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Victor was trying very, very hard not to look as bored as he was. Truly, he almost deserved an award for how he was holding himself up. In a week or so, he was definitely going to let all his friends know that this was the last time they were doing this… okay so Victor was perhaps exaggerating, but his point still stood.
Never go to dinner with all your non-single friends.
Victor sighed, playing with the stem of his wine glass as he looked around the table. It had been alright at the beginning of the dinner. Then, none of his friends had gotten any wine into them, and could hold a good conversation and ignore their spouse for a solid minute. Now, waiting for the desert, all hope was lost. Chris was almost in Matsumi’s lap at this point, surely whispering very lewd things in his ear. Sara and Mila were discussing something rapidly, gazes turned fullt towards each other as they spoke. Yuri and Otabek weren’t speaking much, but Yuri was looking at Otabek, who was looking back, and none of them even seemed to remember Victor was still there.
Being single in a group of couples sucked.
Victor let his gaze drift away from his traitorous friends to the other guests. There was a group of friends being seated next to their table, right in Victor’s line of vision. They seemed excited, giggling among themselves and glancing at the door. There were still chairs unoccupied at the table, and Victor could only assume they were waiting for someone, or several people, to arrive. Everytime the door to the restaurant opened they glanced towards it, pausing their conversation, only to continue speaking when the ones they waited for weren’t the ones stepping inside.
It didn’t take long however. Soon the door to the restaurant swung open to reveal two men, who instantly had the group on their feet. One of the men, tanned skin and with grey eyes, grinned widely, while the other, dark hair and blue framed glasses looked slightly taken aback. He stopped halfway to the table, hands pausing in unwinding his scarf, as the group at the table jumped up from their seats. “Happy birthday Yuuri!” they called, and the man, Yuuri apparently, blinked with wide eyes, and then his cheek flushed as a smile crept up on his face. Oh. He was very cute. He had soft looking cheeks and a cute nose, but sharp cheekbones and jaw. Behind his glasses, his brown eyes were wide but gleaming.
Very, very pretty, Victor thought.
“Are you surprised!?” the man beside Yuuri asked excitedly, pulling Yuuri to the table. “It’s been so hard not to slip something Yuuri, you have to be so proud of me for keeping this a secret!”
“Phichit,” Yuuri said in a chiding maner, but he was still smiling as he shook his head, before he turned back to the table. “Wow guys, I really didn’t expect this!”
“Of course you didn’t, it’s why you have me as a best friend!” Phichit stated cheerily, tugging Yuuri over to the table where the rest of the guests greeted him with wide smiles and tight hugs. Yuuri looked a little flustered, which somehow only added to the cuteness of him. Victor leaned his chin in his hand as he continued to watch them. He felt slightly bad about it, openly staring. None of Victor’s friends seemed to mind though, since they were still engrossed in their own conversations. No one at the other table seemed to have noticed either, so Victor took another sip of his wine, watching as Yuuri sat down almost exactly opposite him.
The table was filled with chatter, and it seemed like Yuuri’s friends were more talkative than he himself was. He answered all questions and spoke for a while about something Victor could not hear the details of, but other members of the table were clearly more talkative than Yuuri seemed. Victor watched him, the way his pretty lips moved as he spoke, his eyes gleaming as he smiled. He still seemed a little flustered over the surprise, but he looked very happy. Victor sighed. He wondered if he could do something to get Yuuri’s attention. Perhaps that was selfish of him.
Yuuri looked away from the person he was speaking to, as if sensing being watched, his gaze moving over the room, and then found Victor's. Victor felt his cheeks heat a little in embarrassment from being caught watching. He wondered if he should turn away, try to conceal his open interest. It was probably the socially acceptable thing to do. However, Victor had two glasses of wine in his system, and well… Yuuri was very cute.
Victor winked.
Yuuri’s eyes grew wide, and then he snapped his gaze away quickly, color rising in his cheeks. Victor wondered if he had offended him, being so blatantly openly flirting. He was just about to look away and see if he could amuse himself with something else, when Yuuri glanced back. Seeing Victor still look at him, a smile curled at his lips, and he held Victor’s gaze. Victor smiled too, and then Yuuri looked away once more.
Victor’s stomach swooped, in a way he was sure it hadn’t in a long time.
Dessert was served at Victor's table, and it seemed to snap his friends out of their little love bubbles. Christ stroked up a conversation with Victor about how work currently was, and soon the whole table was involved in talking once more. They ate and spoke, but every now and then Victor would glance over Matsumi’s shoulders to Yuuri. Sometimes Yuuri was turned away from him, or looking down at his food. Sometimes however, Yuuri was looking his way, and their gazes caught again. Victor could not help the smile which curled at his lips at the sight.
“What are you smiling about?” Yuri asked, and Victor snapped his gaze away, feeling his cheeks heat even further. Yuri frowned, looking around the room to try to see what could have caused Victor’s reaction. He didn’t seem to spot something, and returned his attention to Victor and scowled.
“What?” Chris asked, and Victor waved him off. What was he going to say? I’m playing some sort of flirting game with the birthday boy on the table next to theirs. No thank you. He loved his friends, but he didn’t want them involved in his.
“Nothing,” Victor said, sounding airy and aloof in a way which he knew caused people to simply think he was being silly. It was always very effective. He smiled charmingly at Chris, who eyed him for a moment but then fell into conversation about whatever Matsumi and Sara were currently discussing. Suddenly Victor saw movement from the corner of his eye, and noticed Yuuri standing from his table. Victor followed him with his gaze, seeing him move towards the bathrooms. Victor waited for a moment, and then impulsively stood and followed him.
He reached the coroner of the restaurant and slipped behind the wall framing the bathrooms. He had just rested his shoulder against the wall, when one of the doors opened. Yuuri stepped out, and his gaze instantly found Victor's, eyes growing wide as he spotted him. Yuuri really was incredibly pretty. The more Victor looked at him the prettier he got.
“Hey,” Yuuri said, pausing his step. Victor smiled, hoping he was looking very cute.
“Hi,” he greeted back, biting into his lower lip for a second. “Happy birthday.”
“Oh! Thanks,” Yuuri answered with a little laugh. He looked up at Victor, and then glanced towards his table where his friends sat. He didn’t make a move to start walking over there, and hope surged in Victor's chest. “So, uhm,” Yuuri continued, and Victor waited. “I don’t know if my friends have asked you to like, pay attention to me or-”
“What?” Victor asked, so shocked he cut Yuuri off. Yuuri thought his friends would have asked Victor to flirt with him? Did he not know how hot he was? Did he have friends who enjoyed playing pranks on him?
“What?” Yuuri echoed, brown eyes wide and blinking. Victor looked at him for a moment, and then shook his head in disbelief.
“Why would they do that?” he asked, and Yuuri frowned, seeming to consider this. Victor continued on. “Either you have very bad friends, or a clear lack of confidence.”
“Ah,” Yuuri said, and then his cheeks grew even redder. “I don’t have bad friends.”
“Mhm,” Victor said, because from the little he had seen, Yuuri’s dinner company didn’t seem like bad friends to him either. Clearly things needed to be told frankly here. “No, I’m not paying attention to you because your friends asked me too. I’m doing it because I think you’re very pretty.”
“Oh,” Yuuri said, looking genuinely shocked by this. How? Victor wanted to scream. Had this man never looked in a mirror? “Ah, I think you’re pretty too.”
Victor felt his own cheeks warm, and he lowered his gaze a little, looking at Yuuri through his lashes. “Why thank yo-”
“Victor!” Yuri screamed, causing half the restaurant to fall silent and the waiters to look positively scandalised. Victor let out a tired sigh, even if he continued to smile. “We're leaving! Come pay!”
“Seems I have to go,” Victor said, waving his hand to Yuri without taking his eyes off Yuuri, who nodded a little in understanding.
“Okay,” he said, and bit into his lower lip. God he was so pretty. “Uhm, have a good night Victor. I’m Yuuri, by the way.” His cheeks flushed even deeper after he had said it, and Victor grinned. He was really so pretty. Victor wondered if he should offer his number, but he didn’t want to make Yuuri uncomfortable. He would have to find another way.
“Have a good night Yuuri, and a happy birthday again,” Victor said with a smile, and then turned to head to the bar. His friends were already there, Mila currently paying as the others were shrugging on their jackets. Sara handed Victor his, and he smiled in thanks.
“We’ll wait outside,” Yuri called, him and Otabek already halfway out the door, Chris and Matsumi following.
“Okay!” Sara said, and then she took Mila’s arm and they followed too. Victor stepped up to the bar, and glanced over to Yuuri, his heart beating a little faster.
“Hey, could I send over a drink and dessert to someone?” he asked, and the bartender’s brows rose in surprise, but nodded.
“Of course,” she said, reaching over for a drink menu as well as dessert menu, placing them in front of Victor. He picked one item on each, told her where he wanted them served, and was given a small piece of paper for a message. Victor scribbled down his name and number, along with another birthday wish, before he paid for his own food as well as the things he was sending to Yuuri. Before he stepped out he glanced one more time toward Yuuri’s table, and Yuuri looked up. Their gazes caught, and Victor felt a little breathless as Yuuri smiled. He ducked his head and stepped out of the restaurant, a wide grin on his own face.
Later that evening when Victor was just settling down into bed, Makka pressed to his side, his phone buzzed. He looked down at the screen, his heart jumping at the sight of messages from an unknown number. He cuddled down against the pillow, and felt anticipation growing in his chest as he unlocked his phone.
unknown (22.57)
thank you for the drink and dessert. It was delicious
unknown (22.58)
this is Yuuri by the way. From the restaurant earlier.
Victor (23.01)
Yuuri!
Victor (23.02)
I’m glad you enjoyed them. I hope you had a good birthday dinner!
Yuuri (23.05)
I did! I was very surprised, I only thought it would be me and my best friend. I hadn’t expected them all to be there.
Yuuri (23.06)
I hope you had a good dinner too.
Victor (23.06) I did yes. Meeting you was the highlight though ;)
Yuuri (23.07)
I must admit that was one of my favourite parts of the evening too.
Yuuri (23.07)
would you like to do it again sometime?
Yuuri (23.08)
meet, that is?
Victor (23.09) I would love to.