Vi shuffled her feet rhythmically before advancing forward. Her sparring partner, some nobody Vander had dragged in off the street, had pink hair just like hers. Her guard was tighter than Vi's, but Vi knew that this girl lacked the confidence to be a vicious fighter. To get where she was today, fighting professionally, one needed the animal instinct to thrive and win.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see both Vander and Caitlyn studying her every move for their own reasons. Vander was becoming more and more brutal with his critiques with the fight against Sevika on the horizon. Caitlyn watched to see where her physical prowess would fail first, and harped on that weakness until Vi's lungs felt like an inferno. And, Vi hoped, she watched for other reasons.

The girl threw a body shot that Vi sidestepped and answered with a jab-jab cross of her own. Like water, her opponent slipped and rolled underneath her jabs and returned fire with an uppercut. Vi leaned back and felt the wind of the blow roll past her face and punched back with a vicious left hook.

The back-and-forth between them ended, her fist colliding with the side of this poor girl's face. She fell to the ground, battered but not unconscious. Despite the pain, she managed a lopsided grin, her neon green mouthguard almost falling off. Drool leaked out of her lip.

"That hurt," she said, wiping her mouth off.

"I would say I'm sorry," Vi replied, taking her glove off and offering a hand up. "But I'm not."

Her sparring partner took her hand and hoisted herself up. "Well Vander I hope this counts enough as a favor, I'm not stepping into the ring with her again."

Vander grumbled something to her, but Vi stopped listening. Her eyes met Caitlyn's and despite her best efforts, her heart fluttered in her chest. Although she cleaned up nice, this is the version of Caitlyn Vi preferred the most. Casual, athletic, and so hot it hurt.

"Well, coach, what do you think?" Vi grinned and leaned against the ropes.

Caitlyn looked up. "Overall, it's satisfactory. Your endurance is certainly improving."

Vi couldn't help but feel a small moment of victory. Being hounded for weeks with no break was finally paying off. She turned her gaze to Vander.

"We need to work on your footwork, but your guard looked… not like shit today. Which is good, your rematch is in a week," Vander said and started walking the rando out of the gym.

"Thanks," Vi drily responded once Vander stepped out of earshot.

She slid under the ropes and started taking her gloves off. Caitlyn reached out and started unwrapping her hands. Even though they had a stupid ass deal not to date, Caitlyn still found ways to show her tender affection. Although it sometimes physically pained her not to make a move on Caitlyn, the small gestures kept hope alive. Vi wondered where she would take on their first date…

"Doing anything fun tonight?"

Caitlyn shook her head no. "I'm staying in after work and maybe reading a book."

"Fun," Vi tsked sarcastically.

"And yourself?" Caitlyn finished re-wrapping her hand wraps. She handed them to Vi

Taking them, Vi shrugged. "The thing I would like to do is currently out of reach."

"Haha," Caitlyn deadpanned. "Very funny, Vi."

Vi smirked, pulling her gym bag over her shoulder. "For real, I'm just gonna watch TV or something."

"I'm surprised you aren't frequenting that bar," Caitlyn mused and began to follow Vi out the door.

Holding the door open, Vi replied, "there's no reason for me to."

The faintest blush appeared on Caitlyn's cheeks. "I see."

The pair walked through the parking lot to its edge where Caitlyn's cark was parked. The black car seemed so nice and sleek, the rims and spokes gleaming in the sunlight. The car was something that Vi would like once her career really started up. Her old one was a red beater whose bender sometimes scraped the pavement when she went up a hill.

"Would you like a ride home?" Caitlyn asked as she opened the car door.

Vi watched a couple of men crossing the street towards the parking lot. They looked like typical Zaunites, typical assholes.

"Naww," Vi shook her head. "I can walk."

The sound of a wretched wolf whistle reached Vi's ears. She whipped around to face the culprit.

"Hey baby," One snickered. Tattoos splattered haphazardly across his face and his bald head. "I'll take a ride anywhere."

"Or I'll give you something to ride," jeered the other, sporting an unkempt blonde mohawk.

Seething anger boiled up Vi's neck and her hands rolled into fists. Any tiredness she felt from training melted away into pure focus. Her eyes flashed wildly to Caitlyn, whose own gaze narrowed at the two men.

"I think we're fine, actually," she said diplomatically, but Vi recognized the sharp undertone. If they pushed, they'd be given hell.

Vi took a step forward, the sound of her foot hitting the pavement the only sound she could hear. She dropped her gym bag. Crossing her arms, she gave them a sharp glare.

"Keep your bitch on a leash," the bald one warned Caitlyn. "I would hate to have to put her down."

The other one spat at Vi, and she didn't remember making the decision to move. They turned on her, clearly surprised that she chose to confront them. Get this over quick. In, out, gone.

Vi put her hands up and closed the distance, throwing a hook at the bald one. She landed the hit, spit and blood flying from his mouth, and with her other hand, she grabbed the man's jacket and threw him into the blonde one. The blonde one staggered at the weight of the bald one but recovered.

He threw his own punches, shocking Vi with their speed. She slipped through the punch, pulling her leg back into a kick. The man's eyes widened. Her shin landed in his crotch, and he crumpled to the floor groaning.

Giving a final kick in both of their stomachs, Vi looked down at the two men with contempt.

Vi heard the familiar creak of the gym door opening, and Vander stepped out with a baseball bat.

"I see you've taken care of things," He nodded with approval. "Why don't you ladies get outta here and I give these fine young men a talking to?"

Vi struggled to catch her breath, not out of effort, but because she was livid that someone had the balls to talk to Caitlyn like that.

"Ahhh," She looked uneasily at Caitlyn and picked up her bag. "Sure?"

Caitlyn shrugged and stepped into the car with Vi following suit.

If Vi thought the exterior of the car was nice, she found herself floored by the interior. Sleek black seats were covered with sharp white trim. The stereo was touchscreen, illuminated by red lights. Seeing Caitlyn in the car made her feel incredibly small, an uncomfortable prickle of insecurity. Or was it jealousy?

Caitlyn started the car and it came alive with a smooth roar.

"So…" Vi said, drumming her fingers on her leg. Her eyes were not quite able to meet Caitlyn's. "Where are we going?"

The other woman sighed and pulled her ponytail out, shaking her head as hair fell to her shoulders. "Uhmm, well, actually before that, I wanted to say thank you."

"For what?"

Vi felt a hand reach for her thigh. "You have to be joking, right? You…"

The hand left her thigh and reached for her face, gently. Always gently. Vi finally brought herself to look into Caitlyn's blue eyes. She didn't know why, but she wanted to cry.

"You defended me. You didn't have to. Thank you," Caitlyn said and let go of Vi's face.

"No problem," Vi mumbled, hoping the warmth spread across her face didn't seem too obvious. "You probably could've kicked their asses, too."

Caitlyn gave a sly smile. "Probably. And, to answer your question since we're… getting to know each other better, would you want to come to my apartment? Or-or we could-"

"I wouldn't mind seeing where you live," Vi said, stopping Caitlyn from stuttering any more than she needed to. "Let's go."

"Perfect."

Caitlyn pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. From there on, Caitlyn took an unfamiliar route away from the gym, away from the neighborhood grew up in. She merged onto the highway and dirty alleys were replaced by immaculate greenery. There weren't a lot of occasions that called for Vi to visit Piltover, but it came as no surprise that this is where Caitlyn moved.

"So, Piltover, huh? Pretty nice place to start off with."

A strange look passed over Caitlyn's face. "I actually lived here when I was little."

"I thought you said you were new in town," Vi said, eyebrows raised.

"And I am. I was too young to remember much about Piltover, and my parents never brought me to Zaun. It's complicated." Caitlyn said with a certain finality to it.

"Fair 'nough," Vi said, sensing that she was eager to change the subject. "I've only crossed into Piltover a couple of times."

"It's a sufficiently fine place to live, I suppose. It definitely lacks the certain character of Zaun, though," she said, her eyes playfully looking over to Vi.

Chuckling, Vi shook her head. "If by character, you mean raccoon-sized rats, sure."

"I meant you, silly."

Vi rolled her eyes and leaned her head against the window, watching the glimmering buildings pass by. "So, since we aren't dating, what are we doing at your apartment?"

"We could clean up from training and… I was just going to ask you to a friendly dinner. On me."

"I dunno cupcake, that sounds awfully romantic…"

The car rolled to a stop on the side of a curb and Caitlyn let out an amused snort. "You're impossible."

She pressed a button on the dashboard and a garage door opened. They descended the concrete depths of the garage before Caitlyn pulled into the parking spot, surrounded by equally fancy cars.

"Once I get enough money to get Powder outta the hospital, the next thing I'm doing is buying one of those things," Vi said, looking intently at a powerful-looking red sports car. She pulled her gym bag

Caitlyn smiled and then gestured towards the elevator. The pair walked in tandem and waited in the elevator in relative silence. Vi reached down to pick at her hands but realized that she had taken off the wraps long ago. She opted instead to nervously tap her foot on the ground. If Caitlyn's car looked this nice, what was her apartment going to look like? And how did Caitlyn see her as anything else but a scrappy street rat?

The elevator dinged open, and Caitlyn lead them down the empty hallway. The black doors gleaned in the warm light. When she finally opened the door to the apartment, Vi's jaw dropped to the floor.

There was floor to ceiling windows that drank in the abundant sunlight and blue sky. The dark wooden floor looked like it hadn't been stampeded by a bunch of drunkards. The space was so open that Vi could see the kitchen and living room all in one place. Behind the kitchen a sliding glass door stood in place, a balcony adorned with plants and patio furniture beyond it. Her eyes scanned around and found that she could see that Caitlyn's bedroom door was slightly ajar, and inside was a very large bed with crisp white sheets.

"Holy fuck," Vi said, drinking in the sight. "There's no way Vander pays you enough to afford all of this."

Caitlyn shrugged almost dismissively. "Maybe so. But, the bathroom is down there if you'd like to get cleaned up first. I'll be in my room. Let me know if you need anything."

"You bet," said Vi absentmindedly, wondering if the change of clothes she brought would even be decent enough to go out in.

Vi padded down the hallway, carefully examining the walls and the pictures that hung on them. There, in the center of a wall, hung a picture of a much younger Caitlyn surrounded by who Vi presumed to be her parents. Caitlyn's mother was unsurprisingly very good-looking, and she clearly took qualities from her father. Caitlyn seemed to be a good mix of both her parents. Vi smiled and continued onto the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

She undressed, glad to be rid of the damp clothes. Vi pulled the shower curtain back to reveal a large shower head and ceramic tile. Fuckin' fancy, this is going to be the best shower ever. After a moment of staring at the various handles, Vi tried a combination of them before the water turned on. To her surprise, the hot water came out almost immediately, and she stepped into its warm embrace.

Vi let out a content sigh and let the powerful water beat against her face and chest. She scanned the shelves, seeing things like rose oil, vanilla scrub, and eucalyptus bar. Whatever the fuck a eucalyptus is?

Vi reached for the vanilla scrub, and when she opened the lid, her senses were assaulted by an all-too-familiar smell. Her pulse quickened as she realized this is exactly what Caitlyn smells like, especially that fateful night at the bar. Biting her lip, she dipped her fingers into the scrub and began cleansing herself of the workout.

Losing herself in the scent and the warmth, Vi panted as a pulse of wet seeped down her leg. Before she could stop herself, she rinsed her hand off and reached down. There was no mistake about it, she accidentally turned herself on. She turned her back so the water would patter pleasantly against it and propped her leg against the ledge of the shower. Vi didn't feel particularly great that she was about to jerk off in Caitlyn's shower, but the whirlwind of the events over the past few weeks coupled with the alluring smell sent her over the edge. If this makes me a pervert, whatever. I'll be quiet, Vi reasoned to herself.

As her fingers were about to reach down again towards her clit, she could vaguely hear the door click open.

"Sweetheart, how are you?" Caitlyn's voice called. Except, it didn't quite sound like her. Maybe it was the water or the blood pounding in her ears. Maybe Caitlyn was there to join her…

Vi straightened herself out of the vulnerable position, almost falling out of the shower.

"Ahhh, I'm doing great?" Vi answered tentatively. Don't be weird don't be weird don't be weird. "How are you?" Idiot.

Silence, then the shower curtain opened with such abruptness that Vi almost screamed in surprise. The woman also startled herself back. Vi moved to cover herself with her hands and realized with dread that this was in fact, not Caitlyn, but the woman she had seen in the picture just a few minutes earlier. Her mom.

"Who are you?! And what are you doing in my daughter's apartment? Where is Caitlyn?" The woman accused. Vi suddenly became aware exactly where Caitlyn got her attitude from. She turned off the water.

Vi pulled the shower curtain back, trying to preserve the last shreds of her dignity.

"I'm Vi?"

"Who in the bloody hell is Vi? I will call the police-"

"Caitlyn is my trainer, we were just coming back from today's session," Vi blurted.

Frantic footsteps echoed into the bathroom. "Mother! What are you doing here?!"

"I have the right to check up on my daughter! I was startled by this… this… stray you brought in!"

Vi could hear Caitlyn sigh in exasperation. "Yes, that's true, but you could at least call and let me know you're coming over before barging in!"

Caitlyn's mother harrumphed and nearly stomped out of the bathroom.

"Uh, Cait?" she asked. "I didn't mean to offend anyone."

Caitlyn let out an uneasy laugh. "I know Vi, my mum can be a bit of a helicopter parent. I'm sorry about that. Why don't you finish up and you can come out and meet her properly?"

Out of all the things Vi thought she would be doing today; this didn't even make the top ten list. "Sure."

Vi dried off frantically and scrambled to put her clothes on. To her relief, she had chosen nice pants and a decent t-shirt to change into. Looking at herself in the mirror, she slicked her pink hair back. Hoping to banish any wrinkles, she brushed herself off, took a deep breath, and left the bathroom. She straightened her back and pulled her shoulders back, mustering every ounce of confidence she could.

As she exited the hallway, she could see Caitlyn standing next to her mom.

"I apologize for frightening you," Caitlyn's mom said. "I thought someone may have been intruding."

Vi's cheeks flushed and she scratched the back of her head. "No problem Mrs. Kiramman. Just glad to step off on the right foot with you." She extended her hand.

Mrs. Kiramman gave a slight smile and took it. "Ah, yes. Caitlyn tells me that you are about to enter the pro-circuit. Very suiting of her to train you, seeing as I own the entire League."

Shoveling takeout into her mouth, Vi said in between bites, "you could have told me your mom was the head honcho of the whole fighting circuit."

After so suddenly meeting Caitlyn's mom, Vi refused to step foot out into Piltover. Meeting her mom was enough stress for one day. Caitlyn bribed Vi with takeout for her to stay and talk.

"I've already said sorry a million times!" Caitlyn groaned. "Besides, she doesn't do much aside from profit off the backs of fighters. Not like she's very involved. That's what the managers are for."

Vi let out a belch which caused Caitlyn to wince. "Is that how you got the job with Vander?"

"Absolutely not! I have earned the job based on my own merits." Caitlyn set down her fork and glared at Vi.

"Hey! Don't look at me like that," Vi poked her fork at Caitlyn. "It's a valid question."

"In any case, neither of my parents would have wanted me to settle as a professional trainer. They think it's below my station," Caitlyn muttered.

That earned a sympathetic look from Vi. "Look, cupcake, sorry. That was wrong. You've helped me take my training to the next level." She finished off her plate. "You're gonna help Vander win lots of titles."

A blush spread across Caitlyn's face. "Thank you, Vi. Do you… do you like my mother, at least?"

Vi took a swig of water. "I can see where you get your attitude from, that's for sure."

"So you do like her?"

"Yeah, she's kind of a badass." Vi thought back to her mother appraising her for the fighter she was going to be. "Very critical, but a badass."

"Oh good," Caitlyn said, poking the leftover food on her plate. "You'll be happy to know y father is less intense."

"Since the fight against Sevika is coming up… do you think if I win, they'll both…like me?"

Caitlyn's hand reached across the table, taking Vi's into her own. "They'll love you. You've got a good heart."

"Even though I'm a stray?"

Caitlyn laughed. "My mum says the strangest things when she's mad. Of course, they'll like you." She gave Vi's hand a playful squeeze, "especially since you're going to win them a lot of money."

Vi smirked. "Damn right. So, wanna watch some TV?"

"Yes, then I can drive you home."

Caitlyn took the other woman's dishes and met her on the couch in the living room. Vi flopped down on the couch as Caitlyn sat down next to her. Vi put an arm around and pulled her close, half-expecting Caitlyn to reject the gesture. She didn't. Instead, she snuggled closer to her side and nuzzled into Vi's neck.

TV noise played quietly in the background, neither of the women quite paying attention to what was on the screen. Vi sighed, letting go of all the tension of the day. Caitlyn looked up at her, brilliant blue eyes gleaming.

"It's been quite the day, hasn't it?"

"You could say that again, cupcake."

"Are you ready for this?"

Even though her lungs felt like they were burning up in an inferno, and her thoughts were running rampant, Vi pulled her gaze over to Caitlyn. She looked a little concerned, a cute frown scrunched on her face. It had been a little over a month since the last time Vi had seen Sevika face-to-face.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Vi said and shoved the metal doors open.

"It's just a weigh-in, kid. Save this energy for tomorrow," Vander warned.

Despite her nerves, Vi couldn't help but feel like a little bit of a badass. She had Vander and Caitlyn pulling up to the plate with her. Tonight was the last day before the fight, and the last time to bring more press attention to the match.

More reporters flashed their lights at the trio than had been present at the first fight. The mutual knockout had caused a surge of interest in the outcome of the rematch. Vi prayed that the extra attention would pay out a bigger purse, and maybe would even land her a sponsorship of some kind.

The trio walked up the steps of the stage, and with each step they took Vi could see Sevika and Finn more and more. Sevika looked down, a feral snarl splitting the features of her face. Vi stopped, undoing the strap of her robe, and stepped out of it. It fell soundlessly to the ground. Vi stood in a black sports bra and blood-red boxing shorts.

Sevika did the same, sporting an all-black get-up. She stepped forward so the two fighters stood so close together that one could hear the other's breathing. Vi raised her fists in the air in a pose and Sevika mirrored her. The reporters snapped their picture and Vi stared straight into Sevika's eyes. The wordless exchange sparked with electric hostility. Sevika looked like she wanted to do nothing more than knock Vi's teeth out.

The announcer from the previous fight looked anxiously between them. "Alright ladies, step onto the scales."

They broke pose and stepped onto their respective scales. Vi looked down at the scale and was not surprised she made weight. Judging by a lack of noise, Sevika made weight as well. The contract specifically stated that although Sevika could retain extra weight, it couldn't pass a certain amount. Extra weight or not, Vi was ready to kick Sevika's ass.

Vander and Finn shook hands.

"Sevika and Vi have made weight, the fight is on for tomorrow!" The announcer said. "The press conference will now begin."

Both parties moved to sit down at the tables that were behind the scales. Vi was careful not to bump shoulders with Sevika. The last thing she wanted was trouble before the match even started.

A reporter raised their hand. "This question is for Vander's fighter."

Vi leaned into the microphone that sat on the table. "My name is Vi." The microphone gave a loud whine of feedback, and Vi adjusted it away from her.

"Err. Yes. My question is about if you think that Vander made the right call in hiring you a new personal trainer. One with no fighting experience. Is this nepotism gone rampant?"

Irritation pricked at Vi's skin and she gripped the microphone, knuckles tightening around it. "I'm not here to question Vander's calls. I'm just here to fight. As for Ms. Kiramman, her training will speak for itself tomorrow."

Vander leaned into his microphone. "I hired Caitlyn a month ago, independently of the relationship to the owner of this League. This isn't news. Find some other sensationalized headline."

The reporters muttered jointly, and it was clear that they had intended to make their team look bad since they hired Mrs. Kiramman's daughter. Vi looked over to Caitlyn, who looked back with gratitude. She titled her head in thanks, and Vi gave her a little thumbs up.

A different reporter approached the stage. "My question is for Sevika."

Sevika did not look pleased with the prospect.

"Sevika, you are approaching the end of your career. You've sustained various injuries. Why do you keep going? What's the motive here?"

Sevika looked over to where Vi was seated. "I keep going because punks like her," she jabbed a finger towards Vi. "Think they're hot shit. I'm here to humble them and make some fucking money in the process."

"Vi, how do you respond to that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Listen, I'm not here to be humbled. I'm here to kick some ass, and if it has to be Sevika, then so be it."

Her opponent bristled and stood up with the microphone. "It's offensive that this runt thinks she's on the same level as me. Where are her championship belts? I'm going to put her in the fucking hospital."

Vi stood too, knowing full well that the more dramatic she was, the more views they were going to get for the fight. She shoved the table away, and it skirted across the stage violently.

"Forget about putting me in the hospital," Vi sneered, giving Sevika the middle finger. "I'm going to end this brute's career tomorrow, mark my fucking words."