Both Yuri and Otabek are planning on something that involves needles (no drugs I swear!) but it turns out Yuri is afraid of needles D:

So today's prompts were fears and encouragement, and though I initially chose encouragement, it all kinda fitted better with fears so I chose that one ^^ It didn't make me change the drabble, only maybe my own intentions

"Are you sure it's not gonna hurt?" Yuri sounded unconvinced.

"It'll only sting for a second," Otabek promised.

"So it is going to hurt?"

Otabek merely shrugged. "If you think you can't handle it…"

"Don't underestimate me," Yuri huffed. "You're bleeding, by the way."

The shop assistant handed Otabek a tissue and a mirror to wipe away the blood.

"I didn't even feel it bleeding," he tried to help.

"It's more like a sting than anything else," the shop assistant joined Otabek.

Yuri glared at her. "It feels like you're both pressuring me into this."

The shop assistant stepped back in shock, but Otabek laughed.

"Don't worry about his anger," he assured her, "he's always like that."

Yuri turned his glare to Otabek. "That's not what you said last night."

"There are a lot of things I didn't say last night," Otabek calmly countered.

"Fair enough, I guess."

The shop assistant softly cleared her throat. "Have you made your decision?"

"Hm, yes I have." Yuri pointed at a set. "I want those."

"Please." Otabek added for him.

She gave him a nod before rummaging through a drawer and getting out a small box. "These?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, please sit in this chair and let me mark the spots where I am going to pierce your ears."

Yuri sat quietly and Otabek noticed his hands were shaking. He kneeled in front of him holding those shaking hands so the shop assistant had to go around him. "Yura?"

"I'm okay," Yuri whispered as he looked at the gun that would soon pierce his ears.

The shop assistant asked if she put the marks in the right place. Yuri didn't react so Otabek checked for him.

"I think they're even. Can you do them at the same time?"

"Of course, let me get a colleague." She left them alone for a moment.

"Yura." Otabek squeezed his hands to get his attention.

Yuri tore his eyes away from the machine and met Otabek's.

"When they get back, I want you to close your eyes, so you don't see them. You'll only have to focus on me, okay?"

Yuri nodded and then the shop assistant returned with her colleague.

"Are you ready?"

Yuri nodded, again, holding his head high.

Otabek gave him one last reassuring squeeze. "I like your hair today, Yura, maybe I should braid it more often."

Yuri gave him a shaky smile. "Maybe you should."

"There you go, all done!" The shop assistant announced happily. The other one said their goodbyes again and returned to the main shop.

"Eh?" Yuri's hands slipped out of Otabek's grip and he felt his ears. "It's true. I didn't even feel anything."

"Please be careful the next couple of hours, your ears will probably feel a little sensitive." She offered Yuri a mirror so he could look at them himself.

"I look cool," he decided.

"You do," Otabek agreed.

"I can't wait to show Grandpa!"

Otabek laughed, glad Yuri wasn't held back by his fear anymore. "Go on then, he's waiting for you in the shop."

Yuri grinned. "I'll be right back," he said and kissed Otabek quickly on the cheek.

Otabek watched his back as he walked out of the backroom to the main shop.

"I have for each of you a bottle that you should use daily to prevent infection, along with an instruction sheet for when a piercing does get infected."

"Thank you," Otabek smiled at the shop assistant.

She smiled back. "No problem, we've had other customers with a fear of needles and I think he handled it rather well."

"He handled it like he would handle every other thing."

Before the shop assistant could respond, Yuri stuck his head around the door.

"Are you coming? Grandpa made Pirozhki and if you wait any longer I'll eat them all by myself."

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Otabek laughed. "Have a nice day." He bid the shop assistant farewell.

"You too."

"Come on, we need to take pictures too when we get home." With that, Yuri pulled on Otabek's sleeve, dragging him with him.

I can imagine Yuri acting like he isn't afraid of anything, but then again, he, too, is human, so why not have a fear of needles?

Thank you for reading and hopefully you'll stick with me for the remaining days!