Bonjour, ya'll. The other day a Keith/Lance fic popped up in my tumblr feed and I felt *inspired.* The original is by CreepyLittleLullaby on Ao3 and is called "Games and Piercings."

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Yuri was independent and headstrong. He swore like a sailor, and didn't take nothing from nobody. He was repulsed by romance, detested Viktor and Yuuri's relationship with a passion. He had a flare for creativity, a natural grace. He was passionate and compassionate with a select few, his dancing and skating flooded his senses, became a part of his blood. He was a preformer at heart, his very presence demanded attention.

As a child, he was just as similar. He liked to play a game with those around him. It was simple, he would say the most outrageous things in conversation to see if someone was really paying attention to him. His mother never had time for him, he knew that. But he would test her. There was always the hope she would change.

"Mama, I'm going to run away and become a soldier. I might even break my arm."

"Of course, that sounds fun," she would say, turning away to re-apply her lipstick, or don a new pearl necklace.

He actually did break his arm later that day, while falling backwards on the frozen pond near his house. His neighbour called an ambulance, and his mother hadn't shown up to the hospital until the next day, smelling overwhelmingly of whiskey and cheap lipstick. That was when the first cut appeared on his leg.

Flash forward two years and Yuri's official guardian was his Dedushka, and he was living with Yaakov and Lilia full time. They cared about him for his skating, his dancing. They fed him, clothed him, provided him with a room and an allowance. But they didn't care.

"I'm going to pierce my ear," Yuri declared to Lilia while in the grocery store.

"Remember to practice for your free skate."

That was when he got the first piercing, a single black stud in his ear. No one said anything. Lilia braided the hair right above his ear for his skate, and he half hoped she would comment. She didn't. That was when the second cut appeared on his leg.

Then Viktor, his life long idol and brother figure, had promised to choreograph his senior debut skate. Yuri was elated. Someone was paying attention.

And then Viktor left to chase that Japanese skater, the pig. Viktor had chosen the pig over Yuri. That was when the third cut appeared on his leg.

So he had flown to Japan, he had participated in that meaningless skate against the pig and he had lost.

That was when the fourth cut appeared on his leg.

And then the two skaters had returned to Russia, and began to pay attention to Yuri. And still, he played the game.

He was at the couple's apartment, eating with them.

"Viktor, I think I'm going to get another ear piercing."

"Hm? Oh, that sounds nice," Viktor had said before going back to nuzzling an embarrassed Yuuri's neck.

So Yuri had gone out and gotten an industrial bar piercing through the top of his ear. This time, Viktor had styled Yuri's hair for his short program. He did three braids to hold back his hair, right above the newly pierced ear. He didn't say a thing, didn't take a double glance.

That was when the fifth cut appeared on his leg.

And then Mila, his best friend, his pseudo-sister, had met a girl named Sara and left Yuri for the press during the Rostelecom Cup, apparently not caring about Yuri's anxiety.

"Mila, I think I'm going to get a tattoo."

"Cool," she had said before turning to excitedly squeal with Sara.

He had gotten a small patch of leopard spots on his left hip, right above where the sixth cut appeared.

And then Otabek Altin drove into his life and declared that he was Yuri's friend.

But then Otabek met a girl, Katya, a pretty petite girl who wore leather and rode motorcycles and had an affinity for cats. And Otabek had posted a picture of her kissing his cheek onto his barely-used Instagram.

And then he had come to visit Yuri.

"I think I'm going to get a tongue piercing," Yuri had declared to Otabek while they watched a movie.

"Su-Wait. Yura, thats a terrible idea. Why would you do that? Those things cause so much infection."

And Yuri had just stared at him.

"Seriously, Yuri, I know you like piercings, but why would you do that?"

"I-wait how did you know I like piercings?"

"Yuri... you have at least three on your ear."

"But. Most people-And aren't you always so busy with Katya?"

Otabek looked confused, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I mean aren't you two like dating or something?"

"She's one of my closest friends, she reminds me of you."

"Oh. I don't think I need a tongue piercing."

They turned back to the movie, both with whirling thoughts.

But as long as Otabek was around, no more cuts appeared on Yuri's thigh. He made no promises about piercings or tattoos, though.

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Hi, thank you for reading this uncoordinated shit show I call writing. I appreciate it. If you like it, leave a review! :)

Charlie