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Too often, Chris didn’t celebrate his birthday. Beside the fact that it overlaps with Valentine’s Day, when he preferred to celebrate the people he loved before himself, but it was also too close to Four Continents. He found himself practicing more than partying at times like that. Sometimes he would have a small gathering at home with his close friends and family when it was convenient, but overall, he learned not to assign much importance to the event. After all, getting older often spelled the end for most competitive skaters, and he wasn’t ready for it to be over. Not yet.
In any event, it sure as hell wasn’t the first thing on his mind when he got a text from Victor, begging for him to join him and Yuri for dinner, so he didn’t think twice about agreeing. They’d all arrived in Gangneung the night before, but he barely saw the pair beyond a greeting in the lobby when Yuri looked fresh off the plane and ready to fall asleep where he stood. Before that, they had been in Barcelona the last time he saw the two together outside of photos on the internet or fuzzy Skype calls where they mostly talked about skating practice and lamented how far apart they were. Chris and Victor shared some time during the European championships, but Yuri spent the time Victor was away to visit his family in Japan rather than follow his now publicly confirmed fiancé to a competition he couldn’t enter.
Fiancé… The concept had burned a little, when Victor brazenly flaunted his ring at dinner, announcing that he’d marry Yuri when he won gold. It had hurt something to see the eight years he spent loving Victor be so easily outpaced by less than a year with Yuri, especially after the night they shared together after his dip in the pool with Victor. After promises that they loved him just as much as they loved each other, finding out the way he did was a punch in the gut. But after hearing Yuri explain why, and reassurances that they hadn’t lied to him about their feelings for him… he’s happy for them. They’re happy together, almost sickeningly so, and it makes sense for them. As much as he wanted to, he’s too far away, and too married to his career to drop everything and move to Russia to marry his long-time sweetheart.
Victor and Yuri are already seated when he arrives at the restaurant, both with their phones out and looking back and forth at the menu. As he moves to join him, he picks up more of their conversation.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Victor, I’m sure. That’s definitely kimchi. I’m not sure about the other one.”
“Whatever, I’ll order it anyway. It looks delicious.” Victor glances up from the menu, a smile immediately gracing his features when he spot Chris. “Speaking of delicious, look who just showed up.”
Yuri puts on a matching smile. “Chris! Glad you could make it!”
Chris offers them a charming grin. “Wouldn’t miss dinner with my favorite couple. Bickering over what to order already? I thought you had to wait until Yuri won gold to start acting like a married couple.” Victor laughs brightly at his joke, flagging down a server so he can place their order. When Chris looks to Yuri, though, he looks a bit sheepish. “Yuri?”
Yuri’s eyes don’t leave the table as he plays with his napkin nervously. “Technically, I won gold at Nationals...”
“Oh.” He’d been so focused on polishing his own routines, he’d forgotten to check on Yuri’s standings. “So the wedding’s on, then?”
“After the season is over, but yes.” Yuri shifts in his seat. “We would have told you sooner, but we thought you knew.”
Chris waves a hand, brushing away his concern. “Hey, as long as I’m invited, there’s no harm in it.”
Victor finishes up their order and turns his million-watt smile on Chris. “Of course you’re invited. We couldn’t have a wedding without a best man.”
There’s that faint hint of a sting again, returning at the idea of standing up at the altar next to Victor, watching him marry someone else, but he quickly buries it. Chris loves Yuri just like he loves Victor, and he could never summon one ounce of resentment toward him. He’s hopelessly in love with these two idiots, all the way to the end.
Chris covers up his sudden onslaught of feelings with a smile. “I thought I’d have to fight Phichit for that honor.”
A fond look crosses Yuri’s face. “I talked to Phichit about it, and he wanted you to have it more. You have a longer history with Victor, in any case.”
Once again, Phichit manages to surprise Chris after his upset at the Cup of China. “Ah. Well. I guess I better start writing my speech, then.” He winks over at Victor. “And planning your bachelor party.”
Victor looks excited, knowing that Chris can surprise him more than anyone, but flails his arms. “But before that! We have something for you!”
If Chris is honest, his first reaction in suspicion. He’s been on the wrong end of way too many of Victors ridiculous pranks to think much else, but he calms when he remembers he’s in public and Yuri would never let him do anything too embarrassing right before a competition. “For me?”
Instead of a reply, Yuri reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a tiny box neatly wrapped in shiny paper. The bow on top is a bit crushed from the confined space. Yuri beams at him. “Happy Birthday, Chris!”
Chris looks at him, surprised. That's right, it is his birthday… he almost forgot. He reaches for the gift with a wry smile. “Hah, another year older. Don’t remind me.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, then,” Victor corrects, unflappable as always. “Just open it, Chris.”
He does, gently setting aside the damaged bow and opening the paper entirely too slowly for the impatient look on Victor’s face. The size of the box is very familiar, and he somehow hopes this both is and isn’t what he thinks it is. The velvet box confirms his suspicions.
“Guys...” It comes out quietly, a plea and protest all at once.
Victor shakes his head, insistent. “Open it!”
The ring inside is a plain band of white gold, sleek enough to be a wedding band, but can easily be mistaken for fashion jewelry. Inside he barely makes out the lines on an inscription, so he pulls it out to read it. Scrawled across the inside of the band are the words “forever yours” in all three of their native languages. He clutches the ring in his hand, tears coming to his eyes. He’s at a loss for words, so he holds the ring close to his heart and closes his eyes.
“We wanted to have something that reminded you that no matter how far we are, we always love you.” Yuri is speaking quickly, obviously nervous at Chris’s reaction.
After several moments of gathering his words, he opens his eyes, looking back and forth between them both. His voice is nearly a whisper when he replies, “Thank you.” He hands the ring to Yuri, who looks back at him, wide-eyed. “Well, if this is a proper proposal, someone has to put it on me.”
Relief washes across his face, and he looks to Victor, who nods. Chris extends his right hand, and the two of them slip it onto his finger together. When it’s on properly, Victor takes his hand and looks it over, admiring the way the band gleams.
“There. Now you really look the part.” He looks around the table. “Where’s the waiter? We need some wine to toast!”
Yuri looks at him, both loving and irked at the same time. “Not before a competition. Water will do just fine.”
“But this is an important night! One glass won’t hurt!”
“No, Victor.”
“Yuuuuuuri! Pleeeease!”
Chris shakes his head watching the two of them go back and forth. Maybe growing old wasn’t so bad if he’s going it with them.