A/N: Welp, here's a third part that I forgot that I never uploaded to this site. Part of the 'A Study in Russian' series, this obviously takes place after 'When the Sun Sets in Barcelona'. Otabek is about 27-28, and Yuri is about 24-25. I never really decided.

Grocery Quirks

Things change, when you move in together.

At first, the relationship seems the same. The only thing different is that you don't have to go home at night, you're already there.

But then a few days pass, and you notice things that you've never noticed before, things that you never bothered to think about. The way that they lay their toothbrush over the edge of the sink, instead of putting it in the cup like proper. Or how they walk around the room butt naked, because it's too fucking hot in the summer. Your precious Potya shouldn't be seeing things like that in her old age, no matter how much you like it.

And now, in a grocery store, the most mundane of places. Otabek stood there, two cans of diced tomatoes in his hands, carefully comparing the two. His lips ghosted words as he read the labels, comparing something to something else. Then he leaned over to the shelf to compare the price.

Yuri wanted to smack him, and not in a kinky-this-is-sexy kind of way.

"Beka, just pick one," he finally said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You can't just pick one, Yura," he said, not bothering to glance up. "I'm not used to these brands, and I want to make sure that the sodium isn't too high. Not to mention the price-"

But Yuri had already stopped listening, rolling his eyes. He was pretty sure that was the longest sentence, he'd ever heard the man mutter in one go, and he'd known Otabek for a long time.

"Beka," he whined, "I don't care. What I do care about is making sure that date night actually happens. Which it won't, if we never move past this aisle."

Finally, Otabek looked at him, his lips quirking to the side the slightest of bits, and tossed a can into the cart. Yuri was about to praise God above, when Otabek moved the cart… only to stop two feet away, and start the same process over again. This time, with boxes of pasta.

But before he could say anything, Otabek lifted a finger, pausing him. "I'm making an effort to go faster," he said, choosing one and throwing it into the cart. But despite his promise to move faster, they picked their way through the store at a snail's pace.

Yuri didn't shop like this. Yuri never knew what he wanted, slid down the aisles and grabbed what he liked. Brand, price or type didn't matter, and it never would. But the moment he had stepped in with Otabek, his boyfriend had pulled out a crisp, neat little slip of paper, smoothing it out gently as he began to read.

A fucking grocery list.

Otabek might not have been eighty, but he sure acted like it sometimes.

When they turned down one more aisle, Yuri felt himself getting antsy. Finally, he just couldn't anymore and he said, "Hey, Beka." There was no answer, as the man in question was debating on what blend of coffee to try. Really, he should just do what he did, and that was not bother to make any at all, and just walk to the coffee shop every morning.

He stepped closer, sliding his arm around Otabek's waist, leaning down next to his ear. "Beka."

That time, he froze. In fact, that time, Otabek nearly dropped the beans in his hand, his body instantly on high alert. Yuri smirked at that, before pressing a quick kiss to the side of his head and pulling back. "Why don't we just get take out?" he finally asked. "Is cooking worth it? I'd rather just order something, laze on the couch and watch a shitty rom-com."

"Yuri, the pantry is empty."

"And we can fix that later. I'll even let you shop by yourself, at your convenience." Yuri swore that Otabek's gaze narrowed at him, just the tiniest of bits, and he huffed slightly in response. "We only have a few weeks Beka, until competition season picks up again. We're wasting time here, when we could be doing so many other things."

"Other things," Otabek repeated and Yuri smirked.

"Unless you'd rather read labels and compare-"

"Other things are perfect," his boyfriend cut in. "Other things are fantastic. And so is pizza, Potya and Pretty Woman."

Yuri frowned. "Did you have to include my cat?"

But Otabek only smiled back, letting go of the shopping cart. Yuri slipped his arm around him again, pulling him close. "Let's get out of here."

And so they did.