Things ended badly. It wasn't pretty. They had been fighting for a while, to the point, they didn't even know half the time what they were fighting about. That night had escalated more than usual. They had gone out to dinner with Yuuri and Victor, keeping happy faces, though all Yuri wanted to do was punch that smug look off Otabek's face. When Otabek ordered a third drink, Yuri gently placed his hand on his arm, leaning in whispering, "Shouldn't you watch what you are drinking?"
Otabek had been drinking more. The last few months was nothing but beers every night that littered the coffee table. Cans and bottles that Yuri would pick up and throw away- half the time Otabek passing out on the couch. Yuri would leave him there and just go back to the bed. Almost glad to have it to himself. They had not been happy for months. Both of them knew this. For the first year they were together things had been amazing, that was probably why they had held on as long as they have. Otabek had already retired from skating, knee injury few years back, just kept getting worse, after getting gold, he went into coaching. That was one of the reasons it started. He wouldn't coach Yuri. He told him it would be too personal for him. Yuri argued it was what he wanted. Otabek had taken in a young skater from the UK and Yuri hated him. He was young, he was blonde, he drove Yuri insane. Yuri watched as he batted his eyelashes at Otabek, watched as he would ask Otabek to stretch him. Yuri wanted Otabek to open his damn eyes for once. Oh they would fight over it. Otabek telling Yuri he was crazy. He had no interest in that kid. Yuri thought otherwise and made sure Otabek knew about it. Otabek wasn't able to handle it. When he would come in at night, first thing he did was grab a beer. He knew the minute Yuri came through the door, it would be more whining and bitching about his coaching. The beer helped him deal with it.
Sure enough, Yuri would come in, fussing about training that day. How Otabek should be his couch and not Abram's. The minute he came in the door it started up. No 'hellos' or 'how was your day'? Nothing. Otabek would turn up the TV louder and drink faster. Yuri would stomp off to the bedroom and get on his laptop. This was how they spent their evenings.
Otabek leaned over to Yuri, "I'll drink whatever I want. You are not my damn parent." Then made sure he had one more drink before the dinner was up. Otabek made sure to smile at Yuri as he tipped his drink back. Yuri was fuming, but he did not want Victor or Yuuri to know, so he kept his smile plastered on his face. Otabek drank more than usual that night, Yuri finally lost his temper at the restaurant, put Otabek in a cab with him, packed his bags and went to leave. On his way out the door Otabek grabbed his wrist, drunkenly trying to pull him to him. "You don't love me anymore Yura." He slurred, trying to kiss him. Yuri pulled away, pushing him, making him fall back on the couch.
"Beka, I am sick of your drinking, I'm going to Victor and Yuuri's. Let me know when you sober up longer than a few hours." Yuri turned to leave as Otabek jumped off the couch stumbling towards him.
"Yura, don't go. We can make this work."
"Beka, you are drunk, and you've been drunk. Ever since you took in that Abram... you drink and... you ignore me."
"Fucking Christ Yuri! Abram again?! You know, maybe I should go sleep with him just to prove you right."
Yuri gasped, slapped Otabek across the face and walked out the apartment. It was a few blocks to Victor and Yuuri's place, he cried the entire way there. Yuuri opened the door, taking his bags and settling him in the guest room (which was his old room not that long ago it seemed). Victor and Yuuri listened all night long as Yuuri unloaded the last few months on them. They knew there was tension between the two, nothing like this. Yuuri ensured him he was welcome to stay as long as he needed too. Lying in bed that night, Yuri went through his phone, old pictures of him and Otabek, he saw how happy they were, how great things were, he missed that. He missed that Otabek. The sober one who cared how he felt. The sober one who wouldn't allow him to be jealous or give him a reason too.
Yuri cried all night. Otabek drank till he passed out on the couch.
Waking up the next morning, Otabek was hung over, as usual. It happen so often now, it became a normalcy. Looking at the clock, he wondered why Yuri let him sleep in. Groaning as he sat up off the couch, stretching his aching back, telling himself he was not sleeping anymore on the couch. It was killing his back. He had a perfectly good bed, and even with Yuri in a fit, he was going to start using it again.
Heading into the bathroom looking for pills, he noticed the counter wasn't cluttered as it always was. Normally Yuri had hair ties all over, bobby pins littered on the counter. He found this odd, there was nothing there of Yuri's. Grabbing some pills from the bottle, washing them down, he went to the bedroom.
Sure enough in the closet, most of Yuri's clothing was gone. The dresser drawers he used were empty as well. Then he remembered. Yuri standing at the door, bags in his hands, leaving. Then he drank more than usual till he fell asleep. Sitting on the bed, he just stared into their closet. Only his clothes hanging there. He knew it was bad, but he told himself he would stop drinking and he would pay Yuri more attention. He just assumed they would work through it. They had been friends for years, then lovers. Now Yuri was gone. He laid on the bed, putting his head on Yuri's pillow, breathing in his scent. Taking out his phone, he texted Abram that practice was canceled today. He stayed on the bed, holding Yuri's pillow. Crying all day, not touching a drop of alcohol.
Yuri did not sleep that night. He stayed in his old room, crying into the pillow on the bed. Victor and Yuuri had come in with him for a while, Yuri cried for hours that night, just unloading everything on them. Once they had left, he went to his bags, unpacking them carefully into the closet and dresser. At the bottom of the bag was one of Otabek's hoodies. A favorite of his, he had worn it previously, it still smelled like him. Yuri slipped it on, and slipped into bed.
How did it all go to hell so fast? Looking back it had been leading up for some time, but it spiraled quickly. Otabek retiring, taking in Abram, the jealousy, the drinking… Yuri would bitch and nag, Otabek would ignore. They were so polar opposites, and for the longest time it worked for them. It always worked for them in the bedroom, but even that had been months. Yuri remembers when they couldn't even make it to dinner on time with their friends because the sight of Otabek dressed up drove him crazy.
Who was he kidding. Otabek still drove him crazy. Even drunk he was incredibly handsome. He would even go a few days without shaving, letting a shadow kiss his cheeks. Even when Yuri was furious at him, he would look at him and almost forget everything. That was why he hid back in the bedroom. If he was there, he couldn't see him. Made it easier. He hated the way he would nag Otabek about his drinking, and it always seemed doing so, drove him to drink even more. Clutching the hoodie in his hands, he cried all night. Didn't sleep at all.
That morning Yuuri came in, lying next to him in bed, petting his hair and talked a bit. He explained they would skip practice today and were just outside if he needed them. Yuri did not want to go to the rink, knowing Otabek and Abram would be there. He never wanted to go back to that rink.
"Yuuri, I need a new rink." Yuuri hugged him.
"Let's see what we can do ok? Have you even slept?"
Yuri shook his head. Yuuri played with his hair, knowing how it helps to ease him and put him to sleep. It did not take long, Yuri was asleep and Yuuri slipped out the room to talk with Victor.
Yuuri and Victor had talked, knowing how Yuri was, then deciding taking a trip to another rink would be good for him. Get him away for a bit. Being Yuri's coach and choreographer, they wanted what was best for Yuri, and the last few months, they knew his life was a wreck, they did not realize just how badly though. After talking with Yuri, they started planning. They figured a few weeks at another rink, might be good for them all.
They planned on heading out to Switzerland, Chris was in his final year, and was welcoming them with open arms. Yuri packed his bags for a few weeks, and got on a plane. He was just moving through motions, not even caring what was happening. Chris set them up in a skiing lodge near his place. Victor loved it. Him and Yuuri wanted him to go skiing one day with them, he decided to stay behind.
Yuri stayed holed up in his room for quite some time, and was getting serious cabin fever now. Bundling up, as he thinks Victor picked the coldest time ever to come here, though he was glad to be away from home, headed out for a walk. He wasn't even sure where he was going, but he figured just moving around was probably good as he had spent the last week barely moving. Victor told him he was getting him back on the ice the next day, regardless of his mood. His mood had been terrible. He didn't lash out, he didn't throw things, he was just there.
From where their cabin was, you could see the Swiss Mountains, the ski lifts. It was breathtaking. He had hiked his way up a bit to a lookout viewing area. Sitting on a bench, he covered his face tighter in his scarf, wishing he had Otabek with him. It was really upsetting him as he had not even heard from him in a week. Not one word, not a text, nothing. Otabek had not updated any social media, not that he ever did. Yuri felt lost. Ever since their friendship blossomed five years ago, they always talked. Never went this long without communication of some sorts. It was foreign to him. He could grab his phone and look at it, debating to message Otabek, He decided better not too. Instead he took a photo of the gorgeous sight before him, posting it on social media instead. He had not posted in some time, he didn't want to worry his Angels with his absence. No matter what was going on, he needed his fans.
In the last two days, Otabek had dumped all the alcohol out of the apartment, and cleaned it top to bottom. He knew Yuri wasn't coming back anytime soon, but he had neglected this space so badly. That afternoon cleaning in the bedroom, he came across a hair tie of Yuri's on the floor. He was a sobbing mess for an hour, then felt foolish for sitting on the floor crying over a hair tie. He was thankful he had dumped all the alcohol as he was really craving a beer.
He put the hair tie around his wrist and went to the kitchen for some water. Everything in the apartment reminded him of Yuri. When Yuri had moved in, he had a few things as he hadn't lived in Saint Petersburg long. Yuri helped him pick out everything. Even the stupid chair that was a bright orange color, but so comfortable to sit in. It stuck out like an eye sore. It was the only chair he would sit in now. Turning on the TV for noise, but not really watching anything. He tried listening to his music, but Yuri had gotten a hold of that as well, and their playlist blended so much together now, he couldn't handle it. It was like it knew what songs were Yuri's favorite and would just play them.
The first night he noticed his hands shaking a bit, he knew he could really use a drink at that moment, but told himself he was not going too. So he drank water. He drank a lot of water.
With shaking hands, Otabek made his way back to the rink. He was scared Yuri would be there with Victor and Yuuri. He knew that was where Yuri went. Yuri had stayed with them until he moved in with him. At least he knew Yuri was being taken care of. He had to get back to the ice, he could not let Abram continue to go without instruction. Walking into the rink, putting a blank expression on his face, he saw Abram out warming up already. Looking around the rink, he did not see Yuri, or his coaches.
Shrugging he went to get his skates on. His hands still shaking, making it hard to do up his laces. "Beka! You are back!" He heard Abram yell from the ice and rushed over to where he was at. Abram was a good guy. He listened well and was amazing doing flips and spins. It was the footwork he got sloppy with. He took him on as he knew the flips and spins, he could get them without much instruction or himself having to do them, possibly damaging his knee even more.
Abram had skated to the edge, grabbing his guards and slipping them over the sharp steel of his blades. Walking over, he saw Otabek struggling to tie his skates with his hands. "Oh Beka! Let me help you." Abram kneeled down and helped tie up his skates.
"Thanks Abram. How is that foot work going"
"Miserable! I keep tripping over my own feet! Why does it have to be so complicated?" It was almost as if he was pouting. Otabek had to shake his head a bit. The footwork wasn't easy, but he knew Abram could do it.
"Ok, let me go warm up and then we will see what you have, ok?"
You can find this completed on AO3 under Phayte and Im on Tumblr as Phayteworld