The Bronze

Written by: SadieAnnabethMellark ( porkcutletbowltrash)

Summary: Yuuri Katsuki placed third and took home a bronze medal in his first Grand Prix final. It had been an amazing performance and an amazing feeling. The only problem was that he couldn't really remember what happened on the ice thanks to some really strong cough medicine. Now, skating with Viktor alone on the rink, he lets down his walls. An AU where Yuuri didn't suck in his first GP. By request of Shiranai Atsune.

o.O.o

Epilogue

- 4 months later –

Yuuri's hands were shaking as he tried to fix his tie. If he was being forced into attending graduation, couldn't he have at least worn something less…formal? And stuffy? He hadn't even put on his cap and gown yet and already he felt like he was hot. Granted, the air conditioning in the dorm had suddenly decided to quit last week and now everyone was being forced to try to air out the heat by opening their windows, but still he was already starting to sweat in the dress shirt, tie and dress pants that Celestino's wife, Maria, had forced him into. He didn't really get why this was such a big deal, honestly. Yes, he had finished his undergrad. Yes, he had somehow managed to finish his degree while also being a full-time professional skater. But this wasn't the end of his school career. He'd just be starting his Master's program in a year and would then endure more semesters, more homework, more papers, more internships.

He thought about immediately undoing the buttons on his shirt and swapping it out with a loose t-shirt (nobody would be able to tell the difference anyway since he would still be wearing dress pants), but then remembered that Maria would probably kill him if he actually showed up dressed like that. Then he'd have to listen to her nagging and be on the receiving end of her disappointed glare for the rest of the summer and into the fall until he flew home to Hatsetsu for a visit before the season got into full swing. He supposed that he could wear it for the duration of the graduation ceremony if that was the case.

He shook his head lightly and tightened the tie around his neck as he looked around the room. Phichit's side was still covered in very Phichit like things. His hamster cage sat next to his bed, his orange and yellow comforter were messily strewn on top of his sheets, the figure skating posters hung on the wall next to Thai movie posters. The only thing out of place was his best friend, himself. At the beginning of the year, Phichit had arranged a trip back home for a few weeks in the middle of the Springtime, not thinking about the fact that Yuuri would be graduating that semester. As soon as he had found out, it had been too late and he'd been apologetic ever since.

Yuuri's side of the room, on the other hand, was packed with boxes, some filled others still empty. Only a few of his things still remained in the room, but once graduation was over he'd have to finish packing and move his stuff to Celestino's house until he could find an apartment to stay in. This room had been his home for the past few years and now it wouldn't be. Phichit would have to live in the dorms for another few years before he graduated himself. They had both hated the dorms, but together it didn't seem all that bad.

While he knew that things weren't really changing, Yuuri still felt a little sentimental about the idea of finally being free from the dorms, when Phichit had to stay in them…with a new roommate too.

Life was somehow changing and yet not all at once for Yuuri Katsuki, and he wasn't sure that he was ready for it.

It all started with the graduation ceremony that he didn't even want to attend. He was already anxious and nervous about having to walk across the stage in front of easily a thousand people. He may have been one of the few skaters approved by the JSF and had placed bronze in the last Grand Prix, but he had been on the ice then and now he was on solid ground without the support from the skating community behind him all the way. The Grand Prix may have been a competition, but there was no mistaking the friendships that had been built behind the locker room door.

It also helped that he wasn't entirely sober for the GPF too.

o.O.o

Yuuri was sure that his vision had suddenly gotten worse within a few seconds. There was no way that he was actually here.

"Yuuri!" He rubbed his eyes a few times under his glasses and felt them grow wider as he looked at where he was supposed to be meeting Celestino and Maria (both of whom had already taken time off from the rink to come to the ceremony) after the ceremony was over. Standing there next to his coach stood someone he had never thought he would see until the Four Continents in another month; let alone here and now.

Viktor Nikiforov was just as stunning as he remembered him being, even if he was in a drug-induced haze the last time he had seen him. He wore a suit (which Yuuri guess was very expensive) and a pair of shiny brown dress shoes (which looked even more expensive). His hair was flowing slightly in the breeze making him look like the hero in a bad action movie, but where a Hero's grimace usually stood, Viktor wore a big heart-shaped smile.

"Yuuri! Yurachka!", He blinked a few times before striding towards the group of people quickly.

"Viktor?" Yuuri asked with surprise laced in his voice.

If Viktor's smile could get any bigger, it did, "Congratulations, Yuuri!" And as soon as he was in range, Viktor's arms were around him and he could feel the puff of air Viktor let out as he chuckled against his ear softly

"Viktor…" Yuuri repeated again as he stood in Viktor's boa constrictor-like hug, "H-How?"

Viktor pulled back and looked at him, "I flew here."

"I figured, but how…" Yuuri asked still dumbstruck.

Viktor gave a soft chuckle, "By plane of course."

Yuuri rolled his eyes, "You're hopeless."

Viktor's laugh rang in between the two of them as they still stood rather close, "I talked to your Thai friend, Phichit? I think that's his name. He said he found my number on your phone and wanted to surprise you. So I bought a plane ticket and here I am. Celestino and Maria offered me to stay with them for the two weeks that I'm here and have graciously allowed me to train at the rink they—"

"Wait! Hold on for a second," Yuuri's eyes felt like they were going to fall out of his head from surprise, "Phichit brought you here?"

Viktor nodded, "Yes."

"And you actually came?"

Celestino patted his shoulder, "Well, he seems pretty lifelike to me Yuuri."

"And you're staying here for…" he trailed off as he looked at the smiling Russian skater.

"Two weeks! That's right, Yuuri." Viktor reached out and booped Yuuri on the nose quickly before turning to Maria, "Thank you so much, Maria. I'm sorry to impose on your hospitality on such short notice."

Maria flushed red and chuckling softly to herself, smiled at Viktor, "Anytime, honey."

Yuuri was still reeling from the surprise appearance of Viktor. Had he really flown all the way from Russia to come to Yuuri's silly college graduation? Had he really spent easily a grand on the trip and the expenses to come to Detroit? Had he really gone and taken off two weeks from his coach to come to the States just to see Yuuri? It was all very overwhelming to think of, but once Celestino and Maria had hugged him tightly and bid him congratulations, they headed off to their car to return to their students at the ice rink, he was left alone with the ever-chatty Viktor.

Viktor Nikiforov could talk for hours about nothing and everything all at once and not be bored by himself. Yuuri didn't really mind when he would do this over their Skype calls or texts; he almost found it to be a bit adorable, but he would never tell Viktor that. They were simply friends. That's all.

Just. Really. Good. Friends.

At least, that's what he had been telling himself. The last time he had been face to face with Viktor he had had a really bad cold and had deliriously asked Viktor to spend the night with him. Viktor had been very kind about it and hadn't left until the early morning, waking Yuuri enough to say goodbye so he could catch his flight back to St. Petersburg. Yuuri had sleepily asked him to stay, but Viktor just ran his fingers over his forehead a few times before giving him an apology and a soft smile.

When he got his first text from Viktor a couple days later, he couldn't stop apologizing. That was until Viktor started ignoring Yuuri's apologies entirely and forced him to talk about other things. They had never mentioned again the gentle brushes and the fact that they had spent the night next to each other the day they met in person. It had sounded so foreign to Yuuri when he had thought on it but when he thought about Viktor, it had seemed okay. He had been comfortable there in bed next to Viktor's warmth and wrapped up in the soft smell of designer cologne.

Many times at night, he found himself longing for the presence of Viktor's warm body next to his.

"I've never been to Detroit, Yuuri," Viktor said as he looked around at the buildings they were passing as they sat in the back of a taxi. Yuuri had been looking at him out of the corner of his eye and smiling to himself. He had always found Viktor to be cute. He had since he started puberty. But seeing Viktor like this, in real time and not putting on a show for cameras made him seem even cuter, as he let his true personality come out.

"Really? Where have you been in the States?" Yuuri asked softly as he turned to face Viktor head on, a blush decorating his cheeks.

"New York, Los Angeles, Chicago twice." Viktor said as he too turned to smile at Yuuri, "And now Detroit. So, four places."

"I've lived in Detroit for the past four years and I went to Chicago for the Skate America competition last year."

Viktor's eyes lit up, "I remember seeing you at Skate America last year."

Yuuri blushed and looked down, "You do?"

"I never got to see your program that year in person, but I remember seeing you in the locker room when I was warming up."

Yuuri's blush went deeper, "Oh…" He had seen Yuuri in his panic mode. Viktor Nikiforov, his idol, his figure skating hero, had seen him in two of his worst moments; utterly sick and in the throes of a nervous breakdown.

Viktor didn't seem to dwell on it though, "Can you show me your apartment?"

Yuuri blanched at the new topic of conversation, "Uhm…"

"I've never seen a college apartment before. When I graduated secondary school, I started training more intensely. I never even thought about going to a university."

Yuuri tilted his head a little, "Why not?"

Viktor shrugged, "I didn't need it. I loved skating. I was good at it. I figured that the money I earned during my career would be enough to live a comfortable lifestyle until I retired and picked up skaters to coach. There wasn't a need to."

Yuuri nodded softly in understanding, "There's no point in going if you have other dreams. College isn't for everyone; at least that's what Maria tells all of us."

Viktor smiled, "So, I take it that you'll show me your apartment."

Yuuri blushed, "I dunno. My dorm room is messy right now. I'm in the middle of packing so I can move."

"I'll help you then. I'll be here for two weeks, so we have plenty of time to rest later."

"Uhm…" Viktor looked at him with, more or less, puppy dog eyes and Yuuri felt his worry die in his throat. There was no way he was going to win this, "Alright. But, you'll probably be bored after a bit. It's really not all that exciting."

"Don't worry, Yuuri. I doubt I'll ever be bored when I'm with you."

o.O.o

"This is…very small." Viktor said with a soft frown as he peered into the room from the hallway. Yuuri had pushed him closer to the door as a group of freshman, came down the hall carrying boxes and looking tired. Yuuri couldn't help but feel nervous as Viktor's eyes drifted over the small room that had two beds, a dresser, two desks and a closet somehow shoved into it. Yuuri had always been a little amazed by the way the university had been able to fit that many things, plus students in the room at once. But somehow, he and Phichit had managed to pull it off for the past two years.

"You get used to it," Yuuri said as he pushed into the room, tossing his graduation gown onto the small bed, before pulling at his tie to loosen it.

Yuuri heard Viktor come into the room before the door to the room shut behind him with a soft click.

"How'd you survive in here? It's so small and…hot." Yuuri turned to see Viktor still studying the small space, "And you don't have a bathroom…"

Yuuri chuckled as he went over to the window and popped the lock on it to open it, "The only reason it's hot right now is because the air conditioning went out. Normally its cold in here, especially in the winter. Also, we have a communal bathroom for the floor."

"A c-communal bathroom?" Yuuri could see Viktor's almost frightened face in the window, "Yuuri…" Suddenly Yuuri was wrapped up in two warm arms from behind and Viktor's head was buried in his hair. He blushed profusely as he realized that Viktor was once more hugging him tightly, "Yuuri, how could I have let you stay here this long? A communal bathroom! What has America come to?"

Even if Viktor was being overly dramatic, Yuuri couldn't help but laugh, "It's not like it's the end of the world. I usually shower at the rink, but when there's no other choice, you just shower during the off hours and find your favorite shower stall. You also just keep up after yourself."

"It's a good thing, I'm retiring this season. I can't let you stay in this mess…" Viktor said as he stayed nestled in Yuuri's hair. Yuuri almost laughed. Almost.

But then the reality of that statement hit.

"Wait, back up for a second, you're retiring?" he said as he pulled away from Viktor's arms and turned to face him with wide eyes.

Viktor nodded, making his silver bangs bounce slightly, "Da."

"What do you mean your retiring? Are you injured or something?"

"No. I'm perfectly fine."

"Then why're you—"

Viktor's face suddenly went stony for a moment, before he gave a soft smile to Yuuri, "Well, it's time for me to take on a student. That's why I came to bring you to Russia with me."

Yuuri's heart stopped. Viktor was retiring. Viktor had come to Yuuri's graduation. Viktor had come to America. Just to bring him back to Russia with him. What did that mean?

"What?" he finally stuttered out.

Viktor's smile faded a little as he put his hands on Yuuri's shoulders, "You have passion Yuuri. You get lost in the music and relax on the ice. You're talented; so talented that you can make it to the top. You just need to find some confidence. That's all. You're ready to take home the gold. So," Viktor looked down for a second, but then looked up at him with a face set in a determined mask, "it's time for me to step down. I've had a good run. Five World-championships. More than 10 other golds between Four Continents and Nationals. Plenty of silvers and a handful of bronze medals. It's time for the Japanese Ace to rise to his true potential. So, I'm here to take you to Russia. I'm here to coach you Yuuri."

Yuuri couldn't believe his ears, "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

Viktor gave him a look that was set between amusement and disappointment, "Starting today, I'm going to be your coach Yuuri. I'll be co-coaching with you alongside Celestino until the end of the season, but then it'll just be me and you."

"But—"

Viktor suddenly smiled and put a hand atop Yuuri's head, "I'll give you time to decide if you want to come to Russia, but either way I want to help you reach the gold. I can't just turn my back on my goal. How do you think I won five Grand-Prixes in a row. Now, where should we start with packing?"

Yuuri felt as if a crack had opened under him and he was now falling thousands of feet. Viktor had come from Russia to coach him. Viktor Nikiforov, five-time world-champion, a world-renowned figure skating legend and the best skater in the senior division had dropped training, dropped his career just to come and coach the figure skater that had tipsily made his way onto the podium. He'd suddenly decided that Yuuri was worth his next gold medal to coach. And he acted as if this was no big deal; like he just ended Yuuri's childhood hero's career every day.

"Y-you're retiring?!" Yuuri asked again, desperation and exasperation both flooding his voice as he looked at Viktor who was now studying Phichit's hamsters happily.

Viktor didn't even look up at him, "Do you want me to help you fold clothes?"

o.O.o

After a few hours of awkwardly packing clothes and listening to Viktor ramble, Yuuri had pushed the Russian skater out the door and into a cab to be taken to a restaurant that he would be meeting with Celestino and Maria for dinner. Yuuri had been invited too but had used the excuse that he needed to call home and would meet them there later. Viktor had given him a little sad smile, but none the less told him he'd see him later before being driven into the sunset via taxi cab.

As soon as the cab had rounded the corner, Yuuri let out a deep breath and looked around the busy street that ran in front of the residence hall. What had just happened? he thought as he ran a hand through his messy and sweaty hair before turning and heading back into the warm hallways of the hall. He was about to pass by the circulation desk in front when the girl behind the counter called out to him.

"You have a delivery." She told him as he came closer, batting her long eyelashes. He recognized this girl, Katie, as the RA for his floor. From the rural country-side of Idaho, Katie was definitely a sore thumb in the Michigan population, let alone in the population of Detroit. She had seemed nice every time they had come in contact for the past three years, but Yuuri (as usual with everyone) tried to keep his distance from her. It wasn't that she was weird or anything, but she was clingy when she saw him for some reason. She always wanted to hang off his arm when she saw him in the hallway or wanted to talk to him until his ears felt like they would fall off.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks." He said as she passed over the clipboard that held the package pick up sheet. He wrote down his name in his best English writing, his room number, his student number and then signed it as she went into the small mailroom behind the counter. When she came out, she held a bouquet of flowers and a medium sized box in her arms.

"Hmmm. Have a secret admirer?" She asked as she handed over both the huge bouquet and the cardboard box, a tone of some emotion dripping from her voice that Yuuri couldn't quite place.

"I don't think so. Thanks though." He said awkwardly as he shrugged before walking away from the desk, throwing a quick 'See you later' over his shoulder at the girl. Once he was in the safety of the elevator, he allowed himself to study the bouquet of flowers. The clear plastic around the stems didn't take away the beauty of the dark red carnations, sweet pink peonies and pure white Lily of the Valleys'. He knew immediately who these were from and couldn't help but tear up.

His mother and father had probably spent hundreds of yen and had to overcome the language barrier to be able to send him flowers. He immediately knew the arrangement and the symbolism from his parent's gift after living at the Onsen for his whole life. His mother had been obsessed with flowers since he was a baby and had since then helped her bring fresh flowers into the onsen in varying arrangements. Carnations for passion. Peonies for the promise of good fortune, respect, and nobility. Lily of the Valleys' for the promise of happiness. These were here to show their love for him, to show him how proud they were of him, and most of all to wish him good luck. Still, he plucked the card from between a peony and a carnation.

The Japanese characters on the card did not help his teary eyes. He often didn't become homesick anymore, but thinking of his parents and Mari had suddenly made him want to hop on the first flight to Fukuoka. He slid the note into his pocket and took in the smell of his flowers as the door of the elevator dinged opened on his floor, two students waiting to get on, suitcases and boxes in their arms. He stepped out quickly and headed back to his room. The smell alone of the sweet peonies and the fresh carnations had cured his homesickness a little bit. He remembered watching his mother tend to the flowers in her small garden beside one of the hot springs when he was still in elementary school. She would always smile and beckon him over when she felt his eyes on her, telling him to sit next to her while she weeded. When was the last time he had done that? At least four years ago, but it had been a while since he had left for the US even. Why had he stopped doing that?

Shutting the door behind him, he sat down on the edge of his now stripped mattress. He hadn't looked to see who the box was still from. The card hadn't mentioned anything about a box, but maybe his parents had sent him something else? He didn't want to set the flowers down now that they were in his arms. They were the reminder of home, the promise of love and safety and he didn't want to let them go even more now that his head was whirling with the day's events.

Shifting the bouquet into the crook of his arms, Yuuri reached for the box next to him and pulled the tape off the sides so he could look inside. A wreath of deep burgundy roses sat in the cardboard, petals perfectly crisp as they had been braided into a crown. A crown similar to the one that those who made the podium would often be given. Sitting in the center of the crown, there was a small folded note with his name written in loopy scrawl.

Yuuri,

Congratulations on your graduation. I can't wait to see your unconscious beauty change the world.

- Viktor

He looked at the note for a moment and then let it fall to the floor as he set the bouquet from his parents down momentarily. He had worn a flower crown before; his mother uses to weave some together for him and Mari when they were little. He had also had one shoved on his head when they had placed the bronze medal around his neck (not that he had remembered it).

But this flower crown was different. It wasn't the crown of tender platonic love like the ones his mother had made. It wasn't the sign of victory among champions like the ones worn on the podium.

It was a promise of what was to come.

Yuuri couldn't stop himself from lifting the flower crown from the box and looking at it in his hands. It was utterly beautiful. He knew his mother would've gushed over the beauty of the roses if she had seen it. I can't wait to see your unconscious beauty change the world. That's what Viktor had written.

Maybe that change would be at the top of the podium where he would be fitted with a wreath of flowers that he had won, that he had deserved. And Viktor would be standing next to him.

Or perhaps it would be changed in a small, ordinary way.

He couldn't help himself from bringing the crown over his head and carefully setting it on top of his unruly hair. He was sure he probably looked ridiculous; a 23-year-old man sitting on his unmade bed, odd colored dress pants covering his lower half while his soft blue dress shirt had been unbuttoned and was hanging loosely around his shoulders to reveal a light cotton white t-shirt underneath. His shoes were scuffed lightly around the edges though he looked rather uncomfortable in them. And there sitting atop his head, a stunningly beautiful crown of burgundy roses. The image was probably hilarious to the outside world, but the light weight of it had instilled something in Yuuri that he hadn't felt before.

Not pride, not lust or fame or fortune, not passion.

It had instilled a sort of love. It was a will of self-love; of the goal to make Viktor proud.

The need to make his family proud.

The want to make himself proud.

- See You Next Level! –

A/N: (It's over. All over. And I dunno what to do now. Yes, this fic was only four chapters, however, this is the first multi-chaptered fic I have done since my year and a half hiatus. And now…it's time to move on. And I dunno how I feel about it now. If some of my flower interpretations were wrong, I'm sorry. I researched that content for like two hours in the middle of an insomniac episode and well, I stopped taking notes after about half an hour. I hope you lovelies all liked this as much as I did writing it. Special thanks to Shiranai Atsune who requested this. I never thought that it would turn out like this; I hope I did your vision justice. I can't wait to share what I have up my sleeve next with all of you and I hope you aren't disappointed. As always, I hope you have an awesome day lovelies. I love you all. –Sam)