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Chapter Text

Valentine’s Day in Zaun was not a…pleasant holiday, to say the least.

Though Viktor had never participated in the holiday, he’d of course been well aware of the customs and traditions associated with it, growing up in the Fissures as he had.

Tension in the undercity skyrocketed in the weeks preceding the day, as whispers and gossip spread through the city like toxic gas—who was going to get asked? Who was going to participate? Who was going to survive?—and Viktor had always carefully avoided being swept up in it all, keeping his head down and spending the holiday holed up inside, immersing himself in his latest experiment.

He’d always taken note of the subsequent carnage littering the streets the next day, observing with interest which rumors had turned out to be true, but he’d never been stupid enough to dare participate. Plenty of people tried to attack Viktor often enough, wrongly assuming he was an easy target, and while he was quite adept at landing harsh blows with his cane which left his attackers incapacitated, he’d never actively sought to make enemies. He certainly didn’t care for violence for violence’s sake.

Upon moving out of the undercity and attending the academy, Viktor had been shocked when, in February, familiar rumors and whispers began surfacing during his classes, the students undeniably eager and excited for the holiday. He’d never once guessed that Valentine’s Day, as awful and bloody as it was, was also celebrated in privileged, polished Piltover.

Viktor had associated the holiday with typical Zaunite methods of blowing off steam, as something that would elicit shocked, fearful glances and awkward silences from his fellow classmates if he ever mentioned it offhandedly. But he supposed that even Pilties needed a way to establish dominance over their enemies.

After some contemplation, in the end, Viktor had decided to treat Valentine’s Day with as much caution in Piltover as he had in Zaun. Though he was likely a more competent fighter than anyone who might dare challenge him, he also didn’t doubt that these people wouldn’t play fair—one wrong move, and he’d find himself expelled and forced back to the undercity, or worse, perpetually confined in Stillwater. Piltover students loved playing politics, pulling strings and forming an impenetrable network of connections, and it was simply too dangerous to consider pitting himself against them.

So Viktor did essentially what he always did; he ignored the rumors, refused to speak about the holiday, and spent the day in his tiny dorm room with his head buried in a book, blasting his fan to muffle the sound of any screams.

Upon emerging the next day, he never failed to be unsettled by the lack of corpses strewn around—Piltover was nothing if not efficient in cleaning up its messes and hiding the evidence.

It had just been something he’d come to accept about living in Piltover, not worth thinking about, and even once he’d graduated and started to work for Heimerdinger, which in turn led him to Jayce and their experiments with the arcane, he’d never expected that to change.

But that was the thing about Jayce.

He lived to surprise Viktor.

…

Jayce first brought it up at the end of January.

It had been more than a year since he’d met Viktor and they’d started working together, and several months since Jayce had come to the terrifying realization that he was head over heels for the other man.

Viktor was unlike anyone Jayce had ever met. He was quiet and calm, but also deceptively clever and witty, casually saying comments that had Jayce doubled over, crying with laughter as Viktor maintained an innocently straight face.

Still, Viktor was something of a mystery. Despite all the hours they’d worked together, spending long days and nights developing theories and testing experiments, Jayce hardly knew anything personal about the other man, aside from their shared passion for science.

It didn’t exactly bother him—Jayce loved the Viktor he knew, and if Viktor wanted personal details to stay private, he would respect that boundary—but it meant that as Jayce worked up the courage to make the first move, he was haunted by one inescapable fear: was Viktor single?

It was difficult to imagine someone as handsome and charming as Viktor not having a significant other.

Besides, this time last year, Jayce firmly remembered how scarce Viktor had made himself, taking the day off for Valentine’s Day to undoubtedly spend time with his date. And considering that Viktor flatly refused to ever take off any other days—working through other holidays and even debilitating colds without so much as a complaint—Jayce knew that whoever had been enough to pull Viktor from science had to have meant a lot to him.

But Jayce hadn’t heard any hints or mentions of a partner since that day, so he told himself that maybe they’d broken up; maybe he had a chance.

He had to try.

“So,” Jayce said, breaking the amiable silence and hoping he sounded casual. “It’s almost February.”

The awkward comment landed in the room like a lead balloon. “Yes,” Viktor said, not looking up from over where he was sitting hunched over his research. He sounded distracted, like he was just humoring the conversation, but Jayce, his stomach churning with nerves, pressed forward all the same.

“And you know what’s in February?” Jayce continued, knowing he sounded like some overly enthusiastic commercial broadcaster but unable to calm himself enough to speak normally. “Valentine’s Day.”

That got Viktor’s attention, and the man finally raised his head, shooting Jayce an inscrutable look. “Yes,” he repeated, but there was a new tone to his voice, almost wary. “It is not something I tend to celebrate.”

Jayce watched with an open mouth as Viktor returned to his work, bending back over his notebook and picking up his pencil like that was the end of it. Was that a rejection, or what?

He decided that unless Viktor gave an actual ‘no,’ all hope wasn’t lost, so after counting silently to three, Jayce spoke again. “I was thinking I might want to. You know. Um. Ask someone to be my Valentine.”

Viktor’s pencil froze on the page, and Jayce waited with baited breath as Viktor slowly turned again to look at him. “That is bold of you,” Viktor said, sounding disapproving as he laid his pencil down and swiveled in his chair to face Jayce. “Why?”

Jayce felt slightly guilty at the powerful relief that rushed through him as he realized he didn’t yet have to divulge who. “I’ve known them for a while and…thought it was the right time?”

Viktor frowned, clucking his tongue. “You are aware of the risks, yes?”

Jayce’s eyes widened, his mind blanking. “Risks?”

“It is a very daring move, and there is no going back once you have committed,” Viktor explained, seeming to choose his words carefully. “It will forever change things, hence why I do not like to participate.” His eyes slowly scanned Jayce up and down, and he shrugged. “Although considering your athletic physique, perhaps for you there is not so much risk of failure.”

Jayce shifted uncomfortably in his seat, certain his cheeks must be burning, as he bashfully broke eye contact. Had Viktor just called him handsome?

“Well.” Viktor concluded flatly, not seeming aware of the turmoil his words had sent Jayce into. “As long as you go into it with confidence, you should come out victorious. I, however, will not be helping you.”

Even though Viktor made no move to physically leave, Jayce found himself lunging forward as if to urgently stop him, propelling his rolling chair to get closer to the man and holding out a warning hand. “But—that’s the thing, Viktor—” he stammered.

Viktor looked uncomfortable by the closeness, but he said nothing, waiting for Jayce to get the words out.

“I—I wanted to ask you—” Jayce continued, lowering his hand and smiling sheepishly at Viktor, his heart hammering in his chest. “Will you be my Valentine?”

There was a moment where Jayce felt certain time had stopped. Viktor was frozen, staring at him and not so much as blinking, and they sat there in silence looking at each other.

After what felt like forever, Viktor finally reacted, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly. “Jayce—” Viktor said. He sounded as unsteady as Jayce was feeling. “Do you mean it?”

“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life,” Jayce rushed out, feeling worried when Viktor paled at the words.

“But—this will end our friendship—” Viktor continued brokenly, sounding almost panicked.

Jayce nodded, biting his lip. “Maybe I don’t want to be friends anymore.”

Viktor’s head dipped, his gaze dropping to the floor. He seemed to prepare himself, heaving a sigh.

Uncomfortable with how unenthusiastic Viktor seemed, Jayce decided to admit defeat. His heart heavy in his chest, he sought for an optimistic tone. “I guess I’m coming on a little strong here. It’s okay, really, if you don’t feel the sa—”

“No,” Viktor snapped, leveling a fierce gaze on Jayce. “You say you want to be Valentines? Very well. I accept.”

Enthusiasm and relief flooded Jayce’s body, but as he grinned at Viktor, he didn’t know why part of him was feeling terrified.

…

“—and then he asked me to be his Valentine,” Viktor concluded with a flourish, tapping his cane sharply against the ground for emphasis as Sky’s eyes widened. It had been several days since the conversation with Jayce, and when he’d come across Sky alone in the classroom where she taught, Viktor had found his feet propelling himself inside. Though he didn’t often speak about private matters with Sky, she was the only person he trusted aside from Jayce himself, and he knew she’d be sympathetic about the turmoil he was experiencing.

Sure enough, Sky looked just as concerned as Viktor had been feeling for the past days. “He asked you to be his Valentine,” she repeated numbly, looking seconds from dropping her head on her desk and giving up. “As in, ‘I hereby establish that we’re enemies and I want us to dress up in red and white and fight to the death’ kind of Valentine?”

Viktor nodded heavily, rubbing his temples as he felt the beginnings of a headache come on.

“I thought you and Jayce were friends,” Sky said, scrunching her nose in confusion.

“So did I,” Viktor sighed, feeling ashamed that he hadn’t anticipated the blindside. Had he been that desperate for Jayce’s affection, that he’d ignored how Jayce might feel about him? Viktor had never met a Piltie he’d enjoyed spending time with like this, but Jayce was just…different. Smarter than he seemed at first glance, passionate, and kind, genuinely kind, in a way not many were. “I admit, I initially believed he was, eh, confiding in me about someone else.”

“He probably doesn’t have to worry about going around and brashly making enemies, with that build,” Sky mused, and Viktor brightened despite himself.

“That is what I said!” he agreed. Jayce was so tall and muscular that he almost certainly would have the upper hand in combat with any fellow Piltie.

“Well, if this is really how he’s been feeling about you, maybe you need to lean into it,” Sky ventured after a pause, her tone marginally softer as she looked empathetically at Viktor. “Some of my best memories from the undercity are settling feuds with my Valentines. This could be good for you.”

“Good to go and get myself killed?” Viktor deadpanned, leaving heavily on his cane as a wave of exhaustion suddenly engulfed him. His chest tightened.

“Jayce may be big, but he’s not from the undercity.” Sky scoffed. “You’d wipe the floor with him.”

Viktor nodded, knowing she was right, before frowning. He chose his next words carefully. “But I don’t know if I could do that to him.”

When looking into Jayce’s big brown eyes, could he deliver the final blow? Could he inflict pain upon someone he cared so much about, despite himself? Jayce may hate Viktor, but Viktor couldn’t bring himself to hate the other man.

Besides, ever since the conversation, Jayce had been acting incredibly awkward around Viktor. Often opening his mouth like he wanted to say something, but aborting the attempt; or getting up close in Viktor’s space before flinching and moving away. It was almost like he was feeling guilty of having openly established his hatred of Viktor.

For the sake of their upcoming fight, Viktor honestly would have preferred outright animosity, because that was easier to hate. Instead he now felt a mixture of disappointment, guilt, and betrayal whenever he thought about Jayce.

He was unable to vocalize all of that, but it seemed like Sky understood regardless, her expression softening. “I know what it’s like to care about someone who doesn’t feel the same way about you,” she said quietly, nervously breaking eye contact. “I guess all we can hope is that you take pity on Jayce. Make it quick.”

“You do not think he would be amenable to withdrawing?” Viktor asked hollowly, though he similarly doubted it. While there were customs that allowed a party to concede defeat without death, it was frowned upon and required the agreement of both Valentines, which was hardly ever granted.

Viktor himself would not dare ask for such leniency, for the same reason he’d felt compelled to agree to Jayce’s lunacy—his pride. And it was likely the same for Jayce. After Jayce had worked himself up to challenging Viktor, why would he suddenly back down?

“You could try asking him?” Sky offered.

“Perhaps I will. Thank you, Sky.” With a sigh, Viktor nodded, turning and beginning to make his way to the door.

“And Viktor?” Sky said before he exited, and he paused, turning back to look at her quizzically. She shot him a sympathetic smile. “Good luck kicking his ass.”

…

“—and then he said yes to being my Valentine!” Jayce exclaimed, hugging the pillow he was holding tightly to his chest as he beamed at Caitlyn.

To her credit, though Caitlyn had looked completely bored by the long, detailed story, she’d let him finish it all the same, listening intently from where she was lounging near him on her bed.

“He said yes,” Caitlyn said flatly, and Jayce eagerly nodded. “Three words. Your story can be summed up in three words.”

“And?” Jayce said, some of his enthusiasm fading as he cocked his head at her.

“And we’ve been sitting here for forty-five minutes,” Caitlyn huffed, shaking her head in exasperation.

“Oh.” Jayce wilted. His grip on the pillow loosened.

“I’m just kidding around, you big goof; don’t look so sad,” Caitlyn said, reaching out and lightly slugging Jayce on the shoulder. “I’m happy for you. I think you two will make a very cute couple.”

Given that she’d never actually met Viktor, having only heard about him from Jayce’s countless stories, she was obviously saying what she thought he wanted to hear, but Jayce perked up all the same, his grin returning at the thought of taking his lab partner on a real date. “I’m really excited about this. I just don’t want to mess this up.”

“You don’t have anything to worry about—I mean look at you.” Caitlyn smirked, and Jayce playfully smacked her with the pillow, causing her to yelp. “And…and you’ve got a very charming personality,” Caitlyn added through laughter, dodging another whack of the pillow.

“And you’re the one always telling me I have a big head,” Jayce laughed, finally stopping his assault and letting the pillow drop on the bed beside them. He sobered slightly as he thought back to the moment when he’d asked Viktor. “But seriously—I don’t want this to make things weird between us. I really like Viktor.”

Caitlyn shrugged, not quite buying it. “Things won’t be weird unless you make it weird.” In the resulting silence, she raised her eyebrows. “You haven’t made it weird, have you?”

Jayce sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Well…”

Caitlyn smacked her hand over her face. “Oh my god, you have,” she groaned dramatically. “What did you do?”

“I mean, nothing bad!” Jayce hastily said, frantically trying to think of everything that had gone wrong between him and Viktor since Jayce’s proposal.

Jayce had been over the moon to see Viktor the next day, now that he knew they felt the same way about each other, and he’d essentially experienced the emotional equivalent of running into a brick wall when Viktor had politely greeted him in the morning, cool as ever, and proceeded to act like nothing had happened between them. A few times, Jayce had hyped himself up to put on the charm, wanting to show Viktor affection, but every time he’d ended up chickening out, not knowing if it was wanted.

And that had left the atmosphere of their lab undeniably awkward.

“I just wonder if he really feels the same way,” Jayce concluded gloomily. “He kind of…seemed like he felt like he was being forced into this. Like he doesn’t want to participate.”

“But if he doesn’t like you, why would he say yes?” Caitlyn pointed out.

Jayce, who had been wondering the same, could only shrug miserably in response.

…

Several days later, Viktor was in the middle of scribbling out one of his latest theories in the lab when Jayce broke the silence.

“Hey…can we…talk?” he asked, nervously twisting his hands together as he looked at Viktor.

Although Jayce had been incredibly awkward the whole week, Viktor could instantly sense that this was different, so he paused in his writing, dreading the conversation that was to come. Jayce had already drawn battle lines; what more did he want from Viktor? “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet about Valentine’s Day.”

Surprisingly, the snarky comment seemed to calm Jayce, his tense shoulders relaxing as a half smile spread across his face. “No, I was worried you were!” he exclaimed, laughing.

Viktor frowned. He wasn’t some weak, emotional fool, and he hated the insinuation that he wouldn’t be able to go through with a fight he’d already verbally agreed to. “What would make you believe such a thing?”

“I don’t know,” Jayce said quietly, the discomfort painted over his expression making it clear that he absolutely knew. “It’s just…you…haven’t seemed pleased with the whole thing. Like I’m making you unhappy.”

What sort of mind games was the man playing here? Was Viktor truly expected to happily oppose someone he’d worked with for so long, someone he respected greatly? Perhaps that was how things were done in Piltover, but in Zaun, Valentine's agreements were made with snarls, spitting, and fury. Not false pleasantries.

“I made you a commitment, and I intend to keep it,” Viktor spelled out carefully. “And I do not appreciate you inferring otherwise simply because my expressions of emotion do not match what you expect from me. Remember, I am not from your culture.”

Guilt flitted over Jayce’s face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—” he stammered, cutting himself off. He took a deep breath. “As long as we’re on the same page.”

Viktor considered the words, slight uncertainty growing within him. “May I clarify something, then?” The words were out of his mouth before he’d properly considered the wiseness of speaking his doubts aloud.

Jayce nodded eagerly. “Of course, Viktor. Anything.”

Viktor subtly clenched one of his fists beneath the desk, steeling himself. “On Valentine’s Day, do you intend to…go all the way…with me?” As horrible as it would be to know the truth, to know whether Jayce had already committed to attempting to murder Viktor without any chance of backing down, he had to find out—to rip off the bandaid. It would be better to be able to know now rather than be shocked in the middle of their fight by the levels of violence Jayce would be willing to inflict.

The last thing that Viktor had expected in response to the question was for Jayce to choke on his own spit and go into a coughing fit, but that was what happened, and he stared in befuddlement as Jayce recovered, thumping himself on the chest, his eyes streaming.

“I was—I would—I mean—is that what you want?” Jayce finally said, scrubbing at his eyes as he looked at Viktor in alarm. His face was beet red; whether from the expectation of fighting to the death or just the coughing fit, Viktor was not sure.

“That is not what I asked,” Viktor said, undeterred by Jayce’s attempt to throw the responsibility back at him. “I wish to know what you want.”

“I—I—” Jayce started, looking like he wished for the floor to swallow him whole. “I—yes. I would, Viktor.”

The answer was not unexpected, but it still struck Viktor like a blow to the chest, and he took a moment to steady himself before replying. “That is settled, then.” His voice was foreign to his ears, stilted and empty.

Jayce perked up, looking shocked. “Really? Right! Okay!”

Viktor clenched his jaw at the other man’s visible enthusiasm in the face of the challenge. “I warn you, I may not look it, but I am very physically skilled,” he warned. “I will not go easy on you.”

Jayce’s eyes widened, and Viktor thought for a moment that he finally understood the risks, the enormity of what they were about to do, but then Jayce broke out into a big, toothy grin, shooting Viktor a thumbs up.

He looked so excited to kill Viktor that Viktor couldn’t help but wonder if his partner had secretly been a sociopath this entire time.

…

Jayce ended up leaving early that night, so Viktor was left alone to stew in his thoughts, attempting to work but unable to keep his focus, distracted by his swirling thoughts of the impending fight.

As such, it was almost a relief when there was a knock on the door and Heimerdinger entered, trotting into the room with a spring in his step. “Ah, lad! I thought I’d find you here,” the scientist said as Viktor swiveled on his stool to face the man.

“Professor. What can I do for you?” Viktor asked, genuinely curious. Even during the days working as Heimerdinger’s assistant, the professor hadn’t often needed to seek out his help for his personal research projects, as brilliant and wise as he was.

“Ah, nothing, nothing,” Heimerdinger said, waving a hand. “Rather, I’m actually here about what I can do for you.” As Viktor watched, nonplussed, Heimerdinger headed toward Jayce’s empty swivel chair, rolling it over to Viktor with no small amount of effort and hopping up into it. “Sky mentioned she was concerned about you, and I wanted to see if there’s anything to which I can lend an ear.”

“I’m fine,” Viktor said automatically.

Unfortunately the professor knew him too well for that, and Heimerdinger only chuckled, waiting with the utmost patience. It was a stand-off they’d had before, during some of the most difficult times in Viktor’s life, when he’d hardly cared to share his troubles with anyone in Piltover, much less the man who employed him. But unfortunately, Heimerdinger had incredible stamina, and Viktor knew if he didn’t speak, they’d be sitting here staring at each other through the early hours of the morning.

Viktor sighed. His back ached from the long hours sitting on the stool, and he blurrily decided that if he wasn’t even going to get to be productive, he might as well give in. There was no point in drawing this out and wasting both of their time. “It’s Jayce.”

Heimerdinger brightened, looking pleased. “Do tell.”

“He asked me to be his Valentine.” The word was heavy on Viktor’s lips, dropping into the quiet of the room.

“Oh, my,” Heimerdinger said, sounding excited. His whiskers quivered. “I was wondering when you lads would reach that point in your relationship. Happens often with lab partners, a natural result of the closeness and intimacy required of the field.”

Viktor supposed that made sense. People who spent hours together naturally ended up at each other’s throats, but he and Jayce had never experienced such tension or anger. Sure, sometimes Jayce could be the most irritating person on the planet, but never to the point that Viktor wished to murder him. “I understand, but I personally do not know if this is the best course for us,” Viktor began, vaguely aware that his hands had begun trembling.

Heimerdinger frowned. “Why not, my boy?” he asked softly.

Viktor buried his face in his hands as the answer washed over him; the truth he’d been shoving to the back of his mind all this time, that had been creeping up on him in his time sulking alone. “Because I think I love him.” The words tore, unbidden, from his mouth, muffled by his hands and laden with pain, and he tensed, expecting a strong reaction; horror, or sorrow, maybe. He immediately regretted it—the last thing that Viktor wanted was Heimerdinger’s pity.

Instead, Heimerdinger started chuckling.

The reaction was so unexpected that Viktor raised his head from his hands, staring cautiously at his mentor.

“That’s not a problem at all, lad!” Heimerdinger said.

Viktor stared numbly at him.

Heimerdinger pushed himself off of Jayce’s chair, dropping to the floor and smiling brightly at Viktor. “I often find that the best Valentines are people you love,” Heimerdinger said, patting Viktor’s arm as he passed by him on his way to the door. Heimerdinger paused before he left, turning back to Viktor. “And if you’re still unsure, perhaps try telling Jayce how you feel.”

Viktor’s jaw dropped.

He’d always known Heimerdinger was insane.

…

Unbeknownst to Viktor, as he sat reeling over his conversation with Heimerdinger, Jayce was not at home asleep, but rather, standing on the roof of the university building, staring out at the city.

He’d excused himself from the lab once it had been clear that he’d be unable to focus enough to get any more work done that night, especially not with Viktor so close, reminding Jayce of the conversation they’d had earlier that day.

So Jayce had fled, but, unable to bring himself to return to his small apartment where there would be no distraction from his thoughts, he’d instead found himself heading up to the roof.

Piltover was quiet at night, with the airships docked and most people asleep in their homes, and as Jayce looked out at the twinkling lights of the city, he took a deep breath of the cool air, feeling a sense of peace come over him.

“Lovely view, isn’t it?”

The voice startled Jayce out of his ponderings, and he whipped around, relaxing marginally as his eyes landed on Mel, standing at the door to the stairwell. She was smiling, visibly amused by his reaction, and he found himself smiling back. “It really is,” Jayce agreed, waving a hand out toward the city. “Reminds me why I do what I do; what all this work is for.”

Mel nodded, stepping forward and joining Jayce at the edge, resting a hand on the ledge as she looked out. “There is much to be proud of.”

Jayce’s eyes tracked the view—the sprawling campus of the university, the city square where holiday festivals were held, the suburbs where he’d grown up—but his gaze continued on, landing on the furthest point that was visible, the bridge and the dark smudge beyond it, where he knew the undercity was. “With all of my pride in Piltover, sometimes I forget there are others who need us, too,” he admitted.

“Don’t beat yourself up when you’ve done nothing wrong,” Mel said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder. “You’re a good man, Jayce.”

Despite the kind words, a cloud of guilt still hung over Jayce, and as he pondered his mess of emotions, he realized that he hadn’t been speaking generally—there was only one person from the undercity he was presently worried about hurting. “Mel, I think I messed up.” Jayce leaned his elbows on the railing, directing the words towards the city, unable to face Mel. “I said something to Viktor that I shouldn’t have.”

“Ah. Viktor,” Mel said, some of the gentleness leaving her tone. She removed her hand, the light touch stark in its sudden absence. “I’m sure it was nothing that bad. You obviously care for him.”

Jayce ran a hand through his hair messily. “I don’t know—it’s true I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said. “I just—I thought he didn’t want to be my Valentine, because he doesn’t exactly seem like he’s excited. But he—I think it’s a Zaunite thing. That he isn’t great at showing emotion. And now I feel like a dick for making him explain that to me.”

Mel sighed. “Communicating your worries is healthy, even if they’re unfounded,” she offered. “Was he angry?”

“No,” Jayce said in a baffled tone, laughing as the memory of the absurd turn of the conversation overwhelmed him. He turned to look at Mel, glad for the dim lighting on the roof as he suddenly became sure his cheeks were burning red. “He asked me about—our plans. Um. For the day.”

“There’s no problem, then,” Mel concluded, arching her eyebrow as she thankfully avoided pressing Jayce on what he was insinuating. “So why are you wasting time moping up here?”

Jayce brightened slightly. He’d felt so bad following the conversation, feeling wrong-footed, like he and Viktor were failing to communicate, like there was something wrong—but Mel was right. There was no reason to make up conflicts where there were none, right?

After all, as Viktor had pointed out, Jayce had been so worried about Viktor’s apparent lack of emotion that he’d never once stopped to consider the cultural differences between them—that Viktor had grown up in a place where things like that made you vulnerable. No wonder Viktor had been reticent about participating in the holiday; he was probably nervous about being expected to behave like a Piltovan.

So that was it. Jayce needed to stop extrapolating from Viktor’s behavior. It was his partner’s words that mattered—and Viktor had said yes.

“Thanks, Mel,” Jayce said, reaching out and pulling Mel into a spontaneous hug. She stiffened at first, slowly relaxing into the touch and chuckling softly as they embraced. “You’re a good friend.”

“Of course, Jayce,” Mel murmured back. “I wish you and Viktor nothing but the best.”

Chapter Text

When Valentine’s Day finally rolled around, Viktor had grimly accepted what he must do.

As per Zaun tradition, Viktor had taken care in choosing his outfit, adhering to the white, pink, and red color coding system.

The colors were a way of establishing clear intent with regards to your Valentine—red indicated a bloodlust, a desire to fight to the death (with the added benefit of concealing bloodstains); while pink represented confidence in your own abilities but an interest in holding back; and white meant you hoped to back out, surrender and beg for mercy.

It was rare that you would find anyone in Zaun wearing more than a few splashes of customary white, a backdoor if things got truly dire and one hoped to find clemency. Any more than that meant you were an easy target.

Just as rare was a fully red outfit—though legend had it, years ago, Silco and Vander had once faced off as Valentines in matching all-red outfits, even down to the shoes. Viktor had never dared to seek out more details of the story, shuddering to imagine how violent that fight must have gotten.

Shaking off the thought, Viktor adjusted his tie, giving his outfit a final once-over in his mirror. He’d opted for a challenging but not overly angry color scheme—pink vest over a white button-up, paired with his usual dark trousers, knee brace, and cane, and a red tie. He didn’t want to give Jayce any reason to go harder on him than he otherwise would, but at the same time, Viktor refused to paint himself as an effortless kill.

Viktor took care in walking to the lab, alert and at attention as he kept an eye out for other Valentine’s meetings, not wanting to be caught in the middle of any other skirmishes.

Though he passed a fair number of Pilties, and noticed quite a few color-coded outfits similar to his own, thankfully, Viktor was able to make it through the streets without witnessing any violence, aside from one close call which turned out to be a rather passionate makeout session.

Viktor supposed that it was too early in the day for the fighting to begin—it seemed the Pilties spent the morning saying goodbyes to those they loved. He also noticed an abundance of flowers, and upon passing a flower vendor, the worker abruptly shoved a rose in his hand.

“Free of charge,” the man grunted before Viktor could protest, shooting him a wink. “For your Valentine.”

Viktor nodded, continuing on his way and considering the gesture. Clearly, Piltover had developed its own customs for the holiday, which he supposed made sense given the cultural differences between the two cities, but it was fairly simple to infer what it must mean.

A rose, beautiful in appearance but deceptively thorny and deadly (and, of course, scarlet red), was an excellent, fitting symbol to present to an enemy before battle.

Though he told himself he wasn’t nervous to face Jayce, Viktor was clutching the rose tightly in his fist when he reached the lab, and he was thankful to find the place empty.

Feeling too energized to sit, he wandered over to Jayce’s workstation, shooting a fond smile at the messy notes and sketches covering the papers strewn about the desk. Pain suddenly struck Viktor’s heart at the thought that this was the last day they would be able to spend together, as sharp as if he’d been stabbed, and he clutched at his chest, bending forward and grimacing.

He’d only just straightened back up when the unmistakable sound of the door to the lab opening resounded through the room, and he whirled around, finding himself looking at Jayce.

Jayce’s mouth was agape, and he stumbled more than stepped into the room, his eyes wide. “Wow, I—Viktor, you look—” Jayce stammered, shutting his mouth and visibly swallowing.

Viktor was similarly taken aback—for one thing, from the tight red button-up Jayce was wearing, tucked into his trousers and rolled up at the sleeves to expose his forearms, but also from the other, little changes that didn’t have to do with the fight. The smell of cologne, much stronger than Jayce normally wore. The carefully slicked back hair. The shiny dress shoes.

Forcing his mind back to the objectives at hand, Viktor wordlessly held out the rose, hating the way his hand was visibly shaking.

After a pause, Jayce slowly strode forward, accepting the rose with a gentle smile. “It’s beautiful,” he said in a hushed voice, admiring it before tucking it into his shirt pocket. “Just like—just like you are.”

Viktor’s throat tightened with emotion, and he cast his eyes to the floor, leaning heavily on his cane. This was cruel, the way Jayce was toying with him. “Thank you,” he said, more of a whisper than actual words.

“So,” Jayce said, smiling at Viktor, his cheeks dusted a light red. “I know you’re a workaholic; heck, I know we both are, but I doubt we’d get any actual work done in this state, so I was thinking we could go out and get—”

“Yes, I am familiar with how the holiday works,” Viktor interrupted, and though Jayce winced back at the acidity in his tone, he couldn’t bring himself to feel remorseful for it. He couldn’t bear to hear Jayce say the words aloud, to admit what they were about to do.

“Okay, yeah, well,” Jayce stammered awkwardly, his smile wavering on his face. “I had a place in mind, if you—”

“Wherever you want,” Viktor said tonelessly. “It does not matter to me.” He shot Jayce a sharp look. “After all, no matter the place, you will be lucky if you are able to walk tomorrow.” He tapped his cane slightly menacingly on the floor, maintaining eye contact with Jayce, who strangely seemed to be fighting back laughter at the words. “I am not joking. I know you may think I am fragile, but I will obliterate you.”

“Good to know,” Jayce said in an oddly strangled tone. “Shall we?”

…

Jayce was over the moon—a mess of nerves, excitement, and sheer giddiness at being able to take Viktor on a proper date. Maybe it was silly, getting so worked up about hanging out with the man after a year of spending practically all day, every day working side by side with him, but it just felt different, now that he was actually allowed to enjoy Viktor, to relish in his presence without fear of scaring him off or weirding him out.

For such an attractive man, it was a wonder Viktor had even been single.

He looked especially good today, too, with the pale pink shade of his vest perfectly complementing his amber eyes and the cut of the fabric accentuating Viktor’s slim waist in a way that made Jayce ache to hold the other man in his arms.

Unfortunately, physical touch didn’t seem welcome—maybe it was a Zaun thing, or a Viktor thing, but when Jayce reached out in an awkward motion as if to put an arm around Viktor, or link arms, the man deftly flinched away from the contact.

Jayce told himself that it didn’t bother him—he was determined to respect Viktor’s boundaries no matter what—and instead, he settled for waving a beckoning hand and leading the way out of the lab to the nearby cafe he’d picked out, Viktor trailing behind.

Viktor looked slightly cross as they arrived at the establishment, his eyebrows drawing together as he stared up at the sign, and Jayce’s heart dropped. Did he not like the food here? Jayce had spent hours reading menus for different places, wanting to find one that matched what he knew of Viktor’s palate, but maybe he’d miscalculated.

“We are getting food?” Viktor asked as they entered the cafe, which was bustling with other couples.

For a second, Jayce felt oddly proud of being able to present Viktor as his date; to be seen in public as the man lucky enough to accompany him. “For two, please,” he told the waiter, who told them it would be one moment, and then turned back to Viktor, who still seemed unhappy. “Yes, if that’s okay? Are you not hungry?” Jayce asked worriedly. In the lab, he’d thought Viktor had agreed to going out for brunch, but maybe their wires had been crossed.

“I thought you would rather go straight for the—” Viktor waved a hand in a general flourish, looking put out. “Physical.”

Viktor—wanted—sex—now?

Jayce’s mind blanked, a roaring in his ears as his eyes strayed down to Viktor’s chest.

Thankfully, the waiter arrived before Jayce could physically combust, snapping him out of his embarrassment as they both followed the man to an empty booth in the corner of the room. Jayce slid into one side, while Viktor followed suit on the other, resting his cane against the edge of the booth.

“Trust me, I’m interested in—y’know, that—too,” Jayce said when it was clear Viktor was waiting for a response. “I just—I like spending time with you. As well.”

“I do not understand,” Viktor said after a pause, sounding frustrated that he’d even have to admit it.

The waiter arrived, placing two glasses of water on their table, but Jayce hardly noticed, as his mind raced to find an answer that would be satisfactory to Viktor.

“I’m not…I don’t do one-night stands,” Jayce struggled to explain, shrugging sheepishly as he hoped Viktor wouldn’t think he was a prude. “I really value the…uh. Emotional connection.”

“One-night stands,” Viktor repeated thoughtfully. “I am not familiar with that term.”

Jayce’s heart rate spiked. Was the man trying to send him into an early grave? “It’s, like, when you…hit it and quit it,” Jayce said, offering an awkward smile. “Nail and bail. Smash and dash. Shoot and scoot. Tear them apart then depart?”

Viktor’s expression remained stone-cold, impenetrable, not even the hint of a smile as he let Jayce awkwardly rattle off the insinuations, and there was a beat of silence as Jayce wondered if he was genuinely going to have to get more graphic than that, when thankfully, Viktor finally replied.

“I see,” he said, nodding like it all made sense. “I am surprised that it happens often enough in Piltover that you have a term for it.”

“Huh, and I’m surprised you don’t have a word for it in Zaun,” Jayce pondered. He’d grown up knowing some real scumbags in his classes, sure, but with everything he’d heard about the undercity, he’d have expected romance and long-term relationships to be even less common there.

“Of course we do,” Viktor said. “It is just different. You might say you will ‘make someone’s bones.’ Or you are, perhaps, ‘taking someone for a ride.’”

Well. Those phrases were much hotter than ‘one-night stand.’ Jayce’s stomach fluttered at hearing the words drip sensually out of Viktor’s mouth, rolling out of his mouth through his accent, suddenly making him slightly regret not taking Viktor up on his offer of immediately sleeping together. “I’ll have to start using those.”

Viktor, who had relaxed slightly during the discussion, suddenly completely clammed up, his shoulders tense and his eyes downcast. “You intend to start making a habit of this?”

Jayce, realizing how his words sounded, facepalmed at the thought that he’d accidentally insinuated to his Valentine, of all people, that he had plans of going around having sex with random people. “No! I meant—like—uh—with you?” Nice save, Talis. Much better. Now you sound like a pervert. Jayce’s stomach dropped.

Viktor pursed his lips, still looking displeased. “You may try. But…I have warned you of my prowess.”

Jayce audibly gulped.

…

Thankfully, after the rocky start to their date, Jayce and Viktor managed to fall into a comfortable rhythm talking about their latest experiment.

It was completely unintentional on Jayce’s part—he’d long since promised himself that he wouldn’t ever bring up science on a date because that was a “certifiable mood killer,” according to Cait—but something about their food orders had reminded him of a question he’d recently had in his research, which he absentmindedly made a comment about, and Viktor, eyes lighting up, dove into a detailed explanation of what he believed the answer to be, hands waving wildly.

Jayce, of course, couldn’t let that go without pointing out holes in Viktor’s analysis and offering countertheories of his own, which ultimately culminated into a full-blown debate, their food growing cold on their plates as they animatedly discussed science.

By the time Jayce motioned the waiter for the check, he was feeling equal parts exhilarated by the progress they’d made in their work and abashed by the realization that they were spending Valentine’s Day working after all. At this rate, they might as well be in the lab.

Still, he wasn’t too upset by it, especially given the visible change in Viktor’s mood, the excitement, determination, and curiosity flowing from him as he spoke, completely devoid of the reticence of before.

Mood killer? Jayce had to conclude that Caitlyn didn’t know what she was talking about. Science had been a mood resuscitator.

“Do you want to head back to the lab?” Jayce asked as he handed the waiter his card, tapping his foot impatiently at the thought of getting to test their latest theories.

Viktor looked slightly put out by the suggestion. “I don’t know…” Viktor said, wincing as he looked at Jayce, his eyes straying down to Jayce’s chest, where the rose was still tucked in his pocket. “I have enjoyed continuing our work, but such an atmosphere does not exactly…fit with our plans for the day.”

Jayce suddenly felt like the biggest idiot in the world, and he could practically hear Caitlyn laughing at him for the obvious leaps he’d made. Science was not romantic, right, he knew that. Normal people didn’t want to go bury their heads in research instead of spending a flirtatious day with their dates.

It was just so hard to read Viktor’s body language, to determine what he was doing right or wrong. He thought they’d been on the same page of enjoying digging into their research. But Jayce reminded himself that he might not be as adept at discerning Viktor’s unspoken desires as much as he wished he was.

“Right,” Jayce was quick to assure as he stood, leading the way out of the cafe as Viktor trailed behind. “The arcane’s been there for millenia; surely it can wait a day. We can—we can—” He faltered, looking around the square as if it would offer him any answers. Beyond brunch, he hadn’t exactly come up with a plan for how to spend the day, kind of assuming they’d end up back in the lab despite himself. “We can make wishes in the fountain!”

“Wishes,” Viktor said in a disbelieving tone.

“It’s a custom here—you toss in a coin and make a wish about something you want,” Jayce said, genuinely excited by the idea but worried Viktor would think it was silly. “It can be for…how things turn out with us.”

“Ah,” Viktor breathed, slowly traversing the cobblestones to reach the fountain, gazing down at the coins submerged in the clear water. “A ritual for luck.”

“Exactly,” Jayce confirmed, retrieving two coins from his pocket and handing Viktor one of them.

“If this was Zaun, there would be nothing left in these waters,” Viktor murmured spitefully, one finger running over the coin. “That money would support multiple families for many months. And yet here it sits, undisturbed. For Pilties’ wishes.”

Jayce, who had been preparing to toss his coin, faltered slightly. “I didn’t think—we don’t have to do this.”

“It is okay, Jayce,” Viktor said, his tone growing softer as he looked up and made eye contact with Jayce. “I will honor your final wishes.”

Jayce balked at the phrase, before realizing that there must be a different meaning to it in Zaun—Viktor was probably intending to say something like “wishes that would extend until the end of time,” and he wouldn’t appreciate Jayce once again hammering in their cultural differences by asking Viktor why he was speaking like Jayce was about to die.

“On the count of three?” Jayce said, gripping his coin tightly in his fist as he thought about his wish. He knew what he wanted above all else, and it was standing right here with him.

“On the count of three,” Viktor confirmed.

“One, two…” Jayce’s voice trailed off as he watched their coins fly, hitting the water and sinking below the surface, each settling in the piles of coins at the bottom of the fountain. Jayce looked over at Viktor, shocked to find that his partner’s eyes were glistening as he looked down at the coins, as if he were biting back tears. “Did you make a wish?”

“Yes, I did,” Viktor said, an almost mournful desire in his amber eyes as he tore his gaze from the coins to look at Jayce. “And yourself?”

Jayce’s breath caught in his throat as he realized just how close they were standing to each other, how he could count the moles on Viktor’s face, catch every sparkle in his amber eyes, see the way his lips were parted ever so slightly…

“I already have everything I want right here,” Jayce murmured, aching with desire, and then he was leaning in to close the distance between their faces, his heart pounding frantically in his chest and his eyes fluttering shut and—

A sharp pain suddenly tore itself across the backs of Jayce’s shins, and he opened his eyes to find himself crashing to the ground, landing heavily on the rough cobblestones, sprawled flat on his back.

His first thought was that there was some random attacker, but as he wildly looked around, his eyes landed on Viktor, who was standing above him, breathing heavily, holding his cane out in a threatening gesture, positioned inches from Jayce’s neck.

“Viktor?” Jayce asked, his body aching as he laid there looking up at his partner, not daring to move and not having the energy for it anyway. “What are you doing?”

“Doing what I have to,” Viktor stated solemnly, his voice wavering and slightly undermining his firm, stone cold gaze.

“I—I’m sorry if I came on too strong,” Jayce said, his own voice cracking with the force of his emotion. His chest was heaving, and his breath hitched as tears began to well up in his eyes, overwhelmed by regret and guilt at having been so brash; at having invaded Viktor’s space without asking for consent first. “But I’ll listen to you if you ask me to stop! It’s okay if we don’t do this!”

“You are a hypocrite, Talis,” Viktor snarled, and Jayce flinched back at the venom in his tone. “To be begging for mercy now. I warned you. I told you this would happen; this is how it has to be because of you! I don’t want to hurt you!”

“You don’t have to!” Jayce exclaimed, beginning to panic. He frantically searched his brain for any time Viktor might have told him he didn’t appreciate physical contact, or kissing, or dates, or—or—or— “I would never force you to do something you don’t want to!”

A wistful expression passed across Viktor’s face, wiped away so quickly Jayce couldn’t tell if he’d imagined it. “And yet you asked me to be your Valentine.”

Righteous fury grew in Jayce at the words, and he reacted without thinking, batting away Viktor’s cane and pushing himself back up onto his feet. Though Viktor could have easily whacked him and sent him to the floor again, the other man did nothing, instead taking a wary step back as Jayce pointed a furious finger at him. “I knew it! I knew you didn’t really want to be my Valentine, undercity ways of showing emotion or not! And you made me feel crazy for even thinking it!” Jayce ran a hand through his hair, beginning to pace, turning in tight circles in front of Viktor, knowing he looked like a crazy person but not able to bring himself to care. “I gave you so many opportunities to back out, and you didn’t! It’s been driving me mad, feeling guilty for daring to think this was a bad idea!”

“If you knew this was a bad idea,” Viktor said, frozen in place and still holding his cane out threateningly as he stared at Jayce, “then why did you ask me to be your Valentine?” He was frowning, but his eyes were wide, imploring, and so, so amber.

“Because I love you!” The words tore out of Jayce’s lips before he could think about it, but if they were a surprise to him, they were even more of a surprise to Viktor, because the man actually stumbled, only just moving his cane in time to catch his fall and leaning on it heavily.

“You—what?” Viktor’s face was as pale as if he’d seen a ghost.

Jayce’s heart clenched, and he turned away, not feeling strong enough to see Viktor’s reaction to the truth; unable to face the disgust or hatred that would grow in his partner’s eyes. “I’ve fallen in love with you,” Jayce ground out. “I’m sorry. That’s why I asked you to be my Valentine.”

There was a pause, stretching on so long that Jayce was half-convinced Viktor had left, silently slipping away so as to never have to finish this conversation. But when he shot a quick peek over at the other man, Jayce found that Viktor was still standing there, the puzzled expression on his face recognizable as the one typically reserved for the most complex roadblocks in their experiments.

Jayce threw up his arms, huffing as irritation blotted out the vulnerability he was feeling. “Well, say something!” he exclaimed.

“What did you want out of this?” Viktor said, speaking slowly and so quietly that Jayce had to strain his ears.

“What?” Jayce said dumbly, not following.

Viktor tapped his cane impatiently on the cobblestones. “Were you hoping that we would both end up dead? A romantic double-suicide? Or did you simply wish to get rid of me because you believed your feelings were a distraction from your experiments?”

Jayce blinked. “Come again?”

“I fail to understand why you wanted to kill me if we are in love, as you say,” Viktor huffed, as if he was saying things that made sense and not spouting madness like he’d lost his mind.

“Viktor, I never wanted to kill you,” Jayce said, the words leaving his mouth in a rush.

“I am sick of the mixed signals!” Viktor suddenly shouted, reaching his cane out and whacking Jayce in the shins. Thankfully, it was light enough that it didn’t send him to the ground again, but it still stung, and Jayce jumped, yelping. “Make up your mind! Are we enemies or not?”

“Do you even have to ask that?” Jayce gaped, scrambling back a couple of steps just in case Viktor tried to hit him again. “You’re the one physically assaulting me for trying to kiss you!”

“Trying to kiss…” Viktor’s voice trailed off, his brow furrowing. He grimaced. “That was not an attack?”

“Not unless I attack my enemies with my lips,” Jayce said, slightly dumbfounded. “Why would I try to kill you after asking you to be my Valentine?”

As he spoke, a couple, linked arm in arm, walked by them, and Viktor jumped, his eyes tracking them like he was expecting a fight to break out.

“You answered your own question,” Viktor said once the couple was gone, recollecting himself and tugging primly at his vest.

Jayce’s mind struggled to connect the dots. He was used to arguing with Viktor and misunderstanding things the other man said, but never before had he felt so unevenly footed, like they were speaking two different languages. “I…tried to kill you…because I asked you to be my Valentine?”

Jayce waited, expecting for Viktor to burst out laughing, or to roll his eyes and tell Jayce he was wrong—one of his favorite pastimes.

Instead, Viktor shrugged, looking mildly irritated. “That is what the holiday is for, no?”

A dawning sense of horror rose in Jayce as he realized there was one variable he’d never thought to test; never considered to be in question. “Uh…Viktor…what is Valentine’s Day?”

“You really expect me to answer that?” Viktor said, looking affronted but slightly hesitant at Jayce’s change in tone, and Jayce nodded. “It is the holiday when debts are settled. Those who are feuding resolve their problems.”

“Let me guess,” Jayce said faintly. “By fighting to the death?”

Viktor nodded, much too serious for it to be one of his jokes.

“So when I asked you to be my Valentine, you thought…you thought…” A wave of dizziness rushed over Jayce, and he found himself stumbling over to the fountain, sitting down heavily at the edge of the water. A hysterical laugh ripped from his lips, and he buried his face in his hands as his shoulders began shaking, suddenly overwhelmed by an awful sense of giddiness.

“Clearly there has been some sort of, eh, misunderstanding,” Viktor said, and Jayce raised his head to see that the man had joined him, sitting at his side with his cane propped against the fountain. Thankfully, it no longer looked like Viktor expected Jayce to hurt him anymore, and the thought sent Jayce into a fresh batch of hysterics, horrified giggles escaping his mouth.

“In Piltover, we celebrate Valentine’s Day…a little differently,” Jayce managed as his laughter subsided, wiping a tear from his eye.

“I see,” Viktor said, looking down at his lap, where his hands were clasped tightly together. He looked back up at Jayce, and there was a concerning flatness to his stare, his shoulders curling inward in discomfort. “I suppose I should have known that civilized Piltover would do things differently.”

“It’s not like that—” Jayce protested, but Viktor waved a hand, silencing him.

“So tell me—what is it? Do you grandiosely debate your enemies? Write them letters as to why their conduct is shameful? Spend the day with them verbally undermining their life’s work?” Viktor pressed, his tone derisive.

“There are no enemies,” was all Jayce was able to get out, the words numb on his lips.

“Do you think I am stupid?” Viktor snapped. “The poor gullible undercity trash, believes everything in Piltover is sunshine and rainbows and friendship saves the day.”

“No!” The shout was louder than Jayce had intended, and he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Only Viktor could elicit this kind of emotion in him, an irritable affection. “No. What I mean is that in Piltover, we don’t use Valentine’s Day to hurt our enemies, or whatever. If you ask someone to be your Valentine, it means…”

“Means what?” Viktor said flatly when Jayce’s words failed him.

Jayce gripped the cold cement edge of the fountain, steeling himself to admit the truth. He’d already said it once before—how hard could it be to repeat? “You love them!” he exclaimed. “I love you! I wanted you to be my Valentine so we could feed each other chocolate and give each other flowers and spend the day together and be a couple!”

Viktor let out a strangled noise, sounding like a tortured goat. “Piltover has a holiday dedicated to sappy romance,” he said, sounding faint.

“While in Zaun, it’s about murder?” Jayce offered.

There was a beat as they both stared at each other, and then Jayce’s lips wavered and Viktor’s eyebrows twitched, and before Jayce knew it, they’d both burst out into laughter, sending each other manic grins typically reserved for their long sleepless nights.

“I was wrong. Piltover is all rainbows, and sunshine, and…and…” Viktor said as his laughter petered out, shaking his head in overexaggerated amazement.

“Everything’s roses,” Jayce completed with a helpless shrug. He pulled the flower Viktor had given him from his pocket, offering it out.

Viktor’s thin fingers carefully took hold of the flower, and the man slowly brought it to his nose, taking a sniff. “I was so distracted by the thorns,” Viktor said, sounding slightly mournful, and Jayce had to resist the urge to reach out and pat him on the back, just in case physical touch still wouldn’t be appreciated. Viktor carefully set the rose down on the fountain edge beside him, before turning to Jayce, his eyes flashing with something that looked like anger. “So all of this—you have been interested in romance? What happened to your terms of smashing and nailing?”

Jayce’s heart rate spiked so dramatically at the question that for a moment he swore he was having a heart attack. “Right, that, um…” He rubbed the back of his neck, breaking eye contact. “Was…euphemistic?”

Viktor’s eyebrows drew together, before pure, unadulterated mortification spread across his face. “And all my talk of dominating you…”

“Didn’t exactly help the matter,” Jayce agreed in a strangled tone. Part of him wished Viktor would whack him with his cane again, if only so he wouldn’t have to sit through this conversation. Or maybe he could drown himself in the fountain?

Viktor sighed, rubbing his temples. “I suppose I was so invested in what I believed the truth to be, that I ignored the evidence to the contrary,” he said heavily. “Very improper. If it were a scientific paper, it never would have been published.”

“Well, that’s what peer review is for, isn’t it?” Jayce joked, offering Viktor a hesitant smile, which Viktor returned.

“Have I ever told you I dislike your terrible jokes?” Viktor said, regaining some of his confidence through the trademark snarkiness.

Jayce pouted. “Every time.”

“Yes, well.” Viktor fixed his gaze intently on Jayce, scooting forward until their faces were uncomfortably close, his expression deadly serious. “It is the only thing I dislike about you.”

Jayce’s heart jumped, and his lips parted in shock as he sat, frozen in place as he locked eyes with Viktor. “Keep talking like that, and I’ll think you’re coming onto me,” Jayce faintly joked, unable to take his eyes off the other man.

“I suppose I’ll have to keep talking, then,” Viktor murmured, and then he lunged forward, capturing Jayce’s lips in a kiss.

Jayce shut his eyes, leaning into the contact as their lips clashed against each other and raising a hand to cup Viktor’s cheek, deepening the kiss.

When they finally parted, Jayce was panting and fireworks were exploding in his chest, a mixture of enthusiasm, wonder, and desire. Viktor looked similarly invigorated, a flush on his cheeks and his lips slightly swollen.

The sight was so beautiful that Jayce went in for another kiss. This one was slower and longer, Viktor’s tongue snaking into Jayce’s mouth and making him groan, heat pooling in his belly.

Viktor was the one who pulled away, smiling triumphantly at Jayce. “I much prefer that to a fight to the death, no?”

“Without question,” Jayce agreed, before throwing himself forward and pulling Viktor into a fierce bear hug, squeezing him tightly as Viktor made a noise of surprise. “I would never hurt you,” he whispered into Viktor’s ear, slow and sincere. “Never, Viktor.”

It was a moment before Viktor’s arms shakily came up to rest against Jayce’s back, and when the other man spoke, his voice was unsteady. “I believe I am starting to understand that.”

Viktor pulled back from the hug first, his eyes shining but a smile on his face, which Jayce easily returned. “So, you said some very interesting things over our meal today,” Viktor said, regaining his composure.

Jayce raised an eyebrow. “Like hit it and quit it?”

Viktor smacked Jayce’s arm, and though it was a light touch, Jayce yelped all the same, playfully offended. “No, your theories about the conversion of energy in our experiments. I believe that with some testing, we could—”

“—refine our generators and increase efficiency and accuracy, right?” Jayce interrupted excitedly, almost bouncing in place as he thought about it. “And here I was thinking you wanted to spend Valentine’s Day doing something other than science!”

“Nothing is more pleasurable than further experimentation,” Viktor smirked. “Shall we get to the lab?”

“Absolutely,” Jayce said, jumping up and offering a hand to Viktor, who took it, allowing Jayce to help him to his feet.

“And then tonight, your place?” Viktor said, so casually that Jayce almost didn’t register it.

“My what?” Jayce said distractedly as they walked, his thoughts still on the scientific theories.

“Your place,” Viktor said pleasantly. “Where I can, how do you say, tear you apart and then depart?”

Although Viktor’s cane was safely tucked at the man’s side, the words did more than a physical blow ever could, and Jayce’s foot caught on a cobblestone, sending him faceplanting into the pavement.

…

Valentine’s Day in Zaun was not a pleasant holiday.

It was something Viktor had learned throughout his life, from countless days avoiding violence and pretending not to see the bodies littering the streets the next day.

Valentine’s Day in Piltover, however…

Cracking open his eyes, Viktor turned over in bed to look at Jayce, who was still fast asleep, his breaths coming in a soft, even rhythm and a peaceful smile on his face.

Viktor shifted, intending to get up and start his day, but the motion must have jarred Jayce, because the other man mumbled something incoherent, shifting closer and throwing an arm over Viktor’s shoulders, pulling him close to his chest and keeping him tightly trapped.

Viktor tensed, wanting to move but not wanting to wake Jayce, but as he lay there, stuck, he slowly began to realize how soft and warm the embrace was, and how heavy his eyelids were starting to feel…

Viktor closed his eyes, settling into the touch and letting Jayce’s quiet breaths lull him back to sleep.

There was no doubt about it.

He could get used to this.