I write fics for ships that make me feel too much. Whether or not they're good isn't my problem. I am not a proshipper and I donât like proship content. I believe in human rights and equality, like in a âfood and housing should be freeâ kinda way (24yrs) @Dabi_devito on twitter K3nzi3Korn on ao3
18+ explicit sexual content ahead, minors/ageless accounts DNI
Pairing: Jayvik
Word Count: 5,270
âWhat is it V?â He could feel Jayceâs breath on his cunt, sending shivers up his spine as his partner blew cool over his dick. âYou canât be tapping out already? We usually get you to at least five before a gameâŠweâre not even halfway there.â
OR Rugby captain Jayce is superstitious and has a pregame routine for good luck, involving fucking one Viktor Novak in his letterman jacket.
includes: mole worship, top Jayce, bottom Viktor, service top jayce, but their switches, jayce just tops in this fic, t4t, trans Viktor, trans Jayce, Jayce calls Viktor baby 2 times, pillow humping, hexstrap, strap-on, inappropriate use of hextech, anal fingering, vaginal fingering, vaginal sex, oral sex, possessive sex, squirting, multiple orgasms, does this count as marathon sex?, marathon sex, cum marking, dacryphilia, dirty talk
Terms used for anatomy: cunt, cock, dick, folds, lower lips
A/N: I saw some art, couldn't get this out of my head, and wrote my first smut fic about it.
This was inspired by art by tetsarou on twitter bc OMG it was SO good!
Viktor used to scoff and roll his eyes at people who claimed college had been the âbest years of their lives,â and why wouldnât he? In his first few years he had some amazing memories, sure, but if those had been the best years of his lifeâŠwell he thought his life would have to be pretty disappointing.Â
And then he met Jayce Talis.
Jayce, who had been placed on both academic and extracurricular probation due to blowing up a lab in his early years, attempting to develop the early stages of what they now fondly call âHextech.â It just so happened that their academic advisor had thought it would be best to put him under the careful and watchful eyes of his teaching aid, one Viktor Novak, who had been in his last year of undergrad at the time.
Viktor had been vehemently against it at first, with his heavy workload he insisted had no time to look after this muscle head his advisor had saddled him with.Â
That thought didnât last long of course, the moment Viktor had looked over the many pages of work that Heimerdinger had confiscated he was met with one simple fact; Jayce Talis was a genius. The research he had been working on was groundbreaking, it was inspiring, and it had the potential to help millions of people all over the world if he played his cards right. He hadnât done that, of course, however that night Viktor had set his mind to nudging him in the right direction.Â
Over the remainder of the year they had set to developing Hextech as their endgame, not just academically, but for as long as they could tolerate each otherâs presence. What had started out as a mere dream to Jayce, had transformed both of their lives dramatically. They had gone from strangers to friends to roommates and eventually partners, in every sense of the word.
It took them an embarrassing amount of time, and yearning on both ends, before Jinx had finally developed a scheme to get them to kiss during a drunk game of spin the bottle a few years ago. Jinx had been in one of the classes Viktor assisted with during the first year of his masters degree, and had formed an attachment to him. With her older sister being involved with Jayceâs friend Caitlyn, they had become good friends outside of the standard academic setting as well.
The kiss had been breathtaking. Years of longing and desire poured into a drunk kiss in the middle of Viâs living room at 3am, they had received a chorus of booâs and joking statements from their friends before they had pulled apart, becoming aware of the setting they were in. The walk home had been tense, as had the days that followed, but after a week they had had a very long and heartfelt talk about their feelings.Â
They had been best friends, both yearning for nearly their entire friendship, they trusted each other wholly and completely. Jayce had finally found someone who believed in his wild dreams, and Viktor a match for his academic skills, specifically one that respected him. They thought each other equals in every way.Â
It has now been just over two years and they were in their last years of their masters programs. Everything was going perfect for them.
That includes Jayceâs sports career.Â
Aside from their shared dream Jayce was also the captain of the school's rugby team, making for a very heavy load for him this time of year. Balancing practice, their dream, academics, and their relationship was no easy task, especially given howâŠcodependent they had become.Â
As captain Jayce had to be at every practice, every game, no exceptions. This also meant Viktor had to be in the bleachers for nearly every practice and EVERY game, no exceptions. None of this was new to them, Viktor had been coming to these events to support Jayce since he had been able to rejoin the rugby team the sports season after he blew up the lab. At first Viktor had gone to stealthily ogle at the beautiful men on the team, Jayce included of course, but eventually it had turned into just ogling Jayce.Â
Jayce and his big beautiful muscles, his usually perfect hair messy from all the physical exertion, the way the sweat dripped down his face and body in the most intoxicating ways. He was a wet dream waiting to happen (and it had, eventually, happened).
When they had started having sex it was like a new door had been unlocked for the both of them. It was like Viktor had awoken parts of him he never knew existed, new kinks heâd never thought he had. Viktor had realized quickly that even things heâd previously thought he disliked were the hottest thing on earth when done by his beautiful hunk of a boyfriend.
That included his rather unorthodox superstitions, because of course Jayce had to be superstitious. Viktor didnât believe in things like âgood luck charms,â could never get behind the weird things Jayce did before games or before a big presentation that the man swore up and down were the keys to his success. He tolerated them of course, helped his partner with them since he knew how much they meant to him, but he never truly believed they had any merit to them.
They werenât all bad of course. One in particular had its perks.
Last year Jayce had somehow gotten it into his head that the key to the teamâs success fell directly on Viktors shouldersâŠor rather between his legs. Somehow they had fucked before all but two of the rugby playerâs games last season, and somehow those had been the only two the team lost. This had of course lead Jayce to the conclusion that he just had to fuck him before every game, and not just a quick fuck; that wouldnât fulfill Jayceâs people pleasing tendencies.
That brings us to the present, where Jayce is performing his pregame ritual of making Viktor cum as many times as they can fit into their schedule before he has to head out. All while making Viktor wear his letterman jacket, the one with the name TALIS printed in big bold letters across the back.Â
Vikto had already cum twice today on Jayceâs beautifully long and dangerous fingers. He was currently on his back with his legs hiked up over the otherâs shoulders as Jayce buried his head between Viktorâs legs.Â
âFuckâŠJayce please- â Viktor moaned out, one hand gripping his partnerâs hair and the other thrown over his face in an attempt to hide the pretty blush that had bloomed there.
He felt Jayce hum at him in response, his mouth suctioned around his cock in an oh so perfect way. Jayce pulled off of Viktor with a loud and wet pop, quickly replacing his mouth with one of his thumbs, and Viktor whined at the feeling of spit sticking to the skin between his legs.
âWhat is it V?â He could feel Jayceâs breath on his cunt, sending shivers up his spine as his partner blew cool over his dick. âYou canât be tapping out already? We usually get you to at least five before a gameâŠweâre not even halfway there.â His words came out like he was pouting, and when the pale man raised his arm up to peek down at his partner he found he was right. The man was pouting at him.
Viktor scoffed at him, scrunching his eyebrows together in indignation.
âI am not tapping out Jayce! I am just getting impatient! â Viktor said from his place on the bed.Â
âOh?â Jayce raised a thick eyebrow at that, curiosity blanketing the deep rumble of his voice. âYou wanna cum again that badly V?â A smirk overtook his tanned face as he let his thumb and pointer finger flick along his partnerâs dick, sending a jolt through the olderâs body.Â
Viktor threw his head back against the pillows at the fingers inside him sped up their motions, hitting that pleasurable spot inside of him at just the right angle.
âI wouldnât want to disappointâŠlet me make it up to you.â Jayce disappeared back between the otherâs legs, placing a sloppy kiss to a mark heâd left in the inside of his left thigh, coincidentally right on a mole. He pulled his fingers out with a wet squelch, pulling a disapproving whimper from Viktor, before quickly replacing them with his tongue.
Viktorâs eyes shot open wide at the new feeling, the hand not in Jayceâs hair gripping the bed sheets below him as his hips rocked up into the otherâs touch.Â
â AghâŠÂ Jay- Jayce oh gods-â He cut himself off with a choked moan, his partnerâs fingers working over his cock faster and faster as he approached his peak.
He could quite literally feel his partner smirk and chuckle against his cunt as he retracted his tongue and pressed a kiss to his hole, quickly reinserting his fingers. His mouth didnât stay unoccupied for long of course, coming back up to replace his fingers as he licked and sucked along his cock, pulling breathy moans and gasps from the beautiful man below him.
âIâm gon- gonna cum-!â Viktor went rigid as he felt fluid gush out of him, hearing it splatter across Jayceâs face, arms, and chest as he bucked his hips up into the otherâs mouth, now working overtime to prolong his orgasm.
When he finally came down Viktor let out a low whine at the sensation of Jayceâs fingers dragging out of him, at the feeling of his hole fluttering around nothing, now empty and gaping.
Jayce gave a light hum as he let his eyes rake up over Viktorâs body, licking the cum off his fingers as his gaze lingered on the two scars peeking out from under his jacket before letting them trail up to look directly into the hazel eyes of his partner.Â
He thought Viktor looked so good like this, breathless and satisfied, in nothing but his jacket and compression brace. He felt a gush of slick wet his own thighs as he sat up on his knees.
âCan you turn over for me Vik? Lay on your stomach and spread your legs open for me?â
Jayce watched his partner nod, a knowing look coming over his face as he not so gracefully flipped over and adjusted himself onto the pillow below him, propping himself up on his elbows for the time being. Viktor looked over his shoulder with a smirk on his face.
âLike what you see, Talis?â
Viktor knew what he looked like, dripping and flushed from head to toe, and he especially knew how riled up it got his lover to see him like this with his last name printed across his back like a brand. He spread his legs apart ever so slightly, in a teasing way, and was met with a deep groan of appreciation from behind him.
Viktor gasped as he felt a thumb move from his dick, through his folds, and make its way up to his puckered asshole, rubbing gentle circles there as another hand groped at his ass, kneading the cheek in its palm. Appreciative kisses were placed on what he knew were moles on his thighs.
âYouâre gonna ruin me Vik,â it was muffled from Jayceâs face being pressed against the skin of his legs. âProbably already have. Do you have any idea how good you look with my name on you like that?â
âOh I have a thought or two.â Viktorâs eyes had shut at some point, the sensations overwhelming his already too sensitive body, âYouâve told me every time I wear this exactly what it does to you, how it makes you feel. Even if you didnât Iâd be able to tell by the way you canât keep your hands off of me, hm?âÂ
âHow can you expect me to keep my hands to myself when I have the most perfect person in existence with my name draped across him?â Jayceâs head came up from where he was placing kisses against his partnerâs legs, he sat back up before moving the hand down to stroke over Viktorâs slick lower lips.Â
Viktorâs head fell forward with a breathy gasp into his arms, broken whimpers tearing from his mouth as he lost himself in the feeling of both his holes being stimulated.
âSo perfect for me Vik, taking my fingers so well.â Jayce pushed the tip of his thumb into the ring of muscle it had been circling, eliciting a whine from the older man. âYou gonna come again for me baby? Weâre nowhere near your record, Iâm sure you can give me another.â he was met with a breathy keens in response.
âGive me your fingers again, I need them Jayce.â Viktor meant it to be stern, but it came out much more wrecked than he meant it to, who could blame him though?Â
âCan you ask nicely for them? That sounded an awful lot like a demand V.â Jayce said in a playful tone. He kept moving his thumb in and out of Viktorâs rim with shallow thrusts, his other hand just moving back and forth over his cock in slow, teasing strokes.
Viktor growled in annoyance at the request, he hated when Jayce did this, made him beg for what he knew they both craved just as bad as the other.
âOr you could just do as I say and fuck me with your fingers.â Viktor shifted his hips up ever so slightly and felt the way the fabric of the jacket just barely slid up his back at the motion. Jayceâs fingers all but completely retracted and he all but sobbed at the near complete loss of contact from his lover. âNo, wait-â
âAsk nicely V.â Jayce scolded gently. âIâll make you cum so good Viktor, but you gotta ask for it. Can you do that for me, ask me to make you cum on my fingers again?â
Viktor could feel the tears leak from the corners of his eyes as he pressed his lips into a thin line, thinking over his options. He knew he could make Jayce give him what he wanted, but it may take longer than heâs willing to hold out for. He wanted to cum again so bad , and he wasnât sure it would be worth it to brat his way into this one.
With a defeated sigh Viktor let his forehead press to his forearms and let out a small âPlease.â
All he earned in response was an inquisitive hum, and the complete removal of the hand on his cock. He knew heâd have to try harder to get what he wanted. He let out an exasperated sigh and squeezed his eyes shut.
âPlease make me cum Jayce, please give me your fingers, let me cum on them again, I want it so bad- eUGHâ Viktor was cut off by the feeling of two long thick fingers pushing into his dripping cunt, and one beautifully thick thumb pushing all the way past the rim of his ass. He felt impossibly full.
Behind him he could hear Jayce shuffling against something, could hear fabric moving against fabric, but he couldn't find it in himself to care about it with how quickly he was approaching his next orgasm. He could tell Jayce was enjoying himself too, and as if the man could read his mind he decided to let Viktor know just how much he appreciated the view, words all coming out rough and dripping with lust.
âThere you go V, was that so hard? You sound so good when you beg for me, all whiny and out of breath.â Viktor was practically shaking as he let his upper body fully drop onto his arms beneath him. âSo good for me Vik, always so good for me. Look at youâŠfuck, Viktor. All spread open on my fingers, dripping onto the bed, with my fucking name written on your back- â
Viktor can feel himself tighten around Jayceâs fingers as he lets out another absolutely wrecked moan, the digits inside him hitting that perfect spot over and over again.
He heard a choked off groan from behind him and felt Jayceâs fingers stutter inside him for a few moments, causing Viktor to let out an indignant cry as he quickly fell back down from the peak he had just barely been headed over. He canted his hips back towards his partner and all but sobbed in relief when both of Jayceâs hands resumed their ministrations at what seemed like double the pace.
âOh V, did I ruin your orgasm? Iâm sorry.â Viktor could tell by the lilt in his voice that Jayce was most certainly not sorry in the slightest, but he really couldnât bring himself to care when the man was speedrunning making him cum again. Every movement was intentional, poised exactly in the ways Jayce had learned he loved over the years, and it didnât even take a minute before he was crashing over the edge, entering into his fourth orgasm of the night.
Viktor practically screamed as waves of pleasure overtook his body, every nerve he had being lit up in an almost painful way with how Jayce continued to finger him through it all. His arms grasped for hold on the sheets in a desperate attempt to ground himself until he went limp on the mattress, using the last bit of strength he had to bat away the offending hands between his legs.
âYou are incorrigible, absolutely insatiable.â Viktor joked over his shoulder as he turned his head just enough to get a glimpse of the man behind him, and in return was greeted by a sight that made his mouth go completely dry.
Jayce was there, flushed and sweaty as expected, licking his fingers clean like Viktorâs cum was some kind of delicacy. The part that sent a flood of heat through him however, was the pillow he had just noticed lodged between his loverâs legs, a wet patch visible right at the apex of his thighs.
Viktorâs eyes went wide and he let his tongue out to wet his lips as he felt himself clench around nothing, excess fluid dripping out of him. He inhaled shakily as he let his gaze meet his partnerâs, the man in question still licking his spend off of his now almost completely clean hand.
Jayce let out a chuckle and blushed at the new attention, climbing off the pillow and tossing it off to somewhere else on their bed. He leant his body over his partnerâs and pressed kisses over his back moles while his hands glided over Viktorâs sides.
âI hope you can forgive me for making you wait a little extra for that one, I just couldnât help myselfâŠâ Viktor felt dizzy with all the new knowledge. It was nothing new for his partner to cum from giving him pleasure, in fact heâd done it on their very first night together. The pillow was new though, in their years together heâd never seen Jayce hump a pillow before, and the sight had unfortunately reignited the fire he had just barely been able to stamp out.Â
Viktor let out another whine when Jayce pulled down his jacket to suck a hickey onto one of the moles that dotted over his shoulder blade.
âYou want one more? I really wanna give you another, just one more please Viktor.â The paler man let out a breathy chuckle at the pleas, pretending to contemplate his answer.
âHm Iâm not sure Jayce, I think your team can win just fine with four.â
âBut we always play best when I give you at least five! I havenât even gotten my dick in you yetâŠâ Jayce finished his sentence with a whine, his hips grinding down against Viktorâs.
Viktor let out a full laugh at that, an eye he hadnât meant to close opening back up to find the drawer where they kept all their toys.
âWellâŠâ Viktor let one hand move down to cover Jayceâs larger one on his hips, âsince youâre asking so nicely for me, I guess I can somehow manage one more for youâŠfor the team .â Viktor let his own hips rock back into Jayceâs, just enough to have the other whimpering into his neck where he had started to suck another bruise.
âOh thank you baby, Iâll make you feel so good, I promise.â
âYou always doâŠnow please hurry up Talis, I am starting to feel quite, eh...empty without you.â
He felt the way Jayce frantically nodded against his back before retreating to get his strap from their toy collection. Jayce had always been good at following directions, moving with a clear sense of urgency as he put on the harness and took out a bright blue silicone toy and the small box they kept to house the hex shard it was powered with.
The dildo had three parts, two bases that were interchangeable for different activities, one that could suction onto any surface and the other for occasions like this, to provide stimulation to the wearer of it while they were fucking one another. The third part was the dildo itself, around 8 inches in length and about as thick as the smallest part of Jayceâs wrist. Veins decorated the phallic object to give a more realistic feel to it.Â
Jayce placed the hexshard into its compartment at the base of the dildo before attaching the stimulation end over top of it, watching for a moment as the whole thing activated and lit up.Â
Viktor bit his lip as he watched his partner come back over to him, eyebrows furrowed together as he took in how gorgeous his boyfriend looked.
Jayce took notice of this, of course he did, and a grin broke out on his face as his hand moved down between his legs, giving himself a few strokes. He stopped in front of Viktor, just close enough that if Viktor really wanted to he could lift himself up to take him in his mouth.
âI take it you like what you see?â
âI swear to the GODS Talis if you do not get in me right now-â Â
Jayce cut him off with a beautiful laugh as he gave himself a few more strokes and climbed onto the bed behind him. Taking Viktorâs thighs in each hand, he spread them apart just enough to slot himself between them. He took a moment to locate the pillow heâd previously discarded to place it under Viktorâs hips, using another one to add some extra cushion under his bad knee.
When Jayceâs hands disappeared Viktor couldnât even voice his displeasure before he felt the head of Jayceâs dick sliding through his folds. He let out a choked off moan as he felt a hand come to rest on his lower back, teasingly moving up and down over the exposed skin as Jayce pushed the jacket up. He let out a strangled gasp as another set of fingers dipped into him to collect some of the excess fluid, no doubt to help lubricate the monster that was currently situated between Jayceâs legs.
â Fuck Iâll never get tired of seeing you like thisâŠall fucked out and needy for meâŠâ
Viktor felt a pressure at his entrance and took a shaky breath as the head pushed in. Jayce continued to babble behind him, Viktor was pretty sure he wasnât even aware he was still talking.
âLove seeing you in my clothesâŠmy house colorsâŠyou look so good in red and gold sweetheart, wanna wrap you in it.â Jayce continued to slowly fill him up as he talked, and Viktor could barely listen. All of his attention was being stolen as he was split open on his partner, on the slight pain that was mixing in with the pleasure in just the way he liked. â-name looks so fucking good on you Viktor. âÂ
Jayce bottomed out as he said his loverâs name, pushing a moan out of the man below him. He stayed there for a few seconds, just watching where their hips met, before rocking his hips. He didnât pull out, not yet, just stayed seated how he was and pushed himself deeper into his partner.Â
Viktor was losing his mind from it, it was simultaneously too much and not enough, being stuffed so full while also craving more.Â
âJayce please move , I need you to fuck me . â
âIn just a secâŠâ Jayce sounded absolutely breathless, âlemme just-âÂ
Viktor feels hands on either side of his hips lock him into a bruising grip before a pair of thumbs was spreading his cheeks apart. Even after the afternoon theyâd shared, Viktor couldnât help the blush that crept up his face at the feeling of being so exposed. Of course that didnât stop him from unconsciously clenching and unclenching at how much he liked it.
âThere we go, now I can see all of you.â
âJayce Talis, must we go through this every- oh!â Viktor was interrupted when Jayce finally decided to move, pulling nearly all the way out and thrusting back in like his life depended on it.Â
Jayce set a relaxed pace, choosing to focus more on the force of his thrusts, every one making moans spill from Viktorâs mouth. His hands were the only thing keeping Viktor from being fucked into the headboard, pressing his hips down into the pillow beneath him so that he couldnât even move if he wanted to.
Viktor wailed as the head of the dildo brushed across that oh so perfect spot inside of him and felt the hands grow impossibly tighter around him as his partner started aiming to stimulate it with every thrust. His fifth orgasm of the night was quickly approaching, the pressure building in his gut increasing as more filthy words of praise made their way past Jayceâs lips.
âNever get use to this sight- hah, you stuffed full like this, dripping wet for me- oh fuck.â Jayce sped up his thrusts, letting one of his hands leave Viktorâs ass to catch himself as he let his upper body fall forward, he was close enough now that Viktor could feel his body heat, could feel his hot breath on his neck as he panted over him.
Viktor let out a high pitched whimper at the change in position, using the little strength he had to turn his upper body just enough to make eye contact with Jayce. Desperate pants fell from Viktorâs mouth as he took in how hot he looked. His hair had started to stick to his forehead, his lips were kiss swollen and parts of his lower face were still shiny from when he had made him squirt. Jayce never wiped his face off after going down on him during these sessions, said he liked being covered in Viktorâs cum. The first time heâd said that it had triggered another three rounds, making him almost an hour late for team warmups, and just barely giving him enough time to properly prepare for the match (they won by a landslide).
The thought alone triggers another rush of fluids from his body and he sees the way Jayceâs eyes snap down to his cunt, his eyes darkening and a grin spreading over his face as he no doubt notices the added wetness.
âThat feel good Vik? God youâre so worked up today, so needy for meâŠyou like being reminded youâre mine?â Viktor squeezed his eyes shut and let out a shaky breath he hadnât even realized he was holding. âHey none of that,â the hand Jayce had previously been using to support himself gripped onto Viktorâs Jaw, âopen your eyes for me VikâŠthatâs it.â (damn)
Viktor forced his eyes open to stare back into Jayceâs molten gold ones.
âLook so good, mmh , when you cry V.â
Was he crying again? Viktor let one of his hands come up to touch his cheek, and sure enough, his fingers came back wet.
âCanât help it, Oh! Feels so good Jayce- fu- oh fuck.â He sounded wrecked, completely and totally wrecked. Viktorâs words were slurring together and he couldnât keep the high pitched whine from slipping past his lips as the finger circling his ass pushed back in.
âC-closeâŠÂ Iâm so close- Jayce!â Â
âI know Viktor, let go for me. Want you to hah cum on me. You sound so pretty when you cum Vik.â Jayce finished his sentence off with a sharp bite to his partnerâs shoulder and Viktor came on the spot.
Everything went white and Viktor felt himself shake with the force of his orgasm. A broken scream tore its way out of him as fluid sprayed out of him onto Jayceâs thighs and lower body, completely soaking the sheets, exceedingly wet squelching being heard from the new addition of fluid between their bodies.Â
And then Viktor went limp on the bed as the world around him went dark. Everything felt fuzzy; his mind, his body, just everything. Where was he? Wasnât Jayce here just a second ago?
â-iktor? Come back to me V.âÂ
Viktorâs eyes blinked open, when he shut them he didnât know, and he took a moment to take in his surroundings. He was on his back now, with a hand combing through his hair and one massaging out the knot he knew was forming in his thigh.
âHey thereâŠwelcome back.â
âMmhâŠdid I pass out?â One of Viktorâs hands came up to rub the dried tears from his face.
âYou did, but you squirted again first.â Jayce said it with a proud grin on his face. âI already got you all cleaned upâŠwell mostly. I couldnât change the sheets with you on them.â
Viktor hummed in acknowledgement as he finally felt the dampness of the fabric below him.Â
âThank you Jayce, I appreciate itâŠdid you..?â The question didnât need to be finished, Jayce knew what he was asking, and it was clear based on the dusting of pink that covered his tan cheeks.
âUh yeahâŠhehâŠâ The hand that Jayce had previously been combing through Viktorâs hair came up to scratch the back of his own neck, âI came, like right after you did actually. You underestimate how much I like getting you off.â
Viktor let out a tired chuckle at his partnerâs shyness and moved to stretch out his spine, wincing at the pops it let out.
âWell,â he made a move to sit up on his elbows, âthen I do hope this concludes your pregame ritual, no? You have everything in order to play to your highest capabilities and win without a shadow of a doubt.â
Jayce stared down at him lovingly, leaning in only to place a gentle kiss against the side of his head.
âI do yeah, all thanks to my absolutely perfect good luck charm.â
âYes, well your good luck charm will be showering now, and you should throw this jacket in the wash. It reeks.â
Jayce lets out a laugh as Viktor shrugs off the clothing and lets it fall to the bed with a soft thud. The two make their way off the bed, locating Viktorâs cane and moving on to their respective pre-game/post-sex activities, knowing they will see each other again soon enough when Viktor arrives to watch Jayce reep the rewards of their coitus in the form of a landslide win.
A/N: I plan to write a part of this set years in the future where Jayce is disabled, they're married, etc. It's in my head already, but don't expect it soon bc I'm busy af. If there's anything about this fic yall have genuine criticisms of please feel free to let me know, I'm willing to listen if I accidently wrote something weird or missed any tags! Hope yall enjoy otherwise bc I was SO nervous to post this. BIG thank you to all my moots and friends who encouraged me with this, and hyped me up for it!! Specifically justmĂĂny on twitter for editing it and finding several places I forgot to capitalize letters!!
Summary: super short post-canon Jayvik fluff based on what Harry Lloyd said in the Q&A today about them living happily in a cabin in the woods.
Can be read as a stand alone or as a continuation of Real or Not Real.
word count: 1,472
A/N: I know it's not the actor's au but the writers block has been going crazy recently, it's in the works though!
The sun was shining through the windows, bright light flooding Viktor and Jayce as they lay in bed in their little cabin. It wasnât much, but then again they didnât need much anymore. They had a small kitchen by the front door, and a little table for then they decided to make food. They didnât have any of their previous bodily needs anymore; eating, using the bathroom, they were all just things of the past. They had a bathroom for cleaning themselves of course, having a simple sink and shower. There was a large cat tree by the couch, a wall of all their favorite books, ones from their own reality as well as recommendations theyâd gotten in other ones. Their bed was large, situated on the farthest wall of the two room cabin, and surrounded by nightstands on either side to hold their respective braces when they slept.Â
They still had their disabilities, though they hadnât shown up for quite some time, and neither was sure exactly how it all worked. How they could not have bodily functions but still having their physical issues. That was a discovery for a later date though, at least it became one once they figured out there was no danger of further injury or death.
It was decidedly a lazy day for them, the arcane had made the decision to leave them be it seemed and they would never turn down the chance to bask in the calm of their little pocket dimension.Â
When the rune had exploded they had both thought themselves dead, and it had been a long process for them to come to terms with two very daunting truths.Â
One, they werenât gone, at least not their souls. They had initially floated in the nothingness theyâd first been spat out in, and through time and effort theyâd been able to figure out a way to spawn all this. Theyâd created a little world for themselves, a forest, with a waterfall, a little stream, meadows, even a forge and lab to tinker in during times like this. The limits of their physical location and surroundings were about as open and endless as the realm itself. They could be whoever they wanted, whatever they wanted.
That brings us to the second truth theyâd had to come to terms with.
They were in love.
When they had first materialized they had just held each other, too afraid they would disappear, that they would drift apart and wouldnât be able to get back to the other. Then they had talked. It was a conversation that at the time felt like far too much too fast. They had barely accepted that they were still conscious, nevermind together, and yet they still needed closure. Needed to be sure, finally certain, that their feeling had been requited.Â
After that theyâd held each other just to be held. Just to love like they hadnât been able to in life.
âComing back to me anytime soon?â Jayceâs voice broke Viktorâs train of thought and he turned his head to face his partner.
âJust reminiscing, that's all.âÂ
Viktor was on his back, one arm laid across his stomach and the other bent up to hold Jayceâs hand, the arm of which was tucked under his pillow. Jayce was beside him, of course, turned on his side with his other hand tracing patterns along Viktorâs face and neck, absently tracing over the moles there.
ââBout what?â
Viktor thought for a moment, his eyes holding the beautiful golden ones on the face in front of him.
âYou love meâŠreal or not real?â
A look of recognition crossed his lover's face and a soft smile melted over his face. They had done this when they were first spat out, and many times since when the nightmares and flashbacks got to be too much. The hand tracing over him came to a stop, moving to cup Viktorâs cheek.
âReal. Always real.â They stayed like that a moment before Jayce continued, he always felt the need to when Viktor asked that question. âThereâs not a version of me out there that doesnât love you, youâve seen it firsthand.â
This was true, of course. The arcane made sure of that. When it chose to, it would scoop them up and spit them out in some random dimension, with new versions of themselves each time.Â
In one they were nemeses, Viktor having gone the machine route instead of the magic route when his body had started to fail him. In this universe heâd augmented himself almost entirely, being made of mostly wires and cogs, leaving only small bits of flesh on his face and mid-section area. Jayce held the title âDefender of Tomorrowâ here, and unfortunately he was defending their tomorrow from Viktor.
But they still loved each other.Â
In another, Viktor had been executed, having made a deal with death to come back from the afterlife. This Jayce opposed him as well, fighting him constantly in the hopes he would not be able to enact his version of the âGlorious Evolution.â
And yet they still loved each other.
In one they werenât working as scientists at all, werenât even in Runeterra, in this universe they were all actors on a show! They went by new names, acting out the events that had happened in their home timeline, all while dealing with their own complex lives.
When they had been dropped in this dimension, these versions of them had already been together for months it seemed.
His favorites, of course, were the versions that were justâŠthem.Â
The timelines and realities where they had met under different circumstances at the academy, where they had figured it all out sooner, ones where Jayce was expelled, where Viktor hadnât been in the explosion, where they hadnât been completely and utterly oblivious.
Where they got to love each other in peace, in life.
âIâll always love you VâŠIâm meant to.â Jayce leaned in to plant a kiss on Viktorâs upper lip, on Jayceâs favorite mole. He spoke again when he pulled back. âMy turn, yeah?â
Viktor let out a soft chuckle and rolled his eyes.
âYes, I suppose I will let you go next.â He focused back on Jayce, noticing the teasing look that had overtaken him.
âYou would still choose me, if we could go back and do it all again. Real, or not realâ
Viktor let softness overtake his eyes, emotions welling up in his chest, threatening to burst out of it.Â
âReal. I believe I said it best in fact,â he cleared his throat for dramatic effect before continuing,ââŠin all timeline, in all possibilitiesâŠonly you Jayce. Only you can make me understandâŠthe beauty in everything. AndâŠjust so you know, I like to know that thereâs at least one universe in which we get to fight about normal things like taxes and you not taking the chicken out of the freezer.â He snorted to himself at the last part as he watched Jayce sigh and roll over onto his own back. The hand that had been on Viktorâs face pulled back to pinch the bridge of Jayceâs nose in annoyance
âI knew youâd bring that up- that wasnât even my fault! That Jayce got distracted!â
âYes, distracted fucking his Viktor, who Iâm sure would have been willing to break for you to defrost the chicken.â Viktor sat up onto his elbows now, turning to face the other, that same fond smile growing. âMy point, Jayce,â Viktor pulled Jayceâs hand off his face, holding over the otherâs warm scarred chest, âis that I like to know we arenât always doomed. That somewhere out there we got it right on our own, without interference fromâŠus.â
Jayce let his eyes find Viktorâs again.
They were both pulled from their thoughts as they felt a being hop up onto the bed with them, letting out a soft meow at the lack of attention.
âWhy hello there Blitzcrank, are you here for chin scratches?â Jayce said as he moved their shared hands to pet over the cat.
Theyâd figured out along the way that they could create beings in this pocket dimension of theirs. Blitz had been their first, an accident really, but soon after came Rio, and then Amaranthine. They kept them company when they were here, and they kept each other company when they werenât. They didnât need to be fed so they were the perfect pets for a couple of traveling souls like themselves. âI believe that is our sign that itâs time to be productive.â Viktor sat all the way up, stretching out as he did so and letting a pop echo from his spine. âI would like to go study cells while I can, and you have been complaining all week about no forge time. Get to it pretty boy.â
A/N: after this they do create a robot Blitzcrank, their fourth child, and name him âBlitzcrank IIâ
Jayvik actor au- Flowers and Tequila (Pt.1-According to Plan)
Character cheat sheet: Viktor-Vladimir/Vlad, Jayce-Joel, Vi-Viola, Cait-Cathrin/Cat, Mel-Miah, Savannah- Sevika, Sky- Skyler, Powder/Jinx-Piper/Hexa, Ekko-Elijah (not all characters listed are in each fic)
Summary: Joal and Vlad finally share a first date, Joel just hopes it will all go according to plan.
A/N: finally another part! Wanted to get part one out for Valentine's Day, especially since I haven't updated this series in a few weeks. This chapter doesn't really get nsfw but it gets a little suggestive towards the end so be aware! Next part will in fact be smut lol
Joel looked at his reflection in the mirror coated inner walls of the elevator, letting the fingers on his free hand come up to fix his hair for the hundredth time since the doors closed. To say he was nervous would be the understatement of the century, today was too important for him to mess it up with bad hair or bad cooking.
Today was his first date with Vlad. The Vlad heâd been pining after since their first day on set, the same Vlad heâd confessed and seemingly been rejected by a few weeks ago, the Vlad that heâd been tricked into re-confessing to in Miahâs trailer after that whole misunderstanding. The Vlad who heâd made out with for an hour after they had finally sorted out their feelings and gotten past their own stupidity.Â
He felt his cheeks heat at the memory of it, how Vlad had felt in his arms, under his palms, against his lips. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, attempting to calm himself down before he could work himself up. It would be a little more than just embarrassing to show up to a first date with a raging boner, so he had to get it together.
Reopening his eyes he gave himself another once over in the reflective material in front of him. He had chosen something casual, of course, since he was cooking and would have to move around a bit he would need to be comfortable. His shirt was a deep green button up, the buttons being a striking gold against the dark material. His pants were simple black slacks, paired with dark brown leather shoes and a red belt with gold accents around his waist. He had a black jacket covering it all, it was getting a bit chilly these last few days as fall neared. He held a bouquet of bright yellow flowers that he knew were native to the area Vlad had grown up in and a grocery bag full of all the ingredients he needed to make dinner for the two of them. Heâd already coordinated what Vlad did and didnât have from his checklist and had his driver make the stop so he could pick the rest up on his way over.Â
The elevator let out a ding, breaking from his thoughts and the doors slid open after what felt like an eternity of nothing. With another deep breath Joel stepped out into the dark brown and beige hallway, Vladâs apartment number wasnât far from the main landing so it didnât take long before he was standing outside the nice wooden door, hyping himself up to knock on it and start what he hoped would be the best date of Vladimirâs life.
âOkay JoelâŠâ He whispered to himself, âthereâs no pressure. You know him already, youâve been friends for months now! Just donât burn the food and everything will be fine. Youâre literally just making tostadas, you make them all the time, just breathe.â Joel looked to the ceiling and shut his eyes for a moment to let any remaining nerves dispel. âHeâs just a really handsome guyâŠwho you really want to impressâŠâ With a final deep inhale he brought a hand up and knocked three times against the door. A brief shuffling and light clicking could be heard on the other side and it took no time at all for the door to open and reveal his date for the evening.
Joel did his best to muffle the gasp he let out because wowâŠVlad looked breathtaking. It wasnât hard to do, he always thought Vlad looked good.
He was in a simple red knit sweater, snug but not too tight, and dark brown straight leg pants with his brace situated snugly overtop of it. He seemed to only be wearing slippers over his socks, which made sense as he was in his own home after all.Â
His face thoughâŠhad he always looked this good though? This beautiful? He couldnât have, if he had Joel was sure heâd have died by now.
Vladâs hair was styled messily, falling over his glasses perfectly. He was wearing glasses by the way, something Joel knew he needed but had never gotten to see firsthand before. Vlad chose to wear contacts on set most days, making the need for glasses nonexistent; he still kept them in his bag though, thatâs how Joel knew he needed them.
He was wearing makeup, something light it looked like, something natural to enhance his already striking eyes. Heâd seen the man in a variety of forms, covered in a pound of stage makeup, that makeup heâd worn to the karaoke bar, but this was definitely one of Joelâs favorite looks so far; aside from his bare face of course.
âJoel, hello.â Vlad spoke from the other side of the threshold and Joel realized heâd been staring.Not just staring, but staring with his mouth open, it was only just a bit, but it was definitely noticeable if the amused smirk on Vladâs face was anything to go off of.
âHi.â
Smooth dude.
âWould you like to come in then?â Vlad giggled a bit through the end of his sentence, tilting his head to the side as he opened the door wider to invite Joel to enter his home. His giggle sent butterflies through Joelâs stomach, it wasnât a sound he got to hear often.
âYes. Thank you, thatâs very kind.â Joel stepped through the door and past Vlad, stopping just out of the way to let the door be closed behind him.
He took a second to take the apartment in, it was cozy, that was for sure. The walls of the main area were light gray, those of the kitchen being a light cream color. Vladâs living room consisted of a plain comfy couch covered with pillows, on each end were small wooden end tables, and behind it was a long shelf in a matching pattern to the end pieces. In front of the couch sat a beautiful mahogany coffee table, intricate patterns swirling up the legs, with books and scripts thrown about on it. The kitchen was a bit more spacious, thank god, large counters and beautiful up to date appliances took up most of the space, a plain white fridge, oven, and dishwasher taking up most of the remaining space after that. There was a breakfast bar with high wooden stools, cushioned in a dark fabric, separating the two areas. To the other side of the kitchen was a simple wooden table and chair set, something with beautiful craftsmanship though. With his family being full of blacksmiths heâd been exposed to other similar trades, so he definitely knew good craftsmanship when he saw it.
âYour apartment is lovely, Vlad.â He spoke as he turned back around to the other man. He was standing just in front of the shut door, cane situated to his left side, posture relaxed. âOh! Uh-â Quickly Joel took the flowers into his unoccupied hand and pushed them in the direction of a very pleased looking Vlad. âI picked these up for you on the way. I wasnât sure what kind you liked, but I remembered you-â
âI mentioned these to you when we were running lines with Miah. I remember, yes, but Iâm a bit surprised you do.â Vlad interrupted him. His eyes crinkled a bit at the corners and the look that came over his face could only be described as fondness, and Joelâs heart fluttered at the sight.
âYeah.âÂ
Another banger line.
âWould you like a tour or anything? A drink perhaps?â Vlad started to move to the kitchen, most likely to find a vase for his new flowers. Joel followed behind him as he thought over his options.Â
âThereâs no need for a tour, Iâll just ask if I need to go anywhere.â Joel set the bag down on the counter and started to remove his coat, setting it on the stool not too far away on the other side and taking any of the perishable items from the bag to put them away. âDo you mind if I put some of this in the fridge? A drink sounds nice and I donât want to leave anything out while I get them poured.â
âYou may use the fridge, Iâd rather not get food poisoning on our first date. What did you have in mind then? For drinks, that is, my supply is a bit limited.â Vlad looked at him from where he was filling a dark blue vase with water. Must be for the flowers, theyâd look good in it.
He noted the use of the word first and it made Joelâs chest fill with a bit of warmth, had the other thought about more dates already? He knows he had, both before and after he knew Vlad returned his feelings. He already had a list of date ideas saved to his phone, the beach, restaurants, plays and movies he thought the other might like.Â
âI was thinking tequila? If you have tequila, that is, I have a second and third choice if you donât.â
Joel watched him think for a moment as he turned off the water, moving the vase over to the breakfast bar to put the flowers in it.
âI believe I do have that actually.â He bent at the waist to reach into a cabinet next to him and Joel quickly averted his gaze back to the tomatoes in his hands so as to not oggle the manâs butt. âAHA!âÂ
âYou got it?â
âIt seems hosting every now and then does pay off. Viola left this here a while back, it should work well.â Vlad set the tequila down on the counter and turned the labels to Joel for approval. âI donât typically drink tequila, but I remember you seemed to quite enjoy it the last time we drank together. I shall give it another chance since you seem to favor it so much.â Vlad continued on as he picked out the appropriate glassware. Joel took a second to look over the label, it wasnât his favorite but it wasnât a bad brand. He had to get Viola onto his brand, he noted, lest she leave any more.
âThat works, let me get those poured and then I can get started on dinner.â Joel finished putting everything he needed into the fridge and walked down the counter to take a comfortable place next to Vlad and flashing a smile.
The next few hours moved with ease, speeding by as the men fell into a comfortable rhythm with one another. The conversation flowed well, no awkward pauses or lags, and once cooking had started there was no shutting Joel up. He had always enjoyed narrating what he was doing, dicing the tomatoes, seasoning the ground beef, even crisping up the tortillas. Vlad clearly loved it though, Joel could tell by the way he seemed to ask questions whenever he moved to a new task or step in the recipe.Â
âYouâre making homemade guacamole?â
âI brought chips, we need a dip for them.â
âYou could have bought one.â
âYouâll never want store bought dip again after tasting my motherâs guac recipeâŠexcept maybe the Tostitos queso.â
The food had been delicious of course, Joel knew it would be, and after cleaning up they had moved to the couch with a second round of drinks. One of the Saw movies had been put on in the background, theyâd both seen it before so it was good background noise as the conversation flowed on between them.
Joel was seated in the middle of the couch, feet firmly on the floor in front of him as he talked animatedly about another project heâd been working on. His shoes had long been discarded when they moved to the living room and heâd undone the top button of his shirt at some point, his sleeves still rolled up to his elbows from when he had made dinner.
Vlad was leaning against the back of the couch to the side of his date, his good leg bent and resting in front of him on the cushions, his bad one resting with its foot on the carpet. His head was supported by his arm, propped up so he could listen intently to Joelâs ramblings.Â
Also to stare at him, he was finally free to do so after all. Joel definitely had been picking up on that throughout the night, that he knew he was free to ogle and admire what he hadnât been able to before. He had been able of course, but there was no way for him to know that. It was obvious he knew now though, the half lidded eyes, the quiet hums, even the lip bite heâd received earlier when heâd had to stretch out after being hunched over to make their food.Â
They were talking about some of the other projects they had been doing on the side during filming breaks and gaps in their schedules, Joel currently on a tangent about a horror role heâd booked.
âFilming doesnât start for another few months, but my management team thinks itâll really open doors for me in that genre.â
âIâm sure it will, it sounds promising. Anyone who can pass up having you on their cast list is an idiot.â
Joel gave a shy but excited smile, Vlad had been doing that all night. Heâd been showering him with compliments and praise since he started making dinner and honestly it was getting difficult to not react to it. Heâd been suppressing a blush since entering the elevator to come up, and now with the drinks in his system he feared it was becoming increasingly obvious.
âYâknow VâŠI still remember the first time we met.â He leaned back into the couch, tilting his head on its side so he had a clear view of the other.Â
Vlad raised a brow and a smirk crawled over his face.
âAs do I. You kept me from falling on my ass.â
Joel let out a chuckle, eyes partially closing.
âYeahâŠsorry I ran off by the way. Glad I got to see you again thoughâŠIâd been hoping to.â Vladâs expression changed to one of mild surprise. âI thought you lookedâŠreally good. I was pretty upset Iâd had to run off so fast without a proper introduction.â
âYou were upset?âÂ
Joel let out a laugh at the indignation in Vladâs voice, he was so adorable.
 âI had to watch the prettiest face Iâd ever seen walk away from me. After getting to feel up your arms, and you were upset?â Vlad had sat up properly now, his brows knit together in annoyance, arms gesturing out to emphasize how strong he seemed to feel about Joelâs arms.Â
âMy arms?â
âYES your arms! Have you seen them? Your hands too- Gods Joel, do you realize what you look like?âÂ
Vlad seemed to be in disbelief at the mere thought, distraught even. As if the idea of Joel not knowing he was attractive was the end of the world or something.
It was because of this that the blush Joel had tried so hard to fight finally made itself known. He could feel all the heat creeping up his neck and cheeks as he looked away from Vlad to the coffee table. His hands were fiddling with themselves in his lap and his tipsy brain had no time to process when Vlad leant over to pluck one up out of his lap.
His eyes darted back to the other man on the couch, mouth wide open in shock, as he watched Vlad manhandle his appendage.
âHonestly Joel, these things have their own fan club!â
That was a new piece of information. A fan club? For his hands? Who in their right mind would care about that enough to-Â
Wait.
Hold the phone.
Joel zeroed in on the way Vlad was inspecting his knuckles as he continued to talk, to shower him with praise, shower his hands with compliment after compliment. It was interesting.
Maybe it was because he was inebriated, or maybe he was just ready to take a risk, but Joel took the moment to intertwine his hand with the one Vlad had been using to hold his own. He carefully watched Vladâs face as he did so, to make sure he wasnât overstepping at all. The other hand, previously in his lap, came to rest on top of the clasped hands. His breath was coming out heavier now due to how nervous he was, but his voice came out surprisingly even when he next spoke.
âAre you one of the fans?â
The man across from him stared at their intertwined hands with a blank expression, eyes neutral and mouth set in its usual resting line, however it didnât last. Vladâs eyes locked onto his own and a wicked smirk made its way across his face as a light blush overtook him.
Joel memorized how he looked, flushed like that.Â
âHmmâŠIâm not sure. They do have a lot to like about them, but Iâm not sure I could classify myself a fan.â Vlad let his other hand come up to Joelâs chin, tilting it up so they were eye to eye, and leant forward so their faces were mere inches apart. Joel thought he might explode, his face was burning and he nearly whimpered at Vladâs next words. âBut I may beâŠpersuadedâŠeh?â
pairing: Jayvik (I literally haven't written anyone else)
Summary: In the infinite expanse of forever they need to hold it together. They only have each other now to keep themselves grounded to their new reality.
Author's note: Based on the one scene "real or not real" from the Hunger Games and the song "As the World Caves in" by Matt Maltese. Scene idea was from a tweet by @/yearnerjayce on twitter and the song was chosen for a prompt in my discord server's February writing challenge, 'songs that remind you of them' so I hope yall like it as much as I liked writing it! (Ao3 handle on profile)
Viktor had initially expected more pain. He and Jayce had destroyed themselves, at least he thought they had, and usually with destruction comes pain; some kind of sting or shock, an ache even. He almost wished it had been pain, truth be told. Wished it had been something other than whatever this was. Pain was familiar, expected, something sharp and authentic to him. It was something he could count on, something reliable even. Pain was like an old friend, it was to him as rain was to the sky, as grass was to fields, as the dirt under your fingernails, it was something he had just barely learned to live without. Familiarity came without hesitance, without uncertainty; undoubtedly, he thought, he much would have preferred the pain.
It wasnât nothingness, not quite, but surrounding him was an infinite expanse of what he could only assume was the arcane. An ocean of stars and cosmos heâd never seen in life, be it in textbooks or with his own eyes; all beautiful and glittering, surrounding him like a blanket. It was surprisingly warm too, comforting even. All of this could of course only meant he was in a plane of reality he was not accustomed to. This was not earth, not their own galaxy, it wasnât his familiar arcane realm of actuality as heâd had before.Â
Before.
This place was nothing like before heâd died that first time, before heâd been fused with his own creation, before heâd been manipulated by it and let it control him. To let it contort his ideals and morals, the very foundation of his being. He had thought at the time he was merely helping, how could he not?Â
That was all still before though. Before heâd been reborn, recrafted into something so unmistakable non-human he had been unsure if he had crossed the line of no return. Before he was manipulated into committing horrible, unthinkable atrocities, before heâd killed and slaughtered, led innocents to their death, let himself be taken advantage of and used to hurt everyone that he held dear to him. To hurt Jayce.
Jayce
Oh Jayce.
He was the constant Viktor had needed when theyâd been spat out. His familiarity, his token of something reliable and sturdy, something from then.
Jayce had been there to calm him down when theyâd been spat out here, when theyâd realized they were still conscious, and more importantly; together. Jayce had talked him through the tears and calmed his racing thoughts to something a bit more bearable, something manageable. They werenât gone though, far from it, however Jayce had always had a knack for knowing what to say to people. He knew exactly what to say to Viktor to placate him, keep him grounded; though heâs not sure thatâs the right term to use for this scenario, what with the whole lack of ground part.Â
He did feel grounded though, wrapped in Jayceâs tight embrace. It was just as much for Jayce as it was for him, the former had always been a touchy man. He was clingy at the best of times and downright desperate for human contact at the worst of them, and with the events that had taken place, quite recently he might remind himself, he was sure the other could use as much physical reassurance as he could possibly get. Since the only other person around seemed to be Viktor he supposed heâd have to make due, have to make himself enough.Â
For Viktor the embrace was more to make sure neither of them floated away from the other. Logically he knew how to go about moving through the expanse around him, it was definitely similar to the one heâd grown accustomed to before with a few minor differences. It felt thicker, like he didnât have as much control of his surroundings, and of course without the abundance of human consciousâ connected to it. He would not be over that one for a long while. Probably never in fact, he really couldnât see himself getting over the literal mind control heâd subjected so many to, all in the name of âglorious evolution.â
He shuddered at the thought and felt the other man pull back a bit. He could feel his eyes on him, but he refused to turn his head up. He couldnât face him yet.
âViktorâŠâ Jayce broke their silence and Viktor's eyes squeezed shut, âcan we talk? It doesnât have to be aboutâŠthatâŠabout all of this, but IâŠâ Jayce let out a sigh and Viktor felt the hot air on his shoulder.Â
Their bodies were still warm? Interesting. Obviously they were not alive, did not need to breathe, and yet their bodies were producing hot air. Heâd have to study that further-
He was pulled from his thoughts as the other man spoke again, âI need to hear your voice. I just need to know youâre really here.â This was something Viktor understood. Heâd felt it since coming to his senses, the need to make sure this wasnât just his own imagination, that he and Jayce were both in fact there and still together. Despite this he was still cautious, and he had to choose his next words carefully. It was barely above a whisper when he finally replied.
âI wish I could ease your mind Jayce, however I do not know if I am really here. If I am me. If I even know myself enough to be able to tell for sure.â He didnât want to be alarming, but it was the truth. A part of him had absolutely let himself do all those horrible things. He had to be responsible for what he did, because what was the alternative here? That he had no control? That he was merely a spectator in his own body and his decisions were not his own? The thought of this was somehow just barely worse than being complicit.
âI could tell youâŠI know who you are.â The words sounded so broken, breathless and desperate in a way Viktor could vividly remember from his speech right before all of this. They were also full of the same conviction, like they were an absolute fact and Jayce was begging him to understand.
There it was again, the unfamiliarity. The horrors of the unknown, of the unpredictable. Something that made him desperately wish for the pain again.
âAnd who am I Jayce? How do I know which parts of me are real and which are made up?â He could feel the way his hands balled up into fists on Jayceâs arms.
âAsk me.âÂ
Viktor sucked in a breath and let it out in a bark of bitter laughter, letting the words hang in the air. That was definitely Jayce, whether Viktor was really himself or not, this was Jayce. And he trusted Jayce.
âYou hate the coldâŠreal or not real?â His voice came out weak, almost a croak.
âYeah. Itâs real, V. You do too. You say it makes all your pain flare up, makes all your aches a whole lot worse. My mom made you special mittens to hold your cane though..to help.â
Viktor remembered the knitted red mittens Ximena had given him in the second year of their partnership. They were too big, cozy nonetheless, and he never went outside without them once the snow started to fall. He hummed at that before responding with a quick, âThank you.â The silence overtook them again, just for a moment though before Jayce continued on.
âYouâre a scientist.â A pause, âYouâre an inventor, one of the best in fact. You like to sleep on the couch in the lab, even though you think I donât know.â
If his heart could beat heâs sure it would have sped up at that.
âYou take your coffee with the grounds still in it, your sweetmilk so hot it should really burn your tongue off. It somehow never does. You feed the group of strays by the greenhouse near the academy. You never accept physical contact when youâre upset.â
Viktorâs eyes shut and he let his hands unfurl over the otherâs arms as he spoke.
âJayceâŠâ he said softly into his shoulder.
âYou hate parties and public speaking. Not because youâre unable to do it or bad at it, but because you hate having to dumb everything down, make it palatable or sellable.âÂ
âJayce.â This one was a bit firmer, a warning. It did nothing to deter Jayce however, his words coming out just as firm as before, and a bit faster.
âYouâre stubborn, once you set your mind to something nobody can stop you or change your mind. You hate being wrong, hate failing. When a rune or equation fails you stay hunched over your notebook until you can figure it out. It never takes you long though, because youâre brilliant.â
âJayce-â Now he was frantic, it all felt like way too much all at once. None of it was surprising, but it was far too intimate. Too real.
âYou overwork yourself, probably more than I knew. You donât eat or take bathroom breaks when Iâm not around sometimes, and when I am I have to remind you. You love being in water, say it helps take the pressure off your joints. You store half of your medication at the lab, in that locked drawer in the bathroom. I have a copy of the key on my keyring.â Jayce seemed to be pouring his heart and soul into his words. âYou hate feeling weak.â
âJayce please-â He pushed back to put space between them, to distance himself. He should have known Jayce wasnât about to let him. The hands that had previously just been resting on his lower back now had a sturdy grip on him, one hand remained on his back and the other came up to his shoulder, to keep him from pulling back as Jayce knew he would try to do.
âYou hate how your legs lock up when you sit for too long, you hate asking for help. You think you can fix all the worldâs problems, I thought I could too,â Their eyes had locked at some point but Viktor couldnât remember how long ago, â but I meant what I said Viktor. All I want is my partner back.â
Jayceâs hand had come up to cup Viktorâs cheek, firm as if he thought heâd try to run away. He might have if the hand hadnât been there.
âJayceâŠIâŠâÂ
There was silence. The two stared at each other as Viktorâs lip trembled, as he brought his own hand up to wrap around Jayceâs wrist. They held each otherâs gazes, something silent being communicated in their eyes. Something new and unexplored. It wasnât scary this time.
âYou love me. Real or not real Vik.â
Jayce was leaning in, slow enough to give Viktor time to reject him, to turn away and show he didnât return or accept his feelings. He wouldnât think of it, not again. Not ever again.
âReal. So very, very real.â
They were barely a whisper away so close their lips brushed when Viktor spoke. Jayce closed the gap and it was like the stars had exploded behind his eyes. The force had propelled them backwards a bit, toppling through the vast expanse, still clinging to one another as if they would disappear if they were to part. Viktorâs hand had made its way up into Jayceâs hair to pull the other impossibly closer to him. Their bodies pressed together and limbs tangled until there was no indication of where one started or stopped, until they were one being in this void theyâd been dropped in, just two lovers in their own personal galaxy.
They poured their emotions into the kiss, every longing look, all the words left unsaid, every what if was there, building it, filling them with a fire and begging them to not let each other go. There was no need to part, to breathe, no need for air now in these forms; the reality of this just spurred them on, lips melding together perfectly as if they were always meant to be together, to be like this.Â
Jayce pulled back and Viktor tried to follow, tried to keep their lips from parting, but the hand on his face held him back and kept him in place. There was barely enough room to see each other as Jayce spoke again.
âI love you too. I love you Viktor, everything about you. So so much-â
âI think I got that Jayce. Iâm brilliant after all, you said so yourself.â He was teasing now, just a bit. How could he not? Jayce had always been fun to tease, and now he had the rest of this limitless existence to do so. To be with the man he loved.
A/N: written after an 8 hour shift, half an edible, in tears
This was beta read by my AMAZING friend @/kalei__co over on Ao3 and I'm thrilled about how it turned out!!
Character cheat sheet: Viktor-Vladimir/Vlad, Jayce-Joel, Vi-Viola, Cait-Cathrin/Cat, Mel-Miah, Savannah- Sevika, Sky- Skyler, Powder/Jinx-Piper/Hexa, Ekko-Elijah
Summary: After weeks of avoiding each other, Vlad and Joel are forced to confront their own idiocy. With intervention of course.
Part 5 in the actor au, part 1 below and masterlist pinned on profile!
Masterlist
Jayvik actor au (organized in timeline order)
This series was definitely inspired by @/MessRedds on Twitter (please go like lit
Vlad hadnât looked up from his script since he sat down.Â
The last few weeks had been tense on set, and that was putting it lightly. Ever since that stupid night at the karaoke bar, Joel had been avoiding him like the plague. It was as if the last months had never happened in the first place. Hell, it was as if theyâd never met before. It felt as if he were a stranger in his own body when Joel was around; there were no more fleeting glances, no brushing hands at the snack tables. It was as if he had been yanked out of his existence and thrown into some alternate timeline where he and Joel were strangers. Â
He could have cried if he wasnât so intensely and irrevocably angry about it all.Â
It wasnât as if Vlad hadnât been trying to get Joel to talk to him. He felt like heâd tried everything under the sun at this point!Â
Well, within reason of course.Â
Heâd asked to run lines. Joel was âtoo busyâ.Â
He asked to chat over lunch. Joel âwasnât hungryâ.Â
The worst had been when heâd flat out tried to get Joelâs attention on set last week. The man had not only not spoken to him, but when heâd touched his shoulder he flinched. Flinched! And not a small one, either; it had been one of those full body flinches. As if the mere thought of being touched by Vlad was somehow unthinkable, as if heâd been burnt. And his eyes?
Vladâs shoulders tensed just a bit more as he thought about the way Joelâs eyes had looked at him that day.Â
There was so much behind them that Vlad wasnât sure he could name all the emotions. He probably couldnât have even if he tried! Heâd seen some the night at the bar; the pain, confusion, and fear. But there was something unfamiliar, something heâd never seen from the other, and gods he wished to never see it again.Â
That catches us up pretty well.Â
Heâd resigned himself to letting it all go. To not try and touch him again, not speak to him, not even look at him if he could help it. Heâd give everything and anything to never have to see that look in those beautiful golden eyes again. So he had to give up on his stupid little crush, on this infatuation.
On his love. Because of course Vlad was in love with him.
A gentle chime brought him out of his troubled thoughts, and he shifted to reach for his phone in the side pocket of his chair. He was careful not to jostle anything lest he knock over his carefully balanced cane.Â
On his screen was a simple text from Miah.Â
âcome by my trailer before you leave, I need advice on a date with Savannah.âÂ
It brought a small smile onto Vladâs otherwise sad face.Â
At least his friendsâ romantic lives all seemed to be going well. Viola and Cat were about to move in together, Miah and Savannah appeared to be so infatuated with each other that heâd bet theyâd end up married a few years from now. Heâd even heard the magazines reporting about Piper (Hexa to the media, stage names and all that) and Elijah, two of the show's most promising rising stars, being spotted here and there in neighboring cities.Â
They all seemed so happy, so content.Â
How he wished for that with Joel.Â
He sent a quick reply to Miah, confirming he would come by, but he may not be the best person to ask for advice on the matter. Heâd fucked up his own love life enough without even knowing how; he wasnât going to fuck hers up too by letting her take his half thought out advice.
The bell was heard from the nearby set and his eyes glanced to the familiar setting of âZaun,â more specifically to the two actors occupying the corners of it. They had just finished filming a fight scene; Joelâs character kills a child and has some major revelations about morality and mortality. A pivotal moment for Jayce, he thought.Â
Vlad had been asked to stay behind for the last few scenes, just in case they decided to reshoot a big scene where his character accidentally kills their assistant. He doubts they would reshoot it now, with the sun setting overhead and time ticking far past when filming should have stopped for the day. If they were to redo it, it would have to wait until tomorrow.Â
As he looked over the set, gold met Vladâs vision. He froze, unable to look away as his brain was screaming at him to, unable to even breathe properly. It felt like an eternity, time seeming to stop all together and leave just them.Â
It didnât last, of course; why would it?Â
After what was probably not even a full four seconds, the eyes were ripped away from his, and he came back to reality. To the reality that Joel did not care for him, that his affections were not reciprocated, that, in fact, he was seemingly despised by the other man.Â
Vladâs shoulders dropped. Letting out a breath he hadnât even realized heâd been holding, he let his hand wander to grip his cane. He had to go get cleaned up and change before meeting Miah; he was covered in makeup at the moment and had barely any clothing on.Â
He slid off his chair and pulled his blanket tighter around him, letting it hang around his shoulders for a minute as he gathered his belongings into his bag. Phone, script, water. Then he was set to go.Â
Vlad stopped himself from looking back at the set as he turned to depart, not wanting to see those eyes anymore. His gaze was kept low towards the ground while he walked to the makeup and prosthetics tent. He was dying to get all the rigid collodion and paint off, but most importantly, he was ready to get these god awful contacts out.Â
Vlad approached the area where Miahâs trailer was located; the skies had grown nearly dark by the time he had gotten all his makeup off. His body was stiff and tired, and he just wanted to get this over with so he could go home to his new cat, Rio.Â
Heâd gotten her pretty recently, although it was more like sheâd decided Vlad was her new human. Since the decision was finalized, he found himself a bit more eager to get home again after a long day. Especially recently, and most certainly when his leg and back were acting up as they seemed to be today.
When the trailer came into view, he wasnât shocked to see his dear friend standing outside of it. However, he was a bit curious as to why she seemed to be waiting so impatiently. Her foot was anxiously tapping on asphalt below them, arms crossed and a tense expression on her usually serene face.Â
It was obvious Miah had been waiting for him; why she seemed so worked up about it was a mystery to him, though.Â
He brought his hand up in greeting, and as he was about to open his mouth to call out, she seemed to spot him. She all but charged him, taking unusually large steps to get over as fast as she could.
âVlad, thank god,â Miah started, out of breath, âI lost my phone like an hour ago. I need to call Savannah! Sheâs at my apartment, and I need to tell her Iâll be late getting home.âÂ
A hand was placed on his shoulder as she reached him. She seemed⊠frantic, dishevelled even. That was even curiouser. Miah was overly meticulous; he couldnât seem to remember a time sheâd lost something even remotely important, least of all lost her cool over misplacing something like this. First time for everything, he guessed, but it did make sense why she was so irate about it. People do tend to be frantic in unfamiliar situations.
âAh, I suppose you can use mine, then.â Vlad switched his cane to his other hand and shifted to grab his phone from his front pocket, handing it over to her. She took it with her unoccupied hand and mumbled a thanks before sidestepping to gesture over to her trailer.
âI already brought out the ramp before you got here, I have some coffee inside you can sip on while you wait for me, yeah?âÂ
Vlad gave a smile and let her lead him; with how overstimulating the day had been, it would be heaven to sit down and enjoy some coffee. Miah always seemed to know what he needed before he could ask for it. She was observant, after all, and on the harder days, it was appreciated to a degree he hadnât yet been able to articulate.
âCoffee at nearly dark? Music to my ears, my dear. Though if you plan to have any, you better make the call quick,â Vlad teased.Â
Miah opened the door with a light laugh and gave him an inquisitive smile he couldnât quite decipher. He held the railing as he made his way up the slope and into the vehicle. He had been facing her as he passed by her, and he only turned to the interior once he was fully inside.Â
âAfter the day Iâve had, I could drink a whole pot--â
All the air left Vladâs lungs, his shoes turning to lead when golden orbs made contact with a matching pair on the far side of the trailer. The shock of it cut off his words before he could finish his sentence. He could feel his heart beating out of his chest. A strangled noise left his mouth before he was able to snap it closed, hand tightening around his cane. He was just barely able to steady himself before he could process the door closing behind him.Â
The sound brought him out of his trance, and he made an almost squawk as he tried the knob in vain. He unlocked it from the inside, going to try again but was met with an immovable force on the other side of the door.Â
Miah had blocked them in.
âMiah, open the door, this isnât funny!âÂ
Vladâs hand formed a fist as he brought it up from the knob and began to knock from his side of the door. He chanced a look over at Joel, who seemed to be in a similar state of distress further inside the room. The blinds had been pulled up from the bottom and he was leaning over the back of the couch to find the woman in question out the window.Â
Joel seemed to find her, judging by the anger that overtook his face, and instantly he was fumbling with the switch on the frame to pull open the slider.
âHa ha, jokeâs over, dude. Move that fucking thing away from the door!â Joel yelled out. âMiah, I'm serious! What even is this? What are you trying to do right now?âÂ
The frustration was evident in Joelâs voice, and oh boy, could Vlad relate right now. This was ridiculous. He said as much to himself as he also began to move towards the window, grumbling under his breath as he limped over to get a look at the culprit of their current predicament. Another set of eyes stole glances as he made his way over, but he was too distracted to notice this, of course.
As Miah came into his view through the thin screen, Vlad noticed her holding up two phones, one in either hand. He immediately recognized them both; one was his own, the one heâd just given his friend before she locked them in here. The other belonged to the second occupant of the RV. They couldnât even call for someone to come let them out!
Ignoring the pain in his leg, Vlad leaned his good leg onto the couch to slam his palm over the wall of the trailer, letting out a little grunt at the force of it. Joelâs question from a moment ago rung out in his head then. What exactly was Miahâs end goal here? What was she trying to do, besides absolutely and totally humiliate him in front of the one person on this planet he was totally head over heels for.
âYou two need to get it the fuck together.â
What did she just say?Â
âItâs been weeks of this absolute bullshit you two have been on, and I cannot keep doing this! None of us can!â Miah continued on with her tirade, arms flying around to accentuate her words. âIâll be back in a few hours. You have plenty of food and water, and I brought some of your stuff from my place in case you have any kind of pain flare ups, Vlad.âÂ
She slid both phones into her bag.Â
âIf thereâs an emergency, just bust out the front window; otherwise, please leave my trailer intact.âÂ
Miah made a move to walk away; however, there was a pause in her movements, and they were all met with a moment of tense silence before she looked back up at them, eyes flicking between the two men.Â
âJust talk,â she finally said, her tone exhausted. âTalk about anything, but please figure out where things went wrong, and where theyâre going from here, for everyone elseâs sake if not your own.â
With that she walked away, actively ignoring the distressed pleas coming from the trailer now behind her.Â
Vlad continued to try and call out for a few moments after she disappeared from view, but they both knew it was no use. She was a woman of her word after all, and they would absolutely be stuck here for however many more hours until she decided it was time to free them.
Vlad heard a gruff sigh from beside him, and he let his eyes wander over to the other man, who had sat back against the couch now.Â
Joelâs head was leant back against the window with his arm thrown over top of his eyes. With the way his sweater was hugging his arms and chest, Vlad was nearly brought right back to that night. The before of it all, when he had been able to touch and joke with the other freely, when there was no possibility of the other lashing out at him.Â
The thought of it now only made Vlad angry, because why exactly was he being punished for this? Why was he being locked up like this after such a tiring day, when he wasnât even the one with the problem? Why was he being blamed for having his heart ripped out of his chest every waking second of the last two fucking weeks?
Vlad was sure his face betrayed his emotions by now, and he quickly turned to face the opposite direction. Getting off the couch, he moved into the small kitchen across from them to get some coffee. He could feel eyes on his back as he moved, but he actively avoided the little part of his brain telling him to turn around and face the other. He had spent weeks trying to get a word out of this man; he wasnât about to be the first one to talk between the two of them today.Â
He bent down a bit to gather the coffee grounds and filters from where he knew they were stored and felt a twinge in his back. With a pained groan, he gripped onto the counter for extra stability with his free hand, head falling forward and eyes squeezing shut for a moment to collect himself before working up the motivation to try again.Â
A hand on his lower back then made him still, feeling his whole body freeze. It made his eyes shoot open, still doubled over, and he felt his breathing stutter ever so slightly.
âYou should sit. Iâll get the coffee started.â
OhâŠ
Oh how heâd missed that voice.
Vlad straightened up just a bit and turned towards the voice, swatting away the arm that had been placed on him. That same anger that he had been trying to quell shot back through him with a terrifying new force, and venom laced his voice as he spoke.
âI do not need your help. I can make a damn pot of coffee on my own.âÂ
âI know you can,â Joel said, holding his hands up almost in surrender, âbut for how much coffee you drink you can never seem to make a decent drip. Let me.âÂ
The words held an air of familiarity to them, one Vlad would have probably found amusing just a month ago. Now they just left a bitter feeling in his chest, even if he was right. Vlad was horrible at making drip coffee; he always messed it up in one way or another despite how simple the task was. Unfortunately for him, the only person in the world that seemed to know this was the man standing next to him.
Vlad sucked his teeth and let out a scoff as he rolled his eyes, but he turned back to the couch in a silent show of defeat. It was only a short distance to move before he was able to sit down on the semi-comfortable fabric, but he felt those same eyes on him the whole time. He kept his eyes to the floor even as he crossed his arms in annoyance.
âThe first words you willingly speak to me in weeks and you insult me? Really?âÂ
He spoke with a venom he was sure the other had never heard from him before. But you couldnât blame him here, not really, at least.Â
âWell itâs true. You canât. Iâm not gonna lie to you.â
âNo, youâll just completely avoid me, right? Cut yourself off from me in any way you can?â Vlad felt his anger bubbling over, letting his words spew out without an ounce of forethought, but he was hurt. He should be allowed to speak his mind once in a while. âI canât make a fucking pot of coffee, and all of a sudden, youâre at my side ready to breathe down my neck about it? When you couldnât even be bothered to return my texts? My calls? I donât fucking understand you, you know that?â
At that, Joel spun around, that same anger in his eyes that Vlad had been trying to avoid all week he now reveled in.Â
âYou donât understand me?â Joel asked in an almost mocking tone.
âNO, Joel, I do not!â
The man in question brought his hand up to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation. He was still hiding it.Â
Whatever Vlad had done to upset him was still tucked away behind walls and emotions that under any other circumstance, Vlad would have run from. But being here? Being stuck together like this? It all made Vlad realize just how much he genuinely missed every aspect of the other. Even now, when heâs angry and on the brink of yelling, he missed him. That was probably why he allowed himself to keep talking.
âI donât understand what Iâve done to make you hate me so much!â Vlad moved to stand up again, but he stumbled. Immediately Joel was there, helping him up. This made him pause, anger diffusing for a moment to let confusion take its place.
Vlad let the other help him to a standing position, keeping his eyes to the floor as he tried to process the change in tone, in position, and got just a bit lost in the second physical contact heâd had with the other in far too long.Â
When he was finally at a stable standing position, he took note of how Joelâs hands lingered on him longer than necessary. He cleared his throat a bit, observing the way Joel seemed to jump back, retreating to the other side of the room and the still empty coffee pot, head hung low and gaze locked on the floor.
Now this was curious. Two touches in the span of maybe a few minutes, when heâd previously been ever so eager to avoid anything and everything to do with being near Vlad.
âI donât hate you.â
Oh?
âI justâŠwhat happened at the karaoke bar was embarrassing. I shouldnât have confessed in such a public placeâŠâ
Huh?
âI was drunk, and it was stupid, and I wish I could just go back to normal. But I really just needed time to process your rejection.â
His what?
Vlad was truly confused now, shock and uncertainty crawling across his face.
âI figured when we came back to work, youâd give me some space? But you kept trying to talk to me, and the anger just kept coming back, because it was just soâŠsuffocating, you know?â Joel leaned back against the counter, gripping the edges until his knuckles turned white. âBeing open like that, working up the courage to confess and being shot down, especially in front of so many people-â
Before Joel could keep babbling, Vlad interrupted by saying, âConfess what?â He had barely registered moving across the small space, but here he was, face to face with Joel, and very quickly putting pieces together about their current situation.
âWhat do you mean âconfess whatâ, V?â The annoyance in Joelâs voice was back now, lined with what could only be sadness and a hint of confusion even as the nickname left him with startling ease. âPlease donât play dumb with me here⊠My song? The one I sang to you at the bar?âÂ
They stared at each other for a moment. Brows furrowed, Vlad lips opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. The fucking song? The song he hadnât fucking translated in the last two weeks because he didnât think it would matter? The one Viola and Miah had been trying to talk about with him for-
Fucking Gods above, he was an idiot.
Vlad ran a hand through his unruly hair and let out a sharp sarcastic laugh. Then another, and another, until he was almost painfully doubled over in a full fit of laughter, tears streaming down his cheeks. He really couldnât believe this.
âYou donât need to laugh at me, I know it was stupid! Thereâs no need to be cruel about it.â
âNo no, Joel, you misunderstand-â He could barely get out his words through the laughter.
âI understand perfectly. This is exactly why I didnât want to have this conversation before I was over you, fuck!â
âJoel-â
âYou can be so mean sometimes, you know that?â Joelâs hand was pinching his nose again, a habit Vlad had come to adore.
âWould you please just-â
âI put my heart on the line like that, like this and-â
Vlad took another step to close the distance between the two, the hand not holding his cane coming up to cup Joelâs cheek. His 5 oâclock shadow left pinpricks against Vladâs palm when his jaw clamped shut under it. Their eyes found each other, and Vlad couldnât help the watery smile that spread across his face.
âI do not speak Spanish, Joel.â
He could see so many distinct emotions across the otherâs face as Joel processed what had been said. The confused look heâd previously been sporting grew exponentially, staying for only a few seconds before being replaced with a look of pure wonder, of hope.
âOhâŠâ
âI had absolutely no idea what you were saying on that stage, just that you sounded lovely.â His eyes were soft as he spoke. âWhy did you think I spoke Spanish?â
âI asked Viola months ago about it! She told me very clearly that you spoke Spanish.â
Vlad pulls back a few centimeters, and his face drops into a completely blank stare.
âYou asked Viola.â
âYes.â
âAnd didnât double check with anyone else? Not my assistant, not Miah?â
âI didnât think I needed to!âÂ
At that, Vlad pulled back all the way with an exasperated sigh and an eye roll, finding his way back to the couch for the second time. He should have expected Joel would shadow him as he made his way back with how touchy he was, especially now after weeks of no contact.
âDid you ask her this before or after you both missed call time for an arm wrestling contest? Because if it was the latter, I fear the lesson you need to learn cannot be taught.â
âNot the point! You didnât know I liked you?âÂ
Vlad was finally seated as he looked back up at the other with the same unimpressed face.
âI thought Iâd made that quite obvious, no? Had I known I would have said something very different when you had gotten off that stage.âÂ
Of course he would have, and now the reaction heâd received after complimenting Joelâs singing made all the more sense to him. âThatâs it?â heâd said, and while Vlad may not have understood then, he did now. Because no, that was not it; there was so much more he could have said.
âWellâŠâ Joel cut himself off to look at Vlad with that same look of wonder heâd given earlier. â...What would you have said?â
âThat I reciprocate.âÂ
They held eye contact, and Joel let out a breath the other hadnât even realized heâd been holding.Â
âI would have asked you out on a date, which we would have already gone on by now, and I would have kissed you.âÂ
Joel seemed to melt at his words, shoulders drooping, eyelids coming down to partially cover the beautiful gold Vlad was finally able to enjoy again.Â
âI would have told you that was a stupid way to confess, as I am now.â Vlad held his gaze and Joel knelt before him. He could practically feel his heart beating in his throat when a hand was placed over his good knee. âI would have-âÂ
Vladâs next words were cut off as a pair of lips softly met his own. They were chapped, he noted, no doubt from how often the man seemed to bite them, a habit heâd noticed days into their friendship. They broke apart for a moment, just to look at one another, eyes filled with all the emotions that were still left unspoken.Â
Vlad let his eyes travel down to Joelâs mouth and then dove back in for more. The other let out a surprised noise, but it only took him a moment to find his bearings before he reciprocated the kiss, allowing all his pent up thoughts and desires to bleed into it. Vlad sighed happily, tilting his head to the side in an effort to get closer, to deepen the kiss, to show exactly how much heâd been wanting this too, waiting for it.Â
He leaned his cane against the couch and brought both hands up to the sides of Joelâs face, to pull him in just a bit, before one slid to cup the back of his neck. The other slipped into his product filled hair. He felt a hand on his own cheek then, a thumb brushing along the mole under his eye, and the hand that had previously been on his knee slid up to his waist. He felt Joel shift to stand and chased after his lips as they parted, making a displeased noise and letting his hands tighten to keep their hold on the other to stop him from going too far.
âI was not done,â he said with a playful lilt in his voice, putting on a slight pout.Â
Joel let out an airy laugh and sat beside him on the couch, their hands staying on each otherâs faces.
They had spent the last hour just talking, and kissing a bit of course, just setting things straight and making sure they finally, finally were on the same page as one another. Joel had fallen asleep with his head in Vladâs lap not too long ago, and he stroked his fingers through his hair as he reminisced over their last conversation.
âI speak Swedish Joel; Swedish, Czech, French, and English.â
âSo you mean to tell me everyone I knew in that room except for you spoke Spanish? I told every person in the room ALL THAT except for the one person it was meant for?â
âYes, I believe you did.â
Vlad let out a soft chuckle to himself at the recent memory. Theyâd agreed on a date tomorrow night; Joel would cook dinner for them at Vladâs apartment so he could recover from today at home while also not having to wait for their first date. Vlad also had a few more plans for the evening that he would bring up later on, of course, but until then he was content with the notion that, yes, Joel did still care for him.
âYou didnât even google the song? Like at all?â
âI was going through a lot, what can I say? At least I attempted to have a conversation about it. You practically fell off the edge of that one bridge set to get away when you saw me last week.â
âHave you seen yourself in that uniform, V?? I couldnât handle seeing you in that any more than absolutely necessary until I could get my emotions under control.â
âAre they under control now, then?â
âAbsolutely not, my heartâs been beating out of my chest since I kissed you.â
âHmâŠI make you that nervous, then?â He had leaned his face in until they were almost touching again.
âYouâre a menace, VladimirâŠa very beautiful hot menace.â
His thoughts were interrupted as the door to the trailer finally opened up. His eyes drifted to the entrance as a head of pinned up butterfly locs came into view and familiar eyes peeked in.
âOh good, you made up! Please tell me you didnât fuck in my trailer.âÂ
He let out a bark of laughter at her as Miah came fully into view and leaned back onto the kitchen counter.
âYouâre in luck, we did not.â A sigh of relief. âHowever, if you ever do something like this again, the odds may tilt out of your favor.â
Miah let out a slight laugh and nodded at him, her eyes falling to the head on his lap.
âI promise you, if Iâd seen any other option I wouldnât have gone this route,â she assured him. âYou two are just so stubborn! Weâve all been trying to tell you to get together, since⊠literally since the first day on set actually, and you both just kept dancing in circles.âÂ
Miah looked like she wanted to throw her hands up in exasperation.Â
âI told you to look up the song.âÂ
Oh god, he thought, she was about to start making another list.Â
Vlad groaned and threw his head back against the window as he watched her lift a singular finger in the air from the corner of his vision.
âI also told you to ask him out several times over the last two months alone.â A second finger. âAnd I also told him-â All three fingers now waved down at Joel, still calmly asleep in his lap, â-to talk to you! We all tried our best to get the ball rolling here, but yaâll just canât make things easy, can you?â
Authorâs note- A friend of mine put me onto CNCO a few years back and when the idea to make Jayce sing in this part came to me I was like âCNCO has GOT to have a song for thisâ and look at that? THE PERFECT SONG. I do not speak Spanish so I was going back and forth from the english translation for this. I do hope everything lined up and that those of you that do speak Spanish can enjoy this! The English translation will be in the end notes, it's CNCO - Tan FĂĄcil.
Preview: A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts with a small jump and he opened his eyes, having not even realized heâd closed them. He steadied his cane against his leg as he sat up straighter and let his eyes follow the hand up to come face to face with the object of his affections and forced a hopefully friendly smile onto his face at the man's return. âBack so soon? All is well then I take it? Iâve heard Piper can be quite the handful.â
It was only about thirty minutes between when Joel had gone to help clear up the situation across the room and where Vlad is now, facing some pretty heavy inner turmoil. He had taken that time prior to not only down a very large glass of water, but talk himself down from whatever wild possibilities had been running around in his tipsy brain since the moment Joel had sat down and chased away his possible partner for the night. He needed to get this crush under control, and fast. It was getting out of hand. Heâd always been a flirt when it came to his friends, and recently heâd noticed Joel returning his teasing, but it didnât mean anything. It couldnât mean anything. Heâs known this man, what? A couple of months? He should not be occupying his thoughts like this, shouldnât be such a constant in both his work life and personal life that not seeing him for a few days made his heart ache as it had, shouldnât make his heart skip a beat every time they locked eyes. And yet he did. Every scene they had shot together, every time they ran lines, every time they called or even texted he felt like his world was on fire and he would let it all turn to ashes around him if it meant being connected to him for even another second-
A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts with a small jump and he opened his eyes, having not even realized heâd closed them. He steadied his cane against his leg as he sat up straighter and let his eyes follow the hand up to come face to face with the object of his affections and forced a hopefully friendly smile onto his face at the man's return. âBack so soon? All is well then I take it? Iâve heard Piper can be quite the handful.â He lets his gaze drift back in the direction heâd seen her a few moments ago. She was sitting at a table on the other side of the room with her sister and Cathrin, it seemed she was pouting, no doubt at having been scolded for her outburst. With a raised brow he turned back to Joel, he was nothing if not nosey after all, and he knew the other was aware of this. Joel was looking down at him already with that same blank poker face heâd been sporting for the majority of the night.Â
A thought occurred to him then, and it may have been the leftover alcohol in his system, but he vowed to get some damn emotion on the otherâs face tonight. As many different expressions as possible if he could help it, maybe even see his face color with that oh so lovely red hue again like he had just a few weeks agoâŠyes. Heâd absolutely make him blush again tonight.
âAn intoxicated popstar wasnât used to being told no. When he wouldnât take a hint she threw a table at him. Itâs all been dealt with.â With a shrug Joel turned back to the bar to order another drink. Vlad scoffed and rolled his eyes at that, he knew the type well, too much money and fame made people assholes.Â
âA table huh? Did it hit him?â He propped an elbow onto the table and brought up the hand to rest under his chin. A barely there smile made its way onto Joelâs face as the glass of tequila was set down and Vlad felt his mouth do the same, that was one expression down.
âShe didnât, security did though. Heâs been kicked out for the night.â Joel took a small sip from his glass and turned back to face the other, âIt was for the best, Piper is a black belt.â Vladâs eyes widened in curiosity at the new piece of information. He knew Viola had done martial arts in the past, but he knew relatively little about her younger sibling. âShe wouldâve knocked his ass out of his too tight skinny jeans.â Vlad let out a chuckle at the image of it in his head, eyes crinkling at the corners.Â
âA pity then, I do find the idea of a pompous asshole being put in his place and made to yell âuncle!â a rather amusing one, do you not?â He watches as Joel pretends to ponder his question for a moment, taking another sip of his drink, he would count that as expression number two.
âAbsolutely, but I havenât had a chance to sing yet. And I canât have the police called to break up a fight before I show you what I can do, can I?â A smirk made its way onto the taller manâs face as he held Vladâs eyes with his own. The aforementionedâs face was no doubt a pretty shade of pink as he let his eyes grow just a bit, mind going blank for just a second. He took a few short breaths and threw back a smirk of his own.
âOh? You can sing then? I didnât take you for the type to even be able to hold a tune.â That was a lie, Vlad had daydreamed about what it would be like to hear the other sing on a multitude of occasions. How could he not? With such a deep melodic voice of course Vlad had thought about what he would sound like if he were to sing, he just wasnât going to tell him that.
âI can,â Joel has taken to swirling his almost empty drink in hand, looking at the glass with indifference, âand even if I couldnât this is karaoke. Did you not hear Cathrin butcher âI kissed a girl?â She can play over a dozen instruments and still canât hold a note.â He hadnât actually heard this, he hadnât really been paying attention to what anyone had been singing for nearly the entire time theyâd been talking. He let out a quiet hum of curious acknowledgement and let the hand that was supporting his head drop back down to the table as he leant in a bit. Joelâs eyes left his glass and peered over at the other at the movement.Â
âWell then, what do you plan to sing, pretty boy?â His voice was teasing and low as he spoke, the leftover alcohol in his system doing wonders to lower any previous inhibitions surrounding his blatant flirting. Plus he wanted to see the other blush, it was a reaction he truly lived for.
 Heâd seen the other blush on facetime and had made it his lifeâs mission to do it again and again and again until the day he died. He had been making dinner and was taste testing the sauce, without thinking he had stuck a finger into the pan and taken it into his mouth. He hadnât noticed the way Joelâs eyes had widened, or the way his breath had hitched, he hadnât been looking at him. Heâd licked his finger clean with a satisfied hum, and even let his tongue poke out to get a small amount that had dropped onto his lips in the process. He had looked back up at his phone while absentmindedly noting any additions he needed to make and saw the beautifully deep red blush on the otherâs face as he stared off at something somewhere else in the room. He hadnât forgotten the way it looked on him since.Â
As expected, Joel blushed at the new nickname. It was lighter than the first time, but darker than some of the other times heâd blushed prior to this and Vlad nearly purred as he mentally added this to his growing list, expression three of the night had been achieved. Joel cleared his throat and broke the eye contact theyâd been sharing, quickly recovering and finishing up his drink. He set his cup down and when he looked back he had that same blank stare heâd been sporting earlier, Vlad did everything he could to not let it show how disappointed he was at its reappearance.
âThatâs for me to know and you to find out.â Joel swiveled his bar stool around to face the rest of the space and leant back, Vladâs eyelids drooped a bit as that damn sweater stretched across his chest when he brought his elbows back to rest on the bartop. He tore his eyes away to settle on the bottles lining the wall in front of him and brought a hand down to grip his cane.Â
âNot even a hint then?â He let his spare hand trace patterns on the wood beneath it, lips scrunching up into a pout. âHow many more songs do I even have to wait, hm?â He dared a glance at the other. Unsurprisingly, Joel hadnât moved in the seven seconds Vlad had resisted looking his way, and he took the moment to admire his side profile.
âLucky for you, not long. I know patience isnât your strongest discipline.â
âŠ
Excuse me?
Vladâs grip tightened on his cane and he sucked in a breath as he turned to respond, but before he could Joel stood up. He just barely heard the small applause around them signaling the previous songs end as he watched the man take long strides up to the stage.Â
No patience his assâŠ
He turned the rest of the way with a huff, just enough so his body was fully facing the stage, taking care to make sure his spine was resting against the edge of the bar. It dug in just a bit, making it a little uncomfortable, but his doctorâs words about needing to think about his posture more found their way into his mind as he watched Joel take the stairs two at a time up onto the platform.Â
He spared a brief glance around the room for the first time since the table incident had occurred and vaguely noted how few people seemed to remain at the venue. Odd, they must have all left when the scuffle happened, he thought. He could count the number of people here on his hands, every single face around him looking familiar. He gave a small hum before turning his attention back to the stage, watching the colored lights cast a dazzling blue shade over the man currently occupying the space as the song was announced.
Tan FĂĄcil? Heâd never heard of CNCO but the title sounded Spanish, he noted. He let his cane rest on his thigh again as he brought his hands up to give a few claps of encouragement as the song started. Joelâs face remained stoic as the backup vocals flowed through the speakers, his hands gripping the mic and its stand softly.Â
His golden eyes shot to Vladâs as he sang the first lines.
It was definitely Spanish, a language Vlad unfortunately did not understand. It didnât matter much though, even if he could understand the words being said he wouldnât be processing them. Joelâs voice was like honey, rich and smooth, the way he let the lyrics fall from his mouth. It was so much better than heâd imagined, and he let his mouth part just a bit as he lost himself in the otherâs eyes.
SerĂĄ tan fĂĄcil
Para mĂ serĂĄ tan fĂĄcil llegar a tu corazĂłn
Llenarte de ilusiĂłn
SerĂĄ tan fĂĄcil
Para ti serĂĄ tan fĂĄcil llegar a mi corazĂłn
Llenarme de ilusiĂłn
The gaze heâd previously held the attention of had gone to the monitor that was no doubt displaying the lyrics to the song. Vladâs eyes didnât leave his face though, how could they when he looked like that?
Porque tĂș me miras y yo siento lo mismo que tĂș
Cuando te miro siento que me estoy enamorando
Porque tĂș me miras y yo siento lo mismo que tĂș
Cuando te miro siento que me estoy enamorando
He took shallow breaths as he followed the way Joelâs eyes closed at the words, the ever changing lights casting an array of dancing shadows over him every other sentence. His chest felt tight as the performerâs head tilted ever so slightly to the side, seeming to really feel whatever he was saying, and oh Vlad wished he could feel it too. Heâd have to look up the translation later.
His fingers tapped against his cane to the music, and he found his lips parting as he watched Joel start to get more into it after the first chorus. It was subtle, but heâd been staring at this man for months, committing his face and every micro movement of it to memory.Â
Vlad subconsciously bit the inside of his lower lip as he watched the way Joelâs mouth formed to his words, every syllable feeling like something for him to dissect, to hold on to, to kiss off his lips if heâd ever let him.
Y contigo, solo quiero estar contigo
Quiero detener el tiempo cuando tĂș me mira yo te miro
Y solo contigo, solo quiero estar contigo
Quiero detener el tiempo cuando tĂș me mira yo te miro
Joelâs eyes found their way back to his own and it felt as though time had stopped. The beautiful pink color flashing over the manâs face was the only indication to him that it hadnât. He quirked one side of his mouth up into a small smile as he let his head fall to the side a little, entranced almost.
Porque tĂș me miras y yo siento lo mismo que tĂș
Cuando te miro siento que me estoy enamorando
Porque tĂș me miras y yo siento lo mismo que tĂș
Cuando te miro siento que me estoy enamorando
As the chorus came on again he briefly remembered that Spanish was a love language, and yes, he could see why. Everything sounded as if it was crafted with the sole intention of making someone fall head over heels. Even the way the speakers lips moved was breathtaking to say the absolute least. If he hadnât been in love before this performance he was sure he was now.
âŠ
Wait.
What?
SerĂĄ tus ojos, serĂĄ tu pelo
Y ese perfume que estĂĄ en tu cuerpo
Es como un sueño del que no despierto
Cuando te acercas te quiero besar
He felt his eyes widen just a fraction and his hand all but stilled on his cane. Their eyes hadnât parted for more than a few seconds since a bit before the last chorus and Vlad felt like he was drowning in the shining gold that kept his gaze locked tight.
Thatâs what this was, then.
He was in love.
He let out a small hum to himself at the realization.
Y es que no puedo aguantar estas ganas de ti
No puedo aguantar, es que te quiero para mĂ
Todo cambiĂł desde que te vi
Y junto a ti es que quiero estar
He should probably feel a bit more shocked about this, really, but how shocked could he truly be? Heâd spent the last 7 months of his life absolutely yearning to be with the other. Taking every second he could just to be in his space, to touch him, talk to him, breathe his air. Of course he was in love.
Y contigo, solo quiero estar contigo
Quiero detener el tiempo cuando tĂș me mira yo te miro
Porque tĂș me miras y yo siento lo mismo que tĂș
Cuando te miro siento que me estoy enamorando
Porque tĂș me miras y yo siento lo mismo que tĂș
Cuando te miro siento que me estoy enamorando
And despite what everyone insisted, he was sure it was unrequited. A pity, really.
He let his eyelids lower in adoration as he watched Joel close his eyes to sing what he could only imagine to be something passionate before he continued into the last chorus. He really could only imagine though, after all he didnât speak Spanish.
He clapped as the song ended and forced a hopefully less loving smile over his face as Joel stepped off the stage to come rejoin him at the bar. He may have just had a minor epiphany at the level of his affections for the other, but he couldnât let on. He couldnât ruin the friendship theyâd developed. He noticed that same red flush from earlier over Joelâs otherwise uninterested face and chalked it up to just being out of breath. He had a lot of passion when he sang, of course heâd be a bit flushed from it all. He spoke as Joel got within an acceptable range to hear him over whatever song the DJ had decided to play while nobody sang.
âWell, that was quite impressive Joel. I had no idea you could sing like that, your voice is wonderful.â Joel looks at him with his usual unreadable stare, but there was something in his eyes that Vlad canât quite decipher this time. Something he hadnât seen from the other before. What can only be described as an awkward silence envelops them and Vlad has to break their eye contact as he brings his hand up to scratch awkwardly behind his ear. Did he say something wrong?
â...Thatâs it?â His eyes flick back to the man in front of him and he offers a questioning look, bringing his hand back down to rest on top of the other where it rested on his cane, squeezing just a bit in nervousness.
âWhat do you mean? I offered a compliment, Joel,â he teases, âyou sounded great. What more could I say?â His eyebrows come together, in light annoyance. What else could he have said about his performance? He was no professional, he had no musical knowledge to be able to talk in depth about it, so what exactly was it Joel seemed to be looking for from him.
 He certainly wasnât about to divulge his recent revelation.
âI justâŠyou have nothing else to say about the song? About me?â He looked almost like a kicked puppy as he spoke. Now Vlad was getting agitated.Â
âYou sang a song at karaoke, it was good, nothing more. I am a bit confused here, did you want me to sing you praise or something?â He let a hand come up to gesture by his head as he spoke. âA little egotistical, donât you think?â The words were out before he could even think. He had always talked too much when his emotions ran high, and after the last few minutes he was sure they were on cloud 9.
âEgo- what?â He could see the anger form behind Joelâs eyes as he practically spat his words out. âY'know what, forget it.â He brought his hands up as he took a step back, almost as if heâd been burnt by the man in front of him. âIâll see you on Monday, thanks for the compliment.â He turned to leave, not making eye contact as he almost stomped towards the table that held Viola, Piper, and Cathrin. They all seemed to be watching them interact with wide, almost disbelieving eyes. Viola looked absolutely horrified.
He could feel tears welling up, and he could only imagine the absolute hurt and confusion he must be showing at whatever that outburst was. Viola briefly made eye contact with him as he stood, teetering just a bit before hurrying to the exit. He didnât want to talk to her right now, sheâd no doubt seen the exchange and he was in no mood to try and explain whatever that was with anyone else. He didnât even know what that was. He stepped up to the elevator and pressed the button to take him to the main floor. He sent a hurried text about heading home to their group chat before calling his driver. He hoped whatever mood Joel was suddenly in would clear up over the weekend. He had another emotion to add to his count at least, he thought bitterly as the elevator dinged open, all thoughts of translating the song long forgotten.
So I went the angst route. Shocker, I know. This had been in my head all week since I posted the last chapter and I'm SO excited for this one and the next part (whenever I get to it, because trust me this will have a VERY happy ending)
translation:
I want your eyes to look at me
And for your lips to kiss me
So you can't ever forget me
Tell me what you think about that
It'll be so easy, it'll be so easy for me
To get to your heart, fill you with illusion
It'll be so easy, it'll be so easy for you
To get to my heart, fill me with illusion
'CausĐ” you look at me and I, feel the same as you
WhДn I look at you, I feel that I'm falling in love
'Cause you look at me and I, feel the same as you
When I look at you, I feel that I'm falling in love
I'm falling in love with you, I don't know what's happening
I think your eyes are casting a spell on me
You've got me going crazy, baby, you got me at your feet
From the first time I saw you, I fell in love with you
You amazed me with how pretty you look
From your head to your toes, everything looks good on you
Ever since you arrived, my world has turned upside down
And with you, I only want to be with you
I want to stop time when you look at me and I look at you
And only with you, I only want to be with you
I want to stop time when you look at me and I look at you
'Cause you look at me and I, feel the same as you
When I look at you, I feel that I'm falling in love
'Cause you look at me and I, feel the same as you
When I look at you, I feel that I'm falling in love
It could be your eyes, could be your hair
Or that scent on your body
It's like a dream I don't wake up from
When you come close I want to kiss you
And I can't stand wanting you so bad
I can't stand it, 'cause I want you to be mine
Everything changed ever since I saw you
And with you is that I want to be
And with you, I only want to be with you
I want to stop time when you look at me and I look at you, oh-oh
'Cause you look at me and I, feel the same as you
When I look at you, I feel that I'm falling in love
(That I'm falling in love)
'Cause you look at me and I, feel the same as you
When I look at you I feel that I'm falling in love
As the guard coach I should absolutely be focused on the performance the kids are preparing for in like an hour, however I am indeed only thinking about the Jayvik karaoke scene Iâm in the middle of writingđ
Preview- Vladâs driver had dropped them off outside the bar roughly half an hour ago and there was no sign of Joel. He had stressed over his outfit for an hour in total and the one man he was trying to impress wasnât even here. He took another sip of his drink and let his eyes drift around the room for the umpteenth time, fiddling with the end of his came in his free hand. His cropped band shirt came down to his waist, covered by the open button up Viola had insisted on. The choice left a nice section of his stomach uncovered before it was met with his dark green cargo pants, not his first choice but his favorite brace for dancing was more comfortable with the slightly thicker fabric. Even without his ideal pants, he looked good and he knew it. He just wished the object of his affection would show up so he could prove it.
Minor Caitvi and Melvika in this one. They get like a full paragraph though.
Vlad was jealous. It was a plain and simple fact. Why? Joel Torres. His own filming for Arcane was on hold the past few days since they were focussed on other scenes, not a problem, He had plenty of other projects to fill his time with! Unfortunately this did mean he hadnât seen Joel since Monday. It was currently Friday. The absolute horror, am I right? And though that would be changing tonight, having set plans for over a week now, it didnât help the ugly emotion that had been churning in his gut. The media had started a rumor that there was something going on between his costars Miah and Joel, and while he knew it wasnât true, he couldnât help but roll his eyes and huff every time he got a âSorry, Joel and I need to run lines, can we do lunch tomorrow?â or an even worse âim with miah ill see you fridayâ from Joel (and his lack of proper grammar over text), which by the way, ouch? That had been sent on Wednesday and no communication had been had between the two since. Thatâs actually what brings us to the current topic and conversation, the one about him being jealous.
The stars of Arcane were all finally going out for drinks together, as actual friends he might add, and due to the varying degrees of fame amongst them, theyâd booked a VIP room at Violaâs favorite karaoke bar for the night. Viola, Miah, and himself were currently in varying states of the getting ready process in his living room. Miah was sitting on his patterned blue rug in front of the couch with her makeup and a mirror on the coffee table in front of her, she currently wore his bathrobe over her white skirt and cropped pink baby tee to avoid getting makeup on anything. Viola was in his kitchen just ten feet away absolutely decimating his liquor cabinet, and he was sitting behind Miah on his gray velvet couch, using her mirror to fix his hair for the 15th time.
âVlad Iâm telling you to just ask him the fuck out, okay?â Viola popped back up from under the counter and set down three shot glasses, proceeding to pour them some of hisâŠwhen did he buy whiskey? He doesnât drink whiskey. âItâs been WEEKS now of fuck me eyes back and forth around the lot,â She punctuated her words with a dramatic lean to the side and a wave of the hand,â and Iâm out $30 if one of you canât get it together and make a damn move by the end of filming. Do you want me to be out $30?â Their head snapped to look in Vladâs direction, an accusatory finger following. âBecause I thought-â
âYou and Joel will be in the same vicinity tonight, I would not recommend that once we leave.â That earned him a laugh from Miah and a dramatic groan of annoyance from Viola. She picked up their tray of shots and walked around the breakfast bar into the living room. Tonight they were donned in chest tape with an open cropped black jacket over it, a pair of black jeans and studded boots to complete the look. She set the tray down and sat beside him on the couch. He didnât need to look at them to know they were facing him.
âUncalled for, there hasnât been an incident in over a week and you know it. Plus who else is gonna be your wingman? Cat ainât subtle and whenever Miah gets within five feet of him itâs on the cover of Teen magazine.â He cringed a bit at that, it was true after all. It was also the entire reason they were having this conversation at all. Another cover shot of Joal and Miahâs âlunch dateâ as the article had put it.
âIâd hardly call your methods subtle, besides I donât know how many times I have to tell you he isnât interested. He doesnât seem like the type to...what was that saying Miah?â He makes eye contact with her in the mirror, âBeat the bush? It had to do with a bush.â He finally looks over at Viola as she downs her shot.
âBeat around the bush dear. And no, heâs not. Thatâs what weâre trying to tell you.â Miah finally speaks as she blends out her blush. âWeâve already established heâs not interested in me, nor I him. You can even ask him if you really want to know for sure.â She gives him a pointed look and closes her compact with a satisfying click. He breaks their eye contact to reach for his cane. Heâd had enough of this conversation to be frank, and needed to finish getting dressed.Â
âMaybe I will hmm? Who knows what the night will bring, but in the meantime, please do not burn down my apartment while I change.â That was definitely directed at Viola. âIâm moving in a few months and Iâd like my deposit back, thank you.â He turns to go to his bedroom, his exit is punctuated with the soft clicks of his cane, and as Viola watches him go she doesnât know whether she wants to scream or cry at his obliviousness.Â
âHe could tell the moment you set your sights on someone, but has no idea when someone does the same for him?â The question is directed at Miah, who looks to be nearly done with her makeup. A joint sigh escapes them both as they make eye contact. Itâs like a light bulb appears above Violaâs head as a smirk makes its way across her face and Miah knows what sheâs going to say before the words even escape her mouth. âSpeaking ofâŠhowâs that going? Savannah right?â
She can tell Miahâs blushing under her perfectly applied makeup and gives a nudge of encouragement with her foot. The woman bats her foot away and rolls her eyes. âYes Savannah. Weâre only texting right now, nothingâsâŠgoing yet. But I invited her tonight so with a little liquid courage and half an edible I think Iâll work up the nerve to ask her out.â She unclips her shoulder length butterfly locs and gives her head a shake to help fix them before she turns off her mirrorâs light. With a little uncertainty she takes a deep breath and turns to face her friend. âHow did youâŠwhen you asked out CatâŠuhâŠany pointers?â Her head tilts to the side with an awkward smile
Viola barks out a laugh and leans over to hand the other her previously forgotten shot. Miah immediately downs it gratefully and lets out a little chuckle before continuing. âMen are easy for me, y'know? I can flirt with them no problem, go on dates with them, text, but with Savi? Itâs like I canât even get a word outâŠâ She leans herself back against the couch defeated, following the way the fan spins with her eyes. She hears the way Viola sucks her teeth before replying with an almost cautious tone.
âHonestly? No idea. Cathrin asked me out. Walked up to me after an audition I did at Kurtmen Studios and said Iâd âgotten the part of her dateâ for that Saturday." They share another chuckle, âBest I can tell you is to just dive in and hope for the bestâŠsheâs definitely a lesbian though, I looked into it for you.â
â...oh?â
âYep. Half her posts tag that Lesbian bar on the other side of town and the other half are selfies at the gym or hiking.â
âVi that sounds like yo- oh. Yeah I believe you.â
Vladâs driver had dropped them off outside the bar roughly half an hour ago and there was no sign of Joel. He had stressed over his outfit for an hour in total and the one man he was trying to impress wasnât even here. He took another sip of his drink and let his eyes drift around the room for the umpteenth time, fiddling with the end of his came in his free hand. His cropped band shirt came down to his waist, covered by the open button up Viola had insisted on. The choice left a nice section of his stomach uncovered before it was met with his dark green cargo pants, not his first choice but his favorite brace for dancing was more comfortable with the slightly thicker fabric. Even without his ideal pants, he looked good and he knew it. He just wished the object of his affection would show up so he could prove it.Â
He was brought out of his thoughts when the stool next to him scraped against the floor and it was pulled out, a set of blue eyes and a blonde beard coming into view as the newcomer ordered. He heard him say a whiskey on the rocks, and being a drink or two in at this point, decided he'd make the most of his night. The bartender set down the drink and out of the corner of his eye he saw Viola go up to sing Wannabe by the Spice Girls again.
âWhiskey eh? Iâm more of a vodka man myself, but maybe their selection here is a bit better than what Iâm used to.â He faced the other as he vocalized his thoughts and realized he recognized him, he had seen him at a queer club Miah had dragged him to last weekend. Heâd definitely been checking Vlad out.Â
âItâs not my usual go to, but Iâm gearing up to buy this guy a drink and needed an extra push. Sitting right next to me actually, you think heâd want one?â The man raised his eyebrow and took a long sip of his drink. Vlad let the side of his mouth curl into a half smile and chuckled.
âI think heâd like a shot of vodka. And a name to go with such a cute face.â His head came to rest on his hand as he spoke, cane now resting against his inner leg The other quickly waved down the bartender and ordered the shot while Vlad finished the remainder of his drink.Â
âIâm Charlie. Yknow when my friend said he was gonna get us into an exclusive bar, I didnât expect to see so many famous faces. Yours included.â The shot was set down and Vlad raised it to his new counterpart before downing it. His eyes stayed on the bar for a moment as he responded.
âOh? So you know me then? And here I thought you just wanted a drink with a handsome stranger?â He was only half teasing. It would have been nice to not be recognized, but with his rising fame it was becoming harder and harder to find possible partners that didnât already know who he was. He asked for another vodka soda.
Charlie made no indication he was bothered by what was just said, even laughing along, but as he made a move to respond he tensed a bit, leaning just a bit farther away and eyes widening in an almost confused way, it would have been comical in any other circumstance. His eyes had focused on something behind Vlad and he himself now felt a presence in the previously empty space behind him. It was familiar, and he scrunched up his face in curiosity before swiveling around just a bit to see who it was.
âYou can go. Sorry to keep you waiting Vladimir, Cat and I got into a bit of an argument before we left.â Joel quickly came into sight and claimed the bar stool on the other side of him, eyes not leaving Charlieâs. Vlad made a noise of confusion and shook his head in a way he really hoped was nonchalant.
âOh uhâŠâ Fuck âYou didnât! Violaâs stage presence has had me captivated until just a minute ago, Charlie and I were just talking.â The man in question looked between the two a few times, trying to gauge the situation. Joel raised a brow at him when Vlad had turned back to the blond, eyes narrowing just a tad.
âI said you can go?â and oh was he gone. Departing with a quick nod of his head and walking quickly in another direction. Vladâs face scrunched up in confusion. He thought they were heading somewhere with their conversation too. With only mild disappointment, he shrugged and turned his attention to Joel, whose eyes had found their way back to Vlad the moment Charlie had hurried off. He had an unreadable look on his face as Vladâs eyes found his and silence overtook them.Â
Joel briefly looked to the bartender to order a glass of tequila when Vladâs drink was brought over and Vlad unwillingly made a mental note to try tequila the next time he went out. Heâd already mixed alcohol enough for one night and he didnât want to be totally incoherent now that the object of his desires had reared his beautiful head. Not a word was spoken as whoever was next went up on stage and Joel took a sip from his first drink of the night. Vlad was the first to break the silence, he usually was he noted.
âYou look good tonight, I donât think Iâve ever seen you out of costume now that I think about it. Greenâs a good color on you.â This was true, heâd only ever seen the other man in their Arcane costumes and the occasional jacket to avoid spilling anything on it. He looked good. He was dressed in a fitted dark green sweater over a dark grey button up shirt, though how anything fit under that sweater with how tight it seemed to be was a mystery. He had on black pleated slacks and dark grey shoes, a bit professional for a bar but who was he to judge. What caught his eye most was the gold chain around his neck, with a beautiful blue rock hanging from it. Heâd seen it before, on a bracelet Joel always wore on set. It must be interchangeable? Or part of a set? Eh who cares, he was two seconds away from drooling- Oh shit his mouth was open. He snapped his jaw shut with a light click and cleared his throat, eyes looking anywhere but the man beside him. Embarrassment heavy on the air around him.
Joel waited a moment before responding, âThanks. I like this sweater. Itâs soft, see?â An arm was held out in front of him and Vlad actually didnât have time to be embarrassed about the way his hand shot out to feel along Joelâs bicep and forearm. It was definitely softâŠand did so very little to hide the absolute unit of an arm underneath it.Â
âI seeâŠvery nice, yes.â He said as he brought his arm back down to his pocket. Joel gave a hum of approval and threw a glance over Vladâs shoulder again before letting his eyes come back to the otherâs.Â
They got into a comfortable conversation from there, Vlad very animatedly talking about this or that, Joel making comments here and there. They both found they had a mutual love of horror films, both loving the Evil Dead franchise and the remake of The Invisible Man. A comment was made that they should make plans to see something together once they had more free time, and Vlad plays off the flush oh his face with being just a bit buzzed.
âSoâs that your type?â Vlad absolutely froze at the words.
âYou mean Charlie?â He asked in an almost perplexed curiosity. Why were they talking about him again, it had been nearly an hour since heâd gone on his way.
âIf that was his name.â He had to find an answer soon with the way Joel was staring at him. The thing was, while yes that was his type, he had his ideal specimen of a man sitting directly next to himâŠwho also coincidentally fit the majority of the criteria he preferred, more so that the blond had in fact. He cleared his throat and let his eyes fall to the floor for a second, drink swirling in his hand while he thought of an answer.
âFor the most part, give or take the ehhâŠfacial hair I suppose?â Was that subtle? Oh gods it definitely wasnât. Where was Viola? She was meant to be a wingman tonight for him. He dared a glance at the other as the words rolled off his tongue, she had said to be more forward anyways.
âHm. Definitely not my type but we all have our preferences.â Joel shrugged as he answered. He felt himself deflate just the smallest bit as he decided to ask a bold and very clarifying question.Â
âOh? Like men in general?â Fuck fuck fuck abort abort abort-
âNo. Men are fine, heâs just not my type.â Vladimirâs head had never in his life whipped up so fast, and he had never been so embarrassed about a reaction as when his gaze locked onto a pair of beautiful golden eyes, staring right into his soul.
âAh. I see.â He responded slowly.
âI just prefer a smaller partner. Eye color is all wrong too.â Joel broke their eye contact for the first time as he glanced at a loud crash across the room. Vlad couldnât bear to look away from his face at that moment.
Was he flirting? Was it just one too many drinks and an active imagination? He didnât think heâd had enough to make himself lose his perception of those around him, but maybe it was time to call it quits for the night. His mouth suddenly felt very dry as he watched Joelâs eyes drift back to his own.
âIâll be back. Iâd like to talk more.â Joel downed the remainder of his drink and stood up, âI like talking to youâŠVlad. Apologies for not being able to see you much this last week.â Heat crept up his neck as we watched the taller man walk away towards the commotion. He could now clearly see Piper, another castmate of theirs, had been the cause. He couldnât be bothered to figure out what was happening though, too lost in thought about the conversation heâd just had.
Author's note: Im like a fly rubbing my hands together in an evil way whenever i write bc i just love making vik flustered
I just got home from my vacation, havenât really slept in 15 hours, AND I have to stay up another 6 so I donât ruin my sleep schedule. THAT MEANS ITS FANFIC TIME BABY LETS GOOOOOOO
I just got home from my vacation, havenât really slept in 15 hours, AND I have to stay up another 6 so I donât ruin my sleep schedule. THAT MEANS ITS FANFIC TIME BABY LETS GOOOOOOO
