[ Staring into Jayce's eyes, the intimacy of the moment isn't lost on Viktor. He's focused on the color (color!!) of Jayce's eyes, warm and inviting and beautiful; he doesn't have anything to compare it to other than the greyscale world he's lived in before now, but this would be his favorite color even if it was one in a million.
Where he'd normally jump at the large hands holding his waist, he finds himself melting into them a little. It's hard not to feel comforted by everything about Jayce, even something as decreasingly unfamiliar as his hands on Viktor's body. He feels steadied, physically and emotionally, no longer threatening to teeter over from the strength of his own staring. ]
A miracle. [ He smiles, his grip turning into a gentle cradle of Jayce's face, and leans up to kiss him.
It hadn't been planned, and Viktor is barely aware that he's doing it before he feels the curve of Jayce's smile against his lips. Just as quickly, he pulls back, face hot with a blush that neither of them can see. Viktor doesn't apologize, but he does relax his grip in case he's misread the situation, equations unbalanced, and Jayce wants to step away from him. ]
[ riding his own euphoric high of seeing color (and worrying if viktor would misstep and fall), he overlooks his boundaries. he's holding viktor the way he'd imagine in daydream fantasies and finds the faraway responsibility urging: you should take a step back. but he's smiling too wide, too emotional to rationalize as quickly as he should for viktor's sake. the partner, his friend of months does not shy away from him, he swoops in closer. too close.
—viktor is kissing him.
jayce shortcircuts, completely still, his eyes wide and his pupils blowing up to the point that the hazel in them are nearly eclipsed. he doesn't— react. he's trying desperately to reboot and process from abruptly shutting down. he'd made plans, to take viktor out on this would-be-secretly-but-disguised-as-not-date in the prospect that he could court him away from the eyes stalking the property, in fear of talk beginning to surge poorly for viktor's end. he didn't think he was . . . even a possibility, for the other man. that he'd have to earn viktor's romantic interest through arduous effort.
and he kissed him.
now parted ways, jayce doesn't adjust much of his reaction. it's still very deer-in-headlights as he blinks rapidly and forces himself to think under duress. his heart is caught battering in his throat, in his chest. viktor is still looking at him, and jayce? jayce lacks a reciprocated action. it looks bad. ]
. . . Uhh, [ smooth, very smooth. rather than stepping away from him, jayce scrambles low to grab viktor's cane, and then his damn open notebook in equal haste. he leaves his pencil behind. wobbles back up, stiffly, returns viktor's cane, profusedly dark grey in the face— ] can we . . . Talk, inside? Tack room.
[ he feels like he's going to burst. every fiber of him wants to kiss viktor back. it takes all the willpower in him not to do that, out here in the open where ethan could see, or clarise or sarah or even margaret or anyone else can look through the windows of the mansion's scattered complexes to spy and begin their hurtful rumors until it falls on the ears of viktor's parents.
jayce beckons, rigid and anxious for them to take those few steps needed to get into the tack room. he'll wait. he'll wait right next to the doorway, anxiously tapping his fingers and leaving his notebook on his desk, in the meantime. do not kiss him.
no matter the guilt on viktor's face is going to stew, which jayce knows and avoids for strength. do not look. not yet. protect him, first. ]
[ Jayce's eyes—his gorgeous, colorful eyes—are as wide as saucers as Viktor looks up at them expectantly. He knows that he shouldn't be hoping for anything, that Jayce is free to reject him and they would continue to be partners and friends. Viktor could handle the heartbreak as long as Jayce didn't want him out of his life completely—that would be something worth fighting against, no matter how much he should accept whatever wishes follow his lack of impulse control.
Nothing comes. Viktor feels himself getting hotter and hotter, embarrassed and hurt despite all he tells himself he doesn't have a right to feel that way. He's Jayce's employer, his business partner, higher in social class yet lower in aesthetic value. It was stupid to assume that the closeness they had shared, and what Viktor perceived as flirting, meant that Jayce would want him.
Viktor runs a shakey hand through his hair, willing it to smooth into place. He takes the offered cane without a word and turns abruptly in the opposite direction. Whatever Jayce had invited him here for—a walk, he recalls briefly, probably innocent curiosity about the brace—is forgotten. ]
I'm sorry, I— It's alright, we don't need to talk about it. It won't affect any of our arrangements if you'd prefer to forget it happened.
[ —suddenly, panick. viktor is not coming. in fact, his voice is getting more and more distant, to which jayce promptly jolts forward when he probably shouldn't. he hops to keep the force off his leg, and immediately goes after him. ]
N-no, Viktor, I— [ he hooks a hand to the other's shoulder, tugs to pull him back, or keep him in place. anything to keep him from leaving. ] Please, no.
[ he doesn't want to forget. he wants to replay it in his head over and over. with his pulse thrumming in his ears, the guilty furrow in his brows grows. he squeezes and feels his whole body on wicked fire. ]
. . . I need you in there. Trust me— [ a breathless plea: ] Please.
[ please don't go. he's never been more afraid in his life, in this moment. so excited and leaping out of himself and feeling like he can't be open about it. ]
[ This is why Viktor has tried to avoid emotions and emotional situations all his life: he's bad at reading them. He had thought that Jayce would return the kiss, and then sure that he wanted nothing to do with him romantically, and now he has no idea where they stand somewhere in between. He would have kept going, but the hand on his shoulder... he's weak to that warmth, that strength.
Turning around, it's probably written all over his face the confusion he feels, the rejection that he'd perceived. But now he owes it to Jayce, whatever it may be that he's trying to show him or tell him. Perhaps he's smart enough to not have a row about this in the middle of the stables where someone else may see them—a kiss that was unwanted was best talked about in private. ]
Very well.
[ He hates how small his voice sounds in his own ears, but he has at least enough pride to stand tall as he walks in the direction of the tack room with Jayce. ]
[ — thank god. the relief blows across his face and sinks his shoulders. with a quiet nod, jayce now waits for viktor to hobble in. as soon as that's a success, the farrier will carefully close the door behind them, and give the lock a little click from the inside.
the worst would be walking in on them. being met with a lock only jayce had allowed him some flexibility in whatever excuse he'd give. bathroom break, or something.
his heart starts racing again, having only quelled with reassurance moments ago. in the seclusion that was this room, jayce could now feel . . . the build up. the growing wave hot in his chest becoming much too large to fit within him. he turns his good heel to be met with viktor, and his eyes— he can't take his eyes off him. his breathing picks up. he stares at him, approaches him with a severe gaze, but . . . it is a severe many things. want. longing. age old yearning that he had no idea why he felt that way, so. when he allows his emotions to truly pour, its too strong. why did it feel like a reunion? why did he feel like he'd been so far away and for so long— and he suddenly found him? the needle in the haystack? the diamond in the rough. ]
Viktor—
[ jayce's approach is a little too fast for comfort. ]
[ Viktor focuses on walking, keeping himself steady, and Jayce's feet. He's still not sure what to expect from their change in location, but he knows—hopes—that Jayce is a gentle enough soul not to be violent with him in his rejection.
The click of the lock holds so much potential, and it makes him look up at Jayce as he approaches. The speed is worrying, making Viktor step back until his back hits the nearest wall which he leans on heavily to keep himself upright. ]
[ jayce couldn't have mixed up the signals enough, could he? he'd expect his first given kiss to viktor something chaste and sweet, akin to what he'd recieved— but jayce feels a stumbling neediness when he's right in front of viktor, where space is becoming a nonexistent idea.
jayce takes viktor's face in both hands, tugging him up and forward with significant urgency. the momentum doesn't short stop, it keeps going until—
jayce's lips have crushed into his partner's like a starving man faced with a feast, and fuck do sparks fly. that electrifying implosion sends surges through his limbs, makes him collapse within himself and press viktor into the wall behind them.
he wants nothing more than to swallow viktor whole. his taste, the shape of his upper lip, the inevitable knock of teeth somewhere in his haste, the way his fingers sink into the man's beautiful chestnut locks, all a frantic plea to kiss him again, kiss he back.
It's an unusual thing, more often running laps in moments of surprise rather than shutting down completely. There's no sense to what's happening, though, nothing that can be deduced. Jayce hadn't kissed him before, and now he was kissing him like his life depended on it. It felt like Jayce had been struggling through the desert and Viktor was the oasis' water, disappearing into his lips. He couldn't breathe, could barely move from the shock, and there was a real threat of passing out from lack of air.
His body saves him, stuttering into action now that his mind is stupefied. Breathing through his nose, his lips move against Jayce's and part to invite him to delve deeper. His cane is once again left to drop as he lifts both arms and wraps them around Jayce's torso, holding himself steady and Jayce close. He wants to sink his fingers into Jayce's hair—has wanted to for longer than he cares to admit—but trapped as he is now, he settles for this, for splaying his hands low at the curve of Jayce's back to pull him tighter against Viktor's body.
There's nothing to say, for once. No emotions to explain or equations to work through. All there is in the moment is the feeling that he's wanted this for eons, and now that he has it, nothing in the cosmos is going to stop him from kissing Jayce and being kissed by Jayce. ]
[ the second jayce feels a push back, he practically melts, sinks so cleanly into the kiss that he felt like a buttery mound of muscle with only one thing on his mind: viktor. his partner's mouth spreads and jayce's tongue meets eagerly, sliding in waves to survey, curl and softly smack their lips when their entries lessen. wet, glistening and tasteful, jayce drinks up, peppering long, dragging sessions with shorter pecks to allow them recovery, all of which are so short lived.
jayce guides one of his arms around the waist he'd held earlier, now with more unadulterated passion and tracing on the way down, gripping flesh and bone, making sure there was no space left unoccupied at their hips, which pulsed hot beneath the friction of body and thick fabric. it counted as physical support for viktor too, who jayce felt would like to do his own probing if their feelings are really so mirrored. mindful he must be of his knewly braced leg, so even his center of gravity, viktor would find, is being pulled off his responsibility to better explore the farrier. jayce invites it, with splayed fingers at the peak of viktor's hip bone— to give it a blissful knead, with his opposing hand doing the same to his scalp. he felt so good. it is so much better than he imagined it to be.
god, it was until recently that he realized how much he wanted this, wanted viktor— but in the way that it feels just so right he could've sworn he's been after this man for eons. an idea hits his thoughts, in flashes between his attempts to breathe in this maddening scent of viktor's skin through the nose pressed into the inside of his cheek, delve with his mouth, and with stiff legs jayce backs away with viktor in tow, refusing to part— silently beckoning him to the work desk with slowed, clanking steps infused with metal, with now both hands steadying his torso (jayce touches his own fingertips, encircling viktor's waist in full, oh my god), despite his frenzied lips. he's getting breathless, reluctantly breaks, ]
Desk, [ he manages to huff, taking the opportunity to inhale, exhale, briefly find the other's beautiful pearls for eyes underneath his lashes as they wobbled, but knocking their noses together, flashing teeth that come in to kiss him again, giving viktor a little more gums than lips because he cannot stop smiling but damn it does he try anyway!
he's never felt this bloom in his chest, he's never felt this heat so wild to spread. his whole body and mind felt connected to the moment, connected to him— if this was how sex was supposed to feel like, he's much more interested. maybe all that talk of "the right person" his mother would romantically advise him growing up wasn't silly after all. ]
[ Jayce's hands are everywhere on his body, making it as hard to breathe as the constant press of lips and tongue. Viktor is disappearing into the space between Jayce's hips and the wall, consumed by his larger partner as he wraps around him and keeps him impossibly close. It's more intimate than anything Viktor has ever felt, and they're just kissing.
Feeling more supported now, Viktor lets his hands wander higher up Jayce's wide back and shoulders, mapping out the dips between muscles as they flex and move. He finally gets one up the back of Jayce's hair, the heel of his hand scrubbing at the short hairs at the nape of his neck while long fingers grab at the longer strands. All the while, Viktor sighs and hums and moans into the kiss, little sounds of pleasure accompanying the smack of lips.
He sways as they start to move, and god Jayce's hands encircle his waist so easily. ]
Eager. [ The teasing comes with a smile that is probably more felt than seen as they continue to stay close as they breathe and kiss and laugh together. It's bliss, it's everything, it's moving so so fast.
Viktor allows himself to be maneuvered towards the desk, and then he exerts just enough force to guide Jayce to the chair. They both struggle with standing, and Jayce is more likely to have been on his feet all day during work. So there's a strong encouragement for Jayce to sit, and if he is so inclined to listen, then Viktor will drape himself across his lap to sit sidesaddle. ]
[ he retorts, of equal play and chuffing, implying that there is one more eager soul here with them, and that was the man who kissed him first. which he's—
completely blown out of his mind about, still. to jayce's surprise, he's being the one guided to sit, and it has to be one of his greatest awakenings— what had first began as an offhanded, flirtatious joke between them, viktor now sits on his sprayed lap saddleside. he can't help but to snicker, off guard and placing his hands on both sides of him. tentatively, one of them rest on viktor's thigh, feeling the charge of a magnetic pull that breifly locks their colorful eyes. he gets happily lost in them, no need for directions.
he's so gorgeous that jayce's telling, signature brow furrow puts him in a position of brutally smitten. ]
[ Viktor laughs at that, not having intended to invoke their previous flirting but happy for the coincidence. ]
I did say I could tame you, didn't I?
[ Smiling as he leans in, one hand smoothing up Jayce's chest to cup the back of his neck, Viktor kisses him again but more slowly this time, exploratory. He wants to catalog the shape of Jayce's lips and the way his beautiful eyes fall half-closed when they're close like this. Though Viktor has no intention of making this a one-time escapade, he can't help feeling something in his gut telling him to cherish Jayce and the fact that they can do this, together.
He pulls back, hand traveling higher to twirl a long piece of hair between his fingers as he looks over Jayce's face. ]
I need you to know that I don't intend for this to be a simple dalliance.
[ at this rate he'll never stop smiling. luckily, the more he purses his lips and allows his eyes a half lidded paradise, he falls into place: another wonderful kiss. now that the crazy, adrenaline induced frenzy has simmered with their migration to a chair, jayce can take his time, falling into an easy synchroneity, matching in viktor's rhythm— like pouring water into a cup. even before viktor speaks his honesty, jayce is on the same page. it's not just about the promiscuity of it. it's the intimacy, above all.
he can test the softness of viktor's thin lips against his own, now, he can observe if his beard or whiskers tickle him, how he tastes and how his tongue purls. jayce's flow becomes lazy and content, relinquishing a delighted, curt whimper, while his hands find more ground, not only settling but stroking the stretch of viktor's pants over his leg with a working thumb and circling fingers.
he doesn't want to ever let him go, even when he feels this torrent of intimate togetherness coming to another end, urging him to pull back— he does so closely, marveling and pressing his slickened lips together. he has to shake his head, slow and deliberate. he never thought about him that way. ]
You're so much more than that, [ jayce croons softly, feeling his head dip to the fingers that card into his hair. he studies viktor's face closely, measuring his angles and his moles, padding a thumb to the sharp dip of his cheekbone. ] I . . . even made plans to court you, tonight.
[ he says with comical sheepishness, the saddled horses outside probably a little more than impatient that they're not being used. perhaps jayce should've put the saddle on himself.
he leaves that horrible joke in the crevice of his thoughts to never see the light of day. ]
[ Oh, that whimper is divine, quickly bookmarked to return to later so Viktor can draw more of those sounds from Jayce's plush lips. For now, he smooths his hand back down the side of Jayce's face, cupping his jaw and running this thumb over the curls of his beard. They need to talk about the fact that they're seeing color, too, and Viktor wonders—hopes—that soon he might get to soak up the rest of Jayce's coloring, too. ]
You— [ He laughs at that, not unkindly but certainly surprised. The timing is impeccable, even if Viktor had perhaps jumped the gun, so to speak. ] Well, I shouldn't rob you of that, if you'd still like to.
[ Tilting his head to the side, he runs his hand back through Jayce's hair to push it from where it had fallen into his face amidst all the passion. Viktor can't get over how handsome he is, how perfectly unique and yet totally familiar he is in Viktor's eyes. ]
[ oh, and he will. a romantic sap at heart and no where to really put it until now, jayce fully plans on wooing viktor every day. his gut tells him: every day of his life. he nods with refound enthusiasm and takes it to heart. even if he still has . . . some concerns, it has no place in a moment he'll cherish until he becomes all old and grey. he doesn't want to ruin this.
so he says, with a hand lidding the top of viktor's knuckles and embracing it within his palm, ]
[ It's so tender compared to the hurried passion of earlier, and Viktor finds that he welcomes both equally. Having Jayce's large hand nearly covering his own, he rotates his hand in the grasp so they can slot their fingers together. Viktor never really pegged himself to be one for such little signs of affection, but it feels as natural as breathing with Jayce. ]
So are yours. [ A beat. ] Do you have a mirror? We should see if we're able to see our own eye colors. [ It's an attempt to put science into practice when the situation feels more magical than anything that can be quantified. ]
[ his heart is pulling stunts at something as simple as braiding fingers. it's probably not a good feel, is it? jayce's hands are riddled with broad callouses, scars from burns or miscalculations. they're rough worker hands not at all fit for petting or sweet carresses, but he still wants to feel them brush, feel the space of such delicate, nimble fingers filling the gaps like they were the correct keys to opening him up.
there's a square tack room mirror in between the racks of saddles and champion bow ties. jayce hasn't made use for it until today, when he had to check up on his appearance and groom up moments before they met. but . . . ]
We'd have to get up.
[ his words are a little coy, a bit reluctant— but good humored. he'll get up at the drop of a hat if viktor really wanted to.
or maybe not. maybe they could scoot over to proper view. jayce may be plotting the distance and force needed, adjusting his hold into a full body embrace with safety in mind— ]
[ Viktor has the exact opposite opinion of Jayce's hands, loving that they feel like they've been used to live a life. He knows what those calluses are from a passion for his work, the scar tissue drawing a map of the progress he's made in his artform. Viktor's hands are those of a thinker, but Jayce's are those of a doer.
Humming, a little thoughtful and a lot dismissive, he shakes his head. ]
Later. [ But he can feel Jayce's arms around him move and tighten, and it's easy to anticipate what he has in mind even if it's unthinkable. ] Jayce, no, do not pick me up!
his fingers squeeze, he inhales, jayce hooks a good foot to the chair's leg and does something a little worse than standing to carry him, only because he feels his leg would not take kindly—
so, he scoots. he scoots and makes the chair groan terribly with each sputter of groaning wood to the ground, making his way to at least face said mirror and get close enough to see themselves in it. every shuffle is a bounce of viktor in his arms, and a jolt of jayce's body to offer the momentum for it.
he is smiling like a child who's done something crafty the entire time. jayce, yes. ]
[ Very much prepared to become dead weight in Jayce's arms if it helps save his leg from being sacrificed, Viktor is surprised to feel them moving horizontally rather than vertically. Blinking a moment, he rolls his eyes but laughs all the same. Jayce sure looks smug as he scrapes his way across the floor, and it does have the intended result of getting them to a mirror even if it isn't totally dignified.
Good. Viktor hates having to act dignified all the time. ]
You're ridiculous. [ Instead of looking in the mirror, he looks at Jayce and then leans in to kiss him because... he can. Right? Jayce has voiced intentions to court Viktor properly, but that doesn't mean they have to go back to pretending they aren't smitten with each other, does it?
Another kiss for good measure, this time lasting a few beats longer, before he turns to face the mirror. ] Nothing. I suppose that means we have different eye colors. [ He's assuming that he's now able to see the exact shade of Jayce's eyes, no matter the source, because magical or not, that would follow at least a little bit of logic. ] Incredible.
this is all part of charming him, whether viktor is even aware of that or not. if he gets a kiss for his ridiculousness, then color him pleasantly surprised— jayce's rizz levels are so low it's creating a feedback loop where it's indescribably high. feeling viktor lean into him to press their mouths makes him feel elated; he kisses back, both times, and looks quite proud of himself, if not accidentally sheepish, to have managed it.
there is a mirror to look into, now. only shades of grey, except for the striking contrast of a deep, honey amber. speaking of that . . . jayce could now see them from afar. viktor decking his lap, a big arm keeping him steady. it's lavishly attractive. ]
This isn't ordinary, Viktor, [ he starts, seemingly lost in the way he's simply . . . watching them. watching viktor, specifically, as his arm drapes further around him. they're born colorblind, the rarest of the condition, they happen to meet and suddenly— they see each other's eyecolor, but not their own? ] what do you think?
[ Viktor is enjoying this somewhat new, more playful and casual side of Jayce that's been peeking out from under his gruff exterior. It makes him wonder what he might have been like before his accident, or if he's always tried to be serious when he wasn't in the right setting for vulnerability. He gives him a third peck on the cheek, right where it rounds out with pride, just for good measure. ]
I was thinking the same thing. [ But he's a man of science rather than superstition, no matter how often he's caught himself wondering how much more there was to the world. Magic, after all, was just science that hadn't been properly studied and explained yet. ] I think that you deserve to have us follow through with your wooing plans, and we should see if anything in the world around us shows the same colors.
[ jayce goddamn blushes when he looks away, a smile on his lips betraying the shake of his head— on top of getting a third, calling it his wooing plans made it him feel terribly corny!! he must digress, though. not only does he still want to properly win his heart, jayce is also deathly curious about what other colors he'd see. ]
Sounds like a plan.
[ that would also require getting up, but . . . it's for a motivating cause. before jayce does that, though— he fixes his feet to the ground properly, trains his gaze to the other man and accordingly studies his features. he looks into his eyes— and looks so deeply it's as if he was seeing right through his soul.
he was so pretty. and smart. was he really having this chance? he smiles with his eyes, first. his lips follow suite, receiving a flash akin to memory in his mind— viktor looking at him with a lethal glance. the kind to make his heart skip.
he's always imagining things. with a huff of a laugh, all mysterious, he offers his hand to take viktor's, to steady him from his lap.
viktor did say he could tame him. such was the budding result: it's been a very long time since jayce had felt a little more like that younger, fantastical jayce who'd be too touchy for his own good, bright and charismatic, interacting with his surroundings as easy as he'd breathe. ]
[ The wooing would, unfortunately, require dismounting Jayce in order to mount a real horse, but that doesn't mean that Viktor is eager to leave his lap. It seems like the feeling is mutual, at least, because instead of making any move to get up, Jayce starts... staring at him. Viktor feels a blush heat his cheeks as their eyes lock, and at least he gets to focus on staring back at Jayce, into him, and he has a brief thought of what his soul must look like, something like a jeweled crown embedded in his forehead. Strange, how Viktor is only prone to fanciful imagery when it comes to Jayce.
He touches his fingertips to the center of Jayce's forehead, right where the multicolored jewels had come together at a point. Smoothing Jayce's hair back from his face, Viktor traces down his temple and jawline when he drums his fingers gently, thoughtfully. ] And you'll allow me to court you in return?
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Where he'd normally jump at the large hands holding his waist, he finds himself melting into them a little. It's hard not to feel comforted by everything about Jayce, even something as decreasingly unfamiliar as his hands on Viktor's body. He feels steadied, physically and emotionally, no longer threatening to teeter over from the strength of his own staring. ]
A miracle. [ He smiles, his grip turning into a gentle cradle of Jayce's face, and leans up to kiss him.
It hadn't been planned, and Viktor is barely aware that he's doing it before he feels the curve of Jayce's smile against his lips. Just as quickly, he pulls back, face hot with a blush that neither of them can see. Viktor doesn't apologize, but he does relax his grip in case he's misread the situation, equations unbalanced, and Jayce wants to step away from him. ]
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—viktor is kissing him.
jayce shortcircuts, completely still, his eyes wide and his pupils blowing up to the point that the hazel in them are nearly eclipsed. he doesn't— react. he's trying desperately to reboot and process from abruptly shutting down. he'd made plans, to take viktor out on this would-be-secretly-but-disguised-as-not-date in the prospect that he could court him away from the eyes stalking the property, in fear of talk beginning to surge poorly for viktor's end. he didn't think he was . . . even a possibility, for the other man. that he'd have to earn viktor's romantic interest through arduous effort.
and he kissed him.
now parted ways, jayce doesn't adjust much of his reaction. it's still very deer-in-headlights as he blinks rapidly and forces himself to think under duress. his heart is caught battering in his throat, in his chest. viktor is still looking at him, and jayce? jayce lacks a reciprocated action. it looks bad. ]
. . . Uhh, [ smooth, very smooth. rather than stepping away from him, jayce scrambles low to grab viktor's cane, and then his damn open notebook in equal haste. he leaves his pencil behind. wobbles back up, stiffly, returns viktor's cane, profusedly dark grey in the face— ] can we . . . Talk, inside? Tack room.
[ he feels like he's going to burst. every fiber of him wants to kiss viktor back. it takes all the willpower in him not to do that, out here in the open where ethan could see, or clarise or sarah or even margaret or anyone else can look through the windows of the mansion's scattered complexes to spy and begin their hurtful rumors until it falls on the ears of viktor's parents.
jayce beckons, rigid and anxious for them to take those few steps needed to get into the tack room. he'll wait. he'll wait right next to the doorway, anxiously tapping his fingers and leaving his notebook on his desk, in the meantime. do not kiss him.
no matter the guilt on viktor's face is going to stew, which jayce knows and avoids for strength. do not look. not yet. protect him, first. ]
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Nothing comes. Viktor feels himself getting hotter and hotter, embarrassed and hurt despite all he tells himself he doesn't have a right to feel that way. He's Jayce's employer, his business partner, higher in social class yet lower in aesthetic value. It was stupid to assume that the closeness they had shared, and what Viktor perceived as flirting, meant that Jayce would want him.
Viktor runs a shakey hand through his hair, willing it to smooth into place. He takes the offered cane without a word and turns abruptly in the opposite direction. Whatever Jayce had invited him here for—a walk, he recalls briefly, probably innocent curiosity about the brace—is forgotten. ]
I'm sorry, I— It's alright, we don't need to talk about it. It won't affect any of our arrangements if you'd prefer to forget it happened.
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N-no, Viktor, I— [ he hooks a hand to the other's shoulder, tugs to pull him back, or keep him in place. anything to keep him from leaving. ] Please, no.
[ he doesn't want to forget. he wants to replay it in his head over and over. with his pulse thrumming in his ears, the guilty furrow in his brows grows. he squeezes and feels his whole body on wicked fire. ]
. . . I need you in there. Trust me— [ a breathless plea: ] Please.
[ please don't go. he's never been more afraid in his life, in this moment. so excited and leaping out of himself and feeling like he can't be open about it. ]
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Turning around, it's probably written all over his face the confusion he feels, the rejection that he'd perceived. But now he owes it to Jayce, whatever it may be that he's trying to show him or tell him. Perhaps he's smart enough to not have a row about this in the middle of the stables where someone else may see them—a kiss that was unwanted was best talked about in private. ]
Very well.
[ He hates how small his voice sounds in his own ears, but he has at least enough pride to stand tall as he walks in the direction of the tack room with Jayce. ]
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the worst would be walking in on them. being met with a lock only jayce had allowed him some flexibility in whatever excuse he'd give. bathroom break, or something.
his heart starts racing again, having only quelled with reassurance moments ago. in the seclusion that was this room, jayce could now feel . . . the build up. the growing wave hot in his chest becoming much too large to fit within him. he turns his good heel to be met with viktor, and his eyes— he can't take his eyes off him. his breathing picks up. he stares at him, approaches him with a severe gaze, but . . . it is a severe many things. want. longing. age old yearning that he had no idea why he felt that way, so. when he allows his emotions to truly pour, its too strong. why did it feel like a reunion? why did he feel like he'd been so far away and for so long— and he suddenly found him? the needle in the haystack? the diamond in the rough. ]
Viktor—
[ jayce's approach is a little too fast for comfort. ]
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The click of the lock holds so much potential, and it makes him look up at Jayce as he approaches. The speed is worrying, making Viktor step back until his back hits the nearest wall which he leans on heavily to keep himself upright. ]
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jayce takes viktor's face in both hands, tugging him up and forward with significant urgency. the momentum doesn't short stop, it keeps going until—
jayce's lips have crushed into his partner's like a starving man faced with a feast, and fuck do sparks fly. that electrifying implosion sends surges through his limbs, makes him collapse within himself and press viktor into the wall behind them.
he wants nothing more than to swallow viktor whole. his taste, the shape of his upper lip, the inevitable knock of teeth somewhere in his haste, the way his fingers sink into the man's beautiful chestnut locks, all a frantic plea to kiss him again, kiss he back.
please, kiss me back, is all he could think. ]
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It's an unusual thing, more often running laps in moments of surprise rather than shutting down completely. There's no sense to what's happening, though, nothing that can be deduced. Jayce hadn't kissed him before, and now he was kissing him like his life depended on it. It felt like Jayce had been struggling through the desert and Viktor was the oasis' water, disappearing into his lips. He couldn't breathe, could barely move from the shock, and there was a real threat of passing out from lack of air.
His body saves him, stuttering into action now that his mind is stupefied. Breathing through his nose, his lips move against Jayce's and part to invite him to delve deeper. His cane is once again left to drop as he lifts both arms and wraps them around Jayce's torso, holding himself steady and Jayce close. He wants to sink his fingers into Jayce's hair—has wanted to for longer than he cares to admit—but trapped as he is now, he settles for this, for splaying his hands low at the curve of Jayce's back to pull him tighter against Viktor's body.
There's nothing to say, for once. No emotions to explain or equations to work through. All there is in the moment is the feeling that he's wanted this for eons, and now that he has it, nothing in the cosmos is going to stop him from kissing Jayce and being kissed by Jayce. ]
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jayce guides one of his arms around the waist he'd held earlier, now with more unadulterated passion and tracing on the way down, gripping flesh and bone, making sure there was no space left unoccupied at their hips, which pulsed hot beneath the friction of body and thick fabric. it counted as physical support for viktor too, who jayce felt would like to do his own probing if their feelings are really so mirrored. mindful he must be of his knewly braced leg, so even his center of gravity, viktor would find, is being pulled off his responsibility to better explore the farrier. jayce invites it, with splayed fingers at the peak of viktor's hip bone— to give it a blissful knead, with his opposing hand doing the same to his scalp. he felt so good. it is so much better than he imagined it to be.
god, it was until recently that he realized how much he wanted this, wanted viktor— but in the way that it feels just so right he could've sworn he's been after this man for eons. an idea hits his thoughts, in flashes between his attempts to breathe in this maddening scent of viktor's skin through the nose pressed into the inside of his cheek, delve with his mouth, and with stiff legs jayce backs away with viktor in tow, refusing to part— silently beckoning him to the work desk with slowed, clanking steps infused with metal, with now both hands steadying his torso (jayce touches his own fingertips, encircling viktor's waist in full, oh my god), despite his frenzied lips. he's getting breathless, reluctantly breaks, ]
Desk, [ he manages to huff, taking the opportunity to inhale, exhale, briefly find the other's beautiful pearls for eyes underneath his lashes as they wobbled, but knocking their noses together, flashing teeth that come in to kiss him again, giving viktor a little more gums than lips because he cannot stop smiling but damn it does he try anyway!
he's never felt this bloom in his chest, he's never felt this heat so wild to spread. his whole body and mind felt connected to the moment, connected to him— if this was how sex was supposed to feel like, he's much more interested. maybe all that talk of "the right person" his mother would romantically advise him growing up wasn't silly after all. ]
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Feeling more supported now, Viktor lets his hands wander higher up Jayce's wide back and shoulders, mapping out the dips between muscles as they flex and move. He finally gets one up the back of Jayce's hair, the heel of his hand scrubbing at the short hairs at the nape of his neck while long fingers grab at the longer strands. All the while, Viktor sighs and hums and moans into the kiss, little sounds of pleasure accompanying the smack of lips.
He sways as they start to move, and god Jayce's hands encircle his waist so easily. ]
Eager. [ The teasing comes with a smile that is probably more felt than seen as they continue to stay close as they breathe and kiss and laugh together. It's bliss, it's everything, it's moving so so fast.
Viktor allows himself to be maneuvered towards the desk, and then he exerts just enough force to guide Jayce to the chair. They both struggle with standing, and Jayce is more likely to have been on his feet all day during work. So there's a strong encouragement for Jayce to sit, and if he is so inclined to listen, then Viktor will drape himself across his lap to sit sidesaddle. ]
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[ he retorts, of equal play and chuffing, implying that there is one more eager soul here with them, and that was the man who kissed him first. which he's—
completely blown out of his mind about, still. to jayce's surprise, he's being the one guided to sit, and it has to be one of his greatest awakenings— what had first began as an offhanded, flirtatious joke between them, viktor now sits on his sprayed lap saddleside. he can't help but to snicker, off guard and placing his hands on both sides of him. tentatively, one of them rest on viktor's thigh, feeling the charge of a magnetic pull that breifly locks their colorful eyes. he gets happily lost in them, no need for directions.
he's so gorgeous that jayce's telling, signature brow furrow puts him in a position of brutally smitten. ]
Taking me for a ride?
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I did say I could tame you, didn't I?
[ Smiling as he leans in, one hand smoothing up Jayce's chest to cup the back of his neck, Viktor kisses him again but more slowly this time, exploratory. He wants to catalog the shape of Jayce's lips and the way his beautiful eyes fall half-closed when they're close like this. Though Viktor has no intention of making this a one-time escapade, he can't help feeling something in his gut telling him to cherish Jayce and the fact that they can do this, together.
He pulls back, hand traveling higher to twirl a long piece of hair between his fingers as he looks over Jayce's face. ]
I need you to know that I don't intend for this to be a simple dalliance.
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he can test the softness of viktor's thin lips against his own, now, he can observe if his beard or whiskers tickle him, how he tastes and how his tongue purls. jayce's flow becomes lazy and content, relinquishing a delighted, curt whimper, while his hands find more ground, not only settling but stroking the stretch of viktor's pants over his leg with a working thumb and circling fingers.
he doesn't want to ever let him go, even when he feels this torrent of intimate togetherness coming to another end, urging him to pull back— he does so closely, marveling and pressing his slickened lips together. he has to shake his head, slow and deliberate. he never thought about him that way. ]
You're so much more than that, [ jayce croons softly, feeling his head dip to the fingers that card into his hair. he studies viktor's face closely, measuring his angles and his moles, padding a thumb to the sharp dip of his cheekbone. ] I . . . even made plans to court you, tonight.
[ he says with comical sheepishness, the saddled horses outside probably a little more than impatient that they're not being used. perhaps jayce should've put the saddle on himself.
he leaves that horrible joke in the crevice of his thoughts to never see the light of day. ]
Even if I thought I didn't have a chance.
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You— [ He laughs at that, not unkindly but certainly surprised. The timing is impeccable, even if Viktor had perhaps jumped the gun, so to speak. ] Well, I shouldn't rob you of that, if you'd still like to.
[ Tilting his head to the side, he runs his hand back through Jayce's hair to push it from where it had fallen into his face amidst all the passion. Viktor can't get over how handsome he is, how perfectly unique and yet totally familiar he is in Viktor's eyes. ]
Seems we had the same unnecessary worry.
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so he says, with a hand lidding the top of viktor's knuckles and embracing it within his palm, ]
Your eyes are beautiful.
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So are yours. [ A beat. ] Do you have a mirror? We should see if we're able to see our own eye colors. [ It's an attempt to put science into practice when the situation feels more magical than anything that can be quantified. ]
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there's a square tack room mirror in between the racks of saddles and champion bow ties. jayce hasn't made use for it until today, when he had to check up on his appearance and groom up moments before they met. but . . . ]
We'd have to get up.
[ his words are a little coy, a bit reluctant— but good humored. he'll get up at the drop of a hat if viktor really wanted to.
or maybe not. maybe they could scoot over to proper view. jayce may be plotting the distance and force needed, adjusting his hold into a full body embrace with safety in mind— ]
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Humming, a little thoughtful and a lot dismissive, he shakes his head. ]
Later. [ But he can feel Jayce's arms around him move and tighten, and it's easy to anticipate what he has in mind even if it's unthinkable. ] Jayce, no, do not pick me up!
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his fingers squeeze, he inhales, jayce hooks a good foot to the chair's leg and does something a little worse than standing to carry him, only because he feels his leg would not take kindly—
so, he scoots. he scoots and makes the chair groan terribly with each sputter of groaning wood to the ground, making his way to at least face said mirror and get close enough to see themselves in it. every shuffle is a bounce of viktor in his arms, and a jolt of jayce's body to offer the momentum for it.
he is smiling like a child who's done something crafty the entire time. jayce, yes. ]
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Good. Viktor hates having to act dignified all the time. ]
You're ridiculous. [ Instead of looking in the mirror, he looks at Jayce and then leans in to kiss him because... he can. Right? Jayce has voiced intentions to court Viktor properly, but that doesn't mean they have to go back to pretending they aren't smitten with each other, does it?
Another kiss for good measure, this time lasting a few beats longer, before he turns to face the mirror. ] Nothing. I suppose that means we have different eye colors. [ He's assuming that he's now able to see the exact shade of Jayce's eyes, no matter the source, because magical or not, that would follow at least a little bit of logic. ] Incredible.
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this is all part of charming him, whether viktor is even aware of that or not. if he gets a kiss for his ridiculousness, then color him pleasantly surprised— jayce's rizz levels are so low it's creating a feedback loop where it's indescribably high. feeling viktor lean into him to press their mouths makes him feel elated; he kisses back, both times, and looks quite proud of himself, if not accidentally sheepish, to have managed it.
there is a mirror to look into, now. only shades of grey, except for the striking contrast of a deep, honey amber. speaking of that . . . jayce could now see them from afar. viktor decking his lap, a big arm keeping him steady. it's lavishly attractive. ]
This isn't ordinary, Viktor, [ he starts, seemingly lost in the way he's simply . . . watching them. watching viktor, specifically, as his arm drapes further around him. they're born colorblind, the rarest of the condition, they happen to meet and suddenly— they see each other's eyecolor, but not their own? ] what do you think?
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I was thinking the same thing. [ But he's a man of science rather than superstition, no matter how often he's caught himself wondering how much more there was to the world. Magic, after all, was just science that hadn't been properly studied and explained yet. ] I think that you deserve to have us follow through with your wooing plans, and we should see if anything in the world around us shows the same colors.
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Sounds like a plan.
[ that would also require getting up, but . . . it's for a motivating cause. before jayce does that, though— he fixes his feet to the ground properly, trains his gaze to the other man and accordingly studies his features. he looks into his eyes— and looks so deeply it's as if he was seeing right through his soul.
he was so pretty. and smart. was he really having this chance? he smiles with his eyes, first. his lips follow suite, receiving a flash akin to memory in his mind— viktor looking at him with a lethal glance. the kind to make his heart skip.
he's always imagining things. with a huff of a laugh, all mysterious, he offers his hand to take viktor's, to steady him from his lap.
viktor did say he could tame him. such was the budding result: it's been a very long time since jayce had felt a little more like that younger, fantastical jayce who'd be too touchy for his own good, bright and charismatic, interacting with his surroundings as easy as he'd breathe. ]
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He touches his fingertips to the center of Jayce's forehead, right where the multicolored jewels had come together at a point. Smoothing Jayce's hair back from his face, Viktor traces down his temple and jawline when he drums his fingers gently, thoughtfully. ] And you'll allow me to court you in return?
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