#corywrites

[corysmiles]

Tiny Viktor shrunken from accidentally plugging in a Rune combination when he’s experimenting w the Hexcore early on in s1 scenario is currently what my brain is cooking.

Jayce coming to the lab later and he thinks Viktor is gone but noticing his walking cane & the knocked over stool doesn’t realize Viktor is teeny tiny size of gemstone under said stool…

Runes and Ruin

Arcane G/T Fic

Notes: YES THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS ASK. This ended up being a whole lot longer than I anticipated but I hope you like to. I’m obsessed with these two fuckasses, and I would love to write more g/t stuff with them. :>

————————————

It had been at least two days since Viktor had last slept properly. Occasionally, he’d nod off, only to snap up again when his head thunked against the desk, but that was only ever for a few minutes at a time. At this point, his hands were starting to shake, and every time he blinked his eyes stayed closed for just a second too long, like his body was trying to force him to bed, but still, he resisted. They had work to do. He had work to do.

And Jayce was gone again, which meant Viktor had to pick up the slack somehow. Even with his body giving out more and more everyday, he had to complete his work. There was no time for rest.

Viktor hummed thoughtfully, fighting back a yawn as he spun through the runes attached to the Hexcore. His vision was starting to get hazy and as he glanced over his notes of the combinations he had tried already, he found it was hard to decipher anything. It felt like he was looking through perpetually dirty glasses that he couldn’t clean off no matter how hard he tried.

With a sigh, he haphazardly plugged in a new set of runes. Probably haven’t don’t these yet, he thought, or at least, he hoped.

Pulling his goggles down, he leaned back into his chair, his pencil twirling between his fingers as he got ready to write down another failure. With a quivering hand he reached out to activate the core, but this time, unlike the past hundred from his previous trials that day, the Hexcore didn’t fizzle out.

Viktor’s eyes widened as a bright bolt of blue-purple light arched out at him, searing hot and blinding. He gasped, heart racing as its power raced through his bones, electrifying the blood in his veins into a fiery molasses. He tried to pull away, jerking back from the light, but its tendrils of glowing heat pulled him back to it.

He was fairly sure that he screamed before he collapsed, the pain too unbearable for the few seconds he was still awake to feel it.

Hours later, when he woke back up his heart was still racing. He half-expected to find himself in a hospital room once again, his partner looking at him with that sad kicked-dog expression. But he was still in the lab…or what looked like the lab.

“Shit,” Viktor groaned as he gripped his head, trying to stop the pounding against his skull.

At least it wasn’t a failure, he supposed, it must have done something to have that much backlash. Instinctively, he went to grab his pencil to jot down notes of the occurrence, but when he finally got a good look at his surroundings his excitement dulled to a dim horror.

He was several feet below his desk. And not only that, while sitting, he was shorter than his chair. With quickened breaths he looked around for his crutch. He wrapped his arms around the leg of his chair to pull himself up, and when he readjusted, he spotted it. Just where he left it.

The crutch was leaned against the desk where it was easily accessible for him… and now it towered over him.

“What…” Viktor groaned as he stared up at it, “This can’t…”

He felt fine, or as fine as he could given his deteriorating state, but as he looked around the lab he was met by a similar sight. Everything towered over him. He couldn’t even see the top of the couch he’d fallen asleep on more times than he could count or the blackboard he and Jayce had used to scribble down new theories. And to his horror, he could see a screw, long forgotten under the desk, that looked to be roughly the same size as himself.

The scientist part of his brain raced through the possibilities- what this could mean for Hextech, what they could do knowing the Hexcore could not only shrink matter but seemingly leave it fully functional. But the much larger, more animal part of his brain was terrified.

He had to fix this.

But the first step would be getting back to the Hexcore, and staring up at the top of his desk, now towering above him like a mountain peak he could never hope to climb, he knew that would be a Herculean effort. Not even to mention the fact that his whole body was still shaking from the effort of staying awake.

“Alright, okay,” Viktor said under his breath, trying to steady himself as he came to terms with the situation. With a deep breath, he reached his arms up the chair leg as far as he could. The adrenaline coursing through him helped as he pulled with all his might, trying to climb it, but even with the mounting panic inside him, he only could get a few inches up before falling back down to the ground. His leg exploded with pain as he collided with the floor, and he doubled over at the new flaring heat in his joints.

“Shit,” Viktor groaned as he reached down to hold his shaking leg, “Shit shit shit.”

He’d just have to wait then, he supposed. He knew the lab like the back of his hand, and he could find somewhere to rest before he had to try again, even though he hated the idea of staying like that any longer.

His head whipped around as he studied his surroundings. He was fairly sure he wouldn’t be able to pull himself far with his leg flaring with pain and his crutch one hundred times his size, so he settled on the space underneath one of their tool drawers. His leg cried out with pain as he shuffled over to it, and once he was fully hidden he leaned back against the wall, his face tight as he grimaced though the sharp heat in his leg.

He’d have to sleep there. He had no choice if he wanted enough strength to even attempt to climb the desk again.

It was difficult to find the will to sleep, with the adrenaline still coursing through him, but his body was so exhausted from several sleepless days, that when he shut his eyes he was out within moments.

When he woke up next he would be able to try again, and everything would be fine. No one had to know.

The only problem was that in his exhausted state he forgot about the one hinge in this plan.

“Viktor?”

Viktor had never woken up faster in his life. His head shot up, smacking against the wall behind him painfully, but luckily the sound didn’t seem to draw Jayce’s attention. The only problem was that his partner was only a few steps away from the drawer he was hiding under. He could feel the vibrations from the man’s now gigantic shoes every time they hit the ground, like small earthquakes against the tile floor.

“You in here?” Jayce called out again, as his feet stopped close to Viktor’s desk.

Meanwhile, Viktor sat frozen. Eyes wide at the sight of Jayce’s boots. He recognized them of course, he’d been there when Jayce had purchased them for a meeting with some potential investors. Then, he had offered them to Jayce, a soft smile at how happy his partner was to dress up.

Now, even the wooden heel of Jayce’s boots was taller than him. His breathing stuttered at the thought.

“Hey, Viktor?” Jayce asked again, his voice pitching up at the last syllable of his name.

Viktor knew that tone, of course he did. Jayce was worried, as he was more often than not nowadays. His voice tightened and raised in barely hidden concern. Ever since the day in the hospital Viktor had come to hate that tone.

Viktor’s brain worked through options of what to do. Best case: Jayce would leave, and he could fix the problem on his own. But as he watched Jayce’s boots from under the drawer he started to fear that wouldn’t be the case. After all, Jayce had gotten into the habit of meeting Viktor late at the lab every night.

Guilt burrowed deep in his chest at the sound of Jayce’s concerned voice as he looked around the lab. He could tell him, he thought for only a second before he shut down that train of thinking. That was dangerous. It didn’t matter if he trusted Jayce, if he’d be careful; he was too small and it was too risky. And he still couldn’t quite calm down his rapidly beating heart at the sight of someone several hundred times his size.

So he waited, barely breathing as to not give his partner any clues to his presence as Jayce leaned over his desk nearby. A few minutes passed with only the sound of ruffling papers above him before Jayce made an odd sound, a small questioning murmur as he reached out to grab something beyond Viktor’s sight- his crutch.

And right as Jayce shifted, something toppled to the ground from the desk above with a loud thunderous crash.

Immediately, Viktor jumped up. His leg ached at the movement as adrenaline roared in his blood. His heart pounded and his whole body tensed up, ready to flee if needed. It took him a moment to even process what had fallen with how loud it had sounded in his ears- a screwdriver, his screwdriver, now easily three times his size.

He didn’t even realize he had made a sound until the boots stopped right in front of the drawers he was under. Jayce mumbled something to himself that Viktor couldn’t quite make out, but he didn’t have any time to think about it before Jayce’s knees hit the ground.

The moment Viktor realized what was happening he froze. Jayce had heard him.

He could try to run, but without his crutch he couldn’t get far, and he’d likely hurt himself even more. Desperately, he shuffled back into the corner, pressed between the wall and the leg of the cabinet, hoping and praying Jayce just wouldn’t notice.

But Jayce was a scientist after all, he didn’t get far without being perceptive.

Viktor held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut as Jayce’s face finally came into view, brows furrowed as he looked under the cabinet. His large hazel eyes glanced around as he grumbled again something about mice, and for a brief moment Viktor thought he was safe before-

“Viktor?”

Viktor’s mouth went dry, his eyes flying open to meet Jayce’s own, now staring intently at him. For a moment the world around him froze. His heart beat so fast he thought it would jump right out of his chest.

Gods, Jayce was massive.

Before he could do anything Jayce’s hand was under the cabinet, reaching for him, and suddenly Viktor couldn’t breath.

“Stop, wait,” Viktor gasped as he held his hands out in front of him, “I…I’m fine.”

Immediately, the gigantic hand in front of him froze. Jayce’s fingers still twitched like he wanted to reach out, but they didn’t move any closer.

“Viktor, what?” Jayce shook his head in confusion, “I…apologies, but you don’t look fine. What happened to you?”

Viktor took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, “The Hexcore…I just… it did something.”

Jayce tilted his head in thought, his lips tightening as they always did when he was presented with a difficult problem. His eyes narrowed like he wanted to ask something before he sighed, the expression dropping from his face completely.

“Well I can see that…How long have you been like this?” Jayce asked, voice much softer than it had been moments before.

Viktor stilled himself, wrapping his arms around his aching leg as he met Jayce’s eyes, “I eh…I’m not sure. I tried to get back up to the Hexcore, but couldn’t make it…so I decided it was likely best for me to uh…stay here for a bit.”

Jayce’s eyes flashed with something again that Viktor couldn’t quite put a name too before he sighed. His hand retracted and before Viktor could stop him or say anything, Jayce was standing again.

“You know you don’t have to hide from me,” Jayce said, his voice booming from somewhere far above, “I can help you.”

Viktor sighed, and shrugged his shoulders even though he knew Jayce couldn’t see him anymore. He knew he was referring to something else…to the rift between them that was growing larger and larger each day, but that argument was the last thing he wanted at the moment. And he was too far away from Jayce to even warrant giving him a response…it wasn’t like he would hear it.

“I’m going to move this okay,” Jayce said, after a few moments, the drawers above Viktor shaking a bit, “Make it a little easier to talk.”

Viktor braced himself against the wall as the world around him shifted. Again, he found himself wishing he could run, to get as far away as he could from Jayce’s gigantic form that could reduce him to nothing with no effort at all. But he couldn’t. So all he could do was sit as the ground underneath him vibrated, and the cabinet was shifted away from Viktor, until he was completely out in the open.

“There you are,” Jayce said with a tilted brow and a small careful smile, “Now do you want help or no?”

Viktor scowled as he looked down at the floor, anything to avoid the dizzying sight of his partner looming above him that was starting to make him feel sick, “I don’t need your help, councillor.”

It was a low blow and Viktor knew it, but staring up at Jayce, the frightened animal-like part of him wanted nothing more than to snap- to prove he wasn’t weak. And thankfully Jayce didn’t seem too hurt. The man sighed and offered Viktor a sad smile as he oh so slowly bent down to sit on the ground next to Viktor.

“I’m not going to do anything you don’t want,” Jayce said slowly, “But I also can’t leave you here like this. You know that right?”

Viktor prickled at the man’s tone, “I don’t need your pity or your help, Jayce.”

“Then how exactly did you plan to get back up to the Hexcore?”

Viktor met his words with a scowl, “I would’ve found a way.”

“And how long would that have taken?” Jayce asked, voice firm.

And to that, Viktor had no response.

The adrenaline that had been rushing through him was starting to die off, and he truly didn’t want to argue anymore. The instinctual need to make sure people knew he was able to do things on his own warred against his own logical reasoning. This was different. He really couldn’t do this on his own. This wasn’t Jayce treating him like he was broken like he was so used to from everyone else.

Jayce never did that.

After a few moments of strained silence, Jayce cleared his throat and tilted his head towards Viktor, “Really Vik… just let me help you, it’s no problem. And I don’t want you to get hurt like this.”

A million different emotions warred in Viktor’s head before he finally gave in. His shoulders slumped forward as he let out a sigh and tilted his head up at Jayce, “Fine. Just… get me up to the desk.”

Like a dog, Jayce immediately and visibly perked up. His eyes softened as he bent down closer, his hand slowly reaching out again.

This time Viktor didn’t stop him, although his heart still jackhammered in his chest in fear at just how large Jayce was.

“Can I pick you up?” Jayce asked cautiously, his fingers hovering a mere breath away from Viktor.

Viktor stood frozen as he stared at Jayce’s hand. His eyes widened as he fully took in the size difference. He was maybe the same height as Jayce’s pointer finger, if even. The vast different was enough to make his head spin.

“Yeah, yes. That is fine Jayce.”

A soft approving sound was the only warning Viktor got before the fingers reached forward and gently wrapped around him. Viktor had to hold his breath to not jump at the contact, but after a few moments he relaxed. Jayce always had run warm, and his palm seemed to be the same. It was almost nice in a way Viktor would never admit.

After a moment, the fingers wrapped around him more securely, Jayce’s grip tight but not painful as he lifted Viktor up to his face to get a closer look.

“You’re so small,” Jayce laughed softly as he tilted his partner around in his hands like he was another experiment.

“Jayce!” Viktor grumbled as he hit one of Jayce’s ridiculously massive fingers, “Stop twisting me around like I’m a Hexgem.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Jayce apologized quickly, “It’s just so odd. And everything feels okay?”

Viktor shrugged, silently cataloguing his body, “Aside from the usual, yes.”

A nod from Jayce, “Okay…okay. We can work with that. That’s good. We just need to figure out how to reverse the runes and you’ll be fine until that.”

“What do you mean until that,” Viktor frowned, responding a little harsher than he really intended, “We flip the runes and fix it now.”

Jayce swallowed nervously and shook his head like he was thinking, “This isn’t…Viktor…we can’t just wing it. This is your life! We have to try to recreate this first. What if we flip the runes and something worse happens. I- we can’t.”

With his last words, Jayce’s expression hardened as the familiar look of worry filled his eyes. However, as much as Viktor hated it, Jayce was right. They already knew the arcane worked in strange ways, and there wasn’t even a guarantee the same runes would work to change Viktor back.

“Jayce,” Viktor sighed, his head leaning to rest on Jayce’s thumb which was wrapped firmly around his chest, “I can’t walk. I can’t work. I can’t even go home like this.”

Viktor waited for Jayce to understand what he meant- for him to realize just how big of a problem this was- but Jayce’s expression just softened in response.

“You stay with me then.”

“What?” Viktor asked, eyes wide with shock, “Absolutely not. I will not burden you for some mistake I made. And I can’t just…I can’t just sit in your apartment all day until you decide it’s time to come to the lab.”

Jayce’s lips tightened in response, and subconsciously his fingers moved to rub gently across Viktor’s back, “It’s not a burden to have my friend around more often, Viktor. And you won’t. You’ll come with me, I wouldn’t feel right leaving you anywhere like this anyways.”

Meanwhile, Viktor felt like he’d been slapped in the face. Jayce’s expression was earnest, but it made no sense to Viktor no matter how hard he tried to comprehend it.

“You’re my partner Viktor,” Jayce nodded, brows raised at his tiny friend, “I’m not making you go through this in your own. Hextech is both of ours, so its mistakes are too. Besides, it’ll be nice having you around, maybe I can actually make sure you sleep for once.”

At that, Viktor flushed red in embarrassment, wanting nothing more than to hide away from Jayce, but it was nearly impossible when he was firmly stuck in the man’s hand.

Jayce laughed softly at Viktor’s clear embarrassment and brought his other hand on top of Viktor, covering him completely. “I’ll have to hide you while we go to my apartment, but I’ll get something set up for you there. We can rest tonight at least, and start looking into the runes tomorrow.”

It was hard for Viktor to fight the urge to argue that they should start now, but the all-encompassing warmth of Jayce’s hands was making a nap sound really really good.

Before Jayce even got out of the academy building Viktor was asleep. He was worried about his partner, he always was, but the sight of him so small in his hands made something soft bloom in Jayce’s chest. As they reached the cold streets of Piltover, Jayce gently dropped Viktor’s sleeping form into his breast pocket.

It would be difficult dealing with this, but if it meant Jayce could be closer to Viktor then he supposed it wasn’t too bad.

[bookworm105616]

Something something Chase and Cameron were only interested in each other because they both wanted to fuck House and the closest they could get was screwing each other

[corysmiles]

Roman you’ve given me too many ideas now >:)

Tommy begging for primes while doing parkour across Wilbur’s counter

Wilbur’s just chilling in his room and Tommy narrates his life like a wildlife documentary. “The wild human opens his computer again, like a dumbass”

He tries to “borrow” food from Wilbur’s pantry but falls in to a bag of chips. He pretends he’s going to do and Wilbur plays into it pretending to eat the chips around him. For the stream wilbur acts as a “dangerous human” and pretends to grab Tommy (although he doesn’t actually hurt him)

Afterwards Tommy has to clarify that Wilbur would never actually hurt him and that he was just playing it up for the stream

Wilbur’s fine with the act and the chat seems to love it until Tommy jokes about Wilbur eating him. Immediately he stops the act because even as a joke the idea of actually hurting Tommy makes him feel sick

Tommy finds a bug and wrestles with it, pretending to make it his “steed”

When ur existence as a borrower gotta be secret but u need that ad revenue

[corysmiles]

Runes and Ruin Part 4

An Arcane G/T Fic

Notes: Here's my christmas gift to the gt people I hope you enjoy jayvik angst and hurt/comfort time featuring Jayce taking tiny viktor to a gala event >:]

—————————————

After the day of the apology, the one Viktor had thought would never come, Jayce had gotten far more touchy with Viktor. It had started with that afternoon, Viktor asleep against his chest with a large warm hand pressing into him like a weighted blanket, not moving until Jayce had to get up to cook. It was nice while it lasted, the touch Viktor had always craved but could never ask for, but he knew it was likely a one time thing…

But then it continued on into the next day…and the next day, until the moments where Jayce wasn’t touching him in one way or another started to become few and far between.

When they were together it was almost like Jayce was a magnet, constantly drawn to Viktor’s presence, the Earth in constant orbit of the Sun, his hands itching to touch him whenever he was close, like it hurt to not be in contact. He’d always been a touchy person, Viktor knew that- it was impossible to avoid when they had spent so many years in the lab together. But this was new…and Viktor was sure it was going to kill him.

They had been working for a few hours already, Viktor nestled against the side of Jayce’s neck so he could better see the work desk. They had tried so many rune combinations by that point, entire pages in Jayce’s notebook filled with possibilities that never came to fruition.

Jayce huffed, brows furrowed in equal parts curiosity and frustration as another plant turned to dust on the table in front of them with a shock of blue light.

“Alright, so not that one,” Jayce sighed, as he crossed out the rune combination in their notes, his hand pressing with just enough force to smudge the ink at the end.

“At this rate I’ll be stuck like this forever,” Viktor scoffed, raising his brows at Jayce even though he knew the man couldn’t actually see him.

“We’ll figure it out,” Jayce responded, voice gruff and harsh, “If it can shrink you it has to be able to change you back, right?”

Viktor couldn’t help the frown that tugged at his lips, “I surely hope so.”

“It will.”

And really, who was Viktor to argue when he wanted it just as much…even if the consistent failures were starting to weigh down on him.

Before he could reply with some snarky comment, Jayce’s hand was on him, fingers wrapping around his body carefully, in a way that was becoming too practiced for Viktor’s liking. His whole world shifted as Jayce picked him up like he was nothing more than a tool, and it took everything in Viktor to not snap at the man for not giving him a warning first. But at the same time, the all-encompassing warmth of his forge-worn fingers felt nice, like a sweater on a cold day- although he’d never tell him that.

When he was finally placed down onto the desk, Jayce at least had half the mind to look apologetic.

“What?” Viktor snapped, face red as his head tilted up as far as it could to get a better look at Jayce.

“I…sorry,” Jayce’s eyes widened, “It’s almost six.”

At that, Viktor paused, he had almost forgotten about what Jayce had said that morning.

“There’s a gala tonight that I can’t get out of,” Jayce had said, head tilted back against the pillows with his thumb idly rubbing up and down against Viktor’s back, his tiny form resting snuggly on his chest.

Viktor had been half-asleep, body fighting to stay conscious under the warm weight of Jayce’s hand. The only response he could manage was a small tilt of his head.

“I was hoping maybe you’d come with me,” Jayce had said, voice tilting up hopefully.

And Viktor could remember his amusement- he knew Jayce wanted to keep him nearby while he was so small. He had asked before about coming to meetings, but Viktor’s response had always been a resounding no. It was almost endearing how Jayce kept asking, regardless of Viktor’s consistent and firm refusals.

The only problem was that Viktor couldn't remember saying no this time. Maybe it was the gentle warmth of Jayce’s touch or the promise that he’d get to spend more time close to the man he was weak for, but he was sure in the early hours of morning he hadn’t told Jayce no.

“Oh yes,” Viktor said, mouth running dry, “The gala.”

“Yeah. They wouldn’t believe I was sick again,” Jayce laughed, a soft deep sound that Viktor could practically feel in his chest, “But the new suit I got has a few pockets you should be okay in.”

And how could Viktor argue when Jayce looked at him with so much hope, his eyes wide and pleading for Viktor to stay with him.

“That should be fine,” Viktor shrugged, ignoring the way his heart pounded at the idea of being so close to Jayce for so long, “Just don’t intend to stay too long. I can’t promise I won’t start biting after an hour.”

“Only an hour?” Jayce laughed.

“Perhaps I can make it longer if we get to the lab early tomorrow,” Viktor sighed.

The grin he got from Jayce, wide and crooked and showing off the gap in his teeth, almost made the whole thing worth it.

“Deal.”

And that was how Viktor had gotten himself dragged to a gala- something he had never wanted to do even before the accident. The extravagant parties Piltover’s elite held were never his thing. He hated all the schmoozing and pointless talk that came of them, and while he knew they needed money, he was more than happy to let Jayce go alone. He always was the more charming of the two of them anyways.

Viktor was tucked securely in one of the side pockets of Jayce’s suit. The silky maroon fabric was warmed by Jayce’s body heat, making the small space feel nice and comforting, and like a cat, Viktor leaned into it. He couldn’t help how he instinctively pressed himself against the sturdy warmth of his partner. It was amusing to Viktor how even in the winter Jayce still ran hot, just like the forges his family was known for. And with how cold it was outside, Viktor was more than grateful for it.

While he couldn’t see out from his spot in Jayce’s pocket, he knew they had arrived at the gala when the silence of night in Piltover morphed into a loud cacophony of sound- voices and instruments and the shuffling of people- all overwhelmingly loud to his now extra sensitive ears.

Within seconds a heavy weight pressed against him almost like Jayce knew what he was thinking, and while he couldn’t respond (and he knew Jayce would push him back if he tried to look out) he was grateful for the touch. It grounded him, stopping his thoughts from wandering too far.

It didn’t take long at all before Jayce was swept away by possible investors; Viktor could feel his deep charming voice vibrating throughout his whole body. He could tell Jayce had had a few too many glasses of champagne when his steps became more uneven, jostling Viktor around in his pocket. Still, every few minutes a hand would press into him- a gentle reminder that Jayce still remembered he was there as he chatted with Piltover’s most elite.

“Jayce, it is very good to see you in attendance again,” Counselor Medarda’s voice boomed above him- the soft lilt of her voice all too familiar.

Even the soft touches did not help with the jealousy growing in Viktor’s gut, curling and venomous like a snake about to snap its jaws.

Viktor could practically feel his skin prickle.

“Mel,” Jayce said, voice soft and happier than he had heard it in a while, “It’s good to be back. I’m sorry I haven’t been feeling well lately.”

“Well I’m sure I speak for everybody when I say we’re glad to have you back in the spotlight,” Mel replied, and Viktor could practically feel how Jayce preened at her words. “It’s far less fun at these events without the golden boy.”

Jayce chuckled, small and tight, and that made the jealous part of Viktor beam. At least he could get real laughter out of Jayce.

“I’m sure,” Jayce replied, and Viktor could imagine the tight smile on his face, “Although I can’t say I miss watching Salo falling over himself after three drinks.”

In return, Mel laughed, the sound soft like bells, and Viktor retreated into the corner of Jayce’s pocket. Maybe if he could fall asleep he could ignore their conversation and in turn stop the bubbling jealousy in his chest. As petty as it was, he wanted nothing more than to pull Jayce away. He’d gotten so used to being the center of his attention that he had almost forgotten why they had drifted apart in the first place. He didn’t realize that Jayce hadn’t laid a hand on him in a while until someone came crashing into them.

Viktor huffed, body squishing against Jayce’s side as he heard a yelp and a muttered apology from someone likely a little too drunk. Over the sounds of the orchestra picking up, Viktor could just barely make out the conversation between Jayce and whoever had bumbled into him. Ever the gentleman, he heard Jayce asking if the man needed any help finding a seat.

Viktor didn’t have any more time to ponder the situation though before he realized that something was wrong- he felt cold.

Jayce had made sure Viktor would be comfortable in his pocket beforehand, and the silk fabric combined with the man’s body heat had been more than enough for Viktor to feel alright while at the gala. But then, right across from Viktor, he saw a gap where the threads of Jayce’s suit had been torn apart- likely ripped during the ordeal with the drunkard. The cool air from the gala blew in, making Viktor curl up further into the far side of the pocket, trying his best to stay far away from the ripped seam.

Above him Jayce’s voice boomed, and with every step Viktor was shook closer and closer to the hole. Frantically, Viktor tapped at Jayce’s side, hoping to get the man’s attention, but he received no response. All he could hear was the sound of laughter and the hushed conversation between Jayce and Mel. For the first time since the incident he truly felt small.

A moment later Jayce turned, just a bit too fast, and Viktor felt himself slip, the satin hard for him to get a good grip on. For a moment he was sure he was going to throw up.

“Jayce!” He yelled, hoping more than anything that Jayce would notice, but still there was no response- his pleas drowned out by the thrum of the gala.

Viktor barely processed Mel asking for a dance, his mind completely focused on holding on tight to the smooth fabric around him. But one more quick shift from Jayce as he took Mel’s hand was all it took.

Viktor yelped, arms covering his head as he slipped through the gap in the seams. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as his body met the cool air. Like a scared child he curled in on himself, but nothing could stop the quickly approaching tile of the gala hall. Seconds before hitting the ground he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that anyone, anything, would help him, but it was to no avail.

He hit the ground with nothing more than a soft thud to anyone listening. Pain shot through his leg, but the fire in his joints was nothing compared to the pure terror coursing through his veins. Adrenaline pumped through him as he stared up at the hundreds of people around him- all towering over him like mountain peaks- their voices loud and mangled together sounding like thunder to Viktor’s ears.

At the very least he could still see Jayce, although as one of his massive boots came down within steps of Viktor he felt his blood run cold. With each footstep, the massive people around him sent tremors into the ground making it difficult for Viktor to stay upright. Internally, he battled between wanting to stay close to Jayce- wanting nothing more than for the man to notice, pick him up, and take him back to his apartment where it was safe- and wanting to find somewhere hidden where no one would ever find him again.

But Viktor didn’t have much time to think before Mel’s shoe stamped down right next to him. The elegant wooden heel towered above him, and as she moved again he had to throw himself out of the way, rolling onto his side and causing more pain to shoot through his joints. Within moments, where he had been was covered by her shoe, and the thought of turning up on the bottom of it- nothing more than a smudge- made him feel sick.

He had to get away.

His blood pounded beneath his skin like a drum, the thump thump of his heart even louder than the musicians who were still playing regardless of the nightmare he was stuck in. It hurt, his leg felt like it was on fire from the fall, but he was alive and he planned on keeping it that way.

The familiar prick of tears stung his eyes as he took one last look up at Jayce, slightly wobbly from the alcohol and smiling wide as he talked with Mel. He wouldn’t cry though, he refused. Realistically, he knew this was happening whenever Jayce went to the galas, of course he did. He saw how the man looked at Mel. He knew he couldn’t compare even if the closeness of the past few weeks had started to convince him otherwise.

He had to go.

Viktor’s face scrunched up in pain as he trudged his way to the nearest sign of safety- the large gilded dining table near the center of the room. His eyes moved constantly darting back and forth between every single person in the room- calculating his chances of getting stomped on at any given moment. Luckily, he’d fallen where most people had decided to dance, meaning their movements were slow, predictable.

Even so, there were quite a few near misses, with him having to throw himself out of the way before finely polished boots smashed down on top of him like he was nothing more than a pest. By the time he got to the table, he was out of breath, his heart jackhammering in his chest. Even though he had really only covered what would have been a few steps at his normal size, his muscles seized like he had ran a marathon.

With a shaky breath he settled down against the leg of the table. From where he was he could still feel the tremors of every step as people passed by. The sight in and of itself was horrifying. He had gotten so used to being around Jayce that he had almost started to forget how terrifying it was to be so insignificantly small. In the first few moments, when Jayce had first found him after the incident, he’d felt horrified, and at that moment, sitting still under the table, praying that no one would notice him, he felt that same all-encompassing terror.

——————————————————————— Jayce was sure he was going to throw up, and he told Mel as such right before darting to the edge of the room. His hands checked his pockets for the tenth - hundredth - thousandth time, hoping that maybe he’d just missed him somehow, that maybe Viktor was still there. But it was to no avail, and to his own growing horror he only found a small gap in his pocket, the seams ripped apart.

Frantically, he checked his shoes to make sure nothing (or more correctly, no one) was stuck to the bottom, and even though he was sure he was getting some odd looks from the other attendees his mind could only think of one thing. He had to find Viktor.

He’d realized something was wrong after agreeing to dance with Mel. He’d felt awful for not attending a gala in so long since he knew she looked forward to him being there. Really, a dance was the least he could offer. But afterwards, when he’d reached down again to reassure Viktor that he still remembered he was there, he felt nothing, no bump in the fabric, no movement, nothing.

The horror must have been clear on his face considering how Mel immediately asked if he was alright, her concern clear from the softening of her face. But how could he be when his partner was somewhere in the gala hall on his own, small enough to be squished by one wrong step. Gods, Jayce was going to be sick.

He was sure he looked crazed to anyone passing by, eyes wide and panicked as they scanned the floor, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He could make it up to any possible investors once he was sure Viktor was safe, which he was, he had to be.

Once he was absolutely sure nothing on his shoes was his partner he took a deep breath. He had to stay calm. He recalled one night years prior when he and Viktor were working on their initial proposal for the Hexgates, only a few days before their deadline. At the time Jayce had been panicking, and the calculations he was working on were filled with mistakes. He remembered how Viktor took one look at the scrawled numbers before forcing him to sit and talk it through with him. He had told him then that nothing good came of such stress; that Jayce always worked better with a clear mind.

He struggled to keep a clear mind now.

But still, Jayce persisted. With his one goal in mind he marched back out into the thrall of people, his eyes glued to the floor for any sign of his partner. A few of the partygoers tried to stop him, to talk about Hextech or whatever new policies they wanted from the council, but with dry lips and weak words, Jayce excused himself every time. He didn’t miss how their eyes would flash with disappointment, but he could worry about that later. When he arrived back at the center of the room his search truly started. He was sure that he was around there when he’d last checked on Viktor.

“Jayce, are you sure you’re alright?”

His head whipped towards the source of the question, only to be met by Mel, her face scrutinizing and worried.

“Yes I…” Jayce struggled to find his words through his panic- his mouth felt like it was filled with cotton, “I dropped something.”

“Oh,” Mel tilted her head, amusement clear in her eyes, “Well, do you want help looking for it?”

The response he wanted to give was a yes; his immediate knee-jerk reaction was to spill everything to her. He trusted her- she could help. But the thought of what Viktor’s reaction would be to finding out someone else knew…Jayce couldn’t do it. He knew he’d been walking a thin line with Viktor for months, maybe even years, and they’d only just started to grow close again. He couldn’t risk his trust.

And that wasn’t even to mention the trouble they’d get into if anyone found out about what the Hexcore was capable of. Hextech was his connection to Viktor, he couldn’t risk that.

“No, I…I can find it,” Jayce muttered, his mouth a tight line as he waved off her offer, “Thank you.”

Mel’s brows furrowed, her eyes studying Jayce for a few moments before she gave in. He could tell she wanted to say more, to pry further, but within seconds she was being pulled away by another partygoer off into some other conversation.

Yet, as minutes passed and there was still no sign of Viktor, Jayce started to regret not taking her offer, even if Viktor would never forgive him for telling someone else about his situation. Every second without Viktor made his heart sink in his chest like lead. Time felt like a blur as he searched, frantic as he scanned the ground.

It wasn’t long before another feeling, heavy and all consuming filled his chest- guilt. Viktor hadn’t even wanted to join him at the gala; he knew that. He’d given Viktor the choice, but still, he knew Viktor only came because of him. And now Viktor was in danger…or worse…because of it.

His thoughts muddled together until they only consisted of one thing- find Viktor, find Viktor, please find Viktor.

Most attendees had already left before he finally spotted him, and the moment he did, he swore his heart stopped beating, his blood frozen in his veins. His partner’s tiny form was curled up against one of the legs of the dining table. He was still- too still for Jayce’s liking- but he was thankfully whole.

He didn’t think twice before leaning down and snatching him up in his hands. Immediately, Viktor thrashed against his hold; he’d likely been asleep, but Jayce couldn’t bring himself to feel bad when he was so simply overjoyed that Viktor was alive.

Jayce didn’t say his goodbyes before rushing to the building’s exit. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Mel watching him like a hawk, but he would worry about that later. The cold winter air hit him like a brick the moment he got outside, but the discomfort of it was barely a whisper in the back of his mind. His eyes darted around to make sure no one was nearby before he opened up his hands to really look at Viktor for the first time since he found him.

“Vik, shit, are you okay?”

In his hands, Viktor looked stunned, eyes wide and body stiff as he stared up at Jayce. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a fish out of water before his whole face tightened- his expression guarded.

“I… I just want to go home Jayce,” Viktor exhaled shakily, voice so quiet Jayce could barely hear it over the distant sounds of the city.

“Are you hurt? I’m so sorry I didn’t notice sooner,” Jayce panicked, voice wobbling with emotion, “I was trying to find you I promise I-”

“Jayce,” Viktor stopped him, his tone firm, “Please just…I just want to sleep.”

Jayce’s mouth flew shut as his thoughts raced. Thousands of apologies simmered behind his closed lips, but the look of defeat on Viktor’s face stopped them from boiling over.

“Yeah…yeah,” Jayce frowned, “We can go back to the apartment.”

Viktor nodded, still curled in on himself like he had been when Jayce had spotted him, and the uncomfortable silence and haunted look on his partner’s face was almost enough to finally break Jayce.

The walk back to his apartment was quiet and tense. Jayce held Viktor to his chest the entire way, uncaring of how odd it looked to anyone who could see him; he needed to feel that Viktor was okay. Unlocking his door was a challenge since his hands still shook from adrenaline, and as soon as he was inside he beelined for the bed. It frightened him how still Viktor was in his hands.

He couldn’t even bring himself to change out of his clothes as he laid down on the plush sheets, opening up his cupped hands to let Viktor out.

“I’m so so sorry,” Jayce muttered, not able to look Viktor in the eyes as he spoke, voice wet and thick with emotion.

He barely expected Viktor to respond.

“It’s not your fault,” Viktor sighed after a few awfully quiet moments, “I…thank you…for finding me.”

“I shouldn’t have lost you in the first place,” Jayce grimaced.

Viktor’s face flashed between emotions as he looked up at Jayce. He didn’t miss how Viktor leaned against his thumb, putting as little weight as possible onto his bad leg, and the thought of Viktor falling to the floor and having to navigate through all those people made Jayce feel sick.

“Don’t blame yourself,” Viktor frowned, tilting his head up to better see Jayce’s pained expression, “I don’t blame you.”

“I should’ve noticed sooner I-”

“Jayce,” Viktor practically snapped, brows furrowed in frustration, “Please, just… I am tired.”

Jayce made an expression much akin to a kicked puppy as he stared at Viktor, his eyes flickered between emotions, before he pulled his hands close to his face, Viktor along with them. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing, but the need to have Viktor close was nearly overwhelming. Gently, he pressed his nose against Viktor, allowing the warmth of his breath to ghost over the smaller man. He could feel how Viktor tensed up for a moment before relaxing against his touch.

“I’m sorry I just…I was so worried,” Jayce exhaled shakily, his lips just barely brushing against Viktor as he spoke, the action small but intimate. Viktor fell quiet in his hands, and as soon as Jayce processed how close they were he flushed with embarrassment.

Quickly, he pulled Viktor away, staring wide-eyed down at him, “I’m sorry I-”

“It’s okay,” Viktor stopped him, eyes wide and face unmistakably red.

Jayce stayed frozen still until Viktor waved to be brought close again, and Jayce couldn’t bring himself to fight it when all he wanted was to hold Viktor close after the whole gala ordeal. When Viktor was close enough again he leaned himself against the bridge of Jayce’s nose, as close to a hug as he could get. The action was slightly awkward, but before he could pull away Jayce pressed his nose back against him, pushing him even closer with his hands. His eyes scrunched tight as he let his shoulders sag and his worries be washed away by the small but comforting weight against his skin.

Again when he exhaled his lips just barely pressed against Viktor, and he couldn’t help how he wanted to stay like that forever. He could feel how Viktor tensed up from the proximity, but the smaller man didn’t tell him to stop, and Jayce was weak so he didn’t ask- too afraid bringing attention to their closeness would cause Viktor to pull away. He reasoned with himself that it was simply the comfort of his friend being close that he wanted. He just had to ignore the nagging want to press his lips fully against the man so carefully nestled in his palms.

That night he fell asleep with Viktor cradled against his chest, his thumb idly rubbing against his side as he rested. And all the while he couldn’t help but think about how nice it felt for the brief moment where his lips brushed against his partner.

[corysmiles]

Runes and Ruin Part 3

An Arcane G/T Fic

Notes: you can have some fluff on top of the hurt/comfort I suppose. I really needed the boys to talk through some stuff so here you go I hope you all like it :>

—————————————

It was a week before Jayce couldn’t make any more excuses to get out of council duty. Surprisingly, Viktor had almost forgotten that that was still something Jayce had to do. The two had been so focused on figuring out how to solve Viktor’s problem that it almost felt like when they were young- when they’d spend hours together bouncing ideas off each other and dreaming of what they could create. The rift that had opened up between them after Jayce had taken up his spot on the council- usually gaping and hungry, too difficult to cross at best and impossible to see the other side of at worst- had closed to something almost ignorable. Almost.

“Do you think they’d believe it if I said I had another doctor’s appointment?” Jayce groaned, running his hand through his neatly groomed hair as he stared at himself in the mirror. Viktor watched from Jayce’s pillow, where he’d taken to sitting whenever Jayce wasn’t in bed, with mildly hidden amusement as Jayce picked and preened at his appearance, much like the birds that took up residence in the campus gardens, although he knew the man would argue about the comparison.

“Not unless you want them to think you’re dying,” Viktor scoffed.

Jayce groaned again, eyes falling from the mirror to Viktor apologetically, “I know. But I…I’m still sorry I have to do this.”

“It’s fine, Jayce,” Viktor shrugged, trying his hardest not to let his disdain for his partner’s position show through, “Like you said, we can go to the lab later. And what’s another late night?”

Jayce nodded halfheartedly- and the small jealous part of Viktor beamed at the knowledge that at least for once he took priority over the council. The brilliant man that all of Piltover adored would rather be with him. Viktor chose to stop that train of thought immediately.

He watched raptly as Jayce continued to get ready. The warmth of the pillow enveloping him and the smell of Jayce’s cologne still sticking to the fabric was almost enough to put him back to sleep. But sleeping would mean even more time still stuck being powerless, and that wasn’t something Viktor could afford, even if the momentary comfort of having Jayce to himself for once was rather nice.

From across the room, Jayce huffed as he brushed his hair back into something more neat, more fitting of his position, and in the mirror Viktor could see his lips quirking up into a half-smile, “You really should be sleeping more though, V.”

“Once I’m the right size again we can have that conversation,” Viktor laughed softly, “Hm?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jayce agreed, still visibly exasperated as he got ready, pulling on his large white jacket, the House Talis emblems on the arms shining under the soft morning light like liquid gold.

“I won’t be long,” Jayce said as he walked over to his bed, his shadow falling over Viktor.

At the mention of the time spent away, at the reminder of all the times before Jayce had chosen the council over him, Viktor felt a familiar fire burn in his chest. For a moment, the ever-closing fissure between them seemed to crack wide open again. If the meetings truly weren’t long, why hadn’t Jayce come to see him more?

“We both know that’s not true,” he frowned.

It was quiet for a moment, but a pained sigh and a quiet apology from above him followed by the soft press of a thumb against his back was all he got in response. Viktor wasn’t sure what he expected. He wanted Jayce to fight, to yell, to tell him the council was more important than him anyway- anything to make the anger that had built up inside him for months feel valid... But he also wanted something else. He wanted Jayce to touch him again, to hold him in his hands, to not leave again once this whole debacle was over, to choose him not because he had to but because he wanted to.

Yet Jayce gave him nothing but a brief warm touch. The feeling lingered in his skin long after Jayce had walked off, and Viktor swore he could feel the vibration of every step of his boots across the wood floors even from so high up.

They had argued about this, for hours almost. Jayce had to go back to his council duties, and while Viktor was keen on continuing their work while Jayce was gone, Jayce had had other ideas.

“Come with me?” he remembered Jayce asking, eyes wide and hopeful, with the same passion that had won them over so many sponsors. He had asked as if it was ever something Viktor could agree to.

Viktor had tried to end the conversation kindly, telling him he doubted the council wanted him to hear what they were saying, but Jayce persisted, as he always did. And while Jayce had been helpful throughout Viktor’s struggle, the independent nature ingrained deep into his bones from years of being looked down on caused him to snap. He hated the thought of being carted around as if he couldn’t take care of himself.

Perhaps he was being unfair to Jayce, but truly he didn’t know what the man was so worried would happen in the few hours Viktor was alone.

Viktor raised a brow as Jayce took one last look at him, eyes unfairly sad, as he left, the door locking behind him. The moment the sound of Jayce’s footsteps faded away, Viktor sunk back into the plush satin of Jayce’s pillow. He groaned, rubbing his hand over his eyes, trying to combat his body’s desire to curl up in Jayce’s bed and never leave. He had work to do still, and thankfully Jayce had left the notebook out and open on the bed so Viktor could review their calculations.

However, even though Jayce insisted he worked like a machine, Viktor was just a man; a man who couldn’t help but pretend for just a few more seconds that he was laying in Jayce Talis’ bed for different reasons.

After a few minutes, Viktor begrudgingly pushed himself up, the plush feathery mass of the pillow sinking down under his weight. It was too difficult to actually stand on it, so instead he opted for sliding down onto the bed. Jayce had moved the blankets to the bottom already, so Viktor wouldn’t have to navigate them, making the trek to the notebook much easier.

He had rolled his eyes when Jayce had sheepishly adjusted everything in the morning to be easier for him, but he was thankful now that he hadn’t told Jayce to stop… even if the acts of undue kindness made Viktor’s stomach flutter and cheeks grow warm.

It took a bit of effort but finally Viktor managed to pull himself up onto the notebook’s open pages. It was hard to read the words from that angle, and absentmindedly he found himself wishing Jayce was there to hold him up. The man’s fingers were always gentle with him, and as much as he had initially hated being manhandled, the longer he was stuck small the more he found that he didn’t really mind…as long as it was Jayce.

Viktor wasn’t sure how much time had passed with him looking over the same equations until his mind spun. He had tried to flip the page at one point but ended up falling over and giving up. Mostly, he spent the time thinking- about his predicament, about Hextech, about Jayce.

He barely noticed when a soft click came from the door’s lock. Careful yet quick footsteps came from behind him, and he didn’t have to turn to know who it was. The dip of the bed beside him as Jayce sat down, back straight against the backboard, almost sent him toppling off of the book. Before he could fall a hand reached out to steady him- giant fingers there for him to grab onto.

“How was it?” Viktor asked, cautious as he raised a brow at his partner.

Jayce groaned, bringing the hand that Viktor wasn’t using for stabilization up to his face and wiping his eyes, “Bad. Long. I don’t know.”

Viktor’s lips shaped into a small concerned pout as he watched Jayce, studying him like he was an equation to be solved. He hadn’t seen him so stressed in a long time, although he supposed the two of them hadn’t spent much time together in a long time either.

“Sorry,” Jayce sighed after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, “It was just pointless. They don’t want to listen to me, and all I could think about was coming back.”

At that Viktor’s face flushed undeniably red. He coughed awkwardly, and leaned a little more of his weight into Jayce’s steady fingers, needing the support but hoping the other wouldn’t notice.

“I eh…I’m sorry to hear that,” Viktor choked out, exceedingly grateful that Jayce still had his hand pressed to his eyes.

“It’s okay,” Jayce said, his voice tight, “I signed up for it didn’t I?”

And truly how could Viktor argue that when he’d said the same thing countless times before when Jayce had complained about his extra duties. When he would come to the lab after days of absence only to tell Viktor about whatever new disagreeable policy the council was pushing. He did sign up for it, and in the process made Viktor a side character in their own dream’s story.

“You can say you were right, you know?” The heavy blanket of silence in the room shattered.

Viktor’s brows drew tight, his lungs still as if any sound was too much, “What?”

“You were right- about the council,” Jayce continued, still not looking down at his partner, his eyes wide as he looked up at the ceiling, “About everything really.”

“I…I don’t know what you mean,” Viktor grimaced.

“I’m just a scientist, Vik,” Jayce said, voice monotone and resigned, “I shouldn’t be there.”

“The people look up to you, you’re a symbol, Jayce,” Viktor retorted. How funny, he thought. Only weeks ago he had been dying to hear those words from Jayce.

“I didn’t ask to be.”

The expression on Jayce’s face cut right through Viktor like a blade, twisting deep in his chest. He didn’t think he’d ever heard Jayce sound so defeated. If he had been feeling like this all along, why hadn’t he stopped? ‘Why hadn’t he come back?’ the poisonous nagging voice in Viktor’s head growled.

Viktor ignored it for the moment, instead, pulling himself up as best as he could so he could lean his weight against Jayce’s hand, more for comfort than anything else. “What brought this up?”

“Hextech is both of ours. But while I’m out there you’re stuck here until we can fix you,” Jayce’s eyes fell on Viktor, and gently, he wrapped his hand around him, picking him up to bring him closer, his hand resting palm-open on his lap with Viktor carefully cupped between his fingers like he was something precious. “It’s not fair, and it’s not what I should be doing.”

“Well…we’ll fix this soon,” Viktor offered him a small sad smile, barely a quirk of lips, “Then you can go back to the council guilt-free, hm?”

Apparently, it was the wrong response, given how Jayce’s face scrunched up like he’d been hit, “I do miss you, you know. I have missed you.”

“Jayce,” Viktor warned, his expression guarded.

“It’s true Viktor. I really have,” Jayce continued, words leaving his mouth quickly like he was afraid if he didn’t get them all out they would escape him somehow, “I know I’ve done a bad job of showing it, but… this has been nice at least. And I don’t want to leave you to deal with this alone.”

Viktor sighed, uselessly rubbing his hand against Jayce’s shaking fingers, “You haven’t, Jayce.”

“But haven’t I?” Jayce scoffed, his tone venomous- aimed at himself but still burning Viktor in the process, “Not just with this, but with everything?”

“I…” Viktor’s head was spinning to come up with the proper response.

Jayce’s head fell back against the headboard, but even so far away Viktor could hear the shaky breath he exhaled, “I’m really sorry, Viktor.”

And that… that was not something Viktor was ready to hear. He’d dreamed of this moment, of an apology, of Jayce coming back to him and begging at his knees for forgiveness- of going back to the way things were years ago, when they could finish each other’s thoughts without a word and work in tandem like they were both gears of the same machine. But he was finding that in reality it was much less satisfying. Especially if it meant the face of the man he adored would look so pained.

“I…I forgive you, Jayce,” and to Viktor’s surprise, his voice was steady. He never expected himself to forgive so easily, but he found it simple in the moment. What other choice did he have when he had been wanting Jayce back by his side more than anything, missing the warmth and comfortable partnership that came with it.

At that, Jayce looked at him like he was about to cry, his eyes squeezed shut, and Viktor’s face fell in sympathy as the fingers around him shook gently. The tremors ran through Viktor’s body as he tried to soothe his partner in any way he could, rubbing his hand up and down his shaking fingers, catching on every callous.

“I think you should rest, Jayce,” Viktor said gently, trying to mask his own turbulent emotions, with a softness he didn’t know he contained, “We can go to the lab tomorrow. You’re in no state to work right now.”

“No, no,” Jayce scoffed, more so at himself than anything else. “We can go. I won’t make you wait. I’ve done that enough.”

“What’s one more day?” Viktor found himself asking, surprising even himself at the honesty in the statement, “You deserve the rest. And the work will still be here.”

Jayce looked down at Viktor, and the softness on his face was almost unbearable. With a weak wet laugh he smiled, not the bright ones given to the press or possible investors, but a real one reserved for late nights at the lab when they were exhausted but so close to a discovery. “Okay, V. Yeah I…I can make lunch soon. We can still go over the notes here- talk about what you looked at-”

“Jayce,” Viktor sighed, amused at Jayce’s surprise at being cut off. He was sure the fondness in his tone wasn’t lost on Jayce, “You’re starting to sound like me. When I said rest I did mean it. You’re near tears, why don’t you just eh…take a nap?”

Jayce frowned, his nostrils flaring as he breathed out slowly, like he was trying to release the emotions so clearly welling up behind his eyes. When he spoke he sounded so desperate, so defeated, “I want to help you, Viktor.”

“And you will,” Viktor reassured, “I’ve never known you to back down from a challenge. It’s okay if it doesn't happen today.”

His words finally seemed to get through to Jayce who visibly relaxed, his body practically melting into the bed as he allowed himself to lie down fully. With a look of determination Viktor stepped off of Jayce’s hand, stumbling a bit before he could steady himself on the man’s chest. Behind him, Jayce’s hand tensed, like he was waiting to catch him if he fell, and in a way Viktor thought that that explained this whole situation quite well. Jayce was always there to catch his mistakes, and he had missed the ease at which he offered his assistance- never pitying and always kind.

“You know, it’s almost like we’ve switched places,” Jayce laughed softly, his lips tilted into a smile, “Usually I’m the one convincing you you don’t have to work.”

“Well, perhaps all this time with you is starting to affect me. Just another reason to get this solved, hm?” Viktor retorted slyly, tipping his head to Jayce and earning him another deep laugh that shook under Viktor’s feet. The possessive jealous part of Viktor warmed at Jayce’s reaction- a real laugh, something he prided himself in pulling out of his partner.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jayce smiled, his face still tired, “You should sleep too though. Maybe later if I feel better we can still go over to the lab?”

“If you wish,” Viktor hummed as he stretched his arms up above him. He didn’t miss how Jayce’s eyes carefully followed his movements.

Viktor tilted his head to the side table, expecting to be placed down on his makeshift bed which consisted simply of one of Jayce’s shirts, neatly folded up into a square, but Jayce made no effort to move. Under his gaze, Viktor felt even smaller than usual- like a specimen to be studied rather than a man.

“I…” Jayce started, looking away nervously, “Is this okay?”

Before Viktor could ask what he meant, Jayce’s hand, which had been resting behind him, moved to hover right above Viktor. Viktor watched, confused for a moment, before it slowly pressed down into him, forcing him to lie down and keeping him still against Jayce’s clothed chest. He would never admit it, but the silky fabric of Jayce’s jacket felt nice against his skin. His first reaction was to push Jayce away, to reject the attempt at touch that he didn’t know how to handle. But Jayce was watching him so nervously that he couldn’t bring himself to deny Jayce the comfort, even though he could feel the warmth blossoming in his cheeks.

“Yes, this is eh..this is fine Jayce,” Viktor stumbled over his words, the almost unbearable warmth from the man’s massive hand making it hard to think about anything but every point where they touched.

Jayce’s eyes widened a bit, his hand curling around Viktor just a bit to secure him, and there was something on his face Viktor couldn’t quite put a name to. The closest expression he could think of is when he had first shown Jayce a completed Hexgem, eyes soft and almost awe-struck. His gaze caused Viktor’s skin to prickle with embarrassment.

Some part of Viktor argued that he should stop this, that he should tell Jayce to put him on the side table, so he wouldn’t be able to keep pretending that somehow Jayce held affections similar to his own. But again, he was weak. And if Jayce was offering he would be remiss to deny it.

“It’s nice- lying like this with you,” Jayce mumbled, his voice rumbling throughout Viktor’s body, and even through his embarrassment Viktor couldn’t help but agree with a slow nod.

It didn’t take long for Viktor to fall asleep like that, completely covered by Jayce’s warm hand as he leaned his body into his chest. The rhythmic up-and-down pattern of his breaths and the thumping of his heart against his entire body was like a lullaby. He was sure Jayce was still awake as he felt his thoughts grow hazy, given that every few moments Jayce’s thumb gently rubbed against his back.

Later, he was sure he’d be embarrassed for this- for allowing himself to give in to his own wants, but for the moment, he let himself accept the warmth, falling asleep in the safety of Jayce’s presence all around him.

[corysmiles]

Runes and Ruin Pt 2.

arcane g/t fic

Notes: I am ill and really like Jayvik gt so here have this as a treat :>

—————————————

It was day four of being stuck in such a humiliatingly small state that Viktor had to start planning on being tiny for a while. He had wanted it to be over quickly; he had had hope that with Jayce’s assistance they would be able to figure out the runes with little to no issue. But so far all the testing they had done on plants had yielded only failed results.

They could make them shrink with no issue. That was the easy part- they knew which rune combination put Viktor in that state. It was the reversal that was causing issues. The plants always withered. Once, they got one to grow to about half of its original size, but the joy of the discovery only lasted a second before the plant turned to dust before their eyes.

As soon as the ash from the plant had settled on the table, Viktor deflated. He didn’t even have to say anything before Jayce’s massive thumb was on his back, a gentle and silent apology. When they went back to Jayce’s apartment that day the pair was quiet, Viktor carefully hidden in his partner’s breast pocket until he could be safely removed.

That night, there was an uncomfortable silence while getting ready for rest. Jayce watched his partner from the bed as he sat head-down on his desk, staring off into the room.

“We’ll figure it out,” Jayce said softly, pulling Viktor out of his thoughts, “We’re getting closer already.”

Viktor hummed in response, mouth tight as he looked at Jayce from the corner of his eyes. He looked even more massive than normal from this angle, and to Viktor’s horror, he was slowly getting used to it.

“I can’t stay like this for much longer, Jayce,” Viktor sighed.

Jayce tilted his head at that, “Hm?”

“I…we have work to do,” Viktor’s head fell, “We can’t put Hextech on pause just to fix this.”

Jayce shook his head and wiped his hand over his eyes sleepily, “Why not? You know we’re more efficient when we’re both at our best. It’s always worse without you.”

“Yes Jayce but I…” Viktor swallowed and let out a heavy shaking breath, “I can’t help. I can’t do anything. I can’t pick up a pen or move the runes or even get to the desk on my own. My crutch is several hundred times my size and I can’t even get to my own apartment. Jayce, I can’t even eat on my own without you getting the food for me.”

At that Jayce’s expression twisted. Viktor hated to see it- the pity clear on his face.

“Vik, it’s really not that big of a deal-”

“You’re not the one stuck like this!”

Jayce sighed and shrugged his shoulders, expression sad like a dog left in the rain.

“I know. I know Vik, I’m sorry,” he sighed, “I didn’t mean it like that. I just don’t want you to feel like it’s a burden on me. I’m here for all of this, no matter what. It’s our problem, not just yours.”

Immediately, the soft tone brought a haze of comfort over Viktor. He hadn’t meant to snap, really, but the stress was starting to become overwhelming.

“I’m sorry…” Viktor sighed, turning to face Jayce better. He’d have to do some damage control seeing as Jayce was his only hope at getting anything fixed. “I didn’t mean to snap at you…it’s not your fault. I just…it’s hard being stuck like this. Everything feels so off.

“Then what about tomorrow we take the day off from the lab,” Jayce started, already holding his hand up in front of him to wave off the argument he knew Viktor had, “Hold on, just listen to me okay?”

Viktor’s mouth snapped close, cutting off the growing fire in his chest. As much as he wanted to fight, he knew better.

“Tomorrow we can go to the forge, I can make you a new crutch,” Jayce started, eyes focused intently on Viktor, “We can try to get you some new clothes, so you’re not stuck in the same ones until this is over. Maybe it’ll help a little, at least to make this feel more normal.”

Viktor only scowled at the words, his tone sharp like a blade, “Nothing will make this feel normal, Jayce.”

“Okay, not normal…but maybe it can at least be better.”

Viktor sighed in exasperation, running his hands through his hair, and tilting his head to his chest, a small move of much-needed comfort, “Fine. Yes, we can do that. But once it’s done we go back to the lab.”

Jayce’s tight expression softened just a bit, a minute twitch to his lips, unrecognizable to anyone who hadn’t spent years in the same room as him, “Deal.”

The next day Jayce did exactly as he said. Viktor sat in Jayce’s breast pocket, which was starting to become more and more familiar, as they made their way from Jayce’s apartment to the House Talis forge. The hustle and bustle of Piltover’s streets was muffled by the thin layer of fabric encasing Viktor, and he found that he was rather thankful for it. The usual stress of walking through the crowded streets dulled to a mere inconvenience as he instead focused his thoughts on the steady rise and fall of Jayce’s chest and the rhythmic bouncing of his steps.

He had been worried at first about going anywhere that wasn’t their shared lab space, but Jayce had reassured him that he could get the forge alone. They had argued about whether or not Viktor should join due to the heat, but eventually Viktor won the argument, stating he wanted to be there, at least to get out of Jayce’s apartment for a small while.

Before he was even removed from Jayce’s pocket, Viktor knew that they had arrived at the forge from the blast of dry heat that hit him through the fabric. For the millionth time he found himself wondering how Jayce could find metalworking so relaxing when he already felt unbearably hot from just entering the room. Gently, a hand appeared over Viktor, blocking out the light from above, tentative as it prodded him from behind, a silent request for permission. Viktor stilled, allowing himself to be scooped up in Jayce’s fingers as he was brought out into the dark heated room.

“Alright, this shouldn’t take too long,” Jayce said, placing Viktor down onto a nearby work bench, “I’ll need to measure you first to make sure I get the right size. Just hold on.”

Viktor nodded in response as he stretched his legs out in front of him, already despising the stickiness of the heat enveloping him. Jayce wandered to the other side of the room, his footsteps booming in Viktor’s ears like the steady thrum of a hammer as he dug through a box. When he returned, a small clean metal ruler was held in his hands.

“Alright, stand up for me,” Jayce nodded, as he pulled up a chair next to the desk, his shadow falling over Viktor’s much smaller form.

Viktor grunted with the effort of pulling himself up, but thankfully Jayce ignored it, or at least opted not to mention it. With exceedingly careful movements the ruler was held next to Viktor’s body, the sight of it next to him almost enough to make him feel dizzy.

“About five and a half centimeters,” Jayce mumbled more to himself than to Viktor, before setting the measuring stick back down next to his partner, letting out a small half-teasing chuckle, “You’re really small Vik.”

Viktor scowled up at his partner whose face was alight with cautious amusement, “When we fix this I am never talking to you again.”

“That would make working on Hextech pretty hard,” Jayce laughed softly in response, his eyes glinting happily.

Viktor grumbled, his lips tightening to a thin line, ready to argue but not wanting to egg Jayce on more. Carefully, he sat back down, sticking his bad leg out as he did to relieve the pressure slowly building in his joints, watching all the while as Jayce moved over to the heated central part of the forge.

He’d watched Jayce work before, when they were entered in the innovators contest they both had come to the forge to work on prototypes last minute when they realized they had all theories and no substance to their work. But watching Jayce work now felt so much different. Viktor averted his eyes as best he could as Jayce pulled his shirt over his head with one of his hands and pulled out a chunk of smooth metal from a side table along with a hammer. However, it didn’t stop the mounting embarrassment from growing in his chest; he was starting to understand why Jayce had become the face of Piltover. The man was magnetic.

He knew Jayce was strong, of course he did, he had worked with the man for years, but seeing him like this when he was barely the size of his finger was overwhelming to Viktor’s senses. Jayce’s broad shoulders and flexing muscles as he worked so carefully, made Viktor’s cheeks grow warm. Of course, he’d deny it if asked, the forge was hot after all, it wasn’t his fault for not being used to the heat…or the sight of Jayce shirtless.

After heating up the metal and slicing a piece of it off Jayce placed it down onto the forge to hammer it into shape, using a small detailing tool to shape it how he wanted. His face scrunched in concentration, and the way his eyes focused in on something so small almost made Viktor laugh.

He barely noticed when Jayce finished, too distracted by his own thoughts until suddenly Jayce was towering over him again, his body gleaming with sweat in a way that made Viktor want to either stare or never talk to him again.

“Try this. Sorry it’s not as good as the last one, but it was much harder to make it small,” Jayce said with an apologetic smile as he handed it over, the length of it almost fully concealed by his thumb and forefinger.

Carefully, Viktor reached up, still wide-eyed at the sight of his hand compared to Jayce’s fingers, before grabbing the top of it. The weight felt good in his hands, and although the metal was not as finely smoothed out as his last one was (which was also a gift from Jayce), it would do for the time being. Glancing up and down it, he nodded with approval before pushing its tip to the desk to help himself up. His leg still protested the movement, but the added support of the hinge under his arm stopped it from being too unbearable.

All the while, Jayce watched him, his stare almost overwhelming given how giant he was.

“This will do,” Viktor said after a moment, tilting his head in thought, “Thank you, really, Jayce.”

“Of course,” Jayce grinned in response, his smile shining even brighter than the heat of the forge, and Viktor found himself looking away to not get burned, “Oh! Now for clothes I was thinking, there’s a toy store pretty close. My mom used to take me there as a kid, and I know they have fancy dolls there. I’m sure we could find some clothes that would fit you.”

Immediately, the warmth that had been building in Viktor’s chest was doused like someone had poured a bucket of water on him, “I am not wearing doll clothes, Jayce.”

“It’ll just be for while we wash yours,” Jayce said quickly, holding his hands out in front of him apologetically, “Or for when you’re sleeping. Your work clothes can’t be that comfortable.”

Viktor’s lips curved into what could only be described as a pout as he hit Jayce with a sharp glare, “I will survive. And anyways if you are a man of your word, this should be fixed soon, yes?”

Jayce’s face fell, his mouth opening and closing again as his face flicked through emotions, “I want it to be over as much as you do. But you know how the arcane is…You know as well as I do that this could take longer than we want.”

The weight of Jayce’s words hung over Viktor like a guillotine blade, threatening to send him toppling into thoughts he’d much rather avoid. His shoulders almost sagged under the weight.

“Fine, Jayce,” Viktor sighed, his expression tight, “But don’t expect me to like it.”

“I don’t,” Jayce assured, face soft and apologetic in a way that made Viktor want to hiss, “It’s just for the time being, okay?”

Reluctantly, Viktor bowed his head, tilting it towards Jayce in barely concealed annoyance. To both his pleasure and dismay Jayce didn’t seem too upset; he knew him too well to be hurt by Viktor’s tendency to lash out. And they both knew that Viktor wasn’t actually mad at him, he was just the closest person around.

With raised brows Jayce offered his hand to Viktor, questioning but not forcing. And as much as Viktor wanted to seethe at Jayce, at the situation, at the world, he took the offer, slowly pulling himself into Jayce’s outstretched palm.

When he was secure, sitting in the center of Jayce’s warm hand, his fingers curled around Viktor, blocking out the light from the forge. In the moment, Viktor was thankful he had never been claustrophobic. Jayce’s fingers squeezed just a bit, never too tight, but enough for Viktor to not be jostled around. It almost felt nice in an odd way, like when he’d fall asleep as a kid and Rio would lay her head on his chest, an all-encompassing kind of safety he wasn’t sure he had ever felt.

It didn’t last too long though before he was gently placed in Jayce’s pocket again, his back pressed against the dull thud of Jayce’s heart. They’d joked earlier that Jayce should add some padding to his pockets if Viktor was going to be spending a lot of time there, but Viktor found that he didn’t mind it much how it was.

“Is this fine?” Jayce asked, pulling Viktor from his thoughts, as he talked his chest vibrated against Viktor’s back, “It’s not too far to the store I think. We can go to the lab after.”

Viktor felt himself flush red being surrounded by Jayce’s voice and he was exceedingly thankful that his partner couldn’t see him at the moment.

“Eh, yes that’s fine Jayce,” he replied, having to raise his voice to be heard as he patted a hand against Jayce’s chest.

Jayce laughed softly in response and Viktor felt it to his core like a heavy bass drum rattling his veins. It only took a few moments before Viktor felt the telltale thumps of Jayce’s steps.

Thankfully, Jayce was right, and the walk to the store wasn’t long. At the sound of a door chime and giggling children Viktor knew they had arrived. Part of him wanted to peek his head out, if only to see a part of Jayce’s childhood, but he refrained out of the fear of being seen. The last thing either of them wanted was to be caught, although he supposed the sight of the Man of Progress at a kid’s toy store alone would raise some questions anyways.

Through the fabric, Viktor picked up on muffled voices all around him and Jayce’s own speech rumbling against his body. He heard him ask about doll clothes, and he could almost picture the shocked expression of whoever Jayce was talking to. At some point when the conversation ended Viktor finally attempted to peek his head out. It was a struggle to pull himself up enough to get his head over, but he couldn’t let Jayce buy him something terrible.

However, Jayce seemed to catch on, and before he could peer out into the store, one massive finger pressed against his head, sending him back down. Viktor practically seethed in Jayce’s pocket, but before he could do anything else there was a firm pressure against his body from outside of the pocket- Jayce was resting his hand on him. Viktor assumed it was some sort of quiet apology- one he was extremely hesitant to accept.

After that Viktor sat still, slowly growing weary of being stuck in one space for so long without anything to do. The sounds of the outside world and the thud thud thud of Jayce’s footsteps dulled to a faint hum in the background of Viktor’s thoughts. So much so that is took Viktor by surprise when a careful finger prodded his back.

Viktor nearly jumped out of his skin at the touch, before realizing what Jayce wanted. In confirmation Viktor patted Jayce’s forefinger with his hand, and within seconds he was scooped up between giant fingers and brought back in the light of their lab.

“So sorry that took longer than expected,” Jayce said, exhaustion and frustration clear on his face, “The line was long and then the cashier wanted to talk about Hextech.”

Viktor rolled his eyes in exasperation as he was carefully placed down onto Jayce’s work desk along with a small red linen bag with bright blue drawstrings. Eagerly, Jayce opened up the bag and poured its contents out in front of Viktor who leaned over to observe them.

There were two new outfits, one looked more like pajamas with soft flowy grey fabric, and the other looked more like his own work clothes- although the stitching was not quite as precise.

“Sorry for not letting you see,” Jayce said sheepishly, hand running through his hair that was starting to fall out of place, “I didn’t want you to get noticed. They’d probably think I was trying to steal a doll.”

Viktor shot Jayce a sharp look earning an apologetic laugh from the giant man, “Wouldn’t want the Man of Progress getting caught stealing from children yes?”

Jayce blinked, eyes wide in shocked amusement before relaxing into something more familiar; he hadn’t been expecting Viktor to play along. Ever since being shrunk, more often than not Viktor had been quick to respond with venom rather than humor after all.

“That would look pretty bad,” Jayce laughed weakly in response as he leaned over to rip the tags off of the clothes. The small pieces of precisely designed fabric looked almost humorous in Jayce’s hands, “I hope these are fine. They were the best options; I thought you wouldn’t like the glittery ones.”

Viktor’s face scrunched up in disgust at the mention earning another laugh from Jayce, “No, I would not. These are fine, although the stitching leaves much to be desired.”

“Well I assume most people don’t look that close at them,” Jayce responded with a sly smile.

Viktor waved Jayce off dismissively as he picked up the softer looking shirt, the fabric was nice and silky if not a bit thin, but it would do. However when he held it up to his body he found a slight issue.

“This is going to be huge, Jayce,” Viktor said, brows furrowed as he looked down at how the shirt hung over his body, “I’ll look like a child.”

“If it helps, I’m the only one who’ll see you,” Jayce responded, expression sheepishly apologetic, “And I think the big shirt is the least of your problems right now.”

Viktor glared up at his partner who was staring down at him with an expression Viktor couldn’t quite name. It was soft but not pitying like Viktor was so used to, and he found that thinking any harder about it made him grow flustered. Although he reasoned that Jayce’s attention always tended to do that.

“I suppose,” Viktor sighed, carefully folding up the shirt and placing it back down on the desk, “I’d much rather wear my own clothes though.”

“I know,” Jayce replied soothingly, “It’s just for a little while though right? Just another reason for us to figure this out.”

Viktor nodded in response, his face falling a bit at the mention of how long it would take to fix this issue. As kind as Jayce was about it, it didn’t change the fact that Viktor hated being stuck so small. He hated the way everything felt unfamiliar and how little agency he had. But Jayce’s words did help-

“We can wash the clothes you’re wearing when we get back to my apartment,” Jayce said, delicate in his tone to not cause Viktor more distress, “Until then we work, yeah?”

With a soft sigh, Viktor nodded, allowing Jayce to pick him up and carry him over to the Hexcore. The rune combinations they had already tried stared down at him from where they were marked in chalk on the blackboard.

It was only when a soft thumb rubbed against his back that Viktor broke out of his thoughts- an odd comfort that was becoming more and more familiar.

“We’ll figure this out V. I promise.”

[corysmiles]

Giant Astarion/ Tiny Tav drabble

BG3 g/t, fluff, f!tav

Rating: general

Description: Astarion finds a tiny human hiding in a tree nearby their camp.

Noted: BG3 has taken over my mind so have a tiny g/t Drabble about our favorite vampire

Astarion is the first to spot the little borrower following their group around. He’d been able to smell something vaguely human while on their way to the grove from the nautilus crash but he’d just assumed it was the stink of the corpses that hadn’t survived the crash. It wasn’t until they finally had a calm night that he really took notice.

They had set up in a nice meadow nestled safely away from any major trade routes, the only sounds came from the vampire’s fellow companions and distant animals hunting somewhere in the forest. But, as everyone else sat down in a circle to eat whatever food Gale had prepared for the night, Astarion headed into the trees. They all knew about his condition at this point, and while most of them had reacted better than he thought they would, he still was relatively cautious about letting them see him hunt. So while they were busy eating whatever muck Gale could throw together with their scavenged ingredients, he snuck away into the trees beyond looking for something to drain.

He wandered for a few minutes, careful of the sound of cracking leaves under his feet, but it wasn’t long before he caught a scent…a familiar one. He couldn’t quite place it, but he knew he’d smelt it before. Eagerly, he followed its trail until he came upon an old mangled tree. It was so close he could still see the lights from camp through the trees.

He paused for a moment, listening to the small sounds of whatever was moving in the tree before darting his hand in to grab it. However, when he pulled the writhing screaming thing to his face he wasn’t anticipating to be met by the face of a person…or at least what looked like one.

“Let me go!” the tiny girl screamed, “Fuck off!”

Interesting, she knew common, he thought.

“And what exactly are you little one?” Astarion smiled slyly as he held the tiny between his thumb and forefinger. The little thing hissed and scratched at his fingers, but it was to no avail.

“None of your fucking business,” she spat, “Put me down, NOW.”

Astarion laughed softly with a condescending smirk, “That’s no way to talk to someone who quite literally holds your life in their hands darling.”

The tiny glared up at him, eyes wild before seemingly giving up, her head falling down to her chest.

“It’s a curse okay? I…ive never been stuck for this long though,” she muttered.

Astarion gifted her a sly smile in return, “Yes but that doesn’t explain why you’ve been following us now does it? I do believe I’ve smelt you before darling. You know most people that small wouldn’t choose to stay close to a vampire.”

The girl shuddered in his grip, glaring up at him intensely, “I fell off the ship too…the nautiloid. I saw your little group and felt the tadpole’s connection and well…it felt at least a bit safer to be near people, and it made it easier to actually get food.”

Astarion’s raised a brow at that, so she was one of them.

“So you’ve been stealing our things have you?” Astarion smirked, holding her a little closer to his face and showing his fangs with a smile.

The girl visually tensed up filling Astarion with a small sense of glee.

“Just little things, I promise,” she stuttered out, “Nothing big, I wouldn’t.”

Astarion laughed again investigating her closely, “Well I would assume nothing big. You’re far too small to carry much more.”

The girl simply nodded in response, the action quick and tense in his hand.

“Just…please,” she whimpered, “Please let me go.”

Astarion tilted his head as if thinking about it. Truly he had no intentions of harming her, not really. With how small she was draining her would be barely more than a snack…but he could still have some fun.

“Hmm, but I took so much time to find a meal,” Astarion said, “It would be a shame to put you to waste.”

“No!” the girl yelled as he pulled her closer to him, “I…I’m too small it wouldn’t be good, please.”

Astarion smiled down at her panicked expression and tilted his head, “Hmm, perhaps you’re right.”

The girl just stared at him, eyes wide and body tense as if waiting for him to snap at any second. His companions would surely be upset with him for teasing her, but while he was alone he could have some fun. He deserved it after all they’d been through.

“Although, I do believe if I don’t have a taste something else probably will,” Astarion said with a sly smile, “You stink you know?”

Slowly, he placed the tiny back down in the tree and raised his brows at her questioning.

“I…yes I know,” she muttered, seemingly frozen between the decisions of staying to talk or fleeing, “Usually I’m only like this for a day at most…this is…more than I’m used to. I think it’s maybe due to the tadpole.”

Astarion tilted his head curiously, “That makes sense, the tadpoles seem to be messing with everyone. Although it seems to just have made you more snack-sized.”

The girl frowned at him, subconsciously taking a step away from the giant vampire.

“Oh stop that,” he shook his head, “If I wanted to eat you I would have already darling, but as is you’re far too small to be worth it.”

The frown on the girl’s face deepened at the implications that if she was bigger he would have considered it, but she still stayed still, staring up at the giant man.

“Don’t…please don’t tell the others about me,” she forced out after a second, “It’s safer without anyone knowing.”

“Are you quite sure about that?” Astarion asked, his eyes glancing over to the camp’s lights, “If you stay here you’re liable to be picked up by a bird or rat as soon as they catch a whiff of you.”

The girl shrugged, her expression tight, “I just…Maybe the curse will stop soon. I hope at least…I don’t want people seeing me like this.”

Astarion looked her up and down and frowned, in a way it reminded him of when he was still stuck under Cazador’s power. He hated being seen like that too, although he hadn’t had much of a choice in the matter.

“Very well then,” Astarion shrugged, “Try not to get eaten dear, I don’t want to find out what happens if some beast gets a tadpole in their system. And if you change your mind I’d never be opposed to a little tasteful company.”

He grinned with a flash of his fangs to accentuate his words as he turned from the tree with a well practiced turn. The girl frowned at him but didn’t say anything in return, just crawling back into the small hole she’d been in before as Astarion went on his way to find something else to eat.

As much as he hated it his other companions had made him soft. The tiny girl offered him almost nothing practically; however, in the smallest recesses of his mind he hoped she’d change her mind. It felt nice being able to have someone close that couldn’t take advantage of him. At her size she wouldn’t be able to do anything to him he didn’t want, although he surely could do the opposite.

However, as he hunted and finally caught a raccoon to feed on, he thought that he didn’t think he would take advantage of her. Perhaps it would be nice, just to have a friend, someone who understood being powerless.

[corysmiles]

Mage Hand

G!Gale/t!fTav

A BG3 g/t fic

————————————

Rating: general

Warnings: mentions of blood and violence

Summary: During a fight Tav gets spotted, and Gale has to react quickly to protect the tiny. Much fluff and protective giant Gale

Truly they hadn’t been expecting a fight at all.

Gale frantically cast out magical missiles at the goblins that had ambushed them. One fell to the miriad of blows, but the larger one just growled in anger. Blood pooled in Gale’s robes from the arrow still lodged in his side, but he couldn’t stop to look at the damage just yet.

They’d been on their way to set up camp for the night when they were attacked.

Arrows flew out through the trees before any of them could react, and after such a long trek they were too tired to put on a good fight. Out of the corner of his eye Gale saw Karlach whipping her axe around wildly, although her face showed the strain it was taking on her, and Astarion was slower than usual to slice through one of the smaller goblin’s throats.

“Fuck,” Gale hissed as he pressed one hand to the bleeding wound at his side.

He could feel his magic starting to run low, if he didn’t rest soon he wouldn’t be much use at all, but until the goblins were gone he just had to push through it.

With a yell a burst of flame appeared in his hand and shot out at one of the goblins circling around Shadowheart. The goblin screeched in pain as its clothes caught fire, and not a second later Lae’zel had ran it through with her blade.

They were doing okay, but they were all taking too many blows for his liking. Gale’s eyes shot up at the sight of a new goblin running out from the trees, rusted dagger in hand. It ran at Astarion who had just helped Wyll finish off the largest goblin, but before Gale could yell to warn him the dagger sliced through Astarion’s back.

Astarion fell to the ground with a hiss of pain before he turned to angrily stab through the goblin’s leg. The goblin fell with a loud cry, and while that was enough for Astarion at the moment, he wasn’t dead.

Typically, that wouldn’t be much of a problem. In most cases a downed enemy was as good as dead.

But one glance was all it took for Gale’s heart rate to shoot into a panic. The downed goblin growled and clawed at his blade trying to push himself back up when its eyes locked on the same thing Gale’s did.

Tav had fallen out of Astarion’s pocket.

The goblin’s eyes darted between the vampire now a few feet away and the tiny before a gnarled green hand darted out to grab her.

In all his life, Gale had never reacted so fast before.

His mind drew from the last reserves of magic he had to conjure up a glowing blue hand that quickly darted out to grab Tav. The goblin’s hand missed by only a hair before the mage hand glided away back to Gale’s side. Gale wanted to check on the tiny to make sure they were okay, but the goblin’s eyes were now trained on the wizard, a violent snarl painting their features.

With a flick of his fingers he guided the mage hand to drop Tav in his pocket, and kept the spectral hand floating near in case she fell out again. He spared one glance down at the tiny who was clearly shaken, before throwing another bolt of flames at the goblin.

The goblin fell with another shrill scream as he burned and writhed on the ground. He wouldn’t be surviving that.

Gale frantically looked around at the others to make sure everyone was okay, and saw Lae’zel finishing off the last of the goblins with a victorious yell. Only when the goblin took its last breath did the wizard allow himself to relax.

Subconsciously, his hand reached into his pocket to thumb at the tiny’s head. Their warm presence felt relaxing.

“Gale,” the small voice said, “Are they gone?”

The tiny attempted to peak their head out of his pocket, and before Gale could even register that he’d commanded it the spectral mage hand pressed her firmly back down into his pocket- back to where it was safe.

He blinked in realization and embarrassment at the protective instincts, and with a muttered apology waved off the glowing blue hand.

Gently, he reached into his pocket with an open palm- an invitation. Once he felt all of Tav’s weight in his hand he curled his fingers around her form gently and brought her out.

“Yes, they’re all gone I believe,” Gale sighed, “Unless more of those bastards are hiding in the trees.”

“They’re better not be,” Karlach grumbled at that, her tail swinging side-to-side angrily, “I need some food and a fucking nap.”

The tiny laughed in Gale’s palm at Karlach’s words and the softness of it brought a smile to Gale’s face. He was glad she felt so safe in his hands.

However, the domesticity of the moment was quickly broken by Astarion yelling.

“Tav?” he yelled, his eyes darting around frantically.

“Don’t worry I’ve got her,” Gale called out to the vampire, watching as Astarion’s shoulders visibly relaxed at the sight of her in the wizard’s palm.

“Fuck okay, good,” Astarion exhaled slowly, “My apologies little love, I didn’t anticipate for another one of those bastards to be in hiding. Usually they’re not that smart.”

Tav just laughed and waved him off, “It’s okay, I’m fine.”

Astarion smiled, softer than normal due to the exhaustion from the day.

“Well I believe we might as well just set up camp now,” Astarion hummed, “After that I doubt we’re making it that much farther anyway.”

Everyone agreed with nodded heads and soon the tents were set up and a campfire was burning. Gale had almost forgotten about his injury until Tav said something.

“Does that hurt?” Tav said pointing up at the wound from where they sat on the soft rug in his tent, “You should get Shadowheart to look at it.”

Gale looked down at the tiny on the floor next to him and then down at the wound in his side. He had pulled the arrow out before starting to set up camp, but the adrenaline from the fight had almost made him forget.

“Ah, yes,” Gale frowned as he touched at his blood-soaked side, “I believe I got a bit carried away. No need to bother Shadowheart now though, she’s just as drained as the rest of us.”

Tav frowned in response as she started to climb up Gale’s pants from where he was sitting cross-legged on the ground. He barely breathed as she climbed him, afraid of accidentally knocking the tiny off.

Once Tav was close enough she peered at the wound through the hole in his robe.

“It looks pretty deep,” she grimaced, “At least take a healing potion, wouldn’t want it to get worse.”

Gale blushed at the proximity to the tiny as one of her minuscule hands brushed against the skin around the wound.

“Yes- yes of course,” he stammered, looking away from where the tiny was perched on his leg, “I think I have a few extra.”

Tav nodded at that, seemingly pleased that the wizard agreed to take care of himself and plopped themselves down on his leg.

“You didn’t have to help me like that you know,” Tav said softly after a few moments of silence, “I could have managed.”

To accentuate her words she opened her palm where a small burst of magic appeared. Of course Gale knew she wasn’t defenceless, the tiny had proven herself to be useful enough times already.

But something about seeing the goblin reaching for her, about seeing his eyes dripping with malice… Gale couldn’t let him touch her.

“I know,” Gale said, tilting his head in flushed embarrassment, “Just…I wanted to. I want to keep you safe. I apologize if it seemed like I didn’t think you could fend for yourself.”

Tav laughed softly, and patted their hand against Gale’s thigh from where they sat.

“It’s alright,” Tav smiled, “And regardless it would be rude of me not to thank you.”

Gale flushed again, not used to the kindness in her words. He tried to look away to hide it but he knew the tiny saw it when she laughed again.

“You know I’m never opposed to being held by you,” Tav smiled slyly, “Mage hand or not it’s quite nice.”

Her words only caused Gale to flush more, “Well then, I um…I suppose I can hold you more. If you’d desire it of course.”

Tav giggled at his nervousness and gifted the wizard a soft smile, “I’d be delighted.”

[corysmiles]

would you ever consider writing bg3 g/t fearplay from the tiny’s perspective? maybe gale or wyll? im a sucker for characters that aren’t intimidating or scary being seen as terrifying from the tiny’s perspective.

YES ABSOLUTELY!!

Here is Gale fear play as a treat, Wyll will come soon >:)

——————————————————

Tav was used to being around the wizard.

It was only about a week into the whole tadpole predicament when Tav was noticed by the much larger people at the camp, and Gale had been one of the first in support of keeping the tiny with them. They’d been terrified of the group at the time, but the tadpole in their brain still called to the gigantic figures. And as scary as some of the giants were, they were all relatively careful and kind…aside from the vampire of course. Although even his teasing got better eventually.

Gale, however, was easily one of the least intimidating giants Tav had ever met.

The man never held them without permission and almost all conversations with him led to some discussion of magic or what it was like to be so small. He was curious to his core, and while he was fascinated by Tav’s stature, he was never disrespectful.

All in all, being scared of Gale, the most gentle giant they’d ever met, seemed like a ridiculous if not impossible notion.

That was, until they remembered how strong he truly was compared to them.

It was late at night when goblins snuck into their camp. Astarion noticed first, jumping up from his trance to alert the others. Tav barely had time to wipe the sleep from their eyes before they were harshly grabbed, warm skin squeezing tightly around them.

“Hey wait,” Tav yelled as they tried to push their way free, but the hand just grabbed tighter, making it hard to breath and causing theirs limbs to ache.

They tried to get their bearings, taking a gasping breath as they managed to push their head free, “Fucking hells, let me go!”

But the hand only wrapped around them tighter, squeezing their chest painfully causing a sharp pain in their lungs. They fought as hard as they could but it was no use, and after a few seconds of being crushed they were haphazardly thrown into something dark. A pocket…

All around them they heard yells and movement as the fabric twisted around them uncomfortably, but no matter how much they yelled they didn’t get a response. They twisted to try to orient themselves but every time they managed to sit up they were knocked back down again.

It felt like hours before it finally stopped, and Tav was shaking head to toe. The sounds around them died down as the person keeping them captive stopped moving so frantically. It was over.

“Hells…” a familiar loud voice exhaled from above them as a hand reached down to them…the same hand that not too long before had squeezed them so tight they feared they’d pop.

Instinctively they winced and flinched away, trying to avoid the grasping fingers. However, there wasn’t much they could do against someone so much larger than themselves. They kicked and scratched as the tight grip wrapped around them, gentler this time.

When they were pulled out into the light of the camp they were met with a familiar face- Gale, bloodied and breathing hard. And although the sight of him was usually a much wanted comfort, Tav’s lungs froze in their chest.

“My apologies for grabbing you earlier,” Gale started with an apologetic smile, “There was quite a bit of panic.”

Tav tried to process the man’s words, but their whole body was frozen. They felt like they were stuck in glue, and all they could move was their eyes.

“Are you alright?” Gale asked in concern, his brows furrowed together.

Tav wanted to respond, they really did, but it was like they had no control over their own body. Their mouth felt dry and their brain screamed at them to run.

Before they could even process it they had bolted upright and dashed to try to jump out of Gale’s hand. But the human was faster. Before Tav could get away the fingers closed over top of them. They yelped and covered their head with their arms, anticipating the moment he would crush them, but it never came.

“Woah there settle down,” Gale said in a hushed voice, “Are you alright? I apologize if I startled you earlier, but I didn’t want one of the goblins to find you first.”

Tav just shook in his closed fist, anxious to get away from the man. In the back of their head they knew Gale was safe, but at the moment, a much larger part of them felt like a cornered animal facing off against a wolf.

“I…” Gale paused, “I’m sorry, if I scared you. I promise it wasn’t my intention.”

As he said it he slowly opened his hand revealing to the shell-shocked tiny that they were now in the man’s tent. They were carefully placed down on one of the many pillows the wizard kept before the giant man backed away, hands up in reassurance.

“I won’t touch you again,” Gale frowned, “I promise. But I need you to breathe.”

Tav’s breaths still came in panicked gasps as they stared up at the giant man. They retreated back into the soft pillow as much as they could, and waited, eyes piercing into Gale’s own. The wizard seemed lost in thought for a moment as he studied the tiny’s reactions.

“Did I hurt you?” Gale asked after a moment, voice cautious and low.

It took a few seconds for Tav to build up the courage to respond, but when they did their voice was barely audible.

“It was…it was too tight.”

Immediately, Gale’s eyes widened in a flash of recognition. He took a step forward towards the tiny as if to comfort them, but paused when he saw their tiny form freeze.

“I…I’m quite sorry,” Gale mumbled, “I…fuck…I know what’s done is done, but I truly did not intend to bring you any harm…I admit I could have been more cautious but I suppose I wasn’t thinking.”

Tav watched as the man visibly shrunk in on himself; they could see the tightness in his stance like a band ready to snap.

“You can sleep somewhere else tonight,” Gale says again softly after a minute of silence, “You don’t have to stay in my tent, I’d understand.”

Tav took a deep breath as their eyes met the wizard’s. In the back of their mind they realized they had never seen him so upset before.

“No,” Tav responded, barely above a whisper, “It’s…it was an accident. I don’t know why I’m reacting like this I just…it hurt.”

Gale swallowed nervously, his throat bobbing, “And I could never apologize enough for that.”

Tav nodded in response, their movements stiff as their brain finally slowed its constant stream of run, run, run. As the panic wore off, Tav finally started to relax into the pillow under them. Gale really did look devastated.

“I just suppose I forgot,” Tav said slowly, “You all are much larger than me, but I’ve become so used to it I forgot anything could ever go wrong.”

Gale nodded in response with a sigh, “And I forgot you’re much more delicate than you seem.”

An uncomfortable quiet filled the tent as the two both searched for something to say. And although Tav felt much calmer than they had moments before, a deep part of them still feared their giant friend.

“It’s not your fault,” Tav finally managed to get out through dry lips, “You were just trying to help.”

Gale frowned at that as he finally took a step forward to sit down on the ground. Now closer to the tiny’s level, his eyes searched them like he was looking for something.

“But I still hurt you,” Gale said.

Tav grimaced at the man’s words and nodded, “It’s okay, I forgive you just…please be more careful next time.”

Finally a soft smile spread across the giant’s face as he exhaled a long sigh, “You know I was quite hoping there wouldn’t have to be a next time.”

For the first time that night Tav felt themselves relax, truly relax. As much as it had scared them they knew Gale meant what he said. The wizard was still kind, after all.

Tav nodded in response as a yawn escaped their lips, “Well, I’m beat after all that. And you look like shit, so I think it’s bed time.”

Gale laughed softly and shook his head, “Yes I do believe so.”

Carefully, he pulled himself into his sleeping bag, making sure not to jostle the pillow Tav was laying on. His movements were still stiff, like he was nervous the tiny would try to flee again if he moved too fast, but neither chose to say anything about it.

The proximity to the giant felt less comforting than it had in previous nights, but as Gale’s breaths evened out Tav let themselves relax. He wouldn’t hurt them, not on purpose.

And even if they still flinched whenever he shifted in his sleep, in their heart they knew that fact was true.

[bookworm105616]

Why is this shot like a special episode of The Great British Baking show?

[bookworm105616]

I’ve never done digital art before and I’m not like, artistically inclined lol but Little Wolf has me in a vice grip so I drew this shitty fan art on Sketchbook.

Telemachus my beloved

[bookworm105616]

The absolutely batshit urge to make an analogue horror trailer out of the Sorry Boys videos—I’ve never edited a video in my life but like….ehehehehe

Anyway what scenes should I use

[corysmiles]

Not g/t but I am currently working on a longer form Jayvik superhero au fic I wanted to share here :]

I’ve wanted to try writing something long for a while now, and this idea wouldn’t leave me alone so I present it to you all here on tumblr

Ao3 Link: Jayce Talis’ Guide to Falling for the Villain

Summary: When Jayce's lab explodes after a break in he is left with a choice- destroy his work or risk his future as a hero. Luckily, a kind and handsome stranger agrees to help him hide his research, although the man may not be all that he seems. Meanwhile, tensions rise in Piltover as a new villain makes himself known- the Herald.

[corysmiles]

Writing Masterlist Part 2

Current Fandoms I’ll write for: Arcane, dungeon meshi, overwatch, bg3 :)

Notes: The corywrites tag will take you to all of my writing in case I missed anything. All DSMP stuff is in its own Masterlist linked at the bottom :]

Asks/requests are open!

————————————

Arcane

Runes and Ruin pt 1

Runes and Ruin pt 2

Runes and Ruin pt 3

BG3

Gale hurt/comfort

Mage Hand

G!Astarion

DSMP

Masterlist of all DSMP work (it is way too long to put them as individual things)

[bookworm105616]

This is silly, maybe. Maybe it doesn’t need to be said at all. But I’m saying it because I’m learning to take up space again, and to speak again, and to allow things to matter to me again because I’ve accepted that I simply must live.

I cannot let go of the DSMP, because when I was maybe fourteen or fifteen years old I was uprooted from the one place my parents promised they would never make me leave. And I was sitting on a rapidly deflating air mattress in my hollowed out house with my hollowed out heart eating cold Mac and cheese because the microwave was packed, and I happened to click on a video explaining the lore of the DSMP. I was enamored. You could say it was just because I, an incredibly mentally ill teenager prone to inappropriate levels of empathy related a little too much to the destruction of L’Manberg and the themes of losing your home, and you’d probably be right. You could say it only mattered to me so much because I was looking for a distraction, and you’d probably be right about that too.

Nevertheless, I took one look at this piece of media and one look at my freshly torn up roots and I thought, this will do.

For the next several years, I became deeply entrenched in the story the dsmp told and all the media related to it. My playlists, which had previously consisted almost entirely of Sara Bareilles songs, were soon filled with songs I’d discovered via DSMP animatics. I’d sit there during lunch in a quiet corner by the trophy with my headphones on and my phone plugged into the wall, watching the same six or so animatics over and over again every day.

I honed my writing skills because I was writing DSMP FanFiction. And that sounds cringe, it is cringe—but I wrote over 100,000 words of it, and I posted my stories, and people liked them. When you’re isolated and miserable and hating yourself and nobody ever tells you that you’re doing good, you’re talented, you’re loved, that kind of validation is everything. Even wilder, any terrible experience I had became something new I could write about. When I was hospitalised for a suicide attempt, I took note of every detail of how it felt so that I could write about it later. Which is objectively insane, but it got me through it. I’ve tackled so many issues through these silly little guys.

Some of my best online friends were made through my engagement with the fandom as well. That saved my life more than once I think. I was viciously lonely, I desperately needed someone to talk to, and here were people who not only understood my weird, impossible to explain interest but shared it! Once again, that was everything to me.

Now I’m sitting here, an adult, and my roots are still curled tight around the version of the DSMP that I loved. I know that’s horrible and selfish—I’ve tried to cut myself off from it, to disengage properly and mourn and then move on, especially given all that we know now about the people involved. Please believe me when I say I’ve tried. But so much of me is twisted up in this story and this fandom and this community that every attempt makes me feel like I’m hacking off something vital or scooping my guts out, and I’m just—I’m not ready yet. And I have to admit (horribly, selfishly) that if I could do it all over again, I would choose to click on that lore video over and over again.

I would be a different person if I didn’t.

[bookworm105616]