This was originally written for a friend and posted to my tumblr sneezehq (a long while back lol). So, this is set post-series, with Yuuri K. and Yuri P. competing at a competition together (because the Yuris bonding gives me life!). I write Yuri P. as Yuri and Yuuri K. as Yuuri. Content warning for vomit. Enjoy!
Figure skating is difficult. Figure skating with an upset stomach is torture, what with the spins and jumps, tight costume, and sheer exertion required to perform well. For the first time in his life, Yuri is actually dreading going out on the ice.
There's a stomach bug going around, and Yuri has been extra careful over the past week in the hopes that he wouldn't catch it, especially after Victor had caught it and been sidelined as Yuuri's coach. But it seems that he's not that fortunate. It had started last night with just a slight dizziness that he could pretend was just from exhaustion. After all, he'd pushed himself to the limit yesterday to earn a new personal best in his free skate. But when he'd woken up feverish and disoriented this morning, his throat tight with nausea, Yuri had known that he was sick.
The longer he sits backstage, the more his stomach churns and aches. He has to resist the urge to double over, knowing that the pressure will only make matters worse. His fever has spiked since the warmups, and Yuri is trembling noticeably as the room swirls around him.
He's snapped out of his miserable daze by Yakov tapping on his shoulder. "You're almost up," he tells Yuri. Frowning worriedly at Yuri's condition, Yakov tries to give the sick teenager a way out. "Are you sure that you want to do this?"
Yuri just gives a short nod in response, not even daring to open his mouth at this point. He's in first place by a wide margin, so all he has to do is make it through his routine and he should make it onto the podium. One little stomach bug isn't going to be enough to stop him.
His queasiness spikes along with his headache as the bright lights of the rink hit his eyes. He swallows firmly and takes a deep breath to keep his stomach in place. Agape is all he can afford to think about right now.
The music starts and Yuri throws himself into the routine with extra vigor, hoping to distract himself from how terrible he feels. It almost works, but by the time he begins his final spin, he's swallowing convulsively and there's a bitter taste in his mouth. He strikes his final pose and holds it for the required amount of time, before making a mad dash off the ice.
Yakov is trying to talk to him, but Yuri steadfastly ignores him in favor of hastily removing his skates, one hand held tightly over his mouth. As soon as he's got his shoes on, he's sprinting for the bathroom. Unfortunately, before he can get there, he feels his stomach give another painful lurch, and there's sticky vomit coating his palm.
Miraculously, he makes it to the locker room before he pukes again, but that's where his luck ends. There's no time to make it to the toilet, so Yuri makes do with the sink, doubling over with a painful gag. Sick splatters against the porcelain, and Yuri continues to retch painfully, bringing up nothing but stomach acid.
When the vomiting finally ends, Yuri tries to catch his breath and clean himself up a little. He's horrified to realize that he actually managed to get puke on his costume. He does his best to salvage the mess, and in the end he just decides to wear his Russia jacket to cover the humiliating stains.
Yuri pulls the hood of his jacket over his head and cautiously makes his way out of the locker room. He just needs to find Yakov and then he can leave. Of course, things are never that easy and he's mobbed by reporters before he can even blink.
He answers their questions halfheartedly, desperately trying to think of a way out. He tugs anxiously on the hem of his jacket, only to be met with horrified gasps. "What happened to your uniform?" asks one reporter, eager for a good scoop.
"Did Yuri Plisetsky deliberately ruin his costume to get revenge on Victor Nikiforov?" asks another, sounding delighted at having uncovered this new drama.
His cheeks flushed bright red with embarrassment, Yuri desperately tries to come up with an excuse, a diversion, anything! Salvation comes in the form of Yuuri Katsuki, however, who was trying to find his bag when he stumbled across Yuri's plight.
He quickly rushes to Yuri's side, distracting the reporters with tantalizing rumors of a proposal to one of the other skaters. As soon as they're gone, Yuuri turns to Yuri. "Are you alright?" he asks, taking in the younger skater's stained costume, flushed cheeks, and glassy eyes. Yuuri places a hand on Yuri's forehead, wincing at the heat he finds there.
"You're burning up," he announces. "Let's get you home, okay?" Yuuri doesn't wait for a response, slinging his arm around Yuri's shoulders and steering him towards the exit. Yuri just leans into the support, too exhausted to even put up a token protest.
Thank you for reading! Please leave a review!