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The sound from the gala got louder as the balcony door opened, then muffled when it was shut again. Viktor didn’t have to turn around to know who had decided to join him.
“Who pissed you off this time? I’ll make sure their investment gets rejected.”
Viktor smiled at the voice of his lab partner. “No one, Jayce, I just needed to sit. We need that money even if it does come from asshole Pilties.”
“Is your leg doing alright?” Jayce asked as he sat on the bench with Viktor, concern evident in his voice. “I hate that these galas never have any seating, I’ll have to–”
Viktor lay a hand on Jayce’s knee, shutting him up. “It’s fine, Jayce. I just need a moment.”
Jayce nodded, his shoulders relaxing. He turned to face the garden below them and said, “I need a moment too. It’s so humid in there.”
Viktor hummed his agreement and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Viktor enjoyed the view of the garden, but the clouds moved in an evening breeze and revealed the moonlight, and he couldn’t resist gazing at the view of the night sky. He gazed up, noting every star and every facet of the moon, unobstructed by the fog or buildings he’d remembered from the undercity. After a while, he realized Jayce was ignoring the surroundings entirely, gaze directed solely at Viktor.
Viktor chuckled, “What?”
“You’re beautiful.” Jayce said it in a whisper, almost like he was muttering it to himself.
Viktor looked away, heart aching. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“No, Vik, I mean it,” Jayce insisted. “You’re so–you look like you came straight out of a fairytale…or my dreams.”
Viktor turned back to Jayce at that, intending to make some sort of joke, until he say Jayce’s expression. His eyes were sparkling in a way described on many a trashy romance page yet one that Viktor thought was an exaggeration. His puppy dog eyes were bad enough but now this?
“I’ve always thought you were beautiful,” Jayce continued, voice still full of awe. “Viktor, I–”
But Viktor held up a hand. “Jayce, you are tipsy, if not fully drunk. Please do not finish this sentence right now.”
“But–”
“If you feel the same tomorrow, come to the lab and tell me so when you are sober and rational,” Viktor said, his tone sharp. He paused and added softer, “I couldn’t bear it to hear them only for you to not mean them.”
“Viktor,” Jayce breathed, reaching out to cup his cheek.
Viktor, used to Jayce’s affection but on edge from their conversation, flinched backwards when Jayce’s next move was to lean in.
“I am tired,” he said, clearing his throat. “I may retire early for the evening.”
“Please, Vik, don’t–”
“Good night, Jayce.” Viktor’s words came out harsher than he intended, but he continued to make his way back inside. From there, he crossed the mingling guests and left the party.
Back home, after readying for sleep, Viktor lay in his bed and groaned. Perhaps he’d been too cruel to Jayce, but the true cruelty would have been Jayce saying those words and not meaning them. He’d apologize tomorrow if Jayce remembered anything. And if not, well, that was heartbreak successfully avoided.
Viktor already had enough heartbreak watching Jayce win the hearts of every woman in Piltover and knowing one of them would win his heart in turn. All Viktor would ever be to the man was his lab partner. And that would have to be fine.
There was no sign of Jayce when Viktor showed up to the lab that morning. It wasn’t unexpected–Jayce was most likely hungover or being harassed by one of the investors from last night as he made his way to the university. He thought nothing of it.
After lunch, with still no sign of Jayce, Viktor began to wonder, but truly it could be anything. Perhaps he had a council meeting or some other sort of political nonsense Viktor purposely chose to not care about. Perhaps he’d taken a full day to recover. No need to worry.
The second full day without Jayce, and no sign that he’d even stopped by to grab something from his work station or work on a small task, Viktor began to suspect something was amiss. Even if he’d been avoiding Viktor, he could have just come in when Viktor was out. Maybe something came up?
The third morning, Viktor asked around, but no one seemed to have seen Jayce since the gala. Knocks on Jayce’s apartment door went unanswered. Viktor was now officially concerned. Concerned enough to call upon Ximena.
“Oh, Viktor,” the woman said, clear disappointment in her voice. He tried not to take offence. “Have you seen Jayce? He was supposed to visit yesterday, but I haven’t heard from him.”
“I was about to ask you the same,” Viktor said, the concern ticking up a little. “He hasn’t been by the lab the past two days.”
“I hope he’s alright,” Ximena murmured, her brow furrowing in the same way Jayce’s tended to when he was worried about the people in his life.
Viktor waved her worry away while his own panic rose. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, I just wanted to check. I’ll contact you when I find him.”
She didn’t seem assuaged but she nodded a polite goodbye anyway.
Viktor hurried back to the lab and tore through Jayce’s appointment book, noting the meeting with his mother that he’d clearly missed and a few other meetings with council members and investors. He searched Jayce’s messages and–yes, found a few notes from people angry about his lack of professionalism and how dare he not show for this very important meeting. Heart racing, Viktor then moved on to Jayce’s lab notes only to find that the last entry had been before the gala. Except, when he lifted the notebook, a piece of paper fluttered to the floor.
Picking it up, Viktor read in Jayce’s hastily scribbled hand: Devon of House Cadwall–NOT a good idea
Viktor frowned. It wasn’t much, clearly a note written for Jayce to remember something, but it was the only clue he had. Flinging away the thought that “clue” implied a murder investigation, Viktor tucked the note in his pocket and headed for the Cadwall residence.
Viktor was quickly informed by a butler that the Cadwalls were not home but was allowed to wait for their return. He gave a false identity and sipped some tea while he waited. He had no intention of waiting, only biding his time in order to give the butler the slip, which he did all too easily. Really, for as much as the Piltover elite worried about their homes being invaded by Zaunite scum they truly lacked security measures. Lucky for the Cadwells, Viktor had no intentions of theft–only a brief look around.
Down in the basement, he heard a scuffling sound coming from behind a wine shelf on the far wall. After scanning the shelf, Viktor discovered a mechanism that allowed the shelf to swing open, revealing the hidden room.
Inside, Jayce was chained to the wall with his hands bound behind him. He looked tired and he was wearing the same formal attire he’d been in the night of the gala, but otherwise seemed fine. His eyes widened when he locked eyes with Viktor.
“Jayce?” Viktor gasped. “What’s going on? Are you hurt?”
“Oh, thank Janna,” Jayce breathed. “I’m fine but I didn’t think anyone would find me. Devon’s insane. He drugged me after the gala, and I think he wants Hextech money, but he won’t take no for an answer when I tell him we’re the ones that need money and now he’s just decided to ransom it.”
Viktor only half listened to Jayce, busy trying to figure out the chains keeping Jayce bound. He found the lock which would be easy enough to pick. He just needed the tools.
“I’ll be right back, I just need some equipment,” Viktor said, making to leave but Jayce followed, pulling as far as the chains would allow.
“Vik, wait a second!”
Viktor sighed. “Jayce there isn’t much time before–”
“I’m sorry about the night of the gala.” Jayce’s words froze Viktor in his tracks. “You were right that I was tipsy and the timing wasn’t great anyway, but-but I still would have meant it. I’ve felt this way for a while.”
Viktor’s breath caught in his throat. He wasn’t prepared to hear this right now…but wait– “Why are you apologizing?”
“I could see how uncomfortable it made you,” Jayce sighed, his eyes dropping to the floor.
“And when you pulled away…look, I know you don’t feel the same, but–”
Viktor stepped forward to cover Jayce’s mouth with his fingertips. “We can discuss this later, when we aren’t in a hurry.”
Jayce’s eyes were wide in surprise but he nodded. Viktor stepped away and turned to go find those tools. But before he could reach the door he paused.
< “K čertu s tím,” he muttered before turning back around. Marching back towards Jayce, he leaned on his cane for balance with one hand and used the other to pull Jayce down so that their lips met. With the force Viktor used, it wasn’t a kiss so much as a mashing of their lips together, but Jayce still gasped at the contact, and when Viktor pulled away all too soon, he chased Viktor’s lips. Viktor moved his hand down Jayce’s neck to rest lightly on his chest, where his eyes bored into Jayce’s lapels rather than seeing the expression on his face.
“I wasn’t uncomfortable,” he whispered. “I was a coward unwilling to believe you could possibly return my feelings.”
“Viktor.” At Jayce’s breathless tone, Viktor looked up and was met with that sparkly-eyed expression, and it made his heart melt.
“Now let me free you before we are both trapped,” he said, pulling away reluctantly.
The escape was easy after that and Viktor marvelled at how even criminal Pilties had awful security. Their first stop was to Caitlin’s residence so she could file a report for Devon Cadwell. Then they stopped to send a message to Ximena telling her that Jayce was safe and he’d stop by to see her and explain once everything was sorted.
Viktor hesitated outside Jayce’s apartment. “I…should let you recover.”
Jayce whipped around. “What? Vik, no, I’m fine. It’s not like I was tortured or starved. I just need to sleep in a real bed and wait for the chafing to go away.”
“Then I should leave you to–” Viktor turned to leave, but Jayce caught his wrist.
“Viktor, please stay,” Jayce pleaded, and when Viktor turned around, he was met with those signature puppy eyes.
Viktor sighed and let himself be pulled in. Jayce put on a kettle for tea and then headed to the bathroom, noting that he’d been wearing the same clothes for four days straight. When he returned, his clothing was much more casual than the formal gala wear and hair was still damp from the shower. He accepted the tea Viktor gave him and they both sat on his sofa.
“You know,” Jayce said after a moment, “I never did actually say anything that night or today.”
“Hmm, yes I suppose you’re correct,” Viktor said, choosing to look at his tea rather than meeting Jayce’s eyes. “Though you did say I was beautiful.”
Jayce sighed in exasperation. “That doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
Viktor set down his mug and forced himself to turn toward Jayce. “Enlighten me then.”
Jayce grinned and scooted closer. He took one of Viktor’s hands and interlaced their fingers. “It’s probably insane of me to lead with this, but…Viktor, I love you.”
Viktor gasped, his hand squeezing Jayce’s but otherwise letting the man speak.
“You’re so smart and you’ve helped me accomplish more with Hextech than I have in my whole lifetime. But you’re so kind, too, and passionate about helping people. And you don’t care what anyone thinks of you because all that matters to you is making the world better. I admire basically everything about you, and I’d love to have you in my life in any capacity, but…if you’ll have me, I’d like to be partners in every sense of the word.”
Viktor could feel the sting in his eyes that meant he was about to cry, but he refused to let himself succumb before replying, “Oh you brilliant, beautiful man, of course I love you too.”
Jayce lifted his free hand to Viktor’s cheek, just like he had that night, but Viktor didn’t pull away when he leaned in for a gentle kiss. When they pulled away, Jayce rubbed away the tears Viktor finally let fall with his thumb. He whispered, “Stay with me? I missed you.”
“You mean when you were kidnapped?” Viktor laughed.
“I was treated very well for a kidnapping,” Jayce joked. “And I couldn’t stop thinking about how we’d left things only for me to disappear.”
Viktor shook his head. “You’re ridiculous. But I missed you too, so I suppose the answer is yes.”
Jayce beamed and he leaned in to kiss Viktor more soundly. Kissing would be the theme of that evening and perhaps for the rest of their lives.
Viktor knew would never tire of it.