Chapter Text
“Excuse me? Sir? Um, do you happen to speak English?”
I turn around to see a young man, an omega, shivering and soaking wet from the rain. He looks scared and exhausted, and he fiddles with the handle on the small blue suitcase that he’s holding. His dark hair clings to his face from the water and he seems to have given up on keeping his glasses dry.
“Yes,” I reply, stunned to see an omega out by themselves this late at night.
“I was wondering if you could tell me where this is?” He pulls out a crinkled strip of paper with an address on it. I hold my umbrella in my elbow so that I can unfold the paper, and I struggle to read his poorly written Cyrillic. He must have tried to copy it off of a computer.
“This should be just a couple blocks down this way. I’m actually headed just a bit further than where you’re going. Would you like me to walk you there?” I ask, feeling like it would be cruel to send this poor creature off on his own.
“Oh, um, okay. Thank you very much,” he says, a bit tentative. I hope he doesn’t think I’m a creep or something.
“Here,” I say, handing him my umbrella as we start walking. “You look like you’re freezing.”
“Oh! You really don’t have to. I don’t want you to get wet.”
“I’m pretty sure you need this a lot more than I do right now. Please, I insist.”
He simply nods and takes my umbrella with a shaking hand. God, how long had he been out in this weather? He’s lucky that it’s not snowing—St. Petersburg can be so unforgiving.
Dark buildings loom over us as we walk along the sidewalk, but they offer no shelter from the rain.
“I don’t mean to pry, but what exactly are you doing out by yourself so late at night?”
“Ah, it’s kind of a long story. But I’m on my way to a hostel to spend the night.”
I scrunch my eyebrows together in concern. “Were there no hotels available? I feel like that would be a lot safer for you,” I say without thinking; hopefully I’m not being too nosy.
“Oh, ah, well, not within my price range,” he says, averting his gaze.
“Oh,” is all I can say. This little omega was so strange. He had a suitcase and he didn’t speak Russian, so I would assume he was just a tourist. However, he had made it clear that he had money troubles, so it wouldn’t make sense for him to travel at a time like this, and omegas traveling alone were quite rare. He must have traveled from pretty far, too, since he looked to be some sort of Asian and he spoke with a slight accent.
I start to shiver from the cold rain, too, but I’ve got a better coat on then him.
“My name is Viktor, by the way,” I say just to fill the awkward silence.
“My name is Yuuri,” he says, looking back at me.
“It’s nice to meet you Yuuri,” I say with what I hope is a comforting smile.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” he says, returning a timid smile of his own.
“You’re not from around here, are you? Are you on vacation?” I ask.
“No. I, ah, actually moved here for a job. I came from the U.S., but I’m originally from Japan.”
“Wow! That sounds really exciting. What was the job for?”
“Well, actually it was an audition for a ballet troupe, but when they invited me I was told that I was almost guaranteed a spot. So, I spent the last bit of money that I had after college for a one-way plane ticket and a small apartment near the ballet studio. The night before the audition I was too nervous to go to bed on time, and then I ended up sleeping in. When I was running to the studio to try to get there on time, I uh,” his voice cracks a bit, “I tripped and twisted my ankle,” he finishes. It feels like a punch in my gut.
Then he gives a sarcastic laugh. “Ballet dancers are supposed to be graceful. And I tripped on a crack in the sidewalk. I probably wouldn’t have made the cut anyway,” he finishes with a mutter. Yuuri stares at the ground as we continue walking, and I can see new water on his face that isn’t from the rain.
I feel my heart break, and I have to stop myself from pulling him into a hug.
Then he continues, “I tried finding a new job, but nobody wants someone who can’t speak Russian. So, when I couldn’t pay rent this month, I had to leave. Hopefully I can stay at this hostel and figure something out before my money runs out,” he says, almost like he’s trying to defend his misfortunes.
I swallow, feeling awful for him. “Do you not have any family that can help you?” I ask, nervous to bring up what is probably another sore subject.
He seems to realize that he told me too much personal information, so he shakes his head and says a simple “No.”
The final minutes of the walk are spent in silence, but my head is whirring. There was no way I was just going to dump this omega off at the hostel. I would at least give him some money, and maybe my train card. Should I buy him a hot meal first? Would he even allow me to offer my help? He seemed like the type to suffer in silence, so he must be under serious emotional stress for him to share his story with me like that.
I look up to notice that we’re only a few feet away from the address that Yuuri handed me.
“I think this is it,” I say.
The building we’ve stopped at is…disgusting. The paint on the concrete walls is sun bleached and chipping, and the one window I could see has bars protecting it. There’s trash around the edges of the building and some nasty words scratched in Russian into the wooden door. I am appalled.
Yuuri turns to me and hands me my umbrella back.
“Thank you so much for leading me here,” he says with a sad smile. Only now that we’re standing under the light from the hostel, I can see the red rawness around his eyes and nose from crying. I’ve made up my mind.
“Yuuri, it’s really not safe for you to stay here. Let me pay for a hotel room for you, please. I can’t stand the thought of you sleeping here.”
“No! There’s no way I’d ever be able to pay you back. I’ll be fine, I promise. Viktor, when I told you all that stuff, I wasn’t trying to guilt trip you or anything. I just… haven’t been able to talk to anyone in a while, so it all just sort of slipped out. I’m sorry. But I’ll be okay, really.”
“Yuuri,” I say more firmly, taking a step closer to him, “this place is way too sketchy for an omega. Look at you, you’re soaked to the bone! If you don’t take a shower and warm up, you’ll definitely get sick, and you can’t afford that right now. This place in bound to only have communal showers, which is doubly dangerous for you. Please, just let me get you a hotel room. It doesn’t have to be that expensive, and I’d never ask you to pay me back for it,” I say desperately.
I can tell by the scared way that Yuuri looks at me that he knows I’m right. Tears start pouring down his cheeks.
“And then what?!” he asks angrily, his body still shaking. Then his voice softens, “It won’t matter, because tomorrow I’ll be out on the streets again. Hotels are expensive—you can only pay for a few nights before it becomes a burden to you. Please, I already feel guilty enough.” His eyes are staring at the ground again, and I can’t stand to see him like this—so utterly vulnerable and alone.
“What if…what if you stay at my place?” I ask.
Yuuri looks at me in shock.
“I-I know, it’s probably only slightly less sketchy to stay at a random alpha’s house than this place, b-but I can promise you a hot shower and warm food! The couch is fairly comfortable, as long as you don’t mind the dog smell too much. It’s only one more block from here,” I finish, feeling like Yuuri might soon report me as a sexual predator.
“Viktor, if I couldn’t accept your offer for a hotel, then I could never go so far as to intrude in your home! Didn’t you hear what I just said? Wouldn’t it be even more trouble for you?”
“Actually, no! I would only have to pay for a bit of extra food and water instead of a whole hotel room, right? This way I could also be your translator, and we can do a better job of looking for a job that would suit you. That way, you would even be able to pay rent, if you really wanted too. Eventually you’ll be able to move out, and then even get enough to fly home! Doesn’t that sound good?”
Yuuri didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was really conflicted about it, which was much better than refusing me altogether.
“Look, I know we just met each other,” I say, looking him in the eye, “and you have no real reason to trust me but…but I swear to you, on my mother’s soul, that I won’t hurt you.”
My words seem to resonate with him a bit and Yuuri bites his lip and looks back down at the ground in thought. Kicking the dirt with his shoe, Yuuri looks back up again.
“Did you say you have a dog?” he asks.
My hormones do a mental fist bump for being such a good alpha.
When I jingle my keys in front of my door, I can already hear Makkachin scratching the wood, so I only open it a crack so that she doesn’t run Yuuri down like a bulldozer.
“Look who I brought, Makka! This is Yuuri,” I say.
Yuuri (adorably) looks genuinely excited to meet Makkachin, and he pets her head lovingly. When he looks up, his eyes widen in surprise. I wouldn’t say my apartment is particularly fancy or anything, but I do think it’s nice, and I’m happy with how I decorated it. The main area is a living room on the left and a kitchen/dining area on the right. A small hallway connects the living area to the bathroom and the bedroom. The style is elegant, yet simple. The glass doors that lead to the balcony compliment the light color scheme that I have—cream and white and a light blue. The white sofa, regrettably, has dog hair all over it, but hopefully Yuuri won’t mind as long as I put a sheet over it.
When I look back at Yuuri, I notice he’s still shivering.
“You should hurry up and take a shower. Are you hungry? I can make something while you’re in there.” I say.
“Oh, um, I’m okay. But thank you.”
I narrow my eyes and stare him down.
“Yuuri, I think you’re lying. What are you in the mood for?” I demand more than I ask.
Yuuri looks guilty, but answers, saying that “Anything is fine, thank you.”
I smile. “The bathroom is just down that hall and across from the bedroom. You can use my shampoo, too, if you need.”
Yuuri smiles back. “Thank you,” he says, but he says it with such sincerity that it takes me a bit off guard.
While Yuuri showers, I make a simple pasta dish, since it’s quick, popular, and Yuuri probably needs the carbs. Makkachin prods my legs as I cook, asking for a piece of whatever I’m making.
“I’m not done yet, Makka, it’ll be a few more minutes.”
I decide to also put on some hot water for tea, decaffeinated tea, since Yuuri probably needed something calming and warm. I hadn’t really been hungry myself, since it was past one in the morning, but I can feel myself gaining an appetite while smelling the food.
When Yuuri finally comes out of the shower, he’s wearing sweats and an old t-shirt as his pajamas. His glasses are clean and his hair is soft and fluffy from towel drying. He looks so cute I might burst.
“Yuuri! Dinner is just about ready. You can sit down at the table. Would you like some tea?”
“Oh, yes please,” says Yuuri, in a noticeably better mood.
“Are you feeling better? Do you want me to turn up the heat or anything?”
“No, I’m perfect, thank you,” he says with a sweet smile.
When I put the food down in front of him, Yuuri all but inhales it. Normally, I would probably laugh, but it’s mostly concerning. When was the last time that he ate?
I decide that it’s probably rude to ask.
Once Yuuri’s done he starts looking like he’ll fall asleep at the table. So, I make up his bed on the couch, clean the rest of the dishes, and wish him a good night.
I’m still cold from the rain myself, so I take a quick shower before bed. When I come back out, Yuuri is already asleep with Makkachin curled to his side.
“You keep him warm, okay Makka?” I whisper.
Makkachin barely blinks at me before going back to sleep.
When I make my way under the covers of my own bed, I stare at my ceiling, thinking.
What had happened? Two hours ago I was just walking home from work, and now I have a homeless omega sleeping in my apartment? What if he steals something? What if he is a serial killer? What if I get sent to prison for abduction?
I sigh. I know none of that will happen. Yuuri is too good for this world—he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Even Makkachin likes him, so that’s a sure sign. Still, caring for another person is a huge responsibility. Omegas are an even bigger responsibility, since they’re more vulnerable. Hopefully, we’ll be able to work everything out in the morning.