Leo surveyed the chaos of Victor and Yuuri's living room. Yeah, this was about what he expected. Victor and Yuuri had invited a bunch of skater friends over to their house to celebrate…..something. Really, they just wanted an excuse to get together and drink. Leo had volunteered to remain sober and make sure everyone stayed safe. Basically, make sure no one ruins their career on social media, make sure the house is still standing, and keep everyone out of the pool. Drunk people are not known for their swimming ability. This friend group was plenty loud when sober, drunk was a whole new level. It was a good thing they weren't in an apartment complex or something.
Otabek was pumping up the music, still a decent DJ when drunk, although he was clinging to the table pretty hard for balance. Pichit was filling up his phone storage with selfies. He had resigned himself to this when Leo unplugged the modem to prevent the little twerp from livestreaming a drunken speech about how much he loved everyone. He still recorded a video that mostly consisted of him slurring "I love you" at everyone in the room. Guang Hong was clinging to Leo's arm, too unsteady to stand. His naturally rosy cheeks were more flushed than usual, and he was giggling at everything Leo and Pichit said.
Yuuri grabbed a floor lamp, clearly intending to dance on it. Leo peeled Yuuri's hands off for the third time tonight, throwing him at Victor to distract him. Victor was rosy-cheeked and extra flirty, but still coherent. Victor and Yuri had gone through a fifth of good Russian vodka between the two of them, and were still only tipsy. Leo had heard of the Russian tolerance for vodka, but this was ridiculous. Anyone else here would be blacking out having had that much. Case in point, JJ was singing a very off-key rendition of "Don't stop Believin'" into a now-empty whiskey bottle, and Yuuri was joining him in the lovely key of Z-flat. Yuri was sober enough to be annoyed by this and was yelling at both of them to shut the fuck up before he kicked their asses. Leo walked up behind Yuri and grabbed his shoulder. He jumped, startled.
"Hold still, buddy," Leo was digging in his jacket pocket.
"What? What are you doing?" Yuri pushed his long blond hair out of his face for the thousandth time.
"Your hair is down to your waist, it's too long to leave down in a place like this. It's going to get caught on something." He found what he was looking for: a hair tie. He pulled Yuri's silky hair into a ponytail and secured it.
"Thanks" Yuri said, a little sheepish that he hadn't thought of this.
"No problem, it's why I'm here." Leo said, patting Guang Hong's head. The tiny skater was still holding Leo's jacket for support. He giggled in response. Leo led Guang Hong over to Pichit and sat him down next to his friend. Guang Hong was small and light, so Leo had no problem supporting him. Pichit instantly took a selfie of the three of them and captioned it "besesst freeeeeeeeens11!" He left Guang Hong snuggling up to Pichit and went to take inventory of how much alcohol had been consumed.
Everyone had brought something to share, so there was plenty to go around. Leo had brought a bottle of tequila even though he wasn't drinking. He was still enjoying the party, after all, and he liked to share his Mexican heritage with his friends. The vodka was long gone, JJ had taken care of the whiskey, and they had started the night with shots of Yuuri's shochu, so that was out. There was still half a bottle of Chinese moutai, and still a third of the bottle of Thai rum. Otabek had likely drank nearly half the bottle of spiced rum himself, which was why there was only a quarter left. There was a bottle of absinthe with only a few shots gone, but that was leftover from the last party. Chris had brought that, and it was why he been banned from bringing alcohol ever again. He couldn't make it to this party anyway. Okay, it looked like everyone had had a lot, but there was not enough gone to worry about alcohol poisoning.
A slender frame sidled up beside him and peered into the fridge. Yuri eyed the bottle of tequila, his eyes glinting impishly.
"Hey, I've never had that stuff before, is it yours?" Yuri asked, a little too excited.
"Yeah, it's tequila. Made from agave cactus, it's very popular in Mexico and the U.S."
"That sounds awesome!" Yuri declared, reaching for the bottle.
"All right, but I have to warn you, this stuff can knock you flat, especially if you're not used to it."
"Pfft, I'm Russian, I can hold my liquor. If it's anything like that piss water you Americans call beer, this much won't even faze me, much less Victor." Yuri grabbed a couple of double shot glasses. He tried unsuccessfully to open the bottle. He was only a little tipsy, but he still couldn't get it. He handed it to Leo with a pouty expression.
"Okay, you've been warned." Leo opened the bottle and poured two doubles. Yuri picked up the glasses and managed to make it to the living room without spilling them. Leo followed him to the living room and watched as Yuri and victor each knocked one back. Yuri winced, clearly not a fan of the taste. Victor's eyes widened at the strong flavor, but seemed to enjoy it.
"Wow, that's got quite a kick." Victor said. "I could do a few more shots of that"
"Bad idea" Leo said. "Give that stuff time to hit before you have more."
Leo would have stayed next to the two Russians, but Yuuri had figured out how to unlock the door and was making a break for the pool, shirtless. He was not the best swimmer sober, ad Leo managed to grab him before he got too close. He dragged Yuuri inside and locked the door again. He pushed Yuri into Pichit, who was waxing eloquent about his love of his pet hamsters to a barely awake Guang Hong.
Otabek had started dancing and was demonstrating why he should really stay behind the DJ booth. His incoherent flailing almost knocked into Victor.
Uh-oh.
Looks like the tequila has hit, and hit hard. Victor's eyes were completely glazed over, and he was getting more naked by the second. His shirt was off and, thankfully, he's having trouble with his belt. Leo ran up and grabbed his naked shoulders.
"Victor, Victor, I need you to look at me right now." Leo said, trying desperately to hold his attention.
"What you want?" He slurred, looking in Leo's general direction. Close enough.
"Victor, you can't take your clothes off in the living room. That's a bad idea."
"But, it's too hot...clothes...get in the way." he babbled, pawing at his belt buckle, which was still beyond his comprehension.
Okay, there was no way Leo was going to deter him, he was too far gone and Leo had other drunk friends to babysit. He Picked Yuuri away from Pichit and threw him at Victor. Hopefully that would distract him for a few minutes. Pichit looked somewhat confused at the sudden absence of his friend, but he was very quickly becoming too tired to care. He slid down the wall, taking Guang Hong with him, and curled up in the corner, his phone still in his hand. He must not have realized that it died about 20 minutes ago. OKay, those two were going to be fine.
Otabek was still attempting to break it down and it was not a pretty sight. Wait….where was Yuri? He would normally be with Otabek by this point in the evening. Leo looked around the room. Victor was holding on to Yuuri, who was eyeing that floor lamp again. Pichit and Guang Hong were falling asleep in a pile in the corner, and JJ had just gone into the bathroom. Yuri was nowhere to be seen. Leo decided to move the floor lamp to a closet and keep it away from Mr. Eros, and his gaze shifted to the bookcase next to the closet. On top of the bookcase, with a look like a cat trapped in a tree, was Yuri. How did he even get up there? He probably had no idea himself.
"Yuri, what...how…?" Leo didn't even know how to phrase the question.
"The room is...spinning….help." Yuri squeaked.
"I told you that stuff is strong. Here, take my hand." Leo pulled up a nearby chair and helped Yuri get his feet onto the chair, then to the ground. Yuri's knees buckled slightly, and Leo helped him regin his balance. Leo and Yuri were about the same height, but thankfully Yuri was very slender, so he was light enough for Leo to lift. Yuri managed to stand and catch sight of Otabek across the room. He moved as fast as any completely plastered man can and wrapped his arms around Otabek's neck. Otabek's hands found Yuri's butt and gripped it as they started making out.
Okay, Leo would deal with them in a second. There was another couple that were quickly passing the make-out stage. Victor had managed to get his pants off and was helping Yuuri with his. Okay, time to send them to the bedroom. Leo grabbed one wrist in each hand and dragged them down the hall. They came easily since they were together. Leo threw the lovers in the master bedroom and closed the door behind them. If they couldn't find the bed at this point, it was on them.
As Leo walked back down the hall, he came across a large form sprawled in the hallway. It was JJ. HIs pants were around one ankle and his custom-made "JJ-style" underwear were on display. Leo inferred that, after leaving the bathroom, he had figured out his underwear, but forgotten how the button and zipper of his pants worked. His pants had fallen down and he had tripped. He clearly couldn't find the motivation to get up and just passed out in the hallway. Well, he would have to be okay for now. There was no way Leo could lift JJ's dead weight, and he had bigger fish to fry currently. Specifically, Yuri and Otbek. They were the horniest drunks of all, and they had been left alone for almost a minute.
Sure enough, when Leo got back to the living room, Yuri's hands were under Otabek's shirt and Otabek had taken Yuri's hair down. Leo positioned himself behind Otabek and started pushing them in the direction of the guest bedroom. They were practically eating each other's faces, so they responded to his guidance almost without noticing. He worked them around the passed-out JJ and into the guest bedroom, abandoning Otabek's shirt along the way. Leo shut the door behind them. He didn't even want to think about what would go on behind that door tonight. Okay, everyone was either already asleep or-
There was a loud crash behind the door.
-asleep or doing THAT. Leo picked up some blankets and a pillow from the hall closet near JJ. He pushed JJ to the side of the hall. He couldn't pick up the larger man, but he could at least make sure no one would fall over him on the way to the covered JJ with a blanket and put a pillow under his head. He could put his pants back on when he woke up.
Leo made his way back to the living room. Okay, Pichit and Guang Hong were the last ones he needed to check. They were peacefully asleep in the corner, piled on top of each other like a litter of puppies. They were so cute. Leo took Pichit's dead phone from his hand and plugged it in to charge, then spread a blanket over the two of them. He ruffled Guang Hong's unruly hair as he snuggled closer to Pichit.
Leo took the last blanket for himself and laid down on the couch. He could take one of the three extra guest rooms, but he didn't want anyone trying to escape the house without his knowledge. It had been a fun night, but he was exhausted, and quickly fell asleep.
- Leo woke up the next morning to a silent house. Everyone else must still be sleeping off the alcohol. Judging by the amount consumed, this was going to be a rough morning for all of the guys. Leo quietly made his way to the kitchen and took inventory of sports drinks. Okay, good, Victor kept an ample stock. That was an advantage of drinking with athletes. He would start by handing out water, it was easier to drink something not sweet when first waking up. There was an entire shelf of chilled water in the fridge. Yuuri must have put it there, It was the kind of thing he would do before a party.
He grabbed a few bottles and went to distribute them. He set two down in the corner with PIchit and Guang Hong, who were both still dead asleep all tangled together. They didn't stir at Leo's footsteps. He moved on to JJ, who was still in the hallway, now hugging the pillow Leo had given him and drooling on the floor. He snorted slightly when he felt Leo's footsteps against the hardwood, but wasn't ready to wake up just yet. Leo set a bottle of water next to him. A black T-shirt was carelessly thrown on the floor a few feet away, presumably Otabek's. Leo picked it up, their room was his next stop anyway.
Leo opened the door to the guest room, slightly apprehensive after the noises he heard last night. The place was a mess. Clothes were haphazardly strewn, stuff had been knocked off the dressers, and...were those handprints on the ceiling? How….? Leo decided he didn't want to know.
Otabek was awake and getting dressed. He had put on his jeans, and was wearing a pair of sunglasses that had ended up next to the bed. He winced at the light coming in from the door as Leo came in. Leo handed him a bottle of water. He nodded his thanks and drank the entire bottle in one go. Leo looked at the bed. All that was visible of Yuri was a bit of blond hair peeking out from the top of the green bedspread. He was awake, but not in any state to get out of bed. Otabek held out his hand. Leo gave him another water bottle and Otabek poked at the lump under the covers. Yuri hissed. He must have quite the hangover. As Otabek leaned over, Leo noticed scratches across his naked back that were not there when he shut them in last night. Leo decided not to ask.
"C'mon, Yuri, it's water, it'll make you feel better." Otabek muttered.
A long-fingered hand appeared over the top of the blanket and grabbed the bottle, then retreated back into the darkness..
"Thanks." Yuri growled.
Leo gave Otabek his shirt, "This ended up in the hallway. Thought you might want it." he said, keeping his voice down
Even Leo's restrained voice was rough on Otabek's obviously pounding head. He winced as he muttered his thanks.
Leo checked on JJ as he headed toward the master bedroom. He was waking up now. He was sitting up and working his pants back on.
"How you feeling, bud?" Leo asked quietly.
JJ's hand went up and made a gesture bringing his fingers together and then raised his index finger, communicating "Shut up, give me a minute."
"Okay, drink the water, I'll check on you again in a bit." Leo said, patting JJ's head. It was right at the perfect level, he couldn't resist. JJ glared, but wasn't awake enough to protest. He seized the water and took a drink as Leo moved on to the master bedroom.
The guest bedroom had certainly been louder last night, but this one was not by any means quiet, so Leo took a moment to steel himself before opening the door. This room was also a mess, with clothes thrown everywhere and a couple trophies knocked off shelves, but at least the ceiling was clean. Both of the guys were awake. Victor was slouched forward, massaging his temples. Yuuri was propped up on an elbow, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. Leo saw Yuuri's glasses on the floor and picked them up. Yuuri would need those. He walked up to Yuuri and handed him the glasses, followed by a water bottle. He sat up and put them on, his eyes still foggy from the hangover. He opened the water bottle and drank the whole thing. He knew how to treat a hangover.
"How are you two doing? Leo asked gently.
"About as well as can be expected. I'm not sure if I can say the same for Victor, though." Yuuri replied, his voice hoarse from all the yelling and karaoke the night before.
At the sound of his name, Victor jerked his head up, then winced against an obvious throbbing headache. Leo held out a water bottle, which Victor took and chugged before speaking.
"Why would anyone drink that stuff?" he asked, looking accusingly at Leo.
"The tequila? It tastes great, and if you pace yourself it doesn't hit as hard." Leo shrugged. He had never had a problem with tequila, but then again he couldn't handle the strong Russian vodka Victor was pounding last night.
"I'm never drinking that stuff again. It is of the devil." Victor muttered, going back to massaging his temples.
Yuuri was finally waking up fully "How's the house, did we manage to break anything?" he asked.
"Nothing major. Yuri climbed a bookshelf, but it looks like he didn't break it. You might want to check out the guest room. I put Yuri and Otabek in there, and there's no telling what they might have done. Oh, and your floor lamp is in the closet. You kept trying to dance on it, so I hid it."
Yuuri blushed sheepishly "I really gotta lay off on my Eros."
Leo smiled "It's fine. Victor would have enjoyed it, I'm sure."
"I'll leave you two to, um, get dressed and order us some breakfast. I'll get a little of everything and lay it all out in the kitchen, so you can come get it when you're ready."
Yuuri blushed again, suddenly remembering that he and Victor were both naked under the blue bedsheets. "Yeah, thanks, Leo. Menus are next to the fridge, ask them to charge the house account."
By the time Leo had finished ordering, Guang Hong and Pichit had found their way into the kitchen, attracted by Leo's voice. Guang Hong was still fogged with sleep, and Pichit was for once not smiling as he massaged a kink in his shoulder.
"Good morning, you two. I hope I didn't wake you. Food is being delivered, would you like more water?"
"If it helps, I'll take it" Pichit muttered. Guang hong nodded.
Leo handed them each another bottle. "Are you sore? You were sleeping on a hard floor all night.
"Yeah" they both said.
"Have a seat at the table, I'll see if I can work the knots out. You first, Pichit."
The two skaters flopped into chairs around the large table. Guang Hong leaned on his arms, falling back into a half-sleep. Leo began to gently knead at the tense, sore spots in Pichit's neck and shoulders.
"Ah-ah" Pichit made a sound somewhere between pain and relief "Where did you learn this?"
Leo chuckled "in the US, most skaters, dancers, and gymnasts learn a bit of massage therapy to help work out their own kinks and prevent injury."
"Can we make that a thing in Thailand, too? That sounds great."
"Ask your coach, Ciao-Ciao might know some." Leo's thumbs found a particularly deep pinch, and he pressed harder to try and make it release. Pichit tensed.
"Relax, dude, or I'll never be able to reach this nerve." Leo chastised.
Pichit obliged, but made a guttural sound as Leo's thumbs dug in. The muscle relaxed, taking the pressure off of the nerve. Pichit sighed, his shoulders finally releasing.
"Okay, your turn, Guang Hong. Sit up." Leo said, walking up behind him and patting his shoulder. He yawned and sat up. Leo went to work on his shoulders, which were just as bad as Pichit's. JJ walked into the kitchen and flopped heavily into another chair, scowling.
"Good morning, Sunshine" Leo said teasingly.
"Ugh, why do I keep drinking when I know it makes me feel like this? Damn whiskey. Why does my country have to make such good liquor?" JJ went to the fridge and grabbed a sports drink.
"I'm having food delivered, it should be here in about 20 minutes. I ordered enough for everyone, so it's taking longer than usual." Leo said, hoping that would help JJ's mood.
"Thanks, you're a lifesaver, man." JJ leaned on his elbows and stared into space.
Leo had been momentarily distracted by JJ, but he went back to working the kinks out of Guang Hong's shoulders. Guang Hong was more vocal than Pichit, making squeaking noises as Leo found knots and sighing in relief as he loosened them. As he finished, Yuuri came into the kitchen, pulling a reluctant Victor in sunglasses. Yuuri guided Victor to the table got him a sports drink from the fridge, then sat down himself.
"Thanks Leo, that feels a lot better." Guang Hong said as Leo lifted his hands.
"JJ, would you like me to get the kinks out of your shoulder? You were on the floor like them." Leo offered.
"Sure" JJ said, sitting up as Leo walked behind him. JJ instinctively relaxed as Leo put his hands on JJ's broad shoulders. JJ's dad was a personal trainer, he was probably used to having knots massaged out like this.
"Does anyone know why I woke up without pants? I remember most of last night, but that detail evades me." JJ said.
"You forgot how pants work after going to the bathroom and tripped." The voice came from the door to the kitchen. It was Otabek, still wearing sunglasses. "I saw you struggling, but i was in no condition to help." Yuri was behind him, also in sunglasses, his hair in a mess around his face. The two guys grabbed chairs, and Leo was grateful that Victor and Yuuri had such a big table.
"Well, it looks like everyone is here, and the food should arrive any minute." Leo announced for the newcomers. He had finished with JJ's shoulders and took the last remaining chair.
"Yessssssss" Yuri said. Of course he was hungry, Yuri was always hungry.
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Leo answered the door, and Yuuri got up to help him carry all the food to the table. Yuuri went to get plates and silverware for everyone while Leo set out containers of rice and noodles covered in stir-fried beef, pork, and chicken.
"What did we ever do to deserve you, Leo? This looks great!" Guang Hong said.
"No kidding, I feel like we should buy you a vacation or something to pay you back for taking care of us." Victor said.
"How's about you guys just continue to be my friends? I'll take that." Leo smiled affectionately. "So, did everyone have a good time?"
A ripple of agreement went around the table as they started to dish up food. There really was nothing like a crazy night with good friends.