(end for now!)
(end for now!)
"and...is that what you want?" jayce gave him a hard look. "space from me?"
no. that was not what viktor wanted.
but it was what he needed.
"and...is that what you want?" jayce gave him a hard look. "space from me?"
no. that was not what viktor wanted.
but it was what he needed.
viktor gave a hard swallow to keep the words from spilling all over the table between them:
𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪'𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪'𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯-
viktor gave a hard swallow to keep the words from spilling all over the table between them:
𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪'𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪'𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯-
jayce was silent for a moment. confusion. shock. then hurt.
hurt won out. it always did.
"did i do something wrong?"
"what?" viktor panicked. "n-no, jayce, of course not-"
"then why do you wanna leave?"
jayce was silent for a moment. confusion. shock. then hurt.
hurt won out. it always did.
"did i do something wrong?"
"what?" viktor panicked. "n-no, jayce, of course not-"
"then why do you wanna leave?"
viktor blinked. "wait, jayce-"
"all right, ya got me. i've been looking into it since our lease is gonna be up in a few months and i was gonna make this whole presentation to convince you-"
viktor blinked. "wait, jayce-"
"all right, ya got me. i've been looking into it since our lease is gonna be up in a few months and i was gonna make this whole presentation to convince you-"
relief and hurt warred with one another. "really?"
hurt won out. it always did.
"yeah! i saw a new one open up not too far from the lab! they've got multiple elevators so we don't have to worry about the stairs, and it's got a pool-
relief and hurt warred with one another. "really?"
hurt won out. it always did.
"yeah! i saw a new one open up not too far from the lab! they've got multiple elevators so we don't have to worry about the stairs, and it's got a pool-
jayce's brows raised. "oh yeah? lay it on me."
viktor sucked in a breath. "i'm thinking about moving."
to viktor's surprise, jayce seemed to contemplate his words.
jayce's brows raised. "oh yeah? lay it on me."
viktor sucked in a breath. "i'm thinking about moving."
to viktor's surprise, jayce seemed to contemplate his words.
and wished the baby were his.
but that was impossible, of course. viktor knew who the father was no matter who viktor imagined was taking him to bed that night.
and it was not his straight best friend.
and wished the baby were his.
but that was impossible, of course. viktor knew who the father was no matter who viktor imagined was taking him to bed that night.
and it was not his straight best friend.
"hey!"
and maybe the real problem about staying here with jayce wasn't that the place was too small, that jayce would put up with a noisy, crying child while viktor stewed with guilt,
"hey!"
and maybe the real problem about staying here with jayce wasn't that the place was too small, that jayce would put up with a noisy, crying child while viktor stewed with guilt,
absolutely nothing changed.
"besides!" jayce said, preparing him a plate. "i'd much rather spend time with my best friend!"
viktor sent him a wry smile
absolutely nothing changed.
"besides!" jayce said, preparing him a plate. "i'd much rather spend time with my best friend!"
viktor sent him a wry smile
viktor knew he should have gotten the memo a long time ago.
"i thought you were going on a date," viktor asked lightly. "what was her name again- anna?"
"𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢." jayce made a face. "didn't work out."
viktor knew he should have gotten the memo a long time ago.
"i thought you were going on a date," viktor asked lightly. "what was her name again- anna?"
"𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢." jayce made a face. "didn't work out."
"come on, dinner's gettin cold! i even made your favorite!"
it was this kind of domesticity that kept viktor's heart yearning. it was this kind of care and kindness that kept him hoping.
"come on, dinner's gettin cold! i even made your favorite!"
it was this kind of domesticity that kept viktor's heart yearning. it was this kind of care and kindness that kept him hoping.
breaking it to jayce...
...fuck.
-
"hey! you're finally home!"
jayce stood by the door in that ridiculous apron of his and viktor swore his heart jumped to his throat.
breaking it to jayce...
...fuck.
-
"hey! you're finally home!"
jayce stood by the door in that ridiculous apron of his and viktor swore his heart jumped to his throat.
calls and apartment viewings came next.
by the end of the day, viktor was compiling more lists.
calls and apartment viewings came next.
by the end of the day, viktor was compiling more lists.
by the time they compiled a list of apartments of reasonable distances between both their work locations, their coffee had gone cold.
dmitri reasoned that it would be more convenient and safer if the apartment were closer to him to reach viktor in case of any emergencies.
by the time they compiled a list of apartments of reasonable distances between both their work locations, their coffee had gone cold.
dmitri reasoned that it would be more convenient and safer if the apartment were closer to him to reach viktor in case of any emergencies.
dmitri gave him a disbelieving smile. "what do you think i've been doing all this time, darling?"
and really?
viktor didn't know how to respond to that.
dmitri gave him a disbelieving smile. "what do you think i've been doing all this time, darling?"
and really?
viktor didn't know how to respond to that.
dmitri was firmly against it. at least, his immediate response of "𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦" seemed to align with that.
viktor had sputtered, negotiating that it would be-
more prudent to think about this first.
dmitri was firmly against it. at least, his immediate response of "𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦" seemed to align with that.
viktor had sputtered, negotiating that it would be-
more prudent to think about this first.
"i'm pregnant. it's yours."
-
interestingly, the results were not what viktor had expected.
he was fully prepared to let dmitri off the hook. child support was nice, but not entirely needed. in fact, if dmitri gave up custody,
"i'm pregnant. it's yours."
-
interestingly, the results were not what viktor had expected.
he was fully prepared to let dmitri off the hook. child support was nice, but not entirely needed. in fact, if dmitri gave up custody,
dmitri, however, was a strange one. an outlier. handsome, built, witty enough to garner a laugh from him. foppish and sweet.
viktor sat down in front of him.
dmitri, however, was a strange one. an outlier. handsome, built, witty enough to garner a laugh from him. foppish and sweet.
viktor sat down in front of him.
as much as it pained viktor, it would hurt even more that jayce would try to help because he's that kind of person.
but hell-
jayce didn't even 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 kids. if he didn't want any for his own, what made viktor think jayce would tolerate his?
as much as it pained viktor, it would hurt even more that jayce would try to help because he's that kind of person.
but hell-
jayce didn't even 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 kids. if he didn't want any for his own, what made viktor think jayce would tolerate his?
but hey, it at least gave him the emotional expectation of the rejection and disappointment that will follow from his best friend, current roommate, and current unrequited love of his life.
but hey, it at least gave him the emotional expectation of the rejection and disappointment that will follow from his best friend, current roommate, and current unrequited love of his life.
2) from that former conclusion brought the second: viktor wanted to keep the pregnancy.
was he terrified? of course. was he unprepared? most definitely. did he have the proper supports? absolutely not.
2) from that former conclusion brought the second: viktor wanted to keep the pregnancy.
was he terrified? of course. was he unprepared? most definitely. did he have the proper supports? absolutely not.
well. now was a good time as any. though, he'd...maybe limit the caffeine today.
-
viktor had come to 4 conclusions by the time he arrived at the coffee shop at the chic little downtown locale.
1) he should move out.
well. now was a good time as any. though, he'd...maybe limit the caffeine today.
-
viktor had come to 4 conclusions by the time he arrived at the coffee shop at the chic little downtown locale.
1) he should move out.
but now that shameful night had left a parting gift.
and, well, a rather persistent man
but now that shameful night had left a parting gift.
and, well, a rather persistent man