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The first thing Yuri noticed when he woke up was that the apartment was unusually quiet. He was used to waking up to the sound of soft footsteps on the hardwood floor accompanied by the smells of breakfast wafting from the kitchen. But there was no shuffling of socked feet or scent of tea brewing. Even Makkachin was unusually quiet. Yuri took a deep breath and stretched, raising his arms over his head and twisting his back, letting out a satisfying crack. Potya mewled next to him, annoyed that her sleep had been disturbed.
Yuri grabbed a hair elastic from his bedside table and haphazardly threw his hair up into a messy bun. He knew Yuuri would do it later when they got ready to head to the rink. After a few more minutes of lying in bed and strolling through his phone, Yuri finally managed to crawl out from underneath the warmth of the thick purple comforter.
“Mama?” He called out into the apartment, expecting to find Yuuri in the kitchen whipping up some tamagoyaki like he usually did. Yuri’s brows knit together when he found the kitchen empty. Maybe his dam was out taking Makkachin on a walk? Yuri made his way over to the front door and found that Yuuri’s shoes and coat were still there, along with Makkachin’s leash. Yuri sighed at the empty hook that usually held his sire’s jacket. Viktor was in Moscow for the weekend attending some sort of coaches conference with Yakov.
“Mama?” Yuri called again as he gently pushed the door to the master bedroom open. Yuuri wasn’t known to be an early riser in any regard but it wasn’t an off day and they were still expected to show up to the rink even in Yakov’s absence.
“Yu-chan?” Yuuri groaned, his voice muffled by the cocoon of blankets he had wrapped himself in. Makkachin was curled up besides Yuuri. It looked like the old poodle had gathered at least half a dozen of her stuffed toys and had piled them next to the half-awake Japanese man. Perhaps that was her own way of looking after him.
“Are you okay? You’re usually up by now,” Yuri asked. If anything, Yuuri was usually the one dragging him out of bed. It wasn’t his fault he slept so much, he was growing after all!
“I’m sorry, I’m feeling a little under the weather, I’ll be up in a second and then I can make us some breakfast.” Yuuri's voice came out sounding scratchy and low, the end of his sentence was punctuated with a sneeze.
“Uh, are you sure you feel alright enough for that?” Yuri questioned, a hint of annoyance slipping through into his tone. He wasn’t actually upset at his dam or anything, but it was the off season and he was itching to get to the rink.
“I’ll be fine, Yu-chan,” Yuuri smiled weakly before succumbing to a coughing fit.
“You definitely don’t sound fine,” Yuri mumbled, moving to sit beside the older skater.
“No, really, it’s alright,” Yuuri tried to argue.
“Just lay back down,” Yuri sighed, pushing at the Japanese man’s shoulder.
“You can still go to the rink today if you’d like, I’m sure Lilia could give you a ride.”
“As if I’m leaving you here alone,” Yuri scoffed. “Plus, Vitya would ground me for like, ever if he found out I left you home alone when you were sick.”
Yuri rolled his eyes, citing Viktor’s possible wrath as an excuse to stay by his dam’s side when in actuality he was worried. As long as he had known Yuuri, he had never seen the Japanese man skater come down with so much as a cold.
“Um, should I make you some tea or something? I don’t really know what you’re supposed to make sick people but dedushka always made me really good matzo ball soup and Papa’s half decent at it.”
“Maybe some tea? And if you’re up for it, some okayu? You just put the rice and water in the cooker but push the bottom on the bottom left instead of the top right like usual. You don’t have to go through the trouble of making homemade soup. Plus I think we have some leftover miso stock,” Yuuri smiled weakly.
“I think I can manage that,” Yuri announced confidently.
“Who knew the ice tiger could be so sweet,” Yuuri hummed. Even in his sickly state, the Japanese man still retained his edge.
“Oy! I’m taking care of my dam and that is totally hardcore, okay?” The blonde defends, his tone as serious as ever.
“What a rebel,” the older omega smiled.
“Hell yeah!” Yuri nodded before leaving the room. The teen ventures just next door into his own bedroom and quickly fishes through his sheets, pulling his stuffed tiger out from underneath the covers. He held the plush toy against his chest and rubbed his nose against it, scenting the well-loved tiger. It always made him feel better, especially when he had to spend the night away from his parents for whatever reason. Those days however, were few and far between.
“Here,” Yuri said, holding the recently scented stuffed animal out to his dam.
“Oh, Yura, your tiger?” Yuuri sat up in bed, his warm brown eyes were wide.
“Mm,” the pup nods, “it helps me when I feel bad and stuff.”
Yuuri felt his heart swell at his son’s compassionate gesture. The Japanese man took the stuffed animal into his hands gently and held the little tiger in his lap. He rubbed at one of the ears absentmindedly, smiling up at his son who was looking away with slightly flushed cheeks.
“Such a sweet pup,” Yuuri praised. Yuri could be so sweet sometimes, although only he and Viktor got to see it when the little pack was in the safety of their home.
Yuri scoffed at the gentle praise outwardly but inwardly he felt warm radiating through his body. His biology knew his dam loved him even when he tried to brush it off.
“I’ll go make you some food, come on Makkachin,” Yuri called the sleepy poodle. The old dog raised her head and reluctantly climbed down off of the bed, leaving Yuuri in a bundle of her own toys.
Yuri filled the rice cooker, saying a silent prayer that he had pressed the right button. He had picked up a few Japanese words but couldn’t read it very well at all. The teen and Makkachin ventured downstairs where Yuri walked her quickly around the block, not wanting to leave his sick dam alone for too long.
When Yuri returned his dam was already half asleep, quietly dozing bundled up in blankets. Potya had appeared and elected to curl up on a pillow by the Japanese skater’s head. The blonde placed the bowl of warm okayu on the nightstand along with a cup of ginger tea before crawling in bed next to his dam, snuggling in close to the older skater’s chest. Yuuri hummed softly at the familiar warmth and cooed gently as he nuzzled his nose against the crown of his pup’s head.
Neither of them realized that they had fallen asleep until they were waking up to the sound of an incoming facetime call on Yuuri’s phone.
“Yuuri!” Viktor exclaimed in a sing-song tone as his mate rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
His heart shaped smile filled the screen and his familiar exuberance was a comfort to both Yuris. But suddenly the older Russian’s smile fell as he noticed the dark circles around his mate’s eyes and the unusual paleness of his skin.
“Yuuri, my love, are you alright?” The alpha asked nervously, chewing on his bottom lip as he waited for a response.
“I’m just feeling a little bit under the weather, Vitya,” the Japanese man sighed gently, trying not to worry his mate too much.
“Do you have a temperature? Have you eaten anything? Is Yuri at the rink?” Viktor questioned hastily.
“We’re staying home from the rink today, and Yura’s been taking very good care of me,” Yuuri mused, turning the phone to show their son who was bundled up under the covers next to his dam.
“Ah, Yuratchka! Are you doing a good job taking care of your Mama? That’s my strong pup,” Viktor praised happily.
“I just wanna take care of him,” Yuri mumbled, rolling his eyes at his sire’s praise.
“Oh my loves, I wish I was home. This conference is so painfully boring. I’d much rather be at home with my Yuris and Makkachin,” the alpha lamented.
“Hey! Don’t forget about Potya,” Yuri huffed defensively.
“Yuratchkaaaa,” Viktor groaned. “You know that cat of yours hates me.”
“She just has good taste in people,” the younger Russian teased
“Oy, no fair, Yurio!” Viktor chuckled, causing his son to let out an annoyed groan. “Cats usually love me, it’s Miss Puma Tiger Scorpion that just seems to hate me!”
“Potya likes Mama just fine,” Yuri reminded his sire, taking Yuuri’s phone from his hand and showing where said cat was now curled up next to the Japanese man.
“Everybody loves to cuddle my Yuuri, even when he’s sick,” Viktor mused, sounding very homesick.
“Vitya!” Yuuri sighed, taking his phone back.
“Well he’s my Mama, and I get him all to myself while you’re stuck with Yakov, even if he is all sick and stuff,” Yuri bragged, sticking his tongue out at his sire through the phone.
Viktor couldn’t help but laugh at the childish display. He was worried about his sick mate at home, but some of that unease was settled knowing that they really had the sweetest pup. When Viktor was finally able to return home a few days later, he found Yuuri and Yuri curled up together in bed, clutching onto each other protectively with Potya and Makkachin cuddled close as well. That night while Viktor was making matzo ball soup from scratch, his nearly recovered mate told him all about how their protective little pup had basically refused to leave Yuuri’s side and even mentioned how he had offered the Japanese man his stuffed tiger. Viktor reminissed thoughtfully as he stirred the simmering pot of soup, thinking about how much the younger Russian had changed in the last few years and how happy Viktor was that he and Yuuri could call the feisty little blonde their pup.