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Crack, splinter, break.
He could physically feel it in his bones, that shattering inside his chest that left his ribs in pieces. No, they weren't broken. Just cracked. Only enough for the anxiety to swirl around freely inside his chest, unburdened by that sturdy cage.
Crack, splinter, break.
He needed to go somewhere safe.
Thud, thud.
Footsteps sounded behind the door his knuckles rested on, just as urgent as he felt.
"Yuri?"
Both sets of eyes staring back at him looked worried, not angry. They should be angry. It was their day off. They must have better things to do.
"I… I need…" His tongue felt too big inside his mouth, and tears prickled hotly behind his eyes. His chest churned and swirled and cracked and splintered to no avail.
"Oh, sweetheart." That was Viktor, the first to realize what was happening.
"It's alright," Yuuri soothed him, opening up his arms in an offer Yuri couldn't refuse.
He surged forward, glad to hide his crumbling face in Yuuri's chest. "Need you," he gasped, voice small.
Viktor's soft hand tousled Yuri's hair, gently kneading his scalp. "Do you need your Tou-san and Papa, Yura?"
They had to be sure. Yuri nodded against Yuuri's chest, and the older man's arms tightened around him. "I've got you," Yuuri told him. "We've got you, Yura."
"Anxiety," Yuri gasped, trembling.
"I know, baby," Yuuri whispered.
Viktor stopped stroking his hair in favor of rubbing between his shoulder blades. "Papa is going to make you some cocoa while Tou-san gets you into some comfy clothes, okay?"
Yuri nodded, and felt Yuuri loosen his hold the slightest bit. "Can I pick you up, baby boy?"
Yuri slid his arms from Yuuri's waist up to his neck, nodding in response.
"Up we go," Yuuri announced, easily lifting Yuri up and into his arms. Yuri crossed his ankles behind Yuuri's back to help keep in place, nuzzling into his neck.
"You smell good, Tou-san," he murmured, inhaling citrus.
Yuuri kissed his hair as they made their way down the hall and into the guest room. "Thank you, honey."
Yuri whimpered at the loss of contact as he was set on the bed, grabbing a nearby pillow and holding it to his chest.
"Just a second, sweetie," Yuuri soothed him, rummaging in the wardrobe. "Here we are!"
Yuuri extracted the pillow from Yuri's arms only to replace it with his stuffie, a blue and red patchwork bear. Yuri sighed with relief, clutching it to his chest and humming as Yuuri brushed back his bangs.
"A little better, Yura?"
He nodded, nuzzling against Yuuri's touch. "Tou-san…"
"Yes, baby?"
Yuri hid his face in the stuffie, trying to hide the blush he felt crawling up his cheeks. He tried to find the words for what he wanted, but came up short. Instead, he made a soft smooching sound behind the bear.
Yuuri lit up, smiling affectionately. "Of course, pumpkin." He obliged, leaning over and kissing Yuri's forehead; not once, but twice. "Ready for your jammies now?"
Yuri nodded, the coiling anxiety in his chest slowly dissipating under Yuuri's careful ministrations. He always knew what to do. He and Viktor always took care of Yuri when he needed it.
Not five minutes later, Yuri was carried back into the living room, now clad in his pull up and footie. He sucked on his leopard-print pacifier and clutched his stuffie close to his chest.
"Ready for some cocoa, little cutie?"
Yuri grinned around his binky despite himself, turning pink from Viktor's pet names. He nodded, though, and Yuuri removed the pacifier from his mouth. When he whined, Viktor chided him,
"Now Yura, how can you drink your cocoa if you have your paci in your mouth?"
Well, his papa was right. He shrugged, watching Viktor blow into the mug before holding it to Yuri's lips.
"It should be cooled down enough, little one. Extra marshmallows."
Yuri hummed as he swallowed a few sips, the warmth seeping down his throat and into his chest and belly, the same way Yuuri and Viktor's praise seemed to. He sighed contently.
"Like marshies," he announced, making Yuuri chuckle next to him.
"I think you got more marshies on your face then in your belly," he teased, producing a tissue and wiping around Yuri's mouth.
Yuri grinned wider still, accepting another sip as Viktor held up the mug for him. Yuuri curled close to him, rubbing his back as he sipped. By the time the cocoa was finished, Yuri was feeling much better than when he first came over.
"Thanks, Papa," he whispered. "Thanks Tou-san."
"Shh," Viktor shushed him, tousling his hair.
"There's nothing to thank us for," Yuuri assured him.
"We love looking after our sweet little boy." Viktor punctuated the statement with a firm kiss to Yuri's forehead.
"Do you want to watch a movie?" Yuuri asked after a few moments of silence.
"Moana!" Yuri didn't miss a beat.
Viktor chuckled and complied, finding it on the TV and starting it up. Yuri watched, enthralled, quietly singing along during his favorite parts.
See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me. And no one knows, how far it goes. If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me. One day I'll know, if I go there's just no telling how far I'll go.
He loved Heihei, and giggled incessantly at his screams upon finding himself on the boat with Moana.
"Is Heihei silly, sweet boy?" Viktor asked, tickling Yuri's sides and launching him into a fresh set of giggles.
"Silly, Papa!" Yuri agreed.
The laughing had made him aware of a new sensation in his belly, from drinking his cocoa. He tugged on Viktor's arm urgently, whining as he paused the movie.
"What's wrong, baby?" Yuuri asked him, gentle as always.
"Potty!" Yuri announced, hiding his face behind his bear.
"What a good boy, telling us that you have to go!" Viktor praised, standing. "Do you need help with your footie?"
Yuri nodded, accepting Yuuri's help off the couch and down the hall. He held Yuuri's hand tightly, the other one still clutching his bear, as Viktor rubbed between his shoulder blades. He was glad his papa and Tou-san were there to help him.
Yuuri unzipped his footie for him and Viktor helped lower his pull up. "Upsie daisy!" Viktor cooed as he picked Yuri up and set him on the toilet.
They both praised him as he went potty, and then Yuuri checked his pull up to see if he needed a fresh one. "What a good boy!" He exclaimed. "You didn't get any pee-pee in your pull up, baby."
"We're proud of you, cutie pie," Viktor told him as they helped him get back into his clothes and wash his hands.
Back on the couch, Viktor started the movie up again. Yuri curled up between them, his thumb making its way to his mouth. It took Yuuri a few minutes to notice, but when he did, he quickly replaced Yuri's thumb with his pacifier.
"Isn't that better than your thumb, sweetie?"
Yuri hummed noncommittally. His eyes were getting droopy as Moana and Maui went to talk to the funny, jewel-covered crab. He wanted to stay awake and watch Moana return the heart. He whined softly.
"Are you sleepy?" Viktor asked gently.
Yuri nodded.
"You can nap, honey," Yuuri told him, rubbing his back.
"Movie," Yuri whined.
"We can watch it as many times as you want when you wake up," Viktor countered.
Yuri sighed, finally lying down with his knees curled around Viktor and his head in Yuuri's lap. "Love you, Papa."
"I love you too."
"Love you, Tou-san."
"I love you, baby boy."
Yuri dreamed of vast oceans and silly chickens, feeling safe and warm.