Archive of Our Own

Let it be known that Jayce Talis isn’t a quitter. If there’s a problem and he thinks he can solve it, he’s going to try and figure out a solution no matter what.

Let it also be known that Jayce Talis isn’t renowned for always having brilliant ideas. He’s only human, after all.

Sometimes, these two facts meet in such a perfect collision that Jayce has to wonder why he can’t let some things go.

Enter the problem: Viktor.

Or, well, Viktor isn’t the problem per se, but the problem stems from him. So. Close enough.

Anyway.

Here’s how it starts.

In an attempt to not be hermits who tuck themselves away in the lab for days on end, Jayce has implemented a rule for him and Viktor to abide by: Take a break every few hours. Touch grass, look at the sky, take a lap around the Academy, anything.

They already have sleeping and eating habits that would have Ximena Talis walking right up to the Academy and dragging them into a bed after forcing a homecooked meal down their throats if she found out. Taking a break is the least they can do for themselves.

Admittedly, they’re not the best at following this self-implemented rule, but in Jayce’s not at all biased opinion, they’re getting better! Sort of. (Don’t tell Ximena.)

In the thick of winter, however, their resolve to treat their bodies in a semi-decent way flounders a bit. With the rapidly cooling temperatures, overcast skies, wind gusts, and occasional snowfall that still triggers some hesitancy from Jayce after all these years, sometimes getting the motivation to go outside and face being cold is hard to come by.

Today is different, thankfully.

It’s a sunny day, if deceptively colder than it appears. To the ease of Jayce’s heart, there’s no snow, but the chilled breeze does remind those outside that it is, in fact, winter. The sun alone is enough to give Jayce the urge to take one of their self-appointed breaks outside instead of indoors today. Maybe Viktor would be interested too. Jayce is about to propose his amazing idea when Viktor interrupts.

“I have no interest in becoming an icicle.”

“What? I didn’t even say anything!” Jayce counters. And it’s true. They’d been working diligently side-by-side for the past while, but in silence. Jayce looked out the nearby window only a moment ago. Viktor didn’t even lift his head up and yet he noticed a change in Jayce’s demeanor. How is that fair?

“No, but you were thinking about it.”

Jayce hmphs at the response. Viktor gives a slight chuckle at Jayce’s dramatics.

“Besides, I thought you would be more interested in finishing the prototype we’ve been working on all week,” Viktor amends, which. Okay, yeah, he really is invested in their latest project, but the temptation of the sun and stretching his legs is strong. It’s a rare weather occurrence in Piltover winters for it to look so nice outside, and Jayce wants to capitalize on this moment.

“You know I am, but come on Viktor, we promised each other that we would–” Jayce starts.

“–take better care of ourselves, I know,” Viktor finishes. “But this is important.”

“And so is making sure we’re working at peak performance and productivity!” Jayce counters. “Come on, are you going to sit there and tell me you don’t want to see what a gorgeous day it is outside?”

“Yes, precisely that.”

Sometimes, that is that. Jayce has a tendency to be weak for Viktor, and is more than happy to indulge the other man in his whims and wants, whatever they may be. Drafting up a new prototype idea even though they have so many in the works? Sure why not. Taste testing Viktor’s incredibly sweet coffee preference for a laugh? Hand over the mug. Staying up later to work despite his burning eyes? Hey, what’s one more hour?

But Jayce doesn’t want to budge this time.

“Viktor,” he starts in a pleading tone.

“Jayce,” Viktor mimics his tone back playfully.

“It’d just be for a little bit,” he promises.

“No,” Viktor responds.

“I’ll deep clean the lab this week,” Jayce offers.

“It’s your week anyway, but still no.”

“I’ll…get you all the sweetmilk you want,” he bargains. Viktor turns a little to look at Jayce. Jayce sees the slight upturn of Viktor’s lips and he knows he’s got him close.

“Tempting, but no.”

Alright then. Time for the big guns.

Dramatically, Jayce leans back in his chair and lets out a long sigh. He makes eye contact with a bemused Viktor, pouting his lips just so and hoping his eyes look extra sad. It’s time to guilt trip.

“Viktor…please? For me?”

Viktor holds on to the stare for a few more seconds before letting out a slight huff of a laugh, breaking their eye contact.

“You’re ridiculous, but alright, fine. Not for too long. I think I’m close to something here,” Viktor concedes.

Jayce immediately perks up, grinning like a dog with a bone. He can’t help but look at Viktor, absurdly happy to be spending more time with the man despite seeing him nearly every day. It makes his insides feel like butterflies are housed there. Any time with Viktor is special, but Jayce treasures whenever he has the man’s undivided attention outside of blueprints, chalkboards, and cups of coffee.

The moment must stretch for too long because Viktor looks at him questioningly before asking, “Shall we then? Or have you changed your mind?”

At that, Jayce immediately hops up, bounding over to the lab’s entrance where their winter gear hangs. He quickly shoulders on his own dark brown, fleece-lined coat as he hears Viktor get up and make his way over, the steady clink of his cane matching his footsteps. He wraps a scarf around his neck and feels his pockets for his gloves. Viktor, meanwhile, puts on his own black coat with ease.

Once ready, the two begin their way outdoors, matching pace with one another as they hit the campus of the Academy. Jayce takes a moment to revel in the sunshine before starting their usual journey through the nearby Academy gardens.

Admittedly, the Academy gardens don’t have much in bloom in the winter, but it’s still nice to be outside nonetheless. The wind has a distinct chill, but when it’s not blowing, it’s pleasant. The two of them start talking about anything under the sun—what other materials they should try out for some of their other planned projects, the merit of investing in a couch for the lab, and so on—when Jayce notices it.

Whenever the wind blows, Viktor shivers.

Jayce, being the human furnace that he is, feels the cold, sure, but bundled in his nice gear alongside his naturally warmer body temperature, he is mostly fine. But now that Jayce notices it, with how Viktor’s coat sits, his neck is exposed. Not to mention, without a hat or gloves, his cheeks, nose, and hands are turning a bright pink.

Jayce pauses in their stroll, causing Viktor to stop and peer back at him in confusion. Jayce watches as the confusion melts into shock as Viktor shakes his head while Jayce begins to unravel his scarf.

“Jayce, you don’t need to do that, I’m fine–”

“Viktor, you’re clearly cold, and I’m running warm anyway. You’d be doing me a favor. Please, just take the scarf?” Jayce is lying a bit here. He’s mostly fine, yes, but his freshly exposed neck is causing him to feel slightly cold. No matter, Viktor being warm is more important.

Viktor gives him an exasperated look, but doesn’t complain further as Jayce winds his scarf around his partner’s neck. Jayce notes that Viktor’s ears and cheeks are turning a deeper shade of pink, but he writes it off as Viktor being embarrassed.

Once he’s done, Viktor takes off, continuing where they were in their conversation as if Jayce didn’t stop to share his winter gear with him. Endearingly, Jayce watches as Viktor nuzzles down into the scarf, looking somewhat pleased. It does funny things to Jayce’s heart, and he can’t help but smile warmly at the sight. This is worth the cold neck.

And that’s when the idea strikes Jayce.

What if he made Viktor some warm clothes?

Jayce can’t say he knows what Viktor’s wardrobe fully consists of given they mostly dress in lab clothes everyday or button downs and slacks for more formal events, but the idea of making Viktor something that he can wear and show off as a product of Jayce’s hands fills him with a longing that he struggles to define clearly.

Yeah…yeah.

He could make something for Viktor!

Jayce remembers being a child and, while scribbling away in his notebook on the floor, his mom would be sitting nearby, knitting needles in hand and yarn in a basket by her feet. Back then, he didn’t take much interest in what exactly she was doing, though he would always marvel at what she’d produce—hats, scarves, sweaters, gloves, socks, and more. In fact, the gloves he keeps on him now were made by his mom just a couple of winters ago. They’re one of his most treasured possessions.

Decision made. He will learn to knit for Viktor!

Jayce can’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. A buzzing excitement tingles inside him as, for once, he looks forward to the end of the day. He can’t wait to research this idea further.

Besides, knitting can’t be that hard, right?

—

Wrong.

It’s a couple of days later when Jayce finds himself in the Academy library in the “Skills & Specialties” section. He’s not entirely sure where to start with this endeavor of his, but the library hasn’t failed him before, so he figured it’d be a good place to start.

To his pleasure, there are several books about knitting for all levels of proficiency. He takes a couple off the shelves that have the word “beginner” in the title and sits down at a table. Excitement courses through his veins as he starts reading the opening pages of the first one, but very quickly he feels overwhelmed. It’s more a book of patterns as opposed to a “how to knit” guide, meaning the explanations that are there presume he already knows all this stuff.

Okay…maybe the other one will provide some answers.

Thankfully, it does, but it still feels like he’s reading in a foreign language. There are diagrams explaining how to read yarn labels, explanations of different kinds of needles and how they can be used, overviews of different stitches…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. He feels decidedly like a fish out of water. But he won’t give up.

Jayce reasons with himself that he doesn’t need to know all this stuff quite yet. And so, he flips to the “Getting Started” chapter and begins to jot down the materials he will need. Maybe once he gets those, it’ll come more naturally. That’s a Future Jayce problem anyway.

Needles. Yarn. Something called stitch markers?

Alright. He can do that much.

This is a promising start.

Books in hand, Jayce quickly checks the two out, stuffs them in the linen bag he brought for supplies shopping, and begins planning his next step as he exits the library. He recalls going with his mom to some yarn stores in Piltover where she’d get all kinds of soft, squishy yarn that he, as a child, had more fun touching than giving much thought to. He fondly remembers all the pretty colors that would line the shelves and how his mother would ask him for help choosing which color she should work with next.

He remembers the yarn store they most frequently visited being not too far from his childhood home, so while he has free time today, he decides it’d be worthwhile to visit there now that he’s slightly more educated on what he’s looking for.

Confidence in his brilliant idea restored, he begins the trek to the yarn store. Luckily the streets of Piltover are rather quiet today and the weather is slightly warmer than it has been, so he’s able to make it there in a reasonable amount of time.

The storefront appears just as innocuous as it did when Jayce was younger. A humble wooden sign hangs off the glass window, proclaiming the store’s name: Knot to Worry.

Bracing himself, he opens up the door and hears a little chime announcing his arrival.

The store looks almost identical to how it does in his memories, and a strong wave of nostalgia hits him. All those trips with his mom come flooding back.

“Welcome! I’ll be here if you need any help,” a voice calls out from the back room. Ah, that must be the store owner.

“Ah, thanks,” he awkwardly responds before wincing. Was he supposed to respond just then?

To save himself from further social embarrassment, Jayce makes the decision to start hiding in yarn rows and shelves. Maybe if he just goes for it, he’ll figure it out.

Oh boy, how wrong he is.

There are so many yarn varieties, both in materials and size, and he quickly realizes he may not be able to figure it out alone.

Feeling humbled by his fruitless search, he makes his way over to the store owner who, thankfully, is behind the register now.

“Excuse me?” he tentatively asks. The owner looks up, her eyes widening a bit as she seems to recognize him. Momentarily, he wonders if he’s being recognized for his work on Hextech. He has slowly built a reputation over the past couple of years in Piltover as he and Viktor work on achieving their dreams and refining Hextech, but thankfully, his face isn’t plastered everywhere for all to witness. Although with each day that passes, that doesn’t feel like a guarantee for the future.

“Jayce? Oh my, how you’ve grown! It’s been ages, what are you doing here? Shopping for your mother?” the store owner exclaims, her voice soft but fond. It takes Jayce a moment, but now that he’s looking at her properly, he recognizes her. It’s Enid, the same lady who ran this store when Jayce was a little kid and would come with his mom. Her hair is grayer and her face is wrinkled with signs of laughter and love, but he remembers her.

“Enid! No, no, I’m not shopping for her,” Jayce says. “Actually, I’m here for something else.”

“How can I help you?”

“I’m looking to…knit something,” he manages. She laughs a bit at his response, and he belatedly realizes how silly it is to say that in a yarn store of all places.

“Alright, did you have a project in mind?”

He freezes for just a moment. Initially, he had been hoping to make something like a sweater for Viktor, but after perusing those books and realizing just how involved knitting would be, he thinks something smaller would be a good starting place. Jayce thinks back to Viktor’s exposed neck.

“A scarf,” he states, trying to seem more confident than he feels. “But…I’ve never knit before, so I’m not sure where to start. But I want it to be warm.”

Luckily, Enid takes his lack of knowledge in stride and leads him over to a shelf of yarn. She explains to him the merits of the different yarn materials, but frankly, he doesn’t fully understand what she’s saying. However, he takes her word for it when she points him in the direction of some “wool blend” yarn.

Thankfully, her kindness goes a step further and she decides to help him get the other materials he recalls reading about needing. Enid steps aside for a moment to grab a set of knitting needles that would work for this yarn and project, leaving him where he is to decide on what color yarn he’d like. His eyes skim over every color of the rainbow. There are also textured, sparkly, and gradient yarns. But what would Viktor like?

Viktor is a very simple man in how he dresses, perhaps a testament to his upbringing in the Undercity. He never dresses exuberantly like others do in Piltover, and he certainly never seeks to make himself stand out in a crowd. He enjoys blending in. Jayce presumes it’s because Viktor has always been an outsider and wishes to melt into anonymity.

Jayce never understood that, personally. Viktor is incredible in every way, and Jayce can hardly ever look away from him. At events and galas, Jayce’s eyes never stray from Viktor if he’s in attendance, always the center of his attention just by virtue of being Viktor. Not to mention, he’s absurdly pretty. Jayce often fantasizes about cupping Viktor’s face in his hands, running his thumbs along those sharp cheekbones. He loves to look at Viktor’s amber eyes and feel like he’s being seen and understood. He relishes every moment Viktor blushes, the gentle pink painting his cheeks and ears so endearingly.

But Jayce digresses.

Right. Colors.

Jayce pivots his attention away from the vibrant colors and to the more muted, neutral ones. He’s thinking about maybe going for a classic gray or brown when his eyes catch on a certain shade of red.

It’s eerily close to the shade of red for House Talis. In fact, Jayce would even wager that it’s dead on. Viktor’s not a part of his House, he’s not legally a Talis, but he’s one of the most important people in Jayce’s life. Not to mention, thinking about Viktor wrapped up in Jayce’s family’s colors does funny things to his heart. He imagines Viktor walking around with a Talis red scarf, subtly proclaiming his connection to Jayce.

Without giving it much more thought, Jayce practically snatches a couple of yarn balls off the wall. It’s a lovely plush texture that, Jayce concedes mentally to Enid, would probably feel wonderful as a scarf.

“That’s a gorgeous color,” Enid says from behind him. He jumps a bit in his spot before turning around, trying to make himself appear as if he wasn’t just spooked out of his romantic thoughts.

“Uh, yeah, yeah I thought so too,” he strings together.

“Very fitting for House Talis. It’ll look good on you, dear,” she agrees.

“Oh no, this isn’t for me, it’s for my partner,” Jayce amends. At her raised eyebrows, he quickly starts backtracking with, “Not my partner partner, my research partner! We work in a lab together! He runs cold and doesn’t have much to keep him warm outside so I just thought–”

Enid, graciously, puts a gentle hand on his arm and smiles at him understandingly. Oh no, he’s obvious, isn’t he?

“He sounds like a very special man,” she says genuinely. “Anyone would be lucky to receive a handmade gift made by someone close.”

Jayce nods his head along, the nostalgia of the store making him feel all sorts of things.

“Yeah, he’s my best friend,” Jayce says dumbly, as if “best friend” encompasses who Viktor is to him and what they are to each other. It’s not enough, but it’s as close as Jayce can get to defining it. “We actually only met a couple of years ago, but he’s… everything.”

“I can see that.” The knowing look in Enid’s eyes is now accompanied by a warm smile.

“And he doesn’t indulge in nice things for himself often. I’m not even sure if he has a scarf, but he never wears one, so I thought maybe if I made him one, he’d wear it.”

Jayce doesn’t know what compels him to keep speaking, but he always finds that it’s hard to stop talking about Viktor once he’s started.

“You’re very lucky to have him, and he’s lucky to have you,” Enid says with a wink. Jayce blushes. “Now, come along. Let’s ring you up.”

And with that, Enid guides him and his yarn to the counter where he pays for that and the knitting needles she pulled for him. He watches as she adds some stitch markers with dangling hammers on them, insisting they’re “on the house.” He represses a laugh at the silly icon she chose for him, but his heart warms all the same. It makes him realize how much he misses the times where he’d come here with his mom.

As he’s putting his new items in his linen bag, Enid speaks once more, saying, “If you need any help, dear, I’m always here. I know these things can be overwhelming for beginners.”

“Of course. Thank you, Enid, I really appreciate it,” he says, gratitude filling his voice.

“And say hello to your mother for me. I haven’t seen her much recently. Tell her she’s always welcome in our knitting circle.” She hands him a flyer of this “knitting circle’s” information and meeting time with a wink.

Jayce agrees, and then he’s off with a goodbye and one last thank you, the soft chime of the door going once more to announce his departure.

With his supplies in hand, he’s feeling ready to get started.

Viktor won’t know what hit him.

—

Maybe it’s more accurate to say that Jayce doesn’t know what hit him.

He’s sitting at his dining table in his little apartment near the Academy. In front of him is one book flipped to the basic “beginner-level scarf” pattern, and the other book is open with “how to cast on” taunting him.

The two needles sit in his hands uselessly as he tries to make heads or tails of what to do with the yarn that he’s also supposed to be holding in his hands…somehow. For all the supplementary images that are provided, they make little sense to his brain. Not to mention, apparently what hand the yarn is held in does matter.

“Hold the yarn in whatever hand is comfortable for you” is what’s written in the book, but what do you do if it feels uncomfortable and foreign in both hands?

Jayce settles for his right hand. After all, it’s his dominant hand. It makes logical sense to choose that hand, right?

His little successes don’t continue much after that.

He tries and tries and tries, but casting on—Step 1, mind you—feels like the biggest hurdle of his life. No matter what he does, nothing stays on his needle, and if one does, it quickly gets tangled like a spider web.

Jayce Talis isn’t a quitter, but he kind of wishes he was right now. This seems like more fuss than it’s worth.

But it’s not, is it? It’s for Viktor. Wonderful, amazing, beautiful Viktor with a cold neck that Jayce could easily remedy this winter season with a scarf in the House Talis red color. The mental image of Viktor in his imaginary Talis red scarf reignites the fire in Jayce. Ignoring the pounding of his heart, he nods to himself.

He can do this.

Grabbing the needles and yarn, he makes a slip knot.

Let’s try this again.

It takes him a total of five more attempts, but amazingly, on attempt twenty (he thinks…he lost count a while ago), it looks like he’s got something that just might work.

Just as Jayce is about to cheer and celebrate his victory of casting on loops on a needle, he takes a look at what he has to do next in the pattern and groans.

“What the hell is a knit stitch?” he wonders aloud, hoping something in the universe will provide him the answer he seeks.

Reviewing the diagrams that explain what he has to do, the fish out of water feeling returns, and he’s helpless to do more than groan again and put his forehead on the table.

“You’re doing this for Viktor,” he repeats like a mantra. For Viktor, for Viktor, for Viktor.

With that, he picks up his needles once more and tries to do whatever the hell a knit stitch is.

Insert, wrap, pull through, slide off.

Sounds easy simplified, but goodness this might be the hardest thing Jayce has ever done, and he’s been on trial and couldn’t successfully talk his way out of that situation. His mother had to swoop in and save him.

Wait a minute.

That’s it.

Maybe his mom can save him.

Jayce goes to get up and sprint his way over to his childhood home, but his eyes catch on a nearby clock. It’s way later than he thought it was.

Where did the time go?

No way would his mother be up this late. For as much as she loves him, something tells Jayce she wouldn’t lovingly teach him a knit stitch at this hour.

No matter, he can tuck his work in his linen bag and visit his mom for help in the morning.

And that’s when Jayce learns the importance of keeping his work safe. All it takes is accidentally turning his needles too far and all his cast on stitches slide right off into a loopy mess in the bag.

He has half a mind to snap the needles in half. Or chuck them out the nearest window.

Instead, he tucks them in his bag and walks into the kitchen to make something to eat.

He’ll deal with it in the morning.

—

Morning comes and goes, as do the next couple of days.

Jayce doesn’t mean to put the project on the back burner, but he gets caught up in lab time with Viktor, staying up late finally finishing their prototype of the week, and then crashing through most of the next day in his apartment, exhaustion catching up to him ingloriously.

The blessing in disguise to this all, though, is that he has dinner with his mother tonight. He’ll probably head over there straight from the lab when they’re done for the day, and while he’s not keen to bring his little secret near Viktor in their safe space, he still wants to ask her for her help.

And so, he brings the linen bag to the lab and only feels slightly like a fool for doing so.

Thankfully, although Viktor is already there, he is distracted by welding together some pieces of metal for whatever it is he’s doing.

“What are you working on?” Jayce asks curiously. To his surprise, Viktor isn’t so focused on his work that he filters out Jayce. Jayce smiles as he watches Viktor turn to face him and flips his welding mask up. His hair looks messy, and Jayce wants nothing more in this moment than to run his fingers through the tangles and smooth them out.

“A, eh, side project. Something I just wanted to test out. Nothing important,” Viktor brushes him off. Curious. Viktor always loves to share with Jayce what he’s working on. Jayce decides to leave it be though. Viktor will come to him with it when he’s ready.

Jayce is about to say something when Viktor talks again.

“What’s with the bag?”

Jayce freezes. Crap. He didn’t think through what he’d say if Viktor asked him about the bag. He scrambles to think of something.

“Oh! This, uh, it’s for…my mom?”

Viktor gives him an amused look, as if he’s enjoying watching Jayce flounder.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re having dinner tonight so I decided to bring her some…books…that she wanted to read.” Jayce really hates lying to Viktor like this, but it’ll be worth it when he can finally reveal the scarf once it’s made.

Viktor sends him a doubtful look now, as if wanting to ask how exactly Ximena and Jayce’s reading preferences align (which, fair, they don’t align at all), but he lets the conversation drop.

“Alright…anyway, I wanted to pick your brain about something,” Viktor starts, and it’s easy to melt into the ebb and flow of working together in their shared lab toward their shared dream.

They fall into this rhythm for the next few hours. It’s familiar and cozy. It’s all Jayce wants, it’s all he needs. Time with Viktor, time working alongside Viktor, sharing space with someone who is able to match his speed and wit. He could live in this lab with Viktor and he’d be happy. He wishes every day could be like this.

Eventually, though, the sun goes down and Viktor kindly reminds Jayce of the late hour and the commitment he has this evening.

“Shit, you’re right. Thanks, V!” The nickname slips out unbidden as Jayce hops up and starts to get himself ready to head outside. He misses the way Viktor’s cheeks warm at the nickname.

“You’re, ah, welcome,” Viktor stutters out.

Jayce, willing to cut corners for the sake of time, strips out of his lab shirt right there and begins to button up a nicer, clean, oil-free shirt. He doesn’t have time to shower, but he can at least do this little change. He distantly hears a choking noise and turns in concern to see if Viktor’s okay, but his back is to him now. He watches as Viktor waves him off, muttering about how his drink went down the wrong pipe.

Jayce kindly doesn’t mention how his mug is several feet away from him. Strange.

No matter, Jayce needs to finish getting ready so he can head out and make it on time.

Shrugging on his familiar coat and wrapping his scarf around his neck, Jayce is preparing to say his goodbyes to Viktor when Viktor calls out for him.

“Jayce.”

He turns around and there Viktor is a couple of feet away, standing up with the assistance of his cane. In his free hand hangs the linen bag holding the knitting materials.

“Don’t forget this.”

Jayce scrambles to backtrack and take the bag out of Viktor’s hands. Did he see? Does he know now? It doesn’t appear so, but Jayce will have to be more careful if he wants this to remain a surprise.

“Right! Right, thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t stay too late!” And with that, Jayce books it out of the lab, just barely catching Viktor’s humored “Goodbye, Jayce” in return.

—

Dinner with his mother goes well, all things considered. He’s jittery with nerves, and maybe a little embarrassed over having to ask his mom for help with learning how to knit after they eat, but he tries to let the nerves settle as he eats more of the delicious food his mom made—all his favorites, tonight. She always spoils him, acting as if each dinner they share is precious and rare.

He makes the mental note to visit her more. Maybe he’ll even bring Viktor sometime. She’s been asking to meet him, after all, and Jayce never likes to leave Viktor alone in the lab while he indulges in his mom’s warmth and delicious food.

Once they finish eating, he helps her clean up the table despite her insistence that he doesn’t have to. Still, he does. It’s the least he can do.

They tuck away the leftovers—her not so sneakily leaving some aside for him to take home—and wash the plates, placing them in a rack to dry.

She meets him in the living room, taking a seat on her armchair as he sits comfortably on the couch.

“So, mijo, will you finally tell your poor mother what’s got you in a bundle of nerves tonight?” she asks, getting straight to the point. “Did something happen at the lab or with your research? Is Viktor okay?”

Jayce’s heart warms at his mom’s concern, especially her foresight to ask about Viktor. She knows how important Viktor is to him, despite not knowing all the details of exactly how Viktor saved him and brought forth a research partnership that fateful night.

“Viktor’s fine, mamá,” Jayce says, easing her worries only somewhat. “But, uh, that’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”

He can tell his mom is interested, perking up in her seat with just the slightest of smiles playing at her lips.

“Did you finally ask him out?” Her smile is getting wider. “You’ve held a candle for that boy for so long now, you need to sweep him off his feet before someone else does–”

“–Mamá!” Jayce interrupts, the embarrassment returning in an instant.

“I’m just saying, Jayce,” she continues, teasing him gently. “I’m not getting any younger here, and neither are you.”

Flashes of everything he wants with Viktor run through his mind. Countless dates that start and end with kisses, mugs of sweetmilk and coffee side-by-side on a lab table, a romantic proposal with just enough cheesiness, a wedding in a perfect blend of Piltover and Zaun traditions, kids if they ever feel ready…the whole nine yards. He wants anything and everything that Viktor is willing to give him, from now until they cease to exist, whenever that may be.

“Viktor is fine,” Jayce finally gets out. He doesn’t want to think about how red his face must be. At least his mom is enjoying herself.

“But you said this is about him, yes?”

Jayce nods his head. Figuring it’d be easier to show her while he explains, he gets up and grabs the linen bag that now taunts him of his failures.

Thankfully, she pauses her teasing and takes on the demeanor of a concerned mother. She listens to him seriously, as if he’s talking about the end of the universe and seeking her advice and not his failure to learn how to knit by himself. He loves her so much and how she doesn’t treat his problems, even the little ones, like they’re something trivial. However, he does ignore the knowing glance she gives him when she picks up the Talis red yarn he selected.

“Oh Jayce,” his mom says once he’s finished. “Viktor is going to love this. Of course I will help you. Come, come, let’s see what you’ve got so far.”

And like that, she gets up from her armchair and migrates them both to the couch so they can comfortably sit side-by-side. She even brings her own basket of yarn and needles for added demonstration purposes.

Slowly, his mom walks him through all the beginner knitting intricacies that felt like hurdles to him when he attempted to teach himself—how she holds her yarn, how she prefers to cast on, what hand she works with, and, amazingly, how to do a knit stitch. It takes time and his brain still feels like a jumbled mess of information, but she’s patient with him and doesn’t discourage him when he makes a mistake or when, to his horror, his work falls off his needles again.

She even walks him through how to properly care for his wrists while knitting and what stretches he should do to make sure he protects them from damage.

“Your hands are magic, Jayce. They create such beautiful things. Don’t wreck them in pursuit of a scarf.”

It’s nice. Nicer than he thought it’d be.

Jayce ends up staying later than he usually would following dinner with his mom, but he finds he doesn’t mind. Typically, he’s the one yapping to her about his life, his research, Viktor, and Hextech. It’s nice to have something else to bond with his mom over that’s not his dream.

Maybe he should bring the knitting needles over more often. He can foresee a future where, if he gets the hang of this properly, they can knit together on the couch. Maybe he can actually ask insightful questions about her projects instead of ooh-ing and ahh-ing like he normally does.

His mom yawning tips him off to the late hour, and he immediately apologizes for keeping her up so late. To his apologies, however, she shakes her head and says, “Mijo, I’m happy to do this for you.”

Still, Jayce feels guilty for keeping her up and decides to call it for the night. He feels satisfied with his progress. He successfully cast on his stitches and has about an inch of work to show for it. It’s a little wonky and his tension is bordering horrendous, but it’s a start.

As he’s getting his coat on, he watches as his mother quietly slips what he now knows are needle point protectors into his bag. No more yarn slipping mishaps on Ximena Talis’ watch. He can’t help but smile at her.

Feeling more satisfied than he’s been in a while, Jayce brings his mother in for a hug and kisses her cheek when they pull apart.

“Thanks for all your help, mamá,” he says gratefully.

“Of course, mijo. I expect to hear about how it turns out,” she responds, carefully wrapping his own scarf around his neck. “And I expect you to invite Viktor over for Solstice, okay? I’m really not getting any younger here. I’d like to meet the man who’s captured my son's heart at some point.”

Jayce rolls his eyes in jest.

“Alright, I’ll ask, but no promises. Viktor’s a busy guy.”

“For you, I’m sure he wouldn’t be.”

Jayce doesn’t deign that with a response, instead kissing her cheek one last time before slinging the linen bag over his shoulder and gratefully accepting the leftovers from his mom’s hands. He bids her one last goodbye and begins his trek back to his apartment.

He goes to sleep that night feeling pleased with himself.

—

Jayce looks at the calendar in displeasure, then to his linen bag, then back to the calendar.

It’s been a few nights since he had dinner with his mother and, quite terribly, he put the project on hold again. When he started the scarf, he didn’t go into it with a deadline in mind. But winter persists and Viktor has a cold neck and this process is taking much longer than he expected.

How long does it take to knit a scarf?

Given the hours he’s known to clock in the lab with Viktor, Jayce really shouldn’t be surprised that the process is taking even longer than it probably should.

But maybe if he gives himself a deadline, that’d give him motivation to finish sooner.

So he looks at the calendar again in consideration.

A week from now? Two?

Three circled dates glare back at him.

Solstice. Viktor’s birthday. New Year’s.

Surely he can finish this scarf by one of those dates.

But what he needs to do is focus. He’s been putting the scarf off in favor of working in the lab, but today he has a self-appointed day off. Jayce has the whole day to be productive.

So why does it feel so daunting?

What can motivate him to be brave and pick his needles back up?

Jayce looks back at the calendar, bemoaning the predicament he’s put himself in. His eyes catch on a certain flyer that sits on a nearby coffee table. Huh.

Knitting was a lot easier when he was working alongside his mom. Maybe something like that is what he needs to gain confidence. A safety net. Nearby resources. Something more than two books that leave him adrift in a sea of yarn.

The knitting circle. Coincidentally and currently meeting today for the next few hours.

That solves that.

Jayce grabs his bag of supplies, double checks he has everything, and begins his journey to the yarn store.

It’s easier to walk through this time than last knowing that Enid is inside and isn’t judging him for picking up knitting just so his best friend who hopefully may be something more someday won’t be cold this winter.

Maybe the whole circle is a bunch of people like Enid.

As soon as he walks in, Enid seems pleased to see him, as if anticipating this day might come. She happily welcomes him and guides him to a back room where, around a large table, a few people work on their individual projects. Their chatting stops as they all look at him, the newcomer. Enid takes the silence in stride while Jayce fights feeling out of place.

“This is Ximena’s boy, Jayce,” Enid says as if it’s the simplest thing in the world. And apparently it is. Immediately, he is welcomed into their group, and he is quickly overwhelmed by comments about how handsome he is, how they didn’t know Ximena’s son knits, and how nice it is to have a new face in the group. He just barely catches their names in the chaos of chatter.

“What project are you working on?” one lady—Sylvia, Jayce thinks her name is—asks him kindly.

“Just a scarf. Something…simple?” He knows he sounds unsure, but for some reason, he really wants these people to like him. They’re his mom’s friends.

“It’s for his partner,” Enid adds. Teasing ooh ’s follow as Jayce’s face warms.

“My lab partner, I told you that,” Jayce clarifies. Enid waves her hand at him.

“But you’d like him to be more.”

“How did you…what?”

“Your mother loves to talk about you, Jayce,” another knitter—Diya—chimes in.

Of course she talks about him, and of course she has to talk about his love life. These people probably know all about him.

One of the other knitters—Alexandra—pats his arms in consolation, saying, “It’s alright. She’s happy that you’re happy.”

Those words do make him feel better, so he takes a deep breath and pulls out his knitting needles and yarn ball. The group immediately all take a look at his scarf, if it can even be called that at a measly three inches long.

“That’s looking good!” Alexandra compliments.

“Really?” Jayce thinks it looks just mediocre on a good day, terrible most other times. Are they just being nice to him because he’s Ximena’s son?

“Absolutely,” Diya agrees. “No one’s a master when they first start something, but seeing it through is admirable. You’re doing a good job for your first time.”

Jayce can’t help but preen at that, feeling more in his element that he’s not an outlier just because he’s the newcomer in the room. His beginner scarf has just as much sentimental value as the hats and sweaters that they’re working on.

Feeling relieved, Jayce picks up his needles, removes the stoppers, and begins a new row of knit stitches. He’s starting to get enough rows going that he can actually see a garter stitch forming, just like the illustrations the book provided. He feels a small level of accomplishment.

Being there, alongside seasoned knitters, he finds himself enjoying being part of this ragtag group. He learns about Sylvia’s daughter’s troublesome boyfriend that she doesn't approve of, Diya’s visit to the hospital following a “learning to quilt” incident, Alexandra’s wife’s recent kitchen mishaps, and Enid’s dating misfortunes.

In turn, Jayce shares some funny stories about him and Viktor. How they tried to invent their own language while at a fundraising gala but immediately forgot it the next day. How they accidentally sliced a table in half when trying to make a laser and struggled to come up with a good explanation to Heimerdinger. How they once thought they made a brilliant breakthrough, only to discover the next morning that they were so sleep-deprived they found gibberish instead.

It’s…really fun, actually.

It’s nice to have people to talk to and ask questions from while he works diligently on this scarf for Viktor.

Even better, he’s able to make a lot of progress on the scarf, eventually landing somewhere that resembles a scarf and not just a knitted square. It’s still not perfect by any means, and there’s a mysterious hole that formed after he had a mishap with the yarn, but it’s coming together, looking cleaner and straighter the more he goes. Part of him wants to go back, start over, and make it look nicer. He poses this worry to the group when Enid responds.

“It’s all part of the process. Your mistakes make it unique. There’s beauty in imperfections. It proves that you made that scarf.”

Jayce smiles at her words, feeling good even though the pesky hole remains.

“You know, Jayce, when my grandmother taught me how to knit when I was a little girl, she told me that even though we may make mistakes, that’s what makes it personal,” Sylvia gets a wistful look in her eye as she reminisces, “Each stitch, you’re thinking about someone, yes? Your lab partner? The gift you make becomes a reflection of your love for them.”

And who is Jayce to deny that? Because he does love Viktor, even if he’s scared to fully admit to the vastness of his romantic feelings for him. At his very core, Viktor is his best friend and his partner, and he does love him. Romantically sure, but also platonically.

Viktor is everything. He wouldn’t be where he is now without him.

“Yeah,” Jayce whispers. “He’s incredible. He matters a lot to me.”

The knitting circle all share knowing glances as Jayce looks lovingly at the wonky red scarf in progress on his needles.

Suddenly, a scarf doesn’t feel like enough to reflect his feelings toward Viktor, but it’s a start.

—

Jayce goes home that evening with a red scarf that’s actually looking like a scarf, measuring a proud fifteen inches now as opposed to the three he walked in with. The bulky weight yarn helps build the scarf up faster, but Jayce still winces when he thinks about how slow-going he is. He also now has a standing invitation to return to the knitting circle whenever he’s free next.

He’s making progress, and that’s what matters. It feels good.

When he’s finally back at his apartment, he looks at his scarf before looking at his calendar.

Solstice. Viktor’s birthday. New Year’s.

The Solstice is still 2 weeks away, and while he’s not sure he can get it done by then, he sets that as Deadline #1.

Yes, Solstice will work perfectly.

—

Okay, so Solstice doesn’t work perfectly.

He gives it an honest effort to finish it by then, and he is able to add an extra couple of inches between his knitting circle session and today, but it’s still looking grim.

So the situation is this: Solstice is only three days away, they’ve been cooped up in the lab for the last two days, and the scarf is nowhere near finished. Jayce has to accept within himself that the scarf, unfortunately, won’t be done in time for Solstice.

Also, to Jayce’s surprise, Viktor had agreed to come over and celebrate the holiday with him and his mother.

This, while an amazing turn of events that sent butterflies fluttering in Jayce’s chest, also means Jayce needs to actually get Viktor a gift since his original plan won’t be done in time.

Which leads him to now. Viktor is currently asleep in the lab while Jayce flips through his personal sketchbook, looking for one sketch in particular. Though it irritates Viktor, Jayce decides to let him sleep, knowing the two of them have been running on empty for the past few hours. He’s just going to find this page, write down an idea he had regarding it, wake Viktor up, and then drag both of them home.

Luckily, a few more page turns and he’s found it. Jayce scribbles his ideas in the margins before bookmarking the page and placing it in his coat pocket. He takes a moment to stretch before getting up and moving over to where Viktor lies against the table, arms cradling his head like a pillow. He looks so peaceful that Jayce has to take a moment to stop and appreciate how soft Viktor appears like this.

“Viktor…Viktor,” Jayce croons while rubbing Viktor’s shoulder. “It’s time to wake up.”

Viktor’s bleary amber eyes open and they groggily glance over Jayce’s form. He closes his eyes again.

“No, Viktor, you need to wake up. It’s late. We’ll work more tomorrow, okay?” Jayce says, trying to coax his partner awake.

“I’m tired,” Viktor murmurs. Jayce has to struggle not to coo at how sweet Viktor is being. It’s rare Viktor ever acts like this.

“I know you are, but you have to wake up. It’s the middle of the night. Sleeping here will only hurt your back. Come on, let’s go home.”

“Home…”

Viktor slowly sits himself up, wincing as his back protests at the uncomfortable position change. He gives Jayce a grumpy look. A grown man has no right looking that adorable.

“That’s right, home. Now come on, let me help you up.”

Viktor, usually determined to do things on his own and more than willing to smack Jayce with his cane if he thinks Jayce has overstepped, accepts his help standing up, putting his jacket on, and getting his cane in his hand.

“Home?” Viktor asks, still not fully awake.

“Yeah, home.”

“Home with you?”

Jayce pauses for a moment before guiding Viktor’s free hand into the crook of his arm.

“No, your home, not mine. You’ll come to my home when I see you next on Solstice in a couple of days, okay?”

“Mhm…okay.”

After that, Viktor doesn’t do much talking from the lab to his Academy-provided apartment. Jayce helps him get inside, takes his shoes off, and gently guides him onto the bed.

“Goodnight, Jayce,” Viktor whispers.

“Night, V.”

Jayce goes home that night feeling light on his feet. When he gets in bed, however, he wonders why his bed feels colder than usual. His arm still burns from where Viktor held it gently just an hour ago.

—

Solstice this year is a mixed success.

On one hand, to his glee, he had some time to work more on the scarf and it now measures about thirty inches. The book recommends scarves to be as long as the wearer, so he’s about halfway there for Viktor.

On the other hand, Viktor falls ill the day before Solstice. Not that Jayce learns about this until the actual day of Solstice.

Jayce’s heart breaks a little when, on the holiday morning, he goes to grab his partner and bring him to his childhood home, only to find Viktor sick in bed, buried under a sea of tissues. It seems the cold weather and poor self-care in the lab has finally caught up to one of them.

Usually, Viktor hates to admit when he feels unwell, so to see him in such a miserable state and to have Viktor confirm that is all Jayce needs to hear to know how terrible Viktor feels. He may be slightly delirious, but Viktor is himself enough to profusely apologize to Jayce for not being able to come anymore, as if he had any say in the matter of getting sick.

Jayce reassures him multiple times that it’s perfectly fine and that these things happen.

“You should go, Jayce. I can take care of myself and I don’t want you to get sick. Your mom will want to see you,” Viktor orders through a congested nose.

“But I don’t want to leave you like this,” Jayce counters. Viktor gives him a look that Jayce can’t quite name.

“You’re always so kind to me…” Viktor trails off. He must be feeling really off his rocker because he holds Jayce’s hand in his.

“I’ll swing by later with some medicine and food for you, okay?” Jayce promises. Viktor smiles a little deliriously at him, but acquiesces. Jayce fights the urge to kiss Viktor’s, admittedly very clammy, hand.

Shortly after, once he’s made sure Viktor has everything he needs within arms reach, he guiltily makes his way to his childhood home. His mother can sense his dampened demeanor easily.

Thankfully, she takes it in stride when he explains Viktor’s current state of sickly existence. She makes him promise that he’ll bring the soup she made as part of their meal over to him when they’re done eating, as well as the medicine she has to spare.

In the end, though Solstice has an air of melancholy over it as both parties feel concern over Viktor, it’s pleasant. They still exchange gifts. Jayce bought his mom a book of knitting shawl patterns that Enid told him she was eyeballing but refused to buy for herself. His mom, in turn, gifted him some custom-made knit tags to put on the scarf and future works that read “MADE BY: JAYCE TALIS” as well as a book on crystals that he mentioned wanting to her once and completely forgot about since. It ignites a childhood passion of his that he hasn’t indulged in for so long.

He nearly tears up at the gifts, especially the tags, if he’s being honest. He genuinely wonders if he should put one on Viktor’s scarf. Maybe he’ll ask first, once it’s done and gifted to the man.

Jayce doesn’t linger long after they’re done exchanging gifts, more concerned with wanting to check in on Viktor. His mom, thankfully, allows him to go with the promise that they’ll do dinner again soon. She hands him the soup and medicine as he heads out the door. He’s never been more grateful for her.

Jayce goes back to Viktor’s place that evening, and, thankfully, Viktor is looking less glossy-eyed and more alert than he had been hours prior. He admits to having slept for most of the day and gladly eats the soup Jayce has brought from his mother. Begrudgingly, he also takes a couple of the pills he’s swiftly provided after his stomach is full.

Jayce can tell Viktor is flagging following his meal and medicine but, stubborn as ever, demands to stay up a few minutes more, insisting he has a gift for Jayce.

“Viktor, you’re sick, we can exchange gifts later,” Jayce tries to reason with him, but Viktor is having none of it.

“But Solstice is only today. Your gift is wrapped in that drawer. Would you grab it for me?”

Jayce is helpless but to comply, if only in the hopes that this will tire Viktor and let him sleep some more. And so, he gets off of Viktor’s bed and softly opens his bedside drawer. It’s full of the usual necessities, but sure enough, in a sea of typical bedside items, lies a square gift in plain brown paper and tied off with a white ribbon. It’s very Viktor.

“I assume this is it?” Jayce asks.

“No, your gift is actually the half-used hand lotion in there,” Viktor sasses. Jayce feels relief at hearing that teasing tone, a sign that Viktor is on the mend.

“Ha ha, you’re such a comedian, Viktor. Have you ever considered taking your act on the road?” Jayce teases back.

“Just open your gift, you oversized puppy.”

Jayce isn’t sure what he means by that, but takes it in stride and happily opens the gift. The ribbon slides off easily and the wrapping paper pulls back to reveal a box. He thinks about making a joke, but at Viktor’s anticipating, perhaps even anxious look, he keeps it to himself.

Jayce carefully opens the lid and he finds two different items inside. One is some sort of…hanger? And the other a flower, welded into shape by a series of screws and gears.

Viktor must mistake his silence for disinterest because he, uncharacteristically, starts to ramble a bit.

“They’re a bit, eh, crude, I know. But I thought it would be worthwhile for me to start honing my welding skills beyond the basics,” he explains. Viktor pauses to cough, but Jayce can hardly form words as his eyes linger on the flower in particular. “So, a flower and a desk hanger for that bag you’ve started carrying around. Honestly, the floor is disgusting, Jayce, you shouldn’t leave it there.” A pause. “But if you don’t like them, I won’t be hurt. Just say the word and–”

“No!” Jayce interrupts, perhaps with a little too much frantic force because Viktor jolts a bit. They make eye contact.

“No,” he starts again, softer this time. “These are amazing, and very considerate. Thank you."

Viktor has a gentle flush on his face that stands out more against his sickly pallor. He gives a pleased nod before looking away.

Jayce turns behind him and reaches for his own present he brought for Viktor. It’s a festive envelope with a cheesy stick-on bow attached.

“For you.”

Viktor wordlessly accepts the envelope, opening it with careful, delicate fingers. He reaches inside and pulls out pieces of paper, and his eyes immediately narrow as he tries to make sense of what he sees before they widen again in understanding.

“A cane?”

“Of sorts. I’ve noticed your current one has been giving you some issues, so I thought maybe you’d like to work with me and finish designing a better, improved cane for yourself. And then I can head to the forge and make it up for you. If you’re interested, that is,” Jayce rambles. Viktor stares at the sketches and notes torn from Jayce’s notebook, a series of ideas for potential cane improvements and designs.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes. This was very thoughtful of you Jayce, thank you,” Viktor says in earnest. It warms Jayce up to hear such praise from the one he admires so much. He can’t help but smile and hold Viktor’s hand carefully.

“Happy Solstice, Viktor.”

“Happy Solstice, Jayce.”

—

So, Solstice comes and goes. That’s fine. Viktor’s birthday is around the corner. There’s still time to finish this scarf.

And so comes Deadline #2.

Jayce has taken to working on the scarf whenever he has a free moment. He makes slow but steady progress. He sometimes only is able to do one row at the end of a long day at the lab before falling asleep, but at least it’s something.

The scarf currently measures forty-five inches. He’s over halfway done, but it still feels like he has a long way to go, and unfortunately, Viktor’s birthday isn’t long after Solstice.

But Jayce Talis isn’t a quitter! So he’ll give it an honest go and hopefully have something worthwhile to give Viktor.

Right now, it’s nighttime and he’s at home after falling into a deep sleep at the peak of the day. Given Viktor’s bout of illness at the holidays, they both have agreed to try and work shorter hours to fix their sleep schedule, but that quickly became more a formality than a rule. They’ve already mutually broken that agreement every night since it was made, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

Either way, Heimerdeinger personally ushered them out of the lab today, claiming they needed to get outside and take a break after being cooped up.

Standing outside there together, they both realized how dead on their feet they felt and agreed to reconvene after a night’s sleep, even though the sun was high in the sky at that point.

So here Jayce sits in the consequences of his poor sleep schedule, staring at his scarf in the evening when he should be making some food and getting ready for bed, but instead he’s awake and bemoaning his predicament. Just as he goes to pick up the scarf, he hears a knock at his door.

He wasn’t expecting any visitors that he can recall, so he stands up and slowly opens the door to reveal Caitlyn Kiramman.

“Sprout? What are you doing here?”

She gives him a confused look.

“You invited me here, remember?”

Jayce gives her a blank stare. She now looks at him expectantly, waiting for him to connect the dots on his own.

He doesn’t.

“Viktor’s birthday is tomorrow, right? You asked me to help you bake him cupcakes.”

Slowly, Jayce turns his head and looks at the calendar that hangs on his wall.

Huh. What do you know? Viktor’s birthday is, in fact, tomorrow.

Shit.

So that scarf’s definitely not getting done by then.

In his frustration, Jayce softly bangs his head on his door.

“I forgot,” Jayce confesses.

“You forgot your own partner’s birthday? The very one you begged me to help you bake something for weeks ago because he told you he never had a birthday cake growing up and you insisted you simply had to fix that?” Caitlyn teases, greatly entertained by this turn of events.

“Don’t remind me of my faults.”

At that, Caitlyn laughs and walks inside Jayce’s apartment. Only then does Jayce notice the bags in her hands, presumably full of baking supplies that he absolutely doesn’t have within his apartment.

She puts the bags on the counter and starts unpacking them when she notices the lump of yarn on the table that he left just moments ago.

“Are you a knitter now, grandpa?” she jokes.

Jayce groans from where he’s still banging his head softly on the door.

“Jayce, stop banging your head, you’ll disturb your neighbors.”

At that, he listens and closes his door, praying his neighbors don’t think he’s crazier than they probably already do. Once it’s locked, he makes his way to the kitchen and takes in everything Caitlyn brought to make cupcakes. This is not how he thought his evening would go.

“So? What’s up with the yarn?” Caitlyn asks again.

“It’s supposed to be a gift for Viktor,” he states.

“Wow, what a shocker.” Sarcasm coats her tone. Jayce gives her an unimpressed stare that she smiles at. Taking on a more serious tone this time, she asks, “What are you making him?”

Jayce walks over, making sure his needles have their stoppers on them, and lifts up his progress for Caitlyn to inspect.

“A scarf?” she guesses. Jayce feels pride surge through him that it’s recognizable. Not that scarves are particularly difficult to visualize, but still. It’s something. Little victories, and all that.

“Yeah, a scarf. He doesn’t have much winter gear so I thought I could, I don’t know, make him something,” he confesses. Caitlyn looks like she wants to tease him, but she holds back.

“That’s thoughtful of you.”

“It’s taking a lot longer than I thought it would. I keep trying to finish it but between my research time at the lab, building Viktor’s new cane at the forge, and just existing, it feels like I hardly have a moment to glance at it. I even bring it to the lab for when Viktor falls asleep, but it just sits there. I wanted to give it to him for Solstice, but then it wasn’t done, so I was hoping for his birthday, but I lost track of time and didn’t realize it was tomorrow…” he trails off. It feels good to get all this off his chest. He sees Caitlyn as a little sister and knows she’ll take him seriously even when she’s coming off poking fun at him.

“You’ll finish it,” she reassures, sounding absolutely certain of her words.

“Doesn’t feel like it.”

“Maybe not, but maybe it’s waiting for the right moment to be finished.”

He gives her an incredulous look before asking, “What do you mean?”

“Just, you know, maybe you’re waiting for the right moment to give it to him. You care a lot for Viktor and you want it to be good for him, right? But you’re worried about how it looks and if it’ll be good enough for him. So you’re taking your time and making sure each stitch is carefully crafted for Viktor. Therefore, it’ll be finished when it’s ready.”

She makes it sound so simple. It’s like she’s staring straight inside him, reading him like a book. But it rings eerily similar to the knitting circle’s comments, so maybe there’s something there. Each stitch, carefully crafted…all for Viktor.

“When did you get so wise?” he taunts, finally feeling more like himself.

“I’ve always been wise, you just don’t like to admit I’m smarter than you sometimes.”

Jayce walks away from the scarf and gives Caitlyn a hug that she reciprocates. They stay like that for a moment before he pulls away.

“So, cupcakes?”

Caitlyn smiles eagerly as she begins to guide him through a simple chocolate batter recipe. They spent the next couple of hours filling his kitchen with laughter and throwing flour that will be a pain to clean, but for now, it’s good.

The cupcakes come out smelling delicious, and when they’re cooled and frosted, they look even better.

Caitlyn pulls out a knife from his drawer and splits one in half, giving one half to him and keeping one for herself.

“A good baker always has to taste test their work.”

It tastes incredible.

—

The next morning, Caitlyn, having spent the night at his place, sends him off with a few cupcakes in a container and a single candle that she insists, for the occasion, Viktor needs to blow out. Jayce, amused with her devotion to seeing this through with him, lets it happen.

He feels better now after his evening with Caitlyn. Deadline #2 may be here, but the scarf will be ready in its own time. He can shoot for Deadline #3 with New Year’s, but it’s okay if he misses that one too. Viktor’s neck may be cold, but Jayce will offer his own scarf a million times over in the meantime.

When he gets to the lab, Viktor isn’t there yet, so Jayce takes a moment to set the cupcakes on one of the tables. He glances over each one, deliberately choosing what he deems the best to put the candle in. He makes sure to bring over a lighter.

Now, he just has to wait.

To the surprise of no one, he’s not waiting long before Viktor comes in, still shivering a bit from the cold. The tip of his nose is endearingly red and his hair is looking extra soft and gorgeous. Jayce fights the urge to get up and kiss him stupid. Who goes around looking like that?

Soon, Jayce thinks. Soon he’ll finish that scarf.

“Jayce? What is all this?” Viktor asks, noticing the array of cupcakes scattered on their workstation. Jayce quickly lights the cupcake with the candle and holds it out to Viktor who is slowly walking over.

“Happy birthday, Viktor!”

Viktor continues to stare at Jayce in shock before his eyes become enraptured by the fire on the cupcake. Jayce watches as some of the wax melts down the candle.

“You’re supposed to blow it out and make a wish,” he encourages.

“You’re serious?” Viktors asks in disbelief.

“Of course I am. You’ve never had a birthday cake before, so I thought, why not now! It’s never too late to celebrate you with some cake, and I know you’ve got a big sweet tooth, so–”

Viktor blows out the candle, quieting Jayce.

“You’re so stupid,” Viktor says, his voice dripping in fondness.

“That’s not very nice to say to someone who–”

Viktor takes the cupcake out of Jayce’s hands, puts it by the other cupcakes once more, leans his cane against the workstation, and squeezes Jayce in a tight hug.

Oh.

Viktor almost never initiates physical touch with Jayce like this. It’s just not who he is. He welcomes Jayce’s touch over others’, sure, but he hardly ever takes that first step himself. This moment feels special. It’s like something starts to shift between the two of them.

“This is the part where you hug back,” Viktor tells him.

Jayce immediately complies, holding onto Viktor just as tightly. He couldn’t tell you how long they stand like that, wrapped up in each other. He’ll let Viktor hug him for however long he wants, however long he needs.

Eventually, Viktor must reach his limit because he pulls back and immediately grabs two cupcakes, handing one to Jayce.

“I heard birthday cakes are more fun when you share with those you care about.”

Jayce’s heart soars in his chest at Viktor’s words, and he gladly takes the cupcake out of Viktor’s hands. He taps his cupcake against Viktor’s as if they were champagne glasses, saying a jovial little “Cheers!” that has Viktor laughing happily before saying a more muted “Cheers, Jayce” back.

Together, they peel back the cupcake liners and dig into the delicious sweet treats. Jayce gets to watch Viktor’s face light up at the sugary goodness, his lips curling in a smile. A dollop of chocolate frosting is on his nose, but Jayce doesn’t say anything about it for a couple of minutes, simply admiring the happiness on Viktor’s face.

He deserves the whole world. Jayce would give it to him in an instant if he asked.

“Did you wish for something good, at least?” Jayce questions.

“I think it’s already coming true.”

Yeah, that scarf is getting finished soon.

No doubt.

—

Jayce isn’t sure what changes about him, but whenever he’s home, his fingers itch to work on the scarf with a thrill he didn’t have all these weeks prior. He’s anticipating the end of this project and gifting it at long last to Viktor.

He still faces similar problems of struggling to find time, but he gets more creative. He begins knitting in the street, tucking his work away in his linen bag right before he enters the lab. He takes his needles with him around the house as he gets ready in the morning. He knits while he waits for his dinner to warm on the stovetop. Wherever he has a spare moment, he capitalizes on it.

Because of this, the scarf gradually gets longer and longer, inching ever closer to Jayce’s goal. He only has about ten inches to go before he can figure out how the hell to get it off his needles.

Unfortunately, Deadline #3 comes with a fanfare that he’s used to at this point of an unfinished scarf, but this time, he doesn’t feel as defeated.

This time, he deliberately puts the scarf on pause so he can focus on ringing in the New Year with Viktor.

Usually, it takes a miracle to drag them out of their lab, but Viktor, perhaps in the holiday spirit, suggests the two of them celebrate together. Jayce, eager to spend more time with Viktor, gladly offered up his apartment, stating that his balcony would provide a better view of the fireworks.

Viktor had easily agreed, and thus the plans were made.

Which brings them to now.

They didn’t set any grand plans for the evening beyond watching the fireworks, so Jayce suggested they sit out on his balcony and wait together for the show to start. A soft blanket lays on the ground to protect them from the cold tile, and a pillow rests under Viktor’s right leg to make him more comfortable.

And so, they sit side-by-side bundled in their comfiest clothes with the fuzziest blanket Jayce owns draped across their laps. Two mugs of tea sit between them. Viktor’s newly finished cane, decked in the House Talis colors, lays a foot away within easy reach.

They each take their time sipping their tea, enjoying the cold night and company.

Despite the temperature, it fills Jayce with all sorts of warmth.

“I have something for you,” Viktor announces.

“What? Viktor, I didn’t think we were going to do gifts on New Year’s,” Jayce complains. Viktor simply laughs. He’s been doing that a lot more lately, as if he’s feeling carefree and content whenever he’s in Jayce’s presence.

He never wants Viktor to stop laughing.

“Relax, it’s for both of us.”

That does little to reassure Jayce still, but he stops complaining and turns his attention to whatever Viktor pulls from beside him.

It’s a long, skinny box. There’s no label, so Jayce is still left in the dark.

“What is that?” he wonders. Viktor gives him a cheeky smile before opening it on the side and pulling out two long sticks.

“I suppose I should’ve asked in advance. Do you have a lighter?”

Confused but willing to appease Viktor, Jayce gets up and quickly returns with a lighter from his kitchen, briefly noting how Viktor is standing now. He hands it off to Viktor in exchange for the two sticks.

“Watch carefully.”

Viktor ignites the lighter before pausing to add, “And don’t get too close.”

“What? Viktor–”

But Viktor’s off to the races, eagerly lighting up one of the sticks before taking it out of Jayce’s hands just as a flurry of sparkles lights up the sky, right here on the balcony.

“Sparklers.”

And then he’s touching the tip of his ignited stick to Jayce’s, effectively igniting his too.

Jayce watches in awe as a mini fireworks show happens right there in his hands. He’s never seen anything quite like it. Jayce watches as Viktor starts waving the sparkler like a wand, leaving momentary streaks of bright art in the air. It’s gorgeous.

“They’re from the Undercity. We couldn’t afford the fancy fireworks you had in Piltover, so we improvised. Made our own shows in our backyards. You had to watch where you lit them, of course, but other than that, it was a way for everyone to celebrate the New Year.” Viktor rarely talks about his upbringing in the Undercity, even when Jayce asks genuine questions, so whenever he does, Jayce makes sure to give Viktor his full attention and respect.

“Did you light these growing up?” he dares to ask.

Viktor pauses, then, “Eh, sometimes. Where I came from, we couldn’t always find or afford them, but when my parents were able to get them…it felt a bit like magic.”

Viktor waves his sparkler around like a wand again. Jayce watches as Viktor’s face illuminates in flashes of yellows and orange, making his already amber eyes glow beautifully.

“Thank you for sharing this with me,” he says sincerely. Viktor nods.

As if on cue, the sparklers run out and they’re back in a dimly lit balcony.

“Would you like to light another?” Viktor teases, as if Jayce is a small child.

“Yes!” he says excitedly.

They light a couple more sparklers after the initial ones until Viktor calmly suggests they pause since the real fireworks display should start soon. As far as Jayce is concerned, these sparklers were the real fireworks display, but he agrees and collects the burnt out sticks to toss away.

“Leave them,” Viktor suggests, holding onto Jayce’s arm tentatively. “Just stay here, okay?”

Jayce is helpless to disagree, so he nods, leaving them in a pile on the blanket. He can wash this thing later. A few burn marks and ash streaks would give it character and forever remind him of this night.

They slowly return to their cocoon of blankets, sitting with their backs against the wall and looking outward, anticipating the fireworks to start shortly.

“I should be thanking you, you know.” Viktor breaks the silence of the night.

“What for?” Jayce doesn’t think he’s done anything thank-worthy just now.

“For showing me this.” Viktor gestures vaguely to the world around them.

“You’re the one who brought the sparklers though?”

“Not those, silly,” Viktor tuts. He gestures again, then says, “This. Everything. I think…for so long, I felt I had to prove myself and therefore I couldn’t afford to stop for even a minute. You’ve shown me I can still strive for greatness while appreciating the little things. You’ve made me nostalgic, Jayce Talis.”

And Jayce…doesn’t know what to say to that. Viktor isn’t looking at him, but Jayce can’t take his eyes off Viktor. So, he does what feels right.

He wraps an arm around Viktor and brings him close. He closes his eyes and breathes in the smell of Viktor’s shampoo as Viktor lays his head on his shoulder. It feels like they’re on the precipice of something.

“Thank you for helping me live,” Jayce whispers.

“Thank you for helping me dream again,” Viktor whispers back.

Just then, the fireworks display goes off in the nearby distance, signaling the start of the new year in Piltover.

Viktor pulls back briefly to make eye contact with Jayce.

“Happy New Year, Jayce.” There’s a smile on his face that Jayce wants nothing more than to kiss sweetly. They’re so close.

“Happy New Year, Viktor.”

Jayce absentmindedly thinks if the scarf were finished that this would have been a good moment to wrap it around Viktor’s neck and maybe use the ends to pull Viktor in for the kiss he so desperately craves.

But they’re not there yet. It’s close, but not the right time.

Viktor leans his head on Jayce’s shoulder once more, and they both watch as flashes of color boom in the distance.

There’s no other way Jayce would prefer to start the new year.

—

It’s done.

…well, sort of.

It’s a week into the new year and Jayce, as proud as he is to finally have reached the scarf’s desired length of seventy inches, realizes that he still hasn’t figured out how to get the yarn free from the needles they’ve been looped onto for so long—“casting off” his stitches, if he’s being technical.

Once again, he finds himself in a predicament where the images provided in either beginner knitting book he checked out from the library weeks ago (note to self: make sure these aren’t overdue) offer nothing more than ample opportunity to confuse himself.

However, this time, he feels more settled. He’s got resources, he’s got a nearly finished scarf, and he’s got anticipation building inside himself to gift this to Viktor as soon as he can.

This is it. The final stretch.

And so, Jayce gently puts the stoppers on his needles for potentially the last time with this project before placing it in the linen bag that has served him well.

Inhibitions going out the window, Jayce eagerly tosses his jacket on, slings his bag over his shoulder, and begins to walk faster than he ever has to his childhood home.

His mother helped him start this project; it feels fitting to have her there when he finishes it.

To his eternal blessing, he’s a fool who came home from pulling an all-nighter with Viktor in the lab but couldn’t fight the urge to knit instead of crashing in his bed (or whatever surface was closest to him).

Downside: he’s running on fumes.

Plus side: the scarf is nearly done!

And most importantly, his mother is surely awake, even though his body begs for sleep.

He’s too excited to stop now, and so he continues his trek and eagerly knocks on the door as soon as he gets to the entrance. Best not to spook his mother by strutting in unannounced.

It only takes a moment, and then there she is. She looks at him confused before seeing the now infamous linen bag on his shoulder. She smiles warmly at him, welcoming him in with open arms.

Jayce quickly takes a seat on the couch and begins to take out his work. In the corner of his eye, he can see his mom locking the door before meeting him on the couch.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you, Jayce, but what’s brought you over?” his mom asks him curiously.

Wordlessly, he excitedly holds up the scarf in its nearly finished form, smiling bright and clearly looking for approval. Ximena can’t help but think about how young he looks in this moment, heart on his sleeve and eager to please.

“Oh mijo, it looks wonderful!” she compliments. Her hands run softly over the knit scarf that her son worked so tirelessly on for someone he cares deeply for. As a mother, she’s filled with endless pride in her son. He never fails to impress her with his devotion to those he loves.

“Really? You think so?” he asks shyly. His face flashes with insecurity as he continues, “Because I know it looks kind of…wonky. I mean it ripples and the edges aren’t straight—really they’re more like waves—not to mention the hole near the start–”

“Jayce.” Suddenly her hand is on his face. “It’s perfect because you made it. I know you don’t need me to tell you that. Viktor will love it.”

Maybe it’s the exhaustion, but Jayce can feel a burn of potential tears in his eyes, so he forces himself to look away as he awkwardly laughs, rubbing his fingers on the soft fabric in his hands to help keep his emotions more at bay.

“He deserves to have good things,” is what Jayce manages to say after composing himself. His mom simply runs her hand through his hair, brushing the runaway strands back.

“He’s lucky to have you. I mean that, Jayce.”

Jayce just nods sharply before clearing his throat.

“Mamá, will you help me finish it up?”

And who is she to say no?

They spend the next half hour slowly going through the motions of casting off. After doing countless knit stitches, Jayce thankfully finds it easier than casting on, though he does have a few heart attack-inducing moments where the stitches nearly slide off his needle during his ministrations.

But then, just like that and to little fanfare, it’s off the needles. With one last quick tutorial from his mom on weaving in the few loose ends that he has, the scarf is ready to be worn and cared for.

It’s done.

Finally.

The scarf is by no means objectively beautiful. Jayce wasn’t kidding when he mentioned there were some holes, especially near the start. His tension, though better in the end, warps the piece, giving wave-like ripples on the edges and a flair at the ends.

But to Jayce, all he can see is his love for Viktor.

He just hopes Viktor can see it too.

“Well done, mijo.”

Jayce can’t help but preen at the praise, running his hands gently over the soft scarf he has crafted with his own two hands, with all the love he has for his partner. He struggled and tested his patience countless times over. He considered quitting nearly every minute of the first week of working on it. He nearly tossed the needles out the window to end the insanity. He doubted if he could even do this at all.

But he persisted. For Viktor.

Never let it be said that Jayce Talis is a quitter.

“Thank you, mamá.” His mom kisses him softly on the crown of his forehead before wrapping him in a hug.

“I expect to see Viktor at our next dinner,” she comments.

Jayce lets out a booming laugh as he hugs his mother back tightly.

“Of course.”

—

Jayce has half a mind to run the scarf over to Viktor’s place immediately, but his mom gives him a gentle smack on the arm and drags him into his old bedroom, insisting he can have his romantic declaration after a quick nap.

He gives an honest effort to push back and do it anyway, but once he’s laying on the old but familiar mattress, he’s out like a light.

He ends up sleeping through the night, waking up feeling refreshed, a gentle buzzing of excitement returning in his bones.

Outside his window, Jayce admires the golden sun rising in the distance, its orange, yellow, and pink beams casting into his room like a painting. They reflect off the crystals on the windowsill, spreading rainbows across the wall.

Today’s the day.

Jayce isn’t sure what compels him, but he jumps out of bed and gets ready for the day faster than he ever has in his life.

He practically races from his childhood home to where Viktor lives after leaving a note behind for his mom, telling her that he has left to deliver the gift.

Bag on his shoulder and love in his heart, Jayce raises his hand to knock on Viktor’s door. For a brief moment, he pauses and wonders if Viktor would even be awake or if he’s asleep like Jayce should probably still be too…but it’s worth a shot to find out.

Jayce knocks on the door.

It takes a few moments, but at last, he hears the lock turn before the door creaks open.

There he is.

Viktor looks cozy in his pajamas and slight bedhead as he leans somewhat on his cane. His eyes aren’t bleary, so he’s clearly been up for a little bit. Jayce has the privilege to watch Viktor light up as he takes in this surprise visit.

“Jayce? What are you doing here? We’re supposed to meet at the lab in a couple of hours,” Viktor questions. Jayce’s heart stumbles in his chest at hearing Viktor’s accent sound thick and rough after hours of not speaking. He wants to hear him speak like this more. He wants to hear it every morning.

“Viktor,” Jayce starts, trying to get his thoughts in order. “I wanted to…I mean I have– wait, no–”

“Would you like to come in?” Viktor cuts him off, clearly amused at the fumbling, and Jayce can’t even blame him. Maybe he should’ve rehearsed this first.

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

He walks in, but doesn’t get further than the entryway. Taking a deep breath, he turns to Viktor, who has just closed and locked the door once more. Jayce watches as Viktor’s body shivers from the cold that escaped in. It spurs Jayce on.

“I have something to show you.”

“Oh? Did you solve that equation we were grappling with?”

“No, I…” Jayce trails off again as his eyes meet Viktor’s. He can do this, it’s just Viktor.

“I have a gift for you,” he amends.

“A gift? Whatever for?” Jayce always loves to hear Viktor talk, could listen to him for hours on end and never get bored, but he really needs to say what he’s been waiting to.

It comes flooding out.

“I’ve always admired you,” he starts, powering through the curious look Viktor gives him. “I had seen you around Heimerdinger before at the Academy, talking to him with such passion and knowledge that I wanted nothing more than to talk with you one day. I wanted to pick your brain so many times just to hear what ideas you had. I never imagined we’d ever be here as partners, but I’m so glad that you chased after me that day of the trial.”

Jayce takes a pause, and thankfully, Viktor doesn’t say anything.

“Every day working with you has brought me so much joy, and I can only hope it brings you at least a fraction of that feeling. You’ve quickly become one of the most important people in my life, and I’d probably give you the world if you asked for it,” Jayce gives an awkward laugh, but he can’t help but note the disbelief on Viktor’s face as he continues, “But maybe we can start with this and then build to world domination.”

With that, Jayce digs into his trusty bag and pulls out the finished scarf. Just like he did all those weeks ago out in the cold, Jayce wraps the scarf gingerly around Viktor’s neck.

Despite its wonky form, it looks amazing on Viktor. It settles the yearning in Jayce’s heart to see Viktor in something he patiently crafted in his family's color for weeks.

“A scarf,” Viktor states quietly. Jayce watches as long, slender fingers toy with the ends of the scarf before holding them out, as if to inspect them. The silence that follows makes Jayce nervous, so he starts rambling again.

“I noticed a few weeks ago that you didn’t have one, so I decided…why not make one for you? So I taught myself how to knit and even brought my mom into my idea and somehow joined a knitting circle of all things, but once I had the idea I couldn’t let it go. And I wanted to gift it to you so many times sooner, but knitting is much slower than I thought it’d be and it’s actually a lot harder– ”

“You made this?”

Jayce just barely catches Viktor’s awestruck words and responds, “Well, yeah. I know it doesn’t look perfect, but I tried really hard. If you don’t like it you don’t have to wear it–”

“This is the most valuable thing anyone has ever given me.”

Now it’s Jayce’s turn to be stunned. He wants to push back against Viktor’s words and insist that it’s really not that great, but the words get caught when he notices the look of awe and adoration Viktor is sending the scarf, as if it is made of something precious. Jayce supposes it is. He poured all his love into it, after all.

“It’s incredible,” Viktor continues. “You really made this?”

“I did.”

“You taught yourself how to knit for me?”

“Yeah.”

Viktor finally draws his attention away from the scarf, leaving Jayce on the receiving end of such awe and adoration. It’s overwhelming and wonderful all at the same time.

“You never cease to amaze me, Jayce Talis.”

After quickly leaning his cane against the wall, Viktor begins to unwind the scarf around his neck with both hands, inspecting it in full. His fingers glide gently across the soft yarn, as if one wrong mishap will send it unraveling back into strands of yarn. Jayce notices the calculating sheen in Viktor's eyes, as if he’s debating his next move.

He is helpless to watch as Viktor loops the scarf around the back of Jayce’s neck, gently holding on to the ends for leverage. Briefly, Jayce recalls wanting to do this to Viktor back on New Year’s and feels giddy at the thought of it finally happening, even if it’s reversed from his original fantasy.

“Tell me if I’m reading this wrong,” Viktor whispers, tugging Jayce in closer and closer until their foreheads touch. Their lips are mere inches away.

Jayce answers him by finally bringing their lips together, his hands finding their place on Viktor’s hips.

Jayce’s heart feels like it’s flying in his chest. It’s a feeling eerily reminiscent of the night he and Viktor met, when they stayed up for hours working out runes and equations to stabilize the hex crystal, all leading to the gravity-defying moment where it worked.

But somehow, this is better.

He may not actually be flying, but it’s a near thing. It feels like magic and sparklers and sugar sweetness and soft wool yarn.

It feels like coming home.

When they do pull back for air, it’s with large smiles on their faces. Jayce’s eyes immediately glance at the moles scattered like stars on Viktor's face. Everything about this man charms him.

He’s helpless but to obey as Viktor pulls him in again for another kiss.

It’s just as magical as the first one.

—

They don’t do more than kiss, but it’s a very near thing. Instead, they traveled to Viktor’s couch where they kept enthusiastically trading kisses until their intense, scarf-fueled passion fizzled into cuddling and a need to just be close.

On the couch, Viktor lays in a reclining position, Jayce laying firmly between his legs, head on his abdomen. The scarf is now back around Viktor’s neck despite the fact that they’re inside and therefore it’s unnecessary to wear. Jayce can’t help but love the Talis red yarn on Viktor; it causes a fire to ignite in him every time he looks up to see the sight. Viktor, meanwhile, has the most content and pleased expression on his face as he fiddles with the scarf, looking lovingly at each individual stitch.

This is where they’re meant to be. Jayce knows this without question. They were always building to this moment.

“Who would’ve thought you’d be a romantic? Pulling me in for a kiss with the very scarf I made,” Jayce ribs Viktor.

“Says the one who learned a whole new skill just to keep my neck warm,” Viktor teases back.

“I’m not ashamed of my love for you,” Jayce defends. He feels more than hears Viktor’s breath stutter for a moment, so he continues, “Because I do. Love you, that is.”

“Some would say you’re moving too fast,” Viktor counters.

“Not fast enough, if you ask me.”

“Settling down with a cripple from the Undercity,” Viktor continues.

“Settling down with the most incredible and intelligent man on this planet, you mean,” Jayce corrects.

“You think too highly of me.”

“I meant what I said earlier, V.” Jayce looks up once more, witnessing a lovely blush form on Viktor’s face to compliment the scarf he wears. “You’re one of the most important people in my life, and you’ve always had my respect, regardless of where you come from.”

Viktor squirms a bit under such praise, but he does grace Jayce with a small but fond smile.

“I told you. You’re the romantic, you sap,” Viktor tuts, but his obvious affection betrays his faux exasperation.

Jayce knows that Viktor doesn’t think highly of himself, but he resolves to demonstrate just how much Viktor matters to Jayce every day from here on out.

He lays his head back down on Viktor’s abdomen, and practically melts as Viktor begins to run a slender hand through his hair.

“I love you too, you know.”

Jayce tightens his arms around Viktor, snuggling further down.

“I love you more,” Jayce childishly challenges back. Viktor gives him a short huff of amusement.

“You’re ridiculous.”

Jayce can’t wait for more of these moments. This is just the first day of the rest of their lives. He wants to live forever in this space and simply exist alongside Viktor.

“So what’s this I hear about a knitting circle?” Viktor jokes.

Or maybe not…Jayce groans and resigns himself to his fate of talking to Viktor in intimate detail about the mechanics behind this secret project. He knows he shouldn’t be embarrassed, but confessing just how far he went to make a simple scarf for the man he loves really puts things into perspective.

Jayce really is a romantic, but he can’t find it in himself to be too grieved by this knowledge. Not when Viktor looks at the scarf as if it was a treasure Jayce personally scavenged for and brought back to him.

He’ll knit Viktor whatever he wants.

—

Here’s how it ends.

Jayce does finally bring Viktor over for dinner with his mom. He’s predictably anxious at the two of them meeting, but he knows it’ll be okay. He knows his mom will adore Viktor and practically adopt him into the family.

Standing outside the front door to his childhood home, holding hands with Viktor in the cold, Jayce knocks with confidence.

The door opens to reveal Ximena Talis.

Her eyes immediately notice the Talis red scarf Viktor proudly wears around his neck, complete with one of the “MADE BY: JAYCE TALIS” tags his mom gifted him for Solstice roughly sewn onto the bottom. When Jayce remembered it and asked Viktor if he wanted one on his scarf, he answered with an enthusiastic round of kissing followed by “Don’t ask stupid questions, of course I do.” They both loved the subtle possession.

“Viktor, this is my mom, Ximena Talis. Mamá, this is Viktor, my partner.”

Partner. Full stop. It feels good to say and not have to clarify further. They’re partners. They’re lovers. Viktor’s wearing a scarf lovingly knit by Jayce that proudly shows their connection in more ways than one.

His mom’s face softens considerably as she takes in Viktor.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Viktor. Come in, both of you.”

They’re ushered inside and immediately can smell the delicious scent of his mom’s cooking.

“Before I forget, Jayce, I picked up that yarn you asked me to. Remember to take it home with you tonight,” his mom says.

Viktor gives him a curious look and asks, “Another project?”

Jayce simply kisses his lips and guides him out of the entryway, eager to show him where he grew up as his mom finishes up in the kitchen. He doesn’t mention that he wants his next project to be a blanket for their lab to drape across the couch they recently decided to invest in.

Jayce meant it when he said he’d knit Viktor anything he wanted.

He can’t wait to watch as more and more knit projects infiltrate their wardrobe and their lives. Little signs of their love and domesticity scattered around reverently for the world to see. Proof that they’re inextricably bound, happily stitched together.

Their love has been a long time in the works, and Jayce can’t wait for forever to come.