There were many things to notice when Viktor woke that morning. First, he was much warmer than he normally would be after a night in bed. Then there was the fact that there seemed to be something in his arms. And of course, there was the gentle weight against his shoulder. Despite it being one of the best sleeps he'd had in a long time, there were a few questions left in his mind. All these questions disappeared the moment he reluctantly opened his eyes.

Viktor just wanted to stay asleep. He was a morning person most days, but he had never felt this comfortable, and now he knew why. Viktor had never really felt the desire to be someone's pillow, but that's exactly what he was. Looking down, he could see dark tufts of hair on the young man resting his head against Viktor's shoulder. Arms were wrapped around him, and he vaguely noticed the feeling of fingers gripping the back of his shirt, keeping him in place. Not that Viktor minded, of course. He had absolutely no desire to move from that spot. Most surprising was that he had apparently wrapped his own arms around Yuuri in his sleep without realising it.

Viktor was hesitant to do anything, afraid he'd wake Yuuri if he did and ruin this truly wonderful moment. He knew Yuuri would never normally do something like this and he didn't want to lose the moment. Carefully, he lifted his hand from Yuuri's waist to gently brush away some of his dark hair, smiling fondly when he saw the familiar sight of a sleeping Yuuri. He'd had to wake Yuuri up so many times over the months, it really wasn't anything new.

Instinct kicked in, and Viktor brushed his fingers delicately down Yuuri's back, trying to memorise every curve of his body. He wanted to remember this moment, this once in a lifetime opportunity. This was a chance to learn everything about Yuuri Katsuki, at least physically. Resting his hand at the small of his back, he watched Yuuri's sleeping figure. His eyelashes looked somehow longer when brushed gently against his cheeks, his lips slightly parted as he took slow, steady breaths. A man so anxious, so afraid of the world around him, and yet as he slept, he looked so at peace.

Without his glasses, Yuuri looked somehow more beautiful, and yet there was something so adorable about his sleeping figure. Viktor froze as he felt the body in his arms shifting, worried he'd woken him up, but the fear soon disappeared as Yuuri's grip on his shirt loosened and he moved closer, burying his face in Viktor's neck with a huff. Viktor smiled fondly, his arms wrapping around the body next to him just a little bit tighter, wanting to make sure Yuuri was comfortable. Without thinking, Viktor closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to the top of his head.

The body in his arms stiffened at the gentle touch, and it was at that moment Viktor knew Yuuri was awake. He didn't move, though, smiling brightly as he watched him, keeping his arms wrapped around him. Viktor didn't mind. He wasn't embarrassed. He was an affectionate person and was just happy to have a body to share his warmth with. Yuuri very slowly lifted his head just enough to look up at Viktor, causing the Russian to beam at him, "Dobroye utro solnyshko."

It was as though the sound of Viktor's voice had finally broken the spell and Yuuri was moving his hands from around Viktor, going to push himself away, but Viktor's hold was strong. He had no intention of letting Yuuri run away, "Relax, Yuuri. It's still early. We don't have to get up yet."

Yuuri pressed his hands to Viktor's chest, trying to push himself away. Viktor knew that if he tried hard enough, he could get away, and he really hated the thought of losing this closeness. Without a second thought, He was rolling their bodies, laying over Yuuri and gently threading their fingers together to stop him fighting. Yuuri's eyes were wide in surprise and Viktor could see the familiar blush rising on his cheeks, "Wh-What are you doing?"

"Don't run away, Yuuri. I had no idea you were so cuddly." Viktor smirked as he watched the brown eyes looking up at him with a mix of shock and confusion.

"You're the one who was holding me!"

Viktor could tell Yuuri wasn't going to admit that he was just as involved in their mutual cuddling. He'd have to bring out the one argument Yuuri really couldn't beat, "You're not wearing your glasses."

"So?"

"You only take them off when you know you're going to sleep. I've had to take them off for you when you've fallen asleep with them on plenty of times. So that means you took them off knowing you'd fall asleep with me." Viktor smirked, proud of his airtight logic.

Yuuri looked away from Viktor's eyes, biting his lip. He'd been caught out. That much was obvious, but he didn't want to seem like some creep falling asleep in someone's bed with them, "I-I wasn't going to sleep. I just wanted to… stay there for a while. I was going to go to the other bed, I must've dozed off."

Viktor leaned closer, the tips of their noses touching as he spoke barely above a whisper, "So you wanted to be close to me?"

"Th-That's not… I wasn't…" Yuuri was stammering, trying to find the best way to answer the question, but he was just coming up short. Nothing would be good enough. Viktor did nothing to deserve to have such a creepy fan. Yuuri sighed softly, "You fell asleep on me… you were warm. I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to find out."

Viktor watched Yuuri, seeing how genuinely remorseful he seemed. He frowned, moving one of his hands from Yuuri's to brush along his jaw. Yuuri had such soft skin. It was one of the reasons he enjoyed getting so close to him. One of many. "If it were up to me, every night would be like this."

"What?" Yuuri stared up at him, dumbfounded.

"I like having you close, Yuuri. It's…comforting." He admitted. Viktor had tried on many occasions to get close to Yuuri, but there were always things that seemed to get in the way. He'd never admit it to Yuuri, of course, but he'd tried to give into temptation plenty of times, too, but things seemed to stop them at every turn. Yuri back in Japan. Yuuri's nerves after his skating yesterday. But here they were. Yuuri wasn't fighting him anymore. In fact, Viktor was sure he felt Yuuri gently squeezing his hand, almost encouragingly. Viktor liked to think it was a sign to just go for it. Things couldn't keep going wrong. Viktor rested their heads together and he could feel Yuuri's breath against his skin. It all felt so overwhelming. This was finally going to happen. Viktor had tried so many times, but he was really going to be able to kiss Yuuri Katsuki.

A shrill sound filled the room, breaking Viktor from his daze. It seemed to have the same effect on the Japanese man underneath him. Yuuri let go of his hand, biting his lip as he brushed his fingers against his chest, "I need to get up, Viktor."

"Why?" Viktor was getting tired of the distractions. He made no effort to move, keeping just as close as he'd ever been.

"That's my alarm. If I don't get ready now, we'll be late." Yuuri sighed apologetically. He watched Viktor for a moment, shifting his body until he was leaning on his elbows and brushing a kiss against Viktor's cheek. The simple gesture took the older man off guard, and without thinking, he was rolling back over, his hand brushing the skin Yuuri's lips had touched. Viktor wasn't sure if it was his mind playing tricks on him or if his skin really was tingling where Yuuri had kissed. He glanced over at Yuuri who was now reaching for his phone, shutting off the alarm. He was bright red and Viktor couldn't help but smile. Yuuri was never quite so forward, and he wasn't sure if he did it just to get him to move, or if he really wanted to. The blush seemed to imply the latter, but Viktor wasn't going to get his hopes up.

"Yuuri Katsuki, anyone would think you were flirting with me." He teased, feeling a little more daring after the obvious display of affection. He shifted onto his side, watching as Yuuri slipped his glasses on.

Yuuri rubbed his tired eyes behind his glasses, his hair still messy from sleep. He was adorable. It seemed to take a moment for his sleep filled mind to realise what Viktor was talking about, covering his mouth with his hands, "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, you just looked so disappointed, I didn't know what to do…"

Yuuri's rambling continued until Viktor rolled his eyes, moving closer and pressing a kiss to Yuuri's cheek. The touch immediately silenced him, and Viktor chuckled softly, "There, now we're even. You can relax now."

"Th-That's easy for you to say." Yuuri mumbled, eyes wide as his hand brushed his cheek just as Viktor's had earlier.

"Go get ready, Yuuri. We're going to be late."

OoOoO

It had been one of the more embarrassing mornings of Yuuri's life and that in itself was quite the achievement. He still wasn't sure why he had kissed Viktor like that. He just needed Viktor to get off him, but he didn't want to upset him. His brain told him that that was the only way to do it, but maybe it was a mistake. He didn't know, but he didn't want to regret it. He didn't want to regret anything about that morning. Sure, he'd made a fool of himself, and he hadn't managed to keep his little self-indulgence a secret, but at least Viktor wasn't calling him a creep, or trying to get away from him.

Yuuri was almost ready to go, tying the laces on his shoes when he heard Viktor's voice, "Hey, Yuuri?" The first thing he noticed was how tentative Viktor seemed. It was odd for him. Viktor wasn't a shy person. Not at all. So why did he sound so…nervous?

Yuuri looked up from his shoes once he'd finished, seeing the concerned look on Viktor's face, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking." He'd begun to pace in the small space of their room. Now, that was something to worry about. Viktor was a confident person. He was never afraid to speak his mind, but he seemed to be worrying about how to word whatever it is he wanted to say. Finally, he stood in place, turning back to Yuuri and taking a deep breath, "I think you should take out some of the quads for your free skate today."

Yuuri froze, staring at him. He should've seen this coming. Viktor Nikiforov was a world-famous skating god. He could land any jump he tried with ease. He could perform any program that was given to him without batting an eye. Viktor Nikiforov; perfection in human form. And who was he? A skater who somehow made it to the Grand Prix Finals one time and made a complete fool of himself. A skater who froze up whenever there was an audience watching him. A skater with nerves as fragile as glass. They weren't in the same league, and Viktor was finally starting to figure that out.

"You don't think I can do it…" Yuuri's voice came out as barely anything more than a whisper, catching Viktor off guard.

"What? No! It's not that. I know you can do it, Yuuri."

"I know I botch my jumps sometimes in practice, and I know I messed up yesterday, but I feel better today…" Yuuri started rambling, but it was all he could think to do. He had to tell Viktor that he could do better, that he would be better, and so just hold on, just let him prove himself and don't go, please, please don't leave.

Viktor quickly crossed the space between them, taking Yuuri's hands in his own. The simple touch caused Yuuri's rush of words to grind to a halt, his eyes focused on their hands. He didn't understand. None of this made sense. Viktor didn't make sense. But he supposed, Viktor liked it that way. Reluctantly he looked up at Viktor, staring into those mesmerising eyes that were quickly becoming a welcome addition to his life. Then Viktor was talking, and he found himself hanging on his every word, "I know you can do it, Yuuri. But," His heart sank, "I know what your nerves are like. You should work your way up to the harder jumps, or you'll just overthink it."

Yuuri felt a lot of emotions in that moment, but the one closest to the surface was… anger? He glared at Viktor, pushing him away as he got to his feet, "I know I'm not the best skater. I know I make mistakes. I don't need you to tell me that, I tell myself every day! I don't need you to tell me I can't do something! I need you to believe in me even when I don't believe in myself! I need to be able to get on the ice and tell myself I can do it because Viktor believes in me! If you can't do that, then why are you even here!?"

Without thinking, Yuuri was slinging his bag over his shoulder and heading out the door. The hotel wasn't far from the venue. He'd go by himself if it meant getting away from this conversation. Yuuri knew Viktor meant well, but it wasn't something he needed to hear, especially not hours before his free skate. He needed to be confident. If he wanted to get to the Grand Prix Finals, he was going to have to be as close to perfection as he could get. It wouldn't be easy, he knew that, but he had Viktor by his side. At least, he thought he did. Now, he wasn't so sure.

OoOoO

Viktor got to the venue shortly after Yuuri did, and was spending every moment by his side, trying to help with anything he could. Yuuri was just trying to ignore him and focus on himself. He didn't want to think about arguing with Viktor. He didn't want to think about the possibility that Viktor actually didn't think he could do this at all. He didn't want to think about Viktor going back to St. Petersburg if he doesn't do well today. There were a lot of things racing through his mind that he'd rather just hide away from, but that wasn't so simple. Yuuri wanted to be upset with Viktor, too. He wanted to make him see how much his words had cut into him like knives, but every time Viktor brushed a hand against his back or his side, Yuuri felt himself relaxing against the gentle touch. Viktor had a way with him that Yuuri was sure he'd never understand.

Part of Yuuri thought that Viktor was right, that there was no way he could land all three quads and that maybe simplifying it to one for now would be a good idea. It did sound logical to slowly build up as you went along, after all. A stronger part of him was still angry, though. That part of him was screaming to prove Viktor wrong, to show him that he could do that and that he wasn't going to just give in at the first hurdle. If he tried to make things easy now, he'd never be able to make it to the top, that's what the voice in his head was saying, at least.

There was another problem, too. Word had quickly gotten out that Yuuri Katsuki would be attempting three quads in his free skate, and of course that had Minami very excited. Yuuri did like having a fan, but this was one of those moments when he really wished he didn't. Minami was so excited at the prospect of the quads, he'd been telling people that he was going to attempt one, too. And they all were saying that they'd like to as well. Yuuri knew that if they did successfully land quads, he'd need more than one in his own program to make the difference. So even if Viktor was right, even if he should be simplifying things, how could he? It could mean losing his place, it could mean losing Viktor. Was it really worth that much of a risk?

As they were heading to the ice for the practice skate, Minami rushed over to Yuuri, clearly just as animated and excited as he'd been the day before. Yuuri wondered if this boy ever got tired. He didn't seem to. He was always so bubbly and full of life. Right now, though, that life was a threat to his career, a threat to his chances of keeping Viktor in his life for just a little bit longer. Minami was the person to beat today, and he couldn't let the fact that he was a fan get in the way.

Bouncing over to Yuuri, Minami stood in front of him, beaming smile as he spoke, "Yuuri, I just wanted to say—"

"I've gotta go." Yuuri mumbled, quickly giving Viktor his skate guards and heading onto the ice.

"…Good luck." Minami sighed sadly as he watched him walk away before he too was stepping onto the ice for their practice.

Yuuri knew that he didn't have time to overthink things now. He had been doing that all morning. Now was his one chance before his free skate to try to crush the thoughts, and just calm his nerves. He was surrounded by talented skaters. He couldn't let that get to him, though. He had come first in the short program, by quite the margin. He just had to do well today, and everything would be fine. No distractions. No overthinking. He was going to prove Viktor wrong. Yuuri had never been more determined about anything before.

The practice skate ended all too quickly for his liking, and he found himself by Viktor's side, standing outside the rink once more. What he wasn't expecting was how irritated Viktor seemed to be, "You can be angry with me if you want to, Yuuri. That's fine. But don't take it out on your fans. Minami deserves better than that."

Yuuri could only watch as Viktor walked away, clearly frustrated with him. And Yuuri knew he was right. Again. Yuuri was angry. He was hurt. He wanted to show Viktor that he could take care of himself, but that didn't mean Minami deserved to be treated the way he was. It wasn't right or fair and he knew he had to make it up to him somehow. Minami was first up on the ice, and Yuuri was determined not to miss the performance this time. He could see that Minami wasn't as energetic as he usually was. He looked dejected and guilt flooded through Yuuri when he realised that was his fault. As Minami reached the middle of the ice, Yuuri did the only thing he could think to do. He called out as loud as he could, "You can do it, Minami! Good luck!"

It was like Yuuri's voice was a beacon, Minami's head immediately snapping in his direction. Their eyes met and Yuuri flashed him an encouraging smile. At least, he hoped it was encouraging. It wasn't exactly the type of smile he wore very often. Still, it seemed to be enough as Minami beamed at him, the usual excitement and energy back in his posture. Yuuri was kind of jealous. If only he could bounce back from things as easily as Minami just had.

The music started, filling the room with a jazzy beat that had the whole crowd clapping along. It was such an upbeat song, the perfect match for Kinjirou Minami. As he clicked his fingers, he began a step sequence. The crowd was enthralled, and Yuuri could see why. Minami was always an energetic person, and this program let him be himself, let him show his full potential. Minami landed a perfect triple axel, moving seamlessly back into his step sequence. Yuuri wondered how long he'd practiced this, wondered if Minami struggled in practices as much as he did. His mind went blank for a moment as he watched Minami land a quadruple toe loop, once again moving back into his step sequence as though nothing had happened. He landed a quad so flawlessly. Yuuri wasn't so sure there was anything Minami couldn't do when he put his mind to it.

Just as that thought entered his mind, Minami attempted another jump, landing on his side on the ice. The impact caused Yuuri to flinch, but he didn't look away. It was such a familiar sight, a reminder of all his failures, but Minami didn't let it stop him. He was quickly back on his feet, continuing the program. There was a long intermission of step sequences and spins, and Minami was making the music his own. Yuuri could tell just by watching him that with enough practice, Minami could be something truly special. He had the drive, he had the potential, and he could win a crowd over in a heartbeat. Yuuri smiled fondly as Minami pretended to play an imaginary guitar to the music. Landing his final combination jump flawlessly, the performance seemed to end all too soon, and the crowd was cheering. Minami seemed excited, pumping his fists in the air, and he had every right to be. That was an impressive performance. As Minami made his way off the ice, the familiar announcement rang through the venue.

"And now the score for Kenjirou Minami. 152.14. Bringing him to a total of 214.97."

It was an impressive score, and one Yuuri knew would be a challenge to beat. He didn't want to watch any of the other skaters, though. He knew that watching them would only make his nerves worse. Maybe watching Minami had done the same, but it was different. It felt wrong to not watch Minami perform. Once it was over and the next skater was preparing for the ice, Yuuri made his way to a secluded area to stretch, wanting to ignore the scores and focus on his own nerves.

OoOoO

"You did well today, Minami." Viktor leaned against the barrier as he stood beside Kenjirou Minami. He'd watched him from afar as the boy excitedly shouted praise to the other skaters, wishing them luck as their time to perform came. Minami was an interesting person, Viktor had decided. He was so full of life, so determined to win, but he never let the competitive side of himself turn him bitter. He was always sure to wish those competing against him luck, or to tell them how wonderful they had done. It was refreshing.

"Oh. Thank you, sir! I didn't realise you were watching." Minami smiled brightly, but Viktor could tell it wasn't the excitement that the same praise from Yuuri would've brought. It felt strange to have someone so sedate around him, but that too, was refreshing.

"Viktor's fine. I just wanted to apologise for Yuuri earlier. I know you really wanted to talk to him."

"O-Oh, it's fine. I shouldn't have disturbed him." Minami's voice went quiet as he spoke, and Viktor could tell it was still getting to him despite Yuuri's cheers from the sidelines during his performance.

Viktor hummed softly, shifting to give Minami his full attention, "Yuuri is a very anxious person. When his nerves get to him, he acts without thinking. He didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Are you sure?" Minami looked up at him, hope shining in his eyes. He was like a puppy, following anything that would lead him to Yuuri Katsuki. It was adorable.

"I'm sure." Viktor chuckled, "Try talking to him after he's done skating. He won't be so nervous then."

"Okay, I will! Thank you si—uh, Viktor!" It seemed to be enough to cheer Minami up. He was bouncing on the spot again, clearly excited at the prospect of getting to talk to his idol one more time.

OoOoO

Time seemed to move much too quickly for Yuuri's liking, and he found himself out there, the centre of the ice, preparing to perform his free skate program for the first time. It was a lot to think about, but Yuuri knew he'd be best at this if he just stopped thinking altogether.

"Go Yuuri! Good luck!" And once again, Yuuri was reminded how wonderful it was to have a fan, someone who believed in everything he did.

The music for the program filled the room, and it felt like…home. Yuuri had practiced this routine so many times. It was the routine that he and Viktor had created together, and it meant the world to him. He didn't want to screw it up, not this. Soon enough, he was moving into his first jump, a quad toe-double toe combination. He managed to land it flawlessly. One jump down, he was telling himself. He could do this. He would make Minami proud, he'd make Viktor proud. He could show them that he was worth all of Viktor's time, that he wasn't doing all of this for nothing.

Yuuri moved elegantly to the music, keeping his steps and spins in time. He knew Viktor was watching him. He knew Viktor wanted him to be safe and go for easier jumps. After the talk they'd had that morning, the next jump was going to be a triple salchow, instead of the quad they had initially planned for the program. Moving into the jump, Yuuri stuck to his guns, planning to attempt the quad salchow. It wasn't perfect. He stepped out of the landing, his hand touched the ice, but he was still on his feet, still moving. He wasn't going to let it beat him. He didn't care if the performance was perfect. Yuuri knew that he couldn't be perfect yet, but he could at least prove to Viktor that he could do this.

Yuuri could practically feel Viktor's eyes on him, and he wondered what the Russian was thinking. Would he be angry at him for going against what he'd advised? He wasn't his coach, but Viktor was an undefeated champion, it'd be crazy not to listen to something he told him, and yet there he was. Why was he so determined to prove himself to Viktor? He told himself it was because he was his idol, but it was so much more than that. Yuuri simply couldn't bear the thought of Viktor walking out of his life, so he had to give him a reason to stay. As Yuuri moved from his step sequence to a jump, he landed a flawless triple loop. He had managed to fight back the nerves from his sloppy quad.

As Yuuri moved along the ice to the music, he felt something like peace, a feeling like the one he got when he was gliding lazily along the ice to calm his nerves. Perhaps that was why Viktor wrote the program like this. He smiled to himself. Even now, Viktor was looking out for him. Before he knew it, he was landing a triple axel, continuing along the ice as if nothing had happened. Maybe this confidence was something Viktor gave him. He certainly didn't know where it had come from. The next jump was a triple flip. It was a sloppy landing, but he didn't falter. He did successfully land it, and he continued to move along the ice, ignoring the eyes trained on him.

It was the second half of the program and Yuuri wanted to show Viktor he could do this, that he was strong enough, that he wasn't going to let anything hold him back. He knew that even with his stamina, this was going to be difficult to pull off. It was exhausting, but he couldn't give up. He was going to do this. He moved into Yuri's suggested triple axel-single loop-triple salchow combination. The axel and loop were no issue, but he found his hand touching the ice once again as he attempted the salchow. The nerves were starting to bubble under the surface again. Could he really do this? Was he good enough to have Viktor Nikiforov in his life?

The thought only spurred him on more. Yuuri Katsuki was a wimp, a cry baby, a sensitive, anxious wreck of a man, but he was stubborn, and if there was one thing he refused to give up, it was Viktor. He landed his next jump, a triple lutz-triple toe combination, flawlessly before moving into the step sequence. He could handle a step sequence. They were what he was best at after all. He could do this. He would show Viktor why he couldn't possibly leave. Not yet. There was just one jump left. One more chance to prove to Viktor that he needed to stay. The quad toe loop started out well, but Yuuri over rotated and landed on the ice. It was a loss. It hurt. He hated that he'd wasted that last chance to show Viktor that he was worth sticking around for but couldn't let it ruin this for him. Getting back to his feet, he completed the program with as much dignity intact as he could.

It wasn't a perfect performance. There were a lot of things Yuuri needed to work on. He knew that. But still, he never gave up. He got through it, he knew he could fix the mistakes he had made in time for the Grand Prix Circuit. He just needed some time, and some patience, and Viktor by his side. Had he done enough to keep Viktor there? It was at that moment Yuuri realised there was a crowd of people cheering for him. He looked around the room, seeing Minami crying and applauding. At least he knew he hadn't let Minami down. Viktor was by his side, arms crossed over his chest. His expression was impossible to read. Had he really upset him that much? He just wanted to prove himself.

Yuuri knew he couldn't stay on the ice forever, slowly making is way to Viktor's side. What were you supposed to say in moments like these? He hadn't ignored his advice to spite him. He just wanted to prove himself. All of Yuuri's thoughts were cut off as Viktor wrapped him up in his arms, holding him close, and suddenly it felt like all his fears had disappeared. Viktor Nikiforov; perfection in human form, and Yuuri's safety net. Yuuri wrapped his arms around the Russian, burying his face in his neck and taking a shaky breath, "I'm sorry…"

"No, I'm sorry. I won't ever tell you to change your program again, okay?" Viktor spoke softly, holding him just a little tighter, "I believe in you. I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"And now the score for Yuuri Katsuki. 165.20. Bringing him to a total of 259.56."

OoOoO

Everything felt like a blur after his skate. He had come in first place, Minami coming second, and Fujiwara Hikaru making his way to third place. He had managed to qualify, he could move onto the next stage with Viktor by his side. Viktor wasn't going to leave, not yet. Yuuri had never felt so happy. He'd never been so elated after a competition. They normally made him so scared, so anxious, but he didn't feel that way when he had Viktor watching him. He could do this.

As they were heading to leave the venue, Yuuri noticed Minami sitting on his own in a corner of the room. He didn't look upset, but he wasn't his usual energetic self. Yuuri excused himself from Viktor's side to check on him, after all, he had hurt the boy enough. He wanted to make it up to him somehow. Slipping into the seat beside Minami, Yuuri nudged his shoulder gently, "That's not the face of a guy who beat his personal score. What's up?"

Minami looked up at him, his bright smile back, though he still wasn't his usual ball of energy, "Nothing, it's just… not every day you get to skate on the same ice as Yuuri Katsuki. I'm just sad that it's over." He shrugged.

Yuuri stared at him for a moment, trying to come to terms with what he'd said. He couldn't understand why anyone would look up to him the way Minami did. There was no reason for it. Today was his best skate, and it was riddled with mistakes. Yuuri leaned back in his seat, watching Minami curiously, "Why am I your idol, Minami? There are plenty of great skaters out there. Why me?"

Minami frowned, seeming so confused by the question, as if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world. How could Yuuri not know how wonderful he was? But still, he humoured him, looking down at the second place certificate in his hands, "It's because you're you. You're not perfect. You make mistakes, but here you are, still skating. Sure, there are a lot of great skaters, but you're… real."

It was the most honest answer Yuuri could've ever expected, and he didn't know where it had come from. Minami didn't see him as the perfect figure skater. Minami acknowledged that he made mistakes, and he didn't care. He liked that he made mistakes because it made Yuuri more human. Mistakes had been the thing that had defined Yuuri Katsuki for so long and he'd not once considered them something to be proud of before, but Minami made him sound so much stronger than he really was. Without thinking, Yuuri leaned over and wrapped Minami in a hug. The young boy froze for a moment, before wrapping his arms around Yuuri and he could feel the boy's excitement bubbling over again.

Yuuri chuckled softly as he pulled away, "Hey, could I borrow your phone?"

Minami stared at him for a moment before taking it out, "Uh sure, why?"

"Two things." Yuuri took the phone from him, quickly typing into it. He held the phone up to Minami, showing the additional contact he'd added, "I want you to call me when you next have a competition, okay? You're always cheering me on, it's my turn."

"Okay! I promise!" Minami was clearly holding back the excited squealing that he so badly wanted to let out, "What's the other thing?"

"Well, you can't meet your favourite skater without getting a picture, right? That's what my friend, Phichit says, anyway." He held up the phone, leaning into Minami as he took the photo. From that day on, Minami's phone wallpaper was an image of himself with Yuuri Katsuki, both wearing bright smiles as they held up their hands in a victory sign. Yuuri was grateful to know there were people who wouldn't hold his past against him.

Author Notes: I'll be honest, I was half asleep writing the start of this chapter and Yuuri just decided to kiss Viktor's cheek and I don't know where it came from. Blame them, not me. I'm sorry this took so long to get to you guys, but I hope you enjoy!

Also, I'm sorry Yuuri was a little mean to Minami in this chapter. Blame it on the anxiety! Minami is one of my two favourite characters, so I'd never be mean to him for long periods of time and hopefully Yuuri made it up to him.

Translation:

Dobroye utro solnyshko - Good morning, sunshine.