Chapter Text
Every spring, one day stood out in the calendar of the citizens of both Zaun and Piltover. A celebration of the founding of the city, filling the streets with noise and people bustling about. Even in the undercity, people would celebrate, stalls opening up to serve food and drink, games and performers would line the streets. Everyone would be happy. It would be known as Progress Day, commemorating the anniversary of the city’s creation. For over 190 years, Piltover had stood as a beacon of human potential.
Viktor had been in the city for a couple of years now. Studying at the academy and working with the Yordle who helped build the city, Professor Heimerdinger, Dean of the Academy and head of the grand council, had meant that the young man had been able to leave his family home and start a life in the city, Heimerdinger had taken a guardian role for Viktor. He was a bright young man but shy, retiring and unsure of himself.
The morning sun swept the city, enveloping it in a golden glow, the pale stone buildings, gold and blue for as far as the eye could see. Viktor woke in his little apartment, the block had changed hands recently and Viktor had secured a tenancy. It wasn’t the most fancy of places, the block was old and starting to look dilapidated but his apartment was clean, tidy and ordered. He remembered the day he was brought here and how Heimerdinger had helped him, even managing to arrange a medical procedure to help with his curved spine. Today it ached as the weekend had been cold, wet and his joints had become sore and stiff. The bolts were due to be adjusted soon, this was something Viktor hated as it would be a day and night usually spent in the hospital, drugs that made his head fuzzy and a few days in bed recovering. That was if his lungs cooperated. The thought of it made him grumble softly.
As he sat on the side of the bed, Viktor looked out of the bedroom to the living area, another man asleep on the sofa. Since the “accident”, Jayce had been staying at Viktor’s place. That was at least 6 months ago and the pair seemed inseparable. Just as the summer had given way to the autumn, then winter, their friendship was beckoning them both towards something else. Viktor grabbed his cane and pulled the bath robe that had rested on top of it around his body. As he limped to the living room, he chuckled. “You know, I have a double bed. You don’t need to sleep on this sofa.”
Jayce muttered as he sat up. “What? Do you really mean that? You want to share a bed?”
“It’s got to be better for your posture. Otherwise you’ll end up like me.” He perched on the arm of the sofa. Stifling a yawn. Then a coughing fit. “The man of progress shouldn’t be hunched up. Have you handed your proposal to Heimerdinger yet?”
“It’s been written. Sky has the final copy, making sure it’s all as it should be. Can’t convince you to come and speak?”
“No….no, I’m not…” Viktor blushed.
“You’d be great you know. You have to be more…”
“Confident?”
Jayce sat up. “Right, let’s have breakfast… now do we order something or should I cook?”
“You can do as you wish, I’m not really hungry at the moment. I will have some coffee.” He shuffled to the small kitchenette and looked in the cupboards, usually they were pretty bare but Jayce had insisted on filling them with canned food, packets, all kind of things. Viktor grabbed the coffee and set up the machine to boil the water and make the coffee. Jayce had gone to take a shower and get dressed, he marched in as the coffee was ready. Viktor looked at him. “It always astounds me how you always manage to get ready so quickly.” He sat on one of the chairs by the small table. Hands clasped around the incredibly large mug he was drinking from.
“Viktor…” Jayce looked at him. “You need to fuel yourself with more than coffee.” Jayce sighed as he pulled his jacket on. “I’ll see what they have at the bakery.” It had been a new hobby of Jayce’s to get Viktor to eat at least once a day. It was considered a good day when he had managed to get 3 pieces of food in to the other. He sauntered down to the bakery to see what they had.
Viktor yawned and sat on his chair, dreamily looking out of the window as a bird flew past. During the times he’d been too sick to go outside, even as a child, he had always watched the birds, the weather, observing the fine details. The bird hopped between branches of an old, dead tree, looking for something to line its nest, or something to eat, Viktor often threw any old bread out for them, some of the neighbours did complain but his argument was that the world didn’t just belong to humanity, it belonged to everyone and everything. Even birds, mice or the odd stray cat.
He thought for a moment and went to get some old bread and a can of cat food out of the pantry. He’d been feeding a local stray recently, a beautiful white, fluffy cat. Had it not been for his allergies, he would have taken her, at least he thought it was a girl, but she did act peculiar sometimes, in but he couldn’t. Instead he would put down some food and sit by the back door petting her. Sometimes she would act almost human and he could’ve sworn he’d seen her scratch the name “Yipp” in the soil. This was shortly after Professor Andrej Von Yipp had been taken away to an asylum after months of him acting bizarre, most people had said it was some kind of breakdown.
Once the cat food was served, he then went to the bird table and scattered the old breadcrumbs on to it. One of the neighbours came in to the yard, “You feeding the birds again?”
“Yes.” Viktor watched as a small bird landed to take some of the food.
“You should feed yourself a bit better dear.” The elderly woman sighed. “You give the birds so much. Just mind you keep the crumbs on the table, someone saw a rat yesterday.”
Viktor excused himself with polite pleasantries before going back inside and sat back at the table to drink his coffee. Everyone seemed to worry about him these days. He wasn’t really used to it.
By the time Jayce had returned, Viktor’s eyes were closed. He’d fallen asleep again. “Viktor?…” he shook his shoulder slightly as his eyes opened. “You sure you want to attend all the events today? I’ll be fine with meeting the professor. You look like you need to get yourself more rest.”
“‘m alright…” a mumble and cough. “I’m supposed to show my face at least, as Heimerdinger’s assistant.” Jayce didn’t like how it sounded and opened the medicine cabinet. Taking out a small tube with a scale on one side and a mouthpiece on the end. Viktor knew what it was. “No.”
Jayce set the device on the table, “If you’re as alright as you say you are, you won’t mind showing me. Just one blow, OK? I need to make sure after all.” Viktor picked up the thing, taking as deep a breath as he could before blowing in to the meter. Jayce read the number. “Yeah…no. Not good.” He went back to the pantry and began getting some medication ready. “I’m going to make sure you take a bit of a boost today. Otherwise you’ll end up stuck in a hospital bed again.” He set the medication down with a glass of water.
Viktor reluctantly took the tablets. He hated them like each one was another needling reminder that he was fragile. Jayce set up the nebuliser machine to give him his breathing meds, bringing him to the sofa. It was still warm from where Jayce had been lying. Viktor pulled his legs up and huddled on one of the seats, hiding that he was shivery. “I’ll probably give most of the crowds a miss.”
“Probably best, you’re run down already and the last thing you want is to pick up another virus or something.” He noticed the shiver and pulled the blanket around Viktor. Chances were, he was already sick. This guy had no immune system. “Yeah, you’re not going anywhere today. I’ll call Heimerdinger and let him know.” He walked out while Viktor rested back in to the sofa cushion, inhaling his meds. He came back soon, “Heimerdinger wants you to get back to bed, wrap up nice and warm and take the day off. He said he’d come by tomorrow for the proposal but it’s not good for you to be going outside right now. Crowds and your immune system don’t mix.”
“I agree… but I can’t stay in bed all day.” He grumbled as Jayce had already scooped him up, carrying him back to the bed and wrapping a blanket around him. He yawned as he was propped up on the pillows. Jayce felt his head for a moment before going to get the first aid kit from under the kitchen sink. Inside was a thermometer. “…do you really think…” he was stopped by having the thermometer placed under his tongue. Jayce sat on the bed timing with his watch. After 2 minutes, it was taken out.
“No wonder you’re shivering. I’m gonna stay here with you and get you to rest.”
“I’m alright Jayce.” Viktor protested, interrupted by a cough. Jayce had already taken off his jacket, shoes and was unbuttoning his over shirt. He went to the bathroom and returned wearing his baggy T-shirt and grey lounge pants before grabbing the pillows and blanket off the sofa. He then sat on the other side of the bed. Viktor was already dozing off again, seemed the medication had helped or he was just that tired.
Jayce smiled, this was real “progress” to him.