Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks and black hair matted against his forehead after the hours of exercise was coming to an end. Yuuri kept himself upright, breathing heavily through his mouth as the sun hung low over the horizon. The blue skies had darkened to dusk and more guests were coming to enjoy the beginning of their weekend at the ice rink. He could feel his lungs and legs burn from the intensity of his performances, but it was fine with him. The raven-haired man felt like he had just made up for all the time he missed out in the ballet studio. Hopefully Minako would come back from her trip soon and he could get his exercise regime back on track.

"Yuuri!" Yuuko called from the rinkside, holding out a plastic bottle of water.

Yuuri, once he saw what his friend held, skated over to her and took it with a 'thank you'. He uncapped the bottle and forced himself to take sips despite wanting to chug the liquid down all at once. The noise was gradually increasing around them now that there were more customers.

He looked back to Yuuko, mouth opened to ask how she liked the performance, but it closed upon seeing she was contemplating something about the rink's exit. His friend always looked towards the target of her thought process when she was deep in thought. "Yuuko-chan?"

"Hm?" She hummed.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's just..." Yuuko trailed off, seeming to contemplate something for a brief second until her eyes seemed to sharpen with determination. "A guy came in here and I caught him recording you while you were skating." The auburn haired girl told the other.

"What?" Yuuri questioned, his eyes widening a bit out of surprise.

"Yeah, he was crouching down here and taking a video of you on his phone. I'm pretty sure he was trying to hide but he didn't do a very good job." She explained, gesturing towards the rink-side entrance to show where the man had been hiding.

Yuuri's shock quickly subsided into confusion. "Why would he do that?"

Yuuko shrugged, moving to rest her arms against the wall. "He said that he was a fan and was too shy to introduce himself."

"Why though? I'd understand if I were still a competitive skater or someone important to the ISU, but I'm not. It's...weird." Yuuri looked at his friend who didn't seem to be too convinced with something. "Yuuko-chan?"

Yuuko lips pursed and her eyebrows furrowed. "I thought about the possibility that maybe he just forgot his manners in your presence, but I didn't want to rule out that he might be a creep."

"A creep? But wouldn't he try to follow me into the locker room if he was one?" He was actually very thankful that this pervert didn't do such a thing. Yuuri didn't know what he'd do if he caught someone watching him undress.

"There's a fetish for everything Yuuri. Maybe his was figure skaters." Yuuko answered him.

The raven-haired man hummed a little at the possibility. She was absolutely right, and he was certain this man wouldn't be the last.

Yuuri, having been a popular figure skater back in his prime, had had people record or take pictures of him in public with or without his knowledge. He had been uncomfortable at first and had posted a public post requesting people not do that. But after so many people continued anyway, he learned to ignore it completely. He couldn't stop a whole group from doing what they wanted, so Yuuri decided it just wasn't worth the hassle anymore.

Plenty of people who got a recording of him might have used it for figure skating reference while they practiced; or they could have used it as masturbation material. Yuuri would rather think the stranger preferred the former.

"What did he look like? So I can keep an eye out for him." He asked this time. If this guy was a creepy pervert, then the least he could do is watch his surroundings for this person. Knowing who to look for would ease his paranoia.

The brunette girl tapped her chin in thought of the stranger's appearance. "About this tall," She put up her hand to show the estimated height. "He had silver hair, really blue eyes, and pale skin. Looked to be in his 30's or 40's. He's really strong too; he might have been an athlete or an Instagram model. Now that I think about it, I should look him up later..." She said. Yuuri could see her eyes visibly lighten when the idea came to her head. He, however, felt a sense of dread.

That man sounded a lot like a certain dog loving Russian Yuuri had become acquainted with. But it couldn't have been him, right?

Why would he be here of all places? Had he come to Hasetsu as a tourist? To see their squid statue or something and came across Ice Castle? He was adventurous; Had he come to try out figure skating? Oh God, what if he came for the katsudon and was at Yuuri's house right now?!

What if he had been the one to record him?

Yuuri hadn't noticed that his hands had begun to shake and his heart was starting to beat quick in his chest until it was too late. His knees felt like they were going to collapse underneath him; as if this was his first time on the ice. For this specific reason he had done his best to not think about Victor during his dance. This kind of shaking and rapid heartbeat could be dangerous while he performed. He had done such a good job keeping him out of his mind, but it seemed that no matter what he did, Victor would find a way back into his thoughts.

Life just wasn't fair, was it?

Yuuko eyed him with immediate concern when she noticed her friend start to tremble in his shoes, "Are you okay Yuuri? Are you having an attack?" She asked gently, looking around for a chair or anything the other could use to sit on.

Yuuri shook his name gently. "N-No... I just... You still take customers' names before giving admission, right? What was that guy's name?"

"Uh, Nikolai Kuznetsov." Yuuko answered him. Confusion laced her concern this time. "Did you want to report him?"

He took a steady breath and his eyes closed, repeating his breathing exercises. 'His name is Nikolai. His name is Nikolai. His name is Nikolai...' Yuuri repeated to himself in his thoughts. If Nikolai was his name, then it couldn't be Victor. Victor wasn't a liar. Everything his crush has claimed was backed up with some kind of evidence that made it fact. He said he had been from St. Petersburg, he sent a photo of his home that he took to prove it and was able to answer any question Yuuri threw at him. He had even shared some experiences he had with his grandparents. Victor said that he owned a pink convertible because it was a fun and extravagant car to own, when Yuuri asked for proof, Victor sent a picture of the car and the day's date. Earlier, Victor said he had an adorable dog and sent the photo of Makkachin to prove it. Yuuri had asked him to give his dog some petting on his behalf, and Victor sent a photo back of a very happy poodle getting head scratches. Yes, Victor wasn't a liar.

"Yuuri?" Yuuko snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry. Your description sounded really close to Victor. Like, scarily accurate." Yuuri began to explain. "I thought for a second that maybe it was him who came to Ice Castle, but you said the guy's name was Nikolai and probably older than us. They're both Russian too, so... kind of an impulsive thought I guess."

"Do you think Victor came to Japan with a relative?" Yuuko asked him just as the question came into Yuuri's mind.

"Maybe his cousin or father or something. But Victor never mentioned a relative that was staying in Hasetsu, or one who thought about visiting. It could have just been some random guy who looked like him." Yuuri told his friend.

He couldn't blame Victor at all for not mentioning a relative, though; it wasn't any of Yuuri's business. Maybe Nikolai was an immediate family member who was just as adventurous as Victor? Maybe he was Victor's father and that was why the two shared similar characteristics?

But why would his surname be Kuznetsov if Victor's was Nikiforov? Did Victor take his mother's name? Were his parents divorced?

Maybe Nikolai is an uncle to Victor? Or a different relative?

Or a stranger who shared appearance traits with Victor?

If that were the case, what a small world they lived in.

Yuuko's eyes momentarily widened. Her arms crossed over her chest and her left hand pressed on her cheek as she had a thought. She seemed hesitant, but Yuuri's curious eyes made her speak her mind, "You know, it could have been Victor and he lied to me?"

He shook his head at the suggestion, "I thought about that, but he isn't a liar. He wouldn't have anything to gain from it anyway."

"Yeah, you're right. Besides, what are the chances Nikolai and Victor are the same person?" Yuuko said to him and smiled, her attempt to take a little edge off the conversation.

Yuuri smiled back at her, "Really slim."

Yuuko wanted to smile more, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She let the smile falter and sighed. "I'm really sorry that I didn't say anything to you while he did it. I should have done something-"

Yuuri was quick to speak up. "You don't have to apologize. Knowing me, I would have gotten a panic attack over your safety if you had started something with him. Especially if he was twice your size. That's what you wanted to prevent, right?"

Yuuko nodded. "I was scared calling him out would end up giving you an attack bad enough to send you to the hospital, so I played nice with him... I figured I could handle it without some kind of hostile approach."

"You kept the situation from escalating to something worse. Give yourself some credit," Yuuri reassured her before adding. "He got his video, and while I wish we could have reminded him of his manners, it's been done. If we see him again when I'm here we can use a secret code word for it. It would also be a good idea to have Takeshi come in more often just in case Nikolai turns out to be a perverted freak. You and Takeshi could escort him out as a team and ban him." He suggested to Yuuko, who significantly brightened at the idea.

"Sounds good. How about we use... "Do a triple Axel" as the code phrase?"

With a smile, Yuuri agreed.

His calf muscles felt as though they were throbbing underneath his skin. The back of his throat still ached with the dry heat of his breathing; his lungs had not properly recovered from his exercise today. He most likely breathed too harshly and damaged something... Yuuri had taken a quick shower before dressing into a loose T-shirt, some comfortable boxers and pajama pants with cartoon dog patterns on it. The very ones that Phichit had mailed him as a gift.

The raven-haired man was plopped on his bed, stomach against the mattress comfortably with his blanket bunched at his feet. His cellphone was in his right hand, thumb flipping through the massive Like storm he received from that one girl again.

Aria Vaccaro had gone through his social medias and gave him a huge notification pile waiting for his attention. Some of them from photos dating back to the early 2000's, when Yuuri had just started figure skating. The amount of times this girl did this was a little alarming, though it made him think back to what he said during his conversation with Seung-Gil and Phichit.

Was he really Aria's escape from reality? Was she being abused in her home and used his social media to find happiness?

Should he try to talk to her?

Would she want that?

Would he be intruding if he messaged her?

He received a text message but ignored it for now.

Yuuri's lips tugged, watching as more notifications popped up on his feed again. Aria, Aria, Aria. More Aria...

This girl... If he were in her shoes, he wouldn't know how to react to his escape suddenly sending him a message asking if he was okay. It would be shocking, he thinks. Maybe it would be... strange? It would feel like the person he liked had crossed an invisible boundary he set; one the other party was unaware of. And he may feel anxious as well, thinking he annoyed his idol to the point where he was going to be scolded by them.

But, he took into account that Aria wasn't him. She was her own person with her own personality. She could want Yuuri to reach out to her and these massive spams were her cry for help. But did she have some degree of anxiety as well? Was that why she used Like spams instead of directly asking?

If Yuuri were a teenager, that might have been what he did if he had no friends or family to go to.

Or, like a majority of Seung-Gil's fans, she could be a teenage girl just going through his social media because she likes him.

Sometimes The raven-haired man wished he could peek in on others' lives, just so he knew what he should do in the moment. If he could just know what this girl wanted out of this, or received a little bit of information about her, then maybe making these decisions would be 100% easier.

He tapped Aria's profile picture.

It was a selfie of a young woman who looked to be in her early 20's or late teens. She had long curly brown hair and fairly tan skin. Her features were heart shaped, with big green eyes (most likely contacts) accented with winged eyeliner and a tight white tank top to adorn her petite body. She was sitting in a car, sunset giving her flawless complexion a nice glow, with her arm outstretched to hold her phone. She was remarkably pretty, a little too much to not be a Twitter or Instagram model.

Was this a catfish or was this really a girl named Aria? Or was Aria insecure about her appearance and used a model's photo from the internet? Was she even a she? Was Aria actually a man that used Yuuri's profile as an escape? Or just some creepy pervert trying to coax Yuuri into sexual conversation? So many questions...

Well, whoever this was, it didn't nullify the fact that she (or he) spam liked his stuff. It couldn't be for no reason.

He semi-expected for Aria's account to have activity, but surprisingly, there was none. He thought that she might have set her account to private, but no. He could see everything.

Yuuri clicked on her pictures.

A small album of photos popped up, all of the same girl in various locations and some with family members.

He had an idea.

'If she's a catfish, then her photos will lead to someone else, right?' Yuuri thought to himself.

With that in mind, the raven-haired man got up from his bed and grabbed his Macbook Air, then set the computer on his lap. Once he navigated back to Aria's photos, he right-clicked on one of them and reverse searched the image.

Nothing came up.

He did the same thing to another photo.

Nothing, again.

He did it once more to a different photo just to triple check.

Not one thing popped up for it...

Huh.

So not a catfish?

Yuuri still didn't one hundred percent believe it. He went back to Aria's Twitter to investigate further. Now, he just wanted to see how legitimate Aria was.

There were no tweets he could read that could prove she was a real person, but that didn't automatically make her a bot. He searched further, searching for any signs of life in this profile.

Oh, she had a bio.

"Hello! My name is Aria and I am a huge figure skating fan 3"

She seemed nice at least, even though it barely said anything about her except that she liked figure skating.

Aria only followed two people. Himself and Phichit. Her follower count was 27, but her likes were at 8.2K.

He tapped her Likes.

There, he could see that every single thing Aria liked had involved him in some way or form. It was uncomfortable seeing his face looking back at him in so many different ways.

Multiple pictures from Phichit's Twitter with Yuuri somewhere in it, liked. Even if he was just a background character, it was liked. The same with his other friends' posts and anyone who mentioned Yuuri in a positive light received a like as well.

Yuuri scrolled further, more and more of his images blurred past with some text posts here and there.

Was Aria a bot programmed to search his hashtag and like whatever was there?

What a specific bot... Nah, it had to be a person. But who would devote their time and effort liking just him? The pictures must have been Aria's too; how else could it have zero results?

Another text message came in, grabbing his attention from the scrolling.

He decided that maybe he should take his mind off of Aria for the moment and do something else. If he still felt like he needed to send her a message, then he'd do it. At the least it would confirm whether his Like spammer was a bot or not.

Yuuri picked up his phone then pressed the home button. He then thumbed down the notification menu of his iPhone, Victor's name coming up with his notifications.

He took a moment to relax himself and clear his head.

~~Victor~~

Victor sat on his fine blue sofa too small for his tall frame, staring at his text conversation while he waited for Yuuri to respond to him. His brown poodle, Makkachin, snuggled against his stomach. The large dog slept soundly on her owner while the man eyed the screen intently for the dots to show up.

His Japanese home was a small one bedroom apartment located on the outskirts of Hasetsu, owned and rented to him by a sweet elderly couple by the names of Aina and Hanako Minamoto. It wasn't his ideal arrangement, but it was as close to Yuuri as he could get that was available and discreet. He would much rather live at the inn his future in-laws owned and pay them as much as they wanted, but Victor wouldn't be able to control himself if he did. He'd be found out much too soon... Sometimes he despised his logical side, but it's what got him to where he was today.

His walls were decorated with a few Japanese posters of traditional art and ornaments he had purchased as souvenirs during his exploration of the nearby cities. There weren't many statues or framed photos around except for a Lucky cat and golden Buddha he had found in the Hasetsu shopping arcade. While he did find a number of things that were gorgeous and useful, he wasn't attached to any of it. He simply needed to keep a beautifully decorated apartment so when Yuuri came over, he wouldn't be put off by a barren environment. Once his cute, beloved soulmate was all his, the silver-haired man would take him back to Russia.

Yuuri would live happily having only Victor and their beloved poodle in his life! Oh, Victor was so excited he was tempted to make it happen sooner!

But he needed to control himself, and think of the present. Right now, Victor had yet to find some suitable places to make his and Yuuri's first date location. The seaside was an option, even though it wouldn't be a surprise. It was part of The raven-haired man's weekend jog locations but a beautiful area to be alone...

Maybe, just maybe...

It would only need a trip to the store and a syringe of special K. No one came by that beach anyway, from what he's seen. It was always empty.

Every time Yuuri jogged, gasping his breaths and leaving his sweat on the pavement, there was no one at that beach. If there was, they never stayed long.

He'd simply have to lure Yuuri away, knock him unconscious, and take him into his car. Yuuri was so trusting, it would be easy!

Once Victor had him, he wouldn't have to worry about anything else... Yuuri would love him, tell his parents that everything was okay, and the silver-haired man would get the happily ever after he waited so damn long to get.

Those years of searching.

Those years of pushing away everyone who dared try to ruin what he had now.

That night...

Victor chuckled to himself, feeling the corners of his mouth rise.

They'd all be worth it.

Hell, why even wait for the beach?!

He could just get into Yu-topia and take his beloved soulmate.

It was easy to get into the inn anyway. Victor could get it done within an hour...

A swift slap to his cheek was all it was needed to knock himself back to his senses.

No.

It was a bad idea.

Victor would get distracted and something would go wrong. Just like in Ice Castle.

He'd have to take Yuuri to public locations for now. Woo him over with conversation and bonding. Since they were soulmates, it shouldn't take too long. Victor would simply have to be charismatic and apply what he learned. Now, places...

There were some restaurants, but they were so bare and boring. The perfect hangout locations for teenagers that didn't care. How could he woo his soulmate if the atmosphere was against him? Victor knew there was a movie theater around here, but it was such a cliché date idea! Why didn't this damn city have anything thrilling or exciting? Something Yuuri hasn't been to?

Victor sighed and sunk further into the couch.

What the hell was taking so long?

~~Yuuri~~

He tapped open the message.

Victor had sent two pictures of Makkachin. The first was of the poodle with her head cocked to the side at the camera. The next was said poodle blurred, tongue lolled out as she was caught mid run towards her owner.

Yuuri felt his heart swell.

He wanted to meet Makkachin one of these days. She looked so cute... Maybe if he developed a platonic friendship with Victor before he left for Russia he could see her in person.

But that was a giant "if."

'Yuuri

9:02 PM: She's way too cute! I wish I had a dog like her.'

~~Victor~~

Victor knew all too well just how cute his little Makkachin was, though honestly he would give her away to Yuuri in a heartbeat. All he had to do was ask.

He was attached to the poodle, don't get him wrong. She'd been his companion for the 9 years Victor had to play victim and she loved him regardless of what he did. Regardless of what she witnessed, her owner was her world.

Victor felt like they had a little connection. Like, they understood what the other felt despite having completely separate mindsets.

Makkachin always wanted her owner nearby. Victor always wanted Yuuri nearby. Both would go to great lengths to get what they wanted.

The only difference was the Russian man was willing to do more than what his brown poodle was capable of to get what he wanted.

A lot more.

He quickly typed out his own message, taking a few breaths to try and relax his shaky fingers. Victor needed to double check his responses before he sent them. He may end up typing something stupid or boundary pushing. He'd gone too far to lose it all now.

'Victor

9:04 PM: Have you ever had a dog?'

Yuuri

Getting a dog hadn't really crossed Yuuri's mind in the past. He'd been too concerned with his career, his friends, and his education at the time to really consider a pet on top of it. Besides, Yuuri didn't want to force his parents or his sister to care for an animal that wasn't theirs. He couldn't pass the responsibility of another life onto his family against their will.

Yuuri sighed, deciding now that he couldn't ignore Victor. He's tried, but ultimately couldn't handle it. He felt like an asshole every time he intentionally blew off a conversation attempt from the other man. Whether it was his conscious or his Soul Mark making him feel this way, he wasn't sure. But it was better to engage the Russian like this... with text-based conversations instead of cold shoulders. Victor was so nice to him. Why did he have to be so out of his league?

Yuuri quickly typed his message.

'Yuuri

9:04 PM: No. I just didn't see a reason to get one except that they were cute at the time. I don't think I'd have the time or be responsible enough to care for it anyway.'

~~Victor~~

It made sense. Yuuri lived in an inn with customers that may or may not appreciate a dog running around. Not to mention chabudai tables were defenseless against a hungry animal looking to snatch meals. If Yuuri had been allowed to have a dog in the inn, Victor wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of health violation regarding dog hair in food or "excrements" found in the onsen.

'Victor

9:05 PM: Well, you seem like you'd be great with dogs. Makkachin hasn't even met you yet and I think she already loves you'

9:05 PM: Maybe you should consider coming on a walk with me to see her?'

Victor paused, realizing what he was about to send. Hmm... He's invited Yuuri to do things many times in the past; even in the week his soulmate had been ignoring him for some reason. Would Makkachin be the answer to getting Yuuri to spend time with him?

He took a breath, his Soul Mark throbbed gently against his torso, sending a tingling sensation down his arm and within his chest; the idea of the raven-haired man being so close to him made him shiver. Yuuri could play with Makkachin and ignore Victor for all he cared. He just wanted Yuuri to accept his damn offers.

He pressed send.

~~Yuuri~~

His breathing seemed to stop, heart beating faster than when he first picked up the phone again.

Meeting Makkachin? Did Victor think they were close enough that it'd be okay to invite Yuuri on a walk with him? Was Victor actually psychic?

It was the only explanation to how Victor could have asked what he'd been thinking

'Yuuri

9:06 PM: Are you sure I wouldn't be intruding? I could'

Yuuri stopped his typing, gulping the lump in his throat. The realization made him put down his phone for just a moment, so he could recollect his thoughts.

Being alone with him, where anything could happen...

He wasn't worried about Victor, but rather what Yuuri himself might say when was there. He was going to end up saying something stupid. Or weirding the Russian out because he didn't think before speaking.

Was all of this even a good idea to begin with?

What if he became friends with Victor but his affection never went away? He didn't want to spend the rest of his life pining over some guy he met in college.

Yuuri was just setting himself up for the worst heartbreak possible, wasn't he?

It couldn't be worse than Yuuko though, right?

He had already known her for many years prior to Yuuri's feelings turning to romantic affection. What made Victor different?

Yuuri brought his knees to his chest, hugging them close while his head sunk into the fluffy fabric of his pajama bottoms.

There was still the option of not being friends... He could just tell Victor he wasn't interested in getting to know him, and just try to forget the lost opportunity. Being who he is, Victor could quickly replace the spot he'd made for Yuuri in his friend circle. So many people at uni were much more deserving of the Russian's friendship anyway.

…

The raven-haired man groaned softly. He leaned back, his head gently knocked against the headboard of his bed.

What did he want?

He wanted to keep Victor as a friend, that's what.

What benefits did he get from fulfilling that want?

He didn't know.

Yuuri could name a million reasons as to why he'd benefit from a friend like Victor.

But, would Victor benefit from a friend like him?

No.

He wouldn't.

Yuuri wasn't rich, or a constant ball of sunshine like Victor was. He didn't have any noteworthy connections that the other man could be trying to obtain...

How about he thought about this from a different perspective?

Was he trying to get close to Yuuri to try to make good relations with the owners of Yu-topia Katsuki?

From a business view, Victor would benefit from partnering with an inn and onsen that monopolized Hasetsu. Not to mention the excellent reputation Yu-topia had with the city. If Victor was trying to open shop, and he advertised his partnership with Yu-topia, he'd certainly get some business. Most likely loyal onsen customers looking to see who befriended the raven-haired man's parents.

But, was Victor that manipulative?

It would explain why he was so determined about being friends with him...

Hmm...

Maybe he should watch Victor more closely and pay attention to their conversations? The other man had yet to ask anything relating to the onsen.

Or maybe he should stop jumping to conclusions and give people a chance, as Phichit would tell him.

Just as Yuuri was about to start typing his message, he realized what just happened.

He did mental gymnastics until he was back to square one.

God, why did his mind do this?

Why were his heart and Soul Mark thudding simultaneously against his chest.

Yuuri felt a little short of breath.

He hated himself sometimes.

What the hell should he say to Victor?

"Yes to see if you're trying to use me to get close to my business owning parents?"

"No because you have a soulmate and I have a crush on you that won't go away?"

The raven-haired man brought his head back up and picked up his phone.

He had just brought himself full circle back to being unsure of what to do, but he couldn't just leave Victor hanging. Yuuri needed to give him an answer.

'Yuuri

9:09 PM: Sorry, but I don't know when I'll have time.'

Send.

There.

He'll make up for it somehow.

~~Victor~~

His knuckles turned white, the case of his phone making a small noise. Victor dropped his phone to keep himself from doing damage and instead clenched his fist, pupils narrow and icy as he glared where he had read that message.

"What the FUCK!" He exclaimed in Russian, doing his best to not scream it out but ultimately failing. Makkachin's head lifted off of his chest and looked at her owner, obviously startled by his sudden outburst.

Victor sunk back into the couch and petted his dog's head to reassure her everything was alright. She only needed a moment until she laid her head back down.

He just didn't get it. What was he doing wrong?

The Russian was already restraining himself from doing everything he wanted. He gave Yuuri his space most of the time, even though it physically hurt his Soul Mark to not receive the affection he desired. He behaved as he should. Why wouldn't he accept his invitations?

He accepted Takanori's invitation! Why not him?

He...

He didn't have feelingsfor Takanori did he?!

No.

Nononononono.

That wasn't possible! It was not possible for that to happen!

He was Yuuri's soulmate! No one else could have him!

Victor panted, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as his rage was gradually consuming him. Underlying his anger was a sense of panic. That Yuuri would completely overlook him for some shitty soccer player.

He needed to know the truth. He needed to know if there was a chance that that scum could take his beloved away from him.

Victor gently pet Makkachin's head as she licked his jaw, the poodle obviously sensed his stress and tried to calm him down.

He picked up his phone again.

With the rage underlying his logical sense, he began to type.

'Victor

9:12 PM: That's a shame

9:12 PM: I was really hoping we could hang out sometime soon

9:13 PM: Can I ask you something if you don't mind?'

~~Yuuri~~

Oh God, he upset Victor didn't he?

Yes, he absolutely did.

And now he wanted to ask him something!

Oh God...

Uhh...

Oh God oh God.

He could really use his best friend by his side right now...

Yuuri swallowed the lump in his throat and typed his message.

'Yuuri

9:12 PM: What is it?'

Before he could even switch tabs, he already had a text ringing in.

Then another.

And another.

'Victor

9:12 PM: Have I offended you in some way?

9:12 PM: You were ignoring me for a whole week before I spoke to you on the train

9:12 PM: I'm not angry, I promise

9:12 PM: I just want to know if I upset you and how so I can apologize and learn from my mistake.'

Oh God...

"It's not your fault, I swear! It's me!" Yuuri muttered to himself in his native tongue, as if Victor would be able to hear it. He needed to clear things up and quickly...

But...

He'd find a way to do it without admitting that he knew about Victor's soulmate.

Yuuri didn't want to make the other man paranoid about him. Or ruin something that was supposed to be a special moment between two individuals.

'Yuuri

9:12 PM: Did I make it seem like that? I'm so sorry!

9:12 PM: You haven't done anything wrong

9:12 PM: I'm just a little intimidated by you

9:12 PM: That's not the right word, but I mean that you have a big reputation. Not just on campus but in Russia too

9:12 PM: I'm not sure how I can approach someone with so much importance. I could barely do it in my past career but only if my coach gave me a pep talk

9:12 PM: Sorry for spamming!'

Well... It wasn't the truth. Yuuri didn't actually think Victor's reputation was enough to keep him away.

But a little white lie wouldn't hurt anyone...

~~Victor~~

"It's not your fault, I swear! It's me!" Yuuri's voice came through the speakers of the Russian's phone.

Victor rose an eyebrow.

Not his fault, huh?

He knew damn well that none of this was his fault.

Yuuri didn't show any signs of being disgusted by him physically or by his personality, so it had to be another reason. What was the actual cause? Well, apparently it was Yuuri's fault...

A new message came in. Then another. And another, rapidly coming in one by one

Oh, what excuse did his sweet Sunshine have this time?

…

Wh-What?

A big reputation in Russia?

Did he know?

How much did he know?

No, he couldn't know too much.

The news didn't leave Russian borders, and no one without a Russian IP could access that information. He sued to make sure his name was protected.

He had to ask.

'Victor

9:12 PM: What do you know about me?'

It took only a minute for another message to come in, followed by some more.

'Yuuri

9:14 PM: You're Victor Nikiforov

9:14 PM: When you were 15 years old you inherited your dad's sportswear company Nikiforov Athletics and was considered a legal adult before you even finished school

9:14 PM: Famous businessmen disregarded you because you were young but when sales and stocks skyrocketed you were seen as a business prodigy

9:14 PM: In the past I was competing professionally for figure skating and I had to do research on potential sponsors

9:14 PM: I'm sorry if this all sounds creepy'

Victor felt his heart swell with delight, his anger and panic momentarily leaving for him to take pleasure in Yuuri's text messages.

Heheh, Yuuri knew about him~ He cared enough about Victor to do some research on his name~

Oh, he loved Yuuri so much! Victor wished he could just reveal his Soul Mark and they could have their happily ever after!

But he needed that emotional attachment.

He wanted to become Yuuri's drug; his addiction.

Once he had his Sunshine wrapped around his finger enough for Yuuri to confess his feelings, or to accept Victor's confession, only then would he reveal their intertwined fates.

Yuuri would become no one else's after that~

He'd wear a beautiful golden ring on his finger and stay by Victor's side forever~

Yuuri would never be able to run away; he'd never want to.

And even if he did, he'd never get far.

Victor would always find him, until the end of the world.

Even if Yuuri decided to hide in the deepest, darkest tunnel on planet Earth, Victor would find him without a problem.

Once their Soul Marks connected, Yuuri would never be able to get away from him ever again.

When that happened, no amount of beautiful men or women would be able to take his beloved soulmate away~

Not Phichit.

Not Takanori.

Not anyone.

Victor felt his lungs burn, deprived of air.

He opened his mouth and took in a breath, gasping to feed himself oxygen.

Ahahah, thinking of Yuuri made him forget to breathe again!

He started typing.

'Victor

9:16 PM: You know so much about me! ^ ^

9:16 PM: It's not creepy, I'm flattered

9:16 PM: But is that the only reason?

9:16 PM: Please don't let that be the only thing preventing us from spending time together. I want to get to know you

9:17 PM: I'm not some scary corporate man. I'm just a person who wants to make real and true connections

9:17 PM: Have you ever had people approach you acting friendly only for them to use you for personal gain?'

If he could trigger Yuuri's sympathetic side, then pity or guilt would surely follow~

Knowing him, he'd find a way to blame this on himself.

~~Yuuri~~

God, why did Yuuri ever think for a second that Victor could be after his family's onsen?

Did he actually forget that Victor was the Victor? Multimillionaire Victor Nikiforov with business as his sixth sense?

If Victor had been after his family's hot spring resort, then he would have negotiated a deal by now.

He didn't need to get to Yuuri to do anything!

God how egotistical was he that he would think Victor would even consider using him?

If the Russian wasn't after Yu-topia, then he really was just trying to make friends...

Then, was that why he was in university?

Surely owning a company as large as Nikiforov Athletics would have his career set? Hell, Victor definitely had enough money to live like a King for the rest of his life!

Aside from that, why did he want to be friends with Yuuri of all people? What made the raven-haired man so special?

Yuuri snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at the messages he had received. Reading them again had made a knot form in his gut.

He sighed but started typing; he had his own questions.

'Yuuri

9:18 PM: What about the people that usually surround you?

9:18 PM: They're not your friends?'

His phone chimed before he could put down his phone. Victor really was quick at texting...

'Victor

9:18 PM: They're not my friends

9:18 PM: More like acquaintances.'

He hummed in thought.

So Victor didn't consider those people his friends...

Not one of them?

Not even the girl that called his name during his lunch with Takanori?

His soulmate wasn't part of that group either?

Or was he, but he and Victor weren't on friendly terms?

Or did Victor just not want to mention it?

Ugh... He really wished he could ask.

Well, Yuuri had made enough assumptions about Victor.

He'd been an asshole to the silver-haired man by ignoring him and thinking things that weren't true. Whatever the reason, Victor wanted to be friends.

A walk with him and Makkachin wouldn't be so bad, right? It would be two hours tops with him. Two hours wasn't enough time to fall in love with someone, right?

Yuuri began to type.

'Yuuri

9:18 PM: I want to apologize for blowing you off Victor

9:18 PM: I really do want to meet Makkachin, and you've been nothing but nice to me. I'm not saying that out of pity or anything

9:18 PM: I'm sure I can make time-'

His phone began to ring, the notification popping down to grab his attention and interrupt his message.

Phichit.

Yuuri slid his thumb across the green button to answer.

"Hey Phichit!" He answered happily.

"Yuuri! How's it going?"

~~Victor~~

Victor's eyes widened. His pupils dilated with each passing message. His heart beat hard against his chest, breathing turning ragged and breathy. Yuuri was telling him what he wanted.

His Sunshine felt bad!

His Sunshine was changing his mind!

Pity or not, Victor didn't give a damn! Yuuri was going to accept-

What.

'Yuuri is in a call with +6684397444'

'Listen or Decline'

A call from +66?

Oh, it must be from that Thai friend of his. Phichit.

He tapped Listen and put the phone to his ear.

~~Yuuri~~

"Pretty okay. What about you?" Yuuri set aside his laptop, Aria completely off his mind right now. Phichit was just the person he wanted to talk to.

"Doing good! I was calling to check up on you. Ciao Ciao reworked my program and it's gonna need a lot of work to perfect. He won't let me be on my phone except for brief breaks because of it!"

Yuuri chuckled. "Sounds like torture."

"It is!" Phichit's outburst made Yuuri smile, holding back his laughter. "It's terrible! Only 30 minutes to check Twitter, Instagram, Facebook- I didn't even get to say good night to Seung-gil today!"

The raven-haired man could almost hear the pouting in his friend's voice.

"I'm sure he understands. Besides, Seung-gil seems like he'd want you to practice way more than you talk to him."

"But I have been practicing a bunch! I've been practicing harder and harder so I can have more time to talk to both you and him. But I want more than a couple of hours a week to talk to him! I need my boyfriend time!"

Yuuri wished he had a relationship like Phichit and Seung-gil did. The two were so strong and loving of each other. They communicated well despite the long distance and when they did see each other, they were inseparable.

Phichit's cheerfulness and optimism was balanced out well with Seung-gil's stoicness and calculative thinking. The Thai skater knew how to get his boyfriend's soft, mushy side out of that hard shell while Seung-gil was capable of bringing the very best out of Phichit's person and performances. Not to mention their unwavering support for each other.

They had their differences and their lovers' quarrels like any other couple, but it was few and in between.

"Have you spoken to Celestino? I'm sure he'd understand if you asked him." Yuuri suggested.

"Oh, I haven't told you, have I?" Phichit received a 'no' then explained. "I changed my artist. My great grandmother on my dad's side was an artist! Hathai Chulanont. I'm gonna use Van Gogh as a backup unless a different skater wants him."

Yuuri gave a small 'oh', the pieces falling together. "Oh, so you've had to work extra hard because you're learning a whole new program from scratch?"

"Bingo. The event is gonna be here before I know it, and I have to work as hard as possible to do Hathai's beautiful art justice. Speaking of the event. Seung-gil thinks it would be better if he and I take the flight to Paris from Thailand, so we can spend as much time together as possible." The raven-haired man could hear the giddiness in Phichit's voice.

"He's going to make the extra flight for you? That's sweet!"

"Yeah! It'll be the first time we see each other in 5 months! I'm so excited! Oh, sorry! I should shut up about it now." Phichit said sheepishly, realizing that he might be annoying his friend with his relationship.

Yuuri grinned, "No no, don't worry. It's great to hear you're with someone that makes you so happy. You two are couple goals."

An audible gasp from the other end. Yuuri knew the exact reaction he would get from that.

"Yuuri Katsuki. That is by far the best compliment I have received about my relationship."

"Heheh, I knew you'd like it... Hey, Phichit, can I ask you something?"

Phichit must have sensed a tone shift, because his mood adjusted for the conversation. "What's up?"

"Now, hypothetically, and hear me out. If someone had asked you out and you said "no", but you wanted to stay friends with that person, how would you do it?"

"Yuuri, is this about that guy again?" Phichit asked him. "You didn't ask him out did you?"

"Yeah it's about that guy, no I didn't ask him out..." No way Yuuri could lie to his best friend. "The one with the boyfriend. I still have a crush on him, but he's such a nice guy Phichit. I want to be his friend... How would you do it if you were in my position?"

"Hmm..." Phichit gave some thought. "Well, how big is your crush? Do you just think he's handsome? Or is it something more?"

"H-He... He makes me feel... I..." Yuuri swallowed the lump in his throat, a blush surfacing on his cheeks. His heart beat hard against his chest just at the thought of Victor. "I don't know how to explain it. It's not love, but if I had the chance to fall for him, I think I could... When I asked Mari, she said to keep a balance in the relationship. Basically, treat him like I would any one else... We text sometimes, but he wants to get to know me better in person. He invites me to do stuff all the time, and not too long ago he asked me to go on a walk with him and his dog. I want to go, but I don't know if I should."

Phichit took a second to think of his response, most likely imagining himself in Yuuri's place. "Hmm... Well, how badly do you want to stay friends with this guy?"

Yuuri sighed. "Really badly... He reminds me of you in a way. Always happy and so outgoing. I think you two would get along really well if you met."

"Then I suggest try being just his friend and accept that dog walk invitation. But Yuuri, listen to me. Not everyone is capable of being just friends with someone they have romantic feelings for. It's gonna hurt seeing him with his boyfriend, and it's gonna really suck for a while. You've got the biggest glass heart out of everyone I know, and you're making it walk on a tightrope right now." Phichit then added. "Heartbreak is a devastating emotion, Yuuri. I never want you to go through that."

Yuuri inwardly sighed hearing the last part. His friend was starting to sound like Yuuko.

"I know Phichit. I understand. Believe me I know I could end up heartbroken and how risky this all is, but... I don't want to miss out on a possible friend for life because it hurts, you know? What would Ciao Ciao say... uh..."

"Past every storm there's a rainbow?"

"Yeah, that." Yuuri said. He knew what he was getting himself into. And he knew that when his heart was inevitably broken, he would have no one to blame but himself.

"Just be careful, okay? I'd rather you cut your losses than go through this, but if you think his friendship is worth it, then I can't stop you." Phichit's chipper tone had ceased with these words; the sentence laced with a serious undertone.

Yuuri nodded a few times as if his friend would see it. "Yeah, I will. I promise that if I feel like I can't do it, I'll accept my losses and cut ties. Even I have a limit to how much I can take, you know." He assured the other. "Anyway, what does your performance consist of now?"

~~Victor~~

Victor's world had become black and gray. Everything he was working for had shifted on its head then back again. He had sat up on the couch, back against the arm rest and his knees up to his chest. Makkachin had gotten up at some point of the conversation and was now drinking water from her bowl, but Victor didn't care. He was hardly paying any attention to her.

His eyes were wide, breath slow and shaky while his right hand dug its nails into the knee of his pants. Victor's fingers quivered as they pierced through skin, staining the fabric red. His ocean blue irises held an icy appearance to them, shaking. The look on his face had significantly darkened, shadowed by the repressed rage building inside of him.

His soulmate had feelings for him; romantic feelings. His efforts were not going to waste, but they were significantly hindered.

Yuuri believed Victor was seeing someone.

He couldn't correct Yuuri without the other asking how he knew this information. Yuuri hasn't told anyone besides Phichit, has he?

Now, Victor couldn't push towards romance without the risk of Yuuri cutting ties with him and believing he's a cheating, unfaithful asshole.

His only chance was to get Yuuri to ask about Victor's "boyfriend" or have him tell someone else so the Russian could shift the blame onto that person.

Until then, he was stuck.

He was stuck. And there was nothing he could do about it...

It was all in Yuuri's hands...

Victor's breathing became sharper and raspy, his pupils narrowed significantly as his heart and Soul Mark beat rapidly against his chest. The environment around him felt like it was spinning, fading in and out of existence. Victor felt dizzy and sick to his stomach.

God dammit!

He did not plan all of this for so long just to be friends!

He did not pay a million fucking Rubles to move to Japan, get into that shit university, and cocktease some disgusting old pervert to get into Yuuri's class just for Yuuri to love him in a brotherly way!

No!

Victor would never be satisfied with just having him in his life.

Their romantic relationship was destiny.

Yuuri belonged to him since the moment he was conceived.

They were going to become one.

Yuuri didn't have a choice which direction their relationship went.

It was going to become romantic one way or the other.