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Viktor stands off to the side, shielding his eyes from the sun with his free hand while Jayce spreads out their picnic blanket (and takes his sweet time doing it). He's beginning to regret the fact that he didn't bring sunglasses to their outing, but he knows it won't take much convincing for Jayce to let him borrow the ones that are slipping down his nose right now.
They're having a picnic at a park a couple blocks down from their apartment. Viktor's been told by his doctors more than once that he should be a little more active, and get more fresh air, and even on the days—like today—when he's reluctant to drag himself out of their apartment, Jayce musters enough enthusiasm for the both of them.
Earlier, when Jayce had gotten back from his shift at the library, Viktor was still working on coursework in his bed. Save for his trips to the kitchen for coffee, or to the bathroom, he'd hardly moved since Jayce left in the morning.
Jayce had seen him there and insisted that they go out to the park for dinner. Well, he told Viktor that he wouldn't cook for them unless they could go, and Viktor found that to be an offer he couldn't refuse.
He had brought Viktor half an orange, guessing (correctly) that he hadn't eaten lunch earlier to take his afternoon dose of meds, and told Viktor to be ready in about an hour.
Viktor slid out of bed approximately forty-five minutes later, throwing on the first clothes he set hands on from his closet—a pair of running shorts that he didn't remember ever actually purchasing for himself, because, well, he didn't run, and a t-shirt for their university's engineering department. A pair of tall socks and some slides later, he deemed it a passable outfit once he fastened his leg brace back on.
Jayce was, too, dressed for the park and packing food away in a tote bag by the time Viktor emerged from his bedroom. He was standing with his back turned, humming softly under his breath, and Viktor couldn't help but smile as warmth bubbled up in his chest at the sound. He'd, naturally, been harboring feelings for Jayce for a while now—nearly everyone who'd met him had, at some point—and had been been finding it increasingly difficult to hide his thorough endearment toward the other man.
But he shoved that down to deal with another time, when Jayce wasn't in... short-shorts. And an athletic tee that clung to his chest. And his arms. And... Okay. Maybe it was going to be a little harder than Viktor thought, but he could handle it.
They packed up and piled into Jayce's beat-up SUV together—because even if Jayce was going to force him to go to the park, he was merciful enough not to make him walk there—and that's where they are now, with Viktor squinting in the sun and waiting for Jayce to "get the blanket just right."
"Jayce," he complains. "Does it have to be perfectly flat?"
"It's just—" Jayce climbs across the blanket like he's playing a game of Twister, and makes attempts in vain to pull the corners further apart. "The wrinkles are uncomfortable to sit on!"
"I'm uncomfortable all the time, Jayce. I'll smooth it out under my ass if I want to. Just let me sit."
Jayce relaxes, flops down on the blanket, and lays there for a second before he rolls over to the side. He toes his shoes off and stretches out his legs while Viktor gingerly lowers himself next to him.
Jayce sighs, loud and content. "I know we're, like, doing this for your health, technically, but I kinda love it."
Viktor snorts a little. "Really? I thought you hated it," he drawls in a tone soaked with sarcasm. "Is that not why you drag me to the park at every available opportunity?"
Jayce rolls his eyes and turns his head to level Viktor with a glare, but it holds no real malice.
"I just do it 'cause you need the external motivation." He reaches to poke Viktor in the side. "And because I know I can convince you with food."
"Yeah, yeah, give it here."
They unpack the spread, and get out the food Jayce packed—which Viktor learns now are paninis, and a thermos of soup to share, and, apparently, cookies that Viktor didn't even know they had the dough for. In the bottom of the bag are both of Jayce's big water bottles, one of which he passes Viktor's way.
"It has the electrolyte packet you like in it, too," Jayce says. "The passionfruit one."
Viktor nods and hums his acknowledgement.
They don't talk much when they tuck in—they're both hungry after their respective long days, and they're comfortable enough with each other not to force conversation if there's nothing for them to talk about. They just people-watch and listen to the birds.
The paninis are good. The soup is even better. They eat the rest of their food fast enough that the chocolate chips in the cookies are still melty.
Viktor does end up asking for Jayce's sunglasses, when the sun lowers enough that it begins to shine directly in his face. Jayce laughs and hands them over, faux-reluctant, when they both know he loves the excuse to lay back on the blanket and shut his eyes. Viktor joins him after a while, and they start lazily chatting while the sun sets.
As much as Viktor makes a show of being reluctant, he does really like when they go to the park. The evenings out there are nice, and it's good for him to get out of his room. And it certainly doesn't hurt that it's with Jayce.
And the lightning bugs are just beautiful.
The early days of summer are creeping up on them, and it seems like every time he and Jayce stay through sunset, there's more and more of the things blinking in the air around them. Tonight, they seem to be putting on a particularly impressive show—when Viktor opens his eyes and sits up, the grass looks like its own small galaxy. He takes in a small gasp, and Jayce sits up, rubbing his eyes and trying to make it seem like he wasn't dozing off.
"What?" Jayce asks, before he blinks and gasps himself. "Oh, wow." His eyes are wide and glimmering in the low light, darting around the lawn. "Showin' out for us," he sighs.
"Really, yeah," Viktor breathes.
"I used to catch these all the time, as a kid," he says, then cringes. "I would run out in the backyard, and put 'em in a mason jar. Probably kind of unethical, but... I was also, like, five, so."
"I was more of an observer," Viktor comments. "The other kids did all the catching. I just thought they were pretty."
One flies through the air and lights up above them, and Jayce sits up to catch it in his palm.
"Wait, here, you can hold this one!" He shifts a little so he can hold it out for Viktor. They both lean in a little too close to look at it, and the tops of their heads knock together, which sends them both into a fit of laughter. By the time they recover and look back up, eyes still crinkled, the firefly has long flown away.
Jayce holds up his empty palm and cries, "Nooo!" and it only makes them both laugh harder. They tilt forward with it, leaning into each other's spaces. Viktor doesn't think it's really as funny as they're making it out to be, but it's an excuse to be just that much closer to Jayce. So they carry on a while longer.
The moment does end, though. Viktor looks back up, expecting that the two of them break off into giggles just from eye contact, which is typical. They can't really ever seem to stop laughing when they're around each other. But that's not what happens.
Instead, their eye contact is almost sobering. Something shifts in the air when their eyes meet.
Jayce opens his mouth like he's going to say something, but he just ends up wetting his lips as if he thought better than to say whatever it was. A couple of quiet, slightly-awkward seconds pass, before Viktor breaks the gaze to incline his head toward the now-darkened sky.
When he looks down again, Jayce is still looking at him, though.
Viktor huffs, finally taking the sunglasses and pushing them up on his head, which pulls the strands of what could generously be called bangs out of his face.
"What are you looking at me like that for?"
"Like what?"
Viktor shrugs, and gestures to Jayce's face. "Like that."
It's a little too dark to see the actual blush sitting on his cheeks, but Viktor can read Jayce's mannerisms well enough to know that's what's happening.
"...Jayce?" He ventures, tilting his head a little.
Jayce finally looks away, leaning back on an elbow to see the stars beginning to twinkle into view above them. "Viktor," he starts, then pauses in what seems to be contemplation.
Viktor usually likes the way his name sounds on Jayce's lips, but this time it sounds loaded with something indiscernable. But he sits and waits for Jayce to sort out his thoughts and continue.
Jayce swallows thickly. Viktor hears it over the crickets chirping in the background.
"D'you remember when I was just starting to date Mel, a couple years ago?" Jayce asks, finally.
Well, that of all things was not exactly how Viktor expected him to continue, but he bites.
"Mhm," he hums, prompting Jayce to go on.
"And I asked you for advice, that one time, 'cause I kept getting butterflies whenever I spent time with her? And it made me nervous, and made my stomach hurt?"
"Yes, I do," Viktor laughs softly. "Jayce, why are you asking me this?"
"I got that feeling again."
Huh?
"And, when I mentioned it then, you told me I should just be up-front and say something to her, right? And—and so, that's— I'm gonna do that now, too," Jayce resolves.
Viktor's heart sinks a little. He didn't know Jayce had a crush. Jayce tended to mention those kinds of things—he somehow manages to bring up even the most fleeting of interests, so Viktor's surprised he hasn't heard about it.
"Well, eh, whoever it is, I'm sure they're going to be delighted to hear that," Viktor says, the perfect picture of composure. He can sulk about it later when he's alone in his room.
Jayce is quiet for a while. And then he turns toward Viktor. And looks at him very meaningfully.
Oh.
Even with the way Jayce is looking at him, insecurity gives way to doubt, and Viktor quirks his brows as if to say, Really?
And Jayce nods, and Jayce looks down at Viktor's lips. And then up at his eyes, and then back to his lips again.
"So?" Jayce asks, about when Viktor is realizing he absolutely should have responded. "Are you? Um, delighted?"
Viktor can't help but laugh. It comes out bright and giddy and he finds himself nodding over and over and over again. "Delighted. Relieved, maybe. Thrilled, definitely. Same difference, really."
Jayce sits back up slow, eyes trained on Viktor's face as he rejoins him on the same level. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," Viktor confirms, a little breathy.
He becomes faintly aware that they're both leaning in, swaying into each other's spaces with every passing second. One of Jayce's hands comes up to cradle Viktor's cheek in his palm, and their noses brush, and—
And then Jayce turns away.
For a horrifying second that feels more like an eternity, Viktor's heart pangs in his chest.
Until Jayce ducks his head into his elbow to sneeze about four times in a row.
By the end of the sneezing fit, Jayce is shouting, "The one time the pollen makes me sneeze and it's now, oh my God—Viktor, I'm sorry, I think my allergy meds are wearii—ahhh—" He turns and sneezes for a fifth time.
When he looks back up, their eyes meet, and they both burst into laughter yet again.
Jayce takes a few deep breaths, and apparently deems it safe enough that he won't sneeze into Viktor's mouth if they lean back in for a kiss. So lean back in he does—and this time, his and Viktor's lips press together without any more preamble.
It's nothing like Viktor imagined, and yet it's everything he could've dreamed of.
Jayce's lips are a little chapped. He kisses Viktor eagerly. His lower lip scratches just the tiniest bit where it slots between Viktor's own, and it's completely perfect. They manage a few more seconds before they both break away.
Viktor feels like his heart is going to beat out of his chest. He and Jayce both smile at each other lopsidedly, before Jayce grabs Viktor's face and covers it with an onslaught of peppered kisses.
"You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you, V, I swear—"
"I'm sure our experience is comparable," Viktor points out, and Jayce leans back just to gaze at him in wonder. "Two can play at that game."
"Then I'm sure we have a lot of time to make up for," Jayce says, wiggling his eyebrows in a way that makes Viktor snort and shove his arm.
"And a lot to talk about."
"Yeah, that too." Jayce yawns, and it's immediately followed up by the most forceful sneeze yet. "...Maybe we go back inside first, though?" He suggests, sniffing hard and wiping his nose on the end of his sleeve.
"Probably a wise decision."
They pack up quickly after that, and get to the car, and any time Viktor is too close to Jayce he ends up with another kiss on his cheek. Or his forehead. Or his hand. Or his scalp.
But he finds it pretty hard to complain about that.