits down beside him, all dark corners, but it’s only Otabek.
As much as anything can be only Otabek, at any rate. Nobody else has his style, that much is for certain, or his good sense. And from what they’ve talked about over the competition, Otabek has worked just as hard to get to this point as the rest of them, if not more so. It’s the kind of unstoppable force Yuri wants to convey in his next program, the bits and pieces already working together in the back of his mind. If Lilia knew, she would be proud. Or exasperated. The difference isn’t very large anyways.
“Thanks,” Yuri replies. It should be easy, given that he’s heard it nearly a thousand times now, but it sounds different coming from Otabek. More genuine. Which is weird because- “You’re not bitter?”
Otabek shrugs. “A little bit.”
That just makes Yuri frown.
Explanations aren’t really needed for this. Yuri knows he deserved to be on the podium, as did Yuuri, even if he hates to admit it. Both of them broke world records and Yuuri did a good job, even if Yuri has no plans on admitting that outside the comforts of his own head.
But watching Otabek’s score come in behind JJ’s made him want to kick something. Which he did. Repeatedly. Yuri had shouted at anyone who would listen once the shock of his own score wore off a little, once he realized what that meant. Gold, silver and bronze should have gone to him, Yuuri and Otabek respectively while JJ went and died in a ditch somewhere. Not that anyone has tried to convince him otherwise. Not that they would have tried, if they didn’t want a kick to the face.
Several kicks to the face.
Maybe one to the crotch, just for good measure.
“You’ll beat him next time,” Yuri swears.
Saying anything else doesn’t feel right. Which is perfectly fine because it makes Otabek smile, a small gift that Yuri can’t bring himself to stop staring at. It would be better if he could lock that expression away. Nobody else should be able to see that shit, not when there’s just a table separating them from the rest of the world.
“Next time I’ll win gold.”
“You’re going to have to pry it from my cold, dead hands! I’m not going to go easy on you just because you were robbed of bronze.”
♥ 12.4k likes
yuri-plisetsky this is where the real winners hang out @otabek-altin #gpf
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v-nikiforov come dance with me and @katsuki-don!
yuri-plisetsky @v-nikiforov not a fucking chance in hell
mila-b aw, our little boy is growing up :’)
yuri-plisetsky @mila-b FUCK YOU OLD HAG
Yuuri keeps giving him strange looks. It isn’t anything too obvious and if Phichit didn’t know him so well, he wouldn’t have noticed at all. If he didn’t know Yuuri so well, he wouldn’t have known it’s because Yuuri’s attempting to figure out how he’s still put together.
Well, it’s not like it’s a secret. Yuuri really should know by now that Phichit has secret superpowers that make sure he always looks his absolute best, regardless of the situation. That’s right up there with how his follower count on Instagram is so high. Or how he looks like a prince out on the ice.
Context really isn’t necessary.
But sixth place doesn’t hurt him in the same way it hurt Yuuri last year. That still means Phichit is sixth out of so many talented people. It still means he’s the first Thai skater to compete in the Grand Prix Final, even if he didn’t make it to the podium. And there are more competitions coming up. Ones where Phichit will more than prove his worth as a skater. His ability to motivate himself might as well be another one of his superpowers.
Yes, there will be powerhouses like Victor and JJ competing but Phichit isn’t worried.
He’s going to be the first Thai skater to win gold as well.
“Phichit, why aren’t you drinking?”
Phichit laughs, finally coming out of his head. It was stupid to think something like that would have passed Yuuri by. “Someone has to make sure you don’t do anything too embarrassing in front of your sponsors.”
Yuuri frowns.
It really isn’t fair that some people have such high tolerances. Yuuri has gone through nearly five flutes of champagne and yet there’s just the slightest glaze to his eyes, a bit of red to his cheeks. Yuuri isn’t even stumbling over his words yet, just getting confused on some of the details.
“Phichit,” Yuuri says, drawing out the syllables.
“Yuuri,” Phichit copies.
“Why aren’t you drinking?”
“I don’t trust myself not to post embarrassing pictures of you after I’ve been drinking.”
Yuuri nods, only for his gaze to narrow as he absorbs the comment. “You never let yourself post photos while you’re drinking.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t be able to resist this time?”
That excuse doesn’t go over so well either but this time it just makes Yuuri down the rest of his glass. Phichit is almost entirely certain that champagne isn’t supposed to be thrown back like a shot. Then again, if everyone waited for Yuuri to slowly sip it, he would never get past tipsy.
(Somewhere on the other side of the room, Victor must be cheering. Maybe not outwardly cheering, because his smile actually looks a bit strained as he deals with what must be the last of his sponsors. An older couple who keeps looking back in Yuuri’s direction with a disapproving frown.
(Maybe Phichit can goad Yurio into yelling at them later.))
“A dance-off.”
Phichit blinks, turning his attention back towards Yuuri. “What?”
“We’re having a dance-off.”
He snorts. “You’re not nearly drunk enough for that.”
“Then we’ll change that. Give me another drink.” It’s almost adorable how much Yuuri is trying now. “Then we’ll have a dance-off and when you lose, you’re going to have a drink.”
Almost.
“And when you lose?” Phichit counters.
It’s as if Yuuri knows that he can’t turn down a good bet. Phichit can already feel himself gearing up for the competition, regardless of the stakes. Just the threat of turning this banquet even more on its head would have been more than enough to get him going though.
“I’ll let you post a picture of me and Victor kissing.”
Oh.
Oh.
Of all the things Yuuri could have suggested.
Phichit can already see his follower count skyrocketing. Sure, it’s been skyrocketing for a couple days now because of the picture of the rings.
But rings aren’t a kiss and people are stupid. Really stupid, because they keep calling the engagement rings good luck charms without seeing that they are clearly both. To be the one to change that, it calls to him like bread does during the competitive season. A Romeo and Juliet love story but one where everything works out perfectly for everyone.
Especially given that the only picture of them kissing right now is the one from the Cup of China.
It isn’t a bad picture. Except, well, it’s a horrible photo. Phichit doesn’t know how everyone managed to miss a shot of them actually kissing but they did. There isn’t a single angle where Victor’s arm isn’t awkwardly hiding the juicy bits from view. Victor claimed afterwards that he was protecting Yuuri’s privacy but Phichit knows better. There’s no way he was thinking about anything other than tackling Yuuri to the ground and kissing him. Debates have occurred because of it. He’s participated in his fair share of them.
The point being, he’s known since it happened that this was a glaringly big hole in his life.
One that he can’t pass up the opportunity to fill.
Of course, there’s the slim chance that he will lose. In that event, Yuuri will get the painful reminder that Phichit is by no means a fun drunk. Not at all cute or sexy like Yuuri is. Embarrassingly depressing is probably the most accurate description.
But right now he has the perfect motivation to win.
“You’re on!”
♥ 38.6k likes
phichit+chu @v-nikiforov @katsuki-don #gpf #victuuri #lovewins
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v-nikiforov <3
christophe-gc they’re such a lovely couple, aren’t they?
yuri-plisetsky GROSS
Glorious.
It’s the only word Chris wants to use, laughter spilling from his lips as Yuuri pulls Victor down into a firm kiss. His friends deserve such things. And his newer, younger friend deserves the honour of adding pictures like this to his social media account. Chris is already planning on commenting upon it once he gets back to his hotel room.
Perhaps Yuuri will regret this all in the morning, like last time. But Chris has the strangest feeling that this won’t be the case for all the reluctance he had shown in letting loose. Even if Yuuri doesn’t manage to remember a minute of it. Not that that will matter much when he will receive at least three different photo albums of the night by morning. Just to make sure nothing passes him by.
Victor wastes no time in kissing back, melting into it.
A long moment passes before they part, both of them smiling at each other. They really are so precious. A better man would likely look away from the private moment. Or at least pretend they haven’t seen anything as Victor drinks in the sight of Yuuri’s flushed cheeks before dragging him out into the middle of the room.
Some of the sponsors are quickly paling. Likely the ones who were here last year, the ones who thought the entire business improper and embarrassing. One has already started to make hasty goodbyes, foreseeing the direction the night is headed in.
Chris can’t bring himself to feel too bad about it.
Time spent with his fellow competitors will be much preferable to the careful small talk of potential sponsors. Let this be the start of a new routine then, one that is much more lively than it had been before.
Except apparently it isn’t quite the same.
Chris steals away a smile for himself as he takes a drink of his own champagne. To think he hadn’t recognized it until now. The pieces fall into place perfectly as he thinks back to the amount of alcohol Yuuri has gone through and the particular shade of red to his cheeks. Embarrassment rather than drink, if his guess is right.
This time Yuuri is changing them through his love for Victor rather than a few too many drinks. Such confidence. It makes him proud how much they’ve both grown if Yuuri can find it in himself to dance and laugh and loosen his collar in front of all these people.
Arms find their way around his waist and Chris leans back, well aware of who would touch him in such a familiar way. “Will anyone mind if I steal you away for a while?”
“Hm, maybe if it’s only for a dance or two,” Chris answers. “If it’s longer than that, you’ll won’t remember to bring me back and then I’ll lose my chance to use the pole I procured for this.”
“You mean, the pole I procured for you.”
“Same thing, is it not?”
A smile is pressed into his neck. “You’ll win next time. I know it. They’ll never know what’s coming for them.”
“Well, I thought that much was obvious.”
♥ 20.1k likes
christophe-gc we are rather multi-faceted, aren’t we @katsuki-don? #gpf
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katsuki-don CHRIS
phichit+chu don’t deny the effect your abs have on your fans, yuuri!
v-nikiforov and me! <3 <3 <3
katsuki-don NOT ON INSTAGRAM, VICTOR
yuri-plisetsky or anywhere else, asshole
The sponsors seem to disappear after a point. Otabek isn’t entirely certain the other skaters notice, not with how focused they are on each other.
Everyone seems happy enough for him to dismiss it though.
Especially Yuri, sitting across from him with his back against the wall. A grin is directed at him while Yuri talks, only ever straying away from enjoyment when he takes a moment to look at his phone. Then it’s all scowls until he finally shoves the device towards Otabek to show him the photo or comment that has managed to anger him.
Pictures of Yuuri seem to fire him up the most but somehow, Otabek is certain that mentioning that would only make things worse. So, he satisfies himself with knowing Yuri is choosing to share these things with him.
It feels like a good thing.
After all, Yuri is one of the most complicated people he’s ever met.
Not many go to such lengths to pretend they hate everything. But even that simplifies the way Yuri acts. Simplifies Yuri, which would make him genuinely angry. Otabek is almost entirely certain that being angry at the world isn’t the point. It’s that Yuri feels so much that he treats anger like the one emotion he can hold onto amongst the rest.
If Otabek hadn’t already told him about Yakov’s summer camp, he would have done so tonight. Tonight while Yuri treats him like he would a long-time friend rather than someone he’s technically only known a week. Gone is the guise of a soldier, pushed away to reveal true caring.
Beautiful, in its own way.
And a thought he intends on keeping to himself, at least for now.
Just as Otabek makes that decision, Yuri stops to look at him. “Hey, what’s going through that head of yours?”
“You,” he says truthfully.
It’s worth it to see the cascade of emotion pass through Yuri. More than his face because it’s also there in the way he holds himself, in the shift of his shoulders and the fidget of his feet.
“Right.” Yuri frowns, briefly enough that Otabek nearly misses it before it melts into a cocky smirk. “Of course you were thinking about me. But what exactly were you thinking?”
“That I want to dance with you.”
Not so truthful this time but still worth it.
Otabek is beginning to think everything he says to Yuri will be worth it, a trend he’s eager to continue. They’re friends now, after all. Hopefully that will more than just seeing each other at competitions, even if they’ll have their own training most of the time. There are many things he wants to understand about Yuri Plisetsky. It might even take the rest of his life to become satisfied with that curiosity.
The first thing will be why Yuri stands so quickly at that admission, why he glowers down at him. Another might think Yuri is offended but they would be wrong.
They also aren’t worthy of being friends with him.
Easily enough to take it as the invitation it is and Otabek stands, the thick beat of the energetic music swallowing them up. It brings them away from the place they carved out for themselves and into another place where they can grow in their own ways, a place where Otabek will treasure getting to know all of the different aspects of Yuri. They still have their privacy here, so long as everyone is focused on the Swiss dancer showing off on the other side of the room.
“Well.” There are a few feet between them and there’s an odd tension in Yuri’s shoulders as he stands there, unmoving. “Are we going to dance or not?”
“Relax first.”
“What- Relax? I am relaxed, you asshole! If anything, you’re the one who isn’t-”
“This isn’t a competition.” Otabek reaches for Yuri’s hand, easily crossing that distance. It’s warm, he can’t help but notice. Soft and warm. “We’re dancing together, not apart.”
Yuri doesn’t pull away.
Yuri doesn’t do much of anything until the songs changes. And then he nods, smile returning, and it’s like they’ve entered another world. A world where the laughter and the music fades away, where everything narrows down to just them.
Who moves first will remain a mystery to Otabek for the rest of his life. Yuri will claim it was him with the confidence of a dying man but Otabek will prefer to think of it as a mutual coming together. Just like how they fall into an easy rhythm, not quite adhering to any one form of dance, both of them switching between leading and following. What he will be able to recall is how his heart nearly burst from his chest, how this moment sets the standard for each following one.
♥ 24.3k likes
v-nikiforov the most spirited couple of the night! @yuri-plisetsky @otabek-altin #gpf
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yuri-plisetsky I’M GOING TO KILL YOU
mila-b well, you’ll certainly try
katsuki-don i’m glad you had fun, yuri!
phichit+chu still doesn’t beat you and yuuri lol #victuuri
Yuri moves away from the pole with a slow exhale, grin wide and cheeks flushed. Probably not the alcohol at this point, just the exertion and the embarrassment from not wearing a shirt. Or pants, for that matter. Most will probably call him a drunk mess and then write him off as disappointed with his silver medal.
It’s a shame because, to Victor, this is the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.
There are nearly a hundred photos of these last twenty minutes already saved to his phone. Maybe one or two will join them but he can’t see that happening now. Not with how he pictures the rest of the night going. A lot of dancing, a lot of celebrating, and then retiring back to their shared hotel room to celebrate in a more private setting.
Victor couldn’t have planned this last year any better if he had tried. Not going to Hasetsu, not coaching Yuuri, not falling in love with Yuuri.
All of it is perfect.
It always will be.
“Victor,” Yuuri breathes out as their eyes meet.
“Yuuri.” His heart beats a little faster as he sees his own voice, deep with want, take Yuuri’s breath away. “Can I have this dance?”
“Dance?”
Yuuri’s eyes are wide, though Victor knows he isn’t as far gone as last year. But it makes him look like he thinks Victor appeared out of nowhere.
Good.
It is a bit of healthy revenge.
“Yes, this dance,” Victor repeats. He gestures to the room around them, not empty but certainly not full anymore either. “I want to share it with you.”
He wants to share everything with Yuuri, really. Tonight, tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that until there is nothing left of either of them. Whether it be on the ice, in Hasetsu, or anywhere else where their lives bring them.
The meaning must come across because Yuuri’s response doesn’t come in words so much as it does in laughter and arms wrapped around his neck. It comes in Victor rearing backwards and then spinning them around, just because he can. It comes in Yuuri matching him step for step, never backing down from a challenge. It comes in touching each other, soft casual touches that speak only of deep familiarity.
They have made their promises already. Promises made real by the ring on Victor’s finger, by its other half upon Yuuri’s finger.
This is more than a promise.
It is an affirmation.
An affirmation of everything Victor already knows and their fingers continue to touch when they pull away, bridging the distance between them. The music is a powerful force. Yet their bodies move together as easily as breathing, elation building as neither of them dare to look away.
They can’t.
Not when this is an affirmation of their love.
♥ 63.3k likes
katsuki-don <3 #gpf
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v-nikiforov <3
phichit+chu *has been betrayed*
phichit+chu you took my win away from me!
christophe-gc @phichit+chu we should find a way to get back at them, yes?
yuri-plisetsky i need to go bleach my eyes now, thanks