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Yuri Plisetsky has lots of reasons to be happy right now. The figure skating season has just ended, with several medals under his belt for him. Today is a nice spring day, for Russian standards at least. And most importantly, he finally has a bit more time to spend with his best friend and, for the past few weeks, flatmate Otabek Altin.
He was nearly ecstatic when Otabek told him he needed a change a few months ago. Yuri knew he hadn’t been happy with his old coach for a while, thinking someone else could bring out other, better things from him.
It was Yuri who suggested Otabek move to St. Petersburg and train under Yakov as well. It didn’t take long to convince Yakov. The experienced coach knew Otabek was good and he agreed about his former coach not being right for him, there was potential for more. And with both Victor and Georgi having retired after the last season, he had enough time for a new skater.
“But are you sure you want such a tough competitor at your home rink?” Yakov asked Yuri.
“I want him here,” was all Yuri replied. And that was that.
It’s been over two years since he and Otabek met at the Grand Prix Finale in Barcelona. They’ve always stayed in touch but with their busy schedules it was mostly via text messages, phone calls and late night Skype sessions. Yuri now knows how much long distance relationships must suck because long distance friendships are hell and if people tell him he cannot compare the two it will earn them an angry rant on how platonic relationships are not inferior to romantic relationships.
“Don’t you think that’s a tiny bit hypocritical?” Mila asks him one day, draping herself all over him and completely ignoring his personal space, as usual.
“Huh? How?” Yuri tries to shrug out of her embrace but gives up when he realises it’s futile.
Mila finally lets go to look at him properly, raising an eyebrow. “Yuri,” she starts dramatically, “You’ve got a crush on Otabek the size of Russia, if not the entire former Soviet Union.”
“I… what… no!” Yuri splutters and is angry at himself for reacting the way he does.
“Delude yourself… you know it’s true.” Mila has the audacity to smirk and wink at him.
“Shut up, Баба,” Yuri grumbles and he entirely blames Mila if he acts a little weird around his best friend that day.
*
A few days later Yuri wakes up with a cough and a headache. He tells himself it’s nothing, Yuri Plisetsky will not be brought down by a simple cold. So he ignores the way his muscles scream at him although he hasn’t had a tough workout the previous day, knocks down some painkillers to fight off the headache and gets ready for the day.
Otabek notices the coughing while they’re having breakfast, though. “Are you coming down with something?” he asks, eyebrow raised at his younger friend across the kitchen table.
“Just a little cold.” Yuri shrugs it off and continues eating his cereal although he isn’t hungry at all. He knows he’ll need the energy later, though.
“Maybe you should take it easy today…” Otabek reaches towards him, probably to check for a fever but Yuri swats at his hand.
“I said I’m fine!” he snaps and gets up without finishing his food, dumping the remainder into the bin and putting the empty bowl in the sink.
Otabek raises his hands in defeat. “Whatever you say…”
Yuri takes a deep breath. “Sorry,” he mumbles, “But stop the fussing. I’m okay. Really.”
He says the last word with a pointed look at his friend and Otabek just nods. Yuri feels bad for lashing out but if there’s one thing he cannot stand it’s people fussing over him. He usually doesn’t mind when it’s his best friend, in fact Otabek could get away with pretty much anything. But he’s in a bad mood today and his fuse is short.
Yuri leaves their small kitchen, barely big enough to fit the table and four chairs, and crosses the hall to get to the bathroom. On the way there he barely manages to avoid tripping over his cat who rubs herself against his legs to get his attention. “Not now, Stasya…” (Her full name is Anastasiya, named after Anastasiya Romanova. But it’s just too long for everyday use.)
He pulls a hair tie off his wrist and pulls up his hair in a loose ponytail. Sometimes he wonders if he should cut it all off, it gets in the way so often… but then he remembers that he hated having short hair even more so he keeps it trimmed a bit longer than shoulder length. Long enough so he can tie it back properly and short enough so it doesn’t take ages to dry.
Yuri looks at himself while he brushes his teeth. Yeah, he has definitely looked better before. He’s pale, there are dark shadows under his eyes. He knows he should have slept enough the previous night but he also remembers waking up every now and then, tossing and turning because something just felt off.
Otabek joins him in the bathroom shortly later, reaching around him to grab his own toothbrush and toothpaste. Yuri can’t help but laugh a little when he notices Otabek standing on tiptoe behind him to see himself in the mirror above the sink.
“I miss the days when you were shorter than me,” Otabek mumbles around his toothbrush.
Yuri spits out the remaining toothpaste and rinses his mouth. “I’m barely an inch taller than you, stop exaggerating.”
In the two and a half years they’ve known each other Otabek, being 18 already when they met, has only grown a little more. Yuri, however, has grown another 5 inches and is now taller than a few people he has always looked up to (literally). He might grow even taller but when he looks at other people in his family on the photos that his grandfather has, it’s not very likely. They’re all average, not small and not exceptionally tall either.
Yuri goes to grab his bag and a jacket. “Hurry up!” he calls to Otabek while he laces up his sneakers and then waits in the hall for his friend to get ready so they can head to the rink. The only reaction he gets from him as he launches into another coughing fit is an eye roll.
*
Yuri is positively dead by the time he’s stepping off the ice after his practice session. Yakov’s drills weren’t exactly harder today but he is drained. All he wants to do is go home and sleep. He nearly stumbles over his own feet while he retrieves his skate guards and then the world starts spinning when he bends down to clip them onto his skates.
Mila has been standing at the edge of the rink, stretching, and notices something is off. “Are you okay?” she asks.
“Dizzy…” Yuri replies and that’s when the static noise in is ears grows louder and his vision turns black. Fuck, I’m going to faint, he thinks.
“Yuri!” Mila rushes to Yuri’s side and only manages to catch him before his head hits the floor.
“Yakov!” she calls over to their coach, “Come here, Yuri passed out.”
It’s not only Yakov who hears her but also Otabek and he hurries off the ice. By the time he and the coach reach Mila and Yuri, Yuri is already opening his eyes again.
He blinks as he takes in his friends’ worried faces, both kneeling next to him.
“Don’t scare me like that!” Mila accuses.
“You alright?” Otabek asks quietly as he helps Yuri sit up. Yuri nods slowly. “I think so…”
Alright might be an overstatement, though. His head is throbbing, his limbs feel like lead and now he also thinks he might puke any moment.
Yakov hands him a water bottle. “Drink,” he says, a little less gruff than usual, “You’re sick, aren’t you?”
Yuri sips the water and shrugs, he lacks the energy for the usual comeback and knows that denying will be futile.
Yakov sighs. “Yuri… good athletes don’t just push themselves to reach new heights. They also know their limits and when to take a break, “his coach continues the lecture, “You think you’re invincible. But you’re not. Even your body has its limits. You could have injured yourself today. You should be glad you only fainted when you were off the ice.” Yakov shakes his head.
“Shut up…” Yuri mumbles weakly, “I know.” He feels bad enough right now, he doesn’t need the added humiliation.
He also doesn’t need to look at Otabek to know that the worried expression has changed into a “I told you so” expression. A quick glance confirms his suspicion. Yuri is grateful Otabek doesn’t say it out loud. One lecture is enough, especially when it’s deserved.
“Get him home, Otabek. Home and into bed. And make sure he stays there,” Yakov orders. Otabek just nods in reply. Great, now Otabek is also missing half of his practice session because of Yuri, it’s not like he feels bad enough already.
“Okay, let’s go home.” Otabek takes Yuri’s hand and pulls him to his feet, reaching out to steady him when he starts swaying again. Yuri curses under his breath. His body is a traitor, an evil traitor that has let him down.
“I’ll call you a taxi,” Yakov mutters before he turns around and leaves them to their own devices, “Mila, let’s work on your new short program.”
“Yes,” Mila replies and then turns to Yuri. “Get better soon.” Yuri just mutters a ‘thanks’.
“We could have taken the bus…” Yuri says weakly when they’re in the locker room and he puts on his jacket. Otabek merely rolls his eyes in response. Yuri keeps silent then. He’s being ridiculous and he knows it.
An hour later they have managed to take a taxi home to their flat, settle Yuri in his bed (with protests)and check his temperature (39.6°C fever).
“I feel like shit,” Yuri complains. There’s no one left to impress, so he might as well complain, he decides.
“Well, you’re sick,” Otabek replies, effectively stating the obvious.
There’s something Yuri wants to say to that but he’s interrupted by a coughing fit before he can. It makes the headache even worse. “Fucking hell…” he groans.
“Try to get some sleep. It’ll help.” Otabek gets up from where he’s been sitting on the edge of Yuri’s bed. “Call me if you need anything.” He ruffles Yuri’s hair and Yuri cannot not smile, despite the fever and the pain.
A few minutes later Yuri falls asleep to the sound of running water in the bathroom as Otabek takes a shower.
*
The next time Yuri opens his eyes, the room is bathed in the soft orange hues of the sunset. He turns his head to look at the alarm clock on his nightstand and realises he’s slept for over 3 hours. Yuri tries to sit up and groans. He doesn’t feel much better. In addition to his still pounding head, the sore throat seems to have gotten worse as well and now feels like sandpaper when he swallows.
“Beka?”, he calls, well, tries to, into the quiet of the flat. It’s more of a croak, really.
Otabek appears in the doorway shortly later. “You’re awake,” he notes.
“Obviously,” Yuri replies, “Can you get me something to drink? Please?”
Otabek nods and leaves for the kitchen. Yuri wonders why it’s taking him so long to get a glass of water. He lies in his bed, staring at the ceiling. This is pathetic. He can’t even get himself a glass of water. Well, technically he could but his body hurts just at the prospect of moving.
Otabek returns not only with a glass of water but also a steaming mug. “I went to the pharmacy and the grocery store down the road while you were sleeping,” he says and sets down everything on the nightstand.
“What’s this?” Yuri takes the mug and sniffs at its warm contents.
“Just ginger and lemon tea with honey… I also got you some meds for the cough, though,” Otabek explains and sits down next to Yuri again.
“Thanks,” Yuri says quietly and carefully sips the hot beverage. He nearly drops the mug, though, when he feels Otabek’s hand on his skin. Relax, he tells himself, no need to freak out over your best friend checking your temperature, right?
“The fever seems to have gone down a little… do you feel any better?” Otabek asks, apparently not even noticing Yuri’s weird reaction to him touching him. Yuri just shrugs.
“It’s weird when I’m suddenly the talkative one…” Otabek says, half-smiling at Yuri.
“Don’t get used to it,” Yuri answers, mirroring the expression, “My throat hurts.”
Otabek nods in understanding. “The honey will help. I also bought some chicken soup for you if you’re hungry. It’s probably nowhere near as good as self-made soup but I guess it’s alright.”
Yuri notices how his friend starts playing with a loose thread on the blanket. Is he getting bashful about caring for him?
“Thanks… but I don’t feel like eating anything.”
“Maybe later then. I just have to heat it up.”
Yuri nods. “Yes. Later.”
“I should let you get some more rest.” Otabek makes to get up but Yuri’s hand on his wrist stops him.
“Stay here.”
“You really need to rest,” Otabek says softly, his voice taking on a tone that Yuri knows is reserved for Otabek’s family and himself.
“I will rest. You can watch TV or something, just stay here with me?” Yuri all but pleads now. He knows the puppy eyes don’t work on his friend but he also knows that Otabek loves to indulge him.
His friend sighs. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he says and stands up. True to his words, he returns less than a minute later with an old paperback in hand.
“Move over.”
Yuri scoots to the side so Otabek can sit down next to him, with Yuri under the blankets and Otabek sitting on top of them.
“Happy?” Otabek asks. Yuri smiles, nods and then curls up next to Otabek as he opens his book.
For the next hour or so Yuri pays attention to nothing but the stillness of the room, Otabek’s comforting presence next to him and the quiet sound of him turning a page of the book. He hates to interrupt the quiet with is coughing from time to time.
Yuri doesn’t fall asleep again but he’s as relaxed as he can be. Being around Otabek usually does that to him. Yuri knows he’s become calmer since he met him. Well, not being a bratty teenager in the middle of puberty anymore probably improved his attitude as well but he can’t deny that Otabek has been a positive influence. Their different, sometimes even opposed personalities are probably one of the reasons they get along as well as they do. They balance each other out.
Yuri has been absent-mindedly watching Otabek for a while now and only realises when his older friend points it out, amusement clear in his voice.
“I’m not staring…” Yuri mumbles, burrowing deeper into the blanket to hide the blush spreading across his cheeks.
“Don’t be like that… it’s not that I mind.”
“Oh, so you like being stared at? Never took you for the conceited type,” Yuri teases and emerges from the blanket, now back on familiar territory concerning their banter.
“I don’t mind when it’s you,” Otabek clarifies and “Oh” is all Yuri can come up with in reply.
Otabek sets the book aside and lies down next to Yuri, facing him.
“You’ll catch my cold when you’re so close to me…” Yuri objects, “I don’t want you to get sick because of me.”
“I don’t get sick so easily,” Otabek replies calmly, not moving an inch.
A quiet meow makes them both look up, only to find Stasya at the foot of the bed, pawing at the blanket and making herself comfortable there. “Of course…” Yuri mumbles.
He closes his eyes. This could be so nice and relaxing, chilling in his bed with Otabek and his cat… fuck that cold. Yuri startles momentarily when he feels his friend’s hand on his skin, pushing back the damp, sweaty hair from his face. He relaxes again when he feels fingers carding through his hair.
“Don’t stop…” he says and he’s embarrassed by how needy his own voice sounds. Otabek chuckles quietly.
“Sometimes I wonder if you’re really just a cat in a human’s body. You have all the characteristics.”
Yuri opens his eyes just a bit. “Moody and stubborn, you mean?”
“No,” Otabek replies softly, “Very independent and picky about the people you show affection to.”
“Hmm…” Yuri hums. He’s barely awake at this point, slowly being lulled to sleep by his friend’s ministrations.
*
Yuri is beyond confused when he wakes up. He’s not even sure he’s awake because everything feels so weird. After a few moments he realises the lightheaded feeling comes from the cold and he is indeed awake. After that it takes about two seconds until he notices that Otabek is still in his bed, now under the blanket with him. And it’s not just that. Their current position can only be described as cuddling.
It takes two more seconds until Yuri’s mind goes into overdrive which is not a good combination with sleepiness and a headache. He wants to run away and be even closer to Otabek at the same time. That makes no sense, he thinks. Or maybe it does…
Maybe Mila was right after all? Yeah, she might be right but then what does it mean? Hell, he’s not even sure what his own feelings are, much less what Otabek’s stand on the matter is. Well, he’s here in bed with you, a voice in his mind supplies. He’s just taking care of his sick friend, another voice chimes in.
Okay, he’s definitely going mad now. Or just hallucinating because of the fever. Yuri huffs in frustration. This isn’t going anywhere, it just makes his brain hurt.
“What’s wrong?” comes a sleepy voice from next to him.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Yuri says and notices that a) his throat is still sore and b) his voice sounds all kinds of fucked up.
“Go back to sleep then, it’s still dark outside.” Otabek says all this without even opening his eyes and, more importantly, without loosening his hold on Yuri.
The latter, however, can’t go back to sleep now. He doesn’t really have many options, though, so he just stays in bed, alternating between watching his sleeping friend and closing his eyes to get a little more rest.
It’s not too much later when the alarm on Otabek’s phone rings. He reaches for it blindly to turn it off. When he doesn’t move for another minute, Yuri speaks up: “Are you not getting up?”
“I will in a minute… it’s just so nice and warm right now.”
Yuri suppresses the urge to laugh and instead starts poking his best friend’s arm. “Get up or Yakov will have your ass for being late.”
Otabek squints at him. “Rude.”
Yuri gathers his courage before he asks: “Are we gonna talk about how you’ve turned me into your human teddy bear?”
Otabek’s eyes on him are suddenly serious. “Do you mind?” he asks, sitting up at the same time.
Yuri instantly misses the warmth around him. “No!” he answers quickly and shakes his head, “I was just a bit surprised.”
Otabek visibly relaxes and then shrugs. “You were so restless last night… always tossing and turning… and then, after a while of lying there with you, I fell asleep as well. It’s no big deal or is it?”
“No, of course not…” Yuri says quietly.
Otabek nods and smiles at him. “I should get ready for training now.”
A while later Yuri is alone in the flat. He had breakfast (is it considered breakfast without coffee?), took all his meds and now he’s bored. There’s not much he can do, though. The fever has gone down, at least he’s not pushing 40°C anymore, but it’s still very much there and he knows he should stay in bed.
He tries playing a game on his phone but it makes his eyes hurt after a while. The same would undoubtedly happen if he tried to watch a movie. In the end he turns the TV in his room (actually the only TV in the flat) on as a background noise. It could be worse, he thinks as he closes his eyes. He could have come down with something in the middle of the season. Right now, a few days missed are annoying but in general not a big deal.
Yuri’s wondering what Otabek is doing right now… it’s weird not to be training with him. It’s only been a few weeks but the times when they were apart most of the time seem like it was in another life. That’s how quickly he got used to having his friend by his side nearly 24/7.
Mila’s words from a few days ago ring in his ears again. “You’ve got a crush on Otabek the size of Russia…”
He was so flustered when she said it… but the truth is, it wasn’t because he was embarrassed or because it’s untrue. The actual truth is, he has no idea. He’s completely and utterly clueless.
Yuri can’t recall ever having a crush on anyone before. He’s kissed some girls (and boys, for that matter) when the opportunity presented itself. But that was curiosity. Neither he nor the other person actually cared much for each other. But they were teenagers with raging hormones and things happen. Yuri can’t say he disliked those kisses but it wasn’t very special either.
How is he supposed to know what it feels like when you really like someone and want to be with them romantically? It’s all a big clusterfuck in his mind right now. Yuri buries his face in the pillows, this is so frustrating he wants to scream.
Yuri’s pulled from his thoughts when his phone starts ringing. He reaches for the device, checking the caller ID. Speak of the devil… it’s Mila.
“Miss me already?” he answers his phone.
Mila chuckles. “What can I say? My life is meaningless without you.”
“I knew you’d realise one day.”
Mila then drops the teasing tone. “But honestly, how do you feel? Your voice sounds like shit, for a fact.”
Yuri shrugs before he remembers that Mila can’t see him. “Sick,” he answers, “Better than yesterday, though.”
“Hmm…” she hums and Yuri can imagine her doodling on a piece of paper. She tends to do that while on the phone. “I’ll be honest, you had me worried about you yesterday,” Mila continues.
“Oh… okay.”
Yuri’s friendship with Mila is built on constant teasing and lots of sarcasm. They do care about each other but Yuri still doesn’t know how to react when Mila is just 100% honest towards him.
Mila picks up the conversation before Yuri’s silence turns awkward. “But I’m glad to hear you’re feeling a bit better… hey, did anything else happen?”
Yuri frowns. “No… why?”
“I don’t know… Otabek seemed a little distracted earlier,” Mila says.
The gears in Yuri’s head start turning. “Well, maybe…” He doesn’t know if he wants to talk to Mila about it.
“Maybe…?” she coaxes him.
“Okay, but you can’t make fun of me, alright?” Yuri relents.
“Never!” Mila can’t help but tease, “Okay right, I’m stopping and I’m listening.”
“So… Otabek stayed with me last night and we fell asleep in my bed and woke up cuddling and I wanted to talk about it but he said it was no big deal but I’m not sure that’s what he really meant.” Yuri says all that without stopping to take a breath.
“Wow… those were a lot of words in a very short amount of time,” Mila states.
Yuri huffs in annoyance. “Forget I ever said anything…” he grumbles.
“No… sorry,” Mila says quickly, “So I guess you finally stopped deluding yourself?”
Yuri sighs and for a moment he’s unsure whether to continue. Does he really want to share all the confusion with Mila? But to be honest, if not Mila then who else? Besides Otabek, the older girl is probably his only close friend here in St. Petersburg, now that Victor and his Katsudon spend most of their time in Japan. (Not that he would talk to either of them about this. Just… no.)
“It was never about deluding. I just didn’t know how I felt about him. Still don’t, to be honest,” he finally explains.
“That sounds confusing,” Mila muses.
“You don’t say…”
“Hm, but maybe you don’t have to define your feelings right now.”
“How is that supposed to help?” Yuri snaps.
Mila stays calm, though. “If you ask me, it’s clear the both of you like each other… a lot. I’m sure if you two actually talked about your feelings, things would be a lot clearer. And you don’t need to put any labels on your relationship if you don’t want to,” she explains as if it were the easiest thing on earth.
“You make it sound so easy…” Yuri whines.
“Oh, it’s never easy,” Mila replies, “But it’s almost always worth it. And you like him and he likes you, anyone can see that. So don’t be scared to talk, okay?”
“Hmm… thanks, Mila,” Yuri says and he really is grateful for her listening to his dumb inexperienced teenage problems.
“Any time, котёнок.”
“Don’t call me that…”
Yuri calls her out on it every time she uses a pet name for him but in the end he lets her get away with it anyway. They continue to talk for a few more minutes before Mila has to get back to training.
Yuri sighs deeply and closes his eyes. Talking… something he’s usually quite good at as he can run his mouth without stopping to breathe. But he fears this one might not be quite the same…
The remainder of the day is spent reading in bed, only getting up to go to the bathroom and to heat up that soup Otabek got him yesterday. (It’s really not bad, but rubbish compared to any self-made chicken soup.)
At some point his headache gets worse again and he opts for a nap instead. Stasya seems to approve because she joins him and rolls herself into a little ball next to him.
*
“Yura? I got us takeaway,” Otabek announces when he comes home. Yuri wakes up instantly, he’s a light sleeper and Otabek doesn’t even have to be loud to wake him up.
“What did you get?” Yuri sits up in bed and waits for Otabek to appear in the doorway.
“Pasta and salad. That okay? And how are you?” Otabek asks as he walks into the room carrying a plastic bag with their food and plates and cutlery from the kitchen.
Yuri nods and makes room on his bed. Stasya protests when the blanket is thrown over her and she escapes to find a quieter place. “I’m okay, not great but okay.”
“That’s good.” Otabek smiles at him and puts the food onto their plates, careful not to spill anything on Yuri’s bed. They eat in silence mostly and Otabek brings the dishes back into the kitchen when they’re finished.
“Beka, do you have anything to do tonight? Or do you wanna watch a movie with me?” Yuri asks.
Otabek comes back and shrugs. “A movie is fine with me. Got anything special in mind?”
Yuri thinks for a moment. “How about a re-watch of some Marvel movie? You pick which one.”
“Alright,” Otabek says and bends down in front of Yuri’s shelf. In the end he picks Winter Soldier and Yuri is happy with his choice. And maybe when he has managed to relax he can tackle that conversation…
*
“Stop moving around so much, you wanted to watch a movie,” Otabek chides when Yuri just can’t keep still.
“I’m only trying to get comfortable,” Yuri says in reply, still trying in vain to find a comfortable position that will still allow him to see the screen.
“You’re ridiculous…” Otabek says and it’s only the fond tone in his voice that stops Yuri from protesting, “Come here.”
Yuri moves closer towards his friend and lets himself be pulled backwards so he ends up sitting in between Otabek’s legs. “Now lean back,” he says and Yuri complies.
“Comfy enough?”
Yuri only nods. He hopes Otabek will put the colour in his cheeks down only to the fever and not the blushing that it actually is. So much for relaxing. And talking. He’s already tongue-tied. Yuri let Otabek pick a movie they both know well enough so they don’t have to concentrate on it too much. So he could casually ask Otabek about his feelings for him.
Yuri isn’t concentrating on the movie right now. But he’s also not thinking about what to say. Instead he’s very aware of Otabek right behind him, how close they are. How he can feel his chest rise and fall as he breathes. Yuri knows he’s starting to get fidgety again but he’s forcing himself to relax.
It’s okay. Otabek wouldn’t have suggested this if he weren’t okay with it. Yuri’s mental pep talk seems to work after a while as he leans back against Otabek’s chest even more. I’ll just close my eyes for a moment, he thinks.
“Tired?” Otabek asks.
“Just a little… it’s ridiculous. I only woke up from a nap like an hour ago.”
“We don’t have to finish the movie if you’d rather sleep,” Otabek offers.
“No, leave it on. I’m listening,” Yuri says.
Otabek chuckles and Yuri thinks it’s funny how he can hear and feel it. “Sure you are.”
Without warning, Yuri can feels his arms wrap around him. He’s convinced that Otabek must feel his heartbeat speed up in reaction to that move. Yuri decides that now is the time to be bold… and laces his fingers through Otabek’s where they’re resting lightly on his stomach. He releases a breath he doesn’t know he was holding and stares straight ahead at the TV screen.
“Yura…?”
Fuck, Yuri thinks. He’s gone too far. He’s misunderstood everything and it was never more than friendly cuddling all along. He wants to pull his hand back but Otabek won’t let him.
“What does it mean, Beka?” Yuri hates how every ounce of his insecurity can be heard in his voice, “Last night… and this?” He gestures at them, wrapped around each other.
“Whatever you want it to mean.”
Yuri sighs. “No… what does it mean for you?” he clarifies.
“I really like you, Yura…”
“Well, I knew that much,” Yuri says.
“Will you let me finish?” Otabek asks and Yuri yelps as he pokes his side. He stays quiet, though, and lets his friend continue.
“I really like you… but I don’t want to jeopardise our friendship by doing… more,” Otabek says.
Yuri now wriggles out of the embrace to turn around and face him. “You couldn’t,” he stresses and vehemently shakes his head, “You’re my best friend and you’ll always be my best friend, no matter what else we might be as well. And… I think I’d like to try more? Something else?”
Yuri knows he’s blushing like mad right now but a tentative look at Otabek shows him only pure adoration and Yuri stops caring. Otabek takes Yuri’s hand in his again.
“So… what now?”
“I don’t know…”
Yuri is glad he got this far without combusting spontaneously… he never thought about what’s going to happen next. He suddenly remembers that he has no idea about any of this. He never dated anyone, has never been in a relationship. He’s panicking internally. What if he’ll mess things up only because he doesn’t know any better?
“We can take things slow if you want to?” Otabek suggests.
“I think… I think, I’d like that.” Yuri swallows and then nods.
“And now please stop freaking out.” Otabek pulls him into a tight hug and Yuri finally relaxes in his embrace.
“We missed the most interesting part of the movie,” Otabek suddenly deadpans.
Yuri laughs into Otabek’s shoulder. “I don’t care about the fucking movie.”
They share Yuri’s bed again that night. Only this time there’s no confusion as Otabek wraps his arm around Yuri’s shoulders and Yuri in return throws an arm across Otabek’s chest possessively.
*
It takes a few more days until Yuri can go back to training. He’s itching to get back onto the ice by then. It’s one thing not to train because you’re on vacation, it’s another thing to be forced to take a break and even his new romantic situation cannot distract him enough from that. And while it certainly feels different, their behaviour around each other hasn’t changed a lot. There are more casual touches, lingering longer than they used to, unashamed now. And there are more smiles.
Otabek hasn’t slept in his own bed since they talked. They usually fall asleep holding each other, drift apart during the night and whoever wakes up first drags the other one back into his arms. Yuri loves waking up in Otabek’s arms. Only Stasya doesn’t seem to be happy about this particular change as she clambers around the bed to find a sleeping spot there, too.
Mila sent him a text the day before.
Mila: Update on the Otabek situation?
Yuri: why should I tell u?
Mila: So there is something to tell :D
Yuri: maybe
Mila: Oh cmon, tell me already!
Yuri: we talked
Mila: And? Friends? Lovers? ;)
Yuri: both, kinda. We’re taking things slow
Mila: <3 !!!!
When they see each other in person at the rink, she pulls Yuri into a hug and whispers in his ear: “I’m happy for you, котёнок.”
“I told you to stop calling me that,” he replies but hugs her back a little tighter anyway.
She steps back smiling and moves to hug Otabek as well, who hugs her back a little less enthusiastically.
“What was that about?” Otabek asks when Mila is on the ice.
Yuri just shrugs and smiles. “Don’t ask me to explain the way Mila’s mind works,” he says and links his hand with Otabek’s.