[Narrator's POV]

Otabek and Yuri join the crowd at the weekly Sunday markets in the outskirts of the city. With so many people around, mainly tourists, not much attention was drawn to the two of them. They could finally blend in and be left to themselves.

Yuri trails behind Otabek, looking at his hand swinging down at his side. Yuri reaches out, but hesitates. They haven't held hands since the banquet, he had kind of forgotten they ever did so. Was it a normal thing to do? Back then, he never gave it a second thought. It was a lot simpler without this feeling that boils up inside him whenever he is around Otabek. Ever since discovering it Yuri has second-guessed everything. Everything seems to make him nervous.

Upon consideration, Yuri decides to hold onto Otabek's sleeve instead.

"I don't want to get separated." Yuri justifies when Otabek looks back at him.

"Do you wonna stop and get something to eat?" Otabek asks.

"Only if it's piroshky." Yuri answers with a cheeky smile.

Otabek chuckles. "Sure thing, let's find a stall that sells them."

These markets were used to make money off of tourists, so many of the things they sold didn't interest Yuri. But for some reason he enjoyed following Otabek around and watching him get excited over some stupid T-shirt with Russian slang on it.

It wasn't long before they had found a large stall selling a variety of deep fried goods, including piroshky.

"It's on me." Otabek says with a smile as he steps up to order.

A passing girl does a double-take on Otabek and stops in her tracks to admire him. Yuri finds this disturbing and oddly irritating. He grinds his teeth and looks her up and down, but she does not seem to notice him at all.

"What are you looking at?" He barks aggressively.

The girl lets out a frightened peep and scurries away.

Yuri straightens his shoulders and turns back to Otabek, who had finished up ordering.

"Here you go," Otabek says happily, turning around to hand Yuri a steaming piroshky wrapped in a napkin.

Yuri digs right in without saying a word. Halfway through his meal he realises this and looks up at Otabek suddenly, his cheeks full with crumbs all over his mouth.

"Oh..." He mumbles through a mouthful of food. "Thankyou."

When Otabek starts to laugh at him, Yuri swallows his food and pouts. "What?"

"Nothing, you're just funny." Otabek replies, reaching out with his napkin to wipe the food from Yuri's face.

In this moment, when Otabek is concentrating on Yuri's lips, he gets the sudden urge to throw the napkin away and clean the crumbs off himself. He feels the burning desire to stop and kiss him.

Yuri breaks his trance by pulling his face away. "Stop, it's embarrassing. I can do it myself. I'm not a kid." He says stubbornly, his face going red.

"What am I doing?" Otabek thinks to himself. "I don't know what Yuri sees in me—a friend, a brotherly figure...a partner. Yuri isn't even aware of his own feelings yet. I need to be patient with him. Until he knows what he wants, I will wait for him. At the end of the day, I don't care what he wants from our relationship. I just want to be close to him..."

"I'm going to find a bathroom." Otabek says.

"I can come with." Yuri replies, looking concerned. "If you want." He adds casually.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back. I wouldn't want you to miss the fireworks." Otabek puts his hand on Yuri's shoulder to comfort him. "Just stay right here and we won't get separated."

Yuri takes in a deep breath and nods. "Okay."

Otabek smiles and disappears into the mass of people making their way back towards the city.

Yuri rocks back and forth on his heels, feeling awkward about standing there alone. Someone walks past behind him and accidentally shoves him. Yuri stumbles forward a bit before turning to face the perpetrator.

"No need to say sorry!" He scorns.

But there is no one there.

Yuri looks around frantically, feeling a little spooked. Eventually he spots a hooded figure stuffing something in their pocket as they speed walk up the grass hill leading away from the markets. Yuri's eyes shoot open in panic. He pats down his pants and feels in all his pockets. Just as he thought—his wallet and phone are gone.

"HEY! Come back here you piece of trash!" Yuri screams, causing a few turning heads.

He bites his lip in frustration. As much as Yuri would like to chase the thief, he couldn't just leave his spot and make Otabek think he had ditched him.

.

[Otabek's POV]

I stand in the bathroom, turning over the narrow jewellery box in my hands. I wanted to get Yuri a gift to show how much he means to me, but I still don't know what drove him over the edge last week. What if my actions have been making him uncomfortable because he really does just care for me as a friend?

I wanted to give Yuri something to symbolise forever. To tell him that no matter what I will always be with him, standing beside him as whatever he needs me to be. Will my feelings reach him through this?

I shove the box back in my pocket. I want to clear things up. I need to be close to Yuri again.

This has to end tonight.