[ 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.
Engineous. [ He reaches down to brush his fingers over the top of the brace. The band around his thigh looks like it's in different colors, and he wishes he could see what Jayce had picked out; it's embarrassing having to ask, though. ] Have you considered titanium?
[ Looking at Jayce's arm, noting both the space and the consideration for bringing Viktor's cane along, he hesitates. Viktor has never been one for physical touch, growing up unused to it both due to his family's status (fancy people don't hug) and his disability (fancy people prefer not to touch broken things.) Neither of these are issues with Jayce, however, and he's been so thoughtful that Viktor thinks it would be alright to push it a little further.
He steps sideways and slides his arm through Jayce's, hand resting on his bicep. For a few moments, they're just two people walking arm-in-arm, both braces clinking in harmony with each step. ]
One reason I love horses is because I've always wondered how it would feel to run.
[ The words tumble out before Viktor can think to stop them, but Jayce has done such a kindness, and it feels right to repay him with a secret. ]
[ read his mind on the titanium. ahhh, jayce starts, and quietly lets it slide. rather, he was trying to think of a way to phrase it without sounding like he was needy or interested in money, or wanting viktor to pay for it, or something. it was his gift, so— it had to be within his pocket.
but then, the glow of viktor's hand against his swell of muscle silences him in full. it had felt like he'd just taken a swill of whiskey and was putting a fire in his chest that spread to his belly, up his throat and prickling his face all the way to his forehead. this elation was–
incredible.
and jayce will keep a chagrined eye on viktor from his profile, smiling at the ringlets of dark locks in viktor's hair, the mole on his upper lip, the way he too curves thin, soft lips, and the way their braces march close to symphonic. his heart was beginning to race— out of excitement, and their trek is hardly a sport.
he wished he could see more of him. vividly. it is a shock that jayce's prayers are answered another way; to his surprise, a rather intimate confession that clasps his heart and makes it ripple.
he brings the arm viktor holds a little closer to his side. he's never asked in fear of being insensitive, or just not close enough to ask. ]
[ Jayce feels like a furnace beneath Viktor's hand, hot and strong and so capable of making him melt. He wonders absentmindedly if he feels his own body heat, if it bothers him when he's working at the forge, if that's why he works shirtless more often than not.
He's trying very hard to think about something other than a shirtless, sweaty Jayce. The conversation is an important one, if only because it's so private. Viktor dislikes talking about his disability as much as he dislikes talking about any other aspect of his body. As someone so focused on the mind and the pursuit of knowledge, of skill, the body was simply a tool—his own was a bit damaged. ]
Yes, I was born this way. [ He nods, then shrugs. His voice is neither sad nor deprecating, rather factual as always. ] It wasn't so bad when I was smaller, lighter, lower to the ground. Doctors have done what they can, but it's hard to work miracles on something that has always been broken.
[ jayce cants his head to listen well when he must stream his eyes toward the ground, if only for a few moments so he doesn't misstep, as well as know where they're going, even if it was an absolutely slow paced stroll. viktor's brace is functional. no signs of complaint. he also wonders if there's anything that he can improve on. he'll have to ask later.
for now, his mouth pulls agape and his thick brows push in together. despite being so grey, his eyes are beyond expressive when they search viktor's face and, without much thought, he blurts: ]
You're not broken, Viktor. [ leg, viktor himself. the next words come earnest and breathed: ] You're . . . Brilliant.
[ he's so strong. his mental fortitude on top of his intelligence, his wit, his will and stubbornness, all birthed into a package jayce admired more and more by the day. ]
[ The force of Jayce's words surprises him more than the words themselves. He knows, deep down, that a person does not need to be whole to be worth something—that isn't what kept him awake at night as a child, crying silently in bed because there was no purpose to making noise. No one was going to hear him and magically make his leg strong enough to run, to climb trees, to play sports, to swim. So he'd turned to mental pursuits, and it was perhaps a miracle that he had the talent for that instead.
Stopping them short, he turns to Jayce but keeps a hand on the crook of his arm, both for balance and because he finds the warmth so comforting. ]
Do you ever have dreams where you're still able to do all the things you did before? [ He feels guilty that he hadn't needed to ask about Jayce's leg, the injury that had robbed him of a stronger body. It's amazing he can do all he does now, his stamina far outweighing Viktor's. ] My mind cannot even conjure up the lie for me. All I have is one dream where I'm running along a dock at full speed for what feels like the first time, but this body doesn't know what ti feels like.
[ For a moment, he recalls that dream with shocking clarity, and for a second he could swear that his skin was purple. Strange that it would be one of the only dreams he has that's in color. ]
Ah, this is stupid. You've given me such a beautiful gift, and yet I'm sulking. [ He slips his hand from Jayce's arm and takes the cane as he pulls away, walking a little faster. ] Do you know, I can't even see what colors you chose? Tell me about them so I can imagine it.
jayce's thoughts rush as fast as his thumping pulse, but he is not quick enough for this. he listens, at a loss of words. his brows curve together in an apologetic manner. he wish he could've externalized his thoughts better, but then again— can he blame him? jayce's disability was acquired. he was lucky he even got this job in the first place. no one wanted to hire him knowing he wasn't the same.
the talk of dreams sets him off, his mouth opening, closing, then considering one he may not be ready to tell viktor.
strange, he'd have them too.
a reoccuring nightmare has startled jayce since he was a child. he'd have dreams of riding his childhood horse, striker. but something terrible would happen. she'd get spooked and buck, she'd throw them down a ravine, land on his leg, shatter it— and he'd always wake up in a cold sweat with a pain that felt too real. ]
I— [ wait, he wants to say, feeling his heart sink when hands leave him. he shouldn't have asked. or maybe. no— he hoped he was there to listen and see him. the problem now came with the fact that viktor is picking up his own pace, and asking about colors—
jayce's fingers make for something daring; he reaches, without thought, to slow viktor down and catch him by the wrist. ]
Viktor, I— [ "i'm sorry" doesn't seem appropriate, for some reason. he decides to listen to his gut. and go with an answer: ] . . . I think it's green.
[ no one thinks colors when they simply are, but he figures that's a good enough hint, and the better indication as to why jayce looks a bit startled.
[ Viktor is struggling against the cage of his own mind, wishing for once he didn't think so damn much but always falling back on it like a crutch. His brain was how he made sense of a world he didn't quite fit into, a cog slightly out of sync with all the others. Jayce felt like maybe he was spinning at the same pace, same timing, but Viktor thinks it would be cruel to ask him to slow down so they could try and slot together.
From a metaphysical distance much larger than the physical one actually between them, Viktor hears Jayce call his name and thinks of what could follow. He's heard his name on those pretty lips before, in conversations and dreams, but he's never sure what will come after them. Heat encircles his wrist and pulls him up short as it spreads through him like wildfire, making him shiver with the realization of how cold he had been a moment before.
Turning around, facing Jayce, he's struck by the oddity of the answer, both because he actually received it and because it sounded so unsure. ]
[ jayce's hands drop when they seem to have found success in grounding him there for a while longer. with viktor's attention now, it seems jayce struggles to put forth the words. it's something only his parents know, and what the world has labled him for as stupid and lacking attention to obvious detail. it was always you need to pay more attention, jayce or you're so stupid, jayce. he couldn't fucking see, pricks. ]
—I asked for your house's colors. [ he breathed that out as if he was holding it in. low, quiet and near shamefully, he continues, ] They gave me one tin.
[ he had enough for only one and had to choose, after spending the rest on metal. black, it wasn't. they'd say black was achromatic. absense of color, what darkness looks like. he's almost certain he at the very least, knows black.
the next comes with a sigh; a confession. ]
I don't know if it's silver or green.
[ because they're both identical in tone, and no one really thinks to label them when the majority could see the little dot of color on top of the tin, clear as day. even when jayce had asked, he was treated like an idiot: you blind or what?.
he looked and saw the same damn thing. only by sheer cleverness did he get paperwork for the horse's conformations correct, when it came down to the color of their coats. he'd have to sit down and pull up previous profiles in old, dusty folders, and pray that he wasn't put on the spot. ]
[ As soon as Jayce's hand is gone, Viktor misses the weight of it on his skin anchoring him in his body while his mind spins. He's still listening to the details as they are reluctantly shared, but it's a distant thing; his main focus becomes the research he's done on the topic. ]
Is this also a result of your accident?
[ If so, it would have fewer implications. For some reason. It makes sense in Viktor's head, because what is the likelihood that they would both be born with a total inability to see color? They were completely different in all other aspects, at least physically, yet had been immediately drawn together due to shared interests, intelligence, and now this? ]
[ jayce shakes his head. suddenly, despite their proximity, staying this close lacks something more. ]
I was born with it. The accident was . . . My fault.
[ he doesn't really know what to add about it. he spooked the horse, ignored the signs and overlooked a precautionary measure. but now, jayce . . . is observing them both. their legs, their eyes . . . their minds, their interests. how much they compliment each other was almost scary, but especially wonderous.
his heart is skipping beats again. ]
Strange, huh? [ he says it in a way that frames it anything but strange. it's in a soft, admiring way. ] We're like a coin.
[ Two revelations, one after another. In Viktor's opinion, it didn't matter who was to blame for the accident, it was still a tragedy. Unless Jayce had been abusing horses, which was very unlikely, there was no reason to deserve such an injury.
Viktor is more interested in their shared inability to see color, though. ] Strange. [ He has an unfamiliar memory of a gear rotating through the air, smooth and golden on one side, colorfully rotted on the other. He's never seen such a thing in this life.
Stepping closer, he looks up into Jayce's eyes and squints. ] Is it just greens, perhaps reds as well?
[ jayce raises his shoulders a bit; his family never pursued any further medical treatment, especially when there was nothing that could really be done about about a condition so rare. only by some miracle that his vision isn't impaired to the point that he needs glasses— only his goggles when he's in front of the forge's fire, or when the brightness of a too-sunny day begins to hurt. ]
Monochromacy. [ he doesn't see . . . any type of hue. just whites, greys and blacks. ] And yours?
[ It's impossible, the chances that they would bear this similarity is so statistically slim that it feels like it can't be a coincidence.
Running a hand through his hair, Viktor leans heavily against his cane, hip resting where his hand grips the handle. ]
Do you ever dream in color?
[ Clearing his throat, he waves his hand. He's getting ahead of himself and ] Here I am asking all these questions, and we're just standing in the grass. Would you like to return to the stables and sit? The brace is brilliant, by the way. I hardly feel it.
[ He slows his words, breathes in, and then smiles up at Jayce. Such a lovely gift deserves an unhurried thanks. ] Thank you, Jayce. It was incredibly kind of you to spend your free time and money making this for me.
[ jayce has thrown all his weight to his good leg at this point, and the overcompensation begins to, just slightly, strain the joints under the most pressure. amd it looks like viktor is not too far behind. he's curious, enthusiastic aboit the discovery— he wants to be inquisitive. his mouth opens, then promplty closes when viktor decides to break his pursuits.
jayce could only press his lips together and bring them to a sheepish smile. ]
I just hope you can forgive the avoidance.
[ it wasn't birthed from wanting to create distance, but yes, bring them together. while they're at it, jayce gestures to the stable's benches—
and perches his arm out again, bent to his sides to form that triangle loophole, offering viktor a beckoning look. he did like the feeling of it before. he wishes to welcome it again. ]
[ If Jayce could admit that he thought Viktor was afianced, then Viktor can at least admit to wondering if Jayce's nights were spent in romantic company.
The offer of the elbow brings a smile to his face, and he switches his cane over to his other hand so that he can wrap his left one around Jayce's arm. The cotton of his shirt was even warmer now after being out in the sun, and Viktor was struck with the desire to just lay down here and soak it up. Another time, maybe, perhaps even under different circumstances.
Nodding, he glances sidelong at Jayce. For some reason, he had expected to find yet another similarity in this, but they were still opposite sides even if they were of the same cog.
Coin. ]
Not always. The dreams are always quite fantastical, so I thought that perhaps my brain is inventing the colors it has never seen. [ He frowns. ] I'm not sure what it means if you do not have this similarity.
sorry, viktor, he's. he's still there. even as they hobble along together, the warmth from within his chest spreads high to his face. it's not embarrassment, it's . . . pleasant warmth. not the kind to stain his face any shade darker. it's the kind that wrapped warm around him like a blanket. a blanket that he— quite suddenly imagines fixing around viktor after thinking he was cold.
you must be cold—
maybe he should stop imagining things, else that will feel embarrassing. but jokes on him! ]
-I'm, ah. Single.
[ he felt the need to make that known? even though it was already known??? jayce laughs after a moment under his breath. the both of them thought they were with someone else.
strange similarity. it makes him smirk, like a buffoon.
he was no doctor, so he couldn't exactly add to the color dreams, although they do sound bizzare in the best way. ]
For the record. Are you cold?
[ one thought is just leading to another. the evening was upon them. his damn imagination is playing wingman, isn't it?
if it was a hunch, he'd rather not ignore his hunches. the secret language of the invisible, and all that his mother still thinks. ]
[ He can't keep the surprise from his voice. Despite all the gossip he's heard secondhand, he can't believe that no one would be interested in Jayce Talis. Perhaps it's more due to Jayce himself, then, not finding anyone stimulating that he felt for romantically. Perhaps he needed to find someone with similar interests.
Smiling a little to himself, he looks up at the question. He hadn't really been paying attention, but if he thinks about it, maybe he is getting a little cold. When he had struck out towards the stables earlier, he had only worn a shirt and vest, forgoing a jacket as he often did when near the warmth of the forge. ]
A little. [ He tightens his grip on Jayce's arm. ] On my left side. [ Pointedly not the side that was close to Jayce and his warmth. ]
[ if only viktor knew red, but jayce's endearing, sheepish fluster, plaster silently across his face, charmed smile and allm if it were possible to hug him sideways and continue their short walk, jayce would, but that would mean relenting his selfish little chaperone hold on viktor and perhaps a little too much proximity for tonight. ]
I've got a coat inside.
[ thankfully, it's not the one he uses for work, so it shouldn't smell overwhelmingly bad. maybe a little of horse. a lot of jayce and his forge musk. ]
[ Viktor hums an answer, looking up at Jayce and raising an eyebrow. Is he back to flirting? Yes. There have been revelations and secrets and confessions, but... maybe that can be a little normal. ]
[ there was a lot to think about. he's still thinking about them. the fact of the matter was that in the end, he still wanted to spend as much time with viktor as possible. the good and the harsh come together to accent what jayce is beginning to admire about viktor. all of his . . . imperfections.
once they are in front of the room, jayce is reluctantly slipping from the hand to his bicep and stepping toward the gap between darkness and light. when he reamerges, it is with a dark zip up, which he slowly closes their distance, face to face—
and and throws the jacket around viktor's shoulders, pulling the fabric tight until the zipper touches and hangs on its own. he's lingering, again, and it's to say something caught in this throat. ]
Thank you, for sharing earlier.
[ its still positively strange that they share something so..... rare.
it is not that strange to jayce, knowing he wants to know everything else there was to know about viktor. ]
[ Viktor misses Jayce's warmth immediately when he pulls away, and the fact that he disappears into a darkened room makes Viktor think, for a moment, that he won't be returning.
But then he does, with a jacket that looks well-worn in the coziest of ways. Jayce comes closer, then even closer into Viktor's personal space, and Viktor stands there to see what happens. For a second, he thinks... but then Jayce wraps the jacket around Viktor's shoulders and tucks it close to him. ]
Thank you, too. And... for being easy to share with.
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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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[ Looking at Jayce's arm, noting both the space and the consideration for bringing Viktor's cane along, he hesitates. Viktor has never been one for physical touch, growing up unused to it both due to his family's status (fancy people don't hug) and his disability (fancy people prefer not to touch broken things.) Neither of these are issues with Jayce, however, and he's been so thoughtful that Viktor thinks it would be alright to push it a little further.
He steps sideways and slides his arm through Jayce's, hand resting on his bicep. For a few moments, they're just two people walking arm-in-arm, both braces clinking in harmony with each step. ]
One reason I love horses is because I've always wondered how it would feel to run.
[ The words tumble out before Viktor can think to stop them, but Jayce has done such a kindness, and it feels right to repay him with a secret. ]
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but then, the glow of viktor's hand against his swell of muscle silences him in full. it had felt like he'd just taken a swill of whiskey and was putting a fire in his chest that spread to his belly, up his throat and prickling his face all the way to his forehead. this elation was–
incredible.
and jayce will keep a chagrined eye on viktor from his profile, smiling at the ringlets of dark locks in viktor's hair, the mole on his upper lip, the way he too curves thin, soft lips, and the way their braces march close to symphonic. his heart was beginning to race— out of excitement, and their trek is hardly a sport.
he wished he could see more of him. vividly. it is a shock that jayce's prayers are answered another way; to his surprise, a rather intimate confession that clasps his heart and makes it ripple.
he brings the arm viktor holds a little closer to his side. he's never asked in fear of being insensitive, or just not close enough to ask. ]
Was it something you've always had?
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He's trying very hard to think about something other than a shirtless, sweaty Jayce. The conversation is an important one, if only because it's so private. Viktor dislikes talking about his disability as much as he dislikes talking about any other aspect of his body. As someone so focused on the mind and the pursuit of knowledge, of skill, the body was simply a tool—his own was a bit damaged. ]
Yes, I was born this way. [ He nods, then shrugs. His voice is neither sad nor deprecating, rather factual as always. ] It wasn't so bad when I was smaller, lighter, lower to the ground. Doctors have done what they can, but it's hard to work miracles on something that has always been broken.
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for now, his mouth pulls agape and his thick brows push in together. despite being so grey, his eyes are beyond expressive when they search viktor's face and, without much thought, he blurts: ]
You're not broken, Viktor. [ leg, viktor himself. the next words come earnest and breathed: ] You're . . . Brilliant.
[ he's so strong. his mental fortitude on top of his intelligence, his wit, his will and stubbornness, all birthed into a package jayce admired more and more by the day. ]
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Stopping them short, he turns to Jayce but keeps a hand on the crook of his arm, both for balance and because he finds the warmth so comforting. ]
Do you ever have dreams where you're still able to do all the things you did before? [ He feels guilty that he hadn't needed to ask about Jayce's leg, the injury that had robbed him of a stronger body. It's amazing he can do all he does now, his stamina far outweighing Viktor's. ] My mind cannot even conjure up the lie for me. All I have is one dream where I'm running along a dock at full speed for what feels like the first time, but this body doesn't know what ti feels like.
[ For a moment, he recalls that dream with shocking clarity, and for a second he could swear that his skin was purple. Strange that it would be one of the only dreams he has that's in color. ]
Ah, this is stupid. You've given me such a beautiful gift, and yet I'm sulking. [ He slips his hand from Jayce's arm and takes the cane as he pulls away, walking a little faster. ] Do you know, I can't even see what colors you chose? Tell me about them so I can imagine it.
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jayce's thoughts rush as fast as his thumping pulse, but he is not quick enough for this. he listens, at a loss of words. his brows curve together in an apologetic manner. he wish he could've externalized his thoughts better, but then again— can he blame him? jayce's disability was acquired. he was lucky he even got this job in the first place. no one wanted to hire him knowing he wasn't the same.
the talk of dreams sets him off, his mouth opening, closing, then considering one he may not be ready to tell viktor.
strange, he'd have them too.
a reoccuring nightmare has startled jayce since he was a child. he'd have dreams of riding his childhood horse, striker. but something terrible would happen. she'd get spooked and buck, she'd throw them down a ravine, land on his leg, shatter it— and he'd always wake up in a cold sweat with a pain that felt too real. ]
I— [ wait, he wants to say, feeling his heart sink when hands leave him. he shouldn't have asked. or maybe. no— he hoped he was there to listen and see him. the problem now came with the fact that viktor is picking up his own pace, and asking about colors—
jayce's fingers make for something daring; he reaches, without thought, to slow viktor down and catch him by the wrist. ]
Viktor, I— [ "i'm sorry" doesn't seem appropriate, for some reason. he decides to listen to his gut. and go with an answer: ] . . . I think it's green.
[ no one thinks colors when they simply are, but he figures that's a good enough hint, and the better indication as to why jayce looks a bit startled.
that was an odd coincidence. ]
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From a metaphysical distance much larger than the physical one actually between them, Viktor hears Jayce call his name and thinks of what could follow. He's heard his name on those pretty lips before, in conversations and dreams, but he's never sure what will come after them. Heat encircles his wrist and pulls him up short as it spreads through him like wildfire, making him shiver with the realization of how cold he had been a moment before.
Turning around, facing Jayce, he's struck by the oddity of the answer, both because he actually received it and because it sounded so unsure. ]
You think?
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—I asked for your house's colors. [ he breathed that out as if he was holding it in. low, quiet and near shamefully, he continues, ] They gave me one tin.
[ he had enough for only one and had to choose, after spending the rest on metal. black, it wasn't. they'd say black was achromatic. absense of color, what darkness looks like. he's almost certain he at the very least, knows black.
the next comes with a sigh; a confession. ]
I don't know if it's silver or green.
[ because they're both identical in tone, and no one really thinks to label them when the majority could see the little dot of color on top of the tin, clear as day. even when jayce had asked, he was treated like an idiot: you blind or what?.
he looked and saw the same damn thing. only by sheer cleverness did he get paperwork for the horse's conformations correct, when it came down to the color of their coats. he'd have to sit down and pull up previous profiles in old, dusty folders, and pray that he wasn't put on the spot. ]
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Is this also a result of your accident?
[ If so, it would have fewer implications. For some reason. It makes sense in Viktor's head, because what is the likelihood that they would both be born with a total inability to see color? They were completely different in all other aspects, at least physically, yet had been immediately drawn together due to shared interests, intelligence, and now this? ]
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I was born with it. The accident was . . . My fault.
[ he doesn't really know what to add about it. he spooked the horse, ignored the signs and overlooked a precautionary measure. but now, jayce . . . is observing them both. their legs, their eyes . . . their minds, their interests. how much they compliment each other was almost scary, but especially wonderous.
his heart is skipping beats again. ]
Strange, huh? [ he says it in a way that frames it anything but strange. it's in a soft, admiring way. ] We're like a coin.
[ to different yet very similar sides. ]
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Viktor is more interested in their shared inability to see color, though. ] Strange. [ He has an unfamiliar memory of a gear rotating through the air, smooth and golden on one side, colorfully rotted on the other. He's never seen such a thing in this life.
Stepping closer, he looks up into Jayce's eyes and squints. ] Is it just greens, perhaps reds as well?
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Monochromacy. [ he doesn't see . . . any type of hue. just whites, greys and blacks. ] And yours?
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[ It's impossible, the chances that they would bear this similarity is so statistically slim that it feels like it can't be a coincidence.
Running a hand through his hair, Viktor leans heavily against his cane, hip resting where his hand grips the handle. ]
Do you ever dream in color?
[ Clearing his throat, he waves his hand. He's getting ahead of himself and ] Here I am asking all these questions, and we're just standing in the grass. Would you like to return to the stables and sit? The brace is brilliant, by the way. I hardly feel it.
[ He slows his words, breathes in, and then smiles up at Jayce. Such a lovely gift deserves an unhurried thanks. ] Thank you, Jayce. It was incredibly kind of you to spend your free time and money making this for me.
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jayce could only press his lips together and bring them to a sheepish smile. ]
I just hope you can forgive the avoidance.
[ it wasn't birthed from wanting to create distance, but yes, bring them together. while they're at it, jayce gestures to the stable's benches—
and perches his arm out again, bent to his sides to form that triangle loophole, offering viktor a beckoning look. he did like the feeling of it before. he wishes to welcome it again. ]
You dream in color?
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[ If Jayce could admit that he thought Viktor was afianced, then Viktor can at least admit to wondering if Jayce's nights were spent in romantic company.
The offer of the elbow brings a smile to his face, and he switches his cane over to his other hand so that he can wrap his left one around Jayce's arm. The cotton of his shirt was even warmer now after being out in the sun, and Viktor was struck with the desire to just lay down here and soak it up. Another time, maybe, perhaps even under different circumstances.
Nodding, he glances sidelong at Jayce. For some reason, he had expected to find yet another similarity in this, but they were still opposite sides even if they were of the same cog.
Coin. ]
Not always. The dreams are always quite fantastical, so I thought that perhaps my brain is inventing the colors it has never seen. [ He frowns. ] I'm not sure what it means if you do not have this similarity.
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sorry, viktor, he's. he's still there. even as they hobble along together, the warmth from within his chest spreads high to his face. it's not embarrassment, it's . . . pleasant warmth. not the kind to stain his face any shade darker. it's the kind that wrapped warm around him like a blanket. a blanket that he— quite suddenly imagines fixing around viktor after thinking he was cold.
you must be cold—
maybe he should stop imagining things, else that will feel embarrassing. but jokes on him! ]
-I'm, ah. Single.
[ he felt the need to make that known? even though it was already known??? jayce laughs after a moment under his breath. the both of them thought they were with someone else.
strange similarity. it makes him smirk, like a buffoon.
he was no doctor, so he couldn't exactly add to the color dreams, although they do sound bizzare in the best way. ]
For the record. Are you cold?
[ one thought is just leading to another. the evening was upon them. his damn imagination is playing wingman, isn't it?
if it was a hunch, he'd rather not ignore his hunches. the secret language of the invisible, and all that his mother still thinks. ]
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[ He can't keep the surprise from his voice. Despite all the gossip he's heard secondhand, he can't believe that no one would be interested in Jayce Talis. Perhaps it's more due to Jayce himself, then, not finding anyone stimulating that he felt for romantically. Perhaps he needed to find someone with similar interests.
Smiling a little to himself, he looks up at the question. He hadn't really been paying attention, but if he thinks about it, maybe he is getting a little cold. When he had struck out towards the stables earlier, he had only worn a shirt and vest, forgoing a jacket as he often did when near the warmth of the forge. ]
A little. [ He tightens his grip on Jayce's arm. ] On my left side. [ Pointedly not the side that was close to Jayce and his warmth. ]
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[ if only viktor knew red, but jayce's endearing, sheepish fluster, plaster silently across his face, charmed smile and allm if it were possible to hug him sideways and continue their short walk, jayce would, but that would mean relenting his selfish little chaperone hold on viktor and perhaps a little too much proximity for tonight. ]
I've got a coat inside.
[ thankfully, it's not the one he uses for work, so it shouldn't smell overwhelmingly bad. maybe a little of horse. a lot of jayce and his forge musk. ]
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Lead the way, Jayce.
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once they are in front of the room, jayce is reluctantly slipping from the hand to his bicep and stepping toward the gap between darkness and light. when he reamerges, it is with a dark zip up, which he slowly closes their distance, face to face—
and and throws the jacket around viktor's shoulders, pulling the fabric tight until the zipper touches and hangs on its own. he's lingering, again, and it's to say something caught in this throat. ]
Thank you, for sharing earlier.
[ its still positively strange that they share something so..... rare.
it is not that strange to jayce, knowing he wants to know everything else there was to know about viktor. ]
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But then he does, with a jacket that looks well-worn in the coziest of ways. Jayce comes closer, then even closer into Viktor's personal space, and Viktor stands there to see what happens. For a second, he thinks... but then Jayce wraps the jacket around Viktor's shoulders and tucks it close to him. ]
Thank you, too. And... for being easy to share with.