5

Viktor Redwood, a man at the age of 21 years old. This year was his 27th birthday, he is currently working as a trainee dancer at a ballet company for a small group of dancers from all over the country. He graduated top of his class when he entered this profession three years ago.

He is a big fan of classical music and has studied many dance styles from other countries and other cultures. He is also one of the best dancers in Japan.

His favourite thing to do are performing at events such as concerts or festivals and he has been doing this since high school. He loves performing with lots of people surrounding him, it brings joy to his heart, his face lights up and it's like the world is looking upon him. The crowd cheers for him, everyone sings along with him and his performance can bring the entire audience emotional.

"That's my boy!" One female member of staff cheered.

Viktor turns towards her smiling widely, waving happily at her. She then turns back to her co workers, "What did you say?"

"I said you look really nice this morning," the lady replies, she smiles brightly at him, giving her signature dimples. "You're lucky today."

"Thank you for stating the obvious, I always feel lucky when I'm with all of you girls," he giggles lightly and takes a sip of his coffee, feeling happy, he continues, "But this week's performances might take some time. I still need to prepare myself so I want some good food in my stomach before starting."

"Alright honey, we will leave you now," she chuckles. "See you tomorrow!"

"Goodbye!" Viktor waved and returned his attention on the dance practice in front of him.

He continued watching the students for another hour until his phone rang, signalling he received a text message. He picked up his cell from the side table next to him and read the message.

Unknown Number: Hello! It is Yuuri Katsuki. I've noticed you are always in these practices every Monday. Is there anything I can help you with? You seemed to know what you are doing today.

Viktor grinned widely and quickly texted back an answer, thanking the man for messaging him. He sent it in less than a second, knowing it wouldn't get read by anyone else, he put down his phone and returned to teaching the dancers.

As soon as the last student left the studio, he grabbed his bag, took off his coat, hung it on his arm and exited the room. Before closing the door, however, he looked back at his colleagues one more time and smiled, "You're amazing! All of you."

He closed the door and made his way through the hallways, stopping by the main entrance where a car would be waiting for him. He got into the passenger seat and sat down, taking out his phone to check if anyone had replied to him yet again but he saw no notification. He sighed and shook his head. He never understood why people liked sending him messages whenever something exciting happened in their lives, they were just asking him whether he had heard about it. What could possibly happen to someone everyday without him knowing anything about it?

The sound of his phone ringing brought him back to reality, he looked at the screen and his eyebrows shot up. There was a new text message. He opened it curiously and read the text, surprised.

Yuuri: Thank you! That was truly beautiful. I didn't expect that to come from you.

Viktor chuckled at the compliment while checking the time. 11:55. It was already 10 minutes past noon. He started to think about how long he would be absent from lunch but decided against it. He knew better than anyone how important training was. Besides, Yakov would kill him if he skipped meals because of work.

'Hmm… I'll eat on the train.' He thought and decided to buy something from the vending machine outside the building. When he went back inside the building, he went straight to the cafeteria which was near the parking lot.

He walked into the cafeteria and looked around. He searched the large building for a particular table and found one, sitting down he placed his bag on the chair opposite to him and began to eat.

Just as he was eating, he saw Yuuri walking towards him with a smile on his lips. Viktor felt a sense of déjà vu, the same smile was present on Yuuri's face every single time they met.

Once Viktor had finished eating, he stood up and followed Yuuri out of the cafeteria. They walked side by side through the corridors until reaching the exit. They stopped by Viktor's car and Viktor opened the trunk, grabbing his things from it he turned to Yuuri with a smile.

"We meet again, Vitya."

Yuuri smiled shyly and raised his hand for a handshake. Viktor looked confused for a moment but then nodded and shook the man's hand firmly, smiling warmly. "We do indeed. Thanks for coming." He turned away from the man and headed for his car.

"Wait!" Yuuri called and ran after Viktor, catching up to him he held onto Viktor's arm gently.

Viktor froze on the spot, not having expected any reaction from the older man. His eyes widened slightly and turned around to look at Yuuri. Yuuri let go of Viktor's sleeve and cleared his throat awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

Viktor stared at the younger man with wide eyes for a few seconds. After a few seconds he regained his composure and smiled at Yuuri, "Yes?"

Yuuri looked up, meeting Viktor's eyes and smiled softly, "Do you remember me asking you about your name? You told me but you never told me yours. Sorry."

Viktor shook his head, "It's okay. Do you still want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later?" Yuuri suggested nervously. "When you are free. If you want that is."

"Of course," Viktor agreed and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss on Yuuri's cheek, "Have a good day, Yuuri."

The older man then climbed into his car and drove off. Yuuri watched as Viktor left until he couldn't see the car anymore. He sighed and turned around to find his colleagues standing behind him, looking at him expectantly.

"So you talked to him?"

"Yeah," Yuuri responded quietly, "Why did you send him?"

"We figured he'd respond faster if you asked him directly," Mari replied smugly.

"Why didn't you ask me?" Phichit asked in confusion. "And why did you tell him your full name?"

Mari smirked at Phichit, "Because I wanted to show him how much I respect Vitya."

Phichit pouted. "How mean..."

Yuuri rolled his eyes at his coworkers, "Don't worry. We're still going to do it right, I promise."

~*~

Viktor drove towards his apartment building. He was tired and sweaty after practicing for three hours. He parked his car and got out. He opened the trunk and put his things inside and locked it. Walking back to his car he unlocked the door and reached for his bag to put his keys in when his phone rang. He answered the call and put it on speaker.

"Hello, mom," Viktor greeted politely.

"Viktor Nikiforov! How dare you not tell me you're finally returning home!"

Viktor winced in pain hearing his mother's voice. As much as he loved talking to her, he missed his parents dearly, especially his father. He had known the man almost his whole life, they shared everything together.

"It's been two months, son. I understand you're busy with the competition but even if you'e working, we're still family, don't forget that," she spoke sternly.

Viktor winced again and clenched his fist tightly, holding back tears of frustration, "Sorry, mom."

"You should be sorry," Viktor's mom sighed and sounded slightly sad. "It must have been hard to spend all this time overseas with nothing but competitions to keep you occupied."

"It's not that bad," Viktor muttered. He knew it wasn't true but didn't want to disappoint his family, "They pay me more than enough money."

"Yes yes, you make millions," his mom scoffed. "Now you're back. Now please take a shower and change your clothes. Your grandmother will arrive in 20 minutes to pick you up."

"Sure…" he sighed and hung up the phone, putting his phone away in his pocket.

A little over fifteen minutes passed and his grandmother was pulling into the driveway of the Katsuki residence. He walked out of the house and met his grandmother's car halfway, walking slowly to her car and getting into the passenger seat. His grandmother pulled out of the driveway of the Katsuki residence and drove towards Viktor's apartment.

He stayed silent as he watched the familiar sights of his hometown pass by his window, trying not to think about what his Grandma was going to say to him. She had always been disappointed in his lack of discipline in school and career choices and would lecture him mercilessly about how irresponsible he was being or something similar. Sometimes, he wondered if she ever had a positive opinion on his relationship with Yuuri because she would sometimes refer to the Japanese man as her own son.

His grandmother parked her car in front of the building of their complex and turned to Viktor. She gave him a warm smile and opened the door for him before walking towards the house herself and disappearing inside. Viktor sighed and sat back in his seat and looked out the window. He hadn't seen his Grandpa since he arrived home.

A moment later he felt arms enveloping him in a tight hug and he relaxed instantly. He hugged his mother back just as tight and buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. Her perfume smelled fresh like apple cider and it reminded him of the first time he met his Grandpa, it was very similar to how she smelt.

"I love you so much, Viktor," his mother said quietly and stroked his hair comfortingly.

"I love you too, Mom," Viktor whispered back before separating from the embrace. He looked his mother straight in the eyes and said seriously, "I know you are disappointed in me, you never showed it outwardly, but I know it' s there. I also know you are worried about me." He paused and took a breath before speaking once more, "But I promise I will be better." He took both her hands in his and squeezed them reassuringly.

A bright smile appeared on his mother's face, "Okay. Just please come home soon."

"I will."

Chapter 3

After talking with his grandma, Viktor decided to get ready for dinner. After showering and changing into a nice white sweater and blue jeans. He combed his hair to perfection (which made the stylist roll her eyes) before leaving his room. He made his way downstairs to find his grandparents in the kitchen cooking dinner.

"Mom!"

Nana Katsuki stopped mixing whatever food she was making and looked over at her son, "Oh hi there sweetie. Come here, let me give you a big hug." She wrapped her arms tightly around her only child, making sure not to hurt him. She noticed he seemed thinner than usual and that was unusual since she has been feeding him regularly since he was six. "Are you feeling better now that you've returned home?"

Viktor smiled softly, enjoying the comforting hug Nana gave him, "Much better."

"That's great, honey!" She released him from the tight grip she had and turned back to her cooking. Viktor wandered down the hallway to the living room and saw Mari sitting on the couch watching TV. Viktor went over to her and sat down next to her, watching television as well.

"So what were you doing yesterday?" Viktor questioned curiously. Mari didn't reply so Viktor continued, "Nothing wrong right?"

Mari sighed and turned to look at her brother, "No, I'm fine."

Viktor nodded thoughtfully and turned back to the tv, ignoring his sister in favor of watching the new episodes of American Horror Story. A few moments passed and the couple heard someone enter the apartment and walk towards the living room. Once the person entered, they noticed it was Yurio and Viktor groaned inwardly at having to deal with him again today.

The raven haired boy made his way to the kitchen area, where his mother was waiting for him and began chatting with her happily. Viktor rolled his eyes at the scene before him before turning his attention back to the screen. The rest of the night was quiet between the family members. The rest of the members of the Nishigori family spent most of the time watching the TV as Yurio worked on something on his phone under the table.

Viktor finished up his homework early and grabbed some books and left the library. He decided to go shopping since he knew Yuuri wouldn't be able to attend dinner tonight. So, he headed into the nearest shopping mall. He quickly made his way through the throngs of people and bought all the necessary items he needed, including a pair of black dress pants and black dress shoes, as well as a few other things. He paid with a credit card and exited the store to continue on his way.

He walked aimlessly around town for half an hour, deciding that he should probably start heading home. It was nearly five o'clock already. Viktor sighed as he started walking towards the exit of the market, wondering if he would even reach home before it got dark. Suddenly, he caught sight of two men talking animatedly to each other. They both wore identical grins as they were conversing excitedly about something Viktor couldn't understand. One of the men seemed to notice him and his grin widened. The other man glanced over towards him and frowned.

"Excuse me, sir," Viktor heard one of the men behind him call out to him. "Is this a place you frequent?"

Viktor nodded, "Yeah. This is my favourite place around here."

The men exchanged looks before the one wearing glasses stepped forward and extended his hand, "My name is Nikolai Shushinshin."

"Nikolai," Viktor accepted his handshake. "And your friend?"

Shushinshin introduced the other guy beside him, "This is my assistant, Yuliy Vasiliev. My wife doesn't approve of us associating with such low class people."

Viktor raised his eyebrows, "Low class?" He looked from Nikolai to Vasiliev. Both of them weren't even wearing any formal attire. What was different with them?

Vasiliev chuckled, looking amused at Nikolai's comments, "Well, Mr. Nikiforov…we're just normal human beings like everyone else. You can do worse."

"Don't worry, you'll be alright, sir," Nikolai winked playfully. "Anyway, do you want to join us for dinner?"

Viktor shook his head, smiling sheepishly, "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm gonna pass. See you." He waved and turned to leave.

As he started walking off, he could hear Nikolai say, "See you tomorrow, Yurio~"

Yurio. Wasn't that the name of the Japanese skater he had gone out with last week?

Before Viktor could ask any further questions about Nikolai's assistants, he bumped straight into someone and immediately apologized. When he looked up to apologize again, he almost fell to the ground in surprise. The person who ran into him was none other than Yuri Plisetsky. He quickly recovered from the shock though and smiled nervously while muttering a sorry and a thank you at the same time.

"Hello, Yuri," Viktor greeted politely.

"Hi," the younger teenager grunted.

They stood in silence for a moment before Yuri turned around, facing Viktor completely and asked, "What the fuck were you doing in the middle of the market?" He glared at Viktor angrily.

"Just checking out some stuff," Viktor replied, not really wanting to discuss why exactly he ended up in front of the grocery store. Yuri snorted at his answer and continued walking past him without saying anything else. "Wait!" Viktor called after him and then turned around, staring at Yurio confusedly. "Where am I supposed to go now?"

"Follow me, idiot," Yurio muttered, glancing at Viktor from the side.

Viktor followed him and they stopped in front of an apartment building where Viktor could vaguely see someone standing in front of the door. They approached the man cautiously and Viktor gasped when he recognized the older male figure standing in front of the door.

"Grandpa?"

Chapter 4

A soft knock at his door snapped Viktor out of his thoughts. He blinked several times trying to regain his focus and realized that the knocking sounds weren't coming from outside the apartment anymore; they came from inside.

"Coming!" he called out as he jumped up from his bed. Viktor hurried to the door and opened it. His parents were standing outside the door with warm smiles on their faces. His dad leaned in and kissed his forehead, "Welcome home, little bro," he said, patting Viktor on his shoulder before pulling away and opening the door wider. His mom stepped in afterwards and embraced her son tightly.

Viktor hugged his mom back and pulled away slightly to see his father. Viktor grinned widely, "Hi Dad!" He reached his hand out to shake his father's and his dad eagerly grabbed it in return. Viktor pulled his arm back to let his dad have a good look at him. "How are you, Dad?" He asked cheerfully, hoping to lift his father's spirits even if it was just a little bit.

Viktor's dad ruffled his son's short brown hair affectionately before letting go of his son's hands and gesturing towards the dining table. He turned around towards the kitchen and spoke, "We brought you dinner."

Viktor smiled widely and followed behind his father to the table. "What did you get?"

His mom walked over to the counter and removed the lid from a large covered pan, revealing delicious smelling food and served it to her husband and son.

"Spaghetti and meatballs," his mom answered simply. Her father placed another covered bowl in front of Viktor, filled halfway with pasta, along with a glass of milk. He grabbed a fork and started digging in, his mother soon joining him.

"Hey, Yurio? Why don't you sit down with us, buddy?" He suggested.

Yurio glared at his grandfather before reluctantly sitting down opposite Viktor's dad. They began eating and the three adults talked happily. They continued to eat until they were finished and cleared the plates off of the table.

"Dad," Viktor said while collecting the dishes into the sink, "Why does Yurio live alone?"

Viktor's dad laughed lightly, "Well, I guess you're lucky since you get to see him all day long…" he trailed off, chuckling.

"Why's he alone if no one lives in the apartment?"

"Ah," Viktor's dad paused and looked out the window, "I don't know if he has a roommate yet since he hasn't moved out yet."

"Move out?" Viktor questioned, shocked by the statement. "Why would Yurio move out?" He looked at Yurio in confusion.

Yakov sighed and explained, "He's been having a lot of problems lately. I don't know why he keeps going to that school."

Viktor turned to look at Yurio who suddenly dropped his plate causing it to shatter on the floor. He flinched when he felt his father's hand land gently on his shoulder.

"Sorry, Viktor," his dad apologised softly, "But Yurio needs help so we need to give him something to do." He patted Viktor's shoulder once more.

Viktor sighed before nodding solemnly.

After cleaning up the broken pieces of ceramic from the floor, they returned to their living room. Viktor's dad took the remote control from its usual resting spot on the coffee table and began flicking through channels until he settled on a documentary of some kind about wildlife or plants of some sorts. Viktor watched silently while his parents chatted quietly among themselves. Eventually, Viktor drifted off to sleep against his father's chest while his mother curled up on the couch next to Yakov. The documentary continued to stream throughout the night until the end of the movie. The lights turned on and Viktor woke up to his father shaking him gently awake.

"Vitya," Yakov whispered. "Wake up. We've got company."

Viktor groaned and sat up rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang which woke Viktor up fully from his slumber. It was only 10:00. Who could possibly visit Yuri at this hour? He didn't live too far away from Viktor's house anyway. As he walked towards the door, he noticed that Yakov and his parents stayed behind in the living room.

When Viktor opened the door, he was instantly met with a pair of familiar blue eyes and bright red hair. A small smile crept on his face and he exclaimed, "Yurio! Hi!"

"Oh, shut up," was all Yurio replied, "Can I come in already?"

Viktor nodded and stood to the side so Yurio could walk past him. The blond passed him and walked towards the living room area. He looked curiously at Yurio, taking note how the teen didn't make eye contact with anyone besides himself. Then again, most things made him uncomfortable so it wasn't surprising that he wouldn't look them in the eye.

Yuri plopped down onto the couch next to his grandfather, who placed a comforting hand on his knee. Yurio relaxed slightly under the touch and Viktor smiled.

Once Yurio was seated comfortably enough, his grandfather said, "Did you enjoy your evening with the boys earlier?"

Yurio nodded, still not looking up from his lap.

"Good," the older man responded before turning his attention to Viktor and Yurio. "You two better behave now. We've already spent enough money for your school uniforms and clothes for both of you. Don't ruin it, you hear?"

Viktor and Yurio nodded.

"Also, Yura," the old man started, causing the boy to raise his eyes from his lap, "...you seem to have gotten much taller. If we remember correctly, you used to be shorter than both of these children combined. How'd you manage to grow so much?"

Yuri stared down at his lap, fidgeting slightly. "It just sorta happened." He shrugged nonchalantly, though there was obvious embarrassment in his voice.

"And what about school work? Are you studying well?" He asked, a hint of concern laced in his tone, knowing full well that Yuri wasn't very diligent in studying.

"Yeah," Yuri mumbled, finally looking up to meet his grandpa's gaze, "it isn't hard, especially because it's winter break. I get pretty bored sometimes but I try my best to keep myself busy. I don' understand the reason you guys don't let me finish my homework though."

Viktor smiled and chuckled, "Maybe because I think it's pointless?"

The teenager glared at Viktor, "Shut up."

The rest of lunch passed uneventfully and the three teens eventually headed home afterwards. Viktor waved at his grandparent and told them that he'll call them later before leaving.

The trip home seemed rather quiet, aside from the occasional 'excited squeal' from Yurio every time the car would stop moving or swerve. When he entered the apartment, his grandparents were watching tv together and talking loudly about the upcoming Christmas holiday.

Viktor closed the door behind him and slipped off his shoes before heading up to his room. Viktor crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin before closing his eyes.

It's almost Christmas. He thought to himself excitedly. I wonder if I should start looking for decorations and getting presents ready. He couldn't wait until Yuuri and his family arrived tomorrow. He wanted to show them his gifts and celebrate with his family together. It was nice to spend time with his family like this; Viktor hadn't had many friends over since he lived in Russia.

As Viktor slowly fell asleep, all he could do was wish that this Christmas season will be different than any other.

Chapter 2

The next morning, Yurio woke up at the sound of his phone ringing in his pocket. He grumbled as he stretched his limbs and rolled out of bed, reaching for his cellphone. The screen flashed a picture of a smiling Christmassy tree and Yurio frowned at the sight. He picked up the phone and answered without checking who was calling, "What?!"

Yakov, who was sitting at the kitchen table sipping hot chocolate, snorted and shook his head fondly. "It's already 6:30, Yurio."

Yurio scowled and tossed the phone onto his bed before pulling out his laptop from his backpack and logging in to Skype. Once he had logged in and logged into Skype, he saw the new message displayed above Viktor's name.

Viktor: Goodmorning Yurio!!! Hope you're doing well :) Did you have a good Christmas?

Yurio: What makes you think I had a good Christmas?"

There was a pause and when Viktor replied, he sounded almost apologetic, "Because you haven't messaged me in almost an entire day."

Yurio scoffed and typed in a reply. "I can't talk to you when you send me messages right after you text me."

Viktor sent a sticker saying 'I'm sorry' and sent back a 'you're welcome'. Yurio rolled his eyes and decided to ignore Viktor. However, he could practically feel that Viktor is still typing and soon the blond sighed and said, "Fine. Yes, I had a good Christmas."

This caused a grin to appear on Viktor's face. Viktor quickly said goodbye before ending the call. Yurio stared at the call ended and then set down his cell phone, deciding he wouldn't bother messaging Viktor anymore. He grabbed his notebook and pen from his desk and scribbled down a list that he needed to do while at the store tomorrow. After completing the list, he plugged the notebook into his computer and started working on editing his thesis. His mind wandered to Christmas and all the presents he'd received that week. He wondered if his mom and sister gave him anything…

Viktor

(8:30) Hey Yurio! So I'm coming round today around 8:00pm and I'll buy you some food to eat while you stay here. Is that ok?

Yuri bit the tip of his pen before replying, "Sure. Just tell my grandpa when you arrive. And tell my mom I'm fine.

Viktor's phone buzzed again and another picture popped up. This time it was of Yurio standing inside of their apartment. He was staring at the camera with an annoyed expression on his face, but his lips were twitching upward. Viktor chuckled and replied, "I'll see you tonight, Yurio. Be careful walking around and don't let anything bad happen to yourself. Bye bye!"

Yurio smiled at Viktor's last message and promptly ignored the rest. That stupid piggy has no idea how lucky he is, Yurio thought to himself as he went back to work. The blond was halfway done editing the video when a knock came from the front door.

Yuri stood up from his seat and walked towards the door, opening it with a sigh. "Hello? Oh yeah," he trailed off.

A familiar redhead was leaning against the door frame. She had her hands stuffed deep within her pockets and wore an oversized blue sweater with black jeans and boots. Her light purple hair was wrapped up in a tight bun atop her head with a few strands falling out. Her large brown eyes sparkled with excitement as she greeted Yurio.

She grinned when she caught the slight blush on Yurio's cheeks. "Happy Christmas Eve, Yurio!"

He tried really hard not to stare at her as he said, "Hi, Lilia."

"Come in Yurio," Viktor'ya called from the kitchen, earning a glare from his grandson. The brunet merely raised his eyebrows and smirked at his grandson. With a huff, Yurio stepped to one side allowing her entry into his apartment. As she entered the apartment, Yurio heard her gasp in surprise. He turned around and saw Lilia gaping in awe at the room.

"Wow," she said quietly, "your apartment looks amazing, Yurio. I'm honestly a little jealous of you."

Yurio chuckled, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly and shrugged. "Thanks... I guess?"

Lilia smiled and patted his cheek, causing him to frown in confusion. She giggled as she moved away, "Now, where did I put that gift I bought earlier?"

Before Viktor could respond, she left to go upstairs and return moments later with a box and a large present wrapped in brightly colored wrapping paper. She handed the present to Yurio and he accepted the gift without thinking too deeply about why she would get him something.

"It's nothing special," she assured the blonde, "just some Christmas decorations that I found online and bought them yesterday. I thought they may suit you since you're quite the traditional kind of person."

Yurio smiled softly and hugged Lilia tightly. "Thank you so much for everything. I love it." He pulled away and looked at Viktor, giving him the biggest smile.

Lilia laughed warmly, returning the small smile. "You're welcome. Now hurry up and open your presents before you forget. Your grandpa doesn't want to miss the chance to see you open your own."

As soon as those words escaped her mouth, Viktor groaned loudly and buried his face into his hands. "Mom… I'm not going to spoil him."

"Oh come on, Vitya…" Yuri whined, shaking his head.

The three teenagers headed towards the dining table and began unwrapping their presents. Viktor immediately grabbed the small package that contained two new pairs of shoes and handed one pair to Yurio before turning to grab his own gifts.

"Are you sure you don't want me to open mine first?" Yurio questioned, eyeing Viktor suspiciously.

Viktor nodded and smiled reassuringly at his grandson. "Of course, it's fine. You should be the first one to open them anyways."

Yurio sighed but nodded, taking the small present from Viktor. The boy opened it up carefully and took out a couple of books that had been packed inside. He flipped through the books curiously before looking up at his grandfather.

"Hey dad… Thanks for getting these for me. They look cool," Yurio complimented, holding up his books.

Viktor smiled and nodded, "No problem, Yura." He then turned his attention to the next present and continued unwrapping it without any complaints.

After handing the second book to Lilia, Viktor turned and handed the final present to Yurio. The teen took the present and tore the tape off gently and opened the lid up. He froze once he saw what was inside the box and glanced back up at his father and grandmother.

Viktor watched as Yurio's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open slightly. He had gotten Yurio two boxes, each containing a set of brand-new Russian translation dictionaries. The books are a bright color green along with gold accents that are shaped like crescent moons and stars. Each dictionary is bound in leather with the Russian word printed in gold letters across the spine. Viktor remembered how disappointed Yurio was when he didn't understand his language when he showed the boy the books during their trip to Finland.

"You… You bought me a dictionary?" Yurio asked, dumbfounded, as he stared at Viktor.

"Yes, Yurio. Of course," the older man responded. "Do you not like it?"

Yurio swallowed nervously and nodded his head. "Yeah, I-I mean yes i like it, it's just… I was expecting you to give me more than that. Like some sort of gift card or even a new set of sneakers..."

"Well, I know you don't like reading, so I thought you would prefer dictionaries over textbooks. But don't worry. If you ever need help, you can always ask me."

Yurio shook his head quickly. "No, I'm not asking for help. I've already got enough textbooks, thank you very much."

That night

Yuri grumbled angrily as he climbed onto his bed and lay down beside Yuuri. A loud bang and a sharp scream echoed throughout the house and made the teenager roll his eyes. "Ugh, I hope Grandpa hasn't broken anything this time," he muttered as he rubbed his eyes.

Yuri rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When he exhaled, his breath formed a cloud of smoke and fogged in front of his face. As he exhaled, he saw a faint outline of the figure that was lying in his bed. He frowned and squinted at the shape as best as he could, wondering if he should say something or pretend he wasn't seeing things, but he couldn't bring himself to do that.