Allodoxaphobia ♅ Viktuuri

19) ''Soldier Boy''

Yuuri was as calm as he could be in the situation. Viktor let him relax into his arms, the position suggestive but neither cared at the moment- the only thing that mattered that was Yuuri was calm again. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to trigger you like that.' Viktor muttered, pushing another few strands of raven hair from Yuuri's face, relishing in the softness despite the sweat lacing his face. It looked like he was about to fall asleep. Viktor wouldn't have minded if it were not for the next lesson coming up soon and neither of them had had a bite to eat. Yuuri definitely needed some food and hopefully, Viktor could get it before someone tried to open the door again.

As if on cue, a knock rang throughout the room. Viktor sighed and turned, pushing Yuuri's head off his lap, easing him into a sitting position before opening the door. There stood Lily, her lips pursed. 'Viktor! What are you doing?! I thought we were meeting for lunch!' It had slipped Viktor's mind. Lily had been all but forgotten in the moment he spent with Yuuri. She was unimportant. The distraction was no longer needed...he had the real thing right in front of him.

No! He shouted silently. He had to stop thinking like this. Yuuri wasn't his, couldn't be his and would never be his. Suddenly, the reason for having the distraction in the first place became all the more clear. Lily had her uses. That was about it. Her personality was bland to him. She was nice, kind, beautiful but nothing drew Viktor. Viktor craved to surprise and be surprised. Lily was not satisfying either.

'Oh, sorry, it just slipped my mind. You know how I can be sometimes.' Viktor mumbled, all past bravado lost under her intense gaze. She was usually so calm but Viktor had a tendency to wind her up- why she still bothered pining, he wasn't sure.

'Slipped your mind? Is that all you can say?!' Her tone rose until she saw the clearly unsteady student in the corner of the room. 'Oh...hi, Yuuri.' She faked innocence but it was clear that the entire room was on edge. She was suspicious, Yuuri was still nervous and Viktor was stuck in a pit of self-loathing.

'Lily, can we talk about this later?' Viktor asked kindly, smiling awkwardly and trying to shut the door. That was not going to work.

'Viktor, don't you dare shut the door on me. We need to talk about this. Yuuri, do you mind leaving?' Her voice was no better than a snake's but either way, Yuuri now feared his once kind art teacher and quickly rushed out of the room.

'Yuuri, stop.' That was Viktor's voice; Yuuri didn't turn around. He did stop, though. 'Don't leave. Lily, we can do this later. You're interrupting.' Viktor's voice was stern, all attempts at smiling lost.

'No, Viktor, this is important. You can't just kiss me and then ignore me!' Viktor was at a loss for words. Yuuri had gone stiff, although it was clear there was a slight shaking of his body. Yuuri knew Viktor kissed Lily. Viktor wanted to run and apologise but for what? For kissing someone off his own accord whilst single? Yuuri wasn't his and now, it seemed, Yuuri was taken too. They both regretted their actions. The jealousy was driving them both mad. Yuuri finally turned and met Viktor's gaze. All they could see was pain.

'What the hell is going on?' Such a distinct voice, Yurio, Yuuri's new boyfriend. Yuri looked between them all. A broken heart was the first word that came to mind. Miss Morley looked close to tears, Yuuri wasn't much different and Viktor looked as if he had just betrayed the love of his life.

Maybe he had.

Yuri, similarly, felt his heart shatter looking between his boyfriend and his best friend. All he could see was love. It repulsed him. Yuuri was his distraction- he wasn't supposed to pine for his best friend. Yuri had never felt this before: jealousy. He shouldn't be jealous. Yuuri may be his but not for the reasons that most people were together- or maybe it was. Maybe everyone just wanted a distraction.

'I said what the hell is-' Yuri was cut off by a snap of someone's fingers. A click. Lily had clicked. Suddenly, Yuri's voice had gone. Now that was a power he hadn't seen before. Had Lily the ability to take someone's ability to speak? It seemed so. No matter how hard Yuri tried, his voice wasn't making a sound. He felt like he was deaf.

Viktor's eyes finally drew away from Yuuri, his brows furrowed in concentration. 'Lily, get out. If I see you using your powers again, I won't hesitate in ridding you from this damn school.' He growled. Lily complied easily, too fearful of this new side of Viktor to stay. Once she left, tension fell but something was still there. Something there wasn't supposed to be; a new canyon between them all, forcing them apart.

'I'm going to go.' Yuuri muttered, his eyes downcast, his body trembling but even in the state he was in, Viktor didn't stop him (despite Yuuri having a high chance of passing out). Yurio didn't even say a word as he left. Viktor was alone again.

It became clear to him. Distractions never work.

-

Yuri growled as he stalked down the corridors and into his science class, a class that he shared with Otabek. The only one where Otabek was present and Mila was not, actually. They were lab partners, despite Yuri's protests, since yesterday. Otabek's partner, Minami, had claimed to be so scared of him that he couldn't work properly, therefore, switching with Yuri. Yuri now had Otabek and Minami, Guang-Hong. In all honesty, the matchings were much better now but that didn't stop Yuri's unwelcome mood.

'Hi, soldier boy.' Otabek spoke, no hint of sarcasm in his voice. It was a question how Otabek had even got to the place he was in the school hierarchy. His looks, most likely, his personality (from what Yuri had seen) was rather stoic. Not a stereotypical jock character.

That must have been what Yuri liked about him.

'I told you to stop calling me that!' Yuri growled. Otabek shrugged nonchalantly. He had called Yuri that since they met, he wasn't about to stop now.

'I can call you whatever I like, soldier boy.' Otabek taunted after a minute of hanging silence, emphasising the name for added irritation. He enjoyed pushing Yuri's buttons. He was cute when he was angry- like a kitten.

'No, you can't! Stop calling me that!' Yuri growled, the menacing threat portrayed more as a childish tantrum.

'Soldier boy.' Otabek said it with such boredom that it almost didn't pass as an insult but Yuri wasn't going to stop- not until he was called his real name.

'Stop it!' He whined, glaring daggers at the boy beside him, hoping he would give in before the teacher came in for their next class.

'Shut it, before I give you a worse name.' Otabek spat. The conversation was over. Otabek was so used to getting what he wanted and he no longer wanted to listen to his lab partner so the conversation stopped. But, not for Yurio.

'You piece of sh*t! I don't understand why I ever had a crush on you in the first place.' He spat before his eyes widened and he slapped his hand over his mouth. He had wished he had just let the conversation stop. Otabek was about to speak, no doubt to taunt him but the teacher strode in, their face dreary and the student's marked test in their hand.

Not only did Otabek not talk to him but Yuri got 6/40 on his test.

word count: 1315

published: 21.05.17