Today's prompt, 'arguments', is brought to you by Pandora. In this, Yuri is 19 and JJ 23.
It starts with little things. When you've been with someone for two years, Yuri discovers, you both make space and learn to move around one another in new orbits. You start to read their ways, their patterns, and accept them as part of your own rhythms.
That being said, some of JJ's habits still grate. He spends too long in the bathroom, he sings all the time, he leaves his socks on the sofa when he goes to bed, no matter how much Yuri bugs him about it. Yuri's resolve begins to stretch thin, pulling taught like an elastic band. It finally snaps one evening when he returns to JJ's after practice.
"Hey," calls JJ from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready soon!"
Yuri grunts and closes the front door with far more force than necessary. At the slam, JJ walks out holding a wooden spoon covered in tomato sauce. Before he can say anything, Yuri holds up his phone, Isabella's Instagram selfie with JJ and the caption 'Catch up with this sweetheart!', followed by a heart, on the screen.
"What the hell is this?" asks Yuri.
"Nothing?" says JJ. "I mean, it's a picture of two good friends."
"Really? Looks pretty cosy to me."
"We ran into each other in town and had a coffee." JJ almost laughs.
"Sure," Yuri says flatly.
"It's true!"
"How do I know that?"
JJ scoffs. "Maybe because we're in a relationship and you trust me?"
"You didn't tell me about this."
"Because it wasn't important and you were at practice!"
"She's your ex-fiancée, of course it's fucking important!"
"That relationship ended three years ago, why are you still clinging to it?" asks JJ, waving the spoon, sauce flying.
"Could ask you the same thing!"
"Jesus Christ, can you just stop acting like a shitty little child for five fucking minutes?!"
"Fuck you!"
Yuri spins, wrenching open the front door and storming out, slamming it behind him again.
The Québécois October air, so similar to Russia, makes Yuri's fingers tremble on his phone screen. Neon light from the all-night diner he stands outside of reflects faintly in the tear tracks down his face as he holds the phone to his ear. He's flying to Japan tomorrow, JJ's going to France the day after, and he can't leave it like this. The call connects.
"I'm sorry."