Over the Top
Yuri Plisestky looked at the clock, as soon as it struck twelve he rolled over. He told himself happy birthday before drifting off to sleep. Ever since he had become a figure skater, his birthdays were like this. He was too busy to do anything, and too determined to be the best to care. Or at least, he told himself he didn't care. In truth, he wanted someone to remember it was his birthday. Someone other than his grandfather that was too far away most of the time. He kicked his blanket in his sleep, having dreamt of kicking a door in frustration.
He woke up at 5:23, seven minutes before his alarm. While he was still groggy he texted Otabek Altin. Hey. It's my birthday. Can we go grab breakfast or something? I never celebrate anymore. After he hit send he tossed his phone on the bed and jumped in the shower, feeling pathetic. He would just reply never mind or forget it or make up some excuse in the shower. He did not even know why he had said anything in the first place, he didn't care anyway it had been several years since he had had the day to himself.
A reply read: Can't do breakfast, but happy birthday. See you at the rink later. Yuri sighed. At least he was off the hook in terms of making an excuse. He threw himself on the bed. This still stunk, he had hoped his best - maybe only - friend would have at least been available. At least he would have had a companion in theory, which would have felt nice. He knew he had to be at the rink by seven in the morning at the latest, he decided to push it just a little today and show up at six instead of his usual five forty-five. It gave him fifteen minutes to stew in his loneliness and turn it into grumpiness.
Otabek felt bad, even as he knew that he was not ditching the birthday boy all day. In fact, he had asked around to find out if Yuri Plisestky ever took his birthday off. He suspected the boy would not, and had decided to go ahead and plan something before the younger could protest. He had gathered a few people at a diner, including Yuri's grandfather, to discuss a surprise party.
Victor Nikiforov did not know the meaning of overboard, he had taken Otabek's call and had offered to help in any way necessary. Yuuri Katsuki had agreed to help cook along with Yuri's grandfather. Yakov had even agreed to keep Yuri on the rink while the rest of them cooked up the shenanigans. Mila Babicheva would be the only other person at the rink with them, only to help keep Yuri from becoming suspicious.
"All right, first we warm up before hitting the ice! Come on Yurio!" Mila grinned, sitting on the floor with her hands on her toes.
"Don't call me that! The Katsudon isn't even here, there's no need to make a distinction." Yuri yelled, starting to stretch beside her. "Figures we are the only ones here. Victor and Katsudon probably slept in. And Otabek sounded busy."
"Hmmmm. Not that you care if they get practice in, right birthday boy?"
"Of course not! Ha! If they squander their time and make mistakes during performances then better for me! They can quit for all I care!"
"Then who would you compete against? Would there really be a point if you're the only one?"
"Shut up. Just stretch and leave me alone."
- . -. -. -.
"Victor! That's so much stuff! How will we ever go unnoticed?" Yuuri scrubbed his hand down his face.
"What? It's just streamers and balloons and some games and some party hats and some..." Victor smiled.
"Vic...tor... That's so much!"
Yuri Plisetsky's grandfather shook his head and cut open a pirozhki. It was done. "These taste better freshly made, so we should get to the rink soon."
"Call Yakov, have him distract Yuri." Otabek nudged Victor.
Victor did as asked, still carrying an excessive amount of party supplies.
Otabek looked at the time, it was ten seventeen. He grabbed some bags from Victor and headed to the rink.
Yuri Plisetsky leaned over the wall, listening to Yakov talk. His back was turned to the wall but he knew he heard footsteps that weren't Mila's. He tried not to care, he also tried not to bring up that he had yet to hear an actual happy birthday from anyone. Mila hadn't said it outright, Yakov seemed to have forgotten, and Otabek's text message didn't count because it was a text message. He had woken up and left before his grandfather so he tried to ignore that one. He pushed off the wall suddenly, needing to skate it off. He made a sweep around the ice before skating as hard as he could in an attempt to make deep grooves into the ice. It would need resurfacing if he made deep cuts into it and he knew it. He almost wanted them to need to resurface the ice so no one else could use it for a while. He would have an excuse himself, he even turned a triple Lutz just to try landing hard. Before he registered it, Mila's hand was on him, and she was slowing him down. Then she led him off the ice.
"Why don't you call Otabek? You seem really upset and he's your friend, right?" Mila suggested softly.
Yuri Plisetsky took her hands off him, getting the blade covers for his skates and wanting to storm off. He grabbed his phone and dialed. He heard the ringtone come from nearby. The lockers, Otabek had to be at the lockers.
"Otabek!"
"Yuri, you look upset."
"It's my birthday... No one has even acknowledged it. Well... Mila did. You did."
"Come here. Yuri, I promise I really was busy."
"I know... And I should be used to it but... I guess I want to do something? I am always away and I know every skater has a busy schedule but I just really want a party. Like a regular kid. Not a pro skater." Yuri leaned back, but he jolted forward when he felt his back touch a lumpy backrest. "Ow. What is-"
"Come on, keep talking. Vent it all."
"No, wait, whose bag is this? Is this yours?"
"Yuri, ignore the bag."
"Nope." He grabbed it and looked iinside. "Is this a-" He smacked Otabek's arm. "It's a shoebox! Are these yours?"
"Uh-oh. Busted!" Victor laughed, looking at Otabek.
"Why do you look so happy after skipping rink time? Yeah I busted you trying to sneak in four hours late! You think I didn't notice that you and the Katsudon were gone?"
"We wanted to sleep in." Yuuri shrugged, taking a few bags from behind Otabek.
"I knew it! I knew it! I'm warning you, Katsuki, you better give it your all this season too! I will beat you but I still want a challenge!"
Otabek patted Yurio, "Enough, enough. Not upset anymore?"
Victor and Yuuri took it as their cue to leave.
"I dunno... Yelling at them helped me blow off steam but... I still haven't done anything for myself today. It was still ice skating. And... I haven't been too nice to them."
"I think they understand you're just a kid with a huge weight on you. Come on, let's go to the rink. Maybe the cold ice will cool you off."
"I want to do something other than ice skate... I want to celebrate my birthday."
"Trust me on this? As your best friend?"
"Fiiiiiiiiine. I'm still grumpy though."
Otabek went ahead, waiting to see Yuri's reaction. He saw the excessive amount of streamers and Happy Birthday banners and balloons with the name Yurio written on them, he saw a pile of presents, mostly from Victor The Word Overboard Has No Meaning Nikiforov, and couldn't wait for Yuri to see.
"SURPRISE!" Came a small group of voices.
Pichit Chulanont was there, taking photographs, and he captured the exact moment Yuri Plisestky realized everyone had ditched practice to do this for him.
"It was Otabek's idea. I think he's been up since four in the morning rounding people up?" Mila grinned.
"Yeah, four. I didn't think he was that early of a riser. I am pretty surprised I even woke up when he called." Victor yawned.
"We didn't want you to get suspicious, it would have been obvious if we wished you happy birthday from the beginning. Otabek told us that you don't really tell anyone it's your birthday."
Of course it was Otabek. That guy had taken me under his wing like an older brother when my fans had trapped me. Yuri thought to himself. Otabek is the kind of guy who is the best at being a brother. He even went out of his way to act casual while doing something so huge. It was like any good brother. Yuri felt his vision blur, blinking back emotions.
"Happy birthday Yuratchka." It was his grandfather, accompanied by the scent of pirozhki. He hugged the man, hiding his shaking breaths in the hug. He was supposed to be an angry fifteen - sixteen - year old. He had put on this tough exterior to deal with the fact he was still a kid in a highly competitive sport that required immense determination and skill. He had gotten so far but had sacrificed so much. He had never expected that a friend would become close to family and he would get to celebrate his birthday like any other kid. "The pirozhki will get cold Yuratchka. Come on, let's eat."
Yuri Plisetsky plopped down on a chair and stuffed the corner of a pirozhki in his mouth. It was not a Katsudon pirozhki this time, but he loved all the pirozhkis his grandfather made. He put three on his paper plate, looking pleased. He pulled Otabek to the chair on his right, his grandfather having taken the one on his left.
He had a huge smile on his face, ignoring the fact that Pichit was getting it all on camera. He looked around at the incredible amount of balloons and streamers and banners, the party hats got passed around and he found himself with a plastic crown on his head. He was overwhelmed by the amound of presents on a table beside this one, excited to tear through them.
Otabek ruffled his hair, making him laugh. "So, do you think this is a good way to spend a birthday?"
"It's like every birthday I didn't celebrate at once right now. It's excessive. Whose fault is that? Victor? It had to be Victor."
"It was. I just wanted to surprise you with cake and a gift, but a party sounded fun. I went that route and got everyone I could."
"Mickey and Sara wish you a happy birthday too! Look they're on a video call."
"Hey Yurio! Happy birthday! Aw, that looks fun, wish we could be there!" Sara waved from the other side of the call.
"See you on the ice! And save some cake for us. Happy birthday kid." Michele leaned over briefly.
"My family sends you birthday wishes too." Yuuri spoke up in between sips of water.
Yuri rested his head on his hands, placing his elbows on the table. "I really, really am enjoying this. I don't know what to say. Does anyone mind if Otabek and I just go for a minute? We'll come back to cut the cake and open presents later."
-. -. -. -. -.
"You okay kiddo?" Otabek asked.
"Thank you. You kinda became my older brother after that incident in the alley, and you do it so casually. Being friends with you is just so great. A lot of people treat me like I'm some hugely mature guy stuck in a teenaged body but I just want to be a kid. And you let me be one just now. I like being my age. I'm fifteen ... Sixteen... but I feel like people forget that. And you don't. You woke up so early to do this for me. Am I making sense? Every birthday I have not celebrated I feel is a moment I will never have back. But this one! This one has everything! And it was your idea! I'm so glad you let me be a kid! I don't have a way to thank you."
"Yes you do. Thank me by being a kid. Enjoy yourself. Stuff yourself sick with cake, pop balloons with pins, rip the presents open messily, make a wish on a birthday candle, blow that airhorn Victor bought until it runs out, have fun! That's all I ask. Be a kid, Yuri. And if anyone has a problem, they can come see me about it."
"You sound just like an older brother."
"I appointed myself to the role when creepy girls were sniffing the ground for you. I am your older brother, that is if you want me to be. I don't want to be weird."
"I like it! I mean, why not? Yakov acts like a father, and Victor too, Yuuri even tries. And Mila's like a sister that gets nosy and pretends she doesn't know what I'm talking about when I tell her I noticed."
"We can be your skate family."
"Yes please! I want a skate family! You can't back out! You are my brother for life Otabek! And you are a great brother. Just don't embarrass me, Victor and the Katsudon got that covered. And Mila sometimes. You be that cool brother. I mean... You are that cool brother. Thank you for giving me this present."
"We should get back, I'm not convinced the others haven't started tasting the frosting on your cake yet."
"They better not!"
-. - . - .
"Make a wish!" Mila told him.
"Okay! I wish to celebrate my birthday like this every year forever. On Victor's dime." He blew out his candle while everyone laughed.
"Happy birthday!" The chorus of half laughing voices was wonderful.
Yuri cut the cake and served everyone before going over to the next table and looking at the presents. He looked at Otabek then at everyone else. Yes, he was going to tear them messily. He was going to shred through pretty wrappers without a care in the world.
"I'm not responsible if any pieces of paper end up in the cake." Then he grabbed a present that was up so high he had to jump to reach. It made the presents topple down around him and he sat on the floor with presents on every side. Pichit moved seats to get better photos, but everyone else just watched. He grabbed fistfuls of paper and tore them into shreds, letting the paper fall around him. He opened the box and saw it contained cat ear headphones. He put them on immediately and tore through the next gift. It was a pair of leopard print sneakers, and he hugged one to his chest before moving on to the next present. The next was a sweatshirt with a pocket for a cat. It even had cat ears and attached mittens that had cat paw design. He would definitely be using that often. The next gift was in a bag and he pulled the paper out brusquely to get to the contents. It was a pair of black jeans and a shirt that read Do You Know Who I Think I Am? in gold lettering over a dark blue gray. Underneath was another shirt that read "Champion" and he laughed. These were obviously from Victor. The next twenty minutes was nothing but him making his way through the pile of gifts. There was everything from a new set of cell phone charms in the shape of cats, to clothes, to a photo book of himself on the ice. He recognized some photos of his childhood days and realized this book had been compiled by everyone. Even people who could not attend had sent photos of Yuri to add. His grandfather had even given them photographs of when he had first started out. He turned to the last page, which had birthday wishes from nearly every skater he had ever spoken to.
"How long have you been working on this?" He asked, flipping through.
"Ask Otabek, that's from- oops. Sorry! That was supposed to be anonymous." Victor covered his mouth.
"It's my whole career up to that gold medal at the Grand Prix Final." Yurio looked amazed.
"I wanted you to have something to remind you that you're still a kid even though you're an amazing skater. Every page has two photos, one of you on ice and one of you being a regular kid. It was supposed to be a secret. I just wanted you to not miss out on being both a kid and an athlete. A reminder that you are still both. I thought you might be feeling that you missed out on being a kid."
"My favorite is the one where you kicked the bench when Victor and Yuuri wouldn't leave." Mila laughed.
"My favorite is you with cats piled on you. Reminds me of my hamsters!" Pichit nodded before snapping another photo.
"Hey! Stop it! This is Otabek's gift." Yuri snapped the book shut. "It's my fave. I get to see myself being a kid. I feel like reporters and sports commentators made me forget I am a kid and an athlete. They only ever mention the latter. But I'm a kid! And because I'm a kid I'm going to eat every pirozhki still left." He snatched one from the table and began chomping away, not caring that everyone was watching.
-. - . -.
His tag notifications were making his phone sound like a swarm of wasps it buzzed so much. He looked at his phone Pichit Chulanont tagged you in a photo! Pichit Chulanont tagged you in a photo! Pichit Chulanont tagged... He clicked unfollow and blocked tag notifications. He didn't want to see photos of himself stuffing pirozhkis and slices of cake into his face until he felt so full he fell asleep on the floor. He tapped the area around him. It was not the floor. It was his bed. His shoes were off and he was under the covers. He sat up and found a note. "Carried you to bed after you fell asleep on the floor. Your presents are next to the bed. Don't worry about the rink, Yuuri and Victor cleaned up. Your grandfather is very nice. Hope you had a happy birthday. -Otabek"