Chapter Text
Stress.
If you, Katsuki Yuri, could describe the holiday season in one word it was stress. People always ask you for a reason, and somehow never understood how perfectly viable it was. You have to purchase gifts for all your friends, have a lover to spend the holiday with, there’s two holidays in the span of 6 days!? Three!! Three holidays! Viktor’s birthday is the exact same day as Christmas. God, life is hard. Not to mention the holiday season is the only thing that interrupts competitions, which you will still have to practice for.
So, yes. Stress is how to describe the holidays.
But this year, you feel it’s going to be different. You have Viktor. And he’s always so helpful in the most unhelpful ways. He always means the best though, and you know that. But sometimes he can just be so…
Dreamy, lovely, dorky, ridiculous⏤
Absorbed. In himself.
If you were to be fully honest with yourself you’d probably call him an accidental klutz. Though, again, he means the best in
almost
everything he does.
However, thinking about how sweet and endearing Viktor is will not make your butt scoot faster to the store. After all, it is the holidays.
The brisk air immediately ravages every inch of flesh on your face, sending chills up your spine. Thank goodness that scarves exist. Still though, it’s really freakin’ cold out, good lord. How do Yurio and Viktor survive Russian winters? With a sigh of annoyance, you make a start for the shopping district to get gifts.
Upon arrival, you look for the stores your parents would love to shop in. They’re the easiest to buy things for since they will accept anything you get them wholeheartedly. Still, it’s best to get something they at least will want. You don’t want any more gifts to sit in a box forgotten and useless. Hah… memories, right? No matter. This isn’t about you.
So you enter the nearest homing store. A candle should suffice for mom. She digs those a lot these days. As you walk through the building you can’t help but feel the employees watching you, just a little bit. Maybe a lot. But just a little bit. It feels like you don’t belong here, you should leave. You can’t. This is for mom and dad. Then you’ll be back outside, invisible to the public eye. One quick candle and then something for dad.
You’re walking faster now, trying to rush through this. Shopping was never your thing. Powering through it was always the best and only option. So you do, booking it to pick up the first big waxy red candle you see. Then you book it, quite literally, for your father. It’s a historical book with a lot of old stories about ancient wars and such. You do recall that being an old passion of his.
The cashier isn’t too far, but when you get there you can’t help but feel that you are out of breath from walking too fast even though you’re in such good shape. And she is judging you for it. Her smile is just to be polite. The way she put her phone down to help you was a little too aggressive to just be nonchalant. But she won’t speed up!! Go faster! You throw your card out at her and watch. She takes is slowly in confusion and, god can’t she go faster? It feels like time has slowed down when she swipes the blue card through the machine, but then time restores. Your receipt prints out in no time, and she stuffs it in the bag for you. It’s over. Politely, you take the bag, thank her for her time, and make your way back into the streets.
Maybe you should head home and get the rest of the gifts after you calm down.
So you do. After all, Viktor would throw the biggest hissy fit of your life if he found out you had some ballistic panic attack in the middle of a Japanese Macy’s.
Speaking of the devil, he’s waiting for you at home when you step inside. He’s smiling until he sees the bag clutched in your hand. He stands up, his grin wavering just enough for you to notice. “Yuri, welcome home.” You smile, nod, say thanks, and the two of you head to your room. “Why didn’t you ask me to go with you. I know it makes you feel to do that sort of thing alone…” You don’t respond. Maybe next time you and him can go together. “You didn’t take your medicine today.”
There’s a halt in his steps and yours right as he finishes the sentence. That’s what he hates about you. The fact that you “forget” to take the pills prescribed to help your anxiety. Obviously you don’t forget. You just figure that it’s easier to learn to deal with the anxiety head on rather than get unnecessary help. Viktor thinks it’s necessary, though. He’s damn certain of that.
He watches, cautious, as you pull the bag up to your chest. And you’re off, sprinting down the hall to your room. In a flash you’re inside and sitting against a locked door.
“Yuri,” he sighs.
You’ve been through this before. There’s only one question now: do you open the door and let him in, or do you leave it shut and see what happens?
To open the door go to Ch 2 >>
To keep the door shut go to Ch 3 >>