Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Viktor wakes with a gasp. 

His first thought is that he definitely, undoubtedly, should not be alive. 

His second thought is that something is incredibly wrong. 

There’s some kind of pressure surrounding his chest, making it difficult to breathe, though not in the way he’s familiar with. None of the painful burn usually spreading through his lungs with each inhale, threatening to consume him whole. 

Viktor blinks a few times, but his vision remains blurry and unfocused. He knows he is in the lab, though. It only takes a moment longer to notice that the unpleasant tightness actually extends to the rest of his body, as if trapping him. Whatever it is, he needs out. Right now. 

His limbs are met with slight resistance as Viktor tears his way out, Arcane filaments clinging to his new skin for as long as they can before softly snapping away like spiderwebs. He doesn’t pay them any mind, not when he takes his first step on solid ground and the world finally seems to come into focus.

Stumbling to his feet like a newborn fawn, his brain immediately hits him with three observations. 

One, he was lying unconscious in some kind of… cocoon for an indeterminate amount of time. 

Two, save for Viktor himself, the lab is empty. 

And three, most concerning of all… He swears he smells danger and distress in the air, the distant scent of burnt sugar ringing alarm bells in his mind. Jayce. He needs to find Jayce. 

There’s a loud noise to Viktor’s left, and his head snaps to attention with a speed both concerning and unnatural. In the now-open doorway stands a woman he doesn’t recognize. Pink hair, a wild look in her eyes, panting like she just ran all the way here. Alpha, his mind provides. His surprise at the fact that he’s still able to tell is quickly replaced by frustration at her encroaching on his space. Their space.

Her eyes land on him, and he tries not to think too much about her slight flinch at the sight of him. Next, her gaze slowly tracks to the chrysalis he just emerged from. Back to him… then again, to the hole he left behind. A back-and-forth he quickly tires of. 

“Who are you?” Viktor asks, more bite to his voice than initially intended. 

The woman cringes, raising her hands as if in surrender. Curiously, she doesn’t back down despite the implied challenge. If anything, she takes a step forward.

“Listen… Really none of my business what happened here. I just need the hammer. There was an attack during the speech outside and—”

If she keeps talking after that, though, Viktor is no longer listening. An emergency bad enough that it would require a stranger retrieving Jayce’s hammer in his stead. The dread building up in his gut ever since he awakened only seems to grow. 

She takes a cautious step past him as if to get deeper into the lab, where their inventions currently rest. As she does, he catches a whiff of burnt sugar again, slightly acrid and impossible to mistake. Distress. Fear, he recognizes. But it’s not her scent. Viktor’s wires must be crossed after his ordeal, because he could swear on its familiarity. Jayce. Jayce, his hindbrain screams, even if logic dictates it cannot be. 

Jayce is a Beta. Scentless for as long as Viktor has known him.

Which is fine, because Viktor himself prefers to mask his pheromones with a carefully curated array of soaps and deodorizers. It’s always felt like the more polite, ‘civilized’ thing to do, at least in Piltover high society. There’s no time for distractions in their line of work. And if most people assume him to be a Beta, well… he rarely bothers to correct them.

Viktor is not that naive. He knows he’s not what others picture when they think Alpha.

He rushes to grab the woman’s shoulder before she can reach the hammer, surprising them both with a strength he didn’t possess before. From this close, he doesn’t miss the shaken look in her clear blue eyes. She isn’t lying about the urgency of the situation outside.

“Jayce. Where is he?” Viktor tries not to sound like he’s minutes away from a mental breakdown — and fails miserably. She seems to reach her own kind of conclusion about him too, judging by the way her expression quickly shifts from defensive to understanding. It does nothing to ease his worries.

“The podium… venue? Right in front of the building. But—” 

That’s all he needs to hear. Viktor lets go of her, turning back towards the door. He snatches the crutch that rests against their work desk, more out of habit than necessity. And then he leaves.

Well. Almost.

“Hey!” 

He stops in his tracks. Makes an effort not to snap at her as he twists his neck to look back. To the woman’s credit, she has the decency to look somewhat apologetic when she speaks again.

“You’re… going out there like that?” 

That actually gives him pause. For the first time, Viktor takes a few seconds to glance down. Knowing what he’s likely going to find and actually acknowledging the changes happen to be two very different things. There’s no more easy hiding of what the Hexcore has done to him. He doubts reactions to the sight of him will be… positive.

Viktor has no time to play dress-up. His gaze lands on the velvety blue fabric draped over Jayce’s chair. His partner’s favourite blanket. Of course. 

There’s an odd reverence in his movements as he wraps it around himself in what could best be described as an attempt at a cloak. It will have to do.

With this body, at least, he thinks he can run.

✧✸✧

Jayce is screwed.

Actually, screwed is an understatement. There’s an increasing likelihood he won’t make it out of here in one piece. 

He’s not sure how he got to this point, chased around by a woman who clearly wants him very much dead. The speech was supposed to be invite-only, with Enforcers making sure no one slipped by. Well. In theory. Unless this was orchestrated somehow, in which case… 

Ducking between shelves, he tries to look for anything in the storage room that could be passed off as a weapon. He has a feeling he’ll be reaching the end of the room soon, and then he’ll truly be backed into a corner. Which is probably exactly what his assailant wants, actually. 

Before he has time to consider the fact that he’s playing right into a trap, Jayce is startled by sounds of a struggle, followed by a loud metallic clunk. It’s in the room with him; different from the muffled noises of another battle still raging in the area where their assembly gathered earlier. 

Jayce finds himself holding his breath in the short silence that follows. Then… 

He hears the dull, distinct thud of a body hitting the floor. 

His curiosity wins over. He dares to look back, dreading who — or what — he might find still standing. 

A figure stands there, slightly hunched, backlit by the bit of light coming in from behind them. Jayce’s breath hitches at the sight of familiar blue fabric and he feels — rather than truly sees — their eyes meet. 

Okay. Either the mix of fatigue, panic and adrenaline is finally getting to him and he’s having visual hallucinations, or his partner is alive and standing before him. 

Frankly? The former sounds more likely. 

“Jayce…?”

Might as well add auditory hallucinations to the list.

The figure-that-realistically-absolutely-cannot-be-Viktor takes a few steps in his direction, and Jayce finds himself rooted in place, still standing in his poor excuse of a hiding spot. His nose chooses that exact moment to finally catch up with his environment and oh, fuck. Okay. Fuck.

He’s pretty sure his brain can’t fake that. 

Jayce is not too sure what happens after. One moment he is up, and the next, he realizes he’s kneeling on the ground. 

“Jayce!” 

He’s brought back to the present by a firm, grounding touch on his left shoulder. The scent suddenly feels overwhelming, as if nothing else matters or even exists. Jayce has only caught very muted, distant hints of Viktor’s pheromones, usually after overnight stays in the lab, both of them too exhausted to care. The Alpha has always been very thorough at neutralizing his own scent, something Jayce has no ground to comment on. Not when he’s been actively trying to disguise his own dynamic ever since he joined the Academy. 

Which reminds him, he definitely did not think to take his suppressants these past two days. It would explain why he can smell everything so clearly, rather than through a familiar chemical dampener. 

He recognizes the undertones somewhat, fresh and crisp like the earth after rain. It mingles with the sharp tang of ozone and hints of something rusty and metallic. Whatever change took place, it evidently also had an effect on Viktor’s natural scent. 

But he still has a scent, Jayce’s mind supplies, as if that’s the thing he should be focused on right now. 

The combination should, for all intents and purposes, repulse him. He’s grown utterly unused to sensing others’ pheromones. And the scent is strong. A little bit unnatural. Almost chemical. 

Instead, every breath leaves Jayce with a feeling he can’t quite make sense of. It’s the itch he feels when he’s on the verge of a breakthrough. 

“Viktor.”

He blinks, and his surroundings come back into focus. Jayce is on the floor, and the figure, Viktor, is at his side. Swaddled in Jayce’s favourite blanket, the one he usually keeps in the lab. The storage room is too dark to see what’s going on beneath the fabric, but his partner’s face seems mostly unaffected. Except for his eyes. They seem… lighter. 

“You...” And there’s so much Jayce wants to say: You’re alive! and Why are you here? and How did you even know where to find me? He should thank Viktor for apparently saving him. Should ask him how he feels, ask if he’s hurt anywhere, make sure his mind is still intact. Jayce wants to touch him, to hug him, feel the weight of his best friend’s body in his arms.

Instead, all that escapes his chest is a broken sob as the past few days’ grief come crashing down — not to mention the near-death experience.

“I’m sorry, Vik. I couldn’t. I couldn’t.” Despite everything, he is but a man. Selfish. Emotional. Jayce thought he could keep his promise, he truly, honestly did. In the end, though, he found that he simply could not stand to live in a world without Viktor. 

Viktor has every right to hate him now. Probably should, if he’s being honest. But Jayce is sure he could never come to regret this. Of all the mistakes he may have made… this is not one of them.

A beat passes, and Viktor shows no sign of acknowledging him. No, he slowly withdraws his hand from Jayce’s shoulder. Panic rises up in his chest at the thought that this is it, this is the part where his partner inevitably leaves him behind. 

The air is nearly knocked out of his lungs with the force of the embrace that comes instead, Viktor almost tackling him to the floor in his haste. Jayce has to stifle a little hiss, reminded of the gash on his collarbone from earlier. The pain isn’t that bad, really. The alternative — letting go of Viktor — sounds much worse. 

There’s a shift in the air, and it’s particularly obvious with his head now resting on the Alpha’s shoulder. His sense of smell is rusty, but it seems Viktor is trying to… comfort him? His scent has mellowed out, soothing notes of rain momentarily overshadowing the rest. Which Viktor should know would not work on a Beta, like Jayce is still pretending to be. 

Unless… 

Before he has any time to process that thought, Viktor stills, moving his face away from Jayce’s neck — left open and bared without even a second thought. One of Viktor’s hands moves up, fingers ghosting over the wound as if only now noticing its presence. 

“You’re hurt.” He states, and Jayce practically hears him frown at the sight of crimson staining his suit. It feels incredibly trivial compared to the matters at hand — like the fact that people are still very clearly fighting outside. Yet, Viktor doesn’t seem to think so. 

“You’re hurt.” He repeats, and this time Jayce has to blink a few times to make sure he didn’t just hear him growl. The thought is so absurd, it's hysterical.

“It’s really not a big deal—” 

His words die in his throat as cold, spindly fingers settle on his forehead. The touch is gentle, almost ginger. Reassuring, even if Jayce does not understand its purpose. Viktor wears a complicated expression, even at Jayce’s display of implicit trust. Still, he seems to have made a decision.

“Let me help you, Jayce.”

Jayce doesn’t get a chance to ask what he means by that.

✧✸✧

He’s not sure how much time has passed when he comes back to himself. Mere seconds? Minutes? An hour?

All Jayce remembers is Viktor’s hand on his face, the familiar lull of his voice, and then… nothing. Nothing at all. Just a white flash.

“Viktor?” He feels a brief moment of panic, disoriented and already mourning the loss of physical contact. To his relief, he realizes just as quickly that his partner is still right in front of him, scent hitting his nose almost as soon as he opens his eyes. 

Viktor, however, seems hesitant to reach out to him again, despite their proximity. Jayce looks down at himself. Did something happen? He finds no obvious changes – he doesn’t feel any different, and the gash on his collarbone remains untouched. 

What did Viktor mean by ‘help’?

“Viktor.” He says again, more gently this time. There’s a soft gasp, and Viktor lifts his head to look at him properly. Jayce could almost swear that he seems afraid… but not of him. Something else has gotten him rattled. 

There’s no one else in the room with them.

“Was that… Um, were you the one who…?” He can’t seem to find the right words, trailing off, but he knows his partner will understand. And Viktor does, judging by the way he looks down at his slightly shaking hands, then back at Jayce. 

“I was wrong. About… about everything.” Jayce has no idea what he’s talking about, but Viktor keeps on going. “I should have never… I didn’t do anything to you, Jayce, but I—” 

The air becomes heavy with the scent of ozone, turned acrid with anguish. Jayce suddenly feels the overwhelming urge to let his own pheromones loose in return, perhaps for the first time in his life. But it’s been almost two decades since he’s been allowed to be an Omega around other people; he’s not sure he even remembers how. 

His mind reels, trying to quickly piece together whatever he may have missed.  

Then, both their thoughts are interrupted by loud shuffling coming in from the other end of the storage room, where it connects to outside. Jayce tenses, prepared for a fight. He’s not sure how much he can handle right now, but he won’t go down without trying. 

“Hey! Is anyone hiding in there?” Oh thank the Gods. It’s just Vi. “Jayce? Uh… other guy?”

Other guy? Does she mean Viktor? If they’ve met, it’s the first he’s heard of it.  

Almost as soon as she happens upon the spot where they’ve been lying low, Viktor… bristles. In fact, he twists his body around to face her, and it takes Jayce a second to realize that his partner is trying to shield him from view. 

The situation would be comical in any other context. Jayce is almost twice his size, and still perfectly capable of handling himself. Not to mention, Vi is the furthest thing from a threat right now. 

He can’t find any humour in it now, though. Not when Viktor, usually so calm and collected, truly growls at her. He seems to surprise even himself, judging by the way he recoils right after. Vi blessedly takes a step back rather than taking offence. The last thing they all need in their current situation is a fucking Alpha fight.

Jayce should be annoyed. Just because Viktor has figured out what he was hiding — if he has — it shouldn’t mean that he suddenly gets to act all weirdly possessive over him, flaunting his scent all over the place. Instead of rightful anger, though, a feeling Jayce will continue to push away for as long as he can blooms anew in his chest. It takes root at the back of his mind, like a pesky invasive plant. 

It’s obvious that something must have happened when Jayce blacked out, to leave his friend in such an uncharacteristic state of unrest. He’ll have to get to the bottom of it.

“O-kay. Y’know what, just gonna pretend like nothing happened. I’ll come back later.” Vi says after an awkward moment of tense silence, already turning on her heel. 

“Wait!” He calls after her without thinking, an idea taking form in his mind. She does stop in her tracks, back turned to them. “Could you, uh… Well.” For some reason, he suddenly feels embarrassed about the whole thing. “If anyone asks about me, could you tell them I had something else to take care of…? Urgently…?”

Jayce cringes, very much aware of the kind of frivolous things she must be imagining right about now. It’s not like he can really explain himself away, either. 

“Fine, I won’t ask. Consider it repayment for borrowing your hammer.”

He sighs in relief as her steps grow distant again, at least until his mind processes the last part of her statement. 

“Hold on, you took my hammer—?” 

The only response he gets is a chuckle, and then Vi is gone.

Cool. Great. What now?

“Vik, are you…” Jayce speaks softly, like one would with a wild animal. Which might not be too inaccurate, considering the kind of behaviour he’s just witnessed. He’s not afraid of his partner — doesn’t think he could ever be — but he has enough awareness to know when to proceed carefully. 

Viktor doesn’t turn to meet his eyes. Is he… ashamed? 

“She broke into the lab… after I woke up.” 

Instantly, the timeline makes a lot more sense. It would explain why she seemed to know Viktor, if only based on appearances. It could also partly explain why he became so defensive. Did she tell him where to find him? 

“You know her.” Viktor continues. It’s not a question.

An insidious feeling rears its head, settling in Jayce’s stomach. He should have been the one there for his partner, not Vi. Shouldn’t have dared to leave his side for even a second, as unrealistic as that sounded. He was technically still a councillor with official duties, Mel was the one giving the speech so it’d be rude to skip it, and Cait needed him by her side for support anyway. 

“She’s Caitlyn’s… Well, I’m not sure what they’d call themselves, but Vi is important to her.” Just like you are to me, he holds himself back from blurting out. 

“Mmh.” Viktor eventually replies, and his attempt at nonchalance is betrayed by the relief that seeps out through his scent. Jayce can’t even begin to fathom why, and the only theory his mind can conjure right now — that Viktor was jealous — sounds so ludicrous it's bordering on hysterical. Anyone would be annoyed at a stranger breaking into their space and borrowing things. 

“Think you’d be able to walk back to the lab?” Jayce asks after a beat passes, already attempting to rise up on his knees. They need to have a proper talk, and this is decidedly not the place or time for it. His legs protest when he finally stands up again, sore from kneeling too long. As he does, his eyes also land on the hulking figure collapsed on the ground. 

Oh.  

So much happened in such a short time, he almost forgot his reason for hiding in the first place. And how did Viktor even manage to do that? 

“Is she..?” He can’t help but ask, and notices the way Viktor follows his gaze. 

Subtly, his expression hardens, and he sighs. “No. I… knocked her out.” 

Jayce can tell there’s more to it than that, but his partner does not elaborate. He wonders if this is related to his own blacking out.

“Come, let’s go.” Jayce reiterates, gently. Gods know what must be going through Viktor’s mind right now. His own long-buried instincts scream to get him somewhere safe, somewhere familiar. Holding out a hand for Viktor to take, he briefly worries that his friend will refuse it. He can get up by himself, Jayce knows, but he wants to help. Is practically itching to, right now.

Viktor does not reply, but he takes the offering nonetheless. His hand is cool to the touch, skin soft and, for lack of better term, sinuous. His fingers have always been slender and pretty — which is probably not something Jayce should have paid so much attention to. 

With a careful tug, he manages to lift Viktor back up to his feet, slightly surprised at how heavy he seems compared to—

No. He doesn’t want to think about it. 

Viktor’s crutch lays discarded at his side, and Jayce bends to pick it up out of habit. He probably doesn’t have a real need for it now that his leg seems better, but he must still be used to leaning his weight against it. His partner doesn’t say anything, silently waiting for Jayce to lead the way. 

They’ll just have to make themselves scarce.

✧✸✧

In the end, they sneak out of the venue through a back entrance, like two criminals on the run. Everyone is too busy dealing with the aftermath of the unexpected attack to really notice them, in spite of Viktor’s slightly suspicious appearance. 

It’s only once they reach the lab that he allows some tension to bleed out of him. His very first instinct is to lock the door behind them. And then, possessed by an irrational urge, he slides his crutch between the two handles, just in case. Viktor is taken back to the night they first met, younger, bright and full of hope. Both blissfully unaware of what fate set in motion from that moment onwards. 

When he turns around, the look on Jayce’s face seems to indicate that he’s been hit with the same memory. Neither of them have spoken since leaving the storage room, and Viktor’s thoughts are a jumbled mess. He wraps the blanket tightly around himself, a feeble attempt to recenter his mind. To prepare himself for what inevitably comes next. 

“Jayce… I must leave.”

Viktor braces himself for the reaction. What he doesn’t expect is the scent. He’d been too out of his mind with worry earlier to think about the implications, to really consider the faint pheromones clinging to Jayce’s skin. Alone in the lab now, it feels impossible to miss, even if subtle. Whatever Jayce normally uses to hide his dynamic, he must have forgotten about amidst the chaos of the past few days. 

“What? Viktor, of course not—!” Jayce takes a step towards him, desperation evident in his hazel eyes. His arms are open and outstretched like he needs to touch him, and Viktor’s canine digs into his bottom lip, trying not to give in. “Please, talk to me. Whatever’s on your mind, I— we can find a way.”

And Viktor would love to believe it. But he knows they’ve hit a point of no return. 

“I nearly brainwashed you, Jayce.” Viktor hisses through gritted teeth, and watches the way Jayce’s eyes widen, flinching. Good, he thinks, bitterly. Jayce should be scared of him. It would certainly make things easier. “The Hexcore is so much more dangerous than I— than we thought.” 

And now it’s a part of me, forever. He’s felt its hum ever since waking, low under what now passes as his skin. At least he can tune it out, if briefly. 

“I don’t understand.” Jayce says, hands dropping down to his sides. His eyes scan Viktor’s face, searching for some kind of answer. “Was that… when I passed out? Vik, I don’t even remember anything.” 

He’s not sure if it would be better if Jayce did remember. Viktor could have done anything to him in that mindspace, and… 

Just thinking about it brings back the visceral unease that gripped him in that moment. The realization, after Jayce came back to his senses, of what he almost did to him. To the person most important in his life.

Is that why Jayce apologized to him with such urgency, after seeing Viktor alive again for the first time?

“When I saw you were hurt…” He sighs, feeling the need to avert his eyes. “It was as if it was telling me to heal you. Not just your body. I could have taken away your pain, your fear—” He imagines Jayce, his Jayce, a shell of his former self, rendered mindless and complacent by a magic neither of them understands. 

“The Hexcore speaks to you?” 

Viktor nearly laughs. Nearly. Of course that’s the thing Jayce decides to focus on, instead of the fact that he just confessed to— to what, almost lobotomizing him? 

“It doesn’t speak. But I do feel its presence. It may try to influence me again, which is why I— are you even listening?” 

But Jayce is already pacing around in front of him, one hand on his chin in a manner Viktor recognizes all too well. 

“Yes, well, you were able to resist its thrall, right? We could find another way to harness it safely, and—”

“No.”

The single word echoes throughout the lab with a resounding finality. Viktor is not in the habit of raising his voice, yet he cannot let Jayce entertain this idea any longer. He feels, deep in his bones, that using this power again will not — cannot — lead to anything good. It has already taken one life too many. 

Viktor expects pushback. Jayce has always had a one-track mind when it comes to matters of the Arcane — it’s what drew Viktor to him in the first place. Yet, he settles nearly immediately. Something in Viktor’s behaviour appears to make him grasp the gravity of the situation.

“Okay.”

“Okay? Really?” 

“I don't care, Vik. All that’s happened recently… I’ve been a fool. The Council, Hextech… None of it matters if I don't have my partner with me.” 

Jayce takes a step forward, and this time, he dares to reach for Viktor’s hand. His touch is warm, painfully familiar and more comforting in this instant than it has any right to. 

The statement is partly lost on him because Viktor finally catches a real, proper whiff of Jayce’s pheromones, without the unpleasant tinge of distress. It’s sweet with a hint of spices, something like gingerbread or anise. It’s oddly reminiscent of the sweet milk he used to enjoy on a near daily basis — he can’t even tell if his body still has need of food or drink. 

It’s so incredibly Jayce. And it isn’t as if Viktor had thought about his partner’s hypothetical scent much; why dwell on what-ifs, when Jayce had never given any indication that he might be anything but a Beta? Still, to believe that this could have stayed hidden from him for the better part of a decade… Really, it’s impressive.

Because most important of all, Jayce smells like home. It’s difficult to describe it in words. He simply… knows.

Viktor is no fool. He’s heard stories as a child, just like everyone else. And yes, he’s always been skeptical when it comes to concepts like destiny, fate, or even souls. He’s a man of science. He’s also, technically, a man of magic — now in more ways than one.  

Perhaps it’s time he accepts that not everything in this world can be explained away with logic. 

Jayce is his. He’s certain of it, as surely as he knows the sun will continue to rise in the morning. If they’d realized earlier, would anything have changed at all? If this is how they were always meant to be in the first place, Viktor thinks, then perhaps not.  

“Viktor? Are you okay?” 

He’s brought back to the present by the strong hand squeezing his, looking up to find Jayce’s concerned eyes. A slight furrow to his brows. Always so easy to read.

And no, Viktor is not okay. This might be the least okay he’s felt in his godforsaken life. He’s angry, conflicted, confused. He was supposed to be dead. He’s not sure where his humanity ends, and where the Hexcore begins. Jayce used their life’s work to make fucking weapons, and Viktor can’t even find it in himself to truly hate him for it. And now fate is playing with him, torturing him with things he can no longer have. 

Of all the biological functions the Hexcore had to preserve, it had to be his stupid sense of smell, glands, and instincts. Years spent trying not to let his own nature define him, and it shatters the instant he first laid eyes on Jayce after coming back to life. As much as he loathes to admit it, it’s hardly a surprise. It was always going to be Jayce, wasn’t it? 

But Jayce deserves better than this. Deserves better than him. Broken. Barely human.

“You’re an Omega.” 

Viktor knows as soon as the words have left his mouth that this is the worst thing he could have possibly said. It’s all he can focus on right now, though. He’s not sure where to even begin with the other thoughts that plague his mind. 

He watches as Jayce’s expression falls, withdrawing his hand a second later. Viktor doesn’t really have time to mourn the loss of his warmth, not when his partner frowns in a way that could best be described as defensive. 

“And what if I am?” 

Jayce’s sweet scent dissipates like he’s now making a conscious effort to control it. Viktor winces, but he can’t quite fault him for reacting this way. With a defeated sigh, he shuffles over to their work station, and sits down on what is typically his partner’s seat. It was never meant to be as ergonomic as his own, but he frankly couldn’t care less. 

“I… I did not mean to imply anything by that.” He runs a hand over his face; of course this is a sensitive subject for Jayce. Piltover’s high society might think of him as lesser if they knew, but Zaun’s attitude towards gender dynamics has always leant towards simply minding your own business, and Viktor is no different. Jayce is strong, healthy, and outstandingly intelligent. Were they living in the Undercity instead, Alphas would undoubtedly be fighting over him.

The thought alone gives rise to a displeased rumble from Viktor’s chest — not quite a growl. He swallows it back, albeit a moment too late.

“I don’t really, ah, feel like myself right now.” Viktor finally admits as he lifts his head up, daring to look upon Jayce’s face again. He must look like quite the mess; he certainly feels like one. “I apologize.” Because he can't let Jayce misunderstand. The revelation may have stirred up his useless, archaic instincts anew, but Viktor will always see Jayce as his equal. His partner. 

To his surprise, Jayce appears to... flush. His tense expression just moments ago almost fully vanishes, replaced with concern and something Viktor has a hard time placing. 

“Vik, I think… Um.” 

He hesitates, avoiding meeting Viktor’s eyes directly. And then, because he can probably sense his patience thinning, Jayce sighs and braces himself.

“You could be, you know… I think this might be your rut…?”  

He sounds mortified at the mere suggestion.

Fuck.

Of course. As if he didn't have enough on his plate already. 

Truth is, Viktor hasn't experienced a rut in almost two years, ever since his health started really declining. He’d been more than happy to never again have to go through the biannual three days of forced time off — it’d be shorter with a partner, but he’d struggled to entertain the possibility ever since… 

It would certainly explain the antsiness, sensitivity to scent, or the fact that he’d downright growled at another Alpha for daring to look at Jayce. All symptoms aligning with a pre-rut. Viktor is usually better at controlling himself, though.

“Better for you to leave right now, then.”

“But—”

“Lock the door behind you. I’ll be fine, Jayce.” His tone leaves no room for arguing, and he narrows his eyes, challenging Jayce to even try. If his worry stems from Viktor’s health, then there’s really no need. A rut is a mild inconvenience compared to the kinds of pain he used to endure on a daily basis. 

Unfortunately for him, Jayce has always been a great match for his stubbornness. Instead of listening to the demand, he walks right into Viktor’s space. Even more surprising, Jayce doesn’t hesitate to take a stand right in front of his seat, as if to stop him from moving. Viktor is forced to tilt his head up to look at him. 

“I’m not leaving you here.” Jayce states, resolute, but there’s a slight shakiness to his voice; there has to be another reason why he’s insisting so much. 

“... You think I'm going to run away without telling you, is that it?” 

Judging by the widening of Jayce’s eyes, he’s hit the nail on the head. His friend opens his mouth, closes it, and sighs before trying to speak again.

“I, well… Maybe. But that’s not the main issue here and we both know it!” 

Now that gets Viktor to raise an eyebrow. His posture shifts slightly and he finds himself leaning forward, Jayce still towering over his frame. The Omega doesn’t flinch away, but his nose twitches when he comes closer.

“What are you suggesting, then? Enlighten me.” Viktor draws the words out with a tilt of his head, holding eye contact without a hint of hesitation. Something in the air has shifted, leaving him unusually emboldened. 

Jayce stares back, a flush slowly creeping all the way to his neck. Viktor’s eyes momentarily trace down to his throat, watching the way he swallows. It makes his teeth ache with the urge to bite. It would be so easy to give in to these thoughts, to keep teasing Jayce just to see his reaction. And Jayce would let him, he thinks. 

But he can’t.

“Jayce, even if we were to…” Viktor trails off, because he’s not sure he wants to finish that sentence. If he starts to entertain the thought, the mere possibility of Jayce sharing his rut — with strings attached or not — then his remaining resolve will crumble to dust instantly. “I will still have to leave Piltover.”

“But why?”

“Because, Jayce, when people see what I am, what do you suppose will happen to me? To you?” 

And oh, that does finally seem to give Jayce pause. He freezes, horror creeping onto his face. His partner nearly got exiled from the city for simply researching magic. If the Council learns that he used it to raise the dead? Viktor refuses to let Jayce take the fall.

“Then… where will you go?” 

“Not too far. Zaun.” 

It’s an easy answer. Familiar. Because he does miss his place of birth, somewhat. As long as he lays low for a time, people are unlikely to ask questions. And now that he’s been dragged into a second chance at life, maybe Viktor can still use his skills to do what he’d wanted from the start. 

The Undercity needs air purifiers. Water filters. Prosthetics, for those who’ve had to give up one of their limbs — the Hexcore could do that and more, it seems to remind him with a thrum. Viktor actively chooses to ignore it; nothing good will come from the easy way out. 

“Zaun. Okay. That’s good.” Jayce nods, and for half a second Viktor almost allows himself to believe that they’ve reached some sort of agreement, and maybe Jayce will leave before that scent of his kills whatever little impulse control Viktor still clings to.

Until Jayce opens his mouth again, a wild look in his eyes. 

“Right. We should probably leave during nightfall, and—” 

Viktor feels something in him snap.

“We? Jayce, there is no we!” 

Viktror makes a move to stand up, well aware that his frustrated scent is beginning to cloud the space around them. To his surprise, his partner does not give in to the pressure of his pheromones. Before he can even attempt to leave his seat, Jayce leans in and slams both of his hands on the desk behind Viktor, effectively caging him in place with his body. 

The uncharacteristic nature of the action stuns him so hard that the anger almost completely dissipates from Viktor’s body. Jayce stares directly into him with a blend of his own frustration, desperation, eyes shining slightly like—

Oh. He’s going to cry. 

“Jayce…” Subconsciously, his voice softens. Viktor’s instincts scream that this is completely wrong, that he’s making his Omega sad instead of comforting him and taking care of him the way Jayce deserves. 

He leans back in an attempt to put as much distance between them as possible, pushing the thought down. Down, as deep as it will go. Their desk digs into his back. 

“I can’t live without you, Viktor. Please don’t make me.” 

His throat goes dry. Don’t say that to me. Not now.  

“What about Hextech? Your weapons, the council, the war that looms over our nations? Think, Jayce.” His voice comes out weaker than intended. Viktor is aware of the way he’s scrambling for excuses, but at least they’re good excuses. There’s no way Jayce is considering all the implications of his suggestion. Running away together, now of all times?

“We can always… fake our own deaths, yes? If we blow up the lab during the night, they’ll think Hextech malfunctioned, like the Council used to fear. We’ll destroy the weapons; take the gems with us.” His partner smiles like it’s self-evident. “Start over.” 

What the fuck. 

“You’ve thought about this before.” 

The fact that Jayce could suddenly concoct such an insane plan is telling enough. After being this close for as long as they have, he knows the way his partner’s mind works just as well as his own — perhaps better.

Any other day, Viktor would have probably laughed at his strange attempt at a joke. But Jayce is serious. He’s been thinking of leaving it all behind and running away. With Viktor. 

When did it all start?

“You would abandon your life’s work, friends, family, duties… Just to hide in secrecy with me? Jayce, you can’t possibly like me that much.” 

And Jayce gives him a look like Viktor is the one spouting nonsense. He leans down so that their faces align, torsos finally touching. Viktor has nowhere to retreat to, trapped on all fronts. Jayce is all he can see, smell, feel. Viktor wants nothing more than to dive in headfirst, let the sensation swallow him like the rising tide; vanish at sea without a trace. 

“You’re right. Because I love you, Viktor.”

He bites his tongue so hard he tastes rust.

Love. 

There it is, the word that breaks down Viktor’s last defenses. The signal his brain was waiting for to finally turn off all logic and restraint. Of all the scenarios he’d fantasized about, the possibilities imagined over the years — needless to say this was not what he pictured. 

Well, they’ve never liked to do things the conventional way.

“There is something deeply wrong with you, Jayce Talis.” 

Fast as lightning, Viktor grabs Jayce by his coat’s collar and brings him down the rest of the way. 

The kiss is eager, unpracticed, and Jayce seems too shocked to even reciprocate at first. He’s still holding himself up against the desk behind them, and Viktor braces himself for the possibility that they might just both be knocked to the ground if his partner loses balance. 

Thankfully, as soon as he registers the insistent press of Viktor’s mouth against his, Jayce spurs into action. One of his hands flies to Viktor’s hip, touch firm and scalding despite the blanket still loosely covering most of his body. He needs it off. Badly. Jayce seems to share the sentiment, if the way he presses their chests together is anything to go by. His other hand moves to Viktor’s back, making sure it can’t press into the hard surface of the desk anymore.

He already finds himself wishing that they’d never have to part. Viktor had realized earlier —  when he was running — that he no longer has the need for air, even if his body can still go through the motions of breathing. A facsimile of life. At least his feelings remain; he could truly kiss Jayce forever.

Then, Viktor can’t help himself. He plants his fangs lightly into Jayce’s plush bottom lip, a request for him to open his mouth. His partner gasps in response, pulling away slightly. 

It’s a wonderful sight; Jayce, pupils already blown wide, flushed all the way to the tips of his ears. His spicy scent is potent in the air, sending a pleased thrill down Viktor’s spine. A most beautiful sight.

“You’re going to regret this.” Viktor says, even as his fingers itch to loosen his tie and get all these stupid layers off of him. Because a world where Jayce never gets tired of him, of this, feels too good to be true. 

Jayce laughs. Gently takes one of Viktor’s hands away from where it was still balled up in his shirt, and brings the wrist to his own neck. Makes a show out of the way he rubs it against the mating gland at his nape. 

Viktor’s heart no longer pounds in his chest, but he’s never felt more alive. 

“I used unknown magic to bring you back to life. I think I have a good idea of what I want, Vik.” Jayce moves the Alpha’s wrist close to his mouth next, softly kissing the purplish skin under which he knows the gland must lay. The whole gesture is so painfully tender, Viktor doesn’t know what he should do with himself. “I mean, I was trying to court you a year into our partnership, so—”

Pause.

“Excuse me—?” 

Jayce startles at his loud interruption, releasing his arm at the same time. He meets Viktor’s expression of pure disbelief with a sheepish look of his own, like a child being scolded. 

“I thought it was kind of obvious? You never seemed to acknowledge it, so I eventually assumed…” And he trails off, like he didn’t casually reveal the fact that they could have saved themselves years of torturous pining.

Viktor tries to rack his brain for anything, any sign he may have brushed off at the time. He’s always been very much aware of the different types of courting rituals practiced in Zaun, would have definitely noticed even if—

Horror dawns on him at the realization that he never bothered to research if things were done differently in Piltover. Of course they’d be, you idiot. 

He’s suddenly reminded of walking into their lab only to find fresh flowers on their shared workstation. Had assumed, rather foolishly, that Jayce had simply wanted to liven up their space. Hadn’t even questioned the fact that it had happened a few more times after that. 

“Back then, the flowers...?” 

“And your crutch. And your brace. And—”

“Jayce. I think courting habits in Piltover are very different from the ones in Zaun.” 

His partner stares at him. Blinks. Tilts his head like a curious dog, and Viktor finds it a lot more endearing than it has any right to be. Jayce has the audacity to pout. 

“But you started to use all these products to mask your pheromones, and—”

“Because I was trying to court you!”

Now it’s Jayce who looks taken aback. This is so embarrassing. Of all the times to be having this conversation… Viktor clears his throat, trying not to focus on the hand still splayed on his back. He supposes he owes him a bit of an explanation, before they carry on with whatever this is. If Jayce wants more.

“In Zaun… An Alpha trying to court a Beta will usually cover up their pheromones. It’s, eh, kind of rude to scent mark someone if they can’t even smell it.” 

Viktor’s hands fidget awkwardly in his lap, and he makes a noise of surprise when Jayce suddenly slots himself between his legs, nudging them apart effortlessly. 

“Viktor… Fuck.”

Ah. Definitely not angry, then.

A small smile tugs at Viktor’s lips when Jayce captures them in a kiss again, pressing their bodies together like he hopes they’ll somehow fuse together. He earns himself a moan when he slips his tongue inside the Omega’s mouth, and the sound goes straight to his groin. Combined with the way Jayce’s hips press against his, one hand squeezing his waist, it—

It kind of hurts, actually.

Like the pressure steadily building deep in his gut ever since Jayce confessed his feelings has nowhere to escape to. Burning desire and want and need that his body cannot seem to process as it usually does. And come to think of it, Viktor didn’t exactly have time to check everything the Hexcore may have changed. 

Viktor squirms and gasps, and Jayce pulls away from him almost instantly. Part of him wishes he hadn’t; the other itches for… something he can't pinpoint.

“Vik? Are you okay?”

“I don't know,” he answers truthfully, brows pinched together slightly. 

Jayce scans his face and seems to reach some kind of conclusion. His hands settle on the edges of the blanket that still cover Viktor’s form, a silent request. Viktor nods.

Like Viktor is a present for him to unwrap, his partner parts the fabric slowly. It slips off his shoulders gracefully, revealing a body that is neither truly metal nor flesh. Gold frames his chest the way his back brace once did, filaments coiling their ways throughout his limbs like shining veins. 

Jayce stares, lips parted in what appears to be silent wonder. And then, unexpectedly… he sinks to his knees before Viktor. 

I must be quite unsightly, he almost says, at the same time Jayce opens his mouth.

“You’re so beautiful.”

Oh. 

No one has ever called him that before.

But Jayce looks up at him like he is something worth worshipping; a devotee at the altar of his God. Adoration shines in his hazel eyes as both his hands rest on Viktor’s thighs, and his scent — somehow — permeates the air even more strongly than before. The Omega’s gaze eventually darts back down, settling on Viktor’s smooth crotch. 

“Is this where it hurts?” 

Always so perceptive, his Jayce. Pain is something Viktor was never quite able to conceal from him. 

“Ah… Yes. But—”

Before Viktor can try to protest, Jayce presses a careful hand to his pelvis. It elicits a full-body shudder from him, warm touch against an area that is a lot more sensitive than he remembers. His partner has that focused look on his face, like this is a problem for him to solve. 

His hand slides down to the space between Viktor’s thighs, and they both gasp when Jayce finds the slit partially hidden there. Some kind of sheath? Viktor does not get to contemplate the question. With deft fingers, Jayce gently parts his folds, and then—

“Jayce— Fuck—!” 

The sound that escapes Viktor’s chest is downright obscene. With nothing else to brace himself with, both of his hands fly to Jayce’s shoulders. He feels immediate relief at the release of pressure in his gut, quickly replaced by a much more familiar throb. It’s not an orgasm, that much he knows — but it comes pretty damn close. 

“Wow…”

Viktor opens his eyes again, only to find Jayce staring right at his new cock. He supposes it’s only fair, considering the fact that his dick is now purple and faintly glowing, not to mention the fact that it can apparently retract inside his body. 

Instead of being understandably repulsed, Jayce licks his lips like he’s itching for a taste. His large hand wraps around Viktor’s length, giving it a slow, experimental jerk. After years without the touch of another, Viktor has to fight to stop his hips from harshly bucking. He knows he won’t be truly satisfied until he’s inside his Omega, keeping him full and sated and—

Jayce was right. He is going into rut. Like a fog rolling in, it slowly clouds his mind.

“Jayce.” Viktor warns, because he’s seconds away from pining his partner down and claiming him right there, on the floor of their lab. Jayce would certainly let him, but he deserves better than that. He’s also ignoring him in favour of pressing his thumb to the tip of Viktor’s cock, watching for a reaction.

“Jayce." He repeats, more forcefully. 

One of his hands buries itself in Jayce’s hair, messing up the soft, tidy strands. Viktor pulls, forcing him to look up properly. The needy whine he gets does nothing to quell the burning ache spreading all the way to his limbs. 

“The couch. Now."

Jayce blinks up at him almost innocently, hazel eyes widening when he finally understands what Viktor is asking of him. The sight of him on his knees is something he could get used to all too easily. 

“You— You want me to carry you?”

In any other context, the answer would be no. For once, Viktor cannot be bothered to care. He knows what they both need.

“Do not make me repeat myself.”

✧✸✧

His legs have nearly given out by the time he makes it to the couch, despite the short distance between it and their desks. He lays Viktor down carefully, blanket splayed under him. Jayce feels like it belongs there, his latent nesting instincts kicking in. He climbs on top of the Alpha, only pausing briefly to kick off his shoes. 

It should scare him, how much he wants. For years, he’s been too afraid to let go. To show himself as he is, and indulge part of what he rationally knows is innate nature, without shame or judgement. 

With Viktor, there is not an ounce of fear, even when he notices the tell-tale tinge of rut in the air. In fact, all he can think about is the fact that he can please Viktor. Jayce can help his Alpha, the person he cares about most in this world.

He straddles what was once Viktor’s good thigh, sighing in relief at the friction against his neglected erection. In a moment of pure emotion, he grabs his partner's face, placing a long, searing kiss on his lips. Jayce then moves on to all the spots he's been silently eyeing for years, leaving warmth in his wake. That damned mole above Viktor’s lips, and the one next to his eye. The space between his eyebrows, his forehead, the tip of his nose, and then lower; under his jaw, as well as the elegant curve of his neck. 

Jayce rolls his hips once, twice, a breathless moan escaping him while he tries to suck a mark into his partner’s skin. It’s not exactly fruitful, but he’s not the kind of person to give up so easily. One of his hands trails down, hoping to wrap his fingers around Viktor’s perfect cock again. He needs to hear him.

He’s interrupted by a rather rough tug to his tie, forcing him to look up. Jayce yelps, but his annoyance at being stopped dies down as soon as he notices the pure, unbridled lust in Viktor’s eyes.

“Off. Quickly.” 

Another tug. Jayce knows better than to make him wait, when the Alpha was patient enough to let him indulge for a moment. And it’s kind of cute, how rut and need neutralize Viktor’s extensive vocabulary. It’s also incredibly hot, because Jayce finds that he rather likes being ordered around like this.

He starts by loosening the offending article of clothing around his neck, tossing it aside. Jayce shrugs off his coat next, and then he’s fumbling with the buttons of his vest. Viktor practically rips his undershirt off of him, only slowing down when he remembers the freshly scabbed cut on Jayce’s collarbone. 

Viktor has seen him shirtless before. Somehow, this feels completely different.

His partner makes a low noise of appreciation as his eyes freely roam over Jayce’s muscled chest, taking in the result of long hours spent in the forge. Soon, his hands are on the waistband of the Omega’s pants, a silent request. 

Jayce nods, lifting his hips up for easier access. Viktor slides his pants down like his life depends on it. His damp underwear follows almost immediately after, and Jayce gasps in relief when his cock is freed from its confines at last, hitting his stomach with a light slap. Slick already coats his inner thighs, which is somewhat unexpected since he’s not in heat.

“You’re soaked.” Viktor comments, a smug smirk on his lips. There’s a glint in his eyes, like he wants to eat the Omega alive.

Jayce can’t remember the last time he was ever this turned on, regardless of his own biological functions. The fresh scent of damp earth fills his lungs on every inhale, making the gland on his nape throb. And then Viktor is pulling him forward by the hips, until he’s essentially straddling his partner’s stomach. It’s almost torture, so close yet so far from being able to grind back against his Alpha’s aching length. 

“Jayce.” Viktor says more seriously, propping himself up into a half sitting position and bringing Jayce along effortlessly. His partner rubs little circles into his hips, firm but reassuring. “Have you ever…?”

Oh.

Honestly, the fact that Viktor is still able to wait and ask speaks to his impressive amount of self-restraint. 

“No… I mean, yes, but—” 

He cuts himself before he leads Viktor to mistakenly believe that he’s a virgin. Knowing him, he would lose his mind at the prospect of handling Jayce roughly, which is exactly what he wants right now. 

“…Well, I’m no virgin. I’ve just never had anyone else… inside me before,” is what he settles on, despite some embarrassment. 

The Alpha makes a face, like he expected a completely different response. 

“Really? Never?” There’s a hint of skepticism in his voice, and, buried underneath, something that sounds close to possessiveness. Jayce can already tell that this knowledge is going to make Viktor insufferable, but he refuses to get into the details at this time. 

His partner must know by now that he and Mel parted on good terms not long ago. What Viktor doesn’t know is why — and, really, it’s none of his business. The truth is, as much as he wanted to, Jayce was never able to let go around her the way he is doing now. 

He hopes, now more than ever, that she never blames herself for it; it seems like the universe always had different plans. 

“Never, Vik. So why don’t you hurry up and be the first?”

The tease slips out naturally, half an attempt to stop Viktor from inquiring deeper — at least for now. His breath itches when the grasp on his hips briefly turns bruising, and then one of Viktor’s hands is sliding between the curve of Jayce’s ass, one cool finger circling his rim. 

The switch-up is so quick that Jayce falls forward in surprise, head instinctively settling against the Alpha’s shoulder. Viktor just purrs, nosing at his hair. He presses in carefully, and Jayce’s body gives no resistance, already wet and pliant for him. All Jayce can do is take. 

The pace he sets at first is slow, almost experimental. When Jayce starts to move his hips back in response, Viktor quickly adds another. There’s a bit of a stretch this time, but barely. He doesn’t have time to feel embarrassed about the sounds his body is making, not when Viktor starts carefully feeling around his insides. It’s about two inches in that he finds what he is looking for. 

“Shit—!” Jayce jolts, Viktor’s long fingers stroking over the opening to his reproductive canal. 

His body resists the potential intrusion, which is to be expected — for male Omegas, the passage is only really meant to give way during heats or childbirth. He’s been able to slip a finger in only once… and quickly got overwhelmed by its sensitivity. 

Viktor goes back to stretching him after that, but Jayce can tell that the reaction sparked his curiosity. He moves his hand more quickly, scissoring his fingers and squeezing the meat of his thigh at the same time. Viktor’s chest rises in quick, panting breaths — despite no apparent need for oxygen — matching Jayce’s soft little moans. He curls his fingers up, knuckles rubbing against that spot again. 

Jayce’s neglected cock jumps, and it’s nearly enough to make him come. He buries his face deeper into the crook of Viktor’s neck, trying to hide his own flustered expression. 

“Viktor.” He gasps, arms wrapping around his partner’s neck, needing to hold on to something. “I’m not— I’m not in heat.” 

Though if he truly goes off his suppressants, he definitely will be, give or take a few days. The thought of spending this time with Viktor, of allowing himself to be taken care of… It only heightens his current arousal. 

Viktor just hums, a fresh wave of pheromones hitting Jayce’s nose from this close to his mating gland. It brings none of the pressure or oppressiveness he’s sometimes read about; instead, he finds himself submitting to the scent willingly. He wants more. Jayce’s fangs ache to mark his Alpha.

When his body grows lax, Viktor finally presses a third finger in. By this point, Jayce is practically riding his hand, and he can’t be bothered to care. Soon, even that proves to be insufficient. He itches for a bigger stretch, harder, deeper. His dick bounces with every shallow rut of his hips, trapped between their bodies and leaking pathetically. 

“Vik— Vik, I’m gonna—” He tries to warn, the tightness in his abdomen quickly becoming too much, like a rope pulled taunt. 

Viktor does not seem to mind — quite the opposite. His thrusts quicken, and his other hand finally wraps around his cock. Jayce almost sobs in relief, mouthing at his partner’s skin.

“I want to mark you so bad.” 

The admission slips past his lips without a second thought. Jayce half expects his partner to stop, put off by this sudden talk of commitment. Even if Viktor shares his feelings, few Alphas even want their Omega’s bite to begin with. 

Jayce is… greedy, is probably what they would call him. So what? A bond should be a two-way street. For years, he’s longed to leave a permanent trace on his partner.

Viktor doesn’t appear shocked in the slightest by this revelation. In fact, he chuckles , the sound warm, beloved, and rare. Viktor squeezes Jayce’s length, jerking him off in tandem with the hand fingering him. 

“You’re welcome to try.” 

Viktor very deliberately presses all three fingers against Jayce’s reproductive opening. It’s all it takes for Jayce to come undone with a loud groan, spilling all over Viktor’s hand and stomach. 

In that moment, truly fulfilled, mind gone blank, instinct takes over. One of his hands latches on to Viktor’s jaw, tilting his head aside to expose part of a graceful nape. Jayce does not stop to think about whether it's still possible to break the now-inorganic skin covering the mating gland. 

He parts his lips, and bites down. 

Unexpectedly, what seems like malleable metal everywhere else on Viktor’s body actually breaks under his canines. Maybe this spot in particular is different, just like his mostly-untouched face. The taste that fills his mouth is difficult to pinpoint, not quite blood, but unmistakably Viktor. Jayce groans, all the base urges and fantasies he’d pushed down finally being fulfilled.

Viktor is his, at last. He’s never felt this euphoric, almost lightheaded. The stories weren’t lying about that part.

Jayce pulls away after a time, but doesn’t get to admire his own work. Viktor pushes him down against the couch, lunging for his mouth. He kisses like he’s trying to devour him, starving, completely uncaring of his own taste still on Jayce’s tongue. Viktor breaks the kiss just as suddenly, nipping and marking his way down the Omega’s body with an unrestrained, wild energy. 

Jayce realizes then that his cock is still just as hard as it was before, and his hole begs to be filled again. He needs, and needs, and needs, almost to the point of pain.

“Vik— Please, please—”

There’s a hand gripping his shoulder, and then… 

The room spins. Jayce is flipped over on his belly. He yelps. Of all the people, he’d never thought Viktor would one day be able to manhandle him like this — even if he’s in no state to resist. He tries to prop himself up on his hands and knees, but a palm presses firmly between his shoulders, forcing him to rest his head on his arms instead.

Viktor grabs him by the hips, weight settling between Jayce’s spread legs. Finally, he feels his Alpha’s thick cock sliding against his ass, but he still doesn’t press against his hole. Jayce whines, trying to buck back against him, but Viktor’s grip doesn’t yield. He’s teasing him.

“Do you know… how much I’ve wanted this?” His voice comes out a bit lower than normal, rough with unrestrained desire. Viktor slides against the cleft of his ass once more, slow, torturous.

Jayce thinks he has a pretty good idea. But it still all feels surreal, being wanted by Viktor. His partner, his saviour, and the only person who could ever truly match his mind. Jayce has been and always will be a lover at his core — a lover of people, of science, of the beautiful world he lives in. And yet, the past few days have forced him to realize that Viktor is the one thing his heart could never stand to be without. 

So yes, he does know , because he is the same.

“Me— Me too. Fuck, I need—” Jayce’s breathless babbling is interrupted when the slightly tapered tip of Viktor’s cock brushes against his rim. 

It’s the only warning he gets before the Alpha shifts his hips forward, and slams all the way inside him. 

“Ah—!”

Just like that, all the air is punched out of his lungs. Were it not for Viktor keeping his hips steady, his legs would have surely given up under him. The sound he makes is halfway between a moan and a scream, but pain only comes in the form of a rapidly gentling sting. Blessedly, Viktor doesn’t start moving right away. Their hips sit flush against each other, leaving him to just feel everything. 

Viktor is even bigger than he is, filling him more completely and reaching deeper than fingers ever could. Jayce could swear that he feels faint bumps and ridges running along the full length when it twitches, likely a strange side effect of his fusion with the Hexcore. 

“Relax, Jayce.” Viktor leans forward, pressing most of his weight against Jayce’s back, before planting a tender kiss to his shoulder. 

His partner’s close presence, solid and real and alive, satisfies a deeply primal part of his brain. His breathing evens out, muscles loosening in response. The Alpha lets out an appreciative hum, stroking a soothing thumb against one hip. 

“Taking me so well…” Viktor mumbles against his skin, and heat settles in Jayce’s stomach in response. He tries to bite back a whimper, but his partner definitely notices. There’s no hiding what the praise does to him. “Smelling so sweet, too.” 

And that’s one thing he’s never been complimented on. Instinctively, Jayce releases more of his own pheromones, flooding the lab with the combined smell of their arousal. 

Viktor still hasn’t budged. What was at first too much, is quickly becoming not enough. 

“Viktor— Please… Please move—” 

Viktor draws his hips back in the middle of his sentence, likely just to hear him beg. He slides his cock out slowly, leaving Jayce to feel every little ridge as it drags against his insides. And then he thrusts back in, deep and hard, like the first time.

Jayce is starting to think that he might die on their stupid lab couch.

He grabs on to the cushion for dear life, helpless to do anything when his partner sets a slow, punishing pace. As if to make matters worse, one of Viktor’s hands snakes its way down to brush against his nipples, the other still steadily holding on to his hips. 

“So good— Oh—!” 

If this is how Jayce dies — speared on his Alpha’s cock, feverish from his rut pheromones, drool running down his chin? Maybe he’s okay with it. 

Jayce is too out of his mind with bliss to notice what’s really happening until Viktor starts to angle his thrusts down. He brushes against his sensitive reproductive opening every time, sending pleased jolts down Jayce’s spine. 

Then, the inevitable happens.

On a particular snap of his hips, Viktor breaches through his most intimate place. The tip of his cock slips right into Jayce’s tight passage — now closer to his womb than ever before. Jayce’s whole body locks up in response, but he doesn’t try to move away from the intrusion. He didn’t think it was even possible. 

He’s also never been this open and turned on in his life.

“V-Vik— Don’t think— I can’t—”   

Tears prickle at the corner of his eyes, more from overstimulation than real pain. How can he be this sensitive?  

The Alpha’s hand moves from his chest to his chin, twisting his neck slightly so their eyes can meet. Viktor’s cool chest presses against his flushed back, grounding him. There’s a focused furrow to his brow, and dried ‘blood’ on his lower lip. Unlike Jayce, he doesn’t seem to sweat from exertion anymore.

“Can’t, or won’t?” He asks, softly. Of course Viktor is still giving him an out, even in this situation. 

Jayce would be lying if he said he didn’t want this just as much as his partner, but he feels like he’s on the verge of breaking. He might have come a second time just now, he can’t even tell. 

“Can’t. Too much.” He answers in a shaky voice, truthful. 

Viktor rewards him with a passionate kiss on the lips, before pulling away slowly. His hand cradles Jayce’s jaw tenderly. His eyes, half-lidded, shine a warm shade of pink.

“Of course you can.” Viktor’s touch withdraws from his face, purposefully trailing down the front of his body before wrapping around his throbbing dick and giving it a slow stroke. He props his head against one of Jayce’s shoulders, driving his hips forward slightly. “You will.”

It hits Jayce, far too late, that Viktor is well and truly trying to breed him. 

He’s not in heat. There’s definitely still traces of suppressants in his system, so it’s unlikely that he could even… 

But his brain stopped responding to logic a while ago. Suddenly, it’s all he can think about: Carrying Viktor’s child, no question as to whom he belongs to.

“Made for me, Jayce…” 

Whispered words against his skin is all he needs. Something in Jayce finally gives.

They both moan in surprise when Viktor’s cock is able to slide the rest of the way in without resistance, filling Jayce completely — nearly pressing against his cervix. 

“Oh gods— Fuck!” 

This time, Viktor barely gives him time to get used to the sensation. He starts to rock his hips in shallow snaps, like he can’t bear to withdraw too much from Jayce’s body. It’s somehow more intense than earlier. Closer, animalistic. 

Viktor plants his teeth into the meat of his shoulder with a barely contained growl, so close yet so far to Jayce’s nape. He briefly stops jerking him off, but before the Omega can whine in protest, his hand presses right against Jayce’s lower stomach. 

Shit. 

There’s a bulge there, where Viktor is currently seated inside of him. It juts out with every thrust, and combined with the external pressure on his belly, Jayce’s knees go weak.  

He is so, so desperately close now. Jayce feels his orgasm rising, and rising, and rising — yet he’s left frustratingly near to the edge. Even when Viktor starts slamming into him in earnest, so deep he feels it in his ribs, the sound of skin on skin filling the room… His body refuses to take him there. He still needs—

“Jayce.” Viktor pants next to his ear, and judging by his rough voice, he won’t be able to hold on for long either. “If you… Ah, if you don’t want—”

On his next thrust, he squeezes Jayce’s whole body against his. Jayce bucks his hips back to meet him, and that’s when he feels the protrusion pressing against his rim. Instinctively, he knows. He clenches around Viktor, needing him inside. 

“Vik— Knot me. Mark me, please, please, please—” 

He sobs, desperate and unashamed, begging and whining and clawing at the couch like a wild animal. Viktor has to hold him steady so he doesn’t fall off, and then his mouth is on Jayce’s nape, teeth grazing the sensitive skin there. A low, feral sound reverberating from his body in response to the Omega’s plea.

With a final push of his hips, Viktor’s knot catches inside, locking them together. Jayce’s own blinding orgasm goes almost unnoticed when, a second later, he feels the Alpha’s cock sputter and twitch with his release. Liquid warmth pools at his core, seeding his womb, and he goes boneless in response, clenching around him. 

Jayce doesn’t even try to muffle the howl of pleasure that tears through his heaving chest when Viktor’s canines pierce his mating gland next. He feels downright delirious, like the moment might never end. 

Viktor, his mate, is still one with him. 

The sting of broken flesh is easily overshadowed by the feeling of their bond taking place. The deep, blissful satisfaction that settles throughout his whole body leaves him numb, unlike anything he’s experienced before. 

Most of all, for the first time since he found out he was an Omega, Jayce feels whole.

✧✸✧

Viktor licks at the fresh bond mark on Jayce’s nape, a deep-seated need to keep it clean so it heals nicely. His Omega stirs in his arms, back pressed against his chest after he carefully maneuvered them onto their sides. His formerly weak leg is slung over Jayce’s hip, keeping him close. 

Jayce’s whole body vibrates from the strength of his pleased purring. Viktor nuzzles against his neck, taking a deep whiff. Jayce still smells just as rich and sweet, but there’s the underlying note of something sharp and crisp as well. Their combined scent. 

His cock gives a twitch of interest, still buried deep inside his mate, but he ignores it for now, happy to bask in his Jayce’s warm presence. He’ll probably need to go another time or two before his rut truly abates, but it’s already much fainter than he’s used to when alone. 

There’s a chance that when they truly come back to their minds, Jayce will regret this. Maybe he’ll resent Viktor for claiming him without a second thought — like it hasn’t been on his mind for almost a decade.

And yet, oddly enough, he doubts that this is the scenario that will come to pass. 

There’s also a chance night will fall like it has every day since the dawn of time, and they will take this chance to leave their former lives behind. Jayce seemed bent on staging their own deaths — who is Viktor to deny him the pleasure?

“Mmh…” Jayce reaches for one of the arms that he has wrapped around his chest, splaying his fingers atop Viktor’s own with a hum. “Love you.”

He’ll have to find a way to get used to this, the unbridled affection. Then again, since they’ve apparently always loved each other, perhaps not much will change. Hearing it so directly still sends a delighted thrill down his spine, and he sighs in contentment. 

“I love you too, Jayce.” More than anything. So much his chest aches with it, when he should have surpassed these mortal pains. This time, he welcomes it. “So perfect for me…” 

Jayce chuckles, but he doesn’t deny it.

The Hexcore can protest all it wants. He knows there’s no need for further change, or some sort of misguided evolution. Not when the person that matters most chose him as he is. Viktor’s mate rests in his arms, full, sated, happy and purring. His beautiful, perfect Jayce.

A little smile tugs at his lips. It’s almost silly to start hoping now, but…

Maybe things will work out for them.