Chapter Text
Viktor wasn't like other omegas.
Most thought he was a beta, which was understandable; after all, the only indication of his biology was his scent, which he disguised with olfactory compressors. Sometimes he even questioned what he was, but there was no doubt: despite everything, he was an omega.
At his birth, in an emergency room due complications about his size and his mothers health, the doctors confirmed him to be an omega. When he was a young pup, he developed the glands that one day would turn sweet and full. As a teenager, he had a celebration with his parents after his first heat, at a similar age to his omega friends. He even received a book as a gift, bought from his mother's hard work in the coal mines.
That heat, however, lasted only 48 hours, opposed to an entire week that omegas normally had. And the next, two years later, lasted only one day. With each cycle, the time grew shorter and shorter, and Viktor noticed that some of the characteristics expected of a perfect omega were missing, so distressing that he had to see a specialist.
During one of his heats, a very polite alpha evaluated him to understand what was wrong with him. And the answer was, well, many things. Perhaps he shouldn't have been born an omega. Perhaps his true place was as a beta; that would have suited him better.
The doctor realized that, despite the sweet, milky scent, pleasant and characteristic of an omega, nothing else was there. Viktor couldn't present himself properly because of his leg and hip, couldn't carry offspring due to his health, his cycles were irregular and insufficient to attract a mate, and, strangest of all, he was incapable of experiencing the natural instincts of an omega with an alpha. They ran numerous tests, and in all of them, he failed to hear the voice of submission, the urge to procreate, the typical responses to an alpha's body.
As if his financial and appearance difficulties weren't enough, Viktor also had to deal with a body that didn't seem to work for the most natural course.
But that wasn't a big deal. Of course, he felt disappointed that he couldn't follow the path of his ancestors, that he would never find the happiness others found daily. But it was all right. He would focus on other aspects of his life; he would study hard, improve his parents' condition, and pay for treatment that would at least help his lungs and rheumatic pain. He didn't need a partner, a family, children, or natural instincts. He could easily cope with a solitary life.
Really, it was fine.
In a way, being a flawed omega made some things easier.
The underlying prejudice against omegas in general, always seen as weaker and more fragile, wasn't enough, being a Zaunite in Piltover was even worse. Being a Zaunite omega, then? Perhaps it was fortunate he had issues with it. Despite the friendly environment he was accepted into — friendly as far as possible, because of course, the occasional prejudice would show in the way he was treated — Viktor didn't want to know how others would react if they knew he was only pretending to be a beta.
At the academy, he was more afraid of revealing his true nature, but in the lab, in the new partnership he was forming with Jayce Talis to create Hextech, he felt insecure. He had every opportunity to tell the truth, but the will to do it never seemed to obey his commands.
Jayce Talis, an alpha much more controlled than other alphas, was a box of surprises. The creator of the original idea for Hextech and his partner for five years, besides possessing a physique far too nice for his intelligence (how could a handsome, strong guy also be smart?), he was a compulsive man, yet calm in many situations. Despite being an alpha with some typical habits of the gender — insistence on leaving his own scent on things through physical contact and small growls when he saw someone he didn't like — he didn't treat anyone differently if they were an omega or a beta, nor did he impose his power on anyone. At most, he took a few days off when he had his ruts (and what lonely agonizing times were they for Viktor) but even then he sent reports to the lab so as not to completely pause his work.
And perhaps having such a pleasant and understanding partner should have given him more courage to reveal himself. But shame overcame Viktor. He had already been so vulnerable the night they met, with memories of the past and confessions of loneliness and hardships, that he didn't feel he could pour so much into his partner. Furthermore, everyone around him seemed to be well-versed in their own biological makeup to understand his struggles.
Sky Young, their newest assistant, was also a Zaunite, but she was a very lively beta, even able to complain without punishment that Jayce was letting his scent linger too close to the coffee maker area, where she liked to prepare her own coffee while humming happy songs. Sky was remarkably calm for a woman who, besides working for them, also attended classes at the Academy every day (perhaps that's why she always stood near the coffee machine...). She was shy and gentle, but also had a certain pride in her. A perfect beta, a pacifist.
Jayce's mother was a full omega, and she was in excellent health. His father, a virile alpha, died when he was young, but Jayce never specified why. Jayce's former classmates were already mating and marrying their respective partners. Three and a half years ago, Jayce deepened his friendship with Miss Mel Medarda, transforming their relationship into something more romantic, but the omega and alpha broke up for some reason Jayce never explained. Even so, Viktor easily remembers the sweetness of her scent, the perfection of her face, the graceful way she entered rooms, always so smart and confident. Now she was not only with a similarly elegant wife, but also got pregnant, and Viktor was certain her offspring would be as radiant as their mothers.
Everyone around him was certain of who they were, what they were born for. Within him, however, there was a silence that cut any words of complaint about his misery, as if there was no point of trying and no rights to vindicate his sadness.
But it was all right. He could go his own way alone.
With his hands still trying to unhook two devices, Viktor looked down. His crooked leg was a bit out of place when he sat on the stool in that position, but it was the best seat for his back. That particular day, his muscles felt stiffer than usual, and when a shiver ran up his arms, he realized why: he was cold.
Instead of getting up and adjusting the heater, however, he decided to wait a bit longer to adjust to the weather. It was late at night, and Sky had long since left, but he and Jayce remained focused on their work. Viktor glanced over at Jayce a few times, at the table in the other corner of the lab, engrossed in some advanced drafts the engineers had sent them.
Moments of peace and silence were as common between them as moments of conversation. Jayce and Viktor clicked like gears, and they always seemed to know how to complete each other's sentences. It was the greatest friendship Viktor had ever made, and he was so grateful to the world for finding the man. Truly, he couldn't have imagined a better partner — Jayce was even working with him until that hour, so late at night, when he could have been at home, enjoying life, drinking with friends, or sweating it out on a date.
(Even though it had been years since Viktor had seen Jayce out with anyone significant. He wondered if his partner was so polite and considerate of their workplace that he decided to not be publicly dating.)
So when he considered getting up and turning up the heat in the room, he decided to just swallow the discomfort and get on with his work. Jayce was always a furnace, and he felt hotter than usual, so he'd actually prefer a cooler room, and that was okay, because Viktor could handle it, surely—
“Viktor?”
The other man's voice was very close. In his delirium and habit of moving his hands automatically, Viktor hadn't even noticed Jayce standing next to him, tall and soft, holding a coat with one hand.
“Yes, Jayce?”
“The heater's broken, uh... Sorry, you were out this afternoon and I completely forgot to warn you, and now it's too late to fix it.” Which means they couldn't ask for someone to fix it now nor could move too much and make noise, after all, just because they didn't sleep on time didn't mean the rest of the academy didn't either. “You're cold, right? Here, put it on.”
Viktor stared at the white, red, and gold coat Jayce had arrived that morning wearing.
“Oh, it's okay, Jayce, I can handle it.”
“No, it's not, you look pale. Here,” ignoring Viktor's surprised expression, Jayce wrapped the fabric around his shoulders. “I'll be home soon and won't need it, really, don't worry.”
The shoulder pads slid down his shoulders, the coat too big to fit him properly, but Jayce fastened a button at the beginning to adjust it comfortably. The fabric was incredibly soft, actually, and Viktor recognized the scent of fabric softener, men's cologne, and a hint of Jayce's scent, but his impaired nose couldn't register the odor as accurately as others like him.
In the end, the garment served its purpose, warming him at an unnaturally rapid rate. Viktor gripped his sleeves, holding him close. It was… pleasant. Comforting, familiar.
“Thank you. I can return it to you tomorrow.”
Jayce smiled at him, his face obscured by the angle at which the ceiling beams cast shadows on him.
“Keep it as long as you need, Viktor.”
When he got home, he followed almost the same routine. Ate a piece of fruit that was about to spoil, took a hot shower, applied moisturizer to his skin, which was pinched and reddish from the binders, adjusted the pillows, and lay down.
However, unlike usual, he wore an extra coat like a blanket.
Viktor tried to get rid of the item, placing it neatly folded on the chair when going to shower, but picked it back up so automatically when he got back to the bedroom that he felt he should at least take advantage of the fact that he already had it and lie down with it.
Concentrating more, he could smell something. Coal. Leather. Ozone. Even so, everything was so light that it quickly escaped. Viktor grunted with the sleeves against his face, burying his nose in it to search for the scent. It was frustrating to sense something was there, but he was unable to receive it.
It wasn't strictly necessary to smell the alpha; after all, Viktor lacked some of the necessary instincts — what would be the point? Not to mention that they were already perfectly accustomed to each other, without the major arguments or fights typical of environments made up of different types, there was no need to further their relationship into awkward recognitions of their biologies. Besides, Jayce was just his coworker, his partner at Hextech; there was no reason for him to want to smell his essence.
It was just… It was just that it was a little frustrating not being able to know him like the others, and instinctively, he wanted to get closer to his friend somehow. It was only natural, being aware of how much Miss Young could sense Jayce, how the others at the academy viewed him, how Jayce marked everything and everyone in his life by body and intelligence and Viktor missed part of his trail. A piece of clothing in his hands was a perfect opportunity, too.
He tried again, with no avail. A drop of sweat trailed down his chest, but he didn’t let go of the coat. A big sniff, and yet nothing — emptiness, blank, dull. So, hesitantly, he pushed his face up his sleeve, searching for the scent in his armpits and, in a kind of delirious frustration, opened his mouth slightly to touch it with his tongue—
He immediately stopped. So much blood rushed to his face that he felt like he might faint from embarrassment.
What the hell was he doing? Why did he want to smell Jayce in the first place? Viktor felt his heart pound so hard he wanted to cry. From frustration, from shame, from anger at his own biology, he couldn't tell.
Trying to pretend nothing had happened and embracing again the silence that followed him everywhere, he put his coat back on, lay on his side, and fell asleep with Jayce's warmth wrapped around him.
Perhaps he'd overdone the covers.
When he woke, his forehead was sweaty, the hair on the back of his neck sticking to his skin. A little groggy, he didn't feel the heat — he had trouble feeling heat anyway, so he didn't find that part strange — but noticed his hands were paler than usual. He looked out the window, sunlight streaming through the curtains, and the lack of birdsong made him wonder.
When he glanced at the clock, he realized the alarm had already gone off two hours ago.
You could say he got up immediately and got ready with lightning speed, but his illness wouldn't allow it. Feeling his joints creak like a poorly oiled machine, Viktor slowly and deliberately got up, threw all his clothes in the washing machine, and showered to wash off the sweat, the water running hotter than usual. In the shower, he tried not to do what he usually did, avoiding reflecting on life and calculating possibilities against the damp, cold bathroom wall, a best friend of years.
He couldn't exactly tell how he arrived at the lab just a few minutes later. Since he wasn't hungry, just slightly nauseous and had a heavy stomach, decided to skip breakfast, which gave him extra time to arrive on time — still two and a half hours later than usual.
“Viktor!” Sky exclaimed, closer to the front door, when she noticed her colleague's cane crossing the room. “W-welcome! Good morning!”
Before he could ask why she looked more flushed than usual, two firm hands landed on his shoulders, encapsulating them, sending a shiver through his body.
“Viktor.”
It was Jayce, concern etched on his face, marring his large, bright eyes into a deep frown. His hands shook Viktor a little as he searched for something unusual in his features. Ah. He was worried. Viktor glanced back and noticed Sky rubbing her nose, as if she were bothered by something.
Probably Jayce's scent. If he were worried, he would let the scent spread throughout the room. Viktor should have felt it too, but he, as always, was incapable, and both frustration and shame for having worried his two colleagues bubbled up in his chest.
“What happened? Are you okay? Your face is red!”
“I'm fine,” he affirmed, a warmer-than-usual hand pushing Jayce's hands away. “I just overslept. Forgive me for being late, it won't happen again,” he said feverishly. “What did I miss? I need to catch up.”
Trying to hide it as much as possible, Viktor walked carefully to the table, staring at the blackboard for more information. He might not have had many survival instincts, but he could feel Jayce's eyes focused on his back as he made his way. A shiver ran down his spine, a little pleased that Jayce was so worried about him and, judging by the state of his notes, hadn't been able to work in his absence.
But equally, a feeling of guilt crept in. How disgusting, he thought, to feel pleasure thanks to selfish feelings. The memory of Jayce's coat, still on his bed, far from the rest of the laundry he wanted to do, still haunted his mind, and for a moment Viktor wondered what a terrible friend he was being for harboring these feelings.
Viktor sat down, still ignoring Jayce's words — “You don't need to apologize, Viktor, I was worried, are you sure you're okay?” — and tried to focus on catching up on the lost work hours.
We don't talk about Jayce Talis and his overwhelming power of attraction.
It's not like Viktor suddenly became interested in the other man, for no reason. Jayce is handsome, intelligent, determined, enthusiastic, and a pleasant person to be around. He controls his alpha well, is open to second opinions, is strong, and likes to dress up well. He is popular with the general public, and a handsome nerd is exactly Viktor's type, so there is no way not to feel at least a little attracted to him.
But Viktor was wrong to continue with it, to let the feelings grow. A slight crush due to how pleasant he was was fine; turning feelings into something close to infatuation shouldn't happen. Viktor is a grown man, for Janna, well-educated and polite. He should have known better about the implications of a Zaunite falling in love with a Piltovan, of a flawed omega settling for an ideal alpha, of a broken man loving… They were compatible in almost everything, except romance. Viktor felt ashamed just imagining a scenario in which he'd confess. Ridiculous.
For hours, and sometimes in the solitude of the night, he imagines himself in a more ideal scenario with his partner, reveling in the fantasy that there's nothing wrong with him and that he's pleasing the alpha and the man. But the next morning, self-loathing returns with a vengeance, making him grumpy. Until he arrives at work and sees Jayce's smile — the only one capable of making him equally happy.
And Viktor couldn't miss any of that. That's why he always limited himself to what he had and tried not to dream too big. That's why he didn't discuss the subject of “Jayce Talis is the man I'm in love with” with anyone.
So no, we don't talk about Jayce Talis and his powerful existence in Viktor's life.
His lower body was on the floor, but his back leaned against something softer. He blinked several times, noticing right next to him the screwdriver that had previously been in his hand.
“Huh?”
Viktor blurted out, and everything came at once: the groggy sensation, the chills, the rawness in his throat, the weight making his muscles throb with pain. Turning slightly, he noticed something else on his forehead, a hand larger than his own, darker-skinned.
“Viktor!” He blinked again and realized Jayce was very close. He tried to move, but was held in place by the hand in the middle of his chest, weakly. “Wait a minute, I'll get you up.”
“Jayce?”
“You fainted. What are you feeling? Why didn't you call in sick?”
“I'm fine.”
Jayce's worried expression faded into one of his own, a smile for sure, but his teeth bared with irritation.
“Didn't you hear me? You just fainted in the middle of the lab, Viktor, you're not okay.”
“But I…” Viktor finally felt his strength returning and tried to lean forward to sit up straight, which Jayce allowed by moving one of his legs. Oh, that's his thigh on my back, Viktor realized. “Sorry.”
The apology made Jayce relax into something softer, even if still worried.
“It's okay. Can you get up?”
With his confirmation, Jayce helped him up and walk to the lab couch, acquired last month. On the short walk, Viktor noticed that Sky had just returned with a small can, looking equally worried, and Jayce was guiding him by the waist quite firmly.
“Thank you.”
Viktor spoke softly as he took the can in hand, an iced tea. He placed it against his forehead before opening it, and noticed the several drops dripping from it.
“What happened?” Sky asked, her curious eyes following the other colleague as he sat down next to Viktor.
“Maybe I caught a cold. I was late today because I overslept, I think I had a fever without realizing it…”
“Sorry, Sky, I know I just asked you, but could you also get Viktor some cookies from the vending machine?”
“I'm not hungry, I don't need—”
“Yes, I'll do it,” Sky interrupted him, wrinkling her nose a little, as if she were bothered by something. Was Viktor being too annoying by denying them his attention? He trailed off, blushing even deeper, but Sky smiled gently in his direction and added, “Is ginger okay?”
“Hmm, y-yes. Of course. Thank you.”
The moment she left the room, Jayce reached for the top button of his shirt, and Viktor froze.
“Jayce?”
Without explaining, he unbuttoned it and, with the skin of his neck free, pressed a hand against it, extremely close to his scent suppressant. His heart nearly leaped into his throat because he'd never left it on display before, and now Jayce would come and ask why his colleague, a supposed beta, had scent suppressants, but luckily for him, Jayce must have been too worried to care and showed no reaction when he took note of his temperature.
“You still have a fever. Come on, I'll take you home.”
“There's no need, Jayce, I'm already interrupting you and Miss Young's work enough.”
“Sheesh, you're so stubborn,” and there was a part of the alpha, a small growl that rasped from his throat, and as expected, Viktor didn't react to it.
Maybe if he were a normal omega...
Even so, he decided to accept the help when Sky arrived with the cookies, realizing it would be much more inconvenient if he continued to feel sick there or faint on the way to his apartment. As the night before, a coat was wrapped around him, and strangely, Viktor felt like lying down and sleeping immediately, thanks to the comfort it offered.
All the way to his apartment door, he managed to convince Jayce that he would be fine alone — after promising several times to call if he felt worse or needed help.
Inside the apartment, with the lights off and the noise of everyday life lingering for everyone outside, he almost regretted that decision.
However, he was used to this. To cleaning up after himself, despite the exhaustion. To getting up, taking a deep breath, and just moving forward, even through the pain. Viktor learned to deal with everything alone because, at the end of the day, that was how he would find himself — it was better that he learned and got used to it from the beginning. He knew that pups weren't a possible future for him, and he would never have a strong alpha to help him, so no matter how painful it was, he had to just endure it and move on alone.
Even so, with his belly full of tea and biscuits, taking some medicine and going straight to bed, Viktor slept thinking about how nice it would be to have, for once, someone to protect him from the evils of life.
He woke with the moon high in the sky, and a knock on his door. It was a wreck, but the firmness against the door was strong enough to wake him fully and make him go and open it. Through the peephole, he saw it was Jayce, still in his work clothes, holding a package.
“Did you get some rest?”
His tone was much softer, but there was a suspicion in his voice that made Viktor anxious. It could also have been his own impression, because, looking at the clock — it was just after the end of their shift — and judging by his own condition, he didn't look much better than earlier, and the cold (or whatever was happening to him) might be messing with his mental faculties.
So he invited Jayce in, too tired to protest that he shouldn't be there, and sat down on the couch soon after. His apartment was small — just a kitchen, a small living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom — but perfect for his needs. He wasn't in the habit of letting anyone in, couldn't even remember the last time anyone had come, but he didn't mind Jayce's presence there, in a place that should have been almost sacred to an omega without a mate. After all, despite his flaws, he sometimes made a nest inside his room, and it would be wrong to let anyone see it.
“Hmm.” He made a sound in his throat, unsure of what to say to the man still standing in the middle of his living room with the bags in his hands.
“Can I use your kitchen?”
The moment Viktor nodded, Jayce began searching for utensils in his drawers and cabinets. With incredible speed — or perhaps Viktor was still too tired and got distracted by Jayce's long legs and strong calves pacing back and forth — he placed everything he needed on the counter, removed the chicken and vegetables from the bag, rolled up his sleeves, and began preparing something. Seeing Viktor distracted, he told him to sit down and rest while he waited. So he obeyed, probably too tired to have made it to the couch so obediently, and sat in a corner where it would be easier to observe his partner.
He should have protested, begged him not to cook — any snack in his fridge would have been fine, really, there were even leftover ginger cookies — but something held him back. It could have been his illness, the returning body aches, the mild weather that made him want to lie down and warm up, the repetitive sound of the knife slicing onions calming, so peaceful it made him sit without thinking. And as he watched Jayce's muscles, so well defined by the folded shirt, working…
He woke (again, how many times would his mind drift away?) with a hand on his cheek, feeling a caress there before he opened his eyes, but wasn't entirely sure. “Viktor, it's ready,” he heard Jayce's voice, low, as if it wanted both to wake him and not to wake him.
It was soup. A thick, orange broth with a slightly peppery, salty scent. It didn't seem like a Piltovan recipe, and the way the vegetables were diced and blended perfectly with the chicken made Viktor realize for the first time that he was hungry.
“It's my mother's recipe, she always made it for me when I was sick. Oh, come here,” Jayce grabbed his arms and pulled him to a sitting position, enjoying that he was light enough to easily move as he pleased. “I made it with less seasoning than usual so you won't feel sick. Would you like an egg too? I know it would be good for you.”
Too quick to leave room to respond, Jayce dropped the cooked egg into the soup, then smoothed the bowl onto the arm of the sofa with a cloth. He sat down next to Viktor with his own bowl, expectant.
It was delicious. Or perhaps he was starving. Either way, Viktor easily ate what was served, and ate half more than Jayce put in the second time.
A little beside himself, he allowed to be pampered at that moment. All his life, he had felt a deep shame at the mere thought of being cared for; there was the implication of weakness in caring for a chronically ill person, the disdain towards Zaunites', the disrespect society deemed natural for an omega, even a broken one. Besides, Viktor was a somewhat proud man, undaunted by his own ideas and with an unstoppable curiosity. Putting another individual in his path just to feel good didn't seem necessary.
(Although, well, joining forces with Jayce Talis to run Hextech was a major new milestone.)
So yes, Viktor didn't need help.
But he couldn't lie about how good it felt to be helped. Perhaps deep down, there was a primal longing to have someone by his side like that, and it was being awakened by his coworker and scientist partner. Shame and self-loathing were present, of course, but exhaustion — not just from the current illness, but also from the accumulated years — and desire spoke louder. A kind of divine dizziness guided him through the night, allowing him to be light and obedient, to say nothing as he watched Jayce wash the dishes, help him sort clean clothes, fill his bathtub with warm water and bath salts, waiting outside to make sure he wouldn't be alone if he fainted.
Luckily (or perhaps unluckily, Viktor thought deliriously, enveloped in soap foam, it would be so nice if Jayce had to carry me), everything went well. He managed to clean himself up and make himself more presentable, if only for his own bed and his coworker, who insisted on entering his room to cover him up. Unable to fully act like a good omega, Viktor allowed the intrusion, finding himself less defensive of the place where he occasionally nested — though from how he hadn't had his heats for a while now, he probably never would again…
Perhaps it was his uninhibited state, his body allowing itself to speak louder than his conscience, natural perception sharper than his social history, but Viktor noticed something different between them. He wanted to thank and apologize to Jayce for all his care, but he couldn't. There was something in the air. Something within his cells that communicated with Jayce's more than his neurons, and that penetrated the dance of their bodies in a way he thought he was incapable of. When Jayce gently pushed his lower back to walk them to the bedroom, he followed suit. When Jayce handed him the pills, he opened his palm as if he'd anticipated it; when Jayce lifted the covers, he fit precisely between them; when Jayce handed him his hand, he held it back. All in silence, without the need for any communication other than physically palpable.
Besides all this, his colleague was staring at him in a very specific way. The message, however, lacked logical reasoning, and so he couldn't decipher it.
“Call me as soon as you wake up,” Jayce said with a smile, as if he didn't mind being there, no, worse, as if he were happy to be able to care for Viktor. “Are you okay?”
Still silent, Viktor nodded.
“Are you comfortable? Do you want more blankets? Pillows?”
He shook his head. Jayce blinked slowly, his head lolling slightly to the side; he seemed to be pondering something, and Viktor let him take his time. His presence, whether spoken or not, had always been pleasant, and Viktor never thought he'd want someone as a partner so much, so every moment they spent together was cherished, even if they weren't doing anything important.
“Are you in pain?”
The question surprised Viktor. He couldn't remember the last time someone outside his medical circle had asked it. “A little in the head and legs… but with the medicine, it'll pass.”
Jayce's fists clenched against his knees with a sigh. Outside, the night remained calm. His neighbors made almost no noise, and the warm light in the room gave him a sense of intimacy — for the first time since entering the room, Viktor realized how close they were now, in such an unusual situation, but before he could react in any way...
Jayce leaned in to rest his forehead against Viktor's.
“Call me if you feel too sick, okay? I'll be here in seconds. And don't be shy or worried about asking for help, Viktor, I'm here for you. I'm serious.”
His forehead was warm, soft. His eyes, seen so close, seemed to glow like the sun. The scent of soup wafted from his teeth, and instead of feeling cornered by the proximity, the gesture made Viktor feel embraced — a sensation similar to being back in the womb, of being enveloped by pure liquidity: safety.
“Of c-course.”
“You're my partner, Viktor,” he continued, quietly and firmly, “please don't do it like earlier again. Don't worry us like that. When you need help, let me know.”
Instead of answering, he made a low sound in the back of his throat as confirmation.
Finally, and sadly, Jayce broke away from his touch and stood up. He said he would close the living room windows before leaving, that Viktor didn't need to worry about anything else, just focus on resting so he would be better for work the next day. He, after all, knew how much the man hated missing his own schedule and commitments. In none of his words did Viktor detect hesitation or regret for what he had just done. The sensation of his touch on his forehead lingered like a ghost, leaving Viktor doubtful that the display of affection had even occurred.
But when Jayce let go and Viktor settled his head on the pillow, he realized it had all been incredibly real.
And, more than that, he noticed the alpha's scent, so strong and delicious; woody, with hints of lavender, leather, and hot embers similar to the ones in the forge.
In complete peace, Viktor fell asleep.