Warmth enveloped Yuuri as he woke that morning, along with the sensation of being hooked by something heavy around his middle. Blinking away his sleepiness, Yuuri remembered where he was by the sight that greeted him.

Victor's sleeping face.

A smile tugged at his mouth unconsciously, a feeling of tenderness coursing through him. No matter how many times he woke up with Victor beside him, every time always felt like the first time.

They were in Victor's bedroom, at his home in St. Petersburg, Russia. It had been a week since they've arrived, a few months since Yuuri had decided to go with Victor to Russia and make it his home rink as well. Yuuri was still getting used to everything, and having Victor by his side through it helped immensely.

Yuuri was about to reach out towards Victor, intending to brush away a tendril of silver hair that had fallen on the other man's face, when a small flash of light caught his eye. The source was the sunlight that had glinted off of the golden band that was wrapped around his ring finger. His engagement ring, whose pair belonged to the Russian.

Suppressing the giggle that bubbled up his throat, Yuuri kissed Victor lightly on the cheek. "Good morning, Vitenka," he whispered, careful not to say it too loudly to wake Victor. It had been sort of a ritual for Yuuri to do it every morning whenever he was the first one to wake up. And he was always careful not to wake the older man up so that he would not get found out. It would be so embarrassing otherwise as he could imagine how Victor would tease him about it to no end.

Yuuri checked the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was just around 6 in the morning. Victor would wake up later, giving him ample time to put his plan into action. Yuuri was going to cook breakfast, Russian-style.

Well, he would try to. His research on Russian breakfasts had pointed him towards the Blini, a traditional breakfast which is the Russian version of pancakes. Yuuri figured it would be easy enough. The recipe he got was pretty simple and straightforward.

Excitement washed over Yuuri as he got up to start cooking. This wasn't the first time he will cook breakfast for his fiancé, it would just be the first Ruusian one that he will attempt. He wanted to do something to surprise Victor, and this was what came into mind.

Yuuri went into the kitchen and started gathering the necessary ingredients together in the table. Hopefully, his Blini would turn out great at the end of it all.

Let the cooking attempt commence.

Victor reached out his hand, expecting to touch Yuuri as he did so. His eyes popped open when empty space greeted his touch. Yuuri had obviously gotten up earlier than he did, which did not happen all that often.

Where was Yuuri? Had he gone out for a run before him?

The smell of something cooking wafted to the bedroom, letting Victor know where the person he was looking for was.

Curiosity well and truly piqued, Victor got up to pull on his pants and join Yuuri in the kitchen. He could have gone sans pants, but it was cold. He didn't want his butt and nuts to freeze off. He still needed those. Yuuri would miss them as well.

Ah, early morning naughty thoughts. It was the other man's fault though. Who told Yuuri to get out of bed before he woke up? Victor chuckled lightly, not wanting to reveal his whereabouts to Yuuri.

The sight that greeted Victor as he got out of the bedroom rooted him at the doorway. Yuuri was cooking something, and the smell was making his mouth drool. He loved it whenever the younger man cooked for him.

Victor decided to settle by leaning in at the doorway, content to watch Yuuri move about in his kitchen. Truthfully, he never thought this would happen. Given the fact that he was making a comeback to competitive skating, and with Yuuri retracting his decision to retire and wishing for Victor to stay as his coach, he was at a loss how to balance it all.

As he was worrying about it endlessly, Yuuri surprised him yet again. It was Yuuri who had suggested that they both move to Russia and make it their home rink. He would never forget what Yuuri said to him at that moment:

"I can practice as long as I have a rink to skate on. It doesn't matter where I am. And since Yakov is in Russia, you need to be there because he is your coach. And where you go, I go. You're not only my coach, you're my fiancé too. We stay by each other's side. So let me move with you to Russia. That's what I've decided on."

Who was Victor to deny his lover? Especially when it was what he wanted as well?

So, here they were a few months later – together in Victor's apartment in St. Petersburg, Russia.

And now, observing Yuuri flit about in his home, tenderness and overwhelming joy threatened to burst out of his chest. Thinking of sharing his emotions with his beloved, Victor silently made his way towards the table where Yuuri was apparently setting up everything.

But as he was neared his destination, something didn't seem right with the whole picture. It was as if something was missing. Angling his head to the side, Victor tried to figure out what it was.

Ah!

"Yuuri, where is your ring?"

Yuuri was just about to put down the finishing touches on the table, so concentrated on what he was doing that he didn't notice Victor standing perplexed off to the side. The sudden sound of Victor's voice startled Yuuri, causing him to drop the cutlery he was holding, and they clattered onto the table.

"Victor! Don't scare me like that," Yuuri reprimanded the other man.

"What happened to your ring, Yuuri?"

Yuuri seemed confused at first, then he looked down on his right hand, which was bare of any ring. "I took it off for a while since I was going to handle seafood for-" Yuuri cut off mid-sentence. He almost let slip the surprise he had planned.

"Where is it?" Victor couldn't help the worry in his tone.

Yuuri walked over to the counter and picked up the golden ring. "Right here," he said as he held it up.

Victor immediately went to Yuuri and took the ring from him. "Let me," he murmured. He took Yuuri's hand in his, and proceeded to put the ring on back onto Yuuri's finger, same as the time did it back in Barcelona.

Yuuri chuckled slightly, figuring out why Victor was acting that way. "Were you afraid that I lost it?"

That made Victor wince. He didn't want Yuuri to think he didn't trust him with the ring, but… "You lost your baggage at the airport that one time, when you came back to Japan after the Rostelecom Cup."

"Okay, I lost it one time-" Yuuri started to deny.

"And the nuts you bought back in Barcelona," Victor interjected with a smirk.

Well, point taken. Still.

"I wouldn't lose something as important as our ring, Victor," Yuuri assured him.

Letting out a sigh, Victor suggested, "How about the next time, if you really, absolutely, need to take it off, you give it to me for safekeeping?"

"Deal," Yuuri agreed with a laugh. If that would settle Victor's nerves about him taking his ring off and misplacing it, he was glad to acquiesce. "Since that's done, let me finish up so we can eat breakfast."

That was when Victor noticed what had Yuuri busy that morning. The table was already set up with an assortment of food. "You made Blini," he breathed, stunned that Yuuri even knew about the Russian dish. Arranged at the sides of the plate of the Russian pancakes were a bowl of strawberries, another bowl with strawberry jam in it, some caviar and sour cream, and a plate of salmon strips with dill beside it.

Victor continued to gawk at the table, with no sign of getting out of his surprised state. Yuuri had to push him down onto his seat.

"You've spent months with me and my family eating Japanese breakfasts back in Hasetsu. Now that I'm here with you in St. Petersburg, I figured I'd try my hand at making a Russian breakfast for you," Yuuri explained.

Victor took Yuuri's right hand and kissed his ring, as he said, "Spasibo, lyubov moya." Thank you, my love.

A faint blush crept onto Yuuri's cheeks at the endearment, one Victor took to calling him a while back. The intimacy of the moment had him remembering that he had one more thing to do.

Yuuri sat down on the floor beside Victor's chair in seiza. Bringing his hands in front of his knees, he bowed while saying, "From now on as well, please take care of me." As he returned to seiza, his gaze landing on Victor who was now seated in front of him much in the same way.

Victor returned the gesture, replying, "For me as well."

Yuuri smiled at Victor, who did the same. The formal greeting seemed funny now that they're done it. Victor stood up first and helped Yuuri up. Once fully upright, Yuuri was pulled into a warm embrace by his fiancé.

"Thank you, Yuuri," Victor murmured in his ear, tenderness evident in his voice. Yuuri was about to reply when Victor added in a teasing manner, "Now all you need to do is hurry up and win the gold medal so I can kiss it and we can get married."

Yuuri couldn't help but burst out laughing at that. "I know, I know."

"And you have to become a five-time world champion."

Another laugh from Yuuri. "I remember, Victor."

"Good."

Yuuri leaned slightly away, then pulled Victor's head down for a tender kiss on the lips. "Now, let's eat." With that, the dark-haired man took a seat and started filling up their plates to assemble their Blini.

Victor was sure he had an indulgent expression on his face as he watched his fiancé. Everything had started that one night at the banquet more than a year ago, after getting swept off of his feet by the drunken boy who wanted to be his student.

If it weren't for that one moment, Victor wouldn't have found the meaning to life and love, wouldn't have fall so hard he was dizzy with excitement every single day. And it was all because of Yuuri.

Yuuri Katsuki, his beloved fiancé. Soon to be Yuuri Nikiforov, if he had his way. Victor just need to get Yuuri to beat him and win gold. The thought of being second place never seemed so alluring to Victor.

Until now.

Ah. He couldn't wait for the next level.

Happy birthday to the legendary Victor Nikiforov!

As I've always said, I can't draw, so here's my offering for this wonderful day: a short fanfic of the engaged couple.

Let me just say… I internally squealed so much whenever I typed out the word "fiancé". It's official, not just a figment of my shipper imagination. And it feels wonderful!

Anyways. Blini. I was Yuuri here and did some research on Russian cuisine. And since I wanted it to be set in Victor's apartment, where they will be living together (unless the anime shows otherwise in the second season, which I highly doubt), I thought it made sense to make the setting in the early morning. So, a traditional Russian breakfast it is.

I hope you liked reading this as much as I had fun writing it!