Disclaimer: Yuri! on Ice belongs to Mitsurou Kubo and I make no profit from it. This is for entertainment purposes only!

God, this took forever for me to get out! I kept changing my mind about it so many times that I realized that I didn't need to change anything and I need to stop overthinking everything, so...enjoy you guys!

Victor: Cleaning Up His Act

What was it about me that made people so horny?

I pondered that as the bed frame rocked steadily against the wall of my hotel room. My latest acquisition moaned while her nails dug into my back as I thrust hard inside of her. Sweat dripped down my bare chest, and my pants hung halfway off my hips, the belt buckle slapping against her thigh.

I didn't have time to take them completely off. But more on that later.

Maybe, if I had a drop of insight and the ability to separate myself from the situation and become a fly on the wall, he would be able to see how depressingly cliché this was. At this point, it'd became second nature for the girl to choose a bad boy like me over the nerdy beta guy friend that was in love with her.

But that wasn't my problem now, was it? I showed her how little I care about their relationship by grabbing a leg and throwing it over my shoulder propelling my cock deeper into her. Her eyes widened, and she gasped. Wild brunette hair matted her forehead, and her face told me she's desperate for more. I slowed down my thrusts for a second or two to brush my hair away from my face and look down at her. The gleam and beam in her eyes were enough to light a pitch-dark room.

She held down on my back, arching her own whenever I sent piston-like jolts of pleasure through her body. Her moans got louder, and I could feel her foot leaving indents in the mattress as she dug her heel into it. But her natural reactions were mediocre at best. That wasn't enough. I was going to make her remember me. She was going to learn why they called me a living legend around here.

"You're so…hot," she moaned. Clearly, she could see the sweat glissading from my neck and muscular chest, reflected by the light that's pouring into the dark room from her window. She looked at me as if I'm like a demi-god as she rubbed my chest. She can't help herself. As I leaned down to continue thrusting inside her, I felt her warmness clench around me. I shut my eyes, preparing for the end. Panting, she gripped my back and called out my name.

"Victor!" she cried. "I…I'm gonna—"

Her body jerked, and she moaned her ecstasy. Her nails felt like daggers in my back, and I prayed she hadn't left any marks. But I couldn't think about that right now because my thrusts were getting frantic. I could sense my end approaching. I guess she saw it too because she reached up for the back of my neck and tried to pull me down to kiss her. She was met with resistance because my hips were moving too fast to care about that. The coil in my belly snapped, and I squeezed my eyes shut as my orgasm flooded my senses.

I can't lie, that felt good. Dammit. It always does. It's an Achilles heel. Sex is like kryptonite to me.

I laid on top of her while I waited to come down from my high. No words were exchanged. The silence was met with occasional sighs and whimpers. Once it passed, my mind wasn't as clouded, and the throbbing veins in my I finally rolled over to my side on my back, staring at the ceiling.

"That was incredible Victor," she sighed happily, and I could see her from the corner of my eye giving me that look. I cringed a bit. "But I noticed you didn't kiss me once the whole time," she pouted, sitting up on an elbow. "What was up with that?"

I paused and glared at the silly girl. And by some miracle, she's not as attractive as she was before I had sex with her. It's amazing how clearer your thoughts are when you're not horny anymore.

"I told you I hate kissing," I said as I rolled out of bed and got dressed. "You knew that from the beginning."

She knows the deal. Everyone does. I tell them up front that this is just sex and they still want something stupid from me, like intimacy.

"But kissing makes the girl feel wanted!" Her shrill voice made me cringe more. "It brings us closer..." I heard her shuffling behind me when I put my shirt on. Then I grunted when she threw her arms around me. "We've been sleeping together for a couple of weeks now. Don't you wanna be closer to me, Victor?"

Of course, I don't. I'm getting more and more turned off. This is why I hate the aftermath of sex. "I'm leaving for practice in a few minutes," I muttered. Now I know I've overstayed my welcome and needed to go. Plus, Yakov was probably wondering where I was.

"You're gonna leave? Just like that?" She wailed. "You always do this, Victor! Why can't you stay for once?"

That voice could rival nails on a chalkboard. "I told you, I have practice."

"What about afterward?"

"Studying."

She laughed. "Since when do you study?"

I don't. But I needed all excuses to get out of this girl's dorm with my skin intact. I'd like that, preferably before she goes nuts. "I have an important test coming up."

She snorted behind me, and she's breathing in my ear. "Again, since when do you give a fuck?"

That I did care for, maybe not enough, but at this point, this girl was annoying me, and her breath stunk. I turned around and patted her on the head because that's how much respect I have for her. "I'm leaving now, Alyssa."

"My name's Anya."

Oops. Before I could correct my mistake, my pants buzzed in the leg that I have yet to put on. A wave of relief swept over me. Saved by the iPhone.

Or maybe not, because in big capital letters, Yakov seemed to be screaming at me through the display: GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE VITYA!

And now you see why I never take my pants off completely.

"Over here" is, of course, the main locker room where all the athletes in the school go to practice. Not just swimmers like me, but also the football, basketball, baseball and soccer, rugby, track, wrestling and tennis players. So, you can imagine how packed it can be if certain seasons overlap. Luckily for me, I didn't have to worry about sharing that cramped space, because I had my own room. And don't blame me for that. Girls like Alyssa—sorry, I mean Anya petitioned for that to happen.

And that's not even the most outrageous thing girls have done to gain my affection.

After receiving two more texts from Yakov in which he called me a brat in one of them and an insufferable idiot in the other, I finally showed up. As soon as I opened the door, I could feel the sauna of the area escaping out from the confines of this room. It was always hot in here, and being around a bunch of sweaty guys didn't help matters in the least.

Some of my teammates applauded me while others scowled and rolled their eyes as I stepped through the door. By now, they knew my routine. I walk to practice, with all intent and purpose to make it on time, but a hot girl texts me saying she wants to know if Russian guys have big co—

"Victor!"

I was almost at my coach's office when I heard a familiar voice belonging to my best friend Chris. I approached him at his locker, while greeting some other members of the team on my way there.

"Yakov is pissed at you," he said when I approached him.

"When isn't he?" I rolled my eyes.

"When you're not late for practice."

"Touché." He has a point there. But I continued to banter. "But when am I ever late?"

"On days that end with 'Y'"

"If he keeps going at me the way he does, he's not gonna have any steam left before the time trials."

"Well, perhaps stop raising Coach's blood pressure on a weekly basis and that won't happen," Chris chuckled. "Was she worth it at least?"

"Tch."

"You know Georgi's gonna kill you."

I shrugged. "He broke up with her if I remember correctly. I doubt he even cares."

"Either way. That's his girl."

My expression stayed neutral as I rummaged my locker for towel and swimming trunks. "Not my circus, not my monkeys."

"More importantly, I can't even believe you still like vajayjay," Chris shuddered and closed his locker. "Once you had a hot dog, it's hard going back to ground beef, know what I mean?"

That was Chris. Always the king of oversharing. "Keep your lewd fantasies to yourself."

"Says you. If it weren't for yours, we wouldn't have to do extra laps every day."

"And you're in better shape because of it, so you can thank me later."

"I'd like to, but you're still batting for the other team."

I quirked an eyebrow at my friend and winked. "Well, maybe if you keep swinging, you'll hit a homer someday."

"Really?"

I snorted. "No."

"Asshole."

"Remember Chris; it's an exit, not an entrance!" I called as I made my way over to Yakov's office. No doubt he was right about Georgi, but I'd cross that bridge once I got to it. Hopefully the guy wouldn't be too mad once I explained myself.

I put that in the back of my mind once I stood in front of Yakov's door and before knocking, I could already hear him on the other side, yelling at some poor sap. He was probably taking most of the brunt of the tongue lashing that Yakov had saved for me, and he boiled over like a teapot before I could get here.

I needed to get my act together. Other people were suffering and it was starting to look bad.

The door opened, and I discovered that it's a kid on the junior varsity team, Guang Hong, that Yakov was giving that unnecessary verbal assault. Once he saw me, he blushed a bit, but then he said, "Hey, Victor."

I felt sorry for the kid, so I ruffled his hair and said hello back. I didn't mean for anyone else to get their butts handed to them because of me. Once he left, I took a deep breath and walked in Yakov's office.

"Victor!" He says with a sardonic sneer once I walked in and closed the door. "How nice of you to join us, your majesty. Would you like some coffee or some tea? Foot massage? Or maybe a nice swift boot in the ass?"

That was Yakov. Demonstrating all his redeeming qualities as a person in less than thirty seconds. But if he wanted to play tit for tat, then I could do that too. "Coffee is fine," I said as I sat down in the chair in front of him.

"No, no, no. Get your ass up. Idiots like you who have no respect for the rest of their teammates don't deserve to sit down."

I sighed. Perhaps not the right time to get on Yakov's wrong side even more. I didn't blame him for his frustration. I hadn't made this year easy for him, and the semester just started not too long ago. "What can I do for you, coach?"

"You can start by telling me what the fuck this is all about," he answered while throwing a bunch of papers in my face.

"What is it?" I asked, blinking slowly while rolling my eyes.

"Normal people would pick up the paper and see for themselves, but I guess you're the exception to the rule."

Normal people don't try to make their players feel like crap either, but I digress.

"Your professor is telling me that you're not putting forth the effort to pass the class. You're not studying or doing assignments, and of course, since you think you're hot shit, can show up any time you want."

I picked up one of the papers that coach threw at me. It was a test with a big giant red 'F' on it. It was from my horrendously complicated Statistics course. "Is this the only class you're mad at me about?"

"Does it matter? You're not in high school anymore, Vitya. You're a senior in college. Do you know how much this affects your teammates, you idiot? You're their captain! Stop putting your harlots above everything else and set a fucking example!"

Yakov was the only person I knew who used words like that. Furthermore, I was aware what was on my plate this year, but what did my sex life have to do with my grades? "Coach, I'm trying here. I just can't understand the material. Math has always been hard for me."

"It's only hard because you don't put forth any effort. Instead, all your efforts go to getting as many girls in your bed as you can in any given week." He threw another balled piece of paper at me and would've poked me in the eye if I hadn't shut them before it hit me in the face. "Get it together, or else I'm gonna have to have Chris take your place. I'm not putting up with your shit this year, Vitya!"

"How am I supposed to do that? I'm a lost soul in that class."

"Then ask for help like a reasonable person. Sign up for tutoring. I don't give a damn. Do whatever you need to bring those grades up. Don't fuck with me, Vitya. I won't hesitate to replace you. I don't need you acting up, especially since all eyes will be on you this year once you graduate. Or did you forget what you said to me four years ago? Be a man already!"

"Okay, okay. I get it." I couldn't take him cursing at me so much but I know it's my fault he's mad. I picked up all the papers from the floor. "Anything else?"

"Yeah. Take a shower. You smell like sex."

I rolled my eyes. "I meant about practice."

"Practice being on time. Can you manage that? And can you at least pretend you give a shit about this team? Don't make me look stupid by appointing you the captain, Vitya. It's time to grow up. Improve your image, and stop making such rash decisions with girls. You're not going to make it if you keep thinking life is one big sex scene. You better think of something to impress your future sponsors and make yourself look good to these recruiters. They're not going to risk their reputation by taking on a womanizer. So, I suggest you do something to change it."

Jeez, he sounded more like my dad than my coach. Once he shooed me from his presence without letting me get a word in edgewise, I walked out to find about ten people standing on the other side. I guess they were listening to Yakov tearing me a new one.

"Don't worry guys. Everything's okay. I'm not in trouble." Much.

Some of them looked at me incredulously. I could understand why, because of my track record. I haven't always been the most dependable person.

"So, is the infamous Victor Nikiforov getting demoted? Is that what I just heard?" Said JJ near the back lockers. Of course, he had to stand up on the benches so he could be above everyone else and easily seen. "Yakov laid it pretty thick in there. Is the living legend being taken off his throne?"

"No," I said curtly, rolling my eyes. "No one's getting demoted. Everything's fine. Now if you guys are ready to practice, then follow me. We got a lotta work to do."

They had a lot of work to do, I mean.

I, on the other hand, needed a way to bring up this stupid math grade. Otherwise, I'd spend the rest of the season hearing how incompetent Yakov thinks I am. Even I can't endure that much verbal abuse.

I had to find someone to tutor me.

The university was a huge campus with a ton of students, so it wouldn't be easy finding someone willing to do the job without acting like a fan while doing it. Once I left the pools, I headed straight for the student center on the other side of the school. It was late in the afternoon, but the sun still managed to make the sidewalks too hot to walk on. The winds had picked up, making it a little nicer to handle the heat. The buildings and landmarks were separated by sidewalks, everything connected like a labyrinth. It was easy to get lost here if you weren't used to it.

A few people greeted me as I walked by. Others—girls—just stared in awe. It wasn't something I wasn't accustomed to. They've been like this since my freshman year here, and in my years before my hiatus.

There were tons of perks to being Victor Nikiforov. People treated me better because I was an athlete. Being an athlete meant that you were in much better physical shape than the average person (because you had to be) and looks got you far around these parts. I usually got away with certain things (not with Yakov as you saw) and getting laid was the easiest thing in the world. Girls practically lined up to sleep with me, most claiming they enjoyed watching me swim, but I knew their reasons for pursuing me were much shallower.

For that reason, I had to deal with girls with the same way that I did with everyone else, no matter the gender, who tried to get close to me. I liked the attention they gave me because of the perks of easy flirting and sex. I preferred it that way because dealing with the opposite was hard. I didn't like talking. I didn't like commitment. It always seemed to bring unnecessarily messy emotions. I got enough of that in high school, so once I made it to college, casual, one-night stands were the only thing I could afford to invest in and out of, so to speak. And before you chastise me, don't bother feeling sorry for these girls. Our interest in each other was superficial but mutual. I wanted sex, but they wanted to be able to tell brag to their friends that they've been with the living legend.

Again, I didn't give myself that nickname. Even I know the thin line between confidence and arrogance. Most of the time.

"Victor!" I heard yet another familiar voice calling from behind and just as I suspected, it's another one of my best friends, Mila Babicheva. Before I could greet her, she'd already tackled me with a hug, nearly knocking us both down. "I heard Yakov tore you a new asshole again."

"Wow. News travels faster than herpes around here," I snorted.

"What's he so mad at you for anyways? What the hell did you do?"

"Well, I was in the middle of getting laid when he texted me. Or rather, I was finishing up that ordeal."

Mila made a face. "Gross. But he should be used to that by now, right?"

"He's pissed because I'm failing Statistics and wants me to get a tutor. I don't want to, but he's putting a lot of pressure on me to do well and behave this year." I sighed at the whole prospect of it. "He has a point, but I wish he weren't so hard on me."

"Someone has to keep a fire under your ass," Mila said. She and I sat underneath a tall maple tree as she opened a bento box filled with pirozhki, which I thought she hated. A few passersby glanced at us, but not much else. "Especially since you're the one that told him all of your life goals."

"And now I wish I hadn't," I said when I plopped down next to her. "Because he's expecting a lot more out of me."

"Well, it's not every day that one of Yakov's pupils tells him they want to make it to the Olympics. You did it to yourself."

"Gee, thanks," I rolled my eyes and grinned.

Mila just shrugged and took a huge bite of her pirozhki. "Next time, don't tell the whole world what you plan on doing. Now everyone expects you to make it there."

"No pressure," I deadpanned.

"Come on Vitya, who else can set records like you? Who can swim faster than you? You're ranked number one in the men's four-hundred-meter relay. Not to mention you're the best springboard diver in the whole first division. I can fill an entire book of all the shit you've accomplished in the past four years. And so can Yakov. That's why he's giving you such a hard time."

"Is that why he calls me a disgrace every chance he gets?"

"No. He's just mad because you're getting laid more than he is."

I had to laugh at that. Mila always seemed to know what to say to cheer me up, even with the weight of the world and pressure from Yakov bearing down on me. It was a wonder we've never done anything sexual, but Mila had always been more like a sister to me.

Plus, she likes girls. So even if I wanted to, I couldn't. And trust me, I've tried.

"That's the spirit," she beamed, reaching into her bento box. "Pirozhki?"

"Not until after time trials. I can't afford to eat whatever I want, unfortunately."

"If only you applied that philosophy to the girls you're banging."

I chuckled. "Am I that bad?"

"There's a reason why they call you a rolling stone around here Victor," Mila poked me in the arm with her elbow. "You've ever thought about settling down with just one girl?"

"Not in this lifetime."

"Even if she was the right person?"

"I never really considered it, we are in college after all. I mean, who wants someone blowing up your phone, nagging you about how much attention they need? I get enough of that from the girls I'm not even dating. Seems like too much work."

"You go for the hot, mentally unstable girls in our school and you wonder why they act cray cray?"

"It's not like I do it on purpose," I snorted.

"Stop sticking your dick in crazy. Problem solved."

"Tell that to my dick as you so vulgarly put it."

"Hmmm," Mila seemed to be thinking about her next snarky comment as she took a bite of her pirozhki. "Since you have such a problem with girls, have you ever thought about trying men?"

"Ehhh," I shrugged noncommittally. "I'm not opposed to it. Just not something I would jump in and try head first if I had a choice."

My indifference didn't faze her at all, which made it worse. "Well, it's a good thing you don't use your head. At least not the one between your shoulders."

I looked at my best friend, scandalized. "Mila…"

"What? Chris likes it."

"That's because he likes it up the rear and I don't care for it." That made Mila snicker, which flustered me even more. "What's so funny?" I demanded.

"I'm just saying, Victor. You're a pretty boy. It wouldn't shock anyone if you were gay. I think some people would even be happy."

"I'm not concerned with what people think. But I'm not attracted to guys. No way. And what do you mean it wouldn't shock anyone?"

"I just told you why. You're mistaken for a girl sometimes. Your eyes don't look real, you're hot from head to toe, and you get mani/pedis done more than anyone I know. Sure, blame it on the fact that you're in chlorine filled water during most of your afternoon, but you care a little too much about your looks, Vitya. More than a straight guy should."

"That proves nothing."

"No? Then why do you use Pantene on your hair?"

"It makes it soft!" I protested. "...And manageable."

"I rest my case."

"Let's not even go there, okay?"

"Someone has to! When was the last time you were in a loving, caring, healthy relationship that didn't revolve around sex?"

"Never," I grumbled while shrugging my shoulders. "I don't have the patience for relationships. Swimming takes up most of my free time, and I have way too much school work, on top of trying to graduate this year. I can't fit a person into my busy schedule right now."

"It doesn't matter if it's the right person at the right time. Speaking of which, are you ready for your trials?" she asked. "They should be coming up soon, no?"

"In two months," I replied, thankful for the sudden change of subject. "On top of preparing for that, Coach wants me to think of something to 'improve my image.' He didn't say what, so I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Well that's easy," Mila snorted. "How about doing something for charity? That always looks good on an Olympic resume."

"I guess, but no one's going to donate unless there's an incentive attached to it."

"Like what, though?" Mila said. "What do you think would make people want to—" she then got a stroke of epiphany and grabbed my shoulder with a hard smack. "I got it! How about a charity auction?"

"A what?" I said, nursing my now bruised arm.

"Charity auction!" the wheels seemed to be turning in Mila's head as she excitedly hopped up and down. Her eyes sparkled. "We can auction you off to the highest bidder, and she can take you out on an actual date! Do you know how much money you'd raise, Vitya? You're a sex symbol to these girls!"

"Auction me off?" I drawled. "As in…. sell me like I'm some whore?"

"At least you'll be staying true to yourself, right?" she snickered. "Seriously, though, you'd be killing two birds with one stone. And it'll get Yakov off your back, at least for the time being! Just let me and Sara organize it, please?"

"You must be out of your mind," I declared. "Think of something else. I will not be auctioned off."

"Aww come on Vitya, you haven't been with everyone here. I'm sure a sweet, unwitting girl is willing to take you out. A couple of thousand to be exact."

"A couple of thousand headaches that I don't need."

"Come on Vitya, please? It'll be fun. You never know, one of those girls could end up being your soulmate. Or guy, whatever."

"Watch it," I growled at her playfully, then sighed. "Fine, I'll let you and Sara organize this thing. Just don't do anything crazy. And if the girl is stable enough, I'll go out with her."

"Or guy…whatever."

"Mila…" I shot her a warning glance.

"Totally kidding. But I promise it'll be a moment you won't forget."

I rolled my eyes. "We'll see.

"Yes, we will." Mila stood up, and I followed her lead, throwing the strap of my duffle bag over my shoulder. "In the meantime, if you're going to the student lounge to sign up for tutoring, you better hurry up and get there, because there are only a few slots left. If you miss your chance, you'll have to wait until next week."

And I couldn't afford to let that happen, not after the way Yakov chewed me out earlier.

After I had said my goodbyes to Mila, I hurried along to the lounge. It was getting late, and the sun was disappearing over the horizon. I had to dodge a few cute girls on my way there, one of which looked somewhat familiar (this was becoming ridiculous, I noticed) but for once, my mind wasn't on getting laid. I had to get serious.

Luckily for me, I got the very last slot. When I checked out the billboard, I saw that there was an opening under the name Yuuri Katsuki. I felt a little relieved that I didn't recognize the name, which didn't say much since I could barely remember the girl from earlier. But I vowed that I wouldn't go down that route with my new tutor. The last thing I need is Yakov breathing down my neck again about my grades.

Yuuri Katsuki. For some reason, that name made me smirk a bit. It was a nice name. Then the silliness that Mila was talking about earlier regarding soulmates came to mind. I shouldn't have given it a second thought. But she had ways of getting into my head about certain things that she knew I kept to myself. I didn't like to speak about it, especially with her, because she was one of the very few people who knew about my past.

Mila meant well. But she's like that meddlesome little sister who always tries to play cupid. I knew she wanted me to be happy, but she had to understand that I wasn't in the right place to give myself to anyone right now. Male or female.

My phone buzzed and chimed with a text from what I assumed was another unknown number. Since I'd already finished practice and signed up for this tutoring thing, I could spend the rest of the evening in between the thighs of whoever was texting me.

But instead, it was an ominous message from Georgi that said: We need to talk.

Man. I needed to put a lid on my hormones.

"I swear to you, Georgi. She told me you'd found someone else already."

After successfully evading the man for about two blocks, he caught up with me outside of school. I was standing at a crosswalk on my way to my dorm across the street that was located off campus when I felt someone grab my shoulder from behind. Unfortunately, it was him.

"Well, I didn't! It hasn't even been a month yet, Victor," he whined. "Why would you go after my ex?"

"That's not true. Anya was at one of my practices, and she said she needed a shoulder to cry on." Which then, in turn, became a cock to ride on, but I didn't feel the need to mention that.

"She didn't even waste any time! How is it that she's okay and I feel like I'm dying over here?"

"Georgi…" I didn't want to get in the middle of their relationship drama. I had a spectrum of problems of my own. "Look, I'm sorry. I wasn't intentionally going after her." I wasn't that careless with other people's feelings, especially not with the feelings of a close friend of mine. "She just told me, and I should've asked you first. If it makes you feel any better, it won't happen again."

Before he could yell at me some more, my phone rang. Sometimes I wish I could chuck this thing into the ocean. It was always going off. I saw another unknown number but thankfully, not from a girl I was sleeping with.

I was so distracted by the phone call that I didn't pay attention to the traffic lights, and I crossed the street before I was supposed to.

"Victor!" I heard Georgi scream, "Look out!"

And then, it happened. Faster than I knew what was going on. I saw the car coming toward me, but I couldn't move out of the way in time. I prepared to feel the excruciating pain and inevitable death, but it was never to be. Someone—another girl, I presume—had grabbed me by the waist, spun me around like a drum, and dove for the nearest sidewalk, rolling right on the curb. Pain etched my entire back when we hit the ground, but we still managed to move out of harm's way. Unfortunately, we bounced too far toward the other side and ended down an embankment.

Everything around me was a grassy whirlwind. The unknown girl and I rolled over each other again and again and down the green hill. Adrenaline pumped through my body, making my heart race at lightning speed. A few moments later, my back hit the lush meadow with a hard thud. Pain shot up and down my spine like lightning bolts.

Damn, that hurt. But at least I was alive. It took me a few seconds to collect myself and wait for the ache to go away. Meanwhile, my shoulders were being pinned to the ground, as though the girl wanted to make sure I stayed put. I looked up to thank her for saving my life, but once my eyes could focus and I wasn't dizzy anymore, I stopped in my tracks.

At the prettiest pair of brown eyes I've ever seen. This person wasn't Georgi. Nor was it a fan.

Raven hair aside, my savior looked like an angel in disguise. The only problem was, this person was also a boy. A nice looking boy. And I would take that passing thought with me to my grave because Mila would never let me live it down.

He had a decent jawline; a little more than decent. It outlined the frame of his face in ways I couldn't explain. I didn't know why I was checking him out, but I couldn't help but notice a stir in my belly. Maybe it was the extra adrenaline and my body trying to calm itself. But my heart wouldn't stop racing.

The earth seemed to stand still. We looked at each other, hard, deep, profound, trying to figure out what the hell happened.

Once my brain kicked back into gear, and the eye contact was going on for longer than I realized, the boy's face seemed to tense up as he looked panicked. I knew that look anywhere: Recognition.

His hair was hanging down at an angle, tickling my nose. He brushed it behind his ear, with a flustered look on his face. By now, he knew who I was. "I…" he cleared his throat and tried again. "I'm sorry about that. I just didn't want you to…"

Was he seriously apologizing for pushing me out of the way of a moving vehicle that would've killed me otherwise? I almost wanted to laugh! But instead, the corner of my mouth pulled into a smirk. "Sorry for saving my life?"

"No, no! That's not what I meant..." the boy was blushing at this point. He looked like he wanted to die from embarrassment. "I didn't mean to slam you to the ground so hard…"

Was he afraid of me or something? I've heard of being star-struck, but I'm ninety-nine percent sure this boy has never been to any of my swim meets. The audience was filled with mostly horny women and he certainly was no lady or fan of mine, and I didn't have that many male fans.

"Better to be slammed on the ground than crushed to death by a three-thousand-pound car, right?"

The boy blushed even more. I didn't know why. It's not like I was flirting with him. "Y-Yeah. Umm…" he looked as if he wanted to say something else. "Y-y-you're Victor, right?"

My gut told me he was trying to make awkward small talk than anything else because who didn't know who I was? Then again, the boy looked petrified even to be talking to me, so I played along. "Yes, Victor Nikiforov to be exact. And you are?"

He hesitated for a second before answering, twirling a piece of hair around his finger. "I'm—"

Before he could speak, I heard police sirens and footsteps suddenly surround us. In a matter of seconds, cop cars, a fire truck and an ambulance were on the scene, followed by hundreds of passersby, a lot of them coming from our school.

I saw a few familiar faces. Some were my friends; others were fans, innocent bystanders, and groupies or girls I've slept with—which was embarrassing. I didn't want a mob trying to get in the way of the police doing their jobs.

It wasn't until one of the EMTs came up to us and started examining my guardian angel for serious injuries that I noticed that he still had one of my arms pinned to the ground, sitting on top of me. And I didn't even realize...

"Are you boys alright?" She asked.

"Y-yeah," this guy sure blushed and stuttered a whole lot. He awkwardly let my arm go and got off me. He twiddled his thumbs while avoiding eye contact. He looked mortified. "But I think you should check on Victor. I'll be fine."

Astonishing. Even though the kid probably had cuts and bruises everywhere and every single muscle was going to hurt tomorrow, his only concern was me.

"I'll still need to check you," the EMT lady insisted. "Just to make sure you're okay."

My guardian angel seemed uncomfortable with it, and he kept looking over at me as another EMT checked me for injuries. As a matter of fact, we both kept looking back at each other, perhaps to see if the other was okay. I don't know why. But once this was over, I had to thank this selfless boy somehow. Maybe give him tickets to some of my swim meets.

Police gathered to block off the accident scene with yellow tape. The crowd was getting bigger, and bigger and it was hard to tell who was calling my name. But I wished I didn't have an audience.

"Step back people!" I heard someone shout. Everyone seemed to want to come up to me, mainly the girls who thought it was okay to cross the yellow tape. They then began fighting amongst themselves when they wanted to be the only ones at my side.

During all that, I even heard them yelling how, "He was with me last week!" Or, "He took me out a few days ago, so he's mine!" I even thought I heard one girl say that she was going to ask me out when all of this was over.

Amazing. Did these people even care that I'd nearly lost my life if it wasn't for this boy?

Wait a minute. Of course they didn't. Because honestly, if the shoe were on the other foot, I wouldn't care either. But I most certainly would not be acting like an opportunistic groupie.

Not before long, I saw Chris, Mila, and Georgi in the crowd, trying to get through. Since they weren't allowed, they all yelled my name and waved.

It took a second or two for Mila to register what was going on. She looked over at my guardian angel who was still being checked on by one of the EMTs and then over at me. Then over at him and then back to me again.

I glared at her when she began smiling at me. I knew what she was thinking. I didn't want her to be right about what she said earlier. It's not like I planned this. The boy just happened to be at the right place at the right time.

That was it. Right?

"Okay kiddo, I need to check your blood pressure. Any medications you're on?" she asked me.

I didn't answer her right away. I was distracted by what was going on around me. The car that almost struck me had hit a pole and was almost split in two. I'm not sure what happened to the driver, but they were being transported to the hospital. A fire hydrant was knocked over and was now shooting out water like a geyser. Some people took that as an opportunity to play in it as if this was a damn amusement park.

The entire street was going to have to be shut down.

"Hey. Cutie." The EMT grabbed my face and turned it back toward her. "Focus. You take any meds?"

"No," I muttered. I looked back once again at the boy who saved me. I couldn't stop looking. He was still getting examined.

"It doesn't seem like you have any major injuries. I'm going to need you to give a statement to the police officer, and then you're free to go," the EMT told me. "In the meantime, I'd consider getting a lawyer."

I would've preferred not to make my life more chaotic than it already was, thank you very much. But now that she was done, I could go over to my guardian angel and thank him properly. But before I could do that, Chris, Mila, and Georgi managed to get past the yellow tape and up the hill to my side.

"What in the hell was that?" Georgi exclaimed. "One minute I'm talking to you at the crosswalk and the next, this car nearly runs you over!"

"I honestly still don't know...everything happened so fast..." I looked over my shoulder, and I saw that my guardian angel also had friends that came up to check on him. When he saw me looking at him, he blushed and stared down at the ground.

"Is that the guy that pushed you out of the way?" Chris asked.

"Yeah," I muttered, trying to mask my mixed emotions.

I was hoping and praying that Mila would choose another time to pick on me about what we discussed earlier, but she wouldn't be Mila if she didn't. "Such a brave and sweet boy! And he's not bad on the eyes either."

"Mila..." I glared at her.

"What? I'm just stating the obvious. He's cute." She had a knowing smile that I wish she would wipe off her face, but at the same time, I wondered what was making her gush so much. I was not going to ask, especially since Chris and Georgi were with us.

"Where's the idiot driver that almost ran you over?" Georgi demanded. "I'm pretty sure that's grounds for some type of arrest, right? I bet they were drunk."

That was Georgi for ya, fighting on the side of justice. "Let the police handle that. The EMT said I'm clear to go once I make a statement to the cops. But there's something I need to do first."

"What?" All three of my friends said in unison.

Instead of answering them, I stood up gingerly. Sharp pains etched my back and shoulders, but I did my best to hide it. Georgi tried to advise me to take it easy, but I told him I was fine.

I turned around and walked toward the boy and his friends. They were engaged in deep conversation but one of them—Guang Hong noticed that I was coming their way and he nudged my guardian angel with his elbow. Then, once he saw me coming, I saw that familiar blush creep up on his face again.

And dammit, if there was a worse time for the annoying girls to come up to me, it was right now.

I wasn't even near my destination when they came crowding around me. Then it was like a butterfly effect, and soon they attracted a crowd and I was trapped in their cocoon of admiration.

But just this once, I didn't want to be admired. I didn't want their worship. I just wanted to thank this boy for saving my life.

"No!" I exclaimed. "Wait! Just let me...I need to-" but I couldn't get away. Some of the girls held my arm back. Others grabbed the other arm that was still in pain. I even felt one girl wrap an arm around my waist. My friends tried to break up the fray, but it was blocked off.

"Victor! That was so brave of you!" One of the girls said. "You got out of the way of that car without a scratch!"

I gave her a scandalized look. "Excuse me?"

"Ohhh, Vicchan, you must be so hurt," another girl said. "Let me ease your mind. I'm sure you can use some aromatherapy on those sore muscles, right?"

She gave me a lustful smile, one that once upon a time, make me want to jump her bones now made me feel sick to my stomach. I didn't want this. I wanted them to leave me alone. I just wanted to get to my guardian angel.

But once I turned around again to search for him, he was long gone.

Dammit…