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Viktor got worried when he could not locate Jayce at first.
It had been a very… average day. Viktor had disappeared only for a moment to retrieve a few books for tomorrow, the trip to the Academy Library short and sweet.
But he could not find Jayce when he returned. It was late, had he gone home? Surely not this suddenly.
There weren’t very many rooms his partner had access to; he had a bit more administration around the building. He peeked down hallways into various spaces…
Footsteps echoed in the corridors, his own as well as those of members of the academy, enforcers, whoever. Viktor didn’t really care at the moment.
He peered out a window, and… that might be right.
Picking up his pace, cane hitting the floor loudly, he opened a door to... what was close to a balcony.
Jayce. There he was, turning to abruptly encounter Viktor with an only slightly startled look on his face.
“What are you doing out here, Jayce?” the approaching man asked, a fraction of worry about Jayce being so high up this late. Mind briefly flashing back a year or so. A potentially tragic night.
“It’s just… nice out here, I guess,” he answered. He turned his attention back to looking outside.
A cool breeze blew past, and Viktor leaned his cane a few inches from him. He joined his partner leaning against the railing.
“Yes… I suppose it is.”
Stars littered the night sky, and gods it was such a gorgeous view.
Viktor did not like Piltover. But one thing he could appreciate, despite the reality of it, was that it stood a pretty place. It shined warmly under the sun and still felt welcoming in the darkness of late hours. The people, maybe not so much, but the buildings, the city, it was nice.
So he let his gaze linger over it all. They weren’t at the top of the building, but they were higher than most others. He tried not to look directly down. He wasn’t afraid of heights, but most humans instinctively felt fear at such a deadly elevation.
The silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It wasn’t quite lacking in feeling though. Viktor was keenly aware of Jayce’s stillness. Jayce was not a still man, nor a silent one. Viktor was reserved at times himself, but still had moments where he did not shut up.
Nonetheless, despite their usual traits, he decided he didn’t mind the quiet right now.
He looked over at Jayce.
Though, he found himself staring into the other man’s eyes.
In what could be milliseconds, Jayce looked away, and Viktor held back a chuckle. A small huff escaped Jayce as he took notice.
“...You did not warn me you’d be vanishing from the lab,” Viktor eventually said.
“Ah… sorry about that.”
Viktor smiled, he really didn’t mind.
“It’s alright.”
He knew he should stop staring. Jayce probably knew he was still looking.
But he let himself drink in the moment for a bit longer.
Wind —or something else— causing Jayce to look a bit flushed. Hair ruffled by it, eyes soft as he stared across Piltover and its magnificent infrastructure. Viktor’s partner, letting out a sigh as the tension left him.
Viktor knew his affection ran deep. He hoped it would pass.
But, for now, this was okay. A warmth bloomed in his chest as he observed.
The feeling was not something he considered beneficial, but he did not banish it.
Oh well.
“I always liked the night sky. It wasn’t anything super big to me, but it was always… pretty. The stars kept shining even on bad days...”
Jayce fidgeted with his hands. Viktor let out a low “Mhm?” as a cue to continue.
“...when we spent an evening in Heimerdinger's lab, cracking Hextech, I stared at the things around me, and I stared outside for a long while after we got those crystals stabilized. I found myself appreciating things a bit more. Especially the stars.”
Viktor finally tore his gaze away from Jayce, choosing instead to bend his head up at the sparkling sky.
“After everything, such a seemingly simple act felt huge. Everything felt so much bigger, important. I felt alive again.”
Jayce looked a tad sheepish. Flustered maybe. He was rambling a bit.
“I don’t know. I just… it’s nice. To feel like that.”
Viktor laughed. Not at Jayce, just out of… ease. Familiarity.
“I understand.”
During his childhood, he had spent several nights gazing up at the stars whenever he could. Oftentimes, clouds obscured them—or unpleasant gases he should not have been breathing—but occasionally, he was able to catch a glimpse.
He marveled at their beauty, worries fading for just a moment. He appreciated it. Like Jayce said, a small act in the grand scheme of things. But yet... so important.
Jayce turned to smile at Viktor. The latter returned it, heart aching in his chest in a way he couldn’t quite place right now.
And silence came again. The wind blew and the stars shined, and Viktor felt like he was where he needed to be.