written for @newdawnescapism, based on their Restaurant AU
On the House by i_admire_from_afar for itsrichietozier.
Summary:
Jayce knew Viktor well enough by to know he liked oysters with “goodies” on them, but not their own; enough to know his favorite dish was roast duck with braised cabbage and dumplings; enough to know he had a massive sweet tooth…
...enough to know about his little habit of eating just a little too much, eating until he moaned in discomfort, until he was a mess of stifled burps and little hiccups, until his stomach couldn’t be sucked back in.
And Viktor? Viktor had no idea Jayce knew about this.
Or so Jayce thought.
🥘
Jayce orders dinner for two. Viktor realizes it's all for him.
Because we need more fan works of Jayce being cared for...
This started as a series of drabbles based on @newdawnescapism's restaurant AU that I kept in my notes, then transferred to a google doc, and am now posting here.
(CW: Depression, Non-Penetrative Sex, Belly Kink, Weight Gain Kink, Guns, Home Break-In)
So, imagine Jayce after he and Viktor officially start dating...
...after Ekko quits House Talis and gives Jayce his reasons why (“I can do a lot more good with my gifts actually feeding people, you know?”); after Silco is arrested on tax evasion charges, marking an end to the mob wars…for now.
Still no sign of Jinx.
Imagine Jayce after he sells House Talis and the apartment above it; after selling his company, paying off his debts; after functionally retiring from the culinary world to figure out who he is on his own terms.
Imagine Jayce moving back in with his mom, wondering if that's the right call. He's thinking about writing a memoir. He's contemplating going to therapy and/or to rehab for his eating disorder.
Jayce doesn't do any of those things.
Because Jayce is tired, eyes heavy, head bowed low, body barely vertical on a good day. He’ll muster the energy to help Ximena, of course – she's his mom, and Ximena has been through so much, stroke aside; managing once-easy tasks by herself is much harder now. Jayce doesn't have too much energy beyond that, though.
Viktor comes by the house often, typically on days he doesn’t need to be at Rio’s. Sometimes they all cook together (doing their damnedest to not step on each other’s toes) and share a meal, but usually they just chat in the living room or the backyard for hours on end. When the weather starts getting nice, Jayce and Viktor swim in the pool together as Ximena watches.
Viktor and Ximena get on like a house on fire. It warms Jayce’s heart knowing his mom loves Viktor almost as much as he does.
Sometimes, when Jayce isn’t as fatigued *coughcoughthatmanisdepressedandwontadmititcoughcough* he’ll trek out to Zaun, stop at Rio’s, order a coffee or diet soda and whatever the special is. That, or he’ll head straight to Viktor’s mobile home; regardless, he and Viktor always spend the night together.
It’s during one of these visits that Jayce breaks down the moment he walks through the door. Viktor beckons Jayce to the couch, arms wide open as Jayce collapses into him.
“What’s wrong with me?” Jayce sniffles into Viktor’s chest.
“Nothing’s wrong with you, love,” Viktor says, rubbing Jayce's back.
“You sure about that?” Jayce burrows himself further into Viktor. “I used to work eighteen-hour shifts like they were nothing! Did interviews, went to galas, the gym. Now, it’s a miracle if I have the energy to bring in the mail.”
Jayce readjusts himself, now laying across the couch, head fighting with Viktor’s growing belly for a spot in his lap. God, Viktor looks so good (botched at-home hair-bleaching job notwithstanding), soft, dreamy, comfortable in his own skin (the extra 15 kilos he’s gained since winter only adding to that). Jayce loves Viktor at any size and in any form, but finds him especially handsome now.
“You’re looking thin,” Viktor notes as he tenderly strokes Jayce’s hair. And sure, while Jayce isn’t as small as he was pre-GastroWars, he's lost a noticeable amount of weight over the last few months. Not that Jayce cares all that much; it’s been hard for him to care about anything lately.
“I’m fine,” Jayce insists, only for the rumble of his stomach to rat him out.
“Stay here.” Viktor scoots out from under Jayce’s head. “Unless you want to help me?”
Jayce considers his options: moping on the couch or helping Viktor.
So, Jayce slowly gets himself upright before making his way to the kitchen. He’s quickly greeted by the smell of beef browning in a pot.
“How can I help?”
“If you can peel and chop–” Viktor gestures at the carrot, parsley root, celery root, onion, and apple on the cutting board, “–that would be great.”
Jayce peels the fruit and vegetables, confirms how Viktor wants them cut, almost gets out prep bowls to place the chopped veg in until Viktor lovingly chides him on not wanting to dirty extra dishes.
“Anything else you need?” Jayce asks.
“Not really.” Viktor takes the beef out of the pot, places it in a large bowl, then motions for Jayce to come over with the cutting board. “Just dump it in, I got it from here. Now, if you can pick something to watch–”
“I’m on it!” Because Jayce likes having things to do.
Jayce peruses multiple streaming services for contenders, waiting for Viktor to come out of the kitchen before settling on what to watch. When Viktor returns to the couch, he has a surprising request.
“I think our season of GastroWars is on streaming now,” he mentions.
“You want to watch it?” Jayce sounds almost scared at his own question.
Viktor nods. “I want to see how much of a bitch they make me.”
“They made me into a preppy douchebag!” Jayce scoffs.
“At least you have a personality. They fucking defanged me in the editing room, and…” Viktor stops mid thought, face turning away from the television the moment he appears on screen. The scraggly brunette Viktor on the television and the chubby bleach blond Viktor sitting next to Jayce on the couch look very different from each other; they could be mistaken for different people all together if it weren't for Viktor's moles.
Jayce pauses the show, pulls Viktor in a little closer, sensing his discomfort. “We don’t have to watch this.”
“Can we skip this episode?” Viktor asks.
“Oh yes, please!” And Jayce obliges, goes back to the menu, skips to episode where they pair up the Piltovan/Zaunite chefs.
What they don’t expect is for the episode to open with hidden camera footage from Mel’s post-elimination party.
“They taped all this?” Jayce scoffs.
“I mean...” Viktor gestures at the TV.
Not even a moment later does footage of the two of them mid-argument and sitting affectionately close together flash across the screen. Puzzle pieces slotted into place.
“No wonder they paired us in the competition,” Viktor notes, their chemistry blatantly obvious despite neither of them clocking it at the time.
“Cameras knew we were in love before we did.”
Jayce can’t help but to pause the TV again. He spots - and points - at him and Viktor making out in the background before slipping into Mel’s bathroom in one of the shots.
“Oh Janna,” Viktor buries his head in his hands from embarrassment.
The show’s quality improves as the season progresses, and Jayce and Viktor start to understand why the editing team made the creative choices they did…even if they don’t agree with said choices.
“Should I be flattered or offended they gave me a ‘let’s make him likeable’ arc?” Jayce says, head back into Viktor’s lap, a throw pillow over his stomach. “I think I’m a likeable guy.”
“I’m just glad they finally let me be an asshole,” Viktor smiles, one hand on his belly, the other stroking Jayce's hair.
“You’re not an asshole, babe,” Jayce assures.
“Honey–” Viktor looks at Jayce laying down in his lap, “–we’re both assholes.”
Just then, Viktor’s timer goes off to check on the braise.
“No need to pause,” Viktor says as he slips out from under Jayce, makes his way back to the kitchen. “I’ll be quick.”
As Viktor dips back into the kitchen, Jayce keeps watching GastroWars, looking forward to when he and Viktor grace the screen (is that weird?). But the longer Jayce watches, the more his stomach knots in discomfort. Not because he was now watching the winter holiday-themed episode in April (granted, they filmed said winter holiday episode in May of last year). It’s because Jayce notices his weight gain as the episodes progress – cheeks getting fuller, the outline of stomach pressing against his apron more and more, trousers fitting tighter and tighter around his hips and ass – even though these changes are imperceptible to the average viewer. Jayce squeezes the pillow over his stomach just that much tighter.
Jayce was a different man then. He is very a different man now.
“Jayce, I can use your–” Viktor sees Jayce on the couch, curled in on himself. “–honey, are you okay?”
Jayce shakes his head, turns the TV off.
“Need things to be quiet for a while?” Viktor asks.
Jayce nods.
“You still want to help me? You don’t have to if you’re not up to it.”
“What?” It takes a moment for Jayce to get back to reality. “Ah shit–”
“Shhh, it’s okay, love,” Viktor says, pressing a finger into Jayce’s lips. “You needed the rest.”
Jayce sits up, pillow still over his stomach. “How long was I out?”
“Erm, thirty minutes, maybe. Not long,” Viktor says. “And, erm, dinner’s ready when you are.”
“Oh…” Jayce shoos the quilt off of him, stands up, and makes his way to the dining table, until he then sees two plates – bread dumplings and slices of beef resting over an orange-colored sauce, served with cranberries and lemon wedges – on the coffee table in front of him.
“I want to keep watching the show, if you're still game for that." Jayce nods, sitting back down, settling next to Viktor. Viktor turns the TV back on, restarting the holiday episode from the beginning. Viktor grabs one of the plates for himself, starts eating. Jayce rests his head on Viktor’s shoulder for a spell, the pillow still over his stomach.
“Honey, you should eat,” Viktor insists, lifting his shoulder slightly to encourage Jayce to move.
Jayce sighs, takes the remaining plate for himself. He studies it for a moment. The dish looks familiar, like he might have seen it – or possibly eaten it – before. He sniffs the sauce. Yeah, he’s eaten this before, a version at least. “Wait, this is–”
“Svíčková. My mum’s recipe,” Viktor says, forking a tender bit of beef and dragging it through the sauce before taking a bite.
Jayce takes a bite of the bread dumpling, eats it. Damn, that's really fucking good. “You've serve this at the diner.”
“Every Sunday.” Viktor confirms. “It’s, erm, for special occasions.”
“It's not Sunday so...what’s the occasion?” Jayce squeezes lemon over the beef, takes a bite, swallows. “Can’t just be because I’m over.”
“It is, partly.”
Jayce furrows his brow in confusion. Something’s not clicking for him.
“We met a year ago today,” Viktor reminds him.
“God, how could I forget?” Jayce's stomach sinks from the guilt of not remembering the date. “You were sitting on the floor of the handicap stall. My dumb ass asked if I could join you. Think we sat there a half hour before we even talked.”
The room grows quiet, save for the drone of the television.
“I was having a panic attack, before the shoot? When you found me, I mean,” Viktor admitted. "Don't think I told you."
“Didn't need to. I've pulled similar stunts in my day, except I was always alone.” Jayce looks at Viktor. “I didn’t want you to be alone.”
“Thank you,” Viktor kisses Jayce.
Jayce wants to kiss Viktor back, scoop him up into his lap and envelope him until Viktor gets absorbed into his body, until the two of them become one. But Jayce only has the energy to look at Viktor fondly and soft-smiled.
They keep watching the show and eating their dinner.
"You have a look on your face," Viktor says as he wraps up doing the dishes.
“I…I do?” Jayce sighs, disgruntled as he puts leftovers away in the fridge, slams it shut.
"Honey--" Viktor turns off the sink faucet, turns to face Jayce, "--what's up?"
Jayce huffs, leans his body into the counter.
“I don’t know what I want anymore," he says, more a self admission than anything.
Viktor furrows his brow. "Okay?"
“Like..." Jayce adjusts himself, slightly facing away from Viktor, “...I only know how to be Chef Talis. Now that I’m not him anymore, I..." Jayce throws his hands up, at a loss for words.
Viktor looks at him kindly, lovingly, hugs Jayce from behind.
“What do you want right now?” Viktor asks.
Jayce thinks, eyes glassy, tears welling but not spilling in the corners of his eyes.
“This?” Jayce manages. "Just...holding me."
Oh, and does Viktor hold him.
"I got you." Viktor sways side to side, Jayce along with him. "What else do you want, my love?"
"I, um…” Jayce bites his lip, turns his head to sneak a longing look at Viktor. “I wanna kiss you.”
“Kiss me. Nothing's stopping you.” So Jayce kisses Viktor about it. Kisses Viktor a couple of times about it. Slides his hands up Viktor's shirt about it, too.
"You're so..." Jayce can't take his lips off of Viktor, "...I...I want..."
"Tell me-" Viktor moans at the sensation of Jayce's calloused hands cupping his soft chest, "-tell me what you want, love."
“I want to be…” Jayce nuzzles himself into the crook of Viktor's neck, “...here.”
“Uh huh.” Viktor stands on his tippy-toes, kisses Jayce's ear, his temple, and the soft tufts hair sticking to his skin.
"And..." Jayce pulls Viktor closer to him, "...safe."
"You're safe," Viktor assures with whispers and kisses.
They're on Viktor's bed now, Jayce (still in his t-shirt and basketball shorts) curled in on himself, head in Viktor's lap; Viktor (shirtless, out of his braces, changed into pajama pants) seated at the edge of the mattress, hand affectionately rubbing Jayce's shoulder.
"This is nice..." Jayce says.
"...But?"
"I think...I want..." He sits himself up, scoots himself up against the headboard. "...I think I want you to love me."
Viktor crawls over, now on all fours above Jayce.
“I think I can do that.” Viktor palms at the hardening bulge beneath Jayce's shorts, garnering soft whimpers and sweet sighs from Jayce. “Tell me how you want me to love you.”
"I..." Jayce voice cracks as Viktor lays atop him, now trailing kisses along his jaw, down his neck, along his collar bone. "I want...I..." Jayce's voice fades away, face turning away with it.
Viktor pushes himself off of Jayce for a moment.
"Do you want to stop?"
Jayce isn't sure, so he doesn't react. But he does thumb at his belly through his shirt. The skin there has become quite loose with his recent and unexpected weight loss. He feels more self conscious about that than when he a fuller, much larger belly.
"I miss it," Jayce admits.
"Miss what?"
"I miss having..." Jayce lifts his shirt, revealing his soft, flabby belly. "...it." He says it like letting go of a hot coal in his fist
"You have a beautiful body, you know that?" Viktor says, kissing the loosest fold of Jayce's skin there. "Whatever shape you take, you'll always be beautiful."
And if Jayce didn't burst into tears right on the spot.
"You don't mean that," Jayce's convinces himself through louder and louder sobs.
"My sweetness!" Viktor kisses every tear that streaks down Jayce's cheeks. He draws Jayce into him, "I mean every word."
Jayce flings his shirt off, presses Viktor into him and--
Jayce can't stop loving Viktor.
Jayce can't stop, won't stop, being loved by Viktor.
"Of course I love you," Viktor says. "Loving you is like breathing." Viktor chuckles. "Well, breathing for most people."
"I'm know I'm not easy," Jayce says. "And I need so much help."
"First, it takes one to know one," Viktor notes, "and second...therapy, support groups, they've been, ah, game changers for me. I can help point you in the right direction, if that's what you want?"
Jayce nods into Viktor's warm, damp skin. "I think I'd like that--"
CcCcrAAaaaSSShHh
"The hell?" Jayce turns the faucet off. The sound definitely came from inside the house.
"Stay back." Viktor says as he exits the shower.
"Babe, you're not going out there alone." Jayce bounds after Viktor, following him into his closest.
"Not my first rodeo, love." Viktor has slipped on a snug tee (hugging his belly in all the right places, Jayce thinks for a brief second) and pulled his pajama pants back on, and is now opening his safe. “I got this.”
"What are you doing?" Jayce watches as Viktor pulls a handgun out of the safe. Viktor walks past him, nonchalant, too calm, exits the bedroom.
"What the fuck?!" Jayce doesn't know how to react to all this (and since when did Viktor own a fucking firearm?) other than thinking that maybe he shouldn't be naked right now. Jayce tugs his shorts back on, his shirt, eyes a baseball bat next to Viktor's dresser, follows his partner out of the room, down the hall, into the kitchen to find–
“Jinx?” the couple say in unison. Viktor lowers his gun, Jayce the bat.
Jinx is sitting cross-legged on the kitchen floor, fridge wide open behind her as she eats the leftover svíčková straight from the tupperware with her bare hands. Blue hair faded, too long. Bloodshot eyes with baggage. Her already oversized shirt hangs off her frame more than it should, and her bike shorts look loose around her thighs. Jinx looks worse for wear, death on two legs.
She looks up from her desperate feast, looks Viktor and Jayce up and down (and Jayce absolutely catches her looking at Viktor's belly for a long while) before swallowing her food.
Heyyy I read ur "on the house" jayvik fic and loved it. Do u plan to write more? I hope soooo ❤️❤️❤️
thank you for the kind words! It was an absolute blast to write, and it’s fun to revisit and read on its own.
while I don’t think another fic proper for the AU will be in the works (at least not anytime soon), @newdawnescapism has a whole section on their blog dedicated to their restaurant AU with great drabbles, and additional context/lore
I also wrote some Jayce-centric drabbles that add to the story:
Here is a drabble on Jayce’s backstory leading into the events of On the House.
And here is a drabble that takes place between the dinner and the epilogue that explores Jayce’s mental health and Viktor loving/caring for him.
it’s definitely a fun sand box to play in! And time will tell if there will be more playtime in it
