Author Notes - To feed my Arcane addiction, I've been listening to the soundtrack on repeat. At first, I skipped over Our Love a few times, because it's such a different tone from the devastation or chaos of the other tracks. But then I started to let it play for exactly that reason. It's so cheerful and lowkey, and the fact that it's diegetic music to the world, i.e., what they occasionally actually listen to, makes it feel pretty special. They have enough heavy shit in their lives without their music having to bring on ALL the big feels all the time. This is for when they're just beep-boppin' around the bar.
This story was bouncing around my head while I listened to Our Love, so to everyone who, like me, just wants these sweet babies to be happy, this is for you :) Enjoy!
A rush of clean air cooled Caitlyn's face as the round door to the Firelight's haven was rolled open from within in response to Vi's coded knock. It was a sweet relief from the constant harsh smells of the Undercity. Some of the street food vendors didn't smell all bed, but everything was more pungent down below, and the freshness of this place was an apt reflection of the oasis it truly was. The early evening light trickled down through the leaves of the great tree and the firelights were just beginning to emerge, casting everything in a fairytale glow. Golden hour. Caitlyn followed Vi through, as Vi paused to hug the Chirean who had allowed them entry. Caitlyn recognized him from months earlier when she was first brought here with a potato sack on her head. This time, he looked a good deal friendlier. Vi and Caitlyn continued forward as he closed the heavy door behind them, a small cloud of dust settling as the outer darkness was sealed behind it.
Children's laughter filtered down from the structures in the tree, punctuated by shrieks of excitement. At a glance, someone had put up a swing, hanging on long ropes from a not particularly low branch of the massive tree. Perhaps to add to the game of it, it seemed that the swing was just a touch too high off the ground for the children to reach from below, so they were sliding down the ropes from above to reach the seat. Caitlyn marveled for a moment at the fearlessness of their parents. She turned quickly to Vi as she heard the other woman whoop in encouragement, seemingly unsurprised by the inherent risks of this activity, and possibly a bit restless to join in, judging by the few jogged steps she took to watch from below. It was no wonder. A memory of their adrenaline-fueled descent to the Lanes on the day they met softly taunted Caitlyn, and she could not suppress a small laugh.
As Vi was engrossed by the increasing velocity of the swing, Caitlyn saw Ekko approaching from around the base of the tree and waved to him in greeting. And behind him… "Councilor Heimerdinger?!" She exclaimed with amazed recognition at the unmistakable tiny form as he emerged from Ekko's wake.
"It's just Heimerdinger now, my dear Miss Kiramman! But yes, here I am, and delighted to be so! And may I say, delighted to see you in such fine health." The Yordle's familiar voice brought with it a wave of nostalgic emotion for Caitlyn, transporting her to a quiet corner of a loud party long finished where she sat with her city's founder feeding bits of cheese to his little pet. The two, happily introverted and relieved from political chatter and polite conversation, hid behind the draped tablecloth of the food table until Mrs. Kiramman had found them and, looking somewhat aghast, only lightly scolded Caitlyn for sitting on the floor at a party. She supposed her mother couldn't very well be too harsh when the Founder was sitting right there on the floor with her, just humorously miffed.
"I was so sorry to hear about your mother, Caitlyn," Heimerdinger continued gently, as Vi and some others turned their attention to the pair. "She was a tenacious and proud spirit, and I miss her presence in this world." Formal condolences, but Caitlyn could hear his sincerity.
"Thank you, Coun-… Heimerdinger. That means a great deal."
There was a brief solemn silence, but then it was broken by more calls of welcome. Vi reached a hand out to Ekko in greeting and they shook and bumped shoulders, all friendly ease. There was already a clustering of excited people around them and a general air of anticipation. It seemed to Caitlyn as though something was prepared to happen, only waiting on their arrival.
As if on cue, Ekko motioned for them to follow and led the small group to a structure tucked on the perimeter of the complex. It had a slightly higher roof than the rest, and comprised one large room, which could be seen because it had only three walls. The fourth side was open to the central expanse, looking towards the tree and swing and bustle of the Firelight community. Caitlyn saw that there was a thick roll of canvas above the open side, as well as a set of heavy leather straps around the edges that appeared to correspond to the punctures on a large, wall-sized piece of corrugated sheet metal that was tucked against the right side of the building. Clever weather-proofing if it was needed. Inside was nothing so formal as a bar, but there were small, mismatched tables pushed around the sides of the room, an unlit heating stove and chimney, and a station of sorts that was loaded with a motley assortment of bottles and cups. Caitlyn noted the homebrews with cautious trepidation as a shine of vaguely electric green shone through one of the few clear glass bottles. She wondered vaguely if it would make a person blind and hoped they had mixers. When she saw Vi's gaze catch the bottles as well, with a far less cautious glint in her eye, Caitlyn could not help but sigh and roll her eyes quietly to herself.
One of the Firelights with them nudged Vi playfully with a wink and nod at the mysterious brews and Vi returned the gesture with a conspiratorial smirk. Scar, the Chirean who had let them in, broke off outside and Caitlyn briefly observed him marshalling an eager crowd to join in the "bar," while Ekko moved to the back wall of the structure and tugged at the patchwork covering of some tall installment there. With Heimerdinger assisting on the left, elevated on a small stool, they pulled the cover with a flourish, and in an instant Vi turned and was transfixed. Eyes wide and voice stolen, she seemed at a total loss.
"But I… how did…?" Vi the bold stuttered uncharacteristically. At length, she exclaimed, "But it was smashed!" Ekko and Heimerdinger exchanged a look of tremendous pride.
She clearly wasn't wrong. Along the frame of the no-longer smashed jukebox were marks and scars as evidence of once-bent metal and newly welded seams. The metal showed a hodge-podge of joinery where they had soldered it together again with the best materials they had available to refurbish their salvaged treasure. It no longer had a glass front, but a few new panels of scrap metal had been placed to cover exposed gears. Vi took an entranced step forward and ran a loving hand over the levers on the front panels. Her fingers trembled almost imperceptibly as she accepted the coin Ekko held out to her.
"It took us a while to scavenge the parts we needed, and a few of the records were cracked," Ekko explained with a wistful note in his voice. "But she'll play. I couldn't have done it without Heimer."
Vi held the coin in her hand as Ekko spoke and considered the song list for a moment; the broken few that Ekko mentioned seemed to have been scratched out. Then it seemed the choice was clear. She inserted the coin in a decisive motion and moved the levers with familiarity, not minding that one caught slightly in its track as she selected the song she wanted. As the first sharp drum taps sounded and the sweet tones of music followed quickly after, a cheer erupted from the gathered crowd with a great clapping and stomping of feet, and just like that the party was in motion, likely to last well into the warm night. Heimerdinger hopped down from his stool and, with pointer fingers in the air, did a jaunty little dance to join in. Drinks were poured and dancing pairs and clusters formed and seats at the tables filled for conversation.
Caitlyn felt a squeeze in her chest as she watched Vi and Ekko embrace. She saw rather than heard Vi's whispered thanks, and when they stepped apart, she could not help but be swept away by the strength of Vi's smile as she took in the dancing crowd around them. So rare, it shone like a brand-new sun, full of life and warmth, no weaker for all the desolate cold and strain it banished without a trace. Caitlyn's own smile was involuntary in response as Vi caught her eye and held it. The expression on her face felt strangely foreign, and Caitlyn realized that for both, months had passed since either one had smiled so openly, if at all. For a moment she struggled to recall whether she had ever actually seen this look on Vi's face. Certainly, she smiled, Caitlyn thought, but so often it was smirks and wry looks and sarcasm, closed lips and black memories ever-present. So little space for real smiles as they fought their internal battles with grief and external battle with a terrorist.
As the brief struggle to remember threatened the purity of the moment, Caitlyn shrugged it off and chose the present as she moved towards Vi, drawn by the magnetic pull of Vi's joy.
Vi grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the crowd. They were greeted with jovial shouts, and someone presented them with drinks. Vi took hers in a single swallow and set the cup aside, and Caitlyn tested hers with an experimental sniff and sip. It burned, but the flavor was far more palatable than she expected, and she took a larger swallow to the encouragement of the woman who had brought them. Vi was already doing a synchronized shuffle step with two others when Caitlyn finished her drink. As Ekko had come up beside her, Caitlyn reached out to him in a silent offer.
"Let's go, fancy lady!" Ekko spun her out with enthusiasm, leaving Caitlyn little room to scoff at his epithet. He was surprisingly suave, leading her through a series of swings, and she found that if she just relaxed her unnecessarily formal dance training, she could comfortably match him. As several catcalls and whoops floated around them, she gathered that their dancing might be more intricate than those around them.
Someone started the song over again as Vi watched Caitlyn and Ekko spinning around with surprising ease. As the lyrics began, "There's a girl in town, and word's gone around she's just fine…" Caitlyn was fine, she thought. Vi could not help the widening cheesy grin on her face and noticed the ache of her cheek muscles from holding the unused expression so long. As Caitlyn kicked out a leg for flair, she took in her elegant form with admiration and want, then snorted a laugh as Cait stumbled just slightly on catching Vi's look out of the corner of an eye. Ekko gave her a little smack to pull her focus back as both laughed through a tangled looking move with arms overhead. As this seemed to tax their combined skills, they rested in a more standard dance posture, and it was Caitlyn's turn to swat Ekko playfully at something he said. Vi filed the moment away to ask Caitlyn about later as she was pulled back into the dancing by Scar and his now toddling little son.
"How did you even get it here?" Vi asked Ekko later, gesturing with her drink back to the jukebox as they sat on a bench outside the covered bar. "Did you steal it from Sevika at the Drop? That must've been a heist for the books, Little Man!"
"Ha! Not sure even my thieving ass would've tried to pull that," Ekko laughed and shook his head at the thought. "Nah, she must've figured it was toast, 'cause they tossed it out back. It was a lot easier to pick it off from there, once one of my boys scouted it. For real, she would've been right about it, without Heimer! He's like a crazy little gear wizard. Cool dude for an ex-topsider politician. He's taught me a hell of a lot."
"The ultimate ex-topsider!" Vi mused. "Who would've thought that the damn Pilty founder would be living in the haven of Zaun?"
"We do keep strange company, given our history, huh?" Ekko gestured with his head to Caitlyn, where she stood under the high swing, lending her superior height to the Firelight kids with supreme patience. The sight of them clambering from Cait's shoulders onto the flat wooden seat above them elicited a bark of laughter from Vi. Despite the absurdity of the situation, Caitlyn seemed content with her role in this game, as she reached up and shoved the swing into motion for the three little ones she had finished loading up. "She seems like she's doing ok though, considering. Do you think?"
"Yea, I think so." At least tonight, Vi thought, swirling the drink in her hands. Tonight was good. "Caitlyn wasn't used to having her whole world kicked in the nuts like us, but she's strong. We just need a break. Let her catch her breath. Tonight is good. Thanks for this, Little Man, really. Vander and Pow would've loved every minute."
"We're family, Vi. I got you." All the family Vi had left really. Although looking at Caitlyn, she felt keenly that her family might grow again. She hoped it would, now that it seemed like they were finally able to think for a moment.
Jinx was still out there somewhere, but she seemed to have gone deep underground after her Caitlyn and Vi managed to muck up her most recent attempted attack. Without Silco, and with Sevika apparently hating her guts, she didn't have as easy access to resources. She was back to scavenging for all her own needs now, and between pissed off Trenchers who caught the angry backlash of her autographed missile, Sevika's goons, and Ekko's Firelights, the Lanes were less welcoming to her than ever before, not to mention Topside. Vi knew this wouldn't stop her, not by a longshot, but it was certainly slowing her down. Of course, that would probably mean she'd be raging fucking mad and more batshit than ever when she turned up next, but Vi figured they should take the moments of peace where they could get them. After all, that was what they were fighting for, wasn't it? Peace. There would always be a new shitstorm blowing their way, so what would be the point if they didn't live for the peace in between?
With that thought in her mind, Vi swallowed the rest of her drink, clearing her throat against the burn and said, "I guess I should go rescue her then, eh?"
"Yea, you do that, lover girl," Ekko quipped like the asshole he was. Vi punched his shoulder playfully and he rubbed it in exaggerated pain.
"Wish me luck!" Vi sang with a tip of her imaginary hat. She looked ahead to Caitlyn and did her best to school her expression to one a cool nonchalance. Also, slow down, geez. Yea, super smooth.
When Caitlyn looked over to see her approach and smiled widely, Vi knew with relief it simply didn't matter if she played it cool. She thought of the dumbest joke possible and went with it.
"Is it my turn, Cupcake?"
"Your turn for what?" Caitlyn's eyes reflected Vi's teasing tone and flashed with humor in response.
"To climb you," Vi deadpanned. Caitlyn closed her eyes and gave a long-suffering huff but couldn't hide her amusement as she pursed her lips at this remark. "If I'd started practice on ladders this sexy as a kid, I never would've gotten up to the roof once."
"Vi!" Caitlyn sputtered and blushed with a darting of her eyes up to the cackling swing of children above them. It was pointless though; they were screaming too loudly to hear. "What's gotten into you?"
"Some kind of moonshine I think… and the music. And your dance moves." It was true, Vi couldn't quite pinpoint what was making her so bold. Caitlyn and Vi had been dancing around each other for months now, really since the beginning. After everything in those first days, after Jinx… jinxed everything, after Cait's mother died, some of their momentum was lost. They had been feverishly working to repair the damage in the world since then, and their own internal hurts. In the last few weeks, as some of the ache had eased at last and the pace of their work was allowed to slow, they were finding their bond again. And finding that it was strong. Well-tempered by shared experiences and dreams. And now tonight, with the heat of strong liquor and the glow of the fading sun and Caitlyn's smile that finally reached her eyes, Vi couldn't come up with any more excuses. Wasn't it time they made the most of their time?
"Hey kids, come down or you're on your own!" She hollered at the trio on the swing, who seemed unconcerned. The littlest one reached down, and Caitlyn took her hands and eased her down to the ground where she immediately took off running towards the dancing. The others were now dangling by their legs upside down with no apparent plans to descend, so Caitlyn followed Vi towards the stairs that wound around the trunk of the great tree, with a glance to see that some adult had at least a loose eye on the two dedicated spider-monkeys.
Vi reached for Caitlyn's hand when she caught up to her and led her up the stairs. The Firelights certainly had a good vibe when it came to lighting, Vi thought as they reached a small landing and she observed the strings of scavenged bulbs that went back and forth from the trees' branches and rafters across the open space, interspersed with flags and banners. The colors were soft in the growing darkness, and music and laughter filtered up from below.
"Wanna dance, Cupcake?" Vi searched her face, hoping Cait was as eager to seize the moment as she was.
"Alright…" Caitlyn stepped into the circle of Vi's arms with a small steadying breath, surprised but pleased by the warmth in her partners eyes.
"You're gonna have to lead though." For a brief moment Vi's confidence faltered as she awkwardly tried to figure out where her hands were supposed to go. "I don't know your fancy steps."
Caitlyn caught her hands and steadied their chaotic waving. She placed Vi's left hand on her shoulder and held her other out to the side but didn't bother with any formality as she put her right hand and arm around Vi's waste. It wasn't like they were going to waltz. After moving in place for a few quiet moments, she tried spinning Vi under her outstretched arm, but the other woman seemed to panic and then dissolve into laughter. The dancing was a marginal failure perhaps, but suddenly laughing together was like nothing Caitlyn had ever felt before. Vi did a mocking ballet spin with her arms overhead and fell against the railing as they both laughed harder.
"Even without the moonshine, I don't think twirling is for me," the brawler said as she finally caught her breath. "But I liked the first part, with the swaying and stuff." At that Caitlyn pulled her in again, to "sway" with her head pressed to Vi's shoulder.
"I love your laugh," she murmured. There was no one around them, but Caitlyn spoke just loudly enough for the two of them, her heart fluttering in her chest. She could pretend the heat in her face was from the exertion and the drinks, but that was a farce. Being so close and so easy with Vi made her feel like she was in a dream. One of the first happy dreams in a long while, and amazingly it was real. She felt a twinge of sadness, of guilt at feeling happy, and then worried that she would ruin the moment by bringing it up. But then she remembered that it was Vi. Vi who had been by her side for every instant of the trauma and had so many of her own losses. If anyone could relate, Vi could.
"Does it feel at all wrong to you? To feel this happy, when so many others are gone?" She thought of her mother first. Then of Vi's family. Then so many bystanders. They would never have this peace.
"Well, I think maybe… we would be failing them if we weren't. Happy I mean." Vi considered quietly for a moment before continuing. "I don't think happiness comes without loss, in my experience. It's like it makes this sweeter that we fought to be here. Life isn't a given. I think we have to choose our joy over our pain, because our pain is always there."
Caitlyn could only stand in silence at this, her head still on Vi's shoulder. She had never heard anything quite so poetic as this from Vi. She whispered the words between them, "Choose our joy," and Vi hummed in response. Caitlyn imagined breathing in her grief and holding it in her belly for a few long heartbeats before breathing it all out like a bellows and allowing it to dissipate into the air, purified by the serenity of this haven and of Vi's arms around her. Choose your joy, she told herself, as she lifted her head to look at Vi. Vi held her gaze steadily. Caitlyn couldn't remember either of them moving, it was some sweet inevitable force. Suddenly their foreheads were touching and their lips were moving softly together and they swayed a little more as they kissed, like branches of the massive tree that housed them, as natural as wind.
Thanks for reading! Will write more if people are into it.
