mckeitbeautiful:
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.
Leaning against his right palm, planted atop the mattress, he paused for a moment. “Do you have anything in mind that you want to do that makes you feel more in control?” Otabek’s lips pressed together before he continued, “If you don’t, I have a suggestion.”
