runningred | (no subject)

Jay tidies up, pressing a small bandaid over the needle's small cut.

And backs off to give them both time and space, letting them say when they're ready for the next step.

Ragnar is stroking Athelstan's shoulders. "It was a bit odd, wasn't it?"

"You and your understatements."

He leans into the touch, shivering.

"I'm glad it's done with," Ragnar adds, quickly dipping his head to kiss the nape of Athelstan's neck.

Jay perch himself on a bench, gesturing for Athelstan to put on his clothes if the warmth will help. "Hurt like a bastard when I tested it. A bit odd doesn't cover it!"

He pulls his shirt back over his head, accidentally exposing his back to Jay for a moment as he does.

"You tested it on yourself, alone?"

"That can't have been much fun," Ragnar says. "Thank you for that."

Jay shrugs. "I had the drones monitoring. Needed to be sure it would work first."

He spots Athelstan's back but doesn't mention it. All three of them have scars, both good and bad.

"I can pop the receivers in now if you like? That way you can get out of here and be alone if you want to." He doesn't want to intrude on their time together.

He grabs a small injectors, something like a handheld surgical staple gun. "Just roll up your sleeve to where you want it.

Athelstan looks at Ragnar.

"You first again?"

Not quite letting go of Athelstan, Ragnar holds out out his arm and turns it so Jay can easily get at the inside of his biceps.

Jay holds the injector against the skin in the right spot and pulls the trigger. There's a small, sharp pinch that might ache like a bruise and a feeling like these's a splinter under the skin as he pulls back.

He rubs gloved hands over the area, making sure the receiver is in the right spot sub-dermally and cleans the little cut. "There. Just give it a day to knit and it'll be fine. Athelstan?" he swiftly cleans and reloads the injector.

Athelstan nods and holds out his arm as Ragnar did.

"Such a little wound, I can hide easily."

Nevertheless, Ragnar still holds on to Athelstan's shoulder, even for this small thing.

"Give it a day or two, it'll just look like a nasty scratch. Like you caught yourself on something."

Jay repeats the process, swift and efficient, massaging the little pod into the grove between the muscles. "All done."

He took that without so much as a wince. He's had much, much worse pain.

"Thank you, Jay."

"Should we try the out?" Ragnar suggests.

Jay nods and steps back, letting them play with their new toys. "They won't work that well till they heal over. Just a few days."

"Maybe we should wait, then. We don't want to disturb their - settling in."

"Yes, we don't want to risk their functioning in our world," Ragnar says. "It would be worrying if they didn't."

"Try them out so we know they work." Jay nods. "But the signal will be stronger when they're healed in."

"Then it is safe to try them right now?"

He's still worried about disrupting something.

Ragnar presses his receiver, curiosity winning out.

"Oh!"

"It'll be fine. If they shift, we can re-align them easy enough."

He smiles at Ragnar's reaction. "I take it, it works?"

With that reassurance, Athelstan activates his in turn, and his eyes widen.

"Yes, it... it works."

"That is Athelstan's heartbeat," Ragnar breathes, awed.

He can't help smiling deeply into Athelstan's eyes.