✶ this is your time!

His expression softened as Otabek continued to speak. How he knew the right things to say (and the best ways to make heat rush to his cheeks) must have all been part of that ‘dark and mysterious’ charm of his. Teeth grit as though it could have been the very action to help him will away the pink coloring before it could take over his face. Yuri needed to stick with the topic at hand - the annoyance he’d been dwelling on before opening his mouth - or he would have melted into a puddle right then and there.

“Tch,” the blond scoffed, picking up his discarded phone only long enough to check for any missed notifications hiding beneath the blacked-out screen. If nothing else, it gave him a chance to look at something other than the sweet skater sitting too close (and not close enough at the same time.) “You’d think that’d be their favorite too…” 

Really, if his ‘fans’ were as in love with him as they screamed at him, wouldn’t they have preferred the real version of him best as well? The thought of them being even more obsessed with him nearly made him shiver. Perhaps allowing them to cling to some crafted personification was for the best – it’d give him a way out, by being himself – should any of them ever get a hand on him for longer than a few selfies. 

“Besides…” Yuri felt as though he was grinding his teeth to hear the words in his head even before they were out in the open. “Shattering who they want me to be wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t shown up.” 

“It is for the people that matter.” Although it wasn’t in nearly the same capacity, Otabek was well-accustomed to dealing with the overwrought opinions of others. It was due to his allowance of their influence that he took so long to discover who he was as a skater, and where he wanted to go. In truth, if he had continued to listen with any intensity to those who informed him that there was only one way to skate and his wasn’t it, he likely wouldn’t be sitting on the bed next to Yuri in that moment ( it wasn’t an outcome he wanted to dwell upon, leading to its swift eviction from his thoughts ).

The presence of a warm flush rising along Yuri’s skin was a simple distraction, one which chased away any other such negativity. Although Otabek didn’t vocalize his notice of it, the sight still managed to coax the most subtle of grins to his lips. There were so many sides to Yuri, each of which he thoroughly enjoyed for its own merits. This one, however, only aided in emphasizing Yuri’s attractive features.

His dark eyes blinked at Yuri’s next assertion. “You might be giving me too much credit.” Otabek found it highly suspect that Yuri couldn’t accomplish anything the blond’s mind was set to. Either way, it sent a warmth blooming in his chest that Yuri would count him as integral in that way. 

“I think we all do right now, though I suppose the two of us have a bit more time to get ready at least.” Yuuri agrees, knowing he’s certainly been a bit more distracted in the past few weeks now that the pressure is on once more. But he’s getting more used to it now, handling it better than he might have just a couple years ago when every competition was so daunting. Though…being so close to the top comes with its own new set of anxieties, but it’s not so bad. 

“I haven’t found any, no, but…there are a few restaurants he likes in the area.” He offers with a soft hum, hooking his thumbs in the straps of his backpack as he walks. “I’ll write them down for you, if you want; a lot of them aren’t ones he’s explicitly said were his favorite, but you know how it is, sometimes you just have to read into it a little more.”

Otabek allows a firm nod of his head in agreement with Yuuri’s statement. Regardless of how far off a competition might seem, the time lapse did little to take his mind from all that he hoped to accomplish before then. “I’m looking forward to seeing you skate again.” The words leave his lips before he can think better of them, although there’s no point in which them back ( they’re not untrue, after all ). While Otabek harbors a tendency to watch a majority of the skaters he’s up against, there are a few which bring him a particular sort of enjoyment to view. Yuuri’s style is quite different from his own, yet is imbued with a touch of the vulnerable and open he’s been attempting to work into his own programs as of late.

@stoicskater 

idea: ex skater friends / competitors meeting again for the first time since reo had his accident and stopped skating and reo isn’t very happy about it.

“I’m not here by choice so shut it Otabek.” Reo mutters, looking down at the ground as he shoves his hands into his pockets and kicks the ground gently with the toes on his bad leg. He wouldn’t have come if he knew the other was here, he was only supposed to be meeting Uno - and despite having insisted they meet outside Uno had been able to convince him to wait inside by the rink - not seeing everyone again. People he had competed with or against when they were minors, when he used to skate, some people he had trained with in the past, it was a lot to see everyone again. Reo had forgotten there was a competition here in a few days he should have known something was up when Uno had insisted they had to meet here today. “Look just - just tell Uno when he shows up that I’ll be waiting outside.”

That’s a question Otabek has never contemplated before. While he’s aware of their intrinsic adoration for Yuri, a devotion which would have been impossible to ignore, they’ve exhibited something of a more protective side, as well. When he and Yuri were first reintroduced, the photographs snapped of them racing through Barcelona on the back of his motorcycle hadn’t been entirely well-received. Of course, without an understanding of Otabek’s skill as a driver, it wasn’t utterly absurd for the Angels to worry for Yuri’s safety. He hadn’t anticipated their attentions, despite his burgeoning relationship with Yuri; however, he had obtained it, regardless.

“It depends on which ones you’re talking to.” A few of the fans, particularly younger ones still clutching pre-teen fantasies, harbor animosity concerning the access he has to their idol ( perceiving his relationship with Yuri as one which inhibits forming one of their own ). “Some of them enjoy our friendship too much.” For every girl who glared at Otabek for stealing their chance, there were two who squealed with excitement each time he and Yuri appeared in public together, or were spotted with lowered guards acting just a bit too comfortable. “I wouldn’t say either of those categories are my fans, though.”

@stoicskater wanted yuri

“If it was up to me, I’d tell them all to go home and stop wasting their time.” Well, that and that they were all borderline psychotic assholes for stalking him on a regular basis. It was their fault he couldn’t have the kind of freedom he wanted. Of course fans were part of the job, but none of the others had people that crazy ganging up and trying to (literally) sniff him out. 

Turning to look at his companion from a near upright position, Yuri stretched himself out across the rest of Otabek’s bed and sat up with his legs tucked beneath him. “How do they expect me to have a ‘reputation’ when they keep telling me what I can’t say?” 

“Because they want your image to be something they control.” When Yuri’s hair splayed out across the top of his comforter, Otabek was tempted to run his fingers through the strands ( an impulse alleviated as Yuri resumed an upright position once more ). Likely, it was for the best. He couldn’t quite focus on anything else when caught up in those little aspects of Yuri most couldn’t hope to lay claim to. 

Along with this hoodie, there is a birthday card that’s covered in cats, and a note that says part two of the gift will come later~ (love, yuri… obviously xD)

“Thanks, Yura.”

The elevator doors had only slid shut a few seconds prior, yet the feeling was quite mutual. They had begun with mere teasing before entering the hotel lobby that evening; Yuri squeezing a little too high up on Otabek’s thigh, his hand on the small of the blond’s back traveling lower than it should have. By the time they started the ascent to their room, he was certain the dusting of color along his cheekbones was practically permanent. A brief pause hung in the air following Yuri’s assertion, and though he remained as unaffected as ever to a casual observer, someone who knew him would notice the slacking of his jaw in surprise paired with a slight darkening of the faint flush upon his skin. While Otabek maintained a thoughtful approach to his relationship with Yuri, considering the fan base his fellow skater had garnered, moments like this one threatened to crack his resolve. How was he supposed to operate with propriety when he had Yuri purring such sentiments in his ear? Although, knowing Yuri, that was entirely the point. 

Before he might think better of it, he reached out to press the stop button by the elevator door. “You really like to make things difficult for me.” The admonishment was uttered low in Otabek’s throat, yet enjoyment tinged the edges of it. His hands finding a firm home on Yuri’s hips, he pressed his boyfriend back against the wall of the lift as their lips met. Provoked, he was far less concerned with easing into the scenario than he was generally inclined to be — his tongue was already pressing into Yuri’s mouth, the front of his jeans too tight for comfort. Rough fingers on Yuri’s waist were quick to move on, fumbling with the button of the other’s slacks. “Someone could call for the elevator, I’m sure you know that.” In spite of his own words groaned into Yuri’s mouth, Otabek pushed the fabric lower down until he could feel soft skin beneath his touch. “Dammit, Yura.” His thoughts were hazy with far too much of everything, and if it were entirely possible to fuck Yuri right in the elevator, he harbored no doubts in his mind that he would have done so.

unsurprisingly, otabek doesn’t say a whole lot. he seemed like the kind of guy to not want to say anything unnecessary, keeping to himself and his handful of friends– though, of course, that was only based on guanghong’s assumptions. guanghong himself could probably also come off as quiet to those who didn’t know him well, but that was due to shyness rather than not being social. once he was a little more comfortable around someone, he could ramble on and on about his passions. however, though he doesn’t feel uncomfortable around otabek, his current tendency to ramble was more a result of wanting to fill the silence– but also a genuine wish to talk to otabek.

he’s both grateful and relieved when otabek speaks up. surely it must be a sign that otabek was genuinely curious, rather than just listening to guanghong out of courtesy– right?

“i’m from wuhan, the capital of hubei province. it’s, ah, further south, a little closer to shanghai.” wuhan may be a big city, but guanghong doesn’t know how much otabek knows about china. he’s met plenty of people who’s never heard of wuhan nor hubei, and so he’s taken to explaining their location by comparing them to the bigger, well-known cities. “it’s not super far away from here– about 2 hours by plane, so i visit whenever i can.” he smiles sheepishly, “which is, ah, not super often actually. but i don’t really mind– i like living here in beijing.” he’s long since learned to find beauty in this concrete jungle that surrounds them now. “what do you think about beijing? is it different from where you live?”

Nodding briefly, Otabek sifts through the various information he had read through about China, both before this trip and prior ones. While his passion for his home country is undeniably strong, it also brings with it a desire to learn of the places he plans to visit. If his fellow skaters visited Kazakhstan he would hope they would treat his culture with the same respect. As it is, Otabek can recall a decent amount concerning the more populous cities in China, one of which Guanghong just so happens to hail from. “Wuhan is one of the bigger cities, right?” He wishes it were closer; if not for Guanghong’s sake, then so that he might experience where his companion grew up. Voice slightly softer, he tacks on, “Where someone’s from tells you a lot about who they are.”

Determined to shake himself of his almost wistful preoccupation, Otabek tilts his head back to glance up at the sky. The brilliant blue was framed by the tops of skyscrapers ( there are still so many places he hopes to visit here, if he can find the time ).

Confusion was all the blond could offer in response to those words. Just what was this guy playing at? None of the others had given him food – and Yuri doubted any of them would have given him that kind of confirmation if they had. Was he supposed to trust this one? Special treatment wasn’t something he’d seen any of the other captives receiving. Then again, none of the other guards seemed to try to convince their captors that they could see some small part of their side, either.

Taking a piece of the bread, the witch brought it to his mouth to hold between his teeth while tucking the rest away. There was a chance of someone catching him if he tried eating it all in that moment – that or he would eat it too fast and potentially make himself sick. If possible, he would have liked to avoid both of those options. Instead of keeping the original wrapper, Yuri ripped another piece of cloth from what he was wearing and wrapped it in that before hiding it behind a collection of stones (thankful that they were kicked about and left to clutter their space rather than being cleared away.) 

Turning to lean against the bars with his back to the wall, he continued to eat. It gave him a chance to think over a way to reply. Tell the truth? Or spin a tale that could have made him look like he was new to it all? Clearly, the latter could have presented problems for him, should the one outside of his cell have known just how involved the blond was in his craft. His steady gaze returned to the ground, the wrapper pushed back to the other side. “I knew I could use it when my grandpa told me I could.” 

Lessons started as a child; the two of them together, working to discover all he could do and what his limits were. How they changed as he grew older and continued to get better at different tasks. Yuri found himself toying with the last of the piece in his hands, scratching at it rather than eating it, wanting somewhere to focus that wasn’t the person asking for his life story while simultaneously helping to condemn him for it. “He taught me for as long as he could – but we got separated when someone found us.” Another scared someone that wouldn’t take the time to understand them even in the least. 

Lifting his attention to his own personal caretaker – or so it seemed – Yuri sighed. “We would have been caught if we hadn’t split up. When I went back to look for him, to see if he’d had the same idea, there was nothing left.” Even so… back then, he still had a life outside of a tiny prison cell and a countdown to his death. Brushing his hands through matted hair, his hands moved to the ground, tearing at the moss growing between the cracks in the ground beneath himself. “And now I’m here, in this hell.“

Anger seeped into place, heated his blood and made him feel like throwing up. “But I promise – the day they take me out of here…” He crushed the drying bits between his fingers and watched them fall back to the filthy ground again; volume returning to a more audible level with every word. If they were going to treat him like some unhinged, murderous creature, he would give them exactly what they were asking for. “I won’t be the only one dying that day. I’ll show them what happens when you provoke us.”

Distrust was evident in those iridescent eyes ( they housed a gaze that seemed to arrest Otabek in spite of himself ). While an aspect of him wished that he might make the boy aware of his intentions, he was struck by another thought: perhaps it would be easier it the witch wasn’t muddled with the confusion of whether or not he was worthy of trust. Would it be simpler to lean on blind, deserved hatred of the captors? He was no longer certain of how to proceed, although he knew that he couldn’t bring himself to abandon the blond. 

From a few swift, undetected glances, Otabek surveyed the method undertaken to stow away the remaining bits of food. It was quite smart; after all, if the rations were discovered during a guard change, they would very likely both be dragged into trouble. Compassion of any sort for the witches housed within the jail cells was taken as a capital offense, the markings of a traitor or one who would suffer no qualms towards helping heathens.

Continued musings were interrupted by the sound of a reply to his previous inquiry, unexpected though hardly unwelcome. He meant to maintain an aloof demeanor, yet there was no masking the intrigue in his countenance. Grandfather? Did that suggest that the ability to perform magic ran in familial bloodlines? The implications hit Otabek with a sudden severity, his shoulder slumping to lean against the old, brick wall beside him.

Surely, he didn’t possess such powers. His mother would have told him if he did — wouldn’t she? Unless she refrained from disclosing the information out of a fear that opening Otabek’s mind to the possibility could have resulted in a kind of awakening within him, leading to his own death at the hands of their village. Thoughts and countermeasures overwhelmed his mind, overlapping one another until they were a mere jumble of incoherent ideas. 

He had to refocus his judgement, or the questions he was now holding onto would submerge him. “Nothing? Do you think he’s still alive?” Perhaps the family of Otabek’s mother survived as well, concealing themselves from the world that had forsaken them and their ways. His chest felt tight, as if his lungs were constricting and he would soon forget how to breathe altogether. Falling into a crouch to see the boy’s face, discretion was no longer at the forefront of his concerns. 

Headcanon Prompt Repost or Reblog & bold what applies to your muse

active | adaptable | admirable | adventurous | agreeable | alert | appreciative | aspiring | attractive | balanced | benevolent | calm | capable | caring | charismatic | charming | cheerful | clean | compassionate | confident | considerate | cooperative | courageous | creative | cultured | curious | daring | decisive | dedicated | dignified | discreet | dramatic | dutiful | educated | elegant | empathetic | energetic | faithful | farsighted | firm | flexible | forceful | forgiving | friendly | fun-loving | gallant | generous | gentle | genuine | hardworking | healthy | helpful | heroic | honest | honourable | idealistic | independent | intelligent | kind | loyal | mature | modest | observant | optimistic | organised | passionate | patient | peaceful | playful | popular | precise | protective | realistic | reliable | respectful | responsible | romantic | sane | scrupulous | selfless | self-critical | self-reliant | self-sufficient | sensitive | serious | skilful | sophisticated | spontaneous | stoic | strong | suave | subtle | sweet | sympathetic | tolerant | trusting | understanding | vivacious | warm | wise | witty | youthful TAGGING: @mckeitbeautiful @whatswrng @madefate @terraluminosa @solarsurfer @alorsspooky @allxtherightplaces @tobleedgold and whoever else would like to do this!