Happy New Year!

This chapter is quite short, but I didn't want to drag it out. And sometimes short is nice :)

Chapter based upon a Thai song called Friendship

Phichit didn't hide well that he was researching and learning about anxiety. Perhaps he wasn't trying to hide what he was doing, but Yuuri didn't comment on it. Yuuri counted himself lucky that he had yet to have a complete meltdown in front of Phichit, but that was probably also why Phichit thought that he was a more composed human being than he actually was.

The first week of Phichit's research turned their daily life in the apartment slightly awkward, almost like Phichit was tip-toeing around him. However Phichit was a natural warrior against awkwardness, and the daily life and routine quickly reversed into its easy state, as they began talking like usual or, more accurately, began talking as much as they had before.

"Is it hard to skate with anxiety?" Phichit asked one night as they were putting away the dishes.

"I've never skated without it," Yuuri shrugged. He had been through this conversation with his previous roommate and knowing what kind of person Phichit was, he had been anticipating the questions.

"But it must be different in practice and competition," Phichit pointed out.

"Of course it is," Yuuri said and handed Phichit a plate to dry, "But that's the same for everyone. Anxiety or not, everyone gets nervous."

"I don't really," Phichit muttered, because of course he didn't get nervous, "Viktor doesn't either."

"Well, Viktor is superhuman so that doesn't really count. And you will turn senior this season, so perhaps you will change your mind."

"Maybe," Phichit shrugged, and put the plate back in its place, "I just can't imagine that it will be the same as having anxiety. I mean, I get nervous during exams, but I don't shake or throw up or-"

"That's panic attacks," Yuuri interrupted, "Anxiety is different."

"So you don't get panic attacks?"

"Oh, I do, but not all the time, just… more often than normal people."

A silence fell between them. The sounds of the water running and the clanking of some glasses Phichit was putting back suddenly got louder as Phichit thought about what Yuuri had told him. They didn't speak more about it that evening.

It was perhaps two weeks later, Yuuri wasn't quite sure, that he was sitting hunched over his desk, trying to get ahead of some studies by reading one of the books he knew would be taught next term. He was two chapters in when he started feeling reckless, but since practice wasn't in another two hours, he wanted to at least finish this chapter before calling it a day. Two pages later had Yuuri tapping relentlessly with the pencil he was supposed to be taking notes with, and a page after that he was no longer reading the words.

Yuuri put his head in his hands and close his eyes, trying to focus on his breathing. The anxiety bubbling just beneath his skin could easily be controlled if he just focused on his breathing, so he did just that and didn't notice as Phichit entered their apartment.

He did, however, notice as a pair of soft headphones were placed on him and some strange song which he could understand the word in, began playing. Music was always helpful, but the strange focus Yuuri put on it, perhaps in an effort to understand it, helped him calm down.

As Yuuri took off the headphones, he turned around to give them back to Phichit, who looked halfway between happy to have been of helpful and uncertain about how to proceed with this situation.

"What was with the music?" Yuuri asked curiously, ignoring his little anxiety episode relatively easily.

"Well," Phichit began his ramble, "I read that music was an effective way to calm anxiety, but I also read that it should be without lyrics so that you wouldn't associate the words with anxiety, but I figured that since it was in Thai, it wouldn't matter that much. Unless you secretly know Thai."

"I don't," Yuuri said in a monotone voice, but it made Phichit let out a little nervous giggle, "But thank you. It actually helped a lot."

Phichit beamed proudly, and Yuuri smiled softly at him. Phichit was a great friend, and Yuuri was so lucky to have him.