"Well, sometimes I go out by myself
And I look across the wa-"

With a rough chunk in his throat and closed eyes in the relative dark, he answered his phone, never far from his reach,
"V, hey, yo, what's up? You okay?"

"Not really, is this a bad time?" She sure sounded as though she was going through one.

He peeked through an eye to glance at his clock, 2AM? Some people would say,
'Depends. Is it an emergency?' then hang up if it wasn't.

Vik on the other hand,
"Never a bad time for you to call me, V, you know that. You okay? Havin' a crisis of sorts?"

He sat up on his sofa, blindly sipping last night's leftover can of Spunky Monkey, clearing his throat. Foolishly hoped her answer would be no.

"I guess, kinda? Just not the physical sort."
V sounded distressed, her speech somewhat slurred,
"Can we talk for a bit?"

This sitch rubbed the sleep faster out of his eyes then he could himself, but that didn't keep him from doing it,
"Yeah sure, what's on your mind?"

"Actually, on second thought… Think I could come over?"

"Of course, you're always welcome."

He straightened himself on the sofa a bit, her relieved sigh caught on microphone,
"Okay, preem, could you unlock the door for me then?"

"Excuse me, wha-?"

Suddenly he heard a soft banging from the outside door, and its louder echoes from the phone call with the slightest delay,
"It's kinda chilly out tonight."

Still in the call, he rolled off his sofa onto his bare feet in record speed, practically sprinting to the door. Vik slid it open with a slam, faster than it could open itself.

There stood a soaked V, looking out of her goddamned mind. Hoodie up, hunched over, leaning against his door frame, with her hands tucked in her armpits. Wry grin, glowing orbs raised from the darkness of her hoodie to meet his eyes,
"Morning."

He heard her echo through his phone, finally he hung up, slipping his phone in his shorts' pocket. Her eyes went dark, but her smile brightened.

"Morning V, why are you-, did you walk here?"

"Not from my place, don't worry. Just, y'know, got kicked out from the karaoke bar down the street."
Pointing a thumb 'round the corner, he noticed redness, chafed skin on her knuckles. Figuring it wasn't the only establishment that booted her that night.

"That's a 24/7 place though…"

"Not if they think you've had too much." Her grin was stupid as she was definitely in the middle of a drunken stupor, even trying to give him double finger guns.

He realized the weather and her condition,
"Get in you mad woman, Christ."

He essentially pulled her off the street. The cold jumped into his arm the moment he'd touched her shoulder, grabbing her jacket.

"Thanks for squeezing me in Doc, I know you're a busy man, I won't take long."
She waddled a few feet into the clinic, helping Vik realize she took the rain inside with her, leaving puddles wherever she stood.

"Don't move, you're gonna create a slipping hazard. Take off your wet stuff." Sighing, he disappeared around a corner, flimsy metal doors clanging thereafter.

"It's fine Vik, I just came by to ask-"

"Doctor's orders, V, you're gonna rust this way, develop pneumonia, implant rejection, etcetera. So for fuck's sake, take off the wet stuff,"
Upon returning, he extended her a pile of dry thick clothes.
"then put this on."

She tried to stand her ground as to why she came here in the first place,
"I don't want to Doc-"

"You could get seriously ill,"
He interrupted her as not only a best friend, but her only caretaker as well, looking out for her the most. Even more so than herself.
"V, you could die-."

"I want to die!"

The woman gasped at her own, behavior and words alike. She'd never meant to scream at him like this, not now nor ever, but something in her snapped. The tensions that had been building up in her tugging on all her angles, tearing her apart.

Silence had fallen in the clinic, too dazed to reply he tossed the clothes on the coffee table between them. He didn't know where to look, feeling incapable of meeting her eyes, the suffering within them too close to home.

"'M sorry, but… Please, Viky…" She gasped and sighed instead of breathing relaxed, the cold still overtaking her slowly. Mere concept of being the end of her, her future dying eyes already haunting the man, burned into his mind.

Feeling rushed to find his tongue, rubbing the awe from his slacked jaw, he shook his head at her ever so gently.
"I can't, V…"

"Vik, I need you to kill me. Put me out, down, whatever! Please..." Quiver in her voice, she pleaded with him, the last of her sanity on the line, yet already fading, just like the light in her eyes. Into which he finally looked, uncertain if he'd regret it.

"I can't deal with him anymore..."

Clawing down her hoodie, she pointed at the port behind her ear, wanting to yank him out, though obviously Johnny fought back. Her hands incapable of reaching the Relic, contorted fingers, agony in her frown,
"I need you… take away the pain."

Viktor approached the distraught woman, too drenched to hug, settled for gripping her shoulders,
"Kitten, y'know I can't do that. I'm not the kind of doctor who can put down patients, let alone loved ones. I'm sorry, V, I just… I can't-"

She grabbed his hands, arms crossed, pressing them closer, squeezing them. All whilst shoving words through her clenched teeth by any means necessary, anguish carved on her brow. Her voice had broken, wavering all over the damn place, whereas his had remained calm, shaken but firm.

"But it hurts, Doc, everything hurts,"

"I know, babydoll. I know..." Vik withdrew his hands from the woman to get started with the zipper on her jacket, careful as to not jam it, its cold metal a sobering touch.
"How've you been doing?"

"Literally losing my mind, Vik, haven't slept decently in weeks, been drunk for days an-"

"You what? Damnit, V... When's the last time you ate a meal?" He managed to open and spread her jacket. Seeing her vest and shirt were completely drenched, her rich tan skin peeking through the white fabric.

"Don't know anymore, no appetite, 'k? Monday? Tuesday? Don't even know anymore wha- What are you doing, Viiik?" V whined.

The poor guy had only been trying to pull the sodden jacket off of her shoulders, but it clung rather tight to her equally soaked shirts, wet skin, her stiff joints uncooperative.
"You're in the clinic, thanks to you the Doctor is up now, so if you don't wanna get treated, well, then you'll just have to-"

"Leave?" She tried to take a step back, but he still had a firm grip on her clothes, carefully yanked her back in place.

Viktor managed to get her attention, his unguarded eyes sternly penetrating her Kiroshi's. His raised brows driving home the lesson,
"Suck it up, buttercup. If you weren't my friend, maybe I'd let you go. But I can't let you leave like this. Not into the pouring rain, not in this state."

Ashamed, she looked at their feet, his bare, by now as wet as hers, sloshing around in her boots. Her voice meek, feeling as though she'd overstayed her welcome already, in spite of his contradictory words.

"I can wait until it clears."

"Stop being so stupid, V,"
He commanded as he yanked the jacket to get her attention.
"You're shaking like mad and you already feel dead to the touch. I will start cutting up those clothes if need be, you know I don't bluff."

In defeat she raised her hands to her shirt, trying to grab a hold of the hem, but failing.

"How are your fingers anyway? They look frozen." he scoffed, trying to lighten the mood.

Some twitched visibly, most were curled up, whatever was still human started to discolor,
"Too cold to use…"

He sighed, stretching his shoulder muscles as a warm-up,
"Alright, lift your arms,"

V was a little distracted by the well defined curves on his, Vik's warm-up heating not only himself. In order to bypass all buttons, zippers and whatnot he decided to just pull her shirts, hoodie and jacket over her head. The fabrics still stuck to her skin, it was like peeling glue off silicone.

He tossed the wet clothes into a pile, on one of his weightlifting benches, which made a mushy thunk on impact. Turning back around to V he watched her flail, almost fall over, as she tried to kick off her shoes. It was a split second reaction but he grabbed her arms just in time to keep her up straight. Never faltering in eye contact with the, now topless, young woman.

"Just… stay put."

Afraid to slip on the puddle that had accumulated underneath her, she didn't move a muscle. The sound of water dripping and electricity humming filled the clinic. V heard him close a locker around the corner again, but her mind wandered to the first time Jackie brought her here, until...

He dropped a towel on her head which she tugged aside from the front of her face. Her vision was blurry from tears sitting in her eyes for hours, mixing with rain. Drying her own hair, there was something about watching him take off her drenched clothes that was... enticing?

The way he tugged at her jeans to unbutton them. Might have been the bottle of Centzon a day for the past half a week, or the sleeping badly for the past fortnight. Or, come to think of it, she thought to herself,
'It could be Vik's bare chest.'

Staring back at her. Definitely couldn't rule that out. Whatever it was, it effectively distracted her from wanting to blow Johnny and his silver hand out of her brain with a double barrel. This was the first time she'd ever gotten the chance to admire his ink from up close too.

Right as she'd wanted to reach out and trace some of the linework, he'd stepped away. Not even noticing her arm stretching out after his, he walked to his workbench and back. Arm tucked around her bare torso by then.

By now he had put the desk chair behind V, and managed to pull her jeans halfway down her thighs, but of course it got stuck. It was too soaked, tight. He stood up straight and sighed upon seeing her sheepishly gaze at him,
"I know that look, don't get any funny ideas. Sit down."

She attempted so with inebriated grace, as there was no back rest to hold onto, the chair warm compared to her freezing body,
"You're the half-naked guy undressing a drunk, morose much younger woman in your home, and she's not allowed to feel a lil' aroused?"

As V practically crunched abs on the chair she raised her bare, still cold as hell feet, with bent knees, along the inside of his legs, obviously intoxicated beyond her limits.

The man seemed impervious to their chill, her 'charm'. Yet he still grabbed her by the ankles, repositioning her feet before they could reach his… Personals,
"She can feel how she wants, just not what or who."

Placing her feet against his chest, the Doctor reached for the waistband of her jeans.

She could feel his heart pound against her soles, but was incapable of gathering intel from it,
"Damnit Viktor, you're not making this any easier on me."

"Yeah well, you're making it hard for me, kid." He pulled on the jeans, turning them inside out as they too peeled off her legs.

His reply had her grin rather stupidly wide,
"Ooh, I am? Tell me more."

"Difficult, V. Fuck!" He'd bunched up the soaked jeans and flung them into an obscure corner, slight anger scratching his surface.
"I've lost so many friends already, much more than you have so far, believe me. I don't wanna lose another one when I already got so few left."

With a hand on his side, he rubbed his forehead, trying not to think of the possible or the inevitable.

However drunk she may have been, his pain would never go past her,
"You're right… I'm a horrible friend, disgusted with myself,"

The woman pulled her knees to her chest, averted her unworthy gaze to the ground,
"Don't deserve to be here."

Had she not been naked and wasted beyond reason, V'd've already hit the streets, running until her legs gave out.

"I didn't say that. Hey," he stepped back to her, kneeling in front of the chair to meet her at eye level,
"Don't you dare say that about yourself. V,"

With his thumb and index finger he gently separated her chin from her knees, liberating her stare from the floor, catching it with his own,
"I'm glad you came to me. You're mourning is all, it's tough, that much I know personally. But every new day can bring a new friend, new memories, laughs. New smiles."

He offered her a sly one as he now brushed her cheek with a thumb, she attempted to reciprocate through the pain, mental anguish. The end result was cute, despite the intensely dejected look.
"You just gotta learn how to deal with all of that with Johnny along for the ride. I'll be here for that, Misty, even Mama Welles."

His eyes never diverted from hers or her face, truly professional, as he does consider himself always on call. Part of her realized how close he was to her, how his fingers on her chin felt,
"Thanks Vik, uh,"

Clearing her throat, she rubbed her bare limbs, skin mostly goose bumps,
"I don't know how to repay you."

Getting back up, he reached for the table,
"Get dressed,"

The Ripperdoc extended her some of the clothes he'd prepped, with a smile,
"start with that."


"Do you wanna sleep here? I can take the chair."

V looked adorable, sitting alone in the middle of the sofa in his oversized shirt, already on the large side for the man himself. Wearing a pair of his sweatpants as well, whereas Vik had just been sleeping in his old boxing trunks. Topless though, which he claimed got a bit 'chilly' by now, remedying that by putting on a shirt, and a vest for good measure.

She shook her head gently, peeking up at him, knees again pulled up to her chest, this time inside the shirt.
"I really don't wanna be alone, Vik..."

He sat down on the right side of the freezing girl, placing an arm around her shoulders, and draped his blanket over them. Turning in her spot, V'd snuck in-between his shirt and the vest, worming an arm behind his back, legs over his lap.

'Clever girl', he thought to himself as he pulled the hoodie around her,
"Talk to me V, tell me what's eating you."

The timbre in his voice soothed, like a cat's purr, working almost like a truth serum on the now less so intoxicated woman,
"I'm just so tired of being strong, my whole life I've been holding my head high not to drown, lifting up others while I'm at it, and now with all this extra weight on me, my neck is starting to give out."

Seeing her head gently bob in fatigue, Vik decided to carefully guide it towards his shoulder, to rest on. V reluctantly accepted, semi fearful she wouldn't be able to raise it anymore later. Upon safe landing though, she exhaled in some relief.

"You mean to say, you've never cried?"

"Not even when my mom got killed. Jackie's passing was the closest I'd ever gotten to a proper bawling, but y'know, I got sick instead."

Viktor recalled checking up on her during the ofrenda a little too easily, ending up bringing her home.

"May have shed tears here and there in life but, nothing one could consider crying. Was never safe enough to do that, always needed my guard up in Nomad land. Guess Night City ain't much different, though I…"

She scoffed at herself, feeling regret,
"Could've cried with Jackie, he made me feel safe enough, but I-, I felt too happy around him to wanna cry. Now he's gone and I just… I can't."

Feeling her starting to tense up all over again, Viktor couldn't help but worry she was going snap a tendon or two,
"You're safe here too, V, let it out."

He gave her whole being a reassuring squeeze with his arms, her grimace outside of his view, but painfully reflected by her voice,
"I know I am, but I still can't, I'm just too angry."

"At who? Yourself?"

She nodded, the buzzed side of her head scritching his collarbone through his shirt.

"What for though, sweetie? You've done nothing but good for this hellhole city."

"I failed him, Vik! I got him killed and now Misty's... alo-"

Suddenly she gasped several times in rapid succession,
"oh god. I can't-"

V struggled for air, sinuses nigh instantly stuffed, her skin and throat burning up,
"-breathe. What is this?"

She uttered through grit teeth once more, vision now teared up entirely, body in tremors. This was the first time she'd said any of that aloud, and it brought it all so much closer. Made the guilt and sense of responsibility V had so much harder to face.

"Your breaking point, V."

"N-no! I don't want it, I don't want this..."

The netrunner tried to push herself away from him, the thought of running out quickly creeping from the back of her mind into her feet, but with both his arms now around her and all her strength drained in this heart-rending pain there was no escape. Naturally he'd allow her plenty of space to expand her chest and breathe properly, but there was no avoiding the remainder of her humanity.

Not this time, not if he could help her,
"Let it happen V, this is all part of it."

Blinking, she felt thin warm streams starting to flow down her cheeks, a headache quickly culminating.

"This is part of crying? Why do people say it relieves?!"

Confused and challenged respiration, panic at these unfamiliarities, loss of physical control. Mental as well, flashes of lost loved ones, seemingly disappointed at her, but only in her mind. Why some people purposely go through this was beyond the poor woman.

"Breathe, V! It's 'cuz you're fighting it! Just stop, for once in your fucking life, give in! Stop fighting your feelings…"

He'd never felt a bigger hypocrite in his life than right now, as he bit back tears of his own. Seeing, hearing, feeling her pain like this, writhing in his arms, it pained him too. No one should be going through this, let alone someone her age, with so many plans and goals.

Vik kissed the top of her head, tousling her hair, pulled her even closer. Besides humming to her, whispering that things would be alright now, there was fuck all else he could do for her much to his own dismay, but he hoped it'd be enough. At least for the moment, it seemed to work pretty well. Warmth flowed from his embrace, calming, saturating her being, whittling down the last of her emotional defenses.

"I'll hold you afloat, you don't gotta tread water anymore."

The second she followed his advice, letting go of the strings that barely held her together, the dam holding back her sorrow cracked, burst, and though she felt like drowning, V could cry assured in Viktor's arms.

The Doctor lifted her from beside him onto his crossed legs, wrapping her freezing toes in the blanket. Hugging her tight. Thankfully her Kiroshis didn't hurt, but everything around them still burned up, swelling and irritated by the salt of her tears. Her wailing never reached the street, but every heart string in the big guy instead.

She came over wanting to curl up and die, but it became a curl up and cry kinda night. First time in 25 years she'd assumed the fetal position in a grown man's lap, let alone weep. Her sinuses were still stuffed, nose drippy with snot, her tears covering her pained face, all accumulating in his shirt. Thanked himself for putting it on for V's first ever true 'ugly crying' session. He couldn't have been any prouder of her, but she wouldn't know just yet.

The rest of their early morning was spent talking about all their loved ones, laughing about great moments that have passed, but will always last. As she fell asleep half on-top of him, dainty hand casually laying on his heart, resting soundly whilst he still pondered, he found to have only one regret so far in their friendship.

It wasn't more than a power nap for him until he realized why he couldn't sleep, Misty had warned him of this, even the cards said so but, the old coot was too stubborn. No matter how much he wanted to stay put, right then and there, he needed to slip away. However briefly, he regretted every second of that.


V was still fast asleep on the brown leather sofa, as her two last best friends had a 5AM chat on the other side of the room divider, adorned by her still drying clothes.

"Did you tell her?"

"How could I, Misty?"

"Of course you didn't..."

"Don't give me that-... She's still mourning Jackie, T-bug, already mourning her own death. Getting tormented by her future killer even."
The man slipped into a fresh shirt,
"She's too vulnerable right now, wouldn't be right. It can wait. It's gotta."

"No it can't, Vik. Knowing her, she'll be dead or gone before she's done and over mourning anyone, so don't wait too long. For your sake too. Go get some more rest."

"I'll try, could you do us a favor in a few hours?"


Vik attempted the reverse of earlier, sneaking back halfway under her sleeping form, hoping not to wake her. Gently lifting V onto her side from her stomach, he slipped himself next to her on the sofa, his arm down alongside her with her head placed back on his right biceps in lieu of a pillow, her hand creepingly returned to his chest by itself, initially.

Except it turned out, sleepy V had a change of plans, moving her head between his arm and chest, onto his pectoralis major. Instead wrapped her arm over, around him, upwards to grab his other shoulder to pull him closer, buried her face into his chest, mumbling sweetnesses like,

'so cold alone', and 'don't leave again'.

Her words, vise-like yet tender grapple, warmth and scent, they hit him like a killer combo from a much higher weight class. Helped him realize that what he feared weakened him, was actually his greatest source of strength. One he didn't dare give up on, and never would.

Looking down at his chest, feeling, seeing her fingers grip his shirt, oh scop. It was that combined with seeing, feeling her now bare leg carefully slither up against his, ever so gently coming to rest on-top of his thighs, that drove the nail into his denial's coffin.

There were things he'd been missing out on in life, things he easily could've had, and apparently did have want for. One of them was to reciprocate her slumbering affection, holding back out of fear of waking her. Eventually settling for pulling the covers over her, tucking it between her cheek and shoulder. So much for dropping all illusions when you reach a certain age.


"Morning, thunderstorm."

Upon hearing his voice, she writhed beneath the covers on the sofa, smile stretching farther than her arms. Thankfully her sinuses had cleared up from last night, instead they filled with an alluring aroma.

"Morning sunshine… What's that lovely smell?"

"I asked Misty to pick us up some breakfast."

It took some pain and effort to open her puffy eyes, but it was damn well worth it. Perfect flapjacks and hot chocolate greeted her, presented by a man with a certain degree of perfection himself, at least according to NCZine's Most Eligible Bachelors of '77 listacle.

V eyed the sight for sore eyes up and down, more than once, quite unsubtly,
"I wasn't talking about the food."

"Funny, good to see your humor is intact. How are you feeling?"

She slowly sat up, making space for him to sit down on top of the covers, her feet underneath. For warmth. Voice still a bit rasp and soft,
"Hungover as fuck, but relieved. Thank you for last night, Vik."

"Of course, what are friends for?"

He handed her a steaming cup of hot chocolate, or at least, the 2077 version of it, and a cardboard box stuffed with little pancakes. Positively oozing with syrup.

V hadn't had her belly filled like this in, well, she couldn't remember. Tequila sure was high in calories per volume, but not minerals or vitamins, or proteins and the likes. V collected all her trash and shoved it back in the paper bag it came in.

"Careful Vik, girl could get used to this." She turned to him, back towards the armrest, arm on top of the backrest. Head resting on her propped up hand.

"You might just have to." He looked straight ahead, focused on keeping this about her health.

"Well that doesn't sound ominous or anything. What do you mean?" The sass was real, curiosity peaked.

He carefully milled his words, not wanting to piss or scare her off,
"Shortly put, as your primary care giver, I don't know if I'm comfortable letting you go home, V."

Her response was somewhat surprising to him, never looking away from Vik either, not that he noticed in the moment. Staring at the drink in his hands.

"Suppose might be hard to trust me after last night, you right."

Impressively enough, she remembered most of it. V was also reminded of the man's stern side,
"You can't be drinking like that anymore, you shouldn't be drinking at all. Lack of rest will also make it worse, you know this."

Watching him try not to crush his paper cup, it had her hate herself, putting this stress on undeserving people. Regret of disappointing him boiled up like bile, burning internally, reflecting in her voice,
"I know… I've tried everything else though. Exercise, meds, goddamn a hundred kinds of teas. Can't you just upload remote monitoring soft to my deck? RC me to bed?"

Though honest her reply was meek. While V was serious about the tea, less so regarding the software, Vik still jumped at the proposition like a hacker sensing a zero day vulnerability. His head practically snapped towards her, his uncovered eyes seeing into her soul,
"Would you let me? It'd be done in a heartbeat."

This flabbergasted the young woman, stammering out her honesty. Unsure where to direct her eyes, they fluttered about above rosy cheeks,
"I-, ah… I was kinda joking. Didn't think you'd want to be in my head all day as well."

"Legit? I'd much rather you keep talking to me, whatever the cost. Last time you went home in such a state, we didn't hear from you in days. Time is crucial V, we can't squander it like that."

"We? Okay then, what'd you propose? I move into the backroom?" She scoffed, disguising the fact she felt more than flattered by his concern.

"You could." He sipped the last of his hot chocolate, tossed the cup in the paper bag, left it at that. Ball in her court.

"Vik? Are you saying-? Mm. No, never mind, don't answer that. What was I thinking…" She palmed her face in embarrassment, wanting to fade out of existence.

"Could move in with you. Your sofa's big enough, plus you have an actual bathroom."

"I couldn't ask that of you! 'Hey Vik, come live on my couch over your own! Meanwhile you can play my hospice nurse!' Sounds insane. Don't want home care, anyway."

"This isn't about what you want anymore, it's about what you need. Because this City ain't ready for you to depart it yet..."

V couldn't have put any less effort into her shrug, besides just not shrugging at all,
"Honestly? I don't care about this city anymore."

"Fair. What about your friends then? Not to sound selfish but… we ain't ready yet either. Tell us what you need, V."

Vik placed a hand on her knee, gave it the lightest squeezes. Her knee warned up rapidly, not so much because of heat transferring from his hand though.

V's voice softened, it was laced with reluctance,
"Can't tell you what I need, or feel. Couldn't take it back should I regret it, it's too embarrassing."

He playfully squinted at the young woman,
"Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure I can top it."

"Wanna bet on that?"

"Stake your wagers."

"If my thing is more embarrassing, you don't get to mock me for it, or hold it over my head. And no getting angry, even fake."

"Alright, suppose I could go for the same. But if I win, you have to submit to care. Ready?"

V nodded, Viktor counted down,
"Say our things in 3, 2, 1-"

"I want you-"

She'd not even finished her sentence or he was on her lips like syrup on a pancake. Sweet, smooth and thick, meant to be. It was only a short and simple open-lips kiss though, as he broke away quickly, not far, to gauge her response. V hadn't even had the time to close her eyes during it as he did so going in. Confused, seemingly still processing the event, she continued,
"-to kiss me."

V instantly leaned back, touching her lips. Looking at him with slight concern in her furrowed brow, doubting her state of consciousness and even cyber-security,
"How did you know?"

He'd mostly remained in the same spot where he ended the kiss, kept his eyes on her as well,
"Can't give away my secrets, you crazy?"

Part of her thought she had indeed gone crazy, seemingly speechless from fear. In an attempt to settle her nerves, he tried honesty, his features apologetic,
"Poor choice of words... You talk in your sleep, V. Couldn't really misconstrue 'Kiss me, Viky, can't live without it'."

His imitation of her voice was funny, but she blushed even harder instead of laughing.

"But I'm awake right now, right?" She straightened herself, meeting him back in the middle of the sofa, not too much space in-between them.

"Don't worry, it's not a dream."

Despite feeling the warmth he emitted, the timbre of his voice rattling her bones, she was unsure,
"That's fucked up 'cuz, it does feel like one."

"What way? A bit floaty?" Viktor smirked like a perv during happy hour in a dollhouse, shrugging it off,
"Couldn't have been that great a kiss."

He'd never seen the former Nomad woman this shy, and he was about to feel a new level of humbleness himself.

"Doing things I've only ever dreamt of so far, and I feel good. Better than good actually. If this is me in a coma, Vik, don't think I'd ever wanna wake up."

The smirk on his face faded, but his heart smiled wider than ever before,
"You flatter me, V. Now about that bet, if you promise to check in with me, or Misty, once a day, I won't force you into my care. But no more drinking, at all. Doctor's orders."

"No 'pretty please'?" She playfully pouted.

Surprising her, Vik suddenly swooped in close enough to brush his lips against hers, retreating before she could initiate a kiss. Bastard left her hanging, jonesin' for another dose of Dr. Feelgood,
"You can get a little more of that every time you drop in, but only then."

She crept a bit closer, shy V seemingly was swiftly zeroed, rebirthing a rather determined V instead,
"What if I want more?"

He scoffed,
"Insatiable, huh? See, that's why this Doc ain't on the market, consumers can't control themselves with the merchandise."

V finally chuckled, not budging though,
"If I get a taste of your lips for dropping by,"

Crawling towards him she slowly climbed on top of the man, giving him ample time to opt out. A bit taken aback by getting his lap straddled, Vik didn't think it'd have such an effect on her despite her earlier confessions. Brows raised at her sincerity, feeling somewhat vulnerable still without his sunglasses, V caught him by surprise.

"Do I get to taste the rest of you if I stay for longer?"

He wasn't too sure of that himself, but having seen the hungry look in her eyes, the man was no less eager to know for sure,
"Only one way to find out."

Delicately reaching for his chin, she followed, traced his jawline to his neck ever so gently, her touch raising the hairs on his bare skin,
"Dropping by would be like, what? 10, maybe 20 minutes? I've been here for about 6 hours now… assuming invoices for services provided may be calculated retroactively. Could extrapolate rewards based on precedence."

The words as well as the warmth of her breath dancing on his lips overwhelmed him,
"Woah, slow down… Since when did you learn Corpo speak?"

Her thumb brushed his five 'o clock shade,"You wanna run this town, swim in Eddies, gotta diversify your portfolio. So, how's about I help diversify yours?"

Clenching her bare thighs against, around his, barely covered, toned yet thicc. His fingers couldn't help but grip her thighs, filling his palms, he softly sighed. Quietly V reveled at his body's reaction, voluntary or otherwise.

Viktor reluctantly let go of one hand to pull at the collar of his tee, wafting in cool air,
"Not gonna lie, this is one hell of a sitch to wake with. Not actually sure I'm awake though."

V leaned into him, ready to steal a taste, one pair of lips first, then the other. The way his lips seemed to follow, reach for hers in their kiss, so did other parts of his body. Pulling away from her new favorite flavor, her words infected his mouth with a grin, his heart with a flutter,
"Well, now that the Doctor is finally 'up', guess I best go meet him…"