#clumsy jayce and clumsy reader.. save me...

[kruegerspillow]

"Fuck!" Your voice rang through the room, still groggy from the sleep.

Jayce's eyes fluttered open at your sudden exclamation, heart pounding in his chest before he sat up. His eyes met your bent figure, hands grasping on your calf.

"Sweetheart? What happened?" He spoke with concern.

You didn't answer him, too busy letting out a string of pained curses. Panic rose inside of his chest, tugging at his strained heartstrings. The sheets rustled beneath him as he dragged his body out of the comfort of the bed.

"I've got cramps—" Your sentence was quickly cut off by a loud thud.

The floor quaked slightly beneath you, causing your head to perk up. Now, it is your turn to panic. You gazed at Jayce from over your shoulder. His body laid on the ground, cheek pressed against the floor while a blanket was around his leg.

"God..." Jayce murmured underneath his breath.

You quickly let go of your calf and made your way towards him, the cramps no longer your worry.

"What—Jayce?" You whispered softly, voice filled with amusement and unease.

Suddenly, you laughed, a hearty sound that Jayce had always been fond of. A small smile tugged into the corner of his lips as he lifted himself off of the floor with a groan. Your hands made their way to his shoulder, leaning against him.

"And I thought I was the clumsy one," you quipped.

Jayce scoffed, rubbing his face with his hands out of exhaustion. His hair was disheveled, and so was his shirt. But he'd never looked so damn beautiful. Your eyes shifted away from him and onto the blanket that was (somehow) around his ankle. Ah, he probably didn't see the blanket and tripped on it.

"Okay, seriously, are you okay?" You asked him, your tone lowering into a softer one.

"I hate you." He murmured jokingly before lifting you up.

A small gasp escaped your lips as he let himself fall back onto the bed, causing you to land on his figure. His head found its way to the crook of your neck, nuzzling right against your pulse before placing small kisses on your sensitive skin.

"Jayce!" You wheezed in between kisses, resulting in a chuckle from him.

"I lied. I love you too much to even think about hating you."

kruegerspillow © 2025 ➵ do not feed my work into ai, repost or translate my work to post it around. Reblogs are much appreciated ୨ৎ

[quartz-kilsviken]

Written in the Runes

Chapter 2

➸ Synopsis: Ekko, your mischievous yet endearing local troublemaker, trails a wealthy academy student from the topside. When you end up with the student’s satchel, you find a notebook filled with intriguing magical research. Unable to resist, you embark on a quest to uncover the secrets of this mysterious scholar.

➸ Pairing: Jayvik x reader

➸ Chapter Word count: 2,591

➸ Tags: slow burn, yearning, eventual smut, non canon compliant

➸ Notes: What a bunch of nerds committing crimes. First meeting, and omg, Jayce touched your shoulder—how scandalous! Hope y’all enjoy! Please leave comments or message me, I’m lonely.

➸ Next Chapter Link- pt. 3

➸ Previous Chapter Link- pt. 1

You flip mid-air to soften your landing, hitting the floor of the destroyed room with a quiet thump. You freeze, ears straining for any sound that might betray the presence of the two men. The silence is oppressive, stark difference from the lively streets in the Undercity. It's hard to make out much in the dim room, but it seems mostly empty—save for scattered furniture and the odd pieces of stationery half-buried beneath rubble. If you had to guess, the crystals were responsible for the gaping hole in the building. The notes mentioned they emit a soft blue glow—an irresistible prize for a group of kids looking for something valuable, blissfully unaware of how unstable they are.

You step closer to the chalkboard. The messy scrawl you recognize from your late-night reading, but the neat, precise script catches your attention. Whatever they’re doing here, it’s clear they’ve only just begun. Most of the information echoes the well-established theories, but the neat writing introduces something new—new ideas, new angles. A few equations have been revised, a diagram of a stabilization machine has been subtly altered, its erased lines barely visible beneath the new ones. But the runes… the runes remain untouched. The focus here isn’t on how to wield the energy; it’s on how to harness it.

A loud crack—broken ceramic—jerks your attention away from the board. Panic floods through you as you whirl around. The men are back.

“Who the hell are you?” The larger man’s voice shakes with the same panic you feel, his chest rising and falling with quick, uneven breaths. You recognize him from the photo, though he’s taller than you expected. Your gaze flickers to the man beside him. His lean frame has stiffened, his hand tight around what looks like a coffee pot.

“I’m, uh, a fan of your work?” You wince internally at your own words. The response feels clumsy, awkward, and you can see it in their faces—your answer doesn’t help. It only seems to confuse them more.

As your eyes adjust, the man with the cane comes into clearer focus. There’s something magnetic about him. His gaze is sharp, intent—not cold, but calculating. It’s the kind of look you get when someone is sizing you up, not just as a person, but as a puzzle to be solved. You can’t help but wonder what he's seeing in you, how he's piecing together this strange encounter. His features are striking—high cheekbones, a jawline that suggests quiet strength—but it’s his amber eyes that truly draw you in. They shimmer in the dim light, molten gold, flickering with an intensity that makes you feel like he’s peeling you apart piece by piece, analyzing you, trying to figure out what makes you tick.

Then your gaze shifts to the man beside him—Jayce, you assume. You notice the tension in his posture, his eyes wide with uncertainty. He’s clearly unsettled by your presence, a stranger in his space. You can feel it in the way he holds himself—on edge, defensive—but there’s something more beneath it. A warmth, a flicker of sincerity that contrasts with the nervous energy surrounding him. His features are still, but his eyes betray something else—curiosity. He’s studying you, trying to read you, but it’s clear he’s unsure how to interpret what he sees.

“Are you here to rob me?” Jayce’s voice cuts through the silence again, strained as though he's forcing himself to address you.

You take your time scanning the room, then meet his gaze again. “Well, if I am, I suppose I’m a bit late to the party.”

A soft chuckle escapes the man beside him, quickly muffled by a sharp cough. Less rattled than his companion, he finally speaks up. “Then what are you doing here? Surely, you're aware this building is part of an active investigation?”

His accent catches you off guard—his words crisp, each consonant distinct and deliberate. You’ve heard it in certain areas of the Undercity, you realize. Rather than responding verbally, you decide it’s simpler to show them. As you reach for the satchel at your side, you notice both men stiffen. You exhale quietly and pull out the notebook. “Relax, it’s a book, not a weapon.”

Jayce’s eyes flicker with recognition as he takes in the notebook, his brows knitting together as you hold it out to him. He snatches it from your hand, stepping back to assume his previous position a few paces away. “Where did you get this?” His tone is sharp, likely because he already knows the answer.

“Would you believe me if I said I just found it?” You sidestep the question, avoiding Ekko’s involvement. Jayce narrows his eyes, clearly unconvinced. The other man takes the notebook from Jayce and begins leafing through it.

“I’d believe you, if you’d admit you found it on my doorstep.” His gaze shifts to the bulge under your cloak. “Is that my bag?” His whisper is tight with anger.

“Jayce.” The other man’s voice is a quiet intervention, holding the notebook up for Jayce to examine. As Jayce takes the book from his hands, he begins reading, his eyes scanning the pages with near frantic intensity. Amber eyes meet yours, his brows furrowed in frustration. “I’ll ask you one more time: Why are you here?”

You pause for a moment before placing the satchel down carefully and turn to face the chalkboard. “This research… it’s revolutionary. I thought it would be a crime not to return it.” You hesitate, searching for the right words. “I also had a few thoughts about it.”

Jayce steps closer, his eyes still on the notebook. “A few thoughts? You’ve practically rewritten my entire research with your notes.”

You glance at the other man, who’s now leaning in to examine the notebook too. “You seem to know a lot about this.”

You shift slightly, voice a little rushed. “I wouldn’t say that. I’ve always been interested in this sort of thing, but I’m no expert.”

Their close proximity is starting to make you uneasy, so you step back to the satchel. Digging through it, you pull out the grimoire, a pencil, and a crumpled grocery list. Sitting on the floor, you smooth out the paper, flip it to the blank side, and begin to draw. You can feel their eyes on you, but you focus on the task at hand.

“This book is useful,” you say, gesturing to the grimoire, “but it’s not exactly a manual. Runes might look like a language, but they’re closer to a song.” A small smile tugs at your lips as you repeat your mother’s words. “Each rune is like a note. Combining them creates a melody—different tunes each time.”

You hand the rough diagram to the two men who now loom over you.

Jayce speaks first. “This one—it’s the rune for transportation.”

You get to your feet and point at the diagram. “Yes, but look here—” Their focus sharpens, giving you more confidence. “You’re using just one combination, but magic doesn’t work like that. It’s unpredictable. It shifts based on its surroundings.”

You see the moment realization dawns on both of them. The smaller man turns and walks back to the chalkboard, the soft tap of his cane echoing in the quiet room. Jayce watches as he revises the work.

“We need to adjust it,” he murmurs, “to make it adaptable.”

You take advantage of their distraction to survey the room. The objects Ekko sold him are gone—perhaps in another room, but something about the pieces scattered across the space makes it feel like they belong here. The work on the board looks frantic, almost as if time is slipping away from them. Then it hits you: magic has been banned in Piltover for centuries. There’s no way the explosion didn’t reveal his research… they shouldn’t be here.

“They won’t let you continue, will they?” you murmur, before you can stop yourself.

This catches their attention. You spot a flicker of something—grief? Regret?—in Jayce’s eyes. The other man notices it too, and breaks the silence.

“This work is, as you said, revolutionary. The council thinks it’s too dangerous. But just as you risked showing up here tonight, we’re willing to risk showing them they’re wrong.” The room hums now, almost like it’s alive. Something is drawing you in, pulling you toward whatever comes next. Jayce steps forward, the chalk in his hand almost glowing under the dim light.

“So, what do you say?” His voice drops, almost a dare. “Want to take one more risk tonight?” You accept the chalk, fingers brushing his, anxiety crawling up your spine.

“I stole from you,” you state, matter-of-factly, watching them both closely.

“I know,” he says, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “And we’re breaking and entering to keep illegal research going. We’re practically a criminal enterprise at this point.”

You tilt your head, eyes narrowing. “How do I know you’re not dangerous?”

The man behind Jayce laughs, low and dark. “Ah, that’s the fun of it, isn’t it? You won’t. You find that out as you go.” His smile is sly, tilting up at one corner.

You give him a wry smile back, the air between you thick with uncertainty.

“Mind telling me your names at least?” you ask, a teasing glint in your eye.

A few hours slip by unnoticed as the three of you work together, the intensity of the task drawing you closer in unexpected ways. What started as tentative collaboration has evolved into something more—a shared sense of purpose and excitement. The room, once cold and quiet, is now alive with the energy of discovery.

The three of you are practically vibrating from all the coffee you’ve consumed. Jayce is sitting in a chair while you’re on the ground beside him, trying to keep your energy from spilling over. “This whole time, I thought I needed to dampen the oscillations.”

Your gaze follows Viktor as he drags chalk across the board, carefully revising the final piece of the stabilizer before speaking. Your understanding of engineering and mathematics barely scratches the surface compared to theirs, but they’ve quickly realized that and patiently explain as they work through the last details.

“The crystals will only stabilize at high frequencies. You have to—”

“Crank it!” Jayce blurts out, his sudden interruption startling both you and Viktor. Viktor’s face lights up, his expression shifting as the idea clicks.

“Yes!” he exclaims, the excitement rushing in. “Yes, you have to... crank it!”

“It works!” you shout before you can stop yourself, your heart lifting as you look up to see Jayce’s grin, a mirror of your own exhilaration.

But the high doesn’t last long. As you both turn back to Viktor, his face is clouded with doubt. “On paper...” he murmurs.

The energy in the room shifts, and the weight of uncertainty settles over you like a cold fog. You rise, giving Jayce a quick pat on the shoulder before stepping closer to the board, the familiar sense of dread creeping in.

“We could test it, if we had access to my equipment,” Jayce suggests, his voice tinged with weariness as he rubs his face in frustration, clearly drained by more than just the lack of sleep.

You and Viktor stand together, your eyes scanning the research. It all seems so close, so achievable—yet still so far out of reach. Viktor mumbles, “Which is being destroyed tomorrow…”

Jayce leaps from his seat, his eyes wide with horror, mirroring your own disbelief. How could they destroy not just this research, but centuries of history? You know the treasures Benzo kept in that display—things too precious to lose—and you can only imagine what Jayce has gathered over the years. The thought churns in your stomach. The fear of magic, of knowledge being erased for safety’s sake.

Viktor interrupts your spiraling thoughts, turning to Jayce with an apologetic look, his voice soft and hesitant. “Oh, uh... y-yeah, I meant to tell you.”

“That research is everything! My—my whole life!” Jayce’s voice cracks, the weight of those words sinking deep into your chest. He looks ready to crumble. It’s strange, standing next to someone who’s lived a life so different from yours, yet you both share this one, burning connection to magic.

“Maybe if we show them the equations...” Jayce’s eyes are frantic, seeking a way out, a solution. Suddenly, the lock onto you. “You could speak to them about the runes. Show them what we’ve discovered.”

A cold chill runs through you at the suggestion. Speak to the council? The council. The very idea makes your stomach turn. You’d rather swim through the polluted river all the way back home than face them.

Before you can voice your refusal, Viktor speaks, his tone harder than before. “We need more than promises. We need proof.”

Jayce sinks back into his chair, his shoulders slumping in defeat. But your eyes don’t leave Viktor. He won’t meet your gaze, but you can see the familiar gleam in his eyes—the same gleam you’ve seen many times before in a certain white-haired troublemaker back home. That look always ended with you hiding him from the Enforcers.

Jayce runs a hand through his hair in frustration. “Not without the crystals. The Enforcers took them all. They’re gone.”

“Locked away in Heimerdinger’s lab.” Viktor pulls a set of keys from his pocket. You can feel the weight of them even from here, the sense of what he’s suggesting. You glance to the hole in the wall, wondering if you should just jump down escaping this madness. You’re not cut out for this.

“No. No. No. You heard the council. If we’re wrong—” Jayce’s voice trembles as he pleads, his fear palpable. His desperation is enough to make your chest tighten, but you can’t back out now.

Forcing yourself to speak, you cut in, your words coming out more resolute than you feel. “But what if you’re right?” The finality in your voice is sharp, and suddenly, there’s no room for debate.

Jayce glances between the two of you, his frantic expression softening, though the fear remains. “Why? Why would you risk this?”

Viktor’s voice drops low, filled with quiet determination. “Do you think it was my life’s ambition to be an assistant? Scientists live for discovery—for the chance to change the world. This Hextech dream of yours... it has the power to do that.” His words settle between you and Jayce like a spark, igniting something inside both of you. His conviction is contagious.

You flinch, feeling a warm hand on your shoulder, and realize Jayce is now standing between you and Viktor. His presence is comforting, grounding. You glance up, and for a fleeting moment, your heart skips a beat at the sight of his eyes—they shimmer with something you can’t quite place, even in the dim light of the room. You hope the shadows conceal the flush spreading across your face.

“Our Hextech dream.” The words echo in your mind, and suddenly, you know there’s no turning back. The three of you—strangers in so many ways—are bound together by something bigger than yourselves. Fear lingers, but excitement quickly replaces it.

You want to pull out your sketchbook, not just to capture the moment, but to preserve its beauty—its significance. It’s as if you can feel history unfolding around you, a moment that will change everything. This isn’t just a turning point for you; it’s something that will echo through time, shaping the world. And you’re here, right in the middle of it.

[minerviewrites]

Platonic Arcane hcs :]

Sfw fluff, a little bit of angst, and gn reader

Warnings: inappropriate jokes, slight angst, medicine, forgetting to eat mentioned, injections in Silco's part, smoke bombs

❀ —————————————— ❀

Jayce- This dude is so much fun to have around! He takes you to arcades, diners, book stores, anywhere you want; though he WILL wreak havoc anywhere you go. Jayce is pretty clumsy, so he'll accidentally knock over magazine racks and the sort. He's also the type of person to point out inappropriate things like the time being 4:20 or the price of something being $69... "Hey, do you think I could hit the top of that door? No? I'm gonna do it anyways" - proceeds to slip and completely miss the door

Viktor- You're the sibling he always wanted when he was younger! Viktor often gets lonely because he's different than those around him; his medical condition and birthplace of Zaun make it difficult for him to relate to Piltover people. Despite all that, he never has a rough time feeling at home with you. He'll check on you every day- either with a text, call, or a small chat... he knows what it's like to be alone and he never wants you to feel that way

Vi- Much alike Jayce, she's pretty big on making jokes and making you comfortable. She'll constantly be blowing up your phone with the most random texts ever; "I didn't know poop could burn so much- i think I'm dying" or "Cait called me ugly ;( Beat her up 4 me". If you live with her, she's the type to bust into your room unannounced just to show you a tiktok she could've sent on messenger... Also the type that plays music super loud when she cleans because it helps her focus more

Jinx- Sometimes it really hard for her to disconnect you from her previous siblings. She'll sometimes call you Violet only to realize her mistake minutes later; this'll put her in an extremely unstable mood where anything can happen. Jinx eventually gets over this once you're around for a while and she's more stable. She'll try to involve you in all the things she works on if it's safe; you'll probably learn how to make smoke bombs or how to braid hair like hers. Might lend you a couple of records that she really likes so you both can sing together and bother Silco

Caitlyn- She buys you so many stuffed animals it's insane... You could not even like them, but everytime a holiday comes up you bet you're getting some kind of bear or squishmallow. Cait is also the kind of sibling that buys you WAY too much candy, which you mostly get because she visits the bakery almost every day. She 100% hogs the bathroom for at least an hour each morning; 40 minutes in the shower and another 20-30 to do makeup and hair...

Ekko- You're part of a GIANT group of siblings because he considers all those in his movement a sibling; but you're still the most important out of all of them. He takes you to all his favorite places around Zaun when you're feeling frustrated or just need to get out for a bit. Ekko is a lot like Vi in that he'll bust into your room and be like "dude the survival builder guy posted another house building tour. ...wha'ya mean it's 2 am? We can't miss out on quality content ;(". Also a big one on hugs, you'll get on every morning without fail

Silco- He doesn't know what to think of you since his relationship with Vander went sour. He'll try his absolute best to make sure that you're always stable in Zaun and will buy you food so you can save money for things you enjoy. Silco doesn't often involve you with any of his work, especially with shimmer, so you won't see him very often during the day; but he'll make sure to leave warm food in the microwave and a note detailing when he'll be back. Also might need occasional assistance with his eye injections, though he'll get Jinx to help if you don't want to

Sevika- You get the BEST hand-me-down clothes from her. I'm talkin big sweaters, hoodies, t-shirts... and they're all in surprisingly good condition for all the battles she's gone through. Sevika is a rather good cook so you'll always have nice, homemade meals in the fridge so you don't go hungry. If you often forget to eat or take medicine, she'll text you every single morning to remind you to do it. She just has a built in alarm clock telling her to remind you

Vander- Playfights with you all the time! The fights always seem to result in a self defense lesson in some way though, so you'll probably be skilled in that area. He'll mostly leave you by yourself and tries not to influence your decisions too much; he knows that you can handle things on your own and that you have to learn from mistakes. That doesn't mean that he doesn't give you advice though, you're always welcomed and encouraged to talk with him about anything without judgment