Chapter Text
J
The heat from the oven is quick to escape when Jayce opens the door. It surrounds him, clinging to his body, but he pays it no mind. Years of working in the family forge would make anyone more tolerant of the heat. He’s quick to turn off the appliance after removing the casserole dish and placing it on the stove top. The baked macaroni has a beautiful golden color to it, and he can’t help but swell with pride at the sight. That paired with the steamed vegetables he prepared moments earlier, it makes for a simple but filling meal. There’s no doubt in his mind that she’ll like it.
“You’ve been busy.” Thin arms come to wrap around Jayce’s waist from behind. He stills at the contact and looks behind to meet those familiar green eyes.
“I said I’d let you know when it was done.” Jayce pouts. “After the day you had, you need to rest.”
Mel turns to ghost a soft kiss to the nape of his neck. Jayce shivers at the contact. “How can I catch up on rest when you’re not there to keep me warm?” There is a brief squeeze around Jayce before Mel pulls away completely. He doesn’t need to watch to know she’s perching herself on a stool, at the counter behind him. That is her spot, after all. “Besides, I can’t sleep when it smells this divine.”
There is a soft sigh as Jayce removes the oven mitts. “I just want to make sure you’re not overworking yourself.” He pulls a wine glass from a cupboard and helps himself to filling it halfway. “Self care is important. I get that the council will fall apart without your efforts, but you deserve some time to relax.”
Setting it in front of the other, he is rewarded with a pleased smile. Jayce admires her silently as she drinks, eying the form-fitting nightgown and silky robe she had changed into as soon as she got to his apartment hours earlier. It feels unreal that just months ago they were nothing more than acquaintances. Thinking about how effortlessly they’ve meshed into one another's personal lives as lovers makes him smile just a tad.
After some time it is determined that the baked dish is cool enough to eat and Jayce helps himself to serving them both. Only after he gets their dishes put together and pours himself a glass of wine does he sit at the kitchen island with his other half. “Spending time with you is part of my self care. I would lose my head if I did not have you to treat me so well.” Mel’s words have the man fully grinning now, chest swelling with warmth.
*****
M
At first, the two of them are quiet as they eat, comfortable with the silence they share. Eventually they do pick up their conversation. Mel talks sparingly about her day, always adamant to keep discussions of workplace annoyances in her free time to a minimum. Naturally, the discussion flips to her asking how Jayce’s day was. Unlike his guest, Jayce is more than happy to talk her ear off about his day. He basically gives her an itinerary when she asks, but Mel has come to expect that.
Something else she has come to expect is that Jayce talks about Viktor. Like, a lot.
It makes sense; the men do spend all of their time together in the lab. The constant talk and praise of the Zaunite used to make the back of Mel’s neck prickle with jealousy, but she has come to understand that Viktor is a huge part of her boyfriend's life. They are kind of a package deal, after all.
In the midst of Jayce yapping rather excitedly about something Viktor has been working on, Mel doesn’t stop herself from asking. “Does he talk about you like this?”
The question surprises Jayce so much that he stops gushing about his partner in the middle of his story. He blinks, twice, meeting Mel’s gaze for the first time since he started speaking. “Who– Oh, Vik?” He sits back and takes a sip of his drink, considering her inquiry. “I mean, I can’t imagine he has a lot of people he talks to. He’s kind of a loner. But I assume he would mention me too if anyone asked about his day.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Mel shakes her head slowly, placing her fork down on her now empty plate. She folds her hands in front of her, giving the other her full attention. “Let me rephrase: do you think Viktor raves about you as much as you do when speaking of him?” It would be impossible to miss how the question makes Jayce’s eye brows shoot up at the question. It is quickly followed by an awkward laugh.
“I wouldn’t say I rave about him. I just… have a lot to say about him and his work. Hard not to appreciate a brilliant mind.” He falls silent and drops his gaze. Jayce worries his lower lip between his teeth, looking across at Mel with a sheepish expression. “Does it bother you? I’m sorry if it does, I can stop.” He’s looking at her with that sad puppy look she has grown to adore. She can’t deny the way it pulls at her heart strings.
“I don’t mind it at all. It would be wrong of me to ask that of you.” Mel reaches to gently place one atop the back of Jayce’s hands, which he had folded to mirror her image. “It’s rather endearing, listening to you talk about him. Reminds me of a scholar gushing about their crush.”
The comment has Jayce’s cheeks turning a light shade of red. It makes her smile. “Crush?” Another awkward chuckle. He reaches and rubs the back of his neck, self soothing. “Don’t be silly, he’s my lab partner. We’re close friends, that’s all.” Oh, poor boy Mel thinks to herself, watching her lover fluster at her words.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Jayce.” She thumbs soothing circles against his knuckles. “No need to worry, I was only teasing you.”
There’s a pause as Jayce settles down. The tension in his shoulders falls away, visibly relaxes. He returns her smile, taking her hand in his own now. “I’m not uncomfortable, you’re okay.” Jayce very well may be the most honest person Mel has ever met. Hell, sometimes he’s a little too forthcoming with the information he shares. That being said, Mel has no reason to disbelieve him. However, it’s clear that something she said has the gears in his mind turning.
Mel takes it upon herself to change the subject, and it works as intended to clear Jayce’s mind. After some time their conversation comes to a natural ending point and Jayce takes care of their dishes while Mel works on putting the leftover food away. After some time they both return to Jayce’s bedroom.
In the quiet of the room Jayce nestles his cheek against Mel’s chest. Her arms are draped around the others broad shoulders, holding their bodies close together. “Thank you for the meal tonight, it was lovely.”
Jayce hums in response, mumbling a soft “Glad you liked it” against her skin. There’s a stretch of silence, Mel was on the cusp of falling asleep, when her lover speaks again. It was barely a whisper, so quiet it’s a wonder that she even heard it. “I’m… Sorry. If I was weird tonight. Just have a lot on my mind.” She blinks her eyes open to look down at the other. Despite his much larger size, he looks so small here, so timid.
“I could tell something was on your mind, but that’s no reason to apologize. Everything’s okay, darling.” Her fingers find the back of Jayce’s head and comb through the short strands there. She continues to speak over his content sigh. “You don’t need to tell me about it, but you know you can talk to me about anything. I won’t judge you.”
“I know. Please, don’t worry about me.” Jayce snuggles impossibly closer into her arms, his own eyes fluttering closed now. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Mel presses a chaste kiss to the top of the other's head. Her eyes close in tandem with her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. It’s clear that they both need a good night's rest. She would never push him to talk about something, but to say her curiosity is piqued is an understatement. Don’t push him, she tells herself. Whatever it is, he’ll talk to me about it if he wants to, when he’s ready.