WHERE:Serendipity Hills: Everywhere WHEN:December 8th to 11th (Backdated) WHAT:New arrival Viktor meets local Margo Hanson. They proceed to have several meet cutes and then get married in an effort to help save the Marriage Tree and maybe because they both might like each other. WARNINGS:Fluff STATUS:Complete
Viktor was so new in town he was still using his GPS app to get around, and there wasn’t even that much town to begin with. What Serendipity Hills lacked in population and space it more than made up for with Christmas feasts, decorations, and events - truthfully it was a little overwhelming to the not-quite-antisocial scientist who just wanted to hide in his lab and pretend that Christmas wasn’t happening. But there’d been a mix-up with his clearance at his new job, and Viktor had been waved off of coming in today while HR solved it, instructed to mill about town and get to know the locals on the company’s dime. It was a generous offer, especially as Viktor had only gotten here two days before and had only begun to unpack his boxes, and truthfully there was no small amount of things to do. Already he’d found a great Thai place, a bookshop, and several cute boutique stores that offered everything wonderful to be found underneath a Christmas tree.
He just wished, not for the first time, that he had someone to share all this with. He greatly missed his lap partner, who had elected to stay back in Piltover when the relocation offers had come through.
Night was beginning to fall. It was early - barely five o’clock - but it had been a full day of sight-seeing. Viktor checked his company phone to see if there had been any update about his clearance - he really wanted inside that lab - but nope, nothing. His leg was beginning to bother him. Viktor shifted slightly, fingers grasping his cane more tightly, testing his balance. He’d pushed it today; he really ought to go home and rest. But as he headed toward his new apartment, he saw a sign, both literal and figurative: the Christmas Lights Extravaganza was beginning. There was a line - a rather long one - to see it.
Viktor tested his leg - it seemed like it’d hold up. He really did like lights. Maybe he’d line up with the rest of town. Maybe the crowd would make him feel a little less lonely.
Margo Hanson wasn’t new to Serendipity Hills, having lived in this little town her whole life. She had only left briefly to attend college, but had returned as soon as she was able. Working her way up the ladder, she had only recently been promoted up to an investment banking associate at work, though apparently that promotion came with some extra duties.
Serendipity Hills Bank had sent Margo to go meet the event coordinator of the Christmas Lights Extravaganza, last minute of course, with bank specific signs showcasing their partnership with the event. Unfortunately for Margo, these signs were bigger than she was tall and she could barely see where she was walking, let alone who might be in her path.
It was serendipity that she happened to walk right into the new man in town.
“Oh!” She yelped, dropping the signs and starting to fall backwards into what she was hoping to be a soft snowbank.
Viktor may not have been the strongest person, but he had quick reflexes - years of fiddling with all manner of dangerous projects had paid off. Getting slammed in the face with a sign that literally read “YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE” was a little on-the-nose as far as metaphors went, but he recovered enough to lean hard on his cane, his free hand jutting out to grab the young woman who was falling.
Honestly, he wouldn’t have thought the move possible, not even on a good day like today. Ordinarily he was the first to slip and fumble. Somehow, however, he got a good grip on his attacker and prevented her from making a butt-first acquaintance with the snow.
“There you go--” he managed, his Eastern European accent audible as he managed to steady her with a huff. “It’s only my second day here; I didn’t expect to be run over by the literal Welcome Wagon.”
It was straight out of some cheesy romantic comedy, but near instant butterflies erupted in Margo’s stomach as she was caught and pulled back up to a standing position by this uniquely handsome new stranger. The accent was hard to place, given she wasn’t much of a world traveler, but it was pleasant on her ears, which were barely covered by a ribbed beanie with a sparkly pink puff on top.
A lot flustered, but her hair still magically in place, Margo huffed out a laugh and smiled wide at the man. “That’s just how we do it in Serendipity Hills. We welcome you with a concussion,” she chirped, starting to pick up the fallen signs. The “BEGIN YOUR NEW LIFE TODAY” seemed particularly poignant, as she added it to the pile. “Sorry about that though. I really should have just stuck these in my car and driven them over, but it seemed like a nice night to walk and see everything,” she explained, gesturing toward the light show.
“I don’t blame you; this town is-- quite quaint,” he agreed, glancing over at the picture-perfect little shops, their brightly painted trim accented perfectly with fluffy crystals of snow. “Very different from the city… in a good way,” he added hastily, lest he give offense. Sometimes he ventured into communication errors without meaning to, so Viktor was careful to be forthright. “I was given today to become acquainted with it. To learn where the important things are. Like coffee, and assassins.”
He smiled then, tentative but heartfelt at the light joke. “I’m Viktor. Are you here for the ah-- lighting ceremony?” Now that he could see them properly, it looked like her signs were advertising a local bank. Not that the signs were terribly interesting. Less interesting, surely, than the beguiling person wielding them.
“Margo,” she said in return, juggling the signs in her arms so she could hold out a hand for him to shake. Were there some sparks there? Maybe. “But yeah, I was about to head over for the show. My bank’s helping sponsor some of this and they want it to be known.” Biting her lip, she raised her eyebrows and asked, “Do you want to maybe come with me? See what this quaint little town has to offer up close?”
Viktor hesitated, just for a moment. He wasn’t really that social - it wasn’t that he was antisocial, so much as that he rarely spent time on things not directly related to his work. His work was important, both personally and to the world. But that meant that he felt even more alone in this brand new place, without any kind of family or friends around to pick up the social slack with him.
“I’d like that,” he agreed, and smiled, just a little. “I could use a guide. If you’re sure I’m not interrupting your, ah-” he gestured at her sign, “new life.” It was a cheesy line, but somehow… it felt right.
“I think I can find a space for you in my new life,” Margo said with a wink, as she flicked her hair over her shoulder and nodded in the direction she had been power walking in earlier. “Come on, you can tell me about where you’re coming in from on the way.”
Meet Cute #2:
The canned food and toy drive had all but begged people to volunteer, and Viktor’s new boss had all but ordered him to join in. They wanted a 99% participation rate, after all, and as the new employee wouldn’t he be happy to help out with local charity? Which was how Viktor found himself wearing a Santa hat and sorting canned vegetables from canned fruits, a monotonous chore, but at least it was pretty straightforward. He’d been volunteered for a two hour shift, and he was about half through it when Margo, of all people, walked inside.
He gave her a little wave and a half-smile. Viktor hadn’t expected to see her again - they’d had a perfectly nice conversation at the lighting ceremony and around town, but he’d forgotten to get her number. How strange to see her again now.
Serendipity Hills Bank was helping sponsor this food and toy drive in part, but this time Margo didn’t have to be roped into offering her services. When it came to causes like these, where there was a direct benefit to people that needed it, she was more than willing to help out in her free time.
Wearing reindeer antlers herself, she caught sight of Viktor as she was handing over a bag of toys to one of the other sorters to take to the right area. “Didn’t expect to see you here!” She called out, accepting yet another bag of toys. A few more minutes passed like this, but eventually a lull hit and she was able to leave her station and walk over to the food side of the drive, where Viktor was working away. “Are they still not letting you into your new lab?” She asked, when she was within conversation distance.
“They did; they finally fixed the clearance error,” he said, separating a can of fruit cocktail from a can of English peas. “But they have some kind of charity goal that they want to fulfill by the end of the year, and I-” he shrugged, “I was easy to coerce. It’s a good cause.” Viktor had always liked good causes. It would, in fact, be fair to call him a bleeding heart. Having grown up with less than nothing, he had always been passionate about giving back to those in need.
“I like your antlers.” Not a sentence he thought he’d say to the woman that had been on and off his mind the last few days, but it was an unusual circumstance. “And I meant to thank you for taking me around town the other day. It was useful, I--” Be more assertive, Viktor, “I had a good time,” he finished, giving her a sideways smile. He’d been willing to take a bullet for his projects at work, but Viktor was less aggressive with social interaction. But - new place, new life. He could afford to try a little harder.
“I like your hat,” she said in return, warmth blooming in her chest at how lovely Viktor was being. It had been a long time since someone had paid Margo any kind of attention outside of friendship or work. It was nice. “I had a good time too.” And in a spontaneous act of bravery, she quickly added, “Maybe I can show you one of my favorite lunch spots after this?” She bit her lip hopefully, trying not to look overeager, but probably failing miserably.
“What a coincidence; I eat lunch.” Was this how people actually connected? Was it really this easy? It’d never been this easy before. Viktor almost put some vegetables with the fruit he was sorting. He glanced at the clock. “I’ve got another thirty or so, then I’m free.”
The time didn’t pass quickly. Sorting cans was quickly becoming monotonous, and now he had something interesting to look forward to before he went back to the lab. His boss had probably told him how long the lunch break was, but Viktor was the sort to smile politely, give the impression of listening, and then do exactly what he wanted, so he figured an hour or so with Margo would be no big deal. So at the end of his volunteering shift, he grabbed his jacket and cane and headed over to where Margo was finishing up her toys. “Where are we headed?”
“There’s this great little sandwich shop with amazing soup. Great for a cooler day like this,” Margo explained, shipping up her puffer vest and pulling on her gloves. She held out a gloved hand to him. “Come with me if you want to live. Or, you know, have a nice meal that’s going to put you to sleep for an hour after.”
The Marriage Tree:
There was some sort of protest happening downtown. Viktor couldn’t help but observe it, his curiosity getting the better of him - it looked like some kind of altercation to protect a tree? The signs spoke of keeping Serendipity Hills magical, which sounded nice but weren’t particularly helpful. He spied a familiar beanie in front of him, and carefully making his way up to the front where Margot was standing, he murmured:
“What is happening here?”
No need for a ‘hi’, at this point; they’d spent the better part of a crazy week together - having lunch, talking through dinner, being dazzled by the lights and the snow and each other. It wasn’t him. He never did this kind of thing. And if his job had been more with-it in terms of getting him oriented, he might never have. But he was determined not to question it, even if his nature was to question everything.
Margo wasn’t sure what it was about him that kept drawing her to him, but for whatever reason, Serendipity Hills was eager to put the two of them in each other’s paths. While she normally would have investigated the reasoning for that or examined her feelings deeper on the topic - which was essentially why she was still alone despite all of her friends getting together and having babies - she had no urge to do that this time around.
If Viktor was supposed to be in her cards, then who was she to question that? Maybe this is what she needed. Maybe turning off her brain for once and not overthinking things was the way to go.
It was why when the idea popped into her brain at the sound of his voice, she didn’t question it at all. There was no greeting from her when he spoke, only an answer ending in a very important question. “The Marriage Tree has been in Serendipity Hills for as long as anyone can remember,” she started saying, looking back at Viktor as he came to stand by her. “The Xu siblings and Galahd’s owner, Nyx, are trying to stop its destruction in order for Starbucks to put another coffee shop there. To show everyone that this tree still matters, they’re encouraging people to get married under it today, like they used to.”
She looked up at the man standing next to her, a little uncertain but a lot hopeful. The question came, “I know this is crazy, but will you marry me?”
Viktor was about to comment on the tradition - something about how Starbucks was an invasive species, maybe a joke as to where her weapons-I-mean-signs were, when she segued her explanation with a question. The question. The question that had never been really on his mind, save for the lingering worry that maybe he was wasting his life on ephemeral things that would never benefit him. Viktor wanted to make the world a better place, yes, but what about making his own life better? Margo had been there every step of the way for the last few days. He had no reason to think her behavior would change with a ring.
“I--” What could he say? What should he say? Marrying someone when you didn’t know them - didn’t know them really - was madness. But it was the kind of madness that he was hungry for. “Yes,” he answered before he could overthink it. “Yes. I’d love to. Let’s-- Oh-- I don’t have a ring--”
Wait! He pulled out his work lanyard that still only worked half the time. With a tug, he pulled it apart, and presented them both with two metal rings that would have to do for now until they had a chance to get something more permanent. “It’s ah-- the phrase ‘I owe you’,” he said with a laugh that caught in his throat. “Let’s go.”
Margo's eyes nearly popped out of her head at his easy agreement to her question. In a mad world, only the mad are sane. This was complete madness for certain, but overthinking it wasn't in anyone's best interest
Maybe they would wake up in the morning and go get this marriage annulled. Right now though, Margo practically lunged for the offered ring and then grabbed his hand to pull him in the direction of the celebrity officiants and people that were helping the happy couples looking to get married. "I just met you and this is crazy, but what a story to tell people, huh?"
This was fine, right? This was fine. On a good day, Viktor could get as YOLO as the next person, but this was a whole new level of it. But he’d said he would, and now that he had, he was already committed to it. To her. To this Marriage tree, or whatever it was. Because he’d never really thought he’d get a chance to do this, to have a special person like Margo in his life. Not with---
With what? Viktor didn’t know; the thought disappeared as quickly as it had surfaced. No, what was important was enjoying the here and now.
He grabbed Margo’s hand and pressed a quick kiss to its knuckles. “It’s going to be a great story,” he agreed.