everybody loves a winner, so nobody loved me

It hadn't been long now that you'd been working under Mr. Ant Tenna at the TV station. For the most part, you kept to yourself, unless your assistance was needed by the film crew. You kept Tenna's station running smoothly thanks to the work you did.

Which was exactly why he wanted to do something to thank you.

His plan was simple, really. Surprise you with a cake (with help from Ramb, of course), give you a fancy pen, and then sincerely thank you. You'd be smiling and on your way, and Tenna could get back to his regularly scheduled broadcast.

"Mr. Tenna?" You knocked on the door to his office, stack of papers in hand. You had made sure to painstakingly scrawl out the schedule for next week's broadcast on paper, after copying it from the spreadsheet you made on your computer at home. Tenna didn't need to know that, though. He hated anything to do with emails and whatnot, meaning on office hours, you worked by hand. About a week into working for the TV-headed man, you realized how inefficient that system was, and opted for secretly configuring schedules at home before transferring them over to bring to work. What your boss didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

The door flung open, nearly knocking you over with its gusto. "Y/N! My most valued employee, the star of the show! Come in, come in!" His beaming smile never seemed to waver as he ushered you into his office.

The sheer size of him never failed to take you aback for a moment. Your boss towered over you, and his larger-than-life personality certainly didn't help. You offered him a small smile back before dropping the papers off on his desk.

"Here's the schedule for next week, sir. I'm guessing that's why you wanted to see me?" Your tone was slightly cautious. You knew that Tenna could be a bit unpredictable, which was why receiving a one-on-one invitation to his office worried you-- just a bit.

Tenna barked out a laugh, shaking his head. He slid into the seat behind his desk, gesturing to the chair in front of it.

"Not at all, actually!" He laughed again before pausing, pulling on his collar. "But- Well, that's not to say that your efforts aren't appreciated, of course!" A light blush appeared on the white screen of his face before he straightened out his suit jacket, sitting up taller.

"What I meant was... That's not why I called you in here today. You see..." Tenna's grin grew impossibly wider as he reached under his desk, before re-emerging with a large white box, "I wanted to thank you!"

You blinked, mind going blank. Thank you? Was that really the reason he'd set up a private meeting? "Oh- Really?"

He nodded, much too eagerly, before pursing his lips and ducking back under his desk.

"And that's not all!" He chimed, mimicking the tone of someone off the shopping channel. He came back up, holding a nicely wrapped gift before setting it down in front of you. "I figured it was the least I could do for my best employee."

You could feel your heart thrumming in your chest at his words. Sure, you'd had a workplace crush on your boss of all people since you started working there, but this... This was almost too much, even for you!

"S-sir, I-" You began shakily, quickly being cut off.

"You can just call me Tenna, really. We don't need all of those... stuffy formalities." He waved off any concern you had before opening the larger of the two boxes and pushing it towards you.

You nodded at his words before peering into the box, which held a nicely decorated cake.

'Thanks for all you do, it's true! You're the best :)'

If your face wasn't already flushed, it certainly was now. Your gaze snapped up to Tenna's screen in an instant. His smile, usually so wide and practiced, had softened as he looked at you.

"I wanted to do something nice, for all the work you put in to make things run smoothly around here."

You were speechless for a moment, a million thoughts racing through your head. His smile faltered at your silence, growing self conscious under your gaze.

"B-but if it's too much, then, uh..." He pulled the box away, shame creeping into his features. You snapped out of your daze, hands flying to the cake box.

"No! No, not at all, Tenna. I think it's really sweet."

You gave him an encouraging smile, hands resting over his. You could've sworn you saw his screen flash to static for a split second before he straightened back up, smile growing.

"Well, I'm glad! Can't get much sweeter than cake, right?" He laughed loudly to himself in a desperate attempt to cover up his nerves, slapping his hand down on his desk as he lost himself in his hysterics. The smaller, carefully wrapped box fell to the ground.

You let out a noise of surprise, rising out of your seat. "Oh, I'll get th-"

"I CAN GET IT!" Tenna cried out, swiftly ducking under his desk to grab the gift. Your brows quirked up in confusion as you approached him.

"Tenna, it's alright, I-"

"YEOWCH!"

You were once again cut off, only this time by the bang of Tenna's head against the underside of his desk. You heard him hiss out in pain before you rushed to his side.

"I'm fine, really, Y/N! Nothing could shake me up more than the digital switchover," he joked, rubbing the back of his head as you carefully pulled him up by his other arm.

You tutted, shaking your head. "I was trying to tell you I could grab it, Tenna. You're much too stubborn."

He sighed, shoulders dropping. "Right as always, of course." He seemed to shrink at your light scolding. You led him to the couch at the far end of the room, sitting him down tenderly. He sunk down onto the cushions, still rubbing at the back of his head as you sat down next to him.

Even when in one of his moods, he was still a sight to behold. You took him in as he sat beside you, scanning over his form. His antennas were out of place, likely due to the force of him hitting the desk.

"Oh, you knocked your antennas out of place. Let me just..."

Before Tenna could protest, you reached over to fidget with his antennas. A deep blush immediately spread across his face, slapping a hand over his mouth as a whine nearly slipped out.

You looked down at him, concern etched on your features. "I'm sorry if it hurts, I've almost got them back in place." You continued to fix his antennas back into place, completely oblivious to Tenna's internal conflict beneath you.

He could have blacked out at that very moment. Your hands gently sliding over his antennas, taking care of him in more ways than one... It was almost too much for him to bear. A groan slipped past his lips as you straightened out his left antenna.

"Shit, sweetheart..." he breathed out, mind hazy. The dim glow of his screen cast up on your features as you looked down at him, realization dawning on you.

Oh. Oh.

Your hands stilled. Tenna gazed up at you, practically panting at this point. You could feel the heat radiating from his screen, as if it were threatening to engulf you, too.

You had two options at this point. Stop what you were doing and profusely apologize to your boss for accidentally engaging him in such an inappropriate way, or...

Gazing down at Tenna, he shot you a lazy grin.

You swallowed hard, grip subconsciously tightening on his antennas before sliding into his lap.

I - Introduction

-

You stared nervously at the large doors in front of you. Piltover’s Academy was not a place where you wanted to be, but your best friend was a student there and practically begged that you stop by today. It was her birthday, but she was stuck in the lab completing an assignment for one of her many, many classes.

“Are you sure I can even come in? Wouldn’t they have tight security on the place?”

“It’s fine!! You’re allowed to walk in the halls, and as long as I open the lab door and give you permission you should be fine. Pleaaaasseee come by?”

Reluctantly, you agreed. The fancy halls and pretentious students roaming around intimidated you, but you were willing to put up with it for her. You even baked a cake. It wasn’t your best work, but the design was still pretty cute, and you knew your friend would love it anyway, no matter what you thought of it.

Taking a deep breath, you pushed the doors open and began to look for the correct laboratory. Your feet moved quickly across the floor, trying to avoid running into any students. If they even caught a glimpse of you, they would know you don’t belong there. You donned the nicest thing you could- a plain t-shirt and some slacks, but the citizens of Piltover knew what you were with just one look. Luckily, none of them got the chance to eye you, as you had just made it to the correct door. You barely even knocked before the door flung open.

“Y/N!!!! Come in!”, your friend said, nearly shoving you into the lab. You giggled, her infectious joy seeping into you.

“Okay, okay, I-“ You froze. Two men who you had never met before were sitting at the workbench, giving you an odd look.

“Who are they?”

“Oh! Sorry, I forgot to tell you. These are my group members for my lab assignment. I know they look scary, but I don’t think either of them could hurt a fly.”

“Scary? Us? I’ll have you know I’m offended,” one of them said playfully. He got up and extended a hand towards you.

“I’m Jayce, and the man over there is Viktor. Sorry if we startled you. We actually didn’t know you were coming either.”

You eased up a little, feeling better that they were just as surprised as you were. As you got ready to shake his hand, you realized the cake was still in your grasp.

“Sorry- let me set this down,” you said. After setting it next to your friend, you turned back to shake Jayce’s hand. He had quite a grip; you weren’t expecting that.

“Nice to meet you, Jayce. I’m Y/N. F/N’s friend, if you hadn’t figured that out yet.” He laughed a little, and once your handshake finished, your eyes fell on the other man- Viktor.

Viktor… you quite liked that name, and you were drawn to his appearance as well. As inconspicuously as you could, you slowly looked over his features. Dark, soft brown hair, pale skin, a tall and thin frame, a couple of moles on his face, and… his eyes. The amber color was gorgeous, and you bet if he gazed at you, your knees would probably go weak.

Your theory was proven correct when he made eye contact with you. He slowly got up, grabbing onto a cane and moving over towards you.

“Jayce already introduced me, so I supposed I didn’t need to come over, but it would have been rude to ignore you. Viktor,” he said, and it took you a second to snap out of it.

“Oh- yeah! Um, nice to meet you.” You shook his hand, praying he couldn’t tell that your skin was on fire because of him. Before you could think of anything else to say, your friend squealed.

“Oh. My. GOD!!! This is SO CUTE!!!!”

She had opened the box the cake was in, staring at it excitedly. You walked over, smiling.

“Like what you see?”

“I LOVE it. How do you always make such masterpieces?” She wrapped her arms around you, hardly giving you room to breathe.

The cake was a light lilac color with detailed white bordering on the edge. You had messed up in quite a few areas, but just covered it up with some more icing and hoped it wasn’t obvious.

“I get it, I’m incredible. You wanna let me go so you can eat a piece? Or- wait. Are you even allowed to eat in here?”

“As long as we don’t make a mess, it should be fine. You made this? It looks great,” Jayce said, somehow sneaking up behind the two of you. Viktor was right beside him, seemingly analyzing the cake, eyes sweeping over each and every part.

“I- I did,” you stuttered, becoming flustered all of a sudden.

“Do you work at a bakery? Seriously, this looks awesome,” he continued, eyes meeting yours.

“Oh, no, I-“ you paused. Your real job was less.. gentle. Would these Piltovans judge you? They seemed nice, but you knew how quickly people could switch up. Before you could give any more thought to your response, your friend interjected.

“No, her job is way cooler than that. She works at Eclipse!” Your friend beamed with pride, but you looked down and shuffled your feet awkwardly.

Eclipse was a bar on the outskirts of Piltover. It paid well, and was fairly popular, but not with this kind of crowd. Despite being part of Piltover, it was often frequented by Zaunites who wanted a taste of the better life. Zauntines like you, who wanted to know what it was like to not inhale polluted air with each breath. To know what it was like to live in luxury. To be free of the hell they lived in every single day.

“What do you… do there?” Viktor inquired, his accent thick.

Not wanting this conversation to last long, you quickly rambled out a list of your duties.

“Oh, y’know, normal bar stuff. Taking orders, making drinks, breaking up the occasional fight… there’s not much to it. Anyway- should we get into the cake now? I’m sure F/N would be happy to share with you two.”

Viktor nodded, not planning to push the conversation further. However, while your friend was setting out some utensils and napkins that were tucked into the box, Jayce couldn’t help but continue talking.

“Wow… I’ve heard of that bar before, but haven’t ever been. You said you have to break up fights- does it ever get nasty? Especially with-“ he stopped himself, and Viktor shot him a glare.

“Especially with what, Jayce?”

“I- I was just going to say that I’ve heard that Zaunites frequent that place, and people from the Undercity can be…”

Ah. There it was. The judgement you feared from this place. Before you could shoot back a reply, your friend stopped her cake-cutting and stepped into the conversation.

“Jayce. I will have you know that you are in the presence of three Zaunites, and none of us are violent unless in a self-defense situation. You shouldn’t be saying stuff like that.”

Wait… three? Did that mean…

Viktor. Was he really from the same place as you? A warm feeling of kinship bubbled up, only increasing your interest in him.

Jayce’s eyes widened, realizing what he had implied.

“Oh- Oh my God, I’m so sorry I- I wasn’t thinking.” He looked at everyone, but his eyes chose to settle on yours.

“Y/N, I am so, so sorry. That was a really stupid thing of me to say, whether you were from the Undercity or not.”

With his puppy-dog eyes, you couldn’t help but want to forgive him, but the comment still stung.

“I get it. I’m sure the education you receive up here isn’t… favorable when it comes to the Undercity. Just… don’t say anything like that again. Ever.”

He nodded frantically, desperate to get back in your good graces despite having only met you moments ago.

“I have to start heading back now. I’ve got a shift in a couple hours I need to get ready for,” you said, not too disappointed to be leaving. Admittedly, you wanted to talk to Viktor more, but the tension left by Jayce was too thick for any of that at the moment.

“Aww… okay. I’ll swing by this weekend and tell you how the cake was? I’m sure it’ll be divine,” your friend smiled at you, knowing that wasn’t your only reason for leaving. She gave you one more hug, letting you go after a short moment.

“Happy birthday, F/N. I hope you all enjoy the cake.” Smiling, you left the room, rushing out of the academy. The air was choking you as if you were back in Zaun. When you made it outside, you slid onto a nearby bench, trembling, carefully trying to unpack the series of events you just experienced.

You just hoped you could get any excess thoughts out of your head before your shift began.

-

“Jayce, you are an idiot.” F/N handed him a piece of cake while glaring at him. She knew he really was just being ignorant and not intentionally wanting to cause harm; otherwise, she would have chewed him out.

“I know. Those words shouldn’t have left my mouth. Do you… do you think she’s mad at me?”

“I think we’re all mad at you. Right, Viktor?”

“Mm.” He agreed, only half-heartedly paying attention to what was being said. He couldn’t stop thinking about you, and he didn’t know why. Sure, you were gorgeous, but he had seen many gorgeous women before. So why would you be any different? There was… something else about you, something that intrigued him and made him wonder what you were really like. How you really felt about your job, what you acted like when you were comfortable with someone, what you did in your free time… all of it; he wanted to learn all of it about you.

“Viktor? Earth to Viktor?”

His head snapped up, realizing the daze he was in.

“Ah. Sorry, I was.. pondering our assignment. We should get back to work on it, yes? The professor does want it done by tomorrow.”

“No worries, we’re almost done anyway. Just have to complete some final testing and documentation. But first, we’re eating this cake and shaming Jayce for his poor choice of words.”

Viktor chuckled, taking a piece of cake that your friend held out for him. She looked at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. She had a hard time believing he was distracted over the assignment, and he clearly didn’t seem to be too concerned with Jayce.

“Guys, I know I already said it, but seriously. I’m really, really sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? And… do you think Y/N will let me make it up to her somehow?”

“It was a stupid comment, but I’m willing to let it slide on my part. Viktor?”

“I do not mind. I am used to Jayce being careless.”

“Hey-“ Jayce was about to defend himself, but F/N cut him off.

“But, I think Y/N deserves a proper apology. How about you come with me this weekend when I see her, and you bring some sort of gift? I can help you come up with ideas.”

He agreed, hoping to prove to you that he really was a good person. Admittedly, mostly for his own ego, but he did think you were nice and hoped to become your friend in the future.

Viktor was tempted to ask if he could join too, wanting to see you again, but he feared that too many people would overwhelm you. Especially when one of them had made such a careless remark. He let out a soft sigh that went unnoticed by the other two.

The three each ate their pieces of cake, the air still heavy with the weight of Jayce’s words. Slowly, they returned to their assignment, working until it was done. F/N only hoped that the weekend visit would smooth out the tension instead of making it worse.

II - Apologies

-

The weekend came all too soon. You received a letter from your friend a couple of days ago that explained her plan to see you today. She also mentioned the fact that Jayce would be visiting as well, as he wanted to give a proper apology.

You were excited to see her, but still had mixed feelings about Jayce. Perhaps his apology would change your mind, but you knew it would be uncomfortable to face him.

It was 11, and you were seated on your plush black couch in your apartment, awaiting your friend’s arrival. You held a cushion to your chest while you looked around, taking the time to appreciate your decoration skills. Eclipse paid fairly well, so you were able to afford some nice things here and there.

The walls were a cream color, but you couldn’t see much of them; there were various items in the way. A few plants hung from the ceiling in lilac-colored pots, beaming from the sun coming in through the window. Several paintings rested in black frames of various shapes and sizes, each depicting a different scene. Most were your own, but a couple were purchased at markets you had visited. All of them were landscapes of places throughout Runeterra. The ones you made had been sights you had seen, and the others were sights foreign to you. Sights that you hoped to see one day.

In the small kitchenette, you had some pots and pans hung up near a rack of spices. Most of the time, you just snitched some leftovers from Eclipse, but you made your own meals every once in a while. All of your additional equipment and ingredients were neatly stored away in your oak cabinets and drawers.

Generally, you tried to keep the place tidy, but sometimes the mess would accumulate. Luckily, it would never take long to fix.

You were trying to remember how messy you had left the bedroom, and were about to get up and check when you heard a knock at the door. The bedroom would just have to stay closed, you thought.

Of course, there shouldn’t have been any reason to go in anyway, since Jayce would be here as well.

Opening the door, you were met with the sight of your friend smiling brightly, Jayce behind her with a sheepish smile of his own, and a gift bag in his hand.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” you said, moving out of the entrance so they could get out of the hallway.

“Wow… your apartment is a lot more… inviting than the one Vik and I share,” Jayce noted, eyes wandering over the paintings covering your walls.

“Well, that’s not a surprise to anyone. You two are the most practical people I know. Don’t know if I’ve ever seen either of you do something for sheer enjoyment,” your friend commented, coming over to you.

You giggled, and Jayce visibly let his shoulders relax.

“Oh, right! Here- this is for you. I wasn’t sure what to get that would say ‘I’m sorry’, but F/N was a big help. Again, I hope you don’t take my comment to heart. I shouldn’t have said it, and I promise I’ll think more before I speak in the future. I’ve been told I can be careless, but I should have never been careless like- like that.” Jayce grimaced, remembering his words. You took the bag he extended towards you, and peered inside. Slowly, you took out a bottle of wine.

“I was told this is your favorite. Is it okay?”

“Okay? Jayce, this is expensive! I’ve never owned a bottle- I’ve only had it on a few outings to some upscale restaurants.”

“Don’t worry about the cost. I just- I really wanted to make it up to you. Are we… good?”

You looked at him, still trying to recover from your initial shock.

“Yeah. Yeah, we’re good now. …Thanks. For apologizing and for getting me such a nice gift. You really didn’t have to, even if you were being stupid,” you said, a playful tone hitting the end of your remark.

“Yeah, I really was.” Jayce let a small smile dance across his lips.

“So now that we’re all good, let’s go out and do something!!” F/N wrapped her arms around you, giving you a big hug.

“Okay, okay, we can go out. I think there’s some sort of market going on today that we can go visit? It’s mostly artwork and trinkets, if you’re interested in that, Jayce.” Your friend let go, and you both looked at Jayce expectantly.

“Oh- you want me to come along? I- absolutely, if you want me to. Maybe I can find something to finally brighten up my apartment.”

Smiling, you set down the wine on your kitchen counter before grabbing your favorite black purse and exiting, F/N and Jayce right behind you.

-

It didn’t take much traversing of the city streets before you found the market space. Stalls were packed together on each side of the narrow street, each selling their own unique items. Luckily, you must have come at a less popular hour- instead of it being completely packed, there were only a few people here and there stopped at stalls. Still, it was loud. Vendors trying to get any passerby to stop and stare at their goods, shouting things like “You’ve never seen a piece so beautiful before!” and “The perfect gifts for your loved ones, right here!”

Despite your usual quiet demeanor, you loved it here. The smell of street food filled the air, and the bright colors of awnings above each stall felt inviting.

“Jayce, have you ever been to an outdoor market like this before?” You asked, realizing how overwhelming it could be to someone who hasn’t experienced one before.

“I haven’t, but looking at all of this… I’m wondering why I’ve never been. I bet there’s all sorts of fascinating things here!”

You laughed, nodding.

“I’ve found my fair share of treasures in markets like this. It’s truly amazing. But… since you’ve never been, it would probably be best for us to stick together instead of splitting up. Does anyone have a preference on which stall to go to?”

“Nope! Lead the way, Y/N! You seem to have a sense for where the best stuff is.” F/N hooked her arm together with yours as a measure to prevent the two of you from getting separated. Jayce was much larger, so he could probably follow without any hand-holding. He looked to you, ready to follow along.

You glanced at the nearest stalls, but slowly began drifting towards one a little further away that seemed to primarily sell jewelry. A tray in the front held various bracelets, and off to the side were racks of earrings and necklaces. Your eyes skimmed over the bracelets, none of the shapes or colors standing out to you. You repeated the process for the necklaces, stopping when you saw a teardrop-shaped amber pendant latched onto a golden chain.

“See something you like?” The stall owner appeared in front of you, leaning over her table to get a better look at the pendant you were enamored with.

“Ah, you have a good eye! This pendant is one of a kind. When I was looking through my scrap bin in my workshop, I came across a small chunk of amber. I don’t know where it came from- oddly enough, I don’t ever recall buying any for my works. It turned out gorgeous, though.”

“Yeah, it’s beautiful…” you said quietly, Jayce and F/N still busy looking at the bracelets.

“I’ll tell you what. Since you seem to like it so much, how about I also give you the pair of earrings that go with it? I’ll throw them in for free. Good deal, yes?”

You nodded, quickly taking out your wallet to pay. Something about the pendant was incredibly alluring, and you knew you had to have it.

After you made the purchase, the stall owner pulled out a hand mirror and offered it to you.

“Would you like to try them on?”

“Hmm… I think I will.”

You took out your silver hoops, replacing them with the dangling amber earrings.

“F/N, could you help me put on this necklace?”

She looked over and raised her eyebrows on surprise.

“I’ve never known you to prefer gold jewelry! It looks good, though! Here, I got it.”

She carefully took the thin golden chain, clasping it at the back of your neck. Picking up the mirror, you admired the jewelry. You felt pretty.

“I think I’ll keep these on.” You placed your original earrings in your bag, and then turned to look at Jayce studying the bracelets like his life depended on it.

“I wouldn’t have expected you to wear jewelry,” you said, sliding up next to him.

“Oh- no, no, it’s not for me. It’s for… my girlfriend.”

“You sure? You seem awfully hesitant,” you joked, looking down to the bracelets.

“Jayce, I didn’t know you had a girlfriend! Who is she?” F/N asked, picking up one of the bracelets and peering at the gemstones laid within it.

“Well, we’ve been trying to keep it secret for… reasons. So I can’t really tell you who she is, but she most definitely exists. And I’ve been meaning to get her something since our one month anniversary passed recently. Which bracelet looks better to you two?” Jayce picked up two golden bracelets; one was a thin gold band, and the other was slightly thicker, with engraved swirls.

“Well, since I have no idea who she is, I can’t say what would look good on her or what her style is, but personally, I prefer the second one.” You pointed to the thicker band, and your friend nodded.

“I was going to pick that one, but I just wanted another opinion. Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.”

You smiled warmly at him, thinking it was sweet of him to get something so pretty for his girlfriend.

After he made his purchase, and your friend made a purchase of her own, the three of you spent the next couple of hours wandering through the market, stopping every so often at a stall that interested you. You didn’t end up buying anything else except for a snack, feeling completely satisfied with your new jewelry.

Checking your watch, you saw that it was nearly 4. You didn’t have a shift today, but you did want to give yourself enough time to attempt making dinner.

“Hey, you guys, I’m gonna have to get back to my apartment soon to make dinner for this evening.” Before you could say goodbye, Jayce spoke up.

“Um- if it’s alright, would you be able to come over to my apartment for dinner? Vik’s making pasta tonight, and I know we’re going to have way too much for the two of us. So.. if you two were okay with it, we’d love to have you.”

“Is that alright? Viktor’s usually more of a lone wolf. I don’t want to intrude,” F/N said, still obviously excited at the prospect of getting to see their apartment.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine with it. He’s already used to you, and I can’t imagine him possibly being upset with seeing Y/N again.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” You asked, genuinely confused. Had Viktor said something about you?

“Well, nothing, really. I guess- I don’t know, I just think he might actually like you. I mean, he did actually take the time to introduce himself to you. That may be common decency for most, but Viktor hardly ever pays attention to anything but his work. When he’s working, it feels like I can’t get him to stop for anything, not even to eat or sleep sometimes.”

“Well, let’s hope you’re right. I’d hate to give him an unwelcome surprise. Shall we get going?”

You tried to hide how giddy you were at the fact that you might be special in some way to Viktor, hoping that the smile on your face wasn’t as big as you thought it was. Despite barely knowing anything about him, you could feel yourself developing a crush.

Jayce led the three of you out of the market, carefully squeezing between the crowd of people that had gathered over time. As you walked to his apartment, you fiddled with your new jewelry a few times, checking to make sure it hadn’t somehow fallen off.

-

It wasn’t long before you were standing in front of the door to Jayce’s apartment. Jayce pulled a key out of his pocket, but before inserting it, he paused.

“Wait.” He ushered you and F/N to the end of the hall, much further away from the door.

“I thought we were going to have dinner together? Did you change your mind?” F/N asked, you and her both visibly confused.

“No, but I have an idea. Y/N, I’ll stay over here with F/N, and you can walk up and knock on the door. If Viktor is starting on dinner like he said he would around this time, he should be close enough to hear the door and open it.”

“Huh? Why?” You looked at Jayce, wondering where he could have possibly been going with this.

“I wanna see how Viktor reacts! C’mon, don’t you think it’d be interesting?“

You had to admit, you were curious to see what Viktor would do. However, you were still reluctant.

“Jayce, I just met him- and you, actually- a few days ago, and I hardly even talked to him when we met. Don’t you think he’d be creeped out? Like, what if he thinks I stalked him?”

“If he seems uncomfortable, I’ll come over right away and explain that it was just a bad joke that I came up with. All the blame will go on me, and if anything, he’ll think you felt pressured to go along with it and feel bad for you. If you really don’t want to, then you don’t have to, but I don’t think it could hurt.”

After hesitating for a moment, you turned and walked back to the door. You glanced at Jayce, who gave you a thumbs-up. F/N silently pointed to Jayce and gave you an expression that seemed to say “You’re really going along with what this idiot wants?”. You shrugged, lifting your hand to rap on the door.

Quiet. It was silent for a moment except for the sound of your thundering heartbeat.

Suddenly, you heard footsteps accompanied by a soft tap.

Slowly, the door opened to reveal Viktor, and as your eyes met his, you realized something.

“Oh my God,” you muttered, now much more nervous than you were to begin with.

Your new jewelry that you bought was the color of Viktor’s eyes. That was the reason you were so drawn to it.

“…Y/N? That is your name, yes?” His eyes were wide, an emotion that you couldn’t quite recognize filling his gaze.

“Y-yeah,” Suddenly, you were trying to look at anything but his face.

“Can I ask what you’re doing here?”

“I…” you stopped. What were you supposed to say now?

“Jayce wanted me to come over..?” You tried, uncertainty laced in your voice.

“Okay… but where is he? How did you know to come here?”

You felt yourself shrinking. Viktor was interrogating you, and rightfully so, but the lack of warmth in his tone made you feel like you had made a mistake. The last thing you had wanted to do was make him uncomfortable.

“He, um-“

“Because I brought her here! And F/N as well. I invited them over for dinner.” Jayce’s hand was now on your shoulder, which snapped you out of the cold headspace you were slipping into.

“I take it your apology went well, then. But why make Y/N knock by herself?”

“Jayce thought it would be funny to see how you reacted. One of his odd whims, as per usual.” F/N said, gently elbowing Jayce in the ribs.

“Ah, I see. Can’t say I’m surprised. Come in,” Viktor said, his voice now less tense.

“Why, thank you for letting me in to my own apartment,” Jayce bowed to Viktor as if he were a king, which elicited an eye roll from Viktor.

“I was just trying to be inviting to the guests you brought with you. The notion that I would ever tell you to ‘come in’ to your own apartment is ridiculous.”

You giggled, which caused a small smile to appear on Viktor’s face that did not go unnoticed by F/N. She kept her mouth shut, wanting to see for herself how this would play out.

“Dinner won’t take long. Jayce, could you set the table?”

III - Dinner

-

Looking around, you realized just how right Jayce was. He and Viktor made no effort to make their apartment inviting. The beige walls lay barren, not a single decoration in sight. No paintings, no plants, not even a simple rug on the floor. Just the bare apartment and the furniture it came with. No signs of life, either- no jackets on chairs, no dirty dishes in the sink, no unfolded blankets on the couch. Just the dishes that Jayce was currently placing on the round dining room table, and the pots on the stove that were currently being used to make dinner. F/N, just like you, was also staring at the near-empty room.

“All of this space, and truly not a single decoration. You two are…”

“Practical.” Viktor finished, carefully straining the pasta before mixing it with sauce.

“Well, I was going to say boring, but I suppose that works too.” F/N looked at you, noticing your slightly flushed cheeks.

“You alright, Y/N? You look a little unwell.”

“Oh, I’m fine! I was just lost in thought. This place really is quite empty.”

F/N smiled, continuing to poke fun and Jayce and Viktor for their bare-bones apartment. You, however, were back in your thoughts, unable to chime in. You weren’t lying when you said you were lost in thought- you just hadn’t specified exactly what you were lost in thought about.

Currently, you were thinking about your interaction at the door with Viktor. You wished you hadn’t went along with Jayce’s idea of “surprising” Viktor. He was clearly confused and uncomfortable. You noticed how his voice relaxed once Jayce approached, how his body visibly became less stiff.

And you knew it made sense. He hardly even knew you, had only spoken to you once, had awkwardly seen you flee the lab after Jayce’s words. You would also be confused if someone who was basically a stranger showed up at your door without explanation of what they were doing or how they got there.

Despite all of this, you felt disappointed that you hadn’t received a warmer reaction from Viktor. Some small part of your brain told you that he was being stiff because he liked you and was nervous; the rest of your brain knew better.

You also couldn’t stop thinking about your new jewelry and how well it matched Viktor’s eyes. You began fiddling with the chain of the pendant as you wondered if anyone would make the connection.

“Jayce, could you help me with this?”

Jayce, who was playfully bickering with F/N, got up and picked up the pot of pasta for Viktor, carefully bringing it over and setting it on a trivet in the middle of the table.

“I’m just saying, if you ever want to have your girlfriend over, I think she’d feel more comfortable if it didn’t look like as dead as this.”

“And I’m saying that I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.” Jayce grabbed a large spoon and began to scoop some pasta out onto his plate while Viktor made his way over to the table. He rested his cane on a nearby wall, carefully placing himself in a chair.

“Y/N, wouldn’t you want a man with a space that looked lived in?” F/N asked, hoping you would help her prove her point. All eyes turned to you, and you felt very conscious of the fact that Viktor was seated right next to you.

“I… I think I’d definitely prefer someone with a decorated space. If I got led into a nearly empty apartment, I’d think they were gonna kill me and leave my body there.” Viktor let out a small laugh at your words, which made your heart soar.

“See?? Y/N understands. Anyways…” the voices around you began to mix together as everyone got their share of pasta and began to eat between chatter. For a while, they discussed the lab assignment from earlier in the week, so you stayed silent and listened, paying special attention whenever Viktor spoke.

After a while, F/N, ever so perceptive, noticed you weren’t talking due to the conversation topic being foreign to you.

“Hey, how about after we finish eating, we play a game? Something like never have I ever, maybe?”

“I would not be opposed.” Surprised, you looked at Viktor.

“Wow, you must be in a good mood, Vik! I’m in too,” Jayce said.

“Sure, why not? It could be fun,” you added on, taking another bite of your pasta. It was much more delicious than whatever concoction you would have made, you’re sure.

“Alright, it’s settled!”

-

After everyone finished eating, Jayce cleared the table and set a glass of wine in front of each person.

“Ooh, how fancy,” you said, swirling the glass and looking at the deep red liquid.

“Yeah, well I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what you can make at the bar,” Jayce replied, taking his seat once more.

“True. You’ll have to swing by sometime. I bet I can make the most delicious cocktail you’ve ever had.”

“I don’t know, I’ve had some pretty good drinks at galas…”

“Yeah, right. You rich Pilties don’t know what’s good.” A grin spread across your face. Jayce feigned hurt, putting a hand on his chest like you had wounded him. He was about to reply, but Viktor interjected by clearing his throat.

“Shall we begin the game now?”

“Oh! Yes. Sorry about that. I’ll start.” Jayce was quiet for a brief moment, pondering what his “Never have I ever” should be.

“Got it! Never have I ever… cheated on an exam.”

No one took a sip, and Jayce shrugged.

“Guess I should’ve known. Still, I was curious.”

You knew your reason for not drinking was far different from the other two. You had never even had the opportunity to take an exam, let alone cheat. There was a lack of formal education in Zaun, and when you finally clawed your way up to Piltover, you had no desire to try and make it into any school. You were smart, but not smart enough for your birthplace to be ignored. The same could not be said for F/N, and assumingly Viktor as well. While your talents laid in the artistic field, those two were far more academically inclined.

“Jayce, you know how important academic integrity is to the Academy. If there’s even a suspicion of someone cheating, they’re thoroughly examined and often booted.” Your friend held her glass in one hand, using the other to push a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, yeah. Didn’t hurt to ask, though. Anyways- Viktor, it’s your turn. What do you have for us?”

Each person took their turn around the circle several times, glasses slowly emptying. If someone took a sip on a particularly interesting statement, they would be forced to stop and explain. You learned that Jayce once owned a pet fish, Viktor once called his professor “mother”, and various other tidbits of information that you began cataloguing in your mind.

Before long, it was your turn again, and you asked a question that had been gnawing at your mind.

“Never have I ever… kissed a girl.”

“Oh come on, this has to be targeted!” Your friend whined, taking the last sip of her wine. Jayce took his last sip as well, knocking them both out of the game. You stared at Viktor, who also only had one sip left in his glass.

He lifted the glass to his lips before smiling and putting it back down, a small pool of red still remaining at the bottom of the glass.

“Never?” You asked, admittedly feeling pleased at the result.

“Never. I do not have the time to pursue such… frivolous things.”

Oh.

“I’ve been trying to get him to meet someone for ages, but he just won’t budge on the topic.” Jayce sighed dramatically, and Viktor scoffed.

“I do not see why it is so important to you that I indulge in romance. Anyways, my turn.” Viktor looked you directly in the eyes, making you shift uncomfortably and fidget with your jewelry.

“Never have I ever kissed a man.”

Defeated, you took the last sip of your drink.

“Ooh, do you have a boyfriend, Y/N?” Jayce prodded.

“No, just a couple of bad exes.” You set your glass down, nearly shuddering at the thought of your most recent ex.

“Got any good stories to share?”

“Hm…” you searched your memories for any experiences that were funny in retrospect.

“A couple of years ago, I dated this guy who took me out to some fancy restaurant for dinner. Apparently, I cut my steak the wrong way, and he spent the rest of the evening lecturing me about it. I knew right there that it wasn’t meant to be.”

“I remember you telling me that when it happened,” F/N laughed.

“He looked like he was in agony, like I was committing a heinous offense against him. I couldn’t do it,” you laughed along, Jayce joining in soon after. Much quieter, Viktor chuckled.

“Well, it looks like you won, Viktor. Congrats,” you looked at him, grinning.

“Thank you.” His heart squeezed in his chest, which confused him.

“It’s getting late- I should probably leave before it’s pitch black outside.” You got up, and F/N joined you.

“I’ll head out too. Thanks for inviting us over, Jayce, and thanks for sharing the dinner you made, Viktor. It was delicious,” F/N smiled, but Viktor’s heart did not repeat the same action that occurred a moment ago.

“Hey, so…” you spoke up, causing everyone to look to you.

“I have a shift tomorrow evening at Eclipse, if you guys would like to stop by…? I can get you a pretty decent discount on drinks.”

“Sure! Viktor and I don’t have any plans.”

“And I was already going to stop by anyway, so you know I’ll be there. You still owe me a cocktail for my birthday.”

“Alright, then I’ll see you all there. Looking forward to it!”

You exited the apartment with F/N, the two of you chatting about the evening before parting ways to get to your respective apartments.

-

“They were nice. We should hang out with them more often.” Jayce stood at the sink washing dishes while Viktor sat at the counter, trying to figure out what his heart was doing earlier.

“Hey, Vik,” Jayce continued, which got his attention.

“What do you think of Y/N?”

“What do you mean?”

“Was she fun to be around?”

Viktor thought about the way you looked at him when he opened the door. He thought about how, for a split second, he wanted to take you into the apartment, no questions asked, and spend the evening talking to you alone. How your face lit up when you took the first bite of pasta, and you quickly took another. How your lips pouted slightly each time you had to take a sip of wine. How you had smiled at him when you congratulated him on his win, and the way it made him feel.

“…yes, I suppose.”

Jayce turned around to get a good look at his friend’s face, instantly being met with the sight of a man absolutely smitten.

“…are you sure that romance is as frivolous as you say?”

“Jayce, what are you implying?”

“Well, Y/N doesn’t have a boyfriend, so…”

“Jayce. That is a ridiculous idea, even for you. I think… I think I will retire to my room for the night.”

“Alright, but you should seriously reconsider romance. Goodnight, Vik.”

Jayce didn’t miss the red flush on Viktor’s neck as he turned around and made his way to his bedroom. The gears in his head began turning, trying to figure out how to make Viktor admit he was interested in you.

IV - Eclipse

-

The next morning, Viktor had worse dark circles than normal. Thanks to Jayce’s comments about you, Viktor could not stop thinking about you, which led to a nearly complete and total lack of sleep.

He thought about your voice, your face, your smile, your body. What it would be like to actually date you- would he spend his time sitting at the bar, staring at you lovingly as you worked your shift? Would you stop by the Academy when you were free and watch him tinker away in the lab? Would you listen to one of his long-winded ramblings about his current studies, and what new discoveries he was making? Would your expression be full of love, your hand holding his?

What would it be like to kiss you? He had never kissed anyone before, but he bet he wouldn’t even dream about kissing anyone else after kissing you. Your lips would be so soft, feel so gentle against his, taste so good if he ran his tongue over them.

He thought of questions to ask you, topics that the two of you could discuss for hours. What was your life in Zaun like, and how had you made it here? Did you have a dream job you were working towards, or were you perfectly content being a bartender? What was your favorite hobby? What were your favorite things in general?

He wanted to study you inside and out like a beautiful machine. To know each and every part of your body and mind intimately. He felt disgusted for thinking this way about someone he hardly knew. What would you say if you knew the kind of thoughts he was having?

Viktor sipped on a mug of coffee, trying to make headway on a research paper he wished to present to his professor soon. You made his efforts futile.

Looking at the clock, he groaned. Only 10:00.

It was going to be a long, long day.

-

When it came time for your shift, you happily made your way to the bar. It was only a couple of minutes away from your apartment, making it quite convenient.

You slipped into the employee room, exchanging your sweatshirt and jeans for a sleek collared shirt and dress pants. You pinned back any stray hairs, gave yourself a quick look in the mirror, and then went out to stand behind the counter.

The shift was agonizingly slow as you waited for your friends to show up, but luckily for you, customers were behaving fairly well today. A few glares your way from Pilties, but you could handle that. If they wanted a Zaunite-free zone, they should have gone to one of their fancy lounges further away from the bridge instead of here.

As you took orders and served drinks, you thought about what to make for everyone. You had figured out something for F/N already, but you had no idea what preferences Jayce and Viktor had. You wished to dwell on it longer, but a patron had walked up to you.

“Excuse me,” he said, tapping on the table to further get your attention.

“Oh! My apologies, sir. What can I pour for you?”

“Whiskey. On the rocks. I don’t care what brand, just make it quick.”

You were a little irked, but unfortunately used to the impatience of others. A lot of people visited as a way to relieve stress, so if they weren’t buzzed yet, their remaining stress would be taken out on you. Most of the time, it was just a snide comment or a pushy tone, which was certainly manageable.

You set the glass in front of him, but before you could pull your hand away, he grabbed your wrist.

“You’re quite a pretty little thing. How come I’ve never seen you here before?”

The color began to drain from your face. You dealt with patrons like this every so often, and it was always such a treat.

“Must have missed my shifts. How would you like to pay for your drink, sir?”

“I’ll hand you the money, but first I’d like to talk.”

“Sir, as much as I appreciate your… attention, I have other patrons to serve.”

“Where?” He asked, and you realized he was right. The only people in the bar already had food or a drink in front of them, and none looked like they were ready to request anything else.

“…well, I’m sure they’ll need my assistance soon.”

He let go of your hand, which you jerked back to your side. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out a notepad, pen, and his wallet.

“Tell you what, darling.”

You nearly retched at the name.

“You give me some way to contact you- preferably your address, and I pay you triple for the drink. I can take you out for a nice dinner sometime. What do you say?”

You looked this man up and down. He was at least twice your age, perhaps older, with thinning hair and beady eyes. His hand, which was holding his glass of whiskey, displayed a thin wedding band.

“Sir, I’m sure your wife wouldn’t appreciate that.” You heard the employee door open, and you looked over to see your boss who was doing a routine check-in on you. You stared at her while she walked over, eyes pleading for help.

Despite your boss being from Piltover, she had the appearance of a Zaunite. Tattoos filling her arms, a few small scars on her face, and a very intimidating aura encircled her. She was great at scaring away unwanted guests, which is exactly what you needed right now.

“Hello, sir. Is there anything I can help with?”

He faltered slightly, but was clearly determined to be as much of a creep as possible.

“No ma’am. I was just asking this lovely lady here if she would kindly escort me on a date sometime.”

Before you could react, he grabbed your hand once more and planted a kiss on it before letting it go. You felt bile rise in the back of your throat, fear freezing you in place.

“Sorry, but our employees aren’t permitted to indulge the whims of decrepit old men. You may leave. Oh, but please do pay first.”

His face flushed a violent red, and he slammed down a fistful of coins.

“I should have known that filth like you wasn’t worth it,” he spat.

Filth like you.

“I can’t believe you’re even allowed to work up here. Sewer trash. You know, I was doing you a favor by inviting you out. You could have experienced luxury. At least you know your place, I suppose.”

“That’s enough,” your boss growled, which was finally enough to make him scamper out of the bar. A few people had watched the scene go down, but one glare from your boss was enough to make them suddenly very interested in their plates and glasses.

You felt rage coil up inside of you. He had no right to say those things about you, to touch you, to press his slimy lips to your skin. If only you had this interaction on the street, you could have taken a swing at him, and-

“If you ask me, he’s the rat. Certainly looks the part.” You looked up to your boss, who gave you a worried expression.

“You okay, sweetheart? I know it never gets any easier dealing with that kind of nonsense.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I think- I just need a minute.”

“Sure thing. I’ll take over for a bit. You can hang out in the back- no one else has a shift for the next couple of hours, so it’ll be empty.”

“Thank you. I promise I won’t be long.”

“Take all the time you need, dear.”

You gave her a weak smile before escaping to the employee room. Stepping into the bathroom, you gripped the sink tightly, knuckles turning white. You felt dirty. You needed to purify yourself, get the man out of your mind, off of your body.

Turning on the sink, you pumped out an excessive amount of soap and began scrubbing your hands together. It wasn’t enough. You scrubbed harder, nails beginning to scrape the skin. A wave of nausea overcame you as you replayed the moment he grabbed your hand and kissed it. You continued to scrub, hoping your memories would wash away, but it wasn’t working.

A soft knock on the door startled you.

“Y/N? You’ve got some guests,” you boss called, waiting for you to respond.

Oh, right. They must be here.

You turned off the water, roughly drying your raw, scratched-up hands. You grabbed a pair of gloves from your pile of things, hoping they would disguise your actions. Normally, you only used the gloves when you were on dish duty, but this was a special case. Hopefully, your boss wouldn’t notice, and if she did, she wouldn’t say a word.

Opening the door, you were greeted with the sight of Jayce, F/N, and Viktor all seated at the counter.

“You ready to go back?” Your boss asked, still deeply concerned.

“I think so. If anything comes up, I’ll call for you. Thank you,” you replied, voice breaking ever so slightly. She retreated to the back, hoping your friends would be the perfect distraction.

“Hey guys! You all ready for the best drinks you’ve ever had?” you asked, trying to return to the bright mood you were in earlier. Clearly, you weren’t as convincing as you wanted to be, because F/N gave you an odd look.

“Yeah, definitely. What would you recommend? I’m open to anything.” Jayce glanced at the various bottles of liquor behind you, admiring the decorative way they were set.

“I… would also be open to anything.” You turned to look at Viktor, who, for some reason, wasn’t looking you in the eye like he was yesterday. You didn’t really notice, thoughts still primarily elsewhere.

“Well, for me, I’d like something colorful and fun. Something that screams happy birthday, you know?”

Your friend’s comment brought you out of your discomfort, if only a little.

“I’ve already got something in mind for you. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. I just have to think of drinks for the guys.”

Your shifted your thoughts to different kinds of cocktails, and it didn’t take long to pick one out for each person.

“Just give me a few moments, and I’ll have some drinks whipped up for you.”

Viktor and Jayce began to chat about the bar while F/N watched you work. Something about you was off, but she had no idea why. Perhaps you had a bad night’s sleep, or some customer had been a jerk. Whatever it was, she wished to get your mind off of it as soon as possible.

You flitted around the bar- grabbing one thing here, another there, pouring something in one glass, shaking up something for another. Before you started on Viktor’s cocktail, you hesitated for a moment, thinking of the man from before. You shook your head. One vile man could not ruin an entire type of alcohol for you; you wouldn’t let it happen.

“Alright, here you are!”

In front of F/N, you placed a tequila sunrise, which she seemed delighted with. Jayce was given a piña colada, and Viktor received an old fashioned.

“I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this,” Jayce commented, twirling the little umbrella you had placed in his drink.

“Well, I figured you’d probably never had such a frilly drink at one of your fancy galas. It’s a classic,” you said, watching Jayce as he took a sip. His eyebrows raised, and he took a second.

“Wow. I don’t know how I haven’t had one of these before. It’s delicious.”

“Glad you like it.”

“You’re awesome, Y/N! If I ever become rich, I’m hiring you as a private bartender,” F/N said, already making good progress on her drink.

Once again, you could feel your previous discomfort slipping from your mind, the only reminder being your gloved, irritated hands.

Viktor picked up his glass, swirling it gently before taking a sip.

“Is it.. good?”

Out of everyone’s opinions, Viktor’s mattered the most to you.

“Yes, quite. I think I’d like to come by in the future.”

“I’d like that too,” you said, almost too quiet for Viktor to hear it.

“Y/N, how much longer is your shift?” F/N questioned, still happily sipping her drink.

“Ah, should be about an hour, I think?”

“Can we come over to your place after? Pleaaase please please? If you don’t want the boys over, at least have me over! I don’t have class until tomorrow afternoon, so I can stay up late and talk with you! Please?”

You were conflicted. You didn’t want to be alone after your horrendous experience earlier, but you still needed time to process it. F/N had seen you at some of your lowest lows, but you’d rather not expose her to that on purpose.

“How about I think about it, and I get back to you?”

“Okay! I’ll convince you, don’t worry!”

The next hour was spent switching between attending to customers and chatting with your friends. As time passed, your mood improved, and you were warming up to the idea of the three of them coming to your apartment.

“It’s time for you to get off your shift now, right? So, did I convince you? Can we come over?”

“Yeah, alright. Sure. You’ve convinced me. By the way, don’t worry about the drink cost. I’ve got it covered.” F/N cheered, urging you to hurry up and clock out. Viktor excused himself to the restroom while you were busy changing, which was the perfect opportunity for Jayce to suggest an idea to F/N.

“Okay, hear me out. Last night, Viktor seemed flustered when I talked about Y/N. I think there’s a real chance he likes her, and I need to prove it.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I’m listening…”

“You and I come up with excuses for why we can’t come, and Viktor spends the rest of the evening alone with Y/N. Something’s gotta happen, right?”

The idea sounded a little silly to her. Chances are, Viktor wouldn’t stay long, awkwardly leaving almost immediately after arriving. However, she was curious about what would happen if he did end up staying.

“…okay, I’ll go along with it. If something bad happens and they end up hating each other, this is your fault, okay?”

“Yeah, sure. Let’s just be optimistic, okay?”

“If you say so…”

It wasn’t long before you returned, still wearing your gloves, and Viktor shortly after. Jayce cursed under his breath, and then gave you a very convincing apologetic look.

“I’m so sorry. I just remembered that my girlfriend wanted to see me tonight, and I said I’d stop by after checking out the bar. I hope the rest of you have fun, but I’ve gotta go.”

“Oh, okay. Have fun! I’m sure F/N will tell you about all the fun you missed out on,” you joked as he nearly ran out of the bar.

You, Viktor, and F/N left a moment later, and when you made it to the doors of the building, F/N let out an impossibly loud gasp.

“Oh my God, Y/N! My professor wanted to meet with me early in the morning to discuss one of my assignments- I can’t stay, I’m so, so sorry!”

Before you could even question her, she ran off. You looked at Viktor, silent for a moment before speaking.

“…so, do you have anywhere you need to dash off to? You can stay. I don’t mind.”

“I… I would like to stay, if you are comfortable with that.”

You nodded, shyly leading him to your room, unsure of how the night would unfold.

V - Drunken Decisions

-

“Ah… I can see why our apartment was such a shock. This is far more elegant,” Viktor said, looking around as you set your keys by the door. You stopped, looking at your gloves.

“Are your hands cold?”

“…no. I- I’m fine.” Nausea rushed to your core as you peeled off the gloves, revealing your skin which was still a hint red, various scratches covered with dried blood.

Viktor’s eyes widened.

“Are you okay? Were your hands like that all night?”

You wordlessly nodded, tears pricking the corners of your eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it? I am eh.. not the best at consoling, but I can listen.”

You felt the memories come flooding back, and you knew you couldn’t keep it to yourself.

“Will you drink with me first?” Your voice was weak, wavering as tears threatened to spill.

“Of course.”

“You can sit on the couch. I’ll be over in a moment.”

You trudged over to the kitchen, carefully washing any remaining blood off of your hands. You grabbed the bottle of wine that you still hadn’t put away, taking out two glasses and filling them, admittedly filling yours far too full.

In one hand, you carefully balanced the glasses, while the other carried the bottle. Viktor had already sat himself down on the end of the couch, cane resting on the arm. Silently, you handed him a glass before sitting down and taking a long sip of your own.

It was quiet for a while before you spoke.

“There was this man.”

Viktor looked at you, cradling his wine glass.

“He… he was like any other bad customer at first. Impatient, rude, whatever. But then, he grabbed me. Called me a ‘pretty little thing’. Tried to get me to agree to go out with him. I tried refusing, and my… my boss showed up to help. But before I could react, he…”

You finished the rest of your glass, hot tears now running down your face.

“He kissed my hand. I felt so, so disgusting. My boss, she managed to scare him off, but before he left, he threw some insults at me. Called me filth for being from Zaun.” Your words were less than comprehensible, sobs and shaky breaths breaking them up.

“Right before you guys came, I was in the back washing my hands raw. I just- I couldn’t get him off of me. His lips wouldn’t go away,” you cried, now pouring yourself another too-full glass.

Viktor remained silent, unsure of how to react. He wanted to hold you close, but figured the last thing you wanted was the unexpected touch of a man.

“Vik, am I filthy?”

The shortened name came out naturally, perhaps with the influence of alcohol, but you weren’t in a state to stop and get embarrassed about it.

“No. No, no no. Of course not.” His heart broke a little when he looked into your eyes and saw how disgusted you were with yourself.

“His touch is still on my skin. I can still feel it, and it’s disgusting. I’m vile.” You tried wiping the tears from your eyes, but more took their place.

“Y/N, you are anything but vile. He’s the vile one for daring to touch you in such a way. I- cannot say I’ve ever experienced such a horrible thing, but you… you will recover. I know you will.”

“I can’t,” you said, continuously wiping tears with your sleeves.

“You can. I may not know you as well as- well, as well as I’d like to, but you’re strong. Much stronger than men like him.”

You sniffled, finishing your second overfilled glass of wine. You were quite a lightweight, so this was far too much for you, but you couldn’t care less right now. You just wanted something to make it all go away.

“Could you hold me?”

Viktor was shocked at the request, but certainly wouldn’t deny you.

“If that is what you want, then yes, I-“

You instantly fell into his arms, buried your face into his warm chest, and cried. Awkwardly, Viktor placed his hands on your back, beginning to rub soft circles.

The two of you stayed like that until your tears stopped, until alcohol’s influence began to take you over. Slowly, you peeled yourself off of him, eyes red and puffy. As you looked at the large damp spot on his chest, you began to laugh. A warm euphoria began to take place in your chest.

“This wasn’t how I imagined your first visit to my apartment.”

Curious, he looked at you.

“How did you imagine it?”

A sly smile came across your face.

“It would start out with drinks, like it did tonight. We’d talk for a while, getting into deep conversations and sharing secrets. But then…” You slid onto his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck. You leaned in slightly, locking eyes with him.

“I’d tell you my biggest secret.”

“…and what would that be?”

“That I have a crush on you,” you giggled before continuing.

“That I’ve been thinking about you nonstop since we met. That when I went to the market with F/N and Jayce, I bought jewelry that matched the color of your eyes because subconsciously, I wanted some piece of you to be on my body. That I think you’re the most gorgeous man I’ve ever met.”

Viktor couldn’t believe what you were drunkenly confessing to him. He wanted to respond, to tell you he was going through something similar. To tell you he would love it if you wore that jewelry every day just for him.

Unfortunately, now was not the time.

“Vik, do you have any secrets?”

“I do.”

“Oh? Would you care to enlighten me?” You hiccuped, trying your best to keep your eyes on him. Sleepiness was taking you over, but you didn’t want to miss out on this moment with Viktor.

“How about I tell you another time? I promise that it will be worth it.”

You pouted.

“But Vik…” you whined, cupping his face in your hands.

“Why can’t you tell me now..? I wanna know..” your sentences began trailing off, heavy eyelids trying to shut.

“You need rest right now. I am sure there will be a better time for this conversation.”

Gently, he nudged you off his lap, your protests becoming weaker and weaker. He slid off the couch, kneeling on the floor for a moment. It hurt to do so, but being eye level with you and seeing you drift off to sleep was something he couldn’t give up. When he was sure you had fallen asleep, he leaned in to meet your ear and whispered, his accent much thicker than normal.

“Goodnight, miláčku.”

Carefully, he managed to get up, take his cane, and slip out of your apartment, bathed in moonlight as he walked home.

-

When Viktor made it back, the lights were on, and Jayce was sitting at the counter. He perked up, excitedly going over to greet Viktor.

“How was it?”

“Weren’t you… supposed to be with your girlfriend? Did she get tired of you?”

“Well… I never actually went to see her. I just wanted you and Y/N to have some alone time. So, how did it go? Did you guys have fun?”

“…It’s none of your business.”

Jayce was unable to interrogate further, as Viktor made it to his room and closed the door. He was unsure of how to interpret Viktor’s response, but hoped he was simply too embarrassed to give up any details. Sighing, he retired to his room as well, ready to let sleep take over.

VI - Aftermath

(This chapter includes nsfw content)

-

The next day, Viktor went to classes as usual, completing work and listening to lectures. On the outside, he seemed to be functioning perfectly well.

On the inside, he was a wreck.

The reality of last night hadn’t truly set in until the morning after, and when it did, a thousand questions clawed at the back of his mind.

Did you mean it when you said you had a crush on him? Should he have given you a better clue as to what he felt? What would have happened if you told him in better circumstances, when you weren’t under the influence? Would it be a good idea to stop by your apartment to have a longer talk with you? When would be a good time to see you? What would he say? When he began to think about what would happen if he stopped by your apartment, darker, lustful thoughts took over. They plagued him, making it possibly the most difficult day of classes Viktor had ever been through.

He went back to his apartment in the afternoon, tried to continue work on his research paper, but once again, you absolutely decimated his focus.

Jayce was out at an event with his girlfriend which would last until late into the night, making Viktor completely alone.

Naturally, this did not help stop his darker thoughts from taunting him. He recalled the way it felt when you were sitting on his lap, the gentle pressure against him being just right. Your voice as you confessed your crush was so beautiful, and he wondered how you would sound speaking dirty words to him.

Viktor shifted in his desk chair, his cock beginning to twitch in his trousers.

Your lips were so close to his last night when you told him he was gorgeous. He wanted nothing more than to crash his lips against yours hungrily and shove his tongue down your throat. He began palming himself through the fabric of his pants, letting out small groans. It had been a while since the last time he touched himself, so he was rather sensitive.

He moaned your name, jerking his hips up against his hand. The friction felt good, but he was sure you would feel far better. He thought about you straddling him, sliding him inside of you and bouncing on his cock. Frantically, he undid his belt and wrapped his hand around himself, beginning to pump quickly.

“Ah… Y/N…”

He wondered what kind of expressions you would make as he thrusted up into you, squeezing your hips tightly. God, he needed you. He had never felt such insatiable desire for someone before, and it was overwhelming his senses.

Viktor continued to jerk his hand up and down erratically, knowing it wouldn’t be long before he came undone. Oh, how he wished you were here. He longed to run his hands over every piece of your body, to learn every curve and exploit each and every sensitive spot. His moans grew louder, soft whines escaping when he made it to the tip of his cock only to drag his hand back down to the base.

“Y/N, please…”

As he thought about you coming, your insides clenching around him, his own release came, causing his strokes to slow before stopping entirely.

Coming down from his high, he looked at the sticky mess on his hand.

How was he supposed to face you after this?

-

Your day started much later than Viktor’s, your body refusing to even consider getting up until well past noon. When you finally could get up, you groaned, body cold and uncomfortable from the foreign sleeping location. Sitting up, you rubbed your eyes, hissing when you unintentionally touched one of your scratches.

Head pounding, you made your way to the kitchen to pour yourself a glass of water. Slowly, you drank it, memories of last night incredibly faint. When you set down the glass, it was as if it were a trigger to flood the memories back into your brain.

You cursed loudly, covering your face with your hands. Not only were you so incredibly vulnerable with Viktor, so weak and fragile- but you had also told him how you felt.

You knew he thought romance was frivolous. Why would you ever confess to him? His response was probably a polite way to escape the conversation. Not only did you confess, but you completely invaded his personal space, getting unbelievably touchy with him.

“God… what did I do?”

The apartment was completely silent in response, quietly taunting you and laughing at your distraught state.

Thankfully, you didn’t work on Mondays, so you weren’t in any rush to recover from your hangover. You desperately needed to freshen up, so you grabbed some clothes and entered your bathroom, twisting the shower handle to an exorbitantly hot temperature. The pain in your head was still present, but the water running over your body soothed you. Your mind wandered towards Viktor once more, his soothing presence and comforting words. It was embarrassing to have cried in front of him, but he was so gentle with you, and he said the exact things you had wanted to hear.

Stepping out of the shower, you dried off and changed into a t-shirt and a new pair of sweatpants. You took an ointment out of your cabinet, slathering it on your scratches. When you returned to the main living space, you were hyper-aware of how empty it was.

“…I miss you,” you muttered, glancing over to the empty couch.

You longed for Viktor’s presence, but feared seeking it out. Surely, next time he met you, he would tell you that he didn’t feel the same way. The blossoming friendship the two of you had felt as if it were withering away.

Desperate to shift your thoughts to something else, you made yourself a cup of tea and sat on the couch to drink it. The tea was relaxing, but not enough to stop your worrying about Viktor.

You hoped F/N would come over tonight. Sometimes, if she wasn’t too busy, she’d stop by on your day off to chat. At a time like this, you could use her advice.

While you waited to see if she would show up, you decided to bake some cookies. Your cooking skills left something to be desired, but your baking abilities were solid. It didn’t take long to mix up the dough, which you then proceeded to scoop into balls and place on a tray in the fridge. The late afternoon crept into evening, and before long, there was a knock at your door. You opened it, greeted with the exact face you wanted to see.

“Y/N!!! How are you? How was last night?” She made her way into the apartment, eyeing the oven, which was now turned on.

“Are you making something?”

“Yeah, I’m making cookies. Can we sit down and talk? There’s- so much has happened.”

F/N saw the serious look in your eyes, and she instantly moved over to sit on the couch, you following behind.

You recounted the events of last night, beginning with the creepy man you encountered, and ending with how you fell asleep on the couch.

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I wish we had gotten to the bar earlier- I could have scared him away. No wonder you seemed off last night.” She pulled you into a hug, which you greatly appreciated. You pulled away after a moment, hoping to hear her thoughts on the latter half of your story.

“So- Viktor. Did I royally screw things up?”

F/N shook her head.

“No, there’s no way. I saw the way he looked at you when we were at his apartment. That man has it bad for you, he just hasn’t acknowledged it yet.”

“Even if that were true- which I don’t think it is- what do I do now? Do I just show up at his apartment and say ‘Hey, sorry for drunkenly confessing my feelings to you, but I wasn’t lying and you should make out with me now’?”

“I’m fairly confident that would work, but I have a better idea. You need to seduce him, make it impossible for him to not make a move. And I know the perfect way for you to do so.”

F/N laid out her plan for you, and you listened intently, only stopping her so you could take the cookies out of the oven before allowing her to continue explaining her plan.

You had a lot of work to do.

VII - The Art of Seduction

-

The plan you set forth was slow and deliberate. First, you stopped by the lab the next afternoon. F/N had assured you Viktor would be here, and she was right. When you knocked on the door, he was the one to open it.

“Hey, what’s up?”

A blush slowly crept up Viktor’s face, but he attempted to seem nonchalant. You could not be tipped off about what he did last night.

“Eh… nothing. Are you looking for F/N? She’s in a lecture right now.”

“No, I was looking for you.”

Your cool, collected demeanor confused Viktor. Had you not just drunkenly confessed to him the other night? He was pleased you were seemingly in a better mood, but couldn’t figure out what caused the immediate change.

“Did you want to talk? About…” He trailed off, and you flinched.

“N-No. There’s no need. I just wanted to give you these.”

You held out a small box of cookies and smiled at him, leaning forward slightly. He saw a glint on your ears and neck and immediately recognized it as the amber jewelry you mentioned. If he wasn’t already nervous before, he certainly was now.

“Made them yesterday. Helped me clear my mind and relax.”

“You didn’t have to- eh, thank you, Y/N.”

As he quickly reached to grab the box, you deliberately let your fingers brush against his. He stopped, nearly dropping the box. Slowly, you dragged your fingers back, then returning your arms to your sides.

“That’s all. I have a long shift at the bar starting soon, so I’ll go. But Viktor?”

“Yes?”

“I meant what I said that night. Every word.”

Viktor wanted to stop you, ask you to clarify, but you were already fleeing the building, unable to keep yourself composed a moment later.

Once you finally made it out of the Academy, you stopped and looked back.

“Please let this plan work,” you muttered.

-

The next time Viktor saw you was Saturday evening. Jayce invited you and F/N over for dinner again, promising that he would be the chef this time. Overall, the evening was fairly similar to the last, the primary change being the meal, which Jayce had decided would be enchiladas.

While he was in the kitchen, you all talked about how things were going- their studies at the academy, your work at the bar. A few times, you gently grabbed Viktor’s arm to stabilize yourself as you laughed. Even worse, you decided to whisper into his ear to make side comments once or twice.

For a split second, he considered yanking you into his room, pinning you against the door and asking if you knew what you were doing to him, how you were driving him insane. His rationality and anxieties won over- first, he was sure that Jayce and F/N would not appreciate the interruption, and second, what if you weren’t doing this on purpose? If he misjudged, and you were just trying to be friendly?

Of course, you had literally told him the other day that you meant it when you said you liked him, but as a man who had never experienced romance before, his doubts were through the roof. Yeah, you had confirmed your feelings, but what if you wished to get into a relationship slowly? If you wished to start out as friends first, and then date later on? Viktor continued to ruminate throughout dinner, but was forced to snap out of it when Jayce suggested that they play a good old fashioned game of truth or dare.

The very first dare that happened was from F/N to you. Viktor had assumed you would play it safe and pick truth, but clearly he had underestimated your bravery.

“I dare you… to sit on Viktor’s lap for the rest of the game.”

What? Viktor couldn’t even process what was said before you climbed onto his lap, sitting with your legs splayed out to the side.

“Sorry, Vik. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Well, I suppose you had to honor the dare.”

The rest of the game was incredibly blurry for Viktor. He was busy fighting the urge to put his hands on your waist, to lift his head and press kisses to your neck. The few times you shifted your weight on him, it took all of his willpower to not let out a groan at the feeling. As soon as you and F/N left, Viktor was shut in his room, left alone with the feelings you were stirring within him.

-

You spent the next couple of weeks making occasional visits to the lab when you knew Viktor would be there. You dropped off several small gifts: baked goods, sketches and paintings, leftovers from the bar, anything you thought he might like.

One day, you arrived wearing a particularly tight crop top with a plain black skirt that went down to your mid-thighs. On the way in, a few Academy students scoffed or made comments like “I could never wear something like that”. It was hardly a risqué outfit, but you still swear you heard one of the students call you a “filthy Zaunite whore” under their breath. It was annoying, but you didn’t let it cut you too deep. Today, you were on a mission.

Today was the day that you were determined to force Viktor to finally make a move. You even wore your amber jewelry, hoping it would stir something in him.

As usual, you knocked on the door, but this time, you were met with a different face. Some Academy student you had never seen before stared down at you, his eyes flickering towards your chest before moving back up to your face.

“…can I help you?”

Suddenly, you felt much more exposed, much more nervous.

“Um, sorry. Is Viktor here?”

“He went to go fetch something. Some paper or equipment. I don’t really know.”

He kept staring at you, and you couldn’t tell if he was attracted to you or trying to figure out how to kick you out. You heard a gentle tapping sound across the floor and looked to your right, where you saw Viktor walking towards the two of you. He looked disgruntled, which you could only guess was because of whatever research he was in the middle of.

He clutched the papers in his hand aggressively, making his way towards the lab.

“Y/N. You did not mention you would be visiting today.”

Odd. Since when had he wanted you to announce your visits in advance?

“I wanted to surprise you, Vik. Are you super busy today? I can leave if that’s what you-“

“No, it is fine. Just unexpected.” His voice was awfully rigid, which concerned you.

“I’m done in the lab, so I’ll leave. See you, Viktor.” The student slung his bag over his shoulder and waved goodbye as he left, but Viktor didn’t even look at him.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

“You must truly be clueless.”

His remark felt like a slap to the face. As you spoke again, your voice began to rise in anger.

“Vik, did I do something to you? All I did was show up and you’re calling me clueless, and for what? I was going to-“

Viktor grabbed your hand, pulling you into the lab and locking the door behind him.

“What are you-“

He cut you off by pressing his lips to yours. It was at least a minute before he pulled away, and when he did, he looked furious.

“You have no idea what you’ve been doing to me.”

VIII - Conclusion

(This chapter includes nsfw content)

-

You looked at Viktor, waiting for him to continue. This wasn’t what you had expected when you showed up today. The kiss was absolutely welcome, but Viktor’s aggressive attitude was confusing.

His lips brushed against your ear as he spoke quietly, anger laced in his voice.

“Have you had fun driving me insane, miláčku? The way you touch me, look at me, the things that you wear- I cannot stand it. Especially not when others are clearly noticing you as well.”

You recalled the student who was eyeing you a mere moment ago.

“Is this about that guy just now?”

He went quiet for a moment.

“…I saw the way he was looking at you. He wanted you, and I cannot have that. No one should look at you like that, no one should be-“

“Vik, shut up.”

You crashed your lips against his, softly biting and sucking on his lips before slipping your tongue into his mouth. It took him a second, but he eagerly joined the kiss, groans escaping him each time you bit his lip.

When the two of you pulled apart, you gasped for air, realizing you had forgotten to breathe.

“I don’t care how anyone else looks at me. I want you,” you said breathily, running a hand through his hair.

“I wanted to drive you insane. I wanted to be the only thing you could think about until you couldn’t take it anymore and made a move on me.”

“I fear all of that effort was not necessary,” Viktor replied, hands now gently resting on your waist.

“I was already obsessed with you before you started all of this. Would you like me to tell you my secret?”

You nodded, whining when he squeezed your waist.

“I’m infatuated with you. I’ve been thinking about you nonstop since we met. You are the most gorgeous woman I have ever met. And,” he lowered his voice, thumbs tracing circles on your sides.

“The day after you confessed to me, I could not stop thinking about what would happen if we were to date. I imagined your body, how it would feel, how it would taste. I touched myself to the thought of you.”

“Oh,” you said, which came out as more of a moan than you had intended. You clenched your thighs together, heat growing in between them.

Viktor winced, looking down at his leg. It had been a while since he last sat down, and he desperately needed some relief.

“Let’s go over there.” He pointed to a couch in the far corner of the lab, and you followed as he made his way over.

Very soon after he sat down, you straddled him, pressing yourself as close as possible. His hands trailed over your body, eliciting soft whines from you when he found a particularly sensitive spot.

You felt Viktor’s cock twitch beneath you, and you began to rock your hips against him, which caused a moan to slip from his mouth.

“You like that?” You asked, pressing against him particularly hard.

“I.. mmh, yes… you feel so good, Y/N…”

“Bet it would feel even better like this,” you said before clumsily unbuckling his belt, moving off his lap for a second so you could remove his pants. He lifted his hips to allow them to slide off more easily. They didn’t fall very far, as his brace was in the way, but it was enough for his boxers to be completely visible. Climbing back on his lap, you continued to grind against him, your dripping core leaving a damp patch on his boxers.

He gripped your hips tightly, thrusting up into you desperately. Moans fell from your mouth, and you did your best to continue talking in spite of it.

“Nh.. Vik, I’ve thought about this so much… Hah… I’ve wanted you so badly…”

“I’ve wanted you too… you’re so perfect, Y/N… so, so perfect…”

His pace quickened, and you knew you wouldn’t last much longer.

“I’m- God, I’m so close…”

“I know, miláčku, me too,” he said, movements becoming more erratic by the second. A particularly hard thrust caused your orgasm to come down upon you, his name coming out of your mouth like a chant while you rode out your high.

Viktor came not long after, slowing down as your body twitched and the final whines of his name escaped your lips.

Silence came over the room, the only noises being breaths heaved from your lungs.

“I hope you know you owe me a date now.”

“Why, I would be happy to oblige, Miss,” Viktor said, pressing a kiss to your hand. You smiled at each other, deciding both of you would lay there for a while before even thinking about cleaning up or leaving.

The mess could wait.

-

Eventually, the two of you got up, Viktor fixing his pants while you wiped up any particularly… messy areas. By some miracle, nothing had gotten on the couch, and you let out a sigh of relief.

Knock, knock.

Startled, you fixed your hair, patted down your clothes, and went to open the lab door.

“Y/N, hey! I didn’t know you would still be here, I thought I had mentioned to stop by earlier.”

F/N looked at your flushed face and frizzy hair, raising an eyebrow.

“I was going to test something in the lab, but I think that can wait. Seems you have something to tell me.”

“Yeah, I think we need to go to my place and talk over some wine. But first, give me a second.”

You turned to face Viktor, who had made it to the door to see who the guest was. Leaning into his ear, you whispered.

“Come to my place on Sunday.”

He nodded, and you left with F/N, ready to spill the details of your eventful afternoon with Viktor.

Viktor gave a brief recounting to Jayce that evening, purposefully leaving out the more intimate details. All Jayce needed to know was that you and Viktor were going to start dating. Jayce wrapped Viktor into a bear hug, which he pulled himself away from as soon as Jayce loosened his grip.

-

I - Introduction

-

You stared nervously at the large doors in front of you. Piltover’s Academy was not a place where you wanted to be, but your best friend was a student there and practically begged that you stop by today. It was her birthday, but she was stuck in the lab completing an assignment for one of her many, many classes.

“Are you sure I can even come in? Wouldn’t they have tight security on the place?”

“It’s fine!! You’re allowed to walk in the halls, and as long as I open the lab door and give you permission you should be fine. Pleaaaasseee come by?”

Reluctantly, you agreed. The fancy halls and pretentious students roaming around intimidated you, but you were willing to put up with it for her. You even baked a cake. It wasn’t your best work, but the design was still pretty cute, and you knew your friend would love it anyway, no matter what you thought of it.

Taking a deep breath, you pushed the doors open and began to look for the correct laboratory. Your feet moved quickly across the floor, trying to avoid running into any students. If they even caught a glimpse of you, they would know you don’t belong there. You donned the nicest thing you could- a plain t-shirt and some slacks, but the citizens of Piltover knew what you were with just one look. Luckily, none of them got the chance to eye you, as you had just made it to the correct door. You barely even knocked before the door flung open.

“Y/N!!!! Come in!”, your friend said, nearly shoving you into the lab. You giggled, her infectious joy seeping into you.

“Okay, okay, I-“ You froze. Two men who you had never met before were sitting at the workbench, giving you an odd look.

“Who are they?”

“Oh! Sorry, I forgot to tell you. These are my group members for my lab assignment. I know they look scary, but I don’t think either of them could hurt a fly.”

“Scary? Us? I’ll have you know I’m offended,” one of them said playfully. He got up and extended a hand towards you.

“I’m Jayce, and the man over there is Viktor. Sorry if we startled you. We actually didn’t know you were coming either.”

You eased up a little, feeling better that they were just as surprised as you were. As you got ready to shake his hand, you realized the cake was still in your grasp.

“Sorry- let me set this down,” you said. After setting it next to your friend, you turned back to shake Jayce’s hand. He had quite a grip; you weren’t expecting that.

“Nice to meet you, Jayce. I’m Y/N. F/N’s friend, if you hadn’t figured that out yet.” He laughed a little, and once your handshake finished, your eyes fell on the other man- Viktor.

Viktor… you quite liked that name, and you were drawn to his appearance as well. As inconspicuously as you could, you slowly looked over his features. Dark, soft brown hair, pale skin, a tall and thin frame, a couple of moles on his face, and… his eyes. The amber color was gorgeous, and you bet if he gazed at you, your knees would probably go weak.

Your theory was proven correct when he made eye contact with you. He slowly got up, grabbing onto a cane and moving over towards you.

“Jayce already introduced me, so I supposed I didn’t need to come over, but it would have been rude to ignore you. Viktor,” he said, and it took you a second to snap out of it.

“Oh- yeah! Um, nice to meet you.” You shook his hand, praying he couldn’t tell that your skin was on fire because of him. Before you could think of anything else to say, your friend squealed.

“Oh. My. GOD!!! This is SO CUTE!!!!”

She had opened the box the cake was in, staring at it excitedly. You walked over, smiling.

“Like what you see?”

“I LOVE it. How do you always make such masterpieces?” She wrapped her arms around you, hardly giving you room to breathe.

The cake was a light lilac color with detailed white bordering on the edge. You had messed up in quite a few areas, but just covered it up with some more icing and hoped it wasn’t obvious.

“I get it, I’m incredible. You wanna let me go so you can eat a piece? Or- wait. Are you even allowed to eat in here?”

“As long as we don’t make a mess, it should be fine. You made this? It looks great,” Jayce said, somehow sneaking up behind the two of you. Viktor was right beside him, seemingly analyzing the cake, eyes sweeping over each and every part.

“I- I did,” you stuttered, becoming flustered all of a sudden.

“Do you work at a bakery? Seriously, this looks awesome,” he continued, eyes meeting yours.

“Oh, no, I-“ you paused. Your real job was less.. gentle. Would these Piltovans judge you? They seemed nice, but you knew how quickly people could switch up. Before you could give any more thought to your response, your friend interjected.

“No, her job is way cooler than that. She works at Eclipse!” Your friend beamed with pride, but you looked down and shuffled your feet awkwardly.

Eclipse was a bar on the outskirts of Piltover. It paid well, and was fairly popular, but not with this kind of crowd. Despite being part of Piltover, it was often frequented by Zaunites who wanted a taste of the better life. Zauntines like you, who wanted to know what it was like to not inhale polluted air with each breath. To know what it was like to live in luxury. To be free of the hell they lived in every single day.

“What do you… do there?” Viktor inquired, his accent thick.

Not wanting this conversation to last long, you quickly rambled out a list of your duties.

“Oh, y’know, normal bar stuff. Taking orders, making drinks, breaking up the occasional fight… there’s not much to it. Anyway- should we get into the cake now? I’m sure F/N would be happy to share with you two.”

Viktor nodded, not planning to push the conversation further. However, while your friend was setting out some utensils and napkins that were tucked into the box, Jayce couldn’t help but continue talking.

“Wow… I’ve heard of that bar before, but haven’t ever been. You said you have to break up fights- does it ever get nasty? Especially with-“ he stopped himself, and Viktor shot him a glare.

“Especially with what, Jayce?”

“I- I was just going to say that I’ve heard that Zaunites frequent that place, and people from the Undercity can be…”

Ah. There it was. The judgement you feared from this place. Before you could shoot back a reply, your friend stopped her cake-cutting and stepped into the conversation.

“Jayce. I will have you know that you are in the presence of three Zaunites, and none of us are violent unless in a self-defense situation. You shouldn’t be saying stuff like that.”

Wait… three? Did that mean…

Viktor. Was he really from the same place as you? A warm feeling of kinship bubbled up, only increasing your interest in him.

Jayce’s eyes widened, realizing what he had implied.

“Oh- Oh my God, I’m so sorry I- I wasn’t thinking.” He looked at everyone, but his eyes chose to settle on yours.

“Y/N, I am so, so sorry. That was a really stupid thing of me to say, whether you were from the Undercity or not.”

With his puppy-dog eyes, you couldn’t help but want to forgive him, but the comment still stung.

“I get it. I’m sure the education you receive up here isn’t… favorable when it comes to the Undercity. Just… don’t say anything like that again. Ever.”

He nodded frantically, desperate to get back in your good graces despite having only met you moments ago.

“I have to start heading back now. I’ve got a shift in a couple hours I need to get ready for,” you said, not too disappointed to be leaving. Admittedly, you wanted to talk to Viktor more, but the tension left by Jayce was too thick for any of that at the moment.

“Aww… okay. I’ll swing by this weekend and tell you how the cake was? I’m sure it’ll be divine,” your friend smiled at you, knowing that wasn’t your only reason for leaving. She gave you one more hug, letting you go after a short moment.

“Happy birthday, F/N. I hope you all enjoy the cake.” Smiling, you left the room, rushing out of the academy. The air was choking you as if you were back in Zaun. When you made it outside, you slid onto a nearby bench, trembling, carefully trying to unpack the series of events you just experienced.

You just hoped you could get any excess thoughts out of your head before your shift began.

-

“Jayce, you are an idiot.” F/N handed him a piece of cake while glaring at him. She knew he really was just being ignorant and not intentionally wanting to cause harm; otherwise, she would have chewed him out.

“I know. Those words shouldn’t have left my mouth. Do you… do you think she’s mad at me?”

“I think we’re all mad at you. Right, Viktor?”

“Mm.” He agreed, only half-heartedly paying attention to what was being said. He couldn’t stop thinking about you, and he didn’t know why. Sure, you were gorgeous, but he had seen many gorgeous women before. So why would you be any different? There was… something else about you, something that intrigued him and made him wonder what you were really like. How you really felt about your job, what you acted like when you were comfortable with someone, what you did in your free time… all of it; he wanted to learn all of it about you.

“Viktor? Earth to Viktor?”

His head snapped up, realizing the daze he was in.

“Ah. Sorry, I was.. pondering our assignment. We should get back to work on it, yes? The professor does want it done by tomorrow.”

“No worries, we’re almost done anyway. Just have to complete some final testing and documentation. But first, we’re eating this cake and shaming Jayce for his poor choice of words.”

Viktor chuckled, taking a piece of cake that your friend held out for him. She looked at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. She had a hard time believing he was distracted over the assignment, and he clearly didn’t seem to be too concerned with Jayce.

“Guys, I know I already said it, but seriously. I’m really, really sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? And… do you think Y/N will let me make it up to her somehow?”

“It was a stupid comment, but I’m willing to let it slide on my part. Viktor?”

“I do not mind. I am used to Jayce being careless.”

“Hey-“ Jayce was about to defend himself, but F/N cut him off.

“But, I think Y/N deserves a proper apology. How about you come with me this weekend when I see her, and you bring some sort of gift? I can help you come up with ideas.”

He agreed, hoping to prove to you that he really was a good person. Admittedly, mostly for his own ego, but he did think you were nice and hoped to become your friend in the future.

Viktor was tempted to ask if he could join too, wanting to see you again, but he feared that too many people would overwhelm you. Especially when one of them had made such a careless remark. He let out a soft sigh that went unnoticed by the other two.

The three each ate their pieces of cake, the air still heavy with the weight of Jayce’s words. Slowly, they returned to their assignment, working until it was done. F/N only hoped that the weekend visit would smooth out the tension instead of making it worse.

II - Apologies

-

The weekend came all too soon. You received a letter from your friend a couple of days ago that explained her plan to see you today. She also mentioned the fact that Jayce would be visiting as well, as he wanted to give a proper apology.

You were excited to see her, but still had mixed feelings about Jayce. Perhaps his apology would change your mind, but you knew it would be uncomfortable to face him.

It was 11, and you were seated on your plush black couch in your apartment, awaiting your friend’s arrival. You held a cushion to your chest while you looked around, taking the time to appreciate your decoration skills. Eclipse paid fairly well, so you were able to afford some nice things here and there.

The walls were a cream color, but you couldn’t see much of them; there were various items in the way. A few plants hung from the ceiling in lilac-colored pots, beaming from the sun coming in through the window. Several paintings rested in black frames of various shapes and sizes, each depicting a different scene. Most were your own, but a couple were purchased at markets you had visited. All of them were landscapes of places throughout Runeterra. The ones you made had been sights you had seen, and the others were sights foreign to you. Sights that you hoped to see one day.

In the small kitchenette, you had some pots and pans hung up near a rack of spices. Most of the time, you just snitched some leftovers from Eclipse, but you made your own meals every once in a while. All of your additional equipment and ingredients were neatly stored away in your oak cabinets and drawers.

Generally, you tried to keep the place tidy, but sometimes the mess would accumulate. Luckily, it would never take long to fix.

You were trying to remember how messy you had left the bedroom, and were about to get up and check when you heard a knock at the door. The bedroom would just have to stay closed, you thought.

Of course, there shouldn’t have been any reason to go in anyway, since Jayce would be here as well.

Opening the door, you were met with the sight of your friend smiling brightly, Jayce behind her with a sheepish smile of his own, and a gift bag in his hand.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” you said, moving out of the entrance so they could get out of the hallway.

“Wow… your apartment is a lot more… inviting than the one Vik and I share,” Jayce noted, eyes wandering over the paintings covering your walls.

“Well, that’s not a surprise to anyone. You two are the most practical people I know. Don’t know if I’ve ever seen either of you do something for sheer enjoyment,” your friend commented, coming over to you.

You giggled, and Jayce visibly let his shoulders relax.

“Oh, right! Here- this is for you. I wasn’t sure what to get that would say ‘I’m sorry’, but F/N was a big help. Again, I hope you don’t take my comment to heart. I shouldn’t have said it, and I promise I’ll think more before I speak in the future. I’ve been told I can be careless, but I should have never been careless like- like that.” Jayce grimaced, remembering his words. You took the bag he extended towards you, and peered inside. Slowly, you took out a bottle of wine.

“I was told this is your favorite. Is it okay?”

“Okay? Jayce, this is expensive! I’ve never owned a bottle- I’ve only had it on a few outings to some upscale restaurants.”

“Don’t worry about the cost. I just- I really wanted to make it up to you. Are we… good?”

You looked at him, still trying to recover from your initial shock.

“Yeah. Yeah, we’re good now. …Thanks. For apologizing and for getting me such a nice gift. You really didn’t have to, even if you were being stupid,” you said, a playful tone hitting the end of your remark.

“Yeah, I really was.” Jayce let a small smile dance across his lips.

“So now that we’re all good, let’s go out and do something!!” F/N wrapped her arms around you, giving you a big hug.

“Okay, okay, we can go out. I think there’s some sort of market going on today that we can go visit? It’s mostly artwork and trinkets, if you’re interested in that, Jayce.” Your friend let go, and you both looked at Jayce expectantly.

“Oh- you want me to come along? I- absolutely, if you want me to. Maybe I can find something to finally brighten up my apartment.”

Smiling, you set down the wine on your kitchen counter before grabbing your favorite black purse and exiting, F/N and Jayce right behind you.

-

It didn’t take much traversing of the city streets before you found the market space. Stalls were packed together on each side of the narrow street, each selling their own unique items. Luckily, you must have come at a less popular hour- instead of it being completely packed, there were only a few people here and there stopped at stalls. Still, it was loud. Vendors trying to get any passerby to stop and stare at their goods, shouting things like “You’ve never seen a piece so beautiful before!” and “The perfect gifts for your loved ones, right here!”

Despite your usual quiet demeanor, you loved it here. The smell of street food filled the air, and the bright colors of awnings above each stall felt inviting.

“Jayce, have you ever been to an outdoor market like this before?” You asked, realizing how overwhelming it could be to someone who hasn’t experienced one before.

“I haven’t, but looking at all of this… I’m wondering why I’ve never been. I bet there’s all sorts of fascinating things here!”

You laughed, nodding.

“I’ve found my fair share of treasures in markets like this. It’s truly amazing. But… since you’ve never been, it would probably be best for us to stick together instead of splitting up. Does anyone have a preference on which stall to go to?”

“Nope! Lead the way, Y/N! You seem to have a sense for where the best stuff is.” F/N hooked her arm together with yours as a measure to prevent the two of you from getting separated. Jayce was much larger, so he could probably follow without any hand-holding. He looked to you, ready to follow along.

You glanced at the nearest stalls, but slowly began drifting towards one a little further away that seemed to primarily sell jewelry. A tray in the front held various bracelets, and off to the side were racks of earrings and necklaces. Your eyes skimmed over the bracelets, none of the shapes or colors standing out to you. You repeated the process for the necklaces, stopping when you saw a teardrop-shaped amber pendant latched onto a golden chain.

“See something you like?” The stall owner appeared in front of you, leaning over her table to get a better look at the pendant you were enamored with.

“Ah, you have a good eye! This pendant is one of a kind. When I was looking through my scrap bin in my workshop, I came across a small chunk of amber. I don’t know where it came from- oddly enough, I don’t ever recall buying any for my works. It turned out gorgeous, though.”

“Yeah, it’s beautiful…” you said quietly, Jayce and F/N still busy looking at the bracelets.

“I’ll tell you what. Since you seem to like it so much, how about I also give you the pair of earrings that go with it? I’ll throw them in for free. Good deal, yes?”

You nodded, quickly taking out your wallet to pay. Something about the pendant was incredibly alluring, and you knew you had to have it.

After you made the purchase, the stall owner pulled out a hand mirror and offered it to you.

“Would you like to try them on?”

“Hmm… I think I will.”

You took out your silver hoops, replacing them with the dangling amber earrings.

“F/N, could you help me put on this necklace?”

She looked over and raised her eyebrows on surprise.

“I’ve never known you to prefer gold jewelry! It looks good, though! Here, I got it.”

She carefully took the thin golden chain, clasping it at the back of your neck. Picking up the mirror, you admired the jewelry. You felt pretty.

“I think I’ll keep these on.” You placed your original earrings in your bag, and then turned to look at Jayce studying the bracelets like his life depended on it.

“I wouldn’t have expected you to wear jewelry,” you said, sliding up next to him.

“Oh- no, no, it’s not for me. It’s for… my girlfriend.”

“You sure? You seem awfully hesitant,” you joked, looking down to the bracelets.

“Jayce, I didn’t know you had a girlfriend! Who is she?” F/N asked, picking up one of the bracelets and peering at the gemstones laid within it.

“Well, we’ve been trying to keep it secret for… reasons. So I can’t really tell you who she is, but she most definitely exists. And I’ve been meaning to get her something since our one month anniversary passed recently. Which bracelet looks better to you two?” Jayce picked up two golden bracelets; one was a thin gold band, and the other was slightly thicker, with engraved swirls.

“Well, since I have no idea who she is, I can’t say what would look good on her or what her style is, but personally, I prefer the second one.” You pointed to the thicker band, and your friend nodded.

“I was going to pick that one, but I just wanted another opinion. Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.”

You smiled warmly at him, thinking it was sweet of him to get something so pretty for his girlfriend.

After he made his purchase, and your friend made a purchase of her own, the three of you spent the next couple of hours wandering through the market, stopping every so often at a stall that interested you. You didn’t end up buying anything else except for a snack, feeling completely satisfied with your new jewelry.

Checking your watch, you saw that it was nearly 4. You didn’t have a shift today, but you did want to give yourself enough time to attempt making dinner.

“Hey, you guys, I’m gonna have to get back to my apartment soon to make dinner for this evening.” Before you could say goodbye, Jayce spoke up.

“Um- if it’s alright, would you be able to come over to my apartment for dinner? Vik’s making pasta tonight, and I know we’re going to have way too much for the two of us. So.. if you two were okay with it, we’d love to have you.”

“Is that alright? Viktor’s usually more of a lone wolf. I don’t want to intrude,” F/N said, still obviously excited at the prospect of getting to see their apartment.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine with it. He’s already used to you, and I can’t imagine him possibly being upset with seeing Y/N again.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” You asked, genuinely confused. Had Viktor said something about you?

“Well, nothing, really. I guess- I don’t know, I just think he might actually like you. I mean, he did actually take the time to introduce himself to you. That may be common decency for most, but Viktor hardly ever pays attention to anything but his work. When he’s working, it feels like I can’t get him to stop for anything, not even to eat or sleep sometimes.”

“Well, let’s hope you’re right. I’d hate to give him an unwelcome surprise. Shall we get going?”

You tried to hide how giddy you were at the fact that you might be special in some way to Viktor, hoping that the smile on your face wasn’t as big as you thought it was. Despite barely knowing anything about him, you could feel yourself developing a crush.

Jayce led the three of you out of the market, carefully squeezing between the crowd of people that had gathered over time. As you walked to his apartment, you fiddled with your new jewelry a few times, checking to make sure it hadn’t somehow fallen off.

-

It wasn’t long before you were standing in front of the door to Jayce’s apartment. Jayce pulled a key out of his pocket, but before inserting it, he paused.

“Wait.” He ushered you and F/N to the end of the hall, much further away from the door.

“I thought we were going to have dinner together? Did you change your mind?” F/N asked, you and her both visibly confused.

“No, but I have an idea. Y/N, I’ll stay over here with F/N, and you can walk up and knock on the door. If Viktor is starting on dinner like he said he would around this time, he should be close enough to hear the door and open it.”

“Huh? Why?” You looked at Jayce, wondering where he could have possibly been going with this.

“I wanna see how Viktor reacts! C’mon, don’t you think it’d be interesting?“

You had to admit, you were curious to see what Viktor would do. However, you were still reluctant.

“Jayce, I just met him- and you, actually- a few days ago, and I hardly even talked to him when we met. Don’t you think he’d be creeped out? Like, what if he thinks I stalked him?”

“If he seems uncomfortable, I’ll come over right away and explain that it was just a bad joke that I came up with. All the blame will go on me, and if anything, he’ll think you felt pressured to go along with it and feel bad for you. If you really don’t want to, then you don’t have to, but I don’t think it could hurt.”

After hesitating for a moment, you turned and walked back to the door. You glanced at Jayce, who gave you a thumbs-up. F/N silently pointed to Jayce and gave you an expression that seemed to say “You’re really going along with what this idiot wants?”. You shrugged, lifting your hand to rap on the door.

Quiet. It was silent for a moment except for the sound of your thundering heartbeat.

Suddenly, you heard footsteps accompanied by a soft tap.

Slowly, the door opened to reveal Viktor, and as your eyes met his, you realized something.

“Oh my God,” you muttered, now much more nervous than you were to begin with.

Your new jewelry that you bought was the color of Viktor’s eyes. That was the reason you were so drawn to it.

“…Y/N? That is your name, yes?” His eyes were wide, an emotion that you couldn’t quite recognize filling his gaze.

“Y-yeah,” Suddenly, you were trying to look at anything but his face.

“Can I ask what you’re doing here?”

“I…” you stopped. What were you supposed to say now?

“Jayce wanted me to come over..?” You tried, uncertainty laced in your voice.

“Okay… but where is he? How did you know to come here?”

You felt yourself shrinking. Viktor was interrogating you, and rightfully so, but the lack of warmth in his tone made you feel like you had made a mistake. The last thing you had wanted to do was make him uncomfortable.

“He, um-“

“Because I brought her here! And F/N as well. I invited them over for dinner.” Jayce’s hand was now on your shoulder, which snapped you out of the cold headspace you were slipping into.

“I take it your apology went well, then. But why make Y/N knock by herself?”

“Jayce thought it would be funny to see how you reacted. One of his odd whims, as per usual.” F/N said, gently elbowing Jayce in the ribs.

“Ah, I see. Can’t say I’m surprised. Come in,” Viktor said, his voice now less tense.

“Why, thank you for letting me in to my own apartment,” Jayce bowed to Viktor as if he were a king, which elicited an eye roll from Viktor.

“I was just trying to be inviting to the guests you brought with you. The notion that I would ever tell you to ‘come in’ to your own apartment is ridiculous.”

You giggled, which caused a small smile to appear on Viktor’s face that did not go unnoticed by F/N. She kept her mouth shut, wanting to see for herself how this would play out.

“Dinner won’t take long. Jayce, could you set the table?”

III - Dinner

-

Looking around, you realized just how right Jayce was. He and Viktor made no effort to make their apartment inviting. The beige walls lay barren, not a single decoration in sight. No paintings, no plants, not even a simple rug on the floor. Just the bare apartment and the furniture it came with. No signs of life, either- no jackets on chairs, no dirty dishes in the sink, no unfolded blankets on the couch. Just the dishes that Jayce was currently placing on the round dining room table, and the pots on the stove that were currently being used to make dinner. F/N, just like you, was also staring at the near-empty room.

“All of this space, and truly not a single decoration. You two are…”

“Practical.” Viktor finished, carefully straining the pasta before mixing it with sauce.

“Well, I was going to say boring, but I suppose that works too.” F/N looked at you, noticing your slightly flushed cheeks.

“You alright, Y/N? You look a little unwell.”

“Oh, I’m fine! I was just lost in thought. This place really is quite empty.”

F/N smiled, continuing to poke fun and Jayce and Viktor for their bare-bones apartment. You, however, were back in your thoughts, unable to chime in. You weren’t lying when you said you were lost in thought- you just hadn’t specified exactly what you were lost in thought about.

Currently, you were thinking about your interaction at the door with Viktor. You wished you hadn’t went along with Jayce’s idea of “surprising” Viktor. He was clearly confused and uncomfortable. You noticed how his voice relaxed once Jayce approached, how his body visibly became less stiff.

And you knew it made sense. He hardly even knew you, had only spoken to you once, had awkwardly seen you flee the lab after Jayce’s words. You would also be confused if someone who was basically a stranger showed up at your door without explanation of what they were doing or how they got there.

Despite all of this, you felt disappointed that you hadn’t received a warmer reaction from Viktor. Some small part of your brain told you that he was being stiff because he liked you and was nervous; the rest of your brain knew better.

You also couldn’t stop thinking about your new jewelry and how well it matched Viktor’s eyes. You began fiddling with the chain of the pendant as you wondered if anyone would make the connection.

“Jayce, could you help me with this?”

Jayce, who was playfully bickering with F/N, got up and picked up the pot of pasta for Viktor, carefully bringing it over and setting it on a trivet in the middle of the table.

“I’m just saying, if you ever want to have your girlfriend over, I think she’d feel more comfortable if it didn’t look like as dead as this.”

“And I’m saying that I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.” Jayce grabbed a large spoon and began to scoop some pasta out onto his plate while Viktor made his way over to the table. He rested his cane on a nearby wall, carefully placing himself in a chair.

“Y/N, wouldn’t you want a man with a space that looked lived in?” F/N asked, hoping you would help her prove her point. All eyes turned to you, and you felt very conscious of the fact that Viktor was seated right next to you.

“I… I think I’d definitely prefer someone with a decorated space. If I got led into a nearly empty apartment, I’d think they were gonna kill me and leave my body there.” Viktor let out a small laugh at your words, which made your heart soar.

“See?? Y/N understands. Anyways…” the voices around you began to mix together as everyone got their share of pasta and began to eat between chatter. For a while, they discussed the lab assignment from earlier in the week, so you stayed silent and listened, paying special attention whenever Viktor spoke.

After a while, F/N, ever so perceptive, noticed you weren’t talking due to the conversation topic being foreign to you.

“Hey, how about after we finish eating, we play a game? Something like never have I ever, maybe?”

“I would not be opposed.” Surprised, you looked at Viktor.

“Wow, you must be in a good mood, Vik! I’m in too,” Jayce said.

“Sure, why not? It could be fun,” you added on, taking another bite of your pasta. It was much more delicious than whatever concoction you would have made, you’re sure.

“Alright, it’s settled!”

-

After everyone finished eating, Jayce cleared the table and set a glass of wine in front of each person.

“Ooh, how fancy,” you said, swirling the glass and looking at the deep red liquid.

“Yeah, well I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what you can make at the bar,” Jayce replied, taking his seat once more.

“True. You’ll have to swing by sometime. I bet I can make the most delicious cocktail you’ve ever had.”

“I don’t know, I’ve had some pretty good drinks at galas…”

“Yeah, right. You rich Pilties don’t know what’s good.” A grin spread across your face. Jayce feigned hurt, putting a hand on his chest like you had wounded him. He was about to reply, but Viktor interjected by clearing his throat.

“Shall we begin the game now?”

“Oh! Yes. Sorry about that. I’ll start.” Jayce was quiet for a brief moment, pondering what his “Never have I ever” should be.

“Got it! Never have I ever… cheated on an exam.”

No one took a sip, and Jayce shrugged.

“Guess I should’ve known. Still, I was curious.”

You knew your reason for not drinking was far different from the other two. You had never even had the opportunity to take an exam, let alone cheat. There was a lack of formal education in Zaun, and when you finally clawed your way up to Piltover, you had no desire to try and make it into any school. You were smart, but not smart enough for your birthplace to be ignored. The same could not be said for F/N, and assumingly Viktor as well. While your talents laid in the artistic field, those two were far more academically inclined.

“Jayce, you know how important academic integrity is to the Academy. If there’s even a suspicion of someone cheating, they’re thoroughly examined and often booted.” Your friend held her glass in one hand, using the other to push a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, yeah. Didn’t hurt to ask, though. Anyways- Viktor, it’s your turn. What do you have for us?”

Each person took their turn around the circle several times, glasses slowly emptying. If someone took a sip on a particularly interesting statement, they would be forced to stop and explain. You learned that Jayce once owned a pet fish, Viktor once called his professor “mother”, and various other tidbits of information that you began cataloguing in your mind.

Before long, it was your turn again, and you asked a question that had been gnawing at your mind.

“Never have I ever… kissed a girl.”

“Oh come on, this has to be targeted!” Your friend whined, taking the last sip of her wine. Jayce took his last sip as well, knocking them both out of the game. You stared at Viktor, who also only had one sip left in his glass.

He lifted the glass to his lips before smiling and putting it back down, a small pool of red still remaining at the bottom of the glass.

“Never?” You asked, admittedly feeling pleased at the result.

“Never. I do not have the time to pursue such… frivolous things.”

Oh.

“I’ve been trying to get him to meet someone for ages, but he just won’t budge on the topic.” Jayce sighed dramatically, and Viktor scoffed.

“I do not see why it is so important to you that I indulge in romance. Anyways, my turn.” Viktor looked you directly in the eyes, making you shift uncomfortably and fidget with your jewelry.

“Never have I ever kissed a man.”

Defeated, you took the last sip of your drink.

“Ooh, do you have a boyfriend, Y/N?” Jayce prodded.

“No, just a couple of bad exes.” You set your glass down, nearly shuddering at the thought of your most recent ex.

“Got any good stories to share?”

“Hm…” you searched your memories for any experiences that were funny in retrospect.

“A couple of years ago, I dated this guy who took me out to some fancy restaurant for dinner. Apparently, I cut my steak the wrong way, and he spent the rest of the evening lecturing me about it. I knew right there that it wasn’t meant to be.”

“I remember you telling me that when it happened,” F/N laughed.

“He looked like he was in agony, like I was committing a heinous offense against him. I couldn’t do it,” you laughed along, Jayce joining in soon after. Much quieter, Viktor chuckled.

“Well, it looks like you won, Viktor. Congrats,” you looked at him, grinning.

“Thank you.” His heart squeezed in his chest, which confused him.

“It’s getting late- I should probably leave before it’s pitch black outside.” You got up, and F/N joined you.

“I’ll head out too. Thanks for inviting us over, Jayce, and thanks for sharing the dinner you made, Viktor. It was delicious,” F/N smiled, but Viktor’s heart did not repeat the same action that occurred a moment ago.

“Hey, so…” you spoke up, causing everyone to look to you.

“I have a shift tomorrow evening at Eclipse, if you guys would like to stop by…? I can get you a pretty decent discount on drinks.”

“Sure! Viktor and I don’t have any plans.”

“And I was already going to stop by anyway, so you know I’ll be there. You still owe me a cocktail for my birthday.”

“Alright, then I’ll see you all there. Looking forward to it!”

You exited the apartment with F/N, the two of you chatting about the evening before parting ways to get to your respective apartments.

-

“They were nice. We should hang out with them more often.” Jayce stood at the sink washing dishes while Viktor sat at the counter, trying to figure out what his heart was doing earlier.

“Hey, Vik,” Jayce continued, which got his attention.

“What do you think of Y/N?”

“What do you mean?”

“Was she fun to be around?”

Viktor thought about the way you looked at him when he opened the door. He thought about how, for a split second, he wanted to take you into the apartment, no questions asked, and spend the evening talking to you alone. How your face lit up when you took the first bite of pasta, and you quickly took another. How your lips pouted slightly each time you had to take a sip of wine. How you had smiled at him when you congratulated him on his win, and the way it made him feel.

“…yes, I suppose.”

Jayce turned around to get a good look at his friend’s face, instantly being met with the sight of a man absolutely smitten.

“…are you sure that romance is as frivolous as you say?”

“Jayce, what are you implying?”

“Well, Y/N doesn’t have a boyfriend, so…”

“Jayce. That is a ridiculous idea, even for you. I think… I think I will retire to my room for the night.”

“Alright, but you should seriously reconsider romance. Goodnight, Vik.”

Jayce didn’t miss the red flush on Viktor’s neck as he turned around and made his way to his bedroom. The gears in his head began turning, trying to figure out how to make Viktor admit he was interested in you.

IV - Eclipse

-

The next morning, Viktor had worse dark circles than normal. Thanks to Jayce’s comments about you, Viktor could not stop thinking about you, which led to a nearly complete and total lack of sleep.

He thought about your voice, your face, your smile, your body. What it would be like to actually date you- would he spend his time sitting at the bar, staring at you lovingly as you worked your shift? Would you stop by the Academy when you were free and watch him tinker away in the lab? Would you listen to one of his long-winded ramblings about his current studies, and what new discoveries he was making? Would your expression be full of love, your hand holding his?

What would it be like to kiss you? He had never kissed anyone before, but he bet he wouldn’t even dream about kissing anyone else after kissing you. Your lips would be so soft, feel so gentle against his, taste so good if he ran his tongue over them.

He thought of questions to ask you, topics that the two of you could discuss for hours. What was your life in Zaun like, and how had you made it here? Did you have a dream job you were working towards, or were you perfectly content being a bartender? What was your favorite hobby? What were your favorite things in general?

He wanted to study you inside and out like a beautiful machine. To know each and every part of your body and mind intimately. He felt disgusted for thinking this way about someone he hardly knew. What would you say if you knew the kind of thoughts he was having?

Viktor sipped on a mug of coffee, trying to make headway on a research paper he wished to present to his professor soon. You made his efforts futile.

Looking at the clock, he groaned. Only 10:00.

It was going to be a long, long day.

-

When it came time for your shift, you happily made your way to the bar. It was only a couple of minutes away from your apartment, making it quite convenient.

You slipped into the employee room, exchanging your sweatshirt and jeans for a sleek collared shirt and dress pants. You pinned back any stray hairs, gave yourself a quick look in the mirror, and then went out to stand behind the counter.

The shift was agonizingly slow as you waited for your friends to show up, but luckily for you, customers were behaving fairly well today. A few glares your way from Pilties, but you could handle that. If they wanted a Zaunite-free zone, they should have gone to one of their fancy lounges further away from the bridge instead of here.

As you took orders and served drinks, you thought about what to make for everyone. You had figured out something for F/N already, but you had no idea what preferences Jayce and Viktor had. You wished to dwell on it longer, but a patron had walked up to you.

“Excuse me,” he said, tapping on the table to further get your attention.

“Oh! My apologies, sir. What can I pour for you?”

“Whiskey. On the rocks. I don’t care what brand, just make it quick.”

You were a little irked, but unfortunately used to the impatience of others. A lot of people visited as a way to relieve stress, so if they weren’t buzzed yet, their remaining stress would be taken out on you. Most of the time, it was just a snide comment or a pushy tone, which was certainly manageable.

You set the glass in front of him, but before you could pull your hand away, he grabbed your wrist.

“You’re quite a pretty little thing. How come I’ve never seen you here before?”

The color began to drain from your face. You dealt with patrons like this every so often, and it was always such a treat.

“Must have missed my shifts. How would you like to pay for your drink, sir?”

“I’ll hand you the money, but first I’d like to talk.”

“Sir, as much as I appreciate your… attention, I have other patrons to serve.”

“Where?” He asked, and you realized he was right. The only people in the bar already had food or a drink in front of them, and none looked like they were ready to request anything else.

“…well, I’m sure they’ll need my assistance soon.”

He let go of your hand, which you jerked back to your side. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out a notepad, pen, and his wallet.

“Tell you what, darling.”

You nearly retched at the name.

“You give me some way to contact you- preferably your address, and I pay you triple for the drink. I can take you out for a nice dinner sometime. What do you say?”

You looked this man up and down. He was at least twice your age, perhaps older, with thinning hair and beady eyes. His hand, which was holding his glass of whiskey, displayed a thin wedding band.

“Sir, I’m sure your wife wouldn’t appreciate that.” You heard the employee door open, and you looked over to see your boss who was doing a routine check-in on you. You stared at her while she walked over, eyes pleading for help.

Despite your boss being from Piltover, she had the appearance of a Zaunite. Tattoos filling her arms, a few small scars on her face, and a very intimidating aura encircled her. She was great at scaring away unwanted guests, which is exactly what you needed right now.

“Hello, sir. Is there anything I can help with?”

He faltered slightly, but was clearly determined to be as much of a creep as possible.

“No ma’am. I was just asking this lovely lady here if she would kindly escort me on a date sometime.”

Before you could react, he grabbed your hand once more and planted a kiss on it before letting it go. You felt bile rise in the back of your throat, fear freezing you in place.

“Sorry, but our employees aren’t permitted to indulge the whims of decrepit old men. You may leave. Oh, but please do pay first.”

His face flushed a violent red, and he slammed down a fistful of coins.

“I should have known that filth like you wasn’t worth it,” he spat.

Filth like you.

“I can’t believe you’re even allowed to work up here. Sewer trash. You know, I was doing you a favor by inviting you out. You could have experienced luxury. At least you know your place, I suppose.”

“That’s enough,” your boss growled, which was finally enough to make him scamper out of the bar. A few people had watched the scene go down, but one glare from your boss was enough to make them suddenly very interested in their plates and glasses.

You felt rage coil up inside of you. He had no right to say those things about you, to touch you, to press his slimy lips to your skin. If only you had this interaction on the street, you could have taken a swing at him, and-

“If you ask me, he’s the rat. Certainly looks the part.” You looked up to your boss, who gave you a worried expression.

“You okay, sweetheart? I know it never gets any easier dealing with that kind of nonsense.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I think- I just need a minute.”

“Sure thing. I’ll take over for a bit. You can hang out in the back- no one else has a shift for the next couple of hours, so it’ll be empty.”

“Thank you. I promise I won’t be long.”

“Take all the time you need, dear.”

You gave her a weak smile before escaping to the employee room. Stepping into the bathroom, you gripped the sink tightly, knuckles turning white. You felt dirty. You needed to purify yourself, get the man out of your mind, off of your body.

Turning on the sink, you pumped out an excessive amount of soap and began scrubbing your hands together. It wasn’t enough. You scrubbed harder, nails beginning to scrape the skin. A wave of nausea overcame you as you replayed the moment he grabbed your hand and kissed it. You continued to scrub, hoping your memories would wash away, but it wasn’t working.

A soft knock on the door startled you.

“Y/N? You’ve got some guests,” you boss called, waiting for you to respond.

Oh, right. They must be here.

You turned off the water, roughly drying your raw, scratched-up hands. You grabbed a pair of gloves from your pile of things, hoping they would disguise your actions. Normally, you only used the gloves when you were on dish duty, but this was a special case. Hopefully, your boss wouldn’t notice, and if she did, she wouldn’t say a word.

Opening the door, you were greeted with the sight of Jayce, F/N, and Viktor all seated at the counter.

“You ready to go back?” Your boss asked, still deeply concerned.

“I think so. If anything comes up, I’ll call for you. Thank you,” you replied, voice breaking ever so slightly. She retreated to the back, hoping your friends would be the perfect distraction.

“Hey guys! You all ready for the best drinks you’ve ever had?” you asked, trying to return to the bright mood you were in earlier. Clearly, you weren’t as convincing as you wanted to be, because F/N gave you an odd look.

“Yeah, definitely. What would you recommend? I’m open to anything.” Jayce glanced at the various bottles of liquor behind you, admiring the decorative way they were set.

“I… would also be open to anything.” You turned to look at Viktor, who, for some reason, wasn’t looking you in the eye like he was yesterday. You didn’t really notice, thoughts still primarily elsewhere.

“Well, for me, I’d like something colorful and fun. Something that screams happy birthday, you know?”

Your friend’s comment brought you out of your discomfort, if only a little.

“I’ve already got something in mind for you. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. I just have to think of drinks for the guys.”

Your shifted your thoughts to different kinds of cocktails, and it didn’t take long to pick one out for each person.

“Just give me a few moments, and I’ll have some drinks whipped up for you.”

Viktor and Jayce began to chat about the bar while F/N watched you work. Something about you was off, but she had no idea why. Perhaps you had a bad night’s sleep, or some customer had been a jerk. Whatever it was, she wished to get your mind off of it as soon as possible.

You flitted around the bar- grabbing one thing here, another there, pouring something in one glass, shaking up something for another. Before you started on Viktor’s cocktail, you hesitated for a moment, thinking of the man from before. You shook your head. One vile man could not ruin an entire type of alcohol for you; you wouldn’t let it happen.

“Alright, here you are!”

In front of F/N, you placed a tequila sunrise, which she seemed delighted with. Jayce was given a piña colada, and Viktor received an old fashioned.

“I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this,” Jayce commented, twirling the little umbrella you had placed in his drink.

“Well, I figured you’d probably never had such a frilly drink at one of your fancy galas. It’s a classic,” you said, watching Jayce as he took a sip. His eyebrows raised, and he took a second.

“Wow. I don’t know how I haven’t had one of these before. It’s delicious.”

“Glad you like it.”

“You’re awesome, Y/N! If I ever become rich, I’m hiring you as a private bartender,” F/N said, already making good progress on her drink.

Once again, you could feel your previous discomfort slipping from your mind, the only reminder being your gloved, irritated hands.

Viktor picked up his glass, swirling it gently before taking a sip.

“Is it.. good?”

Out of everyone’s opinions, Viktor’s mattered the most to you.

“Yes, quite. I think I’d like to come by in the future.”

“I’d like that too,” you said, almost too quiet for Viktor to hear it.

“Y/N, how much longer is your shift?” F/N questioned, still happily sipping her drink.

“Ah, should be about an hour, I think?”

“Can we come over to your place after? Pleaaase please please? If you don’t want the boys over, at least have me over! I don’t have class until tomorrow afternoon, so I can stay up late and talk with you! Please?”

You were conflicted. You didn’t want to be alone after your horrendous experience earlier, but you still needed time to process it. F/N had seen you at some of your lowest lows, but you’d rather not expose her to that on purpose.

“How about I think about it, and I get back to you?”

“Okay! I’ll convince you, don’t worry!”

The next hour was spent switching between attending to customers and chatting with your friends. As time passed, your mood improved, and you were warming up to the idea of the three of them coming to your apartment.

“It’s time for you to get off your shift now, right? So, did I convince you? Can we come over?”

“Yeah, alright. Sure. You’ve convinced me. By the way, don’t worry about the drink cost. I’ve got it covered.” F/N cheered, urging you to hurry up and clock out. Viktor excused himself to the restroom while you were busy changing, which was the perfect opportunity for Jayce to suggest an idea to F/N.

“Okay, hear me out. Last night, Viktor seemed flustered when I talked about Y/N. I think there’s a real chance he likes her, and I need to prove it.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I’m listening…”

“You and I come up with excuses for why we can’t come, and Viktor spends the rest of the evening alone with Y/N. Something’s gotta happen, right?”

The idea sounded a little silly to her. Chances are, Viktor wouldn’t stay long, awkwardly leaving almost immediately after arriving. However, she was curious about what would happen if he did end up staying.

“…okay, I’ll go along with it. If something bad happens and they end up hating each other, this is your fault, okay?”

“Yeah, sure. Let’s just be optimistic, okay?”

“If you say so…”

It wasn’t long before you returned, still wearing your gloves, and Viktor shortly after. Jayce cursed under his breath, and then gave you a very convincing apologetic look.

“I’m so sorry. I just remembered that my girlfriend wanted to see me tonight, and I said I’d stop by after checking out the bar. I hope the rest of you have fun, but I’ve gotta go.”

“Oh, okay. Have fun! I’m sure F/N will tell you about all the fun you missed out on,” you joked as he nearly ran out of the bar.

You, Viktor, and F/N left a moment later, and when you made it to the doors of the building, F/N let out an impossibly loud gasp.

“Oh my God, Y/N! My professor wanted to meet with me early in the morning to discuss one of my assignments- I can’t stay, I’m so, so sorry!”

Before you could even question her, she ran off. You looked at Viktor, silent for a moment before speaking.

“…so, do you have anywhere you need to dash off to? You can stay. I don’t mind.”

“I… I would like to stay, if you are comfortable with that.”

You nodded, shyly leading him to your room, unsure of how the night would unfold.

V - Drunken Decisions

-

“Ah… I can see why our apartment was such a shock. This is far more elegant,” Viktor said, looking around as you set your keys by the door. You stopped, looking at your gloves.

“Are your hands cold?”

“…no. I- I’m fine.” Nausea rushed to your core as you peeled off the gloves, revealing your skin which was still a hint red, various scratches covered with dried blood.

Viktor’s eyes widened.

“Are you okay? Were your hands like that all night?”

You wordlessly nodded, tears pricking the corners of your eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it? I am eh.. not the best at consoling, but I can listen.”

You felt the memories come flooding back, and you knew you couldn’t keep it to yourself.

“Will you drink with me first?” Your voice was weak, wavering as tears threatened to spill.

“Of course.”

“You can sit on the couch. I’ll be over in a moment.”

You trudged over to the kitchen, carefully washing any remaining blood off of your hands. You grabbed the bottle of wine that you still hadn’t put away, taking out two glasses and filling them, admittedly filling yours far too full.

In one hand, you carefully balanced the glasses, while the other carried the bottle. Viktor had already sat himself down on the end of the couch, cane resting on the arm. Silently, you handed him a glass before sitting down and taking a long sip of your own.

It was quiet for a while before you spoke.

“There was this man.”

Viktor looked at you, cradling his wine glass.

“He… he was like any other bad customer at first. Impatient, rude, whatever. But then, he grabbed me. Called me a ‘pretty little thing’. Tried to get me to agree to go out with him. I tried refusing, and my… my boss showed up to help. But before I could react, he…”

You finished the rest of your glass, hot tears now running down your face.

“He kissed my hand. I felt so, so disgusting. My boss, she managed to scare him off, but before he left, he threw some insults at me. Called me filth for being from Zaun.” Your words were less than comprehensible, sobs and shaky breaths breaking them up.

“Right before you guys came, I was in the back washing my hands raw. I just- I couldn’t get him off of me. His lips wouldn’t go away,” you cried, now pouring yourself another too-full glass.

Viktor remained silent, unsure of how to react. He wanted to hold you close, but figured the last thing you wanted was the unexpected touch of a man.

“Vik, am I filthy?”

The shortened name came out naturally, perhaps with the influence of alcohol, but you weren’t in a state to stop and get embarrassed about it.

“No. No, no no. Of course not.” His heart broke a little when he looked into your eyes and saw how disgusted you were with yourself.

“His touch is still on my skin. I can still feel it, and it’s disgusting. I’m vile.” You tried wiping the tears from your eyes, but more took their place.

“Y/N, you are anything but vile. He’s the vile one for daring to touch you in such a way. I- cannot say I’ve ever experienced such a horrible thing, but you… you will recover. I know you will.”

“I can’t,” you said, continuously wiping tears with your sleeves.

“You can. I may not know you as well as- well, as well as I’d like to, but you’re strong. Much stronger than men like him.”

You sniffled, finishing your second overfilled glass of wine. You were quite a lightweight, so this was far too much for you, but you couldn’t care less right now. You just wanted something to make it all go away.

“Could you hold me?”

Viktor was shocked at the request, but certainly wouldn’t deny you.

“If that is what you want, then yes, I-“

You instantly fell into his arms, buried your face into his warm chest, and cried. Awkwardly, Viktor placed his hands on your back, beginning to rub soft circles.

The two of you stayed like that until your tears stopped, until alcohol’s influence began to take you over. Slowly, you peeled yourself off of him, eyes red and puffy. As you looked at the large damp spot on his chest, you began to laugh. A warm euphoria began to take place in your chest.

“This wasn’t how I imagined your first visit to my apartment.”

Curious, he looked at you.

“How did you imagine it?”

A sly smile came across your face.

“It would start out with drinks, like it did tonight. We’d talk for a while, getting into deep conversations and sharing secrets. But then…” You slid onto his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck. You leaned in slightly, locking eyes with him.

“I’d tell you my biggest secret.”

“…and what would that be?”

“That I have a crush on you,” you giggled before continuing.

“That I’ve been thinking about you nonstop since we met. That when I went to the market with F/N and Jayce, I bought jewelry that matched the color of your eyes because subconsciously, I wanted some piece of you to be on my body. That I think you’re the most gorgeous man I’ve ever met.”

Viktor couldn’t believe what you were drunkenly confessing to him. He wanted to respond, to tell you he was going through something similar. To tell you he would love it if you wore that jewelry every day just for him.

Unfortunately, now was not the time.

“Vik, do you have any secrets?”

“I do.”

“Oh? Would you care to enlighten me?” You hiccuped, trying your best to keep your eyes on him. Sleepiness was taking you over, but you didn’t want to miss out on this moment with Viktor.

“How about I tell you another time? I promise that it will be worth it.”

You pouted.

“But Vik…” you whined, cupping his face in your hands.

“Why can’t you tell me now..? I wanna know..” your sentences began trailing off, heavy eyelids trying to shut.

“You need rest right now. I am sure there will be a better time for this conversation.”

Gently, he nudged you off his lap, your protests becoming weaker and weaker. He slid off the couch, kneeling on the floor for a moment. It hurt to do so, but being eye level with you and seeing you drift off to sleep was something he couldn’t give up. When he was sure you had fallen asleep, he leaned in to meet your ear and whispered, his accent much thicker than normal.

“Goodnight, miláčku.”

Carefully, he managed to get up, take his cane, and slip out of your apartment, bathed in moonlight as he walked home.

-

When Viktor made it back, the lights were on, and Jayce was sitting at the counter. He perked up, excitedly going over to greet Viktor.

“How was it?”

“Weren’t you… supposed to be with your girlfriend? Did she get tired of you?”

“Well… I never actually went to see her. I just wanted you and Y/N to have some alone time. So, how did it go? Did you guys have fun?”

“…It’s none of your business.”

Jayce was unable to interrogate further, as Viktor made it to his room and closed the door. He was unsure of how to interpret Viktor’s response, but hoped he was simply too embarrassed to give up any details. Sighing, he retired to his room as well, ready to let sleep take over.

VI - Aftermath

(This chapter includes nsfw content)

-

The next day, Viktor went to classes as usual, completing work and listening to lectures. On the outside, he seemed to be functioning perfectly well.

On the inside, he was a wreck.

The reality of last night hadn’t truly set in until the morning after, and when it did, a thousand questions clawed at the back of his mind.

Did you mean it when you said you had a crush on him? Should he have given you a better clue as to what he felt? What would have happened if you told him in better circumstances, when you weren’t under the influence? Would it be a good idea to stop by your apartment to have a longer talk with you? When would be a good time to see you? What would he say? When he began to think about what would happen if he stopped by your apartment, darker, lustful thoughts took over. They plagued him, making it possibly the most difficult day of classes Viktor had ever been through.

He went back to his apartment in the afternoon, tried to continue work on his research paper, but once again, you absolutely decimated his focus.

Jayce was out at an event with his girlfriend which would last until late into the night, making Viktor completely alone.

Naturally, this did not help stop his darker thoughts from taunting him. He recalled the way it felt when you were sitting on his lap, the gentle pressure against him being just right. Your voice as you confessed your crush was so beautiful, and he wondered how you would sound speaking dirty words to him.

Viktor shifted in his desk chair, his cock beginning to twitch in his trousers.

Your lips were so close to his last night when you told him he was gorgeous. He wanted nothing more than to crash his lips against yours hungrily and shove his tongue down your throat. He began palming himself through the fabric of his pants, letting out small groans. It had been a while since the last time he touched himself, so he was rather sensitive.

He moaned your name, jerking his hips up against his hand. The friction felt good, but he was sure you would feel far better. He thought about you straddling him, sliding him inside of you and bouncing on his cock. Frantically, he undid his belt and wrapped his hand around himself, beginning to pump quickly.

“Ah… Y/N…”

He wondered what kind of expressions you would make as he thrusted up into you, squeezing your hips tightly. God, he needed you. He had never felt such insatiable desire for someone before, and it was overwhelming his senses.

Viktor continued to jerk his hand up and down erratically, knowing it wouldn’t be long before he came undone. Oh, how he wished you were here. He longed to run his hands over every piece of your body, to learn every curve and exploit each and every sensitive spot. His moans grew louder, soft whines escaping when he made it to the tip of his cock only to drag his hand back down to the base.

“Y/N, please…”

As he thought about you coming, your insides clenching around him, his own release came, causing his strokes to slow before stopping entirely.

Coming down from his high, he looked at the sticky mess on his hand.

How was he supposed to face you after this?

-

Your day started much later than Viktor’s, your body refusing to even consider getting up until well past noon. When you finally could get up, you groaned, body cold and uncomfortable from the foreign sleeping location. Sitting up, you rubbed your eyes, hissing when you unintentionally touched one of your scratches.

Head pounding, you made your way to the kitchen to pour yourself a glass of water. Slowly, you drank it, memories of last night incredibly faint. When you set down the glass, it was as if it were a trigger to flood the memories back into your brain.

You cursed loudly, covering your face with your hands. Not only were you so incredibly vulnerable with Viktor, so weak and fragile- but you had also told him how you felt.

You knew he thought romance was frivolous. Why would you ever confess to him? His response was probably a polite way to escape the conversation. Not only did you confess, but you completely invaded his personal space, getting unbelievably touchy with him.

“God… what did I do?”

The apartment was completely silent in response, quietly taunting you and laughing at your distraught state.

Thankfully, you didn’t work on Mondays, so you weren’t in any rush to recover from your hangover. You desperately needed to freshen up, so you grabbed some clothes and entered your bathroom, twisting the shower handle to an exorbitantly hot temperature. The pain in your head was still present, but the water running over your body soothed you. Your mind wandered towards Viktor once more, his soothing presence and comforting words. It was embarrassing to have cried in front of him, but he was so gentle with you, and he said the exact things you had wanted to hear.

Stepping out of the shower, you dried off and changed into a t-shirt and a new pair of sweatpants. You took an ointment out of your cabinet, slathering it on your scratches. When you returned to the main living space, you were hyper-aware of how empty it was.

“…I miss you,” you muttered, glancing over to the empty couch.

You longed for Viktor’s presence, but feared seeking it out. Surely, next time he met you, he would tell you that he didn’t feel the same way. The blossoming friendship the two of you had felt as if it were withering away.

Desperate to shift your thoughts to something else, you made yourself a cup of tea and sat on the couch to drink it. The tea was relaxing, but not enough to stop your worrying about Viktor.

You hoped F/N would come over tonight. Sometimes, if she wasn’t too busy, she’d stop by on your day off to chat. At a time like this, you could use her advice.

While you waited to see if she would show up, you decided to bake some cookies. Your cooking skills left something to be desired, but your baking abilities were solid. It didn’t take long to mix up the dough, which you then proceeded to scoop into balls and place on a tray in the fridge. The late afternoon crept into evening, and before long, there was a knock at your door. You opened it, greeted with the exact face you wanted to see.

“Y/N!!! How are you? How was last night?” She made her way into the apartment, eyeing the oven, which was now turned on.

“Are you making something?”

“Yeah, I’m making cookies. Can we sit down and talk? There’s- so much has happened.”

F/N saw the serious look in your eyes, and she instantly moved over to sit on the couch, you following behind.

You recounted the events of last night, beginning with the creepy man you encountered, and ending with how you fell asleep on the couch.

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I wish we had gotten to the bar earlier- I could have scared him away. No wonder you seemed off last night.” She pulled you into a hug, which you greatly appreciated. You pulled away after a moment, hoping to hear her thoughts on the latter half of your story.

“So- Viktor. Did I royally screw things up?”

F/N shook her head.

“No, there’s no way. I saw the way he looked at you when we were at his apartment. That man has it bad for you, he just hasn’t acknowledged it yet.”

“Even if that were true- which I don’t think it is- what do I do now? Do I just show up at his apartment and say ‘Hey, sorry for drunkenly confessing my feelings to you, but I wasn’t lying and you should make out with me now’?”

“I’m fairly confident that would work, but I have a better idea. You need to seduce him, make it impossible for him to not make a move. And I know the perfect way for you to do so.”

F/N laid out her plan for you, and you listened intently, only stopping her so you could take the cookies out of the oven before allowing her to continue explaining her plan.

You had a lot of work to do.

VII - The Art of Seduction

-

The plan you set forth was slow and deliberate. First, you stopped by the lab the next afternoon. F/N had assured you Viktor would be here, and she was right. When you knocked on the door, he was the one to open it.

“Hey, what’s up?”

A blush slowly crept up Viktor’s face, but he attempted to seem nonchalant. You could not be tipped off about what he did last night.

“Eh… nothing. Are you looking for F/N? She’s in a lecture right now.”

“No, I was looking for you.”

Your cool, collected demeanor confused Viktor. Had you not just drunkenly confessed to him the other night? He was pleased you were seemingly in a better mood, but couldn’t figure out what caused the immediate change.

“Did you want to talk? About…” He trailed off, and you flinched.

“N-No. There’s no need. I just wanted to give you these.”

You held out a small box of cookies and smiled at him, leaning forward slightly. He saw a glint on your ears and neck and immediately recognized it as the amber jewelry you mentioned. If he wasn’t already nervous before, he certainly was now.

“Made them yesterday. Helped me clear my mind and relax.”

“You didn’t have to- eh, thank you, Y/N.”

As he quickly reached to grab the box, you deliberately let your fingers brush against his. He stopped, nearly dropping the box. Slowly, you dragged your fingers back, then returning your arms to your sides.

“That’s all. I have a long shift at the bar starting soon, so I’ll go. But Viktor?”

“Yes?”

“I meant what I said that night. Every word.”

Viktor wanted to stop you, ask you to clarify, but you were already fleeing the building, unable to keep yourself composed a moment later.

Once you finally made it out of the Academy, you stopped and looked back.

“Please let this plan work,” you muttered.

-

The next time Viktor saw you was Saturday evening. Jayce invited you and F/N over for dinner again, promising that he would be the chef this time. Overall, the evening was fairly similar to the last, the primary change being the meal, which Jayce had decided would be enchiladas.

While he was in the kitchen, you all talked about how things were going- their studies at the academy, your work at the bar. A few times, you gently grabbed Viktor’s arm to stabilize yourself as you laughed. Even worse, you decided to whisper into his ear to make side comments once or twice.

For a split second, he considered yanking you into his room, pinning you against the door and asking if you knew what you were doing to him, how you were driving him insane. His rationality and anxieties won over- first, he was sure that Jayce and F/N would not appreciate the interruption, and second, what if you weren’t doing this on purpose? If he misjudged, and you were just trying to be friendly?

Of course, you had literally told him the other day that you meant it when you said you liked him, but as a man who had never experienced romance before, his doubts were through the roof. Yeah, you had confirmed your feelings, but what if you wished to get into a relationship slowly? If you wished to start out as friends first, and then date later on? Viktor continued to ruminate throughout dinner, but was forced to snap out of it when Jayce suggested that they play a good old fashioned game of truth or dare.

The very first dare that happened was from F/N to you. Viktor had assumed you would play it safe and pick truth, but clearly he had underestimated your bravery.

“I dare you… to sit on Viktor’s lap for the rest of the game.”

What? Viktor couldn’t even process what was said before you climbed onto his lap, sitting with your legs splayed out to the side.

“Sorry, Vik. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Well, I suppose you had to honor the dare.”

The rest of the game was incredibly blurry for Viktor. He was busy fighting the urge to put his hands on your waist, to lift his head and press kisses to your neck. The few times you shifted your weight on him, it took all of his willpower to not let out a groan at the feeling. As soon as you and F/N left, Viktor was shut in his room, left alone with the feelings you were stirring within him.

-

You spent the next couple of weeks making occasional visits to the lab when you knew Viktor would be there. You dropped off several small gifts: baked goods, sketches and paintings, leftovers from the bar, anything you thought he might like.

One day, you arrived wearing a particularly tight crop top with a plain black skirt that went down to your mid-thighs. On the way in, a few Academy students scoffed or made comments like “I could never wear something like that”. It was hardly a risqué outfit, but you still swear you heard one of the students call you a “filthy Zaunite whore” under their breath. It was annoying, but you didn’t let it cut you too deep. Today, you were on a mission.

Today was the day that you were determined to force Viktor to finally make a move. You even wore your amber jewelry, hoping it would stir something in him.

As usual, you knocked on the door, but this time, you were met with a different face. Some Academy student you had never seen before stared down at you, his eyes flickering towards your chest before moving back up to your face.

“…can I help you?”

Suddenly, you felt much more exposed, much more nervous.

“Um, sorry. Is Viktor here?”

“He went to go fetch something. Some paper or equipment. I don’t really know.”

He kept staring at you, and you couldn’t tell if he was attracted to you or trying to figure out how to kick you out. You heard a gentle tapping sound across the floor and looked to your right, where you saw Viktor walking towards the two of you. He looked disgruntled, which you could only guess was because of whatever research he was in the middle of.

He clutched the papers in his hand aggressively, making his way towards the lab.

“Y/N. You did not mention you would be visiting today.”

Odd. Since when had he wanted you to announce your visits in advance?

“I wanted to surprise you, Vik. Are you super busy today? I can leave if that’s what you-“

“No, it is fine. Just unexpected.” His voice was awfully rigid, which concerned you.

“I’m done in the lab, so I’ll leave. See you, Viktor.” The student slung his bag over his shoulder and waved goodbye as he left, but Viktor didn’t even look at him.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

“You must truly be clueless.”

His remark felt like a slap to the face. As you spoke again, your voice began to rise in anger.

“Vik, did I do something to you? All I did was show up and you’re calling me clueless, and for what? I was going to-“

Viktor grabbed your hand, pulling you into the lab and locking the door behind him.

“What are you-“

He cut you off by pressing his lips to yours. It was at least a minute before he pulled away, and when he did, he looked furious.

“You have no idea what you’ve been doing to me.”

VIII - Conclusion

(This chapter includes nsfw content)

-

You looked at Viktor, waiting for him to continue. This wasn’t what you had expected when you showed up today. The kiss was absolutely welcome, but Viktor’s aggressive attitude was confusing.

His lips brushed against your ear as he spoke quietly, anger laced in his voice.

“Have you had fun driving me insane, miláčku? The way you touch me, look at me, the things that you wear- I cannot stand it. Especially not when others are clearly noticing you as well.”

You recalled the student who was eyeing you a mere moment ago.

“Is this about that guy just now?”

He went quiet for a moment.

“…I saw the way he was looking at you. He wanted you, and I cannot have that. No one should look at you like that, no one should be-“

“Vik, shut up.”

You crashed your lips against his, softly biting and sucking on his lips before slipping your tongue into his mouth. It took him a second, but he eagerly joined the kiss, groans escaping him each time you bit his lip.

When the two of you pulled apart, you gasped for air, realizing you had forgotten to breathe.

“I don’t care how anyone else looks at me. I want you,” you said breathily, running a hand through his hair.

“I wanted to drive you insane. I wanted to be the only thing you could think about until you couldn’t take it anymore and made a move on me.”

“I fear all of that effort was not necessary,” Viktor replied, hands now gently resting on your waist.

“I was already obsessed with you before you started all of this. Would you like me to tell you my secret?”

You nodded, whining when he squeezed your waist.

“I’m infatuated with you. I’ve been thinking about you nonstop since we met. You are the most gorgeous woman I have ever met. And,” he lowered his voice, thumbs tracing circles on your sides.

“The day after you confessed to me, I could not stop thinking about what would happen if we were to date. I imagined your body, how it would feel, how it would taste. I touched myself to the thought of you.”

“Oh,” you said, which came out as more of a moan than you had intended. You clenched your thighs together, heat growing in between them.

Viktor winced, looking down at his leg. It had been a while since he last sat down, and he desperately needed some relief.

“Let’s go over there.” He pointed to a couch in the far corner of the lab, and you followed as he made his way over.

Very soon after he sat down, you straddled him, pressing yourself as close as possible. His hands trailed over your body, eliciting soft whines from you when he found a particularly sensitive spot.

You felt Viktor’s cock twitch beneath you, and you began to rock your hips against him, which caused a moan to slip from his mouth.

“You like that?” You asked, pressing against him particularly hard.

“I.. mmh, yes… you feel so good, Y/N…”

“Bet it would feel even better like this,” you said before clumsily unbuckling his belt, moving off his lap for a second so you could remove his pants. He lifted his hips to allow them to slide off more easily. They didn’t fall very far, as his brace was in the way, but it was enough for his boxers to be completely visible. Climbing back on his lap, you continued to grind against him, your dripping core leaving a damp patch on his boxers.

He gripped your hips tightly, thrusting up into you desperately. Moans fell from your mouth, and you did your best to continue talking in spite of it.

“Nh.. Vik, I’ve thought about this so much… Hah… I’ve wanted you so badly…”

“I’ve wanted you too… you’re so perfect, Y/N… so, so perfect…”

His pace quickened, and you knew you wouldn’t last much longer.

“I’m- God, I’m so close…”

“I know, miláčku, me too,” he said, movements becoming more erratic by the second. A particularly hard thrust caused your orgasm to come down upon you, his name coming out of your mouth like a chant while you rode out your high.

Viktor came not long after, slowing down as your body twitched and the final whines of his name escaped your lips.

Silence came over the room, the only noises being breaths heaved from your lungs.

“I hope you know you owe me a date now.”

“Why, I would be happy to oblige, Miss,” Viktor said, pressing a kiss to your hand. You smiled at each other, deciding both of you would lay there for a while before even thinking about cleaning up or leaving.

The mess could wait.

-

Eventually, the two of you got up, Viktor fixing his pants while you wiped up any particularly… messy areas. By some miracle, nothing had gotten on the couch, and you let out a sigh of relief.

Knock, knock.

Startled, you fixed your hair, patted down your clothes, and went to open the lab door.

“Y/N, hey! I didn’t know you would still be here, I thought I had mentioned to stop by earlier.”

F/N looked at your flushed face and frizzy hair, raising an eyebrow.

“I was going to test something in the lab, but I think that can wait. Seems you have something to tell me.”

“Yeah, I think we need to go to my place and talk over some wine. But first, give me a second.”

You turned to face Viktor, who had made it to the door to see who the guest was. Leaning into his ear, you whispered.

“Come to my place on Sunday.”

He nodded, and you left with F/N, ready to spill the details of your eventful afternoon with Viktor.

Viktor gave a brief recounting to Jayce that evening, purposefully leaving out the more intimate details. All Jayce needed to know was that you and Viktor were going to start dating. Jayce wrapped Viktor into a bear hug, which he pulled himself away from as soon as Jayce loosened his grip.

-

media/fandoms i will write for

wreck-it ralph

robots (2005)

spongebob squarepants

jjba (anything up to part 5! i havent finished part 6 yet)

genshin

disney/pixar films

ace ventura movies (will not write for finkle/einhorn)

tommy boy (1995)

black sheep (1996)

waynes world

undertale/deltarune

regular show

hazbin hotel

something bad will happen soon

seinfeld

coneheads

any david spade characters

any jim carrey characters

blues brothers

squid game (both seasons)

arcane

what i won't write

dead dove (rape, incest, pedophilia, s/a, and the like)

canon character x canon character

fetish content/hardcore kinks (piss n shit, ageplay, feet, hardcore bdsm, stuff like that)

gore

self harm/suicide