Chapter Text
Yuuri had been to Colorado Springs once, years ago, when he was still training under Celestino. It was summer, two weeks in early August, and their flight to the tiny Colorado Springs airport was redirected to Denver thanks to severe thunderstorms in the area. Celestino somehow still managed to wrangle a rental car, and he and Phichit huddled under the yellow Hertz awning as they watched the Italian jog through the light drizzle Denver was experiencing as night fell.
“Google Maps says it’s going to be an hour and twenty-six minutes to our hotel in Colorado Springs,” Phichit said, crisply enunciating the amount of minutes their drive would take.
“Hm? Well, that’s unfortunate,” Yuuri replied absently, watching as Celestino’s brown ponytail grew darker as it got wet, “Do you think we’re going to get dinner, or is Ciao-Ciao going to make us skip it?”
“I… huh,” Phichit considered, “I don’t know. Do they have In-N-Out here?”
“That’s California, Phichit,” Yuuri giggled, and then the car pulled around, and they busied themselves packing up the trunk with their luggage while trying not to get wet. Somewhere between Denver and Colorado Springs, Celestino pulled off the highway to get them burgers from Carl’s Jr.
“The amount of calories in these burgers is disgusting,” Celestino sighed, “But you need to eat, and as long as you don’t get the fries I suppose I can condone—“
“Yuuri! There’s a teriyaki burger! We have to try it!” Phichit interrupted giddily, and soon enough they were driving through the steady rain, Celestino watching his students with a small smile through the rear view mirror.
@phichit+chu: a small taste of home for our beloved @katsu-goner !! even though yuuri says that a teriyaki burger in no way counts as proper japanese food. #whatever #burgertime #mountains #lightning #KatsukiYuuri #ciaociaosrentalcar #gottatagthegloriousscenery
location: I-25 S
Colorado was an adventure, and nothing could bring Phichit or Yuuri down—not the pouring rain that they had to run through to get to the hotel, nor the long flight with all of its delays, nor the mask training Celestino insisted on them enduring before they booked their trip to Colorado.
“American Olympians train in Colorado Springs for a reason,” he had said, handing Phichit and Yuuri the same sort of sterile medical masks, the kind that Yuuri used to wear in Japan. Both had turned to each other and shrugged until Celestino had made them run through a short program each with the mask on. Breathing suddenly became… difficult, to say the least.
“Ciao-Ciao is trying to kill us,” Phichit whispered, both of them hot and sweaty after training with the masks on. They flopped down on the snowy ice, the Zamboni warming up as the other skaters began to leave the ice, “It’s his diabolical plan, don’t you see? Freshly sharpened skates and the masks! Sabotage!”
“I just don’t think these masks are being used according to their intended purpose,” Yuuri wheezed, turning his head to look at a red-cheeked Phichit, "And I totally did not have my skates sharpened before coming here."
There was snow in Phichit's glossy black hair, Yuuri noted, as the Thai skater looked at him with abject betrayal.
"You didn't have your skates sharpened?" Phichit demanded, still out of breath, "Yuuri! You idiot! No wonder the loops in your footwork have been crap this week!"
"I didn't want my first day in training camp to be getting used to a sharpening!" Yuuri panted, flinching when the Zamboni beeped. Phichit thankfully let the subject go they scrambled to get up and off the ice, with only one final word of warning--
"That's gonna bite you in the ass someday, Yuuri!"
The masks, though. Those made sense. The training camp had an intense enough regimen before one took into account that Colorado Springs was a mile above sea level and had thinner oxygen. Phichit and Yuuri gazed at Celestino with wide-eyed betrayed looks each time they passed him on their warm up laps, trying to moderate their breathing in comparison to the rest of the Americans on the ice. The Italian had the gall to look amused, right up until Yuuri and Phichit leaned over the boards at the World Arena, trying to breathe deeply.
“Don’t be drama queens, you two,” Celestino said evenly, and two sets of dark eyes looked up at him. “Are you telling me that you won’t be able to handle two weeks of training here?”
It was if a switch was flipped. Yuuri took a gulp of air, swallowing hard. Whining and being overdramatic with Phichit was one thing, but disappointing one’s coach was another thing entirely.
Celestino reached out, placing his hand on Yuuri’s hammering pulse. His green eyes took in his student’s flushed cheeks calculatingly, seemingly counting Yuuri’s heartbeats. Yuuri blushed even deeper, embarrassed somehow at being unable to control his heart rate. It was a failing, somehow, that he felt so out of shape while the rest of the Americans skated around the rink with ease. His chest was screaming for more air, for Yuuri to pant, but Yuuri shoved the impulse down. Breathe normally, he thought, don’t let Ciao-Ciao see this weakness. Don’t let him think you can’t do this. Don’t embarrass him in front of the other coaches. If the Americans from the East Coast can do this, so can you.
“You are here representing our skating club, and I know you two will make me proud,” Celestino went on. Yuuri tried to breathe as slowly as possible, sucking down the limited oxygen.
Phichit pouted, but his cheeks were slowly looking less red, and he glanced over at Yuuri. Like always, Phichit seemed to be on the same page as Yuuri was. Yuuri felt his lips twitch in a suppressed smile.
“Now!” Celestino clapped his hands, “Back to your training. Yuuri, your form on your Bielmann needs work, so I want you to start with that. Phichit, you are already in the United States. There’s no need for more traveling on your backwards sit spin…”
@phichit+chu: I want to know when we’re going to see the sights. @katsu-goner says watching me flop on the ice is a sight enough. #mybestfriendismean #KatsukiYuuri #makehimstop #selfieonice
location: World Arena, Colorado Springs, CO
The training camp in Colorado ended up being rather fun. Despite the physical exertion whipping the pair into shape, Phichit and Yuuri were nearly immediately adopted by a group of cheerful skaters from the mid-Atlantic who had the same amount of complaints about mask training and the thinner atmosphere. The motley group from up and down the I-95 corridor also came with their own coach; a loud, cheerful Scot who greeted Celestino with a rib-cracking hug before the Italian could even think about air-kissing him. The combined accents made following the conversation damn near impossible, but thankfully the girls that Duncan MacKenna brought along were happy to translate.
“See?” One of the girls giggled, smoothing down her black practice dress as she pulled out a rhinestone encrusted phone case, “If Duncan and Celestino are friends, this means we all have to be friends now if we’re going to be sharing board space. Phichit, smile!”
Phichit, always delighted to be tagged, flashed a blindingly white grin and a peace sign. Yuuri, in the background, blushed as he took a gulp from his water bottle and privately thought it would be a miracle if his best friend didn’t end up with his own Swarovski phone case by the end of the camp. Extra company did improve practices, as it turned out that Duncan was a slave driver during power classes, which ended occasionally with his grimly determined students dragging Phichit and Yuuri behind them or vice versa in band exercises. Yuuri came out of it with a new respect for the girls in their expensive practice gear and their quilted board-bags. And of course, a new respect for all things shiny.
@phichit+chu: new phone case!! thanks @gracicle for the rec, glad we match now! #swarovskis #crystals #shinythings #plshelpwithmycostumenextseason #iwantmoresparkles
location: Broadmoor Skating Club
“Yuuri, Phichit!” Celestino called at the close of the camp, startling the pair. Phichit, who was trying to get a good selfie as he stretched with his foot on Yuuri’s shoulder, lost his balance, and Yuuri narrowly avoided going down with him. The Scotsman at Celestino’s side didn’t even attempt to hide his snort.
“Yes?” Yuuri asked politely, pushing his dark hair out of his eyes. Phichit bounced up next to him, trying to play it off as though his fall was nothing.
“Duncan and I are off to the Broadmoor Hotel for dinner,” Celestino explained, his green eyes twinkling, “And since it’s your last night in Colorado, I think you two deserve a treat.”
“We get to have dinner at the Broadmoor?” Phichit gasps, and Yuuri could practically see the dollar signs light up in his eyes as he imagined eating out at the fanciest resort in the area.
Instead, Celestino tossed Yuuri the keys to the rental car. Phichit caught them instead when they bounced off of Yuuri’s head.
“No,” Celestino said lightly, “You two are on your own tonight. Have fun, and please don’t total the car, Yuuri. I don’t want Phichit driving on his provisional license. Our flight’s at ten tomorrow, so be responsible! And keep your diet plan in mind!”
@phichit+chu: @katsu-goner has his license and the keys!! Get ready for a wild night!! #KatsukiYuuri #pleasedontcrash #iwanttolive
location: World Arena, Colorado Springs, CO
“So what’s the plan?” Yuuri asked as Phichit fiddled with the radio in the rental car. The sun was low in the sky, but still bright and present in the early summer evening, and the rental car hummed pleasantly in the parking lot. Yuuri breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of the clean rental car and tried to ignore the way it still felt as if he couldn’t breathe properly.
“The plan is, we go get takeout food from somewhere, and then we drive through Garden of the Gods and watch the sunset and eat our hard-earned takeout,” Phichit answered easily, his eyes glued to his phone screen, “And you let me take all the photos of you for Instagram that I want!”
“I let you take photos of me for your Instagram anyways,” Yuuri replied dryly, “There are more tagged photos of me from your account than I even have on mine.”
“Listen,” Phichit tried to protest, but gave up halfway through, “Whatever. You’re going on my Insta, Katsuki Yuuri, and we’re going to get bison burgers.”
“Ciao-Ciao said that we should keep our diet plans in mind,” Yuuri pointed out.
“And I am!” Phichit chirped, “I’m going to think about my diet plan as I sink my teeth into a giant overloaded bison burger with bacon and nice, crispy fries.”
Yuuri sighed, hopelessly amused by Phichit’s response. With the ease of practice driving himself and Phichit home, he put the rental car into reverse.
“Phichit, can you hand me my sunglasses?” he asked, fully expecting the excited whoop the other skater made in response. Unlike his normal glasses, which had been purchased in Japan with only Yuuri’s own taste in mind, Phichit had been along for the purchase of Yuuri’s new prescription sunglasses. The result was a pair of very stylish Ray-Bans that embarrassed Yuuri each time he put them on and caused Phichit to grin like an idiot.
“Whooo, sexy!” Phichit called as Yuuri pulled out of the parking lot, Colorado Springs stretched out before them at the top of the hill for one shining moment in the golden evening and Cheyenne Mountain at their back. Yuuri’s thumb rubbed over the tiny dial on the steering wheel, and the sound of the Killers burst through the speakers. Phichit laughed as Yuuri guided the car down the hill, and for a brief moment, the older skater allowed himself to shut his eyes, grateful beyond measure for his friend.
“Yuuri! I love this song! Let’s do car karaoke!”
…Okay. Gratefulness over.
@phichit+chu posted a video!
@phichit+chu: whip that hair, yuuri!! dislodge those sunglasses!! get into the music!! think about vic—oh, whoops, the light’s green, kiddo. @katsu-goner #KatsukiYuuri #carkaraoke #bffjamz #areyougonnabemyboy #pronounsareforsuckers
location: Colorado Springs, CO
In short order, and thankfully without any fender benders, Yuuri and Phichit acquired their takeout burgers, windows down as the practical sedan sped down the highway across town.
“Do you think Ciao Ciao will be upset when the rental car smells like bison burgers and steak fries tomorrow morning?” Yuuri pondered.
“We’ll leave the windows open a crack, it’ll be fine,” Phichit shrugged, “He won’t know a thing. We’ll get him a couple shots of espresso at the airport and he won’t realize I got a turtle mocha until it’s too late.”
“I don’t know how you can stomach that,” Yuuri groaned as he pulled into Garden of the Gods and peered at the map outside the car, “It’s too sweet!”
“You forget that I am a teenager,” Phichit said sagely, “My taste in coffee is terrible.”
Yuuri sighed, following the signs to a scenic lookout. The sun was setting, the red rocks at their peak saturation. The skaters exited the car quietly, hunger trumping any more Instagram posts. They settled themselves on the warm hood of the rental car, Yuuri sitting cross-legged while Phichit let his legs dangle over the headlights.
“Phichit?” Yuuri asked quietly, his voice barely audible over the distant chatter of other Americans and the summer breeze blowing between the rock formations, “Do you ever… Well. It’s stupid. Never mind.”
“Yuuri,” Phichit said, and it was a testament to their friendship that he only had to say his friend’s name before Yuuri spoke once more.
“Phichit, have you ever thought about life after skating?” Yuuri spat out. He didn’t look at Phichit. The burger was held in his motionless hands, cheese oozing out the sides.
“No,” Phichit replied after a long pause, “Not really. What kind of life is there outside of a rink?”
“Love?” Yuuri said quietly, and Phichit snorted. When Yuuri whipped his head around, scandalized and a little embarrassed, Phichit threw a fry at him.
“Hey!”
“Yuuri, don’t be silly!” Phichit laughed, “Listen. We’ve been friends for how long, now? I like to think I know you pretty well. Yuuri, put your giant crush on Viktor away for a second while I figure out how to phrase this in English. I’ll give you a minute, actually, since it’s so big I think it can be seen from space.”
Yuuri huffed, but took the minute to steal one of Phichit’s fries in return.
“Okay, my crush on Viktor Nikiforov has been put away. What now?” he huffed. Phichit stole one of Yuuri’s fries in return; a tiny, crispy potato that made a satisfying crunch when Phichit bit down.
“Yuuri, do you think you could possibly have a future with someone who doesn’t love skating just as much as you do?” Phichit asked, his serious expression a strange contrast to the crunching of the fry. “This is life outside of the rink. This is it. Look at it, Yuuri.”
He gestured expansively to the sunset, the rocks glowing deep oranges and reds.
“It’s very beautiful. It’s lovely. I have like, fifty photos that are going to go up on Insta when I’m done my burger. This is so amazing and I’m glad I get to experience it! But Yuuri… what will you do when the sun has set?”
“Stare at the night sky?”
“For how long?” Phichit pressed, “I’m so tired, Yuuri, I really am. After this, I kind of want to go back to our hotel room and crash. But Yuuri, you and I… we’re here for a reason. We’ve built our lives around skating. And I know that you and I both don’t know what we would do without a rink at our fingertips. You should plan on having a life that includes the ice. Because yeah, the world outside a rink is beautiful, and every skater should have that view. But I think… I think life after skating for us wouldn’t be much of a life.”
Yuuri was silent for a moment. But after the pause, he leaned over, resting his head on Phichit’s shoulder. The Thai skater pressed a chaste kiss into his hair.
“You’re my best friend for a reason, Phichit,” Yuuri said softly, “I’m glad I’m here with you.”
“Same,” Phichit replied in just as gentle a tone, “So am I.”
@phichit+chu: sometimes a burger, a sunset, and your bestie are all you need. here’s yuuri in the sunset on top of the hood of ciao-ciao’s rental car with that adorable grin that’s gonna have someone in love with him someday soon. no hashtags necessary.
location: Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO.