#postingpebbles

The first time he actually saw Yuuri in person? He was so excited that they’d finally gotten the chance to skate against each other that he blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind. Commemorative photo? Sure thing!

The second time he saw Yuuri, that something inside him bloomed until Viktor was consumed by it and -

“What are you thinking about?”

Yuuri’s voice is soft yet it manages to yank Viktor back from his jaunt into the past. He blinks and shifts his gaze away from the book in his hands to Yuuri who’s set aside his DS and looks at him with that adorable pinch between his brows.

It’s in the heartbeat between registering Yuuri’s concerned and thinking yet again that he’s in love with this man beside him that he realizes he could lie, that he could say he was thinking about Yuuri’s routines and brush everything off as inconsequential. But he doesn’t want to do that, not anymore.

What he feels for Yuuri should never be hidden away or written off as nothing of importance.

So, he goes with the truth.

“About Sochi,” he starts to say and before Yuuri can even finish flinching barrels on. “And how I was excited to finally get to watch you skate in person. How you changed so much before we even got to meet in person.”

Yuuri freezes and he stares down at Viktor with wide-eyes. “W—what?”

He isn’t sure what to make of Yuuri’s surprise or the apparent confusion swirling in those beautiful honey brown eyes because surely, surely Yuuri must know by now that he’s important to Viktor.

Before he can ask what’s so surprising, Yuuri shakes his head quickly and tries again with: “You knew who I was before Sochi?”

Now it’s his turn to be confused.

“Of course I did,” he says, slowly to express his own bafflement as he sets his book aside. “I watched your senior debut. Online, of course, since I was in Russia at the time but I followed your career after that. Even back then you moved as if you made music with your body so it was impossible for me to forget you.”

There’s a long moment where Yuuri just continues to stare at him, mouth agape as if his whole world completely shifted and just as Viktor’s about to reach out to grab his hands Yuuri jolts and blurts out, “But you asked if I? It didn’t seem like you?”

There’s a beat of silence, then: “You asked if I wanted a commemorative photo that’s - that’s what you ask fans!”

It’s as if the universe has come to a screeching halt and he immediately sits up straighter in reaction to the sudden tightening in his chest. “I - what? No, Yuuri, I meant… but I guess when you put it that way I can see why you’d think that. Oh, wow I’m an idiot.”

He laughs because it’s the first reaction that bubbles up from his chest and he’s sure Yuuri thinks he’s completely lost it but suddenly some of Yuuri’s behavior since he’s shown up in Hasetsu makes sense. Why he gets so quiet whenever Viktor mentions anything about that Grand Prix Final.

It also makes sense why Yuuri walked away from him that night.

“I was excited,” he says once he’s caught his breath. “And wanted to remember the first time we finally got to compete against each other.”

“Oh.”

He cautiously peers at Yuuri through his bangs, unsure if Yuuri’s angry or not over the whole miscommunication. Honestly, he wouldn’t blame Yuuri if he is upset over it, Viktor said something carelessly, swept up in emotions he hadn’t felt for so long and—oh.

Yuuri’s smiling.

“You’re not an idiot, Viktor. Now that I…” he shakes his head. “It’s actually really sweet you wanted a picture like that. Especially after—”

This time Viktor does reach out and grab Yuuri’s hands and he watches Yuuri take a deep breath, never once letting his smile slip as he squeezed Viktor’s hands.

“I was a little bit of an idiot,” he admits, a small smile tugging at his own lips when Yuuri chuckles. “A well-meaning one but I’m sorry it seemed like I didn’t know who you were at all. That wasn’t very fair of me. I should have said something to you before we even skated. I wanted to but…”

Yuuri scoots a little closer and it sends Viktor’s heart fluttering in his chest. “But?”

“I was nervous.”

Yuuri reels back slightly, looking every bit gobsmacked yet again by Viktor’s words and he isn’t sure what to make of it so he remains quiet and lets Yuuri sort through his thoughts. “Why were you nervous? I’m just me.”

This time it’s his turn to smile, though his practically drips with affection because it’s impossible to contain. “That’s exactly why,” he says and he watches Yuuri’s brow furrow in deeper confusion.

“I don’t understand.”

And oh how he wishes he could reach into Yuuri’s mind and scoop out the anxiety that makes him devalue himself, that makes him believe it’s impossible to ever be worthy of love and devotion.

But he can’t. So instead, he smiles a little wider as he leans in to press a kiss to the corner of Yuuri’s parted lips. “You are a beautiful skater,” he murmurs and he feels Yuuri’s breath hitch when he realizes Viktor isn’t going to pull away. “But you’re also beautifully kind and I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

Yuuri lets out a shaky breath and Viktor brushes his lips across Yuuri’s to catch it and that seems to be the final straw because Yuuri surges forward so they’re properly kissing. He only allows himself a single heartbeat of surprise before he’s letting go of Yuuri’s hands so he can cup Yuuri’s rosy cheeks and tilts his head just enough to deepen the kiss.

This seems to be the right move because Yuuri let’s out a pleased little hum that Viktor is more than happy to devour by sweeping his tongue along the seam of Yuuri’s lips. And when Yuuri shifts until he’s straddling Viktor’s lap with his fingers tangled in Viktor’s hair he abruptly aware that he’s never felt this loved before.

A shiver runs down his spine when Yuuri nips his bottom lip with just enough pressure to startle a gasp from him and that seems to have been his plan all along because Yuuri wastes no time deepening the kiss further.

Viktor loses himself in Yuuri’s passion and love, greedily drinks it directly from Yuuri’s lips until they’re forced to pull away for a clearly archaic need for air. Why haven’t they evolved enough to allow him to kiss Yuuri the way he deserves to be kissed until the sun slips below the horizon without needing to stop for something as silly as breathing?

Yuuri, of course, isn’t nearly as out of breath and presses his lips to the tip of Viktor’s nose before moving onto his left cheek and then his right and then each of his eyes before finally pressing one final kiss to his forehead.

“Viktor,” Yuuri whispers lovingly and Viktor wants to cry when he hears it. His hands fall to Yuuri’s waist as he leans forward to hide his face in the crook of Yuuri’s neck. And Yuuri doesn’t even hesitate to pull him closer and press a kiss to the swirl on the crown of his head.

“You have always felt like home,” Yuuri continues and Viktor’s breath catches in his chest because how is this reality? How is Yuuri gently and quietly dismantling years of loneliness he didn’t even know existed with a handful of words?  

“Whether it’s when I watch you skate in a competition halfway across the world or when I get to lay next to you in your bed while you read another book… I have always felt like I found my home.”

Yuuri’s words rip away the last frayed edge of Viktor’s heart and the tears finally race down his cheeks. It’s obvious Yuuri can feel his tears but thankfully Yuuri doesn’t comment on them. He simply lets Viktor have this moment to sink into his happiness and Viktor loves him, loves him, loves him—

“You’re my home too.”