Hello everyone! Thank you for coming with me this far and reading my story. Behold: THE LONGEST CHAPTER EVER POSTED! I'm shocked that I typed the meat of this chapter yesterday and proofread it all today. I'd like to think I'm becoming more dedicated to writing in general, but I have two tests this week and I'm procrastinating, fiercely. Anyways, please enjoy.
T Rated Chapter Ahead
Warnings: language, pseudo-sexual flirtations, embarrassed Yuri.
I felt the heat waft from the small ramen stand's kitchen in front of me as it combatted the creeping cold of mid-October behind me. Eating soup while it was chilly was part of what made ramen so good, but without it the cold was starting to become uncomfortable. I waited on Victor to order and he was surprisingly late.
I showed him where it was so he couldn't have gotten lost.
After I ordered some green tea to fend off the cold I sighed in resignation. He was twenty minutes late now. My thumb ran over my cup, the ceramic felt like it was burning from how cold my fingers were.
He could have forgotten. I wouldn't put it past him. I felt aggravated and gripped my cup tightly to distract myself from thinking anything ridiculous. I would just wait, after all, he had waited for me. Any irritation I could have felt was snuffed out by my reasoning and the guilt accompanying my last thought.
I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
The ramen chef looked back at me and opened his mouth, beginning to offer to take my order once more. Naga-san had recognized me as a regular, despite not having come here in a few months. He had given me some distance after a quick chat. But sitting here for about thirty minutes with only tea brought the cook to ask for my order. He stopped his spiel short when a customer barreled under the cloth dividers and into Nagahama Ramen's bar.
I squealed and held my green tea upright as the bar shook from the impact. The silver-haired man must have been pretty damn hungry to catapult himself… Silver…
"Yuri!" Victor turned to look at me, still reclining half on the bar as he spoke. His chest was heaving from how out of breath he was, causing his sentences to come out choppy and filled with deep breaths.
"Sorry I'm late, but it was for a good reason." His Russian accent was so strong I could barely understand his English, especially with how fast he was speaking. He still hadn't sat down, his wide-eyed look and giddy appearance was all the more apparent while he was upright. My confused look led him to continue his explanation.
What did you do?
"I got a job. Hasetsu is officially my and Makkachin's new home!" He continued a list of details concerning hours and the people he had met today, but I wasn't paying enough attention. Victor was staying in Japan, not just Japan but in my hometown, for the foreseeable future, with me, not leaving.
I didn't want to linger on the thought for much longer. Victor would notice my lack of participation, and I would most likely have a stupid look on my face. It was time for ramen. It was time to stop overthinking.
"Well you heard him Naga-san, this is now a celebratory dinner. We'll have the special." Their seafood ramen bowl was fantastic, and it would be a good conversation starter. Victor had never stopped looking at me, during his story or while I ordered. He looked a little shocked. Was he bothered that I ordered for him? That was really forward of me now that I think about it.
"I'm sorry, Victor. I didn't mean to just order for you. Naga-san can change it if you want something else." I stumbled my words out as I watched the shock stay plastered on to Victor's face. The air wasn't so cold that I could see each of his breaths as anything other than the rising and falling of his chest, but the stand felt colder still. He gave his reply after slowly sinking to the stool to my left.
"It's fine, I was just thinking how well you know me. That's something I would order." His expression changed at last. It was the soft smile and glittering eyes that he always had when he was pleased with something. I fidgeted under his look before turning back to my tea.
I remembered him telling me how he loved the creole seafood he had on a trip to the southern United States. How he explained when he first ate boiled crawfish and failed miserably was hard to forget. I just naturally recollected his taste and ordered. I said I wouldn't do this damn it. At least he didn't look that bothered by my actions.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. You look rather cold, do you want my jacket?" He creeped closer to examine me after his observation and question. His eyebrows had knitted together in worry while he looked at my now flustered face. "You look warm now though," I couldn't tell if he was teasing me or not.
My hands went up between us and waved from side to side to deter him from getting closer or from insisting further. He was probably offering because he felt bad, there was no need. Sharing clothes isn't something we should do. We're already too familiar, if we do that we'd probably look like a couple rather than the eerily close friends that we were.
"N-no I'm fine, not cold at all." He leaned further into my space with a dissatisfied look. His chest pressed into my stilled palms; I quickly reevaluated my answer. "I-I-I ordered tea and w-we're about to have soup. I'll be warm soon enough." He stared at me, patiently waiting for me to answer the rest of his questions. I could feel the tremors shake through my arms while I spoke. "And no, I wasn't waiting too long."
Good God, why did you get so close to me?! Victor seemed appeased by my answer and sat back into his chair. My hands were still held in the space between us, frozen in my surprise.
"I'm glad you're not upset." Victor leaned forward to the bar with his statement. His hair fell forward off of his face, allowing me to see both of his closed eyes. I'd never seen such an expression of utter relief from him. "I needed to know if I had really bothered you, and I had to check if I could still read you by getting close."
I forgot about him 'reading' me. He hadn't done it in so long it just slipped my mind. I had given him permission, but I guess he just hadn't needed to read me until now. He also could have been holding back for my comfort… Who am I kidding, when does he ever hold back?
My friend laughed at my expression and still raised hands. I snapped out of my reverie and pushed them into my lap. I can't let his proximity get to me again.
Our orders came out with two more hot teas. Nagahama was always fast and didn't cut quality, both bowls were overflowing with mussels, shrimp, and scallops. Some were sautéed in butter while others had a crispy tempura batter; the sight was enough to make a grown man weak, but add the smell… I could give Vicchan a run for his money at begging for this ramen.
"Wo~w!" Victor turned to me after his exclamation. "Yuri, what's the proper saying before you have a good meal?" He snapped his chopsticks apart and looked to me. I smiled at his excitement and broke apart my own chopsticks. I forget that he really is a foreigner. There was so much he didn't know about Japan. It's like experiencing everything with a child, even the little things excited him.
I clasped them between my palms in a praying motion. I looked to Victor expectantly. Fumbling his utensils some, he followed suit.
"Itadakimasu!" We both bowed our heads and began to dig in.
I slurped my noodles quietly, in awe at the flavor and satisfaction I got from the noodle bowl. We need to come here more often if Victor insists on going out more consistently to a meal. I heard the sound of something plopping into the bowl on my left but didn't pay it much mind until the noise happened twice more. Curiously I looked over towards the taller man.
He was glaring pitifully at the tempura shrimp floating in his mostly full bowl. Noodles were looped loosely on top of his chopsticks and slipped easily off the ends. His right hand held both of the wooden utensils together, without a space to actually grip food.
He doesn't know how to use chopsticks. He's a foreigner, but he was so well versed with everything else I never even thought that he couldn't use them. On all of our past dates he always ate snack foods or finger foods.
I felt like such an ass, but how do I fix it? I hope he doesn't get embarrassed.
He huffed and rested his wrist dismally on the rim of his bowl. He noticed my staring then. I wasn't very subtle so I figured he might.
"Yu~ri." The silver-haired man whined my name pathetically and tilted his chin into the air. He looked absolutely helpless for a twenty-seven year old man. I couldn't help but chuckle at his behavior.
It wasn't just his excitement that was child-like. He had such a way of playing it off that it wasn't awkward for him or me. It was actually, really endearing. I had to learn that trick, even though I probably couldn't pull it off.
No matter how he plays it off though, Victor still didn't know how to use chopsticks, and his tempura was getting soggy.
"Hold one stick along your thumb, now the other, like this." I gestured to my own hand to have an example for him to more easily imitate. Blue eyes darted quickly from my hand, to his own, and back again multiple times as he tried to replicate the proper hold. "Now pinch the sticks with the pad of your thumb."
One of his sticks tumbled from his hand and half into his bowl on the third try. My friend sighed and grabbed his bamboo utensils once more. His aggravation at his inability to pick up the skill was becoming more evident. He just wasn't getting the correct grip. All he needed was a nudge.
"Here." My hand pulled the top chopstick into the right spot. I slid my right hand to cup his own, my fingers overlaying his own. I gently guided his hand and squeezed it when he got over a shrimp. He clenched his hand quickly and plucked the fried food from the bowl with a sure grip. He can be taught!
Only after he had pulled it up to take a bite did I realize how near I had gotten to him. I was so focused on making sure the food didn't fall that I was oblivious to everything else. My other arm was behind him, my palm resting on the chair, less than an inch from the cream colored coattails covering his lower body. My face was so close to his now that I could hear the crunch of the crispy tempura after each flexing of his jaw. I hadn't even let his hand go when he fed himself, well, when I fed him.
"Mmm, thank you for the hands on lesson, Yuri-sensei." He turned those startlingly blue eyes to me and nearly whispered the statement. I could see the striations his iris as it contracted, swelling his pupil to a nearly unbelievable size. I had almost forgotten how attractive Victor was. Bad. Very bad thought to have with my friend this close to my face.
Not only had he backed off from being in my personal space for the past few days, but he hadn't been as flirty either. I was scared to retract myself from the sensual man in fear that he would notice my proximity. Not that he would probably mind. He hadn't said anything about it, maybe he was distracted by my hand holding his.
"You've got it." I trail off my statement and retract my palm from the back of his right hand. I dragged my eyes anywhere but his face. My fingers were careful not to disturb the hold he had on the chopsticks as I pulled away. This felt like a withdrawal mirrored in severity and complexity to military grade extraction missions. "You're an excellent student, top of the class."
My reprieve was short lived as Victor once again called for me.
"Thank you sensei. It helps when you have an even better instructor. I warn you, I've been accused of being a teacher's pet on more than one occasion." I felt my heartrate shoot up to a dangerous level at his comment and the playful wink he tacked on to it.
Too much.
I turned my body back to my own bowl and began eating quickly. The ramen was still hot enough to scald my mouth, but I didn't want to risk looking back to him after a comment like that. My hands were shaking so much that I lost a majority of my noodles from them falling off the edge of the tapered utensils. It looks like the student's skills have quickly surpassed the master's due to the master's inability to keep his damn cool.
"I understand why you're a regular here Yuri; this ramen is delicious. What are some of your other favorite restaurants? We could go to whichever one you like next." The Russian continued on like he hadn't just let out a statement two steps away from foreplay.
Just play it off, don't dwell on it. If he sees I'm flushed, he'll probably keep making comments like that one to see me squirm and try to 'read' me more.
"I don't have many favorite restaurants besides this one." That was honestly the truth. Between living with a chef, gaining weight, and being a broke college student, I didn't go out too much. I also wanted to avoid any intimate settings like dinners where I touch Victor, but the truth was coincidentally supporting that desire.
Victor had slurped away a large portion of his bowl during my slowly spoken response. He was listening attentively the whole time, showing off his new skill with an impressive amount of precision.
"You don't have any more favorite restaurants, in your home town that you've lived in your whole life?" He closed his eyes, tilting his head in an accusatory fashion. Victor's smiled like he thought I was refusing to answer him truthfully.
Was he going to get all touchy now to make me more honest? I almost felt the sweat begin to begin to form at the thought. Cut him off before he begins.
"I don't go out to eat a lot because I gain weight easily. Because I'm not doing much physically it's even easier to fill out." I chuckled casually after my statement. My weight used to be an issue with me, mentally speaking.
Being depressed and all in my head kept me away from worrying about things like my physical appearance. I was more worried about all of my mental and personal shortcomings, rather than the physical ones. Just because I wasn't primarily worried about it didn't mean that I wasn't a bit of a sore spot though. The smile on my face felt fake and unnatural, but I was never very good at faking happiness so that was expected.
I hadn't been paying attention to Victor's reactions for most of this date. When I looked back at him Victor had ignored the rest of his ramen and held the base of his chin in thought. The heat of the ramen had kept his cheeks and the tips of his ears rosy. His gaze was calculated and surprising in its intensity. It was almost funny that he was giving his empty ramen bowl this look, rather than directing it towards me.
I fiddled idly with my chopsticks until he snapped out of the look and raised his hand into the air. He's got his idea then.
"How about we jog together? Both Makkachin and I need a buddy to run with. You aren't exercising and should be, and I bet Vicchan wouldn't mind an occasional run either. Working out together would also allow us to go out to eat more often. What do you say?" He listed the supporting statements like a well-organized essay designed specifically to win me over. I had to stifle my laughter at the thought.
I couldn't logically argue with his points, and I didn't want to. Jogging would be something more casual than a dinner and offer more distractions from any overly flirty behavior, from either parties. I would also be picking up a healthy habit for myself and for Vicchan.
He really wanted to keep seeing me, even when I've been my awkward and surprisingly forward self. It's hard to comprehend that I have another friend, but I'll do my best.
"I apologize ahead of time for my terrible athletic ability." Victor beamed at my answer, even if I had answered indirectly. I blushed at his look and began to wave Naga-san down for the checks. I hadn't even tried to keep track of how many times I had blushed tonight. I have come to terms with being Yuri Tomato-Faced Katsuki while knowing this ridiculous Victor named man.
"I'll be sure to be the best trainer that I can tomorrow. I warn you now that I'm relentless, and I won't go easy on you." The silver-haired man looked calmly to me as he spoke. That wasn't a warning, it was a fact, one that I knew quite well already. "I guess I'll be able to school my own teacher; neh, Yuri-sensei?"
"Treat me kindly Victor-kōchi." He laughed loudly at his new title and embraced it with open arms.
We paid our bills and kept drinking tea while we chatted more and more. I told him about when I had last eaten ramen with my old dance teacher, Minako-sensei. She had gotten drunk and danced on top of the ramen bar, eventually breaking it in half. Victor began to hold his side from the strength of his laughter by the end of the story. I left out the details about me dancing, but because the story involved ramen and teachers I told him about her.
She actually reminded me a lot of Victor now that I thought about it. That thought alone made getting on with the Russian man a lot less intimidating.
We set the time and place to meet so we could begin to jog early tomorrow morning.
Maybe after all this jogging business is said and done I would be back in shape enough to dance again. I'm sure Minako-sensei would be excited to have her 'sinnamon roll' back in the studio more regularly. I don't know why exactly she calls me that, or what it means. I don't ask for explanations any more. I've learned that it's better to not question her unless I want a lengthy, often perverse, insight on the world that I didn't want to know.
Before I know it, we were both standing and waving goodbye to one another. As I turned to begin walking home in the tranquil darkness of Hasetsu's streets, Victor called out to me for the last time that night.
"Jā mata ashita, Yuri." I thought his accent was strong in English, but his Japanese was so lilted I could barely make out what he had said. He turned quickly after his casual farewell.
I decided not to worry about how I may seem to Victor, how my actions could be perceived by my friend. I doubt that there was much I could do that would actually repel the blue-eyed man. He said I knew him pretty well, so I won't keep worrying. I wanted to keep surprising him, to keep up the give and take of our relationship.
My hands cupped around my mouth to amplify my words.
"Do skoroy vstrechi, Victor!" My voice was fairly soft, despite the added amplification from my hands. He stopped immediately and whipped his head around to look at me. His eyebrows were raised and his lips parted in his shock at my exclamation. His surprised expression from when I ordered for him earlier looked like a subtle lift of an eyebrow compared to his face now.
Did my pronunciation make my farewell sound like an insult? Was that the final 'too casual/forward' straw? I could feel the beginning of a million worries bubbling up in my subconscious. My hands were now clenched in front of my neck, slinking slowly lower and lower as the seconds passed by this moment, our moment.
The look of unadulterated happiness that he showed to me cleared any uneasy feelings from my mind, almost instantaneously. His eyes glittered with mirth that was breathtaking even at this distance. I felt a lump in my throat that prevented any possible words I had from coming out.
The feeling that was left in place of my anxiety was something new, something indescribable, and something that only Victor could have ever brought to my life.
I turned and began my walk back home with a rampant blush on my face, running from the embarrassment and the strange feeling. Once I rounded the corner, I began to sprint to distract myself. The asphalt smacked harshly, through the soles of my shoes, and what felt like straight into my bones.
"There were two things that you weren't supposed to do Yuri. Don't get physically close to him because it gives you a case of dirt brain, and don't speak his language because it's too forward. What did you do? BOTH!" I berated myself while I ran towards the onsen, screeching my mortification to the waxing crescent moon and cloudy skies.
I apologize if I've mixed up any words or translations. I have only google translate as my ally. I did decide to update all of the non-English languages to be represented as they are in this chapter, not using their respective nationalities characters (like kanji.) The words look better and the document doesn't fuss with me over the Russian formatting when I do it this way. I've also opted out of putting in translations of any kind because most of them are self-explanatory or explained immediately after being spoken.
Please let me know by review/PM/favorite/follow how you felt about this chapter or the story in general. I do my best to please. See you in the next update!
