Archive of Our Own

Viktor was positive he was on the verge of a breakthrough to rival the very one that got him where he was now in the first place. He was absolutely sure of it. The air itself was alight with the fluorescent cyan of hextech. The hexcore was switching – now between the appropriate runes – at exhilarating speeds. His hair was a little singed from having caught himself getting just a little too close to a hot piece of equipment and he was glad Jayce was busy somewhere else so he couldn’t hear the bordering on maniacal laughter he’d emitted multiple times, but Viktor was sure he’d done it. What it was, he wasn’t sure, but he’d never seen the hexcore do something like this before. 

He was feverishly writing down notes as fast as he could, a nervous tremor in his fingers as he couldn’t control the tizzied smile on his face. He could taste the static in the atmosphere of the lab. The charge was something unreal. If he stopped now, he didn’t know what he’d lose, but he knew it’d be a lot. To hell with getting the proper safety apparel, he didn’t have time when discovery was on the line. He was fine in his relatively clean sweater vest, though the cat hair he didn’t have time to get off was a little irritating. Curse Jayce and his penchant for fawning over any stray that came up to him with sad enough cries and big enough eyes, along with how Viktor always fell for those same qualities in the man himself. 

Viktor was so caught up in his premature celebration of triumph over his own creation that he didn’t notice how a vessel had burst in his nose, red halfway down his top lip before he even realized he’d been bleeding. The hexcore made an odd chittering sound as he all but dropped his notebook to clean his face before the blood collected enough to drip onto the precious pages of coveted new research. Viktor was shaking as he dropped his handkerchief post blood mopping and grabbed his pencil again. He couldn’t tell if it was from his excitement or his admittedly low blood sugar. 

He noticed how he’d accidentally let some blood drip on his sweater vest and cursed softly, swiping his free hand down his chest once or twice before sighing in defeat. Yeah, it was toast. The air in the lab was hot and dry from the multitudes of machinery, there was no way that stain was getting out without hydrogen peroxide. 

…Which they had.

He set his pencil down again and grabbed his crutch, standing slowly and groaning at how his back and hips creaked in protest. He’d have to put himself through the torture of sacrificing his dignity and security in his and Jayce’s currently platonic relationship so he could get Jayce to massage the knots out of his shoulders later. Ah well. Small sacrifices. He hobbled over to a cabinet and pulled out their extensive first aid kit, grabbing the hydrogen peroxide from it and pouring some right onto his vest without decorum. It wasn’t like anyone was going to scold him and Jayce wasn’t here to cringe. Not like he had any place to, Viktor once caught him eating a sandwich right off their blueprints while his hands were covered in chalk. He had done something similar more times than he could count, but he digresses. 

It wouldn’t have normally been something of note, the sounds the hexcore made, but Viktor found it necessary to note now that it sounded almost like it was excited about something. Softly clicking, whistling, chittering and chirping as it spun back and forth faster than he’d ever seen before. Viktor stepped closer to it, cautious yet amazed as his feet shuffled slightly, only to regret that decision as a blindingly bright light shone from it and engulfed him. He didn’t have free hands to cover his eyes, still holding the peroxide. The only thing he could do was curl in on himself and put an arm up for some semblance of protection.

The light itself burned. It was like a particularly fast acting sunburn, or perhaps radiation, and made him hiss between his teeth as a high whine followed the light. Only for it to crescendo into a loud bang that knocked Viktor to the floor. He didn’t have time to catch himself as he hit the lab’s tile and as he made impact Viktor was surprised for a moment that he didn’t crack his head open. 

He was more surprised by the fact that he was able to turn around in time to smack his nose right against the floor. Pain zinged up the bridge and Viktor groaned, rolling onto his side and reaching to hold his face with both hands. Except when he touched his nose his hands were fuzzy. And so was his face? Viktor didn’t have the time to celebrate the fact that his nose was magically unbroken because currently that allotted time was now filled by holy fuck why am I shrinking as a reaction. 

Viktor watched in horror as his hands shrunk down and as he started swimming in his button down and sweater vest, hurriedly yanking his slacks back up his hips before he could become indecent. He let out a cry of shock and startled as what came out of his mouth was not his voice. 

Viktor was shaking as he finally stopped shrinking, panting loud in the quiet of the lab as he stared in fright at his new eye level. He got up to stand only to wince as it hurt worse than it usually did, settling back on the floor. Okay. Okay. This was fine, he was fine. He just needed to figure out what the fuck was going on. 

He went to move again and found that a more comfortable way to stand was with his hands firmly planted on the floor right alongside his feet. It felt like his hips and shoulders had set differently as Viktor stepped out of the heaping puddle of fabric, metal, and leather. He lamented for a moment that the realignment didn’t ease any of his pain as he slowly made his way to the mirror Jayce had insisted upon putting in the lab. He silently thanked his partner for his vanity before realizing he was looking at a cat. He shifted from side to side for a moment, eyes wide as he slowly processed what the hexcore had turned him into. 

He was turned into a cat.

This could not be happening. 

Viktor exclaimed quietly and a meow left his mouth instead. He couldn’t believe it. If he wasn’t so shocked by this revelation he’d be ecstatic, amazed that the hexcore could even do something like this. The implications were astounding. But Viktor couldn’t really focus on that, to be honest. He was mostly focused on the fact that he was now small, fuzzy, and his vocal cords were unfit for language beyond what any normal cat would be capable of.

Actually, small would be kind of a lie. He was quite long. In every aspect, really. His face was long and angular just like his human face would be, and his limbs were thin and awkward, as was his tail. The thickest part of him was Viktor’s body, and really when he got a closer look at himself he wasn’t much thicker than his human thigh. Which was to say, not very thick at all. It was fitting. At least he had a pretty coat. He was mostly cinnamon all over, but his tummy and paws were fawn. His fur itself was long ish, he guessed, awkwardly between long and shorthaired and very scruffy and dull. What he got for his abysmal self care, he supposed. 

Viktor felt panic briefly threaten him before he steeled himself. No, this wasn’t the time to be panicking. He needed to go get Jayce and figure out a way to tell him what happened so they could find how to turn him back. Panicking wasn’t an option. He paced back and forth in front of the mirror for a moment as he tried to remember where Jayce would be right now. (add in deet abt his legs being awk) It was four in the afternoon, which meant Jayce was probably with the council making decisions about wine selections or gala dates or something equally as infinitesimal and idiotic.

Not what needed to be focused on right now. He got to the door and could not be happier that they’d decided to install a pedal at the bottom of the door that could open it in case of emergencies. Simply pressing down on it obviously didn’t work since Viktor now couldn’t weigh more than ten pounds at the very most, and like hell was he going to rear back and stomp to get the door open and risk hurting his spine. He needed to find a way to push something heavy onto the pedal to get the door unlatched and then use said object to give the door a nice shove so he’d be freed from the lab. Easier said than done.

He found quickly that jumping up onto surfaces was relatively pain free, as his weight settled on his arms – front legs? – first and gave him enough time to ease onto his back legs as gently as possible. So, he hopped onto one of the lab counters and found a sturdy looking prototype he’d planned to scrap for parts anyway. He used his tiny body to rub against it, trying to put as much strength behind himself as he could to push it off the desk and onto the pedal. The door’s latch mechanism clanged inside from the force and Viktor triumphantly (and slowly) made his way down from the counter to enact the second part of this plan. A good few shoves later and he had gotten the door open just enough to squeeze through, almost slamming his tail in the door on the way out. Okay. Well… Now what?

It took him a moment to really take in that this was actually happening again. He made the mental list and it slowly dawned on him that Viktor would not be turned back into a human unless he and Jayce found a way to reverse this. His list went as follows:

One, he had somehow gotten the hexcore to unintentionally turn him into a cat.

Two, he was a cat. 

Three, his body didn’t necessarily hurt less due to the transformation, but there was a definite shift in where the pain was and how it reacted to his movements. To be honest he simultaneously felt like he was breathing out of a straw but also that his breathing had never been easier in his life. Maybe it was the fact that now his arms were naturally angled out and away from his body instead of right against his sides, therefore opening his lungs a little more. 

Four, he was a cat. 

Five, he had managed to make his way out of the lab by himself in a manner he was sure a cat would have been able to, given the cat was determined enough to do so. 

Six, he was a cat. 

Seven, he needed to find Jayce and document all of this as soon as possible. 

Eight, he was a fucking cat. He felt like he needed to sit and process that. 

He tried the human way first and immediately his back protested. Okay, well, that’s not happening. Viktor huffed before trying to remember how exactly a cat would sit. It wasn’t like he had never seen or interacted with cats, it’s just that the mind tends to work on the most reliable source of information in times of adrenaline and it wasn’t exactly a common occurrence to be magically transformed into a feline. He very awkwardly arranged his limbs in a fashion more akin to something his new body would feel more at home in and took a deep breath. Okay. He was okay. This… entire fiasco was just another discovery he had yet to fully uncover. Just like Jayce and their HexTech, the intrigue of this would (at least eventually) outweigh the risk. 

He stood with a new(er) sense of purpose and started his half-scamper, half-limp down the hall he’d walked on human feet a million times before. Something he really should have thought of more as he walked was that the shift in perspective threw his internal compass for more of a loop than he thought it would. In fact, he’d had to backtrack and go to hallways he’d already walked at least seven times already. Nevermind the amount of times he’d gone in circles. It was starting to become more than a little frustrating to say the least, and if Viktor was going to be completely honest, he probably had a better chance of finding Jayce if he just went back to the lab and stayed put until the Man of Progress found him himself.

Once again that was a task easier said than done, since the process of backtracking was just as tedious as what he’d been doing before. Nonetheless, he found himself back at the lab and sat his ass down right in front of the door. The waiting game began in full now. 

And so wait he did. He waited for what felt like hours almost, though surely Viktor couldn’t have been there for more than a few minutes knowing his luck today. His ears perked up every time the faintest sound of footsteps approached, though none of them had the distinct sound of Jayce’s dress shoes or his work boots and none of the footfalls turned to go down the hall the lab was on. 

Viktor sighed softly as another pair of shoes started to approach. It was one of the campus security guards from the sound of it. Probably just Harold making his rounds again, since this hall was always on his route. It was only expected for the elder gentleman to turn down the hall and approach, but what Viktor didn’t expect was for Harold to make eye contact with him and gasp. 

Viktor honestly almost opened his mouth to ask why Harold had startled the way that he did. As far as he knew, the security guard had no reason to, and he surely had no reason to begin briskly walking with his arms out in Viktor’s direction. Viktor stepped back and his eyes widened as he remembered where he was and what he was. A cat, yes, of course. And cats didn’t belong on campus grounds. Right. 

He tried to form the necessary movements to explain himself, but all that came out was a squeaky yowl as Harold scooped him up with little decorum and squished Viktor against his chest. He felt the air leave his lungs at the amount of pressure and he made a mental note to have Jayce give the guard cat hold technique lessons. 

“I know, kitty, I know. But you don’t belong here. I’m just going to set you on the front steps, then you can go where you please,” Harold cooed. The man appeared at least a little sympathetic towards him. 

Outside was not good, though. He needed to at least be near the lab so that Jayce would have optimal chances of finding him quickly. This was bad and getting worse with every crisp click of Harold’s boots against the marble tiled floors. 

Viktor, in a panic, started squirming and meowing loudly. It kept him in character at least; as any time he’d picked up one of the mangy, flea ridden strays in Entresol as a child, he’d felt them begin to wiggle out of his arms the moment they became uncomfortable. Harold huffed and pulled him tighter against his chest, putting pressure on Viktor’s back and making him yowl again. This was starting to seriously hurt, dammit!

Viktor really didn’t want to have to do this, truly he didn’t. Harold had always been kind to him. But right now he had to do what was necessary to get out of his arms and keep his brittle back from being crushed. He squirmed harder and found the lack of collarbone useful as he batted at Harold’s shoulders, claws out and screaming. The guard yelled and promptly dropped him, allowing Viktor to scamper away.

Knowing where he was going in a time of panic was very apparently becoming not enough. Viktor knew he’d scrambled between the legs of someone and that they’d exclaimed something at him, but he didn’t realize he’d been running in the direction of the front door or that he’d been in the reception room at all. He was outside now though. Upon realizing such, he whipped his head back to look at the rapidly closing door behind him and let out a distressed little howl. He wanted to shout that he was a human, that this was a big misunderstanding and that he actually worked in the building. 

If Viktor’s mouth could form the shape of curse words, it would. He couldn’t even throw much of a fit, either, so he just sat there and stewed in his frustration like he could do something about it. Tail lashing and ears pinned flat back, he probably looked the epitome of “kitty language” (Jayce's words) pissed off. He grunted softly in a way that would've sounded very like him if it weren't for his altered vocal cords and scanned the area for ideas. He was a man of science, surely he could figure out a way to get back to the lab without being seen. Half of lab work was specific about strategy, after all. 

He knew that from the left of the STEM Hall's front doors was a short alleyway with a vent system that most definitely led to the hallway his and Jayce's lab was on. The grate had long since been pried open; he knew on account of the constant complaints filed for it to be fixed, as many small animals had tried to make homes inside. No matter what measures were taken, it was an issue now of fixing the wall the grate was anchored into and no longer an issue of simply reattaching it. This, however, could now prove to be an advantage if he played his cards right. For once he thanked his lucky stars for his waifish physique and stood, hobbling to the left of the curved steps and down into the alleyway. 

One would think that for a man who lived his entire life in a place where vigilance meant security, Viktor would have at least kept his guard up upon turning the corner into the alley. Or at the very least a plan should things go awry. This is not what happened. Instead, when Viktor turned the corner and expected perhaps a dumpster he could hop onto or a stack of rotting boxes, he found another cat carrying a mewling newborn kitten to a mildewed wooden crate. The other cat stopped in her tracks upon hearing Viktor's clumsy limping and turned to look at him before growling low in her throat. 

Viktor immediately began backing away, his eyes wide in a very human gesture that would have conveyed panic or perhaps worry. The other cat bowed up and put her kitten away, approaching Viktor slowly and with even wider whale eyes. Viktor looked around for a way to escape but found none, soon realizing that the only way out was back the way he came. He only had so much stamina to run before his body would start seriously punishing him for this. 

The cat growled low in her throat and approached Viktor slowly, head tilted and body curved to the side to look as big as possible. Viktor’s ears pinned back and he let out a pitiful little caw as he tried to make himself smaller and less threatening. He would’ve told her he wasn’t there for any trouble if he could. He hoped this would be enough.

It unfortunately was not. With a scuffle of screaming yowls and hisses and Viktor not knowing which way was up or down and being bent into painful curled in positions just to avoid getting hurt, Viktor managed to get his paws under himself and made a hasty retreat. 

He scuttled under the brush of some decorative hedges near the entrance before realizing that the pain in his back and leg was very different from their usual stiff dull ache that never went away. This felt more urgent, more like the biological equivalent of a warning siren. He could still move, which was good. It dawned on him that the only way he’d get these ‘battle scars’ cleaned and dressed would be to act like a stray cat. 

Sigh. 

His pride as an adult man with a PhD was steadily getting more and more hurt as the minutes in this fuzzy visage ticked by. Was this ego death? Could cats even get ego death? Maybe. Viktor didn’t care right now. His pride didn’t matter when he would really prefer to not be bleeding and in pain. 

With a deep, rattling breath that made him nearly choke, he let out the most pitiful cry he could. After a wet cough he repeated it, over and over, waiting long until the inside of the bush was pitch and the sky went from blue to lilac pink to orange to red to violet and then finally to navy. 

Viktor was starting to consider this a lost cause, his voice hoarse and his tiny body weak from overexertion. The click clack of polished leather boots came clear over the cobbled walkway and interrupted his train of thought, stopping Viktor’s mewls almost as soon as they came. He knew those boots. He knew the soft lull of a hum that followed them, and peeking out of the brush he knew the forge spats attached to those shoes from anywhere. 

But the owner of said shoes and spats and voice was quickly making his merry way back towards the building and leaving Viktor behind. He had to make a split second decision, lest this opportunity make it for him.

Viktor decided sacrificing just a little more of his precious energy and capability for the chance of being safe was worth it, darting out of the bush meowing and chirping and internally begging for Jayce to look at him.

Of course, Jayce’s bleeding heart drew his eyes towards the awkwardly fuzzy creature winding between his legs and Viktor found himself the recipient of Jayce’s cat affections. In seconds he was scooped up into Jayce’s arms and cuddled close to his chest. It wasn’t like this was the first time Jayce had hugged Viktor, but the size difference had Viktor feeling near crushed. It was much more comfortable than Harold’s sore lack of knowledge on holding cats, but Viktor wheezed all the same.

He was safe, though. 

He was in pain. And tired. But he was safe. 

He breathed a sigh of relief, taking the time between Jayce walking back to the lab with him in his arms and Jayce gathering his work to catch his breath. 

“Viktor?” Jayce called, setting Viktor onto his desk and beginning to walk around the room. The hexcore chittered like it was laughing. Viktor’s ears tucked back as he sat down, licking his wounds where he could reach them. “Viktor, if you’re still here, I’m gonna go ahead and go home. I uh… I found a cat and it looks injured. I know you said I shouldn’t be feeding stray cats if I can’t keep them, but I think this one seriously needs help.” 

Viktor could already feel his response to him. 

‘Oh, that’s fine, Jayce. Just take it to the vet and leave me to do your work,’ He’d probably say, only halfway sarcastic, but knowing Jayce he’d probably misunderstand and leave his work anyway, too tired or distracted to understand that Viktor wanted him to at least try to give him a moment to speak with him about their hextech. As much as Viktor cared deeply for his partner, Jayce’s absence was… Grating. Hurtful in a way he couldn’t exactly put his finger on. Either way it made Viktor in this moment want to hurl, although he was the poor creature Jayce was taking pity on.  

A part of him, smaller and much younger, melted at how kind Jayce was being to a poor, defenseless cat that was very obviously injured. Viktor had grown up around street cats not unlike the one they had seen that morning. Terrified little things that ate food right out of his hand if he sat by the drainpipes near the makeshift library for long enough, Viktor was glad there was still love for them. 

In any case, Jayce just sighed as he got no response from Viktor, turning back to him and rubbing his fuzzy head unknowingly. Viktor tensed, not exactly expecting the touch after being lost in thought. 

“Looks like it's just you and me, little guy,” Jayce sighed, and suddenly Viktor was being scooped up again by his tummy, letting out a low maow as his paws left the desk. “That's so strange, usually Viktor's still here well into the night. I guess he finally took my advice and took the night off…” 

Viktor internally rolled his eyes. Take a night off when he was this close to finally configuring the runes in a way to do something instead of sputtering and fizzling out before him? Hard pass. 

Viktor soon found himself tucked safely against the breast of the inside of Jayce's coat, much gentler than the apparent panic Jayce had picked him up in initially. Viktor guessed now that Jayce knew he wasn't going to squirm away he felt a little more reassured in being careful. So Viktor figured he could be a little selfish, laying his head against Jayce's warm chest and stretching out his long limbs to look almost prawnish in how he was curled up. He even found himself purring. The lull of Jayce's steady strides rocked him into a doze and the thud of the lab door shutting behind them made his shoulders relax. He was safe with Jayce. 

That was how most of the walk back to Jayce's apartment went, apart from the occasional coo or scratch behind the ears Viktor received for being such a ‘well mannered little guy.’ It took his mind off how his injuries and overexertion had run him ragged. However, both his and Jayce's luck seemed flaky at best today and Viktor jolted back into consciousness as a drop of something wet and cold hit his back.

“Shit,” Jayce hissed, “of course it just has to rain the minute I don't want it to.” 

Jayce started picking up the pace, obviously trying his best not to jostle Viktor, but soon he had to speed to a jog and then a run as the rain started falling heavier and heavier. Viktor felt sick with how each step sloppily jolted him to and fro against Jayce’s ribs. The cotton of Jayce’s coat was soaked through, clinging to Viktor’s fur and making him realize why exactly cats hated water so much. Not like he’d never considered it or understood it on a logical level, but seeing and experiencing were two different things. He felt weighed down and heavy, the extra heft making it hard to move and overwhelming him. 

He unknowingly let out a pathetic meow. It  had come out as a groan in his head, but he quickly realized that’s not what Jayce heard as a giant, wet hand came out of nowhere to mess up his soggy fur in an attempt to comfort him. 

“It’s okay, buddy, we’re almost there,” Jayce said. He sounded more out of breath than Viktor expected him to, but at this point Jayce was essentially sprinting with an extra nine ish pounds of bony cat attached to his chest. 

Jayce’s words proved to be true when he abruptly came to a stop in front of a light source. Out of curiosity or perhaps bewilderment, Viktor peeked out to see where they’d stopped and saw what he was assuming was Jayce’s porch light and front door. Jayce unceremoniously shoved his hand into the pocket next to Viktor’s sore back and yanked out a set of keys before shoving them into the door’s lock just as daintily. The wet keys slipped around between Jayce’s fingers and as he fumbled Viktor cried out again impatiently. Then finally, after a long few seconds, the latch clicked and Jayce shoved the door open. Viktor was honestly surprised it hadn’t hit the wall from how frantically Jayce had pushed. Maybe the panic of having a wet cat in his coat was making him misjudge his force.

Once both of them had crossed the threshold and the door was closed again, Jayce leaned against the hardwood and slid to the floor with a sigh. Viktor took his chance to slink out of the coat and shake his fur dryish. He ached all over and the tang of his blood soaked in his fur made him feel sick to his stomach. He meowed miserably as he looked back at Jayce. It was honestly a little cute how Jayce so easily took to the request for help, his hazel eyes growing wide and his lips turning down in a pout as he took off his coat and scooped Viktor back up. 

“I know, little guy, I’m so sorry. Let’s get you dry,” Jayce whispered, probably to comfort the sopping wet thing in his arms. 

Halfway through the bathroom, Viktor felt Jayce rubbing his fur back and forth in a strange way, feeling for something along his spine that stung. Jayce stopped and looked down at where he was touching and Viktor saw the gears turning in Jayce’s head as he processed what he was looking at. He looked Viktor in the eyes. Viktor looked back. 

Viktor wanted to tell Jayce to stop thinking what he was thinking. Jayce’s lips pursed into a thin line and his brows furrowed. Viktor knew what that meant. Jayce was about to do or say something he knew he’d probably regret. 

“I think I’m gonna have to give you a bath, buddy…” Jayce sighed. Viktor despaired. If simply having the rain make him damp overwhelmed him to the point of extreme discomfort, being bathed was going to tip him right over into a riot. 

Viktor voiced his displeasure, even managing to make the pitiful yowl sound like ‘no,’ but Jayce just gave him more platitudes of being safe as he carried him to the bathroom. Viktor wanted to melt out of Jayce’s arms and right into the floor.

It must be noted that Viktor had no qualms with showering, bathing, or personal hygiene in general. As a human, being clean and well manicured when he could often eased his discomfort. Plus, soaking in a hot bath always made him feel like a new man and eased the ache in his bones. This, however, would not be the case for this such occasion. Instead what Viktor would be subjected to would be anguish and pain and the weight of his wet fur tugging on his thin and tender skin. He yowled again and Jayce frustratingly pet his fur. 

He watched in horror as Jayce placed him in the bathtub, kicking the door shut behind himself and keeping one hand on Viktor’s little neck as he opened the cupboard beneath the sink. Jayce grabbed a towel and put it beneath his knees as he knelt in front of the tub and turned the taps. Viktor backed up as much as he could with Jayce holding him still, but it was no use. The water touched his paws, frigid at first and then lukewarm, then his legs, rising until he was elbow high in water. He could do nothing but accept his fate at this point, but he complained all the same. 

Jayce grabbed a cup that sat on the edge of the tub and filled it with some of the bathwater, pouring it along Viktor’s sore back and petting down his fur right after. Viktor instantly decided he would not be accepting his fate, actually, and wriggled away from Jayce’s hands to climb the front of his shirt. Jayce gasped and held a surprising amount of composure even as Viktor’s needle-like claws dug into his chest. Viktor honestly expected him to have more of a reaction, especially since in the middle of all this Viktor himself was making a cacophony of yowls, howls, and meows, but he simply grabbed Viktor by his abundant scruff and dragged him away from his shirt and back into the water. 

Jayce reached for the soap he’d grabbed as he’d entered the bathroom and Viktor was appalled to find out he used dish soap to wash his hands. Then again, if Viktor came home covered in the amount of soot and grease from the forge that Jayce did, he’d want something that could actually get it off as well. He’d had to use it many times to rid his hands of mechanical lubricant before. But Viktor knew what Jayce was using it for right now, and that was to get rid of fleas. Jayce had every right to think that a cat he’d found outside would have any number of parasitic bugs but that didn’t mean Viktor couldn’t take any less offense to the assumption. He hadn't been a cat for very long, but he was a well-groomed one, dammit!

Soon Viktor found himself howling and gripping the side of the tub as much as he could as Jayce gently scrubbed him head to toe in the infernal cherry blossom scented dish soap. Of course Jayce would have cherry blossom scented dish soap, Viktor thought bitterly. He was lucky, though. Jayce took mercy on him and rinsed him off just as quickly as he had put the soap on him. Viktor was shaking. His ears were pinned flat to his skull and his eyes were wide. He felt like he’d just been through a torture session. 

“There we go, that wasn’t so bad!” Jayce said, although he looked about as frustrated, tired, and frazzled as Viktor felt and Viktor tried to convey with his eyes just how stupid that sentence was. Viktor could kill him right now. Oh to wrap his hands around that gorgeous neck and shake Jayce like a ragdoll… He missed having hands. 

Jayce laughed at whatever facial expression Viktor had been making and grabbed a towel, picking Viktor up out of the water and pulling the tub’s plug to let the water drain. 

Viktor found himself immediately calmer once he was pressed to Jayce’s chest through the towel. As horrible of an experience Jayce had put him through, the man was ultimately his best friend and the person he felt safest with. The affection Viktor held for him was undeniable and it was unsurprising that his care made Viktor feel so docile. Jayce was gentle as he dried Viktor off and even gentler as he inspected the scratches down his back. It felt almost too intimate in the moment, like he was taking advantage of his partner’s kindness by letting himself be cared for so softly. He could take care of his own problems perfectly fine, needlessly worrying Jayce would only hurt him more. 

Well. He couldn’t exactly get out of this situation alone, but he digresses. Checking himself over was not an issue at the moment. Viktor looked up at Jayce and studied his face for a moment. How would he even tell him he was a cat in this state? What was the solution here? He wished there was some sort of guide. “So you’ve been turned into a cat and your best friend doesn’t recognize you. Now what?” If only it was that easy; they’d have this over and done with and would be back to work before the night was even through. 

The feeling of being so supremely lost was only heavier as Jayce smiled and scratched behind his ears. Viktor couldn’t even muster a purr. 

Jayce took Viktor back into the living room and set him on the shitty couch, obviously expecting Viktor to scurry away to go find a dark, cozy spot to tend to his wounded pride, but he didn’t. Moving on his own hurt and he was exhausted, so instead he chose to just curl in a ball in the junction between the cushion and the arm and stay there. Jayce soon sat next to him and began to pet his quickly drying fur, feeling the curve in his spine and how the muscles in his leg wound tight and rigid where they shouldn’t be. 

Viktor found himself purring before he could even realize it was happening, Jayce just being there making him feel like they’d figure it out sooner or later. He wasn’t stuck this way, Jayce would help him. He trusted him, and he was sure it showed. 

“You know,” Jayce began, Viktor turning his attention to him. “You remind me a lot of my friend, Viktor. I think he’d like you.” 

He said it almost with a sadness unbefitting of a man like Jayce. It made Viktor’s chest ache. 

“Looks like you have some of the same issues he does, too. Maybe he’d find that cool,” Jayce mumbled. He looked at the floor and Viktor felt a strange pang twist in his stomach. “I don’t know. I feel like I don’t know anything about him right now. Out of all the years we’ve been friends, I feel like something’s… Changed in a way. Like I can’t get through to him at all. It’s so weird because we used to share everything with each other. Now I can hardly get him to talk when I’m around.” 

Viktor’s ears tucked back. He wished he could tell Jayce why exactly he wasn’t speaking to him. How did Jayce not know how he was making Viktor feel? Out of all the years they’d been friends, Jayce had been the one to distance himself first. Viktor felt within his right to just add to the drift. Jayce had been inconsiderate of Viktor’s time and their work, prioritizing the opinions of people neither of them had truly respected, only to land him in the position both of them agreed corrupted people without even hesitating on the choice. He abandoned Viktor in favor of fame and recognition and power under the guise of funding HexTech. It felt like a punch to the gut that Viktor couldn’t catch his breath from. 

“Who am I kidding,” Jayce muttered, pulling Viktor from his thoughts, “It’s my fault he hasn’t spoken to me. Who wants to hang out with someone who can’t make time to even keep a plan?” Jayce sighed. 

In that moment Viktor could have laughed; because Jayce had been the one to want exactly that. Days Viktor couldn’t even get out of bed, days he went home early or suffered on their shitty little pull out couch they’d manage to get through the door to the lab, Jayce had been there. He had taken care of him when he couldn’t muster the energy to do anything more than breathe through exhaustion and pain. 

“Anyway,” Jayce said, “I think I’m gonna call you Vikky. I think I still have some cat food from when I fed the stray cats the other day.” 

Jayce got up and Viktor watched him go, processing everything he just sat through and realized. His partner regretted leaving him behind and he’d held resentment towards him this whole time. He couldn’t deny how guilty it made him feel. Of course he’d been just as bad, assuming the worst of Jayce like he hadn’t proved time and time again that he didn’t have a mean spirited bone in his body. Jayce certainly wasn’t a saint, his decision to join the council made that clear, but he was by no means a purposefully cruel man. If anything the decision was made out of misguided judgement and not an outright choice to betray Viktor’s trust. Jayce genuinely believed he could do good by being in that position, and while Viktor saw the change in Jayce happening before his eyes, he felt helpless against doing anything to circumvent what he could feel coming. It was like watching a tragedy happen in slow motion. 

Jayce soon came back with a bowl of what looked like wet food for a cat and Viktor immediately turned his nose to grant his stomach mercy. He’d always hated the smell of cat food. 

“Here you go, Vikky. Enjoy!” Jayce chirped. Viktor huffed and stood on shaky legs, going to sit on the back of the couch cushions instead. Jayce watched and his shoulders slouched. 

“Not a fan?” He asked. 

Viktor flicked his tail in disapproval. 

Jayce looked down at the cat food bowl and sighed. “I don’t have much else… I mean, I have human food, but–” Before Jayce could finish his sentence, Viktor perked up and mewled eagerly. Yes, human food he could accept. 

*** 

The week largely continued in a similar fashion. He’d spend the day playing the part as Jayce’s belligerent new housecat (Which truly wasn’t much different to how he usually acted in all honesty. He just didn’t get the luxury of words now,) while brainstorming ways to tell Jayce and turn himself back into a human. Except with each turn of a new day, Jayce seemed more and more haggard and careworn, until one night on the couch he just broke down right in front of Viktor.

It was alarming, but not exactly surprising. Viktor had been missing for days now, and as a man who really didn’t stray from his routine, Jayce was tearing himself up trying to figure out where he’d gone. Viktor’s ears tucked back and he hopped onto the couch to curl up on Jayce’s lap. The reaction was instant and Viktor found himself clutched in Jayce’s arms with Jayce’s face tucked into his side. 

“Vikky, he's gone! He's gone and I pushed him away…” Jayce sobbed. Viktor felt that even if his ribs weren't being crushed his heart would still hurt horribly like it did now. “I'm such a shit friend, I should have paid better attention. And now he's out there who knows where, probably in pain, maybe even–” Jayce made a disgustingly wet sniffle and choked, sobbing harder and squeezing Viktor closer to his chest. 

Viktor yowled and squirmed out of Jayce's arms, his tail lashing. Jayce somehow looked even more hurt than Viktor physically felt. Viktor didn't know what to do. The only other time he'd seen Jayce get to this level of desperation in his anxiety was after Mel let them off the hook that first night. Even then, Viktor was able to quickly calm him with just a few reassurances. But he didn't have words in his arsenal right now, the only semblance of human speech he could conjure up was saying no to Jayce whenever he (now jokingly) offered him cat food. Viktor felt more than a little helpless and it was more than obvious that Jayce felt that way too. 

“I'm so sorry, Vikky… I didn't mean to hurt you,” Jayce was almost incomprehensible, reaching to pet Viktor and gently cradle him. It made something click in Viktor's head. 

Before Viktor had met Jayce but right after getting his scholarship through being Heimerdinger's assistant, Viktor had found himself with abundant timeframes in which he had no duties to tend to and no classes to sit in on. Oftentimes he'd fill the hours by going to the library and just picking up whatever piqued his interest. He had, on the off chance he'd ever get a cat, picked up a book on feline behavior and training. It was in this moment that he remembered reading somewhere in that book that a cat's purrs could heal and calm not only themselves but their owners as well, meaning that if he just purred he might be able to calm Jayce down enough for him to get a decent breath. 

He didn't know if any other cat had some sort of self consciousness about their purr, but he certainly did. His purr almost aggravated him. It was scratchy and sounded like someone raking their nails through rough carpet rather than something that was supposed to be soothing. 

But it worked.

Slowly, but definitely noticeably, Jayce’s tears dried to hiccups and he focused more on gently petting Viktor’s ratty fur than spiraling. Viktor’s tail flicked as he settled back onto Jayce’s lap to figure this whole situation out.

He’d been so caught up in trying to find a solution that included Jayce that he neglected to acknowledge that this was an issue he’d probably have to fix himself. He couldn’t sacrifice any more time trying to get Jayce to understand. His previous strategy of wasting countless hours trying to just get Jayce’s attention for longer than just getting affection or food, spilling coffee and knocking things related to himself off of counters, and hollering at the top of his lungs at the door to Jayce’s study was no longer enough. 

Viktor was lucky that Jayce made a habit of bringing him to the lab when Jayce was chasing leads with Caitlyn (or more accurately Jayce sobbing into Viktor’s old notes and struggling to choke down sweetmilk while Caitlyn consoled him between pinning pictures and running string between them,) which meant that Viktor had the opportunity to maybe get to the hexcore and try to turn himself back. With that information, the task of forming a plan was no longer as daunting as it was seconds ago. Though he still had no idea how he was going to pull this off, the how of getting where he needed to be had thankfully been solved for him. 

*** 

The lab had been transformed into a makeshift precinct in the time that had accumulated during Viktor’s disappearance. The papers scattered across every surface and Jayce’s frantic determination were nothing new, but Caitlyn Kiramman’s presence and own belongings definitely were. And while the two of them were busy trading snark and sibling ribbing, Viktor used the unintentional distraction to his advantage and slinked off to where the hexcore was hovering above his workspace. Jayce had largely left this part of the room untouched, maybe out of sentimentality but more likely out of preservation of his research. That did, however, leave it open for Viktor to snoop through his own things as much as he liked. 

The moment Viktor and Jayce entered the lab Viktor honed in on his desk. He’d made it clear to Jayce early in his rooming with him that he was staunchly against carriers so once he was out of Jayce’s arms, it took barely any effort at all to wander away. Jayce let him on account of the fact that ‘Vikky’ proved to be a very well behaved lab cat. 

Viktor couldn’t really fight the fluttering in his stomach knowing what he was doing at the moment could make or break his chance to be Jayce’s partner again instead of his cat. He wasn’t sure what to do except for retracing his steps. He didn't have hands or tools at his disposal and–

Wait a minute. 

He didn't touch the hexcore right before the burst of light. Maybe simply touching it would fix him? His heart was pounding. He looked back at Jayce. 

Maybe being a cat, capable of accepting Jayce's overabundant affection, wouldn't be so bad? He'd live a life of comfort if not luxury – at least by cat standards – and be able to keep his heart open to his friend. No caveats. 

But then he really looked at Jayce and his heart squeezed. He couldn't do that to him. Not only would Jayce mourn his disappearance and blame himself for the rest of their lives, but Viktor would never be able to do what he loved most ever again. He'd never get to create with his best friend. 

His best friend. The person who saw him and not past him. The person who loved so openly and passionately that it made Viktor's teeth ache from the sweetness. The man who made Viktor feel like he didn't have to try so hard to be heard. 

Despite Jayce changing, he was still Jayce. 

He was still worth Viktor being Viktor. 

With one last resigned sigh, Viktor turned back to the hexcore with his decision made. Cast away comfort for the agonizing luxury of being human with Jayce. He closed his eyes and stamped down his fear (because how could he not be scared) and stuck out his paw. 

He made contact with the hexcore and it didn't hurt like he thought it would. It tingled a little and was quite warm, but it wasn't the painful and all encompassing burn of the first time. 

And… nothing was happening? 

Viktor opened his eyes and let his ears perk forward from where they'd flattened. The hexcore was still spinning around the tile he'd placed his paw on, but nothing was happening. He didn't have the right muscles to move his brows anymore, but he sniffed at the hexcore anyway to try and get an idea of what was wrong. He took his paw away and sat down. His tail flicked as he thought. 

What about last time was so special? What was the catalyst (ha) to this whole situation? The memory of that night was hazy at best, but bits and pieces came back to him the more he thought back. He'd been frantically trying to rush a breakthrough, rash in his decision making and skipping out on crucial safety measures and PPE. He'd gone to get hydrogen peroxide to clean off his sweater vest of blood despite his nose still bleeding. Maybe that was it? Not the peroxide at the very least, but maybe it needed his DNA to make the change. 

Viktor didn't typically like when his habit of playing with his hair ended in strands coming loose in the lab, but it happened often enough that he could probably find a hair of his somewhere in the lab (granted Jayce hadn't swept well enough, which was unlikely unfortunately.) that he could utilize for this. He hopped off the desk and crouched low to the ground, searching both with his eyes and his newly found keen nose. 

He found it weird how his ‘human’ form had a slightly different smell from his current form, but he guessed it made sense. Either way, as he turned a corner to look at the side of a cabinet, he found what he was looking for: a single brown hair with the slightest curl at the end. He delicately hooked his eye tooth around it and pulled it into his mouth before trotting back to the hexcore.

Having already made his decision earlier, he took one last look at Jayce before dropping the hair in. 

In a flash and rush of overbearing heat, he yowled as he felt himself change. He heard the clatter of a chair and Caitlyn saying Joyce's name before finding himself in only his boxers and braces in the broom closet. He panted and looked down at his hands, an adrenaline-driven smile stretching across his face. 

He barely processed Jayce's footsteps scuffling as he softly laughed into the stale closet air. Jayce's soft coos and tongue clicks and calls for the cat came closer and closer to the closet before the light of the lab near blinded Viktor. Jayce gasped and Viktor shielded himself from the sudden light with a soft hiss. 

“Viktor!” Jayce exclaimed, and before Viktor could respond, the familiar comforting weight of Jayce's arms wrapped around him. Viktor could have melted into the floor from how hard relief slammed into him. Before he could take it for granted, he placed a hand on Jayce's shoulder. 

“Jayce…” he sighed. Jayce squeezed him softly, then loosening up like he was about to remove himself. Viktor preemptively mourned the loss.

“Wha-huh-What were you doing? How did- Where were you?” Jayce asked, pulling away and holding Viktor's shoulder. 

“I… I'm not sure.” Viktor could hardly focus on anything but the warmth of Jayce's hands, radiating from his shoulders out all over him and soothing him better than anything else could. 

They stared at each other for a moment and Viktor felt his heart squeeze. The world narrowed just to Jayce. He looked like the most comfortable person to be with at the moment, the embodiment of security and care that Viktor so desperately needed right now. 

Caitlyn’s voice cut through the cotton. 

“Is everything alright?” 

Jayce whirled around and put his body in front of Viktor to protect his dignity. 

“Uh- yeah! I found Viktor!” He said. Viktor peeked out from behind Jayce's bicep just enough to be seen. He waved slightly and Caitlyn's eyes grew to the size of saucers. 

“Were you there this whole time!?” Caitlyn squawked. She spread her arms out before letting them flop against her side. 

“Eh… no? I don't think so,” He said. Jayce looked over his shoulder at him and Viktor felt his heart soften in a way that was completely alien. He was quite used to Jayce making him fluster, but for some reason the time ‘apart’ had amplified it. Something seemed to dawn on Jayce and he looked away again. 

“Cait, would you mind, uh…” Jayce began, making some sort of motion with his hand that Viktor didn’t quite catch from his position. 

“What? Oh!” She said, before turning around and covering her eyes. Jayce walked over to the pullout couch they had in the lab and grabbed a thick, navy blue and crimson blanket to drape over Viktor’s shoulders. They shared a moment of silence together, Jayce’s hands so careful where he adjusted the blanket to cover more of Viktor, like he was handling a baby bird. Viktor felt his breath leave him as he watched. It was almost as if all the stress of the past week had rushed out of him with it. He could relax, this whole thing was over and he could go back to just being himself. 

Caitlyn turned back around and eyed Viktor with apprehension as Jayce gave him one last squeeze. Viktor knew this looked suspicious. His absence, his sudden reappearance, where he appeared, it all screamed foul play, he knew. 

“Viktor?” Caitlyn began, Jayce turning to face her with a hand still on Viktor's back. Viktor clutched the blanket around himself. “I'm going to have to ask that you answer a few questions of mine. I mean, this is all very sudden and a bit–”

“Cait,” Jayce cut in, “I don't think he's in any position to be answering any questions. He's probably exhausted and in shock.” Jayce moved his hand to Viktor's opposite shoulder and pulled him in further. 

“But…” 

“I'm taking him home, Cait.”

Viktor looked at Jayce for a moment, both glad Jayce was getting him out of an uncomfortable conversation, but slightly puzzled at his sudden hostility towards Caitlyn. Surely this was just making him look more suspicious, right? 

“Jayce, He needs–” Caitlyn tried, Jayce brushing past her as he began guiding Viktor to the lab doors. Viktor's cane sat next to them and as they passed, Jayce grabbed it and handed it to him. 

“What he needs is rest. Councillor's orders. That's final,” Jayce said. Caitlyn's eyes focused on something uninteresting at her feet. 

“Fine. But as soon as he's better!” she said, looking back up at Jayce with furrowed brows. 

“Then you can ask him. I promise,” Jayce's face softened, as did Caitlyn's rigid posture. With that, Jayce looked back to where Viktor stood next to him and smiled. Viktor couldn't help the crooked smile he gave back and let Jayce guide him home. 

***

Coming home to Viktor's own apartment after having spent so long with Jayce at his apartment reminded Viktor just how little he truly had. One would think coming home would be a comfort, but it was consolation at best. 

Viktor's apartment, although it belonged to one of the founding fathers of HexTech and the Dean of the Academy's former assistant, was not much to look at. It was as close to campus and the lab as it could be without being associated with the more elite folk of the high society surrounding the Academy. Viktor had been downright offended at first, but over time he saw how those who lived in said homes acted towards him and decided he wanted nothing to do with being around them anyway. The daily reminder that he wasn't ever truly welcome in Piltover would ha have outweighed the positives the opportunity to be the Dean's assistant granted him. He'd rather survive and then thrive in the conditions made to tear him down than give them the satisfaction of rolling over and begging for better accommodations. 

The apartment itself was a bland little brick thing with a dying lamp near the door and parts of the gutter sagging from the weight of waterlogged leaves accumulating in dents. The lone tree that was responsible reached high and desperate into the sky with its reedy, thin branches that trembled in the wind and snapped so easily under the fat weight of whatever well fed animal resided in it. Unimpressive and boring as it was, Viktor still called it home. Even though it was more than disappointing to not live with his friend anymore, he couldn't in his right mind request that, and it was still rather nice to come home to his own things. 

Viktor crouched down and moved a stone tiger figure left by the previous tenant to grab his spare key, Jayce standing next to him with his hands fidgeting behind his back. 

“It's been a while since I've seen your apartment,” Jayce said. Viktor heard him shuffle on his feet.

“Hm,” Viktor responded, “I haven't seen it much recently either.” He meant to mumble it but when he looked back at Jayce, he looked like he was about to cry. Right, Jayce was still hurting from knowing that Viktor hadn't been anywhere familiar to his knowledge. 

“Sorry, ehm… bad joke,” Viktor turned away and unlocked the door, opening it and stepping to the side to let Jayce in first. Jayce looked puzzled. 

“Are you letting me in?” He asked. It was Viktor's turn to be confused. He looked at the doorway, then back to Jayce. 

“I thought that was the plan, yes,” Viktor said, smiling awkwardly. “You had just said you hadn't seen my apartment for quite some time, I thought that implied you'd be coming inside. Anyway – I am basically naked and standing on my front porch. Please make your decision, I'm getting cold.” 

Jayce jolted like he'd been electrocuted. 

“Right! Yes, uh…” Before he could embarrass himself further, Jayce shuffled inside. Viktor followed in after him and shut the door behind himself. 

His house had unsurprisingly not changed a bit, save for the thin layer of dust over everything. Books and papers littered every surface that wasn't his bookshelf. His kitchen was as clean as he could have gotten it before he had been turned, though dishes were still soaking in the sink and his coffee from the day before everything started had begun to grow intelligent life. Viktor decided focusing on one thing at a time was better than tiring himself out early. 

It was only after stepping into the dark comfort of his bedroom that he fully allowed himself to process while he dressed. How was he going to explain this to Jayce? Obviously from the beginning, but would Jayce even believe him, or would he think that Viktor was going crazy? Oh who was he kidding, Jayce would be the first one to believe him. 

Why was he so nervous then? It wasn't like Jayce would ever judge him for being so attached as a cat. Jayce was just as attached, if not moreso. Viktor craved that affection more than anything. It felt like pulling teeth would be easier than asking for said affection. 

Dressed and comfortable again, Viktor took his cane and walked back out into the hallway and then into the kitchen. He'd planned on taking care of the microcosm growing in his coffee pot, but Jayce had apparently gotten to it first. He had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and was washing the dishes. The domestic image it created made Viktor's heart ache.

“Jayce,” he said, “eh, what are you doing?” 

Jayce looked back at him and smiled. 

“I figured you wouldn't be in any condition to work around the house after just getting home. I thought I could give you the opportunity to rest,” Jayce looked at him with a warmth that made Viktor feel melted in the middle. Viktor smiled and let his shoulders drop. 

“Thank you, Jayce,” He sighed. Jayce dried his hands on a dish towel and pulled Viktor into a hug. 

“I'm just glad you're back,” Jayce whispered. Viktor was stiff for a moment before he hugged back. He could've cried. He'd missed Jayce so much, even though he'd spent every second of the last week with him. It just wasn't the same. 

A couple hours passed and the two of them had migrated to the couch, Viktor's legs in Jayce's lap as he gently massaged the sore muscles in his calves. He'd been resting his eyes, enjoying the calm. 

“Something interesting happened while you were gone,” Jayce started. Viktor opened his eyes and looked up at him. 

“And what would that be?” 

“I found a cat that was exactly like you. He even kinda looked like you. Funnily enough, I found him right outside the lab.” 

Viktor stiffened a little, mentally preparing himself to try and navigate around telling Jayce he'd been that cat. He nodded slowly, his eyes landing on the ceiling instead of on Jayce's. 

“A cat… near the lab? Seems a bit, eh… odd…” He said, Jayce nodding. 

“Right? He came out of nowhere. He had this cut on his leg, too. The same one you wear your brace on. It was so strange, everything about that cat reminded me of you. I even named him Vikky,” Jayce's face was so sweet and excited as he spoke that Viktor didn't even want to point out how it was a little strange to name a cat after someone still in Jayce's life. He just nodded and let him keep going. “It was like he was a little kitty carbon copy of you, he was so… I don't know, opinionated but sweet at the same time?” 

“You think I am sweet?” Viktor questioned, smiling a little. 

“Well yeah, all the sugar you ingest has to go somewhere,” Jayce snorted. Viktor gasped and gently kicked him and Jayce laughed as he caught Viktor's foot. 

They fell into silence for a moment, Jayce gently lowering Viktor's ankle. 

“I'm glad you're back, V,” Jayce murmured. Viktor smiled and nodded, before looking down to pick at his pajama bottoms. 

“Where did he go?” Viktor didn't know why he was asking, really. Maybe for his own ego of being able to cleanly escape? Though he didn't know why he still valued that quality after having been so long separated from the environment where it was a necessity.  

“Hm?”

“The cat– Vikky. Where did he go?” 

Jayce's face fell and Viktor instantly regretted asking. 

“I uh… I don't know, actually,” Jayce muttered. Viktor reached out his hand and let it hesitate over Jayce's shoulder before pulling away. “He disappeared right before we found you.” 

Viktor wanted to eat his own shoes. The look on Jayce's face made him want to never say a word again. 

“I'm so sorry, Jayce,” Viktor whispered. Jayce shook his head. 

“I don't think I was very good with him anyway, it was probably for the best,” Jayce said. Viktor felt something in his brain do a record scratch. He'd been pampered more in that week than he had been in his entire life. 

“What do you mean? Jayce, I–... Eh, you love cats. Why would you not be good with him? No offense, Jayce, but I don't think you could resist treating an animal like your own child, even if you tried,” Viktor said. Jayce looked at him with an expression that made him want to pull Jayce into a hug. 

“You think so?” 

“Yes, Jayce. In fact, he was probably better off with you than without. Don't you want him back?” What the hell was Viktor saying? He couldn't guarantee that. Jayce nodded, though, and Viktor knew he now had to commit. “Then let's make some posters and hope someone has already found him.” 

***

Bringing up the subject of the transformation after helping Jayce try to look for ‘Vikky’ was becoming about as easy as forcing a cat to do anything it didn't want to do. Each day that Jayce put in more effort into finding Vikky, the more Viktor realized that the hole he was digging himself was long deep enough to bury him entirely. He decided that something needed to change, and fast. 

But he couldn't exactly go to Jayce for this, that was already established. That didn't leave him many options. Maybe someone close to Jayce? 

He couldn't go to Ximena; as much as he loved Jayce's mother, she would have no fucking clue how to help him other than providing moral support. 

Maybe Caitlyn? But Viktor felt as if she'd just turn him into a psychiatric hospital if he started telling his story to her. 

There was one person he knew he'd have to talk to, though truly he didn't want to. 

Not because she was a bad person. Truly she wasn't. It was his own embarrassingly childish behavior toward her that made him prefer anything else over talking to her. 

Mel Medarda was exactly the person he needed to talk to right now. She was as extraordinarily brilliant as she was close to Jayce. Not only that, but she had awarded him a kindness and respect that he owed back to her. He hadn't been kind when her only crimes were not understanding their goals for HexTech and being in a relationship with his best friend, neither of which were her fault. Jayce was not his to keep and he couldn't keep acting like it. He had to suck it up and get over his shame if he wanted help. 

Finding Mel was an entirely different hurdle. Being a woman of her extreme status, Mel had mastered the art of being everywhere at once. Being the heiress to an entire country, exiled or not, still granted her the power to do whatever she wanted in theory. In practice it seemed like she was in a constant cycle of bureaucracy and semantic debates. Not to mention Viktor had his own work to focus on again, and between trying to find Mel to speak with privately and getting his work done, Viktor finally understood why Jayce was so exhausted after coming back from council meetings. He wasn't even part of the fray yet he felt strung by both ends. 

It seemed to be a grace by a higher being that he finally managed to get ahold of her, and completely by chance. 

Walking back to the lab after his latest attempt at trying to catch a moment of Mel's time often left him aching and exhausted, this time being no different. What was different was that as he looked up from the schedule sheet Jayce had confusedly given him, he crashed into something slim and solid.

“Oh! Viktor!” Luckily it was exactly who he needed, and she gasped as Viktor unluckily fell to the floor. 

Pain lit up in his back and hips and he couldn't help gut exclaim sharply. He opened his eyes from where he'd shut them on impact. 

Mel was standing over him as Elora peeked over her shoulder, both women clasping their hands over their mouths. 

“My most sincere and deepest apologies, Viktor, I wasn't looking where I was going. Here, let me–” She began, before looping a hand around Viktor's elbow and grabbing his cane. Viktor wobbled on his feet when she pulled him up, though steadied himself with a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright? I'm terribly sorry, truly.” 

“No, no, there is eh…” Viktor wheezed, “no need to apologize. I wasn't looking where I was going either. I just need to sit…” he groaned. Mel handed him his cane and helped him stay upright, Elora flanking his other side to keep him from falling. 

“Let's get you sitting, then.” Mel smiled at him and Viktor managed a shaky smile back. 

“There should be a conference room on this hallway if I remember correctly.” Elora said. Mel chuckled. 

“I'm not sure how you manage to keep track of it all, darling,” Mel joked. She looked at Viktor as the three of them hobbled down the hall. “By the way, where were you off to in such a hurry? Just out of curiosity.”

“To find you, actually.” Viktor said, and Elora gently placed a hand on his shoulder to ease the turn into the conference room. 

“Me? Whatever for? I'm not exactly a frequent brunch partner of yours,” Mel said, easing Viktor into a chair. Viktor smiled at the comment before he groaned and settled. 

“No, but I do require a very important audience with you.” 

“Oh?” Mel cocked an eyebrow. 

“It's eh… a bit… sensitive,” Viktor pursed his lips in a thin line and laced his fingers together with his elbows resting on his knees. 

There was a pause. 

“Oh!” Elora said, suddenly being in motion again as she scurried over to Mel to give her a quick squeeze. “Right, I'll be just outside then. Let me know if you need anything.” 

Mel put an arm around her briefly and smiled. 

“I'm sure it won't be long. You should go to the coffee shop though, one of us should at least be resting on our break,” Mel said. Elora nodded before walking out and closing the door behind her. 

It was odd to Viktor. He thought that Jayce and Mel were an item, yet Mel and Elora acted so lovingly toward each other. 

“Now. Where were we?” Mel said, taking a seat next to Viktor. He shuffled awkwardly in his seat before clearing his throat. 

“I have an… odd predicament I am in that requires your guidance,” Viktor admitted. Mel looked a bit puzzled but nodded.

“Alright… not exactly what I expected of you, if I am honest. Why not confide in Jayce? You two seem to be able to handle each other’s problems well,” Mel said, leaning forward to rest her elbow on her crossed knees and her chin on her fist. 

“This is ehm– a specific kind of issue that he cannot help with,” Viktor looked away and brought a hand up to twirl a curl of hair at the base of his neck. Mel sat up again with a hum of interest.

“You’re not having boy troubles, are you? Viktor! I expected you of all people to make a move on him!” She laughed. Viktor squawked and went bright red.

“Wh– no! Miss Medarda, that is– why I– No, absolutely not,” Viktor huffed and Mel chuckled in response. 

“Alright then. What is so important that you must skip our very own Man of Progress and come straight to me?” Mel said as she settled back into her previous position. Viktor thought her comment was odd to say the least, but he couldn’t go around judging the comments of the person he had come to for help.

“You can’t judge me for this.”

“You’re stalling, Viktor,” Mel snorted. Viktor rolled his eyes. He forgot how pleasant it was to converse with Mel. He’d been so caught up with being possessive over Jayce and HexTech that he failed to nurture the amicable relationship they had before. 

“I turned myself into a cat on accident and Jayce saved me and thought I was a stray and kept me, but when I turned back he didn’t know where the cat went and if I tell him I was the cat he’s going to get very awkward about how affectionate he was with me and I don’t want to lose my best friend but he’s absolutely heartbroken over the cat,” Viktor spilled in one breath, gasping a bit after he was finished. 

Mel sat up and cocked her head to the side. 

“Quite the predicament indeed. I don’t understand why this would change your relationship with him though? He’s always been quite affectionate towards you,” Mel said. Viktor sighed. 

“I’m… surprised you believe me,” Viktor said. “It’s not like this is a regular occurrence.”

“Neither is magic, Viktor, yet you and Jayce never cease to amaze me with how asinine that can get daily. Now, the issue?” 

“Fair point. The issue isn’t his affectionate behavior, it’s eh… mine…” 

Mel’s eyes widened. “I see,” she said. Viktor nodded and Mel sat up a bit. “You think that he’s going to see you differently if he finds out you were his cat, knowing you reciprocated the close contact?” 

Viktor nodded and Mel smiled. 

“Trust me, Viktor. You wouldn’t get the reaction you’re expecting.” She reassured him. Viktor's brow furrowed. 

“What do you mean? Wouldn’t it be strange that I was his pet for an entire week?”

Mel shrugged. “Perhaps. But the affection wouldn’t be an issue. I promise.” 

“That still does not clarify anything.” Viktor said, Mel sighing in response.

“He’s in love with you, Viktor.” 

“Jayce?” Viktor puzzled. 

“No, councillor Hoskel,” Mel rolled her eyes.Yes, Jayce. He’s been in love with you.” 

“Since when?” 

“Since at least he and I were together.” 

It felt like Mel had just dropped a bombshell on Viktor. The world paused for a second.

“Genuinely?” He asked. Mel nodded. “How could you tell?”

“Well, for one, he almost immediately ran to your aid the night you fell. We had been having… Previous engagements at the time and I knew as soon as he got up that he was in love with you.” 

“I am… so sorry, Mel…” Viktor murmured. 

“Don’t be. I’m not mad he was in love with you, I just wish he would’ve been honest with me about it. After all, a relationship with an unspecified third can get quite crowded.” Mel smiled and placed a hand on Viktor’s arm, gently rubbing up to his shoulder comfortingly. Viktor slumped with a sigh. 

“I wouldn’t even know how to address that…” 

“Perhaps being open about your feelings toward him?” Mel suggested.

“What feelings?” Viktor looked at her confusedly.

“Do you not requite his?” Mel looked just as puzzled. 

“I don’t… think so? He’s my best friend, I wouldn’t want to risk ruining that,” Viktor said, though when it came out of his mouth he wasn’t very sure of himself. Looking back on it, the way being returned to his original form and being cared for by Jayce felt very un-platonic in his heart.

“Are you sure about that?” Mel said. Viktor sighed.

“Well now that you bring it up, no, not entirely.” 

Viktor thought back to the way Mel and Elora had acted towards each other. 

“Does that mean that you and…” He trailed off.

“Elora, yes. We are together. Along with Lest, if you’ve ever met her.” Mel smiled in a way that exuded pride. It was obvious she was serious about her relationship with them. 

“I have. Congratulations, I suppose. I’m… Sorry for acting so unfriendly towards you about Jayce. I shouldn’t have let my feelings dictate how I treated you,” Viktor said, looking away again and picking at his nails. He felt terrible. And weirdly hopeful. 

“I forgive you, Viktor,” She said, and Viktor knew it was probably freeing to let go of that. He knew from past experiences that an unrequited love was as painful as it was bitter. Well, Viktor was sure that Jayce genuinely truly loved Mel, and maybe in another life the three of them would be able to make something of that, but in this one Mel had already moved on. Viktor's respect for her increased tenfold. 

Viktor smiled at her before sighing. 

“Do you have any ideas on how to fix my predicament?” He asked. 

“I'm assuming that without intervention, you're probably going to transform again, which I can't help you with. I would recommend talking to Lest about that. As for your feelings for Jayce, you need to make them known. It's painful watching you two orbit around each other like you aren't each other's entire world,” Mel chuckled. Viktor went red in the face again and sighed. 

“I suppose you're right, but… I don't think I'm quite ready to even say to myself that I eh… love him. I need some time to figure it out, and to figure out how to tell him everything after all of this is done,” He said. “Assuming that I won't turn back into a cat, which you're probably right, if the hexcore's remarkable unpredictability can be counted on.”

Mel simply nodded. 

“I understand. Though, if you ever need to talk again, let me know. It was nice getting to chat with you,” Mel stood and offered a hand to Viktor, who graciously took it, slowly easing himself into standing. It still hurt to stand, but it was much easier than it was originally.

“I agree. Thank you, Mel,” Viktor said. 

Mel smiled and hummed in response before taking her leave. 

***

Viktor was quite lucky that Lest had made a home for herself almost directly at the end of the bridge. He was still sore a few days after the fall, and his injury meant that he wouldn't have been able to traverse much deeper into his old home if she'd lived any farther. He missed Entresol dearly, but the road to it was long and winding, both of which would have been a struggle, especially now. 

He'd seen Lest's workplace before, and while it was very beautiful, it was obvious that Lest had kept her own culture truly out of it. He knew vastaya often kept to themselves, as the separation of the tribes in recent years had formed a wedge between humans and those gifted with magic, but Lest had continued to go out of her way and help those less fortunate than herself out of the kindness of her heart. He hoped she would never have to cross paths with someone as greedy and corrupt as another councillor. 

Lest's home was a small, well loved cottage that sat on the edge of the water. One room it seemed, but knowing Lest, that was all she needed. He listened for a moment, trying to hear if she was home, before knocking. Almost immediately the door opened just a crack, before closing again. The sounds of multiple deadbolts unlocking got through the hardwood before the door opened again. 

Lest stood before him, briefly looking over Viktor's shoulder before ushering him in. 

The cottage was larger on the inside than he expected. In fact, Lest was different from when he last saw her. Instead of what he now assumed were her work clothes, she was dressed more modestly; in a mauve linen long sleeve that tied in the front and an ashen navy shawl over that, with a dark purple almost floor length skirt, and a lighter purple and gold trimmed apron on top. Her hair was hidden under a purple and black flowered headscarf that only her ears stuck out of, and instead of shoes (due to the limitations of paws,) she wore black sock-adjacent footwear. As her tail flicked into view, he noticed a red ribbon tied around the tip of it, and she had bangles around her wrists that tinked melodically whenever she moved. 

She looked… cozy. Still professional, as a woman like Lest wouldn't dare be seen in anything less than, but it was more personal this time. 

“Mel let me know you were coming. I just didn't know when to expect you.” She said, leading him to a table and urging him to sit on a cushioned wooden chair. 

Although bigger on the inside, Lest's home was decorated warmly, the cozy feeling giving off a vibe that was so uniquely Lest that Viktor couldn't picture in his mind what it looked like before she was here. Trinkets and doodads littered every bookshelf, crystals and stained glass hanging by the windowsills, framed photos of herself and her partners on an end table next to her antique couch. Even the couch had an adorable crochet doily sewn into the upholstery and a cuddly looking blanket hanging off the arm. The kitchen that the table sat on the edge of was much the same, with copper pots and pans hanging from a rack on the ceiling. It had forest green and cream floor tiles that matched the backsplash behind the sink. A spice rack sat just above her gas oven that held ceramic spice shakers shaped like kittens playing with yarn, each hand painted with a label of what spice it held. As for the table itself, a beautiful Tiffany lamp sat just to Viktor's left shoulder, its stained glass shade casting multicolored light all around the room. 

Viktor reminded himself that he wasn't here to get cozy and converse with Lest about her impeccable home decoration skills. 

“My apologies for coming later than expected. I had a fall and am unfortunately still recovering from it,” Viktor sighed. Lest shook her head with a delicate smile. 

“No need to apologize, I understand. Mel told me this was an issue with a… transformation of sorts?” Lest asked. Viktor nodded. 

“I've developed this piece of magical technology called the Hexcore. You've heard of it, correct?” He began. Lest nodded. “Wonderful. Well, one night, I was on my way to making a breakthrough discovery with it, when I had a nosebleed. I guess that the hexcore had latched onto it and combined it with some cat hair I had on my clothes from when Jayce and I had stopped to pet a stray on the way to the lab, because it transformed me into a cat. I managed to put some of my human hair into it later to change myself back, but Mel had mentioned it's likely that I will turn back and I have no evidence to suggest that she's incorrect.”

Lest blinked at him owlishly and Viktor tucked a bit into himself before she snapped back at attention. 

“There's no reason to be ashamed, Viktor. It's just that this is easily the most interesting thing I've heard all week. I mean, who else comes to you with an issue like this but a scientist?” Lest said, smiling easily. “It's also a little funny.” 

“What is funny about this?” Viktor asked, a little offended that she'd find anything about his suffering funny. 

“You were turned into a cat by your own creation.” 

“Right, yes, I forgot how ridiculous that sounded.” Viktor sighed. “Can you help me?” 

“Not turn into a cat?” Lest snorted. 

“Correct.” 

“Yes, I can help you not turn into a cat.” Lest stood from the table and went into a different room, shuffling sounds and glass clinking softly following right after. She soon came back with an iron capped glass vial of a volatile looking purple liquid. 

“Shimmer?” Viktor asked. 

“A variant. Much more stable than what you'd find on the markets right now. I'm not one hundred percent sure it'll work, but from what I've seen, the transformative properties it has should at least help you get a grasp of your next steps,” Lest said as she set the vial down next to Viktor. Viktor picked it up and eyed it cautiously, the bubbles rising up from the bottom making him feel like he'd be ingesting a bad omen. He trusted Lest, though. And Jayce would understand. 

“I might have an idea of how I can make this work,” Viktor muttered. 

“Oh? Do tell.” Lest urged. 

“Maybe I could do the same thing that I did with the hexcore, add my own DNA to skew it towards my human form…” Viktor said, reaching to twirl his hair in thought. Lest nodded. 

“I don't see why it wouldn't work. We could do it now, if you're confident enough.” Lest suggested. Viktor looked up from the vial and nodded. 

“All I'd need is to cut a few hairs and put them in, I think.” 

***

Shimmer vial acquired, Viktor now had a halfway plan on how he was going to fix all of this. He was going to give half the vial to the hexcore and the other half to himself, then hopefully get the runes in the right position to keep him human permanently. This needed to work. Otherwise Viktor would be stuck in a constant cycle of feline therianthropy. He only needed to make it home and write to Mel that he needed to be transported back to Jayce if he turned back into a cat before he could conduct the experiment. 

Viktor could only breathe a sigh of relief when he got into his apartment. He had hope. This might just work. He sat down to write his letter and noticed his hands were trembling as he touched his pen to the paper. He was fine. Everything was fine. Everything would be fine. He had no reason to worry. 

The letter was written, sealed, and stamped, then put in his bag next to the shimmer. As he felt around in his bag to sort everything into place, he felt something else. It was hard and cylindrical, and as Viktor pulled it out he found it was a small jar with a label tied to it. 

‘For your fall injury. – Lest’ 

Viktor smiled and set it to the side before grabbing his cane again and rushing out the door. It would be dark soon and he needed to get the letter and the vial to the lab. Lest had already sent her message to Mel to expect him there. 

The walk was colder the darker it got, and Viktor tried to ignore the drop in pressure the closer he got to the building. It was already close to nightfall and he was walking as fast as he could in the state he was in and Viktor had neglected taking a coat. A leaf scraped against the cobbles at the same pace he was walking and Viktor tried to ignore how it almost seemed to mock him. 

‘You're almost out of time,’ his mind reminded unhelpfully, ‘Better get a move on before no one can understand you again.’ He had no reason to believe this, he hadn't been provided any evidence apart from the week long period of being a cat to suggest that his transformations were on some kind of schedule.  

Viktor got into the lab just as it started raining, a roll of thunder greeting him at the door as he panted from the exertion. Mel was already waiting for him by Jayce's desk. 

“You'd think you were running a marathon,” she joked. 

Viktor huffed. “I essentially did,” he said, before setting his bag down and handing her the letter. “I have a feeling that I don't have much time before I change again, so read this quickly while I put something away safely,” he instructed. Mel raised an eyebrow as she took the letter. 

“Is it something Lest gave you?” She asked, Viktor holding up the vial for her to see. “Ah, I understand. Is that our solution?” 

“It should be, in theory… I wasn't about to test it without the hexcore, though.” Viktor said, opening and closing drawers to try and find a spot safe enough to hide the vial in but easy enough to remember that he could get it again later. 

“In theory? So you're just going into this blind? Why not do it now?” Mel opened the letter and began to skim it. 

“Because I want the least amount of unknown variables possible. I don't know if this is going to work when I'm a cat and I have a gut feeling that I won't be human much longer. If the trend is to continue as it has been, I might have anywhere from a few days to a week's worth of planning time to get this absolutely–” Viktor opened a junk drawer full of random office supplies, “ah, perfect.” 

He shoved the vial in the very back behind some unopened junk mail. 

“And what about Jayce?” Mel muttered, still reading. 

“I'll… figure that out. For now this is all I can focus on,” Viktor chewed on his lip, looked at the drawer for a few more seconds, and closed it. Mel finished the letter and sighed, flopping her hands against her legs. 

“Viktor,” she began, “I say this with love, but you're thinking about all of this way too hard. Is Occam's razor not a concept you grasp?” She said. 

“Not with both hands,” Viktor snarked.

“Viktor,” Mel chided, beginning to look up. “I seriously doubt all of this needs to be so complicated. Just take the vial now and– Oh my gods!”

“What?!” Viktor squawked, alarmed by her alarm. 

“Okay maybe you were right to be a little precautious,” Mel said, tossing the letter to the side and rushing over to grab Viktor's hand and show it to him. 

Fur. 

Fur on his hand. 

“Kurva,” Viktor hissed. He felt faint. This couldn't be happening right now. This was the best possible version of this happening, but goddammit it wasn't fun either way. 

“Let's not panic, it's alright. Just– I'll take you to Jayce, okay? Does it hurt?” Mel asked. Viktor shook his head, feeling his vocal cords shift as he rapidly shrunk down into his cat form. Mel exclaimed quietly and scooped him up into her arms. 

“Well… you make for quite a cute cat at least,” Mel said. Viktor sighed through his nose and nodded. Of course he was a cute cat. He was a cute guy. 

Mell looked around for a moment before setting Viktor on the desk and shoving his clothes into his bag. She glanced out the window and was greeted by a rather close strike of lightning, followed by a bellow of thunder. 

“That's not ideal,” She muttered, and Viktor paced around the desk nervously. Now was the time, he supposed. “And of course Jayce doesn't have a pneumatic tube system connected to the lab, why would an important man ever need getting ahold of?” Mel sighed. Viktor maowed in agreement and slowly made his way off the desk. 

Mel looked at Viktor, then at the bag, and it immediately dawned on him what she was thinking. He hissed and puffed up as big as he could. 

“Oh come on, Viktor! I don't want you getting wet and you'll be safely tucked under my cloak like this, I promise!” Mel pleaded. Viktor cawed and pressed his ears flat to his head. Mel looked at him with the biggest, saddest, greenest eyes and Viktor rolled his own and sighed, relaxing his posture. 

***

The speedwalk to Jayce's home was as pleasant as one could expect it to be as a cat in a satchel under a cloak in pouring rain. If Viktor could have expressed this he would've, but unfortunately he had no choice but to just hold on for dear life as Mel almost ran to Jayce's home. At least he was dry, that promise had indeed stayed fulfilled. 

By the time they arrived, Mel and Viktor were both frazzled. She mashed her finger against the doorbell repeatedly, using her other hand to gently scoop Viktor out of the bag to rest against her chest. Viktor squinted his eyes and meowed softly. 

There was shuffling behind the door before Jayce opened it, looking disheveled and exhausted. 

“I found your cat,” Mel stated plainly. She held Viktor out to Jayce as he processed it, before Jayce gasped and snatched Viktor up. 

“Vikky!” He exclaimed. Viktor yelped before setting his paws on Jayce's shoulder to rub his face against Jayce's. Mel was eyeing him strangely but honestly right now he didn't even care. “Wha– where did you find him?”

“Ahm…” Mel began, still staring at Viktor, “Outside the lab next to Viktor's clothes. I'm not sure what they were doing there.” 

Jayce pet Viktor gently as he stepped to the side to let her in. 

“Here, come in and I'll make you something warm to drink. You must be freezing,” He offered. Mel waved it away and chuckled almost nervously. 

“There's no need for that, Jayce. I'm fine, I promise,” She said. 

“No, please, I insist. You found my cat, it's only fair,” Jayce urged. Viktor saw how Mel faltered and his heart squeezed. 

“… Just for a minute. It is quite cold,” She sighed, stepping inside. Jayce closed the door behind her and set Viktor on the couch, where he proceeded to get on top of the backrest and loaf in a depression he had made two weeks prior. Mel smiled and pet along his back, which he cheeped at. Viktor had a very convincing cat impression. 

“So uh… how have you been?” Jayce asked as he went into the kitchen. Mel sat next to Viktor on the couch. 

“I've… I've been good.” She responded. Viktor looked at her flatly and she glared at him. He rolled his eyes. 

“Is everything good with Elora and Lest?” Jayce asked. Mel sighed. 

“Yeah! It's been great, I'm really happy with them.” 

Viktor wanted to pull his hair out. This was the most awkward exchange he'd ever experienced in his life. 

It was obvious Jayce was thinking, his silence was way too loud. 

“You know, Mel–”

“Jayce. Don't. I know you regret treating me that way but the more you apologize the more each one loses its meaning. Let's just enjoy each other's company for a few minutes, please?” Mel pleaded. Viktor got up and got into her lap to comfort her. She sighed and pet him. Viktor could feel the sadness radiating off of her, but she was right. The more Jayce tried to fix the damage by adding more footnotes, the less he did.

“Right. Sorry,” Jayce mumbled, just loud enough to be heard. He came out with two coffees and one small cup of milk for Viktor, which he immediately got up for. 

***

Returning to cat life was definitely a learning curve. It was easier for Viktor than it was before, but the more he thought about the possibility of turning human again, the less he was able to let himself relax like Mel had suggested. She had a point when she suggested that he was thinking harder about this than he needed. The rest he got from being near Jayce was something that nothing else could compare to. 

Jayce spent most of his time out of the house, which he started including Viktor in by putting him in a backpack that had a glass dome on the back and large grommets that Viktor was able to breathe from. It was nice to just spend time with Jayce. His constant external stream of thought meandered just enough to be interesting to Viktor while still being relaxing, and it was even more comforting to curl up next to Jayce's head at night as he wrote or doodled in one of his many journals. 

And of course he was making an effort to get his attention, definitely. Winding around his legs and meowing, getting into his office whenever he could, sitting on his journal, but all of it only got him soft reprimands and a free ride back to a place he was allowed to be. Viktor didn't mind much though. He could always try again. 

Jayce eventually began to become quieter, though. His train of thought started and stopped like there were people on the tracks and the backpack outings began to dwindle. Viktor supposed it made sense. Seasonal depression was starting to affect Jayce and the colder weather made it unsafe to take Viktor out. But Viktor found it confusing as to why Jayce wouldn't even stop him from getting up on his desk or tapping at his ink pot anymore. 

It only worsened from there. Jayce stopped talking, stopped taking care of himself. Viktor often found him at his desk at all hours, head in hands and clothes disheveled. He'd even neglected to shave, which Viktor had never seen him do. 

“Am I doing something wrong?” Jayce muttered one evening, Viktor curled up in a ball next to him. His sudden speech startled Viktor out of a doze and he looked up at him. Jayce whispered, “Did he just… leave? I don't understand. He didn't even say anything to me…” 

Viktor realized Jayce was talking about him. He trilled softly and got up, passing himself under Jayce's chin and beginning to purr. 

“Hey Vikky…” Jayce sounded miserable. And exhausted. Viktor felt horrible. “Do you think I'm a bad person?” Jayce asked him. Viktor looked at him with wide eyes. “He'd have no other reason to just… get up and leave without telling me.” 

Viktor mewed sadly and rubbed against Jayce's face. He hopped off the desk and sat by the door, meowing until Jayce got up. He decided he needed to be more direct with his hints. No more beating around the bush just to enjoy the affection. 

“You want out, buddy?” Jayce asked, standing from his chair and going to grip the door handle. Viktor cheeped and stood, turning in a little circle before Jayce let him out. But he stopped in the middle of the doorway and continuously meowed until Jayce sighed and began to follow him. 

Viktor trotted into Jayce's bedroom and climbed up onto the bed with the little cat stairs Jayce had put by the foot of the bed. 

“You wanna go to bed, Vikky?” Jayce asked. Viktor meowed loudly and Jayce smiled, laying on top of the blanket after taking off his shoes. Good enough. Viktor climbed on top of his chest and curled up, beginning to purr. He hoped this worked. 

Jayce set a gentle hand on Viktor's side and began to pet his fur, making lazy little patterns and spiking up little clumps of fuzz in some spots. Whatever comforted Jayce into sleeping. 

Luckily it didn't take much time before exhaustion consumed Jayce, and within minutes Viktor was greeted with snores. 

Viktor slowly and carefully got up, using his new ability to nearly silently walk around to his advantage so he could sneak back into the office.

An unfortunate and unintentional luck that Jayce had rewarded him tonight was leaving his ink pot open. Viktor thanked his lucky stars and then prayed to them again as he knocked over a framed photo of the Distinguished Innovators Competition that Jayce had on the desk. He dipped his paw in the ink and drew a circle around his face, then drew an arrow on the desk and sat next to it. Viktor hoped it would be at least a few hours before Jayce found him, he needed the rest. 

***

Viktor must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew he felt a gentle hand petting his fur to wake him up. Viktor trilled softly before stretching out some and opening his eyes. 

“Hey Vikky… did you lock yourself in here, buddy?” Jayce whispered. “Looks like you got yourself into the ink too, huh?” Jayce gently scratched behind Viktor's ears and he started purring, leaning into the touch. 

Jayce looked over at the picture and Viktor could tell Jayce was exhausted when it took him more than three seconds to process what he was looking at. 

“Oh, buddy…” Jayce sighed. “You shouldn't have gotten ink on this–” Jayce stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what Viktor had drawn. His eyes widened and Viktor held his breath as Jayce connected the dots. 

Jayce looked at Viktor. 

Viktor looked at Jayce. 

“Viktor?” Jayce whispered, his voice soft and scared. Viktor's ears pinned back and he nodded as his purrs stopped. Jayce dropped the photo and his eyes glossed over. 

“Viktor…” He whimpered, stepping closer. Viktor stood and trilled at him softly. “Oh my god… Viktor…” 

Suddenly Viktor was in Jayce's arms and could hardly breathe from how hard he was being hugged. He let out a squeaky little coo and started purring again. 

“I thought I lost you…!” Jayce cried. Viktor rubbed his face against him apologetically and Jayce pet his fur. “Why didn't you say anything?” Jayce asked, pulling away to see Viktor. Viktor didn't meet his eyes. “Were you embarrassed?”

Viktor nodded and Jayce hugged him again. 

“What do we do about this?” Jayce whispered, to which Viktor squirmed out of his arms and landed on the desk. He dipped his paw in the ink and wrote ‘LAB’ on the wood. Jayce nodded. 

“Right, yes, the lab! Fuck, why didn't I think of that?” Jayce laughed breathlessly, before rushing back to his room to hastily throw on clean clothes. Viktor scampered to the living room and got into his backpack, meowing to let Jayce know he was ready. Jayce near tripped over himself running over, yanking the backpack onto his shoulders and jostling poor Viktor. He barely put on his shoes before running out the door without locking it behind him. 

*** 

As soon as Jayce made it through the doors of the lab, Viktor got through the zipper and hopped onto the counter that held the vial drawer. Viktor yowled and smacked his paw against the drawer until Jayce came over and opened it. 

“In here? What's in here?” Jayce dug through the contents before pulling out the vial of Shimmer. He stared at it, brows furrowed, before looking at Viktor. Viktor chirped at him. 

“Viktor… What is this?” Jayce scrutinized him and Viktor tucked his ears back. “How long have you had this?” Jayce asked this like Viktor had working human vocal cords and the ability to explain himself without sounding stupid. 

Jayce let the silence take a lot more than its welcome before continuing. 

“Viktor, I'm not giving this to you. This is a schedule one drug, you could get addicted after one use!” 

Viktor couldn't believe him. Here Jayce was, holding the solution to their problem in his hand, yet he was hung up on some stupid drug classification that held no actual evidence backed by science. 

Viktor took a deep breath and did his best to say something, anything. 

“Oh woo wee!” He growled. 

“Only way? Seriously?” At least Jayce understood in a way. “Viktor, do you hear yourself?” 

Viktor growled again and Jayce pinched his brow and inhaled harshly. 

“You know what? I'm just… I'm going to help you, but we're talking about this after,” Jayce huffed. Viktor had a feeling that Jayce would shelf that in favor of getting his friend back. Viktor relaxed though and nodded. 

“Okay. How do we do this?” Jayce held the vial out in front of Viktor and Viktor stepped forward a bit. He tapped the top part of the vial and then hopped off the counter and circled in front of the desk where the hexcore sat, before coming back. Jayce held out the vial again and Viktor tapped the bottom half and then did a little chirp. 

“First half in the hexcore and second half goes to you?” Jayce clarified. Viktor nodded. 

“Okay, uhh… here,” he said, grabbing a clean glass disk from the cabinet next to him and pouring half of the vial into it. He took the rest to the desk with the hexcore and Viktor looked at his portion. 

This was it. 

God he hoped this worked. 

“On three…” Jayce said, the waver of stress in his voice. Viktor nodded. 

“One…” 

Viktor sniffed the shimmer. It smelled like burnt hair and chemical sweeteners. 

“Two…” 

The cap of the vial coming off echoed through the room. 

“Three.” 

Viktor drank the shimmer as fast as he could and Jayce dumped the vial over the chittering hexcore, dropping the vial and running to the other side of the room. 

The hexcore began spinning so fast that it became a blur, light bright and hot spilling out of every crack in between the rune tiles as Viktor began to levitate. He yowled out for Jayce.

He was scared. 

Gravity seemed to be pulling towards the hexcore like its magnetic field had increased to that of a black hole, dragging Viktor closer to it and sending anything close to it that wasn't Viktor flying. 

“Viktor!” Jayce yelled, though it hardly reached Viktor's ears as a whisper over the roar of the wind the hexcore was producing. 

Viktor had a terrifying thought right before the hexcore touched him. 

What if this didn't work? 

What had he done? 

As the hexcore reached his paws, it was like lightning had raced up his spine. He yowled one final time before a deafening boom shook the lab and blew out the windows. 

… 

Was it done? 

Viktor couldn't hear, it was both eerily quiet yet loud all at once. He opened his eyes. There was glass everywhere and he felt heavy. There was a familiar bone deep ache in his back and leg, his hip now adding to the stress from where it was positioned against the floor. Viktor groaned softly. 

Jayce peeked his head out from where he'd been thrown behind his desk, standing on shaky legs before his eyes landed on the pale, bony figure of his best friend. 

It worked. 

“Viktor!” He gasped, running over to the trembling body and lifting him gently off the floor and away from the glass. He couldn't believe it. It worked! Viktor was back! 

Viktor felt about as good as he looked, though, and held his stomach and head. He felt sick. Horribly, horribly sick. 

“Jayce?” He croaked. Jayce only pulled him into a hug from where he held him. His shoulders were shaking. Viktor hugged back weakly and basked in his friend's warmth. 

“I thought I lost you for good…” Jayce whimpered. Viktor tried his best to squeeze him. 

“I thought so too… I'm sorry, Jayce.” 

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, holding each other quietly. Viktor was right, there would be no talk about the shimmer usage. 

Finally, Jayce pulled away to get his partner to somewhere safer. He picked Viktor up properly and took him to the pull out couch, sweeping the glass off of it and gingerly setting him on it. 

“So… Why did it take you so long to tell me?” Jayce started, obviously hesitant to get the conversation going. 

Viktor sighed. “To be completely plain with you? I enjoyed the company you gave. It was nice to let myself reciprocate the affection you've given me from the start and not have to worry about if you'd think it was strange.” 

Jayce looked puzzled. 

“Why would I think it was strange? Also, that was pretty straight out of the gate.” 

“Well, I'm tired of not being able to say what I want, so…” Viktor chuckled. “But… I've always been a little worried about what you would think if I reciprocated. I always felt… possessive over your care and I thought that if I drew attention to it that I'd lose it. Even worse, I thought I didn't deserve to give it back.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Look at us, Jayce. Do you really think the Man of Progress would want to be seen with someone like me?” Viktor motioned to himself. 

Jayce looked downright offended. 

“Yes? Viktor, you're my partner. Above anything else, you always come first. Always,” Jayce insisted. Viktor felt his eyes begin to burn. 

“See, I knew you'd say something like this and it was just going to make this part more embarrassing…” Viktor's voice wavered and Viktor wanted to take his ability to speak away again. 

“What do you mean?” Jayce's face seemed to be going through emotions a lot, probably because Jayce himself was cycling through emotions before he could even process them. “What's embarrassing?”

Viktor sighed and decided he needed to bite the bullet. 

“I'm in love with you, Jayce,” Viktor could barely get it out before the tears fell. Jayce gasped and pulled him into a hug. 

“Oh, Viktor…” He cooed. “That's it? Why didn't you tell me sooner?” 

“Because I didn't know any sooner! Mel basically had to tell me to my face for me to realize…” Viktor whimpered, nearly choking on a sob. Jayce just pet his hair. “And now this is going to ruin our friendship… I'll have to tiptoe around you for the rest of our careers…” 

“What? Viktor, no! God no!” Jayce said, pulling away and holding Viktor by the shoulder. “Never. You're the most important person in the world to me. I…” Jayce paused, then inhaled, then paused again. “I'm in love with you too. I have been.” 

“I know…” Viktor sniffled. 

Jayce's brows furrowed. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because Mel had to tell me that too…” 

Jayce just looked at him for a moment before kissing his forehead. 

“I'm sorry you had to find out that way… I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner,” Jayce whispered. Viktor just sobbed. 

“I love you…!” Viktor cried. His shoulders were shaking. He could hardly breathe from all the snot and hiccups and tears, let alone his already abysmal lung color. Jayce shushed him and wiped his face clean. 

“I love you too, Viktor. I love you,” Jayce promised. 

Viktor sobbed out in relief and wrapped his arms around Jayce as tight as he could. Jayce hugged back, so careful with Viktor's aching body. 

Finally, they both could breathe a sigh of relief. 

After a few minutes of Jayce gently calming Viktor down, he pulled back. 

“No more secrets,” He said, a gentle finality in his tone. Viktor nodded and sniffled. 

“No more secrets,” Viktor responded. 

They both had promised. They both knew they would keep it.