The chase started the day Katsuki Yuuri walked into the room at his sister's side - sweeping into the room with impeccable grace, head held high as he radiated confidence, power, and one of the most intoxicating scents Viktor Nikiforov had ever smelled. The suit he wore accented every curve of his body, hugging him closely as he silently followed behind Katsuki Mari. Viktor watched the omega's brown eyes scan the room in disinterest, glinting a subtle amber in the low lighting to search for any sign of a credible threat.

Viktor Nikiforov had been taken instantly. He'd heard rumors of Katsuki Yuuri before, mostly whispers amongst his enforcers that painted him as a severely underestimated member of the Yakuza who had bathed himself in the blood of those who were foolish enough to fall for his innocence and beauty, but he'd never laid eyes on him in person. Now, though, he was lost to the way the young man quietly observed, standing stoically along the back wall of the room with his hands tucked into his pockets. There was almost a leisure to him, a calmness that Viktor knew held a swift death for anyone who dared to try anything.

God, Viktor wanted him. It was a physical ache that he could feel deep within him, like an itch that he needed to scratch. Viktor could feel his canines ache with the primal need to sink his teeth into the omega's neck, to mark what was his and to make sure that every single person in that room knew exactly who he belonged to. He wanted to feel the man writhe underneath him, to see his head thrown back, baring his throat, with eyes glazed over with need - so lost in ecstasy that he couldn't physically take anymore. There was also a part of him that simply wanted to wrap the man up in a blanket and never let him leave, to protect him and care for him and make sure nothing harmful had the chance to even touch him.

But Viktor was an alpha who prided himself on self-control, on not losing himself to carnal instincts. He could, and would, control himself around Katsuki Yuuri. Yet when the omega's gaze landed on him, Viktor could feel his control wean, his eyes easily burning into him from across the room. Viktor felt like melting underneath the attention as he held the gaze steady, only breaking it to rake his eyes down every soft curve and hard muscle visible underneath Yuuri's suit. A small sliver of satisfaction ran through Viktor when the omega preened under his gaze; it was a tiny shift, a shiver that was barely noticeable to anyone not paying close attention to his body language, but it made a smirk curl on Viktor's face. A smirk which was returned in kind when Viktor's eyes came back to Yuuri's, blazing with curiosity and a weighty challenge. And oh, did Viktor intend to take him up on it.

The party around him had gone from simple and dull to thrilling and exciting, a small ember blown into an all-consuming fire that had pulled Viktor from the monotonous conversation his godfather, Yakov, was attempting to have with Alain Leroy, of Canada, about the possibility of increasing trade to bring in more profit and gain leverage over their respective rivals. It was trivial business, and nothing compared to where his attention laid now.

With no more than a glance back, Viktor made his way towards the man at the back of the room, weaving through the crowd with ease and purpose - his eyes never leaving Yuuri's for a moment. Viktor plucked two flutes of champagne from a nearby waiter as he passed, a simple gesture to act as a small gift to the man. The omega was more stunning up close, if that were even possible. From far away, Viktor couldn't see the subtle trace of lipstick on his plush lips or how pristine his gelled hair was or how the corner of his mouth was always quirked in a teasing smile. Viktor offered the glass. "Champagne?"

The omega simply stared, arching a judgmental eyebrow in an attempt to reign in whatever emotion he was hiding underneath a placid mask of indifference. But Viktor had seen a brief glimpse behind the cracked mask and simply smirked at the gesture, knowing more was lying beneath. Slowly, the omega straightened up, pushing off the wall he was leaning on to take the glass offered to him.

"Thank you, mister…" The question hung in the air between them, with an answer that both of them clearly knew. The omega's eyes bore into him, awaiting his reaction more than his answer.

Viktor smiled, too brightly and too fake to fool anyone who knew him well. "You know who I am."

"Let's pretend I don't," the man hummed, unimpressed. Yuuri took a small sip of the champagne in his hand and looked out into the crowd of people. The party was impressive, even by Viktor's standards, and was held in a huge ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hung from above, glittering from the brightness of the fixtures to cast light onto the massive, milky-white columns lining the room. Darkly stained wood made up the banisters on the second floor and the railing to the sweeping staircase which took up the entirety of the far wall. Dozens of people crowded the main level, some with drinks in hand, some chatting idly away, some hanging off of the arms of others and drooling at the mere power they possessed. The small talk in the room had become a low rumble, bouncing off of the vaulted ceilings and building in volume the drunker people got. "Look at them all."

Viktor's eyes scanned the room, trying to see what the other man saw. All he could find was the mindless droll of another politically charged party. If a guest wasn't here to play the cat and mouse game of the international crime syndicate, they were here for a quick fuck later in the evening. Yuuri took another sip of the champagne. "They're like ants, even from down here."

Viktor hummed, mulling over the omega's words in his head and trying to find the right answer to something that already held so much weight. He looked at the crowd, twirling the champagne glass in his hands but not daring to take a drink. It was true that these people were nothing but side characters in a far bigger story; each one could be erased with the snap of a finger and it would be as though nothing changed. "Most of them think they're more important than they are."

"All of them think that," Yuuri quipped back. Viktor could feel his eyes burning into the back of his head as he spoke. "No humble person ever thinks the world will stop revolving if they disappear. Only self-entitled narcissists feel that way."

Viktor turned to look at the omega, who instantly met his unwavering gaze. There was a low boil running through Viktor's veins, nearly unnoticeable, but still scratching at something unpleasant. He took a calming breath to quell the heat and to stop himself from getting his feathers ruffled. "Not all of them are me."

"Even the ant queen is nothing under the heel of a boot."

"Fair enough." Viktor took his first swig of alcohol for the night. There was a small tinge of annoyance that came with Yuuri's words, but Viktor found himself mostly intrigued by the way he spoke and found the courage to speak to one of the most fearsome alphas in the underground with such a confliction. "We all die at some point. Some sooner than others."

"I'm not scared of you."

"You should be."

Viktor was met with a confident smirk and a cocked hip. "Not really."

There was a silence that stretched between them as they studied each other. Yuuri held no fear in his eyes, confident in the words he had spoken. Viktor studied him, looking for a crack in his mask to tell if he was lying - Yuuri's face remained stoic and serious, with a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

A wide smile broke on Viktor's face. He couldn't help it. He'd known that Yuuri was going to be a breath of fresh air - a rare omega who could burn the world to the ground if he wanted - but he hadn't expected the violent whirlwind of introspection that came from him. It was refreshingly honest.

"I like you, Yuuri Katsuki," Viktor said bluntly, taking in the slight surprise that flickered on his face and the light blush that peppered his cheeks. "So much that I might want to keep you around."

"You'll have to work for that one, Mr. Nikiforov," came the reply, Yuuri's own teasing smile spreading across his face. "I'm not easy prey to catch."

"Oh?"

Yuuri took a step closer, his entire demeanor morphing with each step he took. By the time he reached Viktor, his doe brown eyes were looking up at him through hooded lashes, wide and innocent and captivating. He tipped his head to expose the soft, unmarked skin of his neck. A sign of submission that made Viktor's head swirl, sucking the air from his lungs.

"Oh."

Yuuri's next words came out like honey, rolling sweetly off his tongue as he batted his eyelashes, "Tell me, alpha, how long do you think it would take you to catch me if I ran?"

"That depends on how fast you can run."

A severely uncharacteristic giggle came from Yuuri's throat, unfitting for the flash of heat that flared in his eyes. "I can run pretty fast."

"I can keep up," Viktor promised, his hands itching to place themselves on the omega's hips and bring him closer.

"Can you?" The doubt in his voice was evident, the playful, innocent facade fading quickly back into the confident seducer. "I've been told I have quite the stamina."

"Allow me to prove it then," Viktor placed his champagne glass on a passing waiter's tray with the same grace he'd picked it up with. He offered his arm, "My hotel's not that far away."

A wolfish grin met his offer. Yuuri emptied the rest of his glass, shooting back the alcohol like it was nothing, and placed it down, sliding his arm into Viktor's as he did so. Together, the couple departed, the crowd parting as they left.

Viktor's driver was waiting for them outside of the mansion, the black paint of the car reflecting in the moonlight and the smoke of the exhaust curling in the winter air. The scene was hauntingly beautiful and absolutely nothing compared to the way the same moonlight shone silver on Yuuri's hair and casted soft shadows on the curve of his face. God, Yuuri was stunning - stunning and entirely his. For the moment, at least.

They climbed into the car, hands brushing against one another to test their limits. When the car pulled up to Viktor's hotel, the two were locked in a deep, searing kiss. Yuuri had wrapped Viktor's tie around his hand and was pulling it taunt, while Viktor's hand gripped at Yuuri's thigh. By the time they made it up to Viktor's room, both men were desperate and wanting. Viktor held the omega impossibly close, allowing Yuuri to tug insistently on his tie and lead him towards the bed. Viktor didn't dare protest, following Yuuri like he held the universe in his hands.

Yuuri sat Viktor down on the edge of the bed and straddled him, his scent surrounding Viktor like oxygen. It electrified the air and coursed through his veins like blood. He needed Yuuri. Viktor's hips twitched, searching for friction to relieve the already growing heat in his body. Yuuri simply smirked. It was going to be a very long night.

The light that shone on Viktor's face was what woke him. It was blinding, bearing down on him with the express purpose of annoying him. One of the first things he registered, however, was the absence of body heat. Viktor cracked his eyes open to confirm what he already knew. Yuuri was gone - leaving nothing more than his faint scent to prove that he had, indeed, been there. Viktor sighed heavily and rubbed at his face, wishing Yuuri were still in bed with him and feeling overwhelmed by how much more he wanted to know and experience and love Katsuki Yuuri. It was almost frustrating.

On the nightstand, Viktor's phone began to vibrate, replacing his early morning moping with early morning annoyance. It was most likely Yakov, ready to scold him for leaving the party without notice. Viktor blindly reached for his phone and, instead of finding cold, vibrating metal, his hand met paper. He propped himself up, instantly awake as he took the paper and turned it over. On the back, were neat, kanji symbols written in dark, sweeping ink. Viktor couldn't read what it said, but he didn't have to. The message was clear even though the words were not.

Find me.

Viktor twirled the note in his hands, smiling into the paper as an almost giddy warmth filled his chest.

Find him he would.

Hiya friends! This was my contribution for the YOI Omegaverse Zine and, as the first zine I've contributed too, I can easily say that I had sooooooo much fun! I've been wanting to write omegaverse for the longest time and this zine gave me the opportunity to do it! I hope you all enjoy!