No one is safe from routine. No matter how much you may tell yourself that you won't fall into one, that you'll continue to surprise yourself and the people around you, routine becomes an inevitability of life. There's nothing wrong with it. Some people find comfort in routine, knowing that they're safe in their own world, fearing the consequences of change. Others crave the change, the need for something new. Viktor Nikiforov had always told himself he'd do something new every day, that life could never be boring for him. He had kept to it pretty well, but eventually he found himself falling to routine without even realising it.
Every morning was the same; wake up, have breakfast, and take Makkachin for her walk. Viktor did it so often, taking the same route every time, he never really paid attention to anything around him as he went. He knew the city like the back of his hand, and these streets had been walked so many times, there wasn't a stone out of place in his mind. He even found himself passing the same people on his morning walk. There was a woman who always seemed to have her head in a book, sitting at a park bench. There was a man who walked by him with his own small poodle, and there was a man who used the mornings for exercise, jogging what would no doubt be the same circuit every day.
The only time he was ever stopped by anyone was Makkachin. She would often stop and sniff at the small poodle they passed, but it was never for more than a moment, and Viktor didn't question it. Though, it was one of the reasons he'd taken to walking her on a lead. As much as he trusted her not to run off, he knew that it would make other people they passed by more comfortable. After all, she was a big dog, and she had a habit of excitedly glomping people if he didn't pay enough attention. Viktor never really paid much mind to it when she stopped to watch the other dog, though. He simply kept walking and sure enough, she fell back in step beside him.
Now, it wasn't that Viktor didn't like his routine. It wasn't that he was unhappy. It was just that his life had become a little lonely. The colours had faded over time like an old photograph left in the sun. He'd let himself do the same things, see the same people, and all of them were bright, all of them made him happy, but it was always the same. The same brightness that had dulled his colours and left him wanting for something new, even if he couldn't quite figure out what that was. Viktor didn't like to think about it. He told himself that it was easier to just keep to himself, to keep living his life the way he always did, and that things would be fine. He was in his routine now, and as much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, it was safe.
Sure, Viktor liked to take risks, but now that he'd settled, he'd gotten friends, a stable job, and his sweet Makkachin, was there really any need to take risks? Change was a scary thing and risking all the good things he had now just to see what could be different didn't seem worth it. Besides, Viktor was happy. He really was. He smiled every day. It's just that it was the kind of happy that felt stagnant, that felt forced. It felt like a happiness that had become part of the routine, like it wasn't real, it was just there to maintain everything around him. He didn't believe that's what it was, but it felt like it sometimes, and that was a scary thought.
Sometimes, Viktor did little things to take himself out of his routine. He'd get a coffee on the way to work or stay up later than he normally did. They were things that wouldn't affect his life; not really. But they were things that reassured him that he was willing to take risks if he really wanted to. He just chose not to. There was nothing wrong with that. There were plenty of people in the world who were comfortable in their lives just the way they were, and no one could take that away from them.
So, why was it so lonely?
After another day of the same routine, Viktor found himself sitting on the couch, Makkachin at his side. His fingers gently moved through her curly brown fur, watching her as he spoke softly, "It's the weekend tomorrow. Do you want to do something different? We could go to the park. It's been a while."
Viktor smiled fondly as her tail gently thumped against the back of the couch, shuffling closer until she was sprawled in Viktor's lap, smiling up at him with her tongue lazily hanging from the side of her mouth.
Viktor rubbed behind her ears, nodding to himself, "I'll take that as a yes."
When Viktor woke the next day, the sun was bright. It was a small mercy, the world telling him that making a change in his routine, promising to take Makkachin to the park like he used to do so much more frequently was alright. It was safe. The heavens weren't going to open up and rain on his parade. He could do this little thing that was different without worrying about it breaking apart the world he'd built up for himself. It was small, but it was a start.
Viktor decided to keep Makkachin on her lead as he stepped outside, knowing that he could take her off the lead once they got to their destination. She didn't seem to mind at all, just excited to be out of the house, in the sunshine. A dog's life surely was a simple and wonderful one. Sometimes Viktor envied her unquestioning optimism, but it served as a reminder to himself to live for every day. Maybe he needed to pay a little more attention to that.
The park was surprisingly quiet. Maybe they'd gotten there earlier than most people. It wasn't so bad, though. Viktor enjoyed the fresh air, the quiet of the morning, the time to think and just enjoy the scenery. It wasn't something he'd really gotten to do in a long time. It was just as Viktor was about to let Makkachin off her lead that things took a bit of a turn.
Before he had a chance to reach for her collar, she was bounding forward, dragging Viktor with her. He didn't know where she was heading, only that he was in a rush to get there, "Makka, hey! Stop for a second!"
Viktor's words seemed to be falling on deaf ears as he clung to the lead, though it seemed he was the one being guided. Looking ahead, he finally saw what had her attention. The little poodle they had passed every day was standing not too far from it's owner, and Makkachin was intent on saying hello. At least, that's what Viktor thought it was at first. As they got closer to their destination, he realised that she wasn't heading for the dog at all. No, she was heading for the owner.
Viktor wasn't sure what to do. This man had a dog of his own and was no doubt used to them being affectionate, but Makkachin was much bigger, and could bowl people over if she really wanted to. That was the last thing he needed to do to a complete stranger. And yet, she was so much stronger than Viktor when she wanted to be, and he was no match for the pull. All he could do was grip her lead and hope for the best.
Makkachin didn't jump on the stranger. No, it was worse than that. Instead, she wound her way around the man's legs before running around Viktor, spinning around the pair of them until the lead had tangled around their legs, pushing them together. The first thing Viktor heard was a yelp of surprise. Then he felt the hands gently resting on his chest.
"I'm so sorry! She's not normally like this, I swear…" Viktor's voice trailed off as he looked away from the dog. Blue eyes met brown. So soft, so warm, so welcoming. Viktor had seen this man every single day, but he'd never really looked at him before.
The surprise was obvious, a slight blush rising to the stranger's cheeks, "She's cute, so I bet she gets away with all kinds of things."
If there was a way to Viktor's heart, it was definitely through praising his dog. He couldn't possibly tear his eyes away, everything about this moment was different from anything he'd done before, but he'd never felt his heart pounding quite like this, either. His hands were gently rested against the man's arms, trying to steady himself from the binds of the lead, though he had no intention of moving away. If anything, it was an excuse to stay close, one he wasn't willing to be rid of yet.
Viktor smiled, "I'm Viktor. It's nice to meet you, …?"
The man averted his gaze and Viktor almost immediately missed it, instead watching as he carefully moved a hand to push up the blue framed glasses on his face, "Yuuri. I wouldn't say this is a first meeting, though. We pass each other every day."
"Oh, so you noticed me?" He couldn't help but feel a little proud of that, knowing that this man, this perfectly ordinary, and yet so strikingly beautiful man, Yuuri, had noticed him.
"How could I not?" Yuuri chuckled nervously.
Viktor wasn't sure what to make of it at first. What did he mean by that? It seemed to be enough to send him into a panic, though, moving to step away only to be stopped by the lead tangling them together. Viktor's grip on Yuuri's arms tightened, keeping him upright as he gripped at Viktor's shirt, trying to maintain the balance he was quickly losing. Once they were stable again, Viktor glanced over his shoulder at the poodle who had gotten him into this mess, "How about we untangle ourselves before we fall over."
Though, the thought of falling into this man's arms really wasn't something Viktor could see himself denying. Ignoring the thought of being entangled in warm, strong arms, Viktor instead focused on getting them untangled, using his hold on Yuuri's arms to carefully spin them around until the lead came loose at their ankles. They were finally able to step away, but Viktor didn't want to. He didn't want to let go. Yuuri was new. He was new, but familiar; the same but different, something he never thought could walk into his life, and he really didn't want to stop looking into those eyes or listening to him talk.
Yuuri rubbed the back of his neck nervously, looking down at the poodles who were now chasing each other in small circles, enjoying each other's company, "Thanks. It was nice to meet you, but maybe next time it could be under better circumstances."
"Next time?" Viktor clung to the thought alone, the thought that maybe Yuuri wanted to see him again, too, that maybe this could become part of his routine.
"Well, yeah. We still see each other every day, don't we?" Yuuri smiled, and that was when Viktor realised.
Yuuri was something special. He was bright like the sun, but different from all the brightness he already had in his life. Where the same routine every day had dulled his colours, Viktor could see Yuuri being the paint on his canvas, creating a new work of art from the dull piece he had now, breathing life back into his world. Viktor didn't want to give up the chance to have someone special in his life. Even if nothing came of it, even if this was all just a fleeting chance, a moment of indulgence, Viktor wanted to try. He didn't care about the risks, he wanted this change. Without thinking, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "How about coffee?"
"What?" Yuuri stared back at him in confusion.
"Uh, I mean… As an apology for Makka. How about I buy you a coffee?"
Yuuri shook his head, waving a hand dismissively, "Oh no, it's fine. No harm done."
"Please." Viktor bit his lip, rubbing his arm nervously as he looked at the small space between them, "I'd like to get to know you a little better. If that's okay."
There was silence between them for a long moment, and Viktor was sure he'd said something he shouldn't have. Maybe he'd crossed a line somehow. Maybe this man was happily married with a family of his own. Maybe this really would affect his routine, but not in the positive way he expected. When Viktor looked up to find out why Yuuri had been so silent, he was met with a shy smile, the blush clear on Yuuri's cheeks. He was adorable.
"Yuuri…?" Viktor smirked, tilting his head as he waited for an answer.
"Huh? Oh! Right, yeah. Sure. I'd um, I'd like that."
Viktor made sure to give Makkachin extra treats that night.