To Adjust

"It's huge!"

"Ack! Careful with that!"

"Ah, sorry! I'll be more gentle."

"You mean 'delicate'."

"Huh?"

"It's china! You aren't supposed to just…pick it off the shelves!" I hastily replied as I took the expensive platter from Yuri's hands only to see him scamper off with high spirits and overwhelming curiosity to the next thing.

I set the platter down. "Please stop touching those books! I had those organized!"

"Watch out!" I called as he almost knocked over an antique world globe with its stand.

"Honestly!" I cried as he almost tipped over a tall flower vase as he looked up and around to take in the sights of the spacious room.

No doubt, to see what else he could grab his hands on.

"Oh! What's over there?" Yuri pointed towards the hall that lead to the kitchen.

"Oh no you don't."

I quickly took Yuri by the right elbow followed by the left and firmly turned him around and held him in place in front of me. "Enough!"

The Grandfather clock chimed 1:30 in the morning.

So its tomorrow and the trouble has already started…oh boy.

Still flushed with excitement, a still very topless Yuri, with a green throw tied about his waist, kept looking around and side to side.

As if he were a kid at a candy store…or in a house of his idol.

I shook my head and squeezed his arms to get his attention. "Look, can we just. Not?"

Yuri froze, studying my face, which I had no doubt appeared tired and worn out.

"A-Are you all right? You're freezing…"

My heavy eyes scanned over his lean, finless, frame.

"Where did his scales even go?" I couldn't help but wonder.

Under much better lighting, Yuri's skin was almost pearly, flawless. With raven hair Yuri had slightly larger eyes than average person whereas his lips had a tinge of blue. Before he had gone off to the china display cabinet, he had gone straight to the fireplace the moment we were inside. He was almost mesmerized by the heat and flame that I briefly wondered if he would stick his hand in. As I watched him, it didn't take long for me to notice how he differed from us humans. His spine didn't protrude like a human's did, more rather, it was fish-like and it laid outside of his skin. Then I noticed his legs appeared stained by charcoal-grey and crimson paint in contrast to his top half of flesh-colored skin…and that he was very naked. So I helped him cover up with the only thing readily available only to see he had the attention of a three-year old as he took the following moment once I had finished wrapping the cloth around his waist to beeline on over to touch my things.

Clothes…definitely will need those. I should have some that may fit him…Yakov isn't going to like this.

"People may talk if they find the Nikiforov family has a strange boy here all of the sudden," I mumbled, looking of to the side.

"People may talk?" Yuri made out, repeating my words louder. "What do you mean?"

I didn't want to explain much more tonight. I wanted to sleep.

You came from nowhere. Humans aren't going to understand. There are countless others, humans, who don't believe Merfolk exist. In fact, they rather believe you like to keep yourself secret.

I rested my hands at my sides. "Listen, Yuri, its complicated. I don't even know why you are here, much less why you need to be. If you want to keep that to yourself, fine, but then we truly need to come up with a story to explain to people."

Yuri bit his bottom lip.

"You see the problem?" I asked. "I am exhausted. I am beyond tired, okay?"

Yuri bobbed his head and played with his fingers a bit. "Can I leave that story to you? I wouldn't know what to say."

I nodded. "Sure," I yawned. "I have no idea how you can have so much stamina at this hour but we can do this exploring thing of yours later."

Once I headed towards the stairs, however, I realized Yuri had started to follow me.

Crap, of course.

I stopped in my tracks. "Um, how are-"

Bark! Bark! Bark!

Bolting out of the blue, my brown poodle had leapt into the scene and started loosing it but a few feet away from us. I had no idea where she had been, but I had no time to wonder.

Yuri yelped and bolted.

"Yuri its just a dog!" I called after Yuri, who in turn was now being chased by my pet. "Makkachin! Down girl!"

With frantic hands tossing volumes behind him, the book pile was decimated.

"Shit!" I cursed. "Stop you two!"

Yuri tripped forward on a rug, didn't fall completely, but tipped the antique globe, breaking the paper crafted map.

They will wake up Yakov at this rate!

"Yuri stop running! Makkachin no!" I ordered again, struggling in vain to reach her collar.

With her fluffy tail, the vase was smashed.

"Enough! Bad girl!" I yanked her collar and pulled the dog towards me to get the pup to stop.

Once she was calm enough, I looked over and saw Yuri had run up onto the red couch and was crouching so all I could see was the top half of his face, his frightened brown eyes peeking over the piece of furniture. I next registered a sharp pain.

Shit. I cut my hand.

I lifted my right hand to inspect the cut. A piece of the vase, no doubt, had got me.

"Shit," I cursed again before squeezing my pet. "Bad girl, Makkachin." I forced her to look at Yuri over at the couch by taking a hold of her jaw with my good hand. "That is Yuri. Yuri is good."

Bark!

"No!" I reaffirmed my grip. "Yuri is friend."

Makkachin growled…then simmered…and then began to whine after several reinforcements.

Thank God Yakov hasn't come down and is a heavy sleeper.

I let my pet's face go only to gesture to Yuri who hadn't moved.

"Yuri…she's good. I promise, but she might need to smell you."

Yuri rose up so I now saw his full face and shoulders. "Smell me? What is that thing?"

"A dog, a human pet. Possessive of their owners. Makkachin is my pet and didn't know you so she was worried I suppose. We don't get a lot of guests here."

An understanding look fell upon Yuri's features. "I-I see..."

With great caution Yuri carefully came to where I was, holding the panting and whining poodle back, but stopped a good two feet away.

Close enough.

I let Makkachin sniff. She then settled down on all fours eventually.

"A-Are we good?" Yuri stammered.

"Y-Yeah," I replied as I continued to pet her fur. "Sorry about that. She's usually so well-tempered.

"I probably smell funny…"

"And so do I…in a different way," I sighed, recounting how many shots I had not all that long ago. "God…I need a hot bath so bad…" I groaned.

My eyes scanned the room across all the destruction. "Ah man...Yakov isn't going to like this mess."

"Yakov?"

My head drooped forward. "My butler. He takes care of the estate. Besides us there's no one else."

"And now there's me," Yuri pointed to himself innocently with a grin.

I huffed and forced my droopy eyes open. "Yes, well, its looking like sleep is delayed even more now that this mess is all over the place."

My vision started to blur, I could barely keep my head up.

"Vic..tor…your eyes are puffy…and you're cold…"

I'm not sure I can make it up the stairs let alone clean….

"Sir…."

Five more minutes

"Sir…are you all right?"

Five…utes…" I mumbled, pushing away whatever tried to wake me up.

"Vitya!"

"Ah!"

I rolled off of something onto the floor.

I scrambled back up and looked right and left in haste before settling my tired eyes on Yakov before slowly realizing I had rolled off the couch, taking the white throw off with me.

The couch?

I held my aching head.

"Yak…ov…what time is it?"

"Its just past nine. You're usually up and almost ready for work so I am surprised you're still out here in front of the fireplace. You also appeared flushed so I wanted to make sure you didn't want to return to bed and take a sick day."

I took Yakov's offered hand to help me up. In a daze I looked around the room, all was neat and organized as always.

"Thank you, for cleaning up the mess."

"What mess, Sir? Everything was where it should be when I came down."

I rubbed my nose. "No…no there was a shattered vase…a broken globe…just over there."

I took a seat and moved my head to my hands.

Yakov patted my head. "Just a dream then, Sir?"

I guess?

Silent, I picked up the soft throw and placed it over my lap.

My shirt is dry?

"Coffee, Yakov, and black. Looks like I got some sobering to do."

"Very good, Sir."

Left alone, I sat there in a daze. Absentmindedly, I rubbed my hands together, unsure if I should just go about my day, go back to sleep, or just never drink again. I just didn't know what to think.

Eventually, I looked down at my hands and noticed a light scar on my right.

That was not there yesterday.


NOTES:

YOI X Merfolk AU

*I hope you have liked it so far hope to get some feedback! :D