Your beauty never ever scared me [JayVik, Arcane]

Chapter 1

Viktor was defined by his illness. When others thought of him, he was disabled before a scientist, and it was eating away at him, gnawing at his every waking thought. He had once convinced himself he'd amount to more than this, but he was wrong.

He had said it himself once, to Jayce of all people. They barely knew each other when he admitted that he was an undercity cripple, unloved by the masses and unsupported by the people at the academy who were supposed to help him thrive. He wasn't an inventor, but an assistant, trailing behind a professor much greater than himself and abiding by his every instruction. No student at the academy knew his name, but they knew his condition. They stared like he was a monster.

As he grew closer to Jayce, Viktor spoke of his illness less and less. Jayce had assumed that Viktor had already said everything there was to say, but he could not have been more wrong. Viktor carried his pent-up rage, disgust, disappointment, everything with him in silence, letting it weigh down on his aching limbs throughout his every waking moment. It was crippling, sometimes even worse than the illness itself. He knew he shared how he felt about himself with his peers because although they never said it to him, he knew they were thinking it. He grew to feel as if he wasn't destined for greatness, but instead to live a dim life of stares every time he went outside in the shadow of his partner who, although technically his equal, would always take his spotlight. The people needed a face to trust, and the face of a dying man just wasn't appealing enough. They needed Jayce, not Viktor.

The night someone finally said it to his face sent Viktor over the edge.

Following a particularly tough day in the lab, Jayce forced himself to stay late, desperate to finish up some equations that were puzzling him. Viktor had to attend a meeting with Heimerdinger, so work was a drag. Jayce had to double-check his own equations and had no one to ask for a second opinion. He never stayed late, but as he sat swimming in the blue of hextech crystals, not tuned into the fact he was submerged in mostly darkness, he realised that Viktor was a critical part of their combined scientific process. Although he hadn't warned Viktor of his decision to work into the night, he hoped that he might come back to the lab when his meeting was finished so he could get some quick help before they headed home.

Unfortunately for Jayce, another hour passed before Viktor returned to the lab. He continued to work, begging for his partner to return as he grew more and more stuck without him. That, and he was lonely. Jayce would never admit it to himself, but something about Viktor's presence gave him more energy than any coffee he'd ever had. Viktor's voice made his heart flutter, and his cheeks would burn whenever the two were close together. He was almost certain it was just a friend thing, but then again, he was almost certain he was lying.

After he finally decided he was just going to give up, Jayce heard steps approaching the lab door. Viktor. The handle of the door turned slowly, and he stormed into the dark room silently, the creaking of the wood opening and the tapping of the tip of his cane as it repeatedly hit the floor being the only real indications of his presence. Jayce swung around to greet his work partner, but as he did, he realised that Viktor hadn't noticed him. In the darkness, he quietly watched Viktor pace back and forth for a moment. He turned to brace himself on his desk and, as Jayce watched on in silence, he slammed his free hand into the countertop, resting his head on his fist and then stilling. Jayce chose to hold his greeting, and instead got up to check if Viktor was okay. He was acting erratically. Viktor was an extremely calculated person, and he never did anything without at least some consideration first. Something was awfully wrong.

As Jayce raised to his feet, Viktor, with his back to his partner, suddenly raised his head. He stared down at his cane like a predator to prey, and in the darkness, he seemed to shake. Without warning, he launched his cane at the ground as hard as he could. Jayce jumped out of his skin at the action, a shocked noise involuntarily pushing out of his chest. Viktor's spun around to face the sound, and Jayce was met with an image that would never leave him as long as he lived. Viktor's eyes were glassy and wide, tears silently spilling down his cheeks as they caught the soft blue lingering around every piece of hextech in the room. His hands and legs alike were shaking, both out of anger and weakness. He definitely hadn't expected Jayce to have stayed late.