Week of April 13
Learning Russian was… A learning curve. It certainly hadn’t been something Jayce saw himself doing in the near future, yet. Here he was sitting in Jinx’s apartment with Jinx tutoring him with Russian. Okay, you might be asking why in the world Jayce Talis, Piltover’s Golden Boy, was learning Russian from a Zaunie whom he became close friends with from the university and was an old friend’s sister. Simply put, he was going to ask Viktor to spend forever with him. In Russian. Yes, you heard me right. In Viktor’s native tongue. That and the other thing he needed to cross off was getting Silco’s permission, which was going to be like pulling teeth.
Jinx, being the great teacher she was, pulled out a whiteboard (the very same one she and Ekko had used when teaching Isha sign), and started writing Russian words, having Jayce translate each and every one until he got it right. How he managed to get Viktor’s sister to get him to teach him Russian was immaculate, surprising too. He didn’t think she would agree to this, but yet, here he was. Sitting in the kitchen of her and Ekko’s apartment, going over the basics once again, such as one letter words. It was easy? No, it really wasn’t. Man, he hated this! Why did he let himself do this?? Hell if he knew! Also, how he managed to get away from his boyfriend was… Questionable. He’d managed to come up with a lie by saying he was heading out to pay a visit to his mum for a few hours, and probably stopping by Caitlyn’s to say hi. Viktor bought it, having something of his own coming up, which included Jinx but he’d received a text from his boyfriend right as he and Jinx had started their session which had said that Ekko and Isha were over without Jinx. He didn’t say anything, but he did end up calling him after about an hour into the session, saying he’d tell Jinx to come by if he saw her on his way back from his mum’s, and with that, Jayce went back to trying to figure out how to say his sappy speech in Russian for Viktor later that week.
“Right. Now, don’t make your “marry me” speech super sappy, which you’ve probably already done,” Jinx said, leaning against the kitchen counter, blue hair pulled into a messy bun instead of her usual braids. Jayce groaned, rubbing his temples. He couldn’t believe himself that he willingly signed up for this. “Did you already write it down?”
“Yes,” he mumbled, taking out a folded piece of paper and handing it to her. The piece of parchment had a lot of sentences crossed out and replaced with better sounding words. What!? He was trying to make it sound not too cliche but also romantic? Man, he was a hopeless romantic. A lovesick puppy as Jinx teased him. The woman unfolded the paper and deciphered his scribbles as if she were translating some ancient code in hieroglyphics. Jayce leaned back in his back, his ears turning red as he hid his face in his arms. He tried not to sound too cheesy and lovey, but… Eh. Jinx smirked and raised brow as she read his rough draft of a speech.
“Geez, man….” Her voice dripped with mockery as she scanned the pages, laughing a little. Her purple eyes looked back at him. “This is terrible.”
Jayce groaned, wishing he could melt into the floor, face bright red as he looked at Jinx who had finished reading his speech.
“Really? I mean, really? This is just shit, Jayce. “You’re the light of my life, V”? That’s a bit much, no? You’re proposing, not reading some shitty, cheesy Shakespeare novella to him. Brownie points for being creative though.” She dropped the paper on the counter, chuckling as she brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes and looked back at her soon to be brother in law.
“I don’t know!! I’m trying here! This is the first I’ve felt for anyone in a long time. Yeah, I had that thing with Mel but that was just a one time thing, and I was wasted,” he added, rubbing his temples, wishing he could go back to his usual confident and overly practical self and not act like this was the most nerve wracking thing he’d ever done. Jinx rolled her eyes, leaning against the kitchen counter with an amused expression on her face.
“Alright. I get it, you’re trying but Jayce, listen to me. You’re overthinking this. Firstly, you’re not writing a fucking sonnet for him, you’re just asking him to spend the rest of forever with you. Keep it real, keep it simple and sweet. No extra dramatics, that’s my job.” She gave him a pointed look. “Just be honest, dude. That’s how he fell for ya. Not the sappy shit you’re writing.”
Jayce sighed, knowing she was right. He raked his hands through his hair and opened his mouth to say something but before he was able to get any words out, his phone rang and the words, ‘ Viky ♥ ️ ’ flashed across his phone screen. Jinx laughed when she saw the nickname he had given him.
“Lovesick dog,” she teased.
“Shut up,” he mumbled, answering the phone and waving her off to be quiet. “Hey, babe.”
Viktor looked a little suspicious when Jayce answered. He usually never answered with that. “Hello, darling. How’s your mother?”
“She’s good. Ish and Ekko not causing too much trouble?” Jayce answered almost on instinct.
“No. They left a few minutes before I called you. I was hoping you would be back before lunch.”
Jayce paled and froze, opening and shutting his mouth as he struggled to find the words. How the hell was he supposed to explain?! Jinx looked at him and gave him a look that somehow helped him find the words he needed to explain that he was on his way back. “Yeah, that was my goal. I’m ten? minutes out. I’ll see you soon?”
Viktor hummed softly. “Alright.”
“Love you.”
“I love you too.”
The line ended there and Jayce, being the overachiever he was, scrambled to pick up his coat, giving Jinx a hug and leaving just as quickly as Ekko returned to the apartment with Isha. Ekko looked at his girlfriend and raised a brow, questioning her silently. Isha looked at her mother with the same look before going over and handing her a flower, signing that she had picked it on the way home.
“Aw! Thanks, sweet girl,” Jinx said, signing as she spoke, kneeling down to kiss her daughter on the head before standing up and placing the flowers in a vase of water. “What did V have to say?” she asked her boyfriend, still signing, using one hand though as Isha seeked comfort from her mum, and in return, Jinx picked Isha up, brushing her blue dyed hair behind her ear, smiling at her. Isha snuggled into her mum’s arms, looking at her dad with a playful smile and Ekko returned it. The older male loved seeing his two favourite girls happy like this, it always made him smile and made his heart flutter with joy. He walked around the island and kissed Jinx on her mouth softly, ruffling Isha’s hair gently when he pulled away.
“My beautiful ladies,” he said, his voice playful. Jinx blushed a little, a rare sight to see as her heart swelled with affection as she held her daughter close and in turn, she kissed Ekko back, smiling at him and Isha. She brushed a stay lock of blue hair from the young girl’s amber eyes as the little girl giggled, snuggling further into her mum’s embrace. Ekko leaned against the counter but not before wrapping his arms around the two girls, holding them in a tight embrace, just enjoying the small moment between the three of them. The spring breeze blew in through the cracked kitchen window, the sun shining through the window and illuminating the blue hues in both girls’ hair.
Meanwhile, Jayce hurried to get back to his and Viktor’s house- which they had finally gotten after months of saving up from working as professors at the academy. He took his key from his belt, grabbing it from the keyring he kept on his belt loop and unlocked the door. He stepped past the threshold, toeing off his shoes and wandered into the living room where he expected to see his boyfriend but instead smelled something amazing being cooked. Huh. Viktor cooking was never a good sign. He shivered at the memory. What? Normally Jayce was the one to cook and that was because Viktor had somehow burned water! Which led into Jayce banning him from the kitchen but he supposed Viktor was redeeming himself? He let his curiosity get to him and he followed the smell into the kitchen, smiling as he watched his boyfriend move almost expertly across the kitchen. Just seeing his beautiful boyfriend was something that brought a smile to the blacksmith’s face. He noticed the lankier man was clad in one of his hoodies, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he added ingredients to the pot, as well as wearing a pair of comfortable sweats, his cane resting beside him, ready to be grabbed if needed. Jayce smiled softly at this. He couldn’t help but just stand there for a moment and drink in the sight of his boyfriend. The warm light of the kitchen made soft caramel tones of his pale skin glow, and the hoodie-Jayce’s hoodie- covered his slender frame in a way that made the blacksmith’s chest tighten with affection. His boyfriend’s concentration was so intense that he hadn’t realised Jayce was behind him and was admiring him.
Jayce stepped closer, his socks muffling his footsteps. The creaking of the wooden floorboards were masked by the soft music that was being played from Viktor’s phone, jazz from the tunes of it. He inched as close as he could before he wrapped his arms around Viktor, holding him in a strong grasp and leaning in to steal a kiss only to be met with a wooden spoon to the side of his face.
“Ow! What the hell?!” he said out of instinct, hissing at the pain. Viktor yelped and turned to face Jayce, who was rubbing his cheek. A visible red mark from the spoon’s impact on his cheek.
“Я не хотел бить тебя. (Jayce!? Holy shit! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! Are you okay?! I didn't- I'm sorry,)” Viktor spoke in rapid Russian so Jayce wasn’t able to understand it but the only thing he caught was his name. Viktor’s bony hands cradled his face after he turned the stove down, as if he were inspecting the mark he had made with the spoon. Worry and guilt clouded his eyes as he looked at Jayce.
“V, I’m okay-. Hey, hey.. What’s wrong, Vitya?” Jayce asked, cupping Viktor’s face, bringing him close and kissing his forehead. “I’m okay, V. I promise.”
Viktor was tense and Jayce could feel that. He rubbed his shoulders gently, kissing the top of his forehead, soothing him as best as he could, giving words of praise and reassuring that he was okay because he was okay. Jayce gently stroked Viktor’s hair back, humming softly as he kissed his head again.
“I’m okay, Vitya,” Jayce promised. “Okay? If I’d known you’d have whacked me with a spoon, I wouldn’t have done that. But seriously. I’m okay.”
Viktor nodded and smiled a little bit, and in return, he kissed Jayce on his cheek before returning to the stove top. Jayce wrapped his arms around the shorter male, laying his chin on his shoulder before shifting so his head was laying on Viktor’s. He tilted his head and stole a kiss before the Russian told him to go and set the table, which he did after he stole a kiss from his boyfriend, then getting the bowls out.
“What did you make exactly?” Jayce asked, returning to be behind his lover.
“Borscht. My mum showed me how before she.. Passed… I have only made it a handful of times. Jinx has tried. Silco has as well but Sevika has been the only other one to perfect the recipe and I thought it would be something you would enjoy as well, Мой любимый (my love),” he hummed softly, leaning back into Jayce’s comfortable touch. Jayce smiled a little to himself, understanding the pet name (and not just because he’s heard it thousands of times).
“It smells amazing.”
“Mmm… I should hope so. It only needs a few more minutes to simm-.” Viktor was cut off by Jayce dipping him into a kiss, one hand on his lower back and the other supporting his neck. Well. He wasn’t expecting that. Viktor blinked before wrapping his arms around him, shifting his bad leg so that way he could stand comfortably even if he was a few inches off of the ground. He was caught off guard, a soft gasp escaping him as Jayce dipped him into a deep kiss. His small frame was being supported by Jayce’s strong arms. He felt like his heart skipped a beat and it probably did as he enjoyed the moment, everything else fading into the background. Jayce’s hand on his lower back sent a chill up his spine, the pressure of the kiss deepened as he instinctively responded, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. He shifted his bad leg to lean it against Jayce’s body for stability. He felt safe and guarded in the embrace.
Jayce shifted slightly, tilting his head to deepen the kiss further, sliding his tongue past Viktor’s mouth. His hand on Viktor’s lower back, pressed him even closer, his other hand gently toying with the ends of his hair. The world around them seemed to disappear for a moment- It was just them. The moment they were sharing only focused around the two. Viktor let out a soft noise when Jayce shifted, cradling him closer to his chest. His hand clutched Jayce’s tie, holding him with the same amount of strength as he could. He loved the little moments like this, and even if they caught him by surprise, he loved it. Viktor’s breath hitched when Jayce moved him to be pinned against the counter, raking his hands through Jayce’s brown curls. His thin frame pressed firmly against Jayce’s broad frame, deepening the kiss as much as he could without letting the blacksmith take control. Jayce smirked against his mouth, pinning Viktor’s hands above his head to the cabinet, trailing kisses down his jawline to his neck where he made love bites along his pale skin, biting and nipping hard enough to leave hickies there and yes, he made it visible despite the smaller man’s obligations. He let out a shaky breath when he was pressed into the counter, the rough edge digging slightly into his lumbar but he barely registered it against the heat coursing through his body. Jayce’s strong hands pinned his wrists effortlessly above his head, his grip firm yet gentle. He felt weak at the knees as Jayce’s mouth worked its way down his neck, each nip and bite sending chills of electricity through him.
“Джейс… (Jayce),” Viktor whispered breathless, his voice barely audible as Jayce found the sensitive spot below his ear, blowing cold air before he nipped at the pale skin there, smirking against his neck.
“Yes, Vitya?” Jayce murmured, trailing kisses back up to Viktor’s mouth, stealing a kiss on the lips.
“You are insufferable,” Viktor mumbled, eyes fluttering open, looking up at the taller man who simply smirked and stole another kiss before letting Viktor’s hands fall back down to his hips, humming softly.
“You love me.”
“I do,” Viktor mumbled, turning the stove off and grabbing two bowls, serving lunch for the two of them. Jayce watched as Viktor shifted from the moment of passion back into his routine. His calm demeanour contrasted the heat that had flared between the two of them. His movements were graceful and his face flushed red from the lingering effects of the short make out session. Jayce couldn’t help but admire the way his boyfriend carried himself. He loved Viktor and as nervous as he was to ask him to be his forever, he wasn’t going to stop at that. Nothing would make him stop loving this beautiful creature of a man he loved.
*********************
By Wednesday of that week, Jayce was stressing . He had to get Silco’s blessing, or approval, whatever you wanted to call it but everytime he tried going down to the Lanes by himself, he chickened out and hesitated. He needed a time when Viktor was busy and Ekko took that way so he could steal Jinx so she could go with him. Then the idea struck him. A few of Viktor’s classes had testing that day and he had a free period, so he could go during his second period, have Jinx go with him and be back before the next hour! That would work… Right? God, he hoped so.
“Jayce, are you listening?” His boyfriend’s words cut him out of his trance. His hazel eyes snapped up to Viktor who was leaning on his cane, giving him one of those looks.
“I wasn’t, sorry. What did you say?” Jayce rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Viktor smiled gently, stepping forward and squeezing his shoulder, leaning down to his level to kiss him on the cheek.
“I have to administer testing until my lunch period. I was hoping you would like to go out for lunch, hm?” Viktor’s fingers played with Jayce’s curls, leaning against his cane heavily, waiting for a response from his partner. Jayce blinked. He hadn’t meant to space out like that, but he did from the weight of something so important resting on his mind. Just thinking about getting Silco’s permission made him feel ill.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll come find you afterwards, Vitya,” Jayce answered, trying to keep his voice steady as he leaned back into his lover’s touch. Viktor’s smile softened as he took in his lover’s response, leaning down to kiss him softly on the lips.
“I’ll be waiting, Jay,” he hummed, squeezing his shoulder before slowly making his way out the door, looking over his shoulder and signed ‘ I love you ’, waiting for one in return, which Jayce did and blew a kiss. Viktor chuckled and blew a kiss back, pale cheeks turning faintly pink before he headed to his classroom. The second Viktor was gone, Jayce pulled his phone out and called Jinx, risking the phone call instead of texting.
Almost instantly, Jinx picked up, her voice always chipper and full of energy. “Jinx speaking. How can I help you?”
Jayce chuckled. It was weird hearing her speak in her “job” voice. She’d gotten a job as a freelance artist but also working part time for the school Isha went to since she was pretty decent with children. “It’s Jayce. I- uh… I need a favour.” Yeah. Stress was written all over him.
“Lucky you, my shift ended. You finally asking Silco?”
“.... Yes.”
“And this is what? The fourth time?”
“Alright! Alright. I’m nervous! He terrifies me!” Jayce whined, running his hands through his hair, sighing softly as Jinx laughed into the phone.
“My god, Jayce. You really are scared of everyone in our family. I mean, I get it. It’s Silco. But Sev?! C’mon. You can’t be afraid of Seviak?! Besides, with all the shit you went through, you came out alive. You’ll be fine.”
“Not helping. Just… Ugh. Meet by the bridge? I have a limited chance to do this.”
“Chill. I’ll be there in five.”
“Thank you. See you soon,” and with that, he ended the line. He sighed softly, shoving his phone into his pocket, as well as his wallet and keys before heading towards the door. He made sure Viktor wasn’t at the door before he found Heimerdinger and quickly explained where he was going and why. The yordle understood and dismissed him. Jayce quickly ran out of the Academy's doors and headed towards the bridge that used to separate the two cities.
Jinx, on the other hand, had asked Ekko to pick up Isha from school as she would be out doing errands. If Ekko wasn’t able to get her, usually Viktor or Jayce would and they’d babysit her for a few hours. She grabbed her phone and keys, walking out towards the spring air filled city. She walked with a sort of purpose, texting Silco a heads up that she and Jayce would be coming down there soon. Her father replied with, “this ought to be good. You know where to find me. Sevika is off Janna knows where.” She chuckled and stowed her phone in her pocket before walking down the cobblestone path and hurried her pace towards the bridge. She did get a little sidetracked and took a few pictures to later show Ish and Ekko because that’s what she did, besides, the flowers and the view from the bridge was beautiful. Jinx, as always, had gotten to the designated spot within the time she said she would be there and waited on the nervous blacksmith to show up. She half expected him to ditch halfway, deciding not to show. She sat on the edge of the bridge, her blue hair pulled up into her usual two braids, which swayed with the direction of the wind as she stared at the water, rocking slowly, waiting on her soon to be brother in law.
It was… Comforting. The small ripples of the water soothed her usual restless and chaotic energy. Maybe it was the way the water sounded, or it just reminded her of Ekko’s soft words being spoken to her to ease her into a gentle sleep. She sighed softly, chuckling as she thought of her brother’s boyfriend- likely pacing like a madman somewhere, psyching himself up. She glanced at the flowers nearby and her smile fell into something fond and loving, thinking of her daughter and boyfriend. She tilted her head back, enjoying the spring air, breathing it in slowly, exhaling through her mouth. The sun beaming down on her bare shoulders, having taken her leather jacket off and tied it around her waist. She looked…. Peaceful. The only thing that interrupted her thoughts was hearing Jayce’s footsteps and laboured breathing. She stood up, brushing herself off as she looked at the nervous blacksmith approaching. Jayce was slightly out of breath, due to running to be on time, and staying out of sight of the other professors who had been patrolling around. Jinx smirked, leaning against the pillar that held up the bridge.
“Took long enough,” she teased, standing with her hands on her hips. “Surprised you didn’t chicken out.”
Jayce rolled his eyes, pushing a hand through his hair as he composed himself and shrugged her off, ignoring her tactics and teasing. “Just lead the way.”
“Alright, alright.” Jinx laughed, turning on her heels and stepping into Zaun territory with Piltover’s Golden Boy. The second they stepped foot, Zaunties gave them looks but Jinx ignored it, advising Jayce to do the same thing. She knew the alleys as if they were imprinted on the back of her hand, dodging people here and there, taking different paths, and such. Jayce was as lost as all things shiny so he stuck close to his sister in law, trying not to let the intimidating looks from the Zaunties get to him. Jinx stopped after a moment, frowning as she changed paths.
“Wha-?” Jayce started, but shut his mouth when he saw the look, almost resembling Viktor’s ‘shut up and don’t ask questions’ look, keeping his mouth shut as Jinx redirected around a group of people, though she stopped when she heard her dead name.
“It’s Jinx. Get it right, fuckers. And I’m here on family business, sooooo.” She did one of her hand movements. Jayce recognised the people as someone that Caitlyn had told him about when she was down here with Vi for the holidays. Mylo? Maybe? He gave Jinx a look. “Ignore them.” Was what she said, gripping Jayce’s arm and redirecting them towards the alley, walking hurriedly towards the docks of Zaun where Silco resided. She led them inside the large and brooding tower, and when Jayce caught a glimpse of it, his nerves spiked again. He almost, almost , wanted to ditch, but he didn’t. He made it this far, he may as well finish. Jinx started humming, walking down the long corridor down to her father’s office. She popped her head round the corner, frowning when she didn’t see someone she was looking for, but continued walking with Jayce, reassuring him as they walked into the empty office.
“Isn’t he…?” Jayce stopped talking, fidgeting with the metal flower Viktor made him in their lab years ago that he kept on his keyring.
“Yeah. Usually. Probably had to get something from someone in the Lanes. Just give him a sec,” she answered, poking around her father’s desk because that’s what she did before she settled down on his chair, spinning around.
“Right…” Jayce sighed, looking at his watch and counted the minutes he had left before he had to get back to Piltover and meet Viktor for lunch. He rocked on his heels, checking his phone just to look busy, anything to keep his mind occupied. Jinx was texting Ekko, checking in on him but looked up when the office doors opened and in stepped-.
“Sevvy!” Jinc grinned, hopping up and running over to the older woman, hugging her tightly. Sevika smiled warmly at the young woman, wrapping her non-prosthetic arm around her.
“What in the world are you…. And Piltie doing here?” Sevika asked, pulling away from her niece.
“I would as well like to know why you told me you and Talis would be here,” Silco’s gravelly voice spoke, causing Jayce to jump a little in surprise. He really was jumpy around V’s family. Why? He had no fucking clue. Jayce’s nervous yet confident posture turned towards Silco, wiping his palms on his jeans as he took a moment to find the words he wanted to say, which was a lot harder than he thought, then again, this was his boyfriend’s dad looking him dead in the eye, expecting a good reason! Yes, he was panicking!! Silco’s mismatched eyes narrowed on the blacksmith, arms crossed over his chest and looking intimidating. Sevika and Jinx both found this amusing, struggling to hide their giggles. Jinx sighed softly, going over to her dad and draping her arm around him.
“Don’t scare him too much, dad,” she chuckled, looking at Jayce to say what he needed to say. Jayce took a breath, clearing his throat, lowering his gaze for a moment before the words just blurted out of his mouth.
“I would appreciate it if you gave your blessing… I would like to ask for V’s hand… In marriage.” He sounded like he was on autopilot! He didn’t need to make a fool of himself again! Fuck. He was terrible at this! Silco raised a brow, thinking the words over in his head before speaking again. Silco made a noise of acknowledgement, turning on his heels, his back to Jayce, looking at a picture frame on the mantle before going over to his desk, leaning back in his chair and lighting a cigar. He took a puff from it before speaking, letting the smoke curl into the air before exhaling and then facing Jayce after a moment. Jayce shifted uncomfortably, the tension thick in the silence between them. Finally, the Zauntie spoke up, voice calm but stern.
“Viktor is my son and he has been through enough hardships… However, from the interaction I have seen between you and him, I suppose you have proven your commitment to him,” Silco said, his voice calm but the weight of his words carried through the room. Jinx shared a look with her aunt and the two ladies nodded to one another, understanding each other. Silco took another drag from his cigar, eyes never leaving his son in law. “Mind you, I do not give my approval willingly nor out easily. I trust you enough to take care of my son and I can trust you enough to not hurt him.”
Jayce shivered slightly but nodded in understanding. He wasn’t sure if that was a yes? Or a no? He just waited for the confirmation from the man himself, not daring to speak himself. Then again, he should probably say something. “I understand and I would never hurt Viktor.”
Silco’s expression was something he couldn’t decipher, and his nerves spiked up again. His words hung in the air but he refused to let his second thoughts creep in. He really needed this to go well. Silco held his gaze, the smoke from his cigar circling around the room. Jinx and Sevika were silent as a mouse but they shared silent looks, understanding each other. The silence of the room was weighing down on Jayce, making him feel uncomfortable in every which way possible. After what felt like eons, the Zauntie finally spoke again.
“Good,” Silco spoke, his gaze softening ever so slightly but sharp as ever. “Keep your word Talis or you will come to regret it.”
“I will… Thank you,” Jayce said, a little quickly as he glanced at Jinx, a look that meant ‘ let’s leave ’. Jinx smirked before nodding, but before she left, she gave her dad a tight hug, sharing a few words with him and Sevika too before guiding Jayce out and back to Piltover.
Sevika shared a look with her boss. “Are you going to regret this?”
Silco shrugged nonchalantly, taking a drag of his cigar again. “I hope I do not. Talis has a strong relationship with Viktor. Hopefully, it continues that way.”
Sevika nodded, a faint smile on her face. “Think you’ll be at the wedding?”
Silco laughed at that, a smile on his lips. “I have no doubt. All we do now is wait for what Viktor says, as well as an update from Jinx.” And with that, the conversation ended, his words hanging in the air but he thought about what she said. He really hoped he didn’t regret allowing Jayce to wed his son. He pushed back those thoughts and distracted his mind with getting work done, simply waiting for Jinx’s incoming call about Jayce having proposed to Viktor.
***************
“Panicking. Definitely panicking,” Jayce mumbled to himself, brushing his hands through his hair as he paced around Caitlyn’s living room. The Enforcer herself looked at him with a raised brow.
“Jayce. One, calm the fuck down, and two, you are going to burn a hole in the ground,” Vi spoke before Cait did, handing her girlfriend a cup of tea. “The hell are you rambling about anyways?”
“She didn’t tell you?” Jayce asked, looking between the two women.
“No, I did not tell her. I assumed Jin- Right. You two are still on not talking terms,” Cait sighed, pinching her nose, and then adjusting her eye patch. “Can I tell her?”
“Yeah. Everyone’s going to know eventually,” Jayce mumbled.
“Jay is planning to propose to Viktor. Tonight. But his arse can’t get it together,” Cait said, teasing her brother with a smirk on her lips, hiding it behind her tea cup.
“You’re what ?! Tonight ?! Bold move, Talis,” joked the pink haired woman, laughing as she draped her arms around her girlfriend, humming softly. “How long have you been planning this for?”
Jayce looked up, rubbing his neck nervously. “Like six months? Maybe?”
“Geez, dude,” Vi sarcastically said, shifting to lay her head down on Cait’s lap. Jayce whined and flopped upside down on the couch, sighing dramatically as he weighed his options in his head. He was planning to make a “fancy” dinner, then go out for a walk since it would be clear tonight, maybe stop by the park, stargaze and then boom- pop the question.
“I am overcomplicating this.”
“You are overcomplicating this,” Cait echoed, pushing her fingers through Vi’s hair. Jayce sighed and looked at the clock. Jinx said she would keep him busy until five, and it was currently two in the afternoon. Depending on what he wanted to cook for supper, he had to either start now or at three, maybe closer to four? He looked at his sister.
“Help me decide.” He flipped up so he was sitting upright. “I need something to make for dinner. Either, I don’t know, Russian? Then again I know none of his recipes…”
“Why not make a comfort dish?” Vi suggested.
“Don’t know the recipe. What? Vik makes the Russian, Ukrainian foods, I don’t,” Jayce countered, trying to think of something else that was a sort of comfort food. He knew Viktor was picky when it came to certain foods. He knew he would eat fish… Hmm. He could smoke the salmon they had in the freezer, cut up whatever vegetables he could find, maybe a few ripe strawberries because he knew Viktor had a sweet tooth for that specific fruit. He could do this. Totally. Hopefully. Maybe. He sighed softly before getting up. “I think I know what I’m doing? Let you know if he says yes, bye, love you!”
Cait barely got a word out before he was out the door, shaking her head with a chuckle as she watched him rush out, seeing he was in a mix of excitement and nerves. “That’s one way,” she mumbled, adjusting her eye patch and leaned down to steal Vi’s lips on hers.
“Yeah. Wonder what Viktor will say, probably yes. If he doesn’t fuck it up,” Vi laughed against Cait’s lips. Caitlyn flicked Vi on her nose.
“Don’t tease him and he won’t fuck it up,” Cait countered, smiling a little as she hoped for the best for her brother.
The second Jayce stepped out into Piltover’s bustling city, he booked it straight for the house. He had less than two hours to cook and get himself together before Jinx stopped keeping him busy. ‘ Either now or never, Talis ,’ he told himself, walking with a hurried pace to his and V’s house, preparing the meal in his head so when he was home, he could just start cooking straight away. The second he stepped into the warm yet silent house, his nerves were more wracking than ever as he rolled his sleeves to his elbows and walked into the kitchen. He set his phone down, making sure it was on loud (and he plugged it in too), before he took the salmon out of the freezer to let it defrost in warm water in the sink. He then scourged the fridge to see what they had- they really needed to go food shopping, eh. That was for another day. He pulled out what seemed to be still fresh carrots and asparagus, as well as using the baby potatoes that were kept with the onions. ‘ This’ll work. Maybe ,’ he thought, sighing softly as he used the other side of the sink to wash the vegetables.
He looked at the clock and noted what time it was. Three thirty, giving him less than two hours to get him together and the food. While his mind focused on not cutting himself on accident, his brain wandered to what Jinx was doing to keep the lad busy since noon. Hmm. Probably something involving chaos, that was his guess. If not that, then at least something they both enjoyed. One of which he knew was judging people silently in the Last Drop, and he only knew that because of what V told him. He just hoped he didn’t suspect anything, and he really hoped Jinx didn’t spill the tea.
Speaking of the devil herself, Jinx had taken Viktor out to Zaun. Her excuse, “sibling time because you and Jayce spend too much time together, plus we can see dad and Sev,”. Her words, not mine. Viktor, of course, tagged along, eager to see what she had in store, plus Jayce’s excuse was that he could finish grading papers and spend some time with Cait. Jinx had dragged Viktor to the Last Drop to watch people and to catch up, mostly to judge people. The siblings sat in the far booth, Viktor nursing a cup of Zauntie tea, thanking Vander for handing it to him. Jinx huffed, mumbling a thanks as she leaned back into her chair.
“Might I ask why you dragged me here? Not that I am complaining,” Viktor asked, sipping on the warm drink, his cane resting beside him.
“Sure sounds like you’re complaining, V,” Jinx teased. “Just wanted to spend time with ya. Like I said, you and Talis have been pent up too much.”
“Hmm. I suppose so.”
“You have. Plus, when’s the last time we judged half the shitty people in here?”
“When we were teens and still living under dad’s supervising eyes,” answered Viktor, checking his phone almost worriedly. Jinx nudged him, smiling softly.
“C’mon, worry wart. Jayce is fine. He’s probably doing shit with Caitlyn if I had to guess,” Jinx assured, knowing fully well that the blacksmith was likely panicking or trying to get shit done before she returned Viktor home. “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Dad’s. Duh,” she answered, standing up and waiting for him. Viktor sighed, placing a few gold coins on the table before grabbing his cane and walking beside her, following her lead down to Silco’s building down at the docks.
Jayce was definitely panicking and revising how he wanted to say this is all. He just really hoped he didn’t screw this up. He sighed heavily, setting a timer for twenty minutes which gave him plenty of time to take a quick shower, and changed. After he finished showering, he styled his hair to look neat but it kept bouncing back to its usual messiness and curls. He dressed in a white button up and a brown vest, similar to what he usually wore and comfortable slacks. He looked nice and hoped it wouldn’t distract Viktor (okay, that was a bold statement. Of course it would). He smirked to himself and decided to be a little cheeky, sending a quick photo to his boyfriend. He laughed when he got the response almost right away.
<Viyta>
16:15
Really, Talis? You know what you’re doing.
He did know what he was doing. He chuckled, sending a reply with a heart emoji and the winking one. He smirked to himself, knowing that Viktor was probably rolling his eyes at the message. He leaned back against the wall, a soft grin playing at his lips, having no doubt that his lover would appreciate the playful nudge. It was one of their ways of communicating- teasing, flirting and showing affection. Jayce’s love language was showing it, such as physical touch, whereas Viktor’s was more words than actions. It ruled each other out and yet they completed each other. He smiled to himself, pushing his hand through his hair, humming softly before taking out the ring box from his pocket and opening it, looking at it with fondness in his eyes. He had forged it himself. When Vik was working late hours at the Academy, he snuck down to the forge and weld pieces together until it was perfect. The ring was a simple silver band with the letters “V + J” engraved on it on the inside, alongside a small gear design, carved with a delicacy. Beside the gear, was a small star, symbolising Viktor’s adoration for the night sky and his innovation for engineering and inventing, alchemy too. The ring wasn’t just symbolising love; it was a testament to the life they had built together, the memories they made, and the future he hoped to have with Viktor.
Jayce shut the box and slipped it into his pocket, reciting his small speech for later that night, mumbling to himself. “Viktor, I love you. I love the way- No, that’s terrible…” he sighed, rubbing his face, pacing in his bedroom before hearing the timer go off. He looked at his watch, and it was a quarter till five. Fifteen- how the hell did that much time go by?! He didn’t worry about it, instead, worrying about himself more than anything. He rushed downstairs and took the fish off of the stove, pulling the seasoned veggies out of the oven and placing it on the counter. He then set the table whilst the food cooled down, using the “fancy” plates, which were just the plates and silverware they had received from Mrs. Kiramman when they first moved into the house and haven’t used it since Christmas dinner. He placed the food on the plates, making it look all pretty and neat because that’s what he did when he was nervous, even lighting a few candles for the atmosphere.
“Okay, Talis. You’ve got this. Just breathe and you’ll be fine. Hopefully. Jinx… Where are you?” he mumbled, pacing the living room as he turned his phone on silent, still checking for new messages from the woman. He tapped his foot against the hardware floor, humming a tune whilst he fidgeted with the metal flower in his hand, keeping his brain occupied. He knew what he was going to say, kind of. He just needed to say it during that moment and at the right time. (Then again, there was no right time with him). The clock on the wall was teasing him, ticking with each second. Jayce started pacing again, spinning the flower more and more between his fingers. He was on edge, stomach doing flips and tricks with excitement, anxiety and nervousness. The aroma from the meal he’d cooked filled the air, seasoned salmon, roasted veggies, the faint smell of rosemary and garlic he’d used, the candles flickered softly, casting a warm glow in the dining room. Jayce then remembered the strawberries in the fridge and quickly pulled them out, arranging them in a bowl all neatly, then placed them in the middle of the table. Everything was set to perfection and now he just needed his other half to finish the rest. He looked at the clock again. Jinx was cutting it close.
Jinx was right on time. Sort of. She dragged Viktor from their dad’s back to Piltover, promising to stay and touch and shit before laughing alongside him. Both drank in each other’s company and laughter. Jayce could hear their laughter through the door and just before Viktor could open it, he did, greeting them with a smile each.
“Took you long enough,” Jayce mumbled to Jinx who punched his shoulder.
“Calm down, lover boy. Your genius is all yours, have fun and don’t blow this,” Jinx said, earning a look from Jayce before she bounded down the street back towards her apartment, mostly to get ready and to tell Ekko what was going on with the two. Viktor leaned on his cane, looking at his boyfriend.
“Don’t blow what up?” he echoed, giving him a look.
“You-.” Jayce grinned mischievously before he tugged the smaller man closer by his waist and kissed him softly. The smaller one gasped softly before wrapping his arms around Jayce’s broad frame, holding onto him as he was kissed.
“Mmm… I smell something. What did you cook?” Viktor mumbled, pulling away and using his cane as support- which had been decorated in scribbles and such from Isha, and he adored it.
“Ish did that?” Jayce asked, noticing the drawings the little girl had drawn on his soon to be fiance’s cane. His fingers danced along the man’s arm and to the back of his neck, smiling softly as he pulled him in for a second kiss, tangling his hands in his golden tipped hair, humming against his lips. Viktor was cut off from Jayce pulling him into a second kiss, and he wasn’t complaining. He, once more, wrapped his arms around his neck, stabilising himself against his boyfriend as he made out with Jayce lightly. Jayce moved a hand down to rest on Viktor’s waist, rubbing small circles on his hip before pulling away, allowing Viktor a chance to answer his question.
“Yes. She did. Insisted on the fact my cane was too dull and needed some colour so I let her draw the stars and gears,” Viktor answered, showing off his mobility aid to his boyfriend who chuckled, answering it with a kiss to his cheek.
“It suits you.”
“Thank you, darling. Now, what did you cook?” Viktor asked again, leaning against his cane. Jayce gave a sheepish smile before walking with him to the kitchen, his hand on his lower back lovingly. Viktor gasped a little bit, having not expected this from his partner, again, not complaining and he did love it when Jayce cooked. “Am I missing something?”
Jayce shook his head. “Just wanted to…” Fuck. He did not think about that. “I just wanted to have a night with you. We’ve both been busy with work so… Plus I did promise to take you out to look at the stars.”
“Ah. You did say that… Back in December,” Viktor teased a little.
“At least I remembered,” Jayce teased back, kissing the smaller man’s forehead, offering the chair for him, pushing it in once Viktor was seated and stole a kiss from him before sitting across from him. Viktor’s golden eyes scanned the table and smiled warmly at him, though his immediate action was taking a strawberry from the bowl in the middle, earning a laugh from Jayce.
“What?” Viktor asked through a mouthful of strawberry. Jayce simply shook his head, his laughter soft and warm as he watched Viktor nibble on the berry.
“Nothing, genius,” he answered, resting his chin on his hand as he admired the beautiful man in front of him. “You’re adorable, that’s all.”
Viktor swallowed the berry, narrowing his eyes in mock suspicion. “Adorable, hm? Is that where we’re going tonight?” he teased, but the corners of his mouth twitched into a small, amused smile.
Jayce leaned back in his chair, still grinning. “Yep. Adorably brillant. The whole package,” he replied, reaching for his glass of water, trying to not focus on being overly obvious about how nervous he was. His free hand drifted to his pocket, brushing against the box for self reassurance. Viktor shrugged, laughing softly as he reached for another berry, mumbling something in Russian- which Jayce understood- before he started eating.
Eventually, the two ate in silence. It was comforting, soothing even. Jayce stole glances every now and then, making heart eyes at his boyfriend all through the meal. He was nervous, excited and anticipating this with Viktor’s every move. He wanted tonight to go well and he really hoped it would. He watched as Viktor made faces back at him, drowning in his love and admiration. He smiled at him, standing up after they finished, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead before taking the dishes to the sink, deciding he would wash them later. He turned back to his partner, facial expression saying the majority of what he was going to say.
“C’mon,” Jayce said, blowing out the candles.
“What do you have in store, Talis?” Viktor asked as he stood up, balancing himself for a moment.
“You’ll see.” Jayce’s smile softened as he offered his hand to Viktor, wrapping an arm around his waist as he walked with him to the door and then headed out to the park a little ways past their home. Viktor leaned against him, walking with him at his own pace. He was starting to pick up on a few things and was getting some ideas himself but wasn’t entirely sure where this was going. The sun was setting, masking the sky beautifully in pink, orange and blue, casting an illuminating scene against the horizon line. It was a beautiful sight to see, really. He pulled his phone out and took a photo, laughing softly when he snapped one of Jayce.
Jayce chuckled when he noticed Viktor taking his phone out and moved so he could get a picture, being silly and goofy because that’s what he did (and he was like a golden retriever so-). “What, are you documenting this?” he teased, peeking at the screen. “Let me see.”
“Неt (no),” Viktor teased, tucking his phone back into his pocket with a smirk. “You’ll just have to wait, Talis.”
Jayce rolled his eyes playfully, bringing Viktor closer and kissing the top of his nose. “Fine. Just be sure to get my good side.”
Viktor snorted, laughing softly. “You only have one side, darling.”
“You wound me, Vitya,” Jayce teased, earning a laugh out of Viktor- soft, light and melodic, and it made Jayce’s heart swell. He smiled at Viktor, squeezing his waist gently as they continued walking. He glanced around, spotting a hiding Ekko who was holding a video recorder. Jinx must have finally told him, and had him be the one to record. He spotted Jinx and Isha hiding out beside him, Caitlyn would have but stuck with Vi, something about not wanting to be around Jinx? Sister problems he didn’t want to know about. He led Viktor down to sit on the bench that was against the oak tree, overlooking the quarry. The sun had set, now the darkening sky was showered in stars above them. Viktor sat beside him stretching out his leg and adjusting his brace to his comfort before leaning against the tree, looking at the stars.
“It’s beautiful tonight,” Viktor mumbled, a fond smile on his face. Jayce hummed in agreement.
“It is,” he answered, but his focus was on his boyfriend instead, a soft grin playing at his lips. The box in his pocket felt heavier than ever, the weight growing as he held it in his hand. He heard a light rustle of leaves, likely from Isha, and then it stopped, probably from Jinx stopping her from moving. He took a deep breath before he took the box out of his pocket. ‘ Now or never, ’ he told himself, pushing a hand through his hair before gathering what courage he needed before speaking up.
“Viktor,” his voice soft but there was some seriousness behind it. Viktor’s gaze shifted from the sky to his boyfriend.
“Hmm?”
Jayce shifted uncomfortably for a split second, taking a deep breath before letting the words spill. “Viktor. Виктор. Я люблю тебя. Я люблю, как ты придираешься к определённым вещам, включая еду, потому что это просто ты. Я люблю, как твоя "собачья" сторона хуже, чем твой укус. Я люблю каждую часть тебя. Я обожаю тебя во всех проявлениях, в твои плохие и хорошие дни. Я обожаю тот факт, что у тебя такая сладкая слабость. Я люблю, как ты выглядишь теми утрами, когда солнце падает как нужно... Ты мой партнёр, В. Во всех временных линиях, во всех возможностях, только ты... Только ты — мой партнёр, и я хочу, чтобы это оставалось так. Так что... Ты выйдешь за меня? (Viktor. I love you. I love the way you nitpick at certain things, including food because that's just you. I love how your bark is worse than your bite. I love every part of you. I adore you in every which way, on your bad days and good days. I adore the fact that you have such a sweet tooth. I love how you look on those mornings when the sun hits just right... You're my partner, V. In all timelines, in all possibilities, only you... Only you are my partner and I would like it to stay that way. So... Will you marry me?)”
Viktor sat there, stunned to say the very least. He had not expected this, let alone Jayce speaking Russian almost perfectly! How- When?! He had so many questions. He fumbled for the right words. Golden eyes sparkling in the moonlight as he looked at Jayce, who had now opened the ring box to show the ring and that made him tear up even more. Their initials were barely visible in the moonlight. He wasn’t sure what to say, still at a loss for words. Jinx, being the sister she was, stood up from her hiding spot, Ekko and Isha following.
“Say yes, V.” Jinx’s voice startled him, causing him to swing his cane defensively. “Oi! The hell!?”
Viktor shot her a look before glancing back at his boyfriend, who was looking more than nervous for Viktor’s response. His eyes flickered from the ring back to Jayce’s eyes. His hands trembled, his mind racing from the fact he was just asked for his hand in marriage and Jayce speaking his native language, never expecting it from him. The fact that Jayce had learned his language not only made his heart swell, but also the amount of vulnerability and love Jayce had just poured out caused him to go beet red in the face. Finally, he found the words to speak.
“I-. I don’t know what to say,” Viktor whispered, the words still being processed.
“Yes, hopefully otherwise going through the amount of lessons from Jinx would have been completely pointless and forging this would have been pointless too,” Jayce chuckled, looking at Viktor with a sort of hopefulness in his eyes.Viktor felt his heart racing as he cupped Jayce’s face, a few tears rolling down his cheeks as he nodded.
“Yes. Jayce, I will. In all timelines, in all possibilities, only you are my partner too,” he whispered, and Jayce beamed at that, bringing him into a bone crushing hug, capturing his mouth in a kiss, wrapping his arms around him tightly. Their mouths clashed together as they kissed, Jayce slipped the ring on his fiance’s hand, pulling away after Ekko reminded there was a child present. The small girl tugged on Viktor’s hand, wanting to see the ring.
“ Pretty ,” she signed, smiling at him.
“It is,” Viktor agreed, wiping his eyes and looking back at Jayce. “You are insufferable.”
“You love me,” Jayce hummed, being cheeky and pulling him into a deep kiss again before shifting him comfortably to be able to carry him bridal style home because why not and “practice for when we actually get married”. Jinx, Ekko, and Ish congratulated them, waving them goodnight so they could head home toon and get Ish to bed, knowing their daughter was worn out. Viktor nestled into Jayce’s arms, looking at him lovingly the whole way home. They shared a few giggles here and there before Jayce had to set him down to unlock the front door.
“I love you,” Viktor whispered to Jayce that night when they were settled into bed with one another, freshly showered and ready for bed. Viktor curled himself around Jayce, wrapping his small frame around his body. Jayce hummed, tilting Viktor’s chin up to kiss him deeply.
“I love you, Mr. Talis, ” Jayce mumbled, his last name rolling off his tongue easily.
“Mm… Not yet,” Viktor hummed, kissing him back before laying against Jayce’s broad chest, listening to his heartbeat, lulling him to sleep. Jayce stroked his back, holding his fiancé close to his chest before he too fell asleep.