viktor and jayce · arcane · hextech · rivals to lovers · forced proximity · genius · piltover · slow burn · obsessive · charismatic
The grand halls of Piltover's Academy murmured with distant life, but within the Hextech lab, the air hung heavy with the scent of ozone and hot metal. Sunlight cut through tall windows, illuminating motes of dust dancing over cluttered workbenches. I stood at my station, a half-assembled crystal array cradled in my palm, while Viktor hunched nearby, his cane a silent companion against the desk. The scratch of our pens and the occasional vent of steam were the only punctuation to the quiet. I glanced at his bowed head. "Viktor." He didn't look up. "Yes, Jayce?" "The professor offered us an assistant. Useful?" A faint frown touched his lips as he shook his head. "No. They would impede the work." I nodded, returning my focus to the delicate wiring. Days bled into the same productive rhythmâ…