The drive was silent, Yuri sat in the backseat with his headphones on. The only thing breaking the silence was his muffled music. My mind wandered to this morning.
"Otabek? Why are you down here?"
"Oh.. Morning Yuuri... Isn't it obvious... Yura kicked me out again."
"Well.." I sighed, "He does have a temper, I wouldn't be to upset about it."
"... He didn't kick me out cause he was angry this time.." He replied quietly,
"What? What do you mean?"
"Well..." He started a break in his voice stopped him, "He knows..." Otabek sighed, "He knows the truth now."
"Oh... I see you were rejected.."
"Yep... He didn't feel comfortable sharing the bed now that he knows... So here I am.."
"Oh... Otabek I'm so sorry..."
"I'll be alright... I kinda knew anyway.."
"So then why did you tell him.."
" He said something... He told me about how 'my crush' was lucky to have him.. cause he didn't think anyone could love him that way... I wanted to show him he was wrong... cause he is.."
"So.. then what now?"
"If he'll allow me, I'd like things to go back to how they were.."
"Will you be ok with that?"
"Of course... I want to be there for Yur- i" He said starting to say Yura but then settling for Yuri, it kinda sounded like he said Yura E though
"If that's how you want it, then... then I don't see the problem."
"Yea.. but..." He said, trailing off, "I'm going to the rink today... I need to clear my head.." He eventually sighed
"Wait"
"What?"
"Sorry to ask his of you, but can you wake up, Yuri?"
"Sure"
"Yuuri.," Victor said waving his hand in front of my face I snapped back to the present
"Ah- Wha.."
"We are here, Katsudon. Pay attention," Yuri said, kicking the back of my seat.
"Oh, sorry, I spaced out. Let's go."
I walked up to the door; the two Russians followed closely. I knocked on the door, and soon enough the door opened, and a girl with dark skin and black hair filled the doorway
"Hello Yuuri, it's been a while!" She chirped, "I see you have Yuri and Victor with you."
"Hey Sara, it's good to see you."
"What brings you guys here?"
"We figured we'd come to congratulate you guys for going public," I said. I then looked around and realized it was only Sara, "Wheres Mila?" I ask
"Oh, she's at practice with Yakov."
"Where I should be!" Yuri chimed in
"We can wait here for her when her practice over," Victor said, ignoring Yuri's comment,
"She'll be a few hours, well... anyway, you guys should come on in!" Sara said, moving to make way for us to pass her,
"So you and the hag moving to Italy or what," Yuri said Bluntly,
"Yuri! You can't just call people that!" I exclaim
"Whatever Katsudon"
"Oh well, we planned to stay here actually, Yakov already agreed to take me on next year."
"But why?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why stay in Russia wouldn't your kind be happier in a more accepting country.."
"Well, I don't know what you mean by 'Your kind,' but while yes, Russia isn't the most accepting... This is Mila's home, and since Victor came out as gay, things have been changing here... soo.."
"Ah, yes, things have been changing... New flash the general public of Russia hate him now! skating fans tolerate him at best!"
"Yuri, don't raise your voice. it's rude" Victor said
"No, It's ok, Victor. He's concerned about us... it's actually a little heartwarming."
Before Yuri could interject again, we heard a crash in the living room. Sara rushed over on the floor, surrounded by glass laid brick with a note.
"вернуться в Италию со своей итальянской девушкой! педики" The note read
"What does it say? I can't read Russian." Sara said with disbelief
"..Return to Italy with your Italian Girlfriend... I'm not saying the next word," Victor read.
vzzzzzt... vzzzzzt...
"Hold on, I'm getting a call," Sara said and walked off. "Hello?"
"Not to say I told you guys so, But I told you so!" Yuri said
"Yuri..." I said
"You guys can't just stay in Russia, not Mila and Sara, and not You and Victor, you aren't safe here!"
"I understand your point, but where would you go? We are here Because YOU need us. Yuri, we aren't afraid of some brick throwers or restaurant homophobes. Why don't you get that!" Victor exclaimed
"I can take care of myself! I'm 16 That's close enough to adulthood!"
"Yuri, you aren't an adult yet, when you turn 18 we'll leave until then we aren't going anywhere!" Victor yelled
"Stop yelling!" I yell
"Guys!" Sara exclaimed, "It's Mila! She's trapped at the rink. They won't let her leave!"
The roads were clear as I drove, looks like I left before most of Moscow was awake, I needed a chance to clear my head, and really... I didn't want to spend to much time with Yuri today... It's complicated...
Wait, doesn't this mean that by confessing I changed things? Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. Soon I found my self in front of the Ice rink, this was the rink all of Yakov's students trained at, right now the rink is closed for their practice, but hopefully, he'll let me in since I'm friends with Yuri.. or at the very least was friends with Yuri. I walked in to see a guy sitting at the desk bored.
"We aren't open to the public; go home, fanboy."
"Uh, well Actually-" I started
"I don't care. Leave."
This might be harder than I thought, last time I was here Anna worked here, she knew me this guy didn't ... Wait... didn't she and Yuri go on a date? He never did tell me anything about the date... No Otabek stop it, it's none of your business.
"Why are you still standing there, I'll call the police about a stalker."
"What's all the commotion Ruslan..." I hear Mila say as she walked out, "Oh, Hey Otabek! Here to skate?"
"Oh, uh yeah."
"You should have called ahead I would have told him to let you in!"
"You could have just said you were a skater.," Ruslan said Annoyed
"I tried.. you wouldn't let me.."
"Don't mind him, come on!" Mila said dragging me in
"UH- alright, alright!"
"So did you hear!"
"Hear what?"
"Sara and I went public this morning!" Mila beemed
"Oh.. Oh! That's great! it's good to see you happy together.."
"Beka... You seem down.."
I sighed, "Well, I guess I have to tell you now.."
I ended up telling Mila everything about how I had recently realized I liked Yuri about me and Yuri's conversation right before I confessed, MY confession, and everything right after.
"Ah... I see.. that rough... But Hey! It's Yurochka we are talking about he's always been reserved, he doesn't really open up to people, so the fact he opens up to you, and only you, has to mean something at least!"
"I guess... I don't really want to talk about it that much, though.."
"Oh, I see-"
"Mila! Where are you? It's time you get back to skating!"
"Coming, Yakov! She called out then turned to me, "You're here to skate, right? You should go get changed."
I walked into the changing room, wow it's been a bit, the very last time I was in here was when Yuri and I were about to leave to take him home on that day.
"Hey, Yura.."
"What."
"Wanna go to a cafe? since I'll be heading back to Kazakhstan after taking you home?"
"Sure, Why Not, Yakov is about to run my life, might as well have some fun." He said turning to me with a smirk
My heart wrenched as I remembered, What if things are never as they were now? Would I be able to live with that? ... Maybe coming to this rink specifically was a mistake, oh well let's go skate I thought and left the changing room and walked to the rink.
"Yo, Otabek!" Georgie called call gliding across the rink in a Flawless Ina Bauer on the other side of a rink Mila was landing her Triple Axle
"Triple Axle!" I called out
"Took you long enough!" Mila said, "We are just practicing moves we feel we need practice in right now. We don't start programs until next week!"
"Ok.. well, I'm just here to skate in general... Don't expect much fancy."
"That's ok! Just be glad you aren't here for practice like we are, Yakov would have your head."
I took off the skate guards and stepped on the ice, the ice welcomed me like an old friend, I took off in the direction Mila and Georgie were going.
"Coming thru Beka!" I hear Mila say, and I move on the way to see Mila effortlessly skating backward and moving into a spread eagle at the left round of the ring. You could tell that she and Yuri were rink mates for a long time, they moved almost identically, but you wouldn't tell Yuri that he'd pitch a fit. before I even realized I was doing it I found my self at the start of a lutz jump, I landed it with little trouble
"Triple lutz!" Mila called!
at this rink they played a game whenever anyone did a jump we called it out, they kept track of how many times you correctly called a jump, the person who was wrong the most hand to buy lunch at the end of the month, these days barely any of them get it wrong though since they've all been skating so long, but they still played the game for the sake of 'tradition' I think the game was started by Victor to teach Mila and Yuri the different jumps by sight faster, I think it's effective
"Go Back to Italy!"
"Oh, dear.." Mila sighed as we all came to a stop on the ice
"Make Russia straight again!"
"That's coming to form the lobby.."
"Maybe they aren't at the back exit yet!"
"Mila, you should go get changed so you can get out of here as soon as you can!" Georgie calls to Mila
"Y-yea" Mila said skating off the rink entrance and pulling her guards back on me, and Georgie followed behind to go change
as soon as we changed we walk to the back door but as we did we could hear them muffled behind the door
"Uh... The side exit?" Mila suggested starting to seem a bit panicked
"Uh.. lead the way I don't know where that is..."
"Uh-" She started then we heard something hit the door, they were trying to get in they knew we were here
"Don't talk, just show!" I blurt pulling Mila away from the door, and she switched to lead to the side entrance, but we got there we could see the angry crowd through the door
"I think we are trapped.."
"How ironic they want you gone, but have you trapped in here."
"I'll Call Sara! Come on, let's get back in the rink!"
as we got closer to the rink, we could see all the angry people gathered many holding signs saying, "No More Gay Skaters!" God, nothing makes my blood boil more than intolerant Ignorant People, it's DIsgusting how quickly the people of Russia turn on gay skaters, People Like Victor, Like Mila, like they probably would Beka, and Me
"What's the closest we can get?" Sara asked
"I think this is.." Yuuri said
"What? But the rink is a block away! Sara Exclaimed,
"Maybe the backside is thinner! most people wouldn't think of a back entrance!"
Enough of this. I thought as I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door
"Yuri-" Victor started who knows what he said next I closed the door before he finished and started towards the rink, these people better not have laid a finger on Mila or Beka.
I walked towards the crowd and started pushing through the group, in part to get to Beka and also so Victor couldn't catch me
"Move!" I yelled at the people in front of me
"Stay out of this Fairy!" a man growled pushing me back
"Shouldn't you be at home crying or something?" Another shoved
"Rumor has it your a F*g just like Victor and Mila, no wonder you're here trying to defend that lesbian B*tch."
"Shut up, you Intolerant *ss!" I yelled, punching this guy in the face, "What part of I'm straight, doesn't anyone get!"
"Fairy wants to fight, huh!"
"Out of my way!" I grunted kicking him in the face and pushing further into the crowd, the back entrance was close I just needed to get in, I don't care If that means trapping myself
"Get back here, you punk!" I hear the guys from before called out as I got to the back entrance. I realized the crowd was pounding on the door, Shit... I didn't think this thru I can't get in without letting them in as well, the angry yelling got closer.. the side entrance! maybe I can get in there I thought and when to push through again but someone grabbed me
"Yo! Alex, this the punk you Looking for!" he called out.
Shitshitshitshit
"Let go!" I yelled and stepped on his foot, his grip only tightened
"You're not getting away that easily! Just cause your coach lets you do as you please doesn't mean we will, welcome to the REAL world you Fairy! this is what happens to your kind." Before punching me in the face
"Once again, I'm not gay! You Fucking Idoit-" I yelled but was cut off when one for the guys kneed me in the stomach
"Shut it! the adults are talking, punk!"
"Yea right all of Russia has seen you and your 'best friend' guy friends don't act that way to each other"
"Yura!" I hear a voice call from a distance
"Beka!" I call out,
"Calling your boyfriend for help now!?" Alex laughed, kicking me into the wall of the rink, "And you say you aren't gay. Stupid fairy!"
"Get away from him!" Beka snarled punching him in the face right before dealing with the others
"How did you get out the rink?"
"Victor and Yuuri got us out..."Otabek said, "But never mind that! Yura, why did you leave the car!?"
"I uh.." I started, but I honestly couldn't remember my own logic
"You could've gotten seriously hurt!"
"Whatever It's over!" I said and began walking to the car, my ribs were sore
"That doesn't mean this conversation is over!" Beka called out behind me, grabbing my shoulder. "Why did you get out of the car!"
"I don't know, ok! Just leave me alone!"
"Yuri you're notorious for getting into pointless fights, yet you never have a reason after,
"Ok FINE! You want a reason. I'll give you a reason. I was angry! Angry that these people were coming after Mila just cause of her Sexuality, and I thought I could get to you guys fast than Victor! It angered me cause of how easily it could have been you they were after instead! happy!" I yelled turning to Beka who in return hugged me
"Well, at least I know you care, even if not the same way I do..." He giggled
"Oh, shut up. Don't make it weird.."