[ —it hits him. a few seconds into tension he feels beneath his fingers and the broken focus after lining a buckle with a hole that he has just . . . so easily touched viktor. the charge in his palms tickles him, engulfs and invites him through an electrifying pulse that he could only feel.
gently, he realizes— especially post apology, that he has not directly asked. has he? the brace was one thing, perhaps touching him was another. he had not thought it would matter until after the fact.
after he felt it, too. he must finish, but now his hands hover. ]
Oh, I'm— No, I'm sorry, I— [ he swallows, he bows his head. he returns his gaze both embarrassed and worried. ] Can I . . . Continue?
[ there it is. maybe he should've been a little more direct about being too . . . intimate, but better this tardy than never at all. ]
Nonsense, you have nothing to be sorry for. [ Viktor waves his hand back and worth, clearing the air and dismissing any apologies or bad feelings on Jayce's part. ] Please, continue.
[ Cursing himself for making things awkward, Viktor busies himself with tapping his fingers against the bench beside him where he's leaning a hand to support himself. ] I just... [ Should he even go so far as to mention it? It's embarrassing to be so sensitive, but the reason behind it is just as awkward. He could lie and say that it was something about the state of his leg, either the nerves themselves or his nervousness around being touched. But he wants Jayce to know the real him, so he feels compelled to tell the truth. ] You haven't exactly seen any suitors banging on our door, have you?
jayce lowers his hands down, palms first, reposing against the sides of viktor's shins; the inside of a hand curves to the underside of his calf, pushing up just enough to prompt gravity to adjust the first strap and buckle. he tests the snugness of the interior cushions with a tame slide of his pinky finger. he didn't want enough space for it to slot in, but he also didn't want to leave any bigger gaps that could cause knocking. it had to be just right.
after an approving hum, jayce continues to the forth buckle, at the shin, then the first buckle, high around the thighs. his touch is meek all the while, but how his hands, hot like a furnace, clean from his shower but bulky and hardworking, travel up and down are deliberate, confidential; he feels his heart begin to flip, and race, to which he tries very hard to quell it to moderate silence.
the only result of that is greater heat around his face. the charge continues to be discernable. jayce distracts himself with the conversation, but feels a leap in his chest instead. ]
I, uh . . . [ he's so painfully focused on his tasks that if someone interested in viktor rolled up to get to know him and the property, he wouldn't have noticed. but then again he thinks he'd notice, accutely, if viktor was with someone. the thought pricks his upper lip. he tries to ignore the fire it flames. ] No, I don't think, [ he starts opening his tool box for a screwdriver. ] It's— not my business.
[ was viktor betrothed? he never mentioned it, but— what if it was something arranged? such marriages between the upper class happening more often than not, jayce . . . didn't like the thought. it made him feel possessive, angry and aching, and that led to embarrassment.
he'd understand if it were a secret he's only touching upon now, but hoped to god it wasn't that. ]
[ If Viktor didn't know any better, he would start to think it was deliberate. Jayce moves his hands like a confident creator, finding the angles of Viktor's legs like he'd put them there. It made him wonder how long Jayce had been paying such close attention from afar, mapping the lines and geometry, and that made him wonder further if it might have started before this project even began.
Wishful thinking.
Still, even if he's given consent to be touched and made his peace with it, that doesn't mean it's any easier to stop his body from reacting. He's touch-starved, through and through, so even the small brushes of a finger or the light press of a knuckle makes him react. Each tense of muscle is followed by a conscious effort to relax again, each intake of breath stifled by a bitten lip. When Jayce traces a finger along the inside of Viktor's leg, by god, it's a herculean task not to shiver. ]
W-well— [ He stops himself short. They're partners, and Viktor has come to think of Jayce as a friend, but that doesn't mean he's interested in his romantic life—or lack thereof. ] Ah, forgive me. It's an inappropriate topic.
[ jayce hasn't noticed that in his work, in his bottled attempts to defuse his heart and convince himself to proceed without any perverse ideas about his hands and viktor's thin legs (because that would be a horrible way to taint their friendship, and take advantage of a man he'd never think to violate), jayce's bottom lip has jutted a bit too far. he is pouting at his own assumptions, grown man that he was, prudently slotting the head of his tool into one of the main bolts and bending the metal to a tight fit.
how could marriage be innapropriate? it should be as average a topic as any.
he feels his throat dry, and it shouldn't be. he feels his cheeks sizzle at the tiny muscle strains under the fabric of viktor's pants. even the hike of it to expose socked ankles has jayce blinking away. ]
Would it, [ his voice is quiet, concerned: ] affect our partnership?
[ viktor had been joking earlier, but now jayce too, feels the sultry burn of jealousy of anything, anyone, that would spirit this man away from him. karma couldn't be so disregulated that he's being punished for blowing viktor off for a month, could it? ]
Certainly not. [ He doesn't even have time to think before he's blurting out the words, forceful and honest. Regardless of the topic, there is nothing on Viktor's side of things that would affect their partnership. There's no reason for Jayce to worry that he'll be left high and dry in his endeavors for he'll always have Viktor's backing, even if he does admit that the friendship was one-sided. His talent is too good, too important, to go to waste. ] I can be professional, believe it or not. And I remember telling you that you wouldn't be rid of me so easily.
[ a beat in both thought and work; jayce's features, as much as his broad shoulders, seem to relax from (perhaps not so hidden) tension. a small curve finally straightens out the frown.
then maybe it's not what he thinks it is, to his immense relief, and that makes him feel a little silly. unless it was all wishful thinking? ]
I could rest easy, then. [ another bolt, a cog that needed a wrench; he positions his knees together and erects his back so that leaning over for a short period wouldn't kill his posture. he cups viktor's thigh on one side with a sideways containment of palm and fingers, screws the iron on the other with soft clicks from a gently pumping wrench. ] What is it?
[ Viktor takes the change in Jayce's expression as him working out part of the fit of the brace, nothing more. There's nothing to read into right now, except for his own body language, and he's trying to hide that as much as possible.
Okay, maybe he could read into those words a little. At least it's good to know that Jayce is just as opposed to ending their partnership as Viktor is, even if for other reasons. He hums a bit, the sound pitching a bit higher as Jayce's hand cups the outside of his thigh and the other lifts a wrench to the inseam. He can feel the heat and weight of fingers wrapping around the back of his leg, and it's both embarrassing and thrilling to think of how much of Jayce's hand could fit around Viktor's leg.
Conversation. Right. Viktor swallows thickly and stops staring at Jayce's hands to focus on his face. ]
[ there's one last where jayce finalizes a turn and splays his fingers for a wider grip. indeed, his hand could easily slit right around the flesh with remarkable ease. now, the knee. alotting into the diamond shaped depression, jayce switches wrench for driver, all sides having screws to fix in place. gently, he extends viktor's leg, then bends it; not unlike he would stretch a colt to test and remind himself until what point he should stiffen the frame. viktor needed support, but he also needed a balance between that and efficient mobility. ]
The innapropriate thing you were going to tell me.
[ jayce bites his lips; a reflex of his concentration, for nowm ]
If it won't affect what we have, then it's alright.
[ he wants to be able to think that very much, at least. seeing him wed to someone else ("someone else" is laughable, in that it implies he'd ever be able to be that someone else) would hurt, but perhaps that distance was the best before these impossible fantasies overtook him.
[ It's possible that Jayce is trying to use the conversation to distract Viktor from his discomfort, but inadvertently he's brought his attention right back to it. Inappropriate things. Does Jayce not realize what he's asking.
Huffing a little laugh, breathless from the constant movement of Jayce's surprisingly nimble fingers, Viktor runs a hand through his hair to push it from his face. Instead of returning it to the seat of the bench, he stretches it to the side and drapes it across the back. It helps keep him anchored as his leg is lifted and bent, pliable beneath attentive hands.
What we have. What did they have? Viktor has to wonder. Maybe that's what pushes him to be blunt, an experiment of his own to see how Jayce may react. If he doesn't take kindly to it, then best to build that boundary up between them now rather than later. ]
I was implying that I am sensitive to being touched because I haven't been fucked in quite some time.
[ jayce's screwdriver clatters to the floor unceremoniously, slipping through his suddenly clumsy hold, and he shoots out to steady it and the noise it causes. perhaps this only startles him because he wasn't expecting it, like, at all, his slightly widened eyes don't deny that, for as split second as they are! one of the horses even seem to be snickering at him from afar, which seals the darkening of his jowls what feels to him like permanently. his reaction is terrible, embarrassing really—
but he gets past his barricade of o-oh, oh— and laughs it off, both relieved for some reason that it wasn't a thing like what he'd been thinking as well as flustered, beyond his own good.
there's nothing wrong, with talking about that. right? even though jayce's sexual activity has been abismally absent because of his own doing. he's only ever slept with one woman, and that was quite some time ago. he was young and a little stupid. ]
Well, ah, [ screwdriver firm. in his hands. not going to fall again. he proofs the screw he'd earlier squeezed, but it occurs to him that he's trying the wrong one. going left to the correct hole, and smiling, dumbly, caging viktor's knee from the right: ] that makes two of us, hah.
[ he's not uncomfortable; only a bit caught off guard. it's for one, better than hearing he was going to be wed.
[ Flustering Jayce had been part of the goal, but Viktor can't help the smug smile that tugs at the corners of his lips when he sees how successful he'd been. For all the gruff manliness and rugged good looks, Jayce was still capable of stumbling at the mention of sexual relations. Was it because his employer (technically, they haven't really acted as such in a while) was the one to broach the subject? Was it due to the crass language he'd used? Could he dare to hope for some deeper, other reason?
The stuttering and laughter tell Viktor that he hadn't ruined the mood by being too inappropriate, as he'd feared. Perhaps they can talk about these things, man to man, if not for any other purpose. He even bites back some of his own laughter when Jayce seems to lose his place in the task at hand—the brace doesn't break, at least, so there's no fear of a grave mistake. ]
You're joking. [ His expression is right back to serious, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. He thinks it's pretty obvious why no one has bedded him in years—the same cannot be said for Jayce Talis. ]
[ jayce's shoulders quake silently, and another breath of a would-be laugh whistles between the gap in his teeth. when he has regained his composure enough to lift his gaze back to viktor he is even smiling with his eyes, the flash of white from his mouth a split second beam as he cants his head and lifts his brows for emphasis.
the knee is finished. the final casing is on the shin and ankle. jayce does this next part quite similarly as he does fixing shoes; it's easier for him. lifting viktor's leg and placing his own thighs together, jayce unrolls his trusty leather apron from his box and unfurls it in his lap. viktor's heel is lowered into the gap caused by his legs squeezed, securing his foot and switching hands. his right encircles viktor's calf, his first two fingers left open to support as the other two curl around a flacid ball of muscle; his left turns the cog, and the metal squeaks with pressure. ]
I open my mouth and everyone runs.
[ he says that in a lighthearted way, because it doesn't bother him now. most people he's met don't want to hear him yap about the biomechanics of a horse's foot over their looks, or listen to him dump information about why he thinks a horse would need uneven shoes to recover from lameness. or even how a brace with the right proportions could save a horse that would have to be euthanized on sight.
no one ever rivaled his mental stimulation and his needs for that over warming a bed. after the accident, jayce learned even more to never prioritize fleeting pleasure over lasting connection. ]
[ The whistle of laughter, the flash of smile—Viktor can't imagine why Jayce would be alone other than as a personal choice. He's noticed how the female staff look at him longingly and talk about his strength when helping out with this or that. Viktor is colorblind and still knows that Jayce is what they mean when they say "tall, dark, and handsome."
And brilliant. Jayce is as skilled at theoretical discussions as he was with practical applications, and the beautiful brace he's fitting to Viktor's leg is proof of that. Viktor's can't help but feel grateful that he has something to focus on other than how the atrophied muscles must feel compared to Jayce's own strong hands.
Viktor clicks his tongue at the idea that anyone would run away from Jayce's brilliant mind and how he articulates it. Did he fumble with excitement sometimes? Yes, but that was all the more endearing along with the sparkle of passion in his eyes and hopeful smile on his lips. Viktor is about to say something as much—minus a lot of the romantic imagery—when Jayce beats him to it. ]
Your mind is your most beautiful asset. [ So much for toning down the romance. ] I mean, you're obviously also tragically handsome.
[ he barks it out with a sweet, genuine laugh weaved through the word, a single curious question that begs to ask why tragic? it's what he latches onto so he could function properly throughout this now playful banter, because being complimented on his mind made his ears tingle.
that, and one more inclined to think so would say they were beginning to flirt.
the screw is in its place. one more, the ankle, is left to go. and jayce begins with a beckoning glance upward, as if to test him with an answer, a wrinkle of the bridge of his nose that accompanies his grinning, and then the downcast concentration to get the final screw in. ]
[ It had been an instinct to include, and now that he's thinking about it, he can't just give an accurate reason that would be too close to the truth. Too handsome to be mine, which is tragic for Viktor but not necessarily Jayce.
But those eyes look up at him from beneath thick eyelashes, and that's enough to have Viktor blushing and searching for something to reply with so that his mind can't dwell too long on this image. ]
Tragic for anyone who wishes you'd look their way while you're busy toiling in stables and forges.
[ jayce has realized that he's watching viktor's face more than he is his work, caught in the little details of his mouth and moles, sharp cheek bones and skin that looked a little warmer. he could never really tell if it was just the lighting or . . .
from one side of viktor's foot, he turns his attention to the other facet, cradling the space between viktor's ankle and shin from behind it to relieve any stress. he still keeps it wedged between his own legs, only craning his neck from side to side to angle his view and fix accordingly. ]
Good thing the smell wards most of them off.
[ a snippit of his thoughts in that, he's not interested in most people. but not you, he thinks again. then he feels a tug in his chest, a need to share, which happens a lot in regards to his feelings. he likes to put them out there, if he's comfortable enough. ]
I . . . Thought you were going to say you were engaged, or something.
[ he was certainly gorgeous enough to, if it were by choice. ]
[ Viktor laughs at that, tilting his head from side to side like he's weighing the validity of that statement. He knows that it's probably off-putting to most, but the smell of hay reminds him of home, and the smell of metalwork reminds him of the future. Jayce was unique in that way, feeling comfortable and familiar while also full of dangerous potential—his company was as thrilling as it was soothing.
Choking on a laugh, Viktor looks down with wide eyes. ] Me? Engaged? Ah, yes, because I'm such a catch. Who wouldn't want to be betrothed to a crippled scholar who spends more time with horses than with people?
[ ah— is that what he thinks? jayce thinks to say exactly on his mind, when. oh, no . . .
the opportunity to also be funny presents itself. jayce takes it, dropping his hands a little dramatically and quirking a brow with an exaggerated, faux stretch. ]
Are you calling me a horse?
[ he tries to keep that strike of serious up for a few more seconds—
before a snort reverbs behind his teeth and into a deep chuckle. he laughs at his own jokes, still. he is a funny man behind the curtains.
[ Of all the responses he could have expected, this is low on the list. Letting out a surprised bark of laughter, he covers his mouth a second later to hide a grin. Everything is telling him to be careful, don't ruin this, but something even deeper is urging him to trust that it'll all be okay. ]
jayce sputters internally; outwardly, he laughs with a surprised bay, dark skin dawning an even darker wash, charmingly flustered by this now recent turn. part of him wonders how much of a joke it was or if he should take any of the innuendo to heart— but even if he did . . . well, maybe he shouldn't.
still, this talk. this silly, innapropriate banter between two friends, rather than employer and worker. it's quite alright, he thinks. he likes the way viktor is looking at him, likes the way he moves his hands to hide a grin that he'd consider too wide. he liked the appearance of it anyway. the gap in his own pokes out in a smile that is ever tickled. it— makes him feel pleasantly tepid, and flips his stomach left and right.
part of jayce, the worried, cautionary man that has taken too many dangerous falls, warns him. the rest of him ignores it, in favor of the pursuit of something he has never felt, if only for now. it feels right. it feels primal and correct for them. it is natural to want more of something that made his heart feel a touch more complete. it was like looking through a window and seeing . . . something, on the other side. something grand. wanting to touch and grasp and scent but, having the glass wall in the way, and finding it difficult to step outside. ]
I'm a bit of a bronco, [ lies for the most part; he's a gentle, sweet thing. he bucks if he's in the wrong company. or maybe if he's too excited. ] if you can handle that.
[ the charge grows. it is electrifying and addicting.
he finishes with the final screw, and gives the metal frame a suave tap. tink! ]
[ The time before Jayce's reaction makes Viktor feel like he's standing on the edge of the cliff, waiting to see if the wind is strong enough to push him over; he doesn't know if the plunge is worth the seconds of flight. Then he laughs and flushes a darker shade of grey, and Viktor feels a pang of longing to be able to see the color of his hair, his eyes, his lips.
It's still impossible to tell just how Jayce has interpreted Viktor's words, but at least he hasn't taken them poorly enough to be offended. He'd like to think that he's not just being tolerated as employer-by-proxy—it wouldn't be the first time someone smiled at Viktor's oddness and then spoke daggers at his back. Jayce isn't like that, though, he somehow feels confident enough to say after just a few short months of near-constant companionship.
Companionship that he would fight the cosmos to keep.
The thought startles him, putting him off balance for the final blow that is Jayce's reply. The laughter hits him hard, mirth wrinkling the corners of his eyes and the bridge of his nose. ] Don't worry, I can tame you.
[ The clink of metal draws his attention (painfully) away from Jayce and back to the whole reason they're here in this hot stable to begin with. The brace wraps around his leg like a second skin, sleek and shining like a lavish piece of jewelry. ] Shall we take her for a walk?
[ jayce's stress lines have creased so much from just tonight alone (and from smiling, mind you) he may feel that he has gained a few more years of age on his face. even his cheeks sting, but in a pleasant way. especially at the wild, imaginative thought of him being "tamed". he really has to . . . stop, but it is so hard to. it's so much stronger than him.
and that is why, this feel-good high this leaves him in does not spare much room for concern and ramifications. he feels like . . . such a boy. blinded.
jayce gently lifts viktor's foot with both hands, now placing his heel on the ground fully before putting his apron away. before the screwdriver is gone, jayce does a little trick— runs it over his fingers and flips it in the air for his hand to catch, only a show of artistry (and an attempt to impress viktor). he points it to viktor and adds: ]
I'd be honored.
[ a sight that not a single female staff member would ever live to see....... also, honored about what??? he leaves that suspiciously open to interpretation! in the box his tool goes! which is then slid under the bench, and he uses the wooden frames to steady his lift onto both legs. strong one first, braced one after. ]
[ First mesmerized by the gentle way Jayce lowers Viktor's leg to the ground, Viktor is drawn in by the trick of nimble fingers. He's definitely impressed, though thanks to the sexual charge between them at the moment, probably for reasons that Jayce hadn't intended. Or maybe he had.
Humming as Jayce unfolds himself from the ground, Viktor shifts his weight beneath him to begin rising, too. As tempting as it would be to ask for a hand just to touch Jayce, he's more interested in putting the brace to work and seeing just how much of an improvement it can offer him.
The hinge bends properly, loose enough that Viktor can get his leg beneath him while being firm enough to hold him once he's standing straight. He leaves his cane leaning against the side of the bench for now, taking a few steps and trying not to be ginger about it. The difference is immediately apparent, and he looks down at the brace to watch it move for a few more steps before looking up at Jayce with wonder. ]
[ side by side, with their braces mirroring each other, jayce accompanies him with hovering proximity. his braced leg always gives the most subtle of tremors when he puts weight on it, squeezing his fingers into fists whenever the pain decides to strain his nerves more than the usual step, but he can keep it up. he takes viktor's cane, but only to hook it onto the curve of his arms as they walk, slowly, together. in case he wanted to walk further and, or, needed it somewhere down the line.
and that's where jayce's eyes seem to gleam. ]
It's an aluminum and steel blend. Lightweight and durable— best of both worlds. [ jayce's dream was to use titanium— but it's way too expensive, even if he were to make it as a mesh of alloys rather than its pure form. it's also worth nothing that jayce has his arm bent, forming a triangle space between it and his hips. ] If you need a grip, I'm right here.
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gently, he realizes— especially post apology, that he has not directly asked. has he? the brace was one thing, perhaps touching him was another. he had not thought it would matter until after the fact.
after he felt it, too. he must finish, but now his hands hover. ]
Oh, I'm— No, I'm sorry, I— [ he swallows, he bows his head. he returns his gaze both embarrassed and worried. ] Can I . . . Continue?
[ there it is. maybe he should've been a little more direct about being too . . . intimate, but better this tardy than never at all. ]
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[ Cursing himself for making things awkward, Viktor busies himself with tapping his fingers against the bench beside him where he's leaning a hand to support himself. ] I just... [ Should he even go so far as to mention it? It's embarrassing to be so sensitive, but the reason behind it is just as awkward. He could lie and say that it was something about the state of his leg, either the nerves themselves or his nervousness around being touched. But he wants Jayce to know the real him, so he feels compelled to tell the truth. ] You haven't exactly seen any suitors banging on our door, have you?
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jayce lowers his hands down, palms first, reposing against the sides of viktor's shins; the inside of a hand curves to the underside of his calf, pushing up just enough to prompt gravity to adjust the first strap and buckle. he tests the snugness of the interior cushions with a tame slide of his pinky finger. he didn't want enough space for it to slot in, but he also didn't want to leave any bigger gaps that could cause knocking. it had to be just right.
after an approving hum, jayce continues to the forth buckle, at the shin, then the first buckle, high around the thighs. his touch is meek all the while, but how his hands, hot like a furnace, clean from his shower but bulky and hardworking, travel up and down are deliberate, confidential; he feels his heart begin to flip, and race, to which he tries very hard to quell it to moderate silence.
the only result of that is greater heat around his face. the charge continues to be discernable. jayce distracts himself with the conversation, but feels a leap in his chest instead. ]
I, uh . . . [ he's so painfully focused on his tasks that if someone interested in viktor rolled up to get to know him and the property, he wouldn't have noticed. but then again he thinks he'd notice, accutely, if viktor was with someone. the thought pricks his upper lip. he tries to ignore the fire it flames. ] No, I don't think, [ he starts opening his tool box for a screwdriver. ] It's— not my business.
[ was viktor betrothed? he never mentioned it, but— what if it was something arranged? such marriages between the upper class happening more often than not, jayce . . . didn't like the thought. it made him feel possessive, angry and aching, and that led to embarrassment.
he'd understand if it were a secret he's only touching upon now, but hoped to god it wasn't that. ]
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Wishful thinking.
Still, even if he's given consent to be touched and made his peace with it, that doesn't mean it's any easier to stop his body from reacting. He's touch-starved, through and through, so even the small brushes of a finger or the light press of a knuckle makes him react. Each tense of muscle is followed by a conscious effort to relax again, each intake of breath stifled by a bitten lip. When Jayce traces a finger along the inside of Viktor's leg, by god, it's a herculean task not to shiver. ]
W-well— [ He stops himself short. They're partners, and Viktor has come to think of Jayce as a friend, but that doesn't mean he's interested in his romantic life—or lack thereof. ] Ah, forgive me. It's an inappropriate topic.
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how could marriage be innapropriate? it should be as average a topic as any.
he feels his throat dry, and it shouldn't be. he feels his cheeks sizzle at the tiny muscle strains under the fabric of viktor's pants. even the hike of it to expose socked ankles has jayce blinking away. ]
Would it, [ his voice is quiet, concerned: ] affect our partnership?
[ viktor had been joking earlier, but now jayce too, feels the sultry burn of jealousy of anything, anyone, that would spirit this man away from him. karma couldn't be so disregulated that he's being punished for blowing viktor off for a month, could it? ]
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then maybe it's not what he thinks it is, to his immense relief, and that makes him feel a little silly. unless it was all wishful thinking? ]
I could rest easy, then. [ another bolt, a cog that needed a wrench; he positions his knees together and erects his back so that leaning over for a short period wouldn't kill his posture. he cups viktor's thigh on one side with a sideways containment of palm and fingers, screws the iron on the other with soft clicks from a gently pumping wrench. ] What is it?
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Okay, maybe he could read into those words a little. At least it's good to know that Jayce is just as opposed to ending their partnership as Viktor is, even if for other reasons. He hums a bit, the sound pitching a bit higher as Jayce's hand cups the outside of his thigh and the other lifts a wrench to the inseam. He can feel the heat and weight of fingers wrapping around the back of his leg, and it's both embarrassing and thrilling to think of how much of Jayce's hand could fit around Viktor's leg.
Conversation. Right. Viktor swallows thickly and stops staring at Jayce's hands to focus on his face. ]
Hm? What is what?
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The innapropriate thing you were going to tell me.
[ jayce bites his lips; a reflex of his concentration, for nowm ]
If it won't affect what we have, then it's alright.
[ he wants to be able to think that very much, at least. seeing him wed to someone else ("someone else" is laughable, in that it implies he'd ever be able to be that someone else) would hurt, but perhaps that distance was the best before these impossible fantasies overtook him.
(jayce hasn't realized it already has) ]
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Huffing a little laugh, breathless from the constant movement of Jayce's surprisingly nimble fingers, Viktor runs a hand through his hair to push it from his face. Instead of returning it to the seat of the bench, he stretches it to the side and drapes it across the back. It helps keep him anchored as his leg is lifted and bent, pliable beneath attentive hands.
What we have. What did they have? Viktor has to wonder. Maybe that's what pushes him to be blunt, an experiment of his own to see how Jayce may react. If he doesn't take kindly to it, then best to build that boundary up between them now rather than later. ]
I was implying that I am sensitive to being touched because I haven't been fucked in quite some time.
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but he gets past his barricade of o-oh, oh— and laughs it off, both relieved for some reason that it wasn't a thing like what he'd been thinking as well as flustered, beyond his own good.
there's nothing wrong, with talking about that. right? even though jayce's sexual activity has been abismally absent because of his own doing. he's only ever slept with one woman, and that was quite some time ago. he was young and a little stupid. ]
Well, ah, [ screwdriver firm. in his hands. not going to fall again. he proofs the screw he'd earlier squeezed, but it occurs to him that he's trying the wrong one. going left to the correct hole, and smiling, dumbly, caging viktor's knee from the right: ] that makes two of us, hah.
[ he's not uncomfortable; only a bit caught off guard. it's for one, better than hearing he was going to be wed.
oh, what is wrong with him— ]
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The stuttering and laughter tell Viktor that he hadn't ruined the mood by being too inappropriate, as he'd feared. Perhaps they can talk about these things, man to man, if not for any other purpose. He even bites back some of his own laughter when Jayce seems to lose his place in the task at hand—the brace doesn't break, at least, so there's no fear of a grave mistake. ]
You're joking. [ His expression is right back to serious, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. He thinks it's pretty obvious why no one has bedded him in years—the same cannot be said for Jayce Talis. ]
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the knee is finished. the final casing is on the shin and ankle. jayce does this next part quite similarly as he does fixing shoes; it's easier for him. lifting viktor's leg and placing his own thighs together, jayce unrolls his trusty leather apron from his box and unfurls it in his lap. viktor's heel is lowered into the gap caused by his legs squeezed, securing his foot and switching hands. his right encircles viktor's calf, his first two fingers left open to support as the other two curl around a flacid ball of muscle; his left turns the cog, and the metal squeaks with pressure. ]
I open my mouth and everyone runs.
[ he says that in a lighthearted way, because it doesn't bother him now. most people he's met don't want to hear him yap about the biomechanics of a horse's foot over their looks, or listen to him dump information about why he thinks a horse would need uneven shoes to recover from lameness. or even how a brace with the right proportions could save a horse that would have to be euthanized on sight.
no one ever rivaled his mental stimulation and his needs for that over warming a bed. after the accident, jayce learned even more to never prioritize fleeting pleasure over lasting connection. ]
Except you.
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And brilliant. Jayce is as skilled at theoretical discussions as he was with practical applications, and the beautiful brace he's fitting to Viktor's leg is proof of that. Viktor's can't help but feel grateful that he has something to focus on other than how the atrophied muscles must feel compared to Jayce's own strong hands.
Viktor clicks his tongue at the idea that anyone would run away from Jayce's brilliant mind and how he articulates it. Did he fumble with excitement sometimes? Yes, but that was all the more endearing along with the sparkle of passion in his eyes and hopeful smile on his lips. Viktor is about to say something as much—minus a lot of the romantic imagery—when Jayce beats him to it. ]
Your mind is your most beautiful asset. [ So much for toning down the romance. ] I mean, you're obviously also tragically handsome.
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[ he barks it out with a sweet, genuine laugh weaved through the word, a single curious question that begs to ask why tragic? it's what he latches onto so he could function properly throughout this now playful banter, because being complimented on his mind made his ears tingle.
that, and one more inclined to think so would say they were beginning to flirt.
the screw is in its place. one more, the ankle, is left to go. and jayce begins with a beckoning glance upward, as if to test him with an answer, a wrinkle of the bridge of his nose that accompanies his grinning, and then the downcast concentration to get the final screw in. ]
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But those eyes look up at him from beneath thick eyelashes, and that's enough to have Viktor blushing and searching for something to reply with so that his mind can't dwell too long on this image. ]
Tragic for anyone who wishes you'd look their way while you're busy toiling in stables and forges.
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from one side of viktor's foot, he turns his attention to the other facet, cradling the space between viktor's ankle and shin from behind it to relieve any stress. he still keeps it wedged between his own legs, only craning his neck from side to side to angle his view and fix accordingly. ]
Good thing the smell wards most of them off.
[ a snippit of his thoughts in that, he's not interested in most people. but not you, he thinks again. then he feels a tug in his chest, a need to share, which happens a lot in regards to his feelings. he likes to put them out there, if he's comfortable enough. ]
I . . . Thought you were going to say you were engaged, or something.
[ he was certainly gorgeous enough to, if it were by choice. ]
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Choking on a laugh, Viktor looks down with wide eyes. ] Me? Engaged? Ah, yes, because I'm such a catch. Who wouldn't want to be betrothed to a crippled scholar who spends more time with horses than with people?
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the opportunity to also be funny presents itself. jayce takes it, dropping his hands a little dramatically and quirking a brow with an exaggerated, faux stretch. ]
Are you calling me a horse?
[ he tries to keep that strike of serious up for a few more seconds—
before a snort reverbs behind his teeth and into a deep chuckle. he laughs at his own jokes, still. he is a funny man behind the curtains.
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Are you saying I should take you for a ride?
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jayce sputters internally; outwardly, he laughs with a surprised bay, dark skin dawning an even darker wash, charmingly flustered by this now recent turn. part of him wonders how much of a joke it was or if he should take any of the innuendo to heart— but even if he did . . . well, maybe he shouldn't.
still, this talk. this silly, innapropriate banter between two friends, rather than employer and worker. it's quite alright, he thinks. he likes the way viktor is looking at him, likes the way he moves his hands to hide a grin that he'd consider too wide. he liked the appearance of it anyway. the gap in his own pokes out in a smile that is ever tickled. it— makes him feel pleasantly tepid, and flips his stomach left and right.
part of jayce, the worried, cautionary man that has taken too many dangerous falls, warns him. the rest of him ignores it, in favor of the pursuit of something he has never felt, if only for now. it feels right. it feels primal and correct for them. it is natural to want more of something that made his heart feel a touch more complete. it was like looking through a window and seeing . . . something, on the other side. something grand. wanting to touch and grasp and scent but, having the glass wall in the way, and finding it difficult to step outside. ]
I'm a bit of a bronco, [ lies for the most part; he's a gentle, sweet thing. he bucks if he's in the wrong company. or maybe if he's too excited. ] if you can handle that.
[ the charge grows. it is electrifying and addicting.
he finishes with the final screw, and gives the metal frame a suave tap. tink! ]
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It's still impossible to tell just how Jayce has interpreted Viktor's words, but at least he hasn't taken them poorly enough to be offended. He'd like to think that he's not just being tolerated as employer-by-proxy—it wouldn't be the first time someone smiled at Viktor's oddness and then spoke daggers at his back. Jayce isn't like that, though, he somehow feels confident enough to say after just a few short months of near-constant companionship.
Companionship that he would fight the cosmos to keep.
The thought startles him, putting him off balance for the final blow that is Jayce's reply. The laughter hits him hard, mirth wrinkling the corners of his eyes and the bridge of his nose. ] Don't worry, I can tame you.
[ The clink of metal draws his attention (painfully) away from Jayce and back to the whole reason they're here in this hot stable to begin with. The brace wraps around his leg like a second skin, sleek and shining like a lavish piece of jewelry. ] Shall we take her for a walk?
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and that is why, this feel-good high this leaves him in does not spare much room for concern and ramifications. he feels like . . . such a boy. blinded.
jayce gently lifts viktor's foot with both hands, now placing his heel on the ground fully before putting his apron away. before the screwdriver is gone, jayce does a little trick— runs it over his fingers and flips it in the air for his hand to catch, only a show of artistry (and an attempt to impress viktor). he points it to viktor and adds: ]
I'd be honored.
[ a sight that not a single female staff member would ever live to see....... also, honored about what??? he leaves that suspiciously open to interpretation! in the box his tool goes! which is then slid under the bench, and he uses the wooden frames to steady his lift onto both legs. strong one first, braced one after. ]
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Humming as Jayce unfolds himself from the ground, Viktor shifts his weight beneath him to begin rising, too. As tempting as it would be to ask for a hand just to touch Jayce, he's more interested in putting the brace to work and seeing just how much of an improvement it can offer him.
The hinge bends properly, loose enough that Viktor can get his leg beneath him while being firm enough to hold him once he's standing straight. He leaves his cane leaning against the side of the bench for now, taking a few steps and trying not to be ginger about it. The difference is immediately apparent, and he looks down at the brace to watch it move for a few more steps before looking up at Jayce with wonder. ]
Incredible. So strong and yet so light.
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and that's where jayce's eyes seem to gleam. ]
It's an aluminum and steel blend. Lightweight and durable— best of both worlds. [ jayce's dream was to use titanium— but it's way too expensive, even if he were to make it as a mesh of alloys rather than its pure form. it's also worth nothing that jayce has his arm bent, forming a triangle space between it and his hips. ] If you need a grip, I'm right here.
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