Work Text:
"Why are you awake at this hour?"
"Machines do not require sleep."
Jayce raised an eyebrow, too tired to bother humoring whatever nonsense Viktor was sprouting; still, tired or not, he would be damned if he didn't shoot at least one little quip to keep things interesting between them.
"Have you ever tried leaving a machine turned on without a break for more than two days? They do need to rest. Or they kinda, like, boil over."
Viktor stared, and stared, and pinched his lips in a dry smirk. If Vi was there, she would have made some sort of sexual innuendo about “keeping a machine turned on” and Viktor hiding an edge play fetish, but thankfully she was at Caitlyn's house, probably asleep, as anyone should be at four am on a Wednesday.
The light in Jayce's apartment was dim, the sun still shy behind the mountains that loomed over Piltover, barely enough to let him sketch out Viktor's face, sunken cheeks and messy bed hair, the feeble pulsing of his augmented gears basking him in a purplish glow. The soft whirr of his cooling fans mixed up with the cicadas from outside that also refused to sleep, almost covered by the humming coming from the air conditioner, a necessary luxury with how unbearably hot and humid summers tended to get in Piltover
He looked ethereal. Unreal, and far too much so at the same time. Like a dream that lingers on the cliff of consciousness, stubbornly clinging to your eyelids.
Or like a fucking haunted doll, if one were to be less poetic – as it usually is the case before eight am.
Jayce wasn't a stranger to insomnia. He wasn't a stranger to long nights devoted to his work without any rest, or to ones spent drinking himself into oblivion to forget about his past, tolerate his present, and, hopefully, put off his future for long enough that it could almost sound bearable. It got a bit better with Amaranthine in his life, not because she did anything conscious to help, of course; he knew better than to burden a child with whatever self-destructive behavior he wallowed in at any time, even if that knowledge didn't spare her from being treated with a certain degree of callousness, sarcasm, and that distinct way of bastardness that was very Jayce.
She could take it all, and even clap back most of the time; she was a smart kid. And she was also growing into a bit of a bastard, maybe.
Since he was a veteran of long nights that never seemed to end, he was well aware that no one was awake at four in the morning unless they found their way in it. Three a.m.? A long evening that was wetting its feet into the night. Five a.m.? Getting ready for work, the next hour cramped in a train, commuting.
But four? It was an hour lost in time, forgotten in the span of the day, when the early birds hadn't risen yet, and the night owls had been sleeping for a while.
Stagnant, like sweat on the back of his neck after a long day at the forge.
The perfect hour for reminiscing.
He moved closer to Viktor, wrapping his arms around his waist; he felt cool to the touch, a nice feeling compared to the heat he was burning with. He disliked summer with a passion, but that was to be expected with the damn fur collar he had to wear all the time – contrary to popular belief, he didn't really have a say in his everyday uniform as the Defender of Tomorrow TM, although he did like the gloves–.
"Touché." Viktor sighed, a raspy, throaty sound, and leaned back into his embrace.
On certain nights, he found himself being comforted instead of offering it. When his inner demons crawled all over his back, Viktor liked to chase them away with sweet milk and quiet touches. Jayce, rather, was a chatter-box.
"Candy for your thoughts?"
"Shouldn't you offer money for them, Defender?"
Ouch.
"You could use the sweetness, V."
Jayce disliked when he got demoted back to Defender, especially when Viktor called him that privately. Although, even when in public, Jayce always made a point to refer to him by nothing but his name, and that was only partly because he found the name “Machine Herald” to be way too extra to say out loud.
"Hmh. Pardon my, eh, callousness. I'm feeling antsy."
"Is it about our talk? I swear I wasn't even that serious when I asked if you were seeing Taric. It's just, Vi mentioned it the other day, so I sort of got myself spiraling imagining you two getting hot and bothered while talking about geoids, and I know how much you like your geoids, so–"
"Jayce."
Jayce hummed, shutting his mouth with a click, nuzzling his face in the crook of Viktor’s neck, his stubble likely prickling on the sensitive human skin that was still there.
"Sorry. What are you worried about?"
"I'm not worried about anything. I'm antsy. I have long evolved past certain feelings, I physically cannot be worried."
Of course he could. Viktor liked, loved to declare his lack of humanity, but he was so Viktor on the silliest, most stupid little things. He got upset if Jayce didn't make him coffee the way he liked it, and stayed cranky for the rest of the morning. He still had that wheezy laugh that escaped him whenever he got surprised by something. He still hated the rain, and no , it was not because he could rust, Jayce tried to joke about it once and got a thirty minute long lecture about it for his trouble.
"No matter how many times you repeat it, I refuse to listen to you about it. You can play the scary unfeeling robot all you want out of this house, but here? No."
"And yet, I distinctly remember you referring to me as a “annoying hex-roomba lookalike” during one of our fights." He pointed out, making Jayce scoff.
"Well, I was wrong," he didn't mention how Viktor called him far worse things back then, partly because some of them were called for, and partly because Cait had insisted that, sometimes, it was okay to not try to have the last word in every freaking discussion of his life.
"I was wrong about a lot of things, V."
"But you still dislike my methods." It didn't sound like an accusation, nor a question, more like he was just stating the obvious. Jayce shrugged, tightening his embrace; since Viktor wasn't trying to wriggle out of it, and the Hexclaw was still laying placid over his hip, it was not an unwelcome move.
"We already had this discussion, we can't agree on everything. We always had different approaches to... life."
Because we’ve had very different lives, was left unsaid.
Because you are from Zaun.
Because you were dying.
Viktor sighed again, shifting in the hug until he wrapped his arms around his neck. He could squeeze, and Jayce's life would end just there, just like that.
He could flick his wrist, and his neck with it.
He could have killed him at least thirty-eight times since he came into the room, Jayce knew, he counted them, but he was doing his best to trust him. And Viktor was doing the same, even if he was less wary of physical threats and more of sentimental ones.
It was interesting that he could break Viktor's heart just like the other could quite literally wrench his out of his chest like it was a wayward lint in his pocket.
"Sometimes, I think we are making a mistake." Jayce didn't freeze at that, partially because it was way too hot to do so, and partially because it was not the first time Viktor had said something like that. At first, he thought he was testing him or something, but he soon came to find out he was genuinely worried about it. About them.
It took a while to come to a mutual understanding. Even after peace was reached and they managed to work together again, it was a lot of tentative discussions and barely disguised threats and laser burning off the rim of his coats and little things like that.
But they managed.
They weren't like before, they could never be like before, but they were again and, in Jayce's book, that was enough. After all was said and done, and tears were shed – from Jayce, for Viktor was a scheming bastard who had got ridden of his tear duct before, apparently –, they came to the agreement that they could have done things differently.
Both of them.
‘Maybe try stepping, instead of leaping’ Jayce had said, promising himself to be there to catch him if he were to fall, this time.
He may not have held any personal ambitions besides knowledge, nor he had morals that he kept to his core, but right now keeping Viktor in his life was something he was looking forward to, a priority of sort; he wasn't as smitten to completely ignore him if he ever went evil genius on him again, though.
Although, he could admit, his theatricals were endearing, with the whole monologuing and villain laugh that he liked to do in front of the students of the Academy.
"Seriously, though," he tried to lighten the mood by letting a smirk paint his lips, kissing Viktor's cheek,"is it actually about Taric? Did Vi rat you out? Out of all the people in Runeterra, Aspects or not, did you really have to cheat with someone so… Taric?"
At that, Viktor finally cracked a smile of his own, lightly pecking him on the lips, golden eyes twinkling with mischief, amusement, and something that Jayce wasn't feeling too confident on putting a name on at five in the morning on a Wednesday.
"He has quite the charm. His shoulders are broad, he is pleasant to the eye, and is quite knowledgeable about crystals."
Jayce pouted, fighting the urge to bite on the other's lips, if only because they were supposed to be up and about in a few hours, and he really wanted to catch some sleep rather than get in Viktor’s pants. Which, of course, he was usually down for, no questions asked, but he was also getting old and had no augments on his body, contrary to a certain someone.
"I am all of these things too. And I'm not a boring stick in the mud."
He belatedly wondered if insulting an Aspect counted as a sin of sort, and if he was going to get divine retributions for it. Considering how much Viktor cursed after the Aspect of Twilight, though, Jayce was pretty sure he wasn’t going to get crushed by a rock anytime soon.
"You were way cuter when you were younger, you know. Gentle, naive, a spark in your eyes…"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. On the other hand, I think I’m just like fine wine."
"You should be kept in a cellar?"
He scoffed, observing with glee that, when he tried to wriggle out and put some distance between them in faux irritation, Viktor tightened his hold on him.
"It's cute that you are jealous, Jayce. But shouldn’t I be the jealous one? I’m pretty sure you are one of the most sought-after men of Piltover."
"And 'm also utterly ruined for anyone but you, V." He grinned as his lover flushed, delighted as always that he didn't get rid of that specific part of being human.
Also, he was way past his prime, with a child that was now a way bigger part of his life than he liked to admit, and an emotional baggage as big as a middle sized Yordle.
"So, between the two of us, I am the one who has the most reasons to be wary of any escapades. Also, since we are on the topic, what is that story about you having girls all over yourself in Zaun?"
Viktor had at least the decency to cough, finally letting go of Jayce, looking to the side with a light, playful scowl.
"I don't know what Violet told you, Defender, but I've always been a bachelor."
"Really, V? Then what about those girls?"
"That's for me to know and for you to find out, in one way or another. Although I admit I’d love to see you try."
"I can and will hack into Zaun surveillance cameras, you know. Heimerdinger is just waiting for me to ask for help in committing crimes."
Viktor's shoulders shook with laughter, and Jayce felt his chest swollen with pride for being the cause of it.
"He changed a lot too, didn't he?"
"He is the master of tax fraud."
At that, Viktor barked out a laugh, shaking his head, "Well, that explains those funds we suddenly acquired."
Jayce smiled too, reaching out to tangle his fingers with Viktor's, watching with fascination his fingers glow with a faint purple in tune with the energy of the Hexcore.
Years ago, he would have recoiled at that. Now, he found it fascinating, mesmerizing, and so much Viktor that it made him want to tear up.
It would still take time for both of them to see their younger selves as part of their present, rather than something to be sought after, or something long gone entirely.
But they were managing.
Stepping, instead of leaping.
Vi still barely caught herself from calling Jinx with her old name whenever she was in her presence, but she couldn't let go of it when talking to someone else. In the same way, in the back of his mind, he was still overly mindful of Viktor's knee, even if he saw him jogging around on a daily basis; and Viktor, too, he was sure, was surprised every time he heard him bark out at a very amused Amaranthine in a way that would have made his Academy self shake in his goody two shoes.
Jayce pulled him towards their room, his grip lax enough that it wouldn’t take much from VIktor to break free, in the off chance that he wanted to spend the whole night – now mostly morning, really – staring at his balcony and thinking about life.
In that case, he would keep him company, probably, because he was a good boyfriend. Vi would have been proud of him, being such a nice significant other.
"Come back to bed with me? I'm sure the Machine Herald can press off the secret snooze button on the back of his neck and catch some sleep time."
"It doesn't even work like that, and you know it. Sleep is actually–"
"V, please , we only have forty five minutes before the alarm, and I want to spend them in my bed, with the AC on, napping with you."
Viktor pouted, but tightened his hold on Jayce’s hand.
"Alright."
"Next time you are worried about the future, wake me up instead of brooding by the window."
"I wasn't brooding."
"Of course."
"...Whatever. I'll consider it, Jayce."
Jayce smiled, closing the door of their room behind them. He was going to be so, so tired the next day, maybe he will even fall asleep at his work table like he was 20 again, fresh of all nighters during his finals at the Academy.
It’s worth it, he thought, peeking behind his lashes at Viktor’s silhouette, his breath heavy as he fell asleep, securely wrapped in his arms.