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The thing is- Yuri knows, okay? He knows a lot more than he lets on.
For starters, he knows that Yuuri is majorly crushing on Victor. It’s blatantly obvious, from the way he blushes whenever they’re in proximity, to the sudden fierceness he develops when suddenly inspired by his idol (and god, don’t even get him started on the posters- shoved sloppily into a box in his temporary room, just waiting to be discovered.) It’s visible in the way he fumbles more than his usual, already-fumbling self at the sight of Victor when he’s slightly inebriated, ecstatic, or more recently, shamelessly naked. The way his meek smile turns into something more enamored, even slightly more confident when they discuss routines.
It’s almost sort of gross.
He also knows that, because of Yuuri’s infuriating timidity, he probably won’t tell Victor about his crush. After all, while Japan is certainly more… relaxed in their opinions on homosexuality, it’s not necessarily something you’d broadcast to the world, and with both Yuuri and Victor being athletes, it wouldn’t be good for publicity.
And, even worse-
He knows that Yuuri is too timid to realize he has a crush on Victor in the first place.
While Yuri (recently dubbed “Yurio” by Yuuri’s family, which irks him to no end, but for the sake of not taking too much advantage of their hospitality like another certain Russian skater, he’s stopped complaining… for now) may not be the most knowledgeable in romance, considering his not-so-tender age of fifteen, he had figured that Yuuri at least had an idea that his admiration for Victor went beyond idolization. But nope- there was also a mixture of intimidation and hesitance that Yuuri held in him that was preventing whatever budding romance from blooming.
Yuri doesn’t know why; From the beginning when he met Victor, when he was promised to get a grand premiere into the senior skating division, he had learned that Victor was secretly a lightweight, a flirt, and a major dork when it came to travel. He also learned that Victor could be as self-absorbed as he could be generous, and kind of an asshole in a tough-love way when he sets his mind on something. Oh, and forgetful.
Despite all this, he guesses he can understand Yuuri’s quasi-fear; Victor’s presence, while soft at times, still naturally attracts respect like a magnet. It would take an idiot not to notice his accomplishments and acknowledge that there’s a reason behind them.
Still, there’s something that’s just so annoying about watching Yuuri flounder around Victor during their off-training hours.
Yuri just hopes that he can get Victor to come back to Russia, after he wins the lame competition between him and Yuuri. Agape- so not cool, but he’ll do it anyway.
---
The competition ends in a tie. The crowd goes wild for Yuri, cheering him on in his boyish performance, as he manages to restrain his annoyed demeanor until the applause rolls in and he can bask in the praise, feeling a sense of accomplishment and maybe even excitement. But then Yuuri- Yuuri is really something else, as much as he doesn’t want to admit it. The sensuality of his movements, every flip and turn he makes across the rink- completely shattering the viewers’ expectations (which is just what Victor wanted, of course.)
Seeing as technically neither of them won, but neither of them lost, the reasonable solution was to keep Yuri in Japan so Victor could train them both.
Reasonable- as if!
He knows it’s more than a little stupid to stay. But he’s just as stubborn as Yuuri can be, and leaving means giving up. Victor still had a promise to keep. In the end, maybe Japan isn’t so bad. Maybe he can get used to the scenery and life around the area- he did manage to snag that one really cool t-shirt when he first arrived, after all.
It’s awesome fashion, no matter what anyone else says.
Still, after another several weeks of training, practicing, performing, practicing, and more practicing, there’s one major drawback that he can’t move past.
Namely, Yuuri’s denseness.
Yuri has more or less grown a begrudging respect for the other skater, and he’s not quite as fond of kicking the snot out of him like he was before (“teen angst”, Yuuri’s mother had called it in a weirdly affectionate way.) But there are still things that Yuuri does that piss him off. He’s hardly used to Victor still being in the area, and his crush has still gone unacknowledged.
Maybe it’s time for Yuri to “help.”
---
“I know about the posters,” Yuri says to his reluctant skating partner during dinner one evening, waiting for Victor to return from some sort of press conference.
Yuuri promptly spits out his drink.
“I’m not gonna tell Victor, if you’re worried about that. You can creep on him on your own time.”
Yuuri makes a confused sound, and swallows more water. Yuri resists the urge to roll his eyes.
“Yurio-”
“Don’t call me that-”
“I’m not creeping on him. They’re just from when I was in need of inspiration. Now that I have the real deal in front of me,” And then, Yuuri adapts this lovesick expression, “I don’t have to worry about idolizing someone so far out of my reach.”
“I bet he’d like to be ‘idolized’ by you.”
“What are you trying to imply?!”
Yuri scoffs and leans back, trying to look cool and nearly falling backwards in the process.
“For someone nearly a decade older than me, you can be a real moron.”
“And here I thought we were forming a genuine connection,” Yuuri says in a wry tone.
“No need to be rude to each other!”
Yuri and Yuuri both turn their heads to see Victor stepping into the room, looking exhausted but satisfied.
“Ah- how did it go for you?” Yuuri asks, smiling.
“It was fine. More and more people are paying attention to you.” Victor turns to Yuri then, and does his signature wink, “Both of you.”
Yuri preens under Victor’s praise, and Yuuri starts flustering as usual.
As Victor is served his meal courtesy of Yuuri’s mom, Yuuri stands up to leave, heading for his bedroom. The urge to stick his tongue out at him is almost too much for Yuri, but he knows he’ll get nagged if he does. And where’s the fun in that?
“What are you seething at Yuuri for?”
Yuri glances at Victor, whose innocent expression isn’t fooling anyone.
“No reason, he’s just being dumb.”
“You always say that, Yurio,” Victor says, and shrugs as he begins to eat.
Yuri fiddles with his chopsticks, bored.
“I can’t believe the people I’m with sometimes,” He says, and as an afterthought, adds, “And don’t call me Yurio.”
---
The rest of May comes and goes, with little success actually getting the two other skaters together. It’s frustrating to watch them dancing around the problem like they dance around each other after their latest routine practice.
No more subtlety.
One day, when Yuuri comes down with a bad fever, Victor is tempted to call off training for the day. Naturally, Yuri can’t let that happen. If he wants to improve, if he wants to be better, then he can’t stop. That, and he has other motives.
It happens as he runs after Victor on his bike.
“It must be boring for you to go without seeing Yuuri skate for you today.”
Victor spares a quick glance at him before turning his eyes back to the path. “Are you jealous?”
Yuri scowls.
“I’m not jealous. I’m tired.”
“I thought you wanted to train today?” Victor says, confused.
“Tired of waiting.”
“We’re almost at the rink, though.”
“Tired of waiting on you and Yuuri to knock it off.”
Victor puts on the brakes.
“What are you trying to tell me?”
There’s genuine concern in his eyes, and Yuri almost feels a little bad for snapping at him, considering the fact that he’s about to steer this topic of conversation off the metaphorical road and into the metaphorical ocean.
See? He knows how to sound smart.
“Don’t tell me you don’t see some sort of spark between you two. You two aren’t just mentor and pupil.”
“Of course we aren’t. I’ve known that Yuuri has had a crush on me since he declared he’d give me all the Eros he’s got.”
Yuri’s eyes go wide. “Then why didn’t you say anything? Do you know how frustrating it is to watch him look at you with those big old goo-goo eyes?”
Victor hums thoughtfully, then frowns.
“You know as well as I do that a scandal would be horrendous.”
“Screw scandals!” Yuri huffs. “He already told me that you were butt-naked when you told him you’d be his coach. That’s already pretty incriminating.”
Victor tilts his head.
“Did he really tell you about that? I’m surprised.”
“That’s not the point!”
Yuri pouts petulantly. This is going nowhere.
“What I’m trying to say is that you’re both gross adults with gross emotions and it’s gross watching you two be gross around each other. You should at least give him a chance. Or something.”
Victor looks at him for a long while, and his expression slowly grows bright.
“I had no idea you cared so much, Yurio! Now let’s hurry to the rink before we get caught chatting.”
“My name isn’t Yurio!”
---
Remember how Yuri said he knows more than he lets on? Yeah, apparently he knows more than both Yuuri and Victor.
The flirting gets kicked up a notch, as if it wasn’t already bad enough.
Sometimes, Victor will sway his hips when he’s walking in front of Yuuri, or watch him so intently and full of hope, or lightly caress Yuuri’s cheek as he compliments him on a job well done- blegh.
It’s like watching your parents make out, except Yuuri and Victor aren’t actually making out. Yet.
Because, for some reason, Victor is still holding back. Maybe it’s out of fear that, when Yuuri finally has him, he won’t he happy with what he’s got. Despite Victor’s looks and feigned confidence, Yuri knows that his anxiety about losing his place in the skating world, no longer being able to surprise anyone with his performances and losing the one thing he’s worked for harder than anything else in his life, is making him not good enough.
As incredible of a teacher as he is, he can miss a lot of obvious things, like the fact that Yuuri sees past all that. After all, Yuuri didn’t lose his respect for Victor when he still called him “little piggy.”
Maybe the complexity of their relationship is lost on Yuri.
Or maybe they’re both just being childish.
It’s kinda funny that the fifteen-year-old is more mature than the adults.
Who was he kidding, those two were never really “mature.”
---
“Yuri, can I… talk to you for a second?”
For once, Yuuri is actually seeking him out? And not calling him Yurio?
Is this some sort of hallucination?
Yuuri looks anxious, but determined, and Yuri knows that expression well enough to know that he’s teetering on the edge of making an important decision.
“Fine.”
Three minutes later finds them in the empty locker room of the onsen- it’s too early for anyone to want to take a bath just yet, so they have the area to themselves.
“Yuri, do you… do you think Victor is flirting with me? Like, really flirting with me?”
Oh. My. God.
“I mean,” Yuuri continues, looking less and less sure as time passes, “He’s been even more touchy-feely than usual, and he keeps giving me these weird looks, and I don’t know what to make of it. I figured since you know him better than I do, you might be able to… help me.”
It looks like he swallowed a lot of his pride to say that. It’s almost funny.
“No shit, Sherlock.”
“Eh?”
Yuri stuffs his hands into his pockets casually.
“Victor’s head over heels for you. Of course, he’s not gonna say anything without prompting ‘cause he thinks you’ll throw him away, like an idiot. You should have seen the way he looked at you when we all went shopping for clothes. He really likes that blue shirt on you, by the way.”
Yuck- he honestly can’t believe he has to talk about feelings with this guy.
“You really mean that?” Yuuri says in a quiet voice, looking surprised.
“Does it look like I say things I don’t mean?”
“Well, you-”
“Nevermind, don’t answer that.”
The room is quiet for a few minutes, until Yuuri looks at him with an unreadable expression.
“Thanks.”
Yuri shifts his weight uncomfortably and wears a face that makes him look like he’s constipated.
“You’re welcome.”
He finally lets out a relieved sigh when Yuuri leaves the room. Maybe now they’ll stop beating around the bush and he can get back to his real goal once and for all- to become a senior gold medalist.
---
The next day, he stumbles upon Victor and Yuuri making out on one of the benches in the shoe storage at the ice rink below the castle.
Yuri knows a lot of things, but the sound of Victor’s barely-contained groans as the two play tonsil hockey is something he really wishes he didn’t.