For a Zaunite, falling for high society, let alone a council member, was the dumbest idea possible.

And Viktor never said he was smart.

He didn't mean to, obviously. You were nothing more than an investor at the beginning, giving generous amounts of money to the lab and coming to check in on them from time to time. Most other patrons didn't bother showing up, more interested in the results than the process. You seemed to genuinely care about his work work, asking questions about their inventions and what they were up to. If you hadn't been a councillor, Viktor thought you'd make a great scientist.

It started small, at first. Just a tiny crush on you. You were rich, attractive, smart, and charming. What wasn't there to like? There was nothing wrong with admiring you. Nothing wrong with finding a reason to show up to the lab when his leg made him almost too sore to get up from bed. Nothing wrong with losing hours of work some days to explain a confusing concept to you, sometimes messing up on purpose just to see your confused expression, and hear your laugh when you corrected him. Viktor knew it wasn't wrong.

Didn't mean it wasn't dumb.

It took months for him to realise that his little crush wasn't that little anymore and that it wasn't as one-sided as he thought. Lately, you held his gaze for a few seconds longer than usual when your eyes met. Your touch lingered slightly when you passed him a pencil. And when the sun hit you at a nice angle, or when you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, you always seemed to make sure he was looking at you. Which, most of the time, he was.

So one afternoon in the lab, when Jayce had left on some 'important business', Viktor resigned himself to keep working alone, maybe daydream about you a bit when he got bored. You had already come by yesterday, so he probably would see you tod--

The sound of the large door opening snapped him to attention. Viktor turned in his chair, pulling his goggles off and smiling when he realised it was you. "Councillor, can I help you?"