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Title: Up in the Air
Fandom: Yuri!!! on Ice
Rating: G
Word Count: 584
Characters/Ships: Yuuri Katsuki, Phichit Chulanont
Summary: Yuuri is far more comfortable with ice than water, especially when the later is hanging twenty-four stories in the air, but Phichit isn't about to let him miss out on an experience.

“Come on, Yuuri!” Phichit cajoles from the far side of the pool.

Back pressed to his side, hands clutching the edges as if the water is going to forcibly push him forward, Yuuri shades his head vehemently. “No way! I did not sign up for this!”

“Yuuri,” Phichit whines, “it's so cool! You're missing it!”

Yuuri presses closer to the pool wall, feeling the tile grind into his back. He likes it that way. It's better than looking at Phichit down at the other end – the end of the pool constructed entirely of transparent glass and jutting out over the edge of the hotel's twenty-fourth story into midair. No way. Yuuri does not want any part of that.

“You never told me you were afraid of heights,” Phichit says, swimming a little closer. “You know, it's not like it's gonna break or anything.”

Yuuri pales. “Thanks for that image!”

Phichit rolls his eyes fondly. “Come on, Yuuri, just come look one time. Just for a second.” He holds out a hand, wiggles his fingers. “I'll protect you.”

“Phichit...”

“You gotta step out of your comfort zone, Yuuri,” Phichit reasons, offering his hand again. “Adventure is out there.” He grins invitingly.

Yuuri squeezes his eyes closed even as he takes his best friend's hand. He has a feeling he's going to regret this, but he doesn't want to disappoint Phichit, and he knows the other boy isn't wrong.

When he blinks his eyes open again, his friend is grinning, his hand closing around Yuuri's like a vice. “No getting out of this now!” he sing-songs as he virtually drags Yuuri across the pool.

They approach the edge, where the floor turns to glass and continues into the air, and Yuuri's heart leaps into his throat, but he doesn't slow them down, afraid that if he does, he won't be able to go through with it after all.

The pool is shallow at this end as well, and his feet touch the bottom as Phichit leads him right up to the side. “Look!” exclaims, pointing. “You can see the whole city from here.”

“Whoa,” Yuuri breathes, stomach lurching as he looks around. The lights of the city shine all around them and far below, blurry and dancing, filtered by the glass and water. His heads swims a little, but it's not quite as scary as he thought. It's more surreal, and it is beautiful. How many people get to see the city from this point of view?

Not that that means he's happy staying here for long, mind you.

Phichit is looking at him with a pleased smile on his face. “Told you you would like it,” he says matter-of-factly. “What would you do without me?”

“My life would be so boring,” Yuuri deadpans, but there's a small smile on his face, too. Suddenly the sound of voices fills the night air as a large group of people arrives, and they're no longer alone on the pool deck. “Maybe we should clear out and give someone else a turn at the view?”

“That sounds like an excuse,” Phichit groans, but he takes Yuuri's hand again, and they start back across. “But I guess you're right. And we wouldn't want you to have a heart attack before the competition or anything.”

They reach the stairs and climb out, and Yuuri is grateful for solid, opaque ground beneath his feet once again. He'd rather be dealing with solid ice at ground level any day, thank you very much.