Rewrite The Stars

Sad Ending Version

A cloud of chalk flew into the air as the young, black-haired man clapped his hands together. The chalk would help his grip as he practiced. He looked over to his partner, a young, brunette woman. He could tell from the cloud settling around her, that she had just finished doing the same preparation as him.

"Ready, Yuri?" she asked. He nodded.

"I'm ready." She gave him a dazzling smile, a classic Minako move.

"Then let's get started!" Yuri smiled, then ran and took a flying leap off the platform. He grabbed a hanging loop of ice-blue silk mid-air, swinging far out as he quickly and gracefully wrapped the loop around his hand to keep himself safe. He ran through a routine of beautiful movements, performing a slow and intricate dance while suspended in midair only by the hanging pieces of silk that he wrapped around his legs and arms with his movements. He knew Minako was doing a similar dance on her side, each of them performing a dance that was meant to represent two lovers, trapped in their own worlds without each other. That was who he was in this moment, a star-crossed lover forbidden by fate to be with the one who he loved most. The routine ended as he and Minako briefly came together before abruptly swinging back to their respective platforms. Yuri and his partner smiled at each other before climbing down. Yuko was applauding them heartily when they were on the ground.

"That was great you guys! You should premiere that tomorrow's show!"

"It is an amazing routine, you should proud Yuri." Yuko's jaw dropped.

"Wait, Yuri choreographed that?" Yuri nodded. "That's fantastic!" For once, Yuko's over-the-top enthusiasm was understandable. Minako was the older of the duo and the primary choreographer for all their routines. This was the first one that Yuri had ever created by himself. Minako had helped every once and a while, but it was basically all Yuri's.

"Thanks, Yuko," he replied. "But I'm not sure it's ready to be in the show just yet. The ending still needs… something. I'm not totally sure what that something is just yet." Yuko nodded. She and her husband may have run the show and wanted to make it as successful as possible, but they had also been friends with Yuri since he was a child. She supported him and his insistence on perfection in everything he performed.

"Okay, we'll keep doing the current routine for now, what do you call it, Minako?"

"Snow Fairies."

"We'll continue with the Snow Fairies until you're ready with the new one. I can't wait 'til it's ready!" With that Yuko bounced off. Minako and Yuri smiled, before walking out of the Big Top themselves.

Yuri and Minako had been traveling with Ice Castle Circus for years, ever since Yuko and Takeshi had created the show. It originally had started as a tiny circus from Hasetsu traveling around Japan. From the beginning, Yuri and Minako had been the stars of the show thanks to their unique silken acrobatic dances. They were both talented dancers, but for that to be combined with the daring heights and subtle beauty of the silk they twined around their bodies made a performance that the audience had never seen before.

As Yuri and Minako's fame grew, so did the fame of the Ice Castle Circus, which meant that they got travel beyond Japan. Eventually, traveling through the rest of Asia, Europe, and even an appearance in America thanks to the generosity of P.T. Barnum and Phillip Carlyle, Ice Castle had gained more and more acts. Before they knew it, Yuri and Minako were facing competition for the title of "Star Performance". There was the Russian big cat tamer, Yurio, who had an attitude bigger than his white tiger, Potya, and his "sister", Mila, the extremely sassy contortionist. Otabek was the stoic sword-swallower and knife thrower. The cheerful juggler Phinchit who could juggle everything from different sized balls to fire to live hamsters (a trick he'd only done once because it had really freaked out the hamsters). The Italian twins, Michele and Sara, a brother and sister duo who were joined at the hip, literally. The young "chicken-boy" Minami who followed Yuri around like a shadow. Christophe, who went by Christina, who enjoyed dressing as a woman did an interesting burlesque performance as a bearded lady. Yuri's circus family had indeed grown but he loved them all too much to care about sharing the spotlight. This didn't stop Yurio from trying to prove himself to be the superior Yuri of the circus, but that wasn't so bad really.

Yuri Katsuki really was living his dream. He was surrounded by friends who loved him. Not only that, but he was getting to see the world and meet new and interesting people every day. Performing silk acrobatics was his dream, a dream he never could've hoped to come true if he had stayed in his hometown. The child he had been could've never imagined anything beyond helping his parents run the inn and hot spring as he'd always assumed he would. Now here he was, twenty-four and choreographing his first routine as the circus traveled through Russia, making sure to stop in his favorite city of Moscow. Life couldn't get much better than this and as far as Yuri could see there was nothing that could cast a shadow over him.

As Yuri and Minako walked out of the tent talking about ideas for Yuri's new routine, he caught a flash of silver in the corner of his eye. He did a double take and saw a well-dressed, silver-haired man. It looked like life was just getting better.

"Minako, I'm sorry I need to go… re-sequin my leotard." Yuri cringed internally. Even he knew how terrible that excuse sounded. Minako gave him a knowing look and Yuri blushed. "I'm so sorry. Can we finish this later?"

"Sure. Just don't forget the show starts at five so you need to be at the big top by four so we can finish our safety checks and do wardrobe and makeup. Have fun… re-sequining." She winked and Yuri hurried off before he could blush any redder. He walked up to the gentleman, attempting to shrug off the embarrassment with Minako.

"Excuse me, Sir?" Yuri said in heavily accented Russian. The man turned and Yuri found himself looking into eyes that were somehow the most amazing shade of blue and green at the same time. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I was wondering when the show started tonight?" His voice was warm and twined its way through Yuri's mind.

"It starts at five but we start selling tickets and seating at four-thirty. I'm afraid that until then you need to leave the premises. We cannot have civilians wandering around the area, it could be dangerous with our animals and equipment. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I understand but I'm afraid I'm lost. Could you please help me find the exit?" Yuri gave him a warm smile, which the man happily returned.

"I would be happy to escort you, sir." With that, the two men began walking, not towards the exit of the grounds, but in the direction of the performers' tents. More specific the trailer of Yuri Katsuki, the acrobat.

Minako watched as Yuri and the Russian man tried to casually walk towards Yuri's tent and hide their rush and excitement. She smiled into her cup of coffee. She looked up as Christophe, in men's clothes for once, slid in next to her on the bench.

"Ah, I see our Yuri has found his little Moscow treat again."

"The two of them are trying to be discreet and it's hilarious. They're about as subtle as Michele and Sara walking down the street."

"You aren't wrong. The only way that those two could be more obvious would if they were Yurio and Otabek."

"Why are you talking about me?" The pair looked up to see Yurio himself… with Otabek giving him a piggyback ride. The tiny, ferocious blonde was glaring at them from his perch on the taller man's back.

"We're actually talking about the other Yuri," Minako said, gesturing at the Japanese Yuri, who was currently trying to sneak the other man into his tent without anyone noticing and failing miserably. Everyone in the dining tent was watching the show with great interest and being about as discreet in their staring as Yuri was with his Russian lover. Yurio scoffed as he climbed off of the Kazakh man.

"Honestly, I don't know why he keeps trying to hide it. It's not like we don't already know." It was true. The affair had been going on for years and despite Yuri's painfully poor attempts to keep it a secret. Ice Castle was a small community and word had traveled fast when Yuri had started receiving letters written in Russian following a not so convert dalliance with a man while the circus was in Moscow. Everyone even knew the man's identity thanks to Mila Plisetsky's careful snooping. His name was Viktor Nikiforov and he was the only son and heir of a member of the Moscow elite. He was four years older than Yuri, a golden boy, popular in society, and completely devoted to his poodle, Makkachin (it was never wise to underestimate Mila and her sources).

"You aren't wrong." Minako agreed. "And it's not like we actually care about the two of them being together." That was the beauty of being in a circus. It was a home for all the misfits and rejects of the world, which made for a very accepting and welcoming environment. They certainly hadn't cared about Yurio and Otabek when they had gotten together and the two of them were much bigger exhibitionists (or at least Yurio was) than Yuri and Viktor. "I just want Yuri to be happy and it seems like this Viktor person makes him happy. We should really just tell them that we know."

"I don't think so." They all looked over at the tall, dark man. It was rare for him to speak to anyone but Yurio, so when he did they all tended to listen because it was usually important. "I'm sure that they have their reasons for discretion, that might not be about us. We should respect their wishes and their privacy. If Yuri wants us to know he'll tell us. In the meantime, we can just be there for him if he needs us." They all nodded solemnly. Otabek was probably right. They knew that Viktor was from a wealthy family. An affair with a foreigner from a circus, a MALE foreigner at that, would surely cause a scandal. Yuri could be trying to protect his lover from that. Or he could just not be ready to tell his friends about his relationship and its implications. They would just have to wait until he was ready. Everyone looked at the ground, the joking mood suddenly sobered.

"So I'm planning on wearing a new outfit tonight." Christophe started. They nodded, disinterested. Christophe changed his costume whenever the breeze shifted direction or just on a whim. No other performer was as high-maintenance as him. "This one is going to be black lace." No response except for some nods. "An outfit made ENTIRELY of see-through black lace." Suddenly everyone was interested in what the bearded burlesque dancer had to say.

Meanwhile, Yuri was pinned to his cot with Viktor's tongue down his throat. This was the reason he loved Moscow so much. Sure, the city was beautiful and the crowds were always so welcoming and excited but Yuri saw plenty of beautiful cities and great audiences. Whenever the circus came Moscow he would finally get to see his Viktor.

The clandestine relationship had been going on for years, ever since they'd met five years ago. Viktor and his friend Georgi had come to see the circus with Anya, the woman Georgi had been courting at the time. Yuri had spotted Viktor in the crowd from backstage and been instantly drawn in by his captivating looks. When Viktor had sought him out after the show to heavily compliment Yuri on his performance (he'd called it enthralling) they'd ended up opening a bottle of wine that Yuri had been saving and getting more than a little drunk. Then after they got drunk, they'd gotten naked and one thing had lead to another. Yuri had woken up with his head on Viktor's bare chest. It hadn't ended there during that particular trip, with the Viktor coming to see Yuri as much as the two of them could. They'd both agreed that they wanted to pursue the relationship, despite having to continue it in secrecy, for fear of a possibly dangerous response to the scandal, and via letter thanks to Yuri's nomadic lifestyle.

Still, even with the danger and long distances, the connection had blossomed into love on both sides. It was agony for the lovers to be apart with such infrequent visits, but they somehow made it work. And it was worth it for Yuri to now be lying in Viktor's arms once again, listening to the soft beating of the older man's heart.

"I missed you my Yuri." Viktor murmured and he gently stroked Yuri's bare side. It was always like this whenever they finally came together. They would hurry off to Yuri's tent and make hurried, passionate love. Then they would just lie there in silence together for a while, just enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms once again. Yuri snuggled further into Viktor's side.

"I missed you too Vitya. Your letters can't even compare to this."

"Maybe I should just stop writing letters-" Yuri made a whining sound. "And just come with you this time." Viktor always suggested running away and joining the circus with Yuri at least once per visit. Yuri's response was always the same.

"I wish you could." That was usually the end of it. They both knew that Viktor couldn't abandon his family and his life in Moscow to runaway with Yuri to a life that had nothing else to offer him. But that wasn't today. After a long pause, Viktor spoke again.

"Why don't I do it?"

"Do what?" Yuri still wasn't quite thinking straight. Viktor had that effect on him.

"Come with you this time. Join the circus."

"Don't tease me Vitya."

"I'm serious."

"The joke isn't funny."

"I'm not joking Yuri." Viktor's tone was serious, but Yuri still couldn't believe him. The idea of it was too ridiculous.

"You have to be joking." Yuri sat up to look Viktor in the eye, both of them completely serious.

"Why? Why do I have to be joking?" Viktor asked, clearly annoyed that Yuri wasn't believing him.

"We both know you can't"

"Why can't I?" Yuri stood up, disliking the cool breeze leaking into the tent on his bare body but needing to put some distance between himself and his lover. Viktor sat up, leaning back on his arms.

"We've talked about this Viktor. We both agreed that you couldn't come with Ice Castle. You have too much here in Moscow to leave it all behind."

"Like what?"

"Your family business! The money!"

"I don't care about the money. I care about you!"

"And what about your father? And your friends?" Viktor paused. Yuri knew how much Viktor cared about Yakov and his friends. There was no way he could seriously leave them all behind. Yuri knelt by Viktor. "Vitya," he crooned, "What brought this on? It feels like this came out of nowhere."

"Can't I just be tired of being apart from you Yuri? Why does this have to be brought on by something else?" Viktor climbed off of the cot and started angrily pulling on his clothes. Yuri could tell he was hiding something, the real reason he'd been so insistent about wanting to run away with Ice Castle. Whatever it was, it could wait. Yuri didn't want reality to spoil his time with Viktor. At least not now. He stood up and hugged Viktor from behind, pressing his cheek into the Russian's naked back.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to fight now when we're together again." Viktor put his hand on Yuri's.

"I'm sorry, you're right. We shouldn't fight… especially not now." Viktor turned to face Yuri and pulled him into a tender kiss. When they pulled apart Viktor had a soft but almost sad smile.

"Are you sure that there's nothing you aren't telling me?" Viktor opened his mouth as if to reply and then seemed to think better of it. He smiled the same saddish smile at Yuri.

"Nothing that can't wait. Shouldn't you be getting ready for the show?" Yuri looked down at the pocket watch that Viktor was holding out. It was getting dangerously close to four o'clock. Yuri swore in Japanese and hustled into his clothes.

"Are you coming tonight?" Viktor nodded.

"Yes and I'm bringing some… friends." Yuri was too rushed to even notice the pause.

"That sounds great. I'll see you tonight." He gave Viktor a quick kiss and ran out of the tent. Viktor chuckled at his adorable little pork-cutlet bowl. He loved Yuri more than anything else in the world. His smile fell. If only he could tell him the truth.

T o say that the show was a big success would be an understatement. The audience completely loved their performance and gave them a standing ovation. Yuri had looked out into the crowd as they were applauding and saw Viktor there, beaming at him as he clapped his hands as hard as he possibly could. Yuri blushed bright red, so happy that he had impressed the man he loved with his talents. Now the show was over and he was waiting to see Viktor so he could get the man's full thoughts on the performance. He was hiding under the stands, watching as the audience filed out of the tent. He was searching for the distinctive silvery hair in the crowd. It was only after the entire tent was nearly empty that he finally spotted the man he had been seeking.

Viktor was with a group of people, very few of which Yuri actually recognized. He did recognize Viktor's brooding friend Georgi, the same one who had been there the night that he'd met Viktor. It seemed he still wasn't past his fiancee's leaving him for another, more successful man. Yuri was about to walk by to give Viktor a secret signal to follow him back to his tent when he saw something that made him freeze.

There, clinging to Viktor's arm, was a woman. She had long blonde hair done up in a fancy hairstyle and her dress looked expensive. Clearly, she was a wealthy man's daughter, the kind of young woman who clearly was a member of the same high society circles as Viktor. But what had made Yuri freeze was what the woman was doing. She was showing off what was clearly a large diamond engagement ring to the rest of the group. Viktor was blushing and clearly looked very uncomfortable. Then the woman turned and said something to Viktor and then he… leaned down and kissed her on the cheek!

Time froze as Yuri looked at the scene in front of him. He had known that there was a possibility that Viktor would marry a woman and, in fact, his father has been pressuring him to get engaged to any wealthy heiress. But Yuri hadn't expected to find out with no warning from Viktor. And he had brought her to HIS circus. To Yuri's own home. This was his safe place, his haven from the rest of the world and now it was tarnished by the presence of Viktor's fiancee. He had to get out of here. He couldn't keep looking at this without the possibility that he might be sick.

Before Yuri could turn to run, Viktor looked up and, as if sensing him, turned and looked at Yuri. Blue-green eyes met brown in a look of pure shame and betrayal. At that moment Yuri knew that Viktor knew that he had seen the kiss. That whatever they relationship they had possessed had ended as abruptly as it had been started five long years ago. Yuri thought he could make out his name on Viktor's lips, he'd only seen the man mouth it in silent screams not three hours earlier. Hot tears leaked out of Yuri's eyes as he turned and ran, his entire world shattering behind him.

It was the day after the ill-fated performance aftermath that Viktor returned to the Ice Castle Circus. His only goal was to find Yuri. He had wanted to chase after him last night, but Tatiana must have sensed something and refused to let go of him all night. He had asked her to keep the engagement secret for a while and apparently in her mind that meant showing off the engagement ring his father had forced him to put on her finger to EVERYONE. He knew Tatiana was excited, but she was being so self-centered ever since his father had convinced (or rather coerced) him into the betrothal. Viktor sighed as he remembered the look on Yuri's faced when he'd seen Tatiana with him last night. Maybe she wasn't the only one being selfish lately.

Viktor had tried to find Yuri at his tent but had found it empty. He had no idea where else to look for his acrobat. That's when three women walking together, clearly members of the circus. Viktor recognized Yuri's partner, Minako, as one of them. Yuri had often written about her in his letters. She was one of his best friends, if not the best. He was sure if anyone knew where Yuri could be found, it would be her. Secrecy amongst the performers no longer mattered to him, Viktor had to find his Yuri and try his best to try to salvage some of what had been the best thing in his life. He ran up to her.

"Excuse me," he said in Russian. "I'm trying to find Yuri." The women were silent and he wondered if they even spoke Russian. Yuri's had been broken when they met and it had improved over their correspondence. Viktor cursed himself for never trying to pick up more Japanese. He was about to mime out what he had said when one of them spoke, the small blonde one that he now realized was a young boy with long hair.

"What do you want with Yuri?" he spoke with the fluency and accent that could only come from a native Russian. So they had understood him. And they were all glaring at him.

"I just want to talk to him, I promise."

"I doubt he'd want to talk to the likes of you right now, Viktor Nikiforov." That one sentence told Viktor everything. That they knew he was, who he was to Yuri, and, worst of all, what he had done to their friend. And based on the way all three of them were glaring at him, they didn't want him anywhere near Yuri.

"Please," he begged, "I made a horrible mistake." The blonde boy scoffed."I need to make it right and talk to Yuri."

"Why should we tell you when he is?" said one of the women, clearly also a Russian native. Viktor could think of a thousand reasons that all probably would've sounded more honest to these people, but only one of them was the absolute truth.

"Because I love him and he needs to know that. No matter what else happens, I NEED him to know that." The group all exchanged glances before one of them, Minako, spoke up, Japanese accent thick and almost hard to make out.

"He is in the main tent, practice. Should be alone." Her Russian may have been terrible, but Viktor understood.

"Arigatou!" He said, using one of the very few Japanese words he knew to thank her before running off in the direction of the main tent. Minako, Mila, and Yurio all looked after the desperate man.

"Do you think Yuri will want to talk to him?" Mila asked Minako. Her friend shrugged.

"Who knows what Yuri will do, but after what he said last night I think he needs some closure at the very least. Maybe this will give it to him." Yurio was silent for a time, just staring off after Viktor.

"Either way, after the stunt he pulled last night, he's a loser."

Yuri was alone in the big top, just as Minako had said he would be, when Viktor found him. He was adjusting the ropes that they used for their performence. This was his world: silk, pulleys, rope, and riggings, all of them just tools to help him fly above the ground and away from his problems. This was where he went, where everything always made sense. He could shut it out and just focus on the performance, and everything else would fade away, left behind on the ground. And then he saw Viktor.

"Yuri," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. Any other time that voice would've made Yuri run into his arms to comfort his lover. Not now. They were no longer lovers.

"I'm sorry sir," he said coldly and in his best professional voice. "The circus is closed. You can come back for the show but now you need to leave." He started looping the rope. Viktor came over and put his hands on Yuri's, stopping the motion.

"Yuri. Please. Talk to me." Yuri paused, debating it.

"I have nothing to say to you. You need to leave."

"Yuri. I'm begging you. Just look at me." Against his better judgment, he looked up allowing his eyes to meet Viktor's. It was a mistake.

"My Yuri," Viktor murmured. Yuri pulled away, taking the rope with him and continuing to make it into a neat coil.

"I am not your Yuri. I don't belong to anyone." Before Viktor could formulate a reply, Yuri rushed on. "Besides, from what I saw last night, you belong to someone else."

"You weren't meant to see that," Viktor muttered.

"It was pretty hard to miss it. The ring was the size of a mountain."

"I don't love her, Yuri. I never wanted to put that ring on her in the first place. It was my father's idea. Her father is an old business partner of his and they want it to solidify the merger of their businesses."

"I know. Not about the businesses or who she is, but I figured about your father." Viktor was surprised.

"Really?"

"Of course. I'm not an idiot Viktor. I always knew that this was a possibility. I've been expecting it since your twenty-fifth birthday. Frankly, I'm surprised Yakov held off this long. You are the most eligible bachelor in Moscow high society." Viktor hadn't expected Yuri to think about this that much. He certainly hadn't until his father had told him that he would be proposing to Tatiana. But Yuri wasn't done. "What I didn't expect was for you to try to hide this from me, which you completely failed at by the way. Here's a hint," Yuri said in a rare moment of sarcasm. "Next time you want to hide something from someone, don't bring the thing you're hiding to where the person is going to be and then flaunt it in front of them." That stung, but he wasn't wrong.

"Believe me that was not I wanted this too," Yuri cringed at the name of his rival, "insisted on coming with me and outright refused to be discreet or leave me alone. I wanted to tell you myself."

"Why didn't you?" Yuri said, throwing the rope coil on the ground. "You had plenty of time before the show, before you FUCKED me, to tell me all about your little fiancee."

"I-I-I didn't want it to affect your performance." Yuri could see right through that lie. Blind pygmies in Austraila could see through that lie. He turned to fix the poorly tied Halyard knot on one of the poles. "No, that's a lie and we both know it. I just… just… I just didn't want to face the truth yet. I wanted one last afternoon with you before I had to tell you about this. And now it's one big mess." He walked over and looked into Yuri's eyes. "I really am so sorry Yuri. I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to do anything but make you happy and I can't even do that."

Yuri finished the knot. He knew that Viktor was telling the truth. As much as it hurt, it really had been a stupid mistake. Yuri had a forgiving heart and if there was anyone who he could forgive anything, it was Viktor. Because at the end of the day, no matter what happened he loved Viktor more than anything and anyone else.

"I know." He didn't have to say what he meant, Viktor understood. Which was good, because right now he couldn't bring himself to say those words. Still, those unsaid words seemed to lift a weight off of Viktor's shoulders.

"So…" he started.

"So?" Yuri questioned.

"Now what do we do?" Yuri was confused.

"I think it's obvious. As much as this hurts, it's over."

"NO!" Yuri could hear the desperation in Viktor's voice. "No. No. This can't be over Yuri." Viktor grabbed his hands and held them to his mouth, kissing Yuri's callouses from the handling of rope over the years. "I...I...I," his voice was thick. "I love you too much." Yuri swallowed, fighting back the tears.

"I love you too Viktor. But… you're getting married. I'm sorry, but I refuse to be involved with a married man, even if it is you."

"Then I won't get married." Viktor made it sound like it was that easy.

"You know that Yakov won't let that happen. And even then, what? What do we do next? If it's not her then it'll be someone else."

"I don't want to marry anyone else." Yuri rubbed his thumb over Viktor's hands.

"I know, I don't either but we can't get married. We're both men that's not how it works."

"I don't care. I just want to be with you. For the rest of our lives."

"Where?" Yuri asked. "I'm not leaving the circus. It's my home."

"Then I'll go with you. Join the circus."

"Not this again." Yuri groaned.

"Why not? It's the only place where we can be together. You've said it before, no one would care if we're together here."

"Viktor you'd have to leave everyone and everything you love. You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"We've talked about this. There is nothing here for you. No security. No home. No easy life."

"It would be worth it. I'd be with you."

"What would even do here? You aren't a performer, at least not the kind we need here. You can't do the hard labor that's needed to earn your keep around here."

"I could learn…"

"And how long before you get badly injured? People have died by working in a circus. We've been lucky so far, but if we have someone unskilled make a mistake, who knows what could happen. It isn't safe. You have a secure future here. Money, family, friends. You can have a good life here."

"How can my life be good if you aren't with me Yuri?"

"You'll find a way. I know you can, Viktor." Yuri let go of his hands started to walk away.

"Why do you keep doing this!" Viktor exclaimed. "You know I want you, it's not as if I try to hide it. And I know you want me. So stop saying that you're hand are tied."

"Viktor-" Yuri started, turning to face him but he was cut off as Viktor put a hand on the side of his face and took one of Yuri's hands in his other.

"No, you keep claiming it's not in the cards because you're being pulled miles away and out of my reach. But," Viktor pressed Yuri's hand to his heart so that Yuri could feel it beating beneath his palm. "You are right here in my heart so I've decided that you are my destiny and no one is going to stop me." Yuri tried to close his eyes and pull away, it was all too much for him. But Viktor held fast. "Listen to me. What if… what if we rewrite those same stars that curse us and just say you were made to be mine. Imagine it, nothing could keep us apart then. You would be the one I was meant to find in this world. It's up to you and me. No one else can tell us what we get to be. So let's do it. Let's rewrite the stars and maybe, just maybe this world could be ours."

Yuri wanted to give in. It all sounded so perfect, so simple when Viktor said it. But logic got the better of him. He pulled away and grabbed a rope hanging from the ceiling. He needed to put some distance between the two of them if he wanted to think straight. Yuri certainly got distance as he took off into the air, flying high out of Viktor's reach. The silver-haired man looked around the ceiling of the tent, unsure where Yuri had gone before the acrobat floated down on a loop of silk, looking like an angel.

"You really think it's so easy for me? You think I don't want to run to you right now? But there are mountains to high to climb in this world and doors that we'll never be able to walk through." Yuri needed to make him understand. "I know you're wondering why I'm doing this when we could be able to be just you and me within these walls," he said gesturing around at the tent. "But, Viktor, when we go outside you'll wake up from this dream and see that it was all hopeless after all." Yuri leaned out from his perch and gently touched Viktor's cheek, the older man leaning into the touch. "No one in this world can rewrite the stars, so how can you possibly say that'll be mine? Everything is keeping us apart so clearly I'm not the one you were meant to find. It's not up to you, it's not up to me, not when everyone is saying what we get to be. This dream world of yours, where we've rewritten the stars, it'll never come true. It'll never be ours."

"But Yuri-"

"Viktor. You know all I want is to fly and fall with you." Viktor clasped his hands.

"So just give me all of you."

"It feels impossible."

"It's not impossible," Viktor reassured him.

"Is it really so impossible?" Yuri wondered in his head.

"Yuri, just say that's it's possible?"

"But how do you rewrite the stars, Viktor, and say you were made to really be mine?"

"Yuri, nothing can keep us apart. You know why?" Yuri shook his head. "Cause you, you are the one I was meant to find on this Earth. Listen, it' just up to you and up to me. No one else can say what we get to be. So, please, why don't we rewrite the stars. Change the world, so that it can be ours."

Yuri thought for a second. It really was a beautiful dream that Viktor had made, one where the two of them could finally be together. Yuri pulled Viktor in for a passionate kiss. He really wanted to do this, follow Viktor's dream. But it was just that, a dream.

"Vitya," he said, pulling away and using his pet name for Viktor one last time. "You know how much I love you. How much I want you. I have never tried to hide my love for you. But," This was the hardest thing Yuri had ever had to do. "But I can't have you. No matter what, we are bound to break and my hands are tied." He pulled away. "I'm so sorry." and with that he ran out of the tent, crying once again as he left Viktor alone tears streaming from his blue-green eyes.

V Viktor was at home, just waiting for the opportunity to sneak away. Tonight was the last night that the Ice Castle Circus would be in town before leaving for at least another year until any possible return. It was his last chance to see Yuri before he was a married man. He hadn't seen Yuri since he had ended their relationship and longed to see him one last time. He wouldn't say anything, wouldn't even try to approach him. He just needed to see his Yuri one last time, even if it was at a distance. Viktor was determined to see this last performance. To say goodbye to the love of his life.

He was currently in his room, having pretended to be ill. Tatiana was hanging around constantly and refusing to leave his side. It was quickly becoming annoying. The only way he'd managed to get away was by pretending to be sick. Now he just needed to sneak out his room without being caught. If he was lucky, when he dropped from the window, he wouldn't land in the rosebush again and end up with an ass full of thorns.

It turned out he was lucky, making it to the circus and into his seat (without having worry about the possibility of accidentally sitting on thorns) just as the tent went dark. He sat through the others acts: the juggling, the human oddities, the contortionist, the blades master, the bearded lady (who he remembered Yuri telling him was actually a man), the animal tamer and his white tiger. He reacted along with the crowd but didn't enjoy the performances as much as he usually would. He was waiting in agony for the silk acrobats. For Yuri. Apparently, the ringleaders had changed the line-up. Tonight the acrobats would be the finale of the show.

Then the ringleader, a woman named Yuko according to Yuri, announced that the acrobats would be premiering a new routine, the first created solely by Yuri. This caught Viktor by surprise. Yuri hadn't mentioned anything about creating a new routine in his letters. Of course, he hadn't mentioned anything about his engagement, so he could hardly be upset. Especially not now.

The lights went out, plunging Viktor and the rest of the audience into darkness. Then a light came on, focusing on Yuri as he stood on a platform high above the rest of the world in a white unitard. Another light came on for Minako who was clad in a similar white outfit and skirt, but Viktor only had eyes for Yuri as the music swelled and he and Minako took flying leaps off of their platforms towards each other. The crowd gasped before the pair reached out and caught hanging pieces of silk, reaching out and nearly touching for a brief second before being pulled back by the pieces of silk. Every movement that followed was fluid and graceful, with Yuri and Minako frequently reaching out, desperate to touch, only to be impeded by the very silk that kept them aloft. It was beautiful and tragic and all too familiar to Viktor.

This was why Yuri hadn't told him anything about choreographing a routine. He already knew it. It was the story of two people deeply in love but forever separated because they lived in two completely different worlds. The routine was their story. Yuri had made it into something beautiful and haunting. It would stick with the audience, strike a chord deep in their hearts. It would do the same to Viktor for different reasons. The audience might speculate as to the story behind it, but he wouldn't need to. He was living it.

The music built as Yuri's movements became more and more frantic. It was as if he was in frenzy trying to reach his lover. As if he was running out of time. But with each movement, he became more and more entangled. And then as the music swelled he seemingly broke free. For a brief second, it looked as though he might be able to reach his distant lover. But Minako's own movements had driven her away from him and she landed on her own platform. They reached out for each other one last time, but the distance was too great and the light went out on Minako. Now Yuri was alone and it seemed that all his efforts had been too waste. He hung alone midair for a moment and then the music stopped. Yuri plummeted towards the ground, spinning out madly. The crowd gasped and some shrieked, Viktor among them. But Yuri stopped just before he hit the ground, seemingly gaining control at the very last second only to save his life. The lights went out before coming back on for Yuko to lead the crowd in applause as Yuri and Minako took a bow. Viktor clapped with all his might. He was sure that Yuri couldn't see him. But he had to let Yuri know somehow that he supported his triumph, even if he had done it without him.

Viktor felt something in his eye. He raised his had to his face to try to wipe it away. That was when he realized that he was crying. Yuri's performance had driven him to tears. What was left of the performance passed by in a haze for Viktor, he couldn't get Yuri's performance out of his head. Before he filed out, Viktor murmured one last goodbye to his love, now forever out of his life.

"Proshchay navsegda, my Yuri."

Backstage Yuri was receiving congratulations from his friends. Yuko, in particular, was gushing.

"That was amazing Yuri! They loved it! When you came to me yesterday and said you were ready to premiere it I was nervous. I wondered why you didn't want me to see it before. Now I know why. It was an amazing surprise! I never could've imagined anything like it."

"Thank you, Yuko," Yuri said, blushing red. He was unused to so much attention and it was quite overwhelming.

"But I was wondering what you named it, Yuri. You've been so secretive about the whole thing." Yuko asked.

"Yes," Minako agreed. "You haven't even told me yet, Yuri, and I'm in it." Yuri blushed harder. "So out with it. What's the name?" Yuri took a deep breath.

"... Rewrite the Stars."

When I was writing this story I ended up coming up with two different endings: a happy one and a sad one. I couldn't decide which of them I liked better. So, I called my beta/boyfriend and ran them by him... he couldn't decide either. So we compromised and I decided to write both and release two versions of the same story with different endings. This was the sad ending version. I hope you enjoyed it. If not I suggest trying the happy ending version. You should find it on my profile as soon as I upload it, which will probably later because it's almost 7 am and I haven't slept all night. Just a few notes. This is obviously based on Rewrite the Stars from the Greatest Showman, the Zac Efron and Zendaya version (the best version in my opinion and my favorite song from the movie). I do enjoy song fics but one of my biggest pet peeves is just restating the lyrics and having that be the brunt of the story. I have paraphrased the lyrics quite a bit in this story, but I like to believe the framework around it is solid. The line about "blind pygmies in Australia" is actually something my father says quite frequently. The Halyard knot I mentioned is the one used on flag poles, I recognized it in the movie from doing flag duty years ago. And, finally "Proshchay navsegda" means goodbye forever according to Google. Thanks and be sure to check out my other stories. Keep reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. By lovelies!

~Mallorie a.k.a. Lilymaid620