Chapter Text
An airship floats steadily in the sky; a tiny young girl wearing a short, light blue, long-sleeved summer dress and flat green shoes hops against the protective railing.
"There it is!" She shouted, her small, pale skin finger pointing at the view of the city appearing before them.
The girl's smiling face stayed as her dark brown hair blew in the wind. Honey-gold eyes glued to their destination, her face full of amazement.
A gentle hand had her sit back down. "Don't lean against the railing, Nina." The person is white-skinned with a scrawny build and short, light brown long wavy hair tie in side ponytail.
Nina glances up, meeting the person's soft amber eyes. "Sorry, Papa, but I'm so excited!"
A chuckle escaped his lips as he adjusted Nina in his lap.
The man wore a light yellow floral-embroidered short-sleeve collared shirt, brown cotton pants, and black leather lace-up boots.
"We understand," a tall, muscular man with tan skin and honey like eyes says, smiling at Nina. He has short dark brown hair with shaved sides and stubble beard. "However, safety matters more."
The muscular man wore a dark blue dress shirt that was rolled up to his elbows, brown waist overalls, and mountain boots.
A young boy sat in between the two adults. "Same here." He smiled; the boy is similar traces to the tall man, only he has a mole under his amber eye and his hair is short.
He wore a white button-up shirt, a loose brown vest, grey shorts, and black lace boots.
"Let them be, Jayce," the scrawny man chuckled. "Their alway like this whenever we come to Piltover and Zaun."
The man, Jayce, spoke. "I know Viktor." He ruffled the boy's hair. "At least promise not to run off, Max. This goes for you, sister, too." He turned to Nina, to which she grinned innocently.
Viktor shook his head slightly; he quietly inhaled the fresh breeze.
Looking at the sea, Viktor remembered how frantic they were, rushing to get their things packed and ready before the airship departed.
Jayce's overwhelming state had Viktor giggling to himself. He was brought back upon hearing the announcement of their arrival at the Zaun dock.
Setting Nina down, Viktor helped Jayce with their luggage while their two children ran towards the docks, where a group of people were awaiting them.
"Aunt Vi! Aunt Powder!" They both yelled as they jumped off the ship before the crew even lowered the ramp.
"Hey kiddos!" Vi smiled. The two sisters immediately caught them, embracing the small children.
Two men appeared behind Vi and Powder.
Max released himself from Vi's embrace, running to them.
"Silco! Vander!"
Vander picked up Nina, setting her on his shoulders. Max, on the other hand, ran towards Silco, who happily lifted him in his arms.
"Just look at you both!" Vander chuckled. "Nice to see you guys haven't forgotten us."
Viktor and Jayce walked down the ramp and quickly made their way toward the group.
Silco glances at them. "Took you long to join us."
"Sorry about that," Jayce said, setting down their heavy luggage. "But when you have two enthusiastic children, it's difficult to keep up."
Vander and Silco set the siblings down. "It's understandable; I mean, we basically raised a whole group of wild animals."
Silco smacks Vander across the head. "You mean children, Vander."
He turned back to Jayce and Viktor. "We're glad to see you all again."
“Oh, come now, enough with the formal crap!” Powder exclaimed, then grinning, she yelled, “Family group hug!”
Viktor stiffened slightly as they were embraced by his family. Max and Nina laughed quietly behind their hands as they watched what was happening.
Max took Nina's hand and gestured toward the town. Understanding his cue, they quietly slipped away from their family's view.
Finally, Jayce and Viktor were let go.
“So, Vik, did you miss me?" Powder asked as she ruffled Viktor's hair. “Be honest now.”
Viktor smiled down at her. “You have no idea how much I appreciate you, Powder. I was depressed for months.”
Vi lightly punched his arm. "As if," she snorted with a silly smile on her face.
Jayce smiled. He's glad nothing has changed at all.
"By the way, rocking that smooth face, Jayce. It screams 'Hairless cat'." Powder remarked.
"Very funny Pow," Jayce responded casually. "Can say the same for your hair."
Viktor grinned.
Powder gasped dramatically. "Such betrayal!"
Vi and the rest laughed while Viktor gave Powder a small smile.
"Are you ever going to get tired of making fun of me all the time?" Jayce asked Powder.
“Hmm? Nope!” Powder replied with a chortle just as everybody else laughed.
Jayce shook his head.
"Um...Jayce?" Viktor called to him.
Jayce and the others turned to Viktor. "Yeah, Vik?"
He looked around. "Where are Max and Nina?"
Everyone scanned their surroundings.
"Oh fuck..."
Max walked hand in hand around Zaun with Nina, who, as usual, was excited by everything in sight, dragging him from place to place.
Both stop at the sound of cheerful music. Running over, he saw a man with a colorful outfit juggling different-sized balls in his hands.
Max and Nina join the crowd of children watching. Their eyes are glued on him as he performs many tricks; for his last act, he pulls out a daisy from thin air and gives it to Nina.
He bowed deeply, his thin mustache twitching, and smiled at the children.
Max and Nina continued their small adventure.
A couple not far away noticed them. "Do those children look familiar?" The female asked her husband.
The man fixed his glasses. "Oh, it's the Talis siblings! Must mean their fathers aren't far."
"Talis's siblings?" She gave him a confused stare.
"Oh, I guess you don't know," he replied. "They are Jayce Talis's children, a Piltover citizen; he once lived there before he moved."
"Was there a reason?" She pokes now, interested.
"From what I heard, Talis left Piltover when he was a teenager to pursue his study of creating magic," he said, looking at the children eyeing the candy shop window. "Luckily, he left before the tragic incident at the Piltover Academy."
The woman's eyes sadden. "I remember that poor Zaun boy. He was so young, but honestly, who leaves their invitations out in the open and unsupervised?
The man nodded. "Yes, worse—a huge wake-up call for both Piltover and Zaun."
Their conversation mumbles in the background.
Max's and Nina's eyes sparkled with excitement as they stare at the crowded bridge connecting Piltover and Zaun.
"Look around, Nina," Max said at the market buzzing with life. "How lucky we are to be here right now."
Nina looked up and noticed the Piltover Academy. "Look, that's where Daddy and Papa are going!"
Max nods. "Soon history will happen in both Piltover and Zaun." He squeezed his sister's hand. "In the greatest cities in the world."
"That it is."
The two children froze in place, slowly turning their heads.
Towering over them are their parents, visibly upset. Viktor was tapping on his cane, and Jayce had his arms crossed in a disappointed manner.
Without saying a word, Jayce scooped both children up under his arms and began carrying them back to Zaun.
Viktor right behind him. "Your father was clear about you two running off."
"But Papa!" Nina began wiggling. "We just wanted to see Piltover."
"And you will." Jayce locked Nina close. "Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow!?" Max shouted, his face scrunched in frustration. "Why can't we go today?"
"Because, mladý muž," Viktor glared at his son. "We need to settle in for the day, and you disobey your father's warning. So we'll go tomorrow; I don't want to hear any more complaints or whining from either of you."
Max and Nina gave each other a defiant gaze.
Jayce smirked; Viktor always had the final word in the family. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Viktor’s forehead, prompting a mockingly disgusted "ick" from their children.
Viktor laughed as he wrapped a hand around Jayce's arm.
Viktor genuinely loves this man, and together, they are determined to bring their Hextech dream to life.
As long as they have each other, nothing will ever come between them.