"Of all days, why does Aeroflot have to let me down the most now?" Viktor impatiently taps his foot against the floor. He's sitting in one of the many seats in the terminal for his flight, anxiously watching the board with flight arrivals and departures. His flight has yet to arrive even though it should've been there an hour ago. He groans again when the board changes and there's no new information on the flight he's supposed to be on.
Chris smirks from the seat beside him. "Relax. We're going to be on flights for 20 hours. If you're like this the entire time, I might end up leaving you on our first transfer."
Viktor's eyes leave the screen and land on Chris instead, giving off the same glare he wore for the board. "Not helping. What would you do if you were in my place?"
"I wouldn't be in this place to begin with."
Viktor throws his head back against the seat. "I know. I'm an idiot."
"You are, but I'm used to it. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have said I'd join you. That and my job is to prevent you from digging yourself a bigger hole. Unless it's one you personally claimed as yours." Chris winks at the last comment, gaining a chuckle from Viktor. "So you can still laugh."
"Of course I can."
"But you haven't done so since Yuuri left."
"You're right... I just want him here right now."
"You'll see him soon. You might want to-"
"It's here!" Viktor bolts from his seat and stares at the screen for a moment before collecting his belongings.
"We still have to wait for them to call our seats to line up." Chris takes a good look at him for the first time since he met Viktor at his flat in the morning. "Viktor?"
Frantically, Viktor flits his eyes up to look at Chris. "What?"
"How do I put this nicely..." Chris settles his hand on his chin as he looks Viktor up and down, "You look like you haven't slept in a month."
Viktor furrows his brows and stares at Chris questioningly.
Amused, Chris pulls out his phone and snaps a quick photo of Viktor and then hands him the device.
Viktor cringes when he gazes at the photo of himself. "You could've told me earlier."
Chris shrugs. "You were rushing us out the door this morning. If I had noticed earlier, I would've said something. Not much we can do about it now."
"I'll wait for our layover in South Korea. I don't want Yuuri to see me like this." Viktor hands Chris back his phone and pulls out his own to fix his hair as best as he can.
"He might find it attractive to see you as a mess without him. Some people are into that."
"Chris, that's not exactly what I'm concerned about right now. I'm just-"
"Terminal D Flight 209 to Seoul, South Korea is now boarding passengers 11-16. All passengers for Flight 209 Seoul, South Korea, make your way to Terminal D for boarding."
"I'll yell at you once we get on the plane. Time to go, Chris." Viktor pulls up the handle for his rolling suitcase and all but runs into line with his boarding pass.
Chris hops into line behind him, and soon enough they're let onto the plane. By the time they're seated and the plane starts to roll down the runway, Viktor turns into an even bigger mess than he was before. His leg won't stop vibrating, and his fingers are constantly drumming against the small window next to his seat. Only until Chris says something to him does he finally decide to do something about the nerves he's feeling.
That's when Viktor realizes just how bad he is.
After a moment of scrolling through the music on his phone, he picks a beautiful instrumental piece that he can't quite remember why he has. He's thrown into a state of shock when he pieces it together.
It's Yuuri's song. The song a friend of Yuuri's created just for him when he was living in Japan and let Viktor listen to when the conversation had changed to favorite songs and artists. The very song Viktor kept on repeat until for a good two weeks after that visit.
It takes everything in him not to cry at the sound of it, of the familiar and happy times they had before Viktor ruined everything, yet he doesn't change the song. Instead, he keeps it going, letting it ground him to what he's doing in that very moment.
He's going to see Yuuri, his life and love.
"I'll be there soon, Yuuri. Wait for me," Viktor silently speaks to himself, letting those words hang in the air and in his mind.
.
. . .
.
"Alright, Katsudon, what'd you want now?" Yurio walks into the open visiting space beyond the glass and leans up against the back wall.
Yuuri carefully gets out of his bed and moves to sit in a chair he set up in front of the glass just the other day. After a moment of attempting to walk on his own and eventually succeeding, he sits down and anxiously fidgets with his glasses as he tries to figure out what to say without getting the teen riled up.
"Out with it. What'd you do now?"
Otabek looks between the two before finally setting his gaze on Yuuri.
"Viktor called me again."
"Again?" Yurio cocks an eyebrow.
"He called me the day you first came in here, and he called me again yesterday."
"Uh-huh...?"
"Um..." Yuuri gulps nervously. "Well, he heard me say your name when you first walked in..."
"You ratted me out, didn't you?" Yurio glares at him as he leans forward. Otabek steadies a hand on his shoulder, trying to pull him back into his seat.
"No! I didn't I promise! He heard me say your name, but that's it. He pieced it together himself. He also said you were in a lot of trouble..." Yuuri laughs timidly.
Yurio snorts. "Not much he can do anyway. He's all talk. Is that all you had to tell me?"
"There's one more thing. I wanted Otabek here as well since he was also involved before."
Otabek raises an eyebrow in question, not entirely expecting to be brought into the conversation as well.
Yuuri takes a deep breath before going on to explain what he had in mind.
"You want us to what?" Yurio stands behind the glass, gawking at Yuuri from where he's standing. Otabek just smirks next to Yurio like he had already expected this to happen.
"Please, Yurio? I heard you helped the last time. I want to be there when his flight touches down, but no one besides you is going to willingly help. Please?" Yuuri is sitting in a chair closer to the glass, as if reassurance that no one in the hospital staff will hear them talking.
"That was Viktor's dumbass idea, and it almost got you both in trouble. There's no way I'm getting my ass handed to me from government workers or doctors with needles. Get your sister or whatever to help you. How would we even get to the airport? We can't drive here."
"I can drive! I mean... I haven't done it in a few years, but I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm begging you. Please help me!" Yuuri bows his head, squeezing his eyes shut tight as we waits for an answer.
"Ugh, don't do that. Isn't that supposed to hurt your pride or something? We'll help you get out, but you are not driving, got it? We'll ask your sister or maybe that other person who hangs around all the time. She seems like she cares enough about you." Yurio glances away from him in embarrassment, not that he would ever admit to that.
Yuuri's head rises too quickly, giving him whiplash for a moment and sending him into a coughing fit before he can even speak. "Thank you so much!"
"You owe us though! I'm not doing this for free."
"Perfect! Really, thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm only doing this because I know I'm going to here about it later from Viktor if he catches wind of this. Don't you dare say anything to him about me. That's another condition to this." Yurio jabs a finger in his direction.
Otabek silently chuckles from where he's standing, and Yurio turns to glare at him.
"I won't! My lips are sealed." Yuuri turns to Otabek with a glimmer of hope, already knowing what his answer will be before he even says it given his reaction.
"Of course I'll help. Mr. Nikiforov will be happy to see you."
Yuuri returns the smile that is barely visible on Otabek's face. "Thank you so much!"
"We get it, so stop saying that already." Yurio rolls his eyes, but his pink dusted cheeks give him away.
"Sorry! I didn't think you'd actually accept, though." Yuuri grins sheepishly at them.
"So when does his flight land?"
"Around eight tonight, so we have to leave at six at the latest to be there before he lands."
"Wait, tonight? You didn't mention how soon we'd need to do this. The last time they spent an entire weekend camped out in the conference room trying to plan everything, and now we only have five hours to figure this out? Why didn't you mention this to us sooner?"
"I didn't know if you'd say yes, so I waited." Yuuri shrugs, the smile never leaving his face.
"You can be very difficult, you know that right?" Yurio huffs and looks up at Otabek. "Any ideas?"
Otabek thinks for a moment before speaking up. "We can go back and ask his sister for help before deciding our next move. After that, we'll regroup here and plan on how to get you out without setting anyone off. That's going to be the hardest part."
"Agreed. If you two need any help, call me up and have me talk to Mari. She should be fine with it, though." Yuuri remembers the first time he snuck out of the hospital and laughs at that fond memory he shared with Viktor.
"How many times do I have to tell you and him to stop being so gross?" Yurio mumbles under his breath. Otabek elbows him lightly to get his attention and just barely gives off the first glimpses of a smile. Yurio rolls his eyes for the hundredth time and tugs on Otabek's arm. "We're leaving."
"This means a lot to me. Thank you so much."
"Bye, Katsudon," Yurio yells over his shoulder as they leave.
Yuuri is stuck with a wide smile across his face.
He's going to see Viktor.
.
. . .
.
"Chriiiissss, hurry up!" Like a child, Viktor slouches against his luggage, waiting for Chris to get the coffee he ordered from one of the stands in the Fukuoka airport. Chris, as well as Viktor himself, finds it amazing just how much energy the Russian has after twenty hours of flying. "We still have to get a taxi to Hasetsu, and I want to be there as soon as possible."
Chris grabs his coffee from the barista and walks over to where Viktor has started waving his hands around frantically. "I tipped the barista extra because of you."
"Finally, you're back. Now," Viktor gazes down at the time on his phone quickly, "if I'm correct, we probably won't be back in time for visiting hours since they close in one hour. I heard from Yurio though that his family owns what they call an onsen here. Apparently we can stay there for the night. I'll just surprise him the next..." Viktor starts typing into his phone while he continues talking.
Meanwhile, Chris's attention is drawn to the room beyond the terminals where families usually pick up friends and other members of their families. His attention is drawn because he sees a familiar head of blond hair awaiting them. He almost drops when he sees the figure Yurio's talking to turn around. He pauses in his steps behind Viktor, who just keeps walking and talking to no one in particular. Amused, he says nothing and catches up to Viktor.
Yuuri sees him coming and as calmly as he can walks up to Viktor, pausing in front of him. Viktor pauses when he sees a pair of feet stop in front of him and slowly looks up to apologize to the person, only to find Yuuri instead. Viktor's eyes open wide as his phone clatters to the floor between them.
"Y-Yu... Yuuri?"
"H-Hey, Viktor." Yuuri shyly smiles at him, eyes sparkling with happiness.
Viktor keeps looking him up and down trying to decide if the lack of sleep is catching up to him already. "I'm dreaming, right? You're not really here. There's no way."
"If this is just a dream, then I hope I never wake up from it."
"Yuuri... it's really... you?" Hesitantly, Viktor steps forward and reaches a hand out towards Yuuri's own glove-covered one.
"Oh my god, yes it's him. Can we get going? I'm cold and hungry, and it's too loud here."
Both Yuuri and Viktor turn to face him before turning back to each other and laughing with tears in their eyes. Viktor pulls Yuuri into a sudden hug, his head burrowed into his shoulder as he hugs him tightly. "I missed you so much."
Yuuri hugs back as tightly as he can. "I missed you, too. I'm glad you're here."
They stay like that for a moment before the group breaks them apart so they can all leave. Viktor holds Yuuri's gloved hand in his own the entire car ride, not letting go for one second. Suddenly realizing that he shouldn't be able to do that so easily, Viktor gasps and turns to him. Confused, Yuuri wrinkles his eyebrows and waits for whatever he has to say.
"How are you out?" The words made more sense in his head.
"What?"
"Aren't you supposed to be in a hospital?" Unless he was doing better... Maybe the hospital released him. Maybe Viktor would be able to hold his hand. Maybe they could go out on a real date now. Not that the one they had wasn't a real date, it's just... maybe they wouldn't have to take as many precautions as they did. Yuuri being here with him right now had to be a good sign.
"I am." Yuuri grimaces and looks down at their entwined hands. "Yurio, Otabek, and Mari helped me get out. We're going back now."
"Oh." Viktor doesn't know what else to say, so instead he rubs the back of Yuuri's gloved hand to help soothe him. Maybe it'll even help Viktor himself.
Everyone in the car is silent again, and to Viktor it's deafening. His thoughts are reeling, and he feels dizzy. Yuuri's not doing any better. He's... he's still in pain. He doesn't notice how hard he's holding Yuuri's hand until he flinches and taps on the back of Viktor's hand.
"Sorry!" Viktor pulls back his hand and folds it in his lap with his other hand until Yuuri pries it away and holds it back in his own hand. Viktor smiles, but it's not enough to reassure Yuuri or even himself.
When they get back to the hospital and Yuuri is situated into his room and hooked up to everything he needs to be, everyone leaves Yuuri and Viktor to be alone.
"I really missed you, Vitya. I'm... I'm so-"
"I don't want us spending our time trying to figure out who's to blame more. I just want to enjoy being with you."
Yuuri smiles and nods. "You're right. So how was-"
"Can I kiss you?" Viktor stares at him straight on, his face set to be as serious as he knows his words are.
"You... what?" Yuuri's face turns red, and Viktor almost cracks because that would've been enough. Only he's tired of taking all of these precautions.
"I asked if I could kiss you."
Yuuri visibly turns redder at the words, and soon enough he's flailing his arms. "Y-You can't! Trust me, I want to! I don't want you-"
"I know. You told me the first time when I almost did. But Yuuri can I tell you something?"
Yuuri nods, not sure how to really respond without saying the same thing.
"Our time apart broke me. I realized that even knowing you were on the same Earth as me wasn't enough. I needed you next to me. I want you next to me. I understand what I'm doing, but I'd rather deal with the consequences than trying to deal with the knowledge that I never got to really touch you like I want to. I love getting to hold your hand, but I want to be able to feel your warmth against me, not just guess what it would be like with your gloves on. Let me handle what comes of my actions, but can you please let me do what I want to this once? I know it's incredibly selfish, but it's the only selfish thing I'll ever ask of you."
Yuuri closes his eyes, tears flowing freely from them as he took in Viktor's words. He takes a deep breath before opening his eyes again, chocolate brown staring right into ocean blue. "Yes."
Viktor's eyes widen before he breaks into a smile. "Thank you, Yuuri. Thank you so much. Can I uh... Can I come in?"
Yuuri bites his lip, a habit of his that Viktor realizes he missed seeing, and motions towards the door.
Viktor walks to the door and stares at the handle before opening it and entering Yuuri's space. They stay like that for a moment - Viktor standing just beyond the doorway, and Yuuri stiffly sitting on his bed with wide eyes and a red face.
All it takes is Yuuri sighing a shaky breath for Viktor to cross the room. He does so slowly at first, not wanting to scare Yuuri anymore than the initial reason behind his entering most likely has. Yuuri, almost robotically, turns his body towards Viktor, eyes sparkling as they look up at him. Viktor carefully sits on the bed next to Yuuri, keeping a respectful distance between them. Surprisingly, Yuuri goes to close the space first by scooching closer next to him. They're about an inch apart at this moment, and Viktor hesitates to close it like he wants to.
"I know what I said, but if it's too much for you..."
"I-I want this, too." Yuuri's eyes don't leave Viktor's anymore.
Viktor nods and almost jumps at the cold touch on his hand. When he looks down, he finds Yuuri's paler than usual hand around his own and his heart almost leaps out of his chest. He's holding Yuuri's hand. Yuuri's hand is on his. They're hands are actually touching. Yuuri is-
Overcome with emotion, Viktor looks up at Yuuri and leans in to claim Yuuri's lips for his own.
He didn't know what he was expecting before or what he thought it would be like, but Yuuri exceeds everything. Yuuri is... Yuuri is so much more amazing than he ever thought he would be. The feeling his warms lips covering Yuuri's own cold ones is incredible and magical and...
The moment is cut off too soon when Yuuri pulls away. Viktor is about complain when he sees the look on his face.
Yuuri's face is beyond red, and there are tears in his eyes that Viktor can't tell are because he's happy or sad. Yuuri's still holding his hand, though, so it couldn't have been that bad. Cautiously, Viktor raises his other hand to Yuuri's cheek, wiping away one of the tears that threatens to fall. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."
"I'm not crying because I'm upset." A bubble of laughter rises from Yuuri's throat. "I'm happy. I'm very happy." Yuuri smiles the biggest Viktor is sure he's ever smiled. It's just as magical as the kiss was.
"I... I'm glad. I love you." Viktor leans his forehead against Yuuri's tenderly.
"I love you, too." Yuuri giggles - ah, how Viktor missed the sound of that - and gives him a quick peck on the lips, pulling away before Viktor can turn it into anything else.
"Can this be our little secret? I'd rather it stay like that than have everyone worrying about what might happen because of it."
"Anything for you, Vitya."
Viktor can tell Yuuri's on the brink of panicking because of what he said, but he relieves it with a quick kiss in return on his cheek. "You'll be the first one I tell anything to. I promise. If there's anything wrong, I will tell you immediately. Okay?"
"You should really tell someone who-"
"Yuuri. I'll tell you."
"Okay. Right. Got it. Just me." Yuuri bites on his bottom lip and nods.
"Yuuri," Viktor holds head between his hands, "everything is going to be fine. I'm going to be fine, but most importantly, you're going to be fine. There's nothing we can't accomplish together. As they say, two is better than one. Wouldn't you agree?"
"But Viktor I only have-"
"I want you to think positively for once. No ifs, ands, or buts anymore. I won't allow it."
Yuuri sighs and then smiles. "That can be doable."
"No, it will be doable. Yuuri Katsuki, must you contradict everything I have to say?"
"If I said no, would that prove your point?"
Viktor pulls his hands away and laughs. "I love you, Yuuri. I really do."
They sit and chat for awhile like they used to before Chris walks into the room. Chris is about to say something when he freezes at the sight before him. Viktor's holding Yuuri's hand on his bed. It's adorable sure, but it's beyond dangerous.
"Viktor, what are you doing?"
"Chris! It must be time to leave if you're here!" Viktor grins from where he is, not processing Chris's almost angry expression.
"What have you done?"
"What are you talking about? Oh, Yuuri! I'll come visit you tomorrow!" Viktor gives Yuuri a quick peck before reluctantly letting go of his hand and standing up to leave the room. He completely misses how pale Yuuri's face has gone as he makes eye contact with Chris.
Chris holds his gaze for a moment, staring daggers into him as Viktor flits about the room to gather his belongings. When Viktor leaves the room with another wave to Yuuri and walks out ahead of Chris, Chris crosses his arms over his chest.
"Care to explain?"
Yuuri worries his bottom lip, drawing blood from the action. "I didn't- He wouldn't let me say no..."
"He never lets anyone say no. Why didn't you try harder to stop him? I'm glad you're both together again, but that... that I will not support. You've risked his life."
"I know." Yuuri looks down at his hands in his lap, still able to feel the warmth on Viktor's skin lingering on his. "I didn't want him in here. I didn't want him to touch me, but..."
"But you did. and now he'll have to suffer for it. I know you didn't really have a say in it, so I can't stand here and blame you. I just want you to know what's happened. It's too late to do anything about it now, though. I wish you tried a little harder." Chris shakes his head and follows after his friend.
Once Chris leaves, Yuuri breaks.
.
. . .
.
"What took you so long? I thought you were right behind me."
Chris doesn't say anything, instead making his way to the driver's side of the car and getting in.
"Wow~ The silent treatment. You only give that to me if I've really messed up somewhere. What did I do this time?" Viktor slides into the car after Chris, who starts the car up silently. "I won't know what I did until you tell me."
Chris furrows his eyebrows and pulls out of the hospital lot. "You know very well what you've done."
"I'm sorry. I really don't." Viktor's expression turns grim.
"You're ridiculous."
"Chris, please explain."
Chris goes back to silence as he drives towards the onsen Yuuri's family owns. He breathes out a sigh and his hands tighten around the steering wheel. "What were you doing in his room?"
"Yuuri's? I was talking with him? Why?"
"No, Viktor, you- you were making contact with him. You were touching him."
"And?"
"How can you not see what's wrong with that?" Chris worriedly glances over at him, the anger from before rising again.
"Oh! That's what you mean! Don't worry, Chris! I have it-" Viktor tries to wave the problem away but Chris cuts in sharply.
"No, you don't. You say you do but you don't. You have friends, practically family, that love you, Viktor. You're throwing all of that away as if it means nothing. I get that you love him. I understand that you want to be with him forever. We've talked about this dozens of times already. It can't happen. He's a ticking time bomb, and you've put yourself in the path of it. You need medical treatment right away now. You are not allowed to disagree with me. I won't tell anyone what happened, but that means you can't either. I'm forbidding you from doing exactly what you did today ever again."
"Chris, everything will be-"
"Don't you dare say fine because it isn't." Chris's tone shuts Viktor up right away. "I want you examined every single day. Promise me you won't do that again."
"But nothing will ha-"
"Promise me, Nikiforov!"
Viktor is taken aback by the use of his last name and nods in consent, terrified of Chris in the moment.
"I need to hear you say it."
"I-"
"Say it!" Chris's knuckles have turned white around the steering wheel.
"I... I can't."
"And why's that?"
Viktor takes a deep breath and keeps his tone even as he speaks. "Because I love him, and I will do whatever I can to make him as happy as he can be before he's gone."
Chris laughs humorlessly. "Just say you're doing it for yourself."
"Fine. I kissed Yuuri because I wanted to. I held his hand because I wanted to. I want to memorize everything about him before I can't see it anymore. This is my decision, and you can't do anything about it. I'm sorry." Viktor keeps his eyes on Chris, watching how his anger fades into exasperation.
"Remember the first time I met you?"
"Of course. Why?"
"You came up to me after your shoot and said to do what I wanted to do. If anyone tells you otherwise then you aren't meant to be around them. I took the advice but didn't know what to do with it until a few years later when my previous agency forgot who I was as a person and used me like a tool. That was when I remembered what you said and spoke up for myself. I was called to work with you on more projects two years after when they discovered how similar we were. Now look where we are."
"Now you're the one giving me advice." A smile spreads across Viktor's face.
"My point is you've helped me become who I am. There's no way I'm the only one you've influenced either. There are people around you who care for you, and you're just throwing that away like it's nothing."
"Chris," Viktor leans back into the passenger seat, "I've told you. I've thought this through over and over again. This was the decision I came around to. I'm not saying I don't understand what you're getting at. I do. I really do. The only thing I have against your point is that the me who has helped others wasn't ever helping himself. For once I feel like me. I'm making decisions that I want, not ones that others would love for me to make on their behalf. I don't know how many times I can say that. This is who I am and who I want to continue to be. I'm sorry if you don't like the real me."
"Let's not get melodramatic, Viktor. I just wish if you were going to make a selfish decision that you would make one like ordering a meat lovers pizza instead of sticking to anything healthy like the agency wants us to eat."
Viktor turns over Chris's words in his head, leaving the car in silence as Chris drove the rest of the way to the onsen.
Sure, by far it wasn't the smartest decision he's ever made, but no decision he's made in the past few months has been smart. When he's at work, he's completely serious about everything and is able to think of different possibilities for every shoot. They call him a genius. On the other hand when it comes to Yuuri, logic seems to fly out the window. Nothing makes sense, and he's never sure if he's doing the right thing. If Yuuri thinks badly of him. It's very confusing. Seeing how Yuuri was today, though, gave him a little courage. Courage he felt like they both needed. It was a step forward, and now his best friend thinks otherwise.
Can he ever do something and please everyone?