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Jayce muttered under his breath, practising over and over what he would say while his fingers caressed the edges of what was in the clothed bundle he carried. Should he frame it as a gift? A favour? Should he bring up what Viktor said, or just give it to him? He was so engrossed in his imaginary conversation, he almost didn't notice Sky walking down the hall.
“Good morning Jayce.” She smiled, stopping in front of him. “New lab equipment?”
“No, it's for Viktor.” Jayce secured his grasp on his bundle, it wasn't necessarily heavy, he made sure it wasn't, but it was hard to carry. “The doctors recommended him to start wearing braces, and he's overwhelmed by the cost of everything.”
"Oh.” Sky’s tone was soft and somewhat saddened, looking at the gift. "I don't understand why the Academy can't get them for him, he's important to them.” She shook her head. "Did you buy it for him?”
"I made it, actually. I just don't know how to give it to him.” Jayce sighed.
"Just do it, I don't think he's going to care about how you do it.” She laughed. "I have to go now, but keep me updated.”
With a wave of her hand, she was done, walking fairly quickly down the hall again. Maybe she was right, Viktor was, after all, quite special in regard to social manners. He didn't really care how others treated him as long as they did not impede his work. Perhaps he should not mention the monetary aspect, though, that would be rude.
It wasn't long until Jayce reached their shared lab, the door closed until he arrived so no one would feel free of just walking in and talking to Viktor, he hated that. Rehearsing what to say one more time, he took a deep breath, squaring up his shoulders and pushed the door open. Before he had the time to scan the room for his companion, it was him who piped up first, engrossed in his work over at the Hexcore’s manipulation station.
“You are late.” Viktor's voice was both a shot of fresh air and a bomb to his collected calm.
"How did you know it was me?”
"You are the only person who doesn't knock when entering the lab.”
"Then I will start doing it just to throw you off.”
Approaching the bench, Jayce put down his gift down on the table, its metallic structure letting out a sound from within the cloth it was wrapped in. Without saying anything, Viktor looked at it, not taking off his glasses or stopping his work. Jayce saw his eyes travel across it, trying to make out what it was.
“It's a gift, for you.”
“A gift? You spoil me." Carefully, he disconnected the gauntlets used to manipulate the Hexcore, raising his goggles to his forehead.
“Only the best.”
Rolling his stool closer to it, Viktor put a hand on the cloth, looking at Jayce for approval. Once he got it, he started unwrapping what was inside, slowly peeling off the fabric to reveal the metal frame, its gears and curved, and once he saw it whole, he looked almost surprised. All the anxiety Jayce had been feeling melted, nothing ever surprised Viktor.
“You mentioned you needed one.”
“I cannot accept this, Jayce. I said it was expensive, but you didn't need to." Viktor looked at him, apologetic and somewhat panicked.
“I made it.” Viktor's next apology dried in his mouth. “Some things may not be correct, and we need to fit it, but it cost nothing.” Gently, Jayce put a hand on Viktor's shoulder, squeezing it lightly so as to not hurt him. “You saved my life multiple times, Viktor, is the least I could do.”
Viktor took some seconds to nod, tracing his fingers across the metallic surface of the brace, dipping into each nook and cranny the aid possessed. It was incredible, especially in such a short time and without ever seeing one. Jayce never failed to amaze him. Bracing himself for the weight, Viktor wrapped his hands around the metal framing, gently picking it up and being surprised by how lightweight it was. As he made to stand up to put it on, Jayce stopped him, the hand on his shoulder pushing him down gently. Viktor watched and Jayce knelt in front of him, placing a hand on his knee and rubbing it slowly.
“Allow me.”
Jayce's actions had Viktor stumped. It was not common for him to receive such actions of affection, so he did not have the right words to say in that moment. A thank you was too little, but anything else was too much. Wordlessly, he handed Jayce the brace and watched him as he opened it up, carefully worked leather straps that would hold it in place intertwined perfectly with the metal. Then a look of confusion came across Jayce’s face, looking at his leg and then back at the device.
“Is there a problem?” Viktor asked in a strained voice.
“Is it over or under your clothes.”,
“Over, of course.” Viktor smiled at Jayce's naïveté.
Jayce nodded and carefully put a hand on the back of his ankle, lifting Viktor's leg and guiding it through the device. It felt somewhat strange for both of them. In Jayce's case, it was the first time he was directly interacting with this part of Viktor's body. Touch between them was casual, though always initiated by Jayce, but this seemed more intimate. Viktor was at his mercy, his hands clenched on his lap. For Viktor, it was strange to feel such gentle care on that part of his body, it was always either doctors coldly examining it or anyone else ignoring it completely. Jayce's hand, however, was warming the parts of his ankle where his pants had slightly ridden up, encompassing it completely with it.
Once the leg was fully through, Jayce started tightening the straps and nuts that composed it, carefully adjusting it to Viktor's anatomy. The part that covered the feet seemed the most complicated one, with multiple layers and mechanisms.
“I was advised this will hurt a bit.”
A small hum from Viktor was all he needed to tentatively start screwing that part, putting Viktor's leg and feet in a more ‘correct’ position, though gaining a hiss from the man. Without thinking, Jayce reached a hand up, enveloping one of his companions and squeezing it, receiving a small but albeit squeeze back. Jayce carefully kept working on it, adjusting it to the marks he had been giving, checking over and over again that he was doing things right.
After he was sure he was done, he pulled back a bit, never letting go of Viktor's hand, rubbing his thumb over the bony structure of it.
“Does it hurt too much?”
“Not really. It's more of a…dull ache."
“Do you want to test it?”
Jayce stood up, gently pulling Viktor to stand with him. His eyes quickly darted towards his crutch, but it was currently out of reach, so he took Jayce's lead and stood up. It took him a couple of seconds to adjust to the weight of the device and to trust it, slowly planting his feet on the ground and eventually putting his weight on it. It…hurt, but not as much. Viktor waited for the pain to ramp up in level, but it didn't, the weight being distributed to the rest of his leg. As he looked up, he could see Jayce entranced, looking at the ground he was standing on. Perhaps at the fact that he was standing. Then he looked up to Viktor's face, catching his eyes for a moment. It was only a second until the spell was broken and Jayce realized he was staring, averting his gaze and looking around.
“Your crutch, let me get it for you.” Without letting go of Viktor, he reached out towards his aid, putting it in the zaunite’s hands. "Try walking, I will be here with you.”
Putting the crutch under his arm, he made sure his weight was fine on it, grabbing the handle tightly. As he slowly took his first step, he felt Jayce’s arm hook with his, not guiding him or propping him up, but just holding onto him. At first walking was somewhat difficult, he was used to just flinging his leg forward and putting his weight on his mobility device, but with this new brace he needed to make the movements of a full step, knee and ankle. It was very strange and challenging to coordinate it so, with his joints being also weak from not using them, but anytime they would give out, or he would stumble, Jayce's hold on his arm kept him up.
Viktor felt like they were just wasting time on him with this, especially knowing his ability to walk will continue to decline with time, so this was just slowing it down. Perhaps he should tell Jayce, that while the idea was novel he would just practice in private, thank him for his efforts and move on. As he was about to do so, Jayce's grip travelled towards his hand, intertwining their fingers together. It was as if he had noticed his hesitancy, and he had done so, noticing Viktor's wandering look to anywhere except him.
“How does it feel like?”
"It's difficult to walk, but…it hurts less."
“Then we will keep practising until it's not hard.” Jayce smiled at him and squeezed his hand.
Perhaps, just for once, it couldn't hurt trying, Viktor thought as he laid his hand on Jayce's shoulder. With his help, maybe it was worth it.