Vi is questioned by Caitlyn's parents. They want to make sure Vi is the right one for her. (Post Arcane - Cait's mother survived the blast.)
(The name Christopher has been taken from homosexualian AO3 - it's actually such a good name for Cait's father. They have an absolutely amazing CaitVi fic called 'Meeting the parents' and I heavily recommend it. It's art. Literally. So damn cute and perfect.)
Vi sat on the edge of Caitlyn's bed, twiddling her fingers. The nerves had been building up for the past few hours now, she was waiting until dinner to show her face. Caitlyn was in and out of the room all day, busy with enforcer things.
The pair of them had been in a relationship for a few months now, but only now Vi had agreed to formally meet her girlfriend's parents. Sure, she had met them before. But that was when Mrs Kirraman had aimed a gun at her - not exactly the best meeting.
"You know we have a door, right?" Caitlyn had questioned her when she first arrived.
"Not my style, Cupcake," she laughed in return as she entered through the window, "Besides... I'm not ready to meet them yet."
The time was growing near, Vi wore a white shirt and her usual red jacket. Caitlyn had insisted that she wore what she normally did, she should be proud of who she is because Caitlyn certainly was. And if her parents didn't like that, then tough. She would side with Vi no matter what.
Vi had taken it upon herself to at least shower, a little blood here and there from a recent street fight down in Zaun was definitely not welcome in the Kirraman residence. Of course Caitlyn had blushed furiously as Vi exited the bathroom with only a pair of boxers on and a towel around her shoulders, barely covering anything at all.
"Eyes are up here, Cupcake," she had teased earlier.
"I see you still insist on calling me Cupcake," Caitlyn cleared her throat, diverting her gaze as she threw a pillow at her girlfriend. She wouldn't admit it, but she was a sucker for that pet name.
Vi lay flat on her back, looking up at the ceiling. She took deep breaths as she gently closed her eyes, trying to keep herself calm. Caitlyn would be here any minute now to take her down to meet her parents. Caitlyn. A smile came to her face. How had she landed someone like her? A dirty little animal from the under-city dating a prestigious topside enforcer? She would have laughed in the past if anyone had told her that her life would come to this one day. Caitlyn had tried to convince her to live in Piltover for the past few weeks, but Vi was quite ready. Besides, she still had Jinx down in Zaun to look after. She came up topside every couple days, Jinx never agreed to come with her though - she was still getting used to the fact that Caitlyn was her sister's girlfriend.
One day she would move to Piltover. But only when Caitlyn was willing to take things further and actually live together.
The creak of the door caused Vi to sit up, her smile turned softer upon seeing Caitlyn, "Hey, Cupcake."
"Darling, it's almost time. You ready?" Caitlyn smiled back before heading over and taking a seat next to Vi.
Vi released a long sigh, "As ready as I'll ever be. I didn't exactly make a great impression a few months ago. Looked a bit suspicious sneaking you back into your room," a nervous laugh escaped her.
Caitlyn put a hand on Vi's cheek to turn her head towards her, "Hey, I love you. Okay? And they will, too. It's normal for you to be nervous."
"What if they don't?" Vi's voice was quiet, almost sad.
Caitlyn rubbed soothing circles on Vi's cheek, "They will. But if by some miracle they don't... Then I will have to love you more. I'm not going to allow my parents to dictate who I'm with or what I do from here on out."
"Cait..." Vi's sadness was still present, she really didn't want to be the reason that Caitlyn lost a relationship with her parents. Vi envied Caitlyn's family so much, she would hate to see another family separate... Just like her family did, "I-"
Caitlyn silenced her with a deep kiss, her lips were soft and Vi happily welcomed them. It was doing wonders, helping to ease the tension in her shoulders just a little bit. Vi's hand came up to rest on her girlfriend's thigh, she needed to be close to her.
"Shhh. Just relax, darling," Caitlyn whispered before placing a reassuring kiss on her forehead, "This'll be over before you know it."
Vi nodded before pulling her girlfriend into a hug, her face buried into the girl's neck, "I love you too, by the way."
"I know you do, Violet," she sighed happily, reciprocating the hug with her own arms.
Vi sat in her seat by Caitlyn's side, cutlery and glasses were placed on the table in front of her. Caitlyn's parents hadn't made an appearance yet, they sure were keeping Vi on edge for a lot longer than she would have liked. Vi was looking forward to having a hot meal at least, she had practiced a lot in Zaun - learning how to eat with respect and not just wolf everything down as if it was the last meal she would ever have.
Caitlyn's hand had been on Vi's thigh in comfort, Vi's own hand was on top of Caitlyn's - her thumb gently caressed Caitlyn's knuckles, "You look beautiful," Vi whispered before bringing Caitlyn's hand up to place a soft kiss upon it.
Vi's compliments never failed to make Caitlyn blush, "S-Speak for yourself, handsome," Vi smiled, a slight blush of her own crept up her cheeks. Caitlyn leaned over and placed a lingering kiss against Vi's cheek, just underneath her VI tattoo.
Their tender moment was cut short as they finally arrived.
Caitlyn's parents. Mr and Mrs Kirraman. Cassandra and Christopher.
"Sorry for being late," Caitlyn's father spoke, "Your mother had some issues with Jayce she needed to discuss."
"Yes. Apologies," her mother agreed with a nod. Caitlyn's father sat opposite Vi and her mother sat opposite Vi, "So..." she began, "This is the famous woman we've heard so much about."
Vi cleared her throat, "Y-Yes. It's nice to officially meet you," Caitlyn's hand was back on her thigh within seconds, that was a comfort that Vi had always appreciated.
Cassandra eyed Vi up and down, making the latter feel extremely small and vulnerable, "Have we met before?" she raised an eyebrow, trying to wrack her brain.
"Now that you mention it..." Christopher hummed, "She does seem familiar."
"Yes, mother. Father," Caitlyn nodded, "You met her a couple months ago when-"
"Ah, yes!" her mother exclaimed, "I remember. We caught you sneaking into Caitlyn's room. I don't think I ever apologised for aiming a gun at you so... I apologise. I'm just extremely protective of Caitlyn, I hope you can understand... Oh, what was your name?" she paused before humming, "Vi, was it?"
"Oh, no no no," Vi held up a hand, "I-It's fine. I get it. No need to apologise. A-And yes. Vi. Violet. I-I don't mind."
Caitlyn's mother and father both seemed intrigued, "You put up quite a fight with the council all those months ago," Cassandra smiled, genuinely, "I apologise for not hearing you out properly. I realise now."
"It's okay," Vi smiled back, "I'm just glad that Zaun is getting back on track. Hopefully it will be a nice place to live one day."
"Indeed," Cassandra nodded in agreement, as did her husband.
The dinner had been brought out by some people Vi had never seen before, she decided not to question it. This might just be a normal thing for Piltover families? A plate of meat and vegetables were in front of her. A jug of water and a bottle of very expensive wine were placed in the centre of the table. Vi's throat suddenly felt dry, the nerves bubbled within her. A shaky breath left her as she eyed the three Kirramans around her, her fingers cautiously picked up the cutlery.
And she ate. Like a normal Piltover person would. Well- As best she could. Down in Zaun she would just grab a hand full and eat it as fast as possible, food was one of the biggest luxuries for her when she was a kid and the habit had always stayed. Caitlyn took it upon herself to pour her girlfriend a glass of water, she knew that Vi wasn't too ecstatic about alcohol. Vi had told her about the last time she had it, when she was fighting Sevika - she needed it to mask the pain.
"How is the food treating you, my dear?" Cassandra asked as she took the smallest sip of wine, savouring the taste.
Vi quickly swallowed the mouth full before nodding, "O-Oh, yes. Thank you Mrs Kirraman. I-It's great. I've not had food like this in... well... ever."
"Caitlyn has told us about the food from Zaun," Christopher smiled, "She has actually grown a liking to it, it seems."
"You have?" Vi looked at her in confusion, "You never told me."
"I didn't want to get your hopes up. I'm trying to start off with the smaller foods they have and then work my way up to full meals with you," Caitlyn explained, "Jericho's food is actually... not slop."
Cassandra smiled at her daughter's interactions with Vi, "Perhaps you can bring us some food up one day?"
Vi was surprised at the request. A higher up Kirraman council member wanted to try food from Zaun? Nobody would believe her if she told anyone, "O-Of course. I will bring a box up next time I visit."
"We look forward to it," Christopher nodded before going back to his food.
Vi's heart ached. She wasn't sure if it was in a good way or a bad way. A strain in her stomach started to surface as thoughts entered her head... Sitting here with Caitlyn's parents reminded her of the good old days in the under-city. Her, Powder... their parents. Sitting down and just eating together, laughing at whatever the hell they wanted to and talking about anything that came to mind. And now here she was in a similar situation, despite it being a little more tense. Caitlyn's parents were warm, something she didn't expect. They seemed to welcome her, treat her as an equal.
Caitlyn's hand was on her leg was again. Cassandra noticed the distress within Vi, "Are you okay, my dear? We aren't making you uncomfortable I hope?"
Vi patted Caitlyn's hand before responding to her mother, "No. Of course not. It's just... I didn't expect this to turn out this way," she took a large gulp of water, hoping that it would help her dry throat. Water was another luxury, finding clean water in Zaun was almost impossible.
"Oh?" Christopher asked, slightly confused.
Cassandra seemed to catch on, "Caitlyn has told us about your past, my dear. We are so sorry for how Zaun and Piltover's enforcers have treated you and your family, we can never forgive ourselves," she held onto her husband's hand as he nodded in agreement, "We are more than happy to welcome you into our family. One day if not today. From what Caitlyn has told us and how you've acted today, we can see that you have a good heart."
Vi's breath hitched. A good heart. Caitlyn had told her that a number of times, and now her parents thought the same.
"Th-That means a lot to me. Thank you," Vi fought herself to stop the tears from falling, her heart was still broken from all the things she had been through... but she hoped that Caitlyn and her family could patch up her bit by bit. Caitlyn had already done more than enough for her to help her heal, and her parents offering something like this to her was the cherry on top of the cupcake.
Caitlyn couldn't be happier. Her parents were accepting Vi in ways she never expected.
"If you ever need a place to stay, my dear," Cassandra continued, "You will always have a place under this roof."
Christopher then laughed, "We know you sneak in anyways."
Both Vi and Caitlyn's faces turned red, "I-I'm so sorry, I-" Vi began, stuttering.
"Nonsense, Violet," Cassandra laughed, "We didn't want to intrude. We just never thought that it was you who had entered into a relationship with our daughter, we honestly thought you were just using her to have a roof over your head."
"I would never do that," Vi assured, holding Caitlyn's hand tight.
"We know," Christopher offered a warm smile, "We're actually glad it's you. From the first day we saw you, we could see how protective and caring you are of our daughter."
"And we thank you for that," Cassandra added.
Vi let out a breath of relief, she was successfully winning over Caitlyn's parents. She couldn't wait for the day that this would be normal for her, just being able to hold a conversation with her girlfriend's parents and not feel the tension within her shoulders. Vi almost felt like she was dreaming.
The dessert was soon brought out, Vi definitely wasn't expecting this. It was a single slice of cake each of them, "We had this freshly made at noon today, I hope you enjoy," Cassandra explained. A laugh soon escaped her, "We apologise that it's not a cupcake."
"Mother!" Caitlyn exclaimed, turning her head away from her parents.
"Oh?" Vi smirked at her girlfriend's reaction.
"She lies to you when she says she doesn't like the name," Christopher chuckled.
Cassandra nodded, "We've heard you call it her a few times. And she's told us about it, too. She loves it."
"Please stop talking!" Caitlyn begged, her eyes wide as she shot glares at her parents.
"Is that so, Cupcake?" Vi laughed, "I'll be sure to use it a lot more now."
Caitlyn sighed before using her fork to cut off a piece of cake and shove it in her mouth, "I can't believe this. You're supposed to be on my side."
Vi shrugged before looking back at the parents, "Your parents made me do it... Cupcake," they both laughed in response causing Caitlyn to groan, a smile of her own soon formed though. She loved this. Her girlfriend and her parents. Connecting.
Cassandra took the smallest piece of cake and ate it, Vi had never seen anyone eat or drink the way she did, "Speaking of names..." she began before patting her already clean mouth with a napkin, "What is your surname Vi? I don't believe we caught it."
And there it was. Another lump formed in her throat. And they were having such a good moment too, "Forgotten. Along with my parents. I don't remember what it is, I'm sorry."
Both Cassandra and Christopher offered apologetic looks, "We don't mean to make you uncomfortable," Christopher quickly reassured, "Just trying to make conversation and get to know you a little more."
"I understand," Vi said with a sad smile, Caitlyn leaned over and placed a kiss against her cheek.
"Hmmm..." Cassandra started, the frown on her face was soon replaced with a smile once again, "Violet Kirraman. Has a nice to ring to it, doesn't it Caitlyn?"
Caitlyn had blushed a number of times tonight... But her whole body was on fire at that comment, "M-Mom!" she looked at her in pure shock.
Vi had her own blush, "I-I don't know about that," a nervous laugh escaped her.
Christopher laughed at his wife's comment, "I agree, Cassandra. Violet Kirraman. I can already picture you crying on the wedding day."
"Dad!" Caitlyn was going to explode. Vi laughed in response, she really appreciated her parents trying to lighten to mood of the situation, "C-Can we not talk about this?! It's too soon and-"
"Awww, what's wrong, Cupcake?" Vi decided to join in, Caitlyn's parents eyes lit up, "You don't wanna marry little old me?"
"Violet, I will hit you. I can't hit my parents, but I will hit you. You will sleep on the floor tonight."
Vi's hand came up to her heart, "You wound me, Cupcake," but a soft smile remained on her face as she heard her full name come out of Caitlyn's mouth. It was always so beautiful and made body warm.
Both of Caitlyn's parents hearts were warm. They were more than happy with Vi. They could see how much happier Caitlyn had been recently and Vi was clearly the reason for that. They were excited to learn more about Vi and who she was and what she wanted to do in her life, but they were satisfied with what they had seen today. The teasing between the two was more than enough to confirm to Caitlyn's parents that the two were indeed in love with each other, nothing malicious was going on from the Zaunite's side.
Vi and Caitlyn head towards the staircase, the latter's parents right behind them, "We're glad you'll be staying with us tonight, my dear," Cassandra said as they arrived at the foot of the stairs.
"I should've asked every other time I've stayed, I'm sorry," Vi bit her lip, starting to feel embarrassed.
"Water under the bridge," Christopher reassured the girl.
Vi had expected Christopher to be like this, but it was the complete opposite for Cassandra in her mind. She expected her to be strict and stern... but she was a lot more warmer than she had assumed. This was only confirmed when the woman pulled Vi into a hug.
And that was it. Vi's heart officially broke. She happily returned the hug, the thought of her mother hugging her in her times of need back when she was a kid. Caitlyn's heart swelled and a sad smile appeared on her lips, "We can see why Caitlyn loves you. We will support you every step of the way, my dear," she assured.
"Thank you so much," Vi sighed, quickly wiping away a stray tear as she pulled away from Cassandra, "I will look after her."
"I hope she looks after you, too," Christopher looked at his daughter.
"Of course I will," Caitlyn smiled at Vi.
Cassandra clapped her hands together, "That's all we ask for from the both of you. We will let you be on your way to bed. There is a spare room at the end of the hall but... We won't complain if you favour Caitlyn's room."
"Just keep the noise down," her father chuckled.
"And with that, I'm leaving!" Caitlyn exclaimed as she began to ascend.
Vi smiled, "Thank you Mr and Mrs Kirraman. I hope you have a good night."
"You too, Violet," Cassandra nodded before she and her husband turned away. Well... That went well. Right? Vi just wanted to hide away in Caitlyn's room for the rest of the night.
She quickly ran up the stairs after Caitlyn, she patted her backside as she passed by causing a squeal to escape the enforcer, "Violet!" she exclaimed before she ran after her, almost tripping up the steps.
"Always so slow, Cupcake," Vi teased as they arrived at Caitlyn's bedroom door, she opened the door and headed inside - Caitlyn followed before shutting the door behind her. Vi awaited a response, but she didn't get one, "What? No witty comeback this time, Cupcake? Honestly, you-"
Caitlyn shut her up with a deep kiss, her hands were buried in pink hair, "Shut. Up. For once."
Vi laughed against her lips, "Feisty. I like it."
"I've been wanting to kiss you for hours. I wasn't about to be teased by my parents," one of her hands landed on Vi's cheek, the other arm was around Vi's waist, "You did really well, darling."
Vi's hands were planted snugly on Caitlyn's hips, "I hope that went okay."
"It went more than okay. Did you already forget that they practically asked you for your hand in marriage for me?"
Vi leaned in and kissed her, it was filled with love... soft and slow, "Maybe one day, hey Cupcake?" she winked before leaning her forehead against her girlfriend's, eyes closed in content.
A sad smile appeared on Caitlyn's face, "If you love me for that long."
"I'll love you for as long as you'll have me, Caitlyn," she promised, her heart was Caitlyn's right now.
The pair pulled each other into a much needed hug. And they stayed there. Standing with each other's arms around one another, Vi's face was buried in Caitlyn's shoulder planting soft kisses against the clothing. An annoyed grunt escaped her as she tried to move away the fabric that was preventing her from connecting her lips with the soft skin of Caitlyn's shoulder.
Caitlyn let out a soft laugh before pulling away with a yawn, "Bed? I want to hold you."
Vi nodded, "Bed. Please," she felt vulnerable and her girlfriend noticed. Caitlyn's heart filled with warmth, her eyes connected with Vi's. She was so in love.
The pair got changed into their nightwear before Caitlyn climbed into bed, she held out her arms waiting for Vi to climb in, "Hurry," she pouted up at her.
"Oh? I thought I was sleeping on the floor," Vi teased before climbing in, Caitlyn's arms encircled her in an instant. Vi pulled the covers over both of them before snuggling into Caitlyn's chest, her eyes closed in pure bliss at the warmth coming from her girlfriend.
"You're not gonna let that drop are you? The whole Violet Kirraman thing..."
"I mean... It does have a nice ring to it."
Caitlyn sighed, but a smile was on her face, "I look forward to it, Violet."
Vi remained quiet for a moment, enjoying the sound of Caitlyn's heart beat. She placed a kiss just above it before speaking, "I'm glad your parents like me. They're really cool."
"I hope you can accept them as your family one day. Because you deserve it, Vi. You deserve all the love you can get."
"You're more than enough for me, Cait. But yeah... One day. Maybe," she paused before biting her lip, "Do... Do you think they'll accept Jinx one day?"
Caitlyn had explained to her parents that Jinx was the one who blew up the council room. She had also mentioned that Jinx was her girlfriend's sister. It took a while for her parents to understand but Caitlyn was helping them learn about why Jinx was the way she was.
"I do," she replied, honestly, "I really do. One step at a time."
"One step at a time," Vi nodded against her.
Caitlyn reached over to turn off the lamp before quickly cuddling into Vi again, she placed a kiss on her head. Vi felt warm and safe. Loved. She had told herself that she didn't deserve any of this for years whilst she was in Stillwater, especially after what she did to Powder. But here Caitlyn was changing her entire mindset for the better. She believed in Caitlyn's love for her, she trusted her. They had only been in a relationship for around half a year, but that was more than enough for Caitlyn to convince her.
"Thank you, Caitlyn," Vi whispered into the darkness.
Caitlyn knew.
"Don't worry about it, Violet," she replied, holding her just a little tighter, "I love you."
Vi allowed a single tear to trail down her cheek, "I love you, too."