Can You Feel My Heartbeat

In which Victor discovers Phichit's instagram

"What's got you so upset Victor?" Chris asked.

"You know how long it's been, right?" Victor replied.

"What are you talking about?" Chris questioned, wondering why his friend had dried tear tracks running down his face, and had still looked close to tears when they started skyping.

"9 years. 9 years since it stopped. The faux hearts, they're only supposed to last for ten years, you know. Ten years of my heart not beating. And then, who knows what. The surgery to remove faux hearts is simple, but to replace them? You know the chances, don't you?"

"I'm sure that you'll meet your soulmate soon, you just have to be patient."

"Easy for you to say, you met your boyfriend only a year after your heart stopped," Victor grimaced, "Sorry, I don't mean to sound so bitter. I'm very happy for you two, believe me, but it's just that I've been patient for so long. There's only so long that I have. And there are stories, you know. People who never meet their soulmates, and don't get their heart replaced in time. It happens..."

"You could try online? There are sites for people who haven't met their soulmates to try and see if they'll meet each other online?"

"I've tried, god I've tried. Nothing ever happens. And you know what makes everything worse?"

"Oh no, what?"

"It beat."

"Wait what? What do you mean? When?"

"Grand Prix Final Sochi banquet... It was the most alive I've felt in so long! A couple of hours of a beautiful rhythm in my chest, and then, as soon as I left the banquet, it was gone. I thought it was supposed to stay! Why didn't it stay! Did the universe just decide that we weren't meant for eachother or some shit like that?" Victor retold, grabbing Makkachin who was sitting near by and hugging her for dear life.

Chris looked contemplative for a few seconds before saying, "I think I've heard of that sort of thing happening... I'm pretty sure that the only way for your heartbeats to remain is for you both to realize that your soulmates. That way, if two strangers are soulmates and randomly walk by eachother, it would help them narrow down who their soulmate was. Anyways. Why haven't you told me about this! If you know who it is, why haven't you gone to see them yet?"

"It was Yuuri, Yuuri Katsuki from the GPF," Victor said with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"Wait, it's Yuuri? Oh my goodness this is amazing, he's idolized you since he was 12," Chris said enthusiastically before his face darkened. "Oh no, Victor. He did do really poorly in the GPF this year, is that why you haven't seen him yet? Are you disappointed or some shit like that, because if so, Victor, you've come to an entirely new level of idiocy."

"No, it's nothing of the sort. I know he bombed the GPF but I think it was just nerves. Also he mentioned that something happened to his dog? I think that might have had something to do with it? But no, you saw us dancing, right? That was the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me..."

"So, why haven't you gone to see him yet? That's what you'd normally do, right? Impulsively jump on the next plane to Detroit?"

"Well, I gave him my phone number after we danced, and I was hoping that he'd call me, but he hasn't..."

"Did you see how many glasses of champagne he had that night? I doubt that he so much as remembers the banquet, let alone ever saw your phone number."

"Wait, you're kinda friends with him, right?"

"We've had enough events to know each other well enough, and we're mutuals on a bunch of social medias, but that's about it."

"Wait what. I've tried so hard to find his instagram. You've got to give it to me, please, please?"

"Okay his instagram is dead. The last photo on there is from, like, 5 months ago."

"Dammit."

"But wait, there's good news. News that you probably shouldn't be entrusted with but it'd be entertaining to see the outcome of."

"Giacometti, if you don't tell me I swear to god..."

"Oh don't worry, I'm telling you! Okay so Yuuri's best friend is Phichit Chulanont, he's a Thai skater who might just make it to the GPF next year. They're roommates in Detroit, and let's just say that Phichit's instagram is anything but dead. His instagram is phichit-chu, and Yuuri pops up pretty frequently in his posts, so you'll have more luck. You could also message Phichit about all this, he'd be much more insightful on what to do about Yuuri then I am," Chris explained.

"Thank you so much!" Victor exclaimed.

"I've got to go now, talk to you later, good luck with Yuuri!" Chris said with a wave.

"Bye, thanks!" Victor replied, closing his laptop and turning to his phone. He opened up instagram and typed in @phichit-chu. From there it was a downward spiral. There were so many pictures! And though none of the more recent ones had Yuuri in them, plenty of the older ones did. Victor's hands might have slipped and liked some of the photos a couple of times. Okay maybe more than a couple of times. But what can Victor say, it was late, and Yuuri looked absolutely gorgeous in every single photo, even the ones that Yuuri was obviously trying not to look gorgeous in.

Victor fell asleep that night having gone through instagram for three and a half hours and only managing to go through one year of Phichit's photos. He fell asleep with a smile on his face despite the exhaustion, and wouldn't have any regrets about staying up so late until Yakov would yell at him the next day for being so tired all day, and he would get an interesting dm from Phichit reading, "Who are you and why have you gone through a year of my instagram and liked every single photo with Yuuri. Reply, or you will be blocked."