Chapter Text
Viktor didn’t get nervous around women. He didn’t get nervous around anyone, but this was the first time he’d ever been nervous around a woman. It was part of his job to be charming, it was how he got past the painful obstacle known as ‘other people’.
What made this different, was that he wasn’t putting on a façade in order to trick someone into thinking he was trustworthy. This time, Viktor was showcasing nothing but himself. And he actually wanted her to like him.
Rebecca was truly elegant. It wasn’t just in her looks, but the way in which she carried herself. The way she held her chopsticks her perfectly manicured nails, raising sushi to her soft, red lips as she bit into it daintily; all of it spoke volumes about the effortlessly graceful person she was.
“Is there something on my face?”
Her voice, light like a Summer breeze, drew him out of his trance, and a slightly embarrassed chuckle escaped his lungs.
“No! No, you don’t. Sorry, was I staring?”
“Yes,” Rebecca said, not offended “you were.”
“Well, can you blame me?”
She looked down at her food, a shy smile mixing with the pink of her cheeks.
Viktor could get used to this.
*************************************************************************************************************
It had taken him a little bit longer due to traffic, but Lisgoe managed to get there eventually. And he hadn’t been lying to his cousin earlier, he was absolutely bricking it.
This kind of stuff never happened, he never cared so much about his appearance, or the way he behaved. If you didn’t like him, that was your problem. Joseph Lisgoe didn’t change for anyone.
Which begged the question: why was he wearing a suit, in a fancy sushi restaurant, trying to remember what ‘nigiri’ looked like?
“Why can’t they add pictures to these?” He muttered as he flipped the menu over for a third time, as if a photo was magically going to appear “Would be a lot easier.”
“I thought you’d had sushi before.”
“I have, but I don’t know the names.”
“Maybe you should’ve thought about that before coming to a sushi restaurant.”
“Maybe you should shut the fuck up.”
To anyone else, it would sound as though this date wasn’t going well. However, the matching playful looks on their faces certainly said otherwise. It was their way of showing that they really did like each other: by talking to each other like they didn’t.
“Nigiri’s the one with salmon on top and rice at the bottom.”
“Oh!” Lisgoe put his menu down “Sod it, I’m getting the California Roll.”
“Or, we could get a platter. Two types of sushi for the price of one.”
“Even better!”
That’s what Lisgoe liked most about Ross, his ability to find solutions to things quickly. Efficiency was clearly his top priority, and he never failed to figure out the way forward.
Well, there was that and the fact that Ross was surprisingly attractive.
He thought it was surprising because he usually didn’t go for people like Ross. It wasn’t even a sexuality thing (Lisgoe always knew he liked it any way he could get it, he never faffed with labelling it one way or the other), he just never found himself swayed by… well, by anyone as logical and sensible as Ross. But there was something exposing in his eyes, as if he could see right through anyone, and something so alluring in his confidence.
In a word, Lisgoe found him fascinating.
And hot. Ross Gaines was really hot.
As Ross flagged down the waiter, Lisgoe saw his cousin a few tables down. He watched him and that woman eating together and, once they made eye contact, he grinned mischievously.
Seeing Viktor shoot him a withering look over the woman’s- “Rebecca, her name’s Rebecca”- shoulder made him chuckle. And he took the opportunity to mime a crude gesture by shaking his wrist vigorously. Just in case his cousin didn’t get the message, Lisgoe was also kind enough to mouth the word wanker to really drive it home.
It was rewarded with the glorious sight of Viktor, who was clearly trying not to attract the attention of his lovely date as she was talking, widening his eyes and furrowing his brows in order to glare pointedly at him.
Just as Lisgoe was sticking two fingers at him, the waiter had gone. Luckily, he managed to go back to neutral by the time Ross turned back around.
*************************************************************************************************************
Viktor couldn’t stop the chuckle escaping as his irritating cousin was nearly caught out.
“Is everything OK?”
“Hm?” His attention was instantly caught by Rebecca “Oh, yes, sorry. My cousin’s on the table behind us and he’s being a nuisance.”
“Your cousin?” Her head twitched, as if she’d suddenly stopped herself from turning to look. Always full of manners, she was “Is that right?”
“Yes, he was making faces.”
“That’s family for you. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”
The air got a little tense after that. Things weren’t exactly pleasant in Rebecca’s family, Viktor had heard about it in parts, but nothing expansive. She often went quite after speaking about it for a certain length of time, and Viktor saw no reason to further her pain.
Right now, she kept darting her eyes over her shoulder, despite her head forcing itself to stay in place.
“Is everything alright?”
“It’s nothing, really. I’m just a little curious, I guess.”
“About my cousin?”
She nodded.
“You two look nothing alike, I wouldn’t have guessed you were related.”
This wasn’t new to Viktor, but he chuckled anyway. He then stood up and stood beside Rebecca, holding out his hand.
“Come on,” he said, catching Lisgoe’s glare out of the corner of his eye “let’s go and say hello.”
*************************************************************************************************************
One rule, you Ken doll fuck. Lisgoe thought, ignoring the waiter as he brought their food Stay away from my pissing table-
“Who’s this?”
Lisgoe’s jaw tightened as he sighed in frustration, biting back the string of insults that were flowing in his brain.
“Ross, this is Viktor. My cousin.”
“You don’t look related.”
“We get that a lot,” Viktor said “I don’t suppose you two mind if Rebecca and I say hello?”
Lisgoe smiled. To him, it was a good attempt at hiding his frustration, knowing damn well this was a deliberate move. To anyone else that saw, he just looked constipated.
Regardless, Rebecca returned it with a soft smile of her own.
“You must be the mysterious ‘Joe’ that Viktor’s talked about.”
“Yeah, that’s me.” His eyes darted to Viktor “Do I shake, or…”
“Joe, don’t take the piss.”
“I’m being serious! Do people still shake hands?”
“It’s not an archaic tradition!”
“Oh hello!” Lisgoe turned to Ross “You know he’s desperate to impress someone when he pulls out his fancy words!”
Opting to end things before the back-and-forth continued, Rebecca took Lisgoe’s hand and shook it quickly.
“It’s nice to meet you, Joseph.”
“Yeah, good meeting you too.”
“Nice meeting you too.”
“Viktor, piss off!”
“Relax, Joseph.”
Hearing Ross’ voice, and feeling his hand round his wrist, caused Lisgoe to recline wordlessly in his chair.
A sight which amused his cousin greatly.
“He really had whipped you into shape, hasn’t he Joe?”
“As if you’re any better!” He retorted, laughing slightly “Never seen you look so on edge!”
“I’ve never heard you swear so little.”
“Twat!”
Lisgoe stabbed a California Roll with a chopstick, chuckling at the surprised reaction it got from Ross, and put the whole thing in his mouth.
“Have you never used a chopstick before?”
Lisgoe looked at him, truly unable to see what the big deal was.
“Come here.”
Ross took Lisgoe’s hands and moved each finger into the correct position. There was a moment of eye contact, their fingers lingering slightly as Lisgoe tried (and failed) to hold back a smug smile. Ross pulled away, clearing his throat and looking over at Viktor.
“Hopefully all’s going well with you two.”
“Yes,” Viktor nodded “and Rebecca hasn’t yet had to teach me how to use chopsticks.”
“If I stabbed you in the eye,” Lisgoe said, holding his chopstick like a weapon “how hard would I have to yank in order to rip it out of its socket?”
“Right, well, Viktor and I ought to let you two get on with it.” Rebecca took his arm and hastily started to turn away “It was, um, lovely meeting you, Joe!”
“Nice seeing you too, Becca. Vik likes you, seems to anyway.”
That made her smile a little as she returned to her seat, waiting for Viktor to join her before she spoke.
“Pardon me for asking, but… your relationship with your cousin…”
“He’s a nuisance, isn’t he?” Viktor laughed “No, he’s alright. Well, most of the time. He’s less of a cousin and more like my little brother.” He took a sushi, then chuckled “He hates being reminded that he’s younger.”
“I mean, he does have the face of a rather edgy teenager.” She giggled, her voice low so as not to draw attention
“I’m surprised he never used Myspace.”
This time, they both started laughing, dipping and covering their mouths before the topic of conversation caught onto their tittering.
“If you’ll excuse me,” she said once there was a pause in the conversation, standing up “I’m heading to the bathroom. Won’t be long!”
Viktor nodded, and took another piece of sushi.
Unbeknownst to him, and to Lisgoe, Rebecca tapped Ross’ shoulder as she walked past.
“I won’t be long.” Ross said as he headed for the men’s bathroom.
*************************************************************************************************************
“So,” Viktor, who had migrated to Lisgoe’s table again, spoke “how do you think it’s going?”
“Gonna be honest, I’ve got no clue.” He sighed “Never felt like this about someone before.”
Viktor looked down in consideration, then back at his cousin in the hopes he’d fill in the blanks.
“This is the first time I can confidently say that I’ll be pretty pissed if he doesn’t end up liking me.”
They both chuckled, both at the wording and the out of character remark.
“He’s the kind of guy,” Lisgoe continued “that grew up with pretty much everything. Almost makes me wonder what he could possibly need in me.”
“I’m in a similar position, Rebecca comes from quite a middle-class family-”
“But you’re a Portsmouth boy with a cushty upbringing. Me? I’m from a tiny council estate in Sheffield. People like Rebecca and people like you, they mix. Y’know what people think when they see someone like me with someone like Ross?” He stabbed his chopstick into a piece of nigiri, scowling slightly “I’ll give you a hint: they’re fucking assholes.”
Things went quiet. Viktor knew his cousin better than to pity him, so he simply patted his wrist.
“You’re a good judge of character, Joe. Do you think he likes you?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t.”
*************************************************************************************************************
TEXT CONVERSATION
Ross
<This is a disaster, it was a terrible idea.>
Rebecca
>Oh?<
>Thought you and Joseph were getting on well<
Ross
<I don't know how to deal with this, this is a disaster.>
Rebecca
>So you've said<
>What happened?<
>What's so bad about it?<
Ross
<Rebecca, I haven't been on a lot of dates. But this one is, without a doubt, the best one.>
Rebecca
>?<
Ross
<I'm not sure how much clearer I can be, this is going really well.>
Rebecca
>Right!<
>That's good then :)<
Ross
<It isn't.>
Rebecca
>I don't understand<
Ross
<Rebecca, you've known me for 5 years. When have I ever been interested in someone like that?>
Rebecca
>To be fair, you were in the closet for about 2½ of those years<
Ross
<That's not the point.>
Rebecca
>Then please get to it<
Ross
<He matches my humour. I like his voice, even though he seems to speak through his nose. And I nearly forgot how to hold chopsticks because I was focusing on the fact I was touching his hands.>
Rebecca
>That's how it feels when you're interested in someone.<
Ross
<I don't like it.>
Rebecca
>What don't you like?<
>Nothing wrong with finding someone appealing<
Ross
<Rebecca, he has a neck tattoo. He has a tattoo on his neck, clear as day, and I’m not repulsed by it.
<It's awful. I like him, I really like him. I feel like I was acting silly.>
Rebecca
>Don’t worry<
>You were doing fine :)<
Ross
<Good. How are things with that Viktor?>
Rebecca
>He’s weirdly closed off<
>We’ve opened up about things in the past (had to for obvious reasons)<
>And yet it feels like he’s hiding things<
Ross
>He’ll probably open up in due time, no need to rush it. Is it bothering you?<
Rebecca
<No>
<He’s lovely>
<Just find it strange that I know all these things about him, but not what he does for a living>
Ross
>I guess he’s embarrassed, you hide those sorts of details on a first date.<
Rebecca
<That’s true>
<Think he works with people>
<He’s got quite a charming personality>
Ross
>If he works in sales, run.<
Rebecca
<OK xD>
<I’m going back>
<Only so long I can pretend to have a wee>
Ross
>K<
*************************************************************************************************************
“You like New Wave, right?”
Lisgoe was thumbing through a CD storage case as Ross watched from the passenger seat.
“Did I say that?”
“You said you like Depeche Mode and Talking Heads, that’s New Wave.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that. I suppose I do.”
Lisgoe took out a CD and put it in his car before beginning to drive off.
They sat in comfortable silence, allowing the lights from the cars around them and the streetlights to paint the dark interior of the car with a strangely alluring display. Music filled the space around them, until Lisgoe turned it down to speak.
“I’m curious, you ever dated before?”
“Not much, but I’ve had a girlfriend in the past. A German girl, it only lasted a few months but she was quite pretty. That was before, you know, I realised things.”
“How long has it been since you ‘realised things’?”
“Not even 3 years.”
“3 years and you’ve only just tried it on with a fella! Christ, you have some catching up to do!”
“I think I’ll manage.” Ross’ lips quirked upwards “Thank you.”
They stopped at a red light, and the shine of it seemed to bounce off Lisgoe’s face, leaving a shadow over parts of him as he turned his head towards Ross.
“I mean…” he rested his hand on Ross’ knee “my house isn’t too far.” It crawled its way up, the tips of his fingers moving deliberately up Ross’ thigh “Could catch you up on things.”
Lisgoe’s hand squeezed dangerously close to Ross’ groin, causing him to bite his lip as he leaned back against his seat.
“It’s… not that I don’t want to…”
Upon hearing that, Lisgoe pulled his hand away, resting it firmly against the steering wheel. Neither spoke until the light was green and they were off again.
“It’s nothing against you-”
“Ross, I’m not offended. Sex isn’t meant to feel like a business transaction.”
That made him look out of his window for a moment, as if reminded of someone he’d tried to forget.
“Like I said, I’d like to. At some point, I just don’t put out on a first date.”
Lisgoe made a face that said fair enough, and kept driving. Then, he started to snigger, causing Ross to raise his brows.
“Is something funny?”
“Never thought I’d hear you say ‘put out’.”
“What phrase would I use then?”
“I dunno, ‘deflower’?” Lisgoe teased “Poshy.”
“I’m not that posh-”
“I don’t think I’ve seen you without either a blazer, a button-down or both. I’m starting to wonder if you even own a t-shirt!”
Ross shook his head, chuckling a little at Lisgoe’s comments.
“Manners maketh the man, Joseph.”
“See that? That’s the kind of thing I imagine you saying!”
They laugh again and the car went quiet again, the gentle hum of the radio was the only thing breaking through the silence. Lisgoe stretched his spine slightly, twisting his neck around as his jaw went tense.
“It’s alright. Y’know, not shagging on date 1. I just…” he shrugged, in an attempt to appear non-chalant “just didn’t want it to be a class thing.”
“Class thing?”
“Yeah. I mean, you’ve told me about your parents, and we’ve bickered about it plenty. I just wondered how much you actually think about our class difference.”
Ross pondered that question for a moment, swirling it in his mind as he formulated a response.
“I try and ignore it,” he admitted “I figured that it doesn’t matter enough to think about.”
“It matters.” Lisgoe said, more seriously than he’d ever been “It was my life for 20-odd years, and it’s stayed my life for years after. I wouldn’t be who I am if I came from a family like yours. I’m glad it doesn’t change how you see me, it shouldn’t. But you can’t ignore it, because I don’t have that privilege.”
“Right.”
After a considerable silence, Ross rested his hand on Lisgoe’s knee.
Lisgoe placed a hand on top of his.
That was all.
*************************************************************************************************************
Viktor would’ve taken his motorbike he used for jobs, but he remembered that, when he mentioned it before, Rebecca’s face went pale. As cute as it was, it made him thankful that he had his own car. It also meant that he wouldn’t get into trouble with his boss for taking a company vehicle out on a joyride. Again. (Not that it was his fault, he needed groceries and Tesco’s was nearby).
“Thank you for driving me home.”
“I drove you here, why wouldn’t I take you back?”
Rebecca smiled softly and looked down at her clasped hands, unsure how exactly to ask her next question. As they drove under a tunnel, she spoke:
“Is there a reason you’re so closed off about your job?”
It wasn’t said in a harsh, accusatory way. Rebecca wasn’t offended, she knew, all too well, that people kept secrets for many reasons. She certainly had plenty of skeletons in her closet, why would she be upset with Viktor’s?
“It’s… dangerous. One that people don’t take lightly, myself included.”
Viktor knew that she’d find out at some point. This wasn’t a secret he could keep for long, “an accident at work caused my PTSD” was a vague statement that was bound to cause questions. And he didn’t know how he would answer them. There was no way Rebecca would see him the same if she knew he was a contract killer. Would she even be able to look at him? The thought cut deeper than any screwdriver could.
After a few moments of silence, he felt her hand over his on the gear stick. She squeezed gently, and he felt himself relax a little.
“You don’t have to tell me, not yet.”
“I understand that it’s frustrating-”
“Not really. People keep secrets for all sorts of reasons.”
By the way she spoke, Viktor could tell this was more than just an observation. But, since Rebecca was kind enough to respect his privacy, he opted to do the same for her.
His eyes darted to her every so often. Rebecca was bathed in the soft orange glow of the lights as they zipped past, highlighting the smoothness of her skin and the honey-like brown in her eyes. She really was beautiful.
“You’re staring again.”
Viktor mumbled an apology and kept his eyes firmly on the road, wondering if she was starting to see him as a creep.
In many ways, hearing her giggle softly was a welcome sound.
*************************************************************************************************************
“Nice little apartment block you’ve found for yourself.”
“It’s not my ideal, but it works for me.”
“Fair. Still, nice living alone.”
“You don’t life with your cousin?”
“Nah, I was visiting for a few days. He let me get ready at his.”
Lisgoe and Ross got out of the car, heading over to the front door. Before Ross took his key out of his pocket, he sighed.
“Look… about the whole ‘forgetting your class’ thing, I didn’t-”
“Ross, it doesn’t matter.” Lisgoe took him by the waist and turned him round so they were facing each other “It’s all good.”
For a moment, they just stood there. A few seconds that stretched into some longer measurement of time. Such a simple instance of contact, yet it felt significant in a way that felt so clear yet clouded.
“Better let you head off, eh? No use making you stay outsi-”
Soft lips pressed against Lisgoe’s as Ross’ hands held his face. Once again, a few seconds felt like much longer.
Lisgoe wasn’t one to waste time, and he certainly wasn’t going to miss such a golden opportunity. As he pulled Ross towards him, pressing their bodies together, he ran his tongue along the man’s lower lip, feeling a breathy moan vibrate against his mouth as the kiss deepened.
When their lips disconnected, Lisgoe couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw Ross, who was looking between his eyes and his lips as if he had no idea what just happened or how it occurred. As if something had taken over in that very moment.
He cleared his throat and straightened out his glasses, an act of self-maintenance that made Lisgoe want to pull him in again.
“So, Joseph. Would you like to come in for a coffee, Joseph?”
“Sorry, what was my name again? I don’t think you said it.”
“Just answer the question.”
Lisgoe laughed and stepped away from the door, nodding in response to the question.
"Lead the way."
*************************************************************************************************************
“Where did you learn to make tea? This is lovely!”
Viktor smiled as he sat beside Rebecca on the sofa with his own mug, glad that the weather was cold enough to be used as a reason to invite her in. She saw right through it, he could tell. Thankfully, he didn’t care. All that mattered was that she said yes.
“I don’t know, to be honest. It’s one of those things I just picked up. I’ve, um, I’ve also made a few cups of tea at work.”
Shut up, Viktor. Don’t talk about work, soon she’ll be outright asking what you do-
“A dangerous, tea-making job?”
Damn it.
Damn it.
Damn it.
“You really are a man of many mysteries.” Rebecca held her mug in her hands, as if trying to warm them, her lips sat in a content smile “I suppose everyone is, in a way.”
Somehow, you didn’t screw this up. Nice one.
“You’re no different,” he retorted playfully “How long will it take for you to crack, I wonder.” He took a sip of his tea, his eyes fixed on Rebecca as she did the same “I’d love to get to the bottom of you.”
As Rebecca choked on her own tea, he realised just how strange that sounded. He was usually so good with his words, why did they fail him now?
“I meant your mind!” He explained, watching as Rebecca tried to compose herself “I meant that I wanted to, you know, see what you’re about. See what’s going on up there.”
For a moment, Rebecca didn’t look at him. She stayed staring into her drink.
Being a hitman, Viktor always preferred being invisible. Such feelings carried on in his everyday life too. He went about his day, the world kept turning, and he was perfectly happy blending into the background as people walked by. But those few seconds without her gaze, were agonizing. For the first time, not only was he welcoming such contact, but he was actively searching for it.
Her shoulders started to shiver slightly, and Viktor’s stomach almost lurched… until he saw the pearly smile on her face, heard her laughter puff out from between her teeth as she tried to hold it in.
Whether it was from relief or happiness, he wasn’t sure. But he found himself laughing too.
Finally, finally, their eyes met. She smiled at him, and it was like something clicked in his brain. A switch flipped, and he took her chin in his hands, leaning towards her and kissing the corner of her mouth. He heard a feather-light gasp escape her, and he pulled away to see her looking at him still. That bright smile simmering into a softer gaze.
“You missed.”
That made them both chuckle, and Viktor leaned in once again.
Her perfume was sweet, her hands soft, her lips gentle. Such things weren’t what Viktor was used to. But he supposed he could learn to be.
*************************************************************************************************************
TEXT CONVERSATION
Lisgoe
<Assuming u got lucky then?>
Viktor
>Excuse me?<
Lisgoe
<Ur not answering ur phone, so I’m gonna assume u and Becca were busy>
Viktor
She’s asleep I’m not calling you. You’ll disturb her<
Lisgoe
<Fym I’LL disturb her?>
Viktor
>You’re a very loud man Joe we both know this<
Lisgoe
<So ur not getting laid, u just decided 2 ignore ur own cousin?>
Viktor
>Yes<
Lisgoe
<What a FUCKING liberty>
<How did it go?>
Viktor
>It went OK I invited her in for a coffee and then she fell asleep<
>She’s laying on my arm and it’s gone completely dead and it’s starting to hurt a little<
Lisgoe
<Then move it>
Viktor
>Absolutely not are you insane?<
>Did you ‘get lucky’ with Ross then?<
Lisgoe
<If by get lucky, u mean get lucky enough 2 find someone that’ll watch the whole of Dexter with me, FUCK YEAH>
<Watched a bit at his place, then he had 2 go 2 bed, he has work tomorrow>
Viktor
>Are you at home now then?<
Lisgoe
<Nah, driving>
Viktor
>But you’re at a traffic light right?<
>Joe are you at a traffic light?<
Lisgoe
<No?>
Viktor
>Joseph stop texting me and keep your eyes on the road<
Lisgoe
<I’m not gonna crash, I’ll b fine>
Viktor
>Put the phone down<
Lisgoe
<Nah, fuck u>
Viktor
>Joe<
Lisgoe
<No>
Viktor
>Put the phone down<
Lisgoe
<Fuck off>
Viktor
>I’m not replying until you get home<
Lisgoe
<FUCK u, tell me how it went?>
<Vik>
<Vik>
<Asshole>