After spitting the now foaming toothpaste from my mouth I gave myself a few finished touches of water and the soft embrace of a towel and began to for what seemed like the fourth time this morning, head downstairs. To surprise I saw Yuri red in the face and panting sitting at one of dining room chairs looking stressed as all hell.

-Yet another catastrophy about to occur in the space of an hour.

-Astounding.

Desperately wanting whatever ordeal was about to unfurl to blow over I walked across the room and sat in one of the living room chairs, purposefully ignoring Yuri. I hadn't even had time to attach my back to the chair before Yuri rushed up behind me and rocked the chair, pushing me into a state of panic. "Alex I, I think we're stuck here!" the tone of Yuri's voice was riddled with hints of severity but not a twinge of sadness or regret, nor annoyance.

I struggled to a degree of elephantine proportions to maintain my calm mood when faced with the prospect of spending more time with a person I was beginning to... Care for more. Alone. "Oh really" I mustered.

-Great, forget pretending  to at least be worried. Now you sound like this is ideal for you.

Luckily Yuri was too enveloped in the prospect of being stuck inside a frozen over house than my obvious lack of concern "We'll have nothing to eat! You probably need to get home!, I..." Yuri seemed to be getting more and more worried, eyes frantic and mouth gaping in terror, just before burring her face in her hands. "I never should have made you come here... I'm sorry..." She finished, voice heightening to an inaudible squeak, even in her silent house. Despite seeing her in this state and the way it cripples me I was able to conjure a concise and proper plan to at least ease her a tad. "Yuri, I don't mind being here a little longer as long as you are happy to have me here. Check the door can open if you haven't already and then try and call someone on the phone".

This at least got her head out of her palms though she still looked about ready to collapse with anxiety. "I-I checked the doors already but I couldn't open them, the phone as well isn't working, i'm sorry I dont know what to do and I-" 

Yuri stopped immediately.

What possessed me I have no idea all I know is that one second Yuri was talking. The next she had stopped and we were in an embrace. I knew I had hugged her first, but, but she was hugging back. It was awkward to a level, what with the embrace being close but our heads no where near each others shoulders. We did this for around ten seconds and if such hurt my back  I could only hope that Yuri spine still functioned. It was nice as out bodies held together, feeling each others breaths and tensity, breast and chests rise and fall.

We broke away almost in sync, my face was straight but Yuri was smiling, that warm smile radiating a heated aura that could knock anyone off their feet. As we looked into each others eyes, the friend line becoming a little blurred Yuri took a deep breath and this time hugged me, now for almost twice as long. As we released for the last time Yuri stared back at me "Alex, you always know how to make me happy" she took another look down before looking back at me with her violet gems once again. "Do you want to read with me Alex?" no retracted statements, no apologies, just Yuri wanting to read with me, like normal.

We took our seats or spots on the sofa like clockwork as if it were our usual corner at the literature club. Yuri left to get the portrait of Markov so I was left on my own for a minute. I should have just sat there but for some reason I couldn't stop thinking about out embrace. Just how natural it was and warm and, and soft, really soft. Yuri managed to return downstairs with the book. The thing was heavy, granted and would have been at least 2000 pages, but how Yuri had not seemed to finish it yet after all this time, especially with such a fixation on it I could not find an answer. We picked up where we left off. Last I remembered Libitina (the main character) was being sought after by lily, the leader of the human experiment prison, it was a compelling read.

I sat very close to Yuri. She held the book on her lap while I sat at her side. Whenever I finished or assumed she had I would let go of my page and let it flutter over to her side. Where she would catch it under her thumb.

-Each page was an intimate exchange...

We read for what must have been hours. Neither of us taking a break. By the time we finished it was 1.26 and we had already missed lunch. Yuri had become so engrossed in the book she simply moved to the couch opposite to me, hooked into the story. I on the other hand decided I would reheat a small slice of quiche for lunch. I asked Yuri if she would like one as well as if my idea for a late lunch was O.K. Both were met with a transfixed and quiet moan from an equally subdued Yuri.

After heating my lunch I set to eating it at the table. Other than the pastry losing the pristine flaking qualities it possessed before, the quiche was still a rich colour and tasted good enough for me to have seconds. I did so. Having finished my snack I grabbed my esprin Chronicles book and began to read. Only twenty minutes in and pages were beginning to blur and the plot became monotonous. Too much reading hurt. Yuri on the other had seemed to prosper. She only got deeper in the book and became harder and harder to reach until she was almost completely gone.

One thing I did notice was that Yuri read in a very odd position while sitting on a couch. She lent to one side propping the book up with both hands. One of her legs laid normally and had its respective food flat on the floor as if she was sitting normally. While her other leg wedged its knee joint into the other legs knee and pointed the limb forwards, putting her foot around 30 centimeters from my face.

Perhaps it was the good vibe that was in the air, perhaps it has the scent of Jasmine oil filling the room from Yuri's internal diffuser, or maybe it was just another spur of the moment. Any how I found my heart rate increase exponentially as I leaned forwards and stretching my fingers ever so carefully, grasped Yuri's shoe. She didn't notice. Not even a twinge of acknowledgement, the book had her entranced, that was about to change. As my heart began pounding, slightly slower, much heavier I began to remove Yuri's shoe. I had to wrap my entire hand around the sole and give the white accessory a tug downwards before slipping it off Yuri's foot. Still she didn't notice, her body moved as force was applied but that wasn't important to her, not as important as the novel. 

But that too would change in time.