Something unthinkable happened. Viktor Nikiforov was in love. He didn't know how or why, but he knew where, when, and with whom. It was on a winter night, a couple of weeks ago, at a convenience store, when he was running away from his fans after completing a training session with his students. He entered the store hoping to lose sight of them, and he lost them, but in exchange he tripped with one of the workers and threw him down and his glasses on the floor. Feeling some guilt, he picked up his glasses and thought to hand them over, but he noticed the boy start to tremble with fear. Seeing him in that state was... cute. He seemed like a puppy just about to howl. Viktor looked more closely at his face. Despite being an adult, he had an innocent, almost childish face that fascinated him, and he immediately became aware of those big amber eyes which desperately were searching of his glasses.
The only thing he didn't liked to see was that expression of panic, so he put the glasses back in their place and helped the boy to get up off the floor, enjoying every second at the returning calm to his face.
When the amber eyes finally fixed on him, he saw how his cheeks turned pink and the boy was left of breath.
Oh, the magic was broken. Viktor hated provoking that thing on people. It meant that they had reconoiced him for his fame and not for his persona. Possibly the boy soon would beg for his autograph and a photo to upload it to his social networks.
However, the boy showed a gesture of genuine confusion and tried to move away from him. In a reflex act, Viktor didn't want to let go of his hand and forced him to keep staring at him, waiting for the boy to react just like the girls who chased him a few moments ago. But that didn't happen.
The boy escape from his clutches and took refuge behind the cash register. Viktor, not sure why, took some sweets and left them on the counter, really enjoying the boy's nervousness ... Yuri, that what his employee badge saids.
"Uh ... Sir, excuse me, have we met before?" Yuri asked shyly and Viktor shook his head in a negative way, then smiled pleased. Whatever the boy was feeling at that moment, he was provoking it, not his fame. And he liked that.
"I don't think so. This is our first meeting. I know because I would never dare to forget a face like yours." He replied, knowing that what he said could have been confused with a flirtation, although Yuri's reaction it was worth it.
When the boy finished charging him, Viktor added.
"By the way, my name is Viktor Nikiforov" He said as a last resort to make the boy react, but with that he only managed to make him blush even more.
After that first encounter, Viktor felt in his chest something that no one had caused him before, or at least he didn't remember that someone had made him feel such happiness for just thinking about them. However, it was really a pity that only a day later the boy finally recognized him. Yet, Yuri still looked at him in the same way; without exaggerated idolatry and blushing cheeks, treating him as formally as another client. He definitely liked Yuri.
The following days he continued visiting the store during the breaks of his skating group. At first Yuri was not very talkative, so most of the information about him must had to be took it from his co-worker, Yurio.
Yuri was about to graduating from college, which he helping his parents pay with his night work. He spent the day sleeping until afternoon to attended evening classes and at night he used the solitude of the shop to do homework. Yurio's life was similar, except that he was just entering the college, a different one from Yuri's; and he was living with his grandfather.
As the days went by, Yuri welcomed him with less and less forced and nervous smiles to give him way to more sincere and warm smiles. Which made Viktor's heart leap with joy. He could see that Yuri's timid nature made him too wary and reluctant of the advances he was trying to make on him. Plus, that made his reactions were more fun and adorable when he was flirtying with him. The disadvantage was that his amber gaze still tried to dodge his. Viktor had invited him out a couple of times, obviously disguising his intentions with a 'show me the city', but Yuri excused himself saying that he had many things to do, or that he had already made plans with Yurio to study.
But that was fine... It wasn't like Viktor was desperate for love. Or maybe he was, but he didn't want to end up scaring Yuri. He would take the necessary time to conquer it, because the city was pleased him, the skating rink was perfect, his students were doing their best; and he didn't feel like going elsewhere. Viktor felt that everything would be worth it.
Then the opportunity to get to know each other showed up on a dawning. It was a Friday, so Viktor couldn't talk much with Yuri, because the conveniece store was full of teenagers buying cigarettes and beers, or lovers looking for snacks for their dates. And because the next day would be saturday, he decided to spend the rest of the night with the boys.
"So...Viktor." Said Yurio when the last customer left the place, while pushing buttons on his cell phone. "When will you give us a free skating lesson?"
"Oh? I thought you would never ask for it." He laughed. "Any day. I'll give to you two the best skating session you've ever had."
"Yurio! We cannot asking him for something like that." Yuri chided him as he took some boxes from the warehouse. He nearly tripped over his own foot, 'cause the boxes would 't let him see the floor, but Viktor held it in time. "T-thank you."
"No problem." He replied by taking the boxes to helped him place them. "And it's not a problem either to teach you how to skate at no cost. That's what friends are for, right?" He said and winked.
Viktor expected for Yuri to shyly looks away, but he smiled back at him.
"It's thats the case, then it's fine. But we already know how to skate... Ah! I mean, we don't skate like you do and, uh ... I haven't been on a rink for years. I maybe not remember how to do it, so... "
"Don't worry, Yuri." Viktor said in a slightly honeyed voice. He loved to say his name. "My students have told me that I have a lot of patience. I'll imagine it's your first time and I'll be nice to you. "
"A-ah ..." Now he blushed.
"Don't worry about me. I do remember how to skate. I just want to get a free skating rink." Said the blonde eating a chocolate he took from the counter, still playing with his cell phone. "How about we go today in the afternoon?"
"Today?" Yuri looked at his wristwatch and saw that it was past three in the morning. It was already Saturday. Their night shift would ended soon and they could finally go home.
When the time came, Yurio left first, his house was a few steps from the store, leaving Viktor and Yuri alone. They hadn't been alone since the day they met.
"Y-you don't have to accompany me to my house. It ins't far from here." Whispered Yuri, hiding his blushing face behind his scarf. "It's cold, and your hotel is on the opposite side."
"Don't say that, Yuri. I want to make sure you get safe and sound. I'll take a taxi back to the hotel when I drop you off at your place. Besides, did you forget that I'm from Russia? It's cold there all the time."
"Well, if you insist..."
"By the way, we didn't agree on what time we'll reunite to going to skate" He said thoughtfully. "I'll ask my boss for a permission to let you two in. I don't think there will be any problems. Then I'll sent to you a message."
"Oh, ok. My number is..."
"Yurio already gave me your number... "
"Ah?! Since when do you have it? "He asked with surprise.
"For a week ..." Answered the silver-haired man with some shame. "I ... I wanted to send you messages, but I know you're busy all day. I don't want to distract you from school. I can always see you in the store." He said with a slightly smile, but he seemed resigned.
"I'd like to receive messages from you," Yuri said suddenly, and when he realized what he was saying, he pretended to play it down. "I-I mean, you will not distract me. It may take me some time to answer them, but... I'll read them." Viktor showed another smile, a genuine one. "I just hope I'll not distract you from your students." Then he added, also smiling.
They continued talking while walking, first about Viktor's students and the fun things they do during classes, and then Yuri comment on the kind of weird people he sometimes had as clients (not including Viktor on the list, of course). The conversation was quite pleasant to Viktor's surprise. Yuri seemed more comfortable with his presence. That gave him hope.
Upon arriving at his house, Viktor was amazed at how large this was, until he remembered that Yuri's parents had thermal baths as a business.
"Maybe... I should wait for your taxi, here with you." Yuri timidly said before entering his house.
"Oh, no, please, Yuri. Go to sleep. I can see your dark circles perfectly." Viktor replied, playfully nuzzling his cheeks with one finger. "Go rest. I don't want you to catch a cold and you cannot skate with me this afternoon. "
"Okay ..." He nodded, a little reluctantly but he obeyed. "Good night, Viktor. Ah! I mean, good morning." He said after noticing that the sun was rising. The silver-haired man laughed.
"Good morning, Yuri."