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What was it with Piltovians and being unable to communicate?
It was a thought that went through Viktor’s head quite often. They were always communicating in secret phrases, subtle sentences you had to read between with a magnifying glass- it was weird. And then they looked at you as though you were the odd one out whenever you just came out and said what you were trying to say.
The most memorable time of this happening for Viktor was during a charity drive.
He had been put into a well fitted suit- black button up, white vest, and a signature Talis red scarf around his neck. His black slacks made his gold brace stand out, but it looked… intentional. Like a part of the outfit rather than a necessity for his mobility. Jayce had even talked him into wearing a little black eyeliner as he watched Jayce go through his own meticulous, yet subtle makeup.
(It absolutely wasn’t because Jayce waxed poetry about how it would make his eyes pop, or feeling Jayce cradle his cheek as he carefully swept the creamy makeup on his lash line. He admitted it wasn’t a bad look on him.)
To top it all off, Jayce was nowhere to be seen. Well, he was to be seen, he was just buried in a throng of people trying to rub elbows with him and shake his hand, and Viktor knew when he got home he would be covered in a miasma of scents until Viktor insisted he showered. “No outside scents in the nest.” Viktor huffed on more than one occasion.
So it wasn’t the party guest’s fault he wasn’t paying attention. They had glided over to where Viktor had been cradling a flute of champagne he had no intention of drinking. They were tall and lithe, with chestnut brown skin and inky black hair. They wore a rich blue vest with golden thread inlay in the shapes of swirling cosmos, and matching navy pants with stars at the hems. Their shirt was a crisp cream-colored button up, the same milky white as their eyes. They walked with a cane as well- different from Viktor’s, however. Not sturdy enough for their full weight, but to lightly sweep the ground in front of them as they walked.
Their cane tapped Viktor’s boot, and they paused.
“Oh, my apologies! I was trying to find a bit of empty wall space to collect myself at.” They chimed, their voice musical and lilting.
“No no, ah, no hard feelings. I’m doing the same, to be honest.” Viktore replied, moving to the side to allow them to lean against the wall behind him.
“Ah, a fellow Zaunite! To jsem si nemyslel že najdu někoho dalšího tady- odkud seš Ten přízvuk znám!” The Zaunite’s sightless eyes seemed to sparkle as they launched into their mother tongue. Viktor found himself smiling despite himself. Not that he trusted every Zaunite he came across, but… it was nice to hear his first language.
“Ach, bylo to tam na jméno trochu moc malý.”
“Jo, to znám.” They chuckled. “My name is Míša. Nice to find some pleasant company here.”
Hours floated by as they chatted- complaining about Piltover, talking about Zaunite food that would put said Piltovians in a coma, a nostalgic talk about the foods they missed from childhood. Viktor was… actually having fun.
“Oh, and- here’s my address, for letters. Assuming you’d like to meet up again outside of the Grand Hall? Perhaps something smaller- I heard there’s a lovely cafe around the corner.” Míša said, handing Viktor a small card with their house and address.
“Of course- I’ll have to see when I am free next, Jayce and I have been very busy. How would you prefer me to contact you…?”
“I have an assistant who reads my mail for me, do not worry.”
Viktor jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder, until he relaxed under its familiar warmth.
“There you are! Where were you, I’ve been trying to get out of that conversation with Lady- oh! Sorry, I didn’t see-” Jayce’s complaint with an underlying whine to it cut itself off when he realised Viktor was talking to someone.
“And that must be the voice of Counselor Talis! I was wondering when you’d come to collect your partner- do not worry, he was in good hands.” Míša purred, patting Viktor on his shoulder deftly. Their hand slipped a bit trying to find it, and ended up brushing his hand against the collar of Viktor’s coat.
“You’d be right! And, don’t worry about him, I’ve been keeping an eye on him all evening- hard not to when he’s wearing my colors.” Jayce chuckled, his own hand coming up to wrap around Viktor’s shoulders.
‘Well, I’ll be off- use some of my charm to find where Lord Mikhael is, he owes me a discussion on the planets. The daft man thinks Solar winds will influence water quality.” Míša scoffed, before waving in their direction and walking around the outside of the crowd.
“Who was that?” Jayce asked as soon as they were out of earshot.
“Hm? Oh, eh, Mx. Míša from House Fodder. A fellow Zaunite- we were simply talking about the undercity, reveling in the past. Are you ready to leave?” Viktor asked. Jayce’s arm was still around his shoulders.
“Ugh, yes. Mel finally let me leave the conversation.” Jayce sighed, walking out of the stuffy room with Viktor alongside him.
At home, Viktor thought nothing of it when Jayce pulled him to his chest the second the door shut, planting a deep kiss on his champagne-sweetened lips before he broke it off to kiss down Viktor’s neck.
“You wha- Jayce, pane bože, what has gotten into you?” Viktor half chuckled, half moaned into his partner’s ear.
“Just missed you, is all. Fuck, as much as I love this suit on you it needs to go.” Jayce purred in his ear, low and heavy in a way that made Viktor shudder.
As you could imagine, there wasn’t too much room to think for the next hour or so.
Jayce’s behavior then became… odd. Well, odd for Jayce, anyway.
Every time Viktor got dressed to go out and have conversations with Míša, Jayce insisted on seeing him off. Kissing him, brushing his wrists against his neck to fix Viktor’s hair until Viktor swatted his hands away and Jayce looked at him with something bordering on the line of a pout. His scarves that he favored seemed to practically drip Jayce’s scent- not that Viktor was complaining, he loved being able to tuck his nose into his scarves and have a little piece of his partner accompanying him on the walk to what was becoming a routinely cafe visit with Míša.
It was lovely conversation- it was nice getting to talk to someone about growing up in Zaun and making a life for themselves on Topside, how they had to carve out their life of luxury with their nails and teeth. About how the grey had taken Míša’s sight, and Viktor’s breath.
Viktor only began realizing something was wrong the next time they went to a Gala.
He had walked away from Jayce to get a drink when Caitlyn sidled next to him, about to say something before her nose wrinkled.
“Janna’s breath- did you and Jayce hookup in a closet before you got here?”
Viktor’s mouth dropped open as he took an offended step back.
“Hookup- Officer Kiramen, I’m offended you would suggest such a thing. We keep our home lives where they belong- at home.” He huffed, grabbing a napkin to mop the small splash of wine on his coat.
“Sorry, it’s just- Jayce’s scent is all over you, how do you not smell it?” Her voice dropped in volume a bit, looking at Viktor in confusion.
“I mean, I do live with him- are you feeling alright?” Viktor asked, raising an eyebrow in skepticism.
“Viktor! I thought I heard you over here!” He felt Míša’s hand brush his elbow before finding purchase on the crook of his arm. Caitlyn blinked, before her eyes darted to Jayce across the room and her mouth opened in a small ‘oh’ of realization.
“You need to talk to Jayce.” She replied cryptically, before falling into the background to continue her patrol. Viktor suppressed a groan of frustration. Did anybody in Piltover learn how to talk through their problems as children? Or were they all born with the innate ability to be as vague as possible?
Like a tick, Viktor’s brain latched onto it, however. His eyes kept wandering to Mel and Jayce where they were standing and talking to investors, and more than once he noticed Jayce glowering at the two of them before he noticed Viktor looking and gave him a bright smile.
The scenting, the pouting, the weird distance… Maybe they were more intertwined than Viktor thought. He tried to put it out of his mind, to focus on the present and to enjoy his conversations with Míša- truly, they had become a lifeline in these events.
But he couldn’t help but watch Jayce with a keener eye. The way he looked distracted, multiple times Mel had to put a hand on his elbow or tap his side when it was his turn to talk. Perhaps they would need to have a conversation after all…
When they got home, Viktor stepped back from the embrace he knew was coming. Ignoring the expression Jayce had of a kicked puppy, he firmly stood his ground.
“What has gotten into you lately? I do not mind when you scent me, but I just had Caitlyn ask me if we hooked up in a closet before we arrived from how strongly I smelled of you, and then vaguely made a comment about talking to you.”
Jayce froze, hands still frozen half reaching for him.
“I- We, I mean- it’s nothing, I just like scenting you-”
“Jayce Talis, I will lock the two of us in this apartment until you tell me what in Janna’s name is going on with you.” Viktor growled, irritation mounting at Jayce’s floundering- as though they hadn’t been partners for years, seeing each other’s lowest moments and highest peaks.
Jayce stayed quiet a moment, mind turning as he tried to figure out what to say.
Viktor heaved a sigh.
“Is this a Piltovian thing, hm? Never speak your mind to the person who needs to hear it?”
“Viktor-”
“You know, in Zaun we would have just beaten the shit out of each other, much simpler-”
“Viiiik-” Jayce whined, running his hands through his hair agitatedly.
“Just say it-”
“I’m jealous! Ok, I’m jealous because you come back from hanging out with Míša, and their scent is all over you! And I- I can’t control who you go out with, you’re a full grown alpha for fuck’s sake, but you both are from the undercity, and you both have so much in common and I just- they’re flirting with you! Everyone in Piltover can see it, and I’m stuck at galas with everyone watching Míša put their hands all over you and you doing nothing!” Jayce exploded, pacing back and forth minutely until his tirade ended.
Viktor stared at him blankly for a long, tense moment, cogs turning in his brain.
Jayce sighed, putting a hand on his face.
“Viktor, I-”
“One moment, I’m just translating Zaunite swears into Piltovian.”
“Vik-”
“Ty hlupáku! You think I would shamelessly flirt and flaunt around town with another person? They are blind, Jayce, of course they are touching me, they can’t fucking see!” Viktor could see Jayce’s shoulders curl in on themselves, looking away from him as he tried to hammer his point into his thick skull. An unconscious bearing of his soft throat.
Viktr had more he wanted to say, locked and loaded behind his tongue, but instead he swallowed it and began walking to the living room.
“Come here.”
Jayce watched in confusion as Viktor sat on the big, plush sofa they had in the tiny space they called their living room.
“Wha-”
“Come here.” He said again, lowly, feeling a subvocal growl creep into his tone. Jayce padded over cautiously, pausing before Viktor waved him closer and pulled him into his arms to lay on top of him. Jayce gladly took the opportunity to tuck his face into Viktor’s neck, hiding his face from those piercing, amber eyes.
Viktor’s chest rose and fell with a sigh.
“I shouldn’t… have called you stupid.”
“Wait, you called me stupid?-”
“Not important, Jayce, just listen. You were upset at the perceived situation, and insecure. That was not fair of me.” Viktor started, painstakingly slow, making sure his words were coming off as crystal clear as possible.
“It’s nothing-”
“It’s not nothing if it upsets you. Just because my intentions weren’t to make you upset does not mean my actions did not upset you.” Viktor interrupted him, bringing his wrist up to rub against Jayce’s neck. Scenting him, hoping their mixed scents would help him settle.
Jayce fell silent, basking in the feeling.
“I’m sorry I made you feel unsure of our relationship. And that I did not notice that Míša was crossing boundaries- I am not used to being lusted after, and I do not notice when people, eh, try to capture my attention. But if you never bring these things to my attention when I do not notice, then how can I explain myself or the situation?” Viktor asked genty, willing his tone and scent to be soft and reassuring.
“... I didn’t want to overreact. I knew you wouldn’t go off with them, I did! I just- their scent was in our home, and I didn’t want it in our nest, or the one space that’s just for us.” Jayce sighed, squeezing his arms around Viktor’s waist.
Viktor cupped Jayce’s face in his hands, bringing his face up from Viktor’s neck and making him look at him.
“I only have eyes for you, and I will only ever have eyes for you, Jayce. I can promise you that.”
Viktor could practically feel the glow of blush that overtook Jayce’s face at the earnest confession. Viktor craned his neck to kiss Jayce, sweetly and softly, feeling Jayce sigh against him and tilt his head into it.
When they pulled away, Jayce yelped as Viktor pinched his cheek.
“And if you do not talk to me, then I will swap your coffee grounds for decaf.” Viktor said sweetly, his gentle smile contrasting the very real threat behind his words.
“Okay, Okay, I will! Don’t even joke about that, damn-” Jayce gripped Viktor’s wrists as Viktor snorted at him.
Jayce nuzzled Viktor’s hand and pressed kisses to them, resting his head on Viktor’s chest.