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“This is silver Medalist Yuri Katsuki of Japan. His exhibition is a free program previously performed by his coach Viktor Nikiforov who has just announced his own comeback. This is last year’s Stay Close To Me.”
Otabek had a few coaches tell him he should smile more for show but he’s never been able to plaster on a fake. Otabek’s smiles are naturally pretty small and skating is serious so it doesn’t warrant a smile. Yuri Plisetky has big emotions but also sports small smiles. When Katsuki lands both his jumps flawlessly there’s twitch in Yuri’s lip that is unmistakably a smile. What Yuri says doesn’t match what Otabek is reading on his face. Anyone looking less closely would assume there was disgust in the eyes behind those sunglasses.
“Ugh. Doing Viktor’s old shit is so boring. The exhibition is supposed to be fresh. Not an old balding man’s leftovers. That’s why our skate is going to win.”
Otabek’s mouth twitches, “Freshly choreographed yesterday. But you know you’ve already won the medal?”
“Yes, and I want everyone to remember that I am the best as they leave so my exhibition has to be the coolest. Piggy skating old shit just means that I-”
The lights change on the rink and Viktor Nikiforov glides out onto the ice and begins a beautiful pairs skate with his student? fiancé? Otabek clapped when Phitchit said they were engaged and there are rings but it is unclear on the state of it now. Katsuki had to win gold for marriage, and he didn’t but they look pretty in love on the ice and the crowd is enthralled. Yuri is enraged.
“THAT BASTARD! First, he tells me he’s coming out of retirement right before my skate and now he’s taking attention from MY WIN being all lovey-dovey with that second-place Yuri! UGHH, it’s disgusting. We need to go bigger!”
Yuri has the eyes of a soldier but the overdramatic tendencies of a diva on a rampage. Otabek almost laughs but doesn't, because Yuri Plisetsky is just taking skating very seriously and that’s why he’d approached him to be friends in the first place.
Otabek can’t fathom how to make Welcome to the Madness bigger? They couldn’t add more components to this barely practiced piece, Yuri could get injured and he was already risking Yakov and Lillia’s wrath changing the program. It had to be something big but not something that could screw up the skate.
Otabek Altin would have to make this bigger and he can barely smile.
“What if we just makeout?” Yuri suggests, “The ISU would hate it but the crowds would love that shit.”
Otabek runs a hand through his hair. If Yakov and Lillia didn’t kill him for that then Yuri’s angels would come after him. Besides that, Yuri Plisetsky is fifteen-years-old.
“Do you want me to get arrested?” Otabek asks, and Yuri tilts his head as if their age difference had never occurred to him even though they talked about it YESTERDAY at the club.
“I wasn’t suggesting we bang Altin. I was suggesting we kiss a little to make our exhibition sexier. The crowd would die.”
Otabek eyes Yuri’s tight leather pants and noted the way his lithe but muscular arms crossed over his slip of a shirt. He remembers some of the moves already in the choreography and shakes his head firmly.
“It’s sexy enough. Besides, you hate when people kiss on the ice anyway. You complained when Viktor and Katsuki did that on Instagram for three days.”
“True.” Yuri says with a smirk, “but I need something.”
Whether the smirk was because Otabek said he was sexy or because he admitted to paying attention to his Instagram he would never know but he did know he had to think of something or Yuri would think of something worse.
“This will slow you down but when you come over to me, I’ll take off your gloves”
“Sure, but I’m not wearing gloves.” Yuri replies doing sarcastic jazz hands with his slender fingers.
Yuri had asked he wear his leather jacket and he always had his gloves in the pocket.
Otabek grabs Yuri’s wrists and puts the gloves. They’re loose enough that he can pull them off and but tight enough that they wouldn’t fall off early. He hopes the pink lights across his face hide his blush. Stay Close to Me fades out and there are cheers from the crowd.
“I’ll need these back when I take you to dinner later.” Otabek says, to a strangely silent Yuri.
Yuri’s smirk curls into a full grin. as the announcer starts talking about his senior debut gold metal and accidentally announces the old title of his exhibition skate even though Yuri had changed the music earlier.
“It’s a good thing you’re taking them back then.” Yuri says taking off his guards, “Fuck, got it! Use your teeth on the gloves! That’s hot!”
That’s the last thing Yuri says before gliding onto the ice and he looks very pleased with himself thinking of it, his small smile is smug. Otabek takes skating very seriously and so does Yuri. Otabek also wants to take his friendship seriously, it’s important.
“Davai” Otabek mutters to himself and shrugs as he moves to stand on the side of the rink.
If taking his new friend’s glove off with his teeth will help Yuri; gold-medallist and world champion, ‘win’ the exhibition then he’ll do it. If there’s any other reason why he’s willing to put Yuri’s fingers in his mouth then he will try not to think about those until Yuri Plisetky’s sixteenth birthday at least.