There was nothing that made life interesting quite like a surprise did. A surprise could flip someone's world upside down. It could change everything. There was nothing stronger than a surprise. When Viktor was younger, he didn't think much of surprises. He told himself that having routine was important if he wanted to achieve his goals, and maybe there was some truth to that. As he got older, though, he quickly learned that no matter how successful you became, things would become stagnant, and dull, unless you went out of your way to make it interesting. Somewhere along the way, Viktor decided that as much as he needed a routine for success, he needed to keep both himself and the public on their toes just as much. He kept routine with his practices, but everything else about his life became spontaneous. He didn't know what his plans would be from one week to the next. He didn't know which country he'd find himself in, the kinds of people he'd meet, the things he'd do. Life stopped being dull and became an adventure.

The only problem with his life of spontaneity and surprises, was that there were really only so many ways you could surprise people. After a while, he had learned all the tricks in the books, he had tried so many different musical genres for his programs, he had attempted everything. There was nothing left that he could do to surprise them. The only surprise would be to fail, and he couldn't possibly let that happen. Viktor's final surprise for the world was retiring. He could say for certain that his entire career had kept people on their toes, had been exciting for his fans, and for himself. It didn't mean leaving the ice. It just meant leaving competition. But life had a way of throwing its own little surprises at you. For Viktor, that was Yuuri Katsuki.

Viktor had met a lot of people during his career, but Yuuri was filled with surprises. From the very first time he saw the timid skater on the ice, right up until that moment, standing together in the parking lot. Yuuri had shown Viktor so many things he never thought he'd see, made Viktor feel things he never thought he would feel. And as Yuuri was crashing their lips together, Viktor's mind went blank. He'd tried. So many times, he'd tried to kiss Yuuri, to find the perfect moment to do it. He'd thought about it the day they met in Hasetsu, but it didn't seem like the right moment. He'd been interrupted by the Russian punk when he arrived insisting on training, and again when Yuuri had landed his quads. When Yuuri had called his eyes pretty, he really wanted to just throw caution to the wind and kiss him, but he knew the younger skater was hurting. It wouldn't have been right. And then Yuuri's alarm had gotten in the way the next morning. He was starting to believe the world was determined to stop him making a move, but Viktor Nikiforov didn't back down from a challenge, and he always got what he wanted. He just hadn't expected to get it quite like this.

Once again, Yuuri Katsuki had thrown him for a loop. Viktor wasn't even sure Yuuri was interested in him, and the kiss hadn't exactly cleared it up. Yuuri was a mess, anyone could see how badly the nerves were affecting him. Viktor didn't know whether he really wanted the kiss, or if it was just some reaction to his nerves. It wasn't clear. Yuuri was hard to read, he hid his feelings. But it didn't mean Viktor would regret it. He'd waited so long for that moment, he just had hoped it would've been a bit happier. It took a few moments for him to come to his senses and realises what had just happened. Yuuri was gone. He ran. That was what Yuuri always did when things got scary, he ran. And Viktor was supposed to be his safety net.

Once his brain had finally caught up with him, Viktor was rushing out of the parking lot. It would've been nice to turn a corner and find Yuuri. It would've made things so much easier if Yuuri was just there, within reach. He could reassure him, tell him that everything was okay. Viktor didn't care. The kiss wouldn't change anything. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He'd waited so long for it and he absolutely did care, but it wouldn't make anything bad between them. Viktor was an affectionate person by nature, it was just shocking for Yuuri to make any kind of move. And then it hit him. Yuuri didn't want this at all, did he? That was why he ran. Because this wasn't what he wanted, and he had acted without thinking. Viktor was so used to people fawning all over him, wanting to give him everything his heart desired, the idea that Yuuri didn't feel the world pulling them together in the same way he did hadn't even crossed his mind. How could Yuuri not feel it? It felt so obvious to Viktor, more obvious than anything he'd ever felt before. But Viktor couldn't afford to think about it. Not right now. He had to find Yuuri and make sure he was okay before his skate.

Georgi was already in the middle of his free skate as Viktor was searching for Yuuri. The skate would be over soon, and then it would be Yuuri's turn. He had to find him fast. Noticing that Georgi had fallen as he attempted his quad salchow, Viktor focused his attention on finding any isolated spots someone could use to hide away. He was sure that if he was going to find Yuuri, he'd be somewhere away from prying eyes, hiding from the world. Yuuri didn't handle pressure well. That much had become obvious, and when things got too difficult, he ran, he hid, and Viktor had to find him before he beat himself up too much about things.

He heard the applause of the crowd nearby as Georgi's performance came to an end, and panic began to set in. Where was Yuuri? He didn't have any time left, it was his turn to skate, he needed to be there. Looking frantically around the room, Viktor noticed a familiar face standing by the TVs, watching the performances. Phichit. If anyone would know where to find Yuuri, it had to be him, right? After all, they were best friends. Without a second thought, Viktor rushed to Phichit, quickly turning him to face him, "Have you seen Yuuri?"

Phichit looked surprised and confused, slowly turning back to the screen and pointing at it, "He's on the ice. Did something happen? He doesn't look so good."

Viktor followed Phichit's gaze, looking to the screen in front of them and sure enough, there was Yuuri beginning his program. He frowned. Even on the screen, he could see that Yuuri's eyes were red, that he was a little shaky, that he didn't look happy. Then he realised that Yuuri had occasionally glanced over to the side of the rink. Yuuri was looking for him. He promised Yuuri he'd watch him. Maybe it was only expected of him that one time, but Viktor had told himself he would always watch, and he wasn't at the side of the rink. He wasn't there and Yuuri felt lost, he was sure.

Viktor bolted out of the room, heading straight towards the rink, intent on being there for Yuuri. By the time he got there, he'd missed most of Yuuri's step sequence, but he was there now. He refused to miss anything else. Viktor's eyes were locked on the man gliding along the ice. It was a different performance from every other time he'd seen Yuuri skating this program. The music remained unchanged, the steps were all the way they'd created them. Together. The difference was Yuuri himself. There was a different emotion being conveyed in Yuuri's movements. As he landed a combination quadruple toe loop, single toe loop, Viktor couldn't help but think maybe he'd caught a glimpse of something. Tears? Yuuri was clearly trying his best to keep his emotions in check, but he couldn't hide them. Not in his performance.

There were mistakes. A lot of them. Yuuri's combination was supposed to have a double toe, not a single. His second was a quad salchow. He landed it, but it was sloppy at best. He'd lose points on the execution. It didn't matter, though. Yuuri's performances were so much more than his jumps. It was the artistry. Viktor could almost feel what Yuuri was feeling as he landed a triple toe loop on two feet. Another loss of points. Yuuri seemed to have his eyes closed now, focusing on the music, moving to the sound as if the program was nothing more than muscle memory. This felt like so much more than a competition. Yuuri was skating his sadness, his fears, his overwhelming, crushing anxiety. No one could look away. Viktor was watching what he could only describe as a beautiful disaster on the ice. A man filled with so much potential who was being crippled by his fears.

Yuuri landed his next jump, a triple axel. This time, it was flawless. Viktor found himself leaning closer as he rested his arms against the barrier, watching Yuuri's every move. He was silently urging him to keep going, wishing he could reassure him, tell him that all his fears couldn't stop him, that he was stronger than them. His hand touched the ice as he landed his triple flip, but he kept going. His combination triple axel, single toe, triple salchow was flawless as he moved along the ice, followed by his triple lutz, triple toe, and though the faults reminded Viktor of Sochi, this was something new. This wasn't just nerves. He couldn't shake this feeling of despair. What was eating at Yuuri like this? A single kiss couldn't possibly make someone so upset, could it? Did it really hurt him this much? As Yuuri moved onto his step sequence, he was back into familiar territory. His step sequences were always so beautiful. They allowed him to truly express his artistry on the ice.

Yuuri was telling a story of isolation. That was the only thing Viktor could see in his movement, his facial expression, his subtle uncertainty. He felt alone. Did he think Viktor would leave? Because if he did, Viktor would shout from the rooftops that there was no where in the world he'd rather be than by his side. If that's what Yuuri needed to be told, he'd say it a million times over and mean it more with each assurance. It was as though Yuuri read his mind at that moment, his gaze moving to meet Viktor's. The Russian didn't move, just kept watching, wanting to understand exactly what Yuuri was showing him. And sadly, just as quickly as the step sequence had begun, it was over. He only had one jump left. The whole audience watched with bated breath as Yuuri attempted his final jump, the quad toe loop. It was close to perfect, but Yuuri's hand touched the ice.

As the performance came to an end, Viktor realised there were tears in his eyes. The silence in the room remained for only a moment before the crowd was roaring with applause. It wasn't a perfect performance. Not even close. But it was the most soulful performance Viktor had ever seen. It was a reminder of exactly what Viktor had seen in Yuuri back then, but there was so much more. Yuuri Katsuki really was full of surprises. He realised after a long moment that he had been stuck in place, watching Yuuri as he made his way to the kiss and cry. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before heading over to him. Viktor couldn't be sure if Yuuri wanted him to be there, but he couldn't bear the thought of leaving Yuuri alone. Not now. Not after seeing that performance. Without thinking, he was sitting beside Yuuri, keeping as close as he could. Surprisingly, Yuuri wasn't moving away.

"Yuuri Katsuki has earned in the free skate… 164.79 making his total 271.63. He is currently in third place."

OoOoO

The trip back to their hotel room was quiet, and maybe just a little bit awkward. Viktor was thankful they had gotten a place so close to the venue. Watching as Yuuri dropped his bag by the door and slowly moved into the room in silence, Viktor knew he couldn't leave things like this. They needed to talk about what had happened. He just had no idea where to begin. He didn't know what Yuuri was thinking, and he didn't want to scare him away. Still, Yuuri wasn't going to make the first move to talk. That much was clear.

Viktor hesitantly took a step towards Yuuri, keeping his voice gentle, "You know, you never did say what you were going to say back at the restaurant when Phichit interrupted you."

It was a simple start. It wasn't about the kiss, but maybe it would at least loosen Yuuri up enough to talk. The man across the room was staring out the window, and Viktor would've thought he hadn't heard him at all if it weren't for his response, "It doesn't matter anymore."

Viktor took another tentative step towards Yuuri, "Okay…" He sighed softly, brushing a hand through his hair as he looked around the room, silently wishing there was some answer to this problem, "Look, we're either going to talk about that or the parking lot. It's up to you."

"That's not fair." Yuuri finally turned to face him, though his eyes were on the ground between them.

"Neither is running away." Viktor didn't want to be harsh. He didn't want to upset Yuuri even more, he just wanted some answers. He wanted to understand why Yuuri was hurting so much. There was no way he could help if he didn't see what was going on.

Yuuri stared at his hands as he wrung his fingers together nervously, clearly trying to find the words that could make it all better, "I… I'm sorry, okay? I-I don't know why I did it, it just happened, it doesn't have to mean anything…"

Viktor smiled reassuringly, trying to ignore the hurt he was feeling at the statement. Yuuri was talking. It was progress. He didn't have to like the things Yuuri was saying. This wasn't about him, it was about making Yuuri feel better. "Can I be a little selfish and ask what you're thinking?" He needed to know. Yuuri didn't have to like him, he didn't have to want anything to do with him. Viktor just wanted to understand. Yuuri quickly looked up at Viktor, clearly scared to say much of anything on the topic. Viktor held up his hands, trying to reassure him, "It's just me. You can say whatever you want, I won't judge you."

Yuuri seemed to accept that, sitting down on the edge of the nearest bed and looking down at his hands as he spoke, "You're the reason I started skating. I always told myself that one day I'd be good enough to skate on the same ice as you. Everything I do… it's to be the kind of skater that would make Viktor Nikiforov proud." Viktor stayed quiet as he listened to Yuuri. It wasn't a story he hadn't heard before. Yuuri wasn't the only one who had felt that way about him. He'd heard it many times before from fans, from rivals, from all kinds of people. It didn't explain why Yuuri was hurting, though.

"When you came to Hasetsu… I didn't know why you were there or what I was supposed to do. And then we started spending all this time together…" Yuuri worried his lower lip between his teeth as he tried to come up with the right words, "My… my heart…beats so hard when you're around. But you make the voice in my head that tells me I'm a failure go away. I don't know what's going on with me." He took a shaky breath, "I don't want to be one of those weird fans who dreams about you and makes you uncomfortable! I don't want to scare you away."

Suddenly it was all starting to make sense to Viktor. This wasn't even about the feelings, because Yuuri wasn't letting himself think about the feelings. He was so focused on the pedestal he'd put Viktor on, he couldn't look beyond it. Finally working up the courage to cross the room, Viktor sat down beside Yuuri on the bed, keeping his voice soft. He didn't want to push Yuuri, he just wanted to help him figure this out, "How about… you stop thinking about me as 'Viktor Nikiforov' and think about me as Viktor. Forget about the skating. Forget about the medals and the news headlines, and whatever else is getting in the way. Just think about everything from the day I arrived in Hasetsu." He watched Yuuri curiously, "And now tell me how you're feeling."

Yuuri seemed to think about it for a moment. It was a good start at least. Yuuri was trying. He didn't care if Yuuri said he didn't want anything to do with this. Sure, it'd hurt like hell, but he'd get passed it. What mattered was that Yuuri was okay. "Well… you make me laugh. You say really nice things, and you're so clumsy sometimes. It's kind of surprising really, since you're so graceful on ice."

Viktor cleared his throat, "I uh, I think maybe we're getting off topic. I want to know about your feelings, not about me."

He was trying not to think about just how embarrassing it was that Yuuri thought he was clumsy, though he didn't feel quite so bad when he saw the blush rising on the other man's cheeks, "Oh right, sorry. Um. I guess… When you hug me, I feel warm, and safe. And when you touch my skin… it kind of tingles…"

Viktor shifted closer without thinking, just wanting to share the space with him. His words were encouraging. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but it certainly sounded nice to hear Yuuri say things like that. The dark-haired man beside him looked up, their eyes meeting, and suddenly Viktor was realising just how close he'd gotten to Yuuri. He couldn't possibly move away, though. Yuuri's bronze eyes were so close, so warm and glimmering with emotions. Viktor could only speculate exactly what those feelings were, but it felt good to be this close. They'd been like this so many times before, and every time, something had interrupted them. He couldn't help but be a little afraid something would happen again, "Anything else?"

"You have really pretty eyes…" Yuuri's voice was barely above a whisper.

Viktor couldn't help but laugh, "You've said that before, you know?"

"It's still true."

All he could do was raise an eyebrow at that. Yuuri was being a little bolder and Viktor couldn't quite figure out why. Did he realise how he was feeling? Had he worked it out? Yuuri Katsuki was full of surprises, but Viktor was, too. As much as he enjoyed having a life of surprises, he enjoyed surprising the people around him even more, and even if he didn't, he knew that after all this time, he really couldn't resist the adorable, anxious man in front of him anymore. Viktor reached out, running his thumb against Yuuri's cheek as he leaned closer, brushing a delicate kiss against his lips, letting his own linger for a moment. It wasn't much more than a touch, but it was different to the desperation of the parking lot. It was a kiss filled with care and a hint of uncertainty. He didn't know what Yuuri wanted. He didn't know if he was pushing boundaries he shouldn't be pushing.

Reluctantly, Viktor pulled away just enough to look into Yuuri's eyes, hoping he'd be able to see what he was feeling. His eyes were so wide, so shocked, and Viktor was once again fearing that he'd gone too far, looking away, "I'm sorry, I should've asked you before I did that…"

"No!" Yuuri blushed, realising that he'd spoken a lot louder than he'd intended, "No, I… It's okay."

He watched as Yuuri seemed to be lost in thought, wondering what he was thinking, but not wanting to push him. Viktor tilted his head, his hair shifting from his eyes as he did, "Are you sure?"

Yuuri nodded hesitantly, "I just think you should know… I'm not the guy you met at the banquet. That's not me. And I get that you met that person and made that deal, but that's not me."

Viktor chuckled, shaking his head. He didn't know why Yuuri worried about so many things. It just didn't make any sense to him for someone to worry this much. "I first noticed you during your skate in Sochi." He heard Yuuri's groan, but kept talking, "I remember thinking about how you moved. Maybe you were nervous, but you had so much potential. Then at the banquet, you were fun, but that was just one side of you. Coming to Hasetsu, spending all this time with you… it's you, Yuuri. You are what I'm drawn to."

"Viktor…"

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to know how you were feeling, and to tell you that it was okay. I'd never hold something like this against you. Especially since I've been trying to find the right time to kiss you since we started training together." Viktor might've been rambling, in fact he was pretty sure he was. Was the room getting warmer? He wasn't sure, but he was suddenly feeling very vulnerable. He'd put himself out there, Yuuri knew the truth now. There was nothing else he could do. He wouldn't push Yuuri any further. Now he knew that Yuuri was okay, that was all that mattered.

Life liked to deliver surprises at the most interesting of moments. Yuuri Katsuki was the biggest surprise of all. Viktor didn't have a chance to think much more about the crazy day he was having, the familiar feeling of Yuuri pulling him closer quickly silencing any of those thoughts. Yuuri's lips on his were soft and warm, and for all the times he'd thought about the possibilities of something magical like this happening, it couldn't possibly compare to the real deal, to feeling Yuuri's fingers tangling in his hair as he held him close, desperate for each other's touch. It was a kiss that conveyed so much. All the time they'd wasted, all the feelings they'd been keeping pent up inside, the need to protect and care for each other. It was a kiss that laid their hearts on the line, but neither of them seemed to care.

Though the kiss seemed to last a lifetime, it ended far too soon for Viktor's liking. Their heads rested together, and Viktor let out a shaky breath, "What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason?"

He chuckled, brushing his hand over Yuuri's arm as he felt the need for contact, "I guess not."

"Stay close to me tonight. Please. I'm still trying to figure these feelings out, but I like having you near me."

"Anything you want, Yuuri." He smiled reassuringly and without a second thought, Viktor found himself pulling Yuuri up to lay comfortably on the bed, resting his head on the pillows as he nestled himself beside the younger man. There were still some questions. He didn't know exactly what Yuuri wanted, and he wasn't sure Yuuri knew either, but they'd made progress. Viktor was determined to never see Yuuri as hurt as he had that day ever again.

Author Notes: I was going to finish writing this tomorrow but Viktor was like 'NO YOU FINISH THIS RIGHT NOW' so. That's a thing. Also for those curious, the results for the Cup of China are as follows:

1st: Phichit Chulanont - SP: 86.75, FS: 199.01, Total: 285.76 - QUALIFIED
2nd: Christophe Giacometti - SP: 85.6, FS: 198.21, Total: 283.81 - QUALIFIED
3rd: Yuuri Katsuki - SP: 106.84, FS: 164.79, Total: 271.63 - QUALIFIED
4th: Georgi Popovich - SP: 98.17, FS: 154.27, Total: 252.44
5th: Guang Hong Ji - SP: 79.87, FS: 168.82, Total: 248.69
6th: Leo de la Iglesia - SP: 87.98, FS: 159.23, Total: 247.21