Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There were rarely surprises when you had known your partner for years.

Viktor slowly walked towards the lab, a few notes in his hand that might help him out of an impasse. He imagined he’d find his partner there, tinkering away at intricate parts or scribbling on their shared blackboard. Viktor hoped to ask him to indulge his ramblings as he went through his work out loud. Jayce would likely say yes, putting a hand on Viktor’s shoulder and offering him an eager smile.

Viktor sighed. He and Jayce spent long hours together in the lab, and recently outside of its confines – he had come to tolerate Jayce’s casual touching, his beaming smiles and his unabashed affection, maybe even to like them, though he wouldn’t be caught admitting that.

So, when he stepped through the lab door, letting the latch click behind him, he expected Jayce to greet him with curved lips and that glint in his eyes that shone whenever Viktor was near. Instead, he was met with a curled up figure sitting on the floor, sobbing in front of something he couldn’t identify.

Viktor’s eyes widened, blinking in confusion. Jayce was slumped over himself, crying so hard he shook with the sobs and rubbing his eyes like he was making a desperate attempt to stop the tears streaming down his cheeks. Viktor quickly set his notes aside before walking to him, cane clicking fast as he made his way forward.

He halted in front of Jayce and saw what lay before him – an unfinished part, disassembled and dented. Jayce must have dropped it or knocked it off the desk, damaging the light materials.

Viktor opened his mouth, but closed it quickly. It wasn’t the first time one of them had had a big reaction to such a small thing – working on something for hours on end did that to their minds.

He kneeled beside Jayce, settling his cane on the floor. His face scrunched at the pressure in his knee, but he quickly breathed out the tension, putting on a calm expression. He stretched his hand forward and placed it on Jayce’s shoulder.

Jayce sobbed and turned to Viktor, looking at him through the tears. His eyes were big and wet, and had a sort of distant, glazed-over look. Little strands of hair fell on his forehead messily, the gel that held them neatly together seemingly gone. There was something off about his look, but Viktor wasn’t one to be discouraged by the unknown. He gently squeezed Jayce’s shoulder.

“Jayce, it can be easily fixed. You should get some rest.”

Viktor kept his voice calm but firm. Normally the mention of rest would snap either of them out of their trance, remind them of the smallness of the mishap. But Jayce shook his head. His face scrunched up and a wail bubbled from his throat, high and loud and startlingly babyish.

Viktor’s eyebrows furrowed. Jayce kept crying, a steady stream of tears staining his flushed cheeks. Had he gotten hurt when the part had fallen? Felt sick in some kind of way Viktor couldn’t see? Inhaled something he shouldn’t have while soldering or sanding? He didn’t look injured, or disoriented, only distraught. Maybe something else had been going on, with his mother, or councilor Medarda, or his own mind.

Viktor moved his hand slowly, letting it travel from Jayce’s shoulder to his nape, and gently stroked the base of his neck.

“Jayce, it’s alright.”

Jayce whimpered and looked at Viktor again – his face was scrunched up in discomfort, shiny with tears and snot, but his sobs halted for a moment, replaced by quick breaths and whimpers.

Viktor opened his mouth slightly, breathing in.

“Ja–“

Jayce all but crashed into him, wrapping his arms around him and sobbing in his shoulder. Viktor’s eyes widened as the air was knocked out of him. His arms froze in the air and he winced when he felt the subtle burn in his back at the weight leaning on him.

Viktor peered down at Jayce’s wide form in shock. He looked smaller, somewhat, even with his broad back facing him as he held on to him for dear life. Viktor blinked away his startled look, and his arms slowly moved to circle Jayce’s torso, reciprocating the sudden hug.

Jayce’s crying was muffled by Viktor’s waistcoat as he nosed closer to him. Viktor didn’t know what was wrong, what had brought forth such a reaction that Jayce would seek contact this shamelessly, but it must have been something big. He tentatively started moving his hand up and down Jayce’s back, hoping to offer him some comfort.

Out of the two of them, Jayce was the one that exceeded at that sort of thing – gentle touches, casual comforting – but Viktor’s hand kept moving nonetheless. After a while, inbetween cries, he felt Jayce suck in a bigger breath, then another, and another.

Jayce’s cries slowly subsided as Viktor caressed his back, until only sniffles were left behind. Viktor kept up the gentle movement even as the tears stopped, until his gaze wandered to the disassembled part on the floor.

After all this crying and the strange behavior he was showing Viktor didn’t think Jayce would be in any state to keep up with the work. His notes could wait.

Viktor gently leaned away from Jayce, moving his hands to his arms and slowly coaxing him to face him. Jayce whined at the loss of contact, high and wet and sad in a way that almost had Viktor caving and wrapping his arms back around him again, but after a beat he quietened – he looked at Viktor, letting out a shaky breath.

Viktor tried to put on a comforting expression, something exuding calm even as his mind stubbornly ran trying to put together unknown pieces.

“Jayce, why don’t you head to your room? I’ll take care of this.”

Jayce whimpered, a stray tears falling on his cheek. The sound was small, almost confused. He looked at Viktor as if he hadn’t caught a word. There was a chance he hadn’t. It looked as if his mind was altered, caught in some state that left behind this trembling figure, who looked at Viktor like he had all the answers.

Viktor slowly went to caress Jayce’s wrist, giving it a gentle pat. As uncharted as the waters were he felt confident in not letting Jayce stay in the lab.

“You’ll be fine Jayce. Just for a few hours.”

He slipped his hands away from Jayce then, ready to stand and help him up. Only figuratively, of course. Viktor wouldn’t be able to provide any support for him to stand, but Jayce had always been good at following his lead.

He couldn’t go past reaching for his cane before Jayce whined loudly. He shook his head as he did, reaching for Viktor’s hand and grabbing his sleeve tight. Viktor quirked an eyebrow, looking at the new tears pooling in Jayce’s eyes, threatening to spill. If he thought the sounds Jayce had made before were uncharacteristic, this one sealed the deal.

Viktor’s face contracted in thought for a moment before his gaze slowly softened. The way Jayce reached for him the second he pulled away, the way his chest shook as he cried with his whole being, the way he whined and whimpered so childishly – a child. Jayce was acting like a child.

At any other time such a thought in Viktor’s mind would be laced with irritation. Now, as he looked at Jayce’s sad pout and teary eyes, an odd warmth pooled in his stomach. He gently took Jayce’s hand in his.

“Jayce, let’s go to your room. I’ll come with you, I won’t leave.”

Viktor gently stroked the back of his hand with his thumb to accompany the quiet words, hoping Jayce would understand. Jayce sniffled, coughing away a small cry and taking in another big breath. He didn’t say anything or give Viktor any sign that he understood, but he slowly slipped his hand away from Viktor’s to rise to his feet, wobbling as he stood up on shaky legs.

Viktor grabbed his cane and stood himself, ignoring the stiffness in his knee. He turned to Jayce, who was looking at him with glassy eyes and playing with one of the buttons of his shirt. Viktor gave him a small smile and offered him his hand again. Jayce took it with a quiet hum.

Chapter Text

The walk to Jayce’s room was quiet, save for the small sniffs coming from Jayce every now and then. Viktor held his hand firmly, uncaring if anyone were to run into them. He was known to walk right past greetings and questions when he wasn’t in the mood for talking, and he wasn’t afraid to appear rude for the sake of Jayce’s privacy.

Despite this, he was still thankful when nobody crossed their paths. They reached the door and Viktor fished his spare key out of his pocket – he had been confused and taken aback when Jayce had presented the key to him, blushing and stuttering that it would be more convenient for Viktor to be able to grab whatever notes or books he needed without asking him. Viktor hadn’t offered his own back, but Jayce didn’t seem to mind.

Jayce let out a small whine behind him, and before Viktor could even think he hushed softly, caressing his hand without looking. He quickly opened the door and led Jayce inside, closing it with a turn of the key to make sure they’d be undisturbed.

Jayce whined again, this time louder, and squeezed Viktor’s hand. Viktor turned to face him, and his jaw fell slack when he saw Jayce’s hand was curled in front of his face, his thumb held firmly between his lips. His thought had been quite correct then. He didn’t have the time to ponder his conclusion further, because Jayce’s whining rose in volume.

“Shh, it’s okay, we’re safe. Why don’t you sit?” he said softly, but Jayce shook his head, whining around his thumb and shuffling in his spot. Viktor was about to open his mouth again before Jayce burst into tears. His wet thumb slipped out of his mouth and he covered his face with his hands, loud sobs spilling from him.

Viktor looked at him sadly, stepping closer. If physical touch had worked before, there was no reason it wouldn’t work now. But the second Viktor’s arms came into contact with him Jayce wailed and took a shaky step back. Viktor tilted his head in confusion, until he looked down. His lips parted in surprise. He felt a pang in his heart.

“Oh, Jayce…”

There was a small puddle around Jayce’s feet, and his pants were wet, the fabric darkened at the front and all the way down. Viktor stepped forward again, uncaring of the wet floor.

“Jayce, it’s alright.”

Jayce only cried louder, but this time he didn’t flinch away when Viktor slowly wrapped his arms around him. His hands went to grasp at his own shirt and he buried his face in Viktor’s shoulder, shaking with the cries.

If Viktor had been sure about not leaving Jayce in the lab before, now he was sure he couldn’t let him be alone in this state.

He gently patted Jayce’s back and let him cry on his shoulder. After a few moments, almost mindlessly, he started slowly shifting his weight from one side to the other, though mostly moving his torso and avoiding his bad leg, gently pushing Jayce with him. The small encouragement was enough to make Jayce do most of the work himself, his body rocking side to side in a gentle motion.

Viktor kept up the hushing and the slow movement, his hands warm on the other’s back, until Jayce slowly started calming down, taking in bigger breaths. He still hiccuped every now and then, but when Viktor felt his breathing had evened out enough he gave his back a firmer pat.

“Come, we should clean you up.”

He slowly unwrapped his arms from Jayce and grabbed his hand. Jayce still whimpered, but obediently followed behind Viktor as he led him to the small door beside the rudimental kitchen – all academy rooms were built the same, so Viktor knew it would lead to a small bathroom.

As Viktor opened the door, however, he halted. He looked back at Jayce – who looked like he was trying his very best to hold back any more cries, rubbing away the tears on his blotchy face – then eyed the bathroom. He had no idea whether or not Jayce would need help, and that was much more complicated than just offering him his hand or holding him through the thin fabric of their clothes. His jaw clenched. Did Jayce trust him with this? Would he be angry with him later on even if he did trust him now?

He turned to glance at Jayce once again. While Viktor wasn’t looking he had stuffed two fingers in his mouth and was now nursing on them, looking down and sniffling inbetween breaths.

Viktor bit back a groan and led him inside then, leaving all doubts for later times. He couldn’t possibly leave Jayce in wet clothes, and rationally he knew the likelihood that he’d be able to get changed by himself was close to nothing. They stopped in front of the sink, and Viktor looked at Jayce, who met his gaze with wet eyes.

Viktor felt his face warm – Jayce’s eyes were so trusting. Even in this state, even when dropping a part made him burst into tears, even when he couldn’t control his body, he trusted Viktor.

Viktor raised an unsure hand to cradle Jayce’s cheek, who leaned into the touch with a wet sniffle.

“Let’s clean up, alright?” he said softly, hoping to sound calm – some nervousness clung to him, despite his conviction.

He settled his cane to the side, leaning it on a small cabinet. He carefully held most of his weight on his good leg as he untucked Jayce’s shirt from his pants, uncaring of the wetness, and undid the pants’ buckles. Jayce’s eyes were still teary and small whines sounded around his fingers every now and then, but he didn’t move away.

Viktor unbuttoned his shirt as well, noticing it had gotten wet, and coaxed Jayce’s spit damp fingers out of his mouth to slide it off first. Jayce whined a little louder as he did, but Viktor was quick, and the second he let the shirt fall to the floor Jayce slipped the fingers back in his mouth, calming down easily. Viktor started pulling his pants down then, grabbing his underwear with them – there was no reason to make this a longer ordeal than it needed to be. He kneeled on his good leg and slid everything down to his ankles, gently guiding Jayce to step out of the wet clothes.

Jayce whimpered and a small shiver traveled through him. Viktor stood back up with a small wince, and looked at him.

Viktor froze. He had thought of such a moment before, letting his thoughts wander while his concentration betrayed him. He had imagined his partner’s muscles uncovered, bright and warmed by the daylight, exposed to the air and to his eyes. The image had made him blush many times as he shook his head and cursed himself and his childish thoughts.

Now, with Jayce naked in front of him, the sight from his shameless mind, he realized he had no such thoughts at all. Jayce looked small, even as he stood taller than him, and complete with his fingers in his mouth he looked no less innocent than the smallest kids Viktor remembered bathing at the river.

Jayce whined softly at Viktor’s unmoving frame, and he was snapped out of his trance. Viktor held up his hand as if to tell him to be patient, and grabbed a washcloth from a small folded pile near the sink. He wet it with warm water and turned back to Jayce.

“Clean up now, okay?”

Jayce blinked at him, making a small noise around his fingers. Viktor inhaled deeply, kicked the wet pants to the side and moved closer. He brought the towel to Jayce’s thigh and started to gently scrub at his skin. Jayce yelped at the contact and shivered again.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

Viktor tried to make quick work of cleaning him. He wiped the insides of his thighs, careful not to touch him save through the cloth – even if Jayce trusted him, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t be respectful. He moved on to carefully clean between his legs, and Jayce whimpered, a quiet sound of distress coming from him. Viktor tried not to speed up at that, keeping his movements calm and deliberate, taking in a breath.  

“It’s alright, I know it’s uncomfortable. It’s happened to me before.”

He looked up at Jayce with a small smile.

“You better not use this against me when you’re back to your usual self.”

Jayce hummed, sniffling and blinking slowly. Viktor knew Jayce wouldn’t shame him for anything, even as his usual self. It was odd for Viktor to be talking so freely, but – despite the part of himself that recoiled at showing any kind of vulnerability – he found it hard, in front of this Jayce, to close off as he was used to.

With a final swipe at Jayce’s thigh Viktor moved aside and dropped the washcloth in the sink. He quickly washed his hands before he shuffled to grab his cane, and held his hand out for Jayce.

“All done, let’s find clothes.”

Once again Jayce took it, letting out a small coo and allowing Viktor to guide him out of the bathroom.

Chapter Text

Jayce let himself be led out of the bathroom, looking down at his feet as he toddled forward. Viktor looked around as he matched Jayce’s slow pace, searching for a place where he could find some appropriate clothes. He rose an eyebrow at a wide closet, but quickly discarded the option – he could see the faint outlines of proper clothes through the crack of its doors.

Viktor couldn’t help but wonder if Jayce had ever felt like this while wearing those clothes, all prim and well-kempt – he imagined him pouting and biting his lip to resist the urge to whine, tightening his fists around his shirt in rooms that swallowed him whole.

He wondered if he ever felt like this in the lab, casting nervous glances towards Viktor as he realized he was close to slipping his thumb in his mouth instead of relentlessly biting around the nail, or shrinking into himself as he second guessed just how childish one of his frustrated groans had sounded.

Something about that image made his chest contract – the soft pout of Jayce’s lips and his big, wet eyes, glancing back at Viktor in fear of having being found out.

A finger twitched in his hand – not impatient, only a small adjustment. Viktor shook his head softly. Jayce was behind him now, not back in the lab, and he needed clothes. He locked eyes with the dresser beside Jayce’s bed and headed towards it.

Jayce shuffled side to side when they stopped in front of it, his cheeks flushed and his fingers still between his lips. He didn’t look exactly comfortable on his feet, but he held Viktor’s hand firmly, shifting closer to him whenever he moved. Viktor didn’t know how he could ever think of Jayce being alone in his state. He took in a breath, and gestured to the unmade bed, stroking Jayce’s hand with his thumb.

“Why don’t you sit while I find some clothes for you?”

Jayce looked at his bed and hummed quietly. He took a clumsy step towards it, but turned around to look at their joined hands with a small look of worry. Viktor bit back a smile at Jayce’s concerned expression.

“I won’t leave Jayce, I’ll be right beside you. You’ll be able to see me the whole time.”

Jayce blinked and sucked on his fingers a few times, his cheeks moving up and down as he kept looking at their hands. Viktor waited patiently. There was nothing to be gained by rushing him. Sure enough, after a few beats, slowly and carefully, Jayce let go of his hand, giving it a final glance before pattering to the bed.

He didn’t sit, however. Instead he climbed in and lay down sprawled on his back, looking around the room with a small shiver. Viktor sighed, though his lips curved up. He grabbed the blanket balled up at the foot of the bed and covered Jayce up to his waist, shielding his damp skin from the cool air.

Jayce hummed, and his head lolled to the side – his eyes flittered to random spots around the room before locking on Viktor, as if to make sure that he was still there. As long as he could see him, he looked content to wait on the bed, so Viktor went back to the task at hand.

He rummaged through the drawers and found a soft, faded black tee along with some light sweatpants – likely things he exclusively wore at home – and a pair of boxers. He carefully went to sit down on the side of the bed with the clothes in his hand and leaned his cane on the headboard, giving Jayce a small smile. Jayce cooed around his fingers, his cheeks still damp and red. He looked so young like this. Unburdened. Viktor willed himself not to stare too much, though his heart warmed at the sight. He bunched up the fabric of the shirt, ready to slip it on him, but he found himself faced with a small obstacle.

Jayce hadn’t been very happy when he had coaxed his fingers out of his mouth to undress him, so rather than pulling on his wrist – though like before he likely wouldn’t have resisted much – Viktor gently tapped his hand.

“Will you take these out for a moment?”

Jayce blinked at him, looking down at his hand, before his lips parted with a hum and he let his fingers fall from his mouth.

“Good job, Jayce.”

He let the quiet praise flow out as he slipped the tee over Jayce’s head, the boy’s nose scrunching up when his face peeked out, and gently led his arms through the sleeves. As soon as Viktor was done Jayce’s fingers were promptly stuck back in his mouth.

Viktor’s mouth quirked in a small frown. As innocent and endearing the gesture of self-soothing was, it couldn’t be healthy with everything Jayce touched on the daily. He had no replacement to offer at the time, though, so he let him have it.

He grabbed the boxers next, but as soon as Jayce caught sight of them he whined, his lips curving down in a small pout.

Viktor tilted his head. He had in this short time guessed that Jayce wasn’t exactly talkative, and that the sounds he made were the only thing he could go by. He leaned forward, keeping his voice soft.

“What is it, Jayce?”

Jayce made a small sound and reached down to bat at the blanket covering his crotch, before balling up the fabric in his fingers. Viktor hummed, biting the side of his cheek in thought. There was a chance Jayce had to go again, but he didn’t seem that upset, and if he simply didn’t want to wear any underwear he imagined he would have shaken his head at the item instead.

Viktor took in the sight before him – Jayce’s fingers stuck in his mouth, his big eyes, the shirt bunched up to his stomach that he didn’t adjust by himself, and finally the fabric he held firmly in his hand. Viktor had no way to be sure, and he was ready to get a foot in the face if he was wrong, but everything that had happened so far led him to one path over many others.

“You want a diaper? Is that what you want?”

Jayce squirmed in his spot, making a small “mmmm” sound, and looked to the side. Viktor followed his gaze to the closet, and stood up carefully. He shuffled the few short steps without his cane and opened the wooden doors. Inside were various neatly hung jackets and shirts, and a few dress pants that warranted a better spot than the drawers underneath. Over the drawers were mainly folded sweaters and jackets, but something peeked from under the pile in the back.

Viktor moved some autumnal knits aside and saw a light wooden box under more folded tops. He slowly took it out, mindful to not make a mess of the clothes.

As soon as he turned to head back Jayce gave a small kick and let out a coo at the sight of the box. Viktor walked to him and sat back down. His leg sent a small twinge of pain up to his spine, but it thankfully didn’t last long. He settled the box beside Jayce and carefully opened it.

The first thing he was met with was a few stacked diapers. It wasn’t many, likely three or four. Viktor temporarily ignored the rest of the contents that peeked from under them and grabbed the one at the top, shuffling backwards to sit at the foot of the bed.

He had just a few minutes ago given up the notion of shame, and it was easy to lift the blanket to reveal Jayce’s naked legs. Jayce kicked more, a small babble leaving him. Viktor had never done this, but he had never let that stop him either – it seemed simple enough from what he had seen as a child when it was done to other kids.

Though the diaper was made of a thin material rather than thick cloth, he spread it out as he remembered. He glanced at Jayce, who seemed rather intent in looking at the light coming from the window, though his ears were a darker shade of red.

Viktor gently patted at his thigh and grabbed under his knee, guiding his leg up. Jayce didn’t need to be told to raise the other, and Viktor easily slid the diaper under him. He rested his hand on Jayce’s thigh then, giving it another small pat, and Jayce lowered his legs back down, only squirming the slightest bit. Viktor smiled. His easy compliance at Viktor’s requests may have looked different now, but he was still the same Jayce.

Viktor lifted the diaper over his crotch, smoothing it out, and stuck the little sticky tabs to the front, readjusting them a few times until the diaper was snug around Jayce’s waist.

Viktor breathed out a short puff of air, looking at his finished work, and Jayce wriggled under him. He looked much calmer now, his face finally drying and his eyebrows unfurrowed, now slightly raised as he blinked at Viktor with an innocent expression.

“All done, is that better?”

He didn’t expect an answer, but Jayce made another small “mmm” sound and his hand clenched and unclenched in a motion that seemed to convey he was happy. Viktor felt his face soften even further at the display, and shook his head as he grabbed the sweatpants.

He quickly bunched up one leg, then the other, and slid the pants up Jayce’s legs, only needing to tap him once to raise his bottom so he could slide them up to his hips. They didn’t sit very high on his waist, so the diaper peeked out of the waistband like little feathers. The diaper was also not that small despite the thin fabric, and it was easy to see the bulk of it under the pants, but Jayce didn’t look uncomfortable, so Viktor left it at that.

Satisfied with the clothing, Viktor turned back to the box. He grabbed the diapers and settled them to the side to analyze the rest of the contents.

There were two pacifiers, one small and well worn, and a bigger one with a blue shield. Viktor grabbed the bigger one, and saw that it had small specks all over – stars. Jayce squealed when he saw it, and his hand flew towards Viktor, opening and closing. Viktor chuckled and slid closer to him.

Despite his eagerness, Jayce still whined softly when Viktor tapped his hand to take his fingers out of his mouth, but he easily quietened when he offered him the pacifier. His lips wrapped around it and Viktor heard the small clicks of the teat as Jayce started nursing on it. It bobbed in his mouth the slightest bit, and Viktor couldn’t help himself – he ran his fingers through Jayce’s flushed cheek, feeling the way it moved as he suckled. Jayce hummed around the pacifier and batted at Viktor’s wrist, his movement clumsy. Viktor sighed with a small smile.

“You’re making too quick a work of my heart, don’t you think Jayce? Rather unpolite.”

He tapped Jayce’s cheek with the last words, and Jayce’s eyes creased with a smile. He babbled softly, making no sense at all.

“Yes, astute observation.”

Jayce giggled, the sweet sound making Viktor’s heart swell before he turned back to the box. Aside from the pacifiers there were a few oddly shaped things – when Viktor held one in his hand he recognized the soft feel of silicone. Likely something else to worry between his teeth, then.

From under them he pulled out three small books. Looking at the soft watercolor covers Viktor imagined they were children’s picture books, and chuckled when he saw a clumsy “Jayce” written on top of one. After the pacifiers, Viktor wasn’t surprised to see a bottle, which was covered in the same tiny stars as the bigger one.

The last item was a small fabric pouch. Viktor tugged the strings to open it and slid his hand in. What he pulled out was a small, cream-colored stuffed bunny attached to a square of soft fabric. The small thing looked worn, but well loved.

He held it up to Jayce, who didn’t waste any time reaching for it with a soft squeal. Viktor felt just how much his lips were curved up, just how warm he was, just how much of an effect the sight had on him. With uncharacteristic fondness he made the small plush jump on the covers before landing it in Jayce’s hand. Safe to say Jayce was happy at that, giggling and bringing the bunny to his face to nuzzle it with his nose.

When the giggles subsided, that’s when Viktor saw the slight droop of Jayce’s eyelids – he hugged the bunny to his chest, running his hands through the soft fabric and blinking slowly. The whole ordeal must have been tiring, especially in this state of mind. Viktor grabbed the blanket and raised it up to Jayce’s chest, tucking him in. He gave his cheek a fleeting caress, before running his fingers through the soft strands of hair, and Jayce closed his eyes at the touch.

Viktor sat there, looking at Jayce’s soft, relaxed features, entranced by them. The pacifier bobbed softly in his mouth, and he snuffled a few times before his breaths started slowing.

As his hand slowed its gentle movement on Jayce’s hair, Viktor’s face quietly fell, his eyes half closing. He should leave now. He had done his part in settling down his partner, and now that he was safely in bed, tucked in, he was no longer needed.

He sighed, pursing his lips, and grabbed his cane, ready to take his leave. He had no idea whether Jayce would allow him to see this part of him again – strangely he hoped he would.

The second his cane clacked on the floor Jayce’s eyes snapped open and he whined loudly, reaching for Viktor. Viktor scoffed, though good naturedly. After all that had happened he should have expected it.

“I suppose I have nowhere else to be.”

He unbuttoned his vest and slipped it off, resting it on the headboard before slipping his shoes off and climbing under the blanket, lying on his side. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but taking off his leg brace was a whole ordeal he frankly didn’t feel like going through.

Jayce, seemingly content now, closed his eyes again and turned to his side. He wiggled closer to Viktor until his face made contact with his chest, and nuzzled close as his hands tightened around his bunny.

Viktor huffed and threw an arm over Jayce. He held him close, feeling his warm breath on his chest through the fabric. They’d have to talk when he woke, and Viktor could already hear the stuttered excuses, the self-deprecating jokes and the pleas to trust that he had everything under control, but for now he could allow himself to close his eyes as well, listening to the soft sound of suckles and the faint clatter of the outside world.