Chapter Text
“Viktor’s birthday is approaching, isn’t it?” Heimerdinger asks, shuffling through books and papers on his desk. He says it so nonchalantly, as if he’s remarking upon the weather.
Jayce stops his writing, glancing at Heimerdinger. “I guess it is.” It’s a half-assed response. If he were braver he’d admit that he actually doesn’t know when Viktor’s birthday is, but he doesn’t say anything.
Heimerdinger continues their conversation about safety procedures for the theoretical hex gates, and Viktor’s birthday is forgotten. They decide on a date for the presentation of the hex gates prototypes, just before the new year. Jayce thanks Heimerdinger, and he leaves.
~~
Later, in the lab, he stares at the calendar and wonders which day is Viktor’s birthday. It’s almost winter, the new year is almost here, just two more months. Scary how fast time flies.
When Heimerdinger said Viktor’s birthday is ‘approaching,’ how soon is that? A couple days? A few weeks? Next month? Gods know that Heimerdinger’s perception of time is different and ‘soon’ can mean a shit ton of different things.
The door to the lab swings open, and Jayce hears the click of Viktor’s cane as he walks in. Without turning around, he swings a lazy hand towards the designated ‘no science’ table. “I got sweetmilk, it should still be warm if you want some.”
Click, click, click.
“Thank you, Jayce.” Viktor sounds tired, almost winded.
Jayce turns around to look at his partner. He wants to ask if Viktor’s okay, express concern, maybe give a playful jab, ask him why he’s been gone from the lab for so long, abandoning their beloved hex gates. None of that happens. None of that happens because Jayce, a foolish, ignorant little man, chokes on his next words.
Viktor looks thoroughly fucked.
Jayce wishes it would be in a bad way. He wishes that Viktor strolled into the lab looking tired and overworked and like shit, because Jayce knows how to deal with that. The consequences of being chained to the lab and to science are familiar. He knows how to comfort Viktor with sweetmilk and bully him into taking a nap. That’s all routine at this point, a familiar dance he and Viktor go through.
Viktor looking like he’s just finished getting fucked is not familiar.
His clothes are rumpled, not from sleeping in them, most certainly not from any form of actual sleep, instead crumpled from wandering touches and pulling hands and needy grips. His hair is a mess. His mouth is still too pink from kisses, raw with it, and Jayce nearly dies when he sees a hickey on Viktor’s throat, just above one of his moles.
Jayce can picture it –– too easily, too clearly –– the way Viktor would be pinned against the wall, kissed roughly and given no space to breathe. His cane would drop to the floor, clatter inelegantly, and he’d be held steady by warm hands, protected, loved, brutally swathed in kisses. Jayce would hold him steady, hold him close. Jayce would––
“Jayce?”
He’s staring. Fuck, he knows he’s staring but he can’t stop.
“You okay?” Jayce asks, and it’s the worst set of words that have ever slipped out of his mouth. He winces, because Viktor is obviously fine , superb even, gloriously wonderful.
Viktor chuckles and walks over to the ‘no science’ table, picking up his mug of sweetmilk. “I feel like I should be asking you that. You seem a little… empty headed.”
Jayce whirls his head away and tries to fight down the blush he knows is burning on his cheeks. “It’s nothing. My brain was beaten to a pulp after talking with Heimerdinger.” Yes, that’s a good excuse. Logical. Believable.
“Ah, I see.” Viktor takes a sip of the sweetmilk and sighs happily. It’s not a sound Jayce hasn’t heard before, but fuck, Jayce can only imagine Viktor making that sound in a very different context, involving wet mouths and warm hands and an array of other inappropriate sounds.
“Thank you for the sweetmilk,” Viktor continues, unnoticing of –– ignoring –– Jayce’s panic. “I appreciate it.”
“Of course,” Jayce says, more on instinct than anything else.
Viktor walks over to his desk and flips open his notebook and begins to science away. “So, about Heimerdinger’s request to include an emergency halt button…”
~~
Jayce can acknowledge the fact that he doesn’t know much about Viktor. He doesn’t know his birthday, doesn’t know his inclination towards men or women or neither, doesn’t know about any childhood pets or family members. He can’t really answer all of those ‘best friend’ questionnaires that Caitlyn badgers him with.
But he still knows Viktor.
Viktor wiggles his head when he makes a joke, his eyebrows shooting up smugly, as if he’s just said the most intelligent thing. He makes a very self-satisfied huff when he bullies Jayce about his atrocious handwriting or his silly little signatures at the bottom of every page –– it’s not silly, it’s scientific integrity and accountability, thank you very much –– and he also teases Jayce about his oh so neat drawings and diagrams.
Jayce knows that Viktor has an atrocious sweet tooth that could destroy all of Runterra if allowed. Sweetmilk is more of a bloodline for Viktor than an enjoyable delicacy, and the coffee he drinks isn’t actually coffee, it’s just coffee-flavored sweetmilk. Jayce also knows that Viktor doesn’t tend to look where he’s reaching when he’s focused on something else, so his hands will grab anything vaguely cylindrical and drink whatever is inside it. He also knows that Viktor will not spit out Jayce’s black coffee when he expects sweetmilk, but he will slam down the mug and curse very loudly once he’s swallowed it.
He’s familiar with the space Viktor takes up, standing next to him by the blackboard or sitting down at the tables. He knows how Viktor will shuffle underneath Jayce’s arm to correct a mistake in his maths, or rewrite a messy theory while Jayce prattles on about the next steps. He knows the surprising sturdiness of Viktor’s cane, as it smacks at his ankles when Jayce doesn’t make room fast enough.
Viktor is no stranger to Jayce, and he’s engrained himself into Jayce’s life more easily than expected. He can feel his own body reacting to Viktor, pulled in by the gravity of Viktor’s being. He hands over pieces of chalk without a second thought. He instinctively moves back to protect his battered shins. He begins writing equations down for the second half of a problem while Viktor furiously scribbles away at the first part. And the gravity pulls at Jayce’s eyes and his hands and he thinks he understands everything about Viktor, until he doesn’t.
~~
Viktor is late.
Jayce hopes that Viktor has just slept in and actually slept instead of actually doing work inside his apartment. He’s tempted to just let Viktor sleep –– if he is sleeping –– but he’s really late. It’s almost noon. And Jayce is worried and lonely, because he’s a needy prat who wants to rant to Viktor about Heimerdinger’s latest limits on the hex gates.
So he’s outside of Viktor’s door, waiting for a response. He’s knocked loudly, twice, and he can hear movement inside, so he’ll wait for Viktor to open the door. He’ll make a joke when Viktor opens it. Poke and prod about getting drunk on sweetmilk. Maybe immediately start groaning about how Heimerdinger has made yet another demand on safe-guarding the hex gates against disaster and explosions and the death of millions, as if a small ship could actually hold that many people.
The door opens.
Jayce grins. “V, you do know what time–”
It’s not Viktor at the door. It’s someone else, a man, well, maybe a man. They’re incredibly androgynous, fluid between man and woman, both sharp and soft and handsome and beautiful and very much not Viktor.
“Hi, can I help you?”
Jayce stares.
They’re pretty. Very pretty. Thick blonde hair cascading over their shoulders, hiding their body, their body covered by nothing but a towel, their very naked body which is still wet from a shower, bath, sweat? They’ve got sweet dark eyes and soft pink lips. They look soft to touch, smooth like silk, gentle like a lover.
They cock their head to the side, laughing a little. “You okay, mister?” They have the same accent as Viktor.
He’s just staring at them like an idiot . “Um, I’m… I’m Viktor’s partner?” Why does he say it like a question? “Is he okay?”
The person laughs, sweet and playful, and they look so nice and friendly and Jayce has never felt more guilty about hating someone. “You must be Jayce . Vitya’s told me all about you.”
“ Vitya? ” Jayce chokes out.
Click, click, click. “Sasha, I told you that I’ll get the door.” He sounds fond, loving, happy.
The person, Sasha, opens the door more, and Jayce sees Viktor. He looks pristine, fully clothed, hair combed, and he looks well-rested for once. He doesn’t looked like he’s just had mind-blowing sex with this lovely person and Jayce is hopeful for a moment. Maybe they’re just friends.
“Vitya~” They sing and plant a chaste kiss on Viktor’s cheek. “It’s just Jayce, not some scary professor like little Heimerdinger.”
Viktor catches Jayce’s eye and his face burns. Maybe they spent the entire night fucking and now they’re playing house. Jayce immediately tries to banish the thought. He can’t think about Viktor like this, like that, sweet and doting and loving. It feels wrong.
“Jayce,” Viktor sounds a little shy, hesitant.
There’s a pause, heavy and thick in the back of Jayce’s throat. “Uh, hi.”
Sasha laughs, and they pat Jayce’s shoulder, although they’re too short to actually reach his shoulder comfortably, so they actually just pat the side of his arm. “Vitya will probably never let me speak to you again, in fear of all the dark secrets I may spill–”
“Sasha–” Viktor tries to protest.
“So I’ll say this now,” they continue, a sweet smile on their face. They step closer to Jayce, smelling like strawberries and soap. “Thank you for taking care of Vitya. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy.”
That is… not what Jayce is expecting. He thought he’d hear something along the lines of a threat . ‘Stay away from Viktor, you filthy Piltie’ or maybe even ‘if you dare think filthy thoughts about him again, I’ll kill you.’
He didn’t expect them to say that.
They lean in even closer. They lean in like they’re about to spill some filthy secret, a wicked smile curling onto their face.
Click, click.
Jayce hears Viktor advancing, closing in, but Sasha is quicker.
“He really does love you.”
Viktor tugs on Sasha’s shoulder and shoves himself in front of them, batting them away with his cane. “Enough with your devilry. Jayce, sorry for being late. Let us get going now. I’m sure you can fill me in on what I missed.”
Jayce nods, any words stuck in his throat, and Sasha waves them goodbye with a flick of elegant fingers. Viktor’s tugging at his arm, almost barreling down the hallway, the click of his cane menacing.
He’s beautiful , Jayce thinks. Viktor has this lovely furrow in his brows when he’s grumpy. His eyes narrow and flash gold. He pouts when he’s upset about something, but not the kind of upset that makes Jayce worried. The kind of upset that occurs when they’re out of sweetmilk or when Jayce insists on having Viktor sign his notes. His lips purse like a petulant child who demands anything and everything, the mole on the corner of his mouth pushed upwards. Jayce wants to kiss it. Has Sasha kissed Viktor there?
“Jayce? Jayce.”
Viktor’s talking.
“Jayce, are you listening to me?”
Jayce has not been listening to him.
Viktor sighs and rolls his eyes, his head tilting with the movement. “Of course you’re not listening.” His accent is thicker when he mutters to himself, the syllabus pressed together. “You’re Jayce Talis, you only have time for your own thoughts.”
“I’m not that egotistical,” Jayce mutters on instinct, and Viktor laughs.
“Of course not,” he says. He tugs a little harder on Jayce’s arm. “Anyways, as I was saying , I think we don’t need to focus on the ships for the hex gates. The hex gates themselves should be able to transport anything, so the ship doesn’t matter, the gates matter. Heimerdinger is…”
~~
Jayce stares at his bedroom ceiling.
He really does love you.
The hell does that mean? Was Sasha threatening him? Telling him to stay away from Viktor? To not encourage whatever semblance of affection Viktor has for Jayce?
Jayce thinks about Viktor’s smile, his pout, the thwack of his cane hitting his ankles. A little egotistical, don’t you think?
Jayce groans and shoves his face into the pillows.
~~
He dreams about kissing Viktor’s pout away, and he knows Sasha will have to kill him.
~~
“Vitya, have you seen my notebook?” Jayce is bent over diagrams for their first hex gate, due to open in a couple of weeks , and he’s very pissed off about Heimerdinger’s request for last minute changes to the frame. Apparently it doesn’t have enough reinforcements, and he’s about to kill the professor if he has to make one more safety check. Hextech isn’t that dangerous, for gods’ sake.
There’s a loud clatter, the sound of Viktor’s cane falling over, and Jayce spins around in his stool. “V, you okay?”
Viktor is fine, still sitting in his own chair, but he’s leaning over, trying to reach his fallen cane. He’s flushed.
“V?”
Viktor reaches his cane and puts it beside his chair again, still flushed. He stares at Jayce, a little wild in the eyes, trying to stare into Jayce’s brain. “Did Sasha tell you to call me that?”
Jayce blinks. “What?”
Viktor shakes his head and blinks a few times. “Did they tell you to call me Vitya?”
Sasha most certainly did not, but if Sasha, dearest Sasha could call Viktor something so affectionate, Jayce was damn well going to try it on Viktor himself. “I mean, they called you that, so I… I figured it was a nickname.” Was it something only lovers called each other? That sort of nickname? Was it something people who spoke his language did? “Should I not call you that?”
Viktor shakes his head, slowly closing the notebook on his desk. “No, it’s fine, I just…” He glances at Jayce. “I didn’t expect it. That’s all. I’m used to you calling me V.”
~~
Sometimes, Jayce feels like he knows jack shit about Viktor. Every time he asks about Sasha, Viktor brushes him off, changes the subject, or, flat out ignores him. It hurts, just a bit.
“Jayce I don’t have time for gossip .”
“It’s not gossip! I’m just curious. You two seem close.” Jayce doesn’t think about the way Sasha might hold Viktor tightly in a loving embrace, kiss him on the cheek again and again, kiss him elsewhere, kiss him everywhere.
“They’re a friend, and a menace. Now, about the reinforcements Heimerdinger requested, it’s going to shift all of the maths because of the extra weight,” and he’ll ramble on.
~~
The hex gates open with brilliant success. The blimp is launched, the people cheer, a devastating amount of champagne is drunk, and everyone is happy. People pat Jayce on the back and he plays the respectable golden boy, dragged around by Mrs. Kiramman and Councilor Medarda. He smiles, and everytime someone congratulates him, he hears Viktor’s voice in his head, a little egotistical, don’t you think?
Fucking bastard. Viktor’s hidden himself somewhere in this ridiculous crowd, and Jayce is hellbent on finding him, as soon as he can escape the crowd himself. They all have golden hands clinging to his shoulders and wrists, almost pawing at him, and while he’ll happily bask in their praises, their eyes and hands are a bit much. He feels much more like a thing and like it’s his body that’s being picked apart, not his mind. He’s flayed on a board, pinned there by the coins of his benefactors, and he hates this part of the success. The ass-kissing he has to do.
The people tell him ‘oh how we adore you’ and it’s a load of bullshit. He knows. He knows this isn’t adoration and love. He’s a face on a poster, at this point. Viktor loves pointing the mugs out, and he’s already purchased one for himself. It’s horrible.
Jayce just wants to celebrate with Viktor in their lab, or maybe head back to one of their apartments to relax. Drink sweetmilk and tea together. He wants Viktor to pick apart his brain and his jokes and do shitty maths on a spare blackboard. When Viktor says ‘oh how amazing you are, Jayce,’ he knows it’s sarcastic, but he also knows the happy gleam in Viktor’s eyes and the stretch of his crooked mouth.
Viktor says ‘wonderful, beautiful Jayce’ in his blueprint diagrams and in between the lines of frustrating maths for hex gates. He says ‘incredible, perfect Jayce’ in the detailed notes about hextech runes. Jayce hopes Viktor can hear the ‘flawless, darling Vitya’ in Jayce’s notes and everytime he talks about their hextech dreams.
Some woman is talking to Jayce right now, a friend of a councillor, her lips purple with wine and her eyes sharp with greed. “I can’t believe someone as young as you could accomplish so much on your own!” She’s singing praises but Jayce knows she’s just looking for the next good investment for her deep pockets.
“Well, I didn’t do it on my own.” Jayce knows the next lines he’s supposed to recite. How he couldn’t have done this without the patronage of the Kirammans, the support of the council, the guidance of those like this woman he’s talking to.
But he’s also tired of not having Viktor’s cane clicking next to him, the solid steel hitting his ankles when he’s said something stupid.
“Hextech is the dream I share with my partner, Viktor,” he says, and he doesn’t say it shyly, offhandedly, so quickly that it could be forgotten. Viktor hates these eyes and hands which touch and look at too much, but these people better know Viktor’s name and legacy. “The hex gates are as much as my creation as they are his.”
“Your partner!” the woman says. “And where is he? He should be at your side.”
Jayce agrees, but he smiles. “He’s probably been kidnapped by one of the professors.”
The woman gasps, almost scandalously, and Jayce laughs. She takes his arm, the nails on her fingers almost like claws , and she pulls him into the crowd. “Please, let us find your partner, I do wish to speak with him.”
So they push the crowds at an agonisingly slow pace, and Jayce quietly prays that Viktor hasn’t actually left the party. It’s still early, but Jayce knows Viktor will use his cane and leg to get out of any situation that doesn’t involve a certain level of mathematics or sweets.
“Tell me, what house is your partner from?” The woman asks, and Jayce has to bite down the wince.
“He’s not from a house,” Jayce admits.
The woman nods. “I see. A more humble beginning. That only makes the story of his success more grand, don’t you think?”
“I suppose,” Jayce says.
“Do tell then, what is his family name? I’ve only ever heard your name being associated with the hex gates, House Talis .”
Jayce smiles sheepishly, and he tries to give her an answer, about to say that Viktor doesn’t have a family name, but that isn’t true. Of course Viktor has a family name, he was born into someone’s family.
The woman glances at Jayce expectantly, and Jayce can’t say anything, because he doesn’t know Viktor’s fucking last name.
In his notes, it’s always signed Viktor and Jayce Talis. Viktor always just signs ‘Viktor,’ nothing else. Sometimes he’ll just pen ‘V’ into his notes, and Jayce will badger him about signing his note properly, and Vitkor will sigh and groan about Jayce’s massive ego.
The woman is staring at him and he says the first thing that pops into his mind.
“He doesn’t come from a house but he’s a part of House Talis now,” Jayce says, running on instinct and the power of bullshit. He tries what Viktor calls his ‘winning smile,’ although Viktor doesn’t genuinely think the smile to be winning, he’s often expressed his deep hatred for that smile.
The woman gasps a little. “Oh, I’m sorry, I should have realised! Of course he’s a Talis if he’s your partner .”
Jayce breathes a sigh of relief and very rapidly changes the subject.
When they find Viktor –– a good 20 minutes later, Jayce is horrified to realise –– the woman waves at Viktor and trots over to him. Viktor looks like he’s about to bolt, but he sees Jayce and seems to sigh, resigning himself to this fate.
“Mr Talis, it’s so good to finally meet you!” the woman says, shaking Viktor’s hand. Viktor raises a brow at Jayce but the woman ploughs on, not letting Jayce speak. “Your husband was telling me about your plans to build hex gates in Noxus and other countries, it’s amazing! My House originally was from Noxus, and…” she blabbers on, money in her mind.
Viktor shoots Jayce a very confused look and Jayce can only stare back. Viktor has that damn pout again and Jayce nearly forgets that the woman has called Viktor his husband. Husband .
At some point in the conversation, Jayce has situated himself to be next to Viktor, and after a long conversation about promising to keep in contact with the lady and to notify her about the hex gates planned for Noxus, they’re alone.
Viktor’s cane thwacks Jayce’s ankles and he yelps.
“V!”
Viktor whirls on Jayce, his cane clicking sharply, and he’s leaning into Jayce’s space in a way that’s so familiar that Jayce doesn’t even think to actually lean back, only shuffling his feet a little to make room for Viktor’s cane.
They’re nose to nose. Viktor’s still pouting and fuck Jayce is obsessed. It’s the kind of pout that usually is the start of a sign of a stern lecture, and for a horrifying moment, Jayce wants to kiss that pout away. He’ll repent at Viktor’s feet and he’ll have his knees bashed in but he needs to kiss Viktor.
“You’re not listening again.”
Jayce flicks his eyes back to Viktor’s eyes. He’s staring.
“Sorry?” Jayce tries to apologise, sheepish, but he knows what’s coming next. He grits his teeth and the cane whacks his ankles.
“Why did she call me your husband?” Viktor narrows his eyes and the words come toppling out of Jayce’s mouth.
“It’s not my fault,” he says, and Viktor only gives him that lifted unimpressed eyebrow. “Someone asked for your family name and I had the horrifying realisation that I don’t know it,” Jayce admits quickly. He hates it, how easily Viktor makes him speak. “I didn’t want to admit that out loud to a bunch of old people with deep pockets so I just… I just said that you’re a part of my family. They then interpreted it to be being a part of my family, via marriage. I didn’t say anything about being husbands. I promise.”
Viktor huffs. “I believe you.” He looks a little less angry now, the pout easing away into a smile. “But you’re a fucking idiot.”
Jayce winces. “I know.”
“Good.” Viktor shuffles backwards, out of reach, out of Jayce’s orbit. “Can’t let that ego get out of control.”
Jayce groans. “Can we please let go of the ego jokes, it’s getting old.”
“Of course not,” Viktor huffs, smug and evil with his glowing eyes. “There are mugs with your face on it, Jayce. There are posters for Janna’s sake, and you want me to drop the ego jokes?”
“Husband dearest, you wound me,” Jayce says, and he’s relieved when Viktor laughs.
~~
Viktor signs his notes ‘V. Talis,’ now. Jayce pretends not to notice, but Viktor still wiggles his head and gives him that smug expression whenever Jayce makes him sign their notes.
Jayce wants to ask about Viktor’s last name. He wants to ask about Sasha, ask if Sasha is the one who leaves him red hickies and kisses him sweetly, if Sasha is the one he tells everything to.
But he doesn’t ask. Ignorance is bliss, and he lets himself bask in what little he has.
~~
Sasha is in the lab. They’re dressed to the nines, a beautiful pink dress accented in gold hugging their body, the frills and silks hinting at a slender waist and strong thighs.
Viktor is not in the lab, Jayce realises, when he enters the lab to find Sasha sprawled across the couch, reading through one of their notebooks.
“Sasha?”
They spring up out of the couch, delighted and running towards Jayce. For a moment, he thinks that they’re going to jump into his arms and he panics, but they only skid to a halt in front of him and smile wickedly.
“So he really does sign all of his notes as V. Talis, now, huh?”
Jayce flushes and moves deeper into the lab, pulling out his work for today. “So he told you about the husband incident.” Has Sasha come to kill him?
Sasha laughs. “I managed to weasel it out of him.”
Jayce nods, swallows. “Are you, uh, used to that? Weaselling things out of him?”
“And you aren’t?” Sasha twirls carelessly in the room, planting themself onto a desk.
Jayce shrugs, his hands flicking through his notes and trying to find the blueprints for their next project, yet another hex gate. “He’s usually the one weaselling things out of me. Everything I figure out about him is more by accident than anything else.”
Sasha groans dramatically. “Vitya’s like that, isn’t he?”
“Well, I figure you’d know that better than I do,” Jayce says. He honestly doesn’t know how Sasha and Viktor interact, but Sasha seems to know so much and seems to easily invade Viktor’s space. “Since you two are… close.”
Sasha blinks at him, their smile dropping as they squint at Jayce. “What do you mean, close?”
Jayce suddenly feels very terrified. “Together, I mean,” he scrambles. This is probably where he gets the shovel talk, he figures. Stay away from my Vitya , Sasha will say, and Jayce will have to beg for forgiveness and put an end to this whole ‘V. Talis’ nonsense and never ever look at Viktor again. “The whole Viktor Talis thing was an accident, I swear. Someone else misinterpreted my words and I didn’t manage to correct them, I’m very sorry about that.”
Sasha huffs. “Why are you apologising? And what do you mean ‘together?’”
“Aren’t you Viktor’s partner?” Jayce asks. Aren’t you the one who left him bruised and kissed and flustered?
“Aren’t you?”
Jayce hopes that on the outside he’s some semblance of calm. That he looks properly guilty and repentant. Because on the inside, there is nothing but whatthefuckwhatthefuck on repeat.
The lab doors open, and Jayce nearly sobs in relief.
“Sasha?”
“Vitya!”
Click, click, click.
Viktor is angry, but it’s a new kind of anger. He’s… embarrassed. He stalks towards Sasha and is bashing them with his cane and they’re laughing loudly. They look happy together. Comfortable. Familiar.
“Aleksander, I will kill you ,” Viktor hisses, and he thwacks Sasha’s ankles. He whirls on Jayce and hobbles towards him, the cane clicking loudly. “Whatever this menace said, forget it. You heard nothing. Anything they said is false and twisted and–”
“I didn’t say anything!”
“Quiet,” Viktor hisses.
Jayce lifts his hands in surrender. “They didn’t say anything. It’s fine. I think I got the message anyways.”
Sasha sighs. “No, golden boy, trust me, you did not get the message.”
“Aleksander,” Viktor warns, but Sasha is running on quick feet and leaping at Jayce. They land on Jayce’s desk, and they grasp his shoulders very firmly.
“Stop your pining,” Sasha says sternly, ignoring the click click click approaching both of them. “He loves you too.”
Viktor’s cane smacks into Sasha’s head and they yelp loudly, scrambling away.
“Remember what I said, Jayce!” They yell, running towards the door. “Kiss him! On the mouth!”
Viktor chases Sasha out, his cane clacking against Sasha’s poor bones –– Jayce is deeply sympathetic for them –– and closes the heavy doors with a sigh. He stands there for a few moments, his forehead pressed against the doors, and Jayce’s eyes trail over the line of his body, the tilt of it, leaning into his cane.
He loves you too.
“How long were they in here?” Viktor asks, sounding tired.
Jayce leans against his desk and watches Viktor. “Honestly? I have no clue. I got here a couple minutes ago, and they were already here, taking up the couch.”
“I see.”
Kiss him. Fuck. Jayce wants to. He wants to stride across the wide lab and push Viktor against the doors, hold him close, hold him tight, and kiss him. He wants to hear the cane clatter to the floor and hear that little happy sigh and be kissed and be loved and–
“Jayce.” Viktor turns around, slowly, pivoting on his cane, and he stares at Jayce with those lovely golden eyes, his mouth slowly turning into a small pout. Jayce can hear the cogs turning in his head, calculating.
Jayce stands up and he walks to Viktor. Their lab is ridiculously spacious –– due to Heimerdiner’s concern about their tendencies to make things explode –– and Jayce can feel the gaps between the tiles beneath his shoes. His footsteps don’t click like Viktor’s, they’re more of a series of thuds, and it’s all too loud in this empty room.
When he reaches Viktor, they’re staring at each other, a foot of space between them, and Jayce wants to breach that space, wants to kiss the mole on Viktor’s cheek, underneath his eye.
“I spoke to Heimerdinger about the next set of gates,” Viktor murmurs.
Jayce tries not to be disappointed. He holds in a sigh and nods, understanding. Viktor doesn’t want to talk about his personal life, doesn’t want to share that deep crevice of his heart with Jayce. “Did the council talk about their treaties and shit with Noxus?”
Viktor shrugs with one shoulder. “Apparently. We’re good to go.”
“Really?” Jayce can’t help the little smile that builds on his mouth. It’s a small thing, a small victory. “We can start construction?”
Viktor nods, smiling as well. “And you’re going to love the site the Noxians want us to build the gates at.” His head wiggles and his eyebrows go up. How can Jayce not smile at that?
“It’s the cliffside, isn’t it.”
Click. Viktor chuckles and he walks forward, moving into Jayce’s orbit and passing by his shoulder, close, close enough to touch. “It’s the cliffside. I have the maps for the land’s layout, so we can start looking at how we want to build the base.”
Viktor walks towards one of the blackboards. Click, click. He starts wiping away their old maths with his hand, the white dust flying about, and he looks over his shoulder at Jayce. “Come here, I am not doing all of this. I’m an engineer of machines, not buildings. Two very different things.”
“We have the same area of expertise, V,” Jayce mutters, striding over to Viktor and picking up a piece of chalk. Viktor tucks himself beneath the space of Jayce’s arm, and he unfolds a set of papers and maps.
“You should call me Vitya more often,” he says softly, barely heard over the shuffling of papers. He glances up at the board and begins writing out the dynamics of the site. “I like the way you mispronounce it.”
Jayce throws a bit of chalk at Viktor and they’re both laughing.