#he’ll need some TLC once he comes in but it shouldn’t be too hard! the worst part will be fixing an eyebrow string

[cheekydogs]

I know I’ve been super inactive lately, and I apologize for that, but I we able to snag a webkinz I never thought I’d have from eBay today and I’m so so very excited for him to arrive so I can show you all! ^_^

[wordsablaze]

14~ smile and laugh like i used to

tell me your problems (i’ll chase them away) Internal scars can be difficult to deal with but Eskel vows to heal any that Jaskier is weighed down by if it’s the last thing he does…

A/N: the tables have turned - time for competent jaskier to give poor eskel some tlc <3

@random-nerd-3 @betaray-jones @w-s-kibela @in-love-with-writing002 @screaming-flapjacks @havenoffandoms @lasaga666 @mayastormborn @alllthequeenshorses @little-piece-of-tamlin @selectivegeekwithstandards

previous chapter

-

The local drowner is in fact not a scintillating conversationalist.

No surprise there really, but Eskel still feels a little glum about it; perhaps he’s too easily gotten used to Jaskier and the way they’ve talked more in the last week or so than he has for several months.

He must have, because finding and waiting for the drowners to reveal themselves takes several silent hours and much to his surprise, he finds himself humming to pass the time. Although maybe it shouldn’t be called humming since he hadn’t wanted to draw unnecessary attention to himself by making too much noise, but it was definitely at least breathing in tune, and he’s rarely felt the urge to do anything of the sort before.

He really should have figured there would be more than one drowner, though - of course there would be, they’re known to work in groups. Well, it seems unexpected claws raking down his back is just what he gets for being foolish enough to trust someone who’s never even laid eyes on a bestiary.

It only takes a matter of seconds to spin and relieve the second drowner of its head but that doesn’t seem to stop the others. The wounds on his back sting fiercely as another lunges forwards and he’s forced to just ignore it as he slices at both its hands and then its head. The last two he leaves to the fate of igni, though, finding it much easier to cast the sign than swing his sword again.

Scorpion whinnies as he makes his way back to her, clearly concerned.

“I know, I know, don’t look at me like that,” he mutters, “they’re not serious wounds, they’re just a pain because I can’t reach them properly.”

If horses could talk, she would probably say something along the lines of you are a fool, Eskel, for being so distracted and trusting that you’ve managed to inconvenience yourself in such an embarrassing way.

Well, actually, that’s just what he’s thinking of himself. She’d probably say something more like you may have wrongly been too trusting but I still care greatly for you and highly suggest that you make your way to a healer as soon as possible.

Either way, Eskel sighs, leaning against the nearest tree once he’s attached proof of the drowners’ existences to Scorpion’s saddlebags. It’s only then that he notices the gashes on his lower leg, at which point he just sighs at the absurdity of being so injured by mere drowners. Granted, there were five of them when he was only prepared for one, but still.

He can feel blood trickling down his back but he finds he doesn’t have the energy to deal with it. It’s almost certain he’ll be just fine anyway, there’s a limit to how much damage drowners can do. In the end, he decides that simply settling on the ground in front of the tree and closing his eyes for a few minutes isn’t the worst idea in the world.

“What in the name of all the gods are you doing?”

He blinks, reaching for his sword even though he’s pretty sure another drowner wouldn’t be asking him that. And of course it’s not another drowner, it’s a bard - a very angry bard by the looks of it.

“Resting,” he mutters, letting his head fall back against the tree as he vaguely notices it’s now much darker than before so he’s possibly been out for just a little longer than a few minutes. Oops .

“I wasn’t aware that bleeding out had been made a part of resting now,” Jaskier grumbles and, much to Eskel’s displeasure, immediately kneels beside him and starts poking around.

He groans, batting the hands away as gently as he can. “I’ll be fine, I’ve had worse. How are you here?”

Jaskier frowns, his poking around coming to a halt as he places both hands on either side of Eskel’s face, squinting at him. “Did you hit your head?”

“That’s a human problem,” Eskel mutters, shaking his head as best as he can with Jaskier still cupping his face in his hands.

There’s a moment of silence before Jaskier sighs loudly, letting his head fall onto Eskel’s with a slight thud, but then he pulls back and starts tugging at Eskel’s clothes. That’s all it takes for Eskel to jolt back into reality, pulling himself upright. “What are you doing?”

Jaskier pokes an accusatory finger to his chest, glaring at him. “Sit still, darling, or we are going to have serious problems. I don’t know what possessed you into thinking it was okay to just sit here and bleed instead of finding a healer or even the bandages I know you have with you but you were wrong, do you hear me? You esoteric fool.”

Eskel blinks.

That’s all the opening Jaskier needs and before Eskel can even think about why he suddenly feels the need to apologise, his shirt is being pulled over his head. The material catches on the wounds that haven’t yet had the chance to heal and he winces.

“Oh gods, sorry!” Jaskier blurts, following that up with a quiet but lengthy stream of curses.

In the time it takes him to blink, Jaskier has managed to acquire water. Another blink and he’s being manoeuvred so his back is no longer against the tree. Another and the stinging flares into outright burning, which makes him groan and grit his teeth together.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry…” Jaskier repeats, barely even breathing as he continues to apologise, all the way up until the burning fades into an almost pleasant numbness. It’s immediately followed by bandages that Jaskier manages to wrap around his torso in record time, after which he finally quietens, his head falling onto Eskel’s less injured shoulder blade.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Eskel mumbles eventually.

That seems to have been the wrong thing to say though, because Jaskier scoffs and his scent sours considerably. “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?”

Eskel shrugs. “A normal one?”

“No, that’s not what- oh gods above, your leg! Stay here!” Jaskier orders, his warmth disappearing and sending a strange shiver down Eskel’s spine.

He’s back before Eskel can ask him where he’s going, and this time he watches as Jaskier methodically cleans and bandages the wounds on his leg, even though they’re hardly more than scratches and will probably heal over in a couple of days anyway.

“You should’ve told me you were hurt there too,” Jaskier accuses as he sits back, his eyes roaming over the rest of him as if trying to seek out any other wounds. Inexplicably, Eskel is abruptly conscious of the way he’s now wearing very little and is all but being scrutinised.

Jaskier seems to realise the same thing because his face flushes and he pointedly looks away. “Maybe you can just tell me if you’re hurt anywhere else then?”

“I’m not,” Eskel assures him, then frowns at the herbs he can smell. “How did you know to get a salve?”

Jaskier laughs so hard he almost cries, then takes a deep breath and points to Scorpion. “Well, this fine lady created utter chaos in the streets and word got to me quickly enough that there was a horse running amok, leaving a trail of slime wherever she went. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together, darling.”

That’s certainly not what Eskel had been expecting. He smiles up at Scorpion, who he’s only just noticed is standing practically right above them, and then turns back to Jaskier. “What about your performance?”

Jaskier shrugs. “I was almost done anyway. Besides, no performance is worth more than keeping you alive.”

Eskel frowns. “But you said this was important.”

“It was,” Jaskier agrees, then tilts his head to the left. “Do you not think you’re important too?”

He has a suspicion that replying honestly would be a bad idea so Eskel merely shrugs. Jaskier seems to read between the lines well enough because he grumbles something about idiot witchers before shuffling forwards, taking one of Eskel’s hands and squeezing gently.

“You are far more important than any sort of performance. And just in case your skull is as thick as your brother’s: yes, that applies to every situation you can think of,” Jaskier says slowly, firmly, a little angrily.

Eskel nods because he has no idea what else he’s meant to do. It seems to be enough to Jaskier, who offers him a smile before letting go and then procuring a shirt out of a bag he seems to have brought with him. He holds it out between them but then hums thoughtfully. “Hold your arms out, it’ll hurt if you try to do this yourself.”

“I can put a shirt on,” Eskel protests, but Jaskier just raises an unconvinced eyebrow and he sighs, stretching his arms out as instructed. He hears Jaskier’s breath hitch slightly at one point but by the time the shirt’s over his head properly, the bard is back to smiling so he doesn’t mention it.

Jaskier nods in approval as he glances over Eskel again. “It’s a good thing I’ve had plenty of experience with this sort of thing, I can’t imagine you’d want to walk back to the inn shirtless.” There’s a moment of silence before Jaskier rapidly backtracks. “Not that anyone would complain because why would they when you’re built in such a godly way? No, of course they wouldn’t, and it’d be perfectly alright! More along the lines of a delight, probably. I just meant you might not be comfortable with all the attention, though there’d be no harm in that in itself but-”

“Jaskier,” Eskel interrupts, equally as confused as he is flattered.  

Jaskier curses softly, then chuckles. “Sorry, I just- It’s been a long day.”

It hasn’t for Eskel - he has no idea where half the day went - but he nods anyway. “Are you okay?”

Frowning, Jaskier looks back at him. “Am I okay? You’re the one whose horse had to come and find me because you were apparently too injured to remember that you’re meant to take care of your injuries!”

He owes Scorpion at least a dozen of the freshest apples he can find as soon as possible. Making a mental note of that, he nods. “I’m a witcher, Jaskier, it happens. And like I said, I’ve had worse.”

“Yes well, so have I. And I’m not eager to repeat those experiences, if you would be considerate enough not to mind.”

Oh.

For some reason, Eskel had forgotten that not travelling alone means that what happens to one of them affects both of them. It only takes a few seconds of imagining if their situation had been reversed for him to feel immensely guilty about not tending to his own injuries instead of inadvertently relying on Jaskier.

That guilt seems to spiral into crippling doubt easily enough and he finds himself questioning whether he should even be tagging along with the bard. He’s taken this new routine for granted, it seems, but what use can he possibly be if he can’t even take care of his own injuries as soon as he has company?

“Oh, the sorrows I'll have to drown when I'm forced to leave every town. But what a strange task. Why do this, you ask? Well, my witcher just wants to frown!”

It takes a second for the limerick to register.

Eskel splutters, meeting Jaskier’s wide grin with an incredulous expression. He can tell that Jaskier is trying extremely hard not to laugh and for some reason that’s what makes him laugh. The laughter bubbles out of him and he doesn’t regret it even when it pulls a little uncomfortably on the scratches, especially not when Jaskier looks at him with wide, awe-stuck eyes.

“Sorry,” Eskel manages, his face aching from the hysteria.

Jaskier blinks, humming before he waves a hand dismissively. “You’re forgiven, of course. I warn you though, it’ll be a full ballad performed in front of a crowd next time.”

Eskel doesn’t even doubt it.

“Jaskier?” he asks as something dawns on him. When said bard nods, he clears his throat. “Uhm, your witcher?”

The last time he saw blood drain so quickly from someone’s face was when he beheaded a literally dying drowner. Jaskier seems to go through several wildly different emotions before he settles on biting his lip, his fingers twisting over themselves as he just shrugs, abruptly deciding to inspect the grass.

“I don’t mind,” Eskel adds because he hates the sudden tension.

Jaskier looks back up so fast it’s a miracle his neck remains uninjured. He opens his mouth, closes it again, and then exhales slowly, twice. “You don’t?”

“It would be my honour,” Eskel admits softly.

“You’ll have to share that with me for it'd be mine as well,” Jaskier murmurs.

There’s no room for any of Eskel’s doubts in this arrangement and yet again, he finds himself genuinely smiling as he reaches for Jaskier’s hand and laces their fingers together. Jaskier’s smile matches his own and Eskel takes a moment to just appreciate the beauty of that before nodding solemnly. “Deal.”

Gods, he loves it when the bard smells of lavender and honey and dewdrops. And what’s more, he loves how he’s able to cause that. And although being injured is never a pleasant experience, he thinks this is one he’ll never manage to regret, not when it’s paired with the memory of such brightly shared laughter and the sun that seems to shine in Jaskier’s eyes even as night begins to fall.

-

well, there's nothing like accidentally confessing your feelings through possessive determiners (ie. my/your), right?

-

thanks for reading! masterlist | witcher sideblog: @itsjaskier | next chapter

[princessselene126]

so you asked me this question, now it's your turn hon. Do you ship any of your tlc gen 2? Why/how did you decide? -creampuffqueen

*cracks knuckles* I was hoping someone would ask me this. Are you ready for this shit show? Because I have 15 second gen children and it’s about to get fucking messy.

Second Gen Masterlist

Long post below; you have been warned.

This is a Family Tree graph I took forever to make. The key is at the bottom, so feel free to examine that a lot (if you’re on mobile you may have to open it for better resolution)! Below the picture I’ll give more details as to why I have it this way.

Let’s start off with people who dated in the past.

Lovell and Cleo

They started dating about a year into when Cleopatra  and her brothers joined the Wincin family. 

Lovell and Cleo bonded over being elder siblings and being two of the responsible rampion kids.

Cleo opens up to him a lot about things that happened on the streets of New Beijing–things that no person, let alone a child–should go through.

They were really happy together and loved each other a lot, but things got hard when Lovell went across the Atlantic to Julliard for school.

After about a year of trying to stay together, they realized that it just wasn’t going to work out. Neither wanted to hold the other back from their dreams, so they tearfully agreed to end things.

They remain very good friend though, don’t worry.

Percy and Star

Now you may be thinking, “Tasha, didn’t you say Percy was gay?” and the answer is yes, yes I did. But before he realized it, he tried dating girls–or rather, he tried dating girls to smother down his feelings for guys.

So Percy and Andromeda dated one summer when the rampion fam kids were visiting benoit farms. 

He was 16 and she was 15 and it was cute as hell but also very awkward (because Percy is very very gay).

They kissed like 2-3 times the entire summer. 

By the end of summer Star figured out what the deal was, and said they should break up, she didn’t say why exactly because she had a feeling Percy was still figuring himself out. Instead she said that the distance would make it hard and they’d be better as friends. 

Percy was relieved, even though he didn’t admit it.

Just like Cleo and Lovell, Percy and Star stay good friends and there aren’t any hard feelings.

Apollo and Percy

Now this happens the next summer when Percy and Apollo are both 17.

At this point Percy still doesn’t want to admit he’s gay, so he’s riding the “experimental” train right now.

This relationship is kinda surprising (and causes some drama) because Percy and Apollo are polar opposites. Percy is outgoing and chatty while Apollo is shy and reserved. Sometimes it’s true when people say opposites attract.

How it started though is pretty funny. 

One night the eldest half of the rampion kids (Dex, Lovell, Cleo, Tadita Peony, Percy, Apollo, and Arti) sneak some alcohol from the liquor cabinet in the kesley kitchen, take it up to the hayloft in the barn, and get wasted. Not dangerously so, but definitely enough to have fun.

At some point that night Apollo and Percy disappear a few yards away behind a hay pile where the others can’t see them and make out. They make out for a longgggg time (but they don’t do more than make out, keep your head out of the gutter).

The others tell them what happened the next morning and Percy and Apollo blush furiously. 

A week later, Apollo shyly asks Percy if he wants to go out because he literally can’t stop thinking about him. Percy agrees, but he really shouldn’t have, because what Apollo (and the rest of the kids) doesn’t know is that Percy has a girlfriend from school.

So they date for a few weeks during the summer, but most of it is a lot of making out.

Their breakup is very messy.

Percy’s girlfriend stops by to visit him and she kisses him making Apollo blink a few times and then walk away.

Once she’s gone, Apollo asks him what the hell just happened. He’s pissed to find out that Percy was cheating on his girlfriend with him and can’t believe that he would even agree to go out. 

When Arti finds out, they kick Percy’s ass and tell him to get his shit together.

Everyone is on Apollo’s side with this and are pissed off at Percy.

Apollo and Percy don’t speak for the rest of the summer, and even for the next two years. They eventually become friends again, but it never really gets back to the place where it used to be.

Percy and Arti

This is another kind of accidental relationship. It happens while Arti and Apollo are still pissed off at Percy, and that’s kind of why it happens.

About five months after that argument when the Thornes are visiting the Kesley’s for the holidays, Arti tries confronting Percy to tell him he needs to apologize already (he never did) because Apollo was still upset about it.

The argument gets very heated and it turns into hate sex basically.

It doesn’t become any more than that.

It does, however, happen more than once. It happens several times during the week that the Thornes are visiting, and then several more times the next summer. 

Always sex, never a relationship

And it ends when Percy finally comes to terms with the fact that he’s gay. Arti may be nonbi, but they have a vagina and Percy isn’t into that.

Apollo and Star

Apollo and Star happens spring of the next year when Apollo is 18 and Star is 17.

The Thornes are visiting Luna for half a year whileCress and Arti help to program new security systems for the Palace, and it takes a long time.

Anyway. Apollo is still upset about what happened with Percy and he talks to Star about it a lot (he also comms Peony all the time, but I’ll talk about that later). 

Star tells him about the summer before when she dated Percy, and how she thinks he’s gay, but not comfortable with the idea of that yet.

Them talking about it makes Apollo feel better and because they’re spending so much time together, they grow really close.

Star liked him the whole time, had a bit of a girlish crush, but didn’t want to tell him because she knew he wasn’t ready for that. So she kept it to herself until one day Apollo blurted out “I really like you.”

After that they went on a few dates. They were absolutely adorable, felt like they were so in love with each other, but they began to realize that the closeness they had and enjoyed was because of friendship. Being in a relationship quickly became weird.

So it ended on good terms a few weeks before the Thornes left Luna.

Arti and Niko

Their relationship also starts while the Thornes are on Luna

Arti is 18 and Niko 17–just like Apollo and Star

This relationship is a fun one because Arti and Niko are both trouble makers at heart.

They love causing problems together, they have since they were kids.

What kicks off them actually dating is when they were running away from a palace guard because they just graffitied a wall with whipped cream.

They hid in a small closet and were pressed together, adrenaline pumping through their veins. Arti looks up at Niko for a few seconds, then wraps their arms around his neck and tugs him in for a kiss.

Niko was surprised, but kissed them back.

They casually date for a while, but Niko gets frustrated that Arti doesn’t seem to care very much about actually being with him. He’s ace and he wants his relationships to mean something. He doesn’t kiss someone just to kiss them like Arti does. 

This leads to a yelling match where they break things off.

Arti doesn’t seem to care at all, and Niko is heartbroken.

It takes a while for them to become friends again (maybe a few months and it’s after the Thornes leave Luna), but eventually things get back to what they used to be. 

Now for the relationships that stick!

Peony and Apollo (Apollony)

(this one is the longest, sorry, not sorry)

This one is hands down my favorite because I desperately needed Kaider’s daughter to end up with Cresswell’s son, just so Cinder can be like “Why? Why do you have to date a Thorne?” and Kai can smile and say “Cinder, don’t be ridiculous, Apollo is more like Cress, than he’ll ever be like Thorne” and Of course Cinder knows this, but the concept is still a bit on the frustrating side because if Apollo and Peony end up getting married (they do) then Thorne will technically be related to them and their friendship is already enough to give her a headache, but the idea of them being related now???

ANYWAY enough with that much background.

They were each other’s first kiss when they were twelve, but no one knows that except for them and their parents.

Peony never dates anyone. She’s the crown princess and just doesn’t have the time because of learning how to run the country and all that jazz.

She does, however, have a bunch of rich guys and politicians’ kids trying to flirt with her so they can be the next emperor which doesn’t go over very well. For every guy who wraps his arm around her shoulders or tries leaning in for a kiss, Peony sends a comm to Apollo about how obnoxious they are.

Apollo on the other hand, does have time to date.

Through his relationships with Percy, Star, and a few other random people he met while staying somewhere for a few months at a time, Peony is there helping him through the breakups. She was one of the only people he genuinely talked to about what happened with Percy and how hurt he was by it.

They’re best friends and they tell each other everything, and it takes a long time for them to realize that they’re more than best friends, well not too long.

When they’re 21, Apollo comes to visit all by himself. His family dropped him off while they went off for who knows what. Peony was surprised to see him, but she hugged him started crying tears of joy because she didn’t have many friends.

That’s when Apollo first starts to realize how hopelessly in love he is with his best friend.

He spends the next year there because he doesn’t have any other obligations, and “the views are pretty” so he can paint them and “you seem like you could use a friend right now” are what he tells Peony.

Meanwhile Peony is worried that one day he’ll just up and leave, because that’s what the thornes do. They’re travellers. And she knows that it’s what they love, and she doesn’t want to force him to stay, but there’s a part of her that can’t bear the thought of being away from him as much as they used to be

Art comms them both all the time. Constantly tells them that they’re idiots and that they should just “tell them that you love them already!!” but of course they don’t because Peony is scared Apollo will leave and Apollo is scared that Peony won’t want to be with him because she’s royal and should marry someone that’ll help her country (which is ridiculous.)

Everything comes to a head at the Peace Ball when they’re 22 and Apollo is supposed to go back to the Rampion with his parents the next night.

Apollo asks Peony to dance and when they’re waltzing around the room, looking at each other with soft smiles and glints in their eyes, they finally they say it.

Peony says “I never want you to leave” at the exact time Apollo says “I think I’m in love with you.”

And they stop dancing, staring at each other with confused expressions for a few moments before everything suddenly starts to make sense. Peony whispers “I think I’m falling in love with you too”

So they sneak off for the rest of the ball, talking to each other in the gardens about what to do next. Apollo decides to stay and Peony is overjoyed. And instead of a small accidental peck when they’re preteens, they finally finally kiss like they mean it while sitting on a bench in the rose garden.

There’s a bunch that happens after that, and trust me, I could go on, But I’m going to end it there because this is already too long.

Jolee and Summer (Jummer)

Jolee and Summer are the only “childhood relationship” of the rampion kids that works out. 

They start dating the same year Lovell graduates college, when both girls are about 17.

And their relationship was a bit of a slow burn.

Jolee had a boyfriend when she was 14-16, but he was controlling and they ended up breaking things off very dramatically.

Summer didn’t date anyone at all.

Their relationship, like so many of the others, starts one summer on the farm. They were taking turns jumping from the hayloft when Summer accidentally landed on top of Jolee and knocked the wind out of her.

Summer apologized profusely, cupping Jolee’s cheeks to see if she was okay.

It was something about Summer’s piercing blue-gray eyes that made Jolee lean up and kiss her.

Realizing what she did, Jolee blushed and started to apologize, but Summer wasn’t having any of that. She kissed Jolee again. After making out for a bit they decided to start dating.

And they never stop.

There are some bumps in the road–long distance is hard–but they love each other so much that they can’t fathom the idea of not being together.

Cleopatra and Arti (Cleoparti)

A few years after breaking up with Lovell, when she’s around 21-22, Cleo goes off and dates some people outside of the rampion kids, but she starts to realize she likes girls better.

She ends up having a steady girlfriend that lasts for about 8 years, but the girlfriend ends up cheating on Cleo and they break up. 

Cleo is 36 and Arti is 32

Arti is finally starting to think “hey maybe I actually want love and not just fucking." 

And they end up making out that night while Arti is drunk and sad about never being in a serious relationship and Cleo is sad because her long term girlfriend–the woman she was about to propose to–just cheated on her. 

Cleo stops it because theyre drunk. But the next morning they have a real conversation about it, realize they really like each other, and start dating.

At first Arti feels like maybe Cleo is rebounding with them–Arti has been enough people’s rebounds to know what that’s like. But once they’re a year into their relationship, Arti knows that it’s real and that Cleo loves them.

Percy, Yuki, Niko (Peryuko)

Percy, Yuki, and Niko start all dating each other when When Percy is 24, Niko is 23 and Yuki is 20, but they didn’t all start dating each other at the same time. Percy and Niko were dating each other for about 2 years before Yuki joined in.

Percy and Niko started dating when Niko decided he wanted some time away from his family. What a better place was there for a young man with a lot of energy and a love for the outdoors to go than the Benoit farm?

He’s there for a total of three days before he and Percy realize that there might be some feelings there. Thankfully they act on them much faster than Apollony does. They drive to Reiux for some date nights and sometimes they go skinny dipping in the pond at the edge of the Benoit-Kesley property.

They cause some trouble, but for the most part, Niko is mellowed out and so is Percy.

Yuki comes in 2 years later after Percy and Niko have been living together on the farm. 

Just like all the other rampion kids, Yuki visits the farm on summers whenever they have the chance.

Unlike Niko and Percy, Yuki has not mellowed at all since their teen years. They’re sassy and brutally honest no matter whose feelings they might hurt. And Niko and Percy suddenly feel like there was a piece of them that was missing before Yuki showed up that summer.

The three of them do a lot of farm work together and one day when they decide to go to the pond and cool off, Percy and Niko tell Yuki what the’ve been thinking.

At first Yuki says theyre crazy that a relationship with the three of them could never work. But yuki never says “no,” never say that it’s not what they want–because it is what they want, but, like their sister, Yuki is silently afraid to talk to people about their feelings. 

Percy and Niko drop of for a few weeks, but they catch Yuki’s stares.

So they bring it up again and this time Yuki says they’re right. That they do want a relationship with them.

It’s a bit harder for them to add Yuki in because Yuki’s still technically a prince who has things to do, but it’s less and less because of Peony, so it’s manageable.

Yuki spends three months on the farm, than one month in New Beijing, then repeats it, and it works perfectly.

The remaining kids either stay single (Codex, Alex, and Andromeda) or date/marry people not in the Rampion kids (Lovell and Tadita)

[englass]

Affirmation

Pairing: John Seed x Reader

Warning(s): Possessive behaviour, innopropriate thoughts/desires

Word Count: 2,150

- - -

The day is a stunning one, the sky a pure and unmarred blue, pastel soft and light in the slow transition from early to the late morning. There’s not a cloud in sight and the sun is radiant in that knowledge, claiming full ownership over the vast and endless sky as it washes the land in a swaddled warmth, beaming proudly from up high.

Holland Valley is bathed and praised in the golden light, it’s open and welcoming landscape taking on a new vibrancy that has it looking cleaner, touched in a way that religious folk would lay worshipful words and gazes upon. Blessed with a holy vision that demonstrates all of God’s glory and majesty in a single picture; a truly gorgeous day.

While most made use of the new and preening glow to the Valley others continued with their daily lives, a new skip and easiness in their otherwise busy and wary forms. You were much the same. Despite how much you would’ve loved to be outside, taking in the full breath of the big skied county, there was still stuff to be done.

In the modest garage that acted as a makeshift hanger for your beloved seaplane you stayed, the heat of the day invading the cool space as you tinkered away with an content smile and an absent mind. Elora was an old plane, probably about the same age as Carmina, the name of your good friend Nick Rye’s plane, and required quite a bit of TLC.

She was definitely getting on in her life, worn down through the many years she’d been in your family, but still flew with all the grace she had from when she was first built. Old in number, but not in soul. Still, you tried your best with what you had, your modest salary and the little extra you made from the one-off repairs you did for people, helping you enough to support yourself along with your ageing plane.

Standing up on the safely steps next to the wing of Elora you worked away on her, giving her a good polish while fixing anything that looked remotely out of place as you went. A radio was playing in the background, sitting innocuously on a workbench as old songs came through in merry tones. Indulgently, you started singing to the songs and parts you knew, humming and mumbling when you got a line wrong or didn’t know. It was a comfortable atmosphere you were lost in, focused solely on your plane and the joy it gave you.

So lost were you in the moment in fact that you failed to notice the familiar and well dressed man that leaned against the doors of your makeshift hanger, arms casually crossed across his chest as he watched you with an admiring focus. Truly, it would be a shame to interrupt you, seemingly enjoying yourself as much as you were, but your lack of attention had him itching. He’d need to rectify that.

Leaning over the wing of your plane, raising onto your tiptoes slightly as you reach across, you startle at an unexpected but light banging, a knock on metal sheeting. Looking up toward the sound you don’t even try or think to hold back a smile, a wide beam lighting up your face when you spot a man that you would class as a friend standing by your hanger door. It was always an experience when he was around. 

“Oh, hey there!” You chirp happily, “I didn’t expect to see you today. How are things? No problems with Affirmation I hope?”

While you and Nick had a friendly sort of competitiveness running between the two of you, each cheering for your own respective planes while still holding a fondness for the other, John Seed was not quite a part of that. He was especially nice with you, a teasing sort of fellow on occasion but still rather polite and respectful to you all the same, but when it came to Nick John could walk the line of nastiness rather well. All passive aggressive taunts with snide smiles and biting words.

Affirmation was a beautiful plane, no doubt about that, but it was hardly a fair comparison when put between two old and weather worn seaplanes. You‘re pretty sure John knew it too, and still does, but you had the sneaking suspicion that he wouldn’t get involved in such a thing unless he knew he was going to win. He seemed a little sly like that, only showing his hand once he knew the game was his, but talk is that he used to be lawyer before coming here so you shouldn’t be too surprised by that. Although, why he directs it all at Nick you’re not too sure. There must be history there you don’t know about.

John chuckles lowly at the question, subtly eyeing you from his place besides the hanger door. “No, thankfully she’s doing well. Still flies as smoothly as the day I first got her.”

“I’m glad to hear it; I know how much you love her.” You can’t help the softer shift your smile takes as you wipe your hands with a stained rag, looking up at him as you do so.

Having the infamous John Seed come to you, a hobbyist pilot and mechanic, looking for extra help regarding his prized plane was admittedly quite a pride-filled moment for you. Why he had chosen to come to you out of all the other capable pilots and qualified mechanics across the county to help him with her you weren’t too sure, but it had certainly stroked your ego. And filled your wallet; John had paid quite handsomely for your time, far too much in fact, but despite you rejecting the amount he wouldn’t have it. He could be quite persuasive.

Stepping down the safety steps you make your way to John, your smile never fading with your rag still in hand. “So, what can I help you with today, Mr. Seed?”

Oh there’s a lot of things you could help him with, John thinks blithely, watching the natural sway of your hips before crawling up your body to the kind twinkle in your eyes. You were too sweet for your own good, an innocent little thing that was always willing to help and sacrifice for those in need. Even when they didn’t deserve it.

John had witnessed you offering your mechanical skills to some of the congregation’s members, your workshop a neutral zone free from discrimination, and it had left him positively warm the first time he’d seen it. Your acceptance of them and, by extension, him was a welcome change from the near constant hostility and wariness of the local rabble. But, that also meant that he had heard the whispers of slander made against you, a relatively new inhabitant to the Valley.

Slander that John knew his presence alone would stoke.

Nick Rye had originally tried warning you away from John, their little rivalry bleeding an growing dislike onto both fronts, but you had stood firm on having a part in this little three-way. John had found it amusing at first – “birds of a feather should flock together”, you had said, looking between them with an cheesy smile, “we’re all pilots after all!” –, but now that amusement was long gone and had been replaced by a selfish want for more; he wanted out of that silly little triangle.

And if his continued presence would ensure that outcome then... well, he’ll be sure to pay you more frequent visits in the future. 

“Back to formalities are we now, my dear?” He says with a teasing grin. “And there was me thinking that we’d finally gotten past that stage in our relationship; I thought we were close.” Not close enough apparently, a part of him growls, hidden behind an exaggerated display of mock offence. 

Nervously you laugh, head bowing slightly as your eyes flicker away from him, rubbing the side of your neck self-consciously. Such an adorable picture you make.

“Right, ‘m sorry. I guess I’m just so use to being formal with people nowadays that it just slipped out.” Looking up at him from under lashes you give him a small, but guilty smile. “Sorry, John”

Good Lord, what do you do to me.

John runs a hand through his hair, smoothing it over as he gestures dismissively. “No need to apologise, dearest. I understand. You’ve been a busy woman lately,” a grin quickly blooms across his face, one too many teeth on display, as he leans closer with a teasing sparkle to his ocean eyes, “or should I say, deputy.”

You don’t quite hear the way John’s tongue drags over the title, accentuating every syllable, like a filthy secret that only he knows about and can’t help but gloat over. Instead you only groan painfully at the title, shaking your head lightly as your hands come up to cover your eyes, a flush of embarrassment painting your cheeks a pretty shade of red.

Your obliviousness is both equal parts adorable and infuriating.

“I’m not a deputy yet though, John. I’m still just an intern.”

“Well, from what I hear you won’t be that way for long.”

“I highly doubt that, John.” You say disbelievingly, “Besides, I’ve barely been here six months. There’s no way they’d promote me so soon.”

“It’d be criminal if they didn’t.” He huffs. “You’re a hard worker dear, you do a lot more for the county than your woeful colleagues do. You deserve some form of recognition for the work you put up with, a reward may-“

John’s eyes widen, trying hard not to give way to predatory grin just itching to get out. Yes, that could work. 

“How about I treat you to dinner?” He suddenly asks with a charming smile, catching you off guard. 

You blush shakily. “Oh, uhh, I mean... that’s very kind of you John, but really there’s no need!”

“Nonsense, it’ll be my treat. Think of it as a thank you for all you’ve done for me and the county so far.”

And ‘so far’ indeed; there was no way John was going to let you slip away. You were special, he was sure of it– convinced even. Someone just for him. If he could just land this dinner date with you then he’d be sure to prove himself, prove how perfect the two of you could be together. He just needed you to say one simple word...

Watching John and the hopeful gleam in his sky coloured eyes, plus the burning guilt you felt for even thinking of turning him down, you slowly nodded to his offer. It would be nice to get to know him a little better, maybe even learn a bit about the resident cult that everyone keeps warning and scolding you over. You’d always preferred seeing both sides of the story and forming an opinion from there, even if you’d never act on it once you had one. Conflict wasn’t your thing.

“Okay,” You say softly, chewing your lip. “Yes, sure, that’d be lovely. As long it’s not any trouble of course!”

“Dear, the pleasure is all mine.” There’s a thrill that works down John’s spine, his grin victorious. “How about tonight? I have some work I need to do first, but I could always pick you up if you’d prefer?”

“Oh, no no no,” you shake your head quickly, “that’s fine. I’ll just make my way around to yours. Is about six okay?”

“Perfect.” His grin turns a touch salacious before he schools it back into something tamer. Yes, six is perfectly fine for him. You’ll both get the entire evening to yourselves, no third parties, just the two of you. Oh, the potential mischief he could very well get into with you... such a delicious temptation, if not a reality in the making. “I’ll be expecting you then.”

Emboldened by your agreement John covers the last few steps between you with a new air of confidence, his gait slow but sure. Looking down at your curiously innocent eyes John can’t (doesn’t) stop himself from taking a little bit extra from the moment than he knows he rightfully should; the affection he’s grown for you over the last few months openly raising its head, along with his hand.

Testily his fingers brush a stray strand of hair behind your ear before trailing along the line your jaw, his gaze an electrical blue that thrums with a manic, if not poorly subdued, energy to it that is focused purely on you. Unbidden the small blush covering your cheeks deepens, his sudden forwardness toward you rather unexpected. And for a reason you can’t quite seem to place you’re not too sure whether to feel flattered at this sudden interest he has in you, or absolutely terrified by it.

[mypoorfaves]

More Than Words Can Say

Summary: Yuuri gets sick with a cold in Hasetsu and loses his voice! How will he and Victor be able to communicate? How will Victor care for Yuuri? Takes place somewhere between episodes 5 and 6.

I’ve been harboring this idea of a sickie who entirely loses their voice for a long time (which I guess is why it ended up being so damn long. I tried to shorten it, I really did try!). This was supposed to be a bit crack-like but surprisingly ended up containing a lot more fluff. In fact, there's barely even any whump in here. Oh well! Without further ado, please enjoy!

3400~ words

Real quick in case you don't already know because the story will make more sense if you do:

Kanji: Japanese picture-word(s), essentially Hiragana: symbol(s) used to represent a single phonetic Katakana: like hiragana, but used for foreign words and names Cyrillic: Russian writing system Romaji: Japanese written using the English alphabet. (Will be italicized)

～～～

Victor wears a concerned frown while he rubs Yuuri's back as the latest coughing fit forces its way out of Yuuri's throat. They sound dry and unproductive, not to mention painful. He's been dealing with them the whole day ever since he woke up; it came with the cold that hit him like a ton of bricks, no warning whatsoever.

When Yuuri at last catches his breath, his inhales have become shallow so as not to start another fit and he has tears forming at the edges of his eyes. His hand which had been balled into a fist over his chest is now rubbing at his sore throat. “Hurts,” Yuuri rasps, then winces at the pain that the talking caused him.

“Try not to talk. You'll only make it worse,” Victor advises. He rubs Yuuri's back again, noting the heat his body is giving off even though the shirt. For such a sudden cold, it's not too bad; his fever is low, but the coughs are worrisome.

“I'm going to get you sick if you're not careful,” Yuuri warns. His voice is cracking and broken and he coughs again, but thankfully it doesn't turn into another fit.

“Nonsense! I have a good immune system! Plus I want to look after my sweet Yuuri!” Victor gushes. “I'm going to pamper you and provide the utmost level of TLC until you get better!”

Yuuri just gives a moan and dramatically flops onto his back and closes his eyes. “Tired,” he mumbles.

“It's getting late. You should get some more sleep. Although you shouldn't be laying flat with how much you're coughing.”

With much reluctance, Yuuri hauls himself up to a seated position. Victor takes the time to fluff the numerous pillows and place them between Yuuri and the headboard, then he tucks the blanket around Yuuri as he leans back. “Hopefully you'll feel better by tomorrow morning,” Victor says and places a gentle kiss on Yuuri's warm forehead.

Yuuri hardly even blushes, already grown used to Victor’s many displays of affection. The two have been getting much closer, both as student and coach and also as something more. Even without words, they both know they have a deeper bond developing. Just the thought makes Victor's heart swell.

As Yuuri's eyes begin to droop, Victor gets up from the bed and heads to the door to let him rest in peace. “Sleep well, my Yuuri,” he whispers and softly closes the door.

～

The next morning comes and Victor is marching through the hallways of the onsen with a tray in hand. He reaches Yuuri’s door and knocks three times in succession with his free hand. Upon hearing no response, he assumes Yuuri is sleeping. Just to be safe, he knocks again, gently calling Yuuri’s name as he slowly opens the door and peers inside where he finds his patient still propped up against the pillows, already awake.

“Good morning, Yuuri!” Victor greets and Yuuri meet Victor’s eyes and gives a small wave. “I brought you some stuff!” he says, placing the tray down on the table beside the bed. He dutifully takes Yuuri's temperature and gets him to swallow some pills, much to Yuuri's discomfort. Once done, a tangible silence fills the room.

“You're even more quiet than usual today, Yuuri,” Victor notes with mingling teasing and concern as he notices Yuuri fidgeting uncomfortably. “You haven't said a word all morning.” The fidgeting stops and he freezes. “Are you feeling okay?” Victor asks. Yuuri nods quickly and Victor only frowns. He’s obviously hiding something. “You know you can tell me anything. I'll get you whatever you need. It's really no problem. Your word is my command.”

Yuuri remains silent and Victor is patient. If Yuuri has something to say, there's no use in forcing him to talk right away. He'll tell Victor when he's ready. They've been together long enough to know that's what works best.

Sure enough, Yuuri finally meets Victor’s eyes. He opens his mouth and moves his lips but no sound comes out, then he points at his throat and makes an x-formation with his arms in front of his body.

He holds the position while Victor stares, trying to decode what Yuuri could possibly mean. Why doesn't he just come out and tell Victor what's wrong using words?

A moment passes and Victor understands.

“Yuuri, have you lost your voice?” Victor asks and Yuuri nods. “Oh, you poor thing!” Victor coos. “How adorable!” Yuuri gapes at him, blushes and scowls. “Just what are we going to do with you?” Victor muses joyfully, then his expression suddenly falls. How is he going to care for Yuuri if he doesn't know what he needs? This might end up being troublesome…

“Okay, Yuuri!” Victor declares and Yuuri focuses his attention on him. “Because you can't talk, we're going to have to figure something out so you can communicate what you need,” he says seriously. “Any ideas?”

Yuuri puts a hand on his chin in thought, face focused and determined, then he abruptly snaps his fingers and looks up with an accomplished smile on his face. He waves his finger in the air, likely trying to imitate an action of some kind or spell out a word, but Victor can't decipher it. Yuuri stops, but he doesn't give up. He changes the action, holding his left palm towards himself and uses his other hand like a pen.

“Writing! Of course!” Victor exclaims. “I’ll ask your parents if they have anything we can use!” Victor says before rushing out of the room.

By the time he's halfway to his destination, he realizes he could have easily checked Yuuri's room for pen and paper. But then again, he should let the Katsuki’s know their son is sick. The onsen was so busy yesterday that Victor had spent the entire day caring for Yuuri on his own, barely able to leave the bedroom as the young skater struggled to catch his breath through his fierce coughs. It's unlikely anyone else even knows he's caught a cold.

Victor spots Yuuri's mother and calls her over, but it's only once she starts approaching him that he realizes his problem with communicating doesn't stop at Yuuri's missing voice; Yuuri's parents know about as much English as Victor knows Japanese.

He and Yuuri talk in English for the most part as it's the language the two are most comfortable in. Yuuri teaches him small words and phrases of his language when he can, but Victor is nowhere near fluent yet. Plus, it's a lot harder to put his own thoughts into adequately formed sentences compared to simply listening.

“Vicchan!” Hiroko greets. “What's the matter?” she asks in lightly accented English.

Victor’s eyebrows crease in hard thought. Cold, cold… What's the Japanese word for cold? “Ah! Samui! Yuuri wa samui desu!” Victor exclaims triumphantly. He remembers Yuuri muttering the words sometimes while rubbing his crossed arms to keep them warm on the ice, so it has to be right! Okay, half down, half to go. Now he just needs to tell her Yuuri has lost his voice.

“Samui? Ah, kaze wo hiita no?” Hiroko asks.

Kaze means wind, Victor manages to recall, and he frowns as he curses the language barrier. Wind has nothing to do with this! Yuuri has a cold, not is cold. Although he might have chills from his fever, now that Victor thinks about it.

“Umm...sick? Yuuri wa sick desu!” Victor tries once more, accepting that's about as close as he's going to get. Just for good measure, he mimics the actions that Yuuri demonstrated to Victor to get his message across.

Thankfully, understanding seems to dawns on her and she heads in the direction of Yuuri's bedroom. Victor trails behind her as she reaches the door and opens it up to reveal Yuuri in the same position Victor had left him.

Hiroko embraces her son and asks him a number of questions in Japanese and Yuuri nods or shakes his head in response while Victor stands rather awkwardly to the side of the room, trying to listen to the conversation. He catches the words kaze and samui again as well as his name. Hiroko must have said something funny because Yuuri laughs, albeit soundlessly, then casts a glance over at him.

Yuuri turns back to his mother and acts out pen and paper and she rummages through some drawers in Yuuri's desk and emerges with a small whiteboard and a marker which she hands to him.

The first thing he writes is “hungry” in English plus what Victor can only assume is the Japanese translation written underneath it. At that, Hiroko says something to Yuuri who nods then she skips out of the room, leaving Yuuri and Victor alone.

“I really need to start learning more Japanese,” Victor muses mostly to himself. “That aside, how are you feeling, Yuuri?” he asks his patient, “On a scale from 1-10. 10 being ‘I can run a marathon right now’ and 1 is ‘take me to the hospital’.” Yuuri ponders for a moment, scribbles on his board and holds it up revealing a solid 6. Not too bad.

“How is your fever? Too hot? Too cold?” Yuuri just shakes his head and jots down “okay”. “Headache?” Victor asks, getting a so-so gesture of his hand in response. When asked if he has a sore throat, Yuuri nods immediately. “Can I get you anything?” Victor offers.

He looks down to his whiteboard again and writes, “Mom is bringing tea.”

Victor smiles. “That's good. Your mom is a great caretaker. And she was smart enough to understand what I was trying to say despite my obviously eloquent Japanese,” he jokes, eliciting another silent laugh from Yuuri. “I really do wish I knew more…” he sighs.

Yuuri scoots over on the bed and invitingly pats the spot next to him. Victor’s heart swells fondly and he accepts, sitting as close to Yuuri as the man will let him, which turns out to be hip to hip. Victor is grateful Yuuri has been more open and comfortable with him. They really have come a long way in the past number of months they've been living and training together. Yuuri flashes him a warm smile then turns his attention back to his lap where he writes, “Want me to teach you Japanese?”

“Yes! Of course! I would love that!” Victor exclaims. Despite having lived in Japan surrounded by the language, he hasn't put muchーif anyーeffort into learning it. He simply hasn't had the time or motivation. Having Yuuri as a teacher, though, is the best motivation Victor could possibly ask for. Having him teach Victor his native language, it's special, almost intimate.

At Victor’s enthusiasm, Yuuri wipes the board clean then writes out in diligent strokes: 勝生勇利. “I know that one! That's your name!” Victor says.

Yuuri nods and adds the pronunciation on top before writing, “Do you know what my name means?”

“No, I don't. Tell me,” he asks, voice equal parts soft and intrigued. He sees Yuuri write in English “win, life, courage.”

“Yuuri. Courage,” Victor tries, as if testing the name and its new meaning on his tongue. “I like it. It suits you,” he compliments. “Teach me more,” he requests, and Yuuri obliges.

The next hour or so consists of just that: Yuuri teaching Victor any kanji he thinks would be important or that he finds interesting, while Victor occasionally asks how he would write a particular word. At one point, Victor recalls his communication mishap with Yuuri's mother and asks for the Japanese word for cold. Yuuri thinks for a moment, then writes two different words: 寒い and 風邪, writing “samuiーfeeling” under the first set of characters and “kazeーillness” under the other two.

“Oh,” Victor laughs, finally understanding. “I told your mom you were cold, not had a cold. And then she mentioned something about the wind.”

At this, Yuuri circles the first of the two partnered characters in the second word and writes, “This on its own means wind. Both pronounced kaze.”

“Japanese is so confusing!” Victor bemoans while running a hand through his hair. He suddenly gets an idea. “Hey, I know! How about I teach you a bit of Russian?”

Yuuri nods excitedly and hands the whiteboard over. Victor ponders what to write for a moment, overjoyed at the feel of Yuuri's expectant gaze on him. He smiles and writes out “Виктор Никифоров.” Beside him, Yuuri gives another silent laugh before taking back the pen and writing “I already know your name.”

“Okay then, Mr. Number One Fanboy,” he teases while writing out some simple vocabulary, “try reading this one.”

Yuuri studies the symbols before he gives up and writes, “Can't read Cyrillic,” with an added frowny face.

“Here, I'll teach you,” Victor says. “Just like you taught me.”

They pass more time like that, Yuuri picking up on the writing system surprisingly quick while Victor teaches him some more words. Yuuri seems to be doing better in terms of his health. He hasn't complained about being too hot or cold, although his fever had been quite mild to begin with. He's no longer coughing and he doesn't seem uncomfortable. All in all, he appears well. The only real sign he's even sick is the barely-visible red tinting his cheeks and his inability to talk.

While Victor may miss Yuuri's voice and the music that is his laughter, he can't help but savour the peace found in the sound of both of their quiet breathing, interrupted only by the soft squeak of the marker on the whiteboard and Victor's voice, kept at a low volume.

“You skate like your body is creating music, and your hand has art flowing from your fingertips,” he muses aloud, utterly transfixed on Yuuri's elegant handwriting. “Everything about you is beautiful, Yuuri. Breathtakingly so.”

Yuuri blushes and ducks his head and Victor smiles, knowing that while Yuuri may not be totally used to accepting praise, he has already gained much more confidence and love for himself.

Yuuri hands off the marker and Victor hums in thought, debating over what to write next. He has an idea, but isn't sure how Yuuri will react to that. He knows they've been getting closer and developing a much deeper relationship, but what if it's too soon? What if Yuuri doesn't feel the same way? The tip of the marker hovers in midair about a centimetre off the board.

“Okay, how about this one?” Victor asks with more confidence than he feels. He carefully carves out the letters as if carving out his own heart and presenting it to Yuuri. He may as well be, given what he just wrote: я люблю тебя. To both his excitement and anxiety, Yuuri freezes as he reads the words. “Do you know what it means?” Victor asks. He's not sure how he managed to get the words out since his throat suddenly feels so tight and dry. His heart has yet to slow down, pounding rapidly in his chest.

Yuuri doesn't react to Victor’s question; he doesn't shake or nod his head. He takes the marker from Victor’s hand, their warm fingers brushing. Victor keeps his eyes glued on Yuuri's work, watching stroke by stroke as the image comes into being. It's a character Victor recognizes, the theme of Yuuri's Grand Prix series: 愛

Love.

Yuuri understands what Victor wrote. But does he understand what he feels?

To the bursting of his heart, Yuuri continues to write. There's some hiragana which Victor still struggles to read, but there's also some Cyrillic that Victor can definitely understandーhis own name. It makes the rest of the sentence click. “Виктор を愛してる.” As if Yuuri was unsure if Victor would understand, he writes Victor’s name in katakana next to the Cyrillic Victor himself had previously written.

Victor regards the masterpiece, a heartfelt mixture of Japanese and Russian and a dash of English, all spelling out love. Victor’s love for Yuuri and Yuuri’s love for Victor.

Yuuri puts the cap on the marker and looks up at Victor, locking eyes with him. There's a prominent blush on Yuuri's cheeks that Victor is certain has nothing to do with his fever, and his eyes hold a passionate spark that makes his heart jump.

Victor is sure he's blushing too. He feels uncharacteristically nervous, staring deep into Yuuri's beautiful eyes as Yuuri does the same to him. “Do you...do you really mean it?” Victor asks, more accurately breathes out. He has to be sure. He can't live without the knowledge that Yuuri for sure loves him, just like he said. Just like he wrote.

Yuuri nods affirmatively, and Victor’s heart blooms inside his chest as he embraces him, pulling him into a tight hug that Yuuri returns. When they pull away, Yuuri's lips are curved upwards in a smile. Victor stares, so utterly captivated by his beauty, until he can’t help but lean forward to capture Yuuri's lips with his own. It barely lasts a second and Victor is the first to pull away, desperately hoping he didn't cross a line with Yuuri. To his relief, Yuuri is smiling even brighter than before.

His beaming grin is suddenly lost as shock instead crosses his features. He tears the cap off the marker and scribbles in quick and messy English, “You're going to get sick now!”

Victor just laughs. “If I'm already going to get sick, then can I have another kiss?” Victor teases. To his joy, Yuuri complies, initiating the kiss himself this time. It's a bit longer than the first, but still too short. It's soft and gentle and oh so sweet, and Victor lips are still tingling with warmth long after Yuuri has pulled away.

～

“Victor?” Yuuri asks, rousing Victor from his sleep. He smiles at the sound of Yuuri’s voice. It's come back at last, but not in full. It still sounds rather weak.

Still half-asleep, Victor gives a happy sigh, relishing in the plush feel of the bed and the blanket, the comforting warmth of the body next to him and the gorgeous eyes staring into his own. “Good morning, Yuuri,” he tries to say, except no words come out, and he and Yuuri both realize at the same time and with a start that he has no voice.

“I told you I was going to get you sick,” Yuuri says as Victor once again tries and fails to talk. All that comes out is a humiliating squeak and Victor flushes a dark red at the sound.

“Here. Write down what you need,” Yuuri instructs while handing him the whiteboard and marker. “And open up,” he adds. Victor complies and holds the thermometer under his tongue with a pout as he writes on the board. By the time the device beeps, Victor has finished writing: “headache, feel hot, tired. Want Yuuri.”

Yuuri gives a sympathetic smile at Victor's work, then his expression shifts to slightly more serious upon reading the thermometer. “I’m going to get you a cold facecloth for your fever. I'll be back soon.”

Victor tugs on his sleeve to prevent him from leaving and quickly scrawls out: “Aren't you still sick?”

“I get sick quickly and get over it quickly. That's how it's always been for me,” Yuuri tells him simply. His tone then changes, sounding more sad. “I guess you did too much talking yesterday, huh? You used up your voice. All for my sake too…” Yuuri trails off and Victor can tell he's feeling guilty and thinking it's his fault.

Victor quickly and firmly shakes his head at the self-doubting words. Yuuri gives him a small smile, but just that isn't enough for Victor. He erases the board and writes in English, “I love you! More than words can say,” and proudly holds it up to Yuuri. The words are surrounded with many hearts and happy faces and also his and Yuuri's name in both their native languages.

“I love you, too,” Yuuri says, his face breaking into a dazzling grin. Victor mirrors it, almost crying with happiness upon hearing the words in Yuuri's beautiful (albeit still fairly weak) voice. “Get some rest,” Yuuri adds with a gentle kiss upon Victor’s heated forehead.

Content, Victor puts the whiteboard down and settles into the blankets again, closes his eyes and falls asleep to the sound of Yuuri's light footsteps leaving the room.

～～～

(End)

Translations:

“Samui! Yuuri wa samui desu!”: Cold! Yuuri is cold!

“Samui? Ah, kaze wo hiita no?”: Cold? Ah, he caught a cold?

“Yuuri wa sick desu!”: Yuuri is sick!

To reiterate, 風 kaze means wind, 風邪 kaze means cold as in the illness, and 寒い samui is used if you're feeling cold.

勝生勇利: Katsuki Yuuri

Виктор Никифоров: Victor Nikiforov

я люблю тебя: I love you

愛: love

Виктор を愛してる: I love (you) Victor

(я люблю тебя, ヴィクトル is what Yuuri would have written after: I love you, Victor)

I'm sorry if Victor’s Japanese sounds cringey and unnatural because that was literally exactly what I was going for (so don't go spamming my inbox and calling me a weeb just because I threw desu on the end of every sentence. It was intentional.)

I've been studying Japanese since highschool, so about 4ish years now, so the Japanese used here (is not google translated and) should be correct! As for Russian, I (sadly) don't know the language, but @feverflushed was thankfully able to help me out with that!

Anyways, thank you for reading!  :)