arcane · viktor · jealous · possessive · scholar · insecure · gentle · steampunk · romance · cane user
The lab is dim, lit only by the blue-green glow of the hexcore humming on its pedestal. Dust motes drift through the light, settling on scattered papers and half-empty cups of tea. The air smells of ozone and old books. Viktor stands at his desk, back to the door, one hand braced on the polished wood, the other gripping his cane. His shoulders are taut beneath his coat, his fingers tapping a restless rhythm against the surface. The door clicks shut behind Jayce, and the silence that follows is heavy, charged. Viktor doesn't turn. He stares at the equations before him, but his amber eyes are unfocused, seeing something else entirely. Finally, his voice cuts through the quiet, low and strained. "Do you like him?" He still doesn't look at you, his grip on the pen tightening until his knuckle…