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"Yurio, you need to use sunscreen," Viktor says, in that cheerful tone that makes Yuri want to headbutt him. "You'll get sunburn otherwise!"
"I've already put sunscreen on," Yuri says. It's not as if he's even planning to step out of the shade of the beach umbrella – it's far too hot under the blazing afternoon sun. "And stop calling me that."
"Come on, I'll help you with your back!"
Yuri pulls a face. "I'd rather die of heatstroke." It was bad enough having to see Viktor slobber all over Katsudon as they slathered each other in sunscreen, with an amount of unnecessary touching that was borderline indecent at a public beach.
There's a shutter sound as Phichit snaps yet another photo. "This one is going on Instagram!" he announces, leaning over to show it to Katsudon.
Thankfully, that's when Otabek returns with drinks. He hands Yuri a bottle of fruit juice, and Yuri scoots aside to make room on the sunbed. The glass bottle is blessedly cool under Yuri's fingers. "Thanks."
Otabek takes off his sunglasses and sits down next to Yuri. There's a slight sheen of sweat on his torso, which Yuri is most definitely not staring at. "It's scorching hot." Otabek uncaps the fruit juice and takes several large gulps. His adam's apple bobs up and down as he swallows.
"Yeah," Yuri mutters, raising the bottle to his lips, "hot." The juice tastes like pineapple and maybe some other tropical fruit, and it's pleasantly cold.
Their phones all buzz simultaneously. Yuri doesn't even check – it's just Phichit putting that photo from earlier on Instagram – but Otabek pulls out his phone and the corners of his mouth lift up as he looks at the screen.
"What is it? Am I making a weird face?" Yuri asks, leaning forward to check.
Otabek just shrugs and hits the like button. He looks up at Yuri. "You're getting sunburned," he says, lifting one hand to brush Yuri's shoulder which is slowly turning red.
Yuri shivers. It's because the tips of Otabek's fingers are cold from touching the bottle of juice, he tells himself, and not at all because they're wearing nothing but trunks and leaning so close to each other. "I–"
"Isn't he?!" Viktor chimes in, because of course he has to fucking interrupt. "I told him already but he wouldn't listen to me. He's in his rebellious teen phase." He makes a ridiculous sad face that has Katsudon patting his back sympathetically.
Yuri gags. "Stop talking like you're my dad, you old has-been."
"But Yurio, it's not good to get sunburnt," Katsudon points out, as if he's speaking to a toddler.
"Yeah, Yuri, your skin is so pale, you've got to be careful." It's like a conspiracy. Phichit tosses Otabek the tube of sunscreen. "Here! You can help him with his back."
Otabek looks down at the sunscreen in his hands. Yuri swallows. Otabek has… nice hands. Also a nice everything else. He has abs like he ought be on the covers of magazines – he has been on one a few months ago, not that Yuri is keeping track – and there's a trail of dark hair leading from his belly to the edge of his trunks. Is he going to…?
"At least put some sunscreen on your face," Otabek says after what seems like an eternity. "You're turning red."
He hands Yuri the sunscreen and Yuri takes it, grateful for the reprieve from his thoughts about Otabek's abs. "It's the sun," he mutters, squeezing some in his palm. He glances at the others out of the corner of his eye, and they turn aside pretending that they hadn't been staring at him and Otabek.
Yuri feels his cheeks heating up and squeezes the tube of sunscreen with more force than necessary. He's going to kill Viktor for teasing him like that. And Phichit. He's going to murder everyone. They're so embarrassing, and it's like they don't even care. Now Viktor has moved on to flirting with Katsudon, trying to get him to go for a swim, while Phichit is texting someone.
Otabek finishes his juice and leans past Yuri to put down the empty bottle on the table. Yuri slathers sunscreen on his face, wrinkling his nose at the oily feel of it, trying not to stare at the play of Otabek's muscles under his skin as he stretches his arms.
There's still some residue of cream on his hands. Yuri wipes them on his legs. "Beka?" he says, staring down at the sand under his feet. "Can you help me with my back?"
Before he can stop himself, Yuri hands Otabek the sunscreen. Otabek hesitates just a moment before taking it. "Yeah, sure."
Yuri turns around, staring out at the crystal blue ocean. Behind him, he hears Otabek squirt a dollop of lotion into his hand. Another brief pause, and then Otabek's fingers are running over the heated skin of Yuri's shoulders.
"Everything okay, Yura?"
Yuri realizes he's tensing up, all the muscles in his back are locked. "Yeah," he says, trying to breathe normally. The sunscreen is cool and slick on his skin, it makes Otabek's fingers slide smoothly over the ridges of his spine.
Otabek is being extremely thorough, spreading sunscreen over every square centimeter of Yuri's skin. When Otabek moves lower, to the dip of Yuri's back, Yuri shudders. Otabek's hands are almost brushing the edge of his leopard print trunks.
Otabek stills. "You'd tell me if I was making you uncomfortable, right?"
Yuri turns back so he can look at him. Otabek's face is serious, there's a crease on his forehead as he looks Yuri straight in the eye. "You're not making me uncomfortable," Yuri says. His voice comes out strange, far too low and hoarse. He coughs and tries again. "This is– it's just– I'm ticklish, so be careful."
"Okay," is Otabek's reply. His fingers move slowly, thumbs brushing small circles over the soft skin at the small of Yuri's back.
It feels only a little ticklish. Mostly, it feels very good.
There's the sound of a shutter and when Yuri's head snaps up he sees Phichit grinning at him.
"Hashtag cute!" Phichit exclaims, turning the phone around to show everyone.
Otabek is frozen with his hands on Yuri's hips, while Yuri's whole body is tilted towards him, his shoulder blades almost brushing against Otabek's pecs. Yuri blushes.
"Nice one!" exclaims Viktor, who's still on Yuri's top ten of most annoying people, as he and Katsudon bend over the photo and start cooing over it. "Look, he's smiling! They're both smiling!"
"Idiots."
Otabek digs his thumb into a knot at the base of Yuri's neck, and Yuri's snarl turns into a sigh as some of his tension dissolves.
"I think they mean well," Otabek murmurs, leaning forward so his mouth is level with Yuri's ear.
Yuri hums. "I'm not too sure," he says, leaning into the touch. Maybe they do mean well. Maybe – no, definitely, he amends as Otabek does that wonderful thing with his fingers again – he's definitely not going to kill anyone today.