Shining Steel (Victuuri)

Chocolate Raisins

"Come on, Yuuurriiiii, this spot is perfect!"

After class had finished, I had immediately seized the opportunity and taken him on that picnic. It was surprisingly pleasant given the time of year and that St. Petersburg was rarely warm outside of the summer. It made me smile in contentment as I glanced back behind me to where Yuuri was climbing the grassy slope. While it was only a gradual incline, I had grown to love running back and forth, up and down it, and it had played a major part in my childhood training.

I could remember the many hours I'd spent playing tag with my sister whenever she came home from boarding school, and how Klara would join us whenever little Nastya dragged her over too.

The thought of Nastya - I'm sorry, Anya - and Klara made me slightly melancholy. They would make such a sweet couple, if my sister would just come to her senses. There was no one more perfect for her than Klara. It was one of the many reasons I hoped she wouldn't want my Yuuri; if not for my selfish sake, then for her own.

I was going to have to tell Yuuri, and soon, or it would only keep weighing upon my mind.

And if he didn't feel that way about me, then I'd have to be fine with that. Sure, I'd probably cry constantly for about six months straight, but I wouldn't let it ruin what I had with him already.

Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.

As I reached the tree grove at the top of the slope, I unfurled the blanket that I'd brought and flung myself onto it. I heard a small chuckle behind me and grinned to myself as I felt a second body land beside me.

"Victor, how often do you run up this hill? I can hardly keep up!" Yuuri sounded out of breath, and honestly I couldn't blame him.

"I like to think that I have very impressive speed!" I winked at him.

"Well, that may be so, but I've heard that the same can't be said for your stamina."

...

Holy sprinkles on a birthday cake.

Did he just?

He did.

"... Did Chris tell you that? 'Cause I guarantee he's not the best judge on that front," I questioned after a moment of reluctance.

His face turned white as a sheet and then redder than my Olympic jacket in a matter of moments. His hand shot up to his mouth as I watched his eyes opened wider than I'd ever seen them before.

"I-I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring that up! Oh God, I'm so sorry; I know that's private," he groaned, completely covering his eyes with his hands and trying to wrap himself into his end of picnic blanket.

For a moment I was stuck; I'm awful at coping with distressed people. I was almost rendered completely useless as I watched him attempt to smother himself into nonexistence. I took a moment to unzip the bag and find my convenient bargaining tool.

"Yuuri," I began. "Here, have some chocolate raisins."

His face appeared out from underneath the fabric at the mention of the treat.

"Listen, Yuuri, I couldn't care less about you knowing about that, heck, if it makes you feel any better, Chris was blabbing to me about you."

He sighed in what sounded like relief and came out from his hiding space to take a handful of the raisins.

"I want to hear more about you, Yuuri. How did you meet Chris and Klara? How did you meet my sister?"

As much as I would've loved to continue talking about our sex lives, I could see that a change in conversational topic was needed. I was also desperate for some answers.