boyofprogress | closed rp for [recursiveimpulse]

And right on cue, Viktor arrives like clockwork - the tell-tale TAK-TAK-TAK of his old cane rapping against the floor heralds his arrival, just as always. He is not, however, expecting Jayce to already be present.

So he stands in the door for a moment, blinking in confusion before closing it behind him.

"...Good morning, Jayce. You're - did you skip sleep again?"

"Just the one night, I promise," he says cheerfully, leaning against his usual spot at his desk. The cane sits on the desk behind him, and he's draped his coat over it to obscure it from view.

His stomach flutters in anticipation; gods, he's nervous, but excited, too. Hopeful that Viktor will approve of his design. Of his gift.

"It's not very often I beat you into the lab."

"Eh, I couldn't stop you anyway, could I? When you are determined."

He has no idea that anything is happening - only that this kind of buzzy overexcitement usually means new work and new ideas. He sets his bag down, turning to Jayce with a little sigh.

"Slow start this morning. Some mornings are...a little harder than others."

"I... actually might have something to help with that. Or at least hopefully make things not quite so hard by the end of the day? Um -- "

He gives Viktor a nervous smile, stepping aside to whip his jacket off the desk with a bit of a flourish. "Tadaaa! Back to your usual measurements, I hope. A-and if not, I can adjust it, of course. But I wanted to get it put together as quickly as possible, so you weren't using something too short for you."

It's a bit of a whirlwind - Viktor stands watching in mild bewilderment until the reveal, and -

Oh.

He walks closer, slowly, looking down at the cane in quiet awe. As soon as he's close enough, he reaches out to brush his fingers over the handle.

"...You...you made me a cane?"

It's modeled after the one Viktor made from himself. Carefully fit together scrapes, hammered out smooth but the lines and edges where the metal meets and overlaps still clear. A careful homage to the original, just made (hopefully) to the proper size.

And with the little storage compartment, of course. Just for fun.

Jayce looks on, nervously, as Viktor inspects it. "In the forge, yeah. I haven't made one before, but I made a lot of sketches of the one you use and I think I got it pretty close."

His design. Studied, re-tooled, and carefully reconstructed. The workmanship is beautiful, and there's been no small amount of effort put in.

For him.

He turns to Jayce with misty eyes, his one hand still resting on the cane on the table. "...It'a beautiful, Jayce. Thank you. I don't - when did you even measure?"

The last time Jayce looked this pleased and proud was the night they first got the core to work. Viktor's emotional reaction hits him straight in the gut, and he's practically beaming, eyes glowing at how delighted he is that Viktor likes his gift.

"I had some estimates for my initial designs, based on known figures and proportions. But you did doze off at your desk one night, and I confirmed my measurements then. I had to make sure it would be the right size, of course."

It's impossibly thoughtful, really. And maybe if it weren't Jayce it would almost feel like an invasion of his privacy, just a bit.

But Viktor doesn't care about that. He's too busy hanging his old cane from the desk to carefully take the new one in hand, hefting it like something precious. Because it is.

"It's...perfect. Just the right height."

He takes a couple of experimental steps, joy blooming steady across his gaunt face.

"Thank you, Jayce. I've never - well, no one HAS ever-"

He stops, going a little red and looking to Jayce with a sheepish expression, and for just a moment, there's a glimpse of a broken-bodied little fissure boy being handed a treasure.

"Are the weight and balance okay? I sort of had to guess, just based on watching you use this cane. If anything feels off, let me know and I'll fix it immediately -- "

But his ramble is broken off by the look on Viktor's face. Something soft and vulnerable. A little scared, perhaps, for reasons Jayce can't begin to fathom.

"Hey," he says softly, stepping closer to touch Viktor's shoulder. "I'm happy to. Considering the old one was sacrificed for our project, it's the least I could do, really."

"No - no, it's perfect. It feels...made for me. Which - it is, yes, but...ahem."

He tries to collect himself, even as his cheeks burn a little at how his shoulder seems to tingle under that big, warm hand.

"It may seem like the least you could do, but...it's more than most have done. People usually think too much about my condition, or they think too little of it. It's rare that someone pays attention in a way that is actually...useful."

"Well..." His expression softens into a smile, and he leans in to press a warm kiss to Viktor's forehead. "I don't know all that much about your condition specifically, but I do at least know that if a tool that's meant to help doesn't fit properly, it can do more harm than good."

While his mother went through treatments for her hand, it took her a while to find a prosthetic that was both comfortable and functional. Jayce had watched her struggle through the pain of finding something that fit, that worked the way she needed it, and he's fairly certain that all that helps him be a little more attentive than most to Viktor's needs.

"...Precisely."

They've known each other for long enough - and in intimate enough situations - that Viktor has already learned that he can trust Jayce to be genuine about this particular, very complicated and heavy topic.

Maybe he can talk about this. Truly.

Jerking his head towards the larger desk they frequently sit together at, he walks in that direction, leaning a little heavier on this new cane with a sense of relief.

"This is well timed. My spine is...it has seen better days."

Edited 2025-06-25 07:43 (UTC)

He can see the way Viktor shifts his weight, leans on his cane more now that it's the right height. Sees the wince that crosses his face. He frowns slightly, but follows after, sitting backwards on his usual chair.

"Because of the cane, or something else?" he asks, folding his arms across the back of his chair and watching Viktor carefully. "I give a mean massage, I've been told."

Viktor fairly sinks into his seat once he gets to it - and it's with a brand-new openness that he shrugs a shoulder, replying:

"Well - if you are offering."

Then, a self-depreciating chuckle.

"...I had to have my bolts tightened. It...is very painful."

"Oh?" He sits up a little; Viktor's medical operations are so interesting, from a technology standpoint. It's fascinating, what medicine and tech can come together to do. "I knew they helped support your spine, but I don't think I knew they needed adjusting.

Is it because they get loose, or is it more to do with what your body needs changing?" The questions have an earnest curiosity behind them. Not trying to pry or pity, but wanting to learn more about a subject he's interested in.

It's that earnestness precisely that's why Viktor has decided to open up - especially as his body declines, and he will have to trust Jayce with more and more of the truth.

"A little of both. Movement shifts them over time, but...." He sighs a little, his smile faltering. "...But I have declined more, recently. They will...probably have to add more braces soon."

It's not something he talks about. Not with anyone, and that much is obvious by the way he keeps looking at Jayce.

But...he would LIKE for someone to know. At least a little understanding, before....

Well.

While he can get it.

He'd seen the bolts along Viktor's spine. The two at the top that currently sit empty, but he assumed had been added during the initial surgery just in case. Easier to do everything at once, probably.

"If you wanted to," he offers, a little nervous that it might be shoved aside but wanting to show support. "I could come with you to the next appointment? I could learn how the bolts fasten and tighten. That way, if you needed something adjusted and I'm around, I could lend a hand? Just for a quick fix, anyway."

The offer is almost startling - and that much is evident in the way that Viktor's eyes widen a bit, his brows pinching...but then he smiles again, tiny and timid.

"You...would do that? Really?"

It's a very kind thing to offer, and even though he's asking, he already knows it's sincere.

It's Jayce.

"I really would. For you, but also for my own peace of mind, honestly. Knowing how it works, the mechanics of your braces -- leg and back. If something comes loose or is out of place, and I'm here, then I can help out.

Especially for your back, where it's a little trickier to reach. Besides," he adds. "After going with my mom to her appointments, medical tech has become an interest of mine. I like seeing how it all works."

"...Well. If you are interested, then...sure. Yes. I have an appointment in three days, you can follow along."

He's framing it in a relaxed way, making it sound like he's the afterthought here - but there's no hiding the way his expression calms, the warmth in his smile. He feels...like someone cares, about the stuff he's kept to himself for too long now.

It's nice.

Oh. That smile. Jayce feels both a warmth and a tightness in his chest that makes him realize he'd do just about anything to see that smile all the time. Maybe he has been, without realizing it. Little jokes and jabs to amuse his partner.

But this feels different. This feels... heavier, somehow. More. He puts it aside for the moment to mull over later, when the freckle at the corner of Viktor's mouth isn't distracting him.

"You might have to give me a crash course in terminology, but I'd be happy to. We could grab something to eat, after." Not a date, exactly, but... something.

There's...SOMETHING in the air, here. Viktor is inclined to just write it off, but it hangs about him like a mosquito, needling him just enough to remind him of its presence.

So he ignores it harder.

"I would like that. There's a cafe I like near the clinic, I usually go after my appointments to reward myself for putting up with having the bolts tightened."

It's less intense than it was that first night, certainly, but it's still almost tangible though just beyond Jayce's reach. He can think about it later, when he's not in the middle of a conversation.

"What do you treat yourself to? That seems deserving of an exceptionally nice treat."

closed rp for [recursiveimpulse]

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