Chapter 9
As an elite figure skater, Yuri was accustomed to traveling long distances all around the world for competitions. Over the years, he'd been to Sochi, Moscow, Mississauga, Barcelona, Marsaille, Nagoya, Turin, Osaka, Ostrava, Minsk, Graz, Zagreb, Talinn, Helsinki, Milan, Saitama, Montreal, Stockholm, Montpellier, Pyeongchang, Beijing – more cities than he even had the capacity to remember, and that wasn't even including his multiple visits to Hasetsu to visit Yuuri and Victor or to Almaty before Otabek had decided to train with him and Mila in St. Petersburg.
But by the time they finally landed in Hawaii, Yuri was ready to swear off getting on another plane for the rest of his life.
Flying from St. Petersburg to Honolulu had taken nearly forty hours, almost two full days of travel with extended layover stops in Amsterdam and Vancouver. (Luckily, Isabella was nearing the last month of her pregnancy, so JJ had decided not to make the trek across country to meet them as he had originally planned when he first heard they would be stopping in Canada, for which Yuri was eternally grateful.) Then, if that wasn't already bad enough, when they had finally reached the islands, they had needed to catch yet another plane from Honolulu to their remote final destination of Lanai City. The flight was only about thirty-five minutes long, but the extra plane ride did nothing to improve Yuri's grouchiness.
"Please tell me we're finally done with flying," he begged as they walked over to baggage claim.
"Don't worry. That was the last flight," Otabek assured him, grabbing Yuri's distinctive leopard-print suitcase from the carousel as it passed by. "At least for today."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Uh, we may be scheduled to go on a helicopter ride a few days from now? Also, you know we're going to have to fly back to Russia eventually."
"Do we have to?"
"Yeah?"
Yuri groaned, leaning against Otabek's shoulder. He was not looking forward to the return trip at all, but on the bright side, he had already upgraded their seats to first class. If he had to suffer through another two days of economy seating, he would not be liable for anything he might do.
"Somebody needs to invent one of those teleportation-thingies," Yuri said once they had gathered the rest of their luggage and boarded the shuttle bus to the resort.
"You mean like the transporters in Star Trek?"
"Yeah, like those! And, oh my god, you're such a nerd."
"It would be nice not to waste so much time traveling to competitions," Otabek admitted, completely ignoring Yuri's other remark.
"Bet jet lag would be a bitch, though."
"Probably."
"I'd rather deal with jet lag than spending countless hours on a plane with nothing to do, though."
"That's why I told you to bring a couple of books to read on the flight."
"Nah, not my thing. And, again, you're such a nerd," he teased.
Otabek chuckled, not offended at all.
A short time later, they finally arrived at the ritzy Four Seasons Resort where they would be staying for the duration of their trip. As Otabek was much more fluent in English than Yuri was, he was the one who checked them in at the front desk. A few minutes later, a bellhop led them to their suite.
It was a gorgeous room, a definite upgrade from the hotel rooms they usually stayed in when they were competing. Though Yuri had complained about having to fly coach, he supposed it was worth it for the opportunity to spend the next few days in such luxury. Decorated in warm browns and creams, the suite had a contemporary style paired with traditional Hawaiian touches, a private lanai attached to the room by sliding glass doors looking out onto a stunning ocean view.
Everything was perfect, except for…
"There are two beds," Yuri said in confusion after Otabek had tipped the bellhop. Had they been taken to the wrong suite by mistake? Since the trip had originally been planned as a romantic getaway for Otabek and Mila, he had expected only one bed in the room.
"I changed the reservation to a double," Otabek explained, setting his suitcase on the bed closest to the door and starting to unpack. "I thought you would be more comfortable if we had separate beds."
"Oh, y-yeah. Thanks."
Yuri pushed a strand of hair behind his ear. A part of him was relieved. He'd been kind of nervous about the idea of sharing a bed with Otabek for five nights, but… Well, at least they both appeared to be queen-sized beds. If they did end up having sex, there would be plenty of room for them to share, unlike last time in his cramped childhood bed.
And that was still a very big if. He'd brought the supplies along, just in case, but Yuri hadn't decided if he wanted to go through with it or not. Sometimes he was certain, determined to make one of Otabek's biggest dreams come true. Other times, the thought of letting Otabek fuck him made him want to hurl.
Right now, his stomach was tied up in knots.
"Yura…Yura!"
The sharpness of Otabek's voice indicated he'd been trying to get Yuri's attention for a while. "Hey, you okay?" he asked in a softer voice when Yuri looked up.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine." Yuri moved from his spot next to the door and took a seat on the other bed. "Just tired, I guess," he said with a shrug.
It wasn't a lie. It was only around eight o'clock, Hawaii time, but after so much traveling, all he wanted to do was sink into the ridiculously comfortable mattress he was sitting on and sleep for the next twelve hours straight. At least their jet lag shouldn't be too bad, since they had arrived so late in the evening.
"It's been a long day," Otabek agreed. "Do you want me to order room service, or would you rather just go to sleep?"
Yuri fell back on the bed, not having to think about it. His stomach was too upset to eat anyway. "Sleeeeeeep."
"What about a shower?"
"Take it in the morning," he mumbled, toeing off his cheetah-print sneakers before crawling underneath the blankets. He was too tired to even bother changing out of his clothes.
Otabek chuckled, pulling his T-shirt over his head. "Well, I'm going to wash up. If you're asleep by the time I'm finished, good night."
"Yeah, yeah, g'night."
He was out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
"Yura! Yura, wake up."
"Don't wanna," Yuri mumbled, burying his face into his pillow as Otabek lightly shook his shoulder.
"Come on," Otabek whispered. "I don't want to miss it."
"Miss what?" Against his body's protests, Yuri turned his head to the side and slowly cracked open one eye. The room was dark except for the lamp at Otabek's bedside, Otabek himself sitting on the edge of Yuri's mattress, already dressed. "What time is it?"
"A little after five."
Yawning, Yuri propped himself up on his elbow, rubbing his eye with his free hand. "In the morning?" There had to be a law or something that forbade people from waking someone up before eight at the absolute earliest while on vacation.
"We don't have much time," Otabek said, patting Yuri's legs before standing back up. "Come on, get dressed."
"Do I have time to take a shower at least?" He hadn't had one since before they left St. Petersburg two days ago, and Yuri felt like it, disgusted as he ran a hand through his oily hair.
"No. Just throw on some clothes and some comfortable shoes." Otabek unzipped one of Yuri's suitcases and pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of jeans at random, tossing them to him. "Here. You can take one when we get back."
Though tempted to flip him off and go back to bed, Yuri forced himself to sit up and change into the clothes Otabek had handed him. While he did that, Otabek crawled on the floor to retrieve Yuri's sneakers, which had somehow gotten kicked underneath his bed.
"Seriously, what's the rush?" Yuri asked, pulling his hair into a messy ponytail. Wherever Otabek was taking him, he hoped it was nowhere public. He wasn't fit to be seen by regular people. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," was the only answer Otabek gave him, annoyingly cryptic.
Ten minutes later – Otabek at least gave him time to piss and brush his teeth – they were walking across Hulapo'e Beach, Yuri biting into the granola bar Otabek had provided for him, although he still wouldn't tell him where the hell they were going. After the third time he asked, Yuri gave up trying to pry it out of him, following Otabek as the beach came to an end and they reached a dirt trail.
"How much further is it?" Whatever "it" was.
"It shouldn't take too much longer." Otabek stopped in the middle of the trail, pulling a bottle of water out of the backpack he had slung over his shoulder. He twisted off the cap and took a sip before pointing to something in the distance. "Look, you can see it from here."
Yuri followed his finger. There was enough light to make out what appeared to be a cliff and a very large rock.
"It's called Pu'u Pehe, otherwise known as Sweetheart Rock," Otabek explained. He handed Yuri his bottle. "Here, hold that. I want to take some pictures."
He should have known that was what Otabek had in mind. It was a pretty sight, though, he had to admit. Yuri took a swig of water, then pulled out his phone to take his own photo. "Why is it called Sweetheart Rock anyway?" he asked. "Is there some super-sappy legend attached to it? Like if you kiss your lover at sunrise while on top of the rock, you'll be together forever?"
If Otabek brought him here to do something idiotic like that…
"Actually, it's kind of a tragic tale," Otabek said, moving to take some more photos at a different angle. "According to ancient legend, there was once a warrior named Makakehau who fell in love with a beautiful girl named Pehe and decided to hide her in a sea cave at the base of the cliffs. One day, however, there was a huge storm. Pehe, down in the cave, got caught in the storm waves and drowned, devastating Makakehau. He asked the gods and his ancestors to help him climb the rock island, where he buried her, then he jumped from the summit, joining her in death."
"So your typical happy fairy tale, huh?" Yuri frowned, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Why give such a romantic name to a place with such a sad history?"
Otabek shrugged. "Some might consider it a romantic story."
"Well, I think it's stupid."
"Yeah, I don't care much for it either." After putting his camera back in his bag, Otabek threw the backpack over his shoulder and reached for Yuri's hand. "Come on. Let's keeping going. Watch your step; this part looks kind of rough."
The path wasn't as flat, but it wasn't too difficult to avoid tripping over the small dunes that dotted the landscape. Still, a hike wasn't Yuri's preferred way to start the day. "You know, when I heard 'Hawaiian vacation', I imagined sleeping in until noon every morning, ordering room service, and relaxing on the beach, getting skin cancer," Yuri said. "Not waking up at some godforsaken hour to climb a cliff."
"It'll be worth it. The other Yuuri said the view was spectacular."
Oh, right. Yuri had forgotten that Yuuri and Viktor had honeymooned at the same resort where they were staying. Upon seeing the photos they had taken while they were there, Mila had promptly declared it the most beautiful place on Earth and made Otabek promise that one day they would go there, too.
He tightened his grip on Otabek's hand. Though it was Mila's idea for him to take her place on the trip, Yuri couldn't help feeling guilty. She and Otabek had probably planned to take the same hike, to climb the cliff overlooking Sweetheart Rock and watch the sunrise together. They probably would have kissed and cuddled and said a bunch of mushy crap –
"Ah!"
Preoccupied with his thoughts, Yuri forgot to watch where he was stepping and tripped over a sand dune. He was able to keep from falling thanks to his grip on Otabek's hand, but Yuri did crash into him, jostling Otabek forward.
"You okay?" Otabek asked, turning around.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Yuri said, letting go of Otabek's hand to dust off some of the sand he had managed to kick onto his jeans. The only thing bruised was his ego. "Let's keep going. You want to make it to the top of the cliff before the sun rises, right?"
About five minutes later, they reached the lookout. Yuri expected to see at least a few other couples waiting at the top, but they were the only ones to make the early morning trek, everybody else presumably preferring to sleep in on their vacation like reasonable people. Otabek checked the time on his watch, then pulled out his fancy camera, fiddling with the settings.
"Good, there's still a couple of minutes left until sunrise," he said as Yuri looked down at the crashing waves below. "Yura, don't stand too close to the edge."
Yuri rolled his eyes. "I'm not a little kid." He still took a few steps back, though, his stomach lurching. They had to be at least fifteen meters above the water, if not more. Heights usually didn't bother him, but after hearing the legend of the warrior who had plunged to his death… Well, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Instead, he turned his attention to the rock island. In all honesty, it wasn't that interesting to look at, being, well, just a large rock, but then Yuri caught sight of the sun peeking out from the horizon, golden yellow meeting the blue sky. "Beka, Beka, it's starting," he said in a loud whisper, reaching into his pocket for his phone.
A Hawaiian sunrise was the perfect subject for his next Instagram post.
Come to think of it, he'd never really taken the time to watch a sunrise before. Yuri had vague memories of early morning drives in his grandpa's clunker of a car (which he'd ended up giving to Vladimir, the retired cop who had helped deal with his mother at the reception), but he had usually been half-asleep at the time, his forehead pressed against the glass as he attempted to get in a few last minutes of shut-eye before his first practice session at the rink before school. Even after Yuri had moved away to St. Petersburg to train, though, Grandpa had continued to wake up early each morning, claiming it a force of habit at that point. He used to say watching the sunrise was his favorite part of the day, reminding him that every day was a fresh start...
Something wet rolled down Yuri's cheek.
A raindrop? No, the sky was clear, not a single cloud in sight. Shaking his head, Yuri swiped his arm over his face and stuffed his cell back in his pocket.
He was being ridiculous.
Stepping forward once again, he held his arms out to his side. A light sea breeze blew, tousling the strands of hair that had fallen out of his ponytail. Yuri inhaled the salty scent, then threw back his head as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "I'M THE FUCKING KING OF THE WORLD!"
"I don't think that's quite how the line goes, Yura," Otabek said, still absorbed in taking pictures of the sunrise. He would know; Titanic was one of Mila's all-time favorite movies, one that she made him watch with her at least once a year on her birthday.
Yuri shrugged, bringing his arms back down to his side. "Whatever. I improved it." He looked back at Otabek. "Don't you have enough pictures already?" he asked with a frown. "Put down that camera and watch the sunrise with me. You're missing it."
"Just one more…" Otabek aimed the lens in Yuri's direction and snapped a shot against his protests. "Okay, done," he said, putting the camera away.
Annoyed, Yuri huffed and turned back around, arms folded over his chest. "You're such an asshole. You better not post that picture online. I look like crap."
Coming up behind him, Otabek placed his hands on Yuri's hips and rested his chin on his shoulder. "No, you don't. I only photograph beautiful things."
Heat rose to Yuri's cheeks. Even indirectly, it wasn't often that Otabek complimented his appearance, aware that Yuri didn't like it. He didn't mind other people praising his looks, but for some reason, whenever Otabek did it, he became flustered, overcome with embarrassment.
"You have a strange definition of 'beautiful'," Yuri said, eyes focused straight ahead.
"Hmm," was Otabek's only response, lips humming as they lightly brushed the back of Yuri's shoulder.
For once, Yuri wished he was shorter than Otabek again, wanting to lean back against him. "The sunrise is gorgeous, though," he admitted. "Thanks for dragging me out of bed and making me come."
"Thanks for keeping me company," Otabek said, wrapping his arms around Yuri's midsection.
They fell into a comfortable silence after that, continuing to watch the sun make its slow ascent into the the sky.
Maybe now's a good time to tell him how I feel? Yuri thought, thinking once again of his grandfather. Despite the less than romantic history, he had to admit a place called Sweetheart Rock seemed like an appropriate site for a love confession – even if Yuri still didn't quite understand what kind of "love" he felt toward Otabek.
Maybe that wasn't so important, though. He loved Otabek, pure and simple, and he didn't want to regret never telling him.
Yuri snuck a peek over his shoulder. "Hey, um, Beka?"
"Yeah?" Otabek was still staring at the sunrise, dark eyes filled with wonder.
"I..." His heart started pounding against his ribcage, a feeling not too dissimilar to taking the ice for an important competition washing over him. Yuri closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath to calm himself before starting over. "I-I just wanted to tell you that...I...uh..."
"Yura?" Otabek pulled his attention away from the rising sun, loosening his hold around Yuri's waist. "Something wrong?"
"N-No! Of course not."
Nothing except the fact that he was still a fucking coward, too afraid to say three stupid, little words. Yuri unleashed a hurricane of profanities in his head, cursing his inability to do something that seemed to come so easily to others.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." Yuri turned around so that he was facing Otabek, giving him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I just wanted to say I wouldn't mind if you wanted to kiss me," he lied.
Otabek smiled, pulling him closer. "I thought you'd never ask."
When Yuri saw the itenerary for their trip a few days before they left St. Petersburg, one planned activity immediately jumped out at him: an hour-long visit to the Lanai Cat Sanctuary.
The outing took place on the third day of their trip. The sanctuary was only open for a few hours per day, closing at three in the afternoon, so they arrived a little before two, having rented a Jeep in town for the day to find the out-of-the-way "purradise" located near the ancient village of Kaunolu. (Otabek luckily possessed international driver's licenses for both cars and motorcycles.) Yuri had a sneaking suspicion Otabek had scheduled their lunch reservation at a nearby Japanese restaurant beforehand so that Yuri wouldn't be tempted to spend all five of the sanctuary's open hours playing with cats and kittens, but the food had been delicious, so he forgave him. Mostly.
Admission was free, though they both made generous donations to help with the sanctuary's upkeep. One of the staff members, a young woman who looked to be around their age, asked them to wash their hands, then provided them with a large bag of treats to feed to the cats. Yuri thought it was too much at first, until she led them to the open enclosure where the cats were kept.
Cats were literally everywhere.
In the branches of a large mango tree. Lazing on the grass. Hiding in the many wooden structures built for them to play on. As far as the eye could see, there were cats, cats, and even more cats of all colors, sizes, and breeds, each cuter than the next.
"Beka, pinch me," Yuri said, still taking it all in. "I think I've died and gone to Cat Heaven."
Otabek promptly reached over and pinched him on his bared arm.
"Ow!"
"Congratuations, you're still alive," he announced in a deadpan voice. "Thankfully. I'm rather fond of you, you know?"
"Oh, are you two a couple?" Alani, the staff member, asked, her eyes lighting up. "We've actually had quite a few people get married here over the years."
Yuri had absolutely no desire to ever get married, but for one crazy moment, he almost considered the idea just for the opportunity to have a wedding surrounded by cats.
"We're queerplantonic partners," Otabek clarified, to which Alani responded with a befuddled, but polite, "Ah...I see." She must not have been much of a skating fan, obviously not recognizing either one of them or aware of their unconventional relationship.
"So, how many cats do you take care of here?" Yuri asked, dropping down into a squat in order to feed some treats to a few of the cats who had wandered over to investigate them.
"At the moment, 608, the vast majority born in the wild. We rescue them from around Lanai City, as well as protected areas on the island where native and endangered birds are known to nest, thus also protecting the birds in the process."
"Cool!" He smiled, scratching a friendly calico behind her ears. "Over six hundred...that's amazing." It really was like a Cat Heaven.
"They're all available for adoption, too, so if you find one you would like to take home, let me know. We've handled international adoptions before, so it's not a problem."
Yuri's head shot up. "Adoption?"
"Yura, I don't think that's such a good idea," Otabek said, knowing exactly what he had in mind.
"What are you talking about? I happen to think it's a brilliant idea," he said, switching to Russian. Yuri gathered the calico in his arms and stood back up. "Come on, look at this face, Beka!"
"She is very cute..." Unable to resist, Otabek reached over and scratched her underneath her chin, receiving a loud purr in response. "But we're going to be experiencing a lot of big life changes over the next few months with the baby and hopefully a new home. I don't think now is the right time to add a new pet into the mix. There's also Potya to consider..."
Yuri let out a sigh. As much as he hated to admit it, Otabek brought up some good points, especially about Potya. Yuri wasn't all that concerned about the possible move, since he and Potya had gotten used to it over the years, but he was a bit worried about how the aging cat would react to the new baby. Bringing home a new cat on top of that probably would be too much to expect Potya to handle.
"Fine. I won't adopt any," he promised, switching back to English. "We're staying until they kick us out, though."
Otabek chuckled. "I never expected anything less."
"Anyway, I'll let you two get acquainted with sweet Charlotte here and all the other cats," Alani said. "Let me know if you have any other questions."
"Thanks, Alani."
"Yeah, thanks."
With Yuri still carrying Charlotte in his arms, they moved further into the enclosure, trailed by several other meowing cats. Yuri found a relatively clear spot near the mango tree and took a seat on the grass, Otabek following suit.
"I can't believe you and Mila were planning to come to this place without me!" Yuri said, letting the calico go and petting the black cat with white socks who had begun rubbing against his arm. "Traitors."
"Actually, we weren't," Otabek admitted. He had made fast friends with a beautiful gray tabby who had decided his lap was her new bed. "Remember that really remote beach Vitya mentioned he and the other Yuuri found on their honeymoon? The one where they sunbathed in the nude? Mila wanted to check it out, but I had a feeling coming here would be much more your speed."
"You thought 100 percent right."
Who wanted to go to a stupid nude beach when they could play with hundreds of cats instead?
As the cat with socks pounced on him, Yuri laughed and fell back on the ground. Several new cats sauntered over, climbing on top of him, and Charlotte had returned, licking at his cheek with her scratchy tongue. Without prompting, Otabek pulled his phone out of his back pocket and began taking pictures.
They spent the remainder of the hour they had left feeding treats to the cats, playing with them using the many toys found around the enclosure, and taking plenty of pictures and videos to show Mila and post online. Yuri even managed to take a few candid pics where Otabek was actually smiling instead of sporting that weird grimace that usually appeared on his face whenever he knew his photo was being taken. They were recognized a couple of times by other visitors, but fortunately, none of them were Angels, the fans only asking for quick selfies before their attention was inevitably drawn away by one of the cats doing something funny or cute – which, fair.
True to his word, they stayed until closing time, the last guests remaining. After Alani came over and informed them it was time to leave, Yuri said goodbye to Charlotte, who had stayed by his side almost the entire visit. He cuddled her and showered her with kisses, wishing he really could take her home with him, but Otabek shook his head, reminding him that it just wasn't a feasible decision. Sighing, he made Otabek take one last picture of them together before finally setting her back on the ground.
"Bye-bye, Charlotte," he said mournfully, waving his fingers over his shoulders as Otabek took him by his other hand and led him back to the Jeep.
The five days passed quickly, and soon it was the last night of their stay in Hawaii. They had done almost everything imaginable over the past few days: snorkeling, parasailing, jet-skiing, surfing, sunbathing, whale watching, even going on that helicopter ride Otabek had mentioned when they arrived at the airport. (Luckily, Yuri had gotten over his new-found hatred of flying by then and had enjoyed it even more than Otabek.) They had hiked (a good part of) the Munro Trail and watched the sunset at the Garden of the Gods, a super cool rock garden that many claimed resembled the terrain of Mars. On their last day, they spent most of their time on the nearby island of Maui, which was only a short ferry ride away, taking in a few more sights.
About the only thing they hadn't done was have sex. Otabek hadn't even kissed Yuri since that first morning on the cliff. Yuri kept waiting, hoping that a moment would arise when it seemed a natural progression, but who was he kidding – nothing about this whole sex thing came naturally to him. He wasn't wired that way.
It didn't help matters that Otabek was, as always, the perfect gentleman. Usually Yuri appreciated his consideration, but for once, he wished that Otabek would attempt to be a little more aggressive.
"Hey, you feeling okay?" Otabek asked over dinner. For their last night, they were attending a traditional Hawaiian luau.
Startled, Yuri looked up from his plate. "What?"
"You're quiet tonight. It's not like you."
"I'm fine." To prove it, he took a large bite of his kālua pig. "Mmm, thish ish really gud," Yuri said, talking with his mouth full. He waited until he finished swallowing to ask, "How's your...pokee?"
"Poh-kay." Otabek had decided to try the he'e (or tako, as it was more popularly known) poke instead, a salad of sorts made with raw octopus. "And it's delicious. Here, try some."
He used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of the octopus, Yuri leaning over to take a bite. "Yeah, you're right. It is pretty delicious," he agreed, using his own chopsticks to steal another piece.
Otabek laughed. "You do realize you can go up to the buffet and get your own serving if you like it so much?"
"This is more fun," Yuri said with a cheeky grin.
The dinner portion of the evening was followed by an entertaining show featuring hula dancers, a talented ukelele-playing musician, and for the finale, a Samoan fire knife dance. Watching the three brave men in traditional dress twirl around flaming machetes, Yuri almost forgot his earlier concerns, completely entranced by the spectacle before them. He made certain to get video of it to post to his Instagram later, thinking it was one of the most badass things he had ever seen.
As soon as their performance ended and he saw at the top corner of his screen that it was getting close to nine, however, Yuri was reminded once again that he didn't have much time left, the seconds ticking away before they had to fly back to St. Petersburg in the morning. It seemed if he wanted anything to happen, he would have to be a little more proactive in setting the right mood.
You can do this, he told himself, ignoring the knot forming in the pit of his stomach. "Hey, wanna go for a walk on the beach?" Yuri asked as the luau began winding down for the night. That was generally considered a romantic activity, right?
Otabek looked surprised by his suggestion, but he readily agreed.
They left the luau festivities and headed further down the beach, stopping to take off their flip-flops and roll up the hem of their pants before beginning to stroll along the shore, the ocean water lapping at their bare feet. After a while, they couldn't even hear the party anymore, far enough away that it was easy to imagine they had the entire beach to themselves.
"It's peaceful, isn't it?" Otabek commented, ending the comfortable silence that had fallen between them as they walked. "The beach is so crowded during the day. I prefer it like this."
"Yeah." After a moment of hesitation, Yuri reached for Otabek's hand, threading their fingers together. "It's nice." He never really understood the appeal of just walking along a beach, but he had to admit there was something very…zen about it, as Mila would say, feeling the wet sand between his toes and the salty sea air tousling his hair. "I can't believe tonight's our last night here."
"Did you enjoy it?"
"It's been amazing," Yuri said honestly. The last few days had been some of the best of his life, exactly what he needed after all the grief and turmoil of the past couple of months months. "We should definitely come back someday. With Mila and the baby, too. We need to take them to the cat sanctuary!"
Otabek smiled, squeezing his hand. "I'd like that."
They continued walking, Otabek staring upwards as he pulled Yuri along. "I wish I had brought my camera with me," he said. "The sky is beautiful tonight."
It really was. Not a cloud was in sight, giving them a clear view of the bright crescent moon. Hundreds – no, maybe even thousands – of twinkling stars dotted the dark sky, reminding Yuri of the rhinestone crystals that had decorated the shirt of Otabek's navy blue short program costume the previous season. It was an incredible sight, one that Yuri had rarely seen, having lived all his life in the city.
"You could take a picture with your phone," Yuri suggested.
"It's too dark. It wouldn't come out well."
"Who cares? Take a picture anyway." Letting go of Otabek's hand, Yuri reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Here." He handed the phone over and took a few steps back, further into the water. "I want to post it on Instagram."
"Seriously, you aren't going to be able to see anything, Yura."
"Just take the damn picture already."
"Fine." Sighing, Otabek held up the phone and snapped a shot of a grinning Yuri throwing a peace sign. "Happy?"
Yuri waded back over, taking a look at the photo over Otabek's shoulder. As he had warned, all that came out was a blurry image of the moon, a couple of dots that might have been stars, and a shadow that was vaguely shaped like Yuri. "Wow, that really is a crappy picture," he said, laughing as he ran ahead, water splashing in his wake.
"Yura!"
Yuri pivoted around, waving his hand in the air. "Come on, catch me if you can!"
Chuckling, Otabek shook his head and put Yuri's phone in his pocket. "Fine, you're on!" he said, breaking out into a sprint.
Yuri yelped, turning back around and dashing ahead before Otabek could get too close. In terms of relative speed, Yuri usually had a slight advantage over Otabek, but the terrain of shifting sands underneath their feet made it difficult for either of them to gain much traction, lessening the gap in their abilities. It took less than half a kilometer for Otabek to catch up to Yuri, his arms wrapping around Yuri's waist from behind and almost knocking the two of them over.
"Got you!"
"Hey, I let you win," Yuri said, smiling as he looked over his shoulder at his captor.
"Yeah?"
"Y-Yeah."
Yuri whipped his head back around. This was the moment he'd been waiting for, wasn't it – the perfect time to make a move? Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he slowly spun around to face Otabek. He stared into dark eyes, bringing his hands up to Otabek's cheeks.
"Yura?" Otabek breathed. "What...?"
Yuri bridged the small gap in between them, gently pressing his lips against Otabek's. As had happened the last time he had made the first move, Otabek's eyes widened in surprise, but that time, he didn't question it, his mouth obediently parting when the tip of Yuri's tongue ran across his bottom lip.
Yuri slipped his tongue inside, licking the roof of Otabek's mouth. He wasn't quite sure of what he was doing, his technique sloppy and unpracticed, but he tried to make up for some of his inexperience with enthusiasm, rewarded when he felt, rather than heard, Otabek moaning into his mouth. Otabek's hands found their way to Yuri's hips, drawing him closer as their kiss grew even deeper.
It wasn't long before a bulge was pressing up against Yuri's groin, a faint arousal stirring inside his own pants. Yuri didn't pull away, instead moving closer toward him, silently begging Otabek to understand that it was okay to ask for more, that he wanted to do this for him. He let out a soft moan of his own, his fingers tangling in Otabek's uppercut and lightly tugging at the roots in a move he remembered him enjoying that night in Moscow. Though Otabek's hands stayed stubbornly on his hips, his fingertips dug into the fabric of Yuri's khaki pants, thumbs sliding underneath his tiger-print aloha shirt – as soon as Yuri saw it at the little souvenir shop they visited, he had to have it – to brush over the skin above his waistband.
They were both breathing heavily when they finally broke apart, Otabek's face flushed in a way Yuri had never seen before. Neither said anything for a long moment, simply staring at each other until Otabek reached for Yuri's hand, giving it a squeeze.
"Want to head back to our room?" he asked, still a little out of breath. "It's getting late."
"Yeah, sounds good," Yuri said, resisting the urge to smile in triumph. "Let's go."
Mission accomplished.
DISCLAIMER: "Yuri! On Ice" doesn't belong to me.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter will be posted in early October.
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