A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long for me to update! It got kind of crazy lately and I really did not have much time to work on "Fall For You". I'm really sorry. Chapter 4 is finally up! I hope it will be to your liking.
This chapter is not betaed, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes that could have slipped in the text. I'm doing my best to proofread it myself, but English is not my native language, so there's only so much I can do alone hehe...
I'll replace the contents of the chapter as soon as I get the edited version. Let's just say my beta is also in a rush for her studies and I can understand that. ^^' I hope you will still enjoy the chapter!
By the way, thanks again for all your support, guys! I'm really glad to know that so many people are enjoying the story so far! I love you all and I'll try to always give you the best chapters possible. :)
I won't keep you any longer! Have fun reading! See you at the end!
Fall For You
Act IV: Attraction
Yuri's mind was strangely empty as he walked back home. It felt like the calm before the storm. That impression was the right one. As soon as Yuri entered his apartment and he slid against the closed entrance door, his thoughts painfully swirled inside his head again. He remembered the face Flynn pulled as he left him standing there at the party a few minutes ago; the expression of utter confusion.
Yuri bit his lip and he closed his eyes, trying to forget about it. He wanted to forget about that night altogether. However, his mind was not agreeing with him. It kept replaying these spiteful memories that came back at the party; whispering hateful words to his ear that destroyed him once.
"What, did you think I really loved you? That's girly crap." Yuri gritted his teeth painfully and tried to shut the voice off, but it was no use.
"Go home. I've no use for you anymore. Unless you want another round? That's fine with me. If anything, you're a nice piece of ass."
Yuri violently bashed his head against the door, hoping it would all go away. It worked as Yuri concentrated on the pain instead of that hated voice. He did not want to remember this. He did not want to remember how broken he once was; how weak hearing those words made him feel once. He wanted to bury these memories and never relieve them again.
Yuri was no fool; he understood why it affected him so much to see Flynn with that girl. He understood why it hurt him so much. He was falling for Flynn. Hard. How stupid could he be? Yuri swore to himself a long time ago that he would never fall in love again. He swore to himself that he would never let someone destroy him and crush his heart again. He knew he would not survive to go through this again. Yuri's heart was weak, and that was why he felt the need to keep the others out: to protect it the best he could. Now look at him. He was pathetic. He could not even keep that one promise he made to himself.
Why Flynn, though? He could not even stand him in the beginning! They did not even have that many things in common! They were so different! How could he fall for him? Just as he was asking himself that, his mind came up with a lot of reasons. He loved the blonde's smile. He loved the way he kept worrying for Yuri genuinely. He freaking loved the passion in his eyes when the blonde was talking about things he liked. Hell, he even loved it when he was scolding Yuri because it meant that Flynn did care enough about him to do so. More than that, Yuri loved the blonde because he was the only one in a long time who tried so hard to get under his skin, to know everything about Yuri.
Yuri smiled ironically. It was too late to go back now. He realized that his feelings would not go away over night, no matter how much he hoped for it. However, all was not lost. Yuri was sure Flynn did not feel the same way about him. How could he? He was not even into guys to begin with. At least these feelings of his would not get him anywhere, and that was a relief. He could not afford to have his heart broken another time.
Yuri's cell phone suddenly rang and Yuri reluctantly took it, looking at the name displayed on the screen. Flynn. Great. Yuri turned it off and dropped it back on the ground as he closed his eyes. The question now was; how was he supposed to act around Flynn now?
Flynn was in a bad mood. The Christmas break was coming to an end already and he barely saw Yuri. In fact, if Flynn did not go to Yuri's work to talk to him – or try to, as it happened –, he would not have seen him at all. Flynn had no clue what was happening, but one thing was clear; Yuri was avoiding him, and it hurt and annoyed Flynn at the same time. Yuri's attitude changed since that party with the theatre troupe. Flynn did not understand why. Yuri's change in attitude happened so suddenly that it destabilized him. When he asked Judith about it, she told him he was a "clueless idiot". She did not deem to explain herself after insulting him.
Flynn had decided to call Yuri that night after he took off from the party, but the raven haired male did not answer the phone. Figures. Knowing he left Sarah alone for too long, Flynn had decided to drop it for the night, but he had swore he would talk to Yuri about what happened.
That was what Flynn had done the next day. He took a chance and went to the bakery. Yuri was working that day. Flynn went to him and did not miss Yuri's surprised eyes when he saw him approach.
"F-Flynn! You here to buy something?" he asked, trying to keep his composure. Flynn frowned and shook his head.
"No, I came to talk. I called you yesterday. I was worried after the way you took off. What's going on?" Flynn asked in a demanding tone. Yuri sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry about that, okay? I was tired and I wasn't feeling well. I just went back home. I didn't get your call," Yuri lied openly. Flynn made a skeptical face. Yuri just wished he would go away, but the blonde did not.
"You sure? It wasn't because of Sarah?" Flynn inquired.
Sarah? Oh, the girl that was with Flynn. Yuri shrugged his shoulders.
"No. You can do whatever you want, it's not my business. Sorry, but could we talk another time? I'm kind of busy working right now," Yuri answered impatiently.
Flynn was not satisfied at all, but he nodded and left the bakery, his thoughts even darker than when he went in.
However, 'another time' did not happen at all. No matter how many times Flynn called Yuri or went at his home, the raven haired male was not giving any signs of life. He really was avoiding Flynn and it annoyed him greatly. The truth was, Flynn missed his friend. He missed hanging out with Yuri; he missed hearing his complaining and seeing him sulk like a child. He missed everything he grew to like about Yuri.
Flynn sighed for the hundredth time as he lied on his bed, contemplating his ceiling. It was the last day of Christmas break and he was alone at home. Flynn was mulling over his dark thoughts and he did not know what to do. Damn Yuri for making him feel so broody. It was not Flynn's style to do so. He needed to do something. Maybe a walk around town would do the trick? He remembered that park Estelle showed him the first week-end he was in town. Yeah, that was a good idea. Flynn rose up and grabbed his drawing tools. When he came downstairs, he grabbed his coat, his gloves and a scarf. It was not too cold outside, so it would be a perfect day to take a walk.
As he took his walk, Flynn stopped in front of the grand theatre. This is where the troupe would play at the end of the year. It was coming fast now. They were already in January and the troupe was due to present the play in May. Flynn was already getting excited about it. Looking closer, Flynn noticed the theatre was selling tickets for plays. Intrigued, Flynn approached the ticket boot to look at the names of the plays. One of them interested him greatly: 'David Garrick' by Thomas William Robertson. Flynn heard about it, but he never got to see it. Looking at the schedule, he noticed the play was due this week, on Friday night. Flynn thought it was probably already fully booked, but there was no harm in trying it, right?
Flynn went to the employee at the ticket boot and asked her if there were some places left for the play. He was surprised to hear there were some left. The woman told him there were a few cancellations. Flynn was glad to hear it. When she asked him how many places he wanted, Flynn did not even hesitate before saying "two, please." Flynn had thought of Yuri when he said it. He wanted to go see it with his friend; that was if Yuri decided to stop ignoring him. Flynn paid and the woman gave him the two tickets. Flynn thanked her before resuming his walk.
He soon arrived at the park and he found an unoccupied bench. He got rid of the snow piled up on the bench and sat on it. The blonde opened his sketchbook and took in his environment. It was so beautiful. He immersed himself in it, letting the sight enter him and coming to life inside him. Flynn soon began drawing the scenery as he isolated himself into his own world.
Like often, as he was drawing, Flynn lost count of the time. It was only when his stomach growled in hunger did Flynn realize it was getting late. He closed his sketchbook and left the park, walking towards his home. He was walking for only a short moment in the busy district when he spotted a familiar figure standing in the street ahead, with his back to him. Flynn immediately stopped walking, frozen in place. He would recognize that long black hair anywhere. Yuri. He was about to join his friend when he noticed Yuri was not alone. There was someone with him. An older man, but he was not the same as the one from last time. Seeing the way he acted towards Yuri, it was clear he was interested in more than just what Yuri had to say.
Flynn felt the irresistible need to just go and chase the guy away. The blonde really did not like this. Then again, Yuri did not seem to mind. The raven haired male was smiling at the older man and talked actively with him. The two of them were standing in front of a shop's window. At a certain point, Flynn even saw Yuri lean in to whisper something in the man's ear. That was just too much. Flynn turned away and resumed his walk, intent to take another route to avoid Yuri. Flynn did not understand what just happened, but he did understand what he was feeling; anger and the need to punch the man's face for daring doing as much as talk to Yuri. It was irrational, he knew it, but he could not chase away that feeling.
What was that about, anyway? Yuri was supposed to work at that time of the day. What was he doing with that guy walking around in the streets? And who was that guy? A friend? More than that? Flynn clenched his teeth tightly and forced his thoughts away. He could not figure it out and it annoyed him. Now, he just wanted to go home and forget about it all.
The day after, college was beginning again, with new classes for everyone. Flynn wondered if he would have some classes with Yuri this time around. Flynn found out as soon as Monday afternoon that he did. As he was sitting in his ethics and administration class, he saw Yuri enter the classroom barely a minute before the class started. When he saw him, Yuri greeted Flynn as if nothing was wrong; as if they did not spent the entire Christmas break without seeing each other. It bothered Flynn, but he decided to dismiss it. As long as the raven haired male was acting normal again, he could deal with it.
Once class ended, Flynn went to the back of the class to talk to Yuri.
"Yuri. Were you avoiding me during Christmas break?" Flynn asked with seriousness.
Yuri stiffened for a split second, but he resumed gathering his things. You can count on Flynn to be blunt. Yuri smiled to his friend in a natural way. Being away from Flynn for two weeks helped him greatly in controlling his emotions. He was relieved for it.
He did not want Flynn to know about his feelings. Yuri did not want to push his friend away, and that was surely what would happen if Flynn became aware of his feelings.
"Of course not! I was just busy with work. Don't get false ideas," Yuri denied Flynn's suspicions.
The blonde was not satisfied, but he dropped the subject. They left the classroom together. Their classes for the day were finished and they did not have rehearsal before the next day. The two friends had taken the habit of walking home together.
While Flynn went to his locker to get his coat, his thoughts went back on the scene he saw yesterday as he was walking in the street. He wanted to know what it was about, but Flynn was hesitant to ask Yuri. He remembered he seemed really uncomfortable that time at the movie theatre. Should he ask him? Flynn was worried about that, but at the same time, the guy did not seem to hang around Yuri against his friend's will. Flynn finally told himself that as long as Yuri did not mind it, he should not meddle in this affair.
Flynn put on his coat and met up with Yuri, who was also ready to leave school. They left the school and walked together in a comfortable silence. It was not long before they had to part ways in front of the raven haired male's apartment. Yuri was about to say goodbye to Flynn, but the latter stopped him.
"Um, I got these tickets to see a play called 'David Garrick'. It's a comedy that I wanted to see for a long time now. It's Friday night. I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?" Flynn asked.
Yuri's eyes widened. He soon turned his face to the side, but it was not out of embarrassment. Flynn realised he was sulking.
"Why don't you invite your girlfriend to go with you? I'm sure she'd like that," the words left Yuri's mouth before he could stop them. He wanted to kill himself for saying that.
Flynn's eyes widened in surprise. What was he... Oh.
The surprise written over Flynn's face soon melted away and he smirked.
"Wait a minute... Are you jealous?" he asked bluntly, not believing what he was hearing. Yuri's reaction was immediate. His face burned up in shame and he snorted.
"No, of course not! Stop saying stupid things! I'm going home!" he said harshly and turned around towards the entrance of the apartment complex, about to walk away from Flynn.
However, the blonde did not let him. His hand closed around Yuri's wrist, preventing him from getting away.
Yuri froze in place and he kept his back to Flynn. The latter sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you. I wanted to go with you to the play because you're my friend, and because we didn't hang out together for like, two weeks! I miss you. And I also thought that going to see a play could help us improve our performances on stage," Flynn explained softly and he could sense Yuri's tension leave him slowly, but the raven haired male still did not turn around.
A soft smile graced Flynn's lips. "And Sarah, that girl I brought to the party with me, is not my girlfriend. She's only a friend I made in Washington DC and knowing that she was in town, my parents thought a good idea that I invite her to the party to spend some time with her. You don't have to feel threatened by her. Our friendship is too important for me. I would never do anything to jeopardize it, okay?" the blonde finished, hoping it would quell Yuri's insecurities.
Yuri closed his eyes, feeling ashamed that he was relieved hearing Flynn had no girlfriend. It would be better if he had one. It would force Yuri to forget about his feelings. Instead, the blonde had to go and say something like that. Our friendship is too important for me. The things he could say sometimes! Yuri gathered a normal expression and finally turned around. Flynn released his wrist. Yuri smiled at Flynn.
"Okay, I'll go to the play with you. Now, I really have to go. See you tomorrow!" he said as he already began to walk away from Flynn.
The blonde nodded and he waved him goodbye before going his own way. A smile stretched his lips. Yuri, jealous? That was an interesting sight...
The rest of the week went smoothly for Flynn. His new classes were sounding interesting and he even had the good surprise to see he shared another class with Yuri on Wednesday. The rehearsals resumed on Thursday and they received the good news from Yeager that the costumes were almost ready. Everyone was pleased, except for Yuri because it meant they would have to try the clothes on for the final alterations. Flynn said nothing about it, but he could not wait to see Yuri in a dress. He would be in for a good laugh.
Friday arrived and the two friends went to the grand theatre to watch the play. Despite having bought the tickets late, Flynn obtained relatively good places. They were not seated in the front rows, but they could still see the stage pretty well. Yuri did not tell Flynn, but he was happy to hang out with the blonde again. He missed his friend during those two weeks, even if they were necessary. Yuri needed some space to regain control over himself; to prevent himself from saying or doing something wrong. Now, Yuri could be in Flynn's presence without drowning in his messed up emotions. He has always been good in keeping them locked up inside his heart.
Flynn was right; the play was very good and funny. The two friends found themselves laughing to tears many times. Yuri was disappointed when the end came. The actors earned a great wave of applauds for their flawless performance. When Yuri and Flynn were finally out of the theatre and back on the street, they kept on recalling the funniest moments as they walked slowly towards their houses. It was snowing heavily outside and there was already much snow piled up on the ground. It caught Yuri's attention and he smirked.
"... and when Garrick leaves Ada's house after insulting everyone! That was awesome!" Flynn said, still walking as he did not realize yet that Yuri was not by his side anymore.
When the blonde finally did realize, he stopped walking and frowned. He did not have the time to turn around that an enormous snowball smashed behind his head. Flynn froze for several seconds. He slowly turned around to see a grinning Yuri already holding a second snowball in his hand, ready to throw it at the blonde. Flynn's eyes creased maliciously. Oh, so Yuri wanted to play it that way?
"You shouldn't have done that, Yuri," he said on a threatening tone. Yuri chuckled and faked a spooked expression.
"Oh, I'm scared!" he exclaimed and quickly threw his snowball at Flynn.
The blonde expected it and ducked to avoid it. He formed a snowball on his own and threw it at Yuri. It hit him square on the shoulder. Yuri's smirk widened.
"Is that the best you can do?" he taunted the blonde as he finished his third snowball.
Yuri did not expect Flynn's next move. Flynn formed another snowball, but instead of throwing it at Yuri, he straightened up and sprinted towards him. Yuri understood what the blonde wanted to do.
"Oh no, you won't!" he exclaimed as he ran away.
Flynn's determination strengthened and he kept chasing after his friend. Yuri was fast, but not enough for him. The blonde managed to grab a hold of Yuri's collar and yanked Yuri towards him.
Yuri did not see it coming. Flynn dropped the snow right into Yuri's coat. He laughed as Yuri yelped at the coldness against his back. However, the dark haired male was not about to get beaten so easily. He quickly turned around and smashed his snowball right into Flynn's face. Now it was Yuri's turn to laugh so hard he doubled over. When Flynn finally managed to wipe the snow away from his face, his expression turned even more threatening. Yuri found it was his cue to start running again.
"You won't get away with that!" Flynn exclaimed, amusement underlying his words despite their threatening nature.
Flynn quickly formed another snowball and aimed at Yuri as he was running away. Flynn threw the snowball and it hit Yuri right behind the head, exactly like he had done to Flynn. The blonde took this time to sprint towards the raven haired male. Yuri tried to get away from him, but he did not get very far. Flynn's arms closed around his friend's waist and he made him trip, throwing him on the ground. Yuri fell into the snow on his back, with his friend smirking at him from above.
"It's payback time," Flynn said and before Yuri could understand what was happening, Flynn was mashing another snowball right into the raven haired male's face.
When Yuri got rid of the snow, he glared up at a laughing Flynn.
"Now, you're on," he seethed. Flynn stopped laughing, but a sly smile was still on his lips.
They were on for a full out war.
When Flynn and Yuri arrived in front of Yuri's apartment, they were both completely soaked through. They had kept on their snowball war for a long time, until they did not even know who had the highest score. In the end, it did not matter. Flynn did not even remember the last time he had so much fun. Yuri had the ability to make him feel like he was a little kid all over again, when nothing mattered but the present moment; when the only thing that mattered was having fun. That was one of the things he liked most about Yuri. It was irrational, yes, but so refreshing.
Flynn said goodnight to Yuri and was about to go away when the raven haired male called his name.
"Do you want to stay the night?" Yuri said without really thinking about it beforehand.
He was having too much fun tonight and he did not want it to end so soon. Flynn seemed to think about his invitation. Soon, a warm smile showed on the blonde's face.
"Okay, thanks," he said and the look on Yuri's face was worth accepting the invitation.
They entered the building and went to Yuri's apartment. The latter unlocked it and they both entered. They got rid of their wet coats, but their pants and Yuri's shirt were in the same state.
"I'll lend you some clothes. Wait a minute," Yuri said as he wandered into his room.
Flynn waited at the entrance, not wanting to soak the floor more than he already did. Yuri soon emerged from his room and threw a pair of pants and a shirt to Flynn. The blonde thanked him and waited for Yuri to go back in his room to change before doing the same. Yuri's clothes fit him well as they were almost of the same built.
When Yuri left his room, he was changed too. He went to the bathroom to get some towels. He threw one to Flynn and they both dried their hair. Yuri looked at the time. It was still not late. He smirked at Flynn.
"I think it's time I get my revenge on Soul Calibur," he said with a light of challenge.
Yuri bought the game during Christmas Break, intent on practicing to beat Flynn. The blonde soon had the same look on his face.
"You're on. Ready to get your ass kicked again?" he taunted. Yuri chuckled.
"We'll see about that," he answered.
Several minutes later, Yuri was proved wrong yet again as Flynn beat the shit out of him again. The blonde was really amused by it. He did not tell Yuri, but he secretly found the raven haired male's pouting face adorable. It made Flynn double his efforts to best Yuri any way he could because Yuri usually pulled that face when he lost at something. It was that exact same look Yuri was sporting right now as he lost for the tenth time in a row, but he still did not give up.
They were sitting on the couch side by side. They were so close that their shoulders brushed against each other every now and then. Flynn found himself being conscious of that proximity, something he did not before. The thought bothered him, but he pushed it away. He had better things to do, like defeating Yuri and stealing glances at that pouting and annoyed expression.
They were playing for about an hour when suddenly, Yuri's head dropped on Flynn's shoulder. At the same time, Yuri's character stopped moving on the screen. Intrigued, Flynn turned his head to the side and was amazed when he realized Yuri fell asleep. Unbelievable. One minute, he was still playing, and the other, he fell asleep against Flynn?
The blonde left out a discouraged sigh. Now what should he do? He knew it would be best to wake his friend up and tell him to go sleep in his bed, but he looked so peaceful! Eventually, Flynn sighed in defeat. He carefully removed the controller from Yuri's hand. He closed the console and the TV. Flynn reached over and grabbed the blanket that was lying on the couch at his side. Flynn covered them both with it and tried to settle more comfortably against the couch, being careful not to wake Yuri.
The raven haired male muttered in his sleep and moved closer against the blonde's side. This time, it was a soft smile that decorated Flynn's lips. Yuri was so cute sometimes. Flynn was sure Yuri was not even aware that it was part of his charm. Wait... what? What was Flynn thinking? He was confused. Flynn should not be thinking such things about his friend. What was going on with him? He kept having such thoughts about Yuri recently, and he was damn sure it was not the kind of thoughts you should have about your friend. Something was definitely going on, but Flynn was not ready to face whatever it was.
Yuri woke up the next morning in a confused state. The first thing he was aware of was being on the couch, in an awkward position for sleeping. The second one, he was aware of an unusual warmth, which was not caused by the blanket thrown over him. He looked to the side and he froze when he realized he fell asleep cuddled against Flynn. Shit. What did he do? And why did Flynn not wake him up when it happened? He felt even guiltier when he noticed Flynn had to sleep with his neck bent in an awkward position. He would have a stiff neck this morning; that was for sure. Well, there was no use whining about what happened. Yuri sighed and reluctantly pulled away from Flynn. He pushed the blanket aside and stood up. He was hungry and he better make breakfast before Flynn woke up and decided to help. He did not think his kitchen would survive Flynn a second time.
Flynn groaned as he felt an atrocious pain in his neck as he woke up. He realized after a few seconds that the pain was due to his awkward sleeping position. He then remembered why he slept like that in the first place. Looking to the side, he saw that the place where Yuri slept was empty. That was when the blonde's ears picked up sounds coming from the kitchen.
Flynn pulled himself to his feet, and trying to ignore his stiff neck, he went to the kitchen. He found Yuri actively making breakfast. Flynn took place at the table, which gained Yuri's attention. The latter turned towards Flynn.
"Good morning. Sorry about your neck; it's my fault," he said with genuine guilt. Flynn waved it off.
"Don't worry about that. It's kind of my own fault too. I could have waked you up, but I didn't," he said and his words recalled to him the strange thoughts he had about Yuri the night before. He felt suddenly uneasy.
Yuri did not notice it. He went back to making the breakfast and soon after, they were sitting at the table eating the delicious food Yuri prepared. There was a rather uncomfortable silence hanging between them as Flynn was lost in his disturbing thoughts. Yuri saw that something was wrong with Flynn. He wanted to act as if he did not notice it, but after some time he could not do that anymore. He was tired of the tension he could feel.
"Flynn, is something wrong?" he asked, staring straight at his friend. Flynn shook his head and smiled softly at Yuri.
"No, don't worry. I'm fine," he answered. Yuri was not satisfied by that. He snorted.
"Don't give me that crap! Do you think I'm that gullible?" he said strongly. Flynn sighed.
"I just have some things on my mind, that's all. It's really nothing to worry about," he insisted.
Yuri was not happy by his friend's answer, but he said nothing. The rest of the breakfast was spent in the same awkward silence. When they finished, Flynn went to the bathroom to put his own clothes on that dried during the night. When he got out, he looked at Yuri with an uneasy smile.
"Thanks for letting me stay the night and for the breakfast. It was delicious. I have to go now. See you Monday?" he said and did not miss Yuri's hurt expression.
The latter nodded and looked as Flynn put on his coat and boots. Flynn smiled one last time at his friend before leaving the apartment without another word.
As soon as he was out, Flynn called himself stupid. He recalled Yuri's hurt expression at his fast retreat. The raven haired male surely did not understand Flynn's reaction, but he could not help it. Being in Yuri's presence only made his disturbing thoughts even more messed up. Flynn just hoped they would go away soon and that everything would go back to normal.
Next Monday, Yuri was sitting with Judith and Estelle in the cafeteria at lunch hour when Flynn joined them. Yuri greeted Flynn and saw that whatever was troubling his friend seemed to be gone now. Yuri thought it was a good thing, but at the same time, he wondered what happened Saturday morning. Yuri thought about it a lot during the weekend and he came to one conclusion in regards to Flynn's strange behaviour; it was surely because of the way they had slept that night. Yuri could understand Flynn was not comfortable sleeping like that, with Yuri cuddled against him. He was not into guys, after all, even less into Yuri. That left the raven haired male wondering why Flynn did not wake him up.
Anyway, seeing Flynn seemed to be back to normal, Yuri did not think about it further and he did not bring up the subject. The four friends chatted happily throughout lunch. After lunchtime, Flynn and Yuri walked together through the corridors, talking as they went towards their shared afternoon class. As they walked, a group of guys passed by them and threw sidelong glances at Yuri as they did. Flynn glared at them as he knew why they looked at Yuri that way.
However, it did not dissuade them. They stopped walking and one of them called out to Yuri.
"Hey, Lowell! How about you and I hang out together after school? I have a nice bedroom," he said with amusement.
Flynn stiffened at the words and a look at Yuri told him the raven haired male was trying to rein his anger. Yuri's fists were clenched tightly, but he kept on walking away from them. Flynn did the same, thinking it was best to ignore bastards like them.
But then, the guys' next words made Flynn change his mind.
"Oh, my bad. It seems you already have someone else to play the slut with. So, is he good, Blondie?" his words made his friends laugh.
Yuri turned around quickly, intending to beat the crap out of the bastards for involving Flynn. However, he did not have the time to do that. A look of pure anger crossed Flynn's face and he lunged at the guy. Grabbing his collar, Flynn smashed the guy's back hard into the wall.
Yuri watched the scene with wide eyes. He never saw Flynn so angry before. Flynn's enraged face went closer to the guy's terrorized one.
"What did you just say?" he seethed, anger emanating from his voice.
The guy pinned against the wall gulped visibly, but he did not answer. Flynn shook him roughly.
"You better take back your words," he said threateningly.
The guy seemed to understand the threat perfectly. He nodded and mumbled an apology. All the while, his friends stayed on the side, unsure of what they should do. Flynn released the guy and turned around, intending to join Yuri who was still rooted on place a few steps ahead. The guy who insulted Yuri straightened his collar and mumbled under his breath. Unfortunately for him, Flynn heard his words just fine.
"Yeah, go back to your whore."
Flynn turned around and his fist collided right into the guy's face. Exclamations of fright were heard in the hallway as the guy fell on the ground, clutching his bleeding face. Yuri jumped out of his skin at the sight. The guy's friends finally snapped out of their dumbstruck state. They lunged at Flynn and the latter would have been seriously at a disadvantage if it was not for Yuri stepping in and helping his friend in the fight. The fight was really getting out of hand when a strong voice resounded in the hallway, stopping the fight. Flynn and Yuri looked in the direction of the voice to see a teacher make his way through the crowd and approach them, a look of pure displeasure on his face. The two friends exchanged a glance. They were in for trouble.
Yuri and Flynn were sent to their director of program. In his office, they were admonished harshly for their intolerable behaviour. Flynn apologized for his behaviour, even if internally, he was not sorry at all. That guy had it coming. Nobody treated his friend like a slut. Hearing that had filled Flynn with so much anger he never felt before. Before he could stop himself, he was already getting back at the bastard for saying such hateful words. He really did not regret any of it.
Yuri listened in a bored fashion through the entire lecture. His thoughts were elsewhere. He could not believe Flynn had done that; the uptight and ever serious Flynn. The way he had jumped in to protect his honour was... there were no words to describe how it made Yuri feel. Nobody had done that for him before. It touched Yuri more than he wanted to admit. The things Flynn could do sometimes! The worst part of it was that the blonde was surely not aware of it; of the effect it had on Yuri. Day after day, it was getting more difficult for Yuri to keep his control unwavering and not slip out. It was all Flynn's fault for being so damn earnest and adorable.
The two friends were released after fifteen minutes of scolding with a warning. If it came to happen again, they would be forced to quit college. It was a harsh measure, but the school figured that since they were not kids anymore, they did not need more warnings to fix their behaviours.
Flynn and Yuri walked silently towards their class that began more than twenty minutes ago. Yuri wanted to say something to break the awkward silence, but Flynn beat him to it. He stopped walking at some point and turned towards Yuri.
"Why do you let them treat you like that, Yuri? You're not a whore!" Flynn exclaimed as the rage he felt before was still very much present.
Yuri sighed. He really was not in the mood to talk about this. It was part of a painful past he would rather forget. It recalled too many unwanted memories.
"I guess I just got used to it, with time," he answered. Flynn frowned.
"What do you mean? That this situation has been going on for a long time?" the blonde asked. He saw hurt appear in Yuri's eyes. This was definitely not a subject the raven haired male liked to brush.
"For five years now," he said curtly. Yuri closed his eyes to block out the memories. He could not let them invade his mind again. He would not.
Five years? What could Yuri possibly have done to earn this reputation? It was disgusting to see how rumours could follow you wherever you go. Flynn could understand now why Yuri did not fight it anymore. He was surely tired of it; tired of the consequences constantly getting into fights like this could get him. Flynn sighed, feeling his anger slowly fade.
"Okay, I get it. We should get going before being even later in class," Flynn muttered as he turned away.
They resumed walking and a small smile appeared on Yuri's lips.
"By the way, thanks for beating the crap out of that guy. It was fun to watch," he said. It was Flynn's turn to smile.
"No problem. Every princess should have her knight in shining armour to save her from harm," he answered with seriousness and his words had the expected result.
Yuri's cheeks burned in embarrassment and he punched the blonde's arm as he was clearly upset by Flynn's words.
"What the hell, Flynn? Who's the freaking princess?" he hissed through his teeth. Flynn tried to keep his calm, but the expression on Yuri's face was just too much.
"Well, you already play Juliet, so a princess should suit you as well," Flynn replied and could not stop his laughter.
Yuri hit him harshly across the head and mumbled curses in Japanese as he hurried ahead. Flynn kept on laughing and managed to apologize through it all. Flynn was not really worried. Yuri would calm down soon enough and then, he would forgive Flynn.
The raven haired male was so easy to figure out.
Yuri grabbed Flynn's shirt and looked pleadingly into his eyes.
"Are you going? It's still a long time until daybreak. Don't be afraid. That sound you heard was the nightingale, not the lark. Every night the nightingale chirps on that pomegranate-tree. Believe me, my love, it was the nightingale," he said in a desperate tone.
Flynn's hands gently covered Yuri's and he smiled sadly at him.
"It was the lark, the bird that sings at dawn, not the nightingale. Look, my love, what are those streaks in the clouds parting in the east? Night is over, and day is coming. If I want to live, I must go. If I stay, I'll die," the blonde male said sadly.
Yuri shook his head and a pained expression appeared on his face.
"That light is not daylight, I know it. It's some meteor coming out of the sun to light your way to Mantua. So stay for a while. You don't have to go yet," the raven haired male pleaded.
Flynn closed the distance between them and gathered Yuri into his arms. His eyes closed and the expression that graced his face was a mix of pain and contentment.
"Let me be captured. Let me be put to death. I am content, if that's the way you want it. I'll say the light over there isn't morning. I'll say it's the reflection of the moon. I'll say that sound isn't the lark ringing in the sky. I want to stay more than I want to go. Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wants it this way. How are you, my love? Let's talk. It's not daylight," Flynn whispered gently.
Yuri pushed Flynn gently away and turned around, hiding his pain from the blonde boy's eyes.
"It is, it is. Get out of here, be gone, go away! It's the lark that sings so out of tune, making such harsh noise. Some say the lark makes a sweet division between day and night. It's not true because she separates us. Some say the lark traded its eyes with the toad. Oh, now I wish they had traded voices too! Because the lark's voice tears us out of each other's arms, and now there will be men hunting for you. Oh, go away now. I see more and more light." The words Yuri whispered were filled with hopelessness.
Flynn looked in the distance and his eyes reflected the same feeling than Yuri.
"More and more light. More and more pain for us," he answered painfully.
Rita emerged from backstage and both males turned their faces in her direction.
"Madam," the young girl exclaimed with hurry. Yuri looked confusedly at her.
"Nurse?" he asked worriedly. Rita bowed quickly in front of him.
"Your mother is coming to your bedroom. Day has broken. Be careful. Watch out," she whispered her warning with concern before exiting the stage.
Yuri turned back towards Flynn and looked with longing behind his shoulder.
"Then the window lets day in, and life goes out the window," he whispered. Flynn gently cupped Yuri's face and looked into his eyes, longing shining in his eyes.
"Farewell, farewell! Give me one kiss, and I'll go down," he said with want.
Yuri was about to say the next line of his script, but Raven interrupted him. Flynn and Yuri turned their attention on the director, who had stayed silent along with their comrades since the beginning of the scene they were rehearsing. Raven was wearing a displeased expression.
"I think you forgot something in your script there, boys," he said.
Yuri and Flynn both took their scripts and looked a line up, seeing what Raven was referring to.
They kiss. Romeo drops the ladder and goes down.
They exchanged a desperate glance. Yuri turned his face towards Raven.
"We already told you, Raven! We still have time to practice it later," he protested. Raven shook his head and sighed.
"Well, later is now. Go on, kiss," he probed them and many whistles coming from their teammates told the two friends that there would be no backing down from it this time.
Yuri looked at Flynn, who was wearing an embarrassed expression.
"I guess we have no choice," Flynn said in a wavering tone.
He took a step closer to Yuri. The latter did not move as he felt paralyzed. Did they really have to do that? Flynn took Yuri's silence for his agreement. The blonde's hand went to Yuri's cheek and his touch burned Yuri's skin. The raven haired male still could not move as Flynn leaned closer. A second later, Flynn's lips were on his, sealing them in a chaste and quick kiss.
It was over so quickly that Yuri did not have the time to feel anything. When Flynn pulled away, his face was burning up and Yuri was sure his face was too. They heard many exclamations of disappointment. Yuri was sure he heard Judith's voice amongst them. Raven's voice covered every other.
"No, no, no! We can't even call that a kiss!" the director exclaimed and the two friends exchanged another desperate glance. Raven sighed again.
"Okay, I want you two to close your eyes," he began.
Knowing that there was no escaping it, Flynn and Yuri decided to follow Raven's directions. They closed their eyes and listened as he talked.
"You are Romeo and Juliet. You are two young people that are madly in love with each other. You love the other so much that you're willing to die for your love. Now, you just got married and you consumed your love for the first time. But you know this kiss might be the last one as you are cruelly separated at dawn. Your kiss is full of desperation, passion and longing." When Raven finished, silence fell on the room.
The tension was almost palpable as every pair of eyes was on Yuri and Flynn.
The two males slowly opened their eyes and stared straight into the other's gaze. Gray meshed with blue. Yuri felt his heart beat madly in his chest as the world around ceased to exist. There was only Flynn and him, and nothing else mattered; nothing other than what they were about to do. Yuri suddenly felt Flynn's arm circle his waist, gently pulling him forward and against the blonde's chest. One of Flynn's hands gently went to the junction of Yuri's jaw and neck, caressing the skin there. This was too much for Yuri. His desire flared up dangerously. He leaned forward in time with Flynn and their lips met halfway.
There were no words to explain the sheer feel of it this time. Their lips melted together and moved in time, feeding the delicious fire inside Yuri. His hands went up Flynn's chest and grabbed a handful of the blonde's shirt as Yuri tried to get even closer, wanting to melt into his friend. Flynn's arm around Yuri's waist tightened his embrace, keeping the raven haired male pressed against him. The hand caressing Yuri's neck sent shivers all over his skin, adding to the fire consuming him.
Yuri gasped against Flynn's lips, which fueled the blonde even more. His hand traveled behind Yuri's head to angle it and the new angle made Flynn ravish Yuri's mouth with more passion and fervor. Yuri's mind was now nothing more than an incoherent mess. He could not think anymore. All he was aware of was that he wanted more of that feeling. No. He needed more of that feeling. Yuri's arms went up and slid around Flynn's neck as he pressed even closer to the blonde, sighing against his friend's soft lips.
Yuri thought he would completely lose it when Flynn's tongue traced the curve of his lips, but he did not demand entrance. The contact sent sparks of electricity through Yuri's entire body. Never before did such a simple act as kissing turned him on so much. Yuri wanted the moment to never end, but it eventually did. When they broke apart, Yuri leaned his forehead against Flynn's as he tried to regain his breathing. He could hear Flynn do the same and Yuri kept his eyes closed, not wanting to break the moment. He had to resist the temptation of claiming Flynn's lips again.
A sudden wave of applaud had them both snap their eyes open and stare at each other. The world around them came back to their minds and they finally realized fully what they just did; they just kissed in front of the entire troupe. Their faces grew beet red and they quickly pulled apart from each other, embarrassed looks on their faces.
Yuri chanced a look at the troupe. Many of them were looking at Flynn and Yuri with wide eyes and open mouths. The others – namely Judith, Estelle and some of the girls – seemed on the verge of passing out. And then, there was Raven. The older man seemed rather pleased.
"Good job, boys! You do that in the real play, and it will be a sure kill!" he exclaimed, totally ecstatic.
The two friends nodded and they exchanged a quick and shy look.
Rita managed to get over her shock of seeing her two male friends literally devouring each other's mouth. When she did, she looked at her two friends Judith and Estelle. The pink haired girl's face was red as a tomato and Judith looked like she had died and gone to heaven.
"What's wrong with you two? Did you actually like that?" Rita asked unbelievingly.
Judith did not even deem to look at her. She kept on staring at nothing in particular.
"That. Was. Hot," she whispered. She turned her face towards Raven.
"Could you ask them to do it again?" she asked with hope. Raven looked at Judith with love struck eyes.
"Judith darlin', I would love to say yes, but I think our boys here had enough already," Raven said and tried his best to ignore Judith's sweet pout.
The director diverted his attention on Flynn and Yuri. They were still not looking at each other. It was quite fun to see. Still, raven pitied the two boys. Being the kindred spirit he was, he told them to come down from the stage and called other members of the troupe to replace them.
Flynn and Yuri did not complain about it. They sat in the audience and not once did they exchange glances. Judith was tempted to tease them, but she too thought they had enough for the day and decided to leave them alone. For now.
When Flynn went home that day, he went directly to his bedroom and let himself fall down on his mattress. His hand instinctively went to his lips. He could feel the ghost of Yuri's lips on his. Flynn closed his eyes and his mind recalled everything he felt on that stage with Yuri.
He remembered the feel of Yuri's warm and pliant body in his arms; the way his friend's soft skin lit up under his fingers; the alluring softness of his lips as they moved together in a perfect motion; the feeling as if lava burned into his veins and consumed him whole. The sheer feel of it was… mind blowing. Flynn realized that he wanted more of that feeling. He wanted to taste those lips again; he wanted to feel it all again. He realized he had grown addicted to it, and he did not know what to make of it.
One, Yuri was his friend. Two, he was male. Three, Flynn did not search for a relationship as he did not know when he would leave again. These three reasons should have been enough for Flynn to forget about the pleasurable sensations he had felt as he kissed Yuri. However, his body and mind did not want to forget. It was all so confusing…
While Yuri walked in the streets towards his job, his mind did not want to wander elsewhere than on that kiss earlier with Flynn. That was incredible. Damn it! Why did Flynn have to be such a good kisser? If he was not, than Yuri could have a chance to forget about Flynn. However, now he just craved more. He craved the blonde's touch against his skin; he craved to be held that way again. It was something he did not feel in a long time.
Yuri cursed under his breath. That kiss was making it even more difficult to control his feelings, but he had to hold on. He just hoped Raven would be satisfied enough and that he would not ask them to repeat their 'performance'. As much as Yuri liked it, he knew no good would result from them kissing again.
Yuri arrived in front of the building where he worked. The name of the establishment was written in bright, red letters. Spiral Club. Yuri looked at the entrance and sighed. He really was not in the mood for that today, but it was not like he had a choice. Yuri entered the establishment. As soon as he set foot in the small dimly lit lounge, the male at the reception addressed him.
"Yuri, you're late again! You already have a client in the usual lounge. Try not to make him wait too much," he scolded Yuri.
The latter sighed as he got rid of his coat. It was always the same story.
"Don't worry, Andy. Once I'll have him drink a few drinks, he won't even remember I was late," Yuri replied.
Andy smiled in discouragement and shook his head.
"Whatever. Just get out there and begin working!" he said and Yuri rolled his eyes and sighed as he began walking down the hallway leading to the private lounges.
Tonight, he would yet again spend the night with clients with whom Yuri would fake being in love with and he would make them drink until they forgot whatever problems pushed them to come to a host club.
And the night after, they would come back to spend yet another insanely amount of money.
A/N: Ooh, they finally kissed! I had so much fun writing that scene, I hope you liked it. ^^
And you also know what Yuri's second job is about. Was it what you expected? I imagine not all of you guessed he was a host, huh?
By the way, I made some researches on the host clubs and I fiddled a little about them because I don't think hosts clubs with homosexual customers exist. I did not read about that, so if they do exist, please tell me. In the case they don't, I hope you don't mind because it was necessary for this fic.
Please tell me what you think of this chapter, guys! Your comments are really, really appreciated! :D
I'll work actively on the next chapter! See you soon, everyone!
Littlerosebud