A Gentleman's Oath

A/N: Wanted to explore Jayce's character a little, this was the result.

Didn't tag this as M but there are a few curse words in there.

Jayce POV. Cait x Vi Pair. Drama.

I really wasn't supposed to go to the Piltover Station today but the sheriff told me to drop by. She told me that she would like to discuss some important matters with me. Although I needed to get some work done, who was I to go against her orders?

The moment I stepped foot in the precinct I could sense that something was a little off. Most of their colleagues were so focused on their tasks on hand. This was actually the first time I found them all too busy to even greet me.

So here I was, standing in the middle of the lobby waiting for Caitlyn.

"I'm not taking off my wrist wraps, leave me alone!"

"I'm the sheriff of this precinct! Everyone goes by my rules and that includes you!"

The both of them continued to bicker as they walked past me, Vi bumping into me accidentally. I almost fell because of it, rubbing my shoulder once I was able to regain my balance.

She looked at me. "Great, it's Powerslam. What the fuck are you doing here?"

As I was about to answer, Caitlyn raised her hand in front of me and interrupted. "I called him here to settle some business."

She looked at Caitlyn and I with what I think was a mix of anger and jealousy. If I could translate what her facial expression was saying, it would be, "I'm going to eat you alive, Jayce."

Being at the receiving end of Vi's angry glare sent shivers down my spine. Now I know why everyone was trying so hard not to react to anything she says.

Caitlyn grabbed my arm, "Stay in your office." She instructed Vi. Vi crossed her arms and turned her back on us. "Well, it's better than being bossed around by you all day," She snarked.

The sheriffs' grip tightened around my arm although her expression was neutral. Her shades concealed the emotion her eyes were showing.

Once Vi retreated to her office and closed the door, Caitlyn dragged me into her own. Now the concern within me is building up, Vi never shuts the door to her office, not even on a cold day.

She sat down on her chair behind her desk. "Close the door before you take a seat, Jayce."

I closed it just as she instructed.

There was always that feel of elegance in anything tied to Caitlyn. Her outfits, her hair and even her office have that regal tint sprayed all over. Although the linoleum floors and the plaster ceiling were pretty standard for any government office, she changed the curtains to silk and even added those art pieces on the wall. Her desk and her chairs were made from the finest of wood in Runeterra.

No matter how many times I've sat on these chairs, I will never get tired of them. It's like sitting on clouds; my rear couldn't be happier especially since I spend all day standing at my lab.

"So, what matters are we to discuss?" I asked as soon as I settled.

"Allow me to lose my cool for once." She took off her shades and placed them on her desk. "I've been worrying about that irresponsible brat for weeks already!"

Whoa, I didn't expect that. I never knew Caitlyn could get angry. Her ears were starting to get red and the color of her cheeks likewise.

"I've no idea where she's been going or even why she's been going home late. Then she comes in work, exhausted, worked and spent. She doesn't even have enough strength to open the door to the blasted evidence room!"

I couldn't really understand where she was coming from. Vi was raised in the streets. Knowing her, she's was actually part of the reason why it's dangerous and scary to lurk in the alleys at night.

"Not only that, she's been borrowing so much of my silverware and my china because she's out of plates? Who the hell runs out of plates?!"

She continued to go on about Vi's change in behavior. Going home late more often, her missing chinaware and cuts and burns on Vi's cheeks. I remembered seeing a bruise on the right side of her head which she cleverly hid with concealer which, I guess, was from Caitlyn's kit. Vi doesn't keep any make up.

"And I know she took some of the cosmetics in my drawer. The nerve! Just when I needed that damn concealer to hide these horrible things she's been causing, she takes it!"

I saw it as she pointed it out, those bags under her eyes; she hasn't been sleeping as well. Whatever Vi's been up to is turning this cool and composed sheriff into an angry, stress-out wreck.

Ideas like, "She's just looking for someone to beat up" or "Maybe she's just out to scrap some parts." popped into my head but I knew those would just send her into another outburst. I had to be careful with my words; I didn't want to drive Caitlyn over her usual emotional limits now that she's already at her tipping point.

"Have you talked to her about it?" seemed about right; it was as neutral as it was. I couldn't afford to add any more fuel to the fire that Caitlyn herself built up from all this.

"She avoids the damn question!" I jumped to the sound of her fist hitting her desk. "I've already tried to ask her about it but she dismisses me! The nerve that woman has to even turn her back on me when I'm not done talking to her!"

I noticed that her eyes were starting to get watery. Is it just me or she tearing up?

She shook her head. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong. She's driving me away." Her voice broke as she brought her hands to her face and leaned her elbows onto her desk.

I reached out to her, "Hey, you aren't doing anything wrong." She was taking deep breaths. "And I don't think she's driving you away. Give her the benefit of the doubt."

She sat up from her position and wiped her eyes.

"Well, yeah. She's a fucking idiot for all I care."

Wow, Vi's really rubbing off Caitlyn now. That's the first time I've heard her use that word. And in such a condescending tone, yikes.

"Don't say that." I looked her in the eye. "She probably has her reasons. It's likely she just doesn't want you to worry."

"What if the mafia's out to get her for a debt that her foster parents have owed them for the longest? What if she's on someone's hit list and she's just trying to stay on the move to be safe? What if she's in a fight club of some sort and she just can't un-commit herself to it?"

She stopped rambling, her look of concern slowly turning into sadness. Her eyes faltered and her breath started to shake as the silence consumed us both.

I knew what she was going to say next. It wasn't an outrageous conclusion and with how Vi's been acting according to her, even I thought of it. Caitlyn was trying to muster up the courage to even let it out.

"What if she's," she swallowed and looked towards the ground. "not in love with me anymore?"

It was the way she said it that struck me. She sounded like a child being abandoned by her parents. I could see that she was trying her best to understand but she's too stressed to even stay positive at this point.

"I know I'm busy all the time and I'm rather snobbish but-"

"Stop right there Caitlyn." I said. Her lips started to tremble and her eyes were still tearing up. "There's nothing wrong with you."

It was at that moment she broke down and cried. She held her hands to cover her face. "It's not making any sense Jayce," she sobbed.

That was enough. I couldn't bear to see Caitlyn all broken. I stood and went to her side of the desk. "Caitlyn." I put my hand on her shoulder, still cautious of my actions. I knew Caitlyn was not one for physical contact. "Look, this is going to sound harsh but you're not making any sense either. You aren't someone who just draws conclusions from something that doesn't even have any hard evidence to begin with."

She still wasn't answering me. She just kept her face hidden behind her hands.

"You and I both know that she loves you."

She whimpered. I was not always a good person when it came to advice especially on relationship problems. But for Caitlyn, I'll do my best.

"And we also both know that Vi's not the type to keep things she doesn't like anymore. If she doesn't care about you as much, we'd know."

Her breaths became audible and unsteady.

It took me quite some time to realize that I made the situation worse. Holy crap I made her cry! Quick Jayce, I thought, think of something.

At the edge of her table was displayed a picture of her and Vi. There were thumb prints, they seemed recent, all over it despite the pristine nature of her office. I took it.

"Look Cait." I said as I showed her the portrait. Both of them, too smitten to even look at the camera, gazing into each other's eyes with matching smiles that just dulled out the cutest, fluffiest poro in the Howling Abyss.

That seemed to stop her crying. She stared at the photo for a long time.

"I remember the night before she was going to take you on an official first date. We met at small bar down district 5."

She was looking at me just like the same way I used to listen to my father's stories.

"She hates you more than anything."

"That night she didn't." The feeling was mutual since she used to 'borrow' some of my tools and return them in a useless state. And she'd sometimes sabotage some of my experiments to blow up on my face. Who could also forget the time she recalibrated my hammer, I was shooting bullets the size of Gragas.

"She asked me if it was right to take you to certain restaurants and which flowers you'd prefer. She even went far as asking me proper etiquette at fine dining."

I forgot to mention that I have an extensive history with the sheriff. I wasn't dumb enough to see that she was just outright jealous with that.

I put the frame down, her eyes never leaving it. "She's willing to set aside your cultural differences to be able to understand you. She called me up out of desperation to ask my opinion on how her plans on how to date you."

She looked at me. "She breaks everything in her path. But I know there's one thing she just can't destroy no matter what the cost."

I placed my hand over my chest. "Your heart."

She bit her lip and picked up the frame. She ran her finger over Vi's face on the portrait.

The framed image captured expressions that I'd never expect from either of them. To be honest, I never knew Caitlyn, the high-classed sheriff and Vi, the reckless delinquent were even capable of expressions that depicted any signs of being "in love".

"I've never seen Vi so smitten."

One last time, she ran her finger over her prized photo before she placed it back on its corner.

"Thanks for your time and your honesty, Jayce. I really appreciate it. I had no one else to talk to about this." She gave me a small smile. I took my handkerchief out of my pocket and handed it to her. "Knocking some sense into me was exactly what I needed.

"The pleasures all mine. Here, wipe those tears out of your eyes. I don't think you'd like your crew to see you in your moment of weakness."

Instead of taking it, she flung herself onto me and hugged me tight. At first I was surprised at the thought of her hugging me to which I responded with a hug of my own. "When I said wipe your eyes, I didn't mean on my suit."

She laughed. "Oh Jayce you were always the funny one."

I gave her a small smile. "Try to stay away from alcohol and drugs." She laughed some more.

"I'll be off Caitlyn." I said as I let her down.

I exited her office. She sent me off with a wave and a warm smile.

Before I left the building I just had to check up on Vi. I peered towards the direction of Vi's office and noticed it was open. It was empty. She must've gone off somewhere so I decided to just leave.

Going down the steps, I saw the person I was looking for. Her pink hair unkempt, still looking like a ruffian even though she wore a blue uniform. She held a wrench in one hand and her face smeared with car grease as she fiddled with car number eight's engine.

I walked towards her.

"Hey Vi."

"Fuck off Jayce," her tone deadpan as she continued on with her tinkering.

I didn't want to deal with this attitude right now and I've been taught to back off when I know I wasn't wanted. I was about to take a step past her and continue walking towards my automobile.

But flashes of Caitlyn's heartbreaking sobbing came to mind, her cries echoing in my ear. I couldn't let that happen again. I stopped in my tracks and faced the enforcer.

I stopped in my tracks and faced the person I knew were the reasons of Caitlyn's emotional distraught.

"We need to talk."