Born To Make History (boyxboy)

Chapter Eight: Build Up

'Are you cold?' Victor placed his hand on Yuri's cheek as he drove back to his, Clara sat in the back hyperventilating with excitement. Yuri shook his head, keeping his eyes fixed on the road, probably so he didn't have to look at either of the occupants of the car. He was awkward like that sometimes, and it just made Victor like him all the more.
'So you two are what, dating?' Clara confirmed leaning forwards so that she could be in between the two of them.
'Dating,' Yuri nodded slowly, and it seemed that he couldn't believe it any more than his sister.
'Dating casually or dating to get somewhere?'
Yuri remembered now why he hadn't wanted his sister to meet Victor just yet. Curse his sudden impulsive stubborn moments... Now Clara was checking Victor's intentions, something she really had no right to be doing, although he could understand why she might want to.
'Casually,' Yuri tried to play it down and be nonchalant, but at the same time he said this Victor spoke;
'To get somewhere.'
They looked at each other, and Victor's facade was as impenetrable as usual, although Yuri was certain he could detect a little sadness in the way that his shoulders slumped slightly. He felt bad, but couldn't really think of a way to make up for it. He put the radio on to distract himself, but the news was just as bad as the atmosphere, so he switched it off again. He didn't know why he was being so tetchy; perhaps it was a combination of anxiety over whether Victor thought it was weird that he'd asked him to come tonight, what his sister thought about them, the thought of paparazzi showing up and a multitude of other factors that were constantly weighing on him. He probably would have slammed his head on the wheel in exasperation had it not been for the hand that took his, even if it removed it from the wheel. Victor kissed his hand mindlessly, locking their fingers together and letting them fall onto his lap. Yuri breathed in sharply and tried to conceal his blush from Clara, who was watching them intently. Was she so enthralled because it was Victor or because she'd never seen Yuri with somebody like this before? He supposed that he'd never brought home any man like this before; somebody she looked up to so hugely- somebody suave and sophisticated who was genuinely interested and looked out for him. All of his relationships had been short and ended because they'd flatlined for the sole reason that he never felt any real passion for them, and he couldn't figure out why. With Victor, though, when he had kissed him it had felt like his lungs were on fire. He hadn't felt a tension like that before, not really, so to have it there supported his decision not to drop it. Even now, sat in a car with his sister of all people, he found himself holding Victor's hand tighter and wishing they were alone so he could speak freely. He wanted to apologise for saying they were only dating casually, because thinking about how Victor treated him made him realise it was much more than that. He had come tonight with good grace and humour, even though it was strange and perhaps a little creepy, and now he had immediately noticed he was a little upset and even after Yuri had unintentionally hurt his feelings, he was willing to hold his hand and comfort him- in fact, he was the one who had instigated this reassuring gesture, rather than just allowing it to happen. But did somebody treating him really well constitute the beginnings of a relationship? He couldn't just like any person for their manners. He didn't know if that was shallow or not, but it was the fact of the matter. If there was no interest or mutual attraction the way they acted towards each other made no difference. He believed that there was mutual attraction, because Victor had easily convinced him of his affection, and he was 90% sure he returned some level of the same kind of thing. He was shying away from it a little because he was just that- shy. One day though, and he hoped soon, he could be more open about it and not want to run and hide every time Victor was a little more forward than he anticipated. All this had him thinking that at some point they might actually make it official- not yet, because he knew he just wasn't ready, but he was alarmed by the realisation that he actually wanted this in the foreseeable future, although he wasn't certain when. The word boyfriend invaded his thoughts and made him feel a little sick. Yeah, he definitely wasn't ready for that. The key thing was building up to it and not rushing in because Victor charmed him into it or because he was lonely. He had to learn to better deny that smile.
He dropped Clara at home, much to her disappointment as she had wanted to stay so she could drool over Victor for a little longer, and she managed to convince him to take her out somewhere the next day to 'catch up', then he drove to and parked outside Victor's house. It was late at night, and he was awake as he would be had he just been asleep for the past 24 hours. He needed no persuading when Victor invited him in, and he eagerly accepted the offer of beer without thinking about the consequences. As he sat down with Victor on the couch, he downed the last of his beer for courage and spoke up, something he wasn't used to doing.
'Victor, I didn't mean that earlier.'
'What?' Victor looked at him with a combination of surprise and confusion.
'What I said about us dating casually, I-'
'Yuri, it's fine. I know you feel the same as I do, you were just being cautious. I understand.'
'You do?' Now it was Yuri's turn to be surprised. In every situation similar to this he'd ever been in, any miscommunication was over lack of trust about somebody being honest with their feelings and whether they actually liked him back, or more often whether he liked them back. Most of the time, he didn't- or rather, not as much as he ought to. To have Victor know how he felt without having to say it was reassuring to say the least and told him that he was making the right decision here. 'I'm not ready for a committed relationship yet, and I don't know when I will be, but I want to be.'
'Then we'll take it at your pace and wait until you're comfortable.'
'And you won't get bored?'
'Of you? Of course not!' Victor wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close and resting his cheek on the top of his head. 'I told you before- I don't care how long I have to wait, because one day you'll be in love with me. I'll wait until the day I die.'
'You're getting into creepy territory there. We've been on six dates, we're not engaged.'
'That comes later.'
Yuri groaned and rolled his eyes heavily, but grudgingly snuggled against Victor as his eyelids started drooping shut.
'Go to sleep, porosenok,' Victor stroked his hair, which was oddly comforting, and he could feel his breaths getting more and more shallow and his consciousness slipping away from him, despite being fully aware that he ought to be going home. No, he'd had too much to drink to drive anyway, as had Victor. He was stranded there. He could've walked, but it was dark and cold outside and deep down he really didn't want to get up because he was so cosy and comfortable that to move would cause great distress.

Victor leaned his head against Yuri's, listening to his muted breathing and praying that he would stay forever, just asleep on his chest and his face softened and free of worry-lines. He felt so fortunate to have him in his life- he'd never before dated somebody who wasn't after his money, not since his agent had split him and his first boyfriend up after a month when he was 19. Since then, she'd controlled every aspect of his life, assigning him girlfriends who all had the same personality, just a slightly different face, and even then the variation was only brought about by mildly differing surgical techniques. They were always nice enough, but to begin with he wasn't interested in dating a woman and the most important factor was that they were all famous and dating him to increase their status rather than because of who he was. That was where he'd learnt to be the perfect partner; romantic, charming and endlessly cheerful but ready to be serious when time called for it. He'd had to, because he always had to be ready for the paparazzi to spring and write a stellar review on his boyfriend abilities. This was part of the reason he was holding onto Yuri so tight- he wasn't famous and as a result didn't have to announce to the world about them dating, so there was nobody waiting to pounce on anything he did wrong and his gestures didn't go passed off as faux charm for the publicity. He could, for the first time, actually enjoy making somebody else happy without them having ulterior motives. He felt a little guilty for comparing this to something as trivial as just having a choice and Yuri not wanting his money, because what it really came down to was who Yuri was. Not that he was an adorably klutzy individual who drove slower than a whale climbing a tree and had a caffeine addiction, although he cherished each of those things; it was a combination of everything- his afore mentioned quirks, his faults (though Victor had yet to discover what they were, and he had a sneaking suspicion that he classified them as positive aspects) and everything else that he was yet to discover, not to mention the parts he'd already seen.
He had never thought like this about anybody before, and never had he felt this intensely about somebody before.
'Victor?' Yuri's voice was a little croaky from sleepiness.
'Yes?' He felt his heart jump and he shifted so that Yuri was lying across his lap staring up at him.
'Are you going to make me sleep here all night?'
'Wouldn't dream of it,' he smiled and helped him to his feet, guiding him along a corridor and lying him down in a bed.
'This isn't the same room I slept in before,' Yuri mumbled, tiredness amplifying his confusion.
'This is my room,' Victor told him, stroking his cheek and tucking the covers round him.
'It's so nice,' Yuri complained, bringing the duvet up to his chin. 'You're making me feel like I live in poverty.'
Victor laughed as he unbuttoned his shirt, relieved to be able to undo the stiff collar.
'Oh, do you want to borrow some clothes?'
'I'm fine,' Yuri was a little uncomfortable in his jeans but at the same time he was too snug in his little nest to make any movement towards sorting that out.
'You can't sleep in your clothes,' Victor shook his head. 'Take them off.'
'Steady on!'
'Not like that, just so you can put others on.' He pulled a baggy sweater from his closet and handed it to him.
'No trousers?' Yuri was incredulous as he held it out. It looked expensive, dark navy (or so he thought- it was too dark to know exactly) and incredibly soft.
'It'll be really long on you. Stop fussing and put it on- it's late and you have things to do tomorrow.'
'Turn around,' Yuri muttered, furrowing his brows.
Victor found it inextricably cute that Yuri was so timorous, and when he turned around he was glad that it hid his grin that he just couldn't rid his face of. When he turned back, Yuri was already in bed, but seeing him in his clothes was absolutely precious and made his heart glow. He pulled on a shirt and a pair of trackies before slipping into bed next to him, wrapping his arms round him and kissing his neck.
'Noo,' Yuri moaned, but didn't push him away. In fact, he rolled over and kissed him tenderly, allowing him to deepen it.
Yuri could feel his heart going at a million miles an hour and his blood roaring in his ears like the ocean as he felt Victor's hands ruck up the sweater and run down his waist.
'Victor,' he gasped as his hands landed somewhere unexpected. He didn't complain, nor did he reject him. His stertorous breathing and appreciative mewls were answer enough to the question of consent.
Victor thought his lungs might burst and his brain implode from the euphoric feeling hearing Yuri say his name like that gave him. He sucked sweetly on his neck, hoping that he wasn't leaving marks and if so that they weren't too noticeable. Yuri collapsed into his arms, tired from the exertion and from the general tiresome activities of the living, and Victor kissed the top of his head as he nestled into his chest.
'I'm really glad we got through the gradual process,' Yuri whispered as he closed his eyes.
'So am I.'
'And I promise that one day I'll be ready.'
'I know you will.'

'This is one of the moments that will define Victor's image for the rest of his life, and I'm glad I can be a part of that, and I hope he isn't too angry that I get to steal some of his spotlight now.'