Anxious to Meet the Parents
Vi fidgeted with her red bow-tie. She'd been struggling with it for the past 10 minutes. Not because she didn't know how to tie it, she practiced a lot, but because today was the day she'd been dreading for the past week.
Today was the day she'll get to meet Caitlyn's parents.
"Still struggling with the bow tie?" She heard her girlfriend laugh behind her. Girlfriend. Sometimes Vi still had a hard time accepting that this was reality, not some wonderful dream.
Vi turned around, and the sight she saw convinced her it was real. Caitlyn in a lovely midnight blue dress that left her back bare and just a little bit of thigh and leg peaking trough, a little act of rebellion she called it, and lovely black heels that Vi would mistake for a weapon under different circumstance. This had to be real, her mind couldn't possibly think of something that beautiful.
She got a dopey smile on her face, "You're so pretty Cait." Caitlyn walked towards her, Vi immediately reaching for her to pull her into a hug.
Caitlyn broke the hug too soon for Vi's taste, her hand finding the bow-tie, "I've seen you tying this in front of a mirror for the past week. What's the trouble?"
Vi groaned, "Everything's fine Cupcake. Today's an important day that's all. I'm meeting my future in-laws. And I know they already don't have the best impression of me."
"Vi we're not engaged." Caitlyn deadpanned despite the little blush on her cheeks indicating that she was excited about the thought.
"Of course not. We've only been dating for a few months. You wanna slap a ring on me already Kiramman?" There was that humor and mischievousness that Caitlyn missed, "Still its nerve-wracking for me you know. All this... suits, bow-ties, fancy dancing and dinners... its a big change for me. I just don't want them to think you're... settling." Vi hung her head, looking down at her fancy, well at least she thought so, dark black shoes and pants.
Her outfit was expensive, especially by Zaun standards, but she wasn't sure what Caitlyn's parents would think. Honestly she didn't want to care, really she didn't. But she couldn't help it. She had to be better than her best. For Caitlyn.
"Darling look at me." Caitlyn's gentle voice coaxed her eyes back up. She was met with the sweetest eyes she'd ever seen as Caitlyn cupped her face, "You don't need to do anything special for anyone. Least of all my parents. Trust me if you've seen some of the women they've tried to set me up with over the years you'd smash your head against the wall from how boring they all were. But you? You're exciting and wild."
"Exciting and wild huh?" Vi wiggled her eyebrows.
"Oh shut up. You know what I mean." She pulled Vi in for a little kiss, "You'll do fine."
"I guess. Thanks for tying the bow-tie. And the pep talk." Vi honestly wished she could just stay like this. In Caitlyn's embrace, without a care in the world. But sadly she had to face devils sometime. With great effort she let go, "What do you think Cupcake? Sleeves rolled up or no?"
"Rolled up." Caitlyn answered without missing a beat, "And no jacket. I know you don't particularly like it."
Vi chuckled as she rolled up the sleeves of her cream colored shirt, "Well no. How else would I show off these?" Vi flexed, the material of the shirt straining, clearly showing her defined biceps. Caitlyn had to swallow a moan and remind herself that they had a meeting with her parents to go to.
"Right. Now that would be a real crime." Caitlyn knew she made a mistake the moment she was the shine in Vi's eyes.
"A crime huh? Are you gonna handcuff me Cupcake? That's so kinky." If Vi was making jokes then she's in a better mood already.
"Let's go. We're gonna be late." The thought did sound interesting, but Caitlyn really couldn't think about it now. She took a laughing Vi by the hand and started walking out of the apartment. On their way out Vi picked up her dark red vest. Sleeveless of course.
Vi was still nervous, and growing more and more nervous the closer they got to Caitlyn's home. Or castle as Vi liked to call it. But Caitlyn was right. She couldn't let this get to her. She faced much bigger threats. She'll be fine, she'll be fine.
She was not fine.
She could feel the Kiramman's watching her every move from the moment she walked in. They were currently sitting in the living room. Caitlyn's parents on one side of the table and Vi and Caitlyn on the other.
"I must say... Violet was it?" Mr. Kiramman spoke in a calm and collected manner, much like Caitlyn had when they first met or when she was being highly professional. Vi nodded, "When Caitlyn informed us she was seeing someone you're certainly not what I was expecting. Caitlyn tells us you're currently training to be an enforcer. Is that correct?"
"That's right." Vi figured she'd keep her answers short. "Like Caitlyn, I want to help people. Make their lives better. Piltover and Zaun alike." She knows first hand how lawless Zaun can seem, she's lived it. And she's lived trough the ruthlessness of Enforcers and Stillwater. She'd seen the injustice. So had Caitlyn.
If they were gonna clean up crime, then they had to do it the right way. And if climbing trough the ranks of Enforcers means that Vi can make sure no innocents get hurt, get sent to jail unjustly like she was, that the criminals get taken down as soon as possible, to catch her sister, then she'll be the best Enforcer Piltover's ever seen.
Mr. Kiramman hummed, his eyes looking over the tattoos peaking from Vi's sleeves and the one on her neck and of course the VI under her eye.
"How long have you and Caitlyn been courting?" The next question came from Mrs. Kiramman. Her eyes felt like they were looking straight into Vi's soul. It weirded her out.
"A few months. But we've known each other for almost a year." The two shared a tender look, "At this point not a day goes by that I don't think of her." They didn't have to know that not all Vi's thought were clean and innocent. Caitlyn took Vi's hand in her own, their fingers intertwining.
"A year? And why haven't you brought her to meet us sooner Caitlyn?" Mrs. Kiramman's eyes landed on Caitlyn, squinting at her, making the sharpshooter shift in her seat. Vi opened her mouth to say something but stopped when Caitlyn gave her a look. She'd dealt with this before.
Caitlyn looked at both her parents, "Because I wanted time alone with her. Because I wanted to get to know her on her own terms. Without the two of you sending whoever you payed for to spy on us. I know you did that before. And I know that you always had to talk to any woman I ever wanted to date before I dated her. Even if you picked her yourselves it was always the two of you first before I could even take any of them on a date." Caitlyn was getting more and more heated as she talked, her voice getting more and more irritated as she recalled those times.
Her parents always had to make sure whoever she was dating was right for her. And she knew that Vi knew that. She knew that Vi was putting pressure on herself because of that.
"Vi is the best person I've ever met." Vi's eyes widened at Caitlyn's words, "She's strong, brave, handsome, has the biggest heart, she cares about me, she always has my back. I could ask for a better partner and girlfriend."
"Aww babe." Caitlyn looked at Vi with so much love and admiration that she thought her heart might explode. She squeezed Caitlyn's hand and straightened her back when she looked at the Kiramaan's, "Caitlyn saved me. More than once. Other than my sister she's my everything. She makes me want to be better every day, makes me feel things I never thought I would. I came here today because I was worried sick that you might think she chose wrong when she chose me. But now I realize that that's stupid as fuck." The scandalized look on both Topsider's faces was priceless.
Vi undid her bow-tie and one button on her shirt, it was so much easier to breathe now.
"I love your daughter. I know that and so does she. And now you do too. And you can bet every bit of money that you have that my love for her won't change. I don't care if you think Caitlyn's making a mistake. Because I know she isn't. She's way too much of a nerd to be making the same mistake for a year." Caitlyn rolled her eyes affectionately. Then looked back at her parents, they were stunned.
She didn't know if it was because Vi cursed or because of everything else. It was a good speech she had to admit. And Piltovians loved a good speech.
Seconds seemed like hours, until finally Caitlyn's father spoke up.
"Very well. I'm still not fully convinced but we Kiramman's have been wrong before." He shared a look with his wife.
"Indeed. Let's see if you're a woman of your word miss Violet. Pretty words are common in Piltover but we also expect to see action and results. So I expect you not to break out daughters heart. Or you will go back to Stillwater, with no chance of getting out this time." Vi could see where Caitlyn got her intimidation from. But wait a second...
"You knew I was in jail?" Vi's eyebrows shot up, disappearing into her hairline.
Both Caitlyn's parents chuckled, "Of course. The moment she told us who you were we asked for a background check. You have a clean record so I don't know why you were sent to Stillwater, however you also have a record stating that helped with unrest in Zaun a year ago and were seen fighting side by side with Jayce and Caitlyn." Mr. Kiramman's voice now held the tiniest hint of humor.
"We wanted to see what kind of woman you really are. From the way you held yourself here and what Caitlyn said I expect you to continue to impress us." Vi and Caitlyn's eyes widened at those last words. Vi's mouth went dry, she wasn't sure what to say to that. So she only nodded her head.
The rest of the evening went better, now that the heavy air was lifted. Vi still felt a little out of place but she had Caitlyn there and the staring from Caitlyn's parents got less intense the more the night went on.
After they said their goodbye's and Caitlyn promised to bring Vi to visit again the two headed back to Vi's apartment.
"Man I'm good." Vi had a cocky smirk on her face as she stretched her arms above her head, "I don't know why I was worried. That was way easier than I thought. I think they really like me. Next thing you know they'll be asking when's the wedding." Vi slipped one hand around Caitlyn's waist and pulled her closer to her side.
"I think you might be getting a little ahead of yourself. But yes. Things did you well all things considered. However you do realize that now they're expecting you to show results." And even Caitlyn wasn't sure what exactly those were since her relationships never lasted that long in the past.
"Making you happy right? I can do that. No problem Cupcake." Vi flashed her that signature smirk that always made Caitlyn's stomach flip.
"I know you can." Caitlyn pulled her in for a brief and gentle kiss.
When they separated Vi's smirk only deepened, "So about those handcuffs..."
"You're impossible." Caitlyn felt a blush coming on quickly, but she couldn't help but laugh along with Vi. She knew she and Vi would make each other the happiest couple in the world. She knew she made the right decision, taking a risk on her a year ago. She hadn't regretted it since. And she never will.