[Yuri's POV]

Love has been on my mind ever since Otabek got here. I snuck into the ice rink during the night in the hopes that skating would clear my mind, but still love clouds my thoughts and I find myself skating my short program from last season.

Agape...unconditional love.

According to Victor and Yuuri, skaters call everything on the ice love because love exists all around us. I don't understand it. Do I even know what love is? Maybe Otabek hasn't experienced love either, but why would he come here to find it?

I reminisce about the day I first met Otabek. For my entire life people have been underestimating me and mocking my abilities. But Otabek...Otabek treated me as an equal. He said I had the unforgettable eyes of a soldier, and in that moment I knew we would become good friends. Someone had finally acknowledged my strength in persistence. Someone finally appreciated me as a skater. Someone finally understood me.

Skaters call everything on the ice love.

The music slows down as I reach the ending pose of my program.

I wonder if I could call that moment love?

A slow clap echoes throughout the empty building. I spin around to face Victor, leaning against the edge of the rink.

"That was the most beautiful Agape performance I have seen from you." Victor says with a smile.

I ignore him and skate over to my bag.

"What were you thinking about?" Victor inquires.

I pause halfway through taking off my skates. My faces flushes, why do I feel embarrassed?

"Nothing." I mumble as I continue taking off my skates and putting on my sneakers.

"Ho ho?" Victor replies cheekily, raising his eyebrow.

What's happening to me, I'm getting all flustered. I shove my skates in my bag and throw it over my shoulder. It's because Victor is annoying me so much that I can't think straight. The way he acts like he knows everything, he's so confusing.

"You seem tense." Victor says after I didn't respond.

"I have a lot on my mind, that's all. It's none of your business." I snap back.

"I thought you said you weren't thinking about anything?" Victor replies.

I'm feeling so many different things that I don't understand, they all just kind of mix together into anger.

"I—I just don't know what I was thinking about okay? I'm not used to having feelings. I don't know what they are or what they mean and it's annoying!" I rant.

Victor whistles in patronising amazement. "Do you need a waterfall again?"

"Argh!" I grunt as I storm out of the building.

Screw Victor and his love crap, it's too confusing.

.

[Still Yuri's POV]

I swing open my apartment door aggressively and storm inside. I curse under my breath when I realise Otabek is fast asleep on the couch, I forgot he was staying here. Slow and steady, I tiptoe my way around the coach towards the hallway. Taking a quick glance at Otabek as I pass him to make sure he is still asleep, I notice something in the corner of my eye. I do a double take and look back at him. His phone is cuddled up to his chest and the screensaver...

I draw a short breath, taken back by the sight.

The screensaver is a picture of me asleep on a couch.

Questions swirl around in my head. Where did he get that picture? When was it taken? Why is it his screensaver? And... Why does it matter so much to me?

I can feel my cheeks go red, my heart thumping...because it's an embarrassing picture, obviously. Why else would I feel so vulnerable right now?

I don't like this feeling, I shake it off and retreat into my room. I let out a long sigh as I collapse onto the bed.

Lately I feel frustrated when I'm around Otabek because he brings out something in me and I don't know what it is. I feel angry when I'm around Mila because, whatever that something is, for some reason I sense she is threatening it.

I bring my knees to my chest and curl into a ball upon my bed.

Feeling things is exhausting...