Though she'd only been gone for a few days, Caitlyn felt strange being back inside her family home. She barely had a moment of rest since Progress Day, as she and Vi had been constantly running from danger. Now, inside these familiar walls, all of that built up adrenaline drained away. She rested with Vi for a few moments, listening to her stories about her sister.
Even with the doors to her room shut, Caitlyn could feel her parents hovering outside them. Her mother had clearly been displeased with her recounting of events. Another scolding was sure to come, but not until after the council meeting. Caitlyn put it out of her mind for now.
She indulged herself in this moment of respite, with her fingers gently intertwined with Vi's. A silence had overcome them, long and peaceful.
The calm would only last so long.
Soon, they needed to prepare for the council meeting. A shower and set of clean clothes were a must, as well as a hearty meal. Dirt, sweat, and blood had been three of the constants over the last few days. Vi's clothes in particular were covered in crusted dirt and flecks of dried blood.
Not that it took away from her appearance, not at all. Caitlyn tried not to think too much about that, the way she'd lost her breath when Vi had first cornered her against a wall. The feelings that had been stirring inside her ever since. Those thoughts too, would be best suited for after the council meeting.
No, now it was time to prepare. Caitlyn reluctantly sat up, pulling her hand softly away from Vi's. The other woman followed her with her eyes, questioning without saying a word.
"Shall we get cleaned up?" Caitlyn asked, leaving the chance open for Vi to say no, to reach up and pull her back down.
That didn't happen. Vi rolled towards the side of the bed, kicking her legs over as she rose. "I can't remember the last time I was clean." She stretched as she stood, one arm lifted over her head.
Caitlyn looked away, setting her feet firmly on the ground at the back of the bed. "Well, you're in luck, I'll show you to the shower." She gestured for Vi to follow as she got to her feet, stepping around her crime board. She paused at her dresser to grab a spare set of clothes for Vi, which hopefully wouldn't be too tight on her.
The pair exited the doors to her room, walking the short distance to the bathroom without disturbance. As expected, the room was unoccupied.
Vi glanced around as they entered, eyes lingering on the large mirror.
Caitlyn shut the door and placed the spare clothes on a nearby table, watching as Vi moved around the room. "The shower is in the through there. If you give me your clothes, I can wash them for you."
Vi's eyebrow popped up, a mischievous grin sparking her cheek. "You want to wait here for them?" She lifted her hands to the sides of her jacket, starting to push it off one shoulder.
Wait, Caitlyn hadn't thought this through. Had she really just asked Vi to strip in front of her? Her eyes widened and her cheeks warmed as the coat exposed very muscular arms. Though this was no more of Vi than she'd seen when they met, she raised both hands in a forceful waving motion.
"No, no, I'll wait outside." Caitlyn stepped back, practically bumping into the door in her haste to escape. Vi chuckled as she managed to open the door and scurry through it.
Once the door was fully shut, Caitlyn leaned her back against it. She let the back of her head rest against the sturdy surface, grounding her. She tried not to let her mind roam as she waited, to not imagine what was happening on the other side of that door.
It was difficult not to.
When Caitlyn heard the sound of running water, she hoped it was safe to go back inside. She opened the door slowly, carefully peeking in. With a sigh of relief, she saw that Vi was gone. She'd left a pile of clothing, right next to the folded set Caitlyn left for her. A couple long bandages lay on top, presumably from Vi's arms.
Caitlyn wasted no time picking up the whole pile of garments and vacating the bathroom as quickly as possible. She went back to her room to change, then took all of the offending articles to the washroom.
Washing clothes wasn't her favorite chore by any means, but if it needed to be done then she would do it. Her years as an enforcer had taught her how to remove the nastiest of bloodstains. She needed those skills now, especially for Vi's clothing.
The bandages were extra bad, with bloodstains and dirt that must've piled on for years. She cleaned them first and hung them to dry in the window, since they would dry quickly in the sun. Caitlyn suspected that Vi would want them back sooner rather than later.
Her handkerchief was in there too, that she'd used for Vi's stomach wound. The blood ran from it in rivulets of red, a stark reminder of how badly things could've gone. If she hadn't been able to get that medicine, the situation could've turned out far worse.
Caitlyn kept cleaning, working her way through the other clothes. It took a while of scrubbing until she was able to get everything else cleaned.
As expected, the bandages had dried while she did the rest. Caitlyn unclipped them to take with her as she went back towards her room. She folded them carefully so they wouldn't drag against the ground. That had taken a while; Vi was probably done by now.
Caitlyn had been correct. When she entered her room, she found Vi lounging there once again. This time she sat on the floor, on the front side of the crime board.
Caitlyn called out as she approached, not wanting to startle her friend. "How are you feeling?" She asked.
Vi turned to look over her shoulder, giving a half wave. Her hand and wrist were exposed, missing the usual bandaging. "Better than ever, cupcake." Her hair was still damp, sticking up slightly as it dried.
"Glad to hear it." Caitlyn declined to comment on the nickname as she stopped next to Vi, joining her in sitting on the floor. She turned to look at her, taking in her new appearance. The clothes Caitlyn left for her had indeed been too tight. The shirt hugged her shoulders, the fabric rippling as she turned her body towards Caitlyn.
Her arms, which Caitlyn hadn't really seen before, were now exposed. Vi always had her hands and wrists covered, always protected with layers of fabric. Now Caitlyn could see them, and she understood why. Small scars and bruises decorated each knuckle, with bruises of various degrees healing on each forearm. It was expected for someone who fought with their fists, both from the force of hitting and from taking blows.
Caitlyn placed the bandages in her lap, then slowly reached forward to take Vi's left hand in her own. Despite always being covered, her fingers were rough. The other woman didn't protest, allowing her hand to be pulled. Caitlyn kept her eyes on their hands.
"Can I bandage them for you?"
Vi inhaled sharply, a sound that was impossible to miss. Caitlyn glanced up, just for a moment. Vi's expression had softened, in a way Caitlyn wasn't sure what to make of.
"Yeah, I'd like that." Vi's voice was soft, the sound hardly tickling Caitlyn's ears. Her hand squeezed Caitlyn's gently, punctuating the remark.
Slowly, carefully, Caitlyn picked one of the bandages up. She let go of Vi's hand to unroll it, then carefully began wrapping it around her fingers. She finished her hand then moved slowly down her wrist.
Caitlyn remembered when, in the depths of the undercity, Vi rejected her attempt to staunch her wounds. Now, as she so gingerly wrapped a fresh bandage around Vi's forearm, she could only marvel at how far they'd come. When they first met she hadn't even considered that they could be friends. Now, she wasn't sure what they could be.
Once she reached the lower forearm, she neared the end of the bandage. Caitlyn tied it securely, making sure it wouldn't slip.
Without a word, Vi offered her other hand. Her grey eyes shimmered in the afternoon light, which filtering through the window.
Caitlyn took the second bandage and began again, winding it with great care. She covered each bruise, each injury, with fresh white cloth. Though they were not longer visible, they were still there.
Just as Caitlyn had been learning more about Vi, about her sister, she learned this too. Some wounds were carried just under the surface, just out of sight.
Vi didn't wince as they were touched, merely held still as Catilyn's fingers brushed over her skin.
After another moment, the second bandage was done.
Caitlyn should've pulled back, since her task was done. She should've restored the gap between them.
She didn't.
Caitlyn took Vi's hand with both of hers, that strong, resilient hand. As before Vi was pliant, willing as she directed her.
Caitlyn tilted her head forward as she lifted Vi's hand up, softly placing her lips against the bandaged knuckles. It was only for a moment, a single heartbeat. Vi didn't pull back.
She wasn't really sure why she did it. It certainly wasn't part of the bandaging process, and it wouldn't protect her unlike the cloth wrap. It was an impulse, part of a growing desire that Caitlyn was struggling to hold back.
When she looked up, slowly lifting her eyes to meet Vi's, the other woman's gaze was locked on her.
"For luck." Caitlyn said simply, hoping her composure hadn't slipped. She released Vi's hand.
Instead of pulling back, Vi lifted her hand to stroke Caitlyn's cheek. Even with the bandage, her touch was soft.
"I knew you were sweet."
It felt hard to breathe in this moment, as Caitlyn leaned into that touch. She could lose herself in Vi's smile, in her eyes. For a moment she wanted to.
But no, Caitlyn reminded herself, now wasn't the time for that. They still had some time, but they weren't ready for the council meeting. They needed to make a plan.
"Haha, very funny." Caitlyn quipped, rolling her eyes.
When Vi pulled back, returning her hand to her side, Caitlyn didn't stop her. She picked up a notepad from her crime board, flipping to a new page.
They still had many preparations to make. Whatever this was between them, no matter how much it boiled in her chest, it could wait.