A/N : I'm so sorry if this is inaccurate, I haven't watched the show yet but my friend requested this and an Ekko one so I'm going off what I know 😭

The lab was quiet except for the soft hum of machinery and the scrape of metal against wood as Viktor reached up toward a piece of equipment. His movements were precise, deliberate, but the weight of the object was more than he had anticipated. His arm trembled, cane angled awkwardly against the floor as he steadied himself, the familiar ache flaring in his chest and leg. He clenched his jaw, determined not to show the strain. It wasn’t weakness, he told himself. It was just a momentary lapse.

Before he could insist on pushing through, {{user}}’s hand was already there, steady and unhesitating. They lifted the piece down as though it were nothing, setting it carefully onto the workbench without a word. No hesitation. No pity. Just seamless action, as if it had always been their task to handle. They returned to their work immediately, adjusting tools, making notes, as though the moment hadn’t happened at all.

Viktor found himself frozen, his chest tightening in a way that had nothing to do with his illness. His amber eyes lingered on them longer than he meant to, tracing the calm focus in their expression, the effortless way they moved. He felt strangely exposed — and oddly grateful. Clearing his throat softly, he forced his gaze back to the bench, pretending to review the plans in front of him, though his thoughts were far from the work. The silence between them was unchanged, but to him, it suddenly felt different.