A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Yuri on Ice.

I have no beta.

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-Pt. 1. Next chapter is Pt. 2.

"Is everything okay, Victor?"

Yuuri's worried question was met with a smile. Victor had tugged him down to the sand and the both of them had sat there with Makkachin lounging between them. The air from the ocean was cool and pleasing, blowing Yuuri's short hair around his head. Victor's fringe kept falling into his eyes, obscuring half of his face from Yuuri's entire view. It was kind of annoying.

"I said that I wanted to know everything about you, Yuuri," Victor said slowly, running a hand down Makkachin's spine. "But you seem distant. I can't tell if it's because you are shy or because you are scared, or some other reason."

Victor was a lot more observant that Yuuri gave him credit for, which made him feel a little bad once he considered it. Honestly, he hadn't expected to be called out so soon, but there Victor was, opening the can of worms that should have stayed shut for a little while longer. Though in a way he deserved it for not giving the man enough credit in the first place.

But what was a give situation without taking something in return? This was an opportunity so why should he pass it up? Yuuri wasn't getting out of this without something of equal value. He didn't like opening up about himself, but he would do it if it meant getting information that he thought was worth it. Yuuri had the potential to be sneaky if he was given the opportunity to be.

"Twenty-one questions," Yuuri proposed. It was something that both he and Phichit had gotten to know very well back in America. It could be used for many purposes. Blackmail, pranking, stalking. Anything was possible.

"I've never played that before!" was Victor's excited response, his eyes sparkling like Yuuri had suggested the best thing in the world.

Victor looked more than enthusiastic as he clapped his hands. More than someone should be at the prospect of playing a simple game usually played at slumber parties or during breaks at school. It was nothing like Man Hunt or those drinking games played at university parties.

"Why not?" he asked, a little put off by the older man's actions.

Victor's bright smile faded a little and he looked just a bit dead again. "Most just want a photo or a kiss. The people who aren't interested in such don't really play games." He shrugged. "They want to practice all the time and never have any fun. It's always work for my comrades and fame to my fans. And it's so boring most of the time!"

That look came back in full force. That dead one. The one where Victor looked as if the world was crashing all around him and he couldn't stop it. The one that had been on his face at the last Grand Prix. The one that he tried to hide by giving the stupid smile that pissed Yuuri off to no conceivable end! The one he wanted to beat away in any way he could, but didn't know how to.

Yuuri was given pause. Victor had never played a simple game like 21 Questions, because no one ever wanted to play with him. They always either wanted to fawn all over him or train him into the ground. Two extremes and neither were pleasant. It seemed as boring as the man had claimed it to be.

Suddenly, he was filled with the feeling that Victor didn't really like his fame all that much. And that maybe the reason he'd been so happy being around Hasetsu, that was lacking in the usual city bustle, was because there was next to no one there to hound him for photographs and autographs and hurl questions at his head. And Yuuri's family just treated him like they did Yuuri.

Like he wasn't a champion figure skater who was known pretty well in ice sports.

Maybe Victor had his own problems, but just never made a big deal about them. Victor had never been in the habit of revealing personal information about himself beyond some hobbies and preferences.

It was something new to consider. And it changed Yuuri's perception of a lot of things that had happened publicly in Victor's life.

"Let's play then," Yuuri insisted, folding his legs so he could sit up better. He'd at least like to be comfortable.

'Okay!'

Yuuri's thoughts came to a sudden halt once again when he realized that Victor hadn't agreed verbally. He'd signed OK in ASL. Something that he had been certain Victor wouldn't know because why would he know the Sign Language of a country he didn't live in?

Victor's grin was sheepish and maybe a little embarrassed, but charming still and much better than the dead smile of doom. "I don't know much, but I'm trying. Soon we'll be able to converse just fine, I promise."

Victor was learning a form of Sign Language just so he could talk to Yuuri easier. Victor Nikiforov was taking time out of his persona life in order to learn a new language all so he could communicate with Yuuri on a level others didn't.

"Yuuri! Are you crying? Are you sad? I'm sorry!" the man insisted worriedly. "I don't know how to console sad people!" Victor blustered, hands waving frantically as he tried to decide where to put them in order to comfort Yuuri. He settled for an awkward pat on the shoulder to try to calm him down, which only got him a choked laugh in return. The action was much appreciated.

"No, Victor," the brunet murmured softly, wiping furiously at his eyes. "I'm touched."

He reached up and placed his hands over Victor's twitching fingers, feeling how chilled they were and how real the other man was. He was right there in front of Yuuri. A real person and not some untouchable skating god in the sky. Victor was a person who was in Yuuri's life for the future. Victor cared.

"I'm very touched. Thank you, Victor."

Of the many communication methods available, Victor had chosen to pursue the one that would take the most time. All because he wanted to make it easier on Yuuri. All because he for some reason, felt that it was important to do. After all, Victor Nikiforov never did something he didn't want to. It was one of the most well known facts about the man. He wanted to learn ASL and so he was doing it.

Victor beamed in response to Yuuri's gratitude and sat up straighter so he and Yuuri could be as eye level as possible.

Victor was excited, which really hadn't been his plan when coming to the beach that day. He'd simply wanted talk and possibly trade some information, but this was so much better! It wasn't just him getting to know Yuuri. Yuuri had offered 21 Questions, meaning he wanted to get to know Victor as well! Meaning that he was interested in Victor on a deeper level if he wanted to get information on the man!

"Where were you born?" was Yuuri's first question.

Victor flipped through his mobile and pulled up a notepad. He would prefer to type out his answers so Yuuri wasn't struggling to keep up with his speech. He had noticed Yuuri having to pause all the time so he could make sure he got everything Victor said, and he didn't want to make it even more difficult on the younger man. Besides, it wasn't like he couldn't go out of his way. Yuuri was speaking aloud for his benefit despite not being able to hear himself, so the best he could do was reciprocate somehow to make the playing field equal.

St. Petersburg, along the Fontanka River. When did
you decide to start skating?

Yuuri held up eight fingers after a few seconds, a small, embarrassed smile on his face.

Victor thought it was funny because Yuuri must have been adorable! The mental image of a smaller Yuuri with a cute and chubby face assaulted his mind, and he almost giggled. He'd have to ask Mama Hiroko if there were any photos available. When Yuuri wasn't around of course. He didn't want to embarrass the other any further. At least not for this. He wasn't sure how much he could get away with yet and he wasn't going to try pushing too many boundaries at once.

"Why did you cut your hair?" Yuuri asked, voice low and a little pensive, eyes riveted.

Victor's jaw dropped. No one has asked him exactly why before. They just assumed he was growing out of it and wanted to be 'more manly'. He internally scoffed at the idea. Manliness had nothing to do with it. Gender actually had nothing to do with it really. Hairstyles should not be based on gender norms.

I lost a bet. If I won, Georgi would dye his hair pink. If
he won, I'd cut my hair. It was over a litter of puppies.
I said there would be more than five, he said less than
four. He was right, so my poor hair was chopped off the
next day.

Yuuri looked put out, and Victor smirked. "Did you like my long hair?"

A flush and a nod was his answer. Perhaps he should grow it out again? Would that interest Yuuri?

"Are you okay?"

Victor frowned. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Did he look ill or something? Was his hair falling out again? He hoped not. He would swear on whatever religious text was presented to him, that he had found a white hair the other day, and he was not looking forward to aging!

Yuuri shrugged as he reached for his own mobile. The minutes passed as Yuuri typed out what was no doubt a long reply, and turned the screen toward Victor once he finally finished with it.

Sometimes you look dead inside. Last year at the Grand
Prix Final. At the World Championships. Every now and
then you get this look and it doesn't suit you. I don't like
seeing it. And it bothers me to think that you aren't happy.

Yuuri's hazel eyes were intent, and focused very firmly on Victor's seated form. He didn't look like he was joking. He didn't seem to be trying to mess with Victor. He honestly thought something was wrong and was genuinely worried for Victor. It was touching in a way he hadn't anticipated, because the last person to be so worried for him mental, emotional, or physical health, had been his former coach. Said man who wasn't talking to him currently.

Knowing his own response would be long, Victor set to typing his own answer.

I'm fine most of the time. Sometimes I remember how far
I've come and the sacrifices I've made. And I realize how
close my career is to ending. And I feel like I've made this
big name for myself and it means nothing. And I look back
on my life and the best thing I've got to show for it is a
cabinet of medals of different colors. Nothing else.

Yuuri stared, his brows drawn together in confusion. "How? You've accomplished so much to be proud of!"

Victor sighed as he thought about it. It wasn't exactly something he liked to be reminded of, but he had agreed to the game and it was only fair to Yuuri to explain so that he might be able to comprehend.

I am friendly to everyone Yuuri, but I don't have a lot of
friends. I have competition. People I work with who measure
themselves against me in hopes of beating me at some point.
While I'm friendly with many, I don't have many friends.

And sometimes that thought would dig its way into his mind and wouldn't leave him alone. His career was coming to an end soon. He didn't have much to show for it beyond some shiny medals that weren't exactly medals any longer, and an empty flat. No family. Not many friends. Not many memories outside of figure skating. And it was sad to think about when let himself consider it.

"You have friends here."

Victor's eyes, bluer than any sky Yuuri had ever seen, widened slightly, before the Russian broke into a wide grin. Yuuri was suddenly feeling lighter in a sense. Because when Victor smiled at him, he found it easier to breathe in a sense. Victor was beautiful in many ways, and seeing him happy made Yuuri happy.

Victor had worries and problems just like everyone else. And he was anxious about his career and what he would do with his life once he was finished with competitions. It seemed that Yuuri had a lot to still learn about Victor Nikiforov. The man was just another twenty-something year old who was lost in life and unsure of where he was going. It was grounding for Yuuri in a sense.

Some Number One Fan he was though. He'd bragged over his knowledge of Victor, but he'd gone this long not knowing anything of real substance. How foolish he had been in his youth.

"Yuuri," Victor began, shuffling a little closer, "why is there a photo of you and a puppy surrounded by incense and candles in the storage room?"

Vic-chan. He'd seen the photo of them but as a foreigner he wouldn't understand the meaning.

"To pay our respects," Yuuri murmured, suddenly embarrassed at what it represented. He decided to just type the rest, not feeling capable of verbally admitting how deep his hero worship had gone at one point in his life. It was kind of mortifying to think about how much he had adored the man before him for so long.

I'm a big fan of yours as I'm sure you've guessed. When I
learned that you got a poodle, I got one too. And I named him
Victor. Vic-chan for short. Most Japanese families do the same
with the photo of a loved one who has passed. He passed during
the Grand Prix Final and it was a difficult time for me.

I came home and immediately paid my respects to him. It was
the right thing to do.

"Then you'll have to teach me what to do next time we visit, won't you?"

A nod was all he could manage at the moment. It was touching how Victor seemed to truly want to embrace the Japanese culture. Even if he showed next to no consideration for formality, he still tried his hardest, which was better than most foreign people Yuuri had met.

He used chopsticks even if he struggled. He refused to ask for a fork because he 'wanted to immerse himself' and 'truly get a feel for it'. He made sure to take his shoes off in the entryway and even straightened all the others out if they were a mess. Sometimes he even helped Yuuri's mother with the dishes if there was time and would marvel over the designs on their crockery and exclaim that everything was 'amazing'.

Victor was an angel sent from above, Yuuri was certain.

Yuuri had to think for a bit. What other things did he want to know about Victor? What had he been curious about for so long?

"When is your birthday?"

"December twenty-fifth."

Yuuri's eyes went wide. Of all the days! And why hadn't he know that before? He knew December, but not the exact date. He was slacking off as a fan and it was disgraceful.

"Why are you blushing?" Victor asked, obviously not understanding the implications.

"Nothing. It's your turn."

"Okay! Why are you blushing?"

Damn him!

"Christmas Eve is a lovers holiday here," he murmured quietly, absolutely refusing to look the man in the eye! "The festivities usually span several days however," explained Yuuri, adamantly staring out at the rushing waves and not at Victor's face.

Victor nodded however, and seemed to be riveted.

Moving on from there, Yuuri asked, "How many Poodles have you had?"

"Three."

Honestly, as Victor kept getting poodles that looked the same, it had been confusing to tell which was a new one.

Victor bent over his mobile, fingers typing as quickly as they could. He came up almost two minutes later to show Yuuri his next question.

Yuuri, I've noticed that you seem to struggle with opening yourself
up to people. Myself included despite how much I try to help you. I
was wondering if you needed me to assert a certain role for you. Yurio
wanted me only as a coach, and you seem to like me as a friend.
Others want me to be the champion I am. I'm just curious over what
role would be best for me to help you. Which you think would benefit you
the most?

'What role would be best?'

Should I be a father figure, or just a friend to you? Maybe a brother
you never had? Would that make it easier for you to open up?

"No!"

Yuuri pulled away a bit, feeling like he'd just been slapped in the face with the harsh truth. Victor was used to playing to people's expectations of him when off the ice. He put on that annoying, fake smile and was the charming young man the world thought him to be. Victor did this to keep everyone happy. He probably put on different attitudes and masks for others too. And he thought he should do the same to help Yuuri be comfortable and happy.

It was all to make everyone else happy at the expense of his own happiness. No wonder he looked dead inside so often when he thought no one was looking.

Yuuri stood suddenly, causing both dog and owner to look up at him in shock. "I just want you to be who you are! I don't need fake smiles and charming personalities. I just want Victor as himself and not someone he thinks he needs to be just for my sake!"

And Victor was looking so vulnerable there. A strange thing that Yuuri hadn't expected.

Victor's following smile was small but genuine, with eyes shining and full of emotion. And it honestly lifted Yuuri's spirits more than anything in the past few weeks ever could. It was breathtaking.

"Thank you, Yuuri."

A/N: Another is done!

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