runningred | (no subject)

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.

Jay grins, glad to see them enjoying the moment. Makes the pain off testing worth it.

Athelstan's is a little faint, but steady and quite easy to feel.

"Thank you again, Jay", he says without looking away from Ragnar.

"Yes, thank you so very much," Ragnar adds.

"No worries, guys. I hope that helps." He gives them a gentle wave. "Go, enjoy."

"Back to our rooms?" Athelstan asks Ragnar.

"Yes," Ragnar says. "Can we have a drink, Jay, or would that interfere with anything right now?"

They should have one. And then, snuggling, feeling each other's heartbeat first-hand while they still may.

"You can do just about anything you want. Just keep the little wounds clean till they heal over. Other than that, you're good."

"We'll be careful", Athelstan promises, and reaches for Ragnar's hand.

Ragnar squeezes back, smiles gratefully at Jay, and then turns his eyes back to Athelstan with that expression he sometimes has, as if Athelstan hung the moon.