Movies and Discoveries
It's been a hot minute, but I have a huge backlog of fics to post lol. This is one of my favourites <3 Enjoy!
Title: Movies and Discoveries
WC: 3438
Summary: Viktor and Jayce take some time to hang out together and watch a few films. Viktor, ever an opportunist, makes this an excuse to test one of his suspicions about Jayce.
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“Hey, do you want to come and watch some movies at mine tonight?”
“Hmm?” Viktor looked up from his wiring, pushing his goggles onto his forehead. The effect was almost offensively cute, if you asked Jayce. “Ah, movies. I don’t see why not.”
Jayce punched the air and cheered, making Viktor laugh. “It is just movies, no? Why is that so exciting?”
“Because you never agree to do stuff outside of work!”
“Yes I do! Remember the amount of times we hit that dive bar after spending a day in the lab?” Viktor protested, and Jayce nodded acquiesingly.
“We did, but that was over a year ago now. You need to give yourself some breathing space.”
Viktor sighed, leaning back in his chair. He wasn’t wrong. “I already said yes, you don’t need to convince me again. But I want to choose the movies.”
“Deal. As long as I pick next time.”
“Sure.”
Jayce grinned and spun in his chair, pushing himself over to Viktor’s workstation. He prodded a finger into his side, making him squirm before leaning his chin on his shoulder to look at his work.
“What have you been working on?” he asked.
Viktor dutifully explained, but internally he was forming a plan. Movies, huh? Maybe he could use this to try something he’d been thinking about.
Later that evening Viktor knocked on Jayce’s door with a bottle of wine in hand. Jayce had the door open before Viktor had even finished.
“Vik! Come in, come in - oh you didn’t need to bring wine!”
Viktor shrugged, an easy smile on his face. “Eh, hospitality demands I must. Although I did bring this along with the expectation that we were going to get a bit shit faced, so apologies if I am incorrect. I would have brought something nicer.”
Jayce laughed, ushering him through the door and into the living area where something spicy scented the air coming from the kitchen. “No, no, that sounds about right. It’s been ages since we’ve been able to just hang out together. I miss it.”
“We see each other every day.” Viktor put the wine bottle on the kitchen counter, shrugging off his coat. Jayce grabbed the coat from him and hung it by the door.
“Yeah, but that’s work. I like spending time with you outside the lab.”
Viktor felt a thrill of affection spark in his chest, and he hoped he wasn’t blushing.
“Me too.” He managed to answer, toeing off his shoes and placing them neatly by the rack. “I assume you probably have plans for food?”
“You know it.” Jayce said, wandering over and taking the lid off a big pot on the stove. “I remember you saying a while ago you wanted to try some of my family recipes. This is one of my favourites.”
“It smells incredible.” Viktor peeked into the pot to find a mix of steamy rice and chorizo. Jayce glowed with pride.
“It’s still got a while left before it’s ready.” Jayce put the lid back on. “How come you’re still in your lab clothes?”
Viktor looked down at his slacks and shirt, now covered with a cardigan. “I’m not. I don’t wear the cardigan to the lab.”
“Yeah, but the rest you do.”
“Most of my wardrobe is lab stuff,” he said with a shrug. “I haven’t really needed much else.”
Jayce sighed and shook his head. “I need to get you some comfy clothes. Do you want to borrow some of mine while you’re here?”
Viktor nodded - he was used to his shirts and pants, but he had to admit they weren’t exactly comfortable to curl up in. Jayce went off to grab some clothes from his room, leaving Viktor to properly look around his apartment. He’d been here before, but it had been a long time. What Jayce had said about not really seeing each other outside of work was true, and he missed their talks. The apartment was spacious and well furnished, betraying Jayce’s healthy paycheck, but still modest and lacking in a lot of the flouncy displays Viktor had come to expect from high society homes. He liked Jayce’s space.
“Here we go, these will be big on you but you should be able to tie the pants.” Jayce said, emerging from his room with a Piltover Academy crewneck and some track pants and handing them to Viktor. “You know where the bathroom is?”
“Yes, thank you.” Viktor headed over to the bathroom and tugged off his clothes, catching himself in the mirror. His hair was pushed around from when he pulled off his shirt, leaving him looking messier than he’d usually let himself be. As a second thought he took off his back and leg brace too - he didn’t anticipate needing the support tonight. As he stood with the crewneck in hand it was not lost on him that he was nearly naked in Jayce’s bathroom and had to fight down a frankly embarrassing wave of nerves. Regaining ahold of himself he left the bathroom, clothes in hand.
“Forsaken the brace, I see?” Jayce commented from his spot on the couch as Viktor put the clothes in a neat pile by his shoes.
“It’s not the most comfortable thing to wear if I don’t need it and I doubt I’ll be doing much running around tonight.” He said, settling himself beside Jayce and letting him throw a blanket over his legs.
“That’s true. What’s your first movie pick of the evening?” Jayce asked, handing the remote over to Viktor. He took it and turned on the TV, navigating over to a streaming service with a smirk as he put his plan into action.
“You’ll see.”
The first film he’d chosen was what could kindly be called a horror movie, but in reality was more of a splatter comedy. Despite this Jayce found himself clutching a pillow throughout a few moments of the film. Notably, he did excuse himself at one point to check on the food. Exactly at the moment Viktor expected him too. He logged that little tidbit in his brain before turning on the next movie, happily munching away at his meal.
For the next two films, Jayce left at the times Viktor expected with some excuse about going to the bathroom or changing out some laundry. At this point Viktor’s bottle of wine was long gone and they had started going through Jayce’s alcohol collection. Needless to say, they were both decently tipsy. In the fourth film, Viktor paused the TV when Jayce got up to ‘check on something.’
“You can let it play, it’s okay.” Jayce waved a hand when he saw Viktor pause.
“No, I’ll wait for you to get back.”
Jayce fixed him with a slightly nervous glance before letting it go. “Alright.”
He was gone for five minutes, and when he sat back down on the couch Viktor let the scene play.
“Hang on, I forgot-”
“Jayce. Sit down.” Viktor interrupted, voice lilting. He had that look on his face he got when he was testing something. It made Jayce’s palms sweat. He did as he was asked.
“What? What’s up?” Jayce asked, the wine making his brain run in desperate circles. Had Viktor noticed his avoidance?
Viktor leaned his head on the back of the couch, studying his face. “You have left to go and do something every time a tickle scene popped up on the screen. Why?”
Jayce blanched - he had not expected Viktor to come straight out of the gates with that. “What, hah, what makes you think that?”
Viktor narrowed his eyes and Jayce knew he was caught. “Well, you are stuttering in a way I know is not alcohol related, and in every film you have strategically made yourself absent during any and all mention of tickling. Not to mention that you seem to have an obsession with poking my sides when we’re working, and you jump whenever I get even slightly close to your stomach. I want to know why.”
“I have no idea what you’re - hang on, did you specifically choose these movies for those scenes?” Jayce accused, and Viktor grinned.
“Maybe. Answer the question.”
Jayce stared at him open mouthed before covering his face with his hands. “You shifty bastard.”
“Hah! So I was right? This is a thing?”
“No! No it’s not.”
“So if I- hang on,” Viktor sat up properly and cracked his knuckles before his hands shot towards Jayce’s belly. Jayce squealed and tucked his knees to his chest, arms out in defence.
“Oh, this is definitely a thing.” Viktor said with a smug grin, sitting back against the couch.
“It’s… okay, maybe it is.” Jayce finally admitted, knowing a lost cause when he saw one. He’d been caught, fair and square.
“Do you like it? Is that why?” Viktor asked and Jayce cringed.
“You can’t just say that!”
“Why not? Is it true?”
Jayce made a strangled noise and covered his face in his hands again. That was until he felt fingers curiously prodding into his side.
“Viktor!” he whined, protecting his sides.
“Jayce~” Viktor said back, all drawn out and teasy. “You like it, don’t you?”
Jayce squirmed, looking anywhere but at Viktor as he wrung his hands together. “Well- I don’t not like it-”
“That’s the same as saying you like it.”
“Is it?” Jayce scratched the back of his neck, trying to stall but Viktor wasn’t having it. He gently pulled Jayce’s shoulder around so he was facing him.
“Hey. I’m not going to laugh at you, Jayce. It’s not weird if you do.”
Jayce blanched, caught off guard by Viktor’s open admission of care and kindness. He stuttered over his words a bit more before sighing and relaxing back against the couch.
“Fine. You’re right.”
The corners of Viktor’s mouth twitched upwards. “You like it?”
“I like it.”
That admission was all the prompting Viktor needed as the hand resting on Jayce’s shoulder suddenly started digging into his side and squeezing. He yelped, high pitched and panicked before dissolving into bubbly giggles.
“Vihik! Hooholy shihit, that’s mehean!” he protested, curling up over his hand and hugging his chest.
“Is it? Even if you like it?” Viktor moved his hand to shift up his ribs and buzz into his armpit, chuckling to himself when Jayce just about shrieked.
“Yehehes! Whyhy?” Jayce whined, and Viktor just laughed.
“I am a scientist, and you presented me with a variable in need of testing. I could hardly call myself an academic if I let this information go uninvestigated. What, did you expect me not to tickle you?” he drawled, both hands now wiggling under Jayce's arms. Jayce was now curled up on the edge of the couch and squirming like his life depended on it, laughing desperately.
“You dohon’t hahave to -HA! NohOHO!”
Jayce finally slid off the couch and onto the floor when one of Viktor’s hands started drilling properly in his armpit, cackling and trying to roll out of Viktor’s range. However Viktor just slid off the couch with him and used the opportunity to swing a leg over Jayce’s hips and pin him under him, switching his hands from his underarms to his stomach. Jayce tossed his head back and shrieked when those deft hands wormed under his sweater and raked down his belly, sending ticklish zings of sensation all through him. His laughter quickly changed from high pitched to full and boisterous, and Viktor couldn’t help but feel butterflies rise in his gut at the sight. In an attempt to prolong Jayce’s adorable giddy expression he switched to squeezing his hips, testing where and how he could tickle to get the best reactions. The result was Jayce arching his back on the floor, tears starting to well in his eyes as he lost himself to hysterics.
“Vihihik! Plehehease!”
“Please what? Tickle more? That can be arranged.” He said, reaching a hand back to tickle under Jayce’s knee and make him squeak.
“Nohoho! Mehehercy!”
Viktor let up on his tickling a little, just feathering his hands over his tummy for now.
“Can I try one last thing?” He asked, playing up his pleading expression.
Even through giggly tears, Jayce couldn’t say no to that face. “Hehehe! Fine…”
Viktor beamed before pulling Jayce’s shirt up to his chest and taking a deep breath. Jayce had a millisecond to connect the dots before Viktor was planting a huge raspberry right in the centre of his belly. He screeched, hands clawing at the rug while he writhed under his friend, brain fried from the onslaught of sensation. Just as quickly as the torturous feeling started it stopped, with Viktor patting his side before sliding off him and onto the floor to lean against the couch with a satisfied grin.
“Hahah, happy now?” Jayce asked, pushing himself up onto his elbows to ride out the rest of his giggles.
“Very. Are you?” Viktor asked back, tilting his head in a way that was unfairly endearing.
“Ha! I’m not answering that.” Jayce said with a grin, stretching his back. “You really don’t think it’s weird?” he asked on second thought, some insecurity settling back onto his shoulders.
Viktor shook his head. “Not at all. I grew up in close proximity to the undercity brothels. I saw much stranger things than an inclination for tickling.”
“That’s- that’s a pretty low bar, V.”
“It’s not weird, Jayce. Get out of your head.” Viktor instructed, flicking a finger against his forehead. Jayce grumbled and rubbed his forehead but let it go in favour of another question brewing in the back of his mind.
“Are you ticklish?” He asked, noting how Viktor suddenly started avoiding eye contact.
“No. There was no time for such things in my upbringing.” He bluffed, and Jayce saw right through it.
“Come on, V, we both know that’s bullshit. Besides, I was honest when you asked me. It’s only fair.” Jayce started slowly inching towards Viktor on the floor, snickering when Viktor shifted away.
“It’s the truth!” Viktor doubled down, pushing away Jayce’s curious hands.
“Mmm, I don’t believe you.” Jayce said, sitting back on his knees. “I’m going to give you one more chance. Are you ticklish, Viktor?”
As much as he loathed to admit it, Jayce had a point. He had come clean about his inclination, so it’s only fair that Viktor gave this up in return. So with a sigh, Viktor met Jayce’s gaze with a reluctant look.
“Very much so.” He answered, the butterflies starting up in his stomach again when Jayce’s face lit up.
“Thank you! Speaking of fair play, it’s only right that I test it as well, right?”
“Oh, don’t you dare-” Viktor protested, fighting back Jayce’s hands again as they moved to push him onto the floor. Despite his admittedly half assed defense, Jayce managed to wrangle him down so he was flat on his back, both wrists pinned above his head. He tried to pull his legs up but they were blocked by Jayce’s own legs which hooked over them to keep him still.
“Okay then, first test…” Jayce teased, clearing his throat. “Experiment 1.1, where is Viktor ticklish?”
“Jayce- hnng!” Viktor cut himself off with a funny noise when Jayce started prodding and poking up his side, biting back a smile and kicking his good leg on the ground already.
“Come on, V, let me hear it!” Jayce encouraged, kneading his fingers a little deeper and hooking them under the bottoms of his ribs. That did it - Viktor gasped out a laugh, burying his face in his shoulder as he broke.
“Haah! Cahareful!” Viktor pleaded, hoping to appeal for Jayce’s mercy, but Jayce just hummed thoughtfully.
“Is that careful because it hurts, or careful because it tickles? I’m willing to bet on the latter.” he teased, and Viktor whined in frustration as his plan fell through. He was spared from answering with words when Jayce’s hand shifted over to scratch at his tummy, instead only able to answer with cackling laughter.
“Shihihit!”
“Mm, yep, looks like it tickles.” Jayce assured himself aloud, happily clawing his hand into Viktor’s stomach and watching him squirm and laugh breathlessly. Viktor was still trying to hide in his arm so Jayce let go of his wrists and let his other hand join in, both slipping under his shirt to scribble on his belly. Viktor threw his head back and yelled, hands weakly gripping onto Jayce’s wrists while he tossed and turned under him, completely lost in his own laughter.
“Nohoho! Ahahahah, nohot thahahat!”
“Why not?” Jayce said, switching up his techniques every few seconds to see how Viktor squirmed and eventually settling back on the scribbling upon seeing how undone it was making his friend. Viktor made a high pitched keen, unable to elaborate through what felt like sweet torture. Having not been tickled properly in that last several years, he was discovering that his tolerance for the torment was well in the negatives.
When Jayce started pinching and walking his fingers up to Viktor’s ribs, he started begging.
“Jahayce- HAAahahahaha! N-nohot thehehere, ahanywhere but thehehere!”
“I’m sorry Vik, I have to be thorough. I think I need to update my experiment too - I wonder where you are most ticklish?”
Viktor didn’t need to say a word for Jayce to know it was his ribs, with how he was writhing and cackling desperately from just a few well placed squeezes. Humming contentedly to himself, Jayce let loose and started scrabbling all over Viktor’s ribs. One thing was for sure - he’d never seen Viktor laugh this hard.
“AAHAHAHAHA!” Viktor scream-cackled, voice pitching up higher than Jayce thought possible.
“This is what happens when you fuck around, Vik! You find out!” Jayce kept teasing, taking note of the little spots that made his laughter go silent as his attacks became more precise. While watching Viktor unravel at the seams was the most fun Jayce had had in ages, he did have to call it quits at some point. So he decided to end with a bang.
“OHohoo nonoONONOHO!” Viktor begged as he felt Jayce pull up his shirt and watched him take a big breath.
“Plehease! Plehease mercyyaaAAHAHAHAHA!” Viktor shrieked when Jayce blew a big old raspberry into his belly, scratchy beard making it so much worse and still squeezing at his ribcage. “Ohoho my gohod yoUR BEHEARD FUHUHUCK!”
Viktor screeched as Jayce got two more fat raspberries in, nuzzling his stubbly face into his skin between each one and leaving Viktor teary eyed, twitching and laughing helplessly. Finally relenting, Jayce stopped his tickling and flopped down onto the floor next to him to catch his breath.
“Man, you weren’t kidding. I think you’re the most ticklish person I’ve ever met.” Jayce remarked after a while.
Viktor just made a broken noise, hugging his sides tightly. “I… I told you, ha!”
“You okay?” Jayce sat up, worried he’d gone too far. The middle finger paired with a wobbly smile he got in response was enough of an assurance.
“We… we are such idiots…” Viktor said, still half-laughing. “Two of the greatest minds in Piltover… reduced to a puddle due to a tickle fight of all things. Ridiculous.”
Jayce laughed. “We can’t be the ‘Boys of Progress’ all the time. And there’s plenty more where that came from.”
“HEY!” Viktor curled up when he saw Jayce’s hand feign towards his tummy again.
“It’s okay, I’m too tired for any more.” Jayce said with a yawn. “What do you reckon? Time to call it?”
Viktor yawned hugely in response, turning on his side.
“I am dead.”
“Yeah?” Jayce tucked some hair behind Viktor’s ear and he leaned into the touch. “You can stay here if you want.”
“I’d like that.”
“You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.”
Jayce made to get up but Viktor grabbed his arm. “We can share if you want, I don’t mind.”
“You sure?”
“Jayce, I just essentially let you pin me down and tickle the shit out of me. We are well past the point of it being weird.”
“I’m not sure how much ‘letting’ was involved, but sure. I’m fine if you are.” Jayce couldn’t help the jab, even when Viktor shot him a glare.
It only took a few minutes for them to gather each other up from the floor and turn off the TV and light, both making a beeline for Jayce’s bedroom. The bed was chilly, so Viktor gratefully tucked himself into Jayce’s reaching arms when offered. Tuckered out and content, they fell into the best sleep they’d had all year.