Just Like Always
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, for they rigthfully belong to Namco Bandai
A.N: Massive thanks and lovus to chaithea who has been kind enough to beta this story.
This is a little oneshot written for my lovely followers on tumblr, enjoy :)
The ride back was long, and mostly quiet. Lights flashed by, partly from the rushing cars, partly from the city's illuminated streets and pubs – it was New Year's after all. Yuri's head was leaning against the passenger seat window, little clouds of breath since long forming on the freezing glass. His gaze was fixed on the outside world, covered in a thin layer of snow, while absently following the numerous snowflakes that clashed against the car to be washed away seconds later.
He had long given up finding out where Flynn was taking him. His blond friend had remained mostly silent all the while, merely brushing Yuri's questions off as to where they were headed, claiming he would know soon enough. He hadn't said much and had been focusing on the road since then. In any other situation Yuri would have annoyed his best friend until he spilled it out, but he was getting a bit tired and the drinks he had already had at Estelle's were not helping. The pink haired woman had fiercely insisted they go to her New Year's party; neither were particularly attracted to the idea of spending the whole night at her immense mansion among guests they didn't even know or had much interest in getting acquainted with, but Estelle was one of their oldest friends and she had also invited the rest of their little group, meaning Raven, Judith, Rita and Karol. She had ultimately used her fake-tears-technique she had learned from Rita to persuade them as a final strike, which hadn't really been difficult since neither boys had ever been inclined to make her unhappy. In the end, it turned out they had more fun than expected, Karol brought his swiss cousin Patty along – who had been rather fond of Yuri at first sight, quite to his annoyance. Most of the people there had been rather nice to talk to, and the atmosphere had remained festive and joyful. Yuri had for the upteempth time tried to convince Flynn to drink a little, if only for the sake of the event, but the blond had been keen on staying sober more stubbornly than ever.
Now that he thought about it, he had been acting rather nervous all day long. Yuri, although quite bewildered, hadn't prostested much when Flynn had bid Estelle and the rest goodnight at merely eleven thirty and almost dragged him back to their car, his curiosity having shut him up rather quickly and let himself be taken god-knows-where. Even now, as Yuri glanced over to his friend, his hands were holding the wheel a bit too tight and he seemed to be thinkng hard over something only he knew. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed his unusual agitation but his trained eye did, he never missed anything about Flynn. They had been friends since pre-school and even though highschool and college had been rough times for them, their friendship had somehow kept going and had gained depth, strenght and steadiness, even.
As more snow and cars rushed by, Yuri remembered their prom night on graduation year; neither had had a partner – even though they had both been pretty popular with the campus' female population - but that hadn't really bothered them. It was a known fact that both had somehow taken more interest in each other than normal best friends would, but neither had made a move. It was on that evening that Flynn had finally taken Yuri in his arms, surprising him, and had asked him out. The long haired teen had almost instantly reacted by kissing him passionately. It was a memory Yuri cherished to this day; both had been living together since.
Now 26 years old, the two of them each had their own jobs and managed to keep their little household all right – Flynn working as an apprentice officer and Yuri switching between several part-time jobs - his favorite and most well-paid being a Chef assistant at the Brave Vesperia, a quality restaurant renowed for its refined cuisine. It had been Karol who had suggested the job to him since his stepfather was the restaurant's owner. The kid had been promised the place of Chef once he was old enough, and he was already helping Yuri out the best he could until then. Even Repede, Flynn and his adopted dog, had succumbed to his exeptional cullinary skills. Life wasn't always easy and gave them harsh times more often than not, but eventually Flynn and he always found a way out and managed just fine.
Still, Yuri was begining to feel things needed to be taken to the next step soon. He would never regret his relationship with Flynn, whom he had known for almost his whole life and trusted unconditionally; his life was nearly perfect just like it was, as sappy as it sounded. But somewhere between the wild nights, the light pecks and few cuddles in the morning, the punches and arguments, the lingering touches and the fleeting smiles, he felt something was still missing. Things needed to get going, deeper, further. It wasn't the first time he thought about it, and he could swear Flynn was feeling it too, somehow.
Slowly, without averting his gaze from the window, his hand traveled down to his pocket and squeezed it tightly. It had to be done tonight. All those years ago Flynn had done that first step towards their future, now he felt it was his turn to make them go foward this time. The problem: he wasn't really good at those kinds of things, wasn't as straightfowardly sentimental as his partner. The whole issue was making him feel more nervous than anything, frustrated even. He let out a small sigh, loud enough to briefly catch Flynn's attention, who was glancing at him from the side while keeping an eye on the street.
«Are you okay Yuri ?»
«Hm ? Ah, yeah, it's nothing.» he mumbled.
«...Alright.» his friend let out in a slightly shaky breath he had been unconscioulsy holding a little.
Yuri furrowed his brows at that. He noticed Flynn's knuckles were starting to get white from the sheer strength he was holding the wheel with, and how his eyes darted every so often to the car's clock. It was eleven fifty-five.
Just as he was about to ask what was wrong with him, Flynn slowed their pace and halted in front of a lofty, ochre-colored building. No lights shone inside. Blinking, it took Yuri a few seconds to recognize the place. He turned to his friend, a puzzled look on his face.
«Flynn, is that-...»
The latter merely grinned and got out of the car, a confused Yuri following suit. He certainly was wondering why they were here of all places, on New Year's Eve no less, but figured he'd hear it from Flynn soon enough, or so he hoped at least. Once they made it to the entrance he grabbed the blond's wrist, who had been reaching for the doorknob.
«Hey hold on a sec. First of all, you know it's empty and locked, right ? » he cocked an eyebrow before smirking teasingly. «Or is the mighty goody-two-shoes Flynn Scifo actually planning on breaking in?»
Flynn looked like he was holding back rolling his eyes, but decided to go for a wink and a playful smile.
«You wish. I borrowed Don's key for tonight. After all, he knows he can trust an old pupil of his.»
«Heh, figures.» Yuri scoffed. How was that old geezer doing anyway ? Mr. Whitehorse had been their kendo teacher for almost a decade back in their childhood, both teens proving early on to have high fighting potential as well as great coordination and efficiency when battling together, or against each other. The old man had even once joked they try a dance lesson as patners. Thinking back about it, maybe it wouldn't have been that much of a bad idea, at least it would have spared them the embarassement on that one prom night, when Flynn had insisted on displaying their newborn relationship by asking him for a dance knowing full well he was all but skilled at it. He had always been that kind of mushy bastard.
The building, even though quite old, hadn't lost any of its very particular charm. During summer, bundles used to tangle around the few columns on both sides of the entry and diverse bushes of various flowers would blossom, creating a lovely odor to walk back home with. On that snowy night though, the place was covered in a white, almost glittery coat and absorbed every sound. Silence settled once again between them as they climbed up the stairs, higher and higher, save for the echoing sound of their steps. Yuri began to have an idea as to where Flynn was leading him, though he remained absolutely clueless why. Although, maybe he should take his chance then, the oportunity might be gone soon otherwise. In front of him his lover held his back slightly stiff, his pace hurried.
As he had guessed, their little trip ended before the massive door leading to the rooftop. Since they had had been strickly denied and even forbidden the access to their school's – forbidden because of Yuri's amazing lack of respect towards such rules – they had both gotten used to chill out and eat their afternoon snack up there, right after training and before walking back home. It soon had become their favorite place to be, especially since the view was beautiful. Some nice and warm nights, the teens had even snuck out of home to somehow climb all the way up and stargaze.
After moving out though, Yuri and Flynn eventually had to leave their lessons behind, together with their special place. It had been many years now since Yuri had last been there.
Just before opening the door, Flynn halted and turned around, locking his gaze to his friend's. Yuri could only give him a questioning look, to which the blond merely responded with that bright smile of his. Whatever he was planning to do, Yuri was confident it held a lot of meaning to Flynn.
The latter unlocked the door and freezing air hit them once again, this time a little harder since the wind was harsher up there. While Yuri looked around, memories of good old times rushing back, Flynn went straight to the banister. The cold air was refreshing against flushed skin after having spent a while in the stuffy car. The raven haired soon joined his best friend as they just admired the view, their breath a little hitched and creating small clouds of fog.
Yuri couldn't describe how beautiful the view was on a New Year's night. There were a lot more lights shimmering than usual, giving the impression of a fairy city glowing before them as the lights reflected on the snowflakes falling down softly. No sound but their breathing and the far away traffic could be heard, and even those were swallowed by the silver powder laying at the men's feet. The silence felt peaceful and way too precious to break, but Yuri felt as if his heart's pounding against his chest could be heard even from afar. He still couldn't put his finger on why exactly Flynn had brought him here on New Year's Eve, but he was well intent on going through with his plan. If only he wasn't this damn nervous! This should be easy, after all it was Flynn, the guy that knew him better than even himself, in and out and through the most embarassing moments of his life. Hell, they had both known more difficult times than this, it should be a piece of cake. Turned out it wasn't. He had to trust things would go smoothly though, after all he had been prepared for this for a little while, and it wasn't like Flynn would refuse. Right? Well, thinking like that wouldn't bring him anything, acting would. That was his way of doing things anyway, saving the thinking for after he had actually made his move.
Mentally taking a deep breath, Yuri prepared himself to act. It really was now or never. He was about to turn towards his friend, when out of nowhere a deafening sound whistled above their heads and further into the sky to burst into an explosion of glittering colours. He had been so deeply enrolled in his thoughts that he had missed the countdown to midnight, and now he was left speechless. The rooftop was a perfect place to enjoy the breathtaking rain of colorful fireworks, so much Yuri couldn't even tear his eyes off it. Everything was just blazing and glowing blue, green and gold melting to all kinds of fiery reds and purple. Bangs resounded loud high up and illuminated the snowy sky, so close and large Yuri childishly thought he could reach out for them if he tried hard enough. A feeling of exitement and amazement settled into his chest, the man unable to hide the wide smile spreading on his lips. He had hardly ever witnessed anything this mesmerizing, and he certainly wasn't one to impress easily.
Caught up in his astonishement, Yuri hadn't noticed Flynn staring at him. Once his eyes drifted away from the wonderful view, the raven haired stared back trying to read his partner's odd look. Minutes stretched into long, intense gazes diving into each other's eyes, the dazzling pyrotechnics put aside. Yuri loved the way the fireworks' glowing lights were reflecting in Flynn's, their deep blue gaining some more shine. In that moment he was struck by how much affection he was reconginzing in that look. He wasn't much of a lovey-dovey person, much less a sap, but in all honesty he felt wonderful right then. This felt right, Flynn being there with him felt right, his love felt right. Who was he kidding, it took a whole bunch of the latter to even put up with him for as many years as Flynn had. Surprisingly, his nervousness had almost vanished. He felt way more confident now and took another deep breath, all the while never leaving his best friend's gaze.
«Flynn-»
«Yuri.» Flynn abruptly interupted. Yuri mentally groaned and would have smacked him in frustration if he wasn't this startled by his lover's sudden tone. The latter had now a very serious look on his face, aparently still somewhat deep in thoughts as well. The blond's small smile that followed though lightened his attitude, and Yuri relaxed until he saw Flynn take something out of his left pocket. It was a small cube, neatly wrapped in a light purple paper and rolled up in a thin silver ribbon. Yuri could only raise an eyebrow at him, wondering why he was getting a gift now, on a rooftop of an empty building under the snow. It wasn't even Christmas anymore. So what the hell... ?
Even though the gesture raised another thousand questions in his head, he decided to put up with it silently for once and slowly opened the small present. He felt his stomach twist in a strange but not bad or painful way as he discovered a little ebony box which content he couldn't believe at first. The ring was shining discreetingly in the fireworks' sparkling glow, golden and simple. No cheesy inscriptions, no decorative extra jewelry or whatever. Flynn knew he loved the silent, humble kind; it meant so much more.
Yuri couldn't do anything but stare at it, eyes wide open with surprise. When he glanced back at him, the blond had kept his serious demeanor as well as his loving look, if not had intensified it, now steady and confident.
«Yuri,» he started softly «Will you marry me ?»
For a moment said black haired's mind blanked and he didn't utter a word, trying in vain to fight back the small blush starting to heat up his cheeks. He would later blame it on the freezing air, but in thruth his heart was beating fast in shock and, admitedly, immense delight.
«I-I...» he stuttered, completely at loss for words. Dammit ! He needed to get a grip, but somehow his tongue failed him in utter astonishement. How come.. ? All of a sudden he felt this was getting silly and started giggling; he couldn't help it.
At that, Flynn's dead serious expression was begining to melt to midly confused and almost doubtful. He didn't seem to think Yuri's sudden outburst was a good sign as a fearful glint started to make those lovely blue eyes shine with slight worry and a frown appear on his forehead.
«Wha- what is it Yuri ?»
The other man on his part was desesperatly trying to calm his laughter and find an appropriate way to answer his lover without it getting too embarassing. Of course, he didn't find anything. He had noticed how unsettled Flynn had become seeing his reaction and he didn't want him to misinterpret it.
Now that his giggling had stilled, he was left unsure how to proceed so he looked away, clearing his throat, and plunged his hand into his own pocket. He kept it there a few moments longer before pulling it back and slowly stretched his hand out to Flynn, who was more than confused at this point. His perplexed look though soon turned completely stunned as Yuri opened his palm in which laid an elegant, golden ring. It was as simple as Flynn's was, shining warm and beautiful. A brief moment of silence that felt like hours passed before Yuri felt he could look up at his best friend, a sheepish chuckle escaping his lips.
«Hehe, well that sure wasn't part of the plan...» he started and lifted his gaze, though looking straight up may have been a mistake. He wasn't sure he could ever tear his gaze off him again for Flynn was smiling from ear to ear, one of those bright smiles that would make the raven haired's stomach twist and flutter in a mere seconds. He often saw him smile but those were the rare, genuinely warm and happy ones he would sometimes pull and make Yuri feel all weird and fizzy inside.
Slowly, Flynn reached for his free hand and gently put his own ring on. It slipped softly and easily on Yuri's finger, who was staring at him in whirl of emotions. He didn't take long to react though and swiftly put his own ring on his partner's slender finger. They smiled and looked into each other's eyes for a moment, letting all their feelings pass through their own way. One single look told them so much more than a thousand words would, and they had learned from very young to read and know each other more than they knew themselves.
The fireworks in the background crackled and sparked, lit up the sky with colorful burst whilst they stared at each other.
Flynn was the first to break the silence with a light, happy chuckle and took Yuri into his arms, just like he had done on their prom night. The latter rapidly returned the embrace and nuzzled his head in the crook of the blond's neck, enjoying his warmth. It was something he had noticed since they were children; Flynn was always warm in one way or another. He made Yuri feel at home, always had.
«I take it as a yes, then.» Flynn whispered next to his ear.
Yuri gripped him tighter and huffed softly, a broad smile gracing his lips.
«Dumbass.»
«You too.» His voice was laced with amusement and barely hid his joy. He pulled them apart, just enough for their foreheads to touch and their breaths to mingle.
«Happy New Year, Yuri.»
The latter didn't bother to reply and decided they had talked enough for the night. Therefore he merely hummed softly and joined their lips together in a gentle, tender kiss. It wasn't fiery or burning passionate, just loving.
They didn't know what the future woud bring, and it surely would carry many hardships, but they knew they would make it through together, just like they had always done. They would take it on and engage that new step, side by side.
Just like always.