As the seconds tick by, the tension in Viktor’s shoulders melts and he tips his head backward

As the seconds tick by, the tension in Viktor’s shoulders melts and he tips his head backward into the touch, just slightly.

All of the tangles straightened out, Yuuri sets down the brush and forms three strands at the crown of Viktor’s head to begin the braid. His hair is warm near his scalp and it slides between Yuuri’s fingers like silk. He crosses the strands, gathers more hair, crosses them again, and marvels.

“Beautiful,” Yuuri whispers. He never meant to say it out loud, but his mind has been chanting the word over and over again like a mantra for the past five minutes, so it’s not surprising that it slipped out at least once.

Commission for a soft, touching scene from @stammiviktor‘s royalty AU fic, On Your Every Word