3rd Sketch
Victor woke up to the smells of coffee and the aromas of-
'What is that? I smell egg for sure but…'
He smiled, loving there was something new. He threw on a thick, dark green robe and shuffled downstairs of his condo to the kitchen as eagerly as he could.
Yuri spotted Victor coming down the steps. "Morning."
Victor took in a long whiff. "Wow~! Something smells amazing."
Katsuki scrapped the last of what he was cooking, dividing it into two bowls. "Have a seat. It's almost done."
Victor took a seat on a stool and folded his arms on top of the counter of the kitchen island. "When did you have time to shop?"
"Ah, well, I saw you leave your keys by the door on that tray over there so I went for a morning jog around six walked back with the ingredients. You're lucky to have a store not terribly far from here."
"Part of the perks I guess." Victor yawned. "Plus, I didn't hear the door at all and Makkachin usually barks her head off." Victor propped his head with his right hand. "I'd call you a ninja but I feel I'd cross the line."
Yuri shook his head. "Nah, stuff like that doesn't bother me. I grew up in Japan, remember?
"Of course." Victor nodded as he recalled the night they met.
"Well, I lived close to an old relic of a building that used to be a ninja household in Hasetsu so ninja fits to be honest. Here." Yuri presented a bowl of egg and rice with a glass of water. "Let the egg cook over the steam for a while and then stir it in."
Victor became apprehensive yet curious. "R-Really? I've never knew that would cook it enough."
"Hmhmm, I've got coffee going so one minute until that's done." Yuri turned around. "Where do you keep the sugar? You take yours with it, right?"
'God this looks good. Looks like there's a sauce in the rice too…' Victor didn't look up from his tasty looking bowl. "Cabinet by the fridge. Second shelf."
Yakov folded his arms beside Mila's desk. "You're late."
Victor only smiled as he took off his coat. "Fifteen minutes is hardly late."
"For you it is."
Victor hung up his coat. "Well I needed an exception today."
"Gomen, Yakov," Yuri apologized with a slight bow. "I had made breakfast and he insisted on seconds."
'And thirds…at least I have the Russian word for tasty down, he wouldn't shut up about saying it.' Yuri thought, although the praise, he had to admit, was endearing.
Mila hung up her phone. "Victor, that was the client for 'The Emerald'. They would like it before the end of this week rather than next. How is it coming along?"
"Well enough. Should take till end of tomorrow, actually. Go ahead and set up the viewing meeting for Friday." Victor turned to Yuri. "Shall we go? You canvas should be dried by now right?"
Yuri didn't reply.
Victor waved his hand in in front of Yuri's face.
Yuri shook his head and blinked. "Ah, d-didn't mean to space out, sorry, I was looking at a piece over there."
"Oh? Which one?"
Yuri pointed to an oil painting across the room and walked forward. "This one. I didn't get much chance to look at your pieces here, up close, yet so I got distracted."
"Quite all right," Victor reassured. "This one…it was a part of my dancing theme last year."
"Oh? I remember the article online which displayed a number of works expressing different types of dance, but this one I haven't seen."
In the middle of the blue-white floor, under a spot light, stood a lone individual with a princely costume complete with epaulets, dangling chains and sparkling texture.
Yuri went to look at the blurb tag next to it on the wall, but Victor covered it up, placing a hand over the small square with his left while he raised his right pointer finger near his lips. "No cheating. Can't you tell what type of dancing it is?"
Yuri fought with himself to roll his eyes and indulged the man's question. "It's ice dancing, the skates make it clear, right?"
"Yes, that's what he is doing, but what is he feeling? I want to hear your interpretation."
Yuri studied the painting closer. "….Hopeful."
Victor froze for a split second and swallowed hard. 'That's new…'
"Why do you think so?"
Yuri rubbed the back of his neck. "Um…he appears to be looking for something or someone. He looks like he wants someone to come to him, with his arms open wide like that.
'It's the complete opposite of what I intended…can't he pick up on the depression of the color?' Victor wondered.
"Was I right?" Yuri asked.
'Crap…he's going to want to read it…well…I hope he doesn't get depressed himself.' Victor removed his hand. "Not exactly but its all subjective, right?"
-'Lone Prince on the Rink'-
Yuri scanned through the descriptive paragraph. 'I was completely and utterly wrong...shoot.' But instead of getting upset he flashed a smile, though felt a little awkward. "Ah yes, heh good thing too or I'd be in trouble, heh."
"Would you two get going?" Yakov loudly chided.
Yuri jolted. "Hai! Yes!" He impulsively took Victor's hand and pulled him to the back.
Victor went along with the pulling, but looked over his shoulder to his piece for a last glance. While Yuri had misinterpreted it, at the same time, the bashful critique had left the Russian warm inside. 'Hopeful…Yuri, you're one surprise after another.'
Back in the workspace for another day, Yuri inspected his newly prepped canvas for a couple minutes before helping Victor take out supplies.
"We listened to classical last time. Do you have a preference?"
Yuri shook his head. "You choose."
"Sounds good."
More classical soon filled the air, Yuri took his place on a stool but watched Victor take out his nearly finished work. "This one has been such a pain…" he heard him mutter.
Yuri flinched. "Why?"
Victor placed his hands on his hips after setting the painting onto the easel. "This lady is 'The Emerald' a fellow wants her to be exotic and with, of course, huge emerald jewelry but…I hate it, to be honest."
"How so?"
"I don't like literal commissions. A lady in jewelry is fine but this guy has been micro-managing, virtually, every detail with a flood of emails," Victor dropped his head forward with a sigh. "What a pain. The only thing I could argue he hadn't specified is her face…great guy, huh?"
"Sounds materialistic rather than visionary…guess we should be thankful some aren't though or we'd be out of a job, heheh."
Victor gave a sarcastic expression at the sad truth of the matter and rattled his brush into a cup of water. "Yep," he clipped. "Leaving the face till last, seeing it'll be the most freedom I'll get."
"Well stick with it," Yuri assured. "I'm going to sketch what I want to do this time."
"Sounds good."
Victor tapped his foot. "Its been two hours, Yuri."
A cloud of doom hung over the young painter's head. "I know…."
"A blank piece of paper?"
"I couldn't decide!" Yuri defended, setting his pencil with a slap. 'And I couldn't stop watching y- what am I saying?! Fuckin' focus!'
"Can't I continue to watch you instead?"
"Y-Yuri…" A pink dusting rose in Victor's cheeks. 'Is that what he's been doing?'
"I learn a lot by doing so," Yuri insisted as he fidgeted on the stool, doing his best to ignore the twisting knot of embarrassment and nerves forming in his stomach. 'I've loved your work since I was fifteen so please understand how that alone is enough.'
Victor brightened up with a smile. "Sure. I'll give you the best seat in the house if that's okay."
Yuri knitted his brow in confusion. "Um~ ok I-"
Victor excitedly took Yuri's hand. "Be my model, Yuri."
He was dead. Yup. He was burned alive and this was just some played out fantasy God wanted him to have.
Nikiforov waved a hand in front of Yuri's face. "Too soon?"
Yuri jolted a little to bring himself to the present. "Y-Yeah just a bit… -ahem- Victor, are you sure? I mean, I'm not a girl…"
A silver brow rose. "Not trying to make you into one, but there's some thing I'd like to integrate if you'd let me." Victor reached for Yuri's eyewear.
Yuri impulsively put his hands over Victor's when the impressionist tried to remove them. "A-Ano, please let me…I-I'm very protective of these."
Victor took back his hands. "Of course, my mistake."
Yuri felt his heart pound in his chest. 'Heaven's sake its just removing your glasses get a grip!'
He felt he'd might as well have removed a shirt.
Victor smiled. "Yep, perfect. Can I?"
"Y-You want to paint m-my eyes?"
Victor deftly pushed back the black bangs affectionately. "Would that be okay? It would help immensely."
Yuri fought with all the bells in his head and surge of nervousness in order to step out of his comfort zone. "S-Sure. I'd be happy to."
Victor lit up. "Perfect, come with me!"
He sat Yuri beside his piece when the radio changed songs after a short introduction. Victor paused in place, happy to recognize the song. "Oh, this one is one of my favorites," he remarked before he moved about again to get ready. "My mother used to put the vinyl copy on the record player all the time."
"Sounds nice, you were raised in St. Petersburg, right?"
Victor nodded. "In English the name of the song is 'Stay Close to Me'," he shared as he worked to select the right paints to mix up the base chocolate-hazel brown shade onto his palette. "She was the reason I got into the arts, you know? She had me late in life and had lost her skill to arthritis." He scraped off his metal tool when done and set the thin board down. "She never pressured me, of course, but one could say the calling was in the gene pool."
'Far cry from his answer at the party,' Yuri recalled, 'actually this is very personal. I don't recall him sharing that to the news.'
"Sounds so nice to have such a thing in common with your family," Yuri complimented. "My parents supported me too, but I always sensed they'd would've preferred me to keep the arts as a hobby, not as a profession."
"I see, well it suits you too, you know?"
Yuri gave a bashful grin. "Heh, thanks um-"
'Oh.'
Victor suddenly moved around, studying Yuri's face. Yuri felt his breath catch and immediately struggled not to blush while Victor was in close proximity. 'Someone is going to paint this guy's portrait, right?'
Ever so gently, Victor took Yuri's chin. "I'm going to move you around to get some more light. I don't want your eyes to look flat."
Katsuki tensed. "R-Right! Of course, I've never modeled before so you're gonna have to coach me, heh."
Victor grinned. "No worries at all, just take it easy. Can't have you sweating on me."
"R-Right…" Yuri whispered.
With a ghostly touch, Victor turned Yuri's head to the left to mirror the lady who was wearing an earring and tilted it towards the window behind Yuri a smidge to get some more light.
'There's that smell again…of fresh snow over oranges…a little clove too…husky? …No but, it's not old-fashioned either…its…him…just suits him…'
"Yuri, your eyes dimmed, can you open them up a bit?"
He rapidly blinked. "S-Sure, sorry, I got lost in my thoughts again. I'll focus better."
"Thank you…there we go." Victor nodded in satisfaction. "Now hold it and look over to the right, towards the cabinets. There. Just like that."
'Whether he knows of himself or not, he's a natural beauty for sure,' Victor thought to himself. 'This should be perfect.'
Victor stepped back from the painting twenty minutes later. "Wow~ ok, if the client says anything negative I'm keeping this for myself. I don't care if Yakov gets mad."
"Can I…um?" Yuri spoke carefully in order to not move too much.
"Ah, go ahead."
Yuri broke his position, so thankful he could relax. "Are you trying to get steam to come out of my ears?" He asked, rubbing his neck.
Victor chuckled. "You've got a beautiful shade of brown eyes, Yuri, you should value your color, how dramatic they are."
"I-" Yuri the words wouldn't come out. He bit his lip and lowered his head slightly. "Y-Yeah…"
"Something wrong?"
Yuri waved a dismissive hand. "Nope, stretching." Well it was half true. "Can I look?"
Victor stepped away with a smile. "Sure. The piece has a few tweaks left but she'll be done on time."
Yuri came around to look at the new art. Dressed in a sensual white toga with fabric over one shoulder, the woman could arguably be from a multitude of countries. 'I bet that was the point. A fusion of integrated qualities.' Yuri assessed. 'And now she has undeniably Asian eyes.
'My eyes…'
"They…she…its a wonderful piece, Victor, I am sorry you had doubts about it earlier today."
Victor placed a hand on Yuri's shoulder. "Well I had wonderful help."
Their eyes lingered on the other's for a couple moments.
"Say, Yuri?"
"Y-Yes?"
"Would…would it be all right if I-"
Yuri's cellphone gave a ding in his borrowed tote bag.
"Ah, sorry, looks like Phichit is texting me. He wants to know if it was okay to call. I'm surprised he's up to be honest."
"Go ahead, that's fine!" Victor encouraged with a smile. "I'm going to complete the painting and we will have lunch."
Yuri gave a thumbs up. "Thank you, be right back, I'm going to make my call outside so I don't disturb anyone."
"Sounds good," Victor replied with a light laugh.
Yuri shut the door.
Nikforov dropped his waving hand to his side and exhaled.
The first thing to go was his smile.
Blue eyes saddened as Victor looked back to 'The Emerald'.
The classical music played, but the buzzing of the long light bulbs overhead, somehow, were louder to him.
'Friends…family…ten days or so left…what in world has become of me?'
The smell of paints became increasingly more pungent and the outside view became dull. All the good vibes he was feeling merely moments ago, dynamically slipped through his fingers.
He was alone.
'Just taking a call. Chill, Vitya.'
He felt out in the open.
'Yakov took care of Chris, he should know better than to try to come back here.'
He felt vulnerable.
'This isn't good…' Victor sat where Yuri sat and tried desperately to think of something else, 'definitely not good,' and placed his head in his hands as a wave of negativity swept over him. 'Mother in Heaven…help me.'
"Hello?"
Katsuki pushed the Galleria's door open to step out. "Phichit! Hi, it's me!"
"Yuri~! Hey, man, how's it going since the fire? Did you find a new place? Did the police catch the criminal yet? Did you sell any more art yet? Spill dude, I can't sleep over here heheh."
Yuri paced up and down the icy sidewalk in front of the company and chuckled back. "Well…heh, its quite a story so far so I'll keep it short."
'And leave Chris out of it.' Yuri noted.
"An~d?"
"An~d," Katsuki retorted. "If one iota of this story gets spilled onto the internet I'll never forgive you, ya social media nut."
"Yuri~ so mean~!" Phichit fake cried.
"I'm serious."
"Fine I won't I'll just put it on your fanboy page."
"What the-" Yuri rolled his eyes. "Do you want me to hang up?"
"No~es! I promise, I promise I won't!"
"Good."
. . .
"Are you serious?!"
"Yup. That basically sums it up. I have to follow up with the police department tomorrow which, worst case, may force an extension on my stay here, Victor Nikiforov is my host and has a cute poodle, I'm painting in his workspace to kill time between pubic shows at night and he's actually a very sweet person. I mean, I had a good feeling he was, but for sure he's a far cry from the constantly putting on airs most articles love to make him out to be."
"Well I'll be…"
Yuri switched the phone to his other ear. "Right?! I've found myself swept up in Hollywood movie for sure."
"Ha! If it's a movie it better be a good rom-com."
Yuri would've sprayed water if he was drinking as he halted abruptly. "R-Rom? Romantic?! Come on, Phichit, I'm only here for one more week or so and-"
"What does he smell like?"
Yuri sputtered. "Phichit, love you, but what the actual fu-?"
"Do you wish you knew the color of blue he has?"
'Yes- no, no I don't…maybe?'
"Phichit," Yuri pinched the bridge of his nose. "Stop being Nikiforov's wingman-"
"Do you find yourself staring?" He interrupted
"I can't help that!" Katsuki hissed. "I've admired him for years and you know it. He's the biggest reason why I wanted to pai-"
"Tell him that."
"W-What?"
"You heard me. Tell him. If he is just another colleague, then shouldn't be the end of the world right? It would be a compliment either way."
"Phichit…" Yuri chose his next words carefully, pinching his eyes shut as he asked, "why are you insisting this?"
"Because I've had to listen to your fanboy shtick for quite a long time. Love you man, but friends and family shouldn't be the reasons you won't listen to yourself and what you want, sometimes, I feel you let us hold you back," Phichit confessed.
Yuri was beet red even though he was on the phone and no one was looking. "But I…I-"
"I'm not telling you to French kiss the guy, dude! Just pay him the compliment at the very least."
"I-I know y-you're not! Jeez, its just- saying that I-"
"Besides kissing comes later."
"Phichi~t! What the hell?!" Yuri wined to his laughing friend on the other end.
The bilingual officer was on the phone that early evening.
"No, Mr. Katsuki, as a non-citizen your testimony to the police is fine as we have no reason to keep you from traveling plus, you aren't a suspect of any crime. Since we have your contact information, any share of the compensation the judge seems fit in the future, the city hall will notify you and you can set up a means to receive said compensation at that time."
"Ah, okay, thank you."
"No thank you for checking. I'll send you an email to put this in writing just in case and with my contact information."
"Sounds good. Have a good day, sir."
"You too."
-Click-
Yuri relaxed into the couch. "Whew…"
"You all right?"
Yuri looked up to see Victor, already dressed down for the night in flannel set of pajamas, was handing him a cup of tea as he sat on the couch. 'I should ask you that as you looked like you were forcing yourself to be positive since I got back from my call…'
"Ah, yes, thank you."
Nikiforov gave a slight nod and walked forward. "No worries, did the call go well?"
"Yes -ahem- so, in short, they said I don't have to stick around."
Victor was about to sit down but paused half way for a moment before relaxing back into the recliner across from Yuri. "Is that so…"
"Yep, it looks like I can worry less about the pyromania case." Yuri took a sip. "We have another auction tomorrow tonight, right?"
Victor nodded. "Yes…"
Yuri tilted his head to the side. "What's wrong?"
Victor swallowed a sip. "I just…it feels that time is going to fly by now…" he replied wistfully before he waved a dismissive hand. "But I know customs would question it if you stayed longer than you said when you first landed. Barring you got ill, but then, doctor note."
'Shit!' Yuri's alarm went off. 'I bet he's still wary of Chris loitering around.'
Katsuki strummed a few fingers up and down the side of his mug. "S-Say…a-are you gonna be okay?"
Victor closed his eyes and inhaled as he raised his cup to his lips and exhaled across the surface of the liquid. "Honestly? I don't know this time and I feel like I'm pulling everyone down me," he replied, staring into his cup. "It's ridiculous really."
Yuri knitted his brow. 'No, its not…' He sat up a little straighter. "Tell me, I don't mind at all if you need to get something off your chest. I am visiting your home after all."
Victor nodded but kept his eyes down and spoke with such strain. "No one has seen me so vulnerable aside from my family," he exhaled before he could continue, "him and now you in the hallway at work. Out of all, however, do you find it strange I worry what you may think of me the most when I've known you, personally, the least?"
'W-What? Don't make this about me, we are talking about you, your safety, ya big goof!' Yuri chided to himself.
"I don't think it's strange, we get along quite well."
Victor briefly smiled. "That we do."
"Can you apply for a restraining order?" The offered idea just slipped out and was like sliding on a peel towards a trashcan as Nikiforov visibly bristled.
'Pull back! Too much! Not your place!' Yuri jolted when he saw Victor tremble a little. "G-Gomen! That was thoughtless," he apologized.
'Surely he has already tried, idiot!'
Yuri downed the rest of his tea, ignoring the slight burn and stood up. "L-Let's get to bed, it's late, no?"
"Why do you care?"
Yuri froze half way to the kitchen with his mug and heard the slight noise of Victor setting his cup onto the glass coffee table before turning around. "W-Why not?" He asked carefully, yet confused.
Victor didn't look up, digging his fingers into his pants around the knees. "I'm asking you why do you care?"
The room was silent save for the poodle's bell and padding around. The room was silent save for the running AC and fridge…and the wind outside, even his breathing.
'It's so…noisy…' Victor couldn't stand it, evident to Yuri has he gripped his pants a little tighter.
'Christophe Giacometti, what did you do to him?' Yuri wondered. 'Or has Victor hated being alone which is why he clung to that man?'
Yuri stepped forward. "Victor…if this is about Chris I…I cannot imagine what it would be like to have a poor relationship…" He ruffled the side of his head of hair and took another step. "Hell, I've never been in a serious relationship period."
Victor turned his chin towards Yuri but kept his eyes on the floor.
Yuri took another step. "I'm playing victim again and I don't mean to be is written all over you," he observed.
Victor remained silent.
Yuri moved his head in searching to grab the Russian's averted eyes. "I don't know the whole history, obviously, but can I still let you know something?"
Victor looked up and gave a slight nod.
"Fuck. That. Guy."
The Russian let out a light snort, more so a scoff, and looked away.
Yuri walked forward quickly to join Victor's side. "No. Seriously. You are successful and he knows that. He should've been happy enough knowing that he was in the same room as you. He failed to appreciate you and made you feel worthless as a color book with just polar bears."
Victor let out a chuckle, looked back to his knees, and started to scratch his hair shyly.
"Oh but I am Victor Nikiforov I shouldn't let this shit get to me," Yuri announced, pretending to be Victor's thoughts as he knelt by the famed painter's side. "Chris knew how to play that, work that against you, didn't he?" Yuri placed a hand on Victor's knee. "I've had bad associations, people who manipulated me to be their friend, who did the very same thing. Working our success against us to keep us down. I can only imagine this gets harder the more known you are, huh?"
The impressionist raised an eyebrow but conceded with a nod. "Are you sure you don't have a therapist license I should know about?" He poorly teased.
"Just life experience." Yuri shrugged. "But like I said, I've never been in that type of serious relationship so I can't tell you what to do or feel."
Victor exhaled. "I appreciate the encouragement though." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's been definitely tough though. I want more than just my paintings and money or materialistic things, you know? I'd like to leave more behind than that."
"That's only natural." Yuri understood. "Did Chris promise you that?"
Victor shook his head and looked to his napping dog on the rug beside the television on his right. "No, it was always a maybe, let's take it slow because we'd find ourselves needing to start over each time he'd rinse and repeat with his bad habits."
"Is he a citizen of Russia? I thought he lived in Sweden, shouldn't he be leaving soon?"
"Around the same time you would be, yes, as he's here for the show, problem is, that doesn't stop the rich boy who inherited a fortune to come visit."
"So…let me get this straight. A stalker sculptor who has it made regardless of the success of his art has a problem with drugs and alcohol and wants to be with you when it's convenient or he'd make your life a living hell."
"And that's where my victim-complex and fear of being alone comes in… I can't seem to shake him off, he's distracting."
Yakov's words popped in Yuri's head. 'And I promised to not add as one myself…'
"Is…there something I can do?"
Victor turned his head to Yuri and gave a smile with glossed over eyes. "Just…be a light for me for a while…is that okay?"
The room went silent.
Victor put his head in his hands. "Ugh, so corny."
Yuri smiled and held back a laugh as he leaned forward to pat Victor on the back. "It's ok…and don't worry about me judging you. I've got so many stories centering around a being a basket-case of nerves, it's ridiculous."
Victor leaned back. "So what you're saying is we're both pathetic."
"Yup."
The only appropriate reply was to laugh. One story after another, that's all they could find themselves able to do in order to let all the burdensome weight go, even if for one night.
Thank you for reading!
Please share! I was really hoping to reach more readers with this idea and any feedback/reviews/kudos is always appreciated. :D
