Chapter Text
“It’s time to crank it!”
Viktor pulls his dark goggles down over his eyes and glances at Jayce to make sure he’s done the same. Viktor looks back at Sky, manning the device controls from behind glass a few yards away. He cracks his knuckles, and with a curt nod he indicates to her to power on the device. Within seconds the air is crackling dryly with a glowing blue energy.
Viktor focuses intently on the prototype before them. They’ve tested so many, created so many versions. Every failure leads to more knowledge, yes, but would it be so wrong to hope for a success? All his calculations indicate that this trial should yield the results they’re looking for. But then again, he’s thought that before and been disappointed. They won’t know for sure until they complete this experiment.
This time, things seem very promising. He watches closely as the energy levels increase, then increase again. Every second that ticks by without failure is another indicator that this is the one, that they’ve finally landed on the right combination of math, precision engineering, and sheer dumb luck that leads to all the greatest successes in their field.
Observing with the naked eye, it looks like it’s working. Please, let it be working…!
Time’s up. With a shudder, the machine powers down. The last few harmless sparks of free energy jump and twinkle along any available surface, seeking to ground themselves as Viktor pulls his goggles up to his forehead. “Incredible,” he murmurs. “Did you see how quickly the resonance field stabilized? It’s exactly what we were hoping for.” He looks over at Jayce, who is grinning down widely at the sensor readouts in his hands. Viktor is trying very hard to contain his excitement. “How do the numbers look, boss?”
“See for yourself,” says Jayce with a pleased smile, handing him the record of the experiment they just concluded. Viktor huffs in shock as he processes what he’s seeing. If these numbers are correct, then everything they’ve been working toward this year is suddenly within reach.
“Miss Young, how are the signatures?” Viktor calls.
“Clean as a whistle,” she replies, her eyes reading over her computer screen. “I’ve never seen them so consistent before.” She pauses, squinting as if to be sure of what she’s seeing, “I think you’ve done it!” Sky offers a pleased little round of applause, slightly muffled through the glass.
“Ha!” exclaims Jayce, “I knew it, I knew we had it this time! Viktor, this is incredible. YOU are incredible! This is...this is…”
Viktor covers his mouth to hide the grin that won’t stop growing. “I know.”
Jayce crowds next to Viktor and grasps him around the shoulders with one arm. “God, what would we do without you? This department would be sunk, I can tell you that. Come on, let’s get a better look at these results.” Viktor’s cheeks flush with a gratified pride. With a final gentle squeeze, Jayce releases Viktor’s shoulders and walks out of the enclosed testing area and back toward his office, practically walking on air.
Viktor follows him out and stops to confer with Sky, pulling off his thick protective gloves.
“Thank you so much for your efforts with this prototype, Miss Young. I would not have made it this far without your assistance.”
“Oh! Well, you’re welcome!” Sky stammers, adjusting her glasses, caught off guard by the sudden attention.
“I mean it,” says Viktor, “without your team’s reconfiguration of the entire tracing algorithm, we never would have been able to home in on resonance at this level.” Viktor runs a hand through his hair in disbelief. “And now, here we are.”
“Thanks to YOU,” insists Sky with a smile. “You made this possible. Don’t forget it. And don’t let the boss forget it, either, you deserve the credit! The world is going to know your name, Viktor.”
Viktor chuckles softly, absorbing her kind words, for once letting them settle lightly in his brain. For the world to see what he’s accomplished, a poor kid from the undercity, would mean a great deal; more than he’s willing to admit. He’d had to work extremely hard and pull a lot of strings to get where he is. The ladder from the deepest parts of Zaun to a good job at Piltover’s premier engineering company was not easy to climb, but he’d done it.
“Well. If you’re free to help again this afternoon, I’d love to run this same model again. I don’t really want to wait until tomorrow if there’s a chance we can learn something more today.”
Sky nods. “Of course, Viktor. Whatever you need.”
“Are you going to the company Holiday thing later this month? The gala?” Jayce asks, out of the blue. They have been sitting in his office for an hour or two, collating the relevant data from their extremely successful experiments that day. It’s slightly mind-numbing work after all the excitement earlier.
“No, I am too old for such parties.” Viktor barely looks up from the graph he is annotating.
“Too old? Viktor. You’re 27. You’re one of the youngest people on our team. If anyone is too old, it’s me.”
“Yes, but as you know, I have the body and mind of a seventy year old. So that makes you, at a mere 41, my junior, you spry, young thing.”
That gets a hearty laugh from Jayce. Jayce’s laugh is one of Viktor’s favorite sounds in the world.
“Remind me how long you’ve been working here at Hextech?” Jayce asks.
“Just over four years.”
“That’s what I thought. And in that time, how many corporate fundraising functions have you attended?”
“That would be none.”
Jayce laughs again and rubs a hand down his face, scratching lightly at his beard. “Ah, well, I don’t think I’m going either. Hextech galas are always glamorous; head office tends to go all out to impress investors. But I know they think everybody from research and development is a huge bore. They think the science squad doesn’t make a great first impression, but I can’t imagine why. We are delightful.” Viktor smiles and hums in wordless agreement.
Jayce clears his throat and adds a small afterthought as casually as possible. “Maybe sometime we could just have a little celebratory drink up here in the lab after work, instead.”
Viktor blinks.
Jayce clears his throat again.
“With, you know, everybody, of course. Sky and Ekko, and the interns and whoever else.”
Viktor blinks again and releases the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. For a moment it had sounded like…but no. “Ah, yes, of course. Yes, maybe, that might be–”
A sharp rap sounds on the open door of Jayce’s office and Ekko’s face pops into view.
“Hey, Viktor, your husband is downstairs–do you want me to buzz him up?”
Viktor’s mind catches up to this new train of thought as quickly as possible. “Oh, of course, yes, please. He can come up, I’ll get my things. I didn’t realize the time.” He pulls out his phone and sees the missed call. Oh. He’d been so wrapped up he hadn’t even noticed.
Viktor looks back to his boss and he can’t quite read the expression on his face.
“Dimitri is picking me up today, my car was in the shop this morning.” Viktor offers by way of explanation.
“Oh. Sure, of course.” Jayce seems to snap back to reality from wherever his thoughts had been. “I wish you had said something, I’d always be happy to give you a ride.” Jayce stands and helps Viktor to gather the various papers on the desk into a neat pile. “Your place isn’t far from mine, and it really wouldn’t be any trouble. Please just let me know, we can carpool.”
Viktor is touched by the gesture and says as much. “Oh, that’s very kind of you, but I couldn’t inconvenience you like that.”
Jayce rounds the desk in a few short steps and places his hand on Viktor’s shoulder. He looks directly into Viktor’s eyes when he says, “You could never be an inconvenience to me.”
Viktor’s stomach does an inexplicable little flip at that. He swallows hard.
“Viktor?”
Viktor startles slightly at the voice calling his name. Jayce quickly removes his hand from Viktor’s shoulder and takes a small step back.
“Ah, there you are! Keeping me waiting. I thought we agreed I’d pick you up at seven?”
Viktor turns toward his husband. “Yes, of course, I’m sorry Dimitri. We don’t usually run late, but there’s a good reason. I have to tell you all about it–you know the resonance stabilizer we’ve been working on for over a year? Well,” Viktor bites his bottom lip to hold in a grin, “today, we finally–”
“That’s great, babe!” Dimitri says dismissively, as he pulls his phone out of his pocket to check the time.
Viktor tries again. “You didn’t even let me–”
“No, I know, yeah, I know it’s a big deal and everything. I’m just ready to go. So. Can we go?”
Viktor narrows his eyes, then his shoulder slump noticeably as the wind is taken out of his sails.
Jayce clears his throat and tries to speak up.
“Actually, it’s more than a big deal. It’s a HUGE deal. And Viktor here has been instrumental in this breakthrough. His work is the key. This could change everything. We are on the verge of making all our Hextech dreams possible, and Viktor–”
Dimitri interrupts, once again. “Cool, that’s awesome. No, yeah, that’s really great. Don’t worry, you don’t have to go into details, you know all that nerd stuff goes in one ear and out the other.”
Jayce tries and fails to laugh at this spectacularly unfunny attempt at a joke.
Dimitri looks to Viktor with barely restrained impatience and says “Are you ready? Do you have everything?” He glances Jayce’s way and offers a brief handshake and a “Good to see you again, man. Take care,” as he shuffles Viktor toward the exit with one hand on his back. Jayce hears Dimitri begin a litany of complaints, including how long it takes to get to this building during traffic, and how hard it is to find parking around here. Viktor looks back and offers Jayce a last small smile and a little wave before the door closes behind them.
Jayce stares at the closed door and offers a very belated “yeah, you too…” and after another second, mutters under his breath, “...dickhead.”
“What was that you said?”
Jayce jumps a little and turns back around to find Ekko smirking at him from across the hall. Jayce huffs out a laugh. “Nothing.”
“Mmhmm. ‘Nothing’ is exactly what I thought I heard.” Ekko is stacking all his own hard copy reports and getting ready to put them in Jayce’s office. “Do you want these in here?”
Jayce waves a hand dismissively and says “Sure, yeah, on my desk is fine. You heading out too?”
Ekko shrugs on his coat and confirms. “Yeah, I have plans with Powder and her family tonight, I better get going. But really, incredible work today. I can’t believe you guys cracked it. I cannot wait to get my hands on the raw data and start planning the next prototype!”
“Yes, I know! It hasn’t even sunk in yet, honestly. There’s so much work to do–more testing, more data, more planning. I should be worried, but I’m not. We have an incredible team, and what we are doing is going to change the world.”
Ekko offers a huge grin and holds up his hand for a high five as he walks past Jayce to the exit. “Never ask permission, right bossman?”
Jayce smacks his hand and laughs as he agrees. “Right. Have a great night, Ekko.”
“Thanks, I will!” Ekko pauses only for a second with the door half open. “Oh, you’re correct, by the way.” Jayce furrows his brow in confusion. “...Dimitri IS a massive dickhead.”
Jayce snorts out a laugh and waves Ekko off. “Goodnight!”
A few days later, Viktor comes home after work, exhausted but happy. The work is going so well, everybody is so excited about the progress they’re making and what it means. Viktor’s work has brought a lot of positive attention to their department, and he’s been rushed off his feet this week. Big changes are in the works.
Viktor drops his keys and bag at the door and steps into the house. He notices a bouquet of flowers on the kitchen counter and furrows his brow in confusion. That’s unusual, to say the least, and there must be a reason behind it.
Dimitri slinks into the room and says “Hey, baby! I thought that was you.”
Viktor indicates the flowers. “What are these for?”
“Oh, they’re for you!”
“For me?” Viktor asks suspiciously.
“Yes. I know you don’t think I’ve noticed, but I’ve seen how you’ve been moping around at home the past few days. I know you’re mad at me.”
“What? Dimitri, I’m not mad at you.” Viktor insists.
“Oh, so I’m just imagining how overly sensitive you’ve been ever since I didn’t jump for joy over your work project the other day?” Dimitri looks at him like a teacher who has caught a student in a petty lie.
“My ‘work project?’ You mean my breakthrough that will enable our resonance stabilizers to completely revolutionize–”
“Yes, that thing, exactly! Look, I’m sorry, baby. I just didn’t understand. I really thought that it was more of your boss's project and you were just helping. But I get it now. You’re so smart for a Zaunite, Viktor. And I love that about you! Do you know I always brag to people about you? About how I found not only the prettiest boy in all of Zaun, but also the smartest?” Dimitri is an expert at turning up the charm when he has to.
“You do?” Viktor questions, with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, oh my god, baby, of course! The fact that you came from such a shithole and now you’re here? It’s crazy. People sometimes don’t even believe me when I tell them about you. I feel like I plucked a diamond out of the mud, I couldn’t be more lucky to have found you when I did. I love being able to tell people that my husband isn’t like other Zaunites.”
“Oh. Well…thanks.” Viktor tries to square the seemingly complimentary comments with the vaguely uneasy feeling in his gut. He finds that happening a lot.
“I’m sorry if you felt like I wasn’t being excited enough about your accomplishments at work. Things like that just don’t bother me, so I didn’t think it was a big deal. But I’m sorry. So–will you forgive me? Please?” Dimitri pulls out his best pleading face, just to try to sway Viktor a little more. “If you’re done being bent out of shape, I thought maybe we could go out for dinner tonight…do something special?”
Viktor takes a moment to think, and then relents. He actually is tired of being annoyed about this. And Dimitri does seem to be trying, in his way. Dimitri doesn’t often plan dates. Viktor can meet him halfway and maybe they can be done talking about it and just go back to normal. “Yes, alright. That sounds good, let’s go to dinner.”
Dimitri grins like he’s won a prize. “Awesome! Let’s go out. I know just the place. I think I’m ready whenever you are. Do you want to change or anything before we go?”
Viktor glances down at his clothes, and replies, “No, I think I’m fine, we can leave now.”
“Oh. You know what, sure. Yeah, let’s just go.”
Viktor hesitates. “Are you saying you think I SHOULD change? Is there something wrong with what I’m wearing?”
Dimitri quickly backpedals. “No, no, I didn’t mean that! Don’t even worry about it, I’m sure it doesn’t matter.” He walks over to Viktor and smooths the shoulders of Viktor’s shirt and straightens his lapels. “Piltover looks good on you, you know that? You’ve done well here. And you’re still so cute, even if you’re not eighteen anymore.”
“Well, neither are you…?” Viktor replies, a little thrown by the statement, not sure how to take it.
Dimitri laughs. “There’s that Zaunite sense of humor. I love how you just come out and say things like that. C’mon, let’s go.”
In the morning, Viktor stirs from sleep and opens his eyes when Dimitri rolls over next to him. The first thing he is aware of is that a throbbing ache is radiating from his bad knee.
“Shit.”
Something else feels off. The second thing he becomes aware of is that there is way too much light outside. What time is it? He blearily checks his bedside clock and confirms—he’s overslept. By a lot.
“Shit!”
He starts shoving Dimitri, sound asleep, whose heavy arm is trapping him to the bed. “Wake up, Dimitri, I need you to move, I’m late!”
Dimitri groans lazily and pulls Viktor in tighter.
“No, I’m serious, please, come on!” They had accidentally fallen asleep immediately after sex last night, which means Viktor forgot to set his alarm. He also didn’t put on his soft sleep brace and his leg is clearly paying for it. And today, of all days, is going to be busier than usual, with back to back year end meetings all day.
Dimitri grunts and nuzzles into Viktor’s neck. “No, just stay here with me…don’t get up.” He starts kissing Viktor’s neck lazily and tries a sleepy, seductive, “...there are so many things we could do if you just stay in bed…”
Viktor is still trying to push him off, nearing panic mode with every passing second. “Dimitri, NO, for real, I HAVE to get up! Let me go!”
Dimitri huffs, offended. He finally relents and backs off, pinching Viktor’s ass painfully as he rolls away. “Fine. Forgive me for finding you attractive. I guess I’m just the worst.”
Viktor sighs. He does not have time for this. “I have to get in the shower. I’m going to be late. Can you please pack me something for lunch? I won’t have any time for anything else today.”
Dimitri sighs, put-upon, and rubs his eyes. “Fine.”
“Thank you, I’ll be out in five minutes.”
After the world's quickest shower, he dresses and scrambles to grab everything he needs, heading for the door without a moment to spare. He grabs his coat and keys, and Dimitri hands him a lunch cooler as he heads out the door. “Thank you, I really appreciate it. Sorry I’m in such a rush, I just have SO much to do today,” says Viktor.
Dimitri raises one lascivious eyebrow. “Don’t worry, you can make it up to me later,” he says, biting his bottom lip.
Viktor rolls his eyes. “Bye,” he says, and leans in for a quick goodbye peck.
“See you later,” replies Dimitri, and smacks him on the ass as he leaves, sending a sharp twinge down Viktor’s sore leg.
Luckily, Viktor makes it to work just in time for his early meeting; flustered, but no real harm done. It’s year end, and while a huge breakthrough like theirs is extremely exciting, it also has the board scrambling to reassess realistic goals and projections for the next calendar year, and they have a lot of questions. Viktor has several presentations to make, and a lot of careful explaining to do for people who don’t really understand the physics involved in what their team actually does. It’s going to be a long day.
The first couple of meetings go really well. Viktor’s leg is manageable, and even though repeating the same information over and over for different groups of people in different departments is exhausting, he wants to make sure they understand the significance of their discoveries. He is proud of what his team has done, and he wants everyone to see and understand how this is going to change the world. Viktor will sacrifice his time for progress that is going to help people.
The marathon day is only half over, though. Viktor is at his desk, getting his slides ready for the next presentation, along with Ekko who has his laptop open next to him. They are in the middle of syncing all their data when Viktor’s stomach growls loudly.
Ekko looks up. “That sound was you?” he asks, incredulously.
Viktor sighs. “Ugh, yes. Sorry. I haven’t had a bite to eat today, what time is it?” He glances at the clock. Almost time for their next meeting. “Let’s keep going, what's on the next slide?” He reaches under his desk and pulls out his lunch bag. He’s still got one eye on the computer as he zips the bag open and looks inside for the first time. The contents momentarily steal all his focus.
Inside the lunch Dimitri had packed for Viktor is a sleeve of saltine crackers, a small jar of green olives, and four loose grapes rolling around the bottom of the bag. Viktor huffs out one disbelieving sigh as he holds up the jar.
Ekko looks over. “Whatcha got there?”
Viktor takes one deep breath. “Lunch, apparently. I was in a bit of a hurry this morning.”
Ekko laughs. “So, what, you just rummaged around the pantry with your eyes closed? What is this?”
“That’s exactly what I’d like to know.” Viktor snaps a quick picture of the sad excuse for a meal and texts Dimitri.
1:37 pm
Viktor: What is this? (pic)
1:38 pm
Dimitri: LMAO
Dimitri: sorry, i was half asleep when you asked, i couldn’t think of anything
1:39
Dimitri: you didn’t give me a lot of time
Viktor sighs. Time? He doesn’t have time to even respond. Dimitri’s dismissive response really stings. Every time Viktor could use even the smallest favor to make his life easier, somehow Dimitri will find a new and creative way to make his life harder, and still somehow make Viktor the problem. Viktor must be the problem, that’s the only explanation. But, he can’t focus on that now. He compartmentalizes all the triggered emotions trying to make themselves known and tucks them neatly away behind a thick mental wall.
He takes a cracker, something to nibble on at least, but then changes his mind when he realizes he won’t even be able to eat it at his desk without getting crumbs everywhere. Oh well. He can ignore his body’s signals for now; he’s done it before and he’ll do it again.
He finishes the slides with Ekko, thanks him for his work, then takes his laptop over to Sky’s workstation to make sure he has everything from her team’s projects recorded accurately.
He’s just finished the final polish on the presentation when Jayce swings by. “Hey!” he calls out. “Are you ready, I thought we could go up to the twelfth floor together.”
Viktor closes his computer and stands up. “Yes, I’m ready, let’s go up.” Jayce grabs Viktor’s laptop and tucks it under his arm. “Here,” he says, “I’ll carry that, you carry this. Can you walk and eat at the same time?”
Jayce hands Viktor a half a sandwich wrapped in a paper towel.
Viktor looks at it in disbelief, but starts walking and eating as instructed, too hungry and distracted to do otherwise. “Jayce, what is this? How did you know?”
Jayce leads the way to the elevator and says easily, “Oh, a little bird told me you skipped lunch. So I just cut mine in half. Don’t worry, I took the onions off your part.”
Viktor almost chokes on the bite in his mouth. “What?! Jayce. You didn’t have to do that!”
“I know, but I wanted to. You’re no good to me if you faint from hunger during this meeting, are you?” Jayce grins. “You really shouldn’t skip so many meals, it can’t be good for you. You need to make time for these things.”
Viktor smiles. “Once again, you’ve saved me from myself. I promise, I really am a fully grown adult, I don’t need you to take care of me.”
Jayce laughs as they wait for the elevator. “I know, I know. But, you are very predictable, and I am not a stupid man. It’s not very hard to take care of you.”
The elevator doors open, and they step inside. “Are you ready to dazzle upper management with nerd stuff?” Jayce asks.
“I am now.” Viktor replies, his heart and stomach full.
At the end of the overlong day, Viktor and Jayce sit across from each other in Jayce’s office, once again the last two people to leave. They’re just debriefing their final meetings and discussing the next steps, but as usual, once they get talking, it’s hard to stop.
“Viktor, you really were amazing today. God. I couldn’t have gotten through this without you,” Jayce says gratefully.
Viktor brushes him off nonchalantly. “I’m sure you could have managed on your own.”
“No, I’m serious. I can’t believe it–you’re such a genius in the lab, nobody understands the science like you do. You’re the one making all this happen. And yet we get into these long meetings with stuffy people, and you also have this gift for driving people back to the point when they start asking irrelevant questions. It always throws me for a loop when they ask stupid things, and somehow you’re always able to explain it in a way that makes sense–and doesn’t outright call them stupid. You’re so serious, and you somehow make it sound like it’s a good thing that they asked such an excellent question–and then you just tell them what you really needed them to know in the first place. And all of a sudden, they’re left feeling that these brilliant proposals were really somehow their idea in the first place. I don’t know how you do it.”
Viktor cackles. “Stop, don’t reveal all my secrets!”
Jayce smiles. “No, I’m serious. You could be doing my job. You practically ARE doing my job, god. I really, really appreciate all the work you do, Viktor. It means a lot for the company. But it means even more to me.”
Viktor smiles warmly. “Of course, Jayce. I see us as partners in this project. When it comes to defending our work, I wouldn’t leave you to the wolves all on your own.”
Jayce sighs. “There’s nobody quite like you here, Viktor. Or anywhere, for that matter. You’re unique.” He is looking at Viktor with open admiration.
“I don’t know about that.” Viktor demurs.
“Truly, Viktor. I cannot picture doing this with anybody but you.”
Viktor’s heart pounds a little faster. He swallows down the sticky, syrupy feeling in this throat. “Nor I, Jayce.”
He looks down at his hands. He clears his throat awkwardly, and says, “Well, I suppose I should be heading home. I don’t want Dimitri to have to come down here to drag me away again.”
Jayce nods reluctantly. “Right, of course. Yes, better do that. I’ll walk down with you.” He starts gathering the paperwork on his desk. “Remind me what it is Dimitri does again? I know you’ve told me, I just keep forgetting.”
“Oh, it’s fine. It’s not a very interesting answer. He works from home, he’s a business analyst.” Viktor replies.
“Oh, that’s right. What…is that exactly? What does he, you know, do?”
Viktor inhales as if he’s ready to provide an answer, then gives up. He shrugs. “That’s never been very clear to me. A friend of his started an investment firm. Dimitri was hired to…analyze business, I suppose. If you can call it being hired when all your friends and well-connected family take turns giving each other meaningless job titles at their various business ventures. It’s not a system I pretend to understand, but Dimitri comes from those circles. He knows a guy, or knows a guy who knows a guy, in every branch of business and government in the entire city, it seems.”
“Ah, I see.” Jayce collects his things and holds the door open for Viktor so they can leave together. “What must that be like, I wonder? Are you ever tempted to take an empty job like that? Picture it. Couple emails, couple meetings, clock out and call it a day. No experiments. No explosions. No cutting edge technology.”
Viktor laughs while they wait for the elevator. “God, no. Can you imagine? Let the lawyers and investors and business analysts suffer together, far away from me. I would die of boredom. I’d much rather be here blowing things up with you.”
Jayce smiles from ear to ear. “Yeah. Yeah, me too.”
The next couple of weeks are a whirlwind of progress. Now that they’ve stabilized the resonance field, everything is lining up. So many possibilities cry out to be examined, created, explored. Their whole team is positively buzzing and every day, if not every hour, brings breakthrough after breakthrough.
One of those days, Jayce saunters over and sits on the edge of Viktor’s desk. “Viktor, I don’t think you’ve moved from that exact spot in the last four hours.” Viktor doesn’t respond. Jayce tries again, simplifying his communication to just: “Lunch?”
Viktor is still focusing on the tangled nest of wires in front of him when he mutters a quiet “...No.”
Jayce is not deterred. “Do you mean, “no” as in you already ate? Or “no,” as in you don’t want to eat with me? Or “no,” as in “I refuse to acknowledge the existence of food”?”
Viktor still hasn’t looked up. “The last one, I think.”
“Okay, that’s it.” Jayce grasps the back of Viktor's chair and rotates it toward himself so that Viktor has no choice but to look at him.
“Lunch. Food. You. Now.”
Viktor starts to form a protest when Jayce interrupts. “Ah–no arguing. I’m the boss. Didn’t we just have this conversation recently? About taking time to take care of yourself? And we’ve all been working too hard for too long, we need sustenance to fuel this kind of genius.” He looks around the office. “Sky? Where are y–oh, hey, Sky! Get Ekko, would you? We are all going to lunch, right now, my treat. Grab your coats.”
Viktor is still sitting in his chair with his arms crossed, miffed at the interruption. But, now that his concentration is broken, he has to admit he is aware of an insistent ache behind his ribs that could probably be fixed with soup.
“Fine,” relents Viktor. “Where are we going?”
“Let’s just go to the shop across the way. I won’t drag you away for too long, I promise.”
Viktor stretches, cracking his back more times than can possibly be healthy. He gets his cane and his coat and heads for the door, meeting Ekko and Sky on the way. They all look mildly harried and tired; it seems that a break might be just what they all need.
The short walk to the deli is bracing. There is no snow on the ground, but the wind is fresh and cold. The change of pace and the brisk air, Viktor has to concede, are at least invigorating.
They all place their orders at the counter and find a comfortable booth to collapse in while they wait, the smells from the kitchen making their stomachs growl. The restaurant is cozy and inviting, with festive holly and jingle bells everywhere they look, reminding them that beyond their narrow work bubble, the world turns; people are getting ready to celebrate the holiday season.
Jayce pours each of them a cup of water from the pitcher on the table. He raises his own glass, and says “I’d like to make a toast: to progress. This department has made more progress in one week than the entire rest of the company has in two years. And all of it is thanks to the people around this table. Thank you, each of you, for everything you do.”
They all raise their glasses in unison. “To progress!”
Jayce continues on. “I honestly couldn’t ask for a better team. I think this group of people was destined to come together. I feel like a proud dad, seriously, you’ve all worked so hard.”
“Aw, don’t go soft on us now. You’ll embarrass us, DAD…” teases Ekko.
Sky sputters into her drink and can’t stop the giggles that overflow.
Jayce rolls his eyes and smiles. “I can’t take you anywhere.”
“Maybe you should have raised me better, father.” Ekko deadpans.
Several minutes later, their food has finally arrived at their table, and the conversation turns once again to ribbing Jayce and his comment about being a proud dad.
“Well, does that also make me your, eh, work-son?” asks Viktor, curiously.
“No, no,” Ekko interrupts before Jayce can answer. “You’re his work-wife.”
“What?!” both Viktor and Jayce exclaim at the same time.
Sky finishes her bite of sandwich quickly and hums in agreement with Ekko. “No, Ekko’s right. You’re definitely the work-wife.”
Jayce flushes scarlet. “Okay, now, hang on–”
“It’s true though!” exclaims Ekko, gesticulating wildly with the french fry in his hand. “Who do you always talk to first in the morning, hm? Viktor. Who is the first person to get on board with your wild ideas? Viktor. When Heimerdinger comes down on us with another crazy policy change, who are you venting to? I’ll give you a hint, it starts with ‘V’ and ends with ‘iktor.’
Sky butts in, addressing Ekko, “Did you know Jayce won’t even let me see his projections until he lets Viktor proofread them? He doesn’t like to trust his own work until Viktor confirms everything. ”
“Oh, is that so?” Ekko continues on. “And, you know, at least once a week, Jayce loses track of one of his favorite tools and panics until Viktor reminds him where he left it. Viktor is basically half his brain.” Sky nods again, in complete agreement with Ekko. “Nine times out of ten, if you are looking for one of them, you’ll find him with the other.”
Jayce glances sideways at Viktor, still blushing to the tips of his ears. Viktor guesses if he had a mirror, he’d find he’s in a similar state.
Viktor decides the best way to diffuse the sudden tension that only he and Jayce seem to notice is with another joke. “So, if I’m the work-wife, does that mean I get to tell you what to do? By extension, you must be my adopted work-children as well.”
Sky considers, then looks to Ekko and says in an exaggerated stage whisper, “He does give evil stepmother vibes, don’t you think?”
Ekko gasps, and agrees, “YES, absolutely! When he hasn’t had caffeine yet, Viktor definitely has evil stepmother aura.”
Viktor barks out a laugh and throws a crouton at Ekko, who is also cackling hysterically. Viktor turns to Jayce. “Are you going to let your children speak to me like this?”
Jayce, in turn, is covering his face with both hands and groaning quietly. “What have I DONE?” he wonders out loud.
Viktor turns back to Ekko, and carries on. “Young man, if you keep up with this, I’ll send you to your room!”
“Only dad can send me to my room!”
“Tsk. The disrespect never ends around here.”
Jayce has finally regained enough composure to at least play along with the joke. He reaches a hand over and pats Viktor’s back reassuringly as he says “Don’t worry, Pumpkin. I will thrash the children soundly for their abhorrent lack of manners.”
Viktor knows it’s just a joke. Realistically, he knows that. It’s a joke, they’re all joking around. But hearing Jayce refer to him affectionately as “Pumpkin” still sends a little flurry of butterflies through his whole system.
Viktor swallows those butterflies down and with convincing mock sternness, says, “You are ridiculous. All of you. Remind me not to give any of you an ounce of credit when I publish next year.”
That earns Viktor another french fry to the head from Ekko. “That is exactly what an evil step-mother would say.”
When they finally arrive back at the office, well fed and still flush with fresh air and laughter, the four of them get back to work. The break is exactly what they needed, and that afternoon they accomplish more than ever.
After Sky and Ekko have left for the night, Viktor finally finishes the last of his paperwork and heads to Jayce’s office to turn it in.
Viktor knocks at the open door to announce his presence. “Hey,” he says in greeting, and Jayce looks up from his computer. The instant smile that spreads across Jayce’s face could warm even the coldest heart.
Jayce pulls off his glasses and turns his whole body toward Viktor. “Hey!” He says, “Great work today. Thank you for staying and helping with these, you’re a lifesaver. We got a lot done!”
Viktor agrees. “Yes, we really did!” He pauses only for a moment before continuing. “I wanted to thank you again for today. That was very kind of you to make us take a break, to take us out. You’re, eh, not wrong, I do tend to forget food exists and just keep working. It was nice of you to…” he trails off, distracted by the warm expression in Jayce’s eyes. “...to notice.”
“Of course.” Jayce replies. “It’s my pleasure. You guys are a lot of fun.” He pauses, then leans forward with his hand on his chin and follows with, “I always have fun when I’m with you.”
Viktor’s heart skips a beat. “Yes, me too. Every day with you is a good day.”
The statement lingers in the air just a little, neither of them daring to push further, but neither willing to retreat.
Eventually, Viktor remembers himself. “Ah, well, here are these,” and he steps forward and places his paperwork on Jayce’s desk. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, don’t work too late.”
Jayce reaches out and takes the file. “Sounds good, I’m almost done here. Drive safe.”
“Goodbye, Jayce.”
“Bye, Pumpkin.”
Viktor floats the rest of the way home.
That evening, at home with Dimitri, Viktor is relaxing and reading on the couch while his husband lounges next to him, intensely focused on his video game.
Viktor’s phone pings, and he picks it up to see a short message from Ekko.
“This is you” is all it says, with an attached picture of a very nasty looking evil queen.
Viktor lets out a quiet chuckle as he remembers their conversations from earlier that day.
“What’s so funny?” Dimitri says, glancing over at Viktor.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Viktor replies, trying to contain his grin.
“Oh.” says Dimitri, attention back on his game.
Viktor glares at the side of Dimitri’s head, and when he doesn’t seem to be interested in taking the conversation any further, Viktor tries to do so himself.
“Just a little inside joke from work.”
“Hmm.”
Viktor clears his throat. “It was actually pretty amusing. We had a team lunch today, and we were joking around and Ekko said that I’m the ‘work-wife’.”
That, a least, got Dimitri to look up for a second, one eyebrow raised in confusion. “You’re Ekko’s work-wife?”
“No, he meant I’m like Jayce’s work-wife.”
Dimitri sniggers. “Oooh, okay. That’s fine.”
Viktor frowns. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Dimitri is looking at the TV again but deigns to respond. “At first I didn’t get it, but then I realized.”
“Realized what?”
“Just, I get the joke. It’s pretty funny. Jayce is still single, right? Isn’t he, like, fifty?”
“He’s 41.”
“Oh. Well, same difference. It’s no wonder. I just meant, I guess he’s kinda good looking or whatever, but he is so weird. He’s such an intense guy. It doesn’t surprise me he’s not attached. I can’t even follow what he’s talking about most of the time.”
Viktor grows more and more uneasy. Why did he even bring this up? He tries to intercede on Jayce’s behalf. “Well, he is extremely intelligent. Just because you don’t understand the things we work on, doesn’t make him ‘weird’.”
Dimitri plows ahead. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’s a decent boss. I know you guys get along. But I tell you what, I’d be tearing my hair out if I had to work with him every day.” Dimitri looks over at Viktor, and Viktor can’t tell what Dimitri can read from his face. “Oh, come on babe, I’m not trying to be mean. It’s funny. I get the joke.”
Viktor tries in vain one last time to make his voice heard. “I don’t think you get it...”
“No, I do, I get it! He’s the permanent bachelor, you’re some kind of consolation prize. I’m not mad. You can be his little work-wife if you want, I know I don’t have anything to worry about.” He leans over and gives Viktor a peck on the cheek. “I’m a lucky man. I get to keep you all to myself. I know I don’t have to worry about you running off with anybody. Where would you even go?”
Viktor feels like he’s been gutted, but he keeps his face carefully neutral. His own husband feels like he’s some kind of consolation prize? Is the idea of someone being attracted to Viktor so laughable? Viktor can’t elicit even a hint of jealousy in his husband, not even when he talks about someone as perfect as Jayce?
Viktor stands up and moves away from the couch. “I’m going to bed.”
Dimitri glances up as he moves toward the bedroom. “Oh, come on, don’t be like that. It was just a joke. I’m joking! I thought we were having fun.”
Viktor doesn’t turn around, but he manages a forced chuckle. “I know, it’s fine. I’m just tired. Goodnight.”
“Mmkay. If you say so. I’ll be in later, g’night.”
Viktor sinks slowly to the edge of his bed and tries to banish the hurt feelings gathering in his gut. It feels as if he’s swallowed a stone. He thinks and thinks some more until his brain hurts.
Viktor examines the dam in his mind; a dam built of brick after carefully placed brick of denial and dissonance. It’s holding back a massive fount of emotions and thoughts he simply can’t allow. They need to not exist, and so he puts them behind a wall. The dam only allows a certain amount of thought to filter through to conscious action, allowing some control of his world. And Viktor desperately wishes to remain in control.
The only thoughts Viktor allows to come forward are that he will just have to try harder. Be a better partner. Be more considerate, more expressive, make sure Dimitri feels loved, and then hopefully some of it will come back to Viktor and he won’t feel so damn lonely in a relationship made of two.
Later, still alone in his bed, he finally drifts off, and dreams of pumpkins.