Took a wrong turn somewhere (or is it right?)

[yokunaru]

[When Yuuri wakes up, he's greeted with a pounding headache, the likes of which he's never had before. Opening his eyes gets him an eyeful of cheerful sunlight that sends him whimpering back under the covers. He tries again a few minutes later, just managing to swing his legs over the side of the bed, wincing the whole time.

He freezes when he finally gets a good look at the room. This is...not his hotel room.

The shock is enough to temporarily push back the discomfort and make him jump to his feet. What happened? Where am I? he wonders, when he comes up empty handed after a quick search of the room for his belongings. One hand running through his hair as his panic steadily rises, Yuuri finally starts toward the door, intent on finding answers.]

Comments

[yokunaru]

[The blush returns with a vengeance. It's nothing Victor hasn't said already today, but it still gets to him every time.]

I... [Yuuri's still at the counter, watching Victor with a mixture of confusion and longing. He did so badly at the Finals, and yet Victor sees something in him worth exploring. He wants so badly to be worthy of that feeling.

Yuuri wets his lips nervously.] What did you have in mind? The, um, exploring love part.

[wauuu]

Do you want me to be completely upfront? There's no obligation to appease me, of course, buy if you want it all out in the open... [he just trails off, leaving it for Yuri to push or let go]

[yokunaru]

[He hesitates. Does he want to know all this? It feels like he's going to be crossing a line once he says "yes". Still, knowing exactly what Victor might want out of this doesn't seem like a bad thing, either.

Breathing in, Yuuri nods.]

I want to know. Please.

[wauuu]

You're the type I could have absolutely wild sex with all night, cuddle up with for breakfast in the morning, and then talk the whole day away with.

That's why I took you home. [he laughs]

I'm not sure if that's crude, romantic, or both!

[yokunaru]

Probably both... [He manages to squeak out, even with both his hands pressed to his mouth in shock.]

You--you do remember that I don't have. Um. Experience...

[wauuu]

You do remember I could teach you.

[well this grocery trip sure took a nosedive into a sexual place]

[yokunaru]

[He would've thought Victor would want someone more experienced, and yet here he is, offering to teach Yuuri the ropes. On sex. Yuuri still has trouble wrapping his mind around this.

Frustration at himself spikes suddenly, making Yuuri shake his head. Even though a tiny part of him is interested and wants to jump in immediately, the much larger part of him recoils at the thought of so much intimacy so quickly. He can't do it.]

Even if you could... I'd. I'd probably take this at a very slow pace.

[Surely that would be a deal breaker for most people? Yuuri doesn't even know.]

[wauuu]

[Victor's smile goes from sharp, sensual, to very soft. It's a fluid and natural change, not jarring or forced on his features. He says very simply and genuine]

Slow can be nice.

[yokunaru]

[Yuuri can hardly believe what he's hearing, one hand pressed to his chest, like he's trying to slow down his rapid heartbeat.]

Wh-what? You really don't mind?

[wauuu]

I said I wanted to explore.

What's the fun in that, if I'm not willing to take my time?

[yokunaru]

[It's that willingness to go at Yuuri's pace that convinces him in the end. Had he gotten another answer, Yuuri wouldn't have given it another thought, even for the man who had been his idol for so many years.]

Okay. [Quiet, but steady, his voice doesn't waver nearly as much as before. And this time Yuuri manages to smile, a softer, more trusting expression on his face.] I want to explore with you.

[wauuu]

[you're getting SPARKLED at]

Really? This will be so fun, I want to know everything about you!

[yokunaru]

[Oh...that bright smile is a good look on him. Much better than the muted one he'd worn in the car. Yuuri's inordinately pleased that he managed to draw that out of him.

Still smiling, he leans against the counter.]

I want to know more about you, too.

[Mentally, he's just shoving all the little Victor Facts he's memorized from magazines to the side. Learning the answers from the man himself is so much better anyway.]

[wauuu]

[sorry, Yuri, you're getting called out immediately]

It's a bit strange! You admitted you were a fanboy. [he has to tease] You probably know a ton about me, already. I've got catching up to do.

[yokunaru]

[Ouch, straight to the heart. Yuuri flinches, back to fiddling with his sleeves.]

I--maybe. But anything I picked up is from interviews. I want to hear this all from you, so it would feel like we're both starting with um...blank slates...? [He covers his mouth with one hand, embarrassment thoroughly seeping back in.] That probably sounded really stupid.

[wauuu]

You don't have to pretend for me. I want to know you just as you are. [The fan thing is honestly really cute to him, it makes him feel determined to not just live up to expectations, but surpass them.]

I'll be the real me, too. Deal?

[yokunaru]

[Somehow, with just a few words, Victor manages to put a stopper on his overthinking. It's temporary, as always, but it allows Yuuri to smile more genuinely again at least.]

Deal. [Yuuri, thinking that they should really organize all the supplies they've brought back, gets an idea just then.] Let's put the groceries away together. You can ask me anything you want while we're doing that.

[wauuu]

Hmm, let me think... [he'll start organizing the items on the counter, getting the stuff that needed to be kept cold out first to go into the fridge]

Silly question, probably, but how far can you see without your glasses?

[yokunaru]

I'm not completely blind without them, but...

[Yuuri peeks into the cabinets and emerges victorious with a probably-forgotten fruit bowl. He drops the apples and other fruit in there.]

Everything's kind of blurry around the edges when I don't have them on. I definitely can't read anything without them.

[wauuu]

You're farsighted, then? I thought you might be near sighted, since you take them off to perform. I guess it doesn't matter, when you know the routine perfectly well. [Victor closed his eyes during plenty of parts of his performance, understanding your speed was probably the most important sense on the ice]

[yokunaru]

No, you were right the first time. I'm near sighted.

[Yuuri reaches up, touching the glasses in question.]

I get...anxious when I perform in front of an audience. Having them out of focus like that helps a little.

[wauuu]

[he imagined reading up close, but it clicks a moment later that Yuri meant reading things at a distance. The idea of blurring out the audience is interesting, though.]

Not to be cruel, but were nerves the reason you fell so many times at the Grand Prix?

[yokunaru]

[Yuuri winces. He probably should have seen that one coming.]

Um, that was part of it. My first Grand Prix Final--I was really nervous. [Looking down at the fruit bowl, Yuuri inhales shakily.] The other part was... I got a call from home right after I got here. They had bad news, and I just couldn't shake it off in time.

[wauuu]

[Victor will nod thoughtfully. He doesn't want to seem condescending at all, that kind of thing happened to high pressure competitors.]

That's understandable, I'm sorry about whatever happened. I won't pry if it's not something you want to say.

[yokunaru]

[He thinks Victor would probably understand, since he has Makkachin, but Yuuri still hesitates before he says softly--]

My dog died. I haven't seen him since I moved to Detroit to train with Mr. Celestino.