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Watching Jayce play was always a bit nerve-wracking.
Viktor hid a yawn behind his palm as he waited for the coffee maker to finish brewing. He usually wasn’t much of a coffee fan, but he couldn’t exactly ask anything more of the small kitchenette in the, admittedly, very comfortable and spacious hotel room. The weather outside was a bit cloudy, and it felt a little cooler despite it being almost the start of summer, so he wrapped himself tighter in his robe and lamented his decision to have left the bed barefoot.
Truth be told, the nervousness and excitement had been there ever since the first of Jayce’s games he had watched—back when they were still college students and Viktor had been an exchange student that had only planned to be here for one semester. At that first game, Viktor had been clutching the sides of his seat as he watched Jayce run from one end of the field to the other with the speed and agility of a bird in flight, and he hadn’t been able to stop himself from jumping up and celebrating with the rest of the crowd when the victory had finally been theirs. He had felt relieved and proud in a way that rivaled the very same feeling that had washed over him when Jayce had gone blow-for-blow with him during their debates in the lab.
But what he would never forget about that moment —etched forever in his memory— was the beautiful, joyful smile that had lit up Jayce’s face when he saw him in the stands. There had been something vulnerable and tender in his expression, as if he were genuinely surprised that Viktor was there, that he had accepted his invitation to come and watch the game. As if Viktor hadn’t, even then, known that he would follow him anywhere he went.
Now, nearly six years and a marriage later, Viktor was still convinced that accepting that invitation to watch a football game was the best decision he had ever made.
“There you are,” Jayce’s voice brought him out of his thoughts just as he felt strong arms wrap around his waist from behind.
Viktor easily set his cane against the counter and leaned fully into the touch, letting Jayce support him. Jayce buried his face against Viktor’s neck and shoulder, nuzzling him a little.
“How are you feeling?” Viktor asked.
“Fine,” he said. Faced with Viktor’s unimpressed silence, he let out a small chuckle and continued. “A bit nervous, maybe. But I know the other guys and I are ready.”
“Well, you did go through rigorous training,” Viktor conceded, a note of humor in his voice, his hands resting on Jayce’s forearms and squeezing slightly before sliding up the rest of his arms until his hands rested atop Jayce’s.
“Do you doubt my professionalism, V?” Jayce asked as he brushed a kiss against Viktor’s neck, near his ear, making him let out a little sigh.
“Never,” Viktor replied, more earnestly than he might have intended, and he felt Jayce hug him just a touch tighter.
They could joke around all they wanted, but Viktor would never doubt how much this meant to Jayce.
Jayce put his whole heart into everything he was passionate about —whether it was the theories and prototypes they had worked on in college or his career as an athlete— and he had done the same with their friendship and now their relationship. Jayce didn’t know how to love something or someone half-heartedly. He gave his all every time, and Viktor adored him for it, even though he worried about him just as much because of it.
“I’ve got to go soon,” Jayce said after a few moments of simply enjoying each other’s company. “We’re supposed to shoot a few interviews before we make our way to the stadium.”
“Do you have time for some breakfast?” Viktor asked, a little concerned even though he knew that before a game as important as this one, the whole team was well taken care of and in top physical condition. “We could order some room service—”
“It depends,” Jayce interrupted, one of his hands gently caressing Viktor’s abdomen before slipping inside his robe and under his T-shirt to touch his warm skin. “What exactly are you offering, baby?”
“Not that,” Viktor said dryly, despite the way he melted at the touch.
Before Jayce could say anything else, they were interrupted by the loud, obnoxious ring of the room’s landline.
“Duty calls,” Jayce said, turning Viktor around in his arms so they were face to face and he could kiss his forehead. “I should probably hurry.”
Viktor chased after him, demanding a kiss that Jayce gladly gave him.
“Good luck today,” Viktor murmured, gently brushing his nose against Jayce’s. “I’ll be there.”
“I’ll look for you,” Jayce promised.
“You should keep your eyes on the ball,” Viktor joked.
“I can multitask,” Jayce said before stealing another kiss.
In the background, the phone had stopped ringing only to start up again immediately.
“Go answer that,” Viktor told him.
“Yeah, yeah,” Jayce relented, his arms sliding slowly and affectionately down Viktor’s body until he let him go.
Viktor had barely finished adding cream and four packets of sugar to his cup of coffee when Jayce was rushing toward the door, accepting a long, final hug before leaving.
“Text me if you can,” Viktor asked, because as much as he wanted to know Jayce was okay, he knew how demanding these events could be.
“I will,” Jayce nodded, and then, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
With that, Jayce left.
And Viktor went back to his cup of coffee.
.
.
.
No matter how many years they had been doing this, Viktor could never quite get used to the huge crowds that filled the stadium every time the national football team played. Even from his privileged entrance area as a player’s family member, it was impossible not to see the seas of people cramming into the public entrances. Fans of both the local and the opposing teams were already shouting and celebrating, even though the game wouldn’t officially start for another couple of hours.
Viktor, as was customary during these events, was escorted to a lounge with the rest of the team’s family members and other high-profile guests attending the game. He almost always kept to himself during this things, either talking with Ximena if she happened to come as well, or passing the time by looking at his phone or reading something.
It was during this time, as he sat on one of the couches and stretched out his leg, that the text message arrived.
we’re almost done! 🙌
i think just a couple more minutes and we’ll be ready to head to the stadium.
god i can’t wait to see you ❤️
Viktor smiled affectionately at his phone screen and felt the heat rise to his cheeks.
Be careful.
I can’t wait to see you, too.
how’s everything over there?
Crazy, as always. There are a ton of people, even more than usual. No pressure, of course.
jeez thanks, v.
did you eat? 👀
I did.
I had those fancy little sandwiches they always serve here and a couple of pastries.
good 👍
hey they’re calling us back already.
i’ll see you in a tick, baby. i love you.
I love you, too. Good luck.
i don’t need luck when i have you 🥰
❤️
A little while later, someone finally came to tell them it was time to take their seats.
Navigating the narrow rows of seats was never easy with his cane, but Viktor managed, and it helped quite a bit that not many people were in this section of the stadium, so he didn’t have to worry about tripping over someone’s leg. He finally reached his seat, looking up to see that most of the fans had also begun to take theirs, with music booming and people enjoying themselves. It was a bit too much for him at times, but over the years he had learned to withstand the amount of noise reasonably well.
A couple of sips of soda later —his go-to drink since he didn’t like the bitter taste of beer— the stadium speakers announced that the team had arrived at the stadium and would begin warming up soon.
Although he knew he probably wouldn’t see it, Viktor sent Jayce another good-luck message.
Then, the players finally stepped onto the field.
Viktor knew better than to try to get Jayce’s attention, so he resisted the urge to stand up and lean against the railing to wave at him. Luckily, Jayce looked up at almost that exact moment, scanning the stands carefully until his eyes landed on Viktor.
His breath caught in his throat, completely enchanted, as he watched Jayce raise an arm in the air to wave at him. Smiling back, glad to finally see him after being apart for almost an entire day, Viktor stood up and waved back.
Soon, the rest of the team demanded his attention, so Jayce blew him a quick kiss and returned to the warm-up while Viktor went back to his seat, his cheeks flushed.
He was fully aware of what was at stake in this game, and although he had complete confidence in Jayce’s abilities and the dedication he poured into his career, he couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of nervousness settle in his chest. It was something he always felt, both because he knew Jayce carried the weight of responsibility for a loss heavily on his shoulders, and because he tended to put too much pressure on himself when games took an unfavorable turn. Viktor didn’t want his husband to get injured, and although he knew Jayce would always come back to him safe and sound —albeit tired and sweaty— that didn’t stop him from feeling that lingering worry.
The warm-up ended, and the players headed off to put on their uniforms and begin the opening ceremony. On this occasion, the team was wearing the distinctive national green—the same jersey Viktor was also wearing, one of Jayce’s, at his insistence. It was a bit too big for him, but Jayce maintained that it was for good luck, and Viktor was helpless against his persuasion and always let himself be convinced.
Usually, Viktor didn’t bring anything else to cheer with at these games —he still wasn’t entirely used to the constant attention— but he graciously accepted the flag offered by the boy next to him, waving it in the air when the first kick of the match took place.
And so the match began.
It grew intense right from the start. Viktor usually tried to keep track of all the players, since they were all on the same team, but eventually he found himself following only Jayce’s movements across the field. They adopted an offensive strategy, taking control of the area close to their opponents’ goal, and trying to break through their defense. The game had barely been underway for three minutes when the first goal attempt was made and barely stopped. Viktor gasped and was as surprised as the rest of the crowd. Caught up in the energy of the stadium, he raised his flag again and loudly cheered for Jayce as well as the rest of the team.
It went on like that for a while, with their team controlling the ball most of the time and keeping it in that same area, setting up moves that narrowly missed becoming goals. The other team had started to match their pace and began to respond with the same energy. Both teams were jostling each other in an attempt to gain and keep possession of the ball. Viktor watched with his heart in his throat as Jayce battled against three other players who were trying to steal the ball, advancing across the field toward the goal and—
A precise kick sent the ball flying, causing Viktor to lean forward, his hands clenched tightly around the railing in front of him, waiting and almost praying that—
The ball went into the goal.
The entire stadium erupted in celebration. Viktor was pulled to his feet by the person next to him, an arm around his shoulders, and he barely noticed the strain in his leg as he cheered Jayce’s name at the top of his lungs. Leaning further against the railing, Viktor smiled brightly as he waved his flag so energetically that he felt his arm start to shake a little. Amid the celebration unfolding on the field, Jayce took a second to look up, and Viktor had never hated the distance between them so much, because he wanted nothing more than to throw himself into Jayce’s arms and kiss the radiant expression of joy and pride on his face.
The goal seemed to give the team a new surge of energy, and they played as if they were able to predict every move the opposing team would make. Viktor couldn’t stop smiling, bursting with pride for his husband and his skill and dedication. The entire stadium seemed to share that feeling, with songs and cheers ringing out constantly as the fans jumped and screamed. The rest of the first half flew by in the blink of an eye, and by the time the halftime whistle blew, Viktor was practically trembling with excitement and his throat was dry from all the yelling.
The lukewarm soda was hard to swallow, but Viktor took several sips anyway, settling back into his seat and giving his leg a rest. Someone offered him popcorn, but Viktor was too anxious to even think about eating. He took advantage of the brief break to reply to Ximena’s messages —which consisted mainly of stickers and emojis— celebrating her son’s goal and asking Viktor to give him a big hug from her. Viktor smiled and replied that he would.
As soon as the game resumed, Viktor was clapping and cheering along with everyone else again.
Their opponents seemed more desperate during this second half of the game, and Viktor felt a lump in his throat every time Jayce was shoved or tripped and ended up on the ground. Those endless two or three seconds it took him to get back on his feet seemed like an eternity. Especially since he knew that Jayce wasn’t usually the type to accept being substituted during games, and the coach —knowing full well that Jayce was one of the best players— usually didn’t take him off the field unless it was absolutely necessary.
Almost rearing the seventy five minutes mark, thanks to a long pass that sent the ball past the goal line, their team would get a corner kick. A line of both teams’ players crowded in front of the goal. The ball was kicked, and Viktor barely noticed what happened, focusing instead on keeping his eyes on Jayce, who passed the ball to another player. He was so focused on his husband that he didn’t realize another goal had been scored until everyone around him started cheering. Quickly catching up on what was happening, Viktor celebrated along with them.
Although many things could happen in the last ten minutes of the game, part of Viktor knew that victory was already almost assured.
The opposing team was giving it their all, focusing all their attention on their team’s goal and trying as hard as they could to score. But the clock kept ticking, and their team’s defense was practically impenetrable. Viktor took another sip of his soda, grimacing but knowing his throat would thank him for it. With the game about to end, the fans had already started celebrating, and Viktor fanned himself with his jersey while humming along as best he could to some of the songs being chanted.
And then, the final whistle blew.
The game was over.
Two to zero.
They had won.
Viktor stood up again, clapping and celebrating with everyone else, the relief and happiness so addictive that he felt his heart racing and laughter slipping from his lips.
He was just starting to calm down when he heard his name being called and turned just in time to see Jayce striding toward the stands. The security team hurried out of the way as Jayce made his way up to where Viktor was standing, and Viktor didn’t think twice—as soon as Jayce was within reach, he threw his arms around his neck. Jayce wrapped his arms around Viktor’s torso, almost lifting him off the ground, and the only reason Viktor didn’t stumble forward was because of the railing between them.
“We won,” Jayce gasped into his ear.
“We won,” Viktor echoed, hugging him tighter and feeling the heat radiating from Jayce’s body after such exertion. “Congratulations, my love.”
“See, you’re always my lucky charm,” Jayce said, pulling away just long enough to capture Viktor’s lips in a deep kiss that Viktor returned with equal intensity. He could hear cheers and wolf-whistles around them, but Viktor paid no attention to them, finally holding in his arms the man he loved with all his heart.
“I gotta get back,” Jayce said, punctuating each word with a peck that left Viktor tingling with happiness. “I love you.”
“Go,” Viktor said, laughter bubbling up again as he gave him a light pat on the chest. “We’ll celebrate later.”
“I can’t wait,” Jayce said, kissing him again.
He got a call from the field, so Jayce finally pulled away, smiling as brightly as the sun, and walked back toward them.
Truly.
Going to that first game, years ago, had been the best decision Viktor had ever made.