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Viktor checked himself in the mirror for the millionth time, and he still couldn't figure out why he didn't feel alright with himself.
His nice white and red suit was free of any crease, his face was clean and freshly shaved, his hair was fluffy and leaving a soft scent around him, he looked good, truly good for once in a while, yet Viktor felt like something was off. He kept glaring at his reflection, trying to find an imperfection to blame.
Not like he didn't have any; he could've easily just thought of his leg, his bad posture making him look like a shrimp after standing for a little too long, the big bags under his eyes, the ridiculous amount of moles scattered around his whole body.
But the feeling was deeper than something he could easily point out like that. Viktor didn't want to admit it, to not fall into an endless spiral of thoughts, but he didn't feel like he was enough.
Jayce gave him that perfect suit, tailored especially for him. It was absolutely beautiful, with a soft white buttoned shirt, a dark red jacket with golden details, the soft pants following the same pattern, and the clothes were so warm and comfortable, there were even soft paddings under the armpits, where Viktor would have to keep his crutch.
And then there was the golden icon of his hammer engraved right at the height of his heart.
Viktor liked those clothes, he loved them, and loved the thought of Jayce wanting to give him a clan to be part of. A name.
But all of that, the house Talis’ colors and icon on him, didn't feel right.
The more he stared at his reflection, the more Viktor felt like just taking everything off and staying home. Yet, his sense of rightness was winning over the one of shame. Jayce invited him to that important gala with all the richest people in Piltover, a gala organized by the council after they successfully inaugurated the fifth hexgate earlier that week.
The last thing Viktor wanted was to be in a room full of rich fucks who didn't actually give a shit about what him and Jayce did, and just about the money they were bringing to Piltover, but when Jayce asked, that morning, with his stupid puppy eyes and his stupid pretty face, Viktor couldn't just say no.
And then Jayce made that suit deliver at his house in the afternoon, as if he already had the box ready under his bed and was just waiting for Viktor to give in and say yes.
Sighing deeply, Viktor turned his head to glance at the white crutch laying on his bed, with red handles and golden details, with the Talis’ hammer engraved on it as well.
His eyes fell down on the one he was currently leaning against, dark brown, used and chipped, not comfortable at all. He didn't try the other one yet, but he saw and felt the handles were covered with soft paddings as well when he made it fall onto his bed.
Viktor sighed deeply, moving to sit on the mattress. He grabbed the other crutch and kept it up in front of him, catching every little detail about it. It was truly elegant and beautiful, light weight, ergonomic and, to Viktor's surprise, it looked like it was built to match his height, his posture, as if to make it as comfortable as possible for him to use.
As if it was made by hand, with immense cure for every little detail. Viktor made it pass from hand to hand, twisting and turning the crutch, until he noticed another golden mark, but under the handle where his hand would wrap around, unable to be found by anyone else if not him or who made the crutch.
Viktor made the crutch lay on his lap to take a better look, and saw Jayce's handwritten sign under the handle. Viktor's chest warmed up with a feeling he was familiar with, yet he was putting off acknowledging it for the sake of his job. His thumb slid over the sign, as a little smile made its way on his lips.
“Possessive idiot..” and with that statement, Viktor decided there was no more room for contemplating. He was going to that gala, even if that meant exposing himself.
He couldn't turn Jayce down like that, especially not when he went overboard and made a whole damn personalized crutch for him. So he pulled himself up, grabbed the nicest coat he owned, put the crutch under his arm, and began to leave his small house.
Viktor ignored the feeling that was still hiding deep down in his chest, the one that kept haunting his thoughts with questions and doubts. For once, Viktor was glad for his ability to hide himself well enough to not make anyone around him catch on.
When Viktor arrived to the place, the gala had already started. He made his slow way down the hallway, heading to the big silver doors that were left open, and Viktor could already see the big ballroom was already filled with people. He could also hear them talking, laughing, see them drink champagne and wine.
Viktor tried to put on his best non-awkward smile as he made his entrance. A couple of heads turned, Viktor felt several pairs of eyes on himself, sticking to his skin, to his clothes, judging.
So he did the only thing he could think of. He snitched a glass of champagne from the first server that passed by and took a long sip, feeling the liquid warm up his throat with a nice burn.
Yet, the few eyes on him didn't disappear, and instead got more intense. Viktor already wanted to turn around and leave. The lights were too bright, the music was soft in the background, but mixed with the voices and laughs of those hundred people, was making his ears ring. It was hot; too warm, too many bodies forced to stand so close together.
Viktor shook his head slightly and forced himself to take a deep breath. “Focus,” he whispered to himself, his gaze shifting around trying to find the only face he was familiar with.
Viktor moved around carefully, trying to squeeze past people and turning his head trying to find Jayce, but the more he looked the more all those faces started blending together, looking all the same, the sounds started to feel muffled inside his ears, his head was starting to spin and his breathing got quicker–
“Viktor!” the sound of the familiar voice made the noise stop in his mind, and suddenly a hand was wrapped around his wrist and Viktor was squeezed between a couple of bodies. A second later, he was pulled against a big warm chest, covered with the same colors as his own suit and the mark of a hammer embroidered on the buttoned shirt.
“You came!” raising his gaze, Viktor forgot how to breathe for a second. The pure joy on Jayce's face was the best thing Viktor had ever seen. The big smile showing his slightly crooked teeth, the corners of his shining eyes forming a couple of happy wrinkles, as his irises took the shade of freshly picked honey under the bright lights of the ballroom. His hair was slicked back, even if a couple of traitorous strands of his chocolate hair still escaped and rested at the side of his forehead.
“I.. I did. It's nice to see you, mr. Councilor.” Viktor gave him a soft smile, stepping back to not be 𝘵𝘰𝘰 close in front of all those judging eyes. Their matching clothes were already enough to make people talk.
As if to underline the fact, Jayce slid a gentle hand on his shoulder and down his back, resting his warm palm on Viktor's lower back. “And you wore the suit I gave you. It means a lot to me, thank you.”
Jayce's smile almost made Viktor forget why he hated those kinds of events. His presence was making him feel like it wasn't too bad, after all. Yet, Viktor kept feeling those prying eyes all over him, scratching at the back of his neck, clawing down his back, trying to take his soul away from his body.
How could Jayce not see it? That everyone was staring at them. Or was it the usual for him, to have all those eyes fixed on him?
“Ah, well, thank you for this suit. And the crutch. They're really nice. If it wasn't for the brace ruining the image..” Viktor sighed softly, instinctively reaching down to touch his thigh, tapping his fingers on the grey metal of his leg brace, that he had to put over the pants because the fabric was too tight to put it underneath.
“What the hell are you talking about? You're absolutely stunning, Vik, really. The brace is part of you, and doesn't ruin anything at all.” Jayce smiled even wider, going to grab his hand gently.
“You think so? I just, it kind of feels like.. I mean- your house name on me..”
“You don't like it?” Jayce's expression changed in the fraction of a second. From smiling to uncertain, regretful.
Viktor was just as quick to shake his head. “No! I mean, I do like it. I like it a lot. It's just.. Weird. Y'know?” he gave Jayce a little awkward smile, hoping he didn't fuck up too much.
Thankfully, Jayce's lips curved upwards once again. “It's okay, I understand. You'll get used to it, don't worry.” he winked at him, making Viktor's cheeks heat up just slightly.
“I.. I hope so, yeah.”
“How do you feel about this?” Jayce made a little sign with his head to the rest of the ballroom, then smiled softly at him and pushed with his hand on his back gently, to pull Viktor a little closer to him and have a conversation only they could hear.
“Like a fish out of the water.” Viktor let out an awkward chuckle, then filled his mouth with the remaining champagne in his glass.
“I know this isn't your kind of stuff, and I'm sorry, but I'm so happy to see a face I actually like around here. Having you here tonight means so much to me, Viktor.” Jayce smiled and gently pulled the empty glass away from Viktor's hand and rested it on a server's tray, then picked up two full ones.
Viktor accepted the glass Jayce offered him with a smile. “You like my face? Jeez, Talis, you're not discreet at all.” he giggled and made their glasses clink together, watching as Jayce blinked at him with that stupid smile of his.
“Oh, sorry, partner. Was that too much for you? Should I rather say I enjoy your presence?” Jayce gulped down his champagne like it was water, and Viktor was truly amazed.
“Mh, better. I must say, your presence is equally enjoyable, mr. Talis.” Viktor leaned against his crutch and took an elegant sip from his glass. For a moment, with Jayce's chuckles filling his ears, everything was right. As long as his attention was on Jayce and Jayce's was on him, he was fine.
“We can't sneak out to the lab, can we?” Viktor asked then, just to make sure.
Jayce giggled and shook his head slightly, his eyes not leaving Viktor's. “Believe me, we could, but these people like to talk almost as much as they like shoving money in their pockets.”
“Eh, I tried.” Viktor shrugged, even if the uncomfortable feeling of being judged was still lingering over his whole body.
Jayce's hand was still on his back, they were so close to each other that Viktor could smell his cologne, feel his hot breath brush against his face when he excitedly started talking about a complex equation he managed to get right after he's been trying for the whole day. His soft voice was slowly seeping through Viktor's messy mind, helping him to calm it down and keep his thoughts under control.
He kept repeating to himself that as long as Jayce was there, Viktor couldn't be touched by others.
They chatted for quite a while, talking about stuff going on in the lab, the hexcore, exchanging stupid inside jokes between them.
But while standing there, with only his crutch as support, it was starting to get a little difficult to keep a somewhat straight posture. Viktor gripped the handle of his crutch, leaning his whole weight on it and his good leg, trying to get as much weight as possible off the bad one, and simultaneously trying to not curl up like shrimp with his back aching like hell.
Unfortunately, Jayce caught immediately on his deep breaths and his knuckles going white as he gripped the crutch for his dear life.
“What's wrong, Vik? Is it your back?” Jayce's hand quickly slid on his back again, pressing down with his palm and providing Viktor a temporary support.
“I just need to sit down.. Sorry, I don't think I can stand like a normal person for much longer.” Viktor shook his head, letting it drop down slightly.
“And that's exactly why I made sure there were some chairs around here. Hold on a sec, I'll go fetch one for you.” Jayce's proud smile made Viktor feel a little lighter.
He really thought of everything, with just the vague idea of “Viktor might be coming”. And Viktor felt his heart flutter just at the thought.
But he was in too much pain to let himself enjoy the feeling for more than 2 seconds. As if to make the concept clear, his back sent a sharp ache up his spine, making him grit his teeth hard.
“I'll be right back.” Jayce patted his shoulder gently with a reassuring smile, then turned away and squeezed himself through the crowd.
Viktor watched as his figure literally disappeared between all those people, and immediately felt his chest fill with that uncomfortable feeling once again. As if the pain his body was putting him through wasn't enough.
Viktor took a deep breath, feeling like he was suddenly exposed to everything and everyone now that his Talis shield was gone. His eyes moved fast through the room, trying to find Jayce again, and even if Viktor couldn't see a single person looking at him, he kept feeling like there were millions of invisible eyes fixed on him.
He slowly moved through the crowd, limping with the aid of his crutch over to the nearest wall, then leaned his aching back against it, finding a slight feeling of relief.
With a soft sigh, Viktor allowed himself to close his eyes for a second, to get himself back together.
“Is everything alright, sir?” the unexpected voice so close to him made Viktor's eyes widen, and he was met with two thin green eyes, the man leaning close to him with brows furrowed with concern.
Viktor instinctively moved backwards, only to be blocked by the wall behind him. “Oh, uh- everything is fine, don't worry. Thanks.” Viktor looked away, feeling the man's piercing gaze trying to sink deep inside his thoughts.
“Wait, you're Viktor, right? Councilor Talis’ coworker, aren't you?” the man smiled, but his face still held a hint of concern.
Viktor assumed he looked as pained as he felt, for a stranger to get worried about him. He tried to regain his composure and pull off a small smile. “Ah, it's me indeed. I guess my name is known as well, around here. But Jayce steals the lights everywhere he goes,”
“He does!” the man chuckled, the way rich mannered people did, covering his mouth with his hand and making sure his eyes didn't squint too much. “Mr. Talis is really charming and amusing. But tell me, is his coworker as charming as him?”
Viktor immediately recognized the pattern the conversation was following. He's seen that many times, and he even tried to follow it himself sometimes in the past.
The man was nice, really, and pretty good looking, with his sharp emerald eyes, his dark blonde hair slicked back tidily, even if a little strand was tucked behind his ear and it was curling up around his lobe. His image was pleasant indeed.
“I would like to say I am, but I'm rather more amusing than actually charming.” Viktor tried to keep his lips curved upwards, hold that conversation like a normal person would, all while his back sent waves of ache up his spine like lightnings hitting him from above, and while desperately trying to hold himself up with only the support of his crutch.
Why was Jayce taking so long with that chair?
“Oh, I find you pretty charming though, mister. I see you're not really comfortable, there. Would you like to leave this crowd behind and go somewhere we can talk, just us two?” the stranger smiled, warm, but Viktor caught the glimpse of want in his eyes.
“I'm sorry, but I have to decline. I'm actually waiting for Jayce, so don't worry about me. But thanks for the offer.” Viktor gave the man a little nod, his smile staying polite.
The man seemed disappointed, but he was quick to hide it. “Are you sure? We could make it quick, y'know? I am quite skilled in terms of bedroom.” the stranger winked with a little grin, reaching out with a hand to lean it on the wall at the side of Viktor's head. The movement brought him closer, and now their chests were almost touching. And he was too far inside Viktor's circle of personal space.
But he still tried to remain kind, for the moment. Hoping Jayce would be back before he shoved his crutch up that man's ass. “Really, I am not interested. Thank you, but no thank you. If you don't mind, I will go look for my coworker.”
Viktor moved to the side, trying to escape from that ridiculous situation. Why would anyone try to hit on him, at a gala, and with him clearly looking like he was about to drop down to the floor and curl up in pain?
But as he slid against the wall to the side, the man raised his other hand as well, and trapped Viktor between him and the wall. Now Viktor was not comfortable at all, and his temper was starting to falter.
“I said I am not interested. And I'm not comfortable with this. Step back.” Viktor's voice lowered, getting sharper, his brows furrowed in an annoyed wince, with the intent of pushing the man away.
“Oh come on, I was just trying to have some fun. These people are so boring, plus I could make your pain disappear in an instant if only you gave me a chance, sweetie.” the man insisted, stepping even closer, their faces so close that their noses were just a breath away from each other.
One of the other's hands left the wall and moved down, sliding on Viktor's side, slicking down to his hip, squeezing slightly.
Viktor's whole body tensed, his breath got slower and heavier, his eyes sharp and deadly as he fixed his gaze into the man's one.
“I'm giving you 5 seconds to leave me alone. Then you're going to regret ever approaching me in the first place.” he said lowly, loud enough for just them to hear.
The man grinned even wider, as if he didn't think Viktor could actually do anything in his conditions. He knew that look, Viktor had seen it too many times in the past.
His hand squeezed his hip even tighter, then slowly started moving further down, to the back, but he didn't even have the time to actually touch Viktor's ass.
In a quick motion, Viktor gripped his crutch, moved it to his front, and yanked it upwards with all his strength. The handle of the crutch hit the man's chin so forcefully that a tooth immediately flew out of his mouth with a string of blood.
The guy let out a surprised groan as the hit forced him backwards, and various gasps rose from the crowd, as the room quickly went quiet.
But Viktor didn't stop. He rose his crutch again and pushed the bottom of it on the man's chest, pushing him backwards, and with the current state of confusion he was already in, he fell back, right on his ass. The room was awfully quiet.
The man groaned loudly, as blood dripped from his mouth and slid out of his nostrils. Viktor's breath was quick, heavy, his mind racing. He rose his gaze only to be met with thousands of shocked eyes fixed on him. His heart started pounding in his chest, his hands were shaking as he put down the crutch and leaned against it for support.
“I.. I told you I wasn't interested.” he mumbled, then quickly moved to the exit doors, feeling all those eyes ripping his skin off from behind, the whispers that started filling the whole space, suffocating him and leaving him without air.
The whispers started filling his ears, his mind, getting louder at every step he took to get away from them.
“𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴…”
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺…”
“𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦...”
Every step was pure agony for his body, but Viktor kept moving through the corridor, trying to get away, trying to escape from the voices, the prying eyes, the overwhelming feeling of everything.
A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder, and Viktor quickly turned and braced his crutch again, but the movement made him put a little too much weight on his bad leg, and he ended up strangling a groan of pain and losing his balance, ending up with his ass on the floor just like the other guy in the ballroom. But the difference was that now Viktor had a sharp pain going up his whole body, and while falling he hit the bottom of his spine, and now he was in pure agony.
“Shit- Viktor!” Jayce dropped to his knees beside him, and only now Viktor realized it was him who touched his shoulder.
“I'm sorry,” Viktor blurted out quickly. “I'm sorry- he was all over me and he kept insisting and touching-”
“Vik,”
“And he wouldn't let go and he was too fucking close-”
“Viktor!”
Jayce's voice rose, but not to scold him. Viktor was agitated, thoughts racing in his mind, but when his eyes met Jayce's, his heart started calming down slowly. Jayce wasn't mad. His face was filled with pure concern.
“It's okay. I get it. And I need you to calm down now. Are you hurt?” his partner's voice was so soft, so gentle, as if Viktor didn't just hit someone with his crutch so bad that they lost a fucking tooth.
Viktor found himself nodding, slowly trying to calm his breathing down. “My leg.. And my back-” his back immediately sent a sharp pain up to his neck, making him groan and lean to the side with a hand, unable to keep his own body up.
Viktor felt so pathetic. Doing all that in the ballroom just to fall on his fucking ass and being too weak to get up.
Jayce grabbed his crutch and made it hook around his arm, then gently slid a hand on his back, while the other hooked under Viktor's legs. A second later, Jayce was effortlessly picking him up, and Viktor quickly wrapped his arms around his neck for the surprise. But the relief of being weightless and not having to support himself up made his whole body relax between those strong arms.
“Thank you.” he whispered, leaning his head against Jayce's shoulder.
“What did he do to you?” suddenly, his partner's voice was a little harder, his jaw clenched tight. He started moving, walking them both away from that hell of a gala.
Viktor sighed deeply, letting himself relax against Jayce's warm chest. “He approached me, made some small talk. Then he shoot his shot and asked me to leave with him, to have sex or whatever the fuck he wanted to do. I refused, and he insisted. I warned him, and he started touching me. He wouldn't listen, so I hit him.”
Jayce was silent for a few long seconds. “You did good. I'm sorry I wasn't there with you. I got caught up in hoarde of people wanting to talk to me at all costs.” he huffed, face scrunching up in a wince.
“It's fine, I can defend myself. I'm just.. I'm sure I ruined your image, now. I'm sorry, Jayce.” Viktor mumbled lowly, trying to hide his face into the other's chest. “I had this feeling before leaving the house.. I shouldn't have come.”
“No,” Jayce was quick to interrupt him. “It's not your fault if some pigs can't keep it in their pants. You did nothing wrong. And I couldn't care less about my image if it's you we're talking about.”
His words made Viktor's heart skip a slight beat. He looked up at his partner in disbelief. “What do you mean? Jayce I'm literally your business partner, and I was your special companion guest there, and you're the head of the damn council. I fucked it all up for what?” Viktor let out a deep breath, returning to hide against Jayce's chest.
As he rested his cheek against it, Viktor felt his partner inspire deeply and releasing his breath slowly. “I'm all that, yes. We are all that. And I don't care. Your safety was put in danger, and you did the only thing you could think of. People can talk all they want. As long as you're safe, I don't care about anything else.” Jayce's voice was low, almost a breath only they could hear, but it was sweet and spreading warmth through Viktor's whole body.
Maybe it was his imagination, but Viktor swore he felt Jayce's grip tighten around his body. He rested his cheek against his chest, arms crossed against his own chest, leaving his body and whole being in the care of his partner. The only person who had Viktor's complete trust without any sort of doubt.
“I guess you're right.. But I'm still sorry. And I don't think I'll ever come to another of those parties. This experience was enough for my whole lifetime.” Viktor closed his eyes, relaxing to the rhythm of his partner's heartbeat against his ear.
“And I'm sorry it wasn't a pleasant experience. I would've loved to dance with you, later.” Jayce hummed lowly, the sound rumbling gently in his chest.
Viktor couldn't help but let out a little giggle. “I can't dance, Jayce. But I would've loved that too.”
“Who said you can't? We can find a way. There's always a way.” Jayce's voice sounded enthusiastic, and Viktor could actually see his smile just from the sound of it.
“Maybe there is.” Viktor shrugged with a soft sigh.
The rest of the walk to his house was quiet, the silence between them only broken occasionally by Jayce checking in on how he was feeling, and at some point Viktor stopped replying, eyes closed and slowly dozing off between those warm and strong arms, feeling completely safe with them wrapped around his body.
The next time Viktor opened his eyes, it was when Jayce started calling his name softly. A little confused, Viktor tried to blink his tiredness away. “Mh?”
“There you are,” Jayce giggled softly. “We're at your house. But I need you to open the door.” he smiled when Viktor raised his gaze on him, and his whole face was bathing in the moonlight, making him look like an ethereal angel in Viktor's eyes.
“Oh,” he mumbled, clearing his throat and shifting his body slightly. “You can just put me down. I can handle it from here. Thank you, Jay.”
Jayce's smile faltered slightly, but he nodded and slowly helped Viktor back down on his feet and gave him his crutch back. “It was nothing. So, uh.. Goodnight, Vik.” as Viktor turned to push the key in the lock, he heard Jayce's voice a little uncertain. As if there was something he wanted to say, but he wasn't planning to actually say it.
“Goodnight, Jayce.” he said lowly, pushing the door open. He made a step inside, feeling Jayce's eyes on him. But unlike those in the ballroom, Jayce's gaze made him feel nice, warm.
“Would you like to stay?” he asked then, turning his head towards his waiting partner.
“Yes!” Jayce blurted out immediately with wide eyes, then he cleared his throat and his eyes wandered away for a few seconds, embarrassed. “I mean- I would like to stay. If you want. If it's not a problem for you. I can sleep on the floor-”
“You're not sleeping on the floor, Jayce.” Viktor giggled softly, giving Jayce the sign to get closer. “Come on in. I'm hungry, midnight snack together?”
Jayce's lips curved into a big smile. “You can bet on it.” they both entered the house with soft chuckles, filling the small space with them.
Between a joke and some chatting, they both ended up eating some cookies on the couch. Viktor had his bad leg draped over Jayce's lap, as the other was massaging it to keep his hand occupied as they talked. The brace was on the floor now, just like Viktor's crutch, their jackets were left somewhere in the kitchen and their ties were loose around their necks.
Jayce was talking lowly about what he wanted to experiment with the hexcore in the lab the next morning, and Viktor was listening, watching him with half open eyes and a little smile on his lips. Jayce's voice was so soft and relaxing, it felt like a lullaby. And his fingers were gently caressing and squeezing the sore muscles of his leg, getting rid of the pain lingering in his bones and helping Viktor relax completely.
His eyes threatened to close again, Jayce's warmth and his movements and his voice were setting the perfect situation for the best sleep ever.
“Are you tired?” the question made Viktor's eyes shoot open and focus on Jayce, who was looking at him with the softest gaze ever.
“No,” he mumbled, but a yawn betrayed him so badly that Viktor didn't even have the time to cover his mouth with his hand. Not that he cared about doing so, he and Jayce exchanged very embarrassing moments in the lab.
“No of course you're not.” Jayce mocked him with a giggle, reaching out to pinch Viktor's aide with two fingers.
Viktor jumped slightly with a soft laugh, then moved his leg to give a weak kick on his partner's thigh.
“I'm not, really. You just make me feel sleepy. But I'm not tired.” he admitted with a little smile, as Jayce grabbed his leg again to keep him still and prevent any further attacks.
“Is that so? Well, since you're not tired then, maybe we could have that dance we talked about.” Jayce's eyes flashed with a soft light as he said that, his lips curving into a sweet smile.
Viktor returned the smile, but shook his head slightly. “I'd love to, but how? I can barely stand on my own, and my crutch would be in the way.” he sighed deeply, letting his head hit the cushion behind him.
Jayce gently moved his leg off and stood up. “We can make it work! Come on Vik, trust me. I got it.” his smile was wider as ever, his honey eyes shining with excitement.
Viktor took a deep breath in and out, pretending to be thinking about it, even if he already knew he wouldn't say no when Jayce looked like an excited puppy.
“Do you trust me, Vik?” Jayce asked, holding his hands out towards Viktor, waiting.
“Of course I do.” Viktor didn't even hesitate. He grabbed Jayce's hands, and his partner immediately pulled him upwards and wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling Viktor against his chest.
“Shall we dance, partner?” Jayce smiled, truly happy. He made them move to the center of the room, Viktor wrapping his arms around his neck for support as Jayce held him from his waist.
“With no music?” Viktor giggled softly, not leaving the man's eyes.
“We don't need it. Now, put your feet over mine. I will guide you.” he instructed.
“Am I not too heavy to do that?” Viktor's face scrunched up with a slight wince.
“You're a feather for me, Vik.” to prove his point, smugly, Jayce easily lifted him up by just holding his waist a little tighter, and making Viktor yelp for the surprise.
“You gorilla- Jeez, okay fine.” he huffed and waited for Jayce to put him back down, then Viktor carefully stepped over his feet and trusted the other to keep him up. “But what if I slip?” he asked then, tightening his arms around his partner's neck.
“I won't let you fall.” Jayce was quick to reply, and Viktor was stunned.
“I know you won't.”
Jayce looked down into his eyes, then slowly started moving, swaying their bodies slowly to the beat of an imaginary soft music. With their chests pressed together, Viktor felt the other's hot breath brush against his lips, and for the first time ever, he felt a weird urge coming from deep inside his heart.
For the first time, Viktor realized he wanted to kiss Jayce. It was the perfect occasion; the closeness, the intimacy of the moment, both of them lost into each other's eyes, as if staring into a whole universe full of new constellations to discover.
And their lips were so close. It would've been easy, he just needed to move a little more forward and…
Viktor decided to rest his head against Jayce's shoulder, just enjoying the way their bodies shared their warmth, and the way they moved slowly together in that sweet dance that was just 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘴.
A kiss wasn't worth losing his friendship with Jayce, and to Viktor, being his friend was everything he could've ask for.
“Can I ask you something?” Jayce was the first to interrupt the silence between them, but his tone was low and soft, almost a whisper.
Viktor nodded against his shoulder. “Sure. What is it?”
Jayce kept quiet for a brief moment after that, then Viktor felt and heard him sigh deeply. “If.. If it was in another context and situation, would've you go with that guy?”
The question left Viktor speechless. Was Jayce really thinking about something like 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, in a situation like 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵? He was truly unbelievable.
“Absolutely not. But why are you asking?” Viktor lifted his head to look up at Jayce, who had a weird expression on his face. As if he liked the reply but wasn't totally satisfied with it.
“I don't know. It's just been bugging in the back of my mind all night. Just wanted to know.” Jayce's gaze shifted away, his cheeks turning to a soft pink color.
“Are you jealous?” Viktor asked, watching as the other's whole face heated up to the top of his ears.
“No? I was just asking.” Jayce avoided his eyes, his gaze quickly shifting around the room.
“Oh my god, you're jealous.” Viktor stated with a stupid smile.
“I'm not!” the other kept insisting, even if the blush on his cheeks darkening always more was giving him away.
Viktor decided to be a little shit and tease him. “You don't want me to go with other people, do you?” he grinned, sinking his fingers in Jayce's hair.
The other man looked like he was fighting for his dear life. “W-what if I don't? What then?” his eyes returned into Viktor's, and he could clearly read the jealousy raging inside of him. The possessiveness.
“Well, then I think it's the right time for you to confess.” Viktor smiled easily, twirling a strand of that chocolate hair around his finger.
He didn't know how, but Jayce turned even redder, and Viktor felt his cheeks burn up as well, as if they were little teens all over again.
“Can.. Can I-” Jayce mumbled, his gaze shifting up and down from Viktor's eyes to his lips. “Can I kiss you?”
Viktor felt his heart start pounding, a warm feeling spreading through his whole body. Jayce asking for consent was something he didn't expect. No one had ever searched for it before doing anything with him, yet Jayce did.
Right then, looking into those honey colored eyes, Viktor knew he loved Jayce.
“Yes,” in a breath, Viktor was already leaning forward and gripping Jayce's hair to pull his head down.
The big hands around his waist slid on his back, Jayce's arms wrapping around his whole body and forcing them impossibly closer, then their lips met, and time stopped flowing for a moment.
Their lips moved together in a slow dance of their own, gentle, exploring, tasting each other. Viktor felt Jayce's heart beat rapidly against his own chest, both of them too excited in the moment to keep their hearts from pounding for each other.
A few long seconds later, Jayce slowly parted, Viktor trying to follow his lips, not ready to let go yet.
“Hey, hey,” Jayce whispered against his lips, a hand coming up to caress his back gently. “I want to see you, Vik, let me look at you.”
Reluctantly, Viktor parted away from him, looking up into those beautiful eyes once again, his whole face burning hot. He licked his lips quickly, tasting Jayce's sweetness against them.
Jayce's hand slid further up to caress and cup his cheek, his warm thumb brushing against the mole under his eye, and the man had the most beautiful smile on his lips.
“I've been dreaming of this moment for ages,” he said quietly, his eyes shining with a warm light. “I can't believe I can finally hold you like this.” Jayce leaned down again, leaving a soft peck on the corner of Viktor's mouth.
“You always can. You can hold me however you like.” Viktor moved to steal a little kiss from the other's lips, but as he was pulling away again, Jayce followed him and instead deepened the kiss.
Viktor's eyes fell shut, his body melting against that big warm chest, as Jayce nibbled on his lips teasingly and quietly asked for permission with the tip of his tongue. Viktor granted it in a second, he parted his lips and welcomed Jayce's tongue with his own.
A soft breath escaped his throat as their lips and tongues resumed their dance together, and Jayce drank all his soft sounds like they were the finest wine in all of Runeterra.
A sweet heat was spreading around Viktor's whole body, but Jayce slowly kept pushing him backwards, and Viktor felt his back strain always more. He tried to ignore it, but at some point he had to forcefully pull away from that eager puppy, breathing heavily for a moment.
“Vik? Did I do something wrong? Are you okay with this? Tell me if I did anything unpleasing to you,”
Jayce's immediate concern made Viktor giggle softly. “No, no at all. I love this. It's just my back- it's getting a little uncomfortable. We should sit down before we resume our.. Activities.”
The other's eyes widened suddenly. “Oh! Oh, right. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Where.. Where should we take this? Where would you be most comfortable?”
Viktor smiled softly at his concern. Jayce was making him feel like no one ever did, protected, cared for, and it was the best feeling he ever experienced.
“Maybe in bed? We could.. Sleep together, if you'd like.” Viktor felt a soft tension building between them, but it was pleasant. As if they both couldn't wait to return to eat each other's lips off.
“Oh god yes,” Jayce's voice was breathless, his eyes shining with a loving light.
It wasn't the first time they slept together; they often fell asleep against each other in the lab, laid on the small couch there too tiny for both of them, using each other as pillows and personal heaters. But now? In Viktor's house, in his bed, with the consciousness that they both were head over heels for each other… It was very different, and equally exciting.
“Bedroom it is then.” Viktor smiled, then yelped when Jayce suddenly picked him up and threw him over his shoulder with such ease. He chuckled and hit the other's back with a punch, wiggling his legs as Jayce held him by his thighs.
“You're so easy to handle, I love it.” Jayce giggled as he moved towards the bedroom, while Viktor just abandoned himself to his fate.
“Mhm, but y'know I kind of feel like a bag of potatoes.” he huffed, hitting Jayce's back again. Once they reached the bed, his partner slowly and carefully made him sit down in bed.
“A bag of potatoes? Nah, more like a kitten. Look, you even got them ears.” with a stupid smile, Jayce reached out to pull a couple of strands of his hair upwards. Viktor couldn't see himself, but he knew those strands were now standing tall and proud on his head.
“Jeez, you're an idiot.” Viktor pushed Jayce's hands away, but his lips curved into a soft smile.
“And you're a cute kitten. I guess we're fair.” Jayce let himself fall on the mattress at Viktor's side, sighing deeply and staring up at the ceiling.
Viktor watched him with a soft smile, still in disbelief that Jayce actually returned his feelings. The other man looked lost in his thoughts, with a stupid little smile on his lips, so Viktor turned away from him and started undoing his leg brace. He opened the straps and carefully pulled it off, then let out a relieved breath once the heavy metal hit the floor with a thud.
Viktor pulled his leg up carefully and crossed them on the bed, finally letting his back scrunch up and his head fall down, heavy. A big and warm hand was soon caressing his lower back, tracing slow circles and tapping with gentle fingertips.
“Today was rough on your body, wasn't it?” Jayce whispered, his fingers now tracing the bolts of his back brace, hidden under the shirt.
Viktor nodded slowly, taking a deep breath in and releasing it slowly. “Not just today. Everyday. Sometimes more, sometimes less. But it's everyday.” his fingers distractedly moved to undo the buttons of his shirt.
Jayce shifted on the mattress next to him, then Viktor felt his gentle fingers caress down the back of his neck, hook on the shirt and pulling it off his body with such softness Viktor felt pleasant shivers run down his spine.
Jayce's fingers then slid on his naked shoulders, and Viktor felt his lips press against his nape in a soft peck. “Do you want to take it off? Or is it better for your back to keep it on during the night?” his hot breath against Viktor's bare skin made him shiver again, relaxing always more at his attention.
“No, god please take it off. It's a nightmare to sleep with it. It helps with the pain, but it's uncomfortable as hell.” Viktor explained softly, and soon he felt Jayce's hands get to work to remove his brace.
His fingers were skilled, already knowing where to touch and which straps to loosen up. Jayce knew exactly how many bolts that brace had, and how much it hurt to implant them into his bones.
Once the brace hit the floor just like other one, Viktor could finally feel the air fill his lungs again. And just as he was taking big breaths without the restrictions of his brace, he felt Jayce's lips leaving a trail of kisses all over his shoulders and upper back, his fingers gently rubbing his irritated skin.
“Jayce..” just a whisper and Jayce was immediately at his side again.
“Mh?” with those big eyes he really looked like the most adorable puppy, waiting for Viktor to give him a pat on the head.
“Come here.”
Viktor reached out to grab his shirt and pulled him closer, their lips clashing together once again. With the comfort of the bed under them, Viktor let himself fall backwards and brought Jayce down with him, who gasped softly and let out a little giggle in their kiss.
They slowly adjusted against the pillows, barely able to pull away from each other, separating for just the time to kick the rest of their suits off to the ground. Jayce wrapped his strong arms around Viktor's body, while he rested his head against his big chest, deeply inspiring his sweet scent.
“So.. What should we call this? This thing we have now..” Jayce asked softly, sinking his fingers in the other's hair and playing with it gently.
Viktor closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the body against his own. “Knowing how you love being extra, I'd give you the chance to make it official under the light of day.” he chuckled when Jayce let out an outraged gasp.
“I am not extra. I just like to do things decently.” he huffed, pretending to be offended, even if his hold on Viktor only tightened.
“Mhmh- so I'm guessing asking you to be my boyfriend right here while we lay in my bed isn't decent enough, then?” Viktor made a finger slide down the other's stomach, pulling out of him a soft little giggle.
“No! It's not decent at all. Because 𝘐 am asking 𝘺𝘰𝘶 to be 𝘮𝘺 boyfriend. There's no way around it.”
Viktor pulled his head up just enough to look into Jayce's eyes for a moment, then he burst out laughing. So much that his stomach started hurting, and Jayce was looking at him confused, yet slowly starting to chuckle, influenced by Viktor's own laugh.
“Jesus,” Viktor mumbled trying to calm down. “You're an idiot. But that's exactly why I love you, Jayce Talis.”
Viktor dried a little tear at the corner of his eye, taking deep breaths to regain his composure. Then, he noticed Jayce was blushing madly, his adoring eyes fixed on Viktor as if he was looking at his favorite constellation.
“You love me?” he asked, in disbelief.
Viktor's gaze shifted away for a quick second. He didn't mean to say that so early. What if he ruined it all now, with the big words? “I.. It just slipped out of me, sorry. I do like you very much and-”
“No,” Jayce moved slightly, lifting a hand up to caress his cheek. “I love you too, Viktor.”