Work Text:
The lab was quieter than it had ever been before. Your two partners had gone home for the weekend, likely to spend the holidays with their families. As much as you had wished to join them in celebrating with your own family, it wasn’t in the cards for you this year.
Ever since your move from Zaun to Piltover to pursue your studies, it had gotten harder and harder to stay in contact with your family. This year, you hadn’t even received a letter back when you wrote to your parents, asking whether you should come home or have them visit you for the holidays. It hurt you a little more than you were willing to admit to yourself.
No matter how many decorations you’d strung up in the lab and how hard you had thrown yourself into your most recent project, you couldn’t shake the ache of loneliness from your heart. Two neatly wrapped gifts sat under the small Christmas tree you’d decorated earlier once Jayce and Viktor had left, one for each of them to open once they’d returned from their holiday celebrations.
You tinker quietly at your workstation, notes scattered across the desk and a pen tucked behind your ear as you make adjustments to the gadget in front of you. You flick it on, a hopeful grin on your face that soon disappears when nothing happens.
You let out a frustrated sigh, slumping back in your chair as you pout dejectedly at your currently failing invention. Your gaze drifts to the large windows, watching the snow swirl through the air. The falling snow draws your attention and you stand up, making your way over to the window. Below you, families wander the streets laughing happily with one another and kids play in the snow, building snowmen and having snowball fights. Your eyebrows draw together and a few tears slip down your cheeks, longing for the days where you were those people.
The sound of the lab doors opening snaps you out of your thoughts, wiping your tears away as you turn around. Viktor? Your fellow scientist makes his way into the lab, surprise evident on his face when he sees you standing in the lab. He had been anticipating it to be empty, the rest of the Academy building empty because of the holiday.
“Y/N? What are you doing here? I would’ve expected you to be out celebrating?” He steps a little further into the lab, setting his bag down on the nearest table. You give him a tight smile, hoping it’s dark enough that he can’t see the remnants of tears on your face.
“Couldn’t make it home this year, so I decided to celebrate… by myself,” you trail off, wincing at how lame you probably sounded.
He frowns a little bit, “I will be right back, my dear,” and with that, he’s gone again. You make your way back to your desk, taking a seat to wait for the man to return.
It takes him around 20 minutes to get back to the lab, this time with a delicately wrapped parcel tucked under his arm and a small tray with two drink cups balanced in his unoccupied hand. You can’t help the grin that takes over your face as he sets down the cups on the surface in front of you, the present following soon after.
“For you, Y/N, a cup of sweet milk and your present.” A fluttery feeling arises in your stomach and your eyes water for the second time today, this time for an entirely different reason than before.
You blink away your tears and spin around, “I got you a present too, let me grab it.” He watches you as you practically bounce to the Christmas tree, bending down to pick it, turning around with it held gently in your outstretched hands, a huge grin on your face.
His eyes scan the room full of decorations you had put up earlier. “I love what you’ve done with the place, very festive.” He chuckles, taking the present from you once you’re back at his side, setting it down on the table he's currently leaned against, his own cup of sweetmilk in his hands.
You pick up your cup, taking a small sip and letting out a hum of happiness. “You sure know how to charm a girl, presents and sweetmilk, Vik? That's a one way ticket to my heart.” His blush is hidden by the darkness of the room and he pushes the gift towards you, hoping to draw your attention away from him before you take notice of his flustered state.
“Open it.” You pick the present, instinctively giving it a little shake and giggling at your silly antics. Your fingers untie the perfectly tied bow of twine holding the parcel together and once it's undone, the paper concealing it falls away.
You can’t keep the grin overtaking your features at bay and you look up at Viktor, barely able to contain your excitement.
“You remembered?” It was a book you had offhandedly expressed interest in months ago on a trip to the bookstore you made with the man currently in front of you. You had only mentioned wanting it that one time and you definitely hadn’t expected him to remember it.
“I, uh, I actually went back later that night to buy it for you. Christmas was just the nearest reason I had to give it to you. I know it’s not much but-” You cut him off with a tight hug, wrapping your arms tightly around him and burying your face into his neck. He freezes for a moment before his arms settle around your form, pulling you tighter against him.
“I love it, Vik, thank you.” The thoughtfulness of the gift was almost overwhelming. You were genuinely surprised Viktor had remembered something like that, he’d always been the type to remember little details about people, but you were honored that he remembered something so miniscule and unimportant about you. You reluctantly pull away from him, wanting him to open the present you got him.
“Your turn.” You nearly shove the present into his chest, looking up at him expectantly with a sweet smile on your lips. He takes it from you gently, following suit in unwrapping it to reveal what's inside.
He lifts up the deep red scarf you had made for him, knitted with soft yarn you’d found at the market a while ago, the deep red reminding you of the color Viktor typically adorned the minute you saw it.
“I made it myself,” You state proudly, “D’ya like it?” You question hopefully, his silent demeanor making you nervous.
“I love it, it’s perfect.” His voice is quiet and his eyes are locked on the scarf, fingers brushing against the soft material.
“Would you like to do the honors?”
He holds the scarf up to you and you gladly take it. By this time, Viktor had moved into a more comfortable position and was seated on the table you had been working on earlier, any attempt of work long discarded. You step between his legs, heart rate picking up at the close proximity of you and your fellow scientist. His hands reach out, settling on your waist to steady himself. Your cheeks flush at the touch but you try not to let it show, taking the scarf from him.
You gently wrap the scarf around his neck, making minor adjustments to make it fit more comfortably. You smile at your handiwork, eyes darting up from his neck to his eyes. His gaze had been locked on you since you stepped closer to him, your body heat radiating from you and warming the skin of his thighs where your hips rested. He never wants you to move. His golden eyes meet yours when you look up, gaze darting down to your lips for a brief, but noticeable, moment.
“You look amazing.” Your voice is barely above a whisper now and you can’t seem to tear your eyes away from him. His presence is intoxicating and you can’t help but lean in, his eyes drawing you in like a moth to a flame. His hand grip at your waist a little tighter the closer you get. Your noses brush, your lips mere centimeters apart, so close yet so far away and-
A loud crash from the hallway has you jumping back a step, the noise snapping you out of the trance you had found yourself in a moment ago.
You clear your throat, now avoiding eye contact with the man you were just about to kiss and potentially ruin the professional relationship you had formed over the past few years, one that you had thought had become a close friendship at this point. A chime from the clock in the corner draws your attention and you take another step back.
“We should probably get some sleep, Viktor. We’ll have a long day ahead of us once the weekend is over.” He nods in response, saying nothing back. You reach out a hand, helping him keep his balance as he makes his way down from the table. Once his two feet are safely planted on the ground you drop his hand, missing the warmth instantly. You move to gather your things, hearing Viktor do the same behind your turned back.
The two of you head for the doors of the lab, side by side, attempting to ignore any potential awkwardness the situation just a few minutes ago might have caused. Viktor reaches for the door, opening it and gesturing for you to walk through first. You give him a tight smile and step out, stopping to wait for him to lock up before seeing him off for the night.
He slips his keys back into his pocket, finally meeting your eyes again.
“Goodnight Viktor, I’ll see you tomorrow, Merry Christmas.”
You turn to walk yourself to your dorm, likely to throw yourself into the book Viktor had bought you, but you're stopped by a hand wrapping around your elbow and spinning you back around. You look up at Viktor with concern, raising an eyebrow in silent questioning. He has a smirk on his face and his only response is pointing his finger in the air.
You look up, cheeks flushing at what hangs above your head. Mistletoe. Your blush deepens and your eyes dart back to his face. Viktor lets go of your elbow, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. You find yourself trapped under his gaze again and when his hand settles on your cheek, you can't help but lean into it.
“It is tradition after all.” And his lips are on yours.
It doesn’t take more than a second for you to respond to the kiss, all earlier caution thrown to the wind. It’s everything you’ve ever imagined, his lips are soft against yours and you nearly get lost in the addictive feeling of the kiss. His hand stays put on your cheek holding you to him but your hands reach out, tangling in his hair and pulling him deeper into the kiss. He lets out a soft groan and it lights a fire in your belly you’ve never felt before. If you had the chance you would stay like this forever.
Like all good things, it must come to an end eventually, unfortunately ending way sooner than you’d hoped and leaving you craving more. Viktor’s the one who pulls away first, cheeks flushed and practically panting when he steps back.
A smile adorns his face and his hand drops from your face, “Merry Christmas Y/N.” And with that, he turns and walks away, leaving you love struck and frozen where you stand. Once he turns the corner at the end of the hall, you manage to shake yourself out of his trance.
Your fingers lightly brush against your tingling lips, reveling in the kiss Viktor had just left you with. You smile and turn away, walking in the opposite direction Viktor had left to turn in for the night.
Maybe Christmas without your family this year wasn’t that bad after all.