A/N: Heyaaaaa!

Okay so I'm not going to lie, this little ficlet is for my favourite photo from the opening credits. I freaking LOVE this photo and I had so much fun coming up with ideas for this fic *cackles*

Just wanted to let you guys know that I have my own Twitter now writingaria, I'm gonna be using it to post about updates and current WIP's! Feel free to come and chat :)

Yuri had been pushing himself harder and harder in practices, his free skate program was his most ambitious yet. He needed to nail it. He needed to reach his goal. He needed to win. He needed to make his grandpa proud. Needed to pay him back for all the times he'd looked after Yuri, made his dinner, taken him to practice, watched his practices….been there when his mother hadn't. So he pushed himself and he pushed himself. It was nearing the end of the week and he was utterly exhausted, so he decided it was time to take a break and Yakov had no complaints.

Yuri grabbed a drink and a snack from the vending machines and then he went in search of somewhere quiet in the rink to take a nap…he knew the perfect place. Yuri made his way down to the rink's basement. He spied his usual bench, and he dragged a nearby chair over to it. Satisfied with his set up, he settled down on the bench and slung his legs over the back of the chair. He started to idly scroll through his phone but it wasn't long before he felt his eyelids drooping. It's okay…as long as I just….doze….he thought before he skipped doze and went straight to dead to the world.

Dead asleep, he was completely oblivious when Mila came looking for him, per Yakov's request. Yuri's break time was over, and the coach needed to talk to him about something. But Yuri had been gone for over an hour and no-one had seen him. Knowing Mila was somewhat of an older sister to Yuri, and had become instrumental in helping with his training he sent her to find him. Luckily for Yakov, Mila had an idea of where the teenager might be. She'd seen him slipping off to there more than once, and her thinking proved correct. As soon as she pushed the door open to the basement, she spotted him nearly straight away. Despite his purposefully uncomfortable set up, he was fast asleep rather than just dozing, which explained why he hadn't reappeared when his break was over. Mila knew she shouldn't do it. She knew it would make him angry, and no-one liked dealing with an angry Yuri but..he just looked so cute, and adorable sleeping. His mouth was slightly open, he had his hands resting on top of each other over his phone and his hood up over his head. He looked nothing at all like his usual growly self, he looked younger, and vulnerable. So she took a photo. For posterity. And because Yuri's Angels, and Yuri's reaction to them, amused her, and she knew they'd lose their minds if she where to post this to Instagram. Should she be so inclined.

Snap taken, she stepped forward to go and wake the sleeping boy but paused when she heard a loud meow. She looked down to see a large black and white cat, one of the many strays that roamed the area near the rink and often slipped in to the basement, briskly trotting towards the sleeping teenager. She watched as it reached Yuri, jumped up on to the bench next to him and butted it's head against the teenagers shoulder, clearly ready for some quality petting time. When it got no response it meowed loudly once again, and started to pat his arm with its paw. Still no response. It then evidently decided to call its buddies because moments after it let out another loud meow, a slightly smaller ginger tabby cat came loping out of the shadows. It too took up a position next to the teenager on the bench. Getting no reaction to its cries and gentle patting, it rested both paws on Yuri's arm seemingly trying to peer in to his face, nose twitching slightly. An even smaller grey cat took a place next to the ginger tabby. As Mila watched, more and more cats flocked to Yuri. Another black and white cat, this one with a collar. This one looked familiar to Mila and she was sure it was the caretakers, before she could look at its tag to check…or even take a step to do so, another cat came…and another…and another…

All of them flocking to Yuri, and taking places on the bench surrounding him. The ginger tabby hadn't moved it's paws from his arm. The teenager hadn't stirred once at the meowing and gentle head buts and paw pats. He was out like a light. Mila couldn't help but be amused. Yuri called himself the Ice Tiger of Russia, but she'd over heard him talking to Victor...and Victor had taken to calling him a kitten. Yuri's fans evidently agreed with Victor as they where always wearing cat ears…and forcing Yuri to wear them too. Maybe they think he's one of them. Mila chuckled to herself. She found her hand creeping towards the phone that rested in her pocket. I shouldn't…but….so….cute…..so…funny…..

She pulled her phone out quietly and took a photo of Yuri and his cat harem. Then another…and another…and another as more and more cats arrived. She was trying incredibly hard not to laugh out loud, as she turned her back to the boy. Mila couldn't resist taking a photo of herself, laughter barely contained, with Yuri and his cats in the background. She knew it would provide a great source of entertainment for Victor and Georgi when she showed them. Plus it was probably her only chance of getting a photo with him that didn't feature him scowling or struggling to get away.

Mila looked at the screen of her phone, about to take another photo, when she noticed a couple of the cats had fixed their eyes on her and her phone, almost as if they where posing for the photo and she couldn't contain her laughter any longer. She turned to face Yuri as he awoke, her finger slipping across the screen and accidentally taking a photo of her smiling at his adorably confused and distressed face.


Yuri wasn't sure what woke him at first, but he found himself slowly coming back to consciousness. Just before he opened his eyes, he became aware of….laughter…familiar laughter. And he felt…hot…why do I feel so warm? It's usually cool down here. And….something's on my arm….He squinted. Something was touching his hand…something wet….that changed to….fur….then…whiskers? He heard more laughter and his eyes shot open as the implications hit him. He could see Mila laughing as she took a photo, and then turning to smile at him.

"What's going on? What did you do to me Mila?!" He cried.

"Nothing, I just came to wake you up and get some fuel for your fangirls! But then the cats happened and it was just too good"

"What cats?" Yuri snapped. Then stopped as he heard a sound. He remembered feeling warm just before he woke up, feeling fur against his hand…something wet…like a feline nose…and whiskers. Yuri glanced left, and then he glanced right. He was surrounded by cats. One had its paws on his arm, and they where all meowing at him. Some of them kept gently head butting him, or patting him with their paws. One was trying to sniff its way in to his pocket. Another kept nudging his hand with it's nose and head as if asking for a scratch. Or food. Oh no. Oh no…I can't let her find out. I can't. It'll be the end of me. No-one can know.

"What the hell?!" he shrieked, playing up his surprise. Refusing to let her know that he'd realised the motivation behind the cats behaviour.

"They're clearly attracted to one of their own" Mila leaned in and pinched his cheek. "The cute little ice Kitty of Russia" she laughed. He slapped her hand away.

"Shut up Mila. I'm the Ice TIGER" he shouted. Mila laughed hysterically.

"You're the pied piper of cats" she clutched her stomach as she laughed.

"No!" Yuri desperately tried to think up a logical excuse for the cats behaviour. "They must have smelled my cat on me. It must have attracted them" he said desperately. Mila let out a short laugh.

"You and I both know that's crap"

"It is not! It's what happened!" he insisted.

"Oh…so it's not because you feed them scraps huh?" Mila raised an eyebrow. Yuri covered his surprise with a scowl.

"You don't know what you're talking about Mila, go away hag!" he snapped.

Yuri liked cats, he felt an affinity to them. They where just like him, they liked to do their own thing, they liked being alone. They where independent and they would claw you if you got too close. Well…some of them. His cat and these strays preferred to be petted and hugged. He should know, it's what he spent a lot of his breaks doing. Yuri liked the cats because all he had to do was give them some milk, or some scraps, or some kitty treats he kept in his bag….or just give them a scratch behind the ears and they'd stay with him. Friends for life. They would never abandon him. He loved the cats. He wasn't afraid to admit it.

Yuri would not, however, under any circumstances…under any form of torture, ever admit any of that to Mila. Or admit to Mila that she was right. That the cats had come flocking to him because he feeds them. Every single morning, when he's the first one there, and most lunch times.

"Whatever you say Yuri, come. Break was over a half hour ago." Mila turned and headed out of the basement. Yuri made sure Mila was out of sight, before picking up the ginger tabby that had been perched on his arm and hugging it gently. He carefully got to his feet, making sure not to step on any of the cats that jumped down from the bench after him. Yuri placed the ginger tabby on the floor, and dug in the bag that had been resting agains the bench as the cats twined around his legs. He pulled out a bag of kitty treats and scattered a few around.

"Good kittys, I'm sorry I didn't wake up for you." he cooed at them. "I'll be back in a few hours to give you lunch, in the mean time…share" he said the last part sternly. He tucked the treats away, gave out a few more ear scratches and then adopted his customary scowl and stomped out of the basement and back to practice. He made sure to close the door to the basement so the cats couldn't follow him back up to the rink…..like they usually did. Pied piper of cats indeed.

He didn't make it halfway to the rink before his phone pinged with a notification. He clicked on it, bringing Instagram up.

mila-babicheva: The Pied Piper of Cats with his kitty harem. #socute #yuriplisetsky