Archive of Our Own ^beta

It all started with a single photo, taken when a deliriously in love couple was blissfully unaware of the world around them.

Phichit was in Beijing competing in the cup of China when he ran into his best friend and former roommate enjoying a quiet dinner with his new coach, the one and only Victor Nikiforov. Without even thinking, Phichit slid into the the seat opposite the pair but it soon became obvious that there was more to the couple’s relationship than what meets the eye.

Now, Phichit considers himself world renowned when it comes to capturing the perfect moment for Instagram. His follower count can attest to that much.

The infamous photo that surfaced from that night was a photo that depicted Victor’s drunkenly affectionate and nearly naked antics but there was another photo that he took before the night had melted away into a drunken blur that never made its way to the internet.

Phichit and Yuuri had been reminiscing about their wild college days with Victor listening in rapt attention, taking in every detail as they simmered ingredients in their shared hotpot. At one point or another Yuuri had tasted the spicy red broth and a small stain of the liquid clung to the corner of his lips. Without breaking the conversation, Victor reached out and wiped away the broth on Yuuri’s lips with his thumb, his eyes sparkling with adoration as he looked at Yuuri.

At that moment Phichit just so happened to have been checking his appearance with his phone’s camera and quickly captured the tender moment without either of them noticing.

The next day while the entire world was talking about the couple’s spontaneous kiss shared on live tv and streams around the world, Phichit had something better that the public would never have the honor to see.

In that photo Phichit caught a snapshot of the couple in a casual moment where Victor had encircled his arms around Yuuri’s waist from behind and rested his chin on the Japanese skater’s shoulder while they silently watched the CCTV rink monitors, waiting for the medal ceremony to be set up.

Phichit continued to stealthily take photos of the couple, from the GPF in Barcelona, to the dinner where the couple announced their engagement, to Yuuri winning Worlds by his fiance’s side, to even when Victor would accidently interrupt he and Yuuri’s skype calls with an affectionate hug and a tender kiss on the cheek. Phichit caught all the moments when the couple thought he wasn’t watching.

Soon enough Phichit figured out how he was going to use these secret photos. Without further delay he rang up Chris, Mama and Papa Katsuki and every trustworthy ally he had to make his plan work. It was his job as Yuuri’s best man to deliver the best gift possible and this one for sure was going to make the groom to be cry.

The day of reckoning comes and Phichit makes sure to keep his gift well hidden until just the perfect moment. That moment came when Phichit was standing with Chris on stage at the reception for their best men speech. Yuuri and Victor both had already shed countless deliriously joyous tears earlier that day but Phichit wasn’t done with them yet.

By god he wanted nothing more than to be the one to make these two men cry on their wedding day.

“Hello everyone.” Phichit began drawing the room’s attention towards him. “If you don’t know me already I am Phichit and I am Yuuri’s best man/best friend/honorary wedding photographer even though he told me he ‘wanted a professional’” Phichit playfully rolled his eyes around his air quotes, earning a few . From the corner of his eye he could see his best friend shake his head with amusement.

“Follow me @phichit_chu on instagram for all the wedding of the century deets.” Phichit plugged. “This tall glass of spiked lemonade is Chris, Victor’s best slut.”

“I deny nothing.”  Chris said straight face, sending a wink Victor’s way. Victor winked back and responded with an obscene blowjob motion using his hand and his tongue pushing into the  inside his cheek. Yuuri playfully smacked his husbands arm with a look of half hearted disapproval on his face.

“Victor! There are children here.” Yuuri scolded. Victor only laughed and wrapped his arms around his new husband’s shoulder’s in response. He was quickly forgiven.

“Victor, I have known you a long time, longer than I care to ever admit. I have seen you in your best of times as well as your worst but as soon as Yuuri came into your life it was clear that you were a man reborn. Yuuri, all I ask of you is to take care of him. I know this man has a heart of gold but for the love of god don’t let him bring home Hoarders level amounts of poodles. I know he has that irresistible mug for at least a few more years but don’t let him do it.” Chris warned. Phichit looked over to the happy couple to see Victor grinning ear to ear while Yuuri shook his head, hiding his face in the shoulder of Victor’s suit.

“Alright whore, move aside.” Phichit jokes, snatching the microphone away from the man. “Hey Yuuri. Yuuuri. ” Phichit called, trying to get his best friends attention who was still seeking refuge in his husband’s shoulder.

“Remember that time in college when -” Phichit started to say before

“You promised no college stories!” Yuuri interrupted, shooting out of his seat to stop that train before it left the station.

“Alright, alright. I am a man of my word.” Phichit sighed. “But I do have to address the elephant in the room. Your mother told me the other day that you’ve been a huge fan of Victor’s since you were twelve. Twelve.” Phichit emphasized. All of Yuuri’s family and friends clapped and wolf whistled their support. “Honestly, can you imagine loving your idol for that long and then actually marrying him? You have to tell us your secret, Yuuri.”

“Oh god.” Yuuri groaned burying his head into his hands.

“In all seriousness though, anyone who has ever known either of you knows what amazing people you are and how insanely lucky you two have been to find your soul mate in each other. If the entire world could love half as much Yuuri and Victor do, the world would be a wonderful place.” Phichit said with a hand held over his heart. Phichit held up his champagne glass for a toast. “A toast to the happy couple! May their years be filled with joy and way too many poodles.”

The entire reception hall drank to the toast while the newlyweds interlocked their arms and sipped from each other’s glasses, Yuuri taking a long healthy gulp in an attempt to hide his flaming face for a few seconds longer.

“Darling, aren’t you forgetting something?” Chris teased.

“Oh right! How could I forget?” Phichit exclaimed dramatically as per their script. Chris motioned to Yuuri’s sister who pulled out a large bound photo album that was tucked away who-knows-where in her kimono. She brought it upstage and handed the book off to Phichit.

“This is for making me drive you to practice and competitions all these years baby brother.” Mari teased. Yuuri eyed the book hesitantly, suddenly very wary of its contents. Victor took the book in place of his husband and immediately opened the front cover.

“Oh! Yuuri look! It’s your baby pictures!” Victor lit up, delighted. Yuuri immediately tried to pry the book away but Victor easily evaded Yuuri’s attempts. “Mine are in here too!” Victor exclaimed.

“Let me see that.” Yuuri said excitedly, immediately changing his tune as soon as he heard that his husband’s elusive infant photos were within grasp.

“That’s the Cup of China! And Barcelona! When is this one from, dear?” Victor asked looking over to Yuuri. Yuuri leaned over and eyed the photo carefully.

“That was when we went to go see Phichit when we had that long layover in Detroit before Skate America this year. We were at Supino’s for lunch and you got pizza sauce all over your chin, remember?” Yuuri reminded.

“Oh yeah! Now I remember.” Victor chuckled at the memory.

The couple continued flipping through the photo album, cherishing the memories of their shared lives up until this point. By the time they got to the end page that Phichit intentionally left blank they were almost in tears. Almost.

“Thank you guys. This is seriously the best gift anyone could have given us. Phichit, I don’t know how you got half of these pictures but thank you.” Yuuri thanked, wiping stray moisture from his eyes.

“Awww! Come here buddy.” Phichit commanded opening his arms out for Yuuri’s incoming hug. Yuuri didn’t delay in diving into his best friends arms.

“I swear I will murder you though for including those baby pictures.” Yuuri whispered low enough so that no one else could hear.

“Victor won’t let you because I have more where that came from. Besides, you can blame your mother for providing them to me.” Phichit retorted with playful wink.

“Betrayed by my own mother.” Yuuri shook his head.

“I do actually have one more part to this present.” Phichit continued on loud enough for the rest of the room to hear. “There’s one photo that’s missing from the last page.” Phichit declared, pulling out the pièce de résistance from his suit pocket that was still warm from the reception hall’s printer. He handed the photo to Yuuri who took one look at it and immediately let his held back tears flow down his cheeks.

The photo in question was one that Phichit had taken no less than an hour ago and rushed Chris off with his phone’s beloved SD card to print off. The moment depicted was Victor and Yuuri’s first dance as a married couple. Victor was holding Yuuri in his arms, gently swaying to La Vie en Rose when Yuuri looked up to catch his husband gazing lovingly down at him. Yuuri reached up and met Victor in a tender kiss, a moment that Phichit caught in the picture that Yuuri now held in his hands.

“How did you-?” Yuuri shook his head in disbelief.  

“That’s for me to know and you not to worry about.” Phichit said, gently patting his best friend’s shoulder. “Try not to cry all over it ok? I didn’t have time to get a decent copy and the ink is still setting. Go your husband is waiting for you.” Phichit shooed. Yuuri thanked and hugged Phichit before turning around and cuddling himself to Victor’s side.

Phichit watched as Yuuri held out the photo to Victor who preceded to softly gasp and cover his mouth when tears of his own started to brim in his eyes. With both husbands now teary eyed, Yuuri reached out to Victor and connected their lips in the perfect recreation of the photo that they held in their hands.

“I think my work here is done.” Phichit said to himself before turning away and leaving the couple to allow them a moment to themselves, thinking to himself that he would gift the couple a more durable copy of the photo as soon as he could.