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the-odd-shu · 7 days ago

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I would recognise you in another lifetime, entirely in different bodies.

A scenario from the illustrator!Reader universe.

Pairing: Jayce/Viktor/Reader (polycule)

Masterlist:

SEASON 2 SPOILERSSSS!!

Gender Neutral Reader with they/them pronouns.

Summary: Reader who is still wandering around in the ruined dimension because they panic scribbled runes onto their forehead which essentially 'repels' Mage!Viktor's magic. It was sheer luck that gave them the correct rune combination, having stolen one of Viktor's research journals and began copying in a blind panic. The runes also allow them to wander the world, beneath Viktor's radar, essentially invisible to his magic as well as untainted by his influence.

"Jayce." A voice in the darkness whispers, sending goosebumps up the man's forearms, as he twisted his broken body round at the call of his name.

The ravine echoed his panicked movements. The whisper of his filthy clothes sliding against each other. The scrap of skin against jagged stone. His leg protests any movement, but his panic is all consuming and rabid.

"Who-who's there?" He demands, his voice coming out cracked and uneven.

The shuffle of shoes on stone have his head snapping back round and up, and his entire body freezes as he sees a humanoid figure perched on a ledge above where he lays. Back lit by the surface, far, far above, the figure is crouched, knees bent with hands flat against the stone they're perched upon.

"Impossible." The thing whispers to itself, which is a testament to just how silent the ravine is that Jayce can hear it. Then the thing begins to climb down, TOWARDS him.

He panics. Unable to tear his eyes off of it, as it moves fluidly, easily, in the uneven terrain, like some sort of uncanny mountain goat. Clearly, it has been navigating this habitat for a long time.

It has several eyes, Jayce realises with horror. Two in the normal places that humans have eyes, that glow subtly in the poor lighting. And then five points on its forehead, that flow with an unnatural, inner light. If Jayce were not so terrified, he may have thought they were arranged like a crown.

The thing's booted feet slam into the ground, and it straightens up like a man. Jayce makes out ruined clothes, worn shoes, and scraggly, unkempt hair. It approaches him fearlessly.

Jayce scrambles away as best as his ruined leg will allow. "S-stay away!" He demands, the fear obvious in his voice.

It pauses. "Oh. Oh my Love." The thing whispers, "what has he let happen to you?" It lowers itself closer to his level, knees hitting stone, before shuffling closer, clearly trying and failing to be unthreatening. "I'll throttle that bastard the next time I lay eyes on him." It hisses to itself, "allowing you to suffer in the name of learning. As if you haven't had a rough several days already."

It continues to mutter to itself, and Jayce realises with a snag that he recognises the voice. And he hadn't before because of how rough it sounds, like the creature hasn't had use of words for years.

He watches with wide eyes as it aims for his leg, rather than his head and anything vital. It tuts under its breath as it crouches above the injury. "Definitely broken." They mutter.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Jayce asks. In truth, he already knows, but he also doesn't. This person is foreign to him. They move differently to who he is expecting.

"Oh." They say again, voice creaking. "You do not recognise me."

"Step into the light." He says instead.

And the figure tilts their head, those unnatural, glowing eyes sending shivers up and down his back. No, wait, now that they're so close, he realises that the ones further up its face, are in fact runes. Runes that glow with a similar light to the Hexcore. To the magic that had been infused in Viktor's limbs when he had reawakened and stumbled his way across the lab.

At his request, the figure rises once more to their feet, and steps over him towards a beam of light filtering in from far above. The light banishes the uncertainty from Jayce's mind as he gazes upon a face he knows intimately, and yet looks alien to him now.

He was right at least, the upper glowing points on their face were not eyes, but were indeed runes. Runes that looked like they had been carved into the flesh of their forehead.

"What happened to you?" He asks.

"I could ask you the same thing, Love." They return easily, eyes dropping to his leg. "You look like you've been through the ringer." There is a deep, heavy sadness to their voice. A grief that startles Jayce.

Reader lingers by Jayce in the days that follow.

Keeping him company, and indulging his NEED to scribble on the walls. Runes and equations, and any possible ways back home.

They hunt down small creatures to feed him. Sparing his leg the agony of doing it himself, and allowing him to rest.

They venture deeper into the depths of the ravine in search of burnable things for a fire. And help him to the water for a drink.

They do not offer up suggestions of how to escape. Saying obscurer things like, "he's testing you', and 'he won't allow me to remain here if I make this too easy for you'. They always refer to some nameless 'him' but refuse to actually name 'him'. Muttering how if 'he' wanted Jayce to know 'him' yet, than 'he' would have already shown himself.

It gets cold in the ravine at night, so the pair huddle together for warmth. Reader's head on Jayce's shoulder, hands knotted into his ruined clothes as if he'll slip away at a moment's notice.

Sometimes, their rune riddled forehead touches the skin of Jayce's throat. And sometimes the magic residing within offer glimpses of events that Jayce has never experienced himself.

He sees snapshots of the lab, how it was after Viktor woke up from his coma. He sees books upon books of notes open, runes scrawled in both his and Viktor's handwriting, spread out across several desks. He feels the weight of a marker pen in his dominant hand, and sees someone else's terrified face staring back at him in the reflection of a mirror as they scribbled runes across their forehead.

He feels a deep seated terror closing his airways, as he hears the lab door open behind him. As he hears the familiar gait of Viktor's footsteps, tinged with a metallic after note. He feels sweat break on his forehead as his eyes dart from Viktor's approaching form in the mirror, to the useless ink marks standing out on their skin.

Viktor's voice is heavy with his accent as he calls out a greeting, an unnatural, unsettling undertone altering his voice ever so slightly. If Jayce did not know the man as intimately as he did, he would never have noticed the difference.

In the dream - no, the memory - the body that Jayce is hijacking, turns to meet Viktor as he approaches with slow, terrifying footsteps.

"Join me." He coaxes, a mockery of the sweet words he used to utter when inviting one or both of his lovers into bed after a long day spent in the lab.

His urging is denied. Viktor does not listen, and he takes by force. His hand coming down on Jayce's forehead and forces his submission.

By some miracle, the useless runes etched across his forehead ignite. The moment Viktor's hexcore enhanced fingertips touch the writing and he tries to forge a connection, the energy is abruptly converting into a power source for the runes which immediately burst to life. It send a sharp, siring warmth across Jayce's skin, and causes Viktor to recoil with a shout, ripping his hand away.

There is a weird, iridescent light in Jayce's peripheral vision, as Viktor's form stumbles back.

Jayce's head snaps down, and his eyes connect with little mirror on the desk, and he realises with a start that the simple pen marks had sunk down under his skin; having carved a permanent presence into the flesh.

"You- you shut me out." Viktor whispered, his voice oozing with hurt.

The words that shoot forth from Jayce's mouth are not his own as anger and betrayal coats them thickly. "You tried to erase me!" The body he is in snarls, "you tried to turn me into one of your mindless puppets!"

"Not erase, no! I would never erase you." Viktor tries to reassure, "I just wanted to help you see-" but the dream slips away before Jayce can be convinced.

Reader has helped Jayce to the water, where he drinks before tending to his wounded leg. He is dunking a rag into the water to clean his injuries, only to startle when he looks up and finds the white cloaked figure that led him here, looming on the other side of the water. He lets out a startled gasp. Hears Reader step up behind him.

"Oi!" They bellow, voice carrying effortlessly across the pond, to the figure, who turns their hooded head towards them. "Fuck off!"

Jayce blinks, and the figure is gone.

"Nosy bastard." Reader angrily mutters to themselves, bending down to help Jayce with his leg. "Keeping fucking tabs on me."

When Jayce finally claws his way out of the ravine and ends up on the highest point in the world, he discovers that the 'he' was in fact the Viktor of this world. And he realises almost immedaitely, that there is a heavy tension hanging between Reader and Mage Viktor. A mistrust that clearly upsets the mage, who calmly keeps his expressions smooth and his head turned away from the human. Whilst Reader gives him sad, uncomfortable looks whenever he is near.

The dormant statue of Jayce's alternative self drives a clear wedge between them.

When Jayce and Reader had first gotten up here, the latter had wasted no time in collecting some flowers and striding straight up to the statue, whilst Jayce came to realise that the marble figure looked unnervingly similar to him.

They had knelt beside it, and pressed a warm kiss to its temple, whispering a gentle, "good morning, Love," that sent Jayce's head reeling.

And then the hooded mage had appeared.

"Send him back." Reader commanded Mage!Viktor, expression frosty. "It is only fair."

"I was always going to." Mage Viktor argues back, to which they give him a sharp look.

Jayce is reeling from the hostility between the two. The worst fight he'd ever witnessed between the pair was when Reader misplaced one of Viktor's notebooks, and he'd lost his shit. But this, this was clearly an argument that had festered for far too long.

It was a shame Jayce couldn't afford to stick around to help them figure things out.

Viktor was raising his hand, the runes etched into his fingers beginning to glow a soft blue. Reader stood off to the side, arms crossed and their expression sad as they watched the spell begin to take hold.

It was a stray thought slamming into Jayce that had him grasping the borrowed hammer tighter, and throwing out a panicked, "wait!" Viktor's hand froze mid-cast, the spell freezing. Jayce licked his lips, and turned his attention to Reader. "Can you give me the runes that will help my Y/n?"

This dimension's Reader and Mage!Viktor exchange a tense look. "I could, but it will not help you." Reader tells Jayce, who feels a spike of panic. "You see, that interaction between them and The Herald happens whilst you're in this universe. It is down to them and luck if they manage to find the correct rune combination to remain separate from the hivemind."

"So there is nothing I can do."

Mage!Viktor shakes his head. And Reader gives him a look of sympathy. "Sometimes we're lucky, but most of the time, we fall to The Herald like everyone else he cures."

Mage!Viktor and Reader remaining in their ruined dimension. Reader made it a pastime to draw runes on statue!Jayce's forehead to try and revive him. Viktor tells them tiredly that what he has done to their lover is permanent and cannot be reversed. They tell him to go shove his pessimism up his cosmic ass.

They continue to try out different rune combinations day after day. And Viktor lingers nearby, watching them quietly and regretting everything that led them to this place. To these years spent without Jayce'.

He hates that the runes on Reader's forehead prevent him from offering them a glimpse into his thoughts. Prevent him from plainly showing them how remorseful he is. Prevent him from showing them truthfully just how many times he has tried to reverse his mistakes. How many times his tried and failed to bring Jayce back to them. But alas, the runes on their forehead keep him out, and give them enough peace of mind to exist near him, which is more than he truthfully deserves.

"Hand." Reader demands, pulling back their charcoal from Jayce's cracked, marble-like forehead. Viktor offers his hand as he does whenever they finish a combination, and they gently grab his wrist to touch his fingers to the marks. They're always gentle with him, regardless of how furious they are about him ending the world. And somehow the gentleness just makes everything that much worse.

"Though your determination is admirable, have you not grown bored yet?" He asks, as he asks everyday.

"No."

"This isn't working."

"It will."

"There are hundreds of thousands of possibilities. Endless possible combinations. There is no way you will be able to try them all."

"Jayce wouldn't give up." Reader snarks back, effectively shutting Viktor up. "If our roles were reversed, he wouldn't give up on us. Or did that Jayce's determination mean nothing to you." They add, motioning to the place the other Jayce had been stood just this morning. Freshly prepared for the hell he would have to deal with upon returning home.

Viktor lapses into silence. Eyes distant as he glances from his blank faced companion to the meadow of flowers he has cultivated for his late love.

"Hand." Reader demands of him a few moments later, and like clockwork, Viktor gives it to them. Their grasp on his wrist remains careful, but firm. His fingertips smudge the charcoal, and he reaches for that thread within Jayce's dormant subconsciousness. Fishing for a wall that will stop his probing touch, as it had within the individual sat beside him. But as it always seems to, Jayce's mind opens up to Viktor and his fingers sink in. Jayce's memories and emotions swirl beneath his fingertips, and Viktor offers a parting burst of love and adoration before withdrawing. Jayce slumbers on, if not a little easier with the magical nudge.

There is a huff beside him as he withdraws his hand back to his staff. Viktor glances in his peripheral vision at Reader, who tenderly reaches up with a damp, charcoal smudged rag to wipe the old runes away, before they take up their charcoal stick and draw new ones on.

There is a set to Reader's brow this time, a slight wobble in their lower lip that makes Viktor's stomach twist with guilt and longing. He wants to reach out and gather them to him, but he knows from experience that he will just end up getting shoved away, and they'll run from him. Use their runes to their advantage to conceal themselves from him before they inevitably come back for Jayce.

"I miss him." Reader whispers under their breath, and Viktor's eyes close tightly against the sheer pain in their tone.

"As do I." He reassured them, and they smiled tightly at him.

Wordlessly, they reached out for Viktor's hand, and he readily gave it to them. What stuns him however, is how instead of simply placing his fingers for him, they first bring his hand to their lips and press a kiss to the back of it. Their eyes shine when he stares at them in shock, the affection so deeply missed, that for a moment, he is rendered speechless.

"I am still mad at you." They clarify wetly, "but I miss you too."

And Viktor wants to reassure them that he is still here. He has been here the entire time, despite being a little different. Despite having changed. Deep down, he is still their Viktor, and no amount of magic or external influence could truly take him from them.

But he ends up voicing none of that, because they turn away, and lift his offered hand to Jayce's forehead. Viktor's fingertips make contact, and with a jolt, he feels the runes drawn there flare to life.

He lets out a cry, as his magic is snagged from his grasp, and turned to repel him. Reader feels it too, and their grip tightens on Viktor's wrist to yank his hand away.

Jayce's statue body makes a horrible cracking noise as his hands, still outstretched for his hammer, suddenly drop to his sides.

Viktor is on his feet in moments. He grabs Reader by the armpits and hauls them back, his staff raised defensively between them and the statue.

The statue that has begun to flake and twist. Sheets of marble white matter flake off of its ribcage, as its chest begins to rise and fall. It falls off the thing's face, revealing closed eyes and flaring nostrils. Then, the marble around the blown out portion of its head, begins to grow and round out into the shape of a skull, before it cracks like an egg and hair flops out. Familiar, deep brown locks.

With a gasp, Jayce comes back to life. The runes stand out like a crown across his forehead as his eyes fly open and dart all over. His hands pat at his bearded cheeks, along his nose, under his chin. Then he glances down to his body, clad in the very same outfit he had worn on the day Viktor absorbed him into the hivemind.

"I'm alive." He says breathlessly. And there is bewilderment in his voice. And relief. So much relief.

In Viktor's arms, Reader is practically vibrating out of their skin. "I told you." They whisper joyously. "I TOLD YOU!" They exclaim, turning in Viktor's grip to bless him with the widest, most excited smile he has ever seen them muster.

And then they're scrambling out of his arms and flinging themselves at a bewildered Jayce, who barely recovers quickly enough to grab them back. The pair mould together perfectly, as they always had. And the sight makes Viktor's heart ache. He lowers his staff, and takes a hesitant step forward, a private, relieved smile tugging at his own lips.

"V, get over here." Jayce encourages, one arm still around Reader, and the other outstretched to Viktor who hesitates.

"After everything I have done-" Viktor begins in astonishment, feeling like he doesn't deserve such easy forgiveness.

"I'm not asking." Jayce warns, "I'm telling you, V. Get over here."

And with a huff, Viktor lets Jayce take his extended hand and drag him down into a hug. And by the gods, has he missed the warm touch of this man.

There is still so much left unsaid between them. Apologies that need to be offered, and mistakes that need to be talked out. But for now, this was enough.

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waitingandwishing · 5 days ago

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(Cross posted on Wattpad)

Prev - Next Chapter

“Let’s go over it again,” Grayson said firmly, her sharp eyes scanning the cluttered room. She adjusted her posture, her authoritative demeanor unwavering despite the disarray.

“You have to believe me. I didn’t do this,” Jayce pleaded, his voice cracking slightly as he gestured helplessly at the mess around him.

Grayson folded her arms, her brows knitting together in a frown. “Relax, kid. We know it was a break-in, but that doesn’t explain this.” Her gaze swept over the piles of unregistered items and mechanisms that didn’t belong in an ordinary lab. “There’s a lot of restricted items here, and I don’t see any permits. You wanna tell me how you got them?”

“Hey, hey! Be careful with that, please,” Jayce shouted suddenly, his panic redirected toward an enforcer who carelessly lifted a wooden beam off one of the blue crystals.

“I believe someone should have said that earlier,” Viktor commented, his soft yet deliberate accent cutting through the tension as he turned away from the chalkboard. “What happened here?”

Jayce let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as if trying to ward off a headache. “Science, I guess,” he muttered, his tone both defensive and resigned.

“Last time I checked, science didn’t require illegal equipment,” Grayson shot back, her tone laced with skepticism. She pointed toward a particularly ominous-looking device nestled among the rubble.

“Nor was this approved by the Academy,” Viktor added, stepping closer. His limp was noticeable, but it didn’t diminish the air of authority he carried. “Who authorized your research?”

“It was an independent study… Who are you anyway?” Jayce asked, his tone shifting to irritation as he stared at the thin, pale man before him.

“I’m assistant to the Dean of the Academy,” Viktor replied coolly, his golden-brown eyes narrowing slightly, “Who it may serve you to remember is also head of the Council.” He leaned on his cane as he delivered the reminder. “He sent me here to ensure that anything dangerous is removed safely… Which, according to my list, includes you.”

“What?!” Jayce’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How am I dangerous?”

“Uh, that’s for the Council to decide,” Viktor said with a slight shrug, gesturing to an enforcer to move in.

As the officer approached, Viktor’s attention shifted, his analytical gaze locking onto the chaos surrounding them. Something had caught his eye, a glint of metal among the debris.

Limping toward it, Viktor bent down as best he could, his thin fingers brushing against the cold surface of a small object. His breath hitched as he lifted it. ‘It can’t be…’

In his hands was a pocket watch, its metallic casing adorned with intricate filigree details. The center of the watch face displayed a celestial design, the deep blue background shimmering under the dim light. A radiant sun and crescent moon were etched delicately, their delicate rays intertwined in perfect harmony.

‘You’re like the moon, and I’m like the sun! Whenever I shine, everyone loves me! And whenever you shine, everyone thinks you’re beautiful!’ Viktor’s hand trembled slightly as he stared at the watch, memories flooding back.

‘Y/N… It’s been years since I last saw you…’ His lips pressed into a thin line as he fought to suppress the emotions threatening to surface. ‘I wonder how you’ve been doing, mojí drahoušek…’

Sure, Y/N had been known for stealing things. In fact, the whole reason she and Viktor met was because she had stolen something from a few people! But… Would she really dare to steal from Piltover?

Was it fate that they’d meet again? Viktor wasn’t sure if he should be happy or guilty for the fact that they might meet again.

Straightening as much as his body allowed, Viktor pocketed the watch carefully. His expression was unreadable, but his mind was racing, consumed by the past and the implications of finding such a thing here.

_____________________________________________________

The enforcer threw Y/N against the wall with a force that knocked the air out of her lungs. Her back slammed hard into the rough, crumbling bricks, and before she could react, his hand clamped around her throat.

She clawed at his arm instinctively, gasping for air as her vision blurred slightly at the edges. His face loomed close, contorted with anger, and the veins in his neck stood out as he barked at her.

“Tell me who they were!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the empty alleyway. The metallic clink of his squad’s boots on the pavement was a chilling backdrop to his fury.

“I-I don’t know!” Y/N stammered, her voice raw with desperation as she tried to force the words out. “They were a couple of older people! H-Had green and yellow hair!” She winced as her back scraped against the wall when he pressed her even harder against it.

“Liar!” the enforcer snarled, his face inches from hers. The venom in his voice was noticeable, his hatred seething just beneath the surface. He shoved her further into the wall, grinding her shoulders painfully into the coarse surface. “You people are all the same. Liars, thieves, you’ll do anything to scrape by. Pathetic.”

Y/N’s pulse pounded in her ears, her chest heaving as she struggled to get even a sliver of air into her lungs. The pressure on her throat was unbearable, but she pushed past the terror and managed to rasp, “A-and who set that system u-up?!”

Her words, though faint, hit a nerve. The enforcer’s grip faltered for just a second before he released her completely, letting her drop unceremoniously to the ground.

She crumpled to her knees, coughing violently as she clutched at her throat, trying to soothe the raw, bruised skin.

Y/N barely had time to catch her breath before a sharp pain erupted in her side, his heavy boot connected with her ribs, sending her sprawling onto the filthy, rain-soaked ground.

“You dirty scumbags are worth nothing,” He spat coldly. The heavy tread of his and his squad's boots receded into the distance, leaving Y/N alone in the silence of the alley.

“Psst! Up here!” a voice hissed from above. Y/N tilted her head weakly, squinting through the blood and dirt smearing her face. She spotted Ekko crouched on the rooftop, his wide eyes glowing with concern as he waved her over.

Her chest still heaving, she forced herself to her feet. Her entire body protested with every movement, pain shooting through her ribs, but she gritted her teeth and reached for the ladder.

“Are you okay?” Ekko whispered as she finally pulled herself over the edge of the roof. He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, his gaze scanning the bruises on her face and the blood trailing from her nose.

“Yeah,” She croaked, her voice raspy and tired. “Just accidentally got pinned down by some of the enforcers.” She offered a small, strained smile that didn’t do much to hide her discomfort. “Ekko, the enforcers are looking for the rest of them. We need to get back.”

Ekko’s eyes widened, and he nodded solemnly. Without another word, the two darted across the rooftops, the wind biting at their skin as they moved. Y/N’s body screamed in protest with each jump and landing, but she didn’t slow down. They had to make it in time, there was no other option.

The Last Drop loomed ahead, its faint lights barely visible through the grime and smog of the undercity. They slipped inside through the roof, sliding into the dim, cluttered basement undetected. The faint hum of muffled voices reached them as they climbed onto the beams above.

Y/N scanned the dimly lit room, her sharp gaze immediately meeting Vi’s. Vi’s expression shifted to alarm as she noticed the blood on Y/N’s face and the bruises beginning to form on her skin. Y/N tilted her head, giving her a small, reassuring smile. She was okay, at least, that’s what she wanted Vi to think.

Her attention snapped to the sound of a creak. Powder was losing her balance, her foot slipping against the uneven beam. Y/N’s stomach flipped, her heart racing as she lunged forward, barely managing to grab hold of Powder’s shirt.

Her fingers clenched tightly around the fabric, her other hand locking onto a beam to steady herself.

The faint light flickered ominously, then blinked out, plunging the room into darkness. A second later, the basement door slammed shut with an ominous thud.

Powder gasped, losing her footing entirely and falling to the ground with a sharp yelp.

Y/N dropped down after her, ignoring the protest of her battered body. Her boots hit the floor with a solid thud, and she crouched to help Powder up.

Wiping the crusted blood from her face with the back of her hand, she straightened, her eyes meeting Vi’s concerned gaze.

“What happened to you, Y/N?” Vi asked, stepping closer. Her tone was sharp with worry, her brows furrowed.

“Enforcers happened,” Y/N replied flatly, her voice tinged with bitterness. She crossed her arms over her chest, wincing slightly at the ache in her ribs.

“Yeah! But she was a total badass!” Ekko chimed in, his face lighting up with excitement as he gestured wildly. “He was like, ‘Tell me who they were! You people are just liars and thieves!’ And she was all like, ‘And who set that system up?!’” He mimicked the enforcer’s gruff tone before switching to an exaggerated version of Y/N’s voice, grinning proudly.

Y/N couldn’t help but laugh, the sound light but short-lived. It felt good, even if just for a moment.

The basement door creaked open, and Vander’s imposing figure filled the doorway. He scanned the room, his expression tense. “Are you all okay?” he asked, his voice calm but heavy with concern.

Vi stepped forward, her jaw tight. “No, we’re not okay,” she snapped. “They almost saw Powder. What if they’d taken her?” Her voice rose, her anger barely contained as she glared at Vander.

“No one is taking any of you,” Vander said firmly, his voice unwavering. “I won’t let that happen.”

“It’s already happening!” Vi shot back, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. “Y/N almost got her ass handed to her and sent to jail! You heard him, Vander. They won’t stop. They never stop. We need to fight back!” She slammed her fist into the wall with a loud thud. “And if you won’t, I will.”

Vander’s shoulders sagged, and he sighed deeply. “I’ve heard this kind of talk before,” he murmured, his voice low.

_____________________________________________________

Mojí drahoušek. Viktor scoffed at his own words, the ink smudging slightly as he scratched them out with a frustrated sigh. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the half-finished letter as if it could somehow write itself.

It had been years. Years since he’d seen her, heard her voice, or even allowed himself to think of her without that familiar ache creeping into his chest. Yet here he was, pen in hand, the words refusing to come out as smoothly as they once might have.

“It’s been a long time, Y/N,” He muttered, his voice low and tinged with exasperation. His fingers drummed against the table for a moment before his hand shot to his face, rubbing at the weariness that seemed to cling to him. “Of course it’s been a long time. You left her.”

What was he thinking? Ever since he stumbled across that pocket watch, it had been impossible to keep his thoughts from straying to her.

Her eyes, that piercing gaze that could read him like an open book. Her smile, rare but unforgettable. Everything about her haunted him, a ghost lingering just at the edge of his mind.

Viktor dipped his pen into the ink pot once more, his grip tightening as he resolved to try again.

Dear Y/N,It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?

There are many questions I have to ask you. I would assume you’d think the same, though I suppose I have no right to assume what you’re thinking. I must apologize, leaving you was a mistake I’ve come to regret deeply. And yet despite the time and distance, I still find traces of you everywhere I go.

A lab partner of mine reminds me of you in more ways than one. The way he speaks, his stubborn determination to be right… It all brings you to mind. And then there are the smaller things.

The color olive green always makes me think of your cloak. I wonder, do you still have it? Or has it been discarded, like so many other pieces of our past?

You once told me we were like the sun and the moon, shining bright at different times. I told you we were more like two halves of the same coin yet didn’t realize that meant we were also destined to remain apart. The distance between us now feels so long, and I know it’s my fault. I let it grow. I let you slip away.

I found your mother’s pocket watch in the wreckage of my lab partners robbed lab. What a small world.

Magic and science… It's fascinating, isn’t it? The potential to intertwine them could revolutionize Piltover, though I can’t say the same for the Undercity.

I don’t expect to send you this letter. And if I do, I don’t expect a response. Nor do I expect you to act on anything I’ve said here. But I want you to know I’d like to return the pocket watch to you.

I know how important it is, as a piece of your mother. Meet me in the Undercity, our old home. Perhaps in the alleyway where we first met. Where everything began.

This isn’t about closure for me; I’ve forfeited any right to peace of mind. Nor is it an attempt to make you remember me, I’m sure you already do. This is simply a transaction between old friends, nothing more.

Afterward, we can go back to our separate lives. Though I doubt I’ll ever truly forget you, you have the choice to decide.

Love From, Viktor.

taglist: @night-fall-moon @cyberwears @g0ul666 (If you'd like to be added tell me in the comments!!!)

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