#jayce talis whump

[deepwoundsandfadedscars]

If I Don't Make It Back from Where I've Gone

Fandom: Arcane: League of Legends series Words: 3,916 Warnings/tropes: description of broken bones, PTSD triggered hallucinations, fighting against friendlies trying to help, forced sedation, hospital, medical restraints, this is a whump fic

Description: During the Council room fight against Viktors puppet, Jayce's leg brace breaks. Losing that support aggravates his broken limb, the pain overwhelming and Mel has to watch him become lost in his own mind, fighting like a wounded animal against any attempts to help him.

Read on Ao3

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Jayce barely felt the first pop as the clasp around his ankle broke under the strain. The hodge-podged brace wasn’t designed for him to be throwing his weight around, twisting and dodging hits, let alone swinging the weight of the corrupted hammer in his hands.

What he did feel quite clearly was the bones grinding together as the clasp broke and the supports slid out of position just as he shifted his weight onto his left leg, what little of the bones that had mended breaking once again, a blast of agony shooting up his leg. His vision went white and he choked on a scream as he collapsed to the floor.

When he opened his eyes all he could see were the dancing shadows on the walls of the pit, he could hear the newts and rats scrabbling along the walls, and all he knew was pain. Had he even made it out of the pit? Had that only been a dream? All that pain and agony for nothing?

All that pain and agony and he's still trapped in the bottom of this literal hell hole.

From the shadows emerged one of those husks, lithely walking directly towards him. Unlike the corroded and broken ones up above, this one was beautiful. It glimmered a pearlescent white with golden accents around its joints, across its chest and the otherwise featureless face. It tilted its head at him, at an angle that was most unnatural. There was no mouth, but a sound emanated from it, vaguely in the shape of words but he couldn’t hear them, every other sense overwhelmed with the agony in his body.

Past the husk he caught a glimpse of a shadow, moving fast as it sprinted behind the husk, the shadow's eyes glowing with a golden light that spread across its form, illuminating symmetrical lines that wrapped around its body. The shadow raised its hands, blasting a shield of golden light towards the husk, and in turn, Jayce.

Fight or flight managed to overpower the agony coursing through him as he shoved himself into a seated position, knowing his legs wouldn’t be able to support him, he hoisted the hammer into his lap and fired a blast that hit the husk just as the golden shield hit it from behind. The shield held just as long as the beam from the hammer, and as both dissipated, the husk fell to the floor with a hole through its chest.

Jayce saw the light emanating from the shadow slowly dim and then extinguish completely before the shadow collapsed to its knees, head hanging low.

The distraction of apparent danger having passed, the agony poured back into his body, his mind quickly overwhelmed by it and from there he was no longer aware.

~~~

Despite being so new to having abilities to begin with, the amount of energy that it drained from her body was still frustrating. Mel locked her elbows, refusing to let herself hit the floor completely as she blinked back the dark spots in her eyes. Fatigue tugged at her consciousness, beckoning her to just close her eyes and succumb to sleep.

She couldn’t let it win, she needed to get up again, keep pushing.

She pushed herself to her feet before her vision even cleared properly, straining to get her eyes to focus. There was a guttural sound that filled the council chamber, echoing off of the polished stone, that made her skin crawl, the hair on the back of her neck bristle with the intensity.

On the floor in front of her lay the husk of Viktors puppet, a hole through its chest and a milky white substance leaking from the fingerprint shaped holes around its face plate, completely inert.

Just beyond it, trapped in the circle of the council table, Jayce writhed on the floor, his back pressed against the wall of the table as he kicked out with his right leg, trying to push himself further back, as though trying to escape from something. His face contorted in pain, the guttural cry that filled the room being torn from behind clenched teeth, the tautness of his jaw expressed by the protuberance of the muscles down the side of his neck. 

“Jayce,” she called to him, clutching onto the edge of the table where it left space for someone to pass through, leaning on it for support. “Jayce, it’s dead, he’s… gone.”

Her voice seemed to fall on deaf ears as he continued to thrash on the ground. She took another couple steps towards him, sinking to her knees as his eyes snapped open, staring in her direction but through her at the same time. She carefully reached out to him, hopeful that a gentle touch could calm him, bring him back to her.

He slapped her hand away before she could touch him, his hand wrapping around her wrist just long enough for him to shove Mel away from him. She landed hard on her hip with a groan, her legs tangling with the husk on the floor. She quickly kicked it away and brought her focus back to Jayce.

He had twisted away from her, his shoulders hunched and one arm curled over his head, hiding his face from her sight. His left leg extended uselessly in front of him, the other knee drawn up to his heaving chest as he tried to make himself as small as possible.

The scream of agony had cut out and instead she heard him repeating a string of words, interrupted by hiccuping sobs. “Nononono, you’re not real, you’re not here, don’t touch me, don’t touch me, nononono…”

“Jayce, please,” she settled on her knees again, keeping a respectful distance between them. “I am here, you’re safe.”

The mantra repeated, his head shaking from side to side as if to shake off her words. The hand of the arm curled over his head twisted into a fist as the other scrambled across the floor, blindly searching for something. The hammer lay just outside of his reach and she had to hope that he wasn’t aware enough to be able to find it. 

“I’m going to get help Jayce,” she said. “Try not to move.”

She carefully pushed herself to her feet, keeping her eyes on him as long as she could as she slipped out of the circle of the table and then ran for the door. She pushed it open, glancing left and then right down the hallway until she spotted guards come around the corner. They both startled as they saw how exhausted she looked as she beckoned them over.

“I need medics brought here immediately,” she paused, knowing what else would be needed, but loathe to ask for it. “And enforcers to assist them.”

“Right away, ma’am,” they nodded, one running back down the hall they came from as the other joined her in the council room. “Are you alright, Councillor?”

“I’ll be fine,” she brushed off their concern, “It’s him that I am worried about.”

Jayce hadn’t moved, still huddled against the table. The guard's boots scuffed loudly against the floor, the only other noise in the echoing chamber aside from Jayce’s babbling, which stopped suddenly at the noise. Through the crook of his elbow, Mel could see his eye open, staring blindly in their direction. The whites of his eye had almost completely turned red, the inflamed veins of his eyes creating a horrible mosaic across them.

“Councillor Talis?” The guard gasped.

Jayce kicked out, once again trying to get as far away from them as possible. He followed the curve of the table, any slight angle further away from Mel and the guard was a win, his broken leg dragging behind him, the broken brace still barely holding on.

One more push with his good leg ended any progress as his boot slipped on the polished floor, unable to control where his left leg lay, his foot collided with the other and he collapsed with a scream that echoed through the chamber.

The guard immediately flew into motion, Mel calling for them to stop as they hurried to Jayces side with a leap over the husk. The moment their hand touched Jayce’s shoulder, he lashed out. Even weaponless, his arms were still strong, and he whipped out a brutal punch, catching the guard directly across the jaw. They stumbled back in shock, holding their jaw as they stared wide-eyed at him.

“Get back!” Mel ordered them, trying to keep her voice low. “Don’t touch him until the medics get here.”

“R-right, Councillor.” The guard stumbled their way back over to her. 

A lump lodged itself in her throat, making it hard to breathe as she couldn’t do anything but listen to Jayce groaning in agony as they waited for the medics to arrive. Her chest ached, as though someone had reached inside and rended her heart in two.

She couldn’t even tell how much time had passed before the medics and enforcers barged into the room, but it felt entirely too long. She stopped them before they could get too close.

“Councillor Talis is not in his right mind right now-”

“He’s fighting like a wounded animal!” The guard cut in, gesturing at the blooming bruise on their jaw. Mel turned to look at them and they withered under her glare. “Sorry, ma’am.”

“Any attempt to get near him, he lashes out, but he needs treatment.”  

The head medic nodded, opening the bag slung against her hip. “I hesitate to suggest it, Councillor, but if he is a danger to those around him, perhaps it would be best to sedate him?”

Mel sighed, folding her hands in front of her. “I didn’t want to suggest it myself, but yes, it likely would be the safest option.”

She desperately wanted to look away as the medic and three enforcers approached Jayce but she steeled herself, pushing her shoulders back and putting on a strong face. 

The guard was right. As he screamed at them, the pained yell behind clenched teeth sounded more like a growl from a wounded animal than a man, especially one of his stature, made only worse by the grunts of effort as he fought against the enforcers. Two of them pinned his arms and shoulders to the wall of the table as the third did his best to hold his legs down, the hand on his left knee only making the pain worse it seemed. Jayce lurched against them, banging his head against the table as he fought before he managed to shrug off the enforcer on his left arm, immediately lunging forward to punch the one on his legs, sending him reeling.

“Jayce, please!” Mel couldn’t hide her distress anymore, her voice trembling.

“We need someone else in here, hold him down!” The medic called out.

“Jayce, be still!” Mel raised shaky hands, golden ribbons of magic wrapping around them. 

Her words unheeded, Jayce continued to flail against the enforcer holding his right arm, trying to punch or claw at him in a desperate attempt to get free. He had rolled towards the enforcer, making it difficult for anyone to get a grip on his left arm and restrain it again. The medic stood just out of reach, stunned by the ferocity of his fighting.

Everyone not currently in the midst of fighting Jayce startled as Mel screamed, her golden magic lashing out as it formed a bubble above Jayce. She pushed it down on his shoulder, pinning him against the floor, his back hunching as his shoulders were forced towards each other, his arms trapped in front of him. He still scrabbled against the enforcer, his entire focus still on trying to get the man off of his arm despite the pressure pushing down on him.

“Get in there!” Mel yelled at the medic, who was already scrambling to get close enough. The position made it awkward, but she finally managed to get a hand on the side of his head, pinning his head down long enough to sink the needle into the side of his neck, depressing the plunger to inject the dosage.

Just as quickly as she got in there, the medic retreated and Mel dropped the shield, exhaustion washing through her once again as she dropped to her knees, dark spots filling her vision as she curled in on herself.

She must have blacked out for a moment and came to with the medic kneeling over her, a worried look on her face. “Councilor Medarda, can you hear me?”

Mel nodded before clearing her throat. “Yes, I’m okay.” Her head was pounding and she felt like she could sleep for a week. Hopefully soon, but not yet. She could still hear grunts of effort, and Jayce’s pained yelling, though it sounded weaker. “I thought you sedated him, was it not strong enough?” 

The medic helped her to her feet, keeping a hand near Mels elbow until she could stand confidently, and looked towards Jayce with a sympathetic look on her face. The enforcers had managed to pin his limbs down again, four of them working together this time to hold him, but he still writhed under their hands. He was more or less upright again, his back pressed against the table again. “It was enough, but it takes a few minutes to take effect, especially since he’s fighting it.”

Another painfully long minute later, his movements became sluggish, his arms slowly going limp in the enforcer's hands. His shoulders sagged and soon the only thing keeping his body upright were the hands holding him still. He could barely keep his head up anymore, but Jayce’s bloodshot eyes found Mels and for the first time since his brace broke, it felt like he actually truly saw her. His face was already wet with tears, but more welled up in his eyes as his face scrunched up, a sob ripping out from deep within his chest. His head drooped and his whole body slumped forward, limp under their hands.

They glanced at the medic, reluctant to let go until she gave them the all clear. She waded through the tangle of limbs, getting as close as she could to check him over. Carefully she lifted his head, tilting it back so she could check his eyes, gently pushing his eyelids open one at a time to shine a flashlight in them, then checking his pulse and breathing. She nodded, satisfied.

“He’s out. Lay him down and get the stretcher in here.”

Mel gasped, belatedly realizing she had been holding her breath the whole time. She could hear others in the group sigh in relief too.

“We need to transport to medical as quickly as possible, he won’t be out for very long and he needs monitoring, especially if I have to give him more.” She waved them ahead, one of her assistants keeping pace next to the stretcher to monitor Jayce in her stead. She turned to Mel. “Councilor Medarda, I must insist you come with us, I want you to get checked out since you fainted.”

Mel nodded, letting the medic lead her towards the door. “I don’t want him out of my sight right now, anyways.”

~~~

The last he could remember, he had been fighting against an onslaught of shadows, deep in the pit where he had struggled to survive for months. Again. He fought for months, he had dragged himself out of that hole, deep in the heart of Zaun, climbed and climbed until he reached the highest point of Piltover, made it all the way back to the world he belonged to, just to get a taste of freedom. 

Only to be dragged back into suffering again. Shadows that overwhelmed him, pressed down on every broken and aching part of his body that sent his mind into a frenzy. Adrenaline and agony,  the only things keeping him moving through it all, fighting as long as he could find strength.

And then the image had fractured around him, there was warm light shining in through a dome above him, reflecting dazzling gold into his sensitive eyes that made him flinch. He couldn’t move, his aching body was weighed down and yet his head felt like it was floating, not fully a part of himself anymore. Everything around him shifted, wherever he looked, the image changed, flipping between the depressingly familiar walls of the pit, then the warm light on the cold polished stone of the council room.

The golden light shifted and through it, he saw Mel. She was looking directly at him, her usually well composed face flooded with despair. The light around her highlighted the tears pooling at the edges of her eyes. His heart broke at the sight. I caused that, didn’t I? She’s crying because of me. 

He had been aware long enough to feel his own tears fall on already damp cheeks, a sob tearing through his aching throat, and then nothing, floating off into the blessed abyss.

When awareness returned, he was warm. Warmer than he could remember being in a long time, his body cradled on what felt like a cloud. 

This had to be a dream, when was the last time he had felt this level of comfort? What delusion had his mind retreated to? Maybe this was it, he was finally dying and his mind was bringing him to a place of comfort before it all ended. Free of pain in his final moments.

Or close to free of pain. He could still feel an ache deep in his leg, an itch around the rune stone in his wrist, the pain dulled but there. It was as though the pain had become so intrinsically part of him, that his mind couldn’t even completely get rid of it.

His mouth was dry too. He swallowed hard, trying to encourage some saliva to form and only discovered more pain. His throat felt like it had been torn apart from the inside, like claws dragged down the inside of his fragile oesophagus. He grunted at the sensation, the slight use of his vocal chords feeling just as awful.

“Jayce?” A sleepy voice to his right, somewhere in the darkness, caught him off guard, his breath halting in his aching throat. “Hey, breathe, you’re going to be okay.”

He tried to remember how to do just that as his mind swirled in confusion. Who? Breathe, come on! Who was that? Focus on breathing.

He finally managed to draw in a breath, letting it out before sucking in another, all the while his throat raged about it.

“There you go, that’s good, Jayce.” He could sob in relief, holding onto those words. “Can you open your eyes now? The sedative should be wearing off.”

His eyes? Sedative? His mind tried to process the words, trying to put together the correlation between them. Oh. It’s dark because your eyes are closed, genius. Time to focus on that task. 

The first slight flutter of his eyelids revealed it to be brighter than he expected and he winced, his brow furrowing as his eyes instinctively tried to squint against the light.

“Here, I’ll turn it down.” 

“Mel?” He finally managed to choke out her name, recognition finally dawning on him. His voice sounded terrible even to him, like he’d gargled rocks.

“Yes, I’m here. Okay, try again, the lights aren’t so bright anymore,” her voice was soft, speaking quietly. “And try not to speak. Your throat must be sore.”

“I’m so sorry Mel,” his throat was screaming at him to stop, but he couldn’t, “I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m so sorry.”

As soon as he managed to open his eyes again, the tears poured out too, taking some of the grit of dried tears from before with them. The room was blessedly dim, the sconces on the wall lowered to near candlelight levels. He immediately recognized one of the fancier suites at the Piltover hospital. He could finally see her, poised as ever on the edge of a comfortable chair pulled up next to his bed. Her hands were folded in her lap and he so desperately needed to hold one of them, feel the warmth of her hands in his.

He moved to do so, though his hand was immediately halted. Looking down, he found his hands restrained, soft cuffs around his wrists that tied him to the rails of the bed.

“Wha-”  

“I’m sorry, it was just a precaution,” she gently reached out, taking his hand. “You fought us very hard, and the doctors were worried you would start fighting again as soon as you woke up. You seem coherent now, but they told me to leave them on until they could evaluate you.”

“I-I’m sorry.” He swallowed hard, his throat twinging. “There was so much pain. I wasn’t aware of anything, I couldn’t recognize that anyone was helping me, every touch just caused more pain.”

Mel nodded. “We realized too late how bad your condition was,” she looked down at his left leg and he followed her gaze. His leg was wrapped up, a frame similar to his brace, strapped around his thigh and ankle, holding everything in place and propped up. “The doctors wanted to wait until you were awake and aware before any decisions about your leg were made.”

“It’s pretty bad?”

“It looks bad, yes.”

“Feels pretty bad, too.” Jayce said, letting his head flop back onto the pillow. Above and to his left hung an IV bag, trailing down and into the crook of his elbow. From there, he couldn’t see the labels, but he didn’t really care either way.

 Proper treatment had felt so far out of reach, the initial injury already so long ago, he never thought he would get any. Now that he was here, what were the options? The bone had torn through skin, even after he managed to push it back in an attempt to set it, small shards had worked their way out, so was there even enough bone left to heal? Not to mention the infection in the wound that he knew still festered. The more he thought about it, the more surprised he was to have woken up without the leg already amputated.

He startled slightly as the bed started to raise, bringing him somewhat closer to a seated position. Mel released the controls and reached for a cup sitting nearby, silently offering to help him drink, which he gratefully accepted.  

“Slowly now, don’t over do it,” she said, pulling the cup back for a moment with a slight smile. He felt like he could chug the whole thing in two mouthfuls if she would let him, sore throat be damned. 

As soon as the glass was empty and returned to the table, he dropped his head back to the pillow and closed his eyes. He felt exhausted. Whatever was in the IV must have dulled the aches in his body, but without that particular distraction, he was all too aware of just how damn tired he was. When was the last time he got some decent sleep? He genuinely couldn’t remember.

“Get some sleep. The doctors will want to talk to you soon, you should sleep until they get here.”

Jayce hummed in agreement. He felt her warm hand slip into his, her thumb rubbing gentle circles on the back of his as he drifted off to sleep. 

[whumpedup]

Ahhhh anxious Jayce my beloved. Check out this gorgeous fanart on twitter.

Now all I can think about is how Jayce often stands with both hands clasped behind his back and wonder if it's to hide that his hands tremble when he's anxious.

[dizzyramblings]

Fellas is it gay to carry your work partner two miles in a bridal carry in order to save his life at any cost?

[gh0sdae]

I'm all for viktor manhandling jayce, but let's be real. Jayce is LUCKY viktor chose that path

Had viktor approached jayce in human form, hugged/cradled him, held his face, and soothed him with sweet nothings, that man would have FOLDED like a lawn chair

After months of torture? HIM??? He would not survive

[thattripleabattery]

If I had a nickel for every time I had to headcanon that the scientist who uses a cane and has dealt with chronic pain most of his life is more likely to know his limits and know that he would be more efficient when not in agony as opposed to his lab partner situationship who’s more likely to ignore/not remember his own needs and limits to his detriment

I’d have two nickels

[sadiecoocoo]

Ao3 is so devoid of Jayce whump like yes I know his husband is chronically ill but what if we made the pretty boy mortally wounded so they could match

[taylrartz]

Jayvik has cured my art block and the crowd is... crying!!

Posting here first before insta cuz my friends haven't watched season 2😭

[smolstarthief]

https://x.com/ForticheProd/status/1868702708904910894?t=lfRR4GGvGWzpilBFzsp1yQ&s=19

Not gonna think about it not gonna think about it not gonna- FUUUUUUCK!!! He was definitely 💯 DEAD dead (I've been reading occasional threads that analyze the whole sequence) there so essentially he was a walking corpse when fused with the Hexcore! That's fucking tragic and horrifying and I'm absolutely destroyed by that knowledge (but I love it morbidly enough)!

Also not me already thinking about post ending Viktor (if still alive with Jayce) slowly having nightmares about this and his previous traumas. Like even his transformation into the Machine Herald looked agonizing!

It would be slow, gradual even as he would no doubt think about Sky still and such but then just notices that he seems to flinch or react oddly to anything remotely sounding like an explosion (such as fireworks or something) but he just shrugs it off and even dismissing Jayce's concerns as he felt it was nothing (man can be prideful sometimes along with still having occasional self-doubt). Then comes the random blurry images and faint sounds/voices which turns out to be his final moments until he wakes up alive again. Everything just piles onto him at once until he can't take it anymore and would later break down with Jayce helping him through it.

Yeah it's a little incoherent but gaaah! I feel like if the explosion didn't initially kill him (especially when in close proximity to it) then getting crushed by pillars/rubble to the point of actually breaking his damn spine will and it would no doubt be a painful way to go for him! I can already see him being barely alive/awake long enough to take in the scene and thinking about if Jayce or anyone was ok at least before everything goes dark (his thoughts being how much it all physically hurts). Who knows really.

And the artwork of Jayce carrying him and noticing the runes he carved onto his skin (people have moved on way too quickly from that), his hand and leg transformed by the Hexcore, this is gonna no doubt haunt him for the rest of his life...

[narcanis]

imagine character A just brought character B back to life and the first thing A does is hug B super tightly and swaddle them in a blanket because they “must be cold” and A looks into B’s eyes while securing the blanket around their shoulders just so thankful they’re alive and- oh wait that’s just jayvik lmao my bad

[tenderwatches]

Viktor, @Jayce (bleeding out)

viktor: if you don't calm down I will ask Violet to carry you

vi: don't I get a say in this?

viktor: would you carry him if I asked?

violet: well, yeah

jayce: don't I?

both Vs: No

[femhiccy]

I was at the doctor today

and I told him what was going on with me last time...

and he referred me for tests, all tests possible,

so here's a compilation of whump viktor to help ease my nerves a bit, so I will feel less lonely with this...

[spector]

period cramps have me like

[whumpedup]

Jayce Talis Injured (Part 4) - Arcane S2 E1

[kondensaduhhh]

im rly into the idea of jayce dying before viktor. like, Viktor has fully accepted his death, made peace with it, so he doesn't think much ahead, he lives in the moment, in the present everyday bc they dont know if its gonna be his last, he somehow coaxes jayce to at least find comfort in the fact that viktor will no longer be in pain when he passes, that he wants jayce to live his life, to love the time he has.

but then smth goes wrong, maybe an explosion in the lab, or a malfunction with hextech or even the arcane, and jayce gets hurt. Viktor rushes as much as he can to the hospital, when he gets there, jayce is hooked up on a bunch of machines, breathing tube down his throat, needle in his arm, hes unconscious.

viktor has said his goodbyes when he knew for certain he was dying, said his wishes and gratitude, Viktor is ready to die, has prepared for it.

when jayce doesn't wake up, Viktor thinks it's unfair, unfair that he couldn't even get a last goodbye, a last i love you, the ones that held permanence, not the ones they throw generously at each other when they leave or when they feel like it.

viktor has been prepared for his death, and in that preparation he has found peace. losing jayce? continuing his short life without jayce? Viktor used to fear his own death, that cold, all encompassing feeling of dread that he might not live long is but an infinitesimal dust particle to the universe shattering feeling of jayce's death

[sadiecoocoo]

Those Aren't Meant to Bend - Arcane Fanfiction

Summary - one night in the lab goes form seemingly normal to very wrong when an enforcer barges in and informs the two scientists of a break in

or, Jayce whump where someone tries to assassinate him and he gets shot

Relationships - Jayce/Viktor

tags - Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Angst, Jayce Needs a Hug (League of Legends), Jayce Whump (League of Legends), Hurt Jayce (League of Legends), Protective Viktor (League of Legends), Badass Viktor (League of Legends), Gun Violence, Assassination Attempt(s), Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Pre-Relationship, Set in Season 01 Between Act 01 and Act 02 (Arcane: League of Legends), Self-Doubt, Self-Worth Issues, because Jayce thinks that viktor is so much better than him so Jayce must be useless in comparison, he's so wrong though the world would collapse without him

word count - 3,313

read on ao3

Notes: ya'll... I wrote this in one sitting... for almost four hours... this shit did not get editing time I am done with it enjoy your typos

The day had started off normal. Jayce woke up to the pitter-patter of rain against his window, trying to lull him back to sleep. The warmth of his covers and the soothing background noise were tantalizing, and he indulged in another half hour of sleep.

He had spent almost all night in the lab, only going home after he had face-planted onto the blueprints he had been working on. He hadn’t had a full night of sleep in ages, and it was all too easy to forget that when he was focused on work.

Despite how hospital his cozy mattress was, he heaved a rough sigh and forced himself to get up. Gods only know how Viktor would react if Jayce ended up being late to the lab again .

He hadn’t meant to make a habit of it, really, it was just so easy to get wrapped up in other things.

Mel had been making him mingle with more investors, preaching how beneficial it would be for Hextech. Who was he to say no to that? Hextech had only just gotten off the ground, and he would bend over backwards to keep it in the air.

Nevertheless, it took its toll on the newly proclaimed Golden Boy (The title left a foul taste in his mouth). He found himself having more and more trouble just getting out of bed. He was starting to debate just sleeping in the lab and waiting for Viktor to throw something at him to wake him up.

With an immense amount of effort, Jayce went through his morning routine, albeit rather sluggishly. He wore the most comfortable clothes he could find that still looked presentable in case of a surprise visit from someone important. He also made sure to spend extra time putting some concealer over the shadows under his eyes.

Afterward, he was off. He walked in a quick gait towards the lab, only stopping once to pick up some coffee and sweetmilk as a peace offering for already being late.

It’s not like they had an actual work schedule, really if either of them decided to take a day off no one could stop them. As long as they got results in time for the next council meeting, they could spend however much time they wanted on Hextech.

Even so, they both silently vowed to work everyday until they found results, and then some. Jayce knew if he was late, Viktor would greet him with a frown and look of mild disappointment. Though, Jayce would be lying if he said he wouldn’t respond similarly if Viktor ever ended up being late, but he would show a teensy bit more concern.

Soon enough, Jayce made it to the lab, its giant, imposing doors stood shut in front of him.

He adjusted his grip on the cup of coffee so as to not burn his hand too badly, and then he pushed open the door.

“Good morning!” He said as cheerfully as he could when he entered. He beelined it for his own desk, setting the coffee down, before Viktor could mutter a response.

“It’s hardly morning anymore,” He grumbled, not looking up from the small device he was working on. Jayce had made the parts for it earlier that week, spending half a day down in the forge. Though, a decent portion of that time was spent working on his own little projects, just to clear his head.

Jayce glanced over to the clock hanging up on the wall. It was barely nine in the morning. He rolled his eyes silently and strode over to Viktor’s desk, setting down the sweetmilk once he was there.

“Well, the line at the coffee shop was a little long,” he lied. Viktor turned to look at him then, his eyes covered by the goggles he wore. He pursed his lips silently. The goggles made him look owlish.

“You slept in.” Viktor said dryly. Not a question, a statement. Because of course Viktor knew that the same coffee shop Jayce went to everyday hardly ever had a line. Jayce couldn’t count the times Viktor had joked that Jayce was the sole person keeping the place in business.

“That obvious?” Jayce asked miserably. He leaned against the desk, peering over to see what Viktor was working on. It was another device, one much like what they used that first, faithful night that helped their dream become feasible.

Viktor hummed in response, turning his head to the side. Jayce let out a disappointed groan and went to his own desk, getting out one of his many notebooks to start working.

The rest of the day went without issue, Jayce only struggling to keep his eyes open a couple of times. Sky was probably the only reason he was still awake though, with how she dutifully brought them coffees whenever she came back into the lab between her classes.

He had been skeptical at first of the new assistant, worried that she would break their work flow, but she was proving more and more useful each day. He was honestly happy to rant to her about the latest goings in Hextech. It was nice to have a fresh pair of eyes too.

By the time She bid them goodnight, there were at least five empty cups of coffee strewn about Jayce's desk. It had to be a record of some kind. Though, Viktor would probably overshadow him soon enough anyway.

He had to admire the man’s determination, it was half of the reason Hextech even existed. Jayce mused that the other half probably had something to do with the way his eyes had practically glowed that night in Jayce’s mangled apartment.

Even now, Jayce couldn’t help but steal glances at his partner, working dutifully on the next thing he deemed important. The device he had been working on this morning had been put together and was sitting at the edge of VIktor’s desk, awaiting testing at a later date.

Jayce glanced back over at the clock. It was about ten, and the sun had set hours ago. He suppressed the urge to yawn from just thinking about the time. How many nights had they both pushed themselves to the limit to get things done? It would probably be easier to count the days that they took off. Jayce doubted he would need more than one hand for that.

The thought of a day off only served to remind Jayce of the bone deep exhaustion coursing through him. He would gladly take a day off, especially with the weather getting colder. He always seemed to shut down during that time of the year, though it wasn’t much of a surprise.

In a split-second decision that he knew he wouldn’t hold himself to later, Jayce decided that after the next council meeting he had to represent Hextech’s progress for, he would take a day for himself. He would go get lunch with Caitlyn, maybe invite Viktor too? Would he like that? Jayce hoped he would be able to convince him to join him, lunch with Viktor sounded nice.

So, lunch with Cait and Viktor if possible. Then what? He could go visit his mom. He hadn’t visited her in a while, and he knew she’d be happy to see him, even if he spent most of the afternoon rambling about what he’s been doing in the lab.

After that he could help his mom cook, he always misses her cooking. Despite the copious pay he was now getting, he still lived a fairly frugal life, not indulging in buying the right ingredients to make a meal that even came close to being as good as his mom’s cooking.

“Jayce?” Viktor’s thick accent cut through Jayce’s thoughts like a warm knife through butter. He blinked several times before turning towards his partner with an answering hum.

“You’ve been staring at the clock for the past five minutes.” Viktor said with a frown. Jayce felt a pit form in his stomach. First he was late, now he could barely go a minute without zoning out.

“Oh, sorry- I was just thinking,” Jayce excused abashedly. He rubbed the back of his neck and flashed Viktor with as good a smile as he could muster.

To his surprise, Viktor put down his pen and turned more directly towards Jayce. He gazed at him from across the lab, leaving Jayce feeling as though he were being studied.

“About what?” Viktor asked, curiosity lacing his tone.

For a moment Jayce was stumped on what to say. In theory, everything he thought of sounded great, something he deserved for how much he had been doing in the name of progress. However, Viktor had been doing more . He had been doing more and hadn’t shown a sign of fatigue.

Could Jayce really ask for a day off when Viktor seemed to scoff at the concept?

“Oh, it’s nothing important,” He decreed. Jayce waved his hand as if he were slapping the thought away.

Really, how could he think he could take a day off? He couldn’t waste a second of working on hextech on a fancy lunch, of all things.

Despite Jayce’s blatant decree that it was nothing of note, this didn’t seem to make Viktor happy. His frown deepened, and he looked down at the floor in disappointment.

Jayce bit his lip to refrain from saying another word. He was just misreading things, Viktor was probably just annoyed that Jayce had wasted their time for nothing. There was work to be done, and here they were talking about his very much not science related thoughts.

“Jayce, you know you can always tal-”

“Mister Talis!” Viktor was interrupted by an enforcer barging into the room. Both of them turned in surprise towards the man. He was in full gear, with a rifle slung around his shoulder and a pistol in his hand.

Jayce stood as the enforcer approached him, a sense of urgency making unease curl in his gut.

“Sir,” the enforcer started, sounding a bit out of breath. Had he run all the way here from his post? “There’s been a break in, just a few floors down.” he started to explain, “I was sent to make sure nothing happened to you.” he stated, nodding towards Jayce, who was beginning to feel more and more overwhelmed.

He opened his mouth, urging words to form, but they seemed lodged in his throat. This enforcer seemed almost scared, the threat was real.

Jayce glanced down at the enforcer’s pistol. His finger was on the trigger, he was expecting to have to fight any second.

Jayce glanced over at Viktor. Viktor was a grounding presence, he always was, and Jayce knew that if anyone could comfort him with their presence alone, it would be Viktor.

He was standing now too. Viktor was tensely leaning on his cane, his knuckles white from the force he was using to hold onto it.

Instead of the grounding presence Jayce so desperately needed at that moment, Viktor only stares at him and the enforcer with a look Jayce never wanted to see on Viktor’s face again.

Then he was yelling. Then Viktor was moving faster than Jayce had ever seen him move, with much more urgency than he ever used more. Jayce half-wondered why he hadn’t even shown that much urgency when the former had been teetering over the edge, arms outstretched and ready to let gravity take him.

Then there was a loud pop , and Jayce was on that ledge again, only gravity took him this time.

It started with a dull ache in his side. When he stumbled backwards, hitting the edge of his desk, it bloomed . He thought he heard someone scream, but maybe that had been him.

His knees gave out, and he fell face-first onto the floor. He was shaking, he didn’t think he could move. Something had hit him, hit him hard enough to incapacitate him.

He blinked slowly, then scrunched his eyes to chase away the dizziness that was muddling his thoughts. He was breathing hard through his mouth, trying to gulp in air that didn’t seem to do anything.

Something wet was on his side, seeping into his clothes. Maybe he spilled his coffee when he fell onto the desk.

There was another pop, and Jayce expected it all to start over again. Another dull ache, then the bloom and the vertigo. Instead, he was met with the same pain as before.

Was that what was happening? Was he in pain? Why, what had happened to him? He was fine seconds ago, just tired. He had been fine. There had even been an enforcer there to keep him and Viktor safe. They had been fine.

He was being moved. A strangled gasp escaped his lips as he was pushed over. He looked up at the ceiling dazedly, trying once again to breathe. He couldn’t.

The shadow of a familiar man loomed over him. The spots dancing across his vision covered his face, but he would know the voice that joined it anywhere. He sounded scared. Jayce didn’t like that. It made him scared too.

Jayce knew he was speaking, but the words wouldn’t process. The spots moved, and Jayce could see Viktor’s face. His beautiful golden eyes that seemed to glow, only now they glowed with the glassy shine of tears. The realization was followed by a drop of water falling on Jayce’s cheek.

He frowned. That wasn’t right. Viktor wasn’t supposed to cry. Why was he crying? Who upset him. Did Jayce make him cry?

Jayce kept staring at Viktor’s eyes, even as the dark spots seemed to grow and multiply. He kept his eyes trained on where Viktor’s eyes had been.

“Vik…” He muttered, surprised to find the single syllable so difficult to say. It made him cough wetly. Something that tasted like copper flicked onto his lips.

“Here, I’m here, Jayce!” Viktor responded, his voice breaking with almost every word. They were the first words that registered for what felt like an eternity.

Even though Viktor was sobbing it, Jayce couldn’t help but smile at hearing his name leave the other man’s lips. He always loved how Viktor said his name, so mundanely, yet it could sound so reverent at times, so adoring.

“Don’t-” Jayce forced out, being cut off by more coughs. They ended in a wheeze. This was something he had to say, though. He had to, even though his brain barely registered what he was saying.

Wasn’t that a scary thought? One of the most important scientists in Piltover, not being able to process his own words. He hoped Viktor would be smart enough for the both of them.

“Don't cry, V,” He urged. Somehow, among the tingling pain that seemed to send waves and waves of stifling pain throughout his entire body, he was able to lift his hand up to Viktor’s cheek. The other man grabbed his hand and held it there tightly.

“Don’t cry,” He whispered, barely loud for him to hear over the constant drumming in his ears.

Jayce lost the little strength he had mustered. His hand fell limp, and Viktor didn’t have to reflexes to stop Jayce’s arm from falling. By the time he turned back to look at Jayce’s face, into his now dull, hazel eyes, they were already shut in what he begged the gods to be unconsciousness.

Jayce woke up to an irritating beeping. When he opened his eyes, he was almost blinded by the white walls and ceiling of the room he was in. He groaned and snapped his eyes shut once more, wincing from the pain.

Everything felt fuzzy. He could hardly recall where he was or why he would be here. The last thing he remembered, he was in the lab with Viktor.

Viktor . Viktor had been crying. He had been crying over him . The thought sent Jayce spiralling.

He opened his eyes again, pushing through the pain of the bright lighting. He surveyed the room more. He was in the hospital, which sent many more alarm bells ringing. The beeping sound got faster.

A hand rested on his shoulder, making Jayce jump. He turned his head quickly to see the man of worries sitting next to his bedside and gazing at him with thinly veiled concern.

“Vik-” He started, breaking off into pained coughs. His throat felt like it had been mangled, along with the rest of his body.

“Easy, Jayce.” Viktor said as he handed him some water. “Your injuries are healed, but you need to take things slow.” he urged. Viktor helped Jayce sit up, flinching as Jayce let out a small, pained whimper.

He watched silently as Jayce drank, then took the cup and set it on the bedside table. There was a small bouquet of flowers there as well.

“Are you okay?” Jayce after a minute. He looked at Viktor tiredly, who only blinked for a moment before looking at Jayce like he was a madman.

“Jayce- you got shot , why in the world would you be asking if I was okay?” He asked incredulously. Jayce saw very little fault in his thinking process. If he got shot, which was a big realization to have after just waking up in a hospital, then of course he would worry about what could have happened to Viktor.

Turns out, not much happened to him. Viktor explained everything to Jayce, who still struggled to keep his eyes open. He explained how the enforcer had shot him, how Viktor then beat the man with his cane as hard as he could, kicking the gun away from him before he could shoot Jayce again .

He then explained how he had shot the man in the leg where he promptly bled out. Which was probably the most surprising part of it all, though Jayce couldn’t say he was much surprised at all. Viktor could be ruthless with his words, who was he to assume that he couldn’t be the same with his cane and a gun.

After that, Viktor trailed off. Jayce leaned back into the mattress with a huff, taking it all in.

“So, someone tried to kill me?” Jayce asked incredulously, turning back to look at Viktor.

“Yes.” Viktor said simply. Jayce let out an amazed exhale. There was no way he was that important for someone to put a hit on him.

“Thank you,” Jayce said after a long moment of silence. “For staying with me.” He smiled softly, squinting his eyes in a loving gaze.

Viktor looked taken off guard for a moment, but he placed a hand on Jayce’s cheek after he took a moment to recover. Jayce leaned into the touch without shame, ignoring how cold Viktor’s fingers were. His eyes fluttered closed as Viktor rubbed his thumb over his cheekbone.

“You should get some rest.” Viktor said, “You still have a lot of recovery to do.” Jayce hummed quietly.

“We should take a day off.” Jayce said tiredly, not opening his eyes. Viktor’s thumb paused in its mapping out of Jayce’s cheek. “Go get lunch together, get some proper food.” He opened his eyes then, taking in Viktor’s astonished expression. Even with the more prominent circles under his eyes, and the puffiness around them, he was beautiful. “You deserve the break.”

“If- if that is what you want, Jayce, I would be happy to go get lunch with you.” Viktor agreed, his lips turning upwards in a smile that made Jayce melt. He thought that he would die happy if he got to see that smile again.

“I do.” he said, without a hint of doubt or apprehension in his voice.

“Go to sleep, moje láska .” Viktor said softly, going back to rubbing his thumb in soothing circles over Jayce’s cheek. Jayce didn’t need to be told twice.

End Notes: tysm to my moots on tumblr that encouraged this, you guy convinced me to finish and post this when i ha honestly planned on it never seeing the light of day… though I did change the original idea of it a lot anyways I named this after the song Oh Klahoma by Jack Stauber because it was stuck in my head when I was writing this and also "those aren't meant to bend" in this sense symbolizes how Jayce isn't meant to overwork himself to the point of exhaustion hope you all have a lovely day and happy new years!!!!

NPT: @imtryinghereplease @whumpedup @ghostlysweetnight

[burntoutvibin]

Small Drop Of Poison

Jayce was pale, incredibly pale, enough so he could put Viktor's shade to shame. His partner was leaning heavily against one of the grand marble pillars, one of his arms bracing around his stomach and the other just barely keeping him standing upright, even from far away Viktor could see how much Jayce was swaying.

Something was seriously wrong with his partner, he needed to help him now.

Or

Viktor lets Jayce drag him along to a gala for once, the night does not go the way they expect it to when someone slips something in Jayce's drink

Words: 2.6k

Warnings: Drugging, Attempted SA, Violence, Blood, Vomit

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"Please V just one hour! One hour is all I ask and then I'm yours" That was the promise Jayce had made before dragging him to this stupid gala.

One hour his ass

Conveniently there was no clock amongst the glitz and glamour of this venue where the gala was being held, but Viktor knew it was far, far past the hour Jayce had promised him.

So there he was, sat on an overly expensive couch, nursing yet another delicate champagne flute as he watched Jayce mingle amongst the crowd, his practised fake smile plastered on his face as he was pulled around almost non-stop, it almost made Viktor feel bad for his partner.

But someone had to do it, someone had to secure funding for their research and with was absolutely not going to be him with his zero tolerance for as Jayce had so gracefully put it "rich asshole kissing"

At least Jayce was nice to look at in his tailored suit, the Tails gold, white and red ever suiting him. A simple but elegant suit that hugged his body in just the right ways, they both knew the only thing it would be hugging once they finally got home would be the floor.

Speaking of his partner, in the short moments he had taken to think about their evening activities Jayce had seemingly disappeared into the crowd. Viktor couldn't help the small pout that appeared on his face, quickly hiding it by taking another sip of his overly sour champagne.

Jayce didn’t need constant supervision from him, far from it with the number of eyes that Viktor was sure were watching Jayce’s every move. Maybe it was concern, perhaps something a tad more possessive, but the Zuanite preferred to be able to keep his eyes on Jayce whenever he was dragged along to such events.

“I’m surprised to see you here my boy, Jayce managed to drag you along this time?” Heimerdinger’s voice pulled Viktor out of his thoughts as Yordle sat beside him on the couch.

“He did indeed professor, these kinds of parties are not my style” Viktor responded with a small smile

“Well Jayce is beyond thrilled that you decided to attend I can tell you that much” Viktor smirked at the memory that popped into his head.

“He was practically vibrating from the moment I said yes, trying to get anything done in the lab yesterday was near impossible” Viktor attempted to feign annoyance, but the fond memory of Jayce almost bouncing off the walls with excitement that Viktor was coming with him to the gala had him suppressing a smile. Heimerdinger let out a hearty laugh before taking a sip of his own drink.

“I can only imagine, Jayce does seem like the overly excitable type with those kinds of things, I remember when-” Heimerdinger’s voice seemingly quietened as Viktor’s gaze went past the professor and landed on Jayce. Normally the sight of Jayce made Viktor's chest swell with warmth and a relaxed smile to form on his face. But this time it felt like a a heavy weight settled deep in his bones as concern flooded him

Jayce was pale, incredibly pale, enough so he could put Viktor's shade to shame. His partner was leaning heavily against one of the grand marble pillars, one of his arms bracing around his stomach and the other just barely keeping him standing upright, even from far away Viktor could see how much Jayce was swaying.

Something was seriously wrong with his partner, he needed to help him now.

��I'm so sorry to interrupt, professor, but something requires my attention" Viktor didn't wait for the professor's reply, too concerned about getting to Jayce's side. As Viktor began to hurry as quickly as he could over to Jayce, a man approached his partner from the side, placing a hand on his back.

At first Viktor wasn't too worried as the unfamiliar man seemed to be checking on Jayce as he made his way over, but when the man suddenly took Jayce's arm and began to lead him into the crowd seemingly towards one of the exit, dread began to freeze his blood in his veins. His leg protested as he picked up his pace, watching as Jayce stumbled behind the man who continued gripping his arm.

Weaving his way through the crowd, mumbling half-assed apologies as he pushed past several angry-looking rich people, he already knew they would be cursing him for the rest of his existence but that was the least of his worries as he saw Jayce get pulled through one of the exit doors.

Only a few meters behind them, Viktor pushed his way through the door and out into the alleyway instantly spotting the man a few feet away from the door pushing Jayce down to his knees in front of him. With a twist of his wrist, Viktor pulled the top of his cane off revealing a blade. Grabbing the man by the back of his suit, he pulled him away from Jayce and pinned him against the wall, placing the blade right against his throat.

The man's wide and shocked eyes stared at him as he spoke

"If I apply any more pressure to this knife, I will cut into your jugular, and you’ll be dead within minutes" Viktor growled low and angrily “I suggest you walk away now or I promise you, you won’t live long enough to regret it”

“I ain’t done nothin wrong! I was just helpin him get some ai-” The man quietened as Viktor pressed the tip of the knife against his skin, causing a small bit of blood to bubble to the surface.

“Alright! Alright, I’m going! Don’t hurt me!” He cried out in a panic, the moment Viktor loosened his grip the coward turned tail and ran down the alley and away from the two of them. Viktor had half the mind to chase him down, but he couldn’t and wouldn’t because-

“V?” Jayce’s voice was small and weak but it managed to completely clear the clouds of anger in Viktor’s vision. Bracing himself against the wall, Viktor turned to face where Jayce was still on the ground, his half-lidded eyes searching for him.

“I'm here Jayce, I'm here” Viktor responded, quickly dropping down in front of Jayce to examine him.

“Mmm… don't… feel good” Jayce's voice slurred as Viktor took his partner's face between his hands, tilting his head back gently to examine his eyes.

“I know lásko, I know, can you look at my finger for me?” Viktor placed a finger in front of Jayce's face, watching as the other man's clouded and dilated eyes struggled to lock onto the unmoving appendage.

Swearing under his breath, Viktor placed his finger down, returning his hand to Jayce's other cheek. The skin under his hands was much warmer than Jayce normally ran and his skin was tacky with sweat.

“Do you know where we are?” Viktor questioned, Jayce’s eyebrows furrowed as he began to think.

“Wanna go… go home” Jayce seemingly gave up thinking only to whine, his eyes becoming misty with the words.

“I'll take you home soon dear, but we need to make sure you weren't given anything poisonous” Viktor responded, earning another whimper from Jayce.

The next biggest issue was how the hell was he meant to get Jayce, who he couldn't carry when he was completely lucid let alone drugged, back inside to medical attention. He couldn't leave him alone outside whilst going to get help himself, not after the far too close call that just happened.

The door swinging open near them caused Viktor to automatically grip onto Jayce tighter, only to his relief to see Caitlyn walking through the door with a panicked look on her face.

Her eyes widened when she spotted the two, quickly rushing over to them and dropping down next to Viktor.

“I saw him getting dragged out the door, what happened?” She questioned, placing a hand against Jayce's forehead, the man leaning into the touch in response.

“I think someone put something in his drink, I only lost sight of him for a second before I saw him again looking dreadful, he needs medical attention” Viktor answered

“I'll get the doctor, did you see who did this?” Viktor nodded, pointing down the alley where the pathetic excuse of a man had run.

“He ran the second I confronted him, he was bleeding, won't be hard to find” Viktor responded, his attention turning back to Jayce as his partner whined pitifully.

“Mm, hot…” his limp hand attempted to reach for the collar of his suit, only to smack uselessly against his chest.

“Easy drahý, Caitlyn is going to get the doctor to help” Viktor soothed, his thumb rubbing gently against Jayce's cheek.

Jayce frowned, his unsteady eyes flicking over to where Caitlyn was still crouched in front of him

“Cait…? Cait what are… doing” Jayce heaved, seemingly exhausting himself with the simple sentence.

“I'm getting the doctor Jayce, don't move I'll be right back” With that, she got up and ran back through the door and into the fray of the gala.

Viktor continued to soothe Jayce as his partner squirmed uncomfortably on the ground, a few tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Vik… Vik please… make it go… please” Pain shot through Viktor's heart as Jayce pleaded to him, unfocused eyes desperately searching for his own.

“Shhh klid má lásko, klid, I'm here, help will be here soon I promise” Viktor hushed softly, bringing their foreheads together in an attempt to settle Jayce until medical attention arrived.

~~~~~~

To everyone’s relief, Jayce would be okay

Whatever had been slipped into his drink was only meant to have short-term effects, meaning he would be fine by the morning.

Unfortunately, there was nothing he could be given to help with the effects of the drug whilst it was still in his system, all he could do was go home and sleep it off.

Thankfully, Caitlyn had managed to organise a ride home for the couple as Jayce was in no condition to walk as they had done earlier in the evening. In the carriage home, Jayce had mostly just clung to Viktor’s side and rested his head against his shoulder, complaining that he felt sick due to the carriage’s movements.

They had arrived home without incident, Jayce was slightly more lucid now that it had been around an hour and was able to carry most of his weight with Viktor helping to guide him into their shared home and into the bedroom. Jayce didn’t protest as Viktor placed him to sit on the end of the bed.

“Alright, let's get you out of your suit, may I?” Viktor made sure to ask knowing what had almost happened tonight, Jayce trusted him but he just wanted to be extra careful whilst he was still fragile.

Jayce nodded, giving Viktor the go-ahead to begin taking his shoes and socks off. It was a silent process, Viktor carefully removing the well-tailored outfit and Jayce sitting there allowing Viktor to manipulate his frame to help with the process.

Until Jayce went stock still under Viktor’s fingers, causing the Zuanite to instantly stop his movements, gaze flicking up to Jayce’s face.

“Jayce? Moje lásko? is everything alright?” Viktor asked cautiously unsure of the sudden mood change. Without a word, Jayce stood upright and stumbled towards the ensuite, the sound of retching quickly following.

Viktor sighed sympathetically and followed behind slowly, reaching for and wetting a washcloth once he arrived in the small room. Jayce was doubled over the toilet, puking up the contents of his stomach which Viktor assumed was only champagne. The doctor had warned him that Jayce might throw up as drugs like these tended to lead to nausea.

Lowering himself to the floor next to Jayce as the other stopped his bout of vomiting, Viktor pressed the cold washcloth to Jayce’s forehead, swiping gently at the sweat that had built up there. Jayce hummed and moved to lean against Viktor’s shoulder, his eyes closed in a mixture of exhaustion and the side effects of the drug still in his system.

“Thank you” his voice was soft and tired, a tad croaky as well from his vomiting spell.

“It’s alright, do you still feel sick?” Viktor questioned

“Bit… I’m tired” Jayce continued, his head turning to hide against Viktor’s neck from the overhead light of the bathroom.

“Come, I’ll bring a trashcan in case you feel ill again, otherwise let’s get you into bed” The two slowly got off the floor and headed back out into the bedroom, Jayce wobbling slightly whilst placing a hand on his head.

“Dizzy” He murmured as they finally reached the bed, Viktor helped Jayce to sit down on his side of the bed before placing the trashcan next to his nightstand.

“Even more reason for you to lay down lásko” Viktor replied softly, he gently pushed against Jayce’s shoulder guiding him to lay his head down on the pillow.

“Get in, cold…” Viktor snorted as Jayce tugged weakly at his wrist, his eyes which were filled with cloudiness were now filled with sleep instead, stared up at him longingly.

Without a word, Viktor slipped into bed next to Jayce not surprised when his strong arms snaked around his waist and his head moved into the crook of Viktor’s neck once more. Viktor’s hand automatically moved up to begin gently running his fingers through Jayce’s hair, the silence of the bedroom beginning to let the events of the evening start processing in his mind.

What if he hadn’t noticed Jayce when he did? What if he had just been a tad slower when chasing after that man? What would he have done to his partner? Endless possibilities swirled around in his head, each thought scaring him further. Jayce could have been killed, what would he have done then? What if-

“You’re thinking too loud” Jayce’s sleepy voice mumbled against his throat, the arms around his waist squeezing gently.

“I’m sorry Jayce… I just” a sigh escaped him as Jayce’s head pulled away from his neck to meet his eyes “What happened tonight should have never occurred… you could have been hurt”

“V it’s not your fault, I’m fine”

“But you might not have been if I hadn’t noticed you! Or, or if Caitlyn hadn’t gotten the doctor or-” Jayce’s lips pressing against his own shut him up immediately, the kiss was soft and reassuring as Jayce’s hand moved to rub against his cheek. Jayce pressed their foreheads together as the kiss ended, his large and warm hand continuing to caress the sharp angle of Viktor’s cheekbone.

“I know you like to overthink the possible endings to everything, but just for tonight tell that smart brain of yours to shush” Viktor couldn’t help the fond smile that crept onto his face

“You’re the one who got drugged, I should be comforting you”

“You still can, can you sing for me?” Jayce asked moving his head back down to Viktor’s neck, the Zuanite’s eyes widening at the request.

“Sing? Jayce I am capable of many things but singing is not-”

“Please? My head is still buzzy…” Jayce pouted, those practised puppy dog eyes cutting straight through Viktor’s defence.

“Alright, alright, however humming will have to suffice as I refuse to burst into song this late at night” Viktor conceded. With a satisfied smile, Jayce tucked his head back against Viktor’s neck as he began to hum a nameless tune, the vibrations gently resonating against his forehead.

The gentle humming and fingers running through his hair slowly lulled Jayce into sleep, his breathing evening out and his body relaxing against Viktor’s side.

“Goodnight, můj Jayce” Viktor spoke softly, allowing the tendrils of sleep to pull him under as well, the sound of Jayce’s soft snores reassuring him that they were safe together.

Just as it should be.

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As you can probably already tell, I like Jayce whump, but it has to be coupled with comfort ♥

Comments make my heart happy ♥

Translations:Lásko: love Drahý: dear Klid má lásko, klid: Calm my love, calm Moje lásko?: My love? Můj Jayce: My Jayce

(I apologize for any translation mistakes)

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Find me on AO3 ♥ https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurnoutVibin