Author's Notes: Sort of a meet the family chapter and - way too many reveals lol. Also, summer classes start next week and my research projects are back in full swing, so I'll have to dial back the updates to a bi-weekly schedule. :( Hope you enjoy the chapter, and as always, let me know your thoughts!
The bus is packed, people squished against each other and into the seats.
It takes them a while to get settled, especially with medium-sized suitcases in tow, but Victor and Yuuri manage to squeeze their way into a spot at the corner end of the bus. The engine roars, and the crowd sways with the motion, sending Yuuri straight into Victor's chest.
"S-Sorr— ow!"
"Watch it!"
Victor stifles a laugh as Yuuri dips his head repeatedly in apology to the disgruntled man behind him. Still embarrassed by physical contact outside their futons, his angel's immediate reaction was to jolt backwards – and slam the back of his head into some unfortunate passenger's face.
"You all right?" Victor lowers his head, murmuring right by Yuuri's ear.
"Just fine," Yuuri says, but Victor doesn't miss the shudder running through his body. (How can he, when they're pressed so firmly into each other, shifting only when the bus hits a bump in the road?)
They're on their way to visit Yuuri's family for the Bon festival, a day when families reunite at their ancestral homes to visit and clean their ancestors' graves. The Katsukis are not Buddhist, Yuuri explains, but with people also using the three-day holiday for a vacation with their families, the festival is one of the busiest periods of the year for his family's inn. It has thus become tradition for him to visit each year so as to assist at the inn. The only guest Yuuri has ever brought with him is Phichit, so Victor is honored to be second (even as he wishes he were the first).
Since Victor's injury, Yuuri seems to have developed the habit of inquiring about his whereabouts every few hours, no different from a mother worrying over an errant child. Victor can't blame the other man; he hasn't talked about the injury, and Yuuri never asked. (He did wake up in a cold sweat that one time, Yuuri's screams echoing in his head, but Yuuri simply held him until the shaking went away.)
They haven't talked about Yuuri's "request", either.
So when Yuuri brings up his family visit, Victor is beyond thrilled; it will give him a chance to escape the burden of his newfound knowledge, at least for a while.
More importantly, Victor is about to meet Yuuri's family – the very people responsible for birthing such an exquisite human being.
"How should I address your parents?" Victor asks.
"It's up to you, really," Yuuri says, adjusting his glasses. "Most people call them by their first names, even the regular patrons."
"And what are their first names?"
"Oh, ah, my mom is Hiroko, my dad is Toshiya."
"Hiroko and Toshiya," Victor says, trying the syllables on his tongue.
"Good enough," Yuuri says, smiling.
"You said you have a sister?"
"Mari. She's uh," Yuuri's smile slides into a grimace, "Honest."
"Honesty is usually a good thing," Victor chuckles.
"Usually."
Something vibrates in the vicinity of Victor's left thigh. As Yuuri tugs his cellphone out, Victor bites his cheek before he cracks a lewd in-your-pocket joke that will undoubtedly make Yuuri uncomfortable. He can't have Yuuri tuning him out in the back of a packed bus.
"Looks like Yuuko will be joining the welcome party," Yuuri says, glancing at the screen.
"Ah, the famous Ms. Yuuko," Victor purrs throatily.
Yuuri laughs, returning the cellphone to his jeans pocket. "Say it like that, and you'll have her unconscious in seconds."
"That's part of the fun," Victor grins.
Victor spots the entrance to Yuuri's family inn as soon as the bus nears their stop. The archway displays banners with round, homely Japanese characters, reminiscent of Yuuri's general mild-mannered aura. It's adorned with lanterns: red lanterns lining the top and sides of the gate, stone ones standing guard in front. Full and large, the trees on either side of the entrance add to the picturesque scene, branches swaying with the warm summer breeze.
Two women wait at the archway. The brunette is practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, ponytail swinging, while the other looks bored, scratching idly at the hairband in her dark hair, blond tips fanning messily round the back like an untamed mane.
"Yuuko and Mari," Yuuri introduces, seconds before the brunette leaps toward Victor with her hands outstretched, tears streaming from her wide, wide eyes.
"Oh my god, Victor Nikiforov, here, in person, and I'm touching Victor Nikiforov – "
Victor barely makes out Yuuko's words as she clutches his hands with a viselike grip, blubbering on about every movie he's in, every role he has ever played – or, at least, that's what he thinks she's saying. Yuuri's efforts to console her are fruitless.
It's only after several minutes of uncontrolled gushing that the bored-looking woman finally steps up to yank Yuuko aside.
"Breathe or you'll pass out," says a robotic voice.
The woman twists round in surprise.
"I told you to leave that at home," Yuuri chides.
"But it's so convenient!" says Victor. "Watch." Holding up the little translator device, he approaches the woman and smiles winsomely. "Hello, you must be Yuuri's sister, Mari. I'm Victor Nikiforov."
The device translates his words, adding an odd emphasis to the tail ends of his name.
Raising an eyebrow, Mari responds.
"That bald spot looks a lot bigger in person," intones the device.
Victor's smile freezes as though someone had ripped a section of some promotional movie poster and plastered it on his face.
Bald spot?
"Um," says Yuuri, mouth twitching, "I'm sure it's just not good at picking up our regional slang."
"Did you… tell your family about my complex?" Victor says stiffly.
"Of course not!"
Victor's smile doesn't falter even when Yuuri starts to push at his shoulder, claiming that they shouldn't keep his parents waiting.
This is not the heartwarming introduction Victor had envisioned.
Yuuri's parents are kind and hospitable and everything Victor anticipated - thank god. (Yuuri had to have gotten his angelic traits from somewhere, after all.) After pulling Yuuri into a tight hug, Yuuri's mother releases her son and greets Victor with similar enthusiasm, reflected in the deep bow she performs when she turns to him. A step behind, Yuuri's father bows as well, at a smaller angle, but no less reverent.
Unsure of the cultural proprieties, Victor decides to bow in return, dipping his head as low as it can go.
Mari walks by, snorting.
"Someone drop something in here?" says the device in Victor's pocket.
"Mari-neechan," Yuuri huffs. His parents straighten, laughing good-naturedly.
("Honest" is one way to describe Mari Katsuki, thinks Victor.)
Mari shrugs, "We've got tons of customers, so put on your apron and get to work. Yuuko's already in the kitchen."
"Let me show Victor to his room first."
"Fine. Come by when you're done."
"She's just a little stressed," Hiroko says, throwing her arms round Yuuri for one last squeeze. "We're all so happy to have you home again."
"Thanks mom," Yuuri's face softens into a smile, and Victor melts, glad he brought the translator device despite Yuuri's objections.
They don't have much time together after that, especially with the rush of customers that arrive after them. Apologetic and looking oh-so-cute in an apron, Yuuri leaves Victor in one of their largest guest rooms – a sizable space divided into a sitting area and a room for the futons. After unpacking his suitcase, Victor slips into the yukata he finds in the closet and heads out for a walk around the inn.
Wandering without direction, he chances upon a little garden in the back: small but serene, filled with moss-covered rocks and soft yellow flowers. In the pond, koi fish glide through the waters, light reflecting off the shiny scales.
But it's not the simple beauty of the garden that catches his attention.
By the small bench, in a patch of sunlight, lies a brown labradoodle, mouth open, tongue lolling. The lack of a collar seems to indicate its status as a stray, yet the finely groomed fur tells a different story. The labradoodle's ears perk up as Victor approaches, long tail thumping hesitantly against the ground.
"Hello," says Victor softly. He crouches down, holding his hand out for the dog to inspect. Once a pink tongue licks his hand in approval, he raises it to stroke the soft fur, murmuring, "I wonder where you came from?"
"Oh!"
Victor looks back, blinking.
Blushing furiously, Yuuko covers her mouth, stammering, "Um, sorry, I didn't mean to – that is…" she inhales, "I, I just thought it's cute to see Vicchan finally meeting his namesake."
"His namesake?"
"Didn't Yuuri-kun tell you?" says Yuuko in surprise. "He, um, named his dog after you."
Victor glanced back at Vicchan, who cocks its head, tail thumping harder against the garden soil.
Just when he thought his angel couldn't be any cuter.
"Well he's handsome and very sweet," Yuuri says, eyes trained on his food, cheeks dusted pink. Every so often, he drops a hand under the table to pet Vicchan, whose fluffy head rests comfortably on his lap.
"So that's how you've always seen me," Victor teases.
"He also comes and goes as he pleases and occasionally shits in the dining hall," Mari says wryly.
Victor's face falls after hearing his device's translation.
"Let's not talk about such things at the dining table," Hiroko chides gently.
It's close to ten when the family finally sits down for dinner, taking advantage of the lull in customers. Victor doesn't complain – won't complain – because he's in his angel's family home, and he has to make the best possible impression. Also, Hiroko's cooking is indeed legendary and so worth the wait.
He makes sure to point that out to Hiroko, who titters, waving her hand up and down in obvious delight.
Mari shakes her head. "Is he always like that? All the flowery words and extravagant gestures?" she whispers to Yuuri.
"Most of the time," Yuuri whispers back.
"You are so lucky, Yuuri-kun," Yuuko sighs deeply.
"I was going to ask how he stands it," Mari says.
"The device is catching everything you say," says Victor indignantly.
"Excuse me~!" calls a feminine voice, "Is this a bad time?"
"Ah, Toshiya, it's Minako-san!" Jubilantly, Hiroko leaps off her seat, tugging a smiling Toshiya with her to the entrance.
"Minako?" Victor slides a grain of stray rice into his mouth. He doesn't miss the way Yuuri's eyes traces his finger's movement, up till it slips past his lips. After a deliberate suck, he pulls the digit out with a pop, meeting the other man's gaze. Yuuri's Adam apple bobs, before he quickly averts his eyes, flushing.
Ah, Victor's lips curve, so his angel isn't quite so innocent.
"Minako-san is a dance instructor," Yuuko supplies, oblivious. "She owns a studio just a few bus stops away and comes to the inn for drinks at night. Yuuri-kun and I have taken some of her dance lessons!"
Victor beams at Yuuri. "You dance?"
"And this is exactly why I've never brought it up," Yuuri says, ducking his head in embarrassment. "I took dance lessons, but I don't dance."
"Please, please come in." Hiroko reappears, ushering in a slender woman with long auburn hair that cascades past her shoulders. She's dressed plainly – a cream-colored shirt and three-quarter denim pants – but her good looks shine through, complimented by the little beauty mark beneath her left eye.
"Minako-san is here, everyone," Hiroko announces.
The group choruses a hello in unison, Yuuko waving brightly.
"Sorry to interrupt your dinner," Minako says with a wave in return. "I'll just take my usual spot in front of the TV." She raises an eyebrow, eyes flickering over to Victor. "You're a new face."
"That's Victor, Yuuri's friend," Toshiya says, stepping back into the dining hall with a bottle of Japanese shochu in hand.
"Oh, Yuuri's friend." Minako flashes a broad smile, switching to perfect English, "Nice to meet you, Victor."
"Likewise," Victor replies smoothly.
Yuuri, he notices, starts to take his bottom lip between his teeth.
Something about Minako clearly makes Yuuri nervous, but Victor can't imagine why. The lady looks normal (read: human) enough, right down to her mannerisms as she shares a drink with Toshiya, sprawled across the tatami mats like a homeless person taking a nap in the corner of a subway station.
When he asks Yuuri about it after dinner, his angel shrugs, eyebrows knitting in a frown.
"I can't explain it," Yuuri says in a hushed whisper, pushing at his glasses, "But I feel… uneasy around her. Like something bad is going to happen if I stay near her."
Together, they glance over to Minako, who's now singing some off-tune melody into an empty shochu bottle as though it were a microphone, brushing off Hiroko's suggestion to please lie down in your usual room, Minako-san.
"She looks harmless." Victor hides a smile as Hiroko heaves the inebriated woman to her feet. Barking, Vicchan prances after them, apparently just as amused by the sight.
"She generally is." Yuuri shrugs, "But if there's anything I've learned about the supernatural world, it's to always listen to your instincts. That's why I quit her ballet lessons after a few weeks."
"You dance ballet?" Victor says, lighting up like a beacon.
"So not the point," Yuuri laughs. "Anyway, why don't you start on the hot springs first? I'll join you after I'm done cleaning the kitchen."
Slinging a towel over his shoulder, Victor hums a light tune under his breath as he makes his way to the bath. In a few minutes, his eyes are going to be exposed to the smooth, creamy skin that he had only fantasized or viewed in agonizingly teasing glimpses, and he fully intended to drink in the glorious sight – appreciate it just as art is meant to be valued and treasured, torturously unattainable. It's a wonder that his angel is perfectly fine with nudity in a hot spring, but turns into a blushing mess in any other context.
What was it they say in Japanese?
Hot springs, banzai?
"… Yuuri doesn't suspect a thing."
"And his friend?"
"He knows only what Yuuri tells him."
Victor pauses. There's a door left slightly ajar, voices sieving through the gap. One of the voices distinctly belongs to a particular co-worker of his, but the other is unfamiliar: soft and quiet, yet ringing with the authority of a commander on a warfront.
What on earth could Leo be doing at the inn, and why hadn't Victor run into him all day?
Carefully, Victor presses against the wall and inches closer to the open door.
"Which isn't much, then. Any movement from the Society?"
"Not a peep," Leo grunts. He sounds gruff, all traces of his friendly tone gone. "Not since the Minami boy."
"They're finished with the serum, they must be."
"I've been watching Yuuri. There hasn't been a single exterminator."
Reaching the gap, Victor peers in.
There are three in the room, huddled round a coffee table in the sitting area. Leo's back is facing the door, seated across is the youkai mate Victor recognizes from Leo's instagram pictures, and the third –
Victor swallows a yell, as an extremely sober Minako turns to look straight at him, eyes slanting.
Gold eyes; brilliant and luminous as his angel's.
"Guang Hong," she says softly.
"Yes, Minako-sama."
Guang Hong's form blurs, and suddenly, he's right in Victor's face, swinging the hilt of a strange-looking sword downwards, hard and fast.
The loud crack against his temple is the last thing Victor hears before his vision turns black.
Something cold is dripping down his neck.
Victor groans, swats at the offending object, and groans again at the pain that reverberates through his head.
"Stay still, for heaven's sake," says the commanding voice. "You're making it worse for yourself."
Slowly, the Russian opens his eyes to see Minako gazing down at him with an irritated expression, a makeshift ice pack in one hand. She must have wrapped a bunch of ice in a handkerchief; that would explain the cold wetness on his forehead.
"Why help me after trying to kill me?" Victor hisses.
"Oh don't be so melodramatic," Minako sniffs. "No one was trying to kill you. Guang Hong just doesn't know his own strength sometimes."
Seated in the corner of the room, the cat youkai lifts his head at his name, and blushes. "Sorry."
"Who are you?" Victor sucks in a breath as Minako pushes the ice bag against his bruise. "All of you?"
Guang Hong shifts awkwardly, the sound of blades clinking as he moved. "We mean no harm."
"That's what villains say when they – " Realization strikes, and Victor sits up abruptly, fiercely ignoring the jolt of pain that shoots down his spine.
Only two of them have been speaking.
"Where's Leo?" he demands.
"Victor," Minako sighs, "Calm down – "
"Where is Leo?" Victor's panic surges, numbing the pain. "If he hurts Yuuri, I – "
"I said – " A flash of gold, and Minako begins to glow, brown hair rising off her shoulders and into the air, " – calm down."
Stunned, Victor falls silent.
Like an off switch, Minako returns to normal, shoving Victor with surprising strength into a lying position. "I've asked Leo to distract Yuuri," she says, dabbing the ice bag lightly on Victor's temple. "Can't have him looking for you and stumbling into something he doesn't need to know."
"From what I've heard, I think Yuuri has every right to know," Victor mutters.
"You don't know what you're up against," says Minako.
"Not if everyone keeps us in the dark like this," Victor frowns. "Yuuri said you make him uneasy."
"I make his fox uneasy," Minako snorts. "Their lack of communication makes it hard for Yuuri to separate his own feelings from the youkai's."
"Your answers only prompt more questions."
Minako lets out a long exhale. "Very well. As Yuuri's mate – don't look so surprised; you reek of his scent – I suppose I owe you some sort of explanation. Perhaps you will also come to understand our choices."
At her nod, Guang Hong moves to stand by the door with his weapon.
Without the veil of fear clouding his vision, Victor sees now that Guang Hong's weapon consists of twin swords, both blades flat and broad, edges curved like giant kitchen knives. Each hilt sports a small crossguard that Guang Hong is grasping now, wielding the hilts as blunt melee weapons.
No wonder his head hurts like a bitch.
Minako clears her throat, drawing Victor's attention back to her. Chin lifting, she begins, "Before Murase, before his youkai-hating agenda, I was head of the Saga branch of the Youkai Extermination Society. At the time, Murase was but a member, a new member, one who had just begun his training as an exterminator."
Victor blinks in astonishment. "They allowed a youkai to head the branch?"
"I am half-youkai," Minako says, eyelashes lowering. "And I am the reason Murase hates us."
"What was the – "
"It doesn't matter now what the reason was," Minako cuts in, shaking her head. "Regardless, it's after I left the Society that I met Yuuri. Hiroko had signed him up for dance classes, thinking it would 'bring him out of his shell'. You must understand that half-youkai are extremely rare, so I was beyond excited to meet another like me. But as you said, Yuuri was afraid of me – or more accurately, the fox within him was scared – so I was forced to seek another method of remaining in contact with him."
"I had an ally in the Society, a human one. He had pledged his service to me, determined to carry out the project I had started before I left – a serum that could purify any youkai of its corruption. His name is Hisashi Morooka."
"Yuuri's mentor," says Victor, eyes growing wide.
"Correct," Minako says, nodding. "He wasn't an exterminator by any means, more of a researcher, but he quickly took to the task of acting as Yuuri's mentor, sharing my teachings with Yuuri in my stead."
"Unfortunately, Murase caught wind of Morooka's activities, and he knew immediately I was behind them. He threatened Morooka, so for Morooka's safety, I instructed him to leave the prefecture and continue his research in secret. Murase was so tainted with blind hatred that I knew he would want to kill Yuuri as a way of exacting his revenge on me. That's why I dispatched my shiki to watch over him and his family."
At Victor's puzzled look, Minako gestures toward Guang Hong. "Shiki are youkai retainers, bound by contract to their exterminators."
"So they're forced…?"
"Leo and I are happy to be of use to Minako-sama," Guang Hong protests instantly.
"In any case," Minako flashes a soft smile at the youkai, before turning grave. "We have come to the heart of the matter. Murase is attempting to create a serum that will strengthen the primal instincts of a youkai, corrupting its soul and turning it into a being that seeks nothing but blood to curb its appetite. It's not clear, but we believe he might have succeeded."
Victor shoots up again, vision blurring from the sudden pain. "Then Yuuri's in danger," he gasps, clutching at his head, "We have to tell him – "
"Yuuri knows," says Guang Hong quietly.
"What? But how…"
"Seung-gil told him. I watched the entire conversation while staking out his office."
That goddamn secretive dick of a priest, thinks Victor.
"But he doesn't know that Murase might have the serum ready for use and he doesn't know about me." Minako glances at Guang Hong. "About us. It's best not to alarm him; his youkai is aggressive enough as it is, fueled by his darkest emotions. Any more, and he won't be able to suppress the beast."
"Wouldn't he feel better knowing that Morooka's alive?"
"Not the way he is now. He'd feel worse knowing he's the reason for Morooka's exile. At the very least, he certainly won't appreciate hearing that his whole life has been an elaborate ruse."
That does sound like his angel.
Victor draws in deep breaths, feeling his head pound like a drumbeat, old wound in his shoulder throbbing. Not a week passes in Japan without some kind of information overload, and it's starting to take a toll on his wellbeing.
He can't even begin to imagine how Yuuri must be feeling.
Someone – something – scratches on the door.
"Who is it?" Guang Hong asks, lifting his swords.
Someone chuckles, "Your mate, love," and Guang Hong brightens considerably.
He opens the door, and the brown labradoodle pads in, tail wagging.
"Best for Victor to return to Yuuri now," says the dog in Leo's voice. "There're only so many times I can get Yuuri to chase after me for a customer's shoe."
"Oh my god," says Victor. "You're Vicchan? You're the handsome and very sweet dog?"
Leo's mouth opens, his jaw stretching in a playful grin. "Hi. Would've told you if I could, but it'd blow my cover."
Victor had so many questions, so many. For instance, how long has Leo been spying on the Katsuki family in this form? Why turn up in his human form at all? Why isn't Yuuri's fox reacting to him? Has Leo shared a bed with Yuuri before?
Most importantly:
"You shit in the dining hall!?"
"They think I'm an untrained stray!" Leo barks, while his mate shakes his head solemnly. "I had to keep up appearances!"
Victor turns to Guang Hong. "Do you 'keep up appearances' too?"
"I'm a cat," Guang Hong says, looking as if the Russian has just insulted his entire lineage. "I mostly monitor Seung-gil and Phichit's movements on the outside, anyway."
Minako coughs loudly. "Might I suggest you return to Yuuri before he gets suspicious?"
"Fine," Victor sighs. He rises with the help of Minako, stumbling to the door. "You know," he frowns. "You never explained why Yuuri is – why Yuuri's fox is so afraid of you."
"That's because it is rightfully wary of my youkai half."
"Which is?"
"A dragon," says Minako, smiling serenely.
Victor has trouble sleeping that night.
In addition to his head threatening to implode, he can't stop his worries for Yuuri, which of course, doesn't help said imploding head. There's far too much he doesn't understand about this world and its politics. How can he be of any help to Yuuri when there's always some new information brought to light, some curveball that no one anticipated? Finding a cure for his angel is hard enough without a vengeful exterminator set on speeding up and heightening the transformation.
Sighing, Victor rolls to his side slowly.
To make matters worse, he has gotten so used to sleeping with Yuuri pressed against his side that the futon feels empty now – far too empty.
"Victor?" says a voice hesitantly at his door. "Are you still awake?"
Victor bolts upright, before swearing inwardly. It definitely felt like something imploded in his head right then. "Yuuri?" he manages after a while. "What's wrong?"
"I, um, I can't sleep. So I was wondering if I could…"
"Yes," Victor says, heart soaring. "Yes."
As Yuuri slides into his arms with a contented sigh, Victor draws him in close, soaking in the familiar sensations, letting them ground him.
"You took a long time to get to the hot springs tonight," Yuuri says sleepily. "I thought you'd be in there before me, what with Vicchan leading me in a chase all over the inn."
Victor twitches at the mention of the labradoodle. "I… went out for some ice cream."
"Ice cream? You mean the convenience store?"
"Mm hm."
"But it's right down the road."
"I was lost in thought and went in the opposite direction."
Yuuri shifts, lifting a leg to rest his knee warmly on Victor's thigh. "What were you thinking about?"
"About…" – your real mentor actually being a half-dragon lady who was also your dance instructor and who currently has two youkai spying on you on her orders; how your life is in danger thanks to a maniac who wants to force out the worst of your youkai because of some petty spat with that same half-dragon lady; oh, and the discovery that your dog is also my co-worker – "… how lucky I am to have met you."
"Silly," Yuuri mumbles, curling further into Victor. "But I'm glad I met you, too."
That night, Victor wakes up in cold sweat again, but Yuuri's right there with him.
The rest of the Bon festival passes without incident. (Yuuri thinks otherwise, after that one drunken episode when Toshiya and Victor performed a two-man comedy duo on tabletops to the cheers of the other patrons, manipulating the mouths of crudely drawn clown faces on their bellies. Victor considers it a wonderful bonding memory.) Hiroko takes to calling Victor 'Vicchan', an affectionate nickname that – in spite of its association with a certain dog youkai – sends tingles of warmth right down to his toes, far quicker than the Japanese sake Toshiya popped the other night. Yuuko actually manages a coherent conversation with Victor at one point, discussing the merits of his character's actions in his last spy movie. Even prickly, sarcastic Mari softens around Victor, addressing him by name instead of "oi" and "hey".
On their last day at the inn, Hiroko taps on Victor's shoulder and leads him to a quiet corner away from the entrance, where Yuuri is saying his farewells to Yuuko and the rest of his family.
(Leo is present as well, playing his part as the lovable stray. Dog form or not, Victor's not at all pleased with how tightly Yuuri embraces the labradoodle.)
"Take care of Yuuri, Vicchan," Hiroko says, aided by the translator in Victor's pocket. She clasps Victor's hand tightly between hers. "He may act like everything is fine, but a mother knows her son."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Victor lays a hand over Hiroko's. "I promise."
They find seats on the ride home, and Victor keeps a hand over Yuuri's knee for the entire journey, sitting close enough for their thighs and shoulders to touch. Yuuri doesn't pull away.
And life returns to normal.
Despite Minako's assurance that she will send news through Leo, Victor remains on high alert for suspicious activity during and outside of missions. Phichit remarks that he's being "extra jumpy" these days, which Victor passes off as method acting for his movie role. Yuuri compliments him for his diligence, and Victor feels awful for lying to his angel yet again.
As the weeks go by with no sign of an attack, Victor gradually relaxes his vigilance, little by little.
By the next month, Victor wonders if Minako is merely being overly cautious, or if everything he experienced at the inn was some nightmare concocted by his overactive mind.
And then, even after everything that happened at the Katsuki home, the summer award for Strangest Thing Ever goes to Seung-gil pulling him aside one mission to apologize for his injury.
"Does this have anything to do with your missing door?" Victor asks, arching an eyebrow.
"Just take the apology and shut the hell up," Seung-gil grumbles.
("Can we get the mission details now?" Phichit calls, grinning. "Kinda drafty in here."
Yuuri laughs. Seung-gil, surprisingly, chooses to ignore the remark.)
The mission that night is simple: rid of an infestation of spider youkai that are devastating crops and feeding on hapless people who wander into their webs at night. The creatures are ranked at a B-level, more for their sheer numbers than their abilities.
With that knowledge in mind, Yuuri has Christophe and Kenjiro join the mission, much to Kenjiro's delight.
Near the mission location, as always, it's his angel who takes the reigns, gold eyes bright in the darkness. "Most insect youkai have a leader – a queen. Spider youkai might be different, but unless we know otherwise, we stick to the plan of Phichit and I clearing the path and luring out the queen for the rest of you long-range fighters to take it down."
Turning, he provides a quick translation to Kenjiro, who nods with determination.
"The kid's a long range fighter?" Christophe asks, tilting his head at the teenager.
"He has been training with kunai," Yuuri says with some pride. Kenjiro gives a toothy grin, recognizing the positive tone in his mentor's voice. "He's gotten better with commanding his shikigami as well."
"Got to give credit to the teacher, too," Phichit points out.
"Hear, hear," says Christophe, clapping loudly.
"T-Thanks. Anyway, we should start on the mission." Flushed with embarrassment, Yuuri turns round to stride stiffly away.
The spider youkai are quick to sense danger. Flooding out of their hiding spots, they charge at the group in large scores with loud shuffling noises, millions of red eyes blinking in the dark woods.
As Yuuri and Phichit head into the fray, Victor notes for the first time that the two best friends have distinct fighting styles. Calm and composed, Yuuri walks through the hordes of youkai as if he's taking a stroll on the beach, swinging his sansetsukon like a deadly spinning fan of blades and slicing down any that come close. Phichit is more haphazard but no less lethal: he sprints through the hordes with his back bent at a sharp angle, slashing at any youkai foolish enough to stand in his path.
"SO COOL," Kenjiro squeals in English, stars in his eyes.
Chuckling, Christophe spits out his cigarette and cocks his rifle. "Can't have our Eastern comrades take all the glory, can we?"
Victor strings an arrow to his bow, smirking. "First to take fifty?"
"First to take a hundred and the queen."
"You're on."
Victor wins, though Christophe complaints incessantly about how he miscounted several shots.
As the team makes their way home, they're still bickering over the bet, after Kenjiro and Phichit have left, and even after Christophe himself has gotten on the bus for his motel.
FROM: Swiss
[We should ask Kenjiro. He's the most partial.]
TO: Swiss
[He didn't pay any attention to our shots.]
FROM: Swiss
[And yet, he's still ten times more reliable than your supposed arithmetic abilities.]
Victor laughs, "Chris can be such a sore loser sometimes. Don't you think so, Yuuri?"
When the other man doesn't hear a reply, Victor looks up from his phone. "Yuuri?"
Slowly, Yuuri blinks back in a strangely languid manner. His eyes had long dulled from the gold, but there's an odd haze in them now, adding a glassy look to the otherwise rich chocolate brown.
Oh no, thinks Victor. No, no, nonono.
"I don't feel so good," Yuuri says.
And then he falls, eyes rolling back, and Victor's heart takes a flying dive to his knees.
"Yuuri!"
Notes
Sorry not sorry.
Feel free to squeal with me or even drop me headcanons (as a number of you have ;) ) on tumblr: dreaming-fireflies. tumblr. com (remove the spaces).