PART 1
Viktor was only twenty one when he got accepted into the University of Piltover. He had sent an application after every time he was rejected, hoping he could get into the uni and get his degree in alchemy, engineering and science. After about three years of rejection, it seemed as though he made a breaking point with his future life. It had been a late night when he received the news, working away in his lab, almost blowing something up when father (Silco) had gone and handed it to his son. Silco’s intimidating gaze was piercing through as he opened the letter and read it aloud, overjoyed at the fact he had gotten accepted into it.
Two years later, he was now working his way through his third year at the university. Powder, as he once knew, had also gotten accepted, so his adopted sister was following in his footsteps. She changed her name to Jinx. Her sister, Vi was there as well. He wasn’t sure that he and Jinx were going to share a dorm room anymore but as long as he didn’t have a shitty roomate, he could live with it. He walked up the stairs, wincing in pain with every step, even with his cane in hand. Taking the stairs was a bad idea but it helped strengthen his leg. He was born with a malformed leg, causing a limp in his walk, which was the reason he carried the cane around. And yes, Jinx did dazzle it up a little. He appreciated the idea, but swapped it out for it for his usual black cane. Yes he had two. The original white one before Jinx decorated it and the black one.
Viktor carried the last box from the previous floor where his dorm room used to be to where he would be staying for the year and possibly the next. He sighed as he pushed his hands through his hair, grumbling in Czech. He was in pain and going for a swim sounded really nice right about now. He took the keys from his pocket, blinking when the door opened before him, and of course his roommate was in. Jayce Talis. Lovely.
Jayce Talis, captain of the baseball team and one of the popular ones. He was one of Kirammans’s favourites, other than their own daughter but still. He was heir of the Talis family, which worked with welding and the forge. Yes, Jayce did work in the forge, but mostly as a stress reliever. He had applied to the academy when he could and it did take him a few tries (the same amount it took Viktor, joining the same year without the two knowing). Jayce had shared a room the previous year with a male named Ekko, who was Jinx’s boyfriend as he came to find out one night, and thank god, he wasn’t sharing a room with him anymore. He liked the kid, but boy was he glad to be away.
Jayce had heard he was getting a new roommate but he didn’t know who, nor did he know when he was getting there, so he set up his own stuff, putting up his posters and books on the shelves in the room he claimed as his. He set a few small things in the small living space, and in the kitchenette. He was about to head out for a few rounds of practice when the dangling of keys caught his attention. Being the kind man he was, he opened the door and was shocked to see a man, no older than he was (maybe a year younger), dressed in black jeans, a grey shirt, covered by a long trench coat, wearing rectangular framed glasses that matched his brown and gold tipped hair, framing his angular face quite well. He blinked twice, before coming to his senses and he also noticed the can that he was leaning on but he didn’t ask questions.
“I assume you’re my roommate?” Jayce tried to make a light hearted comment. Viktor scowled the second he saw who his roommate was and simply nodded, picking up his box and pushed past Jayce, claiming the empty room as his.
Jayce blinked at the harsh welcome and scratched the back of his neck, watching as Viktor disappeared into the room with a distant limp, his cane tapping on the tile floor. He shut the door behind him, muttering “well, this is going to be fun,” before grabbing his baseball gear and putting it into his duffle bag. He had a few spare minutes until he needed to head out, may as well try to ease some of the tension and break the ice a little.
Viktor grumbled in Czech, sighing deeply as he set one of the four boxes down on the bed, the other three already being in here, curiosity of Jinx, who did promise to help him get settled in and he was holding her to that. For now, he sat down on the bed, massaging his knee, wincing a little at the pain. He took off his leg brace, setting it aside for the time being, knowing his body needed a break. He ran hand through his silky hair, letting it flow down his shoulders as he rubbed a hand over his face, taking his glasses off. ‘ Out of all people possible, why him?! ’ he thought to himself. He would rather get rejected again by the university than spend a year with Jayce Talis as his roommate. He looked over at the boxes that needed to be opened and the items inside needed to be put away, that included the box with all of his bedding. He exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding, adjusted his leg brace as he put it back on and pulled one of the boxes closer by using his cane, his door slightly opened. He placed the box on the ground, sitting down with his bad leg stretched out and his other tucked under him. He was playing jazz music at a low volume, softly humming to the melody of the music as he pulled the bedsheets out of the box, unravelling the fragile items. He barely looked up when he heard footsteps that likely belonged to his roommate.
Jayce finally decided to try and be civil before he headed out to practice. Leaving his bag on the counter, the man walked towards the other’s bedroom, lightly knocking the door to alert his presence. He poked his head through, hand resting on the doorknob, keeping his balance as he spoke.
“Hey, uh.. I’m about to head out to practice but I figured I would check in before I go… I uh never got your name,” Jayce attempted, leaning on the doorframe. Man, he sucked at this. Usually he wasn’t this awkward, then again, he also didn’t crush on his roommate the first day of meeting each other. Viktor hummed softly in reply, nimble fingers pulling out sheets from the box, laying it down beside him. His cane was discarded on the floor beside him, but was in easy reach.
“It’s Viktor,” answered the young man, not looking up, taking out books and a few glass objects from the box. He wasn’t interested in small talk and he would rather be alone, or at least be with his sister whom he was still waiting on to arrive. Jayce nodded, unsure what more to say so he didn’t, other than letting him know that he was heading out.
Jayce had told Viktor he was heading out, cracking the door as he walked back to the kitchen, grabbing his duffle bag and water bottle before walking out, shutting the door behind him, jumping as he almost ran into someone with vibrant blue hair. “Oh! My bad, sorry.”
The young woman, Jinx, who had just returned from her art class (being one year under her brother, her schedule was a little different), her shirt covered in paint, and she was still wearing her paint covered smock, as well as a half eaten apple in her hand. Her braids over her shoulders as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, looking Jayce up and down, criticising him, then she finally spoke up. “Watch where you’re going, Talis.”
Jayce winced at her words, which were teasing, maybe? He didn’t know but he didn’t take it to heart. He rubbed the back of his neck, a habit he had when he was embarrassed. He wondered if she was related to Viktor or just a good friend of his. He didn’t ponder on it too much and stepped out of her way, taking note of her paint covered clothes and half eaten apple, which she chucked into the nearby trash can, wiping her hands on her striped pants, and then took her keys from her pocket. He let out a quiet sigh. Man, when did he get so bad at small talk?! He glanced at her blue-purple eyes and offered her space in the corridor, glancing at his watch and cursing, a string of swears falling out of his mouth in Spanish. Jinx raised a brow.
“Shit… I gotta go. Baseball practice, again, sorry about almost running into you,” he said quickly, accent thick on his tongue as he quickly wheeled around her, running down the hall and down the stairs that led to the courtyard, knowing he was going to get lectured by his coach for being late… Again. Jinx stared after him, shrugging before she unlocked the dorm room, having received a spare key from her boyfriend, Ekko. She walked in and followed the sound of music playing. She poked her head into the room, smirking as she watched her brother move slowly about the room. She remained silent, leaning on the doorframe, waiting until she was noticed to say anything, knowing she was either about to get a pillow thrown at her for scaring her brother, or cursed at in Czech.
Viktor was standing with his back to the door, pulling his books out of the box he was standing over, placing each one in a stack, ready to be placed on the shelf above his desk. His laptop was sitting neatly on the wooden desk, all placed neatly in the corner, the charger plugged in and his string lights started but not fully hung up yet. His orchid on the windowsill, which was still thriving. The fake plant placed on the bed for now, set aside for his sister to hang up for him. His phone on his neatly made bed, which was dawned with dark blue sheets, a weighted blanket, a fluffy blanket which was gifted to him by Sevika a while ago as a gift when he first started the university, his pillows fluffed up and lined how he liked it to be. He had picture frames on his nightstand and one on his dresser. His wardrobe was put together too, clothes hanging up and his shoes placed in the shoe rack in the closet as well. His other cane was placed in the corner for now. The only thing missing was the items that needed to be hanged and his books.
He didn’t hear anything at first, but his hearing picked up on light footsteps, and without looking over, he knew Jinx was there. “If you are trying to startle me, you are failing miserably.” He turned and faced her with a soft smile on his lips. “Was wondering when you would show up.”
Jinx shrugged, leaving her shoes off by the door and walking into the carpeted room, sitting on the edge of his bed, humming softly as she picked up the hook and the fake plant, standing on the bed and looked over at him. Viktor directed her to place the plant in the right corner of the room, which happened to be the corner across from his bed and near the window. After she finished that, she hung the rest of his lights for him, then helped him with the books.
Jinx hummed softly after setting up the last of the lights, her eyes wandering around the room as she straightened the smaller items. The space was looking more lively and more like Viktor’s bedroom back home, unlike hers which was covered in paintings, posters, mechanics that she built, and such things that represented her personality. She smiled at her brother’s interests, chuckling as she handed him the books out of the box, being careful with the fragile ones. She wiped her hands on her pants, braids swinging behind her as she perched on the ground, laying on her stomach, smiling up at her brother as he sat on the floor beside her, his cane on the bed. Viktor finished setting his books up, now sitting on the floor and taking his leg brace off, rubbing his knee. Jinx grabbed the drawstring bag from the corner of the room, receiving a look from Viktor. She didn’t say anything but stood up and dug around in his dresser until she found his swimming gear.
“Jinx, what are you-. Oh.” Viktor chuckled, looking at his phone, biting his lip, checking to see if he had received any calls yet. “Has dad called you yet?”
“No. Sev did like four hours ago. Dad was supposed to call you an hour ago,” Jinx told him, tossing over the bag that now had her brother’s swimming gear inside of it. “Ring him up, if he’s not busy, he’ll answer. Maybe. Then we can go for a swim.”
Viktor scowled at his sister before grabbing her discarded phone, searching through her contacts. Jinx gave him a look, sitting down beside him.
“What are you using my phone for?!” she complained.
“If he’s in one of his moods, I blame you,” Viktor answered coolly with a smirk on his face, pressing the call button when he found Silco’s contact, putting it on speaker and setting it on the floor between Jinx and himself.
Meanwhile, across town and near the edge of Zaun, Silco was being pinned under Vander’s broad body, wrapped up into the older male above him. After giving into old feelings, the two finally stopped dancing around each other and had gone for a first date, one that was very much needed after however many years it had been. They’d gone out for an early dinner, agreeing on the restaurant that Mylo worked at (and the boy was very much surprised to see Vander there, with Silco too). They ended up coming back to Silco’s place later in the early minutes of the evening. The two of them now in the living room, glasses of red wine forgotten about as they shared kisses, Silco pinned down on the couch underneath Vander.
The two men were deeply involved with one another. Vander had his large hand roaming the smaller man’s body, working to get the button up shirt Silco usually wore off of his body. Their mouths linked together as they kissed. Silco’s nimble fingers threaded through Vander’s slightly greying hair, pulling the half dressed man closer, arching into his touch. Silco hummed against Vander’s mouth, letting out a soft groan as the other moved down and started kissing his neck, biting softly. Vander smirked against Silco’s skin, biting hard enough on the junction between his shoulder and collarbone, electing a quiet moan from the man beneath him.
“You are unbelievable,” Silco mumbled, laying his head back against the pillow underneath his head, moaning quietly when Vander kept his antics up, biting and nibbling at the man’s pale skin, creating love bites. Vander smirked up at him, dipping his hand between them, trailing at the waistline of SIlco’s trousers.
“Sure, but you’re the one who’s agreeing to this, Sil,” he reminded, stealing a kiss from the smaller man, who pulled away when a sharp trill rang through the room. Silco groaned, his heterochromatic eyes shifted over to the coffee table where the glasses of wine had been forgotten about and where his phone was ringing. The caller ID flashed “J” on the screen, Jinx, his daughter. He pushed a hand through his hair, fixing it a little bit as he moved away from Vander’s touch, despite the fact he didn’t want to. He picked the phone up and placed it to his ear. “Доченька моя, пожалуйста, скажи мне, что ты ничего не взорвала снова? (My girl, please tell me you didn't blow something up again)?”
Jinx and Viktor looked at each other before she spoke up. “Well, aren't you chirpy?”
“I blame you,” Viktor chimed, chuckling a little, rubbing his leg again, humming softly.
Silco sighed, pinching his nose. “Вам обязательно сейчас спорить? Прости, что не позвонил, как обещал. Я был занят, и я..всё ещё. Ты уже заселился, сынок? (Must you argue now? I apologise for not calling as I said I would. I got busy and I am.. Still. Have you settled in alright, my boy?)
“I have. Jinx helped me finish up. We were about to leave and she insisted we ring you.”
“Hm. Well. I trust you two will be alright until tomorrow?”
“Yes, dad. We’ll be fine.” Jinx this time.
“Good. Я люблю вас обоих. Вик, не забывай заботиться о себе, ты тоже, Джинкс. И, пожалуйста, больше никаких взрывов. Спокойной ночи, мои дети. (I love you both. Vik, don't forget to take care of yourself, you as well, Jinx. And please no more explosions. Goodnight, my children),” Silco answered, smiling to himself, showing a piece of vulnerability before ending the call, turning red when he saw Vander’s look. “What?”
“You’re such a softie,” Vander teased, pulling the smaller man into his grasp again, attacking him again with kisses. “I adore you for it.”
Silco hummed, basking into Vander’s warmth, clashing their mouths together, continuing where they left off before they were interrupted by the phone call.
“Bye, love you too, dad!” Jinx said for her and Viktor both before standing up, taking her phone and tucking it into her back pocket. “Now. Let’s go. You could use it.”
Viktor chuckled, clasping the last latch of his leg brace, grasping his cane and pulling himself up with it. “Alright, alright. Let’s go.” He grabbed his phone and the bag that his sister put together for him minutes ago, putting it on his shoulder, following her out of the room. His eyes caught sight of the time. It was only five in the evening even though it felt much later than that. He shut the door to his dorm room behind him, locking it. They had to stop by Jinx’s dorm first and then they’d work their way down to the main lobby where the pool was located.
As they walked down the corridor, Viktor followed his sister, his cane tapping on the tiled floor as he kept up with her at his own pace. It was convenient that she had a dorm on the same floor as he did, only making it a short walking distance from his own dorm room. Without knocking, Jinx walked in, letting her brother in. She set her smock on one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen island, humming softly as she noticed Ekko and Steb talking in the living room. She approached her boyfriend, braids swinging behind her as she hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Hi, Firelight,” she purred in his ear, smiling. She was a smitten, lovestruck puppy almost as she showed affection to her lover. Her blue and pink painted nails gleamed in the setting sunlight as her hand rested on his bicep. Ekko turned his head and leaned into his girlfriend’s touch, a smile tugging at his lips as he pulled her down into a soft kiss.
“Hey there, Blue,” he greeted back softly, pulling away and resting his hand over her’s. His dreads were tied with one of Jinx’s bands she engraved with a bow, and seeing that made her smile even more. She kissed his cheek again before disappearing into their room, grabbing her own swim bag, throwing an extra towel in there too, coming back towards the living room.
“Goin’ for a swim with Vik. I have my phone, don’t worry,” she assured him, her purple eyes sparkling.
“Been a while since I’ve done that myself. Enjoy your swim,” Steb said, his gills flaring a little bit as he clasped his webbed hands together, settling on his lap. Jinx nodded, waving the two boys off, blowing a kiss to her boyfriend before leading the way out the door and to the elevator.
“You’re in a pleasant mood,” Viktor commentated, leaning on his cane as he stepped into the elevator, pushing his glasses up on his nose, rubbing his eyes before he took off the frames, reaching into his bag for his glasses’ case, placing it in there gently and then set it back in the bag. He couldn’t see perfectly but he could see fairly well with his glasses off. Jinx shrugged, taking her jewellery off as they waited for the elevator to come to a stop. When it did, Jinx stepped out, holding it open for her brother, who thanked her with a nod. It was quiet, due to the fact that most of the university students were off doing their own evening routines, and none of them would be out for an evening swim, which made it all the more easier to deal with.
Jinx smiled at her brother as they neared the doors of the indoor pool, scanning her student ID and opening the door for Viktor, letting him in first, and then she followed. “I’ll find us a table.”
Viktor nodded, walking towards the locker rooms. His cane tapped along the tiled flooring of the locker room. He sat down on the bench, thankful that there was no one there. He always had an insecurity when he was changing in front of other people. He didn’t like it, plus it always took him a little longer to get changed. He took his brace off, taking off his clothing and put on his swim shorts, leaving his shirt on for now. He rubbed his knee, trying to lessen the tight muscle a little bit. He carefully stood up, leaving his belongings on the bench for a moment, his bare feet hitting the cold floor under him. He took his cane in hand, grabbing his bag and brace with his other hand before making his way out of the locker room, spotting Jinx, walking over to her. Jinx’s soft grin appeared on her lips as she took off her shoes, saying she would be a minute and went to change in the ladies’ locker room.
Viktor left his cane near the table, walking slowly to the edge of the pool, pulling his shirt off and throwing it on the chair. He sat on the edge, lowering himself into the slightly cold water. The pressure relieving from his bad leg as he did a few backstrokes, his body relaxing in the water. It had been a while since he could relax like this. Ever since he could remember, he always enjoyed swimming, probably because Sevika introduced it to him and helped him get good at it. He always dragged Jinx to the neighbourhood pool when they were teens. It was a relaxing hobby and it helped ease whatever thoughts were in his head at the present. As he mindlessly swam around, he felt his mind drift, focusing on his strokes, letting his body relax. Maybe he should start doing this more. He sighed softly, now on his third lap. This was going to be an interesting year.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Shit, shit, shit…” Jayce cursed as he ran to the baseball field, cleats digging into the dirt as he ran across the campus. He hadn’t meant to be this late! He had only tried to make some peace with his new roommate, Viktor, as he found out and then he ran into Jinx, who was cold to him. He was still upset at himself for being terrible at small talk and he should have gone when he told himself to instead of being five minutes late for the second time that week. He skidded to a stop, taking off his baseball cap and shoving it in his duffel bag, which he threw down on the sideline, grabbing his bat and pulling on his gloves.
His coach, Coach Grayson, had taken note of the fact he was late. She wouldn’t say anything yet. But she would call him out for it when practice would be coming to an end. Jayce caught her gaze and tried to say something but she disregarded it.
“Late again, Talis!” Her sharp and deep voice rang out across the field. The others on the team stopped what they were doing, looking at their captain. A few whispers cut across the field. Mel Medarda, Jayce’s ex-girlfriend, frowned when she caught the words of a few, shooting them a scowl. She adjusted her cap and threw the ball at the standing up batter. Jayce winced at hearing his coach’s sharp voice. He knew what was coming and it wasn’t going to be something nice. Grayson didn’t let anyone get away with being late, let alone twice in a week. He didn’t say anything, accepting his fate.
“Twenty laps after practice. Don’t make me regret putting you as team captain, Talis. Get to it,” Grayson said. Jayce nodded, jogging over to the batting box, grip tightening on his bat as he prepared to swing. Mel looked at him, nodding before she tugged her cap down, eyes narrowing as she focused on her task. Jayce rolled his shoulders, eyes focused on the ball that hadn’t left Mel’s hand yet. She threw the ball and his eyes zeroed in on it, following it with his eyes and when it came closer, his body turned on instinct, swinging his bat. When his bat made contact with the ball, a satisfying crack was heard. He dropped his bat and rounded the bases, making a home run. He returned to the dugout after he retrieved his bat from the home base. He sighed softly, retying the laces of his cleats, distracting his mind for a while until he was called up to bat again.
When practice came to an end, Grayson called him over and told him to start running laps. Jayce internally groaned but agreed, not arguing as he didn’t want to further his punishment. He started with a light jog, pacing himself as he ran around the field. As he ran, he focused on the encounters from earlier today. Viktor being his roommate probably for the next three years that they had at the university, having that awkward moment with Jinx. He sighed, telling himself to focus as he made his fourth lap, sixteen more to go.
He pushed himself through the laps, his legs burned with each one he did. He only had a few more left, nearing the finish line. As he passed the dugout for the eighteenth time, he had taken notice that Mel stayed behind, watching him. A little creepy but the small gesture made him smile a little bit and he nodded to her. Mel gave a soft grin back, watching as he rounded the last base, having one more lap to do. Grayson watched from where she was standing, checking her watch. Jayce finished his last lap, breath staggered as he slowed down, almost a walking pace but still jogging slightly.
“Talis! You’re dismissed,” Grayson called out, pushing herself off of the bench she was sitting on. “Good work today.”
Jayce nodded, thanking the coach for the compliment and Mel for handing him his water bottle. He took a long swing from it, panting as he wiped the sweat off of his face with the towel he had in his bag. His lungs ached, his legs did too. He pushed a hand through his sweat laced hair, taking slow breaths to regulate his breathing. He glanced at Mel who pushed her bag on her shoulder, a comfortable silence between the two. Nothing was said as he grabbed his own bag, swinging it on his shoulder and walked out of the field with her.
As they walked back to the building, she eventually pivoted and said something about needing to talk to a professor, leaving him to walk inside by himself. He shrugged, waving her goodbye as he continued on. His head felt lighter but he was definitely still afraid (a little) of his roommate. He wondered how the year would go and the upcoming years would go too. They’d had a rough start and he hoped he could make amends, or at least try to be friends with him so that way their interactions weren’t awkward. He walked through the campus, reaching the side doors to the building and he entered the University. He felt a wave of exhaustion hit him as he turned towards the stairs, groaning. He really didn’t want to walk up two flights of stairs but it was better than nothing. He cursed at himself for taking the long way back to his dorm.
His mind wandered to what the year would look like. Would they ever get along? They couldn’t avoid each other entirely, right? He shrugged to himself, sighing softly. He hadn’t really had any experience with roommates that were cold and unfriendly like Viktor, but he would figure it out… Maybe. Jayce felt sore everywhere, the stairs felt like they were never ending. He only had a few more and then he could shower, eat, and then go to bed. His body felt heavier now that the adrenaline from practice was wearing off, the exhaustion definitely creeping in on his body. Though he didn’t mind, it had been a good workout, but his brain kept buzzing with the weird encounter he had with Viktor. He pushed it away, trying to ignore it for now, approaching his dorm door.
Jayce tried the doorknob first, just in case Viktor was in the dorm and left the door unlocked. Not even a step into the dorm, he smelled something being cooked and it smelled good. He opened the door and stepped into the dorm room, shutting it behind him. He took notice that Viktor had his back to him, flipping something in a pan, leaning on his cane and his hair looked wet? He had to guess he just got out of the shower. He made his presence known by clearing his throat, passing by for a moment to put his duffel bag and cleats in his bedroom, walking back to the small kitchenette, perching on one of the stools. His brown eyes glanced at his roommate, trying to figure out what was in the pan.
“If you’re going to stare, I suggest you don’t,” Viktor muttered, turning the stove off and grabbing two plates, serving the dish for himself and Talis, handing it to him. “There should be hot water left over. It’s Pierogi. Polish dish, dumplings with various fillings.”
Jayce blinked at him, clearly not expecting this, especially when he was so cold earlier. He was a little shocked at the small gesture. He didn’t take Viktor to be the friendly one, nor the one to cook. He took the plate gratefully, grabbed his water bottle and set it beside his plate. He hadn’t ever heard of the dish before, usually making whatever he had stocked, and he had just gone food shopping recently so the fridge and cabinets were full with ingredients. Plus a few leftovers when he and Cait had cooked something two days ago. He had asked her to help him make chicken enchiladas, and there were a few left in the fridge, enough for two people. He glanced back at Viktor who had now rounded the corner, sitting down beside him with his cane within reach for when he needed it. He observed the man beside him, trying not to be awkward about it though.
Viktor’s glasses rested on his nose, highlighting his sharp honey eyes, his naturally dark chestnut hair was dyed golden along the bottom, and it was shoulder length as Jayce noticed. It was also slightly damp from the shower he had taken before he’d started cooking, the faint smell of chlorine lingered with whatever soap Viktor had used. Mint and something sweet? He didn’t know. Jayce looked down at the plate, stabbing one of the dumplings with his fork and biting it. An explosion of flavour burst in his tongue.
“Esto es increíble! (Holy shit, this is amazing!)” Jayce exclaimed in his native tongue. The sudden statement caught Viktor off guard, his eyes glanced over to him, clueless of what he had said.
“Przepraszam? (Pardon?)” Viktor asked, the sentence coming out in Polish, his brow raised as he tried to interpret whatever Jayce had just said. Jayce’s ears turned red, rubbing the back of his neck as he apologised… In Spanish. The corners of Viktor’s mouth twitched into a light smile. “I take it Spanish is your native language?”
“Yeah.. It is. My dad’s side is from Spain so he spoke it alot, mom did too after she learned. Uh.. You speak… What was that language?” Jayce asked nervously, finishing the rest of his plate, washing it down with a swig of water. Viktor didn’t answer right away, gathering his own dishes, tucking his book under his arm as he stood, favouring his right leg more than his left.
“Polish. And Russian,” Viktor answered, walking over to the sink where he washed his plate off, setting it on the drying rack. “My mother was Polish, so I was taught that from her, my father taught me Russian.” He glanced at Jayce for the second time that night, leaning on his cane for a second before he turned on his heels and started walking towards his room.
Jayce, still dawning in his baseball uniform, stood up, washing his own dish and then grabbed his bag. He called out to Viktor, thanking him for dinner, but he only got a slight nod in return before the door was shut. Well. That was a start? Sort of. It was better than before. He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair, walking to his own room, putting down his bag, checking his phone for any missed calls or texts from either Cait or his mom. None yet. He stripped from his uniform, threw it in the hamper and grabbed a pair of clothes, heading for the bathroom where he turned the knob, letting the water run. As the water flowed down his shoulders, he let out a long sigh and relieved sigh. His body was still aching from practice but it had been nice to clear his head. He ran a hand through his hair, scrubbing soap onto his scalp, which felt amazing honestly. The tension from his shoulder fell as he stood under the hot water.
As the hot water flowed down his shoulders, he shut his eyes and let it wash away the events of the day. The constant buzz of practice still lingered in his head, a mix of exhaustion and adrenaline but the warm water against his skin was soothing. His muscles ached from the drills he did plus the twenty laps he was forced to run; it was painful, but it was the kind of pain that let him know he worked hard and meaningfully. It was rewarding in its own way, even though his legs and arms felt like jello, feeling like his body could melt into the floor if he could.
Jayce’s thoughts circled back to his roommate, Viktor (his last name he had no idea, he’d figure it out). He couldn’t shake the awkwardness from their earlier interactions that they had had. Everything was tense when they first met. The Russian was cold, distant, like a fortress behind his pretty eyes and stiff posture. Jayce hadn’t known what to make of him at first. The distance wasn’t something he was to- he was a people pleaser, a teammate, someone who enjoyed the presence of others, but Viktor… He was different. Silent, cold, mysterious too, his guarded demeanour gave him the impression that Viktor didn’t want anything to do with him. However, the offered meal and the slightly less awkward small talk they had just shared, gave him hope that maybe they could be friends? Or at least tolerate each other at the very most.
Jayce sighed, finding himself thinking about how little he knew of his roommate and how much he wanted to know… Which would be a little tricky seeing as Viktor wasn’t one to bring it up himself. He would get there… Eventually. His body relaxed under the warmth of the water, his mind still swirling with thoughts from the events of the day. He couldn’t let Grayson down again. He did not want to be kicked off the team or benched for their next game. It was only the beginning of the season, and they had a lot more games to win before ever making it to the championship. Jayce leaned his head back into the water, pushing his fingers through his wet hair, his thoughts weighing down on him like a boulder. His tight muscles were slowly loosening but he was still uptight and tense.
After staying under the warm water for a while longer, he finally turned it off after it started going cold, stepping out and wrapping a towel around his waist, drying off his hair, shaking it out like a wet dog. He looked at his reflection, telling himself that he wasn’t going to let the peer pressure get to him. He’d been through enough tough times before and overcame challenges too, this wasn’t any different. He just needed to focus. (Then again, he had a really cute roommate that he was starting to fall for?? <insert bi panic>). He smiled at himself, combing his hair, brushing his teeth and then dressing in a comfortable t-shirt and sweats. He slipped on a pair of socks too. After getting dressed, he exited and passed by Viktor’s room, noticing that the door was shut. He thought to himself for a moment, debating whether or not he should strike a conversation, deciding against it, he locked the main door into their dorm, shutting off the lights and closing the blinds before retreating to his own room, keeping the door cracked. He laid on his bed, the exhaustion finally kicking in.
He rolled on his side, turning off his lamp that was on his bedside table. He plugged his phone in and tugged the quilt over his body, staring up at the ceiling. The silence of his room was comforting. The weight of the blanket was heavy on his body. He glanced at his phone, receiving a text from Caitlyn, but decided not to answer. Instead, he sent a voicemail to his mom, promising to call her tomorrow. He turned his phone face down on the dresser, sighing softly. He looked back up at the ceiling. The silence of the dorm settled around him, the kind of quietness that felt comforting after a rather long day. His muscles were sore, but it felt good, like he’d earned every ache. Jayce took a slow breath, his mind simmering down as the never ending thoughts slowed down a little. He shut his eyes, trying to calm his mind down, trying to get some sleep that night, knowing he needed it. When he couldn’t get comfortable that way, he flipped to lay on his stomach, pressing face into the pillow, taking slow breaths, hoping that would help his body relax.
Jayce hummed something to himself, shutting his eyes and finally, he felt the exhaustion hitting him like a truck. He curled up, getting comfortable as his mind still wandered around before he finally blacked out. Maybe this year, and the upcoming years would be okay.
God. He hoped so.