Chapter Text
It's been a long day. Viktor's been on his feet way too long. He should be back in his quarters right now, asleep, or at the very least horizontal. Can't remember the last time he ate, either...not that food is terribly appealing right now. He grazes a hand down his front, over the slight swell at his midsection. Hey, kid. Right...that's why he's still here after hours. Man up, Viktor, just tell him already.
Suddenly Jayce strides in from the back room, trailing that distinctive ozone smell that comes with magic, and clearly frustrated. "Uncoupled both transistors and it still didn't work," he grumbles. He blows past Viktor to the chalkboard; without thinking, Viktor spins around to follow him. Bad idea. The whole room spins, and his stomach with it. Viktor sways. Grips his cane with one hand, the edge of a table with the other. Jayce is still talking. Focus, Vik. Don't puke on the lab equipment.
"...but maybe if we cross-linked the secondary and tertiary manifolds, that would cut down on the feedback? It's got the recursive matrix built in, so some of that power would get shunted back into the injectors..." Jayce glances back at him, and Viktor manages a weak nod. That seems to be encouragement enough for Jayce, who turns back to the blackboard and his soliloquy. Viktor, meanwhile, leans his hip on the table to steady himself. "...still leaves the problem of sustaining those frequencies long enough to get a standing wave, but your new equation might cover that..."
Viktor barely hears him now. There's a rushing in his ears, and a sparkling static falling over his vision. He knows what comes next. He moves himself away from the table so he won't hit it on his way down.
"Ah, Jayce...?"
"Yeah, hang on --"
"Jayce, I don't know how to tell you this, but, ah..." Viktor doesn't even get the full sentence out before it hits him. The room spins, and he just manages to turn so he won't hit his belly before his vision blinks out.
Jayce turns around just in time to see Viktor crumple to the floor. He swears and drops his chalk with a clink to dart around the table. Viktor's already swimming back to consciousness, and blearily tries to sit up.
"Take it easy, I gotcha." he props Viktor up against the wall, moves his cane back within reach. "You okay?"
"Trashcan," Viktor croaks.
"Wh --"
"Trashcan --" Viktor lunges past Jayce, grabs the closest wastebasket, drags it to him and promptly loses what little was in his stomach. Jayce winces. Viktor coughs, wipes his mouth on the back of his hand, and groans.
"So," says Jayce, sounding hesitant, "when are you gonna see the doctor about that?"
"I don't need to," Viktor croaks.
"Vik..." there's an admonishing note to Jayce's voice. Viktor shoots him a sidelong look.
"I don't need to, because I know what's wrong."
Jayce frowns, then a look of concern passes over his face. "Is...is it the thing, the..?" he gestures vaguely with his leg, indicating Viktor's brace.
"Cerebral palsy. No, it's non-progressive, I've told you several times." Viktor sounds distracted; he drags a hand through his hair.
"Okay, then what?"
Viktor sighs. Might as well rip off the proverbial bandage. He looks at Jayce, then at the entrance to the lab. ''...Close the door," he says softly. "We need to talk."
Jayce looks even more concerned now, but does as he's told. Viktor is still sitting on the ground when he returns. Looks up at Jayce, who folds his long legs under him and sits. For a moment Viktor debates just telling him, but a visual aid is probably better...he sits up a little and begins unbuttoning his vest. His boyfriend frowns. Then he starts on his shirt, and Jayce actually blushes.
"Wh -- hey, are you sure you wanna do that in the lab-?"
Viktor rolls his eyes. "Calm down, you heathen. Even if I did, I wouldn't." he undoes the last button on his shirt and lets it fall open. Underneath is a girdle, laced at the side. He pushes the waistband of his pants down a bit and unlaces it. As soon as it comes loose, he exhales and draws his first deep breath in hours as he's finally able to relax some. And when he relaxes, something else becomes apparent...he cups his belly with one hand as the baby settles. Jayce looks him up and down.
"You gained some weight?" he shrugs. "that's a good thing, you're so skinny."
Viktor looks to the ceiling and laughs. There's no humor in it. Jayce Talis, you are the stupidest clever man I have ever met.
"What?" Jayce looks vaguely offended. Viktor looks back at him.
"I'm pregnant, Jayce."
Jayce stares. Viktor stares back.
"...You're -- you're pregnant?" Jayce echoes. "As in...having a baby?" Viktor nods, and Jayce laughs nervously. "Holy shit. I'm...you've rendered me speechless. That might be a first. How, though? I mean, I know how, but...I didn't think you could get pregnant, with the thing, the - the palsy?"
Viktor rolls his eyes, mostly fond. "I'm not sick. The problem is up here," he taps his head with a finger. "The rest of me is fine."
Jayce makes a vague noise of understanding, although he probably doesn't. Machines and magic are his thing, not people. "Well, no wonder you passed out...we gotta get you to a doctor. How long have you known?"
Viktor winces internally. Time to drop the other shoe. He fidgets with the laces of the girdle. "...Six months?"
Now Jayce stares. Several emotions pass across his face in quick succession -- anger, shock, hurt, surprise. "Six months?"
Viktor raises his hands, placating, and goes to explain, but Jayce plows ahead.
"Why the hell would you not tell me for six months, V?? Is -- is it not mine or something?"
Viktor bristles. "Of course it's yours. I resent that implication."
"Sorry, sorry, I just -- I can't think why else you'd keep something like this a secret?"
"Because I didn't know how you'd react!" the words come out sharper than he meant. Viktor sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "...look, I knew if I told you, you'd want to be responsible for once, which would probably mean withdrawing from the project to support me, and I can't let you do that. Not when we're this close to a breakthrough."
"So, what, you figured you'd just go about business as usual and hope I won't notice when you're all --" Jayce mimes the shape of a pregnant belly over his own, an exaggerated arc. Viktor huffs out a sigh.
"I was going to...go away for a while," he says haltingly. "'on assignment from the Dean'. Give up the baby, then come back to finish the project."
Jayce is quiet for a minute. "You can still do that," he says.
"I wasn't asking your permission."
"I mean, I wouldn't be upset if you did. If that's what you're worried about." Viktor says nothing; Jayce tries a different angle. "Is that what you wanna do?"
Fuck, he picked up on that split second of hesitation. Viktor looks down at the floor and quietly says "No. That's...also why I didn't tell you. I didn't know if you would want that, and I didn't want to make you choose." they're not even together, not officially. They've only gotten as far as exclusivity and occasionally spending the night in each others' quarters.
"You know," sighs Jayce, "we could have avoided this whole conversation if you'd just told me at the beginning." it's meant to be teasing, but comes out a little flat. "I mean, I get why you did it, but I am a little hurt that you felt like you couldn't tell me."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not upset." they'll have to talk about that later. Not now. "Honestly, I'm impressed that I didn't even notice for this long. And I've even seen you naked!" he laughs awkwardly.
Viktor snorts. "I was starting to wonder if you should get your eyes checked."
A pause. Jayce glances at Viktor. "...You seriously want to do this, though?" his voice is soft. "You...you wanna have a baby with me? I mean, this is a big deal, V. You know that, obviously, but -- this is a big deal. Knowing what your health is like and all, I don't wanna put you in danger."
Viktor stares down at his belly and says nothing. Even now, six months in, it's a weird, frightening headrush of a thought that he's actually pregnant. He's having a baby. He looks up at Jayce. "Of course I do. Obviously it's a big deal, but...we can do it. I can take a break from experiments, work on theories and calculations so I won't be directly exposed to the magic. I can still work."
Jayce drags a hand down his face, scraping over the stubble. "Well, I'm honored." his voice wobbles a little, slight enough to be undetectable by anyone but Viktor. "Surprised that you'd wanna do this with me, but -- I'm honored." there's something bright in his expression now; he leans over to Viktor and plants a kiss on his cheek. Viktor makes a show of squirming away from it, so Jayce chases him down for another before letting himself be pushed away. "V, I am...well, shocked right now, but happy. You've made me very very happy."
Viktor smiles, a little shy, brushing his bangs back. He still feels gross, and the room bucks dangerously when he turns his head. But he came into the lab today fully expecting that he'd leave minus a boyfriend and plus a broken heart. He makes grabby hands at Jayce and when Jayce obliges, places their hands on his belly. Jayce huffs out a laugh.
"Oh, wow. Hey in there, kid."
Taking advantage of the position, Viktor bows his head to bump their foreheads together. They'll make it work.
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