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Viktor's cane clicks as it hits the street. Dusk is gathering shadows around itself, muting the colors and preparing for the night. It's not cold out, not very, but Viktor tugs his jacket closer around himself. Jayce's rented rooms are not far from the academy, but far enough for it to turn into a slight effort on Viktor's part. He doesn't need to make the journey, technically he can wait until tomorrow, but Viktor... he wants to see Jayce. He had been working late in the lab and turned around, and was struck with his friend's absence. That too is nothing unusual, but tonight just feels different. It might be because of Miss Young's gentle prodding, or months of suppressed feelings finally having enough of being pushed down.
Jayce doesn't need his book tonight, but Viktor needs to give it to him.
Five steps lead up to the door, all Viktor has to do is climb them and knock. Each step makes his nerves increase, his hands feel clammy, but he stands outside the door, ready to knock. All he needs to do is knock.
What if Jayce has company? What if the councillor is there? What if he doesn’t want to see him? This was a foolish idea.
No, he made it this far, it doesn't matter if she is there. He'll just drop off the book anyway, it's not as if he will stay.
He knocks.
It only takes a moment for footsteps to be heard through the door, and then he is bathed in light as it opens, the shadows dispersing around him.
Jayce's hair is messy, and he needs a shave. During the day, when Viktor is used to seeing him, they both wear white. But now, here at home, Jayce is wearing dark red and brown.
They stare at each other for a second, gathering their bearings.
"Viktor. Hi! I didn't expect you. Uh. Are you alright?" Jayce says first, opening the door wider until Viktor notices he's only in his socks. "Come in, come in!"
"No, I was just... returning your book," Viktor says, and as he says it out loud, it's an even weaker reason.
Jayce pauses, looking down at the book that Viktor is holding out for him.
Oddly enough, he doesn't take it, he just turns with a quirk to his mouth.
"I'm making tea, you want some?" he offers, backing and turning to leave more space for Viktor to step forward.
This is what he wanted. He wanted more time.
"I am not interrupting?"
"Not at all. Just came back from visiting mother, actually, so you have good timing."
Viktor finally steps inside, closing the door behind him, leaving the dusk and the shadows behind.
It's warm inside, much warmer than he keeps it himself. It's like he brings the forge everywhere he goes, into everything he does.
There are only male shoes in the hallway. No stray gloves or lingering scent of perfume or any other indication of counselor Medara having been here, least not today.
"I should still have some anise seeds at home, do you want sweet milk?"
Jayce's voice comes from the kitchen to the left, gentle clatters and cabinets softly closing as Viktor looks around. It's been a while since he was here, but it's much the same.
"Yes."
He hangs his coat next to Jayce's, the small domestic act making him ache and question himself at the same time. The book is still tucked in under his arm when he joins his friend in the kitchen, and he leans against the door frame watching Jayce putter around.
Jayce's shoulders are wide, the vest accenting them, seems to guide the lines of his torso down towards a slim waist. He looks warm, in that inviting kind of way. He always does. That’s why so many people are drawn to him.
"How is your mother?" Viktor asks, finally pulling out one of the two chairs by the narrow table.
"Good, all good. She asked about you, actually. Wondering when you would come by. She's taken quite the shine to you."
It makes Viktor smile, looking down at his hand wrapped around the cane.
"We'll find time," he assures Jayce, who has turned to look at him. Viktor prefers him smiling to that frown he's been wearing lately.
Jayce puts his tea on the table to steep as he turns back to the stove where he is warming the milk for Viktor's drink.
"Was Sky in the office after I left?" Jayce asks, back turned. He often asks about Sky lately.
"Hm? Yes, Miss Young came by with the reports from the building site. She has a bright future ahead," Viktor muses, reaching for Jayce's cup to take out the tea bag. He doesn't like it when it steeps for too long.
"How so?"
"Eh," Viktor shrugs, pushing the mug back to where it was. The paint on it is faded, tea stained, loved. "She asked me to read through her thesis before she gave it to the university. Hard work and ambitious."
"Remind you of someone?" Jayce says over his shoulder, finally lifting the pot of milk from the stove and pouring it in the mug through a sieve. “She never asks me for reviews.”
Viktor just rolls his eyes, watching as Jayce pours in syrup and stirring it as he brings it to the table for Viktor.
They make small talk, tease each other and discuss a meeting they need to attend in a few days.
It's nice.
Viktor leans back into the chair, relaxing against the wall, when he notices Jayce looking at him. It’s a peculiar look, lingering and thoughtful.
"What?" he asks, stretching out his leg to work out the strain.
"Nothing. Just happy that you are here," Jayce says, as if it's nothing.
"Jsi otravný," Viktor mutters under his breath, looking away and feeling his cheeks heating.
"What does that mean?"
"That you are annoying," Viktor says, and Jayce snorts a laugh.
"Guilty. Still true, though. It's nice that you came to see you outside the lab."
Viktor has no idea how to respond to that, so he takes a sip of the cooling sweet milk. It's good.
They sit in companionable silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company.
Outside darkness has truly fallen, cones of lights from the street lamps lining the street. It's getting late, and it's a bit of a walk back to the dorms.
"I should get going," he says finally, reluctantly gathering himself, pushing off the table to stand. Jayce stands with him, following behind as Viktor makes his way towards the door.
Before he can reach for his shoes, however, Jayce catches his hand, half turning Viktor around to meet his eyes. It's hard to read his expression, but having Jayce's full attention makes his stomach swoop. Does every time.
"What?" Viktor asks again, this constant asking game of theirs.
Jayce lifts Viktor's hand, warm fingers cradling Viktor's cold, stiff ones.
"Don't go," he murmurs, lifting their hands further, until Viktor's mouth falls open, because it looks like-
Jayce lifts Viktor's hand all the way up to his face, and presses a lingering kiss to his fingers.
His grip is feather light, allowing Viktor to pull back any time, but all Viktor can do is stand there, staring in awe. The short beard strands tickle against a knuckle, his lips slightly wet. Their eyes meet again, and the bastard is smiling at him, he can feel it.
"V. Stay. Please. Just a bit longer." Viktor is helpless. "I'll call for a carriage later. Just- stay."
"...Alright," Viktor hears himself say faintly, and Jayce beams at him and slowly lets go of his hand, skin sliding against skin.
Then Jayce turns and walks into his small living room, towards the big white couch covered in papers and diagrams and the jacket Viktor had seen him wear earlier in the day.
Viktor looks down at his hand, flexing his fingers, feeling the ghost sensation of lips against them, and sucks in a breath.
This might be nothing. This might be everything. Jayce is calling out to him from the other room, excited to show him his latest string of rune calculations, as if both of them don't have them already scrawled all over the black board in the lab.
Viktor follows where he leads.
Later, Viktor falls asleep on Jayce's couch, covered by a warm blanket, a paper sticking to his skin where it's pressed into the couch.
There is no carriage called, but when Viktor finally leaves the next morning, Jayce does it again. Grabbing and kissing his hand, breath tickling his skin.
Jayce will do this for the next few days, his taciturn nature cranked up to max.
Until something snaps, and Viktor grabs his tie, pulling him forward into an awkward kiss. Teeth clacking, noses colliding, but he isn't pushed away. The kiss rights itself, Jayce sighing into it with a relief he didn't know they both needed.
Viktor is better at leaving the lab in time now. He's still working on going to bed in the dorms, though.