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The rain was relentless and a chill ghosted through the apartment. The cold seeped deep into his bones, lacing every movement with a dull yet searing pain. It was late in the morning, inching ever closer to noon, and he hadn't moved a muscle since hours earlier. He'd only stiffly hobbled to the bathroom to relieve himself, then returned to his warmed spot in his nest of blankets, pillows, and a few of his friends - Rio the pink axolotl, Key Lime the green bear, and Cetus the whale shark. The lanky man spent most of his time in bed dozing in and out of sleep or scrolling through the various apps on his phone ranging from simple games, to social media, and silly videos to try and cheer himself up. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be working.
Jayce had woken up a couple of hours before him. He stayed with him for as long as he could, until he began to feel antsy. Plus, he got hungry. He'd encouraged Viktor to get out of bed and eat breakfast with him, but the little declined with a grumble. Jayce reluctantly let him be, but not before tucking the blankets around him and showering him with kisses. When Jayce left the room, Viktor couldn't help but feel empty. It seemed as if Jayce took all of the warmth with him as the chill settled into Viktor's joints. Despite the ache of his body, there was this unexplainable wave of numbness that crept under his skin. He barely noticed the tears that rolled down his hollow cheeks. The urge to sob aloud was strong, but he lacked the energy to do so. So, he laid there, trying his best to distract himself from the gloomy atmosphere.
Jayce had busied himself with cleaning shortly after finishing his breakfast. Once that task was completed, he decided to indulge in something he hasn't done in quite some time - video games. He'd lost track of time playing one of their shared favorites, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It wasn't until his hips and knees began cramping up from his sitting position that he got up and looked at the clock. It was a little past noon, and Viktor still hadn't left their bedroom - meaning he hasn't eaten yet either. Jayce put the game on pause and headed down the short hallway to check on his partner. He knocked on the door frame and poked his head in first to make sure he wasn't intruding on anything, then walked over to the pile of blankets that Viktor was still hiding under.
He sat on the edge of the bed, right in front of him, then leaned down to steal a gentle kiss. "Hi, honey. You awake?" Jayce cooed quietly. Viktor's eyes fluttered open, then he looked up and pouted at the larger man. "Aw, bub." He lightly chuckled at the adorable, saddened expression, then gave him another kiss. "It's past noon. You haven't eaten yet, have you?" The smaller man looked away, then lazily shook his head. "You should come out and eat something, baby. I'll make you something yummy." Jayce attempted to coax him out.
"Not hungry…" Viktor mumbled as he nuzzled into Cetus.
"You should still put something in your belly… You feeling okay? Does your tummy hurt?" Jayce brushed the back of his hand over his cheek. He noted that Viktor had been feeling a bit under the weather lately.
"Not hungry. Don' want food…" The little whined in frustration.
Jayce's concern only grew for his partner. He knew something was going on in his head, but didn't know what. Maybe something happened that upset Viktor and he didn't tell him about it? He'd ask him later. "Honey, you gotta eat something. I'd be happy if you ate a piece of toast, or half a bagel. A bowl of cereal would be great." He continued to try and convince him.
"Noooo-" Viktor groaned. Feeling more frustrated, and suddenly very overwhelmed, he began to cry.
"Cariño…" Jayce gently stroked the little's hair and rubbed circles into his back. The contact seemed to have the opposite affect as Viktor started to sob aloud. "Come here, hun." The larger man lifted the blankets and slipped into bed beside him. He then encouraged the smaller man to curl up in his lap. Viktor quickly filled the space between Jayce's arms and let himself be soothed. He wanted so badly to be held.
Jayce held him through every hiccup, giving reassuring words and all the tender love and affection he could muster. "I gotchu, baby." The poor boy was shaking. Jayce pulled the softest blanket in the nest over Viktor's shoulders and continued to rub soothing circles into his back, pressing gently in attempt to smooth out any knots in his spine. The smaller man eventually calmed, aside from the spasms in his diaphragm from crying. Jayce placed a tender kiss to Viktor's tear stained cheek. "Can we talk about it, bub?" He asked quietly as he brushed a thick strand of hair behind the little's ear. There was a long pause as Viktor considered. After a couple minutes, he lifted his head from Jayce's shoulder and partially faced him, still avoiding eye contact. "What happened, babe?" He wiped a stray tear from his cheek. The smaller man gave a tiny shrug and sniffled. "Do you feel yucky?" Jayce began slowly rubbing his back again. The little gave a small nod. "Is it your tummy?" He shook his head. "No? Not a belly yucky?" He repeated the action. "Emotion yucky?" Viktor slowly nodded his head. "Okay… Do you know why? Did something happen?" The little shrugged. "You don't know? Just feel bleh?" Another nod. "Alright…" Jayce gave him a kiss on his forehead. He mulled over everything in his head for a moment as he took a quick peek a the window. Cold, rainy, gloomy, grey - yucky. The more he thought about the dreary weather, the more the dull ache throughout his body made itself known. Oh, shit… "You in pain? More than usual?" Another stray tear rolled down his cheek and Jayce caught it. "Out of ten?" The smaller man sucked at his bottom lip and thought for a moment, assessing how his body felt. He then held up eight trembling fingers, wiggling one of them - 7.5/10. "Oh, hun…" Jayce gently embraced Viktor and firmly kissed his hairline. "I'm sorry, baby. Is there anything I can do to make it better?A massage? Bath? Tylenol or ibuprofen?" The little shrugged, not quite sure of what he wanted. A bath sounded nice, but he didn't want to get wet. The medicine, unfortunately, probably wouldn't work - it usually didn't. It was like he was immune to its effects. A massage would feel good and would help alleviate some of the pain temporarily, but it wouldn't take care of the burning ache that was surely due to the weather conditions - such an interesting phenomenon.
The smaller man gave a heavy sigh and buried his face in Jayce's shoulder, feeling defeated by his indecisiveness. The larger man rested his head atop of Viktor's, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. His eyes searched the room for inspiration of any other solutions until they landed on the lighter and colorful glass spoon pipe sitting on top of their dresser. An idea sprouted. He nudged the little gently. "Hey, what about your special medicine?" Viktor picked his head up, a confused yet intrigued expression on his face. "We have gummies, don't we?"
Viktor's eyebrows raised as he realized what Jayce was talking about. Oh! Funny gummies… "Yeah, but… I dunno where dey are…" The little admitted sheepishly.
"I do." Jayce gave him a warm smile. "You wanna try a gummy and see if it makes you feel better?"
"Okay…" Using cannabis while regressed wasn't new to him, but this time he felt a little unsure. He was worried and he didn't know why, until a thought crossed his mind. I don't want it to make me sadder… Or scared… "Daddy?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"What if it makes me feel more yucky?" Viktor looked up at him with concern. His pretty gold eyes, though reddened slightly from crying, glistened.
Ack! Those puppy eyes! Jayce's expression softened. "I don't think it will, honey." He ran his fingers through the little's hair, soft and silky despite being unwashed for a couple of days.
"Are you sure?"
"It usually doesn't, even on your worst pain days. Besides - I'm gonna eat one too. You're not doing it alone." Jayce gave a sweet smile, and Viktor returned it, his unease waning. "Here, sit tight. I'll go grab them." He lightly tapped the little's bum, signaling him to scoot off of his lap. He then gave him a quick peck on his cheek. "I'll be right back."
"Okay." Jayce left the room, and once again, seemingly took all of the warmth and light with him. The nasty, hollow feeling returned. Viktor pulled the blanket as tight as his body would allow, reveling in its softness.
Jayce rummaged around the medicine cabinet in the kitchen for a minute. It had been a while since they had taken edibles. Viktor's pain had been a bit more manageable lately. Same goes for Jayce. They both had been getting by with nightly smokes. Depending on what strain they chose - it helped calm their nerves after a long day, motivate their creative sides together, or helped them sleep. It was like a smaller, more expensive, herbal tea collection; this specific herb for this specific ailment. Jayce was thankful for Sky helping him pick. She's very good with plants, to say the least. Bioengineering was her major, after all.
"Aha - there they are!" It took a little longer than expected, but he finally found the special gummies, hiding all the way up on the top shelf. He stuffed the small bag in the pocket of his hoodie, then grabbed a couple cans of ginger ale from the fridge and a straw for his partner on the way out of the kitchen. As he was walking back to their bedroom, he spotted the TV, still on with his game paused. "Oh, yeah…" He stood still for a moment, debating whether he should just save and switch it off or if he should leave it and somehow manage to convince Viktor to get out of bed. They could take turns playing, or Vik could just watch him play as they cuddle on the couch. The little was in a lot of pain though… Maybe it would be better for him to stay in bed… He set the sodas on the coffee table and put the straw in his pocket. He then saved the game and turned the consol and TV off. If they decided to come out and play later - no biggie.
Jayce picked up the cans and made his way back to the bedroom. Once there, he spotted Viktor in the middle of the bed, bundled tight in most of the blankets with his eyes closed. Jayce let out a warm chuckle that rumbled low in his chest. He walked over to his favored side of the bed and set the cans down on the small bedside table. He then crawled under the one unoccupied blanket and scooped Viktor gently into his arms. The smaller man let out a surprised squeak, followed by a pained groan.
"Oop, I sawwy." Jayce carefully attacked him with tender kisses, apologies for accidentally hurting him. Viktor purred and lightly giggled. The two of them settled into each other. Jayce stayed mostly upright, leaning back on a couple stacked pillows. Viktor clung to his side and nuzzled into his neck. "You wanna watch a movie?" The smaller man nodded. "Okie doke, what should we watch?" He grabbed the remote from the small overhead shelf, flipped on the TV, and began to sift through their archive of downloaded movies. After a minute of scrolling and making suggestions, Viktor perked up as he spotted his all time favorite, How To Train Your Dragon. The little enthusiastically squeaked and pointed at the screen. Jayce was amused at the sudden spark. "What's up, bud? Which one?" He said with a chuckle.
"Dragon." Viktor quickly stated in excitement.
Jayce squinted and searched the screen for a moment, finding the familiar thumbnail. "There we are, yeah?" The smaller man nodded in confirmation. "Alright, dragons it is." He smiled as he glanced at his partner, who's eyes were now glued to the TV as the movie began to play.
- This is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless, and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. -
Some minutes into the movie, Jayce reached over to the bedside table and opened their drinks, retrieving the straw from his pocket, blowing a puff of air through it, then plopped it into one of the cans. He offered it to Viktor, who hesitated for a moment, but took a sip - mainly to make his papa happy. Satisfied with the effort, Jayce set the cans down until they were wanted or needed again. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out the bag of medicated gummy bears. The crinkling of the bag caught the little's attention.
"You ready to try one?" Jayce waited patiently for an answer. He wanted Viktor to be one hundred percent on his decision.
The smaller man looked up, exhaustion evident in his eyes, and nodded. This will help me stop hurting.
"You're sure?" A firm nod. "Okay." Jayce unraveled the small bag and picked out a couple gummies for each of them. He rolled the bag closed and set it next to their drinks, then offered the gummies to his partner. When Viktor took his two, Jayce held up one of his, pinched between his thumb and index finger. "Cheers." He gave the little a soft smile.
Encouraged by the gesture, the smaller man help up one of his gummies and tapped it against Jayce's. "Cheers." He echoed, one corner of his mouth upturning slightly.
Bottoms up. The boys ate their gummies and snuggled closer, watching the movie as they waited patiently for the effects to kick in. Jayce quoted bits of the movie throughout the duration, making Viktor giggle and at times, he would quote the next part of the dialog.
"Excuse me, barmaid! I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring! I ordered an extra-large boy with beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side! This here - this is a talking fish-bone!" Jayce imitated, exaggerating the accent further. Viktor laughed aloud.
They both quoted "Trolls exist! They steal your socks! But only the left ones. Wha- what's with that?", and laughed about it.
"When I was a boy-" Jayce started.
"Oh, here we go." The little rolled the R's a smidgen harder than Gobber.
Jayce giggled a little before continuing the bit. "-My father told me to bang my head against a rock, and I did it! I thought I was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened?"
"You got a headache." Viktor replied with extra sarcasm, making Jayce chuckle.
The scene were the dragon arena is revealed plays and the smaller man couldn't help but quote "pain, love it", earning a coo and a kiss from Jayce.
Sometime later in the movie when the Monstrous Nightmare suddenly flashes and roars through the fog, Jayce makes it a point to playfully spook Viktor by quickly prodding his sides with his fingertips. The little gasps, then gives him a death glare paired with a small growl. He then swiftly whacks Jayce in the thigh while calling him a "meanie", earning an "ow!" and light laughter.
After the first flight scene, when Hiccup and Toothless are relaxing while eating fish, and that one Terrible Terror shows up, Viktor quietly asks if they can get one. Jayce chuffs, finding the question endearing. "I wish. Wouldn't that be cool."
Later, the flight scene with Astrid plays, and both of them quote "thank you for nothing, you useless reptile", and giggle. Then the romantic part of the scene comes, and the familiar, beautiful soundtrack plays. The boys lean closer together, fully enveloping one another. The little laid his head on his papa's shoulder, and Jayce rests his head on top of his. They stay like that for a long while.
They're about an hour into the film when the gummies fully begin to work their magic, and Viktor's tummy growls quite loudly. Jayce is surprised. It's rare for the little's body to actually "voice" its needs - usually he gets dizzy, or very angry, when he needs food. "You hungry?" The caregiver asks quietly. Viktor shrugs, still feeling a bit indifferent, despite the now comforting atmosphere. On screen, the Red Death is revealed in her glowing nest. The two are distracted for a moment with the movie, until Viktor's stomach made itself known again. "I'm gonna grab a snack, okay?"
"Pause it?" The smaller man picked up the remote.
"Nah, it's okay. Keep watching. I'll be right back, bub." Jayce gave him a quick peck to the corner of his mouth, then the little scooted back a bit so he could get out of bed. Once he was out of sight, that hollow feeling from earlier, albeit not as strong, crept up Viktor's spine again. While Jayce was out of the room, the fight scene, followed by the intense quarrel between Hiccup and Stoick played out. Without his papa by his side, it felt scarier than usual. To try and combat these feelings, the little took hold of Rio once again, squeezing tight. She'd protect him.
In the kitchen, Jayce searched through the refrigerator, freezer, and various cabinets for any ideas of what he could made for Viktor. In the cabinet, they had canned soups, beans, various pastas, and other nonperishable goods. There wasn't much in the freezer other than raw meat that would take forever to thaw, breads, bags of sweet corn and peas, frozen fruits, and tubs of ice cream. In the fridge, they had various condiments, drinks, jams, dairy products, deli meat, and many other random ingredients, as well as some left overs from previous cooked meals.
After taking inventory, he thought for a moment. He wanted Viktor to eat, but didn't want to overwhelm him. So, it needed to be something simple. A comfort food that would be quick and easy to make… Heat up a can of soup? He'd probably say no - canned soups tend to be watery, and he didn't like that. Left overs? There ARE mashed potatoes~ which he loves… But Jayce wanted him to eat something a little more nutritious than that. Mulling over the ingredients again, an idea sparked suddenly. Grilled cheese. Maybe with some sliced ham so he gets some protein? But grilled cheese with mashed potatoes? Maybe just have them on the side in case he refuses the sandwich? Tomato soup goes well with grilled cheese AND would add a veggie… Technically… Another idea popped in. What if I mix the soup with the potatoes? It would thicken the soup, probably make it taste a little better, and would be filling if he didn't want the sandwich. He decided that it was a great idea and went with it.
It took Jayce a little less than ten minutes to make their food - two grilled cheese sandwiches and a large bowl of tomato soup, thickened with mashed potatoes, for them to share. He returned to Viktor as Hiccup began to introduce the dragons to their riders. "Hi, honey." He cooed, just above a whisper. His partner was still snuggled up in their blankets with Rio clutched to his body. The little looked away from the screen for a second and hummed in acknowledgement before fixating on the movie again. No matter how many times he'd seen this film, he'd never get tired of it. "Can you hold these for a sec, babe?" Jayce handed the plate and bowl of food to the smaller man so he could crawl back under the covers with him. Once he was settled, he took the food back, placing the plate on the bed and keeping hold of the bowl. He grabbed half of one of the sandwiches, dipped it in the soup, blew on it to cool it a little, and offered it to Viktor, who was completely invested in the movie as the Vikings prepared to infiltrate the dragons' nest. Jayce gently nudged his shoulder with his elbow. "Bite?" The little didn't take his eyes off the screen as he opened his mouth, letting his papa feed him. The larger man silently giggled to himself as he fed his baby. After he had a couple bites, Jayce put the left over chunk of sandwich back on the plate and began eating his own. A few minutes later, the little leaned towards him with his mouth agape, signaling that he was ready for more. The caregiver was more than happy to continue feeding him. It made his heart sing.
They continued like this until the food was finished. The scene where they blast an opening in the mountain play and Viktor mimics Stoick's battle cry while still chewing, making Jayce laugh. Later, towards the end of the movie, when Hiccup's leg is revealed, the smaller man jokingly says "me next", and Jayce gives him a sarcastic "ha-ha" in return. When the movie ends, they both stretch out a little, untangling from each other.
Jayce gently rubbed Viktor's back. "How you feeling, bud?"
The little leaned into his shoulder, looking up at him with those pretty eyes, "'M okay."
"Better?" He brushed some stray hair away from his face.
"Yeah."
"Good." Jayce planted a soft kiss between Viktor's brows. "I'm gonna bring these back to the kitchen." He stated as he grabbed the plate, bowl, and his empty soda can. "You wanna watch another movie? Or do you want to come out and play video games? I was playing Skyrim earlier."
The little perked up at the mention of one of his favorite games. He thought for a moment, assessing how his body felt now that he's had some medicine and food. To his surprise, he felt relatively good - still quite achy in his joints due to the chill and moisture that lingered in the air. "Game?" He decided he might as well try.
"Yeah?" Jayce was almost shocked, but happy that he was willing. The smaller man nodded. "Alrighty, then. Let's scoot to the living room." He started towards the door, stopping to make sure Viktor didn't need any extra help. He watched as the little carefully slid off of the bed, dragging his favorite fuzzy blanket and Rio with him. He took a step forward and winced slightly as his knee buckled. Jayce noticed immediately and quickly made his way to Viktor's side of the bed and retrieved his cane. "Here." He handed to mobility aid to his partner.
"Tanks." The smaller man said with a sliver of frustration in his voice. Jayce hummed then slowly led the way out to their dainty living room. Once Viktor was snuggled up on the couch, the taller man finished his task of cleaning up in the kitchen.
With everything put away, he joined his partner, who had began to play the game on their shared character profile. The boys took turns, fully indulging in more than a few quest lines, and enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of one another, late into the evening.