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Viktor stood in the cramped airplane aisle, leaning on his collapsible travel cane, his carry-on bag held awkwardly in front of him, and hoped that his seatmates would not have a young child with them this time. His ears were still ringing from the incoming flight five days ago.
He was waiting with more resignation than actual patience for the little knot in front of him to clear so that he could put his bag away and sink into his seat and put in his noise-cancelling earbuds.
The woman two people in front of him leaned over to address the man already seated on the aisle in seat 23-C. "Excuse me, sir?"
Viktor noted that seat 23-A and B were already filled, as well, and groaned inwardly. If there had been a seat mixup -- or worse, if the airline had inadvertently sold the same seat to two people, it was going to be a huge hassle.
The man in 23-C looked up expectantly. He was an older man, quite short, with cheerful blue eyes and the fluffiest mustache Viktor had ever seen. "Yes?"
The woman said, "I'm so sorry to ask, but would you mind terribly switching seats with me? That's my wife, next to you, and I'd really like to sit with her for the flight, if I can."
The woman in 23-B rolled her eyes. "Cupcake, it's fine." She told the man, "It's fine, don't worry about it. She's just fretting because I've never been on a plane before."
"Oh!" the man said brightly. "How exciting for you! I remember my first flight as a young sprocket! Those were the days... Of course you must sit together!" He unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up, and he was even shorter than Viktor had estimated. He offered his boarding pass to the woman -- Cupcake -- and took hers in return. He looked at it, then pulled his softside briefcase from under 23-C and made his way several rows back to take the seat in 26-D.
Finally, Viktor thought, they could move again. But no sooner had they shuffled forward when they stopped again. "I'm sorry," said the slightly older man in front of Viktor in a soft, gentle voice. "I know you just moved, and I'm dreadfully sorry, but... would you mind switching again? My wife is in 26-E, and--"
"Oh, no problem," the little man said briskly. "I hadn't even gotten settled yet!" He popped back up and switched the tickets, and scooted another few rows down, to 30-B.
Which was interesting, because Viktor was in 30-A, right next to him.
A spark of mischief kindled behind Viktor's eyes. What, he wondered, would the man do if asked to move again?
The next person to come this far down the plane, Viktor decided, he was going to claim as his spouse, just to see the man's reaction. He put his bag in the overhead and folded his cane so it would fit in the seat pocket, and apologetically edged past the man to take his seat by the window, and then bided his time, watching the other people slowly working their way down the aisle.
It took a while for one to appear who had a seat in the back quarter of the plane, and when one did start coming that far, Viktor had to hesitate and consider how much he wanted to piss this guy off just to prank Mr. Mustache.
He was tall, with a chest and shoulders at least twice as wide as Viktor's. His muscles were seriously testing the structural integrity of his shirt seams. And he wasn't only big but dangerous-looking, with a rough beard, unkempt hair, dark circles under his eyes, and an ominous scowl. He had a long strip of cloth tied in a knot just under his knee like a makeshift support bandage.
But he probably wouldn't actually deck Viktor over a prank, right? Not on a plane, where he'd be ejected and have to find some other way to wherever he was going. And Viktor had always been a risk-taker.
So as soon as the guy came within earshot, Viktor turned to Mr. Mustache next to him and said, "I hate to do this to you, but... would you consider moving one more time?" He nodded toward the big guy. "That's my husband."
The guy's head snapped up and his eyes locked with Viktor's. And fuck, what gorgeous eyes they were, a bright hazel that seemed to catch all the light in the air and reflect it back toward Viktor.
Viktor held his breath, waiting.
The big guy scowled, and Viktor winced inwardly.
This guy had not, Viktor realized, actually witnessed the previous events. He had no idea that Viktor was just trying to play a little prank.
"Sorry," Viktor said quickly, and opened his mouth to explain...
...and then a miracle happened.
"Yeah, yeah, you're sorry," the man grumbled in exactly the kind of low, rumbling voice that was guaranteed to catch Viktor's attention when he was on the prowl. "Babe, I told you already when we got our seat assignments, we're gonna be on vacation together for two weeks, we don't have to be together on the plane, too." And when Mr. Mustache glanced over at Viktor, the guy winked at him.
Oh, oh, oh, this was great. This was brilliant.
Of course, Viktor wasn't going to let someone else get the last word in his prank. "And yet every time your mother calls, she always complains I am not romantic enough. I thought it would be nice if we could sit together for our anniversary trip and hold hands like we did on the way to our honeymoon!"
The guy scowled even darker. He looked downright menacing now, and that flipped something in Viktor's stomach that he probably shouldn't be thinking about. "At least my mom calls," he grumbled. "Your mom hasn't talked to me or the kids in almost two years."
Oh, they had kids now, did they?
"Ah..." Mr. Mustache said nervously. "I'll just..." He slid out of the seat and ducked into the aisle, giving the big man -- Viktor's supposed husband -- as wide a berth as the cramped space would allow.
The man flopped into the freshly vacated seat and put on the seatbelt, then grimaced as he straightened his bandaged leg out as much as he could. It wasn't much, given his size and the fact that the seat in front of him was only six inches away. At least he wasn't crowded by his seatmates; Viktor used no more than half of a seat, and Mr. Mustache, settling into 30-C on the man's other side, was quite small and wasn't likely to challenge him for either leg or elbow space.
Viktor wondered how far they could push the joke. "Maybe my mother would be willing to talk to you if you all hadn't treated her like a servant when she came to visit," he suggested icily.
"You could have said something," the man said, his irritable tone starkly at odds with the spark of amusement in his eyes. "All it would have taken was, Hey, Jayce, can you help Mom with the dishes, please. You know I'd have been happy to help!"
"Could have fooled me," Viktor said, pleased that his faux husband had found a way to provide Viktor with a name without giving up the game. He should do the same. "Viktor, when is your mom leaving? How much longer do I have to put up with her nagging, Viktor?"
Jayce grinned -- fuck, but he was gorgeous when he smiled, despite the scruffy beard and lank hair. Then he pulled his face back into a glower. "You're exaggerating," he muttered. "Why--"
His newest embellishment to the story they were spinning together was interrupted by the flight attendant telling them to prepare for takeoff.
Neither of them were paying close attention to the safety spiel, but as the doors were sealed and the plane began to pressurize, Jayce lost track of seemingly everything. His eyes squeezed shut and his jaw clenched.
"Are you... afraid of flying?" Viktor guessed quietly. He glanced past Jayce to Mr. Mustache, who was paying avid attention to the flight attendant's lecture. So he leaned into their fictional relationship and hoped it would distract Jayce a little. "You were not like this when we went on our honeymoon."
Jayce shot Viktor a small, tight smile, and shook his head. "I'm not afraid. It's just that-- you, nngh, remember how I broke my leg in three places on that camping trip last year? I knew that it ached when the weather changed, but I guess I hadn't realized that it would react the same way to other changes in pressure. I know that's dumb, don't--" He broke off to grimace in pain as the plane bounced and bumped along the runway to get into position for takeoff.
"Ah," Viktor said in understanding. "Luckily, you have married someone who understands pain well." He gestured to his brace.
Jayce's smile was no less beautiful for being a bit wry. "Lucky me. Got any advice?"
"Not as much as could be hoped," Viktor admitted. "My condition is congenital, not an injury. But I do know that if one must endure a great deal of pain, it helps to have company." He offered his hand. "And something to squeeze."
Jayce looked between Viktor's hand and his own doubtfully. His hand was nearly double the size of Viktor's. "I don't want to hurt you. I'm sure it will be--"
"Jayce." Viktor waited until Jayce looked at him. "I did say that I wanted to hold your hand through the flight. Trust me."
Jayce looked like he might argue again, but the plane started its race down the runway, and he grabbed Viktor's hand. His eyes squeezed shut again and stayed that way until the intercom crackled to life and the pilot told them it was now safe to move around.
Jayce let out a long breath and slowly uncurled his fingers. "Thanks."
"It must still hurt," Viktor said.
"Yeah, but it's holding at a mostly steady level now. I can kind of ignore it."
Viktor hummed. "I do not mind," he said, "if you wish to continue to hold my hand, while we are pressurized."
"Are you sure?" Jayce asked. Something was hiding behind his eyes, like hope held tightly in check.
"Extended touch increases oxytocin and decreases cortisol, thereby lowering stress and anxiety which might both be exacerbated by, and cause, heightened levels of pain." Viktor let his smirk show and didn't allow himself to question his motives. "What kind of husband would I be if I refused you such a simple mitigation?"
Jayce slid his fingers back into Viktor's hand, warm and pleasant. "Yeah, well. Thanks. That's very kind." His mouth tipped up in sudden mischievous amusement. "This is why I married you, even if you're not always very romantic."
Viktor barely suppressed a shout of laughter. "I am working on it," he responded.
Given how close to cracking up he and Jayce both were every time they embellished "their" story, and the fact that the initial prank of "how many times can I make this man change seats" had evolved into "can we make this man believe we're married for the whole duration of the flight" it was a good thing that the flight was short. By the time they were being warned to stay in their seats for the final descent, they had "yes and"ed their way through a rehash of their first date, the naming of their children, had another "argument" about who'd forgotten to pack their toiletries bag, and then "made up" again.
Viktor could tell how quickly the pressure was changing with their descent by how hard Jayce was squeezing his hand. He was just about to make up another chapter in their saga when Mr. Mustache turned toward them and said, "You know, if you two are looking to re-spark the romance, as it were, you could kick off your vacation by getting married a second time!"
"What?" Jayce said.
"That is... an interesting suggestion," Viktor managed. "Thank you for the thought."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all!" Mr. Mustache said cheerfully. "I would personally be happy to sign for you as a witness if you wanted to stop at the airport's chapel on the way through!"
"...What," said Viktor.
"There's a chapel in the airport?" Jayce asked.
"There is!" Mr. Mustache confirmed with all the eager excitability of a young child sharing a secret. "I believe it's primarily used for people who are stuck traveling over holy days and providing comfort for nervous fliers, but the chaplain is definitely authorized to perform marriages!"
"Oh, we'd hate to put you to any trouble," Jayce said.
"I doubt we even have time," Viktor added. "Connecting flight, you know."
"Nonsense," Mr. Mustache said. "It will only take a moment!" He clapped his hands together. "Oh, this is going to be so exciting! I do love a wedding."
Jayce turned to look at Viktor.
Viktor looked back at Jayce.
It was fine, Jayce thought. They'd do this little quick-and-dirty ceremony and then double back after seeing Shorty on his way and explain to the chaplain that it had been a mistake. Kind of a joke, really.
And get them to tear up the paperwork.
He was pretty certain that was the plan, though it was difficult to coordinate with Shorty hovering.
Jayce kept wondering if Viktor would, at some point, decide that they'd pushed the joke as far as it could be pushed, and call it.
But Jayce was intrigued enough by this beautiful man with the luminous gold eyes and quick mind to want to keep pushing on the boundaries of whatever it was they were doing. He wanted to find out who Viktor actually was. Maybe... swap emails or something, before they both went their separate ways? Jayce was being silly, he knew, but Viktor had seemed to enjoy Jayce playing along with the joke, and had been so kind about Jayce's pain, and...
Yes, it was probably naive, but he wanted to believe that he had actually made a real friend over the duration of a two-hour flight.
But first they were going to... pretend to get married. He looked down at the form they had to fill out. It seemed too simple for something as momentous as a marriage.
He filled in his name. Current address. City and date of birth. Birth parents' names. Signed and dated on the appropriate line, then pushed the form over to Viktor.
Viktor's name wasn't spelled the way Jayce had expected. And he hesitated briefly over the "Last Name" box and then entered Talis, which was a surprise.
"We are already married, remember?" Viktor murmured, apparently having noticed Jayce's twitch.
"Yeah," Jayce said. "Right."
Viktor copied Jayce's address, too, though the city of his birth was -- as expected, based on the accent -- quite far from Jayce's. His birthdate indicated that Viktor was about two years older than Jayce. His parents had different last names -- neither of them anything Jayce wanted to try to pronounce without some coaching first -- so Jayce still didn't know the man's actual full name.
Viktor paid the filing fee, though Jayce offered. Shorty signed the form as a witness -- it started with an H but was otherwise illegible -- and beamed as delightedly as if he were the one getting married. The ceremony itself was short and utilitarian.
Then the chaplain said, "You may kiss the groom," and--
They hadn't talked about this.
But Viktor looked at him, one eyebrow raised, and then leaned in and Jayce prepared himself for a quick, simple peck of a kiss.
That was not what he got.
Dear gods, that was not what he got.
Viktor -- a man he'd spoken to for the first time less than three hours previously -- kissed Jayce like... like they had a real backstory that involved meeting and being friends and crushing silently on each other for months or years before finally tentatively beginning to date and then having an awkward first kiss and laughing about it and trying again, and again and again and again and again until years had passed and they'd perfected it, until every kiss was a spine-tingling, toe-curling, pants-tightening, soul-melting, playfully seductive homage to a relationship that had been built brick by brick over years and years of friendship and yearning and lusting and fighting and forgiving and laughing and doing laundry and dancing and... and everything.
Viktor kissed Jayce as if they were really and truly in love.
It was, in short, the most wonderful kiss Jayce had ever participated in. And then some.
From a man who was practically a stranger.
It was devastating, but at least when Viktor finally pulled away, that same half-stunned terror lurked in his eyes, as well.
Viktor licked his lips, and Jayce watched helplessly. Jayce swallowed, and Viktor's eyes dropped to Jayce's throat.
The spell was broken by Shorty -- Mr. H-whatever-his-name-was -- loudly blowing his nose into a tissue. "I always cry at weddings," he said. "Well, boys, it's been lovely, but I must run! Have a lovely anniversary trip!" He hefted a carryon bag that was nearly as large as himself and scuttled out of the chapel before they could even say goodbye to him.
Jayce turned toward the chaplain. "So, uh, about that--"
Another man burst through the door, looking somewhat wild-eyed. "I have had a vision!" he announced. "My plane is going to crash! Please, you have to help me convince them to delay the flight!"
The chaplain took on a very serious expression. "I will do everything in my power to help you," he said, and waved toward his inner office. "Come have a seat and tell me everything." He glanced over at Jayce and Viktor. "You gentlemen are good to go," he said. "I'll file the certificate as soon as I'm done with this."
"That's actually what I wanted to--" Jayce started, but then the chaplain had disappeared into the office and closed the door.
Jayce blew out his breath.
Viktor stared at the door for a moment, then looked at Jayce. "That looked like it might take some time. Perhaps we could have lunch," he suggested, "and then come back?"
Jayce nodded quickly, grateful to have an excuse to linger in Viktor's company. "When is your connecting flight?" He opened the door back out into the main concourse and held it for Viktor.
"I have several hours to kill," Viktor said, leading the way toward the shops and restaurants. "You?"
"At least two hours," Jayce said. "So, uh, hi. I'm Jayce Talis, it's nice to meet you." He offered his hand with a slightly sheepish grin.
"Viktor, ah, Talis, it seems. At least for the moment." Viktor smirked as he took Jayce's hand.
Jayce laughed. "Apparently so. Do I get to learn your, uh, maiden name?"
Viktor hummed. "Perhaps for our first anniversary," he said, his eyes sparkling. "After you've studied the history of matrilineal naming conventions as expressed from within patriarchal bureaucratic structures."
"That sounds kind of fascinating, actually," Jayce said, "but I probably should start with something a little simpler, right out of the gate, I guess."
"Jayce," Viktor said, and Jayce could hear his smile even if it wasn't visible. "Jayce, we got married about fifteen minutes after leaving the literal gate. We are well past simple." He nudged Jayce toward a restaurant. "Here. They have the best appetizers, at least in this terminal."
They were seated and provided with menus. "My treat," Jayce said quickly. "Since you got the, uh, the other thing."
Viktor pressed one hand to his chest, mock-scandalized. "Mr. Talis, are we on a date?"
Jayce felt his cheeks heating; he didn't think he'd admitted that even to himself, yet. "I, um... Would you like it to be?"
Viktor's head tipped to the side, and Jayce suddenly felt like an insect under a microscope.
"I just," he stammered, "you seem fun and interesting and smart, and you're..." Jayce waved a hand helplessly, trying to figure out how to convey hotter than the surface of the fucking sun without entirely humiliating himself. Viktor's eyebrow rose as Jayce fumbled for words, and he finally blurted out, inadequately, "gorgeous."
Viktor's other eyebrow rose at that. "Have you, perhaps, looked in a mirror recently?"
Jayce's cheeks got hotter. "I used to look better," he admitted. "Before the accident."
"I am having trouble imagining that," Viktor murmured. "Did you really injure yourself that badly on a camping trip?"
"Yeah. Slipped on a hiking trail and fell into a sort of... ravine, I guess. Or the top of a cave system, maybe." Jayce stared hard at the menu so he wouldn't have to remember lying on the gritty stone, the searing agony of his shattered leg throbbing through him with every tiny movement. He'd called for help until he was hoarse, but apparently no one else was on that trail that day. Or the next. He was lucky he'd had his hiking pack with him -- that supplied him with a little food and a canteen of water and a few basic supplies, but it had been so damned cold. Even with the emergency mylar blanket from his pack, the stone floor had leached away all the heat his body could produce.
Sudden warmth jolted him out of the memory and he looked up to find both of Viktor's hands holding one of his, and those warm golden eyes watching him with concern.
"Fuck," Jayce muttered, and scrubbed over his face with the hand that Viktor wasn't holding. "Sorry, I got a little lost in my head there."
"Yes," Viktor said. "It is all right. What would help you, right now?"
"I'll be fine," Jayce said.
"Of course you will," Viktor agreed, "but that does not answer the question."
Jayce opened his mouth, closed it. Made himself actually consider the question. "Holding my hand seems to help a lot," he said, mouth twisting ruefully as he pretended that he was making a joke. "But other than that, uh. Lunch, probably. A cold drink and hot food to get my blood sugar up a bit."
Viktor nodded and carefully laced his fingers with Jayce's. "There," he said quietly. "Now it is a proper date."
Surprised that Viktor would even still consider that an option, Jayce's eyes flicked up to meet Viktor's. Only then did he realize he'd been looking down -- at their hands, at the floor.
Well. If Jayce's moment of dissociation hadn't put Viktor off, then Jayce wanted to get to know him even more. Jayce managed a smile, and squeezed Viktor's hand a little with fingers that were finally beginning to feel warm again. "Yeah. I guess it is."
They managed to talk about more normal first-date things while they ordered and waited for and ate their food: their jobs, schools and degrees, where they'd grown up, favorite movies and shows and comic books. Jayce told Viktor about his mom, and Viktor admitted his parents were dead and then neatly skirted the question of other family. They dipped their toes very cautiously into the question of politics, but found that while they had a few differing opinions in that arena, they weren't deal-breakingly terrible disagreements.
They slid from that into the more comfortably universal waters of complaining about airport security and the difficulty of getting through the scanners with metal braces that were necessary for walking and pins that were holding weakened bones together.
They were waiting for the waiter to return with Jayce's credit card when Viktor leaned on the table, speared Jayce with a sharp look, and said, "Are we going to talk about it?"
There was no question at all in Jayce's mind what "it" was. He took a deep breath and made himself meet Viktor's gaze. "We probably should. Before we go back to the chapel."
"Yes. Because I... That was not a normal kiss, Jayce. Not for me. Is it usually like that for you?"
Jayce shook his head. "No, never. That was..." He shook his head, unable to find a word that adequately conveyed just how profound that kiss had felt.
"I must confess," Viktor said, "I am a little curious if that level of chemistry would... carry forward."
Jayce had to admit, he had been wondering the same thing. He could feel his cheeks burning under his beard. "I have to assume that it would," he said, and was proud that he'd managed to keep his voice level.
Viktor nodded. "So I thought, also. It would, perhaps, be a shame to have the marriage annulled before we tested this theory."
It... would, wouldn't it? Jayce toyed with his long-empty glass, stirring the ice cubes to listen to them rattle. What have I got to lose? he asked himself, and the answer came back: Not much. He'd never seen Viktor before today, and while he hoped they might be friends, at least, if this was a true disaster, they never had to see each other again.
"This may be a completely insane idea," he started. Viktor's eyes were bright and curious and Jayce had to take a few bolstering breaths before he could continue. "What if we... gave it a trial run? Stay married. Have a honeymoon. See if we're actually compatible." For some reason, Viktor hadn't stopped him yet to tell him he was out of his mind, so he kept going. "I figure by the end of a week, we'd either know for sure we can't stand to be together, or we'll have made a good start on things."
Viktor hummed thoughtfully, then turned his head slightly to look past Jayce, out the windows of the restaurant and the airport, at the city skyline beyond. "It would not be hard to find a hotel here, I suppose. This is not the most romantic destination, but it could work."
"Or," Jayce said, and pointed to the Departures board they could see a little further down the concourse, "we could go pretty much anywhere we wanted. Do you have your passport with you, or should we confine ourselves to domestic options?"
Their flight was leaving very soon; they were going to start boarding any second now. Which made it a strange time, Viktor thought, for Jayce to decide to call his mother.
"Hey, Mom, I'm-- I'm fine, Mom. Really, I'm fine. But I'm not coming in tonight, so you don't need to come pick me up. Yeah, plans changed kind of at the last minute, literally while I was on the first leg of the trip. No-- Mo-- mamá, listen, it's not work, please don't call my boss and yell at him again." Jayce gave Viktor a quick, almost nervous little smile. "Yeah, it's, uh. I'm going on my... honeymoon?"
He pulled the phone away from his ear quickly. Viktor could hear the furious scolding of the voice coming out of it, even though it wasn't on speaker. Jayce grimaced apologetically. "She's usually a lot calmer than this," he assured Viktor, then went back to the phone and waited for her to have to pause to breathe. "Yes. Yeah, it was-- We met on the plane, actually. Uh, so, funny thing, did you know some of the hub airports have chapels in them? What? I didn't ask, Mom, but probably not. Mom. Mom. Mamá, please, it's fine. It's fine." He heaved long-suffering sigh. "Yes, I've been taking my meds. No, I am not having a manic episode, and I kind of resent--"
Viktor missed the next few words because the PA system at their gate blared to life to announce that boarding was beginning and all passengers should have their boarding passes and passports ready to present.
"--if you heard that, but they're boarding now, Mom. I've got to go. Mom. I swear I'll tell you all about it soon, yes, it's just a long story. You're gonna love him, I promise. His name is Viktor. Well, it's Talis, now, so I don't-- Yeah. Yes, of course I'll text you when we get there. Oh, it looks like we're boarding now, gotta run love you bye!" He thumbed the disconnect immediately, not waiting on her response, and sagged, sighing.
"They have not called our boarding group yet," Viktor pointed out in soft amusement.
"She needs some time to process," Jayce said solemnly. "She's a bit upset that I got married without her there."
Viktor chuckled. "As she should be, I would think. She is not upset that you married a man?"
"Nah, she knew I was bi before even I did. Be warned, that is not going to stop her from asking when we're going to give her grandchildren." He stuffed the phone into his pocket with an expression of fond exasperation.
"Do you not want children?" Viktor wondered aloud. He'd always thought he would rather enjoy being a father, but between being gay and having a constitution that could generously be described as delicate, he'd never really expected to have that.
"Not for at least a few years," Jayce said firmly. "Beyond that... Maybe? I guess I always figured I'd work it out after I got married."
"Which you have," Viktor pointed out, letting a bit of his smirk show.
"Which I have," Jayce agreed. "We can talk about it on our trip, if you want. Along with a lot of other stuff, I suppose, if we're... if we're actually considering this."
"Indeed," Viktor agreed.
It wasn't until they'd boarded and found their seats -- together, which made both of them giggle uncontrollably for a few minutes -- that Jayce said, "This... I feel like I've known you my whole life. But this is... crazy, right?"
"Of course it is," Viktor said, because he didn't believe in pulling punches. "But you do not strike me as the kind of man who spends his life playing things safe. Besides, what is the worst that could happen?"
"Uh... You could be a serial killer who's luring me somewhere secluded to get the jump on me?"
Viktor shot him an unimpressed glare. "You must outmass me by at least fifty percent, and you can run--" He grimaced as he glanced at Jayce's bad leg. "--or at least walk faster than me."
"That's why you had to lure me on this trip," Jayce explained. "So you can catch me when I'm asleep."
"This trip was your idea," Viktor pointed out, amused. "Perhaps I should be wondering why you're luring me away from civilization."
"You picked the destination," Jayce countered, grinning somewhat wildly. "It could have been a big city; you're the one who wanted to find a small, quiet resort."
"I want to spend a week somewhere warm," Viktor said firmly. "I want to eat seafood that was in the ocean that morning instead of a freezer. I want to sit by the pool and have pretty cabana boys bring me fruity drinks with enough alcohol in them to destroy lesser men. And I want have a great deal of very good sex."
Jayce glanced past Viktor to the third person in their little half-row of seats with a slightly flushed smile. "Um. Excuse us, please," he said. "We just got married, so we're a little, uh, giddy."
"Not to worry," the woman said, sounding amused. "It's been a while, but I still remember those days. Carry on, don't mind me. But if you're going to start getting handsy, then take pity on an old woman and make sure I have a good view."
The laugh that burst out of Viktor's lungs was wholly unexpected. He turned to look more directly at their seatmate and found her watching them with a bright sparkle in her eyes. She grinned at him and winked, then nodded toward Jayce.
Viktor turned back to look at Jayce and found him scrunched down in his seat -- as much as the cramped space and Jayce's long legs would allow -- with his hands over his face. His ears were bright red.
Viktor chuckled and rested his hand on Jayce's knee. "Are you always this easily embarrassed?"
Jayce mumbled something into his hands that Viktor couldn't understand, but which probably approximated to yes.
"You are going to be so much fun," Viktor marveled.
"Fuck off," Jayce muttered.
Viktor was pretty sure Jayce wasn't actually that upset, but he did stop teasing. Instead, as their plane taxied into takeoff position and they ignored the safety speech, he carefully pulled Jayce's hand into his own, lacing their fingers together in anticipation of Jayce's reaction to the pressure change.
Jayce gave him a quick, grateful smile, even if he was still blushing, and knocked his knee against Viktor's. "So which one of those things do you want to do first?"
Viktor hummed thoughtfully. "That depends on whether we encounter any food carts on our way to the hotel."
"Sex first," advised the woman next to Viktor. "You don't want to get too energetic on a full stomach, trust me."
Jayce let out a quiet whimper and shrank down in his seat again.
Viktor squeezed Jayce's hand and suppressed a laugh as he turned toward her. "Any other helpful advice?" he asked.
As it turned out: yes, she did. And not all of it was specifically calculated to make Jayce display previously undiscovered shades of red; she had been to their destination many times before and had strong opinions about the best restaurants, which bars watered their drinks, and what the most interesting tours were.
Viktor listened to her attentively, but never released Jayce's hand. He stroked the back of Jayce's hand with his thumb, soothing, every time Jayce squeezed harder. And later, when Jayce slumped against Viktor's shoulder and dozed off, Viktor watched his husband (which still made him want to laugh a little hysterically every time he thought about it) sleeping with the sort of warm clench in his chest that was usually reserved for much more advanced relationships.
Not that Viktor'd had more than a handful of those to compare it to.
The worst that could happen, Viktor reminded himself, was that they might discover that they were incompatible and file for a simple, no-fault divorce when they returned from this impromptu vacation. They could then go on about their separate lives with no hard feelings and a fun story to tell their friends. Perhaps they would remain in touch, even. That was, truly, the most likely outcome. But Viktor couldn't help but wonder what it could be like to learn that they were, in fact, compatible. That this accidental union between them was something worth holding on to.
Worth treasuring.
He watched Jayce sleeping against his shoulder and thought that he might have more trouble than he expected if he tried to pry Jayce Talis out of his heart, even after only a few hours in the man's company.
Viktor let Jayce sleep through as much of their descent as possible, hoping to spare him some of the pain of the pressure shifting. Jayce woke about halfway down, already wincing, but the way he reached for Viktor's hand, as if it was already instinct... Viktor's heart skipped a little.
They had to let go of each other to get off the plane when they'd finally landed, and to go through customs, but Jayce reached for Viktor again when they were in the cab to the hastily-booked hotel, almost bashfully, as if he wasn't sure he was allowed, without the excuse of shifting pressure. Viktor just smiled and took his hand and lifted it to kiss his knuckles.
Jayce's breath caught at the simple touch, and his smile lit up like daybreak... and then turned to pure heat.
Jayce was still panting when Viktor rolled half on top of him, wormed under his arm, and snuggled in against Jayce's side with a contented hum.
And that... That said more to Jayce about their compatibility than even the several rounds of incredibly hot sex they'd just had. Jayce was willing to compromise, to some extent, on positions and kinks and who was topping -- though they'd so far matched fairly closely on their preferences for those things -- but he wasn't sure he could have a long-term partner who didn't want to cuddle afterward.
He still wasn't sure it had even sunk in, yet. Less than 12 hours ago, he'd been on his way to visit his mother and dreading having to explain to her that he still wasn't sleeping after the waking nightmare of his accident and as a result his work was suffering and he was being... gently encouraged to look for another job. And then he'd met the most beautiful man he'd ever encountered in real life on the plane. And now he was on a tropical island with that same beautiful man in his arms, married? For real? And he still felt like laughing. Or at least smiling.
It was too weird to be true. But if it was some kind of dream, he didn't want to wake up.
But he was feeling sleepy now. Could you be sleepy inside of a dream? His body was floating on endorphins and oxytocin and dopamine and whatever else happened when you had sex with another person for the first time in eight months and thoroughly sated your partner and then came your own brains out. He should look that up sometime, he thought muzzily, though the search results were going to be horrifically clogged with porn.
But the point was that he was full of happy chemicals and pleasantly exhausted and Viktor was warm against his side and already asleep, so Jayce could just... close his eyes and sink into satisfied warmth and rest, for what seemed the first time since he'd woken from the surgery pinning his shattered leg back together.
"May we broach a serious topic?" Viktor asked, fork waving over a truly excellent dinner that night.
"Yeah, of course." Jayce was feeling more awake and himself than he had in months; he rarely slept for more a couple of hours at a time anymore, but with Viktor curled against him, he'd managed a continuous three hours. He was trying not to hope too much for a full night's sleep that evening, but it was hard -- if he could manage a whole six hours, he was going to proclaim Viktor his own personal miracle. "What are you thinking about?"
Viktor poked at his fish. "You indicated that you're open to the idea of children."
"After a few years," Jayce said, purely out of habit from dealing with nearly a decade of his mother nagging him to start a family.
"After a few years," Viktor agreed. "But how many children?"
Jayce blinked. "I never thought about that," he admitted. "I always just figured my partner and I would decide together when we wanted another and when we were done."
"At least two?" Viktor suggested, one eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, at least two," Jayce said. He'd wished for a sibling countless times, growing up as an only child.
Viktor nodded, apparently satisfied with that for now, and Jayce tried to suppress the wholly irrational feeling that he was getting a good grade in husband.
Viktor looked curiously around the store that the concierge had directed Jayce to. "What exactly are we shopping for?"
"Well, I don't know what you've got in your carryon," Jayce said, "but mine doesn't have any clothes in it. I don't have toiletries, either, though at least I always bring my meds in my carryon. Also, you know..." He could feel his face flushing. "Condoms and lube. We used your emergency ones already."
Viktor hummed in what was probably an acknowledgment of the point.
"Also," Jayce added, "if we want to swim in the pool and have pretty cabana boys bring us drinks, we'll need swimsuits and sunscreen."
Viktor looked amused. "I'm not sure cabana boys are actually a thing anymore," he said. "I was envisioning you in the role, but cabana man just did not have the same decadent feel."
Jayce laughed, and marveled again at how easy it was. "I suppose not. Still. Swimsuits. And all that other stuff."
"You make a compelling point," Viktor agreed. "I would like to be able to brush my teeth before we go to sleep."
They grabbed underwear, swim trunks, a couple of pairs of shorts each, and a handful of shirts -- mostly touristy tees, but Jayce couldn't resist a brightly-patterned button-down, and Viktor snared a gauzy beach coverup to help protect his pale skin. They'd already picked up some flip-flops in the resort's gift shop, so they ignored the rack of novelty socks.
They were in the toiletries aisle and Jayce was trying to decide if he wanted scissors to trim his beard or a razor to remove it entirely when out of nowhere Viktor said, "Do you really like the name Diesel?"
Jayce blinked for a moment, then recalled that it was a name he'd assigned to one of their fictional children on their first flight together. He'd picked it at random from the name of one of his coworker's kids and honestly didn't care, but asked anyway, "What's wrong with it?"
Viktor huffed. "If you name our son Diesel then there is no point to the college fund we discussed earlier, because he will have been mocked into an early grave by his classmates long before he reaches that point of his education."
"It's a perfectly fine name!" Jayce protested.
"It is not."
"I'm not sure I can trust you on this; you named our other fake son Naph," Jayce pointed out.
"What's wrong with Naph? It's better than Amaranthine!"
"Amaranthine is a lovely name," Jayce said, because that one stung a bit.
"She won't even be able to say it until she's at least six years old!"
Jayce opened his mouth to argue back, and then the absurdity of the moment hit him. "Are we... arguing about the names of children who don't even exist?" he asked.
Viktor paused, then pressed a hand over his eyes and laughed weakly. "Yes," he admitted. "I must be more tired than I thought. Grab the beard trimmer and let's go so we can get back to the hotel."
"I was thinking about maybe shaving it off," Jayce said.
"It is your beard and you can do what you like with it, but if you shave it off entirely, I will cry," Viktor threatened, though he was smiling.
Well, that settled that. Jayce grabbed the trimmers.
Viktor rubbed some more sunscreen onto his arms and watched Jayce from behind his cheap tourist-trap sunglasses.
Jayce was standing at the bar, poking at his phone as he waited for their drinks. Viktor wouldn't have guessed that he could have looked any more gorgeous than he had at their first meeting (barring perhaps washing the hair), but after a night's sleep, a long hot shower, and some time spent trimming his beard and hair, he was... stunning. That didn't even take into account the fact that he was standing there wearing only a pair of swim trunks that clung lovingly to his thighs, all those muscles on display and his bronze skin glimmering in the tropical sun.
Jayce glanced up and waved, and Viktor's heart literally fluttered in his chest like he was the heroine of some horrible overblown romance. "Stop that," he muttered at it. "I have known the man for twenty-four hours."
Twenty-four hours in which Jayce had been funny and kind and sweet and thoughtful and intelligent and beautiful. Twenty-four hours in which they'd had sex three times, and each time had been a revelation in all the ways the instant chemistry of their first kiss did, indeed, carry over into other activities. Twenty-four hours in which they'd talked about a number of important topics, and Jayce had not once brushed off Viktor's opinions or talked over him, even when they disagreed.
Jayce came back with their drinks, frozen and colorful and excessively decorated with fruit garnishes. "I was thinking," he said as he handed Viktor's over and lowered himself into his own lounge -- in the direct sun, unlike Viktor's, which was tucked under an umbrella.
"Have you? What about?" Viktor sipped his drink cautiously, then with more enthusiasm after he'd tasted it.
"Money, actually," Jayce said. "Serious topic, I know -- I can save it for later if you'd rather."
"No, go ahead. We only have a week."
"I was just thinking that we probably want to have a linked account for joint expenses."
"That sounds like a good idea," Viktor agreed. He'd thought the same, really, but hadn't dug into it beyond that.
"But that just brings up a bunch of other things to consider. Like which bank to use, and whether we want most of our money to go there, or just enough to cover expenses, and keep all personal spending to our individual accounts. And either way, how to divide our contributions to it -- an equal flat amount from each of us, or a percentage based on our comparative earnings."
Viktor tipped down his sunglasses to look at Jayce directly. "I don't know," he hedged. "My parents just had one account that they used for everything."
"Your parents probably did not get married without actually knowing a single thing about each other besides their first names," Jayce pointed out wryly. "I don't want to cast a gloom over things, but..."
"But possibly a tropical vacation is not the most stringent test our relationship will encounter?" Viktor finished, because he had to admit Jayce had a point. Money was a reef upon which many marriages far more well-considered than their own were wrecked. "So it may be better to keep things... easier to separate, at least for a time, just in case. But I will need to create some sort of spreadsheet if I am to form truly educated opinions."
Jayce grinned and held out his phone toward Viktor, the screen already unlocked. "Way ahead of you."
"You should-- ulph --should go back up to the front," Jayce said. He was at the back of the boat, hunched on a bench by the railing, miserably trying to breathe through an intense bout of seasickness. He'd lost his lunch, and his breakfast, and last night's dinner so far. He was half-expecting to see his toenails come up on the next heave. "Go enjoy yourself," he told Viktor. "I'll be okay."
Viktor's tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth, which Jayce had learned meant he disagreed. "What sort of husband would I be if I let you suffer like this alone?" He was rubbing gentle circles over Jayce's back.
It felt so nice.
"The sort who really wanted to do this aquatic tour?" he said anyway, because nursing him through seasickness was pretty much the opposite of a fun and romantic vacation. "It's fine, really."
Viktor hummed and didn't stop rubbing Jayce's back. "Are you going to be like this every time you are ill?"
"...Probably," Jayce said. "My last partner used to--" He broke off to close his eyes and breathe through another swell of nausea. This one didn't last as long. Maybe he was finally acclimating a little. "She used to accuse me of denning like a wounded animal when I was sick."
"I know that it was not intended to be serious at the time," Viktor said neutrally, "but I did promise to remain by your side in health and in sickness. And I can see the sights from back here nearly as well as from the front."
Viktor's soothing, rhythmic touch really did feel wonderful, and it gave him something to focus on that wasn't the uneven rise and fall of the waves. Jayce dropped is head onto his arms, folded on the side of the boat. "Thank you," he sighed.
Viktor brushed a gentle kiss against his temple. "You are welcome."
Viktor was fairly certain that he couldn't move. Not for a while, anyway. Jayce was just going to have to figure out, when he came back to bed, how to arrange himself around Viktor's limp limbs. The slight breeze generated by the ceiling fan felt amazing against his sweaty, overheated skin.
The bed dipped slightly as Jayce sat beside him. "Keep your eyes closed," he said, and before Viktor could ask why, Jayce was wiping at his face with a cool, damp washcloth.
Viktor groaned nearly as loudly as he'd been moaning through being railed into next week. Jayce laughed softly and began to wipe down the rest of Viktor's body as well, dropping soft kisses in the cloth's wake that made Viktor shiver. His limbs still felt too heavy to move, so he laid still and let Jayce move him while his breathing and heart slowed enough that his chest wasn't aching.
"Better?" Jayce asked when he'd made his way all the way down to Viktor's feet.
Viktor sighed blissfully and opened his eyes to look up at his beautiful, doting partner. "That was better than the sex."
"I'm pretty sure it wasn't," Jayce said. He tossed the washcloth onto the nightstand before he started to arrange himself at Viktor's side.
"It was if I combine it with the fact that you brought it to me so I didn't have to move."
Jayce chuckled and snuggled in close to Viktor's side, throwing an arm over his waist. "Speaking of moving," he said.
"Mm?"
"I think I should move in with you. I know your place is smaller, but most of my stuff can stay in storage until we find somewhere bigger together. And my job is probably going away soon anyway. It makes more sense for me to move."
"You moving will be more expensive," Viktor pointed out, though they'd already gone over these logistics several times. Jayce's house was already big enough for two -- he'd bought it with his previous partner and stayed after she left. Viktor's apartment, on the other hand, would be... cramped. It wasn't much bigger than the hotel suite they occupied now, and it didn't include the maid service.
"Yeah, but you also live closer to my mom. We could drive it instead of flying, probably. That's a bigger savings down the road. Especially once we have those kids."
"Mm, true." If Jayce really was, as suspected, being "encouraged" to leave his position, then it did make more sense for only one of them to be seeking work. Viktor wouldn't mind leaving his current position, but it was secure enough for the moment. And Rio would be much happier not being moved at the same time she was meeting a new roommate. "Your logic is compelling. I will begin clearing some space for you when I get home, then. But," he added, "we must find a larger home before we consider children."
"Yeah, definitely." Jayce nuzzled against his cheek, and Viktor managed enough energy and strength to turn his head for a kiss. "I'm... kind of excited," Jayce said with an almost bashful smile.
Viktor heroically lifted one arm to brush the hair back from Jayce's face. "Good. I am, also."
Jayce admired the view and lifted his phone to take a couple of pictures as the tour bus paused at the top of the rise. "That's really something," he breathed. "What do you think, Vik?"
"Lovely," Viktor said, but it sounded... off.
Jayce turned away from the window. Viktor was sitting very stiffly, and his face was even paler than usual, which Jayce would not have thought possible. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
Viktor sighed a little. "It is nothing to be alarmed about, merely a pain flare."
"I'm not alarmed, I just want you to feel better," Jayce said, though he might have been fibbing a little about not being alarmed. Viktor really did look quite miserable. Jayce didn't like it. "What can I do to help?"
"Nothing." Viktor's knuckles were white, he was gripping the handle of his cane so hard. "I do not have my stronger pain medication with me. I simply must wait it out."
"There has to be something," Jayce said. "Would it help if we got off the bus at the next town? I can get us a taxi back to the hotel, or we can just stay for a while so you can rest without being jostled."
"No," Viktor said. "This is our last full day here. You should enjoy it."
"I'm not going to enjoy it if I'm thinking about you being in so much pain, sweetheart." He realized what he'd said an instant after it was too late to take it back.
Viktor didn't seem to notice, at least.
(Was it weird that they'd been married and fucking for almost a week but Jayce wasn't sure if it was too early for pet names? Probably.)
Viktor was still looking like he was going to try to stubborn his way through this pain, though, which was a bigger problem than Jayce's bad habit of moving too quickly in relationships. "Viktor," he said gently. "In health and in sickness, remember?"
Viktor's mouth scrunched into a petulant moue that was unfairly adorable. "I suppose."
"So in a world where we didn't have to think about the cost or the logistics or anything else, what could I do to help you out?"
With a soft huff, Viktor said, "Invent teleportation so I can go back to bed without having to walk there." He closed his eyes, frowning, but when Jayce took his hand, he laced their fingers together easily, without hesitation. "Triple-strength ibuprofen," he said after a moment. "And, eh... I may need some help walking."
"Of course," Jayce said. "That's something I'd give a complete stranger, V, let alone someone I actually like. And something to hold onto," he suggested, lightly squeezing Viktor's hand, "like you gave me when we met. We weren't even married yet. So forward." He tsked playfully, and it drew a wan little smile from Viktor.
"There's a rest stop coming up soon," Jayce added. "You can teach me the best way to help you walk, and I'll find a drugstore or something for the meds. Okay?"
Viktor squeezed Jayce's hand and then leaned in, letting his head rest on Jayce's shoulder. "I will be okay," he agreed. "Thank you."
Jayce kissed the top of his head. "All part of the package, babe."
Viktor made a dissatisfied noise. "No, I don't like that one. Sweetheart was acceptable."
The boarding announcement jolted them out of their conversation. "I guess that's me," Jayce said reluctantly. They both stood up, and fell without any hesitation into an embrace. Jayce's arms held Viktor almost too tightly to breathe. Viktor didn't protest, because he was trying to squeeze Jayce back just as hard.
"Two weeks' notice at work," Jayce said, like a mantra, "and then a week to pack and get the house on the market."
"Maybe two," Viktor reminded.
Jayce grunted. "Maybe two," he allowed grudgingly. "But I'm calling my real estate agent as soon as I get home to get them started. I don't want to wait a whole month to be with you again. Three weeks is bad enough."
Viktor hummed his agreement. "You have your stress ball, for the flight?"
"In the top of my bag," Jayce said. "It won't be half as good as holding your hand."
"Just don't flirt with your seatmate like you did with me," Viktor teased gently.
"I would never," Jayce said, mock-offended. "I'm a married man." He squeezed Viktor even tighter. "I'm going to miss you," he whispered into Viktor's hair, and his voice broke a little.
"I know," Viktor said. "I will miss you, too, miláčku. Now kiss me and go before you make me cry, also."
"I'm not crying," Jayce said, wiping tears from his cheeks before they could roll into his beard. He kissed Viktor, then, slow and tender and perfect, then pulled away just enough to rest his forehead against Viktor's. "It's too soon to say it, isn't it?"
"Probably," Viktor said, though he longed to say it, too, and to hear the words that lived in his heart.
Jayce sniffled. "Can I say it in three weeks?"
Viktor peeled himself reluctantly out of Jayce's arms. "You may say it the instant that you arrive at my door," he promised.
Jayce picked up his bags and then backed slowly toward the boarding line. "Text me when you get home tonight?"
"Of course." Viktor had to grab his cane with both hands to keep from reaching for Jayce again. "I will see you soon."
Viktor stood at the departure gate and watched as Jayce showed his boarding pass and was waved through to the breezeway. At the last moment, he turned back to look, his gaze finding Viktor's unerringly. He blew a kiss, and Viktor swallowed hard before he returned it. He watched until he could no longer see Jayce at all, then went to the window and watched Jayce's plane until it took off.
"I'll see you soon," he whispered, and finally turned to find the gate for his own flight home.
> Viktor: How was today's drive?
> Jayce: Boring as hell actually
> Jayce: This is the middle of nowhere
> Jayce: I think I saw a total of ten other cars
> Jayce: And six of them were at this motel
> Jayce: I'm actually shocked I have cell service
> Jayce: How was your day?
> Viktor: Rio is furious that I have been rearranging her furniture
> Viktor: The plan is still for you to arrive tomorrow?
> Jayce: Of course
> Jayce: It has been 3 weeks and 2 days, I'm not adding yet another day!
> Viktor: It is a long drive. I would rather wait another day than have you fall asleep at the wheel
> Jayce: No way I'm falling asleep when I have something as exciting as you to think about ❤️
> Jayce: ...sure you don't want me to call you for phone sex?
> Viktor: I am sure. And no cheating, either
> Viktor: I want you *panting* for it when you arrive
> Jayce: That's going to be the case no matter what
> Jayce: But I'm getting up early so I should go try to sleep
> Jayce: See you tomorrow, sweetheart ❤️
> Viktor: Tomorrow ❤️
> Viktor: Sleep well, lásko
"I do not know why we need a chore chart," Viktor said, frustrated. "We are both adults. We both know what chores need to be done. We are both capable of doing the chores that must be done. Surely they should merely be done by the person who first notices the problem."
"Yeah, I can tell you haven't lived with anyone since college," Jayce said, equally as frustrated. "It prevents hard feelings!"
"I am having some hard feelings right now," Viktor muttered.
Jayce made himself pause and take a few deep breaths. "I don't understand," he said, striving for calm, "why this idea bothers you so much."
"Because it is not necessary," Viktor stressed.
"We have a lot of things that aren't necessary," Jayce pointed out. "Plants and books and art on the walls and, and sex. You're okay with all of those things! "
"Books are very necessary," Viktor argued, but he drew himself up short and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I don't-- Because we are adults, and chore charts are for children who are incapable of regulating themselves."
Jayce considered the way Viktor's lips pinched. This was, he thought, tied up with some internal rule Viktor had about not being childish. "It doesn't have to be a chart," he tried. He reached out, asking, and was relieved when Viktor took his hand. "Sweetheart. Pumpkin."
Viktor's nose wrinkled. "Weird."
"Sugarbuns."
"Thin ice," Viktor warned, but the corner of his lip twitched upward.
"Doll."
"No."
Jayce grinned. "It doesn't have to be a chart. It can be a spreadsheet. Or just a list we keep in our heads. The point is to make sure we're not taking each other for granted."
Viktor blinked. "Do... you feel that I am taking you for granted?"
"No, of course not. I'm home all the time; I don't mind taking on a little extra work. But when I find a job, then we'll both be tired at the end of the day. It gets easy to just shrug something off as I'll do it later, and then suddenly I'm mad because there are three bags of trash waiting to go out to the bin that you walk past every morning on the way to the bus stop, and you're mad because I haven't done the laundry in three weeks. Or... whatever."
Viktor examined Jayce's face. "This happened to you with Mel," he guessed.
"It's happened with everyone I've ever lived with," Jayce said, suddenly feeling tired. "I don't want to have that fight with you."
"Mm. I am still not certain it is needful, but I suppose if it will ease your worries, then I can learn to live with it. We are not putting it on the fridge, though."
"Shared doc," Jayce promised. "A spreadsheet taking into account the frequency, average amount of time involved, relative grossness, likelihood of setting off your allergies, and the severity of consequences if it's left undone for three days, a week, or a month, depending on desired cycle."
"Relative difficulty for each of us based on our individual disabilities," Viktor added.
Jayce kissed Viktor's forehead. "Whatever you want, love."
Viktor leaned into him. "I want us not to need a chart to accomplish everyday tasks," he said, still a touch petulant. "But I suppose it will be good to be in the habit, so that we can model shared responsibility for our children, someday."
"Speaking of which," Jayce said. "You have a long weekend coming up, and... My mom wants to meet you."
Viktor's eyes widened. "We have only been living together for a month," he said.
"And as of next weekend, we have been married for two months," Jayce said. "She thinks it's time."
"Your mother was very opposed to our marriage," Viktor pointed out.
"She thought I'd stopped taking my meds and had gone off the deep end again," Jayce corrected. "The fact that we're still together has calmed her somewhat. She'll feel even better after she meets you, I promise."
Jayce felt Viktor draw in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I suppose I must meet her eventually," he capitulated. Then he narrowed his eyes at Jayce. "That is two wins for you in a row."
"Because I'm always right," Jayce said, straight-faced.
Viktor snorted derisively and poked Jayce in a ticklish spot to make him squirm and yelp. "I get to win the next one," Viktor said.
"Mm. We'll see. I think you're still ahead on points. But... We need to make sure we're on exactly the same page about what to say to her when she asks about kids. Otherwise she will be relentless."
"¡Mijo!" The woman drawing Jayce into her arms was tall and poised and beautiful. The resemblance to Jayce was immediately obvious, even if her skin was a shade darker, her eyes brown to Jayce's hazel, and her dark hair streaked with a distinguished-looking steel gray that Jayce's had yet to acquire.
Viktor hung back nervously while she greeted Jayce. Jayce's casual confidence that Sra. Talis would adore Viktor seemed overly optimistic in the face of this elegant woman, but he had to impress her. She hadn't approved of Jayce's marriage to Viktor, not without reason, and they'd only been together for two months, now. She was likely still very wary.
But Viktor had fallen for Jayce so fast it seemed absurd, and while he was confident that Jayce felt the same, he didn't know how much her opinion would sway his husband.
Jayce was very fond of his mother, Viktor had gathered.
Viktor could not lose his husband to his mother-in-law's disapproval.
So. He would impress her, or die trying.
"Mamá," Jayce said, when her fond scolding ran down, "I want you to meet Viktor. My husband." He gave Viktor a smile that was probably meant to be encouraging and reassuring, but mostly just made Viktor's stomach tie itself into knots as Jayce's mother turned her sharp, curious gaze on Viktor.
"Señora Talis," Viktor said, fighting to keep the nervousness out of his voice, "I am honored to meet you."
"Viktor," she said, and smiled -- it looked exactly like Jayce's smile, wide and earnest. "You will call me Ximena, yes? I am happy to meet you as well, finally." She didn't embrace him the way she had Jayce, but she did pull his head toward her to plant a quick kiss on either cheek, and then didn't let go as she looked directly into his eyes. "Jayce is happier than he has been for a very long time, now," she told him. "Since the accident, certainly, but even before that, there was discontent and sadness within him. He was not well."
"Mom," Jayce protested.
She ignored him and continued, "I admit that I worried, at first, that this impromptu marriage was yet another manifestation of this darkness. But every time I have spoken to him, these last weeks, I have sensed a quiet joy and a peacefulness to him that he has not had for years, and I know that I must have you to thank for that. And I can feel the love between you, strong and certain. I think you must have been fated to be together, and I thank the gods, now, for sending you to him, when he needed you most." She kissed his cheeks again, and finally released him.
Viktor's face felt warm, though he rarely blushed. He didn't think he'd had much to do with improving Jayce's mental state.
Jayce had jumped in on Viktor's prank of his own volition, after all.
On the other hand, if she had decided that he and Jayce were some kind of soulmates blessed by the gods... Viktor would take it.
"Jayce has been very good for me, also," Viktor assured her. "You have raised a wonderful man, intelligent and kind and generous." He glanced at Jayce -- furiously blushing -- and smiled warmly as he turned back to her. "Thank you for raising him to be the man I love. And thank you for welcoming me into your home."
She beamed at him. "So polite. You could stand to learn a thing or two from your young man, mijo."
Jayce rolled his eyes where she couldn't see him. "I knew you'd like him," he said.
"Of course I do," she said briskly. "If for no other reason than that he is the one you have chosen to spend your life with." She took a step back and suddenly eyed Viktor critically. "Too thin, though." She glanced at Jayce. "You, also. You are working too hard, still, I knew it. Come, both of you, and have some soup. You can put some meat on your bones while we discuss important matters."
Viktor glanced at Jayce, who shook his head and shrugged.
"What important matters?" Jayce asked as they followed her into a spacious, warm kitchen. There was a large pot already steaming on the stove -- waiting for them, apparently.
Ximena waved both of them toward the kitchen table and went to the cupboard to take down bowls.
Jayce glanced at his mother, then rather pointedly pulled out a chair for Viktor.
Viktor suppressed a laugh as he sat, and let Jayce take his cane to hang on the back of the chair for him. "Thank you, Jayce."
"You are not fooling me, cariño," Ximena said as she ladled soup into the bowls. "Get the bread from the oven and cut it for us, before you sit down."
"Yes, mamá." Jayce rolled his eyes again for Viktor's amusement before turning to obey. He retrieved a large loaf of bread and selected a knife from the block on the counter before repeating, "What important matters?"
"When you have had some food." She placed a bowl in front of Viktor, then another at what he had to assume was Jayce's place. The soup looked good and smelled better, almost more vegetables and meat than liquid, including what Viktor recognized already as Jayce's favorite hot peppers. Her next trip to the table brought spoons and glasses of water, and then Jayce set down a plate with the sliced bread.
Jayce's hand trailed comfortingly across Viktor's shoulders as he took his seat, and he reached for Viktor's hand under the table, squeezing it lightly as they began to eat.
The soup tasted even better than it smelled. Viktor was careful to compliment Ximena's cooking, and she smiled proudly as she watched them eat. She did not have any soup herself -- she had eaten not long before they had arrived, she said -- but did indulge in a slice of buttered bread.
They were almost exactly halfway through the meal when she brushed off her hands and said, "Now. Where shall we hold the wedding?"
Viktor nearly choked on his mouthful of bread, and Jayce froze like a deer in the headlights, staring at her in shock.
"We're... already married," Jayce said cautiously.
"Yes, I am aware. And you explained the circumstances, so I know now why you did not have a real wedding then -- though it is still very perplexing to me. However." She fixed Jayce with a particularly stern look. "I have not told your abuela of this. I am certain you can imagine how she would react. So there will be a wedding." Her tone brooked no refusal, though her expression softened a bit when she turned to Viktor. "Tell me about your family, querido. We must make certain to include them as well."
"Ah..." Viktor glanced at Jayce, but he had put his hands over his face, and offered no assistance. "My parents have passed," Viktor told Ximena. "I am not in close contact with the rest of my family."
"Well, we must at least invite them," she said firmly. "Even if they decide not to attend. Now, do you want to pick a date and find a venue that's available then, or pick a venue first and find out what dates they have open?"
"Neither," Jayce grumbled into his hands.
"Good point, mijo. We should select several venues so we have a wider range of dates to choose from."
Jayce pushed his remaining soup toward the center of the table, folded his arms in the cleared space, and dropped his head onto them in obvious despair.
Mildly amused, Viktor reached out to rub soothing circles on his back. "I think," he said slowly, "we should choose a date very close to that of our actual marriage, so that we are less likely to be caught in a mistake, in the future."
Jayce grunted in what Viktor was fairly certain was agreement.
Ximena smiled. "Good. I assume you are going to insist on me doing most of the footwork?"
"Yes." Jayce said firmly, still not lifting his head.
She nodded. "I have some brochures already. Wait here, and I will get them."
She bustled out of the room. Jayce whimpered and then sat up. "I regret everything," he whined.
Viktor laughed as he took Jayce's hand and folded their fingers together. "Hopefully not everything."
Jayce immediately pulled Viktor's hand to him so he could kiss it. "No," he agreed. "Not everything."
10 years later...
Viktor tucked his carryon into the overhead bin and double-checked his seat assignment: 18-F.
There was already a woman sitting in 18-E.
"I'm so sorry," Viktor said. "I wonder if you might be willing to trade seats? I was hoping to sit next to my husband."
Jayce leaned in from behind him to tell the woman, "You don't have to move." He shoved his own carryon into the bin and then put his hand on Viktor's shoulder. "Sweetheart, we talked about this. It's really okay if we aren't sitting together. Especially on this first leg."
"I know that, but it doesn't hurt to ask," Viktor said.
The woman was watching them with a spark of amusement in her eyes. "I don't mind moving," she told Jayce. "I'd rather sit on the aisle anyway."
Viktor considered asking her to take the window -- Jayce' bad leg did better if he could use the aisle to stretch it out a little -- but Jayce's grip on Viktor's shoulder tightened, just a little, and he said, quiet but firm, "Don't, V. It's just a few hours."
Viktor sighed a little, but backed up a bit to let the woman slide out of the row, and then he and Jayce slid into seats E and F. "Thank you," he told the woman as she took the aisle seat. "I would not normally make a fuss, but the trip is for our anniversary."
"It's no problem," she assured him. "Congratulations."
Jayce snorted. "You absolutely would normally make a fuss," he said in an undertone, even as he fished his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it.
"Rude," Viktor said, but it came out far too fond to be chastising. He glanced down at Jayce's phone, and let out his own sigh. "Are you texting your mother again?"
"Mom hasn't been alone with both of them before," Jayce said, "and Naph is a handful."
Viktor rolled his eyes. "What do you imagine you will be able to do if she admits to being overwhelmed, lásko? We are already on the plane." He reached over to cover Jayce's screen with his hand. "Besides, she raised you. She knows how to deal with a handful already."
Jayce made a face, but let Viktor take the phone away and tuck it back into his shirt pocket. "I just worry," he said, slumping as much as the narrow space would let him.
"I know," Viktor said. He tucked his arm through Jayce's and wound their fingers together. "But Ama and Naph are at our home, where everything is familiar, and they adore your mother. They will be fine. Besides, she or one of the kids would have to be in the hospital before she admitted to any difficulty whatsoever."
"You're right about that," Jayce agreed. He lifted Viktor's hand to kiss the knuckles.
"You two are adorable," the woman next to them said, smiling. "How long have you been together?"
"Ten years," Viktor said. "We are going to the same place we had our honeymoon."
"That's so sweet," the woman said.
"I still say there's time during our layover to stop at the chapel and renew our vows," Jayce said.
The woman blinked at him. "There's a chapel in the airport?"
"There is," Viktor confirmed, and squeezed Jayce's hand gently. "As it turns out, there definitely is."