Hi everyone, it's been a (long) while! I originally had this story set as complete, but I was encouraged by your feedback to add some more chapters. I want to write an original story, so to practice writing I figured adding onto this fanfic would be fun! I've taken a few writing courses since so I'm hoping there will be some noticeable improvement. If you'd like to leave feedback, I would love to read it! Thank you and enjoy!

Chapter 4 - Please Be Patient With Me

"Ugh I'm so glad to be home," Yuri made his way over to Potya and snuggled her. "I won't leave you anymore I promise!"

Otabek smiled at the sight, but wasted no time in telling Yuri what's on his mind. "We should get cleaned up. Hospitals are filled with all kinds of germs."

Yuri set the Persian cat on her perch and laughed. "You'll have to help me then. Think you can do that?"

"Of course. Taking a shower isn't difficult." Otabek's matter of fact tone told Yuri that his hint went right over his head. He rolled his eyes and headed to the bathroom.

Otabek got the bath supplies ready while Yuri undressed, making sure to avoid looking in the mirror. He didn't need a reminder of how he looked like shit, especially when he was still feeling weak and tired.

"Let's shower first then I'll fill the tub so we can soak. Sound good?" Otabek asked while testing the water temperature.

Yuri nodded and walked over to him. "Sounds good, now turn around so I can get you out of those filthy clothes."

Yuri slowly unzipped Otabek's leather jacket and slid it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the tile floor with a thud. He then moved his hands under his shirt but was startled when Otabek jumped back.

"Your hands are freezing Yura!" He yelped. "I'll do it. Just get in, you're wasting water."

"Fine." Yuri pouted and cautiously stepped into the tub.

Not a moment later, Otabek was standing behind Yuri, his warm body making him shiver. Otabek closed the shower curtain and grabbed Yuri's slender waist, leaning over to activate the shower head. They both braced themselves for the initial cold water before it warmed.

The hand on Yuri's waist slowly turned him around. Otabek was staring at him, lips pressed in a thin line and eyes downturned, water already falling off his lashes. His other hand stroked Yuri's hair, slicking it back and making sure it was wet enough. Even after everything they went through, in this moment Yuri somehow felt even more vulnerable. Otabek can be pretty oblivious at times, but he always means well, he thought to himself.

Lost in his thoughts, Yuri didn't notice the shampoo being massaged in his hair until the scent of eucalyptus pulled him out of it. "You're really good at that." He sighed and slipped his eyes shut.

Otabek smiled and decided to keep massaging for a bit longer. He liked making Yuri happy but he still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his chest. He reassured himself that a lot had happened in the last few days and they had just made it back from the hospital. It was natural for him to feel on edge, especially when his boyfriend's care was back in his hands.

"Tilt your head back. I'm going to rinse your hair." Otabek said.

Yuri did what he was told. Soon enough his hair was clean and ready for conditioner. Otabek applied it the same way, massaging it through and admiring how Yuri's hair had turned dark gold.

"Now it's your turn." Yuri said as he bent down to grab the shampoo bottle.

"No it's ok, I got it."

Yuri moaned, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over him and he fell forward. Thankfully Otabek was quick to catch him.

"I said I got it," Otabek's voice was more tender this time. "Just… sit over there while I quickly wash my hair."

Yuri reluctantly slid over to the end of the tub while Otabek turned to face him. After a few silent moments Yuri decided to lighten the mood. "I have a pretty nice view from down here." His smile was met with a deadpan stare.

Otabek lathered a loofah with soap and held it towards the fairer man. "You think you can wash yourself or should I do it for you?"

Yuri smirked, now we're getting somewhere. "You can do it."

Otabek kneeled down and started scrubbing Yuri's chest so hard it was as if he was trying to scrub away the bruises on his skin.

"Ow! That's rough!"

"Sorry," Otabek lightened his touch. "Is that better?"

"Yeah." Yuri sulked. This was supposed to be sexy but I feel like a fish at the market.

Yuri tried to make the most of the situation, but Otabek was so thorough that he was somehow more exhausted by the end of it. Otabek grabbed the shower head and rinsed Yuri from head to toe.

Not wanting to leave him in the cold, Otabek made quick but thorough work of cleaning his own body. Soap bubbles trickled down his muscles, caressing them the way Yuri wished he could right now. But he didn't want to be scolded for trying to 'help' so all he could do was watch and move his legs to hide how badly he wanted him.

"I'm going to fill the bath now, Yura. Do you want the lavender or peppermint bath salts?"

Yuri chose the lavender. Otabek stepped out and sprinkled the salt in, moving his hand to help them dissolve and check that the temperature didn't get too hot. Yuri felt embarrassed watching Otabek, but he tried to push aside those feelings and remind himself that he did say he would let Otabek take care of him.

Once the water got high enough, Otabek slipped in behind Yuri and straddled him, his strong arm gently guiding Yuri back into his chest. He let the tub fill up a bit more and then pushed the knob with his foot.

"How are you feeling now? Still dizzy?" Despite his effort to hide it, Otabek's voice was stained with worry. His hands moved to Yuri's shoulders, massaging them in an attempt to rid himself of nervous energy.

"Beka, I'm fine. Let's just stay here a while." Yuri mumbled, losing his battle against the pull of sleep.

Otabek sighed and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Yuri's small frame. He tried focusing on the weight against his body and thinking of the kind of meals he could make using the recovery plan. Right now, all he wanted to do was go for a run, but he didn't dare leave Yuri alone and trying not to fidget was harder than he thought. Snapping back to reality, he felt a thud as Yuri's head lolled to the side. Panic surged through him and he grabbed Yuri's wrist, counting his pulse.

"Mmmh. Your heart's beating way faster than mine ya know," Yuri stirred. "I just fell asleep."

"Right. Sorry." Otabek whispered.

Just as he let go, Yuri grabbed his wrist and led his hand down to caress lithe abs, then a supple inner thigh. "You need to relax," He soothed. "I can help."

Otabek pulled his hand away, too stunned to speak.

"What's wrong? I can feel that you liked it."

"Yuri, you're supposed to be resting. I promised l'd take care of you and this is not what you need right now."

"And how do you know what I need?"

"Rest. Judging by how you collapsed earlier."

"Fine. Then chill out and let me sleep! You're the one who woke me up, remember?"

He had a point. "Alright. Go to sleep. I'll wake you up when it's time to get out."

Yuri shifted and got himself comfortable. Otabek let out a shaky breath as the friction caused his member to twitch. Yuri smirked and went back to sleep.

Cold air bites at his skin as he picks up speed, his hair whips in his face as he glides on the ice. He's getting ready to do a triple salchow but his legs jolt. The ice is rough and jagged now. He pushes through and just as he prepares to jump, the ice breaks and he falls through, cold water shocking his system. He cries out for Otabek but he is alone, darkness engulfing him.

"Ura… Yura! Wake up!"

Yuri jolts awake hearing Otabek's voice cutting through the darkness, taking a moment to realize the panicked breathing he hears is his own. He sits up and takes in his surroundings. Bathtub, cool water, and warm hands rubbing his back.

"What's going on? Did you have a bad dream?" Otabek sounds even more worried now.

"Uh yeah, something like that." He blinked a few times, trying to clear away the hot tears forming in his eyes.

Otabek hummed in acknowledgement. "Want to talk about it?"

"It's not a big deal, I'm fine." Yuri turned around and gave his boyfriend an unconvincing half hearted smile.

"You can tell me-" Before he could finish, Otabek was cut off with a glare.

"I said I'm fine, just drop it already!" Yuri jumped out of the tub, wrapped himself in a towel, and stormed out, leaving Otabek hurt and confused.

He stared past the door, trying to process what happened. One minute Yuri is sound asleep and the next he's yelling at him. He felt so drained, physically and emotionally. Out of his depth. A shiver ran through his body which prompted him to get out of the tub. He dried himself off and quickly blow dried his hair.

"Yuri, you should dry your hair so you don't get sick!" Otabek called out, feeling uneasy about what kind of response he would get.

A few moments later, Yuri stood by the door with a downcast expression. Refusing to meet his gaze, Yuri took the hair dryer and gripped it tight. "Sorry, I just… I need some time alone."

His voice sounded pained and it pulled on Otabek's heartstrings. Reluctantly he left, closing the door softly behind him. He got dressed in loungewear and laid on his side of the bed, straining to hear past the drone of the hair dryer. The minutes dragged on, the bed too comfortable, and his eyes slipped shut.

Otabek slowly opened his eyes. Why does the room look darker than it did a second ago? Groaning, he sat up and a soft, tiger print blanket fell to his lap. Looking out the window he saw a vibrant pink and gold sunset that sparkled off the windows of the surrounding buildings. Panic ripped through him as he put two and two together. He shot out of bed and ran to the bathroom. He's not here! Throwing the bedroom door open he saw Yuri sitting on the couch with a surprised look on his face.

"Hey, you okay?" Yuri called out.

Otabek shook his head and slowly sank to the floor. Yuri moved Potya off his lap and rushed over.

"What's wrong? Are you sick?" It was Yuri's turn to be worried.

Otabek pulled his knees to his chest and let his head fall back against the door frame. Panic, relief, shame, he didn't think it was possible to experience so many emotions at once. His eyes burned and his chest felt like it was about to explode. He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, only to open them when he felt a soft hand press against his forehead.

"Why are you so worked up?" Yuri asked, unaware of the irony of his question.

"Why?" Otabek huffed. "Because I promised to look after you and I fell asleep! What if something bad happened and I wasn't able to help you?"

"You're beyond exhausted Beka, of course you passed out. Nothing happened so don't worry about it," Yuri straightened his back and held out his hand. "Come with me."

Otabek ignored Yuri's outstretched hand and pushed himself up. Together they walked over to the kitchen table where Yuri sat him down. He picked up Potya and brought her over. "Cats make everything better." He said as he placed her in his arms.

Yuri made his way over to the sink and filled the electric kettle with water. As it was heating up, he grabbed a brown clay mug from the cupboard and rummaged around the tea cabinet. Eventually he found what tea he was looking for as well as a jar filled with golden honey. He didn't wait for the snap of the switch before he poured the hot water into the mug. Gently, he lowered the tea bag into the water, swirling it around and dunking it methodically. After a while he removed the bag and dipped a spoon into the honey, carefully letting it flow off the spoon until the right amount remained. He was methodical about swirling the honey too, rhythmic clicking sounded as he circled the mug. Satisfied, he slid the mug across the table to Otabek, who accepted the tea with thanks.

"Peppermint, my favourite."

"I know."

Yuri sat on the other side of the table, shifting in his seat while Otabek sipped on his tea. After some time, he mustered up the courage to fill the silence.

"So while you were asleep I had some time to think. I keep pushing you away and not telling you what's going on with me, which isn't fair," Yuri thought for a moment. "You know, it's really hard for me to control my emotions and I just snap on instinct. I don't want to but they're too strong and I can't control it! But after that happens, I feel like a shit person and distance myself so I don't hurt you more than I already have. But I know that's not a healthy way to deal.

"So, I'm really sorry. And I know this is a lot to ask but… please be patient with me while I work on it," He let out a long sigh. "I just want this day to be over honestly."

"You and me both," Otabek laughed. "Thanks for telling me. And don't feel bad about needing alone time. I'll try to be patient with you and you try to be patient with me, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Look at you being all mature." Otabek grinned.

"Shut up."

"We're both on edge today. We should feel better after some dinner."

Just as Otabek was about to bring the mug to his lips, Potya reached up and headbunted his jaw. Returning the affection he kissed her on top of her head.

Yuri's expression softened. "She loves you. I love you."

He hid his face in soft fur.

I hope you liked it! I plan on continuing this story for a few more chapters so stay tuned. Thank you for reading!