Yuri was dreading school the next day. Not only did he have to confront Mila, but he would get both his algebra and Italian scores that Wednesday, and would scream even if he got over 80%. Getting a score like that over working his ass off? Yuri would not approve.
He barely managed to walk himself to Otabek's homeroom room when he found Mila, sitting in a corner and reading silently. Sara was next to her, telling her occasional jokes she found on Instagram. The redhead laughed without restraint – any person would think she was on top of the world. Yuri knew her, inside and out. Mila wasn't the type of girl to cry, show people her emotion – she was rock solid and never faltered.
The blonde first approached Otabek (who was thankfully talking to Yuuri opposite the room,) whispered something into his ear and pecked his cheek. Russian Yuri then strolled over to Mila, grabbed her wrist and pulled her outside and into the corridor.
'Mila, I'm sorry, I should've told you befo-'
'Yuri, it's okay.'
'Don't hide it Mila. I know who you are and what you're like, I went to the same ballet class as you fo-'
'No, really.'
Silence followed. Yuri just stared at her and immediately knew that she wasn't lying. 'What's up?'
'I think after Otabek turned me down, I didn't take it as badly as I should've. I felt guilty for not bursting out into tears. I told Sara everything – she said that bursting into tears wasn't me. When she rubbed my back, I felt it tingle.' Mila paused, staring blankly at the ceiling. 'I feel like...?'
'Sara? You really think she's for you?'
'Yeah. I mean, she's super sweet. She's had my back for as long as I can remember. The only problem is, how am I supposed to ask her out if number one, I only just realised that I'm bisexual and she doesn't even know that - and number two, we're best friends?!' Mila sunk to the floor, burying her face in her arms as she crouched. 'I need help.'
'Being best friends with the person you like isn't a big deal. You can be friends and girlfriends, it just means you can invade their personal bubble a little more than usual.' Yuri scoffed amusingly, and Mila laughed feebly in reply.
'How did you and Otabek do it so easily?'
'See, that's where you're wrong. Otabek and I never really started out as friends at all. We both knew we had crushes on each other. We even knew about each other's feelings, we just never spoke about it. We flirted without confirming anything, it was basically just a shy approach to dating.'
'That's so cool. I would never be able to do it.'
'Your situation is different. Otabek's my best friend and boyfriend. He's also my best friend because he came for me when I needed it. He was the first one to accept me.' Yuri smiled, before placing a hand on Mila's shoulder and joining her on the floor. 'If I'm correct, Sara did the same for you in kindergarten. That's a reason, right?'
'Y-Yeah. I guess. You need to help me, Yuri!'
'What's this, the old hag is asking for help from the fairy?'
'Anything! I may be all playful and impenetrable on the outside, but relationships aren't my thing!'
'Says the one who tried to steal my boyfriend.'
'YURI!'
'Okay, okay, I'll help. But if you two end up dating, you owe me knew pointe shoes.'
'Done.' The two shook hands, before it was time for Yuri to depart for registration.
'Aaaaaaaah! Thank fuck!'
'Profanity, Yura.'
'Profanity my ass! I got 94/100 on my algebra test, and 19/20 for my Italian quiz. Celebrate, you asshole!'
Otabek lowered his book, calling out a sarcastic, fairly dead, 'Woohoo,' with his hilariously straight face. Viktor and the two Yu(ur)ri's laughed, the blonde Yuri kicking back on his chair with another relieved sigh. The day turned out better than expected, especially with Mila. Before he knew it, he had leaned back too far on the chair and was about to topple onto the floor when Otabek's olive-skinned hands caught him.
'Careful, child. Your back.'
'Oh, right. Thanks, Beka.' Yuri got back to doodling detailed birds as Viktor and Yuuri glared at the two in confusion, before shrugging their shoulders and finishing up their homework. The four of them had decided to head to the library after school, so bought their own drinks. Yuri had gotten himself a lemonade due to the intense heat of late April, and a straw because why not. He slurped some of the drink before returning to his art homework, leaving the bottle between him and Otabek. The raven picked it up and started drinking in silence, and when Yuri reached to grab it again, he felt air in his grasp.
Turning to look, the teen whined when he realised Otabek had taken it. 'Aww, that was miiiine.'
Still slurping at the straw, the Kazakh looked at Yuri out of the corner of his eye, the familiar stoic expression still plastered onto his face. After about ten more seconds of slurping, he lowered the bottle and held it in front of Yuri's mouth.
'Yay!' The blonde lunged at the straw gleefully, drinking until he had enough. All the while, Otabek maintained his blank expression, secretly adoring Yuri's cute childishness. Viktor and his boyfriend were simply smiling as they finished up their biology project.
'Indirect kiss, Yurioooooo!'
'You have a deformed dickhead, Viktooooooor!'
They all laughed, including Otabek this time, who blushed a little when Viktor teased. He snuck a peek at Yuri's birds – most of them were small sparrows or robins, some were crows and eventually, there was a peacock. Very similar to the one Yuri had painted a few nights ago.
'They're beautiful, Yura.'
'Meh, just sketches. If I had time for watercolours, oh boy...'
'Why don't you use them?'
'This is homework, I want to save them for my own art. Besides, I'm running out...' Yuri stopped drawing. Instead, he grabbed his pencil and sharpened it violently into a little box. He stood up abruptly, emptied it in the closest bin and sat down with a sigh. 'It's way too hot, I think I'm gonna pass out...' Otabek glanced down at Yuri's forehead – it was true, his skin was practically shining with beads of sweat and his hair stuck to his skin annoyingly.
'And this is just Spring. Imagine Summer...' Yuuri, too, had downed three bottles of ice water by now. 'I think my shirt is sticking to my skin.'
'Tell me about it. Jeez, I might have to ditch the tights tomorrow.' Yuri tugged uncomfortable at the black tights he wore underneath his denim shorts, chugging down the last of their lemonade. 'Are you OK with that, Beka?'
The raven blushed insanely, shaking his hands as if he had been accused of something false. 'Why're you asking me, they're your legs-'
'Answer me, Beka.' Yuri rolled his eyes, smiling as he spoke. It didn't sound demanding at all, yet Otabek was compelled to speak.
'No, I don't mind. Perverts are perverts.'
'Good point. What're you guys doing afterwards?'
'Probably going straight home,' mumbled Yuuri, now too concentrated to look up. 'I'm helping with dinner today.' At this remark, Viktor practically bounded up in his seat.
'Mind if I come over?!'
'Guess not. What about you, Yuri. And Otabek?'
'Hmm. I'd rather go home, I have homework to catch up on.' The younger Russian untied his hair, running a hand through his now sweaty locks. 'I'm so having a shower afterwards.'
'Then I'll go home. I've got homework, too, so you can't talk me out of it Yura.' Otabek patted the blonde's head as if he were a child, earning a grumble from the latter.
'Don't miss out on the fun because you feel sorry for me.'
'Viktor and Yuuri deserve some time alone, too, now let's get going.'
Viktor had stuffed ten pork cutlet bowls down his throat that evening, and was left with Yuuri when his parents went out to Minako's place – and old family friend, apparently. They crawled upstairs and lunged straight for the bed, giggling when their heads collided.
'Who's this Minako? Your ex?'
'WHAT?! NO! She's like, twice my age!'
'Thank god. Then?'
'My old ballet teacher.'
'You did ballet too?'
Yuuri nodded, texting as he spoke. 'Yeah, when I was like, 8. I stopped because I didn't enjoy it, but she's still a friend.'
'Hmm.' Viktor slumped backwards until his head hit the pillow, and spotted a little dog in a picture frame on Yuuri's shelf. He bounded straight back up, picking up the photo and cooing at the adorable, brown poof.
'That's Vicchan. He died... when I was 12. Gosh, that poodle was the cutest.'
'AWW, HE'S ADORABLE! But, I couldn't help but notice, Vicchan...?'
'Y-Yeah. I kinda...'
'Yeeees?'
'I-I was crushing on you in elementary, too. Then middle school. This is like a dream come true~'
'It is a dream come true.' The Russian made his exaggeratedly 'touched' expression, eyes glistening and one hand over his wide, smiling mouth. When Yuuri gave him a hug, it widened into a heart-shaped one.
'I love you, Viktor...'
'I love you too, Yuuri!' Viktor took the cuddle straight back to the bed, rubbing his nose against the Asian's far too often. Yuuri was the type of person to be enclosed, but, as long as they were alone, he never was with Viktor. Instead, he stroked Viktor's platinum hair with one hand, rubbing his back with the other.
'Vicchan, look up.'
Viktor did as he was told, but with a look of adorable surprise on his face. 'I-Is that nickname still allowed?'
'Of course. Why not?'
'I just hoped you were okay, is all.'
'Aww, Viktor.' Yuuri kissed the Russian hastily, savouring the cuddles while they lasted. Viktor eventually bought them to one slow, passionate kiss that had both of them flustered beyond compare.
'How does my little cousin do this so easily?!'
Yuuri chuckled, peppering Viktor's face with kisses. His lips, of course, were the favourite, followed closely by the tip of the latter's nose. 'I think he's losing his virginity before any of us.'
'I hope the fuck not, he's an angel that must be protected.' Viktor switched to a serious face, earning most of the laughter for mimicking Otabek. 'They're adorable. But you're cuter.'
'Don't talk to yourself, Vicchan.'
'Oh, I see how it is...' And with that, Viktor was tickling his boyfriend until the two of them were choking from laughter.