There were a lot of things that Yuuri Katsuki loved in his life. He loved to skate, the feeling of gliding along the ice, projecting his emotions through his movements. He loved to train when he was anxious, keeping active just seemed to calm him down. Then there was food. So many delicious meals to try from all over the world. It was part of experiencing life. And then there was Viktor. He didn't know what his feelings were for him, but he had decided that it was love. But if there was one thing that Yuuri absolutely did not love about life, it was getting out of bed in the morning. It was made especially more terrible when there was a warm body beside him. He was warm, he was comfortable, he had an arm gently wrapped around his waist, holding him close. Why would he ever want to leave that space? Of course, Viktor was a morning person. He knew they'd be getting up soon, despite how much he really wanted to just stay in bed. He'd said that he slept until the last minute before competitions. That's what Yuuri wanted. He just wanted to stay in that bed.

Yuuri kept his eyes closed even as he woke, wanting to just stay there. Maybe he could go back to sleep before Viktor noticed he was awake. He was sure his heart had skipped several beats when he felt Viktor's lips gently brush a kiss against his shoulder. The Russian was always an affectionate person, but he was quickly learning that the affection was so much stronger in the mornings. Maybe Viktor wanted to stay in bed just as much as he did. Yuuri spoke softly, his voice still thick from slumber, "Go back to sleep, Vitya."

The Russian's smile could be felt against Yuuri's skin as he brushed gentle kisses from his shoulder to his neck. Over time, Yuuri had gotten used to having Viktor so close, but he still surprised him even now. This was one of those times. He was affectionate. Of course he was, it was one of the first things he had learned about Viktor when he walked into his life. But Yuuri had never felt his lips brush against his neck like that. It was intimate, but filled with care and love, and Yuuri could feel himself melting back against Viktor the moment he felt the reassuring touch, "What did you just call me?"

Yuuri froze as he realised his half asleep brain had caused him to use the pet name. He'd never said it before. He hadn't even heard it until the day before. Yakov had been calling Viktor 'Vitya' and Yuuri had just thought it sounded sweet. He had planned to ask before he used it, not sure if Viktor even liked it, but he hadn't worked up the courage yet. Only Yuuri would make a dumb mistake like that, letting the name slip in his sleepy state. He hesitantly turned to face Viktor, his cheeks heating up with his embarrassment, "I… sorry. I heard Coach Yakov say it and I just thought…" He trailed off as he realised that Viktor was still smiling.

"Don't be sorry. It's really cute when you say it."

Yuuri looked up into Viktor's eyes. Even without his glasses, he could see how blue they were, how they sparkled when he smiled. Viktor Nikiforov was stunning even when he'd just woken up. It was a little unfair, really. Yuuri couldn't begin to understand what someone like this saw in him. Why would Viktor have made that bet with him in the first place? What had he seen in him? He really didn't know, but he wanted to make him proud, and when Viktor looked at him like that, it felt like he didn't have to try at all. That was the look of someone who adored him regardless of what he did, and Yuuri knew he didn't deserve it. "You… you don't mind?"

"Of course not, Yuuri. I like it." Yuuri felt Viktor's fingers brush along his arm until he was bringing his hand to his lips, kissing his fingers gently, "Now get up, you've got a big day today."

Yuuri took his hand from Viktor's hold, reaching out to brush the silvery hair from his eyes. It was one of Yuuri's favourite things to do. He still remembered when Viktor's hair was long as a teenager. Always flowing, falling into his eyes. He'd imagined what it would be like to run his fingers through that hair for years, and now he could do it whenever he wanted to. Viktor's hair was just as soft as he'd always imagined it being. He smiled fondly, moving his hand to gently cup the Russian's cheek, closing the gap between them in a gentle kiss. It always felt a little bit new and exciting to kiss Viktor. He wasn't sure how long it would take him to get used to the feeling, but it wasn't a bad thing, "Five more minutes." He murmured softly against Viktor's lips, their breath mingling together, "Please, Vitya."

He didn't receive an answer. Instead, he felt Viktor pounce on him, his shriek of surprise soon dissolving into laughter as Viktor peppered kisses over his face, fingers dancing delicately over the sensitive skin at his sides. Maybe this really was what love felt like.

OoOoO

It had been the perfect start to Yuuri's day. The nerves were practically non-existent even as he skated through the practice. There was a lot riding on the skate today, but he wanted to believe that he could do it. Despite how talented the other skaters clearly were, Yuuri wanted to believe that he'd make it onto the podium. There had been a change in Yuuri over the course of the competitions. Before, he had avoided watching the other skaters, knowing that seeing their success would only worsen his nerves. He didn't feel that way anymore. He wanted to watch them. He wanted to see how they did, to know what he was up against. But it was more than that. He wanted to cheer for them, too. They were all there for the same reason. They all wanted to be the best at the sport. It just felt natural to watch them and cheer them on.

Emil was first up to skate in their group. After the short program, he was sitting in sixth place. He had a lot of ground to make up, but he had the potential to do it. He'd just have to work hard in his free skate. His first jump was a quadruple salchow and he seemed to land it well. Emil was clearly focused, knowing he would have to work hard if he wanted to make it to the final. Sometimes, Yuuri really wished they could all win gold. He knew how hard they were all working. He knew how much blood, sweat, and tears went into training to be where they were. Everyone deserved a medal. There was simply no way they could all win, and it was a little heartbreaking when he really thought about it.

Emil had landed almost all of his jumps in his program. It was only when he reached his final combination that he fell. It would cost him some points, and at this point in the competition, he couldn't afford any point losses. Yuuri watched closely as Emil quickly got back to his feet, not letting the fall stop him as he landed his final jump, a triple salchow. It had been an almost perfect performance. If it wasn't for that one little mistake, maybe he would've had a chance at the finals, but Yuuri knew what he was up against all too well. JJ and Yuri were going through, there was no doubt in his mind. He was going to do everything in his power to get into the finals with them, but he knew that meant people like Emil would get left behind.

"Emil Nekola has earned in the free skate…189.95, giving him a total of 271.58. He is currently in first place."

Michele Crispino would be next on the ice, and he was Yuuri's biggest competition when it came to making it through to the finals. He had a lot of potential. It wasn't all that surprising when you realised that his sister was Sara Crispino. They were both so filled with skill and talent. Sometimes, Yuuri wondered why they hadn't gone into pairs skating. The way Mickey clings to his sister, determined to protect her from the world, he was sure they'd have a good dynamic for pairs. Sara was a bit of a free spirit, though. Maybe she just wanted to work on her own. Yuuri couldn't imagine that going over too well for Mickey, though.

The music Mickey was skating to could be interpreted in two very different ways. Though it was a romantic piece, it could easily bring out a melancholy story, and that seemed exactly what he was going for with his movements. He wasn't sure what had Mickey so sad, why he was skating like this, but it wasn't necessarily bad. His skating was beautiful as he landed his first few jumps flawlessly. There was so much artistry to his performance, and it was enough to get Yuuri a little worried. The nerves that had been hiding away for so long were starting to surface as Mickey began his step sequence. He couldn't let Mickey beat him here. If he did, this would all be over. He couldn't afford to let that happen. Yuuri was suddenly wishing Viktor hadn't disappeared to talk to Yakov and the other Russian skaters. Having him there as his nerves started to get the better of him would've made things so much easier. Instead, all he could do was watch as Mickey finished his program, bowing to the audience before making his way over to the kiss and cry.

The first thing Yuuri noticed was that Sara wasn't waiting for him at the kiss and cry. Maybe that was why his performance had been so sorrowful. He had used whatever he was feeling to his advantage, though. The performance was undeniably perfect. He hadn't messed up any of his jumps, and his step sequence had been wonderful. The only thing Yuuri could really rely on here was that Michele's jumps had a lower technical score than his would have.

"Michele Crispino has earned in the free skate… 193.24, a new season's best. His total is 282.29. He is currently in first place."

It was a great score. Yuuri would need to do better than he had in China if he wanted to beat it. But that wasn't even his biggest issue. If Michele was a strong competitor, the next skater could be potentially even more of a challenge. Seung-gil stood in the centre of the ice in preparation for his skate. He had made an even better start in the short program than Mickey had. If his free skate went well, then Yuuri would have to work even harder for his own skate. It was a lot to think about, but his one hope was that the Korean skater's lack of artistry in his performances would assist in giving Yuuri the edge he needed.

Though Seung-gil lacked in expression, his performances did seem to exude confidence. It was just the same right up until his first jump. Seung-gil botched the landing, ending up on the ice. It was bad for him, of course, though it meant Yuuri had a little bit more of a chance. He didn't like thinking that way, though. Instead, he just kept hoping Seung-gil could turn his program around. He was capable of a lot. His mind would be already tracking the loss in points and figuring out how to make it up. He could do this and Yuuri wanted to see it happen.

"Excuse me?" He was broken from his thoughts when he heard a young woman's voice beside him. Looking up, he was met with blue eyes, though not nearly as light as the ones he'd gotten used to waking up to in the mornings. The woman had medium length dark hair, and a warm smile. It was the kind of smile that made you immediately feel welcomed by the woman. She stepped closer, holding the coat that she'd folded over her arm to her chest, "I'm sorry to bother you, but have you seen JJ at all?"

Yuuri frowned, "Uh no, sorry. Haven't seen him since the practice skate. There are only two more skaters until his turn, though, so you could always make yourself comfortable while you wait."

She seemed a bit dejected when Yuuri couldn't give her the information she needed, but smiled at the offer, sitting down beside him, "I was hoping to surprise him before his skate, but maybe it'd be better to wait. Thank you, um…"

Yuuri quickly realised she was searching for a name, "Oh uh, Yuuri. Yuuri Katsuki. Nice to meet you."

"Isabella Yang. The pleasure's all mine. You're on the roster to skate today, aren't you? I recognise the name."

"Yep. I'm on just before JJ. Must be nerve wracking for him to go last. I know that pain." Yuuri really hated being first or last. They were always the hardest for him. Though he supposed JJ really didn't seem to be the type to let pressure get to him.

"He'll be fine. JJ likes the wait. He says that the anticipation adds to his performance when it's his turn." She shrugged.

"Well, he is definitely good at what he does." Yuuri conceded. He really wished he could deny it. JJ was his biggest obstacle when it came to the Circuit. If he did make it into the finals, he knew that JJ was going to be the person to beat. Yuri would of course be right up there with him, but it was JJ who was looking like the skater to beat.

"Are you a friend of his?" She asked curiously, practically beaming at the thought.

"Does uh… does JJ have friends?" He smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean any offense. It was simply that he had never seen JJ spending time around anyone. He didn't exactly interact very well with the other skaters from what Yuuri had seen.

"He doesn't really make friends with other skaters usually. I don't think many skaters know how to handle him." She had a faraway look in her eyes as she spoke, watching Seung-gil's skate though it was obvious she wasn't focused on it, "He has a lot of insecurities, you know? But he doesn't really know how to express himself well with other people. JJ doesn't like people seeing his faults, so he hides them behind this air of confidence. Not many skaters realise it. They think he's just arrogant. If they could see him behind closed doors…"

Yuuri watched her intently as she spoke, trying to understand it all. JJ didn't seem like the type to be insecure about his skills. He didn't seem like the type that worried about being better than other people, he seemed pretty confident that he was. But Yuuri knew that Yuri could be the same way, hiding behind his anger, pretending he didn't care when he really did. Maybe JJ wasn't as self centred as he made himself out to be. "Um, can I… can I ask how you know so much about him?"

"Oh, you didn't know? I'm JJ's fiancé!" She seemed so excited to share the news, quickly holding her hand out to show Yuuri the ring on her finger. The diamond seemed to glisten in the lights of the venue, "We're getting married once he wins gold."

Yuuri smiled, looking into her eyes and seeing all that love she felt when she spoke about JJ. He really was everything to this woman, "Congratulations. I'm not going to make it easy for him, though."

She giggled, looking down at the ring on her finger as she pulled her hand back, "I don't expect you to. He knows it'll be difficult, but he can do it. Even if he fails, I'll wait as long as it takes."

"He's lucky to have someone who cares about him so much." Yuuri knew what it meant to have someone who cared, now more than ever. He had spent so much time in his own thoughts, telling himself that he couldn't do anything, and then Viktor walked into his life and changed all that. Having one person who saw through the fears, who pushed you to keep trying… it meant everything. It was the difference between giving up and moving forward. Yuuri wondered how far JJ could've gone without Isabella to encourage him to keep trying.

"What are we talking about?" Yuuri looked up to see Viktor standing beside them and he was sure his eyes sparkled just as much as the diamond on Isabella's finger. It had to be unfair to look that good without even trying.

"Oh uh, Viktor, this is Isabella. Isabella, this is—"

"Viktor Nikiforov, of course. It's a pleasure to meet you!" She quickly got to her feet to shake Viktor's hand, though he seemed to be used to the treatment. There had been plenty of people excited to meet him in the past, after all.

Shaking her hand, he slid into the seat on the other side of Yuuri just as the announcement rang out, "Seung-gil Lee has earned in the free skate…164.37 giving him a total of 256.2. He is currently in third place."

Yuuri frowned, "I thought he'd get a much higher score than that."

"He fell on a few of his jumps. There are only so many times you can recalculate before you run out of chances." Viktor shrugged, leaning his shoulder gently against Yuuri's, "Don't let yourself get complacent, though. There's still plenty of competition to beat."

"Yeah, I know. Yuri's up next, right?" He'd been waiting expectantly for the young Russian's skate. He'd watched him practice the short program plenty of times, but he hadn't seen anything to do with his free skate yet. This would be his first time seeing it. Looking over at Viktor, though, he could see concern in his eyes as he watched the young boy take to the ice, "Viktor? What's wrong?"

"Yuri… he's decided to move his jumps. He'll be doing two in the first half."

"Only two?" Isabella spoke Yuuri's thoughts, leaning forward in her seat to pay close attention to the performance they were about to see.

That left Yuri with six jumps in the second half. That was a lot for him to get through, and would no doubt be exhausting. It was a risky move, but one that the blond would no doubt have come up with all on his own. He wanted to win. That much was obvious. This would make up for the loss in points during the short program. The first element of his skate was a step sequence, and it was filled with so much grace, poise. Yuri knew that he was younger and more flexible than most of the other competitors and he used that to his advantage at every given opportunity. No matter what it takes to win.

His first jump was a quad and he landed it perfectly. From there, more spins and steps were quickly followed by a triple axel from a spiral. They were the only two jumps from the first half and he landed them well. Now he just had to maintain his stamina in order to complete all the other jumps before the end of the program. Yuuri knew it would be difficult. Especially if he had more quads planned, and there was really no doubt that he did. The next three jumps went well, two triples and a quad. They all were landed perfectly, but Yuuri could only imagine how tired he was getting. He moved back into a step sequence, but still had three jumps left in the program.

If the program was wearing him down, Yuri was doing well to hide it. His next jump was a quad salchow, triple toe loop combination, and he landed it with grace as he glided along the ice. It seemed like every time Yuuri saw the young Russian skate, he was getting better, improving himself. He was ever evolving. He was beautiful. The next jump was a triple toe loop, double toe loop. It wasn't quite as difficult as the other jumps, but he had to be wearing thin by this point. Still, he landed the jumps, moving onto the final jump of the program. A triple axel, single toe loop, triple salchow combination was all that was left for him to complete his performance. The whole audience was entranced by the boy moving along the ice as he landed the jumps with precision. His program was flawless. He didn't seem tired until the performance was complete, falling to his knees on the ice as he tried to catch his breath.

"Yuuri." The Japanese skater was broken from his daze at the sound of the Russian accent beside him. Viktor was on his feet, holding a hand out to him, "We have to go, you're up."

"Oh. Right." He hesitantly took Viktor's hand, though his mind was still on Yuri Plisetsky. That was an incredible performance, one he wasn't sure he could compare to.

Just as they were moving to leave, he felt a hand grasp his arm and turned back to see Isabella holding him in place. She had a warm smile, a smile that seemed to say, 'everything will be okay'. She gently squeezed his arm as she spoke, "Good luck, Yuuri. I'm sure you'll do wonderfully."

"Yuri Plisetsky has earned in his free program… 199.87, a new season's best. His total is 297.96. He is currently in first place."

OoOoO

The nerves were back as the music for Yuuri's routine began. That was going to be a difficult act to follow, but he had to do his best. He had made mistakes with this routine in the past. The Cup of China was a world of problems, ones he wasn't willing to make again. Things were different now. He wanted to show Viktor that he wanted this with every fibre of his being. This was what he needed. The routine they'd put together had been about his career, about his failures and growing into the person he was now. He wanted this routine to show Viktor how happy he was now. Happier than he'd ever been before. His first jumps were supposed to be a quadruple toe loop, triple toe loop combination, but he only managed a double for the second jump. The nerves were getting the better of him at the start of the performance, and he knew he had to pull them back. His second jump was a quad salchow, a jump he rarely managed to land in competitions, but this time he did it without any sloppy landings to deduce points. There was still a lot of the performance left. He knew there was. He had made that one little mistake, but he had time to bring it back. His next jump was fine, but he touched his hand on the ice during his triple axel.

Yuuri tried to calm himself down, taking a deep breath as he moved along the ice. Without thinking, he was looking over in Viktor's direction, seeing the concentration on the Russian's face. He wanted this just as much as Yuuri did. He couldn't afford to let Viktor down. His triple flip was landed flawlessly, and he tried his best to maintain his rhythm with the music. That was always the most important part, after all. He wanted all of Russia to feel everything he was feeling, to know how much Viktor had changed his life. Everything was different now. A world of black and white had been filled with colour thanks to blue eyes, silver hair, and all the passion of one man. His next jump was a triple axel, single loop, triple salchow combination. It was landed, but Yuuri knew he'd over rotated. He couldn't afford to make more mistakes. It was important to him that he get this right, that he show everyone how important Viktor was to him, how important this program was to him. It wasn't just filled with his love. It was filled with Viktor's, too. This was theirs, it was something that no one could take away from him. His triple lutz, triple toe combination landed with finesse as he moved into his step sequence. Step sequences were always Yuuri's favourite because he could stop thinking about the jumps and focus on the feelings entirely. He lost himself in the music, though his mind kept coming back to one thought; how can I show Viktor how important this is to me?

The realisation came quickly, and Yuuri was acting impulsively. He knew that he would regret it later if he fell on his last jump, but he knew even more than that that he'd regret not making this one attempt. The one thing he could do to show Viktor how much he meant to him, how much being here with him meant, how important this was to him. Yuuri discarded all thoughts of the jump meant for this routine, instead pushing himself into a quadruple flip. He'd never landed one before. It was the jump Viktor was famous for. He knew this would be the perfect way to tell Viktor how much this meant to him. It definitely wasn't perfect. Yuuri hit the ice hard, but he had enough rotations. Quickly getting back to his feet, he finished the program, his heart pounding in his chest as he silently wondered if taking the risk had been a huge mistake.

It took a while for Yuuri to make his way off the ice, finally catching his breath. He saw Viktor waiting for him, tears in his eyes and wasn't sure what to think. Was he happy? Angry? Upset? He couldn't be sure. Yuuri offered him a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck, "I guess it needs a little work, huh?"

Viktor practically pounced on Yuuri and it was all he could do to stay on his feet as his arms were filled with the warm, reassuring body of the man in front of him. He felt Viktor's breath against his neck as he spoke, "You're always surprising me."

"Vitya…" He wrapped his arms tightly around him, resting his head against his shoulder, "You've surprised me all my life. I've got some catching up to do."

Viktor laughed, pulling away to look into his eyes. It took all of Yuuri's restraint to stop himself brushing those tears away. But just as quickly as they were there, Viktor was pulling him towards the kiss and cry, excited to hear the results of the skate. It wasn't perfect. There were mistakes, there were things they needed to work on in training, but Yuuri knew they could do it. Together.

"Yuuri Katsuki has earned in the free skate… 188.04, a new season's best. His total is 298.01. He is currently in first place."

OoOoO

The rest of the day had gone by in a blur. JJ's program had been absolutely perfect. He landed all his jumps, his step sequences were perfect, his spins were amazing. It wasn't all that surprising to find JJ in first place by the end of the day. What was surprising was that Yuuri had managed to take the silver medal. He'd be going to the Grand Prix Final along with JJ and Yuri. He was still having trouble believing it had all happened.

Viktor had his arm around his waist as they headed out of the building. There was still so much to do before the final. It was surreal to think they'd gotten this far. How? How had they managed to get this far so soon? Of course, if he thought about it, it had been months. Months of hard work, training, and constant companionship from his idol. It didn't feel like it had been that long at all, though. It all felt like a dream. If it was, though, he didn't want to wake up. Now when things had been going so well.

"There you are!" He turned when he heard the sound of the Russian punk's voice behind them.

"Oh, hi Yuri. Congratulations on making it to the final." Yuuri offered him a smile.

"You got lucky today, Pork Cutlet Bowl. You barely beat me." If looks could kill, Yuuri would be six feet under, "Don't think I'll let it happen at the finals, though!"

Author Notes: Been trying to get into the site all day to upload this x.x

For those curious, the results of the Rostelecom Cup:

1st: Jean-Jacques Leroy - SP: 113.56, FS: 184.75, Total: 298.31
2nd: Yuuri Katsuki - SP: 111.97, FS: 186.04, Total: 298.01
3rd: Yuri Plisetsky - SP: 98.09, FS: 199.87, Total: 297.96
4th: Michele Crispino - SP: 89.65, FS: 193.24, Total: 282.89
5th: Emil Nekola - SP: 82.43, FS: 189.15, Total: 271.58
6th: Seung-gil Lee - SP: 91.83, FS: 164.37, Total: 256.20