To find your soulmate is rare. Very few people manage to find their one true love in the world due to a lack of belief or simply going through their lives never seeing the timer on their wrist, to have it show up only when you're in the same vicinity is sometimes hard to notice unless you're paying attention. But to those who do believe in finding a soulmate, it is the greatest moment in their lives.

Yuuri Katsuki was not one of those who believe in finding his soulmate, in fact, he had never even heard of the timer that appears on the wrist, so he never noticed when he stepped off the plane and made his way to the hotel hosting the grand prix skaters, that on his wrist appeared a timer that was counting down from a little over forty-eight hours.

It had been a bad day. Yuuri had placed 6th after performing the worst routine he's ever given in the free skate program, gotten yelled at by the Russian punk Yuri Plisetsky, and had briefly met his idol Viktor Nikiforov, but instead of talking to him, walked away and didn't look back. He wanted to just sleep in his room and forget all of it, but his coach insisted that he goes down to the banquet and try to have some fun and let loose a little.

Yuuri Katsuki may not have noticed the timer counting down on his wrist, but someone had and was paying attention. Viktor Nikiforov, five time world champion, had been sitting at one of the tables in the corner of the banquet hall and had one eye on the timer on his wrist, that now read twenty minutes, and the other watching the people around him.

Originally he had planned to go to his room after the competition. After five years this skating thing had, grudgingly, become quite a bore, but he couldn't stop thinking about the timer on his wrist. Viktor wouldn't have ever noticed it had his ring mate Yuri Plisetsky not pointed it out to him at a public practice a few days ago. He had stopped in the middle of his routine, much to the chagrin of his coach, and asked him about it. Yakov had surprisingly not been angry with him, in fact his coach's face had gone from angry, to almost joyous explaining to his student what the timer meant and how lucky he was.

Viktor's eyes wander again, he had a soul bounded partner, and that person was somewhere around here huh? Viktor never really believed in the concept of soulmate or true love, but he was willing to find out if it was true. The music changes drastically and for a moment Viktor thinks that the band was taking a break and put on a cd, but as a large crowd began forming on the other side of the hall he thinks overtakes him and he wanders over to see his rink mate Yuri Plisetsky and a raven haired man he didn't know, having what looked like a dance off. Yuri looked as though he was giving it his all, but the raven haired man was good, albeit drunk, but good and Viktor can't help but cheer him on.

After it was clear the other man won Yuri stalks away angrily and he turns to Viktor's friend Christophe, his eyes narrowing, as if thinking. "You're the one they call sex on legs right? Chris something?" He slurs.

Chris smiles dangerously. "That's right. Who are you?"

"Yuuri Katsuki." He replies. "And I challenge you to see which one of us does a better pole dance." Viktor can't help but burst out laughing as Chris agrees and the two of them go off to find a pole. This evening has just become a lot more interesting.

It was one thing to beat Yuri in a dance off it was a whole other thing to beat Chris in a pole dancing competition. Yuuri Katsuki was the kind of guy that you couldn't keep your eyes off once he started and when he had finished with Chris his eyes locked onto Viktors. "Viktor Nikiforov, five time world champion yeah?" Yuuri walks over to where he was sitting and crosses his arms. "I challenge you next."

"Sure you're not tired after all that Yuuri~?" Viktor teases, glancing over at Chris, who was nearly passed out on the floor, trying to catch his breath.

"There's a lot more where that came from Vitya."

Viktor wasn't sure whether it was because this man had saved this night from boredom or that he just couldn't stop thinking of how adorable this man in front of him is, but he grins and stands up. "Bring it on Yuuri."

"How about we make this more interesting then? If I win-" Yuuri pauses. "You come to Japan and become my coach."

The room is silent.

"Okay, but if I win-" Viktor leans down and looks Yuuri right in the eyes. "You come to St. Petersburg with me." He didn't know what he expected to gain from it, but he had to get to know this man.

Yuuri holds his stare for a long moment before leaning up, their lips nearly touching, and grins. "Deal."

Viktor wakes up groggily the next day with a headache and not knowing where he is. He blinks, it's been a long time since he drank that much, or had that much fun if he was being honest with himself. He yawns and recognizes the layout of his hotel room. Thank god he had managed to get back at all. Disappointment floods through him though as he checks his wrist and sees it blank. He can't believe he forgot. All day yesterday he had been waiting to find out who his true love was and he had gotten distracted by a raven haired Japanese man named- "Yuuri!" He fell onto his bed again. Crap, the bet. Viktor actually laughs. He has no idea who won last night, in fact he had hardly any recollection at all. He rolls out of bed and checks the time. Chris would be awake by now he might know the results. That, or he was so drunk that he too doesn't remember. He dials his friend's number and he hears a sluggish answer on the other end.

"What do you want Nikiforov?"

"Oh someone's in a good mood this morning." Viktor chuckles, imagining Chris just rolling out of bed too.

"That was some banquet last night huh?" Chris asks, humor in his voice.

"Certainly the most fun I've had in a long time." Viktor smiles, but it quickly falters as he looks at his blank wrist again. "Hey Chris, do you remember that stupid bet Yuuri and I made? Who won?"

"Does it really matter?" Chris laughs heartily. "You were both so drunk by the end of it, of course Yuuri was already so-"

"Chris, who won?" Viktor asks again. "Please?"

Silence greets him and Viktor has his answer.

"Viktor." Chris starts carefully. "You don't know where this man is and you just won your fifth gold medal. Are you really going to give that up? It was a drunken bet and you know it."

"Thank you Chris, I'll see you at worlds." Viktor murmurs, hanging up.

Yuuri Katsuki had beaten him in a dance off, a drunk one at that, just the thought of that had him grinning like a fool. The timing was just too perfect and the more he recalled about the night before the more Viktor is convinced Yuuri Katsuki is his soul bounded partner.

"Yuuri, breakfast is ready!"

"I'm coming mom." Yuuri Katsuki calls down, throwing on his jacket and running out of his room. He had been back in his hometown of Hasetsu for nearly a week and was slowly getting back into a small routine.

"Morning." His older sister Mari greets him as he enters the dining area.

"Morning." He murmurs, reaching for the rice and greeting his father as he walks in.

"I need you to ready the hot spring and sweep up outside before heading over to the ice castle, that is if you are still skating." She tells him, accepting the rice from him.

"I was going to go for a jog before heading over, but yeah, I'll be sure to settle things here first."

"Thanks Yuuri."

Breakfast is quiet for the most part, until their mother begins talking to Mari and Yuuri nearly chokes on his rice. "I'm sorry, a friend of yours has some sort of timer on her wrist?" He asks.

All three of them just stare at him blankly. "Have we never told you about it?" His mother asks carefully.

"Told me about what?"

"Yuuri, it's how your mother and I met." His father replies holding up his right arm. Yuuri has to squint slightly, but on his fathers wrist he sees a faint, elegant scrawl that reads Hiroko Tanaka, his mother's maiden name.

"I always though you got that when you were dating or something." Yuuri admits seeing his father's name in the same elegant scrawl on his mother's wrist.

"Of course not." His father laughs. "Your mother's name appeared on my wrist after I caught her, just as the timer hit zero." Yuuri looks between them, eyebrows raised in silent question.

"I had just graduated and my parents heard of the hot springs around here so they brought me here to relax." His mother began. "The moment I stepped off the train my hat flew off and landed nearby. I walked over to pick it up and happened to glance at my wrist, a timer had appeared and had begun counting down. I was scared, naturally. I spoke to my parents and they didn't know what it meant either, unfortunately, so this relaxing holiday had just become extremely stressful." His mother smiled warmly at him. "I assumed the worse. Like, when it hit zero I would die or something stupid like that. I got lucky though, when my timer started counting down it was less than twenty-four hours and the next day I literally ran into your father just as it hit zero."

"I'm sorry, I still don't understand what this timer thing actually is." Yuuri inquires, earning a shove from Mari, who was looking at him like she didn't know who he was.

"It lets you know your soulmate is nearby and if you touch that person at the right time both of your names are engraved on your wrists and you're bonded for life."

"That's a thing?" He responds stupidly and Mari rolls her eyes so dramatically he has to resist the urge to chuckle.

"By the gods what did they teach you in college?"

"Nothing useful apparently." He looks at his parents again. According to their story they were destined to be together and had somehow found one another thanks to this timer. He looks down at his right arm and is disappointed to find it blank.

"What would happen if you touch someone who isn't your soulmate at the same time your counter hits zero?" He asks curiously, pulling up his sleeve. Mari catches his eye and gives him a sympathetic smile.

"Nothing." His father answers. "If your soulmate is still around the timer will just reset itself to a time it believes you will touch."

"And if you never meet the first time it shows up?"

"If the two people are ever in the same area again the timer will start up again."

"The timer simply let's the person know their soulmate is somewhere nearby, but it doesn't stop you from living your life and possibly marrying someone else." Mari sighs wistfully. "Most people now go through their whole lives without ever seeing it, but I think it's your body's way of trying to help you be happy."

"How do you know so much about it and I've never even heard of it before today?" Yuuri asks in disbelief.

His sister shrugs. "Research, asking mom and dad, take your pick little brother I believe in it and hope one day to find that person." She pushes him playfully. "And I hope the same for you."

He nods. "You too sister."

Yuuri skates mindlessly around the rink his head going back to the conversation this morning. What would it be like to actually meet the person you were meant to be with? He subconsciously keeps looking at his wrist as if the timer would suddenly appear and scowls, he should be figuring out what he wants to do now, not pining after something that may not ever stops and hears cheering from the sidelines. "Yuko." He breathes, trying to catch his breath, not realizing how long he had been skating.

"Wow Yuuri, you still have it." She laughs, tossing him a bottle of water, he catches it and skates over to her.

"What do you mean?"

"Yuuri you've been like this since we were kids." She leans on the railing. "Once you start skating no one can keep their eyes off you."

It's Yuuri's turn to laugh. "What exactly were you watching? Yuko I've been skating aimlessly for a few hours now. I honestly have no idea what I was doing."

"Get into another argument with Mari?"

He shakes his head. "No, but something she mentioned this morning has me distracted, I'll give her that."

"And what's that? Besides the fact that if you want to continue skating you should get back into shape?" She teases.

He has the sudden urge to pour the water over her head, but takes a drink instead. "Yuko, did you always want to marry Takeshi?"

Her brows furrow in amusement. "It's a little late to be coming on to me Yuuri don't you think?"

Yuuri's face flushes in embarrassment and he waves his hands in front of his face frantically. "No. No, that's not what I meant I-" He lets out a slow breath. "It's just, as we grew up did you know Takeshi was the one for you?"

All amusement left her face and she grips his arm gingerly in comfort. "Yuuri, what's this about?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing Yuko, sorry."

"You know we're always here for you?" She smiles warmly, releasing his arm, as he places the water on the edge of the rink and glides back out onto the ice.

"I know, and I could never thank you all enough." He rolls his neck. "I want to show you something." He murmurs something so low he's sure she hadn't heard him. "It's something I've been working on for a while, but I want you to see it." He gulps and flexes his fingers nervously. Was he ready for this? No. There could be no doubt, not when it came to this routine. He nods once to her and starts skating.

Yuko had nearly fallen into the rink from surprise at seeing her friend skate one of Viktor Nikiforov's routines. It was flawless, and when Yuuri finished he looked tired yes, but proud of himself. She couldn't help but scream and cheer for him. He should be proud of that performance and Yuko laughs when her husband comes up behind Yuuri, startling him, and cheering for him as well. Yuuri had the love and support he needed, but as her triplets appeared out of nowhere and made a break for the ice Yuko realises what Yuuri had been asking earlier. Yes he had the support, but it wasn't the kind that he needed right now. He grins at her before getting tackled by her girls. Yes, he needed someone who knew what he was going through and could talk to about anything. Yuuri Katsuki needed someone he could fall in love with."

Viktor Nikiforov was officially bored! He had just gotten home from worlds and throughout the entire flight he had tried, tried to come up with a new routine, but just couldn't. He slumped up the steps to his apartment and opened the door, only to be tackled by his dog. "Makkachin!" He cries happily, throwing his arms around his poodle. "Have you behaved since I left?" Makkachin only wags his tail and licks Viktor. "I love you too." He laughs and looks around his apartment. He almost didn't want to be back. Viktor shakes his head and tosses his luggage to the side. "You want to go for a walk?" He barks and Viktor happily turns away from his uninviting home and closes the door behind him.

It was a nice day really, for St. Petersburg and his poodle loyally follows him as he walks down the road. Viktor stops as he suddenly realizes he doesnt know where he's going and looks up to see the ice rink. Of course his traitorous feet had dragged him here. He scowls and gestures for Makkachin to follow him down the road.

His poodle whines as he falls onto a bench, facing a large plaza. Viktor sighs deeply. Why was he even trying to pretend he was motivated to go through another season? He looks at his blank wrist again. If he was honest with himself he'd realize that since the grand prix the only thing on his mind was Yuuri Katsuki. Was this how it was for people who knew who their soulmate was and just missed their chance. No. He laughs to himself, stroking Makkachin lazily. No. He was sure most people wouldn't have gotten so distracted and missed their chance in the first place.

A pair of seagulls fly past and Viktor feels that pain in his chest again. It hurt, it physically and emotionally hurt him to know who this person is and not be with him. 'Be my coach Viktor.' He closes his eyes as the memory hits him again. He couldn't skate this year. That resolution hits him hard, but he knows it's true. There's no way he could do it, not this year. "What do you think Makkachin? Should I take the year off?" He barks happily and nearly knocks him off the back of the bench. Viktor laughs, shoving him off. "I'll take that as a yes, but you have to help me find my soulmate agreed?" He barks again. Viktor nuzzles him fondly and stands back up, determined.

The only thing he knows about Yuuri Katsuki is that he is a twenty-three years old figure skater from Japan, who, when drunk, can out dance an entire room. Viktor laughs at that memory, it was hard not to. He watches as Makkachin begins chasing every bird that lands near him and smiles. He needed a break from all this and he knew it. Yakov would be angry, but he had his hands full with Yuri, trying to keep track of both of them would probably kill him. He whistles for Makkachin to come back. Besides, Viktor had a Japanese skater to find.

"Makkachin, did you live in my room?" Viktor asks his poodle, with humor in his voice. The two of them had returned home after a few hours and Viktor walks in to his room to find his sheets organized on top of his bed in a makeshift bed and traces of fur and dirt everywhere. In response, Makkachin walks in behind him and curls up in the bed. He shakes his head and laughs. He's arguing with his dog, a sure sign he is going nuts. Viktor's phone beeps twice and he looks to see a video and a message, surprisingly from Yuri.

He opens the message first. 'Oi! Isn't this the drunken shithead from the banquet? You're losing your touch old man he just outperformed you." Viktor sits at the edge of his bed and stares at the message. Could it be? He fumbles with the play button on the video and there he was, Yuuri Katsuki skating his routine of 'stay close to me.' Yuri was right. By the end of the performance it was clear Yuuri had skated it better than he himself had. Why had this man not been at Worlds and standing next to him on the podium? He had just skated Viktor's gold medal routine.

It only took him a few minutes to figure out who had recorded and posted the video. A set of triplet sisters from Hasetsu Japan. Viktor couldn't believe his luck, he had found him. He watches the video again and no sooner had he come up with travel plans to Japan, his phone goes off again. This time it's Chris asking, 'should I be calling you coach Viktor from now on?" He smiles to himself. Yes, he was going to Hasetsu, to not only find himself a student, but his soulmate. Viktor was sure of it.

Yuuri wakes up groggily to his sister yelling at him from downstairs. "Yuuri, you can't just hide in your room for the rest of your life. You performed that routine perfectly, you should be proud of it, not embarrassed."

He plants his face in the pillow. It had been three days since the triplets posted that video and he couldn't get away from it. His ballet teacher wouldn't stop asking when he would start skating professionally again, his sister kept trying to get him to do it again to prove that it was actually him, and Yuko kept apologizing for her daughter's. "Yuuri, please come down." It was his mother. Yuuri sighs deeply and rolls out of bed. When he managed to get dressed he walked downstairs to find his family sitting at the table eating breakfast. He joins them and it's quiet, a normal family breakfast.

He is grateful for that.

"Oh Yuuri, can you do me a favor?" His mother asks him, as they're cleaning up. "It snowed pretty well last night, can you shovel the walkways so our guests don't slip and pick up a few things from town?" Anything to keep busy. He kisses his mother's cheek and heads upstairs to change.

It had taken Yuuri hours to shovel all the snow, but he was grateful for the distraction, and when he removes his gloves his mouth drops in shock. There it was, a timer counting down from twenty minutes.

Hasetsu wasn't a grand town, but it did get many visitors. He sits on his bed a moment. No one in town was his soulmate, he was sure of that and according to this he is bound to meet his soulmate in less than twenty minutes, so it had to be a visitor.

He practically jumps out of bed and runs out of his room. Yuuri couldn't just sit here and wait, he wouldn't miss his chance. "Mom, what do you need from town?" He asks, near breathless, finding her out in the back.

"I have the list on the table." She replies and takes in her son's almost haggard state. "Yuuri are you alright?"

He debates telling her, but only smiles and says, "yeah I'm fine. I'll be back in a bit okay?"

"Come back safely." She calls back to him, as he disappears back into the house.

Ten minutes to go

Yuuri takes a deep breath as he walks along the street. He still can't believe the timer showed up at all. He actually had a soulmate and that person was nearby. After he had failed so miserably at the grand prix and Nationals he had been prepared to give up ice skating completely. He had come home to figure out what he wanted to do from now on, and the very first day he came home he went to the rink. Yuuri reaches his hand up to the clear sky.

Eight minutes

He supposed he just couldn't help it, even after Nationals Yuri found himself skating. He blinks as the realization hits him hard. He could never stop loving the ice. But why? He had humiliated himself, been told he should just retire by someone, who at just fifteen, is better at skating then he could ever hope to be, and can't land a difficult jump if his life depended on it.

Six minutes

His sister had asked him when he first arrived what he was going to do now and he still didn't have an answer, but he couldn't stop skating that was clear to him, and maybe this person, his soul bounded partner, as his parents described, would hopefully understand that.

Four minutes

Yuuri flexes his hands nervously. He couldn't believe he was trying to figure out his life when, in a few minutes, he would be meeting the person he was supposed to share it with. He laughs hotly and debates turning around and walking home, but he wasn't going to be a coward, not when it came to this.

Yuuri looks up the path and sees what looks like a brown poodle running his way. 'Vicchan?' Yuuri wonders vaguely, as the poodle reaches him and jumps up on his chest, nearly knocking him over. "Hey sweetie, aren't you friendly?" Yuuri laughs stroking the poodle. Of course this wasn't his dead dog, but the only person he knows who had poodle like this is-

"Makkachin, I told you to stay with me." A breathless, and hauntingly familiar voice is suddenly in front of him. Yuuri looks up to see his idol Viktor Nikiforov standing in front of him with an almost stupid grin on his face and still breathing heavily, as if he had chased his dog for miles. That said dog jumps down from Yuuri's chest and sits beside him wagging her tail happily. "Sorry about that, Yuuri Katsuki right?" Viktor asks, still grinning. Yuuri nods once and isn't able to say anything else before Viktor Nikiforov leans down and kisses him square on the lips.

Zero

Well hell I've gone and gotten myself into another fic. So I remember reading something similar to this a while ago, but it like finished at like this point and I wanted to explore the concept of these two being soulmate's and how they deal with that fact throughout the series, so here we are.

I'm not going to lie, my updates are going to be sporadic and I promise you I want to be able to finish this because I have the idea in my head, but it's getting it on the page that I'm fighting with so I hope you stick by for the long run and enjoyed the first chapter of Soulbounded.