Work Text:
Maybe it was too much to hope for, to have something to show so soon after they started working together. Even if they had a working prototype, Heimerdinger wouldn’t have let them show anyone else. But it’s Progress Day, for fuck’s sake. Jayce wants to feel like they’re getting somewhere. He’s had one too many minor explosions on his work table recently, and Heimerdinger’s speech pointedly focused on erring on the side of caution rather than trying to hurry progress. It’s hard not to feel like a scolded little boy.
Though not in high spirits himself, Viktor at least seems to be taking it easier. He’s disappointed, yes, but the frustration only seems to fuel him to work harder, instead of draining him like it does Jayce. Jayce gives himself the night to wallow before he can get his shit together and resolve to be more like his partner.
“That uniform is kind of impractical, no?”
It takes Jayce a moment to process Viktor’s words. He follows his gaze to see two enforcers talking to each other as they keep an eye on the dispersing crowd. One of them adjusts her skirt with vague annoyance.
Part of him wants to wave the comment off and keep sulking, but he accepts the distraction in the end.
“It’s just a parade set, I think. They don’t wear it every day.”
“But they’re still on duty. If anything happens, they’re supposed to be as quick and efficient as on a regular day. It seems foolish to restrict them so.”
“They don’t have to wear it. I’ve seen some women opt for the pants. The skirt just looks better.”
Viktor rolls his eyes. “You only say that because you’re not the one wearing it. You just get to ogle.”
“Excuse you,” Jayce says, hand covering his chest in mock offense. “It’d look good if I was wearing it, too.” He lets the ogling comment go. It’s not like Viktor wasn’t the one to remark on the uniform when Jayce’s mind had been miles away.
Viktor’s gaze flashes over him before his head tilts and he stays like that for a moment, running the calculation in his head. “You do have the legs for it.”
About a hundred questions pop into Jayce’s mind, but the one that tumbles out is: “You’ve been looking at my legs?”
“I have… seen them,” Viktor says. Jayce’s face must show a sufficient amount of question marks at that statement, so Viktor elaborates, if a bit annoyed. “I don’t need to be studying them in detail to be aware of them. They’re prominent,” he says with an unnecessary gesture at them. Jayce looks down, too, like he’ll see something he hasn’t before.
And maybe he does. Worry stabs at him for a moment, that Viktor’s comment was made to compare them, but he quickly dismisses it. Viktor’s comments about his own body are usually made off-hand, barring anyone from questioning him or showing him pity. He’s gruff and factual. He’s not flustered.
Not that Jayce would say he’s exactly flustered right now, but when he tries to meet Viktor’s gaze, he’s turned slightly away from him, his brows furrowed. One could assume he was thinking about the work already, but tension has his shoulders drawn up. Jayce comes closer to put a hand over one.
“I’m just gonna focus on what really matters and ignore the fact that you just called me fat.”
“Fat? ” Viktor sputters, outraged. Then he looks at Jayce and sees his grin. He rolls his eyes and brushes Jayce’s hand away as he starts walking.
“I mean, prominent?” Jayce emphasises as he falls into step next to him. “Don’t talk to girls that way, is all I’m saying.”
“I don’t talk to girls in any way,” Viktor says, but before Jayce can think about that, he adds, “There is too much work to be done.”
Jayce liked to think he’s just as dedicated to that work as his partner, but that was before said partner became entirely too distracting in every single way.
Not that it’s his fault Jayce is prone to obsession, but the knowledge that Viktor has seen him, that he’s really been looking at him, eats at his brain until it’s infected every thought. He notices it now, the discreet glances, a flustered pause now and then when Viktor gets distracted by him. Viktor is entirely too professional to let any of those distractions last more than a moment, of course, but they’re enough to make Jayce get drunk on them, on the knowledge that he’s the only thing that can make Viktor’s mind wander off track, even briefly. And that’s without him even trying.
Jayce never considered himself vain, but now he preens. There isn’t much he can do differently with his uniform - short of maybe introducing a skirt variant - so he tries something a little different with his hair, a new scent. Just to see how it will be received.
It’s not that he wasn’t confident before, but every time Viktor’s gaze lingers on him or he leans closer than is strictly necessary, he feels like he could puff his chest out and roar.
He wishes he could return the favor. His observation of Viktor’s reactions has made him notice so much in turn. It’s hard to focus on what Viktor is talking about sometimes when all he can do is watch the way his mouth moves, the way his eyes narrow, how animated his whole face is when he’s on the verge of something but can’t quite put it all together yet. Every gesture is irresistibly charming and Jayce has to put effort in controlling his own face so that he doesn’t just lean his head on his hand and look up at Viktor with stars in his eyes.
Viktor wouldn’t hear any of it, though. Compliments bounce off of him like they were meant for someone else to begin with. He doesn’t lack confidence, either; he’s just never been as needy for reassurance as Jayce is. He doesn’t want Jayce to tell him when he’s had a good idea, he just wants Jayce to help him prove he’s correct. If Jayce just told him his eyes are pretty out of nowhere, Viktor would look at him like he’s crazy and go back to work.
Or even worse, he might think Jayce doesn’t mean it. It might be easier for him to accept when they’re not at work, but when are they not at fucking work? For all the looks, Jayce has no idea if Viktor would say yes if Jayce asked him out.
That’s eating away at him, too. Viktor is into him. Jayce is sure of it. So why hasn’t he made a move?
Probably the same reason Jayce hasn’t.
He doesn’t know if Jayce would say yes.
It seems ridiculous, but it’s not like Jayce has been open about any of it, either. In a short couple of months Viktor has come to consume his every thought, but Jayce hasn’t allowed that to affect their relationship in any way. They’re still partners. Friends. Viktor had been worried the first time he made a comment about Jayce, as if he might have caused offence. He doesn’t know that that single comment flipped a switch in Jayce’s brain and there’s no switching off.
Jayce just has to figure out a way to dial it down enough so that he doesn’t scare him away when he finally finds the right moment to talk about it.
As he might have expected, there’s too much work to do to even give it much thought for a few weeks. They barely spend any time outside the lab, though there are no results to speak of. It feels like they’re finally close to something but pushing against a barrier they can’t break, and trying over and over again might drive Jayce wild.
“Let’s take a break,” he says, and Viktor removes his goggles just to glare at him. “Just five minutes, Viktor,” Jayce says, just as annoyed, and Viktor’s jaw clenches.
He doesn’t argue, though. He uses his cane as support to get out of the stool and Jayce thinks he might walk away, take a breather, but then he just leans heavily against the desk and throws his goggles to the side. The prototype behind his back, like he just needs to look at anything but that for a while. He rubs his bleary eyes as Jayce wheels the stool closer to sit in front of him.
“We just need more time,” he says, though the reassurance does nothing for him either.
“Yes,” Viktor says with a huff. “Time.” He looks around the lab and shakes his head. “How come we didn’t find each other sooner?”
The words tug at something in Jayce’s chest. “What do you mean?”
“We could be so far ahead from where we are now. But our paths never crossed.”
“Yeah,” Jayce says, voice quiet. “I wish I’d known you were here all along.” Their gazes meet for a long moment, but Jayce looks away. Definitely not the time. “I didn’t even know Heimerdinger had an assistant. Maybe he mentioned it, but I never gave it much thought.”
Viktor shrugs. “I didn’t deal with people. He handled that while I focused on research.”
“You’ve changed so much,” Jayce says, and Viktor huffs a laugh.
“I have, though,” he says. “I deal with you. So much.”
“How do you manage?”
“With tremendous effort.”
Jayce makes a show of looking crestfallen as he takes Viktor’s hand in both of his own. “How can I make it easier for you?” he asks.
He expects Viktor to play along and tell him to do something impossible, something ridiculous. To just tell him to fuck off so he can work in peace. But all Viktor does is look at him, gaze going between their clasped hands and Jayce’s eyes.
He lets go of Viktor’s hand. “I’m sorry, I–”
“Jayce,” Viktor says, and his gentle tone makes Jayce wince. He doesn’t need to hear Viktor reject him, now or ever, so he tries to get up, but before he can even turn towards the door, Viktor’s hands are on his tie and he’s pulling him closer. “Jayce,” he says again, voice lower. His gaze is fixed on Jayce’s mouth.
He tilts his chin up and leans in, but before he’s even moved an inch Jayce has already closed the distance between them, hand cupping the back of Viktor’s head so he can pull him close and press their lips together. Viktor groans and his hands slide around Jayce, fingers digging into his back. A distant voice tells him to calm down, take it slower, but then Viktor is biting his lower lip and sliding closer to the edge of the desk so more of him can be pressed to Jayce’s body.
He breaks the kiss to catch his breath, but then he can’t keep himself a way even for a moment, leaning in to press a kiss to Viktor’s neck. Viktor tilts his head to the side with a quiet moan Jayce feels under his lips. He wants to sink his teeth in.
“Fuck, Jayce,” Viktor whispers, trying to pull him even closer. His legs squeeze around Jayce’s thigh and the way he rubs up against him makes Jayce’s brain short-circuit.
“Viktor,” he whispers. “Here?”
“Well, you’re not leaving me like this, are you?” Viktor says, a whine creeping into his voice.
Like what? Jayce wants to ask, just to hear him say it, but the way he looks up at him is enough, cheeks flushed almost as deep as his lips.
“No,” Jayce says, giving him a rough kiss again. “Definitely not.”
He slides to his knees and reaches up to undo Viktor’s buttons, making him let out a soft curse. They can’t take his pants off without taking off Viktor’s brace, too, but they push them just low enough.
“Would be better with a skirt, eh?” he says with a breathless little laugh and Jayce presses a kiss to his hip as he slides down his underwear.
“Don’t even talk about that right now.”
“Too much?” Viktor teases and buries his fingers in Jayce’s hair.
Not enough, Jayce thinks, but he just groans, happy to be pulled closer so he can wrap his lips around Viktor’s cock. He’s so wet for him already and Jayce is so fucking hard, this is the worst idea they’ve ever had. If Viktor was distracting before, now Jayce won’t be able to work a single minute without thinking about this, Viktor whimpering, pushing into Jayce’s mouth and clearly wanting to spread his legs for him so he can push his tongue inside him. They make do with their restrictions and Jayce focuses on his cock, holding his hips in place so he can take him in his mouth and suck until Viktor has to bite down on his hand to keep quiet. His whole body quivers as he comes, pulsing in Jayce’s mouth, Jayce lapping him up hungrily.
“Jayce,” Viktor whines and tugs on his collar to pull him up. Jayce goes, dizzy as Viktor kisses him and groans at the taste. He undoes Jayce’s pants and takes him in his hand. “Fuck,” he whispers. He looks down, thinking for a moment, then he gently pushes Jayce a step back so he can turn around. He braces himself against the desk and looks back at Jayce, reaching for his cock again. “Like this,” he says, as Jayce slides between his thighs. “Please.”
“Fuck, Viktor.” Jayce wraps his arms around him as he fucks between his legs, the slide made easy by how wet he is. He shifts to take the weight off of Viktor’s right leg and kisses his neck. “Wanted you so much.” It was easy before with his mouth busy, but he can’t keep it in now, can’t believe he gets to do this.
“I know.” Viktor takes Jayce’s hand and Jayce doesn’t need to be guided this time, goes to rub his swollen cock. “Though I might go mad.”
Jayce just grunts, beyond words now, moving faster against him until they’re both wound up so tight that the release almost makes them collapse. He stumbles back until he’s in the stool, still holding on to Viktor so that he drops onto his lap, clutching on the arms still around him as they try to catch their breath.
Viktor shifts until he’s a fraction more comfortable and throws his head back against Jayce’s shoulder. He laughs, breathless, and Jayce can’t help but echo him, leaning in to press a kiss to Viktor’s cheek.
“Some break,” Viktor says. “You broke me.”
Jayce lifts his head. He’s about to asks if his leg is okay, but then he sees the way Viktor is smiling, his eyes half-closed.
“Told you it’d be five minutes,” he says, as if it’s not embarrassing, and Viktor covers his face with a hand as he laughs again.
“A bit more than that,” he allows. “We’ll work on it.”
“In which direction?”
“Either can be beneficial,” Viktor says, and Jayce can see it already, trying to make Viktor come as quickly as possible so they don’t get caught, trying to go as long as possible before he tips over the edge.
He can only hum against Viktor’s neck and Viktor slides a hand through Jayce’s hair again.
“We’ll conduct extensive research.”