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If someone asked Viktor what his most treasured memory was, he'd rest his index finger against his lips and wink. Some things were better kept out of the general public's knowledge. The public knew too much. For a year, everyone found out that he came to Japan in search for Katsuki Yuuri. For a year, he had been Yuuri's dedicated coach, helping the younger male reestablish his passion and roots into skating once again. The hard work and grueling hours were worth it when Yuuri took gold at the Grand Prix Finals. If Viktor had to rank his good memories, that memory was a close first, but it had to be a second.
It was hard for Viktor to rank the memory like that. To this day, if Viktor wore his usual red scarf, he would instinctively nuzzle his nose against it because Yuuri did the same when he leaped into Viktor's arms that beautiful day. Yuuri was a bit shorter than him and couldn't easily get high enough to whisper sweet things and cry on his shoulder. However, Yuuri did the next best thing. He hugged Viktor tightly and buried his face into Viktor's red scarf as the tears streamed down like no tomorrow. Viktor hugged back like a lover and planted a kiss on Yuuri's forehead as the latter cried with a smile.
A scene like that wasn't blind to a camera. Within a few hours, that picture alone was trending in the athletic world. Of course, Yuuri was a bit shy about the whole thing and claimed that it was all so unexpected.
"When you're really happy, you can't exactly control how you express it," Yuuri told a reporter when they asked him why he leaped into Viktor's arms. "Viktor has been a great inspiration for me ever since I was kid. I guess it felt natural to hold him close because he's done so much to prepare me for the Grand Prix." The words were honest. No matter how many times Viktor replayed that interview on YouTube, he'd always smile as he watched Yuuri blush and stutter as he answered other questions about the picture. Yuuri was too honest. Part of that honesty played a minor chord in Viktor's heart. He wondered if Yuuri ever saw him more than just a coach or an inspiration. He wondered if Yuuri saw him as a person.
Of course, Yuuri sees him as a person. No matter what the media said, Viktor wasn't a robot and nor was he a vampire. But the older male felt that Yuuri still kept him on a pedestal. Even after getting warmed up to each other during those first few months of training last year, Yuuri still held Viktor up as a great skater and a lovely person. That wasn't bad, per se. However, Viktor couldn't help but think that Yuuri couldn't see past all of that. Did Yuuri see him, or did Yuuri only see his accomplishments and his work ethic?
To answer that question, Viktor thought about his most treasured memory. To be honest, it wasn't a memory that someone would typically treasure. But this was Viktor, and Viktor wasn't a typical person by any measure. Out of all the memories he had with Yuuri, there was one memory that stuck out to him more. It was at the end of a Grand Prix, when Yuuri earned sixth place overall. Viktor remembered the details clearly.
He was walking beside Yuri, giving him elderly advice on his foot work. While Yakov grilled Yuri on his technique and reminded Yuri that he was still a growing boy, Viktor felt a stare. It wasn't a harsh stare that meant competition. It was gentle, maybe a little hesitant. Nonetheless, Viktor had his guard up when he turned his head and caught sight of Katsuki Yuuri.
"Commemorative photo?" The usual playful smile tugged his lips. Yuuri looked at him as if he was being spoken to by God. Okay, Viktor didn't view himself that highly. If to be put in easier terms, Yuuri looked at Viktor as if he was shocked that Viktor noticed him. Then again, Viktor didn't know at the time that he was Yuuri's inspiration. Inside, the glasses-wearing man may've felt a religious experience when he heard Viktor speak to him. On the outside, Yuuri's reaction reminded Viktor of quiet children in classrooms that were shocked when a classmate remembered and knew their name.
"Yes?" Viktor extended a hand out to Yuuri. In a turn of events, Yuuri looked away and gave Viktor the cold shoulder as he walked away. That was Viktor's most treasured memory. Not because someone rejected his offer for a picture. No, it was because someone gave him that cold reaction. Usually, people were warm and bubbly around Viktor. There were some people that stared daggers into his soul, and they were competition on the ice. But this person--Katsuki Yuuri--stared at him in admiration, felt that he was off his game when Viktor spoke to him, and he turned around and didn't look back as Viktor stared at him back.
It was a strange memory to treasure. Viktor admitted that much. But when he watched Yuuri leave, Viktor wondered what was going through Yuuri's mind at that exact moment. He was curious, interested, and maybe a little annoyed that Yuuri brushed him off like he was nothing. It was because Viktor couldn't see what Yuuri had buried deeply into his heart. It was only when he became Yuuri's coach did Viktor finally see a brand new sky. A sky with endless horizons and as many stars as Viktor could imagine. Maybe that's how he fell in....No, he was Yuuri's coach. A friend, a good friend at that. That was a lie, and Viktor knew it.
And when the opportunity to take Yuuri out for dinner came, Viktor seized the opportunity and refused to let it go. It was a chilly night. Both wore hoodies over their jackets and walked down the crowded street to a local restaurant. It was dim inside, and Viktor took care to keep his hands to himself as he walked next to Yuuri as a waiter escorted them to a booth. After gazing down at menus, having small talk, and finishing their dinner, Viktor made sure to have a private word with their waiter when Yuuri excused himself to go wash his hands.
"Did the bill come out yet?"
"Not yet."
Yuuri slid back onto his side of the booth and sipped his water. Viktor casually pulled off a smile, but Yuuri choked on his water. Under the table, their knees were so close that if Yuuri had to leave the booth again, his knee cap would definitely brush against Viktor's this time. Yuuri wasn't thinking about that, but Viktor sure was. His legs were trembling so much that he was afraid that he was going to kick Yuuri if he saw any sudden movements.
"The bill is taking a long time."
If only you knew. Viktor gulped.
"It was nice of you to take me out to dinner, Viktor. Is it for a special occasion?"
Yuuri's detective skills were frighteningly spot-on. Before Viktor could speak, the waiter was back. Not with a check but with a cake on a platter.
It was a milk cake with white frosting and drizzled chocolate on top. Blue berries were sprinkled over it, and a bright red strawberry sat beside it with a cheery lit candle blazing beneath Viktor and Yuuri's faces. Written on the plate's side were cursive words written in strawberry syrup. Happy Anniversary. Viktor coughed so that Yuuri could breathe again. Yuuri looked at the cake, looked at him, and then looked back at the cake.
"Happy Anniversary." Viktor managed a weak smile.
Yuuri stared at him as if he was proposed to. His was suddenly very red.
"You didn't have to do this." He said it so quickly that Viktor stumbled to keep up with the words.
"What if I told you that I wanted to do this?" Dang it, Viktor was turning red too. He couldn't look at Yuuri right now. "Do you remember I asked you for a commemorative photo once?"
Yuuri nodded, knowing exactly what was going to happen next. Honestly, Viktor didn't want to talk anymore. He pulled out his phone and motioned Yuuri to lean in. Yuuri leaned in close to Viktor as Viktor held his phone out and took the selfie. The picture was pretty bad. Yuuri was a blushing mess, the cake wasn't even in the shot, and Viktor was staring off to outer space. He didn't even want to look at his phone. For a first selfie, it was horrible. For a first selfie with Yuuri, it was something that Viktor couldn't delete. He eventually printed it out and had the picture taped to his wall for motivation.
Every time he wanted to build his relationship with Yuuri, Viktor would spent ten minutes looking at the picture so that he could see how far he had gone from his awkward starting point. Especially right now. After all, the little black box in his hand was no lie. Viktor wasn't a blushing man right now, and he definitely didn't want to stutter later on when he would have to get down on one knee and ask Yuuri the burning question that kept him up for weeks.
If someone asked Viktor what his most treasured memory was, he'd rest his index finger against his lips and wink. His third treasured memory was when Yuuri earned gold and hugged him at the Grand Prix final. His second treasured memory was when he had his first selfie with Yuuri on the anniversary of when they first met. His most treasured memory was when Yuuri said, "Yes."