Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Everyone has their drama. Piltover University’s Engineering department is absolutely no different. Yes there is the typical competitiveness of students working similar, but different fields, there's the student relationships, there’s the usual stress of just being a university student with no money, and even less free time. But unless you were to see it for yourself, you absolutely would not believe the complete chaos that is the University's two most sought after professors.

Professor Viktor Novontny is, in all honesty, fairly unassuming when you first meet him. He is soft spoken yet direct. A quiet, polite man who has dedicated his life to his research in biomechanical engineering. He is wicked smart but is very good at bringing his knowledge down to a level that is understandable and exciting.

Professor Jayce Talis is kind of the opposite. The mechanical engineering students love him. He's extremely personable and his strong, wide build definitely helps with his appeal. He is also wildly smart and often forgets that not everyone has his same level of understanding in his feild. He greets every student with a warm handshake and smile.

However about two weeks into the respective programs, everyone is shocked at who their professors turn into as they get to know them better. Professor Novontny is actually borderline insane. It really should not be possible to have explosives this often in bioengineering. This guy, it seems, seeks out the dangers of his profession with an honestly terrifying glint in his eye. He will also absolutely roast anyone and everyone. He may be slightly soft spoken but he can and will absolutely annihilate you if you say or do something that he finds to be particularly stupid. He is a cocky bastard too. If you plan on disagreeing with something he says you had better have at least 4 different sighted sources as well as physical proof of him being wrong. Even if you have all of that and more he will look at it for about 2 seconds before tearing into the “honestly offensive lack of genius”. He, of course, will then explain to you how he is in fact right and how the other so-called professionals are simply too small minded to have the guts to push their theory just the little bit further to make it work.

Professor Talis is a hyperactive labrador. His students have agreed through many different polls that this is the simplest way to describe him. He’s fun and wild and always moving. He is also incredibly awkward. Honestly, how does someone with this much natural charm screw up so badly in normal conversations? It's like the only thing he truly knows how to talk about is mechanics. Which admittedly is why they took the course so it's fine, really it is. But don't try to start up a conversation with him about literally anything else. It will end with him fumbling over his words and saying something so out of pocket that you’d honestly believe you were talking with a three year old who had gotten bored of the conversation and decided to change the topic. One student a few years ago had gone down in meme history for recording a conversation she had had with the professor where she had told him that her pet had died and he responded with “ oh… that's so sad. Uhm… can I get you a dinosaur sticker?” He now has a poster in his classroom of a t-rex holding a “sorry for your loss” card.

The students love them both. Unfortunately, they seem to absolutely hate each other. Professor Novontny will go out of his way to track Professor Talis down and smack him hard on the arm or shin with his cane unprovoked, then proceed to walk away with a smirk while Professor Talis curses and flips him off. It is a very common sight to see them arguing loudly over some sort of physics theory that is going completely over everyone else's heads. Other times they have been seen talking in the hallways when Professor Talis will suddenly lean down slightly to whisper something in the others ear with a smug grin on his face. Professor Novontny’s face will then twist into shock and annoyance but before he can actually respond to whatever Talis had said, the taller man will have already started jogging away laughing, leaving the other to shout his name after him and limp as quickly as he can to follow him away. Sometimes when the students are needing a break from their genius professors lectures someone will pipe up and mention something that they heard the other professor say, leading to at least a 10 minute rant about how the other professor is clearly wrong. It is an endlessly amusing waste of time.

****

It is a Friday evening and the school is finally free of students wandering halls. Viktor is hunched over his desk reading through his students' most recent research papers, muttering to himself as he marks corrections and praises onto the essays. Jayce smiles as he walks into Viktors office unnoticed. He quiets his steps as he walks closer to the other and does his best to stay out of Viktors line of sight. Jayce leans in close to his ear and blows directly into Viktors ear canal. He is rewarded with an immediate shriek and has to quickly step back to avoid being hit square in the nose by Viktors cane handle. He laughs at the others' annoyed face and fights back a coo at Viktors hand still overing the offending ear.

“You are lucky I was standing most of the day today. If my leg wasn’t aching so much right now I’d come over and hit you properly.” Viktor murmurs at him. Jayce, the menace, just laughs again and walks back over to lean against Viktors desk to face him properly.

“If you paid better attention to your surroundings and sat down like you were supposed to, this wouldn't be a problem.” Jayce retaliates before his face eases into something that looks infuriatingly close to worry. “Really though, is your leg that bad today? Do you need anything?”

Viktor shakes his head “ No, it's alright I just got carried away. They were asking good questions about the design of that new catheter I showed you. I was trying to draw it out on the chalkboard.” Jayce hums as he glances over at the mentioned board. It's a complete mess of Viktors usual chicken scratch but sure enough in the corner furthest away from his chair is a to-scale diagram of the mechanical structure of the newest surgical equipment. Jayce scoffs.

“Yeah ok, "trying "." He rolls his eyes fondly. Viktor shoots him a halfhearted glare. “You about done with whatever you’re doing? I’m starving, and it's take-out night. I want to get to that Chinese place before they close.”

Viktor nods as he finishes up his last comment. He reaches for his cane and moves to stand up. Jayce offers his hand to further assist. Viktor takes it after a brief hesitation, his leg really is killing him tonight. He keeps a hold on Jayce to further relieve some pressure. Jayce, blessedly, doesn't mention it when Viktor leans a little more into his hold. He just re-adjusts his arm to be better used as a crutch and goes to put Viktors left hand in the crook of his elbow. Jayce can't help but smile when the dimmed lights of the office catch on the gold on Viktors ring finger. He brings it up to his lips, pressing a warm gentle kiss to Viktors hand and revels in the feeling of the smooth metal wrapped snugly on long, thin, clever fingers.

“ Let's get you home, Professor Talis.” Jayce says while grinning like the stupid, lovesick puppy that he is. Viktor laughs softly at Jayce’s antics

“Yes, I think you should.” Viktor says as he pulls his husband into a gentle kiss.

Chapter Text

Viktor woke up choking. His chest heaves trying and failing to get air into his lungs. He sits up trying to open his airways. A shuddering gasp makes it to his lungs which only succeeds in making him violently cough. He can't breathe.

He can’t, his diaphragm is squeezing and his chest is heaving and he can’t BREATHE.

He’s panicking, distantly he's aware of that and even more distantly he knows that the adrenalin is absolutely not helping but he still just can't breathe. 

One of his hands flies to his own chest trying to rub the ache away and dislodge whatever is stopping his oxygen. the other blindly gropes off to the side, feeling for Jayce. 

“Jay-” another desperate and weak cough, followed by a horrible wet gasping sound. 

Still no air. He needs air, he needs to breathe, he needs Jayce. 

His hand slaps out, he needs Jayce, Jayce can help, where is he? 

His hand rather harshly smacks into something solid and warm. FINALLY!

“Ow Vi- Vik?” Jayce’s sleep-rough voice finally breaks through and Viktor does his best to latch his panicked mind onto the sound. 

“Viktor! Hey, whats? Shit V, breathe!” Jayce’s hand grabs Viktors, his other goes to firmly pat Viktors back.

He feels something, finally, give and his lungs seize as he's finally able to get a gulp of air in. He is immediately taken by a harsh coughing fit. He feels Jayce’s hand rubbing his back soothingly. 

“Ok, alright, you’re okay. You’re doing great, Vik. Let it out.” Jayce’s voice keeps him focused as he continues his steady strokes down Viktors back. 

Once he finally gets his breathing mostly under control, he slumps over into Jayces chest, exhausted. Jayce doesn't hesitate to pull him closer into a firm hug. Placing a kiss onto Viktors hairline. 

“You ok V?” Jayce’s warm, worried voice asks. Viktor nods, still breathing slightly heavy. He swallows thickly. 

“Yes, I'm okay now, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.”

“Don’t apologize, I’m just glad you're alright.” Viktor just nods again, pressing his face into Jayce’s shoulder 

“What time is it?” He asks

“8:15” Viktor sinks into the feeling of Jayces voice rumbling in his chest before reluctantly pushing himself back into a sitting position. 

“Well since we’re up, let's get ready. We can stop by the bakery for breakfast and get some groceries before we meet your mom for lunch. Yes?” Jayce smiled warmly at him and leaned in for a quick kiss.

“So bossy.”

“You love it.” 

“Yes, fine. I do.” 

They got dressed for the day. Both bundling up in sweaters to prepare for the cold weather outside. Viktor keeps trying to ignore the worried glances that Jayce keeps throwing his way. He is fine. Completely and obviously fine. Which is why he barely has to put any attention towards ignoring the achy, tickly feeling in his chest. It's barely there anyways and like he told himself before, he is obviously fine. He walks over to Jayce, carrying Jayce’s preferred red scarf. He winds it around Jayce’s neck and smoothes the soft fabric down over his partner's chest, resting his hands there for just a moment. Jayce smiles down at him and pulls him into another hug. He buries his face in Viktors unruly waves. 

“I love you.” Jayce whispers.

“I know.” Viktor says with a smirk. “You make it hard to forget” 

Jayce gives him a squeeze in retaliation, drawing a slight chuckle from him.

“Come on, we're not going to have time for groceries if we don’t leave soon.” Jayce says as he pulls away from the hug, but he keeps Viktors hand in his as they walk out the door. 

The walk to the grocery store is short. Even with Viktors bad leg, its not a difficult walk. Well not normally. Today, as much as he loathes to admit, his chest is tight and sore. The walk that he can usually do without even truly thinking about it, the one he has made both with Jayce and by himself countless times in the last 3 years, is making his breath come far too fast and far too hard. He fights against the urge to clutch at his chest. There's no need for that, he’s fine. No need to worry Jayce for a second time in just 3 hours.

 Maybe he caught a cold from one of his students. Now that he thinks about it there was the young lady that had come to him after class with a few clarifying questions. She had to pause a few times to clear her throat while she was talking with him. Yes, that's probably it. It’s just an oncoming cold.

No need to linger on the fact that this feels different to any cold he's had in the past. Including when he and Jayce caught covid and were stuck in isolation for two and a half weeks. No, it's simply a new virus he hasn’t had the pleasure of having before. So clearly he is completely fine. 

By the time they make it to the store Viktor is barely suppressing the urge to cough. His chest is achy and he is really having a hard time catching his breath. But now that they have stopped and started leisurely strolling the isles its getting easier. 

Its even easier to ignore after they leave and the air outside has warmed slightly. Even if a cough or two slips out before Viktor can choke them back. Jayce just shoots him a look each time. Viktor glares back. He is FINE. 

Lunch with Ximena is lovely as always. She loads their plates up with far too much food, and they spend the meal talking and laughing. Viktor only had to grab at his chest once when Ximena said something funny enough to make him wheeze. 

When they’re on their way out the door with multiple boxes of food each, Ximena grabs them both one at a time and kisses them on the cheeks. 

“Look after yourselves. You especially Viktor, you are looking a bit pale, amor. Jayce mijo, make sure he is getting good sleep. It won’t do to have either of you sick!” she said while patting Viktors cheek affectionately 

“I will Mami, we take care of each other.” Jayce said with a slight laugh. “Come on V let's get back home. I know we both have some paperwork we need to get done.” 

Viktor places his hand in Jayce's, allowing him to guide him home.

Chapter Text

“Vik it's been months, are you sure you don't need to get that cough checked out?” Jayce asks one warm spring day at lunch. 

Viktor is just trying to battle the nausea he has been feeling for the last few weeks. He hasn’t had much of an appetite, and today is no different, 

“Jayce I am fine, there's nothing anyone can do about a simple cough. Besides, it's probably just allergies.” Viktor retorts. 

“Yeah ok except for the fact that you've had this cough since like December, and it's only getting worse.” Jayce snaps back. 

Viktor knows he’s just concerned but it doesn't stop the slight pang of annoyance that bubbles up from his chest. Just because Jayce is right, does not give him the excuse to call him out on his own bullshit. He can handle himself just fine, thank you. 

“Look sweetheart, it's just weird, and I know you don't want to hear this but you've been off. You're far too tired, I catch you hacking up a lung way too often to be normal, you haven't been eating nearly enough, and you just look sick!” Jayce paused, grabbing Viktors hand. “V, maybe it is nothing, maybe it is allergies, or a really long lasting cold. But wouldn't you rather just know? Just to be sure?”

Viktor thought about it for a moment. He was right, he has been feeling worse recently. He can never seem to get enough sleep and even just walking down the hall to get from his classroom to Jayce’s leaves him winded. 

“Fine, ok, I will call the doctor tonight, see when he can get me in.” Viktor finally concedes. Jayce squeezes his hand. 

“Thank you.” Viktor looks up into those warm, hazel eyes. I mean really how was he supposed to say no to those puppy eyes?

After lunch, Jayce walks him back to his classroom. It's a Tuesday, so theirs were the only two classes in person in this hallway. Jayce leans down to whisper in Viktors ear to avoid passing students' hearing. 

“I love you Viktor, I wouldn’t push if I thought this was nothing to be worried about. I know how strong you are. You don't need to keep pushing to prove yourself to me.” he presses a subtle kiss to Viktors jawline. Earning himself a light smack from Viktors cane as he pulls away. Viktor scrunches his nose up in annoyance while fighting a smile. 

“See you after class!” Jayce yells over his shoulder as he jogs away, drawing some confused looks from passing students. 

“What an idiot.” Viktor mutters with mock annoyance. 

As his class started filling in, the familiar excitement of teaching starts filling Viktors chest. He had introduced to them his newest idea of surgical machinery, he has lovingly called the “Hex-Claw”. A third arm for surgeons that has far more dexterity and precision than the average human hand. He has been messing with the idea of adding in a laser setting, for ultimate precision cutting while automatically hemolyzing wounds with each cut. 

He has been having his students do their own research to help him bring the idea into a proper working machine. And his students truly are geniuses in their own ways. Their theories are insanely creative and could have real potential, given more time to learn and grow. 

All this being said, he was very excited to hear what they have been working on over the last weekend. Especially his youngest, and admittedly wildest student, a young woman named Powder, affectionately nicknamed Jinx by her fellow classmates. Her ideas, although slightly terrifying at times, truly are remarkable. 

As the class settles in, Viktor stands up, taking a deep breath to start his welcome. Only to immediately be taken by a coughing fit. 

Honestly he’s mostly just embarrassed. I mean the attention is fully on him and this attack caught him completely by surprise that he wasn't able to even try to pass it off as clearing his throat or something similar. 

As his lungs continue in their efforts of turning inside out, Viktor tastes the sickly sweet of mucus. He forces his lungs to take a breath in, even if the result is only more coughing, he can feel himself getting light headed. 

He can hear one of his students calling his name with open concern. But he can’t even wave them off. He worries if he moves at all he’ll lose balance completely, embarrassing himself further. Unfortunately he just can. NOT. STOP. COUGHING!

That gross sweet taste suddenly takes a dark metallic turn. He continues to cough horribly into his sleeve until his lungs give him enough of a reprieve to glance at his elbow, scared of what he might find. He's pretty sure he coughed up a chunk of something. 

Head spinning, he looks at his formerly white dress shirt sleeve. Blood. Splattered throughout the elbow area, mixed with spit and mucus and frankly disgusting dark red chunks of…. Well something. 

He feels himself begin to sway, vision tunnelling, hearing going muffled. No, no, no, no, no, is all he can think as he feels himself start to tip. His vision is completely gone, all he can hear is some startled yelps coming from his students before he is thrust into sweet oblivion.

Chapter Text

Jayce was having a pretty alright day to be honest. Despite being woken up a few times from Viktors coughing in the middle of the night, he actually felt pretty well rested. When their alarm had finally woken him up for good this morning, Viktor had turned in his sleep to wrap himself around Jayce’s back, effectively making him the little spoon. And Jayce will absolutely never complain about that. He likes the feeling of being held! Sue him!

He had made an amazing breakfast if he may say so himself, the sun was up, it was a warm day, and he had even convinced Viktor to hop in the shower with him. His class had gone swimmingly in the morning and his and Viktors lunch times actually worked out and they were able to sit and talk for more than the usual 5 minutes that they often share, generally being too busy catching up with paperwork. AND best of all Viktor finally, finally, agreed to call their doctor. 

So yeah honestly, a pretty good day so far! He was looking forward to his afternoon class. They tended to be his most engaged class, following along and asking questions or commenting when asked. It has led to some wonderful conversations and sometimes even demonstrations. Jayce has always learned best when it's hands-on and will jump at any opportunity to have his students learn the same way. 

So when after less than five minutes into his introduction for the days’ lesson, he is interrupted by some sort of commotion happening outside in the hallway, truthfully, he was a little annoyed. That is until his door is abruptly slammed open revealing a young girl that looks mildly familiar, but no name comes to mind. She looks panicked as she wildly scans the room until she makes eye contact with him. Jayce feels a bit frozen to his spot when she locks eyes with him. She's gasping a little bit, like she's trying to catch her breath. 

“Professor, help, we need help.” She gasps out, “Professor Novontny, he collapsed.”

Jayce’s heart drops. 

“He- He what?” He asks hollowly.

“ Sir, please we need help!” She reiterates. And Jayce’s brain snaps into gear and he nearly falls over in his desperate jolt to start sprinting towards Viktors classroom. 

It's not a far walk, just about 100 feet away, but that has never felt longer and Jayce dashes down the hall. He distantly registers that the girl is following behind him. But he doesn't even spare a look. His whole body just screaming at him: Viktors down. He's hurt. He needs help. What if he hurt his leg? Or worse ! Jayce cannot get there fast enough. 

As he finally reaches the door to Viktors classroom, he grabs the door frame and uses his momentum to swing his way into the room. The students are all out of their seats, some are staying back but staring at the front of the classroom in horror, about half of the class is huddled at the front by Viktors desk. 

Jayce runs over to the group, pushing students out of the way as gently as he can while still in a panic. Viktor is at the center of the group, crumpled on the floor. One of the students, a young man, is holding Viktors head in his lap, his fingers on Viktors neck, feeling for a pulse. 

Jayce crashes to his knees at Viktors side, he's sure they'll bruise later, but who cares because Viktor is there on the floor, pale as a ghost and there's blood. Blood streaming from Viktors nose. 

“Shit Vik!” Jayce grabs at Viktors face, cupping his cold cheek in his left hand while his right switches spots with the other boy's hand on Viktors neck. 

Okay. Okay there's a pulse. It's fast, a little thready but it's there. Okay, good. Jayce then puts the back of his hand a hair's width away from Viktors mouth and nose feeling for… THERE! A breath! Good! Ok he can work with this! He looks up at the crowd of students around them. 

“Has anyone called someone? An ambulance?” He asks urgently. And a student nods while raising one of their hands then gestures to their phone, held up against their ear. Clearly mid-phone call. 

“Okay. Great, yes good.” he turns his attention back to Viktor. He gently lifts his husband's head, allowing the young man, Jayce will have to remember to ask his name later, to switch him spots. He should probably get him a gift basket or something to thank him for keeping Viktor comfortable while Jayce wasn't here. 

“Alright baby, I’m here now, We’re gonna get you help.” Jayce whispers. 

He can feel tears burning at the backs of his eyes. Gods he’s terrified. Viktor looks so, so, so… well, kinda dead. His body is crumpled awkwardly, his legs sprawled and bent sideways forcing his back to be twisted in what is probably a very uncomfortable angle, his legs and hips sideways while his upper half is more flat, facing the ceiling. His nose is still bleeding.

“Can you help me roll him?” Jayce asks the two nearest students, the young man that was helping earlier and another young woman. “Let's get him fully onto his side, so his nose isn't dripping down his throat.” 

The two nod and on Jayces count, roll Viktor fully to his right side. Probably not great for his bad leg, Jayce realizes but his spine and airway take precedence. He can deal with a sore leg later. 

Jayce keeps his hand hovering over Viktors nose and mouth feeling the too small puffs of warm air hitting his finger. Viktor has yet to respond to any of the jostling, his face eerily lax. Jayce’s free hand goes to Viktors unruly hair, petting gently. 

“Keep breathing sweetheart. You're doing great. I love you so much.” Jayce keeps a steady stream of encouragement going just to fill the quiet. His eyes glued to the small, stuttery movements of Viktors stomach showing his breathing. 

His knees are starting to ache from kneeling on the hard, university floors but he doesn't dare move, too afraid to jostly his lap's precious cargo. 

“Come on V, Wake up. Let me see those brilliant eyes of yours, please?” Jayce’s begs fall on unconscious ears. Viktors face doesn't even twitch in response. Jayce moves his hand from Viktors hair to trace his face. The shape long since memorized from the countless times that Jayce has done this exact gesture while laying in bed. 

Jayce lets the familiar tracing patterns steal his attention. Out of his mouth he continues his quiet praises, occasionally begging for Viktor to respond. He’s not sure how long he stays there but he is started back into reality by a heavy hand on his shoulder. 

He jumps and whirls his head around to come face to face with an EMS worker. Paramedic according to the man's hat. 

“Hi Sir, we’re here to help but we need to get to the patient's face to check his breathing please.”

“Viktor.” Jayce says firmly, 

“Pardon?” The medic asks. 

“Viktor, his name is Viktor.” Jayce reaffirms. He is not just some patient. He has a name.

“Yes thank you for telling me, Sir, that helps.” The man answers gently, “ Could I please assess Viktor? I need to see his nose and mouth to make sure nothing is blocking his breathing.” 

Jayce nods. Feeling a little dumb, and definitely not all the way there. The medic gently moves Jayces hand away and starts inspecting Viktors face. 

A woman, also part of the EMS crew, comes and kneels next to Jayce. 

“Sir my name is Lest, this is Steb, we’re here to help. I'm going to take over holding Viktors head,” Jayce immediately starts frantically shaking his head. Panic soaring back in at the idea of letting go of his husband. “I need to make sure his neck is not broken, but you can trade me spots and you can keep ahold of his hand, if you’d like?” The lady, Lest, says kindly, patiently.

Jayce follows her careful instructions, trying to keep Viktors head and neck as still as possible. The man, Steb, apparently, continues to hook Viktor up to all sorts of wires and machines. Lest begins asking him questions about Viktors condition. Jayce fills her in on what he can, but allows students to take over the story from this afternoon, realizing that he actually hadn't been told the story of how he had actually collapsed. Did they just say he coughed up blood ??

Jayce tunes them out after that. He holds onto Viktors icey hand, keeping two fingers on the gentle, slightly fast and weak pulse in Viktors wrist. Silently praying that he will be alright. Eventually the ambulance crew loads Viktor onto the stretcher. Jayce keeps a vice grip on his hand. 

“Sir, we have to take Viktor to the hospital. Do you know who his emergency contact might be? Do you have a way to contact them? Lest asks. 

“Uhm yeah, me. He’s- I’m his husband, please don't make me leave him.” Jayce weakly responds, the end turning into a whine. 

“Okay, that's fine. You can come with us then. But we need to start moving.”

Jayce nods his understanding and moves with the stretcher, refusing to let go of Viktors hand. He settles in the seat in the back of the ambulance, his eyes glued to Viktors face, watching for any movement whatsoever. The sirens kick on and they start moving.

“Come on V, keep fighting.”

Chapter Text

Viktor feels himself waking up. His eyes peel open just a touch, but he lets them fall closed again immediately after due to the blurry, bright lights that assaulted his vision. Is there something he needs to be awake for today? No, he doesn't think so. His body feels heavy and relaxed, a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt right? 

Wrong, apparently, seeing as someone violently rubs his sternum as soon as he feels himself drifting. Ow, okay, that's rude. He opens his mouth to tell, whoever that was, off. All that comes out is a weak groan, that he can barely even hear himself, especially with that annoying hissing sound.

The hand is still pressing firmly on his chest, so instead he tries to push the hand away. He must have had a really good nap or something though, because his hand feels really heavy. He screws up his face in annoyance and muted pain. 

“Goo- -n’t want to ha- -o intubate -ou, sir” a muffled and seemingly floating voice of some far away person says. 

Hmm, that sounded kind of important. Intubate? That's… The tube down the throat right? Yeah that seems right. Did he and Jayce fall asleep watching some medical show again? He should probably wake up and turn it off. His back will absolutely kill him in the morning if he falls asleep on the couch again. In fact, he can feel the ache already. Ouch! Actually his back is really hurting, and his chest, a different pain to the knuckles being pressed into his bone, no, a more familiar tight pain. And his head. That hurt too for some weird reason. 

He gives his eyes another try, immediately groaning as the blurry and disorienting lights once again pierce into his pupils. No, he should wake up now. He blinks again, and again, trying to focus on the dark blobs that are hovering over him, interrupting the brightness. Slowly they come into more focus, same with the voices.

“Good job sir! Hi! You’re doing so well! Stay awake for us please?” a young woman says from above his head. Why is she acting like waking up is the best thing he could be doing right now? Why is she upside down? No, not upside down, just standing at the head of the bed. Wait, bed? Not his bed, that's for sure. Not nearly comfortable enough

He goes to move his hand to rub at his aching head, but he barely gets it to twitch before it's being squeezed, held in place. He turns his head in confusion to see what's caught his hand. He locks eyes with Jayce. Oh! Ok then, that's fine, Jayce looks like he could use Viktors hand more than Viktor needs it. He looks scared. He should ask him what's wrong. 

Unfortunately as soon as he opens his mouth to ask, his airway is assaulted with a huge blast of air being forced down to his lung. Not expecting to feel like his head is stuck out of a car window, his throat shutters and he chokes on the extra air. He feels his aching chest squeeze as he coughs out all the air he has. He gasps, his lungs burning with the need for oxygen, only to once again be forced open with a blast of air.

Panic starts to take over as he keeps coughing and every breath turns into his lungs being blown open. Something starts beeping loudly and wildly off to the side and Viktor is getting far too much air, the loud hissing sound is overpowering, and all he can hear is the beeping and the hiss and he can’t breathe properly, what is happening? 

“Viktor!” Jayce! That's Jayce. He can help. His eyes fly around until he catches that amazing golden green that he loves so much. 

Oh, he’s a lot closer to his face now, but he still isn't breathing right, his lungs are burning and despide air being forced in he feels like he can’t actually draw a breath! And Jayce isn’t fixing it !

His mouth is moving and his eyebrows are drawn together in worry. Viktor can feel Jayce’s hands in his hair and caressing his cheek. And his mouth is still moving and he still can't breathe right.

“Viktor, please, I know it feels funny, but it's just there to help you, you have to breathe normally.” Jayce’s voice finally trickles past his panic, just a bit. He shakes his head, because no, Jayce! He can't breathe normally! There's something wrong!

“Yes, you can sweetheart. Breathe with me. It's going to feel weird, but just breathe with me okay?” Viktor feels Jayce take his hand and press it over his own chest. Jayce draws in an exaggerated breath and holds it until Viktor follows with a gasp of his own. 

It’s not perfect, and he continues to choke on his own air for a while, but it gets easier. Jayce stays patient with him and just keeps Viktors hand on his chest. His other hand soothes through Viktors hair in slow, calming strokes. 

Each inhale still forces extra air down Viktors trachea, there's a mask strapped over his mouth and nose, probably what has been pushing the air, but he's not coughing anymore. Jayce is right, it feels weird and the panic is still sort of simmering just below the surface, but he can more or less breathe normally, actually it kinda is easier than it has been recently. Weird. 

“Good job baby, that's right. You’re okay. I’m sure that was a weird thing to wake up to.” Understatement. But okay, Jayce, whatever. Viktor appreciates the praise anyways. 

“Jayce?” Viktor finally is able to croak out. “What-?” Jayce sighs, and sits back into the chair off to the side of the bed, but he keeps Viktors hand in his.

“We’re in the ER. That mask you have on, they called it BiPAP? Your oxygen levels were low, they couldn't get them up. We couldn’t get you up. They say you just have a concussion, from your fall. But your lungs… They’re not sure, they were taking you to CT to check them out when you started waking up.” 

Oh. Well. Shit. Viktor looks away from Jayces’ worried, tired face. 

“Did someone-” Viktor gasps for air “- mention intu-” another gasp “-bating?”

“What? Yea- yes? They said if the BiPAP doesn't work, or if you start getting too tired to breathe on your own they may have to intubate. They were trying to avoid it. Good news is you're awake now, so they shouldn’t have to. Why?” Jayce asks, confused. 

“Hmm good.” A gasp, “I was worried-” gasp “I dreamed that.” Viktor turns back to smile at Jayce. Proud of his tired brain for at least trying to joke. Jayce doesn’t look too amused. Hmm, a shame. Viktor quite likes when Jayce smiles. 

“Hey Mr. Talis, it is good to see you awake.” Oh yeah, young woman. Nurse or something probably. 

“My name is Gert, I'm a respiratory therapist. Your husband is right. We do still need to take you to CT though,” She gestures over to a large but gentle looking man. His badge says his name is Loris, BSN. Okay great, that's his nurse. “You okay if I take you now? He can come with us, if you want?” Gert asks. Viktor nods and squeezes Jayce’s hand. 

His bed gets wheeled out of his room and down a few hallways. Jayce stays within eyesight the whole time. 

“Alright, Sir, due to the radiation from the CT you won't be able to be in the room with him but you can watch through the window” The radiology person says when they transfer Viktor to the uncomfortable slab in the CT machine. Jayce looks over at Viktor, doing a remarkable job of looking like a kicked puppy. Viktor chuckles weakly and reaches for Jayce. Jayce quickly grabs his offered hand. 

“I’ll be fine for a minute, Jayce. Go, one of us should make sure we will still be able to,” gasp “-have at least partially biological children.” Jayce goes red. Viktor laughs weakly and squeezes Jayces hand before letting his hand fall back to the table. 

Just a few minutes later Viktor feels his body moving out of the machine, and they quickly and efficiently get Viktor back onto his original stretcher, and wheel him back into his temporary room. Loris asks if there is anything they need while Gert gets Viktors breathing equipment plugged back into the room's oxygen. They both decline and then they’re left alone. 

“I- Vik-” Jayce stops himself. Viktor looks over at him, seeing him look away and chew on the inside of his cheek. His beautiful eyes are looking suspiciously shiny. Well that simply won’t do. 

“Jayce, come up here, please.” Viktors voice is muffled by the mask, but resolute. Jayce stands, head down. Viktor carefully scoots over in the narrow stretcher, as mindful of all of the wires and tubes on him as he can be. Jayce wastes no time in curling around Viktor, he slides his arm under Viktors head, and his knee under Viktors, reliving some of the pressure off of his back and bad knee. 

They don’t talk. They can do that later, for now they listen to the controlled chaos happening outside their rooms door. Medical personnel bustling around, doing their best to keep things under control. There's someone yelling, at least two kids screaming, multiple different beeps of varying volume, and sounds of large wheeled objects being moved around. It's loud, and neither of them are all that comfortable squished into this tiny stretcher. But Viktor is tired. Jayce seems to be too, as he pulls Viktor closer to him. Breathing a shuddery breath into Viktors, wild short waves. Viktor feels himself slipping into a light sleep.

Chapter Text

A loud knock wakes Jayce from his doze. He glances around quickly, momentarily disoriented. 

Ah. Right, hospital. 

Another person in scrubs, who Jayce recognizes as the man who introduced himself as the doctor, walks into the room. He looks at them and smiles apologetically. 

“Sorry to wake you, but we have your test results back.” He states, tone not actually all that sorry. He sounds more… tired? Sort of subdued? Definitely different than how he had sounded when Jayce first met him in the chaos of getting Viktor initially checked in.

Jayce squints at him warily. Viktor pushes against his chest a bit to start sitting up. Jayce moves with him, supporting his back. 

“First let’s go over your lab results. First good news, the nose swab came back negative so no viruses. Your blood results however,” the doctor takes a deep breath. Jayce feels his stomach sink. “Your white blood cell counts are high, indicating an infection. Your electrolytes are a little low, that’s most likely from your lack of appetite, which caused some mild dehydration and malnutrition.  We are going to give you some IV fluids for that.” He pauses and walks to the computer in the corner of the room, badging in to turn it on. 

“The main thing I wanted to speak to you about though was your chest X-ray and CT scan.” He pulls up an image of presumably Viktors’ chest in X-ray. 

“These are your lungs. See these white spots all around this area? These are masses in your lungs. The CT confirms the presence of the tumors throughout.” 

Jayce feels his mouth gape. He can hear his heart in his ears. He looks down at Viktor. He can’t see his full expression due to the mask obscuring the bottom half of his face. But his eyes. Those brilliant, big, bright, amazingly expressive eyes are blown wide with shock. His eyes bounce back and forth tracing the image with his gaze. 

Jayce watches Viktors face as the news begins to settle in his chest. His eyes have stopped their bouncing, staring straight ahead, dazed, a little too empty for Jayce’s liking. 

A sudden loud alarm blares from the BiPAP machine snagging Jayce’s, and the doctor's attention. 

“Sir, take a breath for us please,” the doctor states urgently, yet not unkindly. 

Viktor doesn’t seem to register that he even spoke at all, just staring blankly at the too bright computer screen. The alarm continues to scream. 

“Vik,” Jayce taps his fingers on Viktors back, where his hand has been resting. 

Those beautiful, wide blank eyes trace over to meet Jayce’s. 

“Breathe, love.” Jayce states in a far calmer voice than he feels. Jayce feels his hand rise and fall with Viktors shuddery breath. 

Viktor swallows hard and breaks his dissociative staring contest with Jayce to look back at the doctor. 

“We’ve already reached out to our oncologist, and pulmonologist on call, they want to see you in person as soon as possible for further testing to confirm potential presence of malignant tumors.” The doctor continued on as soon as the beeping stopped with Viktors continued breathing. 

“Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do for you here tonight outside of getting your oxygen levels up and trying to help you with hydration and getting some basic nutrients. You will likely have to stay at least for tonight for us to monitor your oxygen levels. I am sorry that this is how your day turned out gentlemen. Do you have any questions for me?”

 Yes! No. Jayce’s mind is racing. Does he have questions? Yeah, probably. But he cannot figure out how to organize any of his racing thoughts into comprehensive questions. His thoughts jump around like a jackrabbit on crack. 

Viktor is sick. Not just sick, he has growths in his lungs. 

The doctor mentioned oncology?

That's cancer right? Viktor has lung cancer? 

How? 

Jayce has never once seen him smoke. That’s how this happens right? 

What now? 

Is he going to be alright?

How sick is sick ? 

Those little whitish spots are all over both of his lungs.

That cannot be good. 

No wonder Viktor couldn't breathe.

Is it going to get worse? 

Gods, it is, isn't it?

He is going to lose him, isn’t he?

No, he can’t lose Viktor. 

He cannot lose his husband. 

“I can come back in a little while, if you need some processing time. I know I gave you a lot to digest.” the doctor offers gently. Jayce can only nod, Viktor mutters a quiet ‘yes, please.’ that is nearly drowned out by the hiss of his mask. 

The doctor nods and silently leaves the room. Jayce takes a deep breath. Feeling the air flow into his lungs. So normal, so healthy, something he never thought he was taking for granted. He looks over to Viktor. Viktor is still staring at the closed door to their room. 

“V,” He starts, then realizes he actually has nothing to say. Viktor looks over at him again. Eyes still oh so wide. He looks terrified. Jayce takes another breath to say, well something, anything to try to get that look off of his partner's face. All that comes out is a pathetic little squeak as his throat tightens up, his eyes start burning with tears. 

Viktors expression breaks from terror and shock, only to crumple into the most devastating expression Jayce thinks he’s ever seen. A strange noise comes from Viktor, a sort of choking gasp. Followed by another. Viktor squeezes his eyes shut, and for just a moment Jayce thinks he's just going to stop breathing and simply fall unconscious again.

Instead, those strange, unfamiliar noises continue to come from Viktor. His shoulders shake and his head bows and his whole body seems to jolt with every little… sob. Those are sobs. 

Oh. 

In all of the 7 years that Jayce has known Viktor, in all three years of their marriage, Jayce has never once seen Viktor truly cry. Sure he got a little teary at their wedding, and he’s seen his eyes water with laughter or when he coughs too hard, but never, ever sob. 

“V,” Jayce starts again, still not sure what he’s going to say. He feels his own tears begin to flow onto his cheeks. His throat is far too tight to say anything, but that's ok. Jayce has always been better at showing his affection than saying it. 

He doesn't have to reach far, seeing as they're already basically on top of eachother on the narrow bed, but Jayce pulls Viktor straight into his chest. It's uncomfortable, they're both twisted awkwardly, the mask is digging into Jayce’s clavicle, and they’re both getting tangled in all of the monitoring wires. 

Viktor is sobbing too hard to really hug Jayce back but he pulls back for a second to firmly press their foreheads together. A Zaun tradition, Viktor had once explained. He then hides his face back into Jayces shoulder and neck. Jayce buries his face into Viktors hair, quickly soaking some strands with his own tears. 

Chapter Text

Jayce was expecting a few questions when he got back to work. He had taken a few days off after the whole collapsing ordeal but by Thursday, Viktor had been discharged from the hospital and given an oxygen take and supplies, as well as instructions to consult with an oncologist. By Friday, Viktor had been getting a little snippy. By Saturday, Viktor had scheduled his appointment with oncology and had told Jayce there was nothing to be done for now but to wait.

Viktor had none too gently told Jayce he would NOT be dying in the next few days and he can take care of himself just fine, thank you very much. Apparently Jayce had been hovering? Jayce didn’t think so, he was being perfectly normal. So what if he barged in on Viktor taking a shit because Viktor had coughed? 

Long story, and quite a few arguments short, Viktor had convinced Jayce to return to work the next Monday. So here he was walking into his office feeling strangely naked with the empty spot next to him. How did people not work with their spouse? It’s lonely. 

So Jayce got to his classroom earlier than he normally would since he didn't actually have anyone to talk to or even worse, someone to debate with. So he sat and waited for his class to fill. He did some grading, answered some emails, and went over his lesson plan. 

“Professor! You’re back!” Jayce glanced up to see a few of his students trickling in. 

“Hi, yeah, I’m sorry I haven’t been here the last few class periods. I hope the sub they got was alright?” He answered, trying to get in his usual friendly and energetic teaching persona. 

“Ehh, it was okay. But no one can beat you prof!” The young lady said to him, Mercy he’s pretty sure is her name. “Oh! I gotta go tell my friend you’re back! She’ll want to know!” Jayce just watched her jog out of the door. He smiled, he really does love teaching, and he can admit he missed their enthusiasm a little bit. 

He continued to greet his students. He's been working hard to remember all of their names, he's usually pretty good at it but he finds himself struggling to remember some. In fact there's been at least three that he genuinely doesn't even recognize. He just blames it on him being distracted with Viktor, until more and more students he only vaguely remembers seeing, or he cannot remember for the life of him continue to come through his door. 

The classroom is soon filled. Every seat taken and there are still a few students filtering through the door and standing on the sides. Jayce just blinks at the large group. His class has always been popular but no, he’s certain these can’t all be his students. He scans the group trying to place where he knows these kids until he sees a familiar young woman with her dark purple dyed hair up in a messy bun. Oh- Viktors students. That's the young woman who had come to grab him when Viktor had fallen. 

Jayce straightens up and smiles at the group. “I see quite a few of you have finally realized that this is the superior engineering program!” He says cheekily, earning himself a collective half laugh, half groan from the group. He caught a few glares too but he just kept his smirk up, softening it to a more genuine smile when he caught the purple haired girl's eye. 

“Hi again, I’m sorry I never actually caught your name last week?” He asked. 

“Robbi.” She answered, giving him a little wave. 

“Hey Robbi, Nice to meet you under better circumstances.” He turns his attention back to the whole. 

“So as much as I would absolutely love to have you all transfer to my seminars, Professor Novontny absolutely would use that lazer thing he was showing you on me and I really like all of my body parts where they currently are, so what can I do for you all today?”

A young boy with glasses and the beginnings of what looks like a tiny, basically peach fuzz mustache raises his hand. Jayce nods at him to continue.

“Do you have an update on Professor N?” Jayce nods, taking in a deep breath. 

“He’s okay, well, okay-ish. They think his lungs are injured, but not sure what the extent is right now.” They had agreed to be straightforward but vague with telling people Viktors condition. “He is going to go to another specialist for further examination. Currently he just has a persistent cough and a concussion from uh, falling.” Jayce finished lamely. The students nod slowly but most look like they still have more questions. 

“Professor,” One of his students this time chime in, “When the fuck were you going to tell us you two were married?” Jayce was taken back by that one. There was a chorus of agreements and a few snickers from the students. 

“Uh, what?” Jayce asked, baffled. 

“You told the paramedics you are his husband!” someone shouted. 

“Yeah? Because I am?” Jayce just looks around confused as the class starts erupting with shouts and he's pretty sure he sees a few bills being passed around with some I-told-you-so’s 

“Wait, did none of you know that??” Jayce shouts, gawking a little bit at the immediate “NO!” 

Jayce, at a loss of words just kinda dumbly gestures to the ring on his finger then over to the pride flag he has hanging on the wall next to his desk. The group just keeps talking at once, some arguing with each other, others looking at him demanding answers. 

“Wait! Wait, stop!” He says loudly to shut the group up. “Ok raise of hands, who knew Viktor and I are married?” 

…

Not one hand. 

“Okay I’m sorry. What?? We’re not exactly subtle about it? How did none of you know?”

“Sir, we didn't even know you were gay!” Kaleb, Jayce thinks, calls out from the back. 

“Well, bi-, but regardless, what did you think the flag was for? I have a bi flag on my desk too?” 

Kaleb shrugs “I don’t know, we just thought you were an ally or something.”

Jayce just closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose with a quiet groan. How the hell did this happen? 

Another voice cuts through Jayces self pitying musings, “How long have you been married? It must be recent right? I talked to my brother who took Professor Novontny’s class a few years ago and he didn’t know anything either.” what the fuck?

“Three years-” Jayce gets interrupted again with the surprised outcry. “Yo- hey! Do you want to know or not? I talk about him all the time, we are constantly with each other when we’re not teaching! How this went under the radar for YEARS apparently is beyond me!”

“Well you have different last names! All you both ever do is argue! We thought you hated each other!” What the everloving fuck?!

“Viktor and I met a little over seven years ago as students. I had gotten in some trouble with the school board for having some unapproved, and admittedly dangerous prototypes. Vik-Professor Novontny, helped me get out of that whole mess. We struck up a partnership, started dating, dated for about 3 years, then got married. Viktor kept his last name for work to avoid complications and confusion, and because he got all those degrees, not me. We are very happily married and I love him more than anything. Questions?” Jayce finished, hoping he could get on with his lesson now. 

The class erupted again. Jayce just sighed. Well, so much for a productive day of teaching the next generation. 

Jayce didn't end up doing any teaching for the rest of the day. The new spread fast so luckily everyone caught on quickly but everyone was just too distracted to actually retain any information he had been planning on giving. And honestly Jayce found it pretty cathartic to just talk about Viktor all day. It both eased his homesickness and made him long for Viktor to be next to him at the same time. Another part of him was grateful Viktor wasn’t there today, Jayce knows how much Viktor hates the spotlight. He still would rather have him next to him though. 

****

Jayce opens the door with a weary sigh, finding Viktor on the couch, stretched across it with his back against the arm. His oxygen tank next to him and his cannula in his nose, typing away on the computer. He looks up as Jayce walks in and smiles. He closes the laptop and sets it down opening his arms for Jayce. 

Jayce wastes no time in collapsing into Viktors embrace, shoving his face into his husband's chest and just breathing him in for a minute. 

“Is work truly this awful without me?” Viktor teases while petting through Jayces hair. 

“Yes.” Jayce answers with no hesitation. Viktor huffs a laugh, that turns to a cough. Jayce tightens his hold, stiffening until Viktor continues playing with his hair. 

“Tell me about it?” Viktor requests quietly. 

Jayce groans, “Vik, babe, I thought our students were smart. I've thought this for years, but they’re so stupid. So fucking stupid. Or maybe we are, I’m not sure anymore to be honest.” 

Viktor hums a little questioning noise.

“V, sweetheart, love of my life, reason for my continued existence,” Viktor smiles and rolls his eyes at his husband's theatrics. “They thought we hated each other! They've thought this the whole time we’ve been teaching!” 

“What?” Viktor asks with a chuckle. “How?”

“I don’t know! Apparently they only ever see us arguing? The rumor was that we had some sort of academic rivalry.”

Viktor laughed again, a kind of pathetic wheezy sound just this side of a cough. Jayce pouted. 

“It’s not funny! I spent all day answering questions and discrediting rumors!” Viktor just cackled louder. 

“And there I was worrying that we shared too much PDA at work.” Viktor finally giggled out. Jayce’s pout turned into a conspiratorial smirk.

“Well then I guess we had better amp it up at work then.” Jayce said lowly. Viktors little chuckles died down at that. 

“Absolutely not! They know the truth now. No need.” He said sternly. Jayce lifted himself up to crawl a little further up Viktor’s body and leaned in so their lips brushed.

“Oh no, I can’t ever have anyone confuse our relationship ever again, Mr. Talis.” He whispers. Smirking a little when he feels Viktor’s lips chase his.

“Hmm, so possessive.” Viktor murmurs back, tugging Jayce into a proper kiss by the hair.

Chapter Text

Jayce had been sitting next to Viktor when the MA or nurse or whoever it was had called to ask them to come in to discuss the imaging and lab work findings. Viktor had held his hand the whole drive there. Viktor would only admit it to Jayce and no one else but he was grateful to the grounding effect Jayces thumb had given him, rubbing back and forth on his knuckles. 

Stage II non-small cell lung cancer. NSCLC for short. It’s worse on his left lung, but had spread to his right as well. Metastatic, the doctor had called it. Viktor would call it over achieving. 

“And here I was thinking the pain in my shoulder and back was just from my scoliosis.” Viktor had droned in a flat tone. He had basked in the doctor's clear discomfort with Viktors particular brand of humor. Jayce had just kind of looked at him with ever so slight horror in his eyes. Viktor scowled.

 “Heaven forbid a man jokes about his failing body.” He griped. That got Jayce to give him a weak little smile. Ehh, he’ll get used to the morbid humor soon. He could only imagine how Jayce would have reacted to that comment when they were just getting to know each other all those years ago. 

Although, at the time, Jayce had just gotten out of a court mandated hospitalization due to his manic depressive episode™, so maybe he would have actually found it funny. Whatever, they can work on it. 

The doctor had given them an itinerary of sorts for Viktors treatment. They would start small and work their way up. 

They started with a series of small surgeries that Viktor was able to mostly schedule around school breaks so he could continue teaching. Viktor was fascinated with the technology they use in the surgeries. He had read up on the procedure and equipment when the doctor first told them the plan. 

The RFA probes are a fascinating idea and Viktor had started sketching up blueprints on them to try to better them. He was under the impression that they would be an excellent feature to add to his third arm design. Jayce had laughed at him then corrected the math on the radio frequencies Viktor had been working on.  

Next was radiation therapy. While the ablations had been helping, the tumors had continued to spread. So now Viktor was routinely strapped down to a large machine with his arms pinned above his head and held tight to make sure he didn’t move and mess up the radiation alignment. 

“I am going to add tracking features to my arm design.” Viktor had told Jayce while driving home from a session. He was massaging out his shoulder, stiff from being in an unnatural position for so long. 

“Like those birds that can lock in on things. The body moves but the head and eyes remain locked on the prey.” 

“Like a chicken?” Jayce asked. He didn’t sound very convinced 

“What?” 

“Like a chicken, the head thing?” 

“Well I was thinking of a cooler bird like a falcon or something but thank you for crushing my dreams, Jayce.” Viktor sniffed. Jayce just laughed. 

“Viktor, nothing about you is cool. Your inventions should match your aesthetic.” Viktor looked over at him with shock and offense. 

“I am plenty cool! You have seen all of my credentials! How dare you?” He asked, appalled. 

“V, you’re proving my point here. No one “cool” is out here getting multiple degrees and doctorates. Your main achievements are all academic.” Jayce points out. 

“I will have you know, my students think I am very cool. I am told my accent is very cool.” He says crossing his arms and sinking into the seat. “You are being very rude by the way. They just confirmed the cancer is not going away, and here you are, bullying me. No wonder our students thought you hated me.”

Jayce just chuckled and reached over to rest his hand on Viktors thigh, giving it a light squeeze. 

“Sure baby.”

“I am going to name my arm something cool. Like alien extension limb, or deity arm, or the talon or something.” 

“Ha! Yes how comforting knowing your future surgeons will be wielding the claw.” 

“Laugh all you want Jayce, I am cool so “The Claw” will be cool too.”

Jayce pulled the car into the garage, and turned to face Viktor properly. He is smiling warmly and Viktor feels himself softening under the attention. 

“So cool, V.” 

“Shut up.” Viktor uses his cane to hook his partner's neck and pull him close for a kiss. “It is a nice night, and we only have a few more weeks left of summer holiday. We should eat outside tonight.”

Jayce was quick to agree. 

They set up a picnic at the park near their home. The sun was still up but was quickly dipping. By the time they ate the sky had gone dark and a few stars had begun to appear. 

Viktor had started to shiver a little, Jayce, always quick to notice, pulled him close. Viktor sinks into the warmth. He doesn’t say anything yet. He knows he should tell Jayce, to just get it over with. But Viktor can’t quite get himself to destroy the peace yet. 

So they sit there. Staring at the sky. 

“V, what’s going on in that big brain of yours?”

Damn, why must Jayce be so perceptive all the time? Fine. He takes a deep breath. 

“Jayce, you already know the radiation isn’t doing enough.” Jayce nodded. “The cancer is still spreading. They are still hopeful that it is treatable but they want to move onto more aggressive treatments.” Viktor swallowed. Delaying the news as long as he can. 

“They want to start you on chemo?” Jayce asked in a gentle voice. Viktor nodded, grateful he wasn’t the one who had to put it into words. He feels Jayce take a deep grounding breath. Viktor stares at his hands. 

“Okay. Okay sweetheart.” Jayce says quietly. Viktor can hear the determination and fear in his voice. Viktor looks up, meeting Jayce’s gaze. 

“You have to understand. This is not a pretty process. I am going to lose my hair, I will lose weight, I will be tired and irritable, and I will be sick and I won’t be able to do everything I can do now, and-“

“Okay.” Jayce interrupted, ducking his head a little to keep eye contact. “Okay Vik.”

“Is that all you’re going to say? Okay?” Viktor asked incredulously. “Jayce, this treatment is going to change me. Physically, mentally, in every way. I will have to quit teaching, I am not going to be the man you married. And I would understand if you didn’t want t-” 

“ Viktor. I understand.” Jayce soothes. “I also understood what it meant when we took our vows. In sickness, and in health, love. I didn’t just say that to say it, I meant it. And I will continue to mean it. I love you Viktor, I love all of you. I’m not just going to stop loving you.” Jayce finished with a scoff. Like somehow it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Viktor swallows, his throat tight. How did he get so lucky? How did he manage to not only get this amazing wonderful man, but keep him too? He had truly convinced himself that Jayce would want to pull away. That he would see just how much Viktors body was failing him, how much he was failing Jayce. 

There is still time. A voice whispered in the back of his mind. Jayce may still change his mind. He hasn't yet seen the extent of what cancer and chemo can do to a person. Viktor only has brief memories of seeing it with his mom. He remembers how thin her hand was. He remembers being scared to look at her because she reminded him of the skeletons he would see in people yards around halloween. A horrible thought to his now adult self, but as a five year old, it was the best his mind could do to comprehend the situation. 

But Jayce is not five. And quite frankly he has always been a better person than him. Always kinder, smarter, more sociable. Should he really be that surprised that he’s better at loving too? No, he supposes not. 

He leans a little more weight into Jayce’s side. Feeling his arm tighten around his shoulders and back. 

“You know you just told me that you love the disease that is killing my body right? That's quite concerning, Jayce.” Viktor says with a weaker voice than he meant to. He leans his head back against Jayce’s shoulder to look at his husband's profile. 

Jayce smiles and continues staring at the stars. 

“I love you Vik. No amount of horrible humor can change that.” 

The next week Viktor reaches out to the university and puts in his resignation date. It’s harder than he would have liked, but he owes it to Jayce to do everything he can to get better. Working in a school with hundreds of uni aged kids who are constantly getting themselves sick is not going to help. 

The week after that Jayce joins Viktor at their first appointment at the infusion clinic. Jayce holds his hand when they put the IV in, then promptly almost passes out at the sight. Viktor laughs at him and calls him a pussy. The tech placing the line failed at hiding their smile. 

Honestly Viktor was feeling pretty okay during the infusion. It had burned a little bit when the infusion had first started but it had settled into a manageable discomfort. After about forty five minutes he could feel his stomach roll. He swallowed thickly, closing his eyes and squeezed Jayces hand.

“You okay?” Jayce asked, his voice clearly worried. “What's wrong, do you need- I can call the nurse, I-”

“Jayce, stop, I’m fine. It’s okay, it’s just making me nauseous.” Viktor cut him off quickly to avoid a scene. 

“Oh, uhm. Is there anything I can do?” His voice still carrying worry. Viktor just shakes his head and squeezes his eyes a little tighter. 

“No, no. Just, talk to me? Please? I could use a distraction.”

So Jayce did. He kept talking the rest of the session. He told stories about the crazy student interactions, most of which Viktor already knew. He told Viktor about the recent start of school prep meeting, about the most recent lunch with his mom. Most importantly he told Viktor how much he loved him. 

Viktor threw up on the way home, very nearly getting vomit all over the car. And again when they got home, and again after he tried to eat the chicken noodle soup Jayce made for them. The vomiting and continued cough caused enough irritation to force blood out with a few of the more violent coughs. 

Jayce just rubbed his back and whispered to him. 

Their lives continued in this messed up sort of routine for the last few weeks of summer holidays. By the time Jayce had to go back to work Viktor was starting to look, well, frail to put it lightly. He had started losing hair pretty quickly after beginning treatment and rather than walk around with tufts of hair sticking up in random spots on his scalp he had asked Jayce to shave his head completely. Jayce, of course, did what was asked of him. If Viktor caught him later that day tying a string around a lock of his cut hair and carefully placing it in a drawer, well Viktor wasn’t going to bring it up. 

Saying goodbye to Jayce on his first full day back was far harder than Viktor would admit. He had been quiet the whole morning. He tied Jayces tie for him, his shaking hands making it take just a little bit longer than it normally would. Jayce hadn’t mentioned it, but he had clearly noticed, if his slightly lingering kiss to Viktors fingers said anything. 

Viktor had hobbled after Jayce on his crutch. He had taken to using it rather than the cane after the last two chemo sessions. 

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I can still quit and just stay home with you.” Jayce offered for the hundredth time. Viktor glared at him. 

“You know the answer, the bills are expensive.” Viktor chided him. “Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on my replacement. I don't trust whoever it is they got. You must keep them in line. 

Jayce chuckled a little at that, but his eyes looked a little watery. Viktor leaned in and Jayce quickly met him in the middle for a kiss, pulling him in for a hug as well. 

“Have a good day Jayce, I will see you after work.” Viktor spoke into Jayces' shoulder. 

“You too sweetheart. Don’t get too bored without me.” Jayce responded, pulling away reluctantly. Viktor just smiled a little sadly and ushered Jayce out the door. 

Viktor stood in their doorway waving goodbye until he could no longer see the car in the distance. He wiped a stray tear away, telling himself it wasn't a true goodbye. Not yet.

Chapter Text

Jayce has a love/hate relationship with coming home from work. While at work he still feels the aching, constant reminder that Viktor isn’t next to him. It's already been 4 months since school had started back up and Jayce still found himself looking for Viktor in the staff breakroom for lunch. He misses his husband desperately. He longs to go home and see him, spend time with him, argue, go over theories, or blueprints. But he also hates going home. Because going home means seeing Viktor. 

Everyday, when Jayce comes home, he sits in the car for just a few minutes in the driveway. He takes deep breaths, centering himself. Viktor has just gotten so, so sick. No one would ever have called Viktor particularly built, he has always been slim, always looked just a little bit too thin. But now, really, he can only be described as skeletal. He is just bones with a thin layer of skin at this point. He bruises like an over ripe peach bordering on rotting. He is always discovering new ones. He thinks it’s funny. He made a game out of it.

“Jayce-” he would say, “look, this one almost looks like a cat. I bet you can’t guess where it came from!” and Jayce would smile, take a guess like a trip up the front stairs, or walking into a corner. Viktor would laugh, causing a coughing fit before gleefully telling Jayce that it was from some increasingly inane mechanism. The last time they played the cause had been him dropping a spoon filled with honey onto his thigh. 

Jayce is watching Viktor wither and decompose while he is still there right in front of him undeniably alive. It’s depressing, and infuriating, and it’s their reality. 

So Jayce sits in the driveway, just for a moment. Then he opens the garage, takes a deep breath, puts on a smile and walks into their home. 

“Viktor?” Jayce calls. 

“In the lab.” comes the wheezy response. 

Jayce follows the voice with a soft smirk. The so-called lab is really just the spare bedroom/storage room of their home. It's cluttered and they had to switch it to hardwood after living there for just a year due to the insane amount of oil stains, coffee spills, and singes from (mostly) small explosions and fires. But all of their most important ideas are created there and he wouldn't trade that little haven for anything 

Jayce turns into the doorway and sees Viktor hunched at a frankly painful looking angle even for a healthy, not twisted back. The room lighting up with the flashes of sparks. 

“Babe, please, I am begging you, stop welding with your oxygen on.” Jayce begs, rushing over to pull his husband away. 

“Relax,” Viktor responds with far too little urgency. Pulling the welding mask off. “I turned it off when I started.” 

“What!? Viktor! You- you can’t do that! Your lungs!” Jayce stutters out. Reaching out to replace the nasal cannula in Viktor's nose from where it hung around his neck, tucking the tubing behind his ears hidden in the hoodie he has on. A sad imitation of the familiar gesture of brushing Viktor's hair back from his face. 

“Jayce, I am fine.” Viktor brushes Jayce’s hands away. Jayce just turns and crouches next to the portable oxygen pump to turn it back on, his shoulders relaxing when he hears the familiar hiss and clicks from the machine. He looks up and Viktor, who is looking down his nose at him, annoyed. His glare only slightly lessened by the way he is panting, body trying to catch up with the slight oxygen deprivation.

Jayce stands and goes to grab their at home pulse-ox, hearing Viktor huff and readjust in his chair. He walks back in to see Viktor leaned back in the chair with his arms crossed and his bad leg stretched out in front of him. He looks like a pissed off teenager with the oversized hoodie and pouting face. 

“Vik, come on, just let me check real quick.” Jayce asks, a hint of his own annoyance coming through when Viktor refuses to give him his hand to clamp the oximeter onto his finger. 

“I said I was fine. I have the area well ventilated and I stop when I get dizzy.” Viktor replies testily, reaching for his crutch. “I know my limits Jayce, I want to get The Claw up and functional as soon as possible which requires welding a few pieces together.” He grabs the oxygen and slings the strap over his shoulder, sliding his arm into his crutch and stands up. Slowly, so, so slowly. Jayce suppressed his own grimace at the effort. 

“Then let me do that part. Your lungs are already sick, you don't need to strain them when I can just do that for you with no risk.” Viktor again just glares at him. 

“I have never needed your help with this before and I will not start now.” Viktor barks at him, turning to walk away. Jayce feels the frustration building. It's such an unnecessary risk. Jayce is more than willing to help and it's not like that would take away from this project being Viktors. He grinds his teeth, following Viktor into the hallway.

“Vik, you do need my help. Your body needs the oxygen constantly and you can't just take it off!” Jayce says angrily, and Viktor spins around to face him, his mouth already open to retort when he suddenly goes almost grey and sways dangerously. His eyes widen in fear before rolling back and his legs buckle. 

Jayce lunges to catch him, cradling his head to his chest and kicking the crutch away so he can lower them both to the ground while staring at Viktor's slack jaw face. 

“Fuck V. I’m sorry, shit.” He mutters. While reaching into his pocket to grab the previously refused pulse-ox and jamming it on Viktors finger. 

SpO2: 76%

HR: 156

“Shit!” Jayce quickly grabs for the oxygen and turns it up. He readjusts the cannula and puts his finger under Viktor's chin, forcing his mouth shut and for him to breathe through his nose to optimize the extra oxygen. Then he sits and watches the numbers slowly work their way back to normal. 

The fall had made the hood fall off Viktor's head, and Jayce uses the opportunity to kiss his head. It's sort of strange when his lips meet slightly clammy skin. He misses Viktor's wild hair, he would do anything to bury his nose in the fluffy, coarse, floral and mint smelling mop. He closes his eyes and pictures it for a moment, pictures that they’re just cuddling. 

Jayce opens his eyes when he feels Viktor twitch. His body starts sort of jerking, convulsing. Panic hits Jayce in the chest like a cannonball. Is he seizing? Jayce has no idea what to do if Viktor starts seizing. He looks at Viktor's face and sees his eyes moving rapidly under thin eyelids, but the color is starting to come back a little. Jayce is about to grab his phone to call 911 when Viktor opens his eyes. He heaves a breath of relief. 

“Hey, sweetheart, you hear me?” Jayce asks, the panic still sitting heavy in his gut. Viktor's eyes track lethargically over to Jayce’s. Gold meeting hazel. His eyes clear a little as recognition kicks in. He nods slightly, taking as deep a breath as his scarred, sick lungs allow him. Too much air apparently based on the coughing fit that immediately followed. Jayce gently shifts Viktor so that he's laying on his side, head pillowed on Jayce's lap, when he hears the coughs getting wetter and winces when he hears Viktor gag slightly on the end of a harsh cough and choke something out. Jayce leans over and feels his stomach turn when he sees the red, jelly-like clot on the floor. Viktor's body has slumped again, his chest heaving, trying to play catch up. Jayce rolls him back to his back.

“With me?” Jayce whispers a little shakily. Viktor nods again, keeping his eyes closed, and swallowing thickly.

“I’m sorry V, I’m so sorry, I shouldn't have shouted. I swear I don’t want to fight, I just worry. I don’t want to argue.” Viktor shuts him up by weakly grabbing his hand and squeezing slightly. So Jayce stops, closes his eyes, takes a breath, then slides his arm under Viktor's knees and lifts them both up off the ground. He is so light. He always has been, but now… He sidesteps the bloody mess on the floor and heads to the couch. 

Viktor's head lolls slightly, his eyes are closed and his face is pinched in a grimace. The expression looks wrong without Viktor's thick eyebrows. Jayce sets him down to lay on the couch and moves to the kitchen to make dinner. 

Viktor hardly eats. He doesn’t speak the rest of the night. Just nods along to Jayce telling him about work. When Jayce stands to start cleaning up, he offers to help Viktor to their bed to lay down more comfortably. He expects Viktor to start standing up on his own, only using Jayce as a crutch to walk mostly on his own to the bedroom. Instead he just nods again and wraps his thin arm around Jayce’s shoulder and neck and just sort of leans there until Jayce gets the hint and slowly reaches back under his knees, waiting for Viktor to push him off and insist he doesn't need to be carried. It never came. Jayce carries him to the bed and decides that clean up can wait. He changes into pajamas and slips into bed next to Viktor. He was already asleep. 

The next week goes much the same. Jayce goes to work. He both misses Viktor and hates the idea of going home. He sits in the driveway. Walks in and finds Viktor, still often in the lab. Jayce sighs and makes them dinner. Viktor goes back to mostly just letting Jayce be his crutch and he talks. But he just seems so tired. 

That Saturday, Jayce wakes before Viktor and just lays in bed for a while. He watches Viktor’s chest rise and fall. He traces Viktor’s hollow cheek with his knuckles and smiles when Viktor blinks awake blearily. Viktor smiles a little and rolls to face Jayce properly. 

“Good morning Jayce.” He says, voice rough with sleep. 

Jayce scrunches his face up. “Your breath smells so bad.” He responds with a teasing smile. Viktor rolls his eyes and shoves Jayce’s face away. 

“Help me up then and I’ll go brush my teeth.” He murmurs with fake annoyance. Jayce does just that. 

At breakfast Jayce can tell something is on Viktor’s mind. He’s been quiet. He’s currently staring at his own hand and he idly scratches at a groove in the wood of their table. Jayce goes over and sets Viktor’s omelet in front of him. Viktor’s gaze snaps to him and he smiles. 

“Jayce, uhm.” He starts hesitantly. And Jayce feels his own smile fade and that now familiar pit in his gut return. 

“Jayce, I want to talk to you about something. And I don’t think you’re going to like it but before you try to dissuade me please remember that this is my choice. I have thought about it for a long time now, and I am sure about this decision. I am not going to change my mind.” Viktor states with a finality that Jayce doesn’t dare argue with. Jayce is not looking forward to whatever Viktor has to say. 

Viktor just looks at him for a minute, his eyes sharp and assessing despite the deep purple bags causing a permanent droop to them. His gaze slowly softened from stern wariness into a sort of sad acceptance. He reaches a hand out and Jayce immediately reaches back and holds on. He nods for Viktor to continue. 

“Jayce, I have decided that I am going to sign a DNR form.” He says carefully, clearly, as if to ensure there is no confusion. Jayce feels his eyes burn. 

“What?” He chokes out. “Why? Did something change? Did the doctors say something about the treatments?” Viktor holds his other hand up to stop Jayce.

“No, no, nothing has changed. They are still-, well cautiously optimistic about this latest treatment.” Viktor starts slowly, and Jayce forces himself to breathe. 

“I have thought about this for a long time, but truly decided on it the other day, when I fell. Jayce I never, ever want to be a burden, especially to you.” Jayce opened his mouth to protest, he could never be a burden!

“Jayce, listen to me. I know, okay? I know you think that now, but if this doesn't work, if I continue to get sicker, if I get to the point where I ultimately cannot survive on my own, I do not want to be brought back just to continue in my misery. I do not want you to stop seeing me, and start seeing just a thing that has been dumped on you to keep alive, like some sort of twisted plant.” He spat.

“I love you so much, and I refuse to become something that cannot do that anymore. I want to go being me , not to continue on as a husk. And resuscitation is awful Jayce, I’ve seen it. It isn’t a miracle, it is twisted and horrible and messy and unnatural. I do not want that Jayce. I do not want that for you, or for me. Can you understand this?” Viktor pleads. 

And Jayce, well, he can. He can see how Viktor, logical, straightforward, pessimistic, stubborn Viktor would come to this conclusion. He can see how Viktor's brilliant mind would only come up with the worst possibilities and why he would want to be prepared to avoid it. But he can’t. Jayce has always been hopeful, sometimes to a fault, he can admit that, but how can he agree to this? Who is to say that Viktor wouldn’t come back? Who’s to say that it wouldn’t make a difference? Who’s to say that it wouldn’t give Jayce a chance to have Viktor back? Even if it was only for a short time. 

As he continues to try to process, he watches Viktor's face, always so expressive. His expression starts as determined, sure of his decision. But the longer that Jayce stays silent, the more that look falls. He sees it dip a little into a pleading look, begging for Jayce to understand. Jayce still stays silent, and Viktor's face falls into a pained look, almost betrayed. And Jayce feels his own face crumple. A soft puff of air, just barely short of a sob escapes him. And he feels his chin tremble against his wish. And he makes a decision. 

“Okay.” he whispers. He lifts his eyes back up to meet Viktors. “Okay.” and he finds he means it. After all, Jayce belongs to Viktos, he always has, ever since he walked in and oh so casually interrupted what would have been the worst mistake of his life. How could he refuse Viktor anything? 

He couldn’t, not now, not ever.

Chapter Text

Viktor had been holding his breath waiting for Jayce’s reaction. His heart sank with every second that passed with Jayce keeping his face perfectly neutral. He needed Jayce to understand. He needed this reassurance. He knew that Jayce had been avoiding thoughts of Viktor dying. He knew that forcing that idea onto him is cruel. Even if the treatment has been helping. 

But Viktor is tired. Extremely tired, and he cannot stop thinking about his mother. He had forgotten what she looked like if he was honest with himself. He remembered being scared and not wanting to look at her but he also could not picture what she had looked like. Most of his life he had been okay with that. He had a few pictures of her and his father when they were both young and relatively healthy and he was happy to only remember those faces. 

Viktor had never been particularly vain. He very rarely spent much time looking at himself. Even less so when he lost his hair. With no need to try to tame wild locks there was even less reason to see what he looked like. It was only about a month ago when he had caught his own reflection in the bathroom mirror, and he froze. That was his mom staring back at him. And suddenly he’s back in that small hospital room watching as the doctors rush into the room and he is pulled a little roughly back out of the room into the hallway. 

He hears the staff speaking urgently and frantically grabbing equipment, dropping the bed, and someone begins pounding on his moms chest. He remembers crying that they are hurting her! Leave her alone! And a kind faced woman grabbing his shoulders and saying something in English that he doesn’t understand yet. He remembers finally being allowed back into the room and seeing his mom with a big tube in her mouth and machines all around her beeping, hissing, whirring. He remembers walking up to her bed and looking at her face, except now all he can see is his own face. 

He had blinked himself back to the present. He stared back at his reflection and can almost feel a tube of his own down his throat, the air being forced into his lungs. He spent the rest of the day researching and thinking. He had not even realized how late it had gotten until he heard Jayce call his name in his usual greeting. He had hugged Jayce just a little bit tighter that night. Stayed a little bit closer, curled in just a little tighter. He had dreamed that night. Dreamed of Jayce compressing his chest. Of Jayce bringing him back only for him to not be able to do anything on his own. He dreamed that the only reason he was considered alive was due to the machine manually pumping his heart, forcing air into his lungs. 

“Okay.” Jayce’s quiet voice Viktor snaps back to the present. Jayce’s face is earnest, but he’s fighting tears. “Okay.” 

Viktor sighs out the tension he had been feeling, of course Jayce would understand. Of course he will listen. Viktor suddenly felt a little guilty for his momentary doubt of Jayce’s character. Jayce has never let him down and he sure wouldn’t start now. 

He squeezes Jayce’s hand then he lets go, and pulls out a few different forms from his bag that he had brought over. He hands one to Jayce and keeps the other. 

“I, what is this for? Don’t you need to sign it?” Jayce asks, confused. 

“This one, yes.” Viktor replied, holding up his own paper. “That one is for you. Read it.”

Viktor watches as Jayce turns back to his paper confused and begins reading. Viktor watches as Jayce's brow furrows more then begins to rise in surprise. 

“V,” Jayce mutters and Viktor can not stop himself from smiling a little at his big, wide, and soft puppy eyes. 

“Jayce, I trust and love you. We have already sworn “in sickness and in health” once, really this is just another extension of that.” Viktor tells him, voice serious. Jayce looks a little off-kilter still. 

“I thought about getting down on a knee when I gave this to you, but I truly do not know if I would be able to get back up and I am sure that it would ruin the romantic gesture. So just pretend that I am kneeling as I ask this. 

Jayce Talis, will you be my Medical Care Proxy?”

The wording had its desired effect in causing Jayce to laugh. Viktor was not expecting however to hear a watery quality to the laugh. He is taken aback even more when Jayce suddenly stands and pulls Viktor into a tight hug. 

It is not a very comfortable hug, with Viktor still in his chair while Jayce is hunched a little while standing between Viktor's legs. Viktor's face is smashed into Jayce’s chest and his head is being hugged more than his body is, but he finds he appreciates it. It is not overly careful, it has not been thought about, it just is. 

Viktor lets himself be hugged for just a little longer. He needed the comfort, and he suspected that Jayce did too. He knows from the bottom of his heart that Jayce would make the best decisions for him. He trusts him explicitly, and he has never given Viktor reason to doubt that Jayce would not do literally anything for him, but having these papers signed just gives him that small extra bit of security.

He slowly pulls out of the awkward hug and smiles up at Jayce. 

“Thank you, Jayce, for letting me trust you with my life.” He whispers reverently. Jayce nods and wipes at his misty eyes. 

“Heavens Vik, way to start my weekend with a rollercoaster of emotion. It's barely 10 am.” Viktor smiles and he tries to ignore how much said rollercoaster took a toll on him. He has only just woken up; he should not feel the need to go back to sleep so soon.

“Yes, well you did not marry me to be bored, no?” He quips back, earning a wider smile from his husband. “I will make it up to you, you can choose what we do today and I promise I will only allow myself 3 complaints of your- what is the word?- ehh it is like certain but for the future?” 

“Inevitable? “ Jayce asked with amusement and- damn it, there is concern there too. 

“Yes! Yes, that. Your inevitable bad decisions.” He answers, forcing cheer into his voice hoping to play it off with humor. 

“Right. Thank you dear husband mine, I will treasure this gift from you. Now eat your omelet. You need the protein and I’ll think of what I want to make you suffer through today.”  

They end up at the local cinema. Jayce had mentioned wanting to watch the newest sci-fi movie. He had explained it as some sort of fantasy steampunk type universe about two scientists, who grow as close as “brothers” (Yes V, “brothers”. The quotation marks are very important.) but then due to tragedy and prejudice end up turning on each other. Viktor was not too sure about it especially when Jayce mentioned that one of the scientists turns into an alien cyborg? Whatever, he promised Jayce only three complaints and he is planning on saving at least two of those for after the movie that he is sure will be terrible.  

They get there and find their seats. Viktor uses his first complaint on Jayce deciding to buy some candy to share but not getting any black liquorice.

“It is delicious. Jayce, you simply do not have an advanced taste plate.” He tells him haughtily. 

“Taste plate?” Jayce says with a laugh, but he looks at Viktor with a crease in his brow. “You mean palette?

Viktor frowns, yes it is palette, he knew that. Strange. He grabs a handful of m&ms and watches the previews. 

He is pleasantly surprised by the film. Or well, he liked the parts he saw, he fell asleep about a third of the way through according to Jayce. He had not remembered even closing his eyes. He remembers hearing some distant explosions or something but he only really recalled Jayce gently shaking him awake and realizing that the lights were all on and the teenaged custodian was already working his way through the now empty rows with a broom. 

He sat up and coughed a few times into his elbow wincing at the sharp scratch on his throat and ache in his lungs. 

“Sorry.” He muttered on the way out to their car. Jayce just pulled him close and kissed him on the forehead. Holding him for a moment. “The parts that I saw were surprisingly good. Perhaps we will have to buy it when it releases.”

 Jayce hums an agreement. “I have somewhere I want to take you after lunch, but only if you’re feeling up to it hon.”

“Yes, I am okay Jayce, I told you this was our day out together. I can not remember the last time I did not have any appointments on a Saturday. I want to spend it with you.” Jayce just nodded and started the car with a small smile. 

They ate lunch, well more accurately Jayce ate lunch and Viktor choked down a few swallows of broccoli and cheddar soup and nibbled on a crust of sourdough. Then Jayce drove them just outside of the main. Used his second complaint as soon as he recognised the local recreation center, then continued to stare at Jayce incredulously as he pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car. 

“Jayce, you cannot be serious. What on earth could I possibly want or even attempt to do here?”

“Come on V, don’t you trust me?” Jayce said with a teasing look in his eye and Viktor felt a bit of anxiety for whatever Jayce might be planning. He opened his mouth to try to argue again when Jayce cut him off.

“Nope! You used your complaints! No more! Lets go, I will carry you in there if I need to.”

“That did not count! That was a continuation of my second one.” He tried to argue. Jayce just got out of the car and opened Viktors’ door, beginning to reach across to unfasten his seatbelt. 

“No! Jayce!”

“Love, yes. I promise you will enjoy it. I really will carry you in.”

“You will do no such thing.” Viktor states petulantly. 

“Okay you asked for this.” Before Viktor can even untangle his arms from his oxygen tubing and his forearm crutches Jayce has slung him over his shoulder and is grabbing all of Viktors’ tangled equipment in his other arm and confidently begins striding towards the main entrance. Viktor would be yelling and screeching but Jayce's broad shoulder is pressing into his already weak diaphragm making him a little short of breath and he would really rather not pass out in public so he saves his breath. 

Jayce does not put him down when they get inside, or when he pays for a half day pass for the both of them, or when he runs into one of his friends from his regular gym. Viktor is going to kill him. Promises on complaints be damned. 

He finally does put him down when they enter a large mostly empty room. And Viktor sinks into the nearest chair to catch his breath feeling a little dizzy. Jayce does not apologize. He only increases the oxygen flow by a half liter and pats his shoulder gently, then spreads his arms out in a “ta-da!” gesture.  

Viktor glares at him but does sweep his gaze around to take in the room. There are tables scattered around and a few teenagers looking through some piles of what looked like random electronics. At the front of the room there is a large paper poster that reads “Advanced Robotics Club”. He can not help the laugh that came out. It of course turns into a cough but that is neither here nor there. 

“Jayce, what are we doing here?” He asks.

“Well number one we are here to absolutely crush the competition here. These kids won’t know what hit them.” Jayce says quietly with a conspiratorial look in his eye “And these kids have been promised a special guest lecture by an actual professional, with multiple PHD’s in mechanics and engineering.” 

Viktor will later blame the slight brain fog he had been fighting today, and the mild hypoxia on his slow reaction and confusion. 

“You abducted me from the car to watch you teach a bunch of children how to make rudimentary robots?” Viktor asked incredulously.

“No, oh love of my life,  I abducted you from the car to watch you teach a bunch of kids how to build a robot that will not only function but also shoot fire for reasons unknown to any logical person.” Jayce said softly. “If I must be entirely honest with you, I have missed hearing about the legendary hijinks that Professor Novontny gets up to.” 

“How? I only told you this morning that today was for us.” Viktor asked.

“Ok so maybe they had reached out to the university, and the university asked me but this is so much better. I know you’ve missed teaching babe, I know you miss this and I really think that I would bore these kids. You know I'm not very good at impromptu explosions.” 

Well Viktor could not argue that. Jayce, despite his rocky start with dangerous experiments in uni, was usually the one to try to be more conservative in their shared projects even if Viktor never really listened anyways. Besides, it was true that he missed teaching. It was one of the worst parts of his condition. He could not stop the grin forming on his face even if he wanted to.

“Thank you Jayce. I do not deserve you.”  Viktor tells his husband. 

They leave far later than the class was meant to go for and with a few singed fingers, bandages on three fingers, an invite back for next month's meeting, and a brand new little robot that, while not fully complete due to lack of a few parts, will function as an air filter for their home. Viktor calls it Blitzcrank. And yes, he can in fact shoot small, mostly harmless lazers. For the flies obviously.