Chapter Text
Jayce takes a sip from his champagne, and he smiles his most perfect, practiced smile at the older woman in front of him. She speaks of her family’s legacy and of how she wants to make sure to invest their fortune into things that she can be proud to attach her name to.
And Jayce smiles and nods and says he completely understands. He tells his personal anecdote about how magic saved his life, because she seems like the type of potential patron who would feel touched or charmed by that and is more interested in his passion than the cold, hard facts and numbers.
By the end of their conversation, she pats him on the shoulder with a wide smile.
“I’m very much looking forward to hearing from you,” she says.
“Thank you, ma’am, so are we! I will personally write the letter and make sure that it reaches you.” He laughs and leans in conspiratorially. “I might even deliver it myself, you know how the messengers can be.”
Her laughter sounds like wind chimes, and Jayce has no doubt that this one is a success as he bids her farewell.
He finds Viktor by the steps that lead up to Councillor Hoskel’s main door, underneath one of the lanterns that have been installed to keep the outside area of the party lit until deep into the night. In the low, warm light, with the wind catching his curls where he hasn’t managed to brush them out, he looks like the most beautiful thing Jayce has ever seen.
“Hey, stranger.”
“Hey yourself.” Viktor turns around and—with a look at his face—raises an eyebrow. “You look like you just adopted a puppy.”
Jayce snorts. “Not quite. But…I did secure our funding for the Hextech gloves.”
Viktor’s eyes widen and a surprised little smile spreads over his face. “You did? Just like that?”
“Just like that. No way she’ll say no. She wrote down all of our contact information, just in case we would ‘forget to write to her’ and had me check the spelling twice, and she asked when I think we might be ready to present a prototype.”
“Well, well. Congratulations,” Viktor says and takes Jayce’s champagne glass from his hand to take a sip.
“Oh shut up, it’s your accomplishment as much as it’s mine. I’d never even be in this position if it weren’t for you,” Jayce says and takes his glass back, threads his fingers through those of Viktor’s now-free hand, and lets his thumb run over the knuckles.
When their eyes meet, there’s something else there besides the celebratory spirit, and goosebumps rise along his arms. Overt public displays of affection are frowned upon at these high-brow gatherings, he knows this all too well, but as he watches the golden specks in Viktor’s eyes dance with the flickering lights he can’t really remember why he should care.
“Come with me for a second?” He nods towards the path that leads around the main building, to where the lanterns fade out and the shadows grow longer.
“Oh, believe me, I would love to.” Viktor’s voice sounds lower than it was just a moment ago. “But I can tell you from first-hand experience that you are not as sneaky with these things as you think you are, Jayce. People will definitely notice.”
Jayce raises Viktor’s hand to his lips and presses a kiss to the knuckles before tugging on it lightly, and Viktor allows him without another protest to lead him away from the steps.
“Let them.”