Following Viktor's POV

The past few weeks had been rough. Slurs and homophobic remarks had been made towards him. Viktor's fears were brought to reality as word spread amongst Piltover Academy. No one cared. Not even Professor Heimerdinger, who would turn a deaf ear to any words that were well in earshot of him.

People avoided him like he had the plague. All but one, that was.

Jayce.

He'd stuck with Viktor through this, making sure he was okay, and being there for him if he ever needed it. He nearly walked Viktor everywhere. To their first class, to Viktor's second class. Jayce would wait by Viktor's second class door, staying with him as they'd go to the cafe and then drop Viktor off at the dorm before Jayce headed for his football practice.

Not today, though. Jayce had to stay behind in his second class, forcing Viktor to walk by himself today. He'd apologized profusely to Viktor, explaining he'd have to spend more time in the class for the next week or so to finish a project he'd been working on before the academy released its students from all classes for winter break. Viktor had told him that he understood completely, saying he'd be fine on the one walk he had alone. And, for the most part, he was fine.

Now, he sat at his desk, typing on his laptop. He was finishing labeling different types of injuries for his sports medicine class when his leg began to cramp. He winced and stood, walking around the dorm, calming the cramp. He was in the living room when the dorm door opened, Jayce walking through. Viktor glanced over. Pain glinted in Jayce's eyes as he shut the door behind him with his foot, his hands behind his back.

"Are you alright?" Viktor asked, hobbling over towards Jayce.

Jayce nodded, "yeah, I am."

"What happened?"

Jayce was still for a moment before holding out his arms. A few burn marks snaked up his left arm, stopping a few inches past his elbow. Viktor studied it for a moment. They weren't bad, luckily, but he knew they hurt.

"What happened?" Viktor asked again, motioning for Jayce to sit on the couch while he went to the kitchen.

He opened a cupboard, getting out a basket of medical supplies. He walked back towards the living room, the basket propped against his side.

"I was working in my class and someone distracted me," he shrugged vaguely. "Next thing I know I'd been burned."

"Be careful next time," Viktor said. "What class was this in?"

Jayce winced as Viktor poured some hydrogen peroxide over the burns before rubbing some aloe over them as carefully as he could.

"Oh, uh, one of my science classes," Jayce shrugged.

Viktor looked up with wide eyes.

"Were you working with chemicals at all? Were their any nearby? If there were, then you might have to go to-"

"No, no, don't worry," Jayce shook his head. "I had just turned the bunsen burner on to make sure it was set up properly. Someone distracted me, I forgot it was on, and I reached my arm over, too close to the flame, and yeah."

Viktor let out a sigh of relief. "Your professor didn't do anything?"

"They were speaking with another professor at the time. I had time to turn off the burner and put everything away so I could leave."

Jayce winced again as Viktor wrapped his arm in medical bandages tightly.

"Gods, you went to football practice with this?" Viktor gasped at the realization. That must've felt like torture with sweat burning it even more.

"Yeah- it's alright though. You're helping it," Jayce nodded.

"You're lucky my sports medicine class covers more than just sports injuries," Viktor muttered, earning a chuckle from Jayce.

"Hey, I got to help your leg, it's only fair you get to help my arm now," Jayce said.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Viktor replied.

Viktor wrapped another layer of bandages around the first, Jayce flinching at the pain.

"Viktor!" He bared his teeth a bit. Viktor knew the pain was subsiding, though, due to how Jayce relaxed after a moment.

"Sorry, sorry-" Viktor muttered. "I should've warned you. I'll leave it be now. It should be good for now. I'll rewrap it before you go to bed."

"It's alright. Thank you, I really appreciate it, Vik."

The words nearly went right over his head. If he hadn't been listening so closely to Jayce's words, they would've vanished in the air. He leaned forwards, setting the medical supplies on the coffee table.

Vik? That was a new name for Viktor. He blinked, gazing up at Jayce who was red in the face with embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck, and Viktor noticed the redness of his ear tips. Viktor covered his mouth with his hand, trying to cover up a laugh at the sight.

"That's- mm," Viktor cleared his throat, trying not to laugh. "That's a nice look for you there, Talis."

That just made Jayce turned a darker shade of red, causing Viktor to start audibly laughing.

"Shut- shut up," Jayce stammered, still rubbing his neck. "I didn't mean to say that, and you know it."

"Hm, seemed pretty intentional to me, but whatever you say, Talis," Viktor laughed, patting Jayce on the shoulder.

"Your definition of intentional and mine are completely different then," Jayce said.

Viktor snickered a bit, crossing arms.

"Hm, perhaps, but either way, you definitely meant it."

"Stop laughing-" Jayce said, obviously trying to stifle his own.

"Why don't you make me?" Viktor said, blinking at the words. "Actually- No, not like that. I didn't mean it like that-"

"Ha! Karma is a bitch!" Jayce snorted, raising a brow at Viktor.

Viktor felt his own face get pink this time, shaking his head.

"Noo, nooo, I- Aye, stop laughing! If I can't laugh, you can't either!" Viktor said, leaning forward to cover Jayce's mouth with his hand.

Jayce rolled his eyes playfully shoving Viktor off, chuckling. Viktor fell back a bit, chuckling as well, his face still a light shade of pink from the misinterpreted comment.

"Your face is still pink," Jayce commented obviously, pointing a bit.

"Yeah, yeah. Well, if you were as pale as me, you'd understand," Viktor replied.

"Well, your nose is always red when you're outside," Jayce nodded.

"You've studied my face?" Viktor asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I- Well, I mean, yeah," Jayce shrugged.

"That's weird," Viktor chuckled. "I don't think I've ever studied it your face before."

"Well, I can't help but to not study your face," Jayce said, still holding a teasing, playful tone.

"Hm, and why's that? Genuinely." Viktor crossed his arms, gazing at Jayce.

"Well you're just so pretty," Jayce chuckled, raising a brow at Viktor.

The comment left Viktor speechless for a few moments. And, when he did speak, he sputtered.

"I- N- No I meant, like- No, I meant genuinely-"

Jayce chuckled, leaning back against the couch.

"Your face has gone all pink again," he snickered a bit.

"Well- I wasn't expecting that!" Viktor defended, repeating himself. "And besides, I meant genuinely!"

"Who says that wasn't genuine?"

"I- No, that wasn't-" Viktor cleared his throat. "That wasn't genuine."

Jayce gazed back over at Viktor, something flickering in his eyes for a moment.

"Okay, well, how do I prove it's genuine?"

Viktor paused. "I don't know- I guess, just say something more realistic."

"More realistic?" Jayce raised a brow. "Do you not think that to be realistic?"

"Obviously not," Viktor chuckled. "Why, do you find it to be realistic?"

"Well, Vik, I do believe that you are pretty. That's as realistic as you can get," Jayce said.

Viktor rolled his eyes, shoving his shoulder. Jayce shoved him back and Viktor raised a brow. He shoved him again, and the two broke into a game of shoving each other, the shoved getting more forceful each time. Viktor felt himself tipping over farther which each shove Jayce gave him. Eventually, he tipped all the way over, letting out a small ahh as he fell over on the other side of the couch.

"That's not fair," Viktor complained, gazing at the ceiling.

"Hm, what's not?" Jayce asked.

"You're a football player, of course you'd win that game!" Viktor said, closing his eyes for a moment.

The couch shifted slightly and he noticed a shadow fall over him. He opened his eyes, Jayce gazing down at him. It took him a moment to process how exactly Jayce was leaning over him. Jayce spoke so calmly.

"Well, maybe.. Just get better?" Jayce suggested, raising a brow.

"I- Uhm, well, I kind of can't-" Viktor chuckled awkwardly.

"Hm, well then it'll forever be unfair," Jayce said, snickering a bit. "You're face is all pink again."

What had gotten into this man?

Viktor laughed awkwardly again. "Well, I mean- You are, like, directly on top of me right now.. Just kind of, uhm, like looming over me-"

"Oh, am I? Didn't notice," Jayce shrugged, falling silent as he gazed down at Viktor for a few moments longer.

"Uuuh- Whatcha staring at?" Viktor blinked up at him.

"Just your face," Jayce nodded.

"Just friends, just friends, just friends. This is something friends do, right? They just randomly pin the other against the couch- Nothing romantic about this at all," Viktor silently told himself, still gazing up at Jayce.

"Uh- Uhm, why would you be doing that?" Viktor asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Oh, no reason," Jayce whispered. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Oh, okay- That's fine, I guess," Viktor nodded, adverting his gaze.

"Alright," Jayce nodded. "That's good."

Eventually, Jayce returned to his side of the couch and Viktor sat up his gaze still anywhere besides the man who sat next to him. He fiddled with his hands, gazing down at them. Viktor felt Jayce's eyes on him still.

"Why is he just staring at me?"

"Vik?"

Viktor looked up from his hands, gazing over. He had missed what Jayce just said.

"Oh, sorry- What? What'd you say?"

"I had asked you what you are doing this winter break."

"Oh. I'm not sure, probably what I always do."

"Which is..?" Jayce prompted.

Viktor shrugged. "Sit around and work on something."

"You mean you don't do anything for Christmas? Or, like, you don't celebrate anything?"

Viktor shook his head, "oh, no. I've never done those.. Christmas traditions before."

Jayce furrowed his brows. "Have you even decorated a Christmas tree? Or gotten a present?"

Viktor's gaze dropped back down to his hands and he shrugged. Old, negative memories wormed their way into his head again.

"My family never really cared for Christmas," he muttered, vaguely.

"Oh! Well, then I'm dragging you to my house for Christmas," Jayce nodded.

"What, why?" Viktor gazed up once again, meeting Jayce's eyes.

"I'm going to show you what a good Christmas is like. Talis-family style," Jayce said, crossing him arms. "And you don't get a say in it."

"Oh- ok.. When, uh- When are you going back home?" Viktor asked, somehow unable to break the eye contact.

"A week after we get out for winter break," Jayce grinned. "You're gonna love my family! Or, they'll love you, at least. They can be a bit.. Loud and pushy at times."

"Oh, alright. I can't wait.. I guess?"