The wood of the stage was quickly engulfed in flames, musicians and contest entrants leaping off to flee. Yuuri’s eyes went wide with panic when Victor leapt on instead, grabbing his siren by the hand.
“Run!”
Yuuri ran, folding his wings away, the rest of his feathers retreating. The fast pace of Victor’s strides took them through the winding city streets. Commotion spread as the clanging of a church bell echoed over the city, alerting of the smoke and the flickering light of fire building at the central plaza.
Victor pulled them into an alleyway, halting them with a motion for Yuuri to stay quiet. Yuuri did, his heart pounding like a drum, swallowing back his panting breaths as Victor gazed around a building corner. Men in uniform ran past them, carrying rifles, swords swinging at their hips. Victor waited until they were gone to turn back to Yuuri. “Well, so much for doing things quietly.”
Yuuri hung his head in regret, aware that his rash decisions were the sole cause. Victor’s fingers tipped his face back up the very next second. “Don’t look so down, I said it was high time for an adventure. And I could never regret a chance at another dance with you…”
Yuuri could hear it. The ‘but’ sitting on his captain’s tongue.
“Lovebird… I need you to go back to the ship.”
The siren quickly shook his head, ready to argue. He knew he had agreed to listen, to obey the request if it came, but leaving now would mean abandoning Victor in a city that might be hunting him, in which he was already wanted.
“Yuuri, you promised. People saw you, Lilia– the Queen, you heard her. Her men are going to be ensuring that she’s safe first but if she thought for a second your wings weren’t a costume, they’ll be coming after you as soon as that fire is out. They can’t do that if you’re not here. Go back the ship, keep it safe for me.”
Yuuri said nothing, his lips pursed together, eyes darting to the street beside them.
“Please, Yuuri. I know this city well, I know where to hide and how to keep myself from being discovered. They aren’t going to be looking for me now, they’ll be looking for you. I don’t want there to be any chance for them to find you. And if you’re on the ship, I’ll have you there to go back to. What could be a better motivator for me to stay safe than to be able to be back in your wings?”
Lower lip bitten red with worry, Yuuri slowly nodded. He took Victor’s hands in his, tracing the outlines of the rings missing from his fingers. In the moonlight peeking from between the clouds, Yuuri could see strands of silver hair spilling down to frame Victor’s face. Yuuri reached up to tuck them away once more and found his own face being drawn in by a gentle touch.
Victor lifted the mask Yuuri wore and settled it above the siren’s messed bangs, his own still in place as he leaned in. The golden mask brushed cool against the bridge of Yuuri’s nose, but Victor’s lips were warm. Sweet and gentle, they moved against his, a goodbye in the night.
Whimpering, Yuuri curled his fingers into the loose silver silk of Victor’s hair. His heart beat like it did in flight, rapid in his chest, sailing for Victor. Yuuri kissed him as if it were their last, pouring his love into Victor’s mouth, clinging because letting go meant it would end.
When Victor pulled back, Yuuri held back the cry of protest threatening to slip off his tongue. Instead, he corrected Victor’s mask and hid his hair, stroking a lingering caress across his half-concealed cheek. “Come back to me safely,” he ordered, treasuring the smile that pulled at Victor’s lips.
“I promise,” Victor replied, kissing Yuuri’s knuckles before taking a single step back. “Keep the crew from harm.”
“I promise,” Yuuri said. He stepped back too, his fingers slipping from Victor’s. Step by step, they grew apart, until Victor finally turned and disappeared into the night.
The Archery Range 