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The night before had been more taxing than usual. The monsters were somehow more malicious, even though the two scientists didn’t think it possible. They’d barely escaped injuries by a miracle, but they’d left all shook up to the core.
No words were exchanged as they parted ways to their own rooms. Ygor had seen how much Victoria was shaken up by the attacks and somehow escaping, her eyes wide as saucers in fear and mental anguish. He wanted to comfort her, soothe her, but she had already turned sharply up the stairs to her own room before he could get her attention. And so, he’d sighed and slowly trudged back to his own room, curling up in his cot and wondering how he could help ease Victoria’s mind.
And then, an idea. A simple one, but he hoped it would work.
Ygor sighed and snuggled deeper under his blanket, closing his eyes and hoping that he would be the first one to wake up the next morning.
~~~~~~~~~~
He does awaken, and quite early. The Doctor could be up, but he’s not sure. He acts fast anyhow.
He quickly skitters to the kitchen like a quiet little rat, nabbing various ingredients and cooking tools to get to work.
He’s going to get his dearest Doctor calmed down and back on track.
~~~~~~~~~~
Victoria awakens to a gentle knock at her door.
Her eyes flutter open and she inhales sharply, alert. With a quick assessment, she finds that she’s safe and sound in her bed, no scratches from any monsters on her. She sighs in relief.
“Come in, Ygor,” She calls. He creaks open her door, and Victoria is bombarded with the most delicious sight and smells.
Ygor holds a tray of various breakfasts; scrambled eggs, apple slices, banana slices, two pancakes (topped with too much syrup), some bacon, and a couple sausage patties. Of course, a fork and knife are placed alongside it all.
Along with all of that is a smiling, proud Ygor, although he’s unable to hide the blush creeping onto his cheeks.
“Hehe… Ygor made you breakfast in bed, Doctor!” He proclaims as he shuffles over to her with the various dishes. “Last night was rough, so… Ygor wanted to make sure you were okay, yes?”
Victoria blinks, her brain unable to react.
In the years that Ygor has worked for her, not once had he done this for her. She would almost always be awake before him, before the sun too, only downing a quick coffee before checking on the holding cells down below.
The rare occurrence of them eating breakfast together would be usually rushed. Ygor would always cook it as Victoria would study her notes, taking little time to eat before rushing back to work. It would hurt Ygor to see Victoria not able to appreciate his cooking, but science was more important, so he’d sigh and shrug it off before following after to complete his duties.
This time, though, there’s no rush. Just a heap of scrumptious food and a blushing Ygor.
Soft rays of sunlight peek through the curtains as Victoria takes the tray from Ygor, almost as in disbelief.
“Ygor did his best,” The lab assistant rubs his arms, hugging himself. “Ygor isn’t sure of everything you like, so I made a bunch of different things just to be sure.”
Victoria pulls her eyes away from the food and back up to him and his bright, sweet eyes. He’s grinning and blushing, his body language all shy.
It’s very adorable, and it makes Victoria’s heart stutter then glow.
“Ygor, I-”
“Oops! Forgot one thing!” Ygor sprints back out the door with a call of “enjoy your breakfast!” back to her.
Victoria chuckles at her little dork, hearing his boots scamper off back toward the kitchen.
She looks down at his handiwork; it seems that he did very good. Nothing looks burnt or underdone, nothing too sloppy or out of place.
She cuts into a pancake, taking a bite. Nice and fluffy and warm, with the right amount of non-exaggerated sweetness. She sighs as she chews, letting her eyes fall closed. She can relax. She is relaxing.
The sound of Ygor’s boots pounding their way back to Victoria’s room have her opening her eyes back up.
The lab assistant himself is back, bent over in her doorway and breathing heavily but with a fresh mug of coffee.
“Here you go, Doctor! Two creams and one sugar, three quarters caffeine and one quarter decaf, just as you like it!”
He hands it to her, and Victoria is shocked at him remembering exactly how she likes her coffee. She tests it with a sip and-
It’s perfect.
She looks back up at him, and he’s swaying back and forth at her bedside eagerly on his feet with his crooked grin, awaiting and hoping for approval.
“Ygor, are you sure you remember how I like my coffee?”
Ygor’s smile falters briefly, the swaying stopped.
“Well, I-I thought I did, Ygor’s sorry if he made a mistake, please forgi-”
His sentence is cut off by a yank of his tie by Victoria as he’s wrapped into a tight, one armed hug around his neck.
“You made it perfectly,” She praises, voice as warm as the coffee itself. “Thank you, Ygor.”
She sets the coffee down to freely hold him close with both arms, and he twitches there, brain short circuiting for a few seconds.
Finally, his own arms wrap around her in return, cautiously but happily nonetheless.
“You’re welcome, Doctor,” Ygor’s blushing again, and he has to hold himself back from mushing his face into her neck from the embarrassment. “Ygor always wants to look out for you, boss. Whatever you need.”
He pulls back, once again shifting back and forth on his feet. “Like I said, I made a bunch of stuff in case you didn’t like anything.”
“The pancakes are delicious,” Victoria nods. “But I will be honest, I don’t really like eggs all that much. They’re okay once in a while, but I don’t know if I can eat them today. Their texture doesn’t always sit right with me.”
“Well, Ygor can help clear your eggs!” Ygor joyfully suggests, and with a chuckle she nods, allowing him to sit on her bedside and help hork down her eggs.
They eat in companionable and comfortable silence with next to no awkwardness. It’s nice to relax with someone without the impending doom of a monster going after you.
At one point there’s one last slice of banana. They both reach for it but then pull back.
“Here, it’s yours,” Ygor offers.
“No, I had more breakfast than you. You can take it.”
“But I made this for you, Ygor wants you to enjoy it. It’s okay, Ygor can find some leeches and cockroaches to snack on later.”
Victoria cringes and rolls her eyes at the comment, but a smirk appears on her face anyway.
“You’re so gross,” She remarks, but it’s laced heavily with affection alongside the ick factor.
“Don’t worry, Ygor’s hands were clean making this. I made sure to wash my hands four- no, five times!” He holds up and wiggles a whole five fingers.
Another chuckle from Victoria, and their eyes settle onto each other. They gaze at one another, a low and steady tension brewing. Not uncomfortable, but just… there. A whisper.
Their respective minds think of how much they admire the other, with Ygor admiring Victoria’s bravery and intelligence and her reflecting on his loyalty and silliness.
Their hearts unknowingly beat in sync, wanting to connect to each other through their own spark of lightning.
“Um…” Ygor wants to take a bold, risky move, but doesn’t know how to start. “If you’d like… Ygor can give you the last slice of banana… if you want…”
He holds it out to her, looking away in a furious blush.
But then a gentle hand caresses his cheek and guides him back to look at her.
Victoria’s shining brown eyes gaze into his and she gently takes the banana slice and hovers it in front of his lips. He gulps, slowly opening his mouth to take a bite, literally eating from her hand.
Before he can take the full banana slice in his mouth Victoria has the other half in her mouth, their lips barely brushing as she gently splits it in two for them both. Ygor whimpers in shock at the brief scrape of their lips together.
“There,” She says after chewing and swallowing, satisfied, voice low with a small smirk. “Now we both had the last slice.”
”Ehehehe…” Ygor giggles around his half of the banana slice, blush in full swing.
Victoria coaxes him into her bed fully, wrapping him up in her arms. He cuddles her back, still giddy at the almost kiss, heart light and quick like happy little rat feet.
They stay and rest in bed together, letting themselves explore and fall in love with each other as the sun once again rises over Darkmoor.