- Ticking - (Otabek x Yurio) (COMPLETED)

{ 15- Reality }

If Yurio had considered making the decision to follow in pursuit of answers was the most difficult part, he had another thing coming. Now, standing out in the hallway with his ears perked up like a cat, he hadn't a clue of which way to head. If only the paths split into two-- that would give him a lovely fifty-fifty chance-- but, alas, they did not. In fact, the hallway had so many branches and turns he felt as if he could faint, but pulled through. Yurio turned left, then paused; was the other way right? Or the other other way?

He cupped his hand around his ear as he'd seen in the movies, letting it fall back down when there was no change. Yurio would have thought that between the two deep voices, he would be able to hear something, but maybe that was hope instead of logic.

One foot in front of the other, he moved in a random direction, tip-toeing for no other reason than to feel accomplished. Walking normally while attempting to spy on someone just felt... wrong.

He saw a flash of movement, spinning around on the soles of his feet with the grace of a ballerina. Crouching down, he walk-crawled to an adjacent door, back against the wall next to it. His breathing was steady-- slightly panted, if anything-- and hands rigid as he dared not make sound.

It could have been a sign from fate, a destined stroke of luck that he found the two so easily. Or just a coincidence; Yurio was inclined to believe the latter.

"--I'm trying. You can't rush this." Yurio tilted his ear to better catch the voice of the man he was eavesdropping on.

"Otabek."

"Just a little more time. You know how diffi--"

"Difficult? Hah?! You're a coward, Altin, and you know it." Yakov spoke darkly, and Yurio could perfectly imagine his adherent crossed arms and deep scowl, the constant stance that accompanied his angry lectures.

Yurio looked down, clenching his fist as he deciphered the insult-- he had to resist the urge to scream at Yakov in order to not compromise his position. He certainly didn't like to be a bystander when someone insulted a person he cared about; fortunately for him, there weren't many people who fit that criteria for him to be fond of them.

"It's not that simple. Just a week, I promi--"

"Promise! No, promises are empty words. I'm not cheering you on, but I'm not sitting back anymore. You got me involved in this mess in the first place." Yurio could invision Yakov's arms tightening their hold as his voice stiffened, an image ingrained into his mind by far too many times of encountering it.

There was no idea that Yurio could conjure that could possibly describe what they were talking about. It didn't seem fit that they were doing anything illegal-- Yakov was too much of a steel rod-- but what else could they mean? He closed his eyes momentarily, waiting for Otabek to respond so he could better invision what they were discussing.

"Things take time." Otabek countered Yakov, and Yurio silently cheered him on despite not knowing what the arguement was about.

"Baloney! You've taken much time already. Stop making this a circular argument, Altin."

"Please just--"

"No! I coerced Yurio into coming upon your request, and you'll fulfill your promise if it kills you. Or is that another empty one?" Yakov snapped sternly, Yurio's eyes widening with each word.

Coerced.

Promise.

He couldn't process what that-- Otabek couldn't have. Did he have an ulterior motive? What-- Yurio couldn't... He stumbled, hands clutching his shirt as his breathing halted then came back all too fast, grease coating his throat. Compromising his eavesdropping spot was no longer a priority, rather trying to stand up was.

But Yakov wouldn't lie-- couldn't. Especially not in this situation, when he thought he was only talking to Otabek; little did Yakov know there was another right outside the door.

Yurio grasped his oil-drenched shirt, eyes brimming with wetness but nothing coming out. He'd spent too long in pity recently that there was no more sadness available; he turned to anger. The pressures behind the door and his social engagements were far too much, and with the speed of a cheetah, he was in the room with his fist raised.

"You motherfucking liar! Y-You asked me, you asked me why I came here as if you didn't know! Liar, liar, liar, fuck you!" Yurio couldn't see clearly, but could make out Otabek's face: guilt. "I trusted you, piece of shit! Who does that?! Who does that?! I thought maybe, for once, for once in my goddamned life I had a true friend, but no! Everyone on this hell-bent planet is out to get m-me. Fuck you, Otabek!"

He couldn't feel his hands any longer; were they still holding his shirt or by his side? His ears were ringing as well, as if a landslide had occurred-- how ironic. Just because his sight and touch were failing, his hearing was gone too. Apparantely even his own senses were out to undermine him.

"No, Yura, I--" Otabek's eyes were bent downwards in a slant, a pitying expression that Yurio wasn't accepting in the slightest. Anger he could understand, but pity? That was not a sight he ever wished to encounter.

"Liars can't call me Yura! Liars c-can't c-call me-- No, stop! Stop!" Yurio spun on his heel, trying to manuever his way back to the door. It wasn't as easy as he'd hoped, the world spinning as an added obstacle to his day-- perfect.

"Let me explain."

"Foff! Fu-fuck off!" Yurio shot another vengeful glance, flipping Otabek his middle finger before stumbling away. His brain wasn't comprehending the scene; all he knew was that he had to get out.

Where to go? There was nowhere. His hotel room, perhaps, would serve as a temporary place... Yes. He'd go there, cool off. The city view was a possible stress-reliever.

Until then, he knew not what he was doing. Just stumbling, grasping for the wall and squinting to make out the room numbers. Maybe it was a dream...

But, with a sinking finality, Yurio knew it wasn't. He knew dreams all too well to distinguish them from reality, no matter how long it had took him to hone that skill.

No, this wasn't a dream. It was reality.

~ ~ ~

A/N: Updated twice in a row! Woohoo!

As always, mistakes were probably made but do I really care?

Well... yes, I do, but I care more about being lethargic. Oops.

Thanks for reading, hasta luego!