Work Text
If you told fifteen-year-old Yuri that he would one day think that Otabek was cute he’d tell you to piss off and that Otabek wasn’t cute he was cool and manly. However as he watches his best friend (and his huge time crush) gush over the little baby bears at the zoo he can’t help but think that Otabek is cute, even if he is still manly and cool. He was fuckin cute. They and many others were gathered at the glass of the enclosure as they watched the small cubs explore their small world.As soon as Otabek had heard that there were new cubs born at the local zoo he has skated up to Yuri at practiced and asked him to go with him, he pretended to be too cool but relenting only for the Tigers- but deep down it was really just to see Otabek smile.“Yura, did you know a group of bears is called a sloth?” Otabek looked up at him from his position on the ground kneeling in front of the glass, he couldn’t help but notice he was kneeling next to the glass just like the row of kids next to him.“No I didn’t.” he couldn’t help but smile as Otabek’s enthusiasm.“Did you know that Grizzly Bears have the bite force enough to crush a bowling ball!” Otabek had turned back to watch the cubs as they wrestled which each other.He hummed as he watched Otabek’s soft smile on his face- in all of the years that Yuri has known Otabek he was a stoic, hardcore and dedicated person who never showed any emotion besides competitiveness. However, it wasn’t until he once gifted Otabek a small bear that he saw his face soften and a wide smile breaking out on his face.“Yura, Yura,” Otabek was tugging at the bottom of his shirt, “Look-Look!” he pointed to the small cubs who were starting to climb up a tree, “You see that blue thing,” nodded toward a small ball in the tree, “That has some treats in it, bears have an amazing sense of smell, better than dogs and some say better than most mammals.”He noticed how Otabek’s hand never left his shirt as he continued on, “You know a lot about bears.”“Of course I do they’re the best animal.” Otabek looked up at him deadpanning his voice and by the look and tone, Yuri knew better to argue back.However that didn’t stop him from huffing, “Next to tigers,” then the look Otabek threw at him caused him to pause, “Okay find they’re pretty cool.” with the smile that the sentenced caused Yuri would only admit to himself that he’d even say bears were cooler to get Otabek to smile at him like that again.The bears continued to climb up the tree or play around the edge of it as the mother looked on from her spot in the shade, which he couldn’t help but notice was definitely a well-deserved break.“Did you know the original word for "bear" has been lost. Medieval people thought that saying the ferocious animal's name would summon it, so they called it ‘the brown one’.” Otabek continued on with his facts and he continued to smile softly at him as he told each one with more and more enthusiasm.It was when Otabek turned back to the glass that he took his eyes off of him for a quick second and what he found he did not like, women were standing around which didn’t look out of place with all of the children around them but- they weren’t looking at the kids. They were looking at Otabek, some moms smiling and whispering to each other, a man looked over Otabeks frame as he moved to pick up his son.He turned back to Otabek who’s eyes shined as he talked about the bears and his smile as watched them play, he didn’t deserve to be looked at by these people. Otabek was cool, mainly and cute, he was so fucking cute and he couldn’t take it anymore.“Otabek,” He lowered his voice so that the two of them could hear, “Your cuteness is making everyone stare. Stop it.”He regretted his impulsive words as Otabek’s smile dropped and his brows knitted together, “What?” he sounded more confused than upset but still, his smile was gone and it was his fault!“I mean,” he switched to Russain, “You’re being too cute and everyone is staring and they shouldn’t be.” if he was going to spontaneously confess he wanted it to be someone private between the two of them, plus he had a badass persona to keep up- he couldn’t be seen being all lovey-dovey like Victor and Katsudon.“You think I’m cute?” Otabek matched his Russain which made his voice deeper and definitely was making him even more attractive. He looked down at the man on his knees in front of the glass of the animal enclosure, just as enthusiastic as the small kids around him who told him every fact he knew, and with such a beautiful smile. He also was stoic and took forever to finally get some emotion out of besides competitiveness and determination, or it took him forever to finally see Otabek’s emotions. He looked down at the man clad in leather, his fingerless glove on the hand that was still tugging at the bottom of his shirt, the aviators in his neat combed back hair and he realized he didn’t just find him cute-“Yeah but-but you’re also handsome, cool and very manly, I ah-” he tripped over his words as he tried and failed to tell Otabek his feelings, he may be a prodigy on the ice who never falters but he never said he could communicate well.“Yura-” Otabek whispered as he got up to stand next to him, even when standing tall Yuri still has to look down. He felt his heart skip a beat as Otabek grabbed his hand and pulled them through the crowds and away from the bears, he noticed that Otabek was taking him down towards one of the empty exhibits which caused him to fear that Otabek was going to yell at him. Break off their friendship and move back home and never talk to him again.Once they were out of sight Otabek dropped his hand and face him, his face blank and his eyes (the telling sign of his emotions) were both blank. He squared himself up ready to be rejected for the first time in his life, so you can imagine his surprise when Otabek pulled him down for a kiss.It took him a moment to respond as Otabeks soft lips were on his chapped ones, but once it clicked he kissed back and maybe a bit too hard but he’s been waiting for two years to kiss his best friend.“You think I’m cute,” Otabek said as he pulled back.“Yes,” he whispered back to him.“What would you say if I said the same about you?” Otabek’s eyes met his with an expression he'd never seen before, he couldn’t describe it with anything other than a fondness… love. This caused him to lean back in and kiss those soft lips once more as he cradled Otabeks beautiful face in his hands.“Will you date me or not?” Otabek laughed his glorous laugh that he wanted to save and be the one who caused him to laugh like that every day. He blushed as Otabek took one of his hands in his and gave him a firm handshake just like he had when Otabek asked them to be friends.If you told fifteen-year-old Yuri he would find his best friend cute he’d tell you to piss off, that he was cool and he was manly and so not cute.Now if you told nineteen-year-old Yuri that his new boyfriend would be the one he would marry in four years, he would believe even if he tried to deny it because as he looked into his new boyfriend's eyes. He could tell that no one else would compare to the man in front of him.