Fever Dream 0/2 - the foundation piece
Summary: The worst first impression and the years that follow it. (Also, calling it a fever dream because I don't remember writing any of this. Part 2 will be when I can figure out a ending that isn't so....sad) Warnings? : It's mostly just angst. Not sure why I wrote it. Also, I am just pasting what I have. This is my fever brain's creation. Not edits or rereads....this is it.
Jayce Talis had to be one of the best friends you had ever had in your life. After meeting him back when you were a child, the man was always about helping you, protecting you - pushing you to be better.
He knew so much about you that you yourself sometimes refused to admit. He would nag you about drinking more water, while he himself barely kept up with eating and sleeping. Jayce would deter any over confident or self intiled ass-hole from getting too close to you. Everyone always teased that it was like he saw you like a younger sister.
You trust him just like he trusted you. He wasn’t the best when it came to seeing when he was being screwed over, which was where you would step in to argue with people when they tried to short change him or trick him into a horrible deal.
The poor guy just didn’t haggle.
So, when he suddenly came to you, excited, insistent, nearly demanding you come to his new lab - you couldn’t say no. He had never been this energized about showing something this secretive before.
He had been nearly bouncing with excitement as he led you through the halls of the academy, not giving away anything on what you were in store to seeing that warranted this type of build up.
As you entered the room, it was empty. Well, not empty, there were machine and gadget parts everywhere but as Jayce’s face fell you could see that whatever it was that he had wanted you to see wasn’t there.
“Just…just wait a few minutes…” Putting on a smile as he glanced down the hallway, he ushered you inside before disappearing. And so, you were left in the room by yourself.
At first, you just sort of stood there, not sure what you were meant to do. But as the time ticked on, you got curious.
You slowly meandered around the room, not touching anything but carefully taking in every machine that was there. You weren’t a scientist, not even close, but from the way Jayce talked about it, you couldn’t help the excitement for him that you felt. This all looked new, like he was actually being funded for once instead of doing his secret research in his apartment. He deserved to finally have someone higher up believe in him.
“What are you doing in here?”
The accidented voice was harsh and cold, the suddenness of it causing you to jump before turning to face the unknown man standing in the doorway. He was holding a box of more parts, with a can held in the other.
But above all that he was breathtaking.
You had seen beautiful men in Piltover your whole life. Cookiecutter images, perfectly symmetrical due to surgery, makeup covered skin. But this man? He was naturally beautiful. The harsh jaw line, the two moles placed so perfectly on his face….
The face that was glaring at you with such distrusts and, you felt your breath stop, was that rage?
“...I…” This had to be the worst first impression you’ve ever made in your life. Voice trapped in your throat as he only seemed to grow more and more untrusting of you.
“I don’t know how you managed to get into the building without the proper credentials but I will have the enforcers escort you out”
You watched as he set the box down on the nearby table, all the while muttering under his breath. His words only seem to freeze you more, making you feel so small.
“Honestly, acting like you own the place. Makes you a little self-entitled, don’t you think?”
It was only once he was heading for the door, clearly on a mission to try to get you arrested for…something, that Jayce finally arrived.
He was out of breath, but the moment he saw the man who was making your day a living nightmare Jayce’s face lit up into a beaming smile.
“Here you are! I was looking all over for you” He grinned, his arm moving to wrap around the man’s shoulders to direct him to face you.
“And you clearly were fine allowing a break in to take place under your watch” The man hissed back, motioning towards you which earned a laugh from Jayce but you could feel yourself visibly shrink from the accusation.
“Break in? No no no, I brought them here. I wanted them to meet you” Jayce grinned, guiding the man closer with the excitement from earlier coming back into full swing.
“This is Viktor, my new partner. He is the very reason Hextech is going to be a reality” He started, the harshness on this ‘Viktor’s’ face softened at that which made you believe that this had to be a new development, the thing he wanted to tell you. You had been about to be glad that Jayce had someone who was going to work with him- about to thank him for giving your precious best friend a chance…before the next words that came out of that man’s mouth.
After he introduced you, giving Viktor your name, he seemed to want to immediately make it so you could never come back to this lab again.
“They always tend to worry me because of their lack of, well, interest in dating.-”
“J-Jayce…”
“And with you being single, perfectly their type.”
You felt your heart stop, watched as Viktor's eyes roamed up and down your form with clear disinterest and distaste. God it hurt, you just wanted to sink into the floor and never be seen or heard from again.
“I thought, you know, I introduce you, I get to be the best man later on down the line”
“See as this is as far as it will go, an unlikely hope.” Viktor cut off, pulling free of Jayce’s hold to head to the box he had been carrying earlier.
It was clear from the confusion on Jayce’s face that he didn’t know what was going on between the two of you. The harshness not being what he normally dealt with when it came to Viktor. The taller of the two had been about to say something before Viktor spoke to you once more.
“What is it you study?”
“S-study?” You whispered, earning a harsh scoff from the man that already had Jayce looking ready to be defensive.
“Degree, field of study, your major?” He continued, it only made you feel smaller as you took in where exactly you were and the answer you were going to be giving.
“...I don’t go to the academy…”
“Ah, so your presence will be of no benefit to us. Noted. Jayce, please send them home, we have work we need to get started on.”
“No need, I-I’ll show myself out…” You quickly whispered, already out the door before you heard a word of how Jayce got on Viktor for being harsh towards you.
For months afterwards, you purposefully avoided any interaction that could happen between Viktor and you. It didn’t help that every time you saw him and Jayce together, the smile on Viktor’s face lit up the room..and Jayce? He seemed so happy to have someone he could bounce ideas with, to feel like he had a true equal.
At that thought you cringed, seeing now just how much you had never been a benefit to his life. You were a hindrance, one that Viktor had seen in a matter of seconds - with it taking you nearly your whole life to see as well.
As the two progressed in their work, the friendship bordered on being more multiple times. Which you were fine with, yes you were jealous of literally both of them, but you watched him spend more and more time in the lab, more time with Viktor, it was clear just how much time you were now alone. But every time you had gone to speak about it, Jayce would go into detail about how much they were progressing, how amazing it was to work with Viktor, how smart he was, how kind he was….and your loneliness would die in your throat.
You weren’t smart like them, or talented. You had no right to demand he stop his progress for you.
But then the oddest factor came into play.
Mel
The woman was a goddess. Beautiful, regal, intimidating. She was everything you weren’t. And what you had assumed would just be a trio, oddly became more of a due with Viktor being left in the dust, much like you had.
And just as suddenly, another unforeseen change.
“Ah, hi.” Viktor said softly, a nervous energy about him as he sat down beside you. It wasn’t uncommon for you to wait outside in the hall for Jayce when you had planned to meet, having taken Viktor’s words to heart all those years ago about not being any help being there. There had been countless times he had walked right past you, not even looking at you as you sat on the floor. So as he sat down next to you, you couldn’t help your confused expression.
“Founders day is approaching, and…well” He trailed off, never looking at you as he spoke. “Would you like to go with me?”
As you took in his words, you felt a hope rise in you that you had never felt before. Feeling both embarrassed and honored he was asking you - wondering what on earth had happened to make him reevaluate his thoughts on you.
“You usually accompany Jayce, who is taking Mel this year”
You felt your heart shatter at that. Jayce hadn’t even told you that yet…
“I could give you my plus one so you can at least still come, no?”
Oh. So he was doing this out of pity.
“...take someone you actually would enjoy spending time with and not someone you feel an obligation to take” You whispered, the first time you had ever truly been even close to snarky back to him. Without another word you got to your feet and were gone. Jayce could figure out where you had gone later.