Yuri turned on his side and stared at the bright green numbers that lit up his room. It was 2am and he hadn't slept a wink. A groan rumbled out of his throat as he tossed again and tried to force himself asleep. He only managed to keep his eyes shut for about a minute before opening them back up and staring out the window next to his bed.
After the Grand Prix he had returned to his home in Japan. This time he had come back with his head held high and a proud confidence he had never known. Memories of the ordeal flooded his mind. His head buzzed as he went over his and other's performances. His heart raced as he relived his dance over and over again. Yuri could close his eyes and feel the cold air around the rink and the wind whip through his sweating brow as he moved gracefully around the ice. He could feel his muscles tense and release as he remembered landing all his quads in such a huge event. Most importantly, Yuri Katsuki felt his heart jump into his throat as he ran to his coach afterwards.
His eyes flickered open and watched as the silent snow fell around the hot springs. The white flakes seemed to lull him into that space where memory and present mingled to create another world. He let out a sigh and rolled onto his back. It was more than obvious that he couldn't sleep tonight. He was full of too many emotions. Yuri sat up in bed and looked around at the bare walls of his room. In the dim light he could almost make out where each and every one of his Viktor posters used to be. For years he'd turn to them and think about the legend whenever he went to bed. He'd close his eyes and go step by step through the man's performances. Lately though, that didn't seem to be enough to help him sleep.
Yuri's feet hit the cold floor of his room. Almost on instinct he walked out of his room and found himself outside the door to Viktor's room. He stood there in the cool air wondering what to do. He couldn't possibly go into the man's room. Sure, he'd burst in a few times over the last year while they lived together, but he immediately learned that it was a bad idea since the Russian man slept nude. Not only that, but Yuri hated being so rude. He only usually did it when he was overly excited and had to show the man something.
His head rolled to the side as he looked back at his open bedroom door. He could just walk back to his room and lay in bed for the rest of the night wondering when sleep would come. It did seem like the best idea out of the two, but something kept him in that spot. Maybe it was because he knew he'd hate having to lay around all night long. It could have been that he just felt too apathetic towards the idea that his own body didn't want to make the effort to move. Most likely, he was just too caught up in his own thoughts to actually do anything about it.
The door to Viktor's room slid open and a rather tired, naked Russian boy stood there. His face lit up and a goofy smile crossed it as he saw Yuri standing there. "I was wondering why my puppy had gotten up from bed." He placed a hand on the poodle's head and pet him before returning his attention back to the Japanese boy. "Have you finally decided to have a slumber party?"
"I-I ah, I just couldn't sleep!" Yuri burst out as he tried to hide his embarrassment from being found outside the man's door. "Sorry, I'll just go back to be-"
Viktor grabbed Yuri by the hand and cut off the boy's sentence. "Come lay in bed with me. I'll stay up with you."
"I couldn't possibly."
"The nights are so lonely. Besides, I'm here for you no matter what." Viktor wasn't about to take no for an answer and brought the boy into his room. Before Yuri could protest further, they were both under the soft sheets on the Russian's man oversized bed. "See, having a friend to stay up with makes things better. So what is on your mind that makes sleep so hard?"
"I uh, I was just remembering the finales. The last few tournaments." Yuri moved to get more comfortable in the other man's bed. The sheets felt just like pure silk on his skin. No wonder Viktor liked to sleep in the nude. He finally settled on laying on his side to face the man next to him. His eyes scanned the pale skin that lit up from the faint light outside. A smile crossed his face as bright blue eyes stared back. "I just can't stop thinking about how well I did and trying to figure out what else I could have done better."
"Ah, I know that feeling all too well." Viktor commented. His soft blue eyes glittering in the snowy night. A hand reached up and caressed Yuri's black locks of hair. "Don't get too hung up on that. I'll give you a complete critic of your performance tomorrow!" He laughed as he offered the help. Though, it seemed to come out more threatening to Yuri. Great, a lecture first thing on the rink.
"I just, every time I close my eyes I can feel myself back on the rink. I can feel my heart pound just like when I was skating." He looked down at the other's chin as his own hands pressed against his chest. Sure enough his heart was racing and pounding just like his last performance. "I can't seem to get that feeling to go away. Even now it's as strong as when I was on the ice skating for you."
"Is it the excitement?" Viktor guessed. His own hand joined Yuri's on the other boy's chest and felt the racing rhythm of his heart. Yuri jumped in surprise, but made no attempt to move away. It felt as though his heart beat some how was going even faster. His eyes wandered up the other's face and looked deep into his icy blue eyes. "Or is it something else?" Viktor's hand caressed the boy's face and his thumb lingers on the other's cheek. His gold band shown bright in the dim winter's light. He grabbed Yuri's hand and held it against the well muscled chest of his. Viktor smiled over at Yuri and waited for the boy to get it.
"Your heart beat is like mine." He finally whispered. Under his palm he could feel the erratically fast heart beat of the Russian laying in front of him. His eyes stared at the glint of gold on his finger before moving up the man's perfect face and resting on his eyes again. "So you're thinking of when you skated too!" He smiled. Even though the man had retired for a season, he couldn't stop being a figure skater. That seemed just like him.
"No Yuri." Viktor's voice deepened as he said it. His eyes narrowed. The Russian's long strong arms wrapped around Yuri and brought him close. He held the Japanese boy in a tight hug and Yuri nuzzled into it. It just seemed so right to hold the figure skating champion like this after all that they had been through. "Do you feel them beating together? Like a song that only we can sing."
"Huh?" Yuri closed his eyes and held the man a bit tighter. He felt his heart beat fast and the other's heart beat at the same time. Yuri kept his eyes closed and listened to the faint thump thump in his chest as the two held each other close. Viktor was right. Their hearts were in unison singing a sweet lullaby. Just feeling the reciprocated thumping from Viktor's chest seemed to calm the Japanese boy down. He laid like that for what felt like hours just listening and feeling. His mind cleared as he focused only on their hearts.
Viktor rested his head on Yuri's and smiled against him. The other boy seemed to have fallen asleep in their embrace. He should have expected as much from him though. It was as if every time they embraced he turned himself off to the world. Lips brushed against the black hair under them as he gave a gentle kiss. "It's love, Yuri." He whispered in the cold, still night. The snow continued to fall down from the heaven as the night wore on. A blanket of snow covered the cold ground outside and shined a dim light into Viktor's room. Pale blue eyes shined as he looked down at the sleeping boy in his embrace. "I love you."