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Ever since the day Ximena almost died in a snowstorm, she had been more protective of Jayce than before. Mainly, this was because something had changed inside her child since they were saved by magic. Jayce seemed more passionate, driven, and focused on a singular goal. She had yet to determine what sort of goal her little boy was trying to achieve, but she wouldn't deny that he had the same look in his eye just like his father did when he had an idea he simply needed to be tangible.
Recently, Jayce's behavior had incited genuine curiosity and, she daresay, concern because the young boy came home every day either smelling like smoke or had poorly hidden oil stains on his clothes. Ximena didn't mind Jayce's frequent tinkering of small machines or the usual creation of imperfect gadgets here and there; after all, his father had done the same at a younger age. Jayce's creative and intelligent mind needed an outlet, after all – craved it even. Unfortunately, a result of this enthusiasm and overt passion for mechanics and science was his difficulty with genuinely connecting with children his age. Oftentimes, Jayce preferred to stay in his own room to read books or tinker away on some broken toy or tool because he found them more interesting than people.
A child's choice to isolate would certainly worry any mother – but this was exactly the reason why Jayce's present behavior worried her. Jayce barely had any interest in the outside world unless they were going to the marketplace where he could sneak off to buy some gears and screws with some of the coins he'd saved up. Now, Jayce couldn't wait to rise along with the sun and run off to gods know where and return with the biggest smile on his face just before the sun sunk completely over the horizon.
In addition to this, Jayce became more talkative during dinnertime. He would always report a lie about his exact whereabouts but not what he actually did that day. Jayce would talk about creating something he had never done before that could help make someone's life better without specifying who it was exactly. He would then go on long tangents about how great it would be if he could, one day, contribute to making the lives of people better – not just in Piltover, but in Zaun as well. Though this information made Ximena contemplative, what really caught her attention was the frequent and obvious slip ups Jayce had amidst his enthusiastic recounting of events for the day.
"–and then when I finally solved the equation, Vik–" Jayce would pause before wincing, his fork scraping the ceramic plate. "I mean, uh, yeah! I solved the equation and I learned something new today that I'm going to test out on my new toy tonight! This time for sure it won't explode!"
"Explode?" Ximena echoed in a reprimanding tone, one brow raised.
Jayce let out a nervous laugh as he fiddled with his fingers and scratched his head. "Explode? Ha-ha! I-wha-I didn't say that!"
Suffice to say, Ximena knew her son was a terrible liar. This was also how she knew that he was hiding something from her.
"Jayce, sweetheart," she began softly as she reached across the table to hold her son's hand, "aside from the explosions, is there something else you're not telling me?"
"No!" Jayce exclaimed loudly and instantaneously.
"Jayce..."
"What would I be hiding from you, ma? That would– ha-ha– be very uhh..." Jayce searched his food for an apt word but failed to find it there, so he shook his head instead and squeezed his mother's hand. "I wouldn't do that, uh. I'm not hiding stuff from you o-or anything."
Ximena tried a different angle. It was quite strange that Jayce was so adamant about not telling her a thing. Usually, her son wasn't so secretive and it took only a tone of potentially getting in trouble from his mother for him to spill the beans. Naturally, Ximena's instincts as a mother were kicking in – what if someone was hurting or taking advantage of Jayce?
"Is..." Ximena couldn't even fathom the thought. "Is someone... hurting you–"
"No!" Jayce exclaimed defensively with a frown as he looked at his mother and pulled his hand away. "Viktor would never hurt me! Just because he's from the Undercity doesn't mean he's a bad kid! He's smart and funny and helped me get home when I got lost!"
Ximena let out a gasp at the revelation. Jayce gasped and covered his mouth in shock at what he just said. "I-I, uh... I'm going upstairs." His entire face went red in a mix of shame and embarrassment before he stood up from his chair and ran to his bedroom. Before Ximena could stop Jayce, her son had already fled the room. She sighed, relaxing into her seat. She was relieved no one was hurting her son. In fact, she was so relieved that she was going to let the detail about Jayce sneaking off to the Undercity by himself slide for now. Ximena was more curious about this 'Viktor' that her son was talking about. Although she had some preconceived notions about those from the Undercity that caused her to initially be wary, she trusted her son's judgement and defense of Viktor's character to infer that Jayce's new playmate wasn't a danger to him.
So, Ximena found herself going upstairs and knocking on Jayce's bedroom door. "Jayce, sweetheart?" There was no response inside, save for the soft, muted clanking sound of metal. "I apologize for thinking you were getting hurt. You have to understand that I was simply worried about you since you won't tell me anything about your new friend."
There was the sound of footsteps before Jayce cracked open the door, hazel eyes peeking up at his mother. "Viktor has a nice laugh and a cool accent," he said. "And he has a pretty smile."
"Does he?" Ximena asked with a smile as Jayce slowly opened the door wider.
"Yeah, but I like him a lot because he's super smart and he helped me with the equations I was having trouble with." Jayce led his mother inside his room full of unfinished gadgets, some broken and fixed tools and toys, and a wall that was starting to fill with crayon-drawn prototypes on used paper and a string of equations written in pencil and pen. He picked up a toy airship from the ground and showed it to his mother. "Viktor helped me make this thing fly without it exploding afterwards! When he plays with his boat by the river, I make my airship follow behind him so he knows he's not alone. Viktor says he's used to being by himself, but he always looks so sad when he says it."
Ximena felt warmed at the notion that her son finally found a friend, someone who could understand him. "It sounds like Viktor is a really great friend," she remarked as she sat at the side of his bed. He followed soon after and returned his attention to the toy airship in his hands.
"Yeah," Jayce replied with a goofy grin on his face before letting out a laugh. "He's amazing."
"Why don't you bring Viktor home to have lunch with us so I can get to know him better? And maybe you can show him the other things you've been working on in your room?" Ximena's curiosity was more piqued now than it was before. She had to see and know Viktor for herself.
Jayce finally turned to his mother then, a wide smile lighting up his face. "Really, ma? You really mean it?"
"Of course, sweetheart," Ximena reassured as he placed a kiss on the crown of Jayce's head. "As long as you promise to be more honest about who you're with and what you're doing next time, alright? I just want to know you're safe."
Jayce looked guilty before murmuring an apology and hugging his mother tightly. Once Ximena placed a comforting hand on his head, Jayce looked up at her. "Even the explosions?" He asked meekly.
Ximena let out a laugh before pinching Jayce's cheek, making him laugh as well. "Yes, Jayce," she reassured him. "Even the explosions."
Ximena could practically hear Jayce a mile away from the door to their home with how loudly he was talking to his friend. In fact, she swore her son almost forgot he was at their doorstep from how much he was passionately going on and on about this new project he saw in his dream last night.
"–you have to help me build it! I won't be able to do it without you, you know. Please?"
A softer, accented voice replied, "Okay, Jayce. But only because you asked nicely."
"Yes! I promise it won't explode this ti– Mom!" Jayce exclaimed with a tight grin once Ximena opened the door. He placed his once animated hands by his side in one sharp movement once he saw his mother. However, her attention was on the boy beside her son.
The first thing someone would notice about the boy was his cane and the way he leaned into it for support. He wore neat brown clothes that were lovingly patched together in some areas. Jayce's new friend had a soft and kind face with two notable moles: one above his lip and another below his eye. His brown hair was slicked back, but several strands have already escaped to frame his pale face. He looked up at Ximena bashfully with bright golden eyes, a slight quiver on his thin, dry lips.
"Ah, h-hello, Mrs. Talis. It's a, eh, pleasure to meet you," Viktor greeted as he reached out a shaky hand; his other one was occupied with holding his cane. Ximena shook his hand but immediately noticed that the cane looked new; however, more than that, it didn't escape her notice how it was definitely not a coincidence that it had the Talis house colors of red, gold, and white. She also didn't fail to notice the nervous, crooked smile on Viktor's face once he noticed Ximena cataloging his appearance.
"Viktor," Ximena greeted warmly as she led both children inside the house. "Jayce told me a lot about you."
"Mom!" Jayce exclaimed, his cheeks burning red with embarrassment.
"But I'd like to get to know you more without the bias of my son's perspective on the matter, of course."
Jayce buried his heated face in both hands as Viktor chuckled at the sight, relaxing a little. "Mom, you're embarrassing me right now," he said, voice muffled by his palms.
"Nonsense, Jayce. Now, why don't you take Viktor to the dining room as I get our food from the kitchen?"
Jayce didn't need to be told twice as he pressed close to Viktor and followed his walking pace. Ximena noticed that Viktor was taller by an inch or two. Though, she could easily imagine Jayce growing much taller and bigger than his friend in several years' time.
As Ximena grabbed the food from the kitchen, she couldn't help but eavesdrop a little on the conversation of the kids before making her presence known. She was curious about the dynamic they had when they were by themselves. She hoped Viktor would feel a little more comfortable in their home. Perhaps, in the future, the Talis house could become his second home.
"I don't think I should be here, Jayce," Viktor said, sounding worried and cautious at the same time. It broke Ximena's heart a little.
"What!" Jayce exclaimed before seemingly deflating. "But we asked your parents and they said it was okay."
"I know, but what if your mom, eh, hates me for intruding?"
"Why would she hate you?" Jayce sounded genuinely confused at the thought. "She was the one who invited you!"
"Because I'm from the Undercity, and Topsiders don't really see us as, ah, good playmates for their children, you know." The explanation seemed to make Viktor's voice crack a little. "Maybe she invited me to tell me to, eh, stay away from you. I would understand if she did. After all, why would she want her son to play with some poor cripple boy from Zaun?"
"Mom wouldn't," Jayce reassured Viktor softly. "I promise. If she did, I'll, uh... we can run away together somewhere."
Viktor snorted. "And where would we go?"
Jayce paused in thought before answering in an unsure tone, "The Undercity?"
Viktor laughed. "You would give your mother a heart attack if she found out you even stepped foot in the Undercity!” The next words he said were more hushed in contrast, “I'm surprised she hasn't said a thing about how you met me."
"Yeah, well, maybe mom doesn't mind since I'm being independent now. Like an adult."
"Jayce, you're ten years old," Viktor reminded him in a deadpanned tone. "You're still a child."
"And you're a child too!" Jayce retorted playfully. "Just because you're a year older than me doesn't mean you're more of an adult than I am!"
"I'll have you know that being eleven is a completely different league from being ten," Viktor pointed out with a huff. "And besides, we don't have to run away. Maybe we can just meet in secret sometimes, you know. Or meet somewhere in between."
"Like in that story we read? Where their families didn't want them to see each other and stuff?"
Viktor hummed in thought, seemingly quite unsure himself. "Ehh... yes, I think so? I just want to continue being friends with you, Jayce. It's more fun making toys from junk with you and getting to play with them afterwards."
"And I want to continue being your friend too. I've never met anyone who understood me until you."
Ximena wanted to hear more, but her arms were starting to ache from carrying the food. So, she took this as her cue to enter the dining room. Immediately, she was greeted by the sight of Jayce and Viktor sitting beside each other as they held hands on top of the table. Viktor's new cane was propped by Jayce's side, which he could easily hand to Viktor should he need it.
Ximena should be worried that her son was planning to run away from home should she not take a liking to Viktor. However, it seemed impossible to hate anything about Viktor as, when they ate, Viktor had more impeccable manners than her son who seemed to devour his meal with a complete lack of cleanliness. Ximena only let out a sigh as Jayce enthusiastically ate his food as he talked and chewed at the same time.
It was truly a miracle Jayce hadn't bitten down on his tongue or choked on his food throughout the entire meal.
"Can't wait to show you my room," Jayce said enthusiastically. "I have so much stuff to show you, Vik – like the prototype for our robot! I think we can even make his hands shoot lasers or something!" Viktor only let out what could be a small giggle before wiping the mess of sauce on the corners of Jayce's mouth with his thumb. Ximena immediately caught the way Jayce froze and stopped breathing before his face turned red.
"Maybe you should focus on eating, then we can talk later," Viktor suggested playfully as he elbowed Jayce on the side. "I won't go anywhere."
Ximena was truly surprised at Viktor's talent to make her son go quiet. It was almost an impossible task to make her son stop talking if he went into his passionate tirades or if he was getting excited. She took the silence as an opportunity to ask Viktor some questions about himself.
"So, Viktor," she began as Viktor turned to her with a polite yet shaky smile. "How old are you?"
Viktor was a very polite boy. However, Ximena found himself liking him more when she started asking him questions about his interests, his hobbies, and what he wanted to do in the future. Seeing how comfortable and animated Viktor became with his hand gestures, Ximena finally understood what Jayce liked so much about Viktor. He had big dreams about the future, of wanting to genuinely help others regardless of whether they were from Piltover or Zaun. He would do anything to make his – their, his and Jayce's – dream a reality.
Ximena couldn't help but think how perfect of a match Viktor was for her son. Finally, the gods had listened to her prayers of finding someone who could understand Jayce and brought them Viktor. They could do so much good in the world together. Maybe they could even reunite the sister cities – anything seemed possible with Jayce and Viktor. She almost cried a little in joy at the thought that the two would eventually become inseparable over time.
As Viktor continued to speak, the fire inside him making his golden eyes bright with life, Ximena noticed the way Jayce looked at Viktor. Oh, Ximena knew this look all too well. It was how her husband used to look at her all the time when he was still alive. It was the same helpless, awed look, as if nothing and nobody else existed in the world but the focus of their attention. Her son had a content smile on his face as he nodded at everything Viktor was saying.
Ximena was certain the look would only prevail over time. She wondered how long it'd take for Viktor to notice, if everyone else around them wouldn't already.
Eventually, Ximena had to let the boys go. She couldn't very well monopolize their time. She did note with success, however, that Viktor seemed more comfortable now than he did initially. He no longer seemed to tiptoe around her as much. As she sent them upstairs, much to Jayce's joy, with the promise of sending them dessert in a while, Ximena cleaned up and hummed while washing the dishes.
When Ximena went upstairs to give the boys their own slices of cake for dessert, she could hear the sound of metal clattering and clanking inside Jayce's room. The boys' voices were muffled behind the door; however, when she knocked, Jayce's footsteps were loud before he opened the door wide open.
"Here's some dessert for you and your friend, sweetheart," Ximena said as he handed Jayce both plates. His hands had soot and a smudge of oil on it. Thankfully, Ximena put a fork on each plate – hopefully, this would discourage Jayce from forgetting to use a utensil and eating with his bare hands. Well, considering Viktor was in the room, he could trust him to make sure Jayce used a fork to eat his cake properly.
"Viktor's not just my friend, ma!" Jayce corrected before handing Viktor his slice of cake. He was on the floor, examining what seemed to be a small robot arm that Jayce had some trouble fixing a few weeks back. Ximena could only pray for the safety of her furniture when the day finally comes that the children actually make their toy robot shoot lasers out of its hands. "He's my bestest friend in the whole wide universe!"
Viktor looked up then and gave Jayce a warm smile that colored his cheeks pink.
"Well, I'll leave you both to it then," Ximena said as she slowly closed the door. "Just make sure to tell me when you're both leaving, alright?"
"Yes ma, we will," Jayce replied absentmindedly.
"Thank you for the, ah, dessert, Mrs. Talis."
Ximena smiled before closing the door behind her with a soft click.
Ximena must've fallen asleep on the couch shortly after she went downstairs because the next thing she knew she was waking up to the sound of Jayce's footsteps descending the stairs and the sound of Viktor's cane hitting the ground.
"If you want to protect anyone with a hammer, you need to make it bigger than the one you showed me," Viktor said. "But then again, how would you carry such a big hammer when you're this small?"
Jayce guffawed. "Wha– Have some faith in me, V! What if I gain some muscle and I'll even be able to carry you easily? I'll have you know my dad was a very strong guy."
"Maybe," Viktor hummed in thought. "Certainly not now though."
Jayce snorted in return. "I'll make you eat your words one day. Just you wait."
Once Jayce saw Ximena on the couch, he rushed to her before hugging her tightly. Viktor followed behind soon after. "I'm taking Viktor home," Jayce said before looking up at his mother with flushed cheeks and a wide grin on his face. He gestured for her to lean forward because he had something to whisper to her. Ximena complied and found herself lowering her head. "Can Viktor come again tomorrow? Please?" He asked in a secretive but pleading voice.
Ximena's features softened as she nodded. "Viktor is welcome in our house anytime," she said aloud before looking at Viktor with a heartwarming smile. She couldn't wait to find familiarity in Viktor's presence in their home.
"Thank you, Mrs. Talis, for your hospitality," Viktor said as he glanced down at his shoes with a shy smile. "The food was very delicious."
"Thank you, Viktor." Ximena glanced out the window and noticed that it was almost sundown. She stood up from the couch and ushered the two children to the entrance of their home. "Alright, both of you be safe out there and make sure not to stay out so late."
"Promise, ma! I'll be back before you know it." Ximena ruffled her son's dark, cropped hair before turning to Viktor. "And I'll see you tomorrow."
Viktor nodded before letting out a small laugh that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. "Yes ma'am, I will."
Ximena saw the both of them off, only returning inside the house when they turned the corner and she could no longer see and hear the both of them.
Viktor needed to get home before the sun completely set because the Undercity was more dangerous at night. Moreover, it was harder to navigate some places on his way home because of how many people would swarm certain places.
A fellow child – what's more, a Topsider of all people – helping him get home was an added risk to the endeavor. However, the sun was still on its slow descent to sleep, and Viktor wished the rays of light leading them home would remain steadfast and permanent in painting their way in beautiful shades of gold and red. When the cold dark enveloped everything, Viktor found himself longing for the warm embrace of mornings and the noisy and endless chatter of his newfound friend.
His parents were happy that Viktor finally had someone to play with that was around his age – a fellow child. Although the fact that Jayce was a Topsider was initially a great deal of concern to them, his friend found a way to endear his parents to him with his boyish charms.
Viktor hated to admit that Jayce would make a great politician in the future because his friend would no longer have time for him and their endeavors. Viktor no longer wanted to revisit days filled with silence and nobody to share his successes and newfound discoveries with.
When the light continued to narrow and die a slow death, Viktor wished the sun would remain in its throne forever. In the perfect world, the sister cities would remain illuminated forever and he would no longer be separated from Jayce by sleep, by hours, by a bridge, or by rain.
Their seemingly too short journey eventually came to an end when Viktor was met by the familiar sight of the door of his house. Their home was not as stable or large as the Talis family's, but it was home nonetheless – the place where he learned to love and be loved by parents who would do anything for their child.
"Thank you for lunch, Jayce," Viktor said as he turned around to face his friend. "I had a lot of fun."
Jayce let out a laugh that was more nervous than genuine. He rubbed the back of his neck and fiddled with his hands. Really, Viktor should tell him he was the worst liar he'd ever met; but doing so would take away the things Viktor liked about Jayce and what made him so different from the other people he was often surrounded with in the Undercity. Viktor hoped to Janna that Jayce remained that way forever: genuine, passionate, and his.
The last part, Viktor knew, was something he was uncertain of. Perhaps it was that Zaunite trait in him to hold tight and steadfast onto the things he treasured most in fear of having them taken away. It was that possessive trait that was common to all people in the Undercity from a long history of having things taken from them on a daily basis: be it power, people, drugs, or money. Viktor thought he was different and held no such weakness in his personality. It turned out he was wrong because he wanted Jayce for himself as long as he was able to.
Viktor had a prophecy in the form of an ominous dream once. Jayce was destined to become the man of the people. Viktor didn't know where he fit in that picture – the shadows, maybe, where he could see his golden boy burn as bright as the sun.
"We'll see each other again tomorrow," Jayce reassured, flashing him that boyish gap-toothed smile that never failed to send Viktor's heart skipping a few beats. "I'll miss you a lot until then."
"Why?" Viktor couldn't help but ask. He thought he was the only one who looked forward to daylight because it was another day to see Jayce and discover new things with him.
"Because you're my best friend," Jayce answered simply, like being best friends should encapsulate the obvious. "I'm so happy we met because everyday is like an adventure with you. I'm always excited to wake up because I know I have someone to talk to about my ideas and crazy inventions and-and someone to help me perfect my ideas and make them come to life!"
Viktor couldn't help the way his cheeks colored. He felt the exact same way. Before Jayce, he was always left alone by the other children because his interests seemed far too serious for the whimsical nature of kids his age. Viktor was special, his parents told him. It turned out being different from others isolated him from them.
That was until Jayce stumbled upon his usual playground by the cliff with the small stream. That was until Viktor realized Jayce was exactly like him. That was until he realized that they no longer had to be alone if they had each other.
They could do good in the world together.
"You're my best friend too, Jayce," Viktor said as he stepped closer, leaning onto his cane that Jayce made for him. It was beautiful and it was a gift, and Viktor spent every day protecting and hiding it from the greedy eyes of local thieves whenever he made his way to his usual playground. "Tomorrow can't come soon enough."
Viktor leaned forward and pressed a soft but quick and chaste kiss on Jayce's cheek. The lifespan of the gesture didn't even last two seconds, but there was a look in Jayce's eyes that said he would remember it for the rest of his life. Viktor simply smiled before turning around and retreating to his home as fast as he could. "See you tomorrow," he said quickly before shutting the door behind him.
Viktor was unsure what possessed him to do something so reckless. He just wanted a quick way to show his appreciation and affection for his dearest friend. The first thing that came to mind was when he saw this huge bartender lean over the counter to press a kiss on this other guy's cheek in secret when he was sneaking off to explore the Undercity night life for the first time. Viktor had let out a small gasp that caught the attention of the other guy with long dark hair and they had fumbled out an explanation, telling him that it was a casual Zaunite gesture that one did when they were very, very close friends with someone.
"Like with, eh, a best friend?" Viktor supplied brightly as they sat him down in a room behind the bar itself. Viktor passively recalled how homely the environment was, with warm lights and a comfortable silence.
"Sure, kid," the big bartender told him with a wave of his hand. The other guy turned to him with a raised brow before throwing his hands in the air. "If you're best friends."
Now that he thought about it, maybe they were lying to him because they got caught by a kid. Now, Viktor felt almost stupid submitting to his whims and kissing Jayce on the cheek. What if Jayce found it revolting and decided not to be friends with him anymore? Topside had a very strange set of social rules after all, and maybe Jayce thought he was a freak or a weirdo now.
Despite this, one thing was certain: kissing Jayce felt right. So, maybe, Viktor didn't feel so guilty. His gut was usually right about these things. It never failed him when it came to his experiments so far.
Eh, until they blew up on his face, of course. But that was the problem of tomorrow's Viktor. Tonight, he could revel in the way Jayce looked with his entire face set aflame when Viktor's lips met his cheek.
Viktor couldn't wait to get older and stronger so he could spend nights making magic with Jayce too.
Jayce had been kissed on the cheek before – by his mother, aunts, girls in the playground – but none of them ever elicited the same heart-racing, fireworks-exploding, and butterflies-fluttering reaction that he had the moment Viktor did the same.
Jayce spent the entire walk home with his hand on the inflamed cheek that was touched by Viktor's soft lips. His heart was beating madly and he couldn't help but feel a massive surge of energy in his chest that begged to be released. He wanted to shout, maybe do something crazy like a backflip, or punch the air like a lunatic because his best friend in the whole of Runeterra had kissed him. On the cheek.
When he got home – and thank gods he didn't get lost this time considering how absentminded he was for the entire trip back – his mother was onto him. Ximena was evidently concerned when his son came home with his face flushed, uncharacteristically quiet and staring into space for an indefinite period of time.
"Jayce?" Ximena asked as she stooped down to look at him at eye level. "Are you alright? Did Viktor get home safely?"
Jayce could only look up, his hand still on the cheek where Viktor kissed him. His best friend had kissed him and he wanted to feel this way for the rest of his life. Really, there was only one solution.
"Ma, how old do I have to be before I can marry Viktor?" Jayce asked in a tone so serious it almost sounded like he was talking about magic again.
Ximena paused for a full minute before letting out a loud, boisterous laugh.