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Yuri was bored.
There were four specific reasons he was bored.
The first was that he was at a formal banquet where he had to make small talk and actually be civil and polite, and nice to people. And Yuri was not good at any of those things. It also meant he had to wear a suit and god knows how much he would prefer to wear jeans and a t-shirt. Specifically his black jeans cos they made his butt look nice and his tiger shirt cos it. is. awesome. Whatever Viktor might say.
The second reason, was that Yakov had spent the last half hour lecturing him, telling him what to do again despite the fact he was no longer on a rink. Then Lilia came over and started lecturing him on his hair and started pulling at his braid because it didn’t reach her stupid standards of beauty. He was saved by Otabek after a while but it still left a brittle feeling in his stomach. People telling him what to do never sat well with him. The only person Yuri would let get away with it was his Grandfather and even then it was a fine line between certain death and mild annoyance he walked.
Otabek had taken him and whisked him away but not before Lilia had tugged on his hair quickly a couple of times.
The third was because Viktor and the Pig were not being fun, as they usually were, but staring into each others eyes. Soulfully. Whilst sober.
It was terrible.
So, so very terrible.
It made Yuri want to scream, drink lots of vodka and leave.
The fourth reason was because, whilst Viktor was being boring, and the pig was being boring, usually there was someone else around who was fun. Like Mila. or Georgi (he was fun to wind up.) Or.... well usually Otabek.
But they had all fucked off, Georgi to the hospital (Weakling, it’s not like he was DYING it’s just pneumonia for crying out loud. Pfftf. Was the guy even Russian?) and Mila to “find my true love and propose to her and stuff.” Or something like that.
And Otabek, usually up for a laugh and a drink or two, was standing next to Yuri, his arm round Yuris shoulder, scowling. Which was unthinkable. Scowling was Yuri’s trademark not Otabeks. Otabek was all about the ‘moody frown’.
He was being no fun at all.
Yuri carefully detached Otabeks arm from his shoulder, partly because being able to smell Otabek was not doing favors for his concentration and partly because... no that was it. He took a quick step away and turned to look at the man with the very nice lips.
‘Otabek.’
The taller (wait no they were the same height now.)...
Otabek turned his head.
‘Yes Yuri?’
‘Are you.... Is...’ (fuck he was bad with the feelings crap. Talk to the pig about it. Remember.) ‘Are you ok?’
‘Yes. Why?’ Otabek raised an eyebrow in mild confusion.
Yuri’s brain did a flip which mirrored the rollercoaster ride his stomach had decided to go on.
‘Errrrrr... You’ve been, grumpy? this evening.’ Yuri looked away around the room. ‘I dunno. Your not as fun as usual. You just scowl at everyone who comes near. First Chris and then JJ (though that was kinda funny) and... I dunno. The only one who you would let come near was the pig. And Viktor. Which was weird.....’ He looked back at Otabek. Who was.... blushing...? No no that’s silly, just the lighting thank god.
The dark haired man mumbled something out which Yuri didn’t quite catch.
‘What?’ the tiger snapped.
Otabek cleared his throat and stared very pointedly at the door where Chris was moping into a phone (seriously dude? You won gold. Cheer up.)
‘I didn’t want them to talk to you.’
Yuri’s brain exploded. As did his heart. And his mouth. And the brittle feeling he had been holding all evening, the annoyance of people controlling him, snapped.
‘What. The. Fuck.’ (Good start, very controlled well done Yuri.)
‘You think you have the right to control who I speak to! YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT!? I WILL TALK TO WHO I WANT ASSHOLE, do. NOT. FUCKING. TOUCH ME!’
Otabek stared at him. He looked.... scared? Excellent. Well not really. But still. Asshole.
‘FUCK YOU FUCK YOU, fuck I’m going outside now and DON’T FUCKING FOLLOW ME.’
He stormed away.
‘Yuri! Wait come back!’ Otabek called after him. He sounded sorry. Fucker.
He had made a scene. A loud one. Possibly a bit of an overreaction.
Otabek hated it when he did that.
So what?
Asshole.
Yuri was fuming at this point and was very willing, very fucking willing, to punch something right now but unfortunately he’d been banned from punching Viktor. So grabbing a bottle of vodka would have to do. Fucker.
He was not looking where he was going as he barreled towards the door and this caused him to bump into one of the Crispino twins. The cute bearable one which wasn’t a twat.
Sara.
And to be honest she looked as upset as he felt.
He turned to scream at her, ‘Look where THE FUCK you are going!’ and stopped when he saw the tear in her eye. A very angry tear.
They stared at each other for a while.
Wordlessly Yuri raised the bottle.
She nodded in response and arm in arm they walked outside.
It was December.
But that’s why they had the vodka.
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An old man, the gardener, wandered around in an old shed, putting rakes and hoes in their place. He moved the pots to a different corner and sat down on a crate. He reached into his bag and pulled out a sandwich, a beer and a packet of cigarets. Now. Where was his lighter? He knew it was around somewhere.
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Sara’s evening did not start well. She loved her brother dearly, she really did, but he was so overprotective sometimes. He had been lecturing her on which boys she could and couldn’t talk to for a full fifteen minuets now. As if he could stop her! Anyway he was probably just jealous because Emil liked her more.
Well, talked to her more.
Idiots.
But she loved him and knew it was just because he loved her and would really miss her when she left, so she resigned herself to his chatter as they walked through the Hotel, and down the stairs and into the hall. And as they walked around the hall. And as she walked to the bathrooms. And when she left the bathrooms to walk around the Hall some more, thus stopping her from talking to anyone at all.
He literally grabbed JJ and shoved him away. And did the same to Emil. And Pichit (PICHIT of all people!?) and that was after an hour and quite frankly she was furious at this point.
She turned on him and snapped ‘I can talk to who I like you idiot. Just because your my brother doesn't mean you can dictate what I do!’
Her brother, who looked upset and annoyed at her outburst, started to say something when -
‘Hello?’
A very beautiful red-head appeared at her elbow.
‘Mila!’ Sara squealed and she grabbed her into a hug and a ‘save me please’ which she muttered into Mila’s ear.
The Russian laughed and wrapped her arm around her waist and Sara very pointedly ignored her heart doing weird backflips.
‘Micky, do you mind if I borrow your sister for a bit. I’ve missed her since the competition finished.’ And she smiled at Micky like the sun had shown its face for the first time in years.
To which Sara’s brother replied with a frown and a tentative ‘maybe... oh ok yes. You’re fine. Just keep Emil away from her.’
And with that Sara was whisked away to the bar and had a glass of champagne pressed into her hand.
‘Thanks Mila’ she said with a smile ‘Sorry you had to save me, but dead God, he was being annoying.’
Mila laughed (no nope ignoring the way her cheeks have dimples and her teeth are perfectly white like snow and her pretty eyes especially ignoring them) and pulled her in by her waist.
‘Don’t be sorry.’ She grinned ‘I wanted to talk to you anyway. I’ve missed you, you haven’t been replying to my texts.’
Sara was absolutely ignoring how Milas hand was burning her and how she wanted to combust right now.
‘Sorry! I’m really bad at texting people! I reply more to you than anyone really...!’
Fuck she shouldn’t have said that.
Mila squealed and grabbed her tight ‘Yay! I’m special!’ and she giggled. Oh fuck she giggled. And Sara found herself giggling back and letting the tension in her belly slipping slowly away. The frustration with her brother was slowly evaporating as Leo walked over with a smile and a ‘Hey Sara! How ya doing?’ Mila pushed him away gently laughing and said ‘No! Go away Sara is mine tonight! No one else can talk to her.’
And all that frustration just came flooding back.
Sara stared at Mila, who looked like... like she hadn’t done anything wrong (Hey this is your reason Sara. You know you didn’t actually TELL her so doesn't know - FUCK OFF BRAIN).
Sara slammed her glass down on the table as tears, angry tears pricked in her eyes. Someone was shouting behind her. Who the fuck cares.
Mila turned to look at her, confusion on her face ‘Sara what’s wrong? Sara are you ok? Why are you crying?’
And Sara turned and stormed away with Mila standing there alone looking confused, dejected and hurt.
Fuck all human beings.
Looking through a blur of red and tears she bumped into a blond human.
She was going to scream at him but then.... well. He had vodka and looked as angry as she felt. So.
They went outside and drank the vodka.
It seemed like the logical thing to do.
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The gardener dug around in his bag for about ten minuets. He couldn’t find his lighter. Wait...? There should be a box of matches somewhere in here... right...? He looked under a large plant pot and found the matches they used to start bonfires in the autumn.
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Yuri and Sara were in fits of giggles. Despite never having really spoken much they were getting along suspiciously well. As if they had alcohol to aid their newly created bond. She was lying with her head on his lap as he gesticulated wildly and pretended to be Viktor ‘Noo! Piggy come back! don’t run away skating is amazing and I love you but I won’t tell you that I’ll just PINE for months and months and put. it. into. SKATING!’ Yuri stuck a leg out and pretended to faint dislodging Sara.
She yelped and he reached out to grab her laughing again.
‘Sorry. I was trying to do a decent impression of VIKTOR NIKIVEROFFF, figure skater EXTRODINAIRE!’
And they collapsed into laughter again.
‘This is so much more fun’ she said wiping tears from her eyes as he took another swing from the bottle in the snow. ‘Seriously, I can’t believe I didn’t ditch everyone earlier.’
‘Me too,’ Yuri grinned ‘Otabek was being such a boring fuck.’
‘Awwww, you two have a fight already? That’s sad, you’re so cute together!’
Yuri slowly turned to look at Sara’s innocent smiling face.
‘What.’ He said in a flat voice.
She looked surprised ‘Well I thought you two were together.’ She hesitated. ‘Aren’t you?’
‘What!? No! Why would I be... with that guy!’ Yuri scoffed snapping his head away and staring pointedly at a shed on the other side of the garden.
‘Wait....’ Sara slowly sat up ‘You... you do like him right?’
‘Of course I like him! He’s my best friend...’
‘Not what I mean and you know it. Mila said you - ‘
‘THAT HAG SAID WHAT EXACTLY!?’
‘Don’t call my Mila a hag! She is beautiful!’
Yuri gave her a sly look, glad to change the subject.
‘So you and Mila...?’
‘Shut up,’ she yelped, punching his chest. ‘Anyway she annoyed me earlier so I’m ignoring her. But you know Otabek likes you right? Like, really really likes you. Like would lay his life down likes you.’
Oh. Fuck.
‘Shut up hag.’ he muttered. He groaned and leant back on the bench slumping as the full weight of what he’d done hit him. He hid his face in his hands and muttered ‘I yelled in his face... a possible over-reaction... but even so this evening just wasn’t great.....’
Sara sighed, ‘Yeah it was similar for me. I feel bad... but hey!’ Yuri glanced up into her smiling face ‘We have each other! And Vodka! We can be dating for the evening!’
Yuri flinched ‘No thank you hag, you’re not as bad Mila but there is no way I’d go near you.’
Sara laughed ‘Same here, but for this evening we can be dating and just ignore everyone else and all our problems! Oh come on!’ she grinned when Yuri looked away retching ‘I’m not that bad and it’ll make Otabek soooooooo jealous. Payback for... whatever he did.’
Yuri sighed and muttered something along the lines of ‘he didn’t really do anything and it was kinda cute and I really owe him an apology but ok it might be funny also I don’t want to talk to him right now.’
Or something like that.
Then he turned at slung an arm around her shoulder. He passed her the vodka bottle inclining his head ‘My lady...’ then looked up and grinned.
They collapsed into fits of laughter again and she curled up on his shoulder. It didn’t feel quite right, but he was warm, and, actually a pretty decent friend.
He pulled out his phone and grinned ‘Here lets take a photo. Commemorate the beginning of our relationship.’
They posed for a selfie, Sara pouting and clinging to his shoulders whilst he stuck his tongue out and pretended to be cool. They laughed again and she slumped against him as he put filters on the photo and adjusted the brightness. He then proceeded to post it on Instagram.
‘What should the caption be?’ he asked her
‘Hmmmmmm...’ she pondered for a moment. ‘Something jokey, but which will piss Otabek and Mila off. And Mickey. PARTICULARLY Mickey. How about ‘New relationship’ and then #goals, because it’s true, but they’ll probably misread it.’
He grinned. He really liked this girl he thought as he typed the caption out and hit post. Within seconds it had over a hundred likes and several comments. None from any of the parties they wished to enrage but they could wait.
They sighed and stared over the garden again. There was a light coming from the shed. It was a pretty sight. Yuri absently glanced at Sara’s hair and started to braid it. Old habit and they were both drunk. She yawned and let him, wondering how much nicer it would be if Mila was braiding her hair. Yuri thought back to a few hours before when Otabek had braided his. He’d been a lot happier then and smiled so much more.
A very pretty smil- nope. Ignoring those feelings now.
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The gardener had let hot rocks fall on the soft moss they used to start the bonfire. He sighed. There was a fire in the shed. But! it was a small one and it could be sorted in a moment. A bit of water or snow and it would be a memory. He wandered over to his bag and picked up his water bottle.
He had simply forgotten he had not filled it with water but rather a substance rather similar to that Yuri and Sara were drinking.
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Mila was not enjoying her evening. Sara had walked off in tears and she felt terrible. She hadn’t a clue what she had done but whatever it was she wanted to apologized several times and kiss it better. The latter was the most important part to her. It would be fine. She grabbed some liquid courage of the stronger variety, avoided Mickey and searched for her soon to be girl-friend with a fire in her eyes and heart. It was going to happen. It would. Probably.
Otabek on the other hand, stood in the center of the room staring after the blond fireball until Yuuri pulled him aside and put a wine glass in his hand. Yuuri murmured ‘Just go apologize. He really likes you, he’ll cool off quickly.’ into his ear. Sure. That was likely Otabek thought bitterly.
He felt broken inside, like he had betrayed Yuri’s trust somehow. He had known how much he hated people controlling him. It was just... He really wanted Yuri... to himself... for an hour or so.... fuck...
He groaned and ran a hand through his hair, downed the contents of his glass and strode across the room. An apology was the only thing he could think of to do right now.
He bumped into Mila after about ten minutes of fruitless searching. They shared their plight’s, and agreed to help each other. They both recognized the look of sorrow and desperation on the others face, or at least they thought they did. And that was enough.
They wandered around the building for about an hour together. What they spoke about, never left the walls and never will. All that can be said is that they understood the other much better than they had half an hour ago.
As they walked, talking softly, their previous disquiet having been soothed by alcohol and a conversation, a stunning idea hit Mila. ‘Otabek,’ she yelped excitedly ‘Call Yuri! My phone died in the hotel room and I left it there but you still have your phone right?’
Otabek’s eyes widened and he scrabbled in his pockets digging out his phone before pausing for a second when he remembered why he hadn’t taken this course of action previously.
He sighed. ‘It is unlikely Yuri will answer if he is annoyed with me. When he is angry he tends to cut off all contact. We will probably find him alone on the rooftop or some such place hissing at snowflakes.’
Mila sighed ‘We searched the roof and he wasn’t there. Try his phone. There’s a chance. And I don’t know Sara’s number by heart. We might as well find your missing person’
After five rings it went to voicemail ‘Yuri Pliesetsky. Leave a message if it’s important. If it isn’t fuck off. beeeeeeeeeee-’
The pair sighed and resigned themselves to more walking and looking. Otabek opened his Instagram - there was a minuscule chance Yuri had posted a photo of something near him that was cool, which would give a pointer to his location - and skimmed through it.
He gripped his phone so tightly he almost cracked the screen. He then dropped it and actually did crack the screen.
Mila turned sharply. ‘What? Did he text you?’
Otabek retrieved his phone with shaking fingers and passed it Mila.
They both froze.
‘Yuri,’ Otabek muttered. ‘And...’
‘Sara?’ Mila... yelped? (It was more akin to a cat dying whilst being ravaged by fish-hooks after having sung the entirety of Tchaikovsky's Ring Cycle, but it is difficult to find the right words to describe that sort of noise.)
They stared at each other for a second and ran. Blindly towards the nearest door until they landed outside, gasping for breath. The looked around frantically, until they spotted, further away than they had thought the two would go, half hidden behind a topiary of a bird, two pairs of legs, one clothed in a blue dress, the other in a deep purple suit.
Again they ran and stood in front of the bench where Sara and Yuri lounged against each other.
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‘I have miscalculated’ the gardener thought glumly as the flames rose higher. He had not expected there to be vodka of all things in his water bottle. Really. He needed to relabel his bottles. The gardener reached for his bag and hurried away from the shed to get a hose. This was fortunate he chose to do this. He had forgotten about the years old fertilizer he had never destroyed. Any other course of action may have cost him his life.
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Yuri was finishing a braid in Sara’s hair and was crooning ‘Sara, your eyes, they are like diamonds or some shit I don’t know. Hag.’
Sara’s laugh, almost a cackle at this point soon followed.
At which point they both looked up and saw... their respective dates.
‘What are you doing?’ Otabek asked in a strained voice.
‘I would also like to know what the fuck you are doing.’ Mila growled, ‘And also why did you decided to leave me earlier.’
Sara and Yuri looked at each other and collapsed into giggles again. They shakily stood, using each other for support, kicking an empty bottle of vodka under the bench, (but not before Otabek had seen it) and gasped out ‘We’re in a very serious relationship.’ Before rolling forward towards the garden howling with laughter at the expression on Otabek’s and Mila’s faces. One of total horror the other of incendiary rage.
‘No...’ Otabek said softly. He looked heartbroken.
‘Absolutely not.’ snapped Mila. She looked furious.
A man ran away from the shed, unseen by the group.
‘No we’re dating now assholes.’ He swung Sara round and dipped her, doing his best impression of the Pig as she dissolved into giggles.
Otabek and Mila stared. Their heads exploded. Their hearts exploded. The shed exploded.
Sara and Yuri were thrown forward with a yelp into the arms of a really angry red head and a really upset Kasakstani man.
Yuri’s vision blurred as he collapsed into Otabeks arms. ‘I suppose,’ he though dreamily ‘I should try and get up.’ He did not pay much attention to this thought instead wrapping his arms around Otabeks neck and pulling him down to sit on the freezing cold floor with him laughing into his neck. He sat like this for a second or two before pulling away and catching Otabeks face in his hands.
‘Hey. Idiot.’ (Alcohol made him friendly.) ‘Sorry I yelled at you earlier. I love you a lot. Just don’t be a dick again. I don’t like people telling me what to do.’
Otabeks face had softened slightly. He no longer looked like he was dead inside as he caught Yuris hands in his own and smiled at him. Yuris stomach did another backflip and again as Otabek leant in and said ‘I love you too.’
What happened next, would have been Otabek kissing Yuri, or rather, Yuri grabbing Otabeks face and kissing him. But instead, it was Mila screaming at the top of her lungs as Sara finally stopped kissing her. Apologizing had gone well. Yuri yelped like a cat, and Otabek’s heart died a little more.
After that it was a small matter of Otabek grabbing Yuri, dragging him away from their current spot (everyone was now outside trying to discern what the Russians had done this time), back inside to a corridor where he sat him down and... got him a glass of water. At that point Yuri leant into Otabek and pulled him down to sit next to him.
He fell asleep on Otabeks shoulder breathing softly.
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When Yuri woke up he was in a bed. His bed, he assumed as he turned his head and caught sight of a particularly fetching leopard print suitcase. However there was one new addition. There seemed to be someone sleeping next to him.
On any other day, Yuri would not stand for this. No one was allowed to intrude on his personal space. No one.
However, today was a little different, as Yuri’s wakefulness was accompanied by a pounding headache and a mild fuzz in the back of his mind. He sighed and dozed off, curling up closer to the stranger.
They were warm.
And had stolen most of the blankets.
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An hour or so later, Yuri woke again. Now there was sunlight streaming through the windows and no other person in the bed.
This was a bit of a shame.
The other person had been warm.
Although he had relinquished his (I mean it was probably a he...? The smell was familiar...) control over the blankets.
Yuri sighed and sat up. His head had stopped pounding away and he felt slightly better but it would certainly be nice to have some coffee right now.
He groaned and pulled himself out of bed towards the bathroom and the shower. God he felt terrible. He needed to wash his hair.
Half an hour later, he stumbled out of the shower and prepared himself to get coffee. He really needed some right now. As he pulled on tracksuits and a t-shirt he heard a knock on the door. Probably Mila. With Sara. He usually got coffee with her in the morning and Sara coming along was a given now they were officially dating.
‘Coming.’ he groaned at the door. As he swayed over he tried to remember what he had said to Otabek last night. He couldn’t remember anything much before Otabek giving him water, except for a hazy bit where he’d hugged him. Or was that after...? Yuri sighed and ran a hand over his face opening the door to see the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Otab - coffee.
Coffee is Beautiful. Otabek holding coffee is even more beautiful.
‘I thought you could use it.’ the older man said proffering a cup.
Yuri nodded his head vigorously, grabbing the cup and beckoning Otabek in. He had suddenly become very aware his hair was a mess and really wanted to sort it out.
At any rate. Coffee first.
He sighed and collapsed onto the bed again, drinking as much of the scalding liquid he could.
He felt marginally refreshed and lay back again on the bed.
For some completely inexplicable reason, Otabek tossed his coat off and joined him, sitting next to Yuri and scrolling through his phone. Yuri slowly raised his head.
‘What are you doing asshole. This is my bed.’
Otabek raised an eyebrow (stop that stomach yuri thought furiously, it is not that sexy.)
‘Yuri. Please tell me you remember.’
Yuri shook his head slowly. Remember what? Oh.... wait.....
‘Were you...? and did I...? SHIT’
Otabek sighed as Yuri leaped up bright red in the face.
‘Yes Yuri. I slept here but only because you would not let me leave. You kept claiming you were cold. Which was a lie but I didn’t mind. At the very least I was cold.’
At this point I, the author, would like to give you, the reader, a quick more intimate peek into the minds of our two protagonists.
Yuri’s thoughts ran along the lines of ‘FUCK FUCK FUCK NO WONDER EVERYTHING SMELT NICE oh wait he also looks pretty OH SHIT ok this is fine I have been ignoring these feelings and am now going to ignore my common sense and just - ‘
whilst Otabeks were ‘His hair is messy. He should braid it again. It’s more practical and looks nicer. Also he looks a little stressed. I wonder if he feels embarrassed. I hope not... if he does I will just embarrass him more and inform him he hugged me almost all of last night, said he loved me six times and kissed me on the cheek after which I could not sleep for six hours because my brain was trying to process all the information and how pretty he looke - ‘
The reason their train of thoughts ended suddenly, was simply due to the fact that Yuri had leant forward, grabbed Otabek’s face and slammed their lips together. Otabek, after recovering from the initial surprise responded by wrapping his arms around Yuri and collapsing on top of him. For several moments they could not really think many coherent thoughts at all, until Otabek pulled away and stared into Yuris face.
Yuri regarded him with a look of pure horror.
‘Disgusting! You look like the pig! All sappy and besotted! Never do that again!’
Otabek just smiled wider and buried his face in Yuris chest, wrapping his arms around the blonds body and pulling him on to his lap wrapping his arms around him. He tilted Yuris head to ensure easy access to his mouth as he kissed him over and over again until Yuri finally complained loudly enough about needing more coffee and bacon goddammit.
And after a hearty breakfast was found and demolished, all protagonists in this story kissed again many more times, had some champagne given to them by a teary eyed pig and silver haired idiot, and then lived happily ever after.
The End.