Chapter 1

Barcelona Grand Prix

Story takes place following Otabek rescuing Yurio from his fan girls.

Yurio put this head back and felt the wind blowing through his hair as Otabek's motorbike carried him away from the screaming girls who had been following him ever since he had arrived in Barcelona. It was amazing to have so many fans but it was hard work at times! Yurio felt himself fall backwards slightly and panicking a bit, he grabbed hold of Otabek's leather jacket to make sure he did not fall off the back of the moving bike. That would not be good, just before the free skate! Yurio was confused as to why Otabek had turned up and helped him, they had never even spoken before. Lost in thought, Yurio did not notice the bike had slowed down until it came to a stop and he accidently, bumped into the back of Otabek, bike helmets clashing together. Way to play it cool, he thought to himself.

Yurio got off the back of the bike.

"Thanks for that, those girls can be a pain in the ass at times"

Otabek nodded and looked straight at Yurio, "You don't remember me do you?" he asked. "We met before at Yakov's training camp. I noticed you as you had the eyes of a soldier and you seemed so confident, even though you were younger than me"

Yurio had no recollection of it but then he never paid any attention to people unless he was working out if they were a threat to his success or not. Otabek had obviously not registered on his radar at the time. "Sorry, I don't remember," he admitted.

Otabek nodded "It doesn't matter, it was a long time ago anyway." But it did matter, Yurio fascinated him. So young, so feisty and so damn good looking! Otabek had never really tried to get to know any of his competitors but he was not planning on passing up on a chance to get to know Yurio whilst they were in the same competition. "So, anyway, I always thought we were alike in many ways you know. Friends?"

Yurio had never had a friend before, not a real one, although he may have been surprised that people considered him a friend without him really knowing. He shrugged, like the request was no big deal, "Sure, why not. You wanna go grab a coffee or something?"

Otabek nodded, smiling he said "Yeah that would be good. Let's find somewhere without any screaming teenage girls."

"And without any annoying grey haired Russians" Yurio added. Viktor would make something of him having coffee with Otabek, he made a big deal of pretty much everything that geezer.

Otabek laughed, "You mean Viktor I assume. He seems ok to me".

"He is a pain in the ass, just like the fan girls", Yurio chuckled back.

Otabek smiled and led the way towards the nearest coffee place. Yurio thought Otabek should smile more, it suited him. He had never really looked at him but he was a good looking guy, he was surprised he was not more popular with the fans. Maybe it was because he always looked a bit surly and distracted. Yurio smiled to himself, he could always lend Otabek some of his fans, god knows he had plenty to spare! Let Otabek deal with the requests for kisses, hugs and, more than once, a marriage proposal! Who the hell gets married at 16? On second thoughts maybe not, he thought. Yurio finally had a friend and a feeling was rising inside him that he did not want to share Otabek with anyone!

Coffee shop

Yurio was in the middle of telling Otabek about how he had gone to Japan and floored Yuuri in retaliation for him stealing Viktor when Viktor had promised to do Yurio's choreography for his first senior skate. Otabek laughed at Yurio's description of resting his foot on Yuuri's forehead.

"Seriously, you stood on his forehead?"

"To right I did, but in the end I lost out to him anyway" Yurio said, taking a mouthful of coffee and frowning.

"You don't need Viktor," Otabek said. " Your skating is amazing! You have a grace that I will never have."

"Yeah but your strength and jumps are awesome, I was watching you at practice. I can't get that distance."

Yurio was having such a good time, he didn't notice the two shadows that fell over the table until he heard,

"Yurio! Come for something to eat with us, you too Otabek" Viktor yelled, a huge grin on his face. Yuuri was standing next to him, clutching a mountain of shopping bags.

Yurio wanted to tell him to go away but Otabek shrugged and said "Sure, sounds good."

"Great," Viktor said, "Everyone else is joining us. Let's go."

Yurio frowned and followed. He was not happy but at least Otabek was coming so they could talk some more. It would make being around Viktor and Yuuri more bearable!

Dinner

As it turned out, dinner was ok. Yurio chatted away with Otabek and listened half-heartedly to the chatter going on around him. He came back to reality as Viktor spat his drink half way across the table.

"What did I miss?" Yurio asked Otabek, "I was not paying attention."

"Yuuri said something about not being able to speak to Viktor at last year's banquet and then Viktor spat his beer out". Otabek said.

Yuri stared over at Yuuri. Seriously, he did not remember the fool he made of himself! Viktor and Chris were filling Yuuri in on what he had done and showing him the videos that they still had on their phones, whilst Yuuri turned red and hid his head in his hands. Otabek looked bemused about the whole thing.

"Yuuri got really drunk and started dancing. He dragged me into a dance off. It was humiliating. Then he and Chris took all their clothes off and pole danced, it was disgusting" Yurio explained.

"A dance off? I wish I had seen that." Otabek laughed. "

"Your wish is my command," Chris said grinning at Otabek whilst he passed over his phone. "Videos of Yurio dancing his little heart out. And he did not really need a lot of dragging!"

"You did not get dragged to the pole dance as well did you?" Otabek chuckled.

"God no," Yurio laughed "My clothes stayed on, thanks"

What a shame, Otabek thought to himself but reached out his hand for Chris' phone. The Yurio on the phone was a different creature to the Yurio most people saw. He looked like he was having the time of his life, Chris was right there was not a lot of dragging involved. Otabek hoped he could see this Yurio at some point, a Yurio who let himself go and dropped his tough outer shell for a little while. Otabek grinned to himself, well he knew it existed now, so he was determined to witness it for himself.

Yurio saw Otabek grin and groaned, 'Oh god' he thought, 'He will think I am so uncool now!' The thought bothered him a lot.

Otabek handed Chris back his phone and looked over at Yurio who was holding his head in his hands. He put his hand over onto Yurio's shoulder and patted it. "Don't worry, you looked awesome" he laughed.

When Otabek's hand touched his shoulder, Yurio felt like a bolt of electric had shot down his spine and he felt something he had never felt before forming in his groin. 'What the hell was that?' he thought.

The rest of the evening passed in a bit of a blur, Yurio came back to reality when Viktor announced he and Yuuri had engagement rings and would get married when Yuuri won the gold. 'Like hell he will win the gold' Yurio thought ' I will'. That thought seemed to be shared by everyone around the table, once they got over the shock that Viktor had said he was engaged. Even Yuuri looked a bit shocked by the announcement. The arrival of JJ had put a downer on the evening and everyone had left to go back to their hotel. Yurio strolled back next to Otabek, still trying to understand what had happened earlier when he had touched him. Back at the hotel, Otabek rode up in the lift with Yurio and when as he got out, he smiled and said,

"Good luck tomorrow Yurio, I will be watching. Watch me, huh?"

"Of course I will, that's what friends are for isn't it?

Otabek nodded and walked out the lift. The doors started to close but before they did, a hand caught them and opened them again. Yurio jumped as Otabek walked back into the lift and enclosed him in a hug, so tight it took his breath away. Otabek did not say a word, just smiled at Yurio and walked back out. Yurio stared at the closing lift doors, the stirrings coming back stronger and harder than ever.

"What the hell?" he said out loud to the empty lift. Getting off at his floor, he walked back to his room in a daze. Was Otabek trying to put him off before tomorrow? No, he did not think that was what was happening but what the hell was? Yurio flopped back onto his bed and lay staring at the ceiling. In his mind he could still feel Otabek's arms around him and his smell in his nose and he realised that he liked it. Instead of distracting him from tomorrow, it relaxed him and made him more determined than ever to do well, to show Otabek just what he could do.

Back in his room, Otabek was also laying staring at the ceiling. What on earth had possessed him to do that? What a bloody idiot! He had probably scared Yurio half to death or at least convinced him he was some kind of freak! Oh well, what was done was done and if he was honest, given half the chance he would do it again…and more besides! Tomorrow he would skate his best and support Yurio as best he could. Then, maybe, just maybe he would see Yurio dance at the banquet!