Chapter Text

Rule #3

manipulate or be manipulated. In this world its life or death.

Yuri awoke at dawn, he didnt even remember going to sleep. little did it matter though. He rolled out of bed, toppling onto the floor with a mild 'thump'. Yuri groaned loudly and exaggeratedly, before covering his mouth in realization.

Shiitt

There was a moment he took to listen out for any commotion from the other side of the room. he half expected to be greeted with curses telling him to keep the volume down. But no such comment ever came.

He snaked his head around the dresser that offered them minor privacy, peaking out from the crack between the window and dresser, he figured going around the more open way may be a little less subtle.

To his surprise there was no one there.

Was this Otabek guy some player who chills at his hookups place every night? or Maybe he's in a relationship or something. Yuri wasnt sure, he told himself he didn't really care, though a part of him grew exceedingly curious.

But for now that curiosity could be pushed to the back of his head.

He picked himself up off the floor, stretching his arms over his head. Yuri took a quick shower, got dressed and left the dorm to get some coffee. There was coffee in the common room but there was no way Yuri would drink that crap, it was the cheapest instant coffee around. There are two things wrong with that sentence to him, first off its INSTANT who drinks that tasteless shit anyways? (I do) and secondly its cheap, if youre gonna buy instant coffee at least buy the less shitty kind. Talk about a low budget education system.

Yuri didn't care if every last cent of his cash was sucked out of his wallet, he was going to go to starbucks every single morning for coffee, and he gave negative 11 shits what anyone else said about the matter. call me basic but that shits good.

he popped in his earbuds, and jogged over to the campus starbucks. (ive literally never been to a college that doesn't have a starbucks on campus, just saying~)

Yuri approached the fun-sized coffee shop, hardly anyone ever bought from here because of its high prices. It certainly doesn't help the business that practically everyone here is a broke college student on a low budget. But for Yuri, no sacrifice is too great for a really good cup of coffee.

Though Apparently he wasnt the only russian who was willing to sacrifice the contents of his wallet, for a great cup of piping hot caffeine. Of course he couldn't have a peaceful morning without that idiot ruining it. He didnt even bother trying to hide from him. by the time he'd noticed the man he'd already stepped into Victor's radius. He simply groaned and prepared to endure the most annoying part of his morning.

Victor was standing off to the side of the counter, obviously waiting for his order. " Yuri!! Hey Yuri!!!!" He waved ecstatically calling out far louder than he needed to.

Yuri groaned again, trying to hide from prying eyes in his hoodie. He snapped a quick embarrassed wave in victor's direction.

as Yuri approached the register, he did his best to ignore Victor while He ordered his favorite, a piping hot caramel macchiato with cinnamon sprinkled on top. He pulled beside Victor, waiting for his order.

" Venti cotton candy frappuccino for Victor?" an employee called out to the crowd of two. They could tell the man was trained to say this so neither of them said anything. Yuri replayed the employees words in his head.

'cotton candy'

'cotton candy??'

"oh my god victor! I thought you said you'd stop with the secret menu items!!" Yuri whisper shouted, as victor sipped the milky pink beverage innocently, batting his eyelashes. " the cotton candy frappe is my signature drink, like i could ever part from it."

" oh please, you and I both know its just a vanilla bean frappuccino with a raspberry shot."

Victor gasped offendedly. " how dare you compare my venti cup of heaven to a vanilla bean frappe!"

Yuri rolled his eyes. "im not 'comparing' i'm stating facts,"

"how do you know that for a fact huh??"

" you can literally watch them make it! they just add vanilla bean and raspberry! Youre so thick headed!''

"Im not thick headed, you're just telling me lies.''

" whatever nikiforov, you keep believing those lies and drinking that 'Cotton candy' frappe. "

"i will, but not because you told me too" said Victor, taking another sip of the beverage.

---

{ previous night}

" Okay, cmon, you'll live." phichit said, dragging Yuuri to his dorm room.

"but-"

"no buts! if ive gotta go back to my room, so do you. you can't avoid the inevitable Yuuri, and talking to your roommate is inevitable. You have to at least try to get along with him.''

Yuuri sighed, knowing his friend was completely right, like always.

---

Yuuri pushed himself forward, fumbling to get his keys out of his pocket. he unlocked the door, but just stood there, not sure how to follow through with the simple action of opening a door. He counted to three mentally, then jerked open the door. The quick, strained effort put into the act was similar to that of ripping off a bandaid, so much so that it was almost comical.

He entered the room, immediately aware of Victors presence. Apparently so was he, as he turned around to greet yuuri with a smile almost on a non existent que.

"Oh, um. hello..." Yuuri bowed his head slightly.

"good evening.". Victors voice was still warm and kind, though he spoke more calmly, with more care. Yuuri could appreciate that.

Yuuri's eyes darted around the room, making contact with anything but the man in front of him.

There was a dead silence, the essence of awkward stung like a bee. Neither of the men wanted to break the silence.

Though on the other hand Victor was determined to start up a conversation. after all if Victor Nikiforov was going to have to live with some stranger for an entire year, he was going to get to know them if its the last thing he did.

"so, are you a freshman here?" He started.

"sophomore, actually." Yuuri corrected. Though he questioned why Victor would ask that in the first place. It said so on the assignment papers. maybe he was just playing dumb.

"and you're a senior right?"

Victor nodded. " yes, I major in linguistics" Yuuri already knew all this, but with Phichits words ringing in his head, he decided to play along.

" oh, Im a Mathematics major."

"ohh very intriguing."

"um, yeah...'' Yuuri shifted awkwardly towards his bed, grabbing a stray bag and unpacking it casually, he always was better at conversing when busy.

Victor watched him, eyes burning through the depths of his skin. As Yuuri folded some clothes, he thought Victor may just stare in silence for the rest of the night.

"You..."

Yuuri hummed in question. Victor paused seemingly in a trance.

" you look like... a wife."

....

smooth one Nikiforov.

At this Yuuri looked up in shock. "W-what??" He stammered face steaming with embarrassment not only for himself but for Victor too.

"oh my god... I didn't im.. so sorry! I must seem like such a freak to you but really I'm not well i kinda am.. but not like a sexist weirdo freak!"

silence filled the room.

oh fuck you fucked this up you're going to have to move somewhere far away now and live your life as a hermit and-

and then

Laughter.

Yuuri was laughing.

not nervous laughter, or polite laughter, it was genuine, uncontrollable laughter. And if Victor wasn't so embarrassed he would have been focusing on just how nice yuuri looked when he laughed. His face flushed a hue of pink, and his soft chubby cheeks complimented his bright smile.

"s-suddenly I don't feel as embarrassed about earlier!" Yuuri choked out, trying to muffle his laughter into the article of clothing he was folding. "I-I can't believe you called me a 'wife'"

"I didnt mean to say it aloud!!" Victor deflated onto the ground in defeat.

'I guess he may be more human than I thought.'

Yuuri got up from the bed, his laughter subsided and his eyes riddled with sympathy." that's alright, I get it, word vomit? I do it all the time. Frankly I didnt think you seemed like the type to be embarrassed like this." Yuuri said, urging the man to get up.Yuuri seemed to have a new confidence compared to when he walked in. Victor liked it, he thought it may have to do with his own vulnerable state.

Victor chuckled. "I can assure you, typically i'm not."

Yuuri laughed, he believed it.

---

Yuuri hesitated,"May I ask something?"

"ask away."

"Did you not read my stats on the assignment letter?"

Victor wasn't exactly expecting that question, but answered it truthfully. "Oh, I did. To be entirely honest I just wanted to start a conversation. The atmosphere was kinda ... off."

"I figured as much.".

The two were able to continue an almost normal conversation, mainly about anxiety, something that even Victor could relate to on a small note, though in a different way than yuuri did. Yuuri seemed to face copious amounts of anxiety in his everyday life, though victor was better at internalizing things. Their conversation was brief, as they technically had just met, but they both felt as though they were off to a decent start of something that could be a potentially good friendship.

---

"so," phichit started, "how did it go last night?"

Yuuri sipped his cheap latte, " mmn surprisingly, not terrible."

"...", "is that all? No details??"

"Well I mean I could tell you more, but that blueberry bagel looks amazing..."

Phichit caught his drift and rolled his eyes, before standing up to head to the counter. "every freaking time Yuuri." He mumbled under his breath.

"Wuh? what was that Phichit?" he teased.

" I said do you want cream cheese or jam on your bagel Princess katsuki?"

Yuuri suppressed a laugh, "Jam, thank you."

Five minutes pass by and Phichit returns to the table with a blueberry bagel and eager eyes. " Okay now tell me!''

" okay okay fine."

___

"wow, did he seriously call you a wife??" Pichit snorted "Y'know he's kinda right, you do kinda have a motherly glow to you."

Yuuri shot his friend a scowl. "Shut it Phichit,  knowing how to do chores is a basic life skill.
Being bad at them doesn't make you manly it just makes you gross ."

"im just saying" he snickered.

"alright alright enough about me, what happened with Seung Gil lee? You said you had a lot to tell me last night."

Phichit pondered, tapping his finger against his lips.

" Hmmm ya I dunno Yuuri, I Could tell you but that cherry danish looks pretty amazing."

---

Rule #4

dont take food from strangers.

Yuri walked back to the dorm, discarding his now empty coffee cup on the way there. He was just thankful classes didn't start till tomorrow, that way he could spend today doing whatever he wanted.

He slid into the elevator, which like the lobby was practically empty. It being so early on a sunday, everyone must of slept in, though he knew some people like Victor had sunday lectures, he was just glad that he wasn't one of them. The elevator dinged and he got off on his floor. As he approached his door he noticed across the hall, a guy, with jet black hair and blue wide framed glasses leaving the room across from his.

'I wonder who that is...'

The guy seemed to notice him and he nodded his head in a silent greet. Yuri nodded back slowly, watching as the guy hurried away to catch the closing elevator.

'Was that... Victor's roommate?''

He remembered Victor telling him about the guy, he certainly wasnt what he expected. Either that or some guy broke into Victor's dorm room, which wasn't as uncommon as it should be.

Yuri shrugged, slipping his keys in the door and pushing it open.

Still empty

Yuri shut the door and went over to his satchel to fetch his sketch book. He did what he always did, he sketched the interior of the room. Whenever he finds himself in a new environment, he has the tendency to draw it. Its how he adapts.

After finishing with the entire room, bathroom, and window view, he sketched out potential appearances of his mystery roommate. Sure that may be a little weird, but when you're on your own I'd say it's acceptable to be as abnormal as you very well please.

A good few hours went by until yuri realized he could no longer ignore his stomach's pleads for food. Reluctantly, he made his way to the 6th floor common room. It was empty for the most part, aside from some guy standing by a kettle waiting for the water to boil. The guy had dark brown, nearly black hair, it was styled into an undercut., he wore a grey shirt with a leather jacket and His facial expression was comically blank.  He didn't seem to notice Yuri's presence. 

The man had a unique look to him, a look that almost felt familiar but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Yuri walked past him, and too the all access cupboard. This cupboard was always full of either expired or just plain shitty items. Mainly things people did not want. Consider it food for the desperate and bone broke.

Yuri had yet to purchase his own groceries so he'd have to make due. In the cupboard were a few cans of no name alphagetti, a baggy of fruit loops, a few packets of expired beef ramen, and a half eaten twinkie.

" lovely." he muttered sarcastically, before shutting the disgusting cabinet empty handed. " I'd rather starve." he groaned, before making his way back out of the room. Only making it halfway down the hall before he was stopped. " hey, you're hungry right? " said a deep voice from behind him.
Yuri turned around, only to be met with the guy from the common room.

"Huh? oh, yeah. It's cool though, I was just gonna go eat at the buffet or something."

"thats expensive. there's no need to waste money when you don't have to. Here, you can have this." The man handed Yuri a sandwich that was neatly wrapped in tin foil. He hesitated before taking it.

" ...thanks."

The man nodded before returning back into the common room. Yuri went back to his room and unwrapped the sandwich. It was turkey, with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and some amazing sauce that he couldnt identify. The sandwich tasted really fresh and sedated his hunger. He would have payed a lot of money for a sandwich that good, and here he got it for free, score.

The unique stranger struck inspiration into yuri, the desire to draw the man was strong. Despite knowing it was weird, he couldn't bring himself to care. If he wanted to draw something then who's to tell Him he cant.

So Yuri drew, for hours.
He drew the man in different poses and tested out the anatomy of his broader frame, one he was less familiar with on paper.  He drew him up close, defining the sharp jawline and deep un telling eyes.

Yuri felt as though he could draw this man forever. This wasn't the first time he'd loved drawing a specific person so much, but its not usually a stranger.

Before he knew it he had fallen asleep, cuddling his sketchbook close to his chest.

Authors note
Hola, it's been a while since I've updated.
This copy may have some typos and lack of effects due to the fact that the original is on AO3.
Anyways, I really hope you guys are enjoying this because I love writing it.
I promise to update my other story asap I'm just super busy with work right now. (It's tax season ;-;)
I love you all, good day!

- coffee&desperation