Victor's Birthday-eve! He's getting WHAT kind of present!?

It was the day before Japanese Nationals would start...and it was also December 25th.

Despite the previous night's awkward air, Yuri had eventually settled down, and by the time his alarm went off, the only uncomfortable thing that lingered was the soreness in his legs. He roused quietly, and gently slid through Victor's arms to find his phone, and cut off the alarm before it could even sound. He set the device down again and looked around the room; it was cast over with a dull blue hue of the early just-after-dawn light. The window behind their big shared bed was still open, and a few lights could be seen through the thin tree branches outside. Makkachin snoozed in the crook of Victor's legs, head nestled right at the inside corner of bent knees, tongue-tip sticking out as the pup breathed softly in sleep. Victor himself lay on his right side, left arm still clasped lightly to Yuri's waist, silver hair spread over the curves of a plush pillow. His bare skin was white in the morning haze, but still warm to the touch even where it was exposed to the cool air.

Yuri looked on in wonder for a moment, ...We've been waking up next to each other like this for nearly two weeks, and I still get a flutter when I come to, seeing him there, he thought. He could feel his heart skip a beat then though, and his cheeks and ears got a red touch to them as he clutched at his chest with one hand, I'm so embarrassed about yesterday... He got so close to- His eyes flinched and went wide, and the red color on his skin faded as all the blood drained from his head. He looked down slightly, blanched, and looked away again, feeling himself slightly trembling, Of course it happens now, of all the times...

Victor stirred slightly, arms reaching forward to seek for the warmth of a distant body. Yuri was quick to resume his prior closeness, but this time twisted around so wandering hands wouldn't chance upon an unfortunate circumstance. He flipped entirely over, and sat sideways against his partner's hips, leaning down to nudge the man onto his back so he could rest against the silver's chest. Victor was easy to persuade, and rolled to his back without so much as a mumble, but breathed a bit more deeply than before until he was settled again. Yuri could feel his heart pounding, but didn't speak, and carefully set his arms on either of the man's sides in a half-hug, and lowered his head down to that pale, warm skin. Victor's heart beat much slower than his own, blissfully unaware of Yuri's predicament.

He won't find it here, not like this...not unless he goes after it on purpose...which I know he wouldn't... Not after yesterday...

For a little while, Yuri laid there contentedly, feeling his anxiety subside with each quietly passing minute. It was even better when Victor's sleepy arms came up around his back and held him there in return. The cozy haze of their morning snooze couldn't last forever though, and when Yuri felt a hand go up to pet through his hair, fingers preening idly, he knew his fiancé was at least somewhat lucid. Yuri dared not move though; he didn't want the moment to end.

"Mnn...morning..." The Russian mumbled quietly.

"H-hey."

"How are your legs? You went pretty hard on those quads yesterday...they must feel like jelly now." Victor wondered, cracking one eye open to look at the top of his partner's head.

"Not sure if they're jelly...but they are pretty sore." Yuri answered, turning to look up slightly, "I should've used the roller before we left the Ice Castle."

"I can knead them out, if you want." The silver offered, sliding one hand off his partner's back and down his side, until he found one thigh, and glided his fingers and palm over the outside edge of it before letting his arm rest across the length of it, "Like a massage."

Yuri was practically glowing red, "N-no no, that's totally fine, I'm sure it'll get better as I walk around!"

Victor gave a tired but perplexed look, cocking his head slightly in the pillow like a confused dog. He could tell something was off, but wasn't sure what, and resigned instead to try and dissuade his fiancé's nervous candor, "I give really good massages." He pointed out, speaking more normally, "There's no need to suffer in silence. I'd really like to..."

Under absolutely any other circumstances, I'd let him do it in a second...! Yuri thought in a panic, feeling the nervous sweat starting to bead on his skin, He knows this isn't normal! He can sense I'm not right!

"You could do like the other night when you sat astride my lap," Victor suggested coyly, "Then you can watch me." He raised his right hand up, "Scout's honor, no hanky-panky."

Yuri was screaming in his head, the urgent need to feel those hands rub out the agonizing soreness in his legs getting the better of his fear. With a barely-audible whine, he pushed up from his warm spot and quickly snapped-up a pillow, making sure to keep it in front of himself as he tossed one leg across his partner's hips. Maybe unconsciously, or maybe entirely aware, Yuri sat slightly lower on Victor's legs than he had before, making sure there was no chance at all that he could inadvertently sit on anything that could give him away...or even crazier, give Victor away.

I-I've never seen him aroused before...I don't think my brain could handle it right now... I don't want to know... Yuri thought tortuously, twitching as he felt those hands press to the tops of his knees, then slide up against the length of his thighs. With just his jet-black underpants on, those hands slid against bare skin, and the peach-fuzz that covered it. Fingers worked at those sore muscles eagerly, but carefully, pressing thumbs into flesh as palms grabbed the rest, gently working towards the knees again. There was an odd mixture of pain within the pleasure, enjoying every squeeze of those hands in principle, but wincing slightly from the ache of his overdoing it on the ice. Yuri hugged the pillow against his chest and stomach, eyes clenching slightly with every new rub of pressure.

"The tops of your thighs are probably the worst," Victor pointed out gently, getting to the knots he felt in his partner's quads, then slowly started making his way upwards again, this time with thumbs slightly more against the inner thigh than the upper part of it, "And here..."

"M-mh..." Yuri affirmed stiffly, feeling every circular press making its way higher and higher on his legs. When they passed the half-way point towards his hip, Yuri's legs pinched inward slightly in a tense twitch, Oh jeeze, this is just making it worse...!

"You okay?" Victor wondered, brow furrowed though his tone teasing, "Am I pressing too hard?" He asked, eyeballing the pillow, And why do you have that thing anyway?

"No-oo...you're d-doing fine..." The younger figure answered breathlessly, eyebrows scrunched with anxious worry.

"You're hugging that pillow awfully tightly." The silver said, lifting one hand to poke a finger against the middle of the fluff, "I can barely see you. You've got the high-ground advantage..."

One eye crept open, and Yuri looked down over the edge of the puff to see Victor there looking back up at him. It only took a few seconds before he drooped his brow against the fabric and whined, "I'm so-sorry... I just... I'm-"

"Is there some problem? You don't look bruised...but you're wincing..."

"It's...not that bad... I l-like what you're doing..."

"Then...?" Victor asked, suspecting at this point but not wanting to be point-blank about it. He dared to lower his pillow-poking hand back down to the thigh it had abandoned, but was purposeful in his placement, settling it quite high, so his thumb could press to the inner side of the pillow's frame. He felt another pinch of those legs around him, and he finally caught sight of the bright red color on his fiancé's cheeks. His expression softened and Victor smiled, "Yuri, let me help you..."

That whole embarrassed face came looking over the crest of the pillow, but Yuri couldn't even breathe, "V-Victor-"

"It's perfectly normal. It happens most mornings, nearly all." He explained, speaking for himself then, "I don't want you to get used to the idea of feeling afraid when this happens."

Yuri could only bury his face then, hugging the pillow harder as he whined loudly, muffled only by the fluff.

"I'll use just my hands, and I won't look." The silver offered, "The first time is always the scariest, but I assure you...you're safe."

Another few tense seconds passed as those words rattled around in Yuri's head, but the longer he dwelled, the more obvious the pressure felt; the throb was starting to get a bit painful. His body was absolutely desperate for those hands to touch and slide, to hold and squeeze; phantom fingers were already wrapped around it, offering the sweet promise of relief. Yuri grunted a nervous breath, and felt his head jerk through a worried nod. The response was tender but immediate, and those thumbs began moving under the very edge of the pillow's mass.

They just teased at first, making sure that Yuri knew every millimeter they advanced. Hands moved forward, almost crawling up the front of the younger man's bare stomach, wrists suspending the pillow as they closed together, slowly and carefully finding the target of their sightless search. It was hot to the touch, stiff and straight, and almost quivering in its tense hardness. The wet feeling Victor had noted the previous afternoon was more obvious now; it was warm and slippery, and dripped down from higher up. He wasted no time finding its source, and heard Yuri gasp out a surprised squeak as fingers wrapped around, and one thumb pressed upward against prominent ridges of the slick tip. Legs squeezed tighter, but then resigned to nervous shivering with the occasional twitch. Victor carefully, but expertly worked that length of supremely aroused flesh, using every drop of that slippery fluid to his advantage. Not surprisingly though, Yuri was put to the edge within seconds of starting, the sensation of foreign fingers around him being overwhelming. Victor rose up to sit, squashing that pillow between them as his hands kept at their business. He didn't dare speak; he just let Yuri feel everything. He nudged in close to the younger man's face, nosing at one cheek, hoping he could coax those lips up...and to his joy, found them soon after.

Though Yuri still clutched to that pillow-anchor like he'd be launched into low-orbit if he lost it, he longed for a kiss as well, and he dared to give himself enough clearance from the fabric to find those warm touches. Noses slipped past one another softly, and lips met softly, fingers continuing their slick strokes, gentle twists, and subtle squeezes. Keeping his arms around the pillow soon felt too claustrophobic, and Yuri released it one side at a time, sliding his hands up over his partner's shoulders until he could hug the man close. That immediately put him over the edge, and Yuri soon found himself grunting a quiet gasp against his fiancé's lips, feeling the hot liquid spurt forth from his aroused flesh. The pulse of it sent shockwaves through him, unlike anything he'd ever felt before, and he partly collapsed against Victor's shoulder to catch his breath, legs twitching where they pressed to the man's hips.

Mercifully, Victor didn't tarnish the moment by teasing the question of whether Yuri felt better now than before. He just listened to those relieved heaves for breath, and felt the tremble of that thin body where it was wrapped around him, even in spite of the pillow still between their chests. It took all of Yuri's remaining strength to not just drop down to his back; he let himself slowly lower down, holding to those broad shoulders as he went down, letting go only once he could feel the comforter against his skin. Makkachin lifted his head slightly, seeming to have been oblivious to all the movement, and blinked slow without really opening his eyes all that far. Yuri twisted slightly so he wouldn't lie right on top of the poodle, but let his right arm curl back to rest against the canine's fuzzy brown frame.

Knees pinched together to make sure that pillow didn't go anywhere, but Victor didn't let that get in his way. His hands were still adamantly attached to that length of flesh beyond his sights, feeling every pulse of release that went through it. Every gasped breath was music to his ears, and he leaned forward to kiss each knee.

It was Yuri then who broke the silence, "...Y-yeah...I'm throwing this pillow-case away..."

Victor couldn't help but laugh.

.

Yuri did his best to perfect the quad Flip, still desperately wanting the 3+ GOE modifier on his score-card. The more he did it, the better he felt about the whole thing...and soon, he was landing it without the slightest wobble in his landing blade.

"You have enough stamina to do four quads in the GPF Free Skate..." Victor noted, watching him from the center of the rink, still looking aglow with satisfaction from the morning, "Watching you here in practice...I think you could easily have six at Nationals."

"W-What!?" Yuri balked, "Six quads in one program!? That's two more than you've ever done! Only JJ was ever insane enough to set that bar and even he messed it up in the end."

"You have more stamina than I do, and more sense than he has." Victor answered with a smile. He skated a slow circle around his partner, blades pointed sideways in a lazy, wide, inside spread-Eagle, "Do 'Aria' for me. You remember how it goes, don't you?"

"How could I forget?" Yuri wondered sarcastically; he measured the strength left in his legs, and resolved to try it despite himself. Victor gestured to the center of the rink, and Yuri moved into position, drawing a deep breath as he arrived in the middle of the Ice Castle logo. He closed his eyes, and tilted his face down, setting one toe-pick behind the opposite heel. He drew in a second, slower breath to compose himself, trying to remember how the music began...and slowly, quietly heard it playing in his mind, like it was playing in a cave far away...echoing in his head.

He raised his eyes, then his right hand beside it, and dipped to the left to begin the dance.

Victor watched in silence, sliding along the ice to keep close without interfering. After Yuri cleared the quad Lutz, Victor found himself twitching at the same moment, as though his body had intended to jump as well, with only his coach's mind reminding him not to. He watched a moment longer though, and with the quad Flip cleared as well, Victor started to skate a little faster. Yuri was caught off guard as he skated past, only to find him joining the dance, moving in time a slight distance away, like so many practices of 'Eros' and 'Yuri on Ice.'

Yuri could tell the cogs were moving in Victor's brain, and continued on with the program without saying anything. By the time they were done, he was too tired to comment anyway. He finished the final scratch spin, raised his crossed-arms above shoulder level to enter the final pose, and quickly slumped to sit on the ice. He gasped for breath, and rocked back on his skates to lie down. His legs trembled, and he felt like his lungs would burst into flames, but behind his thrumming heartbeat, he could hear Victor laughing, and he turned his head around to look at man.

Victor was off in his own world though, looking at him and yet through him at the same time.

What are you thinking right now, I wonder?

"I just had this idea." The Russian said, as though he'd read Yuri's mind, "Stay here. I'll be back in 30 minutes."

"Huh?" Yuri blanched; he had no time to react, and watched - or rather, heard - as Victor's skates clacked along the ice to slide him to the rink's exit. There was nothing he could do but continue to heave breaths as he lay on the ice. Soon thereafter, he heard more skates on the ice, but this time, the face that looked down on him was Yuko's.

"You going to make it?" She teased, and offered her hand to help him up. Yuri took it and hobbled back to his blades.

"I've thought for a while that Victor's a slave-driver...but I didn't realize how true it was until just now..." He answered, only to suddenly spaz and look around, "Wait, where are your kids!? They're not recording me are they!?"

Yuko laughed, "They're not here right now." She thumbed towards the exit, "They went to video Victor riding off on his bike. I think they were yelling at him not to fall off since it's icy out. Where's he going anyway?"

"Not sure; he said he'd be back in half an hour though, so I'm sure we'll find out." He answered, rubbing the tingling sensation from his thighs before he started to slide around again. "Can you believe he just made me do like 15 quads in 10 minutes? And all that, after how hard we've been practicing since we got back from Barcelona...!"

"He only made you do the last four, technically...but you did it though." Yuko pointed out, "Last year you could only do the Flip and Lutz when almost no one was looking. Now look at you. You can land four of the five quads in competition, you're an international Silver medalist, you own the world record for the Men's Free Skate, and you're engaged to your childhood hero. Millions of women and men around the world are cursing your name right now."

Yuri blushed and looked away with a nervous smile, "You probably understand what this is like for me more than anyone, Yu-chan...how completely impossible and unbelievable it is."

"We both grew up practically worshiping the ice he skated on." She agreed, "You even got that poodle and named him Victor."

"Vic-chan..." Yuri repeated, suddenly finding himself feeling a slight pain in his throat at the memory of his dog. He skated over to the rink's edge where a water bottle was waiting for him, and took a drink to try and calm the cramping, "No one ever really asked why I screwed up so bad last year."

"I knew." Yuko said quietly, and reassured him we well as she could, "Your parents should've waited to tell you until after the Final was over. I guess they just..."

"...Didn't understand..." He finished. "Maybe they thought they were doing the right thing by telling me as soon as it happened. But...even before the Short Program, I was getting nervous. I binged on food like an idiot. The SP turned out okay in the end, but then finding out about Vic-chan... It was like I mentally forgot my routine... My body tried to compensate... I could hear myself screaming that I knew the moves, that I'd done them a thousand times...that I'd done them enough, and well enough, to be one of the Final Six, but all I could do was twist and flail and fall." He paused for a moment, "I talked to them on the phone after my last event. They told me there had been a public viewing and everything, but that...I'd just done so badly, no one wanted to look. I guess they were just trying to be honest, but they were so blunt...I couldn't take it. When I got home, I didn't even want to watch skating anymore. I was so ashamed that I skipped Victor's Free Skate at Worlds..."

"That's because you were here, doing it for yourself." Yuko smiled, "Then the video of it went viral, and then he saw it, and came to help you. He could see that you still had that fire of determination inside you that wanted to skate, and he came to fan those flames."

"That's basically what he said, too..." Yuri looked up and smiled, "For all the humiliation of those early days...I'm glad everything happened the way it did..."

It would still be a while before Victor would be back. The childhood skating-pair took to the ice and skated loosely, like they had back in their youth, not trying anything too adventurous. Yuri gushed about his experiences on the competition road, all the people he'd met and sights he'd seen, and Yuko drank it all in to live through him vicariously.

"And up next...St. Petersburg!" She finished.

"Yeah!" Yuri huffed a nervous breath, "It's still so hard to believe!"

And with that...the lights went out all at once, sending the entire arena into pitch darkness, their eyes slow to adjust.

Yuri was stunned. They could hear the sound of numerous little feet running around them, but said nothing even as he heard his friend calling out for her kids to turn the lights back on. They seemed to be running with purpose though.

"This is all really weird." He finally muttered, "What are you three fiendish skating-otaku doing?"

With that said, a spotlight finally cracked on above them, bearing down and searching the surface of the ice until finally coming to stop near one of the rink-wall doorways. Through the light, the duo could barely make out the darkened shadow of a tall figure. It was Victor...wearing a long-coat again, looking rather much like how he did while acting as a coach...except for his hair. It had been styled like he was about to do a show. The soft thump of his skates on the floor became clacks as they set down on the ice, and the light followed him a few feet before they both stopped.

Yuri's eyes squinted against the spotlight in the dark, "...Why are you being all mysterious?"

The Russian finally reached up to pull his coat off, slowly revealing a particular costume from a previous Grand Prix series. Black pants, black thumb-gloves, white shirt, golden cords across the front and on the left shoulder...and a translucent wine-pink coat, shining like stars in the night.

"...Victor..." Yuri was entirely perplexed, but in a good way. I've never actually gotten to see this costume up-close like this before... Why is he wearing it though...?

Yuko had her hands over her mouth and nose, trying to prevent a gush at the sight of the man.

"It's only appropriate that we do this properly, don't you think?" The Russian finally said, starting to skate towards his fiancé with the grace of an angel. He reached out his hands and gently touched Yuri's face as he passed, heading towards the center of the rink. A second and third light flashed on from above, and their beams converged on him as well, "I hope half an hour was enough time for you to recover." Victor mused, tossing the long-coat towards the rink wall as he took his position, "Ever since you told me about how Christmas in Japan is like a celebration for couples, I've been wracking my brain for what I could give you. I was really worried this day would come and go, and I'd have nothing to show for it. So...I'm so glad I got inspired, even if it was at the last second. Come, Yuri..." He said, and raised his hand out, just as he'd done in the onsen that first day, "Skate a duet with me."

Yuri was blank for a moment, but his eyes suddenly shone brightly and he nodded. He quickly pushed forward, looking back excitedly at Yuko before she turned and made her way to the wall. He felt that welcoming hand take hold of his own, and Victor pulled him close.

"Happy Couples Day, Yuri." He said quietly, and leaned down the small distance to find a kiss. Yuri's hands held to his waist, and he turned them around in place as the kiss went on happily. They only stopped when the sound of frantic camera clicks and fangirlish screaming echoed from all sides, and the two nervously laughed, knowing all-too-well that those photos would be going online by the end of the hour. Victor shook his head and smiled, but turned away from his fiancé to wave to the walls, "Girls! Focus!" He called, and the shrieking immediately stopped, followed by a trifecta of apologies from the dark. Blue eyes then turned back to Yuri, and he smiled, "Let's take position."

Yuri could only wonder how Victor had made such elaborate plans on such short notice, but remembering that Yuko had said her triplets followed the man out had quickly answered that question. The music started to play loudly overhead, and Yuri lifted his head with the cue, feeling his heart trilling in his chest as he spotted Victor doing the same just beside him.

Sento una voce che piange lontano

(I hear a voice crying far away)

Anche tu, sei stato forse abbandonato?

(Have you been abandoned as well?)

In tandem, they landed the first of several quads; a Lutz, any semblance of their skate feeling like a regular practice was quickly out of Yuri's mind. The dark made the whole thing feel official - it felt like a real Exhibition - and Yuri steeled himself for the second side-by-side quad.

Orsù finisca presto questo calice di vino

(Come now, let's empty this glass of wine soon)

e inizio a prepararmi

(I'll start getting ready)

Yuri followed in swiftly, and heard Victor's toe-pick in time with his own. The pink and black blur spun around in the air next to him, and they landed that signature quad Flip together, gliding off perfectly.

Adesso fa' silenzio

(Now be silent)

Another jump. Their synchronization was perfection.

Con una spada vorrei tagliare quelle gole che cantano d'amore

(With a sword I wish I could cut those throats singing about love)

Camel spin.

Vorrei serrare nel gelo le mani che scrivono quei versi d'ardente passione

(I wish I could seal in the cold the hands that portray those verses of burning passion)

Flying sit-spin. They both had their left arms up above them as they turned.

Yuko watched in awe of it; she could imagine her girls were recording every second from all different sides of the darkened rink.

Yuri could almost hear the cheering of the crowd, and part of him stepped outside himself to watch the performance. For a moment, he felt like he could understand what Victor saw; ideas coming to life, inspiration becoming reality.

Questa storia che senso non ha

(This story that makes no sense)

The song got quieter after that, and they rose from the spin, reaching for the sky in longing, and turned backwards in a slow circle. There was a pause where they both stood still on the ice before using their toe-picks to push off, left arms out, reaching for something intangible on the horizon.

Svanirà questa notte assieme alle stelle

(Will vanish tonight along with the stars)

They followed it with an inside spread-eagle, and moved off to build up speed again.

Se potessi vederti dalla speranza nascerà l'eternita

(If I could see you from hope eternity will be born)

Quadruple Salchow. The music was about to enter a new crescendo, rising up with power that could be felt in their bones. More than all that, though...Yuri could really see what the music meant to Victor now. It wasn't just a tease at his legions of fans anymore, nor just words, spoken on the edge of tears while sitting in the onsen...

It was their song.

Stammi vicino, non te ne andare

(Stay close to me, don't go)

Ho paura di perderti

(I'm afraid of losing you)

Step sequence.

Le tue mani, le tue gambe,

(Your hands, your legs,)

le mie mani, le mie gambe,

(My hands, my legs,)

e i battiti del cuore

(The heartbeats)

si fondono tra loro

(Are fusing together)

Triple Lutz.

Triple Flip.

Partiamo insieme

(Let's leave together)

Quadruple toe-loop, triple toe-loop combo, then the final combination spin, and as the last line of the song was sung, drums banged loudly like thunder overhead.

Ora sono pronto

(Now I'm ready)

Yuko had watched it all, and was mesmerized by them. She could already sense that this impromptu performance would probably go viral, maybe even moreso than when it had just been Yuri the year before. But for once, that probably wouldn't be such a bad thing. Yuri had gotten used to the idea of having eyes and lights on him from the competition circuit, and with Victor already there, it would probably even make him happy to see their skate seen by so many.

It's like this whole thing has come full-circle for you, Yuri... She thought, smiling fondly at the pair, You skated this alone before, but now, you're getting to skate it here together.

The final few scratch-spins brought the pair back to their feet, and they rose into the final pose with their arms crossed, hands on opposite shoulders, elbows raised high. Slowly, the song faded out, and Yuri panted heavily as he stood there, his legs threatening to give under him again; they felt like jelly under him. He forgot about them though as the lights started to come on around them, one section at a time, and he saw Victor skate past...no, around him; circling several times, clapping happily as he went.

"That was just like I'd hoped." The thrilled Russian finally said through panted breaths, "I think we can work with it."

"Why do I get this weird feeling you're plotting something?" Yuri wondered aloud finally, and wiped the sweat from his face with the sleeve of his right arm. Again, he flopped onto the ice to sit, and leaned back on his hands as Victor continued to skate wide circles around him.

It didn't last long though, as the silver-haired man skated straight at him, and scooped him up by his arms, dragging him along the ice until he managed to get his skates back under him.

"Victor, what are you-"

"Pair skating." He finally said.

Yuko's eyes went wide and she gaped at the duo.

"P-Pair what?"

"The two of us, skating together. Not just a solo program with both of us on the ice at the same time like a second ago, but one program featuring the both of us. I thought I'd see how it felt in the best way I knew how."

"...But I thought you meant my five World Championships would be in Singles...?" Yuri was perplexed, trying to go along with Victor's moves but terrified he might just trip them both up with one wrong twist of his blades. He'd never seen Victor fall on the ice and he wasn't about the be the reason it happened now, "I don't think the ISU would let two guys join the Pairs bracket anyway...all the rules are for a man and woman..."

"I've got my eye on an Exhibition Gala. Something unofficial, something that isn't being graded or scored. An announcement performance, to give people a taste of things to come since I'm not going to Nationals or Euros after all." Victor repositioned Yuri in front of himself, spun him 'round to put them chest to chest, one hand on his partner's hip as he held Yuri's left hand out ahead of them, and they slid across the ice in wide arcs, as though skating a waltz, "Are you up to it?"

Yuri's legs finally gave out and he dripped like water from Victor's arms, splaying out on the ice, face-down in a nervous sweat. He hated not being able to answer right away, but he hated even more the thought that he'd say something he'd regret when he was so tired.

Victor went down on one knee and poked him, "Yuri...?"

"My heart...can't take it..."

"Yuri!" Yuko called out. She hopped back onto the ice and slid over to him with his water bottle, and handed it over to the Russian's waiting hand. Together, they flipped the young figure-skater over to sit him up straight, and Victor poured some of the water over his partner's head.

"Have I finally found the limits of your boundless stamina?"

Yuri pushed his messy wet hair back with one hand and shuddered under the cold, "Oh yeah...a while ago...! I don't think I have bones below the waist right now...it's all jelly..."

His partner could only smile, always enjoying the sight of Yuri's eyes coming up to meet his, "I've pushed you to the edge today, I know. Forgive me. You surprise me every day." Victor rose to stand again, and held his hands out to pick his fiancé back up off the ice.

When they'd finally managed to change and get ready to leave, Victor found himself having to carry Yuri on his back. The youth's legs were really a ruin by that point. He could feel them trembling where he held them up against his sides, with Yuri's arms dangling over his shoulders, hanging in front of his chest.

Yuri turned his head from the road to look out over the water, seeing the sun starting to set at the horizon.

"Things will be ready in St. Petersburg by the time we're done with Nationals." Victor suddenly mentioned, bringing his fiancé's attention back around, "I know you've been wondering about it."

"I'd started to think you'd forgotten. You haven't spoke a word about it since we got back..."

"There's been a lot to do." Victor confessed, "I didn't want to bore you with the details."

It piqued Yuri's interest though to think that it would take a week to get ready for a simple move, "What're you having done out there? It's not like my whole family's moving with me."

"Oh, plenty of things, don't worry. You'll find out soon enough."

"Victooooor!"

"I only just decided on the last details today. Besides, I didn't want to leave Yu-Topia too quickly. Once we leave, we won't be able to visit anymore hot-springs until or unless we come back. As much as I want to get back on the ice back home, I want to enjoy the time I have left in Hasetsu, too. You own a little piece of paradise, you know? I like it here."

"...Paradise?" Yuri repeated. He lifted his head to look around, not really seeing it the way Victor did. "I've lived here my entire life. All I see is the same boring town that's almost never changed." He thought on it a moment, "Well, I guess it has a little; the train has a raised track now...but most of the changes happened only after you first showed up."

"Wow. Have I changed things that much?"

"I don't mean that the roads were repaved and the maps redrawn, but the energy here...it's different. People take interest now."

"The grand tour of Victor and Yuri on Ice."

"Maybe." He agreed quietly, blushing slightly at the nod to his previous program.

"This is your place, Yuri. Don't ever forget that. No matter how long you're gone or what changes before you return, this is always home." Victor said pointedly, and shuffled a little to get him in a higher spot on his back, "I've just touched it a little bit, that's all. Just like I've touched a little bit of you...or at least tried to." He quipped, and flicked his head back a little to nudge the man.

Yuri blinked, puzzled, but then the memory of their attempt at Movie Night was at the front of his mind, "I'msorryI'msorry..."

Victor could only laugh though, "Don't worry so much. We've only been officially engaged for a bit less than two weeks. I'm content with where we're at right now."

Still, Yuri kept his face hidden, "I'm holding you back."

"Nonsense." Victor huffed, "We'll eventually look back on these days with fondness, and be glad that we took the time to figure things out. For me, this is just the natural next step in helping you build confidence; that's actually part of why I asked you to skate 'Eros,' even though Yurio was asking for it. I don't know that you would've ever come out of your shell if I'd let you do 'Agape' instead." The Russian said, looking back over his shoulder again, and watched how Yuri was contemplating his words.

Finally though, Yuri brought his arms up a bit and hugged closely to the back of his partner's head, "...Back then, when you asked me what I wanted you to be to me. You weren't just kidding around when you said you'd act like a boyfriend."

Victor huffed a laugh, "No way. After everything I've told you? That was no act. I was determined to seduce you, even if it took the better part of a year."

They arrived back at Yu-Topia a little while later, and true to Yuko's suspicions, video of Victor and Yuri's secret 'Aria: Stay Close To Me' performance was already online. Minako had practically run the pair of them over when they came through the dining area, holding her phone out with the recording playing as Victor let Yuri stand on his own feet again.

"I knew you were up to something when you barged in here and then took off again, Victor Nikiforov! You're going to break the internet if you keep this up!" She barked at them, "Look at this; there's already an account just for you two as a pair! See!?" She pointed at the username of the person who'd posted the video to begin with, "Victuri! They even combined your names like you're some kind of celebrity couple!"

"We are a celebrity couple." Victor happily stated, dutifully helping get his partner out of his heavy winter coat and scarf.

Yuri was doing all he could just to stay standing. His legs trembled beneath him, "That's probably Yu-chan's girls." He pointed out, "Victor had them help set the whole 'Aria' thing up. I didn't even know what was going on until it happened. Yu-chan probably got them their own account so they'd stop posting on hers."

Minako seemed to be, comically, on the verge of tears, and she wedged her way past Victor to cup Yuri's confused face in her hands, "You're growing up so fast all of a sudden. I remember when you were still a little boy in my ballet class-"

Victor mercifully pulled Yuri away, and started heading to the men's changing rooms with something of a penguin-waddle. Yuri's feet dragged between the Russian's, but Victor smiled anyway, "Growing up fast, and in dire need of a soak after all of today's hard work."

.

Back in Russia, Yurio saw the pair-skate video as well, reposted by Victor himself. He glared at the screen of his phone with an expression that couldn't decide if it was jealousy or rage. He didn't bother to throw the phone at the window this time though; he simply turned it off. His feline flufferbutt seemed grateful not to be woken up.

Snow was descending in sheets outside in the night.

Emerald-green eyes traced over to where his Grand Prix Gold medal hung with his historical trophies; there were boxes around him where he'd been unpacking.

'I'll win gold and prove to you that its owner is incompetent.' He recalled saying about Victor's ring, standing on that cold Barcelona pier.

It didn't even matter in the end. He decided to come back to competition before I even won the fucking thing, and then barely acknowledged that I'd won it at all, Yurio thought grimly, fingers clenched over his arms where he'd crossed them, "I broke your record, asshole, and all you do is slink back to Hasetsu with the piggy? Disgusting..."

.

Yuri and Victor both sneezed. Victor had already gotten settled into the onsen by then, but Yuri was still on the deck, and as he wrankled his nose to clear the itchy feeling, he couldn't help the feeling that another sneeze was coming, "I guess...someone's talking...about us." He managed, but the second sneeze came anyway, and Victor seemed to do the same.

"...Eh?" The Russian tilted his head slightly, and pressed the back of one hand against his nose, "What do you mean?"

"It's an old Japanese joke that if you sneeze for no reason, it's because someone's talking about you. We both sneezed at the same time, so it must be that someone's talking about us both." He explained, and slowly lowered down into the warmth of the spring, but then gave an uneasy smile as he waded closer, "...We sneezed twice each though, so it must be something bad."

"Psht," Victor scoffed, "Yakov, probably. Cursing us both for me not being in Moscow right now."

"...You're sure you're okay with this?" Yuri wondered, feeling the soft probe of fingers sliding between his own as he got closer, "You sounded so excited before, about coming back in time for Nationals..."

"My mouth often goes before my brain." Victor pointed out, tracing his fingers down each of his fiancé's arms, light as feathers, until he could cup them loosely around the back of his partner's head, and nosed him fondly, "You've seen that happen pretty often. Yakov knows it from a lifetime of experience."

Yuri nodded and smiled nervously, but the feeling of gentle pressure on his brow helped calm those anxious beans that lived inside him. He slid his hands forward and over his partner's shoulders, and closed his eyes, floating weightlessly in the mineral-rich spring. He could feel that Victor was slowly turning them in place, and his body curled and swayed in the subtle wake left behind.

Eventually they came to a stop on the rim of the spring, and Victor anchored his lower back to the edge of the underwater bench - just enough that they wouldn't float off again - and held his partner close. With his shoulders just above the water's surface, it made the perfect perch for Yuri's head, and the younger man slid partly off to the side, letting lean legs float beyond his knees. All was quiet in the onsen; peaceful, even. The bubbling of the fountains, and the subtle sway of bare winter tree-branches on the other side of the walls. It was sublime in its serenity.

Yuri felt the soreness in his overworked muscles melt away, and let himself have a moment to just be in the moment. The silky softness of Victor's arm where it curled around his back to hold him in place, the heat of the man's neck against his brow, and the fingers that wove together over his right hip. Yuri held to the Russian's frame lightly, suspended on the edge of one shoulder as his legs swayed with the subtle current, floating them above the pale legs beneath himself. Feeling a little brave, Yuri pulled his right hand back from where it was holding to his fiancé's shoulder, and slid it softly over his partner's chest, watching the warbled image of his fingers under the water as they treaded gently over every curve. Each side was meticulously charted in Yuri's mind, distorted as it was to his eyes by the ripples of the water. He felt everything though, one or two fingertips at a time, slowly moving up until he could feel the water cresting on his skin. He wondered if Victor was watching or just feeling him as he went, but was too wrapped up in his process to look. Warm water cooled and dripped from the heel of his hand, and his fingers traced up and across the ridges of each collar-bone, then back again, and up the Russian's neck.

"This is the first time you've taken a moment to really look me over without asking first," Victor teased quietly, lifting his chin up as those fingertips made their way up under his jaw, "I can only hope this means you're starting to get more comfortable with things."

"I spent my whole life thinking I was supposed to be with a girl eventually," Yuri pointed out, though keeping up his dawdling exploration of that neck, "...I almost feel like I have to figure out what a guy looks like up close. I want to take my time."

"Well, I do like to think I'm an acceptable specimen." The Russian teased.

"You're more than acceptable..." Yuri mused happily, moving his fingers aside to brush against those lips with his thumb, and moved his palm to rest against the side of his partner's neck, thumb sliding against the cheek, "You're perfect."

"Ah, pfft, next to you, I'm average."

Yuri blanched slightly and sat up normally, face red, "A-average!? Victor-"

The silver sighed a quiet laugh and lifted himself up onto the bench behind himself, but then lifted his eyes to the clear black sky, sparkling with stars. For a moment, he went quiet, cerebral even, but then relaxed slightly, keeping his eyes skybound, "When I told you that, for practically my whole life, I never thought I'd leave St. Petersburg...only to end up here in Hasetsu, and be reminded of home because of the seagulls...it made me realize that home can be anywhere, really. The sky looks the same here as it does there."

Listening quietly, Yuri was a bit perplexed, but lifted his eyes to the stars as well, hoping to glean something from his partner's words.

"It's just as vast, and endless to me as it is for everyone else." Victor went on, "And really, in the grand scheme of things, being what I am, who I am on this rock floating in space...what difference does it make? I'm a popular speck, on a rock...in a vast, cold, empty abyss. I want more than that... If I'm nothing but a speck, then I want to try and be as happy as I can be."

"If you're a speck, then I'm a speck, too." Yuri pointed out quietly.

"But to me, you're so much more than a speck." The ponderous silver corrected, turning back up to the heavens, "People have looked to the stars for millennia for guidance, admiring their beauty, and creating entire pantheons of gods, constellations, and legends from them... So much attention is focused on what's out there that we sometimes lose sight of what's important down here. Being back in St. Petersburg after Worlds last season, the sky was just empty and black. I was kind of forced to look around myself, to try and find value in what was closest, because pretty soon, no one would be looking up to me, the way we look to the stars. Then I saw the video of you doing 'Aria,' and suddenly, I had my own shining star to look at; brilliant, resplendent even."

Yuri turned his eyes down, and saw his rippling reflection in the water. He felt fingers thread around his hand, and then close around it, giving it a gentle squeeze; he returned it easily. Focused on the feeling of that warmth around him, Yuri looked up slightly, and saw those blue eyes on him. He couldn't help but utter a nervous laugh, "Is this your roundabout way of saying you think I'm hot?"

Viktor sputtered a laugh, and sat a bit more upright. He pulled his fiancé's hand out of the water and kissed those wet knuckles, "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Even in that video?"

"Yuri, I fell in love with you when you were stumbling drunk." The Russian pointed out, smiling wider at his partner's new embarrassment, "You are the most beautiful person in this world."

.

Passing the trash-bins on the way back from the Ice Castle made Yuri's glasses fog up, and he scuttled past them quickly, dragging Victor behind him by the hand. Makkachin had heard them coming and demanded to be let out, jumping through the sliding front door as Hiroko opened it for him. The poodle went bounding for his people, and happily jumped around them as they came closer to home. Once inside though, Yuri finally settled down, and Victor quietly snickered knowingly as he helped his partner get out of his winter garb.

"You boys were out pretty late," The Katsuki matriarch commented, "Are you all packed for the trip tomorrow?"

"I just have to grab my costumes," Yuri answered, trying to get his mind off of the embarrassing reminder, "I should probably go do that before I get too settled into winding down for the night."

"Go ahead." Victor offered, "I'm going to go soak for a bit. Come join me when you're done."

"Sure." Yuri nodded, about to step off, only to find a hand hook gently around his elbow to pull him back. Another hand went around the small of his back, and before he knew it, Victor had planted a kiss on his lips. He could feel his mother's sights on them, but the kiss was more important, and he let himself close his eyes for the seconds it lasted.

"Okay, now you can go." Victor mused, releasing his surprised fiancé...mostly. He still held onto a few fingers while he could.

Cheeks were red, but Yuri didn't dare look to his fawning mother; he just nodded and smiled as well as he could despite his nervous tummy-flutters, "I'll come down soon. Don't wait up for me."

.

Yuri pushed open the lid of his suitcase, set on the bed in his old room, and went over to his closet. His costumes were hanging there as they always had been, and he pulled them down, folded them over one arm...and spotted a familiar sight in their place.

Oh...it's all my old posters...

He put the two garment bags into his big rolling suitcase, and went back to the closet, lifting the stack to look at them after such a long time. He knew the details of each photo, almost as well as if he'd been there to take the pictures himself. Victor walking in a park, with that same puffy black jacket and grey sweatpants that he'd worn in Hasetsu. Victor sitting on a proverbial throne, decked out like a Victorian era rockstar..or maybe a subdued Anne Rice vampire. Victor in the black, leather-looking Short Program costume from the year before, with the chains that hung around his core. All of them.

"Yuri?"

He looked up and put the posters away quickly, spotting Victor there in his doorway, a towel over his head and that characteristic green spa-robe over his pale frame. He squashed the papers into the closet again and grabbed a few empty coat-hangers before he stepped out again, pushing the door closed with his heel as he went back to his suitcase, trying to look natural, "Oh, h-hey!" He stammered, dropping the load on top of his clothes.

"You never came down," Victor said, then blinked at him, "Do you need that many coat-hangers at Nationals...?"

"W-well...uhm, I mean...in St. Petersburg?"

"Oh... Okay." The Russian managed, "Don't take too long. We have to get up early for the movers tomorrow."

"They're not gonna be here that early..." Yuri said, and made a face.

"Anything earlier than 11am is early."

Brows were raised, but Yuri watched him leave the room again, and listened to the three or four steps it took to get to the banquet hall. He swallowed a breath of relief and looked back at his suitcase, took a mental tally of everything in it, and closed it, "...That should be all of it."

In his own room, Victor pulled the towel off his head, and stringy strands of damp steely hair stuck out in every direction. He shook the mess out, and ran his fingers through it like a comb, turning around just in time to spot Yuri pulling that big suitcase into the room, "Ah, got everything?"

"Think so." He answered, setting travel-case by the door, and pushed the sliding panel closed. He looked around the room as he approached the foot of the big bed to sit down, "It's really weird to think this is going to be our last night here."

Victor smiled, and went to sit beside him, "We've been abiding by this routine, in this place, for so long...even I'm starting to get anxious about going back to Russia again." He commented, and placed his palm over his fiancé's nearest thigh. He gave it a reassuring squeeze, as much for Yuri as for himself, "I know St. Petersburg really well though...I'll show you all the amazing things that are going on. This is a spectacular time of year to be all touristy out there. You'll see."

With a happy nod, Yuri put his own hand over the one pressed on his leg, turned to find a kiss, and pressed his brow to his partner's fondly, "I can't wait."

Victor smiled, and nuzzled adoringly for a moment before he pushed up from the bed to stand again. Hands went to the loose knot at his hip, and he peeled out of the resort robe, "I can still feel 'Aria' in my legs... I must've gotten out of shape being a coach these past months."

Yuri followed suit, undoing his own clothes as he moved to the other side of the bed, and pulled his arms from long sleeves, "You must have a great metabolism if you're still thin despite it all. Unlike me..." He huffed, and smacked both hands to his bare tummy, "I get fluffy if I even think about taking a break."

"I won't let that happen." The Russian reassured, folding the short pants to go with the jacket, and put them both onto the edge of the blue corner-sofa nearby, "We'll both get right to work when we get to my home rink, and push harder than ever to be ready for Four Continents and Worlds."

"You're sure they'll even let you go?" Yuri quipped, and slung his own clothes over the headboard on his side, "The RSF was pretty mad that you left in the first place."

"They'll forgive me. They always have." The silver answered with ease, "Even Yakov is warming up to me again. He only called me an idiot twice in his last email."

"...Only twice...?" Yuri gaped, finding it hard to believe that the two were all that close when Victor's coach was so vulgar with him.

"I wonder where Makkachin is?" The Russian suddenly asked, putting a finger on his lip as he looked towards the closed door.

"It's still pretty early, all things considered. He's probably still downstairs with Minako-sensei."

"Ah...yeah, you're probably right. Shouldn't leave the door open a crack so he can get in later then?"

Yuri watched the man go, words caught in his throat. The door shifted slightly to the side, only a few inches, enough for Makkachin the nudge his way through if he stuck his nose in, and Victor walked back to the bed.

Covers were pulled up, and lamps turned off on that side, and the exhausted five-time World Champion slithered into the coolness of the sheets with a happy shiver. Blue eyes turned, "What'er you waiting for? Come in~ I need a good cuddle before sleep."

"Oh..." Yuri muttered nervously. He pulled his eyes from the crack in the door and reached for the two long-necked lamps on his side of the bed, and pulled the blankets back...only to pause.

"What's the matter?"

He hesitated, but a flutter inside him made him go back towards the door, and he pushed it closed.

"...How's Makkachin gonna get in...?" Victor asked blankly, confused. He followed Yuri's footsteps back, but the man stood on his side rather than his own, and blue eyes looked up, "...You're acting weird suddenly."

"Uhm..." Yuri stammered, his face red despite there having been literally nothing obvious to inspire it.

Thoroughly perplexed, Victor pushed the blankets off his legs and pulled his knees up, and gestured through the open space, "...Are you trying a new path to your side...?"

The look on Yuri's face made it seem like his brain broke. He drew a breath in through his nose to gather his courage, and made a really weird face - probably one of determination - and he leaned down to grab the Russian by his shoulders, twisted him slightly, and leaned in to a less-than-graceful kiss.

Victor's eyes stayed open in confusion, even as he felt himself being pushed over. Yuri had managed to keep contact in that kiss as they tilted, but it felt incredibly awkward when the younger man tried to get on top of him, given that the rest of him was still twisted to face the foot of the bed. Though on his back, sort of, when Yuri started to lift off of him again, Victor tried to smile, but he could sense it wasn't convincing.

"...Jeeze, that didn't work out like I'd hoped at all..."

"Y-Yeah..." Victor stammered nervously, "I feel like you meant for that to go differently." He added, pushing up onto his elbows as Yuri moved to sit on the bed a small distance away, "...What were you...trying to do...?"

Hands went to cover Yuri's face, and he shook his head into his palms, skin glowing red under them, "I was...trying to give you a good birthday, Christmas, and Couple's Day present, but I...don't know what I'm doing..."

"Oh!" Victor realized loudly, only to feel relieved, and then elated, "That's so amazing~! Yuri~!" He cooed, leaning forward to wrap his arms around his partner's nearly-bare frame. He gave a bit of a seductive look then, and spoke tantalizingly close to one ear, "...Sorry, I probably could've helped that be less awkward. Let's try again."

Yuri blanched a bit behind his hands, but spread his fingers just as he felt his partner's words turn into a breathy nibble, and the arms that were wrapped around his small frame pulled him further onto the bed. His heart ramped up, and he could feel it fluttering in his chest as he was practically deposited onto the blankets, and Victor loomed over him, and the realization that something was going to happen made his coherence falter. All he could do was sputter his partner's name in confused protest.

"Relax; deep breath." Victor suggested through an endeared laugh, simply lying down next to the man, stroking his hand across that pale chest, "I think I kind-of understand what you were going for."

"Idon'tevenknowwhatIwasgoingfor!"

Victor puffed a laugh, "And that's okay, too. Just the idea that you were willing to try is incredible. When I said earlier that there's so much more we can do...I didn't think you'd be wanting to start so soon."

Yuri just breathed out an exasperated breath, brows furrowed in dubious reconsideration, "I j-just...r-reeeaaally liked..." He stammered, unsure how to finish without it sounding dumb, "...I liked...how you u-used y-your ha-"

"Oohhhh! I see~!" The silver said excitedly, hoping to ease those suddenly-frayed nervous, "Do you want to do more of that? I'd love to." He asked, spotting a timid nod, and leaned down the last inch or so to press into a new kiss. The hand he had on his partner's chest could feel the rise of a full-body clench, and the thrum of an anxious heart thumping away just below the skin. He held there though, offering light, gentle kisses, and innocuous strokes of his thumb over that bare skin, waiting patiently for his partner's anxiety to fall away. Kisses moved from lips to cheek, chin, and down Yuri's neck, walking a few nibbles down to the younger man's collar-bone.

He's been totally true to his word; why am I still so anxious...? Yuri thought, swallowing nervously as he wondered whether the Russian would go further this time. It almost wasn't a surprise when he felt those lips press down on the center of his chest, and felt the tickle of damp hair drag lightly across his skin where it was starting to collapse into its usual place over the man's left eye. He drew in a quick breath, but then realized it wasn't a scary feeling at all, and with the exhale, he let the rest of himself relax. He knew Victor could feel it; the nibbles on his skin began anew, and started to explore uncharted territory.

Victor followed those physical cues like a dance, knowing when he had to improvise and go off-plan. Muscles tensed as he neared the edge of his partner's chest, coming dangerously near to a pink spot that carried with it plenty of societal taboos, so he veered from it for the moment, and the tension faded again. He walked his kisses across the other side of his partner's chest instead then, and slowly made his way back up. By the time he'd reached his fiancé's lips again, he'd tilted himself slightly over, and pressed the front of his larger frame against Yuri's side. Like in Barcelona, he bent a knee over the man's legs, but unlike in Barcelona, where Yuri had stayed still throughout it, Yuri actually twisted onto his side...and pulled that overlapping knee between his own.

Hazel eyes looked forward for approval, and Victor gave it in spades, smiling wider as he felt one hand move forward, slipping between his arm and ribs. The pressure he felt drew Yuri nearer, and Victor could feel that his partner was more at ease than before.

This is still familiar enough... Victor thought, I've teased him with this since Rostelecom. The only difference now is that we're skin to skin...

It surprised and delighted the Russian to feel the hand move from the side of his back, down to his waist, small finger barely grazing the edge of the one piece of clothing he still had on. He returned that touch in kind, and moved his own hand down along his fiancé's frame, familiar kisses easing the tension. He cupped his hand around the younger man's hip, then stroked his hand upward again, and continued that way until one finger, two fingers...all fingers were touching that thin black fabric. Yuri only flinched the tiniest bit as those fingers cupped around the round of his back-end, and so Victor continued on, stroking his hand all the way around that curve, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Yuri pulled back from the kiss when he felt it, and looked into those blue eyes.

Victor just smiled brightly though, and nuzzled the tip of his nose, "You have a very nice butt."

"I...erm... Uh...ehhh... Th-thanks?"

He offered a gentle laugh, and moved his hand back up again, "This is going pretty well, I think...you're not near as tense as you were before."

Yuri stammered in his thoughts, but he knew somewhere in his head that Victor was right. Nervous as he was, and as little physicality he'd allowed in his short life, the attention that the Russian gave to him was far more pleasant than anything he'd gotten before, even by accident. He shook his head to clear the torpor, and tried to rationalize the concept, "...It...I...uhm... It's...really nice...what you're doing."

"Is it?" Victor purred, drawing in closer as he slid his hand back down again, this time moving his fingers under the fabric to feel gently at that unseen skin. He could hear the stunned gasp, and felt the slight clench of that muscle, but the more he felt at it, and the more he kissed, the more he felt it relax. Yuri clung to him a bit tighter, and the one leg started to crawl up the outside of his thigh with each new squeeze. Victor playfully started groping for more, laughing a few kisses against his partner's neck, but a few fingers suddenly went a bit too far around the curve between those two cheeks and Yuri practically thrust his hips forward with a yip. Victor kept his hand where it was though, hoping the surprise would fade, but that flesh stayed tense, and Yuri's face was brighter red than before.

"I...I didn't..." He stammered, "I'm not r-ready to...go there..."

"Ah...I wasn't going to do that, but I understand." Victor answered easily, sliding his hand back to safer territory. With fingers back over the fabric, he slid his hand down towards the leg that had raised up over his own, and gave it a gentle pull, "Where did you want to go?"

The higher his knee went, the more Yuri could feel the leg that went between his, and his nerves kicked up again. He clumsily pulled free of the whole thing, only to warily lift that same leg over his partner, and to Victor's surprise, actually sat down there. Unlike in the morning, Yuri didn't avoid anything, and he sat directly over his partner's hips, clenching his eyes shut in embarrassment, "Uh...oh, I...I can feel you..."

"I hope you can. You're sitting on me." Victor teased, and moved his hands to rub them up and down the tops of the thighs that straddled on either side of his waist.

Yuri just groaned, "You know what I mean."

"I do know what you mean." The Russian mused. It pleased him to no end that Yuri had gotten up on top of him on his own, but it was still endearing that Yuri was so embarrassed about it, pulling the palms of his hands up to cover his face, "This is actually my favorite position," Victor reassured, and rubbed those legs a little more, "I can touch you with both hands like this, rather than needing one or both to hold myself up."

Yuri parted two fingers to peer through them, and gawked at the man under him, "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do up here. I feel dumb now."

"Don't," Victor reassured, and gently started to move his hips, "Let me show you why I like this the best."

Yuri was momentarily mortified by the feeling. He knew innately that there was no way to avoid arousing his partner, but still, feeling it was so much different than imagining it. Feeling it here, like this, he corrected in his mind, "Nhg..." He grunted quietly, not even really aware that he'd done it, feeling that length of hardened flesh moving under him, up against him. He drew a sharp breath, and lowered one hand to his partner's stomach, holding himself steady as the gentle rocking continued. There was no way to change course now though; Yuri could feel himself starting to respond, and the direction it started to take, still confined in his clothes. He wasn't sure if Victor could feel it the same way, or if he could see it instead, but the indirectness of that arousing touch was starting to become a torment. Despite his nerves, Yuri wanted something more direct, even if he was too terrified to say so, and he move himself to change where the rocking rubbed.

Mercifully, of the many things Victor had learned over the eight months since his unexpected arrival, reading Yuri's willingness to engage in things was top among them. He knew how to get Yuri to skate 'Eros,' and work him up from thinking about food to thinking about him. He knew when Yuri was willing to accept a full hug rather than just a pat on the shoulder. He practically knew the instant that Yuri was receptive to the idea of a kiss - even if he'd said no to it at the time, it wasn't because he didn't actually want to; it was just the wrong time. The concept was still tested and true. He knew what he could do...and one of those moments had come.

Victor pushed up onto one elbow, then sat up, still rocking his hips as well as he could. One hand cupped around his partner's hip, the other around a cheek, and he leaned up into a kiss before dragging the younger man back down with him again. Yuri went easily, and he gasped a whined breath against those lips as he felt everything between them so much more clearly. There was no way to stop either of them from breaching the confines on their meager clothes, and elastic gave way to the pressure.

Feeling the obvious different between fabric and skin, Yuri's eyes opened wide in surprise, but the kiss went on, and so did the rubbing. It was hard not to think it felt good. Every time Victor's back arched just right, his abdomen lifted, and the pressure of having that sensitive flesh squeezed between them was enough to send the first few tingling jolts through Yuri's frame. The only thing that inevitably spooked him into sitting up again...was feeling that sudden cold spot where that bit of liquid had escaped him and cooled on his skin.

Victor was stunned, and blinked hard a few times as Yuri pulled away too quickly. He took a moment to regain his bearings, arms flat to the sheets beside his shoulders. He gave a severely puzzled look to his partner, "...What's wrong? I thought...you were starting to like it."

Yuri's face was as red as Victor had ever seen it, but the odd thing was that even though Yuri had pulled away, he hadn't gotten up and off. All he did was look mortified, and pinched his knees together over his stomach.

"Ehh...I'm sorry... I-I'm doing it again...this is horrible..." The younger man complained bitterly, his tone making it seem like he thought he'd ruined everything, and still, he squirmed like he didn't want to stop.

"Yuri...whatever it is, it's fine, I assure you-"

"I'mleakingeverywhere! Nothingisfine!" Yuri harped, trying to wedge himself between Victor's legs so he could twist and make an escape off the side of the bed without being seen.

"Leaking?" The silver echoed in persistent confusion. He looked down to his stomach and saw the barest glimmer of shine where something had dripped onto his skin. Thinking nothing of it, he put his fingers to it, just as Yuri was desperately trying to twist around between his knees. Realizing that this was the same 'wet' spot that Yuri had panicked about before, Victor crossed his legs around the man's seat and pinched him in. Yuri could only squeak in surprise, and Victor leaned over his back, "Why are you so worried about this? I've felt it before." He wondered, hands sneaking under the younger man's arms until he could hold him against his chest, "You're reacting like you think you're defective somehow."

"D-Don't make me say it out loud-" Yuri begged, squishing his knees upright and tightly together again, "I've already made a mess-"

Victor tactfully slid one hand back over his panicked fiancé's stomach, and felt even more of the cool liquid, but he just rubbed his fingers together and looked at the strands that stretched between as he spread his fingertips apart, "This is normal."

"H-heh!?" Yuri guffawed, looking back over his shoulder.

"It's fine, really. It's a good thing, actually."

"But I've read about it online and people always seem to be complaining about it-"

"Who's opinion do you care about? Those faceless goons on the internet who don't know what they're talking about? Or mine, the man you're making love with?" Victor posed, kissing the back of that shoulder as reassurance.

"Well, yours, obviously, but-"

"What are you so worried about? Does it hurt? Does it burn?"

"N-No...it's just..." Yuri stammered, the panic going down even if the shame hadn't budged, "It's...a lot..."

"At some point in the future, Yuri, we're going to be buying this stuff in bottles." The silver explained, rubbing his free hand across his partner's chest, and made a subtle pull to get him lean back again, "There's nothing-at-all wrong with how you make your own. I'm actually a bit jealous of it. You don't have to look the cashier's in the eyes to buy this because you make your own."

Yuri sputtered an anxious laugh, but grit his teeth anyway. He slowly let himself be pulled back, even though he kept his knees up. One finger from Victor's right hand came up and nudged them down, forcing them away, and made it practically impossible to 'hide' himself as he had been. Yuri gulped nervously as he felt the cooler air rush in again, but nothing made him more self-conscious than feeling Victor's hand press against his stomach, dangerously close to the source of his anxiety.

"It's just like when we woke up today," The Russian asked quietly, stroking his thumb across that tense skin, "The second time isn't near as scary, since you know what it's like."

The feeling of those fingers slowly going down his stomach made Yuri clench up a little more anyway, but the further back Victor leaned, the harder it was to keep his knees pinned. He hissed a breath at the first sensation of pressure against his center, even if it was just one finger, and it slid down gently over the fabric. Three fingers pressed down on the return slide, traveling over the elastic band and over the super-sensitive exposed tip. He gasped a breath, hands clenching to the bedding on either side.

"How does this feel?" Victor asked, nervous at the toll it seemed to be taking.

"D-Don't stop-" Yuri finally managed, "I w-want to... I just can't help... being this nervous..." He said between haggard breaths, "I'm not pulling away, I s-swear..."

It was a huge relief to hear those words, and Victor nodded. He pressed his mouth to the back of that shoulder again and eased his hand to its task, moving softly, slowly, and let Yuri himself decide how far to open up. He didn't need the man's knees parted anyway...but whether Yuri did or not was a good way to know how comfortable he was. Victor went about his purpose with diligence and care, letting his partner get used to the slide of a few fingers before adding his thumb, giving a soft squeeze through the fabric. Yuri pressed back hard against his chest, gasping a breath every few seconds like he was holding it between strokes. When those fingers finally took hold though, and gasped a loud, breathy moan.

"Hmmhh..." Victor answered, taking meticulous mental notes about the tension of every muscle, and the gasp of every breath. He didn't expect his partner to be all that vocal - at least not yet - but every whimper and grunt was key to the 'sexy time' lexicon he was building. Slowly but surely, as Yuri got used to the feeling of someone else's hands on his tender parts, his body became less like a fully-drawn bow, and more like one that was just nocked. Nocked, and ready for more. Breaths became more regular, and came easier, without the sense of needing to hold it in like Yuri thought he'd drown otherwise. And his knees - even his knees - became a bit lax, coming apart only a few inches...but even that was a huge difference. With every subtle change, Victor felt more at ease with their newfound intimacy, and the guilt of making his partner so anxious melted off. The excess of fluid that Yuri had been so worried about was an afterthought by then, and for Victor, he considered it their perfect normal.

Yuri twisted in place after a while though, his arousal fully engaged, and pressed his left shoulder to the side of his partner's chest. No longer as red as he'd been, Yuri could look at the man again, and as he slid his left arm around his partner's back, the right came up to press palm to cheek. All the while, Victor kept up his rhythm on the member in his grasp, the sound of the strokes amplified by the slickness Yuri had given them. Still, he gasped a few breaths, and then pulled his idol close for a new kiss. Soon after, he was completely turned around in the man's encircling legs, with his own draped over one side as that heavy petting continued, "What about you...?" Yuri finally let himself ask.

Victor blinked at him as though he'd entirely forgotten what the words meant, but before he could translate it in his head, Yuri had already pushed him onto his back. Feeling the fabric against his skin brought him back to the moment, and he let himself stretch out the cricks in his legs and back. His limbs dropped back down as he relaxed, and he drew in a long breath, keeping watch on his emboldened partner, "Is this more in keeping with what you imagined?" He wondered, and closed his eyes to savor the feeling of his heart's desire sitting down on his hips again.

"It's getting there..." Yuri whispered back, and lowered down until he could feel the rise and fall of that pale chest against his own.

Victor hummed a smile, and moved his arms back down alongside himself. Thumbs hooked into the strip of black elastic on either side of his waist, and with a quick wiggle upward, he pushed the fabric down a few inches, revealing an equal measure of himself in the process. He smiled at the color coming back on his partner's cheeks, but there was no doubt that they each thought the same thing.

Skin felt better.

Yuri leaned down to find another kiss, and Victor's hands went up, sliding under the waistband around his thin frame, and pushed the garment away as far as he could. They each hummed a note into their kiss as Yuri pressed down again, putting them into unblocked contact with one another. Victor slid his hands up and down his partner's body with zeal, and as a reward, felt that lithe, athletic body starting to rock against him. It was subtle at first, barely noticeable even, but Victor could feel the sheets moving at his sides where Yuri's knees pushed further out, and in doing so, pressed even heavier onto his hips.

Even just a little of that precious self-made lube was enough to make the slide that much more titillating. Victor pushed his hips up, and Yuri slid back against them, then in reverse until they'd found a rhythm. Even when the pressure was enough to put Yuri near his limit, Victor did whatever he could to prolong the moment. Yuri pushed up on his hands, and Victor's went between them, taking hold of them both between his curled fingers, and continued to buck his hips upward. Blue eyes watched closely for his partner's creeping edge, and slowed for a moment...but as soon as he felt his own nearing, the delicate work of trying to make them hit it at the same time was key.

Of course, even the best-laid plans can have a few hiccups, and Victor could do nothing to curtail his partner's climax coming first...though he did relish in watching it. The desperate gasps, the whined gasps, the whole-body shiver, as well as the drip of hot white liquid onto his fingers; just witnessing it was enough to push Victor to his own ends. Silver hair tousled on the comforter, and he pressed his head back, trying to keep quiet for his partner's sake. He could feel Yuri's thin frame tremble as it came to rest on top of him, and then his own subtle shake as he lifted his arms to wrap them around, but found it harder to do than before. He hummed a laugh into his beloved's hair though, "Happy Couple's Day."

Yuri lifted his head, though the effort it took was significant, and then dropped it down again. Still heaving for breaths, it was all he could do to not fall asleep right there and then, "...H-Happy Couple's Day."

"This was a really great idea," Victor mused, stroking the length of his partner's back as Yuri lay near-catatonic on top of him, "I've gotten to touch you in a way no one else ever has or ever will." He whispered, "That look of the first time in your eyes...that will always be mine."

"I'm...glad it was you." Yuri answered quietly, his heart still pounding in his chest.

Victor smiled at that, and gave one more squeeze around the younger man's trembling frame, "Me too."