Viktor can't breathe. More like hasn't been able to since he got home. Chris is standing before him, lecturing him about going against Yakov's words. Words that Viktor can't really hear. Everything around him is a blur, and all he can hear is the hum of machinery in Yuuri's room. Yuuri's sobs. Yuuri's apologies. Viktor's rushed escape from the room. Viktor's heart is still beating wildly in his chest, begging for him not to break. It's hard. It's hard not to lose himself.
"Viktor." Chris snaps his fingers in front of his face, expecting some sort of reaction from him.
But Viktor has nothing, feels nothing. "One month," he mumbles the two words as if saying them will help make sense out of everything. Only it can't and Viktor doesn't know what to do. How is he supposed to do anything? Breathing is difficult, he notes. He can feel himself on the brink of hyperventilating. His chest feels like it's collapsing in one itself. There's only this sinking feeling that only scares him more. He's falling, falling deeply, and he's not sure anyone can help him.
"What?" Chris leans in towards him, hoping to catch what he said.
As if a machine, Viktor mechanically lifts his head up. "One month."
Chris pulls back, more confused than angry now. "One month? Until what? Viktor, what's wrong?" So Chris does notice that something is wrong.
"It's Yuuri." Viktor's eyes scrunch in pain at the sound of Yuuri crying in front of him. It's something he never wants to hear again. His voice cracking as he apologized to Viktor about something he can't control... Horrifying. It make the whole situation all the more real.
Chris pinches the bridge of his nose the same way Yakov does when he's frustrated with Viktor. In any other situation, he would've laughed at his friend and would have pointed that small detail out. Only he can't bring himself to do that now. His thoughts are solely on Yuuri, more so now than before. "What does one month have to do with him?"
Viktor holds eye contact with Chris, trying so hard to get the words out but it's impossible. He can't bring himself to say the very words that ruin him. "He..."
"He?" Chris is only a patient man when it comes to these kinds of situations with Viktor. He was there for the hair disaster of 2013. He lived through Viktor's first heartbreak. He's been around for Viktor's ultimate dilemma over the Stammi Vicino shoot. How odd is it that he complained for months about how much he hated that shoot despite it being his most popular work? Chris dealt with him through everything. This was no exception.
"He only... He only has one month... left to live." Viktor's voice cracks when he says the number. The number he wish he could change but can't. A tear runs down his cheek, and Viktor wipes at it with his index finger, staring at the remnant of it blankly.
"Oh... Oh, hon. I'm so sorry. Should I call Mila?"
Chris becomes background noise to Viktor again. He's tearing apart, or at least he's pretty sure what this buzzing feeling is. It's loss. It's heartbreak. It's the death of Viktor, or at least it will be. One month. Thirty days. Only thirty days left. How? How can this possibly be happening? He's finally found the love of his life, his reason for waking up each day and knowing everything will be okay, and now fate has decided to take that away from him.
"What should I do? How can I fix this? How can I make it better? Who can I call?" Viktor feels desperate all of a sudden, desperate for answers. There's got to be a way to fix this. There has to be. "I have to be able to do something, Chris. I... I can't just stay here while he... he's dying, Chris! I can't just let this happen!" Tears are freely rolling down his face as he begins pacing around his flat. Something. There has to be something!
"Viktor, darling, I don't think there-"
"Don't you dare say what I think you're going to say!" Viktor walks up to Chris with a pointed finger before walking away with hands in his short fringe. "Don't do it."
Chris tries to put a hand on his shoulder, but Viktor shrugs it off. "Vitya, I'm sorry. I really am, but you had to know this was coming."
Viktor turns around and the rage in his eyes is enough to shut Chris up temporarily. "You think I didn't know? You think it wasn't the one thing that kept me up every night? What I thought about when I woke up? What I tried to ignore for as long as possible because maybe I love him? Maybe I don't want him to just disappear? To leave forever and never come back? You're right, Chris. Congratulations. He is going to die. Does that make you feel any better now? Huh? Does it?!"
"Knock it off, Viktor. You know that's not what I meant."
"Then please tell me because I seemed to miss your point!"
Chris takes a deep breath. "He was sick when you met him, Viktor. You said it yourself that you would be there for whatever happened. No matter what."
"Knowing is much different than actually experiencing something, Chris. I didn't know that I was going to fall in love with him as much as I have! I didn't know I really wanted to spend the rest of my life with him! I didn't know anything! I only thought I knew! Everything is so much more different now! I don't know what to do, and I'm about to lose him!" Viktor knocks the vase on the table off and into the wall, shattering it onto the wooden floor. "I don't know what to do." Viktor collapses onto the ground and sobs into his hands like Yuuri did earlier that day. "I can't lose him."
Chris sits on the middle cushion of the couch right behind where Viktor is on the floor. "I'm so sorry, Vitya."
Viktor's not sure how long he sits there crying. It's no longer daytime when he does look up from his hands and surprisingly, Chris is still sitting there. Only difference is he seems to have gotten up for alcohol because there's a glass in his hand and another one on the table in front of him.
"I thought you might need it."
Viktor only shakes his head and stands up only to sit down on the couch next to Chris. "Sorry."
Chris takes a sip from his almost empty glass. "Don't be. You're upset. I won't hold it against you."
"Thanks." They sit in silence as Viktor stares at the ice in his glass melting on the table mindlessly. "I can't believe he's... I thought we'd get more time together."
Chris sets his glass on the table next to Viktor's and sits back on the back on the couch. "He's not... you know... yet. You still have a month. Even then, I've heard countless stories of doctors being wrong. What if he's still fine by then? Has he seemed worse to you lately?"
"I don't know. No? I can hardly tell, and he rarely tells me anything like that. I always have to ask someone like one of his doctors."
"So ask one of his doctors. Talk to someone about that. Are you just going to leave it at that and go on with life pretending that nothing's wrong? I'm not a therapist, but there's no way just accepting it can be good for you. I think you need to make the most of it."
"Can we maybe talk about something else?"
Shrugging, Chris gets up to get rid of the glasses in front of them. "Want yours still?"
Viktor shakes his head and bends over to pick up his phone from where he left it on the floor. There are dozens of missed calls from Mila, so Chris definitely called her. When he did it, Viktor doesn't know. His finger hovers over the button to call her back but decides on not doing so. It's already late at night, and he doesn't want to talk about it again. Not yet, at least. Mila has helped him through a lot, so he does need to tell her soon. Sighing, he sends her a quick text, asking to meet for breakfast tomorrow. Mila gets back to him quickly, suggesting they meet somewhere they haven't been before. Smart, considering only Mila is supposed to be working.
"So what's your plan?" Chris shouts from the kitchen.
"Sleep. You can stay in the guestroom if you want, but I'm done for the night." Viktor stands up and makes for his bedroom, wishing for nothing more than for everything to have been a dream. He shuts the door behind himself and flops onto the mattress, thinking about what happened.
"Why did this have to happen to Yuuri?" He rolls onto his stomach and shoves his head into a pillow.
It's frustrating and upsetting and heartbreaking. Nothing has ever felt this awful.
Yet still he finds himself not wishing differently. He's still in love with Yuuri and wouldn't trade that for anything. Nothing. He does wish he went to college in hopes of becoming a doctor, though. Maybe then he could've helped Yuuri.
He can still do this. He can absolutely do this. He's going to become the best support system for Yuuri ever.
.
. . .
.
He's not sure when he actually fell asleep, but Mila is standing over him with arms crossed.
"Breakfast huh?"
Oh, right. Oops.
Viktor groans and slowly sits up in his bed only to get a face full of pillow.
"You're doing great, sweetie. So you told Chris everything but made me wait an entire day? I'm disappointed. And I'll tell Yuuri. He'll be disappointed, too."
"You've met him once."
"That's all it takes. Now get up. I haven't eaten, and I was promised breakfast." Mila leaves the room to let Viktor get up and get ready. Before she actually does, she pops her head in one more time really quickly. "Oh, and by the way, you look worse than that one time you got so drunk with Chris that you-"
Viktor launches the pillow at the door of his room where Mila is, making her scramble out of the room. "Don't make me tell Sara what you said that exact same night!"
"You wouldn't dare!" Mila shouts back.
Viktor laughs as he gets out of his clothes from yesterday and into a cleaner and more casual selection. Stay out of public eye. That'll be a little difficult with Mila around, but at least he'll be with someone from the agency. No rumors about his retirement should circulate for now. Or at least he can hope for the best.
"Hurry up, old man!"
Viktor smiles and runs out the door of his room to meet her.
"Have fun, kids." Chris is sitting at the kitchen counter with a coffee cup in his hand. Whether it's filled with coffee or not, Viktor doesn't really know.
"Chris, I'm older than you."
"Which I am grateful for. I love being younger than someone in this business." Chris laughs as he takes a sip from whatever's in his cup.
Mila snorts as she walks to the door, grabbing her jacket. "This is why people keep asking me about your retirement, Vitya, Step your game up."
Viktor rolls his eyes. "Can we just go already? I'll see you later, Chris."
"You know, I thought you were going to cancel plans on me when you didn't answer this morning. Thankfully, Chris let me in when I knocked. Your car?" Mila throws her shades on as she leads the way out of Viktor's flat. "If not, I'm fine taking the company chauffeur, but I'd prefer not to. Tom is nice and all, but he's kind of boring."
"Sure, I'll drive. Only if you're paying."
Mila laughs sarcastically. "Yeah, right. As if you really need someone else to pay for you to eat. I could ask anyone we sit next to if they can pay for us, and they would without question because you're there. I just ordered myself a new custom Dior dress for my red carpet walk next month. I still need to decide on what I want for accessories. It really depends on what the final product looks like. They said they'll have me come in for a fitting in a week or two, so I should know around then."
"Red carpet? What red carpet event did you get invited to that I wasn't?" He doesn't actually care, but he likes the distraction from the thoughts of last night that he's beginning to get.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Viktor knows that she isn't as she flicks her short red hair. "I was invited to the premier of the new Mission Impossible movie. I've heard it's going to be great. I would invite you as my plus one, but you're supposed to be under the radar. That and I want Sara to go with me. She loves those movies, too. Sorry, maybe some other time."
Viktor shakes his head in mock disappointment. "And to think I invited you to the Met Gala with me last year. How could you do this to me, Mila? I thought we had a special friendship."
"We do. One where the other understands that the person we like at the time who is also a model gets to go to the fancy invite the other gets invited to?"
"I'll forgive you this time. So where did you have in mind?" Viktor takes the keys to his car and his jacket as he follows her out the door.
"I was thinking Cafe Saint Petersburg. Sara mentioned it to me when I asked where we should go. I've heard it's pretty good, but I haven't gone there yet. She said she went there with Mickey once and enjoyed it but hated that she went there with Mickey." Mila taps a painted nail against her lips in thought. "Maybe we shouldn't go, so I can bring her."
"I've heard that's more of a dinner place, anyway. Pick somewhere more casual and tell me where to go."
They hop into the elevator and wait as Viktor hits the button for the lobby. Mila is busy flicking through locations to go to, fingernails tapping on her phone's screen. Viktor's thoughts scatter for a moment, landing on the moment he saw Yuuri break down in front of him. Mila picks up on his soured mood and tries to fix it best as she can.
"Oh! What about ZooM Cafe? It's so cute! The food has good reviews, too. What do you say?"
Viktor forces a smile for her. He can tell what she's trying to do and would feel bad if he wasted her kindness. "Let's try it." He puts on his pair of sunglasses as the elevator doors open with a ding, signaling that they've reached the lobby. They don't say anything more as they head to the garage next to the building where Viktor's car sits. There's paparazzi lined up outside, which Mila handles instead of Viktor. He's not in the mood to talk about what's going on in his life, and he doesn't really want any outsiders in on it either. He regrets introducing Yuuri to the world he lives in. It's cruel and draining to say the least.
Questions are coming at them from every direction. Viktor tries to plow through them, hoping that they can escape quickly, while Mila stops to talk to a few people before taking steps towards the garage again. He wishes that she could just ignore them and walk faster along with him, but she's allowed to be in the public eye. It's different for her.
"Mr. Nikiforov, how is Yuuri Katsuki?! Can you tell us anything knew about the both of you? There's a photo of you visiting him yesterday! Are you still together?"
The paparazzi was only trying to do his job, Viktor knows that. Get information about a popular model trying to avoid the public eye because his agency is under backfire for allegations that either are or aren't true. He knows that. Yet he stops to look at him. The reporter has a notepad and pen in hand while the person next to him snaps photos of the stunned into silence Viktor Nikiforov. Mila's too busy to see what's happening.
"I'm sorry?" Viktor asks. His head is buzzing with borderline rage from the questions the reporter asked him. The questions don't bother so much as Yuuri's name being thrown into the media just to provoke an answer out of him.
"How are you and Mr. Katsuki?!" The reporter gets closer to him with hardened eyes, hoping for an answer from him.
"You don't deserve to know." Viktor knows he shouldn't have said that or said anything if he's being honest.
Before he can say anything else to the reporter, who only keeps getting closer and closer, he feels a tug on his arm and sees Mila trying to push him away. Only then, does his head snap up to see her shaking her head as she shoves him away. He lets her push him, knowing fully well that he doesn't want Yuuri to say anything to him. Or have Yuuri be disappointed or angry at him. That would ruin him if he made Yuuri upset in any way, shape or form, so he lets Mila drag him away from the crowd. He can barely hear her thank the paparazzi for their time over the sound of the questions ringing in his ears.
"And your plan was?" Mila is still holding on to his arm even by the time they get to the car in the lot.
"I didn't have one." He didn't. He knows he should've at least thought through a response, but it was way too personal of a question. It hit Viktor hard. Anything related to Yuuri does that to him. There are just so many emotions that are attached to Yuuri that made it impossible to avoid answering him. Mila wouldn't know the extent of it. She can only imagine.
"Great idea. Next time, don't say anything and let me handle it. You do realize that what you said is going to be interpreted differently on every gossip website imaginable. You can't just say how you feel. You should know that by now." Mila hops into the passenger seat once Viktor unlocks the Cadillac.
He opens the door to the driver's side and plops down beside, jamming the keys into the car and starting it in a hurry to leave already. "Of course I do." The sharpness in his voice wasn't meant to be there, and he feels bad for it. It can't be helped, though. He's gone through so much in just twenty-four hours, and the only one who knows is Chris. "I'm sorry. I'm just not in the right mindset." It's also the second time he's snapped at someone.
"When are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
Viktor pulls out of the lot, driving towards the place Mila mentioned earlier. "When we sit down. I don't want to say it here."
Mila accepts that for now and stays silent for the rest of the drive.
Viktor tries to keep his mind off of Yuuri and the delicate situation at hand, instead keeping his focus on the road and the ease of driving around the city he's always known. Once they get there, Viktor parks the car and opens the door for Mila to get out. Mila gives him an odd look that he can't quite decipher as she steps out of the car. He doesn't ask what it's supposed to mean, instead walking in to the cafe and sitting down at a table situated in one of the smaller rooms off to the side.
It's rather small, Viktor notes, but it's cozy. They take a small table next to a window that's eye-level with the street. The interior of the cafe is modernized, yet made comfortable with bookshelves lining the walls of one smaller room while couches are seated around tables in another.
A waitress, who clearly recognizes them, asks if they would like a bottle of wine on the house. After politely rejecting, they gave her their signatures and took a quick photo with her before giving her their order. THey sit at the table, sipping from their glasses before Mila brings up the topic.
"Now?"
Viktor sighs and sets his glass down, bracing himself. It won't be any easier to talk about, but at least he can go about calmer than the first time. "Okay."
"Yeah?" Mila pauses, leans forward and waits. "So what is it?"
Viktor closes his eyes, bracing himself once more. "It's about Yuuri."
Mila raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, I know. Chris only said that much. He mentioned that he thought you'd want to say what happened."
For once, he's grateful towards Chris. "Remind me to thank him later."
"So what happened?"
"Well..." He wishes there was an easier way to say what's wrong without actually saying it. "Yuuri... has only one month to live..." He finds himself trailing off, lost in the word once more. The only thing stopping him from breaking being that he's in public with hundreds of thousands of eyes waiting to catch a glimpse of him. At least they're far enough away from the windows where someone would have to crawl along the ground to see them.
"What?!" Mila bolts up from her seat, the pull of the tablecloth showing how hard she's gripping the table.
Viktor cringes back into his seat, trying to hold back the pain of his heart breaking again gives him from showing on his face. "Please, don't."
Mila sits down and leans in again, eyes widened with what seems to be fear? Viktor can't really tell which emotion is more prominent. "This is a pretty sick joke, Viktor. Knock it off. Tell me what's really the matter. Midlife crisis again? Is it really your retirement? What is it? Tell me please."
"Mila, I'm-" He's choking. The sobs are taking over again. Hold it together, Viktor. Hold it together. "I'm not." He speaks in such a tiny voice that he hardly hears it himself. "He's... He's dying, Mila. I only have a month left with him." He throws his head into his hands, hoping to hide his face away from everyone in the cafe. They can't see him like this. No one can.
"Oh my God. Viktor, I..." Mila sits, frozen in shock by the news much like Viktor was when he heard it for the first time. Her voice is soothing, comforting, but not enough to help him. It only makes him sob harder. It makes everything he's feeling so much more real than last night.
The waitress comes over again, and Viktor feels bad for not looking up - she's so nice and it makes it worse - but he can't. He lets Mila accept their orders and send her away quickly, so they can be alone again.
"Viktor, I'm so sorry. I can't believe... I'm really sorry, Viktor. I mean we always knew but... I didn't expect... I'm so sorry." Mila's hands are covering her mouth, watching as Viktor cries for the second time in the span of a day unsure of what to do.
"I should've known, Mila. I should've known this would happen soon. I don't... I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. I should've. What's wrong with me?" Shattered. That's how he feels. Nothing compares to this feeling. No one would understand unless they've felt it themselves. It's impossible to put into words.
"Viktor, it's okay. I promise-"
"But you can't." Viktor looks up at her, and he knows that he looks like a mess. It's plain as day when Mila stops to stare at him, unable to finish.
But that's because she understands. She can see it in Viktor's eyes. She's always been good at reading him.
"I'm really sorry." She talks quietly, as if any louder would make things worse. "We can leave if you want. I'll pay. Don't worry about it."
Viktor doesn't say anything more. They've only been in the place twenty minutes, and he's ruined Mila's good time. How rude of himself.
He wipes the tears away and shakes his head. "No, it's alright. I... I can handle this."
Mila knows he's lying but doesn't make an effort to call him out on it. He can tell that she's agreeing only because he's a mine field right now. Say one wrong thing and he'll snap again.
"Okay."
"Thank you."
Viktor makes an attempt to eat but doesn't really hold an appetite for it. He hasn't eaten since breakfast yesterday and knows he should consume something, but it's hard. Just staring at the dish makes him upset.
Mila keeps staring at him from the corner of her eye as she takes bites from the meal in front of her. There's this concerned look on her face now, and Viktor hates it. He truly does. Feeling weak was never his favorite thing, but he lets it happen this time.
By the time they finish, pay and then leave the café, Viktor realizes he doesn't exactly want to drive either. He hands the keys over to Mila wordlessly and makes his way over to the passenger's side. Mila doesn't question it but instead takes the keys and walks over to the driver's side.
Viktor faces away from Mila the whole time, shades down to hide his swollen, red eyes from everyone they pass. They can take as many photos as they want, but he won't give them the satisfaction of seeing him like this. Even Mila looked worn out when they left, still less so than himself.
The car comes to a halt, and Viktor doesn't seem to know why until he actually looks at his surroundings.
It's the hospital.
"Would you bring me here?" There's this desperation in his voice that scares even himself.
It's not that he doesn't want to see Yuuri. He's just not sure that he's ready yet. To face the very person he loves with his whole heart fade away slowly before his eyes.
"Viktor, you can't avoid this. Seeing you miserable made me realize that he's probably just as bad, maybe even worse. You two need to stick together no matter what. Got it? I won't baby you since I know you don't like that, even though quite frankly you need it sometimes. Right now, I think you both need each other and to deal with this head on. Please listen to me. Go in there like it's the first time again, and talk to him as if there's nothing holding you back. Be real, be confident, and do whatever you can to make him and yourself happy. Call me whenever you get kicked out because that's the only time I want you calling me for a ride."
He sits there motionless. He wants to cry. He wants to hug her. He wants to scream how dumb he is because Mila's right. He needs to take the next month off of work and stay with Yuuri. They need to be together for as long as possible and talk until they're blue in the face. Well, maybe not that last part. He doesn't need Yuuri passing out on him.
But he does want to see Yuuri. Badly.With a new kind of mindset given to him, he genuinely smiles at Mila. "Thank you."
She proudly beams back at him before winking. "You're welcome. Now, go in there and make Yuuri smile again. I bet he hasn't just like you haven't."
He nods. As a man on a mission, Viktor all but throws himself out of the car and stumbles into the hospital, signing himself in faster than he has before. The woman running the front desk stares him down like he needs to be checked in to a mental hospital but doesn't say anything when he scrambles down the hallway towards Yuuri's room.
When he gets to Yuuri's room, he's a little surprised to see that he has a visitor. He's a little upset that they can't be alone as quickly as he would've liked, but he's more confused. The person sitting in front of Yuuri has a bowl cut with bangs that hang just above his dark brown eyes. His skin much tanner than Yuuri's, maybe of Asian descent, but Viktor can't quite place it. The way he talks to Yuuri is bright and cheerful. Exactly what Yuuri needs at this time, not what Viktor did when he saw him two days ago.
"Arthur misses you the most, though. He climbs on me all the time whenever you're on the phone with me. I swear it's like he knows it's you on the other end."
They're speaking English to each other, which means they don't speak the same language. It intrigues Viktor, so he doesn't interrupt just yet. Instead letting the conversation continue.
Yuuri laughs between coughs at what the other said. "He did always like me better."
The stranger gasps dramatically. "How dare you take away my children from me. Yuuri Katsuki, I challenge you to a duel!"
Viktor's lost. The conversation makes absolutely no sense, but whoever this Arthur is, they've got a storm coming for them. Yuuri is his and his alone. He will not be beaten.
"Oh! Yuuri, you have a visitor!"
He was really hoping on not being seen yet.
Viktor slowly enters the space enough to see Yuuri and wave awkwardly.
Yuuri gasps and only stares with wide eyes. "Viktor." He says it in such a breathy way, which makes Viktor feel like mush. He's always adored the way Yuuri says his name.
"Hi, Yuuri."
The stranger is staring daggers into him, which confused Viktor. Does he know who this is? Is he supposed to know?
The stranger stands up and marches to Viktor, holding the stare until he's right in front of the model. He sticks a hand out and smiles brightly at Viktor as if nothing happened before. "Hey, I'm Phichit Chulanont, Yuuri's best friend."
Viktor looks over at Yuuri, who rolls his eyes but bites down on his lip anyway. Viktor looks back at the stranger who calls himself Phichit and tries to figure out why that name sounds familiar.
And then it hits him.
He's one Yuuri's been friends with throughout his entire life, who made him smile every day back at the hospital in Japan. Yuuri talked about him a lot and constantly praised him for being an incredible friend, despite making him feel awkward at times.
"Oh! It's a pleasure to meet you, Phichit." Viktor shakes his hand, only to be pulled in close by the other.
"If you hurt him, so help me I will hunt you down to the edge of the Earth. Don't think I won't."
Laughing awkwardly as Phichit lets go, he backs up an inch or two to put some distance in between them.
"Phichit!" Yuuri looks mortified from where he's perched at the edge of his bed.
Phichit shrugs effortlessly. "Had to be done. Alright, I'll give you two some space. I expect details later, Yuuri." He does the 'I'm watching you' gesture before walking out the way he came, leaving a bright red Yuuri in his wake.
Viktor whistles as he walks over to the lone chair in the center of the space. "I wish I knew how to make you that red so quickly. Maybe I should ask him."
He laughs as Yuuri deadpans and turns a darker shade of red. "No!"
Viktor lurches forward in his seat as Yuuri goes into a coughing fit. He knows better than to ask if he's okay, though. Yuuri's never liked feeling weak or small, and he doesn't want him to feel that way. "So that's the infamous Phichit I've heard so much about."
"I've barely told you anything."
"Shh, I'm trying to make him feel better about how you never talk about him."
Yuuri laughs quieter than before, probably trying to avoid coughing again. "I feel bad. I talk about you all the time to him, but never-" Yuuri throws a hand over his mouth and turns away from Viktor.
Viktor grins. "So you talk about me all the time?"
"Ah ha ha! How was your day today?! I wasn't expecting you to come visit today." Yuuri looks genuinely interesting in why he came, so Viktor drops the topic at hand. For now.
"Sorry. I wasn't really expecting to drop by either. I would've warned you beforehand. I'm sorry. I feel bad for interrupting time with your friend. He seems like he's flown a long time to see you."
"He's going to be here all weekend, so I wouldn't worry about that. I'm sure he's sick of me talking nonstop anyway." Yuuri's cheeks are still stained a reddish pink color as he talks.
He could make a comment about how Yuuri seems to be talking about him a lot but restrains himself for the time being. "He's going to be here all weekend? Wow, he came up just to see you for the weekend?"
"What? No, he's here for a competition."
"Competition?" How hasn't he heard about Phichit from Yuuri before.
"Ah, yeah. He's a figure skater in the senior division. He's really good! I'm glad he decided to continue skating. When I met him, he didn't feel like he should continue. I don't know how he changed his mind, but I'm just happy that he did. He seems a lot more encouraged to skate again. He's doing great, too! I'm so proud."
Viktor smiles as Yuuri gushes about his friend and thinks that maybe he's the reason why this Phichit has decided to continue. Much like with Viktor, Yuuri was able to change yet another life. Somehow, Viktor's not surprised. "He sounds amazing. We should see him this weekend, since apparently it wouldn't be against the rules for you to go out."
Yuuri shakes his head and bites his lip. "No. I'm okay. Really. I usually just watch his programs on livestreams or he'll just send me videos after the whole thing is over."
"You don't want to see him in person?"
"Ah, no it's alright. Don't worry about it." Yuuri smiles at him, and Viktor smiles back in earnest.
There must be a reason as to why Yuuri wouldn't want to watch his friend skate in person. There has to be. He'll have to ask Yuuri's friend if he hangs around after.
They spend the next hour or so just talking about anything or anything. Most of the time, Viktor tries not to say anything that could possibly make Yuuri upset. It somehow works because Yuuri is laughing by the time he leaves to let his friend spend more time with him. If Phichit is a national competitor this weekend, so there's no way they're going to get to talk a whole lot He would feel bad if he took up all of Yuuri's time.
.
. . .
.
Viktor's sitting in the lobby as he waits for Yuuri's friend to come out, shooting a quick text to Mila explaining what happens and that yes, she was right. She'll never let him live it down, but he does owe it to her. Of course, he's still upset, but how can he not be? Now is not the time to dwell on it.
His phone vibrates in his hands with a new message from Mila lighting up his screen, informing him of what he already knew. She was absolutely right.
Phichit comes out about an hour later, happily saying goodbye to the lady behind the counter who smiles in return at him. Phichit pauses when he sees Viktor still sitting in the lobby with an awkward smile on his face.
"Hello. I know we've only met briefly, but I was wondering if you would like to maybe talk for a few minutes. Only if you can spare the time, though. I know you're a professional athlete, who's probably very busy. I just thought that maybe it would be-"
"Duhh! Of course I'd want to!" Phichit walks up to him with a glint in his eyes that Viktor feels like should scare him. "We should probably go somewhere else, though. They're about ready to kick us out." Phichit walks past Viktor and heads for the sliding doors of the hospital entrance.
Viktor stands up and follows him, not too sure as to where they're going. "Did you have an idea?"
"Hm?" Phichit stops and turns around to look at him.
"Where are we going?"
"Oh, I thought you had an idea."
Viktor stares at him for a moment, unsure really what to think about him. "Uh, we could always just take a walk?"
Phichit laughs hysterically, almost bent over he's laughing so hard. "You're hilarious! Dude, you're literally Viktor Nikiforov. That's the worst idea I've ever heard. Better idea, there's got to be some shop or cafe open for us to hang out in. I'll find something. I've been here, like, three times."
"You do know I live here, right?"
"Obviously. I know everything. There's got to be a bar around here." Phichit taps furiously around on his phone, much like Mila earlier as he tries to find somewhere for them to talk.
A bar is a good idea, which makes Viktor wonder why he didn't think of it. He's been to plenty with Chris and knows the best ones around. Those around them will be too drunk to actually pay attention to them, or at least not if they sit in the corner away from the counter. That's why he's always enjoyed them. "Sounds good to me. I'll call us a cab."
"A cab? You don't have a personal chauffeur or anything?" Phichit seems to be more stunned than Viktor would think.
Viktor smirks and laughs a little on the inside. "Who said I didn't have one?"
Phichit laughs again. "I already like you. Unfortunately, I can't approve just yet, though. That would be too easy."
"Approve?"
"I'm Yuuri's best friend. You need my approval. That's how a friendship works."
They match their pace to each other, soon leaning against the wall next to the hospital waiting for the cab Viktor's ordered to arrive.
"Interesting. Usually I just tell my friends how I feel, and I make them accept how I feel. I've never let them influence my decisions."
"That definitely makes a lot of sense."
Should he be offended? "Uh... thank you?"
Phichit snorts.
They stick to silence until the cab comes, jumping in without another word except for the directions Viktor gives the driver. Viktor shifts uncomfortably in his seat once the car jolts to a start, wanting to spark up another conversation but finding the right words seems to be difficult. He hopes that maybe Phichit will start one, but he's too involved with whatever he's doing on his phone to care about Viktor. In its own odd way, the silence is enjoyable. It's weird for him to be in a car with someone who doesn't know him like Mila or Chris does but doesn't immediately ask about all the gossip centered around him. He also wonders if that's due to the fact that Yuuri is a part of that attention.
Once they reach the bar, Viktor gives the driver the money, and they hop out of the car. Phichit excitedly jumps ahead of Viktor to get in, already scourging for somewhere for them to sit. Viktor points towards one of the benches in back, one that he and Chris usually camp out in for the night if they go together. They have a bench like this in almost every bar in the area. It's almost like everyone knows that the two of them occupy it together.
In his enthusiasm, Phichit catches a waiter's eye and orders what seems to be the first drink off the top of his head. Viktor settles for an Old-Fashioned, a classic in his eyes. They stare silently at each other for a moment, more so Phichit sizing him up than just staring.
"So... how'd you meet Yuuri?"
"Isn't that what I should be asking you?"
Fair point, he notes. "Right place, right time."
Phichit shakes his head, which makes Viktor tilt his own. "I think you mean terrible place, same time. Yuuri might call it right nowadays, but that's mostly because he doesn't know what fun is anymore."
Viktor frowns at the way Phichit phrases it but doesn't blame him. He's technically not wrong, despite how crudely he put it. "I think it was the right time. I couldn't be happier."
"You do know he's dying, right? One month to live? Or has he not told you yet and I just ruined it?"
It's Viktor's turn to shake his head now. "He told me yesterday. I'm still glad I met him when I did. I wouldn't trade anything for the love that I have for him. He's made me a better person."
Phichit sizes him up, and Viktor wonders to himself what exactly he's looking for in him. "Commendable, I'll give you that." The waiter returns with their drinks, and Phichit thanks him in broken Russian. "You seem to be taking the news better than anyone else has. Then again, Yuuri doesn't really know how we've taken it. Not that we would really tell him anyway. How awful would it be to tell him how heartbroken you are straight to his face when he's the one who feels guilty for contracting a new disease that has been killing him for a few years now."
Viktor sinks just a little into his seat. He does feel guilty for running out like he did, but it was so much to handle in just that one moment! He always knew it was going to happen, but he never actually braced himself to hear the news. "Can we change the topic to a lighter one?"
"Kind of hard to unless you've got something."
"Maybe not really, but I am curious about something." Viktor takes a sip and waits for Phichit's approval before he continues speaking. "I asked Yuuri if he would like to see you compete, but he seemed uncomfortable and said how it was okay. That would you send him videos and talk to him about it later. Maybe even watch the livestream. Why wouldn't he want to go now that he can?"
"He's upset." Phichit seems to understand that Viktor is lost, so he goes on. "Yuuri dreamed of becoming a skater, even took ballet and skating lessons. I've seen videos of him skating when he was ten, and man, I'd be crushed by him if he was able to skate competitively now. He was amazing, which is why he won't ever really watch. I don't think he's actually seen any of the videos of me skating or at least hasn't gone through them completely. He used to tell me how skating was his whole life when he was younger and learning. He even wanted it to be his career, to travel the world and see everything. His anxiety always held him back, though, and then he got what he has now. What's been slowly killing him for years. He became too weak to skate."
Viktor hangs on to every word Phichit says, savoring every little piece of new information he's getting. He feels sorry for Yuuri again and angry on his behalf that he never got to live out his dream.
"I kind of wish he would watch my free program this year." Phichit sighs and props one elbow up on the table. "I'm skating to a piano piece one of his friends wrote for him."
"Yuri On Ice..." It's the song Yuuri shared with him awhile ago, and the very same one that Viktor still listens to all the time.
"Yeah. He told you about that?" Phichit seems amazed again with him.
"Should I not?"
"No, it's just that... you're the only other person to know of its existence. Yuuri hasn't told anyone and hasn't done anything with it. I kept the title the same for my program and didn't change any of it, so it would be announced as it is. No one would understand the real meaning behind it, though, except for you now, I guess. His family all thought it was just a tribute to him, but it's more than that. I even used footwork that he used to talk to me about all the time when he wanted to talk about skating. Now, it just seems like he's trying harder and harder to push it out of his life for good. Not that anyone can blame him."
"I had no idea. I love it, though. It's brilliant, and it's..."
"It's him, right down to his very core. The person who wrote it documented his journey as a person from before and after the virus, paying attention to how he would smile when he was in the worst kind of pain. She was in love with him, but he was too kind to see it. Oh, well. It's still really pretty, though, and I'm glad I chose it."
"Would it be alright if I saw you skate it?"
Phichit sits upright on his side of the booth and glances around the room carefully for a moment before letting his eyes focus solely on Viktor again. "Are you serious?"
"Yes?" Viktor's eyebrows scrunch in question, wondering if he maybe crossed a line he didn't know about.
"Yes! Please come! Maybe if you tell Yuuri you're going, he'll want to." Before Viktor can even respond, Phichit puts a hand up. "Don't. I already know that it'll be impossible, and I'm not asking you to make him come somehow. It'd be nice if he was there, but out of his own will not yours. Got it?"
Viktor nods in understanding.
"Good. Then let's drink! I need a few photos before this night ends since I got to meet you, and I need to make Yuuri beyond jealous. There's a bucketlist item I never thought I'd get to. Cheers!" Phichit clicks his glass against the one Viktor is holding.
Only Viktor doesn't really share in his enthusiasm. Not tonight, at least. He feels like he's learned so much and would prefer leaving, but he's not one to ruin a party when at least one person is having fun. So he lets himself have fun for a few hours. Draining drinks with the other until he's not really thinking properly, which is a feeling he knows he shouldn't indulge in but finds himself doing anyway.
He'll talk to Chris tomorrow. They'll come up with something together.
There's got to be something he can do for Yuuri while he still can.
