The next morning, Yuuri wasn't in a very good mood, his mind clouded in a hangover. For the first few minutes, Yuuri and JJ drank their tea in silence until she said, "I hoped you would come to me last night." Yuuri glanced up and offered her a small smile. "I was tired." "I understand. Those below deck exertions must have been exhausting." Yuuri's face fell and he sighed deeply. "You followed me, how typical." He said. "You're not to do that again, Yuuri." JJ said, sternness in her voice. "You can't order me around like that, I'm not a worker of yours." Yuuri said in a moment of boldness which he normally didn't have. "I'm your fiance." "My fiance?" She smiled, though the smile soon fell, her slamming her hands on the table and shoving it aside, a few dishes falling as she came to stand over him. "My fian- my fiance! My husband in practice, if not yet by law, so you will honour me. Or I will drop your mother and you so fast, your heads will spin. I'm not afraid to cancel the engagement. Are you?" She huffed and turned on her heel, storming out to clear her head. Yuuri sat frozen in the chair, only letting out shaky breaths once she left. One of the servants came over to help, Yuuri murmuring, "I-I'm so sorry, we've made a mess..." He tried to help clean, but only cut his hand, the servant making him stop. He fell back on his butt, the chair sliding and making him fall back a bit as he tried to steady his breathing. 

     Yuuri sighed and stood in the mirror, buttoning the white shirt he wore to match his white pants, glancing over at the jacket he would put on in just a minute. He heard a knock at the door, looking back to see his mother come in. She came before him, looking down at his buttons as she helped button his shirt. "*You don't have to marry her, you know." Yuuri sighed softly to himself. "Yes, I do. I can't stand to see you working in a seamstress factory, mama." "But you're unhappy." Before he could even deny it, she added, "I can see it in your eyes." Yuuri glanced down, watching as his mother tediously buttoned his shirt up. "Father died and we have no more money yet. Jacqueline is our only hope for keeping a good life for ourselves." It was Hiroko's turn to sigh. "I just want you to be happy. I can tell you aren't happy with that woman." "I'm not, but you know I would do anything to take care of you." "Your decisions are never easy, are they?" Yuuri chuckled sadly to himself. "No, never..." She smiled gently up at him as she put the silk jet blue jacket over his shoulders. "No matter what, I'll support you, Yuuri." Yuuri smiled and leaned down to hug his mother. "I love you mama." "I love you too."

     "And that's what happened last night." Viktor explained with a dreamy sigh at the end, Chris chuckling softly. "You really love this boy, don't you?" "Mhm." "And you know the heartbreak you'll get when he says that he can't be with you?" "Mhm..." "Okay, good. Don't get your expectations up." Chris hummed and sat beside Viktor, crossing his legs. After all, he was in the same situation. "What's on your mind?" Knowing that Viktor wouldn't let up if he lied, he answered, "That beautiful boy from last night. Soft brown hair, gentle green eyes. He got flustered so easily, but he was so sweet." "Someone else fell in love last night too, hm?" Chris laughed and pushed him. "Well, my beloved doesn't have a fiancee. Though, if he's gay, there might be a chance of you seducing him. I've seen you seduce a straight Catholic priest, you could probably do it." Viktor laughed at the memory, thinking how wonderful it would be to receive Yuuri's feelings back as well. "There must be something I can do. Well, first I have to see him again." "They're holding service in the first class hall, maybe you could find him there?"  Viktor grinned widely and thanked him, out the door before Chris could say another word.

     Later that day, Yuuri and his mother and JJ went to the ships chapel, the first class group singing hymns together. Yuuri stayed as far away from JJ as possible, her yelling earlier having put him on edge. Viktor hurried down the hall, holding onto a pillar as he turned a corner, saying a quick hello to Guang-Hong before heading to where church was being held. Before he could get in the door, one of the doormen stopped him, standing in his way. "Sir, you can't get in there." "I have to speak to someone." "I'm sorry, but you have to leave." Viktor frowned. "I was just here last night, you don't remember me?" "I'm afraid I don't, now you must-" "I'll handle this." Celestino, the guard who had spoken to Viktor on the night he saved Yuuri's life, came out, him sighing gently. Honestly, he hated carrying out JJ's whims. "Ms. Leroy and Mr. Katsuki continue to be appreciative of your assistance. They asked me to give you this." He said, holding out a twenty dollar bill. Though tempting. Viktor shook his head, glancing in the room to see JJ glaring his way. "Look, I don't want your money, I just want to see-" "And to remind you that you hold a third class ticket... It would just be easier for you to go for now." Viktor's frowned deepened and he gave JJ a displeased look before walking away, though he vowed that he would find Yuuri again later. JJ gave a small smirk, Yuuri giving her a strange look before focusing on the song.

     "What does this wheel do?" Yuuri asked as him and his mother and fiancee were given a tour of the captains portion of the ship. "Oh, we rarely use that one, in all honesty." Guang-Hong smiled, looking as someone came to Leo and said. "Another iceberg. This ones' from the North end." "Thank you." Leo said, looking up to see a worried look on Yuuri's face. "Don't worry, that's normal for this time of year. It gets cold out on the ocean. As long as we get word ahead of time, we can always plan ahead. Actually, we're speeding up." "Mhm, the last boilers were just lit." Guang-Hong hummed. They continued walking along the ship, going onto the side of the ship with all of the lifeboats on it. "Mr. Ji, I noticed that you only have about half as many lifeboats as required for so many people on the boat." Yuuri commented. "Ah, that's right Yuuri, you miss nothing, huh?" Guang-Hong said with a small smile. "It was thought by many that the deck would look too cluttered with more lifeboats, so, even though I wanted more, they only allowed me to put in half as many as we might have needed." "Waste of space as it is on an unsinkable ship." JJ hummed as she continued walking. "Don't worry, I made a good ship. It's all the lifeboats we would need."

     Viktor groaned as he climbed up a pillar and to the first class deck, him just out of view of a child playing with his toys, his father and grandfather watching him. Viktor had to see Yuuri again, it didn't matter that they were of two different and opposite classes. Viktor turned the corner, though quickly moved back, eying a bowler hat and nice jacket on a chair. Well, if he was going to be on the first class deck, he needed to look first class. He took the two, turning the corner just in time to see Yuuri down the corridor, speaking to the ships creator. Just as they turned the corner, Viktor grabbed Yuuri's arm, leading him into an empty exercise room. "Viktor, this is impossible." Yuuri said as the platinum haired man closed the door. "I need to talk to you." "No, Viktor, no. I'm engaged." He said as he leaned against the wall, Viktor coming closer to him. Yuuri paused at the soothing scent of Viktor's cheap cologne, his cigarettes, his sweat. So uniquely him. It pained him so much to say what he had to say. "I'm marrying JJ. I love JJ." "Yuuri, you're impossible. You're a ball of anxiety and you're stubborn and maybe even a bit spoiled, but you're the most wonderful thing I've ever come into contact with and I'll be damned if I lose you this easily. I know how the world works, we would never be accepted, I have ten dollars in my pocket and nothing to offer you. But I know that if you go back out there and marry that wretched woman, you won't be alright." "Well, I'm fine... I'll be fine..." "Really? You expect me to believe that? I know you're not. You're not happy, and you're going to die if you stay this way. Not right away, because you're strong, the strongest boy- man I've ever met. But you will. But..." Viktor moved closer to Yuuri' one hand on his waist and one on his cheek, Yuuri fighting back tears. "That fire that I love so much about you will burn out... And I don't want to see that happen." He said, wiping a stray tear that fell from Yuuri's eye. "It's not up to you to save me." Yuuri said, his chest aching as he said, "I'm going back, don't talk to me again." He said, sliding out of his touch and leaving the room. Viktor's head fell against the wall, his hands falling to his side as he stared blankly. Everything he had cared about so much seemed insignificant. Losing his voice, his legs, his ability to draw, to smile, to seduce. Losing all of that would have been better than losing Yuuri. 

    Yuuri stared blankly at his plate as he sat with JJ and her two friends, them gabbing about the wedding and whatever else they chatted about, Yuuri didn't care. He had met Viktor only three days ago, but it felt so numb without him, so wrong. Yuuri almost felt sick being without him, knowing all of the things he had said. He could only imagine how Viktor felt. He looked as he saw a man teaching his son to sit up straight, to eat with the napkin in his lap, what forks to use. Even such a small child being held to the same horrible standards. Yuuri knew that if he married JJ and had children with her, the poor things would have to suffer what he had as well. And that simply couldn't happen. Viktor was right, he couldn't let himself be so unhappy, otherwise he would end up at the figurative end of the ship again. 

      Viktor stood at the front of the ship, staring down at the water ahead. He couldn't focus on anything at all, not after what had happened. It didn't come as much of a shock that he was rejected, and he had planned for it, but not well enough. There wasn't anything else he could do, either. Yuuri didn't want to see him and, despite his feelings, he respected him too much to disobey his wishes. Which was also why he was surprised when he heard Yuuri's voice behind him. "Hello Viktor." He turned and looked at him, a confused and hurt look on his face. Yuuri didn't want to see him again, he had said so, so why was he here? "Yuuri..." "I changed my mind... Ah, Chris said you might be up here." He immediately smiled and offered his hand to Yuuri. "Come here. Close your eyes." Yuuri took his hands and did as told, stepping up when Viktor told him to. "Hold on to the rail, eyes closed. Don't be scared, do you trust me?" "I trust you.." Yuuri whispered softly, holding his arms out as he felt his body go weightless, Viktor's arms around his waist. "Alright, there. Now open your eyes." He said softly, pressing his lips to his ear. Yuuri let his eyes open, him gasping. From where he was, he would only see the open water, him looking out in amazement as the sun slowly set across the ocean. "Flying! I'm flying!" Viktor chuckled, holding him closer and balancing them. "Yes, you are." He said, moving closer to his cheek, spreading his arms so he could hold Yuuri's hands. "Come Josephine in my flying machine going up she goes, up she goes." He whispered, Yuuri laughing softly and turning his head to face him, the two so close to each other. Well, no point in holding back now, their feelings were brutally obvious. Viktor took their hands down so he could hold Yuuri close, him moving in the last few inches so he could kiss him. And it was like fireworks in his chest, like the missing part of him had been filled. This was what Yuuri had needed for so long now, someone to reassure him, make him happy, give him the adventure and, more importantly, the love he always needed. Yuuri reached his hand back, holding Viktor's cheek as they kissed, though they eventually had to move back for breath. "Wow..." Viktor whispered, the two both chuckling to themselves. Yuuri felt tears running down his cheeks, Viktor pressing their noses together as he wiped his tears. "Why're you crying, my darling?" "I'm happy, that's all. I'm sorry for what I said before." Viktor smiled and pecked his lips again. "That doesn't matter, I'm just glad you came back to me." Yuuri smiled and said, "Come with me back to my room. I have a favour to ask of you." "Anything, love."

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*When something is in Italics, it means the two aren't speaking English together, but a shared language, like Japanese between Yuuri and his mother, or French between Chris and Viktor.