FANFICS AND STORIES

It was awfully quiet in the House of Hades, for once. Only soft chatter and murmurs could be heard from the idle shades along the hallways. Hades put away the parchment he had just finished working on and paused, piquing Persephone's interest mid-petting Cerberus. Without prompting, Hades asked aloud, "Where's the bo- I mean, Zagreus? It's... too quiet today."

Persephone chuckled a little, "The last I saw of Zagreus, he was heading towards his chambers in a sort of hurry. Though, I can't be sure why. When he ran past me earlier, I think he mentioned something about Thanatos?" She handed Cerberus three treats, one for each head, and smiled at the sight of a happily wagging tail as he swiftly devoured them all.

"Hmph, I see. Thanatos informed me he wanted to take a break for a while and I agreed upon noting his excellent performance as of late," Hades' fiery quill pen once again hard at work, in an attempt to make up for all the lost time Hades had to spend fighting his son to the death up on the surface. "In any case, there is peace and quiet at last. I can finally catch up on all the parchment work that got delayed because of him."  Who knows when he would have to do it again? He better get some work done while he could. Persephone, on the other hand, had some other ideas.

Peeking over Hades' arm, Persephone suggested, "After this one's done, why don't we take a short break as well?" Hades paused again and looked at her. "You've been working hard these days, or nights, and you deserve to take a breather, Hades. Besides, it's not good to be cooped up at your desk forever."

"It's not like I get to stay cooped up here for long, thanks to our son," Hades wanted to say, but seeing how Persephone was looking at him... He averted his gaze and instead replied, "... Fine. Once I'm done with this one."

Persephone beamed with satisfaction, and Hades could see how wide her smile was from his peripheral vision, "Let's head to the garden together to visit our pom trees, alright?"

Hades' quill pen moves just a little faster.

Meanwhile, just east of the House of Hades, Zagreus stepped into his bedchambers to be greeted by the familiar sight of Thanatos, whom also just arrived a little before him.

"Thanatos!" Zagreus said with a tinge of surprise as if they did not plan this beforehand.

"What's with that? We agreed to meet here, didn't we?" Thanatos greeted lightheartedly, his lips slightly upturned.

"Well, yes, but I didn't expect you to turn up so... early," Zagreus said, a sheepish smile forming on his face as he reached up to scratch the back of his neck. "To be honest, I didn't think this far ahead. I... I just wanted to spend some time together with you, seeing as to how we're both always occupied with our jobs."

"Well, we have the whole day ahead of us," Thanatos started, gently setting down his scythe in a safe corner of Zagreus' messy Prince chambers. "We can figure it out as we go along."

Zagreus let out a slight chuckle, "You're right, Than. Let's just take our time, yeah?" He looked around his room and his eyes laid upon the biggest furniture he had: his recently furnished Chthonic bed he ordered from the House Contractor. Before he could say anything, however, Thanatos spoke up.

"For starters, why don't we take an actual break for once? Especially you," Thanatos walked towards the bed, vaguely gesturing to it. "When was the last time you even sat down?"

Zagreus wanted to mention the other day when he was drinking some Ambrosia with Megaera in the loun– nope. They were both standing. He swallowed his words.

"Just as I thought," Thanatos noticed the Prince's mouth opening and closing without muttering a single word. "Now, just... just come sit down." His voice trailed away as he took a seat at the edge of the bed, his gaze averted.

"Since... Since we're going to rest," Zagreus paused. "Why don't we just lie down on the bed together? I don't know when I'll get a chance to use the bed again."

Thanatos looked up at him, caught his gaze for a second before looking away again, "... You make a good point." It might be the lighting in his room but Zagreus thought he saw a tinge of gold coloring Thanatos' cheeks as the latter turned and moved to the other side of the bed.

As they both quietly settled in under the covers, nothing but silence and the ruffling of sheets could be heard. Conveniently, the Chthonic bed came with two pillows—not like Zagreus ever used them—so Thanatos took the one nearer to the wall while Zagreus scooched next to him. They both got comfortable, their heads sinking into the pillows, their faces inches away from each other.

It's not their first time being this close to each other, but the quiet and serene atmosphere of Zagreus' room, and them being alone with each other after so long felt... different. After they stopped fidgeting and moving under the covers, Zagreus looked at Thanatos with a slight smile, his voice a little lower, "So... what did you do lately? I haven't seen you around for quite a long time while ransacking my father's realm."

"It got really busy with the mortals the past handful of days and nights," Thanatos let out a small sigh, remembering how hectic it all was, before continuing slowly as if choosing his words carefully. "But... I made sure to work even harder, so I could get a break after it all died down and... spend extra time with you."

"Really?" Zagreus' eyes lit up. "No wonder Father let you off for today. I'm... Thank you, Than. I really appreciate it." His smile grew a little wider.

"There's no need to thank me. I just..." Thanatos looked down, not wanting to look any deeper into the other man's eyes. Though, that was how he saw Zagreus' hand reach up towards him first before he noticed his face just centimeters away from his.

"I missed you, too," Zagreus leaned closer a little more and gently rubbed his nose against Thanatos', one hand cupping his cheek. Thanatos blushed, his cheeks a bright gold, and Zagreus chuckled softly upon seeing how flustered he was. He then fell quiet and let the silence simmer for a second or two before continuing, his voice a whisper. "Do you... Do you want to kiss?"

Unbeknownst to both of them, Thanatos could blush harder than he already was, and that Thanatos, being embarrassed and flustered out of his mind, could accidentally teleport out of the chamber entirely.

Meanwhile, further east of the House of Hades, past the Prince's bedchambers, the God and Queen of the Underworld are lovingly tending to the pom trees together. Hades helped gather the poms together, and Persephone prepared the trees for their next bountiful harvest.

"Alright, just one more pom tree to go!" Persephone held Hades' hand as she led him to the last tree. "You can set the basket down over h–" Before she could finish her sentence, a bright green light flashed in front of them.

Standing in front of them was a somewhat disheveled Thanatos with gold-powdered cheeks.

No one said a thing or moved an inch for what felt like a solid minute.

"Um..." Persephone finally broke the silence. "Thanatos? Are you... Are you alrigh–"

"Yes!" Thanatos replied a little too quickly, adjusting his robes as naturally as he could while avoiding eye contact with the couple. "A-Apologies for the interruption, my Lord and Queen Persephone. I will take my leave now." The moment the last word left his lips, he was gone in another flash of green light before anyone could say anything more.

Hades and Persephone, left alone once again, looked at each other for a while, neither saying anything. Hades wordlessly set down the basket of poms and Persephone piped up, "Well... I'm sure they'll be fine."

Meanwhile, less east of the House of Hades, in the Prince's bedchambers, Thanatos returned to a Zagreus who was propped up on an elbow, looking back at him with a cheeky grin on his face. He subconsciously braced himself.

"So, how was the trip?" Zagreus said, almost like he rehearsed it while Thanatos was gone.

Thanatos gingerly lay back down beside him, "One more word and you'll have a swim in River Styx."

Zagreus snickered playfully, then kept his mouth shut. Once Thanatos was back beside him, he shuffled closer to him, slipped an arm around his waist, and pulled him closer. Gently and carefully, he pressed his forehead against Thanatos'. Thanatos tried his best to look into his eyes this time around, and his heart skipped a beat at how gentle his gaze was.

"So... You didn't answer my question just now," Zagreus said delicately. "Do you want to kiss?"

Zagreus waited for Thanatos' reply patiently, and Thanatos couldn't help but pull his gaze away. He muttered, "S-Sure..."

They both knew it was their first time together so taking it slow was an unspoken consensus. The only experience Zagreus had when it came to romantic intimacy, however, was squinting at Achilles and Patroclus kissing in the Elysium glades from afar before they eventually spot him and slowly stop. Well, there's always a first time for everything, gods and mortals alike.

They both lean in for a kiss, lips slightly parted and breaths held. Thanatos reached a hand up to hold Zagreus' face softly, and he felt him smile a little into the kiss. When they pulled away, his smile was in full bloom, "Mm, that wasn't too bad... Another one?" Zagreus pushed his nose gently against Thanatos' cheek, nudging him for an answer they both already knew.

Thanatos answered, a little more firmly than both of them expected, "You don't have to ask all the time, you know? Just do it..." His voice trailed off as Zagreus pulled him deeper into his embrace, and they lean in for another kiss or two, or maybe three.

Somehow it felt like they never really left each other's sides. Zagreus leaving without a word and Thanatos trying to get a hold of him—all of that seemed so long ago.

Tilda peers ­­into the captivating darkness of the solar system ahead of her. She is almost there, she can feel it. Everything she has done up until that point is all going to be worth it. The sleepless nights, the endless frustration, all the blood, sweat and tears she has put in to come this far into the solar system. It will all be worth it. Tilda takes a deep breath. She is humanity’s only hope to advance into the unknown of space exploration. She cannot mess this up.

Tilda closes her eyes, letting her mind wander back to twenty years ago. Memories of finishing up the treacherous and risky expedition on Saturn with her team come flooding back. At that time, they all thought that was as far as humanity can go. Opening her eyes, she thinks to herself, Look at you now, you are all the way at the end… The end of the solar system.

A little dialogue box suddenly starts flashing on the main monitor of her spaceship, as the voice of the spaceship’s artificial intelligence warned, “We are about to experience some turbulence from passing through the boundary of the current solar system.”

“Okay, set up extra precautions and stabilizing systems for the ship, Ori,” Tilda replied. More dialogue boxes appear as Ori, Tilda’s computerized companion, heeds her orders and alters the internal system of the spaceship. Tilda has already put in extra effort to make sure that nothing will go wrong on this major expedition, and she has at least four contingency plans if the worst-case scenario happens, but one can never be too careful. Especially when everyone is relying on her and the fate of humanity is in her hands.

The spaceship shakes a little bit, but not strong enough to throw Tilda off-balance, before stabilizing again. The other side of the solar system is closer than ever now. Tilda’s heart pounds with a sort of anticipation no other space expedition has ever given her. At the back of her mind, she thinks about all the recognition she will receive from everyone, the satisfaction and pride that she will feel once she makes it back to Earth. Most importantly, the thrill of discovering the unknown shakes her to her core. She cannot help but wonder, what is on the other side of this solar system? Alien life? Unexplored galaxies? Another universe, even?

Well, there is only one way to find out.

The spaceship is trembling more violently now, causing Tilda to almost stumble. She looks up at the monitor. What is in front of her is now no longer the complete darkness of space but is instead turning brighter gradually. Her eyes tear away from the monitor as the spaceship quakes aggressively once more, throwing her completely off-balance this time and she hits the floor of the spaceship with a loud thump. She barely manages to sit back up to look at what is ahead of her before everything goes blank.

­Tilda hears herself groan before she opens her eyes. Once her vision finally clears, all she sees is a blinding white.

There is absolutely nothing in front of the spaceship, just an endless stretch of white.

“Is that it?” Tilda pauses, her heartbeat ringing in her ears now, but she does not feel herself breathing. “Is that it? Am I on the other side of the boundary?”

Complete silence.

“Ori, have we crossed to the other side of the solar system’s boundary?” Tilda asked louder this time.

No reply.

“Ori? Ori, are you there?”

Still nothing.

Tilda gets up, her legs noticeably shaking. Something is wrong. Something is definitely wrong. Tilda refuses to believe that this is all there is to it. This cannot be the other side of the solar system.

Just… Nothing?

“Impossible,” Tilda tells herself aloud firmly, but even she can hear the subtle doubt in her voice. She walks over to the control panels, hoping to be able to find out what exactly is going on. She begins to press some buttons to get a better view of what is outside of the spaceship. It is only when she taps the fifth button that she realizes that none of them is working. The entire control panel is not working at all.

“Oh, God. Please don’t tell me—” Tilda looks at the rest of the spaceship. The entire system is down. Nothing seems to be working; The buttons and panels — including the communication system — which are supposed to light up aren’t, Ori is not functioning, and the other monitors are showing nothing but white.

Tilda froze. Is the ship even moving?

She whips around and heads towards the compartment where her spacesuit is. She puts it on in record time and before she knows it, she’s out of the spaceship.

Her speculation is right: the spaceship isn’t moving at all. It’s just suspended in thin air, or wherever it is right now, and so is she. She looks around her. It is nothing but a vast sea of white. There is not a single speck of anything anywhere.

“No way,” she breathes. “Is it really— Okay, no, don’t panic, Tilda. Do not panic.” She tries to assure herself but to no avail. Deep breaths, deep breaths. I will figure this out somehow. Definitely.

Before she can even harbour another anxious thought, a booming voice comes bellowing down from nowhere and reads, as giant, black text forms in front of her, “Congratulations! You win! Restart or end game?”

“Wha-What in the world is…” Tilda’s voice trails off as she stared at the big, bold text, and when she speaks again, her voice is nothing but a hoarse whisper. “What is the meaning of this?”

No response.

Tilda screams at the top of her lungs, “WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?! WHAT— Are you, are you telling me that this is all just a—”

She stops herself from even uttering the word. There is no way this is it. Tilda clenches her fists as her breathing quickens and she becomes short of breath.

“I— You can’t just tell me that,” Tilda pauses for a long while, trying to catch her ragged breath, before mumbling almost inaudibly. “You can’t just tell me that this is all just a game.”

No response.

The world remains silent as Tilda tries to calm down in a fruitless attempt. Is this just a dream? Is everything just an illusion and I am asleep in bed? Surely this can’t be real? No, no, I don’t believe—I don’t want to believe it.

Tilda stares intently at every letter that is being presented to her. Either way, I need to do something.

“What happens… What will happen if I restart?” She directs the question to the text hanging in mid-air, hoping to get an answer this time.

“If you wish to restart, you can either choose one of your saved files or go back to the beginning of the game,” the same booming voice replied in a monotonous tone.

A game… No, it can’t be, Tilda shakes her head. There must be something more to it.

“Then… What will happen if I choose to end the game?”

“All your saved files will be deleted permanently.”

“What does that mean?” The words leave Tilda’s lips cautiously.

“You will cease to exist,” the voice says, matter-of-factly, and Tilda shudders. “And you will be reborn and start from the very beginning.”

“Cease to exist?” Tilda rolls the words in her mouth.

“You have to pick one.”

Well, ceasing to exist is practically a dead end for me, and for humanity. Maybe restarting is the better of the two evils here. Tilda exhales. There’s not much point in idling here, looking for an immediate solution. Tilda inhales. Here goes nothing.

“Restart, to right before the launch.”

The moment the words leaves her lips, everything turns black.

Tilda wakes up with a start, not in her bed, but on the floor along the hallway leading to the space station’s meeting rooms. She is back on Earth. She looks up to see one of her superiors, Basilio, looking very concerned, “Tilda? Are you okay? You just blacked out without warning.”

“Uh, I-I’m fine,” Tilda blurts out, still wrapping her head around everything. “Don’t worry about it.”

“We are going to have a meeting now for your launch, which is in five hours’ time,” Basilio informed. “Are you ready?”

“The launch!” Tilda’s eyes widen. “That’s right, the launch… Basilio, sir, I… We cannot launch.”

Basilio looks at Tilda, puzzled, “Cannot launch? What are you talking about? Are you not ready yet?”

“Yes, sir, I mean- No, I just…” Tilda bites her lower lip, trying to look for the right words. “Look, sir, I don’t know how to explain this to you, but…”

“We’ll talk more about it during the meeting with the rest,” Basilio cuts her off. “Let’s go.”

Tilda sighs as Basilio turns to leave. Of course this isn’t going to work. But, there’s still time! I can still turn things around. Tilda steels herself as she catches up to Basilio who leads her into the meeting room.

The meeting room looks just like how she remembers it to be. People of great government authority as well as the leaders and members of the space station are all present. Basilio stands up front, addressing everyone, “The time has come for humanity to take yet another great leap forward in terms of space exploration. This meeting is for Tilda, the space station’s best astronaut and expedition member, to address us about her launch to the end of the solar system.” Basilio turns to look at her, gesturing that it’s her turn. “Tilda, please.”

Tilda walks up to the centre and takes his place. In front of such an audience, she already feels tongue-tied. She clears her throat.

“I have something I have to say to everyone here right now,” Tilda takes a deep breath. “We cannot execute this launch.”

Before the commotion can get intense, she continues, “Now, please hear me out. This may sound crazy, but… but I know what is out there. There is nothing but a dead end—”

“A dead end? What are you saying?” One of the space station’s leaders retorts.

“Tilda, are you out of your mind? We’ve worked so hard for this day, for this launch, and now you’re saying you want to back out at the last minute?” Another responded.

Tilda, out of the corner of her eye, can see Basilio shaking his head in disbelief.

Tilda recalls the endless stretch of white and the bold text. There is no other solar system, there is nothing out there, except a dead end. However, no matter how hard Tilda tries to search for the right words to say, her mouth refuses to open. She feels her confidence draining away as the crowd gets louder and louder. Once the commotion finally dies down for Tilda to explain herself again, she painstakingly continues, “I’m sorry. There is nothing outside of our solar system. I apologize that I cannot provide any solid evidence for this. I know it sounds absurd—”

“Darn right it sounds absurd,” someone in the audience scoffs.

“I know it sounds absurd,” Tilda repeats, a little louder now. “But I have seen the end of the solar system that we reside in. There is nothing to learn or gain. The end of the solar system is not what we think it is. It is not another world, nor another galaxy. It is just… the end.”

Tilda looks at the unamused and unconvinced faces in the audience. This is clearly not working at all. But there must be something that I can change to avoid that ending of this game. A different course of action should change at least something.

Finally, Basilio broke the silence, “Tilda, this may sound harsh, but I’m not going to accept such a half-baked excuse. You were doing perfectly fine up until just now. You are getting on that spaceship and leaving Earth, no matter what. The advancement of humanity is top priority here.”

“Sir, please, it’s not an excus—” Desperation stains Tilda’s voice.

“I don’t want to hear it.” As Basilio turns to leave, Tilda catches a glimpse of heavy disappointment in his eyes. Tilda turns to watch as the audience leaves, one by one, shaking their heads in disapproval and bafflement.

Before long, she is alone in the huge meeting room. She plops down in one of the seats in defeat.

What was I thinking? Trying to convince everyone with only words and no evidence? Good job, Tilda. She lets out an exasperated sigh. What else can I do?

She glances over at the wall clock. About four more hours until launch, that means she needs to be in the spaceship in two. There is barely any time left, but I must stop the launch, even if it’s out of my control.

She leaves the meeting room and heads over to her spaceship that is on standby.

If I can’t convince people, the least I can do is get Ori on my side.

She is about twenty feet away from reaching her spaceship when suddenly, her vision momentarily distorts and discolours, and she nearly trips over her own feet. She stabilizes herself enough to see that something is awry.

All around the launch pad are cavities of black distortion, warping parts of the spaceship into an unrecognizable mass.

“What the…” Tilda mutters, her eyes darting around in confusion. “Is this really happening right now?”

No, I still must make it to the spaceship. Tilda gritted her teeth. This is my last chance. Come on, Tilda.

Tilda starts to move, but only to fall and hit the ground. She looks down at her hands and feet as panic and confusion start to consume her. Tingling sensations scatter all over her body and she looks down at herself in utter terror.

She doesn’t know if it’s just her eyes playing tricks on her, but small chunks of her body are disappearing and fading away, and her control over her own body is slipping away.

Something clicked in her head.

“No way… No, this…” Tilda mumbled. “This can’t be… Am I… glitching up?”

She looks up to see everything around her flickering and vanishing into nothing.

“But I… I’m not done yet! I still have… I’ve come this far…” Tilda claws at the ground with whatever of her hands she has left, dragging herself across the ground. “It can’t end here! I… Everything I’ve done, everything I’ve worked so hard for… Just to…”

She chokes on what may be her tears. She doesn’t even know anymore.

“Life can’t just be a game…” She collapses. “I worked so hard… for everything just to—"

<Error Code 505> <Manual Restart Required> <Restart Now?> /Yes <Simulation Re-initializing…>

Tilda peers ­­into the captivating darkness of the solar system ahead of her.

Yuuri yawned and snuggled into bed. It was a long and tiring day at training and he was beat. Makkachin was not there this time, he seemed to alternate between Viktor's and Yuuri's rooms, Yuuri had realized, and he found it adorable. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting the darkness settle upon him. He let his mind wander for a bit, from Vicchan to that day's training, then to the silence of the ice rink then to...

Before sleep could engulf him, he heard his bedroom door open. It was a very gentle and slow motion, he could hear, and it closed just as gently and slowly too. He did not bother opening his eyes; he already knew who it was. He wanted to open his mouth to say something but nothing came out, when he felt strong arms wrap around him. Viktor had crawled into his bed, and was all nuzzled up to Yuuri. Yuuri shifted a bit closer to the wall while holding onto Viktor's hand, signaling to him to move in if he does not want to fall off the bed anytime soon. On cue, Viktor shifted along with Yuuri and pressed his topless body against his back even harder than before. Yuuri did not even flinch. It was not the first time, anyway. Viktor had been coming to his room at night to sleep with him more often nowadays -- being careful not to wake Makkachin in his own room when he left, of course.

The first time Viktor came, he had carried Makkachin to his room too and he was almost chased out of the room. Makkachin was an exception, though, he was undoubtedly welcomed.

At this point, Yuuri had already lost count the number of times Viktor came into his room like this. He always opens the door in the same quiet and gentle manner, even though he knows Yuuri would still be awake. He always crawls into his bed in the same careful manner, and wraps his arms around Yuuri like he was his personal bolster.

Yuuri did not mind it anymore and he even enjoyed it, to a certain extent. Viktor's arms were strong and muscular and he loved the security and warmth that came with them. It never failed to bring him the comfort he needed. Even though Viktor never sleeps with a shirt on, at some point even his topless body being pressed against Yuuri's... felt like home to him.

Neither of them said a single thing and with Yuuri in Viktor's arms, Yuuri gradually drifted to sleep to the steady up-down rhythm of Viktor's chest against his back. Their breathing were almost synchronized when Viktor suddenly broke the silence, whispering into the back of Yuuri's neck, "Yuuri, face me."

Yuuri almost choked on his words, "... What?"

"Face me," Viktor repeated. "Look this way."

Yuuri was a tad reluctant at first, seeing as to how comfortable his current position was, but listened anyway. He shifted in Viktor's arms and turned to face him, or rather, face his neck. Viktor smiled and softly patted his head a couple of times.

"Yuuri."

"Hm?" Yuuri wanted to look up but before he could, he felt Viktor's hand pull his head back a tiny bit and he kissed him on the forehead. Viktor's lips lingered there slightly longer than it should and Yuuri swore his heart skipped at least two beats.

When Viktor pulled away, Yuuri did not know what to say. I mean, what could he say? Gestures like kissing don't need any words to accompany them.

"Do you know what forehead kisses mean?" Viktor asked.

Yuuri knew: trust and affection. However, for some reason, he did not reply. He felt like words were not... enough, sufficient to bring across what Viktor wanted to convey.

Viktor pulled Yuuri's head slightly further back and his hand slid under his cheek and cupped it. He leaned down and ever-so-gently planted a soft kiss on Yuuri's eyelid.

Yuuri felt his cheeks warm up and his heartbeats hasten. He thought, Ah, an Angel kiss... it means deep affection and love.

"Viktor—"

Yuuri felt a switch flip in him as his heartbeats showed no signs of slowing down. He reached a hand up to Viktor's neck, pulled him close and kissed him — almost eagerly — on the neck, before letting his lips brush against Viktor's skin as he tilted his chin up and kissed him on the jaw.

Viktor almost gasped out loud as he felt a little shiver of sensuality run down his spine. He chuckled softly as Yuuri pulled away.

"This means—" Viktor started.

"—'I want you.'" Yuuri finished his sentence for him.

Viktor laughed a little harder this time. Oh, how he enjoyed such an interesting turn of events.

Before they even realized, two different types of love and desire had entwined, and it blossomed and swelled into a single, pulsing entity shared between the two men.

"Yuuri, your Eros is showing already," Viktor smirked. "Is it the adrenaline from training?" He teased.

With that, Yuuri blushed and stammered, "N-No, it's not..."

"Ah, instead of morning wood, you have... night wood?" Viktor continued to tease, and he almost burst out laughing at what he just said. "Okay, sorry, that was a turn off, wasn't it?"

Yuuri said nothing and just stared at Viktor as the older man tried to control his laughter.

"... Alright, I'm sorry."

Yuuri felt himself smile a little, and realized that it was this playful personality of him that only made him more charming and attractive. That is also partly why he fell in love, anyway.

Yuuri pushed away Viktor's arm gently as he sat up and pulled the blanket off of both of them. Before Viktor could protest and question him, Yuuri propped himself up on one knee, turned and straddled Viktor somewhat shyly.

Viktor stared at him, jaw dropped and eyes widened, "Wha—"

"Can I..." Yuuri interrupted. "Can I kiss you?"

Viktor opened his mouth to say something, "You—" He stopped himself and changed course. "Is that how you seduce me with your Eros, Yuuri?"

Yuuri felt his stomach tighten and his heart thumping against his ribcage at Viktor's words. He could never overpower this man, he knew, but he had to this time. He exhaled. Then he looked straight at Viktor with eyes holding a new, fiery passion. Without even looking away, he pulled his t-shirt over his head and said with a smirk, "Then..." He dropped his shirt onto the floor, leaned over Viktor, put a hand right beside his ear and bit his lip. "Itadakimasu."

Viktor felt his blood rush at the sight of such a seductive Yuuri. Oh god, he barely had time to think, as Yuuri started kissing from his jaw, down to his neck and collarbones. Yuuri made soft to loud kissing sounds, which were greatly arousing to Viktor. He was prepared for many things, but definitely not this. Yuuri continued, his lips never once left Viktor's hot skin. Yuuri licked his way down from Viktor's collarbones to his chest and nipples.

Viktor gasped, his back arching a bit, as he felt Yuuri's tongue glide over his sensitive spots. "Yuuri...!"

Yuuri was clearly enjoying Viktor's reactions, as his actions slowly but surely became more... erotic. His hand now at one side of Viktor's torso, he let his other hand roam his chest and abdomen for a while, teasing him and feeling the firm muscles seductively.

"Shit!" Viktor exclaimed and ran his fingers through Yuuri's soft, dark hair as Yuuri's fingers circled his left nipple playfully. Yuuri was licking the other nipple and he looked up at Viktor to see his expression.

Oh God, Viktor felt himself become hard at just Yuuri's gaze. It was maddeningly seductive and sexy. "I want you. Now," it seemed to say.

Yuuri smiled and Viktor almost moaned. Needless to say, the expression on Viktor's face was exactly what Yuuri wanted. Yuuri continued, licking down and across Viktor's abs while his fingers pinched and played with Viktor's nipple. Viktor's back arched as his fingers in Yuuri's hair tightened their grip.

Yuuri kissed Viktor's bellybutton gently and he almost cursed as waves of sensuality hit him. Yuuri finally stopped and pulled away to look at Viktor.

He smirked as he felt Viktor getting hard under him and at the sight of Viktor panting, his face flushed. He leaned over Viktor once more. He cupped his face in one hand and started to kiss and nibble on Viktor's earlobe.

"Ah!" Viktor twitched as the feeling flooded his senses.

Yuuri pulled away again, licked his lips and leaned back down. This time, he put his face close to Viktor's and paused for a while. His own face was burning hot as well and Viktor could almost feel the heat radiating from him.

"Yuuri..." Viktor pushed his face towards his. "Just kiss me already."

Yuuri did not have time to catch a breath as Viktor sandwiched his upper lip between his lips and sucked on his bottom lip. Yuuri did not even hesitate, as he kissed and sucked Viktor's. They pulled away for a split second, just enough to catch some breath as they again pulled each other into a deep French kiss. When they pulled away again, Viktor said, almost out of breath, "A French kiss isn't done like that, Yuuri."

"Eh?"

"Come here," Viktor pushed his lips against Yuuri's once more. His tongue boldly entered Yuuri's mouth and it brushed against the roof of Yuuri's mouth, forcing a moan out of him. Yuuri felt a little flustered all of a sudden. He did not expect it to feel that good. As they pulled away, Viktor explained, "The roof of your mouth is extremely sensitive. If you run the tip of your tongue along it, it'll feel good."

"Really?" Yuuri tried what Viktor told him. "Ah, yeah... It feels really sensitive."

"Open your mouth," Viktor suddenly said.

"What— Ah—"

Viktor had reached a finger into Yuuri's mouth and he swiftly brushed the roof of Yuuri's mouth with his fingertip. Yuuri moaned at the slight touch. Viktor chuckled, "That's a beautiful expression, Yuuri."

With that, Viktor grabbed Yuuri by the shoulders and with a little quick twist and some pushing, their roles were reversed and Viktor was the one straddling Yuuri now.

"My turn," Viktor smiled mischievously.

Frantic, Yuuri exclaimed, "W-Wait!"

"Hm? You better say it now or it'll be too late," Viktor said.

"I want... I want to suck you off..." Yuuri's voice trailed away in embarrassment as he voiced his request. "Can I?"

Viktor halted in his tracks. He wanted to ask when did Yuuri got so... horny, but looking at the determined yet embarrassed expression Yuuri had, he hesitated, "Hm... Well, only if you let me return the favor later, yeah?"

Yuuri blushed and nodded. They shifted positions once more, and Yuuri was on his knees and Viktor sitting at the edge of the bed. Of course, all their clothes were off by then.

Even though they had seen each other naked in the onsen countless times, Yuuri still felt a little self-conscious with Viktor's gaze all over his naked body. I mean, with such a setting, Yuuri really could not help it. Furthermore, in such a position where Viktor could see all of him, Yuuri felt every inch of his body heat up under Viktor's intent gaze and he fidgeted.

As he leaned in between Viktor's thighs, Viktor asked, "Yuuri, have you done a blowjob before?"

Yuuri shook his head, "N-No... I haven't. This is my first time."

"Really? Ah, I feel a little honored to be your first, then," Viktor said lightheartedly. "Be careful, too."

Yuuri reached out and gently held Viktor's half-hard member in his hand. Shyly, he licked the tip of his member gently and Viktor twitched at the contact. With that, as if Yuuri was just testing the water before, Yuuri suddenly took Viktor whole into his mouth. Viktor moaned and gripped the sheets.

"Agh... Yuuri...!"

That was music to Yuuri's ears and he continued with slightly more vigor. Viktor was not yet fully hard, so he could fit almost his whole member in his mouth. Viktor cursed as he felt himself getting harder every time he rubbed against the back of Yuuri's mouth. Yuuri closed his eyes as he focused on getting Viktor hard, his tongue licking and caressing every inch of Viktor's member and the sucking only served to make Viktor lose bits of his mind, one by one.

Yuuri finally withdrew and realized with a little bit of surprise, "Viktor... You're huge."

Viktor completely did not expect Yuuri to say such a thing out of the blue and he blushed hard, his blood rushing up to his face now. "To think you'd say such an embarrassing thing..." Well, Yuuri did say more embarrassing things before, but all Viktor could focus on now was Yuuri and his increasing sexual desires that was about to overflow.

Yuuri took Viktor in his mouth again, this time at a slower pace. Viktor pushed Yuuri's fringe back, enjoying the expressions Yuuri was making. With every bob of Yuuri's head, Viktor could feel himself entering Yuuri deeper and deeper. However, with Yuuri's slow pace, he felt like he was being teased on purpose. It was literally taking everything Viktor had in him not to move his hips and thrust hard into Yuuri's throat. It was Yuuri's first time and he would probably get hurt, so he prioritized Yuuri's safety over everything else. As long as Yuuri enjoys it, he did not mind having to wait.

Viktor could feel himself entering Yuuri's throat already, and he tightened his grip on Yuuri's hair.

"Yuuri, wait!" Viktor exclaimed suddenly, causing Yuuri to get a little shock and he almost choked. "Wait, Yuuri, are you really going to deepthroat me?"

Yuuri nodded, matter-of-factly, "Mhmm."

"Not like this, Yuuri, you'll hurt your throat if you just go all the way down on me like that..." Viktor pushed Yuuri off gently.

Yuuri looked up at Viktor, his eyes questioning and looking somewhat... innocent. I mean, it was his first time. "Then, how should I..." He started, but did not bother finishing, since he knew Viktor would  tell him even if he did not ask.

"Well, there are various ways, but for now, relax your jaw... Yeah, that's it. Now, as I enter, imagine your Adam's Apple going down, or like you're singing a low note. Relax your throat and take a deep breath... Try to place your tongue in a way that you won't gag... Yes, like that..." Viktor gently held Yuuri's face as he guided him slowly and Yuuri took him in his mouth again. "Remember to go slow, alright? Ahh... Just like that, slowly get used to the feeling."

Yuuri looked up at Viktor obediently as he listened to his instructions between increasingly frequent moans from Viktor. Oh god, Viktor could cum just by looking at Yuuri's face. Yuuri looking at him like that made him swoon so bad.

"Ahh... Ngh, Yuuri... Yes, keep going, you're doing great. Mmph... try to go slow so you won't get hurt," Viktor said as he tried to contain his moans of pleasure between his words. "God, Yuuri... Your throat feels sooo good..." He threw his head back as his fingers curled around Yuuri's hair.

Yuuri, who was focusing all his attention on Viktor, felt himself leaking pre-cum at just the sounds Viktor was making and how his back was arched with the pleasure he was giving him. He was so sexy and it aroused him to no end.

Viktor's hips was trembling as he felt himself approaching the climax. He could barely form words with his mouth now, his member deep down Yuuri's throat and it was squeezing him so erotically. Yuuri's throat was so hot and tight and Viktor felt like he was in heaven. With Yuuri licking and sucking his member every time he pulled him out of his throat, he thought he was going to go crazy. It's his first time but damn, how is he doing it so well?

Viktor's grip tightened as he tried to speak, his speech almost slurring and he almost fell back to his native language, "Yuuri... Yuuri, I'm-- I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Just as Viktor's member left Yuuri's throat, he climaxed violently in Yuuri's mouth, his hot cum filling it up.

"Mmh!" Yuuri held the tip in his mouth, letting Viktor cum until he was done. When he pulled away, he wiped his mouth a little and swallowed for Viktor to see.

"Ah! Yuuri, did you swallow?" Viktor freaked out a little and his cheeks were tainted a deep red. "I'm sorry! H-How does it taste?"

Yuuri leaned against Viktor's thigh, his cheek pressed up against it, exhausted. He was panting now, finally able to breathe through his mouth. Viktor almost gasped out loud at how cute and erotic Yuuri looked like that, resting against his thigh after such a lewd act.

"It... It tasted sweet," Yuuri replied with a little satisfied smile.

"Really? That's a relief," Viktor smiled back and he leaned down to kiss Yuuri on the lips, the taste of him still lingering. "That felt amazing. Thank you, Yuuri, you did so well."

Yuuri beamed at his praise, genuinely happy to satisfy Viktor.

After both of them finally managed to catch their breath, Viktor said with a little mischievous grin spreading across his face, "Now, back into bed, young man." He pulled Yuuri back onto the bed by the waist as he was trying to stand up and laid him flat on his back. They were back to the previous position, with Viktor straddling Yuuri.

Needless to say, Yuuri was all hard and he flushed as Viktor looked at his member. He was so turned on when he was giving head but could not divert his attention away from Viktor.

Viktor chuckled a little as he ran his hand up Yuuri's member, "You're so cute, Yuuri." He pushed Yuuri's foreskin down, forcing a short moan from Yuuri. "And little Yuuri here is just as adorable."

Yuuri covered his face. Gosh, how could he stand looking at Viktor's naughty expression like that as he teased his member like that?

"Mine is..." Yuuri said quietly. "Mine is not as big as yours, so it's a little embarrassing..."

Viktor laughed at Yuuri's comment, "Hahaha! Yuuri, since when did I say I prefer big dicks?"

Yuuri opened his mouth to tell Viktor not to say such lewd words, but thinking that he actually did a blowjob just minutes ago, he closed his mouth again.

"Of course, it's not like yours is small," Viktor assured casually. "Yours is just the right size for me, Yuuri. I prefer yours the most."

Yuuri wanted to slap his own face as blood gushed to his cheeks. Viktor laughed that usual playful laugh once more before he leaned down to Yuuri's ear, his voice suddenly dropping to a much deeper tone.

Yuuri had a lot on his mind. He did not know exactly what he was thinking about, no matter how hard he tried to sort out his thoughts. Every time he tried to pull something out, nothing came. Nothing at all. He thought that it was just him over-thinking again, and that his mind was actually clear, but every time he switched to another part of his mind, that bugging feeling came back. It was a thought that lingered and loitered, never really settling down, and he was starting to feel a little irritated at his inability to figure out what it was.

Eventually, his legs brought him to the ever-so-familiar ice rink once more, where he can always defuse and relax in the silence that the rink gently holds, apart from the sound of the blades against ice. He put on his gloves, his skates, and pushed open the door, subconsciously feeling the cool air brush against his face. It always brought him comfort, especially when he was alone. He exhaled quietly and slid into the ice rink.

He let his legs guide his body, for he was now occupied with his mind. He exhaled once more and closed his eyes, feeling the cold air caress his entire being, letting his feet take him wherever they wanted. He searched his mind with a sort of calmness he had never experienced and a determination he had never felt. His desire was soft and quiet, yet firm and unwavering. What am I looking for?

He did not know the answer to that, but he kept on looking. There was something in there, he knows, something… something sweet, something warm, something he cannot quite put his finger on. What is it? Why do I feel this way? What is this feeling? Deeper, deeper… he needed to reach deeper. There was something in him, something blossoming and blooming…

Meanwhile, Viktor had headed over to the skating centre, since, well, it was the only other place Yuuri could be at that time of the night. He did the usual today, knocking on Yuuri’s door and asking if he could sleep with him. He expected to hear Yuuri’s flustered voice as usual too, but instead he was met with silence. He could not be asleep at that time, he knew, as it was barely nine and Yuuri never knocks out so early. He paused for a moment and then went back to his room to change, before making sure Makkachin was asleep comfortably and heading out.

The light was dim in the ice rink, and Viktor almost thought he was wrong and Yuuri was not there. However, upon closer inspection, Viktor could just make out the sound of blades against ice. He put on his own skates almost eagerly, as if he wanted to see what exactly Yuuri was doing… Okay, yeah, he is eager. He had noticed that Yuuri seemed a little troubled lately, but it did not affect practice so he did not ask, trusting that he will be able to figure it out on his own. I mean, actually, his performance during practice was more than unaffected, it was instead getting better. Viktor hypothesized that it might be the serious side of Yuuri he had never seen. However, it had already been quite a handful of days since it started, and Yuuri had only become quieter and quieter. Maybe he did not wish to speak about it, Viktor had thought, so he decided not to probe unless it got really serious.

Truth was, even Yuuri did not know what was wrong.

His mind was not exactly all in a mess or chaotic and he did not feel like his thoughts were scattered loosely all about either. He did not know what it was. It almost felt like the calm before the storm and there was a small part of him that was terrified of what it could become. However, he also felt like his mind was clear, was free from excessive worry and anxiety for once. It was a new and unfamiliar feeling and it probed his curiosity more than ever. Twenty three years into this life and this was the first time he had felt like this. He exhaled again, giving half of his attention to the slow waltz of his arms and legs. He was so engrossed and so mesmerized by this new feeling that he did not notice that Viktor had entered the hall, and was watching him from the sidelines.

Viktor could not move. When he first pushed open the door he had wanted to greet Yuuri like how he always did, just a notch down lest he scared him by accident, but when he saw Yuuri, he just… froze. Yuuri was so beautiful. The swinging of his arms were creating gentle waves of rhythm and music, his legs flowing smoothly like the wind, letting him soar perfectly and effortlessly across the ice. Everything was so gorgeous and magnificent. Yuuri was known for his beautiful step sequences, but now – this – he is literally skating a completely new program on his own, one that Viktor had never laid his eyes upon in his entire career. Viktor swore he forgot to breathe. Yuuri’s every action, his entire body, his very being, was creating a music of its own. A song played only for the angels… and only by Yuuri. A music, a song that only he could hear. A feeling that only he could portray with his body and heart.

It took Viktor all his might to snap out of the trance. He listened closely. Maybe Yuuri was playing a song from his phone or something but was too soft for Viktor to hear. Impossible, Viktor thought. God, what am I thinking? The entire hall was silent except for the sound of Yuuri’s blades against ice, but Viktor could hear music radiating from Yuuri’s body and soul and resonating around him. Viktor looked at Yuuri closely, squinting, trying to get a good look of his face. He was gliding across the ice elegantly, his expression a concoction of desperation, hope, agony and…

Yuuri executed a quadruple Salchow, and this time, perfectly. Viktor’s eyes widened a little at the sudden jump, but it took everything he had in him not to shout in excitement. Yuuri’s eyes were half-opened and looked almost unfazed by the successful jump that he had been trying to master all this while, which left Viktor looking puzzled. Yuuri then progressed into a sit spin before ending it off cleanly, his arms outstretched to the front and his chin gently titled up to the ceiling. His expression had unfolded and unraveled, causing Viktor to forget to breathe again, and…

…and love. Love. That was what Yuuri had been trying to grasp all this time. Love is something sweet, something warm, a flower that blossoms beautifully, its beauty unmatched.

Yuuri panted heavily, suddenly aware of the fatigue and exhaustion he had placed upon himself. He looked down at his hands as he lowered his arms, muttering under his breath, “… Love.” Now, his expressions were a mix of relief and disbelief, and Viktor could hardly read his expression.

“Yuuri,” Viktor called out as gently as he could, and he could read his expression immediately: shock.

“Vi-Vi-Viktor?!” Yuuri almost jumped. “Wh-Why are you here?”  

Viktor entered the ice rink, his face showing nothing but seriousness. He went right up to Yuuri and held his hands in his, gripping them tightly, exclaiming, “Yuuri, that was amazing!”

Yuuri suddenly became mute and unable to process his words, as he stammered, “I- D-Did you see everything?” There was a certain tinge of hope in his voice and he could even taste it on his tongue. “I’m… I’m really glad you like it…!” All of a sudden, Yuuri became tongue-tied and he could not form the sentences he wanted to say.

Then it hit him.

Yuuri was not skating for Viktor. He was skating to discover himself, not to show it to someone else. It had finally dawned on him. It was indeed not for Viktor, not for anyone in fact, but it was about Viktor… and Yuuri. It was about Yuuri’s love. His love for Viktor. Something he had never experienced and felt towards anyone. Love. Simple, yet so abstract a concept.

Yuuri was silent for the longest time, but his eyes were looking straight into Viktor’s, looking at Viktor. Viktor did not mind the silence, for he was willing to listen to anything Yuuri says, including the silence that he holds.

Yuuri finally looked away, and asked softly, “Viktor, can I… Can I tell you something?” His cheeks were tinted red as he spoke.

“Of course.”

Yuuri shifted his hands in Viktor’s so that he, too, was holding Viktor’s hands. Yuuri looked down at their hands, holding each other’s warmth so delicately and firmly. Viktor’s eyes never once left Yuuri’s face.

Please listen to what I have to say, Viktor… Yuuri squeezed Viktor’s hands and Viktor tightened his grip in return, assuring him. Yuuri looked up at Viktor and Viktor almost gasped at the depth of his brown eyes, a sight he had never seen before.

“Ty moya luna, moi zvezdy. Ty samaya krasivaya v temnote. Yesli ya nochnoye nebo, vy tot, kto zastavlyayet menya siyat’,” Yuuri took extra care in pronouncing the words and saying each syllable clearly and slowly, being more cautious than when he had practiced secretly in his room. He felt himself holding his breath right after saying it, not giving him a chance to breathe as he waited somewhat nervously for Viktor’s response.

Viktor, for the third time that night, stopped breathing for a good eight seconds before he started to tear up. “Yuu– Yuuri? Whe-When did you start to–” Viktor had to stop and let go of Yuuri’s hands to wipe his tears away. “God… When did you start to learn–” Viktor could not continue. He was too overwhelmed by the sudden surge of emotions that was about to burst through his heart. Yuuri learnt his language to say this? Viktor simply could not  handle it. For a foreigner, learning how to pronounce the words were tough enough, and to put them in a complete sentence…

Viktor felt so blessed. Blessed to have met such a beautiful person like Yuuri.

Yuuri did not know what he was feeling, it was a mix of ecstasy, relief and excitement all together. He was so glad he finally told Viktor how he felt, even if it was insufficient when put in words, but he hoped that his message got through clearly and loudly through his actions and emotions.

Before Viktor could finish sucking back all his tears, Yuuri blurted out, “Ya lyublyu tebya, Viktor.”

Viktor started crying all over again. Enough talking, Viktor pulled Yuuri into a tight, loving embrace, which Yuuri undoubtedly enjoyed every moment of it of course, and whispered for his voice had failed him, “Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu, Yuuri. So vsem moim serdtsem.”

Translation :

Ty moya luna, moi zvezdy. Ty samaya krasivaya v temnote. Yesli ya nochnoye nebo, vy tot, kto zastavlyayet menya siyat’ — You are my moon, my stars. You are the most beautiful in the dark. If I’m the night sky, you are the one who makes me shine.

Ya lyublyu tebya — I love you