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Yuri felt weird. Things hadn’t felt right for the past few days, but he didn’t know why. Him, Viktor, Yurio, Chris, and even Phichit were staying in Barcelona for an extra week. He was surrounded by new friends, in an exciting country, had a new boyfriend, and had won silver in the Grand Prix! Yes he was happier than he had ever been, but something still felt off. Even more frustrating was that he couldn’t figure out why.
He had talked to Phichit about it, though his friend believed it was just due to the end of pressure since competition season was over and all the changes he’s been through recently. Yuri really wants to believe his friend, and so he casts any doubts from his mind and tries to enjoy his holiday while he could.
~
Yuri didn’t really like coffee, so why was he here in a coffee shop? Waiting for Phichit, of course. Phichit, who had texted him that he was on his way at least fifteen minutes ago.
With a sigh Yuri continued scrolling through his Instagram, almost not noticing when a shadow fell over his table.
“You’re late,” Yuri said without even looking up at his friend, “That means you’re paying today.” It was a ritual he and Phichit started back in Detroit, one of them was always late and so to make up for it they brought the other their drink for the day - tea for Yuri or coffee for Phichit.
“Uh…sorry?”
Yuri startled and looked up suddenly, not seeing his friend but a taller man with dark hair looking down at him sheepishly.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Yuri scrambled up from his seat and held his hands out in a placating gesture. “I thought you were my friend.”
“It’s alright,” the other man laughed. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Please sit down.”
Yuri looked up at the mans face with a quizzical expression before asking,
“Do I know you?”
The man rubbed a hand on the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Not really,” he replied, but stuck out his hand for Yuri to shake. “I’m Patrick, but my friends call me Patri.”
“I’m Yuri.” Yuri shook the mans hand, letting go when Patri seemed to stare at their clasped hands a moment too long.
Patrick released Yuri’s hand and smiled warmly at him.
“I know who you are Yuri, have a seat?” Without waiting for an answer Patrick sat down opposite the chair Yuri had been occupying, the chair he had been saving for his friend. Even more confused, Yuri followed suit and sat down. The man just stared at him.
“You, know me?” Yuri prompted, not wanting the silence to go on further. Patrick half-shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
“I meet you at that bar the other night, and when I saw you here I wanted to come over and apologize for my behavior.” Patri took a breath before continuing. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable at all, I guess I just don’t know how to handle myself that well in bars yet and I don’t want that to be anyone’s first impression of me - some pushy rude guy. So, I apologize that things went too far and you were uncomfortable after our conversation.”
Yuri stared blankly at Patrick for a moment before it all came back to him, honestly he had put the moment far from his mind after spending the rest of the night with his fellow skaters.
“Oh,” Yuri breathed. “I see.” He took another look at the man's face and believed him genuine, the man did look embarrassed about his behavior after all.
“Thank you for the apology, I accept it.” Yuri smiled at the man who let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you.” Patrick grinned over at Yuri, “How about I buy you a drink to make up for it? You seem like a tea guy, I know a good spot a few blocks away!”
Yuri instantly floundered. “I appreciate the gesture, but I’m meant to be meeting a friend.” Yuri glanced at his phone and lit up the screen to check the time. “A friend who should be here by now actually.”
Patrick’s smile dropped slightly.
“That’s alright,” he said. “Hey, is it one of your friends from the bar? I should probably apologize to them too, for making them worry, of course.”
“Uh no, it’s neither of them, sorry.” Yuri looked down at his phone and back up at Patrick. “I can pass on the apology if you would like?” Yuri offered.
Again, Patrick smiled at the Japanese man, “I would appreciate that.”
The two sat in silence a moment more, Yuri not knowing what to say from here and Patrick seeming content to just sit there. Luckily, the door to the coffee shop jingled and a disheveled looking Phichit ran in, looking around for Yuri. Spotting his friend he ran over to the table with a grin.
“Yuri! Sorry I was late. I got lost and couldn’t translate the street signs so I got help from a nice old woman on the street. Are you ready to go?” In his excitement Phichit didn’t stop for breath until he finished and only then straightened to see a man sitting next to Yuri.
“Oh, hi! Sorry I didn’t see you there.” Phichit looked between the man and his friend, sensing something was up. The man smiled and stood.
“That’s alright. I should get going anyway, I was just keeping Yuri here company while he waited for you.”
Patrick took one more look at the pair, Yuri still sitting, looking a bit confused, and Phichit, still puffing a tad from his surprise morning run, waved at Yuri, and left. Just as suddenly as he had arrived.
Phichit shrugged and sat now in the now empty chair opposite Yuri.
“Who was he?” Phichit asked, looking at Yuri’s face. Yuri, who’s eyes had been following Patrick out of the shop, flicked back to Phichit.
“He’s that guy I told you about from the bar the other night. Patrick. He came over to apologize.” Yuri replied. “Strange though.”
“Eh?” Phichit responded. “Strange how? Isn’t it nice he apologized for being weird?”
Yeah,” Yuri couldn’t help but agree. “It’s just... No it’s stupid. He was just being nice.” Yuri shook his head, as if to clear some troublesome thought.
“Just what?” Phichit probed, concerned at the reminder of Yuri’s last interaction with the man.
“He didn’t buy any coffee.” Yuri replied. “Anyway,” he stood reaching down a hand to pull his friend up, “You owe me tea now. You were late.”
Phichit groaned and stood, complaining all the way to the counter. Soon the two were on their way down the streets of Barcelona, drinks in hand and enamored by the sights. By midday however, even Phichit was wanting to get back to the hotel. He seemed to share Yuri’s sentiments that something didn’t feel right, though neither skater could explain it. Instead of dwelling in the uncomfortable feeling, the pair wandered their way back to the hotel and their other friends, looking forward to an evening with their makeshift friend group.
Looking forward to that, the two never looked back to across the street where, unbeknownst to them, Patrick followed. If they had looked back, they still would have seen nothing out of the ordinary, just a man, walking down the street. Just a man, walking down the street, tea in one hand, notebook in the other.