#loopiness

“What’s going on here?”

“Oh, hey! Welcome back, kiddo! Poor Logan is just feeling the effects of the anesthesia, I’m afraid. He’ll be right as rain in no time, though.” Patton cheerfully reassured him, but the bright red dusting his cheeks was a dead giveaway that something was off.

“Rrrrrrright as rain??? W...whudduz that even MEAN, Pat??? Issss...it don’t make SENSE!!!” Logan slurred, still hugging the moral side tightly. He looked up, caught sight of Patton’s face, and a huge, dopey smile spread across his face.

“You’re so pretty, Pat. D-did I ever tell ya that?” Patton’s face was getting redder by the second, and Roman was wheezing now.

“Awww, you might have mentioned it once or twice, Teach! We really should get you to bed, though.”

“Ooooohhhhh, I’d go to bed wif you anytime!” The sly tone of voice made it instantly suggestive, and Virgil clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle the laugh that wanted to break free. Patton coughed, gently pulling Logan’s arms away and leaning back.

“We can revisit that when you’re sober, Teach, but right now maybe Roman or Virgil should help you?”

“Noooooo, dun want them!!! Don’t you looooooove meeeee?” Logan whined, latching back onto Patton, who had never looked more conflicted.

“Of course I do, Logan! I just think maybe I’m not the best person to help you right now. Here, why don’t you talk to Virgil? You were talking about space, remember?” Logan’s face lit up, and he finally relinquished his hold on the moral side, who breathed a sigh of relief.

“Vige...you...you know space, right?!” Virgil choked the laughter down. He shared a look with Roman, and the royal immediately got out his phone and started filming.

“Yeah, Logan, a little. Why don’t you tell me more though?”

“Okay, okay….okay….so….space is BIG!!! An’ there’ssss all thisss shit in it….oops...I-I shouldn’t say that. It’s...is not shit, like poop. It’s stuff. There’s sssstuff in it!” Logan was waving his hands enthusiastically, weaving in place a little. His glasses were slightly askew and his tie was hanging loose around his neck. His eyes were glassy and unfocused.

“What kind of stuff, Lo?”

“Ohhhhh allllll kindsa stuff! Like...there’s ssstars an’ moons an’ planets and black holes! But those’re...those aren’t things….they’re like...the...the...wazza word I’m lookin’ for???” Logan looked helplessly at Patton, who was giggling next to him.

“Absence?” Logan snapped his fingers, pointing at Patton so quickly he almost poked him in the face.

“YEAH!!! THASSA WORD!!! Ab...absynth of stuff….no, thasss not right…”

“Boy, Dad sure is smart, huh?” Virgil grinned when Logan immediately shifted his attention back to Patton and sighed dreamily.

“Course he is!!! P...Pat’s ALWAYS smart...jussss not as smart as me!”

“I don’t know, Lo...he’s pretty smart right now.”

“Pffffft! I’m….I’m allllllwayyyyssss smart!” Now Virgil couldn’t help the chuckles escaping every now and then. Oh god, this was hilarious. He glanced to his side and yup, Princey’s still recording. It was probably going to be shaky as hell with Roman laughing so hard, but still.

“Awww, of course you’re smart, Teach!” Patton said encouragingly, and Logan immediately beamed, which was such an unusual facial expression that it was almost like looking at two Pattons for one disconcerting moment.

“Mmmmma teacher! I...I gotta...find the class!” Logan tried to stand up, weaving unsteadily, and Patton shot to his feet, quickly grabbing his arm to hold him in place.

“Oh, no, sorry Logan. Class was cancelled today. You should probably go lie down, don’t you think?” Logan snickered, a smirk spreading across his face.

“Patton wants ta get me into beeeeeed!” It was said in a sing-song voice, and just when Virgil thought maybe Patton was going to blush himself to death, the moral side straightened his spine, a determined set to his jaw.

“Yes, I do. You need to go to bed, Logan. Right now.” Patton rarely broke out the Dad Voice, but when he did, it always worked. Except for this time, apparently, because Logan was too busy humming and wandering away to pay attention.

“Ssssabout time ya finally admitted it! OH MY GOD!!! ROMAN, LOOK!!!” Logan pointed excitedly out the window, and Roman stepped closer, still recording. This was too good.

“What’s going on, Logan?”

“Isssa bee!”

“Yeah, they’re out there sometimes, pal.”

“I’m….mmm your PAL?!” Logan stared at him, and Roman laughed at his stunned expression.

“Of course you are, Logan.”

“Oh...okay. Ro, look!!!”

“What are we looking at?”

“It’s...it’sssssa bee!!!”

“Okay, I’ve had enough of this. Roman, put the phone down. Virgil, go open Logan’s door.” Patton was still in Dad Mode, apparently, and both of them hurried to do as he asked. Patton crossed the room in four large strides, then grabbed Logan and scooped him up. The logical side squawked in indignation, but quickly settled into Patton’s arms with a dopey smile.

Patton carried him to his room, gently depositing him on the bed. Logan whined and tried to hold him there, but Patton gently pried his arms away. He smiled down at Logan, who gazed dreamily back. With a snap of his fingers, Logan was in his unicorn onesie.

“Oooohhhh….ssss kinky….” Logan mumbled. Patton rolled his eyes and carefully tucked the loopy side into bed.

“Go to sleep, Logan.”

“Love you, Pat…” That froze him in place for a minute, and Patton felt his heart skip a beat. He sighed a little when he heard Logan’s first soft snore. Out like a light, of course.

“Love you too, Logan.” Patton murmured, gently taking off his glasses and setting them on the side table. “Of course you’d say it for the first time when you’re drugged out of your mind. What am I going to do with you?”

In the doorway, Virgil silently glanced at Roman and gestured him down the hall. As soon as the door shut behind them, the hushed whispers started.

“HOLY SHIT--” Virgil whisper shouted, his sweater paws pressed up to his face.

“I KNOW!!!” Roman cut him off, his eyes wide.

“DID HE JUST--?”

“OH MY GOD HE DID!!!”

“Did you get it??? Please tell me you got it!”

“Oh yeah!” Roman pulled out his phone, and they both watched the video again. Logan’s sleepy confession was hilarious, but the heartbreaking expression on Patton’s face killed their laughter.

“Dad’s really gone on him, isn’t he?” Virgil chewed his nail nervously, his mind already coming up with all the different ways things could go wrong for the moral side. Roman snorted, putting his phone away.

“That’s an understatement...” Silence reigned between the two for a few moments, then Roman’s face lit up. He grabbed both of Virgil’s shoulders, a huge smile on his face.

“Oh my god, I have an idea, Surly McEmo!”

When Logan woke up the next day, his head felt a little fuzzy and there was a bitter taste in his mouth, but otherwise he felt normal. He tried to recall the events of the the previous afternoon, but he only got vague bits and pieces. He huffed, grabbing his glasses, then froze as he stared down at himself.

“Why am I wearing this?” Logan verbalized the thought, staring at his unicorn onesie. He didn’t sleep in this, ever. He had pajamas, which were much more comfortable and conducive to a good night’s rest. He quickly showered and changed into his usual attire. He was about to walk to the kitchen to drink some coffee and hopefully dispel the remaining fuzziness from his mind when an arm shot out from Roman’s room, quickly dragging him inside.

“What the--!”

“Shut up!” Virgil’s voice hissed at him, and he stopped struggling. The darker side released him, and he saw both him and Roman standing behind him.

“What is going on?!”

“You’re an idiot, that’s what’s going on. And Roman’s an even bigger idiot, but that’s not news to anybody.”

“HEY!” Virgil rolled his eyes at Roman’s affronted shout.

“Look, the anesthesia had you messed up yesterday, and you were all over Patton. Like...all over him. We all know you’re stupid in love with the guy, and he’s in love with you, so what is the goddamn problem?!”

“I...what?!” Logan was shocked, staring from Virgil’s irritated face to Roman’s sympathetic one.

“Better see for yourself, Professor.” Roman handed Logan his phone, and he played the video. He could feel his face flushing a deep scarlet as it went on, watching him make a fool of himself. At the end, when he confessed the secret he’d kept for so many years, he wanted to throw the phone away from himself, but watching Patton’s reaction gave him pause.

“I...I don’t...I…” Logan stuttered, looking hopelessly lost.

“I told you my plan was better!” Roman hissed.

“Shut up, your plan was ridiculous.” Virgil snapped back. “Look, Logan….you’re in love with Dad. He’s in love with you. You just saw actual video evidence. What is it going to take for you to sack up and do something about it?! The more you drag your feet, the more you hurt Dad, and I’m not having that.”

“...You know he’s not actually anybody’s--”

“Roman, if you finish that sentence I swear to god I’m going to go through all of your vintage Disney posters and on one of them, you won’t know which, I’m going to draw a dick. In permanent marker.” Roman’s outraged gasp was obnoxiously loud, but he stopped talking, so Virgil would let it slide.

“What do I do? What can I possibly say to him? I am his opposite in every way. I hurt him, often. I don’t mean to, it is never intentional, but it is also unlikely  to change given our natures. I am not what he needs, Virgil. He deserves someone who can make him happy.” Logan looked at the floor, utterly dejected.

“Oh, that is nonsense! Yes, you do hurt his feelings from time to time, but as you said, it is never intentional and often the result of your lack of understanding. Do you honestly think Patton would refuse to teach you about emotions? Being with him is the best decision you could possibly make. You would be a fool otherwise, and the last time I checked, you rather prided yourself on being clever. Just go tell him how you feel, sober this time. I promise that you won’t regret it.” Roman huffed, pointing towards the door. Logan blinked a few times, then hesitantly made his way back out to the hallway.

As he walked towards the kitchen he heard Roman’s voice behind him “My plan would have been SO much more fun!” and Virgil’s “Your plan was freaking insane, and involved rainbow glitter canons!” in response. He could not believe he was taking advice from those two, and he needed coffee before he did anything else.

He almost froze in place when he walked in and saw Patton happily making breakfast and humming to himself as he flitted from place to place. He silently observed the object of his affections for a moment, struck again by how much he truly cared for him. Patton was….everything. He had tried to bury his feelings, to ignore them, for so long that admitting them was daunting to say the least. Patton turned to grab something and yelped, dropping the spatula in his hand and clutching his chest.

“Jeez, Teach, you nearly scared the life out of me! How are you feeling today?” Patton’s smile might have passed for normal to anyone but Logan. He knew every expression on the moral side’s face, and this smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“I...I...ummm….” Logan stuttered, staring helplessly. Why was this so difficult?! Patton’s smile grew more genuine as he watched the logical side stammer. He really did love Logan so much. Logan blew out a deep breath and tried again.

“I...this is hard...I MEAN...NOT...WAIT…!” his eyes flew wide, his face flushing a deep red. Patton arched a brow, watching him flush and stammer.

“I’m sure you were last night, given how much you were trying to coax me into bed.” Patton’s smile was wicked, and Logan’s face felt like it was on fire. He inhaled deeply. He could do this, all he had to do was verbalize his feelings. It wasn’t that difficult.

“I you in love me with...goddammit….” Logan mentally facepalmed. Patton giggled, and Logan decided to cut his losses and walk away. He’d just turned to leave when he felt the moral side’s arms slip around his middle, pulling back into a soft embrace.

“I think you just tried to say you’re in love with me, and I love you too, Logy Bear.” Logan practically melted into a puddle at Patton’s soft voice in his ear, and a shy smile spread across his face. He turned in Patton’s arms, slowly putting his arms around the moral side’s neck.

“You seem to be struggling with words today, Lo, but I’ve got the perfect solution for that.” Patton beamed at him, then leaned down and glided his lips over Logan’s in a soft, teasing kiss. Logan blinked when they broke apart, then tried one last time.

“I...I love you, Patton. I am sorry it took a regrettable incident to finally tell you.” Patton chuckled, softly trailing nibbling kisses across his cheek and down his neck, and Logan felt his knees wobble dangerously.  

“Regrettable…?” Logan made a strangled sound in his throat at Patton’s mischievous purr.

“Semi-regrettable.” He quickly amended.

[Two Months Later]

Virgil stormed into the kitchen and fiercely pointed at a surprised Patton. 

“DAD, COME GET YOUR RIDICULOUS BOYFRIEND!”

“Viiiiiiirrrrggggiiiiillllll!!! Waaaaiiiit! I….I gotta tell ya…..about the beeeeeeees!” Logan called from the other room, clearly loopy again. Thomas had needed another round of anesthesia on a recent surgery, and while the others had known what was coming, they hadn’t expected it this fast.  

“If I have to hear another fact about bees I am flinging myself into the freaking void.” Virgil hissed, and Patton laughed before walking out to the living room.

“I want to hear all about the bees, Logy Bear!” Patton beamed, watching his boyfriend (who had his tie around his forehead and was currently weaving in place on the couch) light up.

“Beeeeeeeessssss!!! Paaaat, I loooooove you!!! You should….you’re like...the best bee. Cuz you’re mine.” Logan made grabby hands, and Patton sat down, allowing his boyfriend to cling to him like a koala bear and gleefully stroke his hair.

There was never a dull moment with loopy Logan, was there?

Tag List:

～～～

It starts as a mild stomach ache during practice.

Just a twinge of pain, hardly noticeable, but it still causes Victor to flinch. He stops in the midst of his footwork and places a tentative hand over his side where the spike of pain was, but the discomfort has faded as fast as it came, leaving him standing in place, wondering the cause and if he should be concerned.

“Victor?” Yuuri calls from a ways across the ice, snapping Victor out of his thoughts. “Why did you stop?”

Mentally shaking his head at himself, Victor returns his focus to coaching Yuuri. “Sorry,” he says with a smile. “Got distracted.” A half-truth, but he doesn't need to have his student worrying over him for nothing, he needs Yuuri to skate and improve so he can do well at competitions and make Victor proud! (Though in all honesty, Victor would be proud of Yuuri regardless of his scores.)

“Watch closely,” Victor says, then demonstrates the sequence again.

Try as he might to ignore it, the pain comes back. It creeps up on him gradually, gets worse as time goes on until it's forced to the forefront of his mind. But Victor has dealt with pain on plenty of occasions throughout the course of his career and can easily push past that.

So Victor skates. He grits his teeth, forces a smile, and he skates.

He has a job to do. He won’t let a little pain get in the way of that.

～

By the end of the day, Victor is exhausted. Despite the many breaks he has taken, and the many drinks of water he’s had (both at Yuuri’s insistence), the discomfort has not quelled. In fact, far from it. He’s been able to hide the source of his worsening condition from Yuuri throughout the entirely of practiceーYuuri thinks it's just simple fatigueーbut Victor doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be able to keep it up. Despite everything, though, he forces himself to make amiable conversation as they make their way back to the inn. He doesn't want to tip Yuuri off, and it also works to keep his mind off of the growing pain in his side. (Mostly). So Victor talks, smiling cheerfully as if nothing is wrong.

(Because nothing is wrong.)

He repeats it to himself over and over like a mantra, letting the rest of the world fade away as he loses himself in his thoughts.

“Do you not like the food?” Yuuri asks him over dinner.

Victor blinks. “Hmm?”

“You're hardly touching it,” Yuuri points out. It's true, Victor realizes. He's been picking at his bowl of rice, a side dish that came with the meal Yuuri's mother so generously prepared. He hardly has an appetite. Even just those small bites feels like too much; it’s a shock to his taste buds that causes his stomach to twinge menacingly.

“Is it not good? I can get something else if you like,” Yuuri offers, ready to run to the kitchen, but Victor just shakes his head.

“It's fine, really,” he says. Hearing the words said aloud doesn't feel anymore reassuring than when he kept them in his head. “I think I'm going to head to my room for the night.”

“Are you sure you're okay?” Yuuri asks. “You've seemed a bit off since earlier...”

“Just tired,” Victor lies, then adds with a teasing wink thrown in for good measure, “Not everyone has your stamina, Yuuri.” He makes to stand, when the pain suddenly flares up again, and he winces before he can bite it back.

“Victor?” Yuuri asks, concerned.

Shit.

“It’s nothing,” Victor says, a bit too quickly, if the expression on Yuuri’s face is anything to go by. “Just a little sore from practice.” To be fair, it’s not far off from the truth. “I’m sure I’ll feel better after some sleep.”

Yuuri seems to consider this for a moment, his brows furrowing. Victor would find it adorable if he wasn't so caught up on maintaining the facade that he is fine despite his throbbing right side.

“If you say so…” Yuuri at last gives in, though he still sounds unsure. Regardless, he doesn't bring up whatever it is he evidently still wants to say. “Well, goodnight, Victor.”

“Goodnight, Yuuri.” The smile plastered on his face is far too bright, Victor knows, and he’s sure Yuuri does too, but he turns and makes his way to his room before it can be commented on.

Victor breaks form the moment he’s alone in the privacy of his room. He collapses face-first onto the bed, moaning as the sudden movement and the position puts pressure on his ever-aching side. He lays like that a moment more, and only moves to strip off his shirt and toss it on the floor. He feels unbearably hot. Does he have a fever? Oh no, what if he has the stomach flu? Given the pain in his side, the lack of appetite, and the nausea that has been steadily creeping up on him, it’s a likely explanation, though he desperately hopes it’s not the case.

Yuuri has never seen Victor sick before (save for the occasional hangover). The thought of being so disgusting in front of his crush is a big turn-off, the idea of being so weak and vulnerable frankly terrifying. And on top of all of that, they both have work to do on the ice, and recovering from an illness would only be taking time away from that.

Victor does his best to forget about his worries as he turns over in his bed. His big, cold, empty bed, because Makkachin has abandoned him for Yuuri. Not that Victor can really blame her; if he had the choice, he would sleep in Yuuri’s bed in a heartbeat.

He closes his eyes, dreaming about what that would be like. Despite the pain in his side, it doesn’t take him long to fall asleep.

～

Victor’s eyes snap open, mere hours later, to the restless churning of his stomach. He immediately flings himself out of bed, tossing the blankets onto the floor and very nearly tripping in his haste to untangle them from his limbs. He runs down the hallway and heads for the bathroom, and falls to his knees in front of the toilet just in time to lose what little food he had eaten at supper.

His side throbs in time with his pounding head, his whole body shaking. While he would like to tell himself it’s just from the strain of throwing up, he knows it’s more likely his worsening fever, given how cold he feels despite the sweat beading on his skin.

It must be the stomach flu. Victor groans, tipping his head against the cool porcelain. Great. Just what he needed.

“Victor?”

Victor startles, the movement sending jolts of pain through his side. Yuuri’s voice is rough with sleep but the concern is clear as day.

“I’m fine,” Victor tries to say, but his voice is weak and shaky and doesn’t at all support his claim.

Yuuri kneels beside Victor, and Victor ーwith much effortー forces himself to lift his head. Cool fingers caress his heated skin, brushing back silver bangs from his sweaty forehead. A shiver runs through Victor, and he leans into the touch without thinking.

“You’re burning up.” Yuuri’s finger continue to comb through his hair, and it feels so good to be taken care of like this. Good enough to finally give up the act, though there’s really no point in trying to hide it anymoreーYuuri has seen right through him.

“Think ‘m sick…”

Yuuri doesn’t tease him, doesn’t point out the obvious, doesn’t say “Of course you're sick, why would you even try and deny it?” Instead, his soft brown eyes hold nothing but sympathy. “Let’s get you back to bed then.”

Victor aquieces far too easily, and allows Yuuri to wrap an arm around him and help him up off the bathroom floor. His side is still achingーmuch worse than beforeーas Yuuri walks him back to his room. He does his best not to show it, keeping his lips tightly pressed together, and bites the inside of his cheek when the pain gets to be too much.

Yuuri tucks him into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and smoothing out the blanket over his shivering body. When he accidentally brushes over Victor’s sensitive side, Victor instinctually hisses and flinches away from the touch.

Yuuri freezes, drawing his hand back. “Does that hurt?” Victor nods, biting on his lip to contain his cry of pain.

A stony seriousness writes itself on Yuuri's face, the likes of which Victor has only seen when Yuuri is on the ice, battling against a particularity difficult component. He moves his hand back to the source of Victor’s pain, and Victor jerks away before Yuuri’s hand can make contact. “Don’t touch it,” Victor breathes out, voice panicked. He shields the area for good measure.

Yuuri doesn’t relent. “I can’t figure out what’s wrong if you won’t let me touch you.”

“Hurts,” Victor weakly protests, though he doesn't have the will to fight when Yuuri gently pries his hands away.

He grits his teeth as Yuuri puts pressure on his side. His touch is careful as he moves his hand around, but it still causes Victor to moan. The agony only worsens once Yuuri takes his hand away.

Through the haze of pain and fever, Victor vaguely hears Yuuri mutter a curse under his breath.

“Yuuri?”

Yuuri utters the curse again, much less under his breath, his voice heavy with the weight of dread and something dire.

“What’s wrong?”

“Get up,” Yuuri says.

Victor blinks, remaining where he is. “Why?” Wouldn't rest be the best thing for him right now?

Yuuri helps Victor up when he doesn’t move himself. “We’re taking you to the hospital.”

The words send panic coursing through Victor’s veins. It’s not like he despises hospitals (not that he would say he particularly likes them either), but Yuuri sounds so serious. That more than anything is what scares Victor: how evidently scared Yuuri is for him.

“It’s just the stomach flu. I’m fine,” Victor tries to reassure him, doing his best to ignore the fact that he’s never had any kind of stabbing pain like this when sick before. For his and Yuuri’s sake, he hopes it is just a simple virus.

“You have appendicitis.” And just like that, all previously held hope vanishes. “You need surgery, so we’re taking you to the hospital.” Yuuri’s tone leaves no room for argument. Victor swallows down the terror that rises up when he thinks about having surgery, and instead nods mutely and lets Yuuri drag him to the car.

～

Their time in the waiting room passes by in a fevered haze. Victor sits in a chair with his eyes closed as Yuuri occupies the spot next to him, fidgeting with a pen as he fills out paperwork. The throbbing in his side has only seemed to get worse now that Victor has acknowledged it, same with his fever. His body is trembling again, though there’s the possibility it could simply be from anxiety about the upcoming surgery rather than chills.

Victor tries not to think about that and instead distracts himself by trying to make sense of the language around him. Everything is spoken in Japanese, the sounds still foreign to Victor but slowly becoming more familiar. He can make out some simpler words and phrases, and vaguely feels proud of himself for that, but mostly he just feels overwhelmed. It doesn’t help that he catches the occasional whisper of his name, his fever increasing what he knows is irrational paranoia.

Yuuri places a gentle hand on Victor’s knee, effectively stopping the bouncing movement Victor was unaware he was even doing. “You okay?” Yuuri asks quietly.

Victor swallows down the habitual urge to say “I'm fine,” and instead admits, keeping his voice low, “Nervous.”

“It will be alright, Victor,” Yuuri reassures him with a kind smile. “This is a very common procedure. The doctors know exactly what they're doing. They'll put you to sleep, then when you wake up, we'll be able to go back home.”

Victor manages a stiff nod in response, and Yuuri gives his knee a light squeeze before returning his attention to the many forms he's filling out.

The reassurances don't fix Victor’s worries, but he has to admit it does feel nice being able to share his fears and know he's not alone, and that Yuuri is there with him.

But all too soon Yuuri is forced to leave his side as he is left behind in the waiting room, and Victor is wheeled away and prepped for surgery. They put a gown over his shaking body and a mask on his face, and Victor barely even has time to freak out about the situation before unconsciousness takes him.

When he comes to, everything is an unclear haze. His body feels light and heavy at the same time, his eyelids feeling heaviest of all. He forces them open. His lashes flutter, and he squints against the too-bright lights, a noise of discomfort escaping past his lips.

There's the sound of movement from somewhere close by him, along with the steady beep of the hospital machines, and at last his vision focuses.

When he catches sight of the person at his bedside, Victor’s eyes widen in surprise, and the machine that is beeping steadily in time with Victor’s heart audibly picks up.

“Yuuri…?” Victor breathes out, unable to truly believe it.

Yuuri's eyesーthose gorgeous brown eyes, so intently focused on Victor’s, and evidently worried for some reason that Victor has yet to fully decipherーsoften as a bit of relief emerges on his features.

“Yuuri?” Victor asks again, still in disbelief. Because this cannot be happening. “Yuuri Katsuki?! From the banquet?!”

Yuuri's expression changes for a half second, some emotion that Victor cannot read flickering across his face before it's gone.

“Yes,” Yuuri says, and his voice is so beautiful and real that Victor wants to cry. “It's me, Victor. I'm here.”

“Wow,” Victor exhales. His eyes remain focused on Yuuri's, then they find the ceiling and stay there, as if sending a mental prayer of thanks to any and all gods up above. He's beenーagainst all oddsーreunited with the source of his inspiration, his life and love, his everything, really.

“How are you feeling?” Yuuri asks, breaking Victor out of his thoughts. Victor only looks at him confusedly, before smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. Admittedly it's a muscle he's not too used to working, so that shouldn't be too unexpected.

“Nothing hurts, then? You're okay?” Yuuri asks, and Victor nods twice firmly.

Why wouldn't he be okay? Yuuri freaking Katsuki is in his hospital room! He's never been better!

“You um,” Yuuri stammers. “You don't have to keep saying my name like that. Just Yuuri is fine.”

Victor realizes he must have been speaking out loud. Either that, or the love of his life is a mind reader on top of everything else. Honestly, either option seems completely probable.

“Okay,” Victor agrees. “Just Yuuri.” He can’t help but giggle to himself, his amusement only increasing at the small smile that Yuuri offers in return. Victor swears he has never seen anything more beautiful. Everything about Yuuri Katsukiーno, just Yuuri, Victor reminds himselfーis breathtaking. Absolutely stunning. From his eyes, hidden behind those blue-framed glasses, to his hair, so smooth and undoubtedly soft. Victor has the sudden urge to run his fingers through the dark stands. But he is sadly unable to move from his spot, laying on this hospital bed.

Wait, why is he even in a hospital anyway? Is he… is he dying? Oh god, that’s why Yuuri is here, isn’t it? Seeing Yuuri is Victor’s last dying wish. By that logic, this must be the end. But there is still so much more Victor wants to do with his life… Well, at least he’ll die happily, with his beautiful banquet boy at his bedside.

He doesn’t even notice he’s crying until Yuuriーsweet, beautiful, gorgeous Yuuriーis thumbing away his tears as he gently soothes him. “Why are you crying? What’s wrong?” he asks. “Should I call in a doctor?”

Victor shakes his head. “I’m dying. They can’t do anything to save me.” More tears fall from his eyes. “I’m just so glad I got to see you again… You never called me, after Sochi. I was so lonely. I thought you had abandoned me, but you came back… and now I can die happy…” Yuuri takes his hand and Victor lets his eyes slip shut, ready to give in to the darkness once and for all, feeling oddly at peace.

“Victor, you’re not dying.”

Victor carefully cracks one eye open. “...What?”

“You’re not dying,” Yuuri repeats. His voice is kind and reassuring as his thumb strokes over the back of Victor’s hand, his expression amused and fond.

“...I’m not?”

“You’re not,” Yuuri confirms. “You just had surgery to get your appendix out. You’re just fine.”

“Oh,” Victor breathes out, incredibly relieved. But wait… “If I’m not dying, then why are you here to see me?” There’s no other reason for Yuuri to be at his bedside unless he’s dying. Right?

Yuuri looks worried, a cute little crease forming between his eyebrows. “You don’t remember…?”

Victor struggles to think, to reach back beyond the cloudiness of his mind. His eyes widen as he’s struck with a thought: Maybe he and Yuuri got married and Victor somehow got amnesia and forgot everything, and Yuuriーhis husbandーis at his bedside, desperately hoping for him to remember their loveー

Victor shakes his head at himself. Yuuri? His husband? Only in Victor’s wildest dreams. There’s no way someone like him could hold on to such an incredible catch like Yuuri. There must be another explanation. Some logical reason that Yuuri would be here with Victor in Russia. Is he even in Russia? He’s not sure. His mind is a muddled mess of things he doesn't understand, and he doesn't understand why he can't understand. He wants Yuuri to fix everything. Maybe a kiss from those lovely lips will help to kick-start Victor’s sluggish brain.

He’s just about to ask Yuuri for that kiss when Yuuri says, “You’re my coach. You’re coaching me.”

Victor lets the words sink in for a long moment. “Oh righttttt,” Victor at last recalls, the pieces of the puzzle starting to come together. “You asked me to coach you! So I came to Japan…”

“Yes, you saw the video,” Yuuri helpfully provides.

“You asked me to come! You were so cute!” Victor internally squees as he’s hit with the memory. There’s no way he could ever forget that hot mess of a man throwing himself into his armsーhalf-nakedーas he begged in drunken Japanese, then adorably accented English.

“A-anyways,” Yuuri mumbles, trying to change topics. “That’s why I’m here. You’re my coach, and I’m your student, and I can’t train until you’re healed. So I... “ he trails off, still shy, still so cute. “I have to look after you until you get better.”

“Wow!” Victor gushes. “I’m so lucky!”

“Lucky?” Yuuri echoes back, seemingly in shock that Victor can feel lucky after being cut open for surgery.

“Mm,” Victor agrees. “I get the cutest doctor to take care of me!”

Yuuri’s cheeks darken into a spectacular shade of crimson, and he sputters and chokes on his own saliva. Still blushing, he mumbles something about getting a real doctor to check on Victor before ducking out of the room.

Victor can only laugh. Who knew the shameless Yuuri Katsuki from the banquet would be so easily embarrassed? It's incredibly endearing. And Victor has the honour of coaching this gorgeous man, who for the next little while will be nursing Victor back to health!

Victor melts into the hospital bed with a blissful sigh. If this is a dream, then he hopes he never wakes up.

～～～