Flipped

Yuri continued to mindlessly run until he considered himself safe downstairs in the servant quarters. He didn't stop frantically moving until he was fully undressed and in tub of hot water with plenty of soap. The torn off clothes laid here and there while Yuri scrubbed away at his arms and every part of his body. He was disgusted with himself and it would be a long time until Yuri's rapid heartbeats and breathing were under control.

While the water became lukewarm, but Yuri didn't move, he numbly sat there, pruning for all he cared, wondering.

'Nikiforov…'

Yuri grimaced, he clamped his eyes shut and raised a soaking wet hand to his face while the other grasped onto the edge of the tub.

Victor upon him...

'Had I been raped?' He asked himself.

Recalling him kissing back...

'Had he actually wanted it?'

Victor tying off his hands...

'Had I been forced on to?'

This was not Earth. Colbran punishments towards any misdemeanor could have justified Victor all the same, despite how immoral it appeared to a human.

He recalled himself begging.

'I told you to stop…' He rested his fingers on his lips that had stopped bleeding and leaned back with a sigh. 'But…his eyes…'

Yuri suddenly felt he could throw up. Yuri struck the water repeatedly, shaking his head, furious with himself.

He knew he hated the Colbrans, they already had the human race under their thumb, yet there were so many parts of the human culture the Colbrans had taken into their own. The humans were left to starve on the moon while they were in the lap of luxury. Now? He loathed one in particular.

The alien race had its own prejudice, against the Unwanted, against those who looked different. Yuuko was an Unwanted herself and he didn't hate her. Her situation was similar to his own back there, left hungry and poor. The fact she was viewed weak by her peers, no special abilities, had white hair and no dual eye color, she was exiled with others like her.

Yuri shook his head, thinking of Yuuko made him sad and undeniably made him feel worse. He felt like he had, in some way, betrayed her, for allowing Victor to advance on him like that. Sure he and Yuuko weren't together like a couple or anything, but he cared for her and now this happened. Right now his heart had been left confused, now torn between his views about those around him, to Yuuko, and now the one who held his chains.

Not caring what mess he made, Yuri hastily got out of the tub and dried off. With a towel wrapped around his waist, Yuri sat on his bed, his shoulders slumped and the room was silent to the exception of his breathing and pitter-pat of his still dripping hair.

'I just want you back and healthy Yuuko. That's all I want…'

The idea he might never hurt in his chest.

"What are you doing, Yuri?"

He didn't bother to look up, but saw a purple skirt in front of him in no time.

"Axel," Yuri acknowledged with a whisper.

"Aw, your hair is sopping wet. Why are you slacking off down here?"

Ms. Purple studied Yuri's vacant face, shrugged, unsure what to do other than grab a second towel and work on Yuri's hair.

"Hey, mind telling me what's up?" She asked while drying Yuri's dripping wet locks.

Yuri just shrugged and mumbled incoherently.

Axel leaned down a bit to try to catch what Yuri had said, but couldn't.

She stood back up, once done. "You don't know what to say, huh? Neither do I really, to be honest. I guess...are you hungry? My sisters and I have just finished preparing lunch and those two are out shopping for you again-"

The young man abruptly grabbed Axel wrists and snapped his head and sat up. "Don't tell me it's for tonight!"

The damp towel on his head slid down his back; Axel stared back at Yuri in surprise.

She tilted her head. "O-Of course it is, you are-"

With a jolt Yuri stood up, still in possession of her wrists.

"I don't care what I am supposed to do!" Yuri shouted as they walked.

"Y-Yuri, what's wrong?!" Axel cried back.

"I want nothing more to do with this Colbran bastard, understand?" Yuri yelled after they had stopped with her back pinned up against a wall.

Her eyes were wide from the shock. "Yuri! You are scaring me!"

"Do you understand?" Yuri insisted.

Axel turned her head away. "Stop it!" She cried.

Her last cry snapped Yuri out of his craze. After several, deliberate blinks, Yuri looked side to side then at her who was tearing up and trembling. With a sigh Yuri bowed his head and let Axel's wrists go only to rest his hands up against the wall, still, technically, trapping her in front of him

With caution, the usually cheerful triplet raised a hand and started to pet Yuri's head.

"Yuri...? Please, tell me what's wrong?"

The young man in question kept his head down until he had enough courage to look back up.

"I-I'm sorry." Yuri apologized with a quivering lip.

"You're just confused, aren't you," Axel soothed in a motherly fashion. "You're not sure how to feel?"

Whether they were tears or just stray drops of bath water from his still damp hair, Yuri wasn't sure, more rather he didn't care.

"I miss...her," the new servant finally admitted, mumbling.

"Hmmm? Her? Is she family?" Axel pried carefully.

Yuri numbly nodded. "Her name is Yuuko. Your master took her from me to take me here."

Axel affectionately ruffled Yuri's hair more so this time. "Oh now, that's not fair. Surely there's more too it than that."

Yuri didn't reply. There was technically more to it he supposed, but he still felt what he had said was the truth.

"I guess," Yuri eventually mumbled after a long period of silence.

Ms. Purple smiled a little. "Well...my guess is this just a small step to admitting the full truth. You'll see. Master isn't all that bad."

'I don't think you would say that if you knew.'

The maid took a step forward and hugged Yuri around his neck so his head rested on her shoulder.

"I may not know the full extent as to why Master chose you, but for my sake, for my sisters, for this Yuuko, and yours, please, persevere? Please?"

Yuri dropped his arms to his sides, picked his head off of the triplet's shoulder and nodded, but remained without a smile.

'If nothing else, I guess…' He thought, feeling defeated.

"Good," Axel replied with a full smile before turning her head to the side to look up away. "Now get dressed."

Yuri felt his face burn and reflexively pulled away. "Ack!" Yuri cried to himself as he looked down. "Sorry! So~ sorry! I'm covered, I'm covered!" He cried as he re-wrapped his towel around his waist

When she turned back to face Yuri both were blushing profusely, unable to not giggle or chuckle out of embarrassment.

Axel turned to leave. "Heh, I'll meet you upstairs so you can get something to eat. Oh, there is a new outfit in the lowest drawer over there." She pointed to her lips. "I noticed you have been bleeding, we ought to get you some balm or something."

Yuri touched his lips. "Y-Yeah, didn't have that on the moon, I can tell ya that…"

She nodded. "Yes, well, they look a little…swollen."

Yuri felt he could die as he recalled one of the kisses. 'If you only knew…'

She shrugged. "Mah, I'm sure they'll go down. See you in a bit!"

After Ms. Purple shut the door, Yuri scurried over to pull out the clothes, thankful to not have to wear the dress again.

'Then I guess I should be thankful to him too...I guess…' Yuri violently shook his head and quickly got dressed. The clothes were simple. Brown pants, white dress shirt and leather shoes; with a deep breath, a slightly recomposed Yuri headed up the stairs to accompany Ms. Purple to the kitchen.


Notes:

Short transition chapter.

Consent is sexy. Consent, consent, consent. Even if it's a kiss, people.