Work Text:
Viktor awoke with a sharp inhale, the remnants of hazel eyes glowing with wonder clinging to the edges of his mind. The lamp flickered beside him, casting shadows around the room that seemed to engulf the man, a sign he had fallen asleep while going over notes once again. It seemed to be happening more these days. With Jayce quickly becoming Piltover’s man of progress, Viktor found himself alone in the workshop.
He dreams of the night this all came to a head. He could still feel the pulse of energy coursing through the air, the buzzing electricity that seemed to hum in his veins as Heimerdinger scolded them for floating through the air. And then there was Jayce—his face lit with that familiar, boyish wonder, the same gleam of determination in his eyes that had always drawn Viktor in. The dream distorted time, stretching it, bending it, turning a memory into something ethereal.
Viktor frowned, trying to push away the lingering sensation of the dream. It was strange, the way the past felt so close in his mind, almost as if he could reach out and touch it. The childish look in his eyes, the excitement they had shared, the thrill of breaking through the world of the arcane… It was all so much simpler then. Before the inevitable strain of progress had begun to show its cracks.
A sigh escaped his lips as he pushed himself out and away from his desk. The cane was beside him, waiting patiently. The weight of it feeling familiar and grounding. Then, he slowly rose to his feet, feeling the familiar ache in his joints. He paused for a moment, collecting himself, then limped toward the door of his study.
The hallways of their workshop were silent, save for the soft, rhythmic clinking of gears and mechanisms in the background. The walls were lined with tools, blueprints, and half-finished projects that Jayce and Viktor had once dreamed of perfecting together. Now, though, it was a place of quiet intensity, the air filled with a sense of determination and frustration. Even the lights above flickered in the usual manner, as if in sync with their ongoing efforts.
As Viktor made his way through the hall, the scent of metal and oil, the tang of soldering iron, and the faint hum of machines all intertwined. He could hear the sound of something being adjusted—a quiet click, a murmur of frustration. It was coming from Jayce's workshop. Curious, Viktor approached, his footsteps slow and deliberate. The door to the workshop was slightly ajar, and through the crack, he could see Jayce bent over a new invention—the Hexgate. The device was a work in progress, a portal meant to revolutionize trade by linking distant places through the power of Arcane energy. They had made progress, but it was far from perfect. Too many failed tests, too many setbacks.
Jayce was hunched over his notes, a small frown creasing his brow. He was scribbling furiously, flipping through pages of calculations and designs, his fingers moving faster than the mind could process. Viktor stepped closer, his cane clicking against the floor. Jayce didn't seem to notice him at first, too engrossed in his work. But then, as Viktor neared, Jayce glanced up, his face lighting up with that familiar warmth, despite the exhaustion in his eyes.
"Viktor," Jayce greeted him, his voice tinged with a mixture of relief and a hint of frustration. "You’re up early."
Viktor smiled faintly, the motion small but warm. "I could say the same about you. Haven’t you slept yet?"
Jayce shrugged, clearly not perturbed by the question. "There’s always something to work on, something to improve." He glanced at the Hexgate with a sigh. "But this damn thing isn’t cooperating."
Viktor limped closer, peering over Jayce's shoulder at the device. It was an impressive piece of machinery, though still unfinished. The Hexgate looked like a cluster of intricate metal rings, connected to one another with glowing lines of Arcane energy. It was supposed to be a bridge between worlds—a gateway between Piltover and the far reaches of Zaun. But, as usual, their ambitions outpaced their designs.
"Have you tried cranking it?" Viktor asked, his tone teasing, but also sincere. He leaned in slightly, observing the connection points. "I think that’s the issue. The energy’s not flowing smoothly through the conduits."
Jayce snorted, a short burst of laughter escaping him. "Crank it? You think that’s all it needs?"
Viktor smiled, despite the lingering shadows of his dream. He tapped a finger lightly on one of the conduits, the faint hum of the Hexgate’s pulse vibrating through the air. "The flow is irregular," he explained. "Just a small adjustment. A tweak here, and we should see the results."
Jayce glanced at Viktor, his expression conflicted. "I wish it were that simple." He rubbed his eyes, clearly frustrated. "We’ve been working on this for weeks, and every time I think we think we’re close, something goes wrong. The energy levels are unstable. If we don’t get it right soon, we might—"
"Fail?" Viktor finished for him, his voice calm and even. "We’ve failed before, Jayce. We’ll fail again. But we can’t let that stop us. We’ve come too far to give up now."
Jayce didn’t respond immediately, his eyes searching Viktor’s face. There was a hint of vulnerability in his gaze, something unspoken between them. Viktor knew that look, the one that Jayce reserved for moments when he was unsure of his own strength. It was a look that always tugged at Viktor’s heart, a reminder of their shared history, their struggles…their affection.
"I know," Jayce said quietly, finally breaking the silence. "But it’s frustrating. I thought we’d be further along by now. This device could change everything for Piltover and Zaun, but—" He paused, his fingers tapping on the table, a nervous habit. "But what if it fails? What if we don’t have the answers?"
Viktor’s gaze softened as he considered his friend. He’d known Jayce for years, seen him evolve from a brilliant but impulsive young scientist into the man who could see the potential for greatness even when others could not. But Jayce’s greatest strength—and his greatest weakness—was his unwavering belief that the impossible was just waiting to be conquered.
"You always think too much, Jayce," Viktor said with a smile, his voice warm with affection. "You see every failure as the end of the road, but we both know that’s not true. It’s just another step toward progress."
Jayce gave him a small, tired smile. "I suppose you’re right. I can’t keep looking for perfection. Not everything will work out immediately."
Viktor chuckled softly. "Not in this field. But if anyone can make the impossible happen, it’s us." His smile faded slightly as his thoughts wandered back to the dream. The look in Jayce’s eyes a year ago, that spark of wonder. "Remember when we first started working on this? Back before we even understood what we were dealing with? You looked at me like we could change the world."
Jayce’s expression softened as he glanced back at Viktor, the warmth in his eyes returning. "I still do. Every day." He paused, then smirked. "Even if we have to crank the damn thing into submission."
Viktor laughed, the sound surprisingly light for the weight of his thoughts. "Well, if cranking it is all it takes, then perhaps you should listen to me more often."
Jayce raised an eyebrow, but the humor in his voice was undeniable. "Maybe you’re right. But I’ll still take the credit when it works."
Viktor’s smile faded into something more thoughtful, a quiet sincerity overtaking his expression. He leaned slightly closer to Jayce, resting a hand lightly on the edge of the workbench. "You know," he began, his voice low and steady, "whatever happens with this, we do it together. As partners. This... this isn't just about HexTech. It's about us, and what we can build together."
Jayce met his gaze, the weight of Viktor's words settling between them. The silence stretched on, thick with the unspoken history they shared. The closeness, the years of friendship, the moments they had both held back from acknowledging. Everything was suspended in the space between them. Jayce swallowed, his throat tight, but his eyes never left Viktor's. "I know," he murmured. The words hung in the air, charged with something neither of them had dared to fully explore. The years of companionship, of shared triumphs and failures, had built up a tension between them—silent, unspoken, but ever-present. Viktor felt his heart beat faster in his chest, the weight of it settling in the pit of his stomach.
Jayce’s breath was shallow as he looked at Viktor, his eyes dark with something that was not just excitement for the Hexgate, but something deeper, something more. "Viktor…”
Without another word, without thinking, without knowing exactly why, Viktor closed the small distance between them, his hand reaching up to cup Jayce's cheek. The touch was tentative, as if testing the waters, but when Jayce didn’t pull away, Viktor leaned in, their lips brushing softly at first, as if they both needed to confirm that this was real.
But the kiss deepened, the years of suppressed feelings finally spilling over. Jayce’s hands found Viktor’s waist, pulling him closer, the kiss growing more desperate, more urgent. It was a kiss of release, of everything unsaid, of the way they had silently longed for each other without ever admitting it.
When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathless. Jayce’s eyes were wide, searching Viktor’s face for some kind of answer, some sign that this was okay. That they hadn’t just ruined everything.
Viktor’s heart was still pounding in his chest, but he held Jayce’s gaze with a quiet intensity. "Together," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
Jayce’s lips curled into a slow, relieved smile. "Yes," he said softly, "As partners."