Author Notes: Hey guys. Welcome to my Camp NaNo project! This is a story I've been wanting to write for a while, though it's a lot darker than most fanfiction I write. I hope you'll join me on this wild ride!

Warning: There will be character death in this story, along with graphic violence.


There were a lot of reasons to move to the capitol. Some did it to seek their fortune. Others did it for a fresh start. A lot of people just thought the capitol was a glamorous place to be and wanted to be part of that life. For Phichit and Yuuri, it really didn't have anything to do with money or glitz. It had everything to do with opportunity. Well, Phichit was there for his friend, but he knew there would be opportunities for him, as well. After all, everyone loved animals. Everywhere he went, he met people who wanted new pets, wanted to add little furry friends to their families. That was Phichit's livelihood. Ever since he was a child, he had worked with his parents, learning how to take care of all different kinds of animals, figuring out what it was they needed, what made them happy, what they didn't like. Phichit had developed his skills with animals into a business all his own. Being a breeder wasn't easy, but it was always reward enough for him to see a creature he'd brought into the world find a family who will love them just as much as he did.

Phichit's main reason for traveling all the way to the capitol was not for his own sake, though. He knew that the only way he could get Yuuri to take a chance would be to take it with him. Besides, it was better to stick together. They had grown up with each other, and he really couldn't imagine them being separated by so much distance. It was more than that, though. For as long as Phichit had known Yuuri, he had been quiet, shy, lacking in the confidence he needed to do something like this. It was unfortunate, really. Yuuri Katsuki was so talented, he had so much to offer. It was just that he was afraid to speak up, and he didn't believe in his abilities.

While Phichit's life revolved around animals, Yuuri had spent his life dancing. When Yuuri wasn't helping with his parent's business, he was practicing, honing his skills. Everyone told him he was an incredible dancer, but Yuuri insisted that he still had so much to learn. There was only so much learning he could do, though. His parents had been pushing him, telling him that he needed to go out into the world and share his talents. There wasn't much call for dancers back in their hometown, though. That was when Phichit had come up with the idea of heading to the capitol. There were supposed to be opportunities for anyone there, so it just made sense to take Yuuri there. Someone would see how talented he was. Yuuri would end up entertaining even the most influential people with his talents. Phichit was sure Yuuri just needed the push to do it.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Yuuri asked as he pulled his bag over his back.

"Yuuri, everyone's going to love you. Trust me." He watched as the small poodle ran around Yuuri's legs. It was amazing how well the pair of them went together. Vicchan could rush around Yuuri's feet as he walked all he liked, he never tripped the man up. Phichit wasn't sure if it was because they knew each other so well, or it had something to do with how graceful Yuuri could be.

Walking into the capitol felt like walking into a different world. Phichit had never left home before. Their small town never really had any tourists. It was simply a quiet place filled with people who were living out their days in peace. Truly, it was in stark contrast compared to the place they'd found themselves in. The streets were filled with people, buildings so tall it was like they were reaching for the sky. Back home felt like farm land compared to this place, it was like nothing Phichit had ever seen before. Of course, he'd heard stories of the capitol, but none of them could do it justice.

"Whoa…" Phichit looked around the streets in awe, pulling his phone out, "Yuuri, let's get a picture!"

"Shouldn't we find somewhere to stop first?" Yuuri looked around them at all the people, clearly not used to such a bustling town.

"We need to record our first moments! Come on, please?"

"Alright, alright." He watched as Yuuri pulled Vicchan into his arms, smiling as Phichit held out his camera to take a photo of the three of them.

Once he'd taken the photo, he smiled brightly as he showed it to Yuuri, "Perfect."

Yuuri placed the small poodle back on the ground, watching has he raced excitedly around his legs, "Can we find somewhere to rest now? We've been traveling for so long."

Phichit knew it would be better if they just found somewhere to stay. Yuuri got grumpy when he was tired, and they had travelled a few days to get to the capitol. It really wasn't all that surprising that Yuuri just wanted to find somewhere to sleep. It was a mystery to them both; how Vicchan could be so full of energy. Even Phichit's hamsters had given up, finding sanctuary in their cage. They had fallen asleep together, one big pile of fluffiness.

Keeping his phone out, Phichit did a quick search for hotels in the capitol. There were plenty of options. It really wasn't all that surprising, people were always traveling there. They had to filter out the more extravagant living arrangements. After all, they weren't exactly rolling in money. He looked up at Yuuri, seeing the expectant look on his friend's face and offering him a reassuring smile, "There are three places here that we can afford. One of them is bound to have a free room for us."

Yuuri hummed softly, offering Phichit a smile of his own, "I'll just be happy once I can take a hot bath and sleep."

"Don't worry, you'll get to relax soon. And once we find a nice, steady income, we'll be able to afford to stay somewhere even better."

Yuuri frowned as he started walking down the street beside Phichit, "I don't need anything fancy. There's no point wasting money on things we don't need."

"It's all part of the experience, Yuuri. Live a little!" So maybe Phichit was the more enthusiastic of the two of them when it came to moving to the capitol. Yuuri had been sceptical, saying that he didn't need to travel so far to dance, but Phichit knew Yuuri would come to embrace it. Maybe he was shy sometimes, or lacked confidence, but when he was dancing, it was like all those feelings were gone. Phichit had never seen his friend happier, and he was determined to see Yuuri make the most of his skills.

He didn't miss the small smile from his best friend as they walked in step, "How about a compromise? We don't waste money on fancy living space, but we can buy all the fancy food you like. Sound fair?"

"You just can't resist the idea of good food." Phichit chuckled, "As long as that includes fancy food for the animals, too, I'm down."

Phichit was quickly learning that things didn't go to plan. Back home, if they needed something, they could simply ask for it, and pay their way. In the capitol, it didn't seem to be that simple. When they were turned away from the first hotel, Phichit wasn't too concerned. There were still two others they could try. The first had been full, and really, he shouldn't have been surprised. It was after the second hotel had also turned them away that he started to get a little worried. It was then that he realised he probably should've called ahead, tried to reserve them a room long before they arrived. Phichit had simply never needed to do that before. He had no idea it would be necessary. He had to keep his hopes up, though. After all, he didn't want Yuuri to second guess the decision to go there. At least not more than he probably already was.

As they walked into the lobby of the last hotel, Phichit smiled brightly, wrapping an arm around his best friend's shoulders, his other holding tightly to his bags as he wheeled them inside, "Don't worry. I guarantee they'll have a room here. How could they not?"

He wasn't sure he really believed that after being denied twice, but surely if the last two places were booked up, this one wouldn't be. It didn't make sense for everywhere to be full of people. Sure, the capitol was a bustling city, but it didn't have that many people! Making his way to the front desk, Phichit offered the woman standing in front of them his brightest smile, internally hoping that if he was nice enough, it would magically make a room available for them.

"Oh, good afternoon, sir. Can I help you?" She smiled, her voice soft and reassuring.

"Absolutely. We're looking for a room for two."

The woman went quiet as she started typing into the computer in front of her, and the anticipation was only rising with every passing second. Things would be fine, that's what Phichit kept telling himself. He felt that hope slowly slip away as he caught sight of the frown on the woman's face, "I'm sorry, we don't seem to have any rooms available."

"Are you sure? We're willing to pay a little extra if we have to." He didn't want to have to beg, but this was their last option. He rested his palms on the desk, leaning over it and giving the woman his best attempt at puppy-dog eyes, "We've travelled several days to get here, we just need somewhere to rest."

She seemed a little uneasy under Phichit's gaze, looking back at the computer for a moment, "If I could get you a room, I would, sir. We're simply booked up."

"What about rooms for one?" Yuuri chimed in, taking them both off guard, "I'll sleep on a couch if I have to."

She typed into the computer once more before offering them a sad smile, shaking her head, "I'm sorry. May I make a suggestion?"

Phichit raised an eyebrow, "Go on…?"

"You came to the capitol at a particularly busy time of year. If I were you'd I'd head home and try again in a few months."

Phichit whined, turning back to Yuuri, "We can't go all the way back now. We've come so far."

There was nothing that could be done. No matter how much money Phichit offered, no matter how much he begged, a room wasn't going to magically become available. They were out of options. Of all the ways for their new adventure to begin, this wasn't what he'd had in mind. It certainly wasn't a good impression for his sceptical best friend, either. Phichit had hoped that when they got there, Yuuri would fall in love with the city and wouldn't think twice about the decision. Being stranded with no where to stay made things a little more difficult.

Stepping back outside, Yuuri sighed defeatedly as he dropped his bag to the ground, sitting beside it on the concrete floor and wrapping his arms around Vicchan as he settled in his lap, "Of all the ways for our first day here to go, sleeping on the street was not how I pictured it."

Phichit moved to sit beside him, resting his head against the wall of the hotel they'd just left, "I'm sorry, Yuuri. But I swear to you, we'll figure it out. This is a good thing."

"It's good that we're stranded in a new city with nowhere to live?" Yuuri asked pointedly, sending Phichit a withering look. The dog in his lap on the other hand, was staring up at Phichit lovingly, panting happily as his owner's hand brushed gently through his fur.

"Not that part." Phichit conceded, running a hand through his hair, "Being here will be good for us. It was great back home, but this will be something special. Trust me."

"I'll trust you once we have a roof over our heads." Yuuri quipped, though he was smiling and Phichit knew his best friend wasn't really upset with him.

"On the bright side," He began, lifting the cage his three darling hamsters were in and opening the door. He smiled as the three of them rushed out of the cage and curled up on his shoulders, "At least we're getting some fresh air."

"We walked for an hour after the ride to get here." Yuuri pointed out.

Phichit pouted, brushing a finger over one of his hamster's heads, "Don't' be a buzzkill. I know you're excited, too."

"Maybe just a little. But I'll be more excited to find a bed to sleep in."

Phichit watched as his best friend closed his eyes and tried his best to relax. It had been a long day. Hell, it had been a long few days. Travelling all this way had taken its toll on them and finding somewhere nice to sleep was definitely at the top of their list of needs.

"Excuse me…?" Phichit looked up to see a young girl, no older than fifteen standing in front of him. Her long ginger hair billowing in the breeze. She was bending over, looking closely at the creatures nestling themselves on Phichit's shoulders, wonder and maybe even excitement clear in her eyes, "Are those hamsters?"

Phichit always enjoyed when people were excited to meet his hamsters, his pride and joy. He positively beamed, "They sure are! Are you a fellow animal lover?"

She giggled excitedly, nodding her head with enthusiasm, "I always wanted a hamster." She conceded.

These were the kinds of conversations that Phichit lived for. He loved to be able to make a little girl's day with something as simple as an animal. After all, they were so much more than just creatures, they were family. He took one of the hamsters from his shoulder, holding it in his palms and extending his hand to the girl, "You can pet him, he won't bite."

Yuuri watched on curiously as Phichit interacted with the girl, his fingers occasionally brushing through the fur of the poodle quickly falling asleep in his lap. Everywhere Phichit went, he was surrounded by animals. Even Vicchan had come from his family. Seeing Phichit so happily sharing the things he loved with others was one of the things that inspired Yuuri to never give up on his own dreams.

Another moment passed before there was a man rushing to the little girl who was carefully petting the hamster in Phichit's hand, "There you are! I'm so sorry sirs, I hope she didn't cause you any trouble."

"Not at all." Phichit offered the man a bright smile, "Is she your daughter?"

The man nodded his head, looking between the two men sitting on the pavement with their bags. It probably was quite the sight; two men sitting on the ground outside a hotel with a bunch of luggage. The capitol was meant to be a place of opportunities, but so far Phichit hadn't seen too many of those. Still, he knew he could make the most of a situation like this one. There was no point in focusing on their problems. Not when he could at least make a little extra cash from this girl's love of animals.

Phichit watched as the hamster that was sitting on his hand rushed back to his shoulder to be with the others, "You know, if you're looking for a pet hamster, I'm your man. I don't have any for sale right now, but if you give me a little time, I could get you some healthy, happy babies to join your family."

The girl's face lit up and she practically bounced on the spot, turning to her father, "Oh, please! Please, dad! I promise I'll take good care of it!"

The man sighed defeatedly, "What would you ask in return for your services?"

Phichit could've asked for money. After all, there was always need for money, but in that moment, money wasn't their biggest problem. Looking over at his friend, he knew what he needed to ask for, "If you can give us a place to sleep for the night, that would be payment enough."

"Wait, Phichit. Are you sure about this?" Yuuri spoke up, seeming uncertain of the situation they'd found themselves in.

"Do you really want to sleep on the street tonight?"

Yuuri pouted, looking down at the dog in his lap, "Alright, alright."

The man seemed to think about the offer for a moment before reaching a hand out to Phichit, "You have yourself a deal. We have a couple of guest rooms you can feel free to use. Stay as long as you need, just as long as you can provide my daughter with what she requires."

Phichit grinned, taking the man's hand and shaking it, "Awesome. You won't regret it. We'll be out of your hair before you know it." It would be simple. They would stay with this man and his family until a room becomes available at one of the hotels. He'd keep tabs on it, make reservations, they wouldn't be stranded like this again. It had been a bad start to their time in the capitol, but Phichit was determined to turn it around. If not for his sake, then for Yuuri's.

Getting to his feet, he smiled reassuringly at his friend, "Come on, Yuuri. A nice warm bed awaits."

That seemed to be all the encouragement he needed, practically scrambling to his feet. They had travelled so long, he doubted there was much they wouldn't do for a bed to sleep in. The man and his daughter had come at their time of need, and Phichit was starting to understand what people said about the capitol. A place filled with opportunities. This was clearly the first of many that they would be granted. Yuuri still seemed a little uncertain, but Phichit knew that was just how Yuuri was; shy around strangers. He'd loosen up once he got a little rest.

One thing Phichit was learning during their first day in the capitol was that they were quite possibly the unluckiest people on the planet. Just as they were gathering their things, intent on following the man to his car, his enthusiastic daughter in tow, Vicchan started yapping excitedly, rushing off into a nearby crowd. Phichit had seen Yuuri panic plenty of times, but he had never looked quite that worried before.

"Vicchan, wait!" He dropped his things, moving to rush after his beloved dog, but was stopped as a hand gripped his arm.

Looking back, he saw the man holding him in place, offering an apologetic, but reassuring smile, "You won't be able to find him in these crowds. Especially is you're new to these parts. I'll send someone to look for him for you."

Yuuri looked horrified at the prospect of leaving his fur baby lost in this new place, all on his own. Phichit knew how much Vicchan meant to his best friend and would've rushed to search for the dog in question, too, but he knew the man was right. They didn't know the capitol, and there were a lot of people around. They were better off letting someone who knew this place search for the poodle. Besides, Vicchan wasn't dumb. He was one of the smartest dogs Phichit had ever known.

"Please send someone right away. I know my friend here won't be able to relax until Vicchan is found." Phichit rested a hand on Yuuri's shoulder, speaking softly, "He'll be okay, Yuuri. He's probably finding himself some food right now."

Yuuri seemed so unsure, looking back at the crowd his beloved dog had rushed into, then back at Phichit. They trusted each other, of course they did, but he could see how badly his best friend wanted to rush into the crowds of people and find Vicchan. It was obvious. Phichit knew the consequences, though. If they rushed into the crowd, they'd get lost, too. It was doubtful that they'd find Vicchan in a place like this, and then they would lose this; their one opportunity to have a roof over their heads for the night.

OoOoO

It had been difficult to drag Yuuri away from the street. The only thing that had gotten him to move was visibly seeing their new landlord send someone to search for the poodle. It wasn't like Vicchan to run away. They were both at a loss for exactly why he had done it. After all, Yuuri had never even needed to put a leash on him. The poodle always stayed at his side, and yet here they were, separated in a city they'd never experienced before. It was daunting. Phichit just had to have the optimism for the pair of them. They'd find Vicchan. He was so sure of it.

When they arrived at the house, it suddenly made sense; how he could send someone to search for Vicchan. It wasn't so much a house as it was a mansion. The place was huge, with beautiful gardens and acres upon acres of land. It was still in the capitol, but towards the outskirts of the city; a quiet sanctuary in the landed of dreams. Phichit looked around the pristine halls as they made their way inside, feeling completely out of place. Everything seemed to shine and sparkle in this marble paradise. When Phichit had made the deal with the man, he wasn't expecting to be sleeping in a place so luxurious, but he certainly wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Yuuri had been intend on resting, though it was clear he was too worried to sleep now. Instead, their host had insisted that they have something to eat. After all, they had travelled all the way to the capitol, they must've been hungry. Phichit really couldn't argue with that. He hadn't eaten anything since that morning, and they'd been walking so much, food would do them some good. Besides, after seeing how amazing the house was, he couldn't begin to imagine what delicacies they had in store.

As it turned out, they had quite a lot to offer. The table was filled with all kinds of food. He wasn't sure if it was because they simply had the money to waste on so much food, or they weren't sure what he and Yuuri liked. Maybe it was a mixture of the two. Phichit nudged Yuuri excitedly as they took a seat at the table, taking their food and settling into a night of luxury. They talked about the capitol, about places Phichit could go to find a steady income, about the people who might be interested in Yuuri's dancing. There were a lot of things they would have to get used to. That much was clear, but after a day of bad luck, this felt like a dream. The capitol really did seem to be the land of opportunities. Maybe it just was a little more difficult to get those opportunities than he'd first expected.

Phichit was startled from his thoughts when he felt a weight on his shoulder, looking over to see Yuuri's head resting against him, fast asleep. He knew Yuuri was tired, but he didn't normally fall asleep at the dinner table. Then again, he was feeling the effects of the day, himself. In fact, the exhaustion seemed to be hitting him like a truck suddenly. He carefully shifted Yuuri so that he could get to his feet. It would be no good to fall asleep at the dinner table. These people had been so accommodating, he just wanted to cause as little trouble as he could. He'd have to drag Yuuri to their guest rooms to sleep, but it wasn't so bad. For a place as big as it was, the guest rooms were close by.

As Phichit wrapped an arm around Yuuri, holding him upright, he heard his friend mumble tiredly. He managed to take three steps before the exhaustion got to him, stumbling and leaning against a nearby wall. It didn't make much sense. He was tired, sure, but not this tired. Something was wrong. That much was obvious, and that hope that had filled his heart as the evening went on was quickly dissolving into dread. Before Phichit could question what was going on, though, he was using his weight against the wall to slide to the floor, his best friend asleep in his arms.

And just like that, his world faded into unconsciousness.