Ice Uprising

Chapter Twelve

"Whew! I am so out of shape," Panting and clutching my knees, I tried to get the sweat that had gotten on my face, slipping off my jacket with some struggle. Walking up the driveway to the door, I knocked lightly on the door. "Yuri? Mr. Nikolai?" 

"Oh, Darrby! What surrprrise!" Nikolai threw open the door, his scratchy and low voice (with a thick Russian accent) filled my ears, causing me to grin happily. "Kome in, kome in." Stepping to the side, the older man urged me to come in.

"Thanks, Mr. Plisetsky," I bowed my head before walking inside, looking at a Yuri sleeping on the couch peacefully. "I was going to chat with Yuri, but I suppose I can talk to you!"

"Nikolai is fine. What is matter? You only drrrop by when zerrre's prrroblem, orrr Yurrri needs to be taken to prrractice," Nikolai plopped himself down onto his armchair, chucking a soda at me underhand.

"Oh, well, I needed to talk to someone who had their head on right, and the only place I could think of was here. And Yakov's place, but he's busy with Georgi..." I faded off, popping open the can of pepsi, only to find that it had been shaken prior to me opening it. I stood, wiping the soda off my eyes, and giving Nikolai an apologetic look before waddling over to the kitchen to grab paper towels. 

"I guess zat one had been tossed arrround," Nikolai reached into the cooler next to him and chucked another soda at me underhand. I caught it, throwing the paper towels away and seating myself back down on the chair I had dragged out. "Tell me prrroblem, child. I vill trrry to help."

"Mila dragged my least favorite person on earth to her house. Not only that, but I got stuck chatting with somone. She knows I'm uncomfortable with that." Popping open the new soda, I took a sip and cleared my throat, looking back at Nikolai.

"You kan vait herrre if you like. Yurrri may vake up soon..." Glancing over at his stirring grandson, he patted his blonde head before standing up. "Do you vant anything to eat, child? I bet Yurrri vill vant something, so I'll make some snacks." 

"Oh, no thanks. I'll eat later." I flashed Nikolai a smile before turning back to the bleary eyed Yuri Plisetsky, who yawned lightly.

"What is going on, Grrandpa? Why is Tatiana herre?" Yuri's slightly less pronounced accent filled the room, drawing my attention. With a quick wave, I opened my mouth to speak. 

"Be nice, Yurrri. Tatiana kan kome herrre whenever she vants to. She's alvays velkome," Nikolai replied for me, the sound of the faucet turning on filling my ears.

"Well, I wanted to hang around and to talk to people who don't invite crazy people to their house...And people who don't follow random ladies to hotels," Mentioning Viktor, I snickered at his idiotic-ness, if that even was an adjective. "Anyways, tomorrow, since it's really late now, wanna come to practice with me? I know it's our day off from practice, but I at least wanted to practice a little before Nationals."

"Grrandpa, arre ve doing anything tomorrrow?" Yuri stood, poking his head into the kitchen and raising his blonde eyebrows in question.

"Ah! I nearly forgot, Nikolai! Your birthday is tomorrow! That's why Yakov gave us the day off! Well, nevermind my question, Yuri. You've gotta spend the day with your grandfather."

"Oh, so kind, child. Yurri kan go vith you tomorrrow, unless he vants to spend day vith his borrring old grrrandfather," Nikolai chuckled in his low voice, making me furrow my eyebrows. It seemed like he was purposely trying ti get rid of Yuri. Well, the teenager could be a little prick...in the ass.

"Arre you sure, grrrandpa?" Yuri questioned, giving me a nonchalant expression, as though he had gone through this many times before. Rolling his blue eyes, he waited for the older man to reply.

"Just give yourrr grrrandpa brrreak frrrom you, kid. I need brrreak frrrom teenagerrrs frrrom time-to-time," Chuckling once more, Nikolai turned off the faucet and dried his hands, walking over to Yuri to place two very sure hands on his shoulders. Double checking my watch, I realized the time had slipped by fairly quickly, and I had to get back to Mila's house to sleep.

"Well, it was nice seeing you. Enjoy your...night, I suppose. I'll see you later today," I joked, noting that it was three in the morning. "Thanks for the hospitality, Nikolai. Happy Birthday!" Picking up my coat quickly, I left before anyone else could get a word in. Hurry back down the block, I opened the door to Mila's apartment, to see a slightly tipsy Viktor standing next to a very sly-looking Vivienne. Ruby Kraus was standing in a corner, peering curiously at everyone while her sister prepared a plate for herself. Mila seemed to be chatting with five other people I wasn't acquainted with, and Lotta was talking to a slightly familiar woman. Lotta seemed to be quite comfortable around her, and I could only assume it was her girlfriend. Inching my way through the house, I wore a terrified expression. 

"Oh, Tatiana!" Viktor called out to me, his words not fully slurred yet. Freezing up, I slowly back up only to hit a wall. 

"H-Hey, Viktor! How've you been?" Taking a leap of confidence, I placed two firm hands on his shoulders and smiled. "I love ya', good buddy, but there's something I need to do!" Patting his back, I slid to the aide and dodged all the other drunk people, shooting Vivienne a glare from across the room. I approached Lotta, a very disapproving look on my face. 

"Loraline! What the hell is going on? I leave for an hour, and this is what happens?!" Shouting over the blaring music, I tried to do my best at being angry at the thirty-year-old woman. 

"Who's this, honey? Is she your sister? She's cuter than I expected!" The Nordic-blonde-haired woman smiled sweetly, standing up to pinch my cheeks. "So have you told her yet?" 

"Not yet, Clara! I was hoping to tell her at the Cup of China, when it would be noticeable," Lotta grinned mischieviously, and I couldn't help but narriw my eyes in suspicion.

"Loralina Annabeth Ulani Kikuo! What the hell are you hiding from me?!" Now extremely enraged, I clecnhed my fists tightly. Lotta never hid anything from me. But the world abruptly stopped making noise the moment the words exited Clara and Lotta's mouths. What the fucking hell? This wasn't possible. Clara was-