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Jayce never handled winters well. He could still feel the frigid winds slicing his face. He could still hear his mother’s dying ragged breaths. The fear never truly left him from that day in the blizzard; it simply went dormant.
When the air was humid and the sun was beaming, Jayce was akin to a mountain—strong, stable, and resilient. The season of rebirth was a literal designation for Jayce; he was full of new ideas in the spring. The initial creation of hextech came in the spring—his notes blooming with the flowers. Summertimes were when Jayce was at his best. The warm weather seemed to charge Jayce up like he was an engine, leading to boosts of motivation and work ethic that didn’t seem to be sustainable.
It wasn’t.
Autumn was when everything began to crumble. Slowly but surely, Jayce’s motivation slowed down. His progress began to halt, and his confidence began to dwindle. And once the temperature dropped, Jayce’s descent into darkness began as well. It felt like the mountain Jayce so often presented as began to disintegrate like dirt melting under the scorching heat of lava. Everything logical in Jayce’s brain told him the weather had no real impact on his life, but he truly believed the winter months were cursed.
The worst moments in Jayce’s life occurred during the cold winter months. Jayce’s expulsion occurred weeks before spring arrived in Piltover; frigid temperatures and snow were rare in Piltover, but the weather was brisker than usual, and his mind was already muddied by months of windy conditions. And when Jayce truly believed he was at his lowest, standing on the edge of death, feeling nothing but the sharp stings of winter, the sunlight of spring arrived again in the form of Viktor, washing away the gloom from Jayce’s mind almost instantly.
Jayce assumed that that was where his thing for Viktor originated from. Similar to his obsession with magic, his infatuation with Viktor stemmed from his shivering, moribund form in the winter morphing into his hopeful rebirth in the spring. Viktor represented light, even when all Jayce felt was dread.
“Jayce?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
Jayce looked away from the window showcasing freshly fallen snow and towards his partner, Viktor, who was sitting beside the other window. He looked cute; bundled up in a thick coat, a maroon scarf adorning his neck, his nose shiny and red from the cold. “Yeah. I’m okay. Why?”
“You’re quiet,” Viktor said as his eyes scanned Jayce.
“Well, it’s a long car ride,” Jayce said with a shrug. They were currently driving towards a research campsite in the mountains of Noxus. Apparently, the scientists there had made a few discoveries that Heimerdinger deemed relevant to Jayce and Viktor’s development of the hexgates. “I assumed you’d want to sleep.”
Viktor frowned. “You’ve been quiet for a while now.”
Jayce resisted the urge to tear his eyes away from Viktor. He was fully aware he had been more quiet than usual lately; he’d been dreading this upcoming excursion. “Like… on the plane?” Jayce said, playing dumb, referring to the charter plane they took to enter Noxus initially.
“In general.”
Jayce forced a smile on his face. “I’ve just been a little tired recently,” Jayce said. His explanation was true; he had been tired lately, but it wasn’t the entire truth. Explaining his actual feelings when Jayce didn’t fully comprehend them himself didn’t sound like a good time. Plus, he knew Viktor would look at him like he was crazy; that would be Jayce’s greatest nightmare.
Before Viktor could respond, the car pulled to a stop. Both scientists peered out their windows only to see a wooden cabin surrounded by frosted trees.
“We’ll be staying here tonight,” the driver Himerdinger hired said after turning around to face the two men in the back seat. “You boys get settled in,” the man then handed Jayce a rusted key.
“You’re not coming with us?” Viktor asked.
“I need to go into town to buy some things for tomorrow,” the man explained. “I’ll be back soon. You two need your brains working tomorrow, so go rest.”
Viktor knew something was wrong with Jayce.
Ever since Heimerdinger informed Viktor and Jayce about their research trip, Jayce had been acting odd. While Viktor was ecstatic to travel outside of Piltover and Zaun for the first time, Jayce seemed less than stellar. Excited talks about prepping for the trip quickly became awkward as the normally talkative Jayce simply refused to converse. And if Viktor thought Jayce was acting amiss a few weeks back, it was even worse now.
“I’ve never seen snow before,” Viktor commented as he watched the snow flurries outside the cabin window.
“Uh huh.”
Viktor turned around, only to see Jayce on the couch picking at his hangnails; he wasn’t even paying attention. Viktor cleared his throat loudly, causing Jayce to jump and look up.
“Sorry,” Jayce said as a sheepish smile grew in his face. He scrambled off of the couch and practically ran over to where Viktor was standing. “What were you saying?”
Viktor gave Jayce an unimpressed look before gazing outside again. There was more snow in the air now, brightening up the night’s shade with swirls of white. “I’ve never seen snow before,” Viktor repeated.
Jayce’s eyebrows raised in shock. “Really? It snows sometimes in Piltover.”
“Not since I’ve moved.”
“There’s never been snow in the Undercity?”
“It’s warmer down there.”
There was a pause. “I’ve seen too much snow.”
Viktor glanced at Jayce, only to see him staring outside with a grim expression on his face. His voice was cold, matching the weather outside. Viktor frowned. “Have you traveled a lot to colder regions?” Viktor asked, genuinely curious. Jayce had spoken a lot about his past but never once spoke about traveling.
Jayce shrugged. “Something like that.”
Viktor crossed his arms over his chest. “Why are you being mysterious?”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
Jayce let out a sigh and ran a hand over his face. “It’s nothing important,” Jayce said, suddenly sounding exhausted. “My family traveled a lot to gather materials, you know? For the family business.”
“You didn’t hire miners yourself?”
“We weren’t that wealthy.”
Viktor hummed thoughtfully. “You didn’t like these trips, I take it?”
Jayce shook his head, his eyes still glued to the growing snow storm outside. “No, I didn’t,” Jayce then frowned. “That storm is really picking up.”
A single peek outside confirmed Jayce’s statement. An ivory shower rained down on the woods outside of their cabin. The once still trees were now rustling and swaying, taking the brunt of the storm. The gusts of wind were powerful; what was once a gentle whisper suddenly became a bellowing howl. Their own cabin creaked from the chaotic current.
“It’s a blizzard,” Viktor said simply. He’d never seen a blizzard before. It was kind of exciting. “There’s always time to experience something new, eh?”
Viktor then turned to Jayce with a small smile. A smile that immediately fell once he saw the look of pure terror on Jayce’s face. Jayce’s hazel eyes were wide and watery, his bottom lip was trembling, and his breath was quivering and shallow.
“Jayce?” Viktor said, his voice laced with concern. “Are you—“
“It’s a blizzard,” Jayce repeated Viktor’s words, his voice shaking. Viktor’s eyes widened as Jayce staggered away from the window and fell onto the ground.
“Jayce!?” Viktor exclaimed as he let go of his cane and ignored the aching in his leg as he crouched down next to the fallen Jayce. The man’s entire body was shaking now with every breath he took. Viktor placed a hand on Jayce’s back and helped him sit up; he could feel Jayce’s heart beating quickly under his palm. “You need to calm down. It’s just a storm—“
“It’s a blizzard!”
“It’ll be okay!”
“No it won’t!” Jayce voice cracked as tears streamed down his face. Viktor stared in complete shock as Jayce gasped for breath; he didn’t know what to do. “We’re going to die!”
“What?” Viktor asked, completely bewildered. He cupped Jayce’s wet face in his hands and wiped away at his tears, only for them to be immediately replaced with new ones. “We aren’t going to die.”
“We’re going to die!” Jayce screamed. Viktor watched on in horror as Jayce began to hyperventilate, his chest heaving aggressively as his breathing rapidly sped up. Jayce began to scratch at his throat. “I can’t breathe!”
Viktor tore Jayce’s hand away from his throat and held it tightly. “You need to slow your breathing down,” Viktor said, his voice firm as he struggled to remain calm. “Breathe with me, okay?” Viktor then pulled Jayce’s hand and placed it above his own diaphragm. “Follow my breathing.”
Jayce’s breaths were raspy as he tried to follow Viktor’s breathing. After a full minute of deep breaths, Jayce’s breathing finally slowed down and he stopped gasping for air.
Viktor stared in silence as Jayce caught up with his breathing. After another minute of quiet passed, Jayce’s face crumpled, and the stable, confident man that Viktor knew Jayce to be broke down.
“Shit,” Viktor muttered to himself after Jayce threw himself onto Viktor, sobbing into his shoulder uncontrollably. Viktor wrapped his arms around Jayce’s shoulders and rubbed his hands against Jayce’s trembling back. “We’re going to be okay,” Viktor said in an attempt to comfort the wrecked man. Unfortunately, his statement only made Jayce cry harder.
“I don’t want you to die!” Jayce sobbed as he tightened his hold on Viktor.
“I’m not going to be taken out by a snowstorm, Jayce.”
Jayce suddenly tore himself away from Viktor’s grasp and scrambled to get up. He slapped a hand over his mouth and said, “I’m gonna be sick.”
Viktor watched from the ground as Jayce stumbled to the bathroom. He winced as he distantly heard the man heaving and gagging. Viktor grabbed his cane and rose from the ground before walking over to the bathroom. Once he arrived, he was greeted with the sight of Jayce leaned over the toilet, throwing up into the bowl.
“I’ll grab you some water,” Viktor said before heading to the kitchen to do just that. Once he returned to the bathroom, Jayce had already flushed the toilet and was leaning his back against it with his head in his hands. “Here,” Viktor said as he sat down across from Jayce, his back against the wall of the bathroom and his legs grazing Jayce’s hip. He handed the glass of water over to Jayce, causing the man to look up with watery eyes and grab the glass with shaky hands. Viktor shivered as he felt Jayce scoot closer to him, touching Viktor’s hip with his legs. “Are you feeling a bit better now?”
Jayce took a gulp of water. “I’m tired.”
“Panic attacks tend to do that.”
Jayce blinked. “Panic attack?”
“Yes,” Viktor said with a nod. “That’s what you just had.”
Jayce stared down at the water in his hands, seemingly lost in thought. Silence overlaid the two scientists like a thick blanket. Viktor frowned as he observed his partner, unsettled after the scene he had just witnessed.
“I used to have panic attacks,” Viktor said, deciding to be vulnerable for Jayce’s sake. Jayce's eyes immediately darted to Viktor’s, his eyes wide in surprise. “When I was a kid.”
“Did something happen to you?” Jayce asked. The ‘like me’ was unsaid but heard loudly and clearly by Viktor.
Viktor shook his head. “No. They occurred randomly,” Viktor said as he thought back to his childhood in the fissures. “Though, they happened a lot after we lost our house. I’m assuming stress triggered them.”
“You don’t get them anymore?”
“No.”
Jayce tapped on the glass of water as he thought over Viktor’s words. “I’ve had a panic attack before,” Jayce admitted, looking vaguely uncomfortable. “I didn’t realize that’s what they were, but now that I know, I think I’ve had them before.”
“How often?”
Jayce gave Viktor a sad shrug. “I don’t know. Yearly.”
Viktor thought back to the genesis of Jayce’s panic attack and the discussion prior to it all. “Is it because of the weather?”
Jayce went silent. Viktor watched the man glare at the ground; he wondered if he pushed Jayce too far.
“You don’t have to answer—“
“I almost died in a blizzard.”
It was Viktor’s turn to go silent. Whatever he was expecting, it was not that.
“My mom almost died too,” Jayce continued, his eyes faraway as he spoke. “I watched her freeze.”
Viktor’s eyes felt heavy as he listened to Jayce detail the traumatic event. Jayce’s expression didn’t help either; his face was blank, and his eyes were distant. It was almost like Jayce’s mind was trapped back in the memory.
“She collapsed and wouldn’t wake up no matter how much I shook her,” Jayce said in an absent way. “There was no one around us. Probably not for miles. I thought she was gonna die.”
Jayce’s eyes began to water again.
“I thought I was gonna die.”
Viktor blinked back tears of his own and asked, “How old were you?”
“Eight.”
“That must’ve been scary,” Viktor said, thinking about little Jayce trying to shake his mother awake to no avail.
Tears escaped Jayce’s eyes, slowly streaming down his face as he nodded. “It was.”
Viktor couldn’t take it anymore; he grabbed Jayce’s shirt and pulled him into his embrace. Jayce clung onto Viktor’s shoulders, crying as he did.
“It’s okay,” Viktor softly said, combing a hand through Jayce’s hair. Jayce leaned into the touch, burrowing his head into the space between his neck and shoulder. The action made Viktor’s face heat up; Jayce reminded Viktor of a needy puppy. Viktor had to mentally reprimand himself—this was not the time to be thinking about how cute Jayce Talis was. “Both of you survived. And we’ll be okay during this blizzard too.”
“You don’t think I’m crazy?” Jayce asked, his voice muffled against Viktor’s shirt.
“No,” Viktor said earnestly. “I’m concerned, but I don’t think you’re crazy. Have you talked to anyone about this?”
Jayce sniffled and backed away from Viktor to look him in the eyes. “No. Only my mom and now you,” Jayce said as he sloppily wiped his tears away.
“I think you should speak to a doctor,” Viktor said carefully, unsure if his suggestion would offend the crying man in front of him.
“Why?” Jayce asked with a frown. “I thought you just said you don’t think I’m crazy.”
“I don’t,” Viktor said firmly, placing his hands on Jayce’s shoulders in an attempt to placate him. “I just think it might benefit you to talk through—“
“I’m not crazy.”
“I never said—“
“I don’t need a fucking quack,” Jayce said roughly as he tore Viktor’s hands off of him.
Viktor sat in shock as Jayce got up from the bathroom floor, stumbling as he did. He looked up at the now closed-off man, feeling nothing but immense guilt. “Jayce,” Viktor started. “I didn’t mean—“
“I’m going to sleep,” Jayce snapped, causing Viktor to shut his mouth immediately. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”
“Jayce—“
“Goodnight.”
And with that, Jayce left the bathroom, leaving Viktor alone on the floor.
Jayce knew that Viktor thought he was crazy.
That was the only thought echoing in Jayce’s mind when he went to sleep and the only thought echoing in his mind when he woke up the next morning.
Viktor thought Jayce was crazy. Why else would he suggest that Jayce see a doctor? Only crazy people needed a psychiatrist, and Jayce wasn’t crazy. Sure, Jayce tried to kill himself that one time, but he wasn’t crazy. He was completely fine. Yesterday was an accident.
“Looks like the driver didn’t make it back from town.”
Jayce looked up, only to see Viktor by the window gazing outside. He then scanned the cabin. Viktor was right—the driver was nowhere to be seen. What happened to him? Did he crash while driving through the blizzard? It must have hit him while he was driving.
“Is he dead?”
Viktor’s head whipped around in Jayce’s direction. He looked concerned. He definitely thought Jayce was crazy.
“No,” Viktor said slowly. He was talking to Jayce like he was a rabid animal. Jayce immediately felt uncomfortable. “He had to stay in town because of the storm,” Viktor then held up a slip of paper. “He sent a message.”
“Is there a lot of snow outside?”
Viktor nodded.
“Is it still snowing?”
Viktor nodded again.
“Fuck,” Jayce said, running a hand through his hair. “We’re stuck here.”
“Only for today,” Viktor said as he walked over towards Jayce. He then sat down on the bed next to him and gave Jayce a small smile. It was a cute smile. Too bad Viktor thought he was crazy. “The driver said that the snow should ease up this evening. I’m sure he’ll come back around then.”
The two then entered an awkward silence. Neither of them knew what to say after the disastrous night before.
“So,” Viktor said, breaking the silence with an awkward smile. “What do you wanna do?”
Nothing. Jayce just wanted to do nothing. Maybe lay around. Maybe stare at a wall. Maybe sleep if sleeping didn’t mean he’d get a nightmare of him and Viktor freezing to death in the tundra. He couldn’t say that, though. Viktor might think he’s even crazier.
“I don’t know,” Jayce said with a shrug. “It’s not like we can do lab work.”
Viktor studied the room, biting his bottom lip as he did. Jayce stared at his lips. He had pretty lips. Suddenly, he turned back towards Jayce, causing Jayce to immediately dart his eyes up. Hopefully Viktor didn’t notice.
Viktor noticed. Or at least, Jayce thought he did if Viktor’s smug smile said anything. “Where were you looking?”
Yeah. He definitely noticed.
“Your mole.”
Viktor hummed in response. He didn’t believe Jayce at all. “Anyway,” Viktor said with a sudden clap, causing Jayce to jump. “We could play a game? There’s a bunch of games over there.”
Jayce looked over at where Viktor was pointing and saw a stack of board games on a shelf by the large wooden bookcase. Jayce got up and eyed the games. “A lot of these require more than two people,” Jayce said as he studied the game titles. Viktor walked up next to him and began inspecting the games as well.
“How about this one?” Viktor asked as he held up a drinking card game with a hopeful smile.
Jayce raised his brows. “‘Never Have I Ever’? Really, V?”
“We’ve never played a drinking game together before.”
“Is there even alcohol in here?”
“I think I saw some in the freezer yesterday when I was making dinner.”
Jayce sighed as he thought over his options. He really wasn’t in the mood to play games or even talk, but—
“Please?” Viktor asked as he slightly jut his bottom lip out in a cute pout.
But Jayce was weak to Viktor. When Viktor wanted something, Viktor got it.
“Fine,” Jayce said, exasperated. “I’ll play the game.”
The noise Viktor let out could only be described as a shriek of excitement.
Viktor knew he fucked up last night.
Now, Viktor was fully aware that he could accidentally be insensitive at times, but last night had to be the worst example of it ever.
’You should speak to a doctor’—what Viktor was thinking when he spewed that out, he had no idea. Of course Jayce would react badly to that suggestion! Jayce had just asked Viktor if Viktor thought he was crazy, and Viktor responded with, ‘Maybe you should see a doctor!’ Which, despite Viktor’s intention, sounded like Viktor thought Jayce was crazy. He really didn’t. Viktor was just worried. Really worried.
Last night’s episode reminded Viktor of the night he and Jayce discovered hextech together. The day brought so many positive memories to the forefront of his mind that he often forgot how he found Jayce that night—on the ledge, looking down at death.
Clearly, despite the cheerful, optimistic persona Jayce often presented himself to the world as, he had deeply rooted issues that had not been addressed. Viktor knew that this blizzard episode wasn’t a one-off thing but rather a symptom of a greater issue. So, yes, he was highly concerned.
“Are the pancakes good?”
Viktor looked up from his half-eaten plate of pancakes and at his lab partner, who was staring at him with a blank expression. Viktor nodded.
“Okay,” Jayce said after tossing the final bite of pancake into his mouth. “You should finish that before we start drinking.”
“Okay, Mom,” Viktor said sarcastically before digging into the pancakes.
If Viktor was being honest, he didn’t give a shit about the drinking game. He just wanted to do something that would distract Jayce from the ongoing snowstorm outside. If an embarrassing game about revealing facts about himself was the way to do it, Viktor would do it.
And so, he did it.
After breakfast, the two scientists found themselves on Jayce’s bed with the card game, two shot glasses, two red solo cups, a bottle of cranberry juice, and vodka between them.
“We just read the cards and if you’ve done it, you take a shot,” Viktor explained the rules as he flipped through the instructions manual like it was a newspaper.
Jayce rolled his eyes playfully. “No shit, Viktor. It’s Never Have I Ever. Not Settlers of fucking Catan,” he said as he snatched the manual out of Viktor’s hands. “Can we just play already? I’m dying to know obscure facts about your sex life.”
Hearing Jayce say the word ‘sex’ made Viktor’s abdomen heat up. Viktor immediately felt embarrassed by his reaction, resisting the urge to physically cringe at himself for getting hot and bothered by Jayce saying a single word.
“Let’s get started,” Viktor said as he shuffled the cards, happily ignoring his internal struggles. “Who should go first?”
“You,” Jayce said with a shrug. “You picked the game.”
Viktor swiped a card from the pile and raised it to his face. “Never have I ever…” Viktor frowned as he read the question. Of course this was the card he pulled. “…been turned on at a really inappropriate time.”
Without saying a word, Viktor unscrewed the vodka bottle and poured himself a shot, causing Jayce to let out a howl of laughter. “You didn’t even hesitate!”
“It’s been a rough day, okay?”
Jayce stopped laughing. His smile immediately turning smug. “So, this happened today?”
Viktor, who was in the middle of balancing his shot and his cup of cranberry juice, stopped everything he was doing and stared at Jayce in a panic. Before Viktor could even think of a response, Jayce began laughing again and grabbed the vodka bottle from the bed and began pouring himself a shot as well.
“It’s been a rough day for me, as well,” Jayce said, giving Viktor a wink.
The cheers they said in unison were half-assed on Viktor’s end, as he was still reeling from Jayce’s revelation and his own embarrassing divulgence.
They took their shots. Jayce grimaced from the taste, his entire face scrunching up goofily as he scrambled to down his chaser. “You can’t handle your liquor?” Viktor teased with a playful smile. Jayce flipped him off, causing Viktor to giggle. “It’s your turn to pick a card!”
Jayce pulled a card. “Never have I ever been to a psychic.”
Viktor was the only one to take a shot that time.
“Seriously?” Jayce asked. “You believe in psychics?”
“Not exactly.”
“What did they say?”
“They said I’d grow a big beard and date a messiah who’s like a brother to me.”
Jayce stared at Viktor. “…Is that a joke?”
“No.”
And with that, Viktor pulled the next card. “Never have I ever had sex in public.”
Viktor cursed himself and this game silently as he prepared another shot for himself. Jayce’s jaw dropped, scandalized. “In public!?”
“I had a freaky phase,” Viktor said after downing his shot and his chaser. “I’m not going to expand on it.”
Despite Jayce’s obvious desire for Viktor to expand on it, he obeyed Viktor’s orders and moved on, picking the next card. “Never have I ever written a love letter.”
Viktor scoffed. “Why are your cards so tame?”
“Your freaky ass keeps attracting the sex cards, V.”
Neither of them had written a love letter, and so, Viktor chose another card.
Viktor wanted to shoot himself. “Never have I ever had a sex dream about a friend.”
With matching flushed faces and averted eyes, both Viktor and Jayce took their shots in silence. Neither men wanted to expand on that question.
Jayce picked a card. “Never have I ever…” he trailed off, his face dropping as he read the rest of the content. Jayce went silent, his eyes glued to the card as his grip on it tightened.
“Jayce?” Viktor tentatively asked.
Jayce let out a deep breath. “Never have I ever climbed a mountain.”
Silence. Complete and utter silence.
Just Viktor’s luck for him to choose a game to distract Jayce from the storms of the past and the present, only for the game to highlight the topic in card form.
“Jayce—“
“I think I need a break,” Jayce interrupted before rushing out the door and into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.
Viktor waited on the bed for around five minutes before getting up and strolling to the bathroom door. Viktor knocked once. Twice. Thrice. “Jayce? Are you okay?”
No response.
“Jayce?”
“Go away, Viktor,” Jayce demanded. His voice muffled from behind the door.
He sounded like he was crying.
“Jayce? Please open the door,” Viktor said, his voice cracking as he begged. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to imply or say that your feelings weren’t valid—“
“You said it yourself! I’m crazy!”
“You’re not crazy,” Viktor said sincerely. “I’m just worried about you.”
“Because I’m crazy.”
“No. I’m worried because I think that your memories from that day in the blizzard are still hurting you, Jayce.”
Jayce didn’t respond; there was only silence.
Viktor swallowed nervously. “You haven’t worked through what happened to you, yet. You haven’t even properly worked through what happened before we discovered hextech—“
“I’m not crazy. I’m not suicidal.”
“I know, Jayce,” Viktor said. “Going to a psychiatrist doesn’t make you crazy. It’s like going to a dentist when you have tooth pain. The pain in your mind is real.”
Another silence fell upon them. Until suddenly, it was broken by a sharp squeaking sound. The bathroom door slowly opened, revealing a tearful Jayce behind the door, looking awfully embarrassed.
Viktor remained silent, waiting for Jayce to say something.
“I think there’s something wrong with me,” Jayce said, his voice small as he spoke.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Viktor asked with a soft tone.
Jayce nodded and slowly made his way out of the bathroom before following Viktor back onto the bed. Once settled, Jayce began to speak. “I get these like mood swings,” Jayce started as he absentmindedly shuffled the Never Have I Ever cards. “I don’t know if that’s the proper phrase for what happens to me, but I don’t know what else to call it. Every fall and winter I just… stop working properly, I guess,” Jayce said with a frown. “Everything is just dead. My motivation, my feelings, everything. Dead. I don’t know why.”
“You worked hard this past winter,” Viktor said as he thought back to their first winter working together just a few months ago. Jayce had diligently worked on their research and appeared to be in great spirits—key word: appeared. Without this trip to the mountains, Viktor likely would’ve never noticed anything amiss. “Were you covering up your feelings?”
Jayce nodded. “I really didn’t want to disappoint you or my mom or Heimerdinger or the council,” Jayce said sheepishly. “Especially after everything I did.”
Viktor felt a pang of pain inside at this statement. “Don’t ever feel like you have to fake things for me, okay?” Viktor said firmly, causing Jayce to look up and meet his eyes. “If you need a break, you’ll get one. If you’re feeling down, tell me.”
“But hextech—“
“I care about you more than hextech,” Viktor said, his face slightly flushing as he did. “I care about you a lot, Jayce.”
Jayce’s cheeks turned pink as well. “I care about you a lot too,” Jayce admitted shyly. “That’s why I didn’t want to disappoint you or tell you anything. I thought you’d think I was crazy.”
“You’re not crazy. You have trauma. Sometimes trauma can make you feel like you’re going crazy. You’re not, though.”
“And you think a doctor will fix that?”
“I think a professional can help you work through it. That’s better than letting the feelings fester until you can no longer control them.” Viktor’s began to water as he spoke, causing Jayce’s to widen at the sight. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself, Jayce,” Viktor said in a hushed tone, his voice wobbling at the thought. “I’m scared it might become too much for you if you leave it untreated. And then…” Viktor roughly wiped at his eyes, catching the tears before they could fall. “And I don’t know what I’d do if you did. I’d be heartbroken.”
Jayce went silent for a moment. Viktor watched with teary eyes as the man stared blankly at him, lost in thought. “When I was in the blizzard with my mom, someone saved us,” Jayce then said, his own eyes beginning to glisten with unshed tears. “He had no reason to save us, but he did. He saved us with magic.”
Viktor gasped in realization. “Is that…?”
“Yeah,” Jayce confirmed with a wobbly smile. “My passion for magic came from him. And then, at the precipice of my discovery…” Jayce trailed off as he reached out to hold Viktor’s hand in his. He thumbed at Viktor’s pale hand softly while the two men gazed at each other’s watery eyes. “When I thought everything was over and I’d lost all hope… I met you,” Jayce whispered. “You saved me and gave me passion for something else—“
“Hextech,” Viktor finished for him.
Jayce nodded, his smile growing as he stared back at Viktor. “You had no reason to save me other than you believed in me. I suppose the guy in the blizzard did too.”
Viktor scooted closer to Jayce, their knees grazing each other as Viktor brought his free hand up to Jayce’s face and cupped it. Jayce leaned into his touch, causing Viktor to smile fondly. “Saving you was one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Viktor confessed as he felt his heart burn with affection. “You’re the most important person in my life.”
A few tears escaped Jayce’s eyes before he leaned forward, softly placing his lips upon Viktor’s. He moved his free hand to the nape of Viktor’s neck, using it to tilt Viktor’s head upward so Jayce could deepen the kiss. Viktor delicately kissed back, his thumb softly caressing Jayce’s cheek as he did.
When they parted, Jayce immediately let out a cackle, causing Viktor to frown in confusion.
“What are you laughing about?”
“Just thinking about your face when you saw the first Never Have I Ever card!”
Viktor let go of Jayce entirely in exchange for smacking the man in the head.
“Ow!”
“That was so embarrassing!”
“Ow! Stop hitting me!”
“I hated that stupid game!”
“But you chose it? Ow! V! That hurt!”
“You deserve it—“
“Am I interrupting?”
Viktor immediately stopped whacking Jayce with his hands at the sound of this new voice. Both of the scientists turned towards the direction of the speaker, only to see their driver standing by the entrance of the cabin with raised brows.
The driver eyed the two men’s faces with a frown. “Are you guys crying?”
Jayce panicked and picked up a random card from the pile. “This round of Never Have I Ever was really funny.”
“Oh! Happy tears then?” The driver said, sounding relieved. “What does the card say?”
Jayce lifted the card to his face, only for his cheeks to immediately flush at the words displayed on the card. “Never have I ever…” Jayce peeked behind the card, only to see Viktor’s pretty amber eyes staring back at him. Jayce gulped. “Kissed my best friend.”
Jayce had never seen a human turn into that hue of red before. Viktor’s face resembled a tomato as his eyes widened in complete and utter shock. This was the Never Have I Ever game from hell.
The driver cackled loudly, causing the scientists to turn towards him. “I think it’s time for you two to take a shot.”
Sheepishly, the two men poured themselves another shot, mumbling out ‘cheers’ before downing the burning drink unenthusiastically.
They were never playing Never Have I Ever ever again.