Chapter 2: God of the Hot Spring

"Get up, Vitya!" Yakov's gruff voice shouted, "You fat, lazy pig, I don't pay good money to keep your sorry ass alive so that you can sleep around the clock. GET UP NOW!"

Vitya winced, covering his ears and scrunching up his face as he cracked his eyes open.

What?

He blinked and frowned.

Is this where I was before?

It's cold.

He found himself lying on hard ground, with just a thin wrap around his slim body, and no pillow. Aches wracked his thin frame as he sat up and studied the area around him.

The old man, Yakov, hunched over a little fire, and a slim blonde boy sat beside him. They seemed to have taken shelter within a clearing in a copse of trees. He spotted the little tent he suspected Yakov had used, but no other comforts. Each of them carried a sack, and when Vitya opened his, he found a second set of ragged clothes and items for maintaining good hygiene. Yakov glanced at him and scowled, pointing an impatient finger at a nearby pond.

"Go and clean up," he said shortly, "You can eat when you get the stink off."

Vitya blinked and furrowed his brow.

Has Master Yakov always been this mean?

Master Yakov?

It's so weird! When I woke up, I knew I was with Yakov, but I don't know where we are. I thought we were in Russia, but even though this place is a little cold, it isn't cold like Russia. Where were we going?

He didn't favor asking the old man, because he was sure that he would get yelled at again.

My head hurts too much to argue with him. I'll just do what he says. Anyway, the cold water will wake me up.

He walked into the trees, breathing in the chilly air and pulling his thin wrap around himself as he listened to the birds chirping, and a sort of buzzing sound that he thought might be insects of some kind. He began to pick up a gentle, sweet scent, and sniffed the air, enjoying its radiance.

I've never smelled something like this. It's like flowers, but light and sort of alluring.

He heard Yakov's angry voice behind him, but it seemed that he was yelling now at the blonde boy Vitya remembered was named Yuratchka.

Better him than me, I suppose, Vitya mused, shaking his head.

He turned his attention back to the pond that he could see through the trees. As he moved closer, he realized that it was bigger than he had thought, and where the part of it that was nearer to their camp was cold, he felt a warmth coming off the water as he neared it. He sighed in relief as he no longer could see or hear the grouchy old man that was his master and the thin, cranky boy that Yakov also owned.

Yakov owns us?

Strange. I didn't recall that when I woke up. As a matter of fact, everything since I woke up feels strange. I don't remember how we got here, or where we're going. I don't remember what I did yesterday. There are some memories, but it seems like they come and go. And everything feels sort of…distant…unreal.

It's so odd.

He reached the water's edge and looked down, then he frowned and reached up to touch the long, wild silvery hair that cascaded from his head, down his graceful neck and over his slender shoulders.

I thought my hair was short.

I'm so confused!

I'm beginning to wonder if this is real. I mean, I know my name is Vitya. I know I am Yakov's property and we come from Russia. I was a poor beggar boy when he found me, and he taught me to dance. I entertain people and he gathers the money they offer. I stay with him, even though I am old enough to be on my own, because he says I owe him so much from him taking care of me all of these years. Personally, I think he just doesn't want me to leave him until Yuri is old enough to make more money.

Okay, so I know all of that, but…why did I think I was older than this and had short hair? Was that just a dream while I was sleeping? I had such nice clothes! I had a house and lots of nice things. I…I think I was living with someone.

He closed his eyes and tried to picture the person, but his head ached strangely, and he was forced to stop. He knelt at the edge of the water and touched it with his fingertips.

Hmm, it really is warm on this side. Wow, thank goodness! I was not looking forward to another icy bath. Strangely, I remember a hot shower and a bubbling tub. Where was that? God, it must be that I just imagine things when I'm sleeping. I guess that's just how I cope with the grim reality of being a poor entertainer.

Ah, but I'd better get in and clean up. Yakov will be over here to scold me soon. That old man is a very large pain in the ass. But, he has taken care of me since he found me on the cold streets and took me in. Okay, so he's not all bad. He does yell a lot and he hits me sometimes with a towel, though not with his hands. He's not a nice person, but he does sometimes act more gently. Still, I want to get away on my own.

He looked around, and seeing no one within view, he stripped off his clothes and stepped into the warm water.

Oh, this is wonderful!

So very hot!

He waded in to his waist, then up to his shoulders, so that he was warm and toasty all over. He spotted a rock that he could sit on, so that he would remain immersed as he cleaned himself, and he sat down, groaning with bliss.

"This is…so…amazing!" he whispered, closing his eyes.

He wasn't sure how long he had been there, but it seemed that the light was increasing steadily. He opened his eyes and stiffened in surprise as a golden light seemed to well up, out of the center of the pond. It rose up slowly, coming out of the water and seeming to hover just over it. He was sure that the brightness should have blinded him, but strangely, his eyes remained working, and they couldn't tear themselves away from that enthralling light.

Vitya watched raptly as a dark spot appeared in the center of the light, then very slowly, it grew and spread, working its way into the shape of another slender youth, who seemed to have that godly light coming out of his body.

"Wh-what is that?" Vitya breathed, his heart pounding.

It looks like…a boy?

The light remained what should have been painfully bright, but Vitya found that it didn't hurt him at all. He watched in stunned silence as the dark figure resolved into the shape of a young man who looked to be about his age, just crossed over into adulthood…dark haired.

I can't tell what color his eyes are, because it's like the light is pouring out of them. He's so beautiful! I don't think I've ever seen a person so lovely!

But…he can't really have the light inside him, can he? So, it must be behind him? Oh wait, the sun is behind me. What is this light, then? Is this not a person at all? Is this a spirit of some kind?

The light continued to radiate warmly around the youth as he approached Vitya and came to a stop in front of him. Vitya looked into the other boy's radiant eyes, wondering how he would make his lips move so that he could speak. He offered a greeting in Russian, but the youth only looked back at him silently.

"Hello?" Vitya tried, using English.

If he's foreign, he might also speak English.

Wait, if this is a spirit, can't he understand any language?

"I am Vitya," he said, touching his fingers to his chest, "Who are you? Can you understand me?"

Vitya gazed into the other youth's captivating eyes, his heart racing wildly.

"I didn't mean to intrude," he said apologetically, "I was…just passing through and I wanted to bathe. Is it…okay for me to be here?"

The boy's lips moved, but Vitya heard no sound pass them. Instead, his felt his legs give way and he splashed down into the water at the boy spirit's feet. He started to panic, sure that he would drown, because his limbs refused to obey him, so he couldn't rise above the surface. But just when he was sure that he was dying for lack of breath, the boy spirit knelt in the water, seeming to float atop the surface. His soft, warm hands touched Vitya's body, and he surfaced, so that he was lying on is back in front of the boy spirit and floating with his silvery hair spread out around his naked body.

Vitya blinked very slowly, trying to make sense of what was happening, but caught up in the enchanting beauty of the youth that leaned over him, looking down at him.

So beautiful!

He's like a glittering god.

He makes me think of…Eros.

Yes, those are adoring eyes.

The boy spirit extended a hand that curved around Vitya's pale cheek, and those hypnotic eyes looked down into his, making the spirit's thoughts clear in Vitya's mind, though he continued not to speak a word aloud.

I want to kiss you.

Vitya could have cried when the spirit's enthralling eyes closed, but he was leaning forward, bending so that he could bring his lips to those of the one he held trapped with his powers, in front of him. Vitya felt the softness and warmth of that wonderful kiss all of the way to his toes. He felt the other boy's tongue brush against his lips, and he parted them easily, smiling as they shared a longer, more passionate kiss. And as they kissed, the spirit's hand caressed Vitya's pale cheek, then slid along the side of his throat, tracing the lines of his body, following his collarbone, then exploring his soft, heaving breast as they kissed harder and more passionately.

Vitya wrapped his arms around the boy spirit, holding on tightly as the spirit continued to kiss him, and his hand crept down lower, sliding over Vitya's soft belly, and down onto his thigh. Vitya blushed at the growing intimacy, but he couldn't help parting his thighs to invite his ethereal lover to touch him more intimately.

His breath escaped him as that warm, exploring hand dipped down to caress his flushed and alert nether parts, while their kissing became intense, on the border of becoming painful. But Vitya didn't care. He met those hungry, devouring lips again and again, and he raised his hips to encourage the beautiful spirit's explorations. He didn't even flinch when the spirit's fingers found his virgin entrance. First, they traced, then they slid inside. He thought it should have hurt, but he felt nothing but the heartbreaking beauty of their connection.

Yes, go ahead!

You are welcome here.

Vitya's breaths shortened, and he moaned rapturously as the spirit's fingers moved, causing almost unbearable twinges of pleasure. He writhed mindlessly under the spirit's touch, barely registering when the other youth laid down on top of him, and began to very slowly join their bodies. From there, Vitya wasn't exactly sure what happened. He felt a burning sensation all over, as if his body was being consumed, and he was being made into a spirit too. He felt the heat and pressure, then the powerful movements as they made love. And even better, he felt the touch of the boy spirit's mind on his. There were no words, only flash images in his mind. It was clear that the spirit was one with the waters here, and that he had seen Vitya approaching and instantly desired him. He was surprised at the ease with which the lovely silver-haired youth fell under his spell, and he was now as enthralled as Vitya.

Vitya groaned erotically as he felt an impact deep inside his body that caused him such pleasure as he had never felt. And each time that place was struck, it pushed him closer and closer to what he sensed was a kind of bliss that his innocent body had never experienced. And indeed, when it finally reached him, it was like falling from a great height. He screamed in surrender, writhing helplessly against the spirit as they floated serenely on the surface of the water. Vitya felt a scathing heat erupt inside of him, and he screamed again as his slender body quivered with delight.

He lost awareness completely, but felt no fear as the boy spirit's hands and arms held him close. He drifted in perfect comfort, for how long he didn't know. And when he woke again, he found himself lying naked in the shallows, alone except for a tall, long legged poodle that splashed him with water and licked his face.

"S-stop, Maccachin!" Vitya laughed, sitting up and hugging the shaggy dog, "I'm awake. I'm awake."

"You're lucky you didn't drown, stupid," Yuri's cross voice scolded him, "What were you doing, sleeping in the water, anyway?"

Vitya looked around, but saw no sign of the boy spirit that had risen out of the lake. He shook his head and climbed to his feet, then he slowly dressed and walked back to the camp alongside his blonde companion.

"Did Yakov send you because I was gone so long?" Vitya asked, "He was probably afraid that I would run away or something."

Yuri gave him a curious look.

"You weren't gone long, and Yakov had me follow you to make sure you didn't run off or get lost or something. We are in a foreign country, you know."

"What country?"

"Huh?" Yuri huffed, his frown deepening, "Are you all right? We're in Japan, remember? Yakov heard that the noble families pay really well. Maybe we'll make enough that he'll free us."

Vitya gave him a skeptical look.

"You do know that the old man will never free us," he sighed, "He'll keep making excuses, because we earn the money for him."

"Of course I know that," Yuri said sullenly, "I'm just letting the old man take care of me until I find something better, that's all."

"Hmm…me too, I suppose."

Vitya felt a little twinge of disappointment inside.

"Yuri, if you were watching me, then you must have seen him, right?"

"Him who?" Yuri asked, kicking a rock and watching it tumble away, "I didn't see anyone but you, sleeping in the water."

"No one else was there?"

"Are you deaf and stupid?" Yuri asked in an annoyed tone, "I said you were just sleeping in the shallow water. Then, Maccachin woke you up. That's all. You must have been having some weird dream or something. But this is Japan. It's a weird place with lots of strange stories about spirits and ghosts and stuff."

"R-right," Vitya agreed, shaking his head and petting Maccachin as they walked, "I guess I was just dreaming about it because I heard of that."

They reached the camp and found Yakov waiting with their packs ready.

"Did you get clean or just take a nap in the water?" Yakov asked crossly.

Yuri smirked, but said nothing.

"Of course I washed myself clean," Vitya lied, "I wouldn't want to offend anyone, especially foreign nobles. They might just behead us or something."

"Shut up and come on."

Vitya picked up his bag and fell in alongside Yakov and Yuri, with Maccachin on his other side. He looked out, over the pond as they walked past it, but he saw no sign of the boy spirit or the eerily beautiful light that had been in the water.

I guess it was just a stupid dream. I'm stuck in this life, and never getting free. Yakov owns me and he's never going to let me go. Ah well, where would I go anyway?

His eyes lowered and grew sad, barely noticing the beauty of the blossoming trees and blooming flowers all around them. He only saw in his mind, the beautiful spirit that had enthralled him, and he felt like crying at thinking it was only a dream. He walked blindly, ignoring everything, until Yakov stopped them in front of a lovely looking building with sculpted plants and signs written in Japanese.

"This is it," Yakov sighed, leading them to a set of guards that stood at the entrance, "Yu-topia Katsuki. This is the home of the noble lord Toshiya and the lady Hiroko. Both of you are to be quiet and let me do all of the talking. And don't touch anything!"

He reached the guards and bowed, a little awkwardly.

"I am Yakov Feltsman," he introduced himself in English, "I wrote to the household about my dancer, Vitya Nikiforov."

Just me? Vitya mused, Yuri isn't dancing?

"Yes," one of the guards answered with a thick accent, "Bring him this way."

The guard led them inside.

Vitya lost his breath at the lovely, earthy colors and delicious scents that filled the inside of the little palace called Yu-topia Katsuki. The furnishings were less stylish than rich people had in Russia, but Vitya was aware that the Japanese favored a more natural beauty in their homes.

He was distracted from looking around as a young woman approached them, and the guards knelt and motioned for their guests to also, which they quickly did.

"I am Lady Mari," the young woman told them, "Is that the dancer?"

"Yes," Yakov answered, "This is Vitya Nikiforov. We will be glad to give you an example of his talents, if you wish."

Lady Mari smiled.

"We can eat first. He looks kind of hungry. Don't you feed him?"

"Vitya stays slim so that he can perform many moves that would otherwise be impossible. I think you will be pleased with him."

"Who's your extra there?" Mari asked.

"Eh, that is Yuri Plisetsky," Yakov answered, "He is in training."

"His name is the same as my brother, the prince Yuuri," Mari said, "So, we'll call him Yurio."

"What?" Yuri exclaimed, "I'm not going by that…"

Yakov clapped a hand over the blonde boy's scowling mouth.

"Of course," he said, nodding, "He's Yurio then."

"All right. Come this way."

They followed the lady noble to a large room that featured a low table made of fine cherry wood that had pillows around it.

"Wait here. I'll be right back."

She returned a few minutes later with an older man and woman. Yakov bowed and motioned for the two youths with him to do the same.

"Greetings Yakov," the man with Mari said, smiling, "Greetings to you, Vitya and Yurio."

Yuri's teeth clenched.

"This is my wife, Lady Hiroko. You will need to refer to us as Toshiya-sama and Hiroko-sama while you are our guests, as the Emperor is picky about us making people do that."

"Very well."

"Have a seat. Have a seat," Toshiya chuckled, "Mari, will you see if you can get Yuuri to come?"

He looked back at the others.

"Prince Yuuri is a little shy, but some freshly cooked katsudon will surely coax him out to meet you. Just don't expect him to say anything. I'm afraid Yuuri is mute and can't speak to you."

The group knelt at the table, watching as house staff delivered big bowls of some meat and rice concoction that instantly set Vitya's mouth watering and his stomach growling noisily.

"Wow!" he shouted, unable to contain himself, "This looks amazing!"

"It's our pork cutlet bowl, called katsudon," Hiroko explained, "Go ahead. Try it."

Vitya took a piece of the meat and bit down, not sure what to expect. The bite radiated in his mouth as beautifully as the boy spirit had shined in front of him at the hot pond before, and before he could stop himself, he shouted again.

"VKUSNO!"

Toshiya and Hiroko looked at him questioningly.

"Ah," Yakov said apologetically, "You'll have to excuse Vitya. He's never had foreign food before. It means he thinks it's delicious. It's a compliment."

"Oh, I'm so glad he likes it!" Hiroko laughed.

She brightened even more as Mari entered the room with a young black-haired boy beside her. For a moment, Vitya was reminded of the boy spirit at the pond.

But this boy has brown eyes. And there is no light around him. He does look similar, but it's clearly not that spirit.

"This is our son, Prince Yuuri," Toshiya said proudly.

Yuuri's brown eyes scanned the faces of the guests and they locked on Vitya's.

"Yes, that is him," Hiroko told her son, "That is Vitya Nikiforov, who we have bought from Yakov to live here and dance for you!"

Yakov's jaw dropped and Yurio and Vitya stared in dismay.

Th-they…bought me?