Chapter Text
Viktor was not a paragon of patience most days.
(Or any day.)
However, when both Silco and Vander made their way down to his modest laboratory, Powder in tow, looking as shamefaced as either of them ever did (which was to say not at all on Silco's part, and full-on puppy dog pouting on Vander's), Viktor discovered that he had previously unknown levels of patience as he looked at them with a single raised eyebrow and waited.
And waited.
Vander cleared his throat.
Silco met his gaze readily.
Viktor turned the blowtorch off in his left hand and lowered it to his desk, turning toward them with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Viktor we know it's Thursday-" Vander started.
"You don't have to apologize to him, he works for me," Silco interrupted.
"-we know it's your day off," Vander continued, glaring briefly at Silco, before he turned back to Viktor. "Despite what he says. We do know it's your day off. But we promised to take Powder to the beach opening today, but there's been an emergency Council meeting called."
Viktor sighed and looked over at Powder who was giving him puppy dog eyes that put Vander's to shame. He looked from her to Silco and narrowed his eyes. "I will take complete responsibility for taking Powder to this new beach, provided the initiative continues and Piltover provides the life guards as planned, three days a week, on three conditions."
Vander lit up, and Powder let out a shout of victory.
"Name them."
Viktor looked down at his grease-smudged clothing. "One. You fund the necessary items for me to wear what I want to the beach without injuring myself, and to care for Powder."
"Done," Silco agreed, nodding. "Keep an accounting."
Viktor nodded in agreement. That was easy enough. "Two. You two find a day to actually take her yourselves weekly, because I cannot take her swimming." He gestured pointedly to his leg.
"Easy enough," Vander agreed. "Might be some weeks where that is tough, but we can definitely make that work, Vik."
Silco raised an eyebrow. "And the third?"
"You let me work with the Doctor on the synthetic version of what you are creating, with the intent of letting Rio pass, peacefully," Viktor said, staring down Silco. "And that is non-negotiable. I will have her rest."
Powder looked between all of the adults. "Who's Rio?" She whispered.
Viktor looked down at Powder and gave her a sad smile. "She was a friend," he said to her. "And her blood is special, and it's helping us make medicine, but she's very sick, and very tired, and needs to be let go peacefully after helping so many others."
Powder sniffed and nodded tearfully, before looking up at her Uncle. "Uncle Sil?"
Silco sighed and glared at him. "He's not going to agree."
Viktor shrugged. "I believe that is your problem, not mine." He turned to his desk and lifted up a new puzzle. "Now, Powder, I have a puzzle for you to play with while I shower and then we can head Topside. I must acquire a few pieces of clothing for the beach."
"Okay!" Powder reached forward, grabbing the twisting puzzle from Viktor's hands, sinking into the old couch that he kept down here for her. "Bye Dad, bye Uncle Sil!"
Vander laughed and gave Silco a pat on the back. "Looks like we've both been outplayed. Let's head to that Council meeting."
Viktor nodded to Silco once before reaching for his cane and making his way to the door that led to his small apartment, the sound of Powder's humming to herself enough to have him smiling as he shut the door behind him. Half his lab would likely be covered in chalk by the time he returned, but it would be worth it.
~!~
Jayce blinked incredulously at the Professor. "I'm sorry could you say that again?"
"We're closing your lab, actually, all of the labs, in the Academy, for the summer, for a full building renovation to add the new required air and water filtration systems!" Professor Heimerdinger repeated.
Jayce didn't clench his hands into fists, but it was a close thing as he took a deep breath and tried to focus on making an argument to keep his open. "Professor, my research-"
"Is not time-sensitive, and while important, you could use a break, you work too hard, Jayce," Professor Heimerdinger said, turning to look up at him. "Do you swim?"
Jayce blinked at the non-sequitur and shook himself a moment later. "I, yes. Yes, I swim."
"Well?"
An uncomfortable feeling started to run up Jayce's spine as the Professor turned expectant eyes to him. He didn't take a step back, because there was nothing to be afraid of, but he didn't like that look. "Yes, very well. Why?"
Professor Heimerdinger smiled. "My boy, perhaps you'd be willing to do me quite the favor in exchange for having your lab's renovation prioritized so you can get right to work when the next semester starts?"
Jayce lit up. "Absolutely, Professor!"
---
Had Jayce realized that that favor would involve him being a lifeguard on the newly opened shared beach territory initiative between Piltover and Zaun, he would have thought twice about accepting.
(He probably would have said yes. Even if he had no way of holding the Professor to his promise. Even with the issue that continued to persist.)
Of course, after two weeks of increasingly fake drowning events, Jayce had resigned himself to this being the remainder of his summer, no matter how miserable it might have made him. At least he had a friend to deal with the issue with him.
"Stop looking so miserable Golden Boy," Vi said, reaching out to punch him in the arm. "We're supposed to be keeping an eye on everyone, remember?"
Jayce sighed and reached up to rub the arm that he knew would likely bruise at a later date. "I am keeping an eye on everyone. We both are." He glanced down the length of the small beach, but everything did appear to be blessedly quiet, at least for a few minutes. With the high society season about to start in Piltover, there was much less time for them to be throwing themselves into the ocean in fake-
A high pitched scream split the air.
Jayce snapped his attention to the shout, and to the clearly flailing woman in the water. He and Vi were already climbing down from the tower, moving in tandem, because if nothing else, they'd perfected this down to a science. Jayce dove into the water and towards the woman who was barely managing to tread water, swimming for her. Despite her squirming, and loud shrieking right into his ear, she didn't put up much resistance when he ordered her to kick and began to get them both back into the shore.
Once they were back on the other side of the wave break, Jayce steadied her carefully as he brought her up the beach. Her grateful and tear-filled eyes swung to him and he had to fight down a sigh at the hero worship in them. Another of these. So that meant she had been handsy on their swim back and not just trying to cling to him for safety. Jayce bit down a sigh and was glad when Vi stepped close and tugged her away under the pretense of checking to make sure she was all right.
He pushed his hair out of his face and wiped some of the excess water from his face as he took a few deep breaths. Jayce could still feel the weight of her eyes on him, even as Vi pulled her into the shade of an umbrella near the tower, forcing her to sit down and break her stare at least. Thank fuck for Vi. He'd barely managed the first few days without her before she'd strolled up, introduced herself and explained that she was the Zaunite lifeguard he'd be working beside.
It'd been a relief not to be alone, even if it was clear that Vi wasn't worried about these women who seemed far more prone to drowning than they ever should have been. It made him want to tear his hair out, but he had to bear it as best he could. At least while he took a moment to put the equipment back and courteously check on their 'victim', he could take a few minutes to watch his favorite person on the beach. Well, favorite people, since Vi's little sister accompanied the person that he could never stop watching.
They came to the beach three days a week, and he couldn't help but admire the way the man prepped for a beach trip like he was going to war, complete with cooler, umbrella, chairs, towels, and a first aid kit that Jayce had seen employed in the service of Vi's little sister multiple times. He'd never had a chance to have a conversation with the man himself, but that was his own fault (as Vi would remind him if she caught him staring again).
"Well, our victim was absolutely devastated that the heir of House Talis did not see to her possible drowning most ardently," Vi drawled.
Jayce did not jump, but it was a close thing, and by the grin on her face, Vi knew it. "Wasn't interested," he muttered, even though Vi knew that already, as he double and triple checked the equipment he had already put away, before scanning the beach again idly. He stole another glance at the man sitting on a blanket, scribbling quickly in a notebook, wearing a hugely oversized hat, sunglasses, and a loose-fitting pair of pants and long-sleeved shirt that looked damn ethereal on him. On cloudier days, sometimes he would wear something lighter and more casual, but they were few and far between during the high heat of summer.
Vi snorted. "Yeah, you're interested in the only person on this beach who is probably a bigger nerd than you are."
Jayce glared at her. "Shhh."
Vi rolled her eyes. "I keep telling you to just go say hello to him. Find an excuse to talk to him, it's not like it's tough, we're lifeguards at the damn beach." She looked over at her counterpart and caught him mooning again, reaching out to punch him. "You don't strike me as the type to like skinny twinks, but whatever floats your boat, I suppose."
"Be nice, or I'll tell Cait to avoid the beach for a month," Jayce shot back and was gratified when Vi flushed pink and began to sputter. At least two could play at that game and it was worth it to see just how embarrassed Vi got. They were both fucking obvious when it came to their crushes, and equally as unwilling to make the first step.
"You should just talk to him, Talis," Vi said, glancing at Viktor when he and Powder stood up and began to make their way over to the tide pools. Powder had rushed ahead, wearing her water shoes that she had at Viktor's insistence, and was already kicking up water in the pools, darting between the rock formations as Viktor followed behind her at a much more casual pace, a notebook in his hand. "Guarantee you'll be bored in a matter of minutes."
Part of Jayce doubted that. Though he wouldn't be able to focus on anything that he said, because he'd be too busy staring at his eyes and lips and everything about him that was so beautiful it made his chest ache with it. "I'm sure that he gets hit on all of the time. The last thing I want to do is be someone else hitting on him when he isn't interested."
Vi snorted in disbelief and shook her head. The idea that Viktor, of all people, who barely left his lab unless it was with Powder, was fending off admirers was laughable, but Talis did seem to be pretty smitten. Maybe frail twinks that he could break in half were his type? "Well, I'll do you a solid, you climb back up there, and I'll do a beach patrol before the sun starts to set properly. Then you can ogle him from the safety of the upstairs chair with no prying eyes."
Jayce glared at her. "Do you have to make it sound so, so... lecherous?"
"With the way you're looking at him?" Vi teased. "Yes, yes I do."
Jayce bit down a sigh and climbed back up the tower, settling into the seat with a pleased huff. He grabbed his hat and tugged it on over his wet hair and wrapped a spare towel around his shoulders, fiddling with the whistle at his neck. Maybe he would do a little bit of staring, but it was not his fault. The man was breathtakingly beautiful, and as graceful as a dancer, even with the ever-present cane in his hand. He and Vi's sister were deep in conference, pointing at something within the tide pools, before more scribbled notes were taken in conference. It was adorable, and damn he wished that he had an excuse to go talk to him, but nothing came to mind.
~!~
"That cute lifeguard is staring at you again," Powder said, rocking back on her heels as Viktor crouched down to study the salamander that was sunning itself on the rock. When Viktor didn't respond, she moved closer, sending the salamander scurrying away, and tugged at his shirt. "Viktor!"
Viktor sighed and lowered his notebook to look down at Powder, who was staring at him with a stubborn gap-toothed grin. "Yes?"
"That cute lifeguard is staring again!" Powder said, gesturing over to him. "See? You should go say hello!"
Viktor snorted and shook his head. "And say what? Be another of those that hit on him with their endless fake rescues?"
Powder hummed in consideration. "Well, if you jumped into the water, you'd need an actual rescue, so that is an advantage that you'd have over them at least." She crouched next to another rock and lifted it, laughing in delight when it sent several small bugs and crabs scattering across the tide pools.
"You are too much of a busy body for your own good," Viktor informed her primly, rolling his eyes with a huff. "And he is likely staring at us, not at me in particular. It is his job to make sure we are safe, and he is very likely doing just that."
"A good scientist tests his or her hypothesis rather than subsisting in solely the theoretical," Powder recited, looking at Viktor with a raised eyebrow.
Viktor sighed, slow and deep, turning to look at her. If this conveniently gave him a chance to look at the lifeguard on duty, well, that was his own business. "You are not supposed to use my own arguments against me."
"The greatest flaw in an opponent's argument is often the argument that they have made themselves," Powder added, ducking under the familiar swipe of Viktor's arm to continue. "How many times have you told me that?"
Far more often than he was willing to admit. Especially since he had learned the phrase from Silco and had heard it used with amusing regularity, it had slipped into his vernacular, and subsequently to Powder. She absorbed things like a sponge, and the way he spoke was just one of those.
Powder huffed and crouched by another tide pool, running her fingers through the rippling water. "Does this have to do with Rio?"
Viktor stilled and glanced over at her, and shook his head. He should have known better. After he'd explained who Rio was, it was a matter of time before Powder figured out the rest, especially with how often she hung out around and with Silco. "Yes," he said softly, spying another salamander sunning itself on a rock. He made a note in his notebook and looked over at her with a sigh. "How much do you know?"
Powder didn't say anything, but kicked at the edge of another tide pool. "Can you help Rio?"
Viktor thought of the tube that Rio was stuffed into, the wires sticking out of her body, all of it so they could create a synthetic enzyme to create more Shimmer and ensure that it continued to be a top export of Zaun. "No," he admitted, his voice soft. "There is no helping her. She's dying. She deserves to rest, now. She's helped and saved so many."
"Including you!" Powder said, looking up at him with a grin. "Right?"
Viktor pressed his hand to his chest and thought about the quarterly Shimmer injections that he needed to receive for at least the next few years to make sure the Lung Rot never returned, and that his spinal issues had finally stopped progressing. He'd always walk with a cane, but he wouldn't continue to degrade further. "Correct." He made another note. "But what I am investigating and trying to understand, while I do my other work, is if that sort of enzyme exists in Rio, what might exist in other creatures. There is a world of discoveries waiting."
Powder huffed and tossed some of her hair out of her face. "You work too much, Viktor."
In that moment, Powder sounded so much like Vander, Viktor burst out laughing despite himself, his head falling back. "I believe that both of your parents would agree with you wholeheartedly, Powder." He closed the notebook and slipped it into the bag at his side. "Shall we head home? I have a great deal of work to finish up."
Powder sighed and pouted. "I suppose. We're still coming back the day after tomorrow, right? You promised!"
"Three days a week," Viktor agreed. "Yes, we can come back. Now, do you wish to say goodbye to Vi before we head to the lifts?"
"Yes!" Powder crowed, racing across the rocks and toward where she could see her sister walking steadily along the beach.
Viktor shook his head and followed her along at a far more sedate pace, making his way to where their blanket and umbrella was resting, packing it all up in steady motions. He was an engineer, not a biologist, but the more he worked to stop whatever Singed's plan had been, the deeper the hole appeared to be. At least Vander had listened to his concerns, even if Silco had brushed them off. He adjusted his hat, found Powder again by the water, being lifted up and onto Vi's shoulders, shrieking in delight, and smiled, despite himself.
Perhaps coming to the beach more regularly would not be a terrible thing after all.