Hello lovelies! The new chapter is up, I'm dead inside from the first week of classes and taking an MCAT, but I'm still here. I hope the new year is treating everyone well and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
"Oh it's so cute!" The table shook when Victor's hands slammed on the wobbly surface in excitement. The Russian man leaned down and eyed the small mountain of edible decorations on my hot cocoa. "Have you ever gotten the other flavors? Do they have different designs?" He popped up with renewed energy.
Our waitress stepped slowly away from the small outdoor table and the tall man's loud exclamations. I smiled pityingly towards our server; Victor was eccentric and I knew it could put people off.
I'm surprised at how easy it's been to be with him since my realization a few days ago. I thought I would be terribly awkward, but I guess honesty was the best policy. I never thought that being more honest with myself was something that I wasn't already doing, or that it would help me this much.
Today was different than our usual. Not only did we choose another location, but a new time as well. Victor had meetings for the next few days that would have conflicted with our midday and early afternoon playdates. We agreed to meet at the coffee shop where we chatted on that first, horribly uncomfortable day, in the late afternoon instead.
The change in time was another opportunity for me to leave, to distance myself from Victor. Getting this close to someone, this fast, was risky. I could have told him that no other time would have worked for me, that we would see each other in a few days instead.
Could I have really though?
Seeing Victor both giddy and downtrodden at the prospect of his job starting up again, because it would make him miss our meetings, felt like a punch to the throat. My awkward sputtering made that simile all the more accurate.
I also didn't want to stop the rhythm of my days. He was a part of the simple motions now, and they help me function. So not seeing him wasn't going to work for me.
I pulled the wide-rimmed mug to the center of the table and turned it so he could see all sides of the warm drink. He dipped forward, leaning on his elbows and sitting down at last. He couldn't take his eyes off of the confectionary bliss. I wouldn't put it past him to turn around and order one for himself, he looked that enamored. I snickered at his mannerisms and finally answered him.
"I've had each flavor, but this one's my favorite." The whipped topping had smeared onto my palm and thumb after moving the cup. "It's also the cutest." I ended my statement by licking the strip of cream off my hand. That wasn't an exaggeration, all the white chocolate decorations, wafer straws, and chocolate shavings made for a formidable level of adorable and tasty.
I plucked a straw out of its whipped pedestal and broke it in half, offering a piece to Victor. The tall man popped the treat into his mouth and chewed quickly. His smile shortly followed the tasting.
"Priyatnyy, very tasty." Victor often slipped Russian into his statements now, either it was a common habit or he was getting more relaxed around me. It was hard to read Victor still so I couldn't determine that for sure.
Ever since he told me about his adventures in his home town of St. Petersburg his accent clicked and I started researching his native language. It would be nice to understand him or eventually speak it for him. Languages came quickly to me anyways.
Home is an easy place to miss. A reminder, even a simple phrase, could bring you back there. I wouldn't attempt anything yet of course. I didn't know the words to say, and the ghastly pronunciation I would have was enough to deter me.
"We could have come here more often if I knew you liked something specific." Victor had reclined to stir the cream and sugar into his coffee. Four sugar packets and three creamers later had his coffee close to the sweetness of my hot cocoa. He paused for a moment and furrowed his brows, looking confused. "If you liked the cocoas, why didn't you order them when we first came here?" His eyes locked with mine curiously.
"W-well coffee is cheaper than their cocoas, and you were paying." I don't know why I felt embarrassed, it was just the polite thing to do at the time. He had even invited me specifically for coffee too. We didn't know each other then. His wide-eyed stare made me push my hands to my lap and stiffen some. What was with that look?
"Aww~." The saddened lilt in his voice matched the almost defeated way that Victor dropped his chin onto his raised fist. His eyes lifted to meet mine. He huffed out a breath and pouted, pushing his cheek out in the process. "I would have rather you got something you wanted, Yuri."
My fingers looped into the large mug's handle as I finally pulled it up to take a drink. Well if he felt that bad about it he could buy me another one.
That would be another excuse to make him meet with me tomorrow. Would asking him to pay for me be too bold? I'm not sure about Victor's money situation, but I do know how he is.
Even if he was dirt poor he would still try to pay for someone, and I don't want to ask much of him if that's the case.
"I suppose I'll have to just buy you a cocoa tomorrow then, neh?" The blue-eyed man had tilted his head and asked in a low voice. His half-lidded gaze complemented the lazy smile he held. His hair fell in pieces and rested against the palm he was leaning on, showing all of his face.
Holy shit, how does he do that? I set my cup down slowly and looked down at it.
Well there was an excuse to meet him tomorrow and I didn't even have to ask. But… I didn't feel quite right. My hands stiffened minutely around the cup cradled in my grasp.
Every single time we've met it's because he says he supposedly owes me something. If anything, I owe him. He's always been thoughtful and generous to me and even to my dog. Was this really just the type of person Victor was? He doesn't have some debt to be paid.
Plus there's always that never ending anxiousness pitted in my fear that Victor is doing this out of pity or just because he's nice. I'm trying to distance myself from all of that, but damn does it linger.
He began speaking while I was still looking down.
"Actually, how about you take me to your favorite restaurant and I'll buy you what you want there? Since we've moved our dates we could easily do dinner now." He soon dropped his arm he was leaning against to the table, resting it a few inches from mine. The table was rather small, not even three feet wide, so touching was unavoidable for him. I spoke out before he could begin to make plans for us.
"You don't have to." My fingers rubbed the cooling porcelain of my drink.
"Hmm?" I didn't look up at him until I set my resolve and started speaking. I didn't want him to feel bad around me, to feel like he should spend time with me because he has to.
"You don't have to buy anything for me. You always do this thing where every time we meet it's because you think you owe me or to repay me for something that really doesn't need repaying. You don't owe me anything." I steadied my hands by pressing them into the table so if they began to shake, my cocoa wouldn't be a casualty of my nerves. His response was as quick, as his usually were.
"I know I don't really have to, but I want to buy you dinner." Oh.
His hands nudged my own and I slowly looked back up to him. I knew I was blushing from his statement, or maybe his hands wrapping around my wrists made me flush. The shadow of the restaurant cast itself over the table long before we had arrived. It gave a false sense of privacy and served to bring more life to the colors it covered. I never realized that his hair was silver.
"I want to share a good meal with you, Yuri. I want to go to all of your favorite places in this town, together. I want to learn what you like and dislike." He clenched his hand and rolled my forearm, making my palms face upwards. I could feel sugar crystals rub into the back of my left hand as Victor's own wrists pressed into my palms.
He stared at me, waiting patiently for my response to his invitation… This man…
I doubt I could put this feeling into words, in his language or my own.
My eyes had never left his, even as I smiled. I could see how bright his eyes became when I squeezed his wrists back, the soft pink that bloomed across his face when I smiled in return, and the tilted smile that stretched slowly when I nodded. It was a silent affirmation, and it was all that we needed.
The silver haired man looked to the side when he spoke next. Still he kept his hands securely around my wrists.
"If you'd rather, I could just ask you out more directly from now on. That sort of ruins my cool guy persona though." I let out a bark of laughter at this. Victor's head snapped back to me, looking surprised.
Like being more direct isn't a part of your persona.
His stunned expression made me laugh harder.
"What? I'm cool." He muttered the statement like an addendum to his previous one. That wasn't even what I was laughing at, but damn if it didn't get funny fast.
Right as he spoke, our waiter had returned. I locked eyes with the server and I couldn't help it. Her expression was so tense as she covered her mouth and tried to keep a straight face.
I snorted from laughing so hard.
We ended up deciding on a nearby ramen stand for tomorrow's dinner. It was a little ways from the coffee shop, but close enough for me to show it to him before nightfall. I didn't exactly trust Victor's sense of direction just yet, even if he said it was between his apartment and the café.
He had run off excitedly after seeing the small, open-air stand's location. His response was: "I want to keep tomorrow a true surprise for myself."
I chuckled at his excitable attitude. I'm glad he liked ramen, I'd been craving it for ages.
When I slid the back door closed and kicked my shoes off, I sat down to take a breath. It was a surprisingly short day. My hand slid over my wrist as I traced my fingertips up and down the thin skin there.
He really was touchy.
"Yo, Yuri! Are you helping mom in the kitchen or the front room?" Mari poked her head out from the door I had just closed. My fingers stilled their motions and I sighed.
Well that's as long as my breather is going to be. I stared up indignantly at my sister.
"I've got the kitchen." She raised her eyebrows at my declaration and let a pause swell between us.
"You're going to help us AND you're smiling? What's got you in a good mood? Is it your new 'friend'?" As she spoke she moved across the room to sit next to me. Her eyebrows waggled suggestively, again insinuating everything from nothing.
"He is my friend, just my friend, and that's more than I could have ever asked for." I folded my arms and gave my best stern face.
Mari is important to me, and she always will be. I'll always let her into my life, but only a little on this subject. I just wasn't quite ready to share Victor with her yet. I would die before she ran out of things to tease me about. He hasn't gotten tired of me yet, but that doesn't mean he won't. It's too early.
It's a curious thing though. I touched my mouth gently and felt my now parted lips.
When had I started smiling?
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