"Calm down 'Kali. It's just a science project." Kai'sa said with an amused tone, "Look at me."
Akali turned to face Kai as she stood just inside the front door of Kai's house.
"If I don't get an A on this, I'm gonna fail science. Science, Kai. It's like, the only class I don't fall asleep in half the time." she answered anxiously, her foot tapping on the hardwood floor.
"Hold still." Kai ordered, her hands reaching up towards Akali's neck, tugging on her tie, "You always mess this up... Do you not know how to tie a tie properly?" she teased, her eyes meeting with Akali's for a moment.
Akali stood still with her hands by her sides, watching Kai as she stood so close, her hands unraveling the tie around Akali's neck. She was so pretty.
"Of course I do..." Akali answered quietly as Kai began to properly slip the tie around the collar of her school shirt. Kai just knew everything, and she was just. So perfect, Akali wished she could just tell her how perfect she was. How she had no idea why Kai wanted to be her friend all those years ago. But in the end, she didn't care why, after everything they had gone through, there was no way she'd let anything split them apart.
"Could have fooled me... Also, don't pop your collar. It doesn't look professional." she remarked, even though she always liked how Akali carried herself. Unbuttoned jacket, rolled up sleeves. So carefree, her bright blue hair tied up in that wild ponytail of hers.
"Kai?" Akali and Kai had been simply staring at one another for a few moments, both of them lost in their thoughts. Their cheeks turned a light shade of red, and Kai began finishing up on Akali's tie. She'd then pull Akali's jacket closed and begin to button it up for her.
"Thanks..." Akali muttered. Kai's hands held onto the seem of Akali's school jacket, her eyes slowly looking back into Akali's.
"Okay, girls. Time to go!" Kassadin shouted as he came down the hall, "Do you two want a ride?" he asked as he looked over at them.
Kai quickly let her hands fall to her sides and looked towards the ground, whereas Akali smiled and shook her head.
"Nope, we're good. Too nice of a day not to walk!" Akali picked up her typical backpack, pulling the strap across her shoulder. She'd then pick up her cherished school project. It is a construction made out of wood, paper, and paint. It was a visualization of the planet and the stars. It shows how zodiac signs were off by a few months in the present day, amongst many other astrological facts.
They began their walk to school, and Akali looked off into the trees, still thinking of that eerie feeling she had felt last night. She was sure something was watching her, something she could not see.
"What are you looking at?" Kai asked, squinting as she looked off in the same direction.
"Nothing... I dunno. I felt like something was watching me last night when I was walking home." Akali answered as she turned away from the trees, looking down at her school project in her hands.
"Last night? Uh, what time did you leave?" Kai asked, remembering that she laid down shortly after getting home from the canceled guardian training.
Akali chewed on her lower lip, hesitating, "Uhm... Like. Ten or something." she answered sheepishly, looking at Kai from the corner of her eye.
Kai's eyes went wide for a moment, looking ahead as well, "You... Laid in bed with me for like... Five hours?" she questioned as she clutched her book to her chest.
Akali blushed furiously, "I-I fell asleep." she answered quickly.
"We slept-" Kai began but quickly stopped, her cheeks burning bright now, a smile lightly tugging on the corners of her lips.
About halfway to school, Umi popped up just over Akali's shoulder, whisper-squeaking something into Akali's ear. While Ina was watching from behind Kai with quite the mischievous expression.
Akali's brows furrowed as she listened, then her eyes went wide, "N-No way!" she shouted, then quickly covered her mouth, causing both Ina and Umi to burst into a squeaky giggle fit.
"What? What's wrong, 'Kali?" Kai asked, a bit startled by Akali's shout from seemingly out of nowhere. She'd then look to Ina, who quickly stopped laughing, "Ina..."
"Nothing... Nothing." Akali answered rather quickly and appeared to be quite flustered.
Kai's curiosity was piqued, but they were just arriving at the school, so she just gave Ina a narrowed gaze.
"I'm gonna go talk to Xayah... Uh, see you in homeroom, okay?" Akali said as she stopped to look at Kai'sa, "And uh, could you go put this down on my desk?" Akali offered her precious science project, and Kai took it as she nodded.
"Sure!" she answered, and Akali smiled brightly before quickly walking over to Xayah, who was rolling her eyes at Rakan as he was looking at himself with his pocket mirror. Kai couldn't help but roll her eyes as well.
Kai sat in the classroom. She was there pretty early; only a couple other students were in there with her. Unfortunately, boredom took over relatively quickly, and she couldn't help but keep looking at Akali's project and decided to go sit at her desk and look through it. A few adjustments there, a couple of grammar mistakes already in her essay...
"Kai!" Akali shouted as she stared her through the doorway of the classroom before walking over with an annoyed expression, "Jeez, you just can't help yourself, can you?" she said, doing her best to sound mad, but she clearly found it amusing, judging by the smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth.
"Sorry... I was just bored." she answered as most of their classmates came in to sit down as well.
"Kai, when are you gonna start doing my homework for me as well?" Ekko said teasingly to the two of them, grinning as he sat down at his desk directly behind Akali, Kai on her right.
Akali turned around in her seat, staring at him with narrowed eyes, "She doesn't do my homework for me, Ekko." she answered in annoyance.
"Not always." Kai said as she looked at the two of them with a smile.
"Traitor..." Akali spun around to stare at Kai, who began to chuckle and was quickly joined by Ekko in laughter.
It was nice to see Kai back to herself, not slumped over the desk, her mind plagued by nightmares, but laughing and happy. Akali smiled, looking down at her desk. But now, she was nervous. Scared, even. This project, Umi's teasing, or well. Suggestion. And there was also that feeling of being watched last night.
Her presentation was also the last class of the day, so she had to worry about it all day. Although, at the least, every other class was boring for her as usual, most of Akali's homework was always done with help from Kai.
"You're going to nail it, 'Kali, believe in yourself." Kai said with a bright smile, giving Akali's tie a brief tug as she stood in front of her. As they both stood just outside the door to their science class, they still had a few minutes before it started. Most of the other kids sat in class or talked by their lockers.
Akali's nerves subsided; Kai always seemed to have that effect on her, as long as Kai wasn't sacrificing some part of herself for her.
"Thanks..." Akali glanced down towards her feet for a moment, gulping, "I wanted to ask you something..." she'd then cast a glance to her right, seeing both Ina and Umi staring on encouragingly.
"... What is it, 'Kali?" she questioned, staring back into Akali's eyes.
"Would you want to go-" she began to speak, a question she had wanted to ask Kai for so long now. One that would give voice to the feelings she had held down for so long. Why she chose this moment, she had no clue, but she went for it. Only to be interrupted by a girl standing next to them.
"There you are!" Ahri shouted as she stood between the two girls, oblivious to the scene that was about to unfold. She stood there with her hands on her hips, fox tail swaying idly behind her.
"Xayah told me about everything. Are you doing okay?" Ahri said to Kai,
Kai smiled back happily, giving Ahri a nod, "Yeah! I think whatever Nilah did had worked. I haven't had any of those nightmares. Well, at least last night, I was okay."
"Still... It's a bit worrying what it could all mean, but whatever it is, I am sure we can all handle it. Have either of you noticed anything else?" she asked, her gaze flickering back and forth between the two.
Akali looked nervous, her eyes darting back to Kai as she thought of what to say. She didn't want to mention what she felt last night; Kai was finally feeling better and didn't want to worry her, so she shook her head, "No... Nothing out of the usual." Akali answered, glancing back to Ahri.
"Not really!" Kai answered as well.
Ahri furrowed her brows, "Okay... Good! We should do some inter-team training soon! But we can talk about that later, gotta go!" and before either of them could say anything in return, the fox had made her way off.
Akali sighed and briefly looked towards Umi and Ina, who lingered above the lockers, pouting. Shortly after, the bell for class rang, and the hall was then filled with students rushing to class at the last moment.
"You're gonna do great. Come on." Kai'Sa said reassuringly, pulling Akali into class by her hand.
Kai sat up in the front row as Akali took to the front of the class with her project, setting it down on the table provided. She glanced up, everyone staring at her, the teacher included. Her palms began to sweat as she grew nervous once more.
Then she looked to Kai, smiling brightly, having absolute faith in Akali's ability to do anything. She gave Akali a nod, which was all she needed for her worries and lack of self-confidence to melt away.
A+
The mark she got on her paper when class was over. She did it. She couldn't believe it. It was such a small thing, a stupid class project, but she really put her heart into it. But she would never have had the confidence to pull it off without Kai. That just made it so much more meaningful. Maybe this would be something her mother would finally give her credit for; it was her first A+ of the year.
"Look!" Akali shouted as they stood outside of the class, pointing to the A on the paper.
Kai couldn't help but grin as she looked at the excitement in Akali's eyes. How far they have come from first becoming guardians. Kai wasn't sure they'd ever be able to go back to how things were, but here they were. Proof that nothing could ever come between them ever again.
"I told you that you could do it, 'Kali!" she answered and then was nearly tackle-hugged by Akali in response. Kai was quick to return the hug, laughing into her shoulder.
"Noodle Bills to celebrate?" she continued, causing Akali to jump up and down.
"Noodle Bills!" Akali shouted before rushing out towards the front of the door, practically dragging Kai'sa along with her.
"Mmph..." Akali was now eating the rest of Kai's bowl as she walked home with her, letting Kai carry her school project for her.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to the way you eat spicey noodles, 'Kali..." she said as she watched her best friend devour the noodles like a gremlin.
"Then why do you keep buying them for me!" she answered, her cheeks stuffed with noodles still.
It was a fair question with an easy answer, "It makes you happy." she said plainly before looking down at the project in her hands, just as the street lights flickered on in the wake of the setting sun.
As they reached Akali's house, she handed the empty bowl over to Kai in exchange for her science masterpiece. Kai looked down at the empty bowl and heaved a sigh.
"I'll text you." Akali says over her shoulder as she walks down the stone path to her front door.
Kai'sa waved goodbye and turned to go home as well.
Akali struggled to grab the doorknob while holding the two-month machination in her hands, then used her knee to push the door open, "Agh." she grunted out before pulling the door closed behind her with her foot.
"What are you so happy about?" her mother said disparagingly from just down the hall, not stopping to give Akali much more of a glance as she made her way to the kitchen.
Akali froze at the door, her excitement fading as she could almost feel the animosity in the air. She glanced down at her project and tensed her jaw before trying to walk by, "Doesn't matter, it's stupid..." she muttered in response, then tried to make an escape to her room.
"Has to be something. Never see you smile like that when you get home." her mother replied, briefly averting her eyes towards Akali as she grabbed her purse from the countertop.
Akali stopped. She was nearly to her room, her fingers dug into the cardboard base of her project, and she turned around, "Like you'd even care what it was... Like you've cared about anything in my life." Akali spat back in frustration.
"Well. I'm heading out of town for a few days, 'Kali. I'm going to be visiting your uncle. Try not to burn the house down while I'm gone." she answered, disregarding Akali's accusation rather blatantly.
Akali glared at her, then rolled her eyes and sneered, letting out a quiet snort of laughter as she went to turn to her room once more, the grip on her project tightening further, causing the cardboard to crease and fold between her fingers.
"Oh, you find that funny, do you?" Her mother questioned accusingly, staring at Akali in the hallway.
"I just can't believe how you can just... Just leave like that. Like, you just don't fucking care. And it's so funny how damn stupid I am to think that maybe, just maybe, you might be happy for me this once. Be proud of me. My whole life, I've cared so much about what you thought. It suffocated me. But it's never enough, is it!? You can't even pretend to give a shit, can you!? I try so hard for your approval, and it's never enough!" Akali moves over to the table, placing the project down and then taking her paper, lifting its face in her mother's direction in her trembling fingers. Showing off the giant, red A+.
Akali would then scoff, her head shaking as she lowered it back down, "But I probably cheated, right? No way 'Kali could possibly do anything on her own..." she said in a mocking tone, "I put everything into this, so I could get this A, so I could come home and show you. So you could be proud of me. At the end of the year, I could show you one A on my report card, and you don't even fucking care!" Akali was breathing heavily. Her face was red as she stared at her mother. Hoping for something, maybe some sort of sympathy, this was what she needed to get through to her.
But her mother just stood there, staring at her with indifference in her eyes, almost as if she was bored from listening to her.
"Say something..." Akali pleaded.
Her mother sighed, "Say what? Something you want to hear? 'Kali. You think that getting one A would make up for the absolute disappointment you've been your whole life?" now it was her mother who let out an amused snort, "Some stupid project just to pass science, and Akali. We both know that without Kai'Sa, you'd probably never have even gotten it finished, let alone a grade. And you know it." she said cruelly, "Like I said, I really don't get why she even hangs out with you or helps you. She'd be better off without having to babysit you all the time. But you're probably too selfish to care how much you keep pulling her down with you like you've done to me." her mother shook her head and began to walk out. But it seemed as though she wasn't done tearing Akali down even further, "You're just a burden, 'Kali. You always will be." she finished before walking out the door.
Akali stood there in shock, and slowly the realization of her mother's words hit her. How little she thought of her, and the fact that no matter how much she tried, she would likely never be able to gain the approval she wanted from her all her life. She reached over and grabbed her project, so angry at herself for thinking that this would change anything. She lifted it up and then threw it down onto the hardwood floor, causing it to smash into pieces.
Her eyes went wide, tears welling as she stared at what was left of her two-month passion project. A culmination of her work and the fun and frustration she had putting it together with Kai'Sa. She just destroyed it all. Soon after, she falls to her knees, hands hovering over the aftermath of her emotional outburst. This wasn't just something for her mother. This was something she created with Kai. Something Kai believed she could do, she was there for her every step of the way to the very end. And now it's gone.
Akali reached for her pocket, hands fumbling with her phone as it was pulled out, sniffling as she tried to fight back the tears and text Kai'Sa.
"I need you."
Was all the text said. Nothing else needed to be said, no explanation. Those three words were enough to make Kai turn around and rush back. She heard the engine of her mother's car roar to life, leaving her alone on the floor.
Kai was almost home when she heard the Ina Squeak alert on her phone. She wondered what took Akali so long, her hands fumbling with her phone as she pulled it out of her pocket. It was only a few words, but it was all she needed to immediately turn around.
"I'm coming." she replied.
So many thoughts rushed through her head, so many possibilities, and almost all of them were about what Akali's mom might have done to her. She would stand up to her if she had to. The more she thought about those three words, 'I need you.' the faster she walked. Why did it feel so much further away? She thought to herself.
Finally, Kai arrived at Akali's house, and she was immediately concerned as she noticed that the car was missing in the driveway. She broke into a light jog as she went to the front door and knocked on it.
Knock, Knock, Knock...
No response.
"Akali!?" she shouted, then waited...
Nothing. She had enough, so she pushed the door open and stepped inside. She covered her mouth as she took in the sight before her.
Her project was destroyed, and Akali sat there on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at the destruction in silence, not moving as if she were frozen in time.
Kai rushed over to her, "What happened? 'Kali? What happened?" she asked over and over, her eyes frantically darting from Akali and down to the floor, then back to Akali, "Are you okay? 'Kali, you're scaring me... Talk to me. Please."
Akali then felt Kai's hand slip into her own as she knelt beside her, finally pulling her out of her thoughts, slowly tearing her gaze from the floor and over to Kai'Sa, "I'm here... You needed me, and I'm here... Tell me what happened. Please..." Kai pleaded, meeting Kai's gaze with her own.
Akali's lower lip trembled before she finally broke down. Choked out sobs and tears as she dug her head into Kai's chest, her arms wrapping around her best friend's waist.
Kai held her tightly, arms wrapped around her shoulders, "It's okay, Kali... Everything is okay... I'm here..." she whispered down into her ear, her fingers gently combing through her blue locks of hair.
"I'm-... I'm never going to be good enough. Kai... I'm never good enough." she whimpered out, tears soaking Kai's jacket, as Akali's hands gripped tightly around Kai's back.
Kai furrowed her brows, "That's not true, 'Kali..." she whispered affectionately.
"I'm not good at anything. I-I'm just holding everyone back... I'm holding you back." she went on further, her mother's words ringing in her head.
"Kali..." Kai began, pulling back to look into Akali's puffy and tear-filled eyes, "Your smart... You came up with this project all by yourself. You're funny. No one can make me laugh like you... I... I could never imagine a world without you, 'Kali. You're more than good enough to me. You're... You're everything."
The two gazed into each other's eyes. Kai would do anything to see Akali smile right now, to make her fears disappear, to help her believe that she was worth it. To know how she felt for her.
Kai's words gave her warmth. Not just in her heart but her soul. She was everything to Kai. And she knew Kai was everything to her.
Akali was always blunt about her feelings, but no matter how often she tried to tell Kai about how she felt about her, it never came out. Words failed her every time. What came next surprised even her.
Akali lunged forward without thinking, trembling lips pressing against Kai's in a moment of unbridled emotion. Her hands held Kai close as she finally revealed her feelings in a way that could not be interpreted as anything else or interrupted.
Seconds felt like minutes, but even forever would not have felt long enough for this moment before her lips retracted from Kai's.
Akali opened her eyes, gazing at Kai, whose pink hues were wide, staring back in surprise.
Akali shook her head, panicking, "I-I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean that, please. Forget I did that... Why do I keep fucking up? Why do I fuck everything up?" Akali said to herself, about to break down before she felt the gentle touch of Kai's hand beneath her chin, lifting her head so that they were looking back at each other once more.
There were no words, just the touch of Kai's lips against hers. Kai returned the act tenderly, affirming her mutual feelings for Akali. They never had the words for how they truly felt for one another.
In all honestly, words could not describe their bond. To 'like' the other, to love, desire. They had no idea what these feelings were, but they knew in their hearts that they did not want to live in a world without the other. Love was not a word that could describe what they meant to each other. They were two halves of a whole. That would be enough, for now, this moment, with each other, one that will be in their minds forever, and forever could be a long time.
And yet, even after this moment, it felt as though nothing had changed. There was no awkwardness or uncertainty. It felt as natural as the beating of her heart. Akali then sought Kai's hand with her own, squeezing it.
"Can... You stay here tonight? With me?" Akali asked, still holding her hand tightly as if letting go would let this moment slip away with it, "Mom left for a few days, and... I don't feel safe... Like something has been watching me." she asked. Though she wasn't lying about that feeling, she just didn't want to be alone. She needed Kai right now.
Kai furrowed her brows in concern, "Uhm... Yeah, I'll... I'll ask dad if I can stay... And maybe dad will let you stay with us for the next couple of nights?" Kai answered, not wanting to let go of Akali's hand either, "Is that okay?"
Akali nodded, letting her thumb brush across the back of Kai's knuckles, "Thank you, Kai... I... Thank you..." she repeated, tears welling in her eyes once again, and Kai quickly pulled Akali into another hug,
"I told you, 'Kali.-"
"I will always be there for you, forever~"