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[crowleesi]

Just Friends

V insists that she and Viktor are just friends, despite the overwhelming evidence that suggests otherwise.

Inspired by this beautiful artwork by @tekstelart.

I haven’t written anything in YEARS and I am super nervous to post this but my fellow Viktor simps have inspired me <3

Read it on ao3 here!

***

“Bein’ careful is a concept that is entirely lost on you, isn’t it?” Vik grumbles, wiping the last of the blood away from the already healing wound on V’s forearm, thanks to the nanites the ripperdoc had injected into her just a few minutes before. It wasn’t a concept that was lost on her, not completely - she’d made it this far without getting herself killed, so she figured she was doing something right. The gig hadn’t really been all that different from many others; she and Jackie were outnumbered 4:1 by gangers that were sloppy fighters and lousy shots, and V had been taking on a guy twice her size when he’d pulled a machete and sliced her arm open.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” She flashes him a grin, and the corner of his lips turn up as he shakes his head and throws the rag down beside them.

“Lemme get’cha a Maxdoc, hold on.” He rounded the surgical chair and disappeared around back - V watched him walk away, letting her eyes trail over the curve of his large, muscular back, before turning her attention back to Jackie who, incidentally, was smirking at her.

“What?” She said, and he immediately started fluttering his eyelashes, clutching his hands together under his chin.

“Oh, I don’t know what you’re talking about, doctor,” He mocked in an unnecessarily high pitched voice, before laughing. “You got it so bad.”

V rolled her eyes and tossed the bloody rag at him. “Fuck off, we’re just friends.”

“Whatever you say, chica,” Jackie chuckles, and Vik returns to V’s side.

“I trust you know what to do with this?” He asks, leaning his hip on the chair beside V, holding out the inhaler. V took it from him, took two puffs of the medication and thanked him. Vik patted her thigh, a signal to get off the chair, and she hopped down, trying not to focus on the warmth of his large hand. She quickly headed over to his desk where she'd left her jacket, hoping Vik hadn't noticed the blush creeping across her cheeks.

“Vik, you comin’ to Misty’s tonight?” Jackie asked the ripperdoc as he cleared down his station. V pretended not to really pay attention as she pulled on her jacket, though she held her breath waiting for his answer.

“Nah, you kids go on without me,” he said, and V’s heart sank. “I got another client, anyhow.”

“Yeah, so,” Jackie said. “Come after!”

V looked over to Vik, and he looked up at her.

"C'mon, doc," she pleaded. "It'll be fun." He hummed, kicking his stool over to his desk. "Even if you have one drink, just swing by." Vik settled down on his stool, looking up at V. She flashed him her winning smile, and he looked down, shaking his head with a chuckle.

"Fine."

"Fuckin' A!" Jackie hollered. "Catch ya later, hermano. Let's hit it, V." Vik waved a hand as Jackie headed out, and V followed, turning to glance over her shoulder. Vik sent her a wink, and she bit her lip in an effort to contain her smile. She followed Jackie out of the clinic and he turned to smirk at her.

"Not a word." She warned, and he laughed, shoving her shoulder.

***

Vik would be lying through his fucking teeth if he said he wasn't having a good time. A few hours earlier, he'd made his way up to the roof above Misty’s Esoterica. He could hear the music from outside his clinic, and felt it vibrate in his chest as the elevator got closer to the top. He'd headed up the last set of stairs two at a time, and stepped out onto the roof to find a large group of people yelling over music, dancing, drinking. He'd scanned the crowd until he'd spotted Jackie and Misty, but V was nowhere in sight. As he'd made his way through the crowd of strangers, he was greeted by a few familiar faces, and high fived by a guy he’d never seen before.

He'd immediately had a beer thrust in his hand as Jackie greeted him as though he hadn't seen him in months.

"Viktor fuckin' Vektor!" He had yelled over the music, clapping him on the back and pointing over to the other side of the roof, telling him that it was about time he showed, cause V was waiting for him.

Donning a long line black bralette and tight, black jeans, she was a fucking vision; her lustrous, black hair cascaded down her back in waves, and she'd looked over at Vik with eyes of purest amber. She'd jumped up from her seat when she'd spotted him across the crowd, and had forced her way through the makeshift dance floor to greet him.

They'd spent the entire night together; drinking, laughing, and even dancing. Vik had insisted that he did not dance, but V wasn't having it. She'd grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the dance floor, and they got lost in a sea of people as she threw her arms around his neck and swayed her hips, keeping him close. He didn't dance so much as shuffle, hold her hips tentatively, and focus on anything other than getting hard.

It was an impossible task. V had thrown her head back with a laugh, running her hands down his chest and turning around, leaning back into his chest and holding his hands on her hips, moving in sync with the music. Vik had tried to think of anything other than the small beads of sweat trickling down her chest, her stomach… fuck, she was killing him.

It was utter torture but eventually his salvation lay in V deciding she needed another drink, and had dragged Vik over to a couch.

Hours later, as the party was winding down, the music was quieter and the two of them hadn't moved from their seat at the far corner of the roof. They had been exchanging stories - Vik of his boxing days, reminiscing tales that V had heard many times before but never got bored of hearing, and V of her days as a Nomad, what her childhood was like and how she ended up in Night City.

Vik had also heard these stories before but never said a word. He was lost in the way her eyes shone with excitement, and the perfect shape of her lips that he just knew were as soft as they looked.

V trailed off when her eyes met Vik's and she took a moment to just look at him. It was the early hours of the morning, with only the glow of the surrounding blue and pink neon lights outlining his features amongst the pitch black of night. She had memorised every single detail of his face back when they first met; the freckles that dotted his nose, the scar on his chin and the brilliant blue of his eyes.

God, she thought. He's fucking beautiful.

"V?" His voice was liquid velvet, and she sighed. "You all right?"

"Yeah, just… tired, I guess." She said, stretching and shifting to lay on her back, resting her legs over Vik's lap. He smiled down at her, leaning over to set his beer down on the table in front of them. He sat back, one arm resting over the back of the couch and the other stroking her leg.

She reached out a hand, and Vik raised an eyebrow.

"C'mere," her voice was husky now from all the yelling and alcohol she'd consumed, and Vik swallowed thickly. Her smile fucking melted him.

"All right," he said. "Scoot." V grinned and shuffled over as Vik got settled between the back of the couch and V's side. She lifted her arm, and he snuggled into her side, resting his chin on her chest. Wrapping her arm around his neck, she stroked his collarbone delicately and he hummed, breathing in the sweetness of her perfume. V was sure she'd never heard a more gorgeous sound in her fucking life.

"Thank you, by the way." She says suddenly. "For patching me up. Again." Vik chuckled, and she felt it reverberate through his chest and into her side. His arm hung lazily over her hips, and he sighed against her skin, tucking his leg between hers.

"Always."

***

When V wakes up a few hours later, there is nothing but the distant sound of traffic and the warm glow of the sunrise to greet her. She rolls onto her back, opening her eyes when she meets the back of the couch instead of a large, muscular chest. She sits up, pressing a hand to her head, cursing at the dull ache.

Over by the edge of the roof, Jackie and Misty were sleeping soundly, with Misty tucked into his side. V smiles, stifling a yawn when a gravelly voice says her name. She looks up to find Vik approaching her, four coffee cups in hand. Whether it was the soft glow of neon in the dark of night or the light of a sunrise that illuminated Viktor Vektor, he left her fucking breathless.

He set down two coffees in front of Jackie and Misty, and kisses the top of V's head before he takes a seat beside her, handing her a cup.

"G'morning," he said, and she took a sip of coffee, sighing as the hot liquid pooled in her stomach.

"Morning."

He sat close by her side, taking the top off of his coffee cup and taking a large mouthful. V watched as his throat bobbed when he swallowed, and the way he licked his lips and let out a content sigh. When their arms brush against each other, Vik looks down at her with a smile, leaning his knee against hers. She can't fight the lopsided grin that spreads across her lips, and tries to hide it behind her coffee cup. Vik leans forward to rest his forearms on his knees, looking over to Jackie and Misty.

"I had a good time last night." He said, turning his chin into his shoulder to look at V. She made a mental note to thank late nights and alcohol for what it did to his voice.

"Me too." She said. "I'm glad you came." His lips turned up and he held out his coffee cup.

"So am I." She giggled and tapped her cup against his own, revelling in his smile lines and the way his skin appeared golden in the early morning light. Her eyes travelled down to his lips, and her heart fluttered in her chest. Fuck, she wanted to close the gap between them. She'd fantasised over how his lips would feel against her own since the day they first met, sure that they would be soft, that he'd kiss her so tenderly that she'd forget to breathe.

And she almost does when Vik's smile falters a little and he slowly leans closer to her. His eyes fall to her lips and fuck, is this really happening? Her breathing becomes shallow, her heart starts to race as she finds herself leaning into the ripperdoc. It felt like the air around them suddenly became electrically charged. The space between them was fucking magnetic.

A loud groan brings V back to reality, pulling back from Vik as she looks over to where Jackie was now stretching and cursing in Spanish. Vik let out a defeated sigh as he sat back, bringing his coffee cup to his lips.

"Mi maldita cabeza," he grumbled, as Misty sat up groggily, yawning as she looked over to the couch where V and Vik were perched.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Too fuckin' early." Jackie said, spotting the coffee cups in front of them. "Oh, fuck yeah."

"Good morning, sunshine." V cooed, and Jackie flipped her off as he took a large, audible sip of coffee.

"That's the shit, right there." He hands Misty her cup, which she cradles close to her chest. V was all too aware of the rigid presence beside her, and looked over to Vik as he ran a hand through his hair.

"We should get goin'." He says, getting to his feet. Jackie protests but Misty jumps up, pulling him up with her.

"Come on, lazy," she says affectionately, and Jackie grumbles before kissing her forehead. V's heart tugs a little with jealousy, and glances at Vik.

"C'mon, lovebirds." He says with a cool smile, and heads over to the stairwell. They head down the stairs to the elevator, and V pulls out her phone as Vik pulls open the gate, stepping in and waiting for the others to join. She has a few messages, one of which is from Jackie from a few hours earlier. Curious, she opens it, and blushes furiously when she is met with a picture of herself and Vik, sleeping soundly on the couch, wrapped up in each other, and a message below that read:

"Just friends" my ass.

She suddenly became aware she'd stopped in her tracks, staring down at her phone, when Jackie asked if she was coming. She looked up at him, eyes wide, and Jackie looked down at the phone in her hands, back up to her eyes and a moment later a shit eating grin spread across his face.

"C'mon, chica," he said devilishly, and V entered the elevator, holding her phone tightly in her hand. She stood next to Vik, looking straight ahead, and saw in the corner of her eye that Jackie was leaning into Misty, whispering in her ear. Misty started giggling, to which Vik raised an eyebrow as he took another sip of his coffee.

It felt like an eternity before the elevator finally reached the ground, and V quickly exited, heading out into the alley behind Misty's store.

"V," came Vik's voice from behind her. "You gonna come grab your gear?” She nods, having forgotten about her weapons she’d stashed in his clinic the night before. After Misty wished everyone a good day, she headed into her store and Jackie crouched down to stroke the cat that frequented the alleyway, telling V he’d wait there for her. V followed Vik down the steps to his clinic, distracted by the fact she could see his back muscles even through his shirt. Once inside, Vik unlocked the gate and pushed it open, flicking the switch to turn on the lights and the AC. The familiar smell of sterilised equipment and Vik’s aftershave greeted V, wrapping her up as she headed for his desk, where her gun was waiting for her.

"So," he said, leaning back against the surgical chair. "What was all that about, back in the elevator?" V froze for a moment, her grip tightening on her gun, before holstering it and turning to Vik.

"Jackie," she said. "He, uh…" Vik raised an eyebrow and V blushed, pulling her phone out of her pocket. She held it out to him, and he walked over to her, looking down at the picture. A smile slowly spread across his lips before he turned back to the surgical chair.

"Send me a copy of that, will ya?" He says, and V's heart positively leaps out of her chest. She stares at his back, wondering if she heard him right. She hoped to fucking god she did.

"I-" She stops herself. "Okay." She taps away on her phone, and forwards the picture to Vik. His phone beeps, and he pulls it out of his pocket. It's then that she realises she'd been holding her breath, and her heart was thundering in her chest.

He looks over his shoulder, smiles again and walks over to her. Placing a hand on her cheek, he leans down and brushes his nose against hers.

"Just friends, huh?" He says lowly, and her knees almost buckle beneath her. She sighs against his lips, running a hand up his chest as he at last presses his lips to hers in an electrifying kiss. Her entire body practically fucking melts into his touch, and she parts her lips to deepen the kiss, bringing her hand up to hold his cheek. He shuffles closer, pressing his body against hers, his hands cupping her jaw, fingers gently threading through the hair above her neck.

The kiss is utterly dizzying and it takes everything she has to hold herself together. She clings to him desperately, and a quiet moan escapes her lips between kisses as the heat began to rise between them.

"Yo, V!"

They pull apart suddenly when Jackie calls down to her, and she stares at him, their noses brushing, neither daring to move. They breathe heavily against each other's lips, and Vik chuckles.

"Better get goin'." She nods, but doesn't move. He pulls his fingers along her jaw and tucks her hair behind her ears. She nudges his nose with hers, and he connects their lips again.

"What's takin' so lo- oh,'' Jackie stopped at the gate to the clinic. V and Vik break apart, turning to find him leaning against the doorway, arms folded across his chest, grinning like the cheshire fucking cat.

"Fucking finally."