The Unexpected

Chapter 7

May 16th, 2025- 7 am Kazakhstan time (Kazakhstan is 3 hours ahead of Russia) 

Yuri's POV 1st Person

I yawn widely as I walk down the ramp to the International Arrivals Hall with Otabek by my side. Despite having slept on the plane I'm exhausted, while the few hours of rest were helpful it does nothing against the jetlag. Kazakhstan being three hours ahead of Russia in a different timezone makes the adjustment difficult, not to mention that according to my sleep schedule, it's 4 am. I join Otabek leaning against the wall, opening my phone to call a taxi to the hotel when I hear our names being called. I turn to see Otabek's parents and sister waiting by the door, holding a big silly sign with our names on it and waving enthusiastically. I laugh at the sight and wave back, starting over to them with my husband in tow. 

"Hi," I'm swept into a hug immediately by his mother and still not used to physical affection from people outside my immediate family (including Victor and the Pig because they're far too clingy) tense up, but relax into it quickly. "I didn't know you guys were picking us up," I tell them with a small smile, glancing at Otabek for confirmation that this was indeed the plan. He looks equally surprised at the greeting so I can assume he wasn't told about this either. 

"That's because it was a surprise," Allie tells me with an amused look on her face, "You weren't supposed to," I grin back at her, it's weird, she's so grown up-  and taller than I am. I do not appreciate this. She's a very pretty girl, and quite smart according to what I hear from Otabek who's better about keeping in touch than I am. She's headed for the Ivy League apparently, her sights set on Yale and settling for nothing less. She gives me a quick embrace before lifting a bag from her brother's shoulder and grabbing one of the rolling ones from his hand, following the group out of the hall. 

"I wish you'd let me help you with those," I tell Otabek futilely, watching as Allie carries his stuff down the hall, him carrying my own. I hate being useless.

"You know that's not going to happen," He tells me matter of factly, and continues his pace. Allie turns back to us, a questioning look in her eye but says nothing. We all pile into the car, Otabek and I in the middle and Allie shunted to the back as his parents take up the front seats. 

"So, how's the college hunt going?" I turn to face Allie and she smiles, "I still can't believe you're old enough for that, god I sound like an adult." She laughs and proceeds to fill me in on the horrors that are college applications, AP classes, and SAT scores, only to be cut off by Otabek's phone. He takes the call and she rolls her eyes at me, mouthing 'Rude.' I nod and shake my head mock disapprovingly at Beka as he hangs up,

"That was the hotel," He tells me, "They just called to inform us that they double booked our room by mistake and we can't check in until tomorrow night," Sounding like he'd copied the concierge's speech word for word. 

"Fuck," I swear and stop myself too late, Allie looks like she's struggling not to laugh whereas her parents blissfully ignore it, "Sorry," I mutter under my breath, I've never been good at child-proofing my language. That'll be an issue.

"I guess we'll have to find another one," Otabek glosses over my screw up by pulling out his phone to find someplace for us to stay, "I hope there's something near here, I feel like the jetlag's hit me over the head with a hammer," 

"But aren't you two staying with us?" His mother chimes in, looking surprised by our talk of hotels, "We made up the guest room for you two, it's ready to go,"

"No, that's okay," I assure her quickly, not wanting to put them in that position, "We can find somewhere, it's only for one night," 

"You guys can just crash with us," Allie chimes in, "You haven't visited in years and it'll give us a chance to reconnect," I turn to Otabek, an anxious look on my face. It isn't that I don't want to stay with them, I do, but in light of recent events it'll be quite intrusive, and most definitely awkward. I don't fancy waking them up at six am or god knows when as I run back and forth to the bathroom, and remain there for half an hour.