Chapter Text
The night was warm as Viktor walked home from Jayce’s apartment. He had been dragged out of the lab by Jayce hours ago, and he only relented when Jayce suggested going to his place for dinner. Neither of their apartments were far from their lab, which was nice, but the distance between them was considerable.
Viktor had reached the Academy plaza, the midway point between their apartments, when he heard something behind one of the buildings. Growing up in Zaun meant Viktor had learned to mind his business from a very young age, and that skill was being put to work now.
He walked past the noises, alert and a bit on edge. He had reached the other side of the plaza when he heard the clacking of claws on the pavement. And they were getting closer.
Viktor turned around and was immediately pushed to the ground. He was face to face with the largest wolf he had ever seen.
The wolf lunged, and pain shot through his shoulder as it bit down hard. Viktor screamed so loud that his throat hurt. It was some of the worst pain he had ever been in. The air was pushed out of his lungs by the wolf stepping on his chest. His arm felt like it was on fire and he was struggling to breathe.
Viktor had thankfully managed to keep ahold of his cane when he was tackled, and was able to get his other arm up and around the wolf’s hulking figure to reach its face. He slammed the cane against its muzzle over and over again, the beast refusing to release his shoulder.
With one last burst of strength, Viktor hit the cane against the wolf and it let go. The wolf turned tail and fled back into whichever alley it had come from.
Viktor managed to stand up, feeling extremely dizzy. His vision was fuzzy, likely from the blood loss of the bite, and it felt like his ribs were splintering when he took a breath. The adrenaline was barely enough to keep him standing. Viktor needed to find help, and soon. He scanned the plaza. An enforcer station. As much as Viktor hated the enforcers, they were his best bet at getting medical attention.
He nearly dragged himself towards the station, all the while calling for help. If he couldn’t make it there, someone might be able to hear him.
Viktor grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open just as his vision gave out to grey. He felt his legs give out, and he crumpled to the ground inside the station. The last thing he was aware of before he lost consciousness was someone dialing a phone, and being told everything would be okay.
—
Viktor woke up to an annoyingly familiar ceiling. He was in the Piltover hospital, again. Jayce was standing by the door, talking with a nurse. He looked worried, but his face brightened when he saw that Viktor was awake.
“Ah! Viktor! You’re awake, how are you feeling?”
Viktor was feeling decidedly not great. His shoulder hurt like hell, he was still dizzy, and he was exhausted. “I feel terrible,” he answered honestly.
“What happened? The nurse who called me just said it was an animal bite.” Jayce asked, moving closer to Viktor’s bed. He grabbed one of the chairs from against the wall and dragged it so he could sit right next to him.
“I think it was a wolf. But that’s probably not it, I was in the Academy plaza. And I’ve never seen a wolf in Piltover before.” Viktor said, resting his chin on his hand. It was hurting his shoulder to keep his posture upright. Plus, the point of contact was helping with his dizziness.
Jayce leaned forward, looking more worried. “A wolf? Yeah I can’t say I’ve seen any around here, that’s certainly strange. You’re sure it wasn’t just a big dog?”
“Not unless dogs can get to be bigger than I am.” Viktor said with a chuckle. “It was massive. And it definitely didn’t look like any kind of dog I’ve ever seen.”
The nurse, who had been standing by the door as they were talking, stepped forward. “Mr. Viktor, you will need a rabies vaccine. It is required for most animal bites, but a wolf in the middle of a populated city almost certainly has rabies.” She grabbed a syringe and needle from a tray on the counter that Viktor hadn’t seen when he first woke up.
Viktor was no stranger to needles and the like, but he was still afraid of them. It didn’t help that most of his experiences with needles were for IVs, and the doctors could never find a vein on the first few tries. He looked away from the needle, and saw Jayce staring at him, holding his hand out as an unspoken invitation. Viktor put his hand in Jayce’s, and as he felt the prick of the needle he squeezed his hand so hard that Jayce’s fingers turned a bit purple.
“Alright Mr. Viktor, you are good to go. If you want to leave now you can, but it is still dark out so you can also stay till morning.” The nurse said as she turned to leave the room.
Viktor looked up at Jayce again, and he knew that he would stay with him until the morning if Viktor chose to. But Viktor had been in this hospital for far longer than anyone should be, and he was eager to get out and back to the comfort of his apartment.
But the thought of being alone right now was putting a painful weight on his heart. “Jayce, would you come back to my apartment with me?” I don’t want to be alone.
Jayce seemed to catch the unsaid message, and leaned closer to Viktor, putting an arm around him while being careful of his bandaged shoulder, and pulled him into a hug. He kissed the top of Viktor’s head. “Oh honey, you know I will. I’d go with you even if you told me not to.” Jayce mumbled into his hair.
Viktor leaned into the embrace, savoring the warmth of his partner.
—
Jayce had called a carriage back to Viktor’s apartment, refusing to let him walk home. Viktor had protested, but both he and Jayce knew it was futile.
Viktor collapsed onto his bed, and Jayce began taking off his shoes and brace. “Honey, do you think you’re up for changing into pajamas? Your shirt is still bloody.” Jayce asked as Viktor blinked slowly up at his ceiling. He was trying so hard not to fall asleep, and he knew he should get ready for bed properly or he would regret it the next morning.
“Nngh. Yeah, yeah I can do that.” He said, stifling a yawn. He managed to sit up, and Jayce helped him out of his shirt and back brace.
Jayce inhaled sharply at the sight of the bandages on his shoulder, but didn’t say anything, taking extra care to avoid bumping them.
Jayce stood up, and went into the bathroom connected to Viktor’s bedroom. He could hear some shuffling, and a minute later Jayce came back with a wet towel, and began wiping the dried blood off of Viktor’s arm and chest.
As he was wiping off the blood, Jayce said “The nurse told me you should change the bandages every 12 hours or so, so I can help you with that in the morning if you’d like.”
Viktor was practically asleep at this point, leaning into the warmth of the towel and Jayce, and could only respond with a “Mmhm.”
“Okay Vik, I’m gonna help you into your pajamas, alright?” Jayce stood to grab the pajama shirt but Viktor reached out and clung to him, too tired and in too much pain to do anything else.
“Okay, maybe no pajamas tonight. Are you going to be okay sleeping in pants?” Viktor pressed his head into Jayce’s chest, nodding.
“Alright. I’m going to go change, but you lay down. I’ll be right back.” Jayce leaned Viktor back against the mattress gently, and pulled the sheets up to his chest, kissing his hair.
Viktor had fallen asleep before Jayce came back into the room, and his brow was scrunched up with pain. Jayce got into bed beside him, placing a kiss on his forehead.
—
Viktor woke up to pain so bad he could barely breathe. He blindly reached for Jayce, trying to get his attention, eventually tapping his chest multiple times.
Jayce sat up and looked down at Viktor, who had tears streaming down his face. “It hurts,” he whimpered, his voice breaking. Jayce immediately got up to find the pain meds the nurse had prescribed for Viktor. He fished around for the pill bottle in the bag from the hospital, fumbling with the cap as he read the dosage. He grabbed the water bottle Viktor kept on his dresser, and was back at his side with the pills and water.
Viktor took them, shaking, tears still falling down his face. “It hurts so much. Why does it hurt more than yesterday?” He asked, voice thick with tears. Jayce put a hand on his non-injured shoulder, rubbing soothing circles into his collarbone.
Viktor looked very red, but it was hard to tell if it was from the crying or if he was feverish. Jayce pressed his other hand to his forehead, and inhaled sharply a second after. Viktor was burning up. Jayce ran to get a cold washcloth from the bathroom, placing it on Viktor’s forehead. He sighed in relief, slumping back down onto the pillows.
After about 20 minutes, the meds seemed to finally kick in, and Viktor fell into a restless sleep, tossing and turning to avoid any pressure on his shoulder.
—
Jayce was very worried. Not only because his partner was sick and in pain, but because he knew why.
It wasn’t just an animal bite.
All evidence pointed towards an answer that Piltover had been trying to erase for decades, and an answer which Jayce was intimately familiar with.
Lycanthropy. Werewolves.
Jayce recognized Viktor’s symptoms because Jayce was a werewolf. He had been bitten when he was 7 years old, and the weeks afterwards had been the worst time of his life.
The first week had been torture. He had been in excruciating pain the first day, and he had been sicker than he had ever been.
The second day was significantly better, so much so that he thought it was almost over. His pain had nearly gone away and he felt a bit less sick. His hair had grown a bit, but he’d thought nothing of it.
The third day had been awful. The bite had stopped hurting, but the pain was elsewhere then. His gums ached as his canines and molars were shoved out of his mouth and replaced by sharper counterparts. His eyes became incredibly sensitive to light, so much so that he had gotten a migraine. His sense of smell had been strengthened, and even his mamá’s shampoo had been so strong he vomited.
The fourth day was worse than the third. His fingernails had started to grow and bleed as claws grew in their place. He grew by 4 inches. Growing by 4 inches in one day was horrible. Everything hurt, and he was unable to get comfortable.
And on the fifth day after the bite, he woke up in pain. He could feel his bones moving and reshaping. He could feel the fur pushing out of his skin. He could feel his tail elongating from his spine. It was a terrible mix of awful sensations. His crying had woken up his mamá, and she held him as his body became inhuman, hugging him and telling him that she loved him. When it was over, he had hid under his bed, not wanting to see himself. He only came back out when he was too hungry to think.
Jayce had studied werewolves and lycanthropy almost religiously since then. Everything he learned was either from books centuries old or from experimenting on himself.
One of the worst things he learned was that there was no cure to the biological curse. Once someone was bitten, there was no prevention, there was no relief.
He and his mamá had eventually needed to move to Piltover because of his lycanthropy.
Jayce didn’t want Viktor to go through that pain, but there was no way to avoid it. So Jayce swore to stay by his side to comfort him through all of it. Viktor didn’t know about Jayce’s lycanthropy. No one in Piltover did, actually, aside from Jayce, his mamá Ximena, and Heimerdinger, who had realized the second he had met Jayce. Something about magical beings being able to sense each other. Jayce would need to tell Viktor eventually, either to comfort him and let him know he wasn’t alone, or to avoid the fallout of such a big secret being kept for all these years.
—
When Viktor woke up again, it was evening. The pain had reduced slightly, likely from the meds. But Viktor was more preoccupied with something else. Jayce wasn’t in the room.
Viktor hadn’t expected to get so clingy. He had never been like this when he was sick other times, or in pain. But here he was, nearly hyperventilating at the absence of his partner. “Jayce? Jayce, where are you?” Viktor called out, voice cracking from lack of use and from panic.
He heard footsteps in the hallway, and Jayce rushed into the room. “Viktor! Honey, what’s wrong?” He looked incredibly worried. Despite this, Viktor instantly calmed at the sight of his partner.
Viktor started to speak, but his stomach turned violently, and he gagged, clamping a hand to his mouth. Jayce got the memo, instantly grabbing the trash can from the bedside and holding it up for him. He retched into it, effectively emptying his stomach.
After a couple seconds, Jayce put the trash can back down, and looked at him with worry in his eyes. “What do you need? Can you walk? I think you should probably go use some mouthwash, it might help you feel a bit better.”
Viktor nodded, that sounded like a great idea. Jayce helped him up, steadying him as he wobbled. He was still dizzy, and without his cane it was hard to stand. He let Jayce lead him to the bathroom, where he sat next to the sink on the closed toilet lid and swished with some mouthwash.
“Do you need anything right now, or are you good for about a minute while I deal with the garbage bin?” Jayce asked.
“I am fine for now, but will you come back and stay with me?” Viktor asked. He was embarrassed at how needy he was feeling, but Jayce seemed more than happy to shower him with love and assistance as always.
“Of course, Vik. I’ll be back in a second.” Jayce turned and left the room.
Viktor grabbed a cup from the sink and filled it with cold water, taking small sips to try and calm his stomach. He was still feeling feverish and a bit nauseous, but he was unlikely to vomit again for at least a while.
Jayce came back a minute later carrying the bag from the hospital. He set it on the counter, reaching into it for the bandages. “It’s been close enough to 12 hours, and since you’re sitting up I think we might as well take advantage of that and change your bandages now,” he said.
He washed his hands, and started unwrapping Viktor’s bandaged shoulder. Curiosity got the better of Viktor, and he turned to see the wound. To his surprise, it looked almost healed. That couldn’t be right, but he was out of it enough that he didn’t question it. Less wound meant shorter pain, and Viktor was completely on board with that.
Jayce rewrapped it with the clean bandages. “Do you want to stay in here a while longer or go back to bed?” He asked softly.
Viktor was exhausted. “I’d like to go back to bed. I don’t think my stomach has anything left to get rid of anyways.” He said, leaning his head on Jayce’s chest. Jayce threaded his fingers through Viktor’s hair, scratching his scalp. Viktor never wanted him to stop. He was still feeling clingy and needy, so he figured it couldn’t hurt to push his luck. “Would you carry me?” He asked, looking up at Jayce.
“Of course honey. We’ll have to be careful of your shoulder though, okay?” Jayce replied, still petting Viktor’s hair.
They struggled to get the position right for a minute, but eventually Jayce lifted him up and carried him back to the bed, gently lowering him onto the mattress and pulling the sheets up to his chest.
Viktor saw that the trash can had been emptied and placed back in its usual spot near his nightstand, within reach if needed. There was also a glass of water and a plate with a few Saltine crackers on the nightstand.
Jayce noticed him looking at the crackers and said “I’d wait a little bit longer for your stomach to settle, but it’s up to you when you want to eat if you’re hungry.”
Viktor took the glass of water and drank a bit, but eventually put it down and patted the bed next to him on Jayce’s side. “Stay with me?” He asked quietly.
“Of course, love.” Jayce walked over to his side of the bed, slipping under the covers with Viktor. Viktor immediately curled closer to Jayce’s body heat, laying his head on Jayce’s chest. Jayce laughed softly, and began petting his hair again. Viktor fell back asleep quickly.
—
Now that Viktor was asleep, Jayce was able to think about what he needed to do to help him. He knew he needed to tell Viktor both that he was a werewolf and that Viktor was turning into one, but he didn’t know how or when.
Maybe on the third day, when Viktor would get his teeth. That seemed like a reasonable time to tell him, Viktor would suspect that this “flu” he has isn’t normal, and to be honest Jayce didn’t want to hold the impending doom of losing teeth over his head if he could help it.
It would probably also be a good idea to ask his mamá what she remembered doing when he was turning. While he had been the one living it, the memories are a bit fuzzy due to the fever, pain, and shock.
He should also check to see what kind of food Viktor had. Jayce knew that Viktor wasn’t the best at staying on top of meals on good days, and now that he was dealing with the side effects of turning, it would be even harder to get him to eat due to the nausea. Jayce remembered only being hungry for raw meat on the fourth day, and his symptoms had died down by then. Before that, he couldn’t remember what he ate.
With his heightened sense of smell (and from living near Viktor for almost 5 years) Jayce knew that Viktor thankfully didn’t use scented soaps. He wasn’t sure why, but he was thankful. Scented things tended to bother his nose and make him nauseous, and he suspected Viktor would end up the same way.
But talking with Ximena, possible shopping, and exposing lifelong secrets could wait. Viktor needed him.
—
When Viktor woke up this time, he was surprised to find that his shoulder barely hurt at all. This was extremely odd, considering the sheer amount of pain he had been in yesterday.
He was still laying on top of Jayce, seemingly having managed to shift on top of him even more during his sleep. Jayce was still asleep, snoring softly. Viktor sat up and took an inventory of how he was feeling.
His shoulder barely hurt anymore, but he still had a bit of a headache and some body pain from the sickness. He wasn’t nauseous anymore, but he was hungry. He suddenly remembered the crackers Jayce had left for him last night. They were a bit stale, but it was better than nothing.
Viktor’s movement eventually woke Jayce, who blinked sleepily and smiled at him. “‘Morning, love. How are you feeling?” He asked.
Viktor, finished with his snack, scooted back over to Jayce. “It’s weird, my shoulder barely hurts at all.” Viktor said with a frown.
“Well, that is weird. But I’m glad that you aren’t in as much pain anymore.” Jayce responded, propping himself up on his elbows. “I was thinking about leaving for a bit to grab some spare clothes from my place, and maybe going shopping? You don’t have much food and you’re running out of flu meds.”
Now that he was in less pain, Viktor didn't feel as clingy as he had yesterday. “Yeah, you should do that. I’ll be fine here. I might change my bandages and take a bath, actually.”
“Alright. I’ll be back in an hour or two. Love you.” Jayce said as he got out of bed and got dressed.
—
Jayce was in fact going to go shopping, but first he was going to talk to Ximena. He wanted to see if there was anything specific she remembered doing for him.
Jayce reached his childhood home, and as he walked up the stairs, Ximena flung the door open. “Jayce! I’ve missed you. Where have you been?”
Jayce grimaced as he tried to remember the last time he had seen his mamá. And then he realized that he had missed his monthly dinner with her.
“Sorry mamá, I've been pretty busy.” She stared at him, raising one eyebrow. “Jayce Talis, you are always busy. I can tell when something’s up. Come in, come in, let's talk.” She said, waving him inside.
Jayce followed her in, and sat down on the couch with a sigh. “Mamá, how much do you remember of the week after I got bitten?” He asked, staring down at the coffee table.
“Well that's a bit out of the blue. I remember you were in such terrible pain, and could barely keep anything down. I think I ended up making a lot of chicken broth with rice, it was the only thing you’d eat. But I’m pretty sure that after your teeth came in I found you eating salami right out of the package in the middle of the night.” She laughed. “Why do you ask?”
Jayce fidgeted with his hands, trying to figure out how to tell her. “Viktor was attacked by a werewolf two nights ago. He's been sick and I didn't really know what to do. Thought I'd take advantage of the second day lull, he's feeling better for now.” He sighed, resting his head on the back of the couch and looking at the ceiling. “I’m going to need to tell him I’m a werewolf as well, but I have no idea how to. I mean, we’ve known each other for almost 5 years now, I don’t want him to feel like I’ve been lying to him.”
They were both quiet for a few minutes, Jayce still staring at the ceiling, and Ximena thinking hard.
“Well, I think you should tell him sooner rather than later. Today might be a good day, from what I remember your second day was fairly easy compared to everything else.” Ximena said. “Just take care of him. Help him, see what he needs.”
“It’s Viktor we’re talking about, he’s not going to let himself rest.” Jayce snorted. “I’m surprised he was being so cuddly yesterday, but that might’ve just been because of how sick he was.”
“Well that’s all the more reason to care for him.” Ximena pointed out. “Besides, he may be more open to help if he realizes you’re more knowledgeable about this.”
“Alright. Thanks mamá. I’m going to go pick up some stuff from the store.” Jayce stood from the couch. “And I promise that we’ll come over for dinner sometime soon.”
“Love you too Jayce, make sure Viktor is resting!” Ximena called as Jayce was almost out the door.
—
Jayce walked back to his apartment to pack some clothes and his toiletries. He also took a quick shower, it had been a few days and it was getting nearly unbearable.
He grabbed one of his hoodies that Viktor loved to steal, hoping it would make him feel a bit better.
Jayce shoved everything into a duffel bag, and walked over to the store near his house. He was mostly going to get stuff for Viktor, but he also bought some snacks for himself. Jayce made sure to also buy more flu meds to hopefully lessen Viktor’s symptoms, some tea he knew Viktor liked, and some raw meat. He paid and left the store, and started making his way back to Viktor’s apartment.
—
After Jayce had left, Viktor layed in bed for a while longer, trying to build up the motivation to get up and do something. He still had a headache, and despite his shoulder hurting significantly less, his whole body was sore. Maybe a bath would help.
Viktor got up using the wall as support, not bothering to grab his cane for the short distance to the bathroom. He turned on the tap and plugged the tub, and started unraveling the bandages around his shoulder.
He froze when they came off. The wound wasn’t there. It shouldn’t have healed that fast. Had he been asleep much longer than he thought he had been?
The sound of the water changing shook him out of his thoughts, and he turned off the tap. He stripped out of his clothes and lowered himself into the tub. It was the perfect temperature, and it cleared his head for a few minutes.
As he bathed, Viktor tried to come up with reasons for how the wound had healed so fast. He could really only think of two reasons. One, he had lost a lot of time and slept for longer than he thought he had. Or two, he had been given shimmer somehow. Neither option seemed likely, but what else could’ve happened?
There was a third idea, however, and it was even more unlikely than the first two. Something magical had happened. But he couldn’t even begin to figure out how that could’ve happened.
He turned his thoughts away from concerningly fast healing and began to wash his hair.
It was longer than he remembered it being. Not just by a little bit, either. It was almost to his shoulders. This gave more credibility to the theory that he had actually been out for a very long time. But he knew that couldn't be true. He couldn't possibly lose a month’s worth of time.
Viktor felt like he was going crazy. He wanted Jayce to come back, to give him some kind of answer as to what was going on.
—
Jayce walked into the apartment and put away the groceries and his stuff he packed. Going to check on Viktor, he heard footsteps. He peeked into the bedroom and saw Viktor pacing in front of the bed. His hair was almost touching his shoulders. And so it begins, thought Jayce.
Viktor’s head snapped up when he heard Jayce enter the bedroom. “Jayce! You’re back. Good.” He said, sounding a little bit manic. “I think I may be going insane.”
Well that was one way to start a conversation. “Viktor, do you want to sit down? You’re still sick and I don’t want you to hurt your leg.”
Viktor looked down, as if just realizing he had been pacing. He sat on the edge of the bed. “Jayce. The bite mark is completely gone and my hair has grown by at least 6 inches. Have I been in a coma? Am I just going mad?” He was hyperventilating a bit, chest heaving as he spoke.
Jayce sat on the bed next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders and pulling him closer. “Viktor, you're not going insane. And you haven't been in a coma, I promise.” He looked down at Viktor, who's eyes were shining with tears. “I know what's going on and I haven't been completely honest with you these 5 years I've known you.” At this, Viktor tensed, frowning.
“What are you talking about, Jayce? You are making less sense than I am,” he said with a bit of a laugh.
“How much do you know about werewolves?” Jayce asked quickly, almost forcing the words out. He looked away, unable to meet Viktor’s eyes. He was sure Viktor was looking at him like he was crazy.
“I mean I grew up with stories about them in Zaun. If you’re insinuating what I think you are, that’s almost impossible.” Viktor said slowly, thinking through Jayce’s question.
Jayce felt his control over his human form breaking. He could tell his eyes were starting to glow. It felt like heat pooling behind his eye sockets, and he closed his eyes. “Viktor, I’m a werewolf. Have been since I was seven.” Even if his eyes weren’t glowing, he didn’t think he could look at Viktor right now. He couldn’t bring himself to see his reaction. “You being bit by a massive wolf and then having these symptoms, the same ones I did after being bit, makes me sure that you were bit by a werewolf.”