"Oh nooo!" Yuuri Katsuki yelped as he sped through the crossing, pushing through the large crowd crossing to the other side.
He looked down at his watch and sped up even quicker.
5 minutes until the meeting started.
Usually, it would take 15 minutes at this distance. But as Yuuri skipped a breakfast but had a rare coffee, his stomach wouldn't get upset and he had the energy to, hopefully, get to the meeting just in time.
He could feel the cold winter air stopping any heat from catching to his body as he ran, ripping off his scarf and hanging it over his arm with his bag.
"This is bad. This is bad." He muttered.
He heard yells and curses as he bursts through the busy side walk as pedestrians were making their way to shops or the extremely busy bus stop or train station.
He then turned down a alleyway for a shortcut. Smelling and hearing the small shops that connected the alleyway.
He heard men welcoming customers and women yelling out names as the breakfast and early take out lunch orders came through.
He skidded at the corner to the hissing of a black and orange dotted cat, and as much as he wanted to stop and admire it, he sped onwards.
His phone then rang, vibrating in his pocket as he ran while shuffling his things in his hands as to reach into his suit jacket.
"H-Hello?" His heavy breaths were audible as she reached a new main road.
"Ah! Yuuri? Where are you? Their coming!"
"Ah!" Yuuri breathed. "I'm sorry Phichit. I left my alarm off and I was jogging last night."
"That doesn't matter Yuuri! You have to be here soon! Minako-san is pacing!"
"I-I know!" He reached the top of a slanted hill to see the large business building 100 metres from him. "I'm at the building now!"
"Why were you even running? We did practice just the other day."
"I know, I know, but I can't let myself go like in Detroit."
He entered the building with the front desk looking in surprise at his urgency. He pressed the elevator and took a deep breath.
"Well it's not a suitable idea if you're having one of the biggest trade meetings of the business year the day after."
"Well you stay fit don't you? You jog as well."
"Well not when we have to be up at 5 in the morning to greet the Russian branch I don't! Being fit is for later."
Yuuri looked at the elevator, one being on level 15 and one on level 2 but going up, the later would be the guest.
"Aaaah, I'm taking the stares."
"Well then hurry up! They're in the elevator."
"I saw it when I was at the elevator." He puffed as he took the staircase two steps at a time.
"That won't matter when you get up here!" His best friend yelled. His voice then faded slightly as he whispered a murmured with a woman on his side of the line.
There was a scuffle then a older woman yelled into the phone, "Yuuri! Where are you?!"
"Minako, I-I'm," he looked as he reached the floor, level 5. "Two floors away."
"Hurry, they're a level away!"
"I'll see you then Minako."
"Wait Yuuri-"
Yuuri hung up his phone and shoved it in his pocket as he doubled his speed up the stairs.
The rolling doors to the opened on his desired floor. Yuuko at the door, waiting for him.
"Yuuri! I'll take your bag!"
"My folder's in there with my notes!"
He gave the bag to her as he quickly took off his over coat and fixed his hair and glasses.
Yuuko handed him the sheets and traded them for the clothes.
"Go for it! You'll do great!"
Yuuri gave a nervous smile as he walked quickly through the aisle of offices to the far corridor where the private board room was located.
He could see figures through the fogged glass and pushed the door open.
"Sorry . . . I'm . . . Late." His breathing over coming him.
"Sorry won't be enough." Minako stood at the front of the board table. "I'm glad you made it though."
Yuuri gave a wry laugh as he set his items at his reserved seat.
Phichit patted him on the back. "I knew you would make it."
Yuuri gave a weary smile, "I wouldn't say you knew I would make it though."
His Thailand friend was probably going to say something along the lines of a comeback to those words when the representatives of the Russian branch entered the room.
A rather rough old man entered first. Followed by a rather short and masculine looking woman, with blonde jawline lengthens hair. Then lastly followed by a tall lean man, in his rough 30s, blue piercing eyes and odd white platinum hair.
The last man looking oddly familiar, his hair was cut and shaved in a polite but slightly fun manner and Yuuri saw a peak of a poodle phone case protruding from his jacket pocket.
It was then that his blue eyes looked to Yuuri, his overall calm demeanour changing to an unrecognisable one as he looked over Yuuri.
Ah, oh no. It's my breathing. What should I do? Ah, he must think I'm gross.
Yuuri out of fear of being disliked averted his eyes and tried harder than before to calm his heart and heavy breathing.
Minako, Phichit and Yuuri gave a courteous nod to the newcomers and Minako spoke.
"Thank you sirs for coming here today. We appreciate that you took time to come to Japan and meet us in person for this meeting. I'm Minako Okukawa, head of the representative branch of Japanese part of Ice Dance Co."
"Thank you for welcome. I am Yakov Feltsman, of the Russian branch."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr Feltsman. Let me introduce my two juniors, Yuuri Katsuki and Phichit Chulanont."
"Charmed. These are my two men, Yuri Plisetsky and Viktor Nikiforov."
"It's a pleasure. Minako gave a nod to both the woman and man and gestured for all to sit.
Viktor Nikiforov . . .
Viktor Nikiforov . . .
That's . . . Wha- . . . That's . . .
No, it couldn't be . . .
Yuuri looked quickly at the man in question. He was organising his folder but must've felt eyes upon him as he looked towards Yuuri, although he managed to look away before he was noticed. Though Viktor didn't look away.
"We begin our presentation with _. _ _ _ _ _."
Yuuri couldn't focus. Maybe it was the running or skipping a meal or the confusion as his brain tried to figure out if his assumption was correct about the man in across the table from him.
He continued to peek at the platinum haired man. And although he would find himself staring, he hoped he wasn't caught when Viktor turned to star back.
"Yuuri Katsuki will now talk about the finance of the coming business opportunity and _ _ _ _." Minako gestured for Yuuri to get up and, slowly, as to not wear his brain anymore, went to the front of the table.
He spoke on the business opportunities of the new project and how pros definitely overpowered any cons made.
He then sat down and Yakov stood to talk of the Russian branch's work and called Yuri for the Russian side of Yuuri's work.
Yuri was curt and mannered, although she seemed to glare almost harshly at the Japanese branch, or maybe not. She was making that sort of face.
Phichit had his part where he talked on trade values and other parts of the Japanese branch's involvement.
And finally Viktor was to present. "Thank you Yakov and as said by Mr Chulanont before, we can see many parts of both branch's participating."
His voice was calm and soothing. He had a small and kid smile as if he wasn't tired from flying at 3 o'clock in the morning, as the representatives did this morning.
He had good posture as if he had been instructed on such. He stood balanced on his feet and he stood proud.
He finished and gave another wide smile.
Minako followed by finishing and recommended the guest on going to their hotel to rest more for more work tomorrow as the meeting had ended at the sun was setting on the work day.
Yuri frowned and in a slightly restricted voice, as if holding back her true behaviour spoke. "I heard it is a tradition in Japan to drink after a long day at work. Why don't we all do that?"
Minako gave a small nod, "I suppose it is. Would you like to go?"
Yuri nodded courteously but Yakov began to refuse. It was interrupted by Minako saying that they were guest and if they wanted to try Japanese customers she and her workers were happy to help.
And so they went. They found a nice bar in the Main Street which was used commonly by the businesses along the main road as activities like the group were doing now.
Alcohol was opened and Japanese snacks were served.
Over all Minako and Yakov for along quite well, Yakov mainly impressed by Minako's drinking ability.
Phichit gave an excuse of 'wanting to be alive in the morning' and only had one drink.
And although Yuuri drank more than his friend, he was cautious not to black out as he had done on occasion.
Yuri drank but Yakov was strict as he was underage for Japanese law but was free to drink in Russian law. Yakov didn't want to have MORE paperwork.
Viktor on the other hand was quiet and sensible and although he spoke to all the other members of the group he hadn't spoken a word to Yuuri.
Ah, he probably thinks I'm this weird gross guy . . . What with my heavy breathing and messed up presentation.
Aaaah, he won't want anything to do me.
I wish this day could be over.
He gulped down his third drink, giving up on holding himself off.
Not much bad will happen.
He took the next bottle and didn't hold himself from going to town.
•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•
A bursting headache awoke him. But he didn't open his eyes.
He curled into a slight ball as he let out a groan as the more he woke, the more he pain grew.
"Owww . . ." He murmured. Slowly opening his eyes.
He could see white, the bed sheets. But he closed his eyes again.
If he could just keep his eyes closed . . . Then his headache would go and he would fall asleep.
"Oi . . . Yuuri." An unfamiliar male voice echoed in his mind. Followed by a warm and soft hand shaking his shoulder. "Yuuri . . . Wake up."
He felt cold plastic as the man placed his glasses on his face. And the clatter as he pushed them up his nose.
"It's time to get up Yuuri."
Yuuri took a deep breath, not much processing what was occurring on the other side of his eyelids.
He turned and felt another body and wrapped his arm into a hug. He let out a long breath. Breathing in afterwards a reassuring scent. Of fresh snow and pine trees.
"Smells nice . . ." He murmured.
"Hm?" The person replied. "Yuuri. We have to get up. What about work?"
Work . . .
Work . . .
Oh no! Work!
He opened his eyes and quickly lifted his head, but while in the process, hitting the person in the jaw as they were probably leaning to him so he could hear.
"Ow ow ow." Yuuri muttered and then turned to see the blurred body of a person holding their head in their hands.
Yuuri shuffled to find his glasses and looked to the person.
He blinked once.
Twice.
Three times.
Viktor Nikiforov, Russian ice skating world champion 3 gold medal retiree, was holding his jaw on Yuuri's bed in his small cheap apartment in the west side of busy Tokyo. And not to mention,
He
Was
Naked.
Yuuri slowly looked down to himself and shocked himself to see he was in the same state.
Viktor sat back up to see Yuuri looking at him.
"Um . . . Mr Viktor . . . What happened?" His expression of utter shock along with the words he had uttered summed up what had happened to him.
"Yuuri . . . Don't tell me . . . You forgot about last night . . . Didn't you?"