The Peculiar Mechanics of Love

by Shippoutsy

Summary:

An alternate universe where Silco finds Viktor and decides to bring him to the Last Drop hence changing his whole life.

Chapter 1

Notes:

Hi!
So, Arcane is the only thing in my brain right now, and I really wanted to write a fic. I've seen a lot of AU where Silco and Vander adopt Viktor, and I really wanted to try and write one, too, because I just love found family stuff.
Also, I really hope that the characters will not be out of character, or not too much if that's the case

I made a sheet with the approximate ages of all the main characters, and after a lot of hesitation I decided to change the age of Viktor and Jayce just so that they are a bit closer to the other kids, I thought it would fit better in the story.

English is not my main language, so I apologize for the mistakes

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic!

Do you think you can fix a jukebox?

The day Viktor was asked that question, he didn’t know that it was going to change his life completely.

 

 

Before this curious question, Viktor had been living alone for a couple of months. His mother had died in the mines, and his father had followed soon after, the grief and the heartache making him sick and slowly torturing him to death. Viktor wasn’t mad at his parents for leaving him to fend for himself in this harsh world, he knew that they had not willingly decided to abandon him. Death was just a common thing in the Undercity, and it took whom she wanted. But the small possibility of his parents abandoning him because of his leg, and him being just one more mouth to feed, had always been present in his mind, he had just buried this possibility deep within his heart and refused to think about it. And, in the end, he would never know if his parents would have considered leaving him alone for this particular reason.

 

When he had realized that he was utterly alone, he knew he had to find a job and earn some money to be able to survive. The thought of going in the mines had crossed his mind, but with his leg and his cane, he had been convinced that he would only have been a burden to the people around him, so he had quickly discarded the idea.

 

His other idea had been going back to the doctor experimenting in a cave far from the eyes of the world. When his parents had still been alive, Viktor could devote all his time to his inventions, and one of his prides had been the working model steamboat that he had built and that had caused him to stumble upon the doctor’s cave. That day, Viktor had met a creature named Rio and he had immediately taken a liking to it, and he had repeatedly gone to the cave to see Rio, but also to help and learn a few things from the alchemist. He had enjoyed taking care of Rio and learning things from Singed until the day he had found Rio contorted in pain and hooked up to a series of machines, the doctor experimenting on it without an ounce of emotions on his face. Terrified and disgusted by the cruelty of the doctor’s actions, Viktor had left the cave and had never set a foot there again. And what had stopped him from going there in hope of finding a sort of shelter after the death of his parents was Rio’s pain flashing in his mind. He simply refused to go there again.

 

Instead, of going in the mines or going back to the cave, Viktor resorted to the things he could do. He could build, tinker and repair. And if he could find a way to use his creative abilities to make money, he would have his perfect recipe for survival in the Undercity. And he had done so, he had started small with only offering repairs, a thing that he could do and that would help people. He had always wanted to improve people’s lives, even more so after the tragedy that had befallen his mother, but as a child with absolutely nothing, he was kind of limited. Repairs were tiny steps that would hopefully lead him to helping the Zaunites on a bigger scale in the future.

The start of his repair business had been rough, he didn’t know where to begin with, how he could make people believe in him. He was a ten-year-old kid, offering to fix anything like watches and other trinkets. It was easy to see in the people’s eyes that they didn’t trust him, that they didn’t believe that a child could do something that complicated. Viktor had been ignored by everyone and had thought of giving up his project several times until he had come across Benzo’s shop.

 

At first, it was Viktor’s curiosity that had made him go inside the shop, his eyes riveted on all the pieces that he could potentially use for his crafts but that he had, of course, no money to buy. It was clear that Benzo had seen something in the eyes of the boy because he had been ready to ask him what a kid was doing here, but he had stopped in the middle of his sentence as if he had been able to see the gears turn inside Viktor’s head and the myriads of inventions lying ahead.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Benzo had asked, noticing how the boy was studying a golden watch on the counter.

“It’s broken,” Viktor had answered bluntly, his eyes still focused on the object, his hands itching to take it and fix it. He knew he could do it.

Benzo had blinked, surprised by his words. It was rare for his clients to notice that the hands of the golden watch were going too fast, usually they glanced at it and shrugged, thinking that it was a normal watch.

“Can I fix it?” he had whispered, looking at the man in the eyes.

The shop owner had raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised by Viktor’s demand, then he had offered him a small smile.

“You’re welcome to try,” Benzo had answered, giving him the golden watch.

Viktor had taken the watch in his hands and had gone to sit in a corner of the shop where he wouldn’t be bothering the clients if the man had any. He had started examining the watch more carefully before dismantling it and studying its mechanisms. Once he had located the problem, he had grabbed his set of tools—a gift from his parents before they had passed away—and he had gotten to work.

 

“It’s fixed,” Viktor had said a few moments later, putting the watch back on the counter.

Benzo’s eyes had widened, seeing the watch working perfectly, the hands going at the normal speed. He had stared at Viktor, disbelief covering his face, he hadn’t expected a kid to be able to fix it.

“If you have other things to fix, I can help,” the boy had said, looking at the watch in the man's hands who was still too busy admiring the quality of Viktor’s work.

And since that day, Viktor had been able to repair many other things or sometimes even improve them. Some miners had asked him to upgrade their equipment, Jericho had needed his service to fix his stove, and many more had started requesting Viktor’s help. He was convinced that it was Benzo who had recommended him to his clients or to some of his friends after what had happened in the shop. It made Viktor happy to be able to help, but the only problem with his repair business was that he had to go around the Lanes a lot or sometimes work late at night in a dark corner of a street where he had found a spot to sleep after he had lost his parents’ house. He often felt the effects on his body, like dizziness from the lack of sleep and food, and a constant pain in his leg, but he pushed through because he felt useful, and he could help. 

 

But everything changed on one random afternoon. Viktor had just left Benzo’s shop after leaving what he had repaired in the store so that his client could come and get it there, instead of desperately seeking Viktor in the streets.

A man with black hair, slicked back into a low ponytail stood in front of him, his clear eyes scanning him from head to toe, a small smile of satisfaction on his lips. Viktor looked down, a bit uncomfortable by the intense staring and unsure if he should meet the gaze of the man in front of him. He decided to start walking towards where he currently lived, not wanting to block the path of the stranger anymore.

“Wait,” the man said calmly, his voice surprisingly soft.

Viktor turned slowly to face the person in front of him.

“Do you think you can fix a jukebox?”

Notes:

Okay, so I know this is a short chapter, and it is more like a prologue than a real chapter. I feel like the real story will start in the next chapter.
I hope this chapter made sense, and that it was alright.

Also, I can't tell when the next chapter will be posted because I'm a silly idiot who decided to post this chapter before finishing writing the whole fic or even a couple of chapters, but I'm really motivated to write so it will probably be soon.

Chapter 2

Notes:

And I'm back! I just wanted to say thank you for the lovely comments on the first chapter, and I hope you will like this one as well! Also, Happy New Year!

I had a really hard time writing this chapter (not me realizing on chapter 2 that writing an Arcane fic is not as easy as I thought it would be). Also, my brain died in the middle of it, so I apologize if my English is bad, and if I'm not making sense

Viktor took a few seconds to think before giving an answer to the man. He had never put his hands in a jukebox before, so he couldn’t guarantee that he could fix it. But he was curious and excited to see the mechanisms of this kind of machine, and he wanted to discover how it worked and learn how to fix it. And that was why in the end, he gave a positive answer to the man because if he limited himself to the things he knew he could do, he would never learn new things.

The stranger smiled, seemingly satisfied by his answer. “Follow me, then.”

Viktor nodded a bit nervous, his grip tightened on the handle of his cane before he started following the man. He was always hesitant before following a new client, he never knew where that would lead him, and for the few months he had been doing this, he had probably just been extremely lucky to never have met someone that would trap him and kill him. If that were to happen, if he was falling into a trap, he knew he would not make it out alive, he would never be able to outrun them, and the only thing he could do was hit them with his cane, and try to get a head start. Right now, the only thing he could do was just hope that nothing bad would happen to him.

“Benzo told me a lot about you,” the man said, “I was quite impressed to hear that a young kid was doing repair in the Lanes. Are you doing this to help your parents?”

Viktor blinked, a bit surprised by the sudden start of a conversation, he had expected this trip to wherever they were going to be completely silent like it usually was with his other clients. He was used to people barely talking to him or even glancing at him, walking in front of him at full speed, making it hard for him to keep up with them. But right now, the man was walking beside him, walking at a speed that did not make it hard for Viktor to keep up with him.

“I’m not that young,” he retorted quickly, then he looked down and shook his head at the mention of his parents, “They are gone. I’m doing this for me. I know what I can do, and I just want to help as much as I can.”

The stranger nodded, pensive, and not surprised by Viktor’s answer, he probably wasn’t the first kid he had met that had lost his parents.

“What’s your name?” the man asked, and Viktor couldn’t explain why but he felt like the man had just taken an important decision in his head.

He blinked again, apart from Benzo, this man was the first person who had asked for his name since he had started his little business.

“It’s Viktor.”

“Nice to meet you, Viktor. I am Silco.”

Right after Silco had introduced himself, he stopped in front of a building with a flickering illuminated sign. Viktor could read The Last Drop on the sign which was yellowish letters circling a beer mug. He had never heard of that place before, but judging by the look of it, it seemed to be a bar. For a brief moment, he wondered if the flickering light was wanted or if there was a problem with it. Maybe he could offer to fix that too once he would be done with the jukebox.

Silco pushed the door open, and a deep voice could be heard from inside.

“Oh, Silco, you’re back.”

“I told you I wouldn’t be long.”

As they stepped inside, Viktor immediately spotted the jukebox he had been asked to repair before his eyes landed on a man with dark brown hair, standing behind the counter. The man frowned when he spotted him next to Silco, confusion and surprise covering his face before it turned into a soft and reassuring smile.

“Hey, kid.”

“Vander, this is Viktor, the child Benzo told us about, and he is also the one who is going to fix our jukebox,” Silco clarified when he noticed the expression on Vander’s face.

“Oh, it’s the boy,” Vander said happily while looking at Silco in the eyes, a sort of mental discussion going on between them, “Make yourself at home, kid,” he added softly.

 

Viktor sat on the floor, staring at the jukebox. He was examining the exterior and taking notes of anything he found interesting in a small notebook. It was his first time fixing a jukebox, and he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity, he would note anything that could come in handy in the future.

“Am I allowed to dismantle it entirely if I need to?” he asked, taking his eyes off the jukebox to look at the two men at the bar. 

Uncertainty appeared on Vander’s face, he probably feared that Viktor wouldn’t be able to put the jukebox back together if he did so, but Silco smiled, almost proudly, at the lack of hesitation in Viktor's voice.

“Do what you need to do, little one,” Silco answered with a little nod.

Now, that he had the approval, Viktor didn’t wait one more second before getting to work, he had been excited to dissect this machine since the moment he had been asked if he could fix it. He grabbed his set of tools and started taking the jukebox apart under the eyes of an interested Silco and a worried Vander.

“Are you sure he can fix it?” he heard Vander whisper.

“I don’t doubt it for even one second,” was Silco’s answer.

Viktor was surprised by how much the man trusted him; he had not done anything that proved that he was able to fix the jukebox yet, and somehow, he had already earned Silco’s trust.

 

Viktor had been sitting on the floor with his head in the jukebox for a while now, still looking for the source of the problem. He was alternating between observing the mechanisms and checking his notes while playing with a strand of hair absently. He really wanted to study the entirety of its mechanisms, but it was unfair for Vander and Silco who were probably waiting for him to be done with his repair to open their bar, he knew he wasn’t allowed to take as much time as he wanted to. He still took time to examine a few pieces, sketching the ones he had never seen before and writing down their uses. And in all honesty, even if he was in a hurry, he was having fun, probably the most fun he had had in a while. The jukebox was one giant puzzle, complex and challenging, but not impossible to solve, and he knew that he just needed to find the right pieces and their emplacements.

He was sketching a gear when he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He looked up from his notebook and he saw Vander crouching beside him.

“You should take a break, kid. You’ve had your head in there for hours now,” he said, looking almost dizzy by the quantity of gears in the jukebox.

“I still haven’t found the source of the problem,” he replied, focusing again on the machine.

Vander put a warm hand on Viktor’s shoulder and squeezed it lightly. “Come, I’ve made you something to eat.”

Again, he looked away from the jukebox to stare at the man, surprised. Usually, the people he worked with waited for him to be done with the repair before giving him something to eat or some money, but right now, he hadn’t even started fixing the jukebox, and there was still a slight possibility that he couldn’t do it.

“I haven’t fixed the jukebox yet,” he said, looking down. 

“I don’t know a lot about machines, but I’m pretty sure that you can’t fix them on an empty stomach. You must be starving.”

And now that Vander mentioned it, Viktor realized that he was indeed hungry, he had been too captivated by the intricacies of the jukebox’s mechanisms to notice his growling stomach.

He tried to think about the last time he had eaten something, but he couldn’t remember exactly when it had been, more than a day, he was at least sure of that. And here lied one of the biggest flaws of his little business, even if he helped others, that did not mean that he got paid for his repairs. Some people–most of them really–took advantage of the fact that he was a child to simply not pay him, barely thanking him before dismissing him. No one would pass the opportunity to have something repaired for free, and Viktor had offered it to them on a silver platter. And what could he do about it? Nothing much really, he was a child against powerful adults, there was a high chance that if he started standing up for himself, he might get himself killed. And the reality of the thing was that he had not started his business to get paid, sure it was his only way of survival here, but the primary reason for all of this was that he had wanted to use his knowledge to help.

Viktor still looked unsure about accepting Vander’s offer. He felt like he was underserving of such kindness when he had done nothing to earn it. But the look on Vander’s face told him that the man was not going to leave him alone until he accepted.

 

Viktor sat on a stool next to Silco who was busy noting things in a notebook.

“How is it going?” he asked, glancing at Viktor.

“More complicated than I thought,” he admitted, “But not impossible.”

Silco nodded, he didn’t seem upset or disappointed by his answer but rather pleased by Viktor’s determination.

“Here you go, kid,” Vander said, putting a sandwich and a glass with an orange liquid in front of him.

Viktor stared at the food, shocked by how full the plate was. He hadn’t expected Vander to give him this much, especially after having done nothing except staring at the jukebox for the majority of the afternoon. He glanced at the clock, checking to see how much time he had to finish fixing it before they would have to open the bar. It was already late, he knew he didn’t have much time left to fix it, and he almost regretted having accepted to take a break.

“You don’t have to worry about the time, we are closed for the night,” Silco intervened, noticing how Viktor kept eyeing the clock.

It was a relief to hear that, it meant that he would be able to come back tomorrow and finish the repairs, or with the approval of Vander and Silco, he could spend the night working on it and probably be done with it early in the morning.

Viktor started eating the sandwich timidly, he felt heavily watched by the two adults and that made him slightly uncomfortable.

“How much time do I have to fix the jukebox? I suppose you need it soon,” he finally dared to ask, hoping that it would make them stop their intent staring, and because he needed to know how efficient he needed to be after his break.

Vander and Silco looked at each other, surprised by the question as if the answer had always been obvious.

“As much time as you need, little one.”

Viktor blinked. He had expected to hear a tight deadline, something that would force him to stay up all night because he needed to be done in the morning. He had definitely not expected to hear that he could take his time, usually the people he worked with wanted him to be done as quickly as possible.

He should have asked this earlier, if he had known, he would have taken apart the jukebox entirely, not only a few pieces.

“Are you sure? The bar is closed because I am here, is it not?”

“The reason the bar is closed is this damned jukebox, not you. You are the reason why we will probably open sooner than if we had to find a new one,” Vander said with a smile, “The Last Drop can very well stay closed a few days if it means that you have time to fix it properly.”

Viktor nodded, more eager than ever to go back to the jukebox and decipher this puzzle without having to worry about the time.

 

Once he was done with his sandwich, he immediately went back to the jukebox. His mind clearer, and more determined than ever to find the source of the problem. He repeated the same process he had done in the afternoon, taking apart some pieces, sketching them if they were new and useful, taking a few notes, and then putting them back. He knew hours probably went by as he did this, but he was learning the mechanisms and the composition of a jukebox, and every time he scribbled down something new in his notebook, excitement filled his chest. He was loving this, being able to study a machine like this without having to worry about the time made him happy, and he was pretty sure that the whole time he had had his head in the jukebox he had been grinning.

Viktor knew that Vander and Silco were keeping an eye on him from the bar, he could sometimes hear them chatting, but he paid no mind to it, the gears of the jukebox were way more interesting.

He couldn’t tell how much time had passed, but after what felt like an eternity and at the same time an instant, he had finally found the source of the problem. It was an old gear that was slowly falling apart, blocking the rest of the mechanisms. He had immediately called Silco and Vander to show it to them. They had immediately come to his side, both looking at the insides of the machine and then at the gear in his hand while Viktor was describing the whole functioning of the jukebox, only to explain what the utility of the gear was and why it was important.

“Does it mean that we need to buy a new one?” Vander asked, looking dazed after Viktor’s explanation, “Benzo probably has this in his shop.”

“That’s a possibility, yes. Otherwise, I could rebuild the entirety of the system, and make sure that the jukebox never breaks again except from age,” Viktor offered. The idea had crossed his mind while studying the machine, and he had started making a draft of the plan in his notebook.

Sure, Viktor had no guarantee that what he had imagined could work, but he had spent hours analyzing and studying the jukebox, comparing it to his notes of other machines he had dismantled and rebuilt, and he felt like he could definitely do this; he could rebuild the whole jukebox and make it anew. 

Vander and Silco’s eyes widened at the proposition.

“Interesting,” Silco said, nodding approvingly, already convinced by Viktor’s offer. “What do you think?” he asked, looking at Vander in the eyes.

“I think Viktor knows best.”

So, it was settled, Viktor was going to rebuild the entirety of the jukebox’s system.

 

Viktor was about to go back to the jukebox when Vander put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

“You’re going to do that tomorrow, though. It’s late, you should get some rest.”

Maybe Vander was right, maybe he should rest, come back to the machine with a clear mind and a better view on what he was about to do. But Viktor knew that there was a high chance that he wouldn’t be able to sleep, the excitement of modifying the jukebox keeping him awake all night.

Viktor nodded reluctantly, he knew the man was right, but that did not mean that he was eager to go back to his little dark corner of the street only for his mind to be filled with all the possibilities of what he could do to the machine tomorrow. He got up from the floor, squeezing the handle of his cane tightly, a sort of disappointment filling his chest. 

“Where are you going, little one?” Silco asked, watching him walk towards the door.

“Back to my place, I will be back in the morning.”

He wasn’t sure that he could call a corner in a street his place, but he wasn’t about to tell that them he lived in the streets.

Silco and Vander exchanged a glance, both seemed worried at the idea of letting Viktor leave in the middle of the night.

“We have a spare room downstairs; you can use it if you want,” Silco offered.

“You look exhausted, it’s probably best if you stay here for the night,” Vander added.

Now that he had stopped focusing his mind on the jukebox, Viktor realized that he was indeed exhausted, his body was heavy, and he had trouble keeping his eyes open. His vision was blurry, and he wasn’t actually sure that he would make it to his place, if he had to walk there, but the offer of staying here for the night seemed almost too beautiful to be true.

Noticing his silence, Silco went to his side and gently put a hand on his back.

“Come, I’ll show you,” he said softly before glancing at Vander who nodded before disappearing upstairs.

Viktor followed the man downstairs, half asleep already, the exhaustion of the past few days of tinkering until late in the night was catching up to him, and he didn’t have the strength to resist anymore.

They arrived in a dark room with three couches in the middle of it, and Silco invited Viktor to choose one and make himself comfortable. He sat on one of the couches, still unsure about all of this, and he was about to ask Silco if he could really stay here when Vander arrived with a blue blanket in his hands.

“That should do it for tonight,” he said, putting the blanket next to Viktor.

“Is it really alright for me to stay here for the night?” he asked weakly.

They stared at him for a moment before Vander approached him, put a hand on his shoulder and crouched to be at his height.

“Of course, it’s more than alright. You’re welcome here, kid,” he smiled.

Viktor nodded, reassured by Vander’s words. The two men left, and it didn’t take long before he fell asleep, wrapped in the blue blanket, and dreaming of gears and stars.

 

It took Viktor three days to finish building the new system of the jukebox. It had taken him longer than he would have liked, but he had needed to make sure that he had not broken anything while remaking the whole thing.

“I’m done,” he said softly, wiping the sweat of his brow with the back of his hand.  

Silco, Vander, and Felicia–who had joined them after work–were chatting at the bar, and they all turned in Viktor’s direction, their eyes lit up with excitement. Viktor had met her earlier in the afternoon, when she had come for a drink and had been surprised and intrigued to see him tinker the jukebox.

“Let’s try it,” Silco said, a smile on his face.

Felicia nodded excitedly and she made her way to the jukebox. Viktor watched carefully as she chose a song. He held his breath as he watched the disk move and turn, and for a brief instant, panic filled him when the music didn’t start, but it didn’t take long before the song echoed in the bar, and Viktor exhaled, relieved.

He had done it. He had fixed a jukebox for the first time in his life. Pride filled his chest at this new accomplishment.

“I can’t believe it, the kid has done it,” Vander said, still in awe, “Viktor, you’re a genius!”

Viktor could almost feel himself blush at the compliment, he was unused to such things, and he didn’t know how to react to them, especially when he was convinced that he didn’t deserve it, he was not a genius, he had just done what he could do.

Felicia danced as she made her way back to the bar, and Vander invited Viktor to join them so that they could celebrate his creation. When Viktor got up, he winced at the twinge he felt in his leg. To fix the jukebox he had had to put himself in some positions that had not been good for his leg, and now he was paying for it. He walked slowly towards the bar, doing his best to hide and endure the pain, not wanting to worry the three adults.

Vander poured four drinks–two red ones and two orange ones–to celebrate the rebirth of the jukebox. Silco was the first one to raise his glass, he glanced at Viktor with a proud smile on his face. “To Viktor who fixed our jukebox.”

“To Viktor,” Vander echoed, raising his glass.

“To Viktor,” she added happily.

It was a bit awkward to be the center of the attention like this, Viktor offered them a small shy smile before raising his glass as well and clinking his glass against Vander, Felicia and Silco’s. They all took a sip while listening to the music of the repaired jukebox.

 

When the excitement died out, Viktor knew that it was time for him to leave. He had completed his mission; he was not needed here anymore. But the idea of leaving hurt more than what he had expected. Going back to the reality of his life in his dark corner of the street where he would need to find the next person who would need his repair services did not overjoy him.

Here, in the Last Drop, he had spent some awesome moments that he was not going to forget anytime soon. It had been the most fun he had had in a while, and maybe in his whole life. Not only because he had been trusted to tinker a jukebox and modify it completely, but also because being around Silco and Vander was great. They were the two persons after the death of his parents who had fully believed in him and in what he could do. There had been moments when Viktor had been fixing the jukebox where Silco–genuinely intrigued by his work–had sat against the wall next to him and had observed him, asking some questions from time to time. Sometimes, Vander had joined them, sitting next to Silco who had taken the opportunity to lean against his shoulder.

Ephemeral.  

That was what these moments were and would always be.

He grabbed the handle of his cane with a shaky hand and squeezed it strongly, he was not ready to leave yet, but he needed to do it anyway, otherwise he wouldn’t find the strength to do so.

“I should go,” he whispered once he had finished his drink.

Silco and Vander frowned, confused. Felicia stared at the two adults and almost glared at them.

“I am not needed here anymore; I don’t want to take too much of your time and since I’m done with what you’ve asked me to do, I’m leaving,” he clarified when he saw the confusion on the two men’s face.

Vander almost looked heartbroken at Viktor’s words as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying.

“Who said you weren’t needed here anymore?”

Viktor’s heart stopped and he looked at Silco who had just said these words, the man was playing with the glass in his hands, making the red liquid twirl. He opened his mouth to say something, but Silco cut him.  

“We have a job for you.”

He blinked, his heart beating crazily in his chest.

“You have probably guessed that the bar is falling apart,” Vander started and as if to prove a point, the clock fell loudly on the floor, “I’m definitely not a tinkerer, I’m more like the muscle of this place. And, even if Silco can manage some of our projects, he doesn’t really have the time to fix them because he has more important things to do.”

“What Vander is trying to say is that we could use some help. Your help.”

“Why me?”

“You’re a brilliant kid, Viktor. You’ve rebuilt the jukebox and made it work in only a couple of days, and it was probably one of our hardest projects. I have no doubt that the rest of our projects will be easy for you.”

“It would also allow us to keep an eye on you,” Vander added.

“I can take care of myself,” he replied sharply.

“You can. You’ve built a whole business at such a young age and made it work,” Silco said, “You could even continue your repair business here, if you want to.”

He couldn’t believe it. It all seemed too good to be true. It could be all a lie, a trap. They probably expected more than simple repairs; it couldn’t be that simple. But if it was the truth, if they were really offering him this kind of chance, he wouldn’t have to live in the streets again, he would have a place to always come back to, and he wouldn’t be alone anymore, struggling to survive.

“Why?” Viktor asked softly.

“Because we care about you,” Vander replied bluntly, “I know it’s only been a few days since we met, but you matter to us. And believe me, there is no way Silco or I are letting you sleep in the streets again.”

Viktor opened his mouth to protest, surprised to discover that they knew about his situation.

“We run the Lanes, there is nothing you can hide from us,” Silco said, looking at his drink before turning his head to meet his eyes, “This is our offer, Viktor. You come live here and work for us and we will keep you safe and make sure nothing happens to you.”

Felicia shook her head and let out a hopeless sigh at her friends' poor attempt to tell Viktor that they wanted him to stay here, “You don’t know how to be straightforward, do you? What these two idiots are trying to say is that they want you to stay here, but they don’t know how to say it without making it sound like it’s a business offer.”

Viktor had trouble believing that he was welcome to stay here for free, so he kind of liked the way Silco and Vander had worded it, it sounded like a sort of partnership, and he wasn’t against that.

“And if I don’t want to?” Viktor countered, curious to see what they had to say if he wasn’t interested by their offer, even if deep down, he had already made his decision.

“Then you are free to leave,” Silco said, “No one is forcing you to do anything you don’t want to. We will pay you for the jukebox, and you can go if it’s what you want to do. It’s your decision.”

“Just know that you are always welcome here,” Vander added with a warm smile on his lips, “The Last Drop is your home.”

Viktor took a deep breath; he still couldn’t believe what he had just heard. It felt like a dream, he had been alone for months, struggling to survive, and suddenly, his whole life was about to change.

“So, what do you want me to repair next?” he asked eagerly, excitement filling his chest.

“Have you seen the flickering illuminated sign outside?” Vander asked.

Notes:

I know absolutely nothing about jukeboxes and mechanics in general (I guess you can easily see that) and don't ask me why that jukebox became the main character of this chapter lmao, I do not understand why I put so much emphasis on that thing, but here we are

Anyway, I hope that the characters didn't feel too out of character, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!

Chapter 3

Notes:

And I'm back! Thank you so so much for your lovely comments on the last chapter! <3
This chapter gave me a hard time (I say that at every chapter, but I already know the next ones will be easier to write) and that's why it took me so long to post it (I'm not sure if I like it, but before I go completely insane and change it for like the fifth time, I decided it was time to post it)

Anyway, I still hope that you enjoy this chapter!

Viktor couldn’t tell exactly how long it took him before feeling like he was welcome in The Last Drop and considering it as his home. During his first days after moving in the bar, he had tried to make himself as tiny as he could, staying for the most part silent and only focusing on what he needed to do. He knew Silco and Vander were the one who had asked him to stay and had told him that he was welcome here, but the feeling that he didn’t belong and shouldn’t be here kept haunting him. He was still convinced that it was a trap, that it was too good to be true and that once Silco and Vander wouldn’t need his help anymore, he would be kicked out of here. These thoughts lurked deep in his mind until the day Silco and Vander decided to surprise him with something he hadn’t expected at all.

 

“We have something for you, kid,” Vander announced one morning when they were eating their breakfast together.

Viktor turned his head to stare at the two men, his eyes filled with confusion and a tinge of curiosity. The two adults looked at each other, a hint of pride on their faces, especially on Vander’s.

“We will give it to you after breakfast,” Silco said, a small smile lingering on his face as he gently patted Viktor’s back and stared happily at Vander.

At that moment, Viktor had absolutely no idea what this surprise could be, but he had guessed that it was linked to what the two adults had been working on upstairs for a couple of days now. Vander and Silco had asked him to do small repairs in the bar, like fixing flickering lamps or wonky stools, and he had done so gladly, happy to help. And now that he thought about it, they had probably asked him to do these small repairs to distract him from the surprise they were planning. Maybe it was also why they hadn’t asked him to work on the flickering sign outside yet, or the main reason for this might also be Vander clearly stating that they needed to find a helmet and a ladder, and that he wanted to be there to watch him and make sure that Viktor would not fall to his death.

Once they were done with their breakfast, they went upstairs and stopped in front of what Viktor knew to be a storage room.

“Open it, kid,” Vander said softly, putting a warm hand on his shoulder and squeezing it softly.

Viktor nodded before opening the door of the storage room. He blinked once, twice, not believing his eyes. It was no longer a storage room. It was now a small bedroom, very simple, with only a bed, a shelf, a desk and a chair. And yet, it was too much, Viktor remembered the room he had grown up in when he had still been living with his parents, it had consisted in a small bed and a table filling the rest of the space. He couldn’t believe that a big room like this belonged to him, now.

“It is for me?” he asked in disbelief, staring at the space that was now his.

“Since you are staying with us, we thought it would be best for you to have your own space,” Vander explained, noticing the surprise on Viktor’s face.

He couldn’t believe that they had turned a storage room into a bedroom just for him. It explained the loud noises he had heard coming from upstairs when he had been busy fixing stuff on the ground floor. Hr didn’t deserve such a gift. Silco and Vander were kind enough to let him stay here, but Viktor having a whole room to himself seemed over the top. Sleeping on one of the couches in the basement like he had done so for the past few days would have been enough for him, he didn’t need more than that.

And yet, a thousand ideas of how he would use this space were already tripping over each other in Viktor’s head. He could already imagine the plans he would pin to the wall, the models he would be able to build, a multitude of possibilities lied in front of him with so much space at his disposal. He felt like he would be able to do great things here, or at least, it would be much simpler to do them here rather than in a corner of a street or in the pitch blackness of The Last Drop basement.

“You can use this space as you see fit,” Silco intervened, gently patting Viktor’s head, “It’s all yours, little one.”

 

After this surprise, Viktor’s thoughts about Silco and Vander kicking him out of the bar had completely vanished. And the words Vander had said the day they had offered him to stay here echoed in his head.

The Last Drop is your home.

And, slowly, he was starting to believe that it was true.

 

---

 

Months had passed, and every day, Viktor was getting closer to the end of Silco and Vander’s list of things that needed repairs or improvements in the bar. And today was no exception because Vander and Silco had finally asked him to fix the illuminated sign outside, a thing that Viktor had been waiting to repair for a while now.

 

“Are you sure this is safe?” Vander asked, his voice tinted with worry as he watched him from the ground, holding the ladder so that it stayed in place.

Of course not, was what Viktor wanted to reply, but he felt that if he gave him that kind of answer, he would just end up giving Vander a heart attack which he would prefer to avoid if he could. Viktor was meters in the air, sitting at the top of the ladder with a mining helmet on his head–Vander’s only condition for allowing Viktor to climb the ladder.  

“I think so,” he answered, hoping that it would reassure him.

One thing Viktor had understood after months living in The Last Drop was that he disliked worrying Vander and Silco because it usually resulted in him being scolded. The last time it had happened was when something Viktor had been working on had exploded in his face. It had been a weak explosion, nothing to worry about, but the two adults had been worried sick and had almost forbidden him from working with fire ever again.

Sometimes it still surprised him to see just how much they cared about him, and that was why he disliked worrying them.

 

Viktor carefully repaired the sign, and made sure that he wouldn’t have to fix it in another couple of months because even if it was a fun challenge, he did not particularly enjoy being meters in the air with nothing to hold on to. Plus, climbing the ladder had already been a laborious task with his leg. Even after sitting for hours at the top of the ladder, there was a persistent twinge in his leg that refused to go away. And now that he was almost done, he wasn’t sure that he would be able to get down on his own.

Once he was done with the sign and checked that everything was in order, he moved slowly to go down the ladder, a sharp pain shot through his leg as he tried to move it, and he winced. He was stuck at the top of the ladder, not able to move his leg. He squeezed the metal of the ladder tightly, frustrated, he had wanted to avoid worrying Vander, but he would have no other choice if he wanted to get down.

“Vander?” Viktor called from the top of the ladder.

“Yes, kid?”

“I’m stuck, I can’t move my leg,”

Immediately, Vander’s face contorted with panic, and Viktor felt guilty for worrying him like this. The man checked that the ladder was stable enough before climbing it, it didn’t take long before he reached Viktor and told him to climb on his back and hold on tight. Viktor held on with all his strength, wrapping his arms around Vander’s neck and hiding his face in his back to avoid looking at the ground too much.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered in Vander’s back.

“Don’t apologize, Viktor. It’s alright.”

They arrived safe and sound on the floor, and Viktor was about to let go of Vander’s back when instead of stopping to let Viktor get off, he grabbed his cane and carried him in his bedroom.  

“You should rest,” Vander said once he had put him on his bed.

“I’m fine,” he retorted.

Vander looked at him, unconvinced before he gently poked the helmet on Viktor’s head.

“You’ve done a wonderful job today, get some rest. I’ll make you something to eat,” he said, smiling tenderly.

Viktor knew better than to try and contradict Vander, so he simply nodded before leaning his back against the wall and massaging his leg.

That day, his only disappointment was that he hadn’t seen how bright the illuminated sign shone.

 

---

 

Viktor was sitting at the bar, sketching the plans for one of his new projects while Vander was polishing glasses and Silco was doing some accounting next to him, sometimes peeking at Viktor’s sketch. It had sort of become a habit of theirs to spend the morning together before going about their day’s business, sometimes they chatted about what was happening in the Lanes, or sometimes they just stayed in a pleasant silence exactly like today.

The door of the bar slammed violently, and Viktor barely had the time to turn his head when a flash of pink passed next to him at full speed before jumping on the counter and landing in Vander’s arms.

“That is one way to make an entrance, Violet,” Vander laughed merrily, hugging the girl he had caught effortlessly in his arms.

Violet.

It wasn’t the first time Viktor heard the name, but it was his first time meeting the person. He had been living in The Last Drop for almost a year now, and every time Felicia had visited them, she had been alone–to Vander and Silco’s utter disappointment who wanted to see her daughter at every chance they got.

Violet stayed in Vander’s arms and turned to wave at Silco when her eyes landed on Viktor. The raw energy that had filled her evaporating, letting place to a sort of shyness, but mostly an ardent curiosity.

“Who is it?” she asked Vander.

He turned to look at Viktor, a proud smile on his face, while patting the little girl’s head. “It’s Viktor, he is…,” he trailed off, thinking about how he could describe him.

“Our son,” Silco intervened, almost glaring at Vander for thinking too long about his answer.

Son.

Viktor stared in disbelief at Silco, not believing what he had just said. It surprised him to hear that they considered him as their son, he thought he was just a useful child to them, not that he was part of their family. And yet, he shouldn’t have been surprised because if Vander and Silco had started seeing them as their son, he had also started seeing them as parental figures.

The door of the bar opened again, and this time, Felicia and Connol stepped inside.

“Violet!” Felicia shouted, more worried than anything else, “Don’t run off on your own like this.”

Vander put the little girl on the floor before whispering in her ear, except that his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

“You’re getting better at this, kid.”

Violet smiled brightly, pride on her face at the compliment.

“Don’t encourage her, we already have trouble keeping up with her,” Felicia sighed, walking towards the bar, “I think in a few years, she is going to jump from roof to roof.”

At these words, a sort of desperation appeared on the faces of Violet’s parents, and Viktor could easily tell that it wasn’t the first time they had seen their daughter run around and jump to or from high places.

The little girl grinned. “I can’t wait to show all of this to my sister.”

Felicia and Connol looked even more desperate after what Violet had just said. But the mention of sister made the attention shift towards Felicia who had been carrying a blue-haired baby in her arms the whole time.

“This is Powder,” she said with a warm smile on her lips before sitting on a stool next to Viktor.

 “We thought it was time for her to meet the rest of her family,” Connol intervened, stroking softly the cheeks of his second daughter.

For a moment, Viktor wondered if he should leave them alone, he had only been here for a year after all and even if Silco and Vander considered him like their son, he wasn’t sure that he was part of the family Connol had just mentioned, he didn’t know the couple and their daughters that much.

Silco got up from his stool before standing between Viktor and Felicia to get a better look at Powder. He placed a gentle hand on Viktor’s back before glancing at him and giving him a small reassuring nod, a way to tell him that he was indeed a part of this family now.

Viktor observed the baby in Felicia’s arms, she looked confused by all these new people gaping at her. He thought she was going to cry but instead she started smiling and laughing, her wide bright blue eyes sparkling with joy. And at that moment, where curiosity turned into happy giggles, it was clear that Powder had conquered the hearts of every single person in this room. But what made Viktor’s heart melt even more was when she caught one of his fingers with her tiny hands and stared at it, her blue eyes filled with wonder.

“She loves you already,” Felicia whispered to him.

Viktor smiled at Powder who giggled adorably in answer.

 

---

 

Now that Viktor had fixed everything that needed fixing in The Last Drop, he could spend some time working on some more personal projects. The first one being a new cane because the wood of his actual one was rotting, and he knew it would break soon. Viktor had decided that he wanted to make one with pieces of metal rather than rotten wood, it would last much longer.

And so, he went to Benzo’s shop, the best place to find what he was looking for. When Viktor stepped inside the shop, Benzo’s eyes widened, and he offered him a little smile.

“It’s been a while since you last came here, are Vander and Silco still treating you well?”

Viktor nodded in answer before he started looking at the pieces of metal. It had indeed been a while since he had last come here. After being taken in by Vander and Silco, he hadn’t really had the opportunity to go back to the shop given that he had spent most of his time doing repairs in The Last Drop, and most of them hadn’t needed him to buy new pieces. But he had seen Benzo several times at the bar, usually, the man came here to discuss the evolving situation in the Lanes with Vander and Silco.  

“Are you still doing repairs? I’ve got a few people asking me for your help.”

That got Viktor’s attention, he stopped studying the metal and he looked at Benzo with wide eyes. He had not thought about his repair business in a while since he had had plenty to do at The Last Drop, but now that he was done, maybe he could start it again.

You could even continue your repair business here, if you want to, the words Silco had said a year ago now echoed in his head.

Starting his repair business again wasn’t a bad idea, if he did, he would be able to help many people, and he would even be able to do them for free now that he wasn’t struggling to survive anymore.

“I’ll think about it,” Viktor replied, but in his mind, it was already decided, he was going to start it again. He just needed to discuss with Silco about the best way they could make this work, he already had ideas, but he wanted to see if the man also had any.

 

Once Viktor got back from Benzo’s shop, he immediately went to Silco who was reading a book in his office.

“Silco?” he asked softly.

“Yes?” he replied, putting away his book to look at Viktor, curiosity in his eyes.

“Do you remember when you told me that I could continue my repair business even if I stayed here?”

The man nodded, it had been more than a year ago, and it made Viktor happy to see that he had not forgotten about it.

“I want to continue it, I want to help as many persons as I can,” he said determinedly.

Benzo had told him that people were seeking his help and his knowledge, and that had made him extremely happy. Viktor had only done repairs for a couple of months before Silco and Vander had invited him to stay at The Last Drop, and he hadn’t thought that his name had become popular in the Undercity during this time, but it had apparently.

Silco’s eyes widened at the sudden determination in Viktor’s voice, and then he smiled. He could see the gears turning in Viktor’s head, the ideas already building in his mind about how he was going to make this work.

“I’m listening, little one.”

 

Viktor’s explanation about how he wanted his repair business to work pleased Silco so much, they started working on it immediately. After talking to Vander about it, they had decided that they would dedicate a small area of The Last Drop to build a small booth where Viktor would be able to put his tools and work here, a way to also prevent him from doing too many round trips between the ground floor and the first floor.

What Viktor had not expected, though, was Silco finding a sort of bodyguard for him when the two adults were absent which happened more often now with the tensions rising between Zaun and Piltover.

“I don’t need someone to watch over me,” he retorted after Silco had mentioned the idea of a bodyguard, “I can take care of myself.”

“I know that. I’m simply worried that people are going to take advantage of you,” Silco started, “And don’t try to tell me this never happened before.”

Viktor sighed. It had indeed happened several times, people not paying him because they had the upper hand on him. At the time, he had been a young child and alone, it would have been easy to get rid of him without anyone noticing his disappearance, so he hadn’t really tried to stand up for himself.

“It’s your business, your prices, but I just want to make sure that no harm will come to you.”

Viktor felt like he had no other choice but to accept or he felt like he could say goodbye to his repair business. He agreed reluctantly, just to offer Silco and Vander peace of mind.

 

And this is how Viktor met Sevika, she had been the one hired by Silco and Vander to watch over him and make sure that no harm came to Viktor when they were absent. At first, it had mostly been silences between them, both having nothing to say to each other. It all changed when Viktor heard her complain about how ridiculous it had been from Silco to ask her this, and he had fully agreed with her. That day, they had reached common ground and had started complaining jokingly about Silco. And as time passed, Viktor realized that having Sevika around wasn’t that bad, he liked her, and he suspected that she also enjoyed his presence, but he was pretty sure that she would never admit it.

 

---

 

Viktor couldn’t believe that he had to hide in his own home after living here for two years. He was sitting behind the bar, hoping that Felicia would not find him. She had set her mind on giving a haircut to her two daughters, but also to Viktor which terrified him. He had made the mistake of accepting her help once when his hair had been longer and getting in his eyes. It had probably been one of the stupidest things he had ever done. Felicia was a terrible hairdresser, and he had always known that since he kept teasing Violet with it when they were bickering. He still didn’t understand how he had accepted the first time, but he had learned from his mistake, and she would never touch his hair again, that was what he had decided.

So, he had to hide behind the bar, hoping that her sudden desire to massacre hair would soon pass, or that Vander or Silco would come home soon and stop her from giving him a haircut.

“What are you doing here?” Powder asked, appearing next to him.

He jumped at her sudden apparition, he had been lost in his thoughts, and hadn’t seen her arrive. He immediately told her to shush so that she would not give away his hiding spot.

“I’m hiding from your mother,” he murmured, “I don’t want to get a haircut.”

She laughed silently at his answer.

“Can I hide with you?” she asked, her blue eyes shining with amusement.

He nodded, and then she leant against him, giggling. They stayed like this for a while before Powder started whispering about the infinity of ideas in her head, her hands almost itching to work on them right now. Viktor enjoyed listening to her since they both shared a passion for inventions, and even if she was still young, he could already see how she would become a great inventor.

 

Viktor didn’t know how much time had passed before someone finally found them. Powder had fallen asleep on his shoulder a while ago, and he was dozing off–the aftermath of many accumulated sleepless nights.

“Oh, so that’s where they were,” Vander laughed when he spotted the two kids behind the bar.

Viktor blinked confusedly; his mind still half asleep. Vander crouched in front of them while Silco was standing behind him, a little amused smile on his lips.

“Why did you hide? Felicia has been looking for Powder everywhere,” Silco asked before taking the little girl in his arms.

“I had to hide, Felicia wanted to cut my hair,” he mumbled.

Vander burst out with laughter while Silco looked horrified at the idea, probably remembering how bad it had been the last time.

“I’ll cut your hair later,” Silco offered before disappearing from Viktor’s field of view, probably to bring Powder to Felicia.

Vander patted Viktor's head before taking him in his arms and carrying him to his bedroom.

 

---

 

Viktor had been living at The Last Drop for three years now, and it had probably been the best three years of his life. His repair business was a big hit in the Undercity, a lot of people came to ask him to fix things or improve them, and he did so gladly. It didn’t matter if people could pay or not for his repairs, his main objective was to help as much as he could, and that is what he did.

During those three years, he also saw Violet–that now insisted on being called Vi–and Powder a lot more, since they didn’t live far away from the bar. Felicia often asked him to watch the girls when all the adults were out for the night, which happened more and more often with the agitation building up in the Lanes. He had stopped counting the nights he had spent on his bed, reading stories to them while Powder doodled on his cane and Vi braided her sister’s hair. At first, he had thought he wouldn’t enjoy being a sort of babysitter, but he had really grown fond of the two balls of energy that were Violet and Powder.

Vander and Silco had become well respected and known people especially in the Lanes. And Viktor wanted to help them as much as he could except that the two adults were keeping him out of their plans, refusing to let him partake in dangerous activities. Tensions were rising between Zaun and Piltover, the topside thriving while disregarding completely the well-being of the people of the Undercity. And as the years went on, it only got worse and worse.

Until one day, it all exploded.

Notes:

Ok, so with the next chapter, this fic can go two different ways, and I really want to write both ways (I still need to figure out how though, but it might result in me reposting these three chapters and having two fics that starts the same way, or I don't know if any of you might have a better idea on how to do this?)
We can have a more happy story, something that kinda looks like the AU in ep 7 or a dark story that looks more like the show
I think I'm gonna start with the happy version because I have more ideas for it, but I really hope that I will also be able to write the other version that I have in mind

Chapter 4

Notes:

And I'm back! Thank you so much on your lovely comments on the last chapter!! <3
I'm sorry for taking so long to post this chapter! (work + my 15 hobbies took a huge part of my time, and I just didn't have the time to write this chapter)

Anyway, I still hope that you enjoy this chapter!

A red sky filled with ashes.

That was what Viktor remembered most of that day. A day that would forever remain engraved in his memory and the Undercity's.

 

The tensions between Piltover and the Undercity were at their worst, agitation had been building up in the Lanes for the past three years, and the last straw had been a chemical spill from one of Piltover’s factories pouring directly into the drinking systems of the Undercity.

It was Viktor who had noticed the change in the water, the unusual color intriguing him and immediately alerting him. He had taken a few samples of the water to test it, he wanted to know if something was indeed wrong or if it was just the rust of the pipes. He had little knowledge in chemistry, but he had still been able to run a few tests on the water thanks to what he had learned when he had assisted the doctor for a while. Once he had had the confirmation that the water was indeed poisoned, he had hurried himself to warn Silco and Vander. 

Both men had been downright outraged at the contamination. If Silco had already been pushing Vander for weeks–even months–for an uprising, wanting to rally the citizens of the Undercity in a protest, this incident was what had made Vander cave in. They were tired of enduring Piltover’s disregard, it was not the topside’s first mistake that resulted in or would result in the death of many citizens of the Undercity.

And so, Silco and Vander had started talking about a protest. Over the weeks, Benzo had joined them, and then it had been Felicia and Connol’s turn. The five of them had started plotting a protest in The Last Drop basement.

Every time the adults met, Viktor had been tasked to watch over Violet and Powder–not that he minded–but he felt like he would have been more useful downstairs with the adults. It hadn’t taken him a long time to understand that it was Silco and Vander’s excuse to keep him away from the danger, it was their way of protecting him. The two adults could forbid him from listening to the meetings, but they could not stop his mind to think about ways to help and then make them come true with his hands.

 

As the day of the protest drew near, the atmosphere in The Last Drop became heavier, almost suffocating. This place who was usually filled with joy and laughter, had now been replaced by stress and fear.

“Let me help,” Viktor pleaded, sitting on Silco’s desk while the two men and Felicia were examining a map for the protest.

“No,” Silco answered categorically, not raising his head from the map he was looking at.

Viktor glared at him.

“It’s because of my leg, isn’t it?” he couldn’t help but ask, frustration in his voice.

Before Silco could respond, Vander put a hand on Viktor’s head and patted it gently, messing up his hair and stopping him from glaring at the man.

“Come on, Viktor. You’re smarter than that. It’s because you are still a child,” Vander explained, looking at him warmly.

“I’m fourteen,” he countered, crossing his arms, “Here it’s the equivalent of being an adult.”

Vander winced. “And that’s exactly what we are trying to stop. Kids should be kids, and a protest is not a safe place for a child.”

Silco raised his head from the map to look at Viktor. “Knowing that you are safe would reassure us,” he started, gently stroking his arm, “We don’t want to lose you, Viktor.”

“And what about your own safety?” he asked, frustration in his voice, or maybe fear, “I can’t lose either of you. I can keep you safe, I can help.”

Over the years he had spent at The Last Drop, Silco and Vander had become his new family, a family that he loved and that he couldn’t afford to lose. Viktor had already lost his parents once and he refused to lose the new ones that had entered his life, especially when this time he was sure that he could do something to help them and keep them safe. He could never have prevented the accident in the mines that had killed his mother nor the disease that had taken his father soon after. But protecting Vander and Silco with his creations, he was convinced that he could do it.

“I know you can,” Silco started, squeezing his arm softly, “But you are not coming with us, little one. We are not taking any chances to lose you,” he added, looking at him in the eye.

“Let me at least build something that could help like a smoke bomb or a flash bomb, these won’t hurt anyone, and they would allow you to get away.”

Weapons were the things Viktor would always refuse to build. His creations were to help people not to make it easier to kill each other. Even if these bombs were harmless, it still didn’t sit right with him to build bombs, but he saw them as a way of escaping in case of danger, they were his only solution to help his parents if he couldn’t come with them.

“You’re not building bombs,” Vander was quick to answer.

“You’re not giving the enforcers an opportunity to get back to you,” Silco added, his voice severe.

He knew what Silco was referring to, Viktor’s repair business had become well known in the Undercity, and a few echoes of his abilities had even reached the ears of Piltover. It was even probable that some Piltovian had even laid their hands on his repairs, there was a chance that his work might be recognized and used against him if he started building dangerous things, causing him to be arrested or worse.

Viktor clenched his hands into fists, he felt frustrated and useless. He understood his parents’ reasoning, but that did not mean it hurt any less, especially when he was convinced that he could do something to help.

A heavy silence fell between them, everyone in the room was on edge, and arguing like this was not helping in lightening the tensed atmosphere. When no one made the first move to break the silence, Felicia–who had been standing on the other side of the desk–moved to stand in front of Viktor.

“I know a way you can help,” she said, examining his face contorted with frustration.

Immediately, Viktor looked up and met her eyes, eager to know more about the way he could help.

“This is more like a selfish request, but the day of the protest, can I ask you to watch over Violet and Powder? It would put my mind at ease to know that they are safe with you.”

Viktor had not expected this kind of demand; he had thought that perhaps she would have tried to convince Vander and Silco to let him join them or at least let him build the two bombs, but he should have expected it. Felicia was a mother, and she wanted to keep her daughters safe, and it made Viktor realize that Vander and Silco–who considered him as their son–were the same, they were ready to do everything to protect him. He glanced briefly at the two men, and he saw in their eyes that they were not going to change their mind about what they had just discussed.

“I will take care of them and keep them safe, I promise,” he replied. His words, albeit a bit reluctant, were an official confirmation of him giving up joining the protest.

 

The dreaded day of the protest finally came.

Viktor was sitting on a stool, watching Connol and Felicia say goodbye to their daughters. Powder who was still too young to understand what was going on seemed alright, not excited to be separated from her parents, but no apparent worry on her face. It was not the case of Violet, though, her face was contorted with worry, her eyes brimming with tears. She knew just how bad this night could go, and she was terrified for her parents, and Viktor was pretty sure that she had pleaded several times to let her join them, exactly like he had tried to do. But Felicia had tried to reassure her, and had instead made her swear to watch over Powder and protect her.

Vander and Silco joined them a few minutes later after finishing up the last preparative upstairs. Silco put a warm hand on Viktor’s back.

“We will come back, little one. I promise,” he said softly, a weak attempt to ease Viktor’s mind.

“You can’t promise that,” he sighed tiredly.

“You’re right, we can’t,” Vander intervened, putting his hand on Viktor’s head and messing up his hair, “But Silco and I, we will do everything to come back to you.”

He knew these words were supposed to reassure him, but it awfully sounded like a goodbye more than anything else. Viktor felt the lump in his throat grow bigger, and he could barely contain his tears. Tonight, it could very well be the last time he would see Vander and Silco. He was scared of losing them, terrified even, and he felt a bit guilty for being that worried when it had not been the case with his real parents.

He took a deep breath, trying to rein the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him, and he got off the stool. He took a small step, wincing at the pain that shot through his leg, before he flung himself into Silco’s arms.

His whole body was trembling as he hugged him, he felt Silco’s arms wrap around him tightly before he felt another set of arms encircling the two of them strongly.

“Swear it,” he whispered almost desperately, “Swear that you will do everything to come back.”

The hug grew tighter, it was as if everyone wanted to give the other as much love as they could.

“This is a promise. We will come back.”

 

The adults had left just a while ago, Viktor was still shaken up by the strength and the warmth of the hug. He wasn’t sure that he had ever received that much love in his life, and the way his fathers had vowed to return had kind of reassured him. They would come back; he had to believe that they would.

“Viktor, are you alright?” Powder asked softly, staring at him with wide and worried eyes.

He came back to his senses; he had been too focused on the love he had just received that he had almost forgotten that Violet and Powder were here. He nodded quickly before looking at the two girls. Powder was clutched to Vi’s arm, her eyes usually filled with joy and excitement were now full of fear and uncertainty, even when she was too young to comprehend what was going on, she could still feel the heavy atmosphere. Violet, on the other hand, looked deeply scared, it was odd to see her like this when Viktor had mostly seen her fierce and playful, and he could feel her burn with the desire of joining her parents.

Viktor invited them to go upstairs, they would be more comfortable in his room than here where it felt too big now that the adults who typically filled the space were gone.

 

It was hard to find something to do to keep themselves busy when the only thing that was in their mind was the fact that their parents were all danger with the probability of never coming back. They were trying to busy themselves as best as they could, Viktor was fixing watches and other trinkets at his desk while Violet and Powder were sitting on his bed, the oldest reading stories to her little sister who was doodling on his cane. It was a terrible attempt at distracting themselves, they just couldn’t ignore what was happening outside and the potential and terrific outcomes. Viktor’s hands kept shaking making it impossible to fix anything, same thing for Powder who kept muttering insults when she messed up her drawings, and Violet’s voice was trembling at every sentence she read.

It was only when it was dark outside that he heard Violet slam her book shut a tad bit too violently, and he turned to look at her.

“They should already be back,” she said strongly, getting up from the bed, “Don’t you think it is time we go check?”

“They will return,” Viktor tried to answer indifferently except that his voice betrayed him, letting it show that he didn’t believe his own words.

“They’ve been gone for hours! Maybe something bad happened, maybe they need our help. We should go check,” she argued.

Viktor gritted his teeth, he also wanted to go check if nothing bad had happened to Vander and Silco, but he had made a promise to Felicia. He had promised her that he would keep her daughters safe, which meant staying here until their return.

“Vander and Silco promised me that they would come back, we have to trust them,” he replied. A weak excuse.

Vi rolled her eyes, exasperated. Viktor would try to block her path if she really wanted to go, even if he knew he would probably not last long against her, especially since Vander had started teaching her how to punch. She started pacing the room madly under the worried eyes of her little sister.

“You should try to sleep, Violet. You, too, Powder. I will wake you up as soon as they come back,” he offered gently.

Violet sat back on the bed, her frustration still on the verge of bursting. She crossed her arms and glared at him, he held her gaze and after a while, when she realized that he would not change his mind, she reluctantly agreed to try and sleep a little.

 

Viktor needed one of his tools at his booth downstairs to fix the watch that was giving him a hard time–even if the main reason for his hard time was due to his shaky hands rather than the watch itself. He made sure that the two girls were asleep before grabbing his newly doodled cane and going downstairs to dig through his toolbox. Before going to the booth, he looked around the bar to see if perhaps the adults had come back, but the room he was in was pitch-black and plunged into a terrifying silence. He shook his head, trying to ignore the dread that was slowly seizing him, every minute that passed made his worry grew bigger, and he really hoped that Silco and Vander would come home soon. He went to his booth, lit a lamp and started searching for a small hammer. Once he finally found it, he went back upstairs, and as he did, he kept glancing towards the main door in case his fathers came back. But nothing had changed when he reached the top of the stairs, he sighed desperately before pushing the door of his bedroom open.

As his eyes landed on his bed, he noticed that Violet and Powder were gone and that the window of his room was wide open. 

 

Viktor’s heart was racing madly in his chest as he made his way through the alleys and streets of the Undercity. He should have known that it was a bad idea to leave them alone when Violet was determined to go and see why the adults were taking so long to come back. Viktor was going as fast as he could, looking everywhere to find the two sisters that had disappeared even if he clearly knew where they were headed. There was no point in looking elsewhere, Violet and Powder were going to the bridge where the protest took place. On the way there, his leg wobbled, threatening to give way more than once, forcing him to stop or slow down the pace if he didn’t want to fall and not be able to get back up.

His lungs were burning, and his leg was aching terribly when he reached the bridge. Viktor was wheezing and frantically looking around, trying to spot the two girls, but instead the only thing he saw was a sky tinted of red and ashes rising in the air. He couldn’t see anything in front of him, but he knew he had to move forward, he needed to find Violet and Powder. He gripped the handle of his cane tightly, steadying his shaky hands before he took a deep breath and stepped onto the bridge. He was first greeted by an eerie silence before it rapidly turned into loud noises of explosions and gunfire. The smell of burnt flesh and gunpowder hung in the air, making his stomach churn. He could feel his heart quicken in his chest, going at an abnormal pace and more than once he thought that it might give out right this instant, but he kept going.

Dead bodies lied on the bridge, and Viktor did his best not to look at them but at the same time couldn’t help it, he had to make sure that it was not Vander or Silco nor the girls’ parents. As he advanced on the bridge, he spotted two small figures and a tall one in front of him, the smaller one having blue hair and the other one pink hair. His heart filled with relief when he realized who the tall figure was, his imposing stature immediately giving it away.

Vander.

He hurried to their side before he stopped in his track when he realized at what they were staring at or rather whom.

Felicia and Connol.

The parents of the two girls laid dead in front of their eyes, Felicia’s body on top of Connol’s her eyes wide open towards the sky, lifeless.

Viktor looked at the two sisters, Powder was clutched to her sister’s arm, terrified and not fully understanding what was happening while Violet fell on her knees and started crying. Viktor was pretty sure he heard his heart break when Vi’s cries pierced the air. Vander stayed silent, monitoring the area, the violence and the massacre weighing on him.

Viktor saw an enforcer approach, a gun in his hands and ready to kill. He squeezed his cane tightly, ready to use it to defend himself if he needed to, but the enforcer retreated when Vander let his gauntlets fall on the floor, a sign that he didn’t want to continue this fight. Viktor could see in Vander’s eyes that the man had just taken an important decision.

“We should go,” he said, his voice soft and tired.

Vander took the girls in his arms. Violet hugged him tightly, and she looked over his shoulders, looking one last time at her parents before she sobbed even harder against his chest, squeezing tightly the fabric of his shirt. Powder was looking at her sister, tears rolling down her cheeks at seeing Violet in such despair.

They started walking away, but they didn’t go far because Viktor’s leg was still aching badly, and he winced at every step. Vander crouched in front of him and signaled him to get on his back.

“I can walk,” he said, not wanting to bother Vander who was already carrying the two girls.

“You’re in pain, Viktor. I can see it,” his father retorted, giving a look that clearly said that he wasn’t going to move again until he climbed on his back.

Viktor didn’t resist, in other circumstances he might have, but right now he didn’t want to stay on the bridge and potentially get attacked by enforcers who were still lingering here. He wrapped his arms around Vander’s neck before the man started walking again. As they made their way away from the bridge, Viktor kept looking around because someone was missing.

Silco.

Vander was here and alright which had been a huge relief, but where was Silco? Viktor had looked at the dead bodies on their way back and he hadn’t seen anyone that looked like him which reassured him and at the same time didn't.

“Silco?” he asked once they left the bridge.

Vander let out a heavy sigh which didn’t sound really reassuring. “Gone,” was the answer he settled for.

Gone?

It could mean two things, either Silco was dead, or they had been separated amidst the chaos meaning that there might be a chance that he was alive and hiding.

“Gone?” Viktor echoed, wanting to know more.

He could feel Vander’s shoulders drop; it seemed like the topic bothered him.

“I lost him in the smoke, I don’t know where he is,” Vander replied, and Viktor knew that he would not get any more information. The way Vander avoided the subject was a suspicious, though, something seemed to have happened between them, but Viktor could not tell what exactly. He just had to hope that Silco was alright.

Viktor did his best to stay awake until they reached The Last Drop, but exhaustion caught up to him before they reached the place.

 

Notes:

I wrote three "happy" chapters and I decided that it was enough, I guess? (I promise the next one is going to be a happy one though)

This chapter kicked my ass, and I apologize if it doesn't make any sense, I really hope that the characters aren't too ooc in this one but I feel like they kinda are (usually I love writing dialogues, but god it was hard in this chapter)

Also, I decided to make this work a series since I asked what I should do for the two versions that I have in mind and that's what people recommended me to do (thank you so much for your help by the way!! <3) I'm just stupid and I don't know how ao3 works so I might be doing some dumb shit, this chapter was way longer but I split it in two, and the first part of the chap is here, and the second part will be in the part 2 of the series (I don't know it this makes sense)

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of The Peculiar Mechanics of Love