Chapter Text
[Jayce]
The lab was sweltering with the first heat of the encroaching summer, though that wasn't the only reason Jayce's shirt was sticking to his back.
The innovators' competition was two days away, and each time his mind wandered to everything that still had to be done, he was breaking out in a cold sweat. It wasn't helpful that he had barely slept the night before, turning in his bed, going over every possible mishap that could lose them their funding. Because of this lack of sleep, he was on his third cup of coffee despite the heat. His very empty cup, he realised, as he tried to take a sip. With a defeated sigh he dropped the screwdriver he had been using to adjust the tiny bolts in the base of their prototype, stood up, and walked to the small stove installed in the corner of their lab.
Without thinking about it, he heated up enough water for a new cup of coffee and a tea for Viktor too.
His partner was sitting hunched over an array of paper covered in calculations. The heat didn't seem to bother him much. While Jayce had lost his vest and cravat over the course of the morning, Viktor had barely rolled up his sleeves. At least Jayce knew that the other didn't mind hot tea in this weather, because when he, still sleep-addled, had arrived at the warming-up lab this morning, Viktor had already been there, steaming cup of tea in hand. What this also probably meant was, that Viktor hadn't left for his apartment and instead slept in the lab again.
They had been coming along well with their research in the last six months since their break-in and first break through in Professor Heimerdinger's lab, but it was only a week ago that Counselor Medarda had informed them they were expected to present first results at this year's innovators' competition to appease the anxious rest of the council, and not as initially thought in another half a year. That was obviously a problem.
He picked up the two freshly filled mugs and walked by his partner to place the tea next to him. Maybe he too wasn't as resistant to the awful temperatures as Jayce had assumed; little wisps of brown hair stuck to the back of his neck with sweat. Viktor didn't look up from his work, but he reached blindly for the cup and gave an appreciative hum as his fingers closed around the ceramic.
Jayce grew warm. He attributed it to the heavy air that drifted in through the open windows and brought the city's heat rifling the papers on their tables.
He retreated to his own seat. After their time working together, he had gotten a good sense of his partner's mannerisms. When Viktor was tackling an especially difficult task, he tended to go very quiet and focus on it for hours without a break, almost every time until the problem was solved. Jayce enjoyed the casual silence. Outside of the lab, practically everyone who recognised him wanted to get a word in expressing their interest in the research, political or other self-serving intentions more or less hidden, though Jayce found he had gotten better at spotting the telling glint in their eyes.
He didn't know if Viktor was suffering the same. If he did, he had never mentioned it.
Jayce turned his attention back to the brass base of their prototype, whose balance still had to be correctly adjusted. And even when that was finished, chances were it would still blow up in their faces because of the unregulated strain the hexcrystal would put on the material. He took a strengthening sip of his fresh coffee and picked up the screwdriver again.
~~~~~
The rustling of papers and the occasional cling of a tiny screw that had escaped Jayce's grasp filled the lab until later in the day. The sun was setting over the rooftops of Piltover. Unfortunately, that did little to alleviate the day's lingering heat. Jayce looked up as he heard a chair getting pushed back.
Viktor was slowly walking over to the chalkboard, his crutch clicking on the floor. It hadn't taken Jayce long to grow familiar with the new, a bit lower tone. A month ago Viktor had swapped his cane for the crutch and also started wearing a leg brace. When met with Jayce's concern about his health, he had swiftly brushed it off, and since then, Jayce had obliged the wish and not touched the topic again.
That didn't stop him from silently noticing how his partner was leaning on his crutch more than usual today or the caution with which he positioned his bad leg.
An uncoordinated movement of his hand sent another screw flying over the edge of the table. Jayce pinched the bridge of his nose and murmured more to himself. "How are we supposed to finish this in two days?"
Viktor had switched the crutch to his other side and taken to writing down some of the calculations from the paper in his hand on the chalkboard; still, he must have heard Jayce's words. He finished a row with a triumphant shriek of chalk on slate. "We have done more with less time, no?" Viktor stepped back from the board to examine his work. "The outer core will be tricky to adjust, but it could work if we make the mounting dynamic."
"Because we wouldn't have to equalise the tension." Jayce perked up.
"Exactly." Viktor turned to look at him, the familiar mischievous spark in his golden eyes that was always shining there when he was considering a risky idea.
"Viktor, that could be it!" Once again Jayce had to marvel at the brilliance of his partner.
"It is an experimental fix at best." Viktor winced as he lowered himself back into his chair and tried to conceal it by gesturing to the equations on the blackboard, but even that gesture looked worn out. He seldomly let any discomfort show. Maybe Jayce had misjudged how much pain he really must be in.
He had stood up and walked over to his partner, who continued talking about the implementation of his idea: "I have started with calculating the variables that we should consider. It will most likely take me the rest of the night." He turned halfway back to his notes on the table, and the low hiss of pain that escaped him as he shifted his legs couldn't be explained away this time.
Jayce came to a halt in front of him. "Viktor, are you alright?" He expected an usual short remark on how there was no need to worry and it wasn't Jayce's business. Instead, Viktor hesitated, then sighed and met his gaze for a moment. Exhaustion was lining his golden eyes. "It's a small inconvenience."
He tapped against the metal of the construction hugging his right leg. "The brace is meant to support me walking. Sitting for longer periods of time is, eh, difficult with it."
It hurt Jayce that he had never really realised how much the tool that should have made Viktor's life easier actually left him in constant pain. He had been happy for him when he had been standing and walking around the lab more once he had gotten the brace, but now Viktor's constant shifting between sitting and standing in the last days made more sense. And why he had often looked like he was almost falling asleep leaning on his crutch or the side of some table.
Viktor seemed to have taken his silence as something else than it was, because before Jayce could say anything, he had turned his head away and shrugged in an attempt at effortlessness. "It will be fine once we are done with this and I can take it off more regularly. Don't concern yourself with it."
"No, of course I am concerned! Viktor, you are obviously in pain." Jayce felt that he was sounding a bit more desperate than he might have if he hadn't only slept three hours and been more in control over his body's behaviour. "It shouldn't be like this. Is there anything– ? I mean, can I help?" He eyed the brace closer, trying to figure out its workings, how it moved against Viktor's leg, and what might be the problem. The brown of the leather was hard to distinguish from the colour of Viktor's trousers, but the connecting metal joint on the side of his knee seemed uncomfortably tight, digging into his lower thigh.
Viktor squinted his eyes at him, something sharper to their edges. "I'm capable of dealing with this on my own."
Jayce lifted his hands in a placating manner. "I know you are." He deflated, and his next words were quiet, almost pleading. "Just– tell me if there is anything I can do for you. Please. I don't want you to hurt."
Viktor had lowered his head sometime during Jayce's plea. "As you pointed out before, we do not have time." Despite the obvious dismissal, Viktor's tone was softer this time. Jayce could only hope he understood that he meant what he had said; he genuinely did. It wasn't a show of pity; he knew how much Viktor hated being pitied.
All he wanted was to make his partner's life less painful to the best of his abilities.
Viktor shuffled some of the notes in front of him closer to Jayce. "I drafted a potential design for the dynamic mount. You might need to go over it."
Jayce nodded. "What were you thinking?" And just like this, he stepped closer for a better look at the papers and gave in to his partner's decision to push the other topic aside.
Despite the painstaking accuracy of Viktor's notes, his sketches had an endearing messiness to them that led to Viktor having to explain them to Jayce most times, who then would sketch down a more readable version. Jayce never minded. He liked the way Viktor's brows pinched when watching him draw over his shoulder and the way Viktor smiled at him when he had brought his partner's vision to paper just as he had imagined it.
Evening fell quietly between their exchange of ideas for the new calibration.
Not long after midnight, when they had been back to working on individual parts of their endeavour and Jayce had hit his head on the table, momentarily falling asleep at least once, he was glad to see Viktor picking up his stuff and leaving for his apartment.
After refining the details of their ideas for a bit, Jayce trusted in their ability to actually make the prototype work in time. Though it was still a tight time frame, so they needed to be rested. Belatedly following his own advice, Jayce dragged himself over to the couch they kept in the back of the lab, and collapsed mercifully before any other doubting thoughts could catch him.