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Viktor smiled as he clung to Jayce like the other man was a lifeline. He didn’t need to cling so tightly to his partner. After all, he could walk just fine with the help of his cane, but sometimes he just liked to lean in and let Jayce support him. It was a strange love he felt for Jayce, one he could not describe. It was a love he had never experienced before. Yet, everytime Jayce touched him, he felt butterflies, and he would find himself leaning in for more. That was wrong though, Jayce was getting married to Mel Medarda, not him. Jayce was simply helping him get to the stage so he could sit. Nothing more, nothing less. He was a fool to think Jayce felt any different.
“Vik, you okay?” Jayce asked, snapping him out of his thoughts, quite literally, as his head shot up. How pathetic he was, so desperate just to hear Jayce say a single word. Now was not the time for imagining, this was supposed to be Jayce’s big day, he could not ruin it for him. So, instead of saying anything, he only nodded and let Jayce help him sit in his chair. Jayce was beautiful, well, even more beautiful than before. It was strange, he was wearing the same clothes as always, but he had a certain glow to him. Viktor’s train of thought was cut off when Jayce spoke again, checking himself out in the mirror, “How do I look?”
“Charming,” Viktor chuckled, his accent wrapping thickly around his words. What he really wanted to say was stunning, beautiful, majestic, but he held his tongue as he remembered that Jayce was not his. “This will be one of my first public appearances, won’t it?”
“Yeah, I really wish you would come out in public more. You deserve just as much credit as me, maybe even more. Truthfully, you spend more time in the lab than I do,” Jayce replied, fixing his hair like it wasn’t already perfect.
“You keep Hextech secure. Who knows how much of our research would be stolen without your security. My time at the lab is meaningless, especially since…” Viktor cut himself off, looking down at his leg, a permanent reminder of the fact he was dying.
“No, Viktor, we are going to figure this out. I promise,” Jayce argued, placing a firm hand on Viktor’s shoulder. Viktor closed his eyes, before a small smile grew on his face. Jayce somehow always knew how to make him feel better. “How long before people start showing up?”
“Less than a minute,” Viktor replied, chuckling at the way Jayce choked on his spit and quickly fixed his hair, sending someone to send the mirror away. Viktor understood checking to make sure everything was perfect in the room, but bringing out a mirror to the stage was something he found hilariously confusing. “Don’t worry, Jayce, you look perfect.”
“Thank you, Viktor,” Jayce replied, before cheerfully turning to the audience.
Viktor found himself tuning out the conversation his partner made with the guests as he looked down at his hands. He was being selfish, and he knew it. Jayce deserved to be happy, and it was unfair of him to try to get in the way of that happiness. Besides, he didn’t have much to offer anyway, after all, he wouldn’t be living much longer. Not with the way his illness was progressing. No, he would have never brought Jayce happiness. He would have died within a few months or years and Jayce would grieve. Viktor hated the thought of his partner grieving. Jayce looked so happy, laughing and smiling as he greeted guests. This had to be the happiest he’d ever felt, at least the happiest he had been since he had known Viktor.
Viktor thought back to Hextech, that first time they managed to stabilize it. He had been so happy, felt a sense of true relief. Relief that his life would have meaning. That he would not just die worthless, with no contributions. Jayce had been beautiful in that moment, his smile, the way the blue light had shined on him. That was the moment Viktor truly fell in love with him. Viktor looked over at Jayce, now standing on the stage, waiting for his bride. Viktor broke himself from his thoughts, smiling as he was handing the cushion with the rings. They were beautiful, one adorned with diamonds, the other with rubies. They were perfect for people like Mel and Jayce.
Viktor looked up as the music started to swell and people rose to their feet. Jayce looked excited as he tried to get a glimpse of the love of his life. They were truly perfect for each other. Viktor smiled as Mel came into view. She was stunning, she wore a white dress and veil. She looked at Jayce with so much love that Viktor couldn’t possibly object to their being together. As she walked down the aisle, people watched her in awe. Viktor found himself in a similar state as their eyes locked and she gave him a smile. Viktor could only smile back as she reached the stage, carefully joining Jayce. Jayce’s smile couldn’t get any wider as he looked over at him.
Viktor tried to pay attention to the ceremony, trying not to get lost in his thoughts of longing. Jayce needed him in the here and now, not in the confines of his mind, dealing with his own feelings of love. It wasn’t fair to Jayce, he was happy, enjoying the biggest day of his life and here Viktor was feeling sorry for himself and being all depressed that he wasn’t Jayce’s love. He refused to let Jayce know what he was thinking as he forced a smile. He barely registered that it was time to give them the rings until Jayce cleared his throat. Viktor hurried to his feet, holding the cushion with one hand and his cane with the other as he limped over.
“Sorry, Jayce, Mel,” Viktor whispered when he reached them.
“Don’t worry about it, Vik. It's an exciting day,” Jayce replied, before he took a ring, the one enamored with diamonds, and put it on Mel’s finger.
Viktor watched the way her eyes brightened even more, before she took the ruby ring and put it on Jayce’s finger. As he went back to his seat, they kissed, bringing an end to the ceremony. It was then that Viktor realized he felt off. He felt shaky, well, even more shaky than usual, just from taking a few steps. He watched as the audience started to disperse for the after party. Jayce took Mel by the hand to cut the cake and that was when Viktor felt the familiar lump in his throat. Maybe he could slip away and nobody would notice.
Viktor smiled apologetically at the couple, before he limped away, barely reaching the hall before he coughed loudly. The familiar irony taste of blood coated his tongue and the room started spinning. There was something different about this though, he felt like he was going to pass out. Viktor gripped the wall tightly as he found himself starting to sway. Before he knew it, he found himself falling to the ground. As his head hit the ground, his world instantly became overcome with darkness.
Jayce
Jayce smiled at Mel as he finished talking with another guest. He loved this, but he also just wanted to spend time with his wife. Yet, something in the back of his mind told him to look for Viktor. He excused himself from Mel and the group of people she was talking with in favor of searching for Viktor. During events like these, Viktor was typically at the lab, so Jayce found himself unsure of where to start and why he had felt that urge in the first place. He assumed that Viktor wouldn’t be mingling and would probably still be sitting in his chair, so that’s where he walked, frowning when he saw that his partner wasn’t sitting there. He knew that his partner didn’t like to be coddled, or worried about, but he couldn’t help but be concerned. It wasn’t like him to leave without telling him, especially when it was such an important day.
“Jayce, are you okay?” a familiar voice asked behind him and he turned around to see Mel.
“Yeah, just worried about Vik. I can’t find him anywhere and I don’t think he would leave without telling me,” Jayce replied, nervously biting his nails, a habit he had picked up after his old lab had been blown up.
“Well then, let’s go look for him,” Mel said, resting her hand on his shoulder.
Jayce gave her a grateful smile, gripping her hand lightly. His wife gave him a small smile, gripping his hand back before turning to the crowd to announce the end of the after party. As she spoke, Jayce began walking for the hall, hoping that Viktor hadn’t gone too far. Jayce anxiously stepped into the dimly lit hall, spotting a heap on the floor. He saw the movements of a chest moving up and down and felt his heart lurch. It seemed that the person who had fallen had attempted to catch themselves on the wall. Jayce shook himself of his thoughts, quickly racing over to the collapsed person. Jayce crouched down, rolling the person over, revealing an unconscious Viktor. His head was bleeding from where he had hit the ground and his eyes were shut. Up close, Jayce could now see and hear that his breathing was irregular.
“Shit, Vik,” Jayce breathed anxiously, brushing messy hair out of his partner’s face. He noticed the blood at his lips and cursed, lifting Viktor bridal style, his partner’s head rolling to his chest. As Jayce stood up fully, Mel came around the corner. “Mel, we need to get him to a doctor.”
Mel nodded firmly, quickly leading Jayce through the long winding halls of the capital. Jayce didn’t pay attention to the halls and rooms they walked past, focused only on the man in his arms. Jayce felt tears rising in his eyes as Viktor’s breathing slowly became more irregular. It felt like ages before they finally made it to the medical ward. The bright lights were blinding as Jayce placed him on the table. Jayce could only hope that Viktor was going to be okay.
The Next Day
Jayce woke with a start as he heard weak coughing. Viktor’s eyes remained closed, but his breathing had evened out somewhat, well, despite the coughing. He looked exhausted despite the fact that he had been sleeping for hours. Now that he was able to get a closer look at Viktor, he noticed that he looked a lot older than he had been when they met. It was sad to think about the fact that less than ten years ago, Viktor had been smiling, able to stand without his cane, his back straight and confident. He wished there was a way he could save Viktor from his illness.
“Vik, I’m so sorry,” Jayce whispered, though he knew his partner couldn’t hear him. There was something comforting about talking to his partner, even when he was unconscious. Jayce reached out to the bed, grabbing Viktor’s hand gently and squeezing. Of course, he didn’t get a response. At the sound of the door opening, Jayce looked up. A doctor walked into the room, a pen and notepad in hand. “How long does he have?”
“At this rate, a few months,” the doctor replied, sadly looking over at Viktor.
“A few months, that’s not long at all,” Jayce whispered, frowning at his partner’s sleeping face. He had noticed that he was getting sicker with each passing day, but he hadn’t wanted to focus on it. “Is there any way to make him live longer?”
“Unfortunately, this was expected, Viktor knows that he does not have much time. Talk to him when he wakes up. He will need someone with him in a moment like this,” the doctor said, before walking over to Viktor to take vitals.
Jayce watched in silence as the doctor gave a grim nod before giving the two of them some privacy. Jayce sighed as he reached for Viktor’s hand once again, lightly caressing it. A tear slipped down his cheek as Viktor’s labored breathing hitched. He hated seeing his partner like this. Knowing he could do nothing but watch as his health deteriorated. He thought back to a few months ago when the doctor had said he had a few years. He rested his head on Viktor’s hand, closing his eyes as he refused to let go of his partner.
“Jayce?” Viktor’s shaky voice asked, breaking Jayce from his thoughts. His head shot up and he wiped a tear as he saw Viktor. His partner looked sick, terribly sick, but alive. His eyes were clouded with exhaustion as he looked at Jayce. “They said I had a few years last time. I’m guessing it's shorter now?”
“A few months,” Jayce’s voice shook with tears as he spoke. He saw something like acceptance flash in Viktor’s eyes before they closed again and he sighed shakily. It broke Jayce to see how easily Viktor accepted his fast approaching death. “I’ll think of something, there’s got to be some way to save you.”
“Jayce, I accepted my death a long time ago. I do not expect you to put your life on hold just to save me. You have Mel, be happy with her,” Viktor whispered, and Jayce could hear the underlying message in his words. Forget about me, let me fade into your memory,
“No, you’re my partner, I refuse to just let you die,” Jayce said, firmly grabbing Viktor’s hand, refusing to avert his gaze.
Something flashed in Viktor’s gaze and the tired man sank back, “You’re a fool, Jayce.”