Yuri!!! On Ice Book 1

Chapter 9

**Author's Note!**

So I'd like to apologize for the kinda sucky writing in the last chapter. As I re-read it, it's just painful. So there's that and also, I get my skates back today, after a whole 8 days of no skating I can skate shittily with newly sharpened skates! But hey, at least I'm on the ice right! (And yes, the cover image has immense relevancy in this chapter!) Enjoy!

Yuri's POV 1st Person Omniscient

As we leave the house for Ice Castle to practice, I notice Yurio and Otabek lagging behind a bit. They're whispering and laughing quietly, they look so comfortable together. I wonder if they really are more than best friends. I'll have to interrogate Yurio about that later.

"Sorry!" Victor exclaims as he runs out of the house and bursts right in between the two, he'd left his skating bag inside, and after retrieving it, was as tactless as ever. "Didn't they look cute huddled together?" Victor said innocently as he drew into step beside me.

"I can't believe you did that!" I tell him in a whisper, "They'll totally think we're spying on them now!"

"Well, I just wanted to see what they were talking about!" Victor mutters defensively, "It was the mug by the way, did you see Yurio's face when he got it? He was so excited!" Victor laughed sneaking a quick glance back at the duo, and quickly turning back around to find an angry Yurio staring straight at him.

"I know! He was like a little kid again! Do you think Otabek will stick around?" I ask, "He's never really had a friend before, so this is unexplored territory."

"Are you referring to Yurio or Otabek?" Victor asks me with a vaguely puzzled look on his face.

"Both." I say, feeling slightly unsure myself, now I think about it I'm not really sure who I was referring to. I look back at them, and Yurio looks just like a little kitten playing with a large dog. Although Otabek is only 2 years older than Yurio, he dwarfs him in comparison. The tiny fierce blonde kitten playing with the large affectionate black dog. Precious!

***

As we reach Ice Castle, I notice something hanging just above the doorway. "Is that-" I ask Victor slowly,

"A birthday banner? Yep." He replies smugly, "Yuko wanted to do something, and I told her he'd want a banner."

"Ohhhhhh, he'll hate that." I reply trying to stifle a laugh. I'm surprised Yuko went out of her way to make him happy. Not that she's not a nice person, but I didn't know they were that close, oh, wait, I remember now. They actually were close. But not in a romantic way, I'd assume now that I've seen Yurio and Otabek together. But there's no point in guessing, I chide myself, I'll find out as soon as I see them together inside.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY YURIO!!" Yuko yells as we enter the rink,

"YEEK!" Yurio shrieks and jumps about a mile in the air at this greeting. "W-w-w-, thanks?" He stutters as he surveys Yuko, and after getting his bearings and realizing nothing else will jump out at him he adds, "It's good to see you again."

"You too! I can't believe you're 17! Soon you'll be able to drink, you know, legally." Yuko smiles as she plops a paper party hat on his head. Yurio grimaces. "And who'a this- Otabek Altin, the Kazakhstani figure skater?!" Yuko screams as her eyes race over to where he stands, slightly in front of Yurio. Aw, I think, he's protecting him.

"Hello," Otabek says awkwardly, shaking her hand, he looks slightly scared by the combined affect of both the happy birthday and crazy fan interaction within a minute. It's funny actually, with all the famous skaters Yuko has met through Victor and I, she's always starstruck when she first meets them. You'd think she'd get used to it after awhile. Then again, I can't talk, I haven't. I turn my attention back to Yuko and the others and am surprised to find Yurio and Yuko laughing. That's impressive. Go Yuko! She's even rumpling his hair, and not being attacked, Yurio attacked Victor and I when we did that! Not fair! But as I watch this I think I can see what type of relationship they have- she seems like a combination of an older sister and mother. A cross between his relationship with Mila, and me. Not that I think of myself as female, but I'm more maternal than Victor as a parent, so, why not use that comparison. Either way their relationship is purely platonic, and symbiotic by the looks of it. I'm glad, they both deserve it, although I'm not sure how I feel about being replaced, even partially.