Yuri!!! On Ice Book 2

Chapter 18

I've kind of given up on putting dates on these chapters-- sorry lol.

Otabek's POV-- 3rd Person Limited

The second Otabek steps into the International Arrivals Hall, he's almost knocked off his feet by a flying ball of blonde hair. He laughs,

"I missed you too," He murmurs into the top of Yuri's head as he drops his luggage to hug him properly. Yuri just clings onto him harder,

"Two months, Beka," He mumbles back, "Two fucking months,"

"I know," Otabek says quietly, biting his lip with guilt, though it was far from his fault, "But we're together now and we won't have to be apart for the rest of the season."

"And thank fucking god for that," Yuri replies and Otabek can hear the smile in his voice. Gently, but more forcefully after being met with considerable resistance, Otabek begins unwinding Yuri's limbs from around him, setting him back on the ground a second later. Yuri glares at him for the action but his gaze lacks entirely its usual malice.

Together, they pick up Otabek's things, Yuri carrying his own, and make their way to the taxi bay outside, ignoring their coaches' (much to his protestations, Victor had chaperoned Yuri while Yakov was with Otabek) calls that they'll take the next one and meet them in the hotel lobby at 4 pm sharp. Both Yuri and Otabek know that this is code for and don't you dare sneak off like you did before without telling us, but neither particularly cares, having long ago grown accustomed to Yakov's impatience and Victor's fatherly illusions.

After being the good little pupils they are and checking in with the two, Yuri and Otabek dump their stuff in their rooms and end up in Yuri's, sprawling on the bed and talking like they haven't seen each other in years, which, in their minds, they haven't. It annoys Yuri greatly that they haven't been allowed to share a room the way Victor and Katsudon are (they've brought Maria too, of course), but Otabek sees the reasoning behind the decision; after all, Yuri is only 17 and both of the older men see him as ten years younger than that; wanting to protect him from any, albeit nonexistent, threats. Plus, he considers, if the coaches have any concern about activity of that nature, they have nothing to worry about. So far, it's an unexplored highway for them, and, even if it wasn't, they would never go down it this close to the Grand Prix Final and risk fucking something up in the process.*

***

The next two days are a whirlwind of training, skating, sleeping (jetlag is a pain in the ass), and just generally hanging out and enjoying each other's company after so much time apart. Soon, though, the free program is looming over them, the short having passed earlier in the day, and yielding promising results: Yuri's in 1st place and Otabek second by four points, but with Phichit disconcertingly close behind in third.

Naturally, the day of the free skate is stressful, but, Otabek reasons, it will be fine whatever the outcome. Yuri, however, isn't nearly as rational about things. While he would never openly show any sign of nerves or anxiety, Otabek can read him like a book and knows he's stressed about just how small the gap between the twos' scores is and how well Otabek's free program has just gone. As he dismounts the ice, Yakov hands him his guards and as he slips them on he gives Yuri a hug.

He's a few moments late to the kiss and cry, though, for, at that moment, one of the cutest things he's ever seen happens and he cannot function for a good minute afterward.

Maria, closely followed by Victor and Yuuri, comes running up to Yuri before he gets on the ice.

"Yurio!" She cries, and he looks over, a smile forming on his face as he sees the little girl. Taking his foot off the ice, and re-sheathing its skate's blade in a guard; he comes over to meet her. She jumps into his arms and he catches her easily, smiling and laughing as he sets her back on her feet only to kneel down a moment later as she hugs him. She whispers something in his ear and his face splits with a wide grin. He whispers something back and pokes her gently in the tummy. She squeals with giggles and retreats, though not before shouting a small "Davai!" before returning to her beaming parents.