nothing but the after in

Viktor’s tongue felt heavy in his mouth, and he cringed, inwardly, at how stiff and wooden he sounded. He swallowed, feeling parched.“It’s happened more than once…people telling me they’re interested in learning about the things that I’m interested in, but it turns out they never actually meant it.”He wondered if Yuuri could hear what he was deliberately leaving unsaid: they were only interested in the version of me they’d created in their heads. You told me you wanted me to be myself, Yuuri, but what if the real me disappoints you, annoys you, exhausts you?Or worse: what if I have no idea who the real me is?He hesitated, realizing how fleeting his bravery from just moments earlier had been.“I’m sorry, I know that’s not a great explanation, but– ”“It’s ok!”Yuuri cut him off, leaning slightly forwards with both of his hands on the table. His gaze was piercing, and Viktor almost shivered, feeling far too exposed. But the softness in Yuuri’s next words made his unease ebb away, replacing it with something steady and calming.—Select moments during canon in which Viktor realizes -- with Yuuri's help -- that he's not hard to love.