Chapter Text
Jayce can’t breathe.
Spending so much time in the pit has turned his brain to mush. Funny, one of the smartest men in Piltover, a scientist. The Man of Progress reduced to this.
He thought. Gods, all he could do was think, trapped in the walls of his own mind. He thought a lot in his time down there about everything. Wallowing in a massive puddle of self pity. Crying for hours, trying to remember the steps that got him here, his memories.
His mistakes.
During the time spent in his own head, one thing remained consistent.
Viktor.
He was all Jayce could think about. During his bad memories which haunted him during what little sleep he got after passing out from exhaustion.
Nightmares. Gods, the nightmares. Holding Viktors lifeless body for five blocks. Seeing the carvings of runes made in his skin, the sickly purple that consumed his leg and arm. Imagining Viktor being crushed by that pillar. How he had to rummage through the remains of the council room just to find his best friend's cane.
All. His. Fault.
He left Viktor, the one person he swore he would be there for. He abandoned him when he needed him most.
Viktor, the strongest person Jayce knew. The brightest mind. A person that could finally keep up with Jayce. Whom he could go toe to toe with.
Viktor had never let his body get the best of him. He always pushed through without a word of complaint. He worked so hard. That’s what made him so strong.
Seeing him lifeless, succumbed to human mortality is something Jayce wanted to forget.
But he couldn’t, not when his nightmares showed him this every night.
He was shown this among other things his brain made him see that he hoped he could forget. Viktor in the hospital, Viktor leaving, Viktor in that mass of goop from the Hexcore.
Looking back at it, the horror and fear on Viktors face when he woke up was etched into his mind. At the time, Jayce hadn’t noticed, too busy rejoicing that his partner was alive.
But at what cost?
Jayce, what am I?
Every promise he made, broken. The weapons, the dreams of helping people, the promise to destroy their lives work.
Viktor, Viktor, Viktor
Those yellow eyes forever etched into his mind, his soul, his very being.
******
Sometimes, he saw Viktor when he tried to think of happier memories so he could keep himself going, keep hunting, building fires, surviving.
He saw the cool blue light filtering into the lab. The laughter shared between them.
Gods, his laugh. A sweet beautiful song that Jayce would give anything to hear one last time.
He would see them young, at the distinguished innovations competition. Looking over to Viktor, beaming at him. How drunk they got afterward.
Viktor sharing short stories from his childhood.
Getting coffee together
He wished and hoped and begged to see Viktor again, his partner, the one person that had been with him through it all.
The person he failed. The person he left.
He had to make it up to him. When he saw him again. Jayce couldn’t handle the thought of if he ever saw him again.
******
On his worst nights, hot desire burned through Jayce.
Dreams of his partner's soft skin, head full of chestnut curls, his moles.
Those goddamn moles.
Jayce wanted to go back and beat the shit out of his past self for not cherishing those moles, not kissing every one of them.
He should’ve given into Viktor the first day he met him.
Now, left alone in a deep pit, barely surviving, he still dreams of him. Begs and pleads to get a second chance, a second life to love his partner.
Gods he would’ve worshiped him, every scar, every muscle, every imperfection. He wants to hear Viktors soft sounds he would make as Jayce gave him all his love. The expressions on his face, how good he would feel.
These thoughts would be the death of him.
*****
Some nights, Jayce would attempt to distract himself by sketching the anomaly. Trying to balance impossible equations. Hell, he even tried to divide zero by zero.
He couldn’t help but wish for his lab partner. Somehow, some way, Viktor always knew how to fix these things, his other half.
Thoughts of Viktor overtook him once again.
Jayce never officially considered himself an artist. He used to think that you either had a science brain or an artistic brain. Jayce realized his mistake the second he met Viktor.
Science, at its core, needs creativity. Art and science can go hand and hand, living in perfect harmony. Viktor showed him this the first night they worked together.
Jayce had never felt the urge to sketch until he saw Viktor laugh for the first time. He had to capture that moment, a picture wouldn’t suffice, he needed to capture the raw emotions he felt.
After that moment, it was as if a floodgate broke open. He was sketching constantly but only of the one thing he cherished the most.
His Viktor
Laughing, concentrating on a difficult equation, twirling that one curl over and over again, turned to the chalkboard, that little smirk when he knew that he was about to get under Jayces skin, the look of wonder when they discovered something new.
Now, yearning for Viktors presence, he sketches him on the wall, forgetting the equations entirely. Newly focused on trying to recall Viktors fuzzy features, sharp jaw, high cheekbones, piercing eyes.
Quickly, things got out of hand. Before he knew it, a portrait of Viktor appeared before him. Naked. Smirking, a look of mirth in his eyes.
Fuck.
Like a switch flipping, desire turned to despair.
He should’ve been there. He should’ve said fuck the council. He should’ve focused on research, curing Viktor.
He should’ve, should’ve, should’ve
“FUCK!”
The cycle repeats.
Self pity, regret, nightmares, nostalgia, desire, despair.
Over and over and over again.
Until he breaks.
*****
The wind whipped through his hair, the smoggy strange air filling his lungs. A gift after being stuck in the pit for so long. He had finally, finally, gotten out.
The figure before him never stopping. He had followed the figure in front of him for a while now. It was his only motivation, he needs to see the person who saved him, who started the cycle of his life. The ache in his leg was an afterthought to the sights before him.
It was horrifying. He knew that this was because of him, because of Hextech. He knew those strange patterns from the anomaly.
Gods, it really was all his fault. He could never blame Viktor for this, it was his idea in the first place.
The figure finally stopped. Exhaustion hit him, adrenaline had run out a long time ago. His knees hit the ground. His broken leg spiking pain all the way up to his hip
He glares at the figure before him, the person responsible for saving his life all those years ago. Leading to the start of Hextech. The same person who left him in that pit for gods knows how long.
In the pit, he had figured out what this place was a long time ago. Piltover. The horrific twisted version of it. Crumbling figures lost to the space of time. Gods, their faces, people with dreams, ideas, hope. All gone, due to him, his invention. Weird marks of the anomaly litter everything. Including the stuffy air.
There is another decaying figure before him. He knows who this is, who it has to be.
He stares through the broken pieces of the statue, now filled with flowers. Twistedly beautiful.
Himself
He looks up to the mage. “This is where it started, isn’t it? The end of Piltover, because of Hextech.”
The figure before him doesn’t move, doesn’t seem to even react. That answer was enough for Jayce.
Exasperated, he looks up to the figure once again, then down at his bracelet, rubbing it instinctively.
“Why did you ever give me this?” He breathes, “Why?”
There’s a beat of silence.
Finally, the mage turns toward him, the dark shadows of the hood finally revealing their face. It’s a face he knows all too well. A face he spent hours dreaming about in the pit. A face that started to blur around the edges. A face he feared he would never see again.
Viktor.
He is clearly older now, sporting a beard and long hair. His face and hands had normal skin but the rest of his body turned into a galaxy, strangely beautiful. Small marks of the anomaly litter the bits of skin he has left. Despite the changes, the Viktor he knew was still so present beneath that, still so beautiful.
“Viktor” he gasps “Oh my gods.”
Immediately, he rushes to his feet, his leg protesting in pain. He all but tackles Viktor in a crushing embrace. Hot tears immediately streaming down his face.
Rationally, he knows he should’ve stayed put, asking Viktor the millions of questions that played over in his brain.
He decided he didn’t care about being rational anymore. Not when the man he thought he’d never see again was standing in front of him.
”Viktor” he sobs “I-I never thought I’d see you again.”
Viktor freezes in the hug before placing his hands gently on Jayces back. In response, Jayce nuzzles into his neck, breathing him in.
”Jayce” he gasps “I didn’t think you’d be happy to see me.”
His voice
Jayce looks up into Viktors eyes, the same eyes that had haunted him.
“Gods, I don’t think I would ever not be happy to see you. I couldn’t stop thinking how I wasn’t there for you, the pain you were going through. A-and I was off doing things for the Council. I made so many mistakes Viktor. I’m sorry.”
Viktors eyes widen
”Jayce, please don’t apologize. I-I left you in a pit for god's sake.” Viktor’s voice starts to break.
Jayce stays silent. He reaches up and cradles Viktors face gently. Running his fingers through his beard. He gently brings Viktors forehead to his own, closing his eyes.
”You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you.” He whispers
“Jayce” he breathes “I know I have put you through so much. I’m sorry but it was the only way. I didn’t mean for you to fall into that pit but I left you there. It’s because I need you to go back and stop your Viktor.” He says quietly
“I knew you would never do it if you were in your right mind. I didn’t expect you to have this reaction.”
Jayce feels his lungs stop
”It has to be you.” Viktor says “I thought I could bring an end to the world’s suffering but when every equation was solved, all that remained were fields of dreamless solitude.”
”There is no prize to perfection, only an end to pursuit. In all timelines, in all possibilities, only you can show me this.”
”I don’t want to leave you here.” Jayce says quietly
”Jayce, you have to. You have to save the world. Save your timeline. Save your Mom. Save Caitlyn. What happens to me doesn’t matter.” He says “Please, do this for me. I know I have asked so much of you but for one last time please, I have to make this right.”
Jayce pulls Viktors hands into his own. He stares into Viktors eyes. He owes this to Viktor, no matter how much it will pain him, he has to do it.
”I-I can do this. For you. We can both right our wrongs. We’ve both made mistakes. I promise you, I will do this.”
Viktor embeds the crystal into Jayces wrist. He breathes, preparing the magic to send him back.
”Wait!” Jayce says. “I forgot to give you something.”
He takes Viktors face into his hands and places a gentle kiss on his forehead.
”Okay,” he breathes “Send me back.”
Jayce feels the air around him start to lift, time itself shifting. He looks into Viktors eyes one last time
”I won’t fail, I promise.” Jayce says as he disappears
Jayce swears he hears a quiet sob but he can’t be sure.