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It wasn’t until they pulled up at the gate to Mari’s house that Viktor felt nervous about meeting Yuuri’s older sister. He’d met Yuuri’s parents last month when they flew in for his graduation, but Mari hadn’t been able to attend because the Dodgers couldn’t do without their star pitcher. Yuuri’s parents were very nice, but they didn’t speak a lot of English and Viktor only knew a few words in Japanese, so most of the conversation had to go through Yuuri. As it was, Viktor only got to spend one evening with them, as his aunt and uncle flew in the next day to attend his graduation. Yuuri and his parents sat with Yakov and Lilia when it was Viktor’s turn to walk across the stage, but they barely got the chance to trade more than brief introductions. A week after Yuuri’s parents returned to Japan, he got his letter of acceptance into the master’s program for mathematics at UCLA. That evening, Viktor called his uncle and formally accepted a position with Feltsman Aerospace. In August, they would make the move halfway across the country together to Los Angeles.But they needed to find a place to live first. Viktor had looked at apartment complexes online, but Yuuri wanted to go and visit the locations they were considering before they signed anything. “I found my first apartment in Austin online,” Yuuri had said as they sat next to each other on Yuuri’s couch looking at apartments on Viktor’s phone. “They said they were minutes from downtown and UT, which was true, but they never mentioned there were in a bad neighborhood. My car got broken into twice during my first semester. I don’t want to go through that again.”Over a two week period, they selected a dozen possible apartments that were within their budget and relatively close to both work and school. They booked their flight and at the end of June flew out to LA.When Yuuri told Mari they were coming out, she had insisted they stay with her. She had missed Yuuri’s graduation and wanted to meet Viktor. So now here they were, sitting at the wrought iron gate in front of her multi-million dollar house in Tarzana. Viktor swallowed as he watched Yuuri punch in the entry code. For once, he was the one who was anxious.It wasn’t every day you got to meet a living legend.Sure, he had his famous aunt and uncle, but he’d grown up with them in his life. To him, they were just his Aunt Lilia and Uncle Yakov. But meeting Yuuri’s sister, Japan’s Ace… well, that was another matter entirely.Viktor felt like his heart was in his throat and he was all too aware of everything going on around him: the sound of the gate rolling back, the idling of the engine, the way the late afternoon sunlight stained everything a deep, burnished gold… He hadn’t been this nervous since he took his qualifier or when he finally got the nerve to ask Yuuri to go out with him. The gate rolled aside and they headed up the long driveway, past the high fence that blocked the view of Mari’s home from the street. They parked in front of the three car garage next to a shiny black Infiniti SUV with the vanity plate MAR1. Viktor wasn’t sure if she’d chosen the plate because MARI was already taken or if she’d done it to emphasize her status. Both seemed equally plausible. She seemed larger than life in her interviews, both on camera and in print. Before they could get out of their rented car, the living legend herself walked out of the front door and right up to the driver’s side, a glass of iced tea in her hand. She rattled off something in rapid-fire Japanese when Yuuri got out. Yuuri replied in kind, but his voice was softer, more subdued. Not surprising. Viktor knew that Yuuri felt like he’d always been in her shadow. It wasn’t until Viktor closed his door that she even looked in his direction.Viktor swallowed when she walked up to him and gave him an appraising eye. He knew he was definitely getting the once-over and he only hoped he would measure up to the standards she had for the man dating her younger brother.The thing that Viktor hadn’t quite expected was how short Mari was. It was hard to tell height on television, especially when she was usually the only one in the shot on the pitcher’s mound. He’d known she wasn’t as tall as Yuuri, but in person, she almost seemed… tiny. Not that he’d ever tell her that. She’d kick his ass. He recalled the quote from Shakespeare: Though she be but little, she is fierce. The Bard could have written it just for her.Her stern façade cracked and she smiled, extending her free hand. He shook it, surprised by the strength of her grip and the definition of the muscles along her arm. Her bicep was better than his, and he was no slouch! But then again, she was a professional baseball player; a pitcher. She made a living, and quite a good one, using that arm. She had to be in shape.“It’s nice to finally get to meet you, Viktor,” she said, sounding as eager as a child on their birthday. “I’m Mari.”“It’s nice to meet you, too, Mari,” Viktor replied, trying his best to sound confident. “Yuuri’s told me a lot about you.”“You mean he actually stopped talking about you for a moment?” Mari snorted, amused. “That’s a miracle. Come inside and make yourselves comfortable. How was your flight?”They followed Mari into her house, Yuuri in between them, telling her about the toddler a couple of seats in front of them that slept through the flight, only to wake up and shriek through the landing. Viktor only half-listened, taking in the sight of Mari’s home. The interior was bright and spacious, decorated in soft white and complementary pastels. Floor to ceiling windows opened up on a large patio, an expansive and well-manicured backyard, and an infinity pool that overlooked the San Fernando Valley. It almost looked like a model home or something from a movie set.This wasn’t the first time Viktor had been inside a multi-million dollar home. Yakov and Lilia had their house in Hollywood Hills, but they had bought it when Viktor was a baby. Almost all of their furniture was dark and ornate and older than he was, or at least looked it. This was definitely not the case in Mari’s home.Professional baseball must pay very well, he thought as he looked around. The white carpeting and the matching overstuffed couches looked brand new. Suddenly self-conscious, he wondered if he had something on his jeans that he hadn’t noticed, like a spot of mustard or bit of ketchup. Even the smallest amount of dirt or grease would show up on her furnishings. Definitely not the best way to make a first impression.“You redecorated!” Yuuri said, looking around. “What happened to all your old furniture?” “I moved it by the bedrooms,” Mari replied, heading into the open kitchen. “I was tired of looking at all that old stuff. Hey, have you two eaten? I was just about to make dinner.”“We got some fries on the way over,” Yuuri said, sitting down at one of the stools in front of the kitchen island. Viktor took a seat next to him.Mari turned from the oversized refrigerator and shot Yuuri a dark look. “That’s not food, that’s crap,” Mari said, opening one of the doors and pulling out a vegetable tray. She set it on the island in front of Yuuri. “If you’re going to snack, eat this. This is food.”Next to him, Yuuri almost seemed to deflate a little. Viktor knew Yuuri had issues with being slightly overweight and the last thing he needed was grief from his sister, a world-class athlete, in front of his boyfriend. He reached out and took Yuuri’s hand and squeezed it, silently letting him know he was there for him. Yuuri didn’t look at him, but he laced their fingers together and squeezed back.“How about a salad for dinner?” Mari suggested. “I’ve got some fish I can put in the oven as well. Sound good?”Yuuri mutely nodded his assent and Viktor smiled when Mari looked at him. She ducked down and pulled a baking dish from one of the lower cabinets. “Do you need help?” Yuuri asked. Mari opened the refrigerator again and handed him a tub of lettuce. “Can you make the salad? I’ve got some fresh avocados and tomatoes, too, if you want. I figure you know what Viktor likes by now.” She winked at Viktor, then turned back to the refrigerator and took out a large salmon filet. “I’ll give you a hand,” Viktor said, rising from his stool. “What can I do?”“Can you wash the tomatoes?” Yuuri asked. “I’ll handle the avocados.”Mari handed him a cutting board and a knife. Viktor made quick work of the tomatoes, adding them to the bed of freshly washed lettuce and avocados that Yuuri had prepared. Viktor plucked a slice of avocado out of the salad and fed it to Yuuri. He didn’t realize Mari had seen them until she laughed and reached over to grab a slice of her own. “Oh, these are so good!” she said. She leaned over and said something in Japanese to Yuuri, making him blush. Viktor didn’t ask for a translation: he figured he was better off not knowing.Once the fish was in the oven, Mari put the vegetable tray back in the refrigerator and gave them both glasses of iced tea. They sat at the island, sipping their drinks and making small talk while the delicious aroma of baking salmon filled the kitchen.They had dinner on the island as well. Mari had a large dining room that could easily seat ten, but it seemed like a waste to go in there and get it dirty when they were already here. It was clear that Mari didn’t stand too much on formality, something Viktor could definitely appreciate.When dinner was finished, Yuuri helped Mari clean up. Viktor tried to help, but Mari shooed him away. “You’re a guest, don’t worry about it,” Mari said. “When you two get married and you’re part of the family, then you can help.”Mari had just finished loading the dishwasher when her phone buzzed on the kitchen counter.“Shit, is it time already?” Mari muttered, annoyed. “Sorry, but I’ve got to take this call. Yuuri, show Viktor around, okay?”“Sure,” Yuuri said. “We’re in my room, right?”“Yes,” Mari said absently, picking up her phone and heading out to the back patio. Viktor was about to ask Yuuri about ‘his room’ when Yuuri took his hand and led him towards a tiled hallway on the other side of the living room.“Mari had a lot of work done to the house after she bought it,” Yuuri said as they made their way down the hall. “When we were growing up, we lived in an inn and we didn’t have a lot of space to ourselves. We had tiny bedrooms and all four of us had to share a very small bathroom. Mari hated it. So now, every bedroom in this house has its own bathroom and walk-in closet so no one has to share.”The hall led into a second living area, only a little smaller than the main living room. The room was decorated in soft browns and pale creams. There was a large sectional and a coffee table, along with a television hung over a fireplace. Several expensive pieces of framed art lined the walls. Viktor shook his head, amazed.There were four doors that led out of the living area. Yuuri led him through the farthest door on the right hand side of the room.“This is our room,” he said softly, stopping just inside the doorway to let Viktor take everything in.The room reminded Viktor of standing on a beach at night. It was decorated in soothing shades of dark blue and was about the size of a master bedroom in an ordinary house. Directly across from the door, there were several floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors, covered by royal blue drapes. A king-sized bed with a black lacquered headboard dominated the wall to the left, framed by matching nightstands. A passthrough by the left hand nightstand led to the ensuite bathroom and closet. The wall across from the bed was entirely brick, with built-in bookshelves and a television over the fireplace. Viktor walked over to the bed and sat down.The thick comforter on the bed was a dark, lustrous shade of indigo and the rugs on the hardwood floor were done in complementing shades of dark blue. Above the bed was a photograph in a black frame, showing a shoreline and the rising crescent moon at night. The image of the dark sea lapping against the silvery shore was starkly beautiful and almost haunting.“Where is that?” Viktor asked, pointing at the photograph above the bed. “It’s beautiful.”“Hasetsu,” Yuuri answered, sounding wistful. “I took that with my phone just before I moved to America.”Someday, Viktor wanted to go there and walk along the shore at night, hand in hand, just the two of them…Yuuri sat down next to Viktor on the bed and leaned his head against Viktor’s shoulder. Viktor leaned over and kissed the top of Yuuri’s head, making him sigh. He sounded tired. “The French doors lead outside,” Yuuri murmured, not lifting his head. “There’s a little pathway to the pool, so we can go for a swim and not track water all through the house. Let me show you the bathroom and the closet.” Yuuri took his hand, pulled him up, and led him through the passthrough into the bathroom. If the bedroom was the beach at night, then the bathroom was the beach on a sunny day. The bathtub, sink, and commode were an off-white shade that reminded Viktor of seashells. The walls were the color of sand, the same as the tiles on the floor and the matching bath mats and towels. Viktor felt like he should be able to open up the window and smell the ocean, or at least hear the cries of seagulls. The bathroom opened up onto the closet, which was a modular design and was only a little smaller than the bathroom. There were lots of drawers, racks, and shelves, crafted of white oak, all of which appeared to be empty. There was a floor-to-ceiling mirror along one wall and a lone chair in the middle of the closet. Looking around, Viktor was pretty sure that even if he and Yuuri took every article of clothing they owned between the two of them and put it in this closet, they wouldn’t fill it. Could they skip trying to find an apartment? Could they just live here in one of Mari’s extra bedrooms? That wouldn’t be so bad, would it? Anything they looked at now would look small and shabby in comparison.“It’s really-” Viktor began, at a loss for words. He wanted to say ‘beautiful’ or ‘impressive’ or ‘luxurious’, but none of those words properly conveyed everything. “-it’s a lot,” Yuuri finished for him. He caught the strained expression on Yuuri’s face and squeezed his hand.“Every time I stayed here, I always felt so small, so alone,” Yuuri said. “The rooms are gorgeous, but they’re so big and empty. It’s almost… too much.”Viktor nodded. He understood completely. “Come on,” he said, leaning down to kiss Yuuri. “Let’s go get our things and unpack.”They hauled their suitcases through the living room. Viktor noted that Mari was still outside, sitting by the pool in a chaise lounge. Her hand made agitated motions in the air as she talked to whoever was on the other end of the phone.Once they had unpacked everything, Yuuri asked him if he wanted to see the gym and Mari’s room. “She won’t mind,” he said. Viktor nodded and followed Yuuri to the other end of the house.The gym was the same size as their bedroom and had probably originally been one. There were free weights, an elliptical, a treadmill, a stationary bike… everything he could think of was here. A large television hung on the far wall so that you could watch it while you worked out and all of the walls were covered with mirrors so you could watch yourself. It seemed like a lot just for one person, but Mari had to keep in shape. “Does she have a personal trainer?” Viktor asked as he spotted a rolled up yoga mat in the corner.“She has several of them,” Yuuri answered. “She has trainers, dieticians, a personal assistant, housekeepers, a gardener… Back home, we folded towels. Now she has someone to do her laundry for her.”Mari’s bedroom was twice as big as any of the other bedrooms. Another huge bed dominated the room and there were even a couple of chairs and a small table in the room as well. Idly, Viktor realized that Mari’s gym and bedroom put together were larger than the duplex he shared with Chris. And that was the largest place he’d ever lived in on his own. He’d always thought his aunt and uncle had the nicest home he’d ever seen. But Mari’s house put theirs to shame. Viktor shook his head. It must be nice. Next to him, Yuuri tried to hide a yawn but failed. “We should go to bed,” Viktor said. “It’s been a long day and we have to get up early in the morning.”Yuuri made no protest. Mari was still outside on the phone as they headed to their room. Side by side, they got ready for bed. Viktor sat down on the bed, pulled his hair out of its customary ponytail, and began to brush it out. “Let me,” Yuuri said, holding his hand out for the brush. Smiling, Viktor handed it over and leaned back. It always felt like Yuuri was spoiling him when he brushed out and braided his hair for him. Yuuri started at the ends of his hair, carefully pulling the brush through to untangle the knots at the bottom. Viktor closed his eyes and relaxed, glad that Yuuri loved doing this for him. Slowly, Yuuri worked his way up, a couple of inches at a time, until finally he had made his way to the crown of Viktor’s head. When the brush slipped through his hair with ease, Yuuri laid it down on the bed and asked Viktor for the elastic band. Viktor handed it to him and sighed as Yuuri began to braid his hair for him. When they had first met, Yuuri didn’t know how to braid hair. He learned how so he could do it for Viktor.If that wasn’t spoiling him, he didn’t know what was.Yuuri put the brush on the nightstand and turned out the lights. They curled up in bed facing one another, and fell asleep holding hands. In the morning, Yuuri woke to find the bed empty. No surprise there. Viktor was always up sooner than he was. He grabbed his glasses, checked the time on his phone, and headed into the kitchen. They needed to get moving anyway.When Yuuri walked into the kitchen, he saw Mari, dressed for practice, leaning against the counter. Across from her stood Viktor, still in his t-shirt and pajama pants, holding a small bowl and a spoon. Viktor looked up when he saw Yuuri, drawing Mari’s attention.“Yuuri,” she said, her multitude of tiny hoops jingling in her ears, “you’re just in time to see Viktor take his first bite of natto.”Yuuri’s eyes widened. Mari had given Viktor natto? Fermented soybeans? Oh my God… even he didn’t like natto and he had been born and raised in Japan! What in the hell was she thinking?He shot a look at Viktor, about to plead with him not to do it. But before he could say anything, Viktor brought the spoon to his lips and took a small experimental bite.Yuuri stood there, watching as Viktor chewed. He figured Viktor had about five seconds, maybe ten, before he ran to the trash can and spit it out. Yuuri could even see the moment the taste finally hit Viktor, making him frown. But, remarkably, Viktor didn’t spit it out. He chewed a little slower than before and he made a pained face, but he did finish. He quickly chased the natto with a large gulp of orange juice.“Well, what do you think?” Mari said, watching him carefully.Viktor took a deep breath and gave Mari a strained, yet polite smile.“I think this may be an acquired taste,” he said, picking his words with care as he set the bowl down on the countertop. “I don’t think I want to acquire it.”Mari laughed and picked up the abandoned bowl, quickly scooping the contents into her mouth. “Okay, I need to head out to practice,” Mari said, putting the bowl in the sink and grabbing her gym bag out of the living room. “There’s stuff to make smoothies in the refrigerator, but I’ve got eggs and croissants if you’d prefer that for breakfast. Good luck looking at apartments today!” And then she was gone, putting on her sunglasses as she stepped out the door into the bright California sunshine.“Have I ever told you how glad I am that you like bagels for breakfast?” Viktor said, leaning in for a kiss. Hunting for apartments had been a pain. Originally, they’d had six on the list to look at, but marked two of them off when they drove through the neighborhoods. Yuuri had been right: coming out to look at things before they signed a lease had been a good idea. Two of the apartments were close enough to campus that Yuuri could catch the bus if he wanted and not have too long of a commute, but no matter what they picked, Viktor would still have to drive. It was the curse of living in LA.It was shocking how expensive everything was. Austin was expensive, but Los Angeles was a whole order of magnitude higher, with a lot less space. The first model apartment they saw was little more than a cracker box and only had a tiny shower stall. It would be hard for one person to live there comfortable, let alone two. And it absolutely would not do for Makkachin. The on-property leasing agent showed them another one bedroom which had a little more room, but the price was out of their budget. It was the same for the other three apartments that they looked at. Yuuri was disappointed, but Viktor reminded him there were more apartments on the list. He was confident they’d find something that was perfect for them.They finished a little later than they’d figured and got stuck in traffic. They’d planned on being back at Mari’s by five, but they didn’t get there until almost seven. When they headed up the driveway, there was a Harley parked next to Mari’s SUV. “Looks like Yuri and Otabek are here,” Yuuri said wearily. “This should be fun.”Viktor took Yuuri’s hand in his as they walked up to the door.“’Are they friends of Mari’s?” Viktor asked.“Yeah,” Yuuri answered. “Yuri Plisetsky is one of Mari’s teammates and Otabek, better known as the Hero of Kazakhstan, is his boyfriend. They hang out over here a lot.”Viktor nodded. The name ‘Plisetsky’ was familiar, but he knew very little about baseball and even less about specific players, with one notable exception. But he did know who the Hero of Kazakhstan was: Phichit had introduced Chris to his podcasts and he often streamed them when he was grading papers. This should prove to be interesting.There were two motorcycle helmets sitting side by side on the table in the foyer. Loud music with a very intense bass thumped from hidden speakers in the living room. Mari was sitting on one of the couches and opposite her sat Yuri and Otabek. He recognized Yuri right away as the young man who had come to Mari’s defense when she was charged on the pitcher’s mound during the World Series. Yuri sat on the floor, toying with the end of his blond ponytail, while Otabek sat on the couch, toying with his phone.Mari looked up and smiled, a drink in hand, and waved at them as they walked into the living room. “Hey, guys, you remember my little brother Yuuri? Well, the gorgeous man with him is Viktor and he’s my future brother-in-law!” Mari took another sip of her drink. This time, Viktor noted, it definitely wasn’t iced tea.“Viktor, this is Yurio,” she said as she pointed at the blond on the floor. “That’s not my name,” Yuri muttered, shooting her a look with no heat in it.“You’ve got the same name as my brother,” she replied. “He’s older than you and I’ve known him longer, so you get to be Yurio so I don’t get confused. Don’t argue. You know you love it.”“We could call your brother something else,” Yuri fussed. “I could hit you with a curveball during practice,” Mari shot back. On the floor, Yuri scoffed and shook his head. Their banter had the manner of old friends teasing one another, like he and Chris joked around.“Anyway. We call Yurio the Ice Tiger. The strong and silent type next to him is his future husband, Otabek. He’s the Hero of Kazakhstan!” Otabek gave him an upwards nod of the head in greeting.They sat on the couch next to Mari and talked for a while, but before long, Yuuri begged off to bed. Viktor decided to join him.“Yeah, I know, jetlag,” Mari said. “Get some sleep. You’ve got a busy day tomorrow apartment hunting and an even busier night after that. He’s having dinner with his future in-laws!”Yuuri wished them all a good night and headed down the hall. Viktor did the same and followed behind him.Quietly they got ready for bed, changing into pajamas and brushing their teeth side by side in the large bathroom. Once again, Yuuri braided Viktor’s hair for him and they snuggled up in bed together. It wasn’t long before Yuuri was asleep, but despite being tired, Viktor was wide awake. Carefully he slipped out of Yuuri’s embrace, changed back into his jeans, and went back into the living room. Otabek was on the couch and was playing another song on his phone. It was good, with a danceable hook and a bass groove that begged for a bump and grind. Yuri was still on the floor at his feet, nodding in time with the music, an arm snaked up and around Otabek’s calf. Mari sat in her chair, her eyes closed, a dreamy smile on her face.When Viktor walked into the room, Otabek looked over at him and nodded again. “Hey,” he said in way of greeting. Yuri opened his eyes to see who had come in, but shut them again almost immediately. Mari also looked at him and sat up.“Nice of you to join us again, Viktor,” she said, heading to the kitchen to refill her glass. “I guess you’re used to late hours because of your job, right? All that stargazing can’t happen during the day. You hungry?”“No, I’m fine,” he said, taking a seat on the couch Mari had been sitting on. “Most of my time is spent analyzing data, so I can work whenever. I don’t get to see nearly as much of the stars as much as I’d like.”“Are you an astronomer?” Otabek asked. Viktor nodded, feeling a little thrill that someone recognized a stargazer as an astronomer, but dreading the next part. He loved what he did, but a lot of people had no clue what he did. Usually they asked him inane questions like What can you tell me about Scorpios?“Cool,” Otabek said, nodding. “Do you work with Hubble?”Viktor blinked, pleasantly surprised. Maybe this wouldn’t be a painful conversation after all. He began to explain his research when Yuri got up and plopped himself down in Otabek’s lap and laughed. “This is the only star I need in my sky,” he said, leaning down to kiss Otabek on the lips. He turned to look at Viktor and regarded him thoughtfully.“Where are you from?” he asked. Viktor heard the slight accent in Yuri’s voice and wondered if he’d caught the accent in his, too.“Saint Petersburg,” he said. “Russia, not Florida.”Yuri nodded. “Thought so. I’m from Moscow. Russia, not Idaho.”Viktor laughed. “There’s a Moscow in Idaho?”Yuri nodded. “Yeah. There’s a Moscow in Texas, too. I guess people missed home, so they named their new city after it. I miss it sometimes, but not too much. I moved here with my grandfather when I was ten.” “I moved here to go to school,” Viktor said. Yuri regarded him thoughtfully.“So were you one of those ‘crazy Russian guys’ people always whine about having in the class who aced everything?”Now it was Viktor’s turn to nod. “That was me. I broke more than a few grading curves in my time.”“No wonder you two hooked up,” Mari said offhandedly. “You and Yuuri are both curvebreakers. Yuuri would take a test in school and piss everyone off because he’d make a near perfect score.”They talked late into the evening about a wide variety of subjects. Yuri was launching into a detailed discussion about how you had to brush the fur of a long-haired cat daily when Mari looked at her phone and sighed. “Damn, it’s late,” she said, trying to hide a yawn. “Go home, you two. We’ve got practice tomorrow and then we have to catch a flight out in the afternoon.”“C’mon Beka,” he said, pulling Otabek up off the couch. “She’s kicking us out again.”Yuri turned to Viktor as they were walking out and said, “If you guys ever want tickets to the game, let me know. I can hook you up.”“I’ve already got them covered,” Mari said. “It was supposed to be a surprise, but I got you both season passes as a housewarming gift.”“Thank you,” Viktor said, genuinely warmed at the gift. He really needed to learn a lot more about baseball...Mari followed Yuri and Otabek as they headed to the door. Viktor got up and heard the rumble of a motorcycle as he entered the room he shared with Yuuri. As he got back into bed, Yuuri sleepily turned to him and greeted him with a kiss.“Sorry,” Viktor said, curling up next to Yuuri. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”“S’okay,” Yuuri mumbled, reaching for him. “You okay?”“Yeah, couldn’t sleep. Otabek and Yuri were still here, so we talked for a bit. Everyone’s gone home or gone to bed now.”Yuuri hummed and buried his face in the crook of Viktor’s neck.“Need t’ sleep,” Yuuri murmured, his breathing slow and even. Viktor let it lull him to sleep. Yuuri thought their second day of apartment hunting was even worse than the first had been. The price one of the apartments quoted was off by five hundred dollars in the wrong direction. Another one said that dogs were okay, but they meant small dogs under twenty pounds. And one of the apartments, which claimed to be a one bedroom, was little more than a studio apartment. Viktor tried to cheer him up, but Yuuri was stressed. Were they ever going to find anything?They called an end to the day early and headed back to Mari’s to change and get ready for dinner with Viktor’s aunt and uncle. He had barely had the chance to do more than introduce himself to them when Viktor graduated. Oh, Viktor had looked so good in his cap and gown… But now wasn’t the time to think about that. Now was the time to get dressed in business clothes and put on a tie. It almost felt like he was going to a job interview. Maybe he was, in a sense.The drive over to Yakov and Lilia’s that evening was an even bigger pain in the ass than Yuuri thought it would be. Los Angeles traffic never went away. Viktor's Uncle Yakov answered the door after the second ring. He was elderly, a little thicker around the middle and thinner up top than in his Wikipedia photo. Yuuri had looked him up on the way over. He regarded Yuuri coolly with steely grey eyes, then opened the door and invited them in. Yuuri felt like he’d been judged and found wanting.The inside of the house was warm and inviting. The living room was filled with old, solid pieces of furniture in rich jewel tones. A leather couch and three chairs surrounded the coffee table. It felt almost Victorian. Yakov directed them to sit down on the couch and he took a seat opposite them in a high-backed chair. “Lilia is putting the finishing touches on dinner,” Yakov said. “But before we eat, we can spend a little time getting to know one another, yes? Perhaps we need a little vodka to warm us up.” They both accepted the offer and Yakov opened up the small refrigerator in the bar and pulled a bottle out of the freezer. He poured three shots, passed them out, and held up his glass.“Vashe zdorov'ye!” he said. Viktor replied in kind and Yuuri carefully said the phrase. Yakov gave him an appraising look and tipped his glass back. Viktor tossed his back and Yuuri did the same. It was cold, very cold, and he barely managed not to choke on it.“This is the good stuff,” Yakov said, holding up the squared bottle. A plain white label bore red writing on it in Cyrillic. He put the glass down and turned to Viktor.“Vitya, you should go say hello to your aunt, since you’re not staying with us this time,” Yakov said. Yuuri caught the jab and inwardly winced. Were they upset with him for taking Viktor away from them? Viktor smiled at Yuuri and headed off into the interior of the house, leaving Yuuri alone with Yakov.“He’s a good man,” Yakov said after Viktor was gone, “but he needs to grow up a little. He took too long to get his degree and he needs to cut his hair. It’s the only way someone will ever take him seriously. I am hoping that he will mature some, now that he’s taking an actual job and has a partner.” Nervous, Yuuri nodded, unsure where this was going.“I want you to be a good influence on him. Don’t let me down.”Yuuri nodded again. Viktor had warned him that his uncle could be very intimidating when he wanted to be. Apparently, this was one of those times. Yakov looked like he was going to say more, but the sound of voices coming towards them silenced him. Viktor walked into the living room, followed by an older woman with her hair pulled back in a severe bun. She looked Yuuri up and down and nodded.“You must be Yuuri,” she said curtly. “I’m Lilia. It is a pleasure to meet you. Dinner is ready, so we should eat now.”Yuuri knew that she had to be well into her sixties, but she held herself with the strength and grace of a dancer, even in high heels. He’d looked her up on Wikipedia, too. She reminded him of his mother’s cousin Minako back in Hasetsu. He thought the two of them would get along well.The table was formally set for dinner, complete with extra silverware that he had no idea what to do with, cloth napkins, salad and dinner plates, and cut glass wine goblets. There were even a pair of tapered candles in silver candleholders. But what really impressed Yuuri was the variety of food on the table.There was something that looked like sliced carrots and beets, sandwiched in between layers of magenta-hued cream. Viktor explained that it was a salad and the bright pink cream was actually mayonnaise. There was an entire fish, a sliced loaf of dark rye bread, and another salad made with mayonnaise, chunks of ham, and peas. There was even an apple cake for dessert. It was a lot, but all of it was delicious, if heavy. At the end of the meal, Yuuri was stuffed and felt like he could take a nap.Dinner was full of conversation. Yakov grilled Yuuri on mathematics, setting his nerves on edge. Under the table, Viktor laid his hand on Yuuri’s thigh, offering silent support. After a few minutes talking about launch trajectories and g-forces, Yakov let it drop. As it turned out, Yuuri understood higher mathematics better than Yakov did, despite the fact that he had been a cosmonaut and had been required to learn it as part of his training.After dinner was put away, they went back into the living room. Yakov pulled out a cigar and offered one to each of them. Yuuri wasn’t sure what to do. Was it okay for him to say no? He’d only tried to smoke once in his life and that was a cigarette he stole from Mari before she quit smoking. Someone had told him that smoking helped calm a person’s nerves and he was willing to do just about anything to get his anxiety under control. It hadn’t worked.“No, thank you,” Yuuri said, hoping Viktor’s uncle wouldn’t be insulted. “How about you, Vitya?” Yakov asked, holding out the open box. Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief when Viktor declined as well. “I only made that mistake once,” Viktor said. Yakov nodded and put the box away. He took a seat in one of the jewel-toned chairs and puffed on his while he talked to them about the Soviet Space Program.“They never announced a mission until it had been successfully completed,” Yakov said, a faraway look on his face. “They tried to pretend the ones that were failures never happened. All those accidents that happened to NASA? A lot of them happened to us as well. But they were shoved under the rug and not talked about.”“Flying a Soyuz was always an exhilarating experience,” Yakov murmured, taking a puff off his cigar. “It was like being in a tin can strapped to a rocket. You prayed the people on the ground knew what the hell they were doing and you didn’t burn up during liftoff or re-entry, or that you didn’t freeze once you got into orbit. But you prayed silently, of course. In the Soviet Union, we had no use for God. At least not publicly. No need to give your fellow cosmonauts something to use against you when you got home, you know?”It was very interesting and Yuuri would have loved to hear more, but dinner was sitting heavily on him and making him sleepy. They still had to drive back across Los Angeles to Mari’s house and there were four more apartments to look at tomorrow. He tried to discreetly hide a yawn behind his hand, but Lilia saw and chided Yakov for being an old bore.Yuuri felt bad, but Yakov took it in stride. “That’s fine,” he said. “There will be plenty of time for me to bore you once you’ve moved out here.”Was that some kind of approval? Yuuri was hopeful, but he wasn’t sure and he was afraid to get his hopes up.“Go back to the baseball player’s house and get some rest,” Yakov said as he was seeing them out. “After you’ve moved, we will expect you at least once a month for dinner, understood?”Relieved, Yuuri smiled at Yakov as they bid Yakov and Lilia good night. When they got in the car, Yuuri asked Viktor, “So, do you think things went okay?”“Oh, yeah,” Viktor said as they pulled out onto the road. “Things went well. Really well.” Mari’s SUV was gone when they arrived. Yuuri had fallen asleep on the drive home and Viktor was feeling a little tired himself. They headed to their room and Viktor began undressing for bed when Yuuri walked up to him and said, “Why don’t we go for a swim?”“I didn’t pack my swimsuit,” Viktor replied sheepishly. “I think it’s still at your apartment.”“So?” Yuuri said, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “No one else is around. Besides, your swimsuit just gets in the way of my view.”Viktor smiled against Yuuri’s hair. A swim would be nice now. The heat of the day was gone and the stars would be out. Not that they would be able to see much because of the light pollution from the Valley, but they might be able to spot the brighter stars. Skinny dipping in Mari’s pool also sounded a little naughty. And if Yuuri was feeling a little naughty… Oh yes, he was definitely game for whatever Yuuri had in mind.They slipped out of their clothes and Yuuri got out his swim trunks. Viktor, clad in nothing but a towel, pulled them away.“You’re not wearing these,” he said. “I’m not going to be the only one out there naked.”Yuuri looked like he was going to make a fuss at first, but relented without so much as a word. He took the towel Viktor held out for him, wrapped it around his waist, and opened the door that led out of their bedroom and to the pool.They padded down the sidewalk. Viktor dropped his towel on a poolside chair and looked at the water.Should he use the steps and wade in slowly, letting his body adjust to the temperature, or should he just jump in and be done with it? Yuuri made the decision for him when he pushed Viktor in. Viktor came up gasping, only to get hit with water when Yuuri jumped in beside him. When Yuuri surfaced, Viktor splashed him, laughing. Yuuri wrapped his arms around his waist, and pulled him in for a kiss.They swam for a while, enjoying the nighttime breeze and the cool water. They floated together and Viktor pointed out the brighter stars in the sky.“There’s Vega,” Viktor said. “That one’s Arcturus and the bright one over there is Spica.” Yuuri hummed happily and took his hand. Before long, they were wrapped around each other in the middle of the pool, all thoughts of the stars and swimming gone.“Let’s go inside,” Yuuri whispered against his lips. Viktor was all too happy to oblige.They showered together, but the act had little to do with cleaning.“I want to take you to bed,” Yuuri murmured, his lips moving against Viktor’s throat. Viktor pulled him in for a kiss, reveling in the feel of Yuuri’s tongue against his and the close press of his body.“I didn’t pack-” Viktor began, only to be cut off by another heated kiss and Yuuri’s hips rolling against his.“I did,” Yuuri breathed, wrapping his hand around him. Viktor fumbled for the water and shut it off.“Lead the way,” he said. In the morning, Yuuri woke up curled against Viktor, his loose and unbound hair tickling his nose. It would be nice to just lie here, snuggled up beside Viktor’s sleep-warmed skin, but they had a busy day ahead of them. Wearily, he sat up, grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and put them on. Viktor was still asleep, a rarity. Of the two of them, Yuuri was the one who usually slept later. It was nice to watch Viktor sleep, his hair fanned out over the pillow. Placing a kiss on Viktor’s bare shoulder, Yuuri got out of bed, grabbed a pair of boxer briefs from the closet, and headed to the kitchen to see what Mari had in her refrigerator.Usually, finding food at Mari’s house was hard, unless he was there at the same time as their parents. If they were all there together, his mother sent his father out shopping and practically took over the kitchen. But when it was just him, his sister made no such concessions. He had to forage through all of her lean meats, fruits, and vegetables to try to find something to eat.Yuuri was shocked to see that there was a wider variety of food this time around. He smiled to himself. Apparently, she wanted to butter up her ‘future brother-in-law’ and not scare him off with her usual athlete’s fare. There were things like pasta salad, sausages, and even sliced cheese from the deli to go along with the lunch meat she always had. Mari didn’t even like cheese. Yeah, she definitely was trying to appeal to Viktor. Yuuri pulled the eggs out of the refrigerator and set them on the island. He found a container of croissants on the counter and grabbed a couple of those. He got out a skillet and a spatula, a bowl and a whisk, and began cracking eggs into the bowl.While the eggs cooked in the skillet, Yuuri pulled the orange juice and the tray of fresh fruit out of the refrigerator. By the time the eggs were done, he’d sliced and arranged a peach and some strawberries on two plates. Just as he was getting ready to take the plates back to their room, Viktor padded into the living room, his hair in disarray and gloriously naked. “Good morning,” Viktor said, stretching. Yuuri sucked in a breath. Oh, he would never get tired of this sight. It was tempting to forget all about breakfast and just take him back to bed.“Good morning,” Yuuri replied as Viktor closed the distance between them and kissed him. “I was going to bring you breakfast in bed, but since you’re up, let’s sit at the island.”Viktor took his plate from Yuuri and looked at the patio doors.“Why don’t we eat outside?” he said. “It’s nice out.” Yuuri was beginning to think that Viktor just might be a closet nudist. Good.“Sure. Are you going out like that?”Viktor gave him a playful smirk.“Yeah, I think so,” he said, turning to the patio door and walking outside. He threw a smoldering look over his shoulder at Yuuri.“So should you. Lose your boxers. They’re ruining my view.”Laughing, Yuuri peeled them off and went outside to join Viktor. There was something almost decadent about having breakfast outside in the nude. When they were done, Viktor took his plate and leaned down to kiss him, long and slow. If Yuuri had any doubts about what Viktor wanted, the kiss answered them.“Let’s see if we can’t make the bed squeak,” Viktor said as he stepped through the patio doors. Like a man lured by a siren’s song, Yuuri followed him inside.They got a very late start to the day.The first two apartments they looked at were okay, but still much of the same. Too expensive, too small, and they just didn’t feel right. Yuuri was beginning to worry that maybe they were going to have to settle for something that wasn’t quite what they wanted. There was only so much money in the budget. Yes, Viktor would be getting a nice salary from Feltsman Aerospace and he would get a little money as a grad student, but it would only stretch so far.They stopped for lunch at a little hole in the wall Italian restaurant and discussed what they would be willing to sacrifice. Maybe they could live in a smaller space than they had thought, at least for a little while. Maybe they could go up a little on what they were willing to pay for rent. Did they need to subscribe to streaming services? They had to make concessions. Otherwise, the equation that described them finding a place to live together would equal zero. They had to break this downward curve.The next apartment complex on the list was a little further away from campus than the others had been. It meant that they would both have to drive. Viktor’s car was old and they knew it was probably on its last legs. It was fine for commuting around Austin, but they both doubted it would even make the trip out to LA. They would have to get another car or drive in together. Seeing as how UCLA and Feltsman Aerospace weren’t exactly close to one another, that didn’t seem very feasible. And another car was an expense they hadn’t counted on. But they could at least look at the apartment before they marked it off the list. As they pulled up, Yuuri noticed a small park across the street from the complex. There were several people out running. A few of them had dogs with them. He sighed as he parked the car. Makkachin would love that park. He could almost see Viktor out for a morning run, Makkachin at his side. While they waited for the leasing agent to get the keys to the model apartment, Viktor got up and walked around inside the clubhouse. Yuuri knew he was feeling nervous, and decided to get up and join him. Viktor was looking at the community bulletin board, reading one of the notices.Yuuri followed Viktor’s intense gaze to a rainbow-colored flyer on the board and silently read the block letters.
PRIDE MEETUP!
Come Celebrate Pride
With Your Neighbors!
Have Brunch In The Clubhouse
And Join The Parade!
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Yuuri’s breath caught in his throat. Was there a community here in the apartment complex? He felt Viktor’s gaze on him and turned to look at him, taking in the hopeful look on his face. He was about to say something when the agent returned with the keys and they followed her out.As they walked, a woman walked past them, leading a pair of greyhounds to the gate. He shot a look at Viktor and caught his smile. Yes, large dogs were welcome here. He reached out and squeezed Viktor’s hand. Things were looking up, but he knew better than to get excited. The apartment would probably be another shoebox or a dump, if not both.“Okay, guys, take a look around,” the agent said as she unlocked the door for them. As soon as they set foot inside, Yuuri knew this was where he wanted to make a home with Viktor. The living room was a little on the small side, but they could make it work. It was clean and bright, with large windows that faced a small courtyard. Yuuri followed Viktor into the kitchen. They could both fit in here, which was something they couldn’t do in his apartment in Austin. Viktor looked at him and smiled.“I can see us both cooking in here,” Viktor said. Yuuri nodded. He could see it, too.The bathroom was a good size, as was the bedroom. The model had a queen-sized bed in it and had room for a pair of nightstands and a full dresser. Off the bedroom was a large balcony and outside storage. Even the closet was roomy. Yuuri could almost see their t-shirts hanging up on the rack together. He could feel his pulse racing in excitement, but he knew this apartment wouldn’t be cheap. “Well, what do you think?” the agent asked them. Truthfully, Yuuri wanted it. But it was probably out of their range.“It’s nice,” Viktor said cautiously, “but how much are we looking at here? We’re on a pretty tight budget.”“I get it,” the woman said. “We can go back to the leasing office and discuss it.”Glumly, Yuuri nodded and they followed her back to the office. If she didn’t want to say outright, it was a sure sign it was expensive. Mari had offered to help them if they needed it, but Yuuri was dead set against it. He was an adult. So was Viktor. They would do this on their own.As expected, the price was out of their budget, but not by as much as Yuuri had expected. Just as he was about to thank the agent and get up to leave, she said, “We’re under new management and we’re trying to fill the complex. I might be able to give you some discounts.”Yuuri blinked. Could they still pull this off?“Do either of you work for a major employer?”“Would Feltsman Aerospace count?” Viktor asked. Yuuri caught the gleam in his eye. Viktor wanted the apartment as much as he did.“No, I’m sorry,” the leasing agent replied. She looked at Yuuri. “What about you?”“I’m in school,” he said. Immediately, she brightened up. “That’s great! We have student discounts! Five percent off the monthly rent!” Yuuri did the quick mental calculation. It still wasn’t enough. “Okay, let me see what else I can do,” she said, turning to her computer. While she busily clicked away, Viktor turned to Yuuri and took his hand.“We can do this,” Viktor whispered. “We can make this work!”“I don’t know-” Yuuri began, but a crow of delight from the agent pulled their attention back to her.“I’ve got a couple of others I can give you,” she said. “If you sign a longer lease- twenty-four months instead of twelve- I can give you a month free. You can take that at the end of the lease or you can spread it out over the lease to bring the monthly rent down. I’ll even throw in free rent on a washer and a dryer in your unit. And you can use multiple discounts.” She turned to them and smiled, hopeful.“We’re not looking to move until August,” Viktor said. “Would all of those discounts still apply then?”“Yes,” she replied, “as long as you sign the lease today.”Yuuri did the mental calculations. it would be tight, very tight, but-They turned to each other. Viktor took his hands in his and held them tight.“I- I think we can do this,” Viktor said. There was hope in his voice. “We’re going to have to stretch,” Yuuri said, “but… yes, we can do this.”Viktor’s eyes flew wide and he drew in a sharp breath. “Do you mean-?”“Yes, Vitya,” Yuuri said. “Let’s get the apartment.”Viktor pulled him into a hug and they both laughed, giddy with excitement and relief. “Fantastic!” the agent said. “Let me get the paperwork started. I’ll be right back with the lease agreement.” She got up from her chair and walked into another room behind her.“We’re really going to live together, aren’t we?” Viktor said. The wonder in Viktor’s voice was almost a tangible thing that he should be able to reach out and touch, like the feeling of Viktor’s hand in his. Yuuri squeezed Viktor’s hand and smiled at him.“Yes,” he said, bringing Viktor’s hand to his lips and kissing his knuckles, “we’re going to live together.”The smile on Viktor’s face was almost serene. Yuuri knew that whatever hardships might lie in front of them, they could get through them together.