A late Valentine's special with Piltover's finest. Inspired by LightningAtom's One-Shot named «Favourite» which can be found on an individual collection of Piltover's Finest one shot with the name «Piltover's Freewrites».
The first time Vi saw her was at the gym.
She had stopped her exhausting exercising to have some of this holy water, God bless it. At that moment, water seemed the only real thing in the world. As she was holding her bottle up, drinking hungrily, she saw her.
There, on the other side of the room. Wearing a white sports bra, quite similar to hers and a pair of grey sports trousers. Running on the treadmill, earphones blasting music in her ears as the sweat dripped down her face, her beautiful face, and her breasts bouncing along with her long, blue-ish hair. Vi forgot how to breathe.
Holy fuck, she's beaut-
Apparently, she forgot how to drink too, since half of the liquid was spilled on her shorts.
Well, that was embarrassing.
The second time they met was at the local café, where Vi worked. Not a job she particularly liked but it was good enough to provide her with a standard income. That day, she was especially moody since her so dear colleague had taken the day off, leaving her alone to manage the café alone. Perfection. Being so pissed with her colleague, she merely noticed her next customer.
"How may I help you?" she asked, not sounding too excited.
Then she noticed and regretted talking like that.
The same beautiful face and blue-ish hair, yet another outfit. A simple white shirt accompanied by a blue skirt that didn't leave much to the imagination. And those legs, those damn legs.
It took her some time before she realized that those pinks lips had moved. She blinked several times, trying to concentrate on the task at hand. A double Espresso. Right. She got this.
Praise the gay Lords...
As she prepared the drink, she was so glad she had her back at her because her face was flustered with embarrassment, and usually Vi and embarrassment didn't go together. When she was done preparing the drink, she had finally managed to regain her self-control but her heart was still beating faster than ever.
"It will be 3.50$" Vi said, offering the coffee back to the woman.
"There you go..." she said, her British accent echoing, oh this accent.
And before Vi realized, she was gone.
The bluette came several more times in the café, much to Vi's pleasure. The barista always made sure to be the one to serve her, even if her presence made her nervous, but the feeling was far than just welcome.
However, from one point and after, she just stopped coming, throwing Vi into depression. She was just hoping that she'd see her again at the gym again, but Lady Luck had other plans for her.
It had been two weeks since Vi had last seen her and she had lost hope of seeing her again. The cafeteria was practically empty, and Vi just stood on a table, chin on the palm, looking straight into nothing, lost in thought. So lost in thought was she that she barely heard her colleague calling for her.
"Vi, can you deliver this to the bookstore nearby?" she asked, pointing at a paper cup of coffee.
"I'm not getting payed to deliver coffee" Vi said smugly, turning her head away.
"Don't be a bitch now" the other barista scowled "It's just on the other side of the road, don't make such a big fuss about it!"
Vi sighed in frustration "Fine, but this one last time"
Little did she know...
Vi crossed the road, coffee in hand, walking towards the bookstore, a shop she hadn't never really noticed or cared about. Now that she did though, it seemed like a beautiful place. On the showcase, there were several books displayed and there were several flowers decorating the remaining space. It had some sort of elegance. Vi pushed the door open and a ring welcomed her alongside with the characteristic smell of new books and papers filling her lungs. The bookshop seemed completely empty when she first stepped in. No customers, no bookseller, no nothing. At least, that was the first impression.
Until the owner showed up from the storage and Vi forgot how to breathe again.
It was her. After two weeks of absence, she was standing before her in all her beauty.
"I believe this double espresso is yours" Vi spoke, not even caring to check if her speculations were correct. She knew it was a double espresso.
"Thank you" the woman smiled genuinely, taking her coffee in her hands, barely touching Vi's fingers while doing so, sending butterflies down the barista's stomach "It's 3.50$, right?"
"Correct" Vi nodded. She watched as the woman in front of her searched in her pocket for the money and she couldn't help but adore her.
"There you go..." she then said when she had found the money. Vi felt a shiver down her spine as their fingers brushed against each other again. Her eyes were fixated on her beautiful face and she didn't even notice how much money she was given.
From that day and on, they saw each other almost every day.
Every day, there would be a new order by the bookshop and Vi was more than just eager to deliver it, even if the guy who was responsible for the deliveries was available, much to her partner's suspicions, though she never questioned Vi's motives.
Caitlyn. That was the name written on the paper cup of coffee with a black marker. A beautiful name for a beautiful lady.
She loved books and that's why she had even opened the bookshop in the first place, Vi could tell even though they were barely acquaintances. And there was something special in this bookshop, except its owner, that had impressed the barista greatly. There was a small space on the back of the shop, filled only with a few tables and flowers, every sort of flora you could imagine, a place specifically designed for her customers to just enjoy the books offered. The barista couldn't quite understand why she had created such place, since this way people didn't have to buy books. It kinda worked like a library. Almost every time, Vi found her there, sitting on one of the tables, lost in the papers of a book and the adventures written down on it. Vi just wasn't fond on this hobby, she never actually cared about books. She thought of them as a waste of precious time, but it was never too late to review her perceptions, right?
So, every evening, just after her shift was over, she didn't return home straight away, no matter how tired she was. Instead, she stopped by Caitlyn's shop, picked up a book and cuddled in her corner on the back of the shop, reading quietly. She found this new hobby exceptionally relaxing and joyful, something she hadn't really expected in all honesty.
Books were the portals to other dimensions, worlds, people, people that seemed to have more similarities with Vi than she had anticipated. Characters with struggles during their childhood, violent ones, loving once, shy once, all short of people. Heroes, villains, animals, mythical creatures. Vi was starting loosing herself inside the sea of words.
And of course, her regular presence hadn't gone unnoticed.
Caitlyn had noticed, how couldn't she?
The barista wasn't even the delivery man, yet she always delivered her coffee personally. Not only that but also she would come after her shift and get lost in the back of her little shop, reading with passion, even though Caitlyn hadn't figured her as the reading type.
Her company was welcome, though.
Especially because she had caught her reading one of her favorite book series of all times. Harry Potter.
This was going to be interesting, Caitlyn thought with a smile.
Every evening had become a little more special for Vi. She liked it a lot. Not only because she was around this wonderful woman, but because she had found a hobby that she had underestimated for so long. It was like breathing fresh air.
They weren't just acquaintances any more nor they were friends, but Vi was just glad Caitlyn acknowledged her presence in her shop, even it would be a casual greeting or talk, a smile or several books left on the table, specifically asking Vi to be read. She would smirk.
Though, it was never meant to remain like that.
One specific evening, Vi was too obsessed reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. God damn J. and her plot twists, Jesus Christ! Meanwhile, Caitlyn was keeping herself busy by tidying a couple of books on higher self, hanging dangerously on a ladder Vi didn't trust at all.
And her suspicions were confirmed.
Caitlyn made the wrong step and found herself falling, squealing and with eyes closed. She expected pain to strike her as her body met the cold floor. Instead, she found two arms wrapped around her. She opened her eyes hesitantly, looking up at her saviour who was smirking down at her. Her cheeks here painted red and she almost scolded herself for blushing like a school girl.
"Next time, ask me to help you out with that. I don't need a ladder" Vi laughed, winking down at Caitlyn.
Goosebumps...
Vi's daily schedule changed again but she didn't mind in the slightest.
Now after her shift at the café, she would go straight into the bookshop, and in addition to reading, she would help Caitlyn out with tidying the books that weren't in the shelves they were supposed to. She found herself not minding at all.
"You don't have to do this" Caitlyn told her one day while they were busy with their casual burden.
"But I want to" Vi responded sincerely.
It was enough for Caitlyn to remain silent. She recognized this as the beginning of their friendship.
"There's something I want to show you"
Vi looked puzzled at Caitlyn when that request was asked. She didn't question her motives and followed nonetheless. She trusted her.
There was a metallic ladder on the back of the shop, near the «reading nest» as Caitlyn liked to call it, that lead on the upper floors of the building, a ladder that Vi hadn't noticed before. She felt kind of stupid for not doing so.
The ladder lead up to a cute, small apartment, simply decorated, filled with Cait's aura. Vi awed at the beauty of the place, especially the collection of cupcakes that was presented on the kitchen counter. All of them were different and she bet each tasted different, but she had a feeling this wasn't what they came there for. And she was right.
Through another pair of stairs, Caitlyn lead her on the terrace of the building, where they were met by the most beautiful view both had ever witnessed. Vi's mouth formed into a perfect O.
They had the perfect view of the night sky, standing above most of the buildings in the area. The night duvet with its star was hovering above them and the huge moon was shining just like its brother, the sun, during the day time. Below the duvet of stars layed another layer of smaller ones, pointing out where the city was. Some were moving around, like comets. Cars, Vi realized.
"It's beautiful" Vi said, looking like a child that had first discovered snow.
Caitlyn smiled an endearing smile at her, making Vi's heart slowly melt in her chest. She wasn't sure what was more stunning; the view or her?
Then, Caitlyn went to stand in front of the railing, elbows on the metal and Vi mimicked her. They both stared up at the darkened sky, illuminated only by the night sun and its companions, remaining silent for a while. It was a comfortable silence though.
"My father never quite liked this place" finally Caitlyn spoke softly "He never wanted me to open this bookshop, save for offering the opportunity to my customers to read without having to buy the books"
Vi eyed her carefully, but didn't interrupt her, giving the signal that she was listening, that she could move on.
"Him being a businessman, he wanted me to follow his steps and inherit his business, continue his era. I even studied economics for this purpose and only, but I realized it wasn't what I wanted to do, not really.
»I loved books since I remember myself. It was sort of disappointing seeing so many people ignoring their existence even. So, once I graduated, I took the big decision to move out and open the bookshop. I wanted to transfer my passion for books, to help people remember how it was like before all these electronic devices invaded our lives, how the characters in those books were still awaiting to be discovered by the new generation. I never aimed for profit, I think that's obvious"
»My father didn't support this idea at all. He disapproved all the way, especially how I managed my shop, saying I wouldn't manage to cover my expenses. He thought of this as just a childish, pointless dream"
"I think what you do is truly wonderful" Vi spoke spontaneously. Her mind had actually stopped working and the words flew away like birds in the open sky "Books are a way to escape our misery, something we have completed forgotten these days. And that coming by someone who had never the opportunity to read a lot, it really shows that your approach isn't so pointless after all, is it?"
The smile that curled up on Caitlyn's lips was enough to make Vi realize that she had spoken the words she needed to hear. And it wasn't just that. She really meant what she had said, despite her initial motives. Maybe she had been trying to impress the bookshop owner with her attitude, maybe she had been trying to spend more time around her, but in the end it wasn't the only thing that kept her around.
They didn't exchange any more words. It wasn't necessary. Silence sometimes is the best reply. They only gazed up at the millionth of stars glowing above their heads. Two of them specifically stood next to each other, sining the most of all. Vi felt a warm hand capturing hers as she had placed her own palms on the railing and her brain just stopped working. It was only her heart that bumped loudly.
Caitlyn was never really the person to get surprised, but Vi had exceeded all her expectations.
When she went again up on the terrace a few evenings later, she found two cups of coffee awaiting to be drunk along a vase filled with lavenders that she was absolutely sure they weren't there the previous day settled on the table it had already been set there by herself. When she came closer to examine it better, she noticed how elaborately the coffee was; only someone with experience could literally draw a cupcake with the coffee cream and she could only think of one person that had the skill to do so.
"How you like it?" a voice came from behind her back. She spanned around and found the blonde barista smiling a big smile down at her.
"It's truly amazing" Caitlyn replied honestly, beaming "Wait a second, I got something that will be perfect for this occasion" she added and ran up downstairs, leaving behind a completely buffled Vi.
The barista went to sit on the table, waiting for her friend to return back with whatever she had in mind. Thankfully, it didn't get her too long. When Caitlyn returned, she held two cupcakes on her hands, begging to be eaten. Vi unconsciously licked her lips, triggering a smirk from the brunette's side.
"There, I thought they would fit the concept" she said innocently as she handed the cupcake to Vi.
As soon as she took the first bite, Vi felt enormous explosions of taste taking place inside her mouth. It was the best sweet she had ever had the pleasure to eat.
"Damn, this is just so good!" she exclaimed once she had shallowed the first bite. Because Vi wasn't uncivilized, especially in front of a lady. Caitlyn only giggled in response, making Vi's heart flutter.
"So, I never had the opportunity to ask you" Caitlyn continued, keeping the conversation alive "What's your favorite genre of books?"
"Hmm... I don't really know actually" Vi hummed before taking another bite off her cupcake "I guess, either adventures or fantasy? What about you?"
"Fantasy is an old time classic. I mean, I loved Harry Potter since I was a little girl" Caitlyn said, looking over the lavenders, spacing off just a little "I also found mystery books quite intriguing"
"Ever thought of becoming an inspector or detective?"
"Not really. I didn't have the opportunity to make my own dreams"
"But here you are"
Caitlyn took a sip of her coffee, smiling "I guess you're right"
Vi beamed back at her. There wasn't something on her she didn't adore. It wasn't just her looks, she had an amazing personality too. And talents. Those cupcakes were encraved forever in Vi's long term memory.
From that day on, the nickname «Cupcake» was widely used instead of Caitlyn's actual name.
Valentine's Day arrived and Caitlyn's shop was suddenly filled with people, especially young people, all seeking for a good romance book to gift their partners. She personally found it sweet and interesting that people hadn't completely forgotten about the value of the book.
Consequently, it made her feel lonely. It had been a while since she had a partner herself, though until up to that day she hadn't really bothered. She had Vi keeping her constant company, and there was this tingle in the barista's eyes that made her heart beat a little faster than usual, though she couldn't defy what it was. Vi was clever and could be sophisticated but usually she was funny and clumsy, maybe a little flirty. But Caitlyn didn't mind at all. It was enjoyable.
The day was quite busy even for her own standards. Never had so many people fled inside her shop and she didn't complain but she desperately needed a coffee. And so she ordered one from the very same café she usually did for a while now.
The bookshop wasn't a place built to hold too many people and thus it was so frustrating to move around and help her customers. It was a little bit chaotic, she couldn't even see who was coming in anymore. And where was her coffee anyways?
Maybe an hour later, her shop was finally empty and she rested her back on the counter, taking deep breaths. Perhaps, she needed an assistant of the sort.
She touched a small piece of paper that was laying laying on top of the counter which she didn't remember being there, though with the chaos that had prevailed it wasn't so surprising anymore. She picked it up and read the note that was probably serving the purpose of reminding her of something.
Sweet Cupcake,
There are times you remind me of Hermione Jean Granger so much with your passion about books and sharp mind, it's actually... Cute, I dare say.
So, if you're my Hermione Granger...
Would you let me be your Ron Weasley?
Note: It will cost you 3.50$
When did the tears so up in her eyes? It was so sweet and cute and adorable at the same time, Caitlyn couldn't take it. She was grinning like a total idiot, her heart singing with happiness. She looked over the small love letter only to find a nest of blonde hair and a pair of eyes that held only love. The endearing smile and the cup of coffee that was laying between Vi's fingers only completed the image.
Caitlyn abandoned the piece of paper and rushed to Vi's arms, taking her face into her palms without a hint of hesitation and colliding their lips into a soft and loving kiss.
Vi thought she was going to pass out any time soon.
An arm found the way around the bluette's waiste, pulling her close. The other one reached for the counter where she left the coffee and then it went straight into her hair. So soft and slik were under her touch, and they smelled like cinnamon mixed with sugar and paper.
And herself smelt like coffee but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. All that mattered was Caitlyn and the sense of her lips brushing softly against hers...
This was the beginning of their own story.