Author Note: I'll be honest, most of this chapter is fluff and I regret absolutely nothing. I wanted to get this last little bit out before the Regional Championships begin! How will Yuuri do? Who knows, find out next time on Dragonball Z

"The Regional Championships are only a few months away." Yuuri mumbled softly as though he was only just now realising the gravity of the situation. This was all really happening. Viktor was really there, and he was really going to try to get to the Grand Prix Final. Again. It wasn't the most comforting of thoughts. He couldn't help but imagine making a fool of himself all over again. Everyone had seen him make a complete mess of his last program and it was terrifying to think that he could do that all over again. Except this time, he'd be letting down Viktor, too.

"Nervous?" Viktor's soft voice spoke beside him and Yuuri glanced over at the man sitting beside his bed.

"I think you've known me long enough by now to have figured out that I'm always nervous." The simple statement brought a chuckle from Viktor and Yuuri couldn't help but smile. It was getting easier to talk to Viktor now. At first, he was always tongue tied, afraid of saying the wrong things, afraid of coming across as some excitable fan (which he technically was). Now, though… now it was like talking to an old friend. Sure, there were still times when Viktor would get him flustered. The Russian still didn't understand the concept of personal space, but Yuuri was getting used to it. The moments when he was caught off guard were becoming enjoyable. Viktor never ceased to surprise him.

"You don't have to do this, you know?" Viktor was tapping his finger gently on the mattress, "I know we have a deal, but it doesn't mean anything if it's not something you want. I couldn't possibly expect you to skate to your full potential if you don't want it."

"I do want it." Yuuri didn't hesitate, "At first, maybe I was scared. But I've always wanted to belong on the ice. I always wanted to prove myself. It might just be a deal, but it's a reason to keep fighting. Besides, I don't think Yuri would be happy if I gave up before he had a chance to beat me."

"You don't mind him being here, right?"

Viktor seemed genuinely concerned, like the young boy's appearance might have ruined everything. Maybe it would have a long time ago. Maybe Yuuri would've gotten scared and given up before he even tried, but things were different now. He was still definitely intimidated by Yuri Plisetsky, but when he weighed the options, the answer was simple, "It's better than you going back to Russia."

At the admission, Viktor shifted beside him until he was on his knees, his arms resting on the mattress beside Yuuri as he leaned over him. That smirk was going to be the death of him, Yuuri was sure, "Anyone would think you like having me around."

"You're the reason I started skating." Yuuri replied simply, looking up at the light haired Russian staring back at him. How could anyone not be happy to have their idol around, to hear their idol complimenting them, and assuring them that they had the potential to go far? It was like a dream having Viktor in his life, the thought of losing that was one he tried to avoid at all costs. He knew this couldn't last forever, but a guy could dream, right?

Yuuri didn't miss the way Viktor's expression seemed to shift for a moment before it was back to his usual smile. He'd said something wrong. Yuuri knew he had, but he wasn't sure how to fix it. That fear crept into his mind again, but it wasn't the same fear as it was when Viktor first arrived. He wasn't scared of letting Viktor Nikiforov down. He was scared of letting down Viktor, the person who had pushed him and encouraged him to never give up. "I kind of hoped it was more than just you wanting your idol here." Viktor's eyes left the gaze of Yuuri's as he spoke. He was still smiling, but it didn't feel as real as all the other smiles they'd shared.

Without thinking, Yuuri was reaching out to brush a hand against Viktor's. This wasn't something he'd normally do. Affection of any kind wasn't really something he was used to before Viktor came into his life, but he knew that the Russian was a touchy person. He liked being held, or moving close, or brushing a hand against skin. If something as simple as that would reassure Viktor, that's what Yuuri would do. It was made a lot easier in moments like these, when there was no one there to judge him for it. "It is. My head isn't the best place, but you always get me out of it. Having you here makes me happy." He didn't say any of the other things he wanted to say. That Viktor always made him laugh. That he found it kind of adorable whenever he got excited about something he'd never seen before. That looking into his eyes was becoming one of his favorite past times. Those were just the ramblings of a fan. They weren't things Viktor wanted to hear right now.

Viktor didn't look away from Yuuri as he spoke, his smile slowly becoming more genuine. Yuuri always felt so much better when Viktor's smiles were real. He hated that Viktor even felt the need to pretend. It was obviously something he's learned to adapt from years in the spotlight, but it was easy to tell that Viktor wasn't really happy when he smiled like that. Yuuri didn't even realise it at first, but Viktor had moved his hand to take his own. Once again, Yuuri found himself grateful that there was no one else there to see the blush rising on his cheeks at the gentle touch, "I'm glad. I like it here. Hasetsu is an interesting town."

"A lot more interesting with you running around, trying to see all the sights." Yuuri chuckled softly, "Everyone in the town's already gotten used to having you around."

Viktor hummed happily at that, and Yuuri couldn't help but be a little happy to have caused him to make that sound. All he really wanted was for Viktor to enjoy his time there. The longer he was happy, the longer he'd stay, right? A comfortable silence fell between them. Yuuri's eyes moved from Viktor's, to their hands, and back again. It was an intimate moment, he knew. He should've been embarrassed, and maybe if he wasn't so tired after another long day of training, he would've been.

The silence was finally broken when Viktor sighed softly, pulling Yuuri's hand to his lips and gently kissing his fingers. It wasn't something he'd ever done before. No matter how many times Viktor had moved into his personal space, he'd never done this. Yuuri couldn't look away from him, unsure of what he was supposed to say in a moment like this, but thankfully Viktor took that problem away, speaking against his fingers, "You should get some sleep. We have another long day tomorrow. I want to see you land that quad salchow."

Just as quickly as the moment had started, Viktor was letting go of his hand, getting to his feet, and heading for the door. Yuuri already missed that warm, welcoming presence beside him, but he knew it would only be strange to ask Viktor to stay a little while longer. Still, so many questions were running through his head, and before he could stop himself, he was asking the one that had been driving him crazy, "Viktor? Why are you so sure that I can perfect this program?"

"Because, Yuuri. I made it for you."

"Wait, what?" Yuuri was turning to ask more questions, but Viktor had already left. But it didn't matter. Yuuri couldn't possibly forget that. He had to understand what Viktor meant.

OoOoO

Fingers danced around his body as he danced over the field of ice, the step sequence feeling like just another extension of himself. His eyes stayed closed as he focused on the music, the flamenco style thrumming through his veins as he tried to maintain his momentum, sticking to the sequence Viktor had taught him. Steps were what he was good at. Steps came naturally to him. It wasn't that he made up the steps as he went along, but even with the steps laid out in front of him, the sound of the music pushed him through, almost urging him to take each step, telling him exactly what came next without him really needing to think much of it.

As the step sequence came to an end, Yuuri couldn't help but feel a little sad. They were his strong point. Step sequences were where he was able to truly shine. He was on the home stretch, though. Now he just needed to land these jumps, to finish this routine. He had to do it. He'd make Viktor proud. Didn't Viktor say he made this program for him? Yuuri still didn't understand what he meant by that. He wasn't sure how to ask, but it wasn't important. If this was made for him, then no one could perform it like he could. He'd prove that. Moving into a spread eagle, Yuuri landed the triple axel without any issues. After so many years of training, triple axels weren't particularly difficult, especially when he was relaxed. But now he was up to the jump he had never successfully landed.

Yuuri moved along the ice, trying to gain the proper momentum to pull off the next jump. Through it all, the music was dancing through him, keeping him grounded, reminding him that this was his program, that is anyone could do this, it had to be him. He had to prove himself to Viktor, he had to show him that he wasn't putting his faith in him for nothing. Taking a deep breath, Yuuri moved into the jump, trying to clear his head as best he could. Just as quickly as it started, he was landing back on the ice. It wasn't a clean jump. He had over rotated, but he was still on his feet. He was still moving along the ice, recovering from the unsteady landing, and Yuuri had to remind himself to not lose focus. He may have finally landed the quad salchow, but the routine wasn't over yet.

The final jumps weren't particularly difficult for him usually, though when they were in combination, it made things a little trickier. Still, Yuuri was elated. He had finally landed the jump he'd been trying to land for weeks. With that excitement, that pure happiness running through his veins, the quad toe-triple toe combination felt almost as natural as the music surrounding him. He did it. He landed all the jumps. Yuuri had to keep reminding himself that that didn't mean the routine was over, moving back into place, finishing the theatrics of the routine and placing himself in the centre of the ice, his arms wrapped around himself in the same way Viktor had shown him so many times before.

The music in the room faded, and he was left in silence. The only sound he could hear was that of his heavy breathing, trying to catch his breath from the routine. It wasn't easy, but then he doubted anything Viktor did could be described as easy. It wouldn't be nearly as satisfying if it was. A moment passed, and Yuuri could hear something other than his heavy breaths filling the silence. The sound of skates gliding over the ice, getting closer and closer. Yuuri finally opened his eyes just in time to see Viktor ploughing into him, his arms wrapping protectively around him as he landed on the ice. He should've expected it, but he really didn't. Viktor had a hand gently pressed to the back of his head, preventing him from hitting the ice too hard, and all Yuuri could do was stare wide eyed up at the man now laying over him on the ice. Yuuri wasn't sure he'd ever seen Viktor's smile so big before.

"You did it! You did it, Yuuri!"

And suddenly, it was all clicking in his head. He had landed the quad salchow. It was by no means a perfect jump. It was over rotated, the landing was sloppy, but he stayed upright. He didn't touch the ice. He kept moving. "I… I did. I did it." Yuuri's voice was barely a whisper, trying to reassure himself that it really happened, that he had completed the routine at least once, that he could do this again, that he could live up to the routine Viktor had apparently made for him.

Viktor was moving a hand to brush the strands of hair that had fallen into Yuuri's eyes during the routine away, smiling down at him, "I'm so proud of you."

A silence fell between them, and if it were possible, Yuuri was sure time had stood still. It felt like they were there for hours, days, but he didn't care. There was nothing he didn't like about the feeling. Viktor was so close, his eyes filled with nothing but pure adoration. No one had ever looked at Yuuri like that. He felt a fluttering in his stomach, sure his heart was pounding and with Viktor this close, there was no doubt that he could feel it. Yuuri was still a little out of breath from the routine, the only sound left in the room was their soft breath mingling together. It felt like they were living in their own little world. If Yuuri was willing to indulge himself, he'd like to believe he felt Viktor moving closer, their noses brushing together. Yuuri's eyes fluttered closed at the contact. Was this real? Was he dreaming? Or imagining things?

"Oi! Stop it before I skate over the pair of you!" Yuri's voice broke through his trance, and Yuuri's eyes flew open. Viktor hadn't pulled away, but he hadn't moved any closer, either. Their eyes met for a moment before Viktor was reluctantly getting to his feet, reaching a hand out for Yuuri.

Yuuri was glad he could blame his blush on the routine as he took Viktor's hand. He had so many questions. What was Viktor going to do? Was he going to do anything? Was he just imagining him getting closer? Why did he want Viktor to move closer? Why did just the thought of it make his stomach flutter all over again? Was this what all those fans who drooled over him felt like? He liked to think he was better than that. He looked up to Viktor for his talents, not his looks, but here he was. So close to Viktor and feeling his heart pounding. When Viktor helped him to his feet, he pulled Yuuri so close he practically stumbled into him, causing the younger man to rest his free hand against his chest, and Yuuri was sure Viktor did that on purpose.

"Uh thanks…" Yuuri mumbled, looking away. He hadn't felt this shy around Viktor since the first day he'd arrived in Hasetsu.

"Go take a break, you've earned it."

Before Yuuri knew it, he was at the edge of the rink being handed a bottle of water from Yuri. It was strange. Yuri had been there with them for a while now, and while he still maintained his grumpy teenager attitude, he seemed to at least be warming up to him. Yuuri would never mention it, though, lest he get his head bitten off by the Ice Tiger of Russia. Yuuri watched as the blond pulled off his skate guards and spoke without thinking, "Uh… Hey, Yuri?"

"What?" The usual tinge of annoyance in his voice was there, but Yuuri had learned to tell when it was real frustration. This wasn't one of those times.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did. Quit wasting my time, piggy."

Yuuri couldn't help but smile at that as Yuri got to his feet and stood beside him on the ice, "Do you know how long ago Viktor created my program?"

"Eros?" Yuri seemed to really think about the question. It was strange to see him caring enough about something like this. Yuri usually only cared about things that would benefit himself. Maybe they were getting closer than he thought, "The first time he performed it back in Russia was seven… maybe eight months ago. So, he must've made it before then. Why?"

Yuuri sighed softly, thinking about it. That didn't really tell him anything. Somehow, he hoped the question would give him some answers about what Viktor had told him. How could he have made this routine for him? Yuuri wasn't in Viktor's life seven or eight months ago. He was back in Detroit, finishing college. Yuuri shook his head, smiling reassuringly, "Just something Viktor said, it doesn't matter."

"He told you he made it for you, da?" Yuri didn't seem remotely phased. It seemed more like a statement than a question.

"Wh-What? How do you know that?"

"You're an idiot." Yuri scoffed, "Think about it. If he performed it seven or eight months ago, he had to have had time to make the program and learn it. When you think about it that way, it lines up around the time of the banquet when you made a fool of yourself."

Yuuri was drinking from the water bottle as he was listening, his breath hitching at the mention of the banquet. Coughing up the water that had made its way into his lungs as Yuri mentioned the second most humiliating moment of his life, he was filled with so many more questions. Was Yuri there? Of course he was, why wouldn't he be. Oh god, he'd seen it all as well. Yuuri's voice was raspy when he finally spoke up, "Y-You saw that?"

"I saw it? You dragged me into a dance off. We don't talk about the banquet."

"Agreed." That was probably the nicest thing Yuri had ever said to him. If he could just forget that night ever happened, he'd be happy. The only good thing that came of it was Viktor being there. All the humiliation was something he never wanted to think about.

"Good. Now get out of my way, piggy." Yuri's voice was filled with it's usual determination, though he caught the older man off guard with the rough pat to his back. Was Yuri trying to make him feel better?

OoOoO

Viktor and Yuuri had been spending the last few days listening to the music for the free skate program, and though they had created a routine, it didn't feel right. There was something missing and neither of them could figure out what it was. They'd been staring at the paper with the jumps written down for what seemed like an eternity, though Yuuri was having trouble actually thinking about it when they had to be pressed so close together to both look at the page.

"You've been staring at that paper for ten minutes now, what's the big deal?" Yuri broke through their concentration, his words muffled by the rice in his mouth. They probably would've told him that he looked like a hamster with his cheeks filled with food, but that wouldn't be good for their health.

"It's just… missing something." Viktor sounded frustrated. It was like Viktor thought he was letting Yuuri down by not having the program figured out, but how could he possibly let him down? Viktor was going out of his way to help him all this time. There was no reason for it. Hell, Viktor would benefit from not helping him, he'd no doubt win their little deal.

Before they could do anything about it, Yuri was snatching the paper from Viktor's hands. Yuuri wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it. Technically, Yuri was a rival, he was competing against him, and maybe it wasn't such a good idea for him to be able to see the program they were creating. Then again, it definitely wasn't a completed program. Green eyes glared at the piece of paper, scrutinising every jump that had been written down. If it were at all possible, Yuuri was sure that look could set the paper alight.

After a long moment of silence, Yuri slammed the piece of paper down on the table, "Here." He pointed to the first jump of the second half, "Add a triple axel to this combination."

"But… that's a triple combination." Yuuri spoke softly, unsure of himself. It wasn't that he wasn't able to perform a triple combination, but this was the second half of the routine.

"And?"

"In the second half of the routine, it's hard enough to do double combinations…"

"Exactly. It'll increase your difficulty. Besides, it's the very start of the second half, you have the stamina for that, and it'll help with the flow."

Yuri wasn't exactly wrong. He did have the stamina for that, and an increase in difficulty would only help his chances of winning gold. The flow was the main issue, too. It felt like there was something missing from the routine, that there was this gap that made the entire second half feel stunted. But Yuuri wasn't so sure this was something he could pull off.

"It's a great idea, Yurachka. I don't know how I didn't see it." Viktor took the paper, making the adjustments and handing it to Yuuri, "We can test it out tomorrow."

"But…" There were so many thoughts running through his head, so many reasons this couldn't possibly work, and he couldn't possibly do this. He wanted to tell them that he didn't have the kind of talent to pull off a triple combination like that, not on top of all the other difficult jumps that were in this routine.

Just as he was working up the courage to say something, Yuri cut him off, his usual smug smile gracing his lips as he did, "If you want to have a chance against me, you have to take some risks."