Just a quick short chap today, hope you all enjoy it :)

By the time Yuri and Otabek are actually able to see each other again it's at the NKH Trophy in one of the first few rounds before the Grand Prix Final. Yuri is glad that he's competing against Otabek. For one thing it means that they can spend some time with each other after the competition is over. Things have been a little strained between the two of them over the past few months and Yuri chalks that up to the fact that they haven't been able to see each other at all; Otabek's coach is keeping him training every waking hour so that he barely has time to be 'distracted' by Yuri in the hope the he eventually comes to his senses about the relationship.

It does worry Yuri – of course it plays in the back of his mind when he's supposed to be concentrating – but Otabek is always there at the end of the day to reassure him. He had hoped that the both of them would be able to get to Japan early so that they could spend some time with each other before the competition actually starts but flights and delays are not on their side so the first time he comes face to face with Otabek it's at the rink.

"Hey," Yuri whispers to Otabek as they stand with their other competitors, trying to look professional. Yuri wants nothing more than to throw his arms around Otabek's neck and kiss him but with the eyes of the world and Otabek's coach on them he knows he probably shouldn't.

"Hey yourself," Otabek whispers back. "Looking forward to the competition?"

"Hell yeah," Yuri replies. "You?"

"I am, yes," Otabek says a small smile playing about his lips, a small smile that Yuri recognises. "Although, I must admit I'm looking forward to after it just that little bit more, when I can take you up to a hotel room and have my way with you."

Yuri feels his ears heat up underneath his hair and he hopes to god that it isn't spreading across his cheeks. "Oh yeah?" he asks, feigning innocence. "How do you fancy a little bet of our own on the outcome of the score?"

"I'm listening."

"Loser has to do everything the winner wants," Yuri says. He doesn't have to spell it out, Otabek understands the implication of his words.

"Don't tempt me Plisetsky," Otabek grins as all of them start to move off the ice to begin preparing for their Short Programs. "If I win there are some very choice things I'd like to do to you."

"Then you'd better try and beat me," Yuri quips back. He tosses a wink Otabek's way before skating away. He can feel Otabek's eyes on him as he departs, especially fixating on his backside. He feels powerful, sexy, in his slightly too tight costume drawing the attention of all but especially thrilled that the attention of one person in particular is on him. If they have to spend their time in front of the cameras at arm's length then the least he can do is hope that they'll get some time together once they're not.


Yuri's Short Program is an unmitigated success – as he knew it would be, he'd been putting in so many hours he knows the choreography inside and out. He's in first place and ready to collect the first half of his reward later that night. Unfortunately he gets a text from Otabek telling him that he can't come over because his coach is keeping an eye on him. 'I promise I'll make it up to you in full tomorrow' and while it is some comfort Yuri's annoyed. They're in their twenties now, they should be able to do what they want without their coaches getting involved. Having said that Yuri made his thoughts on the matter perfectly clear when Yakov suggested that Otabek might be becoming a distraction making him back off pretty sharpish.

So instead he goes out for dinner with Yuuri and Viktor, who have come to watch him after Yuuri took gold is Skate Canada, and he does have to admit that it is kind of nice even though he would have preferred to be spending the evening with Otabek. Neither Viktor or Yuuri mention the fact that they're clearly substituting, the only passing comment being on Otabek's performance on the ice. It's not until Viktor mentions Otabek's over-rotation on one of his more complicated jumps and speculating that it might cost him gold does Yuri realise that he noticed that too.

Otabek never over-rotates on his jumps. He's an incredibly accomplished skater and he moves like silk on the ice. When he had been watching that afternoon Yuri had thought nothing of it but now, now that Viktor the oblivious wonder has mentioned it he knows that it wasn't nothing. Is that why his coach is keeping him occupied? The more he thinks about it the more Yuri notices a few other little mistakes that could cost Otabek. He can't work out if he's just being overly critical or if those mistakes were deliberate... they sure as hell seem like they could have been, Otabek just doesn't lose focus like that...

Yuri vows to try to talk to him about it but by the time he gets back to his room it's late and Otabek's coach will have told him to get some rest so he leaves it. Even the following morning, just before the Free Skate he barely has time to say even two words to Otabek about his suspicions or anything else for that matter. The most he manages is a smile, a thumbs up and a shouted 'Davai!' as Otabek takes to the ice.

Otabek came third the day before and Yuri watches him skate, his critical eye focused on Otabek just as if he were one of the judges. While Otabek's performance is damn near perfect it's only damn near. It's not enough to knock Yuri off the top spot and Yuri knows it. It's the tiniest little mistake, so tiny that it would barely be noticed by someone who doesn't know Otabek well but Yuri notices – a slightly flubbed landing that looked a little too staged to be an accident. As Otabek heads to the kiss and cry Yuri heads for somewhere quiet to prepare, his mind racing.

What the fuck is he doing?

That can't have been an accident... can it?

No, Otabek wouldn't do that... would he?

Do I even know him as well a I thought?

Fuck... now I getting psyched out, I need to concentrate.

He jams his earbuds into his ears and switches on some heavy metal to calm down his nerves and get him pumped to skate. He's alone in the corridor, he knows he is having checked that it was deserted before coming down so he's surprised when a hand grabs his wrist. The first assumption is that it's Yakov come to see what the hell he's doing out here when he should be ready to skate but Yakov wouldn't grab him like that.

Mouth open to protest Yuri is suddenly spun round and pressed up against the wall. He's about to start screaming bloody murder at whoever it is when a warm pair of lips covers his own and he realises just who it is who's grabbed him. Yuri wraps his arms around Otabek's neck and kisses back just as enthusiastically, loving the feeling of Otabek's body pressing against his for the first time in months. He pulls his earbuds out and the tinny music can just about be heard through them but it's mostly the sounds of their heavy breathing that fill the air around them.

"Sorry I couldn't make it last night," Otabek pants as they pull away for a second before he dives back in for another kiss.

"Missed you," Yuri says between kisses. "Had to spend the night with the old man and the Katsudon."

"I'll be at yours tonight," Otabek promises.

"You sure?"

"The competition will be over, I can get away for a few hours," he replies. "Fuck, this is ridiculous."

"What is?" Yuri asks.

"That we have to sneak around like teenagers," Otabek grumbles. "After the final I'm telling him I'm finding a new coach."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Otabek replies. "I want to be with you and I'm an adult, I'm not going to let someone who can't accept that dictate my life."

"I love you," Yuri says diving in for another kiss.

"I love you too," Otabek says and the stadium erupts with cheers. Emil's free skate must have ended and Yuri is up. Otabek leans down and gives him another linger kiss for good luck. "Now go out there and prove why you're one of the best in the world."

"You'd better make good on that bet when I win," Yuri says with a grin, momentarily forgetting why he had been freaking out in a corridor in the first place.

"You mean if you win," Otabek chuckles giving Yuri's backside a good natured smack.

"Sure, if you like."

The Free Skate has been Yuri's challenge for the last couple of years, determined to beat Yuuri's world record so that he can hold the title in both that and the Short Program. He'll wait till the final to try and achieve that, as he always does, but his Free Skate at that moment is most definitely gold worthy. He skates his absolute heart out and the kiss from Otabek beforehand (plus the promise of a night in bed with him) only spurs him on.

As he stands on the podium at the end of it all, a gold medal around his neck and Otabek to his right taking silver he feels as if he is on top of the world. Any thoughts he had about Otabek's mistakes being purposeful are all but gone from his mind until he hears one of the commentators over the cheering of the crowd.

"Altin coming in second only half a point behind Plistetsky, it's so near to almost perfection and, judging by those few mistakes that cost him, it's almost as if he planned it."

Did he?

That tiny little voice, that uncertain little voice that likes to prey on his deepest fears is back again and, his suspicions raised again, he can't help but wonder if maybe Otabek had planned it. Maybe he had planned to throw the competition from the beginning so that Yuri would win. To what purpose though? He's never been able to beat Yuri so what would be the point?

Yuri's head is swimming with unwelcome thoughts, thoughts that he knows he should talk to Otabek about but he doesn't know how to put it into words. He's never been overly good at shit like this, not talking about his feelings and other things that worry him so he's going to have to learn how to start quickly if he wants a proper answer.

"So you won," Otabek murmurs from beside him.

"Yeah..."

"How about I come to yours tonight and make good on that bet?" Otabek suggests, his voice so low that no one, not even Emil standing on the other side of Yuri would be able to hear him.

"Yes please," Yuri says. He's going to try not to over-think it too much. In fact he probably is over-thinking it way too much and he's just worrying over nothing. I'll talk to him about it tonight if it comes up, he thinks although he doesn't really believe himself.