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Yuuri watched as Yuri practiced. He had stopped at the edge of the rink to drink some water and his eyes drifted to the blond. Victor was also practicing a little farther on the ice but for some reason, he couldn’t look away from Yuri.
The 16 years old had been practicing harder than usual lately. Yuuri was starting to get worried. He knew better than to voice his concerns to the teenager. So, he kept his distance and observed him instead.
“I’m done for today.” Victor said stopping abruptly next to him.
Yuuri jumped at his fiancé's appearance. He had been more focused on Yuri than he thought.
“That’s good.” He said with a smile, his eyes still on Yuri.
“I’m ready to go home. Are you done?” Victor asked him.
Yuuri thought about it for a moment. Almost everyone had left. It was late in the afternoon and the three of them were the last ones in the rink.
“You can go ahead. I’ll meet you at home later.” Yuuri said taking his eyes off Yuri and smiling at Victor.
Victor kissed him on his cheek. “Don’t get lost on your way back.” Victor teased him with a smile.
Yuuri rolled his eyes. He had gotten lost once six months ago. It was mostly because he just moved to Russia.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine. See you at home.” Yuuri told Victor and waved at him when he left the ice.
Yuuri glanced back at Yuri who was still working on some jumps. Yuuri sighed and started his cool-down routine. He was halfway around the rink when he heard a thud echoed in the empty rink and a few seconds later Yuri’s voice cursing loudly in Russian. Yuuri turned to see the blond skater laying on the ice and trying to push himself back up with his arms. Yuuri was still a bit far away and didn’t have his glasses on but he was pretty sure that the teenager’s arms were shaking. Yuuri skated back to him.
“Are you ok?” He asked as he stopped next to him.
Yuri had managed to at least sit and looked up at him with wide angry eyes. Yuuri didn’t even flinch. You couldn’t spend almost two years near Yuri Plisetsky and not become immune to his glare. Most of the time it was hiding something else.
“It’s none of your business Katsudon.” Yuri snapped.
Yuuri resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had hopes that Yuri would soon learn to express himself with something else than anger.
“Your head probably hit the ice. Your lip is bleeding. Come on.” Yuuri said extending his hand to the blond.
Yuri huffed and tried to get back on his feet on his own for good measure. He grumbled when his legs and arms could barely hold his weight. He swore another time in Russian and took Yuuri’s hand reluctantly. Yuuri kept his smile at bay. Yuri was showing vulnerability. It was not the time for him to think the older skater was laughing at him.
He helped Yuri to the bench just beside the rink’s door. When he was sure the teenager wouldn’t topple over, he went to get a damp towel. He came back and gave him said towel. Yuri muttered something that Yuuri didn’t catch and pressed the towel to his lips.
“Do you have a headache? Are you dizzy?” Yuuri asked with concern.
“No. It wasn’t a hard fall. My lips were chapped, to begin with.” Yuri’s words were muffled because of the towel.
“What about your wrists, your ankles?” The Japanese skater insisted.
“I’m fine Katsudon.” Yuri said rolling his eyes and putting the towel on the bench.
His lip wasn’t bleeding anymore, and it didn’t look like he had trouble moving his hands or legs. Yuuri stopped himself from asking any more questions. Yuri looked well enough and it would only annoy him further.
“Ok, I’ll leave you be for now. But you have to realize it could’ve been very dangerous.” Yuuri still insisted.
“It’s not like I’ve never fell before.” Yuri said.
His voice still had his usual angry edge, but his stare shifted to his feet. The fact that he couldn’t look at Yuuri told the older skater that the blond was, at least, a little sorry for worrying him.
“Sure. We’re professional figure skaters, we all fall from time to time, but I’ve seen you practicing even harder these last few weeks.”
“I always work hard!” Yuri protested snapping his head up and looking at Yuuri.
“I never said you didn’t work hard before.” Yuuri said with a soft smile. “Just that you push yourself harder for some reason. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but if you ever need to talk about it, I’m here to listen.”
Yuuri laughed out loud at the stare Yuri gave him. The teenager was looking at him as if he suddenly had two heads.
“Why would I want to talk to you?” Yuri asked crossing his arms over his chest.
“Because. I know how hard it can be. You can always talk to Victor or Yakov if that makes you more comfortable.” Yuuri smiled as Yuri shuddered at his suggestion.
He didn’t blame him. Yakov was a great coach but he wasn’t the most comforting person in the world. And Victor, as nice as he was, could get emotional really easily. Yuuri doubted that was Yuri needed right now. After a moment of silence, Yuri nodded.
“Good. I’d hate for you to injure yourself because you’re overworking. Now come on.” Yuuri extended his hand once again.
Yuri looked at the extended hand suspiciously. “Where are we going?”
“You’re done for today. You’re coming home with me and we’ll have a nice dinner.” Yuuri explained.
“Who said I wanted to spend the evening with the two of you.” Yuri said.
Yuuri knew it wouldn’t be that easy. There was no way Yuri would say yes from the get-go.
“I’ll make katsudon.” Yuuri said with a smile.
Yuri looked up at him in surprise. The Nikiforov-Katsuki household still had that rule about eating katsudon only for special occasions. And now Yuuri was suggesting he would cook it, especially for the teenager.
“Ok.” Yuri said as he took Yuuri’s hand.
Yuuri helped him to the locker room. The teenager even let him help to take off his skates. If anything, it showed just how much the younger was exhausted. Maybe they didn’t talk that much in the end, but Yuuri had the feeling they’d gotten a little closer. It was, at least, a step in the right direction.