"What do you mean you don't know who he is?!" Yuri screamed, his voice loud enough to rouse the entire castle as he stared at Victor in angry astonishment. "You're telling me you danced with him all night, grinded on him, practically eye-fucked him in front of the entire court and you didn't even think to get his name?!"
Victor winced a little as Yuri's volume continued to rise. "Don't yell Yuri, you'll hurt Maccachin's ears." He said, reaching down to the foot of his bed where the large brown poodle was warming his feet and covering her woolly ears with his hands. "Her head hurts."
"I don't think it's your dog's head that's hurting, you idiot!" Yuri shouted and Victor winced again even louder; he had had a lot of champagne last night and the effects were now catching up on him with a vengeance. He was still lying in bed, his body clad only in his underwear and his limbs tangled in the sheets to protect Yuri's innocence. His outfit from last night was haphazardly draped over a nearby chair, left forgotten the moment after Victor undressed and fell into bed and the rest of him looked just as dishevelled. His usually flawless hair now looked almost fluffy after a night of tossing and turning had ruffled it up and his eyes were blearily blinking against the thin sunshine that was streaming in through a gap in the curtains. His head was pounding from his hangover, his legs ached from all the standing and dancing he had done yesterday and he had gotten close to no sleep last night- and yet his mouth was split into the biggest soppiest heart-shaped grin that not even Yuri's anger could budge.
Yuri gave a loud groan at the sight of it. He had furiously banged on the door and stormed into Victor's apartments ten minutes ago, determined to give his idiot of an older brother a piece of his mind. He had been ranting at Victor since he had stepped through the door and yet the idiot was still smiling like a love-struck fool. It was sickening really.
"Did it not even cross your mind that you should ask who he was?!" He went on furiously, only fuelled by the fact that Victor was viewing him like a kitten mewling for attention. "He could be literally anyone! He could have been someone who just walked in off the streets and you wouldn't have even realised! And how do you stand any chance of finding him if you don't know who he is? He could be halfway across the country right now for all you know!"
That at last made Victor frown a little. "Well now you're just making me sound stupid." He pouted mournfully and Yuri could have slapped him.
"That's because you are stupid, you complete moron!" He screamed, making Victor wince again. "Do you even remember what you were supposed to be doing before your dick got distracted? You were supposed to talk to Father about not sending me off to the army!"
Victor suddenly sat up, the bedsheets falling from his shoulders as he gave a loud groan and slapped his hand over his eyes. Of course, that was what he should have done, he thought miserably. He had known last night that he had been looking for the Tsar for something but then he had seen the mysterious dancing stranger and it had completely slipped his mind. It was like the man had invaded his head; when he closed his eyes, he could see his silhouette dancing on his eyelids and when his mind wandered, it always returned to the sensation of his hands running over his body and his voice purring into his ear like the sweetest syrup. He had danced with him like their flesh was already well-acquainted, like they weren't a pair of strangers or the Crown prince with a subject but like they were lovers expressing their desire for each other through dance. It sent a pleasant shiver through him still when he thought of it and the thought of the man touching him in the way true lovers did was enough to quicken his breath and make his heart start hammering.
Now, however, his feelings of joy were tempered with guilt as he remembered the promise he had made to Yuri. He was already forgetful and tended not to remember a lot of the promises he had made (Yuri and Yakov had berated him enough for it over the years), but this really made him feel terrible as this was about Yuri's future. He could now remember his younger brother pleading with him to go and speak with their father, desperate not to be sent away to fight, and his guilt was overwhelming. He could have potentially doomed his brother to a fate he didn't want, all because he got distracted by some dance moves and a pair of bewitching eyes.
"Oh god Yuri, I'm so sorry," he groaned, rubbing at his eyes before he tried to clamber out of bed, dislodging Maccachin and making her jump to the floor and head for her own bed in the corner. "I didn't mean for that to happen, I promise I'll go make it right, I'll go speak to Father right away…"
"I don't think that's such a good idea." Yuri cut him off as he tried to push Victor back into bed without touching his bare skin, turning his head away with a revolted look as he did so. "I don't think he's happy with you either right now. I saw his face when you were dancing with that guy, he didn't look impressed. If you speak to him now, you might make it worse."
Victor felt crushed. Not only had he failed his brother last night, he had also ruined any chance of him being able to speak with the Tsar seriously. "I'll get Yakov to talk to him," he vowed, looking Yuri square in the eye so he knew he meant it. "He's Father's most trusted advisor and he sees you as the son he never had. He won't want you to be sent away and I'm sure he can convince Father."
Yuri shrugged but Victor could see his eyes now looked more hopeful and his body had lost a lot of the tension it had had when he had first barged into the room. "Thanks Victor."
"Anything for my little brother." Victor smiled up at him before he sat back up on the bed, the sheets clinging to him like a Roman toga as he reached for the vase on his bedside table. It contained a bunch of blue roses, an incredibly rare species native only to their little corner of Russia and Victor had never seen them growing outside the palace gardens. They had been his mother's favourite flower and he always liked to have some nearby, just to remind him of her. He reached out and plucked one of them from the group, twirling the sturdy stem in his fingers as he admired the bloom. It was one of the prettiest he had seen, a good size with a strong bright blue colour and perfect round soft petals. He played around with it for a few seconds longer before he started to pick at the petals. He let them fall to the sheets like fallen snow, making a pool of blue on his legs as he began to recite out loud.
"He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me…"
"Victor, cut that out!" Yuri suddenly shouted, leaping at Victor like a pouncing cat as he tried to wrestle the flower away from him. "Sitting here whining about him isn't going to do anything!"
"I already know that Yuri," Victor sighed, holding the flower annoyingly just out of Yurio's reach so the teenager had to really strain just to brush the petals with his fingertip. "And for your information, I have done something to try and find him."
"Oh really?" Yuri snorted, admitting defeat and pulling back with a huff. "What?"
"I put Chris on the job." Victor smiled smugly as Yuri looked ready to explode.
"That creep?!" He cried out. "What's he going to do other than make everybody feel uncomfortable?! He's such a pervert!"
"Now Yuri, don't be rude." Victor lightly scolded him, reaching over to tap his nose with the flower. "Chris is my oldest friend and one of the few people I would trust with my life. You know he's not as bad as the rumours make him out to be, you've known him since you were a baby."
"I wish I could forget." Yuri crossly muttered as he batted the flower away from his face but Victor could tell that there was no real malice behind his words. "Still, how is he going to find this guy? He doesn't strike me as a detective."
Victor chuckled. "Oh Yuri, I think Chris would be very disheartened if he heard how you underestimate him so. Chris is the unchallenged king of gossip- if something happens at this court, he is always the first to know about it and the first to tell me. He also has a lot of business with a lot of different people and he knows pretty much everybody at court. If anyone can find this man, it will be Chris."
"Hmm." Yuri almost sounded impressed as he looked back at Victor, who had returned to picking at the blue rose and was humming a happy tune under his breath. "So you're certain Chris is going to find him?"
"Absolutely." Victor said, sighing happily as he suddenly clutched the flower to his chest. "And I cannot wait to meet him! It's going to be perfect!" He could already imagine it so clearly; he would walk into the room and instantly they would see each other, their eyes would meet and sparks would fly between them, just like they had done last night, and before long he would be swept back up in those arms again… "Do you think he likes poodles Yuri?"
Yuri shrugged. "I don't know." He then looked a little concerned. "Are you really sure you're going to find him though?"
"Of course," Victor answered, looking almost confused at the question. "Why wouldn't I find him?"
"Well, the moron did kind of disappear on you," Yuri pointed out. "Everyone was searching for him at the end of the night but nobody saw where he went and he didn't even tell you his name or anything about him. That just seems weird to me." He suddenly looked more murderous as his eyes narrowed and his hands balled into fists. "But I hope you do because I need to punch him for distracting you and potentially getting me sent into the army!"
"No!" Victor wailed in anguish, his eyes suddenly swimming with crystal tears as he scrambled out of bed to cling to his brother tightly. "Please don't! I was the one who got distracted, if anyone should get punched, it's me! I'm a terrible brother!"
"Get off me, you weirdo! You're not wearing any clothes!" Yuri yelled crossly as he pushed Victor away. "Stop being such a sap! You've only known this guy for one night!"
"Yes, but it's love Yuri!" Victor protested, retrieving his mutilated blue rose from his bedsheets and holding it tightly again. "I know it is!"
As he brought the rose up to his nose and breathed in its sweet scent, Victor knew he had never been more certain of anything in his life. He knew it sounded a little ridiculous to be so besotted after just one night and to long for someone when you didn't even know their name but at the same time, nothing had ever felt this right to him. It was like a fire had been relit in his chest and it was melting all the icy coldness he had felt before. Suddenly he no longer felt like a shell of a man just doing his duty, he felt real. He felt like he could conquer the world again like he first had all those years ago, like he could do whatever he wanted and the spark of inspiration had returned so strongly, it was like it was fizzing through his bloodstream. That stranger at the ball had made him feel more alive than he had in years and his only desire was to see him again.
The only thing that troubled him was the man's strange disappearance. When the ball had started to draw to a close and Victor's feet had ached from dancing non-stop for hours, the alcohol he had been drinking earlier had started to take effect and his vision had begun to blur around the edges. He wasn't quite sure what had happened; one minute he had been with his mysterious dance partner, still spinning around on the dance floor and the next, the man had gone. He couldn't recall letting go of him though he had some strange feeling that the other Asian man he had seen with the black box had something to do with it. All he knew was that he had vanished like a cloud of smoke, leaving no trance that he had even been there in the first place. That had worried him, in his drunken state he had even gone so far as to wonder if he had been there at all, but now in the bold light of day, he knew it had been real. The memories of the warm feel of his hands and his body had been too solid, too flesh and blood to be drunken hallucinations, and the fact that Yuri could remember him too was proof enough.
He was out there somewhere and he was going to find him.
It was at that precise moment when the doors flew open and Chris came barrelling into the room like he was being chased, a wide grin on his face as he ran to the window and threw the curtains open.
"Victor, you need to get up and get dressed right now!" He cried out, watching as both Yuri and Victor covered their eyes at the sunlight that was now flooding the room with its brightness. "I need to have you presentable so you can meet your prince charming!"
"You found him already?" Yuri stared at the Swiss man dumbfounded before he turned to look at Victor. For a few short moments, the silver-haired man was frozen to the bed, his eyes wide and his jaw slack as he looked like he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. Then, without any warning, he let out such a high-pitched squeal that Yuri had to cover his ears and Maccachin went running out of the room to try and find somewhere quieter.
"You found him!" He squealed again before he shot out of bed, still draped in his bedsheets thankfully for Yuri, and dashed over to Chris, gushing excited questions like a waterfall. "What's his name, what does he look like, is he as handsome as I remember, where's he from, is he a prince, oh I'm so excited, do you know if he likes poodles-"
"Patience, mon ami," Chris said, putting his hands firmly on Victor's shoulders to stop the wave of questions and calm him down. "It wasn't easy but I have a friend who owes me a few favours and he managed to get me this." He gave a grin as he reached into his pocket and drew out a folded piece of paper, his smile leaving no doubt at what those favours were. Yuri shuddered as he stuck his tongue out and whispered "Gross," but Victor didn't even seem to register his words at all. He was too busy staring down at the piece of paper, his eyes wide and adoring like it was the Holy Grail itself in his hands.
The paper, he recognised, was a photograph, something that was still rare in Russia as the court favoured tradition over new technology but was widely-used elsewhere. It showed two people standing next to each other outside the front gate of the Imperial Palace, both in formal wear with wide excited grins on their faces as they looked at the camera. The figure on the left had his arm slung over the shoulder of the other, pulling him closer as his other hand disappeared into the side of the frame- it took a moment for Victor to realise this was because he was the one taking the picture. He recognised him as the man who had been holding the black box and that was when it hit him- the object had been a camera. I didn't realise they made them that small now, he thought but all his thoughts about cameras were quashed when he looked at the figure standing on the right and he suddenly felt like his breath had been taken away. Though he was now wearing glasses and he was dressed in a style of robe he had never seen before, he knew instantly it was him. His finger traced the fluffy black hair and the broad smile, recognising the features from the night before but it was his eyes that struck him most. Though the picture was in black and white, their intensity was the same and they were filled with a sweetness that made his knees feel weak.
"It's really him," He said in a voice barely above a whisper before he clutched the photograph to his chest and let out a squeal. "It's really him! And he's so adorable, just look at his cheeks, he's so cute…"
Chris chuckled. "I thought you might like that. He does look rather dashing I must say. His name is Yuuri Katsuki, he's an envoy from Japan, fairly new to his position, he only came to the Russian Court three months ago. That picture was taken on his first day here when he arrived with the Japanese ambassador and his friend Phichit Chulanot. He's with the Thai embassy and from what I've found, the two are as thick as thieves."
"Are they… close?" Victor asked, feeling like his heart might shatter. It would be just his luck to fall completely for someone he couldn't have because their heart was already taken. However, to his relief, Chris just laughed and shook his head.
"I have been assured that they are just friends Victor, albeit very close ones. My sources told me that Yuuri is actually very shy- he prefers to fade into the background rather than be the centre of attention. It's his friend that is the more exuberant one- did you know this boy is attempting to take my title as king of gossip?" He spoke about it like it was a great offence, his hand pressing over his heart dramatically as Yuri rolled his eyes. "Him and his camera are doing their damnest to overthrow me. I refuse to let it happen!"
"I don't want to hear about his friend Chris!" Victor said, cutting through Chris's dramatic monologue. "I want to hear about Yuuri!" He couldn't help himself from smiling when he said the man's name- it was like satisfying a craving. The name itself was perfect for him; the u sound was very different from his brother's name, making it almost musical and as he tried it out again on his lips, it made him beam even more. "Oh, I need to get dressed so I can meet him- tell me more about him as I get dressed!"
"Of course, Victor," Chris smiled fondly at his friend as he raced over to his wardrobe and started hurriedly sifting through his clothes. Garments suddenly started flying through the air like flapping birds as he dismissed them and threw them over his shoulder and both Chris and Yuri had to step out of the way to dodge the onslaught. "I must admit, even with my skills and associates, there isn't too much I can tell you my friend. The man is a little bit of an enigma from what I've heard- he's eloquent, soft-spoken but very persuasive and witty and he also seems very good at his job, not to mention he's also very attractive…" Chris stopped when he heard what sounded like a soft growl coming from inside the gigantic wardrobe and he had to chuckle. "No need to get possessive Vitya, I know when to not to interfere. Anyway, what I'm saying is, all these qualities should make him a stand out member of the court. If he wanted, he could be very popular indeed but he seems to be painfully shy and reclusive- from what I've heard, he sticks to his friend's side like glue and he spends a lot of his time with a very select group of people, mostly other envoys from Asia. Not many have been fortunate enough to make his acquaintance and those who have admitted that they were rather shocked to see his behaviour last night. It was supposedly very out of character."
"Oh?" Victor said as he poked his head out of the wardrobe. That was very intriguing; this man he was now hearing about sounded like the exact opposite of the one he had meet last night. He clearly had very two different sides to him but that knowledge only made Victor's smile widen. Yuuri Katsuki sounded like a very interesting individual and now Victor really couldn't wait to see him again- he couldn't wait to unleash that erotic side he had glimpsed before. "Then we must find out what he is like as soon as possible. Chris, which colour becomes me more, this red or this blue?"
Two different suits were shoved out of the wardrobe and Chris took a few moments to carefully scrutinise them- he had to ensure it was perfect for his friend after all.
"I must say the red does look particularly ravishing on you," he said as Yuri pretended to gag behind him. "But it may come on a little strong- you don't want to scare him away remember. And the blue is your signature colour after all, it goes so beautifully with your eyes. I'm certain he won't be able to resist you in that."
"The blue it is then!" Victor crowed triumphantly as he threw the red suit back into the wardrobe and started to pull on the blue one, so excited he could barely keep still. "Oh Chris, you outdid yourself today! I can barely contain myself!"
"Wait," Yuri suddenly cut in as something dawned on him. "You're not thinking off going over to see him right now, are you?"
"Of course we are!" Victor happily responded. "Time is of the essence Yuri! Oh, I've just had a thought- it may get confusing with two Yuris here so from now on, you're going to be Yurio!"
"WHAT?! Why do I get the stupid nickname!?" Yuri screeched as Victor righted his suit, looking very pleased with himself. "I'm your brother! He's the one that should get the dumb name, not me!"
"Yurio please, your screaming is quite unbecoming." Victor said, stunning Yuri into silence as he looked at himself in the mirror. Perfect, he thought as he smoothed down the silky royal blue fabric. He could not fail to blow Yuuri Katsuki away in this. He then turned away from his brother and marched towards the door like he was heading out to war. "Now Chris, lead on to his accommodation!" He shouted like a battle cry as he went charging from the room, Chris hastily following him. "We embark on a quest of true love!"
OOO
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Imperial palace, in the quarters of all the foreign diplomats, Yuuri Katsuki was only just blinking his eyes open. His head was pounding and he tried to lift a hand to rub at his head, only to find his limbs were still groggy from sleep and felt like lead when he tried to move them. He could only just register the fact that he was in his room, the light hurting his fragile eyes as he peered at the dark outlines of the furniture around him.
At least Phichit got both of us back here, he thought, a sudden wave of relief washing over him. Things can't have gone too badly last night if he had been able to drag him back across the palace. Yuuri knew he could get a little crazy when he was drunk and there had been times back at the Japanese court when Phichit hadn't been able to get Yuuri to leave the room, let alone get him back to bed. It must have been fine, he thought with a small smile. He can't have made too much of a fuss.
He sat up, softly whining as another jolt of pain hit his sore head like a sledgehammer. He looked down at himself and saw he was still wearing his suit from last night, minus his tie which had been carelessly thrown to the end of his bed. His jacket was creased all over, like somebody had scrunched it into a ball and then chucked it across the room, and his shirt buttons were in all the wrong holes but at least he was clothed. His mind wandered back to the time he had gotten drunk at his family onsen and had woken up the following morning bare as the day he was born with his clothes floating in one of the baths. He shuddered at the memory. That would never be allowed to happen here, he thought as he stretched his arms and heard his joints crack. The Russian nobles all seemed far too prim for that.
He gave a yawn and his jaw gave a loud click as his body moved into a dancer's stretch that he now knew only from muscle memory. As he stretched his aching legs, he scrunched up his face in deep thought, trying to remember anything from last night. Nothing was immediately coming to mind and that both relieved and worried him. He had guessed he might have a blackout, which scared him as he didn't know exactly what he had done but it also meant he could pretend nothing had happened. He was also sure if something that exciting had happened he would have remembered it, something like getting close to Victor Nikiforov.
Yuuri could already feel his cheeks burning a little at the thought of the Crown Prince. He had had a crush on the man since he was a twelve-year-old boy living at the Japanese court. The Russian royal family had made a short trip to Japan to cement some trade deal and he had seen them very briefly when they had arrived at the court. The Tsar had been dressed in a military uniform and Yuuri had thought he looked a little scary whilst the Tsarina had been beautiful; Yuuri could remember her long silver hair that swept around her face like a bridal veil, the long strands floating down her back in the breeze like they ached to join it. She had been carrying the young prince who shared in name in her arms, the blond four-year-old pouting at everyone from his elevated position but it was the older prince that Yuuri had been unable to look away from. Victor had been only sixteen at the time but he was already breath-takingly beautiful. He had looked just like his mother, sharing her long silver hair and her sparkling blue eyes that looked kindly on everyone. He had been wearing a strange outfit made of black satin, with pieces of the fabric that crisscrossed over brown mesh, a skirt with a red lining that looked feminine and large gleaming crystals at his shoulder and waist that looked like pieces of the sky. Yuuri had seen the Tsar staring disapprovingly at it but he couldn't understand why; he had thought it was stunning and Victor made it even more so with his movements. He walked like he was dancing, every single thing he did was graceful and Yuuri hadn't been able to pull his eyes away.
After that, he had become slightly obsessed with the prince. He was always listening out for news from abroad, just in case it came from Russia and had something to do with the Crown prince. Once a news sheet had come in with an official portrait of him printed on it and Yuuri had hung it up in his room, despite the teasing it got him from his sister Mari. He had admired the picture for years, staring at the beauty of his long hair and when he heard that Victor had cut it all off, he had cried himself to sleep that night because his picture was no longer accurate. He learnt a great deal of things about him, like that he had a poodle and his favourite activity was ice skating. This had led him to beg for a poodle of his own, which he had eventually gotten and then named Vicchan, and in winter he had bought a pair of ice skates and tried it out on the ice that froze over the ponds in the Japanese gardens. He had gotten quite good at it at one point, trying out spins and even jumps, but since he could only practise when it snowed, he had gotten a little out of practise. He had even started learning Russian because of his idol and he was now so accomplished in reading and writing the language that when a position had arisen for an envoy to the Russian court three months ago, he had been put forwards as the obvious choice.
"And why wouldn't they?" Phichit had said to him when he had told him the news. "Nobody here knows more about the Russian court than you and you speak English as well as Russian and Japanese. You're perfect for the job Yuuri and who knows, you might even get the chance to talk to Victor! You can tell him how hard you've been crushing on him for the past few years!"
"Phichit no!" He had cried out, too embarrassed to think about actually meeting the Crown Prince in the flesh. It all still seemed like a strange dream, like he would wake up to find himself back at the Japanese court, representing his family with his sister. So far, he had only met the Tsar's advisor Yakov, a gruff old man with a balding head of hair and a barking voice that held so much authority, Yuuri felt like jumping every time the man spoke. His experience and wisdom was clear and Yuuri had already learned a lot about diplomacy just from watching him and the Japanese ambassador but he was still a little disappointed he hadn't seen the royals at any of the meetings. He had known there wasn't much hope of seeing them; the Tsarina had sadly died a few years ago and the Tsar had become reclusive since her death, only appearing at the most important of meetings which Yuuri could not attend yet. Yuri, the younger prince was also too young to attend to the business of the crown but Yuuri had still hoped that he might see Victor in one of these meetings. Just being in the same room as him, able to work with him for the benefit of both their countries, would have been a dream come true for him.
He sighed. The Winter Ball was supposed to have been the event where he would finally see him and maybe even get a chance to speak with him but now he couldn't remember a thing. Maybe it's for the best, he told himself as he flopped back down on the bed with his arms spread wide. If I had spoken to Victor, I would have probably made a great fool of myself and embarrassed both of us in front of the entire ball.
He looked up as he heard the door creak open, sending a small beam of light into the room. A dark head popped around the door, offering a bright smile as he edged into the room, carrying a tray with a steaming teapot on it.
"Good morning Yuuri." Phichit said, walking over to the bed with an air of concern. "How's your head?"
"Hurts." Yuuri grunted back, his voice croaking and Phichit nodded sympathetically.
"I thought it might do." He said as he rested the tray on Yuuri's bedside table and reached for his curtains. Yuuri winced as the room suddenly exploded with bright light and he attempted to burrow under his blankets but Phichit firmly pulled them away from his grasp. "No, no Yuuri, it's time to wake up now. Here, I bought you some tea, I thought it might help with your hangover."
"Since when did you become my mother?" Yuuri asked a little grumpily, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as Phichit poured him some tea and pushed the warm cup into his hands.
"Since you reverted back into a blushing teenager the moment you stepped into this court." Phichit smartly retorted, making Yuuri flush red and stare down at his drink. "Now come on, drink your tea, it will help. Or do you want me to kiss your head better?"
"Shut up." Yuuri said, scowling half-heartily up at his friend before he took a sip of the hot liquid. He could already feel himself relaxing as he tasted the familiar leaves, mixed with some ginger and chamomile that Phichit had added for his sore head, and he made a happy noise that made Phichit grin fondly down at him.
"You have no idea how cute you are Yuuri," he said, patting the top of his head like he was a puppy. "The whole Russian court would die if they saw you like this."
"Phichit, stop being embarrassing!" Yuuri whined. "It's too early for you to tease me, I'm not emotionally prepared and my head hurts."
"Aw, poor baby," Phichit cooed as he sat down gently next to him, pouring himself a cup of tea as he settled in among the nest of Yuuri's bedding. "Seriously though, it's true. You don't know how many times I was asked about you last night." He shot Yuuri a wide grin as he tried not to wriggle around on the bed too much in excitement. "You really made an impact my friend, I don't think I've ever seen you dance like that before! People's jaws were dropping all over the place!"
"What?!" Yuuri suddenly felt his blood run cold as he stared at Phichit with panicked eyes. "What do you mean dancing?! I don't remember dancing!"
"You mean you don't remember?" Phichit's look of excitement suddenly vanished and he stared at him in alarm. "Yuuri, what do you remember from last night?"
"I…" Yuuri racked his brains, trying desperately to think of the last thing he remembered from last night. "I remember us talking to Guang Hong just before we went in… and I remember the opening of the ball and seeing Victor in his suit…" His face suddenly coloured at the memory of Victor peeling off his cloak and unveiling his outfit that had sculpted his entire body into perfection and Phichit couldn't help giving a knowing smile. "Then I remember getting us some champagne when you were talking to that Cao Bin guy from China and then… I'm not sure what happened. I just remember wanting more champagne and feeling really warm so I…" He suddenly froze, the tea in his cup threatening to spill as his hands shook. "Phichit, please tell me I didn't strip, please."
"Well…" Phichit answered hesitantly as he prised the cup out of Yuuri's hands and put it out of harm's reach. "You didn't take ALL your clothes off…"
Yuuri gave a loud wail and threw his head into his pillow. "It wasn't that bad!" Phichit hastily tried to assure him but that only made him wail louder. "You honestly looked great, everyone was saying how great your dancing was and when you started unbuttoning your shirt, there were quite a few people who were eyeing you up… Victor in particular looked very impressed."
"WHAT?!" Yuuri screamed as his head jerked up from the pillow, his brown eyes looking close to tears. "VICTOR saw me stripping?!"
"He didn't just see you stripping." Phichit admitted and Yuuri gave a whimper. "You may have asked him to dance with you…"
"Oh no…"
"And he might have accepted…"
"Oh no…"
"You might have danced with him all night…"
"Please no…"
"And then you may have grinded on him in full view of everyone."
Yuuri wordlessly slammed his face back into the pillow, his body curling up like he was trying to disappear. "I'm quitting my job."
"Yuuri!"
"I'm leaving court forever. I can't show my face around here again. I'm going back to Japan and I'm going to find a cave somewhere and live out the rest of my life as a hermit."
"Yuuri, be sensible." Phichit said. "It's really not that bad. You were the only thing that made that ball exciting and I know most of the court will agree with me, including Victor. You looked sensational out there and the Crown prince… Well he couldn't take his eyes off you the whole night. I have photos to prove it!"
"You took photos!" Yuuri shrieked, once again whipping his head back up from the sanctity of his pillow. "Why would you do that?!"
"Because you looked amazing Yuuri! You honestly did!" Phichit told him firmly, throwing his arms out to the sides. "Do you really think I would take embarrassing photos of you for blackmail purposes?"
"Yes." Yuuri grunted and Phichit had to nod.
"OK I would but honestly Yuuri, you didn't look terrible. Victor was admiring you, he really-" Phichit was suddenly interrupted by a rapping sound on the door. Both of them looked up, not quite sure they had heard correctly but then it came again, a little louder and more insistent than before.
"Who could that be at this time in the morning?" Phichit asked and Yuuri gulped.
"It's probably the police," He said in a small voice. "They're here to arrest me for public indecency and assaulting the Crown Prince whilst drunk."
"Yuuri, don't be ridiculous." Phichit said but he still looked a little worried. "You stay here, I'll go and see who it is."
Yuuri watched as Phichit got to his feet and walked out of the room. He heard the sound of the door to their tiny apartment, which was basically just their shared bedroom and a small hallway, opening and voices started to carry through. He couldn't distinguish the voices but he could tell there were two of them and that one of them had an almost lilting Russian accent that was strangely familiar, though he couldn't quite place it. He heard Phichit say a few words, his voice sounding almost panicked, before the Thai man came running into the room, slamming the door shut behind him like demons were on his heels.
"Yuuri," he said, leaning against the door with an amazed but also terrified gleam in his eyes. "You are not going to believe who is outside."
"Who?" Yuuri asked, his face looking bloodless.
"The Crown Prince. And he's asking for you."
All I can say about this chapter is busted!
I also loved the chance to make them all interact, Yuuri and Phichit are my favourites!
Reviews are my lifeblood!
