Chapter Text
Christmas had passed and a new year had begun, with new exciting things happening straight away.
Sky had been liberated from the hospital exactly twelve weeks after her last surgery and Viktor went to visit her to celebrate. He was happy, as if that was a personal achievement of his too, he bought her flowers and a basket of fruits, making sure those were her favorites. Jayce had wanted to come along too, but something came up at home and he had to go help his mother. The zaunite didn’t mind, Sky was his friend anyway, so he was happy to spend some time with her by himself. And, of course, her nurse, who opened the door for him once he arrived at the younger woman’s house.
She lead him inside, crossing a beautiful garden still decorated with Christmas lights, and they entered the house. His assistant was on the living room watching TV, but stopped once he was announced, looking at him with a bright smile on her face.
“I brought you this, I hope you…“ He started talking as he approached and stopped in shock as she stood up from her wheelchair. It wasn’t perfect, her legs were all wobbly and weak, but she even took three steps towards him in excitement. As he noticed she’d fall, he threw away everything he was holding onto, including his cane, and stepped towards her to hold her. The two fell down on the floor together and she laughed loud. “Sky!”
“I’m so happy to see you!” She smiled wide and hugged him. “I’ve been wanting to show you this for so long.”
“I told you this was a bad idea, Ms. Young,” the nurse approached to help them stand up, firstly helping the woman back to her chair. Then she offered a hand to Viktor and picked up his cane for him. “She’s been practicing this since Christmas, she wanted to impress you.”
“Did I do good?” Sky asked him eagerly.
Viktor fixed his clothes and smiled, “Yes, you were amazing.”
She clapped happily, “They said I’ll be walking way sooner than expected, I might be back to work before summer.”
“That’s great to hear, but don’t rush, make sure to rest,” the man picked his bouquet of flowers and handed to her. “I’m just glad to see you healing.”
Sky smelled the flowers and hummed positively, as he sat down on the couch next to her and the nurse picked the basket of fruits taking it to the kitchen, the young woman sighed. “You also seem to be doing well, I saw the pictures Jayce posted of you,” she mentioned and raised her eyebrows at him. “Those don’t seem like pictures a business partner would post.”
His cheeks warmed and he fiddled with his caned, “Yes, hm, I suppose there are many ways a partnership can go.”
“You owe me twenty bucks, Ms. Young,” the nurse smugly declared as she returned from the kitchen.
“You two made a bet on me?” He frowned.
“Only to estimate how long it would take for you two to get together after you started working together again, I had thought you would only make a move by February, but I she placed a bet on December,” his assistant grumbled.
Viktor felt even warmer with embarrassment, “Was it so obvious?”
“Darling, if you had worn a plaque around your neck with his name on it, it wouldn’t have been so obvious,” the older woman joked.
Sky laughed and touched his hand, looking at him with glee, “I’m honestly very happy for you, Viktor, you deserve this, love and happiness, I honestly couldn’t think of someone more deserving of it than you.”
“But Sky… You…” The man still felt guilt churn at his insides a bit. “How can I be happy when you are like this because of me?”
She rolled her eyes and tightened her hold on his hand, “Viktor, I am happy, my situation might not be ideal but things aren’t terrible, I’ve got support from wonderful people including you and I have so much to expect from the future. My life is not over and even if it was, it’s not your fault, please… If your guilt towards what happened is too much, think of being happy as a way to compensate me, because as your friend this what I want from you.”
He covered her hand with his other hand and then brought it closer to his lips, kissing her fingers, “I don’t deserve you, Sky.”
“Well, then make yourself deserving,” she chuckled. “I can’t wait to work with you again, Viktor.”
“The feeling is mutual, my friend,” he smiled.
And soon the Distinguished Innovators Competition arrived.
The event attracted people from all regions of Valoran, not just from Piltover and Zaun, and it had all kinds of attractions aside from just the exhibition of the inventions. The students from the Gastronomy and Food Engineering majors had worked together to prepare many food tents for those visiting. The money gathered would go to improving student facilities like the break rooms and dorms. The Arts and Music majors had worked together to prepare the decorations and the opening ceremony, the entire University had worked together somehow to improve that event.
It was a beautiful event.
“You two look absolutely terrified,” Viktor said in amusement.
His two students hadn’t left their tent since the opening ceremony, no matter how much Viktor and Jayce had beckoned them to go around and enjoy a bit of the attractions, they were glued to their project the entire day. The capsule was working perfectly, running on bio-thermal energy with three options of other sustainable energy sources introduced as schematics next to it. Everything had gone according to plan, yet the two young adults seemed very nervous every time someone came to their exhibition asking questions.
“Zeri made an energy gun, Scar has a prototype hoverboard, I saw someone with a working robot,” Ekko passed a hand through his hair. “Those are all so much cooler than ours.”
“Oh yes, I saw the robot, absolutely astonishing work,” Viktor nodded, very impressed.
“V, please,” Jayce reprehended him and shook his head. “Don’t compare your work with other people’s, everyone has their own interests and expertises, their projects serve very different purposes than yours.”
The smaller man cleared his throat a bit embarrassed, “Yes, he is correct… Do not let the very interesting robot discourage you.”
Jinx scowled at him, “Don’t you have somethin’ else to do? You’re just makin’ us more anxious.”
“I’m trying to be supportive here,” he frowned.
“Yeah, yeah, very nice, why don’t you go suck your boyfriend’s face somewhere away from us for a bit,” she shooed him away.
“Jinx,” Jayce reprimanded without any actual anger in his voice, in reality he seemed amused as well. “The results of the competition will be announced soon, don’t you prefer that we stay all together?”
“To be honest, professor, I kinda agree with her,” Ekko shrugged, “You two keep commenting on our work and other people’s projects, it’s kinda driving me mad here… Can’t you give us some space, please?”
The two men looked at each other in surprise. Well, yes, they have been constantly reassuring the two students that their work was good and that, though there were so many different projects there, their invention was very unique. They might have been a bit too invested, always helping them introduce the capsule to anyone approaching the tent, but that’s just because the two teachers were so proud. The past month they had met regularly with the kids to help build the prototype and make sure everything was working perfectly. It wasn’t their creation but it meant a lot to them too, so they were hoping for a good result as well.
“Perhaps… Perhaps we may have been a bit too extra, but we’re just very proud of your work,” Viktor scratched his cheek shyly.
“Yeah, yeah, but you’re lookin’ like two overprotective parents,” Jinx rolled her eyes. “We can do this on our own.”
“Why don’t you take your own advice, professor? Go look around the attractions with professor Talis for a bit,” Ekko smiled. “We’ll be fine.”
The two men sighed and nodded, Jayce touched Viktor’s lower back, guiding him away from the tent, “Alright, we’ll be leaving for a bit.”
“Have fun,” Jinx waved at them cheeky.
Viktor looked at his partner, “Are we really leaving them alone?”
“No, we’re just going to stay somewhere they can’t see us,” Jayce whispered.
They found a spot near a tree and sat on the bench in a position where they had clear view to their students tent. Jayce had an arm placed on the back of the bench, casually going behind Viktor’s shoulders and their knees touched slightly, nothing too obvious. Yet, that still caught the eyes of many people passing by them, many who hadn’t realized yet that the two were no longer fighting. And of course, Mel Medarda didn’t lose an opportunity to approach them, noticing their casual presence there.
“Look at you two, how shameless, Jayce,” she joked as she stopped in front of them.
“What? I’m not doing anything,” he couldn’t contain his smile as he gestured pretending to be innocent. “I’m just sitting here with my colleague, nothing incriminating.”
“Oh, sure, as if half the university hasn’t noticed how you two got so close all of a sudden,” she rolled her eyes. “There will certainly be an HR e-mail coming to you soon.”
“I don’t see what could be so wrong… Or of your interest, Doctor Medarda,” Viktor frowned.
Mel sighed and clicked her tongue, “I’m just joking, Kovalchuk, relax… I’ve been rooting for you guys for so long, I guess I am owed this right.”
He blinked in surprise then looked at Jayce, not understanding what he had just heard, “Rooting?”
“Mel’s the first person to know I had feelings for you, I told you, didn’t I?” His partner laughed and pointed at the woman. “She helped me through my sexuality crisis and when you were hospitalized she was very supportive of me as well.”
“It was not easy, nothing can prepare you for when your boyfriend breaks up with you after figuring out he is bisexual and then has a near mental breakdown at the idea of his crush dying,” the woman whistled and made a tired expression.
Viktor hadn’t thought about that, honestly he had spent so much time thinking those two were romantically involved and harboring bitter feelings towards them that he never considered that maybe the situation could be different. Even after Jayce explained himself. Perhaps his insecurities were too powerful for him to think outside of his narrow point of view. He always respected the woman, but he felt envious of her for more reasons than just the fact that he believed she had Jayce’s heart. She was smart and beautiful and very competent, well known among her peers, meanwhile he was… Well, Viktor was himself.
“I’m sorry, hm, I did not know that,” he lowered his eyes ashamed. “Forgive me for my attitude… Mel.”
She chuckled and patted his shoulder, “It’s ok, Viktor, I kind of understand you.”
How could she understand him? Had she felt this insecure when dating Jayce as well? Were they more similar than he had expected? And yet, it seemed that she did so much for both of them.
He worked up his courage to look up to her and smiled, “Thank you for all you did for him.”
Mel shrugged, “If you want to thank me, how about we strike a deal one of these days? I’m in need of another brilliant mind to work with.”
“Hey!” Jayce frowned at her. “What about me?”
“You know what they say, the more the merrier,” she winked at him.
Viktor pondered, he had been working by himself for so long and he had realized that to achieve his dreams, his life aspirations, it would take more than his lonely effort. No, the key to evolution was collaboration, it had always been. “Yes,” he said, “I would love to work with you some day… With you two.”
Jayce looked at him with shining eyes, “You mean it?”
“I mean it,” he nodded.
“Can I kiss you right now?” He started approaching.
Viktor pushed his face away from here, “Not here, we’re in public.”
“Oh my God, you two are gross,” Mel shook her head and started walking away. “We’ll keep in contact, I’ll call you.”
He waved at her as she left and felt Jayce scoot closer to him on the bench, “Do you really mean it?”
“I do,” he reassured. “I miss working with other people, I think this is going to be very productive, look at what we’ve achieved with these children.”
“I just… I guess I’m just really happy that we’re going to be partners again, I feel like crying, honestly,” Jayce laughed at himself.
Viktor looked at him in the eyes, soft and adoringly, “But we’re already partners.”
“Yes,” Jayce smiled lovingly. “Yes, we are.”
In the distance they heard Jinx’s excited scream and looked in their direction to see the girl celebrating with her boyfriend in front of the jury members. The man froze for a second, observing their happiness as other people around them started to congratulate the students.
“We won!” The taller man celebrated and hugged Viktor, “I can’t believe it!”
Viktor watched the girl hug her boyfriend and celebrate then looked at his partner, feeling the same giddy feeling as she felt. Maybe an even more powerful feeling, as he touched Jayce’s cheek and looked at him with the widest smile he could muster. “I love you,” he said and laughed. “I’m so happy!”
Jayce’s eyes brightened in joy and with tears, “I love you too, let’s make this the first of many victories.”
“Yes,” Viktor said as if a promise. “Together.”
Fin.