Oh my God, the second last chapter! ;_; I'm actually kinda sad to see it almost ending... I'm happy I'll be able to finish it though! Usually, I just run out of steam before I can finish a fanfic that isn't a one-shot, but it looks like this one will get a proper ending~. I already have an idea for another multi-chapter YOI fanfic though so stay tooned for that!
By the time y'all are reading this, I'm probably already working on the very last chapter. I usually don't do this, but I think I might release this chapter before I have the rough draft for the final chapter done just because I feel like I haven't updated in a long time and I'd so excited to put this out! :D
Also a side-note: this is the longest chapter in this story so far! I don't plan on the last chapter being this long, but I guess anything's possible. Until then, this is officially the longest. lol
Shawazu's Galaxy - Thank you for the review! :D Ahh, I'm so happy to hear that you love this story that much!
Maedhros - Whoa, thanks a lot for that. I never thought of my writing as challenging the norms set my society for masculinity and how men should be, but you bring up a good point. Traditionally, men are viewed as physical protectors who go out and fight for their families or earn resources for them, but I've always seen Victor and Yuuri's relationship as being more about their emotional connection and how they protect each other by offering mutual, unconditional emotional support. I guess their depiction here is due in part to them being such great characters with a great relationship in the first place. xD Thanks so much though! It really made my day to hear that someone found my work to be thought provoking. :)
dauntlessofthesea - No, he hasn't yet! But you know~ Maybe soon~ I dunno~ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Orion Hunts - I'm glad people liked the different aspects of Yuuri's personality! I was a little worried that people might think that this sudden almost supernatural element would have been out of left field, but people seemed to like them a lot. :) And I'm glad you liked the scene with Eclipse! I really wanted her to be kind of a mysterious character up until that moment when the reader is given a chance to understand her and her anxiety a little better.
lashayluv - I'm so embarrassed to say that I still haven't seen that movie. D: *doesn't watch movies nearly as often as she should* Thanks for the review!
yohf - Here ya go! :D
Every Little Thing He Does is Magic
As soon as Yuuri got home with Victor and Makkachin that Wednesday night, Oksana was there with an ice pack and some pain killers. She wanted to chastise him for leaving without properly caring for his eye, but when she saw how content the couple was, she understood why he'd neglected to do so. As soon as Yuuri got in, Oksana whisked him away to his bedroom to have another look at him. Since Dr. Takeda only spoke Japanese, she'd had to ask Mari what his recommendation was.
"He shouldn't swell up too bad," the doctor had said before leaving. "Just give him some ice. He can have pain killers if he needs them. The blood vessels in the eye and nose are pretty close, so that's likely why he has a nosebleed. Since the paramedics said that should be fine and it doesn't look broken, I won't assume it's anything serious, but remember to call me if his condition worsens."
"Alright," said Mari as she held the door for him. "Thanks again, doctor."
The old man nodded at her before he left the house and the door closed behind him. It was then that Oksana's rosy little head peaked out slowly from behind the corridor, her thick red eyebrows pointing upwards with worry.
"Mari," she muttered. "What did he say? Will Yuura be alright?"
"He should be fine," the Japanese woman explained. "The doctor recommended ice and pain killers. He said we should call him again if things get worse."
Later, Yuuri found himself holding a pack of ice to his eye and looking down at the tray of food Oksana had brought for him. The family ended up eating dinner during the two hours that the two men were gone and it was a very quiet and awkward affair that Yuuri was secretly glad he missed. Victor sat beside Eclipse and Makkachin on the floor, his own tray of food in hand while Oksana tended to his boyfriend.
"How does it feel then, Yuura?" asked the redhead. "Do you need any pain killers?"
"It's a little sore, but I think I'm fine," replied Yuuri. "Do you really think I need this ice...?"
"Doctor's orders," said Oksana as she stood from adjusting Yuuri's pillows. "He said you shouldn't bruise too much, but I think it's best that we do as much to prevent any bruising at all as we can."
The Japanese skater sighed a little. He appreciated her concern, but he would have really just liked to relax instead of being fussed over. She was right though - he probably wouldn't even swell at this rate.
"Okay, time's up!" Oksana announced and gently took the ice pack from his hands. He only needed to keep it there for a few minutes every hour. She then began to set up a miniature table in the centre of the bedroom where the couple could finally eat their supper. "Now you two get some food in your stomachs and I'll be back in an hour."
"Thank you, Nurse Oksana," Victor grinned teasingly as Eclipse stood to leave with the muscular ginger.
The Olympic swimmer gave him a knowing smile, a wink and a peace sign. "That's Doctor Oksana, MD. And let me know if anything happens with him, Vitya!"
Victor and Yuuri ate together with Makkachin at the small table and then Yuuri showed his boyfriend Eclipse's scrapbook before Oksana made one last visit and they went to bed. Thursday was a lazy day for everyone. Every other day that week had required a lot of energy which was mostly spent walking or running all around Kyushu. It seemed like all of the drama of Wednesday had broken the group's momentum because right afterwards, they all seemed too pooped to do much more. Luckily, the mood had lightened significantly before breakfast. When Yuuri arrived in the dining room, Ivanna was already at the table with a cup of coffee, swirling her spoon around in the black liquid and staring into it with a troubled expression. Yuuri stepped aside slightly when he sensed someone coming up behind him and he soon realized when the other man touched his shoulder that Alexei had just arrived.
"H-hi Yuuri," he said, hesitating for a moment. "Um... I just wanted to know how you were feeling."
The Japanese man smiled at him. He felt no ill will toward Alexei even though he was sure the Russian must have thought he did by the way he was acting. "I'm alright. My cheek is still a little sore, but the doctor said I shouldn't bruise too much."
Alexei smiled back, still seeming a tad anxious. "Molto bene! I'm happy to hear it!"
After that, the space between them felt a little bit awkward as neither man could figure out what to do next. A moment later, Alexei glanced at where Ivanna was sitting and his mood seemed to shift as he watched her there. He was much more somber than when he had first entered the room. Alexei turned back to Yuuri then and gave him a friendly nod before making his way over to his older sister. The Japanese man watched the Russian as he made his way over, his advance slowing a bit as he got closer and closer. There was a certain hesitation in his step that caused his movement to halt slightly. Ivanna looked up at him when she noticed his red and white tripped shirt out of the corner of her vision.
"Uh-... Hey," Ivanna was a nervous herself. "Um, Alexei... About yesterday... I'm-"
"I'm so sorry!" Alexei blurted out before his sister could finish and then quickly wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders, shutting his eyes behind her. "I really had no idea about Ilya. I never wanted to put Vitya in danger and I never wanted for Yuuri to get hurt. But you're right – Ilya was way too old and I should have recognized that, so I'm sorry."
Yuuri was surprised by Alexei's actions, but Ivanna didn't look too shocked. Instead, she embraced him back, smiling warmly over the younger man's shoulder. Apparently, Sergei was right about his little brother being secretly very sensitive. Yulia, who had been observing the scene from her seat at the table, quietly stood.
Ivanna sighed with a small smile and held him tighter. "No, Alexei. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have accused you. I know you wouldn't have hurt Vitya on purpose. You were just trying to protect him – I understand that. I was just angry..."
Just then, Yuuri noticed that Eclipse had entered the room, just as slowly and mysteriously as a dark fog, but unlike on the day she had first came, Yuuri felt no unease when he saw her. Instead, he just beamed at the little Polish woman and she returned the gesture.
"I hate it when we fight like that..." muttered Alexei. His back was to the Japanese skater, so he couldn't see the dew drops accumulating at the outer corners of the Russian man's eyes, threatening to fall at any moment.
His older sister just patted his back comfortingly. "Me too. Although, you do always find some way to annoy me."
Alexei pulled back then, his lips curled up into a smile. "Isn't that what little brothers are for?"
Eclipse nudged Yuuri gently as the two siblings shared a laugh together and almost instantly, the initial awkwardness was diffused. When they had stopped, there was Yulia, smiling at both of them. She walked up to each of her siblings and gave them each a hug individually, glad to see that they were no longer fighting. Sergei and Victor had been watching as well and were now wearing matching grins as they glanced at each other. Grinning widely, Sergei picked up his youngest brother in his arms and squeezed him tightly, earning a surprised yelp and then an amused chuckle from the smaller man. Oksana too laughed at the gesture from her place beside the brothers. Anastasia just beamed at her adult children while Vladimir let out his own gravelly little chortle through his heart-shaped mouth.
Relieved to see all of the drama over with, the Japanese skater found his place beside his boyfriend at the table just as his family arrived with breakfast. Immediately, the Katsukis sensed the reduced tension and they too seemed to relax significantly.
After the disruption of the previous day, it was decided that the group would play it by ear and take a break. Most of the day was spent doing things around the inn. Yuuri and Victor took Makkachin for a walk after breakfast, then they took Anastasia, Ivanna, and Sergei over to Minako's snack bar. Minako, of course, nearly fainted at the sight of the celebrated old prima ballerina who she could remember looking up to herself. Mrs. Nikiforov was more than happy to humour the younger woman in her fangirl moment. For lunch, the group went on a short bus ride to Yobuko, a former village which had joined with Hasetsu very recently. There, they sampled the fresh squid sashimi that the area was known for. Then, they visited the Yobuko Big Bridge before heading back to the inn to relax and freshen up before dinner. The two families were slowly beginning to get their energy back, but Yuuri seemed deep in thought the entire day. He had decided that he wanted to confess to Victor, but he couldn't figure out how. Throughout their relationship, the element of surprise always seemed to follow them as the two men loved and inspired each other each and every day. For that reason, Yuuri didn't just want to tell Victor that he loved him. He wanted it to be special, but what could he do at such short notice? While Victor was in the den, challenging his father to another game of poker, Yuuri sat as his desk with a pen and paper, concentrating hard like he was trying desperately to capture the words swimming about in his head. Come on, Yuuri, he thought. Think! Slowly, the pen began to move.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Your hair is silver,
And I love you.
Yuuri stared at the page before hastily tearing it out of his notebook and stuffing it in the trash. No way, he thought. What was I thinking?! I mean, that might have been pretty good for a seven year-old but... Ugh... He tried again.
Dear Vicchan,
My heart stops when you look at me with your oceanic blue eyes. The world seems brighter when you smile. I always knew why, but now I can say it: I'm in love with you, Victor.
No, that wasn't it either. Sighing, Yuuri tore the paper out and it suffered the same fate as the first. Something about that one just didn't sound right. Frustrated, the Japanese skater laid his head on his desk and closed his eyes. How is it that he'd spent so long searching for the courage to announce his feelings and now that he had found it, he knew not how to articulate himself? Seemed like a rather cruel twist of fate that he'd finally gotten over his stage fright only to have nothing to say, so he absently doodled for a little while to see if it would jumpstart inspiration. Just when Yuuri was going to take a break, there was a knocking at his door.
"Come in," he responded before Alexei poked his silvery grey head in.
"Yuuri," Alexei said with his very slight accent, pushing the door open gently to let himself in. "Mrs. Catskey has made some dora-yakee. Would you like any?"
"Not right now," Yuuri replied, his pencil still moving lazily about the page. "But thanks..."
Alexei nodded before placing his hand on the door knob to close it behind him. "Alright then," but he paused when he saw Yuuri busy at his desk and the things on the page caught his eye. "Um... If you don't mind me asking, what are you up to?"
Suddenly embarrassed, Yuuri yelped and quickly covered the stylized 'Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov' surrounded by hearts and little Crayon Shin-chan-esque drawings of himself and Victor getting married which he had been absently penciling with both his arms. "N-nothing!"
But the Russian man had already seen most of the romantic drivel that Yuuri had written for Alexei's baby brother on the lined notebook paper. He gasped suddenly and clasped his hands in front of him. "Yuuri, are you writing a love letter to Vitya?"
"N-no! I mean... Y-yes... I mean...!"
"Oh, that's exactly what he needs!" Alexei exclaimed.
The Japanese man looked a little surprised. "What he needs?"
"Yeah, haven't you noticed?" asked Victor's older brother. "Vitya was... A little more shaken up than the rest of us about... Well, about what happened recently. He seems a little more like himself now, but there's still a certain energy that's missing... Anyway, I think that something like this would really cheer him up, so good thinking!"
"Oh, uh," Yuuri stammered. "Yeah, of course. Thanks."
It was true that Yuuri had noticed that Victor still wasn't back to 100%, but he'd figured that maybe his boyfriend just needed a little bit more time. He seemed happy for the most part anyway. The love letter idea was mostly just so that Yuuri could finally tell Victor of his love for him.
Alexei let himself back into the room and took a seat in the chair next to Yuuri's desk, sitting backwards in the chair so that he could cross his arms over the back and lay his chin on top. "So! What have you got so far? Or is it private? Do you need any help?"
"Uh..." Yuuri wasn't sure if he wanted help from one of Victor's brothers of all people to make a love note, but the platinum blond beside him seemed to excited to have found something to lift his baby brother's spirits and maybe if Yuuri could spend more time with Alexei, he would warm up to him even faster. I suppose it can't hurt..., the figure skater thought. "Well... I'm kind of having trouble knowing where to start..."
"Ah, I see. Remember this, Yuuri: 'A love letter can be very short or it can be long; it can be literary or non-literary; it can be bright or dark, cheerful or tragic. But above all, for a love letter to be a love letter it must be sincere!' – Mehmet Murat ildan."
Yuuri nodded slowly. "Yes... So, you have an idea of where I can start?"
Alexei closed his eyes in thought then, crossing his thin arms over his fragile-looking chest. Then, a thought struck him. "I can't come up with anything!"
The Japanese man's expression fell and he tilted his head toward one side.
"But!" continued the Russian excitedly. "I know who could!"
My dearest Victor,
I am afraid that I have neglected your feelings for far too long, and yet, still you are here at my side. You have endured much strife and loneliness in your pursuit of my fragile, hesitant heart, but starting today, you will be ignored no longer, for I will shout it from the rooftops: I love you, Victor Nikiforov! I love you with every breath, every fibre, every bit of life within me! And I am eternally blessed that I might find the same in you. The only Heaven I have ever known lies in that beating heart within your chest and with this letter, I claim it as my own.
Yours, now and forever,
Yuuri Katsuki.
The young skater stared at the page with his mouth hanging open. It was well written of course, but it was a little too good. Way too good. There was no way that this sounded like something he'd penned himself. And in any case, he had only asked for a little inspiration to start him off. It seemed insincere to have Victor's sister write the entire thing herself.
"Hmmm," Yulia said when she saw what she interpreted as his dissatisfaction. "Perhaps it should sound more passionate?"
"No, no, it sounds good," Yuuri assured her. "But this is way beyond anything I would have written."
"I see," she replied, and said the next bit without any intention to offend. "So I shall dumb it down?"
The Japanese man began to sweat a little. "N-no, it's fine. I really just wanted to write it myself."
"Yuuri, I've been thinking..." Alexei interjected, his index finger on his chin as he laid across the middle of the bed Yuuri and Victor shared, his fluffy white head hanging upside-down off the edge. "How do you plan on delivering this exactly?"
"Oh, well, I was probably just going to..." actually, Yuuri hadn't thought this far ahead just yet. "Umm... Maybe just... hand it to him?"
When Alexei looked thoughtful again, Yuuri sighed. He couldn't just hand Victor a love letter – what was he thinking? How unromantic was that? Then, the Russian man had yet another smart idea. "I know! Why don't you deliver it as a speech at dinner tonight?"
"W-what?!" Yuuri exclaimed, nearly jumping to his feet.
"Oh, Vitya would love that," Yulia smiled meekly.
"He would!" the male twin grinned as he turned himself over to lay on his stomach, legs danging in the air behind him. "And wouldn't it make a lot of sense? You said you haven't felt comfortable yet telling Vitya about your feelings. Wouldn't it be a complete turn-around if you can say it in a public setting?"
"I mean... I guess, but..."
"Then it's settled!" announced Alexei, excitedly. He stood then and grabbed his cellphone out of his pocket. "Don't fret, Yuuri! I'll have it all planned out. You just work on your speech and leave everything to Yulia and I!"
And with that, before Yuuri could say anything more, the twins had taken their leave, looking like they were already busy. The Japanese skater just stared at the door, looking like a deer in headlights. What had he gotten himself into?
There were only two hours left before the dinner. After what felt like hundreds of re-writes, Yuuri had finally prepared his short speech. Currently, he was practicing in the mirror while Alexei and Ivanna planned out his outfit. He had to look nice for the occasion, of course, but Yuuri could definitely due without the butterflies zooming about in the pit of his stomach.
Ivanna sighed a little as she perused Yuuri's closet, trying to choose something ravishing among the rather drab selection of colours. Yuuri had some nice pieces in his wardrobe, but if it wasn't some sort of athletic gear, it was usually something that emphasized comfort over style. A couple of the more fashionable things Ivanna could tell were chosen by Victor himself, but none were exactly what she was looking for. "It's a little short notice to be employing my services, but I suppose this is an emergency, so we must make do."
"I wonder if he'd fit some of my clothing..." Alexei wondered aloud, putting one of Yuuri's old black blazers against his chest to compare. He was already dressed up very nicely himself, and Yuuri noted that he, like Victor, seemed to have expensive taste. Suddenly struck with a flash of inspiration, Alexei hanged the blazer back up where it was and made for the door. "I'll be right back!"
As the fairy-like man zipped down the hallway back to he and Eclipse's shared room, he happened to pass Victor going in the opposite direction. Like his brother, Victor was also sharply dressed in his designer midnight blue suit with baby blue accents. Alexei's suit, on the other hand, was more of a wine red with touches of burgundy and his fluffy hair seemed much more controlled than usual. As the brothers approached and looked each other over, they slowed their motion to a casual stroll in either direction, chins up in the air like men of wealth and influence. It was a thing they liked to do with each other, and sometimes with Ivanna if she wanted to join in – since they were all into high fashion, they were each knowledgeable enough to guess with pretty good accuracy who designed what the others were wearing.
As the space between the brothers began to close, Victor turned his head slightly toward Alexei, his half-lidded eyes on the man's shoes with a silver brow raised in amusement. "Alexander McQueen?"
Alexei grinned at the correct guess and did a similar motion toward the shoes his brother was wearing. "Jimmy Choo?"
Victor winked before turning his gaze back to his front. "Cooler than cool."
Alexei chuckled slyly and imitated the action. "Ice cold."
The two dorks continued in their respective directions, giggling a little once they were able to break character, then when his baby brother was out of sight, Alexei sprinted away to get the articles he needed before Victor could come back.
Meanwhile, Yuuri was standing in front of his mirror and trying to subtly sniff himself without Ivanna noticing. He had been sweating so much with nervousness, he was worried he might have just voided the shower he'd just had only an hour ago. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind for the way he would confess to Victor, but it was true that if all went off without a hitch, Victor would probably be in tears with happiness. Yuuri sighed. I'm doing this for Victor, he told himself, inhaling deeply. This will probably make Victor's whole night...
"So!" Yuuri yelped and nearly jumped a foot above the ground when Ivanna touched his shoulder, grinning a wide heart-shaped grin. "How ya feeling?"
"Honestly?" the young man said once he'd calmed down. "I feel like a nervous wreck."
"Aw, don't feel that way!" the silver-haired woman chuckled and placed her other hand on his free shoulder, resting her chin at his side and looking at him through the mirror. "Alexei and I are gonna make sure you're super cute tonight – even more than usual – and I just know your speech will be absolutely adorable, so it's all gonna be great."
A small smile graced Yuuri's features. "Thanks."
"No problem!" Ivanna said, freeing him from her grasp, but the younger man still had a bit of a nervous look in his eyes. His hands still shook nervously against his desk. After a brief pause, Ivanna spoke again. "Hey, Yuura?"
He looked up to meet her gaze through the mirror. "Yeah?"
"Look..." Ivanna then went to her purse and sifted through it. When she had found what she was looking for, she returned to Yuuri's side. Yuuri looked at her hands to see two tiny bottles of some sort of alcohol. "Have one. I think it'll loosen you up!"
Yuuri's hands quickly shot up in front of him. He remembered all too well what happened the last time he was drunk. "Oh, no! I shouldn't."
"Aw, you sure?" the platinum blond woman pouted. "Not even a little bit? They're peach schnapps~!"
The Japanese man regarded the small bottles again. As much as he hated to admit it, he was kind of a fan of fruit flavoured alcohol and the size seemed so small. One wouldn't hurt, right? Maybe just a little something would calm his nerves. He shrugged. "Well... Alright."
Ivanna grinned and handed Yuuri the little glass bottle. They popped both the bottles open and tilted their heads backwards to unload their contents. Yuuri felt the sweet beverage roll down his throat and into his stomach, leaving a pleasantly warm sensation in its wake. Before long, the entire little bottle was empty and the young skater was beginning to feel just a tad calmer.
"You know, I actually do feel better," Yuuri smiled when he had finished, his nerves settling slightly.
"Awesome!" Ivanna said, satisfied with her work before she situated herself behind him and began tousling his dark tresses. "Now, let's see what we can do with your hair while Alexei's gone."
"Victor usually just slicks it back," said Yuuri, laying the bottle down on his desk.
Ivanna scrunched up her face in thought. "True... And that is a good look for you. I've seen you rock it on TV. But let's try something else, yeah? Surprise Vitya a little?"
Victor did love surprises. Yuuri nodded. "Yeah, okay! But, what are you gonna do?"
The Russian woman grinned and picked up a fine toothed comb from the desk. "Why don't we try this?"
It wasn't long before everyone was about to meet in the foyer just an hour before the time for their reservation. Otabek let Yuuri know that he and Russian Yuri were on their way – they would be taking a taxi from their hotel to get there. Ivanna, however, had booked a limousine for the Nikiforovs and the Katsukis earlier that day. Currently, Victor was pacing in front of the door, Makkachin beside him in a cute little bow tie which matched the colours on his owner's suit. Of course, Victor planned on bringing his beloved animal with him to the restaurant. Victor had a way with people where he could charm just about anyone into doing as he asked, and he'd become so good at it that he wasn't even the least bit worried about having to take Makkachin back home if he failed. It simply wouldn't happen. That said, it wasn't this that he was thinking of as he walked back and forth. It was almost time for them to leave and Yuuri, Yulia, Alexei and Ivanna still hadn't come down.
Victor looked at his expensive watch again. Time was flying by. What could be taking them so long? He could have sworn he'd seen Alexei fully dressed at least and when he'd passed Ivanna earlier and correctly guessed that she was wearing Prada, she'd seemed ready to go as well. Yuuri had made himself scarce all day so Victor wasn't so sure about him. He just hoped he wasn't going to come in that ugly blue tie Victor hated.
Vladimir sat at a small chair in the old black suit he wore to both his sons' weddings, holding his cane in front of him. "Where are they?"
"I just check on them," said Anastasia in her long elegant sky blue dress. "They are coming."
"If they don't get here soon, they might give our reservation to someone else," sighed Mari, in a simple but pretty black dress with her blond-tipped hair flowing past her shoulders.
"We're here! We're here!" everyone heard Alexei shout as the four made their way down the hall.
Alexei and Ivanna were smartly dressed of course and Yulia wore her best black habit, but when Yuuri made his way into the foyer, he nearly stole all of the air from Victor's lungs.
"I hope we're not late!" the Japanese man said excitedly, not yet noticing his boyfriend staring wide-eyed at him. Yuuri's dark hair had been styled into volumized strands that curled gently at the ends and framed his face, a look that made good use of the extra growth he'd accumulated since the Grand Prix Final. This was paired with a very expensive silvery grey satin-finish blazer with a lightly embossed floral pattern near the right shoulder and soft black trim along the breast pocket and lapel. Underneath, he wore a white dress shirt, a trendy black tie, and a matching silver vest. The trousers were slightly darker than the rest of the outfit because Yuuri's muscular thighs wouldn't fit into the matching pants he was going to borrow from Alexei, but the colour change wasn't noticeable. The overall slim fit of the suit hugged Yuuri's body well (as Victor most certainly noticed) and the look was topped off with a pair of designer men's shoes – also borrowed from Alexei.
"Whoa!" Sergei exclaimed, standing from where he was with a wide grin on his face. "Yuuri, you look amazing!"
"Dapper AF," Mari grinned, looking impressed with a hand on her hip.
"Oh, you're adorable!" Oksana squeaked, both her hands in front of her face. Her brown eyes kept darting between Yuuri and Victor as she gleefully watched the latter's reaction.
"Ah, thanks!"
"So handsome, Yuura!" Anastasia squealed beside a near swooning Hiroko. Eclipse snapped photos and even the two fathers, Vladimir and Toshiya, looked amazed.
"You sure clean up good, Yuuri!" Toshiya grinned proudly.
"Yes, excellent," said Vladimir. Alexei and Ivanna simply looked at each other as if to silently congratulate themselves for their victory. Yulia was caught their gazes as well and chuckled slightly at her twin and older sister.
"Thank you so much," Yuuri replied shyly. He turned his attention to Victor now, who was still staring wordlessly. "Uh, Victor...? So uh, what do you think?"
The Russian man just continued to stare for a while before one single name escaped his lips. "... Steve Madden?"
That was correct. Yuuri knew this game. He smiled and looked at Victor's shoes, realizing quickly why he himself never played Guess the Designer. "Um... Gucci?"
Everyone watched as the still wide-eyed Victor shook his head slowly and stepped forward to take Yuuri's hand in his. "No... Jimmy Choo."
"Oh... Well uh... Cooler than cool?"
"You look... Ethereal..." Victor was completely forgetting the rules of his own game as he stared at Yuuri with a rose-tinted gaze and a dreamy smile. He looked like he wanted to just run his hands through Yuuri's soft hair and kiss his boyfriend right then and there, their game of Guess the Designer be damned.
"He means to say, 'ice cold'," Alexei filled in, he and Ivanna standing at either side of the couple as if watching their hard work pay off.
"Okay, let's be off!" exclaimed Ivanna excitedly as she shooed the two men along.
With that, Victor held Yuuri's hand tighter and lead him toward the door, Makkachin trotting along beside them. Alexei and Ivanna exchanged a quick high five and another look praising each other's genius before joining their party in the limo. During the ride to the restaurant, Yuuri almost forgot to be nervous for the speech he was supposed to be giving as he sat next to Victor, who had an arm gently draped over his shoulders to keep the younger man close. As shy as Yuuri could be sometimes, he had to admit that he was loving the attention. His insecurity seemed at peace as he laid his head on Victor's shoulder, actually feeling very attractive for once outside of his Eros program. The young skater was thankful that his beau apparently didn't recognize that half of what he wore actually belonged to his brother. That might make things a little awkward.
When they finally arrived, Yuri and Otabek were just outside of the eatery, looking quite fashionable in their semi-formal clothing. Truth be told, Yuuri was just a tad over-dressed for the occasion, but he looked so good that no one would likely fault him for it. When the limo pulled up and the group of people flooded out, it was the Japanese skater who again garnered attention.
Both Yurio and Otabek regarded him for a split second in the same way that two fifth grade boys might regard their school friend's attractive single mother, but only for a fraction of a second. Then, they promptly snapped out of it, Otabek looking a little embarrassed and Yuri covering his momentary humiliation with anger like he always did, but he just didn't have the heart to berate the Japanese man for his attire, so the two young men said very little about it. As he stepped out of the limo himself, Victor saw the two and had to stifle a giggle at their boyish mannerisms.
"Otabek! Yurachka!" Anastasia called, one hand on her cheek. "Oh, you are so adorable with your little pony's tail!"
"Thank you, Mrs. Nikiforov," Yuri replied, trying not to sound too fiery even though that little slip up of his was still pissing him off.
"Good evening," Otabek said plainly, recovering quickly.
"Did you boys have to wait long?" asked Oksana.
"No, we just arrived," explained the Kazakhstani skater.
"Well, let's go in~!" Victor grinned, leading Yuuri by the hand once again, Makkachin following happily. The platinum blond gave Yuuri a sly look over his shoulder that said it all: He wanted everyone to know that this was what he got to go home to every night. The look would have made Yuuri blush before, but tonight, he was feeling himself so he was able to give Victor a sly grin in return. And so, the two entered the restaurant, but Victor was sure to flash a wink in Yurio's direction first because he loved being an infuriating little pain in the boy's ass. Otabek placed a hand on the younger Yuri's shoulder then, trying to calm the scowling teen before they entered the building themselves.
Dinner seemed to go by all too quickly. Once Yuuri had come down from his high (because it had to eventually), he suddenly remembered the piece of paper folded hastily in his pocket. He remembered the words written on it and every time he looked at the small stage where the jazz band was playing, he could see himself proclaiming his love to the world... and then probably tripping over a wire or some other horrible fate. Sergei had called earlier that day to convince the manager to give Yuuri five minutes, just five minutes of time. In just a half hour, he would be up there, probably feeling dizzy with his clammy palms and shaking hands. Alexei had ordered a bottle of champagne for the table (and a non-alcoholic rosé for Otabek, Yulia and little Yuri, the latter of which grumbled something in Russian about the damned legal drinking age in Japan) of which Yuuri was currently nursing a glass between already sweaty fingers as he stared into the distance, not really hearing the chatter at the table.
"Yuuri?"
The Japanese man nearly jumped when Victor called his name. "Are you alright? You look troubled."
"No, no, I'm fine," Yuuri smiled, but his boyfriend continued to stare at him, remembering the last time he'd asked about how Yuuri was feeling and how that ended up. "No, really, Vicchan. I'm okay." Yuuri patted Victor's knuckles almost as if to offer him comfort.
"Alright," the Russian nodded, returning the smile.
But Yuuri wasn't really okay. Actually, he felt like he might vomit. "Eh, I'm gonna go to the bathroom," he said, standing up. "I'll be right back."
Victor could only blink because his boyfriend was already gone before he could say anything. Luckily, Yuuri didn't vomit, but he did end up over by the bar, his head in his hands as he sat at the stool. The anxiety was building up inside him again and the schnapps were starting to wear off a little. Yuuri sighed. How had he gotten himself into this? Yuuri was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Sergei's heavy body strolling over and taking up the seat next to him, his large form upon the stool looking like a huge lollipop on the end of a too-skinny stick.
"Yuura!" Sergei exclaimed in his loud whisper. "Are you nervous?"
That was the second time that night that Yuuri was startled by a Nikiforov suddenly seeming to morph into existence beside him, but he quickly composed himself and nodded. He couldn't believe that he'd actually missed the presence of a giant such as Sergei. He must have been really nervous. "I just can't seem to get over these nerves."
"Ah," cooed Sergei as he leaned a slight bend into the bar and took a short trip down Memory Lane. "I remember being very nervous when I first confessed to my kotonok. We were supposed to do an Ironman Triathlon together after which I would tell her how I felt, but I had so much anxiety, I broke out in hives the day before!"
"So... What did you do?" Yuuri asked, curiously.
Sergei chuckled and the bar shook to the rhythm of his mirth. "Oksana is such a sweetheart, she pulled out of the competition to nurse me back to health even though I told her to go on without me. Then, well, the confession sort of just slipped out when she was giving me medicine. She was showing so much of her love to me in that moment, I guess I couldn't hold it in any longer."
The smaller man sat in silence as he digested the story, nodding a little. After all of that build up and even making himself sick with worry, Sergei ended up confessing by accident, his heart spilling over when Oksana showed just how much she cared. Yuuri wished that it could come to him that easily. He had already decided that he would confess to Victor, so that was definite, but he could probably do without these butterflies flitting about incessantly in his stomach. Suddenly, there was a huge hand covering Yuuri's shoulder and he looked up to see Sergei flashing him a reassuring smile.
"Try not to worry, Yuura," he said in a voice that was strangely soothing given its higher than normal volume. "If you truly love Vitya, you'll find the strength to tell him. And after what happened with Ilya, I can see that you do care for him deeply. Even Alexei was impressed," he paused for a second and pondered about how that last part sounded before deciding to add a little bit so it didn't come off the wrong way. "Horrified at what happened, of course, but impressed."
"Really?!" Yuuri gasped. Had he actually managed to satisfy Alexei's steep expectations?
Sergei nodded. "I think you just might have won him over."
This news made Yuuri feel a lot better and he temporarily forgot about the fact that he was about to get up in front of the entire restaurant to profess his love. Before he knew it, a shot was being thrusted at him by Sergei.
"Let's celebrate!" the titan laughed, a full shot glass in his hand.
Yuuri grinned back and downed the shot quickly, not even asking what was in the glass. He soon regretted that because whatever it was, it was strong and caused him to start coughing when it burned his throat. This was nothing like the peach schnapps he had earlier - in fact, it tasted of nothing but rubbing alcohol - but the effect was immediate and a surge of alcohol-induced energy pulsed through Yuuri's body.
"Wooo, damn!" Yuuri croaked, pulling a face. "That's... strong!"
But Sergei was laughing too loud to hear him. The large man slammed his glass onto the bar before tilting his head back and letting out a howling cackle. He then slapped Yuuri on the back causing the smaller man to fly forward slightly. The bartender actually stepped backward as if to avoid being hit in the face when Yuuri would be sent hurdling over the bar by the giant Russian man. The Japanese skater, meanwhile, was starting to feel the full effects of the mystery drink combined with the champagne he'd been sipping on earlier mixing with the lingering high of the peach schnapps.
"That'll put some hair on your chest!" chuckled Sergei loudly, attracting the attention of a few other people at the bar.
Yuuri nodded, a slow smile playing at his lips. "I feel it."
Sergei was still laughing when the twins suddenly appeared behind them.
"Yuuri, what are you still doing here?!" exclaimed Alexei. "You need to be back stage! It's almost time!"
"S-stage?" asked Yuuri, the anxiety flooding back into him.
Alexei looked exasperated and gently grabbed the other man's arm. "Yes! Eclipse is setting up as we speak, but you need to be back there!"
The twins and Yuuri left Sergei at the bar waving happily as they made their way to their destination.
"Good luck, Yuura!" the giant called. "I'll be cheering you on!"
It was at this point as he ascended the stairs behind the curtain that everything was beginning to become more real for Yuuri. He was really going to do this. He was going to confess the Victor, the love of his life, on stage in front of everyone in about fifteen minutes. Everything felt so surreal, he almost couldn't even remember where he'd hidden his speech.
Eclipse was setting up all of her high quality equipment around the stage, attracting the attention of many patrons, including the table where the Katsukis, the Nikiforovs, and their two guests sat. By now, Sergei had returned to his spot, but Victor noticed that his boyfriend did not return with him.
"Um, what's going on...?" Victor asked everyone. "Where have Yuuri and the twins gone? Why does Eclipse have all her equipment...?"
Everyone but Victor, Yuri, and Otabek knew exactly what was about to happen and they all looked about at each other with frantic looks in their eyes despite their calm faces, each of them searching for some excuse.
"Eh, Y-Yuura's just having a hard time in the bathroom!" Sergei blurted out, almost immediately regretting the fact that washroom-related troubles were the first and only thing he could think of to explain Yuuri's absence.
"A-and the twins went to help him!" added Ivanna before she realized with horror what she had just said when Victor gave her a thoroughly confused look. The rest of the table looked even more horrified than she felt.
Yuri scrunched up his nose with disgust while Otabek's eyebrows furrowed. "The twins are helping Yuuri in the bathroom...?" Yuri repeated flatly.
Ivanna began to sweat. "I-I mean... They uh... Went out to the store to get him medicine... Y-yeah, that's it!"
Victor pulled out his chair, his confused expression turning into a worried one. "Maybe I should go check on him."
"NO!" shouted the entire table sans Yuri and Otabek, who both jumped at the sudden noise. Victor looked at everyone with wide blue dumbfounded eyes.
"W-well uhh," Mari stuttered. "Y-Yuuri gets like this sometimes, but he'll be fine."
"Oh yes, he just gets a little indigestion from time to time!" Hiroko giggled nervously.
"He gets it from me!" Toshiya explained, pointing at himself with a wide grin, causing Victor to sweat a little.
"Vitya, don't you think Yuura might be little bit embarrassed for you to see him like this?" asked Anastasia.
Victor nodded with a sigh, returning slowly to his seat. "I suppose you're right..."
"So, what's up with the paparazzi gear?" asked Yurio before stuffing lettuce from his salad into his mouth. All besides those not in the know immediately tensed up again and Yuri gave them all a suspicious look. What the hell is their problem...? he thought.
"Eclipse just loves making memories," Oksana explained, her entire forehead covered in sweat despite her calm demeanor.
"She must really want some good pictures," Victor commented, a silver brow raising slightly. "She's usually fine with just her digital camera..."
"Yeah," Oksana said with a nervous chuckle. "That must be it."
At that moment, Yuri pushed his chair out from the table, dropping his fork against his plate. "I'll be back," he announced. He started to rise but paused and discretely nudged Otabek in the ribs earning and confused look from his older friend. The little blond Russian flashed him a look before slowly walking toward the bathrooms.
After a few seconds, Otabek rose as well. "Excuse me," the tall skater muttered before also making his way over to the restroom. Once there, he began searching the empty room for Yuri until suddenly, the young man was forcefully pulled by the back of his blazer into a stall with a little yelp. The door shut behind him and he saw Yuri, crouched upon the lidded toilet seat with his blazer still in his pale hands.
"Y-Yuri!?" Otabek stammered.
"Ssh!" the Russian boy hissed and then spoke in a hushed tone. "Beka, something's going on out there. I know it."
"Yuri, what are you doing in here? And why did you pull me in?"
"So that we can get some privacy. What does it look like?"
Otabek glanced around the tight space, noticing uncomfortably that there was only really room for him to stand where he was and for Yuri to stay were he was crouched above the toilet. "Can't we just stand outside? This is awkward."
"What if one of them comes in here?" the boy asked.
"Then they're going to wonder why we're alone in a stall together..."
That thought made Yuri's entire face turn beet red. He hadn't thought of that. Within seconds, the two boys were standing in front of the restroom mirror, contemplating the current situation.
"Yuuri's not in here," said Yuri thoughtfully. "And he's not at the table, so where is he?"
"It seemed like the only person other than us who didn't know what Victor," Otabek reasoned as he washed his hands. He hadn't used the washroom, but just being in there made him feel a little dirty. "It's probably a surprise for him."
The young Russian thought for a little bit before sighing and pulling out the band which was holding his ponytail in place. He slid the accessory onto his wrist and wet his hands underneath the tap briefly before running both hands along the sides of his head, carefully arranging his blond hair into place before pulling it all back up into a ponytail. Satisfied with how much cleaner the hairstyle looked, Yurio backed away from the counter, still deep in thought. "A surprise for Victor... But what? What the hell is that piggie planning?"
Otabek was over at the hand dryer, letting the machine blow the excess moisture from his hands, and behind him, Yuri gasped suddenly. "Beka!" the teen nearly screamed turning toward his friend. "You don't think that... Yuuri's gonna propose, do you?!"
The young man shrugged a little. "I don't know. I thought they were already engaged, to be honest."
"Is he really going to propose to Victor on stage in front of all these people?" Yuri asked, but he wasn't really talking to Otabek as much as he was himself. The teenager's back was to the counter now and his arms were folded in front of him as he seemed to stare at a particular freckle in the marble flooring. "But that's so... cheesy. Why doesn't he do something more low key and private? He's going to humiliate himself like this!"
Otabek said nothing and was just listening to his friend rant to himself as he removed his hands from the dryer.
"Damn it, piggie," Yuri cursed. "You're going to embarrass yourself and Victor on what's possibly the most important day of your life?!"
The older skater walked to Yuri's side then, looking at him through the mirror. "Should we go back to the table?"
"No."
"Then what?"
Yuri growled, but not at Otabek. "Fuck... It's going to make everything a lot harder if that asshole actually does embarrass himself."
"So what are we going to do about it?"
"We'll have to find him and make sure she doesn't make an ass of himself," grumbled Yuri. "Sorry, Beka. Looks like the piggie's forced our hands. If we don't do something, he'll regret it for the rest of his life."
Otabek smiled and chuckled slightly. "Yes, of course. We're doing this for Yuuri and Victor's sake." This has nothing to do with you just wanting to be involved...
"Exactly!" exclaimed the blond as he made his way toward the door. "Now let's go see if we can find him before he does something cringe-worthy. Damned Victor and the pig... Always having to be saved by me..."
The other man's smile grew behind Yuri's retreating back. That boy loved Victor and Yuuri whether he knew it or not and even if he wouldn't admit his feelings, the truth was not hidden at all to Otabek's careful eyes. After a moment, Otabek joined his friend as they set out to find Yuuri.
Meanwhile, things were a little hectic backstage. Yuuri was sitting on a stool, barely noticing the fact that he was acting a little silly after all the alcohol. Alexei didn't notice either as he was running about talking to staff and getting things ready. For his darling baby brother's sake, his night had to be perfect because little Vitya deserved the very best. In the meantime, Yulia was helping Yuuri rehearse, but things were not exactly going as she planned.
"Yuliaaaa," drawled Yuuri, trying to loosen his expensive tie. "This thing's too tight~"
"Yuura, please," insisted Yulia in her unassuming little voice, swatting Yuuri's hands away and readjusting the tie. "Focus. We need for this to be perfect."
"I'm sorry!" Yuuri whined. "I just keep forgettin' stuff and..."
"What has gotten into you?" the woman asked, both of her grey eyebrows raising into a concerned expression. "Is it your nerves? Is that why you're fumbling your speech?"
Yuuri groaned in response. "Aw man, I'm losin' it, dude..."
Yulia decided to ignore the fact that he'd just called her "dude" and chalked it up to really bad stage fright. She sighed, putting her hands on her knees to bend over and meet him at his level. "Listen, Yuura. You have nothing to be nervous about. You have a beautiful speech planned and you'll only be up there for five minutes anyway. It'll be over before you-"
"White wine?"
There was a server who had been walking about with a tray upon which a few wine flutes sat elegantly, the contents within them barely moving as he buzzed about, offering the beverages to all of the smartly dressed jazz musicians who were waiting patiently for their chance to perform. Yulia and Yuuri looked at the server then at each other. The nun obviously would not have any, but Yuuri regarded the transparent pale golden liquid with more than a little desire in his eyes.
Yulia's shoulders lifted, indicating her discomfort, as she saw the way the young man was looking at the alcohol. She sighed then, as if relenting. The wine might just calm his nerves and then he might not fumble as much on stage. Yulia got an almost desperate look then, with both her hands up in little fists in front of her chest. "Yuura, please do whatever you need to do to make Vitya happy. I will turn my back as you do it and I will say an extra prayer tonight for both of us!"
With that, she was gone as quickly as the wind, her dark habit flowing behind her. If it had to be done, it had to be done, but she didn't want to see the deed with her pious eyes. Even back at the table, she averted her eyes whenever she saw Victor or Yuuri take a sip. They were both adults and perfectly legal of course, but somehow, perhaps through her biological brother's love for him, she'd come to also see Yuuri as someone she had to protect from the ills of the world - not just her darling little Victor.
Just as Yulia left, Yuri and Otabek made their way in. Yuri almost stopped the nun when he saw her, but by the time he'd turned around, she was already gone. With a shrug, he turned back and continued on his way, only to hear a loud "OTABEEEE~K!".
Before the Russian teenager's eyes, Yuuri Katsuki had his friend in a near headlock under his arm, a half-empty champagne flute in his free hand and a big, goofy grin on his face. Otabek looked almost horrified, his eyes begging his friend to help him as he was unused to such close physical contact with the Japanese skater. Yuri couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Hey duuuude!"slurred the older Yuuri. "What're you doin' here?"
"You... you...!" Yuri was speechless.
"And Yurio's here too~! Now, it's a party!"
"Yuri..." Otabek muttered pitifully. "Help..."
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" the teen stormed angrily, pulling poor Otabek out of Yuuri's grasp. "Getting so damn drunk at a time like this... What's wrong with you?!"
Yuuri giggled, swaying a little bit and taking another wine flute from the server's tray when the man's back was turned. "It's really good~! I feel great! I's aaaaall good now!"
"Are you listening to me?!" Yurio shrieked as Yuuri shot finger guns at him.
"This isn't good..." said Otabek. "He's really drunk."
The teenager growled. "Ugh, this is just like last time... Every time he's a little bit nervous, he drinks. Thank God they don't serve alcohol at competitions or else this asshole would be fucking wasted trying to do toe loops on the ice."
"He's going to be on any minute now," Otabek glanced at his clock with a worried expression, then back at Yuuri who seemed to be attempting a toe loop without the ice, spinning round in the air to land triumphantly in an arabesque pose. "What are we going to do?"
"Well, he's not going out like this," decided Yuri. "Let's just take him back to the table and he can try again some other time."
Otabek nodded at that plan, but when he looked around again, the Japanese skater was suddenly nowhere to be seen.
"I can't believe he'd get wasted at a time like this," Yuri ranted, while Otabek's search seemed a little more frantic.
"Um, Yuri..."
"What?"
"... Where did he go?"
"... Shit."
It was only about a minute until show time. Alexei ran back to the table and was out of breath by the time he got there. He had been coordinating a lot of things behind the scenes to make this night run smoothly. Eclipse had already set up all of her equipment and gave him the thumbs up when he looked up to check on her. Still catching up on his breathing, Alexei nodded in response to her. As he sat in his seat, he finally noticed the confused look Victor was giving him.
"Alexei, what happened?" the concerned younger brother asked. "Why are you so tired? Is Yuuri alright?"
"Huh?"
"Yuuri. Is he okay now?"
Alexei stared at Victor for a moment before his eyes shifted past him to look at the other Nikiforovs and Katsukis who were nodding profusely behind the platinum blond's turned back.
"O-oh! Yes! Of course," Alexei sputtered, trying to look more relaxed. "He's alright."
The younger brother sighed, looking relieved. "That's good. I hope he gets back soon. It looks like they're doing something interesting on stage."
"Oh, it'll be interesting alright," Alexei grinned as the lights dimmed right on schedule. Everything was going according to his plans already.
"By the way," continued Victor. "Have you seen Yurio and Otabe-"
Before he could finish, the spotlight trained on the centre of the small stage toward the microphone standing in front of the various jazz instruments which were situated near the back. One of the restaurant staff, a man of Latinx descent, sauntered his way on stage and took the mic.
"Honoured guests," he announced in English. "We now have something a little different for you tonight. The Pink Panthers will indeed be performing next as promised, however, we've allotted five minutes to one young man so that he can make a big announcement. Please welcome Mr. Yuuri Katsuki onto our stage!"
The youngest Nikiforov watched with a look of shock as the restaurant patrons applauded politely. Alexei wiggled a little with excitement at his hard work and planning finally coming to fruition while the rest of the family waited with smiles and baited breaths. Tonight was the night.
From back stage, the server from earlier walked up awkwardly and whispered something into the announcer's ear that made him furrow his eyebrows before turning back to address the crowd. There was a lot of unexplained noise and movement behind the curtain. Alexei raised an eyebrow curiously while Victor's smile disappeared slightly behind him. What on earth was going on?
"Uh, sorry everyone," the announcer said slowly. "It appears that um... Mr. Katsuki might have had a slight problem-"
Before he could finish, Yuuri emerged from behind the curtains and stumbled out on stage, a big goofy grin on his face after having broken free of both Yuri and Otabek's grip. It was hard to make out what he was saying without the microphone, but it sounded like, "Wait a sec, waaaait a sec, I'm fiiiine!" followed by a few giggles.
Alexei stared wordlessly as Yuuri approached the announcer, who stumbled back slightly when he saw him. Otabek and Yurio were peaking out from behind the curtain, yell-whispering different things which couldn't be heard from where the Katsukis and Nikiforovs sat, but from their frantic expressions, one could guess what they were saying.
"He's... he's drunk..." muttered the horrified Alexei. "He's drunk... He's. Fucking. DRUNK!" The Russian whisper-shouted and turned to the rest of his family, all of whom looked similarly horrified. "But he only had one glass of champagne... Who gave him more to drink?!"
"It was only a little bit!" admitted Sergei, Ivanna, and Yulia all at the same time, before giving each other the same looks of horrible realization. After a moment in which it seemed time had frozen, Alexei just let his head slide against the table in agony. Victor looked around at his siblings, his eyes wide as saucers. Mari had her face in one hand and both sets of parents just watched the stage with very worried expressions. Eclipse stared at Yuuri with a surprised look, her hands slowly taking the high quality digital camera on her tripod and hitting the record button. Oksana poured herself some more wine, deciding exasperatedly that she might as well be drunk too.
Meanwhile, Yuuri was trying to grab the microphone from the restaurant employee on stage who was trying to keep it out of the drunk man's reach. Yurio had a torn expression on his face, mentally battling over the urge to help his friend and the urge to leave and be humiliated by Yuuri's drunkenness no longer.
"S-sir, maybe you should-"
"Nooo, I have to do this~!" Yuuri whined before he finally got a hold of the object and faced the audience with a smile. "Hi everybody~!"
"Oh my God..." muttered the employee as he stepped back nervously, realizing now that the situation was out of his hands.
"Sorry to take your attention from all the cool music and stuff, but I have an announcement to make!" Yuuri said before striking a pose. He paused for a while and didn't see Alexei in the crowd, beating his own head against the table. Then, Yuuri looked thoughtful. "Uhh... Aw shit, I can't remember anymore..."
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Yurio could he heard yelling backstage.
At that, Alexei's head sprang up and almost immediately after, his body jumped up with it and he was on his feet yelling at the stage. "YUURI! YOUR POCKET, YUURI! LOOK IN YOUR POCKET, DAMN IT!"
But Yuuri for whatever reason either didn't hear him or was too drunk to put two and two together, so he just waved at the frantic Russian, the other hand undoing his tie. "Heeey, 'Lexi! Look, I'm on stage!"
Alexei made a noise then that was some sort of cross between a frustrated groan and an anguished shriek. It was then that Victor's siblings all joined in, getting up and gesturing to where their pockets would be.
"Your speech, Yuura!" called Ivanna.
"Look in your pocket!" shouted Sergei.
"Yuura, please!" yelled Yulia.
Yuuri might have heard them and followed their instructions if he hadn't been distracted by the next act, one of the members of The Pink Panthers, marching up on stage past the horrified Yurio and Otabek to tap him on the shoulder.
"Alright, move it along there, pal," a man of African-American heritage told him, clearly exasperated and unwilling to wait for such nonsense. "We've got a performance to put on."
The Japanese man turned then to chew the other man out until he got a good look at his face. The other man's stony expression seemed to melt away to reveal one of surprise.
"I-it's you!" gasped Yuuri, pointing at the man and stumbling backward a bit. Yuri squinted to get a better look at the guy and then realized that he too unfortunately recognized the man.
"Who's that...?" asked Otabek in a whisper when he saw his friend's expression.
"H-hey, man!" grinned the Black man, his entire demeanor suddenly becoming a lot friendlier. "You're the guy who got drunk at the Grand Prix Final gala that year!"
"And you're the singer dude!" exclaimed Yuuri, jumping up and down with excitement. "What're ya doin' here?!"
"We're on tour!" the man replied, the rest of The Pink Panthers appearing from behind the curtain. "Ever since you pulled that stunt, we've been getting a ton of work."
"You made us!" said another member with curly brown hair and pale skin.
"We were just a small town Police cover band who got lucky enough to perform at that gala," pipped a third member - a man of Arabian origin with shortly cropped dark hair. "Now we're in Japan of all places, and it's all thanks to you, man!"
"Oh cool!" Yuuri smiled brightly. Needless to say, the audience was thoroughly confused at this point and even the drunken Japanese man could feel it. He had to do something to win back the crowd but mostly, to impress Victor. Suddenly, a thought struck him. "Guys, do ya think you can play something I can jam to? I'm kinda up here to surprise my beautiful, sexy, amazing boyfriend~"
In the audience, Victor smiled a little sheepishly at being complimented publicly while Alexei sprang up again. At the same time, Yuri started yelling from behind the curtain. "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" they both screamed, Alexei waving his hands back and forth. Not that again. Not here. Not now.
But these protests fell on unhearing ears as the vocalist grinned again just as he had some time ago. "We gotchu, fam."
The men took their instruments and all Alexei could do as they played was watch all of his careful planning get quickly flushed down the toilet.
"This is a nightmare...!" Yurio muttered desperately, but all he could do from where he stood was watch.
As soon as Yuuri heard the first few chords, he became that excitable drunken dancer from the banquet once more.
"That's my jam!" he shouted. "I mean, my other jam! That's my other fucking JAM RIGHT THERE!"
And then, the worst thing that Alexei ever thought could happen happened: Yuuri began to sing.
Though I've tried before to tell him,
Of the feelings I have for him in my heart,
Every time that I come near him,
I just lose my nerve
As I've done from the start.
Every little thing he does is magic.
Everything he do just turns me on.
Even though my life before was tragic,
Now I know my love for him goes on.
Members of the crowd looked around at each other, none of them expecting to hear ska music when jazz was much more typical for that particular establishment. Alexei froze in his place with his mouth hanging open, watching with all the horrified helplessness of a witness to a murder. A surprised grin was sneaking its way onto Victor's face as Yuuri sang and danced with the microphone, swinging his hips this way and that. It reminded the Russian man of the night when he'd first met his boyfriend. Everyone else was watching with varying looks of shock and amusement now.
Oksana had a look of concern written all over her face, scared that Yuuri was humiliating himself, but then she looked about the restaurant and saw people beginning the smile and laugh a little, but not at Yuuri. Many were nodding their heads and some of them were even clapping along with the beat. It seemed instead of mocking Yuuri, they were genuinely impressed by this turn of events.
Otabek and Yuri were just watching from backstage until the vocalist from before came up to them.
"Is he your friend?" he asked.
Yurio shrugged, his hands folded over his chest and his face all scrunched up. "You could say that..."
"Then what are you two doing back here?" the vocalist grinned, pulling them both by their arms. "Come on out and support him!"
Horrified, both young men began to protest, but it was too late. The two of them were on stage, staring at the audience like two deers in headlights. Yurio was fuming. Once again, Yuuri had managed to rope him into his drunken antics and once again, the teenager was forced to just try to go with the flow.
Do I have to tell the story
Of a thousand rainy days since we first met?
It's a big enough umbrella,
But it's always me that ends up getting wet.
Every little thing he does is magic.
Everything he do just turns me on.
Even though my life before was tragic,
Now I know my love for him goes on.
The two friends had no choice. Slowly, they each started to dance on either side of Yuuri and the two families erupted with laughter. Yurio was hating every moment of this, but to his utter surprise, he looked over at his friend and saw that Otabek was actually kind of getting into it. The nights he'd spent at clubs, occasionally DJing, seemed to be influencing his movements as he mentally prioritized helping Yuuri over feeling embarrassed about the situation. Yuri didn't even realize that he'd stopped dancing entirely just to get a good look at Otabek. He was actually a very good dancer... Then, suddenly, the other skater was looking at him expectantly, as if he wanted Yuri to follow him. Jumping to attention immediately, Yuri did his best to imitate Otabek's moves. Luckily, years of having to learn complex routines in a short amount of time made him reasonably good at following.
The band on stage was really getting into their spontaneous performance, swaying side to side and bobbing their heads as they plucked the bass or strummed the guitar or hit the drums and offered their impromptu dancers supportive cheers. The vocalist stood off to Yuuri's side, content to add his little "ee-oh-oh"'s as Yuuri's back-up singer. The employee from before seemed to lighten up significantly as he felt the mood in the restaurant change from utter bewilderment to joyous mirth.
Even Alexei found himself relaxing a tad as he glanced about him and saw some people getting up to dance with their partners. Behind him, Victor shot up from his chair and began to cheer.
"Go, Yuuri!" laughed Victor. "That's my baby!"
Slowly, the Katsukis and the other Nikiforovs joined in as Yuuri's new cheer squad. Alexei shrugged slowly. It certainly wasn't what he'd planned, but in the end Vitya was happy. Against his better judgement, a smile crept onto the older Nikiforov twins' face.
I resolve to call him up a thousand times a day,
And ask him if he'll marry me in some old fashioned way.
But my silent fears have gripped me
Long before I reach the phone.
Long before my tongue has tripped me,
Must I always be alone?
Every little thing he does is magic.
Everything he do just turns me on.
Even though my life before was tragic,
Now I know my love for him goes on.
Every little thing he does is magic.
Everything he do just turns me on.
Even though my life before was tragic,
Now I know my love for him goes on.
Suddenly, the entire place was jumping. Hurricane Yuuri was back with a vengeance and now, it seemed that everyone could see the winds rushing past them, the rain beating down on their heads, and the drunken nymph that started it all. Victor could hardly take it anymore. He ran up, past the excited crowd, to make his way on stage.
"Oh, wait!" Yuuri announced into the mic as the music still played. "I gotta say-"
"Yuuri!" he called, catching the younger man in his arms and nearly knocking him over in the process before he could continue. The vocalist of The Pink Panthers took the microphone to finish the song while the two men rocked back and forth in their embrace. Before Yuuri knew it, Victor had pulled him into a deep, honeyed kiss while the restaurant seemed to spin around them.
Every little thing
Every little thing
Every little thing he do is magic, magic magic!
Magic, magic, magic!
Eh oh...
Eee oh...
Eee oh oh...
After a moment, the Japanese man pulled back to look at his Russian beau, their eyes locking in a loving gaze. "Victor," Yuuri breathed. He was going to do it. This was the time. "I..."
"Yes?"
"I..." Oh no.
"What is it, Yuuri?" Victor smiled.
Yuuri frowned. "I... I'm gonna barf."
Now, Victor frowned. "What?"
"I'm gonna puke...!" Yuuri said quickly before holding his hand in front of his mouth. Hurriedly, Victor took Yuuri by the shoulders and led him outside while everyone in the building continued to dance and be merry.
Victor sighed as he rubbed his groaning boyfriend's back gently. Yuuri was currently bent over a bush, vomiting up everything he had eaten that night. Some of the alcohol must have been coming up too because he was slowly beginning to feel a little more sober again, but that didn't seem to stop his body from heaving.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Victor cooed comfortingly.
"I'm sorry, baby," Yuuri whined between gags. Victor's heart leaped out of his chest a little bit as that was the first time he'd ever heard the other man call him "baby". It was something Yuuri always used to refer to him in his head, but the word never quite escaped the barrier of his mouth. "I ruined everything."
"That's not true!"
Both men lifted their heads to see Alexei standing near the door of the establishment. Victor's older brother walked over to them, careful not to get too close to Yuuri while he was hunched over like that.
"Is... Is everything alright?" the older platinum blond asked, giving the dark-haired man a worried look as he bent back over and emptied himself again.
Victor grimaced slightly and turned his head away from the miss on the ground, still massaging Yuuri to comfort him. "He should be fine soon..."
"I'm okay..." Yuuri said slowly, finally starting to feel a little better.
Alexei nodded. "Ah, trés bien!" He seemed a tad awkward then as if he wanted to apologize for everything – for coercing Yuuri to go up on stage, for all that happened with Ilya, for doubting Yuuri as a person in the first place – but he wasn't sure how exactly to start. "Um... Listen... I uh, I think you did a really magnificent job up there. Everything was a bit chaotic today, but you always manage to make Vitya so happy no matter what happens and for that... I'm grateful."
Both Yuuri and Victor were overjoyed. So it was true. Yuuri had managed to finally impress Alexei.
"R-really?" the raven-haired man asked, close to drunken tears.
"Really," Alexei smiled in response.
Victor gave Yuuri an ecstatic toothy grin and his shoulders raised enthusiastically as he held Yuuri steady in his arms.
"I'm so happy!" the young skater almost squealed, joyous tears threatening to fall as he took a step forward, presumably to give Victor's brother a hug, but he stumbled and nearly fell before he was caught by the two men.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Victor.
"Easy there!" said Alexei, gently pushing Yuuri back onto his feet and swinging the arm that Victor wasn't already holding over his shoulders. "We should get you home now... And I'll go buy you a sports drink once we get back. You're going to be hungover in the morning."
Yuuri pouted with a groan.
"Don't worry about it," smiled Victor. "I'll take care of you."
That seemed to lift the young man's spirits. "Will you, Vicchan?"
"Of course!"
"And I'll help too," Alexei added. "You're in good hands... Yuura."
Victor looked over Yuuri's shoulders at his brother, a surprised look on his face before it slowly melted into a content little smile. His attention was diverted quickly, however, when he heard a high pitched squealing noise coming from Yuuri, who already had tears streaking down his face.
"Alexei~...!" Yuuri sobbed, big sopping tears flowing from his brown eyes. "V-Vicchan! He called me Yuura! D-does that mean you like me now?"
The older Russian looked shocked for a second before bursting into soft laughter. "Yuura, I liked you from before too! I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time."
Yuuri sniffled loudly and leaned into Victor's body while the other two men giggled at him.
"He called me Yuura," the young man smiles widely through wet tears and a slightly runny nose. "I'm so happy~!"
As their companions began to pour out of the restaurant, which was still full of the same energy Yuuri had left it with, they pulled the drunken man back into the limo and cared for him the entire way home.
Technically, the song in this chapter was "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" by The Police, but you know... Victor's a dude. lol
