Chapter 9: Never forget, never forgive
Katarina couldn't sleep. Moonlight rays shining through the closed curtains were too weak to do something about her sleep, but the archer's bed was too soft. Some would say it felt like a warm and comfortable embrace, but the assassin felt like she was sinking into it. She was shifting, rolling over and over, but still couldn't find a good position to sleep. And then there was the poro. The plush animal Katarina gave her, Ashe actually used it as a pillow. It was facing her, its glittery eyes and wide grin looked like it was mocking the assassin for the situation she found herself in. She looked at the woman lying next to her once again, the Frost Archer's figure looked so fragile and innocent. Ashe was sleeping peacefully, her snowy white hair spread wide around her, together with the expression on her face creating a scenery of serenity so powerful Katarina almost wanted to touch the Freljordian, to caress her pale skin. She was already scanning the sleeping woman with her eyes, every inch of her enchanting form, why not let her hands join the pleasant experience? No, she couldn't. she didn't trust the archer, didn't know her hidden motives. And she was sure she had some, no one would help her so much without getting anything in return. She just sighed and rolled over again. Then her gaze fell at the poro. The stupid pillow was so annoying she simply had to punch it. She did, and the hit woke up the sleeping archer.
"Mmmm, Katarina, what's going on?" Ashe turned around to face the redhead.
"Nothing... I just really can't sleep."
"Why?"
"I cannot fall asleep in an unfamiliar environment," the assassin complained, "and your bed is too soft."
"I think it's just fine," Ashe said.
"You're soft too," Katarina replied. The two kept staring at each other for a moment, then the assassin spoke: "Fuck that, I'm going to my room."
"I'm going with you," the archer replied. Katarina just looked at her, seeming confused, so she had to explain it: "If someone saw you going from my room back to yours in the middle of the night, they might begin questioning our relationship."
"Alright, let's go then," the redhead urged her.
"Just a minute," Ashe said and picked the plush poro from her bed.
"You're not gonna take that thing into my room," Katarina said in a threatening manner.
"Why not?" Ashe wondered, "It's soft and comfortable, it smells nice and it was a gift from my beloved girlfriend."
"Could you stop with it, please?" the assassin growled.
They left the Freljordian wing of the Institute and slowly proceeded through the Noxian one. They held hands in case anyone would see them, but the only people they encountered were the guards, roaming the building, searching for anything suspicious. A supposed lesbian couple was definitely interesting, although not enough for the guards to keep watching them. When they almost reached the door of Katarina's room, they heard someone move behind them and saw Cassiopeia, looking directly at them.
"Good I've met you both," the serpent woman said, "how is it possible that my sister has a new girlfriend and I'm among the last ones to know?"
"Because it's none of your fucking business," the assassin snarled.
"Calm down, sis," Cassiopeia responded, "I just wanted to know if the rumors are true."
She slithered closer to Ashe and started touching her hair and sniffing her. The archer was visibly scared when the serpent's claws got so close to her face, but she didn't flinch.
"I see why you like her," Cassiopeia continued, she was now looking directly into the Freljordian's eyes, fully exposing her sharp teeth and forked tongue, Ashe was trembling, then she felt Katarina's hold on her hand tightened and it felt somehow reassuring.
"And what a sweet little thing she is," the serpent kept talking, "big, blue eyes, soft pale skin, she looks almost like a doll. She's certainly frail and naive like a child."
"What do you want, Cass?" the assassin asked harshly.
"Well, now that you remind me," her sister said affectionately, placing her hand on her chin in a philosopher-like pose, "I actually wanted to talk to your girlfriend alone, Katarina, would you mind..?"
"Whatever," the assassin entered her room and slammed the door shut behind her.
"You wanted to tell me something, Cassiopeia?" Ashe asked, still slightly nervous.
"Yes, I want you to know that my sister killed one of her two last girlfriends and tried to kill the other one."
The archer was in shock. She knew Katarina was a violent person, but this was too much, killing someone you used to share your life with.
"But only after they betrayed her," the serpent woman added, "so I guess you know what to expect when you leave her. And I'm sure you will."
"I don't plan to leave or betray Katarina anytime soon," Ashe replied.
"That's good," Cassiopeia's voice, threatening at first got softer and she almost whispered, "please, take a good care of her, she needs it. I would do it myself, but she doesn't let me."
"Don't worry, I will."
Inside the room, Ashe found Katarina lying on her bed, though not sleeping yet. She laid the plush poro on the bed and crawled there to lie next to the assassin.
"What did she tell you?" Katarina asked curiously.
"She warned me from you," the archer replied indifferently, "a lot of people did it. Riven, your sister and every Freljordian summoner I met today."
"Just say it already," the assassin grunted, "tell me I'm a cruel bitch!"
"If they found out I lied, they might expel me from the League and everything the Avarosan tribe stands for would be compromised," Ashe said calmly, a gentle smile tugged her lips as she kept talking, "do you think I would risk that much if I saw you only as a cruel bitch? I believe there's much more to you, Katarina."
"Yeah? And what would that be?" the redhead asked, her voice confused and annoyed at once.
"That's only for you to find out."
The Frost Archer's gaze still wandered around the room, examining every wall, every corner. She was lying so close to Katarina she could fell the heat radiating from the redhead's body. The short time the two of them spent together made her think again about her decision to save the Noxian. She knew it was right but after Cassiopeia talked to her, Ashe started having doubts, if it was really worth it. She needed to know one thing to be certain.
"Hey, Katarina, I have one question," the archer said hesitantly and waited for the assassin to roll over and look at her as a sign of agreement, "what were you really doing when the murder happened? Come on, you can tell me now, I still have to lie if anyone asked."
"I guess I can," Katarina replied casually, "I was in Noxus, an assassination mission for Swain."
"Did you succeed?" Ashe asked, wondering why she suddenly cares for an assassination.
"No, it was fucked up," the assassin replied shortly, but immediately started explaining details of the mission and Noxian politics to the other woman. Ashe was looking at her, listening carefully as if she was really fascinated by listening about a bunch of old men trying to backstab each other while pretending they are the best of friends.
"Strange," the archer said, still processing the loads of information she just got, her voice shy and hesitant while she spoke out her assumptions, "I thought you were with a woman. Who was married. To a man. Or maybe with two women. Both of them married."
"So you think I'm the kind of girl married straight women run to for lesbian adventures?" Katarina asked, smirking viciously.
"I would definitely say so," the archer nodded.
"I like that. And no, I was never in a threesome," the redhead replied, still smirking.
"I could really imagine you having two girls at once," Ashe informed her, her face looking like she was imagining it right now.
"I had the possibility, but I prefer one partner in bed. It allows you to engage yourself more," Katarina said, unintentionally making obscene gestures with her fingers, "to give more of yourself into what you're doing, if you know what I mean..."
"Actually I don't," the archer admitted in a low voice.
"Then you should give it a try," the assassin suggested.
"I think I couldn't have sex without love," Ashe half whispered while blushing intensely.
"And I think I couldn't care less," Katarina said, rolled over and pretended she fell asleep immediately.
"Katarina, don't be such an asshole!" Ashe tried to yell while simultaneously keeping her voice low not to wake anyone in the neighboring rooms.
"I'm not listening to you," the redhead exclaimed.
"What did you just say?" the archer asked only to piss the assassin off.
"I said I'm not listening to you!" Katarina repeated.
"Then how is it possible you heard me asking what did you say?" this time, Ashe was the one smirking. The assassin just growled in frustration. Ashe wanted to sleep too, she was quite tired after the long day and being woken up by her supposed girlfriend really didn't help it at all. Katarina was now lying facing the opposite direction and Ashe couldn't help but watch the intriguing Noxian. Once again she had to think about what Cassiopeia told her and reconsider getting this close to Katarina.
"Katarina?" she asked softly.
"Mmmmm..."
"Are you sleeping?"
"What fucking answer did you expect?!" the assassin roared as she suddenly shot up.
Ashe waited for a moment until Katarina calmed down, she didn't want to deal with an extremely displeased assassin.
"Is it true that you killed one of your ex girlfriends?" she asked, trying to sound as calm as she could.
"Yes, it is," Katarina replied, the tone of her voice revealing she is ashamed of it, of herself for doing it.
"I had to do it," she let the confession hang in the air for a while, then continued, "I had no other choice. She betrayed me and my family, so she had to die. That's the way of Noxus, never forget, never forgive."
Muffled cries were ringing through the dimly lit room of the Du Couteau mansion as three figures approached a woman lying on the ground, bound and gagged. The moment Katarina saw her lover like this, she immediately ran to her and started untying her.
"Fuck, Cass, Talon, what did you do to her? Are you fucking crazy?" she yelled at them.
"We did only what we had to do, sis," Cassiopeia said.
"We found out that she was selling information to our enemies," Talon added.
"No fucking way!" Katarina shouted.
"It's true," her sister confirmed, "now we have to deal with her."
"What do you mean?" Katarina asked, though she knew the answer, she was just refusing to admit it.
"Kill her," the serpent hissed, "the world must know that even though our father is missing, the Du Couteaus are still strong."
The older sister looked at the bound woman, both of them had tears in their eyes. But could she really condemn the one she shared her bed and her life with? She saw the sorry look in her lover's eyes, her fear, her desperation. But she knew that this woman betrayed her and her family.
"Fine," she sighed, "but do it fast."
"No, Katarina," Cassiopeia countered, "you have to do this."
"She's right," Talon agreed, "you're the head of the family now."
Katarina breathed heavily, she tried to back away until she hit a wall. Now there was dispair in her own face as well. She gulped and almost crumbled to the ground if it wasn't for her sister who caught her.
"I can't do this," Katarina whispered.
"Yes, you can," Cassiopeia replied, "what do you think our father would do? Do you think he'd whine? No, he always did what was right for us, for our family. Blood for Noxus."
"Blood for Noxus," the assassin repeated as if it was a mantra to give her strength.
She stood up, grabbed the bound woman and started dragging her out, out of the house, into the streets. This had to be public, everyone should know, what the Du Couteau house would do to anyone who'd dare to cross them. Meanwhile, the other woman managed to free her mouth and cry for help: "Katarina, please, let me go."
The assassin ignored her cries.
"I'm sorry, please, have mercy. You don't have to do this!"
She just kept on dragging her lover through the dirt.
"Katarina, you're better than this. Just remember all the nights we spent together!"
They reached a large square and the assassin proceeded directly to its center. She shoved the other woman roughly onto the ground and pulled out one of her blades. She examined the edge, she knew it was perfect, but she wanted to gain some time.
"Katarina, please!"
"You betrayed me!" Katarina yelled only to give herself the courage she needed.
"Please..." her lover sobbed.
"I trusted you and you betrayed me, you bitch!"
The woman on the ground collected the last remains of her strength, looked up and lightly said: "I love you."
"I love you too," the assassin replied. Then she cut her down.
She turned away from the dead body and walked away, not once looking back. She didn't cry, crying was a weakness and weakness was the one thing Noxus couldn't forgive.
The next day, Katarina was just walking from a lobby after a lost match, feeling murderous. It wasn't just a normal defeat, it was a disaster. Her team lost fight after fight, their teamwork failed entirely. And the worst thing about it was that Katarina realized it was mostly her fault, as a midlaner, she had to face Talon. The other assassin taunted her and mocked her for her failure in Noxus, it made her play recklessly and risk everything only to kill him, but it didn't work. He was able to use it against her and was victorious in all of their duels. Katarina had to change her strategy and started roaming the map in an attemp to get kills on underfed enemies, but she somehow forgot that, compared to her average games, she was underfed as well and the plan backfired on her. She was getting gradually more frustrated and yelled on her teammates during the entire game, which only made them more nervous and careless. They blamed her for the defeat and she knew that, but no way she could admit it to them. So she just yelled at them instead and walked away. She was on the way to her room when suddenly Swain stopped her: "Katarina, may I speak to you for a minute?"
"Here?" she asked, her eyes bearing a clear expression of surprise, "I thought you'd be so paranoid you'd never speak outside of your room again."
"Well," he spoke, entirely ignoring her offensive comment, "this is something I'm quite sure all of my enemies already know. For the past month, there has been a movement within the High Command, trying to dispatch a search party to Freljord in an attempt to find your father or his remains. But in the last few days, the movement ceased as suddenly as it had started."
"You... supported that movement, right?" Katarina asked with anticipation.
"No," Swain replied calmly, "I cannot support someone whose ulterior motives I don't know."
"What if there are no ulterior motives?" the assassin asked almost desperately.
The general chuckled bitterly: "Katarina, it's Noxus we are talking about, everyone there has them."
"I don't," Katarina replied.
"What a shame," Swain muttered under his breath. The assassin didn't seem to hear him.
As Katarina entered her room, what she saw inside made her speechless. Ashe was in there, sitting on the redhead's bed and reading. She was wearing a long dark blue dress, its colour and patterns on it similar to her usual garments and instead of a cowl she had a simple silver tiara placed on her head.
"What are you doing here?" Katarina asked venomously.
"I'm waiting for you," Ashe replied indifferently, her gaze still fixed upon her book as she was just turning over another page, "we have that double date, in case you forgot."
"Fuck that," the assassin growled, "I need to train, I'm not going anywhere."
"Katarina! It's important, we have to be there. I already got dressed!"
"No way! I need to beat something up!"
"You've just returned from a match," the archer remarked, "didn't you enjoy quite a lot of beating there?"
"No, I lost," Katarina admitted, her rage faltering for a moment, then returning in its full force, "that's why I need to vent!"
"What if you just told me what bothers you instead?" Ashe suggested.
"Like if you cared," the assassin growled.
"Sometimes it doesn't matter if the other person listens, only that you talk," the archer said calmly, she was smiling at the other woman, trying to encourage her with both her voice and overall expression, "come sit here next to me and you can talk about anything you want."
"Fine!" Katarina growled once again, "and it's my fucking bed, of course I will sit on it!"
She started to talk, first about her frustration from the lost match and failed assassination, then proceeding to things from her past, like failing her parents' expectations, a foolish attempt to escape the life of a Noxian noble, relationships that didn't go as well as she planned. She kept going further and further back in her memories, revealing years of supressed emotions and lack of simple human contact. It seemed like growing up in Noxus made the redhead rely on anger and violence and this was the first time ever she really opened up to another person. Memories of outbursts and atrocities were pouring out of her, she let all of it out, the stream of confessions left her reduced to a sobbing heap cloaked in her beautiful red hair. Ashe waited till the assassin put herself together a bit, then said what she wanted: "Do you feel better now?"
The assassin didn't know what to say, so she remained silent. She had to admit she was feeling better, but she somehow couldn't bring herself to say it out loudly. Although it looked like the archer already knew that.
"Alright, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but we should really get going," Ashe continued, "wipe your tears and get dressed."
"I wasn't crying," the redhead lied.
"Of course you weren't," the archer agreed. Sometimes, a little lie could only help.
"Cupcake, what should I wear for the double date?" Vi asked. She was lying on a sofa in her and Caitlyn's shared room. She didn't bother standing up, she knew they still had a plenty of time, but her girlfriend was running around, panicking and searching for her best clothes. No one knew those two shared their room. When they first arrived to the Institute, they got two rooms next to each other, separated by a single, thin wall, Vi had absolutely no problem punching through it. It surely made a lot of noise, but the building's inhabitants were used to much worse, for example from Cho'Gath, so they paid no special attention to it.
"I don't know, Vi, you look pretty dapper in that debonair outfit," Caitlyn replied, digging deep in her underwear drawer.
The enforcer stood up, lazily walked to the other woman and pulled her into an gentle embrace.
"Oh, really?" she asked, teasing the sheriff, "So you like it when I dress up for you?"
"I thought you already knew that," Caitlyn countered, "and you should just get dressed, I don't want to keep them waiting."
"Calm down, Cupcake, we still have an hour to go," Vi sighed and sat back on the sofa, "why do we have to do this at all? Don't get me wrong, I like Ashe, I just don't want to meet Katarina when I don't have to."
"Because when we talked with Ashe yesterday, there was something odd about her," the sheriff explained, "like if she wasn't telling us everything."
Vi sighed: "Cait, she's dating the most notorious bitch in the world. Of course there's plenty of what she's not telling us. Besides, shouldn't you focus on figuring out how to kill a guy who can see the future without him actually seeing the future in which he is killed, instead of analyzing new girlfriend of one of your friends?"
"But really, Vi," Caitlyn replied, "what can we certainly say about their relationship? Nothing!"
"I think we can certainly say Katarina is always on top," the enforcer smirked.
"Vi!" the sheriff started to laugh.
"What? Even I wouldn't dare to top a woman so fierce and aggressive," Vi said thoughtfully.
"That sounds like you've been thinking about it," Caitlyn accused her, but her girlfriend said nothing to defend herself. The sheriff finally found suitable underwear and shoes, then proceeded to her wardrobe and took out two low-cut purple dresses.
"So, which one should I wear?" she asked, expecting a good, solid advice from the pink-haired enforcer.
"I don't know, Cupcake, they look kinda... identical to me."
Caitlyn shot her a very disappointed glance.
"The one on the right?" Vi tried, this time earning a lot more satisfied look from her girlfriend. The sheriff put the other dress back and went to her bathroom, reemerging minutes later completely dressed and with her make up perfectly done. She found the other woman still lying on the sofa as if she hadn't moved a single inch in the meantime.
"Vi, we should really get moving, we can't be late!"
"Alright, alright, I'm going," the enforcer lazily stood up and proceeded to take her own clothing, "I hope Ashe chose a good restaurant."
"So you're telling me you knew all along those two were dating?" Ashe asked in a doubtful voice.
"Yup," Katarina confirmed, while digging in a pile of clothes, turning her room into a mess again.
"How did you know?" Ashe was extremely curious.
"Well, Vi is clearly gay and I knew she has someone, and those two were spending so much time together, so I put it together."
"Why is Vi clearly gay?" the archer didn't understand.
"Oh, there are some things, you know," the assassin explained.
"Like for example what?"
"This," Katarina stretched out her hand palm down.
"What am I looking at?"
"Short nails."
"Is that a lesbian secret sign?" Ashe wondered.
"Yeah, sort of," Katarina started laughing. Then she looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing her usual leather pants, but this time donned a sleek black blazer instead of leather jacket and a simple black shirt under it.
"Do I look alright?" she asked the archer.
"Almost perfect," Ashe replied, then proceeded to the assassin and unbuttoned three top buttons of her shirt.
"What are you doing?" the redhead asked.
"You're going on a date, Katarina," Ashe explained, "you have to look a bit flirty."
"No, I don't," the assassin said in a seductive voice, "I've already got you."
Ashe was blushing heavily and when Katarina saw it, she started laughing.
Caitlyn and Vi arrived first to their meeting point in front of the Institute, only moments before the other couple.
"Oh, here they come," Vi said in an excited voice, "and look, Cupcake, they're holding hands. It's so cute, why don't we hold hands more often, like we used to?"
"Because you always wear those stupid gauntlets of yours!" Caitlyn replied nervously. She planned to use the double date to get some information from the other couple, but she didn't want it to look like an interrogation. Ashe and Katarina came closer, the archer greeted them friendly while the assassin just nodded with a displeased grimace on her face. Ashe looked beautiful like a true royal, while her girlfriend wore an outfit similar to her usual attire.
"Hello, you two, what a lovely couple you are," the sheriff said and noticed that Katarina tried to murder her with her eyes.
"So, where are we going tonight?" Vi asked.
"To a really nice place," Ashe replied, "Katarina took me there on our first date. It's here in the town and it's mostly a bar, but you can get a small meal there too."
They entered the inn and found out Ashe had reserved a table for four earlier that day.
"I sometimes forget how amazing you are," Katarina commented it and winked at the archer. Vi nudged her girlfriend and whispered to her how adorable that was.
They sat down and ordered their meals. They talked and laughed a lot, well, at least three of them, Katarina was joining their converation only occasionally, but her effort was still visible. Ashe always smiled at her to show how much she appreciates it.
"How is the murder investigation going?" she asked Caitlyn.
"Not very well," the sheriff admitted, "it seems like there was no one who could have done it. Those who have motive have an alibi and those without alibi have no motive."
"Do you have any clues?" the archer asked again.
"So far Ryze has been the most helpful," Caitlyn explained, "he and Zilean were working on a way to cure the Chronokeeper's condition. He told me the thing Zilean wanted the most was to stop seeing the past, present and future mixed together."
"So you think he might have killed himself?" Katarina asked casually.
"And then hide the weapon in a shaft several meters away?" the sheriff looked at her like she was crazy.
"Sorry I just asked!" the assassin tried to sound offended. She was chewing a partially raw steak and drops of red liquid were soaking through her teeth and running down her chin. Ashe grabbed a paper napkin and wiped the drops, while still genuinely smiling.
"Katarina, you make mess even when you eat,"she said sweetly.
"Luckily this isn't the only thing I'll eat tonight," the redhead replied. Ashe's face instantly turned red and the other two women almost choked on their food. The dinner continued in an awkward silence, which suited the assassin, she could just keep eating without being disturbed.
"So," Vi tried to save the conversation, "you guys still call each other full names?"
"Yes," Ashe confirmed, "we haven't figured out any cute nicknames."
"I don't want to be called anything cute," Katarina said immediately.
"Maybe we can help you," Caitlyn offered and her girlfriend started giggling subtly, "Katarina, what were you called when you were little?"
The redhead had to think, but there was only one thing that came to her mind: "My father used to call me Kat."
Ashe was careful, she knew the assassin's father was a rather sensitive topic: "If your father used it I think it might not be the best idea."
"It'll do just fine," Katarina replied, she knew anything else the other three women would come up could be only worse.
"Great!" Caitlyn said, "Now one for Ashe."
The archer looked at the assassin and slowly spoke: "I remember you called me 'sweetie' once."
"Yes, I did," Katarina observed her with a very cold glare.
"Oh, come on, Katarina," Vi exclaimed, "you have to admit she's sweet!"
"She is," the redhead's eyes softened and she took another sip from her glass, "very sweet."
The conversation went on normally, until the archer had to go to the bathroom. That was the moment Caitlyn was waiting for. She and Vi surrounded Katarina and started 'questioning' her, asking about everything regarding her relationship with Ashe. The assassin felt like a cornered animal, but she knew she couldn't back away from this for the archer's sake. Katarina didn't like being questioned, so she always kept her guard up. Only thanks to this she was able to counter their questions with sarcastic comments that made the other two women uncomfortable. But there was one question she couldn't avoid, no matter how hard would she try: "Why do you like her so much?"
"What?!"
"I asked," the sheriff repeated her question, "why do you like Ashe so much that you settle down for her? You're quite infamous for your wild lifestyle."
"I'm not settling down," the assassin retorted, "well, not completely. And I see Ashe differently than other women because she is. She's beautiful and kind and sweet and smart and she cares for me very much and, yeah, she's kinda perfect."
"Wow," Vi said and stared at the Noxian in awe.
"I really didn't expect this from you, Katarina," Caitlyn added, "you're a very lucky woman."
"Yeah, I know," the redhead admitted.
That was all they managed to say until Ashe returned to the table. They ordered another round of drinks and kept chatting. A while later it was Katarina's turn to visit the bathroom and the Piltovians used this chance as well. It was time to question the Freljordian.
"She loves you very much," Caitlyn told Ashe, the archer immediately lightened up.
"You think so?" she asked excitedly.
"Definitely," the sheriff confirmed, "whatever you're doing, it's working. I would've never guessed I'd see Katarina so calm and... well, human."
"I'm just trying to show her that the world can be a lot better place than she thinks it is," Ashe replied, while the other two women were looking at her, examining her expressions.
"I bet it must be hard," Vi commented.
"Yes, she can be really draining sometimes," the archer said.
"I know what you mean," the enforcer chuckled and poked her.
"No! I mean emotionally," Ashe explained, blushing again, "she acts like she didn't know what to do with her feelings."
"Interesting," Caitlyn remarked, "maybe you could tell us what do you like so much on her?"
Ashe quietly sighed, this was going to be hard. She hated lying and, in fact, she never lied as much as since she started pretending to date Katarina. Fortunately, she could borrow some ideas from what Riven and Cassiopeia told her.
"I like her fierce attitude and that she's proud of who she is, no matter what others think," the archer said with a small grin, "and she's an absolutely amazing lover."
Katarina returned and found the other women chuckling, so she asked: "What's up? I hope you weren't slandering me while I was gone."
"No, of course not," Ashe said, pulled the assassin closer and planted a gentle kiss on her lips.
"We've been talking a lot about Kat and me tonight," Ashe continued when Katarina sat down next to her, "I'd like to hear about the two of you. How did you meet?"
"She tried to shoot me!" Vi shouted.
"You were breaking the law, Vi."
"Yeah, and your heart in the process."
Caitlyn and Vi started making out and Katarina averted her gaze, she has never been too fond of other people's happiness.
"I guess it's much more interesting than meeting here in the Institute," Caitlyn said, trying to elicit some reactions from the other couple.
"In fact we didn't meet here for the first time," Ashe said,immediately catching the attention of the others, "there was one time in Freljord, many years ago."
"I didn't know about that," the sheriff admitted, "tell us more."
"Yes! Yes! We need to know more!" Vi joined her.
Katarina gladly let the talking to Ashe, and the Freljordian told everything from her perspective and didn't leave out any detail. Katarina knew Ashe tried hard to depict their first encounter more romantically, but she didn't mind. In the end, it was the goal they were trying to achieve.
"So you saved her life and then, years later you two met again here in the Institute and fell in love. That's so romantic!" Vi gushed.
"But why were you in the Freljord in the first place, Katarina?" Caitlyn asked.
"Can't tell you," the assassin replied, "top secret Noxian military bullshit."
They remained silent for a short while and then the sheriff was the first one to speak: "I wonder what would you do if only one of you made her way into the League, considered that you are perfect soulmates and the universe clearly wants you together."
Ashe looked at Katarina and then at Caitlyn, thinking about what the Piltovian just said.
"Well, I hardly think the universe would want us together, it was just a lucky coincidence," she said, "and I really don't know what would I do without my Kat at my side here."
"I know exactly what would I do," Katarina replied, "I would drink a lot and fuck a lot of women, just like I did before I started dating Ashe. And about her, I'm pretty sure she would date Vi."
The enforced almost fell down from her chair, "What? Why do you think that?"
"Well, because she's much prettier than Caitlyn," the assassin retorted. She managed to kill the conversation entirely with that one comment.
Minutes later, after the couples silently split the bill and left the inn, Katarina and Ashe were slowly walking towards the assassin's room. They didn't hold hands this time and there was a deep, guilty silence between them.
"You were so rude, Katarina," the archer finally said, her voice didn't sound scolding, but very sorry instead, "you were rude to me and to my friends."
"I'm well aware of that!" the redhead growled.
"You made me sad," Ashe said, but Katarina didn't react, so she continued, "do you want to make me sad?"
"I don't care," the assassin responded.
"You don't?" the archer asked her softly. Katarina looked at the woman walking beside her, Ashe's features stood out in the weak light and looked even more exquisite than usually, but her face was sad.
"Maybe I do," the redhead admitted, "but only a bit."
"A bit is sometimes enough," Ashe replied and smiled.
Katarina wanted to tell her something so badly, something nice, something from the heart, but she struggled to find the right words and even when she thought she finally had them, it was hard getting them out.
"Hey, Ashe," she started sloppily, "I just... want you to know that... I'm getting used to you, you know, to having you around and stuff..."
"Oh, fuck, that was awkward!" the assassin thought.
Ashe ignored the awkwardness and any possible misinterpretations and replied genuinely: "I'm starting to like you too, Katarina."
Author's notes: So, till now no one has figured out the murder. I'm a bit disappointed, I thought I made it quite easy.
Caitlyn and Vi are the most often paired lesbian couple in the LoL fandom and I think it's quite easy to understand. As Katarina said in this chapter, Vi is clearly gay, there are many sign to it. For example her haircut is similar to those stereotypicaly associated with lesbians, her debonair skin too and the fact she calls Caitlyn "Cupcake" also gives away that those two are more than just friends. I almost feel like Vi was made as a token queer character, which is good, but it doesn't quite work for me.
On the other hand, I like to see Katarina as a lesbian, mostly because she is my favourite champion, but not only for that, I feel like she has some sort of lesbian vibes, if you know what I mean. I also tried to read fics with straight Katarina, but I didn't like it. Straight Kat is usually a shallow, one dimensional charcter or the well known and overused "cute attention seeking troublemaker girl, who just needs a man" trope, which is very bad and I think she deserves a better portrayal than that.
