Chapter Text
Chapter 1
The morning was rather cold. He could hear the birds chirping from the trees and the dull chatter of people from around the neighborhood, waking up to start the day like any other. A dog barked in the distance, and Makkachin was tempted to respond, but instead she curled up beside her master’s feet in front of a first floor window with a view of the street.
The man patted his dog's fur softly, enjoying the fuzzy feeling against his palm. Makkachin still smelled like shampoo after her weekly pet salon treatment. She licked his hand lazily before putting her head back down. Viktor was laying back on his chair, looking out to the window and basking in the warm light of sun.
Sitting at this exact spot at this exact time while carefully scanning the streets had become a common pastime for him. If Makkachin could talk, she would likely tell Viktor that he was just like a dog waiting for his master to come home. Around this time of day, he constantly looked fidgety, excited, and impatient. It was a strange sight, seeing a man usually so cool and composed in his dark cashmere sweater acting like a kid on Christmas morning. But there he was, unable to keep from bouncing his leg as he periodically sipped his cup of tea.
The twenty-three year old man was supposed to be preparing to leave for a meeting this morning. He was the CEO of the Nikiforov Corporation, and after inheriting a part of the position from his father, he was supposed to fulfill certain responsibilities. He had already been living here in St. Petersburg alone since he was eighteen years old, back when he had still been attending university and preparing to continue his father's legacy. However, even after years of exposure to the company and nagging from Yakov, his father's assistant, Viktor still hadn't developed a strong sense of responsibility. He somehow managed to do his job well, sure, but right now he was supposed to be putting on a suit, and yet he was simply refusing to budge from his seat. Not until he saw him.
The sound of a bicycle bell caught his ear, but when he turned to look, he was disappointed to find that the person riding by wasn't the one he was waiting for. He sighed, sinking back into the ambient sound of passing cars.
Yakov could deal with a little lateness. Viktor would have gone to do something get ready while he waited, but he didn't want to risk going taking bath and missing out on a chance to see his daily spot of sunshine at his fence. Viktor breathed in and set his teacup down on the table next to him.
Suddenly he caught sight of a black mop of hair in front of his fence. Viktor shot up immediately before running to his front door, but Makkachin beat him into it. She was waiting impatiently when he finally opened the door, and she bounded off as soon as there was a wide enough opening. Viktor stepped out to see her stop at the metal fence and bark a happy greeting to the boy standing behind it on his bike. The boy laughed as held out a hand through the bars.
Viktor smiled at the sight. The boy was now pulling the last newspaper from his bag, greeting Makkachin with a smile and fond pat on her head.
“Hey there girl! I have a newspaper for you.”
Viktor heard that soft, quiet voice and almost closed his eyes to bask in the heavenly sound. He could listen to it all day without ever getting tired of hearing it. But instead of hoping he might get to hear more, Viktor shook his head to clear his thoughts and approached the boy before he left.
Luckily for him, the boy was still patting Makkachin’s head through the fence when Viktor stepped up. The boy caught a glance of his feet and looked up with a blush dusting his cheeks.
“Good morning, Yuuri. How are you today?” Viktor stood up straight, and gave his best charming smile. The boy must have been out since early this morning with how red his nose looked. “Care to step inside for some warm tea?” Maybe today would be the day he finally said Yes.
The boy blushed, looking down at the pavement under his bike, but then shook his head and broke a small piece of Viktor’s heart. How many times did this make? But Viktor refused to give up.
“N-no thank you, sir... I have to get ready for school soon, and I don’t want to impose...” He smiled slightly, looking up into Viktor’s eyes for a moment before quickly averting his gaze.
Viktor tried to shake off his disappointment, still smiling brightly for the adorable boy he always looked forward to seeing.
“Yuuri, I’ve already told you, please call me Viktor. You’re making me feel old.”
Yuuri tugged up his scarf a bit, trying to hide his red cheeks. “Ah, but you’re… older than me, sir.” He meant to keep his eyes looking off to the side, but he accidentally caught Viktor’s puppy dog expression, and suddenly Yuuri was weak.
“Ah, I mean- I guess- Uh, Viktor, then. I suppose it’s not very much trouble.”
It was such a simple thing, but Viktor was beaming after being able to hear his name fall from those pink, kissable lips with that soft, beautiful voice.
Ahh, was it a sin to have fallen in love with this boy? He is still in college, only eighteen years old and a scholarship student at a St. Petersburg University. But god, Viktor really wanted to have him... He wanted to hold his hand and take him out to lunch and cuddle with him on the couch with Makkachin at their feet…
Suddenly his mind was snapped back to reality when his field of vision was blocked by a roll of newspaper. Viktor accepted it reluctantly, and Makkachin stood at his side.
“Um, I hope you enjoy your newspaper. Have a nice day, sir- ah, Viktor.”
Yuuri smiled shyly at him, and Viktor could only nod briefly before Yuuri patted an eager Makkachin one more time and climbed back onto his bike.
“So, um, I’ll see you tomorrow then?”
Viktor nodded again, hiding his disappointment behind a blinding smile.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Yuuri.” I’ll wait for you.
Yuuri gave his signature innocent smile and started pedaling.
“Bye Makkachin!”
The dog barked in response as Yuuri left the house behind. Viktor watched the boy’s back move further and further away, the sunlight hitting him perfectly even as he grew smaller and smaller. His heart fluttered. Yuuri was just so beautiful.
‘My Sunshine.’ Viktor breathe in the sudden fullness in his heart.
They only met for a few minutes every day, but Viktor couldn’t help but feel a sharp longing in his chest whenever he saw Yuuri pedaling away from him. In the few minutes he got to spend with Yuuri, he was lucky if he got him to talk about himself. The boy was guarded and wary, but when Viktor finally did get him to talk, it was like striking gold. Viktor whined into his newspaper. How could he get this boy to like him? To trust him? And how was it possible to fall in love with a person over and over again like this? Everyday?
Viktor wanted to be closer to him and learn about the people in his life that he mentioned in passing and the family he said he had back in Japan, but the boy always stepped back whenever Viktor got too close. It frustrated him. He was used to people falling into his arms whenever he showed even the tiniest bit interest in them, but not Yuuri. It was so hard to get him to open up. In fact, it took months, almost a year, before the boy had been willing to open up about the few things he now knew about Yuuri. Tightening his grip on the newspaper, Viktor sighed. He had been waiting a year. He could wait a little longer.
As he turned and headed back into the house, Makkachin followed close behind and found a warm spot in the sun to curl up on once the door had closed behind them.
Viktor was still dazed at the memory of Yuuri’s sweet smile when his phone rang loudly on the kitchen counter. He picked it up reluctantly, and was greeted by Yakov’s usual frustrated screaming.
After several minutes of being scolded, Viktor slowly moved to grab his clothes and shower. It was still morning, and Yuuri had only left the house a few minutes ago, but Viktor was already impatiently waiting for tomorrow to come.
He couldn’t wait to see him again. After quickly showering and making himself presentable for his meeting, Viktor pet Makkachin one last time before leaving through the garage.
After getting into the car, Viktor waved Makkachin goodbye as he waited for the gate to open, and he felt something tug at his heart when he saw Makkachin scratching at the window. She looked lonely… Viktor had considered getting another dog or hiring a pet sitter, but he didn't know how Makkachin would feel about having another dog around, and he wasn't comfortable leaving her with some stranger.
Viktor sighed as he left the garage and pulled out onto the street. He absentmindedly drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, but then suddenly his phone rang, and Yakov’s name displayed itself ominously. He was sure to get another earful today.
The drive continued quietly after Viktor declined the call. He decided to turn on the radio, and a pining love song filled the car. His chest suddenly felt a little tighter as he was reminded of a certain newspaper delivery boy.
He had a long day ahead.
...
Yuuri was back in his small flat near the school, not long after leaving Viktor’s house. He quickly washed himself off before grabbing some fruit from the kitchen for breakfast. As he scrambled to remember whether he had forgotten anything, he saw his roommate emerge from the bedroom, already looking perfectly ready for the day.
“So how was your morning with Mr. Handsome?” Phichit greeted Yuuri with a mischievous smile.
Yuuri groaned before stuffing his face with the apple he had picked up to avoid answering. Phichit grinned teasingly as he went to find a granola bar.
“Has Mr. Handsome asked you out yet?”
“Phichit. We’re going to be late,” Yuuri huffed, slinging his backpack on and wrapping his scarf around his neck.
Phichit smirked at the a slight blush that appeared on Yuuri’s face whenever he mentioned “Mr. Handsome.” Because of course Yuuri knew exactly who he was referring to.
Phichit had only ever filled in for Yuuri at his newspaper delivery job once, when Yuuri had gotten sick. It was then that he met Mr. Nikiforov, who was sure to give Phichit plenty of food and medicine to bring home. But ever since then, Phichit hadn’t stopped teasing his friend about super hot guy that apparently waited for him every day. It was a dramatic, scandalous love story between a poor college student who delivered newspapers and a young CEO from big, famous company.
“He just invited me in for tea. It was a courtesy because it was a little cold out, and we’re not talking about this! We’re gonna be late for school!” Yuuri tried to change the subject, but Phichit wasn’t letting this go. In fact, Phichit perked up at this new information.
“Oh my god Yuuri, he’s serious. Come on, anyone with eyes can see that that man’s interested in you! You should have seen how worried he was when he asked about the cute boy who usually delivered the paper!”
“No, Phichit, I’m just a broke student! There’s no way he’s interested in me! I mean look at me! Am I interesting to look at??” Yuuri looked at Phichit pointedly, and Phichit pinched his cheek.
“Yuuri! You. Are. Attractive. I’m not just saying that because I’m your best friend, but I don’t know how to get this into your head. Be more confident! Don’t be so down on yourself!”
“Phichit, that’s really nice, but this guy is drop dead gorgeous! There’s no way he would settle for me! He’s just really kind is all.”
Yuuri opened the door, ready to leave for school. Phichit simply sighed, wondering how he could improve his friend’s self esteem. They climbed down the stairs to find their bikes, and Yuuri began pedaling away first, knowing that Phichit wouldn’t stop teasing him. Luckily he was proven wrong when Phichit caught up to him and started speaking again.
“You know, it’s almost summer! Got any plans in mind?” He asked as they turned a corner.
“I was thinking about looking for a part time job. My tuition is covered, but I need money for food and rent…”
Phichit smirked. “Why don’t you ask Mr. Handsome? I’m sure he’d lend you cash if you just asked.”
… Or maybe he wasn’t so luckily proven wrong. “Phichit!”
“He can be like your sugar daddy! Only, you know, young and stuff!” Phichit waggled his eyebrows, and Yuuri groaned.
“Phichit, please don’t talk about him like that... He’s just a customer. I could never do that!”
“But he waits for you every morning, doesn’t he? And he looks like a busy man, Yuuri, but he still takes time out of his morning just to chat with you!”
Yuuri shut his eyes and sighed. That… wasn’t wrong. Phichit looked up the man’s name online and found that “Viktor Nikiforov” was a rich, successful CEO. In other words, he was a man who belonged in a glamorous upper class society. Not with someone like Yuuri.
“Well, I mean- I guess- I don’t know Phichit! We just… don’t make a good match.”
Phichit kept smiling. “Okay, whatever you say, Yuuri~ But you can’t deny that he’s at least a little interested in you.”
“Not in this life, Phichit.” Yuuri picked up his his speed, but Phichit only pedaled faster in return.
They ended up racing each other until they reached school. Neither was willing to lose, so they pedaled faster and faster, even as they came close to hitting sidewalk pedestrians.
“Yuuri,” Phichit panted against his bike, wiping sweat off his forehead. “ I win.”
“No, I win.”
Phichit quickly got off his bike. “I’m not touching the bike anymore! I definitely win.”
Yuuri sighed, getting off his bike and chaining it to a bike rack before slinging his backpack onto his shoulder.
“Okay, you win this round.” Yuuri made sure he had everything he needed. “But whoever gets to class first is the real winner!”
Yuuri was already sprinting before Phichit could react.
“Hey! That’s not fair!”
The Thai boy quickly ran after his Japanese friend. He knew that while Yuuri was kind and soft hearted, he really hated to lose.
When he reached class, Yuuri was already panting in his seat.
“I, win.” He managed to pant out with a smile.
“Okay, fine, you win. Now what are we learning in here? And have I done my homework?”
Yuuri rolled his eyes. “Yes, you did, I had to force you to do it yesterday.” They were both lucky to share so many classes. They often borrowed each other’s notes and studied together to help each other maintain their grades. It certainly stabilized their scholarship statuses.
“Alright now Yuuri, smile.” Phichit was suddenly was beside him, and Yuuri didn’t even have time to blink before Phichit snapped a picture of him, still sweaty and breathing hard. Phichit already knew what was coming as he scrambled away and Yuuri chased him around the room.
“Phichiittt!! Delete that!”
”Don’t worry, you look natural in this shot!”
“No!! Okay, fine, you win! I lose! Please delete that picture now!”
“Now we’re talking!” Phichit stopped and let Yuuri take his phone and delete the picture. He smiled smugly as he took his phone back and Yuuri returned to his seat, defeated.
“Calm down Yuuri! Now give me your best smile~” Phichit slid an arm around a tiredly smiling Yuuri’s shoulder and pointed the front camera at their faces before finding the perfect angle and snapping the picture.
Phichit squealed in delight, gushing over their photos excitedly. Yuuri sighed, resting his head on the table.
‘Phichit… Is going to kill me someday…”
…
At lunch time, Phichit and Yuuri were gathered around one of the outdoor benches near the yard. Yuuri was munching on a muffin while Phichit was eating a sandwich he had brought from their flat. Both of them were focused on their books, studying for an exam tomorrow. Suddenly Yuuri yawned, and Phichit looked over with concern. He touched Yuuri’s shoulder gently.
“Hey Yuuri, why do you keep your job delivering newspapers? You have to get up early every day. Aren’t you exhausted?”
Yuuri was silent for a moment before turning to look at him, smiling slightly.
“You know, at the beginning of the year, I couldn’t get a job anywhere. But the apartment rate had gone up, I could barely afford food, and I couldn’t ask my parents for more money after they let me move here.” He smiled sadly at the memory of being afraid that he couldn’t afford a place to live anymore.
“But just when I was about to give up, Nikolai, the old man who manages the newspaper distribution, told me that he could hire me. He pays me a fair hourly rate, and I get a much needed workout every morning. It’s worth it.” Phichit laughed, Yuuri could only shake his head with a laugh of his own. “I just went to bed too late last night. I had to review the notes for class today.” He yawned again, and Phichit simply nodded before returning to his textbook.
“You know, maybe you can get a job at my workplace! They’re hiring a new server at the restaurant!”
Yuuri’s eyes lit up upon hearing that. “And the place doesn’t open until eight thirty, so I can still deliver papers! That would be amazing! Thank you for telling me!”
He continued munching on his muffin happily, excited at the prospect of finding another job so soon. Suddenly the idea of job searching was a lot less daunting.
...
Makkachin was chewing on her toys lazily. She was bored with them, but it wasn’t like she had anything else to do. The sun had set, and the house lights had turned on automatically. Her tail was thumping on the floor impatiently as she waited for her human to come home. She wished she could just lounge on the couch all day with him, but he always left in the morning.
It was too bad they couldn’t spend more time together. It was boring and lonely, staying the house all by herself, and she loved her human. He always gave her good food, and he played with her whenever he had time. It was relaxing to curl up next to him at night, and when the sun came up, she was more than happy to accompany him to the fence to see the boy on the weird human contraption that walked without legs.
The younger human that her human liked to greet smelled like a nice human. She liked him. He made her master happy. The younger human always gave her nice scratches and sometimes even brought her treats. She wondered why her human didn’t get the younger human to stay longer when he clearly liked him so much.
Makkachin barked at the window when she heard a car drive up to the front gate. The gate opened up automatically so that the car could park in the garage before it closed on its own again. Makkachin wagged her tail excitedly. She could hear her human’s footsteps, and soon she saw him walk into the living room. He smiled when he saw her.
There was nothing more satisfying than her human’s smile. Makkachin pounced on him happily, almost knocking him over before catching the scent of the plastic bags in his hand. Treats! Makkachin barked excitedly. She loved it when her human brought home treats for her, but at the same time, she thought it was sad that he never brought treats for himself or any other humans.
Her human was lonely, just like she was.
She hoped her human would find another human to make him more happy. But for now, they had each other, and she saw it as her mission to make him feel less lonely if she could. With that thought, she went to lick her human’s face comfortingly.
Viktor was tired, but he smiled at Makkachin’s show of affection. He didn’t know what he would do if he didn’t have his dog. He probably would have already died of loneliness. Sometimes he went clubbing, usually with Chris, but he had a stronger emotional connection with Makkachin than he did with any of the people who threw themselves at him.
Viktor went to the bathroom to clean himself off after a hard day at work before eating the take out dinner he had picked up. As he went to get a glass of water, he grabbed a special treat that he had bought for Makkachin. As he sat down at the table, he thought to himself that sometimes he missed home cooked food. Occasionally he asked his housekeeper to leave a meal for him, but he didn’t particularly love her cooking. He had only met the kind old lady during her interview, but she was much better at keeping the house clean than making food. Not to mention she only came in twice a week to clean. At the very least, Makkachin had gotten used to her, but even when she was around, she could never really play with her.
Makkachin needed friend.
Viktor contemplated the thought as he ate his dinner. Idly, Makkachin wondered why he was so quiet, but she decided to let it go in favor of laying her head on his lap.
…
The summer was quickly approaching, and Yuuri had just finished his evening round of deliveries.
The day had gone by fairly smoothly. The test had gone well, the weather had been perfect, and he had enough cash to buy some groceries before he went home.
Yuuri showered when he finally reached the apartment and set his bags down, gladly ridding himself of the stench and sweat he had accumulated throughout the day. Once he was done, made his way to the kitchen to make some pasta. Phichit had been begging him to make it for a while, so today he decided was the day he would. Phichit would be home soon, so Yuuri went to get the plates out on the table while the sauce cooked. When he was done, he went back to check on the bolognaise sauce, but then he heard the clanking sound of keys at the door.
Yuuri smiled as his friend stepped through the doorway. Phichit shed his coat and sniffed the air. “Hnn, I love you.”
Yuuri chuckled as stirred the pot slowly. “You’re welcome.”
Phichit sat at the table eagerly, like a kid waiting for meal, and Yuuri could practically see the sparkles in his eyes. But then suddenly Phichit’s expression fell.
“Listen, Yuuri, I have to tell you something…”
Yuuri stopped in his tracks and frowned at Phichit.
“What happened? Are you ok?” He turned off the stove and carefully lifted the pot onto the table a pair of oven mitts. Phichit smiled guiltily, seeming almost reluctant to speak. Yuuri grabbed the bowl of drained pasta noodles from the sink counter and sat down patiently.
“Yuuri, I’m so sorry, but someone’s already taken the job at the restaurant for the summer! Isabella brought in her boyfriend…”
Yuuri’s heart dropped, but he quickly kept his smile up for Phichit.
“Oh, that’s okay Phichit! I can keep looking for other options.” he tried to smile more reassuringly, but he was admittedly a bit disappointed that he couldn’t work alongside his friend over the summer.
“B-but I promised you–”
“No, Phichit, it’s okay! You didn’t promise anything, and you’ve helped me enough! I can start looking for another job tomorrow. Now, try some of this sauce, I tried to make it a little spicy.”
Phichit still looked guilty but, his attention had returned to the mouthwatering food before him. “It smells soooo good.”
“Try some, I cooked this for you.” Yuuri handed him the spoon he had been stirring sauce with as he took Phichit’s plate and scooped some cooked noodles onto it.
Phichit wiped invisible tears from his eyes with the hand that wasn’t holding the wooden spoon. “Your attentions have cured my soul. Mr. Handsome is so lucky.”
Yuuri blushed at his friend’s words.
“Phichit! You can’t just imply that about me and Mr. Handsome–” he cut himself off when he realized what he’d said.
“Oho, so you admit he's handsome~”
Yuuri groaned and tried to hide his blush from his friend, who was now waggling his eyebrows suggestively at him.
Yuuri sighed and let Phichit ramble over dinner. Meanwhile, he wondered whether there were any places still hiring.
...
The next morning came, and Yuuri had been out on his bike since 5am. He had picked the bundle from Nikolai as usual and followed his route as he had been doing for almost a year now.
As the time was approached 8am, Yuuri came upon his last house. A large, memorable one with a high fence and an adorable brown poodle.
… Not to mention a striking man who always seemed to be there whenever Yuuri stopped by. Yuuri was putting down the brake on his bike when a certain brown poodle skipped over to the fence, looking especially enthusiastic. She barked at him, greeting Yuuri with few licks to his hand as he reached through the fence. Yuuri patted the dog, and suddenly a sad smile bloomed on his face. He missed Vicchan…
“Yuuri! It looks like Makkachin’s beaten me again,” the man chuckled at the sight of his dog with the adorable boy in front of him. He wondered if Makkachin would pounce on the boy if he opened the fence.
Yuuri didn’t seem too bothered by Makkachin’s presence, in fact it looked like he was the opposite, but for some reason there was a solemn look on his face. Viktor wondered if something was wrong.
“Ah, how are you today? Still busy as ever?” Viktor tried to gave his billion dollar smile, but it never did have the same effect on Yuuri as it did others.
The boy smiled shyly and handed Viktor a newspaper. “Yeah… But I need to find a job for the summer, or I won’t be very busy at all...”
Viktor perked up at the new information. Yuuri rarely gave any personal information about himself, but this was something he could latch onto. “A summer job? You want to take on more work?”
“I kind of have to, you know? I need money for rent, for food, and for next year’s school supplies.” Yuuri smiled reluctantly, a little guilty that he was taking up Viktor’s time his personal problems. But of course Viktor wasn’t thinking that.
Job. Job, job, job, how could he help Yuuri? Were there any openings at his company? Were any friends hiring? He wanted to help badly, but Yuuri was already getting back to his bike, getting ready to leave.
“W-wait! Yuuri! A job? I have something in mind!”
Yuuri turned to look at him with confusion on his face.
In truth, Viktor had no idea what he was saying either.
“Um, I mean, I think I might be able to give you a job over the summer.”
‘What are you thinking, Viktor!?’ Now Yuuri was looking at him questioningly, and he had to think fast before Yuuri decided he must have been joking or something.
“A… job? What do you have in mind?” Yuuri asked curiously.
Viktor looked around. Think, think, think. What could Yuuri do? Cut grass? No, Yuuri would get sweaty and tired and what if Yuuri will passed out from dehydration?? Besides, he already had someone for that. Housekeeping? No, the old lady was good at her job... Suddenly Makkachin nudged her head at his side, looking at him with her intelligent eyes.
It was then that a metaphorical light bulb flicked on inside his brain. He had the perfect job for Yuuri!
“Tell me Yuuri, would you consider being Makkachin’s dog sitter?”