Fragile Hearts

Chapter 4

The music was giving Yuuri a pounding headache. He didn't think he could continue at the party for any longer. He didn't even know where Victor was anymore, having been left alone several minutes earlier as they went dancing with Chris. Yuuri knew nobody here but Victor and Chris, and him not well. Victor had neglected to introduce him to the others at the party, even the couple who were celebrating their anniversary. Yuuri noticed them across the room, two women, one with red hair and one with black, holding each other in a tight embrace. He sighed and looked away. He should have expected this. Being left alone and ignored at the party. Victor had probably only brought him so that they and their friends could laugh at him.

What was wrong with him? Yuuri pressed his fingers to his temples. On the way here he had been feeling so confident with himself. Now he was miserable. Even with his anxiety his mood didn't usually swing between extremes so fast.

Victor burst out of the dancing crowd, "Yuuri! Sweet Yuuri!" Chris followed soon after, and with thankfulness Yuuri noted they were both still clothed. Yuuri found himself smiling at Victor, marveling in how they made sweaty tangled hair look angelic. Victor threw themself into the chair next to Yuuri, groaning with his characteristic drama, "Please dance with me Yuuri! I am sure you are wonderful at it!" Chris rolled his eyes at his overdramatic friend and made his way back to the dance floor, this time pulling off a few articles of clothing.

Yuuri flushed, growing embarrassed of the mere thought of getting on the dance floor, "I-I'm not so sure Victor...I'm really not that good."

"My Yuuri-" Victor wrapped an arm around Yuuri's shoulder, and Yuuri flushed even more at that, "I will do anything for you if you dance with me tonight."

Yuuri stammered for several moments before collecting his thoughts and starting to answer, but before he could get any words out, he realized something horrible and familiar was happening to his body. The sensation wasn't stopping, and suddenly Yuuri's mood swings made terrible sense. "I-I have to go Victor. I'm sorry." With that, Yuuri turned and fled the party.

Tears built in his eyes as he left the building. He hailed a cab and was brought back to the apartment, holding back tears in the back seat. He managed to keep it together until he saw Phichit. The confused and disappointed look Phichit gave him when he saw Yuuri back so early was enough to send Yuuri into fits of bawling. Once Phichit realized what was going on he helped Yuuri clean up and get into bed. Yuuri was so delirious in his misery and guilt from leaving Victor that he didn't even notice Phichit urgently texting using Yuuri's phone as Yuuri drifted into sleep.

~

Yuuri woke to the sound of whispering voices next to him. He kept his eyes closed, still half asleep as he listened to the conversation.

"But Phichit, if you are so sure that he doesn't hate me then what is wrong?"

"I can't tell you that Victor, it's not my place."

A long drawn out sigh followed by, "He left me at that party...he didn't even say goodbye..."

"I know. He told me. He feels awful," Phichit sounded sad.

Suddenly Yuuri fully woke up and became aware of what was happening. He curled up as pain hit him and groaned, "Phichit?" He opened his eyes and looked up at Phichit, not meeting Victor's eyes.

Phichit stood from where he was sitting on the bed next to Victor, "I'll get you painkillers. You talk to Victor," he said sternly to Yuuri, and with that he left.

Yuuri flushed and looked away, feeling Victor move closer and starting when their hand brushes through his hair. "Yuuri? What is going on?" Yuuri didn't respond. "Please talk to me Yuuri. Phichit won't tell me anything except that you didn't ditch me because you wanted to and that you don't hate me. You don't do you?"

Victor sounded nothing like Yuuri had heard them before, anxious and insecure. It caused Yuuri to speak up, to reassure them. He didn't ever want Victor to feel like that, "Of course I don't hate you Victor!" He looked up at Victor with wide eyes. The sight that met him surprised him. Victor had dried tear tracks on their face and was looking at Yuuri with equal parts worry and nervousness. "I promise," Yuuri stated.

At that moment another wave of pain hit him and he groaned. Concern flitted across Victor's face, "Yuuri!" They exclaimed in concern. Yuuri knew he would have to explain. There was no more hiding. He had been trying to put this off ever since he met Victor. He didn't want to see the mild disgust in his eyes, as happened with most people once they found out. He didn't want to be treated like he wasn't normal. But most of all, he didn't want to lose Victor.

"Victor?" Yuuri whimpered, feeling Victor's hand run through his hair in response. "Your Majesty?" He said with a small smile gracing his face, to which Victor let out a weak giggle. "Promise you won't hate me. When I tell you." He wasn't looking at Victor anymore, a constricting feeling growing in his throat.

"Of course, my Yuuri." Victor pushed slightly sweaty hair out of Yuuri's face with tenderness that brought tears to Yuuri's eyes. "I could never hate you."

Yuuri doubted that, but he knew that he could no longer hide from Victor.