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Phichit stretched and looked out the window into his family's garden. It was nice being home. He'd missed his family, this house, the lush garden, even the oppressive humidity. He let out a happy sigh and pulled out his phone to take a picture for instagram of the sunrise coming through the trees and falling onto the small lap pool, glinting off the wake left by a swimmer. He couldn't make out who it was.
Then Celestino pushed himself out of the pool and Phichit choked, fumbled with his phone, and just barely managed to grab it before it hit the floor. The early morning sun gleamed on Celestino's wet chest, highlighting his still incredibly good abs and growing tan, and those tiny, wet speedos were hiding absolutely nothing. Celestino saw him and gave a wave, and Phichit had barely lifted a hand in response before Celestino turned around and walked to the separate, little house on the property the family was letting him live in. It gave Phichit a rather amazing view of the speedos hugging his ass.
Oh, he was so fucked.
-
Celestino had kind of crept up on him. It had probably started the first time he and Yuuri had stumbled upon Celestino using the rink's weight room, sweat glistening on his skin. Or maybe it had been the first time they were playing around on the ice, and Phichit had watched Celestino pull Yuuri into one of the simple ice dance moves, the ones Yuuri could copy almost instinctively and Phichit could barely do at all. Or possibly it had been the first time he'd quoted the King and the Skater and Celestino had just raised an eyebrow and given him the next line.
But really, if Phichit was being completely honest with himself, it had started the first time he'd watched the free dance from Nagano and seen Celestino in his deep red shirt with a neckline that practically went down to his waist, twirling little Laura Miniati around the ice like it was nothing.
-
Help! Phichit typed, and waited impatiently for Yuuri to respond.
Do you know what time it is?
Phichit glanced at the clock and rolled his eyes. Yuuri was two hours ahead of him, the big baby. More than time for you to get up and HELP ME!
What's wrong?
Ciao Ciao was using the lap pool in tiny speedos that clung perfectly to his ass. And the sun was shining on his pretty, pretty abs.
There was a long pause and Phichit flicked over to skim through twitter as he was waiting.
Did you know Victor Nikiforov has the Olympic rings tattooed on his inner thigh? Because I caught a glimpse of them last night. In the onsen he was sharing with me. While naked. And then I had to admit I was looking when I awkwardly told him that I don't care, but if anyone else is in the bath, he has to cover it.
Phichit threw himself back on his bed and sighed, staring up at the ceiling. We are so fucked.
Just jerk off to the free dance from Nagano again. Yuuri followed that immediately with the youtube link.
He and Yuuri understood each other far too well. Phichit thought for a moment, dug up a link for the cabaret-themed free skate that had won Victor his second World Championship, and sent it back with a smile.
Then he settled in to watch that free dance. He had a few minutes before he had to leave for his morning run.
-
Sometimes, Phichit wondered if his crush on Celestino wasn't entirely one-sided. He'd catch Celestino looking at him a certain way and think that yes, Celestino had definitely been checking him out. A casual touch would linger a bit longer than normal, or his hand would leave Phichit's skin with what almost felt like a caress.
But whenever he tried to bring it up – very obliquely, of course – Celestino would seem to have no idea what Phichit was talking about. Whether it was all in Phichit's head or Celestino was just politely turning him down didn't matter. Phichit could take a hint, and he wanted Celestino to stay around, to stay his coach, too much to press it. No matter how much he sometimes wanted to.
It was a crush, that's all. A huge, persistent crush on a beautiful, wonderful man. He'd ignored crushes before, and he undoubtedly would again. There was nothing more to it.
-
Phichit's phone vibrated as he walking back into the house. He pulled it out and grinned down at it.
Yuuri's message was simple. The cabaret skate, Phichit? Really?
Phichit had just started to reply when Yuuri followed that up with a youtube link. Phichit hesitated for a moment and then opened it with trepidation, almost positive he knew what it was going to be. The familiar video started playing and Phichit flushed.
It was the tango Celestino had done with Anton Vasin at an ice show just after he'd retired. They were both shirtless, and Celestino's hair was loose and flowing. The way they looked at each other, the way they touched each other, and the entirety of the way the routine was structured made it feel more like public foreplay than anything else. He watched as Celestino slowly dragged his fingertips down Anton's glistening chest and swallowed.
Oh, this was war.
Phichit searched for the one Victor routine even Yuuri was embarrassed to be caught watching, the one from the ice show just after he'd cut his hair and went through what Phichit considered to be his "fuck you, I'm an Adult" phase. The one where he was wearing almost nothing but a glittery nearly sheer bodysuit and really wanted you to notice. Phichit honestly thought it was hilarious, but he knew Yuuri had a slightly different reaction.
He copied the link into the message window and vindictively pressed send.
Then he went back and watched Celestino and Anton again. He needed to rinse off in the shower before he left anyway.
-
Deciding to move back to Thailand had been simultaneously extremely simple and extremely hard. He had missed Bangkok fiercely – the bustle, the smells, the sound of his native language, and really, just the general feel of just being home. And he had missed his family. Sure, he'd talked to them all the time, and unlike Yuuri he hadn't been putting himself under weird, self-imposed banishment and had gone home for a few weeks every summer, but it still hadn't been the same. He'd missed so much of his sisters growing up, and his family had missed so much of his. Plus, if he wanted to help introduce Thailand to how amazing skating was, it would really help to actually be in Thailand.
So he'd been thinking about it. And then Yuuri had announced his decision to leave, finally going back to Japan, and he'd started thinking about it even more. But Bangkok had barely any rinks and there were no high-level coaches based there. He'd known he could afford to bring a coach or two over and compensate them for not having many, if any, other students – his parents had assured him of that many times – but he'd not wanted just any coach. He'd wanted Celestino. He and Celestino worked together fantastically well, and, well. Phichit just liked him. More than he was really willing to examine. And Celestino was based in Detroit.
The solution would come to him eventually.
-
Yuuri finally responded while Phichit was making his way to the rink. I hate you.
Phichit huffed out a laugh. You love me!
Keep telling yourself that.
Yuuri followed that up immediately with a picture, and Phichit almost tripped over his own feet as it loaded. It was from that series of magazine ads Celestino had done in the mid 90s, the ones for a line of men's underwear. Celestino was in tight boxer briefs, and the lighting was purposefully accentuating his bulge. Phichit attempted to forcibly remind his dick that he'd already gotten off today and also they were in public, thank you.
Yuuri was a horrible enabler.
There was only one response he could make to that. He stopped and leaned against a wall, trying different keywords in image search to find the exact picture he wanted - the magazine ad Yuuri had briefly taped to his bedroom wall, before he'd torn it down and frantically thrown it away in a fit of conscience a week later. Well, he'd said he'd thrown it away. Phichit suspected it had actually gotten put carefully in a folder in somewhere.
Four tweaked keywords later, Phichit finally found it. Victor Nikiforov, wearing absolutely nothing but an extremely expensive watch, with only a carefully placed shadow hiding his goods from the world. Sure, Yuuri had seen the actual goods now, but Phichit was fairly sure staring and drooling wasn't good onsen etiquette.
He sent it off with a smile.
-
Phichit wasn't quite sure why Celestino had agreed to move with him to Thailand. He'd had other students in Detroit. Not many, and none quite at Yuuri and Phichit's level, but Jenna had been close to reaching it. Phichit knew she'd been talking about maybe trying a different coach, one closer to home, but she hadn't made a decision yet when Phichit had started talking about moving home to Bangkok.
Still, when Phichit had first floated the possibility of Celestino relocating, Celestino had just looked at him, his eyes piercing, like he was thinking long and hard.
"You really want me to come with you?" Celestino had finally asked, with something Phichit hadn't been able to recognize in his voice.
"Yes," Phichit had responded seriously. "Please. You're my coach, Ciao Ciao. I miss home, but I don't want to replace you. We work too well together." He'd smiled then. "And I know you'll love it!"
Celestino had nodded slowly, and put his hand on Phichit's shoulder. "Then I guess I'm moving to Bangkok."
Phichit still wasn't sure why he'd come, but he was glad he had. He knew deep in his gut that, home though it was, Bangkok would feel like it was missing something if Celestino wasn't there.
-
When Phichit got to the rink, Celestino was already there and out on the ice in his street shoes, helping a little girl stay on her feet. Phichit smiled and watched as he steadied her. It was different here, practicing in a small, public rink, but it was good, too. It meant children like her were more likely to see him skating, and to maybe be inspired to reach for new heights of their own. And the thought that Celestino was helping, well. It made him feel warm in a way he was actively trying not to think about.
Phichit pulled out his phone to snap a quick picture of them, and noticed Yuuri had sent him another message. He opened it and stared at the link to an imgur gallery, no text attached. He knew what that had to be a link to, because there was only one more level of escalation this could really reach - unless Victor or Celestino had a sex tape out there Phichit didn't know about, and they didn't, because seriously, Phichit would know about it - and he was not opening Celestino's post-Olympic gold nude photo shoot in public. He wasn't.
Okay, maybe just a quick peek to make sure that's actually what it was. He clicked on it, carefully trying to hide his screen from anyone who might see it.
"Ciao Ciao!" Celestino said cheerfully, right next to him.
Phichit very definitely did not squeak. He quickly turned off his phone screen and turned to Celestino with a smile. "Sawasdee Krab!"
"Ready to get to work?" Celestino asked, his mouth twitching up, and held out his hand for Phichit's phone. The girl was leaving with an adult behind him.
Their hands brushed as Phichit handed his phone over, and he felt the heat of it like a shock. This was getting ridiculous. "Definitely."
Celestino nodded and put the phone down on the side boards. He patted Phichit on the back, leaving his hand there for almost a moment too long, and Phichit struggled not to lean into it. "Let's start with Terra Incognita today."
Phichit took a deep breath and smiled, shaking out his shoulders. It was time to do the thing he loved more than anything else in the world, and work on sharing that love with his people. He took off his guards and stepped out onto the ice, reveling in the feeling of being exactly where he belonged.
-
When Phichit had informed his family he was moving home, they were ecstatic. He'd been living abroad since he was twelve, after all, first in Vancouver with his aunt, then to a family friend and a better coach in southern California, and then lastly moving alone to Detroit and Celestino for his final Junior season and his Senior debut. He'd wanted to skate, more than anything, and the resources for it just hadn't been there in Thailand – not yet. He was going to change that, someday.
But through their excitement, they'd also been a bit wary. How was he going to train? Had he made arrangements with any of the local rinks? Who was going to coach him? He'd assured them that one of the rinks had guaranteed him ice time for a decent price and some publicity, and then told them about Celestino.
One of his sisters had burst out laughing. "Your hot older coach is coming with you?" she'd asked, teasing. "Should we set up the little house for the two of you to share?"
"It's not like that!"
"Ah, but you'd like it to be," she'd said with a smile.
Phichit had laughed with a shrug, not denying it.
"Well, he is rich and very pretty, if a bit old for you," his mother had said slowly, her mouth twitching upwards. "A worthy addition to the family."
"I'm hanging up now," he'd said, and done so.
-
Phichit fell out of his quad toe-loop and swore quietly. He had this, he knew he did. He'd been landing it perfectly all week.
"Phichit?" Celestino called out.
Phichit waved a hand at him and got up. Ouch. He was going to have to ice that later. "I'm fine!" He skated over to the boards for a drink of water. "I'm sorry, I'm just a bit distracted today."
"Is something wrong?" The worry in Celestino's voice was real, and Phichit couldn't help but feel warmed by it.
"No, everything's fine!" Phichit smiled at him. "Just thinking about something I saw this morning."
Celestino laughed and shook his head. "Of course. Well, get your mind back on the ice, and go out and show me that jump."
Phichit nodded and went back out to center ice. He built up the needed momentum and went into his quad toe-loop again, landing it perfectly.
"Very good!" Celestino called out. "I want you to start again from the beginning." He looked down. "Ah, you have a message from Satsuki. Do you want me to read it to you?"
This was why Celestino kept his phone during practice. Phichit gave him the passcode ages ago, because normally he didn't care, and he liked to keep on top of things if they seemed like they might be important, like messages from his secondary coach. But today, well.
Phichit started skating back to the boards, holding out his hand. "Ciao Ciao, no, it's fine, you don't…." He trailed off as Celestino looked up from the phone.
"Phichit," Celestino asked slowly, with a tone of voice Phichit couldn't quite interpret, "why is my nude photo spread open on your phone?"
"I can explain?"
Celestino raised an eyebrow.
Phichit opened his mouth and realized that he couldn't, actually, at least not in a way that would dig him out of this hole. He sighed and resigned himself to his fate. "Yuuri and I have been one-upping each other all morning by sending more and more risqué pictures and videos of the other's coach?" Phichit shrugged and smiled wryly. "I didn't say it was a good explanation."
Celestino's mouth twitched and Phichit's heart felt like it skipped a beat. "I can see why it would be entertaining to send Yuuri risqué pictures of Victor Nikiforov," Celestino said, since everyone could see Yuuri's crush from space, "but why would he send pictures of me back?"
Phichit felt his face flush and he attempted to smile brightly. "No reason!" he said cheerfully, reaching to grab his phone.
Celestino grabbed his hand and Phichit stilled, staring at it. "Phichit. Look at me." Phichit looked up. Celestino was smiling softly, his eyes seemingly boring straight into Phichit's soul. "All you've ever had to do is ask."
Phichit blinked at him. "I thought I had, before. In Detroit. You ignored me."
Celestino shrugged and smiled a bit ruefully, rubbing his thumb lightly across Phichit's palm. Phichit could barely feel anything else. "You didn't ask, Phichit. You dropped hints, and wanted me to pick them up and make the first move. I'm your coach, and I'm twenty-five years older than you. I can't make that move. Ask."
Phichit sucked in a breath and looked at him, feeling the smile bloom on his face. "Ciao Ciao," he said slowly, breathless and heady, "how would you like to skip the rest of practice today and spend the day in bed instead?"
Celestino let out a quiet laugh, letting go of Phichit's hand to reach out and caress the side of his face. Phichit pressed into it like a cat. "I'd like nothing better," Celestino said quietly.
Phichit leaned forward and reached up, bringing Celestino's head down, and kissed him. His lips were soft and Phichit breathed in the scent of his aftershave. Celestino tried to deepen it, and Phichit broke it off, skating backwards and grinning at Celestino's resulting groan. "Not until we get back to your little house!"
Celestino's smile was wide and breathtaking.
-
Phichit slammed Celestino against the wall, kicking the door shut behind them. He caught Celestino's mouth with his, nibbling at his lower lip. Celestino's hands clutched at his hips, and Phichit reached down to pull up his shirt.
Celestino pulled back. "Bedroom. I have a bedroom."
Phichit grinned. "You should take me there, then."
Celestino raised an eyebrow and smiled, quickly sweeping Phichit up into a princess carry.
Phichit laughed and threw his arms around his neck. "Ciao Ciao! Are you sure your back is up to this?"
Celestino took a few steps, staggered, and put him down, flushing. "Ah. Perhaps not."
Phichit grabbed his hand and dragged him into the bedroom. "You can make it up to me."
"And how am I going to do that?" Celestino asked with a smile.
Phichit pulled off his shirt and wiggled off his pants. He could feel Celestino's eyes tracking his every move, hungry. It made him feel incredibly powerful. He pulled down his underwear and tossed it on the floor, sitting down on the edge of the mattress. He looked up at Celestino with a grin. "You're going to blow me."
"Oh I am, am I?" Celestino's voice was dark and his eyes were roaming over Phichit's skin like they were soaking him in.
Phichit reached out and pulled at Celestino's belt loops. Celestino came forward with a yelp, and Phichit lifted up his shirt and kissed his stomach. Celestino pulled his shirt the rest of the way off and brought his hand down to stroke Phichit's hair.
"Are you sure it's not going to be the other way around?" Celestino asked with a laugh.
"Mmm, positive," Phichit said, looking up at Celestino and biting his lip in that way that had always seemed to make the boys in Detroit crazy. "You're going to blow me, and then afterwards," he said, running his fingers over Celestino's abs and leaning in for another kiss, "I'm going to ride you."
Celestino sucked in a breath, and pushed Phichit back onto the bed. "Well, I'm not doing it with you sitting on the edge of the bed. I have old knees."
Phichit laughed and scrambled up the bed to sit against the headboard. He watched as Celestino took off his pants and sighed happily.
He was so glad Celestino had come with him to Bangkok. Together, they were home.
-
Phichit lay with his head on Celestino's chest, running his hand down it and twirling his fingers lightly through the dusting of hair. The afternoon sun played over it as Celestino breathed, fast asleep.
This had turned out to be a completely fantastic day.
The sun glinted off the glass of his phone on the floor, and he lifted up, stretched, and reached down, skimming his fingers over it and just barely managing to grab it. He settled back in on top of Celestino, smiling at how soft and warm he was, and turned it on. He sent off a quick response to Satsuki, promising to see her tomorrow, and eyed his message chain with Yuuri.
He grinned to himself and brought the phone up, carefully framing himself and Celestino. It was extremely obvious what they'd been doing while showing nothing he wasn't willing to have accidentally leak online. He snapped the picture, quickly opened it in an editing app for simple white balance and brightness/contrast correction, and looked at it, nodding to himself. Perfect.
He opened his message chain with Yuuri and sent it. Your turn!