"I wonder if Yuuri had any lovers before me."
Victor Nikiforov silently contemplates to himself while stroking his fiancé's chubby cheeks. Yuuri was asleep beside him and for Victor, no one else fits the profile of a sleeping beauty better than his Yuuri. It took Yuuri a bit of time before finally agreeing to sleep beside Victor after becoming lovers. In fact, his bed barely gets used nowadays. No one in Yuuri's family seem to mind however. Right now, they're in Hasetsu for an ice show that Victor organized that ended just a few days ago. But they decided to stay in Hasetsu for a bit to wind down before going back to Russia to train for the upcoming season.
After having misunderstanding of "Chihoko" cleared out, Victor still could not help but be curious about Yuuri's romantic history. It was something he wanted to know even before coming to Hasetsu for the first time to coach Yuuri. It was a topic that Yuuri refuses to talk about and so, Victor never forced Yuuri to elaborate on it. But the thought that Yuuri getting intimate with someone else other than him, even if it was in the past, bothers Victor to end. He has to admit, it is hypocritical of him to feel this way since he had lovers before. But it was only Yuuri that painted his dull, gray life a variety of pastel colors.
So who else are the people that know Yuuri the most but his family and friends? So Victor decided to investigate Yuuri's romantic past by asking the people who have been with Yuuri for most of his life. He then got out of bed, put on clothes and set out in his "investigation".
"Sweet dreams, my Yuuri". Victor said as he closed the door behind him and let his fiancé sleep for a bit.
As soon as Victor sat by the table, Mari was serving him breakfast. Victor decided he'll ask Mari since she seems to know Yuuri the best out of his family.
"Hey Mari-neesan, did Yuuri bring friends over often?" Victor asked, not wanting to startle Mari with a sensitive question so suddenly.
Mari answered, "No." She then added, "The only friends he usually brings over are Yuko and her husband. Other than them, I don't think Yuuri has any other friends."
"I see." Victor said while putting a finger on his lips. I guess I'll ask Yuuko and her husband next.
"Why'd you ask?" Mari inquired curiously.
Victor was surprised by Mari's question. "Huh? Oh, I just wanted to get to know Yuuri better. That's all." Victor said nervously. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't exactly the whole truth either.
"You just wanted to know if Yuuri had any ex-lovers." Mari said while smirking smugly.
Victor was even more surprised with Mari's accurate deduction. "W-what?" He asked even more nervously than before.
"Bingo." Mari said while keeping the smug smile on her face. "I knew it has something to do with the stunt you pulled over a few days ago at the top of the castle."
Victor has completely forgotten that the entire world knew he threw a humongous fit over Yuuri's supposed ex Chihoko. Not that it bothered him in the slightest but it sure embarrassed Yuuri to the point he refused to go out of their room for the whole day. After which, Victor had to repeatedly promise to Yuuri that he will never pull the same stunt ever again.
"Don't worry. Yuuri never introduced us to any lovers aside from you." Mari assured Victor. "And even before then, you already introduced yourself as his future lover the moment you stepped into our home without saying anything."
Victor smiled while saying, "Thanks. Mari-neesan" before she left to the kitchen. He then finished his breakfast and called Makkachin over so they could take a walk and go to Ice Castle Hasetsu.
As soon as Victor and Makkachin arrived at Ice Castle Hasetsu, he wasted no time trying to find Yuko and Nishigori to talk to them. However, only their triplets were at the entrance.
"Where are your parents? I need to talk to them." Victor asked the three of them.
Axel then said. "In their office."
"It's located at the back of the rink." Lutz then added.
"Thanks girls." Victor said gratefully. "Could you watch Makkachin for me while I talk to your parents?" He asked the three of them.
"Of course." The triplets said in unison as they were greeted happily by Makkachin.
"But, why do you need to talk to Mama and Papa?" Loop asked curiously.
Victor winked at the three of them and put a finger on his lips. "It's a secret." He replied before leaving to talk to Yuko and Nishigori.
He knocked three times at the door before Yuko answered the door. "Oh Victor. What brings you here?" She then ushered Victor inside the office.
"I need to know if Yuuri had any lovers before me." Victor asked directly, having recently learned that trying to beat around the bush is pointless anyway.
Nishigori laughed. "Has this something to do with what you did a few days ago?"
"Hey. Don't ask him like that. Remember that Seung-gil kissed you while he was drunk." Yuko scolded her husband.
Nishigori then got embarrassed and covered his face, "Can we not talk about that, please?"
"Yes." Victor said seriously. "I want to know if Yuuri had any past lovers."He couldn't deny to the Nishigori couple that he was both curious and jealous. After all, they are Yuuri's confidants.
"Well, Yuuri never had any ex-lovers as far as we know." Yuko said. "He always has trouble making friends so I don't think he had one before you came along."
Nishigori added, "He actually had trouble thinking of his inspiration for Eros when you first assigned the program to him. Why do you think it took him long to realize what his inspiration for Eros actually is?"
Victor sighed in relief with the Nishigori's assurance that Yuuri never had any past lovers. But then, he realized that Yuuri studied in Detroit for five years so it was likely that the Nishigori couple do not know if Yuuri had any lover during those five years. Victor then decided to ask Phichit, Yuuri's former roommate, if he had any lovers while he was in Detroit.
"Thanks. That's all I need to know." Victor said before he proceeds to the door.
"Oh Victor. There's one thing you need to know though." Yuko said before Victor leaves. "Quite a lot of people have loved Yuuri the way you do. They just never became his lover."
Victor then stopped in his tracks and asked, "Why is that?"
Nishigori explained, "He never realized nor understood that people love him the way you do. In fact, he even asks why you chose him out of all people. He thinks so low of himself that he didn't realize what love is until you gave and showed it to him"
"Please don't stop loving Yuuri, okay?" Yuko said as if she's pleading to Victor. "I've never seen him this happy before."
"Don't worry. I won't." Victor reassured Yuko. "Yuuri is my love and life. I could never imagine a life without him." He then left the office and fetched Makkachin from the triplets, assuring the three of them they'll play with him next time.
Victor then went back home with Makkachin. As soon as they saw Yuuri when they entered, Makkachin immediately pounced on Yuuri excitedly, peppering him with licks, Yuuri then returned the favor by patting his head and hugging him.
"So you were outside all along. I've been looking for you as soon as I woke up." Yuuri said as soon as he at looked at Victor.
Victor then placed a quick kiss on Yuuri's lips. "Did you miss me while I was gone?"
"A bit." Yuuri said while blushing furiously. "But I knew you'd come back as soon as you were done with whatever you were doing."
It's good that Yuuri wasn't asking what Victor was specifically doing while he was outside. It shows that Yuuri now has completely placed his trust on Victor.
"Let's get inside, shall we?" Yuuri then lead Victor and Makkachin inside Yutopia Akatsuki.
Once they got inside, they noticed that there were a lot of people. It was apparently lunch time when they got inside so there were a lot of people eating. They decided to stay in their bedroom until they could find a place to sit. The both of them were lying in the bed when Mari poked her head on the door.
"Yuuri, help us in the kitchen for a bit. There's a lot of people eating here today and we need all the help we could get." Mari said.
Yuuri then got up from the bed and replied, "Okay. I'll help out."
Victor offered to help in the kitchen but Yuuri gently declined the generous offer. "You just got home after taking Makkachin out for a walk. Just rest for a bit. I'll be back once I'm done."
Victor then reluctantly conceded with his sweet fiancé's request. "Okay."
Yuuri then went outside the room, leaving Victor with Makkachin on the bed. Victor wasted no time in locating Yuuri's phone, which was at the bedside. He immediately unlocked Yuuri's phone since the passcode is his birthday, 1225. Victor smiled because he did the same thing on his phone, where the passcode is 1129. He then opened Facetime and located Phichit's name on the list. Victor thought for a moment if Phichit would still be awake in Detroit but he tried his luck anyway. Surprisingly, Phichit answered immediately.
"Geez, Yuuri. Do you have any idea what time it is over here?" Phichit whined as soon as his face appeared on the screen.
"Sorry to bother you Phichit but I just need to ask you something." Victor said apologetically.
Phichit then put on his usual friendly face. "Oh, hi Victor. It's not a problem. I was just finishing a paper here and I was just about to take a break. Anyway, what do you need to know?"
Victor then decided to just ask Yuuri's best friend directly. "Did Yuuri have any lovers while he was in Detroit?"
"Not that I know of. Why?" Phichit asked curiously. As soon as he answered Victor's question, he came to an assumption. "Oh no. Are you two still fighting over that 'Chihoko' thing?"
"No. I just need to know." Victor tried to defend himself as best as he could but it seems Phichit wasn't buying it yet.
Phichit then let out a surprisingly threatening aura as he spoke, "I swear Nikiforov. If you try to divorce my best friend, I will murder you personally. Do you understand?"
Victor then said with a convincing voice. "I won't do that to Yuuri. He's my love and life. Just as I am his love and life." He then continued, "He painted my otherwise dull, gray world with vibrant pastels. He never fails to surprise me and I keep finding myself falling in love with him more each day."
Victor was sure that he convinced Phichit judging from the tears that fell down his face. "T-that's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." Phichit then wiped off the tears on his face. "Sorry that I lost it there. It's just that I couldn't bear to see Yuuri being miserable again. He's never been this happy before you two got together."
"Thanks Phichit." Victor said gratefully. But then Victor remembered what Yuko told him before he left Ice Castle Hasetsu. "Phichit, did other people love Yuuri like I did?" Victor asked.
Phichit was confused at Victor's question. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Victor then continued. "Yuuri told me that he had a rinkmate who kept talking to him. When a fellow rinkmate got injured, that girl hugged him when she saw how distressed Yuuri was. I have a feeling this rinkmate had a crush on him."
"Oh, that girl." Phichit remembered the girl Victor was talking about. He then added, "Yeah. She had a crush on Yuuri. It was kinda obvious. And she wasn't the only one who had a crush on him."
"Really?" Victor asked. It seems like his Yuuri has quite a large fanbase. In fact, Yuuri's fanbase could probably rival Victor's and Victor got irrationally worried.
"Yes. Apparently, a lot of people are attracted to Yuuri to the point they want to become his lover." Phichit then continued explaining, "The only problem was, Yuuri never realized just how much people love him. It seems he built a wall to let only very few people into his life. I'm glad you broke that wall, Victor. Yuuri finally experienced and understood love because you gave it to him."
"And I will never stop loving Yuuri." Victor said. "Thanks for letting me know Phichit. Take care"
"Take care too. And say hi to Yuuri for me. I have to finish my paper now. Bye." Phichit said before the call was disconnected.
Victor then decided that he and Yuuri should discuss their own romantic past together. He felt that it wasn't right to keep it from each other, especially now that they're engaged. He couldn't bear it if he and Yuuri would fight bitterly over something that's already in the past. Granted, the 'Chihoko' misunderstanding was a miscommunication issue that got resolved quickly. But what if Yuuri's insecurities suddenly surfaced if they met one of his ex-lovers?
Yuuri then poked his head at the door and said, "Victor, lunch is almost ready. Let's try to find a table to eat on."
"Yuuri, we need to discuss something." Victor then patted the space beside him. Yuuri panicked for a bit before settling beside Victor. "We need to discuss our romantic pasts together. I'll start."
Victor then started explaining. "You weren't the first person I've dated. I had quite a number of lovers before we even met. I ended those relationships not because I didn't love them but because the relationship wasn't going anywhere and we simply drifted apart. " He then added and placed his thumb on Yuuri's chin, "But, you were the one with the most impact. I knew from the moment I fell in love with you that you are the only one for me and that we will have a future together. I love you so much that I was willing to drop my career and life in Russia if it means being together with you. My love for you is stronger and different from the ones in my past relationships."
"Why are you telling me all of these things?" Yuuri asked curiously.
Victor placed a quick kiss on Yuuri's lips and explained, "Because I didn't want you to think you didn't deserve me. I didn't want you to feel insecure and pathetic after we meet any of my ex-lovers. I wanted you to feel that I am devoted to you and only you. I wanted you to feel that I am all yours."
Yuuri blushed at the statement. He realized just how much Victor loves him and he almost cried tears of joy. "So tell me, did you have any lovers before me?" Victor then asked.
It took Yuuri a bit of time before he said softly, "No. I never had any lovers before you."
"Is that why you refused to comment when I first asked if you had any ex-lovers?" Victor asked gently.
Yuuri then covered his face while confirming, "Yes. It was embarrassing to admit to my idol that I never once had any lover. I thought back then you'd see me as a pathetic loser not just for my terrible skating but for my lack of a love life."
Victor then gently hugged Yuuri. "Oh, Yuuri. If you only knew how happy it made me back then knowing that I had a chance to be your lover. And how happy I am now that it happened." He then uncovered Yuuri's face and put his hands on Yuuri's cheeks. "So tell me, does this mean I am your first lover?"
Yuuri then took Victor's right hand and kissed the ring. "Yes. You're my first and only lover." He then added while looking at Victor with such ardent love, "And soon, we'll be more than lovers. There is no one else I will love with all my being but you. I will never stop loving you."
Victor then found himself tearing up after hearing Yuuri's words. "Sorry. These are tears of joy. You made me the happiest man alive and I will make sure you are one as well." He then kissed Yuuri with so much love that they could drown in it forever. While kissing Yuuri, he found one of his hands touching Yuuri's love handles. He could never keep his hands off of it until they begin their training, to which he can appreciate his Yuuri becoming a sexy beast.
"We should probably get going. Mom and the others are waiting for us." Yuuri got up and offered his hand.
"Sure. Let's not keep them waiting." Victor said as he took Yuuri's hand and got off the bed.
And so, they walked away from the room with their hands held together and their love reaffirmed.
Author's note:
After knowing what happened at the Yuri on Stage event and the Chihoko incident, I suddenly got an excuse to write down an idea I had that was on my mind. And I needed to write this while I had the time.
Happy Birthday Phichit Chulanont (April 30). I hope you have fun on your special day.
Note: A reader has reminded me that Victor did point out in episode 4 that Yuuri never had any lover. Whoops. My mistake. It seems that I am as forgetful as Victor, especially when it comes to small details. Then again, Yuuri is shown to get pretty touchy whenever his past love life (or lack thereof) gets mentioned so I assumed he never really discussed it with Victor. You can think of this and my other works as an AU or something since no matter how I try to make my works as compliant to the canon material as possible, it only mostly succeeds at best. Plus, I insert fanon material in my works at times.