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“Didn’t you hesitate for at least a second so you could think?” Chris asked, scowling. “Coming here with Yuuri couldn’t have been an easy decision.”
“It wasn’t,” Phichit agreed. “But Yuuri’s my best friend. He took me in when no one else would. Of course I was going to come with him.”
“You’re a loyal friend, Phichit.” Chris’s face brightened, lighting up and showing his perfect white teeth.
“I’m sure you’d do the same for Victor,” Phichit murmured, heart stuttering. “If it were the other way around, would you follow him to Japan?”
“Of course. He’s my best friend,” Christophe said instantly.
They continued working in silence, cleaning and preparing Victor and Yuuri’s room for the following night. As they went, Phichit couldn’t help but watch Chris when he knew the other man wasn’t looking. It was hard not to. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Chris’s muscles as he moved, the sleeves of his shirt tight enough to see every slight engagement of his muscles.
Once they deemed their work satisfactory, they left to eat before their jobs really began. Before breakfast was just waking the princes and making sure they were presentable for their breakfast and then cleaning the room. After, they had to do whatever their princes wanted of them.
There was a plus side to your best friend being your boss, especially when you got to hang out with them all day.
Their day was filled with walking the gardens before setting up a picnic lunch. It was even more affirmed in Phichit’s head that Victor and Yuuri were the perfect couple as they held hands and leaned into each other as they walked a few paces ahead of him and Chris. Once they were all set up, they were still inseparable, though they only sat next to each other, hands still clasped, bodies leaning against each other.
Despite the physical contact, Victor and Chris were deep in a gossip session, ignoring Yuuri as Phichit teased him enough to make him turn a bright shade of red. Phichit was sure that even the tomatoes in their salad weren’t nearly as red as his friend.
“How are you doing, Phichit?” Yuuri murmured, shifting to lay his head on Phichit’s shoulder. Phichit could see Victor tighten his hand around Yuuri’s, but he didn’t pause in his conversation with Christophe.
“I’m fine, Yuuri,” Phichit replied, resting his head on Yuuri’s.
Yuuri nestled in. “Seriously, though. How are you? With the move and all? Do you miss Japan?”
“Really, Yuuri, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me. The move was nothing.” Phichit looked at Yuuri, seeing the faraway look in his eyes Phichit was more than familiar with. “What about you? How much are you missing Japan?” He knew Yuuri too well. He always asked others the questions he wanted to answer himself.
Yuuri sighed. “More than I thought I would, if I’m being honest. I was so excited to move here, to be with Victor, but… I don’t think I realized that I’d actually be leaving the place I was born and grew up. I miss my family a lot. I don’t even know when I’ll get to see them again.”
“It’s okay, Yuuri. That’s another reason I decided to come with you. I knew you’d get homesick, and I’m basically a piece of home. Not a good one, perhaps, but a piece none the less.” Phichit grinned when Yuuri looked up at him and smiled.
“Thanks, Phichit. You being here is better than having nothing form Japan,” Yuuri told him.
“What are you geezers doing out here?” Yuri asked, stomping over, arms crossed. He stepped onto their blanket and plopped down without using his hands to help him down.
Victor grinned, looking to his younger brother. “Having a picnic. It was kind of you to join us.”
“Whatever.” Yuri grabbed a fork and started prodding at the fruit in a large serving bowl, neglecting a plate in favour of eating straight from the bowl.
Victor and Chris laughed at the teen, and Yuuri had a grin on his face. Even Phichit put on a small smile.
Yuri was different from how he’d been when him and Yuuri had first arrived, but you had to know him well to see it.
Victor and Yuuri had told Phichit and Chris when they discovered Yuri and Victor had different fathers. In addition, they’d been sworn to secrecy. Phichit knew he wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone anyways. He couldn’t tell another person’s secret. It wasn’t who he was.
“What are you looking at, eyebrows?” Yuuri hissed, glaring at Phichit.
“Nothing, nothing,” Phichit said, looking away as Chris snickered. Phichit felt a warmth enter his cheeks.
“Whatever.” The teen rolled his eyes, focusing again on the fruit salad before him.
And the afternoon progressed much the same. Yuri picked at the fruit bowl, and hitting at anyone that tried to take any with his fork.
Victor fell victim most, and Chris managed to successfully steal the steal the most, Yuuri and Phichit laughed as they watched on.
“Can’t you be nice to your big brother, Yura?” Victor pouted. “Let me beat Chris. You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“Da, but as your brother, I also like seeing you fail,” Yuri replied, making Chris laugh.
“I hate to say he’s right, Vic, but he’s not wrong,” Chris said, an adorable, dopy grin across his face.
“Yuuri, I’m getting ganged up on! Come to my aid, lyubov moya! You have to come to my side, as my husband!” Victor wailed, looking to Yuuri with his big, desperate blue eyes.
Yuuri reached over, pressing a kiss to Victor’s cheek. “Siblings are usually pretty competitive. But they are supposed to be on their siblings’ side as well.”
“I don’t even know who’s side you’re on here,” Victor moaned, hiding his face in his hands.
Yuuri laid back, letting his head rest in Victor’s lap. “I’m on my own side.”
“Clearly, he’s on my side, old man,” Yuri said, stabbing a piece of cantaloupe and shoving it in his mouth.
The rest of the afternoon slid away effortlessly. When they were done with the picnic, Chris and Phichit bought everything in to put away.
“I can’t believe that we work for and are best friends with the princes of Russia. Life would be so boring without them,” Chris said, reaching up to put the basket away on its shelf in the closet.
“I’d say we got the long…” Phichit trailed off, eyes locked on the small strip of skin showing around Chris’s waist. He could see the top of the V of his hips before they disappeared under the waistline of his pants, and the flat, toned muscle of his stomach.
Phichit found his brain shorting out, his mouth running dry. He knew Chris’s face had been gifted in the looks department, but he hadn’t known until that moment just how gifted his whole body was.
“Phichit?” Chris’s voice was suddenly closer. When Phichit’s eyes focussed again, Chris was less than a step away, his hand on Phichit’s shoulder as hazel eyes met black. Chris was right there in front of him, a hand on his shoulder to steady him. “You okay?”
Phichit was grateful for Chris’s grip. He thought his knees were going to give out.
“I–I’m fine,” Phichit whispered, not trusting his voice at regular volume.
Chris chuckled. “If you say so. Your face is really red. You sure you’re–”
Phichit pulled Chris into him, pressing their lips together. Phichit let his body melt into Chris’s, the taller man’s arms wrapping around his waist.
“Well, that was certainly a surprize,” Chris murmured, pulling his face back.
“Sorry, Chris. I–I don’t know what came over me,” Phichit whispered, his dark eyes wide.
Chris grinned his perfect grin. “Well, I wouldn’t mind if it came over you again sometime.” He pressed one last kiss to Phichit’s lips before slipping out.
After a moment, Phichit unfroze, realization hitting him
He kissed Chris. Chris kissed him.
He had to tell Yuuri.
When Phichit rounded the corner to his friend’s room, he saw Victor heading in the opposite direction, away from him. Phichit entered the chambers and the bedroom only to find Yuuri sitting on the bed, head down, sniffling.
“Yuuri, are you okay?” Phichit asked, the kiss with Chris temporarily pushed to the back of his mind.
“Victor… Victor said–” Yuuri broke off, tears falling from his face.
“What did Victor say, Yuuri?” Phichit asked, gripping Yuuri’s hands. “If he hurt you, so help me–”
“No, Phichit, it’s fine.” Yuuri looked up and Phichit was surprised to find a smile across Yuuri’s face. “Victor… he asked me to marry again.”
Phichit was excited for Yuuri, proud that he could be a part of his best friend’s life in this way. Yuuri deserved all the happiness in the world.
He eagerly anticipated Yuuri’s reaction when he told his friend about him and Chris.