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Another night of celebration was unfolding in the great hall, the large windows covered by smooth, wine-colored drapes surrounding the area, where Piltover's elite had gathered to praise the resounding success of the Hextech innovation developed by Jayce Talis. The room shone with golden and red decorations that contrasted with the immense white of the walls, while strips of confetti moved delicately with the light breeze coming from the entrance. Constant chatter about "The Man of Progress" filled every corner, accompanied by curious glances, some intense and a few cautious ones.
Despite the exhaustion from working constant hours in the laboratory alongside Viktor, fine-tuning every detail of their work, trying to give these people a new opportunity and future with this ongoing and everchanging technology, and the countless unveiled nights he and his partner would spend, Jayce couldn't bring himself to regret any of it. They were the men of progress, so he got a little sad when his partner didn't want to accompany him to the banquet.
"Come on, Viktor!" Jayce placed his hand on his companion's shoulder, squeezing it softly to make his point. "This could be an opportunity for you to have the spotlight you always deserved all this time, for us. This is our dream." His voice was soft, and his body movements showed his excitement at the thought of finally having his friend side by side in such an important reunion. He looked at him again, his soft gaze lingering on the other man's expression, who still didn't seem convinced.
"Maybe another time, Jayce." Viktor gave him a tiny and tired smile and pulled him aside with gentleness, leaving the spot where Jayce's hand was, still warm.
Even so, this wasn't his first celebration regarding Piltover's progress; even if his partner didn't want to come, he still had hope that one day they both could show everyone their own dreams, standing together side by side. For now, he had to maintain appearances in front of potential investors and give an endless cycle of speeches until his voice grew hoarse. So, from time to time, to feel less that tiredness or burden, he would take a few drinks to help manage the demanding schedule during social events. Thankfully, Mel's presence made these events more bearable—her expertise in handling guests allowed him to breathe a little easier.
He turned his head to where she was; her white dress caught the light as she moved through the crowd, and the golden details delicately covered her cheeks, shining with each step she took. Mel was conversing with some potential investors, and Jayce couldn't help but admire how she commanded full attention with graceful gestures and persuasive words. His gaze shifted towards the table next to him, drinks going from one end of the table to the other, then he looked back at the gala, thinking that it was going to be one of those nights where he needed to pull through every guest, so he reached for another drink, hesitating briefly before downing it in one go. The alcohol's warmth spread through him as he observed Mel's radiant smile during her conversation. Well, he thought, reaching yet again for another glass and walking towards her; it was a party after all. A party celebrating the city of progress. What harm could a few more drinks do?
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Hours started to melt away as the moon was past midnight, and Jayce found himself laughing non-stop with other members of the council. His maroon dress shirt was unbottoned a little below his collarbone, and the tailored white coat, adorned with subtle golden patterns, had long since been loosely covering him. The warmth of every drink he had that night cursed through his veins as the music shifted from the lively pulse of electroswing to smooth blues. The crystal chandeliers above seemed to swing from side to side slowly with each beat, casting prismatic patterns accross the marble floors.
The Golden Boy found himself quite tipsy by now; he knew he should stop drinking, but the warmth spreading through his body and the guests having a good time were too good to resist. A waiter approached with some drinks on his hands, and Jayce snatched one glass from his hands and swung it down through his throat, giving the empty glass to Mel by accident. He saw her eyebrows rise slightly in confusion, and he quickly took the glass from her hands and slurred a weak "sorry," smiling akwardly, and quickly gave her one full of champagne. She sighed and hooked her arm around his, but he didn't catch the hint. His thoughts began to wander back to the wonders of Hextech and to his lab partner. Then his mouth started to talk before his mind.
”Council members” He said out loud and hit softly the empty wine glass with a little metal decoration he found on the floor, and his cocky smile started to form slightly on the corner of his mouth. “I wanted to say, thank you.” He took a long pause, his words slurring even more when he started to raise his voice.
“This Hextech wonders.. wouldn't have been able to come true if we didn't have such an open acceptance and interest in it." Mel looked up at him, smiling, but her eyes showed nervousness. He took a deep breath and continued, still confident but clueless of his sourrandings. “But I must say this would not be complete without my partner…” His gaze moved down to Mel, and he raised his head again, but now with a more tender expression.
“…Vik-” Mel’s eyes widened, and she pulled him from the arm, and he stumbled ending up against her, looking like a hug from the council’s eyes.
Jayce blushed slightly and was a bit confused.
“Aww, you are so sweet." Mel moved Jayce carefully to her side again and carresed his hand slowly, his body getting even warmer by that small gesture. “I’m grateful that you gave me and us—Piltover—an opportunity to change for the better.” She raised her glass in a brindis and smiled politly, a round of applause surrounding all the place, ringing in Jayce's ears.
He was confused and a little dazed, but Mel's tug pulled him out of his trance, still feeling the hug she gave him moments before.
“Jayce, we need to talk. I understand that you want to give Viktor the credit he deserves, but if the Council members find out that someone coming from Zaun is working on this groundbreaking project, they're likely to stop funding it. And we both don't want that.”
He turned to look at Mel with confusion and laughed on impulse; he really wasn't in the right position to argue properly, and even more so seeing the face of the one he appreciated in a worrying state, so he simply gave a heavy sigh and nodded.
“I'm so sorry about what happened, Mel." He moved closer to her, his eyes contradicting his own words. “It's just that... Viktor is the one who made all of this." He waved his hands, trying to point everything out to infer even more. “All of this, our dream wouldn't have been possible without him, and he deserves that credit at the very least.” His frown changed from confusion to annoyance. The alcohol was bringing his emotions even more to the brink.
Mel's gaze lowered slightly, and she took a couple of slow steps toward him, closing the little distance that remained. She slowly brought her palm up to his chest and turned to look directly into his eyes.
“You have to trust me on this, Jayce. We can give Viktor the credit he deserves once the conflict between Zaun and Piltover is settled, or when it calms down a bit more...” Her words were almost like honey by how soft she talked, and Jayce found himself a little flustered, so he just sighed and nodded.
It's not like he could say anything else about it; everything around him was moving in circles, and his ears were ringing with the music and voices that were crowding the room. He continued the conversation with Mel, but now she was focusing on future projects related to the potential of the Hextech, the concerns it might bring, but, most of all, how they could begin to commoditize it, a way to passively earn income while the big show was still getting ready to premiere.
As the night blurred further and every word out of Mel's mouth became harder and harder to understand, Jayce thought he made out a familiar silhouette in the crowd: the unmistakable silhouette of Victor's body, his cane, that determined stance of his that he knew so well. His heart skipped a beat in an instant, but when he blinked, the figure was gone. Of course, Viktor wasn't here; how could he think that? Jayce knew his partner never came to these events, and yet it sank his heart.
“Jayce? Jaycee?” He heard Mel’s voice getting him out of his train of thoughts. “It’s harder and harder to get you to listen." She crossed her arms and sighed tiredly. Then her eyebrow raised slightly when his companion gave her his now empty glass to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Sorry, I really need to go.” Jayce slurred and pushed her aside, every step worse than the other—stumbling his way through the hall. With each second that passed, he could swear he kept conjuring images of his lab partner everywhere he looked, and, unable to shake that feeling, he made his way poorly to the hall`s phone, nearly knocking over a decorative vase in the process.
Before Jayce could even process what his own hands were doing, he already picked up the phone, and the number was already dialed with the overcoming need to talk with Viktor and to hear his voice at least once that night. His fingers traced absent patterns on the wooden table supporting the phone.
"Viktor!" he slurred into the receiver with a dumb smile on his face and leaning against the wall when he heard the phone being picked up. “I thought you wouldn’t answer." He chuckled, and then the fact that it was past midnight hit him. “What you doing so late in the lab?”
There was a pause at the other end before Viktor’s tired voice finally came through. “I think I should ask the same question to you, Jayce." The tan man laughed and closed his eyes with amusement. “Don’t you agree?”
“Whatever Viktor,” Jayce smiled brightly, and he started to loosen his silk tie even more. “I… just miss being in the lab right now; I’m not built for this type of stuff, honestly." He swallowed, and his body was getting warmer and warmer.
“So, the so-called ‘Man of Progress’ is tired of his job now?” Viktor teased him lightly.
“I’m not tired, V.” He slurred the last part with fake annoyance in his voice and then sighed. “I just been thinking about our work, about you—I mean, about what we could do better with the stabilizer. It is brilliant. You’re brilliant…” Jayce’s words started to jumble together as he sat down on the floor, now unable to stay up without stumbling. “I miss you,” he added in a softer voice, then immediately felt his face flush—though whether from the alcohol or his words, he couldn’t tell.
“You’re drunk," Viktor replied; his words carried a certain weight to them.
“And what if I am a little bit drunk?” Jayce said with a huff. "Viktor, I meant it. Please.”
He was begging, but begging for what? To be listened to? To be understood? To finish what he started the second he grabbed the phone? Viktor didn’t know, but he was getting tired of this.
"Jayce,” Viktor frowned and let out a tired sigh. "Why do you only call me when you are drunk and tell me all of this?”
“What?” Jayce laughed; he was beyond his own senses at this point. “Just let me… Okay, look, I just... " He took a pause, and Viktor just went silent. “I adore you.". The words were just suspended in the air, in the dial between them, and silence was still present. “I love the way you twirl your hair when you’re concentrated… the way you roll your eyes at my terrible jokes." He chuckled slightly and started to mumble on the phone. “The way your eyes shined that night working on the staba… stanil…”
“Stabilizer.” Viktor’s voice was faint but gentle.
With every second, Jayce felt his body even heavier as he focused on his partner’s voice; he remembered the way his accent was his favorite thing about it.
“You’re the only one who gets it. Who gets me…” Jayce let out a shaky breath while he was tracing again circles mindlessly on the floor.
"I need you, Viktor. More than just in the lab. I need you…” His voice cracked slightly while resting his head against the wall; his whole body felt like it was on fire and flush creeping even more in his face.
“Jayce...” There was hesitation when Viktor said the other man’s name; he was flustered and grabbed the phone with a strong grip, his heart fluttering.
“V, I want you.” He blurts out and whines, covering his face, realizing his mouth is faster than his mind.
And Jayce is not the only one who was a mess; Viktor felt the same—his cheeks reddened every passing second and his breath hitched, but he had to be strong.
“As I said before, Jayce.” His voice shifted from soft to sharp. “You can’t do this to me; this is the third time you call me drunk and do all this sweet talk. If you mean it, mean it when you are sober.”
Jayce felt his heart tightening and was bewildered; he did not remember doing this.
At all.
"What? Vikto-“ And just like that, the line was dead.
Jayce screwed up really badly this time and hurt, not only once but three times, one of the most important people in his life. His partner. The one he wanted to spend his life with. All he wanted was his partner back and erasing whatever the hell he did before.
But it was hard; he wanted to say even more things to Viktor. The way he loved how his moles made his face even prettier, the way he had a mole on his neck and how many times he thought of just kissing it and leaving marks all around his neck, going down to his chest, and…
What was he thinking? He just hurt Viktor, and all he could think of was the things he wanted to do to him.
And Viktor… he was struggling too between feeling mad and something else he couldn’t quite put a name on it.
His mind was racing, and he couldn’t help but imagine Jayce’s face flustered, his eyelids half-closed, just blurring out his name in a whiny begging voice, and the buttons of his shirt open, revealing his chest. He sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead.
“For fucks sake, Jayce..." He groaned and grabbed his cane, walking outside of the lab and going to search for his partner, while anger and something more than need provoked him to maybe... do more than just ‘talk’.