Chapter Text
Yuri would like to point out that he absolutely had it together… until he didn’t. Sure, he’d woken up with the fever from hell and despite being fully aware of that fact; he managed to pull himself together for practice. As far as anyone else had been aware, he was just going easy in practice after a particularly rough Lilia driven conditioning regime from the day before. Everyone else was giving their sore knees and aching muscles a rest, so he didn’t stand out among them.
Despite the heat in his face, the pulsing headache that just would not let up, the cold sweat pouring down his back, the rattling breath in his chest, and the incessant burn in his nose… Yuri was, all things considered, doing alright.
Yakov was busy harping on Viktor for his ridiculous and unrelenting assertion that he could, in fact, land six consecutive rotations out of his toe loop. Yuuri was also in the fruitless battle to prove that this was a terrible idea while Mila was encouraging him to try it out. All of this to say, that Yuri got out of practice without so much as a shout in his direction from Yakov… Well, excluding the demands he made of the group as a whole.
When practice was over, he loaded himself onto an empty train and called his grandfather. Yuri was barely able to utter a ‘hello’ before Nikolai was doting on him. Instructing him in no uncertain terms to go to the doctor because his voice sounded something like knives in a blender. The fact that Yuri immediately relented to his grandfather’s wishes even worried himself, but that was neither here nor there.
At least his doctor takes walk-ins… at least his doctor’s office is only a five-minute walk from his apartment.
The doctor takes one look at him before shaking his head. “Am I correct in assuming that you skated in your condition?”
“What does that mean, yeah I skated!” Yuri swallows a chesty cough for the umpteenth time that day. An action he knows he’ll regret later but he’s not in the business of proving anyone right.
“Lovely, hopefully you didn’t infect your whole team.” The doctor chuckles placing his stethoscope to Yuri’s back.
Yuri breathes as instructed but the second the cold metal is taken away, he bites back. “I didn’t infect anyone with anything, I don’t have anything to spread, I’m fine.”
“You have walking pneumonia is what you have.” The doctor pats his shoulder affectionately, brushing by to grab his notepad.
Yuri doesn’t respond, too exhausted to put up the façade of shock and honestly a little relieved that the diagnosis sounds as bad as he feels. At least he isn’t a total pussy.
“I’m worried about that fever of yours more than anything, 40 degrees is too high for my liking.” Yuri pretends to know what that means, well he knows that means you have a fever idiot, but he’s not sure how bad it is. “I want you to monitor your temperature, if it doesn’t go down in 24 hours, I want to see you back here.”
The doctor hands him a hastily written prescription. “Fluids, rest, and medication. I’ll also write you a note excusing you from practice for the next week.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Yuri knows it’s an odd choice of words and he’s suddenly realizing that the iron clad grip he has on his will power is loosening.
His doctor gives him a smirk, “At least five days off the ice, no arguments. And like I said, monitor your temperature, if it doesn’t go down by tomorrow, you’re back in my office understand?”
“Yeah, whatever.” Yuri rolls his eyes, the shot of pain in his skull leaves him deafened for a moment.
“For your sake, I hope I don’t see you tomorrow, Yuri. Do you have someone to take you home?” His doctor hands him the note excusing him from practice.
“It’s walking pneumonia, right? I can walk.” Yuri hops off the exam table and towards the door.
“I’ve heard that one before.” The doctor calls after Yuri before the door is shut.
Yuri would love to say that he makes the (very rational) decision to go home without stopping at the pharmacy on purpose. A few reasons he could give if he had the strength: 1) It’s out of the way of home, an extra six minutes that would feel like an eternity in his current state, 2) He doesn’t want to infect the general population 3)... The truth is, between receiving the papers and walking out of the building, he has completely forgotten about the prescription in his hand.
So, he goes home and it’s a slog to get there, five minutes feels like forever, not to mention the three flights of stairs to his apartment. He is well and truly winded by the time he reaches the landing. Once he enters his home, he kicks off his shoes and falls into a horrendous coughing fit.
Like every last cough he’d swallowed that day is coming back with the vengeance of slasher flick franchise serial killer. His knees buckle and he nearly falls to the floor in the midst of his hacking. He manages, however, to keep himself upright and after a daunting few minutes his breath is finally his own again.
Potya stares at him from her cat tree, wide-eyed and as worried as a cat can be. Yuri approaches her and offers the hand he didn’t just cough up a lung into, she bumps his knuckles with her head and leans into his touch.
A shiver trickles down his spine as he moves around his apartment, first to feed Potya, then to find his damn phone. He keeps coughing, his chest is now sore from the desperation of the previous fit, but he doesn’t dwell on that. Instead, he texts his grandfather a half truth about the doctor telling him he’ll be fine and settles for a huge glass of water instead of… actually eating anything.
That should also signal to him that this whole pneumonia thing is bad, but his brain is far too spent for such a thought. His reserve of strength is slipping (more accurately it’s running on fucking empty) and he just wants to lay down. It’s a miracle he has the presence of mind enough to refill his water, charge his phone, and grab himself a box of tissues before he collapses.
A ripple of fevered chills runs through him, he wants to get up and throw on more layers of clothing so that he doesn’t have an inch of skin exposed. But he can’t, he can’t get up, he can only curl under his blankets and wish for the sweet release of death. Should he be so lucky.
He falls into a half sleep state, one that’s plagued with a vicious fever dream that jolts him awake after only a half an hour of so-called rest. The room feels even colder than it did when he passed out. Potya has curled up beside him but her usual radiating warmth does nothing to cut into his chill.
A harsh cough startles her away from him shortly after his resurrection. He misses her the second she’s gone. He turns towards his nightstand to light up the room but catches sight of his phone and gets distracted.
“Fuck.” He grumbles, practically falling out of his bed as he scrambles to turn on the light.
His scheduled call with the other skaters started five minutes ago, they’re not doing anything special, just hanging out now that the Grand Prix is over. They try to schedule movie nights (read: days considering the span of time zones) and general hangouts to fit as many of their lives as possible. He’d love to say he hates these things, because he does, but Otabek always insists that they’re fun. Yuri caves pretty easily to most of Otabek’s demands, the Kazak definitely takes advantage of that fact.
“Look who decided to join us!” JJ’s tantalizing tone prompts Yuri to flip him off as he adjusts his laptop at the foot of his bed.
“Right on time too.” Otabek smirks.
Yuri doesn’t respond to that, instead he wraps a hair tie around his wrist and pulls on an oversized hoodie. Placating his desperate need to be warmed up at least a little bit. He yanks on an extra pair of socks too in the desperate hope that they’ll assist him in his quest for heat.
The other skaters continue whatever conversation they were having, Yuri can barely hear any of it over the excruciating effort it takes to dress. He climbs back into bed, curling in on himself in the least pathetic way he can manage.
“I heard the Four Continents might get postponed because of all that drama with the international hockey league." Phichit says.
“If that’s true I’ll loose my shit.” Leo groans.
“You’ll lose either way so.” JJ smirks, Leo flips him off in retaliation.
“Why do other athletes always ruin our fun?” Yuuri asks dejectedly.
“Sometimes they are the fun.” Chris chuckles.
“Can we have one night, just one, where you don’t make it about your dick?” Mickey groans.
Chris smiles in that way only he can. “No.”
“Why would you want that? Chris has a lovely dick.” Viktor laughs before receiving a swift tap on the shoulder from Yuuri. “I love yours too-”
“Not what I meant!” Yuuri blushes furiously.
As much as Yuri would love to partake in the roast that ensues about Viktor being thirsty and Christophe begging for Yuuri to share dick pics with him, his body tunes them out. He has to sneeze, badly, his nose seems to finally be taking its turn to abuse him. As if his lungs didn’t have that fully taken care of.
His world stills as he tries to bite back the sensation, it’s like the tickle builds from the back of his brain. No amount of blinking or sniffing is going to stop it, Yuri has half a mind to mute himself before the first sneeze tumbles out of him. Unfortunately, it seems to be the half of his mind that isn’t functioning and he gives into the urge before he can stop himself.
The second and third sneezes seem to trip over each other, as if his body knows one isn’t enough and he simply has to get the irritant out. His chest is burning from the whole affair, but the fourth sneeze rips out of him anyway.
He’s left seeing stars as he regains his breath. That and an accompanying chorus of bless you’s in no less than seven languages.
“You feeling okay, Yuri?” Otabek chances the (admittedly stupid) question.
After a second of regaining his breath Yuri squints back at the screen. It feels much brighter than he remembers it being, maybe that’s due in part by the tears slipping down his cheeks.
“Yeah.” He responds wiping his eyes.
“Wow, bold lie for someone who looks like hell warmed over.” Leo teases.
“Fuck off.” Yuri groans.
“Were you sick all of practice, Yura? You should have said something.” Viktor’s gaze softens at him.
“It’s just pneumonia, I’m fine.” He responds flopping his head into his hand.
The other skaters trade bewildered expressions as Otabek speaks. “For the sake of everyone here, I’m going to pretend you didn’t say the words ‘just pneumonia’.”
“Why?” Yuri asks half-heartedly.
“Because even for you that’s an insane thing to say.” Otabek reasons, a pitying smile overtakes his otherwise unfaltering features.
“Hey, I’m fine.” He says, “I made it through practice without anyone saying shit to me.”
“I’m sorry, Yurio, we should have noticed you weren’t feeling well.” Yuuri’s tone is soft as he speaks.
“That’s not my name.” Yuri bites out before another stupidly obnoxious coughing fit takes over. It’s at least a solid minute of ragged breath and desperate hacks that only ends when he manages to sip his water.
“Oh god, you sound terrible. If you feel half as bad as you sound, I’m so sorry.” Phichit grimaces.
“I sound fine, I feel fine.” Yuri grumbles.
“Sure.” Leo rolls his eyes.
“Does Yakov know you’re ill?” Viktor asks.
“Fuck, I have to do that.” Yuri bristles at the realization. He gives a cursory glance around his bed for his phone before deciding it’s lost. “Otabek, can you call me? I lost my phone.”
“Sweetheart, it’s right behind you I can see it.” Otabek says. Yuri gives him a confused look that makes Otabek give an involuntary chuckle. “On your nightstand, just turn around.”
Yuri does as he’s instructed, “Fuck you’re good.”
“Oh god, he’s delirious.” JJ laughs into his hands.
“Hey, I am keeping it together very well all things considered.” Yuri defends himself as he grabs his phone.
“Oh yeah, for sure.” Chris nods, humored by the display.
“I can’t believe you have pneumonia and you’re just pretending to be good. What the hell is wrong with you?” Mickey laughs.
“Tons probably.” Emil chuckles.
Yuri shakes his head trying to recall what he wants to do exactly. He gets frustrated (and distracted) with his hair so he drops his phone in his lap to throw his hair into a sloppy bun.
“What was I doing again?” Yuri mumbles with his vision is slightly blurred as he unlocks his phone screen. A text from his grandfather (what medications are you on?) makes him groan. “I knew I was forgetting something.”
“To text Yakov, maybe?” JJ teases.
“I forgot to get my fucking prescription.” Yuri practically jams the heels of his hands into his temples. God he just wishes the fog of this fucking headache would let up.
“Wait, wait, wait, you mean to tell me that: not only do you have pneumonia, not only did you go to practice, but you also aren’t even medicated?” Otabek’s voice has an authoritative edge coupled with the utter disbelief of his gaze.
Yuri doesn’t see the problem with this in his state. “Uh… yeah?”
“You are… a moron… a literal child, I can’t believe you.” Otabek laughs.
“Hey now, I have a 40 degree fever, I’m just trying to survive.” Yuri claims weakly, this (unsurprisingly) only bolster’s Otabek’s flare of protectiveness.
“You have a-” Otabek covers his mouth with his fist. “How are you still alive? Do I need to fly to Russia to make sure you don’t fucking die?”
“I don’t see why you’re so worked up about this, honestly.” Yuri shrugs, “The doctor says if my fever doesn’t go down I can just go see him again.”
“To be hospitalized, Yura. You realize that he said that because if your fever doesn’t go down you’ll be hospitalized. Right?” Otabek is absolutely stunned by the sheer idiocy of his boyfriend sometimes…
“That… makes more sense than what I was thinking.” Yuri admits, “My brain is boiling, I don’t know.”
“Otabek, it’s fine, everything’s fine.” Yuuri tells him gently. “Viktor and I are going to go over there and bring Yuri to our place until he’s better. Viktor’s calling Yakov right now to let him know what’s going on.”
Yuri doesn’t know when the gray-haired menace walked off screen but he’s embarrassed to have only just realized it.
“You’re all so dramatic.” Yuri rolls his eyes, “I’m fine.”
“You don’t have your prescriptions.” Phichit reminds him with a mildly amused chuckle.
“Fuck, I knew I was forgetting something.”
“And he’s officially delirious.” Chris announces.
“Fuck you I’m not delirious.” Yuri sneers, “I just need tea.”
Otabek covers his face with his hands, “Ugh, there are just, so many things wrong with that sentence.”
“Tea does fix everything.” Phichit chuckles.
“Do not encourage him.” Otabek warns.
“I should make tea.” Yuri muses.
“You absolutely should not, you’ll forget the stove is on and burn your house to the ground.” JJ laughs.
“You’re being very mean considering I bruised a rib coughing.” Yuri pouts.
“Is there anything else you’d like to tell us? Do you taste blood when you cough too!?” Otabek asks.
“Not yet, I’ll let you know.” Yuri assures him, “Was I doing something? I keep getting distracted…”
“No.” Leo interjects sternly.
“This is kind of hilarious, I can’t even lie about it.” Emil chuckles.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one amused.” Mickey snorts.
“Get a room you two, honestly.” Phichit rolls his eyes.
“My meds, right, fuck, I need to go get my medication.” Yuri looks proud of himself for remembering.
“Yuri Romanavich Plisetsky if you leave this call I am breaking up with you.” Otabek folds his arms. “You’re going to sit there and wait for Yuuri and Viktor to get you, do you understand me?”
“Oh no, mom’s mad.” Leo laughs.
“Never piss off mama Beka, unless you wanna die.” JJ snickers.
“Did you just use my full name?” Yuri processes the comment.
“You bet your pretty little ass I did, you’re staying in that bed.” Otabek gives him a pointed gaze.
As much as Yuri would love to argue (even just for the sake of it) he devolves into horrible fit of choking coughs.
“I rest my case.” Otabek says firmly as Yuri flops forward onto his own lap.
“We’re leaving right now. We’ll be there to soon, Yura, hang in there.” Yuuri says before ending the call on his end.
“My doctor said it’s walking pneumonia so I’m pretty sure you don’t need to worry so much.” Yuri says.
“I hope you know that literally means nothing to me.” Otabek bites back a chuckle at his pathetic lump of a boyfriend. “Pneumonia is pneumonia any way you slice it.”
“My ribs hurt.”
“That tends to happen when you cough up a lung.” Phichit says sympathetically.
“Or five given how terrible he sounds.” Chris supplements.
“Did I text Yakov?” Yuri asks Otabek sitting up too fast.
“Don’t worry about that, sweetie, just lay down and rest.” Otabek tries to placate him.
“Why do people always want me to rest? I’m a fully functioning adult.” Yuri rolls his eyes.
“Need I remind you about the stupid high, 40 degree fever you have?” Otabek narrows his gaze at him.
“Who told you I have a fever?”
“You did, idiot.” Mickey laughs.
“Mm… doesn’t sound like something I would do.” Yuri seems to tease, but Otabek might actually lose his shit if Yuri is joking at a time like this so he chooses to believe otherwise.
“Just lay down, honey.”
“No.” Yuri shakes his head, “I thought we were going to watch a film.”
“Plans change.” Otabek tells him.
“I have to know, what was the biggest jump you landed in practice today?” JJ asks.
“You’re not helping.” Otabek scoffs.
“I landed a quad. I’m telling you I had it together until I… didn’t.”
“I hate you so much right now.” Otabek shakes his head.
“I think this is the part where everyone finds out that Otabek is a huge mother hen.” Leo laughs, “Especially during parties with alcohol and apparently when his idiot boyfriend waltzes around Saint Petersburg with pneumonia.”
“That’s pretty cute, Otabek.” Phichit chuckles.
“And boring, must be so tiring being responsible all the time.” Chris muses.
“I make do.” Otabek assures them as Yuri pitches forward with another cycle of sneezes. “Poor thing.”
“I’m going to ask that you all stop doing that thing where you say bless you in different languages. My brain can’t handle it.” Yuri groans.
“A thank you would be nice.” JJ smirks.
“I’m really hoping this is another fever dream.” Yuri sniffs dramatically, “Although my skin hasn’t melted off yet.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Mickey balks at the screen.
“You ever have those dreams where you’re screaming and your body melts?” Yuri asks with a wavering voice.
“No.” Phichit gasps, duly horrified by the prospect.
“Oh, well… guess this isn’t that.” Yuri sticks his tongue into his cheek.
“Lay down, baby, you’re swaying so much you’re going to make us seasick.” Otabek tries to coax his boyfriend into listening to him.
“I don’t have to do everything you tell me to Beka, god.” Yuri reaches over to his bedside table to grab a tissue.
“Uh oh, is Otabek a little bossy?” Chris asks.
“Oh yeah.” Yuri confirms before releasing yet another sneeze.
“I’m not bossy.” Otabek says firmly.
“No but you wield guilt like a cleaver.” Yuri says after blowing his nose. “Up, there’s the blood, okay.”
“I have good reason, do you see this?” Otabek asks as Yuri rolls up a tissue and crams it into his nose.
“Hey, you had me convinced when I realized you not only date Yuri, but that your best friends are JJ and Leo.” Phichit assures him.
“Yeah, you’ve got the grit of a mythic god to put up with them.” Emil laughs.
“Thank you.” Otabek rubs his temple.
“Hey!” JJ and Leo look only mildly offended.
“We’re only a nightmare together, I’ll have you know.” JJ says.
“Well, JJ is an individual nightmare, but guess I get it.” Leo smirks.
“What the hell man? I thought we had something here.” JJ laughs.
“I want my cat.” Yuri says the words before he can stop himself, he looks off longingly towards the door.
“It’s either your cat or your relationship, Yuri, choose wisely.” Chris winks at him, “I, for one, would pick the cat, but that’s just me.”
“Your cat is fine.” Otabek says to Yuri while shaking his head at Chris.
“I never cleaned her dish.” He groans, “God, I don’t want to do that.”
“Then don’t, lay down please I can see you shaking from here.” Otabek sighs.
“Hmp.” Yuri melts into his bed, curling up on himself as he coughs.
“Point goes to Otabek for whipping his boyfriend.” Chris laughs.
“Please don’t provoke his competitive side.” Otabek tries to enjoy his victory.
“Also are we ignoring the fact that Otabek totally calls Yuri pet names?” Mickey asks.
“Absolutely not, I think sweetheart sounded the most natural if you’re looking for opinions.” Leo jests.
“I don’t appreciate that none of you seem bothered by how sick he is.” Otabek blushes.
“You and the lovebirds have it handled, it’s our job to heckle him.” Chris winks.
Yuri lets out a particularly brutal string of coughs that seem to rattle as they exit his body.
“I feel bad for him if it helps.” Phichit frowns, “How long does it take to get from Viktor and Yuuri’s place? Honestly, the kid needs some medicine.”
“I’m still here and I’m not a kid.” Yuri sputters out blearily as he sits up, removing the tissue from his nose as he goes. “And that’s why I haven’t been laying down.”
“I’m sorry, you must feel pretty terrible.” Otabek winces at the way Yuri clears his throat.
“Understatement of the year.” Emil scoffs.
Suddenly, Potya jumps into frame pushing her face under Yuri’s chin. He looks absolutely thrilled at the prospect, turning his attention to scratching between her ears.
“That cat really just said fuck you Otabek he’s my mans.” Leo laughs. Yuri hugs the cat close to his chest and kisses her cheek.
“Well, at least he didn’t leave the frame, I really don’t want to see Otabek have a conniption.” Phichit chuckles.
“We already have.” JJ teases.
“Guys, I can’t give my cat pneumonia, can I?” Yuri looks up from burying his face in her fur. For a moment he looks so devastatingly sad it almost takes away from the shear hilarity of the statement.
“That’s absolutely not possible, sweetheart.” Otabek fights a smirk (read: and fails said fight).
“Yay.” Yuri returns to smothering his cat in affection.
“I gotta hand it to you Otabek, when he’s like this it’s pretty cute.” Leo admits.
“Yeah, who knew the Russian Punk could manage to be adorable?” Phichit laughs.
Yuri once again seems to come back to himself as he lays down with Potya. “If I fall asleep, how will Vitya and Yuuri get into my house.”
“Oh for the love of god.” Chris cackles.
“Don’t fall asleep, Yura, I’m sure they’ll be there soon.” Otabek cringes at the thought.
“My face hurts.” Yuri rasps, blowing on Potya’s fur as he speaks.
“You should have thought about that before you skipped going to the pharmacy.” JJ chuckles.
“Didn’t do it on purpose.” Yuri mutters.
“I’m sure you didn’t.” Otabek chuckles.
“I just forgot.”
“Unsurprising, really.” Emil shrugs.
“You’re all so mean to me.” Yuri complains.
“Cause it’s funny.” JJ retorts.
Yuri flips them off, his eyes begin to close because he just feels so fucking terrible.
“Hey, stay with me, honey.” Otabek jolts him into opening his eyes.
“…’m tired.”
“You have to let Viktor and Yuuri into your apartment, remember?”
“I don’t need them to take care of me.” Yuri argues.
“You could not be more wrong.” Phichit laughs, “You forgot to get yourself medicine, you absolutely cannot take care of yourself right now.”
“Ugh.” Yuri groans into his cat.
“You better not give them a hard time, don’t make me book a flight to Russia.” Otabek threatens.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing, aren’t you dating? He’d love that.” Mickey snorts.
“Let me tell you a thing or two about mama Beka.” Leo interjects, “He may be taking care of you, but he’ll be a dick about it if you don’t cooperate. One time, JJ was drunk off his ass and when Otabek tried to get him into a car to get home JJ put up a fight.”
“I got the soul slapped out of me.” JJ laughs at the memory.
“In my defense, you literally said to me ‘you’ll have to fight me if you wanna take me anywhere’ so I did.” Otabek folds his arms.
“Yeah, fight over in one hit, he even sobered me up a little with that.” Leo snorts.
Yuri’s door pushes open a hair and he has to squint to see who it is.
“Vitya? How’d you get in here?” He asks.
“Oh thank god.” Otabek lets out a sigh of relief.
“You gave us a key remember? So we could take care of Potya while you were traveling for the Grand Prix?” Viktor comes into the room and uncaps the thermometer in his hand.
“You brought your own fucking thermometer?” Yuri grimaces at it but complies when Viktor pops it in his mouth.
“Yakov’s not convinced you’re as sick as you say. He wants me to bring you to the club doctor for a second opinion.” Viktor lays a cold hand across his forehead, “Although, maybe we can wait on that. I’m pretty convinced you’re burning up.”
“…’s not that bad.” Yuri moans.
“I can’t stand you sometimes.” Otabek rolls his eyes as Viktor’s hand strokes the fur of Potya’s belly.
Then, Viktor plucks the thermometer from Yuri’s mouth. “You’re right, it’s worse. Probably because you haven’t taken anything yet.”
Viktor rubs Yuri’s shoulder while Yuri contorts into the bed to cough away from the older man.
“Hi guys! We made it, he’s in good hands.” Viktor waves at the screen.
“Took you long enough.” Phichit chuckles.
“There was traffic.” Viktor pouts before returning his energy to Yuri. “Do you want to pack a bag or do you want me to do it for you?”
“I don’t need a bag.” Yuri wheezes, “I just wanna sleep.”
“Grab his gray hoodie, it’s his favorite.” Otabek instructs.
“You got it.” Viktor stands from the bed and shuffles around the room. Potya gets up from the bed during the commotion and Yuuri pokes his head in.
“You look pretty rough, kiddo. Can I get you anything before we leave?”
“I’m not leaving.” Yuri huffs.
“Yes, you are.” Otabek tells him firmly.
“Go grab his toiletries from the bathroom and get Potya in her carrier.” Viktor kisses Yuuri after giving the order.
“I hate it here.” Yuri complains.
“What did I say about giving Viktor and Yuuri a hard time?” Otabek asks.
“You threatened him a with a good time.” Chris winks.
“You can hang up the call now, Yura.” Viktor says softly, brushing a few stray hairs out of his eyes.
“Otabek says he’ll break up with me if I end the call.” Yuri mutters weakly.
“Now he listens to you.” JJ teases.
“I know but Yuuri and I are here now. He just wanted to make sure we’d get here to take care of you.”
“I love him.” Yuri says. Otabek’s heart skips a beat.
“I know you do, let’s get you in the car, okay?”
“No, Vitya.”
“I can carry you if you prefer but you’re getting in my car one way or another.” Viktor threatens lightly.
Yuuri turns the laptop towards himself. “We’ll get him sorted and I’ll let you know how it goes. Pray for us.”
“Thank you.” Otabek chuckles, “Yura, listen to Viktor and Yuuri, don’t give them a hard time, and for the love of all that is good and holy rest. Okay?”
“Fine.” He grumbles.
“I love you.”
“Love you…”
“We love you too Yuri! Feel better soon!” Phichit interjects with a laugh.
Yuuri ends the call as Viktor hoists the younger one into his arms. Yuuri takes the laptop and his phone to pack away in the bag.
“Call Yakov and tell him his fever’s gone up.” Viktor instructs. “I want to get him that medicine and into bed as soon as possible.”
“He won’t like that. He’s already upset with the note you had me take a picture of to send to him.” Yuuri shoulders the overnight bag and grabs Potya’s carrier.
“Alright I’ll talk to him, but I’m not wavering on this.” Viktor says as they exit the apartment. It’s cold and dark outside, prompting yet more shivering from one incredibly ill Yuri.
He lays down in the back of the car, seatbelts be damned, as Yuuri puts his phone on speaker.
“Where are you?” Yakov’s voice pierces the air like a knife.
“On our way to the pharmacy.” Viktor tells him.
“Absolutely not, I will not have my kid taking medications that I haven’t approved!”
“We sent you the list so you could approve them.” Viktor reasons.
“You’re to bring him to the clinic right this second, Vitya, so help me god.”
“No, his fever’s gone up, he’s exhausted, I’m getting him medicine and into bed.”
“You’ll do what I say, I’m his guardian.” Yakov barks.
“Can the doctor meet us at our house maybe? I really don’t want to keep him out any longer than we have to but I understand your concern coach.” Yuuri interjects with a compromise.
“Fine, but no prescriptions. Wait for Dr. Pashkova to decide that.” Yakov relents.
“I really-”
“Viktor, honey, don’t push it.” Yuuri begs.
Yuri lazily texts Otabek: mom and dad are fighting.
???
Yuuri and Vitya… they’re loud.
I’m sorry sweetie, have they gotten you home yet?
No
☹️
Send memes
😆 you’re so strange.
Yuri feels the car stop with a lurch and he does manage to get himself to his feet. He wishes he had more layers on to fight back against the snowy chill that greets him, but he soldiers on taking himself into Yuuri and Viktor’s house.
“Now I know you probably want to get to bed, Yura, but Yakov’s bringing Dr. P over and I need you to stay awake for her, okay?” Yuuri gently guides Yuri towards the sofa.
“No.” He grumbles.
“I’ll make you some tea with jam while you wait.” Viktor smiles pushing into the kitchen.
“Are you hungry? We can get you some soup.” Yuuri offers grabbing a blanket to wrap around his figure. “When was the last time you ate?”
“Uh…” Good question, “What’s today?”
“It’s still the eighth, baby.” Yuuri places a on the back of Yuri’s neck before muttering under his breath. “We’ve got to get that fever down.”
“Um…” Yuri grimaces at his own admission, “Yesterday.”
“You’re joking.” Yuuri stalls at the answer, “Yuri are you seriously telling me you haven’t eaten at all today?”
“Ooops.” Yuri offers meekly.
“Soup, now. No arguments.” Yuuri also disappears into the kitchen. Yuri takes out his phone once more to skim through the cat memes his gracious boyfriend has sent him.
I fucked up. He texts mindlessly.
What’d you do this time? Otabek’s prompt response jolts him.
I told Katsudon I haven’t eaten all day. Now he’s panic cooking.
Yuri can practically hear the sigh Otabek gives in response. Have you really not had anything to eat?
… does tea count?
I’m going to murder you. Tea doesn’t solve everything!
Speaking of tea, Viktor finally returns with a cup of tea, the raspberry jam gives it a pleasant red color.
“You’re giving my husband a heart attack.” Viktor tells him fondly.
“That’s your fault not mine and you know it.” Yuri bites back absorbing the warmth from the mug as best as he’s able.
“Yura.” Viktor’s tone teeters on stern as he squats in front of him. “You have to take better care of yourself.”
“I haven’t been sick in three years give me a break.”
“Not when you worry my husband and that poor boyfriend of yours halfway to the grave.” Viktor doesn’t give in. “You should have said you weren’t well at practice.”
“It wasn’t this bad at practice.” Yuri mutters.
“I don’t believe you.” Viktor says with a raised brow. Yuri seems to corroborate this theory with a sputtering cough. Viktor takes the tea from him to avoid any burning liquid landing in his lap, Yuri’s too exhausted give a shit.
“Please let me sleep.” He pants at the end of his fit.
“Not until you eat something.” Yuuri says re-entering the living room with a steaming bowl of broth. “And I’m not above begging.”
“Why are you like this?” Yuri mumbles taking the food.
“Because we love you, kiddo.” Yuuri reminds him affectionately. “Pneumonia’s no joke and we want to make sure you’re well taken care of. Because that’s what you do for the people you love.”
“Gross.” Yuri says it even if he doesn’t totally believe it. Regardless, he slurps down some broth in the ensuing silence. His stomach doesn’t mind finally receiving some goddamn nutrition and Yuuri looks reassured by the gesture.
“Where’s Yakov? I have half a mind to run down to the pharmacy without his damn approval.” Viktor picks up his phone to start texting.
“Otabek wants to know why you haven’t been eating.” Yuuri chuckles after glancing at his own phone.
“Didn’t think… didn’t want to. I don’t know, I was more tired than I was hungry.” Yuri says. His voice is feeble at best as the warm liquids ease the raw muscles of his throat.
“No wonder you’re so sick, you’re not giving your body a fighting chance.” Yuuri muses thoughtfully.
“I’m doing my best.” Yuri groans.
“I know, baby.”
Viktor leaves the pair of them for all of five minutes before the sounds of arguing infiltrate the pleasant quiet the Yuris had fallen into.
“I don’t see why I couldn’t just-”
“Because I said not to, Vitya!”
“He’s in my house!”
“He’s my charge!”
“So loud.” Yuri groans putting the half-finished bowl of soup onto the coffee table.
“Hi, Yuri, I hear you’re not feeling well.” Dr. Pashkova leans into his line of vision.
“Ugh.” Yuri rolls his eyes in response. Yuuri takes the dishes and promptly leaves the area.
“You look terrible.” Yakov says a few feet away from the doctor. “Don’t tell me a few hours of a ballet intensive did this to you.”
“Don’t be so cruel, Yakov, he’s just a kid.” Viktor frowns at him.
Dr. P starts a quick physical exam, then takes the notes written up by Yuri’s doctor from earlier.
“What were you thinking going to practice like this? You could have been seriously injured. You could have gotten others sick.” Yakov scolds in the interim.
“He wasn’t.” Yuuri says for him.
“Hey.” Yuri scoffs.
“Tell me he’s wrong, Yurachka.” He can’t so he doesn’t but he pretends his silence is so that Dr. P can listen to him breathing.
“Well, I have to say I mostly agree with your doctor, Yuri.” Dr. P stands up.
“Except?” Yakov asks.
“Oh, I would have hospitalized him.” Dr. P says. “But seeing as you’ve already been moved around enough today, I’ll hold off on that until tomorrow.”
“Can I please go to bed now?” Yuri asks.
“I’ll write you a new prescription real quick and then you can rest.” Dr. P goes to Yakov and Viktor to have a side conversation as Yuuri sidles up beside him.
“It’s okay, Yura.” Yuuri assures him.
“Please let me go to bed, that’s all I want to do.” Yuri whimpers pathetically, a rasping cough escaping his lungs.
“I know, we’ll let you go as soon as you take your Yakov approved medication.” Yuuri tries to joke.
“Kill me.” Yuri lets out a sob as his head continues to ache.
“Tell you what, while Viktor goes to get your prescription, I’ll take you to bed, but you have to promise not to sleep until he gets back.”
“Fine.” Yuri whispers, desperate to lay down.
Yuuri lifts the young boy off the sofa and takes him into the spare room. Yuuri leaves the lights on and doesn’t turn down the bed, perhaps in an effort to keep Yuri honest with his promise.
Yuri pulls himself into the bed and under the covers without hesitation and when Yuuri’s gone he pulls out his phone.
I’m sick. He texts Otabek.
I know kitten, I’m sorry.
They won’t let me sleep I’m being tortured.
They’re trying their best. You’re not giving them a hard time, are you?
Yuri rolls his eyes. They’re giving me a hard time not the other way around.
It might feel that way, but it’s not true.
I wanna die.
That’s not true either.
You’re not being very empathetic.
Trust me, this is me being empathetic.
Doctor says I should go to the hospital but I don’t wanna.
Please listen to your doctor and go to the fucking hospital, Yura. Don’t be dumb.
Yuri puts his phone up and closes his eyes, god the light seems to sear his eyelids anyway. Is it too much to ask for it to be dark?
“Hey, we had a deal.” Yuuri’s voice shatters the silence.
“You’re torturing me.” Yuri responds.
“It’ll just be a couple more minutes.” Yuuri promises placing a cool rag over Yuri’s forehead.
“No… too cold.”
“I know you think you’re cold but your body is overheating.” Yuuri tells him gently, “Please work with me.”
Yuri smothers a round of coughing into the pillow beneath his head but says nothing else. True to his word, Viktor enters the room hardly a minute later, still wearing his snow boots and coat.
“Why’s Otabek calling you?” Yuuri asks taking his phone off the nightstand.
“Smothering?” Yuri chances a guess as Viktor hands him the first round of pills.
“Should I answer?”
“I don’t care.”
“Hello?” Yuuri answers, “No… No he’s… He’s not really with it right now, that’s not true.”
“Fuck you.”
“Medicine is helping already!” Viktor chuckles.
“I’ll let you know if anything changes, he’s taking his medicine… Yes, finally.”
Yuri flops back into bed as soon as the last pill is down.
“He’s getting to bed now… I’ll tell him… Okay… Call me next time not him… Okay… Okay bye.”
Yuuri takes the phone and puts it on the opposite end of the room to charge.
“Was I right?” Yuri mumbles tiredly.
“About what?”
“Smothering?”
“You deliriously told him you were getting sent to the hospital, I’d say he had a right to be concerned.” Yuuri chuckles.
Yuri hums softly, “I love him.”
“He loves you too.”
“Sleep.”
“Yes, Yura, you can sleep now.” Viktor assures him.
“Yay.” He turns over and curls into himself.
The pair of adults finally turn of the light giving him an instantaneous feeling of relief. Maybe it’s the drugs, maybe it’s finally having some goddamn peace and quiet... And maybe, just maybe, being surrounded by the people he loves the most helps him too. Regardless, the euphoria of a long dreamless sleep overcomes him swiftly.