Before we get started, welcome to my first anime fanfic! I hope you enjoy. I recommend listening to "Yuri on Ice" (the song) for this chapter. It's what I wrote it to. Thank you to Wrightsworth for the beta!

Chapter 1

Hi! It's me, Yuuri Katsuki. You may know me as the silver medalist of the last Figure Skating Grand Prix. For a while after the Grand Prix final, it looked like I would be moving to St. Petersburg with my coach, Victor Nikiforov, but that's not going to happen anymore. Instead, we're both returning to Japan and my hometown, Hasetsu.

The reasons are complicated, but the last straw was when Victor began to receive hate mail about his sexuality. He's always been somewhat open about being gay—it's hard for Victor to be closed-off about anything. And it's never been popular to be gay in Russia. But when some extremist group was sending mail to his home—not his practice rink, where most of his mail went—he stopped feeling safe at home.

Anyway, we're back in Hasetsu for the foreseeable future. Which, I suppose is better for me. I'd really been freaking out about being in a new country with new people. Victor assured me that he'd always be there, and I knew Yakov and Yurio, but I'm comfortable in Hasetsu. I know the roads and the people. Being in Russia permanently was only adding to my already high performance anxiety.

We have a few months before the World Figure Skating Championships in China, then it's the off-season. Until then, Victor is coaching me. Then he will become my competitor. While I'm relieved Victor isn't throwing away his personal career to coach me, I'm also nervous about skating against him.

But that's not the story I'm trying to tell. This story starts a few weeks after returning to Hasetsu, during practice with Victor.

Yuuri hit the ice with a dull thud after another failed quad flip. He got up immediately and began to work up the speed to try again, glad this was only practice.

"Yuuri!" Victor shouted. "Let's call it a day!"

Letting his speed go, he circled back around toward Victor. His exhaustion hit him then, the good sort that came from a hard practice. Victor was right, he was too tired to keep trying that jump. And failing would only discourage him more.

"You did good today," Victor said, wrapping an arm around Yuuri's shoulders as they headed out of the building. "We should go get some food."

"I'm sure Mom has something prepared…" Yuri said, turning to head towards home, but Victor grabbed his arm and pulled him in the other direction.

"I meant something just the two of us."

"Oh. Okay." Yuuri stumbled along after Victor, finally freeing his arm. He rolled his shoulder to readjust his jacket. Victor led the way to Hasetsu's downtown. There wasn't much there, but there were some good places to eat, at least. Victor stopped outside a small restaurant across from Kachu Snack Bar.

"This one is good, yes?"

Yuuri nodded. He'd probably been there before but he didn't remember. He followed Victor inside, still unsure what was happening. It was rare for Victor to turn down a chance for his mom's cooking. It was rare for them to eat anywhere but Yu-topia Katsuki. The doors closed behind them and Yuuri's eyes widened. The restaurant was much nicer than it looked like on the outside.

"Victor—"

He looked back and smiled widely. "Just relax and enjoy, Yuuri."

The food was excellent, but Yuuri barely registered it around trying not to look like a fool in the fancy environment. He made conversation with Victor about the World Championship coming up and how they would concentrate their practice. It's just a normal meal. Talking about skating. Victor's just in the mood to splurge.

After the meal, instead of going home like Yuuri had expected, Victor suggested they walk a little. They ended up on the sidewalk overlooking the sea. The moon was bright and reflected off the waves in ripples.

"I'm having a bit of trouble with my visa," Victor was saying. "I originally entered Japan as a visitor, you see, but now I have to figure out a way to stay for longer if I'm going to continue being your coach."

"I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out."

Victor stopped and turned to look out over the sea. His hair glinted the same color as the moonlight.

"I already have," he said. Yuuri's gaze jumped to Victor's face, surprised.

"I've been thinking a lot since the Grand Prix Final," Victor said.

"What about?"

"The future."

A boat passed along the horizon. They watched it pass together in silence, leaning against the rail. Yuuri kept glancing back at Victor. Something was different tonight, but he couldn't pinpoint what. It made him nervous.

"May I see your ring, Yuuri?"

"What—sure." Yuuri pulled off his glove and slid the gold ring off his finger. Victor took it carefully and held it up, studying how the light hit the gold.

Then in one fluid motion, he dropped to one knee and held up the ring.

"Yuuri Katsuki, will you marry me?"

Yuuri's mouth dropped open a little. He waited a second, for Victor to laugh and stand up. For it to be a joke. But Victor didn't move. He simply stared up at Yuuri with his green-blue eyes, completely sincere.

"You're serious."

"Completely." Victor's gaze didn't falter. The moon shone silver in his eyes, creating layers upon layers in which Yuuri only saw hope. He shouldn't be keeping Victor waiting. He wouldn't want to be kept waiting. But this was… completely unexpected.

"Why?" he asked.

"My visa will expire, but if we're married, I can stay here in Hasetsu. With you."

Yuuri froze as his mind whirled around the information, not really comprehending. He only knew that Victor was asking to marry him. That was his whole life. Just to stay with him in Japan. It wasn't romantic, but Yuuri had never really spent much time thinking about romance. There had been Eros, but that was the most Yuuri had ever thought about love. Could he do it? Could he marry Victor? He thought so, maybe. Nerves curled in his stomach.

"Well?" Victor said.

Yuuri nodded, forcing himself to answer despite his nerves. "I—I will."

Victor stood, and took Yuuri's hand and slid the gold ring onto his finger, just like he had in Barcelona a month before. Bizarrely, Yuuri thought about kissing Victor for a moment—that was what people did when they got engaged, right? But he dismissed the thought. Instead, when Victor pulled him into a hug, he wrapped his arms around the taller man. He was engaged. Just like that. For real this time.

Victor had always been able to surprise him, hadn't he?