Pirozhkis

Prolouge

Yurio, smiling, stepped out from his grandfathers warm embrace, another in a string of many, and sat down in the simple wooden chair at a small round table.
    " Yuri, I'm so proud of you. My grandson, you did so well! You were perfect! None of the other skaters compared!" He reached out and ruffled Yurios hair.

Six days prior, Yurio had won the Grand Prix  Final, breaking records against the best skaters the world had to offer. He shortly returned to Russia, a day or so after his grandfather, who was now saying goodnight to Yurio still acting as if the win had only just happened.

"I know, thank you gra- wait what is it? Are you crying again grandfather? You know it's been almost a week but-"

Tears were yet again just beginning to well up in the old mans eyes, but he cut him off.

"Don't think it's shameful to cry Yuri, there is no shame in expressing your pride. Just be sure to train hard you can't be too easy on yourself now...."

Yurio had mostly stopped listening at this point, for when his grandfather wasn't showing heartfelt displays of pride he was giving advice and pep talks. Yurio looked on respectfully through this.

".... and when you train with that Nikiforov be respectful but strong, you can learn from him and need your all this next time around if you want to beat him. Oh what have I been going on about its almost dawn already. Eat another pirozhki and go to bed, I went through the trouble for you you know. We have to get up early tomorrow to go to your new apartment."

Yurio grabbed another pork cutlet pirozhki from a plate on the small kitchen table where he and his grandfather sat and stood up.

"Yes grandfather, of course."

They hugged once again, something the typically gruff old man did only with his grandson.

"Goodnight Yuri, I love you."

"Goodnight grandfather, love you too"

Yurio was only able to say this to him, he had never had a girlfriend, or even considered saying it to others.

He shuffled down the hall to the small guest bedroom he had always slept in when he stayed with his grandfather. It had plain cream walls, with a blue bed, small desk, bookcase, and lamp as it's only furnishings.
He grabbed an old childrens book about tigers from the shelf and sat on the little twin bed biting into his pirozhki. It was cold, but still delicious. He ate as he thought, absent-mindedly flipping the pages.
What would the apartment grandfather chose be like? He had never really lived alone, although wasn't it pretty close to here?
He turned another page, and laughed slightly at the picture. 'The markings on this tiger look just like Otabeks eyebrows!'
Why was he thinking about him....? They were just friends nothing more.
'What would grandfather think of him?'
No, he'd probably be indifferent toward Ota...
Wait, OTA?!

Yurio swallowed the last of his pirozhki and quickly got in bed, casting aside the book and snatching the small cat cushion he'd gotten in competition off of the ground.
He rolled over, angry with himself, and shut his eyes. He had to sleep. There was no point thinking about Otabek anyways- he had gone back home too. And they were just friends.

Just friends....... Yurio, blond hair covering his face and hugging the cushion to his chest drifted into sleep with only the sounds of the clock, the street, and his grandfather making more pirozhkis filling his ears.

Just friends........