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When Yuri Plisetsky woke up he had the worst headaches ever.
For this reason he didn't get up right away, but decided to just bury his head further into his pillow, trying not to think about anything until the pain got too strong to bear.
He groaned, got up, and before he went to the toilet he took some aspirin he digged up from somewhere in his suitcase.
„I'll never drink alcohol ever again“, he murmured to himself.
He hoped the pain killer would kick in soon.
If he had known that hangovers are so nasty, he would've stopped after his first beer. But he didn't. He accepted the Vodka from Viktor which was a stupid fucking idea apparently and now he had to deal with the consequences. Well, shit.
Yuri decided to shower, maybe cold water would help to clear his heavy head and the overall sluggish feeling he had. So he stepped into the shower with his stuff he brought from home, let the water run down on him and his mind wander while washing his hair.
Drinking alcohol wasn't even all that great, really. Wasn't worth the bad hangover and it's not like it was great to be drunk in the first place. Yuri had hoped that it would just loosen him up a little, make him laugh louder at dumb jokes, would make him forget how embarassing the freshly wed couple was and maybe even give him the courage to ask Otabek to dance with him.
Wait.
That reminded him of something.
Otabek...
And than it hit Yuri. Otabek. He asked, almost begged Otabek fucking Altin to kiss him. He could feel his cheeks burn and a panic rose inside him. Fuck. He was so fucked. Shit.
He almost slammed his head against the wall, cringing and cursing at himself.
„God dammit, Plisetsky...“, he thought. „No wonder you have no fucking friends...“
He didn't want to think about it, but he did anyway and slowly the memories returned. How he clung to Otabek out of sheer jealousy, how the man took him outside and how he just seated himself onto his friends lap, asking for a kiss. Yuri honestly just wanted to die out of embarassment right now. No way Otabek would want to be his friend anymore after that.
Suddenly he heard the echo of Otabeks voice in his head. „I wouldn't be able to go back to being friends.“
And piece after piece Yuri was able to recollect the whole conversation. He wasn't able to comprehend those memories for a moment. He just stood under the steady stream of water, stunned.
Yuri felt his heart thundering in his chest. It's not just that he asked Otabek to kiss him. The other man would have actually done it if he hadn't been drunk. He had actually said he would've done it if Yuri had been sober. And there has been hope in his eyes... that Yuri really didn't want to be 'just' friends either. That it was more than drunk talk.
The young Russian had to fight the urge to just get out of the shower immediately, nevermind the shampoo in his hair and run to Otabek.
He just didn't want to lose any more time. He wanted to see his friend right now.
And fucking kiss him already.
It's not like they knew each for an eternity, but since the Grand Prix Final they had skyped almost every day. Yuri discovered pretty quickly that he didn't just want to be friends with Otabek. Or rather that the feeling he had for the Kazakh weren't merely platonic.
Otherwise his heart wouldn't flutter everytime Otabek called him „Yura“.
Or he wouldn't get dizzy everytime the man smiled at him in a way that gave him the feeling his smile was made only for him.
And than one time not long after the GPF when Otabek was visiting relatives in Russia and was allowed to stay over a weekend at Yuris home, the young Russian was certain.
They could talk for hours and not talk at all without being awkward.
He felt stronger with him and at the same time allowed himself to ackknowledge his weakness.
Otabek could read him effortlessly and seemed to understand what was going on inside of him and even though it pissed Yuri off sometimes, it made him feel safe. He felt like he could open up to Otabek without being judged, trust him and even though this unknown feeling scared him a little, he felt at home at the same time.
It was strange. Hard to put into words. And Yuri came to the silent conclusion as he watched the older man sleep beside him after a long day, that this undescribable, confusing, breathtaking feeling was what the people called 'love'.
That was months ago. And nothing changed since than, besides that the distance hurt more than ever and he constantly had to check on himself if he was being too obvious.
Because after all.... He wouldn't have ever expected that Otabek would return those feelings. Hell, he never even tried to imagine, because it seemed so ridiculously unlikely.
The Kazakh man was the definition of perfection: hot, polite, talented and therefore he could have basically anyone. The amount of people who always flirted with him (e.g. the day before) were proof enough.
Why on earth would he want to settle for Yuri, an angry and obnoxious teenager who wasn't even his age?
But somehow for a reason that wasn't clear for Yuri this seemed to be the case.
Yuri let out a shuttery breath. He really had to talk to Otabek. As soon as possible. The thought that Otabek was somewhere here in Yu-Topia with him, under the very same roof and that there even was a possibility he liked the young Russian more than friends made every second they weren't together seem like a waste.
He quickly rinsed out the last remains of the shampoo, grabbed a towel as he stepped outside of the shower and got dressed. The clock on his phone told him that it was quite early, only half past eight and since Otabek was an early bird as well he had a chance to meet the Kazakh man somewhere without being bothered by other people.
When he opened the door to step outside into a small hallway with a shuddery breath his hangover was forgotten.
Yuri knew where Otabeks room was and so he went down the hallway, not allowing himself to hesitate even when his heart was pounding violently. He knocked. The few seconds it took the man to open the door were enough for Yuri to doubt his decisions, if not his very existence because he was panicking so much.
What if he was wrong?
And Otabek really didn't have any interest in him?
Or worse, if he didn't even wanted to be friends anymore?
That thought was terrifiying. He valued the friendship more than anything.
His hand were sweating. He clenched them into fists.
But, as always, he was able to calm down at the mere sight of Otabek.
It may seem weird but to Yuri it made perfect sense. He just couldn't be as anxious around this man, even if he was the reason he felt that way.
„Good morning...“, Yuri said, unusually hesitantly.
„Good morning“ replied Otabek with only a hint of a smile that was enough to make Yuris heart flutter.
He still had traces of the night on him. He was dressed, but his hair was a mess and his eyes still looked sleepy. Yuri wondered how someone as hot as Otabek could still be this cute in unexpected moments.
He took a deep breath, gathered his courage.
„Otabek, I...“
„Oh! Yuri! Otabek!“, a cheerful voice came from behind them.
Yuri turned around, startled and looked at Hiroko Katsuki, Yuuris mother.
Splendid. Now Yuri wouldn't probably ever be brave enough for this ever again.
He suppressed a groan.
„Good morning! It's very early, I'm surprised to see you both awake. Everyone else is still asleep. Oh! You must be hungry. I'll make breakfast right away! Come with me you two!“ And with that she turned around, expecting them to follow her.
Yuri and Otabek looked at each other, shrugged and made their way into the dining area.
The atmosphere wasn't anywhere near as awkward as Yuri would have expected, but he was still a bit tense.
There was no way Otabek would have forgot yesterdays incident, was it?. But Yuri didn't really dare to turn to the older man and confirm.
Not yet, that is. They definetely had to talk about it sooner or later.
But first, breakfast.
Mrs. Katsuki was in the kitchen, preparing their food while Yuri and Otabek sat at the table.
There was an unusual awkward silence or maybe it was just Yuri, before the Kazakh started a conversation.
„How are you feeling?“
„Uh.. Hungover. Had the worst headaches when I woke up...“
Otabek furrowed his brows a little. „I can imagine... You don't really look good, either.“
Yuri thought he heard the slightest bit of concern in his voice.
He chuckled lightly. „Smooth, Beka. I know I look like shit.“
„I didn't say that.“
„But that was what you meant.“ The young Russian smirked a little.
„It wasn't. I have never considered you anything else than beautiful, Yura.“
Shit. Yuri felt the blush bloom on his entire face. Damn it, why did Otabek always had to be so straight-forward?
But the man seemed to be surprised at his own words and a little bit flustered himself.
Yuri gulped, irritated at how easily he lost his cool and tried to answer as normal as possible.
„Shut up.“
He meant to say 'thank you'.
Otabek just laughed lightly and the tension in the air loosened a little.
Soon enough Mrs. Katsuki brought them a traditional japanese breakfast with rice and everything. Yuris stomach growled quietly at the sight.
He looked at her.
„It was „itadakimasu“, right?“ He learned that when he last stayed at Yu-Topia.
She smiled brightly and nodded.
Yuri then loudly said „Itadakimasu“ before digging in.
Otabek smiled softly, repeated the words as good as possible and began to eat.
Mrs. Katsuki clapped, grinning. „Very good! Enjoy your meal you two“, before she left the room. Yuri was glad she didn't make any attempts at small talk.
They didn't talk while eating (or rather devouring when it came to Yuri), because the food was too good and there was no need to say anything right now so they settled for comfortable, hungry silence.
After they finished their meal Yuri realised something suddenly.
„Beka, do you know how I got into my room yesterday? I can't remember.“
„I carried you.“
„You did what?“ Yuri looked at the man with wide eyes. „Why the fuck did you carry me?“
„Because you slept like a dead man. No chance to wake you up. So I carried you home.“
How embarassing.
His drunk ass fell asleep, probably even in the arms of Otabek.
He remembered how comfortable it was, leaning against the man, listening to his heart beat, arms around him while having his hair played with.... Suddenly he wasn't surprised anymore that he fell asleep like that.
„Ah... uhm, sorry. For troubling you.“, he mumbled out an apology, which was quite hard for him.
„No, it's fine. You're really light and...“
He didn't finish his sentence.
Yuri didn't ask.
Yet, the things unsaid lingered between them, waiting to be said, but for the time being it made the air seem heavier.
Yuri shifted a little where he sat. He felt a bit tense right now, because of all the things he wanted to say and all the questions in Otabeks eyes, but neither of them could bring themself to talk about it.
„Yura, let's go to the ice rink.“
That startled him. „Huh? Right now? Is it even open?“
„I'm sure it is. I will go now.“ He ganced at the Russian boy. „Do you come with me or not?“
„Uh sure. Did you bring your skates?“
„Yes.“
„You packed for a wedding and actually brought your skates with you?“
„Well, yes. But you did too, didn't you?“
„Of course I did.“
They both grinned. They knew each other well.
So they returned to their rooms, grabbing their stuff and headed outside.
The two started jogging beside each other. The way to the Hasetsu castle was quiet, but pleasant.
It was the beginning of May and the morning sun was warm against their skin. For some reason they were really lucky this year and the cherry blossoms blossomed quite late much to Viktor and Yuuris delight.
Yuri remembered the momet the couple said their vows and how the wind carried some of the blossoms away. The scenery had been incredibly romantic.
For some reason Yuri hasn't felt the urge to throw up as usual but rather felt an unusual sting in his eyes.
They looked so absolutely happy and in love with each other and Yuri couldn't even bring himself to hate them for making him emotional.
And Otabek had seen him in this moment of weakness. It should be embarassing but strangely enough (or not) he was okay with it. Otabek was always special.
When they reached the ice rink Yuuko was there, behind the counter and didn't seem surprised at all to see them.
After all there had been a wedding of two figure skaters whose guests were also mostly figure skaters so she had been prepared to be visited.
She looked worn out from the night before, but still happy to see them.
They greeted each other and soon enough Yuri and Otabek were on the ice.
First they just slided lazily across the ice, some music playing from Yuris phone. They enjoyed the feeling of ice beneath their feet and the breeze on their face. The familiar feeling allowed Yuri to relax completely, gliding, almost flying.
He didn't notice Otabeks gentle eyes on him at first.
When he did, however, he was captivated.
Otabeks expression was filled with something Yuri couldn't quite name, seemingly a mixture of a lot of emotions and it made him weak in the knees somehow. Without really thinking he slided towards Otabek effortlessly, who offered his hand.
Somewhere in the back of his mind he realised that Agape was playing.
How fitting.
Otabek pulled Yuri a bit closer, his eyes still full of this unknown emotion.
Yuri was hooked.
Nobody has ever looked at him this way before and he sure as hell has never seen the older man wearing this expression.
Without saying a word or breaking eye contact, they started skating together.
Neither of them has done pair skating before but it wasn't necessary. They didn't need instructions or a plan and just moved how they felt like.
It wasn't anything complicated either. And still, it was perfect.
They didn't dance to impress anyone or to win.
Perhaps they danced because they didn't know what to say otherwise or because it was more honest than words could ever be or they just wanted to be close to each other.
Either way it just felt natural right now.
They never lost body contact.
Their hands were always connected with the other ones hands, waist or shoulders.
And most of the time they were looking at each other, the rest of the world forgotten.
It was only them. It always was when they were together.
Yuri felt warm despite the cold.
He felt safe.
He felt something so absolutely different from his usual anger, something incredibly soft and gentle when he looked at the man he was dancing with.
He loved unconditianally.
And when he looked at Otabek, he knew he was unconditianally loved in return.
When the song reached its climax Otabek swirled Yuri around, before they met again, hands touching, skating in circles.
At the end of the song Yuri was close to the older man, not really touching but close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body.
They looked at each other, cheeks flushed and Yuri realised that they didn't need words anymore.
Everything was said.
Otabek touched his cheek, stroking it softly before cupping it with his hand and he smiled so wide and honest that Yuri couldn't help but mirror this expression.
And just like that there was a new secret they shared.
No one has ever seen any of them like this. No one probably ever will.
This smile, this precious and sweet and happy smile Otabek wore was meant for Yuri and only him.
Suddenly they started to laugh, breathless and quietly, overwhelmed in the best way possible.
And they still smiled when their lips finally touched.
Otabeks fingers carressed Yuris face ever so gently when they kissed.
Neither of them could tell who initiated it, it just happened as naturally as their dance and it didn't matter anyway.
What mattered to Yuri was the feeling of surprisingly soft lips on his, kissing him so sweetly and slowly and perfect.
When they pulled away after a few minutes or an eternity, who knows, their bodies were pressed against each other.
Yuri allowed himself to induldge in Otabeks warmth once again.
He leaned into the hand that still lingered on his face and layed his own hand on top of it.
He looked at the man who watched him with all the love in the world in his eyes.
The Russian boy knew he probably wore a silly expression, still smiling like an idiot, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
Their eyes locked and Yuri smirked slightly.
„Still doubting I want to be more than friends?“ His voice was more soft then usual.
Otabek lightly shook his head. He smiled.
God, Yuri hoped no one else would ever see this smile.
„But I'm still glad I didn't give in yesterday. It was really tempting, though.“
He leaned his forehead against Yuris and chuckled. The Russian melted a little bit inside.
„Good thing you're disciplined as fuck, huh...“
„You really tested me. I consider myself a rational man, but when it comes to you... I'm hopeles.“
„Sounds familiar.“ Yuri smiled.
The two looked at each other again. They stood there like that for a while; their foreheads touching, Otabeks hand on Yuris face and Yuris hand on top of it.
Otabeks voice dropped lower when he spoke again, so quiet and soft it was almost hard to catch.
So sincere that every word was filled with raw emotion.
So honest it made Yuri want to cry.
„I love you, Yura.“
„I love you, too, Beka.“
They kissed again.