Yuri!!! On Ice Book 2

Chapter 21

December 2018-- One Week before the PyeongChang Olympics

Otabek's POV-- 3rd Person Omniscient

In the past, since joining the Russian team under Yakov, Otabek has thought their training is hard. It makes sense, really, considering the ridiculous talent that makes up the group, but still, it was a lot for him to adjust to in the beginning. Now, though, he thinks he has a handle on it and is no longer surprised when he has to run through the same move; jump, spin, sequence, or otherwise, seemingly endlessly until it is deemed perfect. It has become routine and he doesn't mind it, knowing that it makes him a far better skater-- letting him achieve heights and scores he couldn't have dreamed of before.

If he'd thought those early practices were bad, though, they were nothing compared to the Olympic season.

Throughout the year, in both the competitive season and the off, the training has been far more intense, rigorous to get the skaters up to scratch and then some to win, or, at least, place, in this coveted event. Now the Olympics are right around the corner, however, Otabek is engulfed headlong into a whole different type of hell.

The usually demanding practices had morphed into all but impossible tests, relentlessly beating all the skaters' bodies black and blue with wipeouts repeated time and time again-- and that was only on the ice. After departing the rink they were subjected to rigorous off-ice exercises and endurance training and conditioning-- worst of all ballet.

Lilia was not foreign to the difficulty Yakov put his skaters through and was adept in practicing it-- and then some. It had not been uncommon beforehand for Otabek and the others to come home for the day and have their feet bleeding, cramping, and aching in all manner of ways; it was a part of the sport. Now, though, if you didn't come home pained in ten different ways, there was something seriously wrong.

Of all that, though, nothing was as bad as Yuri.

The fiery, driven blond had made it clear to anyone and everyone that he was not leaving PyeongChang with anything less than a gold medal and had subsequently been working himself harder than ever before-- exceeding Yakov's wildest expectations and not failing to worry either him nor Otabek. Dedication was one thing, but this-- this was fanaticism.

This was Yuri's first Olympics, having had barely missed the junior Olympics in 2016 after his senior debut.

Showing up to the rink earlier, leaving later, and pushing himself past any notion of physical limits, Yuri worked himself to the bone and further, seemingly forgetting that breaks did exist. Or, at least, forgetting the reason behind them.

And so, one week before the Olympics: Yuri broke.

Not literally, thank god, but he broke down; after being sent off the ice by Yakov for arriving, yet again, before the rink even opened, he was sent home to rest, a concept entirely foreign to him. The ensuing screaming match was impressive-- even for them, and Otabek swore he could see angry tears in Yuri's eyes as he flew off the ice, stepping into his skate guards so aggressively it would be nothing short of a miracle if the blades didn't sink through the soft rubber and into the tacky, rink flooring below.

One look from Yakov made it clear that Otabek was not allowed to follow his boyfriend off the ice, and, receiving a firm don't question it look from Mila, he joined her in warm-ups, skating loop patterns along the edge of the rink with her.

"And that," She said in an undertone, "Was the pressure of Yuri's first major competition,"

"This is not his first major competition," Otabek said firmly, surprised, "He won the Grand Prix and Worlds, not to mention placing silver in Four Continents and the European Championships!"