Chapter Text
Jayce hates the snow. He hates it more than any normal person, because Jayce and snow have a history. On the airship to the Freljord, he'd spent the majority of his time inside the cabins, going over the experiments they intended to run during their time there, intentionally avoiding the mounting cold and arrival of snowflakes to their vessel.
Viktor knows Jayce hates snow. When they make it to the airship landing platform, Viktor offers to step out first. He stands in the bright, frigid day and watches Jayce slowly emerge from the hull like a frightened animal. He's pushing a cart full of their luggage, and he's wrapped in even more layers than Viktor. At times he’s gotten teased for being a walking furnace, but he can't bring himself to care about the discomfort when he feels the first sting of cold air on his cheeks.
"You're okay," Viktor promises when he sees Jayce flinch.
It's a short walk down the stairs where a carriage, being pulled by what appears to be some kind of white, fluffy beast of burden, awaits them. They work together to load their luggage and shuffle inside to start towards their lodgings. The inside is well insulated, lined with furs, and a welcome respite from the cold.
"It's just a week," Jayce repeats to himself over and over. "Just a week. Just a week." He pulls the flaps on his furry hat down until half of his face is covered.
"Let's go over what we'll be testing while we’re here," Viktor offers, one leg crossed over the other on the seat opposite Jayce. He looks elegant, the earmuffs he'd perched on his head now hanging with his scarf around his neck. He retrieves his well-worn journal from a bag at his feet. "Hextech's reaction to thermal extremes. We'll start each morning by recording the outside temperature..."
Jayce lets Viktor's voice soothe him into releasing the tension held in his shoulders and back. He knows what they're there to do, as they'd discussed it many times before they left Piltover and on the airship here. Viktor is trying to distract Jayce from his fears. It's working, Viktor’s soft tone and alluring accent lulling him into a more comfortable state.
When they arrive at their secluded cabin without incident, Viktor generously tips the carriage driver while Jayce unloads their luggage. The cabin is a small, simple thing: brown logs, frosted windows and a snowy, slanted roof. There's a chimney, so ideally they’ll find a fireplace within. Warmth is the first thing on Jayce's mind as they step through the threshold.
They both kick off their boots, the snow that was stuck to them sloughing off onto the hardwood and already starting to melt. The interior of the cabin is decently insulated, but still too cold for them to comfortably remove all of their layers. Jayce notes the presence of a dry stack of wood, plenty enough for their stay, and is able to find a box of matches tucked between it and the fireplace. He immediately busies himself with starting a fire while Viktor walks past him to observe the rest of their lodgings.
“Jayce? We have an…issue.” Viktor pokes his head out of a doorway sitting between the living room and kitchen. It’s an open concept, the entryway seamlessly flowing into the next rooms, all hardwood floors and wood-paneled walls. Jayce scratches the side of his cheek thoughtfully, wondering what the academy could have missed in their preparation for the journey that Viktor noticed so quickly.
“Hmm?” Jayce hums inquisitively and looks past Viktor into the room. Two wood-carved nightstands flank the single, cozy-looking, bed in the center. “Oh.”
“One bedroom. And one bed. What is this, a honeymoon suite?” Viktor asks incredulously. Jayce chuckles nervously in response. It’s big enough for two, especially considering Viktor’s size, but Jayce gathers that isn’t where Viktor’s issue lies.
“Ah…I mean, I’ll sleep on the couch, it’s okay.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Jayce. You are too big for the couch. I will take it.”
“Your back, V. I don’t think it’ll be good for you.”
Viktor sighs.
“Well, it’s big enough,” Jayce says anyway. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”
Realistically, Jayce does mind. Since the beginning of their partnership a year ago, Viktor has shown that he is not accustomed to the kind of physical affection and closeness that Jayce offers so readily. He’s gotten better, and Jayce has tried not to make a big deal of the way that Viktor sometimes even leans into the touch now, but it’s no longer enough for Jayce. He wants Viktor to seek out touch on his own. Wants Viktor to touch him everywhere.
In his wildest fantasies, he’s able to walk up behind Viktor, wrap his arms around his waist, and press a kiss to his high, sharp cheekbones. Maybe they’re in the lab, and Viktor is soldering something. Or maybe he’s just finished making them coffee in the morning: two sugars for Jayce, and just a splash of coffee with cream and sweetener for Viktor.
So yes, he does mind, but only because he fears his own body’s reaction to prolonged proximity with Viktor under the sheets. Alone. Miles away from the Council, the lab, Piltover, the professor, anyone...
Viktor scoffs, cutting what remains of Jayce’s fantasy short. Jayce thinks he means to sound annoyed, but there’s an undeniable reddening on his cheeks and at the tips of his ears. He secretly hopes the suggestion has flustered his partner, but they did just come in from the cold, and Jayce is known to have an overactive imagination at times.
“I suppose,” Viktor sighs, “It only makes sense to share. Due to the cold and all.”
“Right.” Jayce says with a nod.
They leave it there as they spend the rest of the afternoon unpacking their gear. They’ve brought a modest set up consisting of multiple crystals and a scaled down model of the hextech generator they’ve been developing for the past several months.
It’s been a little over a year since their fateful night breaking into Heimerdinger’s lab, and it’s taken them that long to get the crystals to stabilize at high frequencies and control their output. They’ve only just begun to test Hextech’s efficacy in different environments.
The cabin gradually warms up throughout the day, allowing Jayce and Viktor to finally shed their layers. By the time night falls, they’re both dressed down to just their thermal sets. Viktor’s is a simple, knitted and black material that tightly hugs his form. His ribs are visible through the fabric. Jayce wants to run a finger along them.
The Academy secured them enough food for the length of their stay, and were even able to provide the sweetmilk that Viktor had requested. While he’s in the shower, Jayce warms a pot of it on the stove. It’s an acquired taste, one that Jayce has pushed himself to enjoy so he could have just one more thing in common with his partner.
Viktor takes the warm mug of sweetmilk with a smile and curls up on the couch in front of the fire. Jayce sits on the opposite side of the couch, and when he glances out the window, snow has started to fall again. His eyes dart back to his mug, now shaking slightly in his hands. It’s always worse when it’s actively snowing.
“Jayce,” Viktor sets his mug onto the coffee table and puts a hand on Jayce’s shoulder. “We are inside, we are warm, we have a fire, we are safe.”
“I wish I could enjoy it.” Jayce sighs, his fingers tapping the sides of his mug. “I used to, as a kid. I’d show you if I could...”
“I’d like that.” Viktor moves his hand to the back of the couch, but Jayce wishes he’d left it on his shoulder. He wants to ask Viktor to put it back. “You know it hardly gets cold enough to snow in Piltover, and it all ends up as slush by the time any gets down to Zaun. The first time I saw real snow, it was just a dusting on the campus of the Academy.”
“Probably for the best. With the amount of snow we got when I was little, Heimerdinger might drown.”
They both laugh at the thought of their boss attempting to walk through a snow bank as tall as he is. Jayce gets to enjoy Viktor’s real laugh; the wheezing, the squeaking, and the occasional cough when it’s really intense. Some of Viktor’s teeth are crooked, and they show in the charming gaps of his smile. Firelight flickers in the amber of his eyes. Jayce doesn’t realize he’s staring until Viktor looks away to pick up his mug, a redness to his cheeks barely visible in the low light.
“I snore,” Viktor states plainly, looking into his mug rather than at Jayce. “At least, I think I do. And I might kick you in the night.”
That’s right. They’re going to be sleeping together.
“That’s okay, V. As long as you don’t steal the blanket.”
“No promises.” Viktor grins, peeking over his mug at Jayce. There’s a spot between his nose and lips that is wet with sweetmilk. Jayce is certain that it would taste best off of Viktor’s skin.
They finish their drinks, and Jayce offers to clean Viktor’s mug. He’s stalling. He watches from the kitchen as his partner trudges into their shared bedroom, thermal pants tightly hugging that little ass that Jayce shouldn’t be looking at. When Viktor is out of sight, Jayce turns the water temperature in the sink down, and rinses the mugs out more than necessary. He needs a moment to take a deep breath and calm the hammering of his heart before he can follow Viktor into the bedroom.
Viktor is already curled up on one side of the bed when Jayce walks in, one arm beneath the pillow cradling his head. Jayce gingerly lifts the other pillow and sets it at the foot of the bed before lifting the warm quilt up to slide in beside him.
A low groan comes from Viktor as he stretches and stirs at Jayce’s arrival.
Jayce wonders how he could make that sound happen again.
“I am not sleeping with your feet in my face.” Viktor grumbles. “And if I do kick in my sleep, I don’t want to kick you in the face.”
He thought sleeping head to foot might counteract the feelings welling up inside when he thinks about being so close for something so intimate, so vulnerable. Jayce sighs and moves his pillow next to Viktor’s before curling over on his side, eyes locked on the nightstand at the side of the bed.
“Um. Goodnight, Viktor.”
“Goodnight, Jayce.”
Just as he’s falling asleep, he feels the jutting ridges of Viktor’s spine against his back. He doesn’t move. He’s mentally counting where he feels them from top to bottom as he falls asleep.
Though that takes longer than expected when Jayce can’t stop thinking about how close they are, how their bodies are touching, how he can smell Viktor’s shampoo. It’s vanilla, with just a hint of sugar and something woodsy. It’s so perfectly Viktor that Jayce wants to wrap himself in it.
He feels flayed open, heart beating wet and loud and obvious.
When he finally falls asleep, he dreams of Viktor, love, and magic.
Jayce is alone when he wakes. It’s a familiar feeling, as he hasn’t shared a bed with someone since he grew too large to sleep in his mother’s, but it’s no less cold. The quilted comforter is pulled back where Viktor had slept, the shape of him still wrinkled into the sheets. It’s still slightly warm when Jayce puts his hand there, remembering how close he was.
“Finally,” Viktor says when Jayce steps out of their room. “Come, I’ve made you coffee. I had a realization.”
Jayce sits at the kitchen table to listen, and watch, as Viktor explains the new theory that came to him last night. His accent thickens as he grows more excited, gesticulating wildly with his hands as he refers to a notebook he brought to the table earlier. He hastily writes whenever Jayce can get a word in to correct or add.
The coffee Viktor made for him tastes sweeter than normal. Jayce doesn’t mind.
The two of them are so excited about the new idea that Jayce hardly feels a pang of anxiety when they step out into the cold. They find a decent spot to step up their hextech generator, and Jayce quickly digs a space around it for them to walk and observe.
“According to the map, we’re in a spot that should be far enough from the nearest arcane leyline to simulate Piltover’s typical energy baseline,” Jayce mutters, almost to himself, referencing a paper map covered in Viktor’s scrawl of dark blue ink. “So the only difference should be the temperature.”
“It’s two degrees centigrade,” Viktor steps closer to Jayce, his face almost totally covered by a scarf wrapped around his head. “Cold as fuck, scientifically speaking.”
Jayce laughs, and he can feel the cold air on his lips as he does.
The pair spend most of the day just trying to get the generator to turn on. By the time they figure out a rune combination that causes it to jolt even slightly, it’s dusk, and neither of them have eaten all day. They head back to their cabin and Jayce starts making dinner right away while Viktor starts the fire.
“Is it worse in the cold?” Jayce asks as he and Viktor curl up on the couch, each with a bowl of canned stew Jayce had warmed on the stove. Viktor’s bad leg is stretched out across the cushions, his crooked foot almost touching the side of Jayce’s thigh.
“Much worse,” Viktor nods, then winces. “And I’ve never been this cold.”
“Mom’s joints get like that too,” Jayce says before taking another bite of stew. “She has some stuff she rubs on them when it gets really bad.”
“As do I,” Viktor reaches to the side table and holds up a small, unlabelled tin. “But I will wait until we are finished eating. It is a bit… pungent.”
When Jayce scrunches up his nose at the thought, Viktor laughs.
“You can leave the room if it’s unbearable. I’ve gotten used to it.”
Jayce sets his bowl down on the coffee table.
“I could… put it on for you, if it’s easier,” Jayce offers sheepishly. “You know, so you can relax?”
He watches nervously as Viktor considers.
“Can I keep eating my soup?”
Jayce laughs.
“Of course, V. I’m done with mine.”
“How do you eat so fast?”
“If you find out, tell my mom. She’s been asking the same thing since I hit puberty.”
Jayce takes the tin in hand and unscrews the lid. The smell isn’t nearly as bad as Viktor made it seem; just very medicinal. Jayce makes a show of reeling back at the scent dramatically. Viktor rolls his eyes, but his lips have that telltale upturn that he’s holding back a laugh.
He scoops two fingers of cream from the tin and rubs his hands together. Try as he might, Jayce can’t stop from exhaling shakily as he picks up Viktor’s foot, praying his partner won’t catch on. This doesn’t have to be weird, or intimate. Jayce is just helping his friend.
As soon as he pushes his thumbs into the arch of Viktor’s foot, the man groans above him, immediately pulling Jayce out of the platonic headspace he tried to put himself in. It continues, even as he spoons soup into his mouth, and Jayce has to readjust the way he’s sitting to not give away his body’s natural reaction to the sounds Viktor keeps making.
He realizes how big he is in comparison as he moves up Viktor’s pant leg to massage his calf. His fingers can wrap all the way around Viktor’s leg. The sight spreads the heat Jayce can feel in his core, and his mind races at the other parts of Viktor’s body he’d like his hands to be on until—
“Jayce, hold on.”
Jayce immediately withdraws, hands in the air like Viktor caught his not-so-platonic train of thought.
“Take my pants off, and let me turn over so you can get my thigh.”
Before Jayce can say anything, Viktor’s thumbs hook into the waistband of his thermals and he starts to shimmy them down, exposing his grey briefs. Jayce isn’t sure if Viktor is hard, or if he’s just that big naturally, but he is sure that he shouldn’t be looking or thinking about it. He helps him get the pants off and roll over.
At least now he doesn’t need to control his facial expressions.
He scoops more of the cream into his hands and rubs them together before putting them on Viktor’s thighs. His thumbs press into the insubstantial meat of them, moving in slow, deliberate circles.
“Right there Jayce, perfect. You’re a natural.” Viktor’s accent is thickening the way it does when he’s especially relaxed. Jayce has trouble being normal about it. His hands feel too big and too hot and too calloused against Viktor’s smooth skin. He can’t tell if it’s the nerves or the medicinal cream, but his fingers are tingling where they touch Viktor.
“I have to go to the bathroom.” Jayce stops abruptly, and rushes into the bathroom adjacent to their shared bedroom. He quickly finds that even after washing his hands of the cream, the tingling feeling is still there.
Even worse, his dick is hard.
He sits on the edge of the toilet seat and looks down at his tented thermals, willing his erection to flag with the power of his mind. The only problem is his mind can’t stop thinking about Viktor’s soft, milky skin, how his breathing sounds when Jayce is touching him, how his fingers can make Viktor moan and ask for more.
Jayce doesn’t masturbate often. He’s thinking this may be one of those desperate few times before Viktor knocks on the bathroom door.
“Are you alright, Jayce?”
“Uh,” Jayce leans over like he’s in pain. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine just. Tummy troubles.”
Tummy troubles? Jayce shakes his head in embarrassment.
“Well… I’m heading to bed, I’ll do our dishes in the morning.” He listens to the familiar step step click of Viktor’s uneven gait get further away before letting out a shaky breath.
When he finally emerges, he heads to the kitchen to wash their bowls, certain that the feeling of wet food will kill any straggling inappropriate thoughts.
Viktor is curled up on his side, shivering, when Jayce enters the bedroom. It’s been especially cold today, and the insulation and heat from the fire have barely been enough for Jayce to be comfortable. Viktor must be freezing.
Jayce gets under the quilt and lies still for less than a minute before he is wrapping his arm around the ice cold form of his partner. Viktor stiffens at first before looking over his shoulder at Jayce.
“Are you sure?”
“It's fine.” Jayce pulls him close, but is shocked when Viktor rolls towards him and rests his head on his chest.
“You are like my own personal furnace.” He can feel Viktor smile beneath him.
“Yeah,” Jayce mumbles. I could be whatever you need.
He expects his heart to be hammering so hard it keeps them both awake, but there is something so right about the way their bodies slot together. Viktor’s hand is cool on Jayce’s chest, but not uncomfortable, just a reminder of his presence. Jayce pulls the quilt over both of them, giving Viktor a quick squeeze before drifting off to sleep with his partner in his arms.
All of the unexpected comfort of cuddling with Viktor is washed away when Jayce wakes up fully erect.
He’s laying on his back, and he can see the quilt raised where his dick tents the fabric.
Gingerly he extricates himself from Viktor’s grasp and shuffles out of the room, taking care to close the door as slowly as possible. Jayce finds himself in the bathroom once again with a needy boner and an embarrassed flush on his face.
Maybe it is one of those times.
He sits on the toilet and pulls his cock out. It’s dark and slick at the head just barely peeking out from his foreskin. He pulls it back with a hiss, the back of his head resting against the wall.
Behind his eyelids, he sees Viktor on the couch exactly the way they were last night. On his stomach, without pants, squirming in pleasure at Jayce’s touch. This time, his hands wander. They stroke the insides of his thighs and travel up to the hem of his briefs.
Jayce fists his cock and starts stroking, slowly building up as he imagines peeling the briefs off of Viktor, marvelling out how his ass is impossibly paler than the rest of him. It’s so cute and perky, and Jayce imagines he can fully cover each cheek with a hand. He speeds up, grabbing the side of the sink with his free hand, bracing himself as he fucks up into his grip. Viktor, in his mind, readily accepts Jayce’s tongue against his hole, groaning in pleasure as Jayce fucks him with it.
Heat pools in Jayce’s abdomen. It threatens to spill as his imagination goes hazy with the details. He cums when he hears Viktor whine his name, except—
Viktor is on the other side of the bathroom door, checking on Jayce yet again. Jayce has to bite into the leather of his wristband to keep from screaming his partner’s name as his release dribbles through his fingers, wet and sticky. He’s sure Viktor can hear him struggle.
“One second, Vik.” Jayce cleans up as well as he can with toilet paper. When he pushes against the sink counter to get up, his hand slips, and he goes crashing into the toilet while it’s flushing. He tries to break the fall with his arm, but it misses the edge of the toilet seat and ends up twisted beneath him.
Jayce groans in pain, and Viktor is knocking again, more urgent now.
“Jayce, are you sure you’re okay?”
Jayce grimaces.
“Yeah can you just… grab the first aid kit?”
Viktor makes breakfast for them as Jayce nurses his wounded wrist with a cold pack at the dining room table.
“You must have really had to pee.” Viktor pushes a plate of bacon and eggs towards him.
“Yeah, it’s a morning thing.” Jayce shrugs, then winces at the pain in his arm. “I’m fine.”
It’s warmer today, but still incredibly cold outside. Jayce is finally getting used to it, a little less panicky when he sees the snow piled up outside.
They’re able to get the generator reliably running, and spend the entire day running many of their normal testing protocols as well as they can outside of their lab. By the time they finish, the sun has set.
“I think we’ll have all the data we need tomorrow,” Jayce taps his lips with a pen as he looks down at their test results. “We’ll have to see if the prototype hexgate even works out here.”
“Jayce.”
“I know, it barely works back home, but I still brought it just in case.”
“Jayce!”
Viktor shakes his shoulder and he finally looks up from his reports. It’s the first time Jayce has seen a sky so full of stars. But it’s completely overshadowed by the wisps of light that weave through the sky, shifting between green, blue, and purple in a vibrant display. Jayce had read about phenomena like this before, but experiencing it in person makes him feel like he’s in another world.
And that world reflected in Viktor’s eyes is another life. The last time he saw Viktor this full of wonder, the two of them were floating around Professor Heimerdinger’s lab after creating magic together.
They created magic together. His life’s dream, and this man helped it come true, and is still here by his side.
“It’s beautiful,” Viktor whispers.
“Yeah,” Jayce mutters, staring at Viktor's profile. “It is.”
After a quick dinner, it’s easy to slip into bed together, their muscles weary from a full day out in the cold. They slide together like it’s second nature, though Jayce’s heart still pounds against his ribcage. His arms wrap around Viktor’s waist, his back to Jayce’s chest, and he squeezes.
Viktor sighs pleasantly into the embrace, and Jayce stiffens. Then Viktor lifts his arms, stretching and moaning as he does. Jayce can feel his heart beat faster somehow.
“Goodnight Jayce.” He could be imagining it, but Viktor sounds amused.
“Night V.”
In spite of the exhaustion of the day, Viktor is restless. He can’t sit still, wriggling in Jayce’s grasp and backing his ass against him. Internally, Jayce is screaming, wondering why he’s been cursed to have his partner accidentally grinding on him like this while they try to keep each other warm.
“Everything alright?” Jayce whispers.
Viktor hums affirmatively and finally stops moving.
It isn’t until Viktor falls asleep that Jayce can actually relax. He listens to the steady sound of his breaths, feeling his lungs inflate against him in a comforting rhythm. Viktor, his form so tiny against Jayce, looks precious as he sleeps. Jayce pulls him closer, rests his head against Viktor’s back, and drifts off to sleep.
Viktor is still in his arms when he wakes, comfortably warm and cozy beneath the quilt. It’s only when he shifts that he realizes his traitorous morning wood is back and slotted perfectly against the cleft of Viktor’s petite bottom.
As he moves to get out of bed, Viktor turns to look over his shoulder at him. Jayce grimaces in an attempt to look apologetic. His cheeks burn as Viktor’s amber eyes bore into him.
He pulls the quilt back and quickly makes his way to the bathroom. This time, he does actually have to pee, which effectively, mercifully, kills his boner.
When he steps out, Viktor has just put the kettle on and is cracking eggs into a bowl. His cane is hanging from his arm and his hip is popped out, making him look like the perfect picture of relaxed domesticity. Jayce feels his heart flutter momentarily.
“I— sorry about… that.”
“It is not a problem,” Viktor says simply, barely turning his head towards Jayce as he starts whisking eggs with a fork. “We both know it is a perfectly normal occurrence on some mornings.”
“Right, yeah.” Jayce spoons instant coffee into two mugs. “Say, we should take the hexgate prototype out today. It's our last full day here, and I think we could get it going.”
“We should. I think if we try that rune combination I thought of yesterday we might be able to get the generator running at a consistent enough level to power the prototype.”
After breakfast, the two load their Hexgate prototype onto a sled that they bring out to the spot they've dug out with the generator. They spend a few more hours testing and recording the energy levels before setting up their prototype.
The Hexgates, a theoretical teleportation system powered by Hextech, has yet to function properly in their lab, but Jayce still insisted on bringing it just in case a change of scenery is somehow able to kickstart their invention. He sets the gates up on either side of the generator as Viktor punches in the rune combination. His long fingers hold his notebook for reference in his other hand, his hip is popped out, and his cane dangles at his elbow, almost identical to when he’d made them breakfast. Viktor's nose and cheeks are rosy against his pale complexion and his breath rises in a steady stream from his pink lips.
“Do I have something on my face?” Viktor looks up to Jayce and raises an eyebrow, smiling mischievously. Jayce feels like he's been caught doing something he shouldn't.
“Yeah. I mean, no. Nothing on your face.” Jayce turns away before Viktor can see the blush blooming on his cheeks. He packs snow in his hands and starts forming it into a ball, something he hasn't done since he was a small child. The memory brings a smile to his face for the first time in a long time.
“What are you smiling about?”
“I haven't made a snowball since I was a kid.” Jayce tosses the ball up and catches it in his gloved hand. “Used to do it all the time.”
“The snow is, eh, not so bad now, yes?”
“Maybe.” Jayce grins and places the snowball on the platform of their prototype Hexgate. “Alright let's…crank it.”
Viktor rolls his eyes before pulling a lever on the generator and stepping back with one hand on his cane.
The generator whirrs and sparkles with blue light. Wires that run to each gate pulse with energy and bring the prototype to life. The snowball hovers an inch above the platform and starts to spin, a turquoise halo forming around it. Moments later, with a loud pop, the snowball blinks out of existence and reappears hovering above the platform of the opposite Hexgate.
The snowball plops down in a wet heap. Jayce and Viktor look at one another in disbelief.
It worked.
Without thinking, Jayce lifts Viktor off his feet and spins him around, laughing loudly and joyously. Viktor throws his head back and laughs with Jayce. His cane drops into the snow at their feet. Jayce can hardly feel the pain in his wrist, too busy drinking in the sweet sounds of Viktor's real laughter.
His arms are still wrapped around his partner when he puts him on the ground again. Viktor’s nose and cheeks are pink and shiny from the cold, his lips almost red against the rest of his pale complexion.
Jayce, unable to stop himself, leans in and presses his lips to Viktor's.
Time slows as Jayce memorizes the way this moment feels: the cold of Viktor’s nose against his, his partner inhaling sharply in surprise, the chill in the air around them.
He pulls away slowly, watching Viktor’s eyelids flutter open.
“I…” he starts as Viktor’s gaze drops to his lips. Viktor throws his arms around Jayce’s neck and pulls him down into another kiss, this one open-mouthed and hot. Jayce groans against his lips, pouring a year’s worth of longing into his partner. Viktor’s tongue slides against his. When they part again, both of their breaths are visible, floating into white steam over their shared space.
“I’m taking you to bed. Now.” Jayce lifts Viktor off his feet once more with his good arm, this time hauling him in the direction of their lodgings. Viktor laughs and pounds Jayce’s shoulders with his fists. His feet kick in protest.
“Jayce Talis! If we leave our things outside and they get damaged I will not be in any mood to share a bed with you.”
It feels like a scolding, but there’s a lightness to Viktor’s tone that’s undeniable.
Jayce sets him down with a huff and, in feigned annoyance, starts packing their equipment as quickly as possible. Viktor breaks down the Hexgate prototype and loads it on top of the sled with the rest of their gear. The pile is haphazard, and Viktor has to pick up a few castaway items as they fall off in transit, but they’re able to get everything they’d brought out to field test into the cabin.
They look at each other. Viktor has that whimsical expression on his face like they’ve just rediscovered magic.
They crash into one another, their teeth clicking together in their haste to reconnect their mouths. Each excessive layer of clothing is shed one by one, starting with them each kicking off their snowy boots. Two heavy jackets fall to the floor near the kitchen with a thump, they unbuckle each other’s snow pants by the fireplace, and when they make it to the door of their shared bedroom, both men are down to their skintight thermals.
“You have no idea,” Jayce whispers into Viktor’s ear as he starts pulling the hem of his partner’s shirt up. “How much I’ve wanted to take these off of you.”
“Jayce, I—” Viktor gasps at the feeling of Jayce’s calloused fingertips dancing against his stomach. His rough skin brushes up to Viktor’s soft, pink nipples.
“I’ve wanted this, wanted you…”
Viktor lifts his arms, allowing Jayce to pull the shirt up and over his head. Jayce’s arm wraps around Viktor’s tiny waist and presses him close. One of Viktor’s hands rests and squeezes at Jayce’s bulging pectoral, tugging at the shirt covering it. Jayce turns Viktor towards the beds and sits him down.
When he steps back to take his clothes off, Jayce wonders how he never realized how Viktor looks at him. His partner leans back against the bed, shirtless, tight pants bulging with his arousal, a flush spreading across his chest. Viktor’s eyes devour Jayce’s body as it’s revealed. His pupils are massive, and his chest heaves.
“Dear Janna, you’re gorgeous,” Viktor rasps. “Please touch me.”
Jayce drops to his knees and reaches for Viktor’s waistband. Viktor lifts his hips, allowing Jayce to peel the tight thermals off his legs. It feels completely different from the other night, now that Jayce is able to openly display his devotion.
He starts with Viktor’s ankle, pressing his lips to where it turns inward. Viktor inhales shakily. With careful reverence he tends to the milky, smooth skin of Viktor’s bad leg, not shying from a jagged scar near his knee.
“Jayce, you don’t have to…” Viktor trails off to another pleased sigh as Jayce makes his way up to Viktor’s inner thigh.
“I want to.” Jayce whispers into Viktor’s skin. “Want to know every part of you.”
He looks up at Viktor, at the man who helped make his dreams come true, and into his eyes. His pupils are ringed with the gold that Jayce has treasured since they met. Each kiss to Viktor’s velvety flesh is like a prayer, each press of lips a confession of Jayce’s yearning. And each spot becomes sacred to him. The sound of Jayce’s mouth paired with Viktor’s gentle sighs, his shaky whimpers, his pitchy moans, compose the hymn for his new religion.
As Jayce stands to capture Viktor’s mouth with his own, he lays his partner back on the quilt. Their bare chests slide against each other, hearts pounding side by side. Jayce runs his hand down Viktor’s torso, shaking as his fingers barely lift up the elastic of Viktor’s underwear. He pulls back and looks to his partner for permission. Viktor nods, and his mouth falls open as Jayce’s hands breach his waistband.
Jayce takes Viktor’s cock in hand and continues to slowly kiss him as he strokes, ignoring the twinge of pain in his wrist in favor of drinking all of Viktor’s sweet moans. Their hips roll together in unison. It’s a delicious push and pull, a perfect rhythm. Viktor’s hand cups the bulge in Jayce’s briefs, and Jayce groans in response. He pulls Jayce’s bottom lip with his teeth, causing his partner’s eyes to roll back.
“V, fuck, please touch me.”
Jayce rolls onto his back and allows Viktor to reach over and tug his underwear off. His hard cock bounces out and against his abdomen, the dark head peeking out from his foreskin. Viktor rolls it down to thumb at the tip, where a bead of precum glistens and sticks to his finger. Just as Jayce’s head falls back, mouth opening with a low groan, he feels the hot, wet embrace of Viktor’s lips around his cock.
“Oh, gods.” Jayce’s hand drops to Viktor’s hair, gripping but not pulling. “You’re so perfect.”
Viktor’s head bobs up and down as he tries to fit in as much of Jayce's cock in his mouth as he can, working with passion and enthusiasm and enough spit to soak the dark, curly hair of Jayce's groin. His fingers wrap around Jayce’s base and stroke what he can't reach, and his tongue swirls around the shaft. He moans around Jayce's cock likes he's being fucked.
It's so good, too good, and Jayce worries that if he doesn't stop Viktor now, he'll cum too soon.
“S-stop, stop,” Jayce pleads, tugging gently at Viktor's hair. His partner pulls away from his cock with a wet pop. Viktor's head turns to look up at him with big, wet eyes and slick, red lips. Jayce somehow doesn't cum from the sight alone. “It's great I just… I don't want to cum yet.”
“Sorry,” Viktor mutters and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “I was… over excited.”
Jayce shushes Viktor and pulls him up into a kiss.
“You're perfect. But I want all of you tonight.”
Viktor gasps against his lips.
“Jayce I—” He lets Jayce pull him onto his lap so his legs are straddling Jayce's hips. Jayce reaches down to hold both their cocks in his massive hand. Viktor takes a shaky breath. “You're incredible.”
Jayce's cock, slick with his own precum and Viktor's spit, throbs against his partner's as their hips grind together in unison. His other hand slides down the ridges of Viktor's back to cup his tiny ass, remembering how it looked in his thermals and how many times he's wanted to touch it. Then, he grimaces with a realization.
“We don't have any lube.” Jayce sighs.
Viktor hums thoughtfully.
“We have industrial lubricant, no?”
“V, I am not putting that on my dick.”
“What about… the cooking oil?”
“Ah, like the ancient Ionians.”
They both chuckle, and Viktor rolls off of Jayce and onto the bed. Jayce leaps out of bed and jogs to the kitchen to retrieve the glass bottle of rich, yellow oil. When he heads back to the bedroom, the sight of Viktor lying naked on the bed nearly knocks him over.
It’s not his bedroom. It’s not his bedding. But it’s Viktor. His Viktor, if he’s lucky.
“You’re staring.” Viktor leans back on his elbows. He feels a little silly, stark naked in the doorway with a bottle of cooking oil. But even though Viktor’s tone is light, his expression is one of pure want.
“You would be too,” Jayce says with a smile as he kneels between Viktor’s legs. He pours oil into his hand and liberally coats his fingers. One hand presses Viktor’s thighs further open, leaving a massive, slick handprint. Viktor’s chest heaves in anticipation. “Ready?”
Viktor nods. Slowly, Jayce presses his index finger against the tight furl of Viktor’s hole. He’s mesmerized, watching the thick digit slowly disappear inside Viktor.
“Oh fuck, V, you’re so tight.”
Viktor nods, hissing through gritted teeth as he adjusts to the intrusion.
“Yes, well, it has been a little while since I…partook.”
Jayce pushes his finger past the second knuckle and curls it against his partner’s fleshy interior. Viktor gasps, his back arching against the bed.
“Jayce,” Viktor sighs. “Please, more.”
“Yeah? You want another?”
Viktor nods with a desperate whine, and Jayce thinks it might be the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard. He presses another finger in, and Viktor keens.
“So good for me,” Jayce coos. He moves to lay beside his partner and wrap his free arm around his shoulders. “Opening up so well.”
Viktor plants his feet on the bed and rolls his hips up, whining and fucking himself down on Jayce’s fingers. Jayce wraps an arm underneath Viktor's and pinches one of his nipples, rubbing it between his fingertips until it hardens. The angle of his hand is awkward, and irritating his injured wrist, but Viktor is so reactive to the touch that he can’t stop. He rests his forehead against Viktor’s sweaty temple, watching pleasure roll through his partner. Viktor’s cock leaks precum against his stomach.
“Jayce, I need— fuck.” Viktor turns his face to Jayce’s and captures his lips. A third finger slips into Viktor, and he groans into Jayce’s mouth. “Fuck me, Jayce.”
“You want my cock?” Jayce murmurs. Viktor nods emphatically, pressing the back of his head into Jayce’s arm as he arches into his touch.
After another quick kiss, Jayce withdraws his fingers. He wipes them on the bed, retrieves the bottle of oil from where it’s tipped over and dripping onto the quilt. Viktor’s eyes lock onto the motion of him slicking up his cock and lining himself up to Viktor’s entrance.
“Jayce please.” Viktor’s accent is thick around the plea.
Jayce doesn’t make him wait a moment longer.
His cock presses inside and stretches Viktor open, carving a path through his body. Viktor grasps the quilt beneath him, bunching it up in his fingers and pulling as his mouth falls open in a silent scream. As soon as he’s fully sheathed inside his partner, Jayce leans down to be face to face with Viktor. His elbows rest on either side of Viktor’s head. When their eyes meet, Jayce can’t help but smile.
“Hi.” Jayce says with a laugh. Viktor grins up at him and raises his hand to hold his cheek.
“Hello there.” Viktor thumbs Jayce’s cheek affectionately. Jayce doesn’t move yet, allowing his partner to adjust to his size. He takes the time to lean down and press a gentle kiss to Viktor’s lips. His tongue slides into Viktor’s mouth, and he drinks the groan Viktor spills into him.
When he finally pulls away, Viktor’s eyes look like they’re brimming with tears.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, yes,” Viktor wipes the moisture from his eyes with the back of his hand. “It’s just… you can move now, Jayce.”
Jayce nods and starts to slowly pull out from the tight grip of Viktor’s hole. He gives a slow, gentle thrust, and Viktor wraps his arms around Jayce’s back and digs his fingers into his flesh. Jayce rests his head against Viktor’s.
“You feel so incredible, Vik.”
Viktor just hums in pleasure as Jayce’s thrusts continue, and start to speed up. The room fills with the sound of skin slapping and both men groaning. Jayce feels Viktor’s nails scratch lines into his back as his partner grips harder and harder, holding on for dear life as the pace quickens. Something stirs in Jayce’s abdomen, slowly making its way down to his groin. Determined not to cum before Viktor, he reaches down between them to squeeze the base of his cock. When he’s certain he’s staved off the orgasm threatening to crash into him, Jayce wraps his hand around Viktor’s length and starts stroking in time with his thrusts.
It doesn’t take long before Viktor is whining and twitching beneath him, his hole squeezing Jayce’s length, precum coating Jayce’s fingers. Jayce catalogues each change so he can never forget how Viktor’s body reacts when he’s about to cum.
“Let go, V, cum for me.” Jayce purrs against Viktor’s ear before moving to suck at the pulse point on his neck. Viktor cries out, tears finally spilling down his cheeks, his voice rough from panting and groaning, as his release spurts between them. Jayce continues to stroke him and fuck him through his orgasm. As Viktor’s cock still drools cum onto his soft, fuzzy abdomen, Jayce feels his climax slam back into him. He cums hard, his mouth falling open as he continues to thrust into Viktor like a man possessed, pushing his seed deeper and deeper into his partner.
The room is silent save for the sound of both men catching their breath. Jayce presses sweet, lazy kisses along Viktor’s neck and shoulders.
“Jayce, you are crushing me,” Viktor squeaks out. Jayce rolls off of him and onto his back. “Did you… enjoy that?” Viktor asks quietly.
“Did I enjoy that? Viktor. Please.”
“I don’t like to assume.”
Jayce rolls onto his side and props himself up on his elbow.
“Well, let’s look at the evidence.” Jayce gestures to Viktor’s lower half. Viktor chuckles and rests an arm over his eyes.
Jayce helps Viktor hobble into the bathroom. Together, they step into the shower and clean themselves up, both indulging in the sweet scent of Viktor’s vanilla soap and shampoo. It’s something Jayce has dreamed of, showering with Viktor after making love, and it’s even better than he ever imagined. Viktor looks over his shoulder, where Jayce holds him steady by the hips, with eyes half-lidded in relaxation. Every drop of water caresses the ridges and dips of Viktor’s body, and Jayce considers himself blessed by Janna herself to be able to witness it.
Under a spare quilt found in a linen closet, Jayce and Viktor hold one another close, without clothes to separate them. Jayce can’t stop kissing him, pressing his lips to every mole he can see, every jutting bone and small swell of muscle and fat. Viktor giggles quietly when Jayce’s mouth grazes a ticklish spot. Shamelessly, Jayce buries his nose in the crown of Viktor’s head, squeezing him close in an attempt to join their bodies together.
They fall asleep like that, limbs tangled, chests pressed together, nuzzled into the closest comfortable cranny of their partner’s body.
When morning comes, Jayce feels like he’s awoken from a dream. But Viktor is in his arms, red spots blooming where his mouth had landed last night. It’s the first sunny morning they’ve had in the Freljord, and the natural light filtering through the windows casts Viktor in radiance. His pale skin practically sparkles in the sunlight, his hair a soft and warm brown. Viktor’s eyelids flutter open, and his golden eyes shine like ancient amber before he’s squinting into the too bright light of day.
He squirms and stretches in Jayce’s arms, moaning and groaning as his joints crack.
“Morning,” he slurs, his accent thick and sleepy as he buries his face into Jayce’s soft pectorals. Jayce presses a gentle kiss to the top of his head.
“Good morning, V. Did you sleep okay?”
Viktor mumbles his response into Jayce’s skin unintelligibly. Jayce chuckles and pushes Viktor’s forehead back with his palm. A sleepy whine slips out of him, and he flips over to his side, allowing Jayce to pull him close to his chest.
This time, Jayce doesn’t try to hide the hardness he’s woken up with under the quilt. Instead, he presses his length into Viktor’s thigh, rolling his hips as he does. Viktor pushes back, arching against Jayce’s chest and exposing the long line of his throat that sports those delicate red marks Jayce left last night.
“You’re insatiable,” Viktor mumbles, turning his head slightly, cheek to cheek with Jayce as they grind against one another.
After another passionate tangle in the sheets, Jayce hops out of bed with renewed energy and starts preparing breakfast for them as he places the nearly empty bottle of oil back in the kitchen. He boils water for coffee and oatmeal, adding a heap of sugar to Viktor’s servings, and can’t help but smile when he sees his partner shuffle out of the bedroom. His hair is still askew, and his lips are pink and swollen, but he’s dressed for the day, reminding Jayce that he’d only pulled on a pair of boxer briefs before leaving their shared bedroom.
He leaves Viktor to eat breakfast while he dresses and retrieves his belongings. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to the place they took their partnership to the next level, but Jayce would be lying if he said he wasn’t homesick.
Jayce thinks of bringing Viktor back to his apartment in Piltover, where he has proper lube and his own soft bedding in Talis colors that his partner would look so handsome draped in.
The same cattle-drawn carriage pulls up to their cabin, and they load their luggage hastily. Jayce’s wrist twinges with the reminder of his embarrassing morning a couple of days ago, and he rewraps it once they’re seated and in transit to the airship port.
They’re finally going home.