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Viktor took a handful of dried flowers and put them into the mortar. Using the pestle, he began to crush them, blending them with the oils and filling the air with an even more herbaceous aroma than what already lingered in the apothecary. When he was done, he poured the salve he had made into a glass bottle.
Across the counter, a boy waited. His hands were rolled up in his sleeves and his fingers were tensed nervously. A rash covered the backs of his hands, and he struggled to endure the itch without scratching.
Viktor gestured for him to come closer, and the boy obeyed at once, allowing him to work. Viktor scooped up a bit of the ointment and gently spread it over the irritated skin. The boy let out a quiet sigh of relief as the cool salve soothed his hands. As he worked, Viktor gave instructions:
"Apply it once a day. If it hasn’t gotten better in a week, come back, and I’ll check it again. If it gets worse, come immediately."
The boy nodded. “Thank you, Viktor,” he said before leaving the apothecary.
With that, it seemed like he had finished all his patients for the day. Viktor checked the time and sighed tiredly. He began to gather up all his utensils and ingredients, and when he was done, he locked the door.
He planned to go straight home, hoping Jayce would be there. However, an orange light in a window told him that he had also been working late that day. With a fond sigh, Viktor walked into the forge.
The heat inside caused small beads of sweat to appear on his forehead. The fire was lit and the hammer was pounding. He found Jayce sitting at the anvil, still working the metal.
Viktor approached without him noticing. He put a hand on his sweaty shoulder and Jayce shuddered.
“Viktor!” he said, turning to him. “You shouldn't just walk into the forge.”
“And you shouldn't be working at this hour,” Viktor replied, though he glanced at the work Jayce was doing on the anvil. “How is it going?”
Jayce sighed and ran a hand over the metal surface.
“I want it to be perfect for tomorrow. It's very important…”
“Are those ornaments?” Viktor said, noticing that one part of the metal looked like it was decorated in different plant shapes.
“I thought that if I made it a little prettier, everything would be easier.”
That made Viktor smile fondly, but then he raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
“Did you do that when you made my crutch?”
“Did you like it?” Jayce asked almost shyly, and Viktor laughed.
“You’ve done enough. Come on, let’s go home.”
In the end Jayce let himself be convinced. Soon they both found themselves in the house they shared in that small village, with Jayce taking a bath while Viktor made dinner.
It was a normal night in that new life they shared, a life so far from Piltover and Zaun, from the Academy, from the laboratory that had seen their relationship born. A life in peace that neither of them had expected.
They lay down on the bed, where Jayce stretched out with a groan.
“How’s your leg?” Viktor asked, rubbing it gently.
Jayce was about to say that it was fine, but thought about it for a few more seconds. Finally, he said: “Can you pass me the analgesic?”
Viktor not only took that bottle from the drawer, but he reached down himself to apply the ointment to Jayce. He placed a small kiss on his leg before he began, pressing his fingers in a gentle massage.
When he was done, he snuggled up to Jayce as they waited for the painkiller to take effect. Viktor stroked his torso as he thought about it.
It was hard to believe that it had been almost two years already. It was hard to believe that it had all started with that ointment.
Viktor had originally made it to help with his and Jayce's pain. But Rosamund, their former landlady, had asked for it to help with her joint pain. And apparently the woman had recommended it to her friends.
The village was isolated and very few people lived there. The closest thing to medical care they had was a doctor who came once a week to attend to the most urgent cases. If a man with science studies and a lot of medical knowledge due to his own experiences and research suddenly came to live there, they could only be grateful.
Once again, an entire village turned to Viktor because they saw him as a healer. But this time he didn't offer miracles. He only worked with herbs and chemical processes to make medicines, with love and care, trying to improve the lives of the villagers even if just a little.
He continued studying, researching and trying to improve every day. Viktor felt that impulse to help, and also that need to be useful to Jayce. His partner had started working at the village forge very early, he was the breadwinner.
When Jayce felt a little more comfortable, he settled back into Viktor's arms, closing his eyes as he buried his face in his neck.
“So Trevor's coming tomorrow,” he whispered as Viktor played with his hair.
“Yes. I hope… I hope it goes well.”
“You've done everything you can. I would say it's my responsibility now, more than yours.”
“We designed it together, didn't we?”
“Yes…” Jayce settled against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “It was nice, don't you think? Working on a project together again.”
“You help me in the apothecary every day. And I help you with your designs in the forge. But… yeah. It brought back good memories.”
***
That afternoon, Viktor closed the apothecary, knowing he had a patient to focus on.
Trevor entered the shop cautiously, moving slowly with the aid of two crutches and a single leg. His mother, Manon, held the door open as he stepped inside. Viktor offered them both a seat.
Jayce had the fruit of his labour wrapped in a cloth, waiting to present it to the boy. When he looked at it expectantly, Jayce carefully approached.
He lifted the cloth, revealing the prosthetic leg he had worked on so painstakingly. For a few moments, silence filled the apothecary as Trevor stared at it, unmoving.
Jayce exchanged a glance with Viktor, seeking reassurance. In response, Viktor placed a steadying hand on his back.
Trevor reached out, hesitating just before his fingers touched the prosthesis.
"You can touch it," Jayce said gently. "You can take it if you want, just be careful."
After a few seconds of hesitation, the boy held out his hands for Jayce to give it to him. Trevor lifted it in his arms, surprised, as it was lighter than he expected, and caressed the details of the leaves with his fingertips.
The boy seemed to start feeling comfortable with Jayce, who was showing him the prosthesis and explaining how it worked. Viktor decided to step aside, so he could talk to Manon alone. He kept glancing at Trevor.
“How is he?” Viktor asked, and it must have been a too general question, because the woman didn't have a clear answer. “How is he handling the phantom pain?”
“During the day he is usually distracted and fine. The exercises you told me seem to be helping,” she answered. “At night, well, it bothers him more. He’s not sleeping well.”
Viktor nodded, thoughtfully. He turned to the drawers behind the counter, where he kept his ingredients.
“This infusion should help him sleep,” he said as he placed some herbs in a bag. The woman put it in her purse and thanked him.
Meanwhile, Jayce continued to explain the boy how the prosthesis worked. He had placed it on the floor and was showing him how the knee bent. Trevor watched him attentively; he seemed almost fascinated by this invention. Viktor approached and put a hand on the metal leg.
“Are you ready to try it on?”
After a few seconds of hesitation, Trevor nodded. Sitting on the floor, Jayce helped him roll up his pants until the stump was completely exposed. He put a cloth to protect his skin and proceeded to put the prosthesis on.
He had checked the measurements over and over again, he had taken care of every last detail to make sure the prosthesis was the right size. And yet he couldn't contain a sigh of relief when he saw that it fit.
“Are you comfortable?” he asked once he had positioned the prosthesis so it wouldn’t fall off, and Trevor nodded.
Jayce turned to Viktor, knowing it was his turn now. The apothecary stepped forward.
“Now you have to stand up, okay? You don’t need to walk yet.”
He offered his hand and Trevor took it. Carefully, the boy stood up. It looked like he had done it with ease, but Viktor noticed with a glance down that he was putting all his weight on his leg, the prosthesis barely touching the ground.
“Good. Now lean on both legs. Keep holding my hands, you won’t fall.”
Viktor’s words were soft and reassuring, enough for the boy to trust him. He tried to shift his weight onto the second leg and that made him wobble, but Viktor’s hand was firm and kept him upright.
Manon tensed and was about to jump towards her son, but Jayce put a hand on her arm, silently promising that she could trust them.
“Now try to put all your weight on the prosthesis, carefully.”
Trevor gulped, but tried to do as Viktor asked. He noticed how the grip on his hand became stronger, until the boy's knuckles were stained white, but he dared to do it. Viktor had to use more force to hold him as Trevor struggled to keep his balance.
However, he managed to do it. Relief was visible on Trevor’s face as he felt himself leaning on the prosthetic leg. He let out the breath he had been holding.
“You’re doing great,” Jayce said. His cheerful words made Trevor smile a little.
“Can I walk now?” he asked shyly.
“There are some exercises we still need to do,” Viktor said. “Let me guide you.”
For the next exercise, Viktor had Trevor lean on his leg while moving the prosthesis back and forth, mimicking the motion of walking. Then he instructed him to put all his weight on the prosthesis as he moved it.
It was a productive exercise, but also exhausting. After a few moments the boy seemed to have learned to manage the prosthetic leg, but his breathing was becoming laboured.
"Let's take a break," Viktor said, offering him the chair, and Trevor immediately sat down there. Everyone took the opportunity to rest for a while.
Manon set the basket she was carrying on her lap and pulled out a small box. She glanced at Jayce.
“I brought you this. Just a little thank you.”
As she opened the box, the warm aroma of cinnamon and sugar drifted into the air, mingling with the ever-present scent of herbs. She passed the box around so everyone could take a cookie.
“I often tell Viktor that we could go an entire year without buying any groceries, just living off the food his patients bring him as thanks," he said with a soft laugh.
“It's the least I can do,” Manon looked at them carefully before adding, almost whispering: “Are you sure you don't want any payment? The metal for the leg must have been expensive. And all the work you put in...”
“Manon, it's not necessary at all. This is more than enough.”
Trevor, distracted between nibbling his cookie and admiring his new leg, paid little attention to the conversation. He stretched out the prosthesis as far as he could, watching the sunlight catch on the intricate details of the metal. Viktor approached him.
“Shall we continue with the exercises?”
Jayce showed him the way the knee and ankle bent a couple of times before Trevor tried it himself. He placed his hands on the back of a chair and Viktor gently pushed on his shoulders, telling him to bend carefully. Then he put his hands under Trevor's armpits and helped him stand up straight again.
Little by little they did the exercise, until Trevor seemed to get used to this new way his body moved, to the clicking of the prosthesis bending, in those joints he couldn't feel.
Until Viktor took him by both hands and made him stand up.
“Okay. Move the prosthesis forward and try to bend your knee.”
Trevor did as he was told, his trembling hands holding Viktor's tightly.
"Now move your other leg."
Trevor took that step. And when he realized what he had done, a smile lit up his face. Viktor couldn't help but smile too.
"Easy," he said, though. "Try that again."
Slowly, Trevor began to take steps in a straight line across the shop. Both Manon and Jayce were on top of them, the mother worried that Trevor would trip, Jayce making sure that Viktor could guide the boy well despite his own leg.
After they had gone a few meters, Trevor looked at his mother with a radiant face. It was the brightest smile he had shown in months. And in the joy of the moment, the woman's eyes filled with tears.
Jayce put a hand on her shoulder, while Manon couldn't stop watching the boy walk, with her hands over her heart.
There was still a lot to do, several sessions to get used to this prosthesis, to be able to walk with it every day. But this was a wonderful step forward, a luck they couldn't believe.
They left the apothecary as dusk fell and the sky began to darken. Trevor had to remove his prosthesis and return to the two crutches, but Jayce promised to take good care of it until he returned the next day.
Manon said goodbye to them at the door of the apothecary, with a hand on her son's shoulder and gratitude in her eyes.
“Trevor, why don't you thank Viktor and Jayce?”
The boy hesitated for a few moments, his lips still closed and his eyes shining. Then, suddenly, he threw himself at Viktor. He dropped his crutches and hugged his legs tightly, causing Viktor to almost lose his balance.
After a few seconds, Viktor put a hand on his head, tenderly stroking his hair.
When they left, Viktor stood a few seconds longer in the doorway, watching Trevor move along the village path with the shaky support of the crutches.
At that moment Viktor received a second surprise hug, when Jayce wrapped his arms around his waist from behind and left a little kiss on his cheek.
"What a day," he whispered. "Why don't we close up the apothecary and go home?"
Viktor could only nod.
***
Jayce took care of everything that afternoon. Viktor let himself got carried away. Jayce heated him a bath, laid out some comfortable clothes on his bed, and made dinner. And he took every opportunity to place a small kiss on Viktor’s hair, on the moles on his face, on his lips, on his shoulder.
He was taking special care of him, and Viktor knew why. Although neither of them would admit it out loud, they knew that the job of apothecary could bring up difficult memories for Viktor. And Trevor's story had touched him to the core of his heart.
Being able to help him was a beautiful feeling, but also a difficult one, shaking his spirit until he was exhausted. Trevor's smile warmed his chest, but left him without strength.
So, when they were in bed, Jayce held him in his arms and stroked his hair. Viktor leaned against his chest as he listened to his tender words.
"You've done so well today."
Viktor took a breath, hesitating for a few seconds before raising his head to Jayce.
“I want to help him. I really do…”
Jayce left a small kiss on his hair.
“You are. Didn't you see his smile when he started walking? And it was thanks to you.”
Despite the kind words, Viktor's hands tightened on Jayce's shirt. He could feel him tense, at the same moment that a terrible thought crossed his mind, like a stone falling into a lake disturbing the peace of the waters.
“Is this enough? Is this some way to make up for everything I've done...?”
Jayce's eyes widened for a moment, sharing the horror, before softening as he hugged his partner tighter.
He brought a hand to his cheek, making him lift his head to look at him in the dim light of the house.
"You're not doing this to make up for anything. You're not seeking redemption, I’m sure. That’s not who you are. You're doing it because you want to help Trevor, to help everyone in this village. Because you have a beautiful, kind heart that simply wants to do good."
Viktor's eyes began to water. He buried his face in Jayce's chest again, because he didn't dare look at him. Sometimes it was still too overwhelming to find so much love in his eyes.
“I still can't believe this is real,” Viktor murmured. “That we are here, alive, sharing this life in peace... I know I don't deserve it...”
“Sometimes I can't believe it either,” Jayce whispered. “And I think it's a beautiful dream that I will wake up from at any moment. But every day you show me that it's real.”
“Above all, I can't believe that you decided to stay here, with me.”
Jayce reached for his hand and took it gently between his fingers. Then he brought it to his lips, leaving small but slow kisses on his knuckles. They were tender enough that Viktor lifted his head and looked into his eyes.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I’m so proud of you, Viktor, of everything you’ve accomplished since we got here. And I’m so happy with the life we’ve built together.”
He brought a hand to his cheek, finding as much love in Viktor's eyes as he felt. Nothing seemed able to stop his voice now.
“I realize that this is the best I could dream of. Beyond magic, beyond all the progress and science we accomplished… This is the most special thing we've ever achieved. And nothing would make me happier than… than you…”
His words stopped and his gaze dropped, Viktor not understanding why. A sigh escaped his lips, but there was still a smile on his face.
"Jayce, what is it?"
"I've been meaning to ask you for a while now…" he shook his head, unable to find the words. Viktor sat up straight, sitting on the bed so he could look at him.
When he saw the tender expression on his face, an idea crossed Viktor’s mind, but he couldn't believe it. It was something too beautiful.
"Viktor," Jayce whispered, taking his hand. "Will you marry me…?"
For the first few seconds, Viktor wasn't able to respond, or even react. The words echoed in his mind and he understood Jayce's feeling, the idea that they were in a dream, that none of this could be real.
And yet, Jayce stood before him, his eyes shining with love. Viktor didn't know which came first, the tears or the smile. But suddenly, Jayce was holding his face in his hands. And he was giggling.
Viktor felt his thumbs slide across his cheeks to wipe away the tears, though he was crying too. It took him a few seconds to realize he hadn't answered.
"Yes," he said, almost breathless. "Jayce, if you really want this…"
“Of course I do. Nothing would make me happier. For so long I've wanted to...” a realization came to his eyes, surprising Viktor for a moment. Until Jayce snorted. “This isn’t how I was supposed to do this.”
Viktor raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he was saying. Jayce stood up and handed Viktor his crutch.
“Come to the forge. I… I have to do this right.”
Viktor didn't ask any questions, just took Jayce's hand and let him lead him to the forge. Once inside, Jayce knew exactly where to go. He opened a cupboard and, after pushing some utensils, pulled out a small metal box.
Viktor watched his every move, feeling his heart racing so fast it could burst out of his chest. He held his breath until Jayce was in front of him, holding the small box between them.
“Forgive me for not kneeling down,” he murmured as a joke. “And for not perfecting them on time. I had a plan to propose to you, but… but when I'm with you I can't wait, I can't contain what I feel.”
He opened the box, and before them appeared the two rings. Viktor's eyes lit up as if light shone from those jewels.
Jayce pulled out one of the rings, its silver surface still unpolished, with a sparkling emerald in the centre. Viktor reached out a shaking hand and let Jayce place it on his finger, then stared at it as if it were the most beautiful piece of art in the world. But it was even more beautiful to put the other ring on Jayce's fingers, laughing softly as he realized it was a little tight and didn't fit properly.
“I’ll finish it,” Jayce said. “So I can wear it all day. I want the whole village to see it. Everyone to know.”
“Me too,” Viktor whispered, looking back at the ring on his finger. Then he looked at Jayce, at his eyes, at his lips, just before he took his face in his hands. Jayce kissed his lips, his cheek, the mole under his eye, the tip of his nose, the edge of his mouth, his jaw, and a small laugh escaped Viktor’s lips as he tried to kiss him back.