Chapter Text
Jayce stared up at the Hexgate with a satisfied sigh. He’d probably had a little too much to drink tonight, but he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. He almost wanted to shout from the rooftop like a drunk academy student, but it didn’t seem like the kind of behaviour appropriate for a councillor.
Despite his reservations about his whole councillor thing, he had to admit it was a little bit fun, especially with Mel at his side. He didn’t know how he would have gotten through the night without her. She’d been a steady touchstone at his side the entire time, a place to return to whenever he felt like he was about to flounder in this world of politicking and subtle cloak-and-dagger games.
As if summoned by his thoughts, Mel appeared next to him, smiling and as golden as ever. “You did well today,” she said.
Jayce smiled at her. “I had a good teacher,” he told her genuinely. He really didn’t know what he would have done without her help tonight.
Mel chuckled, a sound Jayce wanted to hear more of. “It’s only a matter of time before those old fools on the Council officially accept your research,” she said.
A cool wind blew over them, teasing its fingers through his hair. Jayce turned to look back at the Hexgate, towering over the cityscape. “My father put hammers in the hands of the people, and they built this magnificent city,” he said. He reached a hand out towards the gate as it lit up, as though he might catch the waves of arcane energy with his bare hands. “Imagine the wonders they could create if we put magic in their hands.”
Mel let out a pleased hum. “The world will never be the same,” she said.
They paused for a moment, staring out across Piltover. Jayce glanced back at Mel in the dark, the golden flecks on her face and shoulders gleamed like tiny stars. She leaned into his space, her fingers coming to trace the back of his hand.
“The Medardas usually only take from the world,” she said, a tinge of melancholy sparked in her eyes for just a fraction of a second. Her gaze flicked up to meet his. “We’re not often in the position to give anything back.”
As Jayce inhaled to reply—something about how he never could have done this without her—a flash of blue over her shoulder drew his eye. It took him a moment to see through the dim light and his slightly tipsy vision, but he realised that it was a butterfly, fluttering in the wind. It was small, but there was a strange luminosity to its wings, reminding him almost of the blue light that Hextech emitted. It even sort of moved like one of the little motes of light that the arcane crystals gave off when they were activated. Jayce couldn’t help but be entranced.
Unbidden, the image of Viktor hunched over at the Hexcore invaded his mind. He was good at hiding it, but Jayce had known him for seven years now, and he could tell that Viktor hadn’t been doing well in the last little while. It made his heart twist and stomach curl to watch sometimes, especially when Viktor refused to slow down on their work. He was a grown man who could make his own decisions regarding his health and safety—a notion he’d instilled into Jayce several times, sometimes at the end of a cane swinging dangerously close to Jayce’s head—but Jayce couldn’t help but worry.
“Jayce?” Mel’s soft voice broke through Jayce’s unintentional reverie. She was still leaning slightly into his space, eyebrows drawn together in concern.
“S-sorry,” Jayce stammered. He glanced back to where he’d seen the butterfly, but it was long gone. He sighed and brought a hand up to rub his eyes. “I think I ought to call it a night.”
Mel retreated, a twist of annoyance and hurt flashing through her eyes before her usual neutral expression took over. “Of course,” she said with a pleasant, measured smile. “Shall I walk you back to your quarters?”
“No, that’s alright,” Jayce said. “I was going to stop by the lab I think.”
Mel cocked an eyebrow. “Industrious of you, though I wonder when you take time to rest.”
Jayce chuckled. “No no, not for that,” he said, “I just want to make sure Viktor went home to rest. He’s been spending too much time in the lab lately.” His hand tightened slightly on the railing. “It’s like prying barnacles off a ship sometimes, getting him to put down his work. I… I worry about him.”
Mel’s eyes softened somewhat. “You care deeply about him,” she said, not a question.
“He’s like a brother to me.” The response was automatic, instinctive almost, even though it had the habit of not feeling like it was the right thing to say lately.
Mel finally softened enough to let a small smile shine through on her golden face. “Well, give him my regards,” she said.
“We should do this again,” Jayce said, reaching out to grasp her arm before she could pull away completely. He traced his hand down and caught her fingers with his. “I enjoyed tonight, really .”
Mel looked down at their joined hands and smiled, vulpine and knowing. “I’m glad,” she said, squeezing his hand for just a moment before extracting herself. “I look forward to next time,” she called over her shoulder as she stalked away.
Jayce watched her go, unable to tear his eyes away from her swaying figure. A twinge of regret arched through him for a half-second—maybe he could catch up to her and follow her to wherever she was heading—before he remembered the butterfly, remembered Viktor, and the worry in his gut took over. Running a steadying hand through his hair, he took one last deep breath before making his way towards the lab.
No matter how many times he walked through the halls towards the lab at night, fully aware that he had every right to be there at whatever hour he wanted, Jayce still felt as though he was sneaking around. He avoided the patrolling night guards as much as possible, clinging to walls and shadows and trying not to get ‘caught’. Perhaps it was a leftover of having to sneak in that night, so many years ago, Viktor at his side, the risk of banishment hanging like an axe over their bare necks. A tad thrilling perhaps, but not something Jayce was ever interested in repeating if he could help it.
As Jayce turned the corner to the hall leading to the lab, he could already see the flickering blue light creeping out through the cracks in the door. With a sigh, Jayce picked up his step, already imagining the disheveled and exhausted state Viktor was in. He hoped the other man would be fairly easy to scrape off of whatever project had caught his attention this time, though Jayce had the uneasy feeling that it wouldn’t be that simple.
Already rehearsing what he was going to say, Jayce pushed open the door of the lab just in time to see Viktor cough up blood all over the work table in front of the Hexcore before beginning to collapse. It was a spacious lab, even someone with long legs like him had to take several long loping strides to go from one end to the other. Somehow, Jayce made it to Viktor just in time to catch him before he hit the floor, cradling him in his lap.
“Viktor!” Jayce cried, panic boiling in his stomach.
Viktor’s eyelids fluttered minutely before his face contorted in pain and he started coughing again—horrid, wracking things that sprayed blood down his own front. It sounded like he was trying to expel his own lungs with the force of the attack.
Jayce was frozen in terror. Every part of his brain screamed at him to do something , but the noise overwhelmed his senses and all he could do was hold Viktor close while he jolted and convulsed with the force of his coughing. Warm, wet blood soaked through his shirt, sticking to his skin.
Eventually Viktor’s coughing subsided and he was left gasping for breath. His eyes peeled open, foggy at first before finally landing on Jayce. His lips moved, but there was only a strangle gurgle from his throat.
“Viktor,” Jayce breathed, still barely comprehending what was happening. His whole body trembled like a spring about to snap.
“Jayce,” Viktor said, the word mangled by the state of his lungs and the blood in his mouth. One pale hand reached up to try and grab a hold of Jayce’s shirt, but his fingers only slipped through the blood, unable to find any purchase.
“Jayce…” Viktor said again, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he went completely limp.
Everything after Viktor passed out felt like some kind of fever dream or hallucination. Jayce could remember gathering him up in his arms and running out of the lab, calling for help. He remembered nearly crashing into the night security watchman, running past the man towards the emergency infirmary. He remembered shoving his way into the ambulance when it arrived, shouting that he wasn’t leaving and they couldn’t make him. Yet it all felt like some kind of strange daydream, something his brain had cooked up to torture him with.
After arriving at the hospital, Viktor had been ushered away by a team of white-clad doctors, all squawking amongst themselves like distressed birds. Jayce had made to follow, but he’d been strong-armed back by a small army of nurses, shown instead to a waiting room. He’d sat there for a time—hours, days, years perhaps—until one of the figures in white came to fetch him.
All kinds of words were thrown at him—pulmonary lesions, hematogenous spread, degenerative, terminal —and all of them made Jayce’s stomach roil with nausea. ‘Caused by exposure to fissure gasses’—Jayce had to stop himself from flinching. How much time had they wasted on petty projects for the Council, when they should have been working on things that would actually save lives ?
A chilling thought occurred to Jayce—had Viktor been hiding this from him? He’d noticed that Viktor had been paler lately, that he was having more trouble with his leg, but he’d assumed that if it was bad, he’d at least mention it to him. Had he tried, but Jayce just been too distracted by other things to really absorb it? Viktor had asked about using Hextech for more projects for the Undercity every so often, had that been some sort of warning? A sign Jayce just hadn’t picked up on? The thought was enough to have Jayce heaving into the first toilet he could find.
When the doctors finally let him see Viktor, the other man was still unconscious, reclining on the hospital bed with a nasal cannula draped delicately across his face. Jayce all but collapsed into the chair next to the bed, only noticing then that he was still covered in blood. It flaked off of his hands and formed an unpleasant crust on his clothes, but he didn’t even consider going home to change. He couldn’t leave, he had to stay by Viktor’s side.
Hours ticked by. The sun began to rise over the city, spilling in through the window—Jayce shut the curtains. Viktor continued to sleep, his breathing rasping in the quiet of the room. Once, a nurse poked her head in and softly asked the councillor if he needed anything, perhaps some tea or coffee, but Jayce waved her away, barely hanging onto his manners. He kept his eyes trained almost exclusively on Viktor, watching for any minute change, any sign he was in distress or that he was waking up.
A profound sense of uselessness settled over Jayce’s shoulders. Viktor could have died if he hadn’t been there, and he almost wasn’t. He’d spent the evening wining and dining with Mel, playing politician and agreeing to shady business, the kind of thing he’d meant to stamp out. Hadn’t that been his plan? He wasn’t so naive to think that Piltover was as squeaky clean as it presented itself, but he’d never imagined he’d ever become a part of that layer of grime. He felt dirty—he felt used . He’d never wanted to be a councillor, what was he doing ?
Jayce buried his face in his hands, forcing a sob into a groan. He’d let himself get distracted. He was no politician, he was an inventor, a scientist . His best friend had almost died and Jayce was going to fix it. Until then, Jayce couldn’t afford to get sidetracked. His councillor duties would just have to wait.
A soft sigh from the bed had Jayce almost bolting up from his chair. Viktor’s eyelashes fanned like tiny butterflies against his cheeks as he stirred, slowly regaining consciousness. Jayce was next to him immediately, taking his cold, thin hand in his own.
“Viktor?” he called softly, heart in his throat.
Golden eyes slowly fluttered open. “Jayce?” Viktor rasped weakly. His fingers twitched in Jayce’s grip, his thumb applying just the faintest amount of pressure against his knuckle.
Jayce stared down at Viktor, everything that had happened that night coming crashing down around him. It was nearly enough to make him crumble—but Viktor needed him. He had to keep it together.
“Viktor,” he said again, fighting to keep his voice steady, “the doctors they—” the sentence broke off in his throat, crushed by the force of the unshed tears. Jayce squeezed Viktor’s hand again, wishing he was stronger than this.
Viktor stared up at him with a look of deep resignation. He let out a long sigh. “How much time do I have?”
Despite Jayce’s protests, Viktor insisted on returning to the lab as soon as possible—meaning the very next day. Jayce did his best to try and persuade Viktor to take at least one day of rest to recover, but he wouldn’t hear of it. In a way, Jayce could understand—finding a cure was a matter of urgency, and Viktor’s time was distressingly limited. On the other hand, taking a day or two to rest and recover probably would have done Viktor some good. At the very least it might have eased the impression Viktor gave off of a walking corpse, skin pale and wan and stretched thinly over protruding bones. Jayce couldn’t shake the memory of the blood pooling down Viktor’s front, the image haunting the back of his mind like an unfriendly spectre.
Still, Jayce followed Viktor back to the lab dutifully, determined to find a cure. They were the two smartest people in the entire city, there had to be something they could do. Hextech was practically a miracle unto itself—healing the sick was just another stepping stone for the two of them combined.
First things first, Jayce had something he needed to put to rights. After making sure Viktor made it to the lab alright, he reluctantly left him to go and find Mel. There was something he needed to discuss with her. He only hoped that she would be willing to listen to him.
Jayce found her in her chambers, painting a beautiful scene of red-sailed ships in a harbor. He knew that she noticed his arrival, she was too observant not to, but she neither turned to look at him or stopped her strokes. He watched her for a moment, taken in by her beauty. She’d been one of his first supporters with Hextech, and always pushed him to achieve more. With her at his side, he almost felt like he could do anything .
Perhaps in another life, he and she might have…
“I didn’t know you painted,” Jayce said, breaking the silence.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Mel answered, voice neutral. If she was at all upset that he’d left her last night, she showed no sign. “Have you come to discuss next time ?”
If only , Jayce thought. “Actually, there’s something important I need to talk to you about,” he said, heart suddenly aching in his chest. “I need to step down from the council,” he announced in a rush, wanting the words out as fast as possible.
Mel’s spade scraped against the canvas in a rare show of genuine shock. She lifted her spade away and took a step back from her painting, not turning to look at him. “What brought this on?” she asked. “I had the impression that last night went well.”
“It’s not that,” Jayce assured her. “Last night…” The memory of Viktor collapsing into his arms made him shudder. There was still dried blood under his fingernails. “Viktor’s dying, Mel.”
Now Mel finally turned around, green eyes wide with shock and even a bit of sadness. “Oh,” she breathed. “Jayce, I’m so sorry.”
Jayce took a deep breath to brace for the next words. “The doctors said it’s from gasses from the fissures where Viktor grew up,” he said, trying not to choke. “It’s the kind of thing we wanted to fix with Hextech.” He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes starting to sting with tears. “We’ve spent years doing what the council wants. The Hexgates, the crystals, all of it because they asked us, when we should have been working on the things that would actually help people .”
Mel stepped closer, one hand reaching out to touch his arm, a small offer of comfort. It may as well have been a wrecking ball for the way Jayce crumpled, falling against her and wrapping his arms around her tightly. She stiffened for a moment, but then her hands came up to his back, pressing him close.
“I know the Council is important,” he said, “but I just can’t right now.”
Mel said nothing for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. “They won’t take this well,” she told him. “You’ve only just begun your work as a councillor. Taking a step down now will seem like weakness.”
“Viktor needs me,” Jayce insisted. “I promise I’ll come back after we figure it out, but right now I need to focus on what’s most important.”
Mel let out a half-hearted chuckle. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she said. “The Council, this city is important.”
“I know,” Jayce said—he squeezed her tighter, praying that she’d understand, “but I can’t afford any distractions right now.”
Mel rested her cheek against his shoulder and let out a long sigh. “I don’t think this is a good idea,” she said, completely honest for once. “I’ll speak to the Council on your behalf. Perhaps a chat with Mrs. Kiramman and Heimerdinger first, to inform them of the situation.”
Jayce could have cried. “Thank you Mel. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Mel pulled back to smile up at him. “I could hardly chain you to your councilor’s chair,” she said with a little flick of her eyebrow that might have made Jayce’s stomach flutter if the situation was different. Her face became serious. “This is not the best time for this kind of backpedalling. The tensions in the Undercity—”
Jayce groaned and rested his forehead against hers. “I know, I know ,” he said. “The Hexgate, the riots, I know. I was meant to help with all of that… but Viktor needs me right now. I… I owe him my life Mel. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. None of this would be here. I never would have figured out Hextech if it wasn’t for him.”
Mel let out a soft hum. “He’s an important man, for all that he tends to hide in the shadows,” she said. “I’ll inform the Council that a reprieve is in order, barring any emergencies of course.”
“Of course,” Jayce agreed immediately, knowing that even this much was an incredible ask. “I can’t thank you for this enough Mel. Really.”
Mel smiled and stretched up to kiss his cheek. “Go, save him,” she said, before pulling away from his embrace.
Jayce stared down at her for a moment, the phantom warmth of her lips tingling on his skin. He thought of last night, of leaving her on the roof of that building. Next time she’d said, a suggestion, a promise. Jayce knew he should feel thrilled—Mel was beautiful, intelligent, exquisite —but right now all he could think of was Viktor, waiting for him in the lab, still suffering an ache in his lungs and body from the night before. Jayce had to get to him, he had to be by his side.
“Thank you,” he said one last time before he pulled away. He turned and left the room quickly, anxious to return to Viktor.
Despite Jayce and Viktor working practically day and night, progress was slow. Several times it seemed like they were close to a breakthrough, only to be shunted back by an unforeseen problem rearing its head. Jayce did his best to remain optimistic, but the lack of even a direction to focus on was beginning to fray his nerves. Worse still was how it seemed to be taking a toll on Viktor—several times Jayce caught him slouched in his chair, staring listlessly at the Hexcore as though attempting to telepathically communicate with it.
Making matters even more frustrating was the Council—Mel had broken the news to them about his reprieve from his duties, but as she had predicted, it hadn’t exactly gone over well. Salo and Hoskel were, predictably, the most outraged by Jayce’s decision, both casting doubts on his fitness to even be a councillor and complaining of him shirking his duties. Heimerdinger was more sympathetic, as was Shoola, surprisingly. Cassandra, on the other hand, seemed more upset than anything else—she actually came down to the lab for the first time to speak with him, but Jayce only told her he was too busy and refused to entertain her for more than a few minutes. A decision that was surely going to come back and bite him in the ass later, but Jayce was determined not to be distracted by anything .
“If you need to go and speak to them—” Viktor said once Jayce had managed to get Mrs. Kiramman out of the lab and lock the door behind her.
“No, it’s fine,” Jayce said, running a hand through his hair. “This is more important right now.”
Viktor’s mouth stretched into a thin line, but he said nothing and turned back to his notes. Jayce crossed over to where he was working and peered over his shoulder, trying to decipher what he was working on.
“Any new ideas?” he asked.
Viktor sighed. “No, not really,” he said, tossing down his pencil and rubbing his eyes. “I feel as though I’m running around in circles, getting nowhere and exhausting myself in the process.”
Jayce laid his hands on Viktor’s shoulders. “We’ll figure it out,” he said.
“There may not be time ,” Viktor said, suddenly struggling to his feet. He hobbled over to the blackboard, staring up at the diagrams and equations, desperately searching for something, anything that might make sense. “I can feel my body… eroding .”
Jayce went to stand next to Viktor, wrapping one arm around his shoulders in a half hug, and said nothing. He glanced over to the portion of the work table where the Hexcore sat, glowing eerily in the dim light of the lab. The pool of blood had been cleaned, but Jayce still shivered at the memory.
Viktor gave a sudden shudder, breath hitching in his chest. Jayce’s heart jolted in a moment of terror, then broke when he realised Viktor was holding back tears. Jayce pulled him close, and Viktor all but collapsed into his chest, one hand coming up to clutch at his shirt.
They stayed that way for several minutes, Viktor muffling his cries against Jayce’s chest and Jayce’s heart aching for him. Viktor wasn’t one to let himself be vulnerable in front of others, let alone let someone see him cry, and to see him break down like this made Jayce even more aware of just how much was at stake here. Jayce held him securely, not so tightly as to crush him, but hopefully enough to show that he would be there for Viktor no matter what.
Eventually Viktor’s trembling seemed to subside, and he laid his cheek against Jayce’s chest with a shaky sigh. Jayce rubbed his back and nuzzled his nose into Viktor’s hair—he still smelled faintly like antiseptic from the hospital.
“Let’s take a break,” he suggested. “We’ve been at this for a couple hours, we could use something to eat. I’ll make you some sweetmilk.”
Viktor said nothing, but gave a small nod after a pause. Jayce led him over to the old couch to sit and busied himself with preparing some sweetmilk for Viktor and some coffee for himself. They could figure out lunch in a minute or two, once Viktor had settled down a bit.
Jayce handed over the steaming mug of sweetmilk and sat down next to Viktor’s slouched figure. They sipped at their respective drinks in silence, Jayce patiently waiting for Viktor to come back to himself. Every line in his body screamed exhaustion, and Jayce wanted nothing more than to gather him up in his arms again.
The lab remained silent for what felt like hours. It was a heavy silence, filled with anxious contemplation and a sense of lingering dread watching them from the shadows. It settled around Jayce’s shoulders like a big cat, calm for the moment, but with the ever present threat of claws and teeth ready to tear into his flesh. He shifted slightly, glancing sidelong at Viktor—the smaller man was still sipping at his sweetmilk, staring off into nothing. No, not at nothing, he was looking at the Hexcore, probably still running calculations in his head. Jayce could feel the beginnings of a fond smile on his lips at the sight.
Abruptly, Viktor sighed and slumped against Jayce’s side, resting his head on his shoulder. Jayce wasted no time in wrapping his arm around Viktor’s narrow shoulders, pulling him close.
“Viktor?’ he called softly, hesitant to break the oppressive silence.
“Jayce,” Viktor answered, voice slightly rough from crying. “I am… frightened ,” he admitted with a shudder. “I do not want to die.”
“You won’t ,” Jayce declared, setting down his mug and turning on the couch to face Viktor. “We’re not going to let that happen. I promise .”
Viktor stared up into Jayce’s eyes, the bluish shadows under his eyes only making their gold colour stand out more. “You can’t promise that,” he said quietly.
“Well I do,” Jayce said firmly. “I refuse to live in this world without you Viktor.”
Viktor shut his eyes as though in pain. “Please don’t say that,” he said.
Jayce reached up and cupped his face in his hands. Viktor’s eyes snapped open in shock. “Viktor,” he said, running his thumbs over the sharp cheekbones he could have picked out of a crowd of thousands. “I swear, I’m going to do everything in my power to save you.”
They stared into each other’s eyes, time dilating like they were free-falling into a black hole. There were still tiny flecks of tears on Viktor’s long eyelashes, and seeing them made Jayce’s heart do something strange and complicated inside his chest. Later, neither of them would be able to say who moved first, only that they met somewhere in the middle.
Viktor’s lips were cool, but the inside of his mouth was warm, like the sweetmilk Jayce could still taste. His hands still cupped Viktor’s face, and he made full use of that fact, caressing his cheekbones and tilting his head so he could deepen the kiss. A tiny noise escaped Viktor’s throat and Jayce swallowed it up.
They parted for a moment, but it was only a moment, as Jayce dove in again, licking into Viktor’s mouth once more. In the back of his mind, Jayce felt as though he’d just figured something out, like he’d been staring at the same problem for days upon days only for the solution to leap up and slap him in the face, making him feel like a genius and an utter dunce in a single second. How had he not seen this? How had he wasted all that time searching when the answer was this simple?
Viktor’s hands came up to Jayce’s chest, fingertips nudging against the buttons of his vest. A shiver ran up Jayce’s spine—all of a sudden he was no longer close enough. He tangled one hand in Viktor’s hair, the other found itself on his waist, pushing up his shirt just enough to feel soft skin. Viktor gasped, clenching his hand in Jayce’s shirt. With a quick, nimble movement, he’d popped open the top buttons of said shirt and pulled it aside. Cool hands slipped into Jayce’s collar and gripped at his shoulders, kneading at the strong muscle under the warm, tanned skin.
There was a mole on Viktor’s neck—Jayce had caught glimpses of it over the years, peeking out from under shirt collars like a shy star behind a cloud. Jayce left Viktor’s mouth to chase it down, kissing and sucking at the skin before marking it with a bite. Viktor cried out, his nails digging into Jayce’s shoulders in response.
In short order, both of them shed their shirts, discarding them somewhere on the lab floor. Jayce hunted down more moles across Viktor’s chest, determined to find every single one. His fingers skimmed over Viktor’s chest brace, fingertips tracing the complex series of clasps that held it together—for the first time since they’d come together, he paused. Things had undeniably shifted in a way that could never be undone, but it still felt as though this —removing Viktor’s brace—would be the point of no return. Here was the threshold of a new horizon that could not be walked back once stepped over. While Jayce’s body and soul howled to keep going, to wrap himself around Viktor until their atoms were mixed together, his mind finally caught up and pumped the brakes.
“Viktor,” Jayce said breathlessly, pulling back to stare into those molten gold eyes.
“ Jayce ,” Viktor answered, firm and demanding. He reached for the clasps himself and started to flick them open with all the ease of muscle memory.
That was all the permission Jayce needed.
They made quick work of the chest brace—Jayce setting it aside carefully before turning his attention to the leg brace. He’d worked with Viktor on the design of both braces, building them himself and carefully adjusting and improving them over the years—it only took him moments to remove the outer shell of the brace. Before he could overthink it, he tugged off Viktor’s pants and removed the inner part of the brace that rested directly against the skin. When it was finally off, Jayce sat back to stare down at the sight below him.
Beautiful . It was the only word he could think of, staring down at Viktor laid out below him. Acres of pale skin seemed to glow like moonlight, speckled here and there with moles, some already marked by Jayce’s mouth and teeth. His rib cage flexed and moved under the luminous skin as he laid there, panting already. Jayce’s hand rested on a thin thigh—if he wrapped his fingers around it, he could almost entirely encircle it. The thought ran a shiver up Jayce’s spine.
“Jayce,” Viktor breathed softly, snapping Jayce out of his reverie. He made the mistake of looking up at Viktor’s face—flushed across those sharp cheekbones and the angular bridge of his nose. Bright liquid gold eyes stared hazily up at him, half anticipatory and half trepidatious.
“ Jayce ,” Viktor said again, a plea. He trembled under Jayce’s touch. Underneath Jayce’s bulk he almost seemed fragile , like he would shatter apart if Jayce made the wrong move.
Jayce knew better. There was nothing fragile about Viktor.
Jayce dove to capture Viktor’s pouty lips in yet another kiss. He wrapped his hands around skinny hips, growling at the realization he could almost completely encircle them. Viktor gasped and threw his arms around Jayce, trailing over his muscled back before coming around to feel up his stomach and pecs. Jayce made a noise that could be categorised as a squeak when Viktor pinched his nipples.
“Jayce,” Viktor panted into his ear, sounding more confident now. He licked over the shell and bit into the lobe, sending sparks of sensation through Jayce. “Fuck me,” he ordered.
“ Viktor ,” Jayce groaned, hips thrusting forward to grind into Viktor’s. He wasn’t even out of his pants and he was already aching . What was Viktor doing to him?
No time to think about that. Jayce moved down Viktor’s chest, revisiting the moles he’d already found and endeavouring to find new ones, until he reached the top of Viktor’s cotton briefs. He wasted no time in peeling them away, not bothering to hold back a moan at the sight of Viktor’s wet cunt coming into view. Gods he was already soaked . It was all Jayce could do not to simply dive in face first.
Sparing a glance up at Viktor’s face, Jayce carefully situated himself between those thin, beautiful thighs, taking special care to support the weak leg over his shoulder. Viktor’s core was so close he could smell it, the scent making his mouth water and his cock throb in his pants. He blew a hot puff of breath over the area just to listen to Viktor whine and feel him squirm. Thin fingers tangled in Jayce’s hair and yanked.
“You take too long,” Viktor hissed, accent sharpening the words like flint. Another yank had Jayce’s face pressed right into the damp fur—a deliberate thrust upwards of his hips up might have made Jayce pass out from sheer lust if he didn’t have a job to do.
The first taste of Viktor on his tongue was like perceiving heaven. He licked a long stripe up from Viktor’s core all the way to his clit, wrapping his lips around it and sucking gently. Viktor gasped and moaned, hips bucking up, nearly tossing Jayce off of him. Jayce tightened his grip on Viktor’s hips and pinned them down, resuming his work. He licked and suckled at the sweet little cock, swirling his tongue around it and moaning when it throbbed in his mouth. Viktor whined and panted his name, fingers tangling in his sweaty locks, at times dragging him forward or pushing him back, like he couldn’t decide if it was too much or not enough.
Jayce dipped down to lap at Viktor’s dripping opening, slurping noisily and moaning in delight at the taste. He pressed in as deep as he could go, fucking into Viktor with his tongue. Viktor moaned above him, fingers tightening in his hair.
“Jayce, please ,” he whined, squirming against Jayce’s mouth.
“ Fuck you taste incredible,” Jayce moaned before diving back in. He returned to swirling his tongue around the prominent cock, one hand detaching from Viktor’s hip to thrust a finger deep inside the slick cunt.
Jayce could have stayed where he was for years , doing nothing but pleasure Viktor with his mouth and hands. He pushed another finger into him, curling and thrusting them according to what made Viktor cry out the loudest. All the while he kept his lips and tongue and teeth busy with Viktor’s cock, thick fur tickling his nose.
A particular curl of his fingers had Viktor crying out and arching his back. “Oh! J-Jayce!” he moaned. “Right there! Don’t stop!”
Jayce was more than happy to obey. He thrust in a third finger and pressed them into that spot, rubbing and circling until Viktor was trembling. He was so hard in his pants that just the faintest bit of friction against the couch was driving him insane . If Viktor kept grinding himself onto Jayce’s face like he was, Jayce just might embarrass himself and ruin his underwear.
Viktor came with a cry, hips jolting so hard he almost crushed Jayce’s nose. Jayce kept sucking and thrusting his fingers until Viktor finally shoved his head away, the overstimulation getting to be too much. Jayce sat up on the couch, gasping for breath—he wiped at his mouth and chin, smeared with Viktor’s wetness.
Below him, Viktor laid panting on the couch, one arm laid over his eyes. A bright red flush dusted over his cheeks and down his chest, drawing Jayce’s gaze. There was a little cluster of moles on the inner thigh of Viktor’s weak leg, Jayce noticed. He didn’t even have to think about it before he moved to kiss them, nuzzling into the soft skin. If there were kind Gods out there, they’d let him stay in this moment forever.
“Jayce,” Viktor called roughly. Jayce looked up to see two points of molten gold staring down at him, burning like stars in the night sky.
Jayce abandoned the cluster of moles and stretched up to kiss Viktor’s pretty, pouty lips. Viktor sighed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Jayce’s shoulders. He must have been able to taste himself on Jayce’s tongue, but he gave no indication of disgust or even pause. In fact he seemed determined to lick the taste right out of Jayce’s mouth. Jayce groaned at the thought, grinding his hips down into Viktor’s, almost dizzy from how hard he was.
Viktor pulled back from the kiss to stare up into Jayce’s eyes. One thin hand came up to trace along his jaw and over his cheekbone—it was as if he was trying to memorize the shape by touch. Jayce sighed and leaned into the touch, nuzzling into Viktor’s palm and turning to kiss his wrist.
“Jayce,” Viktor hummed—he didn’t think he would ever tire of hearing his name fall from Viktor’s lips. “I want you to fuck me.”
Liquid frisson raced up Jayce’s spine. “Are you—”
“ Yes ,” Viktor cut him off before he could finish asking. “Please Jayce. Please .”
Jayce shivered and started fumbling with his pants, shucking them off in record time. He hissed slightly as his dick was finally freed from the confines of his underwear and exposed to the cool air of the lab. Without warning or any preamble, Viktor reached down and wrapped a hand around the shaft—Jayce was certain he blacked out for a microsecond.
“Fuck Viktor,” Jayce groaned through gritted teeth. “I’m not going to last if you keep that up.”
Viktor gave a disappointed hum, reluctantly letting go and lying back on the couch, spreading his legs invitingly. Jayce groaned and surged forward, shivering as his cock finally finally came into contact with the slick heat between Viktor’s legs. For a moment all Jayce could do was grind pathetically against him, too out of his mind with lust to string a coherent thought together. It wasn’t until Viktor reached between them to try and grasp at Jayce again that he remembered that there were other steps he needed to take. Pulling back just enough to give himself the space, Jayce lined himself up with Viktor’s slick folds and began to press in.
Jayce knew he was larger than average—he’d heard as much from previous partners. There was a certain type of person that would have flaunted that, walked around with misplaced pride as though they’d done something other than have the right genes. Jayce wasn’t that kind of person, and his first concern was always that he would hurt his partner. He carefully watched Viktor’s face as he slid his cock into his slick pussy, trying to pay attention through the haze of lust for any sign of discomfort. Viktor’s eyes fluttered closed and his mouth went slack in pleasure, no sign of discomfort anywhere to be found.
They groaned in unison as Jayce bottomed out, fully seating himself inside of Viktor. The wet heat was almost enough to make Jayce lose himself right there, but he forced it down, clenching his fists in the couch cushions so hard he thought he heard a seam pop.
Viktor’s arms came up to wrap around Jayce’s shoulders, pulling him close, panting breaths tickling Jayce’s ear. Jayce again sought out the little mole on Viktor’s neck, lavishing it with kisses and attention. He wanted to worship Viktor, cover every inch of his skin with kisses and wax poetic about how beautiful he was, how much Jayce needed him in his life. Even without the disaster that had started their entire acquaintance, Jayce never could have survived this long without Viktor.
Acknowledging that in his own head, much less saying it out loud, felt too big for Jayce right now, especially when he needed to be focussing. Focussing on Viktor , writhing and trembling beneath him, soft moans and whimpers falling from his lips. His fingertips dug into Jayce’s shoulders, blunt nails scraping across his skin. Jayce moaned and pressed kisses to Viktor’s jaw, completely overwhelmed already.
“ Jayce ,” Viktor moaned into his ear. “ Please .”
Groaning deep in his chest, Jayce began to roll his hips against Viktor’s, slowly at first before he began to pick up force and speed. Viktor’s drenched pussy dragged against his cock with an obscene array of squelches, a lurid symphony to backdrop their—lovemaking? Tryst? It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was Viktor Viktor Viktor . It wasn’t long before he was pounding into Viktor, gripping him tightly around the waist so they didn’t tumble off the couch from the force of his thrusts.
“ Fuck ,” Jayce groaned between sucking kisses into the arched column of Viktor’s neck. “I’m so close Vik.”
Viktor moaned and wrapped his legs around Jayce’s hips. “Yes, please Jayce,” he gasped through stuttered, punched out breaths. “Please come in me.”
Jayce was so delirious with arousal that time was an abstract concept at this point. He could feel his hips beginning to stutter and lose rhythm as he approached his climax. Loosening one hand from its vice grip on Viktor’s slim hip, he clumsily reached down to where they joined and sloppily rubbed against Viktor’s cock.
Viktor howled, eyes rolling back into his skull and back arching as his inner walls fluttered and clenched around Jayce’s cock. His nails scratched long lines across Jayce’s back and his good leg kicked out before coming back down to squeeze Jayce impossibly closer. Jayce couldn’t last, too overwhelmed by Viktor surrounding every one of his senses. He only managed two more jolty half-thrusts before he careened over the edge, burying himself as deep as he could go inside of Viktor. It felt like he was at the center of the universe and getting blasted into trillions of atoms all at once. The only thing Jayce could anchor himself against was Viktor—he pressed his mouth against Viktor’s in a sloppy approximation of a kiss, wanting to taste him, devour him, become a single fixed point in space and time with him.
By the time his senses started reordering themselves into something vaguely resembling his own consciousness, Jayce had all but collapsed on top of Viktor, unconsciously holding himself up just enough not to crush the smaller man beneath him. With great effort, Jayce pulled back and sat up on the couch, wincing as his cock slipped out of Viktor’s cunt, a thick glob of cum following. It was an absolutely obscene image, one that sent a shiver of arousal coursing through Jayce, almost enough to make him begin to harden again, but one look at Viktor’s overwhelmed and exhausted face chased the idea from his head.
“Viktor?” Jayce called softly, reaching one hand up before it stopped mid-air. “Are you… are you with me?”
Viktor cracked his eyes open and stared at the ceiling for a moment, seemingly oblivious to Jayce’s question. When his eyes finally flicked down to capture Jayce’s gaze, his eyes were still somewhat hazy, but there was a sharpness underneath them that told Jayce he was still present. He reached up and took Jayce’s still hovering hand, lacing their fingers together, light enough that Jayce could still pull away if he wanted. A shade of worry passed over his face, and Jayce realised he was nervous, afraid to show such vulnerability even after what they’d just done.
Jayce wrapped his large hand around Viktor’s smaller one, squeezing their palms together. He leaned over and pressed the back of his hand against his cheek, nuzzling the pale, cool skin, half-desperate for Viktor to understand . To understand the thing Jayce didn’t think he could ever articulate it in words even if he had an eternity to do so.
Viktor stared up at him for a long time, taking deep breaths. Finally he moved to sit up. “It’s cold,” he mumbled, voice rough.
That jolted Jayce out of his head and back into his body. “Oh! Right, hold on,” he said, sitting up and reaching for the blanket haphazardly tossed over the back of the couch. He moved to toss it over Viktor, then hesitated when he remembered the mess between his thighs. “Shit, hold on.”
Tossing the blanket over Viktor’s top half, Jayce scrambled up from the couch and set about finding a clean washcloth and wetting it at the little sink in the corner of the lab. He returned to the couch and carefully began to clean the mess that was already starting to go tacky from between Viktor’s legs. He tried to keep his touch light, but Viktor still let out a small noise when Jayce ran the cloth over his swollen core.
“Sorry,” Jayce mumbled, feeling the heat blooming across his face. “I should have been more gentle.”
Viktor reached out with a hand and smacked his fist into his shoulder. “I’m not made of glass,” he said, sounding genuinely annoyed. “I asked for it.”
A million counter arguments jumped up into Jayce’s throat, but he swallowed them back, knowing he’d just end up chewing on his own foot. “Right,” he said instead, the word strained. He finished cleaning Viktor the best he could and pulled the blanket down to cover him entirely, then got up to clean himself.
As Jayce cleaned the slick off of him as best he could, he felt Viktor’s eyes following him, burning like hot metal into his back. When he finally turned back to look at him, Viktor was sitting up on the couch, the blanket wrapped around his shoulders, staring at him with an unreadable look in his golden eyes. Jayce felt both pinned in place and drawn in by those eyes. Without really noticing his own body moving, he ended up right in front of Viktor, staring down into his eyes.
The unacknowledged thing that had been too big for Jayce to parse earlier now raised its head from the murky depths to stare Jayce dawn. There had been a breach in the tenuous boundary that they’d never recognized until now. Or at least Jayce had never recognized it—had Viktor? Either way, there was no going back to before , now that Jayce knew .
Viktor stared at Jayce for a while, searching his face. A quick glance down reminded Jayce that he was still very naked—they both were. He flushed and moved to cover himself, suddenly self-conscious.
“S-sorry,” he mumbled, stepping away and setting about finding his clothes, feeling a little foolish as he struggled into his pants.
Viktor let out a soft chuckle. “Don’t trip,” he said. “You’ll crack open your head, and we need that.”
It’s so relieving to hear Viktor say something so normal that it startled a laugh out of Jayce. He finally managed to get into his pants and leaned down to pick up Viktor’s brace. “Come on, I’ll help you back into it.”
Viktor let out a resigned sigh. “I can do it myself you know,” he said, though he dutifully raised his arms anyway.
“Of course you can,” Jayce answered, moving in to settle the brace in place. “I like helping you.”
The brace was both intricately complicated and breathtakingly simple. The piece was specific to Viktor, designed by himself and Jayce, as well as a few consulting medical professionals who were more familiar with human anatomy. Jayce had made all of the metal work himself, even including the surgical pins that were embedded into Viktor’s spine. It had been a gruelling process, but the doctor’s had declared it a success. A revolutionary new medical treatment even. Everyone had praised Jayce for his insightful design, inviting him out to do interviews and give talks and attend parties. All the while Viktor was bedridden for months in recovery.
Jayce helped Viktor back into the brace, adjusting it to fit perfectly against his spine before snapping it shut. Wordlessly, he bent to pick up the inner part of the leg brace and held it up. Viktor obligingly sat back against the couch and lifted his bad leg. Jayce settled in front of him and began fitting the brace onto the thin limb.
“Do we need to adjust it?” Jayce asked, noting how the brace didn’t sit perfectly against Viktor’s skin. Not enough that it wouldn’t do its job, or cause damage heavens forbid, but enough that Jayce’s trained eye could notice.
“I may have lost a bit of weight,” Viktor admitted, glancing away as though he’d admitted something shameful.
Jayce’s stomach twisted. He gripped Viktor’s leg and bent to press a kiss to his knee. “We’re going to find a way, Viktor,” he said. “I swear.”
Viktor stared down at him, expression unreadable. After a moment, he lifted his hand and brought it to rest on Jayce’s head, stroking his fingers through his slightly sweaty hair. Jayce stayed where he was, soaking in the touch. He was a tactile person, he touched Viktor often, but Viktor rarely initiated contact. His slender fingers trailed against Jayce’s scalp before his palm came down to cup Jayce’s cheek.
“You are a fool,” Viktor said softly, affection lacing his words. “Maybe we both are.”
“It’s worked for us so far,” Jayce said, smiling up at him. He finally stood up. “Come on. We’ve got work to do.”
Viktor smiled back, but his eyes were suspiciously wet. “I suppose I should put my clothes back on in that case.”
“If you must,” Jayce said with a teasing lilt to his voice. “ I certainly wouldn’t mind the view.”
Viktor flushed, then glared at him. “I believe that would violate several safety protocols of the lab.”
“I think we already violated those pretty thoroughly already,” Jayce pointed out, reaching down to pick up Viktor’s shirt to hand it to him. “Also, since when do you care about lab safety?”
“Since I’d rather not be walked in on while naked in our place of employment,” Viktor replied curtly, fumbling into his pants and underwear.
“We own this lab, let them try to kick us out,” Jayce huffed. “Also I locked the door. No one can get in.”
Viktor grumbled something in his native language that Jayce didn’t catch and finished dressing. He looked a little ruffled, and his eyes were still red from crying, but there was a spark of life back in his expression again. Jayce could have leapt for joy at the sight. Instead, he crowded into Viktor’s space and bent to press a kiss to his lips, then a second one to the mole on his cheek for good measure.
“Ready to get back to work, partner?” Jayce asked, resting his forehead against Viktor.
Viktor blinked at him, then broke into a smile. “Yes,” he answered.
Jayce felt his face split open with a huge grin. He pulled away from Viktor, moving towards the blackboard, ready to start anew. “We’ve tried reverse polarity, right?” he asked.
“In all its forms, twice over,” Viktor said. “It’s a dead end. It wasn’t even that good of an idea to begin with.”
Jayce sighed. “I know, I know . I just feel like we’re missing something that’s staring us right in the face.”
Viktor hummed, hobbling over to where the Hexcore was glowing, flashes of blue energy arching off of it every so often. “It’s a complicated problem, I doubt the solution will be simple.”
“Or it will be so simple we’ll feel like idiots for not seeing it,” Jayce said, walking over to stand next to Viktor. The Hexcore crackled ominously.
Viktor hummed in acknowledgement but said nothing. The Hexcore continued to spark and twitch, as though reacting some kind of unknown stimulus. Suddenly Jayce had a really bad feeling.
“Maybe we should call it a night actually,” Jayce said, stepping back from the core, watching it with more than a little trepidation.
Viktor didn’t answer, seemingly entranced by the Hexcore. Inexplicably, he slowly reached a hand up like he was about to touch it bare-handed. The Hexcore spun and twisted, as though it was… excited by the prospect. Jayce’s stomach dropped.
“ Viktor ,” Jayce warned, reaching out to grab his wrist, to stop him before he could contact the strange thing that seemed to him like a venomous snake poised to strike.
Viktor stopped, jerking slightly like he was only just realizing what he was doing. Still, his hand remained in the air as though frozen. Jayce closed his hand around the thin wrist and tugged, meeting a surprising amount of resistance. A flash of worry crossed Viktor’s face—Jayce could feel him try to pull his hand away, only for something to try and pull him closer to the Hexcore.
“Jayce,” Viktor said, voice trembling slightly.
“Let go,” Jayce said, yanking Viktor’s arm with more force. It wouldn’t budge.
“This isn’t me,” Viktor pleaded, a note of panic creeping into his words. “I’m not doing this.”
The Hexcore jolted and twisted, sparking with energy. If Jayce had to put a name to it, it seemed angry . Angry at him for interfering in whatever it was doing to Viktor. He could hear various detritus around the lab shifting and clinking as magic began to build up in the space. An arc of blue energy struck out suddenly, slamming into Viktor’s stomach.
Viktor howled, his entire body jolting like he was being electrocuted. Jayce shouted and wrapped his arms around him, pulling with all his might. Viktor stayed where he was, despite Jayce knowing full well he could lift the other man over his head like a sack of potatoes under normal circumstances. Desperately, Jayce looked around for something, anything that could help.
A hammer floated by his head—a Talis family hammer, one of many they had scattered about the lab. Jayce made a grab for it, missing once before managing to grip the head. Flipping it around, Jayce turned back to the Hexcore—it was still flashing and sparking, still connected to Viktor by an arc of blue energy. Gritting his teeth, Jayce swung the hammer down on top of it, hoping to smash it to a million pieces.
As the hammer connected with the top of the Hexcore, everything flashed white. For a moment Jayce couldn’t tell where he was in time and space. When he managed to make sense of up and down again, the head of the hammer looked as though it had somehow fused to the Hexcore and Viktor was no longer at his side. Jayce attempted to wrench his arm back, but something held him in place. No matter how hard he twisted and pulled, he couldn’t get free.
Someone shroud Jayce’s name. Turning around, he could barely make out the image of Viktor, struggling to his feet across the lab, watching him with wide, terrified eyes. Jayce yanked harder on the hammer, to the point where he was sure he might pull his shoulder out of the joint. He opened his mouth to try and shout for Viktor, but his breath was sucked out of him by the energy surging around him.
Suddenly the Hexcore seemed to expand somehow, filling the space and encompassing Jayce completely. Reality seemed to split and multiply and condense all at the same time. Jayce could barely keep up with what was happening. The only thing that pierced through the chaos was Viktor’s voice, shouting his name. It was all he could do to turn his head to look to where the voice was coming from. Through the fractalized surges of pure chaotic arcane, Jayce glimpsed Viktor. Their eyes met for a single instant, gold and bronze reaching across planes of existence for one another. A strange sense of rightness flowed over Jayce, as though the only thing he should be doing was stare into those eyes for all of measurable time.
A flash of white overtook everything. And then Jayce was Gone.