Yuri wasn't very good at being upfront about his feelings. Whenever he had strong feelings that he didn't completely understand, he'd get incredibly grumpy and belligerent. This also applied to when he had feelings about another person.
Yuri was sitting in his hotel room, while he watched the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu Championship. He was only mildly interested. He didn't have much time off to just relax and watch other people's programs, since he was so busy with Skate Canada. He was watching to make sure that the Piggy didn't move up.
It was the Free Skate today. Yuri was looking at his Instagram page, with his feet up on the computer desk, in a large hoodie. He was waiting to hear Katsuki's name. However, when he heard swing music erupting from his computer screen, Yuri looked up in curiosity. On the screen in front of him, was a boy who looked familiar, but Yuri couldn't quite put his finger on it. Luckily, it didn't take the announcers long to say it. 'Minami Kenjiro.'
It was his taste in music that stood out to Yuri. It definitely contrasted his. Swing music was upbeat and fun. This particular program seemed cute and innocent. Yuri preferred much more quick paced music, lots of it consisting of metal, though he was starting to use a lot more classical. Besides, Mila made fun of him for being too 'edgy.' It was an American term she had coined here in Canada (the two countries shared very similar slang.)
Another thing that stood out about this so called 'Minami,' was that he never stopped smiling. During his whole free program, he didn't drop his smile once. Even when he fell down.
Yuri never smiled when he skated. It was distracting. He had much more to focus on, and he wasn't always in a good mood when skating, anyway. But Minami kept a smile on his face the whole time.
He was also kind of...interesting.
Yuri closed his laptop, zipped up his hoodie and walked outside his hotel room. He'd figure out what Yuuri scored later. He crossed his arms as he walked. Minami was way too sloppy and inconsistent. There was definitely no way he was going to win against the Piggy, unless he royally fucked up, which Yuri doubted. So, there was no point in watching his program anyway, if Yuri wasn't going to meet him. Why even think about meeting him?
Yuri walked up the a vending machine, inserted a few coins, and tried to buy a pop. However, nothing happened. Yuri gritted his teeth.
"Damn machine is broken!" He complained, kicking it.
"Hey, whoa there," Said the person he wanted to see the least, AKA JJ Leroy. "You don't want to break it. Then no one will get one."
"What the hell do you want?" Yuri asked, shoving his hands into his pockets and glaring daggers at the lanky Canadian.
"A pop," JJ smirked. "Here, I'll buy you one. This machine is a little tricky."
"I don't want you to buy me a damn pop!" Yuri shouted. JJ shrugged.
"Whatever. Have a nice day," JJ said. Where did he even come from?!
Yuri began to walk away, before stopping suddenly. JJ was also a big fan of Viktor Nikiforov, which meant that he had definitely been watching for Katsuki's score.
"Hey, oaf," Yuri called, down the hall.
"Hmm?" JJ asked, poking his head around the corner.
"What did the Piggy place? Who won?" Yuri asked.
"Don't you have internet? Look it up," JJ shrugged. Yuri groaned.
"Thanks for nothing, you ugly pig," Yuri shouted.
"Someone hasn't had their coffee. There's a Timmies around the corner if-"
"I'm going to go take a nap," Yuri said, grumpily. He began to stomp away.
"Katsuki won gold, Minami won silver, and Fujiwara won bronze," JJ called.
"Whatever!" Yuri called back. He stopped for a minute. Minami won silver? He wasn't expecting that, but that was certainly interesting. Perhaps he'd see him at the Grand Prix? No, only the person winning gold moves on. Yuri didn't care, he was just impressed that he had won Silver. Were the rest of the competitors total losers or something?
Yuri shuffled over to the Tim Hortans around the corner, and ordered a French Vanilla. While he waited for his drink, he downloaded some Swing music to listen to.
"Congratulations, Yuuri!" Minami squealed, balling his fists in excitement. With the older skaters autograph plucked tightly in his pocket, Minami had had his fill of fangirling for the next whole year. Yuuri smiled at Minami.
"Thanks! Aside from my family and friends, I've never really had someone cheer for me before," Yuuri said, sheepishly.
"What?" Minami asked, raising an eyebrow. "You have a whole fanbase! You can't be serious!"
Yuuri was taken aback, and didn't respond before Viktor swooped in. "Yuuri, some of the fans want autographs, and you don't want to disappoint them~! Congratulations on getting silver, Kenjiro."
Minami almost felt his heart stop. Did Viktor Nikiforov just congratulate him? Not only did he get to talk to his idol, but one of the most amazing skaters of their age had just said something nice to him! He also used his first name. Oh man.
Viktor looked Minami up and down.
"Huh. You remind me of my little friend, Yuri Plisetsky. You're about the same age. He's a shoe-in for world championships, unless Yuuri steps up," Viktor said, with a grin on his face.
"O-oh, thank you. It's an honor!" Minami said, blushing wildly. He wasn't attracted to Viktor in the slightest, but any compliments turned Minami to absolute jelly. However, he could give them without a problem.
Who was Yuri Plisetsky again? The name was lost on Minami. He was only aware of one Yuuri on the ice. It was the Katsuki Yuuri. The greatest Yuuri!
"I wish I could come cheer you on during the Grand Prix Final...but I'll definitely be cheering at home! I just know you'll win!" Minami said, with a grin.
"Why don't you? I'm sure Yuuri would love to have you there! That is, if he qualifies, which I hope he will," Viktor said, cheerfully.
"Really?!" Minami shrieked. He had to leave the room after that. Viktor Nikiforov was being so friendly to Minami. Now he had to come to the Grand Prix Final. He'd buy a ticket and go support Yuuri! And Viktor, too!
Minami grinned to himself. He had finally made a friend on the ice.
Yuri had finally reached the hotel. It had been an overwhelming day, ever since he arrived in Spain for the Grand Prix Final. His competitors had nothing on him. Especially the Piggy. He couldn't think about that right now, though, as he placed his suitcase on the floor and fell onto his bed. He buried his face into his pillow and let out a shriek. Yuri pushed back his emotions for so long until he blew up. He was tired and overwhelmed, but the pressure of having everyone around him kept him awake, and now he was exhausted. He fell asleep with the lights on, in his jeans and jacket.
He felt gross when he woke up, and went for a quick shower. His hair was long enough that he required conditioner every other day. Since he missed a shower the day before, spending all day on a plane, he used his travel size conditioner that Mila had given him. Mila may not have been good for much, but she always helped him pack his bags. She was the only one who knew he snuck off Hasetsu by himself.
After he finished his shower (though he would have preferred a bath), he put on a pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt, and the black hoodie from the night before (the inside fabric was lined with leopard print.) He supposed that he'd have to go say hello to Viktor sometime before the competition. He grabbed his wallet and tucked it into his pocket.
He wasn't expecting to be greeted with a face full of flowers the second he opened the door. "Oi!" Yuri shouted. "What the hell are these for?!"
"Oh, jeez, sorry!" Said a nervous, high pitched voice. He put the flowers down, to reveal a small boy, just a bit older than Yuri, with blonde hair and a red streak. Oh wait, Yuri knew this person. He was quiet for a minute.
"I was looking for a friend of mine. He said that if he qualifies, for me to come cheer him on. I thought that this was his room, I'm so sor-"
"Hey, you're that swing music skater from Japan," Yuri said, pointing a finger. "Minami, was it?"
"You know me? That's great! I thought my fanbase was mainly in Japan!" Minami squealed.
"I'm not one of your stupid fans. I'm a competitor in this competition! Don't you know me?" Yuri asked, crossing his arms.
"You look incredibly familiar. I'm sorry, I haven't been paying much attention to the other competitors lately, b-but that doesn't mean I have anything against you! I bet you're great!" Minami said, putting a defensive hand up. Well...that was new. Almost everyone Yuri met at these competitions knew who he was. How could this boy – another skater! - not know him? He was actually taken aback.
"Junior World Champion gold medalist, Yuri Plisetsky," Yuri said, crossing his arms.
"Oh!" Minami said, using his free hand to cover his mouth. "Viktor mentioned you! It's so great to meet you! This is an honor!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Yuri said, rolling his eyes. "Wait, did you say Viktor?!"
"Oh, yeah, I met Viktor at the last competition with Katsuki Yuuri. He's my idol. He told me to come up and cheer him on. That's why I brought the flowers and all," Minami said, blushing lightly. Yuri's face turned bright red.
"The Pig is your idol?! Why?!" Yuri asked. In all honesty, Yuri was far from hating Katsuki. In fact, he really like the other man. As a competitor, however, he didn't like him at all. Especially since this guy knew Katsuki and not him. A world championship gold medalist in comparison to the man who flubbed his first Grand Prix Final and came in last place? Yuri was horrified. "Hey, how are you a fan of that guy?!"
"Oh, uh," Minami said, somewhat horrified. "H-he's inspirational to me...I didn't know that there was bad blood between you, or something..."
Yuri's fists clench. "He isn't as good as you think!" He realized his face still really hot.
"I guess we'll have to agree with disagree. But don't worry, I can get out of your hair right now-" Yuri shut the door in his face.
Yuri couldn't expect everyone to be his fan. This one just felt more harmful, since he was Katsuki's fan and had apparently never heard of Yuri.
Well, not only that...this was also the boy who had made Yuri love swing music.
He heard a soft knock after a minute. Yuri cautiously opened the door. It was still Minami.
"H-hey, sorry if I upset you...I was just wondering what his room number is," Minami asked, quietly.
"Five rooms down," Yuri said, a little more calm than before. Minami was on his toes, looking in his room. He handed over a yellow flower. "What the hell is this?"
"It looks like no one had given you any yet," Minami said, with a smile on his face. "Your room looks a little gloomy. These require new water at least once a day, and please put it in a sunny spot, like in your window, for example! It's a gift."
Yuri was quiet for a second. "I don't need flowers, I have allergies, stupid." He closed the door once again. Yuri's cheeks were bright red once again, however, this time it wasn't out of anger. He took in a deep breathe, and went to put his flower in some water. Was it just a crazy coincidence that Minami had given Yuri his favorite flower, a yellow poppy? Absolutely. This flower was for the piggy, originally, after all.
Yuri was stretching his legs on the ballet bar in the changing room. He loved doing yoga, and stretch exercises. It was always very relaxing for him. He was also very athletic and flexible, so it didn't hurt too much.
He loved ballet, as well. He and Mila had gone to the same class when he was younger. He was just starting, and she was graduating, but he still learned a lot from Mila, who helped him get started. Damn, he missed her. Not that he'd ever tell her that, but she was one of his best friends. She'd never abandon him for the other Yuuri's fanbase.
Fuck. Why was he still thinking about that?
Yuri laced up his skates, and walked out onto the ice, to practice. He was wearing headphones, and once again, listening to heavy metal music. It was relaxing to him. It was a healthier way for him to express his anger, and blah blah blah, whatever Lilia blabbed on to him about. He just liked the music; they didn't have to give it a technical term. So stupid.
He didn't really need the practice, but he wanted an excuse to get out of his stingy hotel room. The air in that room nearly choked him the night before. He opened the window, put the flower on the window sill, and left. Once he returned, he hoped the room would have aired out.
The next song on his playlist, he forgot, was swing music. His body reacted differently to swing than heavy metal. It was odd for him to skate to a different style. Only at his home rink did he listen to swing and skate to it, but once he started, he didn't want to stop.
"Hey, Yurio, what are you listening to?" He heard Viktor shout. "That style looks very close to Minami's!"
Was Yuri subconsciously practicing that brat's routine? Whoops. Yuri pulled out his earbuds.
"None of your business, Nikiforov!" He yelled. As he looked to where Viktor was standing, he noticed that Yuuri was there, too, and chatting with someone. Oh, it was that boy again. Why was Minami everywhere?
"Hey, piggy!" He yelled. He was trying to get Yuuri's attention, obviously. He didn't care that the traitor was there. "Look at this!" He attempted a quad flip, and landed it flawlessly. "Suck on that!"
He looked, to see if he had any reaction. His mouth was hanging wide open. He looked almost mystified, which made Yuri grin. Wait, he was supposed to be looking at Yuuri!
Yuuri, too, looked intimidated, which he liked. Just as it should be! He hoped everyone could see that Yuuri was afraid of him.
"WOW, YURI, THAT WAS AMAZING!" Minami shouted, from the stands.
BLAM!
Yuri's head hit the wall. He was not expecting a compliment. He expected people to stay quiet, and watch him. Hearing a compliment, and from that brat...the traitor, no less...
He fell onto his back, as blood started to trickle down his nose. Fuck, it hurt. Tears of pain welled in Yuri's eyes, and his vision went blurry. Fuck fuck fuck...it hurt so much.
The first person to reach him was Otabek Atlin. He somehow got Yuri to his feet.
"Steady, steady," Otabek said. "You're fine."
"Agh..." Yuri whimpered. "Oomph..."
"Calm down, and don't panic," Otabek said, calmly. Next, the young skater from Thailand, Phichit, came to help.
"Oh, no! There's so much blood!" He said, and pulled off his sweater. "Here! Apply pressure to his nose."
"Fuck..." Yuri said, his mind still spinning. Or was it the room that was spinning?
"Yuri!" "YURIO!" "Plisetsky!" "Noooo!" "Yuri, are you okay?!" "Is he bleeding?!" "Yurio!"
He heard a lot of voices from the stands, some he didn't even recognize. He felt an arm wrap around him when he got to the stands. He blinked back the tears to see who it was.
It was the brat.
Yuri's vision went black.
Yuri woke up on a couch. He rubbed his eyes clean of sleep, and stood up. His head was throbbing pretty bad, but he wanted to figure out what was going on ASAP. Yakov was standing a few feet away. He looked relieved.
"Yuri, you had me worried there," He grumbled.
"What happened?" Yuri asked, crossing his arms. "When did I get here?"
"Only about twenty five minutes ago. You've been out for half an hour," Yakov said. "No concussion, but you've got a bad bruise. You should stay off the ice for the next day, but it's nothing serious."
"WHAT?! But that is precious practice time!" Yuri shouted. "I don't care about my stupid head!"
"Yuri, as you couch, I am forbidding you to enter the rink for the next day. You don't want to fall and crack your head open. Now calm down and have some tea," Yakov said, gruffly. Not like there was any use arguing with the man. Yakov was a force to be reckoned with.
"This is stupid," Yuri said, putting his hands in his pocket and kicking the couch, but not as hard as usual. His head continued to throb. He pulled one hand out of his pocket to touch a bandage that was on his head. "Any blood?"
"Not on your head, only from your nose. You're lucky you didn't break it. What on earth got into you? You rammed right into that wall," Yakov said, shaking his head.
"It was an accident!" Yuri insisted.
"You're almost never distracted. You're always focused. What's on your mind?"
"None of your business!" Yuri said, grabbing his tea and leaving the room. The nerve of that guy, asking him all these dumb questions when his head hurt so much...
He was surprised to be greeted by a slightly taller blonde boy, wrapping an arm around his back.
"Yuri! I can't believe it! Are you okay?! You had me worried sick!" Minami said. Yuri pushed the boy away, and crossed his arms.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Yuri said. Minami smiled bashfully.
"Sorry...I was worried about you. I've never seen anything so horrific! There was blood all over the ice, and when I came to help you along, you passed out right in my arms! I fell down after that, and there was blood on my shirt and..." Minami stopped when he saw the absolutely horrified look of Yuri. "B-but don't worry! Apparently it isn't anything serious! You're totally fine! It was just kind of a bother to take your skates off, though."
"Just...forget all of that. I'm feeling better now," Yuri said, looking away from Minami, trying not to meet his eyes. He felt awful. If it was in reverse, Yuri would have freaked out. Yuri hated blood. Especially from someone else.
"Thank goodness," Minami said, with a sigh of relief. "Is there anything you need?"
"No, I'm okay. Jeez, stop worrying, you're making me sick," Yuri said, faking a gagging noise.
"Sorry," Minami said.
"And stop apologizing!"
"Sorry."
"Agh!"
"Sorry!"
"Shut up."
"Okay."
Yuri let a small smile slip passed, and then cursed himself for it. He took a sip of the tea he had taken from Yakov. It was really nice. The only people who ever worried about him were his coaches, Mila, and his Grandfather. Having someone his age be this nice to him was new, and exciting. Not that he'd ever let Minami know that. His pride couldn't take that.
"Well, I have to get going," Minami said. "I was just stopping by to make sure you're okay. Christmas is coming, and I want to knit Yuuri a scarf!"
"You knit?"
"Yeah! I can knit you one, too!"
"I don't want a stupid scarf," Yuri pouted.
"Okay, I'll make you something else," Minami smiled. Yuri looked away, trying not to blush. A door opened, and with a flash, Minami was heading in the other direction. The other Yuuri was out and about.
"Yuuri! Yuuri!" Minami called.
Moment. Over.
Why did Yuri ever think that Minami would want a moment for it to be just them? No, Minami was borderline in love with the other Japanese skater. Not that Yuri really cared, but he had just nearly got a concussion. Yuri grumbled to himself, chugging the last of his tea and leaving the area as quickly as possible.
The next day, he sat in the stands while the other skaters practiced. He was very surprised when Minami came and sat with him.
"I found a picture of a cat hoodie that reminded me of you," Minami said, showing him a picture of a hoodie that had cat ears. "It's all black, just like your hoodies."
"I'm more of a tiger kind of guy..." Yuri said, looking away from Minami's phone. Damn it. That was such a cute thing to show him.
"Oh...I was thinking about getting you this as a Christmas present," Minami shrugged.
"Well don't tell me, idiot!" Yuri said. "It won't be a surprise if you do."
"So you want one?" Minami asked.
"No!" Yuri said. "Don't get me a present. Why do you even want to?!"
"Because," Minami said, simply. "Anyway, I'll see you later, Yuri. I'm hungry."
"Wait!" Yuri said. Minami looked back, in surprise, apparently not expecting the pale skinned teen to speak. "Why do you come talk to me?...It's annoying..."
"Because you're one of the only people here who're my age, aside from Atlin-san and Leroy-san. But I don't get along with them very well. You're fun, though," Minami said, with a toothy smile. "Besides... you're lonely."
"What?!" Yuri demanded, standing up. "You take that back! I'm not lonely!"
"Sorry, I have to go get food now," Minami said, trying to speed walk away.
"Hey, wait up!" Yuri said, running after him. "Hey, stop walking, you dick! I'll have you know that I'm not lonely at all! Hey, stop it!"
God damn, Minami was fast. Even if Yuri was very athletic, he couldn't keep up with the little blonde boy. "Hey, fuck you!" Yuri shouted, in his last attempt to stop him.
It may have been petty, but any opportunity he'd get, Yuri tried to get Minami to stop paying attention to Yuuri and start paying attention to him. He'd do it subtlety, of course, so no would expect that he was trying to get praises from the blonde boy. Suck on that, Katsuki. His number one fan was His now! Checkmate. HA!
"Hey, Piggy, look!" Yuri said, easily doing the splits, before gracefully moving up into a plie, in the change room. "Pretty cool, right, Minami?"
Minami looked up from his phone. "Huh? Oh, yeah, that was great, Yuri!"
Yuri sneered at Yuuri. Yuuri sighed, and looked away from the teen.
"Hey, what was that for?!"
Another instance, Yuri pushed the other Yuuri out of the way of a vending machine.
"No more sugar for you, piggy. You're going to get too fat to skate, again," He said.
"I was just getting a water..."
"Whatever," Yuri said, getting himself a gingerale. Minami had been leaning against the wall, apparently checking his instagram. Yuri walked up to him and handed him the gingerale.
"Here, I hate this crap," He said. "You have it."
"Oh, uh, thank you, Yuri!" He said. "You didn't have to buy me a soda."
"I didn't. I just hit the wrong button. Don't get any ideas," Yuri said, walking away crossly. Stupid emotions. Stupid Minami. Would he just stop smiling like an idiot?! It made Yuri incredibly angry. Stupid, stupid, stupid...
The next day, he did something he'd never forgive himself for, using the language barrier to his advantage.
"Hey, would you stop calling me Yuri?" He said, crossing his arms.
"Huh? Isn't that your name?" Minami asked, blinking. "Am I supposed to call you Plisetsky?"
"Uh, no, it's...a formality issue. Calling me Yuri is something only close friends can call me, and you aren't. Call me Yura," He said, looking away when he said that stupid pet name.
"Oh, really? That's odd. Everyone calls you Yuri..." Minami said. "But if it means that much to you, than sure! Yura it is."
Yuri blushed deeply when Minami said the name outloud. "Great. Get used to it."
"Okay," Minami said. Yuri walked away, and into his room. He locked the door, and started to scream into his pillow. What the hell, Yuri?! Did he honest to god just do that?! Did he really just get Minami to call him that stupid name? Now Yuri was pissed at himself. What kind of hypno powers get Minami have? There was no way that Yuri really wanted Minami to call him such a stupid name...
...But it made him blush really deeply when he did. It felt good, to hear the boy call him that. It would have sucked if it was anyone but Minami. But there was something so cute about it.
Maybe it was how different Minami was than Yuri. He loved swing and jazz. He always had a smile on his face. He complimented everyone he met and made friends really easily. Everyone loved him. They didn't care when he messed up. He was refreshing to be around. Even if you were a little harsh with him, he'd still greet you with a smile on his face the next day. Yuri, on the other hand, did none of these things. He had none of them. He was just a cold, heartless bitch who hated his fans, treated everyone like crap, and only had his Grandpa to fall back on. A tear streamed down his face.
Fuck it.
He hated having emotions. He hated having these episodes. He wished that he could lock these feelings away in a box and forget about them.
But than again, this was the happiest he had been as long as he could remember. Minami gave him something nice to think about. A fun past time. A highlight to his day. And yeah, Yuri had a crush on him. It was harmless, though. He'd never act on it. He just liked the attention that Minami provided. He'd never tell him it about it, though.
The only problem was, he had never had a crush before, and he didn't know what he was supposed to do. Why did everything have to be so frustrating? Was he supposed to compliment Minami or yell at him? He felt like doing both, constantly, so which was it?!
Oh fuck, who cared? It's not like Minami was interested. All he ever talked about was Katsuki. His profile picture on facebook was Katsuki. Even his god damn phone background was Katsuki. Why would Yuri ever even try, when the only person Minami could see was the other Yuri?
It was no use, and Yuri was tired. He snuggled into the pillows, when he heard a knock on the door. He walked up door, cautiously. He definitely wasn't expecting to see Minami once again.
"What do you want?" Yuri groaned.
"I, uh," Minami said, cautiously. "Your eyes are all puffy. Are you okay?"
"It's nothing!" Yuri said, trying to look like he wasn't flipping his hair, when he definitely was as to cover his left eye with his hair. "Why are you here?"
"I just wanted to say, if you wanted me to use a nickname, you coulda just said so," Minami smirked.
"Eh?!" Yuri asked.
"I spend nearly everyday with Yuuri and Viktor. I asked Viktor if what you said was true, since it sounded kind of fishy to me. It's really nice to know that you see me as a friend!" Minami grinned.
"I dooon't," Yuri said, prolonging the word with a loud groan.
"Okay, okay, sorry, Yura~" Minami said, far too smugly for Yuri's tastes (and his pants.)
"Agh, shut up and forget it," Yuri said, trying not to look at Minami for too long.
"Yay!" Minami exclaimed.
"What the hell was that?!" Yuri asked.
"You didn't deny it, that time," Minami said. "You can call me by my first name, ya know."
"..." That was weird to Yuri. It never even occurred to him that Minami had a first name. "No."
"Why not?" Minami asked, giving him that dumb, cute blinky and confused look.
"Mini," He said, quietly and almost shamefully. "That's what I call you over text with Mila."
Minami's eyes widened. "What?!"
"Go the fuck away," Yuri said, trying to close the door. Minami stopped before he could.
"I like it!" He said. "It's...cute."
"I don't care if you like it!" Yuri said.
"Hey, Yuri, wanna go to lunch tomorrow?" He asked, before Yuri could close the door. Yuri's face turned a bright shade of pink.
"No!" He insisted. He finally closed the door. He let out a shriek as soon as it clicked closed. He said NO?! Minami may not have meant it as what Yuri wanted it to be, but it was the closest to that 'thing' that he'd probably ever get. God, Yuri hated the whole universe sometimes. He was so angry he could kick a puppy. Not a kitten, though. Never a kitten.
He lay back down on his bed, and looked up at the ceiling. He had only told Mila about his crush today. Only because he really wanted to talk to someone about it, and Mila was all the way in Russia. She was too far to tease him in person. However, she did tease him relentlessly over text. She loved American and Canadian phrases, which is how she came up with Mini. Yuri obviously told her that he hated it and that it was stupid, but he secretly really liked it.
He told Mila about the whole exchange he had just experienced.
'You dumbass. You better fix this before it gets worse. Ask him tomorrow.'
'Are you insane, you hag?!'
'Why not?'
'I can't ask him out.'
'Whatever, dummy.'
'Shut up.'
Yuri threw his phone.
Tomorrow was finally the short program. Though he had originally wanted Eros, he was feeling a lot more comfortable with Agape now. He was even looking forward to it. Though he may have been afraid, he could do it. He worked so hard to get here. He was sure as hell going to make the best out of it. With that, he climbed out of bed, and decided to take a walk. He was going to go get some dinner somewhere.
"Oi, Yuri," He heard a familiar voice call. He turned to see the silver haired man he had so idolized in his childhood.
"What do you want?" Yuri asked, not quite as aggressive as usual, putting his hands in his pocket. Viktor walked up to him, and gave him a tight hug.
"You're starting to branch out and make friends. I'm proud of you," Viktor said.
"Agh! You're gonna make me throw up," Yuri complained.
"However, perhaps this boy is more than a friend? Yura is occasionally the nickname that one would give to a lover, don't you think?"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! I don't want to hear this bullcrap from you!" Yuri shouted.
"He's a good kid. You be a good one, too, no?" Viktor asked, with a grin, before leaving his side. "Oh, and I'm sorry to hear about your head! And goodluck tomorrow!"
"Whatever."
Viktor could see right through Yuri, like usual.
Was it bad that Minami came to mind when Yuri was performing Agape? Probably. Yuri wasn't in love with the other boy. He had only known him a few days, and he didn't even know him very well. But the sweet and tender part of the music reminded him very strongly of his feelings for Minami. The song took on a whole new feeling when he was skating and thinking about the toothy chicken nugget boy. The sweet, vulnerable, breathless feeling of having your first crush.
He finished in first place, and was in the lead for the short program. He could barely meet Minami's eyes, when the other boy came to congratulate him.
"You are so amazing, Yura," Minami cooed. "If not gold, you're definitely getting silver."
"Thank you," He said, softly, while avoiding eye contact.
"You're welcome," Minami said with a smile. "Oh hey, Yuuri's back! I've gotta go talk to him!" He eagerly ran over to the raven haired man, and Yuri's heart sank. Minami could compliment him, call him by a special nickname, and make Yuri's heart melt, but at the end of the day, all Minami still wanted was the other Yuuri.
"Idiot..." Yuri said, quietly, as he sulked his way out of the arena.
"What's got you so down?" Said the voice of Otabek Atlin.
"Nothing. None of your business," Yuri said, defensively.
"So which is it?" Otabek asked. He looked to where Yuri had come from. "If it's any consolation, it would never work out between those two. Katsuki is far too old for him, and he's too interested in Nikiforov as it is. You'll get your chance."
Yuri didn't say anything, this time, and instead just pushed passed Otabek and headed out. He could hear Yakov calling his name, but frankly, he didn't care. The old fool would have to chase after him.
They had free time the next day. Yuri sat in his room for a few minutes in the morning, but the flower that was still sitting on his window sill was far too distracting, so he took his phone downstairs and sat in the lobby. He draped his hoodie to cover half his face so that he could hide from fans. The last person he wanted to see just happened to be in the lobby, as well.
That's right, it was JJ.
Yuri didn't have any time for this, whatsoever, so he walked into the elevator. But god, just his luck. It stopped on the second floor, and Minami stepped inside. "Oh, hey!"
Yuri stayed quiet, and looked away from him. Minami nervously tapped his feet.
"Are you okay?"
No response.
"I can wait for the next elevator, if you want."
"No, stupid. You're in now, so just stay in..."
"Okay," Minami said, with a sigh. They stayed quiet for a moment. God, this elevator took forever. And before Yuri could stop it, words that he would so regret spilled out of his mouth.
"Did you ask me on a date, two days ago? When you asked me to go to lunch, was that for a date?" He asked, nervously. Minami blushed.
"Wh-wh-what?!" He asked. "Oh, god, is that what it sounded like? No wonder you haven't made eye contact with me since then! Of course not! I know you don't want that!"
"Huh?" Yuri asked, raising an eyebrow. "W-well good! I'm glad it wasn't, it grossed me out."
"...Oh."
It was silent for another moment. Yuri couldn't hold this tension, and god damn, they almost reached the top floor. He jammed his hand into the stop button.
"Do you want to go on a date with me?!" Yuri shouted, trying hard not to make eye contact.
"What?!" Minami shouted back.
"Are you deaf?! You heard me! Do you want to go on a fucking date with me?!" He was saying this far too aggressively.
"Agh!" Minami said, now nervously tapping both his hands and feet. "Yes!"
Silence.
"Wait, what?"
"Yes, I want to go on a date with you! Can we stop yelling now?!" Minami asked, his eyes closed tight.
Yuri was absolutely silent. "You really want to go out with me...?"
"Of course I do! I've wanted to go out with you since day one! Maybe you're the stupid one. I showed you like, fifty cat pictures in the hope that you'd start to like me! But now I know you don't and I need to delete three hundred cat pics off my phone..." Minami grumbled.
"Stupid," Yuri scoffed. "Why would I ask you out if I didn't like you?"
Minami blushed. "You..."
"Okay, fine, blah, go home now, it's true," Yuri said, looking away. "But you keep going after that damn piggy! Every time I think you like me, you turn around and get the other Yuuri's attention. Why do you do that?! I hate it! What's so good about him, huh?!"
"I..." Minami said. "I don't like Yuuri like that. I mean, not anymore, anyway. Yeah, I had a big crush on him last year, but he has Viktor, and I like you. I just look up to Yuuri, but if it bothers you so much, than..."
"It does!" Yuri said. "You didn't even know who I was when we first met. All you could talk about was that fucking Pork Cutlet Bowl. Agh, I hated hearing you fawn over him, and-"
For once, it was Yuri's words that were cut off, by a brief kiss on the cheek. Yuri's whole face turned pink, and he turned away from Minami.
"I like you. So stop worrying," Minami said. After a minute, he laughed.
"What? Why the hell are you laughing?!" Yuri asked.
"You're so cute," Minami said. "It's weird...you were different today, when you skated to Agape. I could have sworn you looked right at me once or twice."
"Well, I did! Happy?!" He said.
"Hey, no need to be embarrassed. No one is judging you. I promise," Minami said, putting a hand on Yuri's shoulder. Yuri relaxed. He was almost never good at controlling his emotions. He looked at Minami again, this time really taking in every feature. Everything that Minami had said suddenly sunk it.
"Mini..." He said, quietly.
"Yura?"
Yuri pulled the slightly taller boy into a hug, and a very tight one, too. He had agreed to go on a date with him...he must be dreaming. His first ever crush liked him back. The very same one he had skated for just earlier that day.
"H-hey Yura," Minami said after a minute.
"Hmm?" Yuri asked. He didn't want Minami to cut this off so soon. He just wanted to take in Minami's scent and hold him for a little longer.
"We've held up this elevator for awhile...should we leave?" Minami asked, softly.
"Not yet..." Yuri said, holding him a bit tighter for a minute. Minami held him back. It was like he understood how Yuri felt perfectly.
Yuri pulled away after an embarrassingly long amount of time.
"That was gross of me. Ugh," Yuri said. "Fucking...ugh..."
"Well, I liked it," Minami smiled, before pressing the button again.
"Wait, one last thing," Yuri said, quietly.
"Hmm?" Minami asked.
"Can...can I...?"
"Yes, that would be a dream come true," Minami said. He proudly squeezed Yuri's butt, with a grin on his face. Yuri was so red he may have passed out.
"Not that, you idiot!" Yuri shouted. Minami blinked.
"Than what?"
Yuri grumbled to himself, before pulling the boy down and pressing his lips against Minami's. Minami let out a surprised noise, but kissed back. As soon as it had started, it felt like it ended. Waves of electricity went through Yuri's entire body.
"Damn..." Minami said, quietly. "Oh my god, I've had my first kiss! I can't believe it!"
He squealed, and hugged Yuri tight. "You were my first kiss, Yura!"
Yuri smiled shyly, with a light color of pink still spread across his features. "Yeah...you were mine, too."
Minami grinned. "Second kiss?"
"Ugh, so stupid," Yuri complained, but happily obliged. This was amazing. He was finally kissing Minami. He had been so patient and waited so long, and finally, it was happening. Minami's arms were drooped around Yuri's hips, and Yuri's were around Minami's neck. The kisses were innocent, but it still made Yuri's heart pick up like a thousand horses. When they parted, Minami planted soft kisses along Yuri's nose and cheeks. Yuri grinned, and giggled as he did this.
Suddenly, the elevator door opened, and they snapped back into reality. Yuuri and Viktor were on the other side. Yuri immediately pushed Minami away, and turned around, hiding his face in his hands. Yuri could practically feel Viktor's shit eating grin that was most definitely on his face right now.
"Oh. So that's what took the elevator so long," He said, with a grin.
"Come on, Viktor, we should give them some space," Yuuri said.
"But we need the elevator," Viktor reasoned.
"O-okay..." Minami said. He gently took Yuri's wrist and pulled him out of the elevator. "Come on, Yura, lets get out of here."
"Right..." Yuri said, softly obeying. He was dying on the inside, and any moment now, he was going to explode.
"Oh, shoot," Minami said, breaking Yuri out of his haze.
"Eh?" Yuri asked.
"I told JJ that I'd meet him and Isabella for lunch today. I totally forgot. I have to go," He said.
"JJ?!" Yuri asked. "Oh god, not him too! That's even worse than the piggy!"
"Oh, don't worry about it," Minami said, with a laugh. "But, can we take a picture? Please? For my background?"
"I suppose," Yuri said, even though he was happy to do it. He posed with Minami, with a soft smile on his face. Minami grinned, and immediately deleted his Yuuri background photo and added the picture of him and Yuri.
"Well, I have to go," Minami said, briefly taking Yuri's hand and squeezing it. Yuri's breathe got heavy.
"Okay..." Yuri said.
Minami leaned down, and kissed him gently once before, before whispering: "third kiss..."
Minami had fibbed a little. He hadn't liked Yuri for as long as he said he did. In actuality, it only clicked that he had feelings for Yuri when he was in the elevator with him. But, everything made sense after that. The reason why Minami was so obsessed with showing him cat pictures, and had been googling Yuri's past performances every night, and why he squealed so loud when Viktor told him that when Yuri asked him to call him 'Yura,' it was an intimate term. He had flirted a little bit, but Minami could be a flirt if he wanted to. Who knew that he actually had feelings for Yuri?
When he skated to Agape, Yuri was definitely giving Minami some strange vibes. He had watched all of the other times he had skated to Agape. It was never like that. He looked like a lovesick kitten, who kept shooting looks at Minami. Every time he did, Minami would blush deeply and his breathing would get funny, but somehow, he still didn't realize that he had feelings for Yuri.
Minami wasn't very good with his feelings. When he felt something new, it was like it didn't commute with his brain for awhile. He always played his feelings by ear, and figured things out along the way, and didn't take his time to think about it. This would lead to emotional outbursts, and Minami knew he needed to change, but a lot of the time, he didn't understand his feelings very well, anyway..
But as soon as he was in the elevator, and Yuri started shouting about dates, it all made sense to Minami. He did want to date Yuri! He wanted to date Yuri really badly.
He did have a crush on Yuuri, still, though. He couldn't tell Yuri that. But the other Yuuri was his idol. He adored the ground that he walked on. He felt like he could faint every time Yuuri smiled at him. Was it possible to have crushes on two people at once?
He had nothing against Viktor, and really liked being his friend, but he did feel incredibly jealous of him sometimes. Yuuri obviously really cared about him, and Viktor definitely cared about Yuuri, and that much, Minami liked. But he still really liked Yuuri.
It wasn't realistic, though. Yuuri was going to be with Viktor. Yuuri was too old for Minami. Yuuri didn't even know about Minami's feelings and would only feel apologetic if he found out. Yuri did like Minami. Yuri was Minami's age. Yuri had even asked Minami out.
Minami adored Yuri with all his heart, but that didn't mean that Minami's heart didn't shatter every time the other Yuuri gave him a hug or spoke to him directly.
Why did Minami's emotions have to be so confusing...?
Yuri went from the elevator, to the lobby, down the hall, and back again, over and over, attempting to causally 'bump into' Minami. He didn't want to be too upfront, and go knock on Minami's door. He was afraid that that would scare Minami away. No, this was the right way to do it. As he made his way down the hall for the fifth time, Viktor stopped him.
"What are you doing?" Viktor asked, cocking an eyebrow at Yuri. "You've been acting strange all morning."
"Strange?! I'm not acting strange!" Yuri insisted.
"If you're looking for your cute little boyfriend, he's in the rink with Yuuri," Viktor said, with that annoying shit eating grin he always wore when he was teasing Yuri.
"Fuck off, he's not my boyfriend." Yet.
"But he is who you're looking for, right?"
"None of your business!" Yuri insisted, as he walked to the elevator and left for the rink. He couldn't wait to see the other boy. He felt giddy. The Arena was attached to the hotel, so he only had to cross through the lobby to get to the rink. He entered the stands, and began to look for his brightly colored hair.
He did find him, after a few minutes, talking to the other Yuuri. He stopped for a second. But...it wasn't like Minami couldn't have friends, right? He was just talking to a friend. Yuri slowly approached them, and sat down an aisle behind.
"Hey, Yurio," Yuuri said, cheerfully. Yuri grunted in response.
"Hey Yura! We were just discussing the Free Skate, today," Minami said.
"Don't worry about that. I've got it," Yuri said, crossing his arms. He lightly kicked the back of Yuuri's chair. "You're going to cry on the ice when I beat you."
"W-well, Yuuri and Viktor are getting married if he wins gold," Minami said.
"What?!" Yuri asked, shooting straight up.
"Last night, at dinner, Viktor announced the engagement. I was hanging out with JJ and Isabella, so I was there, too! It was really exciting," Minami grinned.
"It's not that big a deal..." Yuuri said, blushing deeply.
Why wasn't Yuri invited to this? He had no idea that this had happened. He didn't even know that their relationship was at that stage yet. But now for sure, everyone would be wanting Pork Cutlet Bowl to win. No one would be voting for Yuri, including Minami.
"You two are stupid! Why take such a stupid bet?!" Yuri shouted, before leaving the Arena. Stupid Viktor. That's why he was so cheeky this morning. He was throwing his whole career away for the stupid Piggy. Yuri was so angry, he felt like kicking the wall. But he had already hurt his head this week, it would suck if Yuri broke his foot. He wouldn't be able to perform, and it would throw away his chance at winning gold at the Grand Prix Final.
"Hey, Yura, wait up!" He heard Minami call after him, stopping him at the stairwell.
"What do you want?" Yuri asked, crossing his arms. He was pissed. Why would his own...whatever Minami was, be voting for Yuuri after all of this?
"I want you to win," Minami said. "Yuuri is still my idol, but I really don't want him to win...I want you to win! You so deserve it, Yura, you're the most amazing skater there."
Yuri stopped. There was something Minami wasn't telling him. Just by the way Minami was standing, it looked like there was information that he was withholding from him.
Then it hit him. He didn't want Yuuri to get married. He didn't want to have no chance with Yuuri, and if he married Viktor, than every chance Minami would have would be crushed. That was why he mentioned it when Minami was sitting with Yuuri. He was upset about it.
But what the hell did that mean for Yuri?! He already had someone! God, why did the person that Yuri liked so much have to have a crush on else?!
"You STUPID DICK!" Yuri said, pushing Minami away. His face was beet red in anger. "It's because of the marriage, isn't it?! You don't want Yuuri to get married because you still want him for yourself! Wh-why are you still thinking about him?!" He hated the fact that his voice quivered a little.
"Yura..." Minami said, taking a step forward.
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Yuri shouted. Hot tears streamed down his face. He turned away so that Minami wouldn't see, but he knew he already had. "I never want you to call me that again...as long as you are in love with that fucking pig, you can't call me that..."
Yuri turned and left, and choked back a sob before he bawled his eyes out. He walked into the elevator, pressed a random button, and clicked the stop button. He knew it was a petty thing to do, since lots of people needed to use the elevator, but he needed a moment to himself. He sat there and cried and cried for a few minutes. He had never cried over another person before. He just didn't understand. They had kissed. Minami had made a picture of them his phone background. He said he wanted to go on a date with Yuri. Was all of that bullshit? Why did he have to play with his emotions like that? It was a load of crap and Yuri was sick of it.
He did want Minami to continue calling me Yura. He wanted Minami to kiss him and hug him and show him pictures of cute cats on his phone. That was all he wanted. He just didn't want Minami to be thinking about the other Yuuri the whole time. That wasn't fair. Yuri couldn't be the other Yuuri, and frankly, he didn't want to be.
He almost wanted to lose, now. He wanted Viktor to marry Yuuri and take him off the market forever, so that Minami would be forced to stop liking him and only noticed Yuri. It was selfish, but he started considering it. But no, he would never throw away the competition for someone he'd only known for a little over a week. That would be so stupid that Yuri cursed himself for even considering it. He gripped his sweater, and shook for a minute, before he stood up, and wiped his eyes. He took the one lock of hair and placed it in front of his left eye, to cover his tears. Fuck, why was he crying about a boy? Why was he crying about anyone? This sucked.
Minami stood there, frozen for a few minutes, and then he began to wail.
"WAAH! YURI HATES MEEEE!" He shouted, before sitting in the fetal position and bawling his eyes out.
"Oh my god, Minami," Yuuri said. He had left the rink for the day. He sat down beside him, and rubbed his back. "What's wrong? What on earth happened? Are you okay?"
"Yuri yelled at me..." Minami sniffled.
"Minami, Yurio yells at everyone..." Yuuri said, trying to sound reassuring.
"No...that's just how he talks to people. He's a r-really nice person, h-he's just a little bit aggressive...but he properly yelled at me. I THINK HE HATES MEEEE!" He said, beginning to wail again. Yuuri wasn't sure how to react to this small seventeen year old sobbing and blubbering everywhere.
"What did he say...?" Yuuri asked, trying to assess the situation.
"...He realized...that I wanted him to win..." Minami sniffled. Yuuri's eyebrows knit together.
"Why would that make him yell at you? Shouldn't that make him happy?" Yuuri asked.
"No...the reason I wanted him to win was selfish..." Minami said. "I don't want you to get married, Yuuri...I don't want you to be unavailable..."
Yuuri was quiet for a minute. "Oh god, Minami..."
"I know, you love Viktor, I get it...but..." Minami blubbered. He was cut off with a hug.
"It's really sweet to know people care about you...and, as my biggest fan, I should have figured it out, sooner, but...I guess I'm not that quick," Yuuri said, with a small chuckle. "But, look, even if I don't win, I still want to marry Viktor, someday. I don't want to base it off a one out of six chance of victory. So, no matter how this ends, I'm still going to be with Viktor. I think the happiest ending to all of this is if you go make up with Yurio. I've never seen him care about someone as much as he cares about you. It's like he's a whole different person, and though it may be selfish, I like that person a lot better. I know you care about him, too, and it would be such a waste to throw away such a chance as this for something as stupid as me. You can do whatever you want, but I think that what would leave us all the most happy is if I stay with Viktor, and you go make it up to Yurio."
Minami hung on to every word that Yuuri said. He shook a little, and tears streamed down his face, but he was certainly feeling better.
"Just as I thought...you're so smart and cool...okay, you're right. It was...unrealistic, anyway. I don't want to throw Yura away...but how am I gonna make it up to him? I don't think he is in a very forgiving mood right now..." Minami said.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Yuuri said, standing up and patting Minami on the shoulder. "Good luck."
Well that wasn't helpful at all...
Minami stood up, and walked up to his hotel room. He took the stairs, so that he'd have time to think. He never thought about his emotions. He never took the time to contemplate how he felt. He played it by ear, and see what would happen when it happened. But now, he needed to figure himself out, before he hurt anyone else. Thinking was exhausting, though. Minami couldn't figure himself out. He didn't know himself very well.
So, when thinking failed, he decided to listen to music, instead. Music was one of the only things that could help him express how he felt. He listened to his usual swing music, first. However, swing was always what he listened to to take his mind off of his issues, which didn't help what he was trying to do right now. He needed to be upfront with his emotions, for once. So he turned off his swing music, and decided to listen to something close to his heart.
On Love: Agape and Eros.
He listened to it about five times in a row. He walked slowly on the stairs, while the music washed over him, and he started to get a clear picture of his emotions, for once.
His feelings for Katsuki were Eros. Fiery, sexual, and somewhat unrealistic. Something that wouldn't last, something he'd have to chase after, but something powerful. It was also, however, not about the sweet butterfly feelings you get in your stomach. It wasn't about a relationship. It wasn't about love at all, really. It was about trying to impress someone, and having all their attention. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he didn't want Yuuri. Not in the way he thought he did, anyway. His feelings for Yuuri weren't pure, and in actuality, he didn't need Yuuri.
His feelings for Yuri was Agape. The pure, innocent feeling of having a crush. The way your heart speeds up when you see the person you care about. Wanting to hold their hand and appreciating the friendship that you have with that person. It was pure, and real, and perfect. It was everything that Minami felt for Yuri. His Yura.
But, he didn't know how to express this. He couldn't put his feelings into words. There must be a way for him to make his feelings for Yuri to be shown, but he wasn't sure what it was.
He realized what he wanted to do a few minutes later, and he made a plan to present it after the Grand Prix Final. It was the best way to make it up to Yuri. He just hoped that Yuri would still care about him by then.
Yuri had been blaring heavy metal music for the last few hours, in his hotel room. It was an hour until he had to be at the rink. He had gone from being sad to incredibly angry. He was ready to do his free skate, and he was ready to win. He didn't even care about the proposal anymore, he just wanted to win gold for once and for all. He had been looking forward to this ever since he knew what a Grand Prix Final was. He was so driven to win that it was the only thing that he could think about.
That, and the fact that if he stopped thinking about the Final, he'd start thinking about Minami and he'd get pissed again.
He grabbed his bag, and went to the elevator, and to the changing room. He changed into his outfit right away, and laced up his skates prematurely. He sat, and watched JJ's program for a few minutes. Huh. So he really redeemed himself since the day before, when he had choked and killed his Short Program. Yuuri was up next. Yuri decided to take a walk, with his coach.
He was stopped by Viktor. He was horrified to hear that after the final, if Yuuri won, he was going to retire. Throw away his career, for Viktor none the less. Yuri felt like throwing up, but for more reason than one. No matter how upset with Yuuri he was, he couldn't retire. Not yet. He hadn't run his coarse yet.
That was the straw that broke the camels back. Yuri had to win. He had to win for so many reasons. One, he had worked for this his whole life. Two, he deserved it more than anyone else. Three, everyone had been putting pressure on him to win and he was afraid of people leaving him if he lost. Four, if he didn't win, Yuuri was going to retire way too early. And five, he needed to prove that he was just as good a skater as Yuuri to Minami. It was his last resort.
He stepped onto the ice, and it was like a spiritual force took over his body. He nailed every jump, and added more than he usually did. His presentation was phenomenal. The audience roared with applause. Yuri took in long, deep breathes as he finished, and suddenly, there were tears streaming down his face. He covered his face in his hands to cover them up. Oh god, everything hurt. His body was sore, and his emotions pained him. It was like everything had built up to that moment, and he burst into tears on the ice.
Luckily, he didn't cry for long, as he skated towards the door. He looked up, and saw the person he least expected but most wanted to see. It was Minami, who was cheering for him. His arms were open. Yuri couldn't hold back, or hide it, as he skated right into Minami's arms. They both fell down, but Minami was laughing.
"You're so amazing! I can't believe it! If you didn't win, I am gonna start a riot!" Minami said, running his fingers through his hair.
"No rioting, that's dangerous," Yuri said, holding on to him.
"Seriously, my little heart couldn't take it! I thought I was gonna die! You are so hot, Yuri," Minami said, flirtatiously. Yuri hid his head in Minami's shoulder, and didn't say anything, which caused Minami to giggle. "C'mon, lets go see what your score is."
Minami helped Yuri to his feet. Minami was smiling really wide for some reason. Yuri held onto his hand the whole way.
"Sit with me and Yakov, when they figure out my score," Yuri said. He looked away. "And that isn't a request!" He was afraid that he was going to say no.
"Really, Yuri?!" Minami asked, and squealed really loud. "I'd LOVE to!"
Yuri smiled, and tightened his grip on Minami's hand. They met up with Yakov, and went to see his score. Yuri sat, anxiously, while Minami stood beside where he was sitting, and held onto Yuri's left hand with both of his hands. Minami looked even more anxious than Yuri.
He won. Yuri couldn't believe it, as the score appeared in front of him. Yakov cheered, and put a hand on Yuri's shoulder. Yuri started breathing heavily, and didn't say anything for a second, before he started screaming. Minami joined in, clapping and yelling and blubbering everywhere.
Yuri was so happy. He had worked so hard, and he was finally here. After thirteen years of practice, at the age of fifteen, he had won the Grand Prix Final with a groundbreaking score. Only a few points ahead of Katsuki, but still. He had won, none the less.
In a fit of blind joy, Yuri grabbed Minami from around the waist and buried his face in his stomach. Minami wrapped his arms around Yuri.
"I'm so proud of you," Minami whispered.
Aggressively, Yuri pulled away and immediately pulled Minami down, giving him a victory kiss. It was passionate and hard, and almost painful, but it felt amazing. He thought he deserved it, after winning.
He then realized he was on live TV, and pushed Minami away. Minami's face was beet red, and so was Yuri's. Yakov had turned a blind eye, and it sounded like the announcers were stunned. Yuri quickly retreated, and brought Minami with him. Into a broom closet, where he proceeded to kiss Minami repeatedly.
"Hey, hey, stop!" Minami said, while giggling, and very lightly pushed the aggressive Russian away from him.
"Don't stop me now! I just won!" Yuri said. "Your lips are better than a gold medal." He licked his lips, and gave Minami one more kiss before he decided to listen to him. He felt Minami sneak an ass grab, which made Yuri blush, before he spoke again.
"I have a fifteen minute window where I'm allowed to use the rink, before they close up five days from now. I have it from three thirty to three forty five. Please be there, I want to make it all up to you, after all the stuff I did," Minami said, softly.
"You rented the rink?!" Yuri demanded.
"Well, Viktor rented it. I only have it for fifteen minutes, though," Minami shrugged.
"Okay, I'll be there. But it better be good, Mini," He said, playing with the nickname once again. Minami smiled.
"I really am proud of you. You did so amazingly. You're an inspiration to me. I hope next year, we can go to the Grand Prix final together. I won't even try to win, since I think you deserve it, but I'd love to skate on the same ice as you one day," Minami said. "You're so confident, and strong, and beautiful. I've never seen someone so pretty. I nearly started bawling during the middle of your performance when I saw how gorgeous you are! You're practically a woman. Or an ethereal goddess."
Yuri looked away, clearly embarrassed. "Shut up. All this sappy stuff is going to make me puke all over the place."
Minami gave him one quick hug, and whispered in his ear:
"And one last thing. Your ass is gonna be mine the second you turn eighteen," He said, and give it one more squeeze before pulling away.
"Why wait?" Yuri smirked.
"Oh, no no no, I do not want to be arrested before I turn twenty. We are waiting," Minami insisted.
"Fine, fine, fine," Yuri said, waving it off. "But I'll have you know that it's gonna be your ass that's getting owned."
"Please," Minami said, with an eyeroll. "Okay, see you in five days."
"Won't I see you before then?" Yuri asked.
"Not if I can help it," Minami shrugged.
"Okay..." Yuri said, quietly.
"Yeah," Minami said. He opened the closet door, and they were immediately swarmed by fans with cameras. They knew their little trip to the closet was gonna be all over the social media, but in all honesty, Yuri didn't care that much. There was so much that he was happy about. Katsuki wasn't retiring, he had won gold at his first Grand Prix, and he had a cute person just around the corner for him to kiss all he wanted. Life was good. Although, he did miss his kitty who lived all the way in Russia quite a bit.
The days felt like years. He had rented the room in the hotel an extra five days, just so that he could see what Minami was planning. But every day dragged on, in anticipation. The words Minami said kept ringing in his ears, and it was all he could think about. He hardly had time to celebrate his victory when he had Minami on his mind.
His cute, crooked and toothy smile were in his dreams every night. His sweet little laugh, and the squeals he made when he was excited. His cute little taps he made with his feet when he was nervous. The cute and sexy way he moved his hips while he skated to swing music. God, Yuri was never going to be able to get Minami out of his head. Especially after the way they left it.
He had been right. Social media had completely blown up about Minami and Yuri kissing on live television. There wasn't a soul in his fanbase who wasn't talking about it. Hell, he had even gained fans from it, oddly enough. People were calling them 'Plinami,' and he had counted eleven people on instagram who had the kiss as their profile picture. Mila had sent him countless texts to him, all of which he had ignored. He couldn't focus on anything other than Minami.
After what felt like an eternity, it was finally the day. He woke up early, and took a shower. He put on his favorite pair of jeans, his nicest t-shirt, and his usual hoodie. He put on a bit of foundation and mascara, which he didn't usually wear, but he felt that this was a special occasion and he wanted to look nice. He brushed his hair and made it look at good as possible, and then he got himself some coffee and practically watched the clock until three. He left at three fifteen, giving him fifteen minutes to get there. He had been waiting way too long to be late for this.
Yuri practically ran all the way to the arena. He brought his skates, just in case. He arrived ten minutes early, and eagerly waited for Minami to show him. He showed five minutes later, and saved Yuri from having a heart attack, thinking that he wasn't going to show at all.
"What took you so long?! You're late!" Yuri shouted, rushing over to Minami's side. "I almost fell asleep waiting for you."
"Huh? Really?" Minami asked, giving that cute and blinky expression. "My watch must be broken, it says I still have five minutes left."
"Whatever. I'm here now, so what did you want to show me?" Yuri asked. Minami smiled, and went to sit down, lacing up his skates.
"I got some help from my friend, Isabella. She's in the sound booth right now. I've been working on this for the last week. I don't have it down completely, but I have a rough draft," Minami said. He looked like he was about to throw up. "I put a lot of work into this, and I'm really nervous, so don't laugh or anything..."
"Fine, whatever, just get on with it," Yuri said, and crossed his arms. His heart was pounding in his chest and he could hardly contain his glee. Had Minami choreographed a program, just for him?
However, when the music started up, it hit Yuri like a wall of bricks. It was his program. On Love: Agape blared through the stadium, as Minami started the routine.
He skated so beautifully, like every note meant something to him. He almost skated it better than Yuri. He was so sure of himself, and his skating was so smooth and nice, almost unlike his usual self. No, it was unlike his usual self. Minami always had lose hips, a cheeky grin, and a flirtatious attitude. But not this time. Every step was filled with love, and Yuri could feel it.
It hit him all too hard when he realized that Minami was skating for him. Another skaters performance had never brought him to tears before, but seeing Minami use Yuri's own program to express his feelings for Yuri was too much for him to handle. His heart melted. As Minami's program came to a close, Yuri started clapping and cheering for him. Minami skated up to him.
"I wanted to make it up to you. I'm kinda bad at expressing how I feel, so I thought I'd let the music do it for me," Minami said, bashfully. Tears were streaming down Yuri's face. After that performance, it was more than a crush. A crush didn't even come close to Yuri's feelings.
"I love you," Yuri said, loud and clear.
"Huh?" Minami asked, his eyes widening. Yuri hugged him over the small wall of the rink.
"You heard me. That was beautiful," He said. He had no insults to give.
"I-I love you, too," Minami said. "Does this mean you forgive me?"
"Of course it does," Yuri said. "You make me want to skate with you, all the time. Please, let us skate together."
"That would be a dream come true," Minami said. "It's so nice to finally break the ice. Now it can be a normal thing, right?"
"What are you talking about?" Yuri asked.
"Saying 'I love you.' I can say it as much times as I want!" Minami grinned.
"You're a dork," Yuri said. "But, I love you."
"I love you, too," Minami said. "Lets make this a routine together, okay?"
"Okay. Swing next time."
"Yay!"
Yuri wasn't very good at handling his emotions. He usually pushed them away until he couldn't ignore them anymore, and he'd scream into a pillow. Minami wasn't very good at handling his emotions, either. He wouldn't pay attention to them, and it would always be a surprise when he felt something new. But not after this. After this experience, they knew they had to change, and now, they had a reason to. For once, they were happy.
AN. Wooooh boy, that took me three whole days to write. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope that you all liked it as much as I liked writing it! There is not enough content for this pairing at all.
This was supposed to be a three thousand word story, but it turned into so much more. It got incredibly sappy, but I actually like it a lot. Sorry if there are lots of spelling mistakes, though, this is unbeta'd. Anyway, thank you all for reading!
-Mys