[for Five] - Set for December 1st at Kagura

[fifthbeatle]

Even though Five won't go skiing with him, Viktor accompanies him to Kagura. Elio is the featured artist. Klaus and Luther are already there. Viktor would already be there himself, but an orchestra friend had a string-related emergency and Viktor bailed her out. The music shops are closed, but Viktor is a regular and kind customer -- and he's helped out nearly every musician in the city at one point or another. They're his community, responsible for a sizeable chunk of Viktor's happiness. 

The rest of it comes from his family and friends, his home, his rockin' bod and Five, now a category of his own. If you ask Viktor, the best part is that very little has changed at all. Things went back to the way they were before Five's last ill-fated jump. The long library talks are back -- a thing Viktor missed more than he knows how to express -- with some great upgrades. Instead of sitting in catty-corner on their respective couch and chair, they sit beside each other. Sometimes, instead of saying goodnight at the end of the day, they retire together.

Not like that. They haven't even kissed.

Viktor is untroubled by their glacial pace. He's grateful for it. It lacks the gnawing mania of his two most significant relationships, one a lying psychopath and the other a pipe dream, a fantasy. He doesn't worry about waking up tomorrow to a changed thing. Most of the time. Five does have a habit of taking off, but the man doesn't use his powers like he used to. Those three years alone in Empty Darrow fucked him up and good.

Obviously, when they arrive, they go straight for the alcohol. It's what they do. Viktor grabs two hot drinks and hands one over to Five. He looks out the mayhem, incredulous.

"Never a dull moment," he murmurs at the rim of his glass.

Comments

[number_five]

Five had visited Kagura, however briefly, every winter that he's been in Darrow so far. Mostly, it's for a lack of anything else to do, but he's found at least a little amusement at watching people realize the mistletoe seems to have a mind of its own.

This year, his attendance is all Viktor's fault. Five very quickly vetoed any suggestion of skiing-- he's been around too long and seen too many traumatic ski injuries, even wile jumping through timelines-- but the festivities in the hotel lobby are entertaining enough. Plus, as Viktor has helpfully reminded him, there's alcohol.

They should probably all rethink their relationship with it.

"I think you just described the city in general," Five replies, taking the glass from Viktor.

This has all come easy, a simple transition between them that feels like it should be more difficult. More than anything, it just seems like they're spending more time together these days. It's nice.

[fifthbeatle]

In agreement, Viktor clicks his glass against Five's. He grins quietly at him, then drinks. The beverage is warm and sweet and strong. Is it possible one of these insane co-eds spiked an already-spiked drink supply? Or is that a weird trope that doesn't actually exist? Viktor wouldn't know. He didn't exactly spend his university years pitching burning goats into hot tubs.

"Remember when you got picked up and whisked off by a gargoyle?" Viktor sure does, and sure, it's all good humor now. Two years ago, Viktor has been here less than a month and he'd been fucking terrified. The threats of old were much more comic book villian and much less mid-century gothic horror.

Now that Darrow bullshit has been the norm for a couple of years, Viktor can confidently say that he'll take 1 million ice bees over one fucking week back in Reginald Hargreeves' orbit anytime.

[number_five]

"I recall no such incident," Five replies, though he very vividly remembers his own miscalculation, how overexerting himself playing the hero had nearly led him to be carried off into the mountains by some weird creature.

Truth be told, he'd handled worse, but he was still really fucking annoyed by it all.

"Just know, if any shit like that happens again, I'm leaving everyone to fend for themselves. No more saving old ladies."

[fifthbeatle]

Viktor nods along as if he believes him, lips pulled into a belying quirk of irony.

He also doesn't believe that Five wouldn't try and help, if he could. Five values life. It's the people part he's still figuring out.

"So, that's a no on the annual Darrow AARP blood drive?" Viktor clarifies, expression unchanged.

[number_five]

"More like a 'hell no"," Five says, but he's amused at the joke, even if there's a bit of a sting that comes with it. Maybe he's not the 14 year old he was when he first came through a portal straight from a mission, but he's convinced now that the odds of ever getting his correct body back are slim.

Jokes aside, he's going to have to take the long way to AARP membership.

He finally takes a sip of his drink, making a face at it. "Well, at least if either of us have to drive home, there's no chance we'll be the least bit impaired."

[fifthbeatle]

Viktor doesn't think about it much on his own, the complicated age situation. Obviously it happens, they spend most of their time together, and what Viktor sees is so very much not who Five is. He knows the feeling.

Mostly, it bothers him when it bothers Five. There doesn't appear to be a solution -- and if there were, Five is the only person who could come up with it. Viktor can't help.

He closes the minimal space between them, his shoulder to Five's. A small, barely detectible show of support. He doesn't have to know what he's thinking, he just knows when he is.

"Try mine," Viktor says, swapping their glasses. He likes a stiff drink, but not as much as Five, and not as stiff as whatever he picked up. When he takes a drink, he makes a similar face. "Maybe this is just cider."

[number_five]

Five takes Viktor's glass without hesitation, eyebrows raising in approval when he takes a drink. "That one is definitely just cider," he says, gesturing to the drink he'd surrendered.

He notices when Viktor closes the space between them-- there's not much he doesn't notice-- and appreciates it. They haven't taken the time yet to to really discuss the age discrepancy between them and what it means now, but it's obvious Viktor knows it's on his mind.

Maybe tonight is the night for it. Perhaps not. Maybe they both just need more to drink first.

"Want me to get you a new one?" he offers.

[fifthbeatle]

He almost says no. I'll do it myself is an age-old response, born out of necessity. But since Five offered...

"Yeah, that would be great," Viktor says softly, his smile faint and adoring. An impulse kicks up, growing more familiar the more time they spend in each other's orbit. New-Me Confidence can only afford him so much when he's not sure he's ever received a clear sign that Five thinks about kissing him, too. He would have noticed, Viktor thinks. He's good at noticing most things.

Like how Five enjoys closeness. Like how their family pretends not to notice. Like how Viktor is going to have to drive them home because he can count on one had the number of times Five has used his powers since the summer.

Instead, he bumps his shoulder affectionately against Five's before moving away. "I'm going to say hi to Oliver. I'll catch up with you in a second." He ducks the impulse again and heads over to his friend for a brief greeting.

[number_five]

"Sure," Five says, and he watches as Viktor walk away. Truthfully, he's had the same thoughts Viktor has, the same impulse on a number of occasions. But age and recent miscalculations on Five's part have led him to be more cautious in nearly all aspects of his life as of late.

This seems too important to screw up, somehow.

But maybe that's exactly what he's doing.

He turns to head back to the bar, both thankful that he looks more convincing for a fake ID these days and resentful that he has to use one in the first place. It doesn't take very long before he's headed back to where Viktor left him standing, a fresh drink for his companion, and a second one for himself.

[fifthbeatle]

Five and Oliver must get along, he thinks. They must have met by now. Maybe that was the previous Oliver. Either way, Viktor makes a note to mention it.

"Thank you," he says. No sooner does he reach for the drink that a handful of krampuses rush from the hallway they're in toward the bar. The crowd strafes them and Viktor and Five get pushed back about five feet. Viktor's drink is a causality, but he moves quickly enough to spare his clothing in the spill.

"Jesus," Viktor murmurs. Maybe he's not meant to drink tonight. He glances at Five to check and make sure he's dodged the spray. It seems so, and Viktor aims himself in the direction of the bar to get a towel and a third attempt at a drink.

Nothing happens when he tries to move. His gaze shifts up to look at Five and he sees it: the Goddamn mistletoe.

[number_five]

"Hey! Watch it, assholes!" Five shouts, and it's purely an impulse that makes him quickly jump away in a flash of blue light. It's ridiculous, but he's been more cautious with his power as of late. He knows there's no correlation between jumping from the library of their home to the kitchen, but he's cut down on it nonetheless.

Five checks his suit, which seems thankfully dry, but Viktor's drink seems to be toast.

"See, I told you we just should have stayed home..." he says, but the last word of his sentence trails off when he follows Viktor's gaze up above to the tiny red and green culprit. Shit.

[fifthbeatle]

Honestly, Viktor is relieved to see Five jump. Past iterations of the man would have done well to be more cautious. This one has a surplus of it. Until now, Viktor was afraid that maybe Five couldn't jump.

Setting the two options side-by-side, he's not actually sure which is worse. Was it Five's confidence that was affected by the last botched temporal shift? Or, are these growing pains of sorts? Courage can live alongside caution -- something Viktor had to learn.

Viktor's face is hot. He's pinned to the spot, drinkless, trapped. Five doesn't move. Viktor doesn't speak.

Suddenly, it seems so juvenile. Regardless of actual age, Five's in his emotional infancy. Viktor is maybe barely in his teens -- and when he loses it, the damage amounts to much more than a broken hinge on a door petulantly slammed.

It's been a long time since he lost control. Or took a risk. Too long. Is it even a risk when it's a kiss to break a spell from a man he spends half of his day sitting far too close to?

Viktor holds a steady hand out in invitation. A corner of his mouth quirks with a question -- a friendly your move in the chess match they've been playing for far longer than adults have any right to.

[number_five]

"I knew I hated this place," Five says under his breath, frowning. He's not sure if Viktor heard him, but figures some clarification is needed either way. Mostly because he look on his face isn't nearly as excited as it ought to be.

"This isn't how I wanted this to happen," he says. Five understands that he's been dragging his ass and that Viktor's been more patient than any person should be. And maybe he should be used to living at the whim of something deciding his fate for him. Outside of Darrow, it was the Timeline. Here, it's enchanted mistletoe.

Maybe he's just gotten used to being able to make his own decisions these days.

[fifthbeatle]

"I wasn't sure you'd thought about it," Viktor admits where he wishes a joke had been.

This conversation was coming, one way or another. Viktor was prepared, he thought, for anything. Not to be invisibly sequestered. In the middle of a crowded room.

Maybe he could call Klaus over. He'd risk chaos, but save himself the embarrassment of being rejected in public.

His outstretched hand retreats and so does Viktor behind crossed arms. A familiar sight for sure, lacking only the convenient curtain of hair. Noplace to hide. Unable to run. This conversation has to happen now, before they can solve Viktor's problem.

Whether by patience or stubborn force of will, Viktor finds courage again.

"You're so careful about this -- u-us." Damn. Perfectly steady until now. "I thought maybe it was too weird for you."

[number_five]

"Viktor, my last boss was a talking goldfish. I don't think weird has the same definition for us as it does for other people," Five says, mildly amused at the thought for a moment, however dead A.J. Carmichael may be now.

Either way, it's only a temporary reprieve from the seriousness of the conversation. Of course he's thought about it. Constantly since either of them first decided to actually acknowledge that they had feelings for one another. He thought about it on days he was alone in an empty Darrow, even if he wasn't quite sure he'd make it back to the present at all.

Five is aware that things have changed slightly since that day he jumped back in time. But in the ways that matter, they haven't changed at all.

His slight smile falls and he takes a breath before he speaks again.

"We're... we're taking a risk here. And if it all goes wrong... I don't think I can handle losing you again."

[fifthbeatle]

There's nothing Viktor can do but shake his head in disbelief. That Five's head is filled with many doubts, regrets is no revelation. The notion that Viktor's rejection is now among those deep-set constellations seems equal parts ridiculous and amazing to the man.

Their whole clan is so bad at this part. Viktor and Klaus lead them in matters of the heart, and Viktor's feels like his only just started beating a handful of years ago.

He has to stretch his arm a little longer than is strictly comfortable to reach him, but Viktor manages to catch Five's fingers with his. He tugs to get enough to hold his hand.

"You won't," Viktor promises, confident in the math leading up to the sum. As far as Viktor knows, the only thing around with more power than the Hargreeves is the city itself -- and even that hasn't succeeded in splitting all of them apart for too long.

"Because I'll still be here. Trapped under magic mistletoe." A smile breaks out, brilliant with an anxious fray. It's unclear for which of them Viktor finds himself squeezing their hands.