Chapter Text
The coffee was warm in your hands as you traversed the halls of the academy, passing window after window, occasionally gazing out onto the Piltovian horizon. It was always so bright, so clear compared to Zaun. Don’t misunderstand, you loved Zaun, it was your home, the place where you grew up and made the most memories, but Piltover was nothing if not beautiful. You wondered what your family back home would say if they came top side, what would they think of the decidedly not toxic air and the sun that could actually reach the ground instead of just mildly illuminating the smog around you. You involuntarily took a deep breath, admiring the lack of pain on inhalation that you would occasionally experience the deeper into the Undercity you got. This was a new start, a new job, a new place, a new life. You felt excitement bubble up inside you, you were finally here, after 16 years, you were finally here and if you were honest, you were nervous.
The primary reason you had accepted the job to be a professor here at the academy wasn’t because of the significantly better pay than anything you would find in Zaun, nor was it because of you love of teaching. It was because of who you wanted to see again. It had been 16 years since you had last seen Viktor, back when you were 16 and he was 19 and you were hugging him goodbye as he crossed the bridge into a better life, one that he could never achieve in Zaun. Of course, the two of you had exchanged letters during those 16 years, but you hadn’t actually seen him since you were teenagers. Now here you were, in the same building he occupied, that he made his life’s work. Of course, he had no idea you were here, it was supposed to be a surprise.
You had met Viktor when you were 7 and he was 10, almost immediately the two of you became the best of friends, you practically gluing yourself to his hip, you were also the one to push him to achieve his dreams, to travel to Piltover to attend the Academy, even though it meant leaving you behind. You’d been in Piltover for about a week and a half, spending that time setting up your new classroom, getting your lodgings in the academy in order, all while doing your best to avoid your best friend. You didn’t want him to see you yet, you wanted to be ready.
You slid the key into the lock of the door leading to your new classroom, balancing your coffee in one hand as you used that same hand to turn the handle. You couldn’t help but wonder what Viktor would think when he found out his best friend, known for getting into fights on his behalf and challenging authority, had become a teacher, a Chemistry teacher no less. You giggled to yourself as you turned on the lights. Tomorrow was the first day of the new semester, your first day of class. You had worked hard on your classroom, you wanted it to be welcoming, many of your students were going to be 1st years and you knew how intimidating it was to start the first day of a large academy. In the far corner of the room, leaning up against the wall, nearest a window, was a large full-length mirror, you had just so happened to catch a glance of your reflection, and took in the image of yourself. You looked so different to how you looked back then, back when you and Viktor had been young, ladylike is not a term you would have used for yourself, you had been a rebel, a rulebreaker and often found yourself in-between Viktor and some dick who decided Viktor looked easy to pick on. At least that was your role when the two of you were children, as you entered your teenage years Viktor became much more confident, it didn’t stop you from keeping an eye over your shoulder though, just in case. Toward your mid 20s was when your style really started to change, you started putting more effort into your appearance, especially as you made your way into more and more prestigious Zaun academies. Today, you wouldn’t even be recognizable to your previous self, you hoped Viktor recognized you, hoped he liked who you had become. You smoothed your hands flat over your skirt, it reached mid-thigh, flared out just enough to compliment your waistline, a loose cardigan draped over your shoulders, your hair, which you of the past would have just tossed into a ponytail and called it a day, was neatly styled, framing your face perfectly, flowing free around your shoulders. What would Viktor think of you, knowing him, he’d probably tease you, say something along the lines of “I knew there was a girl in there somewhere” and then you’d laugh.
You were so engrossed in your internal dilemma you didn’t hear the telltale sounds of a cane as it approached your classroom. You were just about to turn back around, finish up your classroom before continuing your effort of learning the layout of the academy, when a voice behind you pulled you from your thoughts, a very familiar voice.
“I almost couldn’t believe it true.” You felt the hair raise up on the back of your neck at that familiar accent, one that you had missed so dearly for 16 years. Well, there go your plans. You felt the nerves climbing up your throat, what if you were too different? Pushing that thought aside, you spun on your heels, coming face to face with a pair of eyes you hadn’t seen in a very long time. You took a moment to just take him in, the look of him, tall, lean, leaning up against the doorway in a leisurely manner, his left hand tucked in his pocket, the right one, sheathed in a well fitted black glove, gripping the handle of a finely made cane. A far cry from the straggly Undercity boy you had known, he now dawned a grey vest, fitted nicely over a dark brown dress shirt, a perfectly arranged grey tie tucked between the two. The telltale signs of age and stress showed on his face, but he was handsome as ever, all sharp angles and smooth skin, his hair was styled, not perfectly, but enough. The look of him took your breath away. Teenage Viktor was one thing, he was lanky and awkward and spent far too much time in his head, but this, this was a completely different animal. Viktor in his 30s was downright unfair.
You felt more that saw Viktor’s eyes on you, suddenly you felt far too self-conscious, what the hell were you? A teenager standing in front of a cute boy? As far as your brain was concerned? Yes, that’s exactly what you were. “I was hoping to find you before you knew I was here.” You finally said after you found your voice.
“I knew you were here the moment you stepped on campus,” Viktor pushed himself off the wall, once again balancing his weight on his cane, starting to make his way over to you. “Jayce told me as soon as you arrived, a new professor, and one from the Undercity no doubt, when he said your name, I almost thought it must be a different (y/n).” Viktor paused. “I had to come make sure.”
You threw your hands into a ‘welp’ sign, before landing them on your hips. “Here I am.” Viktor chuckled.
“Here you are.” You couldn’t take it anymore, you launched forward, throwing your arms around Viktor’s neck and pulling him into the tightest hug you could manage, nearly throwing him off balance. His long arms immediately found their way around your waist, pulling your body flush with his. You stood there for what felt like hours, Viktor may have changed, he may be older, more weathered, but his scent never changed, it was smoke and coffee and something undeniably him.
“I missed you.” You mumbled into his shoulder, you felt him smile against your neck, pulling you ever so slightly closer.
“I missed you too.”
It was like nothing changed. You and Viktor went right back to being the best friends you always had been, glued at the hip when you weren’t teaching a class, even then, sometimes he’d show up, hang out near the back or lean back against one of the walls and listen, sometimes he’d even lend help to students stuck on certain problems when you were stuck helping another student. You made a habit of bringing the boys coffee in the morning, before your classes started. You met Jayce shortly after your reunion with Viktor; of course, you knew who Jayce Tallis was, knew what he looked like, but he was certainly so much taller in person. He asked you everything about yours and Viktor’s childhood, “Viktor is always stingy with the details” he’d said one time. You told him about how you and Viktor had met, back when you were little kids in the rocky falls, how you spent every day together, told the story of how Viktor had almost blown up half the neighborhood back when he was still learning. You told Jayce about how you would give Viktor mini heart attacks every other weekend by sneaking into his Zaun academy dorm through the window when you were teenagers. You did withhold some details though, details like Viktor’s mom’s death when he was 16, how you’d spend entire weeks by his side, sleeping next to him at night because he had nightmares, how bullied he was a child and how many fights you got into to protect him.
Currently you were hurrying through the halls, three cups of coffee in your hands as you made your way toward the lab, turning so you could push the door open with your shoulder, spilling light into the dark lab, you were pretty sure you heard Jayce hiss at the intrusion of light to his corneas, saw Viktor flinch, smiling you flipped the switch to bath the room in light, both boys moving to shield their eyes.
“Rise and shine boys!” You shouted, strolling over to Viktor to place a cup of coffee in front of him. Jayce glanced over to the still closed curtains of the lab.
“Is it morning already?” Jayce complained.
“Sure is!” You responded, handing a cup of coffee to Jayce. “And I bet Mel is still asleep, so if you’re fast enough you might be able to sneak in and pretend you were actually home all night.”
Jayce simply grabbed his jacket, took a sip of his coffee and strode past you, mumbling a quick “Later Viktor” as he left the lab to presumably try and lessen the wrath of his soon to be livid girlfriend.
“Oh, to be young and in love.” You lamented as you strolled through the lab, Viktor, finally able to open his eyes painlessly, takes the coffee you place on the table in front of him and takes a long sip.
“Jayce is older than both you and me.”
“Not the point.”
“He is happy, it seems Mel is too.” Viktor begins looking over some of the notes he’d written the night before. You gazed at him from behind, watching as his long fingers carded through the mess that was his hair. “You’re staring.” You jolted at being caught, he didn’t even look at you, how did he know?
“Have you ever thought about being in a relationship Viktor?” You asked as you took a sip of your own coffee, sitting yourself down in Jayce’s now vacant seat. Viktor seemed to mull over your question for a minute.
“Perhaps years ago.”
“Why not now?” You leaned back in your chair, as Viktor seemed to finally put down his paper and look at you.
“What if I asked you the same question, have you ever thought about a relationship, (y/n)?” You thought about the question for a moment. When was your last relationship? Years ago, it had to be. You glanced up to give your answer, when your eyes met Viktor’s, he was staring intently at you, anticipating your answer. You took in the golden amber of his eyes, the angular shape of his cheekbones, even with his hair a mess, he was still handsome, one of the most handsome men you knew, have you always found him that attractive? It was normal to find your friends attractive right? Surely.
“My career.” You finally spat out. “Who has time for dating when you’re working all the time?” You couldn’t read the look in Viktor’s eyes, couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“Exactly.” He agreed, before going back to his work.