Butler
"That was delicious!" Yuri complimented.
"Isn't?" Axel smiled. "I'm glad you liked it!"
Yuri was surprised the servants got to eat such fantastic things. Well, virtually anything would, he reasoned, compared to whatever he was able to scrounge up on Alborja moon.
"Thanks, Axel...for this and earlier..." Yuri complemented.
Ms. Purple lightly blushed, but quickly shook her head and smiled. "N-No problem! Come to me if you need a listening ear." She placed a gentle hand on Yuri's shoulder while resting a hand on her chest. "I'll be your confidant," she added seriously before quickly clasping her hands together in front of her and brightly smiled, "okay?"
Yuri wistfully smiled as Axel's offer and cheer reminded him of Yuuko. "Thank you."
In that moment, the door to the kitchen swung open.
"We're back!" Two cried from the doorway.
Axel turned towards her sisters who were carrying so many bags at once Yuri was immediately impressed. "Hey! Welcome back! Got it all?"
"Check, check, check. All here, no?" Loop replied.
"Ah good, Newbie, is here too."
"Hey you two," Yuri greeted and walked over to the trio with a forced smile. "It appears you go a lot of stuff."
"Uh, huh," Loop eagerly nodded. "We even got you a new outfit for tonight, Yuri."
Yuri felt a chill down his spine, but he reapplied his smile to hide it. "I-I see."
"Neh, you all right, Yuri, no?" Loop tilted her head to the side with a slight frown.
Yuri coughed and scratched the back of his head. "Ah...heh, yes I'm fine," Yuri answered hurriedly. "S-So! What are you going to make me wear this time?"
Ms. Pink brushed her apron and straightened up with a smile and started to slightly jump up and down out of barely contained excitement.
Yuri looked into the bag and saw a suit jacket neatly folded inside. There was nothing kinky or punky about it at all.
"Oh, wow, good taste!" Axel nodded with approval as she took the pieces out one at a time, holding it up to Yuri's frame briefly before setting it to the side "Let's see...rose red jacket…black slacks, of course, black shoes, good choice, um, oh, a black dress shirt...and oh, wow, this brocade vest is very sharp! Just look at those intricate designs!"
"This fabric the softest thing, no?" Loop squealed a little.
Lutz folded her arms. "You say that about everything, Sis."
"Ha. Ha. I do not, silly." Loop giggled, remaining excited, eager, to see Yuri in such clothes.
Yuri stood there stupefied as he watched Axel put up the clothes next to his body. Simply put, he was at a loss for words until all the clothes were put back into the bag for later use.
"Wh-What? Are you for real? He wants me to wear this?" Yuri stammered.
Lutz folded her arms. "Master Nikiforov wanted me to select an outfit for the party, I just went with what looked good. Honestly…so many clothes…"
Loop gently elbowed Lutz' side. "Teehee, jealous?"
Ms. Blue's brow furrowed as she turned towards her sister. "Oh please, as if I care." However, Lutz's face defaulted to her stoic state when she quickly turned back. "But... I can't help but wonder why you look so unappreciative."
Axel cleared her throat with a cough. "Oh cut him some slack, he's new, Lutz. Come now, ladies and gentleman, we have cleaning to do and a dinner party to prepare for!"
"Wh-What? B-But I thought he didn't have guests," Yuri hastily replied. "I thought tonight was going to a party."
Axel started unloading the food. "Well it doesn't happen often, no matter we have to prepare a spread large enough for twenty guests. Plus, there are cocktails."
Yuri's jaw dropped. "By dinner time? Is he crazy?"
"No~," she drawled out, putting her hands her hips, "he is our master and he expects us to do so. Besides, each attending partner would be getting their master's plate so we will have plenty of help. Now. Hop to it and help Loop with the cleaning. Lutz and I will start preparing. We have six hours, people!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Loop chimed with a smile on her face. "Come on, Yuri!"
"Y-Yes!" Yuri scrambled, all ready to pitch in.
Loop grabbed Yuri eagerly by the hand and practically dragged him to the supply closet. The man, though tried, had trouble keeping up with the girl of cheery, boundless energy.
"I just don't get it, how do you three put up with him?"
Loop continued to hum along and pulled the handles to the cleaning closet once the two had arrived. She pushed cleaning supplies into Yuri's arms, ignoring Yuri's question. Once she had closed the supply closet doors, she turned to face Yuri with hands on her hips.
"Now! We have to make sure that dinner hall is shining, you hear?" Ms. Pink ordered, her unusually stern behavior startled Yuri once more, but he quickly recovered.
'Ah screw it! the sisters are just as crazy as he is!'
Yuri stood up straight. "Ah, yes, ma'am!"
Silence hung over the two for a moment until she cracked up and doubled over, laughing in Yuri's expense.
"I've always wanted someone to call me that!" She laughed. "I-I'm s-sorry…heh, that I scared you! Y-You should've seen your face!"
"Urk, o-oy! Come on! We are under a time limit aren't we?" Yuri rebutted, who was seriously tempted to drop all the things in his arms.
"Y-Yes, let's go, no?" Loop exclaimed with a wide smile.
In a flurry the two made way to the dinner hall. The opulent room was still magnificent despite the heavy amount of dusting the two had to do, along with dressing the tables, and sweeping the floor.
"These windows will take a day unto themselves!" Yuri whined. "They're huge!"
"There's only six and you're halfway done. Move it!" Loop encouraged albeit sternly, tapping her foot behind him.
Yuri glanced down over his shoulder and smiled. "Yes, ma'am."
Loop giggled and found energy to move on as well.
When the room was complete, the group of four took a moment to look over the party room at the door way. Far across from them, on the other side, the hearth was lit with a blazing fire. A vertical, long table in the center of the room was set with fine dinnerware, covered by a blue table cloth. To their left, set close by to the windows, was a rich display of food and drink. Most of the dishes Yuri had never had the pleasure of setting eyes on, let alone even heard of. With all the work he and the sisters did, he was starving.
'But this food isn't for us, it's for those snobs.' Yuri grimaced to himself.
"All right we have twenty minutes, lucky for us Nobles take pride in being fashionably late," Axel confirmed. "Yuri, the bag with your suit is in the kitchen. Grab it and with all your might get your ass ready. The master wants you at his side at the foyer, us girls need to freshen up and get the foyer ready so we can meet the guests and check in their coats and such."
There was no use arguing. Yuri made a mad dash to the kitchen. The instant he threw open the doors his blood ran cold.
With a long squeak, the doors shut behind him.
"Ms. Blue has never disappointed me when it comes to having good taste. She's the best."
'Not him. A not now…'.
Yuri stared apprehensively, breaking out into a cold sweat as the master put the clothes back into the bag, unable to move.
Dressed in a mink grey, Victor eventually peered over his shoulder. "Aren't you going to greet me properly this time?"
Yuri found his words caught in his throat; he continued to stare, becoming even more unable, if possible, to move as Victor approached him.
'Move! Say something! Dodge n' roll, mother fuck- MOVE!' Yuri pinched his eyes shut the last possible moment.
Victor firmly pushed Katsuki into the closest corner, pressing him up against the joining walls.
Yuri's eyes flashed opened as they started to move back. "Don't touch me!" His back hit the wall. "H-Hey!"
"Ah, there it is. I was wondering if the fire had died out," Victor remarked, grinning at his servant's glare.
Yuri scowled and looked away.
"Ah, ah, ah," Victor mocked with a wave of a finger, leaning forward slightly, "I want to see it, your face."
"Just leave me alone..."
Victor grabbed his chin. "Uh oh." He brushed the bottom of Yuri's lips with his thumb.
Yuri gasped at the slight pain from the small cut yet to fully heal.
"That won't do."
Yuri felt his eye twitch a bit, otherwise he stood frozen, wary of Victor's movements.
Victor took out a small container out of his pocket with his free hand, set in on the counter, and undid the lid. "This will help."
'What, he just carries that around? Pompous prick…'
Victor held out a finger. "Here."
Yuri pinched his eyes, tearing away from Victor's hold on his chin. "Don't touch me!" He balled his hands into fists. "This is your fault!" He blurted, forgetting who he was talking to only to gasp.
The nearby clock ticked for several seconds.
Vacant, the master took his now unoccupied hand and placed it on the middle Yuri's chest. "I know…"
It wasn't kind, angry, nor apologetic. Just words.
Yuri's breath hitched. 'You…know? What the? How about sorry?!'
"Just let me do-" Yuri took a sharp breath, too slow to stop Victor. His cheeks flushed red despite no one else in the room to be embarrassed by as a relieving gel swept over his lips.
Satisfied, Victor took back his finger and stepped away. "There…that's better. Now, what were you going to say?"
Yuri almost brought his arm up to wipe the stuff off his lips, but couldn't deny they felt immensely better right away. With a huff, he walked past the Colbran and went towards the counter where the bag of clothes awaited. "C-Come on, you almost worked us to death and y-you need to be at the foyer on time."
Victor wiped his hand with a kitchen towel. "Humph, you are right, I do. I imagine we have, what, ten or so minutes left? With some spice from kitchen and those clothes you, and your remedied sweaty stench, will be ready to go too."
Yuri shifted side to side, feeling pressed for time and did not want to disappoint the sisters or cause them any worry.
"With that said, I'll go change. What, you want to dress me or something?"
Silence hung over the two once more, Yuri replayed what he had just said in his mind and began to blush. He looked away from Victor, gritting his teeth.
'Arg! Fuck me running! I'm such an idiot!'
A slender finger was placed on a sly smile. "Hmmm? You bring up an interesting idea...but no," Victor took a step forward. "Tonight is too important for you to be even more upset with me if I were to do such a thing. But, take this to heart, behave. I will be outside, don't keep me waiting."
With that, the Noble left a confused Yuri to change.
"Whew~" Yuri sighed in relief, putting a hand on his chest. 'Oh man, my heart won't stop...God is wrong with me?!'
The two gentlemen barely made it to the foyer in time greet the guests. Axel reported the hired guard had already taken their positions around the estate and had tracker bracelets already to given to the guests. When the co-ed mix of guests arrived, twenty Nobles with their fellow servant filled in by the time meet and greet was done. They gave their coats to Ms. Purple, they next received a tracker wristband for their servant, from Loop.
'Mila is even here with Georgi it would seem.' Yuri recognized at one point.
Once they had placed the wristbands, they greeted Victor whom, once in awhile, introduced Yuri as his new butler. Yuri, not sure on what do, took a hint from the girls and bowed whenever the gesture felt appropriate. There were moments the Nobles surprised Yuri when he personally received compliments. Yuri mentally dismissed such to be a mere formality, since they were in front of the host. He would outwardly thank each who did so, however, and the guests would carry on to the dinner hall, escorted by either a hired guardsman or Lutz herself who went back and forth.
When the time came, Victor ordered the triplets to fall back to the kitchen to take care of food while Lutz would stick around to help with drinks in the dinner hall. Yuri thought he surely would have to as well, but the order never came.
"Sh-Should I not help them as well, sir?" Yuri asked a bit nervously.
Nikiforov straightened his jacket. "Mr. Katsuki, you're a butler who stays at their Lord's side at all times."
'That's it?"
Without another thought, Yuri held his ground with the best of intentions. "Butlers are the heads in charge of other servants, orchestrating them. Surely I need to-"
Victor brought a hand to the wall with a resounding slap, his stretched out arm laid out near Yuri's head. Stunned, Yuri froze right there.
"This is why humans shouldn't read." Victor denounced lowly. "They get befuddled with all the details. I don't care what you think a butler is or what exactly they do. It's just a title for male servants during a party, understood?"
Yuri stood there, frozen and dumbfounded as frustrated Victor talked at him. When Victor backed off Yuri lowered his head."
"I apologize," Yuri replied although came across a bit indignant to Victor.
The master stood up straight. "Come, we need to get to the party."
Without any further ado, Victor turned to walk away, completely unaware of the smile which played on Yuri's lips.
'So you don't know, eh? This...this should be good…'
Notes: BIG THANK YOU! For your support, encouragement and feedback!
