"Yuuri, your band is going first!" called the announcer. He motioned for the band to come up on stage, asking what songs are you guys going to do?"
"You want my set list? Okay. We have 'Thought' and 'Lazy Eye'," Yuuri said, smiling brightly into the crowd. The audience roared, they'd obviously heard their two most famous songs; 'Lazy Eye' and 'Thought'. Yuuri started to feel better, but then the announcer said,
"Great! Good luck! What about you, Viktor?" he asked Viktor, who stood beside the stage.
"'White Caps' and 'Everybody Loves Me'," he said, staring at his cuticles absentmindedly. He acted like this whole thing was a joke; like it didn't matter, but Yuuri knew that he was only faking it. This thing meant more to Yuuri than it did to Viktor, but it still meant loads to him. This would prove who was actually the best. Never mind that Stay Close to Me would probably win anyway.
"You ready?" The announcer asked Yuuri. He nodded, smiling confidently.
Weather Report: The snow-fall has gotten heavier. Experts suggest that it may turn into a full-on snowstorm by midnight. Please stay off the roads tonight.
The report caused Yuuri's phone to buzz, but he wasn't able to get it. The band was already climbing up on stage, and Yuuri needed to help set up. He adjusted his clothes every few moments, extremely self-conscious. Phichit smiled at him, and before they all went to their respective stations, Phichit and Leo pulled everyone into a group hug in the center of the stage.
"No matter what happens, we will stay a band, right?" asked Phichit. Yuuri nodded, looking at the others and watching their heads bob up and down with his own. Yuuri risked a glance at Viktor, who was still (unsurprisingly) glowering at him. Yuuri felt confident; in other words, he had a death wish.
Viktor froze as Yuuri's arms wrapped around him. Yuuri could feel Viktor's heart beat fast against his chest, warming him, and he giggled. Viktor's arms were raised in the air in a gesture of surrender, but he didn't pull away from Yuuri. Yuuri pulled away, intending to say, 'good luck', but the look on Viktor's face surprised him so much, he stilled.
Viktor had the same look on his face as he'd had the year before, except now he was blushing furiously. As Yuuri stepped back, Viktor moved forward, bringing his hands down. Yuuri thought Is Viktor going to hug ME? but Viktor seemed to get control of himself at the last second, moving back and shoving his hand into his hair, embarrassed. Yuuri laughed, turning back to the stage, a swagger in his steps he hadn't had before. When he turned back to Viktor, he was still smiling profusely, facing away from the crowd. He didn't turn back until he'd mastered his face and was back to glaring.
"How did you get Viktor to SMILE AT YOU?" whispered Phichit forcefully, bending low to Yuuri's ear. Yuuri just shrugged, his anxiety gone for the time being. When he turned to Phichit, the awed look he wore made Yuuri laugh.
"Why did you do it in the first place?"
"I don't know, it just seemed… right. It's kind of like knowing you need to turn off the burner after you're done cooking. I needed to hug him because… it was the right thing to do," Yuuri said metaphorically. He walked to the front of the stage, grinning happily.
"Go get your bass. We've got something to show them."
Then Guang-Hong counted down, and Yuuri made a split-second decision. He decided he wanted to surprise the audience.
When Yuuri was 15, he learned how to play guitar. His teacher claimed he was a natural; he was amazing at it, but Yuuri was unable to take a compliment. He ended up quitting because his teacher was getting too pushy about him performing, but he still played.
And he knew the lead part as well as Leo knew both parts.
"Leo, play rhythm!" he called, slipping the extra guitar over his neck. He strummed a few notes experimentally before Guang-Hong reached zero.
And then he started to play.
It was an immediate hit. Everyone in the audience started cheering, marveling at how well Yuuri could play. He'd never played guitar in front of an audience before, and they were going nuts because of it.
"LOCKED AND LOADED! STILL THE SAME OLD DECENT LAZY EYE, STRAIGHT THROUGH YOUR GAZE. THAT'S WHY I SAID I RELATE! I SAID I RELATE, IT'S SO FUN TO RELATE!" Yuuri yelled, jumping in the air and landing a full 360 ̊ spin, guitar and all. The red fender came disastrously close to hitting the mic stand, but Yuuri knew what he was doing. He missed it by about two inches.
The crowd cheered, watching the band rock like they'd never rocked before. The whole group was smiling, watching the crazed crowd yell and call their names. Yuuri was happy, deciding that he'd already taken one chance today; might as well take another. He glanced at Viktor.
And was glad he did.
The smile that lit Viktor's face brightened Yuuri's tenfold, which Yuuri hadn't even thought possible. Viktor watched the band play, staring at Yuuri. Something had changed within his eyes for a moment there, but when he finally noticed that the man he was staring at was staring directly back at him, he shifted his gaze. The usual, hardened look he had while he was around the History Makers was back.
But Viktor had still smiled. No matter how much Yuuri knew he would deny it, Viktor had smiled while listening to the History Makers play. He had enjoyed it. Yuuri's grin only got bigger, and he stopped singing for himself. He sang for Viktor.
There was nothing romantic about it, or so he told himself. He just felt bad for Viktor. Viktor had always tried to be rude to the History Makers, and he didn't want to change that, so he figured that even though he liked the band, he would act like he didn't. Or at least, that's what Yuuri thought. Viktor was off to the side of the stage, glaring, but he couldn't look at the History Makers.
Because whenever he did, his smile came back, his blush covering his entire face. Yuuri was surprised that his band affected Viktor this much.
It didn't even occur to him that maybe it wasn't the band that was affecting him.
Maybe Katsuki Yuuri just had a charm that went beyond the looks he was giving to the crowd.
Yuuri finished the song, pushing his guitar forward and hitting the last note with a flourish. He let go of the guitar, letting it rest against his stomach as he waved to the crowd. Yuuri couldn't keep his eyes off Viktor, though. The man looked hateful, scanning his bandmates like a tiger choosing its prey, but there was something about him that was so… entrancing. Yuuri would wave at the crowd, then sneak a look at Viktor out of the corner of his eye, and even though he looked like he'd never smiled in his life, Yuuri was brought back to the moments when Viktor had smiled.
A smile that positively lit up the sky.
