Otabek slept horribly. There were a lot of factors at play there: Time differences, a new bed in a new place, and most of all, his sort of fight with Yuri before going to bed. It played over in his mind on repeat until his brain finally shut off from exhaustion early in the morning.

He woke up to his alarm, knowing he was going to be utterly exhausted that day. He was immensely grateful that Victor didn't expect him to start training until Monday. He doubted he would be much good on the ice in this state.

Once he came to his senses a little more, he could hear Yuri puttering around in the kitchen, and Otabek just hoped he was in a better mood. He dragged himself out of bed and pulled on a pair of loose shorts and a t-shirt before shuffling out to the kitchen where Yuri was plating eggs and bacon on two plates. He spotted Otabek and said nothing, just pointed to the plate on the counter. Clearly, he wasn't in a better mood.

Otabek took his plate and followed Yuri to the small table and sat down across from him. They didn't even speak a word to each other for the duration of breakfast and when they were done, Yuri took his plate and went to wash the dishes. Otabek watched, wondering what he could say to fix the damage done between them.

When Yuri had finished washing the dishes, he turned to look at Otabek. His blue eyes scanned Otabek's face for a moment, then he sighed and approached to sit back down at the table. "I'm sorry for getting so upset last night." Otabek's eyes widened a little. He didn't know what to say or dare to say much of anything. If Yuri was on track to answer his question, Otabek didn't want to chance interrupting that. "But that's a topic I really don't want to address. Please? Can we leave that one firmly in the past?"

Otabek swallowed, feeling his chances of having Yuri as a boyfriend slip away. He couldn't deny that he felt crushed by Yuri's words. He didn't know what to say. If he agreed, he would go back to being Yuri's best friend, but if he tried to push it, he feared he would also push Yuri away. He wanted to go with the safe option, but… "I… wish I could, Yura."

"Why not?" Yuri was getting heated again, quickly.

"Because it affects me, too." Otabek responded calmly, trying to get Yuri to understand.

Yuri groaned and instead of arguing, he got up and walked away, disappearing into his bedroom. Otabek leaned his head into his hands and rubbed at his temples. This was not going how he had planned.

Yuri emerged from his bedroom only moments later, changed and with his skating duffle bag in hand. He walked quickly to the door and opened it. Otabek watched in surprise as Yuri turned around and gave him a hard look before he said, "You're going to have to drop it. I'm not talking about it. Get used to it."

Then he was gone, pulling the door closed behind him with a final click. Otabek sighed and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. Otabek didn't want to drop it. His mind wandered back to the day at the airport, Yuri walking nervously beside him in silence when he would have normally chatted his ear off until the last second. Otabek realized that Yuri had contemplated that moment for a long time. Perhaps since the stuffed tiger incident.

Otabek rose from his chair at the table and went to the living room where he had last seen the tiger only to find the spot empty. The tiger had been moved, and just out of curiosity, Otabek turned to walk a few steps towards Yuri's room. The door was half open, and Otabek peeked his head in the door. He didn't want to snoop, but he did want to see if he could find the tiger. The room was exactly what Otabek had expected it to be, having seen the room many times over video calls. The tiger striped bedspread and pillowcases were familiar against the black sheets. Potya was sprawled over them, taking a nap in a patch of sun on the bed. The room was tidy enough. A few clothes scattered about on the floor, but otherwise clean. Otabek took another step inside. Potya raised her head to look at him when the door creaked slightly. He approached to pat her on the head a few times, then looked around the room. The tiger was nowhere to be found. The only explanation would be that Yuri had taken it with him.

So, even though Yuri was mad at him, he still found comfort in the gift Otabek had bought him. It gave Otabek a sense of hope. Maybe all wasn't lost just yet, and he potentially had a chance to make this right and still have his question answered. He needed that answer. It could define his future relationship with his best friend. He hoped that it would only go up from here. But first, he needed some more information. The best source of information in this particular instance would be the next person closest to Yuri: Katsuki Yuuri.

Otabek left Yuri's bedroom and went to retrieve his phone from his nightstand. He didn't have Katsuki's phone number yet, but he knew another way to contact him. Instagram would always be a reliable source. Katsuki was frequently active on social media and would likely get notifications from messages received in the app.

Otabek Altin: Hey, I have a question. Can we talk?

Otabek sent the message in English, not expecting a reply right away, expecting Yuuri to have a full schedule, even on Saturdays. Every ice skater did mid-season. A day off was rare, and the only reason Otabek had two this weekend was because of his move. Victor wanted him settled in and well rested.

Instead of dwelling on the reply, Otabek took the opportunity to shower and make himself look presentable, all while doing his best not to think about Yuri for just a moment. It was harder than he thought, but he persisted, playing music, and going over potential remix ideas in his head.

When he returned to the bedroom dressed and ready for the day, he found a notification on his phone. He opened it up to see Yuuri had replied.

Yuuri Katsuki: Sure. I just finished my ice time. We could meet for lunch.

Otabek Altin: Yeah. You might have to pick me up. I don't know my way around here yet.

Yuuri Katsuki: Great. I can be there in 15 minutes. Good?

Otabek sent a thumbs up emoji back and spent the next few minutes making sure he was presentable for going out and ensuring he had what he needed. There was a knock on the door barely ten minutes later and Otabek went to answer it. Yuuri stood on the other side, looking all kinds of pleasant with a kind smile adorning his face. "Ready to go?" The Japanese man asked, making no move to come inside. Otabek nodded, slipped his shoes on, and stepped out into the chilly Japanese air. He locked the door behind him and followed Yuuri out to the street. "Well, where would you like to eat? Or I guess, what kind of food are you in the mood for?"

Otabek shrugged. "I don't really know. What's good around here?"

Yuuri hummed in thought and looked both ways down the street. "Have you ever had real sushi? Like, authentic sushi that's not all Americanized?"

Otabek shook his head. He had had sushi when he lived in America and really enjoyed it, but he had always heard that it wasn't authentic in any sense of the word. He figured he would probably enjoy the real thing. "I'm up for trying it."

"Great. There's a nice little place just around the corner. Great quality without being too expensive." Yuuri led the way down the street in the opposite direction Yuri had taken him the night before for ramen. Again, Otabek tried to remember where they were going, but knew he would still forget if it was too complicated. Luckily for him, it really was just down the road a few blocks and around the corner. Simple enough.

Yuuri led them inside and spoke to the hostess in Japanese. She led them to a table by the windows, looking out over the ocean. It was a beautiful spot. Otabek knew the ocean was close, but he hadn't realized just how close it was until that moment. He stared out the windows in awe.

"What, have you never seen the ocean before?" Yuuri asked, taking off his coat and kneeling on one of the mats on the floor. He would have to get used to that. Sitting on the floor was going to be weird for a long time.

"I have. I just didn't realize we were quite so close to it here. I knew Hasetsu was seaside, but I didn't thing we were literally living only a few blocks from the ocean." Otabek kneeled across from Yuuri and did his best to get comfortable.

"You don't have to sit on your knees. You can cross your legs instead if it's more comfortable. I know sitting on the floor takes some getting used to." Yuuri had obviously noticed his struggle. Otabek took his advice and sat on his butt with his legs crossed in front of him. It was better, but he had a feeling it would still end up being uncomfortable.

Yuuri looked far too amused by his predicament, but he quickly dropped it when a waitress walked over to take their orders, and Otabek just told him to order whatever was good since he wouldn't be able to read the menu anyways. One of the first things on his list of things to do was officially "learn Japanese."

When the waitress walked away, Yuuri's gaze fell back on him. He eased them into conversation by asking if he was unpacked and settling in alright. Otabek answered politely that he was unpacked and feeling more settled every hour. Yuuri nodded in approval, then looked at him expectantly. "So, what is it you wanted to talk about? You said you had a question."

Otabek swallowed thickly and nodded. "Yeah. I'm wondering how much you know about my friendship with Yuri."

Yuuri studied him for a long moment then sighed. "What did he do?"

Otabek raised one eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"He's an idiot. He's gone and said or done something stupid hasn't he? To answer the question, I know quite a bit. In fact, Victor and I witnessed everything that happened in the airport in Detroit, and I know that's where this is going. I know he wanted to avoid the topic of the kiss when you got here. I told him not to, but I'm going to go ahead and assume he did anyways, because he's an idiot. So, tell me what happened, and it'll save us both a lot of time."

Otabek sighed and slumped a little. He had chosen right after all. Of course, this Yuuri would know exactly what was going on before he even said anything. "I tried to address it last night before we went to bed, but he got defensive and angry. He went to bed after that. Then this morning he apologized for getting so upset, but immediately went into how he didn't want to talk about that subject. He asked if I would leave it alone, and I answered honestly that I couldn't because it affects me, too. He got angry again and stormed away to go practice, or at least I assume that's where he went. He had his skating duffle with him."

"He did." Yuuri answered, then paused long enough to let the waitress set down glasses of water in front of them. When she left, he continued. "I was surprised to see him there early. He's normally late and Victor has to call him and it's a daily struggle. He was already there and warming up when I was leaving. This explains it. He really needs to learn how to solve his problems instead of avoiding them."

Otabek nodded along and took a sip of water. "So, do you know why he's avoiding it?"

"Yes. He's scared. He didn't say that exactly, but it's easy enough to guess. In the airport when he came to find us after kissing you, he looked like he had seen a ghost. It took some coaxing, but Victor and I were able to get him to tell us what was wrong by telling him we had seen everything. He doesn't want to lose you, Otabek. He's worried that by letting you know he has feelings for you it's going to change everything, or that you'll hate him." Otabek opened his mouth to protest, but Yuuri held up his hand.

He continued, "I tried my best to reassure him that that wasn't going to happen, and that you feel the same way. It's obvious enough in the way you look at him. He said I couldn't know that for certain and he wouldn't risk being your best friend for only the possibility of something more. He planned to just avoid the topic completely in hopes that you would drop it, too. I told him that wasn't going to work and that you were absolutely going to bring it up, and I asked what he was going to do when you did. He didn't have an answer. I told him he couldn't just avoid it, especially if you brought it up. Clearly, I didn't get through to him like I had hoped."

Otabek could barely process everything he had just heard. Yuri felt the same way he did, feared Otabek rejecting or possibly hating him for his feelings, and he was avoiding him to avoid losing him, which also made no sense. He groaned and rubbed his eyes. "This is so not how I planned this to go at all. I'm glad to know my feelings are reciprocated and all, but now I have no idea how to bring it up without him getting mad at me. What am I supposed to do here?"

Yuuri rested his elbow on the table and placed his chin on his closed fist. He hummed in thought, studying Otabek for a moment. "I'm going to have to think about that." He said, then sat back as the waitress approached with a few different plates, all beautifully decorated with pieces of raw fish, also called sashimi if he recalled correctly. A plate of a small roll wrapped in nori, and varieties of what he remembered were called nigiri.

Yuuri taught him how to eat it the correct way, and Otabek found himself enjoying the lunch immensely. He had never thought he'd like raw fish on its own, but here in Japan, where the idea originated, and the fish was fresh caught, it was simply incredible. And the best part was that he didn't feel like he had stuffed himself but was pleasantly satisfied instead.

They finished their lunch and Yuuri sat back a little, looking pleased with his meal. "I love sushi so much."

"That was amazing." Otabek agreed. He could feel himself start to shift periodically, trying to keep the weight off his hips that were starting to ache from sitting on the floor.

"Well, I'll just pay, and we can get going. Then I think I have a potential solution for you." Yuuri stood and went to pay before Otabek could protest that he could pay half.

Otabek stood from his seat and went to follow Yuuri back to the front where the Japanese man was already putting his wallet away and the bill was closed. "Ready?" he asked, spotting Otabek approaching. He nodded and they left the restaurant, headed back in the direction of his and Yuri's apartment.

"Do you want to head back? Or I could show you around my hometown?" Yuuri asked, leading the way.

"I think I'd like to see a little more of Hasetsu. And at the rate I'm going with Yuri, it's not like he's going to show me around, so you know." Otabek could feel the bitterness on his tongue as he spoke, and he immediately felt guilty for it. Yuri's intentions were good, really. He just didn't want to lose his best friend, and while Otabek understood that (he had had similar thoughts after all), he didn't really appreciate the delivery.

"Don't be too hard on him or yourself." Yuuri said and turned a corner to lead them a different direction than the apartment. "You know, I think sometimes it's easy to forget how young Yurio is."

Otabek stopped in his tracks. He hadn't thought about it that way. Yuri had been living on his own for almost five years now, making his own way in life by himself. He had a career, a home, and money of his own. But Otabek sometimes forgot that Yuri was only 16. He can't say he would have reacted much differently back when he was 16. Otabek was only 3 years older than Yuri, but at this time in their lives, 3 years could make a big difference.

Yuuri noticed he had stopped and turned to look at him. "Are you alright?"

"You're right." Otabek replied. "I forget sometimes, too. He is young, isn't he? I guess I didn't think about it that way. Does a 16-year-old even belong in a steady relationship?"

"If it's with the right person, I don't really see it as a problem." Yuuri kept walking, and Otabek took a few extra-large steps to catch up. "But if you two take that step, I think when fights happen, or he seems like he's being dramatic, you'll have to be the mature one. The one to step back and realize he's got a lot of growing up to do. 16 is a hard age. His body and mind are both changing faster than he can keep up with, and it's not easy. I know you remember those days, perhaps better than I do. Hormones are out of control, you feel clumsy with limbs longer than you're used to, and everything that happens feels like it's the end of the world. He's going to react in unexpected ways. Being around a teenager is difficult and having a relationship with one is more so. Just remember that going forward. But there's one thing that could help with his reactions to things, and it's learning how to communicate.

"That being said, my advice in this situation would be to maybe back off from the subject temporarily. I know that's going to be hard when all you want is to take steps in the direction you see this going, and I agree with that direction. I truly believe that you two would make a great couple. But for now, let him get used to having you around, and vice versa. Just be his friend for now. Once you've settled in a little more, maybe in a few weeks, you could try bringing it up again when it's not so fresh and he sees that you're not going to stay mad at him."

Otabek walked quietly for a while, listening, and thinking about everything Yuuri was saying. It wasn't his favorite solution, but it was probably the best one. The kiss was still so fresh in both of their minds. Yesterday was the first time they had seen each other since it happened, and tensions were high because of it. He could stand a few more weeks, really. He had already waited a year. "Alright, I'll try that. Where are we?" Otabek looked around, not realizing they had walked so far. They were on a bridge of some kind.

"This is Maizuru bridge." They stopped about halfway across and looked out over the railing. The ocean glittered in the afternoon sun and a cool breeze ruffled Otabek's hair as if welcoming him. He smiled, then looked left and right. To the left he saw what could only be Hasetsu castle. To the right there were more rows of houses. "We are headed to Yutopia Katsuki. Is that alright? My mother wanted to meet you as soon as possible when you got here."

"That's fine. I'd love to meet her. I speak absolutely no Japanese, though."

"I'll translate. No big deal." Yuuri turned to walk in the direction they had been headed and now that the heavy conversation seemed to be done, Otabek looked around as they walked. Hasetsu was a beautiful place. The streets were clean, and he could catch glimpses of the ocean through gaps between the houses. The people were kind, smiling as they passed, and quite a few called out to Yuuri to say hello. He always responded just as kindly.

They arrived at the resort and Yuuri led him inside, instructing him to remove his shoes before entering. They were quickly greeted by a squat little woman who was clearly excited to see Yuuri. She immediately pulled him into a crushing hug. Yuuri was the spitting image of his mother, minus the extra curves. He was probably able to gain curves just like his mother, though and had to work hard to keep the extra pounds off.

Yuuri turned to him and said, "Otabek, this is my mother, Katsuki Hiroko." He then spoke to his mother in Japanese, and Otabek caught his own name. The woman got a new sparkle in her eyes, and she stepped forward to speak to him in rapid Japanese. Yuri translated. "She says you're very handsome. Yurio talks about you all the time, and she's been very excited to meet you. She wants to know if you want a pork cutlet bowl."

"I just had lunch, thank you, though." Otabek responded directly to Hiroko, knowing she wouldn't understand a word of it.

Yuuri translated and she responded with her hands on her hips before scuttling away toward the kitchen. Yuuri sighed, "she says she's making you one to go anyways, and she wants you to give one to Yurio as well. You're too skinny apparently."

"I kind of have to be skinny to figure skate." Otabek replied and followed Yuuri farther into the resort.

"Yeah, I know, and I've told her and my dad a million times, but they just don't understand. It's alright, though. They mean well." The two of them walked through the resort until they found a man who also resembled Yuuri, and Yuuri introduced him as Toshiya, his father. The man spoke very simple English and told Otabek it was nice to meet him. Otabek responded the same. He was then introduced to Mari and Minako, Yuuri's sister and former ballet coach respectively. Both of them spoke fluent English.

They didn't stay long, just long enough for a quick tour of the resort, and Otabek was excited for the eventual opportunity to take advantage of the hot spring. It looked so relaxing. They left with containers of katsudon stacked neatly into bags. "I'm not actually allowed to eat pork cutlet bowls unless I've won a competition. I gain weight too easily and fried pork and eggs are a great way to add a few pounds to my figure. I swear, all I have to do is look at the stuff and I gain five pounds. It's my favorite, but I'm positive Victor won't let me eat this tonight. He'll end up eating both containers, and I'll end up with broccoli and plain rice or something equally as boring."

"That's awfully mean." Otabek responded, watching Yuuri stare at the bag longingly. "He'd really eat your favorite meal right in front of you while you eat something boring?"

Yuuri shrugged. "It doesn't bother me all that much. I just wish he'd let me have it once in a while. Maybe I can convince him with a little… well... bribery."

Otabek choked on his own tongue. "Now I know you didn't mean what I think you did. Does Yuuri Katsuki, the sweet, innocent cinnamon roll of figure skating bribe his fiancé with seduction and sex?"

Yuuri looked at him out of the corner of his eye, and even though there was a red tinge to his cheeks, he smirked. "I got really good at Eros last year, you know."

Otabek choked out a laugh. "Oh man. You're more confident than I would have guessed. I've always heard you were shy, innocent, and nervous about things like sex and eros."

"Victor changed that for me. He's given me confidence in myself. Not just on the ice, but off it, too. I never used to look at myself and be proud of who I was or what I was doing. But now that I have Victor, I can look in the mirror and be happy with what I see." They had crossed back across the bridge and Otabek recognized the street that would lead to the apartment. As they passed, Yuuri pointed out the skating rink, Ice Castle, and then led them back toward the apartment. "If you ever need anything, Victor and I live there." He pointed at a house across the street from where they were currently walking. "We have a spare bedroom, too, and you're welcome to use it if you ever need it. We are also here for you if you just need to talk. Victor can be a bit much, but I'm not afraid to kick him out of the room if he's overwhelming. Don't hesitate to reach out."

Yuuri walked him all the way to his front door, made sure Otabek had his phone number, then left with a cheerful goodbye and a wave.

Otabek turned to open the door and heard the tv on in the living room when he entered. He put the to-go containers on the kitchen counter and went to find Yuri. He was sitting on the couch with Potya on his lap and the tiger stuffed animal sitting next to him. He spotted Otabek in the doorway and said nothing, training his gaze back on the tv. Clearly, he was still angry with Otabek.

"Hey." Otabek started. "I went to lunch with Katsuki. He took me to the hot spring after, and his mom sent us home with katsudon. So, I brought dinner."

Yuri turned to look at him again. "Cool. She makes the best katsudon." He didn't sound very excited.

Remembering his conversation with Yuuri, Otabek stepped into the room and sat next to Yuri on the couch. "Can you pause it. I want to talk to you for a second."

Yuri immediately stood up, scooping Potya into his arms and picking up the tiger as he went. He started to walk away, and Otabek, panicking, stood up with him. "Wait. I just wanted to apologize. I just want to stop fighting and be friends again. That's what's important to me. No matter what." Otabek tried to put an emphasis on the last two sentences, hoping Yuri would catch on. Yuri would always be his friend, and he could never hate him.

Yuri watched him skeptically but turned back around. "You'll drop it?"

Otabek nodded. "Just please don't walk away again. I really hate watching you walk away. You're my best friend, and I don't want to lose you over a conversation you clearly don't want to have. I can let it go." For now, Otabek added in his head.

"Fine." Yuri came back to the couch and plopped down on it with a sigh. "So, where did you go for lunch with Katsudon? And why him?"

"A sushi place down the road. It was amazing. I've never had real sushi before, but it was great. I wanted to see more of Hasetsu, and who better to show me around than the guy who grew up here?"

"I could have shown you around." Yuri said, pouting.

Otabek snorted. "Yeah, well I wasn't sure you'd be speaking to me after this morning. I really am sorry." He started out teasing, but his voice changed to something softer for the apology.

Yuri shrugged. "All good. Now, we should watch a movie, then we can eat that amazing katsudon."

Otabek smiled, hoping that Yuri would stay normal for the next few weeks while Otabek tried to figure out how to gently coax Yuri into talking to him about the kiss.