Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It starts with a wedding. 

“My friend is getting married,” Jayce says over work in the lab one day. “I need a date to go with, but there isn’t anyone I cant think of. Do you have any ideas?”

Viktor takes a moment to think before he speaks. 

He has cared for Jayce for years, ever since the night they invented Hextech. Seeing his partner floating in the blue light, hovering there with him… Viktor couldn’t help but fall for him. 

His love has only grown since then. Every day he spends in the lab with Jayce, every long night working on blueprints and prototypes, every time they meet up outside of work… Each minute together strengthens Viktor’s emotions. 

So he, of course, considers all of this before suggesting his idea. 

He thinks about the potential repercussions, the possibility of eventual fallout, all the way things could go wrong.

Then Viktor thinks about what it might be like to kiss Jayce, to walk hand in hand with him, to call him his partner in every sense of the word. Even if the emotion behind it is one sided, even if it only lasts one day, he wants it. 

He speaks. “I could go with you.”

“You?” Jayce’s tone is shocked, and Viktor pretends like it doesn’t hurt that the idea of being with him is so foreign to his partner. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not suggesting we begin a real relationship, Jayce. It’s simply convenient.” Part of that is true - Viktor isn’t proposing a genuine relationship, but his motive is certainly not simple convenience. He continues. “If I went with you, you would not have to be with a stranger. Besides, we call each other partners often already. It wouldn’t be that difficult to convince people that we meant it as romantic.”

“I… suppose so.” Jayce looks lost in thought. Viktor waits, watching his partner as he puzzles out the possibility. “You wouldn’t mind it? It could start people talking.”

Viktor shrugs, attempting to look nonchalant. “It doesn’t matter to me. You know I’m not interested in what rumors are spread.” 

Once again, he isn’t telling the entire truth. Most rumors don’t bother him, but the ones he hears about himself and Jayce always do. The things people have accused them of doing together are a source of constant thoughts that Viktor tries to ignore. 

There are nights where he can’t ignore them, where he ends up groaning Jayce’s name into his mattress, and dreaming of the man when he falls asleep. Those memories are shameful secrets he keeps hidden in the back of his mind. His partner, thankfully, never seems to notice anything different in his manner, even when Viktor is haunted by the ghosts of his nights. 

Viktor hates himself for how he feels toward Jayce. It complicates things between them, and he dislikes unnecessary complications. It would be much easier if he simply cared for Jayce as a friend. 

Indeed, he’s heard Jayce refer to him as his closest friend. Viktor despises the fact that he is keeping a secret while Jayce trusts him so implicitly, but what choice does he have?

Jayce doesn’t feel the same way, clearly. If he did, Viktor is sure he would have already said something. Jayce doesn’t exactly hide his emotions around his partner. He’s open about what he feels. It’s part of what Viktor loves about him. 

“Then we’ll go together,” Jayce says, bringing Viktor back to the present. “Thank you, Viktor.”

“Of course, Jayce,” Viktor replies, hoping the emotion in his tone is not too apparent.

The last thing he wants is for Jayce to figure out the truth. 

The wedding goes well, despite the fact that Viktor knows no one there except Jayce’s mother. She greets them affectionately and congratulates them on getting together “after all this time.”

Viktor and Jayce smile in response and thank her, and Viktor tries not to read into Jayce’s positive tone. He is acting - they both are. It means nothing. 

Viktor feels guilty deceiving Ximena, but he has no other option, since Jayce has not told her the truth. Presumably, he has a reason for this. 

The day is spent talking with strangers and watching the ceremony. It’s in the evening, at the reception, that it happens. 

Viktor has declined to dance with Jayce, citing his leg as the reason. Truthfully, he does not know what being that close to the man would do to him. This day has already been too much, with the way Jayce has introduced him to so many people as “my partner” with that false affection in his voice. It sounds too real.  

Despite his choice, there is a tinge of jealousy in Viktor’s mind as he watches Jayce dance with a few other guests. His partner smiles at them, and Viktor wishes Jayce was smiling at him instead. 

Eventually, Jayce makes his way back to Viktor, and brings him aside, away from the dance floor and the noise. 

“I’m not so sure this is working,” he says. “People don’t seem convinced.”

“I haven’t noticed anything either way, except for your mother’s congratulations,” Viktor states. “Does it matter?”

“Yes,” Jayce replies. “There’s a woman who won’t leave me alone. I danced with her hoping it would be enough, but she insists on trying to flirt with me. I think she doesn’t believe we’re together.”

Viktor has indeed noticed a woman who has been talking to Jayce fairly often. Jayce hadn’t seem bothered by it at first, but it is clearly frustrating him now. 

“What do you want to do?” Viktor asks. 

“We could kiss,” Jayce suggests. Viktor shows his surprise too plainly, and Jayce hurries to explain. “When she looks over here, if we kiss, she’ll have to accept that we’re dating. Right?”

“I suppose so.” Viktor knows this is a bad idea, knows that it will only strengthen his attraction to his partner, something he is trying to avoid. 

But Viktor is only human, and at times he cannot avoid temptation. 

“Tell me when she looks over,” he says. Jayce watches over Viktor’s shoulder for a few minutes. 

“Now.”

Viktor leans in and kisses Jayce. It’s chaste at first, but then Jayce puts a hand on Viktor’s back and pulls him closer. He kisses back a bit harder, and for a few seconds all Viktor can think about is how much he’s wanted this. A little creature hums contentedly in his chest.

Jayce pulls back, eyes scanning the crowd of people behind Viktor. 

“She stopped watching,” he says. “Thank you. She should leave me alone now.”

“I’m glad to help.” The words are far more true than Viktor wishes to admit. 

Returning home alone that night, Viktor walks inside and shuts the door, leaning against it for a minute. He brings a hand up to his face, fingers tracing his lips. 

The kiss was a mistake. Surely, it was a mistake. 

But it felt right. It felt real . 

Viktor shakes his head. A ridiculous thought. He should know better than to believe something like that. 

He gets ready for bed, ignoring the persistent ache below his stomach. When he lays down, he tries to sleep, tries to push away the memory of Jayce’s lips on his own. He fails. 

Sighing in frustration, Viktor pushes a hand down his body and leans into the remembrance for a short time. It doesn’t take long, and when he’s finished he stares at the wall of his room, breathing slowly returning to normal. 

He feels wrong. These thoughts feel wrong. All of it is wrong. 

He’s better than this. He has to be better than this. 

A few mornings after the wedding, Jayce walks into the lab, with something clearly on his mind. “I’ve been thinking,” he says. 

“Yes?” Viktor hopes Jayce has had an idea about their new prototype, which is having difficulties.

“What if we continued pretending to be together?”

“What?” All thoughts of the prototype leave Viktor’s mind. 

He’s been trying to forget the day of the wedding ever since it happened, resigning himself to the knowledge that nothing similar will ever occur again. He’s been managing to keep the memory of the kiss in the corner of his mind, hidden away behind their work. It’s not a perfect system, but he’s been able to forget. Mostly. 

Now it all comes back, and he’s unable to force it away again. He stares at Jayce, who appears unable to notice how his question has affected Viktor. 

“It’s like you said before,” Jayce tells him. “It’s convenient. It gives us an excuse to not go to some events, and a reason to be spending more time together. Working, I mean.”

He has a point, Viktor knows. He tries a feeble protest. “You wouldn’t be able to be in a real relationship, though.”

“That doesn’t matter to me,” Jayce says. “Unless, of course, it matters to you? I’d understand if that was the case.”

“It would not bother me.” Viktor is telling the truth there for once. The only person he wants is Jayce, and he’s being given an opportunity to have him. Not entirely, of course, but it’s something. 

He really needs to say no. They already crossed a line with that kiss. How many more times will something like that happen if he says yes to this? How far will things go before he inevitably slips up and shows his true feelings?

How many more times would he be able to hear how Jayce’s breathing shakes when he kisses him?

“Well, what do you think?” Jayce asks. 

“I think,” Viktor pauses for a minuscule moment, every part of himself begging him to say no, “that it would be a good idea.” 

Chapter Text

The next few months are a whirlwind. 

Viktor spends most of his time with Jayce, either in the lab or going on dates to trick the paparazzi. Evidently their appearances together have caused quite a stir among the less reputable newspapers in Piltover. Viktor has occasionally seen tabloid headlines about himself and Jayce above blurry pictures of them kissing or holding hands. 

Jayce seems content with this. Viktor can’t figure out if his partner is more pleased with the fact that people now believe he’s no longer available, or the fact that the media is focused on their relationship and not their work - which gives both of them more time to finalize projects, taking a bit of the pressure off. 

Viktor, for his own part, has been working much harder of late. Work is a distraction from his incessant thoughts. He stays late at the lab at night, and arrives early in the morning. 

Jayce has noticed this, and often shows up at the same time or remains behind in the evening so Viktor isn’t alone. It’s kind of him, but Viktor is starting to feel like he’s unable to escape the fact of their relationship, and it worries him. 

It’s not the relationship itself. That part is almost perfect. Talking over the table at random restaurants, holding Jayce’s hand on walks, kissing him goodbye at the door to Viktor’s apartment - it’s all incredible. 

The problem is that none of it is real. 

They only go on dates to keep up appearances. They only hold hands in public because they know it will be noticed. They only kiss when they’re being trailed by paparazzi. It’s all fake, a careful image they craft and present to the world. 

Viktor wants more than that. He wants the small, intimate moments that they lack. The words shared from pillows in the quiet of night, the warmth of a body against his own, the sleepy morning kisses to wake up. He craves these things so badly, and all the time he knows he’ll never have them. 

The related thoughts and emotions are only getting stronger, and Viktor worries about what may happen when he can no longer resist them. The fallout will not be small. His partnership with Jayce is built on trust, and Viktor is not upholding that trust. It pains him, but he doesn’t know what to do except try to forget the truth of his feelings. It’s working, at least for now. 

Jayce, for his part, is just as usual when they’re alone together. He still puts a hand on Viktor’s shoulder, still hugs him when he gets excited or emotional. There’s no discernible difference in his speech or demeanor. It’s almost as if nothing has changed at all, and Viktor doesn’t know whether to be grateful or not for the fact.

He knows he could break the relationship off. Just return to normal entirely. Allow the tabloids to hypothesize about the breakup for a time. Let go of this half-reality he has now. Let go of the pain that comes along with it. 

But Viktor doesn’t want to let go. He wants to keep pretending. 

It’s as close to Jayce as he’ll ever get. 

A situation arises one day. A problem Viktor should have known would occur eventually. 

“That event we were invited to - there’s an issue,” Jayce tells him. “It’s about the hotel rooms.”

“Yes?” Viktor says, already suspicious of where this is leading. 

“Since we’re known to be together, they only reserved one room for us. One bed. And it’s too late to change that.” Jayce is clearly embarrassed by the idea, and it hurts a little to see how uncomfortable he is at the thought of being so close to Viktor. 

“Ah. I see.” Viktor keeps his face neutral, allows no trace of his internal thoughts to show. Most of the thoughts are just variations of you idiot and you should have known , so they aren’t particularly helpful anyway. 

“We could refuse to go,” Jayce suggests. 

“So close to the date, and after they already reserved the room? It would be seen as greatly disrespectful.” Viktor considers the option, even as he speaks. Without canceling, they won’t be able to avoid sharing the room. 

It’s not even that Viktor minds sharing a bed with Jayce. It’s the fact that Jayce clearly minds it. His discomfort is obvious. 

“Well, what do you want to do? Refusing is all I can think of,” Jayce says.  

“We could just go,” Viktor replies cautiously. Jayce looks at him, startled. 

“Would you be… I mean, you would be okay with that?” 

“It’s just a bed, Jayce.” Viktor makes his voice casual. “You and I have kissed before, sharing a bed will be fine.”

“Well, we’ve only kissed in public,” Jayce points out. “This would be in private, too.”

“Are you uncomfortable with the idea? We can refuse if you truly want to do so.” 

“No,” Jayce says quickly. “You’re right, it would look bad if we cancelled now. And it’s just two nights.”

“Then it’s settled.” 

Just outside the event, Jayce stops. “Viktor, look at me,” he says. Viktor stops, wondering if something is wrong. 

Jayce tucks a strand of Viktor’s hair back into place. The gesture is fond, affectionate. Viktor’s heart beats a little faster. “Okay. Ready?”

Viktor nods. They step through the door together. A hum of activity greets them, people talking and laughing and wandering around the room. 

They go through the expected motions of the event. There are the usual greetings, meeting with the hosts and the other guests. Jayce soon gets whisked away by someone, and Viktor can’t keep up with them as they move through the crowd. 

Left alone, he finds a quiet spot after a while, sitting on the outskirts of the throng of people. He watches them, trying to spot his partner.

Eventually, Jayce appears in the corner of Viktor’s vision, alone for the moment. He sits down beside Viktor. “Hey,” Jayce says, and his voice is relaxed, open. 

Viktor wonders if he’s tipsy. Usually Jayce is too aware of his own behavior at these events to drink much, too conscious of how his every move might be scrutinized. In an event this big though, with so many more important people for others to focus on, Jayce seems to be more comfortable.

“Hello,” Viktor replies. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

Jayce looks at him. “I am. Are you?”

“You know me,” Viktor says. “These events are not my strong suit.”

Jayce is still watching him, and Viktor wonders what his partner is thinking. They sit there quietly together, Viktor feeling like he can breathe easier with Jayce by his side. 

Then Jayce speaks, soft and with a slight smile. “I love you, you know that?” He says the words as though he were commenting on the sky being blue. 

The world tilts. “What?” Viktor asks, voice sharp in his surprise. 

Jayce winces. “I mean… You know what? Never mind.”

“Jayce,” Viktor says, and takes his arm as Jayce stands up. Jayce turns to him, emotion showing on his face, and suddenly he leans in and kisses Viktor. 

Viktor, stunned, pulls back. Jayce must be drunk, and Viktor won’t do this now, not while he’s under the influence. It wouldn’t be right. 

“We can’t, Jayce,” he tells him, and before he can say more, Jayce takes a step backward, his face sobered. 

“No,” Jayce says, and his voice is low, broken. “I suppose we can’t.”

He turns and disappears into the crowd. Viktor hesitates, wondering whether to go after him. He follows after a few seconds, weaving in and out of groups of people, not seeing his partner anywhere.  

Finally he finds Jayce standing by himself in a corner of a quieter room. Viktor goes up to him, searching for the right words, but before he can speak, Jayce stops him. 

“Don’t, Viktor. Please, just leave.” His tone is hollow, and his words have no bite to them. They wound Viktor nonetheless. 

Without another word, Viktor walks away, heading straight outside and to their hotel. No one will notice him gone - no one except for Jayce. 

The hotel hallways are empty. Viktor finds their door and goes in, then sits on the edge of the bed, thinking, staring out the window. 

He doesn’t regret rejecting Jayce. To not do so would have been wrong, given the circumstances. If Jayce was drunk, there would be no excuse for taking advantage of the fact. No matter how much Viktor might have wanted that kiss, it wasn’t the time for it. 

No, he did the right thing. But he could have explained, could have said it better. Instead he’d stumbled, unable to find the correct words, and he’d hurt Jayce. 

He’ll make it right in the morning. If Jayce is even willing to talk to him. Viktor hopes he will be, hopes he can mend the situation. 

Because if what Jayce told him was true…

Well, that would make them both fools, wouldn’t it? Or at least, it would certainly make Viktor one. If he’s been pining after his partner for all this time, and Jayce has been doing the same… He almost laughs at the thought. An instinct born of relief, nearly elation. 

Of course, there’s the possibility that Jayce was just drunk, and said something he didn’t mean. That thought makes Viktor serious again. 

The way he said it, though - it was like he was stating a fact they both knew. Surely alcohol wouldn’t cause that tone of voice, wouldn’t make Jayce look at Viktor the way he did. Like he saw the world in him. 

And part of Viktor still lingers on the memory of how Jayce tasted, like cherries and alcohol. Sweet and sharp. Viktor can’t get the thought out of his head. He wants to taste it again, wants more. 

There will be time for that, he tells himself. Provided what Jayce said was true, he can clear everything up in the morning. 

It’s that possibility that Viktor dwells on as he finally falls asleep. The thought of the conversation to come. 

Jayce is not in the room when Viktor opens his eyes the following morning. 

Viktor sits up. Jayce’s side of the bed has been slept in, but his partner is nowhere to be seen. 

That throws a hitch into Viktor’s plan. They won’t be able to discuss this in public today. Perhaps, tonight? Or the day after. That, definitely. They can talk once the event is over. 

Until then, Viktor decides to act normal. There’s no reason to do otherwise. No reason to spiral, not yet. He’ll speak with Jayce soon enough. 

Viktor barely sees his partner throughout the day. Jayce spends most of his time with other guests, leaving Viktor to himself. Every time Viktor manages to find the other man, Jayce finds an excuse to slip away. After several failed attempts, Viktor gives up. 

Most of the people present ignore him, especially when Jayce isn’t by his side. In no mood to talk with them, Viktor goes in search of the house library, and stays there, reading, until the event is over. Then he stands, ready to return to the hotel, deciding to wait up for Jayce there. They’ll have to talk then. 

Instead, when he steps outside, Viktor sees Jayce a little ways away, laughing and talking with a beautiful woman. Viktor hears her ask Jayce to walk her home, and he agrees. The two set off down the street together, and Viktor is left standing alone in the chilly evening air. 

He wonders if he means any more to Jayce than that woman does. 

Jayce doesn’t return to the hotel that night. Viktor stays up, waiting for him, but he never appears. Frustrated, hurt, and at a loss, Viktor packs his bags, wanting to feel at least a little useful. Then he sits out on the balcony, watching the sun slowly rise. 

A few hours after dawn, Jayce unlocks the hotel door. Viktor sees him glance at the balcony, but Jayce doesn’t approach. Instead he begins to pack his things, and finally Viktor comes inside. 

“Ready to go?” Jayce asks, and his voice is light like nothing has happened. 

“We should talk first, Jayce,” Viktor says, determined. 

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Jayce appears to be genuine, but Viktor can see that there’s something hiding behind the blankness in his eyes. 

“Jayce-“ Viktor tries again. 

“Nothing.” Jayce speaks firmly, cutting Viktor short. His tone is flat, final. “Ready to go?” he repeats. 

Viktor looks at him. Jayce stares back, still with that blank face. Something inside Viktor cracks, falls to pieces. The happy humming creature inside his chest lies dead. 

“Yes,” he says quietly, and follows Jayce out the door. 

Chapter Text

Three weeks go by in near silence. 

Jayce won’t talk about what happened at the event. He changes the subject every time Viktor brings it up. It’s always without acknowledgement, as though Jayce didn’t hear Viktor’s words. 

Viktor knows he is ignoring it on purpose, though. It shows in the way his partner’s body language tenses, and the careful, measured tone of his voice.  

It doesn’t just happen when Viktor mentions the event, either. Jayce now refuses to talk about anything besides their work or purely formal topics. They no longer discuss personal projects over meals, share memories, or trade jokes back and forth. It’s quiet more often than not when they’re together. 

Jayce has pulled back physically as well. He hasn’t touched Viktor once since their last kiss that night. There are no more casual brushes of their fingers, no arms around Viktor. 

He tried to put a hand on Jayce’s shoulder once, a few days after the party. Jayce stepped back, almost flinched away. He spent the rest of the day in the corner of the lab, saying he needed to correct a prototype and that the light was better over there. He said nothing to Viktor’s offer of help. 

Outside the lab, their partnership is nonexistent. No dates or walks in the park, no kisses in front of apartment doors. Not even a suggestion of seeing the other home. Viktor did offer one night, but the look on Jayce’s face was a clear expression that his company was unwanted. 

Viktor is worried - afraid, honestly. There’s a very good chance that he’s lost Jayce entirely, and right at the moment when he thought they might really have a chance together.

He keeps trying. Something will work, eventually. Jayce can’t ignore him forever. Can he?

The papers have begun speculating about their relationship. Tabloids talk about a possible break up, a fight - one even suggests a failed proposal. Viktor has spotted a few paparazzi following him on his way to and from the lab, observing his failed attempts to talk to Jayce.  

Viktor doesn’t care what other people think of his relationship with his partner. What he does care about is ensuring that they still have a relationship. 

One way or another, he’s got to fix this. 

Early one evening, Viktor tries to start a conversation.

“You’ve been quiet today, Jayce. What’s on your mind?” he asks.

“Nothing’s on my mind, except these blueprints. I’m trying to figure out what’s missing.” Jayce’s face is empty, and his frame is slightly tense. He does not look Viktor in the eye. It’s the same as it is every time they speak. 

Viktor can’t take it anymore. 

“I love you too,” he says, desperate, and he hopes . 

“What?” Jayce turns to him, dropping his pencil. It rolls off the desk and onto the ground, but he makes no move to pick it up. “What did you say?”

“I said, I love you too.” Viktor enunciates the words carefully, watching Jayce. 

His partner’s face falls. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?” Viktor asks, not understanding. 

“Don’t try to fix things. It’s fine, I’m fine. We can just go back to normal. You don’t need to pretend.”

“I am not pretending, Jayce.” Viktor tries to put the full weight of his emotions behind the words. “I never was.”

“But you rejected me.” Jayce looks confused, and now his pain shows on his face. 

“You were drunk. What was I supposed to do?”

“I wasn’t drunk, Viktor.”

“But you-“ Viktor stops. You tasted like alcohol , he wants to say, but doesn’t know if he should. 

“I had one drink. No more. I might have been a little tipsy, but I was not drunk.” Jayce rubs a hand over his neck. “I was going to confess, that night. I didn’t want to be under the influence for that.”

“Why would you choose to do it right then?” Viktor asks. It’s unlike Jayce to say something so important in such a public place, with so many people around. 

“Well, I didn’t plan to tell you at the event. I had it all figured out - we’d go to the park, and I’d tell you there. And then I saw you sitting there, and I couldn’t keep it in any longer. I had to tell you.” Jayce speaks in a rush, then pauses. “I thought you felt the same way,” he says slowly. 

“ I thought you were drunk,” Viktor repeats. 

Jayce’s eyes search Viktor’s face. “That’s why you rejected me?”

“Yes. I didn’t want to take advantage of you.”

“Viktor,” Jayce’s voice softens, some of the pain in his expression lifting, “if you hadn’t thought I was drunk, what would you have done?”

“I would have said it back. Kissed you back.” After three weeks thinking endlessly of the way this moment could go, all Viktor can say is the simple truth. “I wanted to explain afterwards, but-“

“I didn’t let you,” Jayce finishes. 

“And you found someone else,” Viktor says, and he doesn’t mean to sound accusing, but he does anyway. 

“You mean-?”

“That woman. You walked her home, and stayed out all night.”

“I didn’t sleep with her!” Jayce says quickly. “All I did was walk her home, honestly. She wanted more, but it didn’t feel right. I left, and sat at a cafe until the sun came up. Then I walked for a while, and came back to the hotel.”

Viktor takes a moment to think over that morning. He had assumed… but there was nothing to support that assumption, except that Jayce was wearing the same clothes as the night before. And he’s never known his partner to lie to him. 

“Why didn’t you let us talk about this?” Viktor asks. 

“You rejected me. I assumed you were uncomfortable with my feelings, so I tried to avoid the conversation. I didn’t want you to have to explain why you said no.”

“That was all I wanted to do!” Viktor says, half frustrated and half relieved. 

“I see that now.” Jayce stops, clearly thinking. He stands and walks over to Viktor, holding out a hand. “Let’s try this again.” 

Viktor takes his hand, and gets up too. 

“I love you,” Jayce says. 

“I love you too,” Viktor replies, and then Jayce is leaning in and so is Viktor. 

They kiss, and it’s fervent, heated. Now, after all the previous times, they both know what causes the other’s breath to hitch, what makes them gasp. Jayce holds Viktor by the hips, and one hand goes up to his hair. Viktor, in his turn, scrapes his teeth just gently against Jayce’s lips, making him let out a small sound.  

When at last they separate, Jayce lets go of Viktor like it’s the hardest thing he’s ever done. “We should go,” he says. 

“Where?” 

“Somewhere with a bed,” Jayce says, desire in his eyes and his voice breathless, and Viktor laughs.

They hardly make it inside Jayce’s apartment door before Jayce is crowding Viktor back against it, arms on either side of him, gentle despite the speed of the movement. Viktor puts a hand against the cold surface of the wall, closes his eyes as Jayce mouths along his neck. 

He wraps a hand in Jayce’s hair, pulls his mouth up to meet Viktor’s own. When they stop for breath, he says “I believe we were looking for a bed?” 

They make it to the bedroom, hands tangled together, and barely separate to pull off their clothes. 

Viktor takes a moment then to take Jayce in, marveling at the sight of his partner. Jayce looks back at him, and the raw want in Viktor’s mind and body is mirrored in his partner. Viktor sits down on the edge of the bed, and Jayce comes to him, tilting his chin up to kiss him. 

Leaning back, Viktor pulls Jayce over him, and whispers something in his ear that makes the other man draw in a sharp breath. 

They let their bodies do the rest of the talking, hands and mouths and every part of them saying all the things that words don’t suffice to say. 

Afterwards, Viktor falls asleep more easily than he has in months, with nothing to haunt his mind or dreams. 

Morning light wakes him. He shifts slightly in Jayce’s arms, and hears his partner mumble his name behind him. Turning, he puts a hand against Jayce’s cheek. 

Jayce opens his eyes, still blurry with sleep, and smiles at Viktor. “Good morning,” he says, voice a little rough but tender. 

“Good morning,” Viktor replies. They stay in the same position for a while. The air in the room is warm and scented slightly like cinnamon. It’s comfortable, and Viktor realizes he will have many more opportunities to feel like this. He looks forward to them. 

After a time, Jayce stirs. “We should probably head to the lab,” he says, and starts to get up. 

Viktor catches his arm. “The lab can wait,” he replies, and Jayce turns back with a grin. He gathers Viktor in his arms and pulls him close again, sitting back against the headboard. 

“I’ve wanted this for a long time,” Jayce tells him. 

“We both have, then.” Viktor says, a little ruefully, though with no bitterness. “It seems we’ve been rather foolish.”

“We figured it out, though,” says Jayce, soft and content. 

Viktor moves until he is on Jayce’s lap. He intertwines their hands, and lifts one of Jayce’s to his lips. “We did,” he agrees. 

He’s never been happier.