Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

His long silver ponytail swings behind Victor as he makes his way down the school corridor, math textbook clenched to his chest, a failed math test lying on top of it. The crowd of students occupying the corridor, chatting, hurrying to classes, standing by their lockers, they all part for him without him needing to raise an eyebrow. He barely registers it happening anymore. It’s been like this ever since he became cheer captain sophomore year. 

Victor’s on top of the social food chain. He’s pretty, popular, and led his cheerleaders to a second place finish in the National Cheerleading Championships last year. There are very few things that can threaten his position on top at this school, one of them being the screaming red F decorating the top right corner of his latest math test.

Math has never been Victor’s thing. Studying in general has never been Victor’s thing. He’s gotten by alright up until now, no amazing grades but enough to let him stay on the cheer team and not flunk out, and what more could he ask for? Victor’s a great cheerleader, and a good captain as well. He works hard to make his routines fresh and surprising, makes sure the squad is in good shape, and makes cute schedule notes for them. He’s also great at mixing drinks at parties, a great dancer, and he always knows when to stop drinking. People come to him with all the juicy gossip first, so he knows almost everything that’s worth knowing about anyone who’s worth knowing at school. Who needs math when you have all of that? Victor, apparently, if he wants to keep it. It’s not like Victor doesn’t have ambitions for life after high school. He totally does! It’s just really hard to think as far ahead as adulthood and jobs and stuff like that when he’s as busy as he is now.

He smiles charmingly at the group of football players hanging around outside one of the classrooms, purposefully avoiding looking at Cao Bin in the middle of it.

When Victor ended things between them at the end of junior year, he had hoped they could still stay friends, or at least be civil to each other. After all, they will have to spend a lot of time around each other during their senior year, with Victor being cheer captain and Cao being football captain. Apparently, even being polite  is impossible. It didn’t matter that Cao had slept with half of the other team’s cheerleading squad during a spring scrimmage when Victor was home with the stomach flu; in his eyes, Victor had no right breaking things off with him.

After the epic fight following the breakup that was witnessed by half the school, things had been blissfully quiet during the summer. Victor had spent the entire break sunbathing, hanging out at the beach with Chris, Mila, Minami, and the others on the squad. Victor doesn’t really get tan, more like he burns red and then gets freckles all over his nose and shoulders that are awfully hard to cover with concealer. Therefore, he had cute boys rub sunscreen on him when he needed it. None of them were particularly interesting, though, and Victor had shooed them away after they’d served their purpose. Then, as soon as school started, Cao had come up to him and demanded they get back together. 

“We’re supposed to be a couple!” the quarterback protested when Victor had raised an eyebrow and called him insane. “It’s basically in the high school rulebook.”

Victor had refused and has  gotten several texts a day from his ex ever since, claiming that they need to talk and that Victor is his. Victor’s even blocked Cao on every social media platform and blocked his phone number, just to get some peace. 

Victor sways his hips a little extra after he’s passed the corner and is out of view of the football players, seeing some of the freshmen blush, eyes darting from him to the floor and then back. A smile creeps up Victor’s face. He knows he looks amazing. The blue, white, and green cheerleading uniform fits him perfectly, showing off just a hint of his abs, the skirt the ideal length to display his long legs. It’s not that often he gets to wear the uniform in school, but since there’s a pep rally for the soccer team, Victor can show off all his best assets in it. The deep blue cheerleading jacket they got permission to buy after coming in second at nationals hangs over his shoulders, Aria High School on the back in white. Victor is super proud of his jacket. He made that happen. No cheerleaders had gotten permission to buy jackets before and he can’t lose that privilege for the team. He needs to get a better result on the next math test, and all the ones after that. Lilia’s going to kick him off the squad otherwise. 

There’s a note pinned to the test, the student to whom his math teacher, Satsuki, recommended him to for tutoring. He doesn’t love the idea, mostly because he really doesn’t have time for tutoring sessions with school, practice, parties, and hanging out with friends, but he supposes he’ll just have to make do. He steps up to the door to the tutoring center with a deep steadying breath and steps in. 

He’s never been in the tutoring center before. One wall is covered in shelves and packed with books, some that Victor recognises from his classes as a student at Aria. Another wall is covered with computer desks, while the floor in between has three smaller round tables, probably for studying. There are two students sitting at one of the tables. One is a girl with dark brown hair in pigtails, the other a younger blond. Victor recognises neither of them. At the far end of the room, there’s a door with tinted glass, and he can see people moving around behind it. 

The girl with dark hair looks up from where she’s showing the younger student something in a book. She must be the tutor then. As soon as she spots Victor, her eyes widen slightly, and Victor smiles his charming-but-not-inviting smile, polite but nothing more. 

“Hi!” she says, standing from the table to approach Victor. “I’m Yuuko and I’m a tutor here. Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Yuuri,” Victor says, holding out the note Satsuki gave him, which Yuuko takes. Her smile spreads wide as she reads it, eyes glittering with mirth as she hands it over. 

“Of course. Wait here and I’ll get him,” she says, turning towards the door in the back. There’s a keypad on the side where she enters a code, opening the door just slightly and poking her head in. 

“Yuuri, there’s a student here for you.”

“Oh, from Satsuki’s class?” a voice replies from behind the door. It’s a nice voice, masculine but not too deep. Victor’s pretty sure he doesn't know it.

There’s some shuffling from behind the door and Victor leans back against the wall behind him as he waits. He doesn’t know any Yuuri, besides the Yuri Plisetsky who’s on the football team, and this obviously isn’t him. Victor thought he knew most people in school, heard gossip about them and knew all their dirty secrets, but clearly he was wrong. It feels a bit strange. Yuuko straightens, smile still on her face, and the door opens wider as another student steps out. 

Victor blinks, then blinks again, because he feels like he’s fallen through the looking glass or maybe into heaven, butterflies immediately erupting in his stomach. The boy who comes out has black hair, messy in a very cute way. Large dark eyes sit above high cheekbones that curve into round cheeks that taper down to a sharp jaw. Blue framed glasses rest on his cute nose. He’s in a baggy, deep purple hoodie that says KATSUDAMN on the front, which means nothing at all to Victor. His jeans are light, holes in the knees and cuffs rolled up to show off his bare ankles and white sneakers. Wow. He’s like, the prettiest person Victor has ever seen, ever.

He must be at least a sophomore, since he’s tutoring, and that means Victor must have passed him a million times in the hallway and never noticed, which is an outrage because this boy is so pretty Victor wants to die. The boy, Yuuri hopefully, looks up and spots Victor and his jaw drops. A giddy feeling fills Victor—he can only hope it’s a good jaw drop. He tilts his head just so, angling his body against the wall so his hip pops out, ponytail falling over his shoulder as he lowers his eyes a little. It’s not like he doesn’t know what to do to look his best, and he most definitely wants to look his best right now in front of this gorgeous boy. 

A deep crimson blush floods Yuuri’s face, and Victor has to bite his lip a little to keep the satisfied smirk off his face. Yuuri is really cute when he blushes too. Sadly, Yuuri’s deep brown eyes turn from Victor to Yuuko, and Victor almost wants to pout about the attention shifting away from him. Yuuko, on the other hand, is smiling like this is the best day of her life. Victor wonders what that’s all about. 

“This is the student who needs tutoring in math,” Yuuko says, and Yuuri’s mouth opens and closes a few time, jaw still mostly slack, eyes on Yuuko. Victor really can’t have that. 

“Hi,” he says, pushing off the wall to close the distance between him and this pretty boy. Thankfully, his eyes drift over from Yuuko, still wide in surprise. “I’m Victor. Are you Yuuri?” He cocks his head just so, again, making the ponytail swing behind him as he looks at Yuuri. Up close, his dark eyes turn caramel and his pink lips look plump and soft. This boy just keeps getting better and better.

“I— Um, yes,” Yuuri stutters, eyes darting across Victor’s face. 

“Good!” Victor chirps cheerfully. This tutoring thing might not be half bad, if it means he’ll be spending time with Yuuri. He still can’t believe he hasn't noticed him before. “Satsuki says you’re the one to ask about math tutoring. You think you can help me, Yuuri~?” Victor makes sure to roll the name on his tongue, and Yuuri becomes impossibly redder. Cute.  

“I— Wha— Yeah, she said— Let’s sit okay? And I can— Here.” Yuuri barely manages to get the words out, pulling out a chair next to an empty table for Victor. Yuuko snickers and Yuuri shoots her a look before she goes back to the younger student. 

Yuuri disappears into the other room, coming back just a few moments later with a folder and a stack of papers. He places them on the table before he sits down next to Victor, way too far away, and then starts pulling out papers to show him. Victor takes the opportunity to scoot closer, maybe a little closer than he should, just because he can. 

“I— Okay, Satsuki told me about what you usually struggle with, so I made a lesson plan. I-I didn’t know you were a cheerleader so I— You’ll have to go through it to see if it conflicts with anything,” Yuuri says, and that’s so sweet for him to think of Victor’s schedule like that. 

Victor leans into Yuuri’s space to look at the paper instead of pulling it over. “Hm, I have practice on Wednesdays after school so I can’t then, but I have a free period after lunch that day, if we can move it?” Victor suggests, fluttering his lashes just a little. 

He usually crashes Chris’ prom planning meetings during his free period, but he guesses he can skip it if it means hanging out with Yuuri instead. Yuuri nods, marking changes on the sheet in neat handwriting. This would mean they have two sessions each week, which Victor thinks isn’t enough, even with his busy schedule. 

They go through Yuuri’s plan, which is very thorough. There are notes on what Victor can work on on his own and what they’ll work on together, with an extra session planned before scheduled tests. Yuuri’s voice grows sure as he goes through it, as if he’s sinking into something familiar. Curiosity spikes in Victor. Who is this blushing but confident boy, and why has Victor never noticed him before?

“Sound good?” Yuuri asks, turning to catch Victor’s eye, and okay, Victor might have been spacing out, looking at how Yuuri’s long lashes fall down his cheeks when he blinks and he might not have heard it all, but the way the butterflies flutter about in his stomach when Yuuri looks straight at him might be a bit addicting. 

“Y-yeah,” Victor says, surprised by his own breathlessness. 

“Victor! Have you heard the new thing about Mila and Georgi?” Chris asks as he slides into the chair next to Victor, voice in a mock whisper. Victor only waves his hands dismissively, his legs swinging over the armrest of the chair he’s sitting in, eyes scanning the pages of last year's edition of the yearbook. 

“I don’t care about Mila and Georgi and their endless will they, won’t they,” he mumbles, flipping to another page, eyes darting across the faces in the photos. 

“What are you doing?” Chris asks, leaning over his shoulder to take a look. 

“I’m looking for Yuuri,” Victor answers, flipping to another set of pages, continuing to search. 

“Yuuri?” Chris asks, and Victor can hear the confusion in his voice, but Victor doesn’t have time to answer right now. “Who’s Yuuri?”

“He’s— AHA!” Victor exclaims, seeing Chris startle from the corner of his eye. His finger rests against the photo of his tutor. Yuuri’s hair is a little shorter, and he’s a bit scrawnier, cheeks rounder, in a different set of glasses, but it’s definitely him. He’s still cute but in a more childish way, maybe. He’s really filled out over the summer. Yuuri’s a senior, too, and Victor can’t believe he’s never noticed him before. 

“So I gather that’s Yuuri,” Chris says, and Victor nods in reply, biting on the cuticle of his thumb. “Why are you looking at nerds instead of listening to my juicy gossip?” 

Victor frowns and turns to his friend, who has a genuinely surprised expression on his face. Victor looks down at the picture again and his heart jumps. God, he’s so pretty. 

“He’s my new tutor,” Vitor says, flipping to the next page, starting to look though the clubs. 

There’s an itch under his skin, this need to know more, to know everything about this boy. He spots Yuuri in the photo for the Video Game Club with some students Victor’s shared some classes with, none of whom Victor really knows. He’s also in the photo for the Math Club, where Victor knows he knows no one, because that’s social suicide. The only thing worse than that is the chess club, of which Yuuri is not a member, apparently.  

“Oh, so definitely nerd then,” Chris chuckles at the Math Club page, and Victor feels something uncomfortable turn in his stomach as he continues to look through the photos. “Didn’t we have history with two of them last semester?” Chris muses, pointing to the photo of the Video Game Club members. 

Victor doesn’t know, he didn’t pay much attention during history last semester. There was far too much drama going on in his present to focus on things that had happened in the past. He flips on and finds another photo of Yuuri, this one from the quad, sitting down eating lunch. He’s smiling slightly, and two of the people sitting next to him are students Victor actually knows. 

The first one is Phichit Chulanont—everyone knows Phichit. He doesn’t hang out in the same crowd as Victor, since he’s not in any sports, but he’s in the media and yearbook clubs and is a social butterfly. Everyone likes Phichit. He gets invited to all the parties and is one of the few who’s socially allowed to hang out with everyone. Of course he knows Yuuri. 

The second person surprises Vicor way more, because next to Yuuri, in the lap of his boyfriend Leo de la Iglesia, sits Ji Guang Hong, one of Victor’s squad members. Victor tries to remember where Ji usually sits at lunch, but he can’t be sure. He knows he sits with the squad sometimes, and sometimes with his boyfriend, but he can’t recall ever going over there. 

“Victor!” Chris calls, and Victor turns to him, his best friend wearing a puzzled expression. Victor must have zoned out. “Is something wrong? Why are you looking up your tutor?” 

“No,” Victor says, regrettably shutting the yearbook with a polished smile. He’ll have to check Yuuri out more when he gets home. “Just curious.” 

Chris frowns, but still pushes himself from the armchair. “Alright. You wanna walk me to my locker and then head to English?” 

The cheerleading team’s on the floor doing stretches. Practice went well and so did the pep rally. The choreography for the next half-time pre-show for the football game is coming along nicely, too, and by next Friday they should have it all down. Victor has strategically placed himself next to Ji, hoping to get some more answers about his new crush. 

“So, Ji,” Victor says, breathing out as he presses his body closer to his leg. “How are things between you and Leo?” 

Ji smiles, eyes glittering and cheeks just slightly dusting with pink. It’s one of those I-can’t-contain-my-smile-because-I’m-so-so-so-happy-and-in-love smiles, and Victor feels a pang of jealousy because he’s never felt that. Sure, his and Cao’s relationship was fun, and he was a decent at making out, but he never made Victor smile like that. No one has. 

“It’s great,” Ji says, changing legs to stretch his right. “We had our one-year anniversary this weekend, so we went to the movies and to dinner at a nice restaurant. He wrote me a song. It was very sweet.”

“Wow,” Victor says. “So sweet.” 

Ji hums, looking over at Victor with a frown. “I’m sorry about Cao.” 

Victor hums, too, switching legs as well. From across the floor, he can see Mila and Minami rising to pack up and waves goodbye. “Yeah. I’m still glad you told me though.” 

It was Ji who had come over as soon as the team was home again, nervously wringing his hands as he explained how he’d seen Cao make out with several people at a party, and then go up to a bedroom on at least two separate occasions. Victor is extremely grateful, and he and Ji have been closer since then. 

“Of course,” Ji says, switching positions to stretch his inner thigh. “You would have done the same for me. Not that I think Leo would, but you know.” 

Victor nods. He totally would. He’s called out several of the football and baseball players for being dicks to their significant others, especially when that significant other is on the cheerleading squad. Victor is their captain and it’s his job to take care of them. Victor steadies himself a little, trying to school his expression into a neutral one before he asks,

“So, Leo hangs out with Yuuri Katsuki, right?” 

Ji’s face snaps up, eyes wide in surprise. “Um— I— Yeah, they’ve been friends since they were little. Them and Phichit Chulanont. Why?” 

“He’s my new math tutor,” Victor says simply, waving to another group of cheerleaders heading out of the gym. 

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense. He’s really smart; all A’s,” Ji says, and Victor places that in his mental filing cabinet filled with facts about Yuuri Katsuki, but it wasn’t what he wanted to know most. 

“That’s good…” Victor says, drawing it out, waiting until the last of the squad’s left, Chris and Isabella talking as they walk out the door towards the locker rooms, before continuing, “Is he single?”

Ji’s eyes grew wide again, glancing around before leaning forward, lowering his voice. “Yes. Why?”

“He’s cute,” Victor says, feeling a slight blush unwillingly seep into his cheeks. He hurries to push it down, collect himself. Ji still looks surprised, an expression that slowly fades to realisation, and then a smile grows on his face, dimples appearing on his cheeks.

“You like him!” he says, and Victor has a harder time pushing down his blush this time  because it’s sort of true? He’s only spent twenty minutes with Yuuri but there’s something about him that just makes Victor’s heart race. “He’s much better than Cao, that’s for sure.” 

Victor laughs, falling out of his stretch to lie on the floor. Ji laughs, too, shaking his head. 

“Never would have thought,” Ji says, smirking. “Okay, so, just because we’re friends, I’m gonna give you some tips, but you’re only allowed to use them if you’re serious.” 

Victor nods. He’s not really sure about what he’s feeling just yet, but he’ll take any tips he can get. Maybe more information will make him more certain about what to do for his racing heart. 

“Okay. So Yuuri’s smart but shy. He’s kind and caring, but often drifts off in his own world, making it seem like he’s not paying attention to people. He’s terrible with giving himself credit for anything that’s not academic, and almost not that either. He lives in his parents’ basement. He’s awesome at video games, and he’s never had a girl or boyfriend that I know of.” 

“Do you know what he prefers?” Victor asks with a smirk and a wiggle of his eyebrows, making Ji giggle, something knowing in his eyes.

“Definitely boys.” 

“That’s good,” Victor says, leaning back as he worries his lower lip between his teeth.

“Yeah, just...don’t play with him, okay?” Ji says and Victor nods. 

He wouldn’t do that. Swaying his hips in the hallway and winking at the audience at the cheer performances is one thing, toying with people’s hearts is another completely. Victor might be top bitch, but he doesn’t want to be a real bitch. Not really. “Promise.”

They pack up the gym and their things after that, showering as they talk about classes, teachers, gossip. Ji shares the newest story of Georgi trying to woo Mila. This time, he apparently paid some junior in the drama club to deliver a sonnet, and the cheerleader had simply lifted the student over her head and carried him like that though the halls till she found Georgi and gave the poor boy back, saying she preferred heavy metal. Victor laughs as he imagines it. He needs to put Mila in charge of arm training for the squad if she’s that strong. 

They get dressed, and Victor digs out his leggings and an old, oversized sweatshirt, pulling the cheer jacket on over. His cheer uniform got sweaty during practice, and Victor will have to wash it when he comes home so it’s ready for practice the next day. 

“You need a ride?” Ji asks as they exit the locker rooms. It’s late, and as they walk out towards the back doors, they meet some of the football players, probably done with practice for the day. 

“Yeah, that would be great!” Victor answers, adjusting the strap on his duffle bag. Chris gave him a ride to school but he seems to have left already. They’re halfway to the parking lot when someone calls out behind them. 

“Victor!” 

Victor and Ji both turn towards the sound, Victor letting out a deep sigh as he sees Cao coming jogging over, still in his football gear. Victor just wants to turn and walk away. He doesn't have anything to say, doesn’t want to fight. Cao comes up to them and nods in greeting to Ji. 

“‘sup, Ji,” he says, eyes on Victor.

“Hi, Cao,” Ji answers, tone level, almost bored. Cao doesn't spare him a glance, still looking at Victor. 

“Can I talk to you?” he asks, and Victor glances towards Ji. He might as well get this conversation over with. 

“It’s okay. I’ll wait by the car,” Ji says, shooting an ice-cold look towards Cao before stepping away. Victor watches as he goes before turning back. 

“Okay, what do you want?” he asks, keeping the unimpressed mask on his face. Cao shuffles in the gravel and Victor waits.

“Look...I know I screwed up and all that, but I think you’re overreacting. And it’s not like we were having sex, so, you know, I have needs and you have to either be ready to put out or things like that will happen. It doesn’t mean we should break up.”

Victor stares, then laughs coldly, eyebrow quirked up. Cao seems surprised by this, and it makes Victor so mad, because who does this idiot think he is? God’s gift to the world?

“What?” Cao says, whole body tensing. “It’s not like it isn't true.”
“That was the worst let’s get back together speech ever,” Victor says, schooling his expression into something neutral. It always makes people uncomfortable, his blank stare and relaxed features. Sometimes he simply raises an eyebrow if the staring contest goes on long enough. Luckily, Cao has never had much patience. 

“Come on, baby. We’re good together. You just have to stop being a prude and we’ll be perfect.” 

Victor does raise his eyebrow at that, more out of surprise than anything else. Who the hell does this fuckboy think he is?

“Fuck off, Cao,” Victor says, turning his back to walk away. He can’t believe he ever thought this asshat was cute or charming, or thought he was happy with someone as disgusting as this. 

Cao calls after him, of course. His name, and then insults, but Victor keeps his head high as he walks towards Ji’s car. The other boy’s leaning again the hood of his black Toyota Yaris, talking on the phone. As soon as he sees Victor closing the distance, he hangs up, eyes worried. 

“You okay?” Ji asks as they round the car and gets in. “He’s a jerk. He doesn't deserve to be even close to you. Shouldn’t even be allowed to look at you. Fucking asshole.”

“I know,” Victor says as he leans back into the passenger seat. He knows it’s true and he appreciates having friends Ji so much, but it still doesn’t take away the uncomfortable feeling of knowing he’s going home to an empty apartment. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day. Maybe he’ll get to know Yuuri a little better.

Chapter Text

Chapter two - Yuuri pov

Yuuri parks his motorcycle at the far end of the high school parking lot, in between Leo’s grey Corolla and Phicht’s red Beatle, just like always. The other two are leaning against Leo’s car as Yuuri turns off the engine. Phichit is, unsurprisingly, typing on his phone while Leo’s leaning over, looking at whatever Phichit’s doing. Probably something for the unauthorized school Twitter account he’s running, packed with official and unofficial news. 

“Morning, bike boy,” Phichit teases, raising his phone to take a photo while Leo snickers. This is Yuuri’s morning routine by now, so he doesn’t even cringe at the ill-fitting nickname or the impromptu photoshoot anymore. He’s succumbed to his destiny of being teased about this bike for the rest of his time at Aria High School, and probably beyond, whenever Phichit has the urge to tease him. The thing is that it wasn’t even Yuuri’s idea to get a motorcycle instead of a car in the first place. 

When the time came for Yuuri to learn to drive and get a vehicle of his own, Mari had just parked her old motorbike in their parents’ garage, since Sara had forbidden her from riding the “Death machine,” as she called it. Mari’s very weak for her wife, so she had immediately dropped the bike off at the Katsuki residence. Their parents felt it was a great idea for Yuuri to use it instead, since it was just standing there collecting dust, and Mari only encouraged it, since that meant she didn’t need to sell it. Yuuri went through the hassle of getting an extended license, complete with the extra classes, just so everyone would be happy. And okay, fine, it’s not as if Yuuri doesn't enjoy riding it, or doesn’t appreciate not having to use his parents’ van or take the bus. It’s just…it really doesn't fit who he is, and in high school, image is everything. Every little thing can be something people can make jabs at you for, and Yuuri gets enough of those throughout his day for being a nerd, for wearing glasses and his grades. He doesn't need someone starting to point out that he’s just driving the motorcycle to try to be cool. 

“What’d you do last night? I called you like eight times,” Phichit questions as Yuuri dismounts, pulling off his helmet and shaking out his hair. 

“I was playing Final Fantasy X,” Yuuri answers, adjusting his glasses after the helmet knocked them awry.  

“Again?” Phichit asks as he scrunches up his nose. “How many times can one replay a game?” 

“How many times can one rewatch a movie?” Yuuri shoots back, and Phichit rolls his eyes, as if he hasn’t made them all watch “The King and the Skater” countless times. He even got kicked out of the Film Club for only wanting to watch it and its sequels. “I tried playing with other characters this time, see if I’ve been missing something.”

“Really? Who?” Leo asks as they fall into step with the sea of students moving towards the school. 

Yuuri’s about to launch into how playing with Wakka, Kimari, and Auron instead of his usual Tidus, Yuna, and Lulu set up differed, but someone calls his name and pulls his attention from the conversation. The entire group slows, looking around for whoever could be looking for Yuuri, and when Yuuri spots the person coming towards them with a wide smile, hips swaying, his stomach drops.

“Yuuri!” Victor calls again and Yuuri stops, shock taking over his system as the cheer captain closes the distance between them. He’s so pretty it makes Yuuri’s heart flip in his chest. He’s always been so pretty. Yuuri still remembers the first time he saw Victor, the first week of high school, and how his heart had stopped for a beat right before he walked straight into an open locker door, giving himself a nosebleed that stained his new shirt.

“What’s going on?” Phichit hisses out between his teeth, but Yuuri doesn’t get the chance to answer since Victor’s caught up to them now, pulling his duffle bag from his shoulder and handing it over to Yuuri. 

“Carry my bag for me?” he asks, smile wide and charming. Yuuri would never deny him anything at all, probably, so he takes it. It feels like it’s filled with lead, and Yuuri thanks everything in the world for the extra muscles he gained working for Mari’s moving business over the summer. He hangs it over his shoulder, watching how Victor’s smile grows wider, and okay, Yuuri’s going to have a heart attack now. He knew these coming months tutoring Victor would be trying, but he had never expected anything like this. This feels more like one of those daydreams Yuuri entertains himself with when he’s bored in science class. 

“Thank you, Yuuri,” Victor says with a wink, rolling the r in a way that makes Yuuri’s heart flutter in his chest. This is bad. This is so bad. What’s happening? Is he having a stroke?

“Hi Victor,” Phichit says, probably growing impatient and nosy. Yuuri is, for once, thankful for his friend’s lack of patience, because it makes Victor break their eye contact for a second, giving Yuuri a chance to let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I didn’t know you knew Yuuri?”

“Hi Phichit! I liked the idea of reorganizing the yearbook this year—I totally voted for it on you Twitter poll. I spent a lot of time with last year’s yearbook last night and it was so hard finding things. Don’t you think, Yuuri?” Victor’s full attention turns back to him and Yuuri is pinned under it again, drowning in the seas of those gorgeous blue eyes. 

“Totally,” Yuuri agrees, even though he has no opinion of the matter at all. He has all the pages with Victor’s pictures in all of their yearbooks dog-eared, so he never has trouble finding what he’s looking for in them. 

Victor beams at his answer, hooking his arm into Yuuri’s, and okay, they’re touching now and that’s just too much. Yuuri’s not really given the opportunity to do something about it, though, because Victor starts tugging them towards the school, Phichit and Leo falling into step with them. 

“What did you do last night Yuuri?” Victor asks, and Yuuri is awash in memories of calling Yuuko and screaming about tutoring Victor and how much of an ass he made out of himself, and then having to sit down to start another round of Final Fantasy X while stress eating chips to try to calm down. This current situation is making the stress levels he managed to push down before crawling into bed last night skyrocket again.

“I, uhm…you know. Studied and played some video games, nothing special,” Yuuri answers, Victor’s eyes still intent on him, head tilted so his silver hair falls to the side. God. How can anyone be this pretty and talented, and how is he talking to Yuuri? And WHY?  

“Cool,” Victor says.

There's a bit of an awkward pause, and oh, Yuuri should probably ask something back, because that’s how conversations work. “How about you? What did you do?” 

Victor smiles and jumps into an explanation about what they did at cheer practice, and that afterwards he looked through all of Yuuri’s “cute notes.” People are staring at them—Yuuri knows they are because he can feel their eyes burning holes into him as they enter the school. Leo and Phichit leave them to turn for their own lockers, and Yuuri just follows Victor down the corridor to where he knows Victor’s locker is. Not that he’s a stalker or anything, he’s just seen Victor standing by it when he’s passed and made a mental note, like he does with most things that have anything to do with Victor. He can now add the way he smells and all those really cute freckles on his nose that you can only see from this close, and oh God, they’re walking so close together.  

They stop right by Victor’s locker, Victor turning the combination lock, still talking about cheer routines, before he turns back to Yuuri, reaching out his hand. For a second, Yuuri just stares, trying to figure out Victor wants, panic rising as he can’t figure it out. He considers placing his own hand in the cheer captain’s, but before he does Victor smiles sweetly, tilting his head slightly. “The bag?” 

Realisation washes over Yuuri like a wave, and he hurries to shrug it off his shoulder and hand it over, cheeks burning. 
“Thank you, Yuuri,” Victor says with fluttering eyelashes, making Yuuri’s face burn even hotter “This is really heavy. You’re so strong.” Victor reaches out and squeezes Yuuri’s upper arm with a pleased hum, and Yuuri really has no means to handle something like that. Instead, he scrambles into an explanation, trying to distract himself from his rapidly beating heart.
“Yeah, uhm, I carried boxes and furniture all summer, so...” Yuuri shrugs, trying to seem nonchalant. Victor hums again, lifting the bag into the locker and pulling out a book: English, Yuuri notices.  

“You worked as a mover over the summer? Is that why I never saw you at the beach?” Victor asks, closing his locker and leaning back against it. Yuuri has to shake the image of Victor at the beach from his mind as quickly as he can so his face doesn’t actually catch fire, and nods. 

“Yeah, I worked most of the summer,” Yuuri agrees. He did, but he did have some time over during the evenings when he, Phichit, Leo, and Ji would drive out to the rocky beach by the pier to wash off the work day’s sweat and just hang out a bit. Sometimes they would just drive around, listening to music and going to drive ins, buying food to bring up to the lookout.

Victor opens his mouth to say something else, but the first bell rings and he furrows his brows slightly, pursing those pretty pink lips. 

“Better get to class,” he says, turning around and waving without looking back. “See you later, Yuuri.” 

As if frozen, Yuuri just stands there, watching Victor’s swaying hips until he vanishes around the corner. Yuuri’s heart beats violently in his chest as he tries to wrap his mind around what’s happening, and the odds of this being an extremely vivid dream. Probably around 96.7%. The second bell rings and Yuuri realises he still hasn’t been to his own locker to drop off his things or get his books, and he rushes down the nearly empty halls. He’s late to his first period class for the first time since he started school. 

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?” Phichit shouts explosively, making Yuuri wince from both the volume and the fact that half of the quad turns to look at them. He’s been able to hide from Phichit all morning but there’s no avoiding this confrontation now. They’re at their regular table, Yuuko and Takeshi sitting close and switching foods between their lunch boxes, Leo watching Phichit launch himself into Yuuri with an amused expression, not helping at all. Yuuri should remember this the next time Leo’s complaining about it being too long since he was over at Yuuri’s house and tasted his mother’s katsudon, and make sure he gets none of it. 

“Can you stop shouting!” Yuuri grits out between his teeth. Phichit squints at him but flops down on the bench anyway. Yuuri lets out a relieved sigh. Maybe now everyone will stop staring at them. Yuuri feels like he’s been in an aquarium the entire day with how much people have been looking at him. 

“Only if you tell me: What. The. Hell. Is. Going. On!” Phichit says determinedly, and Yuuri turns back to his lunch box, eyeing the contents his mother’s packed. It’s not like he has a good answer. In fact, Yuuri would also like to know the answer to that question. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Yuuri mumbles instead, and the plastic fork in Phichit’s hand snaps in two, making Yuuri look up into Phichit’s wild eyes. His best friend has always been weak for gossip, and not knowing something that involves one of the most popular people in school and his best friend is clearly driving him insane. 

“What's going on?” Yuuko asks, as Yuuri and Phichit continues to have a staring contest. Yuuri knows he'll never win, but that doesn’t mean he has to give up without a fight. 

“Victor came up and talked to Yuuri today before school,” Leo fills her in, and surprisingly enough, Phichit breaks the stare to look over at their other friends. 

“Nooooo. That’s not what happened! Victor, the most popular boy in the entire school and Yuuri’s lifelong crush, called for Yuuri, ran up to him, asked him to carry his bag, then tucked his hand into Yuuri’s elbow and pulled him towards his locker!” Phichit says in one breath, and Yuuri has no idea how anyone can talk that much, that fast, on that little oxygen. 

“What!?” Yuuko exclaims, smile wide on her face. “You must have made quite the impression yesterday, then, Yuuri.” 

“Yesterday?!” Phichit shouts, throwing his arms up in the air. “What happened yesterday?!” 

“You didn’t tell them?” Yuuko asks, smirking. She’s clearly having too much fun with this. If it's because she knows something Phichit doesn’t or because she loves torturing Yuuri, Yuuri would rather not know. 

“No, because,” Yuuri says, motioning towards Phichit who’s basically hyperventilating next to him. Yuuko lets out a soft ah and giggles, and Phichit looks like he might actually explode. Leo hands him the paper bag his lunch came in and Phichit immediately starts breathing in it, which Yuuri feels is a little excessive, but it is Phichit, and he would rather not go to the nurse's office just because his friend fainted from a gossip shortage.

“Tell us what?” Leo asks, but there’s something knowing in his smile, as if he already knows. Yuuri squints at him as he adjusts his glasses. Maybe Yuuko told him. 

“Yes, Yuuri,” Phcihit says as he pulls the bag from his mouth, turning to face Yuuri head-on again. “What is it that you haven't told your bestest best friend in the entire world?” 

“It’s no big deal. I’m just tutoring Victor, is all,” Yuuri says, trying to sound nonchalant, even if he’s screaming about it inside. It’s the mantra he’s been echoing to himself ever since the meeting yesterday, and even louder since this morning, because he can’t grasp what’s happening either. Phichit looks like he’s going to start shouting again, but they’re both pulled from their trance by Leo’s voice calling a little too loudly. 

“Hi, babe! Hi, Victor!”

Yuuri turns, and yep, there stands the usual addition to their table, Ji, holding a lunch tray. Next to him, silver hair up in a bun and cheerleading jacket on, stands Victor, looking straight at Yuuri. Yuuri can’t take this. He’s going to die. 

“Hi, babe,” Ji says, sliding into the seat next to Leo, placing his legs over his boyfriend’s before grabbing his cheeks to pull him into a kiss. 

“Hi,” Victor says, nodding towards the seat between Yuuri and Takeshi. “Can I sit here?” 

“Of course! I mean, sure, if you want to,” Yuuri replies, shuffling a little closer to Phichit to make room. His heart starts pounding violently in his chest as Victor gracefully slides in next to him, turning his full attention towards Yuuri. 

“How were your classes? What did you have?” Victor asks, leaning his head in his hand, elbow resting on the table. He’s so close and he turns slightly, thigh pressing against Yuuri’s. He doesn't move away, and Yuuri has Phichit pressed against his other side and can’t really move away either. He can feel the heat from Victor’s bare leg against his own even through his jeans, and he’s not sure if he’s going to melt into a puddle or self combust.

Yuuri stutters out an answer and manages to ask Victor things about his classes, and suddenly, he’s talking to Victor. Yuuri’s still sure that this a dream, even if he’s usually not as panicked in them. Victor glances down into his lunchbox, and suddenly Yuuri’s feeling extremely self-conscious about it, even if his mother makes the best food in the world. 

“Oh, strawberries!” Victor excliams, and Yuuri has to look down and nod, an overwhelming need to give Victor his entire lunch washing over him. 

“Ah, yes. Do you want one?” Yuuri asks, mentally patting himself on the back for a somewhat decent response. 

“Yes!” Victor answers, smiling wide before he leans in slightly, opening his mouth. Yuuri’s mind short-circuits, because he’s had several fantastis about that mouth and now Victor is just sitting there, waiting for Yuuri to feed him strawberries . This is the weirdest day ever. Yuuri clears his throat, distinctly not looking at any of his friends, even if he can hear that the table’s fallen silent. He picks up a strawberry and slowly brings it towards Victor’s mouth. He fully expects Victor to close his mouth and laugh at him, call him insane if he thought Victor would want him to do something as crazy as hand-feed him strawberries in the middle of the quad, but he doesn’t. Instead, Victor leans forward even more, eyes closing as he opens his mouth a little wider. Too many of Yuuri’s fantasties are being fulfilled and  fueled by this moment. Victor’s lips close around the berry, barely brushing against Yuuri’s finger. The scant contact tingles as Yuuri brings his hand back, stomach doing somersaults. 

“Mmh, delicious,” Victor says as he pulls back, a slight smirk on his lips, tinged red from the berry. Behind him, Yuuri can hear Phichit whisper a shocked holy shit . Yuuri can relate. “Thank you, Yuuri.” 

As soon as Yuuri gets home that day, he crawls into bed, fully dressed, and stares up at the ceiling, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. He has no idea what this day was, or how to make it happen again. Or if he even wants it to happen again. Yuuri has had a massive crush on Victor for years, but to be fair, everyone does! Victor is gorgeous and dances beautifully. Yuuri’s fantasised about something like what happened today a billion times. Maybe that’s why it feels so surreal. Yuuri closes his eyes, placing his hands over his still racing heart. A slow smile spreads across his face. It probably won't, but he definitely wants today to happen again. 

The next morning, Yuuri’s convinced himself that yesterday was a once in a lifetime event. That today, he’s going to come to school and everything will be like it normally is. Victor will go back to not knowing he exists, or perhaps just greet him in the hallway, and Yuuri and his friends will go on to eat lunch alone. In a month, they’ll probably laugh about that one crazy lunch when Victor sat with them, and Yuuri will forever wonder what he could have done to keep Victor’s interest. Nothing, he knows, because Yuuri is no one special. Victor was probably just checking out who he was, now that Yuuri is going to tutor him. Just something fun to distract himself from his everyday life of being the most popular person in school. Today, Yuuri thinks as he parks the bike and hears Phichit calling out his familiar “Hey, biker boy!,” today will be a normal day.

It isn’t. 

Victor doesn’t catch up with him that morning, but he finds Yuuri by his locker before second period, stopping to talk about crepes. Apparently, Victor loves them, especially with nutella. Yuuri can only agree, because crepes with nutella and banana might be one of the best desserts ever. Victor then asks Yuuri to walk him to class, and Yuuri does, even if his own is on the other side of the school and he has to run through the hallways again to make it in time after he’s dropped Victor off. At lunch, Victor is already at the table when Yuuri gets there, talking to Leo and Ji, patting the seat next to him when he spots Yuuri. Conversation comes a little easier today, especially since the others in their usual gang have lunch in the later period. Ji and Victor share embarrassing cheerleading memories, and Yuuri finds himself laughing with Victor, who touches his arm when he cackles and smiles brighter than any sunrise. 

They see each other at least once every school day after that, not counting the two tutoring sessions and the class they share. 

“I didn’t know we had biology together,” Victor says cheerily the next Monday. He jumps up to sit on Yuuri’s desk, bare legs crossed, looking at him with a smile. Yuuri tries very hard to not turn scarlet. He’s pretty sure he fails. 

“I did,” Yuuri almost admits. “I always notice you.”

“Yeah, I usually sit here in the back,” Yuuri answers. Victor always sits up front next to Mila, who Yuuri knows is also in the cheerleading squad since he goes to all the games. He has no interest at all in either football or basketball, but Victor’s dancing is so beautiful it’s impossible to look away. Victor nods, hopping off to slide into the desk next to Yuuri’s, the one where Seung Gil usually sits. 

“Maybe I’ll try sitting back here from now on, see if some of the genius in that smart brain of yours rubs off on me,” he says with a wink, sending a full-body shiver through Yuuri. 

When Victor meets him in the corridor, he always stops, just to exchange a few words or a greeting, tilting his head in that pretty way that makes his hair sway and Yuuri’s heart do flips in his chest. When members from the squad are with him they always give Yuuri surprised and confused looks, and Yuuri can only mirror them. He has no idea why Victor has taken an interest in him beyond tutoring. Maybe he’s just being kind? Being nice to the dorky tutor kid so he’ll make sure Victor really passes math? Something’s wrong with that image though… Victor could have been kind to Yuuri, humored him with greeting him in the hallways, but Victor’s presence in his life has become so much more than something as simple as that. 

The cheer captain continues to sit at their table at lunch, always next to Yuuri, pressing close in the tight space as he asks Yuuri questions, attentive to Yuuri’s answers. During the second week since the universe shifted, Victor asks for Yuuri’s phone number, and later that night there's a text on his phone from an unknown number, asking what he’s doing along with a cute gif of a dog. They never really stop texting after that.

It becomes easier and easier to be close to Victor, and soon all of his friends have warmed up to their new…friend? It doesn’t feel right to call Victor a friend, but in all senses of the word, he is. He keeps count of Phichit’s hamsters’ names, what date Yuuko and Takeshi are going on that weekend, what video game Yuuri is currently playing. He blends into their group, laughing and joking, caring. He’s so caring. And even if it gets easier to talk to Victor and to be around him without turning into a stuttering mess, Yuuri can feel how his crush only grows the more he gets to know him. 

It’s dangerous, how fast Yuuri’s feelings deepen. Victor is so much more than those long gorgeous legs, pretty face, and beautiful dance moves. He’s fun, determined, and extremely observant about some things, while others seem to pass him by entirely. He has the ability to get the entire table get fired up about something in a matter of minutes, his enthusiasm contagious. 

The heartwrenching part is that it’s even worse when they’re alone.

In their tutoring sessions, Victor can be quiet storm. His determination is strong, but in a calm way, throwing himself into Yuuri’s lesson plan and help. He’s like a sponge, soaking up knowledge. It doesn’t take long for Yuuri to notice how sharp he is when he zeros in. It’s clear to Yuuri that Victor doesn’t need tutoring because he’s not smart or doesn’t understand math, but rather because he’s unfocused. In the quiet of the tutoring center or the library, they work side-by-side, the silence never uncomfortable, and Yuuri’s heart aches with it. 

The further into the semester they get, the more Victor blossoms and lets Yuuri in behind his walls. It’s only in the quiet moments when they’re alone, and Yuuri probably only notices because he’s looked at Victor so much through the years. Victor furrows his eyebrows differently, smile slightly crooked, sometimes heart shaped, imperfections in his otherwise collected and, Yuuri realises, carefully crafted expressions. It’s like seeing a mask crack when it happens. Something heavy settles in Yuuri’s stomach when he becomes aware of it, and how fast that mask snapps back into place as soon as someone else breaches their private bubble. 

It’s at a Wednesday at lunch, halfway into the semester, that Yuuri realises the power of Victor’s pout. They’re all sitting at their regular lunch table, and by now, people have stopped looking and whispering about the cheer captain sitting at the nerd table. Yuuri wonders what they’re saying about them, but he hasn’t dared to ask Phichit about it. 

“Yuuri!” Victor all but whines, his lower lip jutting out just slightly, and Yuuri feels like someone ripped all the air from his lungs as his eyes involuntarily fall to Victor’s lips. Crap. He really wants to kiss him. It’s not the first time Yuuri’s had this urge—before he knew Victor, the thought passed through his mind weekly, just like how he wanted to hold Victor’s hand and give him presents, so he could see one of his beautiful smiles. 

Since they became friends, and Yuuri can say that now because Victor has insisted that they are, the urge to kiss him comes daily, almost hourly. It’s pathetic, but how is Yuuri supposed to hold his mind back when Victor’s so close, always rubbing lip balm on his lips with his long fingers, biting his lower lip in concentration, pouting. It would be so easy now, to lean in and take that pouting lip between his own, press his mouth against Victor’s, give in to his desires. 

That’s a bad thought, so Yuuri pushes it as far down as he can as he snaps his eyes up to Victor’s baby blues instead, which is equally bad because Yuuri always feels pinned under their gaze, like he’s under a spell. 

“Pretty, pretty pleeeaaaseee come to the game,” Victor begs, as if Yuuri’s refusal might cause him pain, which is ridiculous. 

“Oh, I-I guess I can,” Yuuri agrees, biting his lower lip. He can see Victor’s eyes trace the movement and immediately releases it. Damn nervous gestures. 

“Yeah, he usually keeps me company up in the media booth,” Phichit says and Yuuri is so grateful he doesn't reveal that Yuuri’s been to every single game, pep rally, and random event the cheerleaders have performed at for the sole purpose of watching Victor, because that’s weird. 

“Nu-uh, you can’t sit in the media booth, Yuuri!” Victor’s pout grows even bigger, eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks. “You have to sit in the stands, so you can see the choreography properly. Promise!” 

“I promise,” Yuuri agrees immediately, as if he wasn’t planning on going anyway. Victor’s been working so hard on this choreography, he can’t stop talking about it. Of course Yuuri’s going to go. Victor beams, and Yuuri is so gone. He’s never going to survive this school year if it continues like this. 

The game is on Friday, and Yuuri and Leo make their way from their usual seats in the media boothto the stands instead. Phichit has teased Yuuri relentlessly since Victor declared he wanted Yuuri to come to the game. It’s made it unbearable to spend a single second longer with him, so Yuuri is happy to get out of the booth. Phichit calls out, ‘Get it Yuuri!” just before the door closes, and Yuuri can only pray no one heard it. They sit down in the middle of the crowd, Leo waving down to Ji who ruffles his pom poms at them. 

The game is boring. The rest of the bleachers don’t seem to think so, but then again, Yuuri’s never gone to these things for the sports. He doesn’t even know anything about football. He doesn’t really look at the game, anyway—Victor and his squad are by the sidelines cheering, and Yuuri can’t take his eyes off him and his swirling silver ponytail. The October air is chill, and the cheerleaders have switched to their winter uniforms, with long sleeves and longer shirts that cover their stomachs, skirts still short. Victor leads the squad in cheer after cheer, kicking high, smile charming and practiced. He’s gorgeous, but now, it’s so obvious how it’s not genuine. The sight makes Yuuri’s heart hurt. He doesn’t understand. Victor’s always seemed so happy, so cheerful and on top of the world. Since knowing Victor, that image has tilted, but Yuuri hasn’t figured out why yet. There’s an itch under Yuuri’s skin, something rubbing him the wrong way about Victor’s expression, the way his shoulders stiffen, how he angles his body. Wrong. It all feels wrong. When did it change?

During the halftime break, Victor leads the team in the choreography he’s been talking about. When he dances, he becomes freer, as if it gives him the chance to express himself more openly. Yuuri falls for him even more. He knows it’s hopeless. He still hasn’t figured out why Victor wants to text him or hang out in school, but he’s not delusional. He knows this love is unrequited. He knows it will never lead to anything more than his own pining and heartbreak, but that doesn’t mean he can stop. When Victor was just a figure around school, someone Yuuri rested his eyes on and fantasised about, it was easier. Then, it was just a superficial crush. It’s so much more now that he knows him. Now, Yuuri’s in love. 

At the end of the last quarter, Victor spots them as he cheers with the squad. He throws a wink and a kiss their way, and Yuuri’s heart pounds so violently in his chest he starts wondering if he needs to visit a doctor to check if he’ll survive his senior year. That proves to be the least of Yuuri’s problems, however, since someone else seems to have seen the blown kiss during the game.

“Stay the fuck away from Victor,” says Cao Bin, strong as an ox, Victor’s ex boyfriend and football captain, as he pushes Yuuri up agains the lockers that following Monday. The night before, Victor sent Yuuri a detailed analysis of why his blue nail polish held up better than his pink and asked if he could paint Yuuri’s nails with the blue one when Yuuri admitted to never having painted his nails. They’re doing it at lunch. 

Anger rises in Yuuri’s chest. Who is this idiot who thinks he can decide anything about Victor and who he chooses to spend time with? Yuuri was there during The Epic Break-up TM , on his way from the school parking lot to the school like so many other students. He heard Victor’s voice break as he shouted about Cao sleeping around. He heard how Cao confirmed it. He heard how the bastard blamed it on Victor. He has no sympathy for a person like that.

“Let go of me,” Yuuri says, shoving hard at Cao’s chest. The action seems to take the quarterback by surprise, because his hands release the now overextended collar of Yuuri’s shirt, stumbling a step back. “You don’t get to decide what he does or who he hangs out with,” Yuuri says, holding eye contact with the other boy. 

Cao snorts, as if that’s the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. The feeling’s mutual. Cao is definitely the stupidest person Yuuri’s ever met, to treat someone who’s pure sunshine like trash. “I do whatever I want, nerd,” Cao says, slamming his hand into the locker beside Yuuri’s face, the loud sound making Yuuri flinch, heart jumping in his chest with fear. Cao smirks smugly, and Yuuri fights the urge to kick him in the shin. “Do as I say, or next time that will be your face.” 

He steps away, and Yuuri lets out a breath of relief as he watches the quarterback walk away. The corridor is full of students, some of them looking away from him, some giving him an unimpressed look, eyebrows raised as if to say “What did you expect? Know your place.”

It makes Yuuri’s blood boil, not because he feels he deserves Victor, he knows he doesn’t. But because they all seem to feel they have some sort of claim to Victor, who he is, who he hangs out with and who he dates. This must be why Victor looks so lonely sometimes when he’s in the middle of the crowd, eyes distant and smile hollow. This must be why he wears that mask. It makes Yuuri sick. He picks up his books from where they’ve fallen on the floor, opening his locker to exchange them for his lunch box and hurries to the quad. He has nails that need to be painted.

Chapter Text

The world is spinning. Well...Victor knows the world is actually spinning because he had a class about it in geography last semester and Mr. Karpisek told them it does. He also said one shouldn’t feel it, but Victor is definitely feeling it. The entire world seems to rush by as soon as he moves, which is a bad sign. It means he drank too much, and Victor never drinks too much. 

He’s currently on a couch, since he can’t stand without feeling like he might tumble over. There must have been too much alcohol in that last drink someone mixed for him. Who was it? Victor can’t remember. Chris, maybe? 

He looks around the room, trying to spot his friend in his cat costume. They’re at Mila’s annual Halloween party and the living-room-turned-dancefloor is packed with students from their high school, dressed in all kinds of costumes. Victor knows almost everyone here. Football players, cheerleaders, baseball players, various students from other assorted sports teams, a few others. All popular. Victor doesn’t really want to hang out with any of them. He has this uncomfortable feeling, something that makes everything about being here feel wrong, and even though Victor’s been trying to push it down and enjoy himself, he can’t. 

Victor, Chris, and Isabella got ready together at Isabella’s before coming here. All the cheerleaders have coordinated outfits in the same theme, on which they democratically voted to be animals. Victor got first pick, of course, which is why there are white bunny ears on his head, going with the white lace bodice and fluffy bunny puff stuck to his tailbone. A sheer white skirt is tied to his waist, cascading down like a veil behind him, a slit cut to let the bunny tail peek out. His black winged eyeliner is lined with silver, his lips painted pink, his long silver hair cascading freely down his shoulders. He looks amazing, but the person he wants to see him look like this isn’t here. 

Victor had known that Yuuri wouldn’t be coming—he’d asked during their tutoring session on Wednesday. Yuuri had blinked, wide-eyed and surprised, with those gorgeous amber eyes. His dark eyebrows furrowed when he said he wasn’t invited, that he had never been to one of Mila’s parties. Victor had invited him, but Yuuri simply told him he didn’t think he would be welcomed. Something had twisted in Victor’s chest at Yuuri’s words, but he’d let it go. He didn’t want to make Yuuri uncomfortable, not when they’ve started getting closer. Victor had realised his usual all-in approach to flirting wasn’t really working to charm Yuuri. Yuuri would smile or blush, but he has yet to ask Victor out. When talking to Ji about it, the other cheerleader had suggested a softer approach. The idea had pooled uncomfortably in Victor’s stomach. Soft meant revealing more of himself. Soft meant vulnerable, and Victor doesn’t do vulnerable. As it turned out, being soft and letting his guard down around Yuuri came almost naturally. It was easy to feel comfortable in his presence, and Victor started to crave it, so much so that whenever Yuuri wasn’t next to him, he missed him. Which is why this party sucks. 

Phichit is here, though, and when Victor spotted him in his red and gold suit, his heart had jumped up in his throat, hope filling him that maybe, just maybe, Yuuri would be there too. He wasn’t. Victor had been a bit buzzed before that, and should have known better than to ask Chris to make him a drink when he was already feeling the effects of the alcohol, should have known his friend was meaning to push him over the edge so he would let loose and start flirting. Chris has been nagging at him to let go of his “Crazy obsession with nerd boy” and go look for a real man, preferably from one of the sports teams. 

“I know Cao burned you, darling,” Chris said as he did Victor’s makeup earlier that evening. “But that's no reason to go flirt up the first boy you see. It wont make Cao jealous to see you slumming. I can admit Yuuri’s pretty, but you’re way out of his league.” 

Victor said nothing, feeling nauseated by the words. Yuuri’s not some consolation prize or just a boytoy for Victor to play with as he gets over Cao. He doesn’t even feel like he needs to get over Cao, because the quarterback is the last person on his mind, even if most of the squad seems to think this “Insanity with Yuuri” has to do with the quarterback. It doesn't. Yuuri already means so much more to Victor than his ex ever did, makes him feel so much more. Yuuri should be here. Victor wants him here. 

He pulls out his phone from the lacy bodice, fumbling fingers scrolling through the contact list. There is an urgency filling him as he looks, a need to hear Yuuri’s voice. To have him close. To not be here, but there instead, wherever Yuuri is. 

He’s never called Yuuri before. They text all the time, and the last one from Yuuri about how he’s going to stay home and watch a movie still sits unanswered in Victor’s inbox. He finds the call button and presses the phone hard against his ear, his free hand pressing to his other ear so he can hear the call go through. One ring, then another. Victor’s heart is beating rapidly and even through his fogged mind he can feel nerves tingle through his body, all the way out to his fingertips. 

“H-hello?”  

Victor smiles as soon as he hears Yuuri’s voice. He misses him so much. He has a beautiful voice, too, which Victor hasn’t noticed before. 

“Yuuriiiii,” he calls out, smile spreading across his face. “Come heeere.” There. Good. Now that Victor’s said it, Yuuri must understand and come, right? 

“Victor? Sorry I-I can barely hear you.”

Victor can’t have that. He called Yuuri to talk to him after all. He tries to push himself off the couch and seek out somewhere quiet, where the music isn’t so loud. One of the upstairs bedrooms or outside on the porch should be better. 

“Outside?” Yuuri asks. “Are you outside? But it’s freezing. Where are you?”

Oh, Victor must be blabbering. Damn, he’s drunker than he thought. Yuuri sounds so worried. God, he’s adorable. So, so good. How can anyone think he’s slumming it by hanging out with this amazing boy. 

“‘m at Mila’s. ‘m very, very dizzy,” Victor admits. He’s managed to push himself off the couch, and his heels makes him stumble a little. He lets out a small squeal before he finds his balance again. 

“Victor? Are you okay?” Yuuri asks, words rushed. Victor can picture him, eyes wide and cheeks pink, biting his lip like he does when he’s nervous. 

“I almost fell,” Victor admits, grabbing the wall as he tries to squeeze by some juniors making out against a wall in the hallway. “Yuuri, come get meee.” He needs Yuuri close. It’s been forever since he saw him. Eons at least. The line falls quiet and Victor stumbles outside, the cold air hitting him hard. “Oh, it is cold. You’re so smart, Yuuri.”
“Oh my god. Stay where you are, okay?”

“Are you coming to get me?” Victor asks, hope rising in his chest. There’s some shuffling on the other end of the line. Victor can hear it now that he’s gotten away from the loud music, even if he can still hear the bass pounding from inside. Suddenly he feels so heavy. So tired. 

“Yeah I — I’ll come get you,” Yuuri says, and Victor smiles, sitting down on the stairs leading down from the wooden porch towards the street. It’s a quiet night, all of the younger kids going trick-or-treat must already have gone home. He has no idea what time it is, and everything seems so blurry.  

“Good. ‘m just gonna nap until you come,” Victor says as he lies down, feeling the chill of the wood seep into his skin through the almost non-existent cover of lace and sheer chiffon. It clears his mind a little, makes it easier to breathe. 

“No! Victor, you can’t fall asleep outside!” Yuuri exclaims, and Victor nods, letting out a yawn. 

“‘Mmkaay,” Victor agrees, without attempting to get up. Yuuri’s pretty hot when he’s determined. Just like when he’s adamant about Victor grasping a formula. God, Victor never thought math could be sexy, but here he is. Maybe it’s just Yuuri who’s put some sort of magic spell on him, with his brown eyes and soft looking lips and sweet voice. That must be it. 

“I’ll be there soon, okay? Just…just stay awake for me, okay?” Yuuri says. Victor can hear the jingle of keys and it fills him with warmth, thinking about Yuuri coming to see him, so much that the cold doesn’t feel as biting. 

“Okay, see you soon, Yuuri,” Victor says with another yawn. 

“Yeah. Yeah, see you soon.” 

The call disconnects and Victor lets out a sigh as he puts his phone down. It’s hard to tell, his mind still fuzzy, but it feels like it doesn’t take long until the door behind him opens, and he tilts his head slightly to see who it is. It’s one of the sophomore boys from the baseball team, Jacob, he thinks. Victor’s never really spoken to him, nothing more than a few greetings and some choppy conversations at parties like this. Jacob’s dressed like a soldier, in camouflage pants and a black tank top, grease on his face and his hair cropped short. 

“Wellll, hello bunny,” he says, voice slightly slurred. He’s probably drunk too. Victor saw him playing Never Have I Ever with JJ and some other volleyball players earlier, and that always gets out of hand. Jacob’s walking closer, until he’s standing right next to Victor, looking down on him where he lies on the floor. It feels wrong. Victor should try to get up. “What are you up to?” 

“Waiting,” Victor says, trying to sit up, but his mind starts spinning as soon as he moves. Damn Chris’ strong drinks. 

“Really?” Jacob chuckles, squatting down next to him. It feels like he’s too close. “Waiting for me?”

“No,” Victor scoffs, pushing himself up so he doesn’t feel as exposed. Everything spins and he has to grip the edge of the fence to steady himself, and to not throw up. 

“No?” Jacob asks, and he sounds far too amused. “Can I change your mind?” He leans closer, and panic suddenly flares through Victor. His hands come up to push Jacob away, to try to pull himself up to stand. His arms feel heavy, movements too slow. This is the exact reason he doesn't get this drunk: he’s never left alone at parties and now he feels like he can’t defend himself. He tries to summon all the power he has, placing his hands on Jacob’s chest to shove. In the same moment, the door opens again, and the surprise seems to throw Jacob off as he falls back on his ass. Victor turns towards the light of the open door, letting out a sigh of relief as he spots a familiar face. 

“‘sup, Jacob,” Phichit says as he walks up to them. Jacob stutters a little, seemingly taken aback by being interrupted and for ending up on his ass, but Victor is extremely grateful for Phichit’s timing. 

“How’s it going, Phichit?” Jacob answers as he shuffles to his feet, still a bit unsteady. Victor pushes himself back, even if it makes his head spin even more. He wants to create as much distance between them as possible. Phichit squats down next to Victor, creating a bit of a barrier between him and Jacob. There’s a smile on his face, but it looks strained. 

“Not much. Just bringing Victor some water,” Phichit says, handing over a glass Victor didn’t even notice he was carrying. Victor takes it with fumbly hands, the cold liquid slipping down his throat easily as he drinks. When he’s done, Phichit takes the empty glass, tilting it up towards Jacob. 

“Here, why don’t you get another one?” he asks, voice pleasant, but missing it’s usually cheeriness. Jacob looks confused but nods as he takes it, disappearing inside. 

“Fucking creep,” Phichit mumbles as soon as the door falls closed, turning towards Victor, giving him a once-over. “He won’t be back; he’s groped half the party tonight. You okay?”

“‘m very drunk, Phi,” Victor admits, and he can see Phichit relax, chuckling a little.
“Yeah, well it seems Yuuri did the right thing calling me, even if it did interrupt some hot dancing with a cute boy,” Phichit replies, sitting down next to Victor on the stairs. 

“Yuuri called you?” Victor asks, a smile spreading across his face as warmth fills him at the thought of Yuuri being so worried about him that he called Phichit to make him go look for Victor. He’s really too good to be true. 

“Yeah, he’s on his way here but your call got him worried. Asked me to go find you since he knew I was at the party too.”

“He’s too good for me, Phichit,” Victor admits, eyes on the road, hoping he’ll see Yuuri soon. What kind of car does Yuuri drive? Victor’s never seen it. He hopes it’s not a bicycle because that could take ages. Not that he knows where Yuuri lives, because they’ve only hung out at school, which is a shame. Victor has the sudden urge to know what Yuuri’s room looks like. Probably lots of books and video games, lots of blue things. Yuuri seems to really like blue. That and food. He always has the best lunchboxes. 

“He is,” Phichit agrees, and Victor smiles, because he’s glad someone’s agreeing with him on this. “So you better be good to him. I won’t have anyone breaking my best friend’s heart.” 

Victor lets out a shocked gasp, because that’s the worst thing he’s ever heard! “I would never!” 

Phichit laughs as he shakes his head, and Victor laughs with him. The water and the cold have made him feel less dizzy, and bubbly again. The urge to see Yuuri intensifies, alongside the already frequent urges to hold him and kiss him and tell him he’s the prettiest boy in the world. Victor still hasn’t done any of that, though, because he doesn’t want to scare Yuuri away. Victor’s afraid too. Afraid that Yuuri, for all his blushing and smitten glances, doesn’t feel the same. No one treats Victor like Yuuri does, with sincere words, with soft glances and fierce encouragements. With honesty. 

The dark street is illuminated by a single moving light, the purr of an engine growing closer as a motorcycle rounds the street corner, a single dark-clad figure riding. Victor’s never been on a motorcycle. He’s always wondered how it feels. 

“Here he is,” Phichit sing songs, and Victor scoffs. 

“Nooo, Phichit, are you drunker than me? That’s a motorcycle,” Victor tells him as the bike pulls up on the sidewalk and stops.

“Yeah, I know it is,” Phichit says with a smirk as he rises from the stairs. He gives Victor a pat on the shoulder before he waves at the figure on the bike, turning to go back inside. Victor feels like time moves in slow motion as the person on the bike swings a leg over. They’re in dark jeans and a grey hoodie, a black leather jacket overtop. The dark helmet comes off and Victor sucks in a breath as his stomach flips. Yuuri shakes his hair, correcting his crooked glasses. Oh. Oh my god.

Victor’s world tilts on its axis as Yuuri hangs the helmet on the handlebars. Pretty, smart, and hot in leather…Victor’s not going to survive. This is where he dies. Yuuri hurries up to him, and Victor feels a warm, happy feeling flood through his body, spreading a smile on his face. Yuuri looks worried, but he also looks soft and cute. And really hot.

“Hey,” Yuuri says as he crouches down so they’re level, Victor still sitting on the wooden steps. There’s a pink flush on his cheeks, and Victor’s heart hammers in his chest. He has to hug him. 

“Yuuri! My knight in shining leather!” he exclaims, throwing his arms around the other boy. Yuuri lets out a soft oof as Victor leans into him with all his weight, but he’s not pushing Victor away, so he snuggles closer. They’ve never hugged before, and when Yuuri’s hands come to circle his waist, Victor can’t help but press his face into Yuuri’s neck, breathing him in. He smells like vanilla and soap. Victor is crushing on him so hard. 

“Are you okay?” Yuuri asks as he pulls away, far sooner than Victor wants. He can’t help but pout. Yuuri’s warm and snuggly, and now Victor’s cold again. A shiver runs through his body and he can see Yuuri’s eyes follow it before he quickly averts his eyes. Huh. That’s not what Victor wants. He wants Yuuri to look at him all the time, but especially now when he’s made himself so pretty. Leaving a bit of a distance between them, Yuuri sits down next to him, and Victor has to push down the urge to lean against him and get back some of that warmth. 

“Yuuriii, why won’t you look at me?” he sighs, and Yuuri does look at him then, straight in the eye. 

“Aren't you cold? You felt cold,” Yuuri asks, voice soft as his brows furrow. 

“But I look pretty, right Yuuri?” Victor asks, letting his head fall to the side, fluttering his eyelashes. Yuuri’s blush darkens and climbs to his ears as his eyes dart down to Victor’s costume. His eyes finds Victor’s again, and surprisingly, they stay there. 

“You always look pretty,” he mumbles before looking down at his hands in his lap. It’s so quiet that Victor almost misses it. 

“You think I’m pretty?” Victor grins as he leans forward. Why isn’t Yuuri touching him anymore? That hug was so cosy. 

“Everyone thinks you’re pretty,” Yuuri sighs, looking up at the street.

“I don’t care about them though,” Victor says with a whine. ”I care if you think I’m pretty. Do you, Yuuri?”

There’s a long pause as Yuuri continues to stare in front of him, lacing his fingers together in his lap. He takes a deep breath, then another.  

“Yeah. Yes I do,” he finally says, after what feels like an eternity, and Victor can’t help but beam at him.
“Good! I think you’re pretty too!” Victor proclaims proudly. Yuuri squeaks, head snapping to Victor who simply smiles at him, one of those grins he can’t reel in, that he knows is a bit crooked and not as perfect. He’s just too happy to hold back. 

“You’re drunk,” Yuuri says with a sigh of disappointment, and the bubbly joy in Victor fades. There’s distance in Yuuri’s voice. Victor hates it. 

“I always think you’re pretty though,” he admits. Yuuri’s gaze is intense, as if he’s searching for a lie in the words. Victor can only hope Yuuri doesn’t find anything, because Victor means it sincerely. Yuuri lets out a long breath, shifting slightly on the wooden steps. The night chill bites at Victor’s skin again, and he shivers. 

“Are you okay?” Yuuri asks, brow furrowing.  “Do you still feel dizzy?”

“A little,” Victor admits. “Tired, cold.” 

Yuuri nods, and then he’s shrugging out of the leather jacket. Victor’s heart rate picks up as Yuuri reaches over, Victor raising his arms for him almost on impulse. Yuuri slides on one arm at a time, until the jacket is covering Victor’s frame. It’s still warm from Yuuri’s body heat, and Victor can’t help but bring his hands up and bury his nose into the sleeves. It smells like Yuuri and makes Victor’s head spin in an entirely different way than the alcohol. He leans into his hands, watching Yuuri as he tilts his head and rests against his knees. Yuuri really is too pretty. 

“Thank you,” he whispers, and Yuuri nods again. “I don’t want to stay here.”

“Okay,” Yuuri answers. “You want me to take you home?” 

Something cold pools in Victor’s gut at the thought of going to that cold penthouse apartment. To hear his steps echo as he walks down the hall. To fall asleep wondering if he’ll be alone when he wakes in the morning. It all makes him feel hollow, but the real dread comes from being separated from Yuuri again.

“Don’t want to go home,” Victor says, scooting a little closer. They’re almost pressed together now and Victor can feel Yuuri’s body heat next to his nearly-bare thigh. So close but not close enough.
“Are worried your parents will be mad that you’re drunk?” Yuuri asks as he studies him, those brown eyes intense. Victor feels he might drown in them. It might be the alcohol though. 

“Parents?” Victor asks, furrowing his brows. He can’t remember the last time he had a fight with his parents. “No, they’re not at home.”

“Oh, okay,” Yuuri says. It looks like he wants to ask more but he stays quiet for a moment, still just looking at Victor. He wants to ask if he can come home with Yuuri instead. He wants to know Yuuri better, needs to know more about this boy who’s enchanted him so. 

“We can’t just stay here, because you’ll freeze to death,” Yuuri says softly. Too soft. It makes Victor’s defences and fear of repercussion drop. 

“Can I come home with you?” Victor asks. His voice is small, almost nonexistent in the cold night and the pounding from the music inside the house. Yuuri’s quiet for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek, before he nods. His expression is puzzled, but when Victor smiles at him he smiles back, even if it’s tentative. Yuuri rises first, then he reaches his hand out. Victor grabs it and lets himself be pulled up, but he stumbles as soon as he’s upright, feeling like Bambi in his heels. He falls forward and Yuuri catches him, hands on his waist as Victor's find Yuuri’s shoulders. 

“Whoa,” Yuuri breathes and Victor’s head is spinning, heart racing. They are so close like this, and if Victor just turns his head and leans down, he can press his lips against Yuuri’s. See what Yuuri tastes like, if his lips are as soft as they look. See if Yuuri likes him too. 

Before he manages to decide, Yuuri steadies them and pulls back, leaving Victor’s heart aching. “You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Victor says. “Dizzy with heels is a bad combination.”

Yuuri nods and slides an arm around Victor’s waist to steady him, supporting him to the motorcycle. He carefully pulls off the bunny ears, handing a helmet over before pulling on his own. 

“You have to hold on to me,” Yuuri says, and Victor’s heart jumps in his chest at the thought of pressing so close to Yuuri. “And lean with me as we take the curves, okay?” 

“Yeah,” Victor agrees, breathless. Yuuri nods and pulls down Victor’s visor, then his own, before he mounts the bike. Victor ties his skirt up, and with unsteady legs, he manages to get on too, scooting as close to Yuuri as he can, arms wrapped tight around him. Yuuri’s so warm and Victor loves it. The engine roars to life and Yuuri guides them into the street. 

Victor’s not sure how long the drive is. All he can concentrate on is Yuuri’s warmth beneath his hands, feeling each breath. In and out, in and out. They pull into a driveway in front of a yellow brick house, and Victor’s pretty sure he’s never been to this part of town before. They manage to detangle and get off the bike, and Yuuri leads him to a door at the back of the house, heading down to the basement. The staircase walls are covered in posters of video games and movies. It feels cosy, homey even. Yuuri stops as they reach the bottom of the stairs, turning to face Victor, who’s standing with his heels and bunny ears in his hand, skirt still tied up and Yuuri’s jacket still draped over his shoulders. 

“That’s a bathroom,” Yuuri says as he motions to one of the doors to the right. “And the other one’s a laundry room.” He then steps toward the other door on the right, fidgeting a little before he opens it. “This is my room. It’s not much, but you know...” 

Victor steps in after him, and he can feel a smile spread across his face as the warmth of the room seeps into his skin. The walls are blue, just like he predicted. There’s wooden parquet on the floor, half of it covered by a fluffy, dark blue rug. It’s a fairly large room, with a bed pushed against one wall, a desk filled with books and papers pushed against another. There’s a couch and a TV, game controllers and cords on the floor. The TV is still on, a frame paused in a movie. Victor’s heart flutters at the thought of Yuuri rushing out to get him, not even giving himself time to turn off the TV. There are shelves with books, comic books, and trinkets, and Victor wants to look at them all.

“Are you still cold?” Yuuri asks, turning to a dresser and starting to sift through it. “I have some sweatpants and a shirt you can borrow.” 

Victor’s heart jumps as he takes the clothes, and Yuuri disappears out of the room while mumbling about food, leaving Victor to change on his own. He makes quick work of changing, and when he sits down on the bed he feels exhaustion hit him hard. Yuuri comes back, knocking before entering, which is adorable since it’s his own room. He has sandwiches with him and Victor eats them as Yuuri starts the movie again. It doesn't take long until Victor’s eyelids start feeling heavy, the warmth surrounding him lulling him to sleep. 

Victor wakes in the morning tucked into Yuuri’s bed. Everything is warm and cosy and smells just like Yuuri did last night. He’s head hurts, but only slightly. The room is still pretty dark, but there’s a soft light coming in from the casement windows right under the ceiling. He spots Yuuri, wrapped in blankets and sleeping soundly on the couch. Victor’s not sure if he’s grateful or disappointed to not find Yuuri beside him instead. Yuuri soon stirs , brown eyes blinking open slowly as he stretches out on the small couch. He’s in soft pyjamas, t-shirt riding up his hips as he stretches his arms over his head. It may or may not make a tingle rush up Victor’s spine. 

“Morning,” Yuuri says, lips smacking. He looks unbelievably sleepy and cosy, and Victor immediately realises he wishes Yuuri would have slept next to him instead. 

It turns out Yuuri is a lot less flustered when sleepy, and it takes a good twenty minutes of them slowly waking and talking before he breaks into his first blush. Yuuri suggests breakfast, and Victor stays in the soft borrowed clothes as they go upstairs. When they walk into the kitchen, two women in their twenties are already there. One has short blonde hair and a nose ring, brown eyes very similar to Yuuri’s. She’s got her arm wrapped around the other woman, who’s long dark hair is plated into a braid resting over her shoulder, deep purple eye intense. The blonde woman’s face splits into a grin as she sees them, and Victor can see Yuuri freezing as he spots her, as if wondering if he can grab Victor and run back down stairs. 

“Wow, little brother,” the blonde says as she wiggles her eyebrows. “Who is this coming up from your bedroom in the sweater we bought you last Christmas?” 

Yuuri lets out a sound that reminds Victor more of a whale than a person, which makes Yuuri’s sister laugh and the other woman giggle, the sounds making Yuuri’s mother come into the kitchen to see what the fuss is about. After that, there’s a flurry of greetings and introductions. The blond is Yuuri’s sister, Mari, and the raven her wife, Sara. Food gets produced in what must be record time, the entire family helping out to get things out of the fridge and freezer, into pans and on plates. It’s almost like a dance, and Victor feels mesmerized as he watches it, everyone moving in sync.

The family all eats together, and it's warm and inviting. The Katsukis make him feel welcome, even if he suspects that Yuuri’s trying to kick his sister under the table every time she focuses on Victor. It’s extremely cute. They go back to Yuuri’s room after they eat, playing video games and watching movies until the hour grows late and Victor feels like he has to go home, even if he doesn't want to. 

Yuuri drops him off on the motorcycle, still in the borrowed clothes, his costume in a bag.

“Text me when you get home?” Victor asks, heart beating violently in his chest as he returns the helmet. Yuuri agrees, and Victor thinks he might see a flush at the edges of his cheeks, just visible from where the visor is open. “Thank you for taking care of me.” 

Victor turns after that, too scared to hear Yuuri’s answer. It takes fifteen minutes after Yuuri’s left the curb before a new text message pops up on Victor phone. 

“Victor,” Yuuri’s soft voice calls, and Victor blinks his eyes open slowly, trying to focus on the sound. His eyelids feel heavy, and he can’t hold back the yawn coming as he raises his head from the armrest of the couch in the library. Oh. He must have fallen asleep. 

“Sorry,” Victor mumbles, placing his head in his hands. They’re in a tutoring session but Victor can’t seem to be able to keep his eyes open. He stayed up way too late last night making new choreography for the squad and studying for the English exam he had this morning. 

“It’s alright,” Yuuri says, turning to the next page in the math textbook. “Try this instead; it will be on the next test.” 

Victor tries, he really, really does, for Yuuri. But the text blurs and the words blend together. It’s pointless. He glances over at Yuuri, who’s looking at him with those pretty amber eyes behind his glasses, hair looking soft and lips so pink. Victor wants to know what he’s thinking. Wants to learn more about him. There’s still so much Victor doesn’t know. 

“Yuuri,” he whines, and Yuuri furrows his brows slightly. “I'm not learning anything more today anyway. Won't you tell me about your past lovers instead?”

Yuuri goes scarlet, much redder than Victor has ever seen him. 

“L-lovers?” Yuuri stutters, and Victor suddenly feels much more awake, straightening from his slouched position so he can lean closer. This, unfortunately, makes Yuuri lean away. “I-I-I don’t— No comment!” 

Victor pouts as he lets out a huff. Ji did say that he thought Yuuri hasn’t had any partners, but Victor would like to know . Maybe if he shares it will make Yuuri open up.

“Let’s talk about mine then! My first—”

“No!” Yuuri all but shouts, earning them a shh from the librarian. Yuuri looks horrified. Like being loud in the library is a mortal sin he never, ever though he would commit. That’s so cute.

“Why?” Victor asks. This is almost more interesting than Yuuri not wanting to talk about his own experiences. He’s never refused Victor talking about something before. 

“Well I…I saw the whole break up thing last spring, so...” Yuuri says as he trails off and looks away, as if ashamed, shrugging. A weight pushes on Victor’s stomach, like lead in his gut. What did Yuuri think of it? Did he think Victor was being silly? Dramatic?

“Oh,” Victor says, looking down into his book. It’s quiet for a while, as he stares down at the numbers. He doesn’t dare look up, afraid of what he’ll see in Yuuri’s face if he does. Suddenly, there’s a warmth enveloping his hand, and Victor looks over to see Yuuri’s hand cupping his own. Surprised, Victor looks up at him. Yuuri’s still flustered but his eyes are determined. 

“I’m sorry he did that to you. You deserve better. So, so much better.”

Yuuri’s voice is only a whisper, but still so sure. It’s such a contradiction, as if Yuuri’s not certain he’s allowed to say things like this but still wants to make sure Victor knows he means it. And Victor does. It resonates in his entire body, and even if so many have told him this, it feels so good to know that Yuuri thinks so too. That Yuuri sees him as worthy of more than that. 

“It’s hard sometimes,” Victor finds himself saying, words spilling out though he never really meant to say them. “To believe that.” 

Yuuri’s eyes widen, just slightly, and his grip on Victor’s hand tightens. It’s like the moment is frozen, Yuuri’s intense eyes on him, pinning him in place. It’s too raw, too vulnerable, and Victor never meant to slip up like that. He’s worked for years to encapsulate himself, to build layers upon layers to protect himself from feeling this exposed, from the possibility of getting hurt. Victor’s never lets anyone in like this, even if they think he does. And it was only a few words. Does Yuuri see? Does he understand?

Yuuri’s gaze on him is so soft, like warmth and adoration. Like Ji looks at Leo. Like Mari looked at Sara that weekend at Yuuri’s. Like Victor can never remember anyone looking at him before. 

“You deserve to be treated amazingly, Victor,” Yuuri finally says, when Victor thinks his heart might explode with how it’s swelling in his chest. “You deserve to be you, and to be happy, and for the people you give your heart to to treat it with respect, with love.” 

Victor can feel tears start to burn in his eyes, but he’s not sad, not really. This is a far more overwhelming feeling. He doesn’t really have words for it yet though. He can’t cry in the school library. If they were alone, maybe Victor would dare to let go, but instead, he turns his hand to squeeze Yuuri’s, once, hoping he understands his gratitude. Yuuri squeezes back, then regrettably moves his hand away. The warmth still lingers on Victor’s skin, and when he turns, there’s a soft smile on Yuuri’s face, one Victor returns. 

“You want to ditch the studying and get hot chocolate instead?” Yuuri asks, and in that moment, Victor knows that this isn’t just a crush anymore. He’s in love with Yuuri. It’s so new, so filled with fireworks and racing heartbeats, fingers tingling, while simultaneously being a quiet realisation. Victor smiles and nods, and together they pack up and head out. 

Something is going on. The students are buzzing with it, have been all morning. Victor still doesn’t know why. By now, someone’s usually informed him. It’s strange to be out of the loop but Victor doesn't really want to ask anyone either.  

“Victor!” Ji says as he comes toward him as if shooting out of a canon, grabbing his arm to start tugging him down towards the back entrance. 

“Ji! What’s going on?” Victor asks as the other cheerleader pulls him outside. Students seem to be milling around everywhere, even though it’s November and chilly outside. 

“Look!” Ji exclaims as they come to a stop, pointing towards a sign hanging over the garage across the street. 

Support the Hanna Green Dog Shelter - get your car washed here! 

“A car wash?” Victor asks as he quirks an eyebrow up and looks over at his friend, who's absolutely beaming. “Who does a car wash in the middle of November?” It sounds horrible, getting cold and wet like that. It does seem to be inside the garage, though, so maybe it’s not so bad. Still, the whole appeal when the cheerleading squad did a car wash right after summer break was for them to be seen as they did it, to pull in business. And which school club, besides the cheerleaders, would do a car wash? Strange. The cause is cute though. The dog shelter had some trouble with a water leak a week ago, so they’re probably in need of money. 

“The math club,” Ji says, and it takes a moment for Victor to go from surprised, to confused, to realisation. 

“Yuuri?” he asks, and Ji nods so fast Victor thinks his head might fall off, grabbing Victor’s hand again to pull him towards the garage. Victor follows in a daze, not sure what to expect, if he should expect anything. The air becomes humid as they walk inside and Victor can see Yuuko guiding cars in and out. Victor and Ji press past some other students, and Victor wonders why there’s so many of them there. Nothing the math club’s done has ever drawn this amount of attention. The crowd shifts as Ji pulls Victor forward, then Victor’s heart stops as he comes to the edge of the crowd. 

Yuuri’s there. Of course he’s there. But he’s also all but soaking wet. His dark t-shirt clings to his body, pressing so it shows Yuuri’s strong shoulders, his flat chest and stomach, muscles in his back flexing. He’s in a pair of workout shorts, ending at mid-thigh, giving Victor an amazing view of Yuuri’s strong thighs and calves as he pushes himself up to scrub at the black car. His dark hair is wet and pushed out of his face, sharpening his usually soft features. His glasses are missing, making his distinctive cheekbones stand out, his dark eyebrows more prominent. Victor thinks he might melt into a puddle. Yuuri’s been pretty and soft and sweet and wonderful, and Victor’s fallen for him. What he’s feeling now is heat, a want that floods his stomach, making him ache. 

There are other students washing cars, too, but Victor is barely aware of them. All he can see is Yuuri. Yuuri spraying the car down, scrubbing it clean, wiping water from his brow. He’s gorgeous. Victor’s not going to survive. 

Someone giggles next to them, and Victor turns towards it, suddenly realising why there’s so many students there watching. He spots Minami, a sophomore cheerleader, on the other side of the car Yuuri’s cleaning, face tomato red and eyes glued to Yuuri. He sees all of them watching, eyes trailing every movement his tutor does. Something dark and possessive pools in Victor’s gut as he looks around at everyone eyeing Yuuri. As if he’s theirs to watch. They’ve never looked at him before but now they all seem to notice . What if they start approaching him? What if they ask him out? What if Yuuri says yes? Victor has to do something about it, has to make sure no one takes him. He’s not sure about Yuuri’s feelings towards him yet but he knows he needs to stake claim. Show all of them they need to keep their hands OFF. 

“What are you wearing?” Chris asks as he comes to lean against the locker next to Victor’s. There’s a hint of malice in it, and Victor tries to not let it affect him as he turns to his best friend with a smile.

“Oh, it’s Yuuri’s jacket!” Victor says cheerily, glancing over his shoulder to look at Yuuri’s name printed on the back of the white jacket, right above the Aria High School Math Club lettering . 

It hadn’t been hard to take it. It often hangs on Yuuri’s chair in the tutoring center. Victor had simply grabbed it before he headed out, when Yuuri was talking to another student, and now everyone can see that they are to keep their hands off Yuuri. He’s even tied his hair up in a bun for good measure, to make sure everyone sees whose name is on his back.   

“Why?” Chris presses, brows furrowed and jaw slightly slack. Victor bites his lips a little, insecurity pooling in his gut. He doesn’t really know what to say. It’s been clear that Chris doesn’t really understand or support his relationship with Yuuri. Victor doesn’t know how to start to explain it either. 

“Because I felt like it,” he answers as he closes the locker, while Chris still looks at him with a puzzled look. 

“What’s gotten into you?” he asks, and Victor sighs, turning so he can lean against his locker next to his friend. Maybe he should try to be honest. He hasn't been with Chris for a long time, not about this. 

“I really like him,” he admits. It’s the first time he’s said it, even if Ji’s been teasing him about it for quite some time. “He makes me feel happy, seen. Like he cares about who I am.” 

Chris still looks confused, brows furrowed and jaw clenched. Victor feels like they’re disconnected. He doesn’t know what more he can say than that. 

“But, Victor, he’s not…he’s not like us. I don’t even think he wants to be like us,” Chris says. His expression has softened, and Victor is glad for it, because maybe now he’ll have a chance to make him understand. 

“Is that so bad? Opposites attract, they say,” Victor tries with some cheekiness, hoping to lighten the mood. 

Chris sighs and looks up at the ceiling. “Not everyone has it as easy as you,” he answers, eyes still cast up. “There’s a hierarchy for a reason.” 

“All I’m asking is for you to come sit with us at lunch sometime,” Victor tries. He knows Chris isn’t a bad person, but they all worry about what people will think of them. About losing status. About being alone. “Phichit sits there, too, and you know him, right? Ji does as well. Would it be so bad?” 

Chris looks down at him, pursing his lips slightly, almost in a pout. Victor can see the fire returning to Chris eyes, though, and hope flares inside him.

“Well…”  Chris says, a smirk breaking out on his face. “Phichit is pretty hot.” 

Victor smiles, too, as he laughs, and Chris rolls his eyes. 

“No promises, but I can try. Come see what this boy who’s got you all smitten and possessive is about.”

“That’s all I ask,” Victor says with a wide grin. 

Chapter Text

Victor Nikiforov

07:28 AM

Have you left for school yet? 

Me

07:31 AM

No, heading out soon.

Why?

Victor Nikiforov

07.31 AM

Chris is sick today so I don’t have a ride

Pick me up? 

Yuuri doesn’t think too much about this, other than the fact that his stomach flips as Victor swings his leg over the bike and scoots closer, arms wrapping tightly around his waist. It’s so nice to have Victor close like this but Yuuri feels bad about it, too, because if they’re friends, Yuuri should try harder to push down all of these fluttering feelings he has for Victor. He has tried, but it’s almost impossible with how his heart jumps every time he sees him. 

When they get to school, Phichit takes the standard morning photo, now containing Victor as well, and asks if he can upload it to Instagram. Victor immediately agrees and leans over to help Phichit pick the filter. Ji and Leo are wearing knowing smiles, and Leo wiggles his eyebrows at Yuuri, making him let out a frustrated groan as he swings his messenger bag over his shoulder and starts walking towards the school. His friends are horrible in fueling this crush he has, one that will never be more than just him pining. It will be like this until Victor gets bored of him and finds someone new and better to hang out with, or at the latest, when fall comes and they both leave for college.

Victor asks if Yuuri can wait until after cheer practice and drive him home as well, and Yuuri agrees, because saying no to Victor is so hard, especially when Yuuri doesn’t want to. 

It becomes routine after that. Chris comes back to school but Victor never asks Yuuri to stop coming to get him, so Yuuri continues. Even if he feels like a creep, he can’t deny himself the warm bubbly feelings  every time Victor presses close to his back on the way to and from school. They end up at Yuuri’s house more often than Yuuri drives Victor straight home, since it’s almost always time for dinner by the time Victor finishes cheer practice, which Yuuri now watches on the days he doesn’t have club activities himself since he’s waiting for Victor. There’s no logic to it. None at all. Other than Yuuri wanting to be close and Victor letting him for some reason. 

Watching cheer practice is a good test of Yuuris concentration. He tries, and often fails, to study when he’s sitting there in the stands of the gym. Victor’s voice echoes through the hall, pulling Yuuri’s attention to him over and over again, even if he’s not talking to Yuuri. His movements are fluid, and Yuuri zones out from his studies, just watching Victor show an arm movement over and over until the entire squad can do it in sync. Yuuri loses himself in watching Victor’s hips sway, his skirt twirl, his ponytail swish in the air. He’s so graceful—Yuuri’s sure he could be a professional dancer if he wanted to.  

The cheerleading squad keeps throwing him glances, but Yuuri think they’re more curious than disgusted like he suspected they were in the beginning of the tutoring arrangement. None except Victor and Ji come up to talk to him, though, and maybe that’s for the best. Yuuri’s not exactly sure how to talk to the rest of the squad anyway. Chris has joined them at lunch a few times, mostly talking to Phichit. He sort of intimidates Yuuri, so he usually stays quiet when Chris is at their table. 

Yuuri’s working on an essay for English Lit today. It’s been going alright. He’s been able to keep his concentration for most of the hour and a half, only glancing up a few times to look at Victor. The squad has started training more seriously for Nationals in February, and Victor’s been working so hard that he’s been looking exhausted during their study sessions. He takes on so much responsibility in so many things, Yuuri should try figure out a way to help him out more. 

The cheerleaders are currently stretching, which Yuuri now knows means Victor has about fifteen minutes left until Yuuri can come down and help put things away before Victor changes and they can leave. His mother’s insisted that Victor come home with him tonight so she can feed him. Ever since she learned that Victor’s parents spend more time on business trips then at home, she’s been worried about him not getting enough to eat. Yuuri saw it in the way her eyebrows pinched when Victor couldn’t recall the last time he ate a home cooked meal, and it’s not like Yuuri’s complaining about getting to spend more time together. He’ll gladly have Victor over every night to make sure he’s fed, as long as Mari’s not there to tease him about it. 

Some of the cheerleaders have started packing up but Victor, Chris, and a few others are still stretching, so Yuuri thinks he’ll have a few more minutes to write. He’s completely focused on it, deep in concentration that only breaks when someone clears their throat next to him. Yuuri snaps his head up, fully expecting it to be Victor. 

It’s not. 

It’s another cheerleader. Yuuri’s pretty sure he doesn't know him. He’s not one of those Victor usually hangs out with, and he must be younger than them. He’s blond, with a vibrant red streak in his bangs, which are pinned up with crossed-over bobby pins, and a grin so wide it looks like it should hurt. 

“Hi Yuuri!” the boy says, and dread fills Yuuri, because he has no idea what his name is or what he wants. He lowers his book and straightens, trying to give a small smile.

“Uhm, hi,” he answers, and the boy’s smile grows even wider, which seems impossible. 

“Do you like the routine?” the boy asks, nodding towards the floor where Victor is still stretching in a split with some squad members, back turned to them. Yuuri quickly averts his eyes, trying to not think about how flexible Victor really is.

“Yes. It’s really good. I like the choreography,” Yuuri answers, thinking about Victor’s smiling face and loud cheers, about his back flip and arabesque. Yeah. Yuuri definitely likes the choreography. 

This seems to be the wrong thing to say, though, because the boy’s mouth twists into an unpleasant expression for a second before he cocks his hip and starts smiling again, still looking down at Yuuri from where he’s standing on the stairs. 

“That’s great. I think we’ll do amazing at the competition!” the boy says and Yuuri nods, not really sure how to answer that. Silence falls over them for a moment, the boy looking expectantly on him, as if he counts on Yuuri to say something more. 

“I— Yeah...with Victor as your captain I’m sure everything will turn out great. He works really hard,” Yuuri says to fill the silence, and the boy furrows his brows, sitting down on the bench next to him and leaning forward, a little to close.  

“Yeah. Victor’s really great, but you know…he’s not really boyfriend material,” the boy says and Yuuri feels fear fill his entire body. 

Is Yuuri that obvious? Of course he is, but isn’t everyone in the school sort of in love with Victor? He’s so amazing, everyone must at least have a crush on him. He looks over at the boy who’s cocked his head slightly, still leaning forward towards Yuuri, which is making him extremely uncomfortable. Realisation hits him like a train. Oh. This boy’s in love with Victor, too, and he thinks he’s got some sort of competition in Yuuri. It must be because he’s been spending so much time with Victor, because everyone must know that Yuuri’s way out of his league. Some might have gotten confused by Victor accidentally wearing his jacket a few weeks ago, Victor grabbing it thinking it was his cheerleading jacket. 

“Oh, I—” Yuuri stutters, leaning back as the boy continues to lean forward. 

“So you should forget about him, okay? I’m sure you can find someone who would fit you better? Hm?” 

Yuuri doesn't want anyone else, but he has to agree. Even if he and Victor have fun, laugh, and share things, Victor is like sunshine and rainbows while Yuuri is a dark rain cloud. Not that he thinks this boy might be good enough for Victor, but then again, who would be?

“I-I know I don’t have a chance with him; you don’t have to worry,” Yuuri says. 

The boy stops his increasing advance, blinking a few times as he furrows his brows again. “That’s not what I—” 

“YUURI!” Victor interrupts, and Yuuri turns his head down to the gym floor, seeing Victor come marching up the bleachers. Yuuri shoots back from the boy so he can straighten. Victor’s hair bounces as he ascends the stairs, turing into the row below where Yuuri’s sitting, stopping to kneel on the bench right in front of him. 

“Hi,” Victor says, as if the urgency he ran up the stairs with is completely gone. There’s a stiffness in his shoulders, brows pinched. Victor smiles sweetly anyway, leaning in slightly, Yuuri can’t help but be drawn to him and lean forward too. “Can you come down to help me put some things away? I don’t want to be late for your mother’s dinner.” Victor reaches over to caress his arm, and Yuuri thinks his heart might burst with how it swells at Victor’s touch.

“Sure,” Yuuri says breathlessly. “Let me just pack up and I’ll come down.” 

Victor beams as Yuuri grabs his things and pushes them into his bag. It’s only when he’s about to stand, Victor fluidly rising as Yuuri does, that he realises the boy is still there. He’s standing in the staircase watching them, lower lip pushed out in a pout. He steps back to let Yuuri out without a word.

“Good work today, Minami,” Victor says before he follows Yuuri down the stairs, both of them heading for the practice mats to put them away. 

“I think he has a crush on you,” Yuuri says when he sees Minami duck out towards the locker rooms. 

Victor stops, eyes wide as he looks after Minami and then back at Yuuri, blinking. They just stare at each other for a moment, and Yuuri worries he might have said something wrong. That he’s finally done it and offended Victor somehow. 

Then Victor’s mask cracks. 

Laughter bursts out of him, loud and joyous as he folds on himself, letting go of the mat so it falls to the floor. He laughs and laughs, tears springing up in his eyes, and he looks so alive. Yuuri can’t help but join him, even if he has no idea what they’re laughing about. Victor’s face is flushed, bright and gorgeous. When they finally catch their breath after falling into laughter again and again, Victor’s gaze is warm, and if Yuuri didn’t know better, he would say loving. 

“You are too cute, Yuuri,” Victor says as he shakes his head, and Yuuri’s treacherous heart flips in his chest.  

“Do you think all love needs to be acted upon?” Yuuri asks as he lies on the floor of Leo’s bedroom, watching the fairy lights strung up along the ceiling. Downstairs he can hear the de la Iglesia family buzzing around. Leo’s house is always so lively, packed with people coming and going, shouting, singing, laughing. It makes Yuuri a bit overwhelmed some days, but mostly it’s cozy. He’s not sure he could handle living in it though. 

“Are you taking philosophy this semester?” Phichit asks, looking down at him from where he’s lying on his stomach in Leo’s bed. They’re supposed to be studying, midterms rolling in after Christmas break, but Yuuri can’t concentrate. Today, Victor wore a black turtleneck, short grey shorts and thigh high black stockings, fastened with black suspenders to school. He sat pressed close to Yuuri during lunch since the chilly weather was making him cold, and Yuuri’s fingers had accidentally brushed against a sliver of exposed thigh. He hasn't been able to stop thinking about it since. 

“No I just…” Yuuri says with a sigh, trying to push the sensation of Victor’s soft skin against his fingers away. “Never mind.”

“Is this about Victor?” Leo asks. He’s sitting on his couch, plucking the strings on his guitar slowly, playing a melody Yuuri’s sure he’s heard a hundred times. Leo often plays it when they’re over, and Yuuri finds it very comforting at this point. Like a lullaby you know by heart. 

“Maybe,” Yuuri sighs, closing his eyes as he sighs, which is a mistake because the image of Victor’s slightly flushed cheeks after his hand brushed his thigh rushes over him and makes his stomach flip. God, he’s so gone. It’s really pathetic. “I just…feel weird having all of these feelings for him when we’re friends and he doesn’t feel this way.” 

“I think you’re being delusional,” Phichit says, and if Yuuri had something to throw at him that wasn’t a five pound biology book, he totally would. 

“Don’t fuel my idiotic fantasies, Phichit,” he says instead, placing his hands over his face as he continues to push down the images of how pretty Vitcor had looked at school today and how his nose had turned pink when Yuuri complimented his equations at the tutoring session. God, Yuuri’s such a nerd. 

“You’re totally delusional though,” Leo says, and Yuuri sighs as he looks over at him. Leo is usually more reasonable than Phichit but it seems they’ve both lost their minds, or are trying to make Yuuri lose his. “He’s totally in love with you.” 

Yuuri’s heart jumps at the idea of Victor feeling even a fraction of what Yuuri’s feeling for him. Okay, so it’s not like Yuuri hasn’t thought about this extensively. Fantasised about holding Victor’s hand, pressing his lips to Victor’s, what Victor would taste like, how it would feel to have his body pressed against him. Yuuri’s spent countess morning in bed thinking about Victor’s face and body as his hand wraps around himself, but he always feels bad afterwards, because how freaked out would Victor be if he found out? Would he stop hanging out with Yuuri? Never speak to him again? Yuuri should do a better job of suppressing his feelings, because he really wants to stay friends with Victor. 

He has an obligation too. Victor’s math grades have been getting better, and even if Yuuri knows Victor could have done it without him, the tutoring seems to be helping him concentrate on his studying. He can’t risk Victor’s grade just because Yuuris hopelessly in love.

“He’s not,” Yuuri says firmly, wishing the world wasn’t so cruel as to give him Victor but only as a friend. 

“How do you know?” Phichit asks. “Have you asked him? Told him how you feel?”

“Of course not!” Yuuri exclaims, throwing his arms out so he’s lying like a starfish on the floor. “I’d rather not embarrass myself, thank you.”

“Yuuri,” Leo starts, and he’s using that voice Yuuri’s head him use on his younger siblings, filled with calm authority. Shit. It’s a voice that means business. “You and Victor hang out basically every day after class. You sit next to each other at lunch. You drive him to and from school. He wore your jacket, for heaven's sake, and no, I do not for a single second believe that happened by accident because they are not even the same color. Half the school already believes you’re dating.”

“They do?” Yuuri shrieks as he shoots off the floor with wide eyes, dread filling him. Phichit laughs and throws a pillow at him as he sits, making Yuuri fall back to the floor with a thump. Luckily, the rug breaks some of the fall. 

“They do! And who can blame them. You’re basically a couple, just without the kissing,” Phichit says, and Yuuri looks up at the fairy lights again, letting out a long sigh. 

“The kissing is a pretty important part of it though,” Yuuri says, warmth flooding him at the thought of Victor’s lips. 

“Yeah, that’s true,” Leo agrees, and Yuuri’s glad one of them can agree with him on something today, since it seems to be Disagree With Yuuri Day otherwise. “Still, I think you should tell him. What if he feels the same? Wouldn't it be worth it?” 

Yuuri sighs, trying not to fall into the fantasy about being Victor’s boyfriend. “Maybe,” he agrees, mostly to end the conversation he shouldn’t have started. “Can’t we play video games instead?”

Yuuri is startled awake by his phone blaring loudly next to him. Grumbling, he reaches for it to turn off his alarm, confused about how dark it still is and how strange his alarm sounds. It’s only when he grabs his phone that he realises that it’s ringing. Yuuri blinks, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes and clear his sight. He’s pretty sure the screen says it’s Victor, but with how tired he is and without his glasses, it’s hard to see. 

“‘m’ello?” Yuuri answers sleepily, lips smacking. God, that's so embarrassing, but Yuuri’s too tired to form decent words. 

“Yuuri. Hi,” Victor answers, voice small on the other end of the line. Yuuri’s mind scrambles to try figure out why Victor would be calling him. It’s Friday, and Victor had stayed later than usual at school today, had told Yuuri that he would catch a ride home with one of the squad members. They haven’t seen each other since lunch, and Yuuri’s had a strange hollow feeling in his chest ever since he came home. 

“Victor, what time is it?” Yuuri asks, sitting up, covers falling down into his lap. 

“Oh, uhm... Two am I think?” Victor answers, and something’s wrong. Yuuri can hear it in his voice. He struggles to make himself wake up so he can grasp what’s happening. 

“What’s going on?” Yuuri asks, just as he hears a car pass in the background of the call. “Are you outside?”
“Ah, eh, yeah. I—” Victor says, and he sounds unsure and almost scared. Yuuri’s never heard him sound like that before.  “I’m kind of outside of your house…” 

“What?” Yuuri gasps, throwing himself out of bed with an energy he most certainly didn’t have just seconds ago. Luckily, he’s in pyjamas, so he simply pushes the covers off and hurries out the door towards the basement stairs.

“Yeah, I was— I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk and—” 

Yuuri unlocks the door, letting the phone fall from his ear as he comes face-to-face with Victor, standing outside his door. He’s in a big sweatshirt and leggings, messy bun on his head, and Yuuri’s never seen him look this frazzled before. Victor pulls his phone from his ear, eyes wide and pleading, but Yuuri has no idea what they’re pleading for. He wants to ask what Victor’s doing there, why he’s out walking in the middle of a Friday night, why he’s at Yuuri’s door and why he called, but all of those things feel wrong. Victor looks too vulnerable right now, so instead, he tentatively opens his arms, and within seconds, Victor steps into them. His arms circle Yuuri’s waist and he hides his face in Yuuri’s shoulder, pressing tight, tight. 

They haven’t hugged before. Not like this. Sure, there was that one hug when Victor was drunk, and Victor always holds on to him on the motorcycle, but aside from that, they don’t embrace. Victor touches him, grabs his arm to pull him along or pats his shoulder, but this is different. This is so much more. Yuuri sinks into Victor’s arms, feeling Victor’s tension bleed away into the hug as well. He doesn’t ask if Victor wants to come in, because he’s pretty sure he might crack apart if Victor doesn’t stay. It’s silly and selfish, but Victor must have come here for a reason, right? 

They detangle, Victor kicking off his shoes and grabbing his hand, and Yuuri leads them down the stairs, away from the cold outdoors. The temperatures rarely fall below freezing this time of year, but it’s still chilly and Victor’s hand feels cold in his one, so he hurries to pull him into his warm room. 

Victor looks lost as he enters, even if he’s been there several times. Just this past Tuesday, he immediately sprawled himself on the floor when he came in, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. 

“Sorry to wake you,” Victor says, shuffling in place a little. 

“Couldn't sleep?” Yuuri asks, walking towards his bed. Victor follows, still not letting go of his hand. 

“Something like that. Thought a walk would help,” he shrugs as Yuuri sits down at the foot of the bed, Victor following. Only when they’re seated does he let go of Yuuri’s hand. It makes a chill run through Yuuri’s body, making him feel empty, as if something’s missing. 

He laces his own fingers together instead, shuffling till he’s sitting cross legged on top of the covers, messy from throwing them off as he rushed out of bed. “Okay,” Yuuri says. “Did…did something happen?”

“Not really,” Victor says, shuffling a little until they’re facing each other. He licks his lips nervously, pulling his lower lip into mouth with his teeth. “I guess I…I missed you.” 

Yuuri’s treacherous heart does a flip, because he missed Victor too. Yuuri has no idea why Victor would miss him. For Yuuri, it’s different. He’s in love with Victor. He misses him every second they’re apart. It’s not something he can help. Victor’s eyes are still pleading, and maybe that’s what makes Yuuri release a breath and let out what’s in his heart with it. “I missed you too.”

Victor lets out a sigh, something that sounds a lot like Yuuri’s name, before shifting to his knees on the soft mattress. His hand comes to rest  by Yuuri’s knee and then he’s leaning forward, eyes darting down to Yuuri’s lips. It’s only with a second to spare that Yuuri realises what’s happening, eyes growing wide as his heart thunders in his chest. Victor’s almost closed his eyes by the time Yuuri gets his words out. 

“You don’t have to.”

Victor stops, eyes fluttering open as a crease appears between his brows. They’re so incredibly close, Victor’s breaths ghosting over Yuuri’s lips. He wants to kiss him. Yuuri wants to kiss him so badly, his entire body aches with it, but he needs to keep it together, otherwise he’s going to fall apart entirely when it becomes clear that Victor doesn't feel the same. 

“What if I want to?” Victor says in one breath, words rushed and eyes wide. He’s gorgeous. The most beautiful person Yuuri’s ever seen. How could this angel want anything to do with Yuuri?

“Why would you?” Yuuri says, because he doesn’t understand. Does Victor want to kiss him just because? Does he do that? Go around kissing people for fun, for shits and giggles? Yuuri’s never kissed anyone, and even if he would love for his first kiss to be with Victor, he can’t let that happen if Victor’s just doing it for fun. 

The crease between Victor’s brows deepens and he leans back a little, jaw tight. “Don’t say things like that!” Victor snaps, startling Yuuri. 

Yuuri blinks in surprise. He feels like his heart is bleeding out in his chest, every beat hurting. “I don’t…” he starts, having to collect himself to try to find the words but still coming up short. How do you explain to your friend who sort of seems to want to kiss you that you’re in love with them but don't want to lose them as a friend since you know they’re not interested in you that way? “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea,” he says instead, stilted and rough, as he looks away.   

“Oh,” Victor says, and as Yuuri turns back, he can see Victor’s entire face scream rejection. 

Panic surges up in Yuuri’s body as he impulsively reaches forward. His hand lands over Victor’s, who looks down at the contact before looking up at Yuuri again, confusion written over his face. Yuuri needs to explain. Needs to make sure he knows there's nothing wrong with him, that it's Yuuri. 

“No! It’s just—” Yuuri starts, taking another deep breath to calm himself. Shit, he’s losing Vicort now, right? He should just have let him kiss him and dealt with the consequences of his broken heart later, then this wouldn't be happening. Desperate to fix it, to do anything, he opens his mouth and the truth in his heart bleeds out. “I think it would break my heart, to kiss you and know...that you don’t feel the same.”

Victor expression goes blank, then he blinks, his face morphing from hurt to confusion to hope in a flash. “Same as what?”

“I—” Yuuri starts, blush spreading on his cheeks as he drops his gaze but keeps his hand over Victor’s, not ready to let go. Victor’s grown impatient, though, and as soon as Yuuri stops, he pushes on. 

“Same as what Yuuri? What are you feeling that you don’t think I’m feeling?” Victor asks, pushing himself closer again, making Yuuri’s heart beat so hard in his chest he thinks he might have a heart attack from the strain. Victor smells like that cologne he always wears and of the cold still clinging to him. 

“Victor,” Yuuri starts, the word more a whisper than anything else. Can’t he understand Yuuri might break into a billion pieces if Victor’s lips touch his and never gets to do it again? 

“Because I really like you, “ Victor says, eyes darting across Yuuri’s face as a blush blooms on his own. Yuuri’s heart stops for a beat, because surely Victor can’t mean it like that, like Yuuri does. Right? But Victor doesn't stop. He continues, babbling, words spilling out of him into the otherwise quiet of Yuuri’s bedroom. “Like, I can’t stop thinking about you and I-I know I’m not smart or anything like that, and that I might not be that fun to hang out with, but—”

“You think I think that?” Yuuri cuts him off, because that's absurd. Victor is like sunshine, bright and bold and beautiful. He’s so clever and intense, and Yuuri likes hanging out with him more than anything else in the world. Surely Victor must have seen how much Yuuri likes being with him, with how much they laugh together,how they can sit quietly next to each other and just hang out, how Yuuri does all he can to make it so they can be together a little longer, a little more. He’s been sitting in on the cheer squad’s practice for weeks just so he can drive Victor home, for heaven's sake. That’s not something he would have done if he didn’t enjoy Victor’s company. Victor falters slightly, tilting his head as he looks away. He looks hurt, as if memories plague his mind. Yuuri’s fist tightens as he realises that these are not Victor’s words, not his views. Someone else told him those things. 

“No, I mean, I know a lot do, not that you have made me feel like that. It’s just—” Victor confirms Yuuri’s worries, and Yuuri has to cut him off again, because that’s ridiculous and whoever said it doesn't deserve to be anywhere near Victor ever again. 

“Because I love hanging out with you,” Yuuri clarifies, the urge to reassure Victor bigger than his own fear of opening up. “You’re fun, and kind, and so stubborn, and I know you’re smart. I’ve been tutoring you for months now. Whoever told you those things can’t know a single thing about you. Not really.”

“Yuuri,” Victor breathes, eyes wide, as if he can’t believe Yuuri just said that, and Yuuri pushes it all out, the last he has to give. 

“Look. I...I really like you too. Like, I’m in love with you.”

Victor’s eyes soften, almost as if he’s about to cry, and Yuuri’s breath catches as Victor’s hand comes up to cup his cheek.

“Yuuri, really?” Victor asks and all Yuuri can do is nod as Victor closes in again. 

“Yes,” Yuuri confirms, because what else can he do? He’s laid all of his cards on the table, bared his heart and soul, and he can’t take it back, ever. 

“I’m in love with you too,” Victor confesses, and it should knock Yuuri unconscious or something, to hear those words, but then Victor’s other hand finds his neck and Yuuri’s body moves as if on instinct as his hands grasp Victor’s waist and pulls him in the last few inches separating them. 

A soft gasp caresses his lips before Victor’s soft mouth lands on his. Butterflies erupt in Yuuri’s stomach, fluttering as if they’re trying to get free, filling him with giddiness as Victor presses closer, the hand on his neck pulling Yuuri towards him. Victor opens his mouth slowly and Yuuri tries to mimic him, even if the kissing is making him dizzy and floods him with warmth, making it hard to concentrate. Victor hums against his lips, tilting his head just slightly so he can deepen the kiss, and Yuuri feels like his entire body’s tingling, breathless and so in love.

Chapter Text

Kissing Yuuri is addicting. Victor’s sure that if they didn’t need to eat or go to the bathroom, they wouldn't have left the bed at all the first day they woke up next to each other, or at least Victor wouldn’t have wanted to. 

It feels like a dream at first, waking up with Yuuri’s arms wrapped around his waist, back pressed to his chest. Like a wonderful, amazing dream that Victor doesn’t want to wake up from. He turns carefully, Yuuri only shifting slightly as he continued to sleep. Victor spends a good ten minutes just looking at him, marveling over the softness of his skin, the way his long, dark lashes fan over his cheeks, how breaths puff from his full lips. Victor’s never felt luckier in his life. 

He’d been unable to rest last night, twisting and turning in a bed that felt too big and empty, cold. His parents were away on business trips, or away for a weekend together, Victor had stopped keeping count, and he was alone. Chris had asked him to help plan some things for the Winter Formal after cheer practice, and Victor had declined Yuuri’s usual ride home to stay and help his friend. The work had been fun, and it felt nice to spend some alone time with his friend, something they didn’t do often. Chris had tried to coax him into going to a college party afterwards but Victor turned him down. He was missing Yuuri terribly already, and he’d seen him just a few hours earlier at lunch. 

There was something wrong about the weekends now. Before, Victor always yearned for them, went to the mall with friends or hung out at one of the squad members’ houses, went to parties. He still does all that, but he doesn’t long for it like he did before. Now, he hopes Monday will come sooner so he can see Yuuri again, to have tutoring sessions, lunches, rides on the motorcycle and get invited over for dinner by Mama Katsuki. 

After turning in bed for the hundredth time, Victor had sighed and sat up, grabbed a pair of leggings and a soft sweater, and headed out. He’d walked aimlessly, or so he thought, until he ended up in front of Yuuri’s door. He hesitated for a moment, considering turning around and going back, climbing back into his bed in the hope that sleep would come. Instead, he’d picked up his phone and pressed call, and what an amazing decision that had turned out to be. 

Yuuri stirs next to him in bed as Victor’s fingers caress his cheekbone, Yuuri pressing into the touch as his eyes flutter open. Warm caramel meets Victor’s eyes, and a lazy smile spreads over Yuuri’s entire face, making Victor’s stomach flip. God, he’s breathtaking.

“Good dream,” Yuuri mumbles, and Victor’s heart swells as he scoots impossibly closer in the twin bed.
“Not a dream,” he whispers, pressing his lips against Yuuri’s, because he can’t stop himself. It’s like their lips are magnetic, just longing to lock together. Yuuri hums, the arms around Victor’s waist pulling him into Yuuri’s t-shirt covered chest. Victor’s lips feel sore from all the kissing they did last night, eventually falling asleep pressed close together after Yuuri had coaxed Victor into some sleepwear. He doesn’t mind, though, because he doesn’t want to stop kissing Yuuri over something as silly as his lips aching. Yuuri’s body feels warm under his hands, and Victor lets them wander down Yuuri’s back, feeling the muscles shift under his touch. They come to stop on the small of Yuuri’s back, his head feeling dizzy and his breath coming short. He pulls back slightly, just to catch his breath, and Yuuri’s eyes flutter open again. 

“Wow,” Victor breathes, letting his hands slide inside Yuuri’s shirt where it’s ridden up slightly, pressing his palms against the warm skin of his back. Skin-to-skin feels grounding, and Victor revels in being able to touch Yuuri like this.

“I can’t believe this,” Yuuri whispers, and Victor can’t stop the smile spreading across his face, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. 

“Me neither,” Victor agrees. “I had a crush on you for the longest time. I’ve wanted to kiss these lips,” he leans down to kiss Yuuri again, magnets pulling him in once more, “For such a long time.”  

Yuuri looks at him for a moment before turning his face into his pillow, cheeks flaming red as he lets out a muffled squeal. Victor starts giggling, joy filling his entire being because it’s so goddamn cute. Like Yuuri can’t contain all he’s feeling and has to let it out with a shout, just like Victor can’t stop smiling. 

“Yuuri!” Victor says as he continues to giggle. “Don’t hide your pretty face from me. I won’t survive.” 

Yuuri pushes his face even farther into the pillow, and Victor can’t have that. He manages to get his hands on Yuuri’s chest and has to push with all his weight to make him turn over so Victor can lie on top of him, making sure he can't hide. Yuuri giggles as he’s rolled onto his back. Victor’s cheeks might start aching soon with how much he’s smiling as he takes in Yuuri’s flushed face, messy bedhead, kiss-swollen lips, and joy-filled eyes. 

“There,” Victor says when he has Yuuri pinned under him, resting with his entire body on top of him. “No hiding.” 

“You’re going to give me a heart attack if you say things like that,” Yuuri says, sounding a little breathless, and Victor has to kiss him again and again. Yuuri’s fingers carefully skim down his back in careful caresses, sending pleasurable shivers down Victor’s spine. It’s obvious Yuuri’s inexperienced but the kisses aren’t bad. Yuuri just seems to lose himself in them, and Victor can’t really blame him because Victor does too.  They kiss for a long time, fingers trailing up and down sleep-warm skin and legs tangling under the sheets. 

“So,” Yuuri starts the next time they separate for air, looking up at Victor, eyes wide but determined. “D-does this mean I can be your boyfriend?” 

Victor nods, pressing down so he can hide his smile in the crook of Yuuri’s neck. “Yes,” he answers, pressing his lips to Yuuri’s throat. “Can I be your boyfriend too?”

“You want to?” Yuuri asks, voice no more than a whisper, fingers untangling Victor’s hair, carefully carding through it. 

Victor nods, breathing Yuuri in as his stomach flips. “More than anything.” 

Victor stays the entire weekend at Yuuri’s, Mama Katsuki smiling up to her ears when they manage to come up from the basement to eat, hand in hand. She pinches Victor’s cheek and tells Yuuri he better treat Victor right, making Yuuri stutter out reassurances while his cheeks turn crimson. Victor has to grab his hand under the table—he’s not sure he’ll survive the cuteness if he doesn’t have Yuuri’s warm hand in his to ground him. They start movies they don’t watch in favour of kissing, fingers winding into the other’s hair as they lie on the couch, Victor in borrowed clothes. He has no intention of ever giving them back. 

On Sunday, they go to Victor’s to pick up some clothes and books for school, since neither of them intend on being separated, especially if they don’t have to. Sunday night, they play video games until, after what must be a hundred races, Victor finally wins and Yuuri tackles him down onto the floor in joy, which leads to more kissing. It’s the best weekend Victo can remember ever having. 

They arrive to school on Monday much like they have the weeks before, but now Victor’s wearing Yuuri’s math league jacket without having to disguise it as having taken the wrong one. Just to make sure everyone knows that Yuuri is his now, Victor kisses him right on the mouth as soon as they are both off the bike and out of their helmets. Yuuri’s breath catches but he doesn’t push Victor away. Instead, he tilts his head slightly, allowing Victor to deepen the kiss. When they break apart, Leo wolf whistles, and when Victor turns from Yuuri’s flushed cheeks and bright eyes, Phichit has his phone up with the camera pointed at them. 

“Can I please post it?” he rushes out, with the most pleading eyes Victor’s ever seen, maybe even able to rival an actual puppy’s.

“No,” Yuuri states firmly, hand sliding into Victor’s to lace their fingers together, sending a rush of warmth through Victor’s body. He presses his shoulder to Yuuri’s, glancing up at him as he hears Phichit make a sound that’s more fitting for someone who’s dying than someone not allowed to post a photo on social media. Yuuri smiles at Victor, as if he doesn’t care at all that his best friend is having a meltdown, and Victor has to rise on his toes to kiss him again.

They walk hand-in-hand into school, and even if Victor does see some students turn their heads as they walk by together, most seem to be unfazed. Victor can understand. It’s not like it hasn't slowly been building up for months now. They pass Chris, who raises an eyebrow but smiles, and Victor smiles back as he guides Yuuri towards his locker. Chris has been making progress on Victor’s new group of friends, even if he’s not completely sold on Yuuri yet, and Victor still has hope. He gets along well with Phichit, so things should work out, probably, hopefully. They pass other squad members as well and Victor can’t help but preen a little as Minami’s jaw drops. It’s not that he wishes to hurt Minami or anything like that, but he’s happy to be the one with Yuuri’s hand in his. 

They drop some things off at Victor’s locker and grab his books before steering towards Yuuri’s locker. They have classes in separate buildings, but Victor’s reluctant to let go. So what if he’s late, if he gets to hold Yuuri’s hand a minute longer.

“See you at lunch?” Victor asks as they stop outside of Yuuri’s first period classroom. Yuuri smiles softly and nods, and Victor has to lean in to kiss the corner of his mouth, heart doing a flip as Yuuri lets out a pleased sigh.

“Yeah,” Yuuri answers, breathless and flushed. “See you later.” 

Victor has to half run through the quad and one corridor to make it in time before the teacher closes the door to the classroom, but it’s worth it with how his mouth tingles from where he pressed his lips against Yuuri’s skin. It makes a smile stay on this face all through first and second periods. It warms him from inside and he has a skip in his step as he leaves the second class for the day for his locker. His joy dies immediately when he sees who’s waiting by it, letting out a deep sigh as he spots his ex boyfriend. He considers turning and walking away, just to not have to deal with Cao on such a good day as this. He still needs his books for science class, but maybe he can just say he forgot them at home. He’s about to turn away when Cao looks up from his phone and spots him. Crap. No turning back now. 

Victor takes a deep breath as he straightens his back even more, walking up to his locker. Cao moves to give Victor access without a word and Victor opens it, feeling the quarterback's eyes on him as he puts his books in.

“I heard you came hand-in-hand with that math nerd today,” Cao says, and it makes anger burn in Victor’s stomach and rise up in his throat. He turns slowly to face him, eyes cold and expression relaxed. Cao smirks when they lock eyes, leaning against the lockers next to Victor’s. It makes Victor sick. He can’t believe he ever felt anything for this asshole. Cao looks down when Victor doesn't immediately answer, smirk turning to disgust as he sees the jacket covering Victor’s torso. 

“This is pathetic,” he says, reaching out towards Victor’s shoulder. Victor flinches back, making sure to put a good meter between them so Cao can’t reach out to touch him. 

“You’re pathetic,” Victor shoots back, painfully aware of how the crowd around them has slowed down, eyes following their every move. Victor hates this. Hates to put his personal life is on display, his mess. “Seriously. I don’t want you. Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“You think things are going to stay the same after this?” Cao asks, taking a step towards him, Victor answering by taking half a step back to keep his distance. “You can’t be popular and slum with the nerds. This way you’ll lose everything. The squad. The cheer captain position. You think he’ll be here after the summer? Smart boy like him must have college all set up. What will you do then, Vitya?” 

Victor freezes, realisation hitting him like a train. It’s true. Yuuri’s so clever, he would definitely have something set up with college, probably already admitted to one. Victor hasn’t even applied yet. The thought of losing Yuuri, even if it’s months away, makes dread fill his body. Cao smirks again, and Victor realises his mask slipped, his emotions visible and on display. 

“Didn’t think of that, did you? See, this is why you need me,” Cao says, advancing again but Victor steps back, anger coming over him once more. 

“It’s none of your business,” Victor points out. He can still feel all the other students eyes on him, and it makes him want to squirm. He can’t though. Can’t show weakness. “I’m with Yuuri now. I don’t want you, and I’d like for you to leave me alone.”

“It’s idiotic, Vitya,” Cao says as he rolls his eyes. “He can’t possibly give you what you need, and then after the summer, he’ll just leave you. Are you so stupid you don’t see that?” 

“Hey!” a voice calls, and Victor jumps at how close it is, turning towards it as a warm arm wraps around his waist. As soon as he sees that it's Yuuri, he melts into the embrace, relief filling him as he does. Yuuri looks pissed, eyes dark and jaw set as he looks at Cao. Victor’s never seen him like this. “Don’t call my boyfriend stupid.” 

“Boyfriend?” Cao says with laughter in his voice, and Victor pushes farther into Yuuri’s chest, reveling in the safety of not being alone. “I can talk to him however I want, nerd. You don’t get a say in what I can and can’t do.”

“If you think he’s stupid, it’s clear you don’t know him at all,” Yuuri shoots back, and Victor’s heart warms. He can’t remember anyone standing up for him before; Victor’s always done that himself. 

“He needs a tutor—isn’t that proof that he’s stupid?” Cao asks, and Yuuri snorts as he rolls his eyes. Victor can’t take his eyes off him, falling more in love with him by the second. 

“I think you’re an idiot if you’re as close minded as that,” Yuuri replies, the arm around Victor’s waist tightening slightly. 

“Shut up, nerd,” Cao shoots back, clenching his fists. Victor’s sure the entire hallway’s looking at them now. The bell for the next period should ring any second, and they should be getting to class. “I told you to stay away from him. I should punch your skull in for not listening to people higher than you on the food chain.”

Victor’s eyes go wide, but Yuuri doesn't even flinch. When was this? Cao threatened Yuuri? He never told Victor about it. 

“You’re not the king of the world. You don’t get to decide this,” Yuuri points out. The hallway’s quiet as they stare at each other for a moment. Then, Yuuri’s hand on Victor’s waist tightens, and when Victor looks up, Yuuri’s looking at him, eyes warm. “Time to head to class?” 

Victor nods, and without another glance at Cao but with his head held high, Yuuri’s arm drops from Victor’s waist to walk up to the open locker and grab his science books, before he closes the door. He comes back and Victor turns to fall into step with him. He immediately winds his arm around Yuuri’s waist, and Yuuri’s arm lands across his shoulder, pressing a kiss to his temple as they walk away from the onlookers without another glance back. 

“Are you okay?” Yuuri asks with a whisper against his skin, and Victor nods, pressing even closer.

“Yeah. Thank you. That was getting…intense,” Victor says as they turn into another hallway. Yuuri nods, jaw clenching slightly. 

“I hate the way he talks to you. I always have,” Yuuri admits, and it makes something warm bloom in Victor’s chest, alongside a slight twinge. He hates that Yuuri noticed him for so long before Victor knew him. To think he could have had someone like this longer, could have been feeling like this instead of how he used to feel. “I’m sorry if I overstepped,” Yuuri adds. 

“Not at all!” Victor protest. “I could have handled it.” Yuuri nods along with him, which feels good. Victor doesn’t want to feel damsled. “But it’s nice to feel cared for.” 

Yuuri stops abruptly and Victor does, too, wondering if he said too much. Yuuri turns them and Victor only has the time to take a breath before Yuuri’s hand comes up to cup his cheeks, pressing his soft lips against Victor’s. The books Yuuri’s still carrying get smashed between them but Victor doesn’t care too much because Yuuri’s lips are soft against his, and it feels like he’s pouring his entire self into the kiss. Victor sighs and tightens his grip on Yuuri’s waist, reveling in the feeling Yuuri is laying on him. 

“I care so much about you,” Yuuri says as they part, a teacher clearing their throat as they pass, making them break apart. “Never doubt that.” 

Victor nods and they start making their way through the school again, and he lets himself believe it, even if Cao’s words about Yuuri hang heavy on his shoulders. 

“What are you doing after the summer?” 

Victor tries to be casual as he asks, tries to make it sound like it’s just something he thought to ask even if it’s been plaguing his mind the last three days. He’s tried to ignore it, to enjoy the fact that he has Yuuri now, and think about how good he makes Victor feel, but it keeps nagging at the back of his mind. Yuuri looks up from his book where he’s lying on his bedroom floor. Victor’s leaning against the couch, a biology textbook resting in his lap. He’s been trying to read this page eleven times now, without being able to process any of it. 

“College, Wayne State,” Yuuri answers, as if he’s said it a million times before. His eyes are warm as he looks at Victor, but he doesn't smile.”How about you? Any plans?”

Victor lets out a deep sigh and looks up at the ceiling. It feels hard to look at Yuuri when talking about this, and Victor feels silly for not thinking about it before. 

“I don’t know…I haven’t really thought about it,” he admits, fiddling with the hem of his shirt sleeves. He’s in Yuuri’s large Star Trek hoodie, one so washed out it’s all soft and the print is almost gone. Victor loves it. 

It hurts so much to talk about this, like Victor’s heart is bleeding in his chest. It’s silly. Nothing says he and Yuuri will still be together by August. It’s over eight months until Yuuri will leave for college, and Victor’s never had a relationship that’s lasted that long. It’s silly to get worked up over it. Yuuri would probably laugh at him if he knew. A warm hand on his cheek startles him out of his thoughts and he turns his head down to find Yuuri kneeling beside him, expression worried. 

“Hey, where did you go?” Yuuri asks, and Victor lets out a laugh. It sounds just as hollow as it feels, and it seems Yuuri catches that. The crease between his eyebrows deepens as his hand starts to slide away. Something desperate fills Victor, and as if on reflex, he reaches up and grabs it and keeps it on his face, needing that point of contact. 

“Sorry,” Victor mumbles, having trouble finding words. The truth feels like too much, and even if Victor’s been showing Yuuri more of himself then he has with anyone else, he doesn’t want to show it all, afraid Yuuri will flee when he sees all of Victor’s cracks. 

“No, it’s okay. Just tell me what's on your mind,” Yuuri asks, and Victor’s heart flutters with the sincerity of those words. 

“I just...I’ll miss you,” he says, casting his eyes down and hoping he hasn’t said too much too soon. Yuuri shifts beside him and then he straddles Victor’s outstretched legs, placing his arms around Victor’s neck. Victor’s arms come to wrap around his waist, and he buries his face in Yuuri’s neck, just breathing him in. The smell of Yuuri is starting to feel like home, and Victor fears the day when he can’t have it anymore. They sit in silence for a long while, until some of the tension leaves Victor’s shoulders. Only then does Yuuri speak again.

“Have you considered college?” he asks as he leans back slightly. Victor cranes his neck so they can look at each other, and with Yuuri’s arms still around his shoulders, he shrugs. 

“Sure, but you know, I haven’t really thought about it in the sense of now,“ he admits. It’s stupid. The guidance counselor has told him he needs to consider his options, but he’s been far too busy for that. He’s captaining his team to nationals while trying to keep up his grades. That takes endless time. How’s he supposed to cram college applications in his tight schedule?

“What would you like to study?” Yuuri asks, pushing a stray hair back from Victor’s face behind his ear. The small gesture makes Victor’s heart flip, and he leans up to peck at Yuuri’s lips, soft and quick, just because he suddenly feels that magnetic pull again. When he sits back, Yuuri’s smiling softly, warmth dancing in his eyes. 

“Business I guess, I would like to have my own someday. It doesn’t have to be that big or anything…it could be a café or a clothing store or something like that…maybe a dance studio.” 

Yuuri’s smile widens, and this time, it’s him who leans down to kiss at Victor’s nose and then his forehead. “See, so smart.” 

Victor snorts and rolls his eyes, but Yuuri’s face is determined. Victor's never been called smart by anyone. It feels strange, but not wrong. 

“Maybe you should try to apply after Christmas? We could use the break to write the application together,” Yuuri suggests, and he truly is too good for Victor.

“I don’t think an as prestigious college as Wayne State would want me with my grades,” Victor points out a little bitterly. “And then I’d still be missing you. “

He doesn’t realise the implication of his words until they’re out of his mouth, and he snaps it shut as his heart pounds violently in his chest, watching Yuuri closely. Shit. Yuuri has this ability to make him drop all his defences and place himself in situations like this, where he reveals everything he’s thinking about. It’s not good. 

“Okay, first of all, your grades are not that bad. I don’t know what your last SAT scores were but I’ve seen your grades now—not a perfect record, but enough to get you into college. Second, you shouldn't go to a college just because of me. I…I would love to think that we would still be together then, because I like you so much, but don’t hang your life on me. What if you wake up two weeks from now, two months or a year from now, and don’t want me anymore?”

Victor takes a breath to correct him, to say he has a hard time thinking he’ll ever get tired of Yuuri, but his boyfriend places a finger on his lips, continuing. 

“Thirdly, while I think if you want to go to Detroit, you could get into Wayne State, there are several other great local colleges there you could go to. You could do a year there and then apply to Wayne State, or do your business studies there,” Yuuri says with so much determination it makes Victor’s fingers tingle. It feels like Yuuri has all the faith in the world in him and it’s such a foreign feeling. Yuuri leans down and kisses his nose as he continues to talk. “You.” A kiss on his cheek. “Decide.” A kiss on his other cheek. “Okay?” 

Yuuri stops just in front of his mouth and Victor nods, breathless, before Yuuri claims his lips. Yuuri’s soft lips envelop his upper lip, then his lower before the kiss deepens. Victor holds his boyfriend steady in his lap, mind swirling with thoughts of his future and Yuuri’s firm belief in him. When they part, he looks up at Yuuri in awe, and Yuuri leans down to rest his forehead against Victor’s as they simply catch their breaths. 

“You’d do that for me?” Victor whispers. “You’d spend the Christmas break helping me?”

“Of course,” Yuuri says, lips curling into a smile. “I’ve done it before, so I sort of know the process. And I want you to be happy Victor. I’d do anything to make you happy.”
Victor’s heart soars, and he tightens his grip on Yuuri’s waist as he clenches his jaw, willing back the grateful tears burning in his eyes. 

“Thank you,” he whispers and Yuuri nods, before leaning down to claim his lips again.

Chapter Text

It’s the middle of January when they’re done with the application. It’s taken most of the winter break, and even if they’ve had to do it alongside making sure Victor is ready for midterms and Victor continuing to work the squad to be ready for nationals, it’s come out great. Yuuri’s so proud of Victor, since he’s done most of it himself. The night after they’ve handed it in to three colleges, the local community college, a community college in Detroit and Wayne State, they are both exhausted. Victor had insisted on his school choices, cheeks burning pink as he stated that even if they didn’t stay together, which he really hoped they would, he didn’t want to give up on their relationship already. He could always apply and see how it goes. Besides, Wayne State has an excellent cheerleading squad. 

They collapse onto Yuuri’s bed, both of them yawning and with slow and sleepy movements they shift around on the bed. Yuuri’s parents gifted him a new one for Christmas, since Victor’s spending most of his nights at the Katsukis’ now. Even if Yuuri blushed red as a tomato when he saw it, it’s good to not get a pinched neck from squeezing into the small twin. This is a queen size, but they’re usually tangled together as they sleep anyway, despite the added space. Victor rests back against the pillows, a pleased but tired smile on his lips.

“You think I’ll get in?” he asks, hand finding the nape of Yuuri’s neck to play with the short strands of hair there. Yuuri hums, eyelids sliding close even if he doesn't mean for them to.

“Yeah,” Yuuri answers, even if he has no idea, because it’s a wonderful fantasy, to stay together and go to the same college, to continue seeing Victor cheer. To stay this blissfully in love. “You worked hard. You should be proud. I’m proud.”

Yuuri can hear Victor shuffle closer, pressing his body against Yuuri’s. It’s so easy now to push his hands up under Victor’s shirt, to splay them on his back. Yuuri can hardly believe they got here. How he got this comfortable with his touches and advances, to trust that Victor wants this as much as Yuuri does. That Victor is in love with him too. 

“Thank you. I love when you say that,” Victor whispers. His breath ghosts across Yuuri’s lips, and Yuuri tilts his head up instinctively, pressing his lips against Victor’s. It’s a long, soft kiss, and when Victor pulls back, Yuuri’s body is flooded with warmth, butterflies fluttering in his stomach as he follows Victor’s retreating lips, kissing him again. 

“It feels strange to hope for Wayne State,” Victor admits before he lets out a sigh. “But it would be amazing to be able to continue with cheerleading and be close to you.” 

“Yeah,” Yuuri agrees as he opens his eyes. There’s a slight crease between Victor’s brows, and Yuuri shuffles a little so he can plant a kiss there. Victor’s expression is softer when Yuuri settles back into bed and Yuuri smiles at him, filled with hope. 

Yuuri’s heart is pounding in his chest as he walks past the seemingly endless posters decorating the hallways of the school, reminding him of what he has yet to do. The white and silver snowflakes on a dark blue background, beautiful and tasteful, seem to glare at him, call him out for the coward that he really is. 

He still hasn’t asked Victor to winter formal.

It’s a stupid thing, Phichit has assured him, to be nervous about asking one’s boyfriend about going to a dance togheter. That it’s “Basically a given.” Couples go together to dances. Couples wear matching outfits and plan together and buy tickets. They ride together to the dance, then they dance and take pictures and all of those things. Or so Yuuri’s heard, and seen in movies. Yuuri’s never really been to a dance since middle school when the prospect of going with friends wasn’t as lame and people didn’t laugh at you for going alone because no one else had dates either. High school is different, so very, very different. Yuuri’s stayed away when Phichit has gone with different people to every dance, as popular as he is, and Leo and Ji have gone together. They’ve always invited Yuuri, of course, but Yuuri doesn’t want to be a third wheel. Besides, he always knew who he’d like to go with, and he was never available. 

In all the dance photos, Victor’s always been like a star, shining brighter than them all.  Yuuri would scroll through Instagram feeds and wistfully wonder how it would feel to ask Victor to go to a dance with him. How it would feel to have Victor agree. To dance together, maybe kiss.  

Everything is so different now, in a way Yuuri never could have imagined when he started his senior year. Now they’re actually boyfriends. He wakes up next to Victor almost daily, which still feels a bit unreal. He gets to kiss Victor’s lips, gets to hold him, gets to hear about his day and how he views the world. It’s the biggest and best privilege Yuuri’s ever known. 

With all of this churning in his mind, it’s hard to gather the courage to ask. It’s still hard, sometimes, to merge the Victor he had a crush on for so long with the one who wakes up with bed head and sings in the shower, the one with the perfect smile and eternally immaculate clothes with the one who scatters clothes all over Yuuri’s floor and prefers to hang out in Yuuri’s old sweatshirts that are basically falling apart. The Victor who always seemed so unreachable with the one lying curled up in Yuuri’s arms as they wake, the one who rushes into Yuuri’s embrace after the school day, pressing his soft raspberry-flavoured lips to Yuuri’s with a satisfied hum. Yuuri’s still not sure this isn't a vivid dream in those moments. And it’s that feeling of disbelief about this really being his life that makes him doubt. 

He’s almost asked Victor about a dozen times, and has already bought the tickets. There was one time during a tutoring session when the sun shone in through the window, illuminating Victor’s long hair as it cascaded down his shoulder, making him look like a fairy or an elf, an otherworldly being far too beautiful for Yuuri to be able to take to winter formal. 

Another time, at the last football game, Victor had come up to the audience and leaned in to kiss the corner of Yuuri’s mouth mid-cheer, for everyone to see. Only a sliver of sanity held Yuuri back from leaning over the barrier and kissing Victor back, right on the lips. His blood had been rushing in his ears as Victor smiled and winked before rushing back to his squad to continue to cheer. Yuuri had seen the stern look the Coach Lilia had given Victor, and that was the only thing holding Yuuri from rushing down to the field and asking him right there. 

There was also one of the mornings when they woke up in Yuuri’s bed, bodies tangled and hair tousled. Victor had been so warm and his smile so gentle as he pushed up to brush their lips together in a soft kiss, just as sweet as the good morning he’d whispered against Yuuri’s lips. Unfortunately, the alarm had broken the moment, otherwise Yuuri might had been able to summon the courage to finally ask. 

The point is that the tickets now feel like they’re burning a hole in Yuuri’s pocket. There’s only a week until the actual dance, and Yuuri just needs to get his shit together and do it. He doesn’t think Victor will say no, but what if... Yuuri’s trying not to linger on that when he closes his locker, summoning as much courage as he can muster before he turns, and runs smack dab into Chris. Yuuri yelps, startled out of single minded focus on psyching himself up. 

“Yuuri,” Chris says, his voice smoother than silk. It sends an uncomfortable shiver down Yuuri’s spine, and he swallows, trying to will his rapidly beating heart to slow, still feeling the effects of adrenaline coursing through his body from the scare. “Just who I was looking for.” 

Yuuri swallows but nods. He’s still a bit intimidated by Chris, even if the cheerleader has been spending some time at their lunch table. He’s always watching Yuuri’s when he sits with them, gaze calculating. It scares the shit out of Yuuri, and even if he is Victor’s best friend, Yuuri’s not sure Chris approves of him. He’s actually pretty sure he doesn't. 

“Really?” Yuuri says, surprised that his voice doesn’t waver. “Anything in particular?” 

Chris hums, eyes running down Yuuri’s body before they come back to his face, and Yuuri feels very much under scrutiny. 

“Yes, well…it’s about Victor,” Chris adds, tilting his head. 

“Okay,” Yuuri replies, waiting patiently, even if his heart is still beating rapidly in his chest. 

“Yes. What’s your game with him? I really can’t wrap my mind around it,” Chris asks, green gaze piercing. 

One word echoes in Yuuri’s mind and leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. “Game?” he questions. “I’m not playing games with him.” 

“Then what do you want? Because it still doesn't make sense to me. You’re nothing like his previous boyfriends.” 

Yuuri thinks of all the encounters he’s had with Cao Bin, of the horrible scribbles he’s scrubbed off the bathroom stalls for years, the gossip he’s heard around school. Anger starts to pool in his gut, and it’s almost impossible to hold back as he answers. “Maybe that's why?” Yuuri snaps. 

It’s not that Victor isn’t showering him in far more love than Yuuri deserves, because he definitely does, Yuuri’s just not sure why. But standing here with Chris, who’s somehow implying Yuuri’s not good enough for Victor since he’s not one of the boys who tried to take advantage of him makes confidence surge through him. “Maybe Victor got tired of jocks who never saw him as anything but a dumb cheerleader?”

Chris seems a bit taken off guard by his outburst, eyebrows almost disappearing into his hair. Yuuri’s a bit overwhelmed by a feeling he wasn't aware he was carrying, and pushes on. 

“I’m not saying that I’m worthy of his love, because I know I’m not. But that has nothing to do with his status at this school. It has to do with his kindness, and brightness, and his strong and stubborn head. It has to do with his soft heart and caring nature. I know I’m privileged in having that. I will never take him for granted.”

As Yuuri speaks, Chris mouth twists into a crooked smile and he nods. There’s something distant in his eyes, and Yuuri wonders if he feels what Yuuri so often saw in Victor’s expression in the months before they became boyfriends, a certain loneliness. It passes quickly, and soon, Chris’ face is back to his signature smirk.

“It seems I’ve underestimated you,” he says, and Yuuri lets out a soft breath, relieved that this didn’t turn into a fight. He really doesn’t want to get his first high school detention  over getting into a fight with his boyfriend’s BFF. “Don’t hold onto those Winter Formal tickets for too long, okay? Vitya really wants to go.” 

“H-how did you know?” Yuuri stutters, feeling the confidence seep out of him just as quickly as it appeared. 

“I know everything,” Chris chuckles, winking before he turns. “If you ask him, me and Peach want to share a limo. Bye Yuuri.” 

They’re sitting on Yuuri’s couch that same night. Victor pulled his tight-fitting shirt off the second they got there, pulling on one of Yuuri’s like it was his own. Yuuri is so in love with him. 

The conversation with Chris has been playing through Yuuri’s mind ever since it occurred. He hadn't thought about Victor wanting to go with him, that he might be waiting for Yuuri to ask. Victor’s always so forward, Yuuri would have expected Victor to ask if it was something he wanted. Still, Yuuri wants to go, and apparently Victor does too. After a deep breath, Yuuri closes the book in his lap with a snap. Victor looks up from where he’s painting Yuuri’s toenails at the sound. It’s a new shade Victor’s considering for the cheer squad for nationals, and Victor wanted to test it before deciding. Yuuri likes when Victor paints his nails, fingers or toes, so he’d been happy to model. 

“Something on your mind?” Victor asks, screwing the lid back on the nail polish. Yuuri wiggles his toes, admiring the deep blue color. It matches Victor’s eyes. Yuuri definitely thinks it’s a keeper.

“Do you want to go to Winter Formal with me?” 

The words are so easy to say, it almost startles Yuuri. For so long, he’s been carrying around this fear of saying them and now that he has, he wonders why he was holding back. Victor blinks in surprise before his mouth spreads into one of those gorgeous heart-shaped smiles. In a flurry of movement, Victor leaps forward, wrapping his arms around Yuuri’s shoulders as he’s pushed back into the couch cushions. The book that’s been resting in his lap gets squished between them and they both have to shuffle to get it out from under Victor, one of the corners definitely bruising Yuuri’s hip as they do. Victor hugs him close as soon as it’s gone, and Yuuri can feel his still slightly sticky nails get stuck in Victor’s pants and socks. Victor buries his face in Yuuri’s neck, and he can feel his boyfriend press soft, fluttering kisses to his neck, making Yuuri’s breath hitch. 

“You mean it?” Victor asks, and Yuuri is too distracted to answer with words, Victor’s lips on his sensitive skin clouding his mind. 

“Mmhm,” Yuuri agrees, and Victor, regretfully, pulls back to push himself up, one hand on either side of Yuuri’s head to look down at him. 

“I didn’t think you wanted to go?” Victor asks with a slight frown. His long silver hair is in a messy bun on top of his head, shirt hanging low in the neck, letting Yuuri see almost all of Victor’s bare chest beneath. He swallows and looks up into Victor’s beautiful blue eyes instead, trying to distract himself from the heat pooling in his gut. Victor’s breathtaking, always, and Yuuri wants to kiss him right now. He moves his arms to wrap around Victor’s neck and Victor comes down to meet him willingly, lips soft against Yuuri’s own. The kiss feels warm and gentle, Victor’s lips enveloping Yuuri’s top one, and Yuuri turns them as Victor leans more of his body weight on him, moving them both to their sides as the kiss deepens. When they break for air, Yuuri has to collect himself. He’s growing hard in his pants, the feeling of Victor's warm body pressed against his own and the wet kisses making him ache for more. Yuuri knows he wants to try things with Victor, has had vivid fantasies about it, but they haven’t talked about it yet, so he tries to push those thoughts down, tries to grasp for the conversation they were having.

“Why?” Yuuri asks. Victor's eyes flutter open slowly, and Yuuri tries very hard to not think about the hardness he can feel pressing against his thigh through Victor’s pants. 

“Why what?” Victor whispers, leaning in again to softly peck at his lips. Yuuri’s hands trail down Victor’s body slowly, down his back before stopping at his hips. 

“Why didn’t you think I wanted to go?” Yuuri clarifies, and Victor pulls back slightly, seemingly trying to catch up to the conversation too.

“You’ve never been before,” Victor says, eyes darting down to Yuuri’s lips and then back again. 

“The one I wanted to go with was always going with someone else,” Yuuri whispers, leaning in for another kiss, but Victor leans away, brows furrowing. 

“Who?” he questions. “You’ve said you’ve never had someone before me?”

Yuuri shakes his head as a soft chuckle escapes his lips. Victor looks truly concerned about his non-existent competition. 

“You, of course,” Yuuri says, leaning forward to press his lips against Victor’s neck, feeling the pulse beat under the delicate skin. 

“Yuuri!” Victor sighs, just as Yuuri sucks a mark into his soft skin. They haven’t indulged in hickeys before, but Yuuri would be lying if he hasn’t thought about it, how Victor would look with his marks on his throat. “You should have asked,” Victor gasps, as Yuuri pulls back to look at the red spot he’s created. “I would have noticed you sooner.”

“Maybe you would have rejected me sooner,” Yuuri answers, mostly teasing, as he straightens and catches Victor’s darkened eyes.
“Never. Do you really want to go?” he asks, and Yuuri smiles as he nods.

“Yes. Do you? With me?”

“So much, Yuuri. I’m so glad.” Victor says with a heart-shaped smile on his face, making Yuuri’s heart flutter in his chest. 

“Really?”

“Yes! I didn’t want to pressure you if you didn’t want to or if it wasn't your thing, but I might have been dreaming about you in a suit. And dancing with you as well,” Victor admits, his already flushed cheeks turning even redder.
“You want to practice?” Yuuri asks, letting his hands move back down Victor’s body to land at the small of his back. 

“No,” Victor says, pushing forward again to claim Yuuri’s lips, this time with more hunger. The heat Yuuri’s been trying to push down explodes like wildfire, spreading through his entire body as Victor’s tongue swipes at the seam of his lips. Yuuri opens up willingly, kisses turning wet and desperate. This isn’t the first time they’ve kissed like this, isn’t the first time Yuuri’s grown hard during their makeout sessions. It’s not even the first time he’s felt Victor press his erection against his thigh, but something feels different this time. 

Yuuri rolls his hips carefully, gasping at the friction from pushing into Victor’s hip. Victor gasps against Yuuri’s lips, too, making Yuuri instinctively grab Victor’s hips tighter, rolling his hips again. Victor sighs, something that sounds like a soft Yuuri , lips breaking away from Yuuri’s own. The very air feels charged, and Yuuri rolls his hips again, looking at Victor’s face as he does. His flushed cheeks, kiss-swollen lips, dark eyes. Yuuri wants to touch him. All of him. Discover what makes him sigh like that again, know what makes him feel good. 

“This okay?” Yuuri asks, rolling his hips again to show what he means. Victor is holding his gaze, hands splayed low on his back, pressing as if urging on his motions, Yuuri follows and Victor nods.

“Yes,” he agrees, pressing forward to claim Yuuri’s lips again. Yuuri opens his mouth instantly, deepening the kiss as heat courses through his body. Victor rolls his hips this time and Yuuri lets his hands slide down to grab his ass. Victor moans into the kiss, and the sound is so lewd, so incredibly arousing, that Yuuri can’t help but grab again, rocking in time with Victor’s movements. The friction feels so good, so very hot, and Yuuri wants more. His hands dip into the waistband of Victor’s pants as he feels Victor’s hands push his shirt up, exposing Yuuri’s stomach and chest. They’re both breathing heavily as Victor pushes Yuuri to turn on his back, straddling his lap. 

“Can I take this off?” Victor asks, carefully pushing Yuuri’s shirt even higher. Yuuri nods, overwhelmed and aroused by the sight and weight of his boyfriend above him. He sits up, and together, they pull the shirt over Yuuri’s head, Victor throwing it somewhere on the floor. Victor pushes him down to the couch again, pressing his lips to Yuuri’s cheek, his jaw, down his neck. Yuuri tilts his head up, letting Victor trail kisses down as he keeps his hands on Victor’s hips, caressing the soft skin over his jeans. Victor is rocking slowly in his lap as he continues down Yuuri’s chest. Yuuri starts pushing Victor’s shirt up, his boyfriend catching on fast as he straightens, pulling the shirt over his head before returning his attention to Yuuri’s chest. 

A wet, flattened tongue swipes over Yuuri’s right nipple, and Yuuri can’t hold back the moan rising in his throat at that, hips bucking up involuntarily. The sensation is entirely foreign but so good.

“You liked that?” Victor asks, doing it again and Yuuri moans as if on cue. He looks up to see Victor smirking down at him, the sight dangerous and the hottest thing he’s seen. Yuuri’s going to lose it. Victor turns his attention to the other nipple, this time wrapping his lips around it and sucking firmly. 

“Victor,” Yuuri moans, eyes closing as the sensation washes over him.

“You’re so sexy, Yuuri,” Victor says, kissing his way back up his chest, returning the favour and leaving marks on his throat. Yuuri’s hands move up Victor’s chest, too, mapping the softness of his skin, the hard planes of his body, and when Victor’s lips find Yuuri’s again, they’ve found their way to tangle in the hairs on the nape of Victor’s neck.
“Is all of this okay?” Yuuri asks, not wanting to stop but desperate to make sure Victor is on the same page. 

“Yeah, it feels good,” Victor agrees, rolling his hips down again. “Want to keep going?”

Yuuri nods, and they turn, ‘til they’re lying side-by-side again. The kisses are still urgent, and Yuuri can feel Victor’s hands move lower and lower, until they reach the waistband of his pants. They caress right over it until they reach the front and then they dip down to caress alongside Yuuri’s hard cock through his pants. Yuuri lets out a moan again, the grip he has around Victor’s neck tightening so he can press harder into the kiss. It feels strange, but in a good way, and Yuuri presses his groin closer to get even more friction. He moves the hand not pressing Victor’s mouth into his own down his boyfriends naked torso, until he can palm Victor’s erection, too, and the sound that Victor lets out makes even more blood rush to his own cock. He’s so hard now, he’s sure he’s never been this aroused before in his life. 

“Can I take these off?” Victor gasps into the kiss, fingers playing with the button of Yuuri’s jeans, waiting. Yuuri nods, hands moving to Victor’s own buttons. 

“Yeah—can I?” Yuuri asks.

“Please,” Victor sighs, and Yuuri feels his hands tremble as he carefully unzips Victor’s pants. It’s not that he doesn’t want this, but he’s never been naked with Victor before, never done anything like this before. 

There’s a scramble of movement as they try to get each other and themselves out of their pants and underwear, and Victor’s jeans seem almost painted on, both having to work to peel them off. Victor laughs, a bit breathless, and Yuuri is so enchanted by the sound that for a second, he forgets what they’re doing, that they are now naked, and cups Victor's face to kiss him. Victor sighs, his hands gripping Yuuri’s bare ass, then he rolls his hips into Yuuri’s groin. His hard cock grazes Yuuri’s, and Yuuri moans again because it feels more than amazing. 

“Did that feel alright?” Victor asks as he breaks the kiss, eyes dark and wanting

“Yeah,” Yuuri nods. It did feel good, but there’s something crawling under his skin, a need to touch Victor, if he can. “Can I touch you?”

“Yes, Yuuri, please,” Victor says, and Yuuri wastes no time caressing down Victor’s chest to his groin. He lets his fingers skim up Victor’s erection, listening as he moans at Yuuri’s touch. He looks amazing and Yuuri wants to give him more. He licks the palm of his hand—there’s a bottle of lube in the night stand from his prior, solitary use but he can’t imagine moving from this spot now—and then wraps his hand around Victor’s cock. 

“Yuuri,” Victor gasps, bucking into Yuuri’s fist as Yuuri starts to move. Victor’s so sexy and amazing, and Yuuri’s a mess of emotions as he starts stroking Victor off. He can’t believe he’s getting this privilege, that Victor trusts him this much. 

“I love you,” Yuuri whispers while Victor’s moans fill the room and his hands caress down Yuuri’s stomach to his groin, sending shivers through his body. “I love everything about you.”

Yuuri’s been meaning to say it for some time now, the words hanging on the tip of his tongue just like the question about the winter formal, but they’ve felt so big, daunting and life changing. In this little bubble it feels safe, with Victor’s face contorted in pleasure and his trust in Yuuri’s hands. 

“Yuuri, I— Ohhh,” Victor moans, and Yuuri has to kiss him, not ready to hear his answer yet. He just wants to take care of Victor, make him shudder and wither in his grip until he comes apart. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” Yuuri whispers as he speeds his movement. Victor feels like putty in his hands and his trust fills Yuuri with confidence. He’s painfully hard himself, but it’s secondary to seeing and feeling Victor’s pleasure, to making him feel good. 

“I love— Oh, yes,” Victor moans, and then he spills all over Yuuri’s hand, come warm as it spurts out across both of their chests. Yuuri strokes him through it until he feels Victor start twitching, moans turning into whimpers. He splays his hand on Victor’s stomach instead, even if it’s sticky. A need to be close fills him as he watches Victor’s breathing slow, blue eyes fluttering open as his lovely mouth spreads into a smile.

“I love you too.”

Yuuri feels like crying, and a soft sound that’s equal parts a sob and a sigh escapes his lips. Victor smiles wider, pushing at Yuuri’s chest until he can reach over him to find a shirt on the floor. He swipes over his own stomach and Yuuri’s before wiping off Yuuri’s hand, tossing the shirt aside.

“Can I take care of you now?” Victor asks, fingers caressing down Yuuri’s hard, leaking, neglected length with a lazy smirk. Yuuri sighs, the contact so much but still not enough. 

“Mmhm,” Yuuri moans, trying to hold back his voice. Victor’s smile spreads, then he’s griping at the base of Yuuri’s erection as he bends his head down to lick over Yuuri’s nipple again. 

“Aaah, fuck,” Yuuri moans, head thrown back as all thought of staying quiet evaporates in his pleasure. He can almost feel Victor giggle against his chest as he continues to kiss and suck. It feels different from when he’s wrapped a hand around himself. The pleasure builds a bit slower, but it’s so much more . Maybe it’s because Victor’s warm, naked body lies pressed against his own, or because he’s been fantasizing about something like this for ages. Whichever it is, Yuuri can feel his orgasm building, tightening in his groin as heat fills his entire body. Victor is murmuring praise into his skin, mouth moving from Yuuri’s chest up to his throat and just behind his ear. Victor’s saying how beautiful he is, how sexy, how much he wants them to be together forever. They’ve never talked like that. Even when filling out college applications, they stayed away from the subject, but it’s like all the walls between them have fallen in this moment, making it okay to give more. 

Yuuri’s orgasm takes him by surprise with its intensity. Victor’s found his ear lobe, gently scraping his teeth along it and that, with the stimulation of his erection, pushes Yuuri over the edge. He’s a panting mess as he wraps his arms around Victor and presses them close, peppering kisses to his cheek and throat, on top of the marks he left earlier. 

“Wow,” Victor breathes. “That was amazing.” Yuuri can only agree. As far as first-time sexual experiences go, this was more than he ever expected.  

“Yeah, that felt really good,” Yuuri agrees, hiding his face in the crook of Victor’s neck to cover his embarrassment. Victor’s fingers are tracing patterns on his back and Yuuri’s body feels boneless. Maybe they could sleep here. Moving to the bed feels like too much work.

“Mmhm,” Victor says. “I’m really glad I got to do this for the first time with you, Yuuri.”

“Me too,” Yuuri replies, pressing a kiss to one of the marks he’d left before pushing up to press his lips to Victor’s. The haze of lust is fading fast, but the euphoria of orgasm is still coursing through his body, making him feel invincible. 

“I meant it. I love you,” he says, and Victor smiles, heart shape and all. 

“I love you too,” Victor replies, gaze so warm and adoring. “I never want to be without you.” 

“Me neither,” Yuuri agrees, grip tightening. His heart is bursting with everything he’s feeling, and all he can do to keep himself from exploding is press his lips against Victor’s and enjoy it.

Chapter Text

The loud music from the team performing before them is filling the arena, every beat of the song making Victor’s heart pound harder in his chest. They’re standing in the wings to the stage, hand in hand as they wait. The squad currently on stage is good, but Victor knows that they’re better.

It’s been a whirlwind experience since they arrived Thursday evening, tired but excited, and made themselves at home at the hotel for the competition. Victor’s bunking with Chris, Ji and Mila, and their room has been the epicenter for all the Aria cheerleaders, running back and forth between their own hotel rooms with question, jokes and gossip. The entire atmosphere has been amazing. Victor’s even been able to reconnect with some of his old friends from various cheer camps over the years. He’s shown them pictures of his amazing boyfriend and listened to what they’ve been up to, what their plans for the future are. It’s been a flurry of practices and going to other cheer teams’ performances, spending different days at different arenas. They’ll never be more ready than they are now. 

There are so many cheerleaders here, just like the years before, filling three days of competitions, three arenas, and containing twenty different classes of competition. The Aria squad is competing in Super Varsity, Division I, and it’s one of the most competitive. They’re up against eleven other teams and they have to beat them all for that first place Victor wants so badly. 

The squad on stage ends their routine in wild cheers, and Victor and the Aria squad, who’ve been holding hands the entire time in quiet support, release them to applaud their competition. As the Oakwood High School team starts gathering their things, Victor turns to his thirty cheerleaders, reaching his hands into the middle of the circle, everyone immediately following to grab onto each other’s hands. 

“Thank you all for all the hard work and dedication you’ve all put into this years practices and for this competition. Thank you for trusting me to be your captain, and thank you for being such an amazing team,” Victor starts, looking around at all the familiar faces, eyes shining with excitement and nerves. Victor feels it, too, the urgent need to go out there and deliver. To show them who's the best. “You know this routine. Go out there, have fun, and let's kick all their asses and make each other and the school proud.” 

“YEAH!” Chris cheers, the rest of the team laughing, before they start pumping their arms up and down twice then release them into the air with a loud, synchronized “ARIA!” 

They rush out, props in the form of signs and pom poms being placed at the edges for easy access before they take their position, Victor in the middle of it all. 

This is it. 

A deep breath. 

Somewhere in the crowd sits the best boyfriend in the world, and Victor’s going to make him so proud he’s going to burst. 

The music starts, and Victor’s body moves on instinct, the beat so familiar after endless hours practicing. The routine starts with fast-paced gymnastics choreography: tumbles, flips, and handstands. The entire routine requires trust to know that everyone is exactly where they’re supposed to be and that no one collides. Victor smiles as he throws himself into the first somersault, voice loud in cheer as he comes out of it at the edge of the stage, arms raised next to his teammates, before he pushes himself back into a backflip. Next to him he can see Chris doing the same movements, completely in sync. 

There’s something that happens when a team is the same mindspace, completely focused. Victor hardly notices how fast they’re moving into the single lifts until he’s in the air, but at the same time, he knows they’re all on the same page. He gets tossed down, only to be hoisted up again, and again. High leg, arabesque, then he’s handed a sign, the word ARIA printed in white on a blue background.

“ARIA!” the team cheers repeatedly, until signs are flipped revealing the words and colors white, blue, and green. The team’s cheering continues, the audience joining in their call for school’s name and colors. From his lifted position, Victor can see the edge of the stage, where some of the cheerleaders are bouncing off each others’ cheers, calling louder and louder. He’s smiling so wide it almost hurts, adrenaline tasting sweet in his mouth. He hands his sign off before he’s dropped down. The music picks up and the part of the performance Victor’s been most nervous about starts. It’s high-speed dance choreography with fast-paced hand and arm movements, hips swaying and legs kicking high. The team has to move perfectly in sync for it to make maximum impact, and Victor’s been drilling the squad for months to get it right. Even Yuuri knows it by now, from all the times Victor’s gone through it as they’ve hung out. He wonders if Yuuri’s marking the movements from his seat, like he did when watching Victor practice. 

Victor cheers again, almost sure he sees Yuuri on one of the middle rows of the floor seats, and he makes sure to throw a wink just in case. The tempo changes, and Victor backs up as he claps and gets in formation, jumping up to the series of coordinated lifts and throws. He soars through the air and back down, only to be thrown up again. As he finally stands in the middle of the formation at the end of his choreography and watches the crows explode in applause, Victor has to fight to hold back his tears. 

They did it. 

Even if Victor has no way to know  if all the squad members were where and when and how they should have been for the entire routine, he knows. He feels it. It was perfect. He’s placed back on the ground, and in less than a second, he has an arm full of Chris shouting and cheering into his ear. He feels himself get enveloped in a hug from behind, too, and he can hear and see the entire squad celebrating, clearly feeling the same. Victor’s so proud of them, he doesn’t even care if they win. 

They win. 

As the confetti and sparkling streamers rain over them, Victor can barely hear anything. It’s almost like time stops, or slows down, as he watches his team erupt into laughter, tears, and screams. Victor feels almost paralyzed by it, his shock too great. He knew they’d had the potential to win. He knew that they’d worked hard and that the performance was a success. But to hear the announcer’s loud, clear voice call out, “Aria High School Cheer Club” as the winners still feels surreal. He gets passed from person to person, hugging and screaming and cheering as they celebrate, and Victor feels it too. The joy of the victory. The sweet taste of a job well done and being recognized for it. All the  blood, sweat, and tears he’s put into cheering through the years paying off. As the trophy gets handed to him, Victor takes it and kisses it before holding it over his head, looking out over the cheering stadium.

But something is missing. Victor’s eyes roam the crowd but he can’t see Yuuri. He hasn’t been able to see his boyfriend the entire day; the last time they met was yesterday afternoon, and that just for a quick cup of coffee before Victor had to hurry away. He wanted to spend as much time with the squad as possible, to really cherish this last competition, but he’s feeling empty having spent so long without Yuuri by his side. He’s pulled out of his trance by Mila pulling him into another hug, arm around his shoulders, pulling him off the stage to leave room for the next award to be presented. 

“We did it!” she shouts, face split in a huge smile as Victor hands her the trophy. “Amazing job, captain.” 

Victor smiles too. He’s happy they still have three more months until they have to part, because being in this squad has been one of the high points of Victor’s high school career.

“Everyone was amazing,” Victor praises, smiling at all the happy faces around him as they’re moved back to the lounge waiting area by the personnel. “Everyone was so great!”

“Yeah, all of those late night practices and your military-style regime really paid off,” Isabella teases, hip-bumping him as they come over to the area designated for them. Victor rolls his eyes but he’s still smiling, watching as Mila places the large trophy in the middle of all of their stuff. Wow. They won. They actually won. 

“So, after this hardcore training week when we haven’t been allowed to have any fun,” Hikaru says with laughter in his voice. “Are we allowed to…” 

“Yes, you can totally do whatever you want tonight. Just make sure to take care of each other,” Victor says, earning loud cheers from the squad. He should probably call them out for being so lazy, but he’s too happy, smiling widely as he pulls his phone from his bag. He brings it up and takes a photo of the trophy, the cheer squad still moving around it, confetti stuck to their hair and costumes. He can hear the team singing and laughing all around him, but Victor has something he wants to do now. He bites his lip as he opens the messaging app, pulling up the last conversation, a string of unread messages waiting for him.

<3 Yuuri <3

05:32 PM

＼(＾▽＾)／＼(＾▽＾)／ ＼(＾▽＾)／

YOU WON

I knew you would

Congratulations babe

You looked so happy I’m so happy for you

You really deserve it, you were definitely the best team out there

I love you

What are your plans now? Celebrating with the squad?

Think you have time for just one celebratory kiss?

Victor laughs, cheeks hurting from the strain of holding his smile so long. To think Yuuri flew halfway across the country just to watch him perform. It makes butterflies erupt in his stomach and a blush taint his skin. He’s definitely planning on something more than just one celebratory kiss. After all, Yuuri’s the one he wants to celebrate this win with. 

  Me

05:46 PM

[image.01]

INSAAAANE

I totally want more than a celebratory kiss

You don’t have plans tonight do you? 

I was thinking I could come over to your hotel?

“Viktor Nikiforov?”

Victor looks up from his phone and to the right. There’s a middle-aged woman standing next to him in a dark gray suit with a smile on her face. Her eyes are kind, but her posture perfectly straight, hair up in a tight bun on her head. Victor’s never seen her before in his life. 

“Uhm, yes?” he answers, slowly lowering his phone. There’s a backstage pass around her neck, which means she must have some reason to be here. The question is why does she know his name. The woman's smile widens and she reaches out a hand out, which he takes carefully. 

“Pleasure to meet you. Congratulations on your win,” she says as she shakes Victor’s hand, and Victor smiles, mind still reeling to figure out who she is.

“Thank you,” he answers. “I have a good squad.” The woman's smile widens at that, eyes sparkling as she adjusts the bag resting over one of her shoulders.
“That’s what every good captain should say,” she comments. “I should introduce myself. My name is Marie Willson and I’m the head coach for Wayne State University's cheerleading squad.”

Victor feels his entire world come to a stop, almost like it did on stage. His heart starts pounding violently in his chest as his mind spins. Why is she here? Why is she talking to him? How does she know his name? Victor doesn’t ask any of that, thankfully, only managing a small “Oh.”

“Yes,” Marie says, smiling warmly as if she can see Victor’s inner turmoil. “You made quite an impression on me today. Am I correct in remembering you applied to attend Wayne State in the fall? The application came to us about a month and a half ago?” 

“I— Yes,” Victor says as he nods, probably a little too violently, feeling a cold sweat break out on his hands. He’s never felt nervous like this before, not even before he went up on stage earlier. He feels completely unprepared for this. “It’s my first choice in colleges.”

“That’s great! You know, our squad can always use new talent and I was so excited to come here and see you perform. Have you been doing it for long? Your application said you’ve been cheer captain since your junior year. Can you tell me about that?”

Victor feels stilted when he answers, a numb feeling in his stomach making him fear that he’ll say the wrong thing. This is not like the times Victor’s felt he can captivate people with his looks and charms. The university coach asks about his grades and what he thinks his chances of  finishing an education at the college level are. Victor tries to answer each of her questions truthfully and without sounding like an idiot, and when they finish their conversation twenty minutes later, Victor feels like it’s all been a dream. He’s been handed a stack of information about the cheerleading club at Wayne State, Marie’s card, and left with the phrase “I’ll be in touch soon,” whatever that means. He looks down at his phone that he’s still clutching in his hand, opening it so see a new string of messages from his boyfriend. 

<3 Yuuri <3

05:49 PM

Ofc I want to celebrate with you!

You’re not hanging out with the squad?

I’m at this hotel so we can totally do whatever you want

[link]

My National Cheer Champion <3

Yuuri’s hotel is a few blocks away from where all the cheerleaders are staying, but it’s easy to sneak away. Lilia seems to have let the cheer squad run free just like Victor. As he makes his way out of the hotel lobby, he sees her sitting at the bar talking to some of the other coaches, drinking wine. Yuuri’s been staying with Phichit and Leo, but Victor knows both of them are going out celebrating with Ji and Chris and some of the other squad members. After the winter formal, Chris and Phichit had officially become a couple, and since then, they’ve all been hanging out more as a group. Victor’s really happy about being able to spend time with both his boyfriend and friends at the same time, and that Chris, even if it took a long time , came around and saw what an amazing person Yuuri is. 

“I must say,” Chris admitted a week after the winter formal, as they were sitting next to each other in class. “That I didn’t give Yuuri much of a chance. He’s really wonderful, and he seems to treat you right. I’m glad.”

Victor had smiled, thinking about how Yuuri had made him breakfast that morning while Mama Katsuki packed them lunch, and how he’d kissed Victor when they separated by his locker. 

“Yeah, he’s really amazing,” Victor agreed. “If I knew it was supposed to feel like this… there’s so much I would have done differently.” 

Chris had hummed and nodded, brows furrowing slightly. “I sort of feel the same about Phichit. I know it’s new but it’s so much more than it’s been with anyone else.”

Victor smiled widely at his friend, bumping his shoulder as they both laughed a little. “Makes you think they probably had it right all along, and that we were wrong.” 

Victor knows Yuuri hasn’t had it easy in high school. That people have teased him and made him feel like he’s not good enough, pushed him down. People like Cao Bin. Victor also realises that he’s been extremely privileged in how he’s been popular and gotten things handed to him just because of how he looks, the amount of money his parents have in their bank accounts, and his club activities. Still, when he looks at how genuine the friendship between Yuuri and his friends are, Victor can’t help but wonder how it would have felt to have that all through high school. To not worry about wearing the wrong shirt, or that no one will talk to you when you come to school just because you said the wrong thing the day before. Victor’s built walls around himself to protect his heart, in a way he realises Yuuri’s never had to do. The squad members are his friends, but he doesn’t have that kind of a connection to most of them, and he would probably only call Chris and Ji true friends, even though he’s spent countless hours with most of the team. He’s so incredibly happy he’s gotten to know Yuuri, and knows he has someone who cares about him as he is, not just because he’s cheer captain or popular. He’s happy Chris has found that happiness too. 

He’s also very happy to have Yuuri all to himself tonight. 

Since they’re basically living together, they’ve both had a hard time keeping their hands off each other ever since that first time on Yuuri’s couch. It’s like they broke down a wall that neither of them wanted to stay behind, and now they can’t get enough of each other. Their explorations have led to more petting, and some blow jobs, but they haven't gone further than that. Victor hopes that can change tonight. 

He’d texted Yuuri to let him know he’s on his way, and gotten a room number in return. It’s where he finds himself after the short wall, duffle bag with a few essentials slung over his shoulder, still in his cheer uniform. He knocks twice, and it doesn't take long before the door opens, revealing his beautiful boyfriend. 

It looks like Yuuri’s just come out of the shower, hair damp and glasses off. He’s in soft-looking sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, and all the emotions of the day crash down over Victor as he rushes forward to gather him in his arms, bag falling to the floor. The heavy door falls shut behind him just as Yuuri’s lips crash into his own. Victor feels almost feverish as he lets his fingers tangle in Yuuri’s wet hair, pressing them closer together. Yuuri lets out a moan, then backs them up slowly until Victor’s back hits the door. Yuuri slots a knee between his thighs, to keep his balance or to pin him in place, Victor doesn’t know, but it makes Victor’s head spin. Victor’s hands find their way underneath Yuuri’s shirt, reveling in the warmth of his skin. 

“I missed you,” he pants between kisses, not wanting to separate for more than a breath before he latches onto Yuuri’s lips again. Yuuri’s hands are gripping tight around his waist and Victor pushes against them, rubbing his groin against Yuuri’s thigh as he does.  

“I missed you too,” Yuuri says, breaking away from Victor, who chases his lips to peck at Yuuri’s kiss-wet mouth, once, twice. “You looked incredible.”

“I felt incredible,” Victor admits as he breaks the kiss, ginning widely. “It felt so amazing. I can’t believe we did it.”

“You worked so hard. You earned it,” Yuuri says, and the smile on his face is so bright it makes Victor’s cheeks flood with a blush. How is it that this boy can always make his stomach flip? Yuuri leans forward, and with a soft kiss on his cheek, says, “I’m so proud of you.”

Victor wraps his arms around Yuuri, lifting his right leg, and as if on instinct, Yuuri takes it. Victor pushes off the floor with the other to wrap the other around his boyfriend, using the door for support, so he can octopus himself around Yuuri. Yuuri lets out a soft oof but steadies them, hands under Victor’s thighs. 

“Take me to bed, Yuuri,” Victor whispers into his neck, and he can feel Yuuri shudder but nod as he pushes them off the door and turns to walk into the room. Victor glances around carefully. The room’s tidy, and it doesn’t take long before he notices that there’s only one suitcase there, and only one bed. 

“Did you sleep alone here?” Victor asks, straightening a little in Yuuri’s grip so he can look down at him. Yuuri smiles and nods, placing a knee on the bed so he can carefully put Victor down on the plush mattress. It goes far more smoothly than Victor would have thought; Yuuri must have amazing upper body strength. Victor doesn’t let go of Yuuri’s neck, and his boyfriend therefore follows him down.

“Yeah,” Yuuri answers as he crawls above Victor, lips finding his neck. “We got adjoining rooms but the hotel only had singles and doubles. Ji and Phichit are sharing.” 

Yuuri’s lips are soft against his skin, and Victor’s eyes fall close as Yuuri falls quiet, moving down towards his clavicle, stopping right next to the hollow of his throat to suck a mark. Victor gasps, hands fisting in Yuuri’s shirt to ground himself in the feeling. 

“So it will only be us tonight?” Victor asks, hopeful, as Yuuri’s lips leave his throat and give him a breath to think. 

“Mmhm,” Yuuri agrees, leaning up too loom over Victor, eyes dark and cheeks flushed. “All alone. You can do whatever you want with me, Mr. National Champion.”
“I want you inside me,” Victor rushes out, pushing himself up to claim Yuuri’s lips. “I want it so bad.”

Yuuri moans against Victor’s lips, falling down on his elbows. Victor’s legs have spread open and Yuuri’s lying between them, groins pressed together. Victor can feel Yuuri growing hard, the soft material of his pants and Victor’s skirt leaving nothing to the imagination. Victor’s hard too. It’s been building ever since his lips touched Yuuri’s, and there’s a heavy need pooling in his gut, making him rock his hips up carefully. Yuuri moans, breaking the kiss as he does. Victor holds him close but gives him room to look down at Victor again. 

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Do you want to?” Victor asks. Everything they’ve done so far has been amazing, even if it has been fumbly at times, leading to giggles and laughs. Victor is so incredibly happy he waited to do things like this with Yuuri, who’s so attentive and sweet and does everything he can to take care of Victor. He’s sure he wants this, and it’s only Yuuri he wants it with. 

“So much,” Yuuri admits, leaning down to claim Victor’s lips again. The kiss is hot and wet, bordering on desperate as they both start rocking their hips together. “I didn’t bring anything with me.” Yuuri says as they break apart on a moan, Victor’s hands finding their way underneath Yuuri’s shirt again. 

“I did,” Victor admits, rolling his hips once more for impact before he carefully pushes Yuuri down into the bed, and with one last kiss, leaves him resting on his back before he darts for the door and his dropped bag. He brings it with him, trying not to get distracted by Yuuri lying there seductively, hair a mess and with an obvious tent in his pants. Victor stopped by a pharmacy on the way here, and even if buying the lube and condoms he’s now setting out on the nightstand was embarrassing, it was very much worth it to be able to see the dark crimson flush seep across Yuuri’s face as he watches Victor pull out the products. He rises slightly, picking up the condoms and lube. 

“Have you ever…?” Yuuri trails off as he puts the goods back on the nightstand. Victor smiles and nods, crawling back into bed until he’s straddling Yuuri’s thighs. Sometimes Yuuri’s nerves makes him bolder, sometimes it’s the other way around. It’s like a dance, and for a moment, Victor can lead, or at least tease. 

“Fingered myself?” he asks, pushing Yuuri’s hair away from his face with his fingers, leaning down slightly. “All the time.” 

A whine escapes Yuuri’s lips, and Victor kisses right below his ear, hoping to be able to tease his boyfriend just a little more. “At least before I started sleeping in your bed every night, but I’ve been longing for it. Will you help me, Yuuri?” 

“Yeah,” Yuuri moans, pushing his hips up against Victor's ass, making VIctor break away from the hickey he’s been creating to let out a gasp. Yuuri grabs his hips and pushes him down into the bed, kneeling between his thighs. He grabs the hem of his shirt and pulls it off, a confidence Victor rarely get to see this open and on display evident in his body language. He places both of his hands on Yuuri’s chest, just as his boyfriend leans down to seal his lips around Victor’s. Yuuri’s tongue swipes at the seam of Victor's mouth, and he opens immediately, reveling in the feeling of kissing Yuuri hard and deep as his hands caress his naked torso.

“Promise you’ll tell me what feels good? And if I need to stop?” Yuuri asks, hands moving down to push up Victor’s shirt. Victor sits up to help Yuuri get it over his head, falling back into the bedding as soon as it’s off. He twists slightly, watching as Yuuri’s hungry eyes roam over his body. Victor smirks. He always feels beautiful and loved under Yuuri’s gaze, but feeling so sexy under it is extremely arousing. 

“Promise. Come make me feel good,” Victor says, looking up from under lowered lashes. Yuuri rests his body over Victor's, leaning down to kiss across his torso, paying extra attention to both his nipples, sucking and licking at them until they’re both hard and dark, alongside some deep red hickeys Yuuri leaves down his sternum and just below his belly button. 

“I’m taking this off now,” Yuuri informs him, pushing the skirt slowly down Victor’s hips, thumbs hooked in both the waistband and his underwear. Victor lifts his hips to help, and soon, his hard cock springs free as Yuuri continues to push the skirt down until he can throw it to the floor, joining their other clothes. 

“So sexy,” Yuuri murmurs, almost to himself rather than Victor, then leans down to grab the base of Victor’s cock, wrapping his pink lips around the head. 

“Yuuri,” Victor moans, arching his back slightly. He loves the feeling of Yuuri’s mouth around him, the heat and wetness, the way Yuuri’s dark eyes watch his every breath. Yuuri sinks down, bobbing his head a few times before pulling off and stroking Victor slowly. It’s so teasing and feels just right, and Victor lets his legs fall open even farther, exposing himself completely. 

“You want  me to stretch you?” Yuuri asks, still stroking Victor’s cock lazily, teasingly. 

“Yes,” Victor moans, watching as Yuuri leans over to grab the lube and condoms, placing them on the bed. He palms himself through his pants, a bitten-back moan escaping his lips as he does, before picking up the lube and smearing it on his fingers, warming it. 

“Turn around,” Yuuri asks and Victor does, leaning his face and chest against the covers as he pushes his ass up slightly, legs parted. 

“Fuck,” Yuuri breathes, and Victor smirks down into the matress. A lubed finger traces down his crack as he feels Yuuri shuffle closer behind him, the other hand wrapping around his cock. The finger starts tracing his rim, and Victor takes a deep breath, trying to relax and not be too tense, to trust. 

“I’m pushing in now,” Yuuri says, kissing the small of his back before the tip of his finger slowly enters. 

“Mmh,” Victor moans, the stretch and pressure like an echo of previous pleasure from when he’s done this himself. 

“Okay?” Yuuri asks, and Victor nods, pushing back slowly even though he also  wants to buck his hips forward into Yuuri’s fist. 

“Yeah, mmh, so good, Yuuri,” Victor moans. It seems to give Yuuri the confirmation he needs, and he starts carefully pumping the finger in and out while his fist pumps Victor’s now-leaking cock. 

“So pretty,” Yuuri praises, and Victor shudders, aching for more. 

“Add another,” he asks, and Yuuri retracts his fingers, coating them with more lube before pressing two fingers in. The stretch burns a bit now, and Victor is thankful for the distraction of Yuuri still stroking his cock as he gets used to the extra finger. As his body relaxes, it becomes pleasurable again, and he’s soon moaning and sobbing Yuuri’s name while asking for a third. 

“You’re doing so well. Fuck, you’re so hot,” Yuuri breathes against his skin. The third finger is easier to take and Victor relaxes into it, pushing himself back repeatedly as Yuuri’s fingers skim over that spot that makes stars erupt in his vision. 

“Yuuri, Yuuri, ooh—” Victor moans  as he bites his lip. 

“You think you’re ready? Or do you want me to continue?” Yuuri asks, peppering more kisses over the small of his back. 

Victor shakes his head, turning so he can see Yuuri’s face. “No. Please fuck me, Yuuri.” 

Victor can see Yuuri shudder, pulling his fingers out and releasing Victor’s cock. Victor lies flat on the bed, grinding against the mattress a few times because he’s missing the friction of Yuuri’s hand and fingers, feeling empty. Then he turns.
“Is this okay?” he asks as he spreads his legs slightly, watching as Yuuri finally takes his pants and underwear off. Yuuri’s cock is hard and flushed, and Victor wonders how it will feel to have it inside him, if it will feel as good as his fingers, if it will hurt, if he’ll feel closer to Yuuri.

“Yeah,” Yuuri agrees as he leans down, pressing his lips against Victor’s, his cock brushing against Victor’s as he does. “However you want.” 

They work together to place a pillow under Victor’s back, then Yuuri grabs a condom and slides it on. Victor watches as Yuuri uses more lube to coat his cock, moaning and biting his lip as he strokes himself off, kneeling between Victor’s legs. He shuffles closer, leaning one hand next to Victor on the bed as he positions himself. Victor can feel the blunt head of his cock pressing against his entrance, and he grabs Yuuri’s arm and shoulder, taking deep breaths to try to slow his racing heart. 

“Tell me if it hurts, okay? Tell me if I need to stop,” Yuuri asks as he meets Victor’s eyes, gaze dark but filled with as much love as lust.

“Yeah,” Victor agrees with a nod, pressing back a little into Yuuri’s cock. “I trust you. I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Yuuri says and then he directs his focus back to Victor’s entrance. Victor can see him taking a deep breath and Victor adores him for wanting to take care of him so much. The pressure increases and Victor relaxes as much as he can, then he finally feels Yuuri pushing in. Yuuri’s cock is definitely bigger than his fingers, and  Victor gasps as Yuuri slowly continues to press in, eyes rolling back. 

“Okay?” Yuuri asks, breathing heavily. Victor nods, grip on Yuuri tightening but not because it’s painful—quite the opposite.

“Yes,” Victor gasps, rocking his hips to take more of Yuuri. “It’s good. Really good.”

“Yeah?” Yuuri asks, pulling back a little before pushing in deeper. 

“Ah,” Victor gasps, arching his back to get more. “Yes, Yuuri. Oh.” Yuuri pushes further in, and when he stops, Victor opens his eyes, staring up at the one he loves. Yuuri’s leaning his arms on either side of him, eyes closed and mouth open. His cheeks are flushed and he’s breathing slowly. Worry courses through Victor and he reaches up to cup Yuuri’s face, those deep brown eyes fluttering open to meet his.
“Okay?” Victor asks, worried Yuuri might have changed his mind. They’ll stop, of course, if he has, but Victor hopes he hasn’t pushed Yuuri too hard into doing something he’s not comfortable with. 

“Yeah, just,” Yuuri pants, biting his lip as he bucks his hips forward shallowly. “You feel so good.” 

Relief washes over Victor and he smiles, bringing his hands around Yuuri’s neck to pull him down into as kiss. “For me too,” he whispers against Yuuri’s lips as Yuuri continues to move his hips in shallow thrusts. “Mmh, so good.”

“Aah,” Yuuri moans, picking up speed slowly as Victor spreads his legs wider to give Yuuri more room to move. The friction feels amazing, and Victor brings one of his hands down to start stroking his own cock between them, his other hand gripping tightly at the damp hair at Yuuri’s neck. Yuuri shifts above him, and the next thrust of his cock grazes Victor’s prostate and makes him shout in pleasure, his entire body flooding with it. 

“Yes!” Victor shouts, rocking in time with Yuuri’s hips to get him deeper, faster, more, all the while stroking himself faster as well, pleasure pooling in his gut and tightening in his groin. “Yuuri, Yuuri,” he chants, and Yuuri answers by moving faster above him, just like Victor wants, panting and moaning as well. 

“Fuck, Victor, fuuck,” Yuuri moans, pace becoming erratic, and just as Victor thinks he might black out from how good it all feels, he crashes over the edge. Yurui follows almost instantly, Victor’s body spasming around his hard length clearly pushing him over as well. Yuuri trembles above him, as Victor paints both of their stomachs and chests with come, before he collapses onto Victor, chest heaving as he pushes his face inte to crook of Victor’s neck. Victor’s arms feel heavy, but he manages to wrap them around Yuuri anyway and just breathes him in. The world feels like it’s filled with color, and Victor can’t help the smile that spreads across his face as he starts tracing slow patterns on Yuuri’s back, feeling his boyfriend pepper kisses over his neck.
“You’re amazing,” Victor declares, Yuuri moving in his grip until he’s resting on his elbows over Victor, shaking his head.
“Nope, that’s you,” he protests. Sweat drops line his forehead, his hair’s a mess, cheeks flushed. His eyes are filled with love and joy, and Victor has to pull him into a kiss just so not to burst from all he’s feeling. This is the best day, ever.

Chapter Text

April 9, 2019

Dear Victor Nikiforov,

Congratulations! It is with immense pleasure that I inform you of your acceptance into the Business Studies program (BS 101) at Wayne State University. This opportunity comes in recognition of your academic and personal achievements, and I am positive you will be a valued member of our university.
In anticipation of any questions you may have, I have enclosed a Student Starter Package, which will allow you to familiarize yourself with the campus and the many opportunities and facilities that it offers. Also included is a list of faculty members who will be leading the courses in BS 101, along with our administrative staff’s contact information. If you are in need of further information, please feel free to call the admissions office, and they will do all that they can to make your transition easier.
In order for all new students to familiarize themselves with the campus and its rules, an orientation day is being organized, an invitation for which will be sent to you within the month. We encourage you to join us for orientation.
On behalf of the faculty and staff of Wayne State University, we wish you a successful and enjoyable future.

Sincerely,
Christina Johnson

Department Head, Business Studies

Yuuri stares down at the letter Victor’s placed in front of him on the bed, blinking as he slowly picks it up. He reads the letter again, just to make sure, before he looks up at his boyfriend’s smiling face. An almost indescribable joy fills Yuuri, much more powerful than when he got his own letter with similar information. There’s so much hope, so much happiness filling him, and he can only laugh as he sees his feelings echoed in Victor’s face. 

“I knew it,” Yuuri says, carefully placing the letter to the side as he leans forward to cup Victor’s cheek. He pauses there for a moment, just reveling in the way Victor’s eyes shine with excitement, face alive and filled with joy. It’s so different from the way he looked when he walked into the tutoring center at the beginning of September, every expression calculated and polished. These expressions are so honest and raw, and Yuuri loves him just like this. Victor laughs, turning his head to plant a kiss in the middle of Yuuri’s palm. 

“Did you see the second page?” Victor asks, and Yuuri frowns, noticing that there is indeed another piece of paper behind the acceptance letter. Yuuri keeps his hand on Victor’s cheek as he picks it up, only reading the first few rows before he looks back at his boyfriend. Victor’s leaning his cheek against the palm of his hand, a knowing smile on his face. 

“You got offered a scholarship?” 

“Yeah,” Victor breathes. “Cheerleading scholarship.” 

“Victor,” Yuuri says gripping his face with both hands so he can press their lips together, eyes filling with tears as he does. 

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since they came home from the cheerleading championships at the end of February. Victor went home afterwards to grab some clothes, and then he was supposed to come over to Leo’s, where they were going to celebrate the squad’s win, but Victor never showed up. Yuuri texted and called without any answer. They all grew worried, and just as Yuuri was about to go over there so see if something had happened, Yuuri’s anxiety running a miles minute with scenarios of what could have gone wrong, Victor picked up in tears. Yuuri threw himself on his motorcycle and headed to Victor’s, finding a broken-down boyfriend halfway between their homes. 

Apparently, Victor and his parents had gotten into a huge argument about Victor never being home, to which Victor had countered that if they wanted to see him, maybe they should make sure to spend some time with him and not be away all the time. The argument had escalated when Victor told them he applied for a college in Detroit, since neither of them thought Victor would be able to handle college and had assumed he would go to the local community college. They declared they wouldn't pay for anything that was just Victor wanting to “Follow his latest crush halfway across the country,” and that’s when Victor had simply left. Victor fell asleep as his sobs slowly dissipated, face pressed into Yuuri’s chest in their bed. 

Victor refused to talk to his parents after that, changing his address to Yuuri’s house after getting permission from Yuuri’s parents. His mom had encouraged Victor to at least talk to his parents when they had all cooled down, but said he was free to stay for however long he and Yuuri wanted. Yuuri would never want him to go. 

A few days later, Victor went back to his parents, this time with Yuuri by his side. The atmosphere was tense, and Yuuri had shifted uncomfortably under Victor’s parents’ scrutiny, hand clutched in Victor’s. It didn’t take long for the conversation to escalate into heated discussions, and Yuuri felt Victor’s parents didn’t see him at all. It was as if they could only see his mistakes and shortcomings over the years, none of the progress and growth. Yuuri considered calling them out on it, but there seemed to be no point. They’d made up their minds, and he and Victor left the apartment with one bag of with Victor’s things each. 

They had applied for the cheerleading scholarship together, Victor reaching out to the woman he’d met at the national competition for advice. She’d been ecstatic and Yuuri had hoped, even if he’s been prepared for them to try to find other alternatives. This is better than both of them could have ever dreamed. 

Their kisses are soft and sweet, and Yuuri can feel Victor smile against his lips. Yuuri’s smiling, too, and soon their grins are so big, their teeth clack together and they break apart in laughter. 

“You still want to go today?” Yuuri asks. Now that they know they won’t be separated, the appointment they’ve set for today feels less urgent, even if Yuuri’s still sure he wants to do it. Victor nods, brining Yuuri’s right wrist up to his moth to kiss the inside of it, eyes determined and fierce. 

“Yes. Definitely,” Victor answers, and Yuuri nods, nerves sparking through his body, but in a good way. He knows most won’t understand but Yuuri doesn’t care. This is for them, and only them.

“Yuuri!” Victor calls, and Yuuri’s breath catches in his throat as he sees the sleeve of Victor’s cheerleading jacket slide down as he waves, the tattoo on his left wrist becoming visible,  same as the one decorating Yuuri’s right wrist. Stay close to me the text reads, starting in a deep blue color and melding into purple.  Now, after a few weeks of healing, they look magnificent. The tattoo makes Yuuri’s heart beat faster everytime he sees it, and he’s lost count of how many times he’s kissed Victor wrist since it was marked, and how many times Victor has kissed his in return. 

Yuuri’s parents had been surprised, and Yuuri could tell they were not exactly happy about it, even if they didn’t outright say so. Mari loved them, and Sara immediately suggested they get matching tattoos as well, much to Yuuri’s mother’s horror. They left the honor of posting a photo of the matching ink on the unofficial school Twitter account to Phichit, who angled them around until they were both a giggling messes, Ji snapping a photo of them trying to pose according to Phichit’s instructions and posting it on his own social media., That earned him the scolding of a lifetime from Phichit, who moped for a week for not being the first one to spread the news. Chris had wrapped his arm around Phichit’s waist and kissed his temple, and even if there was still a pout in his lip, Yuuri could see his friend melt under the ministrations of his boyfriend. 

Victor manages to dodge some sophomores, then immediately barrels into Yuuri and pushes him up against the lockers, lips pressed hard against Yuuri’s own. His hands grip Victor’s hips, feeling the soft material of the cheerleading costume. He’s just about to pull Victor closer, tilting his head slightly to deepen the kiss, when someone clears their throat next to them. Victor pulls away from him slightly, and Yuuri turns to glare at the one interrupting them, only to hastily straighten and let go of Victor's waist when he sees who it is.  

Ms. Satsuki, the one who’d recommended Yuuri tutor Victor, is standing next to them with an amused expression, even if she has her arms crossed over her chest, as if to look stern. 

“Well...when I recommended you as a tutor for Victor, this was not what I had in mind, Yuuri,” she says, and Yuuri can feel himself blush bright red. Ms. Satsuki’s mouth spreads into a smile and Yuuri glances over to Victor, who seems to be smiling just as widely. Victor’s hand finds Yuuri’s and helaces their fingers together carefully, seeing how Satsuki is trailing their every movement with her eyes. 

“Thank you very much for that,” Victor says with a grin, and Yuuri thinks he might die if he gets detention because his boyfriend is being cheeky during the last few weeks of school. Luckily, Ms. Satsuki laughs and shakes her head. 

“Ah, to be young and in love,” she sighs, and Yuuri feels like rolling his eyes because of all their teachers, Ms Satsuki is definitely the youngest. “Take care of each other, boys,” she encourages as she turns away from them. Victor slumps onto Yuuri as soon as she’s out of sight, letting out a laugh. Yuuri considers pushing him away and mock glaring at him, but decides to pull him close instead, hoping Ms. Satsuki won’t come back and actually give them detention. 

“You excited for the performance?” he asks, letting his hands come to rest against the small of Victor’s back. The cheerleading squad is going to be showing their National Championship routine at an assembly for the entire school in the gym, the last official performance they’re going to do as a squad, and Victor’s last official duty as cheer captain. 

“I am,” Victor answers, pushing Yuuri’s hair out of his face with a soft smile, one that only widens when Yuuri turns to kiss the tattoo. “It’s been so much fun rehearsing it again. Like coming back to do something you know completely by heart, without the nerves of the competition to cloud the joy of it.“

“I’m excited to see it again,” Yuuri admits. The routine is definitely Yuuri’s favourite of Victor’s, with how good both the flow and the choreography are. “Does it feel sad for it to be the last time?”

Victor hums, sucking the inside of his cheek as if thinking his answer over. “A little. Not as much as I thought it would. I sort of feel like I’m done with it all, even if it’s been fun.”
“Yeah?” Yuuri asks, looking over Victor’s thoughtful expression, his openness. Around them other students are moving around, seemingly paying them no mind. The attention about them being a couple has slowly faded, and Yuuri’s noticed that no one teases him anymore. No one calls him names, shoves him against lockers, or steals his bag. It got worse during the first month of his and Victor’s relationship, the football players making his life difficult. It was as if they all focused their attention on Yuuri, slicing open the tires of his bike, knocking over his lunch, throwing soda on him. Yuuri said nothing, didn’t want to grace them with his attention. He was sure Cao was behind all of it, and frankly, he didn’t think that idiot deserved Yuuri’s attention in any way. Victor, however, did not agree with Yuuri’s tactics. He shouted and cursed, almost getting detention numerous times when challenging those who tried to hurt Yuuri. 

Then one day, Yuuri came out into the hallway, seeing Cao Bin cornering Viktor against a locker and, well, Yuuri was just lucky there was no teacher there to see him forcefully rip the quarterback away from his boyfriend and shove him to the floor. Yuuri’s not at all as athletic as Cao, or as strong, but the element of surprise worked in his favour. Yuuri was even luckier when a teacher came out just as Cao jumped him, fist against Yuuri’s face resulting in a black eye, and was sent to detention for the rest of the term. From what Yuuri heard Cao was given explicit instructions to bother neither Yuuri nor Victor, and so far, he’s followed them. Yuuri guesses his football scholarship might be in danger if he doesn’t. The other football players backed off after that as well, and since then, Yuuri and Victor have been able to hold hands in peace, free from bullying or taunting as they walk the halls. Yuuri’s even been asked to sign some yearbooks of students he didn’t know. He’s sure that only has to do with him being the boyfriend of the most popular guy in school, even if one of them wrote rawmekatsuki in his own. 

“Yeah. I guess I’m just excited about everything that’s to come,” Victor smiles, brushing his nose against Yuuri’s before pulling back, lacing their fingers together. “It’s been a fun ride, but I’m excited for new cheer challenges. There’s so much I need to improve on, and all the new people we’re going to meet. Classes and clubs and,” Victor leans closer, skimming his lips up Yuuri’s cheek, voice low and teasing. “The dorms. No parents, just you and me in a room that’s all ours, hopefully.” 

“Mmhm,” Yuuri agrees, smiling widely as he remembers something. “I got an email from the student administration today confirming that we do indeed get to share a dorm room, since we applied for it so nicely. It will mean one of us will have a bit of a longer walk to our classes, but it will be worth it, right?”

Victor lights up like a Christmas tree, pressing forward to peck at his lips. “Really? They approved it?” 

“They did,” Yuuri replies, smiling just as widely. “Two bedroom dorm with joined kitchenette.” 

“Hm, what will we do with the second bedroom?” Victor asks, biting his lower lip slightly. 

“Wait, you want to share?!” Yuuri teases and Victor lets go of his hand to smack at his chest, making Yuuri let out a soft laugh. 

“So mean,” Victor pouts, and Yuuri just has to kiss it—he doesn’t make the rules. “Maybe we can keep all our clothes there. Or books. Or both.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” Yuuri agrees, his eyes catching the clock behind Victor. “Time to go to your performance.” 

Victor turns and hums in agreement, pushing off Yuuri but keeping their hands linked, tattooed wrists pressed together as they walk through the halls.

Victor goes out to celebrate with the squad after school, so Yuuri goes with Phichit to Leo’s to play video games. They’ve spent countless hours in that room playing Mario Kart, and even if they still have an entire summer vacation to hang out, it feels like their time is limited in a way it wasn't before. Soon, they will be in different corners of the country doing different things, meeting new people, changing. Yuuri’s terrified for it even as he’s excited. He’s known Leo and Phichit ever since kindergarten, and he’s going to miss them terribly. Leo’s mama, Rosita makes them far too much food, and after Yuuri’s kicked both of his friends’ asses on Rainbow Road, he drags himself home. It’s late, and Victor’s not in the small basement room when he enters. Yuuri considers staying up but he’s feeling tired from all the food and game playing, so he gets himself ready for bed instead, climbing under the covers n only his briefs. Victor’s like a furnace to sleep next to, and Yuuri’s had to give up his pyjamas for far less so they can cuddle without Yuuri fearing he might burn up. 

He must have fallen asleep, waking when he hears the door to their room open. He turns to his side, and in the darkness, he can see Victor’s silhouette move around the room. It doesn’t take long before he’s pushing the covers off and straddling Yuuri’s hips. Victor doesn’t sit down, though, instead looming over Yuuri on his hands and knees. His hair is in it’s usual ponytail, and Yuuri can feel the fabric of Victor’s cheer skirt brush against his naked thighs. 

“Hi, love,” Victor whispers in the dark, leaning down to press his lips against Yuuri’s, long and soft. He tastes like chocolate milkshake, and Yuuri sighs into the kiss, reaching up to grab  Victor’s shoulders to press their lips together more firmly. Victor sighs, too, tilting his head as he opens his mouth, inviting Yuuri in. Yuuri deepens the kiss by licking into Victor’s mouth. Victor’s still keeping himself above him, leaning down into the kiss, and as Yuuri’s hands start to trail down his body, he’s becoming more aware that Victor’s still in his uniform. Victor’s teeth scrape against his lower lip, and Yuuri moans at the feeling before Victor sucks lightly at it instead. He moves down to kiss at Yuuri’s neck after that, and Yuuri’s hands grip his hips as he moans loudly into the dark. 

“Victor.”

“I missed you tonight,” Victor says against his skin, sucking a mark into the skin above Yuuri’s clavicle. “I’ve been thinking about this all night.”

“About what?” Yuuri sighs, and Victor continues to kiss down his torso, the press of lips teasing, sending shivers through his body. 

“Your hands on me,” Victor says, moving lower with his kisses to below Yuuri’s belly button. “Your mouth on me.” He continues even lower, tongue skimming underneath Yuuri’s briefs. Yuuri’s growing hard so fast, he has to grip at Victor’s shoulders to ground himself. “Your cock inside me.” 

“Victor,” Yuuri gasps, hips bucking up. Thumbs hook into his underwear, then Victor’s pulling them down his thighs, until Victor can dispose of them completely. 

“You’re so sexy, Yuuri, you drive me insane,” Victor says. Yuuri can barely see him in the dark, but he can feel his lips press against his inner thigh, moving higher and higher. Victor takes his time, kissing, sucking, licking into Yuuri’s skin. It feels amazing, and Yuuri lets his hands tangle in Victor’s hair as his boyfriend continues to move up, kissing at his groin, so close to where Yuuri wants his mouth. 

“Does it feel good?” Victor asks, teasingly, as if he doesn’t know. Yuuri’s just about to answer, but then Victor sucks one of his balls into his mouth and instead, Yuuri moans, his fingers tightening in Victor’s hair. Victor hums, moving over to mouth at the other before releasing it with a pop .

“So good,” Yuuri finally manages, as he feels Victor grab the base of his cock. “So, so good.” 

“Good,” Victor agrees, and then he sinks his mouth down on Yuuri’s cock. Yuuri bucks up into Victor’s mouth, even if he’s trying to hold still. The wet heat feels amazing on his hard length, and Yuuri moans loudly, very happy his parents are out of town. Victor bobs his head up, sucking, before he goes down again slowly. 

“Victor, aah,” Yuuri moans, and Victor hums around his cock, bobbing his head a few more times before he pulls off. Yuuri’s a panting mess and Victor crawls up his body again, skirt teasing his sensitive erection as it skims his hard cock. 

“I love you,” Victor says before be claims Yuuri’s lips, and Yuuri can taste himself on Victor’s tongue, musk and salt. Victor lowers himself onto Yuuri’s lap, and he feels that Victor’s not wearing anything underneath the skirt. The realisation draws a moan from his lips, and he bucks up into his boyfriend's hips. 

“You want to be inside me, Yuuri?” Victor asks, rocking his hips as he does. “Because I want you to so bad.”

“Fuck,” Yuuri moans, grabbing the lube on the nightstand. They’ve forgone condoms most of the time, since neither of them have had sex with anyone else before. Victor’s also said he likes the feeling of Yuuri coming inside him, which is one of the dirtiest things Yuuri’s ever heard. Victor giggles and pulls Yuuri up until he’s sitting, then rises to his knees.

“Stretch me, please,” Victor says, but before that, Yuuri lets his hands drag up Victor’s sides, pulling off the top of the cheerleading uniform. He immediately starts kissing Victor’s chest, tongue flat against Victor’s left nipple as he fumbles with the lube bottle. 

“Oh,” Victor sighs when Yuuri sucks the nipple into his mouth, and Yuuri smirks. He lets his slick finger start to circle Victor's rim before pushing in. “Yes,” Victor sighs, and Yuuri smiles into his skin, starting to pump his finger in and out of his boyfriend. He really enjoys stretching Victor out, how he can completely focus on his pleasure and make him feel good. It’s harder when he’s buried inside him, his own lust playing a part as he pounds into Victor. This way, Yuuri can listen to every hitched breath, every moan, every whine. 

“Mmh,” Victor sighs, and Yuuri brings his finger out to coat another, pushing them into Victor slowly. Victor always struggles the most with two, and Yuuri tries to twist his fingers to where he knows Victor’s prostate is, even if it’s a bit hard in this new position, to ease him into it faster.

“Yuuri,” Victor cries out, nibbling at his neck and Yuuri knows he’s found it, making sure he keeps caressing that spot as he works Victor open. 

“One more,” Victor whines, rocking back into Yuuri’s fingers. Yuuri happily complies, and when Victor is stretched and wet, Yuuri coats his own cock with lube and grabs the base of it. 

“Sit on my cock, Victor,” Yuuri asks, trying not to blush too hard. He never knows where these things come from, but it’s so easy to let them slip out when he’s with Victor like this.

“Mmh, yes,” Victor answers, straightening in his grip before he slowly sinks down. The tightness of Victor’s hole envelops him, and Yuuri moans loudly, not holding back as Victor takes all of him in one slow motion. 

“So full,” Victor moans as he seats himself in Yuuri’s lap. “So big inside me, Yuuri.”
“You feel so good,” Yuuri replies. He can feel the skirt pool in his lap, and as Victor starts to rock slightly, Yuuri bucks up into him, the friction heavenly. He can feel Victor’s erection tenting the skirt, brushing against Yuuri’s stomach with each thrust. Their loud moans echo in the room, and as Victor starts to really move in his lap, arms resting on Yuuri’s shoulders, Yuuri pushes the skirt out of the way to wrap his hand around Victor’s cock. 

“Mmh, Yuuri,” Victor sighs, bouncing faster and faster, and Yuuri tries to match his pace with his hand as the pleasure in his groin grows.

“So good, so tight,” Yuuri moans, pushing up into Victor, making him whimper and groan. 

“Harder,” Victor pants, and Yuuri pushes up with all he can as he feels Victor’s grip in his hair tighten, mouth falling open in a silent scream before his entire body spasms and come coats Yuuri’s hand as Victor orgasms. Yuuri follows immediately, Victor clenching down on him perfect bliss. Victor slumps against him, lips pressing against Yuuri’s as they fall back into bed.

The last box of their joint things gets placed on the newly-purchased coffee table that they found at a second-hand shop driving over here. Yuuri traded the bike for a car to move them to Detroit, and he’s not sure if Mari or Victor was more upset to see it go. The room is small and the walls are all bare and white, but there are furniture and boxes scattered all around the dorm. They’ve claimed the right room as their bedroom, and the left one as office and storage. They need to go out and buy groceries to fill the kitchenette cabinets, and Yuuri has promised Victor sushi for their first night officially living together somewhere that's not Yuuri’s parents basement, so they need to find a good place to pick that up. 

Arms wrap around Yuuri’s waist from behind, and he can feel his boyfriend press his forehead between his shoulder blades. Yuuri rests his hands over Victor’s, letting out a soft sigh as some of the tension bleeds out of him. Victor’s embraces seem to be good at that, relaxing him. 

“Tired?” Yuuri asks, looking over his shoulder without actually seeing much of Victor. 

“Not really, just stiff after the car ride and carrying things. Time to go get food?”

“Let’s,” Yuuri agrees, turning so he can wrap his arms around Victor and pull him in for a kiss. Today is the first day of the rest of their lives, and Yuuri feels endlessly happy to get to share that with someone like Victor. A year ago, he never would have expected this, something that was part of his most vivid fantasies. It turns out reality is better than any dream.

Chapter Text

“Hi, love,” Victor says as he leans down to peck Yuuri’s lips. Yuuri smiles softly and pushes up as far as he can from his position on the floor, books scattered around him where he’s leaning against the couch. 

“Hey, babe,” Yuuri greets when Victor pulls back, wanting to pull him close again. “How was class?”

“Good.” Victor shrugs, adjusting his messenger bag slightly as he steps back. “I’m just gonna go change, okay? And then I’ll join you?”

Yuuri nods and lets out a breath, watching as Victor disappears into the second bedroom of the dorm that they’re using as a closet/storage space. They’ve been at college for four months now, and with exams approaching, they’ve had less and less time to spend with each other. They still sleep next to each other, but sometimes Victor has a morning class when Yuuri’s had evening study session the night before, and the moments they can spend together are limited. Yuuri’s not that worried about it, aside from the usual when-is-he-going-to-realise-he-deserves-better-than-me anxiety. Victor still looks at him with all the love in the world, curls up close at night, kisses him sweetly. They share as much time as they can together but there hasn’t been as much of that as Yuuri would like lately. He glances down at the books scattered around him. He really should prepare for his physics exam, read at least one 56-page chapter in the main course book to keep up with his study guide, and maybe even make a few more flashcards. He should. He really should. 

Yuuri glances at the door Victor disappeared through. He would much rather see a movie with his boyfriend and make out on the couch. Maybe if he hurries he can skim through the chapter and they can—

The door opens and Victor steps out, and Yuuri’s heart stops in his chest as the blood in his system seems confused about if it wants to rush up to his face or down to his groin. Instead of the soft tights and one of Yuuri’s hoodies that Victor usually lounges around the dorm in, his long legs are bare, hair in a messy low ponytail nestled in the collar of knitted turtleneck. It’s barely a sweater at all. The collar opens up to bare Victor’s arms, only reaching to the top of his thighs. Victor turns to the side in the door opening, and Yuuri’s blood finally decides that down is the way to go. The collar is a halter that leaves the back entirely  open, so low it’s barely covering Victor’s magnificent ass. An ass that is definitely without underwear. Fuck . 

Yuuri sucks in a breath and Victor smirks, knowing full well what he’s doing to his poor boyfriend. He pushes off the door frame to walk towards Yuuri with slow steps, hips swaying. He steps between Yuuri’s open textbooks, placing his left leg between Yuuri’s slightly spread thighs, leaning his right knee on Yuuri’s shoulder and looks down on him. Yuuri feels like his entire world has come to a halt, heart pounding against his ribcage as his cock starts to fill at the sight of his boyfriend’s extremely hot outfit. Yuuri never knew something like this even existed and now he wants to thank every single person who had anything to do with it being made and ending up in Victor’s possession. 

“You like it?” Victor asks, voice low and tempting. A shudder runs through Yuuri’s body and he moves slowly, placing his hands on Victor’s ankle to move up the expanse of Victor’s soft skin. 

“You’re gorgeous,” Yuuri breathes. It’s true. Victor is always beautiful, but right now, he’s so absolutely breathtaking, Yuuri couldn’t look away if he tried. Yuuri’s hands move to the back of Victor's leg, fingers caressing the inside of his knee and continuing up. “Incredibly hot.” 

Victor’s eyes darken and the skin under Yuuri’s fingertips breaks out in goosebumps. 

“Good,” Victor breathes as Yuuri stroke the inside of his thighs. “I got it for you.” 

“Do you feel like I haven’t been paying you enough attention?” Yuuri asks as he leans forward, fingers continuing their journey up to Victor’s cheeks, squeezing as he places his lips on the inside on Victor’s left knee. 

“Hm,” Victor hums, half an answer, half a moan. “No, but I miss you. We’re too busy and college sucks.”

Yuuri chuckles, sucking a mark into the porcelain of Victor’s skin. Victor gasps, hips rocking back into Yuuri’s grip on his ass. “I miss you too,” Yuuri agrees when he lets the skin go, watching a red and purple mark bloom. 

Victor pulls his knee from Yuuri’s shoulder, placing his foot on the outside of Yuuri’s leg, moving the one in between Yuuri’s to the other side. He slowly drops to his knees, straddling Yuuri’s lap. A few books shuffle away but Yuuri doesn’t care, too mesmerised by his beautiful boyfriend. Victor smiles, soft and lovely, and only the fact that he starts speaking makes Yuuri hold back from kissing him deep and wet. He’s still getting harder by the second, tenting his sweatpants. 

“I love you, Yuuri Katsuki,” Victor says, lifting Yuuri’s wrist to press as soft kiss to the tattoo there. Yuuri’s heart does a flip at the sight, watching as Victor’s eyes flutter open afterwards. 

“I love you too, Victor Nikiforov,” Yuuri answers, hands caressing up Victor's thighs again. “I’m sorry we’re both so busy. Hopefully it will be better after exams?” 

Victor nods and shifts forward on Yuuri’s lap, rocking against Yuuri’s clothed erection. A moan escapes Yuuri’s throat involuntarily, and he looks down to see Victor straining against the sweater. God, he’s so hot. 

“What do you want, babe?” Yuuri asks and leans forward, softly pecking Victor’s lips before pulling back. Victor sighs happily, chasing Yuuri’s lips for one more kiss, then another. 

“Stretch me?” Victor asks, and Yuuri nods before he wraps a hand around Victor’s neck to bring him close, kissing him deeply. Victor moans, shifting slightly so he can hover over Yuuri’s lap. Yuuri continues to kiss him, tasting a faint hint of coffee on Victor’s tongue, reveling in the heat of his mouth, the wetness of his kisses. He can hear Victor’s hand push under couch cushion for the small bottle of lube they keep there. He pulls back when he finds it, pecking at Yuuri’s upper lip once and his lower lip twice, teeth grazing on the final kiss, before pulling back completely. Yuuri accepts the bottle gladly, coating two of his fingers. He uses his clean hand to push the small piece of fabric up to expose Victor’s ass, fingers caressing down the cleft. He quickly finds Victor’s rim, making a small moan espace Victor’s lips. His eyes are intent on Yuuri, arms resting on Yuuri’s shoulders. 

Yuuri pushes forward to kiss Victor again, at the same time that he pushes one finger past the ring of tight muscle. Victor gasps, fingers clinging to Yuuri’s hair as Yuuri pushes in. Victor relaxes so beautifully around his finger, and Yuuri lets his other hand wander to his  cock, grabbing at the base to stroke slowly upwards. Victor breaks away from the kiss with a gasp, Yuuri now pumping his finger in and out of Victor in a steady rhythm, in time with his stroking of his cock. 

“Yuuri,” Victor moans, tipping his head back. Yuuri starts kissing the underside of his jaw, smiling because it feels so good to have Victor like this, to be able to love him like this. 

“So pretty, opening up so well for me,” Yuuri praises against his skin and Victor nods shakily. 

“Mmh,” Victor moans, rocking back slightly. “More, please more.” 

“Yeah,” Yuuri agrees, and Victor tips his head down again to press their lips together in a heated kiss. Yuuri answers it, pressing a second finger into Victor, who gasps against his lips this time before wetly kissing him again. Yuuri works him open slowly, twisting his fingers. The grip Victor has on his nape tightens when Yuuri grazes against the spot inside him that makes him tremble. 

“Yuuri, Yuuri,” Victor chants, and Yuuri lets his hand pick up speed, the hand on Victor’s cock matching it. Yuuri wants to give Victor as much as he can, everything he wants. “Fuck me, please.”

Yuuri nods, removing his fingers from Victor’s hole carefully. “Stand for me?”

They kiss a while longer before Victor comlipes, legs shaky and cheeks flushed a deep crimson with the arousal. Yuuri follows him up and turns him to face the couch. Victor leans forward, resting his arms on the backrest, pushing his ass up in the air. The sweater has shifted so it’s covering his ass again, and Yuuri caresses from the collar of it down Victor’s gorgeous arching spine. Victor looks back at him, eyes dark with lust and hair a mess. Yuuri loves him. 

He pushes the sweater down below Victor’s cheeks to frame his ass, pressing his legs together. Yuuri’s so hard, and he really can’t hold back anymore even if he loves how Victor’s flush deepens with each teasing touch of Yuuri’s fingers. He pushes his sweatpants down to mid thigh, having to bite his lip as he moans softly at how Victor’s licks his own at the sight of his cock. Fuck, Victor knows exactly what to do to make Yuuri lose all sense of control. 

He reaches for the lube as Victor wiggles his ass a little, and Yuuri has to lean down to kiss at those beautiful cheeks, leaving a bite on the right one. Victor moans, arching his back further. Yuuri slicks himself up with lube, moaning at the first contact on his aching erection. 

“Please, Yuuri,” Victor begs, pressing farther back towards him. 

“Yeah,” Yuuri agrees as he lines himself up. “You’re so pretty, Victor,” Yuuri praises before he starts pushing in. Victor gasps, head dropping down to his hands. Victor’s tight heat envelops him perfectly, and Yuuri has to bite his lip hard to hold back the pleasure already coiling in his groin. His fingers dig into the flesh of Victor’s hips, probably bruising. Victor’s breathing heavily in front of him and Yuuri gasps as he bottoms out, stopping to catch his breath. 

“So tight,” Yuuri moans, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Victor’s exposed back. “So good.”

“Move, Yuuri. Please move,” Victor begs, and Yuuri does, shallow thrusts as he slowly straightens again. Victor pants in little gasps, and as Yuuri’s thrusts become longer and harder, they turn into moans. Victor rocks back into Yuuri in time with his thrusting and Yuuri starts snapping his hips forward faster and faster, lust clouding his mind as the pleasure builds. Victor’s a moaning mess, Yuuri’s name falling from his lips like a chanted prayer. His arms tremble and he falls down from the backrest, pushing his ass up even higher when his arms and head land on the couch cushions. Yuuri moans loudly, the new angle adding even more tight pressure around his cock.

“Victor— Fuck, fuck,” Yuuri says, hand snaking into the sweater to wrap around Victor’s cock. Victor all but screams when he starts stroking it. Yuuri tries to keep an even pace but the pleasure is so intense and he’s so close that it’s becoming erratic. 

“Yuuri, Yuuri I’m gonna, aaah,” Victor moans, then Yuuri feels him clenching around him, cock spurting over Yuuri’s hand. The sheer tightness of Victor’s orgasm and the utter sexinness of his moans sends Yuuri over the edge, too, moaning Victor’s name as he empties inside him. Yuuri has to fight with all his strength not to collapse onto Victor as he tries to catch his breath, his boyfriend still trembling underneath him as they come down from their euphoric high. 

Yuuri seems to find his bearings first, carefully pulling out and then pulling Victor down on the couch with him. They’re both sticky and sweaty, but Yuuri doesn’t care at all. He just wants to hold the love of his life, kiss him softly, and tell him how much he loves him. So he does. 

Victor snuggles close, fingers dancing patterns across Yuuri’s still-clothed back.  

“Where did you get this?” Yuuri asks, lightly tugging at the now come-and-lube-soaked shirt. Victor smiles sleepily, kissing the corner of Yuuri’s mouth. 

“Online,” he answers, and then quotes, “‘Guaranteed to drive your boyfriend crazy.’” 

Yuuri snorts and shakes his head, kissing Victor softly on the lips. “You always drive me crazy. It’s enough that you exist.” 

“I know,” Victor says with a  smile. “It was still fun though.” 

Yuuri can’t argue with that.

“Let’s go out on a date tomorrow,” he says, even though they both should study. “Screw exams and just hang out, you and me.” 

“Sounds nice,” Victor agrees, cuddling closer.  “Can we eat kebab tonight?” 

Yuuri chuckles and agrees, pulling Victor even closer, pressing his lips to Victor’s lovely heart shaped smile.