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The light in the bathroom shines out from under the door when Victor slips out of the comfort of Yuuri's embrace. It had been the closest thing to a compromise they had managed about Victor's need to get out of bed several times at night. At first he had done it with the lights out; as he hadn't wanted to wake up Yuuri, and he figured he had lived in this place long enough to be able to get to his toilet without needing it.
That had been a gross miscalculation.
It had taken him three days to get into Makka's good grace again. Both him and Yuuri being overly happy that neither Makka or Victor had gotten hurt by the tumble the latter had made over the former.
At first Yuuri had insisted on Victor turning on the lights, but every time he had done so it woke Yuuri. Victor easily fell back asleep after coming back; Yuuri on the other hand would keep tossing and turning a bit, sometimes only having just fallen asleep when Victor had to go again. It had greatly influenced his skating. So Victor had declared he was not doing that again.
In the end they decided to keep the lights in the bathroom on. Which had become an option after Yuuri had forgotten to turn them off before getting into bed one night. Realizing the light didn't bother Yuuri while allowing Victor to see where he was going made them both feel better.
Looking himself over in the mirror above the sink, while washing his hands and face, Victor decides that retirement looks good on him. Now that he was a full time coach nobody pays as much attention to his body as they had done before.
Lifting up his shirt, giving himself a better look at his lower chest and abdomen, he revels at his body. The wonder he was keeping under there not even big enough yet to be showing; the doctors had told him it would probably be several more weeks before that would happen. His hands caress the still taut skin in the same reverent way Yuuri had touched him when they had shared his heat just five short weeks ago.
Soon.
Soon, he could tell the world.
Soon, he would tell the world of the wonder he had thought, and feared, would never be a part of his life.
And maybe soon the little miracle would stop making him having to run to the toilet several times at night. After all it was called morning sickness, not past-midnight-but-before-sunrise sickness.
Walking out of the cold bathroom and back into the warm bedroom was pleasant, he could smell Yuuri all around him. Keeping the bathroom clean to a near obsessive level had been a need he developed almost immediately after he had had his first heat, it being the only place he would get away of his own heat scent. Smelling Yuuri's comforting scent was so much better.
He crawls back in bed without waking Yuuri. Before he could close his eyes, two strong arms wrap around him pulling him closer, and Yuuri nuzzles his nose against Victor's scent gland. The contented sigh passing from Yuuri's lips sends a shiver down Victor's spine. He is not going to cry. Most people thought he was lucky for all the medals he had won, he knew winning had just been a coping skill, this with Yuuri was his true golden fortune. Finding a mate that was attracted to his natural scent, Victor had all but given up on it at one point.
He closes his eyes and drifts off into a restless slumber the likes of which he hadn't had for quite some time.
Victor had fallen in love with ice skating the moment he first laid his eyes on it. There was something about the elegance that had pulled him in. His parents had not been too thrilled with it at first as they deemed it a very feminine sport and having Victor be an Omega had been detrimental enough to their plans for his future as it was, they rather did not want any more issues with things.
But he had managed to get them to agree on him having some lessons, the coach had declared him a natural. Stating that Victor could become the star of the sport, a true hero and more of those laudations. It was enough for his parents to give in and allow him to continue.
Every time he could he would talk about it with his friends and classmates. Soon though he found himself with less and less friends as he simply never had any time to play with them anymore as practice and soon contests took precedence. He simply could not understand how the other kids in his class would tell him to shut up about it, how could they not love skating?
“Teacher! Vitya stinks, I don't want him on my team.” Every eye in the classroom was strained on him in a second, if he wasn't already enough of an outsider with his longer hair, and his love for ice skating, being called smelly would do the trick with the rest of the eight years old in the class.
“Ulya,” the teacher gives Victor's classmate a stern look “we do not say things like that.”
She walked over to him, clearly intent to give him a hug and tell him all will be fine, but when she was less than two feet away from him he saw her alpha nose scrunch up and her step falter.
“There does seem to be a bit of a strong smell about you Vitya dear.” She smiled at him through clenched teeth, trying not to breath in. “Did you maybe have a small accident? You know you could have just asked to use the toilet.”
Victor choked, his mouth dropped open but no sound came out. Did the teacher just tell the whole class she thought he'd pooped his pants.
“Oh,” Ulya nodded “he must have done it when I told him to stop talking about the stupid skating he does as no one here cares about it.” The boy and several of his other classmates nodded. “He started to smell right after that.”
His blue eyes looked pleadingly at his teacher while he shook his head. She must believe him. Victor tried to say something, feeling his words stuck in his throat, bringing tears to his eyes.
“Well nothing to do about that. Let's get you cleaned up and call your parents.”
The teacher grabbed him by the arm and dragged him from the classroom, never once listening to Victors attempt to tell her he did not make a mess of himself.
His parents had been annoyed about being called to school, that drive back home had been humiliating enough if they had simply put him in the back seat and gone home quietly, maybe it would have been better if they had been angry. Victor was too young to know how to deal with annoyed properly, all he understood was that he had caused his parents hinder and they were not pleased with him.
“Honestly Vitenka,” his mother's voice slapped him around the ears, making him jerk up “if it's not bad enough you had to embarrass yourself in school, did you have to defile the car as well. It's too cold to open a window.”
He didn't even dare tell them that he hadn't done anything.
His parents way to deal with the ordeal had been simple, to avoid being talked about during the next teacher student meeting they simply enrolled Victor into a new school, and a new one, and a new one, till during a physical examination when he was eleven the doctor declared he was simply one of those rare Omega's that had an unpleasant smell. His parents pulled him out of school and settled for paying a tutor to work with him between practices and competitions.
He wakes with a shiver, for once happy with his need to go to the toilet, he did not like dreaming about that memory. It had hurt as much dreaming about it as it had done then. He quickly does his needs so that he can return back to the warmth of his bed and his Yuuri. Slipping under the covers he cuddles closer to Yuuri whose scent makes him drift into sleep again.
He was put on the strongest scent blockers there were to minimize the damage he caused to the sensitive noses of other people. The only time his scent wasn't hindering anyone was when he was on the ice, making it his place of refugee.
With the scent blockers and the cold from the ice, Victor found himself able to pretend he didn't have a less than desirable scent, sometimes getting lost in dreaming of the romance he would have once he was old enough to have it.
Falling for Yarick had not been in the plans, the guy was boisterous about his alpha status, never seemed pleased with the way the time in the rink was dealt between the ice skaters and the ice dancers. In short he would usually get on Victor's nerves, making him one of the few people he genuinely clashed with.
How one argument in the dressing room had ended with Victor unceremoniously shoved against the lockers, being rutted against while his mouth had been plundered by an eager tongue, was one concern. The next was his eagerness to reciprocate. The pull to his long hair and the scraping of Yarick's teeth to his neck had send his temperature to skyrocket. Nearly sending him into a pre-heat if he wasn't on the strongest hormone blockers around.
“Fuck,” Yarick had panted against his lips “who knew you had it in you.” His hands gripped Victor's thighs pushing his legs further apart. There wasn't even a sheet of air left between them.
Instead of responding, Victor simply spread his legs further, pulled Yarick closer, and returned to kissing him. If they had kept it to that one time maybe Victor wouldn't have gotten as hurt as he had been, but he had just turned nineteen and thought he had found love.
For the rest of the season they kept sneaking off to be indecent with each other as Yakov had called it at one of his more eloquent moments.
In his own way Yakov must have tried to look after Victor, because he found his off season with more training camps and ice shows then any year before, making certain Yarick was always at different locations.
During the following season Victor started dreaming about being more with Yarick then them being just boyfriends, he wanted it to be more, especially as he had had enough of a hard time pinning Yarick down in actually calling him that.
Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but thinking you are in love, clouds one’s judgment, so when Yarick started to talk about them sharing a heat Victor had simply taken it as a sign he was as committed to the relationship as he was.
Using the doctors advice that he should at least have a natural heat at least once every few years Victor managed to get Yakov to clear his schedule for three whole weeks at the end of the season. It would take a week for his system to flush all the blockers, a week in which Yarick had some ice shows so Victor would prepare his place for them on his own.
Makka had been dropped off at Lilia's mansion, this had caused a raised eyebrow as Victor hadn't done so with the last heat three years earlier. He simply told her that he didn't want Makka to get sick from his scent again, like they had done last time. Knowing how much he loved the dog she had consented, he had stolen a hug. Neither would ever comment on the small smile that had graced her lips.
Now all he could do was wait for Yarick to arrive.
The first text had come in right around the time Yarick should have arrived at his place. It simply stated; Friends showed up. Out for drinks. Will be later.
Victor had been a bit hurt about it, he had been longing to see his boyfriend. He decided to send back a 'Longing to see you soon', back. After all his friends would have to miss Yarick for the rest of the week and Victor wouldn't. So he could be nice about it.
He waited for three hours, then, with his heat nearing ever closer decided he needed to take a rest, he went to bed.
By morning he found three more texts from Yarick, increasingly harder to decipher due to him clearly being hammered. The last saying something along the lines of him taking a friend home, although Victor didn't recognize the name. He was just happy to see that even drunk his Yarick was enough of a gentleman to escort a girl home after a night out.
So what if he spend most of the morning fantasizing about them having a daughter Victor could dote about and doll with and who have Yarick to protect them. He was halfway planning the child's school career when his phone bleeped with a new message.
Yarick had just gotten home, he'd be taking a shower and would be coming over soon. It was the way it was phrased that made Victor's skin crawl. He knew Yarick, he knew him, they had been dating for nearly a year and a half now, he knew him.
He moved to his laptop and turned his internet on, he felt horrid but there was something irking him on.
Finding Yaricks social media pages was simple enough, he had them bookmarked. It took him even less time to find some of the friends he had been out the night before as he had tagged them in the last post he had made.
Surely one of them had an open account and an eager to over share.
By the time Yarick came knocking on Victor's door he was a sobbing mess on the couch, switching between photo after photo of Yarick being way too friendly with other people. Some of which Victor had even been introduced to at some point during the last few months.
At least now his hesitation about using the term boyfriends had been resolved, it seemed there were over half a dozen people that were using that term to describe Yarick at this moment. Including the friend he had taken home the night before.
The only difference Victor could tell was that all of them were Beta's, they all seemed to have been aware of each other, and all been riding Yarick's dick from the start. Victor keeping the boat off must have been something else entirely for the Alpha, who was still banging on the door. Ready to claim his 'prize' as one of his friends had called it in a post Victor had found.
He had pulled himself up from the couch ready to give Yarick a clear piece of his mind.
Not knowing what to expect when he opened the door he had squared himself up to have to push the eager alpha off, instead Yarick repulsed back two whole steps and just gagged.
“Gods. No wonder you always use so much scent blocker, your scent is revolting.”
Hissing out a 'That's to keep leeches like you away from me, you piece of dirt' before slamming the door shut should have been a relief, instead the moment Victor had put the deadbolts back on the door he felt nothing but utter misery.
His knees had buckled, dropping him on the floor where he laid for a few hours before crawling back to his laptop and changing all of his social media statuses to 'Happily Single and Not Looking To Mingle'.
He could never tell how he got to his bed after that, only that Yakov had found him there seriously dehydrated and with a bad case of heat fever four days later.
Once all the doctors were done with him, he had been told that with his new medication he wouldn't need to worry about any more heats. They would be good for the rest of his life as he clearly was not designed to be with a partner. He left the hospital a mentally broken man, and just agreed with Yakov when he sent him to a training camp in Switzerland.
The scent of Yuuri making a Japanese style breakfast wakes him up with a jolt. To his amazement he finds a second comforter wrapped around him, maybe Yuuri though he had needed it. A quick rub over his cheeks tells him they are still wet from the tears his memories had brought out.
Feeling guilty about making Yuuri worried he slowly moves towards the kitchen. The feeble smile on his husband’s face nearly break his heart, so he rushes over and makes certain he's wrapped quite tightly around him.
“Victor, not so tight.” Chuckling about Victor's sudden clinginess helps light up Yuuri's mood a bit. Waking up with Victor crying and mumbling, refusing to be hold, had just made his anxiety flare up a bit. “I was a bit worried about you not feeling right, that's all.”
“I love you Yuuri, I love us.” Victor sighs. “The hormones are just making my brain bubble up all these old memories and they...”
He sighs. When they said their vows he swore he would do better on being open and communicate if something bothered him. They had both promised it. But with a life of always keeping things to himself it was still so very hard, even after years.
“They still hurt, right.” Yuuri turns down the stove, moves everything to the side, before turning to face Victor. “I understand. Sometimes when I get wrapped in my head too deep, I remember moments I was so close to losing to the voices and give up,” Yuuri sighs “it feels just as real as it was then. It helps remembering all the good things that also happened to balance it out”.
Victor nods slowly, it makes sense. He allows for Yuuri to pull his head closer, expecting a kiss, feeling only a little disappointed when his head gets cradled in the nook of Yuuri's neck. That is till he realizes every breath he takes is filled with Yuuri's soothing scent.
“If you want you can tell me what memories it were that haunted you over breakfast.” A small chuckle vibrates through Yuuri, getting Victor's attention. He looks up seeing Yuuri's eyes shimmer with mirth. “Lunch actually. I had decided to let you sleep till you woke naturally, but I had not expected for you to make it till noon.”
It's then that Victor notices just how bright it already is, being used to wake up at daybreak he had not realized the light was not caused by their lights being turned on but by the sun shining through the opened windows.
“It seemed I finally got the hours I needed, even if I still feel exhausted.” Victor sits down on the stool at their breakfast bar, looking at Yuuri expertly making their trays.
Yuuri places the food in front of him, turns to get the both some tea, before sitting on the stool next to him. Victor leans his head on the offered shoulder, letting Yuuri pick pieces of his grilled fish before offering it to his mouth. For some time the only time they open their lips is to put food in.
“I started with when I first started to present.” Victor nuzzles into Yuuri's scent gland. “I was so young, only seven, a kid in my class had just told me to stop talking about skating.”
Yuuri hums in a way to make it clear he too had had kids like that at one time in his life.
Slowly Victor reveals every detail of his memories, even the ones he had never told anyone before, not even Chris; who as a fellow omega would understand some things better than anyone else. Yuuri simply sits there, listening, wrapping him in his soothing scent.
“The last thing I remember is dreaming of the moment I had been allowed to leave the hospital. Yakov had arranged for me to spend the next month in Switzerland in a training camp run by Chris's coach Mr. Karpisek.”
Yuuri lets out a small chuckle. “I remember seeing photos of that camp. I had almost signed up for it, but ended up not being able to get enough money together in time. I decided to spend my money on a new poster of you as a consolation, I was so jealous of Chris when I realized that he did get to spend time with you. Think it's one of the first times I initiated texting him.”
Victor leans in closer reveling in Yuuri's warmth. Chris had told him about getting a text from Yuuri back then, just before their wedding, but it wasn't till he was delivering his best man speech that he revealed that all Yuuri had sent was a 'Meany' with several angry looking emoji's and a few exclamation marks for emphasis. “So I've been told.”
The camp had been a lifesaver, Chris had been a lifesaver. Coach Karpisek had not bothered attempting any silken glove treatment with either of them. If, or better, when, they misbehaved he came down on them hard and merciless. It had been what Victor had needed, and with Chris by his side he found some emotional release as well.
Neither of them had asked about the exact details for Yakov's sudden request, both accepted being told that Victor had suffered a bad fever and that there were some elements at the Russian rink he should avoid.
Chris had hinted that he knew that Victor had been seeing someone, that he would be there for Victor if he ever felt like talking about it, never pressing the subject further than comfortable. Allowing Victor to order his thoughts and feelings before opening up a little, never telling more than he wanted.
The younger omega was slowly coming into his own sexuality, moving away from his angelic performances that had been his trademark during Juniors and the first few years of senior competition. Victor had caught on that it might be because of the Japanese/French choreographer that was hired in, that Chris wanted to be seen as the mature eighteen year old he could be.
They had sneaked in some booze when they had gone into town on their afternoon of, thinking themselves so mature when drinking it all down. How they got to it Victor could never tell but it ended with him promising to help Chris seduce Masumi, after revealing he was an unmateble omega.
Chris had hugged him for what had felt like an hour, the first person to touch him like that since Yarick. Victor had pushed him off and stormed out of the room they shared. He'd caught himself for being unreasonable before he was a great distance, and ended up covering it with bringing back a large whiteboard used by the coach to show what he wanted everyone to do that day. Stating that if they were getting Chris his desired man they needed a good plan.
They ended up having to do figures a full hour for being found hungover, with a stolen whiteboard that had various cocks drawn on them, and being late for morning practice. That evening and day though had solidified their friendship. One of the few personal connections Victor had allowed into his life for a very long time.
His media personality had been born, and nearly perfected by the time he set foot back on Russian soil. No one knew that he had suffered a horrid heartbreak a little over a month earlier, no one would be able to tell it from his smiles and merry answers to the press. There had been a small crack in his mask when he had been asked his opinion about the Ice dancers, but Yakov had answered that for him. Yarick and his partner had found a new coach in Moscow, he would not be around again, and Victor knew that Yakov would see to a more than decent distance whenever they were at the same events.
He didn't get reminded about that period till a very eager interviewer had brought it up while he was interviewed after his first all golden season three years later. There had been rumors about doping, all debunked by his clean tests, and she named a few other skaters who's positive tests had gotten them permanently barred from the sports. One name had send a jolt through his spine, scratching the scars he still had on the inside.
She had asked Victor's opinion about skaters turning to things like that. He simply stated he believed that skaters like that didn't respect the sport enough to love it as it should be cherished. He had scrutinized the recording to be certain his face had stayed calm the whole time.
He blinks awake when he feels the need to run to the toilet again, surprised to find himself snuggled up in some comforters on the couch. Makkachin curled up against him. He wiggles out from under them, making certain they stayed safe asleep as they were getting really old.
Victor pads to the toilet, quickly glancing the clock to see he must have dozed off right after eating as it could not have been more than a few hours. He wonders if he had looked peaceful, Yuuri had been worried enough as it was. The doctors had told Victor to avoid stress; they claimed it was because of his age.
Thirty-one was not too old, even if it was old for an omega man, beta woman were having perfectly healthy births at his age, and omega woman were given the okay well in their forties, but with his previous status as unmateable they expected complications.
Unmateable had become his trademark, he had claimed it as a title. If nature gave him a scent that would make everyone turn away from him, then he would live his life alone and love it.
His mind wanders back to the years he went for the one gold medal after the other, seeing other skaters start families, seeing the happiness that was not meant for him.
When did he lose the ability to be happy for others?
Makka lifts their head when he slips back on the couch next to them. He had been wary of others, sure, but not blank on feelings whenever he had heard about relationships. Was it when he realized he never really had one? That he could have flings, maybe even date for a while. He Just never really let them get too close to him again. That what he thought he had had was nothing more than loose sand and not an uncut gem.
So many faces he couldn't really remember, even if, according to both Mari and Phichit, Yuuri would be able to not just tell him their names, their status, but even how long they had been together, where they had gone, how many events they attended, and every rumor and gossip that had gone online about them.
He had seen Chris's relationship blossom, go through rough patches, and stood by his friend when he fought to get it back. Being both jealous, and glad, for not having a relationship like that.
His fingers scratch through his beloved dog's fur, seeing more silver between the brown then before, organizing his thoughts. Why had he never thought of it before, never wondered why he couldn't pinpoint the exact moment his emotions had stumped off so far they were basically gone.
Leaving him with only his stage persona.
Would his empty heart have swallowed him if not for that wondrous night? The night that changed his life and everything he had come to accept about himself. He had become the Living Legend Victor Nikiforov. The unbeatable Omega skater. Where other omegas were asked about when they would have children, he was asked about choreographies and training schedules.
Even Chris was not spared the questions when he would seal the deal and get a child, while him always being right behind Victor should prove the man was equally as capable. Then again, Chris did not hide the fact that he was taken, that he saw it as an option in his future. Because no matter how tight lipped Yakov kept the medics, Victor's status had been revealed at one point.
Then Sochi happened.
During the preliminaries he had spotted the Japanese skater, how could he not? He had picked out the parts that were based on his older routines in seconds, amazed by the man's fluid footwork during the presentation parts.
He had been convinced Yuuri Katsuki had to have been an omega, so convinced he only felt sad for him when his jumps faltered. Knowing his points would be enough to get him to the finals. He had never been wrong with his assessments as to who he would face off, who was a threat. Yuuri had been given his full marks, if the man would just get his mind clear enough to do his jumps.
At first it had seemed he was right. Yuuri had shone, skated good enough to be a contender for the stage. People had talked about him, his name buzzing in all the hallways. It was then that Victor had picked up that they were stating Yuuri was an alpha.
Perhaps it had been the thought that he could not believe he was wrong, maybe it had been that first tingling feeling in years, that evening he had used all of his internet smarts to find out everything he could about about the Japanese Ace.
At least he hadn't been wrong about Yuuri being a fan of him, if his assessment was correct he might be dealing with his biggest fan among the skaters and beyond, he had been wrong about him being an omega.
The photos posted by his best friend and fellow skater on their social media accounts had shown him that Yuuri, with the proper guidance, had it in him to be one good looking alpha even. He had saved several of them to his device, not really certain why at the time but he had been unable to resist.
If Yakov, with Yura tailing along, hadn't banged on his door when he did to get him to the rink for practice, he surely would have ordered a daki with Yuuri's print on it. They had been a promotional piece done for a sponsor and he had looked delectable on it.
Victor had come to the resolve that he would talk to Yuuri during or after the practice, practically skipping to the car, maybe ask him if he wanted to get something to drink with him. So finding out that Yuuri had told his coach he wasn't feeling well and would sit out the practice had been disappointing. It had resulted in a less than clean landing on one of his practice jumps.
He'd been able to laugh about it with Chris, the first time they had laughed together in years, he had mocked about Victor losing his edge. For once it hadn't felt like a direct threat to his livelihood. He's even been able to get some info on Yuuri from Chris, as he had found that they had been in junior worlds together a few times. Wearing a matching Bronze and Silver.
It wasn't till after the Free skate that he understood just how well Chris could read him. A quick 'It seems he was less of a challenge then you'd hoped' mumbled to him when they were posing with their medals after the medal ceremony, made Victor's mood sink back to where it had been before.
When he saw his friend's nose wrinkle, he knew all the skating and the heavy lights from the press had weakened his scent blockers. This also reminded Victor that Yuuri would be better off not going out for a drink with him. That no matter how much of a fan he was there was no way he would be able to accept that part of Victor. He refused a call for an interview by claiming he needed to get ready for the banquet that evening.
He had entered the banquet hall intending to be on his best behavior, to be the perfect skater everyone expected him to be, smile in place and scent down. It didn't take him long to be bored to his core from the repetitive greeting, smiling, thanking, engaging in conversation, convincing for a good deal, saying thanks again, and moving to the next person. Both he and Yura were looking for a way out when his eyes fell on Yuuri being guided into the hall by his coach. His keen ears picking up the coach convincing Yuuri to at least show his nose, that sulking in his room because he had a little stumble was not professional. The athlete in him agrees with the coach, but he sees a sadness around Yuuri that could not have come from just failing to podium.
Yakov dragged him to the next sponsor or he would have walked over and asked Yuuri what was wrong, it did not stop him from keeping one eye deftly directed towards the other skater. He saw Yuuri’s complete lack of being part of the sponsor talk, not even able to smile convincingly, and his coach soon just let him wander off to have the conversations alone. Not a good tactic in most cases but Yuuri is apparently known to not be overly social, and the sponsors seem to be more than okay with the man's crass behavior.
By the time Yuuri was tipping down glass nine of the champagne he seemed to prefer, Yakov declared that he and the other coaches would move to an adjacent room discuss some new rules that would go in effect starting the next season. He heard Yura make a snide comment about toilets, they had been here for a while and he couldn’t blame the kid for needing to go. He took out his phone, not certain what to do with it at first, deciding on snapping a photo of Yuuri.
That seemed to get the other skater’s attention, putting down his last glass -Victor would later check the photo to count the amount of them- he grabbed a bottle of champagne and came straight over to them. Well straight in a swaying drunken way. Victor was mesmerized by the eyes fixated on him, feeling every nerve in his body going tense, was Yuuri really coming for him. Disappointment flooded his system when Yuuri turned away at the last possible moment going up in Yura's face.
"You were very condescending to me in the toilet yesterday and I demand an apology. You know shits about who I am and what my life is." he rose to his full length, proving himself longer than Yura. A big grin crossed his face. "Dance Off!!!"
The night after that was mostly a blur, filled with some of the happiest moments Victor experienced in years. His photos, and the photos and videos he collected from the other skaters present, a permanent reminder that it really happened. That Yuuri really beat Yura at a breakdance battle, showing a body made for movement. Once confirming his win he started to dance solo in such a seductive way Victor could not resist dancing along. Once Yuuri noticed him their movements became more synchronized, only for them to end up in each others arms. When Yuuri dipped him with the most joyous expression, Victor knew he had no longer a heart to give as Yuuri had stolen it cleanly out of his chest.
Yuuri's thumb caressing his bottom lip had sent shivers down Victor's spine, followed by a cold flush when he saw his nostrils flare, he pushed Yuuri off and quickly mumbled about being parched and in need of some drinks. He had not failed to notice Yuuri followed him in close proximity, continuously sniffing the air as if to determine what he was smelling. Victor knew exactly what he was smelling as he had no doubt the dancing had worn off his scent blocker, he caught Chris's eyes in a means to ask for help. His friend had dropped off the pole he had Masumi set up at one point without anyone noticing and came right over.
Both were surprised when it seemed that Yuuri came to a conclusion and simply threw himself around Victor neck, pressing his nose in the scent gland that came exposed with all the dancing. Victor felt himself go stiff, all hope lost about Yuuri...
"You smell fantastic. How I wish I could keep you." The wishful tone in Yuuri's voice sent sparks down to the pit of Victor's stomach. Yuuri looked up at him with a dopey smile. "Oh, I know." He jumped back up and snuggled close again. "I'm not going to stay with Celestino, and my parents have a very nice onsen in Japan. You should come over, we can train, and skate, and bath, and... and... Be my coach Victor."
His arms went around Victor again, this time he distinctively noticed that Yuuri was rubbing the scent glands of his wrists all over him, practically drowning Victor in his scent. Yuuri had looked at Victor in a way that made the muddled part of his brain realize he was waiting for an answer. Losing a bit of the spark in his eyes when it stayed out.
Victor had been too shocked to react though. He had never been scented by anyone but his parents before and he knew this shirt would become a treasured part of the few nesting items he still kept in the box under his bed.
Chris recognizing that his friend needed some time to process the request had decided to tap Yuuri on the shoulder, making the happy drunk stop snuggling Victor's neck, breathing in the scent there. He calmly informed Yuuri that as Victor's best friend he would need to challenge that claim with a dance off, after all Victor was way to special to be taken by just plain anybody.
Yuuri had agreed so readily, stepping away from Victor almost immediately, he had felt deprived. Yuuri had responded by placing a kiss on his wrist, a sign most reserved for couples, and a promise he would come back victorious. He had even winked at him.
Victor had been reading romance novels nearly all of his life, before that moment he had never understood those scenes where the heroine would swoon over her beloved going off to battle or something but he swooned, and he wasn't denying it happened.
Yuuri had indeed won, only to be dragged off by his coach before he could come back and claim Victor. Yakov had been yelling so loudly the man had nearly no voice left once they had to go back home. He had left thinking he would see Yuuri again at worlds, his mood bubbly like it had never been before, hoping the man would contact him before that time. After such a display of want and strength for Victor he was surely going to follow that up with more courting.
By the time Europeans had started his mood had dropped again, and people gave him those looks when he came out of training. But he could not care about his scent being unattractive to most, he knew that someplace in the world there was somebody that had liked it. Even if he had left Victor hanging ever since.
A rumbling noise pulls Victor out of his memories, he gets up from the couch to get something in the kitchen. Makka pats right behind him, slower but still strong, his beloved dog. He walks past the photo wall Phichit had insisted on setting up when they redid the place a few months back. Saying that now that Victor was retired it was time for him to live off his memories. So many photos from when he was a child had been lost, but the few he had had had found their way in the collage of his life.
Instead of returning to the couch he sits at the kitchen table, enjoying the view. The first picture of him and Makka, Yakov braiding his hair, so many pictures of him and medals, then Yuuri started to appear. Victor had insisted on the dipping picture taking a central spot, claiming it had been the beginning of his new life, Yuuri had tried to get it a lot smaller than he wanted it to be. Phichit had put it right in the middle. When Yuuri complained he showed one of the pictures of Yuuri on the pole and simply looked at him, no more complaint was made about the picture. And Victor loved looking at that picture, even knowing Yuuri doesn't remember it, he does, and that was what gave him the life they now had.
His eyes scan the rest of the pictures, there were the ones for Nationals, Europeans, and Worlds, him with his medals and his smile slipping again. After that his first day in Hasetsu, neither had known that Yuuri's father had made that picture, him eating katsudon and Yuuri being all bashful looking at him with devotion in his eyes. Then photo after photo taken by the otaku triplets.
Victors hand slides down his body, resting on his biggest accomplishment, remembering all the wonderful times they had in Yuuri's hometown. His eyes glaze over dreamily remembering the last visit they had, it had been in the middle of the season, Yuuri had been asked to do nationals and they both agreed he was in good enough condition to do so and still beat everyone at Worlds. Hiroko had been so happy to see them, almost as if Victor hadn't had her fly over just before the start of the season to see how the apartment looked. She’d insisted on making them katsudon. Victor had let Yuuri eat some of his as a treat for being both a good husband and a student.
So different from that first bowl of katsudon. He had been shocked to find Yuuri in the state he was in when he had come over after seeing the video. He had refused to believe the retirement rumors and he was in a rut skating wise, so he felt he could use the change. They had welcomed him with open arms, making him feel right at home. It had taken him months and some intense language courses to find out that Hiroko and Toshiya had seen right through his excuse of being Yuuri's new coach, they knew their son's feelings and were overjoyed they were reciprocated.
That first season together had made their relationship strong. They had learned so much about one another, made so many mistakes along the way. There wasn’t a spot in Hasetsu they did not have a memory together. Not a place they had a story about. It was the place they would go when life in St-Petersburg became too hectic, when they needed the calm and quiet.
They had their bonding ceremony in Hasetsu, deciding that the traditions there were more suited for their wants than the ones in Europe and Russia, the pictures of that day are some of his favorite. With several photographers present, and none of them press, they had enough photos to fill several albums. They had kept two in their apartment, a Yuuri and a Victor point of view version, there was a smaller one given to Victor's parents, but the largest one was kept in Hasetsu.
His fingers caress the mark on his neck, the touch still sensitive even after all this time. To sit there dressed in that wonderful attire, saying their vows, among all of their loved ones, even now Victor found himself disbelieving that had really been a part of his world. The photos were another proof of their love as it was visible in every frame.
He had lived so long thinking that love was not really in his future, that a family would forever be out of his reach, to now be here, to see that love, know their family would be more than just them and Makka very soon. Victor closed his eyes and imagined how life would be with more children, the image forms in his mind as clear as a picture. He can see the waves hit the sand, the rocks on the side, how they would play together, try to pull tricks on him and Yuuri, play with their dogs on the beach. Makka might not be there for all of it, but there would be a poodle at some point.
Yuuri walks in on Victor humming softly to himself, tears running down his cheeks a smile on his lips. Over the years Yuuri had seen Victor cry on numerous occasions, the sight still made him worried. When Makka looks up from their position at his feet and boofs their hello Victor opens his eyes and looks at his life, his love, his family.
"Do you think Yuuko and Takeshi would let us buy the Ice palace? Turn it into a training facility for multiple students?"
He can see Yuuri process his questions, knowing he will get the answers once all options went through and were weighed in. Having Yuuri lean over him, kiss him on the cheek, scent his stomach, and purr softly, is all the answer he really needs.
They both look at the picture wall, they knew they would make it work. "I bet they would be more than willing as long as they can keep working there. We’ll need a lot of help though to build such a thing but you are right, let's go home."