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Chapter Text

Viktor prided himself in being level-headed most of the time despite all his faults and obstacles that hindered his progress, which was one of the biggest reasons he was able to make it this far. This far in question being by Jayce’s side, altering the future of Piltover forever. It was truly a dream come true. Their dream come true, as Jayce had put it in one of their initial meetings.

His composure was not often broken, while still being able to display a wide range of strong emotions. However, his emotions seemed to be spiraling out of control more often than not lately, and Viktor for the life of him could not figure out why.

While he was mindlessly trying to fix an equation he had gotten wrong in his tired state, Viktor felt the recently acquainted heat rising up his face again. Why couldn’t he get it right? The frustration was about to get the better of him before he felt a presence behind him. Already knowing who it was, he turned around in his seat only to be met with the sight of all black. He flinched backward to get a better look at Jayce, who was far too close for him to be comfortable. His partner didn’t seem to care, however, looking over his shoulder to observe the equation that got him stumped. 

Meanwhile, Viktor’s breathing hitched. In his current state with a whole four hours of sleep in his arsenal, he was almost certain he was hallucinating. But no, Jayce was standing there with a black turtleneck that hugged his body in all the right ways, and black sweats that left him gulping nervously. Viktor seldom saw the man in casual clothes, him almost always being prim and proper while Viktor tended to be the more unruly of the two of them. Even then, he would hardly describe himself as unkempt. Seeing Jayce rid himself of the tie that was perpetually around his neck, Viktor felt himself staring.

“-lo? Earth to Viktor?” Jayce was waving a hand in front of Viktor’s face. Shaking his head, the Zaunite brought himself back to the present. 

“Sorry, I was thinking about something. What were you saying?”

Jayce gave him a kind smile that gave rise to a strange fluttering feeling in his chest that felt constricting. “I think I know what you got wrong. It’s this variable here,” he said, pointing to a random letter Viktor had scribbled. He absentmindedly wondered how it would be like to hold the large hand.

Caught up in his emotions, he could hardly feel disappointed in his failure to notice the simple mistake and instead mumbled a small, “Oh.”

Noticing the lack of emotion in his often passionate partner, Jayce frowned. He leaned closer, the back of his hand pushed against Viktor’s forehead. “Are you sure you’re alright? You’re not sick or anything?”

In hindsight, Viktor should’ve known better. He should’ve known in his sorry state he would’ve done something stupid. But it seemed all reason and inhibition fell out the window whenever Jayce was involved. He sighed contently against Jayce’s touch, melting into his slight touch. The other man seemed to be taken aback slightly, which should’ve been a sign for Viktor to stop. Immediately. 

But then he went ahead and said something like, “I would love to feel how it is to hold hands with you,” and closed his eyes in bliss.

Jayce’s posture stilled immediately, and Viktor’s eyes flew open. He said that. He really said that. In all his days of living in Piltover, he never had a reason to put his guard down. Instead, he always made an effort to never wear his heart on his sleeve. And then a person who matched his intellect came into his life, and it seemed all the promises he made to protect himself withered away.

"Er, I apologize. I do not know what came over me," he said stiffly, before lightly pushing Jayce's hand that was still frozen mid-air away. "I'm afraid I have something to take care of, I'll get going now if you'll excuse me." He didn't wait for a response before he all but bolted out of the lab that seemed to be closing in on him.

Heat rushed to his cheeks, reminding him of the humiliating words that came out of his mouth. Of course, it had to be his work partner who made his emotions go haywire. Of course, it was Piltover's Golden Boy who made him want things he couldn't have. Of course, it was Jayce who he had to fall for.

Viktor was so fucked.

Chapter Text

Viktor had always known Jayce was touchy, and he accepted that fact—reveled in it, even. Growing up in Zaun, he rarely had any physical contact with anyone unless it was a fist to his cheek. Needless to say, he would be the first to admit he was touch starved. That didn't bother him until he realized just how tactile Jayce was.

Every touch left him craving for more, an insatiable hunger he couldn't explain. 

However, ever since his epiphany the week prior it was like a switch went off. He longed for the contact of another human, but greater than that he ached for the touch of the man who had his heart. Like now—his partner's large hand was placed lightly on his shoulder, yet it sent shocks of electricity foreign to him down his spine. The spot be had rested his hand was still searing when he retracted it.  Viktor wanted more.

It was confusing and slightly scary—one moment Jayce would wrap an innocent arm around his hip and the next he would feel uncomfortable in his pants. It got to the point that Viktor wondered if Jayce was doing it on purpose, but he never had the smug expression he always wore when he was doing something cheeky. Viktor resigned himself to his fate. Jayce really was oblivious to what he was doing to him.

… 

Viktor was a colossal dumbass. He truly should have seen this coming, but his judgment proved to be cloudy lately at best. He had seen the signs, the shabby wooden cane he had gotten made the moment he came to Piltover—it was a wonder it had even lasted him this long in the first place. He had been feeling less sure on his feet with the cane lately, always on the verge of the wood splitting down in half and him collapsing. He chose not to get it fixed, too busy with his work. His negligence finally came to bite him in the ass it seemed, as his cane snapped unceremoniously sending tiny splinters everywhere while he was trying to walk. Now he was laying pathetically on the ground, with no way of getting up without a biting stab of pain going through his body. And Jayce was nowhere in sight.

Viktor contemplated calling out for Jayce, but he knew the man could get very busy what with being a part of the council and the main spokesperson for their discoveries. Instead, he slowly crawled about as to search for a leverage point he could bring himself up upon. His efforts served fruitless, with the only chair he could sit on located on the other side of the large lab.

“Damn it,” Viktor gritted out. He would have to crawl his way over.

As he commenced his languid pace across the room, footsteps echoed outside the room.

“-almost there, we just have to make some finishing touches.” The voice came closer, and Viktor silently cursed that his partner would have to see him collapsed on the floor.

The doors to the lab slammed open and Jayce’s eyes immediately settled in his form, halting mid-sentence. By his side was Councilor Medarda.

“Viktor!” he exclaimed. He ran over to his side, his conversation with Mel forgotten. “What happened? What-where’s your cane? Are you okay?”

The Zaunite attempted to wave his concern off, not wanting the guest in the room to see him in such a state. “It’s fine, Jayce. I broke my cane, but I am alright.”

Jayce seemed more panicked than Viktor himself was feeling. “The hell do you mean you’re alright? Is your leg in pain-”

“Jayce. I am okay,” Viktor rested a hand on the other man’s arm, in hopes of calming his rambling. A slight pleasant tingle made its way up his body seeing the person so dear to him fussing over him. But this was a sight he wanted to be reserved for himself. And the Councilor was still in the room. He cleared his throat, “I apologize, Councilor Medarda. You were talking to Jayce, correct? I’ll be making myself scarce, then.” He didn’t know how he was going to exit the room without his cane, but he supposed he would manage.

What he didn’t expect, however, was being lifted up in the air. Viktor sputtered. “J-Jayce!” His partner was carrying him as if he weighed nothing. Not only that, he was holding him in a bridal carry. “Put me down, please,” he muttered. He could barely get his words out before he felt the slight vibrations of the man’s chest.

“No. You said your cane broke, so this is the only way for you to get around,” he said indignantly. That wasn’t actually the only way for Viktor to leave the lab and both men knew it, but Viktor was secretly enjoying it too much and Jayce seemed far too righteous for either of them to care. His partner’s touch burned pleasantly through the fabric of his skin and oh, all the pleasant feelings that came with being with the man bloomed in his chest. 

That didn’t mean the Zaunite wasn’t embarrassed, however. Mel was in front of them, having watched the whole spectacle. She looked far too amused for Viktor’s liking, and he hid his face in his palms. “...Lead the way,” he mumbled.

If he had been looking up he would’ve seen Mel sending a wink Jayce’s way and the man’s face turning crimson.

Chapter Text

In Viktor’s very unbiased point of view, the world revolved around Jayce. Not in a self-absorbed way, although he grimaced to admit the man could be too caught up in himself at times.

But it was true—the man was radiant in every sense of the word. He lit up every room he was in and was the brightest catalyst that made countless smiles bloom. Viktor’s smile, most of all.

Quite frankly it was embarrassing, knowing just how deep his infatuation for the Piltovan ran. It was getting to the point that he could hardly focus on his lab work, and that wouldn’t do. So he had come to the lab early (much earlier than usual) to tinker with some of their new discoveries as he knew Jayce wouldn't be present. He was deep in his work when he jumped at a noise coming from behind him.

"Viktor." He was wrong. When the hell did the man even arrive? How had Viktor not heard him coming into the lab?

"Hm?" he responded, desperate to keep an air of nonchalance. 

"Can you help me with my tie?"

Viktor nearly dropped the tools in his hands but caught himself just in time. He wondered if his eyes were still in their sockets. Mouth agape, he finally turned to the other man who was standing near the closed door of their shared space.

"May I ask why?" It was preposterous of Jayce, hell-inducing even, coming into Viktor’s life like a shining light and making his heart beat erratically whenever he was present. Viktor wanted to be mad, but he couldn't. He was the moon that orbited Jayce.

Jayce had never once needed help with his tie, and Viktor knew damn well that didn't change. Seeing him dressed to the nines nearly every day, there was no reason Jayce needed help from anyone both from practicality and pride.

Jayce looked sheepish. "I… I've found that lately, my ties have been crooked. So, I thought maybe you could help me with that."

Viktor narrowed his eyes. That wasn't true. As someone who had basically been conditioned to watching Jayce's every movement like a hawk, there had not been anything remotely off about his appearances as of late. He looked just as dapper and self-righteous as he ever did.

However, Viktor was not about to pass up a free offer to get within close proximity of the man. Part of him felt guilty, taking advantage of the opportunity that was given to him by his clueless partner. But he reminded himself: opportunities arose for a reason.

"Sure. But how am I going to help you with my…" He trailed off, gesturing vaguely towards his cane.

Jayce waved him off. "No worries. You can stay sitting where you are right now." Within seconds, he had made his way over to where Viktor was seated.

With the two of them inches apart from each other, Viktor was forced to crane his head to look at Jayce properly. Mouthing a soft "oh" in realization, Jayce cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I suppose I should… spread my legs so you can work better."

Viktor almost voiced the very obvious euphemism that came with that poor choice of words but decided to hold his tongue and nodded tightly instead. Jayce opened his legs in a pseudo-split so their height difference was less jarring, his dress pants straining slightly at the stretch; the whole situation was so ridiculous for Viktor he would've laughed had he not been putting all his concentration on not making eye contact with his partner. 

Jayce appeared to feel just as awkward, and it made Viktor wonder why exactly the Piltovan suggest he help with his tie in the first place. He was about to push him back when Jayce said softly, "Look at me, Viktor."

Well. Quite frankly, that made Viktor want to not look at him even more. A few moments passed without movement, and Jayce repeated in an even quieter voice, "Match my eyes, Viktor. Look at me the way I'm looking at you." Viktor finally relented, bringing his gaze up to his partner's face just in time for him to see Jayce licking his lips. It was a minute movement, one he caught nonetheless. He barely suppressed the shocked whine that bubbled up his throat. 

When they made eye contact, Jayce gave him a small smile that lit up his whole face. His gaze was full of sweetness, a gravitational pull in those irises that made it impossible for Viktor to look away. Viktor thought that if the taller man looked at him every day the way he did at that moment, he could die a happy man.

It was a laughable position they were in, with Jayce standing awkwardly in front of him with Viktor gaping stupidly at the man. But neither of them was laughing. 

Viktor's heartbeat was entirely too loud he was afraid it would echo across the lab, and Jayce continued staring at him with a fire in his eyes. The latter moved first, shocking the smaller man.

Jayce cleared his throat.

"So, about that tie, huh?"

The handsome bastard had the whole world (mainly Viktor) wrapped around his finger.

Chapter Text

After a long day of work, Viktor enjoyed winding down by... working more. Despite the scoldings he received from Jayce about the matter, he found he couldn’t help himself from holing himself up in their lab all day. Each trinket and machine within the room was a product of their creation; he felt safe and secure there.

If anyone else around him was prompted, they would say he was a hermit who never got any rest. That was fine by him, better to be known as a workaholic than an idle loafer.

However, through unwilling experimenting, Viktor also found that working too much led to less sleep which contributed to being less productive. It was a rather inconvenient cycle he found himself trapped in.

Such a lack of rest found him in this current predicament. Viktor would be the first to concede that he did make a valiant effort at sleeping more, as he knew of the ramifications that would come otherwise. A confounding variable he failed to account for, however, was one Jayce Talis. Thoughts of the man ran rampant in his dreams and more and more often Viktor found himself waking up to an uncomfortable strain in his pants thinking about him. By the fifth time, he couldn’t even find the time to be ashamed before dragging himself to the restroom.

The point was, Viktor was in dire need of some sleep. He was one sleepless night away from knocking out upright and as good as any bit of rest sounded, he knew his leg would be sobbing in pain soon after.

He was dozing off yet again when he heard Jayce sighing in exasperation. “Seriously, Viktor, what’s going on? That’s the third time now you’ve zoned out on what I was saying.”

Viktor snapped awake guiltily. “I apologize, Jayce. I’ve been having trouble… sleeping lately.”

“I thought we went over this. You really should be getting more sleep. I know our hextech discoveries are truly something to behold, but it’s okay to take a break. They won’t disappear overnight.” His partner lay a hand on his shoulder, and the slight touch ran shocks throughout his spine. 

Viktor waved him off languidly, “I’m alright, I promise. I just… I need to just…” His heavy eyelids dropped closed without his control, and his sentence trailed off.

He faintly heard Jayce calling his name before he fell into a slumber.

… 

Viktor opened his eyes. Where the hell was he? One second he was talking to Jayce and now he was— oh, that felt nice. Something was stroking his hair and he relaxed to the touch. It had been so long since he felt so comfortable. Trying to settle in a different position, he turned his body. A grunt came from above.

Slowly, Viktor opened his eyes and his vision was met with a button. Perplexed, he looked up. Jayce was looking down at him, his hand still running through Viktor’s hair. Oh. His head was rested on Jayce’s thighs. He was laying on his lap.

The smaller man quite literally shot up, every fiber of his being on edge.

“Rise and shine, sweetheart.”

Viktor snapped his head towards the man, seeing him smile softly. The sight did dangerous things to his heart. A reminder of their previous position nearly sent him to cardiac arrest.

“Jayce! What are you-” he looked around. They were seated on a couch. “Where are we? What time is it?”

Jayce furrowed his eyebrows slightly, frowning. Viktor wanted to kiss the creases away. He discarded the thought as quickly as it came.

“You collapsed in the middle of our conversation, Viktor. I couldn’t just leave you sleeping on your chair, so I carried you to my room. I hope you don’t mind.”

Viktor couldn’t tell him outright that no, it wasn’t okay that his explanation led him to think about the day he held him in a bridal carry, and that no, it wasn’t okay that being in Jayce’s room sent his mind to the gutter. He couldn’t voice any of that. So he nodded.

The Piltovan smiled again. “Oh, also, I hope you don’t mind that I was stroking your hair. You seemed really worn out, so I thought it might help.”

Viktor flushed, remembering the pleasure he felt at the sensation. He shook his head, “It was quite alright. I actually… enjoyed the feeling a lot.”

He ignored the slight skip of his heart at seeing Jayce’s eyes light up. He had done that. A twinge of pride spiked within.

Jayce grinned, and his hand reached up to caress Viktor’s cheek. It was a fleeting movement, gone before Viktor could even register the touch. It appeared a mindless motion, something Jayce probably wasn’t even aware he had done. He got up casually and asked, “Great! Are you hungry?”

Viktor went on autopilot the rest of the day, missing the ghost of a touch that made every cell in his body want more.

Chapter Text

Viktor silently cursed himself for all the situations that led him to this moment. He and Jayce were working in their lab as they were wont to do, even following the recent events that left him itching for something more. For that Viktor was eternally grateful, that there was someone he could match wits with in a place that felt so unwelcoming at times.

What he was definitely not grateful for, however, was the damn distraction in front of him that came in the form of Jayce Talis. Specifically, the sight of Jayce Talis without a shirt. It was not often Viktor had seen his partner shirtless, no matter how much he loved and hated the fact that he hid his sculpted body behind layers of fabric at nearly all times. But the weather at Piltover was unforgiving, and in the blazing heat, the cooling systems in their labs had been shut down. Right on the verge of another breakthrough, both Viktor and Jayce had refused to take a day off and worked in the stuffy room together.

Viktor tried not to stare, he truly did. With all the previous times he was seen ogling at Jayce his track record was not the best, and he set out to fix it. But it wasn’t his fault his partner was so damn attractive. It was fascinating watching the man move about in ways his own compromised body couldn’t, and his defined muscles flexing in the process. It was even more enrapturing being able to observe Jayce truly in his element, being able to work towards a better future for Piltover. If a slight rush of blood traveled downwards, he ignored it.

It was at that moment Jayce halted his work, feeling eyes on him. He caught Viktor staring, and the two made eye contact. Jayce, bless the man, said nothing about Viktor’s dilated pupils looking through his soul and sent a small smile his way. Viktor returned a wobbly smile that he assumed looked more like a grimace in response. 

The two continued in what was an excruciatingly suffocating silence for Viktor, the only sounds of Viktor’s cane and legs hitting the ground and Jayce’s tinkering filling the room. Viktor couldn’t help looking back at Jayce every now and then though, sometimes too caught up in his beauty he had to look away after a few seconds. He had it bad.

Viktor cleared his throat, wanting to get away from the man. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I have something to take care of."

Jayce sent a noncommittal hum his way, swallowed in his work.

Viktor made his way out the door, almost stumbling in his haste to leave. He silently swore at his clumsiness. 

Once in the hallway, he leaned against the wall to get his bearings. He needed to stop. Realistically, he knew being in a relationship with Jayce would not be truly detrimental to either of them, as their accomplishments were already so grand to be compromised. If anything, it was a matter of Viktor’s attraction being reciprocated. He had never seen Jayce being interested in anyone romantically, man or woman. He was always cooped up in his work, which Viktor simultaneously found to be deserving of respect and infuriating. So he had to stop, if not for their years’ work then his heart. There was only so much of his body he could stand to break.

Wiping the sweat from his brow and taking a deep breath, he turned to enter the lab again. Jayce was right in his view, stretching with his arms high above his head and his eyes scrunched closed. He almost would’ve looked adorable, had he been wearing a shirt. And wasn’t so chiseled. God, Viktor truly was far gone. 

He didn’t realize he had been caught staring—again—until Jayce called his name. From the bemused look on his face, it wasn’t the first time. “You okay?” he asked, a slight hint of worry in his voice, and oh, Viktor would smack him on the lips (with his own lips) if he could. 

“Y-yes. Yes, I’m okay. I’m alright,” he said, fumbling like an idiot. He walked hastily back to the man’s side, hoping his blush wasn’t obvious. Evidently, he failed as Jayce seemed to catch on to his emotions.

Confusion and concern morphed to amusement, and a smug expression Viktor wanted to punch him for (he really didn’t, he wanted to kiss him instead but that was beating a dead horse) made its way onto his face instead. It was like a light switch flicked on in his head. All the previous instances of Viktor stumbling over his words and heated faces clicked to him. 

“Viktor,” Jayce sang with a shit-eating grin, “Like what you see?” He looked far too elated at the realization for Viktor's wellbeing.

The man in question sputtered, this time tripping on his step for good. Luckily (or unluckily), Jayce was right by his side and caught his waist before he could fall. “Careful there,” he said with that same hint of pride in his voice, “Wouldn’t want you damaging that pretty face of yours.”

Viktor could combust. He really, really could. Because really, it wasn’t fair. He had always known that of course, living in Zaun and being ostracized walking around some streets of Piltover. Life was never fair. But he had never resonated with that saying so much until now. How could one person be so perfect? “I, um, thank you.”

His partner chuckled. “You’re welcome. You know-” his arm was still around Viktor’s waist and it took everything he had not to stare at the man’s broad chest. Not that looking at his eyes was much better. They lit a flame within him that he had never known prior to meeting him. “-I heard a rumor, that I make you nervous.” He whispered the last part, his lips nearly touching the shell of Viktor’s ear. His body reverberated with full-body shivers.

Everything was too much—the heat, the skin-to-skin contact, the puffs of breath grazing his ear. It was all Viktor could do from running out of the lab then and there. Realizing he still hadn’t responded, he fumbled over his words. “Um, yes. You’re certainly… a sight to look at.” Well. Wasn’t that smooth. Viktor inwardly kicked himself.

Jayce seemed not to mind his awkwardness, pulling his face back just in time for Viktor to see his eyes softening. His grip on Viktor’s waist tightened slightly. “That is very flattering, thank you. Especially coming from you.” 

Viktor didn’t say anything in response, the close proximity overwhelmed him. The two continued to stare at one another. Jayce’s eyes flit from one part of Viktor’s face to another, almost as if he was trying to memorize every feature for later. They flickered around almost nervously, drinking in the sight of Viktor flustered in front of him. Finally, they reached his lips.

The man continued staring at Viktor’s lips, making the latter squirm. They were at a standstill. Viktor was dazed, caught up in the other man’s eyes. 

“You’re blinding,” Jayce finally, finally breathed out. And he leaned in. Viktor closed his eyes, anticipating the warm contact against his skin. He had been wanting this for so long.

“Mr. Talis!” a loud series of knocks echoed through the lab.

The two jumped apart, the fragile moment broken. Viktor clutched his chest, catching his breath. Jayce scowled with a murderous gaze in his eyes. Viktor was thankful the person on the other side of the door hadn't barged in, more for their sake than anything.

“Yes?” he answered, clearly annoyed at having been interrupted in whatever… the two of them were doing.

“I apologize, but you have been summoned for an urgent Council meeting. It was asked that you arrive as quickly as possible.”

Jayce clenched his jaw. “I’ll be there.”

“Then, excuse me, please.”

After hearing the footsteps fade away, Jayce looked back at Viktor who had found himself occupied with a task if only to keep his cool.

“God damn it,” Jayce swore under his breath. He ran a hand through his hair, and Viktor thought he looked even more beautiful like that. “I'm sorry Viktor, I... I’ll be back. As soon as I can, I promise.” Unsure of what to say, Viktor stayed silent. Jayce simply looked his way for a few more moments. With an apologetic look his way, he was gone.

Viktor was left alone in the lab, full of want and need. It wasn’t after a few silent minutes he registered what Jayce had said earlier. Especially coming from you. Viktor buried his face against his palms and let out a muffled groan.

Chapter Text

It was petrifying, to say the least. Walking on eggshells, trying not to break the fragile bubble he had found himself encased in. Before he knew it, he had stumbled in and was too far gone. Jayce was by his side, always by his side, at yet another party they were forced to attend for one of their newest discoveries. Viktor found it tedious, yet the other man always managed to drag him along. He relished in the attention of others, and Viktor was more than happy to indulge him. He was floating within the small space of bliss and longing. Alone.

Because really, it was painful waiting in this limbo after what had happened a few days prior. Jayce had chosen not to address it, and Viktor in turn ignored the incessant voice in his head telling him to confront the other. It was incredibly stupid of him to have felt that small spark of hope within—the hope that Jayce would return his feelings, would act on whatever was going on between them. But of course, there was nothing to show for it. Jayce returned back to normal while Viktor tried his hardest to not make things more awkward between the two of them.

The smaller man swallowed his gasp from the touch of the hand on the small of his back, the hand that he wanted to hold and caress and wished would do so many other things to him. Jayce leaned closer to him. “Feeling beat already?”

Viktor resisted the shiver that nearly overtook him. “Mm. I will admit I am not built for these types of events.”

A deep chuckle sounded through his ears, and he wanted nothing more than to take the man then and there. “Don’t worry, Vitya. Just a few more greetings and we can leave.”

Vitya.

Holy shit. 

Viktor’s face went up in flames, quite literally. That was new. And from the way his body reacted, he liked it. A lot. Maybe too much.

Jayce, the sick bastard, knew exactly what he was doing. He smirked smugly and continued greeting the guests around them, talking more than enough for the two of them. Viktor’s body went on autopilot for a few minutes, walking with Jayce’s hand still burning marks on his back and nodding robotically. 

The diminutive shouldn’t have had that much of an effect on him. It was just a word, really. But the way his partner had said it, his tongue curling around the syllables, made his toes curl in ways unknown. 

The bubble was floating him in the air, tantalizing him, trapping him. Telling him he couldn’t get out—his emotions taunting him, making him reach for something so close and far.

Viktor cleared his throat. “Um, excuse me. I need to get something to drink.” Jayce simply smiled his way, a tilt of the lips that was nothing monumental, and yet. And yet, it made his heart palpitate wildly. He really needed a drink. Or maybe two.

… 

Viktor wasn’t sure how many drinks he had, but clearly, he didn’t have enough if he could still see straight. Or maybe his vision was distorted in a way that made his field of view seem straight. Either way, he declared to himself he needed more alcohol in his system. Because really, all he wanted was to forget about one Jayce Talis for the rest of the day. Maybe it was the alcohol (it definitely was the alcohol), but he found himself cursing his partner for all his recent misfortunes which in all honestly was not far off the mark. 

He was miserable, waiting for something to happen between the two of them while Jayce looked to be perfectly okay. Who knew, maybe he was even having a relationship Viktor didn’t know of. He wouldn’t put it past a man that good-looking to find a warm presence on a lonely day. Their job was lonely, no matter how much Viktor wanted to change that between the two of them.

The Zaunite grabbed another flute of wine leaning against the corner of the room (how did he get there?) and tilted it against his lips before a figure came in front of him and snatched the glass from his hands. Before he could scowl and curse the person in his drunken state, a deep voice came. “Here you are. Had too much to drink, huh? I’ve been looking for you for two hours.”

Had it really been that long? Was Viktor really that caught up in his self-pity to notice the time passing by? No matter. He could go another two hours without Jayce by his side. (He really couldn’t. Instead, he wanted the man pressed against his chest like last time, whispering against his ear. The bubble was closing in on him slowly. It threatened to take his air away.)

“Please go away, Jayce,” he said.

His partner looked taken aback. “Woah, hey, what happened? What did I do?” Before Viktor could open his mouth to answer, Jayce cut in. “Actually, hold that thought. Let’s go to a different room so we can talk.”

Viktor wanted to protest. No, that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to be as far away from the man as he could, he wanted to repress his feelings and wallow in his self-pity some more, he wanted to cry about how the touches between them and the soft gazes Jayce sent his way and the almost kiss they shared were nothing but his wistful thinking. But instead, he let himself get dragged away by the hand and focused on the warmth encapsulating his palm. He did get to experience how it felt to hold hands with him after all.

When they made it to an empty room, Jayce closed the door and locked it. Viktor tried not to let his heart race. He failed.

His partner turned and made his way over to him. “Talk to me. What was it I did?” His concerned look made Viktor’s breathing hitch, and the hysteria of it all made him giggle. It wasn’t Jayce, it was never Jayce. Well, it always was, but it was never his fault. Jayce’s eyebrows furrowed even more.

“Jayce,” Viktor said, loving how his name sounded from his lips, “You are aware I am drunk, yes?”

Jayce tilted his head in confusion. Viktor thought he looked like a cute puppy. “Well, yes. I know now. But what does that have to do-”

Viktor should’ve stopped. On a normal day, he never would’ve let anything come this far. But perhaps it was due to the fact that it wasn’t a normal day that he kept going. “Shhh. Come closer.”

Perplexed, the man stepped closer until their chests were nearly touching. Viktor let his arm raise, every second dragging on. His hand rested against Jayce’s cheek. His eyes widened.

The bubble was getting smaller, and Viktor was at the center of it all. He was starting to suffocate, the oxygen getting sucked from his lungs. He dreaded the feeling and loved it at the same time. 

Viktor’s other arm reached up to clasp Jayce’s other cheek, his cane clattering on the floor. Before he could stumble from the loss of balance, Jayce’s hands reached his hips to keep him upright. Always the gentleman, Viktor thought softly. 

They stood like that, the two of them, Jayce’s eyes darting around nervously. Absently, Viktor was reminded of the position they were in days prior, noting that their positions were more or less reversed. The taller man’s eyes widened. Viktor caught the motion.

“What-” Jayce’s voice came out broken, breathless. He cleared his throat. “What are you doing, Viktor?”

He was met with no response, Viktor wordlessly staring at his lips. He was being shameless, he knew it. But he didn’t care. He was ready to let the bubble pop. Viktor leaned in quickly and kissed his partner. 

It was freeing, being able to take his emotions by the reins with the barrier no longer around him. He was falling, and he never felt more liberated. The invisible string split; he had crossed the line, and he never wanted to go back.

He hungrily swallowed the other man’s gasp, drinking in his touch, their hands all over each other. He ran his hands through Jayce’s hair, tugging lightly and relishing in the groans that came out of the other’s mouth. It still wasn't enough. He wanted more. 

Letting the initial shock wear off, Jayce responded with vigor. He grabbed Viktor’s thighs and wrapped them around his waist making the smaller man jump, kissing him through his surprised moan. The two explored one another, weeks and months of tension easing off each other. This was what Viktor wanted, this was what he always wanted. 

There were too many teeth and they were uncoordinated, but the urgency the two shared spurred him on. He shivered in delight at the idea that Jayce felt as strongly about him as he did.

The two broke apart, catching their breaths, and oh, Jayce looked at him with so much love and care Viktor could break apart. After a few moments, the silence was broken by a small huff akin to a laugh by Jayce. “That certainly caught me off guard.” He leaned his forehead against Viktor’s and smiled that beautiful smile that blinded him so many times before. “But I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it.”

Having sobered up in the past minutes, Viktor laughed in return. “Serves you right for that stunt you pulled earlier today.” Just to be cheeky, he tugged experimentally on Jayce’s hair again. The loud moan shot a heat straight to his groin, and his partner seemed to be just as shocked. 

“Not a word,” he said, embarrassed. Oh, they were definitely exploring that later.

Viktor chuckled in return. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

They took the next few moments to enjoy each other’s warmth, kissing much more slowly and exploring their bodies. 

“I should have you know,” Jayce started, “It was so hard for me to control myself the moment I realized you returned my feelings. I thought for days after that it was a mistake, that you would hate me. And yes, I know now you never did, but I didn’t know if you were just physically attracted to me or if it was something more.”

“Jayce,” Viktor whispered. He had been so caught up in his emotions he had been unaware of the other’s inner turmoil. “Look at me. I may not have been clear earlier, so I will say it now. I love you.” He never thought those three words in his head, but saying it out loud made so much sense. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Jayce’s mouth hung slightly agape, eyes softening again. “And I love you too.”

Viktor felt silly, ever having felt even for a slight moment that his feelings weren’t returned. He relished in the warmth of Jayce’s arms around him. They were not seen for the rest of the night.