#when I saw how much space Jayce’s hand took up on Viktor’s back something in me sat up and barked

[beefharlot]

Jayce Viktor size difference….lots to think about

[cyanide-mustard]

I Don’t Have the Words To Describe (How Much You Mean to Me) ~ Chapter 3

Also on Ao3

Summary:

James, Viktor and Jayce settle into routine and James makes a new friend.

AN: Guys I can’t for the life of me picture their stupid lab setup in my head so if there’s any discrepancies between what I write and what it actually looks like, no there isn’t lol. Also sorry if this chapter sucks, the next couple chapters will be (slightly) better.

A=𝜩, B=𝜣, C=𝝃, D=𝛴, E=𝜓, F=𝝇, G=𝝋, H=𝝺, I=𝛃, J=𝝣, K=𝝥, L=𝟄, M=𝟇, N=𝞖, O=𝝠, P=𝝮, Q=𝞈, R=𝞀, S=𝞏, T=𝞔, U=𝞒, V=𝞃, W=𝝸, X=𝞹, Y=𝞾, Z=𝞙

The next day Viktor and Jayce woke up early, before James did, so the taller man stayed to start on breakfast and clean the apartment, to be more welcoming to their guest, while the other left to buy groceries. When Viktor returned he put all the food away and worked beside Jayce, helping him make breakfast.

James emerged from her room, unaware of the two men in the kitchen who were also unaware of their own heavy staring. She was wearing a pair of light blue shorts and an even lighter blue camisole that sat high on her stomach and rose higher when she stretched her arms above her head. Thankfully the boys averted their eyes right before James jumped in shock at seeing the two of them in the kitchen. She ran back into her room and returned with a navy sweater on.

Jayce cleared his throat before speaking.

“Good morning James”

“G𝝠od 𝟇ornin𝝋 Jayce. Good morni𝝋 Viktor”

“Good morning”

When she saw the food they were making, she grabbed her notebook and wrote down the items in English and then Piltovian.

“E𝝋g, 𝜣ac𝝠n, t𝝠ast” she pointed to each, looking to the boys for confirmation. Jayce nodded and repeated each item.

James tried again “Egg, bacon, toast”

“And Coffee” Viktor

“And C𝝠ffee”

Viktor lifted the the labeled the sugar and milk container

“Sugar?” James lifted two fingers

“Two sugars?”

“Tw𝝠 sugars” she confirmed

“Milk?”

She lifted her fingers in a pinch this time

“A little bit of milk?”

“A little bit 𝝠f milk”

He passed the mug to her

“Thank you” she took her mug and sat down at the table. The boys joined her, bringing the plates with them. When they all sat down, Jayce rested his hand on top of Viktor’s which lay on his lower thigh.

“We are going to go to the lab today”

Jayce drew a picture of the lab after seeing her confused face.

“Ahh lab today” James says in understanding

After eating they made their way to the lab. Once there, James made herself comfortable on top of the large sprawling table, sitting right beside the window to take advantage of the natural light.

They all set out on doing their work. About an hour passed when Viktor felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see James holding her notebook

“What is your name?” She had the same look on her face that Jayce got when he was testing out a hypothesis.

“My name is Viktor?” His reply sent her face into a beaming smile.

“Who is he?”

“That is Jayce”

“What is this?”

“This is a book”

After about a million more questions, Viktor realized she was learning how to ask questions and verifying the subjects of each question word.

She would continue the day like this. Working in her newly claimed space before going up to Jayce or Viktor to test out a language point she learned or try and get clarity on something.

Jayce often asked her to pass him things, partly so he didn’t have to leave where he was sitting but also to help James work on her vocabulary. Although it took a little longer to get the tool, the smile on her face when she found the right one made it worthwhile.

They went on like this for the next four days. They had been making breakfast in the morning and eating more regularly; they felt bad after the first day when they got wrapped up in their work only realizing it was 5 o’clock and they had skipped lunch when they heard James’ stomach grumble from across the lab. Working throughout the day on their own projects at the lab, going home (somewhat) early, before getting a more socially acceptable level of sleep rather than their normal fuck we ball amount. James had learned some basic vocabulary but putting together full sentences was a struggle.

On the fifth day Jayce and Viktor left the lab in the afternoon to grab lunch and bring it back for them all to eat. Leaving James in the lab so as to not draw any unnecessary attention to her. This was unfortunately at the same time Caitlyn had decided to make an unannounced visit. She opened the door and was met with the sight of James looking for a purple-coloured pen in Jayce’s drawers, which to unknowing Caitlyn, the scene looked like a woman had broken into the lab of the top scientists of Piltover and was now stealing Hextech.

“HEY! STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING” Caitlyn yelled before bolting across the room.

James jumped nearly a foot in the air, scrambling back on top of the desk, reaching for the nearest tool, which so happened to be another screwdriver.

“𝝋𝜓𝞔 𝞔𝝺𝜓 𝝇𝞒𝝃𝝥 𝜩𝝸𝜩𝞾 𝝇𝞀𝝠𝟇 𝟇𝜓!!!” The woman barked out.

The teenage girl took big imposing steps forwards, which James responded to by backing away, slowly trapping herself further in the nook. Feeling the wall behind her, she lunged forward with a warning swipe of the screwdriver. The sound of Jayce yelling from the door, stopped both of them from injuring each other.

“CAIT STOP” Jayce yelled from the door.

At the sight of him and Viktor entering the room, James dropped the screwdriver, bypassing Caitlyn and sprinting towards them. She ran into Jayce’s right side, quickly seeking comfort before turning around to face the other woman. James stood behind the two, holding each of their jacket sleeves tightly in each hand, ready to pull them back at the sight of danger. When Jayce first started walking forward, she pulled him back.

“It’s okay, she’s a friend” She let go of his arm as he walked forward again.

Viktor put his arm behind her back, slowly guiding her forwards with him.

“Who is she? What was she doing in your lab?”

“I’m going to tell you only if you promise you will not tell a single soul”

“Alright”

“I’m serious, Cait, absolutely no one. Not even your mom or dad”

“I understand, absolutely no one”

He explained the best he could, given that much of the whole situation was unknown to him or Viktor, possibly known to James but she was currently unable to explain it to them. Once he finished she stood with her mouth hanging open for a couple seconds.

“Cait?”

“And this wasn’t your fault?”

Jayce rolled his eyes. Cait moved her gaze to James and looked at her with guilt. She moved forward taking her hands in hers.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to chase after you or try to attack you, well actually I did mean to but that was only because I thought you were stealing something, so I’m actually sorry for thinking you were a thief and not giving you a chance to expl-”

“Caitlyn slow down. She is not going to understand half of what you have said” At Viktor’s words she looked at the woman’s face again. She understood her sentiment but she was lost at every other word.

“Oh, sorry” Caitlyn looked sheepish. Seeing the girl’s embarrassment James stepped forward.

“Hello, My name is James. What is your name?”

“I’m Caitlyn, it’s nice to meet you”

“It is nice to meet you too. Would you like to be fri𝜓nds?”

“Yes, I’d like that very much”

Cait’s eyes focused “Is that my top?”

“Oh uh yes” Jayce replied

“You gave the poor girl my old clothes” , Cait shook her head in disbelief. “Her and I are going shopping and soon. But that does makes more sense than what you really said the clothes were for”

“What did you tell her you needed them for?” Viktor questioned.

Jayce turned his face back to his work away from the other three, which Viktor recognized as what Jayce did when he was trying to hide his face when it was a deep blush red.

“Jayce?”

“I might have said you wanted to try out a new style”

“You what!”

“I didn’t know what else to say!”

Caitlyn and James looked at each other, both needed to cover the mouths to quiet the giggles they let out because of the boys bickering.

“Literally anything else! Say that we needed them to blow up, I don’t know. Caitlyn thought I was asking my boyfriend for his younger sister’s clothes, that is weird Jayce. I love you but sometimes it is so embarrassing to be dating you”

Notes:

Translations:

𝝋𝜓𝞔 𝞔𝝺𝜓 𝝇𝞒𝝃𝝥 𝜩𝝸𝜩𝞾 𝝇𝞀𝝠𝟇 𝟇𝜓 = Get the fuck away from me

Please let me know what you think! Any love or feedback is always welcomed!

Taglist: @im-just-a-simp-le-whore

[mxchineherald]

 Viktor drew back when she spoke, a look of shock coming across his face. “(You…you what?)” There was retroactive offense biting at his throat, ready to scold her for invading his privacy in such a dangerous way. It left him feeling utterly and deeply exposed. “(Sky!! You should have left it alone…!)” he said with a stunned bite to his voice, teeth bared in a grimace. Embarrassment left space for anger, which he tripped into clumsily, glowering at his lap. “(Why on earth would you–)”

 Jayce watched the air between the two turn to emotion charged lightning, and took Viktor by the shoulder. “(Let her talk,)” he said with a firm tone.

 Viktor tensed his shoulders up, then released them in a tight sigh, suspecting Jayce of having taken her side, already.

 However, both of them were taken completely off guard by how she shouted the word ‘idiot’, Jayce looking at her with wide, worried eyes, while Viktor frowned with hurt and looked away from her.

 With every word, Jayce felt more aligned toward Sky’s thinking, feeling the sting of Viktor’s forced distance, despite the (in retrospect obvious) signs of love between all three of them. His brow fell into a furrow as he nodded in agreement with her. He had made the choice for them, and he was wrong to do so.

 Viktor wanted to argue for himself, but found little ground to do so. He instead let her expel the feelings, which turned from anger to hurt and anguish. His chest ached for how much emotion had been thrust into his body. He wanted to run and hide, but he knew that would only make it worse. So instead he let her see him crack under the pressure, barely able to hold back his heavy breathing as he closed his eyes. “(I know. I-I am sorry…)”

 Jayce was prepared to back Sky up further, until he saw the signs of concession coming from Viktor. He put his other hand on Sky’s shoulder to hopefully translate between the two of them. “(Sky, he only just learned to love himself,)” he reasoned, then shifted his gaze onto Viktor, “(That being said… It was a really cruel lie, Viktor. To both of us. We were both in love with you, regardless of your disease. And…if you did die, did you really think we wouldn’t have mourned you, anyway? You were my best friend!)”

 “(Do not, Jayce.)” Viktor growled out, yanking his shoulder away. “(Do not try to tell me I should have said something after I saw how you looked at her!)”

 Jayce knew immediately that he was talking about Mel, and shut his mouth for a second to think. “(… And you think it took me eight years to sleep with her because I was…what? Waiting for the right time? Who did you really think I was waiting for?)”

 Viktor’s jaw quivered with pent up emotion, and he slammed his hands hard against his head a couple times before gripping at his hair, pulling his knees up to his chest. “(You expected me to guess!? You never said a word!)”

 Pushing up to a half-stand, Jayce finally snapped out, “(NONE OF US DID!)” while swiping his hand in the air. He stopped himself, steadying his breath and sitting back down. “(… If we had all be honest, and just said something instead of wordless looks and cups of tea… But we can’t turn back time. We can’t go back. We have right now, and I’m not going to spend right now angry at either of you. I can’t… I love you two too much.)”

Sky listened mutely, caught in her own misery over having ruined the mood with her words but... But if they were going to do this then she had to know. She had to know why it had taken her literally dying for Viktor to notice let alone return her feelings.

His explanation? It left her feeling bitter. Yes, it was sweet that he didn't want to hurt others with his death but at the same time he had completely negated her agency and ability to make her own decisions about what and who she wanted.

"(I knew. Within the first year of being your assistant I had figured out where you went for medical treatments and snuck in to look at your medical records. I didn't want to invade your privacy too much so I didn't look at everything, but your prognosis and expected lifespan.)" She admitted softly, not looking at him yet since she knew if she did then she would either glare at him or start crying again.

"(You're such a brilliant idiot. All those years of making you medicinal herbal teas and you never realized I knew. I knew and I had accepted that you would die before me.)" She said, her tone turning bitter as she opened her eyes to glare at him. "(I accepted it and decided that I still wanted you. And you... You IDIOT! You completely invalidated that choice with that stupid thinking of yours. Did it ever occur to that genius brain to talk to me! Rather than just assuming you knew what was best for me and what I wanted?"

She was breathing hard and practically growling by the time she finished speaking. For years she had thought he didn't see her as more than a friend. For years she had done everything in her power to show him that she loved and accepted him and this?! This utter bullshit! Had been what was going on in his head the entire fucking time?

"(You took away my choice. You took away my agency. You treated me like I couldn't possibly love you. That I couldn't possibly choose you without ever even talking to me.)" She continued, her tone changing to sad and bitter. "(And the most fucked up part? I can forgive all that. I can forgive all the bullshit, all the hurt, all the years of being invisible. Because I love you. I love you so much and this past year has been a dream come true in so many ways. I had given up hope of you ever returning my feelings. That night I died for you, I did so thinking you would never love me. But I still rushed to your side without hesitation. I died because I loved you too much not to do everything in my power to try to save you.)"

[mysticmousecat]

Hi! 💖 I love your work and think your Viktor is fucking amazing 🥰 I have a little NSFW request/thing I thought of:

Reader and Viktor in a small space or somewhere where people can hear them if they’re not too quiet. Maybe Viktor has his hand over Reader’s mouth while he’s grinding on them or using his fingers or they’re even fucking and Reader keeps making noises like moans or whimpers and Viktor like shushes them in their ear but it’s a hot shush like with a growl or something. Idk, I’ve had this thought in my head for a couple days and it’s giving me brainrot.

Anyways, I love you and your work and you’re an amazing writer. The testing a hypothesis one was the first one I read from you and it got me 💫hooked💫, but the just one touch one is my all time favorite 🥺 Hope you have a lovely day/night! 💖

Thank you so much for enjoying my work!!! I really like this prompt; secret sex is the best type of sex.

Obviously NSFW under the cut

Also forgive if this doesn't quite measure up to my other writing, I'd taken a break from writing over the last few days, and this is the first thing I've written in that time.

In all honesty this was 100% your own fault. Viktor had just gotten back from an extended say in Zaun working in his private workshop, an extended stay which you did not join him in, you had a lot to do here in Piltover so you couldn't just drop everything and disappear for 4 weeks, as much as you wanted to. It had been a hellish 4 weeks without Viktor, your bed was cold and lonely, and you felt so out of place not having Viktor here to bring tea to late at night or drag him to bed so he could actually sleep.

You were in the Hextech lab when he returned, sitting at his desk actually, and when he walked through those doors, and you saw him, you lost your breath, you hadn't quite realized how much you missed him until he was standing right there. You wasted no time in jumping up and wrapping your arms around him, pressing your lips to his in a sweet kiss... well a kiss that started out as sweet, but here's the thing, you've spent 4 weeks without Viktor, 4 weeks without having him in your bed, 4 weeks without feeling his touch late at night, letting him draw all those noises he loved so much from your lips, so it should have been no surprise that you were more than a little starved for his touch. He reacted in kind when you pushed your tongue into his mouth, your fingers tangling into his hair and tugging roughly, just the way you knew he liked. His hands had a death grip on your hips, and you knew he was just as desperate as you were. Currently you two were alone in the lab, Jayce had gone to get coffee and left you there, but he'd be back any minute and you doubted he would appreciate seeing his best friend and his girlfriend fucking on the table, however you couldn't find it within yourself to do anything about that.

Your lips found his pulse point, nipping lightly before flattening your tongue over his skin, preening when you heard the sigh from his lips, his fingertips had adventured under your shirt to trail a searing path over your skin. All of this build up is what lead to your current predicament, pressed flush against the door of a storage closet in the lab, your back against the cool wood, fingers tangled in Viktor's hair as he trailed burning kisses down your throat, one hand bracing himself on the door, the other under your skirt and between your legs, drawing tight circles over your clothed cunt in just the perfect way to drive you insane. You were struggling to keep your voice in check, Jayce had no doubt returned by now and if you were too loud, you'd be heard, and Viktor's sinful fingers weren't helping.

"Quiet dove," He whispered into your ear as he pushed your underwear to the side to access more of you, pushing two of those dexterous fingers inside of you, forcing a gasp from your lips. "Wouldn't want anyone else to hear those sweet sounds, hm?" He was so cocky, he took so much pride in being able to so thoroughly unravel you, take you apart with just a single touch. His lips found yours again just as he curled his fingers into that perfect spot inside you, swallowing what would have been your squeal. He abused that spot, his thumb finding your clit as he drove you to pleasure induced madness. His other hand came to cover your mouth as his lips found your neck again, the hand between your legs picking up its pace and fucking into you harder. You were thankful for the hand over your mouth, because without it you were sure you would have screamed. Viktor had always been good with his hands, it made sense since he worked with them so much.

You were approaching the edge fast, the combination of your desire for his touch and the amazing things he was doing to you under your skirt working to unravel you. Your fingers gripped onto his shoulders, nails dragging over his shirt, a shirt you were determined to rip off of him the second you two were once again alone in a room with a bed. Quickly Viktor changed his angled, the way he knew would have you keening, a keen thankfully kept quiet by the hand over your mouth, a hand that was quickly replaced with his lips when your orgasm finally ripped through you, his tongue forcing its way into your mouth as he swallowed your whines and gasps, working you through it so thoroughly, like he always did.

Your knees were week when he finally pulled his fingers from you, sucking them clean when he pulled his lips from yours, the sight pulling one last muffled moan from your lips. You pulled him to you once more, crashing your lips together, god you've missed him.

"I think Jayce stepped out again." Viktor mumbled against your lips. "We can make it to the bedroom if we leave now." You wasted no time in flinging the door open, finding an empty lab once again. You reached your bedroom in record time, and you made sure to keep Viktor there for as long as he let you, which ended up being until the next morning, until Viktor walked back into the lab this morning and was greeted by a very amused and knowing Jayce.

[darkicedragon]

Fanfic: Purr

Fandom: Arcane: League of Legends Summary: Jayce was curious to know if Viktor could purr after his transformation. Contains: Jayce/Viktor, catboy!Viktor, sad ending Notes: Set after S1, but ignoring the ending. Rating: G Genre: Horror Word count: 4,478 Status: Complete "I think we need to slow down," Jayce said, watching Viktor eat as they had dinner in the lab, hunched around the one small table that wasn't covered in blueprints, calculations or prototypes. The tip of Viktor's right new triangular ear flicked, mirrored by his raised eyebrow. "Oh?"

Why was there even a question? When Viktor brought his fork up, Jayce's attention was drawn to his transformed hand, the brown short fur covering the back of his hand, his nails now curving down into sharp claws. "I just want to make sure you're all right first." What if the transformation had changed more than just his body? Viktor took a bite, and were his incisors longer than before? "What happened to forging ahead for the sake of progress?" Jayce ran a hand down his face as he sighed. "There's a difference between getting caught up in the moment and dealing with the aftermath." And currently? Viktor was doing both. "We have a result, so now we can recalibrate, find what-" "We can do that by using the hexcore again," Viktor said, his gaze steadily. "We don't know how much it's changed you, if it's affected you in other ways." Viktor huffed, tracing small signs in the air with his fork. "I feel fine," he said as he continued eating. Jayce watched him for a few  more seconds before he sagged, nodding. "I know. I'm just...worried." He started eating, his food a little cooler than it had been a few minutes ago. But Viktor still sounded like himself, was still talking. He would keep an eye on Viktor in the meantime though, just in case. * * * "No, no, no," Viktor said, shaking his head, the tips of his ears quivering. "That wouldn't work because..." Jayce had been listening, waiting to see if he could follow Viktor's thought process, and he saw Viktor's pupils constrict to slits, his ears going stiff. Without explaining, Viktor span around, his tail swishing and batting Jayce in the leg as he strode towards the blackboard. Viktor's tail flicked from side to side, like he was on the hunt and Jayce couldn't help himself smiling as he followed. They had been all this time, hadn't they? * * * "Do you think you can purr?" Jayce wondered out loud as he opened the door to their bedroom. "Very scientific," Viktor said, amusement clear. "There is a scientific reason for it!" He held the door open and Viktor headed in. "Which is?" Incessant curiosity. "Iiinnn case you've changed where we can't see or test. And it would be a good way to check if your instincts have been affected, since we don't purr." Obviously. Viktor leaned his weight on his cane some more, his tail swinging left and right in slow arcs. Jayce had started to recognise it as something it would do when Viktor was thinking hard about something. "And your proposal to make me purr?" There were a lot of things Jayce could think of that he was sure would make Viktor purr, and by Viktor's slowly growing smirk, he had the same idea as well. Jayce closed the space between them, tracing his fingers along Viktor's jaw before leaning in to kiss him. Viktor narrowed his eyes at him, his ears pinned on Jayce, when he pulled away. "You don't seem that invested in researching your hypothesis." "Just setting a baseline," Jayce said, reaching up to rub at the base of Viktor's cat ear, where he knew he was more sensitive. "So we have something to compare to." It made sense. "Then you'd best start comparing," Viktor said, leaning into his touch, his eyes going to half-mast. Grinning, Jayce leaned in again. * * * "I think that experiment yielded no results," Viktor said, as he pulled the blanket up to cover himself afterwards. "Hey! I think there was some bias going on," Jayce protested. He was still too far hot and he would wait until his heart rate had settled down first before crawling under to join Viktor. "Oh?" "You were trying not to purr." He had seen Viktor trying to keep quiet, biting his lip at times, which had made him push all that harder. Even then, there had been no purrs; there had been lots of other sounds though, which made up for it. Viktor smirked briefly before he yawned, his ears flipping back. "If you can't make me purr after trying, then we can confirm my hypothesis was correct and all changes are surface only." "Under one instance," Jayce countered as he moved back under the blanket. "We have to repeat it to make sure." Viktor's eyes were drooping, but he moved closer, Jayce wrapping an arm around him. "Under the same conditions or...more intense?" he murmured against Jayce's chest. "Both?" Both was a good idea. He got a snort as a reply. "Next time." Jayce grinned, drawing slow circles over Viktor's skin. "Of course." Then they could plan out what exactly they could try. Viktor didn't say anything else, his breathing evening out as he fell asleep. Jayce listened to him for a minute or so, before following him. * * * "Do you think catnip would work on you?" Jayce asked. The purring experiment hadn't shown anything, but testing how Viktor's body reacted to catnip could show something else. "Another test?" One of Viktor's ears turned towards Jayce, and that was one of the best indicators now to see how much Viktor was paying attention when he was working on a calculation or something else. "I wouldn't be a scientist if I didn't want to test everything." He was still worried about Viktor, but Viktor seemed to be settling into the new changes. "I seem to remember a few times when you didn't," Viktor said, still working on his calculation, but Jayce could just see his small smirk. "We were under time constraints then!" They hadn't been allowed to test as extensively as they wanted. It had worked out in the end with...only a few hiccups, and they'd learned more about what they needed to improve on. It still wasn't something Jayce wanted to do every time. He heard Viktor's low laugh, the final tap of chalk on the blackboard as he finished, before he turned around to face Jayce. "We can try it." "Really?" Viktor nodded, his gaze flicking over Jayce. "Where are you holding it?" Oh. "I haven't got any on me." He hadn't expected Viktor to agree straight away, so he hadn't bought any. Viktor shook his head, but Jayce could see the smile he was fighting back as he walked over. "I suppose it's near lunchtime. We can find some and then eat here." "Sure!" Jayce wanted to test Viktor's changes, but this was the only time he hoped his theory would be wrong. * * * Jayce watched Viktor roll the small bag of catnip they'd bought between his hands, used enough to his changes now to keep his claws away from the fabric. Viktor had gone through a few clothes near the start when his claws had caught and just tore holes through them. "You look more worried than I feel," Viktor said, lifting his gaze to look at Jayce. "Well, can you blame me? If you do react to it, what then?" Physical changes for the sake of progress, maybe. But the potential for losing himself, losing Viktor completely? It wasn't something Jayce wanted. "We would figure something out," Viktor said, fingers, going to the drawstrings. "We always do." They did. Jayce still couldn't help holding his breath as Viktor opened the bag. Viktor stopping himself from purring was one thing, but he couldn't stop how his body would react to drugs. The reaction was instantaneous. Viktor grimaced, jerking his head back as his ears flattened. Jayce breathed out. "No?" "No," Viktor confirmed, still grimacing. "It's too sharp, and I certainly feel no change in my mental facilities or have an urge to run or anything else." "Good." Jayce relaxed, watching Viktor tie the bag back up again, getting up to drop it into the filling bin in the corner. They should probably have that emptied soon, since they'd moved ahead enough that anything left in there wouldn't be relevant and they definitely wouldn't need it anymore, but for now, they would finish lunch first. Viktor may have physically changed, but mentally he was still the same. * * * It wasn't strange to wake up alone, Viktor getting up first to write down a new revelation before he forgot it, so Jayce got ready and headed for the lab, breakfast in hand in case Viktor had decided to skip it again. When he opened the door, Viktor wasn't working at the blackboard, pacing in front of it instead, his ears flat, his tail twitching. "What's wrong?" Jayce asked as he closed the door behind him, walking over. Viktor's jaw tensed, his tail lashing before it settled again. "Nothing. Why would you think there was something wrong?" "It's a little harder to hide your emotions now," Jayce said, lifting a hand  to stroke one of Viktor's ears. Viktor exhaled, his ears straightening for a second before folding again. "It's less hiding my emotions and more that there's something in the building now that sounds like it's trying to dig into my skull." He tried to lift his ears again, but he flattened them almost as soon as he did. He eyed Jayce. "You can't hear it?" Jayce turned his head, trying to pick out anything that seemed out of place, but he didn't hear anything new. "No." Was Viktor's hearing more sensitive now since he had larger ears? It would make sense. Viktor made a grumbling sound as Jayce handed him breakfast. "Come on," Jayce said, patting his shoulder and leading him back outside. Viktor looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. "What are you thinking?" "I want to see if we can find the source." He wouldn't be able to do that himself if he couldn't hear it. Viktor's ears flattened a little bit more. "It's fine," he muttered. "I'm used to ignoring annoyances." Jayce glanced back at the blackboard - the calculations were the same as the ones that had been on it the night before. "How much work did you do this morning?" Another grimace, Viktor relaxing a little as he sighed, leaning against Jayce. "Not as much as I would like." "Then the faster we sort this out, the faster we can get back to work." Viktor didn't say anything as they left the lab, but one ear pricked up, swivelling around before flattening again. "True. The source appears to be coming from the north." "Then that's where we'll start," Jayce said, moving in the direction Viktor had indicated. * * * They had visited a few places with no result. Either the walking or the sound was taking a toll on on Viktor, leaning more on Jayce and slowing down the longer they continued. "Have you made any changes or adjusted the machinery this morning?" Jayce asked the engineer manager, a short man with ginger hair that looked like it had been singed in a few places. They were on the edges of the building, almost the furthest point from the lab, but it seemed a likely place. Though he had thought that of the other places they'd investigated... Still, they were narrowing down where it wasn't. "The turbines were maintained this morning, like they are every year, sir," the manager said, jerking his head behind him. "Everything is to standard." "Could you check to make sure everything was put back properly? I just want to make sure everything is running as best as it can." It was easier putting it that way, than drawing their attention to Viktor. The manager opened his mouth and then closed it, nodding. "Of course, Counsellor." He span on his heel, barking instructions to the other workers. While he did that, Jayce went back to Viktor. Viktor had found a chair to sit on near the entrance, leaning on his cane in front of him. "They're not very happy about this," he murmured, making Jayce turn back to watch the workers. It looked like they were inspecting everything about the turbines without complaint. "It wasn't that much of an ask, was it?" And if something hadn't been put back right, doing this could prevent an accident. Viktor continued watching the workers. "Hmm, they had to delay working today due to the inspection, so they're already behind, and the turbines are large..." He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "You can't hear them?" How sensitive were Viktor's ears now, hearing all that when his ears were flat? "I can't." Even as the turbines wound down, he still couldn't hear much clearly. Jayce reached over, Viktor tensing when his fingers first caressed the top of his skull, but he relaxed a little as Jayce started massaging the base of an ear. Did it hurt to keep them down all the time, like continually using a muscle? Or was it still better than hearing whatever Viktor was? They stayed like that for a few minutes, Viktor leaning towards him. Viktor hummed, moving away from Jayce's touch, and when Jayce tried to follow, he was warned off with a look. "We've wasted a lot of time; this may be a new thing-" Viktor swayed, sucking in a breath. "Viktor?" Jayce gripped his shoulder, making sure he wouldn't fall if Viktor had suddenly lost his strength. Had they walked too much? He'd made sure Viktor had eaten breakfast, but maybe that wasn't enough. Or was it a new change they hadn't been aware of? "What is it?" "I think..." Viktor exhaled, and Jayce watched as one ear slowly flicked up, and then the other, both of them swivelling around. Staying up. "I think whatever it is has been fixed." Grinning, Jayce wrapped an arm around him in celebration before going off to find the manager. Once he told the manager, they could get back to the lab and start working again. * * * Viktor was swaying on his feet, leaning more weight on his cane, his hand dipping every so often as he wrote on the blackboard before rising again. Jayce came up behind him, knowing Viktor knew he was there with his ears pinned to him. "I think it's time to go to bed," he murmured into Viktor's ear, wrapping his hand around Viktor's. With deft fingers, he removed the chalk and set it down in one of the holders. "Hmmn," Viktor said, his tail curling around Jayce's leg. "I shhhould..." "Go to bed," Viktor repeated. "You won't be thinking straight right now anyway." There had been too many times where they thought they'd had a breakthrough one night, and then come the next morning, couldn't make any sense of their notes. "If it's that important, you'll remember tomorrow." Viktor didn't move, his focus still on the blackboard, as if he was trying to memorise everything that had been written there, before he sighed, leaning back against Jayce. "Yes, I think it's time for bed." Smiling, Jayce gave him a quick kiss on the temple, and they left the lab together. * * * Viktor was tinkering with something when Jayce entered the lab a few days later, the shape instantly recognisable.   "What are you doing?" Viktor's cane hadn't seemed so worn down to need an upgrade, and Viktor hadn't been complaining about it either. "Trying to design a new cane," Viktor muttered, nodding towards his old cane that was leaning on the table next to him. "My claws are stronger than I thought." Jayce sat down next to him studying his old cane. There were claw marks along the handle where he held it, and in the space between the arm and hand rest. "What are you thinking?" "Metal, for a start," Viktor said, turning the prototype in his hand. "Hollowed out to make it lighter." Jayce nodded. "And the design?" "Well, I was hoping for your input on that," Viktor said, giving him a small smile. He smiled in return, reaching for a sheet of paper with some space on it. * * * Viktor smirked down at Jayce, bracing his hands on Jayce's shoulders, pinning him to the bed, mindful to keep his claws away from Jayce's skin. "Still interested to see if you can make me purr?" Jayce grinned back, resting his hands on Viktor's hips.  "A little, to hear what you sound like." It was obvious now Viktor was fine; if his instincts or his mental capacity had changed, it would have been obvious by now. "Hmm, then you'd best try harder than last time." Chuckling, Jayce ran a hand down Viktor's thigh, Viktor gripping his shoulder. "I accept your challenge." He would be listening out for purrs, but that wasn't the main goal this time. * * * Jayce rubbed his neck as he entered the lab. The council meeting felt like it had gone on for hours but sunlight still st- He paused, seeing Viktor curled up on the windowsill. That wasn't like him, and as far as Jayce was aware, Viktor had slept well last night. Viktor was napping, wasn't he? Jayce kept an eye on his chest as he walked over. It rose and fell, Viktor's face relaxed, not grimacing. Sleeping. Not collapsed. He sat down next to Viktor, resting his hand on Viktor's shoulder, feeling his warmth. Good. He was okay. Viktor made a soft sound, one ear flicking towards his hand, his tail curling at the tip. He didn't wake up, but he moved closer until he was pressed against Jayce's thigh. That seemed to be what he wanted, sighing and then settling down again. Jayce leaned back against the window, moving his hand up so that he could run his hand through Viktor's hair. Yeah, a break seemed like a good idea for now. * * * Out of habit, Jayce scanned the hall, noting where everyone was, his eyes settling on Vik - oh boy. Over the years, he'd gotten more experienced at reading Viktor's body language and expressions, but sometimes it was hard to read him, especially when they were in formal events, and revealing a new invention and the socialising that followed after was one such event. Viktor's transformation made him a little easier to read across the room though, and right now, Viktor's ears were quivering, probably from Viktor trying to control them, and his tail was puffing up every so often as it lashed from side to side. Whatever they were talking about, Viktor wasn't happy. Jayce strode over, grinning widely as he placed a hand on Viktor's shoulder. "Ah, there you are, Viktor. You don't mind me borrowing my partner for now, do you, Sassan?" He didn't wait for a response. "There's just something I need his input on." Jayce directed them away, and Viktor exhaled, leaning into him slightly. "What's wrong?" "It's about the..." Ah, what could he say? There were ears listening on all side. Viktor's expression cleared. "Oh, that," he said, nodding. "Yeah, that," Jayce agreed. "We need to see to that immediately." "Of course." They exited the hall, Jayce nodding to the guards as they passed. "I can make it from here," Viktor murmured, relaxing the further they got from the hall. "They won't miss me if I disappear - you on the other hand, they'll wonder where the Councillor has gone." Jayce sighed, continuing to walk to their bedroom. Viktor was his partner, but he shied from the spotlight and people seemed just more willing to talk to Jayce. "Not immediately." At that, Viktor snorted. "Everyone saw you leave with me." ...There was that. "And they won't expect me back until later, while we sort out the 'thing'." It drew a small smile to Viktor's lips. "I didn't see you come up with much better." "No," Jayce admitted. "But it means I won't have to remember any particular details to make sure it all matches up later." And it was true, in a way. The problem had been Viktor being agitated, and he was dealing with it by getting Viktor out of there. "But, thank you," Viktor said. "No problem. Now, let's get you back." * * * Viktor wasn't eating. Jayce watched him ignore his food, eyes drifting around the lab. "Do I need to feed you?" Jayce said, Viktor's attention snapping back to him. "Mm?" "We still need to eat, Viktor," he said, scooping up a spoonful of food. "We can't do our best if we miss meals." It was something they sometimes did, when they were too caught up in their latest idea, but Jayce did try to keep regular meals, and Viktor usually ate once he had food in front of him. He held out the spoon, waving it from side to side, in case that somehow made it more enticing. Viktor tracked it, ears following the movement. "So do I need to feed-" Viktor leaned forward, taking the spoon in his mouth.  He pulled back, swallowing. "Hmm, maybe." Well, if it got Viktor eating... Jayce got another spoonful ready, Viktor already watching the spoon, his tail swishing from the corner of Jayce's eye. * * * Jayce approached Viktor in the lab, turning a new idea in his head. "Hey, what do you thi-" Viktor's ears flattened and he whirled on Jayce, grimacing. "...What?" Had he forgotten somet- "What are you wearing?" Viktor demanded, his nose wrinkling. Jayce looked down. It was his usual dress, and that couldn't be what Viktor was reacting to, since he already knew something was up before he turned around. Was it something he smelled of? Oh. "A gift from our new visitors," Jayce said, pulling at his top to sniff at the cologne again. "You don't like it?" It hadn't seemed that too strong when he'd put it on. "I'd rather not have my nose assaulted every time you come near me." That strong? Damn. "Do you want me to-" Viktor grabbed him by the lapels, jerking him forward a step. "Wha-?" Viktor closed the space, pressing up against Jayce, rubbing his face against Jayce's neck. Before Jayce could make sense of what he was doing, Viktor stepped back again, studying him as he sniffed the air. He nodded in satisfaction. "Much better." That done, Viktor turned his attention back to the blackboard. Uh, all right...? So Viktor's sense of smell was stronger too now? * * * "This should make the hexclaw less sensitive,"  Jayce said, watching Viktor slip on the controlling glove. But they'd thought that about their previous adjustments as well. "If not, I think I know what needs to be changed," Viktor said, flexing his hand, making sure the glove fit. They'd had to make a few changes so that Viktor's claws and fur didn't get caught, but the design was better, and they were able to think about how the glove would be used by different people of different sizes. "Hey, let's see if it works or not before we start thinking about what to do next," Jayce said with a small laugh. They couldn't get too ahead of themselves, or else they would lose sight of what was right in front of them. "Hmm." He quietened down as Viktor pointed, making sure neither of them were distracted. The beam was steady, the colour a little brighter. It appeared to cut through about the same, though they would have to measure the deepness once Vik... Jayce frowned. The beam wasn't moving, focused on one spot, cutting through the block. He glanced at Viktor, who was staring at the beam, his tail flicking at the tip. Viktor took a breath, and Jayce heard the beam move again. Except it wasn't a drawing or writing to show precision like Viktor normally did. It was just a bunch of short zigzagging lines with no order. The beam stopped a few seconds later with a crackle, and Viktor yanked the glove off. "I think...I need some sleep," Viktor said, setting the glove down. It was starting to get dark. "Let's go," Jayce said, watching Viktor. His shoulders were trembling, his ears flat. He must have been more tired than he realised. They left for their bedroom together. * * * Viktor had been missing for a few days. It...wasn't unusual, and something Jayce had gotten used to, but their last test with the hexclaw weighed on Jayce's mind. He'd tested it himself and their changes had helped, but... There was something about how Viktor had reacted afterwards. He turned his head at the sound of the door opening, relief flooding him as he saw- His grin fell. "Viktor?" he said as he rushed over. "What happened?" Viktor had entered without his cane, dragging his foot a little as he walked in. Had he been mugged? Viktor didn't reply, his ears pricked, and his tail at a relaxed curl. Focused on reaching Jayce. His expression seemed...a little blank. Jayce didn't like it; it wasn't like him.   Jayce reached him, placing his hands on Viktor's shoulders, trying to see if there were any injuries or bruises. Nothing that he could s- Viktor's eyes were slitted, Jayce realised, now that he was closer. They only used to do that when Viktor was excited about something, but there was nothing to be excited about here. Viktor hadn't been working on a calc- "Ow!" Jayce winced. Viktor had lifted his hands to rest them on Jayce's chest, flexing them so his claws dug into Jayce's skin. "What are you..." Viktor continued doing that. Like a cat trying to make a good spot for themselves. That wasn't what made Jayce's heart drop. It was the low droning in the air that hadn't been there before. It was a continuous sound, and when Viktor pressed up to him, the sound vibrated through Jayce's chest. A purr. "Viktor...?" Jayce whispered. Viktor lifted his head to look at him, and as he blinked slowly, Jayce saw a third eyelid sweep across his eyes. No... The sound was all Jayce could hear over the sound of his own thundering heartbeat. It didn't make sense. They'd checked and Viktor hadn't reacted! Viktor had been the same! Except, how much had his behaviour changed over the last couple weeks? It hadn't been anything too obvious or sudden, just a few small things that they had assumed was part of his new senses. Viktor still didn't say anything, the purr growing louder as he rested his head on Jayce's shoulder, rubbing his cheek there. Jayce had been curious to know if Viktor could purr, but now that he could hear it, he didn't want to hear it ever again.