Author's note: Finally, I can post this! This is the piece that I was lucky enough to contribute to the first issue of the Shall We Read literary magazine and I'm so excited to be able to share it with everyone! I hope you enjoy it because I had so much fun working on this in collaboration with so many amazing authors and artists.
A big thank you to my amazing beta Spicenee for not only encouraging me throughout this process, but insisting I apply to the zine in the first place. And a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the magazine and contributors!
Victor sat in his car, nervously drumming his fingertips across the surface of the steering wheel as he glanced worriedly around the parking lot. Checking his phone for what was probably the hundredth time in the last ten minutes, he verified that he had indeed come to the correct place. With a sigh, he put his phone down in the cup holder beside him before resting his forehead against the steering wheel.
Chris had asked him to meet him at a small studio in the outskirts of the city and Victor had continuously questioned whether or not he was an idiot for agreeing to it.
A knock at his window startled him, a high-pitched yelp escaping his lips as his heart leapt into his throat. His gaze whipped around to where the sound had come from and he frowned when Chris' grinning face greeted him.
Rolling his window down, Victor glared at his best friend. "You almost gave me a heart attack."
"At least I don't have to perform CPR then, eh?" quipped Chris. He laughed as Victor's brow furrowed in annoyance. "Don't look at me like that, mon chéri. You're too young to have wrinkles." He winked at Victor before beckoning his friend out of the car. "Now come on, we're going to be late."
With a huff, Victor rolled up the car window before snatching the keys out of the ignition and pushing the door open. Gathering his belongings, he begrudgingly followed Chris across the parking lot and into the small studio. A young woman greeted them at the desk, gesturing to a sign in sheet. As Victor filled out the information on the form, he paused when he heard soft laughter behind him. Glancing up, his breath caught in his throat when he saw – in his humble and not biased whatsoever opinion – the world's most beautiful man chatting with a couple of women in the hallway.
He took in the way his soft brown hair brushed against his forehead, grazing the bright blue frame of his glasses, the soft flush on his cheeks as another person joined the women around him. But what Victor was drawn to the most was the warmth of his brown eyes, the way the edges crinkled just so when he laughed, and the glimmer of amusement that sparked across his gaze.
"Victor, are you okay?"
Startled out of his reverie, Victor tore his gaze away from the man and hurriedly finished filling out the form. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."
Chris narrowed his gaze at Victor. "Are you blushing?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," denied Victor. Hiking his bag further up onto his shoulder, he tried to ignore the deepening flush on his cheeks. "I'm all signed in, so let's go."
Chris led Victor down a narrow hallway to one of two yoga studios situated inside the building. Dark hardwood covered the floors, polished so that they reflected the flickering lights from candles perched along the wide windowsill that covered most of the opposing wall. Heavy curtains were pulled shut, blocking the bright Californian sunlight from entering the room, save for a stream of light that managed to get past the fabric.
Victor followed Chris to the back of the studio, where they set about rolling out their mats and stretching. Sitting on his mat, Victor hummed in thought.
"Do you really think this is going to help Chris?"
Chris looked up at Victor, pausing in his forward stretch. "With your writing?"
Victor nodded as he glanced around the studio. "Yeah. This isn't normally where I'd go to get out of a rut."
"Sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone and try something a little bit different," said Chris. "Besides, I think you're about to find this quite...inspiring."
Before Victor could question the sly look on Chris' face, his attention was drawn to the front of the room as a hush fell over the class. Victor's eyes widened in shock when he found himself staring at the same man he had seen in the lobby.
"Oh..." breathed Victor.
The man sat on the mat positioned at the head of the class, the flush on his cheeks deepening to a lovely shade of pink as he surveyed the people in the room.
"Hi everyone," he said. The class murmured in response and Victor stared, dumbfounded. "Most of you already know me, but I see that we have a couple of new students today so let me introduce myself. My name is Yuuri and I'll be your instructor today."
As Yuuri explained what the day's class would entail over the next hour, Victor couldn't stop the shiver that raced down his spine every time those deep brown eyes met his from across the room. He couldn't explain why, but a nervous energy had settled deep in his gut and he suddenly felt simultaneously out of his league and desperate to impress Yuuri.
Victor Nikiforov, best selling author, was smitten with a man he hadn't even met.
"Let's start in a seated position and begin with focusing on our breath," began Yuuri. Clicking play on a small speaker beside him, soft ambient music filled the studio, mingling with the slow, steady breaths of its occupants. "Do a mental scan of your body as you breathe in...and out. Look for any areas that are tight or just in need of a little extra attention, sending your breath there. If your attention drifts, nudge it back towards your breath with no judgment."
Despite Victor's skepticism, he let the soft ambient music couple with Yuuri's soothing voice wash over him, calming his nerves and relaxing his body. He simply let his mind wander as he followed Yuuri's gentle instructions, stretching his arms over his head and twisting to one side.
However, he couldn't help but peek from beneath his lashes to see what everyone else was doing. Chris caught his attention on more than one occasion and Victor would snap his eyes shut, cheeks heating in embarrassment.
"Step forward into mountain pose and we'll begin with a sun salutation," said Yuuri. "Inhale, arms up..."
Victor watched Yuuri's demonstration, admiring the graceful swing of his arms before he bent forward, effortlessly touching the floor. He hastened to copy him when he noticed that the rest of the class was doing so, ignoring the soft chuckle from Chris beside him.
The class flowed through their first sun salutation before moving into warrior pose. Victor exhaled sharply, his legs shaking at the odd pose while he tried to keep his arms straight, gaze looking over his fingertips. Yuuri had begun walking through the studio, adjusting the position of people's arms or helping them find their balance as he continued to talk them through the motions.
As Victor shakily rose into warrior from his high lunge, he nearly lost his balance when Yuuri suddenly appeared beside him.
"If you move your foot back just a bit and press your toes into the mat, your stance will be more stable," he whispered. Victor's heart hammered a fast tattoo against his ribs when Yuuri braced him as he nudged Victor's foot back several inches with his own. Once he felt Victor had become stabilized, Yuuri gently pushed his arms up a fraction of an inch, fingertips brushing against Victor's bicep. "Beautiful," he murmured, flashing a shy smile at Victor before moving on to help the next student.
The class continued, Victor struggling to keep up with the rest while Yuuri gently adjusted his positions to make him more comfortable. Chris routinely shot him knowing looks while they rested in child's pose or downward dog, all of which Victor pointedly ignored.
"For our last pose, we'll cool down in shavasana," Yuuri explained. "Feel free to do any other stretches your body may need before coming to rest on your back. Let your arms and legs rest wherever they feel comfortable and organic."
With a sigh of relief, Victor laid on his back, closing his eyes. He hadn't expected the class to be as difficult as it had been and he was certain he would be sore in places he didn't know he had by the next morning. His breathing began to slow, the muscles of his body relaxing as he listened to the soothing music emanating from the speaker.
"I'll be coming around to give a gentle shoulder stretch," said Yuuri softly. "If you'd rather not receive one, please place your hand on your heart.
Victor wasn't certain what Yuuri meant by a 'shoulder stretch', but he was loathe to decline it after the grueling class. He peeked out of the corner of his eye and saw Yuuri crouching at the crown of someone's head and pressing their shoulders into the ground. Warmth crept across Victor's cheeks as he watched Yuuri move from person to person, a serene expression on his face.
He snapped his eyes closed quickly when he realized Yuuri was making his way closer and he tried desperately to push the thoughts of how beautiful Yuuri was out of his head and slow his breathing. Quiet footsteps stopped beside him and Victor sighed in relief as Yuuri pressed his shoulders into the floor, releasing some of the tightness in his shoulders and neck. His grip was strong, yet gentle and Victor's heart fluttered as Yuuri's fingertips lingered on his shoulders before he stood, skin grazing against skin, before padding away.
Eventually, Victor lost track of time as his thoughts cleared and drowsiness crept in. It was only when Yuuri's soft voice permeated the room that his consciousness returned, his thoughts in a haze as he rolled onto his side. As he rose into a seated position, he followed Yuuri's instructions to bring his hands to his heart, bowing his head with the rest of the class.
"Thank you for coming and sharing your practice with me. The light in me honors and bows to the light in each of you. Namaste."
Victor murmured his thanks in unison with the rest of the class, bowing in return to Yuuri. As he rose from his bow, a newfound sense of peace settled in him. He reveled in that feeling, even as chatter bloomed around him, until Chris nudged him.
"So? What'd you think?"
"I really enjoyed it," said Victor. His gaze drifted to Yuuri, who was chatting with someone while he gathered his equipment.
Chris hummed, his lips curving into a knowing smile. "I'm sure you did, darling."
Victor gasped. "Are you insinuating that I enjoyed something other than the class itself?"
"If the shoe fits..."
Ignoring the ache in his legs, Victor rose to his feet with a huff. Shouldering his gym bag, he spun on his heel and marched out of the studio, determined not to get side tracked by a certain doe-eyed yoga instructor. When Chris finally caught up to him, stifling his laughter at Victor's dramatics, Victor was filling out a form at the front desk. Sidling up beside Victor, Chris peered over his shoulder.
"Oh, you've got it bad."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"And denial isn't just a river in Egypt," quipped Chris.
Several weeks had passed since his initial visit to the studio and Victor found he couldn't get the dark haired beauty of an instructor out of his head. He had attended a few more classes with Chris, but was a little more than disappointed when Yuuri was nowhere to be seen at the majority of them.
And yet, he continued to go in the hopes of getting another glimpse of the yoga instructor.
Perhaps it was because he had become an inspiration of sorts to Victor, though he was loathe to admit it to Chris. The way his eyes would connect with Victor's from across the room before he quickly looked away, a blush spreading across his cheeks...
"Why don't you just go talk to him?"
Victor sighed, chin propped on his palm as he watched Yuuri converse animatedly with a young Thai man. "I don't know that I can, Chris."
Chris raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "And what, pray tell, makes you say that?"
Victor gestured helplessly towards Yuuri. "Have you seen him? He's gorgeous."
"Mm, I'll agree with you on that," hummed Chris.
"I could write a dissertation on how perfect his ass is," sighed Victor, his gaze softening. "And the way his shirt rides up when he's doing downward dog..."
Shaking his head, Chris smiled softly at his friend. "You've fallen hard for him, haven't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," retorted Victor. He knew he had fallen head over heels for Yuuri, but he couldn't admit that to Chris.
Chris frowned. "You missed your meeting with me last week."
"I still got the manuscript to you on time, didn't I?"
Mercifully, Yuuri called everyone's attention to begin class, sparing Victor from any further questioning (though he wasn't spared from the knowing looks Chris sent his way). Victor tried to focus on his breathing and holding the positions, but his attention kept being stolen by the way Yuuri would steal glances from across the room when he thought Victor wasn't watching.
The stifled laughter coming from Chris every time he lost his balance and fell out of a position certainly wasn't helping either.
Shooting Chris a dirty look, Victor tried in vain to find his balance in downward dog; Yuuri had been pushing the class to their limits with sun salutations and lunges. If he hadn't been so enamored with the way Yuuri flushed and quietly murmured about how he was known for his lunges when someone complained, Victor would have groaned with the rest of the class. He exhaled, arms shaking and legs burning as he fought against the muscle fatigue that only seemed to grow more intense with every passing second.
So concentrated on not falling flat on his face as he was, Victor never noticed that Yuuri had been walking around the classroom and assisting people with their poses until he appeared beside him.
"I'm going to adjust your position a little, okay?" whispered Yuuri. Victor jerked his head up and down in acquiesce. Yuuri moved behind him, his hands gripping Victor's hips. "If you pull your hips up higher and back – " Victor gasped as Yuuri pulled his hips up and backwards, holding him against his own hips. " – and flatten your back..."
Victor exhaled harshly as Yuuri leaned over, placing his palm squarely between his shoulder blades and pushing gently. "Fuck," he breathed.
After what seemed an eternity and yet not long enough, Yuuri withdrew his hands and padded away without another word. Victor all but collapsed into child's pose, certain that he wouldn't be able to stand without some time to...collect himself.
He glanced over at Chris, hoping that his face wasn't betraying his thoughts but the wide grin that spread slowly across Chris' face told him all he needed to know. With a groan, Victor buried his face in his hands and swore under his breath.
"Ask him out."
"I can't do that, you know that," sighed Yuuri. "He's a student."
"Yeah but – "
Yuuri glanced up, pausing in rolling up his mat. "Phichit, I can't. As much as I want to, you know I can't."
"Can't or won't?" counted Phichit. When Yuuri ignored him and returned to the task at hand, Phichit pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Yuuri, you own every single one of the man's novels. You started a fan blog about them for Christ's sake!"
"That's the problem!" Yuuri ran a hand through his hair – a nervous habit he had picked up from Phichit after living with him for so many years. "He's a famous author and I'm..." He gestured vaguely towards himself. "Me."
"You mean you're talented, more charming than you realize, and pretty damn hot if I say so myself." Crouching down beside Yuuri, Phichit leveled his friend with a soft gaze. "Look, you need to give yourself more credit. After that move you pulled towards the end of class when we were in downward dog – we all saw it, so don't try to pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about – he spent the rest of class in child's pose!"
Yuuri flushed and looked away in embarrassment. "No he didn't..."
"He did!" Phichit glanced around the room before leaning close, cupping his hand around his mouth to whisper in Yuuri's ear. "He was probably trying to hide something, if you know what I mean."
"Phichit!" gasped Yuuri. Phichit simply winked and waggled his eyebrows at Yuuri, which only made his face grow hotter.
Chatter filtered around them and Yuuri paid no attention to the people leaving the studio until Phichit nudged him sharply in the ribs. Before he could open his mouth to scold his friend, Phichit nodded towards someone walking past them.
"Just ask him," whispered Phichit. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"He says no and then I have to change my name, move away, and begin my life as a hermit," said Yuuri sullenly.
With a huff, Phichit shoved Yuuri, causing him to stumble forward and nearly bump right into Victor. With a squeak, Yuuri hurried to back up a few steps as Victor and his friend watched him with wide eyes. Yuuri's gaze darted towards the attractive blonde beside him and his stomach dropped; surely they were a couple and there was no way he could ask Victor out on a date.
"I...um..." Yuuri wrung his hands together, his gaze nervously darting between Victor and his friend. He glanced back at Phichit helplessly; Phichit only gave him a thumbs up before slipping away and leaving Yuuri to his own devices.
The blonde man – Chris, if Yuuri remembered correctly from the class roster – cleared his throat, drawing Yuuri's attention back to the two men standing before him. Yuuri watched dazedly as Chris leaned in and whispered something in Victor's ear before clapping his friend on the shoulder. As he walked away, he winked at Yuuri, a knowing smile on his lips.
For a moment, all Yuuri could do was stare. Stare into the bottomless depths of Victor's blue eyes, at the silken strands of silver that brushed across his cheeks, still flushed from their work out. He was certain that he could drop dead right then and there and die a happy man.
It was only when Victor began shifting his feet, his gaze downcast that Yuuri realized he was already making things awkward.
"I-I'm Yuuri!" he stammered. Thrusting his hand out, he stood stock still as Victor glanced drifted between his outstretched hand and his face. Yuuri's heart threatened to burst from his chest, his cheeks engulfed in flames as he remained under Victor's scrutiny.
Finally, the surprise faded from Victor's face, his lips curving into a gentle smile as he clasped Yuuri's hand. "I know," he chuckled. "You introduced yourself at the beginning of class. I'm Victor."
"I know," breathed Yuuri. Realization of what his response implicated, Yuuri quickly corrected himself. "I-I mean, I saw your name on the class roster."
Silence stretched between them, both uncertain of what to say next but neither willing to relinquish their grasp on each others' hand. Yuuri was happy to stay in that moment enjoying the close contact, relishing in Victor's presence. When Victor slipped his hand out of his grasp, Yuuri nearly whimpered at the loss.
"Well, it was nice meeting you," said Victor. He ran a hand through his hair, gaze downcast as he seemed to search for the next words. "Thanks for another great class Yuuri. I'll see you –"
"Do you want to get coffee sometime?"
Yuuri's eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth as his brain caught up to what he had blurted out. His cheeks flushed as Victor stared at him wide-eyed, lips still parted as the remainder of his sentence died on his lips. After a moment, he regained his composure and Yuuri felt as though his heart might burst at the sight of the brilliant smile gracing Victor's face.
"I'd love to."
While Yuuri and Victor exchanged phone numbers in order to make plans to get together, Chris and Phichit peeked around the doorway, grins plastered on their faces. They high-fived each other and basked in the sense of accomplishment of finally, finally getting Yuuri and Victor together.
Please check out the upcoming issue of the Shall We Read zine and consider supporting all of the amazing people working so hard on the issue! Issue 2 is slated for release on August 20th, so be sure to take a look at the amazing previews!
Come hang out with me on a tumblr, mayelisa!