#jayvik I’m so sorry they’re doing this to you

[beastking-golion]

Did christian linke actually do anything wrong beyond saying he didn’t see jayvik as romantic or are you guys just losing your shit over a difference of opinion?

[idolomantises]

Thoughts on Arcane season 2

I didn’t like this season

It’s not bad, but I found it incredibly rushed, cramped and deeply unsatisfying

While season 1 had several protagonists it was also pretty obvious that Vi and Jinx were the emotional core of the entire show so why on earth was their dynamic barely explored here

Vi went from being my favorite character to a character I found deeply frustrating and annoying. What the hell is her personality of getting her sister back and fucking the hot lesbian. She has no consistency whatsoever and it’s something I don’t think the show realizes how batshit the constant flip flopping in. What do you mean you sister tells you she’s going to kill herself and then you start fucking your messy situationship

I don’t really care for Jayvik but I found Jayce’s confession very sweet.

Mel my beautiful queen they’re gonna call you a Mary Sue

What the fuck was with all that Witch shit and Ambessa’s death was incredibly unsatisfying

Victor fans who kept begging the team to not make him a hot buff robot so he can still be a skinny twink pisses me off so bad because now we have an inferior twink robot design. I know fans probably didn’t influence this but I also need to complain about their lack of taste like what do you mean you didn’t want to see a hot buff robot man.

Ekko feels like an incredibly unimportant character and I’m pretty sure fans only like him because of what he can do for Jinx. A part of me wished he actually did hold a grudge just to see how fans reacted.

Season 1 was all about setting up emotional complexities and how nobody was truly evil and the show made it seem like there was no way for anyone to fully recovery from this but everyone is holding hands and singing kumbaya’s so alright nevermind then

This show was honestly a little too in love with Jinx. I did not enjoy her writing in acts 1 and 2.

The jokes were really bad this season

The songs oh my god the SONGS. I didn’t mind them in season 1 but in season 2 it started to remind me of love is blind and anyone who has watched that show would know what a massive insult that is.

Caitvi lesbian sex scene and I couldn’t even enjoy it because the writing was pissing me off

Caitlyn should’ve continued her little fascist arc.

Mel’s arc this season felt like weird fanfiction.

A bunch of random side characters die off unceremoniously after the show gave them so much unnecessary screen time

I hated Isha sorry. I’ve never seen a character more clearly made to die.

Jinx death means nothing to me because I know she isn’t dead so why even do all that lol

I will never call this show sexist but it has done a massive disservice to its female characters.

[thatsailormoonkinnie]

Can we just chill??

ok, so, this is my first time being in a big fandom that isn’t like dead, in a WHILE. Safe to say, I forgot how toxic and draining it can be. Like I’m just trying to enjoy things I like and hang out with people who just wanna vibe. But like all the mis-tagged posts and the yelling at each other (mostly over shipping) is just so tiring. I don’t post much, if at all, but like I just need to say something at this point.

I’m a shipper. I love shipping. But omg can we stop trying to kill each other!? Like maybe it’s cause I’m a multi-shipper, but like Ive never understood shipping wars or hating on other ships. For example I don’t like Zaundads (nothing against Zaundads shippers), it’s not my thing, I personally see them as brothers because they are meant to be parallels for Vi and Jinx. But that doesn’t mean I go out of my way to bother Zaundads shippers when they’re doing nothing but enjoying their ship!! Like I was happy for them that they got more content in 2x07! And if for whatever reason you really just CANT..just block it…don’t make that someone else’s problem…?

And the Christian Linke thing. I will admit, at first I was heated too. As an ace person who’s favorite ship is MelJayVik (at first just JayVik but the pipeline swallowed me lol) I didn’t like that part of my identity was being used to invalidate or villainize something I like. However, looking more into the situation has calmed me down a bit, especially seeing how aggressive people are being. Yes, I think Viktor being ace was implemented weirdly and could’ve been handled better. But that doesn’t make Christian some spiteful, evil, homophobic, SoB. Like…could he have revealed it sooner or made it more upfront in the show? Sure. But I think treating him like the devil for that discredits how important he was to the making of Arcane and how hard he fought it in the first place. Like it’s fine to be mad at him, or disagree but, remember, he’s just a guy. A person; we can very easily forget that online.

It just feels like every time I show up to this fandom, I’ll be happy one minute and grimacing as people argue the next. Like I know one post from a rando who never posts anything isn’t gonna stop fandom toxicity. But like can we just all chill out for a minute and think about what you’re arguing about. We all love this show…so why are we yelling at each other..we are the same thing different font fr fr lol. Like I’m just tired at people yelling at each other for…having a good time..? Enjoying what they enjoy…? Existing?

Sorry for kinda long incoherent mini rant. Don’t wanna bring anyone’s mood down. Have a good day nerds. Have fun!!

[bringthekaos]

Song Tag Game!

(Tagged by @comradegiddybiscuit [I swore I was following you already?? I’m sorryyyy I’m late to the party]) Really everything on this list comes from my JayVik playlist, cuz it’s all I’ve been listening to lately. And they’re more Divorce Era themed, cuz I’m vibing with the angst rn).

PS don’t judge my taste, I’m a recovering emo kid millennial with ADHD.

1.) We Should be Sorry // Axel Johansson (link)

2.) Innocent // Mitchell Dae (link)

3.) No Angels // Stellar (link)

4.) Twisted // MISSIO (link)

5.) What If // Tadhg Daly (link)

6.) Shoulder to Bleed On // Veio (link)

7.) Let You Go // Griegz, Joel Dickson (link)

8.) Scared of Us // Scorz, Mokita (link)

9.) Hate You // Poylow (link)

10.) Perfect Machine // Starset (link)

I’m weird about tagging people, no one ever does them so I feel like I’m talking to a wall. But if you see this, and you feel like doing it, please do! I need more jams for my JayVik playlist!

[caspercryptid]

hello hello hi! i see you are taking requests and so i request a tale of viktor trying to comfort sad jayce! i am a big jayvik shipper but if u wanna write it as platonic go ham ok thank u! 🦐

2 for the price of 1 prompt fills 💜 this is. Not really platonic. College AU because.... When does Jayce leave his mom in canon, really. Like never. No content warnings.

_______

It is 3am, and someone is crying in the common room.

Viktor freezes in the doorway of the dorm’s communal kitchen, holding his hot chocolate and debating which way to sneak upstairs. He had to pass the common room to get to the elevator. And then he had to stand in front of the elevator while he waited for it, presumably in sight-line of the person crying. The stairs were not an option. But he lives on the fourth floor, maybe he could fuck his leg up, make it up one floor by sitting down and boosting himself repeatedly and then catch the elevator on the second floor. But even as he’s doing that math, he’s doing the other set of math, the why is someone crying in the common room at 3am math. It’s wednesday. They’re probably not drunk. They had to have come down in the last few minutes, while he was working on his cocoa, and he hadn’t heard the beep of the door lock, so they hadn’t come in from outside, so that made having been kicked out of their partner’s dorm room post a break-up marginally less likely. More likely to have been kicked out by a roommate for.... Crying too. Loud.

Viktor is moving before he’s fully processed that last thought, cursing himself for having backdoored himself into further sympathy.

It’s– he stops, as he realizes that his image of some marginally pathetic freshman was– well, probably only a third accurate. It’s a boy. A very....tall. Boy. at Viktor’s footsteps he lifts his tear-streaked face.

“I’m sorry.” He says, voice breaking a little. “I can leave if I'm bothering you.”

Viktor sighs. “Don’t be stupid.” He says, coming over, and offers the boy his hot chocolate. Teary eyes get blinked at him, and Viktor just pushes the mug at him a little more firmly. He takes it, looking soft and a little confused, and as he sits up Viktor sits down next to him.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, figuring the direct approach is the easiest.

“Oh it’s... nothing.” He says, and Viktor resists the impulse to roll his eyes.

“Clearly it isn’t. What’s your name?”

“...Jayce.”

“Alright then, Jayce.” Viktor says, leaning back into the couch. “I’m Viktor, and now we’re on a first name basis, and we aren’t strangers. That should allow you the familiarity to tell me your problems.”

Jayce snorts, and Viktor counts that as a win.

“Is that how it works?” he asks, and Viktor smiles at him a little.

“Are you going to let it work?” He asks.

“–I guess I am.”

“Do you find physical contact reassuring?” Viktor asks, mildly.

“–um, yes.”

Viktor scoots closer, leaning a little into Jayce’s side, and pushes him forward until he can get an arm around him, and to Viktor’s only slight surprise, he immediately melts, moving to put his face in Viktor’s shoulder. Viktor rubs his back, waiting to feel trapped or uncomfortable, but it doesn’t come. He just feels...oddly warm. There’s something soothing about being able to offer comfort effectively. He’s not usually in this position.

“–um, I miss my mom.” Jayce says, quietly. His voice gets quieter by the word, like he’s embarrassed of admitting it, and he hides his face more in Viktor’s shirt, words muffled. “It’s just that i’ve never really been away from her for that long. I know it’s– i’m an adult and I shouldn’t–”

“It’s alright to be homesick.” Viktor murmurs, cutting him off before he can spiral too far. “Regardless of what home means to you. It’s okay.”

“I just feel like I shouldn’t–”

“That’s not how feelings work.” Viktor cuts him off, firmly. “You simply feel how you feel. There is no shouldn’t. You can tell the sky it shouldn’t be raining all you want. It won’t stop it raining.”

“My roommate told me I–”

“I think if someone was mean to you you shouldn’t tell me right now.” Viktor says, gently, reaching up to pet Jayce’s hair. “I will get angry and then I will be less effective at comforting you.”

Jayce laughs a little bit into Viktor’s shoulder and that sound seems to cover it up as the elevator door opens. Viktor makes eye contact with a wide-eyed senior girl. Jayce continues sniffling, not noticing.

“The protective fury is kind of nice.” he says, and Viktor makes a noncommittal hum and just glares at the girl, who mouths sorry and does her best to surreptitiously hit the door close button again, rapid fire a few times like she’s willing it to close faster.

Viktor starts talking purely to cover up the sound of the doors closing shut so Jayce doesn’t notice.

“You seem very... sweet tempered.” He says, “And you ought to feel safe enough to cry in your own room and not have to move to the common room because someone wouldn’t let you have your own space.”

“Well, I met you, so I guess it didn’t turn out too bad.” Jayce mumbles, and the girl on the elevator’s eyes get very wide as the doors slide shut, and Viktor puts his fingers in Jayce’s hair and scratches his scalp to distract him.

“–I suppose not.” He allows. “...You know, I don’t have a roommate. You could come up with me. Remove the risk of anyone else coming along less likely to be inclined to hug you while you’re crying.”

Jayce pulls back, sniffling, eyes red, and without thinking about it, Viktor reaches out to wipe his cheeks. Jayce tips his face into the contact, and he’s so pretty, and Viktor’s heart does something stupid. Oh. Oh no.

“Are you sure I’m not bothering you?” Jayce asks, softly, and Viktor swallows hard.

“Don’t insult me by implying I'm not fully capable of making my own decisions.” he says, imperiously, and Jayce snorts again, rubbing his eyes.

“Oh, of course not.” he says. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“Grab your cocoa.” Viktor says, gently pushing him back. “Let's go.”

“Yessir.” Jayce mumbles, and Viktor breathes through it.

Oh, he’s in trouble.

[goddessofroyalty]

Could I prompt you for the story behind Jayce making the incubator? It’s so fascinating for me…

Warnings: mpreg, serious pregnancy complications (Viktor nearly dies), untested science, suicidal thoughts

Both the baby and Viktor come out fine though.

I started this with the scene I did for a reason – I think Viktor would only switch over to the mentality he gets in this after that point (and note his mentality is “just a little longer” not “them before me”).

Now if anyone wants me I’m going to be writing some much nicer Jayvik pregnancy/family stuff to make myself feel less guilty.

--------------

Jayce can’t help but look at Viktor when he hears his partner give a soft gasp.

He watches as Viktor brings a hand to rest on his stomach, his work apparently forgotten about as he shuts his eyes. A smile forming on his face, making Jayce fall in love with him that bit more.

“What’s happening?” Jayce asks, his own work forgotten as he walks over to Viktor.

“I can feel them moving,” Viktor says.

“Really!?” Their child is moving. They’re big enough and aware enough to be exploring the world they have access to. “Can I feel?”

“It’s very soft Jayce, you probably won’t be able to,” Viktor says but he takes Jayce’s hand and rests it on his stomach all the same.

“You’re right – I can’t feel anything.” Nothing but the swell of Viktor’s stomach from where their child is growing inside him.

“It’s good you can though,” Jayce says, pressing a kiss to Viktor’s forehead. “You deserve it seeing you’re the one growing them.”

Viktor hums in non-committal agreement.

“They are alive.” Viktor’s hand comes to rest on his stomach again, rubbing along it as if he’s trying to sooth their child. “We’re going to have a child Jayce.”

“I know.” Jayce wraps his arms around Viktor to hold his partner close. Funny to think that he’s got his whole little family captured in his arms right now. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

--------------

“Your blood pressure is a little up,” the doctor says once he’s done examining Viktor.

“Is that a concern?” Viktor asks before Jayce has the chance to.

“Not at this stage.” Jayce feels relief flood through him at the doctor’s words. “Although we will keep an eye on it.”

That’s fine. They would just make sure nothing happens to cause Viktor stress for the next few months. They can do that.

-------------

“You are looking rather pale Viktor,” Mel says, coming to check on their progress to report back to the Council. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Viktor says but Jayce can see that Mel is right. Viktor does look paler than normal and his cheekbones seem more sunken.

“We can take a break if you need,” Jayce suggests. Mel wouldn’t mind. She understands that their child and Viktor’s health is as important as their work.

“No it is fine. I am fine. A break will not be necessary,” Viktor says, resting his hand over his stomach.

“Are you sure?” Mel asks because Viktor does look like he could do with one.

“Yes I’m sure,” Viktor snaps before sighing. “Sorry – their kicks are getting strong. It is distracting.”

Mel smiles at it.

“They’re already taking after Jayce then I see,” she says. “Can’t let anyone else have your attention. At least you won’t have to ever wonder if they are alive in there.”

“No,” Viktor says with an expression Jayce can’t read. “No I won’t.”

---------

“Are you sure you are eating enough?” the doctor asks as Viktor stands on the scale in his office. “Now isn’t the time to be worrying about your figure you know.”

“I have been eating exactly as you told me to.” Viktor isn’t lying. Jayce has watched his partner force himself to finish his plate of food despite clearly already full to the point of looking ill.

The doctor seems to contemplate it for a moment.

“Well, I suppose we will just need to keep an eye on it then,” he says. “It’s probably fine.”

The problem is with every ‘probably fine’ Jayce hears he feels less and less sure it will be.

--------------

“Viktor are you okay?”

Jayce immediately turns his attention to Viktor at Sky’s words. A justified reaction he feels considering how much the pregnancy was really starting to take its toll on his partner.

“Of course, just a bit woozy is all,” Viktor says, waving his assistant off. “Really, I’m fi-“

Jayce lunges to catch Viktor as he falls. Gently bringing him to the floor as his partner starts to convulse.

“Get the doctor!” Jayce can apologize for yelling at Sky later. Right now Viktor needs medical attention immediately.

Sky thankfully doesn’t need to be told twice. She leaves the room at a sprint as Jayce bunches his coat up to rest under Viktor’s head as a pillow.

“Come on Vik, don’t do this to me, you gotta’ stay with me already,” Jayce says, feeling hot tears start to fall down his cheeks. He can’t lose Viktor. He just can’t. He needs him too much.

Needs him to find the faults with his logic and call him out when his head is getting too big for his own good and be the only person that Jayce actually feels like he can drop his guard and be himself around.

Now he’s found him Jayce never wants to experience life without him.

-------------

“Jayce?” Viktor says, causing Jayce to bolt up from the chair he had been sitting at his partner’s bedside in. “Why am I in a hospital?”

“You had a seizure,” Jayce explains, resting his hand on Viktor’s chest to prevent him from getting up too quickly. “You gave Sky and I a scare. For a minute we thought- I’m really glad you’re okay Vik.”

Jayce can feel the tears starting to gather in his eyes as Viktor seems to process what happened.

“I’m sorry then,” Viktor says, one of his hands coming to rest on his stomach. “And, ah, are they alright as well?”

“Yes. But, um, well-“ Jayce struggles to find the right words to tell Viktor the news he knows his partner will like even less than he did. “They want us to seriously consider an early delivery.”

“How early?”

“As soon as we’re willing,” Jayce says feeling trapped as he watches the despair come across Viktor’s face.

“No Jayce, we can’t, they won’t survive yet-“

“I know,” Jayce says, catching Viktor’s hands in his own and bending over so he can look him in the eye. “But they’re the reason you had the seizure and the doctors are worried you will have more.”

Plus there’s Viktor’s increasing blood pressure and his decreasing weight. The pregnancy taking a greater and greater toll on him each passing day and Jayce is afraid what will happen if they leave it too long.

“I will be fine,” Viktor says, pushing Jayce’s hands away as he stars at the wall across from him. “There is no need to consider that yet.”

“I, okay.” Jayce doesn’t want to argue about it. Doesn’t want to be advocating for something that will cause their child to die. And the doctors had only said they should consider it. Maybe the seizure was a one off. “You will need to stay in the hospital though so they can monitor you and keep you on the IV.”

“That’s fine,” Viktor says. So unlike what he usually is like – always desperate to get back to their lab and his work. And Jayce doesn’t know how he should feel about it.

“I’ll bring you your notes so you don’t get too bored and I’ll visit whenever I’m not working.” He can probably convince the hospital to bring in a second bed so he can sleep there with Viktor.

“Thank you Jayce,” Viktor says.

“Just take care of yourself okay?” Jayce doesn’t dare say that he couldn’t go on if he didn’t have Viktor by his side. Because Viktor doesn’t need any more stress right now.

-------------

The meeting is going well right up until Sky rushes in her expression stressed. And Jayce just knows it means something has gone wrong.

“What happened?” he asks because Viktor is so much more important than another family wanting their goods to be given priority through the Hexgates.

“He had another seizure,” Sky says.

“Is he okay?” Jayce doesn’t know what he would do if she said Viktor wasn’t.

Probably find the nearest tall building if he’s being completely honest.

“For now,” Sky says and Jayce feels himself slump in relief. “The doctors want to talk to you though.”

“Of course,” Jayce says, turning back to the people he was meeting with. He finds he doesn’t care about keeping them happy and making them money anymore. “I have to go.”

--------------

“Vik-“

“Don’t,” Viktor snaps, sitting up in the hospital bed and furiously scribbling in his notes. “Don’t even say it.”

“Vik come on, I don’t want to be thinking about this either.” Jayce wants to be thinking about what color they should paint their nursery or ordering new clothes for them. Not whether both Viktor and they will survive. “This pregnancy is killing you.”

Viktor snorts like Jayce is being dramatic.

“It is only for a little longer. Only until they can survive outside me,” Viktor says, finally looking up to meet Jayce’s eyes. “I can hold out until then.”

The thing is Jayce doesn’t know if he can.

-----------

Jayce tells Sky about his backup plan. And she agrees immediately.

While she may not be as brilliant as Viktor she is certainly still bright and full of creative solutions. Plus it’s nice to work with a partner, to have someone to bounce ideas off. And Sky cares about Viktor enough that it feels like she’s almost as determined to see this work as Jayce is.

Hextech falls to the side. But that’s fine – Viktor is more important right now. At least Mel understands that Jayce’s priorities are elsewhere and holds off his investors once he promises that he will prioritize it all again when he knows Viktor is safe.

They find references to a man in the Undercity in Viktor’s notes. A doctor and a friend.

So Jayce travels down there. Stands in a murky cave and explains the whole situation and asks the man if he has any suggestions that could make their idea works.

And he puts it all together and doesn’t dare tell Viktor in case it doesn’t pan out. But they have it and everything points to that it might, it should, do as it is intended.

And Jayce hopes Viktor will forgive him if it doesn’t.

------------

Jayce is there when it happens again.

Viktor is talking him through an equation when suddenly his eyes rolls back and his body convulses.

The doctors come as soon as Jayce calls but there is nothing to do but wait for it to end.

When Viktor doesn’t wake and instead falls into an unresponsive sleep Jayce knows they have borrowed all the time they could.

“Get them out,” he says before the doctors even have to suggest it. Viktor’s cold and clammy hand held in his as if he can help Viktor hold on for the bit longer they need. “Just do it.”

Viktor will forgive him even if the backup doesn’t work. He has to. Because Jayce can’t lose him.

-------------

Viktor wakes and immediately knows something has happened.

He has a feeling he knows what too and tries to push past the feelings of hazy and numb to see if he can feel them. If he can feel the kicks and flutters of movement that tell him they are alive.

“Viktor you’re awake!” Jayce informs him. Although to be fair to his partner he is likely stating it as something he has just realized.

“I am,” Viktor says, opening his eyes to look at Jayce. The mix of emotions in his partner’s eyes tells him all he needs to know. “You did it.”

Jayce pulled the metaphorical plug despite knowing that it was still too early. Knowing that they needed more time to be able to survive on their own.

“I did,” Jayce says and there is relief on his face that Viktor tries not to resent him for. He knew he didn’t look great, that he hadn’t been good. But that was only temporary. He could have held out for a little longer, long enough for them to be okay.

“Do you want to meet them?”

Does he want to see their corpse?

“Sure.” Maybe it will give him some closure to see that they didn’t make it. Maybe there is something about them that would prove that they couldn’t have made it.

“Okay,” Jayce says with a glance across the room to where they likely are before looking back. “You’re going to need to get up sorry.”

“Oh.” Viktor doesn’t understand why they can’t just be brought to him but he doesn’t have the energy to argue.

He winces as he sits up, feeling the stitches in his stomach tug. Jayce is there immediately, letting him lean on him as he gets his crutch and settles his weight between his legs, crutch, and Jayce’s arm.

They cross the room slowly to where an odd contraption is resting on a table is. Metal frame with glass panels on all sides and various tubes feeding into it. When they get closer Viktor sees that their child is inside. Their tiny body connected to the tubs but lungs steadily rising and falling with each breathe.

“I’m sorry you can’t hold them,” Jayce says.

“But they are alright?”

“They’re not completely out of the woods but the doctors are hopeful,” Jayce says and Viktor can hear the slight stress in his voice and can’t help but wonder how close they came to losing them anyway.

“How?” Viktor asks once he trusts his voice. The device isn’t something he had seen or heard about. It feels almost too good to be real.

“I figured if I made something that provided them everything they were getting from you they would be able to make it. So I built this,” Jayce explains. “It’s not perfect and I might have had to give them something to help strengthen their lungs. But it worked.”

Viktor watches Jayce’s eyes dart over the machine and their child, probably looking for any sign of weakness or failure. He relaxes again and Viktor supposes that means all is still well.

“Thank you Jayce,” Viktor says, leaning against his partner. Only Jayce would come up with an impossible sounding solution and actually do it.

“Just focus on resting and getting better,” Jayce says, pressing a kiss to Viktor’s forehead. “They took a lot out of you getting them this far.”

It was worth it though. Worth it to get them far enough along for this to work.

But Viktor will admit it is a relief for his part to be over and his body to be able to heal.

He’ll figure out how exactly Jayce built the thing once he is feeling better.

[undercityviktor]

Hey I'm not sure if you're taking writing requests or not but after reading your one about the lab confessions and seeing that post you made about Jayce bringing Viktor food I would like to request something based off of that prompt for sure!

Hello Anon! You’re my first Anon on this sideblog, so congratulations! Have a glass of sweetmilk on me. Thanks for reaching out!

I’m not specifically taking requests for fics, but I’m always up for inspiration if the mood strikes, and I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed the Late Night Lab Confessions story. I hope to put it on AO3 if I ever get the set-up email back from them (I have an account already, but I wanted one specifically for Arcane shenanigans). So far all I seem to have written is super fluffy jayvik stuff...

I did actually start a fic based on my earlier idea, but it ended up getting all in-depth and angsty first before I even got to the foody bit, so I’ll see what happens with it. Here’s the unedited first 1000 words or so though?

Rating: General, sfw Wordcount: 1180 Content: Viktor’s unhealthy work habits means he has a tendency to neglect his other needs. Jayce sees this, and starts to make an effort.

___

It had only taken two weeks of sharing the lab with Viktor for Jayce to come to loathe the smell of instant noodles.

“You know those aren’t supposed to be eaten as, like… regular meals, Vik?” he said as Viktor coiled a wad of bland noodles around his fork and levered it into his mouth without taking his eyes off the notebook in front of him.

Viktor didn’t respond immediately, swallowing down the lump of rehydrated carbohydrates and sodium with obvious distaste.

Jayce chuckled. “Why do you eat them if you don’t like them?”

“They’re convenient,” Viktor mumbled around a final mouthful. That done, he scooted the abandoned, half-empty pot away from him over the desk with the back of his fingers and scratched something onto the page, adding to his calculations. His thick eyebrows were knotted in concentration and his shoulders had a particular hunch to them that spoke of a forthcoming all-nighter. Jayce tried not to sigh as he stumped over and picked up the remnants of Viktor’s ‘meal’ and went to drop it down the chute that led to the incinerators. Viktor didn’t even notice him remove it.

Five hours slid by after that without a word exchanged between them.

Jayce focused all his mental energy on the wiring up the prototype gauntlet, while Viktor remained bent over his calculations until Jayce stood, blinked prickling eyes, and cracked out his back and stretched his muscles with a grunt that turned into a muted roar of satisfaction at the tug and give of the stretch. When he looked back at Viktor, he found his lab partner looking at him.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Viktor said with a private little smile. “You distracted me, that’s all.”

“Sorry?” Jayce said as he crossed the room to peer over Viktor’s shoulder. “Holy shit, Vik,” he added in a reverent exhale when he saw the notebook. Almost every millimetre of the white paper bore some kind of scribble or notation, and as Jayce loomed behind him, he caught a slight but distinctive tremor in Viktor’s body. “You’re exhausted, Vik,” he said in gently. “We should call it for today. Come back fresh tomorrow.”

“Mmm,” Viktor hummed.

He tipped back just a fraction on the stool and his back came to rest against Jayce’s front. Jayce’s whole body lit up and he had to grind his jaw to stop the gasp of pleasure leaving his lips. Tentatively, he brought his big hands up to his friend and lab-partner’s shoulders and rested them there for a moment.

“You’re cold,” he said, scowling.

“Not particularly,” Viktor sighed without moving.

Beneath Jayce’s palm, he could feel the lump of the leather strap that held up Viktor’s system of relatively-new braces, but beneath that, he was sure Viktor was cold and trembling. The urge to run his fingers through Viktor’s thick, dark hair in a futile attempt at easing some of the tension in his body was almost overwhelming, but instead he let out a long, heavy sigh. “Come on. Let’s lock up.”

To his surprise, Viktor didn’t protest this time.

He simply nodded, and then began to shuffle forwards in preparation for standing. Beside him, the crutch that he had designed, and which Jayce had then made himself in the forge, leaned innocently against the desk, waiting.

Jayce stepped back to allow Viktor room to rise, but when Viktor got halfway up and let out a muffled yelp, Jayce darted back. “Vik?”

“Cramp,” Viktor grunted, clutching the desk with bird-like hands, shaking all over.

He cursed something in his mother tongue and pushed his reluctant body the last few degrees to upright, fumbling for the crutch that rested a few inches beyond his reach. Silently, Jayce slid it into his waiting fingers, and tried not to hover. Viktor never asked for help, but that didn’t mean Jayce wasn’t ready to give it in a heartbeat if Viktor needed him.

Except, Viktor didn’t seem to need him.

He didn’t seem to need anybody.

Jayce’s heart beat wildly in his throat as they walked to the doors and Viktor locked up behind them with trembling hands.

“You got plans for dinner?” Jayce asked with an affected casualness he hoped Viktor didn’t sense.

Viktor shook his head. “Not particularly. I’ll see what’s in the cupboards,” he smiled.

“Why don’t you come back to mine?” Jayce suggested, trying to rein in his desperately rearing hope. “I’ve got a huge bucket of my mum’s curry to finish — she packed me off with it yesterday after I went to see her, and there’s way more than I can manage.” After a heartbeat he added, “It won’t keep.”

Viktor paused noticeably, and the only sounds that filled the silence that stretched between them were the click-shuffle of Viktor’s cane and foot on the smooth floor of the corridor. “Alright,” he said with a little shy smile. “If you’re sure you’ve got enough.”

“Trust me, when my mum cooks, she cooks enough to feed a small army. I think you’ll love it.”

And to his surprise, Viktor did.

He even wiped his plate with the remnants of the soft flatbread Jayce had dug out from a cupboard and flung onto the table at the last minute, and when he sat back, there was colour in his cheeks again and a light in his eyes that had definitely not been there when he’d sat down at Jayce’s small garret kitchen table.

“Thank you, Jayce,” Viktor said, consonants soft and voice low. “It has been a long time since I made the time to enjoy a meal like that.”

Brilliant, effervescent joy filled Jayce’s chest and he beamed openly at Viktor. “We should do it more often,” he said, standing. If he sat still any longer, he thought he might burst. Viktor made to start clearing his plate too, but Jayce scowled. “No, you sit. I’ll get the plates.”

“But you cooked,” Viktor protested.

“I reheated it on the stove, Vik. It’s fine. You’re my guest tonight.”

The familiar yet incomprehensible mutterings of Viktor’s mother tongue followed Jayce as he set the plates in the sink and returned immediately. He could wash up after Viktor had gone.

“You want to sit somewhere more comfortable?” he asked, eyeing the sofa across the open plan room, but he could see Viktor’s response forming even as he asked it.

His friend shook his head, his lovely thick hair flopping across his forehead for a moment, and he smiled again. “No. I should get back. Thank you though. I… I enjoyed this.”

Jayce plastered a smile onto his face and nodded, though he couldn’t help the disappointment that lapped around the edges of his satisfaction.

It was a start, he mused as he watched Viktor’s departure down the corridor from his apartment in the eaves of a university hall.

At the end of the corridor, Viktor halted and looked back over his shoulder. A shy, bashful smile adorned his tired face, and Jayce grinned, waving.

It was a start.

___

Hope you enjoyed it! Please consider reblogging it if you did, because I’m a new sideblog and any shares I get is helpful.

Check out my Tumblr writing masterlist here. I’ll add an AO3 link when I get one too, for those who prefer reading on there instead.

Take care, and Happy New Year (almost!)

[bringthekaos]

Coming out of my semi-hibernation (found out I’m getting laid off cuz I refuse to uproot my entire life to move to my company’s new headquarters in another state, so now I have to scramble to find a new job, and it’s just ruining my mental health) to address an ask I got.

Thank you anon, for the warning about the minor interacting with NSFW Arcane Twitter accounts. I’m not publishing your ask, since it did have the minor’s username in it. And while I do think it’s important that people know about a minor hiding their age to interact with NSFW content, I don’t want said minor to get harassed or anything.

So far, it doesn’t look like they’re following me, and I don’t think they’ve interacted yet, but I still appreciate the warning so I can be aware.

To everyone else, I am once again apologizing for being so absent. I was just getting back into the swing of writing and answering asks when I found out about my job, so… now I have to put all my effort into updating my resume and job searching. Really hoping an opportunity pans out, and I can stop stressing out and get back to what makes me happy—JayVik. I may try to answer some asks when I can so that I can maintain my sanity, but… when I do get free time these days, I’d like to spend it writing in one of my many WIPs. So it might take me a little while to get to my asks, sorry y’all 😢