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Viktor doesn’t notice it. Not at first at least. As time went on however, he began to become a bit more perceptive.
The “it” starts small, almost entirely unthinkable to be anything else other than a nice gesture.
It’s the first day in their lab. The first day officially being partners. The first day of the beginning of their lives.
Viktor is standing in the room, trying to take it all in. Take in the lab, take in the fact they were being able to freely study whatever they decided, take in that the council would be single handedly funding most of their research. It was pretty much all he had ever wanted, moving up from an assistant to his own boss.
He’s standing on his good leg, leaning awkwardly as he stands in the middle of them room, ignoring the dull pain in his thigh and focusing just on how amazing everything was right now.
The doors open and Viktor turns, smiling warmly at Jayce, who looks around the room with the exact same wonder that Viktor feels.
“Holy Janna.” Jayce mumbled breathlessly. “This is a total upgrade from my academy dorm.”
“Yes, try not to blow this one up.” Viktor said, teasingly and Jayce gave him a half hearted glare. “It is incredible though, isn’t it?”
To anyone else, it was just a room. Just a big, mostly empty room.
To Jayce and Viktor? This was everything .
“Oh, I got you something by the way.” Jayce said, suddenly turning on his heel and grabbing something from outside the lab. “Well, actually, made.”
Viktor turned, curiosity piqued as Jayce reentered the room with an even warmer smile, holding out a metal crutch.
“Your cane got broken when we broke in.” Jayce said, apologetically. “I figured you probably needed a replacement. And I also thought a crutch might help better? If you preferred your cane and I can remake it into that.”
Viktor’s heart stutters in his chest as he reaches forward and grabs the crutch, marvelling in the detail put into it.
The metal itself was silver, shining in the lab light brightly, as if it had been diligently polished. The hilt and handle were both a soft, cushioned velvet, a soft red that contrasted against the golden embellishments.
“You made this?” Viktor asked, breathlessly. “For me?”
“Yeah!” Jayce said cheerfully, like he hadn’t just done the kindest thing in the world for Viktor without even being asked. “I know most people’s canes are for fashion, but I noticed your weight is shifted to the one side. I mean, it could just be for fashion and unrelated, but I wanted to make this just in case. If we’re going to be working together, I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
Viktor is still turning the crutch in his hands, his throat feeling a little stuck.
Most people in Piltover never cared to notice him, never cared to look closer, so he got away with others thinking the cane was indeed fashion related. But it wasn’t, it was to help the pain, the weakness he had been plagued with since birth. And Jayce hadn’t known, Viktor hadn’t told him. But Jayce had looked closer, had noticed him, had taken enough care to fix a solution Viktor had been pushing to the side for him.
Viktor thinks he might be in love, but he’s barely know Jayce for 72 hours, he wasn’t going to scare the man off with this.
So he exhales shakily and smiles, swallowing thickly before he speaks.
“Thank you Jayce,” Viktor said, pushing all the gratefulness into each word. “This is incredibly thoughtful of you.”
Jayce smiled brightly, cheeks gently flushed and he turned back to face the lab once more.
“So, shall we?” He asked and Viktor grinned and they set about working.
Viktor hadn’t thought much of the colors of his gift much. He recognised they were silver, gold and red, and he was aware of the Talis house colors, but at the time, he hadn’t really put the two together.
A year into their partnership and Viktor learns that Jayce is incredibly considerate. He quickly adapts to Viktor’s disability and makes changes in how he works, in the layout of the lab, even goes out of his way to buy a couch for Viktor to rest in. It makes Viktor feel seen, cared for.
All his life Viktor always had to be the one to adapt, to change his ways of existing to keep up with the people around him. But here Jayce was, stepping into his life and quickly changing himself and his environment to make things easier for Viktor.
Viktor feels himself falling more and more in love with the man everyday. It’s a little ridiculous actually. Viktor had never fallen in love this fast before, had taken years to even slightly develop romantic feelings in the past. But with Jayce it was easy to fall in love, easy to become fascinated and adore all his little quirks and flaws.
The next big gift that Viktor probably should’ve paid more attention to but didn’t was a whole new stationary set.
Viktor tended to write notes like a madman, filling out an entire new journal in two months just with findings and scientific observations. Jayce joked that by the time they were done with studying the arcane, all of the trees in Piltover would be gone.
He’s currently finished his last notebook and has been writing and loose pieces of paper he can find around the lab or borrow from Heimerdinger. He kept meaning to go out and buy a new one, but kept getting caught up in work.
One morning though, Viktor walks into the lab and sits at his desk, finding not only a new journal, but three new journals, a brand new fountain pen, and a whole set of new pencils.
The journals covers are hand crafted, red fabric covers with golden corners holding them together. There’s a silver magnifying glass attached to one and each journal has a thin silver plaque on the front that reads “Viktors Notes.”
Viktor turns to look over at his partner, who’s hunched over his own desk, writing in his own journal, but he keeps looking to his side, glancing at Viktor.
Viktor catches his eyes and smiles kindly and Jayce smiles back.
“Thank you Jayce.” Viktor said, looking down at the journals. “You didn’t have to do this for me.”
“I know,” Jayce said, shrugging a little. “But I wanted to. Plus, my mom just taught me book binding, I figured I’d put it to use. These journals should last a little longer than the others, I tried to add more pages without making them too bulky.”
“I appreciate it very much,” Viktor said and Jayce smiles widely as Viktor opens one, smooths the journal out and picks up the fountain pen. “So, any progress on the runes?”
It’s another two years before there’s another big gift. There’s small ones in between. A neck pillow for when Viktor falls asleep in the lab, a stainless steel cup for Viktor’s coffee to keep it warm because he always forgets about it until it’s cold, a knitted blanket from Ximena for when Viktor takes a nap on the couch.
This one though is more personal.
It’s when things start to get bad health wise for Viktor, when he starts relying on the crutch more, when he starts becoming unable to leave it half way across the room without bother.
Viktor doesn’t say anything, stays silent about it. He doesn’t want to seem useless to Jayce, doesn’t want it to seem like he’s becoming unusable, that Jayce would be better with another partner.
Realistically, Viktor knows Jayce wouldn’t think this way, but it’s how Viktor feels about himself. He feels like if his pain progresses any more, if his body begins to shut down, that he’s of no use to anyone.
So he doesn’t tell Jayce, but Jayce notices regardless, because of course he does, he notices everything.
“Viktor, are you okay?” Jayce had asked one day Viktor was having a particularly tough time. He was standing before the chalkboard, writing an equation they’d been trying to crack for a few days now, but he’s wobbling a little as he tries to balance his weight between his good leg and the crutch.
“I’m fine.” Viktor dismissed, biting the inside of his cheek as he tries to focus on the board and not the pain in his leg.
Jayce sighed heavily from his chair and stands up, coming over to Viktor, who promptly ignores his concern to stare at the board.
“Your leg, it’s been getting worse, hasn’t it?” Jayce asked, voice soft and gentle. Viktor ignores him again, not wanting to lie to Jayce, but too scared to voice the truth.
It was fine, really. His leg wasn’t unusable, not yet at least. It was just growing pain and discomfort, pain and discomfort he wasn’t used to yet. He’d be fine in time.
“You don’t need to hide your pain from me,” Jayce said after Viktor hadn’t spoken for a bit. “I’m not going to think any less of you for it. I just want to help you.”
“You can’t help me,” Viktor said, finally. “I understand you care, and I appreciate it. But this is my body, and the issues that come with existing in it are permanent.”
“I may not be able to heal you, but I can help.” Jayce said, almost pleadingly. “Let me, please?”
And Viktor was nothing but weak for Jayce Talis, so he set the piece of chalk down and sighed heavily.
“Fine, whatever you think you can do, I give you permission, or whatever it is you want.” Viktor said, waving a hand and Jayce smiled softly, eyes soft.
“Great, I need to measure your leg.” Jayce said and Viktor raised an eyebrow.
“You what?” He asked, as if Jayce had started speaking an entirely different language suddenly.
“Just trust me,” Jayce had said, so Viktor did.
And a week later, Jayce came in with a custom design knee brace fit exactly to Viktor’s measurements. It didn’t relieve all the pain, but it helped relieve some of the weight and pressure.
Once again, it was crafted with beautifully polished silver metal, red and yellow fabric wrapped around his thigh and shin to secure it into place, as well as creating a cushioned boundary between Viktor’s leg and the stiff metal to ensure some comfort.
Viktor still doesn’t notice exactly what Jayce is doing, doesn’t realise there’s a pattern to all his gifts yet. He just wears his silver, gold and red brace, while he leans on his silver, red and gold crutch and writes in the red, silver and gold journals that keep showing up on his desks.
Two more years later, and this time there’s now gift, but Viktor starts to think back on everything as he sits in the council room.
His chair is pulled next to Jayce’s despite the empty spot reserved for him at the Council table. Viktor’s never the one who moves it, but he never questions Jayce about it, simply takes his seat every meeting.
They’re discussing the creation of the Hexgates right now as they’re finalising the designs right now. The council is exceptionally intrigued by them and wants to ask them about the details once more, like Jayce and Viktor hadn’t already discussed everything two times prior.
Viktor is absent mindedly writing down in his journal, jotting down ideas that some of the more intelligent members have and reading off from his notes whenever they ask about the specifics.
His crutch is leaned against his chair and his braced leg is outstretched under the table as he sits, watching Jayce, who stood next to him.
“They’re not meant to be fortified as weapons,” Jayce said, for possibly the seventieth time. “They’re merely meant to serve as protection and to help organise the trade centers.”
“But they could be fortified.” Hoskel pointed out, looking at the other members. “So we should, we should to protect ourselves.”
“From what ?” Jayce asked. “We aren’t under any direct threat. And as Viktor and I have mentioned before, we refuse to let Hextech be used for weapons.”
“We need to protect ourselves from the Undercity!” Shoola said, shaking her head desperately. “We can’t risk trash like them overthrowing us or, god forbid, sneaking their way into our city!”
Viktor goes stiff at that and swallows hard, lifting his head slowly and finding her glaring at him. Jayce tenses at his side and sighed heavily.
“You shouldn’t speak so ill of them,” Cassandra said slowly. “They may not be Piltovans, but they are still people nonetheless.”
“Look, just because Jayce has claimed Viktor under the Talis House doesn’t mean we should open our doors to all of them.” Shoola defended and she looked at the others for back up. “They could ruin our city!”
“I’m inclined to agree,” Hoskel said, shaking his head. “Just think if they were running amok the town. We’ve taken kindly to Viktor for your sake Jayce, but the others?”
“I am right here, you know,” Viktor said bitterly, not taking kindly to how they spoke of him like he was Jayce’s pet. He doesn’t understand what they mean that Jayce has “claimed” him, but he isn’t appreciating the way they’re meaning it.
“The people of Zaun aren’t of immediate danger to us anyway,” Mel spoke now, and though Viktor has never really gotten along with her, he’s grateful for her usage of the proper title of Zaun. “And you should all place respect on Viktor’s name, despite his part of House Talis regardless.”
“Thank you,” Viktor said, not quite understanding again what this talk of being a Talis, but he chooses to focus on Mel openly defending him. “And as Jayce previously mentioned, Hextech is not to be weaponised.”
The meeting ends soon after, with no more direct jibes from the other council members, but Jayce is fuming afterwards.
“How dare they?!” Jayce is yelling in the lab, pacing back and forth while Viktor sits on the couch and watches. “Disrespecting you like that like you weren’t right there? They shouldn’t be disrespecting you in the first place!”
“I didn’t take too kindly being spoken about as if I were some pet,” Viktor agreed. “But I am used to this behaviour, Jayce. From them and others. You don’t get to where I am without causing some waves.”
“They treat you like trash,” Jayce said, still fuming. “You’re half of this entire team, I wouldn’t even still be here if it weren’t for you and none of them appreciate you! They don’t even deserve your presence or understanding, I should’ve just walked out during that meeting.”
“They’d stop our funding if we disrespected them like that,” Viktor informed. “I can handle it Jayce. I’m not some fragile being in need of being protected, I don’t need you to win fights for me, I can handle myself.”
“I know you’re not weak, V.” Jayce said, and he looks very much like he means what he says and Viktor almost can’t believe him. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met, both mentally and physically and I know you don’t need me to fight for you. But you shouldn’t have to just accept defeat because you have to. I stand by your side, not in front of you.”
Viktor doesn’t understand sometimes how Jayce thinks so highly of him, how he never views him as less . It’s something Viktor struggles with, struggles with not loathing himself, with not fighting his own body knowing its a match he’d loose. He struggles to find his own worth sometimes, but Jayce regards him as something precious.
Not fragile, not something that needs to be protected because it’ll break, but precious , something that needs to be protected because it’s worth something .
It makes Viktor’s head spin.
Viktor doesn’t know what to say to Jayce, so he just gives him a kind smile and Jayce relaxed a bit, sitting on the couch next to him.
“Gimme your leg.” Jayce said and Viktor raised an eyebrow. “It’s gotta be stiff from sitting straight for so long.”
Viktor doesn’t understand what Jayce is getting at, but he obliges anyway and adjusts himself on the couch so his leg is sitting in Jayce’s lap.
Jayce carefully undoes the handcrafted brace, staring at it with an emotion Viktor can’t name swirling in his eyes. He sets the brace to the side and begins gently massaging Viktor’s leg.
Viktor is grateful and relaxes under Jayce’s hand, shifting more to lay down on the couch and he closes his eyes as Jayce carefully massages his thigh, working up and down and careful around his knee.
Viktor thinks back on the council meeting, sorts through everything they had discussed and his mind lands back to everyone being... odd.
The continuous mention of Viktor being part of Jayce’s house is what he’s mostly hung up on. They were partners, sure, and Viktor had a very close relationship with Ximena after years of working with her son, also sure. But he wouldn’t say that declares him part of Jayce’s house, so why did they all assume that?
“Jayce?” Viktor spoke after almost twenty minutes of silence. Jayce has stopped massaging Viktor’s leg now, just gently resting his hands on it now. Jayce hums softly in recognition and Viktor opens his eyes to look at Jayce. “Do you know why everyone assumed I’m part of your house?”
Jayce’s face flushes and his eyes widen just a bit but he shrugs, turning to look away from Viktor.
“I dunno, I mean, my House is just me and my mother now, so maybe they just guess you’re part since we’re both close to you?” Jayce said in a very unconvincing tone. “Other Houses that are bigger tend to include close friends so...”
He trails off and his hand gently squeezes Viktor’s thigh, almost like a nervous tic, and he shrugged again.
Viktor could tell that Jayce knew more than he was letting on, but he also looked embarrassed and nervous about it, and it wasn’t like the whole ordeal was that concerning, so Viktor had decided to drop it.
The gift that finally gets Viktor to put it all together though came a year later.
The Hexgates were finished and working, they were being praised by all the citizens of Piltover as genius inventors. They were going to social gatherings and speech ceremonies more. They held more council meetings and discussions with other inventors now.
They were seen more, interacted with people more, talked around more and it was all so new and overwhelming for Viktor, he wasn’t used to this sort of attention, he preferred for Jayce to handle that.
As the attention had grown though, so had the gifts.
Soon Viktor was being gifted with suits for social gatherings that were red and gold with silver accents. Soon Viktor’s tattered shoes were replaced with silver shoes that had red and gold details. Soon there wasn’t a single article of clothing in his closet that didn’t have red, silver or gold somewhere involved.
And it wasn’t any of this that made Viktor realise what Jayce was doing. He had just wordlessly accepted the clothing, didn’t argue when Jayce asked him to wear the colours when they went to social events, didn’t think much about what any of it could mean.
It wasn’t until Jayce had come up to him one day, smiling widely and holding a ring he had made that he actually pieced it all together.
“I can finally make jewelry!” Jayce had declared happily that day, proud of himself. He had always been able to make machinery, make hammers, make armor. But lately he had declared he wanted to make jewelry, learn how to make small, intricate details out of metal. He’d been practicing for weeks but each time kept coming back with something so crudely made it was impossible to even wear the object.
Jayce placed the ring he had made onto Viktor’s desk with a shining smile and Viktor turned to look at it, curious. He picked it up carefully and observed it, taking in every small detail Jayce had added.
“This is incredible improvement,” Viktor said. “The detailing is marvelous.”
“It’s for you,” Jayce said with a proud smile. “I wanted to first real jewelry I made to be for someone close to me. And I wanted to try rings first and my mom isn’t a big ring person.”
Viktor observes the ring with the new perspective that it was his .
He admires the beautiful silver ring, looks at the center where there’s an emblem in place of a jewel. A ruby red piece of metal stuck in the center, gold framing the piece and in the center was the House of Talis symbol.
Suddenly, everything clicks into place, and Viktor isn’t sure why now , after seven years of working together and of receiving gifts that Viktor realises what they all really mean.
He looks down at himself, at how he’s covered in the Talis colours, looks at his cane, at his journal, at his desk that Jayce had rebuilt. All of it is the Talis House colours and it’s a genuine wonder how Viktor had never really noticed until now.
“This is beautiful,” Viktor said, breathless as he realises that maybe all these years he has been a part of the House Talis. That maybe Jayce has cared for him a s much as Viktor has. He thinks he should say something, let Jayce know he’s on to him now, but he doesn’t know what to say. Doesn’t know how to bring it up now after seven years of this. He also isn’t quite sure what Jayce’s reason is yet, so he slips the ring onto his middle finger and smiles as it fits perfectly.
“I’m glad you like it.” Jayce said, staring at Viktor so softly. “I’m going to make my mother a matching necklace next, since I know I can work with these sort of symbols.”
“Sounds perfect.” Viktor said.
Viktor starts paying a lot more attention to Jayce after that. Tries to understand the meaning behind the gifts, behind silently declaring Viktor part of his house, to why Jayce is so insistent he wear his colours when he knows they’ll be out in the public.
Viktor is a scientist, he prides himself on being able to pay attention to the small things, to make clear connections between two otherwise unconnectable things, but he cannot figure out Jayce’s obsession with doning Viktor in the Talis colours.
Not until they have another social gathering to attend.
This one is bigger, it’s to specifically celebrate Hextech and how far the technology has come. For Viktor and Jayce, it’s a perfect opportunity to gather more funding and sponsors, so they’re both made to attend.
Jayce is insistent on Viktor wearing a newly bought suit. It’s a gray button down with a dark red waistcoat and golden detailing. Viktor obliges, because he’ll always do whatever Jayce asks of him, and Jayce smiled so brightly.
They’re standing at the front of the room, Jayce wearing a matching suit to Viktor’s, Viktor leaning on his crutch and itching his thigh above his brace. His ring shines on his finger as he speaks with the person in front of him. Jayce is a few feet away, speaking with another person, a potential sponsor, so Viktor leaves him.
“It’s incredible what Hextech has done for Piltover.” The person says. They’re another scientist from the Academy, part of their face has been burned away and they wear a partial golden mask that covers it, but Viktor can still see the healed wound’s edges. They have a thick accent very similar to Viktor’s that had made him intrigued to converse with them. “Is there anything in the works for Zaun?”
“We have many projects in the works for Piltover, Zaun, Noxus and other places.” Viktor said, curious if the person he was speaking to was a fellow Zaunite. “I’m sorry, Mx. but are you perhaps from the undercity?”
“Caught my accent, did you?” They teased but nodded. “I’m Queliy. I’m from the Lanes but came here to pursue my studies.”
“As did I.” Viktor said and he relaxes a bit, the normal tension from being surrounded by so many stuck up Pilties leaving as he finds someone he can relate to. “I had been Heimerdinger’s assistant before I started my work with Jayce.”
“And it’s incredible work. I’ve read some of your research papers and your notes. You have the mind of a genius.” Queliy complimented. “Both you and that Talis boy are incredible. You’re both going to change the world.”
They begin to launch into a very a long and comfortable conversation. They’re laughing and smiling and Viktor forgets he’s supposed to be speaking with sponsors or anyone else for a good while, finding comfort in someone so similar to him.
Their conversation is only interrupted when Jayce walks over, landing a heavy hand on Viktor’s shoulder.
“Hey V,” Jayce said, and Viktor turned to him. “Ditching me to handle the vultures by myself.”
“I got caught up speaking with Que here,” Viktor said, gesturing at them and the vastaya waved kindly at Jayce. “We were just reminiscing about some games we used to play as kids in the fissures.”
“You’re from Zaun?” Jayce asked and Queliy smiled.
“Guilty! I was just enjoying speaking with Viktor, it’s so nice to find someone to relate to,” They wink then, grinning mischievously. “Especially such a charismatic company.”
Viktor rolled his eyes fondly but Jayce squeezed his shoulder a little tensely and Viktor gave him a confused look. Jayce is staring at Queliy with a small frown and a hidden emotion in his eyes. Viktor doesn’t understand it but he gently elbowed him.
“Everything okay?” He asked, gentle and Jayce turned, eyebrows raised for a moment.
“What?” He asked then his face morphed a bit, like he was trying to force himself to relax. “Oh, yes. Just drained from talking up those sponsors.”
“I really hadn’t meant to leave you alone,” Viktor promised. “I just haven’t found anyone I could relate to as much. It was nice to talk about Zaun fondly with someone again.”
“Same here,” Queliy said and reached forward, resting their hand on Viktor’s over his crutch. They paused though then, looked at the crutch, at Viktor’s hand on the crutch, at his outfit, then at Jayce. Something like recognition flickered across their face and they snatched their hand away like Viktor burned. “Uhm, always nice to make friends at these sort of meetings. I hope we get to work together in the future. All of us, I mean, not just me and you, Viktor. This was a lovely chat, but I’ve got to mingle.”
And they rush away like someone is chasing them. Viktor frowned at their hasty leave and looked at Jayce, whos grinning a self satisfied smile.
Viktor looked down at himself, then at Jayce’s hand on his shoulder, and it all clicks.
He smiles a little and elbows Jayce again.
“You don’t have to be so possessive all the time,” Viktor said, grinning teasingly. Jayce’s face blossoms red and his eyes widen.
“Possessive?” He shrieked and Viktor has to hold back a laugh. He doesn’t know how he didn’t see it before. The way he always moved Viktor’s chair closer to his at council meetings, how he begged Viktor to wear his house colours to social gatherings, how he always introduced Viktor as his partner, even to people who knew who Viktor was.
Jayce was incredibly possessive, and Viktor wasn’t sure how it had gone over his head for seven years.
“Don’t play coy,” Viktor said. “I’m already covered in your House colours, everyone already knows I belong to you.”
Jayce stares at Viktor intensely, and that swirling, unnamed emotion is back, but Viktor can now properly name it as possessiveness.
“Are you?” Jayce asked, weakly, turning to face Viktor and holding both his shoulders. “Mine, I mean.”
“In every way possible.” Viktor said, soft and meaningful. “I’ve been yours since the day we met.”
Jayce rushed forward then, and pressed their lips firmly against each other and Viktor closes his eyes, leaning into the kiss.
Viktor can’t believe there was ever a moment he thought Jayce wound’t have felt the same.
Jayce, who on the third day of knowing him, had given him a handcrafted crutch because he felt bad his cane had been shattered. Jayce, who had never once even dared to think any less of Viktor because of his physical struggles. Jayce, who had always made sure Viktor’s credit was due and always stood up for him against bigoted Pilties. Jayce, who had been shouting to the world that Viktor was his from the very moment they met.
Viktor loves Jayce, and Jayce loves him so wholly back.