"Yuuri…" Viktor broke the twenty minute silence, still holding his fiancé as tightly as humanly possible while they stared at Yurio.

"Yes?" Yuuri's lip twitched every time he spoke. It felt so good to have finally broken down that wall and set his voice free.

"That guy… he didn't-"

"No." Yuuri couldn't let Viktor finish the sentence, feeling his face flush scarlet and an urge to push away from Viktor. He didn't give into it though. He refused. Viktor made him feel better, he wouldn't push him away this time. He wouldn't push any of them away. Especially not Yurio. Not after what had happened. "No. I decided I wouldn't let it happen again. At least… not without a fight."

"What do you mean by that?" Viktor cocked and eyebrow.

"You didn't hear it?" Yuuri's heart sank a bit. "I… I called your name."

Viktor felt like someone was physically tearing his heart out, ripping it in half, and feeding it to him while it was still beating. "You… You called out… to me?"

"Well who else was I supposed to yell for?" Yuuri's voice shook at the memory of Viktor's name tearing through his throat for the first time. After that, Yuuri thought he would have been able to say he'd fought; but after seeing Yurio… all he did was yell. Anyone could yell. "It really wasn't that impressive."

"Yuuri, don't ever say that." Viktor tipped his fiancé's chin so they were looking into each other's bloodshot, watery eyes. "You overcame a huge hurdle. You should be proud."

"But it's what I should have done the first time." Yuuri broke eye contact, preferring not to look at Viktor while he spoke. "If I had, Yurio wouldn't have had to rescue me."

"Hey." Viktor snapped. "Stop blaming yourself."

"I can't."

"You will." Viktor squeezed Yuuri impossibly tighter, showering the top of his head with gentle kisses. "Especially when he wakes up. You don't want him to kick you with his knife shoes, do you?"

Yuuri smirked at the phrase. Yakov had once told Yuuri that Yurio had started skating because skates were essentially shoes with knives attached to them. What a Yurio thing to say. "No I would not."

"It's so good to hear your voice." Viktor mumbled into Yuuri's hair, changing the subject effectively.

"It's good to talk." Yuuri smiled, relishing the feel of Viktor nuzzling into his hair. "I was starting to hate looking at that notebook."

"So was I." Viktor chuckled, remembering his patience beginning to wear thin some days as Yuuri wrote, scribbled and rewrote for hours before he finally showed Viktor what he wanted to say. "I would have done it forever though, if it meant being with you."

"Stop it." Yuuri felt his cheeks flush pink, glad Viktor couldn't see it. He still got bashful when Viktor said sweet things like that, no matter how many times a day that was.

"No." Viktor smiled, feeling the heat of Yuuri's cheeks thorugh his thin t-shirt. "I mean it, Yuuri. I'm ready for whatever comes after this; are you?"

Yuuri sighed and thought before answering, really mulling the question over. "I don't know." He admitted, remembering all of the sleepless nights, panic filled days, and getting down on himself about affecting everyone else.

"Well, we can figure it out as we go."

"That's what we've been doing since the beginning isn't it?"

"I suppose you're right. It's worked thus far, hasn't it?"

"Yeah…" Yuuri shifted his hands so the light bounced off of his ring, smiling at the golden band and all of the love, hardships, perseverance, and victories it represented. "It has."

"So we'll keep doing it, as long as we live. We'll figure things out as we go. We'll make mistakes, we'll accidentally succeed. We may even succeed on purpose sometimes. The important thing is that we do it together."

"I love you, Viktor Nikiforov."

Viktor felt the words collide with his heart and make it swell to three times its size. It was the first time Yuuri had said it since he'd regained his voice. Viktor actually felt a tear rolling down his cheek. He missed those words. So much.

"I love you too, Yuuri Katsuki."