December 17th to 29th
The lack of light in the lower quarters and the absence of clouds in the pitch black sky were a perfect combination if one wanted to observe the stars on that winter night. However, Yuri wasn't there for stargazing. Burying half his face in his scarf, he checked his watch which now indicated 9 pm and glanced at the corner of the street. Right on time.
Gauche and Droite appeared, as wrapped up in layers of warm clothes than he was.
"Good evening, Yuri." Gauche greeted. "Follow us. Yeager wants to explain the details to you himself. In a warmer place."
Even if Yuri stiffened at the mention of meeting Yeager face to face, he couldn't approve more of moving into a warm place; therefore he followed the two girls with a nod. He didn't have any trouble recognizing the pub he was led to: it was the one owned by the Claw and where most members gathered for drinks and information, in a similar way to Altosk. As he stepped inside the building, he was relieved to see that no one was really paying attention to him. Some people waved at the girls and greeted them while the others kept chatting and drinking.
Yuri almost envied those persons for not knowing how their leader was turning. He could see himself, barely a year ago, still believing that Yeager, despite acting like a vigilante, only had the care and safety of the Claw's members in mind. Apparently it was still the impression he was giving away, but since the whole Zagi issue, Yuri couldn't bring himself to wonder if he wasn't actually the cause of Yeager's changing.
The dark-haired boy shook his head mentally. Nah, a single person like him couldn't influence a man like Yeager that much. Dismissing the thought, he followed Gauche and Droite upstairs where the atmosphere was more animated, with people laughing and chatting happily. It was like the Claw's second headquarters.
And over there, comfortably settled on a sofa and a glass of spirit in his hand was Yeager. His natural elegant bearing was still the same as ever, and Yuri would have smiled if the circumstances had been less serious. The man was in the middle of a discussion with a few other people, yet as soon as he spotted Yuri, he motioned them to leave him alone.
"Come, and please stay calm." Gauche said, turning concerned eyes to Yuri. A bit hesitantly, she added: "I-We know that you have good reasons to dislike him now, but please don't start a fight or anything here."
"Just agree to the job he'll give you without making a fuss." Droite advised. "And it'll be fine."
"I'm not an idiot." Yuri retorted, rolling his eyes. "Tell me just one thing: you two swear you really didn't know that Yeager had plotted with Zagi?"
The dejection he read in both girls' eyes was confirmation enough. Gauche shook her head.
"We were as surprised as you, Yuri." she said. "But the fact that you left the Claw is still not well seen, and somehow I can understand Yeager's reaction."
"Whatever." Yuri shrugged as they approached the table where Yeager was. The latter stared at him, then greeted him with a smile as if they were old friends.
"Yuri! Please have a seat." he invited him. The boy complied and sat in front of Yeager while the girls took their seats on both sides of the man. "It's been such a long time, don't you think? How have you been doing?"
"Quite well, until recently when some idiot decided to stab me. I heard that you may know that idiot." Yuri replied casually, though the hint of sarcasm in his tone didn't go unnoticed.
"Do I? Ah well, this is the past now. Let's talk about the present." Yeager said lightly. "And the present requires you to repay me a favour."
Yuri had to call forth all his willpower in order to stifle the sharp reply that was burning his tongue. A quick glance at Gauche and Droite showed that they were watching him tensely, as if they feared that Yuri would start trouble.
"This is for you." Yeager went on as he produced a large envelope and put it on the table. Yuri took it and opened it carefully.
Inside were a photograph and what looked like a report of a few pages. On the photograph was a man who looked in his thirties despite his light grey hair, not bad-looking at all. He was surrounded by journalists and photographers and a calm and serious smile was adorning his face. From the mere picture, Yuri could guess that the man had certainly a lot of charisma and authority. Frowning, Yuri took a quick look at the report and read the first line which gave away the identity of the man: Alexei Dinoia.
The name rang a bell, yet Yuri couldn't remember where he had already heard it.
"Do you know him?" Yeager asked. As the boy shook his head, he went on: "He's the new captain of the national security authorities. Formerly the head of the police here."
"Oh." So it was probably why the name sounded familiar to Yuri. Still, he had a hunch that he had heard the name very recently, and not from the news. "So?"
"So he has requested an unusual investigation from me. I want to know his reasons."
"What kind of investigation?" Yuri asked.
"He wants accurate information on the drug and weapon dealing network of the region. The problem is that we have connections – not deep, but still – with that network, which means that our spying on them could be seen as double-crossing. Alexei knows that, and in spite of it, he asked for that information. What he has refused to tell me however, is why he has suddenly decided to ask for our services."
"Probably because you're more efficient than them." Yuri shrugged.
"Oh, I fear you don't know the man." Yeager replied darkly. "He is one you do not want to make an enemy of. Why do you think this city has one of the lowest criminality rates of the whole country?"
"Why don't you simply refuse? If he's as efficient as you say, he can do the job by himself."
"Yuri, Yuri." Yeager said with a dramatic sigh. "From all the time you have spent among us, you should know some reasons why one can sometimes not refuse a request."
Yuri didn't reply immediately. He crossed his arms and leant against the back of his chair, thoughtful. So that Alexei had some leverage on Yeager? That was interesting. Now he was curious to know what kind of leverage.
"That sounds fishy, indeed. So you want me to spy on him?" he eventually asked.
"In the report you will find a description of his routine as well as places he frequently goes to, along with some other information." Yeager replied. "I want to know the plans he has in mind. It seems that since he got his new promotion, strange ideas are going through his head. I have provided him with the information he wanted, but it was very risky to obtain, and it could become delicate for us if the source of the leakage were to be revealed."
"It may take time for me to find anything." Yuri said slowly as his face turned grim. He definitely did not like the job.
He had a life now, a real one, and he highly doubted that being caught spying on someone as important as that Alexei Dinoia wouldn't attract him big troubles.
"I know that, and I hope for you that you haven't lost too much of your former skills." Yeager went on. "I want the information within the next fifteen days, that is to say on January 1st. From what I know, you aren't supposed to have school right now, so you can use your holidays for a good cause."
Yuri grunted. That wasn't his definition of a good cause, yet the quicker he managed to clear up his debt towards Yeager, the quicker he would be able to cut off those remaining chains binding him to the Claw.
"What if I don't manage within fifteen days?" he asked defiantly.
"Depending on your reasons, I'll either make sure you regret not working faster or give you extra time." Yeager replied as if it was the most natural thing to say. "However, for the latter to happen, you'd better have excellent reasons."
"Figured as much. Anything else I should know?"
"Ah, yes. You're doing this job alone, do you understand?" Yeager's tone had turned slightly more threatening. "Which means that no else but us should know about this."
"Well, of course." Yuri shrugged. "It's not like I can actually ask anyone to help me."
"Oh no? Not even Raven Schwann?" Yeager inquired, and a smirk of satisfaction appeared on his lips as Yuri jumped at the name.
"How do you know about–"
"Let's say he and I have been acquaintances for a long time. I know he was the one who saved your neck not so long ago. Apparently you made yourself a good ally, but this time, if I notice even the slightest hint that he's putting his nose in my business, you may start fearing for those close to you."
Yuri stood up abruptly and glared dangerously at Yeager. "Leave my friends alone. It's with me that you have a grudge, so keep the whole matter with me." his tone rose. Gauche and Droite looked ready to intervene if things got too heated.
"Oh but Yuri, I know you'll do your job much more efficiently if you know that something could happen to them."
"You're despicable. You would never use such dirty tricks a few years ago." Yuri retorted icily.
"Times change, Yuri. My methods change as well, in order to ensure the safety of my family here." Yeager made a large gesture around the room. "All the people you see here joined me because I can offer them to survive in a world that has ignored them. They trust me for that, and I can't afford betraying their trust."
"Enough of that crap. You make me sick." Yuri snapped back as he grabbed the envelope on the table. "You'll get your information within fifteen days, and you'd better keep away from my friends." he let out before striding away without a single glance behind him. The last thing he heard was Yeager exclaiming:
"Wonderful! I knew I could count on you, Yuri!"
The winter break was going to be quite unpleasant for Yuri.
The winter break wasn't starting too badly for Flynn. He was progressing well on his projects and had even managed to get in touch with some companies which were starting to be interested in his propositions. Today was a clear and bright day, and the whole city was impregnated with a Christmas mood. From the large window of the living room, he could see many people on the streets, their arms loaded with bags of presents, and kids playing in the snow.
A great day, indeed. The only shadow was that Yuri had declined his invitation to have lunch with him; the long-haired boy was apparently not feeling well today and no, Flynn didn't have to pay him a visit, thanks for offering anyway. More than the fact that Yuri was supposedly sick, it was the tone he had had as they talked to each other on the phone that troubled him. Flynn hoped that it was only his imagination, but Yuri had sounded somewhat bothered by something.
With all the events that had happened until now, Flynn had learnt to become suspicious of the tiniest detail, and it hurt him all the more as Yuri still seemed to be reluctant to talk to him. They were supposed to be going out together, weren't they? They were supposed to be lovers, and yet, Flynn still felt that there was something missing in that relationship of theirs. Sometimes doubt seized him and he would catch himself wondering how exactly Yuri felt towards him.
The blonde boy drummed distractedly on the table with a pen before putting it down abruptly. He needed to see Yuri.
Yuri was still reading the report on Alexei when the intercom rang. Clicking his tongue of annoyance, he stood up from his desk and went to reply. He wasn't even sure anymore if he was surprised to hear Flynn's voice on the other side of the line, and though the first sentiment that surfaced was irritation, it was quickly overcome by silent happiness. How Flynn always managed to show up when Yuri needed it the most was still a mystery to him, but he wasn't going to complain about it.
He quickly hid the envelope and waited at the door for Flynn to climb up. As he did, Yuri greeted him with a sly smile:
"I do remember telling you not to bother coming."
"What can I say? I wanted to see you." Flynn smiled back. "You don't look too sick in my opinion." he added as he quickly scanned Yuri.
"I said I wasn't feeling too well, but hey guess what? I just got better seeing you here." Yuri replied as he invited the other boy inside and closed the door behind them.
"Then I guess it wasn't a bad idea for me to come."
Flynn didn't have time to add anything else as he felt a body press against his back and a pair of arms snaking around his waist. Yuri's hot breath tickled his neck.
"Yuri! Wait at least for me to remove my coat." Flynn chuckled. Yuri's mere gesture of affection was enough to soothe the doubts he bore, as always. He almost felt guilty for actually doubting Yuri.
"Hmm, I'll remove it for you." The dark-haired male replied, kissing Flynn's neck while his hands were unbuttoning his coat. As he took it off Flynn's shoulders, he asked: "Well, since you're here, you'll stay for lunch?"
"I don't want to bother you for long. My first intention was just to make sure you were alright, since... you sounded a bit strange on the phone." Flynn replied as he turned to face his lover.
The latter dropped the coat on the bed next to him and moved closer to Flynn again, his arms deciding that Flynn's waist was a comfortable place to rest, after all.
"Strange? I just had a bit of a hoarse voice, I think." Yuri replied. "But it's fine now." And without adding another word, he leant forward into a kiss. Flynn gave in without any protest, his arms finding their way around Yuri's neck. His fingers gently slipped in the cascade of raven hair, enjoying its softness.
Perhaps it was because they never seemed to see each other enough, but the few opportunities they were given to be just the two of them always made Flynn crave for the other boy more than ever. And apparently the feeling was mutual.
It certainly was. No matter how many times Yuri tried to reason himself by thinking that it was best if he avoided getting too close to Flynn – for the latter's own safety – he would always find himself completely giving up on the idea at the mere sight of the blonde boy. If he had been told a few months ago that he would come to care for someone as much as he cared for Flynn, he would have shrugged the idea off, finding it funny at most.
And yet here he was, embracing and being embraced by Flynn Scifo, and not wanting to let go.
And he had been lying to Flynn continuously. For his sake's, maybe, but still. He had been lying about Zagi at first, then about Sodia, and now about the job Yeager had given him. A sad realization came to him as his lips were still on Flynn's: he didn't deserve Flynn. An uneasy feeling seized him, forcing him to break the kiss. Their foreheads were still touching, and Yuri could have melted when Flynn whispered his name in the most arousing way ever.
The blonde boy truly cared for him. Yuri couldn't count how many things Flynn had done to prove it. He had messed up with his family for him, he was working hard not to depend on his parents anymore, he had been constantly worrying about Yuri, he had forgiven his stupid actions, and above all, he was still willing to stay with Yuri in spite of his past, in spite of the damage it could have on his reputation.
And what had Yuri given him in exchange? Troubles. Only troubles. And lies.
He closed his eyes and sighed softly. He felt Flynn's palms cupping his cheeks.
"Yuri? Are you alright? Maybe you're sick, after all." Flynn inquired, frowning. But Yuri pulled away from him and sat on the edge of the bed, leaving Flynn perplexed. The other boy didn't reply immediately; he waited a few seconds before sighing again.
"Flynn, why exactly do you stick with me?" he asked, raising insecure eyes to the blonde male.
The question took the latter by surprise. He frowned, confused, then went to sit beside Yuri, resting a hand on his back.
"Yuri, why the sudden question?" he asked worriedly. "I stick with you because I want to."
"But why?" Yuri insisted. "I mean, so far I've brought you nothing but troubles, and you can't really say I'm the perfect example of the good boy."
Flynn pursed his lips, thinking of the right words to say. He wasn't sure what kind of words Yuri was expecting, so he decided to go the simple way. He simply had to tell the truth.
"You certainly have brought me a lot of troubles." he said with a chuckle. "At the beginning, I really thought you and I would never get along because we are so much different. But I guess it's because of it that I grew interested in you. Honestly, I couldn't understand the way you thought, and yet you managed to convince me that your way of dealing with things wasn't necessarily wrong, just... different. Though I still think that you were an idiot for trying to face Zagi on your own." Flynn added, not missing the pout on Yuri's face. "Anyway, the only thing I can say is that I'm relieved whenever you are around, because you remind me that my life belongs to me, and that it is possible to struggle to get what you want. Sometimes not being the perfect example of the good boy can actually not be that bad." Flynn paused for a second, then went on: "You know, if you weren't the troublemaker you are right now, I think I may have grown bored, and sincerely, I'm the one who wonders sometimes how you cope with someone as dull as me."
Flynn stopped there, because it wasn't to his taste to start a long and cheesy speech on romantic issues. It would be too embarrassing for him anyway. Apparently it was still enough for Yuri, for his lips curled into a faint smile.
"Is that so?" he asked softly. "Damn, Flynn. You totally beat me." he added, suddenly shoving the blonde boy flat on the bed and leaning down to kiss him hungrily.
As they parted, Yuri's hair fell on both sides of Flynn's face. They smiled at each other. No word was added, for none was needed. They could read in each other's gaze the mutual understanding they sought and which couldn't be conveyed with words alone. For a moment it was as if they were lost in a separate world, just the two of them, one curling stray blonde locks distractedly while the other simply rested his hand on his lover's cheek.
It was Yuri who finally broke the charm:
"So, you're staying for lunch, Mr Perfect-and-Dull?"
As Flynn nodded, Yuri promised himself one thing: from now on, he would be honest towards Flynn.
Raven put down his pen and massaged his temples. Marking a few kilos of exams had always been a pain for him, and when complaining about it to Judith, the latter would always make of fun of him. Almost a week had passed since the beginning of the break, and still the pile of papers didn't seem to lessen, much to his distress.
He stretched his arms, deciding that a pause would be more than welcome. It was at that instant that his phone rang. The number was unknown. Probably a wrong number, Raven thought as he picked up the call with a sigh.
"Schwann speaking."
"Mr Schwann, it's hm... It's Yuri Lowell."
The middle-aged man opened his eyes in surprise, taking a full second to make sure he had heard the name correctly. He then remembered quickly that if Yuri was calling him, it was definitely not to have a nice chat.
"Good morning, Yuri. Did something happen?" he asked with no other ceremony.
"You can say that." Yuri paused a second before going on: "Listen, I've been hesitating a lot but I guess I should stop acting like an idiot."
"That's a good start." Raven mused. "So, what happened?"
"Yeager contacted me." Yuri replied. "The thing is, I'm not supposed to tell anyone. He threatened to harm my friends if I ever tell anyone." There was a new pause followed by a sigh, then: "I'm not sure I can handle this alone, though. But the fact is, I don't want any of my friends hurt. So I'm not sure how you could help me on this one."
"But you phoned me, so you at least hope that I can help you. Tell me what the problem is first, and then I'll see."
"Yeager gave me a job to do. Basically by New Year he wants a report on the motives of a guy called Alexei Dinoia."
Raven almost dropped the phone as he heard the name. "Alexei Dinoia? Why him?"
"Apparently that guy asked Yeager to do some investigation about an underground network in the whole region, and Yeager thinks the request sounded fishy. He's not the only one, if you ask me. He told me Dinoia has enough means to get any information he wants by himself, but he still chose to ask the Claw. Hey, apparently the guy was the head of the police here, so maybe you know him."
"Well, since Altosk always had that implicit agreement with the police not to mess with each other's business too much, I did meet Alexei once or twice." Raven replied carefully.
On the other end of the line, Yuri frowned. As soon as he heard Raven pronounce Alexei's name, something clicked in his head.
It was Raven. He had heard Alexei's name from Raven. It all came back to him in an instant. It was on that night with Zagi, and Raven had been talking to Judith about Alexei. Yuri tried to remember what exactly he had said about the man, but his memories failed him.
"Yuri? You're still there?"
"Yeah, I am." Yuri quickly replied. "I was just remembering something. You mentioned Alexei before, didn't you? I'm certain you did." He heard Raven sigh.
"Kids nowadays have too good a memory for their own good. Yes, I mentioned him before. Let's say I owe him a few things, but that's not the point here. You told me Yeager wants you to gather information on Alexei?"
"Yeah, I have until January 1st."
"That's insane. I mean, the Claw probably formed you well during the years you spent with them, but Alexei is a target on a whole different level. Especially since he's been promoted. You won't approach him easily."
"I figured as much." Yuri replied sullenly. "So do you think there's something you can do?"
"I have no immediate answer to give you. However, as I told you before, Don Whitehorse has been observing the Leviathan's Claw closely and is ready to act if something comes up. For now however, he has no valid reason to do anything. But that's only one issue. What you told me about Alexei bothers me quite much as well. He usually focuses only on keeping this city safe, but the fact that he's now interested in the whole area is new."
"It's probably because he's become the national captain of whatever." Yuri suggested.
"Normally you appoint regional captains to deal with regional issues." Raven explained patiently. "Alexei's role would normally be to supervise everything from the top, from the national headquarters in the capital."
"But he's still here, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is. Which is another detail that bothers me. Listen, for now this whole matter is too shady for you to handle on your own. I'll talk to the Don and see his opinion on this. In the meantime, do not do anything, you got it?"
"Yeager made it clear that if I don't deliver him the results he expects in time, I won't like the outcome. How long is it going to take you to talk to the Don?" Yuri inquired.
"Not long, don't worry. But you're gonna have to trust me on this one. I'll be honest with you: I fear that we'll soon have to deal with Yeager, and not with mere parleys. That's the only solution I see for now."
Yuri frowned at those words. "But Altosk and the Claw have always co-existed, that's what keeps the balance in the lower quarters."
"I know, Yuri, I know. But as I said, everything will depend on how things will move from now on. Again, I'll ask you to trust me for now. Can you do that?"
Yuri hesitated a bit. "You won't let Yeager know, will you? If he knows, he'll target my friends."
"I understand, Yuri. I promise you he won't know about a single word of this discussion. Your friends are safe."
"Alright, then I trust you. You tell me when there's something new."
"I will."
"I'll talk to you later then."
"Fine. Oh, and Yuri by the way.."
"Yeah?"
"You did the right choice by calling me."
"Tch." Yuri merely replied as he hung up.
Well, all his problems were far from being solved, but at least he knew he had people to support him. And somehow, it felt much better than carrying the burden all by himself. All that was left to do was to wait and hope for the best.
And enjoy the bit of holidays he had.
There were two days left before Christmas, and the market was as full as ever on that early afternoon. It was set in a huge square with a no less huge Christmas tree in the middle, illuminated by dozens of tinsels. Flynn and Yuri were walking along the small wooden cottages, stopping here and there to have a closer looks on the goods being displayed. There were toys of every kind, mainly hand-made, candles of all imaginable colours and scents, Christmas decorations made of glass, wood or silver, and of course hot wine, gingerbread, pancakes, grilled nuts and plenty of other delicious food. The smell of honey and chocolate was mixed with the sounds of small bells and songs from kids choirs; parents were spoiling their children with barley sugars or waffles, children were running around and pulling their parents from a booth to another, and the whole market was bathed in that joyous atmosphere that was so typical of Christmas.
And naturally, the good mood rubbed on both boys who were chatting happily about everything and nothing. They were supposed to meet with Karol and Rita soon, but for now, they were merely wandering in the alleys of cottages. Yuri suddenly pulled Flynn by the wrist to a booth from which an appetizing smell of waffle was teasing their noses.
"Let's get some." Yuri suggested. "It's my treat."
"How can you still be hungry?" Flynn asked, chuckling. "You had a full bag of grilled nuts, an ice cream and two chocolate pancakes! And I'm not even mentioning the three glasses of hot wine you had."
"Who cares? It's Christmas!" Yuri exclaimed as he started examining the various waffles. "So, which one do you want?"
Flynn sighed dramatically and shook his head of resignation, though his face still displayed amusement. He hadn't suspected that Yuri could act like such a kid, but in a way, it was reassuring.
"Well, I guess if it's your treat, I don't have much choice. I'll have a sugar one then."
"That'll be a sugar and a honey waffle then!" Yuri ordered the shop keeper.
"Right away!" the latter replied.
A minute later, both boys were walking away with warm waffles in their hands. Yuri tasted his, then eyed at Flynn's.
"Let me try yours?" The request made Flynn roll his eyes, but he presented his waffle to Yuri's mouth anyway. The latter took a bite of it then licked his lips of satisfaction. The two students kept on walking and admiring all the booths, unaware of the two people spying on them a few metres behind.
"I'm telling you, there's something weird going on between them!" Rita whispered as she sneaked her way through the crowd.
"Oh come on, there's nothing weird with them!" Karol replied, following the girl. "And why are we still following them like thieves anyway? I thought we came here to see the market together with them!"
"Yeah we will, but for now it's more fun like this! I'm sure those two have something going on!"
"But what do you mean, 'something going on'?"
Rita turned to Karol and gave him an exasperated look. Then she shook her head and resumed tailing Flynn and Yuri, while commenting on the way:
"The way they act towards each other is simply not the way friends normally act. Don't tell me you didn't notice!"
"Notice what? To me they look like pretty normal friends." Karol replied before stifling an 'ouch!' as Rita suddenly pulled him behind a cottage.
"They are looking our way!" she whispered. "I hope they haven't spotted us."
"C'mon Rita, let's drop this spying thing, it's ridiculous." Karol pouted.
"Stop whining. I just want to make sure that my assumptions are correct." She peeked cautiously at Flynn and Yuri and nodded. "Good, they didn't see us. Come on!"
"What assumptions?" Karol inquired as he followed her again with a sigh.
"Guess by yourself! Earlier, Yuri stroked Flynn's hair, he whispered something at his ear, he clang to his arm, he even tasted Flynn's waffle! And the way they keep walking so close to each other, what does it tell you?"
"Huh... That they get along well?" Karol ventured, earning another exasperated look from the brunette. She turned back to look at the two older boys, and narrowed her eyes. Grabbing Karol by the collar, she pulled him to her side and pointed in front of her.
"Look!" she urged. "Do you see what I'm seeing?"
The boy sighed and looked. "They're talking like any normal people would do."
"And?"
"And... wait a second! Are they actually holding hands? Nah, they're just walking close because of the crowd, right?"
"Twat, of course they're holding hands! Now come on, let's go ask for confirmation!"
Karol didn't have time to ask for what kind of confirmation as he was dragged along by Rita who soon caught up to their seniors. As the latter heard their names being called by the girl, they turned round and smiled. Rita sneered silently as the boys quickly unlaced their fingers.
"Hey Rita! Karol!" Yuri exclaimed. "Weren't we supposed to meet under the Christmas tree?"
"Yeah, we were on our way there, and then we spotted you." Rita nodded. "Quite lucky to have found you in this crowd, I must say."
"Indeed. Well, since you're here, let's go have a walk around then." the long-haired boy suggested.
"Alright, but before that I have a question." Rita went on. Putting both fists on her hips and staring straight at Flynn and Yuri, she asked: "Are you two together?"
The reaction of the three males was immediate. Karol stared at her as if to make sure her question implied exactly what he thought it implied, Flynn jumped and coughed of embarrassment, while Yuri merely cocked an eyebrow, surprised.
"What do you mean by 'together'?" he asked back with a cool tone, hoping that the faint trembling of his voice went unnoticed.
"Like, 'going out together'." Rita explained with an impatient gesture.
"C'mon Rita, that's ridiculous." Karol intervened. "Where did you get that from?"
"It's fine, I won't tell it to anyone else if that's what you want." Rita continued, completely ignoring the younger boy. "I just want to confirm my theory. So?"
Yuri turned his eyes to Flynn who gazed back at him. The dark-haired male shrugged, earning a sigh from the blonde one.
"You're right." Flynn finally replied.
"Hah! I knew it." Rita crossed her arms, a victorious smirk on her lips.
"But for various reasons it'd be nice if you could avoid mentioning this to anyone." Yuri added.
"G-Guys, are you for real?..." Karol intervened, stunned by the news. A whack on his head brought him back quickly to reality though.
"What's the dumb face for?" Rita asked severely. "They just said so!"
"But I always thought Yuri liked girls!"
"I don't remember ever saying such a thing." Yuri shrugged. "Anyway, do you mind if we change the topic a bit? I don't think we all gathered here to talk about ourselves, so how about we spend the rest of the day in a more efficient way?"
"Alright! Now that my theory proved correct again, let's go stuff ourselves!" Rita exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.
The next few hours passed way too quickly in Yuri's opinion. It had been a long time since he last had fun like that; Flynn was there, his friends were there, and the fact that they accepted his relationship with Flynn so easily was somehow a relief for him. Of course Rita had asked for more details such as when, how and even why, until Yuri's patience wore off – which didn't take long. However, he couldn't help but feel amused and reassured that his friends would still behave normally after the revelation. For a while he was able to put aside all his troubles.
The sky started darkening even though evening hadn't come yet. Rita glanced at her watch.
"It's past 5 pm. We need to go back to the orphanage to help Pia prepare dinner for the kids." she said.
"Already? But I wanna stay here a bit longer." Karol pouted.
"We promised Pia not to come back too late." Rita reminded him.
"It's getting dark anyway." Yuri pointed out. "We should probably go back too." he added to Flynn's intention. The latter nodded and soon enough, the group was leaving to the closest bus stop.
"You're still joining us for Christmas, aren't you?" Karol asked Flynn.
"Yes, I am. I'll be looking forward to it." the blonde boy replied, smiling. "And I think that's our bus coming, Yuri." he added. Karol checked the board on which the timetable was displayed and grunted.
"Ours arrive in fifteen minutes only." he said. "Man, that sucks. I'm starting to freeze here."
"Oh, stop whining like a girl." Rita scolded him before turning to the two other boys. "We'll see you in two days then?"
They nodded, before saying goodbye and boarding the bus. It was slightly crowded, but they still managed to find seats. They started talking about the day that had just passed for a while, until the topic of conversation slipped to what they planned to do on the following day.
"You're going to visit some relatives, right?" Yuri asked.
"Yes, we will spend the day at my aunt and uncle's." Flynn replied with a nod.
"Hope you won't get too bored."
"Oh, it could have been worse. I heard my parents say the Vernas actually thought of inviting us for Christmas Eve, but family comes first, you know." Flynn added humourlessly.
"The Vernas? You mean Sodia's parents?"
"Yeah. As much as Sodia is a rather nice girl, her parents are quite similar to mine. I wouldn't have stood facing my parents' doubles." Flynn said.
Yuri bit his lower lip, gazing through the window of the bus. The Vernas. Sodia. Right. He still hadn't told Flynn about what she had done. He still hadn't told him that she was the origin of all their recent troubles.
And he had sworn to himself to be honest towards Flynn. He tried telling himself that now was maybe not the best timing to tell Flynn; yet he realized that it had been the excuse he had kept using to postpone the matter. It was time to stop that silly game. Flynn deserved to know the truth about the person he thought was 'rather nice'.
Taking in a deep breath, he turned to Flynn.
"Flynn, can I drop by your place for a little while? There's something I need to tell you..."
It had been an hour since Yuri had left the flat, and Flynn was now lying on his bed, deep in thought. What Yuri had revealed to him about Sodia had first left him speechless, then doubtful. Sodia, bailing out a delinquent? And Yuri had been clueless as for her reasons to do so. Still, if it was true, then this would bring about serious changes in Flynn's parents' plans to have him engaged to Sodia.
If it was true. But the source was Judith, who had gotten the information from the police department itself; therefore chances were high that it was true. Flynn felt tempted to confront Sodia directly, but she would be likely to deny the facts. Truthfully, it wasn't difficult for him to choose who to believe, yet he couldn't bring himself to imagine Sodia bailing out Zagi. For example, there were still some unanswered questions: how had she learnt about Zagi? Why have him released at that time? Why not earlier? Why not later?
As questions kept arising in Flynn's mind, he found himself unable to find a rational answer, and soon enough he deemed useless to rack his brains any further. For now, he needed to prepare himself mentally for the next day.
Family meetings had never been his forte.
December 24th. In most households, children were getting more and more excited at the prospect of opening their presents soon. Yuri however, was in the kitchen at the orphanage, busy preparing meals to feed all the stomachs present there. It hadn't been in his original plans to come, but Karol had phoned him, telling him that Pia wasn't quite happy not seeing 'that lazy and ungrateful kid' around. As a consequence, there he was, peeling and chopping vegetables along with Karol and Rita. It was fun actually, as the two latter kept telling random anecdotes and bickering.
Yuri merely listened as his mind was busy with another matter. He still didn't have any news from Raven, and his deadline was approaching at too quick a pace to his taste. He tried dismissing the thought; there wasn't much he could do anyway. He had thoroughly studied the report on Alexei and had come to the conclusion that there was no way for him to obtain the information he needed without getting caught. He doubted that even Altosk or the Claw could succeed in such a short time. The second conclusion he had come to was that it was most likely what Yeager wanted. He wanted Yuri to fail in order to punish him as he would see fit.
All he could do now was to rely on Raven Schwann, and in the meantime, enjoy the rest of his holidays. Flynn would come tomorrow, they would spend the whole day together, they would open their presents and they would have fun with everyone else, like a real family.
The end of the day was approaching. Yuri was staying over, much to Pia's pleasure. For now all the younger children were sleeping, leaving only Pia, one of her assistants, Karol, Rita, Yuri and a few other children in the common room. A warm fire was heating up the place, and not too far away was the big Christmas tree under which all the presents were piled up.
Yuri and his friends were chatting quietly when his phone rang. It was Flynn. His face lighting up, he picked up the call.
"Good evening, Yuri."
"Hey Flynn! How was your day?"
"A bit exhausting and boring, honestly, but it's the same every year so I'm getting used to it."
"Well at least tomorrow you'll be able to have some fun with us."
"About that, Yuri..." There was some hesitation in Flynn's voice. "I fear I won't be able to come tomorrow." he said apologetically.
"Why?" Yuri inquired, frowning. "You said you'd be free."
"That's not the problem. The problem is that right now, I'm still stuck at my cousin's place. All flights have been cancelled tonight because of a sudden snow storm. The next flight back is scheduled for tomorrow evening, so I'll be back too late to come to the orphanage. I'm really sorry, Yuri."
"There really isn't any other way for you to come back?" Yuri insisted.
"Unfortunately no. You know I'd come if I could."
"Yeah, I know. This means we'll have to spend Christmas without you then." Yuri concluded with a sigh. Karol, who was seated in front of him, blinked in surprise while Rita cocked an eyebrow.
"I'm really sorry, Yuri." Flynn repeated.
"It's not your fault. Well, I guess we'll just see you on another day then. Just tell me once you're back." the dark-haired boy concluded, barely hiding his pique.
"Alright, I will. I'll talk to you later then."
As Yuri hung up, disappointment was painted all over his face.
"So that idiot can't come, huh?" Rita asked. Yuri nodded.
"His flight was cancelled because of the snow." he explained.
"That's too bad." Karol commented.
Yuri inwardly cursed his luck. So he couldn't even spend Christmas with Flynn, huh? It was as if fate always managed to find a way to hamper his good mood, and it was starting to get seriously annoying.
Hot water poured down on Flynn, allowing his muscles to relax. He was finally home, and rid of his parents. For a Christmas day, it could have been better, though it could have definitely been worse. What he regretted above all was that he hadn't been able to spend the day with Yuri and the others. But it couldn't be helped. Now the only thing he was yearning after was a long night of sleep. And then he'd pay Yuri a visit to make himself forgiven. And to give him his present.
He stepped out of the shower, dried himself and got dressed, feeling much more relaxed now. As he was about to go back to his room, his intercom rang, making him curse silently. On Christmas day? At almost 11 pm? It had to be a silly prank. Flynn decided to ignore it, definitely not in the mood for that kind of joke. However, a minute later, it was his phone which rang. A message from Yuri.
Open the door, you damn idiot. It's freezing cold out here.
His eyes opened wide in surprise. It was Yuri? What was he doing there? He hurried to open the door. A minute later, it was a familiar scene that presented itself to him: Yuri climbing up the stairs, carrying two bags in his arms.
"Yuri, what on earth are you doing here at this hour?" Flynn inquired as the other boy stepped inside the flat.
"Hey, at least pretend to be happy to see me." Yuri grumbled, putting his bags on the table of the kitchen.
"Wh-Yuri, of course I'm happy." Flynn replied with a warm smile. "But coming here so late with that weather..."
"What can I say?" Yuri shrugged as he removed his scarf and coat.
"You were supposed to join us for Christmas. Since you didn't, I figured I'd be the one to come to you." he said casually.
For a moment Flynn was at a loss for words; and then he couldn't hold it anymore. In less than a second, Yuri was in his arms, held tightly and pressed against the edge of the table.
"Yuri..." the blonde boy whispered. It was always those kinds of attention that made him completely fall for Yuri.
At first taken by surprise, Yuri soon reacted, wrapping his arms around Flynn and patting his back.
"Hey, hey. What's with the sudden display of affection?" he asked gently. "Not that I don't appreciate it, mind you."
When Flynn finally decided to release him, he saw the former shake his head.
"I don't know, Yuri." the blonde boy replied, still smiling. "Your coming here just made my day, I guess."
"Glad to hear that. Now how about you open your present?" Yuri suggested as he produced a box from one of the bags. It was wrapped in blue and silver, with a card saying 'Flynn' on it. Flynn took it but didn't open it right away.
"Wait, I have something for you too." he said before hurrying to his room and reappearing with a present. "Here." He handed it to Yuri. Both boys then proceeded with opening their respective gifts.
"Gosh Flynn, just how much did this cost you?" Yuri asked, staring at the branded watch in his hands.
"It ruined me." Flynn replied jokingly before frowning: "Yuri, I'm not sure how I am supposed to interpret this."
The unwrapped present revealed several items: a white scarf, a pack of cookies – obviously made by Yuri – and a book. It was the latter which was making Flynn perplexed. 120 recipes for dummies was its title.
"Hm?" Yuri feigned innocence. "You mean this doesn't suit you?"
Flynn sighed. "I fear it doesn't. In my case it should be 'desperate causes' rather than 'dummies'."
"Oh well. At least I tried." Yuri replied with a falsely disappointed expression. "Damn, I really look good with this." he added examining the watch that was now adorning his wrist. "Thanks a lot, Flynn. Anyway, let's eat now."
"Eat? It's quite late." Flynn replied with a frown.
"I won't take 'no' as an answer." the dark-haired boy declared as he started unwrapping some boxes in the second bag. "I saved us parts from today's Christmas meal." he explained.
"'Us'? What do you mean? Didn't you eat with the others at the orphanage?"
"For lunch, yeah. Told them I'd have dinner with you, though. C'mon, don't stand there and give me plates so I can warm up that stuff."
Once again, it took Flynn a few seconds to register Yuri's words, which made the latter sigh of exasperation.
"Right. You're a desperate cause. Guess I'll do it myself, then." he sneered.
"S-Sorry, I'll help you right away!" Flynn finally reacted. "You just tend to do such unexpected things." he added with a chuckle.
He then smiled to himself. In the end, today could very well not be such a bad Christmas, after all. And if he had been able to read Yuri's thoughts at that moment, he'd have realized that they were exactly the same as his.
When Flynn woke up, he felt abnormally warm. And his bed felt abnormally cramped. Something stirred against him. He looked down a bit, only to see a mass of raven hair. Oh, it was only Yuri. Right. He remembered offering the boy to stay over. Everything was normal.
Three seconds passed.
'Hell no! That's not normal at all!' Flynn exclaimed mentally. Yuri was supposed to sleep in the spare room, not in his room! And even less in his bed!
Yuri mumbled something in his sleep and unconsciously snuggled closer to Flynn. It was at that moment that the latter realized that Yuri was bare-chested. His heart started racing, pounding crazily against his chest. Panic seized him. What was he supposed to do? Kick Yuri out of his bed? That would be the normal thing to do.
But paradoxically enough, Flynn was also reluctant to move out from his current position. It felt... strangely comfortable, with Yuri nestled in his arms under the blanket. Still, when the hell did Yuri sneak in?
And as if he had sensed the silent question, Yuri stirred a bit more, until his eyes finally opened. He blinked several times, before rolling lazily away from Flynn. He sat up and stretched his arms. The scar on his side was well visible, reminder of unpleasant events. He finally turned to Flynn.
The expression in the latter's sapphire eyes was undecipherable, and they stared at each other silently for what seemed to be an eternity, until Yuri decided to lean down and press his lips against Flynn's. He pulled back after a few seconds and asked:
"Are you mad at me?"
"For having treacherously sneaked into my bed?" Yes, I am." Flynn replied. "I am very mad." he added, pulling Yuri back into a kiss.
The day wasn't starting so badly.
There were three days left before the deadline, and when Yuri had phoned Raven, the latter had replied that Whitehorse was still trying to find a good motive to confront Yeager. However, if by the deadline, they still hadn't found anything, then Raven would personally deal with Yeager.
'I still have some personal issues to settle with him anyway.' he had said darkly, while refusing to reveal anything more.
It only half-reassured Yuri.
However, what definitely did not reassure him was the messaged he had just received from Yeager: 'This is your one and only warning.'
What did it mean? Was it a warning to tell him that he didn't have much time left? Or had Yeager somehow found out about Raven? And if that was the case, then what was the warning he had mentioned?
The answer to the latter question came about an hour later, when Karol called Yuri, sounding completely panicked:
"Yuri! R-Rita, she's...! She's been ran over by a car! They brought her to the hospital, but... but there was blood everywhere!" His voice was broken by sobs.
At first disbelief, then anger flashed in Yuri's eyes. Yeager. He had dared.
And Raven. He had promised not to let any of his friends get hurt. So much for trusting him.
They were both going to pay dearly.
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A/N: Ugh, I figured I'd type another chapter in order to distract myself from the temptation to throw a bomb at my school. And it's longer to make up for the pathetic excuse of a chapter that was the previous chapter. Soooo, Yuri's starting to act a bit smarter, I guess? And a bit more daring towards Flynn :D Alright, I'll stop the A/N here as I need to run off to the concert of Symphonic Fantasies \o/