The departure of Khan and Nazim ushers in a wave of early fall harvests and the blissful relief of cooler weather. He's told that the autumn is a time of tension in the village and he hears the whispered predictions of the winter they'll soon face. The worry of how harsh it might be, if their harvests will sustain them, all manner of things that Yuri is quite used to being from the northern nation.

He smothers his fleeting thoughts about the mild nature of southern winters before setting his latest charity project into motion. Blankets and firewood are easy enough to procure, the work gives him a sense of purpose while his husband is busy preparing for their journey south.

They see very little of one another in those days; both of them are pulled in every direction except for that of one another. Yuri finds himself itching to see his husband. On rare occasions, he finds himself wandering to bed at a late hour to see Otabek already deep in a slumber, or even rarer still, he wakes before his husband and allows himself to linger for a moment. Just watching the gentle rise and fall of Otabek's chest and the way that he snuggles further into the bed when Yuri does eventually rise.

When the first rain of the autumn finally comes down to break the iron grip of dry season loose, Yuri swears he can see steam rising from the ground. He watches in an enthralled awe as the deluge sinks into the parched earth. His mind reels with thoughts of swirling mist and the cool wash of the changing season.

Yuri isn't the type of person to get distracted; he doesn't often find himself pulled in a direction other than his work. However, there's an itch in his fingers to abandon his work for the day and he relents to the urge.

For the first time in months he pulls out his paints. Setting himself up on the sofa of the sitting room, he paints a scene that feels practically ethereal, a misty forest on the precipice of winter. Golden leaves littering the ground, thick tree trunks and their roots creating an intricate web of fauna. Then, in the distance, a doe staring out into the real world, with bright eyes and a timid stance. Yuri wonders if the animal's breath helps cloud the hazy scene, he wonders if the creature wants to run or challenge him.

"I see you're taking a bit of a day off."

Yuri smiles, dipping his brush back into the paint on his palette. "As are you."

Otabek's hands come to rest on his shoulders and a kiss is pressed to his temple. "Are you well today?"

Yuri nods, "What do you think of it?"

His lordship looms a little closer to the image. "Is it meant to be ominous?"

"If that is how you feel looking at it." Yuri puts his colors up on the stand.

"Well, did you intend for it? Forgive me for my ineptitude when it comes to the arts. Fine and otherwise," Otabek chuckles.

"I am of the opinion that intention matters very little in the scope of the arts," Yuri responds with a smirk. "Paintings and stories that are shared… are so rarely meant for the ones who create it. They're made to be consumed. However the audience decides to perceive it, is for them and them alone."

"Hm." Otabek looks back up at the image.

"When I am a consumer of my own pieces, I have my opinions of what they are and how they came to be. But those are… I think of them like secrets." Yuri rises from his seat and kisses Otabek's jaw as he brushes past him.

Otabek puts his hand over Yuri's hip to stop the prince from walking away. "And how might one uncover such secrets as those?"

Yuri feels his face warm at the hushed tones of his husband's request. "O-Otabek-"

"Hm?" Otabek cocks his head to the side, looking at him with a bemused grin.

The prince puts a hand on Otabek's chest, a teasing, nervous chuckle tumbles out of his lips. "I didn't think you had such forward intentions."

"How do you mean? Is a husband not entitled to learning his partner's secrets?"

"Intimate and otherwise?" Yuri's hand raises to Otabek's neck, his fingers brushing beneath his lordship's shirt.

Otabek's eyes widen, "Yura-"

"Is that not what you're after husband? Coming in here to ask me about my secrets?" Yuri chuckles at the shift in dynamic.

"It was not my intention no." Otabek blushes. "I… I had simply been passing through! I saw you painting and it reminded me of-of-of our courtship and I thought it was too sweet a moment to ignore."

Yuri laughs at that, "I can't believe I'm the one who has reduced you to a stuttering mess."

"You-…" Otabek cups Yuri's cheeks. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

"I suppose I don't, are you going to show me sometime?" Yuri asks, his thumb brushing the top of Otabek's spine.

"If I weren't expected in the next ten minutes…" Otabek shakes his head with a laugh. "What am I saying? I'm not some sex crazed adolescent."

"No, you're a married man with a husband who's ready when you are." Yuri lifts himself to his toes and places a kiss on Otabek's neck. A warmth spreads through his insides; his head feels light and a bubbling thrill courses through his veins.

"Tonight, perhaps. Finish your work early for me," Otabek says the words with a wavering lilt.

"Tonight then," Yuri agrees releasing his hold on his husband, "But I should say… in the future you should be careful about how you carry on, I might not forgive you so easily."

Yuri leaves the sitting room then, his mind reeling and face warm with embarrassment. He has just… insinuated so much more than he meant to… well he meant to… and he's been… and he's… Oh dear. Before he can be spotted, Yuri rushes down to the servants' quarters and, against his better judgement, requests his attendant immediately.

"Your highness?" Seung-Gil emerges, but before he can say anything further, Yuri drags him out of the servants' quarters and up into the nearest room. "Your highness, what is the meaning of this-"

"I need… help." Yuri manages to squeak out the request.

"Help?" Seung-Gil looks at him in wild concern.

"I-I-I-… I told Otabek… I told Otabek I'd fuck him and I don't know what to do!" Yuri clamps both hands over his mouth once he's spoken. He cannot believe he just said that, to Seung-Gil, who will likely never let him live down the shame of such an admission.

After a moment of stunned silence, Seung-Gil lets out a snort of a laugh.

"It's not funny!" Yuri can feel the burning blush overtake every inch of his body.

"Yes, it is." Seung-Gil raises a loose fist to his lips, as if to keep the rest of his humored chuckling at bay. "Do you need me to give you an anatomy lesson?"

"Seung-Gil!" Yuri smacks his arm.

"You can always use your mouth but I don't want you to choke-"

"Stop!"

"Nor do I think you should be without a voice."

"I mean it!"

"As do I, I thought you needed help." Seung-Gil continues to laugh at the stuttering, nervous mess of a prince.

"I think I should also need empathy." Yuri huffs dramatically.

"Clearly you need cock first."

"S-Seung!" There's a moment of quiet again and Yuri unfortunately allows his mouth to run without his consent. "I wouldn't even know how to do that."

Seung-Gil looks surprised at that but shakes his head as his pinches the bridge of his nose. "Oh lord… it looks like I am going to have to give you an anatomy lesson."

Yuri folds his arms over his chest. "Not all of us were raised in such a brazen society as this."

"Clearly. You want to fuck your husband but you can't even say the words." Seung-Gil rolls his eyes, "Come on now, to your chambers, we have a lot to discuss."

"And you were… you were jesting about… my… my…" Yuri swallows thickly, "My mouth, weren't you?"

"Not at all, except that you most definitely should avoid doing such an act as you are clearly unprepared to perform."

Yuri pouts viciously as he leads his attendant up to his chambers; the day is still young though the rain has let up somewhat. It's not like he's had anyone in his life to explain such things to him. King Yakov would never have spoken to him in such a manner, not only because of the impropriety of it all, it was simply not his place to do so.

It would have been his mother's job, and in his absence, his tutor would have been charged with the task. Mr. Katsuki would not have been an ideal choice for such a conversation given his awkward nature; on top of that he wasn't present for the prince's engagement. Viktor would have never even attempted to school him on such things, and when Phichit tried to do so he quickly realized that Yuri's problems were much larger than knowing the mechanics of sex.

Seung-Gil is a decent teacher; he does not use innuendo or tease him throughout their lesson. He is, for perhaps the first time since their meeting, a clinician. He's clear and honest, not an ounce of embarrassment or uncertainty in his tone. It's comforting more than anything else; even when the attendant sets off to gather some supplies, Yuri manages not to feel on edge.

When the attendant returns Yuri is biting his thumb nervously. Seung-Gil goes through the process of explaining the salves he's brought and their uses. Something changes between them then, as Seung-Gil speaks up.

"You are still nervous," he says very matter-of-factly.

"Indeed," Yuri agrees with a breathy chuckle.

"Why is that? Have I not prepared you enough?"

"You will think me foolish."

"I already do."

Yuri pouts at that, "You are positively uncouth."

"What's the matter?"

"It was… the last time was… very, very bad… for the both of us. I do not want to repeat it."

"And you won't," Seung-Gil encourages him just a touch.

"What if… What if he does not want to? Or me? What if-"

"Your highness, you and your husband are quite taken with each other." Seung-Gil acts as if the words burn his tongue with the grimace he gives.

"But he's… he's had so many before me and I am childish in my innocence of such things and you-I'm sure he's had hundreds of far more beautiful-"

"Stop." Seung-Gil puts his hands on Yuri's shoulders. "Just stop."

Yuri blushes a deep shade of crimson, looking away from his attendant.

"His lordship is very fond of you and I am certain he's attracted to you. He always had a penchant for blondes so at the very least you have that to help you."

Yuri doesn't feel particularly comforted by that; he bites his lip again until Seung-Gil brings attention to it.

"Stop doing that, you'll make it bleed and god knows that's not your job." Yuri shakes his head as if to startle the nerves out of him. "This is ridiculous, you know that?"

"Of course I know that!" Yuri snarls at him.

"Then act like the dignified prince you were raised to be."

"There is nothing dignified in…"

"Go on, say it."

Yuri swallows thickly before softly uttering the word, "Sex."

"Your highness, if you're going to do this, you should be at least a little enthusiastic. Or at the very least be able to say the damn word."

"I'm trying." Yuri throws himself back on the bed.

"You can call the whole thing off, you know. I'm certain that your husband will understand."

"You're not being very reassuring."

"Would you accept such reassurances from me?" Seung-Gil raises the question. "Because it seems to me you are deliberately being self-deprecating and refusing to acknowledge any comfort offered."

"I just want to do it right." Yuri admits, "And I've done it so very wrong before… I've had no help in this matter before now… I feel… alone."

"Trust me, your highness, you are most certainly not alone." Seung-Gil tells him, "The only way to educate yourself is to make the attempt."

Yuri is silent for a moment and then he nods slowly. There's an imperceivable knock at the door before Mr. Igelsia walks into the room.

"Do you need something?" Seung-Gil turns and looks very nearly feral as he acknowledges the valet.

Leo, for his part, is unperturbed. "Oh his lordship asked me to retrieve his- socks. How are you, your highness? You look a bit disturbed."

Yuri tries to parse through that statement, "Um-"

"I just wanted to inform you that his lordship is quite looking forward to tonight. I hope you return the sentiment," Leo wears an all too excited smile. "Do you?"

"Well I-"

"Mr. Igelsia that is quite inappropriate," Seung-Gil comments.

"I think the prince is more than capable of deciding that on his own, Mr. Lee. If I may, your highness, how are you feeling about tonight?"

"I can't say I'm… I'm a bit um…"

"Nervous then?"

"Yes." Yuri agrees.

"Well, if I may-"

"Mr. Igelsia, I have my charge handled. We don't need your help."

"I would love to help!" Leo beams at them. "Your highness has nothing to worry about when it comes to his lordship's affections for you. Ever since the day of your meeting he has been positively enthralled by you in both spirit and physicality. He also has quite the attraction to blondes!"

"I am aware," Yuri says in disbelief.

"Now, your highness is more than capable of intimacy. While I am aware of your… previous difficulties with your relations but I think you've turned a new leaf in your relationship!"

"Oh I hate this." Yuri's comment goes unnoticed by the overzealous valet.

"What you need is ambience! Yes, Seung-Gil and I can put something together for the two of you. A little wine, a few candles- Perhaps even a milk bath with roses. We'll find you something drapey to wear and-"

"Leo De La Igelsia that is enough! You're frightening him." Seung-Gil raises his voice over the blathering attendant.

Yuri blushes even harder, "No, no! It's uh… Thank you Leo, I appreciate that you're trying to help. I would simply prefer to… I would prefer simplicity."

"That we can do! Why don't you take a bath, relax, primp and prep to your heart's content." Leo seems to be realizing the intensity with which he has been presenting himself. "You just… you do whatever you must to feel comfortable. Being… your comfort is the most important piece of this puzzle."

Yuri nods as Seung-Gil ushers Leo out of the room. There's a heartbeat of silence where Yuri feels himself reeling from the interaction he's just had.

"What was that?" Seung-Gil's voice can be heard from the hall.

"I… I don't think I helped much, did I?"

"What do you think?"

Yuri finds himself falling into a fit of laughter once their voices fade away, it's all so very ridiculous. He's a twenty-year-old married man, he shouldn't require the assistance of… anyone really. Not in this capacity.

Seung-Gil returns with candles and a host of other servants to help start a bath; one with water, not milk, thankfully. It's nice to have a bit of quiet amongst the chaos. Yuri isn't certain he can say he feels better, but he's content for the time being.

The sun is close to setting as he is dressed casually, he weaves a braid into his own hair idly as the servants set about drawing the curtains and lighting a flame in the hearth. There are whispers from them about some special anniversary that the masters of the house are celebrating.

Yuri thinks this is Seung-Gil's doing, to perhaps keep the house gossip to a minimum. He also comes to realize that, yes, in fact it is nearing on seven months from their initial meeting. Perhaps this is something of a special day.

Otabek enters the room before Yuri can think too long on the topic. He watches the way his lordship's eyes follow the array of decorations, sparse as they may be. There's something mindless in the way he shrugs off his jacket, Yuri feels almost like an observer to an intimate moment, one in which a different lover will enter from the servant's door.

Instead, Otabek's gaze lands on him, and Yuri feels a tightening coil in his gut as he stands. The long-sleeved tunic falls just a hair off his shoulder as he walks towards his husband.

"It's good to see you again." Yuri notes, his voice just the slightest bit above a whisper. "It's been too long since we last had a moment alone."

Otabek does not speak, his gaze rakes its way along the lines of Yuri's body. The prince lifts one of Otabek's hands to his lips and kisses the tips of his fingers.

"I hope you will confess to missing me as well, husband, or I might feel foolish for admitting it myself," Yuri chuckles.

There's a breath of silence, then the strong touch of Otabek's fingers drawing the prince's gaze up to his lordship's.

"I miss you when we are mere hours apart from one another," Otabek asserts, his tone light if not emphatic. "Of course I have longed for a moment with you."

Yuri finds himself breathless, his gaze darting back down to the exposed portion of Otabek's chest. A thumb traces a loose pattern on the prince's lip, and the shudder that engulfs him forces a laugh out.

"What is it?" Otabek asks.

"I simply think… I think it is… quite ridiculous how…" Yuri can't help but laugh, bubbling nervous sorts of giggles that leave him breathless.

Otabek seems unable to bite back his own amusement. "Might you need a moment?"

Yuri thinks for a moment, chuckling as his gaze meets Otabek's and – before he can stop himself – he's rising to the tips of his toes, pulling his lordship into a fierce kiss. His lordship tastes something like laughter and spice, he can feel the smile tugging at his lips and it only furthers Yuri's own amusement.

"My love, what are you-" Otabek snickers as he pulls away from the prince. Yuri rests his forehead against his husband's clavicle, unable to contain his chuckling.

"Have you… did you… this household is quite honestly a spectacle." Yuri attempts to quell his laughter.

"How so?" Otabek asks, chuckling as he pulls Yuri's gaze back to his own.

Yuri shakes his head with a smile, "Your attendant… and mine… My god they're so… They made such fools of themselves to encourage me in this… did they do the same for you?"

Otabek gives a bewildered expression amidst the laughing. "What are you talking about?"

"Leo tried to give me advice-"

"What advice?!" Otabek snorts at the thought.

"Poor advice! Poor advice about this… I can't even… Sex, Otabek! He tried to give me advice about sex and I can barely say the word." Yuri continues to laugh so hard that his cheeks begin to ache.

Otabek rolls his eyes, still chuckling as he pulls Yuri into an embrace. "Whatever he said, don't listen to him."

Yuri revels for a moment in the warmth of his husband's body pressed so close to his. The scent of rain water and leather wrapping him up just as much as arms. He pushes his face further into Otabek's chest.

"We needn't do anything tonight. Or tomorrow, or the next day. We have no need of anything that we do not desire."

The prince looks up at his lordship. "Do you desire me, husband?"

"I-…" Otabek doesn't respond, a whisper of a smile still painted on his lips.

"Because I still very much desire you, even in the midst of the… silliness and the bungled attempts at encouragement. I find… I find that I do crave your… proximity… no, I crave more than that from you."

"Yuri-"

"Yura," the prince says softly. "You should… I want you to call me Yura."

"Then you should call me Beka."

"Okay." Yuri nods.

"Okay," Otabek agrees, allowing a stiffness and a quiet to return to the space.

There's a pause, where they both trade looks of awkwardness and uncertainty. Otabek bites the tip of his tongue, his gaze settling away from Yuri.

"So…" Yuri drawls, too nervous to move his hands but itching to touch the open portion of Otabek's chest.

"Hm?" Otabek returns the question.

"Are you going to… you know?"

"Uh… do you… want to start?"

Yuri feels his eye twitch, "I don't… you know I don't have a damn clue what I'm doing right?"

"Well I just thought that since I was… a brute last time that you might want to be in control." Otabek blushes a bright shade of pink. Yuri has a moment where he isn't sure if he should throttle his husband or kiss him senseless.

Instead, he laughs. "Oh, I will be in control this time, but I think you'll have to do the initiating. After all, I'm still your blushing, innocent, virgin husband."

"Blushing and innocent I agree with." Otabek nods, cupping his husband's face as he leans in for a kiss. "You are lovely and devoted and I love you so dearly. I treasure you and I intend to show you that."

"I'd like that," Yuri whispers against his lips.

In a moment of unbridled restraint, Yuri keeps himself from pulling or yanking his husband closer still. His hands weave into the locks of his lordship's hair and he presses himself further into the hold of his husband. Yuri feels a moan in his throat as Otabek's hips ruck against his own.

They stand there, in the middle of the room kissing for what is probably two or three minutes too long. Yuri is not exactly sure if this is… normal but he is sure that his cock is tingling and his legs are starting to tremble with nerves.

"Beka," Yuri sighs when he finally pulls away. "Might we… move to the bed?"

Otabek gives a heavy breath as he backs the pair of them up to the bed. Yuri nearly trips as the mattress meets his thighs, but Otabek seems none the wiser to this and continues to push back until the prince collapses back onto the blankets.

"Sorry!" Otabek gasps.

"It's alright, Beka, I'm not hurt." Yuri attempts to assuage his suddenly nerve riddled husband.

"But I-"

"Relax, my darling," Yuri implores him, reaching for his hands. "Do you remember what I asked of you?"

"Which time?" Otabek asks.

"When I told you I want you, that I want to have you in this way." Yuri lifts Otabek's fingers to his lips again.

"I don't… I don't believe I do."

"I told you that I want you in all the ways that I can have you… and that- that I wanted you to show me why fools in love go mad for it."

Otabek's breath hitches in his chest as Yuri allows his tongue to slide across the length of Otabek's forefinger.

"You won't deprive me of this, will you?"

"I'd never dream of it." Otabek still looks riddled with nerves as Yuri continues to savor his partner's fingers. They're calloused and thick, Yuri is used to the feeling of these hands in his but never has he paid such attention to them. He wonders if this is an odd thing to do, if his lord husband, who has had many a man in his day, thinks it strange or ignorant.

Instead, his hips collide with Yuri's, rocking them together in such a way that Yuri cannot help the gasp from falling out of him. Otabek leans forward, stealing his hand back and cradling Yuri's body against him.

"I must admit… though it may be shameful to say when lying with my husband… I'm afraid I am not so… well versed in pleasing my partners." Otabek rolls his hips again, eliciting another desperate sigh from his husband.

"You mean to say, you're selfish in bed," Yuri chuckles between tempered gasps.

"Forgive me for it, but I must be," Otabek laughs.

Yuri responds by kissing his husband's collarbone, finally relenting to the longstanding temptation to lick and suck that tantalizing skin.

"My Yura." Otabek gives a quivering sigh as he continues to gyrate his hips against Yuri's.

The friction of his trousers and the stiffness of Otabek's cock are such strange sensations, but they are not unwelcome. Yuri continues to nip and suckle on the exposed portion of Otabek's chest. He hears a few threads stretch to their limits as he pulls at the shirt's fabric.

Otabek leaves tender kisses on the side of Yuri's head, delicate pecks that are followed by heavy breaths and deep sighs. His hold on Yuri's body is strong if a bit apprehensive; the prince wonders if there's something wrong with the way they linger in each position.

"Do you intend to rip my shirt?" Otabek chuckles as Yuri pulls it further off his shoulder. Unable to think of a proper response, Yuri removes the article of clothing so that he might, instead, have Otabek's barren chest to appreciate.

It feels like so much time passes and not much changes. There's kissing and breathing, an endless expanse of skin that Yuri takes the time to ravish. But Otabek does very little in the way of progressing their affections. His lips trail along Yuri's head, occasionally his jaw and neck, but his hands remain in the tangled locks of the prince's hair. His hips continue to move against Yuri's and the prince is rather fed up with it.

"Beka, are you-… are you going to… help me?"

"Help you? Are you alright?" Otabek asks, a spark of worry lights behind his eyes.

"Yes, but I must reiterate, I have no idea what I'm doing." Yuri blushes at the admittance but remains firm in his tone.

"What do you want, my love?"

"Everything." Yuri chuckles, a shiver running down his spine.

"What first, then?" Otabek returns the laugh.

"I-… Oh, you're going to make me say it aren't you?" Yuri snickers, "How cruel you are."

"I want to hear you say it, so that I might do right by you."

"Are you certain you aren't simply looking for me to spout the filth from your fantasies?" Yuri asks with a teasing grin. "Do you want me to beg for you and your body? Should I do that for you, Beka?"

Otabek tenses, a groan breaking out from the firm line of his lips.

"I want you to touch me. I want to feel your hands on parts of me I would not dare allow another to see." He tries to remember how exactly Seung-Gil described sensations and actions. He curses himself for his naivety and his inability to name his desires.

In the midst of his turmoil, Otabek pulls Yuri up to his chest, wordlessly pulling the prince's small clothes down his legs and cupping the tender flesh of his ass. He spends a few moments groping and pulling at him before his hands trail onto his thighs. Yuri isn't certain how to respond to that; he trembles and blushes at the newness of it all. He thinks he likes it; he thinks that it's strange and delightful and so new that he can only manage stuttering moans as his lordship pulls at his cock.

"Is this what you mean?" Otabek asks, his tone hushed and desperate for reassurance.

"Yes," Yuri nods; their eyes meet and Yuri thinks it is horribly awkward. It's unseemly and inappropriate, it makes him laugh when he realizes that it is neither of those things. Once he starts laughing he cannot stop, and the touch of Otabek's hand only becomes more enticing. His lordship smirks and smiles with him, reaching up occasionally to pet the prince's hair and kiss his lips.

Yuri isn't certain how to know when he'll come, but he thinks he isn't quite ready for that. He reaches down and steals Otabek's hand away.

"I think… I want…" He swallows as he tries to catch his breath. Between the panting and the laugh he's positively breathless.

"What do you want, love?"

He swallows thickly before saying the words, "I want your cock inside of me."

Otabek's jaw drops, seemingly of its own volition. Yuri laughs again, pulling Otabek's face to his and kissing him with a renewed vigor.

"Did you like that?" he teases.

"You little minx," Otabek snickers.

"Should I… say more?" Yuri asks. "I'm sorry I am not more well versed in-"

"I should like it very much if you were to talk me through this, Yura."

"God…" Yuri trembles. Before he can forget, he reaches over to the bedside table and hands Otabek the small crock of lubricant Seung-Gil made for them.

Yuri closes his eyes in an attempt to clear his mind, there's a part of him that's worried. He wonders if he's over stimulated with the way his gut feels tight. He's weary of attempting to take his husband again but he thinks he wants to. It's confusing and causes him to tremble yet more when he feels Otabek moving on the bed.

"You are so beautiful." Otabek whispers, reverently kissing his husband. "All flushed and panting for it, wanting me even though I don't deserve you."

"I believe I'll be the judge of that." Yuri chuckles.

"And how will you judge me?" Otabek retorts, his fingers pressing into the thick lubricant beside them.

"I'm not sure yet. Does that deter you?" Yuri smiles against the skin of Otabek's neck.

"I suppose not, if you promise to be vocal, for both the good and the bad."

"I will." Yuri assures him.

Otabek nods once more, gripping at Yuri's thighs to pull him up higher. Yuri feels his own weight fall to his shoulders as Otabek returns his hands to his rear. Yuri waits for the lubricated finger to find its way into him, but Otabek takes the time to thoroughly coat himself in it. Only after returning his fingers to the crock does he tease the rim of Yuri's hole.

Yuri feels himself tighten and clench in response.

"It's alright, you tell me when to continue." Otabek assures him in the softest tone Yuri's ever heard from him. "Better yet, you guide me."

With a nod, Yuri reaches down to grab at Otabek's fingers. They're slick and hard to grasp but he steals their position and pulls at his anus – a motion that has him blushing the second he starts. He remembers Seung-Gil's instructions, treating the skin with care as he spreads and kneads the area. Then he takes Otabek's fingers, gently showing him the motions that ease and relax him.

"I suppose I promised to talk." Yuri remembers with a laugh. Otabek chuckles, looking a bit nervous as he repeats the stroking sensations along Yuri's hole. "Let's see… what to say… what to ask for…"

Yuri, in a second of boldness, reaches out to grasp Otabek's dick. The man above him responds with a shuddering gasp and wide eyes.

"Perhaps that I didn't know a cock could be so big," Yuri smirks. "I didn't know where a dick was even meant to go before I met you. I had thoughts, of course, but to see it… to feel it… I want it to be right this time."

Yuri pushes himself down onto Otabek's fingers, reveling in the feeling of electricity that shoots through his body at the penetration. It's startling and pleasant; Yuri is so relieved he laughs again.

"You'll do it right this time, won't you? You'll make me feel… you'll make me whimper and want for you?"

"Yes," Otabek hisses into his ear.

"Good." Yuri thrusts his hips against his husband's fingers, reveling in the feeling of fullness as he goes through a motion that feels right. The first time since all of this began, he feels like perhaps he's doing something right and it feels good.

It's quiet again, except for the huffing breath and the sounds of skin against skin. Yuri finds himself settling into the details of the space. The feeling of the bed beneath him, the wetness of his fingers, the heavy scent of clove emanating off of Otabek. It all anchors him and keeps him moving, pulsing against his husband's fingers until he decides that he craves more.

"Beka… Would you… are you… ready?" Yuri pants the words.

"Ready?... Do you mean…" Otabek looks at him with wide, uncertain eyes.

"Please." Yuri pulls himself up to Otabek's lips, wrapping his arms around his husband's back.

"If you're certain." Otabek looks like he's trying to hide his anticipation. Yuri smiles as Otabek's fingers are removed and his cock presses against his backside.

"I can further beg you for it if you like."

"And if I do?" Otabek pushes the slightest bit into Yuri.

"Beka, please. I-I… I need you…"

"Where do you need me?"

Yuri whimpers as he attempts to articulate his truly vulgar thoughts. "Would you… just… fuck me."

"Do you really want it?" Otabek asks again.

His highness is uncertain if his husband is teasing or not, but he digs his nails into Otabek's back regardless and squeaks out, "Yes."

It's slow going, Yuri feels himself clenching as Otabek delves further into his ass.

"Relax, darling," Otabek whispers fondly, nuzzling into Yuri's temple. "You're doing so well."

Yuri glows from within at the thought of that, his voice crackling as he moans with pleasure. There's enough slickness from the lubricant for him to be utterly intoxicated by the full feeling within him. Otabek seems to melt with him as they come to realize their accomplishment.

Yuri alternates between laughing and moaning while Otabek seems more honed into the task before him. One hand snakes back around Yuri's cock and it takes no more than three pulls for him to be shocked into release. His mind goes blank for a moment, the gratuitous sound he makes leaves him blushing and stuttering when he returns to himself.

Otabek wears a self-satisfied smile as he continues to plunge into Yuri.

"I-… Otabek-… Beka!" He takes in a deep breath as the waves of an orgasm hit once more.

"I love you," Otabek mutters, pushing in further in an attempt to coax himself to an orgasm. Yuri's hands drag down Otabek's chest, nails scratching the skin they meet before his lips return to the crook of his neck. He sucks and bites on the skin as if he's some feral creature, desperate for a taste after months of malnourishment. His lips travel along Otabek's collarbone while the man above him bucks and thrusts his hips.

The long guttural moan that comes from above him and the pressure of Otabek's body pressed firm against his own; there's a moment before Yuri pulls away from his husband's body and the pair of them stare at one another. Lidded eyes and unstable breathing, Yuri grins as he pulls them into an embrace, the tightness in his ass abating just the slightest bit.

Relief washes over him then; Otabek's arm wraps around Yuri's back and a wet kiss is placed on his shoulder.

"I love you." Yuri whispers.

"Are you alright?" Otabek asks, nosing Yuri's hair as he does.

"Yes… yes I… I don't know what else to say. Forgive me."

"You don't need to say anything, my darling one," Otabek promises him.

There's another awkward moment in which Otabek hesitates before slipping out of Yuri. The leaking sensation that follows is a bit uncomfortable but his elation at their coupling outweighs that. Yuri keeps his hold on Otabek, whimpering in protest when his husband tries to stand up.

"Still desperate for me?" Otabek teases.

"More than ever," Yuri admits mindlessly.

Otabek blushes at the confession. "You… you should wash."

Yuri lets out a thin whine while Otabek dislodges himself from the prince's arms. His eyes feel heavy and his body feels impossibly lethargic; he can hardly run a hand through his hair as he lays on the bed. Otabek returns not a second later, with a warm washcloth in hand. Ever so gently, he cleans the tacky residue of sweat and semen from Yuri's legs and rear.

"Thank you." Yuri breathes out the words, blushing at the thought of being so incapacitated his husband must be the one to wash him. Otabek says nothing, but offers a gentle smile in return. When Yuri is sufficiently washed, Otabek cleans himself off.

Yuri rolls on his side to watch his husband, the prince finds his breath catching in his chest as he takes in his husband's figure. The man is built like a mythic hero, all built muscle and tan skin. The blemishes of war scatter across his skin like a smattering of starlight in the sky. White lines and rough edges from wounds Yuri would rather not imagine.

This prince is torn between averting his gaze and staring obviously at Otabek's… oh for pity's sake his penis. The thing that was just inside of him not moments ago, is there a point in further bashfulness? Perhaps it's because it's the first time he's actually seen it, or maybe it's because now he knows it more intimately. Still, the thought that crosses his mind makes him feel positively unseemly; because he wants to touch it again. Because he thinks his dick is beautiful and that's so very odd for him.

"Are you hungry, darling?" Otabek asks when he returns to the bed, his knuckles gently caressing Yuri's cheek.

"Hungry?" Yuri asks, appalled at how dazed he sounds.

"We've yet to have dinner, I can call for it." Yuri finds himself shaking his head, and Otabek attempts to catch his gaze. "What then? What do you need?"

Yuri doesn't answer verbally; he holds out his arms and blushes when he realizes the ridiculousness of the ask. He's a grown man, he should simply use his words and not get tongue tied around his own damn husband.

Otabek looks a bit taken aback but nods in response, lifting Yuri off the foot of the bed and walking them to the head of it. Otabek sits against the pillows, propping his husband up against his chest. He kisses Yuri sweetly, one hand gently resting over the prince's thigh while the other cradles his face.

"Are you well?" Otabek whispers.

"I am." Yuri nods.

"Truly?"

"Mhm." Yuri burrows further into Otabek's chest. "Next time I think we'll be better adjusted to one another."

"Already entertaining thoughts of next time?" Otabek smirks.

"Aren't you?" Yuri looks at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

"I've spent months dreaming of doing right by you, love, I hope in the future we might be less… bumbling. But for now, I am more than content."

Yuri nuzzles into Otabek once more. "I love you."

"And I you."

There's a stillness then that seems to wrap them up, almost as if the universe itself has taken pity on them and allotted the couple a moment of respite. Away from the world, away from their difficulties and fears; the two of them revel in their presence. Even as the sky darkens further and the candles around them melt to unidentifiable mounds, they remain entwined in one another.

Yuri is convinced then, that if love is a thing that exists at all it must look something like this.


To the Moon and back; I love you more than that;

We may fall but we'll keep on going; We may break but we won't stay broken;

Through the cracks in the road, the flowers grow