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“Your hair’s getting longer.”
“Is that so?” Viktor responds, without looking at the intruder that had invited himself in. He continues working away at his cluttered desk, head ducking down to peer closely at whatever he’s working on.
“Yeah,” Jayce says, walking up to him. He reaches up to touch one of the longer strands in Viktor’s hair. It's light in color, paleness contrasting the soft, rich brown that the majority of Viktor's hair was. “It looks nice.”
Viktor doesn't respond for a moment. Jayce worries that he’s overstepping– but he’s always been a rather physically affectionate person, so Viktor wouldn’t think touching his hair is too weird, right? Either way, he slips his hand from the silky strands to rest by his side.
Viktor still stands facing away from him, though doesn’t immediately display any outward dissent at his close presence, so Jayce stands behind him, looking over his shoulder. He’s not sure of what Viktor’s working on– at a close look, something seeming to be a smaller part of a large contraption.
Viktor breaks the silence. “Why are you here, Jayce?” He asks, calm and composed, yet in a distinctly cool and distant manner that makes Jayce avert his eyes.
“Well, y’know, it’s been a while, and I, uh…” Jayce stammers.
Viktor removes a screw from a piece, carefully setting it down next to his tools. He turns to face Jayce, his expression unmoving. “Jayce. There has to be a reason you decided to come… after all this time.”
Jayce sighs. He stares into Viktor’s eyes, briefly distracted by the pulsing changes of colour within. Right, another effect from the hexcore. Though, it's muted and less obvious, as though dormant and relaxed.
“...I just… missed you,” He finally gets out the words.
Viktor is silent. He lowers his gaze from Jayce’s, back to staring at the pieces on his desk. There’s a tense silence.
“...And the… other reason?” He says finally, hesitation in his voice.
He doesn’t believe him.
“What– Why don’t you think that’s it? That I, I missed you, so I came to see you?” Jayce splutters indignantly.
Viktor raises a brow. “After… ahem, what happened, I doubt you would want to see me again.”
Jayce sighs, “No, no. It was me– I didn’t think you wanted me – uh, wanted to see me . After all, you said it was… affection, that held us together.” For some reason, he stumbles over the last part, despite him remembering it, of course, crystal clear within his mind. After all, he replays it within his head way too often after Viktor left.
Viktor nods. “Yes.”
“Then, do you…” He falters. He’s not sure if he wants to know the answer: whether Viktor still held any positive feelings toward him. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if Viktor denies it.
Jayce steps closer, reaching out to touch him. When Viktor doesn’t give any obvious rebuke, he settles his hands onto the other’s shoulders, meeting the soft cloth of a familiar blanket.
Sidetracked, he grasps the fabric, “You kept this?”
Viktor, rather uncharacteristically, averts his eyes. “...Yes.”
Well. Jayce isn’t sure what to say to that– that Viktor kept his blanket, fashioning it into everyday wear, even after he left.
And. Well. That speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
He fucked up bad . Yeah, he knew already when Viktor left, and even before that. Yet he still should have chased after him, reached out, talked to him… He should have noticed as soon as he became a councillor, that they were straying from the path they had aimed for: to help people. Viktor, though, never forgot. And he tried to tell Jayce, but…
He can’t stop himself from wrapping his arms around Viktor, who freezes up in his arms.
“I’m sorry, V.” He murmurs, closing his eyes.
Viktor’s voice is cautious, guarded, when he responds. “...For what, exactly?”
“Just– Everything. For leaving you. Being too focused on politics. Betraying our promise.”
Viktor raises his hands, loosely holding him. “I have long come to terms with it, Jayce. You are a busy man. Your dream is for something greater.”
Our dream. Your dream .
And that is it, isn’t it? Why, exactly, their paths diverged?
“No, no, it… It was– It is our dream, Viktor. I, as you said… in the pursuit of great, failed to do good.”
Viktor lets out a halfhearted chuckle, “You still remember that?”
“I remember everything you say,” He says too quickly. He blushes a bit, amending, “I, I just didn’t take it to heart until recently.”
“Hm.” Viktor intones, amused. He ducks his head into Jayce’s collarbone. Jayce feels the ghost of a smile on his skin. “An unexpected development, but a welcome one nonetheless.”
Jayce breaks out into a smile, hugging Viktor tighter. It’s nice, he thinks. After so long without him, holding him. Viktor in his arms.
Viktor’s body is all hard edges now. They dig into his skin, but he couldn’t care less. It’s a reminder. A reminder that he is alive, that he lived. That he is with Jayce, and that nothing could separate them at this very moment.
He’s still Viktor. Viktor, the man that saved him, inspired him, and accompanied him all throughout the years. The sharp tongued, quick witted, kind man that had seen him at his lowest and only helped him up from there.
God , he missed this.
When they split apart, Jayce mourns the loss of the warmth. He remains close to Viktor, a hand resting on his back as he peers at the desk that Viktor had returned his attention to.
“What are you making?”
“Filter components,” Viktor responds, picking up a screwdriver.
Ah. Making things that were grounded in the current, that would help the present, instead of the future that has yet to come– That was what Viktor was always aiming to do, wasn't it? When Jayce was pursuing greatness, he was focused on his promise to make things better for people. To do good.
“For the…water?”
“Factory runoff and pollution in the water needs to be fixed before anything else can happen,” Viktor explains firmly.
“Is there- Is there anything I can do to help?” Jayce asks, a bit too quickly.
Viktor turns and raises a brow. “I appreciate the offer, but are you not currently busy with the council?”
Right. “Oh. Uh…”
Viktor fiddles with the mechanism on the desk. “...Forget it.”
Come on, Jayce, do something– Don’t screw it up again now!
“Do you need, uh, funding, or… materials, then?” Jayce stammers, in a rather undignified manner. Damn, and he had hoped not to make a fool of himself this meeting.
Instead of shooting it down, however, Viktor laughs. And oh, if that isn’t the best sound Jayce has ever heard. It’s a light, low sound that feels akin to sunlight on his skin. It’s beautiful. He’d gladly make a fool of himself if it meant he could hear this every time.
“Jayce. You’ve changed.”
“Uh, ah, have I?”
“Yes,” Viktor smiles. It’s small. Equal parts content and bittersweet. A return to the present, acknowledgement of the past. “The old you would have never thought like this. I believed you wouldn’t, for a while. Until it was too late.”
And ouch , if that doesn’t sting a bit. But Viktor’s right, he has been ever since they became partners on that fateful day after his lab exploded.
“I’m sorry, V,” He apologises, heartfelt and genuine. He can’t stop himself from wrapping his arms around Viktor, chest to back, as though he fears Viktor will leave again. “Like I said. I missed you. And I had time to reflect.”
Viktor chuckles again, smaller yet no less dazzling, “If I’d known you would understand so quickly just by leaving you be for some time, I probably should have done it sooner, eh?”
“No– Don’t even joke about that, Viktor.” He blurts out quickly, his arms tightening around the other man’s waist.
Viktor stills. “Ah. My apologies. That was… insensitive of me to say.” He doesn’t look at Jayce, his eyes lowered.
Jayce backtracks quickly, taking a few steps back from him to plop himself down on a stool. “No, no, I just mean that– You mean a lot to me, and I wouldn’t trade our time together for anything in the world. You’re my partner, Viktor.” He blinks when he finishes– that was a bit too honest, even for him.
But it seems to have a positive effect, as Viktor peers up at him, pretty eyes like molten gold and liquid silver mixed to create the most fascinating array of colors staring into his. His eyes are so expressive, Jayce thinks. If eyes are the windows to a person’s soul, it’s only further proof of how beautiful Viktor’s soul is.
“Partners, still? Even when you’re busy with the council?”
“If you’ll have me. We’ll always be partners.” Jayce affirms. He scratches his cheek nervously, “Actually, about the council… I’m going to resign soon. After things settle down.”
“Oh? Tell me more.” Viktor smiles at that, bright and happy and everything in life is good. Amazing, even.
With a heart bursting with joy, Jayce grins and launches into an explanation. It seems like things will be fine. They’ll be fine.