Viktor could remember his mother vaguely – he remembered sometimes looking at her and admiring her beauty and her grace, the way she enticed people of all kinds. When they rarely went out together he could feel everyone's eyes on them and the sharpness of her tone whenever she presented him as her son. She never abused him, never hit him, she just made him feel like he didn't exist. Whenever she was brushing his silver hair before bed he had to bite his tongue at the many questions he felt the need to ask because she would simply ignore him and that would make things worse.
He found out his father was a rich man long before he began figure skating, in fact, he couldn't remember when the information got to him. His father could not live with them like the other fathers did because he had a family of his own and Viktor was the mere result of an adulterine affair. He never saw him but his mother told him always that he had his eyes and he didn't know if she was pleased or upset with it.
He tried to behave, knowing that she would be good to him if he did that. He tried to be the best in his class, the best on the ice rink but that never changed anything. The best thing she ever did to him was letting him train under Yakov and buying his first skate shoes. He still had those, they were used and the white darkened at the edges but they were an important memory – not of his mother but of his beginning as a skater. He never cried about it, it was just an empty space inside his chest and he knew he was different because the others were complete. He was 11 years old when he met Maurice, he was a French skater who was going to train at their home rink and as silly as it sounded back then, he made his heart want to run out of his chest. The boy was blonde and slender, his brown eyes piercing and smart. Maurice was 14 and he noticed Viktor's attraction towards him so one day he offered him a flower.
Viktor could remember how his face heated while he took the flower with trembling fingers. He remembered that his mother was preparing cheesecake that day and asked the French if he wanted to hang out together.
"Sure" Maurice replied with a sweet smile and sparkling orbs.
That day Viktor had his very first kiss, in his bedroom, after they both finished eating. Maurice's lips were warmed and his hands turned into claws that grabbed Viktor's shoulders oblivious enough not to see his mother enter the room.
She was holding a trail with two glasses of lemonade and she dropped them in shock.
Later that day he saw his mother packing some of his things but didn't ask why was she doing that for, knowing he did something bad. He couldn't figure out what he did wrong yet, I mean, sure, he knew boys were supposed to kiss girls but why did it matter so much?
"You will be staying with Yakov until I will come to take you back" The problem was she never came and he was surprised to find out the ache faded in time. Only in his teen years did Yakov admit he knew from the beginning what were her intentions.
He told Yuuri all of that one lazy Sunday they decided to spend in. When he woke up and found the bed empty the first thought was that Yuuri took the first flight to Japan. He smiled widely when he found his fiancé in the kitchen, making pancakes and coffee for both of them. After breakfast he decided he was ready, even if it was a quite difficult conversation to start your day with because he spent the day before trying to prepare himself mentally. It didn't hurt, he just didn't want to waste his time thinking about it.
Yuuri gasped; the magazines could never grasp the immensity that was Viktor's feelings. He was surprised such mother existed and he felt the sudden need to call his loving okaa-san.
"So?" The Russian's voice was small. He wanted a reaction but instead of words, his lover got up from where he was standing on the sofa and came closer so he could pull the other skater in his arms. He buried his nose in the crook of the other's neck and held tightly.
"It's awful, Viktor." He took a big breath. I'm sorry, it must've been hard" Viktor smiled and kissed his lover's forehead.
"Don't think too much of it, solnyshko. I had Yakov and skating and that was enough" He loved the attention but he wanted to concentrate on the present because he was happy now. "I have you" Yuuri broke the embrace and smiled at him contently.
"You have me" He agreed and Makkachin barked once, breaking the remains of the tension.
"I think it's time for Makkachin's walk" Viktor said lovingly gazing at his fluffy companion. As soon as she heard the word "walk", the poodle began to jump around agitated and Yuuri got up to look for her leash. "Go change"
They had no special route, they usually were pulled by Makka wherever she wanted but today there was no hurry so they enjoyed the weather and the view. For Viktor it was nothing special but Yuuri was still fascinated by the sight of the metropolis – it was nothing like Hasetsu, his small town where everyone knew everyone.
"Have I shown you my favourite coffee shop?" Viktor asked as they followed the jumping dog on a smaller street.
"We already had coffee, Viktor, it's not good for your heart to drink too much" The Japanese said but the silver-haired man grinned at him, his fingers tightening around his own.
"Always taking care of me, Yuu-chan!" He squeaked.
"Yuu-chan is used for children or women" Yuuri said scowling and Viktor grinned, remembering how Mrs. Katsuki always called her son that.
"I'm sorry, my little katsudon" He was not but Yuuri chuckled and rolled his eyes. "We can have some tea" They agreed on that and the younger one was surprised by the simplicity of the coffee shop, it was small and hidden, very uncharacteristic of Viktor's tastes. "What kind of tea do you want, Yuuri?"
"Uhmm" Taking decisions was not his forte so he looked at the types written across the menu he was handed and his anxiety grew when he realized he could barely read those things. He frowned. "Viktor" he whispered seeing his fiancé was talking to the man behind the bar, who seemed very friendly to him. He turned around smiling and then slapped his own forehead shortly.
"Of course, I'm sorry, zoloste" He stepped closer and pointed to each of the words, explaining what they said. "Take your time"
"I want the mango-flavoured one" Yuuri said small and Viktor nodded, going closer to the other man and ordering in Russian, adding they wanted lids because they were not staying. The man joked around while he was boiling the water and asked Viktor what his plans were now.
"I plan on competing and couching Yuuri too" He replied in Russian and Yuuri widened his eyes when he heard his name.
"Is he coming to Russia?" Viktor chuckled and then motioned towards the almost unrecognizable skater who was wrapped in many layers of clothing and had a soft scarf around his neck, black beanie on his head. "Oh, you look a lot different than on ice" The man said in English and Yuuri smiled, not knowing if it was good or bad. "Do you enjoy Russia? Where are you staying?"
"Russia is very nice" Yuuri tried to dodge the last question but Viktor went ahead and answered.
"We're living together now, you might know we're engaged" While the Japanese turned into a tomato, the stranger smiled at the sight of him kindly because it was not a surprise for him anymore. As it was Viktor's favourite coffee shop, it was not the first time he brought another fellow he was very close to. If Russia was by definition homophobic, Viktor could get away with near to anything because he was a living legend and a pride of his country.
"The teas are on me, then." He grinned, handing them the cups. "I wish you happiness"
"Arigato!" Yuuri bowed and Viktor took a hold of his hand afterwards, muttering a "spasibo" himself. They got out and all Yuuri could think of was how to kill Viktor without getting caught by the police. He was still flushed with embarrassment and annoyance so when Viktor wrapped an arm around him he flinched.
"What's with that face, lyubov moya?" Yuuri groaned.
"You're unbelievable!" He face-palmed and walked faster, leaving the Russian behind.
"Well I know that, the critics said..." Of course he would take it as a praise. "But what did I do?"
"How can you be like that?" Huh? "How can you say we're engaged just to anyone?"Yuuri continued and Viktor bit his inner cheek so he would stop the chuckling threatening. His lover was so cute when he was getting flustered. "You Europeans are so... outgoing!"
"We're technically in Eurasia" Viktor added, his index pointing upwards.
"That's not the point!" Yuuri whined. This time the older skater couldn't help himself and burst into laughter, going closer to wrap his arms around his pouty fiancé. "Some things are meant to be private"
"We kissed on national television"
"And whose fault is that?" Yuuri asked and tried to hide his smile but failed miserably.
"Don't act like you didn't like it" Viktor pecked Yuuri's warm cheek and then readjusted his scarf so it would cover enough skin. "I am not ashamed of us, solnyshko. I want everyone to know how much I love you" Yuuri nodded and leaned on Viktor for just a bit before Makkachin ran to them and almost knocked them off when her front paws rested on the Japanese's legs. She was watching them lovingly, her tail wiggling as if it wanting to say to them to continue walking already.
People were looking at them strangely when they were seeing they were holding hands but Viktor was reluctant to breaking the contact so they chose emptier streets, entering some shops at the Russian's insistence.
"Look, Yuuri – that would look sooo good on you!" He said pointing to a pair of black skinny jeans that left no room for imagination.
"No way!" He couldn't imagine himself in something like that.
"Please, just those"
"I can buy my own clothes, Viktor! I don't need a sugar daddy" The answer was a pout and a sigh – like the world was coming to an end.
"Oh-kay" He sighed again and turned around to look at a few more things for himself. It was obvious he was hurt – which was silly of him but it was not the first time he was acting like a child in front of Yuuri. The brunette went closer and sighed.
"Okay, I'll try them on" Viktor turned around with his signature heart-shaped smile and squished his lover in a bear hug.
"Really, Yuuri? You're the best" The Japanese laughed because it was ridiculous and then asked for his size, going to the fitting room, taking the few simple shirts he picked. He didn't wear baggy jeans but he wasn't used to this type either so he struggled to put them on, his thighs being the problem. They were really looking good on him and he turned around to watch the back, surprised at the sight of his own backside. "Vkusno!" Viktor shouted, getting inside and shamelessly placing a hand on Yuuri's ass. "We're taking them!"
"Viktor, get out!" Yuuri shouted. "Why did you come here?"
"I found you a tie" He showed him the dark red tie he chose and the Japanese had to agree it was a beautiful one. "I plan on burning all your ties. In fact, you need some tuxedos too!"
"Excuse me, sir! Only one person is allowed in the fitting room" A woman spoke in Russian and Viktor got out, a smile on his lips.
"That's unfortunate, miss" He continued in Russian, enjoying the blush on her cheeks when she saw who he was.
"Mr. Nikiforov, n-no problem! Could I.." He chuckled.
"An autograph?" She nodded like a puppy and disappeared only to come back with a notebook and a pen he used to write her a dedication. "You're welcome"
"Viktor! I don't know about this" Yuuri muttered and the called one smiled to the lady.
"Excuse me" She didn't say a thing when he entered the changing room to find Yuuri in a long sleeved black shirt that had a small blue heart on the left sleeve. It was looking good, like anything on Yuuri.
"Doesn't it make me look..." Viktor knew Yuuri thought of the word "fat" so he winked.
"Perfect? Yes it does"
"Viktor!" Yuuri whined, blushing and then pushed the other male out. But he smiled once he was on his own and felt like he could conquer the world. Viktor made him feel sexy so he decided to buy everything he chose, including those jeans. They bought a tiger-print shirt for Yurio too and then decided it was time to go home. Makkachin was waiting outside for them, where one of the customers agreed to watch him for a few minutes and they walked all the way back to the apartment, talking little things.
The apartment was warm so Yuuri had to work on undressing all those layers of clothing and remaining only in a t-shirt and sweat pants. Viktor was going to order lunch so he settled on the couch and jumped startled when he heard his phone. It was Phichit.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Facetime, now"
Phichit was his best friend and even now they were facetiming often, talking for hours about everything that was going on. He bet Phi wanted to know everything about his life with Viktor but he hoped he would not ask anything embarrassing while the skater was in the same room. He settled his camera and waved when he saw his friend with a hamster on his head.
"Hello, stranger" The Thai grinned and waved, the hamster sliding off his hair just in time to be caught.
"Hi!" They talked for a few minutes until Viktor came from the kitchen to tell him he ordered sushi and greeted Phichit when he sat near Yuuri on the couch. He was yawning so he laid his head in his lover's lap, enjoying the feeling of fingers playing with his hair.
"Oh my God, you're so cute! I'm taking a screenshot of you, wait!" It didn't last 5 minutes until the picture was posted on Instagram with the caption "#powercouple #adorable #victuuri" and the Internet exploded.
"You're the worst, Phichit" Yuuri said laughing while reading some comments. After about an hour of facetiming the Thai skater decided it was time to leave the lovebirds so he said goodbye and said he was planning to keep an eye of them. He was totally supportive of his best friend and he was happy seeing how different (good different) Yuuri was since Viktor entered his life. Yuuri tried to get up but his lover's arms tightened around him, followed by a low moan.
"No, I'm comfy" The Japanese rolled his eyes but sighed in defeat and continued to be a human pillow.
"Yuuri?"
"Hm?" Viktor had both his eyes closed, looking like a spoiled cat.
"I always wondered, back in Detroit, did you and Phichit ...?" He had no time to finish the sentence because he felt Yuuri's body tensing and his eyes snapped open to follow the reaction. "So I was right" He was not mad or anything but it wasn't a pleasant thought either. "Were you two together?" The black haired man raised his both hands as if he was trying to stop the words.
"N-no, no, no such thing!" Yuuri said hurried and Viktor got up, raising a brow inquisitively. "I never liked Phichit, I mean I sure like him 'cause he is my best friend but n-not in the romantic way" He took a big breath. "There was this party"
"What happened at this party, Yuuri?" He was accentuating every word, his eyes searching for some kind of answer.
"Well, you know how I am when I drink" Indeed Viktor knew – seeing Yuuri pole-dance at the last year's banquet made him wonder who the Japanese was and born feeling he didn't know they existed. "W-we made out a couple of times" He said in a pitched voice and when he saw Viktor's dissatisfied expression he began to wave his hands in front of him.
"We've been living together for over a month now and you never made out with me" Was that a pout on Viktor's face? Yuuri revering the cute way the Russian's upper lip curled and the corners of his mouth dropped. He was almost too preoccupied with the sight to go back to the conversation but when blue eyes darted away he sighed and grabbed the other's hand.
"It's because I suck at it" he said hurried and Viktor finally looked at him. "For real, Phichit and another girl said so" He wanted to ask about that girl but instead he blinked confused and his face was split in two by a grin.
"Why haven't you said so?" Yuuri blinked. "I am your couch, Yuu-ri" he sang and came so close that their noses were touching. "I can teach you" The Japanese gulped. "Would you like that?" The man didn't have time to confirm because Viktor's lips crushed against his, the beginning being a chaste kiss.
They were kissing often, most times because of the older man's need but all their kisses have been kind of chastely because it wasn't right to force anything, they had all the time in the world. If the Russian spent his life as a heartbreaker and had a lot of experience, Yuuri was the opposite and he still had a hard time getting use to the affection he was peppered with. Now that their lips were colliding gently, their hearts began to hammer inside their chests and Viktor's arms wrapped around his lover's waist, pulling him in his lap and clawing at his sides, making sure they couldn't break contact. Their kiss turned into many short ones and Yuuri's lips swell, becoming tingly so he moaned when Viktor parted and licked his.
"Lean your head on a side" He did so and Viktor came closer once again. "Follow my lead" he said simply and his fiancé gulped, a little nervous. He closed his eyes and Viktor put his glasses away, leaning and continuing gently his warm tongue began to message his lower lip, begging for entrance. Once he did open his mouth he shyly slid his over Viktor's, feeling the other's vigorous tongue massaging the inside of his mouth.
"Mmm" He was surprised by his own needy moan and the silver-haired man pulled away, surprised and flushed, making his cheeks burn. "I- uhm sorry?" A chuckle burst into the room and he was pulled in a tight hug, melting against a strong chest.
"I love you, Yuuri" Viktor whispered in his ear and he buried his face in the available shoulder.
"I love you too" he mumbled and pulled away to search warm eyes. There was a smile on the other's lips, a one only he could see and he smiled back, content with the simple moment.
"Let's make out lots from now on"
"Hai" He nodded, still a little embarrassed but didn't hesitate to answer to the kiss that followed.
He was looking for some bandages for his scraped knees because the ones the doctor put on was already worn out. It was not a serious injury, barely a bleeding but he just took a bath and now he was going through the bathroom cabinet where he could find all kind of pills and other stuff. He saw a black box and thought maybe it was there so he pulled the massive box out, looking to see what was inside. His eyes widened when he saw - nail polish? There were all kind of colours, an entire spectrum of blues and greens, black, grey, even golden and silver with glitter. He knew Viktor used to paint his nails when he was younger but he had no idea he was planning to do that again.
"Yuuri?" Viktor just came back from a walk with Makkachin and was taking off his shoes. Yuuri put the box back hurriedly and stepped outside to greet him with a smile.
"Here! I was looking for bandages"
"In the walk-in closet, the first drawer" Came the answer and Yuuri nodded, surprised when Viktor came to peck his lips shortly and grab his hand. "Your knee better?"
"It's just a scratch" He said with a sigh, knowing he couldn't pursue the man not to overreact. Soon he was sitting on the bed and Viktor was kneeling by his side, changing his bandage with careful fingers. "Thank you" he whispered and was awarded a smile.
"You're welcome, solnyshko. Come on, let's eat" Yuuri was doing the cooking now, not wanting take-out anymore and also missing his mother's food. He was lucky Viktor was opened to new types of food because otherwise it would have been a disaster. He tried to learn some Russian recipes but he never said anything yet. They were done eating and they were watching TV when he decided to ask.
"Why is there nail polish in the bathroom?" Viktor was still concentrated on the American movie so it took him a few seconds to process the words.
"Hm?"
"In the cabinet, there's a box with nail polish"
"Oh" Viktor's mouth was shaped as an "o". "Well, I used to paint my n-"
"I know. But you don't anymore" Yuuri added and Viktor shrugged.
"Well, it worked well when I was younger but now I don't know if I could pull it off" The Russian used to complain from time to time that he was getting older but this was something completely different – it was the confidence that lacked. Yuuri's reply was a scowl. "What?"
"You can do anything you want and it will turn out the best, you're Viktor Nikiforov" He said and the mentioned one's eyes gleamed surprised. He smiled, taking Yuuri's fingers close to his mouth to kiss them gently.
"Thank you, lyubov moya" His lover was the best, he was sure of that. "Wait, do you want me to paint your nails?"
"Only if you paint yours too" Viktor sighed but accepted. He bought the colours before flying to Japan so they were fairly new and he brought the box in the living room, opening it in front of Yuuri. "Pick one"
His eyes darted stressed across the many options and his eyes stopped on the turquoise bottle that seemed the most appealing. He would have wanted that one but he wasn't brave enough to wear such a colour. Viktor smiled widely, picking the bottle his lover was staring out.
"This one?" Yuuri blushed slightly. "Great choice, I'll go with black" He put the box aside and firstly picked the turquoise nail polish, taking Yuuri's hand in his and beginning to carefully paint his thumb's nail. He was very careful and made sure he did an almost professional job. "You have pretty nails" he mumbled and took the other hand in his.
"Yours are more beautiful" The Japanese replied, staring at the long and slender fingers taking care of him. He was done in about ten minutes and was ordered to keep them splayed until they dried. Before starting on his, Viktor admired his work and went closer to kiss Yuuri's lips softly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. By instinct the other man reached for something to grip but was stopped when the silver haired man pulled away.
"You'll ruin my work" Viktor whined and Yuuri placed his hands back on his knees. His mouth searched the other hungrily once again and the younger man moaned in his mouth when their tongues touched, frustrated he couldn't use his hands. The Russians hands tugged at his hair gently earning another moan until they finally parted and Viktor rested his chin on his lover's shoulder. "You're a piece of art, Yuuri" he whispered and shivers crawled down the other's spine.
They stood like that for a while, their breaths being the only sounds in the room. It was not awkward like it would normally be with other people, it was peaceful.
"Viktor?"
"Hm?"
"Can I paint yours?" Brown eyes were concerned but looked up nevertheless. "I never did that before but I can try"
"Okay" Viktor sounded lost, like a surprised child that someone said something nice too. He sometimes had his nails done at a salon but no one else wanted to do that for him. It was a small gesture but it took him off guard, making the shy younger self inside him happy.
It didn't matter that sometimes Yuuri overran the edges because of his trembling fingers or that he sometimes used way too much liquid - Viktor was happy, he felt loved.
A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews and for reading! x