Ryuugazaki: I want to hear all about your favorite Thanksgiving foods :^)
Chapter Thirty-Selm
(Saturday, 21 November 2015 – 7:14pm, Detroit, Michigan, USA)
Yuuri has been utilizing all means of art that they are capable of to deal with their loneliness. Sure, Victor has called them multiple times and texts often and frequently, but it's not the same. They've been drawing and painting, mostly. They had to run out and get more canvases after their ballet lesson on Friday. They've mainly been doing their painting at night when Phichit is asleep so he won't criticize their rituals and distract them. Yuuri's even tried their hand at playing the guitar and free verse poetry again. It wasn't exactly good, but it wasn't exactly bad, either. There was room for improvement.
But tonight was Saturday, and they said that they would go with Phichit and Khoudia to Supernova. Phichit let Yuuri pick out their clothes tonight. Yuuri felt that it was fitting to wear their space-themed clothes. They didn't have any space-themed pants, but their jeans complimented the outfit just as well. Phichit decided to wear jeans and his EXO sweater. Khoudia said that she was going to meet them at the apartment to change clothes. Her parents and sisters must've pressured her into looking like a "proper woman" instead of a "hoodlum" tonight. Yuuri didn't know how much Khoudia told her parents about what she was doing tonight, but they were sure that she didn't mention to her devout Muslim parents that she was going to a gay bar with her queer friends to get her mind off of a girl that's ignoring her messages. That wouldn't go over well at all.
"Hey!" Khoudia said as she came in. She took off her boots. She was wearing a skirt tonight; her parents must have made her wear it. "I can't believe I'm going with y'all to a gay bar tonight!" She was beaming. "I called Adé to ask if they wanted to come, but they said that their partner wouldn't let them. So I guess it's just us tonight." She shrugged and took off her coat. Phichit was on the sofa, scrolling through his Instagram feed. Yuuri was in the bathroom, doing their eyeliner. They couldn't get it as sharp as Guang Hong made it, but they were able to look passable. Yuuri walked out of the bathroom. They picked Khoudia up and spun her around.
"You were saying that Adé's partner wouldn't let them come out tonight?" Phichit asked. Khoudia nodded once Yuuri put her down. "Tragic, just tragic. We need to have an intervention or something." Yuuri agreed.
"I'm going to go change," Khoudia said. Yuuri and Phichit nodded. She walked to the bathroom with her bag and didn't shut the door behind her.
"Baby, take a selfie with me," Phichit said. He started to angle his phone. Yuuri stood behind Phichit's spot on the sofa and placed their chin on Phichit's head. "There we go. Let's take another one. Sit next to me." Yuuri flung themselves over the sofa and plopped next to Phichit. They fixed their clothes and placed their head on Phichit's shoulders. Then they took another one where Yuuri's nose grazed Phichit's ear. Then another one where they kissed. "I cannot post the last two on Instagram," Phichit remarked. "Your boyfriend might start following me on there, and he might see it, and I'm not trying to ruin anything." Yuuri shrugged. "Don't shrug. This is serious."
"I know it's serious."
"Then act like it," Phichit said. Yuuri yawned. "Am I boring you?"
"Of course not. I just slept poorly because a certain someone wants to shave my head." Yuuri side eyed Phichit and smirked. Phichit nudged Yuuri's arm and laughed.
"Didn't you say that you weren't going to sleep last night?" Phichit snapped back.
"I did, but the flesh is weak," Yuuri said. "The flesh is weak, and I was tired." Phichit giggled. "But I'm glad that you didn't shave my head last night. I like having hair."
"I didn't shave your head last night because you looked so peaceful when you were sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you." Phichit kissed Yuuri's cheek. "Aah! I keep forgetting about Victor! Sorry!" Phichit was blushing something fierce, and Yuuri patted his back. Phichit placed his face in Yuuri's chest, and Yuuri hugged him. "Stop. Indulging. Me. You're making it worse!"
"What am I supposed to do?!" Yuuri screeched.
"Let me suffer!"
"How am I supposed to sit here and let my lapinou suffer?" Yuuri asked. They hugged Phichit tighter. "I'm not going to let you freak out over something that's still new to the both of us. It's fine. You're fine."
"You still haven't told Victor about us." Phichit pulled away from Yuuri. "He's going to ask." Yuuri stayed silent. "You have no clue what to tell him, do you?"
"Well," Yuuri said.
"What?"
"When we first went to the museum, he asked about what we do. I think he was curious about why you pick out my clothes. He was laughing really hard when I told him that you do that." Yuuri bit their lip. "Speaking of, why don't you let me pick out my own clothes for things?"
"If it were up to you, you would wear nothing but sweats, floral harem pants, and hoodies."
"I would have been fine wearing floral pants and a hoodie to the museum, though," Yuuri said.
"I wasn't going to let my baby walk out of the house looking homely," Phichit said. "The goal was to dazzle Victor, and I succeeded." Yuuri looked at their fingers. "And I will continue to pick out your clothes because I still don't want you to look homely when you're with Victor. I want my beloved to be happy." Phichit tenderly stroked Yuuri's face. "…And look good. I want you to be happy and look good."
"And does being happy mean you being in misery?" Yuuri asked.
"I am not in misery."
"Then a little heartbroken then."
"I am not heartbroken either."
"Mm-hm," Yuuri said.
"You have jokes, Yuuri Katsuki," Phichit said, playfully shoving Yuuri.
"I smell boys being gay!" Khoudia said, tottering out of the bathroom. She didn't have a shirt on, and her jeans were halfway up. She stood at the entrance to the living room. Yuuri and Phichit looked back at Khoudia as she bounced to pull her jeans up. "Stop being gay. I'm trying to get dressed, and I don't want to miss anything."
"Khoudia, finish getting dressed," Yuuri said. "I know you feel at home here, but please finish getting dressed."
"Fine, fine," Khoudia said, finally getting her pants over her butt. She zipped her pants and walked back into the bathroom. Phichit whistled as Khoudia walked. "Shut up!" Yuuri and Phichit snickered. "Remember: Hold off on the gay until I'm done dressing!" She yelled from the bathroom.
"We will!" Phichit said. Yuuri was smiling from ear to ear. Phichit woke up his phone and went to check his Instagram. "I'm posting our selfie." Yuuri nodded and grabbed their phone to check their Tumblr. "Are you bringing your portable charger?" Yuuri nodded.
"Are you still waiting for yours to come?" Phichit nodded. "Did you check the mail today?" Phichit pursed his lips. "You didn't check the mail today, did you?"
"I did not." Yuuri sighed and got up. "Where are you going?"
"To check the mail." Yuuri put on their sneakers and went downstairs. Phichit's package was in the mailbox, waiting for him. When Yuuri was downstairs, they saw their conservative, middle-aged neighbor. "Hello," Yuuri said. She stayed silent. "Have a nice day," Yuuri said as they closed the box and went back upstairs.
"Was it in there?" Yuuri nodded and gave it to him. They put the rest of the mail on the coffee table. That will be handled when they come back. Or tomorrow. Or next week. Or never. Probably never. "Thank you, ma poupée."
"No problem, lapinou."
"Okay, ready!" Khoudia walked out of the bathroom in her ripped jeans, white leggings, and Steven Universe crop top. She spun around slowly, modeling her outfit. "I look great, don't I?" She struck a pose. "It's okay, y'all don't need to say anything."
"Why are you wearing a crop top when it's winter?" Yuuri questioned.
"Technically it's still autumn," Khoudia said.
"That isn't the point," Yuuri said. "It's cold. Put on a jacket."
"A hoe never gets cold," Khoudia said. Phichit started laughing. "Plus, I am going to wear my coat. When we leave. But right now I look cute. Someone take pictures of me." Yuuri and Phichit snapped flicks of Khoudia as she made various poses. Her hair was in box braids, and she had it in a bun. It complemented the outfit very well. "Ah, thank you, thank you. Now send them to me. I have to post those on Instagram." Yuuri rolled their eyes and laughed. Khoudia walked over to her boots and put them back on.
"Where are you putting your other clothes?" Phichit asked.
"I left them in the bathroom."
"You can put them in here." Khoudia walked back into the bathroom, folded her clothes, and put them in her bag. She came back into the living room with her bag and put it on the sofa. Phichit got up to put on his shoes; Yuuri followed. They put on their coats and left for Supernova.
#
(Saturday, 21 November 2015 – 8:04pm, Detroit, Michigan, USA)
Supernova was a tiny bar in the middle of the block. The sign was in black and white, and they had the bar name in the window. The bar wasn't full, but it wasn't exactly empty either. It was quiet inside. Yuuri, Phichit, and Khoudia were sitting in the quiet bar, drinking their beers. Khoudia was silent, watching Yuuri and Phichit look at each other.
"You know," Khoudia said.
"What?"
"It's hard to believe that you two aren't together anymore. Nothing has changed between you two." Khoudia took a sip of her beer and belched. Phichit looked over at Yuuri. They were silent and drank their beer. "Phichit still gives you that look – that soft, doting look." Yuuri shrugged and looked over at Phichit. They reached over and wiped something off of Phichit's cheek. "And you still act all nonchalant but loving towards him. Nothing has changed."
"Well, some things have changed," Phichit said. "Yuuri doesn't do drugs anymore."
"Yeah, I remember you having a fit about their drug usage early in the relationship," Khoudia said, laughing. Phichit took a swig of beer.
"I stopped to appease you, remember?" Yuuri said. "We pinky swore." Yuuri leaned back in their chair and took another sip of beer. Then they took out their phone and took a picture of Phichit. They didn't notice or hear the click sound.
"And you haven't gone back on it yet! I'm happy." Phichit pulled Yuuri's chair closer to his and placed his head on Yuuri's shoulder. Yuuri flung their arm around the back of Phichit's chair. Khoudia took out her phone and took a flick of Yuuri and Phichit.
"Yuuri's become a little bit more open because of you. It's astounding."
"Don't you mean affectionate?" Yuuri asked.
"Well, yes, that too," Khoudia said and took a sip of her drink. "If I went back in time and told myself that Yuuri Katsuki would start giving me hugs, I would not have believed myself. At all." She took another sip of beer. "Why didn't it work out? I've been wondering that for years. You two still act like you're in a relationship despite not being in one."
"Yuuri felt that there was too much pressure attached to the 'boyfriend' label. So we ended it amicably and just continued."
"So you're still boyfriends, but not in name?" Khoudia asked. Phichit sat up and took a sip of his beer. He was silent. "Am I understanding this wrong?"
"No," Phichit said. "They're my platonic life partner. We're always going to be together."
"But Yuuri has a boyfriend," Khoudia said. Yuuri took a sip of beer. "Are you still going to be partners even though Yuuri has a boyfriend?" Phichit nodded. "Yuuri, how do you feel about this?" They shrugged and took another sip. "Ma raison, I'm going to need you to stop being laconic right now. This is important."
"We're partners," Yuuri said. "I am always going to be with Phichit." Yuuri took a sip of beer and held up their finger. "But, right now, Victor is my boyfriend. Phichit is highly okay with it. But I will have to let Victor know about this and ask him if he's okay with it." Yuuri looked for more words to say. "I hope that he'll agree with this. I want him in my life."
"As your boyfriend?" Khoudia asked. Yuuri nodded and took a sip of beer. "What if you want to marry him?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Yuuri said.
"Aside from that, any new news in the world of Victuuri?" Yuuri and Phichit looked at Khoudia. "That's my ship name: Victuuri. I ship this, and I want this." Phichit giggled.
"Victor and Yuuri have been fucking."
"Honey, that's not even a secret," Khoudia said. "Yuuri was glowing after their first date with Victor. They got some then."
"Oh, I knew," Phichit said.
"If you knew, what was the point of asking me?" Yuuri said after they took a drink.
"I wanted to hear you say it," Phichit said after he took a drink. "But it wouldn't have mattered if you didn't tell me. I knew. Didn't think Victor would leave hickeys this time, though." Phichit was still in mild disbelief.
"There's hickeys?!" Khoudia yelped. Phichit took out his phone and showed Khoudia pictures of them. He must have taken those while Yuuri was sleeping. "Ooh," Khoudia said. Then she looked at Yuuri. "Would it be wrong of me to say that he has it bad for you? Because I am of the belief that he has it bad." She stressed the word "bad."
"He said that he missed me a lot when I was in Bordeaux."
"He missed you so much that he left marks and had to get in them guts." Khoudia giggled madly. Yuuri rolled their eyes and took a drink. "Anyway, where is he?"
"Nagano," Phichit said. Khoudia took a sip of beer. "NHK event." She nodded and took another sip of beer.
"Wait, I have an important question before we start to discuss figure skating!" Khoudia said.
"Shoot," Yuuri said.
"Did you leave any marks on Victor? I need to know." Yuuri deadpanned and took a sip of their drink. And then they took one of Phichit's. He wasn't amused.
Then they spoke. "Not on his neck." Khoudia nodded. "I, unlike Victor, am considerate." She giggled.
"Imagine if you left them on his neck and the reporters just started talking about who the mystery woman could be," Khoudia said and laughed. "And then – and then – Victor posts a picture of you being you on Instagram and captions it 'bae' and the skating world implodes because the Lord and Savior, the Ever-Compassionate Master of Figure Skating is not straight."
"That might honestly decimate the figure skating world," Phichit said. "And I'm here for it, bitch. Now, on the topic of figure skating." Yuuri and Khoudia nodded. "Are you watching the NHK event?" Phichit asked Khoudia.
"I was until my sisters bullied me into watching Love & Hip Hop with them."
"You know, I forget that you have older sisters," Phichit said.
"It's funny because they forget about me, too," Khoudia said before she took a drink. "You would think that they wouldn't forget that I was born in Dakar just like them – that I'm one of the eldest just like them – but they don't care to remember." She took another sip of beer. Yuuri took out their phone and looked at their messages. Nothing new from Victor.
But they did have a text from Chris.
Chris: wyd cutie?
: I'm at the bar with some friends
Yuuri took a sip of beer. Then their phone buzzed.
Chris: Ooh. A night out.
: Haha yeah
"Ma poupée, who are you texting?"
"Chris." Phichit nodded and continued to converse with Khoudia.
Chris: How are your friends?
: They're fine. They're discussing the NHK event.
Chris: And? Do they like it?
"Hey, I have a question," Yuuri said. Phichit and Khoudia paid attention. "Do you like the NHK event so far?"
"You interrupted us for that?" Khoudia asked. Yuuri nodded. "I like it, so far. Victor's performance stopped hearts, but that's no secret." She took a sip of beer. "But Seung-gil's performance is my favorite for obvious reasons."
"What reasons are those?" Phichit asked. Khoudia glared at him. She just took another sip of beer and stayed silent. "Khoudia," Phichit said. "Khoudia."
: My friend likes Seung-gil's performance.
Chris: A Seung-gil stan? Of course lmao
: Not a stan. A professional skater.
Chris: Oh? What's their name?
"Khoudia, Chris is asking for your name." Yuuri put their phone down and took a sip. "What do you want me to say?"
"Khoudia." She sucked her teeth and looked back at Phichit. She seemed genuinely peeved.
: Khoudia.
Chris: Does she have an IG?
"Do you mind if I give him your Instagram?" Yuuri asked. Khoudia waved her hand. They interpreted that as a "yes" and gave it to Chris. He said that he was going to follow her immediately. "He's going to follow you on Instagram." Khoudia nodded. "Can you two start talking to each other again?" Yuuri said. "Phichit, Khoudia's favorite performance is Seung-gil's performance because she has a fan crush on him. Khoudia, literally no one would know why his performance is your favorite because you're thirsting over female skaters all the time. There."
"Thank you for explaining that, Yuuri," Phichit said.
"I am not that gay all the time," Khoudia muttered.
"Yes you are," Phichit said. "We literally would not be in a gay bar right now if you could stop being gay and liking girls who aren't interested in you." Khoudia deadpanned.
"All I'm saying is that Franziska could've at least texted me back and tell me that she wasn't interested in talking to me. It's not hard."
"Maybe she lost your number," Yuuri suggested. They emotionally prepared themselves for the backlash.
"How do you lose a number on an iPhone? Tell me how!" Khoudia screeched.
"Calm down. She hasn't texted back and she probably won't. We're here to get your mind off of her." Phichit took a sip of his beverage. "Now, let's focus on something that isn't her."
"One more thing?"
"Yes," Phichit said.
"She's at the NHK event," Khoudia said and took a sip of beer. "There. It's out of my system." She took another sip and scratched her forehead. "I needed a night like this." Yuuri nodded. "And this night is advantageous for Yuuri, too," she said.
"Why me?"
"You can get your mind off of your boyfriend tonight," she said. "Also, Phichit gets to be with us. We all win tonight." Khoudia beamed, her gap teeth showing. And so they yapped and yapped about minutia until their third pitcher of beer. Then they started to reminisce about Pride 2013 and how it was a lovely adventure for all of them. It was before Adé had got with their current partner and their partner took control of most of their social life. They went out freely and didn't have to worry about displeasing their partner in some minute way. It was an infinitely better time before Jordan. They were still estranged from their family, but Adé only had to disappoint their family twice. They didn't have to live in too much fear. They were simply the carefree black kid that they've always been – before and after coming out.
But that was then. This is now. And Adé's partner is a whole asshole.
#
(Sunday, 22 November 2015 – 2:44am, Detroit, Michigan, USA)
They called it a night hours ago. Khoudia had gotten the number of a cute criminal justice major. She was 5'9 and had curly black hair. She said she didn't go to bars much, but she was glad that she met someone while she was out. That made Khoudia happy.
But now they were home. Khoudia laid in Phichit's bed, cuddled up with his hamster throw. Phichit was in bed with Yuuri, sharing the Starry Night Over the Rhône throw. Unlike the humans, the hamsters were asleep.
"Hey," Khoudia said. She put her phone under the pillow.
"What?" Phichit asked. He stopped scrolling through his feed for a moment.
"Are we really going to have an intervention?" She asked and rolled over to face the two.
"I was just throwing the idea out there. Do we even have the faculties to have one?" Yuuri yawned in Phichit's ear. "Gross," he said. "Yuuri, what do you think we should do? You have the most experience with mental health stuff."
"I'm not the best person to consult about this," Yuuri said.
"But you're the only person with hands-on psych stuff experience," Khoudia said.
"Do you really want my opinion?"
"Yes," Phichit said.
"Fine." Yuuri scratched their chest. "We can't make Adé break up with Jordan even if we wanted to. The best we can do is tell Adé that we don't care for them, provide our reasons why, and hope that they take them to heart. We can assist them and give them the resources they need to pull away, but they need to make that decision on their own. They have to want to get out of the coffin."
"Who said anything about coffins?" Phichit asked.
"No one, but I'm trying to make a point here," Yuuri said. "We can hold the intervention, but it might not be the most effective way to get our point across." Yuuri yawned. "Do what you want. I'll get roped along eventually." Yuuri checked their phone.
Chris: How was the bar?
: It was nice. Khoudia got a number.
Chris: Nice, nice.
Yuuri rolled on their back.
Chris: When's your next event?
: Next week.
Chris: Ooh!
Chris: I finally get the chance to meet Victor's beloved
Chris: I'm so excited. What should we do when we link up?
Yuuri looked at the notification. They put their phone under the pillow and closed their eyes. They don't have to respond right now. They'll get to that in the morning.
#
(Sunday, 22 November 2015 – 7:07am, Detroit, Michigan, USA)
"Ah, солнышко," Victor said. Yuuri was sweeping the living room in preparation for their stretching. Eduvigis had complained that Yuuri wasn't stretching as often as they should. She said that their back was tighter than it needs to be. So what does Yuuri do? Decide to stretch their back and hips. Eduvigis also complained about their hips needing to regain their flexibility. "I miss you."
"I miss you, too." Yuuri stopped sweeping and went to get the dustpan. "How's Japan treating you?" They asked. Yuuri came back to the broom and continued to sweep.
"I like it. I wish I could read the signs, though." Yuuri chuckled. "But I found a bookstore. Shame I couldn't read anything in there."
"What's the bookstore called?"
"Tsutsaya, I think."
"Oh, Tsutaya? Nice," Yuuri said and started to sweep up the dust and grit. "I go in there a lot. Well, went in there a lot." Yuuri yawned. "That changed when the fire nation attacked." They laughed at their joke, but Victor was silent. "Victor?"
"I don't understand your joke, Yura," Victor said.
"It's an ATLA reference, Victor."
"I don't know what that is," he said. Yuuri stopped sweeping and looked at their phone. "What is it?" Yuuri briefly debated on hanging up their phone but opted for not being a rude ass and keeping him on the line.
"It's from the opening of a cartoon." Yuuri swept the dust and grit into the dustpan and disposed of it. "You need to watch it. I'll watch it with you. It's a good show." Yuuri swept the living room again.
"I'd like that a lot," Victor said. "How many things did we say that we're going to do together?"
"I… I don't know," Yuuri said. They swept the second batch of dust and grit into the dustpan and disposed of it again. Then they went back to sweep some more. "Do you still want to watch me do digital art?"
"Yes." Yuuri heard a popping sound, and it didn't come from them.
"We have to talk," Yuuri said. Now they have two things to tell Victor.
"What does it entail?"
"Two things," Yuuri muttered. "The nature of our relationship and something else." Victor made a sound of confusion.
"I… I thought our relationship was established," Victor said. "I asked 'what are we' and –"
"You have to be explicit with me." Yuuri yawned. "Reading between the lines and analyzing subtext is not my specialty, and I am not too skilled in it." Yuuri swept up the third batch of dust and grit – which was hardly anything at all – into the dustpan and threw it away. They should be able to stretch without feeling grit on their skin.
"So what do you want?"
"Be clear about this."
"Aren't you my boyfriend?" Victor asked.
"I am?" Yuuri asked. They got on the floor and started to stretch.
"Yes!" Victor declared.
"Alright then," Yuuri said. "I'm your boyfriend." Yuuri bit their lip. They let the word rest on their palate, taking it in. They wanted to get used to this. Doubly so since they heard it from the horse's mouth. "But that's only part of what I wanted to ask you."
"There's more?" Victor asked.
"Yes," Yuuri said. "But I think I'd rather talk about that later."
"You can't tell me that there's 'more' and then refuse to elaborate on what 'more' means," Victor said. "So tell me now."
"It involves Phichit. We might have to go out." Yuuri switched to a new position. "He really wants to sit down and have a chat with you."
"And I would like to sit down with him, too," he said. "When does he want to chat?" Yuuri pulled themselves up from their stretch and looked at their phone. They didn't expect to get this far with this discussion. Hell, they didn't think they'd have this discussion. They expected Victor to just accept that there was more to be said that couldn't be said at that moment and leave it at that.
"I don't know. I'll have to ask him."
"Good." Yuuri nodded and moved into a new position. This one stretched their hamstrings. "So, what time is it there?"
"7:28."
"What are you doing up?"
"Sweeping," Yuuri said and switched to their other leg. "I just wanted to sweep this morning." They left out the stretching that came after the sweeping. They've never mentioned Eduvigis to Victor before, and they don't plan on doing that right now. They know that they can't keep this up; they can't keep up the apathy and being a closed book, offering only excerpts and samples. They'll have to start somewhere. "But right now I'm stretching," Yuuri said before they could catch themselves trying to filter their words.
"Stretching? What for?"
"My ballet instructor complained that I'm too stiff." Yuuri laid prone on the floor. "So here I am. Stretching. Like she asked." Yuuri sat with their back to the back of the chair. "Well, it was less like she asked and more like she… I don't know. Demanded?" They looked at the entrance to the hallway. "I only caught part of what she said. She was speaking so fast that I couldn't catch what she was saying. But I did catch that she was irate about it and that something means nothing without the flexibility to go with it."
"Something?"
"I missed the word that she said before 'means,'" Yuuri said. "Eduvigis, for lack of a better word, asked and I will supply."
"Is that her name? Eduvigis?" Victor stumbled over their ballet instructor's name. "What kind of name is that?"
"I don't know, but I know that it's her name and it's perfect for her." Yuuri looked at their feet. "She explained once that it's derived from Hedwig. So I guess that if you have a problem saying Eduvigis, you can say Hedwig."
"Where is she from?"
"Havana," Yuuri said. They did a split, but it wasn't a 180º one. Yuuri decided to continue with a different type of hip flexibility stretch. Victor was silent. "Eduvigis is nice. I think you'd like her. I'd suggest that you come with me to a ballet lesson so you can meet her, but you have a class on Friday mornings."
"You remember that?" Victor sounded genuinely surprised.
"Of course I did." Yuuri made a face in response to the pulling sensation in their inner thigh. "If you could look past her accent – which is adorable, might I add – I think you'd like her. She counts in Spanish!" Yuuri gushed. "She's adorable when she speaks Spanish!" They flopped on the floor and laid there. Yuuri heard footsteps coming towards the living room. They looked at the entrance; it was Khoudia.
"What are you doing?" Khoudia asked.
"Stretching," Yuuri said to Khoudia. She walked over to their body and knelt down. "What are you doing up so early?"
"Who are you talking to?" Victor asked.
"Khadijah," Yuuri told Victor.
"Yuuri, who is that?"
"My boyfriend," Yuuri said. Khoudia got up and went back into the room. "She spent the night with us. We went out last night." Khoudia came back with the mat she uses for morning prayer when she's here. She shook it out towards the door and placed it parallel to Yuuri's body. "Khoudia, are you really?" Yuuri asked.
"Yes," she said. "Continue stretching. I'll pray." She got up to go to the bathroom. She has to go and do her ablutions and cover her hair before she starts.
"Khoudia is going to pray right now."
"Why did you say her name differently?" Victor asked.
"Because that's her name," Yuuri said. "Her name is Khoudia."
"But you told me Khadijah."
"I told you 'Khadijah' because she finds it simpler to tell people rather than walking them through pronouncing 'Khoudia.'" Yuuri sat up and pushed Khoudia's mat closer to the wall. "I meant to explain that to you sooner." Victor stayed silent. "If it helps, you can still say Khadijah. She doesn't mind."
"Still though," Victor said. "How do you say 'Khoudia'?" Victor stumbled over her name. "I want to know."
"Khuu-ja," Yuuri said. "It's the French spelling of the Wolof pronunciation."
"Khuu…ja?"
"Yes," Yuuri said. They looked down the hall. The bathroom door was still closed. "Khoudia might be able to explain it better than me."
"No, no, this is fine," Victor said. There was a silence. "So what is she doing right now?"
"Washing up for prayer." Yuuri thought they saw the door open, but it was still closed. "She's Muslim," they elaborated.
"Ah," Victor said. "Is she devout?"
Yuuri thought. Then they decided. "No, she's not." Khoudia's family habitually calls her a bad Muslimah. Unlike her elder sisters, she wears tight-fitting clothes, doesn't wear a hijab, drinks, and she frequently keeps company with those who are haram to her. On top of that, she's also a figure skater – something her father disapproves of highly. They let her do it, but they also shame her for being the extremely odd one. They're more lenient with her younger siblings, though. If it weren't for Khoudia paving the way, Amadou wouldn't be allowed to pursue music, Malik wouldn't be allowed to aspire to be a professional basketball player, and Aida and Yande wouldn't be allowed to do ballet. She's a trailblazer.
Khoudia came out of the bathroom, her face, hands, and feet washed. She knelt down on the mat.
"I heard you trying to explain how to pronounce my name," Khoudia said. "You did a good job, Yuuri."
"Hello Khoudia," Victor said, using his newfound knowledge. "How are you today?"
"Hungover. I'll live, though." Khoudia scratched her neck and rubbed her eyes. "Are you going to watch?" She asked Yuuri. They nodded. "I ask you two to please be quiet."
"I have one question," Yuuri said. She nodded. "Didn't you already miss the first prayer time?" Khoudia looked at Yuuri and sucked their teeth. "That's a yes, isn't it?" She rolled her eyes.
Then she got up and stood on the mat. She raised her hands to her ears and said "Allahu akbar." She placed her hands on her sternum and kept her gaze downward. She started a recitation. Then she went into ruku and said "Allahu akbar." Yuuri got gratification out of watching Khoudia go through the motions of praying. Then she muttered a sentence. Yuuri extended their right leg to the right and leaned sideways. They were stretching their hamstring again. Then she stood up straight and started another recitation. Then she went into sajdah and said "Allahu akbar." Then she muttered another sentence. Then Khoudia sat on her knees and repeated a phrase three times. She went back into sajdah and repeated another sentence three times. Then she sat on her knees again; thus ends the first rakat. She did these two more times and then she finished by saying her valedictions to the angels on her shoulders. She was done now.
"You two can talk now," Khoudia said. "Yuuri, do you need me to help you stretch?"
"I need to work on my middle splits."
"I got you," she said. "Assume the position."
"Can I stretch my other leg first?" Khoudia nodded. Yuuri brought their right leg in and extended their left leg towards the left, their toes en pointe. They leaned sideways. Khoudia got off of her mat and went to put it away. "Victor, are you still there?"
"I am." There was a silence. "Do you know what Khoudia was saying when she was praying?"
"Not a clue," Yuuri said. They raised themselves up from their position and raised their hands towards the ceiling. Khoudia came back.
"Are you ready?" Yuuri nodded. "Great!" She sat in front of Yuuri. "Also, you two can continue talking. Pretend I'm not here or whatever." Then she got behind Yuuri and shoved them forward. "You need more room behind you. So, Victor, how's Japan?"
"It's so lovely," Victor said. "I wish I could read the signs, though."
"Did you know that Yuuri's family has an onsen in Kyushu?" Khoudia volunteered. She wasn't specific about where their onsen was, but she gave the island. They rolled their eyes. Yuuri stretched their legs forward and reached as Khoudia pressed down on their back.
"He's never told me that." Khoudia plucked Yuuri's neck. "He doesn't talk about himself too much," Victor said. Khoudia plucked Yuuri's neck again.
"Ah, well, they're kind of withdrawn and stuff." Khoudia stopped pressing down on Yuuri's back, and Yuuri sat up.
"How long have you known him?" Victor asked. Khoudia had Yuuri twist left and right. Then she had them stretch forward and reach again.
"I've known them since I started college," she said and pressed down on their back. "They're a super chill person."
"I don't know if 'chill' is the word I'd use," Victor said. Yuuri glared at their phone. "I'd say reserved or withdrawn."
"To the untrained eye, Yuuri does look rather withdrawn." Khoudia had Yuuri sit up again. "Underneath their withdrawn exterior, there is an entire fire within them." Yuuri twisted left then right again. "I'm glad they've found someone. I mean that, truly," she said.
"I'm glad I've found him," Victor said. There was a silence. Khoudia slapped Yuuri's back.
"Say something!" She whispered harshly. Yuuri stayed silent. "They won't come out and say it, but they're glad they have you, too." She giggled. Unlike her laugh, it was sweet and airy. Yuuri reached towards their feet again, and Khoudia pressed down on their back. "They're not very good with emotions."
"So I've heard," Victor said.
"They'll get there. I'll make them get there."
"No you won't," Yuuri said. "I'll get there when I get there." Khoudia slapped Yuuri's back, and they winced. "You can stop helping me now. You're going to kill me after this."
"No, I won't. I wouldn't dare touch a hair on your head." Khoudia stood up. "Now, 180º split time."
"I don't think I'm physically ready for that right now," Yuuri muttered.
"Just try it," she sweetly prodded. "You're not so stiff that you've lost the ability to do splits, are you?"
"I'm not, but–"
"So do it," she said. Yuuri spread their legs and reached towards their left foot. Khoudia pressed down on Yuuri's right side to deepen it.
"I think I'll leave you two to your stretching," Victor said. "I don't want to disturb you any more than I already have."
"Well, it was lovely talking to you!" Khoudia beamed. "I hope I get to talk to you again. This was nice."
"It certainly was," Victor said. "Sunshine, I'll text you." Khoudia grinned when she heard that. Yuuri could tell that she was going to have a field day with that. "I love you." Then Khoudia's eyes widened. She looked at Yuuri, waiting for a response. She flicked their neck to get a response from them.
"I–I love you, too," Yuuri said. They felt their chest constrict. They couldn't believe that they had just said that – out loud, nonetheless. It felt wrong to them. Not because they were saying it to a man – they've said it to several men – but because it was under duress. They had wanted their first "I love you" to be organic, springing from a place of perfect ecstasy and harmony. They've almost said it after their bouts of messing around, but they've always held themselves back. "A better time," they told themselves. That better time never really came around – or maybe it did; instead it was just unidentifiable to Yuuri.
Khoudia hung up the phone and smiled as if she had accomplished something great today.
#
(Sunday, 22 November 2015 – 9:09am, Detroit, Michigan, USA)
Yuuri, Phichit, and Khoudia agreed to get something to eat before they take her home. So they were sitting in a diner, looking over the menus. "I can't believe you two were up before me. And Khoudia did her morning prayer."
"Even though she missed the first one."
"I was drunk, okay?" Khoudia said. She muttered something under her breath about being drunk and praying. Then she continued to look at her menu. "Last night was fun." This was spoken like less of an opinion expressed by an active participant and more like a casual observation.
"And no one tried to use a swing set like a dance pole," Phichit said. "I'm proud of you two."
"We just went out for beers," Yuuri said. "If it had been rum or vodka, I can't promise you that that wouldn't have happened."
"You two just need to stay away from hard liquor." Yuuri and Khoudia laughed. "How did you two sleep?" Khoudia shrugged. "What about you, ma poupée?"
"I… I slept," Yuuri said. "I did that." Then they looked at their phone. They had two texts from Mari.
Mari: Hey there, little brother
Mari: What's new with you?
"You two are wrecks," Phichit said with a laugh. Yuuri took a quick flick of Khoudia and Phichit looking at their menus. Yuuri already knew what they wanted.
: It's almost the end of the semester
: I do not want to die
: My next event is this coming week
: Wait hold on
"Khoudia," Yuuri said, "you know our event is this week, right?" Khoudia looked like she had glass thrown in her face. Her hands found their way to her face, and she held them there. "Are you okay?"
"I haven't even started packing." She took out her phone. "It's time for me to ask Adeola and Fatou to do me a favor." She unlocked her phone and started texting. "I know I'll have to go behind them and check, but still."
: Okay so my event is this week
: It's almost the end of the semester
: I DO want to die
: I am very anxious
: haha :0(
"You two are going to leave me all alone," Phichit said, pouting slightly.
"You won't be alone," Khoudia said. "You have Masabeeh and Tal'at to keep you company." Phichit rolled his eyes. "And maybe Adé's partner would be so gracious to let Adé spend the night so you would have someone to talk to."
"No, no, I'll live. I have the hamsters to give me all the company I need." Phichit put down his menu. "I've decided on what I'm getting." Khoudia looked down at her menu.
"Are the pancakes here good?" Yuuri nodded. "I guess I'm getting pancakes," Khoudia said and put down her menu. "I hope they have turkey bacon."
"They do," Yuuri said.
"Oh, good," she said. "Are you going to make me get scones?" She questioned irreverently.
"They don't have scones." Yuuri played with the edges of their menu. "Try again." Khoudia rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. When Khoudia's phone buzzed, a waitress came out to take their orders. They ordered and resumed their chatter. "Are Adeola and Fatou going to pack for you?" Yuuri asked.
"Fatou said she'll do it," Khoudia said. "Now I have to wait to see if Adeola is on board." There was a silence. "I hope she says yes. I've been less annoying than usual. She has to help me if I've been less annoying."
"You've only been less annoying because you've been out of the house more," Phichit pointed out.
"Are you calling me annoying?" Khoudia asked. The waitress came back with their drinks: an iced coffee, a tea, and a glass of grape juice.
"You said it. Not me." Phichit took a sip of his tea. "Since when do you drink iced coffee?" He asked Yuuri.
"Since I've started asking for a bunch of sugar in it," Yuuri said. Khoudia took a sip of her grape juice. "Shouldn't you let your tea cool off before you drink it?" Yuuri swirled their iced coffee and took a sip. It was nice.
"But you hate coffee."
"Correction: I hate hot coffee. Iced coffee is somehow more palatable." Yuuri shrugged.
"Is this one of those sensory things that you suck at explaining but understand very well?" Khoudia asked. Yuuri nodded. "I see."
Mari: Don't worry about your event.
Mari: You'll do fine.
Mari: You have us to cheer you on.
: I think that makes it worse somehow
Mari: How so?
"Who are you texting? Your boyfriend?" Phichit cheekily asked.
"No. Mari," Yuuri said. Phichit nodded and drank some tea. "She's saying that I don't have to worry about anything because I have them – not quite sure who 'them' are, by the way – to cheer me on, but I'm not so sure." Yuuri took a sip of their iced coffee. "It's not the lack of support that bothers me – and I don't lack support at all. It's not being able to perform to my fullest capacity that bothers me."
"Well, what did you do to perform the way you did at the Bompard?" Khoudia asked.
"I channeled the fervor I had for dancing with you and the feelings I have for Victor."
Khoudia nodded and said, "Recreate those feelings and do that." She took a sip of her juice. "Just summon all of the feverish desire in you and put that into your routine."
"But I don't remember how I did that," Yuuri admitted.
"Well, what were you doing before you stepped on the ice?"
"I was getting my makeup done by Guang Hong," Yuuri said. Khoudia made a face. "Guang Hong is one of Phichit's friends." Khoudia nodded. "Then Ciao Ciao told me that I need to stay put and stretch." Yuuri took a sip of their coffee. "So I stretched and warmed up like he told me."
"Did you think about anything in particular?" Khoudia took a sip of her grape juice and pressed her lower lip against the lip of the glass. Yuuri shrugged. "Come on; you had to have been thinking about something." Yuuri shrugged again. "Your mind is not a refuge. You have not mastered Zen. You were thinking about something."
"I thought about coming home and being with you two. And I also thought about my next date and all the things that might happen." Yuuri took a sip of their coffee and kept their gaze downward.
"Come on; you can do better than that. Break it down. Start identifying emotions," Khoudia said. She took a sip of her juice and put the cup on a napkin. Yuuri shrugged. They were going to be here for a while.
Ryuugazaki: I forgot to post these last night ;^(