Chapter Seven: Yuuri vs. Yuri! The Horror! Showdown at Midnight!
Yuuri tried to savor every moment of what was definitely going to be his last afternoon with Victor, but the hours slipped through his hands like smoke. A lump formed in his throat every time he looked at Victor and his brain was flooded with thoughts of all the things he'd miss about him. For his part, Victor continued to behave as though they had all the time in the world. He suggested going down to the beach, then a picnic, then a dip in the onsen, but Yuuri didn't feel like doing any of those things.
How could he tell Victor he just wanted to sit on the bed with him and catalog every inch of his face so that he'd never forget the time when they were so close? During dinner, the last meal Victor and I will ever eat together, he thought, Yuuri couldn't even bring himself to speak. He was worried that if he said anything at all he'd start crying, so he occupied himself with two bowls of miso, udon and mabudofu, and shook his head at Victor's questions.
"Are you nervous about the game?" No.
"What do you want to do?" Nothing.
"Yuuri, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." Yuuri just stared at his plate until the blurry tears in front of his eyes subsided.
He knew he was ruining everything even at the time, but he felt like he'd fallen into a spiral of despair and couldn't claw his way out. And then, before he knew it, they had snuck out of the House Tanuki dormitories and tiptoed through the halls toward the courtyard. With a stolen Snitch. Yuuri was so out of it he didn't even remember taking the Snitch out of the Quidditch supply cupboard, but he must have because there it was, glinting menacingly in Victor's gloved hand.
As they reached the doorway, a shadow appeared around the corner leading to their stretch of hallway and Yuuri's heart dropped into his feet. His mind chose that precise moment to go completely blank—but even if it hadn't, it wouldn't have mattered. There was no time to plan and nowhere to hide, so Yuuri did the only thing he could think to do and threw himself prostrate on the floor, kneeling with his arms stretched out in front of him in a dougeiza position.
"I'm sorry!" he wailed to whoever was about to catch them out of bed with a stolen Snitch in the middle of the night. This was it. When he went back to his dormitory to pack his bags for Hasetsu, his robes would be white—the traditional symbol of his disgrace. He would be expelled. They'd snap his wand in half. He'd have to go back to the No-Maj world and...and do what? He suddenly realized he had had only magical education past elementary school. What kind university was going to accept a seventeen-year-old who finished second grade and then apparently dropped off the face of the earth for eleven years? Oh God. His eyes flooded with tears. The footsteps came closer.
"I almost don't want to ask," came Minako's voice, "but what are you boys doing out here? If you just want some alone time I can recommend a good silencing— "
"No!" Yuuri blurted. "We...we were just— "
"Professor—" Victor started.
"Please, call me Minako," she said. "Yuuri always does, and since you're so inseparable these days, I guess you might as well."
"Minako, forgive me. We were just going out for a midnight game of Catch the Snitch," Victor just straight up told her. "Want to join? The more the merrier!"
"Sure," she said. "Couldn't sleep. Might as well have some entertainment. Yuuri, what are you doing down there?"
Yuuri stood up, sniffling as quietly as he could, and shuffled behind Victor. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve as inconspicuously as possible.
"Did you really think I was going to tell on you? You've never broken a rule in your life—if this is your one rebellion, far be it from me to stop you. I got up to so much worse when I was your age. One time, I was out until dawn with—and mind, you this was a school night—with...never mind. Doesn't matter. Lead the way."
Hardly daring to believe his luck, Yuuri followed Victor out into the moonlit courtyard and toward the cliff side.
"So—" Minako said, "—and I mean this in the best possible way—not that you're not great Yuuri, but aren't you worried that Victor is a little out of your league?
Am I ever, Yuuri thought.
"I mean, Quidditch-talent-wise." she clarified. "Seems like it might be a pretty uneven match."
"Oh no," Victor laughed. "I'm not competing. This is Yuuri versus Yurio: The Midnight Showdown!"
"Yurio," Minako repeated. "Is that the little Russian punk who's been lurking around school shouting at people all weekend?"
"There you are!" Yurio barked from across the cliff. If Yuuri hadn't been so anxious, he might have laughed at Yurio's pajamas (which were covered in pictures of cats), but as it was he just stood there and tried not to tremble too visibly.
"Who is this?" Yurio jutted his chin out at Minako.
"I'm Professor Okukawa," she said, stepping forward. "I'm Yuuri's sponsor."
Wait, what? Yuuri would be the first to admit he wasn't in the best headspace tonight, but he was pretty sure he'd remember agreeing to something like that. Still, Minako was doing him the biggest favor of his life by not immediately marching him to the headmaster for expulsion, so he wasn't inclined to argue. She could've told Yurio she was his mother and he would've just smiled and nodded along.
"You didn't tell me we were having sponsors," Yurio yelled at Victor, then seemed to instantly change his mind. "But I don't care because I'm going to win in five seconds and then it won't matter."
"What are the stakes?" Minako asked Victor.
"Victor trains the winner," Yurio answered for him. "Which means he's coming back to Durmstrang with me."
Yurio mounted his broomstick. "Let's get this over with," he snapped.
"Mm," Minako hummed, staring piercingly at Yuuri, like she suddenly knew how much this was eating at him. She didn't say anything else.
Victor stood at the edge of the cliff and released the Snitch into the night. It sped off and was swallowed by blackness.
"Take your marks," he said, clasping his hands in front of him and standing behind and between Yuuri and Yurio. Yuuri looked back at him because this was his last chance to gaze stupidly into Victor's eyes before he left Japan forever. Victor caught his eye, then gave him the same wink he'd given him at the World Cup.
In a moment, Yuuri had strode the meter between himself and Victor and thrown his arms around him, because he might not ever get the chance again.
"Don't take your eyes off me," he whispered into Victor's ear.
"I won't."
"Ugh." Yuuri could almost hear Yurio rolling his eyes.
Victor hugged Yuuri back and Yuuri forced himself to let go because he felt like if he didn't now, he might never.
That look on Victor's face when he pulled back filled Yuuri with...not confidence, exactly, but determination. I'm going to catch this damn Snitch, he thought as he re-mounted his broom. He tore his gaze away from Victor and stared out at the pitch, giving his eyes a chance to adjust to the darkness.
"Take your marks."
Yuuri gripped the handle of his broom so tightly he felt splinters.
"Go!"
Yuuri kicked off hard from the ground and for a moment, all he could see was stars. He was just starting to feel the wonderful sensation that was flight, when he was forced to a sudden stop. Yurio had swerved right in front of him, and Yuuri had to slow and duck to avoid crashing into him. He could hear Yurio snicker just above him, before he shot off in the opposite direction.
As the minutes wore on, Yuuri realized something important. Yurio had an advantage. He was small and slim, petite even for his age and he was three years younger than Yuuri. Standing next to him, Yuuri had felt like a troll. Yurio was undoubtedly faster than him by far—if Yurio found the Snitch first, there was no question he would be first to reach it.
However, Yurio was not a Seeker. He should've been a natural Seeker, with that build, but he was just too aggressive. He would dart in one direction with the speed of a bullet, only to change course suddenly and zoom off in another. It was as if he was trying to make the Snitch to appear out of sheer force of will. Forget Beater, Yuuri thought, Yurio is a Bludger.
Yuuri found a nice spot high above the pitch and Yurio. At first he scanned the pitch, heart pounding as he peered into the darkness. After half a minute, however, Yuuri realized that the midnight landscape was perfect for finding the Snitch. Nothing to focus on in particular, no distractions, apart from a blond blur below that was the Yurio bullet ricocheting back and forth across the pitch.
He embraced that sense of that solitude. Nothing that had happened in the past mattered in this moment. There was a winged ball of gold somewhere in the blackness, and he, Yuuri, was going to find it first.
And there it was. A glint far below—a golden light bouncing on the waves. His heart started to race again, not from nerves, but from excitement. There was one obstacle, one fast and angry obstacle, between him and the Snitch.
Yuuri slowly descended, not directly at the Snitch still clinging to the sea, but attempting to look as though he was floating in an aimless direction. Yurio seemed not to have noticed—he was still either trying to disperse a cloud formation or attempting to break the sound barrier. Yuuri was about 20 meters away when Yurio realized the trick.
Yurio shot, not at the Snitch, but straight at Yuuri, and maybe it was just errant fog, but it almost looked as if he was gushing billows of steam in his wake out of anger. That was when Yuuri realized Yurio's strategy: he had never really expected to find the Snitch first, but he sure as hell was going to knock Yuuri off his broom and into the water if he had the chance and an excuse. Fine then. Have it your way. Yuuri shot straight for the water.
If he could just stretch a little farther, the Snitch would be his. It had noticed him, and was speeding along as fast as it could. Yuuri was gaining on it, but not as fast as Yurio was gaining on him.
Yuuri predicted the Snitch's move a millisecond before it happened. The wind suddenly gusted from behind him, and he spiraled into an ascent just as the Snitch did the same. Yurio shot through empty air beneath him; hell-bent on unseating Yuuri, he had not noticed the updraft. And as he saw Yurio wheel around, furious, Yuuri lunged, and his fingers closed tightly, the Snitch struggling in his grasp.
As Yuuri dismounted, Snitch in hand, Minako enveloped him in a hug.
"You were incredible," she told him firmly. "I knew you could beat that little bastard. Sorry. Don't tell anyone I used that word."
Yuuri thanked her, tried to hug her back, but he only had eyes for Victor because Victor's face was glowing—one look at him and Yuuri realized that, as much as he would've missed Victor if he went back to Durmstrang, Victor would've missed Mahoutokoro too. Victor wanted to stay.
Politeness dictated that Yuuri bow to his opponent, so he turned to face Yurio and braced himself for a tantrum, but found nothing. Literally nothing. Yurio had vanished. Then he noticed movement down by the shore and squinted to get a better look. As he watched, Yurio dismounted his broomstick on the sand and calmly walked up the deck into the Durmstrang ship. Huh. Before he had time to think that through, Victor was placing a hand on his shoulder and suggesting they get back to their dormitory.
"I'll walk you guys back up there," Minako told them. "That way you won't get into trouble if you run into anyone else on the way. We'll say I'd kidnapped you to do chores for me. Just pretend to be bored."
The walk back was thankfully uneventful. Victor yawned enormously outside the entrance to the dormitories, bid Minako goodnight and padded into the shoin. Yuuri lingered out in the hallway to thank her.
"So," she said, and she really did sound impressed, "you won. You get to keep Victor. Congratulations."
"Yeah," Yuuri replied, nodding. And then he blurted, before he could stop himself, "What does he want from me?" because it was second nature to seek her advice whenever something didn't make sense to him.
Minako raised her eyebrows and gave him an are you serious? face.
"Based on the fact that I'm a teacher and you're a student," she told him, "I don't think that's an appropriate conversation for us to have. Go to bed, Yuuri."
And then she turned, leaving him alone in the hallway. Yuuri wasn't entirely naïve and if it had been anyone else they were talking about, he would've suspected she might be right, but this was Victor Nikiforov. And Victor was...Victor. The rules that governed normal human behavior didn't apply to Victor Nikiforov.
Victor appeared to be asleep when Yuuri entered their room, so he dressed for bed as quietly as he could and got under the covers. But when he turned on his side, he found Victor's eyes were open and watching him silently. Victor, who was staying. Victor, who would wake up tomorrow in the futon next to Yuuri's, Victor who would have breakfast with him, Victor who would then bumble his way through Potions while Yuuri cringed at the mess in his cauldron.
"I can't believe you're still here," Yuuri mumbled, half to Victor, half to himself. "I thought I was doomed. But I won."
Victor looked him directly in the eye. The corners of his mouth turned up in a nearly imperceptible smile.
"If I had thought there was a chance you'd lose, I wouldn't have agreed to the game," he said simply. Yuuri just stared at him, reeling. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to smack Victor or crawl over him and kiss him. In that moment, Minako's suggestion seemed more possible than ever. But the space between their beds still felt like an insurmountable chasm, so Yuuri stayed where he was.
Yuuri watched Victor silently until his eyes closed and his breathing became deep and even.
"I think I've figured out what your problem is," Victor announced to Yuuri the next day. What isn't my problem? Yuuri thought. They had ducked into the restroom after Potions to wash their hands after Victor's concoction had blown up and spattered them both with goo. Yuuri was secretly grateful for Yurio's absence from the school this morning—he was too tired to be a punching bag today.
Victor dried his hands and took a step toward Yuuri so that their faces were inches apart.
"Do you know? Victor asked him.
"I lack confidence," Yuuri recited, because boy didn't he know it. Like every teacher and parent and mentor and friend and their mother hadn't been telling him that since before he could remember. Yuuri touched the tips of his fingers together nervously.
"That's right," Victor confirmed. "What can I do to help you fix it?"
"I... I don't know," Yuuri admitted, casting his eyes to the ground. It honestly seemed pointless to try and change the behavior pattern at this point.
"Last night—before you took off at the game. Something changed," Victor told him. He took Yuuri's chin in his hand and lifted it, gently prompting Yuuri to look at him. "What was it?"
You. You, you, you.
"I, uh..."
Victor actually moved his thumb a little higher, rubbing it lightly over Yuuri's lower lip like it was no big deal, like Yuuri wasn't totally going to come in his pants if he did it again. As if that wasn't enough, he took another step forward—except there wasn't any further forward to go, so he really just placed his leg in between Yuuri's. There was something really important that Yuuri was supposed to do, except he couldn't remember what it was.
"You can tell me," Victor whispered.
Yuuri suddenly remembered the important thing: breathing. He sucked in a gasp.
"You," he said, as boldly as he could manage. "You make me feel...better. About myself. Passionate"
"Glad I could be of service," Victor smirked. "What is it about me that makes you feel better about yourself?"
Uh, I don't know...maybe because you're a god among Seekers and out of the thousands of wizards in the world you decided I was the one worthy of your attention, for reasons that have never been adequately explained to me? Yuuri wasn't sure how to put that into words that he could actually say out of his mouth and not just think.
"I still haven't really figured that out yet," Yuuri told him instead. It was partially true...but just barely. Yuuri still didn't entirely understand why Victor was really there, but he was kind of afraid to shed light on the question in case Victor suddenly realized he didn't know why he was there either, and decided to leave.
"That's something we can work on," said Victor. "In the meantime, I want you to think more about passion, and what it means to you. What makes you feel passionate? If it's me then...what are the things about me that strike you as passionate, or that inspire you?"
If you want a list, Yuuri thought, then we're going to be in this bathroom for a very long time. As though the school had heard what he was thinking, the sound of the bell reverberated through the room. Time for Herbology.
"Just something to consider," Victor said, stepping away with a smile and hoisting his bag up on his shoulder.