Mr. Nikiforov
chapter twenty-two // merry christmas

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[ YURI'S POV]

After having breakfast and cleaning up, I decided it was time for me to leave.

"So, I should probably go now..." I brought up, drying my hands. Victor looked up from what he was doing and cleared his throat, seemingly a bit surprised.

"O-oh, sure. Um..." He pushed his bangs away from his face a bit and smiled, "Thank you for helping around."

I shrugged, "It was nothing, really. And it was the least I could do, since I stayed over and stuff." Victor smiled back.

I had already changed back into my clothes and after making sure I didn't leave anything behind, we both headed towards the front door. Surprisingly, I heard little steps rushing towards us, a small bump against my leg let me know it was Anton.

"You're leaving?" He frowned a bit, looking up at me with his wide, green eyes. I nodded.

"I had a lot of fun." I admitted, ruffling his hair a bit. I shifted a bit in my place and stole a quick glance at Victor to make sure this was okay. "We'll play more next time..." I suggested slowly and Victor smiled in approval.

"Okay! Bye, Yuri!" Anton gave me a quick hug and skipped away, leaving me and Victor alone at the door.

Victor was smiling wide, the corner of his eyes glowing from how happy he looked. I laughed and tried to play it off with a soft "what?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Victor trailed off and sighed, shaking his head with that wide smile still on his face. "Anyways...tonight it'll only be me and Anton at home. If you want, you're welcome to come and spend Christmas Eve with us."

My chest warmed up and I nodded. This was exactly what I was hoping he would say. I honestly didn't even want to leave his side. "Sounds fun, I'll be back this evening then."

Victor nodded, "You can also stay the night, that way you won't have to drive back so late." He teased and I blushed, flashbacks of last night going through my head.

Anton didn't know, did he?

"S-sure."

Victor opened the front door for me and I hugged myself, a little surprised at the cold air. How did i manage to forget how cold it was outside?

"Here." I turned around and Victor handed me one of his coats, I soft pink dusting the tip of his nose from the chilly air.

"Oh, thank you." Victor motioned for me to turn around and helped me slide it on. It was definetely warm.

"Thank you." I said once again, stepping out to the porch. Victor was still in his plain pajamas so I knew I had to say goodbye fast.

"Thank you." He shot back, smiling. "Everything was perfect." He shuddered a bit.

I nodded and began to step away, waving softly. "I'll see you later then--"

I was suddenly pulled towards Victor and my body flushed against his. His face was incredibly close and his warm breath hit my trembling lips, sending goosebumps across my skin.

"Later." He whispered and kissed me. A simple, loving kiss, yet it managed to leave my head spinning and my heart speeding.

"Yeah." I grinned, unable to say anything else. Victor let go of me and waved goodbye as I walked away, leaving his lawn and going to my (Phichit's) car in his driveway. I got in and gave Victor one last wave before pulling out and driving off.

Now...I have to find a present for Victor.

×××××

After going around the mall for two hours, I sat in the food court drinking a hot chocolate drink with only two shopping bags in front of me. Inside the bright bag was a backpack I had miraculously come across in one of the stores and in the other smaller one were a few chew toys I go for Makka. Anton's present was a backpack with a cute dog face and ears on it, the best part was, that it wasn't just a dog, it was an exact representation of Makka.

One thing that I had learned yesterday was Anton's overflowing love for the well-behaved poodle. It was a cute sight, something that could easily make my heart melt.

I sighed.

I found myself thinking about my own poodle that had unfortunately passed a few years ago. I hadn't spent much time with him, I didn't even get around to choosing a name for the pup, but I grew immensely attached very quickly.

I'm sure he's in a better place now, though.

A bit blue, I pushed the sad thoughts to the back of my head and focused on my present goal. I was still missing a present for Victor.

What could I get him?

I set my cup down and looked at the crowded place. There were so many frantic shoppers going around for last minute presents they needed to get. I wondered who they were for.

I smiled, wrapping my hands around the warm cup. My eyes focused past the people and I spotted a small, almost hidden shop across the food court, the lit up sign hanging on top of the doors giving me ideas.

No, I can't do that.

Yet I found myself getting up from my chair, picking up my belongings and approaching the store. As I went in I noticed the place was a bit packed and I felt myself blush as I looked at the displays.

"Oh, welcome, is there anything specific you're looking for I could help you with?" An employee asked cheerfully.

I still wasn't sure if this was even a good idea, let alone what I would want to buy, but in that moment I found myself looking at a specific side of the store, my eyes locked on a certain section.

"Yes...I want one of those." I breathed out, my hands trembling a bit.

"Sure thing. Follow me," The freckled guy smiled and I looked down at his name tag, 'LAURENS :)', "Do you have a size in mind? A style?" He asked as we approached the display.

"W-well..." I trailed off, unsure.

"I could give you recommendations?" He offered and I nodded. He took a box from the wall and showed it to me. "This one is very popular with the ladies."

I blushed and scratched my neck. "Um, it's actually for a guy..."

His eyes widened a bit, "Oh, my bad. In that case we have a different section for men. We could go check that out."

"I'm sorry if I made it awkward, I can go on my own if you prefer." I offered but the guy shook his head, his curly hair swaying a bit.

"Oh, no, I'm okay with helping. I don't mind, at all." He smiled and I let out a breath I had been holding, happy to see he was okay with this.

I smiled back and followed him to where I was sure I would find Victor's present.

Hopefully this would go well.

After getting Victor's present, I decided I could finally go home.

I slowly became tired as I drove to the dorms, and by the time I made it to my bedroom, I crawled into bed and closed my eyes for a nap.

The next time I opened my eyes, I turned over to my side, groaning as I stretched our my numb muscles. Sleeping in such an uncomfortable position with all of my clothes on was definitely not the best way to take a nap.

After I woke up completely, I got up and checked my cellphone for any missed noticifications. I had a few texts from Phichit and a few other friends which I quickly sneered before putting my phone to charge.

I then went through my clothes for a new outfit, and I settled on something more formal than what I normally wear. After taking a quick shower, I got dressed and made myself a light early-dinner.

I had about an hour to spare before I had to head out and go to Victor's place, so I finished up any assignments I had to do.

BBIT:
alright, take care of my car!
Marry early Christmas or
whatever lol :*

I chuckled at Phichit's message and wished him a Merry Christmas as well before opening my conversation with Victor.

Me:
Should I head over now?

After a few minutes of waiting, I received a reply.

Victor♡:
If you're willing to help
with dinner ('^∇^)

Me:
I'll be there in 15 lol

I got up from the couch and began my journey to Victor's home once again. I made sure to bring an extra change of clothes to sleep in and I could feel my face redden every time I looked at the gym bag on the passengers seat.

I had originally been worried about seeing Victor again since I found out he had a child, but the more time I spend with them, the more comfortable I felt with all of this. A serious relationship was not something I had been looking for, but I don't mind having that with Victor.

Although it's still a bit much to wrap my head around Anton, I can honestly say he is starting to grow on me. He's definitely being raised right by Victor and I love seeing the relationship they have together. It's a new and different side of Victor that I really enjoy watching.

I never thought I would be in this type of situation, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

The drive came to an end not long after that and I made my way to the front door, knocking and waiting patiently. A few seconds later the door opened and I was greeted by Anton.

"Hi, Yuri!" He smiled, turning around, "Dad, Yuri's here!" He exclaimed and I chuckled.

"Sorry, come in!" Victor popped his head from the kitchen and I nodded, following Anton inside and closing the door after me. Instantly, Anton's eyes fell on the bag I had with me.

"What's in there?" He asked curiously. I smiled and put it behind my back.

"You'll find out at midnight." I winked and Anton's eyebrows furrowed in determination. I went over to the Christmas tree and placed the bags beside the small pile of presents.

When I turned around again Anton was gone so I made my way to the kitchen where I knew Victor was. There was a warm, delicious smell all through the house and the closer I got to the kitchen, the sweeter it became.

"Hi." I greeted Victor as I entered the kitchen. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at me, eyeing me up and down.

"Wow, I haven't ever seen you dressed so formally." Victor teased, leaning against the counter and giving me his full attention. I shrugged and chuckled, trying to play it off but I felt my ears heat up under his gaze.

"You look amazing." He assured me and I smiled, shaking off the shyness.

"Thank you. You don't look bad at all either." I smirked, referring to his much more casual look. He was wearing a turtle neck sweater, something I hadn't seen on him yet.

Can this man make anything look amazing?

I could suddenly hear my heart beating loudly against my ears. Before Victor noticed, I walked over to the kitchen island and cleared my throat.

"So what can I help with?" I asked and Victor nodded, telling me what I could do as I went over to wash my hands.

After a good hour or so, Victor and I finished making dinner and some dessert. We then had dinner with just the three of us and we had a nice conversation through out. Nothing too important since it was mainly just Anton bringing up topics about things he was interested on.

After eating we brought dessert to the table and I couldn't help but notice how Anton would scrunch his nose up when he talked about something he disliked, just like Victor usually does. And as I heard more I also learned that he likes to move around in his chair a lot when he is very excited, which I've sometimes noticed from Victor as well. It was random observations but adorable facts that I had noticed that night.

After finishing and cleaning up, Victor suggested we watch a movie while we waited for mid-night so we could open up presents, which Anton was more than excited about.

[A/n: I'm not sure If this is how you all celebrate on Christmas Eve, but this is how me and my family do it, so I'm going based off on that, sorry]

Once we all were able to finally agree on a movie, we all went to the couch with a small bowl of microwaved popcorn.

"Dad, I have to sit next to Yuri!" Anton fussed.

"Why?"

Victor pouted a bit, his tone wasn't mean, but more confused. Anton slipped in between Victor and I, teasingly pushing Victor away.

"What if he has questions? I can answer them! I've seen this movie like a thousand times!" He stated proudly, taking his time with correctly pronouncing the word 'thousand'.

"You could just sit on the other side?" Victor laughed, poking at his tummy. I smiled.

"No! You'll distract us if you sit next to him!" By this time Anton had managed to push Victor off the couch, and I tried to hide my laugh with a cough, but Victor quickly noticed and flashed me a playful glare.

"He's right." I decided to agree with Anton, which the small boy was ecstatic about.

"So then I'm supposed to watch the movie from here?" Victor asked us pointing at the floor he was now sitting on, and me and Anton nodded. "But--"

"Shh! Dad, it's starting!" Anton gushed, sitting down properly beside me and reaching for popcorn on my lap. Victor gave me a pleading look but I simply shrugged, knowing I couldn't go against Anton after I had agreed with him.

Victor just gave me a teasing disapproving shake of his head, trying to hide his smile.

"Dad, pay attention." Anton whispered, pouting.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." Victor chuckled and turned around, fixing himself so his back could rest against the couch next to my legs.

And so we watched 'Mean Girls', despite it not being a Christmas movie. Anton had brought up the scene when they perform Jingle Bells and argued that it was a good movie, and he really wanted to watch it, so Victor and I agreed there was no harm in watching it. As I watched the movie I wondered if Anton had really watched this movie a lot, and if that was the reason why he was sometimes sassy?

As we reached  the last quarter of the movie, I felt a small head start to slide past my arm and I realized Anton had fallen asleep against me. I placed the empty bowl of popcorn next to me and carefully moved Anton so he could lay on the couch and sleep more comfortably.

Victor looked back at me at the sudden movement and he smiled when he saw Anton's sleeping face drooling slightly against the couch.

"Ah, isn't he the cutest?" Victor smiled up at me, a shimmer in his eyes. I raised an eyebrow; something about the way he said those words didn't make it sound like an actual question...

Victor got up from the floor and rushed off somewhere upstairs. A minute later he came back down and quietly slid back to the floor, moving close to Anton's face.

"What are you doing?" I questioned.

"Shh, he's a pretty heavy sleeper but we have to be cautious." Victor whispered, showing me a red washable marker in his hand.

My eyes widened. "Victor!" I whispered in a warning tone. "That's not nice."

Victor shushed me off again and opened the marker, getting to work. Despite not completely being for the idea, I still leaned over to see what he was drawing.

He painted the tip of his nose red, whispering, "See? He's rudolph."

I held back a laugh and frowned as Victor drew on whiskers.

"Reindeer don't have whiskers?" I asked, unsure myself. Victor shrugged, adding one last whisker before closing the marker.

"It makes his nose stand out more." Victor then pulled out his phone and snapped a couple of pictures, laughing softly to himself. Although it was kind of mean and not the best pictures of Anton, Victor still awe'd as he flipped through the new photos in his gallery. "My baby is so cute."

I smiled.

Victor really was something special.

"That'll go to the collection." He stated and put his phone away, looking up at me happily.

"You're unbelievable." I grinned and Victor shrugged casually.

Ever since I got here, my heart had been beating rapidly and I felt like it would explode every time Victor did anything remotely cute, or even simply smiled at me or spared me a glance. It was ridiculous how out of control I would feel as I looked into those blue eyes, and how giddy I felt whenever I heard his laugh.

What the hell was happening to me?

"Victor..." I began with more of a serious tone, which got Victor's attention quickly. He looked up at me with a bit of worry, wondering what I was going to say. "...I'm sorry I reacted the way I did when I found out about Anton. I was surprised and wasn't sure how to react, but that doesn't justify why I ran out on you like I did. Now I don't feel scared anymore and I really appreciate both you and Anton, a lot. I guess I still feel guilty over reacting so harshly back then. I'm not very good with my emotions." I admitted the last sentence shyly, lowering my head to avoid Victor's eyes which I could feel were burning holes into my skull.

I was suddenly pulled off the couch and fell to the floor over Victor's body with a heavy thud. My gasp was cut short as a pair of lips fell over mine. In a moment of shock I pulled away and looked down at Victor in worry.

"Are you okay--"

"I'm perfect." He smiled softly. "I don't need you to apologize for having a normal reaction. Like I said before, telling you about Anton was something I should have done since the beginning, so dropping something like that on you so suddenly was bound to get such reaction. I'm just glad you're here now and like Anton as much as you do." His smile spread widely and he looked so warm it made my chest ache and my hands tremble beside his head. It was so much raw emotion behind his eyes that I had to look away.

"Thank you for saying that." I exhaled, feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

"Yuri." Victor whispered, one of his hands rested on the small of my back while the other grabbed a hold of my chin and turned my head to face him correctly. He still had that same look on his face. The way his cheeks were painted a soft pink and his eyes closed a bit while looking at every detail on my face as if admiring a piece of art made my skin crawl in goosebumps.

His next words made my face redden brightly and it almost felt like he had poured hot water all over me. I have no idea how to describe it, or if it was even possible to do so, but above all the emotions and thoughts running through my mind, it was clear I was beyond happy.

"I haven't felt this happy and at peace in a very long time, so thank you."

All I could do was let myself smile and silently agree.

It was him who had come into my life and made me feel this way. At the beginning of this semester I thought I would never find love of my own, but here Victor was, taking and giving me love. Who's also my french professor.

I giggled and rested my head on his chest, thinking to myself how unreal our situation is. It's ironic really, to find something you thought was impossible in the last place you ever would've thought to search.

"What?" Victor asked, his chest vibrating as he chuckled softly at my reaction.

"I just remembered we're student and teacher," I explained. These past couple of days had made me forget the fact that what we were doing was, well, illegal.

"Oh, you're right..." Victor whispered. He was quiet for a few seconds before he himself chuckled at the thought. I looked up at him and both of us chuckled.

If what we were doing was illegal, then man was I ready to be handcuffed.

+++++

We woke up Anton just a few minutes before the clock striked twelve. At first Anton protested but the second Victor told him he could open up his presents if he wanted, the toddler shot up from his sleep and looked at us excitedly.

The three of us sat on the living room floor, Victor and I watching as Anton began to open up the few presents he had waiting under the tree.

I had Makka resting on my lap and I mindlessly scratched her ear as Anton opened the train set someone named 'Chris' had gifted him. Victor explained to me he's very close to Anton and would introduce me to him soon.

After a few more gifts from close people I didn't know came the family members, which consisted of a few art supplies from V (since Anton also had an interest in art), a movie gift card and expensive looking toys from Jumin, and some really cute clothes from Victor. Anton finally got to the present I had chosen for him.

Suddenly I got very nervous and began to doubt if the gift was even remotely good enough. It was the first present Anton would ever get from me, whether I'm around to give him more or not, this would definitely leave an impression on the boy.

"Who's the last one from?" Victor asked as he fixed all of Anton's toys neatly beside the boy and put away the gift card so it would't get lost. Anton took a second as he read the name on the side, his reading skills still in process.

"To Anton...From...Yuri!" Anton exclaimed, surprised and excited he got a present from me. He looked at me with wide eyes and carefully opened the bag.

I looked to the side and saw Victor giving me a timid yet happy look. He leaned over a bit and spoke in a low voice to not distract Anton.

"You didn't have to get anything."

I smiled and whispered back, "I wanted to. Although I'm not very good at picking gifts."

"Oh my god! Dad, look! It's a Makka backpack!" Anton cheered and got up to his feet, holding up the object proudly. Victor grinned and admired the scene before him.

"What do you say?" Victor asked and Anton put his bag down, skipping over to me and giving me a tight hug. It was the first ever real hug I had received from Anton, and I decided that I would buy him anything he wanted if it meant I would get more hugs like those from him.

"Thank you, Yuri!" Anton squealed and pulled back. I was so happy he found the simple present worthy enough despite it not being as expensive as all the other gifts he had opened just before.

"Is there anything else?" Victor asked, trying to look around the christmas tree. Anton reached for one of the last three bags and I recognized it as Makka's gift.

"Yes, this one's for....Makka!" Anton looked into the bag and pulled out three chew toys. They were simple and there wasn't anything too special behind them, other than the memory of Victor mumbling one day something about Makka chewing on everything she found, which included shoes.

One was shaped like a bone, the other was a bright yellow ball, and the last one a shoe, which I thought was pretty funny.

"They're from Yuri, too." Anton added as he finished reading the letter. He picked up the shoe toy and squeezed it, making it squeak and catch Makka's attention instantly.

Victor chuckled at the object and put a hand on my lower back, smiling tenderly.

"You really didn't have to. Thank you." He laughed, sighing. "Hopefully she'll leave my shoes alone now." He laughed.

"Oh, can I give my presents now?" Anton asked, beyond excited. Victor nodded and pointed a finger at Anton as he got back up.

"Just make sure you're careful. And don't run on your way back." Victor warned and Anton nodded, promising he wouldn't before running off somewhere upstairs.

"What's he gonna do?" Victor looked at me with a smirk, putting his finger up against his lip in a shushing motion.

"You'll see." He winked and I looked away, finding it cute, hot, and funny at the same time.

Someone help me control myself.

Anton didn't take long to come back, carefully walking back into the living room with a medium sized box in his hands. He looked like he wanted to scream in joy as he approached me and handed me the box. I took it, a bit surprised at the weight but mainly confused about what was happening.

"It's for you! Merry Christmas. " Anton explained. Makka sniffed the box and wagged her tail before being pulled away by Victor. I gave Victor a puzzled look and he laughed.

"Just open it." He nodded and I looked at the box in front of me. I took a nervous deep breath and opened the box.

At first I didn't see anything, but once I leaned over to look inside, I felt my heart sink in shock. A pair of brown eyes looked up at me in curiosity and blinked slowly. My mouth was hanging open, unable to believe my eyes. As if to prove to me this was actually happening, a heard a high pitched bark, snapping me out of my paralyzed state.

"Is this...wait...is this for me?" I whispered, a knot in my throat. I looked at Anton and Victor, not believing this was real.

"Yes!" Anton cheered, nodding happily. I reached my hands into the box and carefully pulled out the pup, my fingers grazing its soft, curly fur. It was a small version of Makka, and an exact replica of the pup I used to own.

"What's their name?" I asked softly, staring into the small brown eyes in front of me.

"We haven't named him. We thought you should." Victor explained to me and I gulped, looking between Victor and the puppy.

I smiled wide, tears brimming up to my eyes. "Victor." I said confidently.

Victor's eyes widened and he chuckled nervously. "You think that's a good name?"

I looked at Victor's red face and nodded warmly. "We'll call him Vicchan." I added and Anton awe'd.

"I like it!" Anton gave me a thumbs up and I smiled at him, holding the puppy against my chest. I glanced down at Vicchan and he yelped, wagging his small tail happily.

"Yeah, Vicchan it is." I chuckled.

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A/n: I have to finish it there T_T
i am so sorry, rip my updating schedule
i dont know why its been so difficult for me to write, but ill try to get over it! theres been so many story ideas going around my head and i get all excited, but i promised myself i have to finish this book first

next update will have victors present (ohoho) and another amazing smut scene~~ do you guys think they should go all the way already? ive enjoyed teasing you guys so much lol

oh btw, yes that was laurens from Hamilton, it was randomly added there but eh, i how can i say no that? :3

next chapter will also (most likely) feature our beautiful yato once again ;)

hopefully i can update much sooner this time, if i dont, feel free to spam me and make me feel bad about not updating lol

till next time~ (get le tissues ready)
-Sai