The pain of the separation from Yuuri was almost instantaneous this time. As much as he wanted to call Yuuri and tell him, he didn't. If he succumbed so easily, Omega would do nothing but throw it in his face as a weakness. So, instead, Viktor endured it and used it as fuel for his fire. Both of his programs could feed off the pain, so he did just that. Even when Yakov told him to stop, he didn't. He kept going.

"You're going to kill yourself if you keep doing this, Vitya," Yakov scowled at the barrier.

Viktor huffed, wiping his face with a towel. "I'm sorry, I thought you didn't care anymore?"

"That's not true and you know it," Yakov answered, face scrunching in pain. "It's quite the opposite. I care too much. I care too much that you are throwing your own life away. I already am afraid I will find you in a ditch dead somewhere, and now I have to worry about you dying out on the ice. Vitya. Please. Stop this madness."

Scrunching up the towel, he slammed it down. "Worry about your new star, Yasha. I'm fine."

A heavy silence fell over them as Yakov pursed his lip. Eventually he asked, "What has happened to you, Vitya?"

Swallowing hard, Viktor shook his head. "Maybe this is who I really was all along." The Grand Prix Final was in two weeks. He didn't have time to lament about the past. He needed to think about the future and nothing else. A future that included Omega and Yuuri.

"Vitya, is everything alright?" Mila asked as he returned to the ice, a heavy look of concern on her face. "You seem ill."

Viktor had to hold back the snap that wanted to come out. Mila wasn't Yakov. She hadn't done anything wrong. Her concern was genuine. His response still came out colder than it should have. "I'm fine. People should stop worrying."

Mila flinched slightly, but she put on a smile as she always did. "Ok, well, I'm here if you ever need to talk."

"Thanks," he muttered before quickly skating off so that no one else would approach him again. He needed to focus through the pain. Even after the ice session was done, the sting in the back of his neck was enough to drive him to the gym and try and run from it on the treadmill. By the end, he was finally exhausted enough he could ignore it in favor of other aches and pains. He'd been so distracted with everything that he hadn't even noticed the message notifications from Yuuri.

Yuuri: Vitya, how have you been feeling?

Yuuri: I know you're busy training, but can you call me when you get a chance?

Yuuri: Vitya, please...I'm worried you're not doing well.

Viktor's fingers hovered over the buttons, trying to decide what he should say. Did Yuuri know? Was he feeling it, too? Or was this just about Viktor's health and welfare in general, alpha and omega instincts aside? He had been rather absent in his communication with the omega since Rostelecom.

Me: Sorry, I've been training all day I forgot to even look at my phone.

Me: I'm fine.

It was better if Yuuri didn't worry about him.

Yuuri: You're lying.

Viktor's mouth drew into a tight line and he ran a finger against his temple trying to figure out what to do. Makkachin gave a small wine as she shoved her muzzle into his lap. Sighing, he gave her a pat. "I know, girl. I'll call him." It took another five minutes for him to finally hit the call button, and when it gave several rings without an answer he felt relieved. Then there was the click on the other line.

"Vitya? Is that you?"

Brows drawing in in confusion, Viktor pulled his phone away to make sure he'd called the right number. It was, indeed, Yuuri. "Yes, I'm sorry I worried you. I'm fine, really, just putting in a lot of work after losing in Moscow."

"Li-ar," Yuuri sung on the other end of the line. In Russian.

Viktor went cold and he gripped the phone painfully. It wasn't Yuuri, afterall. "What do you want, Omega?"

"Want? Is your future mate not allowed to call you just because he misses you?"

"Sure," Viktor agreed, "but I don't think you miss me."

"Oh, don't be like that," Omega scoffed. "I am actually missing you more than you'd think. You're fun to play with. But, you're right. That's not why I'm calling. I heard from a very interesting little tiger that you weren't doing so well."

Tiger? Who was he talking about? "I told you-"

"And I told you that you were lying. Or is little Yuri lying, too?"

Viktor jolted to his feet so fast that it startled Makkachin. "Why are you speaking to Yura?! Leave him alone!"

"Oh, hush. Yuri is the one who reached out to me! Or, our Yuuri, rather. Messaged us through our old Instagram account. I'm surprised he thought he'd get a response. Yuuri hasn't updated it since before the accident, though I suppose he still browses."

"Please," Viktor begged, feeling his hand shake. "Leave Yura out of this. I've already ruined any future I have in skating by associating with you. Yura's career is only beginning."

"Yakov is one of thousands of figure skating coaches in the world, Viktor. Neither of you need him to continue skating and succeeding. But, relax. I have no intentions of bringing him into the fold. He's still a child, even if he doesn't think so. I'm simply following up on his concerns. You're feeling it, aren't you? The imprint? It's worse than last time. Much worse."

Sucking in a shuddered breath, Viktor began to pace. "Are you feeling it?"

"It is currently a pain in my neck, yes," Omega answered with a hiss. "It's worse for Yuuri, because he feels guilty for it. I am curious why you've said nothing about it. I thought you'd come crying to Yuuri the second it began."

"I told you that I was going to prove to you I can handle it," Viktor responded. "So, I'm handling it."

Omega gave a pleased and surprised hum through the receiver. "Well, one in our line of business does need to learn to handle pain. It's a start, but there's still a lot more you'll have to do to prove your worth to me. Sucking up a little pain won't be enough."

"No, but as you said, it's a start," Viktor fired back. Truthfully, he still didn't know what he could do to earn Omega's trust, but he would figure it out as they went.

"Killing yourself isn't a good next step," he said. "The imprint must be dealt with."

Swallowing, Viktor sighed. It was like Yuuri and Viktor were just close enough to keep it from going away. It didn't help that seeing Yuuri twice in the span of a month reignited it. The only good options were for them to separate completely until the imprint went away or, "You won't exactly let me mate with Yuuri."

"And I can't exactly stop Yuuri if he's in control, either," Omega countered. "Mate the fool and if it turns out later you're everything I thought you'd be, I'll kill you and sever the bond."

Viktor couldn't help but gasp at how nonchalantly he announced that. "A broken bond is the worst pain anyone can feel." Viktor didn't care for himself, but a broken bond could be deadly. The pain would be so great for the surviving mate that they don't survive.

Omega huffed. "I'll be fine."

"And Yuuri?" Viktor hissed, his alpha instincts flaring in a protective rage.

"Well, who knows?" Omega answered. Viktor could practically picture the shrug the omega likely gave on the other end of the line. "Let's not find out. Don't disappoint me, Vitya. Hold yourself together for another two weeks. Oh, and stop trying to lie to Yuuri. It's annoying. Besides, mates should never have secrets, don't you agree? I can't wait to catch you up on all the fun things I've been doing since we last met."

Viktor opened his mouth to respond but was met with a loud beep as the call ended. Cursing, Viktor lowered the phone and sat back down. Makkachin let out another whine, her tail wagging low as she rested her chin on his knee. Omega wanted him to mate Yuuri, but only as an excuse to eventually kill him. Yuuri may not survive. How could Omega be so sure that even he would survive a broken bond? It could kill all of them.

No. No. Viktor was going to prove his worth somehow. It would never come to pass. Ah, but Yuri! Why the hell was that little twerp getting involved in all of this? He couldn't have reached out to Yuuri just because of Viktor? Not after the threatening display he'd put on at the banquet? He'd need to talk to Yuri. Regardless of his reasons, he needed to stay out of it. Yakov already was angry, but if something happened to Yuri because of him, he'd never speak to Viktor again.

The first thing Viktor did the next morning was get Yuri in a corner to speak with him. "Yura, what did I tell you about speaking with Yuuri?"

Yuri scowled. "What are you, his fucking gatekeeper? Didn't realize you were such an old school alpha, but then again, you are an old man."

"It's for your safety, not his," Viktor clarified angrily, but knew that getting into a pissing match with Yuri was a no win scenario for them both. Licking his lips, he tried a different approach. "Yura, listen, please. Yakov doesn't like Yuuri. It's caused...friction...between us. I don't want that spilling over to you if he finds out the two of you have been talking."

Yuri stopped where he was putting on a skate and deepened his frown. "I don't get it. Why does Yakov even give a shit? Where you stick your dick is your own business."

Viktor huffed. "Yes, one would think, but when we are athletes in the spotlight as we are, as you will be, these sorts of things matter a great deal."

"Yeah, I get that, if you were dating a criminal or some shit, but Yuuri is just a sponsor. A well liked one, from what I can tell. What's the big deal?" Yuri argued.

Ah. Yes. What was the big deal, indeed? "I don't know," Viktor lied, "but I'm sure Yakov has reasons. Please, Yura. I'm grateful you reached out because you were worried about me, but I don't need your concern."

Groaning angrily, Yuri threw down a skate. "How am I supposed to get a sponsorship with him after I win the Final if you won't let me near him?! You promised!"

"I did," Viktor agreed regretfully. He would not have agreed to it if he knew it would cause this much strife. "I'll get you a sponsorship if you win, Yura. I promise."

"You fucking better," Yuri scowled, shoving his other foot into his skate harder than what could have been comfortable.

With a relieved sigh that he'd seemingly gotten Yuri to agree to back off, Viktor walked across the room to set down his own bag. He'd pulled out his skates and set them aside when Yuri spoke again.

"Viktor...you're ok, right?"

The amount of concern in the other alpha's voice was shocking. It made Viktor hesitate in his response. Rare was it to ever see Yuri concerned about anyone or anything. "I'm fine, Yura. I'm just having to work harder than ever to keep up with you. It's hard on an old man's body." He threw in a joke like he always did, but Yuri read right through it just huffed.

Viktor was even more aware of the pain he felt during practice that day. Maybe it was because it was worse, or maybe it was because of his conversation with Omega the night before. Either way, an hour into practice, he suddenly felt the need to vomit and barely made it to the side of the rink before he was leaning over the barrier and puking. To no surprise, he was kicked off the ice and sent to the rink medic who found nothing substantially wrong with him and could do nothing more than tell Viktor to stop pushing himself hard and rest.

Knowing very well what was wrong with him he searched up home remedies for imprints until he found a tea that was similar to the one Kenjirou had brought. It had helped then, so hopefully it would help now. After the first cup his stomach eased and the headache dulled. He was starting to feel better when his phone lit up with Yuuri's name. His calmed stomach started to churn again. Would it actually be Yuuri, or would it be Omega on the other end? After letting it ring a few times he finally answered. "Yuuri?"

"Vitya! Are you ok? Why did Omega call you? Why was he speaking to you?"

Viktor's body relaxed with a puff of relief. Yuuri must have seen their messages. "Believe it or not, he was checking in on me." Sort of. In his own way. "I...the imprint...it's strong."

"I know," Yuuri's voice calmed on the other end. "I've been feeling it, too."'

Even though Omega had told them to just mate, Viktor didn't want that. Not yet. He'd made a vow to prove himself first, and he hadn't done that. "Kenjirou's tea helped, but I don't know how long it can hold it at bay."

"There's other things we can try, but I agree we need to find a little more permanent solution," Yuuri said. Viktor's heart skipped a beat. Was he going to suggest mating? "There is a way to trigger a response in the body that simulates a mating mark."

His heart sank just slightly, but he hadn't expected Yuuri to actually suggest it. "A false mark? I've heard of them. They happen sometimes when non-mated pairs have sex during heats and ruts."

"I'll do some research and I can come to Barcelona a few days earlier than I had planned," Yuuri told him. "I'm sure this is affecting your training. I'm so sorry, Vitya."

Viktor sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It has, a bit, but I've been trying to embrace it as - uh - really getting into character."

"Don't go too deep. I don't think skeletons dance too well, despite the song. Especially on ice," Yuuri chuckled.

That laugh could cure cancer, as far as Viktor was concerned. "I'll manage alright until I see you."

Yuuri hummed, a little more drawn out than usual. He was silent for a few seconds, and then he asked, "Vitya, what did Omega say to you?"

Sighing, Viktor contemplated what to say. He didn't want to lie to Yuuri, but he also didn't think telling Yuuri the exact details was necessary, either. No, he'd keep it to the one thing Viktor was actually concerned about. "Yuuri, Omega found out that I was having issues through little Yuri. Please. I greatly appreciate the fact that you would sponsor him, but I prefer it not be by your name. Our relationship has already caused irreparable damage with Yakov and I don't want that falling on him."

"No, I understand. I will halt that communication immediately," Yuuri promised. "Guang-Hong would be happy to sponsor him, I'm sure. The money trail would connect back to me if someone went looking, but I imagine that won't be a problem anymore."

No. He'd make sure of it, though Yakov had probably been scared enough by what had happened with his missing PI.

"Vitya, I'm so sorry about Yakov. I feel entirely responsible for that."

"No," Viktor shook his head. "It's no one's fault but Yakov's. He shouldn't have done what he did."

"And Omega shouldn't have made such a grotesque display of it all," Yuuri hissed. "That was as much a message for me as it was for you and Yakov, I'm afraid. Sometimes I wish I could speak to him directly, but that's a little difficult when you're theoretically the same person. I trust Seung Gil with my life, but I don't always trust him to convey my messages to Omega in an exact fashion. More like a localized translation."

Huffing, Viktor found no surprise in that. "What's done is done. We can only move forward. Maybe, given time, Yakov and I can work through this." If Yakov and Lilia could patch things up after years, there was hope for him. Though Lilia never killed anyone. Well, he was pretty sure, anyway. "So I will see you when I arrive, then?"

"The day after," Yuuri corrected. "I cannot come any earlier than that. I'm making a short stop in Italy on the way."

Viktor raised his eyebrows. "Italian mafia?"

Yuuri laughed. "Maybe. Or maybe I just really like the food."

"Well, according to the movies, the mob usually runs out of restaurants," Viktor told him.

"Actually, that's pretty true," Yuuri confirmed. "Restaurants are a very easy front for business meetings and laundering. Just like my parents' onsen."

"The more you know!" Viktor smiled brightly to himself, and then realized he was feeling the best he had in a few weeks. "I think just speaking to you helps, somehow. I wish I could just speak to you forever. Just a few more months, I hope." Yuuri was silent on the other end, and Viktor's smile faded. "...Yuuri?"

"I'm here, sorry," he apologized. "So much going on lately, that I sometimes lose myself to the clouds."

Yuuri still didn't believe this could all work. Viktor tightened his grip on the phone. Was he secretly hoping that Viktor didn't win gold? That it would be an easy way to end things? Was it because he didn't want it, or did he think the same as Omega? That he couldn't be a part of that world? Stop it, Vitya. He wants to be with you. He wouldn't be coming to Barcelona if that weren't the case. He's just worried. Rightfully so. "Is everything alright?"

"As much as it can be," Yuuri answered. "I'll have Minami find some other home remedies and send them to you. Until then, try and take it as easy as you can. Don't you dare get sick or injured where you can't compete."

That made Viktor smile. See? He still wants to see you compete and win! "Of course! I'll do as the good doctor asks. You shouldn't work too hard, either, my Yuuri."

"I'll try," Yuuri chuckled. "Good night, Vitya."

"Good night," Viktor echoed, reluctantly hanging up. The sick feeling started to return rather quickly. Sleep always helped, so Viktor downed some pills and decided to simply call it a night, Makkachin curling up close around him.

/*/

Barcelona would always be one of Viktor's favorite places to visit, and this time was no exception. The remedies Kenjirou had emailed him had helped in a rotation enough to keep him training without another vomiting incident. The first day in a new country was always used to work through jet lag, so the day flew by. Yuuri would be there by the time he came back from morning practice.

"Ah! There's my favorite lovebird!" Chris cooed as he took a seat near Viktor in the locker room. "I can't wait for you to be so distracted by Yuuri you fall on your face and I finally win the gold I deserve!"

Phichit came flying in and slid across the bench knocking into Chris and thus Viktor. "Move over, losers, I'm the one winning gold and Yuuri's heart!"

Viktor growled, bearing his teeth.

Phichit only laughed. "Down, boy! I can win all the gold in the world, but I'd never be able to steal Yuuri away from you. When is he getting in?"

"Two," Viktor answered, feeling a little embarrassed at himself. Yuuri had already put Viktor's worries to bed about Phichit, but for some reason he still found the beta to be a threat for no real reason at all.

All of a sudden, the bench vibrated with a hard kick.

"All three of you can shut the hell up, because I'm winning gold," Yuri hissed.

"Ooooo kitty shows his claws," Phichit teased. "Are you nervous? First time at the Grand Prix Final, afterall!"

Yuri snorted. "Tch, no! More like bored at how there's zero competition here."

"He's such a delight to be around, isn't he?" Viktor sighed. "And I have to put up with it everyday! You two get to go home in the end!"

"Don't worry, the competition has finally arrived!" Jean-Jaques stormed into the locker room, glasses still on his forehead as he walked by Yuri and winked.

"Has it? I still just see a room full of losers," Yuri glowered.

JJ laughed and kicked Otabek's foot. The man had been silent in his own corner minding his own business. "Aren't you going to say something?"

"I let my skating speak for itself," Otabek told him with an annoyed stare.

"He's the only one that might give me a run for my money," Yuri said.

Viktor's eyebrows shot up at that comment. "Chris, feel my forehead. Am I sick? I thought I just heard an almost compliment come out of Yura's mouth."

Chris put a palm to Viktor's forehead. "No, I think you actually heard it."

Yuri's cheeks turned pink and he promptly sat down in the far corner on the same bench as Otabek, but with plenty of room between them. "Fuck off!"

"We should go out tonight! A redo of the dinner back in Japan where he had to step away," Chris suggested.

"I'm in!" Phichit readily agreed.

Would Yuuri feel up to it? Surely they'd both feel a million times better once they actually could touch one another. Viktor also selfishly didn't want to share Yuuri, but there'd be plenty of time for that the rest of the week. "I'll ask him."

Practice went fine, but Viktor took it relatively easy. He'd made Yuuri a promise, and he knew that he'd be at full strength for tomorrow's practice having held the omega in his arms the entire night in bed. He and Yakov shared no communication, and that was just as well. It was better for him to focus on Yuri, anyway. Despite what the young alpha had said in the locker room, he was definitely showing signs of nerves. It was expected. His first senior season and already at the final. It was a lot of pressure.

Viktor arrived back at his hotel room to a strong aroma of flowers. It was no surprise that it was full of bouquets. That was normal. Dropping his bag near the door he started to roam the room through the various gifts trying to find one that would be from Yuuri.

"Vitya! You were supposed to notice me first!"

Viktor jumped and spun around to see Yuuri sitting on the bed behind a large bouquet of blue roses. With a heart-shaped grin Viktor launched himself onto the omega and the bed. "Yuuri! You shouldn't have been hiding so well! Such a beautiful face blends right in!" Viktor couldn't hold back from peppering his face with kisses.

"Vitya! Stop! You're going to crush the roses!" Yuuri whined, though he wasn't trying very hard to get away.

As if he'd swallowed a magic pill, all the effects of the imprint vanished. Just like that, he felt good. Strong. Whole. "I've missed you so much."

"I don't want to miss you, but I do. Horribly," Yuuri said. "How was practice?"

Viktor took the bouquet from Yuuri and got up long enough to set it on the dresser with the others. "Ok. As good as it was going to be. At least I didn't vomit all over the ice."

"Has that happened?" Yuuri frowned in concern.

"Ah, a few times," Viktor confessed. "My rinkmates and the club medic just figured I was working too hard and not eating enough. Maybe half right, I guess."

Sighing, Yuuri fixed his skewed glasses. "We are both on suppressants, so neither of us are near a heat or rut. That makes a false mark tricky, but not impossible. There are over-the-counter drugs that can mimic the effects, so we'll have to hope they work. There's also the risk of actually mating by accident if we get a little….too rough."

"Would that be so bad?" Viktor asked without even thinking.

Yuuri's face made Viktor frown. So...Yuuri really was doubting everything. "I don't know if I can keep you safe, Vitya."

Viktor found himself growing angry. "I can keep myself safe! I don't understand, Yuuri! You came to me! Why even start things if you didn't think you could go all the way through with it?"

"Because I didn't expect to fall in love."

Viktor's eyes went wide.

"Before Omega, getting close enough to you to even say hello was nothing more than a dream," Yuuri began. "Even being able to skate on the same ice as you seemed impossible, let alone actually speaking with you. Honestly, thinking back to that night, I still surprise myself. I wasn't Omega, but I acted a lot like I was. I don't think I could have ever done what I did otherwise. I thought we'd enjoy one night together and that would be it."

"But that wasn't it," Viktor finished for him. He sighed, understanding Yuuri's point of view. Viktor had had so many one night stands himself that he couldn't begrudge his thinking. "And now we're here."

"So we are," Yuuri agreed. "The fact that you are still here after what happened in Moscow...it doesn't go unnoticed, Vitya. Not by me or my men. It speaks loudly. However...you cannot blame me for worrying."

No. He couldn't. Viktor rejoined Yuuri on the bed and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm here until the end. Whatever you need me to do to prove it to you, I will. You could ask me to continue skating, and I would. You could ask me to jump off a bridge, and I would."

"Vitya-,"

"I mean it," Viktor told him firmly.

Yuuri allowed himself to nuzzle Viktor slightly before pushing at him playfully. "Why don't we start small and just win gold this weekend?"

Viktor pulled him back in and placed his nose right over where a mating mark would go in the crook of Yuuri's neck. "I was thinking starting with a fake mating mark." His hands started to trail down Yuuri's front down to his crotch.

Yuuri batted his hands away. "Drugs, first, or it'll be a waste of time."

"My dick in you is a waste of time?" Viktor whined, insulted.

Huffing, Yuuri quickly wiggled away to stand, though he was already flushing. "We don't know how many tries it'll take. Best to conserve energy for when it really counts."

Maybe it was because it had been a while. Maybe it was because Yuuri was just so fucking sexy naked covered in his tattoos. Viktor was hard the second Yuuri came out of the bathroom.

/*/

They'd gone three rounds, but Viktor was still regretting having mentioned meeting Phichit and Chris when the time came. He just wanted to continue fucking Yuuri until his dick fell off. Yuuri did smell differently to him, and vice versa. It made Yuuri think they'd been successful, but the real test would be how others smelled them. Viktor couldn't lie, it had been extremely difficult to resist breaking skin and making Yuuri his permanently. Perhaps, it had been the hardest thing he'd ever done. Not done, really.

It might have been the drugs, or maybe signs of their false mark, but Yuuri's demeanor changed. Yuuri by nature wasn't as aggressive as Omega, but he wasn't meak, either. There was still a strength there. Now, though, Yuuri seemed...soft. He seemed tentative in his actions, and he hadn't dressed in a suit. He'd dressed in a nice sweater with a designer coat and the most adorable scarf he'd ever seen. It was the first time Viktor had actually ever seen Yuuri look like a real omega.

Yuuri groaned unhappily as he looked at himself in the mirror. "I hate how heats make me feel. Even fake ones. I start wanting to nest and just wrap myself in oversized sweaters. It makes me feel weak."

"I don't think those things should make you feel weak," Viktor told him, kissing his cheek. "They just mean you want to feel safe. Everyone should want to feel that."

"I can't afford those feelings in my line of business," Yuuri told him. "I haven't had a proper heat in, well...years. Honestly, I can't even remember. I know you hate Seung Gil, Vitya, but I don't feel safe going anywhere without him in this state."

Viktor pressed his lips together tightly. "Do you not trust me to keep you safe?"

"It's not like that, Vitya," Yuuri corrected him. "I know you'd lay down your life for me, and that's the problem. I'd really like it if you didn't end up dead at the end of the night. Please...Barcelona itself is an incredibly safe city with no mafia activity, but you never know who is passing through."

Viktor didn't want to agree, but his thoughts drifted to Omega. If he was going to get in Omega's good graces, he would need to impress Seung Gil. One way or another, they'd need to make nice. "If he's rude, can I punch him in the face afterwards?"

"Absolutely," Yuuri readily agreed. "It would be fun to watch, actually. I know he'd be shocked."

He'd certainly never see it coming. Seung Gil probably thought Viktor was incapable of throwing a punch. "I don't like it, but if it makes you feel better, then how can I say no?"

Yuuri kissed his cheek. "Thank you. If we really want to have fun with him, I can tell Chris and Phichit he doesn't speak English."

"Oh, now that's just cruel!" Viktor told him, but couldn't help but smirk. "I don't think he'll say much, anyway, and his face isn't exactly one that invites conversation."

They met at a restaurant that had beautiful outdoor seating with lights and heated lamps. Phichit launched himself at Yuuri upon arrival, but this time Viktor managed not to embarrass himself with an alpha-like reaction. Chris went in for the double-cheek kiss in greeting, but Chris would never be a threat to Viktor no matter how badly he flirted. Seung Gil was polite, offering a handshake and introducing himself as Yuuri's business associate. Phichit immediately started to ask a million questions and Viktor couldn't help but feel satisfied that the beta would thoroughly annoy the omega quickly.

Maybe this was torture for Seung Gil and not Viktor afterall!

The conversation was pleasantly normal until Chris cleared his throat and became bold after a full stein of beer. "I don't mean to pry, except I absolutely do, but did you two...you know? You both smell...different."

"Wait, what?!" Phichit launched himself across the table and sniffed at both Yuuri and Viktor. "My nose is such shit as a beta! Did you two mate?!"

"Phichit!" Yuuri hissed. "You don't just yell that kind of thing out in public! But, no! We just got - ah - a little…," turning bright red, he rubbed at the back of the neck.

Chris wiggled his eyebrows. "A little too frisky in bed? Oh Yuuri, how unlike you! Viktor, look how much you are corrupting this sweet little thing!"

"I'll have you know it was all him," Viktor said casually, taking a sip of his beer. So, the false mark had indeed been a success. He let out a small breath of relief. How much time would this buy them, though?

"Oh, well, at least you'll have a kinky boyfriend after you lose to me this weekend," Chris grinned.

"You say that everytime, and yet, you still have not won a gold medal against me," Viktor pointed out.

"I'm conflicted," Phichit confessed. "As the number one Viktuuri shipper, I want Viktor to win gold all the way through the Olympics so they mate for real and have a ton of babies, but then there's the selfish side of me that wants to win."

"What makes you the number one shipper over me?" Chris balked, offended by the comment.

Phichit snorted and pulled out his phone. "Do you run every fan club on every social media platform? No? Didn't think so, because that would be me."

"What? Show me!" Chris leaned in, and suddenly the two were in their own world. Seung Gil let out a huge sigh of relief off to the side and chugged half a stein in one go.

After finishing dinner and going their separate ways, Viktor and Yuuri chose to do a little shopping with an annoyed Seung Gil who kept a ten pace difference between them at all times which was just fine by Viktor. Between the designer stores, Viktor spotted a jewelry store. For a moment he stopped outside of it and stared inside. What kind of ring would Yuuri like? Probably something simple, he thought, even though Viktor would want lavish and expensive.

"Vitya? Do you want some mulled wine?" Yuuri's question pulled him from his thoughts.

Viktor smiled, "Sure!"

"Here, hold these, I'll go get it!" Yuuri offloaded his bags to Viktor, who had been trying to get him to let him carry the bags all night. He wasn't giving them back.

When Yuuri was out of ear shot, Seung Gil approached Viktor. "It's been a long time since I've seen Aniki like this."

"Like what?" Viktor asked.

"Like someone who wasn't Oyabun," Seung Gil answered. "Carefree. Innocent. He's like this sometimes around his family, but not in recent memory."

"I'm sure it's just the false mark," Viktor told him.

Seung Gil's eyes narrowed. "Yes, the false mark you had to initiate because of an imprint that should have gone away months ago. Imprints don't behave like this. Not unless…," he let out a long and annoyed sigh. "I have no choice but to believe now that the two of you are True Mates. My only hope was to have Omega run you off, but even that hasn't worked."

Viktor's brows shot up. "Oh? So you're finally getting used to the idea of me never leaving?"

"I'm not giving up just yet," Seung Gil scoffed before letting his face fall just a little. "I'm sure Aniki didn't tell you how bad things really were while the two of you were separated."

Viktor frowned. "You mean the effects of the imprint? He told me he felt it, but he didn't go into specifics."

"It was very bad, Viktor," Seung Gil told him. "There were nights he was in so much pain he couldn't move. I don't like you, and I don't think you will survive long as Aniki's mate, but let nature do it's work. Win your gold, mate Aniki, and then if you fail, you fail, and he can move on."

The same threat Omega had given him, but in different words. Viktor had no idea it had gotten that bad for Yuuri. It had been bad for him, but not like that. Why had it affected the omega more, he wondered? Was that usual? "So glad to know I have your full support."

Seung Gil grunted, but said nothing else as Yuuri returned juggling three cups of mulled wine. After Viktor refused to give Yuuri back his bags, he offloaded them on Seung Gil, which was just fine by him. Holding hands and drinking their mulled wine, they strolled down the busy streets until they came in front of a cathedral. Viktor couldn't help but stop and marvel at it.

Getting a sudden idea and he pulled Yuuri's hand. "Give us a moment, won't you?" He fired at Seung Gil before dragging Yuuri all the way to the golden gates.

"Vitya! What are we doing?" Yuuri asked curiously.

Coming to a stop, Viktor faced Yuuri and brought his free hand up to his lips to kiss. "Can you imagine how many couples propose to each other right here?"

Yuuri blinked a few times and then blushed. "I imagine quite a few. It's beautiful, especially at holiday with all the lights."

"I thought about it, you know?" Viktor told him. "Buying matching rings and proposing to you right here, right now. Of course, it would be contingent on me winning gold, but at least I'd know I gave you something that was round and gold!"

Yuuri laughed. "A loophole! Viktor Nikiforov is smarter than people give him credit for."

"Ah! No one has called me smart before!" He beamed, chuckling. "Would you have said yes? If I had done it?"

"Viktor, what-"

"I love you, Yuuri," Viktor blurted out. "I love you."

Yuuri's eyes went wide in shock and he looked down, going silent.

"Yuuri?" Viktor called his name softly, wondering if he'd taken things a bit too far in his excitement. Maybe declaring his love in front of a cathedral with the choir singing in the background with everything lit up for Christmas nwas a bit much.

Slowly, Yuuri lifted his head. His eyes were dark red. "Ah...so sorry to interrupt such a touching moment, but there are some very unwelcome guests in our presence."

Viktor started to look around frantically, but couldn't recognize anyone that looked out of place. "Who?"

Seung Gil was suddenly sprinting towards them. "Aniki!"

With a low laugh, Omega grabbed Viktor's arm and hugged it closely like a lover would. "Since you are too scared to make the purchase without the trial run, let's really put this false mark to the test, shall we?"

"What does that mean?" Viktor asked.

Licking his lips, Omega smirked. "Come, Vitya. Tonight, you're Omega's mate. Act like it."