This is a BEAST of a chapter. Seriously. There was a ton I wanted to add, and a barrel of lemons. Enjoy! (also, the start of this chapter is right after most of the events of episode 7, including the garage scene)
I'm such an idiot.
As Yuuri stepped onto the ice, I tried to focus on his performance instead of what had just happened between us. I knew that I'd taken the wrong approach in my attempt to comfort and reassure him down in the garage. I would never forget the way he had looked with tears in his eyes. Tears that I'd put there with a stupid comment that I hadn't meant. Worse, I hadn't known how to react to his tears. My question about kissing him had been insensitive and crude.
If he'd hit me it would have been only what I deserved. But he hadn't. He'd handled the situation with more poise than I had any right to expect him to. When we'd walked back up toward the rink, all the negative emotion seemed to have left him. He was cool, collected, almost serene.
And then, when he began to skate, I knew that neither of us had any reason to doubt or fear. He flew through the program with that same grace that had drawn me to him from the first. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Then at the end, he stole my breath. The quid flip had been my signature move, and though he hadn't landed it perfectly, it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. It wasn't just a jump. It was us. I could understand him as if he was speaking directly to me. I could see him pouring his heart out on the ice. And he'd given it to me.
The music ended and I stood, frozen, for a full moment. Then I began sprinting towards the entrance to the rink. Yuuri saw me and skated to meet me. There were a dozen thoughts whirling through my mind, and I had no idea what I was going to do when I got him in my arms. But then he was right in front of me, asking if he got it right, and there was only one thought left. I launched myself at him, capturing his lips and taking us both down onto the ice.
One of my hands cradled the back of his head to keep it from hitting the rink, the other was gripping him tightly to me. The kiss was hard and fast, igniting between us like a match and then going out just as quickly. I turned my face and tucked it against his shoulder, hugging him. A thousand cameras had to have gone off but I didn't care. All that mattered was Yuuri, lying there in my arms, looking up at me as if I was his whole world.
It was only fair; he was mine.
"This was the only thing I could think of to surprise you more than you surprised me." I pulled away enough to look down at him, and he smiled at me.
"Really?"
"Really." Grinning like only a man in love can, I pulled him to his feet and we made our way to the kiss and cry.
When the exhibition was finished, we skipped dinner out and went back to the hotel. After tucking his metal safely away, we ordered room service and Yuuri spoke to his family while we waited for it. I eavesdropped shamelessly, trying to hear if any of them said anything about our kiss. Eventually, Yuuri got fed up with me hovering and shooed me back across the room. There was a knock on the door, and by the time I turned back with the food that had just been delivered, he was off the phone again.
"So, they must all be very proud of you," I said, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah, they are. Surprised, though."
"Oh?" Who was I kidding with my nonchalant act? Yuuri smirked at me.
"They've never seen me do so well under pressure. Mom said it must be your influence."
"Oh! Well good then." There was a pause. Yuuri was still smirking. "And that's all they were surprised about?"
He shrugged and nodded. "I guess."
"Oh, for the love of-" I glared at him. "You know exactly what I'm taking about. They have to have had something to say about me kissing you on national television."
"I didn't say they didn't say anything about it," he replied somewhat slyly. "Just that they weren't surprised."
"They weren't?" I sat down heavily into my chair across from his and blinked at him as he took the cover off his meal.
"We've spent nearly every waking moment together for the last six months. Plus, they know you've been my idol for years. And apparently I was the only one who didn't pick up on your flirting. Or rather, didn't realize that you meant it seriously."
"Subtlety never has been my strong suit," I said unabashed. "So what did they have to say about it, then?" He flushed and he stared at the food on his plate.
"Uh, well they're happy for me- for us. Mom says she'll make us katsudon when we get home to celebrate. Minako suggested we stay a few extra days here to... uh... have fun." The lovely pink that had risen to his cheeks deepened to a bright crimson and I could just imagine how the feisty woman had actually worded that suggestion. I grinned.
"Well, then, it's a plan! We can stay in China the rest of the week before going back to Japan to resume training."
"R-really?"
"Sure, why not? Even professional athletes need a break from time to time. And the rink here is open to you if we decide to squeeze in a few hours here and there. Besides, I'd like to celebrate in our own way before we go back to your family." I cut into my steak and took a bite.
"Like sight seeing, or going out somewhere, or something?"
"Well, those things too, but I had something else in mind. I guess you could call it training, of a sort."
"I thought you said this was a break? Do you think my jumps need more work? Because I was thinking-"
"I meant teaching you the true meaning of Eros, if you want," I interrupted softly, lacing my fingers through his. He nearly choked on his food. I could see his heart rate go through the roof. He looked down at our joined hands, then into my eyes.
"O-okay," he whispered. Despite how much I'd hoped that would be his reaction, I was shocked by his easy acquiescent.
"You... you're sure you're ready for that? I didn't mean that we needed to-"
"I'm sure." He gripped my hand tighter, a look of fierce determination and what I could only hope was arousal on his face. "I've wanted that for a long time now, Victor. I never thought that you would... that you could want the same thing. I think that maybe part of the reason that I never let myself love anyone else was that I was waiting for you."
My heart clutched, then I felt something burning in my chest. Love. I loved him so much in that moment that I thought I would burst with it. I'd told him that I loved him before; we had spoken of love in many different contexts. But this was different. I wanted to tell him, to look into his eyes and say that my heart was his, totally and completely.
"Yuuri..." I stood up slowly and pulled him to his feet as well. He came willingly, eagerly even. Our food was forgotten on the table. My free hand slid into his hair and cradled the back of his head. I lowered my lips to his. His breath caught just before we met, and his hand clutched my shoulder. Then we were kissing passionately. He tasted of the wine I'd ordered with dinner and I pressed closer for more. I didn't know it was possible to want someone so desperately. None of my previous sexual experiences had prepared me for the intensity of being with Yuuri. It was like trying to compare a candle to the sun. Despite his inexperience, or perhaps because of it, he responded to my touch with a fervor that drove me to near madness.
My free hand slid down his back to press him closer to me. One blind step at a time, never breaking our kiss, we backed towards the bed. When our knees bumped the mattress, I lowered us until we were sitting. With a sigh, Yuuri pushed back and looked up at me.
"You know I haven't... that I haven't ever done this before. But I want to please you. So just tell me what to do and I'll do it. I want to-" he paused and searched for the right words. "I want to show you what you mean to me."
I smiled, as much at his selfless eagerness as at the warmth of his words. "Yuuri, I love you. Everything about you. And I love that you want to express yourself to me this way. It is a precious gift that I will treasure for the rest of my life. But let's take it slow. Let me lead, let me show you." I pressed another soft kiss to his lips and felt him nod.
"Okay," he breathed. I kissed down his jaw and throat, then he stopped me by taking my face between his hands and tipping it up. "I love you too, Victor."
Hearing him say those words, that way, was almost more than I could bear. I groaned low, resuming my kissing path down his chest and stripping off his clothes as I went. Once I'd tugged his pants off, I knelt on the floor between his legs. Somehow, he'd managed to remove my shirt as well, and I leaned in, wrapping both arms around his waist. My head rested against his ribs and I could feel his erection against my chest. His hands shook as they stroked through my hair.
I kissed one nipple, then gently urged him to lay back on the bed. More kisses followed, down his stomach and to his hip. His muscles bunched and flexed in automatic reflex to my attention, his whole body eager for more. He whispered my name brokenly, and I vowed to myself that I would hear him scream it before I was done with him. Slowly, I trailed my lips from his hip towards his cock. The tip of my tongue traced around the base of it and he nearly arched off the bed in reaction. I pressed open mouthed kisses up the length of him, then swirled my tongue around the crown. He shuddered, both hands going up to thread through my hair.
I felt drunk with the thrill of it, giving him such pleasure and knowing that I was the only one who'd ever had him like this. The only one who'd tasted him, teased him, taken him. I closed my lips around him and sucked. His hips jerked and more of his length was thrust into my mouth. I took it eagerly, moving in rhythm with him until I had him panting and writhing on the bed. He moaned, and I felt his abdominal muscles tense. Instead of going faster, I slowed down, backing him away from the edge and drawing out his pleasure. He called my name again, this time his lust and need clear in his voice. Still, I wanted more. I took him deep and swallowed. As he cried out, I moved one of my hands from his hip down to between his legs and pressed lightly against his ass.
"Victor... Victor... Victor!" His whole body coiled tight like a spring and then released. He shuddered and arched, hips bucking helplessly as he spilled into my mouth. My own cock ached with need at the sight of him, the feel of him, the taste of him, coming apart beneath me. I kept sucking, softer and slower, until the last of the aftershocks had faded away. Then, I crawled up onto the bed with him.
He stayed on his back, staring up at the ceiling for a moment, dazed. "I... That was... wow."
"So articulate," I teased. His mouth quirked up into a crooked half smile and he rolled sluggishly to his side to look at me.
"It's your own fault," he chided me sarcastically. "If you want coherent thought, that's not the way to get it."
"Oh? And what if I want pure, unbridled ecstasy from you?"
"Then you went about it the right way." His gaze dropped to the straining front of my trousers. "But I'd like to return the favor... if you don't mind. I mean, I won't be nearly as good at it as you-"
"Dorogoy, I have no doubt that when you try your hand at that, you'll have me incoherent in two seconds flat. But we don't have to do that tonight. You already had a pretty intense lesson on Eros, and you've had a long day."
He frowned at me, clearly unhappy with the situation. "Yes, but I don't want to leave you like that. I want to... reciprocate."
I could see that he wasn't about the let the subject drop, and despite my intention to be selfless, my swollen cock was eager for attention. "Alright, how about we start with something... more familiar." I stripped off my trousers and stretched out on the bed beside him. He looked at me, eyes wandering over by body slowly and lingering on my erection. When he saw me watching him, he blushed.
"I, uh-"
"You've seen me naked before," I reminded him with a smirk. "Many times."
"Well, yes, but... this is different."
"Indeed it is," I agreed. I kissed him, slow and deep, taking my time exploring every inch of him. As I did, I took one of his hands in my own and slipped it down to my cock. He brushed against it hesitantly, then with my encouragement, he wrapped his fingers around it. He squeezed and I groaned.
"Gah, was that too hard?" He pulled back to look down at where he was gripping me.
"No, not at all," I assured him breathlessly. "Do that again. Stroke me the way you would stroke yourself." There was a pause, then his grip grew firm as he slid his fist up and then back down again. I clenched my jaw to hold back another moan. I was already strung taut as a piano wire, and the fact that it was Yuuri touching me the way I'd fantasized about so many times before was leaving my control in tatters. I turned my head and kissed him again. Our tongues tangled. He began to move his hand in rhythm with our kiss, faster and faster until I gasped and called his name. "Yuuri!"
I felt the coil in my belly snap, pleasure coursing through me like fire licking along a fuse. He kept stroking me through my orgasm until I couldn't take any more and had to grab his wrist to still him. Then I collapsed onto my back and tried to catch my breath.
When I finally opened my eyes again and looked over at him, Yuuri had lifted his hand to his mouth. There were two pearly beads of my release on his palm. He drew his tongue across one and tasted it. I moaned involuntarily, spent cock twitching at just the sight. His eyes flew up and saw me watching him.
"Oh god, I can't believe you just saw me do that!"
I chuckled at how mortified he was. "It was incredibly erotic." He inhaled sharply and his expression turned to one of shock. "Besides, it's only fair that you get to taste mine. I got to taste yours."
"Jeez, you did, didn't you. Victor, this was... I mean, all of this has been incredible."
"I'm glad you think so. Just wait till you hear what tomorrow's lesson is." I winked at him and he smiled. "For now, I think you need some sleep."
"That did wear me out," he admitted.
"Yes, it was all my sexual prowess, and had nothing to do with the grueling physical exertion you did earlier today. I get credit for all of it."
He poked me in the ribs. "Smart ass." I grinned and rolled him till he was facing away from me, then pulled him back against my chest. His head was pillowed on my bicep, his hips cradled against mine, our legs entwined. He let out a long breath and settled into the embrace to sleep.
"Ya lyublya tebya," I whispered to him, pressing a kiss behind his ear. "I love you."
The next morning, I stayed in bed late with Yuuri. Normally I am an early riser, but I was happy to lie next to the man I love and hold him close. His skin was warm, his fine black hair mussed sensually, and his lips were parted ever so slightly.
It was tempting, oh so tempting, to wake him with another lesson on Eros – or even to repeat the lesson from the night before just for good measure – but I resisted. He was so new to all things sexual, and I had no desire to rush him. No, we could take things one at a time, savoring each new discovery slowly.
When he finally roused (I might have assisted the process with a few kisses...) we had a leisurely breakfast and then a swim in the hotel pool. That afternoon we saw a few of the sights, ate dinner at a restaurant the concierge had suggested, and returned to our room just as the sun was setting. I shrugged out of my coat and watched as Yuuri did the same, but stiffly, as if he was embarrassed about it. He continued removing layers, his shoes, his jacket, then his shirt. When he reached for the buckle of his belt, I stopped him.
"Yuuri, what are you doing?"
His nervous eyes met mine. "I, well, undressing. I thought we were going to... you know."
"That hadn't been my plan straight away, but if it was, I would hope you wouldn't go about getting ready for it as though you're about to have a tooth pulled." I cupped the side of his face, urging him to keep looking at me when he would have cast his eyes down.
"It's not like that. Honestly. I'm just not sure what to expect. I don't know how these things usually work, and I don't want to disappoint you."
"Yuuri..." I pulled him gently to the couch and sat down. He landed softly against me, his back resting on my chest as I reclined and stretched my legs out. "I want you to know, first and foremost, that in this area, you will never disappoint me. The fact that you are willing to share your heart with me, and your body by extension, is already a dream come true. I don't want you to doubt yourself. There is no right or wrong way to go about this kind of thing. I joke about giving you lessons, but in reality, this isn't a subject you can fail. We can explore all that Eros has to offer together, and I'm happy to impart everything I know. Still, this is a path we are forging together. There's no need to try and be or act a certain way. I'm not expecting anything from you but trust and communication. Whatever else happens is up to both of us."
He took a deep breath, considering what I'd said. Slowly, I felt him relax against me. "Alright." The smile was back in his voice. "So what did you plan for the evening, if not that?"
"Well it's not as though that wasn't on the list eventually, but I thought we would do what we do any other night. Talk, relax, we could watch a show or put on some music..."
"I guess even couples do the regular stuff too, huh?"
"As I understand it," I chuckled. "I'm happy – eager – to have you as my lover, Yuuri, but you're my friend as well. I'm not suddenly only interested in your body. I want to know what you're thinking, hold you, make you happy."
"You do make me happy. Happier than I've ever been."
"I feel the same," I murmured in his ear. He scoffed.
"Happier than winning a gold metal?"
My brow furrowed; I turned him so that he was facing me and shook my head at him. "Far happier. You know that winning had become mundane to me. I never had the family and love that you're used to. Skating was all I had for so long, and by the time we met even that had lost its shine. You mean more to me than all the metals in the world."
Yuuri's hand came up to cup my face, his eyes soft. He leaned in and kissed me sweetly, then rested his cheek against my chest, just above my heart. "You're always so poised, so serene, that it's easy to forget that your life hasn't been picture perfect."
"Serene, me?" I laughed. Yuuri smiled with me.
"You know what I mean. You're always so... happy. Like nothing ever gets to you. I've had so much going for me and I'm still a mess of nerves."
"Plenty of things get to me. It's partly because I didn't have a support system growing up that it doesn't show. I learned early on to keep all of that inside. Not the healthiest way of dealing with it, perhaps. But I manage. And your anxiety is nothing to be made light of, Yuuri. The fact that you continue to work through it the way you do amazes me."
He shifted, looking embarrassed. "You're the amazing one." I shook my head at him and he grumbled. "But you don't ever have to face anything alone again. You don't have to keep it inside any more. I want you to confide in me, lean on me, let me help you if I can."
"Thank you," I whispered, pulling him into a tight hug. If it was possible, I felt my love for him intensify. Every time I thought there was nothing he could do to endear himself to me more, he surprised me. To never be alone again was a beautiful prospect. It was too soon for us to make promises and commitments to each other, but I had no doubt those would come soon enough. Yuuri was everything I needed, and I would do whatever it took to be everything he needed, too.
"Victor?" he asked after we'd been holding each other quietly for a while.
"Mm?"
"How often... I mean, do you like to do that kind of stuff often? What we did last night?" He fidgeted. I looked down at him to see his face had gone bright red.
"Oh! Well... it depends, I guess. It's different when you're on your own or with someone."
"What about... when you're with me?"
It was my turn to flush a little. "To be perfectly honest, I'd be happy to spend all my time in bed with you, but that doesn't mean that we have to-"
"Can we?" He looked half eager and half embarrassed. My mouth dropped open.
"Y-you mean right now?"
He nodded. "If you're up for it. It's just... being close to you like this..." A grin slowly spread across my face.
"In that case, why don't we move to the bed?"
"I'd like that." We rose and crossed the room, sinking down onto the mattress. I leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled back. "I want to- to do what you did last night, though."
"You don't have to-"
"I know. But I want to. Please."
I let out my breath slowly through my nose, fighting the urge to tackle him to the bed and have my wicked way with him. His innocent sensuality, his eagerness for more, was driving me wild. "Alright," I agreed. Quickly, I stripped out of my clothes and helped him the rest of the way out of his. "Why don't we try something to help you learn?"
"You are a pretty great teacher."
"And I think you'll like this type of lesson," I grinned. I urged him to lay down on his side, then flipped around so that I was facing him with my head at his waist.
"What are we-" He stopped when he realized how we were aligned, and I heard his sharp intake of breath.
"All you have to do is copy me. Do what I do. This isn't going to be anything too complicated, but if you're uncomfortable or don't want to, we can stop at any time."
"I doubt I'll want to stop," he murmured, his eyes glued to my erection. I chuckled and settled more comfortably on my side, then leaned in and captured the tip of him between my lips. His breath hissed out and there was a pause, then he took me into his mouth. I fought the urge to buck my hips. The feel of him was incredible, the dual sensations of him in my mouth and me in his was enough to make me want to spill already. But there was so much to show him, so much to explore.
I took my time, slowly sliding my tongue over his length and rubbing it along the crown. He hesitantly copied me, moaning low in his throat and gripping my hips tightly. I sucked him a little deeper, hollowing my cheeks to increase the pressure. Yuuri did the same, making a few erotic, wet sounds as he adjusted to the suction and movement. Once, he took me deep, deeper than I had been showing him, and I groaned around him. His cock jerked in response to the vibration and he moaned, treating me to the same sensation. I increased my pace and pressure, knowing that at this rate, I wouldn't last very long.
Yuuri matched me stroke for stroke, his movements unpracticed, sometimes unsure, but always with an earnestness that enticed. I was so wrapped up in my response to him that I almost didn't pull away at the end. As the first spasms of his orgasm hit him, though, I managed to jerk my hips back. With blind, fumbling movements, I wrapped both his hand and my own around my cock and brought myself to completion. I swallowed around him, sucking eagerly and taking every bit of him that I could as pleasure coursed through me.
Eventually he pushed at me, over sensitized and gasping for breath. I flopped to my back and tried to calm my racing heart. "Yuuri... that was..."
"Why did you pull away," he asked softly. I looked at him and was shocked to see hurt on his face.
"Yuuri." Quickly, I shifted on the bed until I was face to face with him and pulled him close. "That can be... difficult, the first time. I didn't want to gag you or make you swallow if you didn't want to."
"Why wouldn't I want to?"
I shrugged. "Some people are bothered by it, or don't care for it. We hadn't talked about it, and I didn't want to push you into it. I should have made sure I knew what you wanted, first." I brushed his hair off his forehead and kissed him in apology.
"I want all of you, Victor."
"Next time we can try it, and you can decide then. Never doubt that I want you, though."
"So that was good, then?"
"That was amazing, lyubimaya. Even more than I expected it would be. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you'd done that before."
He blushed and narrowed his eyes at me in a mock glare. "You're the expert here," he retorted.
"And you are the innocent that I've set my sights on despoiling." I pushed him back and playfully mounted him, kissing his neck and biting him softly. He laughed, squirming under me and at turns pulling me close and pushing me back.
"You haven't fully despoiled me yet," he challenged. I stilled, wondering just how much more he knew could be between us. Yes, he was a grown man, but I had the feeling that his innocence extended beyond just physical knowledge.
"We don't have to do any more than this, you know." I shifted until I was beside him, propped up on my elbow so I could look at him clearly.
"But there is more-" I couldn't tell if it was a statement or a question.
"There doesn't have to be. We're lovers now, sharing our bodies with each other, giving and receiving pleasure. That can be enough, if you want it to be."
"What about p-penetration?"
"It's not necessary by any means."
"But, I mean... I always assumed that part was 'real sex.'"
"There are different ways of looking at it, but think of it this way. Two female partners could never have 'real' penetration, and yet they would be lovers."
"I guess that makes sense."
"So there's no absolute need for it."
"But would you want to?"
I bit my lip as I looked down at him, wondering if caution or absolute honesty was a better idea. What happened just before his free skate came to mind and I shied away from anything less than the truth. I didn't want to risk hurting him again. Leaning down until my forehead was pressed against his, I met his eyes intently. "I want to be joined to you in every way possible, Yuuri. To be as close to you as two beings can be."
A smile broke across his face. "Good." He tipped my face down and kissed me, his tongue dancing with mine tantalizingly. "Do you want to try it now?"
"That stamina of yours is going to be the death of me, krasivaya," I laughed. "Try and remember that I'm an old man compared to you." He scoffed.
"You're only four years older than me."
"In skating years that's like a decade."
"Skating years? Is that like dog years?"
"Indeed. I'm positively ancient in the sport. If I had skated this year instead of coaching you, they would have served me prune juice at the kiss and cry."
"There are other twenty-seven year old skaters, you know."
"Very few, and none that already came back once from a major injury. My career should have ended when I was twenty. Every year after that has been borrowed time."
Yuuri was quiet for a long while. His fingers traced over my skin slowly, absently, until the tip of one finger found the long silver scar on the inside of my knee. "What happened? I know it was a skating accident on a lake, but you never talked about the details in any interviews."
I pulled his hand away from the scar and laced our fingers together. "It was a foolish mistake. My own fault, really."
"That can't be true."
"It is. Yacov had warned me the weather was unusually warm. He knew that the lake I liked to skate on was likely not safe. I didn't listen. I went anyway."
"Why were you even on a lake? I assume for training you would have preferred the rink."
"It is near my parent's graves. For many years, on the anniversary of their deaths, I would go there and skate for them."
"I'm sorry, Victor."
"Don't be. It was a beautiful tradition, beautiful but macabre. I knew it was too dangerous to go that year, and I hadn't cared. Sometimes I wonder if part of me didn't know something would happen. If I just hadn't cared, or if somewhere deep down I had hoped for it." Yuuri gasped and I shook my head. "Don't worry, it's been a long time since I had such unhealthy thoughts." His fingers tightened on mine and he pressed his forehead to my chest. "The ice broke and my leg became trapped. Two slabs of it pinned me at my knee. I used the blade of my other skate to try and hack myself free, but it wasn't working, and if I hadn't gotten out of the water quickly, I would have lost my entire leg to frostbite. I ended up breaking my knee to wrench it free."
Yuuri shuddered. "I can't even imagine what that must have been like."
"The cold helped with the pain, some." I tried to sound casual, but even the memory of it was brutal. I could see it as if it had happened only yesterday, the ice staining red as I sliced my skin open trying to break myself free with the heel of my left skate. The panic clawing at me, consuming me, the terrifying anticipation of the worst. The agony of muscle, tendon and bone being ripped apart as I finally got free. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. "If Yakov hadn't come to check on me, I still might have frozen to death after I dragged myself to shore. It took three surgeries to get function back in that leg, and they told me that I might never be able to walk on it."
"And yet you were back skating competitively the very next year." He looked up at me with awe in his eyes. I flushed and shook my head.
"Don't say it like that. I'm just too stubborn to go down without a fight. It wasn't as though I worked some kind of miracle. There were times when I considered giving up. Times when I thought I really would never skate again. But I just refused to stop trying. First it was walking, then running, then skating. I cut off my hair and made my debut back onto the ice as a new man."
"I missed your hair so much that year." Yuuri ran his hands through the short silver strands of my hair longingly. "But now that it's been short for so much time I can't imagine you with it long again."
"Maybe I'll grow it out again just to surprise you."
"Then maybe someday I'll grow mine long, too."
I thought about that. Yuuri with long hair. Long, silky black strands that would spill over his shoulders as he leaned towards me... "Don't put images like that in my head, or I might find that I have the stamina for another round after all," I teased. He blushed and rolled over, tucking himself up against me from shoulder to toes. I laughed, kissed the top of his head, and relaxed into sleep.
The next day was a whirlwind of sightseeing. We went to the rink over lunch to get in an hour of practice, then continued on, buying souvenirs and taking far more pictures than were strictly necessary.
We stopped at a drug store on our way back and I picked up a few things necessary for the carnal plans we had that night. Yuuri blushed the whole time, but refused to wait outside when I offered to buy them on my own. When we got to the hotel, I opened a bottle of wine and we sipped it while eating artisan chocolates we had bought.
Thinking of how drunk Yuuri had gotten at the Grand Prix banquet off of champagne, I put away the bottle before either of us had too much. While I had been first entranced by that brash and sensual version of him, the months I'd spent with him since made it clear that wasn't who he really was. I didn't want him inebriated enough that he might be incapable of making rational decisions.
The music I'd put on changed to a slow, sweet melody, and I wrapped my arm around Yuuri's shoulders. He leaned into the embrace. When we both reached for the chocolates at the same time, our hands touched. Yuuri pulled back, letting me go first. I plucked one from the box, then placed it between his teeth instead of my own. While he held it there, I lowered my mouth to his and bit off the other half.
We kissed, tasting sweet and dark, of chocolate and desire. His hand rose up to slide under my shirt, and I responded by resting my own high on his thigh. Heat coursed through us both and suddenly the fabric of our clothes was entirely too confining. We practically tore them off of each other, touching and kissing and tasting our way down to bare skin.
"Bed," I murmured before things got too out of hand. Not only would it be more comfortable, but there were certain supplies I'd put in the nightstand that we would need. Yuuri nodded eagerly and instead of breaking our embrace, I urged his legs up around my waist and carried him to the bed. For a moment, I marveled at how easy it was to lift him. How perfectly he fit in my arms. Then I laid him down on the bed and kissed him.
"Victor," Yuuri arched beneath me, rubbing our erections together erotically. I groaned, bowled over by how much this man could turn me on, could shake my world. "I want you."
"I want you too, lyubimaya." I pulled the little bottle of strawberry scented lubricant and packet of condoms from the side table and tossed them onto the bed beside us. "Do you want me inside you, tonight, or would you rather take me?"
He looked torn for a moment, then bit his lip. "Me," he decided. "I want to feel you, all of you. And I'm not sure I'd know exactly what to do on top," he admitted.
"I'll show you, then," I whispered, quickly slicking us both. He moaned at the feel of my hand gliding over him, the cool liquid warming between our skin. I kissed him languidly and eased one finger inside of him. His whole body clenched. I waited, giving him time to adjust to the sensation before starting to move. He breathed my name, once, twice, then over and over again as I stroked him and worked a second finger into him. On their own, his legs fell aside, his incredible flexibility allowing me greater access to his body. Each time I brushed softly against the sweet spot inside him, he gasped and clenched around me.
Already, I was hard and throbbing just thinking about him squeezing around my cock like that. "Are you ready, Yuuri?"
"Yes," he gasped. "Please, Victor!"
His pleas were music to my ears, beautiful and precious. Slowly, carefully, I brought my body to his and began to press inside him. I kept my hand wrapped around the length of him the whole time, stroking him steadily to relax him. He closed his eyes and I stopped, worried I was moving too fast. "Are you alright," I whispered hoarsely.
Immediately, his eyes opened again. "More," he begged.
I could have howled in satisfaction. I pushed deeper until I was buried all the way inside of him. He was clenching around me, twitching in my hand, breathing hard and looking at me with so much love in his eyes that I thought I would burst before we even really began. He canted his hips up, spurring me on. Soon, we had built up a rhythm and I was driving into him again and again. Each thrust, each stroke, brought us closer and closer to the edge of release until we were both shuddering with the need to come. I gritted my teeth against the pleasure, determined to see him reach completion before I did.
It was only a few more moments until he cried my name raggedly and his body bowed off the bed. I couldn't have stopped myself from following him into bliss even if I'd tried. With a low groan I buried myself deep into him and allowed my orgasm to wash over me. His blunt nails dug into my back deliciously. My face was pressed against his neck as I tried to catch my breath. Each twitch of his spent cock between us made me bite my lip in renewed pleasure.
When we finally eased apart, Yuuri grinned at me sleepily. "That was..."
"Yeah," I agreed, returning his smile. I kissed him softly.
"I hope you want to do that again."
"What, right now?" Both my brows shot up in shock. I knew he had stamina, but that was just ridiculous.
"No," he laughed, "though I wouldn't be against it once I get my breath back. I meant in the future. The near future."
"Ah, well in that case, absolutely. As long as you liked it."
"Liked it? I think that's putting it mildly."
"Good." I nuzzled his neck then shifted to my back and pulled him against me, so that his head was resting on my chest. He ran his hand through the short, silver hairs there idly.
"So," he said after we'd held each other in silence for a while, "you're pretty good at that." I was just about to thank him when he tucked his face a little. "I guess you had some practice in the past?"
I'd never had any regrets about my sexuality. I wasn't ashamed of anything I'd done in my past, nor had I ever felt the need to hide any of it. I still didn't. And yet, there was part of me that wished, just for a moment, that Yuuri would have been my first time. That we could have shared it together.
But then, I wouldn't be the same man, and I might not have ended up with Yuuri.
"Some," I admitted. "Would you like to hear about it? Last time I tried to talk to you about past lovers, you shied away from the topic."
"That had more to do with embarrassment than not wanting to know. But now I'm not sure that I do want to know."
"You don't have to, if it makes you uncomfortable."
"I guess... I mean, is there anyone I know?"
"I don't believe so," I said, thinking back. The chances of him encountering any of them seemed wildly slim.
"No one? Not even, uh, Chris?"
"Chris? As in Christophe Giacometti? That Chris?"
"Yes, that Chris," Yuuri huffed. I laughed, and he scowled at me. "What?"
"Yuuri, you'd have a better chance of sleeping with him than I ever would have!"
"What? That's not true!" His face turned bright red. I laughed again.
"It is. Besides, despite the fact that he flirts so openly, he has been in a committed relationship for a long time now."
"Really? With who?"
"Ah, that's a secret. I can't tell."
"Spoil sport."
"You love me anyway."
"I do." He smiled softly and kissed me, right over my heart. The thought of getting a tattoo in that exact spot flitted through my mind, but I shook my head to clear it. "So. No specifics. But tell me about your history. Did you always know you were-"
"Gay?"
"Y-yeah. That."
"It's not a dirty word, you know," I chuckled. He rolled his eyes and smiled. "But yes, I think I always knew. I let myself be introduced to sex young. Far younger than I should have."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It didn't leave me scarred. It might be why I feel so strongly about protecting Yurio's innocence, though. Not that he has any interest in what I have to say."
"Of course he does. He might not like to show it, but he looks up to you. Idolizes you."
"He wants to emulate my success, but idolizes me? Hardly."
"It's true. I think he sees you as a mentor, in his own way."
"Are you sure we're talking about the same person? Yurio barely listens to Yakov, let alone me."
"Which is why he flew all the way to Japan when you left. Why he insisted you choreograph his short program, why he makes sure to follow every step of your career."
I thought about that for a moment. I had always known there was some connection between Yurio and I, however grudging he was about it. And though I felt like I knew him better than most, could see when his brusqueness and insolence were facades for more meaningful emotion, it still hadn't really occurred to me that he might see me the way Yuuir described. A smile curled my lips. "You know, I think you might be right." And now that I knew, I was going to use that to keep him on the right track. Yurio needed more people looking out for him. "But we got off topic. I was telling you about my sordid history."
"Sordid?"
"Okay, well not really. I've been in three relationships, if you can call them that, including the first one. None of them were as meaningful as they should have been. Skating always came first, and other areas of my life suffered because of that. I always thought there would be time later, always took things for granted. A mistake I don't intend to make with you. I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you, Yuuri."
"Really?"
"Really." I kissed the top of his head and he snuggled deeper into my arms, his eyes fluttering closed.
"I love you, Victor."
"I love you, too, detka."
The rest of our week off passed far quicker than either of us would have liked. We did more sightseeing, stopped to train at the rink a little, and enjoyed spending time together as a real couple. It was a beautiful thing, to be able to kiss Yuuri any time I wanted, to touch him without reserve, to hold his hand.
Our nights were filled with more passion than I ever though possible. Though he was shy and somewhat reserved, Yuuri was an open and generous lover. He was always eager for more, enticing me with his newfound lust. The only thing he hadn't decided to try yet was topping me. I assumed he was working his way up to it, or just enjoyed what we had already done so much that he wasn't in a rush to change. Either way, I wasn't worried. Every time with Yuuri was better than the last, each time we shared our bodies our intimacy deepened.
I was reluctant to fly back to Japan when the time came. Though I had faith in Yuuri, and in our budding relationship, I somehow felt like things would change when we left. As if everything we had shared was contained in a fragile bubble that would burst, and then things would go back to the way they'd been before. Now that I'd tasted Yuuri's passion, I wasn't sure how I would go back.
Minako met us at the air port with a knowing grin. Yuuri hadn't let go of my hand, and I felt some of the worry gripping me ease. Back at the resort, the entire Katsuki family was eager to offer him congratulations on his win, and even to to me for helping him. My worry dissipated all together. Yuuri's family had never been anything but loving and supportive of him. It had been foolish of me to expect that to change because of the new development in our relationship.
We ate katsudon and celebrated with drinks. One by one, everyone excused themselves for bed. Eventually, it was just Yuuri and I, sitting at the table beside each other, feeling slightly tipsy and brushing shoulders as we talked.
"I guess we should get some sleep," Yuuri said with a yawn. "Especially if we're going to start training tomorrow."
"Probably right," I agreed, rising and pulling him up with me. He swayed a little, and I steadied him with a chuckle. We made our way up the stairs and once we reached the hall, came to a stop. My door was to our right, his was at the end of the hall. Suddenly, my earlier fears returned with a vengeance. He was a grown man, but that didn't mean that he might not be uncomfortable sleeping with me under his parent's roof.
Makkachin nudged the door to my room open and wagged his tail at us. Yuuri petted him on his way past and into my room. "Good choice, Makka, Victor's futon is bigger than mine." He collapsed on my bed and stretched out. I smiled and followed him in. Again, my fears seemed totally unfounded. I laid down on the bed next to him and pulled him into my arms.
"Just don't think I'm going to take it easy on you tomorrow because of this," I murmured as I kissed his neck.
"Wouldn't dream of it," he whispered back. "After all, Not letting me off easy is how you show your love, remember?"
"Among other things." I pulled my shirt off and pushed him down to the mattress gently. He grinned up at me and wrapped his arms around my neck.
"Why don't you show me one now?"
