Before the Grand Prix Finals, after group dinner

It didn't matter that he had the room to himself, Yuri couldn't fall asleep. Things felt strange, and in a way he couldn't place if it was good or bad. This was stupid. He needed to be well rested, and he'd already been out far too late with Obatek already, and scrolling through his phone wasn't going to help him sleep, especially not out in this cold hallway. It ddn't matter that there was a space heater here either, it felt like the entire building was an ice rink and-

Ah

"Yuri, what are you doing setting out in the hallway?" Blinking slowly, Phichit came down the end of the hallway, over to the dead end where Yuri had placed himself next to the heater in his pajamas.

"Shouldn't you have been back a long time ago?"

"Fair, but I did ask first." Setting down next to Yuri, Phichit gave him a warm smile, head tilted with his back against the wall.

"Just…couldn't sleep." Locking his cell phone, Yuri placed the device face down on the floor and stared ahead. Even though it was just Phichit, just that dumb piggy's friend, he couldn't bring himself to look him in the eye.

"Eheh, too much excitement got you wired? I gotta say, Yuuri and Viktors engagement was pretty exiting-"

"I don't care about that, you idiot." His tone was sharp, although unsurprising. After spending the short amount of time he had around Yuri, Phichit fully expected him to get angry over nothing. Instead, Phichit's features softened, carefully looking the boy over and quietly waiting.

Yuri felt his eyes prodding at him, and it made him anxious. Why was this getting under his skin so much? Phichit had said nothing, yet he could feel that he expected a response to an unspoken question. And although nothing about it felt pushy, he felt obligated to speak anyways.

"I, uh…made friends with Obatek. And he seems really cool, and I think maybe he might be my first real friend." Face heating up, Yuri wrapped his knees with his arms, burying his face between them. He couldn't take the look on Phichit's face.

Because the second Yuri said Obatek's name, there was a certain change in atmosphere. The gleam in Phichit's eye wavered, and although he hadn't been watching his expression, Yuri could tell. In fact, he could hear it in the way that Phichit's clothing gently rustled that he was feeling stiff at the mention of the other skater.

"…That's really cool, Yuri. I'm glad you made a friend." The smile in his voice seemed just a little off, but Phichit was still beaming, happy as can be. Setting up straight, Phichit rested his hands on either side of his lap. "Hey, now maybe there will be two of us rooting for you at finals!"

"Two?" Yuri lifted his head, looking up into Phichit's bright smiling face.

"Yeah, Obatek, and myself of course."

Face filling with heat, Yuri didn't know what to say. Blankly staring down at the ground, Yuri slid his arms down by his sides, trying to find the words to say.

"I-I'll cheer for you too, Phichit." Eyes fixated on the floor, Yuri carefully placed his hand next to Phichit's, just barely allowing their fingers to touch.

"Thank you, Yuri."