***Hey all! This is my first fanfic. I hope you like it! This is an alternate universe story where a slightly more tsundere Victor is still a figure skater but Yuuri is more or less a stripper... >.> 'scuze my fantasies. Anyways, thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think.
(I know not everything is going to be 100% realistic. I'm not super knowledgeable about strip clubs.. So I kind of made up stuff because plot, I hope it's not too distracting!)***
*****
"Don't mess this up, Katsuki. You'll start on Monday." The middle aged man said as he set down a name tag and uniform. His bright green eyes sparkled kindly under his thick eyebrows in contrast to his hard, angular face. His taupe hair was pulled back into a pony tail that ended near the middle of his back. He was dressed in a simple tan suit.
Yuuri fell into a low, grateful bow. "Thank you, Mr. Cialdini"
"Celestino, please." He smiled kindly. "See you Monday."
Yuuri stood speechless as broad smile spread across his face. He felt like he was about to burst at the seams. He glanced over at his best friend shyly, feeling extremely giddy.
"Oh my god! You got it!" Minako squealed in delight. Her chest bounced as she jumped up and down excitedly. "I knew you would! You're totally adorable and I think Celestino has a thing for pretty boys like you."
Yuuri blushed furiously, 'I am definitely not a pretty boy' he thought as he ran his hair through his messy black hair. He had brown eyes that were often hidden behind his blue half-rimmed glasses. His face had a boyish softness to it that matched his lean body, which had a small amount of muscle from the occasional work outs and dance classes with Minako, but it was very slight.
Minako wrapped her arms around him, giving him a kiss on his cheek. He felt his cheeks and ears redden as he blushed.
Yuuri and Minako had been friends since childhood, even though Minako was a few years older. Even during their childhood, Minako had always been the popular one. She was gorgeous, as all dancers seemed to be. She was tall and thin with medium length brown hair, dark grey eyes and a single beauty mark under her left eye. That was Yuuri's favorite physical feature of hers.
She was outgoing, even when they were kids. Yuuri couldn't have been more opposite. He was always the shy one who Minako had forcefully befriended. Yuuri fondly remembered having met so long ago in an ice skating class for beginners.
A boy pushed a young, unstable Yuuri down onto the ice, kicking at Yuuri's skates every time he tried to climb back to his feet.
"Come on piggy, get up! Oink oink!"
"Hey! Stop that!" Minako yelled, somehow managing to stomp with her skates on the ice as she trekked over to the boys.
"Or you'll what?"
It didn't take much time for him to figure out. He was face down on the ice, being kicked by Minako's pink princess skates in the ribs in a matter of seconds.
Yuuri was relentlessly bullied throughout elementary and middle school for his weight until finally, he joined ballet with Minako and shed some of his baby fat. Even after slimming down, Yuuri was still subjected to the nickname "piggy". High school sucked. Once he graduated, he only looked forward. Never back.
Minako had been by his side through it all. Up until she moved to New York City almost a year ago. They had kept in touch. She was working as a waitress/dancer at a hot New York LGBT bar and a part time dance instructor. After a year of begging, Yuuri finally agreed to leave the Detroit to move in with her.
Moving to New York City had seemed larger than life. When people called it the city thay never sleeps, they weren't kidding. It was never dark, never quiet and you were never alone. Although, he was unsure whether he found this unsettling or comforting.
~
Minako threw her arms around Yuuri's shoulders as they walked back to their apartment earlier that day, hanging off him like spoiled child. Yuuri grinned, happy to have his partner in crime back at his side.
"You have no idea how happy I am that you're here. I've missed you so freaking much!" She emphasized with a squeeze.
He beamed. "I missed you too, Minako. You're my best friend."
"Soulmates!" She squealed as she released him to unlock the front door of their building complex. It was a tall brick building with nothing that distinguished it from the rest of the buildings around it. They live only a short distance from the heavy hustle and bustle of Times Square, but close enough to walk to work and anywhere else they might need to go.
Minako's apartment was small. A studio downtown often ran for about $2000 but she had found herself a cozy little place for about $1500 a month. No easy price to pay alone, or so Yuuri had thought.
"I've made anywhere from nothing to almost $5,000 in a night. I guess it just depends!" She explained as they curled up together on the couch with a large bowl of popcorn.
Minsko had started working at the Kachu Bar shortly after moving to New York and was now one of the most popular female dancers at the club. Men loved her. Women loved her. She could seduce just about anyone with the right music and a stage.
"It's not even the dancing that gets me the big bucks, it's just spending time with the men." She paused to shovel some kernels in her mouth, licking her buttered fingertips. "If they enjoy spending time with you, they'll pay a ton just to keep you at their table."
Yuuri envied her. The way she has such a presence among others. She was always the girl who walked in the room and everyone noticed. Just once he wanted to be noticed by someone. Someone to watch him, to want him and only him.
"I want you to teach me how to dance."
Minako giggle for only a moment. She had taught him the basics of ballet but not much past that. "Oh. Seriously? Like... dance like I do?"
Yuuri nodded, determination in his eyes. "I just... I want to be noticed for once."
"People notice you but, okay." She agreed with a grin. "Let's go get you a job then."
~
And that's how they ended up at Kachu on Thursday. The club had a blue glow that radiated from the floors instead of the ceiling. Luxurious sofas fringed the spacious room, all encompassing a stage which held three poles, evenly spaced down the runway. A few men and women were scattered among the furniture. Sipping their drinks of choice and chatting idly. Soft music played in the background. They headed to the bar that rested to the left of the entrance.
"Is Celestino here?" Minako asked one of the bartenders as she leaned over seductively, reaching forward to plant a sloppy kiss on the man.
"Yeah, he's in back." He said, jerking his head in the general direction as he reached forward to grope Minako's chest.
Yuuri stood there slack jawed. Minako had always been much more risque than Yuuri but he had never seen her so blatantly sexual with someone. He blushed, attempting to avert his eyes.
The man had emerald green eyes and highlighted hair that was short on the sides and longer on top. He was tall and athletic, with a pretty face to boot. The man was attractive and damn if he didn't know it. 'Hello gorgeous, gorgeous... I definitely need to work here. I will die if I can't work here.' he thought.
"Close your mouth, you're drooling." Minako doubled over laughing. "This is Christophe. He's one of the bartenders here."
Snapping his jaw closed, Yuuri nodded, sticking out his hand awkwardly as he stared at the floor. Christophe reached forward, grasping his hand firmly.
Too many moments passed, forcing him to meet Christophe's sultry eyes. The handsome man rubbed his thumb over the top of Yuuri's hand softly as he leaned in close. Yuuri practically melted into a puddle of Yuuri-mush at this man's feet. He oozed sex appeal. Oozed like biting into an overstuffed jelly donut kind of ooze.
"God, he's cute. Where have you been keeping this one locked away?"
Yuuri's face burned with embarrassment as Christophe released his hand and turned back to Minako. 'Im cute? You're cute.'
"I rescued him from the desolate, icy tundra of the upper Midwest." She said as she bounced up onto the bar, her legs swinging off the edge.
"Ungh." Christophe clasped his hands over his chest, feigning heartbreak. "You poor thing!"
Yuuri chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. 'Yes, poor Yuuri. Give poor Yuuri a job so he can stare at your gorgeous face all night, thank you'
"I'll go get Cel for you two cuties." He said, giving Yuuri's chin a gentle stroke with his finger as he clicked his tongue and winked. 'Oooooze.'
"Ugh, you flirt." Minako whined as Christophe sauntered off, waving his hand over his shoulder at her.
Yuuri waited anxiously, for the man called Celestino to determine whether or not he would be accepted as their newest member of the club.
***
Yuuri was thanking his fitness coach under his breath on Monday afternoon as he shimmied into the tight, black spandex shorts. He had shed his baby fat years ago and worked out regularly to keep it away. His toned ass peeked out a little at the bottom of his spandex shorts and the front didn't leave much to imagination either. He reluctantly pulled on his vest and tie to complete the ensemble, feeling rather exposed.
'I look like an idiot.' he thought as he walked out of the bathroom cautiously, rubbing his sweaty palms on his thighs. He took a deep breath, running one of his hands through his messy hair.
"Hmmm." Minako said as she pulled Yuuri's glasses off his face. "You can see without those, right?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine." He said as she ran her hairbrush under water, brushing back Yuuri's unruly hair. On a normal day, it was somewhat shaggy and stuck out in all directions. Minako managed to style it in a way that looked sleek and effortless, taking away Yuuri's boyish charm but replacing it with something far more seductive.
"Daymmm boy!" She said, "you're gonna put me out of a job!"
He pulled on some loose jeans and blue zip-up over his work outfit and the two friends headed to Kachu.
The night life of the city crept in like an intoxicating fog. The music buzzed within him, creating an excited hum in his chest. Multicolored lights flashed dazzlingly around the club, lighting up the center of the room.
The sophisticated atmosphere that Yuuri had experienced on Thursday was replaced by an electric current that pulsed through the building in time with the music. Women gyrated around the poles on the raised stage; men and women dancing excitedly around it. Hands with dollar bills waved over the sea of heads.
Yuuri was mesmerized.
Minako grabbed his hand, leading him back behind the bar and into the employee area. He "un"dressed into his uniform.
"You'll do great. And I'm here all night if you need me." She assured as she squeezed him tightly.
Yuuri nodded as he ventured out into the club. Minako introduced Yuuri to some of the senior staff, two men named Otabek and Phitchit and a woman named Sara.
