Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a phrase used all of Jayce’s life. Sometimes in a soft, pitying tone, others laced with disgust, and sometimes in mocking cruelty. It was the bar that kept Jayce from finding a partner who could finally help put him under- properly under, not just the chemical wooziness he got from the artificial subspace medication he had been taking since he was 15.

“Too big.” Too strong, too muscular, too tall. Nobody thought he was a sub at first glance, and usually whoever was interested in him had an expectation for him to fill. Even the subs who were okay with having flings with other subs wanted him to be in charge, to put them in their place, and he always left feeling unsettled and uncertain until he made it home and curled up in his bed, trying to feel smaller.

It was a first-world problem, he gets it. A Piltovian sub whining about not getting any because he was too much the adonis people expected of Doms. But it was affecting his health- he never felt like he got enough sleep, he was making mistakes in his calculations that he never had before, his hands shook during very delicate procedures and the brain fog was enough to keep him stumbling over simple tasks.

When it all got to be too much, he was quick to go down to a bar somewhere. Drink enough to get blackout drunk, to imitate that nice, floaty nothingness until he crashed back down to earth. Sometimes he would get into a fight, if it was a bad night- the pain and adrenaline left him feeling somewhere close to peace, his temporary buzz earned through bruises and blood. He rarely won the fights, but that wasn’t why he got into them.

It was self destructive at best and suicidal at worst. He’s honestly surprised that he hadn’t been picked up by enforcers like this- maybe it was because the bartenders knew he would be back to spend a pretty penny.

Now, though, he had a job to do. He was the Golden Boy of Piltover now, not some nameless academy student- he couldn't afford to get wasted at some random bar and wake up passed out on his stoop with enforcers chuckling about students not holding their liquor. He had tech to create with the help of Viktor- God, Viktor. If he ever found out Jayce was a submissive… he wasn’t sure what he would do. 

He thought he could get by on his Subdroxolin- the artificial high tricked his brain into thinking it was Subspace long enough for him to properly rest. He bought it from a dealer who went to different bars in the undercity, and this pickup was supposed to be at a place called The Last Drop. When the date rolled around, Jayce got ready.

Filthy hooded cloak, loose pants, baggy brown shirt and gloves. Laced up boots scuffed up over the years, his red scarf, and a simple mask with slits for his eyes that he had made to look old and worn. And then he was off, making his way down and keeping his head low- well, as low as he could for a man of his stature. 

It was a good place for a trade- not too many people to make Jayce nervous of the crowd, but not too few to make him feel watched. The air was filled with chatter and the sound of old rock- definitely more welcoming than some of the places he had been to. He located the dealer at the corner booth.

He slid into it casually, sitting back against the wood as Marco looked him up and down.

“Jay, listen- no, no, put your money away. I’m only here because you’re one of my best customers.” They hissed, and Jayce looked at him with a furrowed brow.

“What-”

“I don’t have much time. Someone ratted me out- I have to lay low for the next few months, and I won’t have access to my supplies for a bit. Vander’s the bartender here, he might be able to help get you connected to someone else. I’ll send for you once it blows over- I’m sorry.” They explained hurriedly, and before Jayce could even open his mouth to argue they had gotten up and left. Jayce sat there for a moment, stunned, before he put his head in his hands.

The gravity of the situation hit him like a sledgehammer to his gut. No more Subxroxolin for a few months. A few months? How the fuck was he going to be able to get by? Sure it was more expensive than paying a dom, but one case lasted him a month. He couldn’t pay a dom considering his status now, and just- fuck. Fuck.

Jayce groaned lightly into his hands before getting up. He needed a drink- there was no way in hell he was doing this sober.

He made his way to the bar, settling on a stool furthest from the other patrons and waited for the bartender to come back behind the counter.

“S’cuse me, lad, but I might need to see some ID.”

Jayce blinked at the rumbly timbre that sounded behind him, turning to see a mountain of a man standing just a bit behind him with a tray of empty glasses balanced in one hand. Jayce’s cheeks flushed with heat at the question, and absolutely not the fluttering arousal in his gut. This had to be Vander.

“I- Pardon?”

“Your ID? You’ve still got hope in your eyes, so I’ll need to see it.” The man replied with an amused grin. Jayce let out an awkward laugh as he rounded the side of the counter and pulled out a clean glass.

“I’m just yanking your chain, lad. Rough night, huh?” Vander asked, setting a glass of clear liquid in front of him. There weren’t any vapors coming off it, and a cursory sniff confirmed Jayce’s suspicions that it was just water.

“What do you mean?” Jayce asked, taking the glass in both of his hands out of habit.

“I don’t know you, but I do know what Marco deals in.” The Bartender started, holding his lit match to the bowl of the pipe he had in his hand. Jayce stilled, his hands stopped fidgeting with his glass as he watched Vander wearily.

“Let me know if I’m reading this wrong, but Marco only deals in black market drugs for dom and sub health. Calls themselves an activist, even. If you were a dom, there’s no way in hell you’d have to buy Dominiphin with a body like that. So that leaves you as a submissive looking for Spacers- and I bet it’s because of that body I previously mentioned. So now I’ve got a submissive in my bar trying to get hammered because Marco told you about them needing to lay low for the next three months. And that puts me in a tough spot, considering I cannot in good conscience serve this submissive his drinks.” Vander finished, pausing to suck in a lungful of tobacco before letting it curl around his words as he spoke. “Anything missing?”

“That was a really long-winded way of saying you can’t serve me.” Jayce replied bitterly, putting his coin back in his bag. 

“I can’t serve you, no, but I think you’re clever enough to read between the lines to pick up what I’m putting down.” Vander leaned in, and the tone that rumbled through him forced Jayce’s eyes on him. 

“You can wait until closing. And you let me take care of you and send you on your way tomorrow morning.” His timbre settled something pacing inside Jayce’s brain. He sucked in a soft breath, eyeing Vander wearily.

“What do you want for it? Money? Information?” Jayce asked, but he didn’t say no. Vander shrugged.

“I know it’s hard to believe down here, but nothing. I get a night with a pretty little thing, and rest my consciousness that you get back home safe in the morning without you dropping in an alley somewhere. It’s the best option you’re going to get tonight.” Jayce turned it over in his mind a few times, before nodding. 

“Attaboy.” Vander knocked his knuckles against the bar, before sitting up fully. Whatever spell had washed over Jayce keeping him still broke, and his hands flew to the pouch hanging from his neck to put away his money. The next several hours were truly excruciating. Watching Vander move around the space, totally confident in himself and his skin, naturally relaxed and at ease- it must be nice. It must be nice not to constantly be at war with yourself. 

By the time that they finally closed, Jayce felt like he was going to jump out of his skin. His blood thrummed through his veins when the last patron left, closing the door and Vander locking the five bolts in place. As he walked back to Jayce, he felt his spine straighten to attention before Vander placed a tray of clean but wet glasses in front of him.

“You’re going to dry these off and make sure they aren’t cracked while I do a walk around. While you do, I want you to think of any boundaries you have. Can you do that for me?” Vander asked, as though Jayce would even think about saying no. He nodded, and Vander smiled. “There’s a good lad. Tell me what your name is.”

“Jay.”

“Like the bird?”

“Hah, yeah, like the bird.” Jayce chuckled, picking up a glass and starting on his task. Going through the motions of drying the glasses was repetitive, letting everything else begin to fall away as he went over his boundaries in his mind.  He had a safeword, and color system, but other than that it was never something he had to consider. When Vander got back, Jayce had finished his task and waiting on the stool.

“Well done, Jay. These look lovely.” Vander praised, and Jayce shivered at the warm, syrupy feeling sliding down his spine at the words.

“Now, let’s get you taken care of, shall we?” He murmured, voice pitching from a friendly bartender to something a touch more menacing, rumbly and threatening if it wasn’t like a balm on Jayce’s restless psyche. Jayce nodded, following Vander to the door tucked in the back and up a few sets of stairs.

Vander’s room was on the top floor of the building, and as they walked by Jayce could see empty bedrooms. His room was sparse, decorated with a few children’s drawings, some figurines painted in electric pink and blue, and a pair of boxing gloves much too small for Vander’s fists. Jayce didn’t think too hard about this being someone’s father, and closed the door once he got in.

“Alright, Jay- you’ve thought about your limits, yeah?”

“Yes, Vander.”

“Good, good. I want you to tell them to me while you undress.”

Jayce rattled them off- no Blood, no bowels, no bile of course, no cnc, no temperature play. 

“And, Um- I’d like to keep the scarf on. Either over the lower part of my face or covering the upper half.” Jayce finished. His boxers were still on, as were his mask and scarf. Vander nodded from where he had taken a seat in a big, leather armchair that creaked under his weight.

“If you trust me, over your eyes- I’d like to see if your mouth is as pretty as your eyes are.” Vander hummed, and Jayce felt his cock twitch in his briefs. Turning his back to Vander, he slipped the mask off, unwinding the maroon scarf and tying it to cover his forehead and eyes along with most of his nose. 

It was probably idiotic to quite literally blindly trust a man he had just met that day, but… Marco trusted him. And to be honest, Jayce would probably let him do whatever the hell he wanted to him as long as he talked him through it in that nice, rumbly baritone.

“Good boy- follow my voice, I won’t let you trip over anything.” Jayce turned around and padded towards Vander’s voice, stopping when he felt a large hand press against his chest. Fuck, it was warm. It spanned across the length of his clavicle, and with how broad he knew his chest was, he knew it was no easy feat.

“Let me have a good look at you first, pretty boy.” Jayce shivered as the hand smoothed down his front, tracing his abs, his hip bones, taking hold of his waist and rubbing a thumb over where his happy trail would be if he didn’t burn most of his hair off in the forges.

“Lovely, lovely thing… Sub or not, I’m surprised you didn’t have someone snatch you up. You’re not some soft, pasty little Piltie.” He must have felt Jayce’s stomach muscles stiffen at the words, because he was quick to take hold of the other side of Jayce’s waist and pull him closer. He could feel the heat of Vander’s thighs through his thick work pants, warming his skin.

“How-?” Jayce started nervously.

“Easy there, pretty bird. Nothing to be nervous about, just settle.” It really shouldn’t be this easy- it normally wasn’t for Jayce, he was anxious to a fault. But the way Vander’s thumbs rubbed little circles into his skin and Jayce’s need for subspace, it was barely a few seconds before Vander continued.

“Your accent, for one- your nails are clean, for two, and…” One of the hands on his waist left, and Jayce felt it cup his cheek. That same thumb rubbed his bottom lip, coaxing his mouth open so he could slide it to the corner of Jayce’s mouth.

“Pearly white and straight- sharp little canines, though. Maybe you do have some Zaun in you. I’ve never seen a Piltie with fangs like that.” Vander’s voice carried a hint of approval- like Jayce had passed some kind of test. Jayce couldn’t help but preen a bit at the praise.

“Kneel down here, pet. Carefully, don’t hurt your knees.” Jayce did so easily, feeling Vanders legs close him in and make him shuffle forward until the tops of his thighs brushed the bottom of the leather cushions.

“Good boy.” The hand at his mouth- still damp with his spit- carded through Jayce’s hair. Jayce sighed, finally uncoiling the last bit of tension in him as the hand in his hair guided him to lean against his leg. The sound of a match being struck was one of the only sounds in the room, followed by the soft crackle of burning herbs and Vander’s exhale. Tobacco smoke and cherry wood settled over him like a blanket, covering him.

“Poor thing… it must be hard to find a dom who can give you what you need, isn’t it sweetheart? They think you’re some tough little spitfire who needs to be beaten down, but you just need a little petting, a little praise…” Vander murmured, that hand cupping the side of Jayce’s face that wasn’t pushed into the meaty plushness of Vander’s thigh. Jayce nuzzled it lighty, hesitantly, enjoying the scrape of calluses against the soft skin of his cheek. “... and I’ve got you kneeling for me. Is this your first time kneeling for someone, pretty bird?” Jayce nodded sluggishly, leaning harder into the hand petting the side of his face. 

“I could have guessed the way you went down so easily. Their loss, I suppose- they don’t get to have such a sweet sub between their legs.” Jayce shuddered at the praise that flowed from Vander, lulling him into something soft and melty. 

………..

This wasn’t how Vander thought his night was going to be, but he wasn’t hard-pressed to say that he didn’t enjoy the outcome.

Who knew the buff Piltie would become such a docile lamb once he was kneeling? A juxtaposition in every sense; his hands were callused from work, yet his nails were filed and cleaned. Layers of rippling muscle underneath soft skin that smelled like citrus soap. Pearly white teeth, yet sharp fangs that Vander wanted to feel dig into his skin. Even more odd, however, was the small gold logo on the corner of this stranger’s scarf. 

He committed it to memory- a gold hammer, in the shape of a T. He saw it as soon as he had made his way to the bar, poking out from under his shirt. He didn’t know what family it was, but having a member of Piltovian society docile and sweet for him could be useful for him. That was the excuse he had, at least.

He did feel sorry for the boy- a sub as sculpted and commanding as him struggling to find someone big enough to make him feel small and taken care of, someone who could manhandle him during his brattiest days and carry him for the worst ones. He convinced himself this was for political gain. He kicked his nasty habit of adopting strays ages ago.

It didn’t excuse him from letting Jay clamour into his lap, fucking his cute little cock into Vander’s fist with needy rolls of his hips. He could feel Jay grip at his sides, pawing at them uselessly as his precum slicked the way for his cock to slip in and out of Vander’s hand. Vander’s other hand kept moving between Jayce’s lower back and his ass, helping him in a slow, rolling rhythm. There was no rush- he wanted his pretty bird to enjoy this. 

Jay’s head rested on his shoulder so that Vander could hear all the perfect little whimpers and hitched whines as he slipped a finger past Jay’s rim. He could feel Jay clenching and fluttering around him, brushing against his walls until he found that little bundle of nerves that made Jay wail. It was adorable- watching him try and chose between grinding down on the fingers slipping inside him or fuck his fist. In the end he made the choice for Jay, which was both.

Jay cried out into his shoulder as he came, jerking as Vander continued to pet over that sensitive little spot as he came until he was begging for reprieve. If he had his way, he would be stripping him of orgasms until he was crying, but there would be time for that. Vander could be patient- first he had to reel this sweet thing in. Make sure he gets addicted to the taste of him.

Sliding his cock into him took a little more coaxing- gently letting Jay take it at his own pace, slowly sliding down until he was snug in Vander’s lap and letting out cute little huffs and gasps whenever he was jostled around. What Vander would give to see those pretty eyes flutter and roll back as he began to thrust carefully.

It was all sweet enough to give Vander a toothache- gently fucking him until he unraveled again in his arms, body limp and covered in a sheen of clean-smelling sweat. Vander pressed his nose to the damp locks on top of his head and inhaled the same citrus shampoo he probably used in his hair that morning. His own orgasm felt unrushed- steadily pumping his seed into the warm, willing body on top of him, feeling him shiver and moan at the feeling as Vander murmured that it felt so good because it was what he was made for. Just a soft, sweet thing for him to keep in his room and pump full of cum.

The poor boy was out of it once Vander’s afterglow began to fade- a line of drool had slid fro the corner of his mouth from his panting and moaning that Vander wiped away with his thumb. He slowly slid his hands under Jay’s thighs and pulled up carefully, shushing and cooing at him as he made noises of protest at being empty before setting him down on the bed.

He did nothing to aid Vander in cleaning him, but he let it slide- Jay was still floating, and clearly enjoyed Vander manhandling him as he wiped him down with a damp washcloth. Vander was quick to follow, pulling the sheets over the both of them. It was tempting, with Jay fast asleep, to slip a finger under the blindfold and confirm what he already thought. But he could be patient. 

He wasn’t hurrying to have him leave- neither was Jay as he nestled against his chest and tucked his face into Vander’s clavicle with a sleepy sigh.

Chapter Text

Jayce didn’t know who the man who just slunk into the bar was, but everyone else seemed to. And that was not a scenario you want to be in in a place like Zaun.

The lively air quieted, boisterous laughter fell and the sounds of game pieces being moved around stopped as he entered, before the doors closed and the volume of the room raised again. The air had shifted, though. Whoever it was- probably a Chem baron if he had to guess- he certainly knew the power he commanded. He moved towards the bar with a slinky walk that made Jayce think of a cat stalking prey.

Despite it all, Jayce grinned at him as he sat down.

“What can I get started for you?” Jayce asked chipperly, grabbing a cocktail shaker as the stranger slid onto an empty stool.

“Huh- never thought I’d see the day where Vander adopts a Piltie.” The stranger drawled, and Jayce winced slightly. It had been a little bit since the name had been tossed at him- by now his novelty had worn off to the regulars, addressed as “Pup” for the most part that newcomers picked up too. 

“Promise I don’t skimp on the booze, Vander’s taught me well.” Jayce responded, earning himself a huff of laughter. 

“Oh I bet he has- where is he, pup? Talking with Benzo?” He asked. Now that had Jayce’s defenses up.

“Who’s asking?”

“Now I know you’re not messing with my bartender during rush hour, Silco.” Jayce jumped as Vander’s hand came down on Jayce’s shoulder, his warm bleeding into his skin as Vander leaned over the bar. From here he could see Vander’s soft grin, his eyes sappy and warm as he kissed the stranger. What was going on?

“Mmm, couldn’t help myself- heard you got a shiny little topsider working behind the counter, had to see for myself.” The man’s eyes slid over to Jayce’s again, and he schooled his expression from the confused, furrow-browed look he had been giving them.

“You still take your gin neat?” Vander asked, already grabbing a cup off the freshly washed stack as Silco stood up and wandered to the side of the bar.

“Depends- your office is still in the back?”  Vander chuckled and grabbed an unopened bottle of gin from under the counter- one of their top shelf liquors, even.

“Get comfortable- I gotta help Jayce through the rush and I’ll join you.”

Jayce couldn't help but frown at that. It was Saturday night tradition for them to work the night at the bar together, clean up and then get plastered as the night rolled into day. It usually ended in soft, gentle sex that left Jayce feeling like he was melting into the mattress and Vander crooning in his ear about what a good pup he was. And now this- what? Old flame of Vander’s swoops in? Jayce couldn’t shake the moodiness that settled over him at the idea of their routine being changed. Definitely not because of the way Vander talked to him.

Or kissed him.

Or seemed so intimately familiar with him.

Because Vander only talked to one other person like that, and he was currently serving drinks while Vander was in the back getting drunk with his friend. He wasn’t pouting.

He did grumble to himself as the last patron stumbled out the doors. He sighed and huffed as he flipped chairs and mopped floors by himself, without any music because he still didn’t know how to work the Jukebox. Left alone with the nagging thoughts in his brain as he finished his tasks.

As he walked by Vander’s office door, he could smell his tobacco and hear the unmistakable noises of kissing. Jayce went back up the stairs and down the hall- passing Vander’s room where he normally slept on Saturday nights and to his own. Slamming the door behind him maybe wasn’t the most mature thing, but Jayce didn’t really have any other way of protesting.

After a few hours, he could hear footsteps making their way up- whispers and giggling and little noises of pleasure that were muffled when they got into Vander’s room. Jayce was just thankful his room was at the end of the hallway.

……………….

Jayce woke up early the next morning. The sky was still the dark blue hue of early morning, but he didn’t feel like tossing and turning just for another hour of sleep.

He padded down the hall to the kitchen, pulling out the coffee grounds Vander liked. Bitter and dark, three scoops for the whole pot. The contraption sputtered as Jayce began getting other things out- eggs, flour, and a few items Jayce had picked up with his wages as a treat- a bag of sugar and a little carton of fresh fruit.

Vander had insisted that he didn’t need to- that his taste buds had been ruined by tobacco and alcohol, and he could barely taste them. He didn’t miss the way one of his regulars would trade him a carton of mulberries for a few glasses of beer.

Soon the scent of pancakes hung in the air, buttery and vanilla sugar, and for a little while Jayce was able to lose himself in the task.

Until a clatter of their coffee mugs happened right behind him and Jayce jerked and spun around. 

Silco had snuck behind him, looking through the collection of mugs and finding a light blue one with a chip off the rim. He raised an eyebrow at Jayce’s jumpiness as he reached for the coffee pot and poured himself a cup.

“Does Vander still drink the same swill? I’ve told him before that I have coffee imported from Ionia, but he insists on it. Sentimental bastard.” Silco chuckled, as though he wasn’t standing in their kitchen with hickies trailing down his throat, wearing a black, silky robe- where did he even get that from-?

“Um, I’m not sure. This is just what we have in the cupboards.” Jayce started, his speech stilted as he tried to wrap his head around everything. Was he the other woman? The idea made him sick to his stomach.

“Gracious, you look like I’m going to tear your head off, boy. I don’t bite unless you earn it.” Silco chuckled, slightly amused. His eyes dragged up and down Jayce’s half-nude form- a pair of loose grey pants hung from his hips and his hair was still mused with sleep. Being appraised was the closest thing Jayce could liken it to, something calculating in his eyes.

Thin lips curled into a smug little grin before he took a sip of the coffee. Immediately his face pinched, letting out an exasperated huff. “This is god awful.”

“Yet you always pour yourself a cup.” Vander’s deep timbre floated down the hall, rough with sleep as the pad of his footsteps came down the stairs.

“Bad coffee is better than no coffee any day of the week.” Silco called up, and god wasn’t this domestic. Jayce didn’t know any of this, had no idea where he stood in this- did Silco even know? Did he have to tell him? Jayce kept his eyes on the pan, diligently flipping the pancakes until the bowl of batter was empty. 

Vander’s heavy steps made their way into the kitchen. Behind him he could hear Vander kiss Silco, murmuring to him as he grabbed his mug from the cupboard, before walking behind Jayce. His calloused paw came around to rest on Jayce’s hip, looking over his shoulder at the spread.

“Spoiling a pair of old men, are you pup?” Vander asked, and Jayce couldn’t stop the flush on his cheeks even if he tried.

“Mm, trying to. Can’t do that if you eat all the mullberries.” Jayce batted the hand creeping towards the carton, earning himself a throaty chuckle from Silco behind him.

“He’s a menace, isn’t he? He’s been sneaking food from the counters since he was your age, you know. I had to banish him from the kitchen whenever I cooked.” Silco drawled. Vander kissed Jayce’s temple and leaned back again, and immediately he missed Vander's warmth.

“Nah, Jayce is much nicer to me, aren’t you sweetheart?” Vander crooned, and damn if it didn’t make something in Jayce’s stomach squirm.

“It’s because he doesn’t know better yet, give it a year.” Their tones could be made to trick you into thinking they were being sweet with each other, and not bickering like a- well, they probably were a old married couple. Or at least they used to be. 

Then they just- had breakfast. Like it was totally normal. Like Jayce wasn’t silently working his brain into the red zone trying to figure out what was happening. He swore he could hear the gears grinding in his brain. And then Silco kissed Vander goodbye, gave Jayce a nod, and left.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results, and Jayce Talis could testify to that. Turns out shoving the memory of Silco’s eyes on him and the feeling of Vander’s hand on his hip didn’t do anything to alleviate the gnawing jealousy inside him, and it was driving him insane. There was no explanation from Vander, no sheepish apology- nothing.

 The next Saturday rolled around again, as days do. He hoped to see Silco, and also that he would never come back. So when Silco entered the bar again Jayce didn’t know which of the two wishes won over each other. This time, Vander was busy whipping up a platter of obnoxiously fancy drinks for a bridal party and leaving Jayce to fend for himself.

There was just something so piercing in Silco’s look- something that hooked into Jayce’s flesh and told him to stay rooted to the spot. 

“If I may make a request- I do prefer a savory breakfast. Helps settle my stomach after drinking, though I’m sure a coffee heavy in cream and sugar doesn’t help either.” Jayce blinked at him in shock. Was he putting in a breakfast request? Did he assume Jayce would just show his belly and make them breakfast again?

“You admittedly did a good job- lord knows Vander would have sent me off with a cigarette and a coffee. I know you’ll be a good boy and make us something in the morning, won’t you?” Silco purred- and that really was the only word for it, silky smooth and sexy as sin. Jayce’s cheeks flushed.

“Yeah, I- Yes.” 

“Yes what?” Silco asked, tracing the rim of his empty glass. Jayce wasn’t sure what to do, standing there, and Silco said nothing and let the pause stretch between them.

“...y-yes sir?” Jayce finally replied, soft and uncertain. It was almost lost in the clamour of the bar, but Silco must have heard it as he smiled.

“Good boy- you might be trainable yet. Pick your jaw up off the bar, you’ll catch flies.” Silco told him pointedly, and Jayce closed his jaw with an audible click. 

“Jayce! Run this over to the rowdy ladies at table 4, yeah? There’s a lad.” Vander called, and Jayce was more than happy to escape Silco’s knowing gaze. He would face a table full of drunk women screeching about the bride’s last night of freedom anyday.

Same as the Saturday before, Jayce cleaned and closed, before making his escape into his room. And true to his word, breakfast was ham and eggs and a coffee readily made for Silco, thick with sugar and cream. It earned him an approving hum, and a lingering touch on his hand as Jayce handed him the mug when Silco made no move to get it himself. 

And that’s how it went on for a full month. Confusing, lingering touches, odd needling conversations and no map for the new territory he stumbled into. But Vander was happy, and really they weren’t doing anything bad to Jayce, so he was somewhat content if it meant they get to have their breakfasts together in the morning. If he got to have Vander’s hand on his back and a kiss to the nape of his neck while he cooked.

Jayce was in no mood for Silco’s games tonight, however. The rush meant he hadn’t been able to stop and eat something, so he was hungry and his head hurt. A patron had knocked into him, spilling a platter of drinks down his front, causing the man to yell at him until Vander had to get up from behind the bar and smooth things over with the promise of a free drink. Leaving Jayce with a soaked shirt that reeked of alcohol and stuck to his skin from the syrups. When Silco made his rounds, Jayce made sure to make himself scarce in the back, swapping bar rags and bussing tables despite Vander’s questioning. 

When things dwindled, and Jayce had nothing left to occupy him, he reluctantly went back to the bar. Jayce grit his teeth as he hear Silco’s voice, “I wasn’t aware we were doing a wet shirt contest tonight, Vander, you should have told me-” 

Jayce let the tub of glasses drop a little harder than needed, letting them rattle loudly.

“I’m really not in the mood for whatever shit you’re wanting to do tonight, Silco. Whatever weird teasing you’ve been doing? I don’t know what your problem with me is but I just-” Jayce bit out, waving his hands in the air as he tried to find something to say before Vander placed a hand on the back of his neck.

“How about you go upstairs and let the two of us lock up tonight, yeah? Change into some fresh clothes, get that syrup off you, and come back down when you’ve cooled off.

It was a dismissal, clear as day. Jayce shrugged off Vander’s hand and squeezed past him to the saloon style doors that opened to the back of the bar. Now he was fucking in it. Couldn’t hold it together for a few more hours until the shift was over, and then he could mope and stew in the privacy of his room. 

He ended up taking a quick shower, pulling on an old tank top and grey pants. He waited until the sound of chairs moving around and sixties music stopped before he made his way back downstairs. The door to Vander’s office was ajar, a warm beam of light spilling out of it from the empty bar. Jayce breathed in and held it, squeezing his fists at his side before he let it rush out of him and rapped his knuckle against the door. 

“Come in, Jayce. Close the door behind you.” Vander called from inside, and Jayce stepped in.

The fireplace was lit. Vander and Silco occupied the two armchairs by the warm circle of light, a table between them holding a glimmering bottle of gin and a couple glasses. Vander was smiling softly. His pipe was in his hand, lit and perfuming the air with its tobacco and cherry wood smoke. Silco had his leg propped on his opposite knee, holding his glass in a limp wrist 

Jayce spoke first, rushed and uneasy. “I’m sorry, Vander- and Silco! I just- I was sticky and hungry and someone yelled at me earlier and I just- I didn’t handle that well.” He finished, keeping his hands clasped together. Vander chuckled and leaned back in his chair, casting his gaze over to Silco.

“You owe me 5 cogs.” He gloated, and Silco huffed and fished his hand into his pocket.

“Yes, yes, you twit.”

Jayce looked between the two of them at the exchange, the anxiety dissolving in the wake of his confusion.

“W-what?”

“I told him you needed a softer hand for flirting, but he was so confident that there was some hidden beast in you to draw out-” Vander started, letting out a laugh when Silco smacked his outstretched hand.

“Look at him, I thought any boy able to handle you had some hidden dark side. You certainly have a track record.”

“One person does not count as a track record, darlin’-”

“Can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?” Jayce asked, exasperation bleeding into his tone as the two sank back into their now-familiar back and forth. Vander shifted in his seat- letting his legs fall open a bit more, shuffling back against the seat before he snapped his fingers. A thrill went up Jayce’s spine- he knew what it meant. His body carried him to between Vander’s legs, only hesitating a moment to spar a glance at Silco before he knelt down.

God, it had been too long. Vander reached down, petting back Jayce’s hair that was soft and fluffy from his shower.

“See; Silco thought if he teased you, made you wait juuuust enough, that you would snap and say something within the month. And I told him you were a well-behaved pup, and you would be patient.” Vander crooned, and with each word Jayce’s cheeks flushed. It was the 1st of the month- he had unknowingly made it.

“You make it sound like I don’t have any interest in him. I just want to see how well he can follow orders.” Silco huffed, and if he wasn’t the man that he was Jayce would have thought he was pouting.

“Do you want to show him how good you can be?” Vander asked, curling a finger under Jayce’s chin and making him look up. Any apprehension Jayce had dissolved in the face of not being Vander’s puppy for a month. He was chomping at the bit.

“Go get your things. Go on.”

His things consisted of a collar, a pair of soft and silky ears, and a tail- all in the same chestnut brown as his hair. The leather of the collar was buttery soft, and Jayce enjoyed the sensation of it sliding into place on his neck immensely.

The air was warm from the crackling fire, which meant Jayce wasn’t too chilly being naked between the two of them. Once he was finally put together, he knelt patiently at Vander’s feet, waiting.

“How many commands does he know?” Silco asked, the firelight reflecting in his eyes and turning it into something curious.

“Mm, only a few but he’s wickedly clever. He’ll pick up on things pretty fast.” Vander admitted, absently scritching the side of Jayce’s stubbled jaw. Jayce let himself close his eyes, letting his head rest a bit against his hand.

“Jayce, come here.” The command was soft, but held an absolute authority to it that brokered no room for argument. 

Jayce opened his eyes to look at Vander, who gave him a nod. The carpet was soft on Jayce’s palms and knees as he crawled over, stopping and kneeling between Silco’s legs with his hands resting on the tops of his thighs.

“Open.” 

Jayce’s brow furrowed slightly before he hesitantly opened his mouth. Silco’s long, elegant hand- it was so thin compared to Vander’s, the fingers thin enough that Jayce briefly thought about biting them just to see if they had the same give- reached out and caressed the side of Jayce’s cheek. Jayce could feel Silco’s thumb slide over his top lip, before slipping under it and drawing the corner of his mouth back. 

He hummed as he caught a glimpse of Jayce’s sharp canines.

“Good teeth. Is he purebred?” Silco asked, and Jayce’s goosebumps had nothing to do with the temperature. 

“Hell if I know. I picked him up off the streets.”

“You and your strays. Does he sleep at the foot of your bed, too?” Jayce desperately swallowed to keep the saliva pooling in his mouth from spilling onto Silco’s fingers.

“Mm, some nights. Mostly he likes being curled up next to me, don’t you pup?” Vander asked, and Jayce let out a soft huff of air against Silco’s hand.

“Spoiled little thing. Is that why you snapped at me earlier? Couldn’t handle your owner giving his attention to his partner?” Silco’s voice was low and dry, bringing his index finger in to pinch Jayce’s cheek.

Jayce let out a soft whine, and Silco released his face all together. 

“He’s still a pup, Silco. He’s learning- he does really good with treats and praise.” Vander’s defense was gentle, but firm, and Silco rolled his eyes. 

“What he needs is some real discipline.” 

With that, Silco sat back in his chair again and extended a long leg, the shiny tip of his shoe coming to rest dangerously close to Jayce’s half-hard cock.

“Mount.”

Jayce froze, unsure of the command. His eyes darted over to Vander, for some kind of sign, or reassurance when a snap echoed right next to his face.

“Look at me, pup. You can figure it out.” Silco commanded lowly, a warning creeping into his tone. After a brief moment of contemplation, Jayce slowly shuffled forwards to straddle Silco’s thin leg between his powerful thighs. The difference made Jayce feel truly like some big, dumb pet, especially with the smooth fabric of Silco’s pant leg brushing against his dick.

“These pants are tailored, so if you cum on them I’m going to flog your hide no matter what your owner says. You’re going to hump my leg like the mutt you are, and when I say ‘stay’, you hold still. Understood?” Silco explained slowly, staring at Jayce with an intensity that made Jayce shiver.

Jayce nodded- he hadn’t been given permission to speak.

“Good. Go.”

Jayce started slow, hesitant- the only time he felt the urge to hump was usually when he was already delirious with pleasure, chasing sensation on his cock to finally tip him over the edge. Being fully aware, being watched like this made his cheeks flush red.

The tail plug certainly didn’t help, jostling inside him with each careful thrust.

But still, he did it. Because he was a good boy. 

Soon he fell into an easy rhythm- grinding his cock against Silco’s shin in an even pace, starting to pant as he sank his fingers into his own thighs to keep from clinging to Silco.

“Stay.”

The command rang out in the silence of the room, and Jayce stilled immediately. 

“Good boy, pup.” Vander rumbled, and Jayce shivered at the praise. A moment of silence dragged out as Silco observed him, before giving him the command to go.

They continued on like that for who knows how long- Silco and Vander conversed like he wasn’t even there, as Jayce slowly drove himself into a warm, fuzzy headspace- drunk with arousal. At some point Silco’s hands had tangled in his hair and pulled his head to rest on his knee, letting him rest his sweat-slick forehead on his leg as he humped. 

Silco’s scent was so different from Vander’s. Where Vander smelled like tobacco, whiskey, and the spicy, earthy soap he keeps in the bathroom, Silco was something crisp- minerally and cold, with an underlying musk that kept Jayce nuzzling into his leg and huffing against the cloth to figure out what the scent was. 

The third time Silco commanded him to stop, Jayce had to keep a soft noise clenched behind his teeth. The fourth time he fully whined. The fifth time, it wrenched a sob from Jayce’s lips, looking at Silco with pleading, teary eyes. Silco smirked at him, dragging his thumb along Jayce’s cheek and collecting a tear with it. 

“Ohh, look at those puppy eyes. Is this how you get Vander to allow your behavior?” Silco crooned, saccharine sweet to the point of mocking. 

“Come now, Silco, I think he’s shown you he could behave- haven’t you darling?” Vander’s soft voice was more soothing, capturing Jayce’s attention. He whimpered quietly and nodded, looking back at Silco.

“Show him you can beg, pup.” Vander coaxed, and Jayce immediately let out a torrent of begging- “please please please, Sir, I was so good, I stopped when you ask, Sir, please can I cum? Wanna be good for you, wanna listen n’ be good, please-” Jayce babbled until Silco held up his hand. The silence stretched out, thick with tension, Jayce’s thighs trembled and shook with the effort to keep himself held up off Silco’s leg. 

“I think your owner would like to be the one to help you cum, hm? He can’t keep his eyes off you. Go on- make Vander cum, and then you can.” Jayce nodded and finally moved his leg to crawl to Vander- his legs buckled slightly at keeping the same position for so long. His cock bobbed with his movements obscenely. 

As soon as he was close enough, Vander was leaning forward and reaching out; holding his cheek and kissing him deeply. Jayce whimpered softly into it, feeling Vander’s beard scratch against his skin and breathing in his scent. When they separated, Vander was crooning softly about how good he was being, how hot he looked, and the praise washed over Jayce and left him feeling dumb and fuzzy.

From the corner of his eye, Jayce could see Silco taking himself out of his pants as he settled between Vander’s massive thighs. The size difference between the two was staggering- it made Jayce feel small in the best ways.

Vander was following suit, letting out a groan as he freed himself from his pants. This was familiar territory- Jayce leaned in and waited, mouth open, and let Vander feed him his cock. Heavy and hot in his mouth, settling him as he slowly settled. Vander groaned and palmed the back of Jayce’s head, curling his fingers in his hair and keeping him speared there.

Feeling Vander thrust into his throat almost brought Jayce over the edge for the sixth time that night, but he dug his nails into the tops of his own thighs and squeezed his eyes shut. Vander groaned, that rumbly noise that made Jayce crazy.

“Good, pup, good, you- fuckin’ hell, you just take it so well, don’t you?” Vander growled, letting his head fall back as he came down his throat. Finally, finally, Vander pet Jayce’s hair back from his forehead and gave him the command to “break.” Jayce’s hand flew to his cock, stroking himself in desperate humps of his hand and cried out as he came. It swept over him, his thighs cramping up as they clenched  and the world went fuzzy around the edges.

When Jayce was able to piece his thoughts together again, he was being carried. Vander’s hands were under Jayce’s thighs, holding him so his front laid against Vander’s and Jayce’s head rested on his shoulder. He could hear the two of them murmuring to each other, and the sound almost lulled him to sleep before their bedroom door opened and laid down. Jayce frowned when he realized he was by himself on the bed and let out a little whimper, opening his eyes to blink muzzily around the room.

Silco was changing into a pair of sleep pants, and at Jayce’s soft noises he looked over and huffed.

“Quit your whining, Jayce. Vander’s just getting a washcloth.” Jayce didn’t reply, staring at Silco intently until Silco looked over again and gave him a fondly exasperated sigh.

“Needy thing.” He muttered, walking over to the bed and crawling in. He held up an arm for Jayce to squirm under, throwing his arm over Silco’s lap and nuzzling his side. Silco’s hand came up and dragged down Jayce’s back, gently scratching in a way that made him melt against the bed. He could hear the door open and close again, the side of the bed dipping as Vander laughed again.

“Careful now, once he’s got you he’s impossible to get off.” Vander murmured mischievously, and the two men intertwined let out twin snorts.

“Vander have you tried to get out from under you? It’s like trying to roll a bear over!” Jayce protested, feeling Silco’s chest bounce with a full throated laugh.

“Alright, this one can stay.” Silco was still chuckling as Vander wiped Jayce down carefully. Jayce giggled even as he felt Vander smack his ass firmly. “Brat. I thought you got that out earlier tonight.” Vander tossed the cloth into the laundry basket by the closet before laying down, dragging the both of them close. Jayce hummed happily as he was squished between them, nuzzling Silco’s shoulder even as he grumbled at him to “stop panting on him.” 

………….

Jayce slowly blinked awake the next morning. He could feel warmth curled around his back, a heavy arm keeping him tucked into Vander’s chest. He basked in the feeling for a while, letting his awareness creep in slowly. When he took a deep breath in and sighed, he could smell the scent of coffee- different from Vander’s. Richer, sweeter. Jayce stayed in bed until his bladder and stomach convinced him otherwise. 

Worming his way out of Vander’s grip was a challenge, but finally he was able to get out and go to the bathroom.

Silco was standing in the kitchen, a french press sitting on the counter, eggs cooking in a pan and the smell of bacon wafting from the oven. His hair had been broken from the carefully styled shell of styling products, mused and wavy around his ears.

“Morning, Sunshine.” Silco drawled, handing him a mug of coffee. Jayce took a moment to smell it, before taking a sip and almost moaning at the flavor.

“Holy fuck, I missed good coffee.” Jayce moaned, earning himself a bark of laughter from Silco.

“Poor little Piltie, having to drink Undercity coffee. Call the presses, this is a sign of neglect.” Silco chuckled, watching Jayce savor the cup.

“How on earth am I supposed to go back to Vander’s coffee?” Silco shrugged, looking at Jayce with a mischievous grin. “Guess I’ll have to stick around, hmm?” The sentence made Jayce feel like he was glowing- the fact that he had passed some unspoken test. It must have shown- he was probably smiling like a fool. The two of them chatted softly, waiting for Vander to wake, and enjoying their drinks.

Chapter Text

How was it possible for a man as big as Jayce to disappear, silent as a churchmouse?

That was the question plaguing Vander as he looked through the vacated rooms of his home. There were definitely signs of his mate- the beds had been ransacked, Vander’s laundry basket had old shirts draped carefully over the sides as though they had been considered for theft. Their bottles of clean water and shelf-stable snacks have depleted slightly, and the most obvious sign was Jayce’s favorite pillow (Vander’s pillow) was gone.

It was a strange habit that Vander had learned during his mate’s first heat in their home. He had been missing for a solid three days before Vander found him tucked in the rafters where storage normally was, curled up in his nest and deep in heat. He wondered if it had been a combination of having his nest torn apart by enforcers when his home exploded, or the few months where he had nowhere to go.

Either way, it was ingrained in Jayce’s subconscious that when his heat started rolling in, he needed to hide- find some area of their home forgotten by Vander and wait it out.

Vander knew what to do- he and Jayce had a conversation after the first time it happened, and what to do in the future.

Step 1.) Find Jayce.

He had been looking for the better part of an hour; all the closets, under the beds, the crannies made by bookshelves and desks. Then he branched out- under the stairs, up in the storage again, even the attic crawl space with no luck. 

With a discontented chuff, Vander went down to the bar again to double check the storage closet. Jayce normally stayed up in their living quarters, but if he was trying to find a place to lay low and hide then he had no doubt he would get creative. He checked the storage closet (nothing but bleach and cleaning supplies) and just as he was about to trek back upstairs he heard the sound of glass bottles clinking together.

Vander paused, quietly turning back around and shutting the door to the bar. After a few moments, the rustles started back up again, and Vander could just make out a head of messy brown locks poke over the edge. Vander grinned, and couldn’t stop the chuckle that rumbled out of him. Jayce’s head whipped around, looking at Vander owlishly before his eyes narrowed. Vander could make out a low growl as he came around the back of the bar.

Jayce had moved some stacks of glasses to start assembling his nest under the bar, the nest not quite completed, still being placed down. Jayce was wearing one of Vander’s shirts, and despite him being the owner of said shirt, the pillow, and the blanket Jayce currently rubbed his cheek against, Jayce’s lips curled back as a louder growl rumbled from his omega’s throat. Vander could see the blunt omega fangs crowding his mouth, making his mouth sore and aching to bite.

Step 2.) Get Jayce to their room by any means necessary

“I wouldn’t suppose you’d come nice and quietly, would you sweetheart?” Vander asked, walking closer despite the hairs on the back of Jayce’s neck rising and his scent souring to be something more unpleasant, warning Vander away. Jayce hissed and plastered himself to the back of the bar, back pressed to the worn wood underneath.

Vander crouched down to follow- fisting the front of his shirt and pulling him back out. Jayce yelped and was quick to retaliate, sinking his teeth into the meat of Vander’s arm.

“Ouch- that’s not very nice, now is it?” Vander winced, continuing to drag his partner close enough to heft him into his arms. Even though he outclassed his partner in terms of height, weight and strength, Jayce was still not the delicate waif that people associated with omegas. He thrashed his legs, releasing the clamped hold he had on Vander’s arm to sink his teeth into his shoulder with an angry grumble.

“Mean omega- you told me to do this, you know. You’d think you would have learned to relax by now.” Vander sighed, opening the door to their room with his hip since his arms were occupied with squirmy, angry omega.

Step 3.) Scruff Jayce.

This part Vander liked the least out of all of them, but Jayce insisted it was the only way to shock him out of whatever weird cloud covered his brain. Vander knew to be quick- he dropped Jayce onto their bed, and before Jayce could orient himself he had already flipped him onto his stomach. By the time Jayce was able to figure out where he was, Vander reached down and curled his heavy hand around the back of Jayce’s neck. 

Jayce stiffened under his touch. He let out a low, mournful whine as Vander crooned to him softly.

“Just relax, sweetheart, theeeere’s a lad. I know, I hate it too.” Vander’s thumb swept gently over his swollen scent glands, pressing into them gently and releasing beads of oil it it’s wake. He waited until Jayce was limp against the bed, still and quiet before he let his firm grip slack. Jayce’s pupils were fat little pools of black as he looked up at Vander blearily, doing little more than a huff as Vander leaned down and kissed his temple. “I’ll be right back- just stay here.”

It didn’t take long for Vander to gather up the nesting supplies still sitting behind the bar- he would have to wipe everything down before he opened next. A heady layer of Jayce’s scent had settled into the wood, perfuming the place with his little lover’s heat scent.

Heading back up the stairs again- he was too damn old for this- he could hear the soft calling chirrups Jayce was making from their room. He was so vocal in everything he did, and it didn’t surprise Vander that he would be vocal during his heats too. The Jayce that was now curled up on their bed had tucked a pillow to his chest, curled up and waiting like a docile pet. Seeing Vander come in with his nesting supplies and a crate of provisions in tow made Jayce purr like an old motor, amusing Vander to no end.

“So now we’re happy, hmm?” Vander asked teasingly, setting the items down to scratch at the stubbled cheek that wasn’t pressed against the pillow. Seeing the nesting supplies he had squirreled away in a big pile on the bed, he sat up and began sifting through it carefully. Vander took the time to check their provisions and lock up fully, making his rounds before letting himself rest in the big leather armchair in the corner of their room. 

Watching Jayce pile layers of pillows and blankets, contemplating which piece to put down next carefully. He got that little crinkle in the middle of his brow that came out when he was concentrating, fluffing everything up to his standards, picking and plucking until he finally laid down with a heavy sigh. After a moment, Jayce opened his eyes and grumbled, looking at Vander expectantly.

“Yes? Can I help you with something?” Vander asked playfully. He swore Jayce’s head almost cocked to the side like a dog’s, before he frowned and scooted over in his nest.

“Spoiled thing. I should make you ask for it.” Vander got up again, hopefully for the last time for a little while, and carefully climbed into the nest. It was a snug fit, but he supposed that was what Jayce was going for as he raised an arm for Jayce to happily wiggle under. Jayce’s arm was thrown across his abdomen, his flushed face tucked into his chest, and their legs sufficiently tangled together. As soon as Vander’s arm came back down to press him into his side, the boy finally settled with a content noise. It didn’t take long for a deep, rolling purr to start up in his chest like the engines Vander used to work on in his youth. 

It was a wonderful noise, encouraged by Vander’s steady petting up and down his back. He could feel a nap calling to him- lord knows he would need it, and any rest he and Jayce got before his heat hit would be a blessing.

‘It was worth spoiling him,’ he thought in his last waking moments, ‘when he was sweet like this.’

Chapter Text

At the beginning, Vander mistook Jayce’s flustered demeanor as wounded pride.

It would have made more sense at the time- Jayce had been exiled from Piltover, had nothing but the clothes on his back and a bag of his personal belongings. Slumped at the end of his bar with bleary eyes and slumped shoulders. His crisp Piltovian dialect slurred with the alcohol, and more than once Vander had to ward away pickpockets with a warning glare.

But he was able-bodied. Strong young men that haven’t been crippled by the grey or the mines weren’t easy to come by, and clearly he needed some way to get his feet under him. Silco always told him he had a thing for picking up strays.

The boy learned fast. When he wasn’t drunk, he was wickedly smart and picked up quickly on the drinks they poured. Powder was quick to warm up to him- he was the only one who was happy to help her tinker with her gadgets, hanging off his elbow as he furrowed his brow and poked at the mess of wires and mechanics in his hands. 

It endeared him to the rest of the ragtag group Vander housed. It was nice to have someone man the bar so that he could talk with patrons like he used to, someone who was sturdy enough to handle a rowdy patron or two. It came in handy on busy nights.

The behavior started on one such busy night. The music was loud, Vander had been pouring drinks non stop and Jayce had been making his way around the room, ever the charmer, flashing that bright, sparkling smile and clearing empty glasses. It was packed, and Vander had just made the mistake of thinking about how smoothly everything was going when the sound of a glass shattering pricked Vander’s ear.

Vander’s head swung around to see Jayce standing toe to toe with a patron only an inch shorter than him, teeth bared as he snarled something in the man’s face. Jayce was clearly using his height and muscle to his advantage, puffing up with his hands clenched into fists at his side.

Vander was quick to throw the towel he was using over his shoulder before making his way over.

“Alright, Jayce, could you get the broom to get this glass swept up? I’m not looking to get anyone cut on this.” Vander started, putting a hand across his back to break the intense staring contest between the two of them.

‘But-” Jayce started.

“Get your Piltie pup under control, Vander. I hope he isn’t rabid, I swear he growled at me” He sneered, and he could see Jayce’s lip curl into a sneer that showed off pearly white canines. Nearby tables hid their snickers in their cups, some not bothering to hide the amusement at the nickname. Admittedly, he could see the resemblance. He brought a hand up to the nape of Jayce’s neck, giving it a squeeze as he leaned in and gave the low instruction. “Go back and man the bar while I sort this out, yeah? There’s a lad.” 

Jayce’s cheeks were ruddy with what he presumed to be anger and embarrassment at the time- being sent off like a child as he took the platter of broken glass and made his way back to the bar. It was easy to sort out- Vander had been in the lanes long enough to know when to show his belly and when to bare his teeth. When he got back to the bar, Jayce wouldn’t look him in the eye- nor would he for the rest of the night. Finding any reason to get out from behind the bar, stuttering and hurrying to complete chores outside- Vander may be old but he wasn’t dumb.

At last, closing time came. Patrons began making their way out, stumbling off into the night just to wait for him to open in the morning. Vander put on something easy going from his youth to ease some of the dwindling tension still in the air, lighting his pipe as he watched Jayce wipe down the tables.

“When you’re done with the tables, come over and have a chat.” Vander intoned passively, watching Jayce’s shoulders stiffen before he replied in a false cheeriness, “Sure! There’s just a spot on here that I’m hoping is, uh, syrup.” Jayce was bent over the wood, scrubbing at the spot with the dish rag hanging from his belt.

“Is it blue?”

“Uh, yeah, actually!”

“Yeah, don’t let that get in your eyes- try not to breathe it in too much, now that I’m thinking about it. You’ve still got good lungs.” Vander chuckled, watching Jayce’s vigorous scrubbing turn more cautious.

True to his word, when Jayce was done he set a tray of glasses on the bar. The two of them got a pair of cleaner rags and began wiping the glasses down. It was almost relaxing- the jukebox crooned into the silence between them, and the air was warm and smelled of tobacco. Again, if it weren’t for the underlying nervousness running through the boy like electricity it would have been a normal Thursday night.

“Listen, Jayce. I’m sorry about snubbing you in front of that patron earlier tonight. There are times when you have to show your belly in these kinds of establishments, and that’s something you’re probably not used to doing yet.” Vander started, making sure to keep his gaze down at the glass in his hands. From his peripheral, he saw Jayce’s rhythm stutter while he listened. 

“If the only thing that came out of that argument was a broken glass, I would have let you stand your ground. But you haven’t been here long enough to make that name for yourself. You gotta be connected- to the locals, to the bar-goers, to the regulars- so that if it comes down to a fight you’ve got people to back you up. You don’t have that just yet- you’re still the shiny little topsider to them. You’re gonna have some folks who are tired of the way things are and use you waiting on them to their advantage to blow off a bit of steam. Until you’ve got people to back you up, you’ll let me handle the unruly folks that are still sober.” Vander finished, setting his mug down to grab the last one on the table.

“I get it. I didn’t mean to start anything, I just- he was talking shit about you! Telling his friends about how you only seem to have young people running around and I just- it made me sick hearing it.” Jayce rubbed so furiously at the glass that Vander was worried for a moment that it would chip in his hands.

Vander sighed softly. Such fierce loyalty was going to get this boy in trouble someday. He would snuff it out if it didn’t make something warm bloom in Vander’s chest.

“You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, lad-” He reached out to tap the middle of Jayce’s broad chest. “- and a good heart. I’ve got thick skin from working here- I’ve heard it all. Nothing these boys can throw at me is new. You just focus on doing your job, keep your chin up, and let me handle whatever mud they're slinging. Right?” With the hand still extended towards his chest, he used it to tap the bottom of Jayce’s chin a few times to tilt his head up from the hangdog slump he had been sitting in.

Jayce’s throat bobbed, trying to find something to say before he nodded.

“Yessir.”

“There’s a good boy. Let’s get out of here and lock up, aye?” 

……..

The nickname stuck to Jayce like glue. ‘Vander’s pup’ or even just ‘pup’ was taken up by even the regulars, and to Vander’s surprise Jayce took it in stride. It was good- even if it was born out of a mocking insult, the title was better than “Piltie” or “Topsider”. It was a step towards Jayce becoming someone they could trust, even if Jayce didn’t see it that way. It wasn’t unusual now that whenever someone wanted a drink refilled, a shout of “Pup!” would ring through the bar.

It was only natural that at some point, that’s how Vander tried to get his attention.

A rowdy night, full of loud music and louder voices clamouring to be heard while Jayce darted between tables and drunken people.

“Jayce?” Vander yelled out, trying to catch his eye to bring him more glasses. But he was too deep in the flow of food service- eyes looking for empty glasses, for patrons in need of a top up, and Vander was trying to serve boisterous people their drinks.

That moment was the tipping point. 

Vander used to have a couple of hunting dogs, when there were still parts of the undercity that had fresh grass and skies clear enough to see birds. Training them to heel, holding their attention- they needed a way to indicate when to pay attention. So, from muscle memory, Vander pursed his lips and let out a short, crisp whistle. “Pup!” 

Jayce’s head whipped to look at Vander- cheeks flushed, eyes wide in surprise before he was hurrying over. He accidentally hip-checked a table, making Vander wince and Jayce let out a hurried apology to the card players on his way up.

“Sorry, sorry- here’s the clean mugs, I was just about to come back up and clean these, sir-” Jayce panted, and Vander cut him off with a wave of his hand.

“S’alright, I just needed the clean ones. Can you deliver this to the folks in the corner booth?” Vander ordered, setting a few foamy mugs of beer on Jayce’s tray.

“Yup! Be back in a sec.” And he was off again- how he managed to weave his bulk through the crowd was something Vander would never understand. Again, his mind flashed back to his dogs- big, bulky things with heavy brows and jowls, yet when it was time to collect their quarry they were leaping over the turf and wood debris as easy as pie.

Benzo chuckled as he watched Jayce head out. “You’ve got him well-trained, don’t you?”

“Nah, that’s all him. He’s a quick learner.” Vander replied. He couldn’t help the small grin that crossed his face. “He’s come a long way- doesn’t have that shiny Piltie coating anymore, which helps. Picking up the slang.” He continued, leaning against the bar to hand an impatient woman her drink.

“I’m sure that’s not the only thing he’s been picking up. I’ve seen more young folks around here than I have since before you started going grey.” Benzo waggled his eyebrows, dragging a bark of laughter from Vander.

“Not that I know- lad keeps to himself in that regard. Probably the only thing he keeps to himself, he’s quite the chatterbox.” Not that he was any better- when the night finally began to wind down again, he had Jayce man the bar while he smoked his pipe and played a couple rounds of cards with his friends. Wisps of his memories from when he first opened the bar floated in the air like his pipe smoke, because that's apparently all you did when you got old- smoke and drink and reminisce. Times when he and his friends would do this after a shift in the mines.

“Who is your pup talking to up there?”

The words spoken with an undertone of intrigue cut through the smog of memories before it got too thick, and Vander turned and looked at the bar.

It was a younger man, closer to Jayce’s age than Vanders but still carried himself with the self-assuredness that came with age. Short brown hair that was greying at the temples, lithe build and long, delicate fingers of a pickpocket. He had an elbow on the bar, leaning in to where Jayce was wiping the glasses down. Jayce was leaned as close as he could be without resting his arms on the counter or the support beams- a Piltovian habit, Vander remembered, because he had to gently steamroll it out of the boy if he was to fit in down here.

Jayce was enraptured- talking excitedly with his hands, leaning closer and closer to the man in his eagerness. Clearly, the man’s line of sight was on the pair of soft, plush lips curled up happily, showing off those pearly canines. 

“Seems awfully friendly-” Benzo started, before Vander stood up.

“S’cuse me for a minute, lads. Won’t be long.” Vander excused himself, making his way back up to the bar. He was able to catch the tail end of their conversation, and what he heard made some odd, ugly thing squirm in his chest.

“-show you sometime. Where are you shacked up? I can take you there after your shift’s over-” The man’s tone oozed seduction, soft and smooth and sliding under Vander’s skin in a way that made him want to shake it off of him like a wet dog.

“I’m afraid his evening is spoken for- Jayce’s got quite the brain in his noggin and I need him here for repairs.” Vander interrupted smoothly. Jayce’s mouth dropped open, but before he could protest Vander handed him a bin of wet dishrags.

“Be a good boy and take these to the washroom, aye?” Vander asked, though his tone didn’t leave any room for argument. Jayce huffed softly before taking the bin and walking back. The man had leaned back down where he sat on his stool.

“Listen, mate. I don’t mind you chatting with the staff- customer relations, and all that. But my people stay here at night, and I don’t exactly appreciate someone taking advantage of my server’s passion to get up to something he’ll regret in the morning. Any more sniffing around him and I’ll be your server for the night.” Vander leaned in close, his voice coming out low and coarse compared to the silky smooth purr of the man in front of him. The man huffed and held up his hands in surrender, digging out a purse to throw some coins on the table.

“If you don’t want your little pet Piltie getting attention then you should get him a collar. Sweet little thing’s begging for it.” Vander took the coins stoically and put them in the register under the counter.

“I really don’t feel like mopping your blood off my floorboards tonight, so I would watch your tone.” Vander rumbled, tension coiling in his muscles. Fighting came second to breathing in Zaun, and his body was gearing up for it. 

“Or what-”

As soon as the words left those thin, bloodless lips Vander’s arm shot out, grabbing the left strap of his navy vest and bringing it down hard. He barely had time to react before his forehead connected with the dull, wood edge of the bar with a sickening thud.

He fell off his stool with a low groan, clutching his head as Jayce came back out.

“Oh, damn- what happened?” Jayce asked, bewildered.

“Poor man can’t hold his liquor.” Vander replied simply, coming around the corner to heft him up by his forearm a bit more cruelly than he needed. Jayce’s brow furrowed again as Vander “helped” the man outside, tossing him out into the street and closing the doors behind him.

When he made his way back up, he spotted a few small flecks of blood on the wood and grimaced- damn, he wasn’t lying before. Blood was a bitch and a half to get out of untreated wood.

But that was a problem for closing. Once again, soft rock went through the speakers of the Jukebox- a welcome reprieve from the night of pounding base and shrill vocals. As Vander poured a bit of cleaning solution on the wood and scrubbed, Jayce watched with hesitation clear on his face.

“I’m not a looking glass, lad, starin’ at me won’t give you answers.” Vander gave an amused look at Jayce’ but the slight furrow in his brow didn’t smooth out at Vander’s play at lightening the mood.

“That man didn’t order anything besides water.” Jayce stated. Damn. The one time a man didn’t order any alcohol at a bar. Vander sighed and straightened up from where he was hunched over the bloodstain.

“Jayce-”

“Vander.”

“-you don’t need to worry about it. What mattered was that I handled it.”

“What did he say to you to force your hand like that? I’ve worked here for 2 years now and I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve seen you get violent with a patron.”

“Patrons are for libraries, Jayce, we serve customers.” 

“Vander-”

“Pup, look at me.”

There it was again. That doe-eyed, flushed look whenever Vander had to put him in his place. Closer up, without the noise of the bar, he could no longer dismiss it as shame. Especially not with the way he could practically see the boy’s pupils fattening up.

Fuck. Vander was too old for this. He said some half-assed excuses about protecting his own and sent him off. Clearly he was getting too close- the proximity of being with Vander everyday from noon to damn near three in the morning was messing with his head. Maybe he needed more time off to run around and find someone his age.

Only, the time off didn’t help. In fact, it just seemed to make Jayce stick closer to him when he did work. He knew Vander was trying to distance himself, push him to socialize and grow his own circle of friends, and it made him flash those damn puppy eyes at him whenever he sent Jayce to clean on a slow night instead of talking behind the bar.

It made Jayce moody, to put it into words- the damn kid huffed and rolled his eyes. Never talked back, never refused to do a task out of sheer stubbornness, but it was enough to get under Vander’s skin. It was only a matter of time before the dam broke.

It broke at closing, along with a couple of glasses as Jayce accidentally bumped into Vander. The bump, he wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not- the glasses sliding and breaking definitely weren’t, the sound of shattering glass as loud as fireworks in the silence that hung between them.

“Right.” Vander said simply, grabbing the back of Jayce’s apron and tugging him away from the broken dishes.

………………………..

He always knew Jayce appreciated a firmer hand, but now more than ever he truly got to test that theory. Manhandling him into his lap was almost too easy-he just followed directions so well, melting into the position with his ass bent over Vander’s knee. Jayce was holding in tears as he buried his face into his elbow, trying (and failing) to keep the whimpery noises from escaping his throat with each crack of Vander’s hand on his exposed ass.

The one not leaving ruddy red imprints on his tan skin was splayed across Jayce’s back, keeping him down. The contrast between skin blessed by the sun’s golden rays and the paler tone of a man who spent his life underground was intoxicating. 

Jayce’s hips gave helpless twitches as he rocked forward with each swat, but Vander’s knees were spread enough that there was nothing for him to gain any friction on- leaving a whimpery, subdued pup bent over his knees. Vander didn’t know what kind of deal he made with the devil that allowed him to live long enough to enjoy this, but he would only truly be damned if he didn’t take the opportunity before him.

“Moping around my bar, grumbling and growling when you don’t get your way- you’re just an unruly Piltie pup, aren’t you? I thought the nickname would have made you upset, but I bet you loved it.” Vander crooned, and Jayce whined into his elbow again and nodded. Gods, it was too easy. He shouldn’t be falling apart for Vander this easily.

“It’s a damn good thing I was the one you picked you up- teach you some goddamn manners.” 

Jayce’s ass was a deep, flushed red- if Vander looked closely enough at it, he could see the imprints of his hand where it had struck the flesh. It was a good look for him.

When he stopped, Jayce’s breathing hitched, waiting to see what Vander would do next. He wasn’t expecting him to pull Jayce up, helping him to stand up on wobbly legs and pull his boxers off fully. He looked at Vander with a confused, glassy-eyed look.

“Now then- you need to go downstairs and clean up the mess you made when you knocked those drinks over. I want the glass swept up and thrown away, and any liquid mopped up. If you hurt yourself while you do it, you don't get to cum tonight. Got it?” Vander explained slowly, making sure Jayce nodded and understood him. His boner bulged obscenely in his pants as he slid them back on, the course material sure to rub and chaff over the raw skin, and Vander indulged himself in staring as the boy obediently trotted downstairs to clean up the mess he had made.

It took longer than it normally would have for him to clean up a couple of broken glasses, but considering the state he was cleaning up in, Vander gave him a bit of grace. When he heard Jayce’s footsteps coming back up the stairs he settled on the bed.

“Let me see your hands, pup.” Jayce was quick to hold his hands out to him, letting him turn them this way and that to check for even the smallest cuts. When they had been thoroughly looked at, Vander gave a small nod and a smile.

“There’s a good boy- not a scratch on you.” Jayce squirmed lightly from where he stood between Vander’s legs.

“Thank you, sir, um- can I take these off? Please? It hurts-” Jayce’s hands fluttered to hover over his belt loops. 

“It hurts? Well we can’t have that, can we?” Vander crooned.

Jayce was quick to strip the rough fabric of his pants. He let out a sigh of relief as the constant stimulation stopped for a bit. Vander put a hand over his ass, feeling the warmth that radiated from the skin still and feeling Jayce buck his hips slightly at the touch.

It took a while to open him up- stopping before Jayce came and leaving him a sobbing puddle in Vander’s bed, propped up with pillows under his cheek and his knees quivering as Vander took his sweet time. There wasn’t a need to rush this, though the urge to take it fast was a tempting one as Vander slowly slid into Jayce’s furnace-hot ass.

His knees straddled Jayce’s, keeping his ass propped up as he curled a hand under Jayce’s stomach and propped the other by his head. Trapping him underneath him. And Jayce loved it- loved having Vander covering him, keeping him safe and full. Despite his best efforts, Jayce was quick to cum once Vander got going. Vander wasn’t upset- he just kept going, pulling whimpery yelps as his thrusts prolonged Jayce’s orgasm, dripping obscenely between his legs as he was fucked into.

Soothing words were murmured into his ear where Vander’s chin hooked over his shoulder. The hand keeping him propped up rubbing soothing little circles over Jayce’s stomach as the overstimulation melted into pleasure again.

Finally, after all the thoughts in Jayce’s head had melted out his ears, Vander growled and came deep inside him, filling him properly. His massive hand came down to take hold of Jayce’s half-hard cock, stroking him even as Jayce squirmed and whimpered about the stimulation, writhing on his cock. The orgasm ripped through him, pulling a sob from his lips as his cock dribbled half-heartedly.

Vander was all over him after- soothing praise, wiping him down with a towel, finding one of his softest, most worn-in shirts to cover him with. Jayce was pliant in his grasp, happily sitting there with a pleased grin on his face.

“You hit that guy because you were jealous, didn’t you?”

“...if you can still string sentences together then I didn’t fuck you hard enough.” Vander replied as he rubbed a soothing lotion he saved for his hands over Jayce’s ass.

“But that was the reason, right?”

“Mmm. Fucker deserved it.” Vander replied simply. Jayce seemed satisfied, giving a pleased little wiggle as he settled further into his bed. When Vander was done, he ruffled Jayce’s hair and got to his feet.

“You can rest up in here. I’ll go to the guest room next door if you need me.”

Jayce frowned and sat up against the protesting aches in his body. “No you’re not. I’m not stealing your bed.”

“I don’t think you want a fat old man snoring in your ear, pup.”

“You also didn’t think I wanted to have sex with you.”

“Jesus, you’re such a brat.” Vander laughed, turning away from the hallway door and making his way back into the bed. “Alright, shove over. You don’t need the whole bed.” Jayce happily made room, waiting for Vander to settle before happily cuddling closer.

It was… nice. Having a bed companion. He didn’t normally let pups sleep in the bed but… he could tell that was a fight he was going to lose, just this once hearing Jayce’s sleepy snuffles and sighs.

Chapter Text

Before that, Vander-thankfully - woke up first that morning. 

It gave him time to orient himself; double check their supplies, make some breakfast and coffee. The apartment was starting to fill with Jayce’s heat scent of cinnamon and cardamom, with some nameless sticky sweetness to it like dates or syrup. Rich and decadent… it fit the exiled Piltovian. 

He remembered how he first found Jayce- the memory gave him conflicting feelings of sick dread and a warm heart at how strong his little mate was.

It had been raining- Vander knew because he was grumbling to himself as he lugged the garbage out to the dumpsters behind his establishment.  The sounds of him lifting the garbage lid and throwing the collection of bottles into it almost drowned it out. Once Vander’s ears caught it, however, he stood stock still.

Cruel, mocking laughter. And an underlying sound of an omega’s warning growl.

He was out and down the alley in a flash, complaints about the weather forgotten and replaced by the scenario he could be stumbling into. Just as he was about to turn the corner, however, a gurgled scream erupted from the alley.

Two men ran out hastily, running past Vander with shouts of “That bitch is fucking insane!” as they made their getaway.

Vander paused just at the corner, listening. Nothing except for quiet, choked gurgles and the harsh breathing of someone that rattled through them before a quiet whine of fear.

Vander came around the corner slowly, hands held in front of him. The sight that greeted him was not the one he was expecting.

A man laid on the cobblestones, his throat a mangled mess of bone and blood and sinnue that steadily poured blood onto the wet stones under him. His face was ashen as his mouth flopped open and closed like a fish, trying to draw wheezing breaths through the hole torn in his trachea. 

Curled up against the wall was a man with blood on his mouth and chin, panting harshly and folded up with his arms protecting his head. He rippled with muscle, and even though he was clearly underweight Vander was smart enough to know not to underestimate him. 

“You’re a tough little thing, aren’t you?” The last thing Vander wanted to do was spook the clearly feral omega into doing something rash. At Vander’s cautious words, his head jerked up. He had the beginnings of a short beard- what must at one point have been a neatly cut crop of hair was shaggy on the sides and longer on the top. His clothes were filthy, his red top covered in dirt and his pants ripped at the knees.

Vander kept himself low to the ground despite the complaining creak of his knees. The growl sputtered to life again as the boy bared his teeth, baring bloodied canines.

“Easy there, pup. I saw what you did to this piece of shit here. M’not gonna hurt you.” He had said in what he hoped was a soothing tone, keeping his movements slow and non-threatening. The omega was still tense, but the growling lessened as he knelt down and sat on the dirty cobblestones.

“This rain and cold is awful on my joints. What’s say we get you somewhere warm for you to ride this out, yeah?” Vander coaxed. After a minute of struggling to combobulate himself, the man finally spoke. “Don’ trust you.” His voice was gravely with disuse. Vander shrugged.

“That’s fair. You shouldn’t trust most of the folks down here. But I don’t think you should be walking around in this state. I have a bar with a guest room, which has a lock. I’d be happy to loan it to you, free of charge.” It took a longer moment of consideration before the omega nodded once, and slowly got to his feet.

He wobbled as he walked, and on instinct Vander raised an arm to help him up that was met with a growly, “Don’t touch-” Vander didn’t take it personally.

The walk back was… quiet, to say the least. The man- if you could call him that, he was so young- kept him in his peripheral vision. After going inside, Vander locked the door behind him and motioned to the bar.

“Take a seat, lad. I think I’ve got some food I could scrounge up.” 

It was like taking in a stray dog. As the lad softened and warmed up under Vander’s watchful eye, he told him of his plight; a brilliant man, a mistake, an explosion. Months spent on zaun’s street finding places to sleep and picking up odd repair jobs for food or a night’s rest.

The timelines lined up in a way that made Vander’s blood cold. This was the owner of the apartment little man had told them about. The inventor. 

It wasn’t Vander’s fault, but he was responsible for the things his kids had done. What else was he to do besides offer Jayce a room and a job? It was the least he could do. It would be cramped but-

“V’nder?”

Vander blinked, back in his current time, back in his kitchen that Jayce had taken to fixing and repairing ever since he started staying here.

He turned to look at his mate- knuckling his eyes as he blinked sleepily at him, wearing just a ratty pair of boxers that had been worn down to be buttery soft and comfortable. Normally Jayce was polite to a fault- a Piltovian habit- but being roused from his sleep, the thrall of his heat and the distinct lack of Vander equalled an omega with a bit of a morning attitude.

“You weren’t there.” Jayce grumbled, still too tired to bother putting any real bite into the phrase. He favored padding over to Vander’s side and leaning into him. He could feel Jayce’s cheek rest on his arm, and the soft puffs of air as Jayce took in the scent of his sleep-warmed skin.

“I was busy making my mate some breakfast before he was too horny to eat.” Vander replied pointedly, handing him a warm mug of coffee. He took a moment to take Jayce in. The years had been kinder to Jayce than when he first found him. Having knowledge to fix big, complicated machines earned him quite a pretty penny for Zaun standards. Being able to afford meat and dairy had filled Jayce out to a weight that Vander preferred- a bit of pudge on his stomach and thighs, going from the gaunt muscularity to a burliness that made Vander’s instincts chuff in delight.

Jayce only huffed in reply, taking the coffee and stepping away to lean against the counter.

“It’s not because I’m horny, it’s because my stomach cramps from the slick.” He complained as he opened the windows to water the plants spilling from the window garden.

“Doll, I’ve told you to keep the windows shut during cycles- don’t want some alpha banging down the door because I’ve got the sweetest treat in the lanes.” Vander scolded gently. Jayce only huffed again and closed up the window, frowning at the squeal of the window hinges. “These need oil.” 

“And you need to go to bed before I carry you there. Go on.” Vander insisted, placing a gentle hand on Jayce’s back. The rest of the day had consisted of Jayce’s strange nesting ritual, and Vander wrangling the feral little beast into their room to get some rest.

Sleeping next to your mate in heat left you feeling hazy the next morning. It always took Vander some time to combobulate himself out of the haze that the pheromones put him into.

He could hear Jayce’s sweet whimpers, as well as something obscenely wet as he opened his eyes and blinked a few times. Jayce was laying on his stomach, an arm curled under him as he bit his pillow and curled his fingers inside his dripping cunt.

“Why didn’t you wake me up, sweetheart?” Vander asked, voice rough and gravely with sleep as he sat up and batted Jayce’s hands away. Jayce keened at the loss, tears filling his eyes as a vicious pout overtook his features that melted away at feeling of his fingers prodded his entrance.

“Alpha, hurrrts-”

“-it’s going to hurt a helluva lot more if I don’t help, sweetheart.” Vander soothed, placing a heavy hand on the flush skin of his back and holding him there. One finger quickly became two, which finally settled his mate enough for Vander to do his job and properly stretch him. He savored Jayce’s mewls and whimpers, pressing against Jayce’s back whenever he tried to press his hips up to meet Vander’s fingers.

He could feel the muscle causing Jayce’s pain- a ring of muscles close to the front of his cunt that, without a knot, clenched on itself painfully until it had something to fill it. He could feel the ring clench on his fingers, working against Vander’s scissoring.

From where Jayce was laying on his stomach, he could see the ring of teeth marks on the nape of his neck- still a deep pink, a scar from only a handful of years ago. Not like the pale lightning strikes of Vander’s on his back from mining days; burns that laced his fingers from the sparking explosives, nicks on his back from falling rock. He was one of the lucky ones- he still had all ten fingers he could use to pleasure his partner.

He fingered his little lover until Jayce was squirming under his hand again, the soft whimpers breaking into rambled begging for more. Only once he was certain he was properly stretched, he quickly lubed himself with the slick that pooled in his palm and slid in.

Buried deep inside him and laying on top of him after Jayce’s insistence meant that he could feel Jayce’s purrs rattling through him, deep and rolling like a motor. With each gentle roll of his hips Jayce would make a cute little warbling noise that may  have been a whimper if it wasn’t distorted by his purring. From this position Vander could worry Jayce’s scent gland with his mouth, biting and nibbling at the flesh until Jayce was limp and content under him. His hands absently skimmed up and down Jayce’s ribs, before following the strong lines of his arms to hold them above his head. Jayce let go of the fists he had made in the pillows under his cheek to tangle their fingers together.

It was languid and soft, unhurried- the need panging in Jayce’s hindbrain for a knot momentarily satiated by being practically smothered by his mate. Only when Jayce’s hips started pushing back into Vander’s more forcefully did Vander take his cue to pick up the pace.

He didn’t normally pop his knot so quickly, like an inexperienced teenager, but having his mate under him smelling so sweetly and sounding like sin didn’t help his libido lessen a bit. As soon as Jayce felt the tug of it on his rim, his begging startled up again tenfold- “please, please gimme your knot, alpha, need it, need to be full, need-” 

Vander rumbled- deep and rolling like thunder, making Jayce shiver with the vibrations as it became harder and harder for Vander to pull out. Fuck, it was so hard to concentrate on making Jayce feel good like this- feeling his body milk him for all he’s worth, the scent of warm sugar and spice that flooded his noise and made his head swim with thoughts of breeding his mate, filling him nice and proper like he deserve, seeing him soft and well-fed-

With a growl Vander buried his teeth in Jayce’s skin, the meaty part where the slope of his neck met the strong line of his shoulders, feeling Jayce’s cries in his bones as he came around Vander’s knot. Each hard clench of Jayce’s cunt made Vander’s body seize and twitch from the stimulation, drawing punched out noises from Vander’s mouth that were muffled by Jayce’s feverish skin.

Only once the aftershocks subsided did Vander release the hold he had on him, licking the bite and pressing a kiss to it. He wasn’t sure if Jayce could talk much to him- the rolling purrs that exploded from him made it clear he wasn’t in the mood to talk much.

Instead he focused on rolling the two of them onto their sides so that his body could rest without squishing Jayce. The omega let out a grumpy noise at the lack of weight pressing him down that was soothed by Vander reaching around and petting Jayce’s stomach, crooning to him how good he’ll look with his pups as he squirmed and clenched on his cock. He was stuck, nowhere to escape as Vander’s fingers stroked over his slick cock and coaxed another orgasm from him.

He needed to properly exhaust him if he wanted Jayce to give him a few minutes to breathe, or else he would start getting wiggly and nipping at any exposed flesh by his head. He had to get him cockdrunk enough to simply fall asleep in a purring little heap curled up to his front. 

His nose was still filled with the smell of spices and sweet dates, but now there was a little thread of his own. Silco had said he smelled like oak trees and something earthy, but years of working in mines and smoking cigars had pretty much made his sense of smell null. He would go as far as to say Jayce’s scent was meant for him, but any other flowery and subtle scent omegas were known for wouldn’t have even registered. 

He nuzzled the side of Jayce’s neck again and sighed, letting himself drift listlessly in his mind as he waited for the next wave.

Chapter Text

Viktor wasn’t unused to people thinking he was simple.

He knew how he looked- thin, frail, Zaunite who limped by on a crutch. Giving high society some savior porn to jerk each other off about. But he used that to his advantage- undermining Piltovians was something laughably easy to do. It took a cleverness you weren’t going to find in Piltover’s ivory towers. 

What he wasn’t used to was Jayce thinking he was easy to trick.

Every fortnight, he would excuse himself from the lab early, rambling about meeting Caitlyn or his mother for dinner and slipping away. The first time Viktor caught on was when he saw Caitlin on patrol not even fifteen minutes after Jayce had left.

When he saw Jayce’s relaxed, easy-going demeanor the next morning along with him coming in late- well, he put two and two together. He just figured Jayce’s Piltovian sensibilities kept him from talking about going to an Undercity brothel.

When you grew up there, you knew what it smelled like; the scent of wet earth and ozone and chemicals clung to Jayce’s skin and hair despite the rich, expensive cologne he sprayed overtop of it. But it didn’t make sense- there were Gentleman’s clubs in Piltover that didn’t require putting on a costume and going down to the undercity. 

He tried to let it go- what Jayce wanted to do in his own time, he could respect. But the more Viktor thought about it, the more questions floated through his mind. He was sure Jayce was a fellow dom- just looking at him would prove that. Piltovian subs would be falling at his feet to go under for him, so it couldn't be a shortage of willing participants. (He ignored the sickening feeling at the thought of Jayce taking care of some faceless sub.

Following Jayce was remarkably easy. It was a wonder he hadn’t been pick-pocketed yet- Viktor assumed it was because of Jayce’s bulk. He weaved his way through the crowd, making a beeline for the heart of the lanes. To be fair to him, the only reason Viktor was able to follow him and recognize him was because of how long they had been working together.

The careful gait of a man who had always been tall and minded his space, easily stepping out of other people’s ways and apologizing to the people who bumped into him anyway. He could have seen him anywhere and known who he was.

Stepping into the Last Drop was like being home. He could hear the familiar dialects in the air, even if they were a bit removed from his own. The words were still eerily close, close enough that Viktor could pick up on what was being said without concentrating too hard. 

Jayce had slid into a seat at the end of the bar, closer to one of the shadier corners. Viktor bit back a shocked noise as a massive man walked out of the door behind the bar and gave Jayce a warm smile, his heart thudding in his chest. They spoke to each other amicably. Jayce’s features were fairly well-hidden, but Viktor could see the tension bleeding from his shoulders. Viktor’s hand fidgeted with the edge of his cloak. He knew who that man was.

What business did Jayce have with The Hound of Zaun?

……………………….

There was a man watching Jay.

‘Not Piltovian.’ Vander thinks, listening idly to Jay’s chatter as he mixes another drink. He knew how to keep to himself in a way Piltovians didn’t. His back was to a wall, with a perfect line of sight to see Jay at the bar. He had come in only a few minutes after Jay and nursed nothing but a glass of water.

He wanted to turn Jay away just so that they wouldn’t have anything to use against Jay later. But Vander didn’t know if he wanted Jay alone. Either way, he needed to get him out of view.

“How’s about you go upstairs and get comfortable, hm? I’m going to be a little while still serving these folks.” Vander’s voice was gentle but firm, and he watched Jay perk up like a dog hearing the word treat. Cute. 

Jay handed him the glass of water he had obediently drank before Vander slid him the key to the upstairs apartment. As Jay got up and walked to the back of the bar, Vander saw a flash of amber eyes from under the stranger’s hood.

Eye contact was held between the two of them.

Vander had been to a farm before, out past Piltover. The family had a huge white dog, powerfully strong under all the fur and keen eyes as he laid on the front porch and watched over the plains- a livestock dog. The owner said it would stare down beasts he couldn't see in the dark, holding contact with the wolves or coyotes until he deemed it safe.

Vander imagined that's what that old dog felt like.

The man broke first- pressing a few coins to the table and getting up before slipping out the front door. Vander released the air trapped in his lungs with a soft huff, setting down the glass he had been wearing a hole into with all the polishing and focusing on the task at hand. He had other things to worry about now, like the sub upstairs.

The one whom Vander now knew the identity of.

He couldn't in good conscience keep doing this with the boy without telling him he knew- it made him feel slimy. He had thought of how to break the news all night as the patrons dwindled down to the last drunken booze hound. Even as he locked up and climbed the stairs to his apartment he floundered for what to say. He was never good with his words.

“So. How’d I get lucky enough to catch the attention of the Golden Boy of Piltover, hm?”

Well shit. There was probably a better way to say that. Vander could see the way the boy tensed up, his hands freezing where his hands had come up to untie the scarf.

“I don’t- you think I’m Jayce Talis?” He tried weakly, stopping when Vander made a soft tisking noise.

“Your face is plastered over half of Topside, boy. Your scarf has your house crest on it.” 

Jay- or Jayce, as he was actually called- let his arms come down to his sides. Vander watched; he could hear the gears turning in his head, his hands twitching slightly as he tried to think of his next steps.

“What do you want, then? Money? Information? Is this blackmail now?” Jayce’s voice had taken a cool, business-like tone that didn’t suit him and wavered a little. His back was still to Vander like it made it easier for him to throw on the Councilor Facade. He wasn’t made for politics.

“Nothing like that, sweetheart- I’m sorry, this must be jarring to switch up so fast. I just want to call you by your real name and see that handsome face of yours. I don’t want you to have to hide.” Vander kept his voice as soft and soothing as he could. The silence between them stretched before Vander patted his knee audibly. 

“Come here, pretty bird.”

He gave Jayce plenty of time to make his decision. Eventually he slowly turned around before walking over to Vander, his eyes darting between Vander’s hands and his knees, suddenly unsure of the rhythm they had been falling into for the last few months.

Vander spread his knees slightly and let Jayce nestle himself between them, waiting until he was settled before reaching to cup Jayce’s cheek. His thumb slid along the edge of the scarf before sliding under, starting to pull it down the strong cheekbone. 

“I… I think- I think I need to-” With a lurch, Jayce was on his feet. The warm, electric air between them turned cold as Jayce’s furnace-like heat left with him. Vander sat up straighter and frowned as he watched Jayce throw on his clothes, twisting the scarf around his face tighter from where it had started being pulled down.

“Easy, sweetheart, you don’t have to show me anything you don’t want me to-” Jayce’s energy had changed to that of a small pup trapped in a corner. He pulled on his satchel and fumbled with the lock before throwing the door open and walking down the hall. He knew the way out, and Vander didn’t stop him.

He heard the backdoor shut through the house, the foundation shuddering lightly. With a heavy sigh, Vander sat back down and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Fuck.”

………………………….

Viktor hated feeling out of his depth. 

Jayce had been acting strangely- snapping at Viktor, getting worked up over the littlest things and pacing his lab mumbling to himself. These behaviors in of itself weren’t rare, persay- it was just that usually they only happened on their most sleep deprived nights and three day research benders, not bright and early at 8 in the morning.

It made Viktor’s instincts prickle- if Jayce were a sub, he would have long since made him kneel and chill the fuck out, get to the source of the problem. But as it were Viktor had no idea what to do with his partner’s newfound temper. 

If he thought he was out of his depth in the comfort of his lab, then the day after he saw Jayce at The Last Drop made him feel like he was fucking drowing.

Jayce hadn’t shown up to the lab. Again, not unusual. But after he had to leave because the Hound was staring him down he had been on edge all evening. He never saw Jayce leave or get home.  He wasn’t going to sound the alarms just yet. He would go to Jayce’s apartment to see if he was home, and if he wasn’t then he would go to Miss Kiramen for help. He didn’t want to get Jayce in trouble, he just wanted him to be safe.

They both had keys to the other's apartment in case of an emergency after Jayce had kicked down his front door when Viktor was having a particularly nasty flare up and needed his meds. (Granted it was a very flimsy plywood door, but he still wanted to avoid such break-ins in the future.)

The first thing he noticed was the messiness. 

Jayce’s undercity clothes were strewn about, shoes haphazardly tossed in front of the door. While Viktor lived a more, eh, cluttered lifestyle, Jayce was neat to a fault. Everything had to be buttoned up, put away, and neatly organized into little boxes if he wanted to relax.

“Jayce?” Viktor called, closing the door and locking it behind him as he stepped over the clothes.

A high pitched, muffled noise came from the belly of the apartment, and a wash of relief moved over Viktor as he moved towards Jayce’s room.

“Svatá Janno, I make the walk all the way down here and you probably just have a fucking hangover.” He muttered to himself, rapping his knuckles against the door.

Silence. Viktor could hear shifting movement inside, but Jayce didn’t answer or come to the door.

“Jayce? Are you alright? You didn’t come to the lab this morning.” Viktor called. Nothing, then a thumping noise and a low whine that made something tense in Viktor’s gut. The worry that previously had evaporated when he first heard him was starting to make a reappearance. 

Viktor slid the lock into the key of the door- security hazard aside- and opened the door.

Or at least, he tried to. The door knocked against something heavy and wooden- was that Jayce’s dresser-? With the door cracked, Viktor could hear the soft, hazy noises Jayce was making.

“Jayce?” Viktor called.

“V’nder?” Jayce’s voice was… wrong. Slurred and soft in a way that Viktor only heard a handful of times when the two of them used to get drunk together after a breakthrough in their research. What had the hound given him? Was Jayce taking drugs?

“No, no it’s Viktor- Jayce, can you get up?” Viktor leaned his full weight against the door, trying to get the dresser to budge, but it didn’t give an inch. Something was wrong. Jayce hadn’t answered.

“Jayce, I’m- I can’t move the dresser! Why are you barricaded in here?” Viktor tried to keep his voice low and calm, but he couldn't help the frustration that was bleeding through.

“Keep me safe… while I float.” Jayce’s response came, soft and not very grounded. Like he was struggling to string the words together.

“While you-” Clarity struck Viktor like a bolt of lightning. “...Jayce, what are you on? Did you take something?” But Jayce had fallen silent again. Viktor swore voraciously under his breath, mind reeling on what he should do.

The Hound. If he had given Jayce something, then he would know what it was and if Jayce was okay.

“Jayce, I will be back soon. Just- hang in there, I don’t know.” Viktor closed the door again before hobbling to the door. HIs body was going to fucking hurt after this, but Viktor would be damned if he didn’t help Jayce.

………………………

“What the fuck did you give Jayce?”

Those were the words that sent Vander up to topside for the first time in decades, following Jayce’s “Partner” as they made their way back to his apartment as fast as they could manage. 

It didn’t take much to convince him. Vander hadn’t seen him in a few weeks before he uncovered Jayce’s true identity- much too long for a sub who had gotten used to regularly going down. He must have gone home that night and taken something to help with the need to go down. The man- Viktor- had pounded on his door, and when Vander opened it he had jabbed a bony finger and snarled the question at him with a venom that made Vander blink in shock.

(God he reminded him of Silco. Such a small body but packed with enough poison to strike a man dead like a rattlesnake.)

Vander had stopped a carriage, and after giving the driver a good palmful of coins told him to drive.

The man paled at the rocking of the carriage, but to his credit he didn’t throw up. The two of them made their way to the apartments, ignoring the glances from other Piltovian citizens as they climbed the steps- thankfully Jayce was only two floors up.

Vander pushed the barricaded door open with ease. Despite Viktor’s leg and back screaming at him, he followed behind the man to see the state his partner was in.

Jayce looked… small. So small. Curled up and leaning against the side of his bed in nothing but a tank top and a pair of ratty boxers. His eyes were at half mast, staring deftly at the wall and his pupils practically the size of dinner plates. Viktor stayed leaning against the doorframe for support as Vander knelt down in front of Jayce, speaking softly to him. His breath snagged on one of his ribs as he watched Jayce lean into him, his eyes slipping closed as Vander’s hand came up and touched his forehead. Watching as the hand slipped to cradle Jace’s cheek.

With ease, Vander pulled Jayce into his arms and lifted him up, carrying him  back out into the living room.

“Spacers. Well- subdroxolin is the scientific name. I’m thinking he took his normal dose, but he’s been going under with me for the last few months. His body’s tolerance has gone down. He’ll be alright, but he’s about to have a nasty drop in a little bit.”

Of all the things Viktor had braced himself to hear- overdose, drunk, depressed, fucking allergic- it wasn’t that.

“Subdro- Jayce is a sub?” Viktor gaped at him as Vander sat down on the couch, helping Jayce to lay down and rest his head on Vander’s leg. He paused to raise an eyebrow at him.

“Isn’t he your partner?” Vander asked, his features darkening slightly.

“My research partner- we-we study together and work together, I had no idea-” Viktor’s hand flew up to vaguely gesture to the air, his mind reeling at the information, at the lack of care Jayce had been receiving.

“Do you trust each other?”

“O-of course. I trust him with my life.” Viktor answered earnestly. That strange, heavy stare settled over Viktor like a cloak before Vander nodded- the thought came to Viktor that he had passed some strange test.

“Good. You need to sit where I am and make sure he doesn’t start panicking. He’ll need some water, blankets- and you don’t seem like you should be standing. No offense, of course.” Vander bowed his head a bit in apology. Through it all, his hand carded through Jayce’s hair, stroking a thumb over his cheek as Jayce gazed out into the living room and nothing at all. 

“I can get it-” Viktor started, putting some more weight on his leg until pain flared up in his veins, hot as lava and pounding through his head. Vander must have seen him wince. He stood up slowly, sliding a pillow under Jayce’s head and leaving the spot vacated.

“Jayce needs you right now. If he trusts you as much as you say he does, then I need you to sit with him.” Vander intoned. Viktor weighed his options, but it was clear that his pride wasn’t winning. With a curt nod, Viktor slowly made his way to the sofa and collapsed onto the sofa with a soft hiss between his teeth.

Jayce’s head was feverwarm under his hand as he hesitantly brought it up and slowly carded through his hair. The sub made a soft, pleased noise, pressing the strong line of his nose into Viktor’s leg and letting out that same long, content sigh of a bigger dog. 

When Vander lumbered in front of Jayce’s limited line of vision, he squirmed a bit to look up at who was stroking his hair. When he saw Viktor, his eyes widened slightly before he let his head fall back onto the cushion- clearly the effort to lift it had been herculean. 

“V’ktor…?” He mumbled, and from the side of his profile Viktor could see Jayce’s eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. Viktor hesitated a moment before clearing his throat.

“Yes, Jayce, I’m here. Vander is getting some blankets from your room but he is present as well.” Viktor told him, his hand fluttering lightly as he tried to figure out where to put them. He wasn’t used to this kind of soft vulnerability from Jayce outside of the confessional of dawn in the lab. Like this, he was just so… breakable. Delicate in a way that didn’t suit him.

Vander came out of Jayce’s room with the comforter he had clearly just pulled off Jayce’s bed, as well as a glass of water he got from the tap- “never seen tap water that clean in my life.”- Viktor moved to get up, but Vander waved his massive hand and simply draped the blanket over Jayce before settling into the armchair next to it.

“Do you know when he got home and took them?” Viktor shook his head.

“I only found him like this in the morning and he was already starting to be fairly out of it. He could still speak in full sentences though, so he must not have been on them for very long.” Viktor recounted- this was something he could do. Go over data, form a hypothesis. 

“Then we probably have a bit of time. I would leave and let the two of you work this out but-”

“-gods, no. I’ve never seen Jayce like this before- your experience is more than welcome. I’m afraid I couldn’t have moved him even if I tried.” Not for the first time in his life, Viktor loathed the ways his body limited him.  They fell into comfortable chatter- Vander asking polite questions about their work, Viktor asking about the state of the lanes and the improvements he and Jayce hoped to bring.

Viktor’s first warning was the slight tremor to Jayce's hand that had curled up under his chin.

He felt Jayce shift as he pulled his knees closer into himself, tucking his body tightly into itself. It reminded Viktor of the pillbugs he saw as a child looking for insect specimens. A soft, wounded whimper escaped Jayce’s lips, pulled thin and tense with the intention of smothering the noises.

“Jayce? What’s wrong?” Viktor asked softly, brushing his fingers against Jayce’s clenched jaw.

“C-cold-” Jayce stuttered through the word. Viktor could feel his large body shake with a tremor. Vander was up on his feet with Jayce’s plush comforter, draping it over him and kneeling down on a knee to properly look at him. The sheen of sweat on his brow stood a stark juxtaposition against Jayce’s words. 

“What do you need, Jayce?” Vander asked, waiting as Jayce struggled to articulate what he needed.

“Pressure- I want- need to be tight-” Jayce tried, letting out a frustrated noise as his brows furrowed even tighter together.

It took a bit of maneuvering but they were able to get Jayce laying on Vander’s chest, rolled up in the comforter with Vander’s heavy arms wrapped around him. When Vander squeezed Jayce had let out a content sound, sighing and nuzzling against Vander’s chest.

Viktor watched, sitting on the opposite side-he had the fleeting though to give the poor couch a break from all three of them, but Jayce had given him the saddest puppy eyes when he mentioned just getting up to get him some water.

This was something they would need to discuss at a later date, clearly. But for now, he could be content with this. Knowing someone else was watching out for Jayce just as much as he was.

Chapter Text

‘I’m not going to bring up pups.’

It was a thought that had been running through Vander’s mind often as of late-more of a warning to himself, really. He was too old, the house was too small. They didn’t even want pups.

Well.

Jayce didn’t even want pups. He didn’t bring it up, at least. 

The problem lay in watching Jayce grow close with his own little pack. Slowly warming up to the newcomer in the house, the first omega in the house in a long time. Powder had been the quickest to accept the newest member of their pack, such a sweet pup- someone who understood her inventions and was strong enough to allow her to climb him like a little monkey. 

Claggor and Mylo weren’t that far behind, in awe of his strength and his abilities in the forge, it wasn’t uncommon to find the three of them in the forge together- Jayce hammering away at a new project while Claggor and Mylo watched from a safe distance and buzzing with questions.

Vi had taken the longest- she knew better than the rest what Jayce meant to Vander, wise beyond her years. Any attempt Jayce made at first was met with a stoic scowl or scoff. Sometimes a characteristic preteen eyeroll. But Jayce knew- that feeling of having everyone’s eyes on you, having to be strong and have a plan. They talked late at night when the younger members of their family had gone to bed and Jayce was working on the jukebox.

(It helped that he let her have some of the beers his uncles let him have when he was still under the Ionian drinking age. “She deserves it- besides, with the alcohol content it’s basically juice.” He had reassured Vander.)

It was already so nice for Vander to see Jayce getting along with the pups, being as much of a guiding figure as he could be with his own limited life knowledge. What sealed the deal- or rather what doomed him- was when he had heard noise in the middle of the night, bumps and whispers that made the hairs on Vander’s neck stand up. He sat up and looked to see the bed cold next to him.

He padded down the hallway slowly, listening to the conspiratorial whispers that wafted from the kitchen that he quickly recognized as his own pups. Little giggles and bitten off insults as Jayce shushed them. Vander slowly peaked into the kitchen and felt his heart swell to proportions that couldn't be safe for him.

There he was- in an old white t-shirt and sweatpants holding a chipped bowl and mixing together some kind of pale dough. Vi was diligently cutting fruit and smacking away Mylo’s creeping hand, who hissed at her to keep it down and sifted flour through a sieve Jayce had made. Powder sat on the counter watching, kicking her feet, as Claggor periodically checked the stove’s temperature. Baking together, under the cloak of night, giggling and covering the kitchen in flour.

Vander couldn’t help the wide smile that overtook his features as he closed the door and walked back to his room. He knew he would probably have a mess on his hands the next morning. It did little to dissuade the fiery warmth in his chest for his little family.

From then on he couldn't get it out of his head. Jayce, swollen with pups or cradling a newborn, singing his childhood songs with a little boy or girl or whatever it wanted to be- he’s seen the fine things Jayce could create, and their pup would be one of his best works. 

But he kept it to himself for a substantial amount of time for the craving he had for it. At least, he thought he had until Jayce started hesitantly looking at little baby clothes at the stands they walked by, or the beaming smile he had when someone asked if one of the pups was his. Or the way that Jayce started begging for his knot, bringing Vander’s hand down to kneed at his stomach and beg so sweetly for his pups.

…so maybe that part was a lot less subtle, but dirty talk and actually wanting a baby were two very different things.

It came as an immense relief that Jayce was the first one to broach the subject.

They had been talking about heat preparations- Vander reminded Jayce about taking his birth control, and after a moment of fidgeting Jayce had made a weak joke of “I mean, kinda seems counterproductive for a heat right?”

It had been while they were getting ready for bed- Vander was brushing his teeth while Jayce rubbed lotion into his skin and stared at the package of little white pills. Vander stopped, pausing to comprehend what Jayce said before he let out a rushed, “-or something! I’m just– I dunno why I said that, I’m just tired. Sorry.” Before Vander could spit out the foam in his mouth and respond, Jayce had dug his trimmed nails into the foil and popped the little pill before exiting the bathroom.

By the time Vander had wrapped up, Jayce was already laid down on his side of the bed- curled up under the sheets and facing away from the door. Even in the dim light, vander could see the tomato red of his ears.

Vander let out a little rumble as he knelt on the bed, planting a massive hand on the bed next to Jayce’s stomach and dragging his little lover to be curled up flush against his chest. Jayce couldn’t help the bark of laughter that escaped him as Vander nuzzled into Jayce’s neck and kissed the soft skin around his mating bite. He could feel Jayce’s shoulder push into his cheek as Jayce reflexively scrunched his neck against the ticklish sensation.

“You didn’t let me answer, sunshine.” Vander murmured into his neck. Jayce went still at the words, some of the mirth leaving him at the words. “...I think that you’d make a lovely mum.” Vander said sweetly, pressing his hand to fan out over the expanse of Jayce’s abs. He could feel the way Jayce’s breathing hitched, felt his stomach muscles spasm as he gasped softly in surprise.

“Really?” Jayce asked tentatively, but his scent was already swelling with sweet happiness and hope.

“Of course…you handled the pups so well and they weren’t even yours. N’we have some space with them going out into the world more and what not- I know I miss having them running around. Seems only logical.” Vander responded. Jayce turned around in his grasp, looking up at him with shining eyes.

“... if you’re joking I really need you to tell me. Now.” 

“S’ not a joke, sweetheart. I wouldn’t joke like that.”

“You really want to have pups?”

“As sure as the sky is blue.” 

Vander answered easily, even as his own chest fluttered at the thought. 

Jayce launched up to kiss him,- too many teeth from him trying to contain his gleeful smile and failing, excitable as a puppy as his chest vibrated with a happy purr that Vander could feel against his own chest.

They had an eventful weekend ahead of them- one that started with Jayce gleefully throwing his birth control into the trash.

……………………..

Vander had made fun of Felicia’s mate when he constantly fretted over her while she was pregnant.

Now he understood- how anyone let their mates go outside was beyond him. He just wanted Jayce to stay with their pack where it was safe. He only felt truly at ease when he was at home in the pack’s nest, cuddling Powder or helping Vi fix her broken boxing gloves. Even Milo allowed Jayce to trim the hair growing wild and unruly with a patience he never gave Vander.

It made their weekly grocery runs a bit more bickery- Jayce insisted on carrying his bags like normal while Vander walked behind him like a muscly shadow. Having the Hound of Zaun towering behind you made it difficult to have friendly chatter with the stall owners. 

After the third low, rumbly growl Jayce swatted at Vander’s arm and glared at him.

“Vander.”

“What, sweetheart?”

“Don’t ‘sweet’art’ me, you knotbrained- look, can you just let me shop without acting like I’m going to get carried off by every person who looks at us sideways?” Jayce asked, doing a horrible imitation of Vander’s accent. Vander scoffed at both his piss-poor accent and the scolding.

“That’s not how I sound, first of all- second of all, Is it a crime to keep my pregnant mate safe? The lanes has some nasty people in it, Jayce, and you’re too pretty like this to be waddling around without someone watching your back-”

“-Waddling?-”

“-whatever you want to call it, you’re doing it. Look, can we just go home? I’ll get you whatever sweets you’re craving from here, it just makes me nervous when you’re out here.” Vander wheedled, curling a hand around Jayce’s waist and ducking his head to press his nose into Jayce’s neck in a way that Vander knew made him weak in the knees. 

And it did- Jayce’s scent got sweet with the affection, softening his tense shoulders until Jayce grumbled and tilted his head to nip at Vander’s collarbone.

“I want conchas. And dried peppers- you can't handle any spice, we have nothing in the house.” Jayce grouched, though Vander knew it was a front at this point. And even if it wasn’t, Vander knew how to soften his mate at home, to chase away the bitey attitude until he was pliant and purring between his legs.

“Whatever you want.” Vander agreed, kissing his temple and steering them back towards the Last Drop.

………………………

His mate had been replaced with a feral animal.

Well, that most likely wasn’t the kindest way for Vander to speak about his gravidly pregnant mate. But it gave one the best mental image. Jayce had overtaken their bedroom as his nesting room, stripping the bed of its sheets and mattress to make a nest in the corner. Any communication was met with grunts and sighs and grumbles unless Vander had brought him a sufficient sacrifice of food or massages.

The patrons at the bar congratulated him- they could see the happiness radiating off the old man, along with the milky scent of pregnant omega. At the end of the night, he was quick to clean up. He didn’t want to stray from his partner longer than what was necessary if he could help it, especially when he looked positively sinful like this.

He refrained from getting his mate riled up; while they have had enough pregnant sex to last them a lifetime, they had gone past the point of the second trimester and were well into the third where Jayce had been exhausted with the extra weight he carried.

Vander knocked on Jayce’s door, carrying a basket of fries and his favorite hot sauce that had been the main craving throughout his pregnancy. He only got a soft groan in reply which made him chuckle softly opening the door.

His pretty mate was on his side in the heaping pile of clothes and cushions that he had been staying in for the duration of his third trimester, wearing nothing but one of Vander’s large flannels that he could tuck his face into.

“Brought you some fries- how’s your stomach feeling?” Vander asked as he sat on the edge of the nest.

“Can’t eat- too full.” Jayce replied in a clipped voice. His eyes were closed, but they cracked open to glare at Vander. He climbed into the nest at a snail’s pace, letting Jayce decide what was too close, but soon he was settled against the corner where the nest had been built so that his back was to the wall and Jayce laid between his legs.

“I know, sweetheart. You’re doing such a good job though- you’re doing so good carrying my pups-”

“-your freakishly large pups- fucking twins, that’s what the doctor said, twins crushing my lungs a-and my bladder- they’ve been kicking me all night!” Jayce grit out between his teeth, taking in little huffs of air every few words. His teeth were still barred, hackles raised in his discomfort. He let out a low, warbling whine as he shifted helplessly on his side, trying to find relief. For a moment Vander was worried Jayce’s teeth would find a home in Vander’s calf dangerously close to his face.

“Come on, darlin’- just let me help, yeah? I was the one who got you into this mess, let me help.” Vander crooned. He reached down and pulled Jayce up his lap. Jayce let out a low growl, but it was softer, more hesitant.

“Can I sit you up?”

“I-it’s so much work-”

“-let me do it, sweetheart, come on.” Slowly, Jayce let Vander help him up to sit upright before Vander slid him to sit between his legs. Sliding his hands under Jayce’s massive bump, he slowly lifted up- carrying the weight of his pups until Jayce let out a long moan of relief and swayed back into Vander’s hold. 

“Theeeere we are, doesn’t that feel better?” Vander murmured, pressing a kiss to Jayce’s forehead.

“I’m never letting you put your dick in me again.” Jayce swore miserably, his breathing still coming in soft puffs as his lungs tried to stretch out and make themselves some room.

“Of course not, dear.” Vander agreed sweetly, rubbing his stomach with little swirls of his thumbs. He could feel the pups kicking against his hands happily- or, he assumed happily. “Now, then, what have I told you both about kicking your mother?” He asked in a faux gruff voice, feeling the kicks trail off into nothing hearing the rumble of Vander’s voice.

Jayce’s eyes were already starting to droop as the babies finally fell still, at peace with their father as much as Jayce was.

……………………………….

Not that that lasted long either.

In the rush to get Jayce to the nearest clinic, Vander had told Vi to get Benzo and go to the hospital while Vander got Jayce there as soon as he could. Mostly to save him time, but also so that the pups wouldn’t have to hear Jayce’s wails and howls of pain. He growled through his clenched teeth that ended with miserable yelps that made Vander’s hackles raise. 

It went as smoothly as it could without the help of Piltover’s modern pain killers and instruments. Jayce was strong, and healthier than most. It was something Vander had to remind himself about when Jayce gripped his hand and sobbed into the sterile hospital air. 

“Vander, vander it’s not- they’re not gunna fit, they-” Jayce gasped out between sobs, and Vander kissed Jayce’s sweaty forehead.

“Yeah they are, hun, come on now, deep breaths- you’re doing so good, Jayce-” The words bled into meaningless garble as the night stretched on. Vander only stopped when Jayce went limp on the bed, his head rolling back as he stared at the white ceiling. Vander panicked until he heard the soft, mewling cries of the pups being cleaned and dried off by the nurses.

“Alright, alpha, here they are!” One nurse handed him two tiny bundles of cloth, and Vander had to sit in one of the hospital chairs to stare at them in a daze. He sat in silence as Jayce slept, soaking in the silence, feeling the little ones snuffle and sigh and make the quietest little noises. A boy and a girl. Of course Jayce would keep the numbers fair- Powder had whined about being outnumbered by brothers. 

The first thing Jayce wanted when he woke up was his mate. Vander was careful to cradle him and stroke his hair, rumbling happily and lavishing him with affection with their pups laid on Jayce’s chest. In a few minutes the rest of the pack would be there, and for a moment Vander allowed himself to savor a few precious moments with the newest members of the family.

Chapter Text

Jayce was not a violent dog.

It takes one to know one, and Vander knew that Jayce wasn’t.

Brash and headstrong, sure. Unable to shut up when he needs to, absolutely. But his boy doesn't get into fights. He doesn’t scrap. He isn’t violent. He never had to be. It was something that drew him and Silco to him, that sort of gentle naivety that evaporated quickly off of the youth of Zaun. 

It’s one of the reasons that Vander knows that Jayce was lying out of his ass from the moment an enforcer knocked on their door with Jayce being frog-marched between two burlier enforcers. Captain Grey told him that Jayce had been dragged out of a fight causing a disturbance near the bridge, as though things weren’t already tense enough as it is between the two cities. Jayce remained silent, blood dripping steadily from his nose and staining the front of his shirt. Vander didn’t see any injuries on his arms, but they were covered by the leather jacket with the high collar he had put on before stepping out. Both were Vander’s from his youth that he had given Jayce when he was clearing out a closet for Jayce’s things.

The front collar of the faded blue shirt was stained with deep, dark red now. Vander had apologized, told them what they needed to hear in order to get him back inside. He didn’t miss Jayce’s wince as he was released back into Vander and Silco’s care, his hands curled into stiff claws where his knuckles were red and the skin was split. Jesus.

Vander closed the doors. The sound of the lock sliding into place felt like a gunshot in the quiet.

“Do you want to tell me what happened, or do you want to clean up first?” Vander asked, keeping his voice neutral. Jayce let out a shaky exhale. 

“Clean, uh, clean up first. Please.” Jayce answered after a brief pause, tacking on the please at the end like an afterthought. Clearly he was shaken up. Vander wanted to press, to ask questions, but he had given Jayce the choice. The two of them walked up the creaky wood stairs to the apartment above The Last Drop.

He saw the moment that Silco saw the two of them. Some snarky comment about being let in for the night when he saw the state of him. Vander gave a little shake of his head when he opened his mouth to say something, letting Jayce amble into his room to pick a pair of fresh clothes.

Vander closed the door to their room, and Silco was immediately buzzing with questions.

“Were enforcers at the door? What happened?” He demanded. If you didn’t know Silco, he would have looked angry. But Vander could see the way his foot tapped the floor, and if he was sitting down Vander was sure his knee would be bouncing. 

“He hasn’t said anything yet. I’m letting him get cleaned up, get his head sorted out. Give him a bit of space to figure out his story.” Vander soothed. Silco huffed and walked back over to the big leather armchair in the corner of the room.

“Why the fuck was Jayce scrapping, of all the people?” Vander couldn't help but agree with Silco’s bafflement- it was uncharacteristic of him. “Does he even know how to properly punch someone? I’m all for a young man learning to fight but he certainly hasn’t asked us for any tips!”

Vander couldn't help the soft, amused huff that escaped him. 

“You mean asking me for any tips. I seem to remember you using my bulk as a human shield back in the day.” Vander tapped his chin in a mock thinking motion as Silco leveled him a pointed look. 

“You know what I mean-”

The door creaked open.

Jayce was stood there, cradling a roll of gauze and ointment in his hands gingerly.

“Sorry, sorry, um- could one of you help me roll up my hands? They hurt really bad, and I can’t do it with one hand.” Jayce asked, and really it was pitiful how much he shied away from their gazes.

“Sit on the bed, pup. Did you clean them out properly?”

“Yessir.”

“There’s a lad.” 

Jayce padded over to the bed and Vander followed, sitting next to him and taking Jayce’s hand in his. The joint of Jayce’s thumb was swollen and hot to Vander’s touch, and Vander frowned at it.

“Did you tuck your thumb into your fist when you punched whoever did this to you?” Vander asked, gently feeling the dislocated joint with his thumb. Jayce let out a low hiss of pain and nodded, wilting a bit under Vander’s disapproving tisk. 

“You never do that, pup. Dislocated it- I’m gonna have to set it back before I can wrap your hand, alright? Deep breaths.”

When he was a teen, wrapping Silco’s wounds or vise versa, they would have gotten it fixed by now. Poke fun at the other’s tears and cries of pain, soothe it later with alcohol or a quick fuck. But Jayce isn’t familiar with pain yet- hadn’t grown up with it. It wasn’t the old friend that it was to residents of Zaun and Vander didn’t want to be the person who introduced the two of them.

To Jayce’s credit, he didn’t make a peep. He grit his teeth as Vander set it with a quick, meaty pop and a soft praise, before picking up the roll of gauze. Thankfully it seemed as though his other thumb was okay, if not a bit bruised.

Once the ointment was slathered on Jayce’s knuckles and securely wrapped, Vander set the roll on his nightstand.

“Now then- who is Silco going to blow up for this?”

It was a weak attempt at levity, but one Jayce took with a soft huff of laughter.

“I don’t even know- I just, I was going out to get some parts for the jukebox at Benzo’s and I got jumped. I put up a fight, but obviously it was 2 to 1.” Jayce shrugged lightly, trying to play it off.

“You’re smart enough by now to drop something unimportant if you’re outnumbered. You look like you fought like a wildcat cornered, boy. How about you try that again?” Silco finally spoke, the words making Jayce’s shoulders tense.

The silence stretched on for a long moment, before Silco snapped his fingers.

“Where is your collar? You had it before you left.”

It was like a plug had been pulled- Jayce deflated on himself, his newly-bandaged fists curling together as his shoulders slumped inward. His voice trembled slightly as he mumbled something unintelligible. 

“Speak up, Boy.”

“I’m sorry, Silco-” Jayce warbled, his thumb worrying at the nail beds of his index finger as his gaze remained stubbornly on the ground. He swallowed thickly, and then it was like a dam burst with a rush of words. “-I was taking it to a metalsmith to get your name on a tag- I wanted to surprise you, I thought-” He choked out.

Clarity hit them both. 

“Did they steal your collar?” Vander asked softly, trying to intone that he wasn’t upset with Jayce, but it didn’t help. Jayce nodded miserably

From over Jayce’s curled shoulders, Vander and Silco made eye contact. Silco’s eyes had narrowed slightly, calculating. The only thing that gave away Silco’s anger was the twitch of his trigger finger.

“Well… clearly they knew quality when they saw it, hm?” Vander tried, gently tapping the bottom of Jayce’s chin to try and get him to look at him. It only made his breathing shudder worse.

“I didn’t mean to lose, it, Sir, I swear, I fought-”

“-shhh, sweetheart, I know you did. You didn’t lose it, you were mugged. Betcha they look worse for wear, yeah? This is nothing but a lesson- next time make sure to watch your back a bit more.” Vander put an arm to Jayce’s back, encouraging him to lean his weight into his chest and pressing his lips to the brown hair on top of his head.

When the boy was soundly asleep curled in between the two of them, Vander and Silco looked at eachother for a long moment before Vander spoke softly. 

“You know what to do?”

“Mm. Won’t be the first time I’ve done it. It won’t take me long.”

This was a crucial miscommunication between the two of them.

See, Vander’s question was “Do you know what to do?” As in, “Do you know how to make the collar again?” Silco had been the one to commission the piece through some of his connections. It was a very high quality collar- the soft leather had been buttery smooth to the touch dyed a maroon color that suit Jayce’s tan complexion. Gold studs and tags handmade and carefully stamped- it had taken the commissioner about a month to get it done. He assumed Silco’s reply of “It won’t take very long.” To mean that the creator of the first collar would be able to crank out something similar in less time.

Silco, on the other hand, had been plotting bloody revenge since Jayce had come home with busted knuckles and a bloody nose.

He took Vander’s words to mean “Do you know what to do?” as in “Do you know what to do to find these men.” And of course he could- he had connections that ran like a root system through this city. There were likely at least three witnesses not including the enforcers. It would be a week at most to track down the collar and the scum who robbed their boy.

They were in for a hell of a week.

………….

It was about a week and two days before Silco had saddled up to Vander while working at the bar and murmured, “It’s done. I’ve got them in the basement.” They had been a touch slipperier than Silco had thought, much to his annoyance.

Vander stopped his polishing to look at Silco with a confused frown.

“Why in the basement?”

“Well, I know we’re not exactly angels but I didn’t think you’d want to do that in the middle of the bar.” Silco chuckled, watching Vander’s face dawn with understanding. 

“Ahh, right then. I’ll come down and take a look when we’re closed.”

Again, at the end of the night he had been expecting to see Jayce’s new collar- not two men, tied up and gagged in a couple of steel chairs in their basement. Their faces were minimally roughed up- Silco must have drugged them to get here instead of using his henchmen to beat them into submission. On the table next to them was Jayce’s collar, the polished shine dulled from the time away from a rag and Jayce’s careful care. 

“Silco, what in Janna’s name are they doing here?” Vander gaped at him. Just when he thought he couldn’t be more surprised by his partner. Silco arched a thin brow in return.

“What? You asked if I knew what to do! I got the pathetic little worms that stole Jayce’s collar, and now he gets his revenge.” Silco shrugged lightly, as though this was something they communicated about beforehand. “I was his age when I got my first taste of it, you know-”

“-can we talk outside for a moment?” Vander hissed, opening the door to their basement. Silco bit back a scathing retort- who did this lout think he was bossing him around?- but let himself be lead out into the hallway

“Silco, I meant that you should order Jayce a new collar, not this!” Vander rumbled, and Silco threw his hands in the air.

“I was under the impression you wanted them to pay for what they did!”

“I mean- alright, they still can, but I don’t think Jayce is the type to smash people’s kneecaps in!”

“It’s out of style, too.”

“...what?”

“Smashing kneecaps. The kids are curb stomping these days- horribly public but it gets the job done, I suppose-”

“-anyway, I’ll let you dispose of them however you want, just- best not tell Jayce that.” Vander sighed heavily. Silco leaned up and gave him a mockingly sweet peck on the cheek, his thin hand coming up to pat the side of his face.

“Call me for dinner?”

“As long as you wash your hands first.”

“I always wash my hands!”

……………………….

“How did you find this?!” Jayce gaped at Silco, clutching his collar between his hands. Vander and Silco’s tags clinked merrily against each other as he rubbed his thumb over the engravings- if he had a tail it would be wagging furiously. 

“I pulled some strings.” Silco responded vaguely, letting Jayce stand up and kiss him with minimal grumbling.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and shine it, pup? You can show Silco how grateful you are later.” Vander gave Jayce a small smack to his rump, and Jayce nodded with that sunny smile still on his face. After the sounds of Jayce’s bounding footsteps quieted, Vander gathered the plates from dinner and took them into the sink.

“They’re in the Pilt- whatever didn’t get hacked and fed to the rats, the chemicals will take away.” Silco supplied while drying the clean dishes Vander handed to him.

“Did you wear gloves?”

“I’m sorry, is this ametuer hour? I’ve been doing this since Jayce was a pup on his mother’s tit.”

“I will pay you not to talk about Jayce’s mother’s tits, Sil.”

“You couldn’t pay me enough. Besides, I’d rather talk about her son’s tits instead.” Silco replied with a chuckle, hearing Jayce’s tags jingle down the hallway.

Chapter Text

Everything hurts.

Jayce moaned softly as he curled up further on himself, pressing his face into the pillow under his cheek and squeezing his eyes shut. Maybe he could go back to sleep, ignore the pain pulsing through his body that flared up as he tried to make himself smaller.

A large hand swept his hair from his forehead, and he immediately realized that wasn’t an option.

Jayce’s eyes flew open, looking up to see Vander above him, cradling him like something precious where he was wrapped in one of his heavy, soft blankets. He squirmed slightly, embarrassment flushing high on his cheeks, but the weakness in his limbs combined with the weighted blanket meant that all he did was flounder for a moment before he realized Vander was talking to him.

“-water? Food?” He was asking. He heard something shuffling away and whipped his heads up- oh Janna, Viktor. Viktor was there, shuffling through his kitchen and getting him water- did he see him like this? Wanton and needy and everything he didn’t need from a business partner-

“Focus, pup.”

Jayce turned his head back around to look at Vander, wide eyed and trembling as he tried to stifle the swell of panic in his throat. 

“There’s a good boy. I haven’t seen your face like this before, pretty thing.”

“I’m not..” Jayce mumbled, seemingly out of reflex. He cut himself off as Vander smoothed his thumb over Jayce’s cheek.

“Pretty? Yeah you are- sweet little things like you belong on someone’s arm at those Galas on topside.” Vander crooned, watching that flush spread to Jayce’s cheeks and nose. It was a mix of truth and a bit of embellishment. When you were as big as Vander, everyone was small. Vander also knew that taking someone as strong and world-weary as Jayce and telling them they were just the prettiest little thing was more intoxicating for them than any drug circulating through The Lanes. It was the fastest way to turn him into a soft little puddle of content sub between his legs. 

Sure enough, Jayce’s breathing slowed, a little starry-eyed as he let himself be coddled.

“Now then; do you need some water? Is there anything that hurts?”

Jayce took a slow inventory of himself. His brain felt raw, and his back was sore from being curled up in Vander’s lap for the unknown amount of time he let himself be cradled, but nothing some pain killer and stretching couldn’t fix. 

“Water, please. And- just a headache.” Jayce replied softly. Viktor came back with a glass of water, a few small pills cradled in his palm. When Jayce unfurled his hand to take them, Viktor held them back for a moment until Jayce looked up at his scowling face.

“You do not do that again, do you understand? I almost had a heart attack seeing you like that!” Viktor’s upset made his accent thicker, and beyond his stony expression Jayce could see the white-knuckle grip he had on the handle of his can. 

“I’m sorry-”

“I don’t want sorry, I want you to trust me. I don’t care that you are a submissive,you’re my partner!-” Viktor scolded, until Vander looked at him sternly.

“-I agree that he needs some… discipline for this. But that can come after we all just take a moment and breathe.” Vander intoned, his voice soothing Jayce’s anxiety and smoothing over Viktor’s frayed nerves despite his designation. 

It was quiet for a while, as Jayce drank the water and took the painkillers Viktor had grabbed.

“How many of those pills did you take?”

“Just my normal dose.” 

“After going without for months?”

“Yessir.” Jayce let the honorific slip out, smoothing his thumb over the glass in his palm, still in Vander’s lap. His stomach burned with hot embarrassment, he couldn't look at Viktor. He knows he said it was okay but still-

Vander’s hand came to curl around the nape of his neck, warm and heavy and grounding. 

“Did you know that it would knock you out like that?”

“No, sir, I didn’t! I-I didn’t know that could even happen, I’ve never-” Jayce rambled until Vander shushed him quietly, petting his thumb behind his ear and over the short cut of his hair. 

“Well, I’m sorry that was a rather nasty shock. And one you won’t be repeating, at that.” 

Jayce couldn’t shake his head fast enough. “No sir.” 

“Good lad. Next time you need to go down, you go to-” ‘Me’ “-someone you trust.” Vander insisted. They sat in silence as Jayce nodded and sipped at his water. Viktor sighed and leaned forward slightly.

“I’m… sorry, if I’ve ever made you feel as though you had to hide this information from me.” The words were stilted as they came out. His spindly hand came up to rub at his thigh where the brace ended, smoothing over where the leather met his skin in a nervous tic of his. 

“No, V, don’t- it’s okay, it was just my own stuff in my head. Old habits from the Academy days.” Jayce refused to let Viktor shoulder his own insecurities and fears. He finally untangled himself from Vander’s hold and stood up, feeling his heavy body come back to life. 

“If you need time to go to Vander for this, please tell me. It is not worth your long term health.” Viktor insisted.

“I will, I will- if, um, if Vander will have me?” Jayce threw him a look like a dog hoping for a treat- Vander didn’t stand a chance.

“Of course I will- it’s too late now, you know where I live.” Vander joked, relieved at seeing a shy smile return to his features.

“Yeah yeah, right. Like you wouldn’t miss me.” Jayce volleyed, moving towards his kitchen. “You’re already all the way up here- can I make you both something before you head home?”

“Jayce, you just got out of subdrop-” Vander tired, but stopped at a wave of Viktor’s hand. 

“He gets it from his mother- it’s framed as a question, but he will not let you leave with an empty belly. Trust me on this.” Viktor’s mouth was curled into a fond smile, tucking his cane against his foot and standing up to move to the kitchen table. 

“Ahhh, that’s how it is then. I guess I have no choice but to say yes.” Vander settled into the chair next to Viktor, watching Jayce pull ingredients out and muttering to himself. He could see the fondness written all over Viktor’s face- that helpless attraction that not even Viktor was aware of. He was young, and knew Jayce in a way Vander couldn’t. 

He would only take as much of Jayce as he was allowed- whether that be a few months or a few weeks. It was bittersweet to think about as Jayce cooked for the three of them, joking and effortlessly charming the two men. He wondered how long it would take for him to realize just how loved he was by them, in their own ways.