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Jayce wakes up not precisely screaming, but scared. Maybe the explosion was a dream, but it felt terrifyingly real. Still, he needs to make sure the hexcore is alright, and figure out a way to destroy it.
But when he sits on the bed, he realizes the ceiling is not familiar to him. There's something weird about his body too, even though it looks the same, it's like he's wearing something that's not his even though he's naked under the sheets.
Why is he naked? Suddenly, a sharp pain in his temple makes him groan; flashes of the explosion fill up his mind as his own fingers run through his own hair, and he realizes it's longer... He also has a beard. He hasn't grow one in a long time, he's sure of it.
What's going on?
"Are you alright, Jayce? Did you have a nightmare?"
That voice. He'd recognize that voice anywhere... And the hand on his shoulder, a hand that hasn't been corrupted by hextech yet.
"Viktor?"
"Yes, it's me. It's okay, you're here with me. At home."
It's Viktor. The old one, his partner. But, at the same time, Jayce realizes, as he cups the man's face in his hands, that this Viktor looks different, healthier and happier.
He smiles more, and the expression reaches his beautiful eyes every single time.
"What is it? You look confused," Viktor says gently, caressing his shoulder.
Then Jayce notices that Viktor is also naked under the sheets; he's wearing a wedding band, and when he looks at his own hand over his partner's cheek he realizes he's wearing another one. One that matches Viktor's.
They're married. But he doesn't find the fact weird; it's not even remotely surprising. It makes sense somehow. Like something he should've done from the very beginning, but he was too obsessed with hextech to see the right path in front of him.
However, he's aware he didn't do that; he's not married to Viktor no matter how much he wants it now that the option appeared in his mind.
What's going on? Is this a dream? And if it is, can he stay a bit longer?
He doesn't want to wake up.
"I'll make breakfast. You should stay in bed," Viktor says, getting up before Jayce can grab his arm and beg him to stay with him. He stops only because he finally gets to admire Viktor's beautiful body for the first time. There's not trace of hextech on him.
Then he notices the prosthesis. His right leg. Even thought it's the first time Jayce has seen it, it looks familiar to him somehow.
"Where did you get that?"
Viktor chuckles; it's so good to see him laughing and happy, Jayce wants to make him do that sound again.
"Very funny. You perfectly know you did this for me. It was the first one. We do these for the people who need it. The Kiramman family pays for them."
Jayce can tell Viktor is passionate about the project; he likes to help, he likes to build things to improve people's lives in any way he can. In his heart, this also makes sense. He should've done this in the first place.
"What about hextech?"
"What are you talking about?" He's completely dressed now and Jayce laments it. But he gets closer and touches his forehead. "You're a bit warm, but I don't think you're sick. Maybe you should go back to sleep."
"No!" He snaps, startling Viktor for a moment. No, he doesn't want to go back to sleep because he'll lose this, he's sure of it.
"Maybe we should take the day off. You clearly need some rest."
Jayce has breakfast with him, he looks at their house with wonder; there are a lot of pictures of them, moments he doesn't remember, but that somehow make sense. In some of them, or perhaps a lot, Jayce finds himself staring at Viktor with a besotted grin on his face.
He helps Viktor with the dishes and kisses him for the first time in their kitchen; he can taste Viktor's smile against his lips and although it's familiar, it's completely new at the same time. He should've done that a long time ago.
When Jayce pushes him towards the bedroom, Viktor stops him.
"Wait," he chuckles again. "We should go buy groceries first."
"Viktor, please," this version of him must beg a lot, because his husband just rolls his eyes before following him inside.
"I love you, Viktor," Jayce says with tears in his eyes as flashes of the other Viktor appear in his head; he loves that Viktor too, even though he's been consumed by the hexcore now. "I think I've always loved you."
"I know," he smiles softly, running his fingers through Jayce's hair as they roll their hips together. "I love you too."
***
As the days pass and Jayce gets used to his new life; he realizes that this is not a dream. It feels too real to be one. He's starts wondering if the explosion sent him to another reality, a kinder one.
If that's the case he should try to find a way to get back, but without the hexcore there's no anomaly here.
And frankly, he's not sure he even wants to try; this Viktor is completely his, Jayce doesn't have to share his body and soul with the hexcore. The other one loves their project more than he loves Jayce. He's not sure the other one loves him the way Jayce does.
One day, Heimerdinger knocks at his door, and when he opens it he's tempted to close it right on his face. But then Viktor peeks over his shoulder and smiles.
"Professor, come in!"
This could be the Heimerdinger that lives in their reality, a different one; one who doesn't know about hextech. But Jayce has a bad feeling about him.
"I would like a cup of tea."
Viktor immediately leaves, heading towards the kitchen, acting like this is something that happens quite often at their house.
"How long have you been here?"
"How do you know, professor?"
"There's a different look in your eyes, boy. Besides, the other Jayce doesn't look at me like I'm a threat," Heimerdinger replies simply, staring right back at his former pupil.
"Do you want us to go back?"
"I don't know how we could do that, to be quite honest," he replies, prompting Jayce to finally relax. "I just had a feeling you were going to be sent here too, and I wanted to make sure you were alright. But I can see you have adapted quite well already."
"I don't want to leave, professor."
"I can tell."
"Is that wrong? Am I making a mistake?"
"I don't know."
***
When he sees Ekko again, it's months later; the headaches and flashes of his past life are not that frequent anymore, but it's because Jayce has trained himself to ignore them.
This time, it's Viktor the one who opens the door. Jayce it's in the living room so he manages to hear part of what his husband is saying.
"Is this your new pupil, professor? I'm Viktor. It's a pleasure, Ekko."
This is not a coincidence. The boy has finally arrived and it means nothing good for Jayce.
He rushes towards the entrance and stands between Viktor and the other two, like he's trying to shield him from them.
"You're acting a bit weird today, Jayce," he blurts out, confused before glancing back at their guests. "Don't mind him, he gets overprotective sometimes."
"It's fine," Ekko says. "I understand."
No, he fucking doesn't.
"Viktor, can you give us a minute?" Jayce asks, taking one his husbands hands before kissing it softly.
"Sure. I'll be in the lab."
He leads them to the study before closing the door behind himself; he's getting angry, and the fact that they're both looking at him with pity it's making him feel even worse.
"I won't help you find a way to get back," he says, trying not to growl.
"We already created the anomaly," Ekko shrugs. "We didn't need your help."
Jayce immediately flinches, thinking about all the things that could go wrong.
"You never asked," he blurts out before looking at the boy: "How long have you been here, Ekko?"
"I told him we shouldn't bother you," Heimerdinger cuts in then, when it's obvious Ekko is not going to answer any of Jayce's questions. "I apologize, but I genuinely thought you could... uhh... make everything a bit more difficult, if you agreed to help us."
On purpose. Heimerdinger thought Jayce could sabotage their project. But he doesn't get mad because he's right.
He would've.
"Then what are you doing here?"
"You need to come back with us," Ekko says, using the exact words he fears the most.
"No."
"Listen, I understand why you-"
"No, you fucking don't!" He growls without actually meaning to.
He hates that Ekko doesn't lose his composure, he hates that he's the mature one even though he's younger than Jayce.
"I do," he insists calmly. Jayce can see it in his eyes, the sorrow, the love... "I have someone here too. I don't want to leave her, but there are other people who need me where I come from. She's there too, another version of her, but I don't want to give up on her just because she's different."
The right words to undo him; the words that bring the image of his Viktor into his mind. He loves his Viktor too, but selfishness has been blinding him this whole time.
He can't give up on him, even if that Viktor doesn't love him as much as Jayce does.
He can find a way to destroy the hexcore and save Viktor at the same time; maybe they can have what they already have in this reality. It'll take some time and effort, but Jayce is going to be patient. He can fight for it.
"Let's go, right now."
"Aren't you going to say goodbye, boy?" Heimerdinger asks, taking pity on him. It's even worse than Ekko's judgment.
"If I see him I won't leave."
***
Something goes wrong. The core is reacting different in that reality, Jayce can feel it as his and Ekko's other selves get thrown out of the sphere and back into their reality.
Heimerdinger gets out before it's time to leave, he disappears outside the core and both Jayce and Ekko know they won't see him again.
When he opens his eyes he knows this is the reality he was supposed to land in the first place because his hammer is there, like it's been waiting for him this whole time. But Ekko is not with him.
And this place, this new reality looks like hell.