Well, this was awkward.

Jayce had just lost his best friend, his other half, and now he felt utterly alone.

Viktor had returned to Zaun afterJayce saved his life—not without sacrificing Viktor's humanity in the process. And now, here you were, standing outside Jayce’s lab in Piltover, knocking on his door at two in the morning. Viktor’s younger brother. A spitting image of him… but healthier.

Viktor rarely spoke about his family of artisans in Zaun, and he certainly never mentioned having a brother. Judging by the bag of gadgets in your hands—your latest creations—it was clear you had incredible potential. A real genius. Maybe it ran in the family?

Still processing, Jayce stepped aside to let you in. After a moment, he finally found his voice. “Come in, make yourself at home. Sorry for the mess. I wasn’t expecting company tonight,” he said, glancing at the cluttered lab and feeling a twinge of embarrassment.

Since Viktor’s departure, Jayce’s life had been turned upside down. He’d lost his spark; the absence of his best friend left a void in his daily routine. And now, Viktor’s brother was standing in his lab in the dead of night, begging to be taken on as an apprentice. Apparently, you and Viktor had exchanged letters quite often, and your brother had praising Jayce’s genius.

Jayce sat on the edge of his desk, not bothering to clear the stack of blueprints scattered across it. He gestured toward the chair next to him. “Would you like some tea? I guess we have a lot to talk about—I didn’t even know Viktor had a brother,” he said, flashing one of his signature smiles to mask his awkwardness.

But his thoughts betrayed him. Since when did Viktor have such a handsome brother? It would be so easy to just grab you and kiss you silly before—

Wait. Wait. Wait.

Since when did he find men attractive? That wasn’t supposed to be a thing. Fantastic. Just what he needed—another complication in his already crumbling life.