"I saw in the paper that the Moscow Opera is performing Eugene Onegin." Yuri said, approaching Victor as the man scribbled into a notebook. The moon had risen over his cathedral and the whole house was quiet except the two who remained together on the porch. Yuri sat down beside Victor on an authentic set of Victorian chairs. After the walk with Phichit earlier that day, Yuri had calmed down and forgiven Victor's absurd offense over using only common languages in the house. Yuri's patience had healed.

"This I know." Victor answered and continued writing in his book.

"I came to invite you to see it with me, tomorrow night at eight."

"You invite me?" He looked up and met Yuri's eyes. It was late at night and Victor was tired and messy. Yuri though he looked quite docile, almost domestic, and pretty like that. "Do you mean you want me to go with you? You don't invite me places because you can't go anywhere without me. If you wish, you may implore me."

Yuri tried not to laugh at his pettiness. He knew that Victor would be offended if he laughed. "Well then, I implore you to come to the opera with me."

Victor smiled, pleased. "Go to the opera with you?"

"Yes. It's in Russian. That's one of our common languages, isn't it? So that means it's not against the rules."

The man rolled his eyes. "Is that what this is about? Yuri, you don't have to try and mend broken bonds or anything stupid like that. It's fine. Over and done."

Yuri laughed lightly. Victor was surprised by the soft melody of his laugh. "I know, I was just joking."

He looked back to his work. "If it was a just a joke, then you can leave me alone now. You ought to go to bed."

"Sure, but give me your answer first so I know if I have to try to sell the tickets before I fall asleep."

He surprised the man again. "You really bought tickets?"

Yuri nodded.

Victor smirked. "Taking someone to the opera is a romantic gesture, you know."

"Interoperate it however you want."

"What if I want to interoperate it as an act of hostility?"

"Then I will do my best to act coldly towards you the whole night."

"And what if I should like to interoperate it romantically?"

Yuri shrugged. "You're probably a better judge of these things than I am."

"Are you asking me on a date, Yuri Kuznetsov?"

"If I phrase it like that, will you be more inclined to agree?"

"Give it a shot and I'll make my decision then."

"Okay." Yuri straightened his posture. "Victor, will you be my date to the opera?"

"Will you wear a dress?"

"Now you're asking too much."

He laughed. "Fine, I accept. Eight o'clock you said?"

Yuri nodded. "Eight o'clock."

"Should I dress up?"

He looked Victor up and down. The man had his button-up untucked from his slacks and the first two buttons had been undone. He had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and his hair was a mess. "What you're wearing now is fine."

Victor glanced at his outfit and smiled. "You'll get what you asked for."

"What are you working on?"

"Just business."

"Anything interesting."

"Well aren't you nosy." Yuri could tell from his tone that Victor was amused, not annoyed.

"All good news?" Yuri pushed.

"What do you think?" He held up the notebook. Yuri's eyes quickly darted over it, grappling at information.

"I can't really tell in this lighting." He said. Victor tossed the book into Yuri's lap and sat back, closing his eyes. Yuri read over the words carefully, soaking everything into his memory. "Are all these deals for this week?" He asked.

The man nodded. "You're not my only partner. It's a busy season."

"Geez. Is all this material coming from that miner in Russia? Christophe?"

"I better be or I'm in a lot of trouble."

"You don't have him on board yet?"

"He's stubborn. He knows how much his diamonds are worth and he wants every penny of it."

"But he won't just sell them on his own?"

"Ha! He doesn't have the balls to get his hands dirty in the business world. He's only seen the inside of a mine for the past six years, he wouldn't know how to swim in the real world. Without me, he's just a bum who chips rocks out of a cave."

"And without me, you're just a bum with a big bag of rocks."

"Don't get big-headed, Yuri. I just said you're not my only partner, didn't I?"

"But I'm your most important, aren't I?"

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't see your other partners living with you in your home."

"Ahhh, you got me. I did chose to bring you here."

"Why?"

Victor contemplated the question for a while. "I get so bored here. You seemed interesting. I thought you might be my intellectual equal or at least, something to play with for a while."

"I hope I haven't disappointed you."

"You have proven to be good conversation but you're difficult to trick. You're clever and you respond to threat with wit. My other business partners become fearful and defensive when threatened. You're fun in your own way but harder to understand. I find that my mind is tired after being with you."

"Is that a compliment?"

"That depends on how you perceive it. Whatever it is, it's the truth and that's all that matters."

Yuri nodded in agreeance. "We're being honest from now on?"

"I have been honest with you."

"The car bomb?" Yuri reminded him

"Ahh, you got me again. Okay, that was a trick. To be fair, I play that trick on everyone."

"For what purpose?"

"To test courage, loyalty, and observation."

"How'd I do?"

"High marks."

Yuri laughed. "That's a cruel test. Couldn't you have just handed out a questionnaire?"

"Everyone lies on paper. The only way to really test someone is to put them in a telling situation. You surprised me more than any of the others, though. I've had others try to alert me before but none ever with such dedication. Didn't you hurt yourself?"

He was embarrassed. "It was only a temporary pain. I haven't developed any bruises or fractures."

"You're a kind person on the inside."

"Thank you."

"That's a hindrance in our line of business. I don't understand how you've managed to keep alive. Are you just nice to people until they give you what you want?"

"It's not that simple. You have to play your cards right."

"Are you playing me, Yuri?" Yuri was surprised to see genuine concern on the man's face.

"Yes… But I'm not dishonest in my kindness or my loyalty or my affection. I'm only playing you because you are demanding it. You test me. You continuously try to push me and you seek out my flaws. When you learn to trust me, we can quit playing each other."

Victor didn't respond. They sat on the porch and looked out at the fireflies that flickered in the long grass. The bushes rustles, owls shrieked, and elks mewed. Above everything, the cicadas and the grasshoppers sang their love songs in an incessant ocean of buzzing. Yuri looked at Victor who was watching the black horizon of trees. The man's face was illuminated only by the small lamps on the porch. He felt affection for him. He looked so calm, so approachable. His messy hair and undone shirt reassured Yuri that he was human, not the intimidating mob machine that he had first met.

"Victor…" Yuri said under his breath. Those bright blue eyes shifted to lock with his.

"Yes?"

"I…I love this. It's so beautiful."

Victor smiled. "I know. I love it too. This is how I remain alive. The world we live in, Yuri, it kills people. It turns happy children into worriers and it makes haters out of the innocent. I can't stand it. This place is the only way I can retain a soul."

"It's lonely."

"Not right now, it's not."

Yuri was glad for the darkness because it hid the pinkness that had risen to his cheeks. He couldn't help but smile. Why did we have to meet like this? He wondered. I like you… In any other situation, I think we could make this work. I think we could've worked this out and been happy but… you're my enemy…

He sat there with Victor, listening to the nothingness until drowsiness took him over. He was lulled to sleep by the steady buzzing of the bugs and the thumping of his warm heart.

He awoke rather suddenly a few hours later to find the world just as still and welcoming as it had been before he dozed off. He was covered in a quilt and Victor was still sitting beside him. "I fell asleep." He said, his voice tired.

"There you go again with telling me things I already know." Victor answered quietly.

"What time is it?" Yuri's hair had become a mess. His bangs fell in front of his eyes and pieces stuck up wildly.

"It's probably around 2 in the morning."

"Wh-Where are my glasses…" He looked around for the tell-tale, blue-rimmed glasses.

"You don't wear glasses." The man reminded him.

"Where are my-" He paused and realized he had let something slip. He reverted to honesty. "Yes, I do. I just wear contacts during the day because glasses make you look disabled and weak."

"Ahhh, I see. Then this will be our little secret. We wouldn't want you looking disabled and weak, would we?"

Yuri shook his head tiredly. "I want to go to bed."

"You know where it is."

He shook his head again. "All the lights are out. I navigate the house by the artwork on the walls."

"Then turn on the lights as you go."

"I'll wake up Yurio and Yakov and they'll hate me."

"Word of advice: don't try to win their favor, you won't get anywhere."

Yuri just looked at Victor sleepily. "But…I want them to be my friends."

"Fine. I guess I can't scold you for trying." Victor stood up. "Come on, I'll lead you back to your room. I should be turning in for the night anyways."

Yuri lazily got up and followed Victor into the house, the blanket still bundled around him.

"Don't trip," Victor warned Yuri just as he stubbed his toe coming into the house. Victor laughed and Yuri grumbled. The taller man led on. "Do you think you're going to make it?"

"I don't know. I'll probably live through it but the toe might fall off during the night."

"Well, if you get out of a business deal only one toe short, I consider that a good trip."

"This is the first I'm hearing of you being an optimist."

"I'm always optimistic."

"Sure, Victor."

When they got upstairs, Yuri grabbed into Victor's sleeve. Even with his eyes strained, he couldn't see anything but the faint indicators of walls. Victor took him to his door and opened it for him. A little bit of light flooded out of the room. Phichit had left a lamp on for Yuri, expecting that he would come back late.

With the new light, Yuri could see Victor's face. He looked so different, so friendly and approachable. "This is your stop." He said. "Get some sleep."

Yuri nodded, a brief gesture of thanks. He took a step into the room and tried to let go of Victor's sleeve only to find that the roles had reversed. Victor was holding his sleeve instead. "Oh, and one more thing, Yuri," He pulled the boy back and pressed their lips together. There was no malicious intent in this kiss. It was gentle and honest. Yuri felt the warm, wet, lips move along his own for a few seconds then they were gone. "Goodnight." The man said. He let go of his sleeve and left, quick to disappear into darkness.

Yuri leaned back against the doorframe and watched him leave. A low breath escaped him. "Dammit… I want you…" He whispered once the man was out of sight. "Please…just be anyone but Victor Nikiforov. That's all I wish for. Otherwise… this can't work out happily."

He dragged himself to his bed and fell asleep almost instantly, his whole body at easy and his mind content.

When he woke up in the morning, his mind still had an ample supply of happiness. He hugged his pillow and cuddled into it affectionately. He knew he shouldn't have let himself feed on that kind of happiness but the temptation to feel good was just too great. When he remembered that they were going to the opera together that night, he just about laughed from the joyfulness and absurdness of his situation.

He got out of bed and went to the shower. He considered touching himself to help him settle down but he didn't have the right mindset for it. He was full of giddiness and satisfaction, not lust and need. Suddenly, he recognized his own desire to look attractive. It hadn't mattered much before. Prettiness was just part of the job. He always had to look attractive and respectable but now more than ever, he wanted to make sure Victor thought he looked good.

This is stupid, a voice in the back of his head told him. You're making everything worse by acting like this is real. Don't forget who you are and who he is. Don't forget wat you have to do and how this is going to end. Yuri didn't have the attention span to listen to that voice.

He got out of the shower and looked himself over in the mirror. He had a few things he didn't like about himself but for the most part, he approved. He dressed in a salmon-colored button-up and brown slacks, an outfit he had received compliments for. We dried and fixed his hair then went downstairs to find everyone gone but himself and Phichit. "Where is everyone?"

Phichit shrugged. "They went to talk business for something. Or…they bugged the place and now they're sitting in a van somewhere watching us." He said jokingly. Yuri came over to the table where his friend sat eating a stack of pancakes drenched in a berry syrup. He sat down across from him.

"Okay, let's use code words. 'Cat in heat' means Yurio, 'dry prune face' means Yakov, and 'baldy' means Victor." Yuri suggested. The two of them laughed. Yuri suddenly smelled the stack of pancakes. "Mmmm~ Where'd you get that?"

Phichit swallowed a big lump of pancake. "The cooks made them."

"I'm jealous! Let me have some!" Yuri tried to reach in with his fingers and Phichit batted him away with the fork.

"Get your own!"

"But I want those!"

"Back off! Shouldn't you be watching your figure anyhow? You know you put on weight easily and you haven't been doing a great job since getting here. You had third and fourth helpings at that huge dinner then you made eggs benedict. For shame, Yuri." He teased.

"It's not my fault that I like good food!"

Phichit shrugged. "The job comes first, right?"

Yuri grumbled bitterly. "I love my job."

"We're living the dream. Every little boy and girl wishes they could be spies and secret agents."

"Only because they don't know what this job really is. You spend your time pretending to like assholes and trying to be pretty while you do it."

"Speaking of that, how are things with Victor?"

"Much better and worse than you'd expect."

"Did you ask him to go to the opera with you?"

"Yes."

"Was he still all, 'Only speak common languages in my house!' or was he calmed down?"

"He was calmed down."

"So, did he agree to go to the opera with you?"

"Yeah." Yuri put his head down on his arms.

"Yeah what, Yuri? I need details."

"We're going… but as a date."

"Are you serious?" Phichit dropped his fork.

Yuri nodded.

"You guys are dating!?"

"We're going on a date but it's not really dating. It's not even much of a date."

"How is this not much of a date!?"

"We're not going because we have romantic feelings for each other and we want to further our relationship."

"Are you sure about that?"

Yuri was red up to his ears. "Yes! When he suggested we make it a date, he said it in a joking way. It's just going to be a fun outing."

"It doesn't sound like a joke."

"You weren't there! You didn't hear the conversation! It was defiantly very casual and fun. It's not really a date, I promise."

"Yuri… I'm worried."

"Why?" He lifted his head. "Don't you think I can handle this?"

"Don't give me that, Yuri. You know I think you're the most capable agent in the world. It's just... I see you falling in love and it worries me. You know, this mission either ends up with him behind bars or you dead. I don't know how this can go well."

"I'm not falling in love. Love is a big word. I just… I have affection for him. Just like with Takeo, only slightly elevated because he's, well, you know, a grown man. I'm still a professional. I can still do my job."

"It's not the mission I'm worried about, it's you. How will you be once squat raids this place? That's going to be really hard on both of you. And if you think he's still going to want to be with you from behind bars, you're delusional."

"I know." Yuri growled. "I'm not going to try to marry him or anything. I just…"

"You just what?"

"I just have to be careful and use this situation to my advantage."

"That's right. And remember, I'm here for you, Yuri. I'll always be on your side."

"Thank you." He smiled at his friend. "But if you really love me, you'll let me have some of your pancake."

Phichit pushed the plate towards Yuri who dug in immediately, eating with his fingers. "Sure, but it's your gut you have to answer to." Yuri continued without a care.

"Oh, hey," He remembered. He could hardly talk with his mouth full of food. "I got some good info last night. It's in the bedside drawer. You can send it out when me and Victor are away."

Phichit patted his friend on the back. " 'Atta boy! Who are the best secret agents in the world?"

"We are."

"Right! We work faster and more effectively than anyone in the whole program!"

Yuri chuckled and continued to eat. A few seconds later, the front door opened and the Russians returned. Yuri looked over his shoulder at them, his fingers covered in syrup as he lifted a bite of pancake to his mouth. He halted when met Victor's shocked face. Yurio and Yakov rolled their eyes and snorted.

"A crybaby and a pig." The younger commented. They both made hasty exits to the porch where they could be free of such barbarity. Victor approached the two coolly, hands in pockets.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked, looking down at Yuri.

The boy licked his lips clean and nodded.

"If you want those two to like you, you should stop being yourself in front of them. This is the sort of thing I mean. They don't like seeing you being comfortable in their territory." He took Yuri's hand and brought it to his mouth, eating the bit of pancake and subsequently sucking on Yuri's fingers. He chewed and let go of Yuri's hand which fell slowly back to the table. "Get your shoes on. Makkachin needs to go on a walk."

He left.

Yuri slowly looked over to Phichit who was almost as surprised and flustered as he was. "I guess you should get your shoes on." He said.

Yuri nodded and went to get his shoes. He walked with Victor. They were happy together. They talked about opera and they laughed together. They shared stories and made small talk about the weather. If you weren't you and I weren't me, he thought, I'm sure we could be friends. I'm sure of it, Victor. You would be a treasured friend of mine. You could even be something special to me.

The idea of that magic fairy land filled Yuri with delight. He fanaticized about a world where they carried through their business deal then retired to Hasetsu and never dabbled in illegal activity again. Yuri imagined how fun it would be to go to the hot springs together. He imagined walking to the convenience store and showing Victor all the foreign snacks. They would go to see the seasonal performances, make snowmen in the winter, and visit the temples. Yuri had a whole photobook in his head of moments that never occurred.

Back at home, Yuri sat on the rug of the living room and pet Makkachin for hours, day dreaming all the while. At one point, he fell asleep on the carpet beside the pet. Victor found him and woke him up, reminding him to keep his guard up in front of Yurio and Yakov lest he spend the next for months detested by them. Upon Victor's request, Yuri read aloud from a book of Japanese haikus he had brought along with him. Victor sat comfortably in a red-velvet chair and watched as his beloved boy laid across his pet's stomach and recited beautiful verses of poetry.

Yuri flipped the page. "Ah, I love this one. Ready?"

"Ready." Victor answered, content.

"The chestnut shells break
Under my weighted step
I walk to the moon

My darling holds me
And makes my poor heart wholesome
I walk to the moon

A great white oyster
Sits upon the horizon
The great white dream above"

He closed the book but kept his finger wedged in the page. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

The silver-haired man nodded and smiled.

"You look tired. Am I boring you?"

"No. I'm just relaxed, is all. Go ahead, read more. Finish your book."

Yuri opened the book again and continued to read. Victor sat back and enjoyed. When the book was finished, Yuri got up and stretched. "Is that all?" Victor asked.

"Mm-hm."

"Stay. Read another. I have plenty of books."

Yuri looked at the clock. "There's something even better waiting for us."

Victor read the clock then peered outside. "It's dark out." He noted in amazement.

"There you go again, telling me things I already know." Yuri said, throwing Victor's words back at him. The man gave him a sly smile that said 'how clever'. Yuri loved it. He went upstairs to prepare.

Why does this situation have to be so backwards? He wondered, changing his shoes. Imagine if we could just drop everything. Nationalities, affiliations, professions, teams… what if we could just drop that and be ourselves. I think… I think we could actually be happy.

No, stop that, Yuri. You've only known him for three days. Feelings like this never develop so quickly, especially between people who started as enemies. But…Victor is different…we just get each other. I mean, when he's not being insufferable. And he only acts like a jerk when he thinks he has something to prove. He's been different recently.

Yuri tried to knock some realities into himself. What do you want, Yuri? You want him to be your boyfriend? How's that supposed to work? First of all, he's a renowned precious mineral trafficker with a mob to instill his authority. Secondly, you don't even know that he wants that too. Maybe he just wants a fuck buddy. Thirdly, have your forgotten that you're not really Yuri Kuznetsov, businessman and entrepreneur? In four months, you're going to make a phone call back to headquarters and get his ass dragged to a high-security prison where he'll be given a death sentence. That's a pretty shitty love story.

Despite the hard dose of reality, fantasy managed to float back in and cloud his judgement. But I like him and he likes me too, I think. And we get along like we were meant to find each other. Why shouldn't I have this? Fate put me in the right place at the right time. I want him. I want his silver hair, his lean form, his gentle smile, his stubbornness. I want this…

Of course, the fantasy won over in the end. Yuri fixed his hair then slipped on a jacket and left. He met Victor at the door with a discrete smile. "Should I check for bombs?" He asked.

"Nah, I figure we'll just start up the engine and find out like that."

Yuri laughed. They arrived at the theater twenty minutes before show time and got settled in their seats. Victor frowned when he saw their placement in the back of the stadium. "The cheap seats?" He asked in disgust.

"This is all that was available one day before opening night. Don't complain. These seats are just as good as any others."

"If you really believe that, then you've never sat in the good seats before."

That wasn't necessarily true. Yuri had sat in expensive seats before but probably nothing that compared to Victor's V.I.P standards. "Where's your favorite place to sit?"

"The boxes." He said, referring to the plush, exclusive, coves that lines the walls surrounding the stage.

"Can you even see well from there?"

"You've never sat in the box? Well, I'd offer to treat you some time but I think I might put your love of opera in jeopardy. You would never see the cheap seats the same."

"You're so thoughtful." Yuri joked.

"I know, I know, it's a flaw."

"Have you seen Eugene Onegin before?"

"Several times. You?"

"Not in person, no."

"Then I predict that we will leave this theater with you crying like a baby."

"Promise you won't say anything about it. You'll hurt my pride."

He laughed. "Just make sure you're dry-eyed before you see Yurio next or that Crybaby nickname won't go away."

"I have a feeling I can make him like me. I know he doesn't care about my opinion so I have to make being friendly seem like it's his idea."

"If you can figure it out, do the world a favor a write a manual. Too many people have lost limbs by getting on his bad side."

"How old is he?"

"Sixteen now."

"Isn't that too young for this line of work?"

Victor nodded. "But hell, we're all too something for this line of work. Too young, too tired, to kind, too bitter, too hopeful, too something. The only person fit for this job is Satan himself."

Yuri was stunned into silence for a few moments. "That was rather poetic of you. Did you read that somewhere or did you come up with it off the top of your head?"

"You offend me. Don't you think I can be clever too?"

"Of course but-" Yuri was cut off when the orchestra struck up a medley. Both their attentions went immediately to the stage. The music filled the theater like the breath of God. All at once, they were transported to a beautiful, melodic, world where fate flowed through song.

Yuri couldn't get enough. He sat forward in his seat with his spine straight to get the best view he could. Victor, on the other hand, laid back in relaxation, even going to far as to close his eyes sometimes. The two had their own styles of watching but when it came to listening, they both gave their hearts over to the music, letting themselves get swept under by the bassoons and elevated by the oboes.

What a horrible trick of fate. Yuri thought as he watched Tatiana furiously pour her heart out into a letter of confession to Eugene. She loves so purely, no motive attached, only honest dedication. Yet he will reject her and resign her to misery. Then, when they meet again years later, he'll be hopelessly dedicated to her but she'll have already given her hand away in marriage. She has a good heart that has remained pure since childhood. She cannot be unfaithful to her husband so she must turn the poor Eugene away, even though he grovels at her feet for her affection. How sad…two people meant to fall madly in love with each other but destined never to be together.

Why would fate give someone such a perfect temptation if they could not be satisfied? It's just cruel. The wrong place, wrong time, wrong situation… yet, none-the-less, there is a pure, non-apologetic love. A beautiful flower that blooms in the wreckage of war. A moment of détente.

For the first time, Yuri took his eyes from the stage and glanced to the man who sat beside him to find that those blue eyes were looking back at him and they were smiling at him. In the dim light, Yuri could make out that soft smile, that smile that made his heart swell with hopefulness.

Yuri took his mind away from the present for a moment and prayed silently with complete humbleness. God, if you listen to sinners like me, then please hear this prayer. Please, give me a chance. Give me a chance to make this work. I don't want the bitter and cruel fate that we're destined to meet. Please… make this moment last the rest of my life.