"I can't do this."
"No, you can."
"This monkey suit is... way too tight around the neck!"
"You pulled too tight on the tie. Here, let me."
The couple's words echo through the house, decorated with plenty of bric-a-brac. Fancy vases with fancy flowers enchanted a fancy house in which hosted an unlikely duo. Caitlyn's soft and smooth hands gently reached out to Vi's tie, loosening it for the one girl wrecking crew.
"Why do you even wear this kinda thing?" Vi asked, still fidgeting with the collar of the suit. She looked over at Piltover's finest, dressed in a long navy blue dress that glittered like a newly uncovered gemstone, as she effortlessly applied concealer to hide a recent abrasion from a chase case.
"It's just a formal event, Vi. It'll be over before you know it. Try to enjoy yourself, there'll be pastries and drinks." Caitlyn walked on over to Vi, brushing her pink hair out of her face and correcting her suit collar one last time.
Vi sighed. The Undercity never held fancy ballroom events, nor did she ever imagine she would ever be in a position to attend one. Being a Kiraman's plus one definitely was not on the bucket list either as a child, but sometimes life draws you into places you never thought you'd be in.
"But the drink cups are so tiny, Cupcake..."
"It's called social drinking."
"But I wanna drink drink! Get blackout shitfaced!"
Caitlyn looked back at the mirror one last time to apply her lipstick. Then, did an adorable full body spin to ensure she looked immaculate. If you asked Vi, she always did. Caitlyn radiated confidence and class, no matter if she was dressed in uniform, dress or stupid top hat. As for Vi, all formal clothing fit either a size too large or small, never truly accommodating her.
"Vi, sweetheart," calling Vi that always got a reaction out of her, whether it be a small startled jump or a blush followed by a quick turn of the head, it always managed to rile her up in a way only Caitlyn could. "You are my honoured guest. Just do this for me, okay?" Caitlyn said with a smile, and with a smile that cute, how can you say no?
What an adorable look she has, Vi always thinks. The little gap between her front teeth is endearing, those pillowy lips she always loved to kiss in the most private areas of her mansion of a house. The sweet serene joy in every giggle, those warm and comforting arms that fend off the nightmares and ghosts of her past when they sleep together.
"Okay, fine. Sure, Cupcake. But the moment we come home, I'm taking this off. And that." She cheekily smiled, pointing to Caitlyn's pristine dress as she said 'that'. She winked and walked up to the mirror, looking at the reflected painting of the duo. With a domineering grasp, she held onto Caitlyn's arm tightly and closely, pulling her in close.
"A-alright. Sure, j-just- let's just go to the formal now." Caitlyn skillfully maneuvered her hand over to clasp Vi's, turning away sheepishly to hide the burning crimson on her face.
"Boy, you sure applied a tad too much blush, Cupcake."
"Shut up. Let's go already, the less time I have to spend in these heels the better." Caitlyn groaned, already mentally preparing herself for the blisters she'd have after the night was over.
"I can't believe you even need to wear those. You already tower over me!" Vi complained, looking at the towering refined lady in front of her. Her reaction provoked a chuckle from Caitlyn.
"They complete the look, sweetheart. And at least you have the insoles. Plus, I'm sure those shoes are infinitely more comfortable than the heels."
"They don't add shit to my height!" She whined like a petulant toddler not satisfied with lunch. "But yes, they are comfy."
"They were my father's, actually!" Caitlyn explained, glancing over at the newly shined shoes that fit snugly on Vi's feet.
'Oh, no need to buy her shoes! I've got just the pair!' He said, pulling them out from the shoe closet. The shoes were a little dusty, clearly not having worn for a while. Their age showed through the pale residue on the black leather. They were well worn yet still in good condition with a sizing that was uncannily Vi's.
'Are you sure these can fit her? We could get her her own-'
'No need! I assure you, I've kept these shoes quite clean. No fungus or dirt or anything in there, I guarantee it!' Caitlyn looked at the shoes, smirked, and looked back up. 'Let's freshen these up.'
She spent a gruelling hour shining them, making them look as if they were so brand new to the point Vi didn't even question whose they were, at most Caitlyn thought she'd be asked where she bought them.
"Wow, seriously?" Vi's soft tone breaking through the memory, "these fit perfectly. They fit almost as well as my gauntlets, and those things may as well be another layer of skin for me."
"A Hextech empowered layer of skin which has a total weight that rivals a fully sized adult? I'm surprised that thing fits anyone at all." Caitlyn and Vi shared a snicker, Vi's gaze still returning to the shoes so polished they reflected her face.
"My father was always a bit more gentle with me, whilst my mother held me to a higher standard of discipline." Caitlyn began to explain, fingers dancing around Vi's hand as they remained held. "So while my mother is still rather cautious about me seeing someone like you, my father is merely happy to see me with someone I trust."
Vi held her head down, wallowing in some slight shame that she would always be an outsider even to someone she hoped would one day be her mother-in-law. She'll be an outsider at the formal event, a street urchin masquerading as a high class socialite, faking her way through interactions and holding out her pinky when she drinks as a constant choice to conceal her lack of real class, praying no one notices her fraudulence
"My father always told me to find someone who cares for me, always looks out for me in a way he and my mum could only do together. Someone willing to be tough, yet gentle. Firm yet never neglecting love. They both complemented each other in that regard, they needed one another to teach one another how to do what the other lacked." Caitlyn stopped walking in the hallway to caress Vi's cheek and lean in closer, their lips only separated by their breaths. "But when I'm with you, Violet, I can feel a love so tender and fiery it's like both their loves."
Vi glanced once more at the shoes. Caitlyn's father's shoes. No, not his. Her shoes. She stepped in them, wore them with pride. The role to love Caitlyn, to love someone so headstrong and determined to do what she wanted. The position of her trusted companion, the person who would be there for her through thick and thin. Those were big shoes to fill, but they fit Vi perfectly, didn't they?
"I lost my parents at such a young age that I barely remember what Mum's touch is like." She held Caitlyn's hand that rested on her face, "But I think it felt similar to this." Vi remembered nights in the Undercity, bedtime stories being read to her, the first time she ever cradled Powder before she learnt to walk and never looked back. She remembered Vander ruffling her hair whenever she made him proud, which upon reflection, happened a lot.
They enjoyed a silent moment gazing into the eyes of their lover, seeing a universe and world ahead of them of trials and tribulations that they would conquer together. They saw infinite possibilities, but knew with each other it was infinitely possible.
"But I'll always remember the warmth of my mother. The warmth of Vander, the warmth I tried and failed to give Powder. So, I really want to pass on the feeling of warmth to someone I really... care about." She hesitated, knowing 'love' was a hard word to come out of her mouth. She extended her arm to brush Caitlyn's hair out of her face. Caitlyn gave a small laugh, then pulled Vi in and locked lips together for a moment of tranquil love, the kind that shows itself in cuddles by the fireplace during a harsh winter, the kind that playfully blows on you during a scorching summer.
"The shoes fit perfectly, sweetheart." She smiled, pulling away. "You'll always be my number one partner, no one can take that role away from you. And it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, because you and I know damned well that those shoes fit perfectly."
Vi smiled, holding her girlfriend's hand as they left the house.
"Strawberry lipstick. Tasty." Vi licked her lips a little to enjoy the residual taste that enchanted them.
"What can I say? It's your favourite flavour of cupcake."