"Okay?" Victor repeats, confused.

"We can go down to the beach," Yuuri responds, cautiously shuffling out of the curtains, "and get to know each other."

Immediately, Victor's face lights up like sunshine.

Even without seeing Victor's whole face, Yuuri can tell that it's lighting up like the sun. His joy is so bright, it's almost blinding. And infectious, it seems, as Yuuri's heart flutters at the sight.

"You mean it? We can really go?" Victor asks, hope aching in his voice. Flushing, Yuuri nods. Immediately, Victor goes right back to tugging on the curtain, singing, "Alright then, let's go!"

Yuuri's heart leaps into his throat and he sputters, "Victor, wait—!"

He has no idea what he was asking Victor to wait for (or why he even thought it would work), but the realization that he'd soon be face-to-face with his idol/fiancé/childhood crush dawned on him the moment Victor stripped the curtain away. Now that he's standing in the middle of Victor's room with nothing to hide behind, he feels impossible bare—even though he's wearing his full wedding attire.

Victor is wearing his wedding clothes, too. And he looks...

Well. Ahem. He looks...

Amazing.

Victor wears a glittering white and gold tunic, the gold embroidered into intricate decorations along his chest. His pants are matching, with gold decorating the outside seams and the hem. The outfit is perfectly tailored to fit the mold of his body, showing off his lean and sculpted figure. There isn't a single wrinkle or crease in the fabric, as if imperfection simply can't exist on The Victor Nikiforov's body. A golden crown shines on top of his head. It makes him look effortlessly graceful.

Meanwhile, Victor is staring at him with wide blue eyes. "You look incredible," he utters, almost breathlessly.

Yuuri hastily looks away before the red hot blush takes over his entire face. He has yet to feel entirely comfortable in his own wedding attire, but when Victor looks at him like that, he can't help the flutter in his chest. He knows he doesn't look bad, not at all, but he's note sure he looks good enough to warrant such astonishment from Victor. He at least knows that his dark black and gray robes match his hair and make his eyes pop—at least, according to his mom, they do.

...On second thought, she's probably more than a little biased.

Still, Victor just paid him a compliment. A very kind one, too.

"Thank you," he responds, his cheeks still warm. "You look incredible as well."

Victor seems to recover himself from whatever trance he'd fallen into, winking and offering Yuuri his arm. "So charming! To the beach?"

Swallowing, Yuuri nods and takes Victor's arm. The feeling of Victor's arm in his sends a jolt through his heart. This might be the first time they've ever touched one and other. Victor feels firm yet soft all at once. Yuuri doesn't know why that contradiction excites him so much.

They slip out of the bedroom just as a guard passes by. Before they can be spotted, they press themselves flat behind a statue, holding their breath until the footsteps grow distant in another corridor. When the coast is clear, Victor smiles down at him. It's a blinding, breathtaking kind of smile. Yuuri's heart flutters as Victor takes him by the hand and hurries them out of the hallway.

As they sneak their way through the palace, Yuuri can't help but steal glances at Victor from time to time. Each glimpse makes his already racing heart speed up. As they pass through a hall of stained glass windows, a flood of colors cascade over Victor, glimmering in the gold of his wedding clothes. It reminds Yuuri of a mystical kaleidoscope, making Victor look like an ethereal seraph of light. Yet, despite the dazzling colors reflecting over his body, it's his eyes that really draw Yuuri in. No matter what color washes over them, the endless blue always prevails. Sometimes it's tinted in orange or purple or pink, but just like the ocean at sunset, the deep blue remains. Looking into those eyes makes Yuuri want to do very, very stupid things.

Seeing him like this makes Yuuri wonder how on Earth he ended up in this situation. Why would King Victor want to marry Yuuri, who's just another prince out of dozens to choose from? Of course, there's the alliance, but his and Victor's kingdoms have long been allies, long enough that there isn't much need for a marriage to secure the bond. Still, maintaining the alliance was the excuse Victor's court provided when they presented Yuuri's family with the marriage proposal, but Yuuri could tell that even they were scratching their heads over Victor's... unconventional choice.

Victor could have any prince or princess (likely with much more advantageous benefits, too), but he chose Yuuri. Yuuri tries not to read too deep into why that might be, lest his farfetched romantic hopes get the best of him. Perhaps Victor really does want to strengthen their alliance. It wouldn't be unheard of. And it would certainly be an explanation. Chances are, Victor chose him both for the alliance and for the sake of safety. If Victor had been pressured by his court to marry, he'd likely want to marry someone that he knew he could trust. Yuuri would like to think that although they don't know all that much about each other, Victor—at the very least— can trust him more than any other marriage candidates. Their kingdoms' long-standing alliance can at least contribute that much.

As Yuuri is lost in thought, they eventually turn into another corridor. Victor releases his hand, and Yuuri tries not to be too disappointed. He instead focuses his attention on Victor, who is peering around the corner with a thoughtful frown on his face, biting his lip in consternation. Yuuri stares.

"It's no good," Victor sighs, despondent. Gesturing around the corner, he explains, "The guards won't be moving anytime soon."

Yuuri takes a step closer, peeking around the corner. Sure enough, the palace gates are heavily guarded—likely in anticipation for the upcoming ceremony. If they want to go outside, they won't be able to go through there.

Looking around, Yuuri searches for another option before his eyes land on a nearby window. It's smaller and much more plain than the elaborate stained glass windows, only serving to let in a little sunlight and likely a cool breeze whenever it's opened. It's not open now, though, but it only takes a few seconds of grappling with the window lock before Yuuri pries it open.

A sweet, salty summer's breeze flows through the open window. Yuuri pokes his head out and sees the white beach sprawling out before him, the ocean's waves rolling gently to shore. When he looks down, he notices a sturdy looking mass of vines crawling up the wall.

"This way," he declares, already taking a step onto the window sill.

"Out the window?" Victor asks, surprised. His tone makes Yuuri pause and realize just how strange it is to climb through someone else's window. Yet, Victor doesn't look incredulous or affronted. Instead, a smile stretches onto his face as he says, "I should've known you were the bold type."

Yuuri flushes. He has no idea what to say to that, so he can only offer a hand and ask, "Are you coming?"

Yuuri feels incredibly awkward and stiff as Victor takes his hand, but Victor continues to smile like he's the most graceful thing in the world.

Slow and cautious, they make their way down the vines. Yuuri is careful to test their strength to make sure both he and Victor can climb down them in succession, because he has the sneaking suspicion that Victor wouldn't think to consider what the vines can support. The last thing Yuuri wants is for the wedding to end prematurely because Victor fell into the rose bushes.

When Yuuri touches the ground, Victor is still a few feet above him. Yuui takes a step back to give him plenty of space to land, but Victor seems to have other ideas.

"Yuuri!" He calls, stretching out the syllables of his name. "Catch me!"

He doesn't get enough time to tell Victor how stupid of an idea that is, because Victor promptly lets go of the vine and falls back. Flailing, Yuuri races forward with his arms outstretched, snatching Victor out of midair just in time. Unfortunately, in his anxious haste, he runs a little too fast and ends up crashing them both against the palace wall.

He groans, fixing his glasses. Meanwhile, Victor drops his head back against the stone wall and laughs, his arms wrapped around Yuuri's neck. When Yuuri looks up at him, he can't tell whether he wants to frown at him or laugh along. He settles instead for shaking his head and smiling in spite of himself before letting Victor down.

As soon as they're back on the ground, Victor takes Yuuri's hand back in his and leads them toward the shoreline. The sound of crashing waves is loud in Yuuri's ears, and the sun shines warmly down on him. It's a delightful scene. He wants nothing more than to bask in the radiance of it all.

It's strange to think that this place will soon be his home. But based on what he's seeing so far, he thinks he'll like it here. The beaches around Victor's palace aren't unlike the beaches back home. The smell of the ocean and the reflection of the sun is the very same. The temperature is the only thing that is a little different, but even then, Yuuri doesn't mind. The sheer beauty of the landscape erases any qualms about the weather.

He could get used to this.

Victor pulls them over to a patch of beach hidden behind a cove of trees. There's an oddly shaped tree in the center of the cluster, with a thick trunk branching out nearly parallel to the ground. With the practiced ease of someone who has walked this very path countless times before, Victor leads them to sit on the trunk. As Yuuri settles down beside him, he wonders how many times Victor has come to this very spot. Did he sneak away here as a child? Does he still use this place to hide away from the world? What kind of memories does he have here?

As if proving his point, Victor turns to rummage through the bushes, murmuring to himself, "I have a bottle of wine stashed... somewhere... in here..."

Just the thought of drinking before the wedding makes Yuuri's anxiety spike. He can already imagine himself getting carried away and drinking too much, and then making a complete fool of himself at the wedding...

If that happened, he'd never survive the embarrassment and public shame.

"I shouldn't drink," he quickly protests as soon as Victor retrieves the bottle from his hidden stash. Victo gives him a questioning look, his head tilting and his eyes wide with innocent curiosity. "I, um. Tend to go overboard when I've had too much to drink."

"Oh, right," Victor says. Oh right? What does that mean?! Does Yuuri somehow have a reputation over here already? If that's the case, Yuuri would like to cringe himself out of existence. Please. Victor puts the bottle away. "That's fine, we can save it for later."

Before Yuuri can say a word, their conversation is interrupted by a distant bark. Yuuri nearly jumps, thinking that they've already been caught breaking the rules—only to see an overzealous poodle prancing toward them. Victor's eyes light up at the sight of the lolling tongue and the excitable slobber, and he jumps off the tree trunk to open his arms to the charging pup.

"Makka!" He cries, his voice bubbling into a laugh as the poodle jumps and tries to lick his face. With a sing-song tone, he coos, "What are you doing here, silly girl? Did you follow us outside of the palace?"

Makka bounds away from him, jumping up into Yuuri's lap and eagerly slobbering all over his face. Yuuri sputters with laughter, holding her paws as she vigorously gives him attention. Tilting his chin up and squinting his eyes, he manages to catch a better glimpse of her past her tongue. Her curly fur bounces with her every jump, and her fluffy tail beats happily against the sand. Yuuri can't help but think of Vicchan when he looks at her. That thought sends a quick lance of pain through his heart.

By the time Makka bounds away from him and circles Victor's feet, Yuuri is covered in brown tufts of fur. He shakes the fur off his robes, smiling at Makka's hyperactivity. She yips as Victor picks up a nearby stick and throws it down the beach. She takes off in a flash, darting through the sand.

Victor laughs, watching with crinkled eyes as she pounces on the stick with the triumph of a successful hunter. She paws at it and chews on it, her tail wagging. After a while, she settles down in the sand, gnawing on the stick to her heart's content. In turn, Victor watches her for a moment longer before he rejoins Yuuri on the tree trunk.

"I guess you've officially met Makkachin, now," he jokes, dusting some leftover fur off Yuuri's robes. "She seems to like you."

Yuuri nods, watching her with a hint of longing. "She looks just like Vicchan."

Victor tilts his head curiously. "Vicchan?"

"Ah," Yuuri starts, sheepish at the reminder that he named a dog after his now fiancé. He hopes Victor never makes the connection. "Vicchan is my dog. He's back with my family right now." Rummaging around in his robes, he finds the small pocket he was looking for. Pulling out his phone, he says, "I can, um, show you some pictures of him. If you'd like."

Victor's eyes light up and he eagerly leans in, so Yuuri takes that as a 'yes.'