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“Chohk dee Phichit!”
“Gambatte Yuuri!”
It was nice having a rinkmate that genuinely cheered you on, and was interested in sharing their culture with you and learning about yours in return. Yuuri was fun to be around, willing to have silly fun while teaching ballet but also sensible enough to allow for study time.
It was also kind of priceless the other experiences that came along with having a roommate that could be utterly magnetic to watch both off and on the ice.
“Phichit!” Yuuri hissed from shadows of building as Phichit walked by, “I need your help getting to the rink - there’s a guy I don’t want to run into. Can you help hide me?”
“Sure, no problem Victor!” Phichit said cheerily, as he came across, casually slinging an arm over Yuuri’s shoulder and pulling him in the right direction.
“What?” The funny thing was, even though Yuuri was confused and supposed to be in hiding, he was still willing to go along with Phichit’s plan. Such trust! Phichit would be careful to not abuse it. Except for maybe photos later.
Commemorative! How else would Yuuri be able to look back and laugh, after all. The craziness he attracted was priceless. Absolutely priceless entertainment.
In a lower tone of voice Phichit replied, “Well we’re going undercover right? Don’t worry I will protect you! Be it from a shadowy government who wants you for your elite skating skill; or from one of your numerous exes!”
“Phichit-kun.” Yuuri’s tone was endlessly resigned, but no longer panicked, so mission accomplished!
“So who was I hiding you from this time?” Phichit asked.
“Ah.” Yuuri had that shifty look, which meant that it was going to be something extra entertaining. “It’s no big deal, just. I was trying to avoid one of my ex-roommates, as it’s just kind of awkward when we run into each other.”
“Ah, I see, I see. Was that the one that turned the corridor of second floor of your dorm into an ice skating rink?”
“No.” Yuuri said as he buried his face in his hands. “Darren’s not too bad really, just prone to getting over excited. It was Chad - the one that left slabs of raw meat everywhere.”
“Aww, man that sounds like such a waste of good food!”
Yuuri’s face abruptly snaps up from his hands, “Yes! Exactly. I know meat is cheaper here, but I don’t get it, he had seemingly no interest in it, he’d just buy this slab of meat and then leave it in random locations, like in front of the TV, on the doorway, in the cupboards. It was right after I had told him, that it was nice that meat was so easy and cheap to get around here too, compared to Japan when he started being so wasteful.”
“Ah Yuuri, your life is definitely not boring!” Phichit grinned as he mentally started composing another story - even if he never intended to publish it, it was just too entertaining to not… think about the possibilities that might have led to the situation Yuuri briefly described.
“Ah, it definitely is not.” Yuuri’s face returned to the face palm position. Now you can see why I was so keen on sharing a room. I wanted a sane roommate for once.”
“Aww Yuuri, you say the sweetest things!” Then posing his hand and face, for that perfect contemplative reactionary gif, before continuing. “But, what if I was hiding it?”
“Well, then at least I’d have cheaper rent and could share my coaching fees with someone.” Yuuri wryly returned. “Besides we’d been talking for a while after that competition where we met.”
Phichit had always maintained that he and Yuuri had met at a competition and then they had just instantly hit it off as to how they met.
This wasn’t a lie exactly. It was certainly true from Yuuri’s point of view after all. It’s just - brushing over the fact that Phichit had already been actively looking for Yuuri at that competition, since it wouldn’t be that odd for a junior skater to approach a senior skater, especially as they were approaching switching divisions. But that wasn’t lying, exactly. Just brushing off the possible stalker vibes. Besides, lying implied malice and Phichit had the best of intentions towards Yuuri. After all, Phichit was a fan.
Especially after their first meeting! Phichit had approached Yuuri after the competition, and excitedly struct up a conversation. And It Was Awesome! Phichit had left with a selfie, and a new best friend! They both loved ice skating, animals, disney movies, and both thought the latest advertisement featuring Victor and his “russian comrade” vodka was hilarious. Although not quite in that order, which might have had something to do with how well that conversation went; now that Phichit’s had a few years to reflect on it.
Also, also Yuuri smiled - and it was so sweet, when Phichit told him about how he got into skating originally, with falling in love with skating he had seen on TV - and said that it was similar for him.
Just, totally, amazing!
And then one thing led to another, and now they were sharing a coach and Phichit was going to be studying in the USA! Which was also amazing! Because it was something Phichit had wanted to do, except the US could be super expensive and some Americans could be kind of scary but Yuuri was showing him the prices in Detroit which were actually not too bad, especially if you split with a roommate and his coach was open to taking another student so it was kinda like Cinderella if the fairy Godmother was also the most hilarious wingman in the world.*
(It was also win, win for Yuuri, given the stories that had come up after Phichit had moved to America, which ultimately resulted in a win for Phichit. In addition to Meat-Guy, and “let’s make an indoor skating rink” guy, there was also “Oh your family runs a sauna, I’ll ignore what you say about it being hot springs and continue with, so sad, you must miss it, let’s get creative with helping to remind you of home, by blocking the drains and the windows, sandbagging the toilet and then turning the showers on to their hottest levels and PARTY” guy.)
*
The first time Phichit had seen Yuuri drunk alarmed him, but now he just figured it was part of Yuuri’s cycle of working his way through whatever was stressing him out when just skating wasn’t enough. And honestly, letting Yuuri loose in the middle of a party and then standing to the edges and laughing while taking photographs just helped him with meeting some of the most interesting people.
~*A Few Years Earlier*~
Phichit grew up pretty lucky. He got to enjoy some of the best that Thailand had to offer, while being able to travel and have exposure to new things. It was how he had the opportunity to fall in love with “The King and the Skater”, a movie that had very mixed reactions in Thailand due to the conflict between wanting to support a Thai actor making it big on the international stage and well. Avoiding blasphemy.
Still, being fortunate enough, he had the opportunity to go and see Disney on Ice, in lots of countries. Awesome songs, awesome skating, what wasn’t to love? There were some really great competitors who would participate in the off season in shows like this, and it was a way to relax and be inspired without the pressure of competition.
He was really impressed by the Pumbaa skater - Phichit would never be able to skate on all fours like that, plus there was so much skill with the little jumps, and feigned clumsiness that was so carefully and artfully mastered on stage. And he played other roles too! Really well.
It was kinda disappointment when Phichit realised that it was only a few shows that he would be doing in the US, until he realised that was quite likely that they’d get to meet at Worlds later that year. Definitely an opportunity to pursue, with getting to see what Yuri Katsuki could bring out, when it was for a competition.
Face palming, Yuuri turned to Phichit and declared. “I take back everything I said about you being a sane room mate.”
“Aww but Yuuri, it really is an excellent fitness regime. Also, I'll let you delete the photos from that time you got drunk, and tried to prove you weren't drunk by riding a unicycle across the hall.”
Also convincing Yuuri to continue with the “Pole Dancing For Fitness” is earning Phichit a supply of tiny felted hamster costumes from Ellie, as Yuuri makes for an excellent mascot in showing the benefits of Pole Dancing For Fitness. The club's membership has doubled in size, just in this past month. Besides, how else is Phichit supposed to properly enjoy American holidays, if not by putting his hamsters in adorable costumes?
“The crazy thing is it really is.” Yuuri says as he goes back to working the pole. Yuuri is such a good friend, even if he is under the misapprehension that he's here as moral support for Phichit rather than the other way around.
Bless Yuuri’s competitive streak, and Christophe’s off hand comment that pole dancing had helped him keep the limberness he needed for making it to the podium, in the last cup he and Yuuri had competed together in. Talk like a pirate day was coming up, and for once Phichit would be prepared before hand!
Phichit was aware that his friendship with Yuuri could be misinterpreted. But oh man. Victor, giving him the back off glare was too funny!
Ahh, it really made Phichit want to skate his best, seeing one of the greatest skaters in the world look at him as a challenge.
(Also, it was brilliant for his instagram ratings.)