Chapter Text
“Shit. It's been a while since I've seen this,” Jayce pulled out an old diary from under his bed and placed it next to him, staring at the dinosaur-themed raised cover.
Probably the least classy thing to be pouring his heart out into, but who cares for pride. It's his house, his room, his rules.
He grabbed a pen and opened the slightly yellowed pages.
“Alright. Uh. Hi, diary. Shit, I haven't written on my own accord since the second grade.
Well. To the point, I saw this kid sitting at a table with a few others today at lunch when I was with the football team and kinda just stopped to stare. He was really cute honestly but I tried not to stare too long cause I'm not trying to creep on some rando in the lunchroom. He was tinkering with some metal bits and pieces, and while it was really weird and foreign to me I was really intrigued by it? And him, if I'm being really blunt. I've seen him in class before. And if I thought I was smart, (even if it's only to an extent,) this kid is a genius. His name is Viktor, if I remember correctly. Known him since middle school. Well, I see him around a lot at least. He has this crutch, I think he has a thing going on with his leg but that didn't stop him for shit. Highest PSAT scores out of the whole class. I really admire him actually. He has a nice jaw too. Man, it's weird I noticed that. It's really weird. I didn't ever noticeably feel that way about another before. Not until him. I think I've had a few run-ins with some kinda suspicious shit with other guys but I never really looked at it like anything more than high school bullshit. I think the guys wouldn't care. I hope they wouldn't. Maybe I should chat him up sometime? I don’t know how id even do that. Maybe compliment or ask something about the metal shit he had at the table. I dont say shit offensively. It's really cool. Ok. I'm done writing now I'm gonna go think about him and how to approach him since I have no social skills with people I'm interested in. Whatever. Goodbye five-dollar book fair diary.”
He just let a deep breath out and rested on the wall behind his bed.
"How the fuck do you even flirt?"
He thought about that question for several days. All the time. All his family seemed to assume he had this spiritual enlightenment thing going, on or was just really fucking depressed.
When in reality it was just a stupid little high school crush he was too invested in.
He walked into the chilly school building about three or four days after to grab breakfast before his first class.
While he was waiting in line though, he saw Viktor sitting at a table off in the corner of the lunchroom and attempted to avert his eyes. They almost made eye contact. Who knew such a small thing could make him so anxious?
There was something sitting on the table, smaller than the last pile of screws and metal. There was a weird green board, as he would call it.
“What the hell is it actually called?” Jayce almost tore up the keyboard of the school computer trying to type into the search bar.
“A motherboard. That's what it's called. Good to know.”
He grabbed the team and ate breakfast in the cafeteria, chatting outside by the door until the first bell rang.
Worrying relentlessly about the reaction of his teammates if he brought it up, he withdrew from the conversation to talk to his best friend, Caitlyn Kiramman. An icon.
The manic typing didn't stop for a moment.
Jayce: Caitlyn what do I do fuck
Caitlyn: Is this about Viktor again? You seriously dont know how to talk to anyone.
Jayce: You seem to act like you're better. I hear rumors about this “Vi” girl you're so taken with
Caitlyn: Stay out of it. Anyway, he's really nice, I have a tech class with him he's not gonna react harshly if you go up and ask questions. Even idle chat
Jayce: UT HOW DO I DO THAT ;;0;;
Caitlyn: I know you not just “;;0;;” me.
Caitlyn: You really just need to get your head out of your arse and think of something that genuinely interests you. You like tech too right?
Jayce: Yeah but I can't do anything with it I'm dumb as a doornail.
Caitlyn: It doesn't matter. If you wanna learn so bad just study with him nerd.
Jayce: Wow. Thanks I guess. See you at lunch.
He went about his day, more at ease with the world now that he had a plan. His teammates decided to go off campus for lunch, but being younger out of the group, he decided to stay behind with Caitlyn and some other friends of his.
“Go talk to him,” Cait nudged at his shoulder, noticing Jayce's head shift slightly in Viktor’s direction.
“Pretend to throw away your trash,” Cait said, shoving him up out of the lunch table bench.
“Take mine too,” Cait snickered.
“You sneak. Fine.”
He threw away his trash, as was the plan, and glanced over at Viktor's project laying on the table.
Coincidentally, a small wire fell off the table and onto the floor. It was playing out perfectly
“Oh, um, you dropped this wire.” he could see Cait waving her fists in the air in the back silently.
“Viktor, right?” Jayce stammered and gazed down at the screws and tools.
“That's me. Thanks for grabbing that wire. You're Jayce?” he looked up from the tools and materials to meet his gaze.
“Mhm, that's me. Whatcha workin on?” Jayce stood there awkwardly twiddling his thumbs, swaying side to side, clearly anxious.
“Ah, it's a robotics project. I'm working on it for a demo kind of thing for the club. New members always join in Spring, it's cool to have a project to show the new people what we do.” Viktor looked down at the metal on the table
It seemed more cohesive now he knew what it was. The joints, how they fit together.
“This is really cool Viktor. How does it work?” He leaned down to look closer at it.
“Here, you can come take a seat, I can show you if you want. Nobody really asks about it outside of the club.” Viktor was, to anyone else, talking Jayce’s ear off. But he was unbothered and would probably be contributing a little more if he wasn't stunned and completely over the moon about the way this was turning out.
Cait could be seen in the background, doing some sort of victory dance? We don't question it.
By the time the lunch bell hit, he felt like the conversation had barely even started.
“Could we talk some more sometime?” Jayce asked, slowly gaining a little more confidence.
“Totally, do you want my number?” Viktor said it so smoothly, somehow ignoring the fact Jayce was flustered as all hell. Almost unable to string two words together.
“Yeah, totally you can, um, you can put it in my phone. Here.” He handed Viktor his phone with shaking hands, and they were on their separate ways.
Viktor smiled and waved as he walked out of the building and Jayce damn near combusted. Caitlyn, unshocked, walked over to him and slapped him on the back.
In her accent, she yelled at him, “I KNEW YOU HAD IT IN YOU!!”
“CAIT SHUT UPPP you're drawing a CROWD,” Jayce whispered loudly attempting to collect himself, failing massively and stumbling over his own feet.
“Nice job Mr. Suave,” she chimed in spitefully and glanced over her shoulder. Jayce’s hair was now a mess all over his red hot face and she near keeled over laughing.
He, of course, didn't have to worry about the embarrassment (besides potentially Viktor) He was pretty popular, as a part of the football team.
Nobody cared how they saw him act. They respected him and his drive.
He went through the rest of his day feeling lighter and lighter as if he was pumped with helium. Like there were over 50 butterflies beating rapidly against his stomach.
His day at school and practice had him whipped out to the tenth degree. Flopping onto his bed, again, with the good old diary and a cheap ballpoint pen.
“I'm back again. Lord help me or something.
Anyways I talked to Viktor today and honestly, did not see it coming. He's really pretty up close. Had me hanging on his every word. That sounds gay. Shit, I dont think I'm ready for that label yet. Maybe I'm bi. I'm not sure. That'll be a conversation between me and my little book fair diary. Maybe Cait. So anyways I was trying to balance looking at his robot and his face, and its really hard cause I wanted to keep looking at him but then he would point at things and explain them and I had to look down to see what he was referring to but that wasn't where his face was. That made me a little sad. But I have his number on my phone now. Scared as shit as to what the team is gonna say about “cross club association” though, I've seen people in the good ol media not take kindly to that. Whatever. What happens happens I suppose. So I guess ill do what ill do and deal with what comes of it. Can't tell if I'm equally interested in robotics and Viktor now. My guess is I'm subconsciously trying to downsize the situation and the feelings I'm having and stuff. Wack as shit. Anyways really intrigued as to who Vi is now. Cait was a little too defensive for it to not be suspicious. I'll look into that once I get my own shit sorted. Good day and good night.”
He fell back into his pillow. “I have his number now” and he started kicking his feet like a teenage girl.
Classic