Time Out

A few hours later, Victor helped Yuri into the bathroom. He wasn't as if Yuri couldn't walk, but Victor saw to take no chances.

"At some point we will need to document these bruises," Victor made note.

Yuri swallowed hard but nodded, not looking forward to explaining who had inflicted the wounds.

There was a place to sit inside the rather spacious walk-in shower. Once Victor had the water running and warm enough, he assisted Yuri off the toilet seat where they were waiting and moved them there.

'Jeez, I can stand, Victor. How do you think I reached to you last night?'

But he literally couldn't argue with them.

When Victor started to get his head wet under the shower head, however, Yuri blushed harder, already uneasy he was so dependent, but bathing was another thing.

'Just don't bath me like some old fart…'

Much to his relief, Victor handed Yuri what he needed instead.

Water, suds, silence.

Yuri scrubbed his body wash and began to rinse.

'Jeez, he's beautiful…I've fallen for him." Yuri bit his lip as his eyes traveled down. "A fucking noble for crying out loud…God, that ass…"

"Yur~i…"

Yuri's breath hitched when a gold eye caught him staring.

A smile played on the Colbran's lips. "Do you need help?"

Yuri had a hand-held shower head with a silver cord and the thing just kept running as Katsuki had absently kept pushing the button.

'Ah!' Yuri let go of the button to wave his hands in front of him. 'I'm good, I'm good!'

Victor put his hands on their shoulders and shook his head. "And all squeaky clean too." That heart-shaped, private, smile then melted to a sultry look as he looked down, placing a finger on his lips. "What a dilemma…"

Yuri took one look at himself before he clapped a hand over his eyes. 'Oh fuck me…'

Victor got down on one knee at the same time Yuri turned his head away with his eyes covered.

"Hn? I had no idea humans had that kind of stamina…"

Yuri pursed his lips and promptly pressed the button, spraying Victor in the face without looking.

'Down, boy.'

Face down in the pillows, one could've sworn a blue cloud of embarrassed gloom was hovering over Yuri's head while Victor had content, 'I win' sparkles around him an hour later.

'I don't want my stamina anymore…' Yuri groaned, but he felt amazing.

A smirking Victor pulled covers over his lover and turned to get dressed. "Yuri, as much as I want to stay longer, we don't know when the officials may come breaking down the door with a court order so I have to be prepared. Until that happens though, I'll come back here when I can to see how you're doing." Victor slipped on his jacket and started to tie his shoes. "Meanwhile, I need you rest. I don't want you to leave this room until we get a visit either for your protection."

Alarmed, Yuri pushed himself up.

Victor held up a hand. "Just trust me on this. It's not likely, but you were taken from me once and I won't have that happen again."

Yuri held his lip and nodded before Nikiforov headed out the door.


Over lunch of the second day, the two sat with their backs against the headboard of the bed. To continue to give Yuri's voice a rest, Victor gave Yuri a hand held translator to type out his questions as this was faster than writing. The basic device then translated in Colbin.

"How are you holding up?" Victor asked as he wrapped up looking through his photos of Yuri's injuries for evidence on his camera.

Katsuki typed away and held up the device a few moments later.

Sore. I'm not ready to talk about what happened yet, that's for sure.

"I understand, Yuri, but I am going to need to know soon."

The human nodded and typed again.

How did the girls take it?

"They took it like one who knew them would. Loop took it especially hard."

What took so long?

"Under house arrest, I couldn't fight for you in person. I tried to get permissions but was met with a lot of red tape. Lady Mila had stepped forward to help build your case a few days prior to Christophe getting you out.

Is she a lawyer?

Victor shook his head. "We don't have lawyers, we defend ourselves. High consequences are in place if the case is petty or unprepared because of this fact. Mila is young, a pureblood and highly influential who can also serve as a witness since it was her party. She cares for humans and has despised slavery since I've known her. She only has servants because, well, custom quite frankly. Her specialty is gathering socialite intel, more so rumors, but it's amazing how rumors can be proven and have value."

She sounds like she's part of a spy novel.

"Heh, yes she kind of lives for that, plus her family owns Ice Castle so~"

So I was right. This is all about how I stood up at the party?

"It started there, but I think those faceless brass I've been fighting against for years wanted pin you as some example, if anything, that humans should, or would, be better off to keep their lips zipped."

Was Leroy, right? Are you trying to start something?

"Yuri…"

Katsuki squinted his eyes. Victor wasn't going to get out of this.

Nikiforov sighed and kissed Yuri's temple. "Yes. Ice Castle is where it started."

I see…What kind of person is Christophe?

"To the public, the mercenary Christophe Giacometti is the Colbran to make problems disappear. If Colbran society had anything like the human mafia he'd be the ring leader who can do underhanded work for the right price. He and I go way back. We grew up together with Nessa before our fates dictated otherwise."

You two fight for Unwanted then?

"Morja is an Unwanted haven the government doesn't want to admit is there. Christophe sees to it his services he and his men perform pay for the upkeep of such a place. As Much as the brass and officials hate to admit it, every political system has a dirty, hypocritical underbelly. Plus, with the unjust treatment of the Unwanted, human slavery and treatment was an issue we couldn't avoid. But, understand, those laws were set up emlong/em ago so working to dismantle two very old structures with new lines of thought would obviously take time to undo."

That makes sense…so Chris can get intel for you that way, dirt on the higher ups?

"Yes, and he looks forward to the day he can live Morja behind and live a civil life, unlike his father before him who fought for the same thing. Put simply, he does because he feels he has to. It's a delicate balance to look like his is playing both sides, but I trust him with my life."

He told me Yuuko was well. Does…he love her?

Victor hesitated at first. "…Yes, Yuri…he fell."

That's good…I fell too.

Victor smiled at the message and kissed Yuri's forehead, in which the body had slouched under the covers in embarrassment.


On the third day, more texting that afternoon.

Are you sure I can't leave yet?

Yuri was now getting sick of it.

"I just saw you walk like a limping old man, so no."

Yuri rolled his eyes.

"How did you get so many injuries?" Victor asked.

That will take a letter to explain…

Victor pursed his lips. "Then write me a fucking letter already, I need to know."

Yuri's eyes bulged and then he frantically typed away.

Has Christophe contacted you?! Sorry, I forgot to mention he had taken another with him to Morja from the prison who was in my cell.

"Yu~ri," Victor drawled in a low voice, "a little late on that, aren't we? Write me a letter already."

Instead, Yuri looked away worried and fidgeted with the device.

Victor looked up and sighed before tackling Yuri's neck, right underneath ear.

"Eee-!" Yuri dropped the translator onto the comforters and slapped a hand over the fresh love bite.

Victor closed in. "Got you little piggy…"

That letter ending up having to wait after all.


On the fourth day, Victor rushed into the room late that evening. Still a no show from officials.

"Sorry, Yuri! Have you eaten?"

Yuri set a book aside and nodded.

Victor appeared both frustrated and excited to be done with the day, ripping off his scarf around his neck, tearing off his jacket, kicking off his shoes.

Yuri couldn't help but smile and reached for the translator device.

You look like you had a long day, heh.

Victor was in the middle of the room in nothing but briefs, pulled up socks and a half unbuttoned shirt when he saw them hold up the device.

Nikiforov ruffled his hair. "You think?! Nothing but calls from idiots!"

Yuri sniggered as he took back his hand that held the device and typed something else.

Hot look, Dumbass.

Oh. He knew what he was doing.

"Okay! You lost your privileges!" Victor lurched forward, but not fast enough before Yuri rolled over to protect the device.

"No~ho ho!" Yuri giggled as his voice was on the mend.

"Give me it!" Victor dove his hands around Yuri's torso.

"No~ha ha!"

When he finally got it, Victor held it up like a prize with one hand. "Ah ha!"

He promptly tossed the device overboard.

Yuri wiggled, unable to stop smiling, as Victor would hold him back in all good fun.

"I must…it back!" Katsuki declared with a hoarse voice.

Victor pecked Yuri's tender cheek. "Never~" he declared with a grin.


A door slammed.

V-Victor?" A startled Yuri whispered on the fifth day from the bedroom desk chair.

The Colbran was peeved, and started pacing. "Mila found out over a drink from a journalist somebody doesn't want to press the issue. Everyone knows you have left. Everyone knows you have returned and now they're trying to cover it like a 'oops, our bad'!"

"Eh? I-I'm not…arrested again for escaping?" Yuri abbreviated.

"If they had pressed the issue, probably, yes, but I would've stepped in. However, their involvement as the accusers and why they had accused you in the first place could've been called out mid-trial, their 'findings or evidence' to lock you up could've been questioned, which would bring their ulterior motives into questioning, which could've brought a motion to just- anything better!" Victor roared as he rambled, ruffling at his hair. "Gah! I was so stupid! But as if I was gonna just-!"

"Were…banking on…that?" Katsuki asked.

Victor sighed and held up his hands like he was about to conduct. "No~ I was expecting someone to come. I was expecting a fuss. A media circus, a scandal if need be. But now…the higher crud is still nameless! Dammit!" The silver Colbran kicked the wall.

Yuri clutched to the translator and blanched seeing Victor so upset.

'He'll go nuts if he reads this now…'

Yuri set the device, with his finished letter, on the table and got up. He felt more than well enough to walk over and reach for Victor's arms.

Victor saw them come and took the opportunity.

"I…Yuri, I…" Victor wrapped his arms around Yuri's waist

"Shh~ you're shaking…I'm here…"

"Ah~" Victor sighed, "for you to see me like this…"

"It's fine…"

"Not for a Colbran it isn't."

Yuri squeezed Victor harder, he knew he'd never hold over this fact over their head.

"I…love you…it's more…than fine…"

Victor pulled back his head and kissed Yuri's forehead only to linger there for a couple moments, thankful in how far they have come.

If they couldn't get justice for Yuri, it would be another mark on the endless track where no other human or Unwanted had achieved and thus the spiral feeling defeated and hopelessness would just continue. Silenced and Beaten.

Victor drew Yuri in closer.

"Don't let the fire out, Yuri…please…keep it for me."

"I will…" Yuri whispered.


Notes:

Thank you for reading! :D