Another innovators competition finished and won, like every year since he had met Jayce, had put Viktor in a very good mood indeed.

After politely declining the offer to go out for a drink, deciding to let Jayce try to charm Mel all alone, Viktor swung back to the lab, attempting to start cleaning up the mess that the week before the competition had brought. Because yes, it was decidedly messy, spare pieces of metal lying about, papers and files strewn everywhere, and the blanket fort on the couch where they had slept for three days straight.

It took a bit of time to get all the way back to the academy, damn leg, but at least the elevator was working and getting to the lab itself wasn't too much of a bother. About to go in, his hand hovered at the doorknob for a split second when he heard a small sound inside the room. Maybe a bird had gotten in through the opened window. Maybe a cat...

Very gently, Viktor opened the door, hoping to leave the supposed animal inside undisturbed. So what a surprise it was to not see a cute, fluffy cat, but instead you, sitting on the workbench and very concentrated on one of the Atlas Gauntlets. For a few seconds, he didn't move, didn't say a word, hoping that you'd notice him and go out through the opened window you seemed to have come in through.

When that didn't work, he cleared his throat, casually leaning on his cane as if he had just come in. "Am I interrupting?"