The Proposal

by animomma

Viktor is unsure of their relationship status after Yuuri moves to St. Petersburg, and decides to do something about it.

Yuuri crashed to the ice for the umpteenth time that day, and for the umpteenth time Viktor's heart tightened a little in his chest. He called out, "Yuuri, are you all right?"

Instead of responding, Yuuri flopped over onto his back, stretching his arms out flat on the ice. The tightness increased, and Viktor skated over slowly, unsure of the other man's status. He reached Yuuri's side and cautiously leaned over him, craning his head into Yuuri's field of vision. "Yuuri?" he asked.

Yuuri looked blankly up at his coach. "Yes, Viktor?" he asked blandly.

Viktor assessed his face closely. He looked downright defeated. This quadruple flip was just not going right at all today. They had made some decent progress on it yesterday, but that had been their first day at practice in the St. Petersburg rink, and Yuuri had been given lots of encouragement by their friends. Today, however, they had come back early in the morning, and the nervousness of being in a new home rink seemed to be getting to Yuuri.

Viktor pondered this, and came to an abrupt conclusion. He leaned down further and tapped Yuuri on the tip of his nose. "Yuuri, would you like to take a break today?"

Impossibly beautiful eyelashes blinked up at him. "What?"

Viktor was warming up to his idea now. "Yeah, it's the off season right now. There's no need to practice every day. We could take a break for the day. I can take you around, show you some things to do in the city. What do you say?"

Yuuri's eyes flickered with interest, and something else unreadable. "Is that really ok, Viktor? I just got to this rink, shouldn't I be practicing? And shouldn't you be practicing?"

A wave of Viktor's hand dismissed Yuuri's concerns. "It's fine, Yuuri, like I said, it isn't even really the start of the season yet. What harm will it be to take one day off to get acquainted with your new city?"

In a rather unconvinced tone, the Japanese man replied, "Well…I suppose so. All right, Victor, let's go."

A smile broke out on Viktor's face as he reached a hand down. Yuuri took it, and Viktor pulled, but remembered a second too late that he was still leaning over Yuuri. Their faces were swiftly drawn within inches of each other. Yuuri blushed prettily, and Viktor had to physically shake his head to dispel the stunning effect it had on him. He slid backwards, releasing their clasped hands, and turned around so Yuuri wouldn't see his delighted face. "Well, Yuuri, let's go back home and change first, and then decide where we want to go." A small shiver went through him at his own words. The reality of sharing a home with his love was still very new to him, and very thrilling.

He missed the shiver that was echoed through the other man at the same words. Instead, he simply heard a small voice behind him say, "Sure, Viktor."

The walk back to the apartment was passed with Yuuri mostly listening to Viktor as he described all the things they could see in St. Petersburg. A few times, the dark-haired man nodded and offered some opinions, but for the most part he was silent and allowed his companion to do the talking. Viktor wrote this off as frustration over the lack of progress on the quad flip, and let his student be silent until they reached their door. They entered, greeted by a very excited Makkachin who was thrilled that they were home early. Yuuri unleashed his first real smile of the day as the dog jumped on him. Briefly, Yuuri buried his fingers in the dog's hair, seeming to use it as a momentary anchor. Viktor noticed this, and gently said, "Yuuri, I'm going to go get changed, da?"

Yuuri nodded in response, and released Makkachin. "I'll get ready too, then," he said, and headed down the hallway to his room.

Viktor watched him go, and felt a slight pang remembering that Yuuri had turned down his offer for them to share a room. And, seeing as he had two extra bedrooms, Viktor hadn't been able to come up with a good reason why Yuuri shouldn't have one of them. This refusal, and Yuuri's behavior in general since moving in with Viktor, had been a source of confusion for him for the past week since they had arrived in his home city. They were engaged, weren't they? What reason was there for them to have separate bedrooms? Part of it Viktor wrote off to cultural differences, as he understood that in Japan sometimes couples did not always share a bed or even a bedroom. Here, however, Viktor had expected―had hoped―that it would be different for them.

A scared part of his brain suggested that perhaps it meant that Yuuri didn't see them as being engaged, or maybe even involved romantically at all. After all, nowhere in Yuuri's proposal had he specifically offered marriage. And although Viktor had made it abundantly clear to their friends afterwards that their rings were a promise of marriage, Yuuri had denied it vehemently. Honestly, Viktor didn't know whether to chalk that up to the Japanese man's nerves about being in the spotlight in public, or whether he actually thought that their rings were nothing more than a good luck charm. And even before that, all of Yuuri's reactions to Viktor had been decidedly ambiguous. He was never sure if Yuuri felt the same way for him, or if he was simply star struck and going along with his idol. The whole situation was tormenting Viktor.

As he changed his clothes in his own room, Viktor tried to steady his nerves. So maybe he wasn't sure about Yuuri's views of their relationship. But he had still moved across the continent to be with him, to live with him, to continue to skate under him. That had to mean something, right? And maybe he could try to sneak some hints into their conversation today, and find out for sure what it meant to Yuuri.

Energized by this plan, Viktor adjusted his jacket and stepped out of his room, feeling determined. He strode out into the living room, and smiled broadly at his love, who was tapping his shoes onto his feet. "Shall we go then, zvezda moya?"

Yuuri gave his coach a perplexed look. "What does that mean? Svissda maya?"

Viktor's heart skipped. He hadn't meant to use one of his mental pet names for Yuuri, but it had just slipped out at the sight of him doing something so sweetly domestic. He kept his face composed, however, and replied, "Ah, nothing, don't worry about it. Shall we go?" He smiled wickedly, deciding on impulse to tease his beautiful Japanese man. "Zvezda moya?" he added impishly, stepping next to Yuuri to put his own shoes on.

Shrugging into his jacket, Yuuri furrowed his eyebrows at Viktor. "See, you said it again! What does that mean?"

"Nothing, Yuuri, don't worry about it. Shall we go, zvezda moya?" He reached out and pulled the door open, allowing Yuuri to exit first, then pulling it shut behind the two of them.

Out in the hallway, Yuuri prodded him again. "What is that, Viktor? Why won't you tell me?"

"Oh, no reason. Shall we walk, or shall we take my car?"

Yuuri looked at him skeptically. "You mean that bright pink monstrosity? I'd rather walk, thank you. I'm new to this city, and would rather make a less memorable impression on people."

Viktor dramatically fluttered a hand to his chest. "Yuuri, zvezda moya, are you suggesting that my most beloved car will create a bad impression on people?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm suggesting. And I'd much rather have people react to me normally. If I'm going to be here for a while, I'd like to be on good terms with everyone."

Viktor nearly missed his footing on the step he was on. So Yuuri did plan to be here for a while…but was that merely as a skater, or as part of his family? He decided now was as good a time as any to start enacting his plan. Forcing a lighthearted tone, he teased, "Ah, so you plan on staying with me for a while?"

Without turning around to face him, Yuuri responded, "I don't know where else you think I would be able to stay in St. Petersburg."

Despite his nerves, Viktor laughed a little. Who was being teased now? "I'm sure Yurio would welcome a roommate at Lilia's place."

That did make Yuuri turn around, although luckily he had reached the bottom of the stairs, and wasn't in danger of falling down any other steps. "With Lilia? No thank you! She'd have me practicing pliés at all hours of the night, I'm sure. I'd much rather stay with you."

A pleasant spark heated up in Viktor's chest, and he smiled warmly. "Well, in that case, I suppose you'd better stay with me forever."

Yuuri's face flushed bright red, and he turned around quickly and began walking. Viktor laughed gently and called out to him, "Zvezda moya, you're going the wrong way." He waited as his love turned back around and shuffled up to him, not meeting Viktor's eyes. They fell into step naturally, and Viktor attempted to belay Yuuri's embarrassment by saying lightly, "I thought first we'd head to a park that's nearby here. It's only a few minutes' walk, and it has a good path for running going through it. I'll probably take us there pretty regularly once we start running again in a few days."

A silent nod was all he got in reply.

Viktor took this in stride, however, and kept up a light stream of conversation, eventually drawing Yuuri into responding by the time they reached the park. Yuuri looked around him, and Viktor waited expectantly. "Well, what do you think? Pretty, isn't it?"

Yuuri nodded. "Yeah, it's a nice park. That's a really nice playground they have, too."

"Mm. Would be a great place for kids to play." Viktor carefully kept his head forward, but glanced sidelong to gauge Yuuri's reaction to this. His comment was met with more silence, and the blush returning.

Frustrated with this vague response, Viktor decided it was time to move on. "Let's take the path out of here, it joins up with one that goes further into the city."

"That's fine. I'll just follow you, Viktor."

The trust in the other man's voice ran up his spine like a current. On impulse, Viktor reached out and linked his hand in Yuuri's. He received a surprised look, and returned it with a wink. "Wouldn't want you to get lost, zvezda moya. Let's get going, we're headed to a museum next!"

Yuuri protested, "Vik-Viktor! Don't tug on me so fast, Viktor! And you still have to tell me what that means! Viktor!"

Laughing, they made their way along the park's path, Viktor feeling delighted that he had managed to get Yuuri to relax a bit and fall into normal conversation. Their path eventually converged with a larger one, leading them over bridges and deeper into the heart of the city.

When their destination came in view, Yuuri gasped. "Viktor, what is that?" he demanded, pointing his free hand at the impressive building.

Pleased that he had gotten this reaction out of his love, Viktor smiled widely. "That's where we're going, zvezda moya. It's the Winter Palace, and there's a rather large art museum inside."

Yuuri gaped. "You mean we get to go inside that? That…castle?"

He laughed. "Yes, we do. Now come on, let's get going, they won't be open all day, and there's a lot to see."

As they approached the palace, Yuuri's awe grew. When they finally reached the entrance, Viktor had to tug at their joined hands a bit to get Yuuri to move inside the building. Standing in line for admission, Yuuri whispered, "Viktor, why are there so many buildings here? What could they possibly have needed this much space for?"

Viktor chucked. "If I remember correctly, part of it was built specifically to hold the paintings that are part of the museum now. But it's just a palace, zvezda moya, they were always unnecessarily large."

"Not in Japan," Yuuri muttered. "In Japan they had the decency to leave some land for everyone else."

Viktor laughed loudly. "Excuse me, Yuuri, but I've seen a few Japanese castles, and small is not exactly a word I'd use for them."

"Well, they certainly weren't like this!" Yuuri indicated the expanse of the building with a sweep of his hand.

"Yuuri, haven't you ever been to the Palace of Versailles when you were in France for competitions?"

He blushed a little. "Not really. There was never anyone to go with."

Viktor's heart constricted slightly. "Well, we'll have to go the next time we're in Paris, won't we?"

The hopeful look Yuuri gave him squeezed his chest even more. "That would be nice," he said softly.

"All right. Now that that's decided, let's go get our tickets and enjoy this palace."

Yuuri, at least, did indeed enjoy the museum very much. His time was split between admiring the paintings and wondering at the construction of the building. For his part, Viktor simply enjoyed Yuuri. He was, after all, the best piece of art on the entire campus. Each gasp of delight, each wondering stare was stored away in Viktor's heart. When they finally reached the end of the museum, Yuuri tore his gaze away from the beauty around them and brought it back on his escort. "That was wonderful, Viktor! Where are we going next?"

With Herculean effort, Viktor managed to focus on the question instead of Yuuri's lovely face. He checked his watch, and noticed that it was well past lunch time. "First things first, let's get something to eat. Are you hungry?"

Yuuri thought about it, then nodded. "I suppose I am. I was so engrossed in the museum that I didn't really notice."

"Perfect! I know a little café near here, let's go get some lunch."

They made their way to the café slowly, strolling quietly together and talking comfortably. They ate equally slowly, and Viktor simply basked in the feeling of being in his beloved Yuuri's company.

Eventually, as they finished and paid for their meal, Yuuri asked, "Well, Viktor, where to next?"

Viktor took a swift assessment of the other man. He didn't look tired, appearing downright refreshed when compared to his demeanor at the rink that morning. He'd probably be up for one more excursion. "If you'd like to go, there's a zoo nearby we can visit before heading home."

Yuuri's eyes shone. "That sounds fun, Viktor. Let's go!"

Viktor was fairly certain he would have gone to the moon in that moment if that was what Yuuri wanted. He managed to pull himself together and reply. "Of course, zvezda moya."

As they set out, Yuuri again took up his demands to know the meaning of this phrase, combated by Viktor's laughing refusals until their destination was in sight. They entered the zoo and accepted a map from the attendant. Viktor turned and asked, "Where would you like to go first, zvezda moya?"

Yuuri glared at him, but said, "I'd like to see the monkeys and the birds."

Viktor nodded. "That sounds good. As long as we can go to the petting zoo after that."

Yuuri laughed. "You would want to go there."

Viktor gave Yuuri his puppy eyes. "Of course I do! Who wouldn't want to pet goats and bunnies? They're precious!"

"All right, all right!" Yuuri waved his hands in mock defense. "We can go pet the cute animals! But first, the monkeys."

"I suppose I can agree to that. Here, they're over this way." Viktor started walking, but thought twice about it and reached back to snag Yuuri's hand. "Lots of people here, let's stick together," he explained with a wink.

Yuuri smiled back shyly, and allowed himself to be led by the hand through several exhibits. Together, they laughed at the monkeys, admired the colorful plumage of the birds, and discovered that Viktor was rather squeamish about snakes. They meandered around the zoo unhurriedly, eventually finding themselves at the petting zoo.

Viktor squealed in delight as they entered and got some food for the animals. As soon as the food pellets were in his hand, Viktor made a beeline for the goats. They craned their heads over the fence of their enclosure, as eager to get at the food as he was to feed them. Yuuri laughed and trailed along behind him as he scurried from goat to goat, trying to make sure that each of them got a chance to eat. One small white goat in particular kept getting pushed to the side by a couple of the larger goats, who gobbled up most of Viktor's food as he attempted to feed the smaller one. Finally, he looked pleadingly up at the other man and keened, "Yuuuuuriiiiii!"

The Japanese man cocked an eyebrow at him. "Yes?"

Viktor pouted. "These big goats are being mean to the poor little one! You have to help me!"

Yuuri chuckled. "What do you want me to do about it?"

He blinked. "I don't know," he replied honestly. He hadn't really thought much beyond Yuuri coming in to fix the situation.

"All right, you just stay over there, and keep your food ready. I'll feed the big goats up above here, and then you can give some to the little one. Ok?"

Viktor nodded rapturously. His love was the smartest man in the entire universe.

Yuuri held out some of his food above the fence, and the bigger goats slotted their hooves on the top rung of the fence to reach it. Viktor quickly held out his few remaining pellets to the small white goat, clicking his tongue to draw its attention. Once it noticed his hand, it gobbled up the treats quickly. Viktor beamed up at Yuuri in delight. "It worked!" he chirped happily.

"I'm glad it worked," Yuuri laughed.

Heaving himself to his feet, Viktor surveyed the rest of the petting zoo. "Ooh, look, there are the rabbits! Come on, let's go feed them!" Without waiting for Yuuri, he darted over to the rabbit pen, forgetting that he had used up the last of his food pellets until he was standing in front of a particularly fluffy-looking rabbit. Viktor practically wilted. He wished fervently that he hadn't used up so much of his food trying to get the big goats out of the way.

A hand reached into his field of vision, offering a plastic cup. Viktor looked up into the smiling eyes of his beautiful student. "Here, Viktor. I don't need any more of these, why don't you use them to feed the rabbits?"

Viktor stared at Yuuri for a second, and then launched himself into the startled man's arms. "Thank you, Yuuri! You've saved me!"

A muffled laugh came from under his arm. "Yes, yes, now take the food."

Disentangling himself, Viktor happily complied, and offered some pellets to the fluffy rabbit. It cautiously hopped over, sniffed his hand, and took the food, nibbling it eagerly. Viktor, entranced by the creature's little nose, steadily fed it the rest of the pellets. When they were all gone, Yuuri asked, "Happy now, Viktor?"

He beamed in response. "Yes! My day is complete now."

Yuuri laughed. "Shall we go home, then?" he asked.

Yuuri's use of the word home struck a chord in Viktor's heart. He simply nodded, and laced their hands together.

Yes. They should go home.

After having walked all over that day, they decided to flag down a ride.

When Viktor finally pushed open the door of their apartment, they were immediately mobbed by a happy, bouncing ball of poodle. Behind him, Yuuri laughed. "Hello, Makkachin. Yes, we're happy to see you, too." They both gave the dog his long-awaited pets, fawning over him in the entryway.

Eventually, Yuuri looked up and said, "Well, what do you want to have for dinner?"

Viktor considered this. "Hm. Let's make something here, if that's ok with you?"

"Sure." Yuuri looked a bit sheepish, but continued, "Are there any Russian dishes you could show me how to make? I'd like to continue in the spirit of the day, learning more about my new home."

Viktor stared for a second. Yuuri was just too precious. He managed to process Yuuri's question, and smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I don't really do too much cooking. I've never been very good at it. I think the best I can teach you is blini." He hastened to answer the questioning look he received. "Ah, they're a pancake."

A smile flickered over Yuuri's mouth. "That sounds like a great place to start. Should we start making them now?"

"If you're hungry, sure. Let's go get started."

They trailed into the kitchen, and Viktor stumbled around a bit, trying to locate the necessary bowls, mixing spoons, and measuring instruments. He had a particularly tough time when it came to finding a measuring cup. After a minute of searching, Yuuri laughed gently and pushed him out of the way, opening a drawer and pulling some out. Viktor blushed, and laughed along with him. "I don't suppose you know where my cookbook is," he asked sheepishly.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I found it when I was cooking a couple nights ago." Yuuri went up on his tiptoes and reached up for a small cupboard high up, exposing the skin of his lower back under the brim of his lifting shirt. Viktor couldn't help but stare, and was disappointed when the other man quickly located the cookbook in question and brought his arms down, cutting off the view. He turned around and handed the book to Viktor. "Here you go. Just let me know what ingredients to gather up."

Obediently, Viktor opened the cookbook and paged to the blini recipe. "Ok, so first we need flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt," he read off, "and we'll mix those all together in one bowl."

Yuuri nodded, and started to pull the ingredients out from the pantry. "What about the wet ingredients?"

Viktor blinked. "The what?"

"Look in the recipe, it should call some of the ingredients 'wet ingredients.' Or just tell me what else it says to mix in after that."

"Oh." He read further down. "Ok, we're also going to need butter, eggs, and milk."

Yuuri moved over to the fridge and rummaged around. "Aah, looks like we're out of eggs. We'll have to run out and get some."

Viktor thrilled at hearing his love refer to their food supply collectively. He went over to the fridge and peered in next to Yuuri, as a pretense to get closer to him. He dipped his head and murmured in Yuuri's ear, "Mm, looks like you're right."

Yuuri jumped up as if a fire had been lit in his ear. "Ah, um, I'll just…just get the dry ingredients mixed together for now, I guess," he stuttered, and moved over to the counter, clanging bowls and utensils together unsteadily.

With a slight frown, Viktor followed him. Did his Yuuri really not want to be near him? He sidled up to the counter, close enough that his hip lightly kissed Yuuri's. Dark, wide eyes turned on him in surprise, bringing their faces within inches of each other. Viktor flicked his eyes down to Yuuri's lips, and found himself wondering what they would taste like after eating the blini. Why wait, though? he thought, and leaned forward slightly to satisfy his curiosity.

Yuuri's cheeks colored to scarlet, and he quickly whipped around, hands frantically searching the counter until they found something he could add to the bowl. Confused, Viktor stepped back a little and watched the other man's movements. Yuuri was in a flutter, clearly uncomfortable. Viktor decided that maybe his love needed a little time to himself.

He placed the cookbook down on the counter. "Yuuri, why don't I go get you the eggs. You can keep mixing things together until I get back. All the numbers of what you need are written in the book, do you need help with any of them?"

Glancing at the book, but not at Viktor, Yuuri muttered, "It's ok, I'll manage. Thanks."

His heart panged a little, but Viktor forced himself to reply cheerfully, "All right then, I'll be back before you know it!" He quietly made his exit from the apartment, sighing heavily once he was outside the door. Starting down the stairs, he took out his phone and selected Christophe from his contact list.

The phone only rang a few times before it clicked to life, and a voice came from the other end. "Hello?"

"Hi, Chris. Do you have a minute?"

A chuckle. "I feel like I should be asking you that. Do you really want to spend your love nest time talking to me?"

Viktor sighed heavily. "That's what I want to talk to you about. The love nest isn't nearly as lovey-dovey as I thought it would be."

"Oh?" Chris managed to sound sympathetic and teasing at the same time. "What's going on?"

"Well, ever since Yuuri came to live with me, he feels so far away. He even insisted on having his own room."

Chris drew in his breath through his teeth in a hiss. "Ooh, that's not good."

"Wow, thanks, Chris! You could try to be a bit more encouraging."

"Hey, I'm not trying to be discouraging. Just trying to help. So…if he doesn't want to sleep with you, are you guys still engaged, then?"

Viktor raked a hand through his hair. "I'm not really sure anymore. We went out and had a date today, and everything was going great, so when we got back home, I thought maybe…you know, I could give him a kiss…but he pulled away from me. Honestly, Chris…I'm starting to wonder if he even is interested in me anymore. Or maybe…maybe he doesn't think we're engaged?"

Chris snorted. "Viktor, he gave you a gold ring. What else is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know! But, honestly…he doesn't act like he thinks we're engaged. Sometimes I feel like he's trying to hold me at arm's length. We'll be getting along great one minute, but the next he's leaping away from me like some scared deer. I mean, I can't even kiss him. What am I supposed to think about that?"

"It sounds to me like you need to clarify your relationship with him."

Viktor, puzzled, asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you need to take him out again. Make very certain he knows it's a date, and that it's going to be special. Take him to some super fancy restaurant, wine and dine him. And then…you propose!"

Viktor was dumbfounded. "I what?" he asked flatly.

"You propose! Make sure he knows that you want to marry him! I know you love him, Viktor, but sometimes I think you've picked the densest boy on the planet. Leave him with no doubts about your feelings, and then go from there."

Viktor pondered this for a second. "You know, Chris, that actually isn't a terrible idea," he mused.

"Viktor, I'm wounded! You act as if I don't have any good ideas."

"Only sometimes," he laughed. "But seriously, Chris, thank you. I've been at a loss about what to do."

"Hey, no problem at all for my favorite skater couple." Viktor could practically see his wink as he said this. He chuckled to himself, and looked up to find that he had reached the supermarket.

"Hey, Chris, I'm at the store, so I'm going to let you go now."

"Let me know how it goes! You'd better be sleeping in the same bed by this time next week!"

Laughing, Viktor agreed, and they hung up. He rushed through the motions of buying eggs as quickly as he could, and hurried home, eager to get back and see his love. On the way, though, he made another important phone call, luckily finishing up just as he reached the apartment.

He opened the door and was greeted by the warmth of lights and the wafting smell of cooking food. As he shut the door behind him, the soft shuffle of feet approached from the kitchen, and Yuuri appeared in the doorway. He smiled shyly and said, "Okaeri, Viktor. Did you get the eggs?"

Holding out the bag, Viktor nodded. "Here you go. What do you have cooking now?"

Yuuri blushed slightly. "I put some rice on while I was waiting. It felt weird to not be doing anything in the middle of cooking."

Viktor managed to conceal his full laugh, instead just letting out a small chuckle. His Yuuri was just too cute. "I think that was a nice idea, Yuuri. So, now that you have the eggs, do you need me to do anything?"

Taking the proffered bag, Yuuri shook his head. "I can do the rest from here. It's just a pancake, I think I'll be ok."

"Ok. I'll just keep you company while you cook, then." He watched Yuuri as the dark-haired man nodded absently, and trailed behind him back into the kitchen. Viktor was determined not to do anything to make Yuuri uncomfortable again today, so while his love cooked their dinner, he kept up a steady stream of purposefully light conversation, not daring to get into Yuuri's carefully crafted personal space again.

As the last batch of blini were in the pan, Yuuri turned around and waved his spatula at Viktor. "We're almost ready here, can you set the table, please?"

A small thrill went through him at the domestic feeling the simple sentence imparted. "Of course, zvezda moya!" he purred, jumping up to comply. As he pulled down two plates, Yuuri muttered from his place at the stove, "Boku wa sore ga imi suru mono o mitsukeru tsumoridesu."

Confused, Viktor turned around, hand still reaching up for glasses. "What was that, Yuuri?"

"Nothing, Viktor. Just set the table," he replied without looking up from the pan. But Viktor didn't miss the small smirk that tweaked up the corners of his mouth.

Relieved that Yuuri had gotten past their earlier awkwardness enough to tease him back, Viktor returned to his task, feeling lighter. Soon, they were sitting down to a steaming hot stack of blini. Viktor copied Yuuri's blessing of thanks, and then took an eager bite. Yuuri, watching him, asked anxiously, "Did it turn out ok?"

Mouth and heart full, Viktor looked up and nodded fervently. Swallowing, he gushed, "Yuuri, they're glorious! You make them so much better than me!"

His anxiety vanished into an amused smile, and Yuuri teased, "So does that make me more Russian than you?"

Taking another bite, Viktor still managed to talk enough to return the jab. "Well, I would say yes, but you still served it with rice."

They shared a laugh, and the rest of the meal passed comfortably, with the same easy atmosphere that the rest of the day had held. After cleaning up, they settled in to watch a movie, choosing an old-fashioned spy film. Yuuri didn't even make it an hour into the movie before falling asleep softly on Viktor's shoulder. Loath to move him, Viktor turned the volume of the movie down and scrolled on his phone quietly, planning out his proposal and date for the next day. Despite his excitement, the day eventually caught up with him, too, and Viktor slowly nodded off to sleep, dipping his head down to rest on Yuuri's.

The next morning, he awoke with a start, confused and disoriented, until he realized he was still on the couch. His next move was to look for Yuuri, but he soon discovered he was alone, although now covered by a blanket. He sat up blearily, and noticed a note on the coffee table. He picked it up and read,

Viktor,

I'm going out for a run along the path you showed me yesterday. There are leftovers from last night in the fridge ready for you. I'll be back soon.

-Yuuri

Deciding to take him up on the offer of breakfast, Viktor stumbled into the kitchen, managing to locate the blini and heat them up without doing himself any bodily harm. He discovered that Yuuri had even started his Western coffee pot, so he poured himself a nice hot cup of coffee to go with his meal.

Just as he was finishing up and starting to feel human again, the door to the apartment clicked open and shut quietly. A voice sounded cautiously from the living room, "Viktor?"

Rising up, Viktor called back, "I'm in the kitchen, zvezda moya."

Yuuri appeared in the doorway, slightly flushed from his exercise, with a very slight sheen of sweat. Viktor froze, taking in the beauty, not noticing the slightly uncomfortable look on Yuuri's face. "Oh, so you found breakfast?" he asked, breaking the spell of silence.

Viktor nodded, and smiled widely. "Yes, thank you, Yuuri! It was nice to wake up to food!"

Yuuri looked a little embarrassed, but nodded sternly at the table. "You weren't planning to leave your dishes there, were you?" he asked. His voice was mild, but still somehow carried the threat of bodily injury.

"Ah, of course not, lapochka. I was just getting to it now." He scooped up his dishes and placed them carefully in the sink. He turned around to find Yuuri glaring at him.

"What? What did I do wrong? I cleaned them up, see?" he said, gesturing.

"No, that's not it. But now you're using a new name. What's that one mean, Viktor?"

Shit. Another one had popped out. Oh well, at least now he had nickname options. "It's nothing, zvezda moya," he replied lightly. "Anyway, it's time to get to the rink for practice, isn't it? Unless you still need to eat?"

Yuuri shook his head. "No, I'm ready to practice. Let me go change and shower really quick first."

"Sure." As Yuuri turned to head down the hall, Viktor called after him, "Ah, and Yuuri. Keep tonight free, ok? We're going out on a date."

The other man froze in his tracks. "A what?"

His heart skipped a beat, nervous despite himself, but Viktor pressed on confidently, "A date, lapochka. I had so much fun on our date yesterday, I wanted to take you out again. Wouldn't you like to see a little more of St. Petersburg?"

For a long second, Yuuri didn't move at all. Then, he finally gave a quiet, "All right, Viktor," before retreating down the hallway much faster than he had been going before.

Viktor watched him go, then excitedly whipped out his phone and texted Chris: Stage 1 is complete! We're going out tonight!

He didn't have long to wait before Chris texted him back: Good first step. Do you have reservations somewhere nice?

Of course I do! Who do you think you're talking to? I'm the king of dates.

He could practically hear Chris's laughter in the reply: Ah, of course. I must have forgotten, since we've never been on a date. Anyway, do you have a ring or anything?

A sense of panic welled up a bit as he texted back: No, but should I? I already have a ring from Yuuri, so I didn't think I should get him one, too. What if he thinks I'm telling him his ring isn't good enough?

All right, all right, calm down. You know him better than I do, so if you think it's best this way, go with your gut. I'm sure you're right, and it will be fine. Anyway, so what's your plan?

I have a whole speech prepared. I wrote it during breakfast. Would you like to hear it?

The next text came back rather hastily: Yes, please!

Viktor smiled, and was about to start typing it out, when Yuuri emerged from his room, hair still slightly damp, and asked, "Are you ready to go, Viktor?"

Tucking his phone into his pocket, Viktor, unable to contain his pending excitement, grinned back. "Yes, let's get going."

Yuuri gave a tilted smile in return. "What are you so happy about?"

The grin blossomed. "I'm just very excited for our date later! Let's do our best at practice so we can go out tonight."

Yuuri's cheeks turned red, and he brushed quickly past Viktor to the foyer. "Let's just get practice out of the way first," he mumbled.

Viktor floated through most of the rest of the day, brimming with anticipation of their date night and what might follow. Yuuri, on the other hand, seemed to be filled with a different kind of nervous energy, and flubbed his jumps several times during practice, until Yakov finally yelled at Viktor to get his head out of the clouds and pay attention to his student. After that, he came back down off his high and managed to focus diligently on Yuuri until practice was over for the day.

They headed back home and took turns showering in relative silence. By the time he was done getting dressed and Yuuri was taking his turn in the shower, Viktor's nerves were alight with anticipation. He fidgeted nervously for a minute or two, before deciding that he should get Yuuri's clothes ready for the evening. With some trepidation, he entered into the guest room that the Japanese man had taken over. Somehow in the week that he had been occupying it, the room had managed to absorb some of Yuuri's scent. Other than that, though, it looked rather like it had before, except with several boxes strewn about. Yuuri had done little to personalize the room in any way. Viktor noted this and frowned a bit. Maybe Yuuri wasn't feeling at home here yet? Oh well, he'd be doing his best to get Yuuri to move into his bedroom soon enough, anyway. And then they could add whatever personal touches they wanted. He walked over to the closet, remembering hanging up a few garment bags there when Yuuri moved in. He reached in and unzipped the foremost one, and was greeted with the sight of Yuuri's eros costume. He smiled nostalgically. His Yuuri looked amazing in this. He trailed a hand along the torso of the outfit, imagining the feel of his love's belly, pliant underneath his fingers. On impulse, he leaned forward and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of Yuuri deeply.

As his face was buried in the material, he heard an uncertain voice from behind him. "Um, Viktor…what are you doing?"

Startled, he leapt backwards, whipping around to see Yuuri standing there in nothing but a towel wrapped firmly around his waist, skin shimmering from the aftermath of his shower. He gulped hard, then noticed the look on Yuuri's face, and remembered that he had been asked a question. "Ah, lapochka, I was just trying to find your suit. I thought I'd help you out so we could get going."

The complicated look on Yuuri's face shifted a bit towards trepidation. "Ah, so we are going somewhere fancy. Why didn't you tell me, Viktor? Do we have a reservation time?"

Viktor shook his head, and with Herculean strength, turned back to the closet and zipped up the eros bag. "Nope, we can arrive any time we want."

He heard the question in Yuuri's voice as he asked, "We can? What kind of restaurant is this, where I need to have a suit but don't need a reservation?"

Unzipping the next bag, Viktor responded, "The best kind!" He checked the third bag, and held it out in triumph. "Here you go, Yuuri! I found your suit! Now, do you need any help with it?" he asked hopefully.

Yuuri's eyes went wide, and he waved his hands wildly as he protested, "No, I'm fine, Viktor! I don't need help, really, you finding the suit for me was just fine! Why don't you leave now, I'll be out in a few minutes." He reached out and snatched the bag from Viktor's hands, and ushered him swiftly out of the room.

Pouting a little bit, Viktor went to wait on the couch, and again took out his phone to update Chris: Phase 2 was a partial success. He's getting dressed willingly, but wouldn't let me help him :(

Lol don't worry about it, you'll have plenty of time to get into his pants later ;)

This wrung a small smile out of him, and just as he was about to reply, Yuuri emerged from his room, making Viktor instantly forget everything he was about to do. He gaped as his love came into the living room, and stood uncomfortably in front of him. "Um, Viktor, are we ready to go now?" he asked, fidgeting a little.

Realizing he was acting like an idiot, Viktor nodded, and stood up, grabbing onto Yuuri's hand. "Yes, let's go. Hold onto my hand, I wouldn't want you to get lost on the way to the car," he said with a wink.

At the mention of the car, Yuuri regained some of his assertiveness. "Viktor, you don't mean that pink horror, do you?"

Viktor tugged on their connected hands, bringing their faces close together. "Now, zvezda moya, how else do you think I would take you out on a nice date?" he cooed. He gave his best charming smile, and headed towards the door, tugging his date behind him. "Now come along, let's get going."

He managed to get Yuuri into the car without further complaints, and they drove quietly through the darkened streets of the city, backlit by countless lights from illuminated buildings. Viktor was content with the silence, merely keeping a hold of Yuuri's hand until they reached their destination. They pulled up in front of the restaurant, and Viktor came around the side door to open it for Yuuri, tossing his keys to the valet on their way in. Yuuri giggled a little. "Been practicing to be in a movie, Viktor?" he asked.

Viktor smiled back. "Hey, I thought it looked cool," he responded lightly, holding the door open and gesturing Yuuri inside.

They entered, and were greeted by a rather portly maître d' bowing slightly to them. "Mr. Nikiforov and Mr. Katsuki, I presume?" he asked smoothly.

"Yes, that's us," Viktor responded.

"Right this way, sirs," the man said, and began walking towards the back of the restaurant.

As they followed him, Yuuri leaned over and hissed, "How does he know my name, too?"

Viktor blinked. "I gave both of our names when I reserved the restaurant."

"I thought you said you didn't make a reservation."

"No, I said we didn't have a reservation time," Viktor corrected.

Yuuri looked like he was about to say something else, but the maître d' was ushering them into a curtained room. He held his tongue while he got them settled in, and Viktor ordered a bottle of wine. As soon as the man had exited the curtain, however, Yuuri rounded on Viktor. "Viktor, what is all this?" he demanded.

Viktor took a sip of his water, and said mildly, "Why, whatever do you mean, lapochka?"

"You know what I mean! Why are we the only ones here?"

Placing his glass down, Viktor replied, "I rented out the restaurant for the evening."

Yuuri stared at him. "You what."

"Yes, I thought it would be more intimate if it was just the two of us, so I reserved the restaurant."

Yuuri kept his eyes locked on him for another second, then sighed deeply. "I see." He picked up his menu without another word, obscuring his face.

Viktor suppressed a giggle and waited a few seconds before asking, "Would you like some help reading that?"

Slowly, the menu on the other side of the table lowered, revealing Yuuri's sheepish face. "That would be nice," he admitted.

Managing not to laugh, Viktor began reading off the options that he knew Yuuri might like, explaining any ingredients that his date wasn't familiar with. As soon as they had settled on their order, a waiter appeared through the curtain as if by magic. Yuuri started a little, but Viktor nodded as he coolly asked, "Are you ready to order, sirs?"

Viktor replied, "Yes, we are. We'd like the sturgeon caviar and steak tartare as appetizers. For the main course, I'll have the venison, and my lovely date here will have the beef with green pepper sauce."

The waiter inclined his head and said, "Very good, sir. We'll get that out to you in a short time." He held out his hand, and Viktor deposited their menus in it. Bowing slightly from the waist, the waiter swept out of the curtain, leaving them alone once more.

"Viktor, what was that you ordered? Setrovyeekra?"

"Ah, osetrovaya ikra?" He smiled secretively. "You'll just have to trust me when it gets here, won't you?"

Yuuri sighed. "This isn't fair, Viktor. Just when I figured out what zvezda moya means, you have to go and throw other words at me that I don't know."

Viktor froze. "You know what that means?"

Yuuri's eyes grew wide. "Oh, I, uh…that is…"

"Where did you find that out?"

"Um…I called Chris, and he told me…"

Thoughts pounded into Viktor's head, and he sorted through them to find the one he wanted an answer to the most. "What else did he tell you?"

A blush colored his love's cheekbones, and he looked off to one side. "Oh, nothing much…just what zvezda moya means."

Viktor skimmed over this obvious lie, intending to return to whatever else Chris had disclosed to his poor innocent man. He leaned forward, and asked softly, "And what did he say it means?"

Without making eye contact, Yuuri muttered, "My star." He flicked his eyes back up to shyly regard Viktor's face, and asked, "I don't understand what you calling me that's supposed to mean, though."

Viktor blinked, then smiled softly. "It just means that you're my star. You light up my life."

Yuuri's mouth fell open into a little o, and his face stained red almost instantly. Any further conversation, however, was cut off by the reappearance of the waiter, bearing two plates that he set down in the middle of their table. He then poured them each a glass of wine. Yuuri nodded awkwardly to the man, while Viktor smiled smoothly and thanked him. After he left, Viktor gestured towards the plates on the table. "Well, lapochka, it's time to trust me. Want to try some osetrovaya ikra?"

Craning his head up a little to examine the plate, Yuuri asked, "Is that…caviar?"

Smiling, Viktor nodded. He should have known he couldn't fool a Japanese man about anything involving seafood. "Yes, it is. Do you want some?"

Yuuri nodded. "Sure. And…when you were ordering, did you say the other thing is tartare?"

Yuuri was probably the cleverest person in the world. "Yes, it's steak tartare, ground up raw meat, with seasonings mixed in. It's rather good, you should try some."

Yuuri eyed him. "I don't know about that, Viktor."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of a little raw meat? You come from the place that invented sushi."

Yuuri scowled at him, eliciting a laugh from the Russian man. "That's not the issue. It's just that it looks…well, questionable."

"Lapochka, don't you trust me? I promise, it tastes good."

The dark haired man let out a little sigh. Then a sudden twinkle appeared in his eye. He said, "All right, Viktor, I'll try it. But only if you tell me what lapochka means."

"Done!" Viktor scooped up a forkful of tartare and held it out. He coaxed, "Say 'ah.'"

Obediently, Yuuri opened his mouth, and Viktor deposited the fork into it, enjoying the smooth resistance as he pulled it out again past Yuuri's shimmering lips. The tip of a perfect pink tongue darted out to catch a small bit that had been left behind by the fork as Viktor watched, entranced. The dark-haired man chewed his mouthful thoughtfully as his date eagerly observed the whole process. When he had swallowed, Viktor asked, "Well? How was it?"

"Surprisingly good, actually. Can I have some more?"

Delighted, Viktor exclaimed, "Of course!" He dipped his fork back into the meat, only to be chided, "On my own plate, please."

Pouting, Viktor deposited a few forkfuls onto the plate he had been preparing, and passed it across the table. He put some food on his own plate, then settled back to eat, planning to watch Yuuri's enjoyment of the appetizers.

He wasn't allowed this pleasure for very long, however. As soon as they both had their plates in front of them, Yuuri pressed, "Ok, I held up my end of the bargain. Now what does that word mean?"

Viktor briefly wondered why this man was so persistent, conveniently forgetting that was one of the things he loved about him. "You mean lapochka?"

Yuuri hummed in agreement, biting into his caviar.

Watching closely for a reaction, Viktor said, "It doesn't have a very direct translation into other languages. It's just a term of endearment."

Looking distinctly dissatisfied, Yuuri protested, "That doesn't really answer my question. I tried dubious meat for that response?"

"Hey now! You said you like it, right? So it's all fine."

"It is not fine! You haven't held up your end of the bargain yet!"

Laughing, Viktor raised his hands up. "All right, all right, I'll try to come up with a better translation." He thought for a second. "Hmm. If I had to say, it's kind of close to honey, or sweetie pie?"

Yuuri stopped with his fork halfway to his lips. "Is…is that so?" he stammered.

"Yes." Enjoying the cute shade of pink his love was turning, Viktor spooned caviar into his mouth.

Further conversation was interrupted by the reappearance of the waiter, who topped off their glasses and asked if they needed anything before exiting silently through the curtain. By that time, Yuuri seemed to have regained his composure, and the two of them managed to engage in lighthearted discussion throughout the rest of their meal. Wherever he could, Viktor slipped in flirty words and suggestive looks, gauging his date's reactions. Although Yuuri chatted freely, there was still a pervading air of slight discomfort throughout the evening. Perplexed, Viktor decided that perhaps tonight was not the time to carry out his plan, after all. Instead, he determined to simply show his love a good time, and by the time they were finishing up their desserts, he was satisfied that the other man seemed to be having a good time. Satisfied, he happily paid the outrageous check, and the two of them trailed out of the restaurant and into Viktor's waiting car.

The ride home was uneventful, with Yuuri visibly relaxing in stages until they finally got back into the apartment. As the door closed behind them, Yuuri sank down into the chair he favored and gave a long sigh. Kicking off his shoes, Viktor walked over to sit on the couch next to him, asking, "What was that about, lapochka?"

Yuuri hummed contentedly. "I'm just glad to be home."

His heart picked up in his chest, and Viktor nodded happily. "Did you enjoy our date, though?"

Yuuri twitched a little, and looked briefly at Viktor before turning his gaze away. "Yes, I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"I mean, yes, it was nice. But, Viktor…what was all that about?"

"What do you mean?"

Gesturing vaguely in front of him, Yuuri fumbled for words. "You know, all that just now. The…the restaurant, and…just, everything."

He would have to tread carefully here. "You mean the date?" he prodded gently.

Yuuri started, but responded readily. "Well, yeah!"

Viktor left his seat on the couch, angling his body and crouching down on one knee to face his love. He reached out and captured one of Yuuri's hands, holding it tenderly in between his own. "I was trying to show you that you're important to me. Since you've come here to live with me, I've wanted us to be closer. I care about you so much, Yuuri, and sometimes I don't think you understand that. So I wanted to make sure you knew that you're cared for…and loved." Yuuri's eyes widened visibly, but Viktor barreled on with what he could remember of his prepared speech. "I know that you didn't win gold in the Grand Prix, but I don't want to wait until you do. Yuuri…let's get married."

The color drained from the other man's face, and his voice came out in a squeak. "Wh…what?"

"Yuuri, I want to marry you. I know I said we'd get married after you won gold, but I love you, and I want you to be mine right now." A sense of trepidation rose up inside him as Yuuri continued to stare at him incredulously.

"Viktor, I…I don't know what you're talking about. I…I thought you were joking when you said we'd get married?"

He shook his head firmly. "I'd never joke about something like that." He reached out one hand and placed his fingertips along the side of Yuuri's perfect jawbone. "You do know I love you, right?" he said in a near-whisper.

Yuuri's face wavered, and he looked ready to cry. "You…you do?"

"Of course, lyubov moya."

Taking a shaky breath in, Yuuri reiterated, "And you…you want to marry me?"

"Yes, I do. Didn't you want to marry me, too? Otherwise, what was that proposal about?"

Yuuri looked at him blankly. "What proposal? You mean this?"

He was taken aback momentarily, but pressed on, "No, I mean when you proposed in Barcelona. You know, when you gave me this." He removed his right hand from Yuuri's cheek to wave the finger with the gold ring in the air between them.

"Barcelona?" Yuuri sputtered. "No! But, that-that wasn't a proposal! Like I said, it was just...just a good luck charm!"

Viktor's limbs grew cold. "You mean you weren't proposing?"

"No! I mean, not then, no, I wasn't." Yuuri looked visibly flustered.

Viktor hardly noticed. His mind was reeling. "But…but I kissed you!" he protested.

"What? I mean, yes, I know, but you said that was just to surprise me! I didn't think you meant anything by it! Wait…did…did you mean something by it?" The confusion was growing on Yuuri's face.

Feeling like he was in a fog, Viktor responded distantly, "Yes, of course I did. I kissed you because I wanted to. Because I always want to kiss you."

Yuuri took in a sharp breath. "Really?"

"Yes. Because I love you." Viktor was simply stating a fact, but his brain was strangely detached from the whole situation. It was becoming painfully clear that Yuuri hadn't meant to propose to him at all, that their relationship had all been in Viktor's head, and that he didn't want to get married. In fact, he didn't love Viktor at all. What the hell was Viktor supposed to do now?

Yuuri's trembling voice brought him out of his thoughts a little. "You do?"

Managing to focus on the other man's face, Viktor noticed a strange, hopeful glint in Yuuri's dark eyes, and his mind suddenly focused on it. Maybe…maybe all wasn't lost. He shook his head to clear it, and proceeded carefully. "Yes, Yuuri. I love you very much."

"And…and you want to marry me?" Yuuri choked out, tears threatening in his voice.

Determined now, Viktor nodded firmly. "Yes. I know this all must seem sudden to you, but please, would you consider it? Or at least consider being with me?"

Yuuri covered his face with his free hand, dipping his head down low. Viktor anxiously watched him, noticing the light glint off of the ring on Yuuri's finger. That ring had to mean something, right? Even if he hadn't meant it as a proposal, people don't just go around giving gold rings to people they don't have feelings for, right?

After what seemed like a lifetime but was actually only a few seconds, Yuuri brought his face up to look at Viktor, and the Russian man was startled to see tears welling heavily up in the brown eyes. He whispered, "Are you sure it's all right?"

Confused, Viktor said, "Is what all right?"

Dropping his head down again, Yuuri rasped, "To love you."

The space of a breath passed before the words sunk in. Viktor's hand darted out to tilt Yuuri's chin upwards. "Yuuri, are you saying yes?" he breathed.

A tremulous smile broke out on Yuuri's face, and the tears began to drip down his cheeks. "If you want me, then yes. Yes, Vitya."

Viktor leapt forward, smashing his lips heavily against Yuuri's. After a few seconds, he released the kiss as suddenly as he had started it, and withdrew a few scant inches to exclaim, "Oh, Yuuri, of course I want you! Do you really mean it? You'll marry me?"

Shakily, Yuuri laughed. "Well, I-I love you, too. Of course I…want to marry you, if you-" His words were cut short by Viktor's mouth descending on him again, this time with a bit more finesse and less brute force.

Breathlessly, he drew back again, but quickly went back in to steal another short kiss. "Oh, Yuuri, you scared me! I thought you didn't want me!"

His love gave a shaky laugh. "No, Viktor. I've wanted you for so long. I just didn't know you felt that way about me, too." He looked shyly at Viktor.

"Maybe Chris is right, and you really are the densest man on the planet," Viktor teased fondly. He leaned forward quickly to plant a kiss on Yuuri's forehead, reveling in the ability to kiss this beautiful man without him trying to draw away. "I bet I've loved you longer."

Yuuri's laugh was stronger this time. "Not a chance! I've idolized you for so long."

"Hey, that's not the same as love," Viktor protested.

"Mmm," Yuuri hummed, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around the silver-haired man. Burying his face in Viktor's shoulder, he muttered, "No way, Vitya. I've loved you longer."

A thrill went down Viktor's spine at the name. "What was that you called me?" he whispered in his love's ear.

He stiffened for a second, and then burrowed further into the hollow of Viktor's neck, tightening the hold of his grip. "N-nothing, Viktor."

Viktor gently worked his hands in between their chests, and pried Yuuri off him enough so that he could look into his face. "You're not getting off that easily, lyubov moya," he chastised, tapping Yuuri on the lips. "I heard you. You called me Vitya."

Flushing an enchanting shade of pink, Yuuri diverted his gaze to one side and stammered, "I-I, well, Chris said…he said that I should try it, so…"

Viktor made a mental note to send his friend a few fruit baskets tomorrow. "Did he also tell you that once you start calling someone by a nickname in Russia, that it's very unkind to go back to calling them by their given name after that?" he purred. "Almost like you don't care about that person anymore." He smirked, and watched with distinct enjoyment as Yuuri floundered.

"I-oh, Viktor, I didn't mean…I don't want you to think I don't care, obviously, I care very much…I mean, I love you, so…so…"

Viktor reached between them and caught up Yuuri's right hand, bringing the finger with the ring up to his lips as he spoke. "Then say it again," he coaxed, looking at the other man with desire burning in his eyes.

Leaning forward so their foreheads touched, Yuuri whispered into their clasped hands, "Vitya."

A flutter of warmth swelled up in Viktor's chest. "Again," he demanded.

"Vitya."

"Again."

"V-Vitya."

"Who do you live with?"

"With Vitya."

"Who's your coach?"

"Vitya."

"Who do you love?"

"Y-you, Vitya."

"Who are you going to marry?"

"You, Vitya."

Feeling filled up to the brim with happiness, Viktor lowered his voice and susurrated, "Whose bed are you going to sleep in tonight?"

"V-Vitya, are you-"

"Yes, that's right, you're going to sleep in my bed." Viktor lowered their clasped hands and leaned forward to seal his mouth gently, suggestively, sweetly over his fiancé's. The thrill of being able to call him that charged through him like a shock, and he pressed a bit harder, demanding a little more from the kiss, sliding his tongue into Yuuri's mouth as he gave a tiny gasp. Finally, he released the perfect lips beneath his, and stared searchingly into the other man's face. "Is that ok, lyubov moya?" he asked, knowing that this was all probably coming very fast for Yuuri. As hard as it would be, if he didn't want to sleep together, Viktor would continue to respect his personal space and feelings. He practically held his breath waiting for an answer.

A thousand emotions flashed across Yuuri's face in the space of a moment, but none of them that Viktor read were negative. It settled on a soft sultriness, and Yuuri breathed, "Yes, Vitya. But only if you tell me what that nickname means."

Viktor blinked. "Did I call you something else?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Yes, you did. Lewbuff-moyah?"

"Oh. Lyubov moya."

"Yes, that. What's it mean?"

Smiling, Viktor replied, "My love."

Yuuri blushed. "Oh."

"Honestly, Yuuri, I call you so many things in my head, that I can't keep them all straight sometimes. Sorry, they've been slipping out lately."

Yuuri hummed, and opened his legs to arrange them on either side of Viktor's still-kneeling form, scooting forward on his chair to the point where he was sitting more on Viktor than on the cushion. "I guess I'll have to keep asking you what they mean then, Vitya. Now, shall we go to bed?" he asked, slinging his arms around Viktor's neck.

He didn't need any further invitation. He'd been waiting for this moment for so long. Frantically, afraid that the moment might vanish, he wrapped his arms around Yuuri's lower back and scooped him up. Yuuri squealed and clutched his legs tightly around Viktor's waist, eliciting a gasp from him. He recovered enough to smirk and ask, "Are you ready, lyubov moya?"

Yuuri clutched onto Viktor tighter, and whispered reverently, "Yes, Vitya."

As Viktor carried them towards his bed, he smiled, deliriously happy. He could get used to this.