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Viktor rarely put me on a leash anymore but there were occasions. Like today. Viktor, Yuuri, and I were taking a walk in a part of the city I hadn't been before. I knew because I didn't recognize the smells or any landmarks. So maybe that was why I was on a leash.
There had been a lot of rain recently but today was clear. I think Yuuri and Viktor were looking for something but I wasn't entirely sure what. I happily walked along with them as they searched and chatted. It was very casual. Unlike other times, their hearts weren't beating really fast. They actually seemed relaxed in each other's company.
We came to a stop at a small place with wheels on the bottom that sold what I thought were drinks. Viktor got excited when he spotted this place, and Yuuri seemed amused by his excitement. They ordered and then stepped back to wait. As they waited, they continued to talk. I sat next to Viktor and looked around at the other people walking about, talking in that second different way of speaking. Then I noticed a butterfly and, bored, began to follow it. It fluttered around, in a circle, which seemed not very smart. I jumped and nipped at it, walking in the circle it was making, just to entertain myself while we waited.
I was so caught up in the butterfly that I hadn't realized that Viktor's and Yuuri's hearts were beating really fast now.
"Makkachin!" my boy exclaimed, catching my attention. He was using his scolding tone but it had an edge to it. I immediately sat down, ready to pout and whine to get out of any punishment, and looked over at my boy. At first, I was confused because my boy and Yuuri were now pressed very close to each other, which would explain why their hearts were beating so fast. Their hearts did that when they were close.
Then I realized my leash was wrapped around their legs. But I wasn't sure what my boy wanted me to do about it or why he was scolding me over it. I cocked my head in question and continued to stare at them. Both their faces were red.
"Come here, Makka-girl," Viktor said, patting his leg. I wagged and went over to my boy. My leash dropped from their legs and pooled around their feet. Yuuri tried to step back but he was moving too fast and his heel caught the leash anyway.
"Careful!" Viktor exclaimed, reaching out to keep Yuuri from falling, pulling Yuuri back toward him. It looked like they were hugging but Viktor stepped back, making sure not to get his foot caught on my leash. He kept his hands on Yuuri's shoulders. Yuuri's face was redder than it had been before.
"Sorry, I…" my boy started. "…uh, I just…didn't want you to fall."
"N-no, that's…that's—it's fine," Yuuri mumbled. "Th-thanks."
Yuuri's name was called by a person behind the counter of that drink place. I felt relief wash through both of them as they looked over at the person behind the counter. My boy let go of Yuuri's shoulders. Yuuri went over to the person at the counter and had a quick conversation in the first different way of speaking. Viktor picked up my leash and put the little loop around his wrist, shaking his head, amused and exasperated.
I boofed and jumped up a little. Viktor chuckled and patted my head as Yuuri came back over with drinks in his hand. He silently handed Viktor one of the drinks, his cheeks still red.
We began walking again. My boy and Yuuri were quieter. They'd occasionally talk for a brief period, then go back to silence. Their hearts were still beating quite fast. Eventually, though, their conversation picked up to what it had been when they were looking for that drinks place. They relaxed and their hearts settled down.
It had been a nice day. Even if we didn't visit the ocean.
One night, Yuuri burst into my boy's room and stepped on my tail.
He frantically said a word to me I didn't recognize but I did recognize the tone and his regret, so I think he might have been apologizing to me. Once the pain had completely faded, I realized Yuuri was extremely excited about something. I think it had to do with that thing he was trying to figure out. He'd brought in his laptop and those little ear-things with a long wire attached to them. I think they were called "earphones" or something, even though they looked nothing like a phone.
Viktor put the earphones in and Yuuri tapped a button on the laptop. I heard sounds coming from the earphones and as my boy listened, he grew excited as well. When the noises stopped, Viktor removed the earphones. They both shifted, sitting more comfortably on my boy's bed. Yuuri kept his laptop in his lap and was looking at Viktor expectantly.
"That was amazing, Yuuri!" he said, wide awake and buzzing with the same excitement Yuuri had. "It has elements of the song you showed me before. Did you ask the same composer as last time to compose this new piece?"
Yuuri seemed embarrassed and shy at the whatever my boy had said but he nodded. "Yeah, I got into contact with her again after…well, after we had that conversation at the beach."
"Your theme is very different."
Yuuri nodded, the embarrassment growing. He looked down but didn't pull back like I expected him to. "The first time around I…I asked her to sum up my skating career at the time. Which, looking back on it now, she knew me well at the time." Something in Yuuri's tone changed and this change upset my boy for some reason. But Yuuri continued, "This time, I had a longer discussion with her about it and decided that I wanted this composition to communicate. Rather than summing up my skating career, I wanted it represent my relationship with skating as well as the journey of my skating career so far.
"It feels very different now, with you here, Viktor." Yuuri paused and it felt like he was trying to decide something. Viktor waited. "I've…I guess I've always felt like I was fighting alone. But you being here has really shed light on some things in my life. You did that. And…I wanted the music to represent that."
A strange mix of sadness and fondness filled my boy's chest at whatever Yuuri had said.
"That's very sweet, Yuuri," my boy finally said. "I'm honored." Yuuri's face turned red but he didn't say anything more. "Why don't we go down to the rink?"
Yuuri closed his laptop and grinned. "Yeah, that'd be great! I don't think I could sleep right now." He began to get off the bed, carefully holding his laptop and trying not to get tangled up in the wire of his headphones.
"I was the same when whenever I received new music," my boy said, also getting out of bed.
Yuuri was at the door when he turned back and said, "Five minutes?"
Viktor nodded. "Sounds good."
My boy threw on some clothes and his jacket, grabbing his skating bag. When he got to the door of his room, he turned back and patted his leg.
"You want to come with us, Makka-girl?" he asked.
I groaned and flopped down on his bed. Viktor chuckled, coming back up to me and patting my head before giving my forehead a kiss.
"Okay," he said, going back to the door. In the hall, I heard Yuuri's door close. "We'll be back before you know it."
I wagged a little and boofed. They both went down the hall, excitement and eagerness still buzzing inside them. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes to go back to sleep. Sometimes I didn't know how humans did stuff without sleep. But Viktor had been doing this for years now, so I was used to it.
Yuuri had been feeling those warm, loving feelings that were directed toward my boy for a while now. But I hadn't completely understood the depth of his emotions until one rainy day at the rink.
After I'd escaped that one day, Viktor had bought me something he called a "raincoat" and I got to go with them to the rink every day, even when it rained. I was let inside the rink, Viktor would take off my raincoat, and then I'd sit in the little area with all the benches. Sometimes I'd lay near the clear doors and watch Yuuri and my boy do skating. Sometimes, I'd sit back and take a nap. Oftentimes, Yuuko and Takeshi would pet me a lot. Sometimes those three girls who all looked the same would visit me.
At the end of the day, when they were done doing skating, Yuuri was exiting through the doors that led to the Ice. Viktor was following close behind but half-way through the doors, Yuuri stopped and looked back.
"Oh, I forgot my glasses—" he said, turning back toward the Ice. Viktor stopped him, holding up Yuuri's glasses.
"No need, I saw and got them for you," my boy said with a smile. Yuuri took them slowly, with something like disbelief swirling inside him. Viktor slipped past Yuuri and went to pet me, cooing. I wagged and licked his face. Then Viktor sat down at one of the benches and began taking off his skates. Strangely, Yuuri was still standing, still holding his glasses, his heart beginning to pound really fast.
I felt those warm emotions shift again and suddenly they seemed stronger than I'd ever felt them before. Like something had been weakening them until now. I think the most surprising thing about it, though, was the fact that just as his emotions had strengthened, Yuuri had a realization. It was almost as if he hadn't been aware if his own warm feelings toward Viktor. That confused me because emotions were emotions; I had always thought humans were aware of what they were feeling.
Yet, it seemed Yuuri hadn't been until just now.
When that realization struck him, his eyes darted over to my boy. His heart beat even faster and his cheeks began to turn red.
Viktor looked up at Yuuri—who quickly shoved his glasses onto his face—as my boy finished tying his sneakers.
"Something wrong?" my boy asked.
Yuuri's eyes were wide and it took him a moment to answer by shaking his head no.
"Are you sure?"
Yuuri nodded.
When Yuuri didn't move, Viktor's concern and confusion grew, and he stood.
"A-are you sore?" Viktor's tone was hesitant and his heart began to pound, like Yuuri's was still doing. "Do you…need help with your skates?"
My boy's regret was instant as Yuuri's whole face turned red, even his ears.
"No!" Yuuri exclaimed, panic surging through him stronger than I'd felt it before. "I-I mean…n-no, that-that's not necessary." His voice grew quiet and he looked down. "Th-thank you, though." Still looking down, Yuuri quickly went over a different bench and began taking off his skates.
I went up to my boy and bumped my nose against his leg. He was still standing, staring at Yuuri. He was still confused, and now hurt by Yuuri's rejection.
He was still staring at Yuuri when Yuuri was finished putting on his shoes but quickly looked away and began grabbing his things. When they had put on their jackets and grabbed their bags, we left the rink.
The rain had stopped, so I didn't have to wear the raincoat. Viktor didn't ride the bike, instead he pushed it as we all walked back to the onsen together. I walked between them; as soon as we had exited, Yuuri had put me between him and Viktor.
Both of them were extremely quiet the entire walk back. My boy was feeling uncomfortable. Yuuri just seemed dazed. Both of them were feeling some sort of awkwardness. Their hearts were still beating really fast, though.
Later, when they were eating dinner and their emotions had calmed down—I found human emotions were like that a lot—and I had gotten my bite of food, Yuuri looked up from his own plate, seeming surprised, for some reason.
"Oh," he said, "thanks for getting my glasses earlier."
When my boy looked up from his own plate, warm feelings now bursting in his chest, Yuuri blushed and looked down, but his eyes flickered up to Viktor.
Humans could be so weird sometimes.
Yuuri continued, mumbling, "I just…realized I hadn't thanked you, is all."
My boy's voice was extremely quiet when he said, "Of course."
Viktor and Yuuri were hanging out in my boy's room. They'd been doing this for a while now, at the end of the day when we got back to the onsen from doing skating.
They would talk about skating—at least, they said the word skating a lot. Sometimes they'd watch videos of others doing skating and then talk about that. Sometimes it was silent. They'd sit next to each other on the sofa, watching stuff on the laptop. Usually, for humans, silence was awkward for them or uncomfortable, but this silence was different. It was nice and peaceful. The warm feelings in their chests bloomed and grew when they sat like that.
It was so peaceful I often took naps during this time. Even Yuuri's anxiety seemed nonexistent in these times.
During one of these times, Yuuri had been staring at my boy. I could feel his nerves reignite the longer he stared. His heart rate also picked up. I wished I knew what he was thinking because this reaction was weird. It kind of reminded me of how Yuuri had first felt with my boy after we'd first moved to Hasetsu.
They were sitting separate from each other today, each working on their own things on their laptops. Yuuri was sitting on the sofa on the left side of the room. My boy was sitting on the end of his bed. I was lying next to him with my head in his lap.
When my boy finally noticed Yuuri staring at him, he looked up and Yuuri's nerves spiked. His face turned red and his eyes flitted away to his laptop.
"Yuuri~" my boy said in a funny, singing kind of voice. "What were you thinking about?" He seemed amused about something. I was unsure what but had a feeling it might've had something to do with why Yuuri had been staring at my boy for so long.
Yuuri shook his head profusely. "It's nothing." His face turned even more red and his heart thudded in his chest even faster.
Viktor said Yuuri's name in that funny, singing way again, setting his laptop aside and slipping off the bed, going over to Yuuri. I stayed on my boy's bed and watched them, my tail wagging from their funny energy.
Humans were silly sometimes.
Yuuri buried his face in his hands and Viktor pulled at the sleeve of his shirt, sitting down on the sofa next to Yuuri, saying Yuuri's name in that singing way over and over again. When Yuuri didn't pull his hands away from his face, Viktor finally gave up saying his name and instead, quickly took Yuuri's laptop and set it down on the table before laying down on the sofa, his legs hanging off the end, his head in Yuuri's lap.
"Viktor!" Yuuri exclaimed, pulling his hands away from his face. It was, somehow, even redder now, as he looked down at my boy with wide eyes. His anxiety and those warm feelings began swirling and mixing around inside of Yuuri.
My boy smiled up at him. "You were staring at me. See something you like?"
Yuuri didn't answer, just kept staring down at Viktor. Eventually, only his cheeks were red. With one of his hands, he reached down toward Viktor's face and my boy's emotions switched, becoming anxious. His heart started beating like Yuuri's. I cocked my head to the side, confused at Viktor's sudden change in emotions.
Yuuri's hand froze really close to my boy's face before he brushed away the hair that hung over Viktor's left eye from his forehead. Then he took some of that hair he'd just pushed away between his fingers and Yuuri let it fall over his fingers.
"I've…" Yuuri started in a quiet voice. "Well, I've always wondered how you got your hair to look…well, to look like it does." He took more of Viktor's hair and let it fall over his fingers again. My boy's face was now turning red, too. "It's…it's very soft."
A silent moment passed before Yuuri's whole body froze and his anxiety spiked. Before he could say anything, though, my boy sat up with a big grin on his face. Yuuri covered his face with his hands again, groaning. I could feel embarrassment begin to sweep away his anxiety.
"Yuuri!" my boy exclaimed, pulling Yuuri into a hug. "That's so sweet of you!"
Yuuri only groaned again but he didn't pull away from the hug like he would've done in the past.
Viktor was still using that funny voice when he said, "You must've been a huge fan of mine, huh?"
Yuuri scoffed and shoved my boy away but it wasn't a bad thing because Viktor laughed and Yuuri had no negative feelings directed toward my boy.
"You already know I was," Yuuri mumbled, his face turning red again.
My boy's emotions softened as he reached over to straighten Yuuri's glasses because they'd become skewed at some point during their interaction. Both their hearts started beating very fast again as they stared at each other in silence for a long moment. It kind of reminded me of the night I had pushed Viktor into Yuuri but this time neither of them pulled away. In fact, it looked like they were moving closer to each other. And if I had thought their hearts were already being really fast, they were thundering out of control now.
Both of them became extremely nervous and I almost stood to attention, worried something was wrong. But then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. As they got to the hall, Viktor and Yuuri heard them, too. The boys startled and pulled away from each other, Viktor quickly coming back to the bed and sitting down on the edge. He patted my head as Mari appeared in the half-open doorway.
She said something to Yuuri in that first different way of speaking. Yuuri replied and Mari disappeared, going back down the hall and the stairs.
Yuuri finally looked over at Viktor, his cheeks still red. Both their hearts had settled down but they were still beating quite fast. Sometimes I worried about them. It couldn't be healthy for their hearts to beat so fast so much.
"They need me for something downstairs, I'll be right back," Yuuri said.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Viktor replied.
Yuuri shook his head. "I'll only be a few minutes." He smiled before standing and exiting. I looked up at my boy as he looked down at me and rubbed my back with one of his hands. He smiled. Energy buzzed within him, beneath his fingertips. Some part of him seemed really disappointed, though. I sat up and licked his cheek to comfort him, eliciting a chuckle from my boy.
"Maybe next time," he said quietly as he scratched my side. I wagged and licked his face again. He knew just the right spots.
The following evening, when it was about the time Yuuri and Viktor hung out in his room, Yuuri didn't show. Viktor waited but I could tell he was confused. After what seemed to me an arbitrary amount of time had passed, my boy got up and poked his head out the doorway, looking down the hall at Yuuri's door. I hopped off the bed and went to sit at his feet. Yuuri's door was cracked.
Viktor went up to it, hesitant and even a little nervous. I waited in the doorway to his room. He knocked lightly on the door and called, "Yuuri?"
Yuuri appeared in the doorway, opening the door wider. He had something in one of his hands. He seemed nervous, too. It was common with him but Viktor's confusion told me something was different.
My boy's nervousness grew. "I just…wanted to make sure you were okay, I guess. You, uh, didn't…" He trailed off and glanced back at his room.
Yuuri seemed to understand what he meant and exclaimed, "Oh! Right, sorry. I just…got preoccupied with something." His anxiety grew as he held up the thing he was holding. "Our talk last night about hair reminded me that I had this. It was a gift from Minako-sensei for my birthday last year. I haven't used it yet, though."
Viktor took the thing, which I could now see was a small bottle, from Yuuri and stared at it for a moment before I felt embarrassment rush through him. He laughed and looked up at Yuuri, saying, "I forgot I can't read Japanese."
Some of Yuuri's nerves settled and he laughed, too, taking the bottle back from Viktor.
"It's a nourishing oil," Yuuri said, "that also keeps my hair from frizzing. Both Minkao-sensei and the bottle claim that it's not greasy."
"You should try it!" Viktor said.
"What? Now?"
"Yeah, come on!" my boy took Yuuri's hand and pulled him back to his room. They slipped past me and I followed them, hopping back up onto my boy's bed.
"I-I wouldn't even know how to do it," Yuuri said, his nerves spiking again. He had stopped them in the middle of the room and they remained there, standing.
"I could do it for you," Viktor said. Then something occurred to him and he started, letting go of Yuuri's hand. "I mean, only if you want me to, of course."
"No!" Yuuri yelled. I felt hurt rush through my boy as Yuuri's nervousness spiked again and he exclaimed. "I mean no, I…I w-wouldn't mind." The pain disappeared from my boy, replaced by excitement and more nerves.
"Really?" my boy asked.
Yuuri nodded silently, his cheeks turning red.
"Great! I-I'll get my comb."
"I'm going to grab something from my room really quick," Yuuri said, setting the bottle down on the table. My boy nodded and Yuuri left. When he returned, he had a cushion in his hand. He set it down on the floor in front of the sofa on the right side of the room. He sat on the cushion. My boy sat behind him on the sofa, with the comb lying on a small towel next to him.
Even after realizing they often got nervous around each other, their anxiety still made me anxious. I remained on the bed and watched them, just in case. You just never really knew with humans. They felt so many emotions but those emotions could mean different things in different situations. I could never tell what hidden meaning there was, just how they were feeling.
My boy took the bottle from the table. He put some of the stuff inside the bottle into the palm of his hand before rubbing his hands together. Then he reached for Yuuri, pausing a moment, his nervousness shooting up, before he began running his fingers through Yuuri's hair. I was unsure why exactly he was doing it but I'd seen him do that with his own hair before.
Yuuri was doing something on his phone, but I didn't think he was paying much attention to what was on the screen. Both their hearts were thudding in their chests again.
Eventually, though, after a few moments of my boy massaging the stuff from the bottle into Yuuri's hair, they both relaxed. Their nerves died down. Yuuri even stopped doing stuff on his phone and closed his eyes. They were both really enjoying it and soon I felt that quiet peacefulness settle over them. I felt my eyelids drooping, there was so much warm, happy feelings coming from both of them.
When my boy was finished with massaging in that stuff from the bottle, he wiped his hands on the small towel before taking the comb and gently brushing Yuuri's hair, who relaxed even further. They both had little smiles on their faces. And usually, I didn't like small smiles but I had come to find with my boy and Yuuri, these smiles came with a loving fondness. So I began liking their small smiles.
My boy and Yuuri slowly but surely grew more and more comfortable with each other. Those warm, loving feelings continued to grow and shift and change, kind of like how the light shifted and changed through colored glass or water droplets, creating what my boy called "rainbows." The love they felt for each other was distinctly different than the love they felt for me, and different than Yuuri's love for Okaasan and Otousan, or Viktor's love for Mom and Dad. It was similar and yet different than the kind of love Yuuko and Takeshi felt for each other, or the kind of love Mom and Dad had for each other, or even the kind of love Okaasan and Otousan had toward each other, too.
I think that's what I loved most about humans. Even though they were confusing, and did confusing things, things I don't think I would ever understand, it always amazed me the kind of love they had for other things and other dogs and other humans.
The weather varied a lot but soon the endless rainy days got shorter and shorter until there were very few rainy days. It was very sunny and very warm and very long. Even though we were in a different place now, I knew this pattern of weather enough to know that soon the days would become shorter and the weather, cooler. I had a feeling both my boy and Yuuri would be off to do skating competition, then.
I would miss going with them almost everywhere. This felt like the most time I'd spent with my boy in a long time. Even though they still did skating a lot, much like Viktor did back home, being able to go with them to the rink, and on walks and jogs, and around town, was much more than I was able to do with Viktor before. At least, that's what it felt like.
On days when my boy and Yuuri didn't go do skating, or other things that had to do with skating, or at the end of a day that they did do skating, we went down to the ocean. This time, they went swimming in the water. I got to go swimming with them (even though it meant baths afterward). It was especially nice because the days were so hot and the water was nice and cool.
We did this weird thing, going to outdoor showers, and getting wet before we even went to the ocean. Yet another human thing I don't think I'd ever understand. But if it meant we could go to the ocean, I didn't really mind. The water was still cold, and it was refreshing on hot days. I loved bounding around, jumping and biting at the spray of water. It was fun for me and it seemed to amuse both my boy and Yuuri. They often took pictures of me when I did this.
They played around at the shower area, sometimes more than they played around in the water at the ocean. They'd splash each other with the spray from the water, laughing.
Their hearts still pounded when they were with each other but there wasn't as much hesitance. They seemed much more comfortable being around each other now; much more comfortable being close and physical. Sometimes they'd do dancing. One time, after a fun time in the ocean, my boy had ruffled Yuuri's hair while Yuuri had been standing underneath the spray.
"Hey!" Yuuri exclaimed as my boy darted away. They began chased each other around the pole that sprayed the water. Their movements weren't super fast, though. I think because the ground could get slippery with all the pooling water. They both laughed a lot.
When Yuuri finally caught Viktor, which I had a feeling my boy let him do, they started washing each other's hair. Yuuri had this huge, open-mouthed grin. I didn't think I'd seen him smile like that before, or feel this happy and relaxed before. I found my boy had that effect on him—when he wasn't making Yuuri nervous, Viktor made Yuuri very happy and content. Maybe that was why they both loved each other.
Viktor had a one of those small, fond smiles. This was one of those moments where my boy felt at peace since after meeting Yuuri.
Before, he rarely felt at peace. But, those kinds of moments became more and more frequent the longer we stayed in Hasetsu. And that dark sadness that had overtaken my boy's heart so long ago became smaller and smaller each day with Yuuri.
It hadn't completely disappeared. It lingered, for some reason, and was more prominent when it got dark. There were still nights when my boy couldn't sleep and those dark feelings would strengthen. But they never grew to the size they were before coming to Hasetsu. And during the day, especially when Viktor was with Yuuri, which was almost always, it shrunk so small, it basically became nonexistent.
I was so incredibly happy I didn't have to worry about my boy anymore. So happy he had once again found the happiness, that skating used to bring him, in Yuuri.
One night, my boy and Yuuri sat really close on the sofa in the left corner of the room and watched something on my boy's laptop, which sat on the table they had pulled closer to the sofa. It had moving pictures and they settled in like it was going to be very long, so I think they were watching what Viktor often referred to as a movie. They seemed more exhausted today than usual. I had stayed outside the rink, since the sun had been out. I napped in the sun, and when I got too warm, I moved to nap in the shade. When they'd come out, I could tell they had worked hard doing skating.
Which is why it wasn't too surprising that Yuuri fell asleep half-way through the movie. Throughout the beginning of the movie, Yuuri had shifted closer and closer to my boy, eventually leaning into him, and resting his head on Viktor's shoulder. Viktor eventually put one of his arms around Yuuri's shoulders.
For once, they seemed comfortable with such close contact. Their hearts didn't start beating so fast and their faces didn't turn red.
I was over on my boy's bed, lying down at the end, watching them. I didn't care much for movies. They were so long. And how could the humans find anything more interesting than me?
When Yuuri fell asleep, my boy simply smiled at him—one of those small, fond smiles—and gently squeezed his shoulder before turning back to the movie. When the music started playing, indicating the movie was finally over, Yuuri woke up again. He pulled away from my boy, and I could tell Viktor was reluctant to let him go, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.
He mumbled something in that first different way of speaking before he blinked and realized something.
"Oh, sorry," he said in the second way of speaking, his voice still heavy with sleep. "How long was I asleep?"
"Just about an hour," my boy answered as he leaned forward and hit a key on his laptop. The music stopped. Yuuri watched him, still holding his glasses in his hand. His heart was staring to pound really fast again, his cheeks slowly turning pink.
"Viktor," Yuuri said. My boy sat back and looked over at Yuuri expectantly. There was a second he paused, then Yuuri leaned toward my boy and pressed their faces really close together. Fear and excitement radiated off both of them and their hearts started beating extremely fast. Their faces stayed pressed close together and it sounded like they were eating but I didn't see any food.
It was very strange. Not able to alleviate any of my confusion, I hoped off the bed and went over to them, propping myself up on the edge of the sofa with my forepaws, and shoved my nose between them, where their faces were pressed together. There was a moment of silence as they stared at each other, then they burst out laughing, their hands coming up to my sides to pet me. I wagged at the attention and their laughter.
My boy leaned over and pressed his face close to Yuuri's again. It was much quicker than the last time, some kind of peck. Then I leaned over and licked Yuuri's cheek, which caused both of them to laugh again.
"Aw, Makka loves you, too, Yuuri," my boy said, petting my side. Yuuri froze at whatever my boy had said. He carefully put his glasses back on and looked over at Viktor.
"You…love me?" he asked.
My boy froze, this time. His hand stilling in my fur as he looked over at Yuuri. I could feel regret and fear growing inside him the longer he looked at Yuuri.
Finally, he nodded, took in a shaky breath and said, "Yes." When Yuuri didn't say anything for a few moments after that, Viktor looked away, the fear inside him increasing. "Look, Yuuri—" he started.
Before my boy could finish though, Yuuri reached over, turning Viktor's face to him before he leaned over again and pressed their faces together. It was quick again, but it felt different than that peck thing Viktor had done a little earlier. I hopped back down from the sofa as Yuuri pulled back. They looked at each other and it looked like something was being communicated between them even though they weren't talking.
After that weird, silent communication, they both smiled. I felt Viktor's emotions shift again—some happy and joyous and loving. Yuuri's emotions were softer, but the same—happy, joyful, loving.
Yuuri shifted to be closer to my boy, who put his arms around Yuuri's shoulders again. I hopped up next to Yuuri and rested my head in his lap. They both smiled at me and patted my head before Yuuri rested his head on my boy's shoulder, and Viktor rested his head on top of Yuuri's.
For the first time, in a long time, those dark feelings that'd pained my boy to his core disappeared.
Anyway. Sorry this took so long to get to you, despite being written already,,,,,,,,,,i should know by know I'm just slow to update in general lmao
That's the official end! I have two extra chapters/bonus content in mind, but those are not written. So they may take even longer,,,,,,,if I decide to do them at all. ngl comments would help me decide lol
As always, I hope you enjoyed! Comments are always appreciated!
Thank you for reading,
thebrightestnight