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“Yeah, don’t get the wrong idea. This is an engagement ring. We’ll get married once he wins a gold medal. Right, Yuri?”
Katsuki Yuri was an absolute fool. What had he even been thinking? Sure, Victor had been sending mixed signals constantly throughout the entire time they had known each other, but Yuri had meant to clear them up, not make it even worse. Last night, he had told Victor he wanted to ‘end this’, without any further clarification, and Victor had cried. Yuri was talking about the coaching relationship, but did Victor see it that way? He didn’t know what was real, and what wasn’t. Victor had said they were engagement rings, but that was exactly the kind of thing he would joke about. And… Yuri hadn’t meant it that way! But-
There was only one choice remaining. Before Victor left, before they became nothing but competitors, thriving in the challenge each other posed, Yuri needed to talk to him. To talk, to get answers, and to find out what was real. That was how he ended up running along the waterside in Barcelona, across the bridge and to the last place he could think of, chasing after the man who had come to mean the world to him in more ways than he expected. To find him, to say something, to try and do things right. Because regardless of how Victor truly felt, this was real to him.
And there he was. Standing, staring out over the water and looking sad. It wasn’t the expression of his face that others saw - no, they would see him smiling or looking thoughtful, but Yuri knew. Victor was sad, and it was his fault. Victor wasn’t even alone. Yurio was there too, looking expectantly in his direction. Were they… waiting for him? Yuri had expected, after what he had said, that Victor would leave straight away - to go train for the next competition. And Yurio? What reason did he have to be here? No, that didn’t matter. Right now, Yurio didn’t matter.
“Victor!” Yuri called out, running closer as fast as he could.
“Yuri!” Victor returned his call, waving with a smile that Yuri could only call fake.
Once Yuri arrived at their side, he needed a minute to catch his breath. Even if he was a professional figure skater, there was still such a thing as running too far. Once he had his composure back, Yuri cast a meaningful glance towards Yurio.
“Can we… can we have a moment?” Yuri asked, nowhere near emboldened enough to directly ask the Russian to leave. Still, Yurio got the message and turned to walk the other way without complaint. Yuri sent him a silent thought of thanks, and turned to look up at Victor.
Victor looked back down at him, and met his gaze. And it hurt. Those eyes carried too much - hurt, confusion, longing, all things that were because of Yuri. Because of what he had said. But how was he supposed to broach the topic? He wasn’t confident like Victor, or direct like Yurio. He was just a mess.
“So this is it. The end, right?” Victor asked, cold leaking through his usual cheerful demeanour. Even despite the challenge Yuri had been issued to become a five time champion like Victor, it didn’t actually mean Victor would still be his coach. No, Victor had thrown his hat in the ring, and Yuri had said they should end things.
“No- I mean, does it have to be?” Yuri managed, stumbling through his words, far too many trying to break free all at once.
Victor turned away to look back at the ocean. Yuri didn’t miss the way he fidgeted with the gold ring on his finger. “I want to see you win gold next time, I do. But I’ll be going for gold as well, so I can’t help you.”
It hurt. It truly stung, the way Victor’s words felt so distant, so devoid of the usual energy. And Yuri didn’t know what to say to that. Because if he were being honest, he wanted that competition. And Victor was right, he couldn’t accept any more coaching from the man. Taking first place in the coming competitions had to be something he did on his own, or with a new coach, or it wouldn’t mean anything anymore. Yuri always wanted to skate for Victor, and alongside Victor, and that hadn’t changed. So he couldn’t talk about that. No, he had to just go for it, and ask what he had run all this way for.
“Did you really mean it?”
Victor looked back at him, eyebrows knitted in obvious confusion. Of course - once again, Yuri hadn’t been specific. Quickly, before things could get out of hand again, Yuri added the rest of his question. “The rings, marriage, did you… did you mean it?”
The man blinked, a dusting of pink covering his cheeks. “I… yes?”
As though it was obvious. Even after the kiss, Yuri couldn’t tell if Victor’s advances were genuine, or if that was just how he was. Yuri had given in, and allowed himself to selfishly enjoy all those tender moments, thinking the whole time that for Victor it was just a game, just how he made his relationships with others more fun. And that had been okay, because for Yuri, it was better than nothing. And he had expected nothing.
“Truly?” Yuri questioned, not quite able to believe that it was true. He had always just taken what people said to him at face value, his whole life until he met Victor. And then Victor had been different, had been intimate in a way he never expected, and he just assumed Victor hadn’t meant any of it. Why him? Yuri wasn’t special, he wasn’t deserving of Victor’s actual love.
“Do not mess with my fragile heart like this anymore, Yuri,” Victor said softly, once again gazing out at the sea, looking away as though to protect himself. This time, his words didn’t have their usual playful mask. They felt vulnerable, and pained, and real. “You are the one who said we should end things.”
“I didn’t mean that, I meant the coaching!” Yuri shouted, without having noticed how his voice raised.
Once again, Victor turned back to stare at him, this time his eyes filled with hope. And like before, Yuri felt compelled to assume none of this was real. How could he have such power over Victor’s composure, which was so clearly melting away before him. There was only one thing left to do now, and Yuri’s mouth began running before he could even consider the idea of just shutting the hell up so that he didn’t make things worse again.
“When we got the rings- when you told the others we were engaged, I didn’t… Isn’t that the kind of thing people are supposed to talk about? I thought you were just trying to tease me in front of the others. I had only meant the rings to be a promise! About skating! And then-”
A hand touched Yuri’s cheek, fingers gently stroking down to his chin. And they were getting wet, from the tears that had already started spilling from Yuri’s eyes. He looked up, and felt his insides go completely soft. Victor was smiling again, and this time it was real. He looked a little amused, even? But more importantly that hidden shard of sadness was gone.
“Yuri, listen to me. Before I saw that video of you, I was lost and disillusioned. I had won too many times. My one great love in life had become boring, and I couldn’t see the point anymore. And then I saw you, and thought that maybe I could become a coach instead, and take joy in bringing out your potential. If I’m being honest, I hadn’t expected you to be the second great love in my life. Please believe me when I say this, Yuri. I love you. I know what I’m like, and it hurts to think that you didn’t realise I meant every word and every action. You are the most amazing person I’ve ever met, and when I put that ring on your finger it was because I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Answer this one question for me, Yuri. What do you want? Not Yuri the skater, Yuri the person.”
The words came right out, without any hesitation, without any of Yuri’s usual anxiety. “I want you.”
Normally, when saying like that, Yuri would have been overcome with overwhelming embarrassment. But not this time. No, the words only brought him comfort. Comfort that was heightened by Victor’s arms wrapping around him, putting him exactly where he was meant to be. A small voice in the back of his mind told Yuri to pinch himself, to prove this wasn’t just a dream, but for once he didn’t need to. This was real.
“Then that settles it!” Victor exclaimed, grinning. “But I still won’t marry you until you beat me for gold in a championship!”
Yuri laughed, and leaned his head into Victor’s shoulder, allowing himself to be held by the man he loved; by the man who loved him.