Always Happy To Help! ^-^❤️

Always happy to help! ^-^❤️

Both the title card and the fic are beautifully made 🥺 the connections back to Åse’s grandpa has my heart🥹🥹🥹

Finally a fic that includes a cannon character. In this case Viktor, its an exploration of what Viktor thinks of Ace and is written from his perspective. It also discusses his reaction to Ace's gender identity which he has a somewhat reductive view of. I wrote what i think would be the most likely reaction from him considering his age and the environment he grew up in. The story takes place after Ace started working for Atlas but before Atlas died. Ace presented exclusively masculine at this point.

Also thanks so much to @ahhhh-118 for beta reading for me and helping me come up with some ideas for the title card!

Content Warning: mentions of gun violence, serious injury, blood and drugs (medical painkillers)

What the hell was he thinking! Just running in like that, stupid kid. Viktor spared quick glances over to Ace in the passenger seat. He’d slumped to the side and was leaning on the car door window now. Don’t worry just drive. Why was he worried in the first place. He was just some idiot kid he’d been saddled with for the night. It was initially just supposed to be him and Mordecai, but the tuxedo cat had gotten caught up in some other business he had to finish. So the kid had been sent with him as a replacement. He just needed some extra muscle anyway so this would be easy, but apparently not. They'd been ambushed on the side of the road. He’d just let the him out of his sight for a second but suddenly he was right in the middle of all the gunfire. The kid was lucky one bullet was the worst he got. He even tried to wave it off like it wasn't a big deal

‘’Jus’ drop me off at the cafe, I’ll be fine’’ Is what he said.

It was almost tempting. This isn't how Viktor wanted to spend the rest of his afternoon. But if he couldn't trust the kid not to run into open gunfire he knew he probably wouldn't be able to get medical help on his own. Viktor pulled up to what he thought was Ace’s apartment building.

‘’Which is- ‘’

Viktor said as he looked over just to see Ace fiddling with the door handle. He managed to grab the back of his shirt before he could face plant out the door. Once the Slovak managed to get the boy safely back in his seat, he grabbed a coat from the back and got out muttering a foreign curse ot two while quickly making his way to the other side of the car.

‘’Apartment number’’ he said sporting one of his infamous glares.

‘’…407‘’ Ace coughed out.

Viktor offered him a shoulder to lean on but he refused. Why was he so stubborn about this. Ace was usually overly familiar him. He sighed and handed Ace the coat. The kid wrapped it around himself, making sure to cover any signs of his injury. It was almost comical how big it looked on him. Hopefully his neighbors would just think he was drunk, the way he stumbled up to the elevator. With the push of some buttons and a metallic whine they were on their way up. By now Viktor could see the kid was struggling to stand up. As the doors opened he hooked his arm under the smaller cats shoulder.

‘’I said I can-‘’

‘’Now is not time for whining.‘’

The kid grumbled but relented. They made it into the apartment without much trouble. Viktor let Ace down the nearest chair.

‘’Keep pressure on it. I will go call doktor.’’

Ace only nodded. Viktor supposed he was to tired to refuse the help at this point.

A quick call and half an hour later Ace was being seen to by one of Atlas’ on-call medics. They tended to work odd hours usually having to be available to tend to his personnel at any time. Viktor stayed in the kitchen as the older woman worked. It were three rooms in total a bedroom a bathroom and the main entrance room that was also a kitchen. The apartment was competently furnished albeit almost everything was miss-matched. Just the plates sitting in the sink were different colors and materials. The only unusual piece of furniture in the apartment was a almost pristine sewing machine and table. A few shelves hung on the wall in front of it with a robust selection of threads, ribbons and other textile accessories Viktor couldn't name. And a bigger box of fabrics sat underneath the table next to a small stool, that was presumably pulled out when the machine was in use.

Viktors ears twitch as he heard the doctors footsteps exit the bedroom ‘’I removed the bullet, dressed up the wound and gave her some pain killers. I’m about 83% sure the bullet didn't hit anything vital but if she starts spitting blood call me back up.’’ She said with a huff wiping the sweat from her brow with her sleeve.

‘’She?’’

‘’Yeah you know, in there‘’ gesturing to the room behind them with her thumb.

Viktor blinked a few times brown furrowing in confusion, he opened his mouth about to counter her but the doctor interrupted him seeming to be in a hurry.

‘’She’s stable for now but you should still monitor her. I have a few more stops to make tonight but if she gets worse ill probably be able to make time to come back… probably’’ And with that she was out the door

Viktor stood in the kitchen for a moment contemplating the medic's words. He peaked into the bedroom and he saw Ace lying on the bed near the window wearing a pair of pajamas while his old bloody clothes slung over a the back of a chair, along with what looked some old bandages. It was much clearer to see now that the medic had not been lying.

He retreated back to the kitchen slumping down on by the table as he furrowed his brows. He had always thought there was something off about the kid. He looked remarkably young for a man of 20 and his voice was light and raspy. He could have just been lying about his age. Viktor had raised the the thought to Atlas once but was assured he didn't need to worry about it. He tried not to think about it, he wouldn't be the only teenager in this line of work thats for sure and besides he or she? Had always done their job well for the most part. And it wasn't really any of his business. He had enough to worry about. But he couldn't stop wondering why. why was she here, doing this job. why was she pretending to be a man. Didn't she have a family or something.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a loud thump. Like someone had dropped a sack of potatoes on the ground. Peeking back into the bed room there he was sprawled out on the floor the tip of his tail swishing quickly back and forth in frustration. H-she was trying to push herself up from the ground but couldn't quite manage before it became to painful. Lying on her side holding her ribs, her eyes looked bleary as she noticed Vikor reaching down for her. Viktor gently lifted her up and placed her on her bed. He was about to stand up and leave when a weak hand gripped his forearm.

‘’Jeg vil ikke være alene… jeg er redd’’

He gently tried to shake her off but she was persistent

‘’Nei … morfar…’’

She was completely out of it. Slurring her words and sniffling? He’d never seen her cry. He’d never really seen her show any other strong emotion than erratic glee.

‘’Kan du lukke vinduet?’’

She limply gestured towards the open window to the left. He looked back at her and she seemed almost scared of it. He slowly made his way over and closed it, it seemed to make her more at ease. Victor slowly made his way to the door but was interrupted again

‘’Ikke dra fra meg!’’

She was openly crying now and reaching for him. He sighed and pulled up a chair and sat beside her. She relaxed back into bed.

‘’Kan du synge noe?’’

He thinks she was asking a question by the tone.

‘’Sleep naov, ask later.’’

She looked at him for moment but eventually responded

‘’Det går fint. Så lenge du ikke drar.’’

She closed her eyes and rested her hands between the pillow and her head. She almost looked like a child. Sighing as he looked out the window he though he’d keep an eye on her for a few hours before leaving, and maybe he could confront her about I tomorrow. Then again he didn't wasn't to deal with whatever drama that might cause. He should probably just act like it didn't happen. Maybe he could push her to quit, she had to just have run away from home right. He’d just have to get her to run back. But what if hse didnt have anywhere to run back to, he tried not to dwell on it. This wasn't a place fro her. Åse grunted as she shifted on the bed, her wound clearly bothering her. She looked pitiful.

‘’No place…’’ he muttered softly

A translation of Ace's dialoug at the end:

‘’Jeg vil ikke være alene… jeg er redd’’ - ''I don't want to be alone… I'm scared.''

‘’Nei … morfar…’’ - ''No… Grandpa…''

‘’Kan du lukke vinduet?’’ - ''Can you close the window?''

‘’Ikke dra fra meg!’’ - ''Don't leave me!''

‘’Kan du synge noe?’’ - ''Can you sing something?''

‘’Det går fint. Så lenge du ikke drar.’’ - ''It's fine. As long as you don't leave.''

Authors note: Ive mentioned before that Viktor reminds Ace of his grandpa. They have the have the same body type and bright red fur. And while being very sweet to his family, Ace's grandpa could be similarly grumpy and quiet to other people. In Ace's pain killer addled mind he probably remembered some time in his childhood when his grandpa took care of him when he was sick and confused Viktor for him. Aces grandpa was also liked to sing, which is why Ace makes that request.

I imagine Aces grandpa sounding like Alf Prøysen who is a Norwegian musician among other things. He is probably best remeberd today for the children's music and books he wrote. There are some reference's to his songs and stories in the title card.

I hope i managed to catch all the spelling mistakes and fix up any weird wording lol.