Chapter Text
The room... was quiet.
The halls... were quiet.
Everything was... quiet.
His mind was so loud. Jayce stared out at the moon, watching its light reflect over the rushing water far below him. Would his body get swept out to sea?? Would anyone bother looking for it...? No. No, he didn't think so. This uniform was so stuffy and the thought crossed his mind that he should've tried to change into something a little more comfortable before coming up here. Good gods, he could only imagine what they'd say about him. That it was his first day on the job and he couldn't take it. That another one had snapped under the pressure. Just another soul for Stillwater. No one would know the dreams he'd held. The boundaries he wished to break. The breakthroughs he'd made by himself. All they would remember was this reckless Academy student, expelled and sentenced to labor away at Stillwater Hold. Jayce glanced down, realizing he was still holding his wrist. At the very least, they'd given him his bracelet back. He slid his thumb over the crystal embedded within it. His hands were shaking. His lips parted and he took in a trembling breath as his gaze drifted from his bracelet to the angry, churning waters below.
Stillwater had been undergoing renovations for new isolation cells as of lately. Jayce had managed to sneak his way up into the unstable construction area, staring down from a room that only held beams as its walls. He paused before climbing up onto the beam in front of him. His movements were stiff and he felt like he was trying to move through something viscous. It shouldn't have been this hard. It shouldn't have been this hard. Jayce squeezed his eyes shut and his hand tightly gripped the beam next to him. He opened his eyes, focusing on the moon in order to calm himself. It shouldn't... have been this hard. He'd lost everything. His enrollment, his research, even the support of his own patrons. But what had hurt him most was the faithlessness of his own mother. But maybe there had been some truth to her words. She was right. He was not well. He was not well.
He felt sick. He had felt sick the moment he'd stepped into the place he would spend his time for the next decade. His only saving grace would've been that he was here as a prison guard and not a prisoner. However, Jayce had known from the beginning that he wasn't going to last. From the loss of his research to the instant jeering and taunting of the prisoners over his 'pretty face', it was all too much. The first tear finally escaped down his face and Jayce's hand tightened on the beam. He let out another shaky breath. He really... was just giving up his life... and going out with a whimper. His chest ached so badly and he squeezed his eyes shut.
Everything... was quiet.
The halls... were quiet.
The room...
Tap.
Jayce's eyes shot open in time for something to suddenly hook him around the stomach and yank him backwards, sending him unceremoniously crashing to the floor. His head spun and he had to take a moment to process what had happened. He was left on his back and that tapping continued, accompanied by soft footsteps as a pale face emerged from the shadows of the room like a ghost. Amber eyes drawn on paper skin. Facial features as defined as a stroke of a pen. Hair well-kept. Well-washed. Yet... Jayce's eyes were fixed on the muzzle that covered the person's mouth. He had never seen that on a person before. He wasn't sure he'd even seen it on any of the prisoners when he'd been brought in. His eyes moved down to that jumpsuit. He could see the stitching.
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"Mm." The man's fascinated hum made Jayce glanced back up before startling as the bottom of a cane was ever so slightly pressed under his chin. "Am I interrupting?" Jayce could only stare for a few more moments before it clicked in his mind. He quickly jerked back and scrambled to get to his feet. He swore, seeing his baton and his gun holster behind the man, right where he'd left them on the table.
"What are you doing out of your cell??" He demanded instantly, the man blinking and tipping his head. His hands were rested calmly atop a cane that he held in front of him. The man didn't answer for a moment before something seemed to click and he reached up, hooking his slender fingers into the wiring of the muzzle. His accent was soft and fluttery as he spoke.
"I was waiting for my floor officer to remove this from me. I am not to rest until it is." The man said quietly. He gave it a small tug. "However, I heard rushed footsteps pass my cell and move up the stairs to a floor that does not yet exist while he had gone to fetch the keys. It was my... sincerest desire that someone wasn't about to make a regretful decision." Jayce felt guilt crash over him so quickly that he felt like he was going to be sick again. The man scanned him over quietly. "Perhaps you could walk me back down to my cell. Away from this place." He suggested quietly. Jayce paused. He glanced back to where he'd just been a minute earlier. Balanced on that wooden beam, staring up at the moon. The man suddenly gave a small wave of his hand and Jayce's eyes moved back to him. "Please, sir." The combination of the man's ever-so-slightly strained voice and his unspoken request finally broke Jayce and he managed a small sigh. He turned his head away as he covered his mouth, able to feel the tears finally start down his cheeks.
What was he doing?? Good gods, he was crying in front of a prisoner. However, when he glanced over at the man, that face held nothing mocking. There was just a slight sadness beneath it. He opened his mouth to apologize, but quickly stopped himself. He... He didn't know what to do. When they'd been preparing him to come here, Jayce had been told never to sympathize with the prisoners. That only the most dangerous of both Zaun and Piltover resided here. Jayce knew he wasn't supposed to sympathize with them, but what was he supposed to do if they sympathized with him? "Perhaps-" The man spoke again, leaving a moment's pause long enough in the air for Jayce to focus on him again. "-while you walk me back to my cell, you could tell me about something." Jayce paused before asking what as he tried to subtly wipe his eyes. The man gave a small shrug. "Anything. It helps to just... talk sometimes. Something that interests you."
"...I don't think you'd find my interests very fascinating." Jayce finally replied, resigning himself from that wooden beam... for now. The man replied that it was just to help Jayce clear his mind. That he didn't need to be interested, but he would listen. Jayce paused. He'd been told never to share personal details. Only names, at most. Even last names were frowned upon. He glanced up as the man seemed to hesitate before offering his hand. Jayce raised his own, shaking his head. "My apologies. That's... unprofessional. I think we'd both get in trouble for that." The man lowered his hand before turning to the door. He walked with only the slightest limp and Jayce was surprised that he'd even been provided with a walking aid. He hesitated before following after him. The man had stopped to wait for him in the hallway.
"...Talk?" His voice was quiet and prompting. Jayce blinked, visibly going blank for a moment before glancing to the side. He started to walk with the man, matching his pace to his slower one.
"...I wanted to build a hammer when I was younger. I sketched out makeshift 'blueprints' and I would show them off to my parents. The hammer would be the size of me and I insisted that I would work hard enough to be able to lift and swing it." Jayce felt his ears burn a little as he spoke. However, when he glanced to the side, the man's head was tilted a little and his eyes flicked over to him. He raised his brows and Jayce took the silent encouragement. "I always... wanted it to send out blasts of energy. Both a bludgeoning and a propulsory tool. I was even working on it before. I know I'm able to build the shell and base of the hammer with no problems, but the propulsion of energy is an entirely different story. That fact that I would need a kilos worth of-" Jayce instantly started to rattle off elements and numbers, the other man's eyes widening slightly in surprise. It took Jayce a good minute to process his face and he shut his mouth so fast that his jaw instantly clenched. His ears went hot and he turned his head away. "...S-Sorry, I..."
The man raised a brow at him. "You're quite smart too. That's rare of the prison guards." He commented, turning to look back down the hallway. Jayce furrowed his brow, saying that was a little rude. "A lot of them do not even consider reading a book worthwhile." The man sighed. "...And, forgive me, but I do not believe you would need a full kilogram, but perhaps only 3/4ths. A full kilo would make the blast too powerful and offset your balance when you tried to fire. It would likely knock you over with that level of recoil, meaning your aim is unpredictable and dangerous. 3/4ths would admittedly lessen the impact of your blast, but I believe it is crucial to sacrifice some power for precision." Jayce could only stare at him for a moment, his mouth slightly open. He was speechless and the man glanced at him before chuckling. They reached the top of the stairs leading down and the man's smile faded a little. He furrowed his brow and started to carefully make his way down the steps. Jayce kept his pace. "You could wait for me at the bottom." The man offered.
"Oh, I... I don't mind keeping pace." Jayce said assuredly. "I-If I happened to change the design so there were two ways to vent the energy before firing, do you think I could maybe use a full kilo?" He was trying not to let his excitement show. The man glanced up and a smile pulled at his lips.
"If you have two venting points, I believe you could increase the input just a little. Perhaps even a kilo and half." The man replied. His cane suddenly seemed to miss the step and Jayce quickly caught him before he could fall. The man's eyes were wide, his fingers curled tightly into the front of Jayce's uniform. He seemed speechless for a moment before quickly pulling back. "Uh, forgive me, that... I usually pay much more attention than that." He sounded embarrassed and Jayce paused before saying that he was distracting him. He apologized immediately after. The man seemed surprised by this. "You have no need to apologize. It was a misstep and I'm... quite enjoying this conversation. The structure and functionality does not seem to be quite an issue, but I suppose the glaring question is what kind of energy source you would use for such a tool." Jayce replied that he had one and that seemed to stun the man.
"Well, I... I did have one. It was, uh... in progress. I can't... work on it anymore though." Jayce's gaze moved to the side as he let out a sigh. The man tipped his head, asking why not. "Because I'm here. I don't have my equipment or my journal with my notes." The man blinked before asking if he was a scientist. "Yes! Well, I, uh..." Jayce's momentary enthusiasm faded. "I... was going to be. I was studying to be one." The man stared at him and Jayce paused. "S-Sorry, I'm not supposed to be, uh..."
"Divulging information. I know. I apologize for my curiosity, I just... find myself a lot more interested than I thought." He gave a small smile from behind the muzzle. "I know you said it would be unprofessional, but could you... just...?" The man hesitantly held out his hand again. "Just for the stairs. I do not wish to fall again." Jayce blinked before moving forward. He guided the man's hand to his arm and the man looked momentarily surprised before holding onto him. They carefully made their way down the staircase together, soon dropping into the hall below. He could immediately tell which cell the man had come from. It was directly next to the stairs and the door was open. He seemed to have the only cell without bars, instead having his own small, square room. Inside, Jayce could see a desk with no drawers, a bed and a lantern. That seemed to be it, besides the obligatory toilet that was likely hidden behind the wall. Even still... The man let go of Jayce's arm and started forward before faltering. He backed up and turned away, his hand reaching out and curling into Jayce's sleeve again. Jayce furrowed his brow.
He glanced up and paused. He could see a small key ring on the desk. Jayce's brow instantly furrowed, not liking the churning he felt in his stomach. "...They do not usually leave the keys out like that. I think... they are trying to get me in trouble again." The man sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm quite tired of being in this muzzle and I pray this humiliation ritual will end soon." His voice strained and Jayce stared at him. He asked if they did this often. "...The guards all think I talk too much. They muzzle me like some kind of dog and parade me around the prison for the others to jeer at..." The man sounded defeated and Jayce felt his heart squeeze in his chest. "I will not play their game this time." He paused and glanced up at Jayce. "You're a guard, are you not? Could you unlock me? You could do it in the room and leave after. I just... wish for this to be off of me." The man sounded slightly desperate beneath his humiliated tone. Jayce glanced down the hallway uncertainly. He didn't think the man would try to escape, but he knew this would get them both in trouble. "You can say no. I'd understand." The man said, pulling back and resting his hands atop his cane again. They were shaking.
Jayce let out a quiet sigh through his nose. "No, uh, you just... you talked me down. I can at least do this for you. But, uh..." He glanced down the hallway again before looking back at the man. "Preferably as quickly as possible." His skin was crawling. He didn't want to get locked up here if this was how they treated their prisoners. The man nodded. He still seemed slightly frightened, his fingers curling into the fabric of Jayce's sleeve again before letting go. "Do you want me to go first?" The man shook his head, stating in a firm voice that he could do it. He sounded like he was trying to assure himself more than anything. He glanced back up at Jayce and, one more time, offered his hand. His fingers were trembling. Jayce risked one more look down the hallway before reaching up. He gently took the man's hand, though his dwarfed it in comparison. The man turned and started to carefully move into the room. Jayce followed and the moment he stepped into the room, it felt stuffy. There wasn't even a window. Jayce already felt like the walls were closing in and he forced himself to focus as the man turned to him with the key ring. "Hey, uh, I know your designation, but I... don't know your name." The man paused and glanced up before asking if he would tell him his name too. "...I can, yeah. Last names aren't acceptable though. My name is Jayce."
The man's slender fingers fidgeted with the key ring. "Jayce." He repeated softly, the word seeming smooth as honey on his tongue. "My name is Viktor." Jayce managed a smile, repeating Viktor's name in response. That seemed to draw a weak smile from the man. Jayce offered his hand and the man passed him the key ring before turning and lifting his hair. Jayce could see the locks. He furrowed his brow, carefully undoing each one. There were three locks side by side on the back of the muzzle, each with its own seperate key on the key ring. Viktor turned back to face him and he placed his cane back against the desk. He reached up, but flinched as he seemed to pull at his own hair. His fingers hooked into the front of the muzzle and he tugged at it, his body starting to tremble. "M-Mm." A noise of panic left him and Jayce startled.
"Hey, Viktor, hey." He spoke gently, getting his attention. "I got it. Relax for me, alright?" Jayce reached up and carefully untangled Viktor's fingers from the wiring. He started to pull his hand away, but Viktor held onto it. His eyes had squeezed shut and Jayce's eyes softened. He reached out with his free hand, gently inching the band upwards before pulling the muzzle off of Viktor. Instantly, the other let out a weak sigh of relief. He still looked a little pale, but Jayce wasn't sure if it was because of the dull light in the room. Viktor suddenly lifted Jayce's hand to his cheek and Jayce's eyes widened a little, his ears going hot. Viktor had slightly buried his face against it, shaky breathing felt against Jayce's palm. "Y-Yeah, it's okay. You're okay." Jayce spoke assuringly, despite his flustered state. Viktor opened his eyes and they moved to meet Jayce's.
The room... was quiet.
The halls... were quiet.
Everything... was quiet.
Jayce startled as Viktor took one full step right into his space and it took him a moment to process the other's lips against his. Jayce's eyes widened and his ears went completely hot. He reached up to stop Viktor, but shivered as Viktor nipped his lip, making him open his mouth. Viktor's tongue was greedy, immediately sliding in. There was a slight metallic taste to it and Jayce jumped as he felt Viktor's hand slide up into the back of his hair, the other resting on his chest. Jayce was starting to become robbed of breath and he knew how easy it would be to shove Viktor off of him, but one desperate little noise from the other made him falter. He hesitated before pressing back ever so slightly. Viktor was felt immediately smiling against his lips, taking another step so he could be pressed up against Jayce's body. When Viktor finally pulled away, there was a clear, shiny line connecting their lips before breaking. Jayce's face was flushed and he was struggling to pull in air. Viktor was panting too, but he seemed much more excited than out of breath. "V-Viktor, I..." Jayce covered his mouth, genuinely shocked at himself. "I-I can't be doing things like that with you."
Viktor rested his chin against his chest, looking up at him before asking why. Jayce faltered again before saying that it was unprofessional and they would both get in serious trouble. Viktor sighed through his nose. "...I'm already going to be in serious trouble. Besides, Jayce, I am..." His eyes scanned over him. "Hungry." Jayce tensed up a little before furrowing his brow as Viktor rubbed his cheek against his collarbone. "And you... are warm." His hands slid up and Jayce's eyes went wide as Viktor started to undo the buttons of his uniform. He stated that they couldn't do this. "Will you stop me?" Viktor sounded genuinely curious and his eyes moved from the buttons to Jayce's face again. "Your hands could fit around my waist, Jayce. Surely you could push me away if you wanted." Viktor was completely right. Jayce had frozen up like a deer and he jumped as Viktor pulled his shirt to the side. He started to nip at the exposed skin. "My mouth is small so it shouldn't bleed too much."
...What?
Before Jayce could fully process his words, Viktor's teeth suddenly pierced into his skin so deeply that he almost immediately felt his shoulder become wet. He screamed out as he felt them sink deeper and deeper before there was the sickening noise of tearing flesh. Jayce's shoulder ignited in white-hot pain and his legs gave out as Viktor finally pulled back, his chin, lips and nose stained with blood. "Mm..." He let out a small groan and raised a bloody hand to his mouth to politely cover his chewing. "...Rare. Fresh. The dead ones never taste like this. Even that one was starting to get stale and he wasn't even an hour gone." Viktor sounded displeased after he'd swallowed. Jayce had dropped to his knees, his vision having blurred from shock. He startled as Viktor kneeled down in front of him.
Their lips met again and that tang of metal was completely unmistakable now. Jayce squeezed his eyes shut, Viktor's tongue overwhelming him once more. He pulled back, leaving Jayce's parted lips stained with his own blood. He paused as he felt Viktor's thumb wipe the tears from his eyes. Viktor raised his thumb to his mouth, cleaning the tears from it. He murmured that they were salty. He reached out and shoved Jayce backwards. Jayce hit the floor and when he opened his eyes, he was greeted with the half-eaten face of another prison guard, having been propped up between the toilet and the sink. The scream he wanted to let out wouldn't even rise to his throat. The body was fresh. Bloody. Ransacked. One of the man's eyes was gone and the sickening amount of blood coming from his slanted jaw suggested his tongue may have been as well. Jayce wasn't sure he could feel anything right then, his vision pulsing. He could feel the thuds of approaching footsteps through the ground.
Viktor was gently cleaning his bloodied fingers with his tongue, reminiscent of a cat. He let out a shaky exhale before stepping carefully over Jayce. His leg shook as he lowered himself down and Jayce reached out, cushioning his knee with his hand. Viktor seemed to freeze up, glancing down at his hand in genuine surprise and confusion. He turned to look back down at Jayce curiously before yelping as someone suddenly grabbed him, heaving him off of Jayce. Viktor was swearing furiously as another guard roughly yanked the muzzle back onto him as he thrashed around. Jayce's vision was pulsing and he felt arms lift him.
Viktor's feverishly bright, piercing amber eyes met his and the last thing Jayce acknowledged before passing out was the taste of his own blood on his tongue.
Everything... was quiet.