A funny word called Love

Chapter 42

"Wait, are you making pirozhkis?" Yuri questioned when he saw all the ingredients laid out on a section of the counter amidst the crowded kitchen on Christmas morning.

"So this is how you greet me? No 'Merry Christmas' but instead inquiring about what food I'm making!" Otabek replied happily.

"Are. You. Making. Pirozhkis."

"So what if I am?"

"I'll take that as a yes. And you don't have to make pirozhkis for me."

"Well, it seemed to be a part of Christmas that you really enjoyed, so why not have it here as well?"

"You're way too thoughtful."

"Why do you say that like it's a bad thing."

"I don't know," Yuri said, looking resigned. In all honesty, he thought it was a bad thing because he didn't think he deserved all the kindness that Otabek had showed him. But it was Christmas, no need to ruin the happy mood with his insecurities. "Here, can I at least help you make them?"

"Why of course," Otabek said and the conversation dwindled away as they became absorbed in making the delicious food.

Everything they had for their Christmas dinner was delicious, and soon they had all eaten more than they should've allowed themselves to, and they congregated on the couch, presents strewn across the floor.

They went around in a circle opening up presents from one another, and Yuri was pleasantly surprised that Otabek's family members had gotten him presents, though he supposed that he had bought them gifts as well. So far, he had gotten a sweatshirt with cat ears on the hood from Madina, and a lot of sweets from Alina, and he was now opening up his present from Otabek.

"What," Yuri said, his mouth dropping.

"Do you like them?" Otabek asked nervously.

"I love them! I've wanted these for so long but I only saw them in the window of that store, and it was closed so I couldn't get them! I had been seriously considering breaking in, but unfortunately you dragged me away before I got the opportunity. Thank you so much!" Yuri exclaimed.

"You're welcome," Otabek said, looking a little smug. After he had seen Yuri's eyes light up at the sight of the tiger print covered ice skates, he knew that he had to get them for Yuri, and had found them online a while later. Though a lot had changed since their first Grand Prix Final, one thing that had never changed, and probably wasn't ever going to, was Yuri's profound love of cats and any item that had tiger print, or anything similar.

"Now you should open my gift!" Yuri said excitedly, and Otabek noticed that there was a dangerous glint in his eyes, one that left him uncertain over whether this was going to end well or not.

"Where is it?"

"Let me go and get it," Yuri runs off to another part of the house and drags in a box that Yuri could probably fit inside.

"What is that," Otabek said, confused.

"Just open it," Yuri snaps, so Otabek does, unwrapping a box, and opening it, only to find. Another box.

"I swear to god Yuri, if this is just a series of boxes and there's just a prank gift inside or anything like that..." Otabek said, now coming to realize why Yuri's eyes had glinted so dangerously.

"You'll see..." Yuri said mysteriously.

In the end everybody wound up helping Otabek disassemble the intense series of wrapped box within wrapped box. Every time they got to one, Otabek thought, 'This is the one, this is the one that will have a gift in it.' But it never was, until at last there was just a box that could fit in the palm of Otabek's hand, and by the way that Yuri was smiling, Otabek knew that this one contained a present.

He unwrapped it, and inside that box he found a pair of soft leather gloves. "I noticed that your gloves were getting pretty worn out, so I got you a new pair. I hope that they fit!" Yuri explained.

Otabe slipped them on. They were ridiculously comfortable, and as Otabek was admiring them, he noticed that there was something embroidered on the edge of his right glove. It was stitched so small that it took him a moment to realize that it was actually words embroidered instead of just a pattern, and he started reading and realized that it read, 'To love, whatever your definition of that may be.'

"Thank you so much Yura," Otabek said softly, shocked at what a thoughtful present Yuri had given him.

"You're welcome Beka," Yuri responded, and they continued to give each other gifts.