Hey y'all! I'm back with a new chapter comin' atcha! lol I can't believe we're like half way done with this story now! o.o By my calculations *pushes glasses up to her forehead*, this story should be around 12-13 chapters long. I've already pretty much planned out what's going to happen in each chapter until the end so stay tooned~
japanloveroffood - Thanks! I'm glad my writing makes you so happy. ^^ And I dunnoo~ Who could it be? ;D
dauntlessofthesea - Thank you~ It's a mystery~!
YokaiAngel - Thanks for the compliment! :D
Letmedie12346 Ayano - No problem! :) I'm glad YOI won honestly. I know that's kind of controversial right now but like it was just a little poll for fun, people can vote however they want, and that's what they did. :P Some people might not like how they voted, but in the end, when those people went to that website and were being asked what THEY thought, that had nothing to do with anyone else but that person and their opinion on a subjective topic. So whatevs. lol
303 Chocolate - You shall see~!
Guest - You shall see as well~! lol
Alicia Spinet - Unfortunately, that little scene in chapter 3 I believe? Where Anastasia and Vladimir caught Yuuri and Victor in the middle of ~something~ was probably the sexiest this fic is going to get. xD BUT, who knows? Maybe I'll write an M rated Victuuri fanfic in the future... Not sure yet.
fnblrtrash - Thank you! ^^
Fly Me to Hasetsu
"Alright, young man. Let's start with your name."
The year was 2006. In Russia, the event that North American anglophones call prom is instead called vypusknоi vechеr, or "the evening of graduation". After all state exams were completed, the graduating students at Akademiya Devy Marii bustled about, buying dresses and renting suits and reserving limousines – doing all they could to make sure that their vypusknоi vechеr was a memorable one. But one student, eighteen year-old Victor Nikiforov, had very little time for such things because for the majority of his young life, figure skating always came first. Regarded by most as a local celebrity and a moonlight-haired enigma, he was a bit of a legend around the halls of the Eastern Orthodox school. Most kids had never met him, but they always dreamed that they might catch a glimpse his long silver locks trailing behind him, a stark contrast to the scarlet of his uniform, as he rushed to class one of the few times when he could spend a full day at school. Others were lucky enough to be in his classes and could even remember the day back in tenth grade when they first heard that then fifteen year-old Victor would be bringing home an Olympic gold medal. Others still, by far the smallest group of the three, had the honour of calling themselves Victor's friends. These kids ate lunch with him whenever he could stay and had even been invited to his home for birthday parties and the like, a blessing which made each of them seem to shine a little in the school's public eye just by association to the budding hero. Long story short, Victor was very popular and very much sought after by his fellow students. Everyone wanted to be involved in his life, whether that be as his friend, his lover, or his personal ass kisser. Every student from grades eleven to twelve wanted him to be their prom date (well, technically, many grade six to ten students longed for him as well, but alas, all were too young to attend the event). However, none of this changed the fact that Victor had very little time to prepare for vypusknоi vechеr, and so unable to allow him to go without, his family was there to help him wherever they could.
Ivanna was tasked with finding him something nice to wear. She had already chosen a trendy white suit with peachy pink accents and she'd learned how to do a side-sweeping dutch braid to hang about Victor's shoulders specifically for the occasion. Ivanna planned on pairing the hairstyle with an open golden circlet in the shape of a laurel wreath because she knew that the two of them shared the same love of androgynous fashion.
Sergei made arrangements for a limousine and had invited each of his brother's friends to accompany him. It certainly wouldn't be Victor's first time in a limo, but this time, he could drink and be merry with his closest classmates instead of sitting quietly and respectfully with a bunch of adults he didn't quite know.
And finally, Alexei and Yulia appointed themselves in charge of finding their brother a date – someone who would be up to their standards, of course. The twins had set it up so that all students who wished to take Victor to prom would need to submit an application. After sorting through hundreds of applicants, they conducted interviews at a local cafe.
The blond haired sixteen year-old boy shifted slightly in his seat. Nowadays, one can tell that he is certainly more confident in himself now than when he and Victor had first met years ago, but back then, he wasn't exactly the same as the man most of us know and love today.
"Uh... I'm Christophe. Christophe Giacometti."
Little known fact: Having felt so inspired by Victor's performances, Christophe decided he simply had to spend a year training alongside him at the same rink in Saint Petersberg and the same English-speaking school. The two of them had become quite friendly and as soon as Chris realized that Victor's graduation meant he would likely be attending the magical formal evening, he knew he had to ask him out. This would be his last shot, after all. Sure, the Swiss boy would probably have his own version of prom waiting for him back home, but the likelihood that he could bring the Russian boy along was miniscule at best. And how could he not want to bring Victor Nikiforov to such an event? So here he sat in this small Russian cafe at a small circular pastel pink table across from a man whose slim, gracile body made him look almost elf-like and a quiet similarly built woman Chris swore he'd seen on the big screen many times.
"Uh huh, I see," said the man while the woman with the feathery grey pixie cut she had been sporting back then wrote something down on her notepad. "So how old are you? And how do you know Vitya?"
"Well, I'm sixteen years old," Chris explained. "I'm a figure skater like he is."
Alexei's attention seemed to perk up at the mention of the icy sport. To be in the same profession at such a young age, perhaps this boy was as hard working as his darling little brother. Yulia seemed to take the hint and noted something on her pad.
"Very interesting," he said as his thin fingers spun around his coffee cup slowly. "So Christophe, do you have a thing for my brother?"
Chris blushed. At twenty-five, he wouldn't have been so embarrassed. He would have been coy and vague and he would have toyed with the rather intrusive man on purpose, but this Chris was much more timid than his adult self. Adult Christophe wouldn't have cared who knew about his schoolboy crush on Victor, but younger Christophe would have never admitted it for fear of rejection. "N-no, sir. We're just friends."
"I see." Alexei turned to his twin sister, some sort of silent twins-only conversation happening between their glances and the younger twin nodded at her brother. Alexei then quickly finished off his coffee before both twins stood to their feet. "Well Christophe, it was nice meeting you. The coffee will be on us, so don't worry about it."
Chris humbly took Alexei's extended hand and shook it before quickly adding, "Um, so, may I take Vitya to prom then?"
Alexei flashed him a business-like smile. "We need to go over all the applicants so far, and Vitya will choose from the top five, but we'll call with within a week. Thanks again for coming."
A week and a half later, Chris was filled with elation when he finally got that call. The top five ended up being him, two teens of nonbinary gender, one girl, and one other guy. If Alexei had known that shy Chris would turn out to be the skating sex god he is today, he wouldn't have even made it to the interview, but this was before all of that. Of all of the students on the top five list, Victor chose him because he knew him the best... And he also liked Chris' developing stubble as it turned out. Alexei was hoping that Chris would shave his new growth for prom but Victor convinced him to keep it, and truth be told, it really didn't take much convincing if it was from him.
Although Chris cherishes his memories of that vypusknоi vechеr to this day, he still raises an eyebrow when he thinks of the interview process Victor's siblings actually conducted in order to find him a "suitable" partner. Even after getting to know Victor and some of his family a little better over the years, Chris still finds himself a little surprised that they were willing to take the whole thing that far.
He always wondered what must have happened to make Alexei and Yulia so overprotective.
Having finally left Hasetsu Castle, the Nikiforov and Katsuki families piled into a bus to head off to the largest Shinto shrine in the town. The smell of fried chicken from their lunch still lingered on their clothing as each of the group members found a seat within the vehicle. It was a twenty minute ride up a sizable hill until the top of the large holy building was peaking over the horizon. The Russians save for Victor pressed their faces against the glass windows and stared out, their gazes full of almost childlike wonderment at the traditional Japanese structure.
"There it is!" announced Hiroko as Morikawa Inari Shrine seemed to be advancing toward them.
There were "ooohs" and "awws" among the Europeans and little clicking noises as Eclipse had turned off the flash on her camera as not to catch the glare of the glass window.
"It's nor required to pray to their deities, is it...?" asked Yulia with a smidgen of worry in her voice. As a devout Catholic nun, such things were very concerning to her.
"No, of course not!" assured Hiroko. "The only things they typically ask are that you purify yourself with water before entering and be respectful in general."
Yulia looked relieved. "Very well then."
The bus reached the plateau before it began to gently roll down the hill and the large mostly coal black shrine came into view, its large red torii in the front a reverent image against the Hasetsu skyline. Their ride finally ended just beyond the foot of the hill where the orange bus stop sign sat in a spot near the sidewalk a five minute stroll from Morikawa Inari Shrine.
Minutes passed and the herd of Katsukis and Nikiforovs was standing in front of the haiden just after making their offerings by tossing coins into the box. Yulia excused herself from this, choosing instead to wait for the families to be finished before she accompanied them. In accordance with Toshiya's instruction, the group bowed respectfully before turning to where the nun stood.
"And that's how you visit a shrine," explained Toshiya. The Russians stared about them in amazement at their surroundings.
"We take a closer look now, yes?" asked Vladimir. He was usually quite silent, but he did seem sincerely interested in taking in the sights about him. Apparently, he had a strong sense of adventure, much like Sergei and his wife who camped in the mountains on their honeymoon.
"Yes, follow us!" Hiroko exclaimed as she and her husband lead the way. Out of the corner of his eye, Yuuri could see Eclipse tug gently on Alexei's sleeve to get his attention. He looked at her then and she came closer to whisper in his ear. When she was finished, he simply nodded and turned in Yuuri's mother's direction.
"Mrs. Catskey?" Alexei asked. His strange little wife was clinging to his arm anxiously. "Eclipse would like to know whether or not it's alright to take pictures?"
"Oh yes, this shrine does allow photography," Hiroko replied.
Eclipse, who had seemed a touch nervous ever since entering the holy grounds, suddenly perked up and immediately grabbed her digital camera from around her neck. She had tried to refrain from doing so out of respect, but if it was alright to take pictures, then she would indulge.
"Thank you," Alexei smiled, happy to have alleviated his wife's restlessness.
With that, the merry band was off to explore the rest of the shrine. Yuuri took his time enjoying the sights before him. It had been ages since he'd last visited Morikawa Inari Shrine. It was always one of those things that gave him nostalgic feelings whenever it came to mind. He remembered going several times in his childhood and his teenage years, wishing that the kami would bless him so that he could win the local skating competitions. Sometimes his requests were granted and other times, it just wasn't in the cards, but like clockwork, he always came back.
As he thought of it, Yuuri realized that he used to do a lot of wishing at this shrine. Aside from his constant offerings, he suddenly remembered that he'd bought an ema when he was around sixteen or seventeen years old. Specifically, he'd requested the one with the jumping dog painted on it beside the word "gan'i", or wish. That was around the time when he'd been informed of his acceptance at the University of Michigan in Detroit. There he would study there and train on the ice under the tutelage of Celestino Cialdini, but the part he was most excited about was being able some day to take part in the Grand Prix Final and meet his hero and long-time crush. Of course, the whole thing would end up being quite humiliating for him, but years before, Yuuri could barely contain himself at the thought. He could still remember writing, "Please let me meet Victor Nikiforov!" on the wooden plaque before handing it back to the miko to be hung with the rest of them. Come to think of it, he wondered if his ema from all those years ago was still there among the wishes for good health and marital bliss...
He was zoning out again and Victor nudged him back to reality. "Hey, hey, Yuuri!"
Yuuri jumped slightly. He hadn't realized that he'd fallen all the way to the back of the herd with only Victor walking beside him. Yuuri turned to his Russian boyfriend expectantly.
"Remember when I asked you when you and my parents were talking about at breakfast?" asked the platinum blond. "So, what was it?"
"Wha-... Oh!" Yuuri exclaimed. He'd almost completely forgotten. "Well, your mother basically told me that... Uhh..." Suddenly, he was hard to talk over his own heart fluttering in his chest. "She said that I'm your first love."
Victor's expression softened into a warm smile. "Well yes, that's true."
Yuuri paused for a moment before he spoke again, his cheeks now pink as he smiled back. "... Really?"
"Does that surprise you?" laughed Victor.
"Well, I mean..." The answer was yes, but Yuuri didn't really want to say that. Once upon a time, Yuuri had thought of Victor as being some sort of untouchable god sitting atop a mighty golden throne, a thing to be worshiped and revered, but it was quite impossible to still hold those beliefs about him after having gotten to know the champion skater so well. More than once, Yuuri had walked in on Victor while he was using the washroom and the Japanese man would always scream and recoil at the sight as if he'd been smacked backward by some unseen force while the aforementioned Russian "god" pointed and giggled childishly. Afterwards, Yuuri would sulk over the question of why Victor was so bad at remembering to lock the door or why he himself always forgot to knock. How could he possibly think of him as being so holy after that? However, it was not Yuuri's view of Victor which was the problem but his view of himself. His confidence had definitely improved since they first met, but it was still a work in progress. " I mean, I know you were engaged before so I just thought... I guess I just... Well, I'm a little surprised that no one else really caught your attention like that. I'm sure you know that there are a lot of people who wanted and still want you..."
"But I don't want any of them," Victor whispered back, suddenly standing very close to Yuuri. "As for my engagement, that wasn't a very balanced relationship. But I don't feel that with you. There's something about you, Yuuri... Something so inspiring that makes me feel all sorts of good things I've never felt before..."
The Japanese man's face flushed harder. Victor was always so good at talking about his emotions and Yuuri had been learning throughout their relationship to keep up with him in that department. However, his lack of confidence still made it hard to take compliments without feeling a little unsure even if his brain told him to just accept them and be done with it.
"W-wow..." was all Yuuri could muster at that moment as his deep brown eyes locked with Victor's aqua blue stare. They stayed like that for only seconds, but it was long enough for Yuuri to realize that they were being watched. Slowly, Yuuri tore his gaze from his Russian lover to see the entire group in front staring at them with expressions ranging between wonder, exasperation, and amusement. He jumped a little in shock and embarrassment. Yuuri and Victor had been so distracted by each other that they were holding up the group.
"If you two lovebirds are done," Mari said, sighing a little at her brother and his boyfriend. "We're taking the Nikiforovs to buy ema."
"O-oh! Right..." stuttered Yuuri, placing a hand behind his head before letting out an awkward little laugh.
"Will you come with us?" asked Anastasia from the front of the line, smiling sweetly at them both.
"Yes, Mama," Victor replied, taking Yuuri's free hand in his and leading him forward. The Japanese man looked at the place where his boyfriend had taken him briefly before approaching the group as he was directed. "We'll try not to get lost along the way~."
Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it.
He cursed and buried his face in his hands after he stared at the sign that read "closed" in Japanese. Of course they would be closed today. They'd probably be closed most days this week, and now he'd wasted time and energy because he'd failed to think of that sooner. Shaking his head, he found a large rock to park himself on and went about retrieving his map from earlier. Prior to coming here, he had narrowed down all of the places where people typically went when they visited Hasetsu. All was not lost. He might find what he was looking for at one of these places.
Na na na na na na na na na na na~
Na na na na na na na na na na na~
Hours after their shrine adventure, there was pop music blaring over speakers in a large private room which Victor had booked a few weeks in advance at the back of a popular karaoke bar. Ivanna was at the mic, doing a little dance while the music played. Truthfully, her voice didn't need to be amplified as her training as a professional opera singer gave her the ability to project her voice across many large venues without any help, but she played along anyway for fun. On her left side was Victor, who had volunteered to be one of her backup singers, grinning widely and shaking his hips along with the modern disco beat. To Ivanna's right was Mari, who unlike Victor, had been forced into singing backup because she was the only other person who knew the song. Once it was time for her part, Ivanna turned dramatically to face her cheering audience, her high ponytail swinging in a circle around her, before she began rocking her hips this way and that way. Victor sang and danced loudly to accompany her while Mari muttered begrudgingly.
Ivanna: Alright, why don't we get our groove on here tonight?
(Victor/Mari: Baby, come with me tonight. Baby, come into the light.)
Ivanna: Brand new world, if you want it, don't be too shy!
(Victor/Mari: Take me to your love tonight. Take me to your love tonight.)
Ivanna: And this day tonight, I'm gonna catch that guy's eyes on me.
(Victor/Mari: Get it on, get it on now.)
Ivanna: If you move any closer, you should know there is no guarantee.
The Russian siblings moved fluidly with the music while Mari seemed a bit stiff in comparison. Regardless, they all got the same amount of praise from the entertained crowd in the form of clapping and the occasional hooting and hollering from Sergei and Oksana. Anastasia tried to keep up with the couple, her English presenting a bit of a barrier.
"WOOO, go girl!" called Oksana, her muscular bulky body swaying to the rhythm.
"Yeah, Mari!" shouted Sergei so loud that the music paled in comparison.
"Yes, very good!" cheered Anastasia with her heavy accent while Vladimir had fallen asleep beside her (the poor old man was probably tired from all the walking). "Very happy! Alright!"
Beside her parents, Yulia applauded daintily for her siblings, taking little sips of iced black tea whenever she felt the urge. Across from them sat the rest of the group. Alexei, Yuuri and the Katsuki parents were clapping to the beat while Eclipse had that same tickled grin on her face that she'd had on when they all first sat down to dinner. No doubt, she'd taken 20 photos of the private performance already. Up on the makeshift stage, Ivanna pranced about in her very high heels looking as much like Beyonce as she possibly could while Victor started putting a little bit more of his own style into his moves rather than trying to match the bubblegum-y theme of the song. It seemed that he was applying everything he'd ever learned from Kpop. Mari on the other hand, just stood in place, wondering why she had to open her big mouth and mention that she knew the song was by Yuna Ito.
Na na na na na na na na na na na~
Ivanna: So hot! I want you so hot.
Na na na na na na na na na na na~
Ivanna: So hot! I got you so hot.
Love is so groovy groovy!
(Victor/Mari: Groovy, groovy!)
Ivanna: Love is so groovy groovy!
(Victor/Mari: Groovy, groovy!)
Ivanna: If you are ready for it, fall in love.
Ivanna: Love is so groovy groovy!
(Victor/Mari: Groovy, groovy!)
Ivanna: Love is so groovy groovy!
(Victor/Mari: Groovy, groovy!)
Ivanna: I'll make you crazy for me. Be the one~!
When the song finally started to wind down, Ivanna struck a cute pose and held it while Victor kept on dancing since he still had to sing backup. By then, Mari had stopped what she was doing altogether and just began staring at the siblings while clutching the microphone to her chest.
(Victor: Baby, come with me tonight. Baby, come into the light...)
He then struck his own pose for the last part.
(Victor: Groovy!)
The room erupted with laughter and cheering then while Oksana scrambled through the few English songs to find "Primadonna" by Marina and the Diamonds so that she could go next.
"Let's have Yuura and Vitya do a duet afterwards," she suggested, grinning when she finally found her song.
"What?" asked Yuuri, a little startled at the idea. He held his hands up in front of his face with a nervous smile.
"Or better yet. Why don't you serenade me, Yuuri?" Victor asked enthusiastically.
Alexei chuckled a little with an intrigued raised eyebrow while Sergei gasped. "That would be so romantic~!" swooned the giant.
"It would be adorable!" Hiroko exclaimed, laying a hand on her cheek.
"Aw, c'mon guys!" laughed Yuuri shyly.
"Do it, Yuuri!" his father said in an encouraging voice. "It'll be just like when I serenaded you mom."
"You serenaded mom?!" asked Mari with both amusement and disbelief. The idea alone was enough to make her forget her embarrassing performance. Hiroko sighed contently at the memory, turning a little pink with joy.
"I'll tell you kids about it later," grinned Toshiya as Oksana took her place on stage.
In all of the mirth of the evening, the serenade suggestion was forgotten after Yulia finally decided she wanted a turn much to everyone's surprise and she treated them to her own rendition of "Fly Me to the Moon" (which was most likely only even on the playlist because of its association with Neon Genesis Evangelion). Everyone cheered her on just as they had for the others, but Alexei was noticeably more supportive during this performance, singing along from where he sat, most likely because he knew more than anyone that her sudden willingness was a sign of her growing comfort in this new country and around these new people.
"Brava! Brava!" shouted Alexei, his normally soft voice nearly rivaling Sergei's in its intensity, and Yulia bowed appreciatively at her audience.
At the end of the night, the Nikiforovs and the Katsukis ate Korean barbecue at a place near the karaoke bar before heading back to Yu-Topia Katsuki to settle in. Sergei and Oksana turned in early as they were more accustomed to doing and Yulia followed suit. Vladimir was a little more rested after his nap and, along with his wife, challenged Toshiya, Hiroko and Victor (who'd been roped into it since he just happened to be passing by) to a friendly game of poker before bed. Mari and Ivanna ended up chatting just outside of the building, smoking cigarettes and laughing at each others' jokes. Yuuri didn't see where Eclipse went, but that was pretty normal for her. She must have been around somewhere.
Since Victor was a little busy re-engaging in his life-long endeavor to beat his poker champion father at his own game once and for all, Yuuri decided he'd take a quick dip in the springs alone before going to bed. Even an athlete like him was tired after walking the whole day, but he was all sweaty and needed a shower anyway, so it didn't seem like a bad idea to wash up and then sit in the relaxing hot spring for a while. He just hoped Victor wouldn't take too long with his poker game. Maybe he could still join him.
After he had cleaned himself, Yuuri stretched his arms above his head and let out a yawn as he walked toward the door which lead to the spring. Sliding the glass door open, he realized he could just barely make out the figure of another person in the low fog above the water. Apparently, he wasn't the first one to have this idea. He squinted as the mist combined with the fact that he wasn't wearing his glasses made it very hard to make out the features of the other person until they spoke and he recognized the other man immediately.
"Ah, Yuuri," said Alexei, turning to him when he heard the door open. "Come to have a soak?"
"Yeah," replied Yuuri, shielding his modesty slightly as he lowered himself into the warm water. He was already quite used to being nude in front of Victor, but it wasn't entirely the same with other men. Even growing up at an onsen and thus constantly living around naked strangers didn't necessarily make him any more willing to expose himself in front of just anyone. But he was comfortable enough in the spring with his boyfriend's older brother anyway. "I thought it might be nice before bed."
Alexei nodded understandingly and then let out a content little sigh as he rolled his head back onto the rocks behind him. "'I love the magic of a hot bath, how time pauses and every grievance melts away' – Richelle E. Goodrich."
Unsure of what to do with that information but not wanting things to be awkward, Yuuri nodded before he spoke. "Who's that?"
"Richelle E. Goodrich? She's an American author and novelist. She's quite good."
"Oh," replied Yuuri, sinking a little further into the water. "I guess I'll have to look her up some time."
"Yeah, you should," said the slim Russian, still staring up at the night sky as he spoke.
The bath was silent for only a minute, but it felt like a lifetime to the younger Japanese man. It was always so easy to be around Victor even when things got quiet. Even some of the other Nikiforovs were starting to feel more and more comfortable to sit next to. But Alexei was different. He didn't seem to be an unfriendly guy at all, but there was still this distance that Yuuri could sense about him. His twin sister felt like that as well, but to a lesser extent, and her actions at the karaoke bar proved that she was making an effort to step closer, but it seemed that Alexei on the other hand would not budge. What could be the reason for it? Yuuri wondered. Was it possible that he disliked Yuuri? Did Yuuri do something offensive and not realize it? Or was Alexei always that distant? Perhaps Yuuri was just making more of it than he should have. It was hard to tell. Alexei seemed to have inherited an air of constant annoyance even when he was not displeased at all from his father but without the resting angry face. Sometimes, however, he did seem more approachable than others. This was not one of those times.
"Yuuri," said Alexei, finally breaking the awkward silence.
"What's up?"
"I was wondering..." he sat up then to shift his gaze toward the younger man. "I'm sure you know that most athletes don't compete forever. What are you plans for the future?"
Yuuri was quiet for a second. He didn't expect the feather haired man to ask such a heavy question. Alexei could sense his discomfort and recanted slightly.
"I'm sorry if that's a little too forward," he said quickly. "I can understand if you're uncomfortable answering that. We did only just meet after all."
"Ah, no. It's fine." It did feel like a little much, but Yuuri didn't want to create any animosity between he and any of the Nikiforovs if he could avoid it. "I've been thinking about what I'll do once I'm finished and I'm not entirely sure yet. There's always the option of coaching someone else, but I don't know just yet."
For a split second, Alexei seemed to deflate just a little before regaining his composure, but the action didn't escape Yuuri's sight. "Oh, I see." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Well that's perfectly fine. You're still young after all and Vitya said you don't plan on retiring for a while, so there's still time."
Yuuri sat back, a tad uncomfortable. Why did it sound more like Alexei was trying to convince himself rather than Yuuri?
Alexei decided he'd turn in not long after, leaving Yuuri to ponder their interaction before Victor sulked in, having lost to his father yet again. Everyone in the Katsuki dwelling was washed and in their beds just before the clock stuck eleven. At ten thirty, Alexei was just getting into bed with his wife, who was fluffing up her pillows behind her while he ranted.
"I don't know. I just... It's not that Yuuri isn't a nice boy," he said, his chin resting on his knees which were underneath the duvet. "He turned out to be quite a lot more down to Earth than I thought anyone who would pole dance at a formal career-related event could be. I just need to know that Vitya will be taken care of when I'm not around. At least I was sure Ilya could do that."
Eclipse sighed and turned to her husband, her dark makeup gone from her face and making her look quite plain in comparison to her usual look. Her mouth opened and her lips moved then. Her voice came out in a low whisper, imperceptible to most people, but perfectly intelligible to Alexei.
"I know, I know he's an adult," replied the Russian man. "It's just so hard not to worry about him. I've spent my whole life just constantly being concerned for Vitya's safety and I know that's unhealthy, but..." he sighed, shoulders falling at his sides. "Sometimes, I really wonder how it is that Yulia who never speaks to anymore ended up getting better at this than I did."
His wife spoke again in her low mumble which most people might have mistook for breathing.
"You're right," said Alexei quietly. "Maybe she just spent the time that I spent talking actually thinking about the situation."
Eclipse muttered again, reaching over to kiss Alexei's temple before turning out her lamp and laying her head upon her pillow.
Alexei chuckled softly. "By the way, why do you call them that? Why do you call Vitya Kubuś Puchatek and Yuuri Prosiaczek?"
The woman beside him turned and flashed him a quick smile, her mouth moving ever so slightly again.
"They remind you of them? I don't know... Vitya reminds me more of Tygrys than Kubuś Puchatek."
Eclipse shrugged and bid him goodnight in her voice that was barely a whisper. Alexei smiled back and situated himself in the bed. "Good night, mi amore. Pleasant dreams."
Translations
– vypusknоi vechеr – the evening of graduation
– Akademiya Devy Marii – Academy of the Virgin Mary
– ema – a wooden plaque where people write their wishes and hang them up in hopes that the gods will see them and grant them
– mi amore – my love
The song in this chapter was the English release of "Koi wa Groovy x2" by Yuna Ito (although she released it under the name Christine Ito...).
