Closer

Chapter 13: Who Do You Think You Are?

Mari rushed back to the dining area. She heard a smack followed by a loud thud and she feared for the next sight that she would see.

When she reached the area she left the two skaters, she looked at Viktor horrified. "What the hell did you do?" She screeched.

"He's been playing games with Yuri's and my mind all night!" Viktor puffed.

"That doesn't mean you attack him!" Mari said, slightly panicked. She ran to the washroom to grab a cloth and put it in warm water, she then put it on Phichit's wrists and neck. The water absorbs quicker in those areas.

"I'm going to find Yuri," Viktor said as he made his way out the door.

"The hell you are! You're going to stay here, you're emotional and acting erratically! I can't trust you around my brother right now. If you hurt him I'll have to kill you, and he needs me outside of jail." Mari felt for Phichit's pulse. It was there, beating normally.

Phichit began to stir. Viktor's expression darkened. He grabbed Phichit by his shirt collar.

"I know you're awake bastard. You're going to tell me what you've put in Yuri's head, you're going to tell me the extent of your relationship, and you're going to tell me now dammit!" Mari tried to hold Viktor back but he was too strong.

Phichit opened his eyes and gave Viktor an innocent grin. "You think you're Yuri's first? His first anything? I kissed him before you. I had sex with him before you. I loved him before you. Have my sloppy seconds, no skin off my back."

Viktor raged and punched Phichit repeatedly, Mari began to yell.

"Stop it! Stop!" Mari screamed as she tried to hold back Viktor's punches.

Viktor dropped Phichit and walked away.

"You come back here Viktor Nikiforov!" He did not listen. Instead he went into his room and slammed the door.

Mari rushed to the washroom and then back to Phichit with new towels. She helped wipe up the blood from his face. Phichit smiled weakly.

"Thank you Mari, I really appreciate it," He said between grimaces.

"Phichit what you did tonight was so brave. I can't believe you'd lie to Victor to push Yuri out of this bad situation." Mari said warmly.

Phichit was confused. "Lied? About what?"

Mari chuckled, "you can drop the act now, he's gone."

"But Mari I don't know what you're talking about."

Mari placed her hand on her chin. "The kiss, the sex, the love? You don't remember? You said all of that happened between you and Yuri!"

Phichit smiled weakly at his hands. "It wasn't a lie Mari. We did."

"You... what?"

Phichit began to stand up, and rolled his shoulder. "It happened Mari, it really did."

"You two... but no... he would've told me."

Phichit looked away, "he wanted to keep us a secret. He didn't want a relationship, but he tried things with me, and it was great and we both loved it. Only difference is I fell in love and he didn't."

Mari put her hand to her face. "Phichit..."

Just then Victor slammed open the door of his room and walked out with three suit cases. Oh his right hand there was one suit case stacked upon another, and the other in his left was a large sole bag. "Thank you for your hospitality Mari, and tell your parents just as much. I should be going now."

Victor grabbed Phichit and Mari's body got tense. Victor proceeded to hug Phichit.

"I apologize. That's not how I am and that's not how I want you to leave thinking of me. Hitting you was truly inappropriate." He looked Phichit in the eyes, "I won't lose."

Phichit smiled genuinely, "likewise Victor. I won't lose to you. Not in this competition."

The two of them laughed. Mari's jaw dropped. "I'm confused, what the hell just happened."

The two of them join hands, and Phichit gave her a determined stare. "You just witnessed the birth of a new rivalry."

Twenty minutes later...

Yuri took a cab to the airport. Victor had texted him that it was time to go home. Yuri didn't want to leave before resolving his issue with Phichit, but he knew he had to leave it at him leaving the house in tears. Maybe then Phichit would learn. After seeing him in pain, maybe Phichit would stop trying to end their friendship for his own agenda.

But a tiny part of Yuri secretly didn't want Phichit to stop. Because he knew...

No, no, no, no. He did not know anything. He knew he was going to the airport to meet his fiancé and plan for their wedding in a few months.

Did he? Something still nagged at him. He was still questioning it.

Was Yuri a little into Phichit? It would make sense, he had always been there for him after all... but still, Victor had always been the only one he was interested in.

The cab arrived at airport and Yuri paid the driver. He got out and grabbed his phone to text Victor, so his surprise, the Russian skater was right in front of the station.
Yuri? Yuri! Hello!" Victor said as he dropped their luggage and hugged Yuri like he hadn't seen him in a million years.

"H-Hi Victor!" Yuri was still pretty shy when it came to PDA.

"Let's go home love." Victor grabbed Yuri's hand and the two of them walked in the airport together.

Yuri imagined Phichit driving in madly, screaming, "Yuri I love you! I've always loved you! Run away with me!"

And Yuri responding, "I have complicated feelings towards you!" But running off with him anyway, just to avoid the reality of the situation. He didn't like making such a sudden decision. He didn't like how final everything was. He didn't like this.

But he would do it anyway because it was right. Yuri hid by the sea for a few hours earlier, and texted Victor we should go home tonight. Of course Victor said yes and Yuri felt confident at that point in time, but now he just wasn't so sure. He felt like he was doing things because he had to, not because he wanted to, and that's not how love should work. Yuri felt as though he had to forgive Victor, Yuri felt as though he had to let Phichit kiss him, Yuri felt as though he had to go back to Russia.

And he wanted a definitive answer.

Yuri knew what he had to do.