Work Text:
“I like guys,” Jayce said out of the blue.
“What?” Viktor looked up from his notebook, unsure of what he had heard.
The two teenagers were in Jayce’s room, studying for one of the next day’s exams, as they always did together. Sitting on the bed, surrounded by several pillows and cushions and a plush robot strategically placed for his comfort, Viktor looked towards Jayce, who was sitting in front of the desk with his face turned towards him, the light from the lamp illuminating those chubby cheeks that were gradually becoming thinner and more defined.
“I think I like guys,” Jayce repeated slowly, only slightly differently, looking back at Viktor, a curious expression on his face, almost expectant.
Viktor felt like a machine that had encountered an unsolvable problem right in front of it and was about to short-circuit. And perhaps explode. It was incredible news. Wonderful! However... He had spent the last week planning a five-step plan to declare his feelings to Jayce. He had a whole document that meticulously described every part. With several arrows and options of what to say and what to do—and where to move to if everything went wrong. Everything very methodical and scientific. When he showed it to Sky, she looked at him like he was crazy. Yes, he was! Crazy about his best friend, whom he absolutely didn’t want to lose! And the first step in his grand and incredible plan was to casually reveal that he himself was gay, something Viktor had decided to do that morning in a burst of courage, and now he couldn’t, could he? What if Jayce thought Viktor was trying to make it about him, or worse, thought he was mocking him?! Jayce might be good at feigning nonchalance, but he was essentially paranoid—Viktor had witnessed this firsthand, especially the night before the science fair they had attended together the previous year. But rationally, Viktor knew it was a different situation. Viktor and Jayce, they weren’t like that. Jayce would never think badly of him. But what. if.
Viktor needed to recalculate his route, and fast.
“Oh, do you?” Viktor asked, trying to be casual as he rebooted his system and felt his heart calm down at least a little, enough for him to think, but perhaps he had missed the mark, because Jayce soon began to babble.
“Well, I just think that I do,” he said, looking at the ceiling, at the dark sky through the open window, at Viktor’s leg brace, at anything but his best friend, while nervously fidgeting with the red and gold string bracelet, the same one Viktor wore on his own wrist. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong! HAHA! It’s just that I had a silly conversation with Caitlyn the other day, but nah, forget it, it’s nonsense—”
“Ilikeguystoo,” Viktor interrupted him in a panic, revealing it in one breath. Hurting Jayce’s feelings was the last thing he wanted to do. No, the one thing he would never, under any circumstances, want to do.
“Oh!” Jayce exclaimed intelligently. “Cool,” he nodded. “Very cool.”
“Yeah. Very cool about you too,” Viktor nodded in response.
They fell silent, staring at the abandoned notebooks with chemical formulas waiting for them, lost in thought.
“And are you interested in any guy?” Jayce broke the silence again. That was Step 3 – Option B of Viktor’s plan. What was happening?!
Viktor opened his mouth, not exactly knowing what he would say.
“It’s getting late, boys,” Ximena’s voice came from the hallway. “Viktor, darling, pack your things so I can take you home. Jayce, you’re coming with us.”
“Ok mãe!”
“Ok tia Ximena!”
Viktor hurried to put his notebooks in his backpack and retrieved his cane from where he had leaned it against the bedside table.
“This conversation isn’t over yet. We’ll pick up where we left tomorrow,” Jayce said very seriously before leaving to meet his mother, who was waiting for them. He returned a few seconds later, only his head visible and his hand gripping the door frame, and continued: “After our exam, of course,” and disappeared again. And Viktor, standing in the middle of the room and very surprised, wondered if Jayce had a plan himself. Was he trying to confess his feelings to Viktor? That thought made him blush, and Viktor hurried to follow Jayce, not wanting to keep him, or Ximena, waiting any longer.