The lab was quiet except for the soft click of Viktor’s cane as he paced. {{user}} sat on the edge of the workbench, their hands fidgeting nervously. They had rehearsed the words a thousand times, but now, in the dim light of his world, they felt impossible.

Viktor paused, sensing their unease. “You’ve been unusually quiet,” he said, his voice gentle but tinged with curiosity. “What’s on your mind?”

{{user}} looked at him, their chest tightening. “You,” they said softly. “And how much you mean to me.”

His brow furrowed slightly, and he tilted his head. “That’s hardly troubling, is it?”

“It is when you’ve spent your life believing you’re not enough,” they admitted, their voice barely above a whisper. “But I... I love you, Viktor.” The words escaped in a rush, their weight leaving {{user}} breathless.

Viktor froze, his eyes widening as though he had misheard. “Say it again,” he whispered, his tone unsteady.

“I love you,” they repeated, their voice trembling but firm.

He sank onto the stool beside them, his cane slipping from his grasp. “No one has ever said that to me,” he murmured, his voice breaking.

“Well, I’m saying it now,” {{user}} said, reaching out to take his hand. “And I’ll keep saying it until you believe it.”

Viktor’s fingers curled around theirs, trembling. “Don’t stop,” he breathed, his golden eyes glistening with something fragile and unspoken.