it's been quite some time since i was commissioned to write a fic, but i'm very excited!
i have fallen into the piltover's finest abyss, and have yet to climb back out
now, read, ponder, and enjoy!
I don't know if you mean everything to me,
And I wonder, can I give you what you need?
-Birdy, Deep End
To grow up with violence was to grow up with blood shed.
Vi grew up learning that, shades of her parents' blood still deeply embedded in the wildest nightmares and sometimes waking dreams. Vander took her and her sister in and tried. He tried so hard, but the undercity was the undercity. There was no changing that no matter how much he wanted to, even though he hung up the gauntlets.
So when there was one day Vi came home with bruises on her face and scabs on her knuckles – because someone had said something mean about Powder and there was no way she could just let that pass – he only sighed and wrapped her hands up in rolls of bandages. And then he decided to teach her.
He didn't know how else to keep her safe, because the undercity was the undercity, and he was doing his best as a surrogate father with a surrogate daughter who had anger issues and another who didn't seem have her head on right. Therapists were expensive.
And then Powder learned mechanics and engineering. And then Powder met Silco. And then Powder went madder than Vi had ever seen anyone mad. And then Powder blew up a building.
"I have a job for you."
She stared at the man sitting at the bar in the Last Drop, all dressed up in his councilman get-up. No one had ever looked this out of place in the undercity before. Not even enforcers had looked as strange as he did right now.
She scoffed and continued cleaning the glasses, preparing for tonight's rush. Vander had gone to sleep after a long night, and he would crawl back up again in the evening for another night of nonsense in Zaun, while Vi would be running away, simultaneously searching for her mad sister and attempting to destroy Silco's empire one Shimmer factory at a time.
Not to brag, but Vi had built quite a reputation for herself. The undercity's own enforcer, set on her path to get rid of Shimmer dealers and save the neglected city from Powder – Jinx – and her new mentor. Her fists were no joke.
"Sorry, I don't take jobs from topsiders," she said insincerely.
"Vi –"
"You don't get to call me that," she snapped.
Jayce cowered and brushed the back of his neck with nervousness. Good, at least he was still scared of her. "Please. My friend is in trouble and I need your help." She ignored him. "She's looking into Silco," he whispered, low enough for it to be just between the two of them.
She stopped her ministrations, but still refused to look at him.
"I tried stopping her." She rolled her eyes, because of course he would. "But she – she has a special vendetta against him, and one day, it's gonna kill her," Jayce said, sounding desperate and tired.
She considered his words, took in his haggard appearance despite the blazer and the tie and the whole shebang. As a politician, Jayce Talis would always be cunning and deceitful – she knew firsthand – but she didn't think she'd ever seen that kind of sincerity on his face before. As if he truly meant it.
"What exactly do you want me to do?" she asked carefully.
He lit up slightly at her overture. "Help me…protect her. Watch her back. Make sure she doesn't get herself killed."
"Just to be clear: we're talking about the same person, right?" He watched her with narrowed eyes. "Caitlyn Kiramman?" When he nodded, she snorted, evolving into a laugh pretty quickly. "Are you fucking with me?"
"I am not."
"That girl is literally the best sharpshooter in probably the whole word, and I've never even met her!" she exclaimed, slamming down a glass to show her displeasure at his audacity to come to her with this farce. "She's like…legendary. She can watch her own back, I'm pretty fucking sure."
"Not against Silco," he hissed, starting to sweat. It wasn't nervous sweating, but fearful sweating. Not fearful of her. Fearful for his friend. "She's already been hospitalized once from his antics. From Jinx's attack." Vi froze at her sister's moniker. "Vi, I swear I wouldn't be here if it wasn't entirely necessary. I need your help."
"You have enforcers."
"If they worked, I wouldn't be here!" he whisper-yelled, jabbing his finger violently on the bar top.
Vi had been chasing Silco for years, since he whispered into Powder's ears and made Jinx out of her baby sister. She had been punching her way through his Shimmer facilities, nowhere close to finding him or her sister.
She probably could have done a better job if she had resources, but she refused to accept anymore help from Jayce after being snubbed by him that one time. However, this could be her chance. Taking on this job could be her chance to be rid of Silco once and for all. And maybe get her sister back. Plus, the cash would definitely help.
"What's in it for me?"
He sighed, shoulders sagging from the tension. In relief or exhaustion, she couldn't tell. "Name your price."
She looked around the Last Drop, taking in the peeling walls and swinging lights. She remembered the water that would first come out brown before becoming clear. She thought of the orphanages and old folks' home that were beyond dilapidated. She considered the poisonous air that killed people younger than they deserved to die.
Vi named her price. And Jayce accepted. And she had a new job.
Vi had heard of this Caitlyn girl before. Who wouldn't? The golden girl of the Kirammans. Rebellious too, what with her refusing to take after her late mother's footsteps and be on the council. The girl had the gall to train with the enforcers and then build her own private investigation agency.
See, Vi always found Piltover distasteful. Too indulgent and excessive in their extravagances. So fucking bright just because they could afford being bright.
But she had to give this Caitlyn person some credit. She seemed…different, from what Vi had heard of before. Someone who solved more cases than the enforcers, with lesser violence than the enforcers, deserved some admiration. As such, though Vi had never seen her, she admired her.
Spontaneous combustion was a thing. Don't quote Vi on it, but it was definitely a thing. Or at least, that was what she was feeling right now, all hot and bothered and heart pumping like a mad dog – or her mad sister, but she didn't like to think about that.
Why was she combusting? Well, what other choice did she have?
In the face of Caitlyn Kiramman, who was all too beautiful to be real. Except she was real, and she was sitting behind the desk like she owned it. Actually, she did own it. She owned the entire office space. She was an incredibly successful private detective, and Vi was combusting.
At the moment, she was sort of regretting taking on the job at all. Regretting not chasing Jayce Talis away in the first place so she wouldn't end up here. Regretting taking that down payment from Jayce because he was afraid she would pull out. Regretting spending that down payment to fix the ceiling of the Last Drop.
"Hi, can I help you?"
She blinked, realizing that the girl with the navy hair was speaking to her. The very astonishing girl with the navy hair, who stared at Vi curiously. What a lovely voice. What a lovely accent. Dear Janna, why did she have to like girls?
"Actually…" she drifted off, at a loss of what to say, even though she'd already figured out how to start last night, because Jayce had explicitly told her that she couldn't, under any circumstances, let Caitlyn know that he'd hired her. "I – well, I was thinking I can help you," she stuttered, mentally doing a fist pump for succeeding with words.
Then it was Caitlyn's turn to blink. "Excuse me?"
"I know you've been looking into Silco." The private detective stiffened at the reminder. Vi was really trying to be eloquent here. "I know you've been running into dead ends. I want to help you."
Caitlyn stared at her more, and Vi was now really trying not to squirm on the spot, what with being the focus of those laser blue eyes. How the fuck did Jayce manage to stay friends with girl? She clenched her jaw and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets.
"Who are you?" Caitlyn then asked, raising her brow pointedly, and fuck, that's hot.
"Vi. From the undercity." It took a moment, but then realization came to Caitlyn, and her confused eyes cleared in recognition – of the name, at least. "We have the same goal here," Vi added.
"It seems we do."
Because anyone with half a brain would have heard of Vi and her mission to topple Silco's toxic empire, unless they were truly oblivious. And based on rumors, Caitlyn had galaxy brain, so of course she would know.
Now, Vi wouldn't consider herself the best at reading people, but she'd learned enough in Zaun to understand that was a form of acceptance. Albeit reluctant. For some reason, she felt a sort of…relief flooding her, despite her determination to dislike all topsiders just because they were topsiders.
The moment she stepped into this corner office that was Caitlyn Kiramman's private investigation agency, she could somehow tell that Caitlyn was…different. Highly distinct from her peers. The fact that she was in this office, rather than rubbing shoulders with the elites was telling enough.
And now, as Caitlyn stood up and revealed herself in full height, Vi realized something else. Caitlyn Kiramman was beautiful. Elegant. And Vi had to be really careful to not lose her heart in the process.
Piltover really was something else. Like it or not, Jayce Talis and Viktor – also a fellow Zaunite – had completely refurbished the face of topside with their crystal spires. Coming up with Hextech, then Hexgates and god only knew what else, had transformed Piltover entirely in terms of trade and ease of life.
Pity they didn't think to bless the undercity with the same gifts.
Still, Vi couldn't help but find herself in awe of the scenery before her. Tall and sunny and fresh air, covered with blimps and airships. Spiraling buildings that seemed to reach into the skies and beyond. Totally unlike the undercity, teeming with poison fumes and brothels and the like.
"Why do you go after Silco the way you do?" Caitlyn asked over a cup of tea, impervious to the scenery around her.
Vi shrugged and stirred her cup of coffee. Extra strong. "He took my sister a couple of years ago. I want to get her back," she offered with sincerity, because even though she was lying about why she was really here, there were still real things she could offer.
"I'm sorry." Vi shrugged again, glaring at a yordle who deemed it necessary to stare at her like she was an alien. "And how will destroying his facilities do that?"
"Seems the best way to lure him out."
"He could easily build more. You're just wasting energy and giving him something to laugh at," Caitlyn remarked with bluntness that didn't exactly befit a topsider – yet another thing to surprise Vi, she supposed.
"Well, I'm sorry. Unlike you topsiders, we in the undercity don't exactly have a lot of resources to come up with careful plans," Vi couldn't help but snark in return, glaring at yet another topsider who was staring at her as well.
Caitlyn didn't take offense at that. She only hummed in acceptance and put down her teacup. "How about we share resources from now on?"
"That's why I'm here." Not really, but she didn't want Jayce to be shot by Caitlyn's undeniably wide arsenal of weapons, as much as she didn't like it. "Why are you going after Silco?"
There was a moment of silence, in spite of the hustle and bustle around them. The absolute liveliness of Piltover was utterly different from the one in Zaun. In the undercity, the shouts and laughter were brash and uncomely, whereas in Piltover, things seemed…neater.
Vi didn't like it. She didn't like how put together everyone was, because it was all so orchestrated. As if they had rehearsed before they stepped out of their big, shiny houses to face society. Their smiles were polite and they covered up their laughter with their hands. Almost every word was laced with an undertone of slyness.
Vi didn't like it. But she waited anyway, because she could tell she hit a nerve with her question. Usually, she would just leave them alone, but something about Caitlyn just kept her waiting. An ounce of patience that she didn't used to have with anyone else.
"My mother," Caitlyn finally offered, unusually flat. When Vi raised her brows in query, she continued, "He killed my mother. I would very much like revenge."
Well, Vi could sympathize with that. He killed her sister. She didn't even know if she had a chance to revive Powder from Jinx on the off chance that she actually found her. Instead of saying sorry, she just offered the other girl a look of understanding.
"I thought topsiders take revenge through sly politics and under-the-table maneuvers," she commented.
"I think you'll find that I'm not like other topsiders."
"We'll see."
Once again, Caitlyn didn't take offense at that. In fact, it almost looked like she welcomed the challenge, what with the slow smirk that spread on her face. Goodness, Vi really had to be careful.
"This is a murder board."
There really was no other word for it. After the odd session at the café, they returned to Caitlyn's office and the girl had decided to show her the board. Filled with strings, notes, sidenotes, newspaper clippings, and pictures. Everything was connected to everything.
"No, it's not."
"Cupcake, this is a murder board," she said, letting the nickname slip before she could stop herself, but she pretended that she meant it anyway, pointing at the board in question. "You did all this yourself? Without even going down there?" Because she was actually impressed.
"A lot of time and research went into it. Years of insomnia," Caitlyn admitted, letting the nickname pass.
"Insomnia?"
Caitlyn hesitated before saying, "I haven't really slept since the funeral."
She didn't have to specify whose funeral it was.
Vi suddenly found herself overcome with the urge to hug the girl next to her. Hold her hand. Something.
She did none of those things, of course, because she had self-control. And there were more important things to worry about.
Before Vi knew it, two weeks passed. And it took only two weeks of shadowing Caitlyn as she investigated Silco to know that no matter how good a shot the navy-haired girl was, she had not a lick of self-preservation.
When she told Jayce that, he had only scoffed and shrugged, because he knew Caitlyn longer than she did. And then he gave her the coins he promised her and told her to do more protecting.
Thus far, Vi had spotted two occasions of Zaunites tailing Caitlyn, and she had come back from warning them off with bloodied knuckles. There were also enforcers who seemed to find Caitlyn disarming, because she was doing a better job than them, so they sought to level her down by laughing at her whenever they saw her, to which Vi had given them warning glares. She wasn't afraid to speak with her fists if it continued.
Vi would like to say that she hated watching Caitlyn's back, but she couldn't lie to herself like that. In the two weeks they had spent with one another, Vi learned a lot of things that only endeared the private detective to her.
For starters, Caitlyn was awfully intelligent, with a brain that ran at inhumane speed to process new information and eyes that always noticed the smallest details. And she had a tiny gap between her front teeth that Vi had made a personal mission to see, so she always made awful jokes that Ekko and Vander tended to tell her to get Caitlyn to laugh. Also, she had a scar on her collarbone, one that could only be seen if she wore clothes that revealed that part of her skin.
"Where'd you get that, Cupcake?" Vi had to ask after having seen it one too many times.
Look, she wasn't being a pervert. Caitlyn seemed to always wear clothes that showed off the scar, as if she wasn't ashamed of it, and Vi was just a girl who really liked girls. And she kind of wanted to beat up whoever gave her that scar.
She didn't want to think about what that meant. Not just yet. It had only been two weeks, for the love of god.
"I came too close to one of Silco's goons," Caitlyn answered offhandedly. "A girl who really loves explosives. I think she calls herself Jinx."
Vi froze at the name. She sat straighter and watched the other girl carefully.
"She…kidnapped me from my bathroom. Placed a few explosives near me. Warned me off Silco. Then set one of those explosives, which set off the other explosive – not sure if she meant to do that. I was hospitalized for a month."
It all came out so wrong. So flat, as if Caitlyn was telling someone else's story and not her own. Vi would have thought it was someone else's story if not for the first-person narrative.
Vi clenched her fists and shoved them into her jacket pockets before Caitlyn could notice them. She stood up and turned to the murder board, because she really didn't want Caitlyn to see the utter remorse on her face.
Powder used to be the sweetest thing on earth. She came up with odd gadgets, sure, but they used to be harmless. Little fireworks to entertain her friends and family. She didn't used to be so cruel and unhinged. Well, maybe she was, but Vi had refused to see it. Before she knew it, Powder had become Jinx.
She could hardly reconcile those two as the same person. Then again, she could hardly reconcile that she had grown to really care about Caitlyn, despite how much she didn't want to. Guess she hadn't been all that careful after all.
"I'm…sorry that happened to you," she whispered, facing the board still.
"Not your fault," Caitlyn replied with certainty.
Before, Vi didn't think to tell Caitlyn that Jinx was actually Powder and Powder was actually sister. And it wasn't because she was selfish or anything. It was just that she didn't think it would contribute anything to this investigation they were working on.
But now, it was pure selfishness. Admitting that to Caitlyn would only mean anger and frustration. Caitlyn could possibly remove Vi from her life, and Vi hadn't had enough of the girl yet.
She could forget about the paychecks that Jayce was handing her. She just wanted to spend as much time with Caitlyn as possible. Whatever that meant.
"Jinx is my sister."
"Excuse me?"
"Jinx is my sister."
Jayce gaped at her from behind the desk, and Vi was stood before him, pulling a brave face.
See, she was selfish enough to hide the fact from Caitlyn, because the navy-haired girl had become important, somehow. So fucking important that Vi found herself more selfish than she ever knew herself to be. Every night, she would lie in her bed and think about that scar on Caitlyn's collarbone, and guilt ripped through her like a roaring arrow.
But she wasn't selfish enough to hide this from Jayce. Because he signed the checks and he was paying her. And frankly, he wasn't that important for her to keep. He meant nothing in the long run.
Slowly, he rose to his full height, hands splayed on the desk. There was no mistaking that expression on his face. Pure disgust and fury. She saw it coming the moment she decided to tell him the truth – she was prepared for it.
"Are you kidding me?" he seethed in a quiet voice, befitting a councilman.
"I didn't know," she confessed, weak.
"You have to leave immediately. I'll pay you for the last month, but you have to stay away from her," he demanded.
"No."
"What?"
"I'm not leaving."
"Your sister killed her mother!" he exclaimed, swinging his hand in the air.
Much as she hated to admit it, Vi stumbled back a few steps at the new information. She blinked rapidly and withdrew her hands from her pockets, open and twitching. She studied Jayce and found only actual fury and animosity on him, for someone he actually considered a friend.
"That rocket Jinx shot three years ago was at the council building. And guess who was in that building that night?"
Of course, Vi was fully aware that Jinx had killed people that night. It was the first time she realized that she had truly lost her sister, and it would take a fuck ton of effort to pull her back from that abyss Jinx was determined to fall into.
But she hadn't actually realized – of course, Councilor Kiramman. That building had been a random dot in the sky three years ago. But now, it was the council building, and Cassandra Kiramman had been in it. Of course she was, because she was a fucking councilor.
How the fuck did it take her this long to connect the dots?
"How the hell are you alive then?" she questioned.
"Oh, trust me. I fought like hell to stay alive," he seethed, baring his teeth. "You have to leave, Vi, or I swear to Janna –"
"I can't leave."
"Why the hell not? You didn't even want this job in the first place!" She remained quiet and kept her head low, staring at her worn boots with so much guilt tearing through her nerves. It was long enough for Jayce to realize and say, "Oh god, you care about her."
"So do you," she snapped.
"I grew up with her."
"It's Caitlyn," she snapped again. Resolutely shaking her head – at her own selfishness and Jayce's bigger-than-life personality – she turned and headed for the door. "I'm not leaving."
"I'm not paying you."
"Fine."
Much like the way Caitlyn tended to do, the private detective managed to sneak herself into the story of Vi's life. As they spent more time together, the weight of the lie Jayce had pushed on her no longer around, Vi found herself telling Caitlyn things that she had never told anyone before.
Not just her parents' death or the brief stint in prison or the enforcers' treatment of those in the undercity. She told Caitlyn about the nightmares and how much she appreciated Vander for sticking around even though he didn't have to. She talked about the insecurities she had whenever she was in Piltover and the guilt of not looking after Powder as she should.
And Caitlyn, rooted in Piltover culture, never once gave her any indication that she pitied Vi or felt disgusted by the Zaunite. She only offered her ears and patiently absorbed Vi's story, determinedly telling Vi that none of it was her fault and that she was just a kid.
Caitlyn cared, like no one else had done before. With none of the baggage that came with having known Vi since she was a kid.
And sure, the bruiser could choose to believe Caitlyn when she told her that none of it was any fault of her own – anyone would believe anything that come out of that dainty little mouth with that dainty little accent. But her choosing to tell Caitlyn everything except for the very important fact her sister was the person who responsible for her mother's death?
That was entirely her own fault. And she hated herself for being selfish, but she just couldn't let Caitlyn go. Not just yet.
But of course, everything would have to come crashing down at one point. Her shoulders, broad as they may be, could only hold shit up for this long. And as with the story of her life, thing always fucking dropped.
"I'm a very good investigator, you know."
Vi agreed. She would probably make a joke about Caitlyn bragging about her talents if it wasn't for the tone that she was greeted with. Holding the door open, the bruiser stood in the doorway, struck cold by chilling volume that Caitlyn's voice had taken on and the stubborn way her eyes stayed on some paperwork on her desk.
It took a moment – give her a break, she'd barely finished her coffee – but it settled in as soon as she saw the black and white picture. It was unclear from this distance, but she could recognize that picture anywhere. The last good memory she had with Powder. Jinx.
"But you fooled me," Caitlyn added with sardonic huff, rolling her eyes at herself. "God, did you fool me. Must be so proud of yourself."
"Caitlyn," Vi voiced – this didn't seem like the right time for pet names and whatnot.
"So what is it?" Vi paused, unsure of what Caitlyn meant. "You didn't want me to hurt your sister, so you thought you could come and play undercover, while taking money from one of my closest friends on the side?" Oh, for fuck's sake, fucking Jayce. "But I understand that he stopped paying you, yet you're still here. Why?"
"I didn't –"
"Did you think it was fun to just toy with me? Oh, look at her, so innocent and naïve in her little topside office. Maybe I'll have some fun. Charm her with my good looks and charming humor."
"None of that –"
"Maybe topsiders are very good in bed. Maybe she is. Maybe I'll take her to bed first and then ditch her."
"That's enough!" Vi yelled. "It's not like that."
"Was anything you told me even real?"
She was most assuredly unwilling to allow the other girl to disparage herself that way. She would take any and all insults that the girl wanted to throw at her, but not at her own expense. Not when she was the most perfect thing Vi had ever encountered.
God, and she thought losing Powder hurt. Well, losing her sister would always hurt, but part of her had already accepted that even if she found her sister, chances were that Powder wouldn't come back. It had been three years of Jinx – one didn't just come back from that.
But this – hanging on a precipice, with Caitlyn holding the scissors, ready to cut the cord – this was painful like getting her skin freshly boiled, no way to run. Vi didn't know why she thought she'd be able to run from this truth anyway. They always caught up.
"I hate this place, you know. Piltover," she clarified quietly, fingers tight around the doorknob. "But I keep coming back. For you."
"Because you were paid."
"Well, I'm not anymore, am I?" Her free hand brushed through her messy locks. "I didn't tell you I was actually paid to watch over you because that was a condition Jayce set. That's – maybe that's an oversight on my part, and yes, I did spend the first few days shadowing you because I was getting paid, but that wasn't – it's not all it was."
"I can protect myself just fine."
"That scar tells me differently," she said, pointing at the scar that Caitlyn was putting on display. "You – god, Caitlyn, you're a good fucking shot, but you're also terrible at looking after yourself. Do you know how many people I've stopped from following you or kidnapping you? All you do is care about other people that you sometimes don't even remember that you are important too."
"Oh right, you lied to me because I'm important," Caitlyn mocked.
"Yes," Vi breathed out harshly. "I didn't tell you at first because I didn't think it was important. I didn't know that she's – I didn't know."
"And then you did," Caitlyn bit out shortly.
She didn't have to say the rest; Vi got the message. And then she did, and she didn't tell Caitlyn anyway. She kept lying to Caitlyn's face.
Caitlyn heaved a heavy sigh. "I need to think. Please show yourself out."
Part of Vi wanted to argue, but she knew it would fall on deaf ears. Caitlyn looked as if her brain was about to explode; she could relate. She sighed as well and nodded, reminding Caitlyn to look after herself before walking out the door to return to where she really belonged.
Five days of listless sleep was all it took for Vi to get that figurative punch in her chest. Or what they would call a lightbulb moment, but she wasn't smart enough to have any lightbulb moments. Hence, punch in the chest.
There was a reason she was so reluctant to just tell Caitlyn the truth. A reason why she could never stay away from Caitlyn, almost forgetting about Silco all together.
Vi had been just all too oblivious to understand the warmth that spread in her chest whenever she managed to make Caitlyn laugh. Or do anything really. She blamed jailtime and a similarly emotionally constipated adoptive father who could only show her that he cared by teaching her how to throw a punch.
But instead of facing that revelation head on, she decided to sneak back up to Piltover. Just because she wasn't paid didn't mean she couldn't still protect Caitlyn. Hiding in corners and leaping off rooftops became a well-honed talent, where she would punch out anyone she deemed to be a threat.
Until Caitlyn decided to venture down to the undercity on her fucking own, because Vi was fucking right. Because Caitlyn Kiramman had no sense of self-preservation.
Vi remembered staring. And then gaping. And then just cursing everything to high heavens as she practically parkoured down to the undercity and got rid of a few distasteful characters before Caitlyn could arrive. She stashed the goons in several garbage disposal bins, as they were fat fucks who couldn't fit it one.
Then she kept following Caitlyn. Put a finger to her mouth to shush people who recognized her as she tailed Caitlyn through the dwindling pathways of Zaun. Beat up a few more guys who had less-than-decent look in their eyes. A typical Wednesday.
She only made herself known when the navy-haired girl made her way down to a very familiar locale. Well, not familiar as in Vi frequented, but familiar as in the woman who owned the place had practically raised her and allowed her to hide in the brothel as enforcers chased her down.
"Don't," she warned, rushing forward to grab Caitlyn's arm and swing her away from the door.
When she finally looked up, she was surprised to find that Caitlyn didn't seem surprised…at all. In fact, there was a flat twist to her mouth, a clear indication that she was most definitely unimpressed. Well, at least the coldness in her eyes that had been there a month ago was no longer as cold.
"You've been following me," the private detective accused.
"Jayce isn't paying me."
"I know. Why are you following me?"
"I'm in love with you."
Perhaps it was the poisonous fumes she'd been inhaling since she was born. Probably the joint that she'd smoked before she went up to Piltover. Could be the lack of sleep from worrying over Caitlyn and worrying over Powder and worrying over Caitlyn and Powder.
Perhaps not.
Maybe it was the building pressure that kept building up like a brick wall in her chest, crushing the box that she had been hiding her feelings in for the longest time. And now that she was looking at Caitlyn's striking face for the first time in a month, she decided to start with the truth.
And the truth was: "I'm in love with you, Cupcake," she repeated with a whisper and helpless shrug.
Caitlyn's eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly. Vi would like to think that she knew Caitlyn well enough to at least understand that her feelings were reciprocated, even though it may not be as astronomical as Vi's own, but she knew that Caitlyn felt for her. Something, at least, that went beyond friendship.
"What the fuck are you doing here anyway?" she asked, not allowing Caitlyn a chance to reject her.
Caitlyn sputtered, and good god, she was so fucking cute. "I'm investigating, you moron," she finally spat out petulantly.
Vi sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, you came to the right place. You're just not wearing the right clothes."
"I beg your pardon."
"Definitely don't talk like that either."
"What is wrong with the way –"
"Wait here."
Vi sauntered away, ready to steal some jacket or maybe beat up some punk to take their jacket. Besides, she needed space to shake away the shivers at getting to see Caitlyn again after a month.
"Is Vi short for violence?"
"Jeez, Cupcake, take it easy – ouch, mother of Zaun!" Vi yelped, shirking away from the antiseptic Caitlyn was dabbing her wound with.
"That'll teach you," Caitlyn muttered, rolling her eyes and putting the cotton away. "I have to reset your arm. On three or after three?"
"Whatever."
"On three, it is." The navy-haired girl took hold of her arm, one hand on her shoulder and the other one on her forearm. Vi could hardly repress a sigh at the touch. "Ready? One."
"For fuck's sake!"
It was official. Her arm was on fire, specifically the part where it was conjoined to her shoulder. On instinct, she leaped away from Caitlyn, settling on the other couch in the room that Babette had so kindly let them stay in. The same room that was Vi's hiding spot when she was a kid.
"It would have hurt more if you'd expected it," Caitlyn offered curtly, not at all guilty at hurting Vi.
"You're being so mean," Vi pouted, grimacing at her newly functional arm.
"Who was that?"
The Zaunite rested her head on the back of the couch and just breathed for a few seconds, and then replied, "Sevika."
"Be more specific, please."
Who was Sevika? Well, Sevika was the woman who betrayed Vander and almost had him killed if Vi hadn't shown up in time. Silco's right-hand woman. Someone who would absolutely knew where Powder was, if Vi had been patient enough to interrogate her instead of just punching her in the face.
She ended up getting bludgeoned for it, because who the fuck would have thought Sevika had commissioned herself a metal arm powered by Shimmer? She hadn't seen the woman in years, not since the confrontation at the rundown factory where she saved Vander's life and lost her sister.
She told Caitlyn as much.
To go too deep into it would take a night and a half, and she didn't want to stay in this brothel any longer. This was no place for someone like Caitlyn.
"We should go."
"You said you're in love with me."
Vi sat her ass back down on the couch, looking at a stain on the wall that was most certainly organic. "Vi is short for Violet," she said, briefly wondering how that stain got there.
"Don't change the subject."
Well, shit. Attempting to be the cool, nonchalant girl that she was, Vi shrugged and kept her eyes on the stain. "I really don't think we should be having this conversation here."
"Why not?"
"Because you're hot, Cupcake," Vi admitted the one thing she'd been thinking the moment she met the topsider. "They're gonna think you work here if they see you."
"You're changing the subject again."
Damn Caitlyn Kiramman and her observant skills. "What else do you want me to say?"
"Look at me."
Vi obeyed. She looked at Caitlyn…and Caitlyn looked at her.
God, those eyes, how could anyone think to hurt this girl with those eyes? Vi could sink and swim in Caitlyn's eyes, all sapphire blue and hiding so many things that no one could even fathom linger within this unconventional topsider. She could drown in them.
"You're telling the truth," the navy-haired girl observed after a long moment of studying Vi.
Vi smiled deprecatingly. "I've only lied to you about two things," she said regretfully. "I never did tell you I'm sorry, did I?" Caitlyn shook her head. "Well, I'm sorry, for what it's worth. I'm really sorry."
"That's all I was waiting for that day, when I confronted you." The bruiser looked up, eyes wide. "I just wanted to know if you're sorry."
Oh for the love of Janna, how was she supposed to get things right with all these stupid rules? She leaned forward and propped one arm on her knee, letting the injured one dangle in the air like a useless loser. She felt like one, honestly.
A true-blue loser who didn't even know how to love like a normal person. She covered her face with her hands and breathed into her skin for a long time, bracing herself for the impending relief once she actually took a good look at Caitlyn.
And then she did, and she was relieved, because the coldness was gone. This was just Caitlyn, sitting on the bed, finally hearing the thing she'd wanted to hear back then. It felt like forever ago.
"Look, I'm – I'm not good at this, okay? I'm scared you'll get pissed, but I don't know what to do. Nothing seems right. The only thing I'm good with is my fists. I can punch and I can fight and I can protect you with these hands. All I could – I watch you from afar, and as long as you're safe, then I have one less thing to worry about."
Caitlyn seemed startled by the mini rant, blinking at Vi with a look of nothing but loss on her face. Oh great, Vi had even screwed this up.
And then, after what felt like hours, Caitlyn finally moved, shifting from the bed to the couch to sit next to Vi. She hesitated for a bit before reaching out to take Vi's injured hand in hers, careful not to jostle the injury.
"How about…you stop being my protector and start being my partner?"
Vi's hand twitched, relishing the soft skin in contact with her right now. She was still reluctant to meet Caitlyn's gaze though. "What is – be more specific, please," she pleaded weakly.
"I love you too."
Vi's head snapped up so fast that her neck kind of cracked, but she didn't give a shit about that right now. She just looked at Caitlyn, perceiving the small smile on her lips and the blush on her cheeks. The most beautiful girl in all the world.
"I'm gonna kiss you now, okay?" she requested softly.
Caitlyn hesitated for a second before nodding. And Vi started to lean in, only to be stopped by a dainty hand on her chest, pushing her away slightly.
"Or we don't have to. That's fine," she grumbled slightly.
"No, you can kiss me," Caitlyn reassured. "On one condition." Vi would give her the world if she asked for. "Don't lie to me again."
The bruiser nodded rapidly. "Yeah, yeah, deal. No more lies."
"Now, you can kiss me."
Vi leaned forward. Inch by inch. Waiting for the moment for the glass to crack and this dream to end. But Caitlyn didn't push her away, and she just kept moving forward until their lips united. And oh, this was no dream. This was very real. So real.
The kiss was awkward in the beginning, until Vi managed to posture herself better and found a way to properly kiss Caitlyn that it went from awkward to fucking fantastic. She rested her uninjured hand on Caitlyn's hip and moved again to topple Caitlyn onto her back, not releasing her lips.
"Do you really think I'm hot?" Caitlyn whispered against her lips, her voice coming out huffy and breathless.
"Shut up and let me kiss you," Vi complained, slotting her body between Caitlyn's long legs.
Silco was still out there. Powder – Jinx, whatever the fuck – was missing, wreaking havoc at places Vi couldn't find her. There was a Shimmer empire to topple. There was a councilor that she needed to have a very serious discussion with for not understanding what privacy meant.
But for now, in this disgusting brothel, she was kissing Caitlyn. And she couldn't think of a better way to spend her night. Or the rest of her days.