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felt seemed insignificant compared to the love he felt for Yuuri. It took years, but now that Victor had found someone who understood him, the pain and hate faded away, replaced with pure bliss.

Now though, Victor couldn't find Yuuri anymore. His phone kept going off all day and his mom would call constantly asking where he was. He was worried sick, but he didn't say that to her. After spending the past two months feeling miserable and broken, he refused to ruin their relationship with his problems. Besides, it wasn't like he was doing anything important. There wasn't anyone he needed to meet up with, nor was there anyone else he needed to tell how terrible he felt. He just wanted to sit at home and watch Netflix, hoping that Yuuri would text him and tell him he was alright. He also wanted to spend more time studying, so he wasn't wasting any time. Victor didn't have the energy to waste, even though he knew he needed to work extra hard for his grades. However, he couldn't concentrate for more than five seconds. All he could do was think about his missing best friend, who was probably busy trying to figure out how to save his career. Victor wished he could do something, anything. But, what could he possibly do? All he could do was wait. And try not to miss Yuuri.

Victor woke up that morning tired and hungover. He was so hungover that he couldn't function properly. He had only slept a handful of hours the night before, so it was barely noon. He went downstairs for breakfast but he was so exhausted that he just stood there, staring blankly at the countertop. His dad walked up behind him and put his hand on Victor's shoulder. Victor jumped at the touch, his heart racing. He turned to face his father, trying to hide his tears that threatened to fall.

"You look awful" his dad said softly, rubbing his back gently. Victor didn't reply. He couldn't find the words to respond. Instead, he just gave his dad a quick hug and ran upstairs. Once upstairs, he hid under his covers and sobbed silently. His father tried calling and texting him again, but Victor ignored it. After a while, the doorbell rang. Before he could stop himself, he answered it. When he saw Yuuri standing outside, Victor felt his heart race. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen Yuuri. It must've been two months ago, but it felt like two years. For a second, all Victor could do was stare, completely dumbfounded. He was speechless. He didn't understand why Yuuri looked so different. He was wearing clothes that he didn't normally wear and had bright blue hair. Yuuri stepped inside Victor's house, holding the bag he had brought along. He looked at Victor confused, unsure why Victor would be crying.

"I'm sorry" Victor mumbled quietly, looking down at the floor. "It's my fault".

"What are you talking about?" Yuuri asked, frowning.

"All of this". Victor gestured vaguely with his hands.

"Oh", Yuuri said slowly, taking a step forward. "Victor, look at me".

Victor slowly raised his head, trying to fight back a tear. He was scared of Yuuri seeing him this way, and yet he couldn't stop himself from showing how upset he was.

"It's not your fault, Victor", Yuuri reassured, walking closer to the blonde. "None of this is your fault. You didn't ask for this, I didn't ask for this and you shouldn't blame yourself."

Victor nodded slightly, still unable to speak.

"Why don't you go take a shower and then come down, I'll fix us both something to eat."

Victor smiled weakly and nodded again, turning to leave. He didn't have it in him to argue, so he did as he was told.

---

When Victor had finished his shower, he walked into the kitchen where Yuuri was already eating. He looked at his plate, filled with food. He was hungry, but Victor was far from being hungry. The guilt that weighed on him made it hard for him to eat anything, or even drink water.

Yuuri noticed that Victor was upset, but he didn't push him. Instead, he asked him if he was comfortable with being in the same room as him, and once Victor nodded, he went back to eating. They ate in silence, not knowing what to say.

After lunch, Victor asked his father if it would be alright if he stayed home that afternoon and spent time with Yuuri, who he assumed wasn't busy. His father agreed, and Victor was happy. He didn't have anything else planned anyway.

They played boardgames until it was dinner time and then went into the lounge, sitting on the carpet in front of the television. They talked and laughed together. Victor didn't realize how much he missed having someone to talk to, until he found himself telling his story again and again, hoping Yuuri could understand him, because it was getting harder and harder to do it himself. When they left the house after dinner, it was a cold, cloudy evening.

"I'll walk you back!" Yuuri shouted excitedly, grabbing his umbrella.