A funny word called Love

Chapter 34

It was the night before the Grand Prix Final, which this year was being hosted in London, England, and Yuri was finally feeling at least slightly tranquil. He and Otabek were biking through the city, seeing historical landmarks and occasionally stopping at a restaurant that looked interesting for a bite to eat, or stopping at a museum that they felt was worth their time. Yuri felt actually in control, and relaxed, and he couldn't even judge how long it had been since that happened. He was never really one to relax in the first place, seeing that relaxing is pretty difficult when you're a professional figure skater, but his life had been thrown into even more turmoil than usual since his grandfather's stroke.

Interrupting the peaceful silence that had filled the air was Yuri's phone, ringing incessantly until he picked up and said, "Hello?"

"Hi, are you Yuri Plisetsky?" said the person on the other end.

"Yes, why are you calling me," Yuri snapped, annoyed that this person had interrupted the perfectness of beforehand.

"I'm calling to tell you that your grandfather, Nikolai Plisetsky, had another stroke this afternoon, and by the time that help came, he had passed away. I'm very sorry for your loss, Mr. Plisetsky," the person finished and Yuri hung up.

"What was that phone call about?" Otabek inquired.

"It was nothing," Yuri said sharply.

"It doesn't sound like nothing, Yura."

"Well, it was."

"If you don't want to talk about something, it's always fine to just say so, okay?"

"Okay, I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay," Otabek said, continuing to meander around the city.

Yuri felt bad for snapping at Otabek but if he were to say it aloud that would only make everything so much more real and so much more painful. For the time being he had to just try and believe that it wasn't real, that it was just a mistake and that his grandfather was alive and healthy. He wouldn't be able to handle it if he wasn't. His grandfather had always been there for him, through everything. His grandfather had been the one to encourage him to skate and to foster that interest. His grandfather had been the one to always offer Yuri a kind word, even if Yuri only snapped back at him. His grandfather had been the one to comfort Yuri as a child before he got used to not having a mom. His grandfather had been the one to raise him, being kind and calm and compassionate and loving and the best caregiver that there ever could have been.

And now he was gone. Now he would never be able to visit his grandfather's house in Moscow again. Now he would never see his grandfather cheering him on during a competition again. Now he would never get to eat another one of his grandfather's pirozhkis. Now he would never again be able to hug his grandfather and remind him of how thankful he was for everything. Now he would never be able to know that no matter what, his grandfather would be there. Now, Yuri would never have a family again.

And fuck. Now Yuri was thinking about how his grandfather was gone and now he was sobbing into Otabek's back as they traveled throughout the city.