thedummysdummy:

In Which Victor gets INCREDIBLY Drunk, Part 2

As promised, this is the continuation of the piece found here: https://thedummysdummy.tumblr.com/post/666894328916049920/the-worst-business-trip-part-1

The girl hung up the phone and stared off into the distance, her lips curved downward and sadness in her eyes. “If Victor was willing to tell me about those couple of things that went wrong…what bigger things are just being bottled up inside of him?” With that thought rattling around inside her brain, she turned back to the computer and continued reviewing the final cut for the upcoming pilot release. Her fingers tapped mindlessly on the desk while her eyes flickered back and forth across the screen.

A tap from the door frame jolted her to attention. She swiveled to face the doorway and found Willow leaning in the frame, head tilted quizzically. “What’s wrong, boss? Trouble with the fiance?”

A look of surprise crossed the girl’s face and her thumb went subconsciously to the ring on her finger. “That obvious?” Willow nodded and she sighed. “I mean, everything is fine between us. But he’s on the business trip, you know, and it isn’t going well. And I don’t think he’s been sleeping because he fell asleep on the phone just now…”

“Aww, adorable,” Willow teased, slipping inside the office and planting herself in the spare chair. “You know, once that pilot is greenlit the only projects you have are those reports. You could totally surprise him by showing up in New York, and just do the reports on the plane.” She leaned back in the chair and looked her boss in the eyes, a cheeky smile on her face. 

“I couldn’t just leave you all here with so many  upcoming projects!” the girl argued, shaking her head and pointing to the computer screen. “That just wouldn’t be fair to all of you.” 

Willow laughed and waved her hand. “We could hold down the fort for a few days. You’ve been working so hard lately that you could definitely use a break anyway. The last thing we need is for our fearless leader to burn out.” She patted the top of her boss’s head and stood. “At least think about it. We all have noticed your long face ever since he left.” 

“You guys are so creepy,” the girl giggled, the frown fading to a smile. “But I’ll give it some thought, okay? Now get back to work before I have to reprimand all of you for sitting around and gossiping!” 

The pair of them burst into laughter and Willow went back to her own desk. The girl watched Willow lean over and begin whispering to Kiki as a warmth filled her chest. She really had the best employees…and the best friends. 

The next two days went by in a blur. Their pilot episode aired to great acclaim, skyrocketing their studio back to number one in trending. Willow, Kiki, Minor, and all the others worked extra hard to finish their projects by close on Friday so the weekend would be open for celebration. “You have all done a marvelous job,” the girl exclaimed at three in the afternoon. “We are all caught up, so I don’t want to see any of you in the office until Monday morning. Go out and enjoy yourselves, and that’s an order!” 

The office exploded into cheers of jubilation, and the girl stood at their head with a smile on her face. As they all filed out of the room, Willow made her way over to the boss and winked. “Remember what I said,” she said, giving her a wink and leaving without another word. 

Truth be told, the girl hadn’t been able to get Willow’s words out of her mind. During the early morning calls from Victor, while riding the bus to work, while trying to concentrate on her reports…the only thing she could think of was Willow’s suggestion. Should she go? It wouldn’t be the first time she had hopped on a plane to surprise him, after all. But New York was so very far away…

No sooner had the door snapped closed behind the last employee than her phone rang. The girl pulled it from her pocket expecting to see Kiki or Minor calling to say they forgot their keys or something…only to see Victor’s face pop up on the screen. She hurriedly fumbled for the answer button and held the phone tightly to her ear. “Victor? Are you alright? Why are you awake and calling me at three thirty in the morning?!”

There was a moment of silence on the phone, Victor seemingly surprised by her intensity. When he did speak, his voice was soft and slightly slurred. “I just needed to hear your voice, that’s all.” 

A cold chill went down her spine. Something was not right…It was that moment that her mind was made up. “I’m right here, Victor. Everything will be alright, okay? I want you to get some sleep for me.” 

Victor sighed, rolling over in the bed and setting the phone on the pillow close to his ear. He did not speak, but she continued talking as she locked the office door and made her way to the street to hail a cab. “Everything is going well here at home. Our pilot episode was very well received and everyone got to go home early today. You’ll be so pleased with the next report that you’ll reward me with five puddings, I know it!”

She prattled on until the rhythmic, soft snores filled her ears. A soft smile crossed her face and she climbed into the cab, hanging up with an “I’ll see you soon.” The cab driver looked at her expectantly. “LFG, please.”

“Goldman. I need to know which hotel Victor is staying in.” The girl had burst through the door so unexpectedly that Goldman stood flapping his mouth noiselessly for a few moments while his brain caught up. He looked so much like a fish that she couldn’t help but laugh, the concerned expression in her eyes fading for a few moments. 

When he had gathered himself, Goldman looked at her quizzically. “Why?” 

“I’m worried about Victor. He hasn’t been acting like himself all week.” 

“So…wait. You aren’t planning to run to New York are you?” Goldman’s eyes widened and he began to laugh. “You are, aren’t you? You two are the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”

The girl scowled and cuffed Goldman gently on the shoulder. “Oh shut up, you! Just give me the information! Remember how many times I’ve helped you with your work? Bought that new tie after you spilled coffee on Victor’s? You owe me!”

Goldman shrunk back a little and waved his hands. “Okay, okay! Let me grab the itinerary!” He turned to the filing cabinet next to his desk and rifled through the papers, coming up with an “aha!” of victory. “Here you go. I’ll just make a photocopy of it for you.” 

While he did so, the girl pulled up airline tickets on her phone. By the time Goldman had printed the copy of Victor’s itinerary, she had booked a flight for 7pm straight through to New York City. “You’re the best, Goldman!” she shouted, snatching the paper from his hand and racing out of the office. He watched her go with a bemused look on his face and a chuckle on his lips. 

“He really picked the best. But is anyone surprised by that?”

Packing, customs, and boarding were all over before the girl could even catch up on her own whirlwind of thoughts. It wasn’t until the plane was at cruising speed and she had nothing to do but sit that it caught up to her the spur of the moment decision she had made. She pulled the itinerary out of her pocket and read it again, ensuring for the fifth time that she had booked a room at the correct hotel. “What in the world am I doing?” she asked under her breath, though her still-racing heart told her the answer. 

Victor needed her, and she was going to answer the call. 

She hurried out of the plane and into the terminal, feeling more than a little lost at the sheer size of the JFK airport. Through the help of her fellow passengers she eventually found her luggage and made it out onto the street. The amount of noise, people, and lights on the street were staggering, but she did manage to flag down a cab and was soon headed for the hotel. 

The long flight had given her more than ample sleep and the jetlag had not set in. So even though it was nearly ten thirty at night, the girl found herself wide awake and bouncing inwardly with excitement. Her phone buzzed and she flicked the screen on to see it was a text from Victor. Perfect!

“Just got done with the meetings for today. Thankfully the last one was via video conference. How was work?”

She smiled and hugged her phone to her chest before replying. “There wasn’t any work today aside from working on the report. But it is finished now, and the proposal should be finished by this afternoon. Are you back at the hotel?” Not a full truth, but what harm would it do?

“I was, but I stepped out to get something to eat before attempting to sleep. Remember that my flight home is in twelve hours, so I will be returning soon. Be sure you get that proposal finished.” 

Even more perfect! She picked up her bags and hurried into the hotel, got checked in, and dropped her luggage off in her room. “I will, I will! Did you get anything good for dinner?” she replied, parking herself in one of the chairs in the lobby to watch for Victor’s return. 

His response was prompt. “Just some American pizza and a bottle of red wine. Nothing too fancy. I will call you when I get back to the hotel.” 

“Okay, travel safely.” 

She slipped her phone into her pocket and watched the windows intently, her leg bouncing softly in anticipation. Her heart leapt every time she heard the doorbell ring, only to be disappointed when a stranger stepped through the door. 

Until she saw that tall, all too familiar form. Her heart began to race and her cheeks blushed as he stared at the CEO in his smart suit carrying a pizza box and a bottle of wine in one hand, and his phone in the other. He seemed intently focused on the screen until he held the phone up to his ear…and her ringtone filled the lobby. 

Victor’s head swiveled in her direction, his eyes wide. She stepped out from around the corner where she had hidden and ran toward him, arms wide and a broad grin on her face. “Surprise!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. Victor didn’t say anything; he just stood there, staring at her with those shocked eyes. “Come on, let’s get up to your room so you can have your dinner. We don’t want the pizza to get cold!” 

She released her grip and reached for his hand, taking the phone out of it and replacing it with her own hand. Their fingers threaded together naturally and she began to pull him toward the elevator. “What room are you in?”

“What…what are you doing here?” Victor finally managed as the elevator doors closed. “What kind of dummy flies all the way to New York knowing that she will be turning around less than twelve hours later?!”

The girl looked Victor straight in the eyes and gave his hand a squeeze. “The kind of dummy who knew that something was wrong, and she was worried enough to fly to literally the opposite end of the planet to try to fix it.” 

They stood there for nearly a full minute before either of them realized that they had not pushed a floor button. Victor reached out with their entwined hands and pressed the fifteenth floor. Neither of them spoke, each just drinking in the presence of the other and the warmth of each others’ hands. This continued until Victor placed the pizza and wine on the desk and turned, flinging himself at her and burying his face in her hair. His strong, warm arms enveloped her and his presence became the entirety of her world. 

Neither knew how long they stood there that way, hearts and breathing synchronized as emotions coursed through their veins. It was Victor who finally pulled away and straightened his wrinkled shirt, clearing his throat and sniffling softly. He covertly wiped his face with his sleeve as he turned to grab the pizza, his stomach audibly rumbling. The girl frowned and sat down on the edge of his bed. “Victor, is this the first food you’ve eaten today?” 

He nodded and popped the top of the wine, pouring himself an abnormally large glass. She frowned and scooted over with her back against the headboard to give Victor a place to sit next to the night stand. He took the opportunity, placing his plate of pizza and glass on the night stand so he could more properly settle in next to her. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, a smile on her face. “You really need to take better care of yourself, Victor. It’s no wonder you’re so thin…You’ve at least made sure to eat something every day though, right?” 

“You worry too much. I’m perfectly healthy.” Victor took a large bite of the pizza and the girl chuckled, nuzzling in closer to him. Though he gave no outward sign, Victor relished her warmth against his side. While he ate they spoke of nothings, whatever common thoughts washed into the harbor of their minds. She snitched a slice of the pizza and a sip of the wine, but when all was said and done there only remained an empty pizza box and the drop in the bottom of the bottle that refused to come out. 

“Are you sure you should drink all of that?” she had asked halfway through the bottle, but Victor had stubbornly ignored the question. 

“I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine.” His response to everything, ‘I’ll be fine.’ She sighed and held his hand, content to allow the evening to go however Victor chose. At least while he was here in her arms, she knew he was safe and well. 

The lights of passing cars danced like stars on the walls and ceiling of the hotel room, though they were far enough up that the sounds of the street were as dim as a childhood memory. They lay side by side and hand in hand, watching the lights as peace filled the room with warmth. 

“I’m glad you came to me.” 

Victor’s voice broke the silence, soft as mist and slurred. He rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around the girl, pulling her in tight. “I missed you so much…” His breath was hot on her cheek and smelled of alcohol. 

“Victor…you’re drunk,” the girl giggled, her lips brushing the tip of his nose teasingly. “I told you that you shouldn’t have had that entire bottle of wine. Who knows what silly things you’ll say that you’ll regret in the morning.” 

“I’m not drunk. I don’t get drunk.” Victor shook his head, eyes closed and embrace unrelenting. “And I never regret anything.” 

She giggled and brushed his hair away from his forehead. “You never regret anything, huh? So you’re telling me that in your entire life, you’ve never done one single thing that you would go back and change?” The atmosphere in the room changed immediately as Victor pulled his arms to his chest and rolled over, curling up into a ball. The girl’s face fell, a mixture of confusion, fear, and sadness in her eyes. “Victor, did I say something wrong?”

He refused to speak and when she put her hand on his shoulder, the girl discovered he was trembling. Great, deep trembles that seemed to come directly from his core and radiate to his fingertips. Panic rose from her belly to where it threatened to close off her throat as she pressed her body against the curve of his spine and gently ran her warm hands up and down his neck, shoulders, chest, and back. “Victor,” she whispered, her hand caressing his ear. “Victor, honey, talk to me. What is wrong?“ 

It seemed as if Victor didn’t even know she was there. He showed no signs of responsiveness, eyes staring off into space as every muscle in his body trembled. Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes as she continued trying to calm him, almost deciding to call emergency services when an audible sob escaped Victor’s throat. 

"Oh, Victor,” she whimpered, pulling softly on his shoulder to get him to roll over to face her. He refused so she climbed out of the bed and knelt on the floor next to his face. Tears had completely soaked the pillow and he hid his face from her, some part of his brain still sober enough to attempt to salvage his pride. She gently slid her hand between the pillow and his face, cupping his cheek and turning his head to face her. “Victor. You’re alright, honey. I’m right here.” Her voice was silk, sliding into his ears and down to his gasping heart. She wiped the tears from his cheeks and kissed each of his eyes as gently as the brush of butterfly wings. “I’m right here and I want to help you. You just need to trust me with your heart." 

He pulled in a shaky breath and reached out with trembling hands to tangle his fingers in her hair. "You… Already have it…” he whispered, voice still slurred but understandable. “But I don’t deserve yours." 

The words were like a dagger to her gut. She felt the tears on her own face begin again and she took his hands. "Victor, what in the world would make you think that you don’t deserve anything in this entire world that catches your eye?" 

Victor shook his head and again rolled away from her. The girl sighed and rose from the floor, deciding she might as well throw away the empty pizza box and bottle while she was up. She carried them to the trash and stopped, looking at the contents sadly. In the wastebasket were three more wine bottles, each drained of its contents. Suddenly the late night calls made a lot more sense. 

She placed the trash in the bin and climbed back into the bed, taking both of his hands and blowing on them gently. "You’ve had a very, very hard week, haven’t you?" 

Victor nodded. 

"Have you gotten any sleep at all?”

Victor began to shake his head, but then paused and took a trembling breath. “A little. While I could hear your voice on the phone. But as soon as you hung up, the nightmare came back." 

The girl pressed her forehead to Victor’s, just lingering there breathing calmly while tears ran down Victor’s face. "Do you want to talk about it?" 

Again Victor shook his head and she sighed, looking at the child in the man before her. "Well, can we at least get you comfortable? You’re still in your suit.” This time she didn’t give him much choice; she reached out and unbuttoned the suit coat, loosened his tie, and began unbuttoning his shirt. He didn’t fight too hard; with a little persistence she was able to get him to sit up and allow her to remove the clothing on his torso. “You have to take care of the pants yourself,” she teased, attempting to lighten the mood just a little. 

Only a flicker of a smile crossed his eyes, but he stood unsteadily and changed into a pair of pajama pants she found in his suitcase. “There we go, that’s better. Now climb into bed and I’ll get you a glass of water. We don’t want you to be hungover in the morning.” Victor did as he was told and slid beneath the covers. He took the glass and drained it before closing his eyes. “You rest, okay? I’m going to go to my own room really fast and change into my pajamas.”

Victor’s hand reached out for her and piteously he whispered, “Don’t leave me…" 

The girl’s heart exploded and she took the extended hand and kissed it repeatedly. “I’ll be right back, I promise. I’ll even bring my things here and watch over you while you sleep, okay? I’ll only be gone for a few minutes.” He finally nodded and she gave his hand one last kiss, picked up the keycard from the table, and hurried out the door to the elevator. On her way to her room, she pulled out her phone and dialed Goldman. 

“Hey, did you make it to New York alright and find the boss?”

“Yeah, I did. But I need you to extend the trip one more day. Victor is in no state to travel in the morning and I know he won’t admit it. If he whines about the budget, I’ll pay the difference myself.”

“Is he sick? Have you called a doctor?”

She shifted the phone to be held against her ear by her shoulder and unlocked the hotel room door. “I guess you could say he’s ill, yes. As far as I can tell, he hasn’t gotten a real night’s sleep in the entire week, and there are four empty bottles of wine in his room.” 

There was silence on the phone for a long time before Goldman replied. “That’s…not good. Okay, I’ll take care of the adjustments but if he asks, it was all your doing.” 

“Thanks Goldman. You’re the best.” She hung up the phone and grabbed her small suitcase and purse, deciding she would just change in the bathroom in Victor’s hotel room. She wanted to minimize the time she was away from the completely inebriated and exhausted to collapse CEO. 

She returned to Victor’s room less than ten minutes after departing. Little had changed; he was lying in bed with his eyes closed, though his breathing was not steady enough for him to be asleep. “I’m back,” she whispered across the room as she closed the door and set her bag down near his. Victor reached out toward her in response and she again kissed his palm. “I’m just going to change in the bathroom and brush my teeth, and then I’ll join you in bed, okay?”

Victor nodded and she did exactly that, returning to his side in moments. He seemed to have calmed somewhat; the trembling had stopped everywhere except his hands, which she steadied in her own. “Are you feeling a little bit better?” 

“A little.” He reached out and pulled her close, his breath warming her cheek. They lay there in each other’s arms for a long time just listening to each other’s hearts beat. Finally, Victor tucked his chin to his chest and pressed the top of his head against the bottom of her chin. “Do you…still want to know what I regret?” 

“If you’re willing to share, I want to know every corner of your heart.” She ran her fingers down his cheek and looked deep into his dark eyes. “You can tell me anything and everything.” 

Victor sniffled again. “I really don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve anything…Despite doing everything in my power and pushing my Evol to the absolute maximum, I was unable to save either of the people I care most about in the world.” Once he started speaking, it was like a dam inside of him had burst and he had to continue or he would drown. “I wasn’t there to say goodbye to my mother, and nothing I tried could change the past. And you…I…” 

The sobs began again, this time causing the entire bed to shake with their force. She just silently held him in her arms, allowing this much needed release of emotion to run its course. He didn’t even need to finish the sentence for her to know exactly where his mind was spinning. When his breathing eventually began to even again, she wiped his face with a tissue and kissed his forehead, nose, cheeks, and lips. “Victor, nobody blames you for either of those things. Especially not me! And look, I’m right here. I’m here, I’m whole, and I’m no worse for wear. You’ve…you’ve been carrying the guilt from that night all this time, haven’t you?” 

Victor nodded and pulled her so tightly against his chest that she struggled to breathe. “I killed you,” he sobbed, his voice barely audible. “And every night, I do it again. And again. And again. I see the knife enter your chest and I feel you go limp in my arms. And I cannot make it stop! Nothing makes it stop…nothing…except your voice. I just have to hear your voice and make sure it was just a dream.” 

Through the waves of guilt, nausea, and sadness that dragged her under like an emotional riptide, the girl made a mental note to convince Victor to see a therapist and struggled to keep her own eyes dry. “It’s over, Victor. That all happened a lifetime ago and nobody blames you for it. It had to be done. And you know what you did? You still saved me. You sent me to that winter world where I could heal and make my way back to you. So you didn’t fail at all! You are one of the smartest, kindest, most self-sacrificing and amazing people I have ever met. Ever. I’m so sorry that I didn’t know you still felt guilty for that night. I really should have figured it out…but I don’t want you to think about it anymore. I want you to be able to lay down that heavy burden and not continue to carry that stone on your back.” 

He did not respond verbally, but little by little Victor relaxed as she spoke and ran her fingers through his hair. She wiped his sweaty brow and coaxed another glass of water into him before the exhausted, drunk, and broken man began to slowly drift off to sleep in her arms. “That’s right, my little Victor. Everything will be alright. It’s just a bad dream.” 

As his muscles and face relaxed and his breathing became deep and rhythmic, the girl hummed “Serenade” and ran her fingers again through his hair. The night wore on that way; Victor slept deeply and peacefully, while his guardian angels watched over him and sang their lullaby that ascended time and space.