Flying With You

by CursedRedRose

"Young man, all the lost can be found in the crown of the circus king. You'll fit in perfectly." Victor is a playwright who craves something new from his dull high society life. Yuuri is an outcasted trapeze artist who finds security in the circus where everyone else stays on the ground below him. Both are lost souls who cannot be together. But is there a way to rewrite the stars?

9. Chapter 9

So... this has been a long time coming.

Honestly, I didn't think I'd ever return to this but I reread this a while ago and decided I wanted to get this done. For someone who doesn't finish a lot of writing projects I really don't like leaving things unfinished and this is a new goal of mine to complete this story.

I think there's only going to be 2 or 3 more chapters after this one. I still love both Yuri on Ice and The Greatest Showman so it's been fun revisiting. Please enjoy!

Poke. Poke. Poke.

Yuuri's eyes wrinkled as he turned his head and burrowed into the soft object next to him. He didn't want to get up for morning rehearsal yet. It must be too early.

Poke. Poke. Poke.

"Gerroff." He mumbled sleepily. He was warm and his body felt too heavy to move.

Poke. Poke. Poke.

The jabs were getting more and more insistent and now, he could hear voices murmuring.

"Is he OK?"

"He better be or Ciao Ciao is going to kill him."

"I can't believe they both fell asleep here."

"They must be idiots."

"Well, I think it's romantic."

"You would Georgi."

Yuuri frowned. Why were there so many people in his dressing room? Was this Phichit's way of forcing him out of bed? If so, this was a new low. He opened his eyes the tiniest crack and it took him a few long seconds to realise that he wasn't in his sanctuary. This space was too large and too bright to be his dressing room and when he caught sight of the brightly coloured ropes nearby, he realised with a cold dread where exactly he was. He was by the ring, lying on the front row stands where he had been last night with Victor…

Victor!

Yuuri shot upright like he had just been slapped, making the three figures standing in front of him leap back in shock. He was suddenly very awake and very aware of the heavy warm presence that was still asleep next to him. He looked to the side and it felt like his stomach both leapt and dropped to his feet at the same time. Victor had fallen asleep sitting up in his exhaustion, his back against the row behind him and his arms drooped by his sides. His hair had fallen over half his face in an elegant swoop like the wing of a dove and his shirt was unbuttoned down to his chest. His collar was crooked, his mouth was open with a large drop of drool at the left corner and he was the most beautiful thing Yuuri had ever seen.

"Yuuri…"

He closed his eyes and winced. He had heard that tone too many times from Phichit and he knew exactly what expression would meet his eyes when he looked at him. He would be grinning from ear to ear in that most infuriating way, saying I told you so with his eyes without ever needing to say the words. That little sing-song voice made him cringe and it finally made him look at the three people who were still staring at him.

"It is not what it looks like."

"Please go on." Phichit smile was almost eerie in how wide it was and Yuuri could feel more than see the intensity of his eyes as they scanned the scene in front of him like it was Victor's latest play. "Please tell me how it is you ended up here, asleep, in Victor's lap-"

"I was on his lap!?" Yuuri felt like screaming but his voice instead came out as a hushed hoarse whisper. Phichit was rubbing his hands together with glee.

"Go on, spill. Now."

There was a loud scoff and Yuuri remembered that there were more people there. He looked over to his right to see Yuri standing there with a bored expression on his thin face. He was dressed in his usual training gear, plain white shirt and brown trousers and he was holding the short wooden pole he used with his cats in his hand. Yuuri realised that must have been what he was poked with earlier and felt his face burn. He remembered a half-baked idea Ciao Ciao had once had of putting trapdoors under the seats to evict troublesome audience members and he suddenly wished that they had made it happen. At least that way, he could have had some form of escape.

"Don't look at me, I didn't bring him." Yuri said gruffly. "I got here early because I'm trying to get Olga used to the ring. The dancers get all scared when I bring her here while they're practising, I don't know why, she's still just a baby…"

"She's still a tiger Yuri, baby or not."

"Shut up you gloomy weirdo." Yuri snapped before continuing. "Anyway, I got here and you two were being… weird. Weird and gross all over the place. Your head was on his shoulder and your legs were in his lap and you were all over him like a blanket-"

"Oh dear lord." Yuuri hunched over like he was going to be sick. Please let this torture end… He looked up pleadingly at Phichit but his eyes were glinting as he hung on to the small tamer's every word.

"Anyway, I left because I'm not exposing Olga to that and I found this one looking for you." He pointed at Phichit with the short stick and then flicked it in the direction of the third person standing in the middle absorbing the tableau in front of him. "And Georgi just tagged along because he's weird and gross just like you two."

"I am not!" Yuuri finally got a good look at the tall man draped in blue fabric as he dramatically held his arms to the sky and sighed. "I am merely excited to see this epic saga come to an end, this tale worthy of Juliet and her Romeo! Who could have failed to notice this star-crossed couple, their twists and turns, the structures keeping them apart-"

"You were sneaking back in after trying to see Anya again, weren't you?"

The dramatic arms dropped like stones. "No… I mean… I may have passed her house when I was out…"

"She is so already over you. You know one of the stagehands saw her out with another guy, right?" Yuri growled as Phichit nodded his agreement.

"Apparently, his parents are stinking rich and they own racehorses."

"They own seven actually." Georgi reported in a glum tone. His sad eyes and deep-set frown were a striking contrast to the bright blue outfit he was wearing, with ruffles and sparkles spilling from his neck like a gushing wound. His eyes were ringed with black that turned his watery blue irises into pinpricks and his fingers were smudged with the paint that was the mark of his craft. He was known for saving some of his more outrageous looks for himself, purely because no one else would let him put them on their faces. Clearly, after his heart was broken anew this morning, he had been experimenting.

"Exactly." Yuri curled in lip in a cat-like snarl. "Meaning you are never getting a glance from her again. Seriously, if she sees you, she'll probably call the police and where would that leave you then?"

Georgi looked at Yuri like the small man had slapped him and Phichit quickly stepped in, placing a hand on Georgi's shoulder.

"Georgi, we both know that this isn't good for you.I know Yuri's being harsh right now but that's his way of showing that he cares-"

"I don't care!"

"-and we all just want the best for you."

"I know." Georgi slumped his shoulders. "I just wish that she would see me as her prince instead of that other guy… He's not worthy of her!"

"We know… but that's who she has chosen and you have to find a way to be at peace with that. Talking of peace..." Phichit said both slyly, smoothly turning back to Yuuri and the sleeping Victor. Yuuri met his brown eyes as they sparked with new intrigue and he inwardly cursed his friend with great muscle pain after their next rehearsal. "You two looked awfully peaceful just then. Sooooo… are you two finally a thing now? What did you get up to?"

His eyebrows wriggled like two overexcited snakes and Yuuri flushed a deep crimson.

"Nothing like that!" He exclaimed, waving his hands out in front of him. "But… we did sort of… kiss."

"You did!?" Phichit looked like all his birthdays had come at once. "Finally!"

"Well maybe now, you both can stop moping around and actually do some work."

"Yuri, you are so blind to matters of the heart-"

"You're blind if you think Anya still has a thing for you." Yuri's words made Georgi physically recoil and, as the other two stared at him, he just scowled. "What? It's true! He's been trailing after her like a sick puppy for months and you and this posh idiot has been moping about almost as badly as him! You both make Russians look like pathetic saps! And don't even get me started on you Yuuri…"

"I wasn't that bad…" Yuuri tried to protest.

"Didn't you scale a wall and jump through a window to avoid him?" Phichit raised an eyebrow in clear agreement and once again, Yuuri wanted to be swallowed up by the earth. The tiny Russian's words were hitting a little too close to home.

"Alright, I admit it was bad. Last night I got these tickets and I thought they were from Ciao Ciao but they were actually from Victor and we got to the theatre and… something made me leave and he followed me back and… we talked and he said the sweetest things… and then he tried to scale that wall and nearly fell a few metres and then I… I guess we just talked. And it was nice to talk about things for once."

Yuuri's cheeks felt like they were aflame as memory after memory of last night came into his head. His words were spluttery and disjointed, like puzzle pieces that had been forced together, but in his head, he had never had such clarity. He had spent all of last night trying to push Victor away, he had jumped into the air just to try and escape his feelings and Victor had still followed him there. He had tried to run and Victor had effortlessly caught up with him, meeting him exactly where he needed to be. His behaviour last night had been reckless and endangered his own safety but thinking of it made his heart sing. He had never felt like this before, nothing had ever felt this warm and safe and comfortable. His feet were on the ground but he still felt like he was up in the air. He had never met someone who felt like the sky before. How had he ever lived without it?

"Oh Yuuri!" Yuuri was broken out of his trance by a loud squeal. "I knew you could do it! Tell me everything, I want every last little detail…"

"Urghhh…"

Yuuri went still as he sensed movement right next to him and he turned just in time to see Victor's eyes flutter open. The bright blue eyes blurry with sleep fixed on him first and he could almost see the cogs turning in Victor's brain as he realised where he was.

"Yuuri… oww my back… did we end up…"

"In the ring? Yes, we did."

"Ah." Victor's eyes had also darted to the gathering in front of him and he looked lost for words. His eyes were wide as saucers and he was suddenly very aware of the hard wooden board digging into his back like they were trying to embed themselves into his spine. He tried to sit up a little but his body was so stiff, he could barely move. His body felt like it had turned to stone overnight and when he leaned forward a little to straighten his back out, he groaned loud enough to make Yuuri spring up beside him.

"Victor! Are you OK? Oh no, this is all my fault, I should have known it was getting too late-"

"Hey, don't take all the credit." Victor said as Yuuri's strong hands grabbed his own and hauled him upwards onto his feet. His body creaked like old floorboards and he nearly cried out in pain but then his face was suddenly very close to Yuuri's and the sound died in his throat. He was almost leaning on him, their noses close to touching like they had last night and Victor smiled as warmth and feeling came flooding back through his limbs.

"Hey."

"Hey." Yuuri felt a wave of his old shyness come crashing back over him and he wanted to hide his face. How was it that he could make him feel like this, like he was that young boy with a crush on a picture all over again? He stared up at him, their eyes locked on each other and it was like they were the only two people in the ring again. His body felt like he was soaring even though his feet were firmly telling him he was on the ground and his hands were wrapped around Victor's long slender fingers. Yuuri wanted to kiss him again, he wanted to so badly but he heard a light cough coming from behind him and the spell was broken.

"Yuuri, you do realise we still have to practise? You can't spend the whole day standing there."

Two heads whipped around to face Phichit, who was looking more and more like the cat who got the cream. Yuuri's face was crimson and he was clutching Victor like he wanted the earth to swallow them both. Victor had a dazed look in his eyes like he couldn't quite remember where he was and Phichit wanted to shake his head. They had both fallen so far, it was hopeless.

"Hey! If you're both going to be disgusting, you can do it somewhere else! I'm going to get Olga."

With those words and a loud huff, Yuri turned on his heel and stalked away, leaving the others staring after him. Georgi gave the pair a last longing look before he too melted away. His shoulders were violently shaking and Yuuri briefly pondered if he was crying about the elusive Anya or whether he was genuinely concerned about being eaten by a tiger. With Georgi, you could never tell.

"We better move, Yuri means business." Phichit said urgently.

"He wouldn't set a baby tiger on us…" Victor said with a laugh that drained away when he saw the glance the other two shared. "Would he?"

"She's nearly fully grown and he absolutely would." Phichit declared as he gently but firmly locked his arm with Yuuri's and pulled him away. "Sorry Victor but I have to steal him for morning practise. Ciao Ciao will have a fit if he doesn't see us up in the air soon."

"Oh… right." Victor reluctantly loosened his grip on Yuuri's hands. Phichit continued to try and drag Yuuri out of the ring and towards the curtains but his eyes, soft and brown and pleading, were still locked onto his. Victor didn't move until Yuuri was out of sight and when he finally did, it was with a lightness and a new purpose. Last night had been a travesty of sorts but it had also made him come alive. Victor felt reawakened as he turned on his heel and strode from the ring. An idea had come to him, an idea that he knew would be perfect and he could feel it fizzing in his chest as he walked out of the circus and down the street, not caring who saw him in his dishevelled state.

Meanwhile, Phichit still had a vice-like grip on Yuuri's arm as the other acrobat kept looking back over his shoulder. He looked so forlorn that Phichit almost felt guilty and he gave his arm a squeeze to try and snap him out of it.

"Yuuri, he's not going to disappear. I'm sure he'll be back when practise is over. And you haven't told me anything of what happened last night!"

"I told you we kissed!"

"That tells me nothing! Was it a proper kiss? A peck on the cheek? Did it feel like he was touching your very soul?"

"Phichit!"

Phichit saw the startled flushed look on Yuuri's face and he chuckled lowly.

"Oh, you are so telling me everything."

OOO

A few hours later, Yuuri was sitting in his dressing room, his legs in their familiar cold bath and his head tied up in knots. His training clothes had been chucked unceremoniously into the corner and he was just wearing a pair of old loose shorts and his robe which was undone at the front as he soaked. His legs were numb and cold but parts of his body still felt warm, the parts where he could remember Victor holding and caressing last night. It had all seemed like such a blur but now, each moment was crystal clear, almost painfully so. It was like taking each pearl out of a necklace, staring at it under the light from every angle until he had it memorised and then moving onto the next until he had the whole sequence in his mind. His fingers kept dancing back to his lips, to his cheekbones where Victor had dotted kisses across his face, to his jawline where Victor had run his fingers up and stroked his hair. Victor, Victor, Victor… it was like the man had somehow found a way to run in his bloodstream.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, raising his eyes to the ceiling and letting his arms fall. Now that he was finally alone and able to process what had happened, it still didn't feel like it was real. It was like a younger version of Yuuri had written out a fantasy and it had somehow magically come true. If he had told his teenage self that his hero would risk his own life to chase him up into the rafters, he would have thought it unbelievable and, in a sense, it still was. When he thought of Victor's eyes and the way they had stared at him when he was hanging upside-down from the hoop, the way they had been so full of desire and hope, it didn't feel like they should have been looking at him that way, like they should have been for someone else. But Victor had been looking at him, he had held him, he had kissed him. Out of all the people in the world, Victor had said that he wanted him, that he wanted Yuuri to be his destiny, and that made his heartbeat skip every time he thought about it.

What it didn't clear up in Yuuri's mind, was where they stood. It was true they had kissed, his face stilled burned when he thought of them falling asleep whispering sweet nothings to each other, but he knew that sometimes the most profound experience of one person's life could be a regular day for another. He knew that better than anyone, he spent his days performing stunts that others couldn't have dreamed up in a lifetime. For them, it was extraordinary, for him it was as routine as clockwork, something his body could have done in its sleep. What if he had poured his heart out to Victor and, now that he had it, he just walked away? Was that all it was, just another scene from a play that he was acting but Yuuri was living?

His hands clenched into fists. No, he couldn't believe that was true. Not after everything that Victor had said and done to prove it. There was however, a tiny niggling bit of doubt that felt like a leech on his happiness. It was whispering little bitter thoughts that Yuuri couldn't stop running through his mind. Where was Victor now? Phichit had assured him that he would appear once morning practise was over but he was nowhere to be seen and none of the other acts or the stagehands had seen him either. He wanted to believe that he was maybe in Ciao Ciao's office or out on business but he couldn't bring himself to. He didn't believe he had alienated Victor like he had after the ball in London but he did wonder if maybe things were moving too quickly. They hadn't spoken for days and then fallen asleep together, he had earnestly thought Victor had hated him only to then hear the sweetest words of love, worthy of a playwright. It was like they were on this crazy pendulum, swinging from one extreme to the next. His legs shifted and he groaned a little. He wasn't sure how much more he could take of this.

He sat there for a while longer, enjoying the quiet and peace that came within those four walls. The small room was lit by one solitary candle and, if his legs hadn't been up to his hips in ice, he probably would have dozed off. He hadn't realised how tired he was until he had been forced to cut morning practise a little short and Phichit had been so worried about him the entire time, he had stopped asking him questions about what happened in the ring, even though Yuuri knew he was dying to know. Phichit had instead spent the whole time fussing over him like a mother cat with her newborn kitten, stopping constantly for breaks and vaguely threatening to get the nets out until Yuuri had shut that firmly down with a sharp glare. Yuuri had only been able to shake him off after promising him multiple times that he would spend the reminder of their day resting. Tonight was one of the rare nights they didn't have a show at all and Yuuri would have usually spent those nights getting more practise in but that definitely wasn't an option today.

He looked around lazily as he pondered what he would do with this new free time. He would probably just stay in here and relax until dinner, maybe plan out what he was going to work on tomorrow with Phichit. His eyes drifted over to his battered and much-loved volume of Victor's plays that sat on his table and he found himself smiling. He hadn't read any of them since meeting the real flesh-and-blood Victor. Maybe they would all feel different now that he had met the man behind the words…

There was a soft knock at the door and Yuuri abruptly sat up. He quickly went to rearrange his robe and he called out "Come in!" whilst trying to hook his legs out of the bath. He thought it was Phichit again, possibly there to offer him a hot drink or badger him for details about last night but when the door opened, he nearly slid off his chair in surprise.

"Victor…"

There he was, standing in the doorway, the light falling behind him like the softest of halos. His appearance was smoothed over and preened, like this morning had never happened, and Yuuri could only marvel as he stepped towards him. He looked flawless, his hair shining like starlight and his body draped in a fine grey suit that looked like it was trying to put all others to shame. He even had a top hat that he elegantly swept from his head and placed on the table directly behind Yuuri. As Victor leaned over, Yuuri could smell his expensive cologne and feel his other arm snake around his waist and pull him close. It was like Victor had invaded all his senses and it rendered him speechless.

"How are you darling?" He asked softly and Yuuri could have fainted at the gentle endearment. He shakily got to his feet and Victor took the opportunity to press him closer, nearly making Yuuri squeak in alarm. Victor's arms wrapped effortlessly around him, his hands splayed on his back and Yuuri found it all too easy to run his own along Victor's shoulders. They stayed like that for a moment before Victor pulled back and smiled at Yuuri's flustered face.

"You look surprised. Did you think I wasn't coming to see you?"

The lingering doubts Yuuri had had suddenly felt like a betrayal and he flushed guiltily. "I wasn't too sure. I know you're really busy…"

"Never too busy for you darling." Victor placed a tiny kiss on the corner of Yuuri's mouth. It was the quickest and most causal of kisses but it was enough to send him reeling. His brain was whirling like he had just been chucked into a set of spins on the trapeze and he felt himself leaning more into Victor's solid warm frame just to make sure he was still standing. Victor was overjoyed by this turn of events and Yuuri could feel him burying his face into the top of his head.

"Victor! What in the world will people think?" Yuuri glanced over his shoulder at where the door of his dressing room was wide open, like it was beckoning people in to see.

Victor laughed. "The only world I'm worried about is the one I have here in the palm of my hand." He cupped his hand under Yuuri's cheek, the tips of his fingers brushing his right cheek, and Yuuri's face suddenly felt so hot, he wondered how he didn't start smoking. However, seeing the worry in his eyes and wanting a bit of privacy himself, Victor's hand briefly disappeared as he swept back around and closed the door, leaving them alone in the dim cool space. The candlelight added an amber glow to Victor's skin, making him look like a marble statue come to life and as he took Yuuri back into his embrace, he couldn't help but think it was so unfair. How did he manage to look amazing under every light possible? He would have moaned about it more if Victor hadn't been holding him close and staring at him with such adoration, he could have melted.

"How was practise?" Victor asked casually as his fingers traced the line of Yuuri's spine and rested at his hips. In their embrace, Yuuri's robe had begun to come undone, revealing a thin but noticeable line of skin from his chest down to his stomach and Victor was trying desperately hard not to look. Instead, he was focusing on Yuuri's eyes. The candlelight had turned their coppery colour into blazing gold and it was all too easy for him to get lost in them. He was so lost that he nearly missed Yuuri's giggling response to his question.

"Practise was fine." He said with a teasing smile on his face that made Victor's heart do a cartwheel. "Did Ciao Ciao send you to make sure I was recovering?"

"No, not quite." Victor replied with a grin of his own. "But I'm sure he did say something about how late it started…"

"Well, who's fault is that?"

"I seem to recall you also fell asleep…." Victor couldn't resist letting his fingers dig once more into the black curls on the back of Yuuri's head and he delighted in the way the other man jumped at first at the touch but then leaned into it. "And you also never complained how late it was getting and how comfortable you found my shoulder…"

"Victorrrr!" Yuuri moaned embarrassed as he buried his head in Victor's chest to hide his face, muffling his voice with the fabric of Victor's suit. The tips of his ears were scarlet and Victor made a note of them as he chuckled and squeezed him tighter. That was another thing he could add to the extensive list of things he already knew about Yuuri and it made him want more. He had learnt so much about him last night and he wanted to know everything.

"Alright, maybe he did send me to check up on you. You know how he and Phichit worry."

"I do, I do." Yuuri admitted. He lifted his head up so his chin was resting on Victor's collarbone and he was so close, Victor could smell the soap he had used in his hair and feel the curls tickling his skin. Victor knew if he lowered his head just a little, their mouths would be touching and the urge to do so was strong but he resisted. He had something that he had to tell Yuuri and his chest felt like if he held it in any longer, he might burst.

"Actually, there was another reason I came to see you… I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Yuuri's eyes went wide and Victor was quick to reassure him.

"A good surprise, I promise. I know that I tried to surprise you before and it all went a bit wrong…" He paused as flashes of his parent's faces came to his mind and he scowled at the wall before he returned to Yuuri's curious doe-like gaze. "But this time, it's going to go perfectly."

He had to regretfully remove his hand from Yuuri's hair to plunge it into his pockets and when they emerged with two little slips of paper, he saw Yuuri's mouth fly open.

"Are those…" He was staring at the tiny rectangular scraps like they were made of gold and Victor beamed knowingly at the reaction. He fanned them out so Yuuri could clearly see the typed black letters punched into each one.

"Yes, they are. Front row seats to the concert of Miss Lilia Baranovskaya, the Russian Nightingale herself. Her show is tonight and we are going to see her."

"Victor… how did you get these?" Yuuri had heard of Lilia, everyone who had access to a newspaper had heard of the Russian opera singer who was said to be such a beautiful performer that Queen Victoria herself had thrown flowers at her feet. She had been performing across Europe for years and years and she had only just arrived in America for her first ever tour of the continent. Yuuri knew that Lilia's shows across the country had been sold out for weeks since she had announced her tour and tickets were as rare and precious as diamonds. He stared at them intently, like if his eyes left them, they might vanish, and he found himself almost reaching out to touch them, just to make sure they weren't an illusion. He looked up at Victor in astonishment, not realising quite how much delight Victor was getting from his stunned expression.

"Are you serious?" He whispered.

"I've never been more serious in my life." Victor gathered him into another hug and Yuuri barely felt it when he pressed another kiss onto his hairline. "There's no one else I'd rather go with."

"Victor…" Yuuri's face suddenly darkened. He couldn't stop the images of what had happened last night coming into his head and they made him sick to his stomach. The shock and disgust he had seen on the faces of Victor's parents, the hideous words that had stuck to his skin like slime and the panic he had felt when he ran away from them were still fresh wounds and the tickets all of a sudden felt like salt he was rubbing into them. How could he go back and enjoy the show if he was going to picture that in his head the whole time? He pulled away and tried to look anywhere but directly at Victor's face.

"That's very kind of you but I don't think I can go…" He said, closing his eyes so he didn't have to see Victor's crestfallen face. "After… what happened I don't think I can go back, I would be stared at the whole time and I'd ruin the show for you… you should find someone else that isn't going to make everyone whisper about you behind your back…"

"Yuuri surely you know I don't care about that." Yuuri's eyes opened as Victor's thumbs brushed at his cheekbones like falling feathers. He was holding his face in his hands like he was something unbelievably precious and it almost brought tears to his eyes. "I don't care a fig about what they think and if they are staring, I'm sure they're only going to be jealous that I have the best and most stunning companion a man could have."

Yuuri's response was to try and hide behind his hands but Victor's were in the way and his silver hair bobbed as he laughed. "No, I'm not letting you hide that beautiful face of yours…"

"You are insufferable." Yuuri groaned but that only earned him an even bigger smile.

"I do my best. And also, I have thought about this. I know you don't want to be the centre of attention which is why I had the best idea ever! The whole circus is going to come as well!"

"What?!" Yuuri just stared at the ecstatic face in front of him as his words slowly sunk in. "Everyone else is coming too?!"

"Yes!" Victor proudly declared. "I've already cleared it with Ciao Ciao. I got us all front row seats and since there isn't a show tonight, it doesn't affect the schedule. He should be telling everyone else right about now but I wanted to come and tell you personally."

"But… how did you manage to get that many tickets? That must have cost a fortune!"

"I have a few friends who worked to get Lilia's tour across the pond and they were more than happy to pay me back for a few favours they owe me…" Victor tried to smile mysteriously but it ended up just looking smug. "I also managed to dress it up as a bit of a publicity stunt, Ciao Ciao can't resist sticking it up to all the posh people who look down on his business… I've heard through the grapevine that a critic he's had problems with in the past is going to be there so he'll love the chance to rub all his success in his face. And I thought you'd be more comfortable with everyone else there with you… is that OK?"

"Is that OK?" Victor barely had time to react before Yuuri had leapt at him. He sprang up into the air and threw all four of his limbs around his torso, hugging him like he wanted to squeeze all the breath out of his lungs. Victor staggered back a little but he recovered just in time for Yuuri to turn his head and press their lips together. This kiss was far more determined and forceful than any they had shared the night before but Victor wasn't complaining. His hands went straight to Yuuri's hips to hold him there as he tilted his head and let Yuuri take the lead. He had only seen this impulsive, in control side of Yuuri when he had been performing and he was startled by how much of an effect it was having on him. He felt Yuuri open his mouth to slowly run his tongue along his bottom lip and he softly moaned. Suddenly all the effort he had put into securing all those tickets that morning was worth it a thousand times over, just for this.

His hands wandered down to Yuuri's rear as he could feel him starting to slip a little and that caused Yuuri to pull his head back and look down at him. His eyes were bright, his lips were a deeper shade of pink that almost matched his flushed cheeks and his breathing was ragged. His robe had slipped down his left shoulder and the fabric was gathered at his elbow. On catching Victor's hazy eyes, he went even pinker and a rush of apologies started pouring from his mouth.

"S-Sorry, I don't know what came over me, that was probably a bit too much…"

"Yuuri, never apologise for doing that." Victor hushed his spluttering words by pressing kisses to his jawline and neck that made him gasp. "Or else I'm going to spend the rest of my life apologising for what I want to do to you…"

"Victor!" Yuuri's face was red and he was trying to scramble down off of Victor but the other man had him so tightly in his clutches that he couldn't. His mouth was kissing trails down Yuuri's face and onto his neck and shoulder where his robe had fallen and every one seemed to set his skin alight. He bit his lip and a moan escaped as he felt Victor's lips drift across his collarbone and his hands went to his silver hair, stroking the silky strands away from his face. This distracted Victor long enough for him to look up and see just how wrecked he already looked and the sight rendered him breathless. The finest painter in the land couldn't have captured the burning look in those eyes, the way the colours in them kept shifting from a delicate hazel to a deep smoky bronze, and they held him completely in their power. He didn't move as Yuuri dipped his head and pressed his forehead against his, his eyes closing as it felt like time slowed down and embers cooled. Both of them stayed like that for a long moment that could have been an hour, just drinking in the others presence. Victor was holding up almost all of Yuuri's weight but he was so happy, he barely even felt it. Eventually, Yuuri pulled back and addressed him, uncurling his legs from Victor's middle with a light wince. He was probably going to regret that later but not right now.

"Victor, you have to leave, I need to get ready."

Victor looked down at his masterpiece with one shoulder and most of his chest exposed. "You can't just go like this?"

"Victor!"

"OK, OK!" Victor held his hands up in defeat as Yuuri elegantly dropped back down to the floor and pulled his robe back into place. "One more kiss before I go?"

Yuuri rolled his eyes. "OK, one more. But you're only getting one."

Victor didn't end up actually leaving for another ten minutes.

OOO

The atmosphere at the theatre that night was electrifying. There were so many people crowding the lobby that it felt like the whole city had come to see the Russian songbird and the air was humming with excitement. Tickets were clutched in eager hands as people were overly wary of pickpockets and it was clear that everyone had come wearing their best. The colours of the clothes and the shine of the jewels was dazzling and it would have felt more like the brightness of the circus if everyone there wasn't so conscious of who was wearing these brilliant garments. Everyone who was everyone was here and there was a nervous lump sitting in Yuuri's stomach like a stone as he walked back up a set of painfully familiar steps. The events of yesterday and what had happened here last time was making his heart pound and his skin cold with dread and, if he hadn't had both Victor and Phichit hemming him in from each side, he would have been very tempted to leave. He had thought of bolting several times already, his eyes darting around the crowd for an exit, but each time, he had caught a glimpse of Victor's face as he walked proudly beside him and that had made him stay. The last thing he wanted to do was appear ungrateful, particularly as he had put in so much effort to get them all here, and each time he saw the silver-haired man smile, his heart lifted out of his anxiety enough to keep the bad thoughts away. He felt Victor's hand slip easily into his, like he had done it a thousand times before, and he instinctively gave it a squeeze. If Victor was here, he could do this. He wasn't going to run away from him this time.

It helped that, as he was walking with Victor, he was very aware of all his friends at the circus surrounding him like a flock of flamingos, all as glowing and vibrant as the cream of society around them. They had also come in their best and as they moved through the theatre to get to their seats, they parted the crowd like the Red Sea. Even in this colourful crowd, they seemed to be the brightest. As Yuuri looked around, he could see the wonder in all their faces. Some of them still looked like they didn't believe it was real and Yuuri couldn't blame them. A few months ago, this would have been impossible and yet, here they were.

Yuuri's eyes went from one person to the next, drinking in the pleasure on their faces. Phichit had been so excited earlier that he had almost made himself hoarse with screaming and even now, he was bobbing a little in excitement as they walked. He had dressed in a formal version of one of his old costumes that Yuuri didn't know Seung-gil had made for him. It was red with a gold-patterned fabric on his shoulders and around his waist and there was more delicate gold stitched onto the button running down the front. Georgi had dressed in a simple dark blue suit but he still had the dark, dramatic make-up on from this morning and people were giving him alarmed looks as he walked past. Seung-gil was in a rainbow shirt that was so bright, it almost hurt to look at and Chris was in black shirt and trousers made of a sparkling mesh that seemed to balance on a tightrope between being decent and being naked in a public space. Yuri had shocked everyone by coming in a head-to-toe silver outfit with feather like ruffles on the shoulders. It had a silver cross design on the front and with his blonde hair loose, it made him look angelic. A few eyebrows had been raised when he walked out of his dressing room in it but nobody had dared to pass comment. Everyone wanted to get to the theatre without being maimed.

Ciao Ciao seemed to be having the most fun of the group as he led them through the crowd to their seats. He had chosen to provocatively wear his full ringmaster getup and his red and black coattails were vigorously swishing as he walked. He had gold trim pouring from his shoulders and a top hat above his ponytail. He had even brought his cane which he was using to full effect as he strode through the theatre like he owned the whole place. Yuuri had to smile. With the way he was acting, you would have thought he was the one who brought Lilia to America.

It was clear that not everyone was thrilled by their presence. Yuuri was alert to all the eyes they were drawing to them, all the whispers behind hands and the eyebrows shooting up to hairlines but he found he didn't care as much. Having his people around him felt like having a protective suit of armour and he found he was almost enjoying the attention all his friends were getting. It was like another performance, except this time, his feet were on the ground.

As the crowd drifted towards their seats, the whole circus delighted in being able to walk straight to the front. Yuuri caught several people staring in disbelief as they all sat down right in front of the stage and he privately delighted in it. Victor guided him to a seat in the middle of the row and sat down on his right, letting Phichit take Yuuri's left side. They were feet away from the great gilded stage and Yuuri felt Phichit shaking his arm as he pointed out various details of it in excitement. Victor watched the two of them with a grin as they took in their surroundings, both pairs of brown eyes wide as they took it all in. Yuuri in particular looked awed as he gaped at the big red curtain in front of them. It was so close, he felt like he could just reach out and touch it. The heavy red velvet was as vast as a sea stretched out across the whole stage and anxiety once again started creeping in as he fidgeted with the cuffs of his dark green suit. He hadn't wanted to wear the same thing again but Victor had insisted.

"If you don't wear it now, you'll never wear it again," He had declared, cutting off any of Yuuri's protests. "And that my dear, would be a crime."

Yuuri still hadn't been keen but Phichit had also firmly insisted just before they left and, if he were honest, he wasn't sure what else he would have worn. Still, his fingers were nervously clutching the fabric like it was suffocating him and he suddenly longed for the quiet of his dressing room. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea…

"Hey." Victor's voice suddenly cut through his buzzing thoughts and he turned to see the other man smiling warmly at him. "You're thinking too much."

Yuuri sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Only to everyone who knows you." Phichit chimed in and Yuuri groaned.

"Why do I suddenly feel ganged up on?"

Victor just laughed. "It's written all over your face darling. I know you do worry but we got further than last time, didn't we? And you don't have much longer to wait, the show is going to start soon…"

Victor then began to point out things around the theatre, little subtle signs he had learnt from years of playwriting and being in the theatre that meant the show was about to start. "The curtain is beginning to ripple, that means the stagehands are going crazy behind there trying to get everything just right before they open and you can just hear the men controlling the spotlights are getting into position back there. Really, it's just like the circus before a show starts, only we never have tigers to wrangle…"

Yuuri hung onto his every word and he could feel himself untensing, his body sinking into the plush velvet of the seat as he let himself relax. As the soothing words rolled over him, he kept his eyes firmly on Victor, not wanting to look around at Phichit. He knew his best friend's sharp ears had caught the affectionate name Victor had been calling him all day and he could already feel his eyes boring into the back of his head. He inwardly groaned. I am going to be hearing about this all day tomorrow at practise…

Just then, the lights went dim and the crowd hushed. Yuuri stared straight ahead as the curtain slowly rose and a single spotlight came to life, lighting up a single solitary spot on the empty expanse of the stage. A lone figure stepped into the light and Yuuri felt himself gasp. It was her. The Russian Nightingale herself.

There was silence other than the soft clicks of the singer's heels as she walked forwards, letting herself be engulfed by the light. She was tall and thin, with long bony arms that were gracefully posed by her sides and black hair pulled back tightly in a bun. Her face was more striking than beautiful, with very pronounced cheekbones and small eyes that seemed to look out over the audience with distain. She wore a flowing silver dress that sparkled in the spotlight like a diamond and a white fur shawl draped over her shoulders. On any other person, a dress like that would have swamped them completely but her presence was so commanding that it felt like nothing could overshadow it. Her reedy frame seemed to hold its own gravity and as she got into position, you could have heard a pin drop in the theatre. For a long moment, nobody moved. Then, with the smallest of coughs and an elegant sweep of her arms, Lilia Baranovskaya opened her mouth and started to sing.

And at once, Yuuri was lost.

He felt at once wrapped up in her song, like he had been taken prisoner by it but he didn't care in the slightest. She was singing in Russian, a language he had only caught fleeting words of but it didn't matter that he didn't understand. He didn't need to speak the language to feel the emotion of the music, to know just how good of a singer she was. Her voice was so powerful, yet so fragile, like glass teetering on the edge of breaking and, as more lights appeared on the stage, an orchestra was revealed behind her, adding to the swell of the emotion with their instruments. Yuuri was unable to peel his eyes away from the stage, eagerly leaning forward like the music would be sweeter the closer he was to it. He was so engrossed that he didn't notice that Victor's eyes weren't on the stage at all.

Victor could only smile as he was entranced by the expression on Yuuri's face. He was looking up at the stage in such awe that a god could have been standing there and his smile was so bright, Victor almost wondered how more people hadn't torn their eyes from the stage to gaze at it. He wished to find something to compare it to but to pit it against something else would have been unfair, like comparing a single jewel to a star.

In his trance, he almost missed the deliberate cough that came from behind him. He slightly angled his head and, in the darkness of the theatre, he could just about make out an angry face glaring at him, with eyes burning like hot coals. The man may have been halfway across the theatre but he knew those eyes in an instant.

Well, well, he thought. I didn't know Father was into opera.

He turned to face the front again but now he had seen those eyes, he could feel them burning into the back of his head. Before, he might have been unnerved but he found, to his surprise, he didn't feel anything at all. He didn't care that his father was there, emitting disapproval like a toxic gas, and his smile grew wider. He felt like he had been freed from chains that he had never realised were there and the euphoria made him bold. As Yuuri looked up enraptured at the stage, Victor wriggled closer to him in his seat, letting their shoulders touch. Then, as Yuuri continued not to notice him, he raised his arm and smoothly slid it across the top of Yuuri's seat, letting his hand rest on Yuuri's left shoulder.

That got the other man's attention and Yuuri's head swivelled to look at him in shock. His cheeks were red as he hurriedly looked around and then he leaned into Victor to whisper in his ear.

"Victor… what if people see?"

Victor looked deep into his brown eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Who cares?"

Yuuri still looked nervous but, after looked around again, he seemed to come to a decision as he let himself smile again and lean back in his chair, snuggling into Victor's side.

"OK then." He murmured and Victor felt his heart leap in his chest. "Are you enjoying the show?"

Victor looked at the man in his arms and nodded. "Yes. It's just perfect."