The way back to your home felt like it was the most exhausting, painful path you had ever have to take in your entire life.

Your head was heavy.

You could barely keep your back straight and your shoulders up.

Your legs felt like blades dug into the flesh with every step you took.

Bones felt weak and fragile. You feared that with every step they got closer to the breaking point.

At the top of the stairs, that led down to the pier, you had to stop and sit down.

Your head was spinning.

Your lungs were aching.

Everything was torture, the light breeze that danced over the water, the soft rain that fell from the cloudy, grey sky.

The feeling of fire hugged your skin. It felt like you sat in the middle of a burning house.

And yet, despite the suffering and the exhaustion that tortured your mind, your fingers held the envelope of Heimerdinger tightly.

This was like a golden ticket, no, even better than that.

This was an honest invitation.

The one you had given Viktor on his birthday had been stolen, taken from a poor fool who had been foolish enough to come down to the Undercity to look for illegal materials.

Someone had stabbed him and after he had breathed his last breath, you had taken everything he has had.

Money, clothing, a good knife.

And a chance from the academy.

But this?

This was far greater than a chance.

This was a promise.

And you knew that Viktor wouldn't fail to earn it.

He had always been the smart one of the two of you. And he would continue to outsmart, not just you but a whole institute of spoiled, rich brats.

Maybe, just maybe, one day he would even manage to outsmart Heimerdinger.

At the thought, a chuckle made your aching chest tremble.

"What a fool I am...", you mumbled and wiped your lips to get rid of the taste of blood. "Death really does bring out the worst in people. My true colours aren't pretty... What a shame..."

Putting on a smile, you wiped the tiredness off your face and put on a mask of joy.

This was for Viktor.

You were the bringer of good news. Perfect news to be exact.

There was no need to drag it down by your state of health.

He didn't have to know. Not yet.

Maybe never.

"Viktor?", you knocked on your own door.

You could hear how someone worked on the other side.

There was light burning in one of the windows.

Warm air escaped through the cracks of the walls.

Someone got up and walked over to unlock the door.

A crack opened.

A gush of air hit you in the face.

It smelled of Viktor.

It smelled of home.

Bright amber eyes greeted you.

At the sight, you couldn't help but smile in relief.

This was what kept you going.

Those eyes and this worried shimmer inside of them that couldn't be mad for longer than the breath of a second.

"How did the job go?", Viktor asked in his gentle voice and opened the door wide enough for you to enter. "You look satisfied."

"I'm happy.", you said and didn't skip a second to wrap your arms around him in a hug. "I'm just... so happy to have you."

Without even thinking, you placed a kiss on his cheek, so dangerously close to the corner of his mouth, that his eyebrows rose in surprise.

Gently chuckling, he raised his hands in defence and leaned his weight against you for support.

He had always done that. You were the only person he trusted not to let him fall.

It broke your heart to know that one day there wouldn't be anyone left to prevent that.

One day he wouldn't have anyone anymore to hold him.

The door fell shut and warmth filled the house again.

Still smiling, Viktor met your gaze and wrapped his hands around your cheeks.

"You're in such a good mood, my dear.", he said and pressed his forehead against yours. "Was the job that good?"

The smile on your face froze.

The job.

You hadn't finished the job for Silco yet and it most likely wouldn't be possible to get around it either.

At least not if you wanted to live.

But Viktor didn't have to know.

Quickly, you shook the cold feeling inside your chest off and smiled again.

One of your hands rose to gently caress that dark brown hair of his.

"Here.", you showed him the envelope of Heimerdinger. "I got something for you."

A little unsure, he raised an eyebrow and gifted you the kind of look that demanded answers.

"What is that?", he asked, but dared to take it off your hands anyways.

"A gift.", you said. "Someone gave it to me. For you."

"For me?", his slender hands froze, already opening the edges. "But... what for?"

Chuckling, you shook your head and guided him to the bed so that he would sit down.

"It's nothing bad.", you said and placed a kiss on each of his beauty marks. "I promise."

A sarcastic expression appeared on his face.

"You promise? The last time you promised something, you lied."

You couldn't help but huff.

"Not this time."

"How can I be sure?"

"Open it."

A soft breath escaped him. But he smiled anyways and continued to tear the edge open.

The papers appeared.

He pulled them out.

For a moment, the house fell silent.

Tension was in the air.

It felt like you were about to have a nervous breakdown.
His eyes wandered over the lines. With each read passage, the expressions on his face changed.

First there was worry.

Then confusion.

Surprise.

And finally his eyes widened in disbelief.

"(Y/N)!", he gasped and jumped from the bed.

His crippled leg wasn't able to carry his weight, so he fell forward and stumbled right into your arms.

You caught him with a smile and wrapped your arms around his chest to pull him into a hug.

"You're almost there, Viktor!", you whispered into his ear, tears blurring your vision.

He pushed you away, grabbed your face and placed a heated kiss on your mouth.

"We're almost there, my love.", he breathed against your lips.