Brilliant minds (Viktor X Reader)

Old Times

Viktor's Pov

The good memories Viktor held seemed so far away at the moment, waking up next to Y/N the morning after there promise was by far the best he had felt in a very long time.

But that was weeks ago now he was at an all time low. He sat in his chair in front of the Hexcore, his pain reaching new levels even while he just sat there. Y/N was busy writing equation after equation, chalk running out with how much she was writing.

She was completely wrapped up in her work, she was becoming desperate and Viktor could tell. Something must have hit a dead end because she suddenly threw the chalk half way across the room turning to Viktor eyes closed, chest heaving, hands wrapped in her hair.

The constant noises coming from the hexcore were a taunt to them both. Y/N scowled and the walked over to lean on the table the hexcore was hovering above.

"This thing, it's impossible, and it's laughing at us." Y/N's voice was hard, a far cry from her normal soft tone that she adopted when speaking to Viktor.

Viktor looked up at her with hooded eyes, he knew he probably looked terrifying the way his body was draped and the darkness surrounding his eyes, but he couldn't lift his head.

For the first time in weeks he really looked at Y/N and he saw it, saw the raw skin around her thumb and middle finger on her right hand where the chalk rested and where she picked the skin away. He saw the absence of make up and the way her hair was disheveled and unbrushed. He saw the way her clothes hung off her body in an unhealthy way and her shoulder sagged from her normal rigid posture. He noticed the red spots on her temples from where she must have been trying to rub away her headache.

A large sigh from her drew him from his observational state. The purple and blue light from the hexcore was reflecting off her eyes changing the brightness they normally held. Watching what his illness was doing to her was putting him through more anguish than his actual sickness. He was done being miserable, done being in pain, doing being stuck in the stagnant state of life where there's no solution.

He rose from his chair and did his best to approach the hexcore. Y/N had tried to clean away the blood but it had dried onto the table. Viktor reach for the hexcore, he could faintly hear Y/N questions him and he was hyperaware of her hand in his, most likely trying to pull him away.

But at this point he was entranced. He continued reaching for the core despite the hand that was tugging him away.  his fingers made contact and a rush ran through him. It felt powerful. Something he hadn't felt in so long, the hand on his tightened and had he not been so entrapped in the hexcore he might have registered her screams, but Viktor was no longer there.

time skip

The hexcore was the solution. It's what Viktor decided. After touching the hexcore something changed in him, something strong enough that he hadn't noticed how Y/N avoided the thing like it was the plague, or the bandages wrapped around her arm, or the glove she wore to cover her fingers.

At the moment he was showing Jayce his new discovery "It responds to organic matter!" Viktor was in awe as the plant grew with the help of the hexcore. Jayce on the other hand  was looking between the hexcore and Y/N, an uneasy feeling settling in his chest.

But Jayce was at heart a scientist and the growing plant overshadowed his worry, this was huge "incredible" he whispered backing away from it on impulse.

Viktors excitement overshadowed any apprehension the others felt. In fact when Viktor looked at Y/N she was smiling at him "It's remarkable Vik" She clasped her hands behind her back hoping he wouldn't see.

"It's not just remarkable it's unlike anything we've ever seen, it could be the answer to everything, it could be the key to augmenting physiology, extending life---"

"curing you" Jayce and Y/N said at the same time locking eyes, eyes that were refilled with hope. Then suddenly the plant died collapsing in on itself, Y/N had yet to see it first hand but she had felt it.

"It's happened to everyone," Viktors voice lost most of it's excitement from previous "I don't know why it's rejecting the transmutation"

Viktor was at odds with it, he knew the hexcore held the answers he could feel it but he couldn't crack it and Y/N wouldn't go near the thing.

Y/N walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "we'll solve this" she said gesturing her bad hand to Jayce who nodded firmly.

"We're in uncharted waters here" Viktor paused "and I can feel my body eroding"

Viktor felt Y/N hand tighten he knows she hated when he said he was dying but it was the truth. Viktor glanced at her, her eyes felt heavy when they looked at him and for once it was a weight he didn't wish to bear.

So he shrugged her off and turned towards the chalk board again waiting for someone else to speak. "Y/N tell Sky to get Heimerdinger to see if he can help for now" Jayce picked up a price of chalk tossing it in the air "We are going to do what we do best"

The next piece of chalk was sent to Y/N who on impulse went to catch with her right hand but she dropped it. Something to note is that from the beginning of their time working as a trio they would throw chalk from one person to the next and they had gotten quite flawless at catching the small white sticks, Y/N especially. In fact they kept tally of who dropped their chalk and Y/N had the least Viktor had the most. But she dropped it, not only that she recoiled her hand into her chest in pain.

It was now that Viktor noticed the black leather glove that covered Y/N right hand, the glove stopped just before her elbow and just peaking out were white bandages, above the badges up to her shoulder were dark purple veins. It was harsh to look at to the point that even Viktor with his many ailments wanted to look away.

"What...What happened?" Viktor closed some distance between them enough that he could lift her arm to examine it a little more closely. She winced, Viktor let go.

"I don't know why but when you touched the hexcore it went straight through you and hit me it crawled up my arm, and..." Y/N trailed off looking somewhere behind him before shaking her head as if that could erase the memory "I don't even know how to explain it, the doctors don't know if its permanent or not so we'll just have to see."

"Y/N i'm so---"

"Don't apologize, I'm alright if it makes you feel better before the awful pain and burning my arm felt stronger then it ever had it felt powerful. And then it attacked my arm just like the plant but now you have a patient zero, we have somewhere start the next stop is curing you" She was so confident, confident enough that it gave Viktor hope that maybe they would figure this out.

"Come one love birds we have work to do" Jayce tossed a piece of chalk at Viktors head which he failed to dodge.

Y/N laughed, Jayce was doubled over after Viktor almost fell whipping around to scold him and Viktor chuckled lightly avoiding a full laugh to save his lungs.

For a moment as the two most important people in his life laughed, He felt peace. It felt like old times.