Work Text:
Growing up an orphan in Zaun left you with more concerning things to worry about than learning how to read and write. You had left Zaun for Piltover months ago and were trying to make an honest living with topsiders no matter how hard it was to ignore the habits of your upbringing. At the very least, you don’t have to worry about fighting for your life and committing crimes to survive anymore.
After meeting Professor Heimerdinger in a market by helping him find an obscure piece of machinery for an experiment, he offered you a job as an assistant for his students at the Academy. You were smart, but there's no way someone like you could’ve made it into the Academy. Unfortunately, now that you were no longer a child, it was far too embarrassing to have to ask someone to teach you how to read and write, especially a topsider working at the Academy… where smart people work.
Somehow, you’ve been able to make it quite far without needing those skills. Being able to understand directions and familiar symbols made it easy for you to follow orders and tasks given to you by the people you were assigned to work under at the academy.
Your most recent assignment has been helping Viktor and Jayce with their Hextech research. You’d spent the past few weeks picking up parts, delivering messages, and even getting lunch a few times for the two Hextech scientists, Gods knows they wouldn’t get it themselves if you didn’t do it for them . You had been breezing by with the tasks they had given you so far, until Viktor asked you to take a look at his research one evening.
Jayce had gone home for the night seeing as it was well past dinner time at this point but, in typical Viktor fashion, he was still working away diligently at his desk.
“I’ve been trying for days to figure out what I’m doing wrong, Jayce has wandered off, and I could use a fresh set of eyes before I go insane trying to figure this out.”
Your stomach drops as he hands you the stack of papers you know you aren’t going to be able to decipher. Embarrassment floods your cheeks as you stare down at the swirls of letters and numbers you have no hope of understanding.
“I, uh, no sorry, I can’t, but I-I’m sure you could ask Jayce tomorrow, go home and sleep,” you stutter out, shoving the papers back into his arms a little rougher than you intended. Your eyes sting with tears and you hoped you had managed to turn around before he saw. You scurried out of the lab as fast as your feet could carry you leaving behind a perplexed Viktor to figure out what the hell he possibly could have done to make you so upset.
You considered skipping work the next day, but you couldn’t do that to the boys, so you put on your best smile and pushed open the doors to the lab, ready to make it look as though you were unbothered by yesterday's events.
Viktor tried to catch your eye the whole day, to no avail. You were outright refusing to make eye contact with the man you had lashed out at yesterday for no good reason other than your own embarrassment. You stayed on the opposite side of the lab, tinkering with some spare parts they had discarded during various experiments to keep yourself busy, totally not to avoid questions from Viktor, unless one of the two scientists needed anything but it had seemed to be a relatively slow day, so it was no surprise when Jayce left early.
You waved goodbye to the larger man as he left, but stayed huddled at your desk, a small area tucked into the corner of the lab that the boys were nice enough to set aside for you when you first arrived. After Jayce left, the air was filled with suffocating silence, your wish to leave for the day nearly outweighing your obligation to science.
Your internal debate was interrupted by your chair being spun around and your body caged in by Viktor. You yelp as the sudden movement knocks you out of your thoughts, cheeks flushing red at the lack of space between your bodies.
“H-how can I help you?” you stutter out, looking anywhere but his eyes. You felt his calloused fingers gently take hold of your jaw, tilting your head up to look him in the eyes.
“What have I done wrong?” He looks genuinely concerned but determined to find answers, prepared to keep you here until you’ve answered his questions.
“You haven’t done a thing, I promise, I was just tired last night is all.” You let out a nervous laugh, waving a hand dismissively, hoping he’d believe your lie. Unfortunately, Viktor was too perceptive for his own good and didn’t move an inch.
“Please don’t lie to me.” He looked desperate at this point. His words were a near whisper and his eyes were pleading with you to tell him the truth. Your eyes squeeze shut in embarrassment and you let out a dejected sigh.
“I can’t read.” You mumble out, hardly loud enough for him to hear you.
He lets go of your face and looks at you confused. “What?”
Your gaze drops to your lap, hair hiding your face, and you fiddle with your fingers nervously. “I’m from the undercity, Viktor.” Tears sting your eyes and you look up at the man who has now taken a step back to listen intently to what you have to say. “I didn’t… exactly have parents to look after me so… I had to do it myself, you know how it is down there.” A couple drops land in your lap and you swipe at your face, not wanting to cry in front of him. “No one was there to teach me… how to read, or write. So, I don’t know how and I’ve been too embarrassed to ask anyone to teach me because I’m a grown adult who doesn’t know how to read or write and that’s why I couldn’t read your notes last night and I got defensive about it because you’re the smartest person I know and I don’t want you to think I’m just another idiot from Zaun. I’m sorry, please don't tell anyone.”
You couldn’t help but start rambling, trying to recover any ounce of dignity you might have left as more tears drip down your face. He doesn’t answer for a few seconds and regret sets in. “You know, nevermind, I-I shouldn’t have-” he interrupts you, kneeling in front of you and gently taking your hands in his. Your words die in your throat and you look into his eyes. All you can see behind them is kindness and he reaches up to wipe your tears away.
“You don’t need to be embarrassed about something like that, my dear. If you would like to learn, I can teach you. You’ve done so much for us since you’ve arrived, it’s time we help you out in return.” He brushes the remaining tears off your face. Your heart flutters at his words and you give him a teary smile.
“Thank you,” you nearly whisper, reaching you and pulling him into a tight hug. “For not making fun of me.”
He hugs you back just as tight, deeply inhaling your scent. “Anything for you,” he mumbles into your hair.
~+~
A few days later, you met with Viktor in the Academy library for the first time. He was waiting in the back corner, a stack of books on the table. He greeted you with a smile, pulling out the chair next to him. You took it, fiddling with your fingers nervously.
“You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to.” He reaches out to stop your fidgeting hands, drawing your attention.
“I wouldn’t have offered it if I didn’t want to help you.” He gives you a reassuring smile that has you melting into a puddle in your chair. He lets go of your hands and you miss the warmth instantly. He twists away from you and pulls out a few pens and pieces of paper, setting it in front of you gently.
“We’ll start with this.” He holds up a pen. “What hand do you use the most? The one that feels the most natural when you use it?” You hold up that hand and he sets the cold pen in your open palm. “This is your dominant hand and the one you’re going to use to write with.”
It feels awkward in your hand but you click in on, fingers wrapped around it uncomfortably. He shakes his head with an encouraging smile and he reaches out to help. His fingers wrap around your wrist, pulling your hand closer to him. He adjusts your grip, “You’ll want these two fingers underneath supporting it. These two on top and wrap your thumb around to hold it all together and… there you go, you’re perfect!” He guides your fingers into place with his words, calloused fingers brushing against yours. He praises your success, turning your cheeks red and bringing a shy smile to your lips as your heart flutters at the praise.
He lets go and slides the paper closer to you. There’s a row of scribbles across the top of the page. A pointed finger slides under the writing. “This is the alphabet, can you copy them underneath for me?”
Your fingers readjust to hold the pen the way Viktor had taught you and you begin to write. Your tongue pokes out of the corner of your mouth as you focus intently on replicating the letters properly, swirling the pen along the paper as you begin learning the shape of the alphabet.
You let out a little giggle when you finish writing, pointing out your handwriting. “I think I’m giving you a run for your money for who has the worst handwriting.”
He narrows his eyes at you playfully, “My handwriting is beautiful thank you very much.” He pulls the paper closer, reviewing your work with a pleased hum. You watch his eyes scan across the page, getting caught up in your admiration of the man next to you. He turns back to you and you snap out of it, gaze darting back to the paper. “Good job, now do it again.” He pushes the paper back towards you and you nod, beginning the alphabet over again, this time much quicker.
The two of you continue for several hours, any noise in the library fading away as time ticks by. By the time you were finished, everyone else had gone home. You had mastered the alphabet during this time, learning the pronunciation for every letter and you’d even started learning how to write out small sentences. You let out a loud yawn, eyes fluttering tiredly.
“We can stop if you’re tired.” You go to protest, not wanting your time together to end but you’re interrupted by another yawn. He laughs and begins gathering the papers and pens that had been haphazardly tossed all over the table during your lesson. You stand to help him pack up, reaching for a pen at the same time as Viktor. Your hands touch and you pull away, stuttering out an apology with a blush dusting your cheeks. You don’t notice the matching blush Viktor adorns as you turn to collect the remaining papers on the table. You hand them over to him and he neatly tucks them away.
“Let me walk you back to your dorm, it’s late, you shouldn’t go alone.” He insists, quickly gathering his things to follow you out of the library. You smile sweetly at him and nod, “I’d love that.”
The walk to your dorm is pleasant, filled with friendly chatter and you arrive at your dorm quicker than you had hoped it would take. You turn to your companion, fishing around in your bag for your keys.
“Well, this is me.” Your keys slip out of your fingers as you pull them out of your bag, clattering against the ground and you frown, kneeling down to pick them up. Your keys had fallen between his shoes… his shoes that are attached to his legs, which are attached to…
Your face changes shades and your wide eyes dart up to meet his gaze. A smirk rests on his lips and he stares back with a lifted brow.
“You know, if anyone were to stumble upon us, they may find this situation rather… compromising.” he teases at the suggestive position you’d put yourself in, amusement clear on his face.You snatch up your keys from the floor and stand rather abruptly.
“Sorry I should go, goodnight Viktor. Get some rest.” You turn to unlock your door, clearly flustered by situations you’d put yourself in moments ago.
He chuckles softly, “Goodnight y/n, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
You practically slam the door in his face, burying your face in your hands, back pressed against the door. ‘I cannot believe I just did that, what is wrong with me?’ you think to yourself. Though, one thought keeps nagging at your brain. He seemed pleased to see you in that… compromising position. Your stomach flutters at the thought but you quickly shake those thoughts away as the click of Viktor’s cane and his footsteps fade away.
~+~
The next time you meet up, Viktor teaches you how to read. After learning the sounds the letters make in the last lesson, you feel confident in your ability to try reading full words. You were expecting to start with something small but any hopes of that were dashed when Viktor sets one of his research notebooks in front of you. He teaches you by first reading an entry himself and then handing it to you to read it back to him, reminding you that words are usually spelled how they’re spoken. You catch on quick, praises falling from Viktor’s lips every time you make it through a sentence or two without stumbling too much. You can’t deny the flutter in your belly at every praise.
You start the next sentence, pausing after a few words because you can’t quite seem to get it. Exponentially . You sound it out silently but you’ve never heard a word that sounds like the one you’re trying to say so you’re positive you’re pronouncing it wrong. You give a little huff of frustration, your nose scrunches cutely and a pout pulls at your lips, looking to Viktor for guidance.
“I don’t know this one.” you mumble, your finger tracing a line under the word so he knows which one you’re talking about. Viktor leans over to you but can’t quite see which word you’re referring to. He grabs your wrist with one hand, pulling you in closer to him, the other hand falling to your thigh. Heat blossoms on your cheeks and your gaze darts down to his large hand resting perfectly on your thigh, like it belonged there .
“Exponentially.” he sounds it out for you. “The ‘ti’ in the middle is sounded out like a ‘sh’ in shape.” You turn your head as he speaks, noses mere inches apart.
You give it a shot, sounding out the word perfectly, the hint of Viktor’s distinct accent slipping into your whispered words. Your gaze flits down to his lips briefly before sliding back to his eyes. He’s watching you intently.
“Good.” he practically purrs, giving your thigh a squeeze. Your eyes flutter closed and you shiver, his words having a dangerous effect on you. They snap back open when he leans back, his posture relaxing as his hand slips from your thigh. A cold feeling is left where his hand was mere seconds ago.
“Continue,” he instructs and you follow his command without a second thought. ‘ Interesting .’ Viktor thinks to himself with a pleased hum.
That study session ends with Viktor walking you back to your dorm as usual, this time without the added embarrassment of being on your knees in front of him, looking like you were ready to suck his dick if he asked.
~+~
You’d done it! You could finally read all the way through Viktor’s notes with little to no struggle! You practically ran to the lab, slamming the doors open, a wide grin gracing your features.
“Viktor, I did it!” you cheer, running up to said man and pulling him into a tight hug. You have the brightest smile on your face he’s seen yet and his heart swells with pride at your accomplishment. He abandons whatever it is he was working on to celebrate with you, hugging you back just as tight. He leans back a few inches, his hands sliding up from your back to cup your cheeks. “I knew you could do it, I’m so proud of you.” His thumbs brush softly against your cheekbones and your heart rate speeds up. Your eyes dart down to his lips and you can’t hold back anymore, they were practically inviting you in. Fuck it, you lean up and attach your lips to his and he… doesn’t react.
Oh fuck. You jerk your head back, shame and regret churning in your stomach. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that, fuck, I’m so sorry.” Tears prickle your eyes and you squirm out of Viktor’s grasp, setting his notebook back on his desk before making a beeline for the doors to avoid further humiliation.
He calls out to you but you can’t bring yourself to turn around, all but sprinting back to your dorm. You hastily unlock the door, slamming it behind you as the tears finally spill down your cheeks. ‘Gods, I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I just ruined the best thing that's ever happened to me.’
You toss your bag onto your desk and manage to bump into the chair in the process. You curse angrily and shove it, knocking it over in anger. The radiating pain in your hip sends you into a spiral, overwhelmed by your emotions. You let yourself slump to the floor, furiously wiping the tears away as sobs wrack your chest. A knock taps against your door and your cries cease, hoping whoever it was would think you aren’t home and go away.
“Y/n, may I come in?” Your favorite accented voice, but the very last one you want to hear right now, calls out from the other side of the door. You sniffle but stay silent, hoping he’ll just assume you aren’t here or leave you alone.
He knocks again but it won’t matter, you locked the door so it’s only a matter of time before he gets tired of waiting around and leaves because you are not going to let him in. You hear him fiddling with the handle and a few short seconds later the door clicks open.
Did he just pick my lock? You stare incredulously at the entrance, watching Viktor step into your room. Your eyes were no doubt red and your cheeks were still stained with tears so you duck your head down, not wanting him to know you’d been crying. You also couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, the rejection still burning raw in your heart. You hear a soft thud and look up, watching Viktor set his cane against his desk before he struggles to sit down in front of you, trying to catch your eye. Your gaze darts back down to the floor when he settles in front of you. What you aren’t expecting is for him to reach out, fingers curling under your chin and tilting your head back up to look at him. Your lower lip wobbles as tears spring back up in your eyes, an apology spilling from your lips.
“Viktor, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that to you, I just got excited and I-” Your words die on your lips when his fingers grip your jaw a little tighter, pulling you roughly into a kiss.
“Stop talking,” he mumbles against your lips, his other hand sliding to your waist to pull you into his lap. You stiffen but only for a moment, before melting into his touch.
The kiss is needy, desperate, releasing the tension that had built up between you two all those late nights in the library. His hands are greedy, grabbing at every inch of you he could get a hold of. His hands finally settle at your hips, his touch burning at your skin and igniting a fire in your belly like never before. You grind down against Viktor and he lets out a soft groan, fingernails digging into the flesh of your hips as he struggles to ground himself.
You pull away from the kiss, panting for air and resting your forehead against his, stopping yourself before you can get too lost in him . You can’t keep the grin tugging at your lips at bay and press another sweet kiss against his lips.
“I hope this means you like me back?” Your words come out as more of a question than a statement.
“It would be foolish to attempt to deny it my dear. I did chase you down, break into your room, and make out with you on the floor after all.” His hands come to rest on your cheeks, brushing away any stray tears that linger with his thumbs. “Now, let's get back to work.”
It’s a few hours later and any tension that had been stuffing up the room for the past few weeks had dissipated, leaving only the happiness of confessed and reciprocated feelings floating around the two of you. You sat at your desk scribbling away with the papers and pens Viktor had gifted you for finishing his journal for the first time. Your bottom lip is trapped between your teeth as you focus on making your writing as neat as possible and Viktor can’t stop his attention from straying over to you as the two of you work.
You finish your work, holding it in front of you with a content smile. You let it flutter back down to the desk and toss your stuff back into your bag, planning to head home for the day. You swing in over your shoulder, holding your work tenderly between your fingers, careful not to bend or fold it. You walk past his desk with a smile and a wave, “See you tomorrow, Vik, have a good night.” The paper slips from your fingers as you walk away, floating down to settle in front of him.
He picks up the note curiously, not having time to question you before you're gone with a soft click of the lab doors. He opens up the folded piece of paper and laughs, lightly brushing his fingers along the words you’d spent so long perfecting for him.
‘ I love you, Viktor ’ with a little heart doodled next to the words you scrawled on the note for him. His heart flutters when he reads it, honored that he was the one you chose to dedicate your love to and declared it using something he taught you how to do .
He gently folds it back up, tucking it into his favorite notebook for safekeeping, likely something he’ll be keeping forever. You’re already long gone by now but he’ll certainly be expressing the sentiment in return the next time he sees you.