Saying Viktor felt like he'd been hit by a bus was being too generous. Something much larger had to have hit him with how horrible he felt as he woke up. His mouth was incredibly dry and it took ages for him to be able to clear his vision through the crust. What the hell had he done last night? Drank three bottles of vodka? It didn't help there was a loud pounding coming from somewhere.
"Vitya! Vitya, are you in there!? Wake up, dammit!"
Viktor's eyes widened as he realized that was Yakov's voice coming from the other side. Throwing off the covers he made a dash for the door despite the light headedness that hit him. When he opened the door and saw Yakov in front of him, he suddenly remembered everything. Yakov, the PI, Yuuri. No. Omega. Omega murdering that man in front of him.
"Good God, Vitya, you look deathly ill! What's wrong-,"
Slamming the door shut Viktor ran for the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before emptying his stomach. Blood. So much blood and so many screams. It was his fault. All of it was because of him, because of -
Yakov's shouts continued and he sucked in a shuddered breath trying to compose himself as he gripped the edges of the toilet with a deadly grip. He had to keep himself together at least until he could get Yakov to go away. With a shaky breath and wobbly knees he pushed himself to his feet. Wiping his mouth he flushed the toilet and then splashed some cold water on his face. Catching his reflexion in the mirror, he realized how horrible he looked. He felt just as bad.
Yakov cursed when he opened the door again. "Christ, you really are sick, aren't you? You're lucky it didn't fully surface until today. Well, I guess it helps with our story, doesn't it? You need to see the medic. I'll have you withdrawn from the gala. What is it? Just a stomach bug?"
"Y-yeah, I think," Viktor answered, his voice sounding horrible. "Didn't sleep at all." Maybe he never really would again.
"Get some meds and try and sleep it off. It wouldn't do to miss the banquet as well," Yakov told him.
Viktor's jaw tightened. Both Yuuri and Guang-Hong were to be at the banquet as sponsors. Yuuri was one thing, but to be in the same room as the other omega again...The alpha simply nodded, and Yakov walked away. Swallowing down another wave of nausea, Viktor closed the door and turned around. He jumped suddenly, realizing that Yuuri had been there the whole time sitting in the corner of the room in one of the plush chairs.
No...it wasn't Yuuri, was it? The hair wasn't perfectly slicked back, but it was still brushed out of his face. Glasses were absent and his legs were neatly crossed as he supped on a cup of a tea. Why was Omega still here? Viktor felt his hands start to shake. "Where's Yuuri?"
Raising an eyebrow, Omega waived his free hand in front of himself. "Still here, as he always has and always will be. What you really mean to ask, is why he's not in control."
Not taking his eyes off of Omega, he moved to the otherside of the room, keeping his distance. "Fine. Why is Yuuri not in control?"
"Do you really think it healthy for poor Yuuri if I were to let him loose in the world without us having a proper discussion about last night? He's fragile, with a glass heart. While I find him incredibly naive sometimes, he is still me as much as I am him. When he feels pain, I feel pain. Emotional or otherwise."
"I thought you'd relish in Yuuri's pain, especially when it came to me," Viktor scoffed, not believing a word coming from his mouth. Omega was still here likely to continue what he started last night.
Omega put down the cup of tea and folded his hands. "I may find it deserved, especially when it comes to you, but I do not relish in it. When Yuuri is in pain, he retreats. If he retreats, living falls to me. When two minds share one body that becomes...exhausting."
"So your reasons are simply selfish," Viktor argued.
"I don't expect you to understand, alpha," Omega hissed. "In fact, you understand very little about the world around you. You speak of selfishness, but it is you who is selfish. You want Yuuri for yourself, but have not seriously considered what you must sacrifice in order to have him. You believed you could simply turn a blind eye to the darkness and evil and it simply wouldn't exist. Is that how you viewed your skating career? If you just turned a blind eye to your competitors, they'd never exist? Well, that's caught up to you now, hasn't it? Just as Yuuri's true nature has.
Last night was child's play, Viktor. Yuuri and I have done far, far worse. While he would have disagreed in the method of which things were done, Yuuri would have supported dealing with the situation at hand. Do you really think you can handle reality? I meant what I said last night. An Oyabun does not need a weak mate. You are weak."
Viktor's lip trembled, tears stinging at his eyes. He'd heard all sorts of things in his career, all sorts of insults, but none of them hit his core the way Omega's did. Despite it all, Viktor wanted this man's approval. He couldn't explain it. "I'm not running away," he eventually got out, even if there was a quiver of his voice. "I won't let you drive me off."
Omega tsked and stood. "I don't understand you. Why are you so willing to throw away everything you have for us? You are on top of the world. Even with your loss this weekend, you are the greatest male figure skater to ever live. You can retire and still have every brand deal, headline every skating show. The money would still roll in."
Viktor couldn't help but laugh, running a hand through his tangled hair. "You think all of that just makes a person happy? Yes, I've been successful all of my life, but success comes at a price. I had no parents, no family other than Yakov, and being in training all day means you never made friends or dated anyone. There's no human connection. There's only you and the ice. For almost 30 years I have been alone. I would give up all of that just to feel love."
"Love," Omega scoffed. "The two of you think love can simply solve all problems."
"It doesn't solve all problems, but it makes living through those problems bearable," Viktor countered.
Sucking in a long breath, Omega looked Viktor up and down with tightly crossed arms. "You really refuse to walk away, even after last night?"
"He's my true mate," Viktor smiled softly, though he could not meet Omega's gaze as he said it. "I'm not sure I could run even if I wanted to." True mates were a thing so often fantasized in novels and television, but no one ever talked about if you were essentially permanently tied to someone that may not match with your perfect ideals. But, that would take away from all the magic and whimsy, wouldn't it? No one would want a true mate if they thought it might be a criminal.
Omega grunted, shaking his head. "If you really are true mates, the imprint will not go away like Yuuri hopes. It will only get worse until you mate. The longer you wait to walk away, the more painful it will be for you both to do so, and that directly impacts me."
Viktor clenched his fists, the nails digging into his skin. It was already too late for that. The fact that he was still standing here talking to Omega was proof of that. "I know you want to be rid of me, but you and I are just going to have to learn to live with one another, just like you and Yuuri."
Silently, Omega poured another cup of tea and took a long moment to sip it in contemplation. He tapped a finger against the porcelain, and then eventually turned back towards Viktor. "Well, then. There's only one thing for you to do, isn't there? Surprise me, Viktor. I am your audience as you perform out on the ice. Surprise me, and prove to me you are worthy of the role you wish to play."
"I will prove to you I can handle this," Viktor told him. He didn't know how, especially with the darkness of the previous night still haunting him, but he would do anything. Everything. It was like he was possessed. Like he almost wasn't himself anymore.
With red eyes, Omega looked him up and down and then smirked darkly. "I look forward to seeing just how that plays out. Hopefully, in blood." Setting down his tea he approached Viktor until he was close enough to touch. "You'd look so pretty bathed in red, I think." His fingers reached up and delicately brushed Viktor's bangs out of the way before trailing down his cheek and across his lips. Viktor tensed beneath this touch. "Maybe one day you might even like it."
Viktor didn't like when Omega touched him. It took all his will power to avoid swatting his hand away. He didn't imagine Omega would take kindly to that.
Eyes growing a darker shade of red, Omega gripped Viktor's jaw tightly, making him jolt. "But, Vitya, I must tell you to warn off your coach. Yuuri might tolerate it, but I will not stand for it again. Next time, it'll be Yakov meeting Minami's blade, and it won't be a quick death. Do I make myself clear?"
Swallowing hard, he nodded. He'd find a way to get Yakov to stop. He didn't know how, but he'd figure it out.
"Good boy," Omega whispered, gentling his hand before giving Viktor's cheek a soft pat.
Viktor let out a soft breath he'd been holding in and watched as Omega returned to his tea. The immediate threat seemed gone. "Is Kenjirou like you…? The way he was so different than usual last night…"
Omega laughed. "Like me? You are a different person on the ice versus off it, aren't you? Humans are rather good at wearing masks without a mental disorder to help them. No. Minami is not like me. I hope no other omega has to be like me." He set the teacup down. "Go. You have a medic to see. I'd ask for sleeping pills, if I were you. You'll need them."
A suggestion Viktor would certainly take. "What will you do about Yuuri?"
"I need to speak with Seung Gil," he answered. "This will need to be a delicate exchange of power. He'll tell you to run, you know."
"I won't," Viktor promised.
Omega hummed. "Fantastic. This will be a fun game. I haven't had real fun in a while. Until next time, then. Try not to shake so in my presence. It's so embarrassing for an alpha." Smoothing out his sleeves he headed for the door and left.
Despite having kept his composure, Viktor couldn't help but let out a soft cry of relief at his absence and he fell to his knees. He had only pretended to be brave in his presence. Omega had finally gotten what he'd wanted - Viktor's fear. Viktor felt trapped, now. He was terrified, but there was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. The bond he and Yuuri had would always pull him back. There was nothing else to do but stay and endure.
After a shower and fresh clothes, Viktor felt better, but he still headed to the medic who prescribed him anti-nausea and sleep medication. He returned to his room and tried to sleep until the banquet, but even with the medication he couldn't quite find it. The rest was enough, though, as he clung to the giant Makkachin plush. A little over an hour before the start of the banquet, there was a soft knock on the door. He lifted his head, and the door opened. It was Yuuri. For sure this time. He could tell because the omega looked as ragged as he felt.
"Vitya," Yuuri's voice was low and his eyes were focused on the floor. "I...I'm so sorry."
Resting his head against the plush dog, Viktor contemplated just how this conversation would go. It didn't seem either of them knew. "Yuuri...come here." Yuuri did as Viktor requested, and joined him in bed, the massive plush separating them, though not hindering their line of sight. Viktor reached out for Yuuri's hand and linked their fingers.
"Seung Gil was supposed to protect you," Yuuri hiccuped.
"He tried," Viktor actually spoke in the man's defense. "Not until the end, but he did try."
"It should have never gotten to that point," Yuuri argued. "That man didn't have to die. He could have been silenced in other ways."
Viktor's teeth clenched, remembering all the various ways Omega had offered to silence him. There were things worse than death, he was learning. What would Yuuri have done instead? "And Yakov? How will he be silenced?"
Yuuri flinched slightly. "I was very much hoping you could handle that."
So was Viktor. As much as he wanted to believe Yuuri wouldn't go as far as Omega, he couldn't trust that belief. "Will that man's body be found? Or will he simply become a missing person?"
"People disappear in Russia all the time," was Yuuri's answer.
Vikor knew all too well the haunting rate of disappearances in his home country, but now he was beginning to understand the truth of it all. "I see...But don't you think a body would have been a better deterrent than perhaps thinking the PI is ignoring him?"
"He will be in the PI's contacts," Yuuri reminded him. "He'll be questioned."
That worried Viktor for a multitude of reasons. "That means they'll want to know why Yakov hired him. Don't you think that will fall back on you?"
Yuuri gave him a small smile. "The man had known ties to the Bratva. When the police find that out, they won't investigate any further. Besides, I'm just a figure skating sponsor. Nothing to see here." He gave Viktor's hand a squeeze.
Viktor returned it, though he still felt unease about the situation. He was scared for Yakov. "He'll think you'll make me disappear, just like the PI, you know? I worry that will just make him act worse about the situation."
"Do you want that?" Yuuri asked. "To disappear?"
He sucked in a sharp breath, surprised by the omega's question. Did he know of the conversation he'd had with Omega? Or was it just that easy to see? Was he that transparent? "Sometimes...a lot of times. I...I've had a lot of bad thoughts through the years considering it. It must seem so stupid to hear me say that. I've had a glorious life in comparison to so many. I've been so sheltered, oblivious to the world around me. Omega was right to call me blind."
Unlacing their fingers, Yuuri reached up and brushed away Viktor's bangs. "It's not stupid, Vitya. Loneliness is a more powerful darkness than people think. I'm so sorry you ever felt that way. I guess it does explain a little bit of why you're still here."
"I don't want to die anymore," Viktor objected, because it was true. Yuuri was something worth living for. He closed his fingers around Yuuri's hand and brought it to his face.
"No, but you wouldn't mind if the world thought you were dead," Yuuri told him.
Well, maybe that was true. "It would be easier, wouldn't it? To just disappear with you, where no one could question my choices or my perfect image. We could just run away together."
"Except you haven't gotten me my Olympic gold medal yet," Yuuri teased him. "I can't take you away until I have my prize."
Viktor wanted to smile, but he couldn't. Omega's words were a heavy reminder in the back of his mind. "Omega says we don't have that long. That the imprint will only get worse until we mate. Is it true? Will you get sick, too?"
Pulling away from Viktor, Yuuri slowly sat up in the bed, his gaze on the sheets. "I don't think we'll know for certain until we are separated again, but...I think he might be right. And, yes, eventually I will begin to feel ill when we are apart, too. Vitya, we can still end this. It will hurt, but not as much as it will if we let this continue to go on."
Viktor pushed himself up. "No. I'm not running."
"How can you not?!" Yuuri screamed at him, brown eyes growing wet with tears. "Seung Gil told me what happened, Vitya! You were terrified! You were so scared you blacked out! I can't let you be put through that again!"
Viktor's fingers tightened in the sheets as all the memories returned. This time, though, he managed to keep his stomach in check. Perhaps seeing the blood got easier with time in real life, too. "Is that really what you want? For me to go?"
"No!" Yuuri answered quickly, shaking his head, "but…"
"This is not the life I would have chosen, if given the choice," Viktor started. "I'm not sure being mated to a mafia lord would have even been on the list at all, frankly, but we don't choose who we love. The universe wants us to be together for some reason. I don't know what that reason is yet, but I do know that I'm madly in love with you, Yuuri Katsuki. Maybe not so much with Omega, but, I'm sure there's something about me you don't like, too."
Letting out a small laugh, Yuuri wiped at his eyes. "There isn't a single hair on your head that I don't love."
"Oh, well, that can't be true. This one in particular is very annoying about staying down," Viktor reached up and grabbed on to a piece that was sticking up. This time, Yuuri laughed for real. Viktor wanted that laugh to be the only thing he ever heard, but that wasn't the reality. Reality was so much more somber. "I don't want to be involved in your work. Not unless it's the good things. You know, saving omegas and the like. And please...please never ask me to kill."
"I would never ask that of you, Vitya, you have to believe me," Yuuri promised.
Viktor did believe him, but, "Would Omega?"
Yuuri didn't answer as quickly this time. "Omega can be cruel, but it's because he has to be. He would never ask that of you unless there were no other option."
Not a yes or a no. Viktor wasn't sure why he expected a real answer. Maybe he could get a real answer to this question. "Would you ever get on the ice again, Yuuri?"
Letting out a long breath, Yuuri's shoulders slumped. "You know...prior to meeting you I could have easily said the answer to that question would be no. Now, though...well...maybe we both have a bit of courage to find. As long as I'm with you, I think I could do anything."
Viktor couldn't help the heart-shaped grin. "Now you understand!"
Yuuri's eyes went wide in surprise and then softened in understanding. "I guess I do."
Leaning in, Viktor closed the gap and pressed their lips together. "So. What do we do, then?"
"We wait until the Final. Let's see what happens with one more separation. Then, we'll make a decision," Yuuri told him.
Viktor nodded against Yuuri's forehead. "Ok."
"Until then, we have a banquet to get to. It looks like we'll be fashionably late."
"Ah, the usual for me, then," Viktor chuckled before finally moving off the bed. "At least I have my 'sickness' to blame."
"Guang-Hong and Leo will be there," Yuuri mentioned as they both started to get dressed. "Will you be alright with that?"
Not particularly, but he might as well start getting used to being around them. Before the whole murdering thing he had really enjoyed their company. Where did Viktor draw the line in the sand, and was that line only for people that weren't Yuuri? That was a horribly unrealistic way to look at the world. Ah, there it is again. Omega in the back of your head calling you naive. Maybe I really am. "It's fine. Really. That is, unless, we're planning on another dead body by the end of the night."
"Two in two days would draw far too much attention," Yuuri replied, tightening his tie.
It was probably said in jest, but it sent a shiver up Viktor's spine. "I don't recall a banquet ever getting out of hand to that point, but I suppose there's a first for everything."
"Relax," Yuuri said, running a comforting hand down his back. "Enjoy yourself. Nothing bad will happen. I promise."
Viktor imagined he'd drink a little more than usual. Drown his sorrows. The lot of them. "Can you really promise me that?" He wondered and he smoothed the last bit of fabric in place.
Yuuri wrapped his arms around Viktor's waist and rested his cheek on his shoulder. "I suppose I can never promise that entirely. There will always be that chance, but I've had to learn the hard way not to always live my life in fear. We will have plenty of security and protection. That, at least, I can promise."
It would have to be enough. It was enough. With Yuuri, it was always enough. Christ, Viktor...You can't keep thinking like this. Like a lovesick fool. One day, it would get him into trouble. Far worse than the trouble he was already in. And yet, he still craned his neck to kiss Yuuri. He was like a drug.
"Are you ready?" Yuuri finally asked as he pulled away from him.
Viktor nodded. "As ready as I will be to face everyone as a silver medalist."
"Silver suits you," Yuuri told him, twirling a strand of Viktor's silver hair in his fingers before standing on his tippy toes to give him a quick peck.
Well, if Yuuri thought so, then it must be.
All eyes were certainly on them at the banquet, but Viktor didn't think it was for anything good. While normally skaters were all over him to take photos, hardly anyone approached him. Maybe it was because of Yuuri? He was intimidating, even as himself instead of Omega. Intimidating and extremely handsome. Yakov paled when he saw Viktor enter with Yuuri on his arm. They needed to talk. "I'll leave you to do your sponsor things. I need to speak with Yakov."
Yuuri nodded in understanding. "Don't be too hard on him, Vitya. He just cares about you dearly. He wants you to be safe."
Yes, but that strong desire might lead to his death. Viktor refused to tell Yuuri about Omega's threat, though. It would only worry him. Grabbing a flute of champagne from a waiter he made his way towards Yakov.
"Feeling better?" Yakov asked.
Viktor hummed. "The medication helped. Just a bad stomach bug, like you said. You're looking a little ashy yourself."
Yakov quickly pocketed his phone. "It's nothing. Just a lot of work calls, texts, and emails."
Or lack thereof, in some cases.
"I thought you said that omega wasn't here," Yakov huffed, shooting a side gaze in Yuuri's direction.
"He wasn't when you asked," Viktor argued. "Now he is."
Yakov took a step forward so that he and Viktor were as close as they could be without touching. "Boy, you don't have any idea what it is you've gotten yourself into with that omega."
"I know far more than you," Viktor countered. "More than you think I do, and enough to understand in full my relationship with Yuuri."
"If that were true then you wouldn't still be hanging around him, let alone sharing the same bed!" Yakov growled. "Is it money, Vitya?! Do I need to work on getting you some new sponsors? I can find them for you! You don't need to be in bed with a criminal!"
"Stop!" Viktor hissed, holding up his hands to visibly shush his coach. "Stop...please, Yasha. If you really think you know all there is to know about Yuuri, then you'd know that he wouldn't like his private business on display."
Yakov's eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened in shock. "What has he done to you?"
You have no idea, Yasha. No idea what he's done to my heart. "Nothing I have not asked for. Yasha, please. I'm begging you. Stop digging into Yuuri's personal life."
"How do you even know that -," Yakov paused and pulled out his phone again. He checked it briefly and with a disappointed sigh pocketed it once more.
Swallowing, Viktor did a quick glance to make sure no one was in the vicinity. "Yuuri knows what you've been doing Yasha. Please...please do not take it any further."
Eyes darkened and narrowed. "Is that a threat, boy?"
"It's a request," Viktor answered, though he knew his own eyes betrayed the truth. "From someone who has always viewed you as a father figure."
"Don't. Don't," Yakov seethed, eyes growing wet with angry tears. "No son of mine would put those around him at risk to satisfy his knot. I'm done, Vitya. I'm done trying to protect you. I want nothing to do with you outside professional business, and after the Olympics we are through."
Viktor's hands tightened into fists and try as he might to hold it back, a tear fell as he scoffed. "Not much of a threat when you know I'm done after the Olympics anyway, is it? Soon, no one will even remember my name. Yuuri will be all I have, because the gold medals will be gone and I'll become worthless to you and everyone else in the skating community. Go. Go to your new golden boy, Yasha." Unable to look at Yakov any longer, Viktor turned his back to him and wiped at his eyes. He could see Yakov walk away out of his peripherals, and he downed the entire flute of champagne before nodding at the waitress and switching it out for a fresh one.
"It's never easy, is it?"
Viktor blinked in surprise as Leo joined him.
"Making choices your family disagrees with," he elaborated.
Disagree was putting it mildly. "Did your family disagree with you joining the Cartel?"
"My mother hasn't spoken to me since," Leo answered. "I still speak with my sisters, but I doubt if she knows about Guang-Hong or even cares to. The moment I joined the Cartel I was dead to her."
"Then why do it?" Viktor asked. "Why make that choice if it alienates you from so many people you love?" When it brought so much pain.
Leo shrugged. "I don't think anyone really wakes up one day and decides they want to be in the mafia, Viktor. It is not an easy path, and it certainly isn't always rewarding. They might enjoy it in the end, true, but there are always circumstances that lead to it."
Circumstances...Yuuri had tried so hard to separate from his family's Yakuza ties, but circumstances had brought him back despite it all. "And what were your circumstances?"
"My family was poor, and the neighborhood we lived in was dangerous," Leo explained. "The best way to keep my sisters safe and with a roof over their head and food in their mouths was to join. I did not want to do it and I did not enjoy my time with the Cartel, but I would not change it. My family is safe, even if it's without me in it."
How many other members of the mafia had a similar story to tell as Leo and Yuuri? How many felt they had no other choice? "But you enjoy working for Guang-Hong?"
Leo chuckled. "That is more because of Guang-Hong, and not the job itself. Though, I do find many parts of our work entertaining and sometimes rewarding. I did not enjoy last night, though, if that's what you're really wanting to ask. That is a hard reality of our work, though. Sometimes, people are at the wrong place at the wrong time, or get involved with the wrong people. It is not their fault, no, but there are still consequences. If it helps ease your conscience, that PI was in with the Bratva as a consultant. He did not have clean hands."
Viktor snorted. "That's supposed to make it better?"
Leo shrugged. "That's what you're looking for, isn't it? A reason to excuse it? It was so easy to accept Yuuri for who he is and what he does if you thought it was all rooted in justice. It's fine for him to kill the big bad alphas abusing the omegas, right?"
Nostrils flaring, Viktor pressed his lips together in a thin line, understanding where Leo was taking this, and not liking it. Not liking it because he was right. That had been Viktor's justification for it all. Yuuri was only taking out the bad guys. Except...not everyone Yuuri took out was really such a bad guy. Not always. "When do you stop looking for the reason?"
"When you start seeing that the only reason is the one that brought you here in the first place," Leo told him. "You love Yuuri, so you accept whatever it is he has to do. The sooner you accept that and only that, the easier it will be. Assuming that's still what you want. Seung Gil wasn't so sure you'd still be around after last night."
"I'm sure he'd just love that," Viktor grunted, "but he cannot get rid of me that easily."
That had Leo full on laughing. "Seung Gil hasn't had someone to challenge him for as long as I can remember. A little competition for Yuuri's affection will do him good."
The use of that word made Viktor blink in surprise. He hadn't even considered it, but…? "Does Seung Gil feel that way towards Yuuri? I thought it was just a sense of protectiveness."
"Oh, no, sorry, I didn't mean it that way," Leo apologized, but then hesitated and tilted his head in thought. "Well...sometimes, when Yuuri is really in his element, I see a desire in Seung Gil's eyes."
When Yuuri was in his element. Seung Gil was in love with Omega. Somehow, that seemed to make much more sense, but Viktor hadn't even thought about the fact that a split personality might mean split affections and a potential split of the heart. A pang of jealousy pierced through his own heart.
"I wouldn't worry about it. Yuuri's heart very clearly belongs to you," Leo assured him.
Yes, but Omega's did not. "Thank you, Leo, for speaking with me. I feel like I understand things a little better."
"You've chosen a hard road, but you aren't alone. Yuuri has my number, if you ever want to chat. We alpha wives have to stick together," Leo winked.
Viktor opened his mouth to respond when his eye caught Yuri approaching Yuuri. "Oh no, I better stop this." Setting his empty glass down on the table where it didn't even belong, he made a b-line towards the Yuris. "Yuuri! My love! Why don't we dance?!" He pulled Yuuri against him and turned him away from Yuri.
"Oi! Viktor! We were speaking!" Yuri growled.
"I told you no!" Viktor spat over his shoulder.
Yuuri untangled himself from Viktor. "Vitya, don't be rude. Please, introduce us."
"I don't need any introduction," Yuri argued, but then he recoiled with a heavy blush, "and neither do you. I know who you are."
Yuuri chuckled. "Yuuri Katsuki. It's very nice to officially meet you, Yuri Plisetsky." He extended his hand.
Viktor couldn't hold back the growl that erupted from his throat as their hands met.
Surprisingly, Yuri growled back. That was an official challenge between alphas. Viktor saw red.
Before things could escalate, Yuuri stepped between them. "Gentlemen, no need for barbaric displays of alpha behavior. Vitya, you know I'm yours." He leaned in and nuzzled Viktor's neck, right against his mating gland. It calmed Viktor's alpha immediately. "Yuri, congratulations on your gold medal. It was very well deserved. I look forward to seeing what else you can do."
Taking a step back in embarrassment of his behavior, Yuri cleared his throat. "Um, thanks. I, uh...I was actually wanting to see if maybe you'd...I don't know...sponsor me?"
"Yura-," Viktor began to protest, but Yuuri held up a silencing hand.
"I greatly appreciate a skater who takes initiative and goes after his goals," Yuuri started. "I would love to sponsor you, but one gold medal a champion does not make. Continue to impress me this season, and we'll have a chat. Deal?"
Yuri's green eyes lit up. "Really?! Yes! Deal! I won't disappoint you! I was your biggest fan back when you were skating!"
Viktor shared Yuuri's surprise. "Since when did you ever watch Yuuri skate?"
"Since forever, you idiot," Yuri hissed in response before turning back towards Yuuri. "Yeah, your jumps weren't the strongest, but your spins and step-sequences were unmatched! I hope that one day I can reach the level that you did! Then, I'll have it all!"
It was Yuuri who blushed then. "I...I never realized that I had any fans. I never made it past the Junior circuit. You would have been so young, then. How did you even find out about me?"
"Well, the internet exists, you know," Yuri told him, scuffing his feet and shrugging. "Skaters still talk about you, even though you don't skate anymore. Do you think you might ever skate again? Maybe do some shows?"
Ok, Viktor had had enough of this. "Yura, you've overstayed your welcome. Go."
Yuri scrunched his face in anger. "Fuck off, Viktor! I may be young now, but give me a few years and I'll show Yuuri a real alpha!"
Viktor snapped and grabbed Yuri's collar.
Yuuri's hand caught his wrist. His voice was calm, and everything but his one hand was relaxed. "Vitya. There's no threat here. I am yours, and yours only. Release him."
Viktor very much didn't want to. He wanted to wring Yuri's neck right there in front of his omega. Prove that he was the most worthy alpha in the room. But despite his desires, he backed off. "Go away, Yura, before Yakov sees you with us. He won't be happy."
Yuri huffed, but did as he was told, walking away.
Even though he was gone, Viktor still felt angry. Seething, truthfully. "Why would he have even done that? I could have killed him!" He wanted to kill him.
"Relax," Yuuri told him, a soft purr in his voice. "He's a young alpha. I think he just meant to challenge you personally, not challenge you for me."
Viktor scoffed, not believing that for one moment. "He literally stood there and said he'd come for you once he was older!"
Yuuri had the audacity to laugh. "A schoolboy crush, Vitya. Please, he's 15. Why are you so threatened by him? Is it more than just me? Is it because he won? Because he's looking for my attention?"
Yes. Yes to all of it. It was horrific to admit, but it was true. "He's already taking everything from me on the ice. I couldn't bear it if he took you, too."
"Vitya," Yuuri sighed, squeezing his hand and meeting Viktor's gaze. "Stop that. Please...we've had a rough few days. Let's not do this when it's not necessary."
Finally, Viktor relented and let out a sigh, leaning into the omega's touch. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just...I feel like I'm losing everything. Yakov told me he wants nothing to do with me anymore and that he'd break all ties after the Olympics."
"I'm sorry," Yuuri whispered. "That's my fault."
"No," Viktor quickly interjected. "No...no. I may be losing everything, but I've also gained everything, too. It's just an adjustment. I'm still getting used to it all." His world was changing. One world was crashing down, but a brand new one was building up. It was time to embrace it fully.
Yuuri brought Viktor's hand up and kissed it. "Dance with me?"
"Always," Viktor whispered, before letting himself be guided to the dance floor.
All eyes were on them, and Viktor met several of them. Guang Hong. Leo. Minami. Seung Gil. They were all there. Watching. Waiting. Waiting for him to fail. No. The anger from his encounter with Yuri built back up again. Viktor was done with it. He was done being run over. He was done being second best. He was done being challenged. His time on the ice may be over, but there was a new war to win. Viktor would show them all. He'd show everyone. Yuuri was his.
But so was Omega.
