Soul Art - Otayuri AU

Chapter 1

Dear Diary,

Why do I still use you again? I have no clue, really, but damn - being 18 can get on your nerves. School really isn't going well right now. F*ck you Jean-Jacques. 

Otabek Altin, 18, was your average student at any high school. He was rarely chosen for anything, and probably the most quiet person in his grade. Even the teachers had no clue he existed - they managed to mistake him for Jean-Jacques Leroy, probably the most self-obsessed teen the school had ever seen. And, thanks to that narcissist quoted above, our story begins.

'What's wrong, Otabitch? D'you,' Jean-Jacques, who gave himself the stupid nickname 'JJ,' shoved a short, blonde haired girl who had passed by, knocking her paints out of her grasp. 'Trip on something?' 

JJ cackled hideously, his fellow cronies mimicking his actions, when the girl on the floor stood up. 'Take that back, ASSHOLE!' 

Moments later, Otabek realised that the 'girl' wasn't a girl at all, but a boy around 15, with emerald green eyes and voluminous blonde locks. He had quite a temper, and Otabek noticed that JJ had managed to break his entire box of paints. He pitied the younger, but tried to stop him getting in trouble all the same.

'Hey, wait, the teachers'll come!' The blonde was now struggling to get out of JJ's painful grasp, so kicked him in the vital spot. Otabek knew there was no stopping JJ, so grabbed the younger by the shoulders and pulled him backwards.

'Hey, calm down, you could get in trouble!' JJ, now frightened for his life, dashed down the corridor before the boy could get him with another blow.

'Sorry about him. He was always an idiot.' sighed Otabek, smirking at JJ's fear.

'Yeah, no shit.' The blonde sighed, and Otabek realised that he was still gripping the boy's shoulders. He flushed a light pink, before releasing his younger and studying the situation. All of the boy's paints were dispersed across the floor, his tubes damaged and watercolour cubes all over the place. Otabek couldn't help but glare at the paintbrush that he used to tie his hair up - the boy was definitely an artist.

'Ugh, this cost me a fortune.' He bent down, trying to pick up all his stuff and dunk it into his rucksack.

'Here, lemme help.' Otabek bent down, assembling the art supplies that were intact and helping him load it all into his bag. 'Oh, and... thanks for getting me out of that situation earlier.'

'What, that?! No problem! I handle shit like that daily, it's not a big deal.'

'Watch your profanity, child. How old are you, like, 13?' Chuckled Otabek. He had no clue why, but he somehow manged to open up to the charming stranger who was crouching in front of him.

'15, MORON!' The boy laughed, the sound of his voice sending shivers of delight down Otabek's spine. 'The name's Yuratchk- I mean, Yuri Plisetsky. I'm 15. You?' The two of them were still gathering the equipment.

'I'm Otabek. Otabek Altin, 18.' The raven looked up, only to find that their noses were just inches apart. He backed away discretely, screaming internally. Now was his chance - he studied Yuri's face, he had beautiful eyes. They were fierce and brave, like a soldier's; the rest of his face was more grace. But boy was he pretty, especially with his hair.

Trying to cover up the reason for looking at his face so long, Otabek found an excuse. 'Hey, Yuri, there's something on your cheek.'

'Uhh-,' Yuri realised it was paint by the colour on his fingers. 'Holy shit, that's embarrassing...'

Otabek smiled. Yuri was quite sociable, and he finally had someone to talk to comfortably. 'So I'm guessing art's your major?' The two of them stood up and walked down the corridor. 'Yup. It's all I want to do with my life, but my parents always say otherwise.' The blonde huffed, twirling his hair around a finger.

'I admire that. I don't know what I want to do, I'm just focusing on being a straight A student.'

'Wait, you're a straight A kid?!'

'Hehe, pretty much...'

'ENLIGHTEN MEEEEE~' Again, Otabek smiled at Yuri's playful reaction. The bell rang loudly in their ears, so Otabek had the instinct to get to Algebra. 

'I better get going... what did you say your other name was again? The longer one.'

'UHH- That was an accident, Yuratchka's my home name. DID YOU FORGET ALREADY?!'

'Nope. Just wanted to do this,' Otabek's hands were no longer art f him, and he had no idea what he was doing. He reached for his pocket and pulled out $30, pushing the notes into Yuri's hands.

'That's for your paints. See ya later, Yura!' And with that, the raven sped off to his next class, leaving the blonde frazzled. His cheeks went a deep crimson.

'Y- Yura...?!'