longer.blue

══════════════════ STORY EVENT: ⊹ Prudence and Folly ⊹ ⊹ Viktor, Jayce, + Ximena ⊹ ══════════════════ The last day of her visit, Ximena and Viktor sat down at the tiny breakfast table in the living room of their small apartment. Employing a careful choreography, Jayce insisted on taking over the coffee preparation, while Viktor scratched behind the ears of the cat in his lap, engaging Ximena in gentle, morning conversation. The corner was delicately lit by the clerestory windows leading from the bedrooms, with the overhead lights dimmed to allow a softer mood. This was further accommodated by soft jazz from the television speakers, lulling his mother into an inevitable sense of comfort. "Mom...?" Jayce began, placing the aromatic mug of coffee before her (made just the way she liked it - he knew her better than anyone else now. After all, that's why she came to visit on such a sensitive holiday.) He presented a second mug to Viktor, and too, a warm smile. "I wanted to talk to you for a minute before we head over to Caitlyn's." With no third chair available, he stood near Viktor's side, leading her focus to him, while Viktor remained in the picture. Both had already dressed, looking coordinated and neat. Jayce applied subtle product to the ends of his and Viktor's hair, giving them a clean look. The end of Viktor's long hair flipped with an innocent, boyish curl, and Jayce appraised his own appearance as mature, put-together. He dabbed concealer to Viktor's eyes and a hint of highlight to his lids. The result was his natural pout tipping into the truly formidable. A masterpiece, if he were permitted to say so. "Caitlyn and I have been discussing plans, and..." a glance to Viktor, artfully including him in the discussion, "she's bringing her girlfriend over for brunch." "Oh!" said Ximena, surprised. She followed Jayce's eye on queue, though her gaze remained primarily on Jayce. It was enough for him - he wanted her to maintain that image of them together. A pause as she sipped her coffee in thought. "Well, I think that's very nice. I would like to meet her." "I thought you might." Jayce maintained a pleasant warmth, just this side of neutrality. "She's a bit spirited. She keeps me in strict check at the gym. But I think you're going to love her." A tactful caution, wrapped in a pleasant bow. She closed his carefully-phrased distance with a broad smile. "If Caitlyn loves her, then I'm sure I will, too." And everything worked out so flawlessly, so far. Jayce took a deep breath. "Which is why I wanted to also let you know ... I'd like to bring along my partner, too." He gave her time - just two seconds - for his words to set in. Before he could make a move, her eyes flickered over to Viktor, whether to assess or seek out guidance. Jayce leaned over to follow her gaze, and wrapped his arm around Viktor's shoulder. "After all, he's been along every Sunday. We all get along great." Viktor was prepared for this. They’d been through in their planning throughout the week. He knew that this had been the plan, one of the main things they had wanted out there with Mrs. Talis’s visit. And still, as soon as the word ‘partner’ left Jayce’s mouth, he felt his heart leap into his throat. He remained as composed as he could, resisting his self soothing habit of playing with the hair that Jayce had so intentionally taken care of for him that morning, instead settling a hand on top of Jayce’s where it had settled on his shoulder. He had to remind himself that things were still going according to plan - better, even. They had been over this. Just like they’d talked about. “Of course, we would both understand if you’d rather spend your day with family, but while you’re here, I would very much appreciate the opportunity for us to get to know each other properly, Mrs. Talis.” Putting the ball back in her court to react, but still expressing interest, with hopefully as little pressure as possible. Recognition flashed in Ximena's eyes. She looked between the two rapidly, her words caught in what she knew immediately to be Jayce's trap. He was good at this kind of coordination, and he knew it. He puffed his chest ever so subtly, confident. He had to be, or he'd never convince her he knew what he was doing. Viktor, however... It was entirely fair for Mrs. Talis to be caught off guard and need a moment to process. It wasn’t inherently a bad sign. That knowledge didn’t make it any easier for Viktor to keep calm and neutral as he awaited a response. "How could I say no?" she sighed out, resigned, but kind. "I am not going to exclude anyone, least of all my son's other half." Ximena reached across the table then, taking Viktor's free hand into her own. The corners of her eyes crinkled as she met his gaze, an unfortunate truth spilling out in warning to Viktor: "But I must tell you this: He is trouble, meu filho." Viktor's posture relaxed. The previously forced smile eased into something a little more natural. He even laughed a little at her warning. He knew it was true. He adored Jayce anyway. - Then again, Viktor was about to be reminded just how much trouble Jayce Talis could be. With everyone buckled into the SUV, Jayce began the familiar route to Caitlyn's apartment. The relaxed mood continued from earlier, idle chatter coming easy now between the three of them as Jayce drove. Ximena chimed in periodically from behind Viktor, who stared out the window as they went. But ... something had been nagging him since they left the apartment. "You never use Portuguese around me," Jayce muttered during a lull in conversation. "How come Viktor is 'meu filho'?" "Nobody speaks Portuguese in America, Jayce." Ximena spoke in a tone that said they'd covered this information before. "That's not... entirely true. And so what? It's part of who you are, Mom." The question of language seemed like a fair one to Viktor. It wasn’t really his place to intervene, there. Jayce had told him a little about his struggle to engage with his and his mother’s culture. It made sense to be frustrated about being further removed from it. Viktor's eyes flicked from the landscape back to his partner as they took a wrong turn. "I think you missed the exit." Jayce met his eyes, then locked his focus back on the road. He felt the sharp jolt of anxiety, his heart clenching at Viktor's proper assessment. "We're uh, meeting at a different spot." Viktor shifted in his seat, looking properly at the other. Was Jayce avoiding eye contact, or just trying to make a show of safe driving for his mother’s sake? “…Where are we meeting…?” “The…” Jayce hesitated. He could get away with pulling the stunt on his mother earlier. Viktor was a different beast. “…Kirramman Estate.” Where Cassandra and Tobias Kirramman would be not only present, but joining them for brunch. He'd pointedly neglected to inform Viktor of this detail, knowing how he might respond with his absence instead, given the opportunity. Viktor stared at Jayce, deadpan. “…The Kirramman Estate.” His eyes darted to the rearview mirror, spotting Ximena in the back seat. He wouldn’t raise hell around her. Once they dropped her off at the airport later, though… His gaze shifted straight ahead to the road in front of them. “…We’re going to talk about this, later.” Jayce swallowed, fingers gripping the wheel just a bit tighter. He nodded as his nerves crawled to life underneath his skin. "Of course, Viktor," he chirped, as believably unbothered as a feral colony of hosed-down felines. "Whatever you need to talk about." He caught the sight of his mother's pursed lips in the rearview window. "Sorry I didn't mention it earlier. It must have slipped my mind."