"Don't do it."

Yuuri's hands immediately retighten around the railing, him looking back to see the third class man who was looking up at him earlier that day. There were so many things that he wanted to say, what he wanted to ask. Like, why he was even up here in the first place? But instead, he couldn't help but get defensive. After all, he didn't want to kill himself while that man was watching him. "Stay back! Don't come any closer!" He said, looking desperately. Viktor calmly took a few steps forward, holding out his hands in a gesture to mean that he intended no harm. "Come, come, calm down. Here, give me your hand, I'll pull you back over." "No, stay where you are! I'll let go!" He said, turning back to the water. Viktor stopped for a moment before coming over to him, staying a safe five feet away from the other man so he wouldn't panic and let go. Obviously, he was scared and it seemed like he didn't really want to do this. If he had wanted to do it, it wouldn't have mattered if anyone saw him do it. "...No you won't." Yuuri frowned and turned to him, sure that he didn't hear him right. "What?" "You won't jump. If you were serious about it, you would have done it a while ago, whether or not someone was watching." Viktor pointed out. While true, Yuuri scoffed at him. "You certainly must think you know me better than you do, with all of the assumptions you're making." Viktor couldn't help but laugh a bit at the mans words. "You're right, my apologies. I don't know you, and I really have no reason to want you alive. But," he said as he drew closer, laying his hand over Yuuri's and looking at him genuinely, "I don't think that any man or woman as beautiful as you should be hurling themselves off the ends of ships." Yuuri couldn't help the small pink hue that came to his cheeks at the platinum haired mans words and actions. "You see, I would really like if you climbed back over. I would be more than willing to be an ear for you, a shoulder for you to cry on, if you wish." He said, moving to press his chest against the mans back, both hands over his on the railings. "Won't you turn around? If you talk to me and still feel like killing yourself, I won't stop you. But I'd like the chance to save you first." Yuuri's breath grew shakier, as he was suddenly aware of the huge fall awaiting him if he didn't turn back around to him. Holding the mans hands tightly, he slowly and carefully turned, chocolate and violet melting together as their eyes met. "There we are." Viktor smiled. "Now, can I know your name?" "Yuuri Toshiya Katsuki." Viktor grinned a bit. "I'll have to have you write that one down." Viktor's grin widened at the soft laugh that Yuuri gave, feeling pride in being able to make the man climb over and smile. "My name is Viktor Nikiforov. Let's get you back on deck." Yuuri nodded and let the man hold his upper arms, him starting to climb up the rungs of the railing.

However, he had forgotten that his jacket was over one of the rungs and he stepped on it, the jacket sliding and making Yuuri fall. If not for Viktor's hands tightly and instinctively gripping his arms, he would have fallen into the ocean. "Help, help! Pull me up!" "Listen to me, listen! I've got you, I won't let go." Viktor tugged Yuuri up, but lost his grip, him slipping down once again, though Viktor still held on tightly. "Help, please!" Yuuri cried, his heart racing. Viktor pulled him up close, grabbing his arms, then wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him up and over the railing, the both of them falling on the deck. When they fell, three crew members who had heard the yelling ran to them, though very clearly misread the scene. Viktor, a third class passenger, was leaned over Yuuri, a first class passenger who had his jacket removed, his hat missing, his pants tugged open because of a screw catching on his fly, his body quivering and tears still in his eyes from nearly falling. Their eyes widened and two men immediately came and grabbed Viktor, tugging him back. "Get off'a him, ya queer!" They yelled, holding him away from Yuuri. "Go fetch the master at arms." One of them said, the third man hurrying off to do as asked.

Within five minutes, Yuuri was sat on a bench with a blanket around his shoulders, Viktor being handcuffed and held before JJ. "What makes you think you can make the moves on my fiance?" She asked, though Viktor ignore her and moved his head to the side, wanting to see if Yuuri was okay. "Look at me, not him!" "No offence, doll, but I don't care about you." She glared and grabbed his collar. "You insolent shit." "JJ." Yuuri said, repeating, "Jacqueline!" when she didn't hear. "It's not his fault. I slipped." She looked at her fiance, cocking a brow in confusion. "What do you mean?" "I slipped. I was leaning overboard to look at the... the... ah... ah..." "Propellors?" "Yes! I leaned much too far over and I slipped and I would have went over if Mr. Nikiforov wasn't there." Everyone looked at him strangely, not really believing him, though there was only one other person who could validate his story. "Was that the way of it?" The master at arms asked, looking to Viktor. Viktor's mouth fell open, him glancing to Yuuri and seeing his pleading look before responding, "Yes, that was what happened. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding." "A man too curious is never a good thing." One of JJ's friends commented, though she smiled at Viktor. "Well, then he's a hero!" JJ didn't look satisfied at that, but there wasn't much else she could do to get Viktor arrested. After all, they both said the same thing. "Lets go Yuuri. Goodness, you must be freezing without your jacket." She stared to lead Yuuri away before hearing her friend clear her throats and gesture to Viktor. "Perhaps something for the man?" JJ furrowed her brows before looking to the guard her and Yuuri had. "Celestino, I think a twenty will do it?" "Is that the running rate for saving the man you 'love'?" She looked displeased at that humming, "Ah, my bad. Hm, how about this? How about you join us for dinner tomorrow night? Regale us with your brave tale?" Despite the condescending way she spoke, Viktor just bowed to her with a smirk. "It would be my honour." She huffed, just returning to Yuuri and leading him away, Viktor and Yuuri sharing one more glance before he was taken away from him. Celestino stayed a moment before saying. "Thank you, boy. Whether or not you're telling the truth, I can see that Yuuri appreciates whatever you did. Viktor didn't get a chance to say anything before he left, the sailors taking the handcuffs of and leaving Viktor to think of one thing and one thing only. The beautiful hazelnut colour of Yuuri Katsuki's eyes.

"Chris!" "Jesus! Viktor, don't come in yelling like that." Christophe murmured, leaning back in his chair, placing his card on his lap, him looking up at the other man. "What is it?" "Chris, I'm in love!" Christophe couldn't help but chuckle a bit at his friend, Viktor coming and kneeling by him, smiling sadly. ""1. Ah Мой друг, isn't love the cruelest thing? Today I came before a creature so beautiful, so full of light about to take his life." Viktor then pulled his arm away, facing Christophe with a pouty look. "I saved his life before he jumped and I knew that he was the one for me. But an entourage of crew members and first class tools came to his side and took him away. And aside from all that he is engaged! Might as well just smother me right now with this pillow, my life isn't complete without him!" "You're so dramatic. What was his name?" Viktor sighed dreamily. "Yuuri Toshiya Katsuki." Christophe looked curiously. "The fiance of Jean Jacqueline Leroy? She's the daughter of one of the richest men in Canada. They own a coal mine in North Saskatchewan that has made them one of the most rich families up there." Viktor gave a deep groan. "Great. So he's straight and engaged to a gorgeous rich woman. How could he get any lower than me?" He sighed, Christophe patting his shoulder gently. "Don't worry, you didn't have a chance with him anyways." He grinned, Viktor hitting him on the chest. "You cruel, cruel man! So cold, Christophe!" He just laughed and ran away from Viktor, who chased, hitting him on the back when he could.

Yuuri stared blankly down at his dresser, him readying for bed and running his polished silver brush through his raven hair over and over again, having lost count of how many times he had brushed it already. Something about Viktor just stayed with him, Yuuri still able to remember the feeling of his chest on his back, his warm hands over his own cold ones, his gentle and comforting words being whispered in his ears. His strong hold on his hands and arms as he saved his life. Yuuri shivered, as he found himself doing every single time he thought about him. After a soft knock, Yuuri looked up into the mirror, seeing JJ coming into the room behind him, holding a small box. "I know you've been melancholy. I can't pretend I know why." She took a soft breath when he didn't respond, coming in and sitting on his desk. "I was going to save this for the engagement gala in a weeks time, but I supposed a present for you might ease your troubles." JJ opened the box, revealing a beautiful silver ring with a large blue diamond on top, Yuuri's eyes immediately widening when he saw it. "Good God... Is it a-" "Diamond? Yes. Fifty six carats, to be exact." She took his hand, sliding it onto his middle finger and smiling to herself when she saw that it fit. "It was worn by Louis the Sixteenth. Called 'Le cœur de la mer'. The heart of the sea." They said simultaneously. "It's beautiful." "It's for royalty. And we are royalty." JJ hummed. "There is nothing I couldn't give you. If only you wouldn't deny me and open your heart to me." Yuuri glanced at her for a moment before looking down in his lap, admiring the ring, but not responding to her again. The weight of the ring was much more than grams, hundreds of pounds wearing on his heart. "Think about it." She said simply before getting up and returning to her own room, since they couldn't share one until after marriage.

The next morning, Yuuri went down to the third class deck, intent on finding Viktor so that he could thank him for the night before. After all, he couldn't have said it yesterday, considering how quickly he was taken away from him. "Well, I've been on my own since I was fifteen, since my father died. I have no siblings or any family in that part of the country, so I went off to wander around Europe for six years." Viktor said, walking beside Yuuri on the lower decks as they chatted. Well, Viktor did most of the talking, Yuuri having been too scared to say thank you to him yet. "I've been to everywhere, really. Rome, Berlin, Paris, London, Beijing, Tokyo. "I've been everywhere but America. The land of opportunity. I suppose winning my ticket to the Titanic was good luck." He smiled, humming to himself, glancing down at the shy Japanese man and grinning to himself. He could hardly believe he was lucky enough to even encounter the angel again, let alone speak to him. "So, Yuuri," he purred. "We've chat about the weather and how I grew up, but that wasn't why you came to talk to me, was it?" Ah, so he had called his bluff. "Ah, well, no... Mr. Nikiforov-" "Viktor." "...Viktor. I wanted to thank you." He said as the two men stopped by the railings on the side of the boat, having moved up to the first class deck now. "Not just for pulling me over, but for your discretion too. I understand what you must be thinking. Poor rich man, what could he know about misery?" Viktor frowned a bit as he looked down at Yuuri. "That's not at all what I was thinking. You shouldn't assume things like that. What I was really thinking was 'what could have possibly happened to such a gorgeous angel to make them want to end their life'?" Yuuri looked up at him, honestly surprised at his words. "It... was a bit of everything. It felt as though my life is moving on without me and I have no way of stopping it myself... Hundred of invitations have went out for the wedding, all of Philadelphia Society will be there..." He said softly. After a brief moment of silence, Viktor asked, "Do you love her?" It took Yuuri a moment to realise what he had asked. "What?" "Do you love her? That Jacqueline woman." "...You're being very rude." Viktor couldn't help but smile a bit at that. "It's a simple question. If you loved him, you would have said 'yes' with no questions asked. I'm starting to think your marriage is a sham. Let me guess, it's her rich daddy's coal mine, isn't it?" He asked, leaving Yuuri gaping at him. "This is not a suitable conversation. This is absurd..." He said, though he still wouldn't say that he loved her. Somehow, Yuuri couldn't lie to Viktor. "I don't know you, and you don't know me, you don't who I love and who I don't." Yuuri held out his hand for Viktor, shaking it firmly. "I came here to apologise and I did, so, thank you again, I have done what I came here to do-" "And you've insulted me." "...You deserved it." Viktor smirked. "Right." He said, looking down at the hands they were still shaking. "I thought you were leaving, angel?" Yuuri huffed and blushed softly. "I am! Goodness! You're so rude!" Yuuri said, truly unsure of how to feel about the charismatic Russian man. "Oh, who's being rude now?" Looking for an escape, Yuuri grabbed the notebook under his arms, pulling it open. "So what are you, an artist or something?" When he opened the notebook, he was surprised to see many very amazing and realistic drawings too. Yuuri's face softened and he moved to sit on one of the deck chairs. "These are very good, Viktor..." He said, anger faded into astonishment at the beautiful and detailed drawings. Yuuri flipped through the papers, freezing when he saw a naked woman standing by a mirror, a smaller portrait underneath it of a mans nude torso. Quietly, he asked, "Were these drawn from life?" Viktor chuckled softly and came to sit beside him. "That's one of the best things about Paris. Many beautiful men and women willing to take their clothes off for you." Yuuri couldn't help but chuckle at that, looking through the pictures. "You've used this man several times. You must have had a love affair with him." He teased, surprised when Viktor said, "Just once. He was too good for me, you see. But he had beautiful hands. Soft and silky, thin like a woman's." "You've slept with men before?" "Shh. We can keep that a secret between you and I." Yuuri was surprised again, face turning more red at the small wink Viktor gave him. Turning back to the art, Yuuri commented, "You have a gift. You see people." "I see you." Yuuri smiled and sat up a bit straighter. "And?" He asked, once again surprised by Viktor's reply. "You wouldn't have jumped."

"You haven't lit the last few boilers?" Yakov asked, Captain Leo smiling a bit apprehensively at the older man. "Well, we are making excellent time, better than we expected even." "The papers have already been impressed with her size, now we must give them something new to print. If we can arrive early, they'll start talking about her speed as well. Something new to marvel at always catches their attention. This maiden voyage of Titanic must make headlines." "Yes, but pushing the engines to full capacity on the first trip could be risky." Yakov gave an understanding nod. "I'm but a passenger, I won't tell you what to do. Retiring with a bang might be good for you, though, don't you think? Especially as such a young captain." Yakov didn't say anything else, standing and excusing himself. Leo thought for a moment before deciding to confer with a few other crew members before making a decision.

"Well, I worked on a squid boat in the Baltic Sea for a while, but I always smelled, so I decided to head down to Venice and do drawings by the pier for ten cents a piece." "Why can't I be like you, Viktor?" He sighed dreamily to himself. "Just go and have an adventure whenever I decide to." He paused a moment, biting his lips before saying, "Say we'll go there. Even if we only ever just talk about it." Viktor beamed at that. "No, we will, promise. I'll take you around the world, we'll go horseback riding and walk on beaches. And ride the rollercoasters until we vomit!" Yuuri laughed along with Viktor, smiling as he grew closer to him. "And we can walk along the pier. Hell, I'll win you as many stuffed toys as you want." He grew closer, Yuuri pressing his back against the railing. "You promise?" "I promise." He purred softly, looking at him with a gentle and almost loving look. Yuuri dared to go a bit closer until he saw his mother and her first class friends heading their way. Pushing Viktor back a bit, he smiled and motioned her closer. "Mama, this is Viktor Nikiforov. The man that saved my life yesterday. She spoke in quick Japanese, bowing respectfully to him. "She's thanking you for protecting me." He said, leaving out the embarrassing bit about her calling him her baby, despite him being seventeen and far from a baby. "So, you're Viktor?" Phichit asked, smirking and circling the man. "He's handsome, Yuuri." "Phichit..." Despite him being older than him by almost five years, Yuuri and Phichit were close, him even confiding his sexuality in him. Before either could say anything, the trumpet for dinner began playing. "Ah, Viktor, I'll be seeing you at dinner?" "Right, right. See you then." He said, watching him leave, him barely hearing as Phichit said his name thrice. "Hey!" Finally getting his attention, he said, "You're about to go into the snake pit... What are you planning to wear?" Viktor looked down at himself and gestured. "Unacceptable, especially if you're trying to impress my friend." He grinned. "Come with me."

_____________________

1. Ah, my friend,- (Russian)