Work Text:
Viktor noticed a number of things, the first time he visited the Talis forge.
It was quite dark, especially in the evening. It reeked of fire and smoke and metal. Every sound, from the clank of a hammer to the tap of his cane against the floor echoed loudly throughout the factory.
And then there was Jayce. The namesake, the Talis heir. He looked so at home at the forge, despite his reluctance to join the family business. He moved through the space as if it were second nature. He toiled skillfully, crafting to perfection tools and other metal objects.
He also had a habit of working shirtless.
Viktor wasn’t sure it was very safe. That much skin exposed to fire and hot instruments must be considered a hazard. It must be some sort of work code violation, right?
He wasn’t complaining, though—Jayce’s muscles, the way they flexed under his glistening skin, were impressive and enjoyable to look at. And Viktor was only human. A gay man, to be more specific. He couldn’t help but steal glances at his partner as he led him around the factory. So did the other workers they passed by, though they seemed used to the sight. Like it was a regular occurrence.
Lucky bastards.
When they made it to Jayce’s personal workstation, he turned to Viktor. “Check out these new tools I made!” He grinned excitedly, reaching to grab a recently forged wrench from the table. Viktor tried to listen to his friend. He really did. But Jayce’s chest was right there. Somehow it looked both hard and soft at the same time. It was the kind of body built by and for labor, not vanity.
It was also… oddly smooth. Void of any spots or blemishes or hair. Viktor blinked. As subtly as possible, his gaze roamed up Jayce’s form. The man’s arms had hair on them. Viktor knew it was on his legs too, from the handful of times he’d worn shorter pants.
Jayce obviously shaved his face every morning, and again in the evening if he was going out to a council event. If he didn’t, a shadow would form on his cheeks and along his jaw. Viktor guessed he could grow a healthy full beard if he really wanted to.
But his chest was completely smooth. Bare of a single strand. So, the man must shave or wax. Viktor pondered Jayce’s reasoning for this. Was it just what he preferred, or was it what he thought was attractive to other people?
Anyway.
Viktor’s ridiculous interest in Jayce’s chest hair quickly faded after that first forge visit. They were both too busy in the lab, busy securing funding and regularly checking in with Mel Medarda and Professor Heimerdinger. The few times Viktor would catch a glimpse of his partner shirtless, the fact he was shaved was the last thing on his mind.
Okay, yes, Viktor could be a bit shameless with his staring sometimes. But Jayce either didn’t seem to mind or was completely oblivious. He’d just catch Viktor’s eye and casually smile. Unbothered. Friendly. Altogether heedless of Viktor’s pining.
It continued like that for another year. Until, one evening, Viktor was forced to stay a night at the Talis’ home.
A storm had rolled in last minute, drenching both of them as they were scouring the dark streets of Piltover for spare parts. Jayce’s house was closest, so they headed there as fast as Viktor could hobble. Ximena welcomed Viktor with open arms. She fussed over his wet hair and soggy shoes before insisting he stay over.
An hour later, Viktor was lounging in the living room, lazily munching on some light hors d'oeuvres on the couch while he waited for Jayce to finish his shower. Ximena was hard at work in the kitchen. The radio was on, playing a calm, jazzy tune as the storm continued to rage on outside.
Viktor hadn’t felt this cozy and content in, well, forever.
“Woah! Something sure smells amazing, mom!”
Viktor glanced over to find Jayce emerging from the bathroom, steam billowing out around him. He was wearing a pair of soft-looking sweatpants, some fuzzy-looking slippers and was… shirtless. Again. Viktor, who would usually just subtly gawk before looking away quickly, this time did a double take.
The man had chest hair.
And there was a lot.
Holy shit, Viktor inhaled, too late realizing he’d just taken a bite of a dry cracker. The food lodged in his throat and he coughed, scrambling for his glass of water on the side table.
“You okay, Vik?”
Viktor nodded, waving his hand dismissively. “F-fine,” he croaked. He refused to look at Jayce, who he could sense walking towards him. The man tried to say something else, but was quickly interrupted by his mother.
“Jayce, my goodness, go put a shirt on!” Ximena scolded, and Viktor heard a thwack sound, as if she’d hit him with a paper or magazine. “We have a guest here tonight!”
“Sorry!” Jayce chuckled. “It’s not a big deal, though! Viktor’s my best friend. He’s seen much worse.”
Viktor grinned down at his hands. Best friend. He hadn’t had a best friend since he was eight. It felt really nice, despite the fact he yearned for more.
Ximena huffed, hands on hips. “At least put something on for dinner, love. It’ll be ready soon.”
“Yes, mom!”
At the sound of fabric rustling, Viktor finally looked up. He was just in time to see Jayce pulling an old sweatshirt over his head. It was the perfect opportunity to ogle. Viktor greedily took advantage of those precious few seconds.
The hair was course, dark and curly. It covered most of Jayce’s chest, tapering off at his stomach. Then the hair started again at the hem of Jayce’s sweatpants. A thick line, trailing down under the fabric toward, supposedly, his—
“Is there something wrong?” Jayce’s voice cut into his thoughts. Viktor flinched, then winced at his own awkwardness.
“Of course not.” He shook his head, schooling his face into a disinterested expression. Gods. He really needed to get a grip.
“Okay, but umm,” Jayce’s voice was suddenly nervous, stuttering. He scratched the back of his neck and glanced towards the kitchen, then back to Viktor. “You’d tell me if I made you uncomfortable, right?”
Viktor blinked. He hadn’t expected that. “Huh?”
“I try not to walk around like that in the lab or anything,” he continued. “I know I said we’re friends but like, I also know it’s unseemly. Especially when I’m not… you know…”
Viktor was still so confused. “Huh?” he grunted again stupidly.
“I was walking around shirtless! But I haven’t umm, trimmed or shaved myself for a long while.” Jayce’s voice was high, almost comically so. “I’ve just been so busy, so I haven’t had the time to take care of myself. I know I look kinda sloppy these days…”
Ah. So that answered that question. Jayce was indeed a bit self-conscious about how he presented himself. He probably thought that if he wasn’t perfectly put together, groomed and clean, that he would make a bad impression.
It was ridiculous, really. Jayce Talis was perhaps the most handsome, eligible bachelor in Piltover. Mel, herself obviously interested (Viktor truly couldn’t blame her), had taken full advantage of that in promoting Hextech to both investors and the public.
But Jayce was still human, just like Viktor. He had his own doubts. Insecurities. He worried about his image and how he came across to others. Even about not being shaved, of all things.
Viktor wouldn’t stand for it. He would not allow his best friend to continue feeling bad about his, quite frankly, impeccable physique not being perfectly polished. Especially when it was just the two of them. “It’s not weird at all,” Viktor shook his head. “It’s a completely natural state, Jayce. And you look fine.”
“Yeah?” Jayce’s eyebrows rose slowly. “Do ya think?”
“Mhmm.” Viktor nodded. He willed himself not to blush. He couldn’t let on just how much the sight of Jayce, disheveled and unshaven, was doing it for him. Were they actually talking about this? He really hoped Jayce would move on from this soon.
“Well, that’s good.” Jayce shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. But he kept looking at Viktor, so Viktor waited. He could tell there was more on Jayce’s mind. He’d become accustomed to his partner’s quirks, the way Jayce acted when he was upset, frustrated, happy or eager. He wondered vaguely if Jayce knew those things about him, too.
“So… do you like it?”
What.
“What?” Viktor’s gaze shot up to meet Jayce’s. The man shrugged. He was obviously trying to look relaxed, but Viktor noticed the tension in his shoulders and the pink on his cheeks.
“I mean, umm, do you find it attractive? When I don’t shave as much?”
Viktor just sat there, gripping his water glass for dear life. What was even happening right now?
“I remember you said…” Jayce cleared his throat. “A few months ago, you told me you prefer men, right? So you could tell me if it’s a good look for me. Or not.”
Somehow, Viktor was able to take a controlled, even breath. This man. Jayce Talis and his stupid puppy dog eyes were going to be the death of him.
“Ah.” Viktor swallowed. “Well.”
“You don’t have to answer!” Jayce cried, rushing over to plop down next to him on the couch. The proximity didn’t help Viktor’s thundering heart rate. “I’m sorry!”
“It’s okay, Jayce.” Viktor put the water glass down, turning to his friend. He might as well be honest, right? Jayce deserved that at least. “Personally, I am much more interested in a man’s intellect and personality than his grooming habits,” he said carefully. “But I suppose... I’d rather see him in his natural state.”
Jayce leaned in eagerly, hanging on his every word.
“It depends on the person, but, umm,” Viktor cleared his throat, ready to take the plunge. “I think it suits you.”
The two of them sat there for a few moments, staring at each other. Viktor could still hear Ximena in the kitchen, but otherwise it was silent. An odd energy buzzed between them. Viktor could only compare the feeling to when they’d both been flying through the air in Heimerdinger’s office, weightless and free.
Viktor refused to break eye contact, lest he expose himself. He couldn’t have Jayce knowing about his silly crush. They had so much to do together. Their professional careers, and the fate of both Piltover and Zaun, hung in the balance. Feelings, especially one-sided feelings, were way too messy.
So he just waited. Again. Jayce’s eyes were saucers, and the pink on his skin had morphed into a full-fledged blush, crawling down his neck and to the tips of his ears. Ugh, it was so charming. Bashful Jayce Talis was so damn cute that it made Viktor almost angry.
“Oh, umm, thanks.” Jayce finally leaned back, allowing Viktor to breathe again. “That actually means a lot.”
And then it was over. Jayce smiled once last time before hopping up and heading over to help his mom with the meal.
It took a while for Viktor to compose himself. Even throughout dinner, he kept glancing over at Jayce, as furtively as possible, only to find him already looking back. He’d just grin and nod calmly. Unbothered once again.
Viktor didn’t know what to make of it.
Life went on after that. Viktor and Jayce made headway on developing Hextech, won the Distinguished Innovators Competition, and continued to secure more funding for their vital work. Viktor’s leg got more painful, and so did his feelings for his brilliant partner.
Viktor visited the forge when he could. He noticed how at first, Jayce had kept shaving. But gradually he started letting his hair grow out. On his chest and sometimes, his face. A bit of scruff.
Maybe it was because of how busy they were. Or maybe he was feeling more comfortable in his own skin.
Or maybe because of what Viktor had said.
Stop.
Viktor hated getting his hopes up. Jayce was most likely straight, and even if he wasn’t, there were plenty of other, less broken people in Piltover who he’d more likely be interested in.
They were best friends. Partners. That was it. And Viktor was perfectly happy with that.
For now, he would just enjoy the show.