Author's Note: Thank you all for your continued interest in this story! I'm having so much fun writing it.

The traditional set dance that Yuri completes in this chapter is King of the Fairies found here: watch?v=qAbvB4bMF6w

Yuri and Phichit awoke early Saturday morning to make sure they would get to class on time. Yuri hated being awake so early, and he was still groggy from sleep as he stumbled into the kitchen for a cup of tea and one of Phichit's omelettes. Yuri noticed Phichit looked as tired as Yuri felt, and they ate in silence while each one took the time to fully wake. After eating, the cleaned up the kitchen and then went to their respective rooms to dress for class.

Yuri checked the weather app on his phone and thought it would be too chilly for shorts. He pulled on a pair of athletic pants and a t-shirt before sliding into a black zip-up athletic jacket. Grabbing his dance bag, he met Phichit in the living room. They both slid their feet into their sneakers and then took off for the studio at a quarter after 8. Though it was a short walk, both decided they wanted to get there early enough to warm up and stretch to utilize class time the best.

Phichit told Yuri that today's class was three hours and that all dancers in the school, no matter their level, was invited. The assistant instructor would also be there to teach the younger dancers while Sean would be working with the preliminary champions and champions. They would be separated for about an hour and a half and then all would come together to dance ceilis.

"How? The rooms are so small," Yuri asked, surprise evident in his tone.

"The wall between the two rooms actually slides into the wall at the one side of the room so we can create a bigger space," Phichit responded with a grin.

"Wow. I didn't even notice that when I was dancing yesterday."

"Yeah. It's pretty awesome."

"I'm really excited about ceilis," Yuri admitted with a spring in his step. "I know a bunch of them and can dance any guy position."

"Great! Sean will appreciate that for sure."

They arrived at the studio to find the front door already open. When they came into the main room, they caught sight of several girls sitting on the floor, putting shoes on and conversing. They all looked up to see who was coming through the door. Some smiled in recognition of Phichit.

"Phichit!" one girl with dark hair and green eyes greeted. "Who's the handsome guy with you?"

Yuri immediately felt awkward. He hated being the center of attention among a group of people he didn't know.

"Good monring, Sophie. This is Yuri. He just arrived from Japan on Thursday. He's going to be dancing with us."

Sophie stood and made her way over to the pair. She extended a hand toward Yuri. Yuri looked at it hesitantly for a moment before taking it into his own hand. She shook vigorously. "Welcome to England! How do you like it so far?"

"Okay...I guess," Yuri replied with a hesitant smile. "I haven't seen much of it yet."

"Your accent is so cute!" one of the other girls exclaimed. "And your English is good!"

Yuri blushed. "Thanks."

"Come sit with us. We're Phichit's groupies," Sophie said as she stopped shaking Yuri's hand and led him by the hand toward the group of girls sitting in a circle on the floor.

"Groupies?" Yuri looked confused.

"They always watch me dance at competition and cheer me on," Phichit explained.

"O-oh...okay."

Phichit was laughing behind him, which made Yuri's ears burn in embarrassment. He knew he couldn't get out of sitting with them without seeming rude, but he was uncomfortable with the prospect of being surrounded by strangers. He let Sophie guide him to the floor, and he sat while peering around the group. Everyone's eyes were on him, and he smiled back nervously. He began to pull his soft shoes out of his bag and put them on.

"What level are you, Yuri?" one of the girls asked. She had blonde hair pulled back into a braid and blue eyes.

"I think he's going to be a preliminary champ like me," Phichit cut in, seeming to notice Yuri's discomfort. "Things are a little different in Japan, so Sean wanted to assess him today."

Yuri looked over to Phichit and smiled in thanks. Phichit gave a barely perceptible nod and turned his attention to his shoes. Yuri did the same, listening to the girls talk and laugh. It was evident they had all been friends for years, which made Yuri feel even more out of place. He wasn't even sure where to begin to insert himself into the group. All of the things they were mentioning were experiences and places he had no familiarity with. When he finished tightening the laces on his left shoe, he stood and made his way to one of the studio dance rooms to warm up.

Once inside the familiar space of mirrors and open floor, Yuri inhaled deeply. He put in his earbuds and pressed play on his phone for a reel. He skipped around the room for a minute or two until the muscles in his legs no longer felt stiff and cold. He then took his place at the barre and began stretching. His legs soon felt loose and he stepped away from the barre, stopping the music as he looked towards the doorway. His heart started hammering in shock when he saw Sean standing there with a smile on his face.

"I'm glad to see you here early!" he greeted. "I want to see some of what you can do before class officially starts.

Yuri nodded as he removed the earbuds and placed his phone on the floor close to the mirror. He went to the corner of the room that would provide him with the most space as Sean approached the sound system and plugged in his phone. Yuri stood with his arms completely still at his side and his feet in fifth position. Reel music started, and Yuri began counting the bars. On the fourth bar, he pointed his right foot before him. At the beginning of the next set of eight bars, Yuri began to dance his reel. As he danced, he focused on thinking about the techniques he needed to make it look spectacular - straight legs, height on his toes, hang time during his jumps, and pointed feet. Before he knew it, he had completed two steps for Sean, ending on his toes. He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, and he began to breathe deeply from exertion.

"Your jumps are impressive...some of the best I've seen," Sean began. "If you want to be world champion material, you're going to have to work on your flexibility and cleaning up your footwork. You're too low on your toes. Not as bad as almost dancing on your heels, but the judges want to see you really on your toes. And you're going to have to work on your endurance because preliminary champion competition requires you to dance three steps, not just two."

Yuri's eyes widened. "You're putting me in the champion class?"

Sean smiled. "You're too advanced for my Prizewinners, but you're going to have to put in a lot of hard work to get to the level my champions dance at. How quickly can you pick up steps?"

"Fairly," Yuri replied. "If I have difficulty with a specific spot, I'll ask for clarification."

"Good. I want you to watch quite a bit today and practice what you can pick up." Sean turned toward the door and called in the rest of the champion dancers while Yuri went to get his phone. He went to the furthest corner in the room and turned just in time to see Phichit barreling toward him.

"I'm so glad you're in my class!" he cried as he flung his arms around Yuri, making the young man's face redden. "Don't worry...I'll help you."

In all, thirteen more students joined them. Most of the girls Yuri was introduced to earlier that morning filed in and lined up against the back wall. Following them were three men - one sticking out among the others due to his height and unusually colored hair. It took a moment for Yuri to process silver hair with bangs covering one of the pair of striking blue eyes, making his heart stutter in shock. He gasped quietly and went rigid in Phichit's arms. Phichit noticed and pulled away, looking at Yuri with concern.

"What is it?"

"Vi-Victor Nikiforov!"

Phichit turned and saw Victor standing at the other end of the room, speaking to a blonde-haired, green-eyed young man who didn't look fully awake yet. Phichit returned his attention to Yuri, appearing confused.

"Yeah. I thought you knew he was in our school."

"Y-yeah, but...I never thought I'd be in the same class as him!"

Yuri was beginning to panic. He supposed that it was a lie to think that he wouldn't ever be in the same class as Victor - it was what he was secretly hoping for. Despite dreaming that he would dance with Victor, Yuri knew that Victor was on a completely different playing field, and with Sean's assessment this morning, Yuri knew he could never match him. He was suddenly overcome with worry that Victor would judge him and dismiss him, which was something Yuri just didn't want to happen. He wanted Victor, his idol, to notice him, and he wanted Victor to believe that he was world champion material.

"Don't freak out, Yuri," Phichit said in a calming voice. "He's really down to earth once you get to know him."

"Yeah...but what if he thinks I'm terrible?" Yuri bemoaned.

"You're not. You're here in our class because Sean thinks you're good. Just...focus on you and learning new stuff today," Phichit said.

Yuri gulped and nodded, shaking his head to try to clear his thoughts. Sean stood at the front of the room and waited for his dancers to quiet. When they had done so, he motioned to Yuri.

"Everyone, we have a new student with us today all the way from Japan," Sean announced as Yuri stepped forward. "This is Yuri Katsuki, and he'll be dancing with us from now on. Welcome, Yuri."

Yuri bowed deeply to Sean and then turned to bow to the rest of the students, his cheeks aflame from embarrassment. As he rose from his bow, his eyes traveled toward Victor. Victor was staring back, appearing interested in the new student. Next to him, the blonde boy looked annoyed. Yuri quickly shuffled back to his corner next to Phichit. Phichit clapped Yuri on the shoulder in support.

"It'll get easier...I promise."

Yuri replied with a weak smile. Sean began class by announcing that everyone would start with reels and they were to dance two at a time. He went over to the sound system to start the music, and Victor stepped forward with the blonde boy.

"Who is that next to Victor?" Yuri whispered to Phichit.

"That's Yuri Plisetsky. He moved here from Russia like Victor did about six months ago. He is one win away from Champion. And he's sixteen."

Phichit's quick introduction ended when the two Russians began to dance. Yuri watched in fascination as the step immediately started with a combination of straight jumps in the air followed by a run sequence into an over-two-three. Yuri's eyes widened when he saw the height Victor achieved in his jump, his mouth opening to express how impressed he was. He watched the rest of the step, taking note of the intensity of the steps and the sharpness in each of Victor's movements. Yuri then began to move his feet on the floor, attempting to pick up elements of the step and discerning how they all fit together while watching Victor.

Yuri was awed by Victor's dancing. It looked so effortless and perfect - every leap and all the footwork perfectly matched the beat of the music. Even though Sean called out occasional corrections, Victor was unperturbed by it and kept going, fixing whatever Sean was pointing out while he was dancing. Yuri's feet soon stilled as he was too wrapped up in watching Victor dance. He hoped he could execute the reel steps just as Victor had. When Victor and the other Yuri had finished dancing, the next pair picked up the music and began their reel. Yuri turned his attention to his own feet, attempting to work out a piece of footwork.

"I can't believe he turned down Riverdance," one of the ladies whispered.

"What?!" another replied excitedly.

"Yeah...he said he wanted to compete one more year. And the producers said they would wait for him! I don't think they've done that with anyone before him!"

"Well, how many champions can truly say they won Worlds five years in a row?"

"None that I know of."

Yuri couldn't help but zone in on the conversation as he practiced the first step slowly in his corner. What he wouldn't give to be sought after by the producers of Riverdance! He couldn't believe Victor had held them off for another year just for the chance to compete at Worlds one more time. Yuri wondered if presented with the same situation, he would make the same choice. Probably not, Yuri thought. But I have to win Worlds first to even be given the chance to decide something like that.

"I'm going to go dance with Steve," Phichit told Yuri as he shuffled off to the middle of the room to pick up the music.

Yuri paused in his own dancing and watched Phichit dance. As Yuri expected, Phichit was also very good. His dancing didn't look as graceful and athletic as Victor's but Yuri could see why he had groupies among the girls. Sean yelled out more corrections for Phichit while he danced than he had for Victor, and Yuri could tell by Phichit's expression that he was filing away the critiques to work on later. Phichit finished and came back to Yuri, breathing heavily. He grinned as Yuri went back to figuring out the steps of the reel.

"Do you have it?" Phichit asked as he took a swig of water from his water bottle.

Yuri nodded. "I think so."

"Don't be afraid to ask for help."

"I will."

Phichit walked away to give Yuri some space. Yuri concentrated on a movement that required a turn. He was able to complete it slowly, and then he went through the same movement several times while increasing the speed each time. He was able to get the element right on its own, but when he added it in to the rest of the step, Yuri struggled with it. He continued to practice it over and over, his frustration growing incrementally every time he messed up. He ran his fingers through his hair as he exhaled, telling himself he needed to calm down otherwise he wouldn't figure it out.

"Want some help?"

Yuri froze in his spot, his eyes trained to the floor. He could feel a slight tremble in his extremities as he slowly lifted his gaze toward the person standing in front of him. The smiling face of Victor Nikiforov was directly before him, with the moody blonde Russian not far behind. Yuri gasped and could feel a blush creeping across his cheekbones.

"I..." Yuri's voice failed him at the moment he least wanted it to. Talk to him! his mind was screaming at him.

When Yuri wasn't able to get out any other words, the blonde Yuri stepped forward and walked between the two with a scoff and deadly stare at Yuri. "Eh, leave him alone, Victor. He's not worth your time. He can't even get a simple combination right."

The blonde Yuri walked away, leaving Yuri feeling devastated at his ugly words. Victor laughed, which made Yuri return his gaze to the taller man. His eyes widened, wondering what Victor could possibly be laughing at. Is Victor making fun of me? Does he agree with him?

"Don't pay attention to him. He's just a perfectionist and has no patience for teaching others. He expects everyone to pick up steps as quickly as he does."

Victor's smile was so warm and genuine, and it made Yuri melt in place. His heart was racing, making him feel lightheaded from all the attention. His mouth was dry, and he moved his tongue around in an attempt to relieve the dryness. He wanted to speak, to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal that the Victor Nikiforov was talking to him, but he was too flustered. He had spent so much time placing Victor on a pedestal that it seemed impossible that he would ever have the opportunity to talk to him or get to know him on a personal level.

"Are you okay?" Victor asked.

Yuri shook his head, trying to banish his fear. "Um...yeah. I just...I'm just working on this one part."

"Let me see," Victor said in an encouraging manner.

"Um...sure."

Yuri demonstrated the combination he had been having difficulty with. He wasn't getting the timing, and when he completed it, he looked to Victor with an expression that spoke of misery. Victor's smile was kind. Without a word, he showed Yuri the element followed by an explanation of the the timing. Yuri watched intently with the fleeting thought that he couldn't believe he was receiving some pointers from his idol. Yuri then attempted to copy what Victor had done. He felt that this trial was better, but there was still something to fix.

"You're really close. Practice it a few more times, and I'm sure you'll get it," Victor said, his Russian accent was heavy but musical.

"Thanks," Yuri replied.

"How long have you been here?" Victor asked.

"Um...since Thursday."

"Victor!" the other Yuri shouted across the room.

Victor turned and watched as Yuri gestured to him. "Oh, I guess it's my turn to dance again."

With that, Victor left. Yuri let out a shuddering breath, feeling sweat break out across his skin. He felt a presence behind him and turned to see Phichit grinning like a cat. Yuri didn't like his look.

"What?"

"How'd that go?"

"Fine."

"I'd say more than fine. I think..." Phichit lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I think you've got the hots for him."

Yuri looked positively scandalized. "I do not!"

Phichit's answering gaze stated, Sure, whatever you say. Yuri blushed.

"Phichit! You better be helping him or working on your reel! You're not going to place at All Irelands with your reel looking the way it does!" Sean barked.

Phichit stepped back and flashed Yuri a thumb up before concentrating on his own steps. Soon, everyone had danced their reels twice, and in that time, Yuri had practiced the right foot of the first step in time to the music with some success. Sean switched the music to slip jigs, and the guys stepped back into the corner to watch the ladies dance while they changed to their hard shoes. That was when Yuri met Steve. Steve was brown haired, brown eyed, and of slender build. He seemed nice, especially when Yuri had the blonde Yuri to compare him with.

There wasn't much conversation as they were expected to be quiet while the ladies were dancing. Steve made a quick introduction but was more focused on changing his shoes. The Russian Yuri continued to scowl, which made Yuri wonder what was going on with the moody teen.

"Sophie is so graceful when she dances this," Phichit said wistfully as he watched the girl twirl.

Victor smiled. "Did you ask her out yet?"

Phichit shook his head. "Not yet. I'm not ready for a relationship."

"But it's obvious you like her," Victor wheedled.

"Not everyone has girls throwing themselves at them like you do," Russian Yuri grumbled. "And stop talking about love. You're gonna make me puke."

Victor laughed, making Sean glance their way. Yuri looked to the floor quickly in apology, which made the Russian Yuri even more upset. "You should just go back to Japan. There's not enough room here for two Yuris."

"That was unkind," Victor warned the blonde.

"Whatever."

Victor rose to his feet with a knowing grin. "I think someone feels threatened."

Yuri looked at the Russian Yuri curiously. Threatening? That was the last adjective anyone would use to describe Yuri by any stretch of the imagination. Besides, it wasn't like the Russian Yuri had seen him dance yet, so he wasn't sure what could possibly make the teen feel that way towards him. The accusation made the Russian Yuri flush with anger, and he stood to confront Victor. Yuri rose as well, having finished putting his shoes on.

"Whatever, geezer," Yuri growled. "Like anyone could be threatened by that..."

"All right, I see you five are ready with your hard shoes," Sean called as the slip jig music ended. "Yuri-"

"Yes?" both responded. Both then looked at each other - Russian Yuri with a glare and the Japanese Yuri with a small smile.

"I guess I'll have to find a nickname for one of you," Sean said with a small laugh.

"What about we call Russian Yuri kitten?" Victor suggested with a laugh.

This did little to assuage the blonde Yuri's contempt. "I refuse to be called anything but my name!"

"How about Yurio?" Yuri suggested quietly.

"Yurio it is," Sean agreed.

"Why do I have to be called Yurio? I was here first!" the teen exclaimed with a small stamp of his foot.

"Because I'm older," Yuri replied as he stepped past Yurio.

"Okay Yuri...I want you to show me your set." Yuri paled and felt his hands become sweaty with nerves. His eyes widened, which Sean noticed. "What's wrong?"

"I...I don't have one."

Sean frowned. "What do you mean?"

"My instructor...she never taught contemporary sets...just the traditional ones."

Sean sighed and dropped his head in his hands in exasperation. Yuri could hear the derisive snort come from Yurio, and it made him blush furiously. He felt like an utter failure again and wondered why he ever thought coming to England to become a world champion was a good idea. He groaned and let his eyes drift to the floor. Sean soon gathered his wits and sighed.

"Okay," his tone still betrayed annoyance. "What traditional sets do you know?"

"St. Patrick's Day, The Blackbird, Jockey to the Fair, and King of the Fairies," Yuri answered, hoping Sean would have him dance the easiest one.

"Dance King of the Fairies for me," Sean said as he walked to his phone to find the right music.

Yuri's eyes rose to the ceiling with a quiet groan. King of the Fairies was one of the more difficult sets, and the last thing he wanted was to mess up, especially since he was dancing in front of everyone. His gaze returned to the mirrors, and he could see everyone's expressions. He immediately felt as if he they were judging him, and his entire body tensed. The first violin strains of the music began, and Yuri forced himself to focus on the counts.

He began to dance, the rhythm coming to him easily. He got through the majority of the first step on his right foot before missing the timing of a slow treble. He visibly cringed at his mistake but continued on. As the dance progressed, he missed a few more beats and almost lost his balance during one of the boxes. His face burned with embarrassment for he knew he could dance better, but having to dance while everyone was watching was overloading his nerves. He finished the dance and immediately looked to Sean. The instructor sighed, but clearly didn't look too pleased.

"Clearly you have potential, and I'm sure you've danced that dance better." Yuri nodded. "You need to work on your confidence."

Yuri nodded as he looked to the floor. "Yeah."

Yuri shuffled his way back to the other men, refusing to make eye contact with Yurio. He already felt horrible about his dancing, and he didn't need Yurio to confirm his feelings for him. He quickly glanced toward Victor who looked thoughtful as he stepped forward to complete his set. Yuri went to his water bottle and took a drink, feeling miserable. He just wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. He wished he could rewind and dance again because he knew he was capable of dancing that particular set well.

"It's okay, Yuri," Phichit soothed as he approached. "Sean just hates traditional sets. He'll give you something else to learn. It's no big deal."

Yuri couldn't respond. He just nodded and concentrated on his water bottle. He wanted class to end soon so he could go back to the flat and forget this embarrassing introduction to the McNicholas School.

Ceili dances are group dances, and the next chapter will feature more of them as this dance class continues. They type of ceili is denoted by the number of people dancing in it. For example, an 8-hand reel will have 8 people dancing in it.

Slip jigs are traditionally only performed by women because the movements are considered too graceful for men to complete.

The next chapter will involve more dancing (of course) and a chance for Yuri and Victor to get to know each other a little more. ^^