So this has once again taken a while...

I am sorry this update has also taken forever but now that uni is over for the summer I'm hoping I can once again give it some attention. I do really love writing this story and I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter :) Reviews are everything! Thank you!

"Please, can I have a look now?"

"No!" Phichit's frustrated voice came from the other side of the door like a slap in the face and Victor winced as he took a step away. He had been leaning against the solid wood of the door to Yuuri and Phichit's shared rooms and he could still feel its coolness against his hands and cheek where he had been trying to listen in on what was happening, with no success at all. "I'm not finished weaving my magic yet! You have to be patient!"

"But please, let me look!" Victor continued to plead, pressing his hands together even though he knew Phichit couldn't see him. "I'm dying out here!"

"Then perish!" Phichit's short sharp shout barked out, making Victor take another step back in alarm. A giggle came from the other side of the door and he pouted his lips and crossed his arms. Yuuri was in there, getting ready for the Imperial Dance with the assistance of Phichit, and he had been banned from seeing him until he was ready. For him, this was completely unfair; Yuuri was on the other side of that door, most likely looking gorgeous and perfect, and he wasn't allowed to see him. It was practically a crime.

He went to reach for the door handle but before his fingers could even brush it, the door opened a tiny crack and a low hiss emerged from the gap that sounded like a spitting cat was lurking within. "Don't even try it Victor!"

The Russian Crown Prince sprang away from the door like he had been scalded and a low chuckle came from behind him. "He still won't let you in? I don't know why you keep trying, there's no way he's going to let you see him."

"Shut up Chris." Victor pouted again as he spun around sharply, his robes swirling around him like rippling waves. He looked up at the clock on the nearby wall and frowned. "They've been in there for ages now! What's taking Phichit so long? Yuuri's already perfect, what does he really need to do?"

"Whilst the sentiment is very sweet of you mon ami, I think you're forgetting exactly where you are taking him." Chris said casually as he examined his own attire. His robes were a light airy pink colour, reminiscent of blooming sweet peas and the hems were trimmed in a sky-blue ribbon to contrast. The material seemed to float around him as he walked and Chris wasn't even trying to hide his own admiration of his outfit as he lifted it up to let it flutter around him like a butterfly's wing as much as possible. Victor had to smile at his friend's choice; Chris could never fade into the shadows, even if he tried and this glamourous outfit was certainly going to catch a few eyes. "You are taking a man many people would consider a lowly envoy to one of the most glamorous and important diplomatic events of the whole year. Everyone's eyes are going to be on him; everyone knows about your feelings for each other and they are going to be wondering what you see in him. He has to make a good impression Victor."

"I know that." Victor sighed, annoyed that everything Chris had said was true. This dance was a very important event and neither of them could afford to put even a toe wrong. The whole court was going to be a cast of hawks tonight and both of them knew they would already be sharpening their talons, waiting for something they could pounce on like a rabbit in a field. Even he felt a little sick at the thought and he had been attended these events since he was a teenager. He knew just how ruthless the gossips at the court could be and, with the surprise he had planned out, he knew they were going to be having a field day. "But still, I can't see why this is taking forever. All I want to do is see my Yuuri!"

"Victor, you have been waiting here for barely ten minutes." Chris deadpanned, raising a perfectly-sculpted eyebrow at him. "And you saw him just a few hours ago."

"That was only for a gap between meetings."

"That gap was over an hour long. Also, need I remind you how long you took to get ready for tonight? You spend forty minutes just picking a robe."

"Well, I needed to get the perfect one!" Victor protested. "I needed one that would go with Yuuri's!" He held out his sleeves so Chris could see his final choice in all its glory. The robe was similar to the one he had worn the day he had walked Yuuri through the gardens; it was the same shade of royal blue that he was so associated with but the soft silk was covered in large blue roses that were so big and so pressed together, it was almost impossible to spot the slightly lighter material in between them. The outline of each petal sparkled with silver thread and the stems that wove between them had been decorated with golden thorns to match the thick gold trim of the whole garment. It was one of Victor's favourites because of the rose print; he had had it made not long after his mother's death because the flowers reminded him so much of her. It made him feel closer to her somehow when he was wearing it, like he was bearing her emblem. However, he had taken a long time debating whether to wear it or not. He knew his father wanted him to wear the traditional family robe he had worn over his suit at the Winter Ball and in his mind, he could already picture how his father's nostrils would flare in disappointment when he caught sight of him. A frown flickered across his face at the thought but he gritted his teeth as he quickly forced it away. In the end, he didn't care what his father thought of it. The man had stopped caring about him long ago, why should he give a damn what he thought? It wasn't like he could do anything about it now anyway.

"I know Victor and I agree with your choice; that robe couldn't be any more becoming." Chris said quickly, seeing the glimmer of anger in Victor's eyes and steering him away from it. "I'm certain Yuuri will love it." There was a little smirk on his face when he spoke about his friend's beau and the mischievous look in his eyes made Victor smile again when he thought of what was happening on the other side of the door. Chris had come up with the plan when Victor had lamented to him that Yuuri had no suitable robes for the Imperial Ball and the royal tailor was already flooded with new robe orders from the rest of the aristocracy. They both knew it was going to cause a storm in the Russian court but instead of fearing the wrath of both his father and Yakov, Victor could only feel excitement. After tonight, there would be no denying what he and Yuuri felt for each other and no question over where his heart belonged. Let everybody talk! Victor thought proudly, feeling his heart swell at the thought of it. They won't be able to do a thing after tonight.

"I'm certain he will too. I can't wait for him to see it." Victor's grinned as he looked back down at his robe and carefully smoothed the fabric down. Part of the reason he had chosen this robe was because it reminded him not only of his mother but now of the day he had taken Yuuri down to visit his private lake. After they had skated and after he had invited Yuuri to this dance, they had spent a long while cuddled up underneath that willow tree, which Victor had now decided was one of his favourite places in the whole world. It had been so peaceful there, with Yuuri curled up against his side and no one there to bother them, he had nearly dozed off several times, carried away by dreams that they could both remain there forever. It had only been when it reached midday and they both realised Yuuri still had work to do when they had grudgingly separated but not before Victor had shown him the few blue rose bushes that still remained growing in the garden. As it was winter, there had only been a few tiny blooms but Yuuri had still been overjoyed to see them.

"They're so beautiful," he had said as he cupped one in his hands, his voice filled with awe. "I can see why you love them so much. They might not be as big as the ones in the palace but they've had to work harder to get this far. In a way, it makes them even more stunning."

Even thinking about that moment was enough to make Victor grin ear to ear and he had been so happy, he had picked a few of the flowers and insisted Yuuri take them back to his room. At first, Yuuri had protested against it, saying they were his and he couldn't possibly take something so precious, but after a lot of gentle persuading (and lots of kisses) Yuuri had finally agreed to taking them. After that, they had walked back through the gardens, Victor personally escorting Yuuri to his first meeting of the day with their hands firmly entwined. By that point, it had been early afternoon and the gardens had been full of courtiers, many of whom had spotted the pair as they walked back. They had made their way back to the palace among a fog of whispers and raised eyebrows but instead of shrinking away from him, Yuuri had only held onto his hand tighter and kept his head high. His cheeks had been pink almost the entire way back and he had nearly squealed in embarrassment when Victor had led him right up to the door of the meeting room and practically pushed him through but Victor had never been more proud of him. He knew it had taken a lot for Yuuri to display that level of affection in public and he was overjoyed by the fact that he had been willing to do it for him.

Since that day, Victor had met up with Yuuri at every possible opportunity. Whenever Yakov gave Victor a break from studying documents and Yuuri had no meetings or other business to attend too, the two of them would arrange to meet in Georgi's spacious office. It was the perfect place to meet as not only was it tucked away in the royal rooms of the palace, there was also nearly always a chaperone there in the form of either Georgi or Mila, who were happy to sit in a corner and work as the two talked. Chris too occasionally dropped in to see the 'lovebirds' as he teased them, which never failed to make Yuuri blush and Victor laugh, but he was never normally there for long as he always had something he needed to flit off too. Georgi was naturally disapproving of this ("Can't the man see that this is for your reputation? Though honestly, I don't think he's ever thought about anyone's reputation in his life, let alone his own…") but he had quickly warmed to both Victor and Yuuri spending a large amount of time in his office. Like Victor had said, he was a true romantic at heart and it greatly pleased him to see his old childhood friend laughing and smiling, his eyes alight with something that hadn't been there for a long time. Sometimes, if his workload wasn't too heavy, he would join in their conversations, which Yuuri greatly enjoyed as Georgi nearly always let slip some embarrassing story about their childhood that had them all in stitches.

"Victor, why didn't you tell him you once clogged up the fountains with dead fish from the kitchen because someone told you it would bring them back to life?" He had cried out on their most recent visit earlier that day, after telling Yuuri the full story on how Victor had snuck fish from his plate and put it in the foundations, resulting weeks later in a terrible fish smell and extensive repairs to unblock it. Tears had been streaming down his face and by the end, he had been laughing so hard, he had seemed on the verge of choking. "That was brilliant when they found all that stinking fish in the pipes and you were just standing there crying because they weren't swimming again!"

"I was only six Georgi!" Victor had protested, watching as the head of his household and his love had been practically grabbing onto each other in their laughter in an attempt not to tumble off their seats. "And I'm pretty sure you were the one who put the idea in my head after you read that mermaid book!"

Still, Victor hadn't resented any of the ribbing that had come with their conversations with Georgi. Despite his many desperate pleas, Anya was still keeping him firmly at arm's length and the son of an important general was already rumoured to be courting her, with a heavy emphasis on wanting to finally win her hand. These rumours had shattered the pieces of Georgi's already broken heart and Victor, who had witnessed all of his problems and break ups with Anya, was honestly just glad to see him laughing again, even if it was at his expense.

Mila too was happy to chat with them after she had finished her paperwork. She never usually got a lot as most of her time was spent training her guards and patrolling with them but when she did have to sit down and deal with reports, she would speed through her papers with such a grim determination to get it finished that she would growl if anyone tried to approach her. When she was like that, she scared even Victor and frankly terrified Yuuri. Yuuri had been a little wary of her at first. When he had first met her, she had seemed very intimidating and intense; he could still remember how quickly she had managed to disperse the crowd that had overwhelmed him and it had made him nervous of her. However, he had soon realised she was someone he didn't have to be afraid of. Mila was a mostly chirpy person who only wanted to have fun. She was always quick with her tongue and no matter how hard they tried, none of the guys were ever able to get her back when she teased them mercilessly. She had taken to Yuuri the first time she had met him and the more time they spent hanging out in Georgi's office, the bigger her soft spot for him had grown.

"You know Victor, Yuuri's so adorable I'm surprised no one has tried to steal him away from you already." She had once said, going to pinch Yuuri's cheeks once again like she was his maiden aunt. "Maybe I should start teaching him some basic fighting moves, just in case…"

"I don't think anyone's going to try and kidnap me Mila…" Yuuri had said hesitantly, leaning back to try and avoid both her grabbing hands and Victor's hard stare at the thought of anyone even trying to take him away. "But thanks for the offer, that's really nice of you…"

Victor smiled at the memories. He enjoyed it when Georgi and Mila got involved in their discussions; he loved the fact that two of his closest friends, people he considered family, were so accepting of Yuuri and genuinely seemed to like him but his favourite times were when it was just the two of them. They could talk for hours about absolutely anything and Victor never felt like he had to pretend to be something else. When he was with Yuuri, he didn't have to think about minding his body language or keeping his face in a plaster-stiff smile. He didn't have to carefully ponder each word he said, for fear something could be twisted and reported back to his father. In the comfort of Georgi's office, when it was just him and Yuuri curled up in his worn chairs, he could be as excited and exuberant as he wanted to, with no one to tell him that he needed to have more decorum. He could say the first thing that came to his mind, no matter how ridiculous it was, and Yuuri wouldn't care. He was much quieter than Victor but with every hour they spent together, he got a little bolder and it pleased Victor to see him emerging from his shell. Every day, it felt like he learnt something new about him and Victor wanted to know everything there was to know.

He was still daydreaming when the door in front of him opened a tiny crack and Victor jumped forwards to try and peer into the room. "Phichit!" He cried out excitedly as a wide brown eye peeped out at him. "Is Yuuri ready now? Can I see him please, I can't wait!"

"Actually… Yuuri's not quite done yet." Phichit confessed slowly, his eye constantly darting behind him worriedly like he was scared of something flying out behind him. "This is taking a while and I don't know if you've noticed the time Victor but the dance is almost about to begin."

"My Lord, he's right!" Chris said, his voice panicked as he stared down the corridor. Very faint distant music was beginning to rise through the building, indicating that the ball was about to get underway, and Chris looked stricken at the sound. "Everyone's going to be expecting you Victor, we have to move now!"

"But what about Yuuri?" Victor asked, ignoring Chris when he tried to shove him away from the door and giving Phichit a pleading look. "I can't go down without him!"

"Don't worry Victor, he'll be along soon." Phichit told him almost frantically. "I just have to make a few finishing touches and then we'll be done here. We'll only be ten minutes late, I promise but you need to go!"

The desperate tones of both Phichit and his best friend were enough to make Victor realise the severity of the situation and he finally turned away from the door. "You will hurry, won't you?" He asked worriedly, hesitating briefly as he turned his head back. Chris gave a groan and tugged on his sleeve urgently but Victor was unmoving, still as a statue as he looked back at Phichit with eyes filled with concern. "Yuuri is alright, isn't he?"

Phichit opened the door just enough to shoot him a wide smile. "He's fine, don't worry!" He said, his smile alarmingly white as he motioned for him to shoo. "Now get moving or you really will be late!"

"Yes, come on Victor!" Chris begged once again and this time, Victor finally heeded his words as he turned back around and dashed down the corridor like the wind was at his heels. Chris gave a relieved sigh before he quickly followed him, his robe billowing around him like a pink sail. With the corridor now empty, Phichit could hear the distant music as it grew louder and he sucked in a worried breath.

"OK Yuuri, they've gone now, you can relax." He said, firmly closing the door to shut out the music as he turned to face the curled-up figure on his bed. "Sit up and take a deep breath, you'll feel better if you do."

"I can't do this Phichit." Yuuri said, his voice out of breath like he had just been running around the palace gardens. His body was tucked into a ball on Phichit's bed, the sheets rippled around him from where he had collapsed onto his side. His face was pale and clammy underneath the thin layer of make-up Phichit had managed to put on him before he started panicking and his hands were bunched so tightly into his fists, his arms were trembling. His eyes were wide and fearful as he refused to look up at the wardrobe where his robe for that night had been draped, like he would be cursed on the spot if he looked at it. He looked like he was being prepared for execution rather than a ball and Phichit gently cooed at him as he knelt down by the side of the bed.

"Of course you can Yuuri." He said soothingly, reaching out a hand to rub small circles into Yuuri's shoulder. "You are going to have a wonderful time at the ball, you know you will. Take some deep breaths for me, nice and steady…"

"I can't do it Phichit." Yuuri repeated. He was trying to take long breaths to match Phichit's own reassuring movements but each time he felt close to calming down a little, his panic would take hold of him again, flooding his senses to the point that his whole body was shaking and he couldn't take anything in. "I can't go out there in front of all those people, I just can't. What if I do something stupid again? What if I get stupidly drunk again and make a huge mess? What if I disappoint Victor so much he decides he never wants to see me again? I couldn't face that Phichit…" His hand snapped out to grasp at Phichit's arm and when Phichit looked back up at his face, he saw that there were tears in his eyes. "I just can't…"

"That won't happen Yuuri." Phichit said firmly, holding onto Yuuri's hand and using the leverage it gave him to pull him up into a sitting position. "Let's take a minute to breathe, come on…" He let Yuuri lean into his shoulder as he continued to tremble like he was in an earthquake and gave a worried sigh. He had suspected something like this might happen but he hadn't thought it would be this bad. Yuuri's anxiety had started to build earlier that afternoon when a surprise delivery of one of Victor's robes had arrived at their door, presented by a servant in royal livery. He had been the one to hang it on their wardrobe door, handling it like it was made of gold and when he had left, he had thrown a dirty look at the pair of them, like their mere presence would sully the garment. Yuuri thankfully hadn't noticed his face; he had been so shocked at the gift, he had only been able to stare at it, his mouth unable to form words as he gawped at its extravagance. It had taken Phichit ten minutes to get a single sentence out of him but once he had, Yuuri hadn't stopped.

"Do you realise what this is?!" He had cried out, his fingers digging like claws into Phichit's shoulders. "This was the robe he wore to his coming of age ceremony when he was 16! It caused such a stir across Europe, it was in all the news sheets! And he wore it to Japan on his state visit there… I remember seeing it and thinking it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! And now I'm going to wear it…"

His face had been both delighted and terrified and as he continued to stare at it, his hand hovering over it like he wasn't sure whether he could touch it, Phichit had seen the first traces of anxiety begin to creep into his eyes. When Phichit had started to help him get ready, he had gone strangely quiet and when Victor had appeared outside the door, he had looked like he was on the verge of being sick. Now, just as the ball was starting, he was in the middle of a full-blown meltdown and all Phichit could think to do was hold him. Yuuri's anxiety was a beast that he had had to contend with many times and he hated the fact that it could hurt his best friend so much. It pained him to see how little Yuuri thought of himself when everyone who knew him could see how talented and wonderful he was. If he had the power, he would make all that doubt in his head disappear but he knew he couldn't wipe away years of self-hatred and low self-esteem by himself. All he could do was give Yuuri as much reassurance as he could and prove those voices in his head that told him such hateful things that they were wrong.

"Do you feel any better?" He said softly and he felt Yuuri shake his head against his shoulder. He appeared to be trying to bury his face in Phichit's robe and when his eyes peered up at him, his slicked back hair was now sticking up in mad spikes.

"I don't think I can do out there Phichit, not in that robe. Everyone will know that he gave that to me and they will be staring at me and talking…" He gave another small sob and clung even harder to Phichit. "Everyone will know about us now and I don't know how I'm going to handle it… I know people have already been talking but they aren't going to stop now and I don't think I could cope it if they were insulting me and V-Victor…" Tears welled in his eyes at the mention of Victor's name and Phichit hurriedly pulled him closer and hugged him. "I don't w-want to b-be the cause of V-Victor being u-u-unhap-py…"

"That wouldn't happen!" Phichit said, outraged at the very thought. "Victor adores you, you couldn't make him unhappy if you tried! Victor gave you that robe because he wants the whole court to know about you two, he wouldn't do this if he wanted to keep you a secret. He's not even been trying to keep you under wraps and you know it. Why else would he go walking in the gardens with you and escort you everywhere he can?"

"But… but what about what everyone else is going to say? People are going to be furious…"

"And so what?" Phichit drew back and looked Yuuri directly in the eyes, putting his hands on his red cheeks so he couldn't look away. "Who cares? People are going to be nasty and spiteful no matter what, you can't change that. And there are always going to be people jealous of Victor, that happens when people are in power or are beautiful. But you can't let your life be dictated by them. You have to do what makes you happy and not give a damn about everyone else."

"But Victor's father…"

"Will have to accept his decision whether he likes it or not." Phichit smiled at Yuuri as he ran his hands back through his hair to smooth it down. "Victor has already shown he's not going to give you up just for the sake of other people. Do you want to give him up?"

Yuuri rubbed at his eyes with the hem of his sleeve and when his eyes once again met Phichit's, they were filled with a steely determination. His mouth formed a stubborn pout and he drew himself back up like he was readying himself for battle. "No, I'm not."

"Excellent." Phichit grinned at him, feeling the lightness and enthusiasum from before flooding back into the room. "Now, let's get ready for the ball!"

OOO

He's still not here yet, Victor thought anxiously, his fingers toying with an empty champagne glass as he surveyed the large room with the hunger of a staving man. The ball was well under way and the ballroom was bursting with music and chatter. Everybody who was anybody in the Russian court was there enjoying themselves, decked in such colourful finery, it would have put the brightest peacock to shame. Everywhere he looked, Victor could see the sparkles and shimmers of hundreds possibly thousands of jewels that seemed to drip from the guests like rain but the brightest jewel of them all, in his opinion, was nowhere to be seen. He could feel himself gripping his crystal glass almost to its breaking point and he released it with a sigh. Phichit's promised ten minutes had passed a short while ago and he was beginning to get very worried. Where was Yuuri? Was he having second thoughts about coming?

He sighed again as a waiter waltzed past and hurriedly filled his glass with champagne. He murmured his thanks and took a sip but the bubbly drink only served to remind him what he was missing. Without Yuuri, this whole ball seemed flat, like all of the fun had been drained away from it. He almost felt like scoffing at himself; he had been attending these dreary events for what felt like forever and Yuuri had only been at one. Still, he couldn't ignore the fact that he felt emptier. It was like he had had a taste of something magical that night at the Winter Ball and now, nothing but that taste would do. He looked back over at the door, hoping against hope that Yuuri would be standing at the top of the steps, but there was nobody standing there, just like the dozen other times he had looked up there.

He turned away, trying to get absorbed into the swell of conversation but his mind kept wandering back to what was potentially happening in Yuuri and Phichit's bedroom. Were they still there? He pondered anxiously, struggling to keep his fake smile in place. Was Yuuri having a panic attack? He had told Victor how badly he suffered from anxiety in Georgi's office and how it often restricted him by making him feel like he was worthless and couldn't do it. It had pained Victor to hear how he could sometimes think so little of himself and he could remember how he had taken Yuuri's hands and told him earnestly that he thought he was perfect. Yuuri had blushed and tried to hide his face in his robes, smiling sweetly at his words but Victor wasn't sure how much of it he had actually believed. It was clear that it was something he really struggled with and, if he was honest, Victor didn't know what to do. Anxiety wasn't really something he had seen at court; everyone here had to be confident and sure of themselves and their power or else they would never get anywhere. Yuuri wasn't anything like that and whilst Victor loved that about him, he was also very unsure of how to handle it. Maybe the robe was a bad idea, he thought with a just audible groan. It was probably too much for him too soon, I should have realised that…

The thought of Yuuri being upset at something he had done was enough to make him want to cry and tears had sprung to his eyes before he had even thought about composing himself. He hurriedly wiped them away, trying to make the action as discreet as possible but when he heard a sharp voice cut in from behind him, he realised he hadn't been successful.

"What are you snivelling about?" Yuri snapped as he walked up to him, his face creased in a frown that was only thinly veiled by a layer of his blond hair. Lilia had been unable to do his hair for the Imperial Dance as she was too busy trying to get the palace in order and, in a strop, Yuri had insisted on doing it himself. However, it turned out his many creative talents did not extend to hair-styling and his multiple attempts had failed, meaning he had been forced to leave it loose. His angry brushing caused his hair to fluff up dramatically and, even though he now looked like he had the hair of an angel, it had put him in even more of a sour mood. His demeanour hadn't been helped by the outfit their father had insisted on him wearing. After the Winter Ball and the fuss Yuri's rebellious purple suit had caused, the King had made Yuri dress in one of Victor's old robes from his first event. It was long and flowing in the style of a traditional robe and the silk was entirely silver with a black diamond pattern all over it. The collar was dark grey and high on his neck like a choker and the shoulders and sleeves were decorated with white silk frills that resembled licks of light flame. It was nothing like what Yuri usually wore and it was clear from the furious look on his face that he was hating every minute he had to spend in it.

"Well?" He glared at Victor sullenly as he sniffed and tried to look away, like it was his fault he was stuck in his old robes. "Is it because your envoy hasn't bothered to show up?"

"Shut up Yurio." Victor spat back, enjoying the furious look his brother gave him at the nickname. He had insisted on calling him Yurio since the morning he had known they shared a name and he still found it funny when he got so wound up about it. "He should be here soon anyway. I don't know why I'm worrying."

"So you are crying about it then. You soppy moron." Yuri huffed as he crossed his arms and went to walk away but when he heard a loud sniff from behind him, he hesitated. "Why are you so worried anyway? He's still got plenty of time, there are still tons of guests arriving. It's not a big deal."

"It's not that he's late," Victor admitted, slyly wiping his eyes again. "It's that he might not come at all. I fear I've pushed him too far and that I've scared him away by trying to do too much too soon… and now he won't want to be seen with me." His voice nearly cracked as he spoke and he might have crumbled if a handkerchief hadn't been suddenly thrusted in front of his nose.

"Urgh, stop being disgusting and wipe your face, for Christ's sake. You're going to cause a scene." Yuri told him, refusing to look in his direction but still waving the piece of embroidered white fabric in front of Victor's face so no one could see his reddening eyes. Victor took it gratefully and heartily blew his nose.

"Thank you Yurio. I really appreciate it."

"Tch." Yuri snorted dismissively. "I only did it because Father would get angry if you started bawling before the dance had even got underway. And, even though you forgot to the first time, you did get me out of the army so I do kind of owe you." He paused for a minute, waiting as Victor continued to correct his appearance, delicately wiping under his eyes and smoothing his robes before he tucked the handkerchief up his sleeve. "I'm sure your envoy or whatever he is will be along soon. He's probably just taking his time because he wants to make an entrance, everybody does it. Buch of morons, it just makes them look dumb because they're late."

Victor chuckled. "Yuuri isn't that kind of a person, Yurio. He hates drawing attention to himself usually- the Winter Ball was a bit of an exception."

"Then what's he doing courting you?" Yurio exclaimed angrily. "That's the best way to draw attention in this place! Is he stupid or what?!"

"I think we're both a little stupid right now." Victor said, looking down at the hem of his robe with a small fond smile before doubt flickered across his face again. "If he doesn't come… I don't know what I'll do Yurio. I've never felt like this about anyone before and even though it feels amazing most of the time, it hurts a lot too. I don't know what the future holds for us but it already doesn't look good, what with Father and everything else… What if he decides that all of this trouble, all of this drama isn't worth it? What if he decides I'm not worth it?"

Yuri tossed his head back and gave a long groan. "God, you're so overthinking this." Seeing his brother's face, he quickly straightened back up and continued to speak to him but in a much softer and less annoyed tone. "Listen, I don't think that's going to happen. Everyone at the Winter Ball saw how gross you two were being together and they would all have to be blind not to recognise that the two of you were being genuine. I saw the way that guy was looking at you and, even though it was sickening, I didn't doubt that he meant it." He paused, watching as Victor turned his head towards him and gave him a soft smile. "Now, don't get all sappy on me, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. Maybe the guy is a bit skittish but he will come. He won't want to let you down."

"Oh Yurio." Victor choked out, clasped his hands as his eyes welled up with tears again. "That's one of the sweetest things you've ever said to me! I knew you approved of us! Thank you!"

"Hey, don't start getting touchy-feely!" Yurio quickly recoiled as Victor spread his arms wide and moved towards him. "And anyway, I think there's someone here now who'll want to actually embrace you."

"What?" Victor said confused before he suddenly realised that not only had the chatter in the ballroom died down, leaving the music from the orchestra as the only sound, but all of the guests were staring at the entrance, their eyes wide in shock like there was a mystical creature standing there. Turning slowly, he followed their eyes as they continued to gawp at the doors and when he saw what was standing there, he gave a great gasp of his own.

Making his way slowly down the staircase, with a smug-looking Phichit following a few steps behind him, a resplendent looking Yuuri was walking towards him, decked in the finery of his robe. His head was head high as he descended the stairs and entered the ballroom and as he reached the crowd, they parted for him like the Red Sea. Victor felt his glass slip through his suddenly lax fingers and distantly heard it shattering but he barely even registered it, not even when the champagne soaked into the bottom of his robe. All he could do was stare breathlessly as Yuuri approached him, a small smirk on his lips like he knew exactly what he was doing to Victor.

"Holy shit." Victor heard Yuri curse loudly behind him as he jumped away to avoid the rapidly spreading puddle and he would have gone to reprimand him if he hadn't felt so powerless over his own body. As Yuuri approached, he could only drink in the sight of him like a parched man and he wondered why he hadn't asked Yuuri to wear his robes before. The garment fitted Yuuri like it had been made for him, the black fabric skimming the lines of his body like it was embracing them. The slim bodice and tight trousers had a long cloak draped from its shoulders that spilled down Yuuri's back and brushed the floor and a short skirt panel that hung over one hip, only just making the outfit qualify as a robe. The cloak and skirt were both lined with a shockingly-bright scarlet that perfectly matched the hue of Yuuri's lips and Victor could feel his mouth going dry as he tried not to think of what that lipstick would taste like. Part of the bodice and one long sleeve had been made out of thin mesh and the thought that he was so close to baring skin in front of everyone was making his cheeks flush a light rose colour and making Victor feel like he was going to swoon. The outfit was set off by several large chunks of glittering gems that were slashed across his shoulders and down his sides. They made Yuuri look like he was wearing the stars and when he had crossed the ballroom to stand in front of Victor, he was surprised he didn't sink to his own knees in worship. Yuuri looked like a god of the night sky who had come down from the heavens to bless him and Victor felt lost in awe. Somewhere in his mind, he recalled the comment Chris made about Yuuri being the servant of Eros and he almost wanted to laugh. In this outfit, and with that look on his face, Yuuri could have been Eros himself.

"Your Highness." Yuuri practically purred as he stood a few paces from Victor and sunk into a low curtesy. His robes spilled onto the floor like black ink and Victor couldn't drag his eyes away. All the air felt like it had been punched from his lungs and as he stared at the figure before him, he couldn't quite believe that he was real. All around him, he could hear the mutterings of the shocked courtiers, some of whom were staring at Yuuri like he had dared to wear rags.

"What on earth is he wearing?"

"It can't be that robe, the Crown Prince would surely never…"

"That has to be it, what other garment looks like that?"

"I've never seen anything like this in my life! It's scandalous!"

Victor felt like snorting. The only thing that was scandalous to him was that nobody had thought to dress Yuuri like this before. It was practically criminal for him not to be appreciated for how stunning he was and as he slowly rose and looked back up at Victor, he was even more floored than before.

"You came." He whispered, watching as Yuuri gave him a soft smile.

"I did." He said shakily, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself. He then held out his hand in a flourish and grinned at him. "May I have this next dance, Your Highness?"

Victor took his hand with a wide smile, feeling how Yuuri's fingers curled tightly around it. "Of course."

They turned and walked out onto the dance floor amid a flurry of mutterings and shocked gasps. Victor could feel the eyes on everyone there on him but surprisingly, he felt weightless, like he was floating on air. He suddenly found that it didn't matter to him that everyone was watching them; all he cared about was the fact that Yuuri was there, holding onto his hand. And it was a wondrous feeling.

He felt Yuuri squeeze his hand and when he turned his head to look at him, he was smiling shyly. "You look wonderful Victor." He said and Victor chuckled again.

"I look wonderful?" He softly grinned at him. "Have you seen yourself Yuuri? You are stunning tonight."

Yuuri blushed. "It was mainly Phichit. He helped a lot."

"I'll have to give him a raise." Victor murmured. "Or a knighthood."

Yuuri threw his head back and laughed just as they reached the centre of the ballroom and they both turned to properly face each other. In unison, they stepped forwards so their bodies were only a few inches apart and Victor wasted no time putting one hand firmly in Yuuri's and the other on his hip. He felt Yuuri start a little at the unexpected contact and he grinned again. It still amused him how sultry he could be one minute and yet so innocent in the next. He could sense Yuuri was getting nervous from the delicate way he placed his other hand on Victor's shoulder and he gave his hand a squeeze.

"Don't worry." He whispered to him as more couples poured onto the dancefloor around them and the tapping sound of a conductor's baton signified the next dance was about to start. "Don't focus on them, don't even think about them. It's just you and me in here, no one else."

Yuuri opened his mouth, intent on telling him that that really wasn't the case, but before he could say anything, the music started with a great swell of string instruments and Victor started leading him in a waltz. He started slowly, moving them in small circles as the other couples dipped and swirled their way around them. He wasn't quite sure how Yuuri would take to it; he had seen Yuuri's dancing abilities first-hand and seen how impressive they were when he had no inhibitions but he was aware this was an entirely different situation and he didn't want to alarm him. However, he quickly realised that he had had nothing to fear as Yuuri effortlessly glided into the dance like a swan into water. The two of them were easily able to flow around the dancefloor and, as more people joined the dance and hid them better in the crowd, Victor was able to nudge Yuuri a little closer as the music changed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked him, giving him a look of concern. "I was worried earlier when you were running late- I thought you were panicking and you weren't going to come."

"I was." Yuuri said with a slightly pained look. It seemed strange to him now that barely half an hour ago, he had been weeping on Phichit's shoulder believing that the night would be a disaster. Now, as he and Victor spun around the ballroom, he felt like he was in heaven and his previous anxiety just seemed foolish. "I really was scared about coming out here but Phichit convinced me that everything would be fine and it would go well. And he was right." He gave Victor a smile and the Crown Prince smiled back overjoyed.

"I'm glad." He told him happily. "And it seems I have a lot to thank Phichit for tonight. I'll definitely get him a knighthood."

Yuuri laughed again. "Just find a way for him to have unlimited camera reels and he'll be a happy man."

"Consider it done." Yuuri laughed again and Victor felt almost giddy at the sound as he went to spin Yuuri under his arm. Hearing Yuuri laugh was like being exposed to pure sunlight and he wasn't sure how much of it he could take without his heart giving out. As Yuuri twirled, he took the opportunity to put his hand on the small of his back and draw him closer, to the point where their bodies were touching. He could only just hear the second wave of gasps that rippled through the room and he fancied that he could hear Yakov somewhere grinding his teeth in frustration but he ignored it all. It was worth it simply to see the blush that rose on Yuuri's cheeks and the small surprised noise he made when he realised how close Victor's face was to his.

"Aren't people going to have an issue with this?" He asked and Victor could hear how his eyebrow raised in his voice. His tone was playful rather than scandalised and the slight cheekiness of the question only spurred him on.

"Maybe." He answered, letting his hand move half an inch lower. As the music swelled, he elegantly turned and dipped Yuuri, letting him drop so low, his head nearly brushed the floor. Yuuri laughed as he opened his eyes and saw a row of shocked faces staring at him. He felt secure and safe in Victor's arms and his dancing instincts made him lean his head back, exposing the long line of his neck to everyone. As Victor lifted him up, Yuuri let a giggle escape him but he himself was surprised when suddenly Victor leant over and kissed him on the cheek in full view of everyone. He stared at him with wide eyes, his body frozen for a short moment, until Victor warmly smiled back at him.

"But who cares?"

Interesting and very random fact: the word imperial can also mean a small pointed beard growing below the lower lip associated with Napoleon III of France. How crazy is that?