Sarah Fortune sat across from The Sheriff, the small ornate table between them was cluttered with cake wrappers, crumbs and spilled coffee. The café they sat in was small and quiet, but quaint, and one of those less popular than the ones on the main street; only a few other patrons were scattered around the place, most being students.
Miss Fortune stood up and walked over to the counter, her fiery hair bouncing down her back, the ends brushing the pistols hanging on her hips. She ordered two more coffees and two slices of cake, bending to peer in the cabinet they were kept in and choosing carrot for herself, and an éclair for her friend. She passed her coins to the young girl behind the counter and carried the tray back to the table and set it down on top of the other two that they had left on the floor.
Caitlyn reached over and lifted her coffee from the tray, before reaching for the slice of carrot cake, having her hand swatted away by Miss Fortune. She tutted and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Officer, but I think those doughnuts would suit you a little better," she joked, pointing behind her to the cabinet. Both women burst out laughing, much to the annoyance of everyone who was trying to work.
Caitlyn smiled at Sarah; she liked having her come to visit, despite her reputation. It got lonely in Piltover sometimes and though Vi was good company, she was barely in the office, and while Jayce had his moments, he was always so serious, always wanting to work and do well and play around with his hammer; he was always adding upgrades.
Sarah was glad to spend time with Caitlyn. She was the closest friend Sarah had, and truly enjoyed every moment they spent together. Despite being on opposite ends of the law, the pair had clicked the moment they met, and had become nearly inseparable.
Sarah reached over and tried to clear at least some of their mess and stood to take the empty trays, piled with cake wrappers, cutlery, empty mugs and plates, back to the counter. The young girl gave her a look, but quickly corrected herself. Sarah pretended not to notice. The girl thanked her and Sarah turned back to her table.
"City of Progress, and yet no one can progress past one little incident," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. She threw herself down in her seat, and rested her arm over the back.
"You say that like it was petty theft. You gunned that man down in the middle of the street," Caitlyn replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, and you're welcome. That man was a horrible human being, and if it was Bilgewater he'd have gotten off much worse than just a few bullets."
She looked to Caitlyn, who was, ungracefully, stuffing her éclair into her mouth, getting cream all over her face. Sarah raised an eyebrow at her, disapprovingly. Caitlyn looked up and met her eye.
"What?" she mumbled, her mouth full of cake. Sarah giggled and threw her hands onto the table, almost knocking their mugs over.
"You're a really great role model, Caitlyn, you know? Out here, teaching these young, impressionable kids just to stuff their faces," Sarah joked, sarcastically. "You truly are the greatest Piltover has ever seen."
Caitlyn laughed, sending a spray of cream all over the table. Sarah grimaced and pushed herself away.
"You're disgusting, oh my God!"
"Sorry!" Caitlyn apologised, through her giggles.
Caitlyn cleaned herself up, before turning to Miss Fortune, still wearing her smile; a façade she was wearing to hide the seriousness of what she was about to say.
"What is it?" Sarah asked. She sensed something was off about what Caitlyn was feeling and was somewhat worried at the sudden change of air. Herself and Caitlyn had spent the entire morning goofing around and having fun. "What?" she asked again, more agitated now. A few more seconds passed, but to Sarah they felt like an eternity.
"Cait," she said, sternly. "Just tell me."
Caitlyn sat, closed her eyes slowly, and took a deep breath.
"I think Graves fancies you," she said, after what Sarah felt was an age.
Miss Fortune stared at Caitlyn; one eyebrow raised, eyes glazed over, seemingly looking straight through her companion. What was Caitlyn talking about, Graves fancied her? She sat processing what she'd just heard, not believing it.
Caitlyn waved her hand in front of Sarah's face. "Hello? Is anyone home?"
Miss Fortune shook her head lightly, and cleared her mind of her thoughts as she snapped back into reality.
"You're messing," she said, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't believe it, couldn't believe it. Nobody liked her, at least not in the romantic sense. Yes, the people of Bilgewater were inspired and attracted to her beauty and ferociousness, but she knew deep down they were all afraid of her; her choleric temperament meant she was difficult to get close to, and so no one bothered. "It's a joke."
Caitlyn looked at her friend, with a sad look in her eyes. She truly felt sorry for Sarah; she knew how difficult it was for her to get along with other people, and knew she had few folks in her life she could call a friend. She sighed and leant towards Sarah.
"Sarah," she started, gently. "I wouldn't lie to you about this, you know I wouldn't. Look, I know how it sounds, but I'm telling you. It's true."
"Oh, and Graves told you this himself, right?" Sarah scoffed, leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms. She didn't know how to feel - annoyed? Excited? Angry? Upset? She reached forward and snatched her mug off the table, leaning back and sipping the bitter liquid, an equally bitter look in her eyes.
"Sarah, he didn't have to," Caitlyn said softly, reaching across the table. "I see it in his eyes. How he looks at you, it's so soft and warm, and he's always so gentle in the way he talks to you. Literally everything he does for you. He really cares about you. I would never try to trick you about something like this."
Sarah considered her friend for a moment before setting her mug down on the table. She looked into her friend's eyes, and saw that what she was saying was true. Sarah closed her eyes and sighed - she knew Caitlyn was right. She had buried her own feelings so far down that she had become oblivious to those around her. She opened her eyes and looked at her friend.
"What would I even say to him? It's been a long time since someone else has cared about me."
Caitlyn gently took Sarah's hand in hers, gazing into her eyes. She smiled softly.
"Just dont think about it too much. Say what you feel is right. I promise he'll appreciate whatever it is you're trying to say to him."
At that moment, there was a knock on the window. Both women turned to look, and saw Jayce standing in the street. He signalled Caitlyn, then turned his back to the window. Miss Fortune made a face.
"Sorry, it's work stuff. He shouldn't even be here," Caitlyn apologised. She looked around and saw the few other cafe patrons were packing away textbooks and notepads, heading to the door.
"Listen, I've got to run and take care of this, but please, don't think I would lie or make fun with this, alright?" Caitlyn slowly stood from her seat, picking up her rifle. "Trust me, okay? Think about it."
She placed her hand on Sarah's shoulder. Sarah lifted hers and grazed Caitlyn's fingers before she ran out the door to Jayce. Sarah watched them run down the street until they were out of sight.
She glanced around the cafe, noticing it was near empty. What Caitlyn had said struck a chord with her; surely it couldn't be that someone other than herself was looking out for her? She scoffed and shook her head.
"There's no way," she said to herself. Sitting for a while longer, she gazed out the window to the cobbled street, the setting sun splashing it with gold and orange. Sighing, she rose from her seat and left.
Stepping onto the cobbles, she took a deep breath and smiled. The air was sweet and the sun warmed her skin, the light scent of the falling leaves indicated the beginning of the change of seasons, and brought comfort to Sarah.
Sarah wandered the streets, not heading in any particular direction. She turned off down a small cobbled alley and headed further into the city. She wanted to get to the beach, but the unfamiliar city was a labyrinth of alleys and side streets, lined with beautifully classic houses and store fronts; and besides, the beach was miles out of the city, and down a steep cliff.
Sarah walked for a while more, before stepping into a small square. She headed to the white marble fountain in the centre and sat on the edge, taking in the sights of the buildings that surrounded her. Though it was still early in the evening, most of the hustle and bustle of the city was fading away, leaving a few stragglers wandering around the square.
Twisting around, she pulled off her shoes and slipped her feet into the cool water of the fountain. She leaned back and sighed, closing her eyes, swirling her feet around in the clear water.
"What if he does care about me?" Sarah sighed, opening her eyes. She leaned forward and put her head in her hands. "There's no way," she mumbled into her hands.
"No one likes me." She closed her eyes, feeling tears threaten her, but she wouldn't allow them to shed; she hadn't cried in twelve years, and she wasn't going to start now.
Sarah felt a light tap on her shoulder, and turned around to see a young boy, no older than 7 or 8 years old, standing next to her. They stared at each other for a moment, neither saying a word. Though it was strange, Sarah didn't mind the boy's company; it was calming, and almost reassuring to her, though she didn't understand why he was there. After a few more seconds, the boy climbed onto the fountain ledge and sat down next to her.
"I like you," he said, looking up at her, his round eyes the colour of the ocean, and filled with an innocence Sarah wished she had been able to keep. She wasn't sure whether to be upset that he had been watching her or concerned that he was seemingly out alone.
"No you don't," she said, looking into his eyes. "You're only saying that because you heard me say people don't like me." She turned to look ahead, through the fountain and down the street. "You don't even know me, kid."
"Yes, I do!" he cried, whipping his body round to face her completely. "You're Miss Fortune, I know all about you! You're the best bounty hunter ever, in the whole of Runeterra!" The boy threw his arms up into the air, swinging them in a big circle above his head, emphasising his point to her. Sarah hadn't seen a child more energetic than him. He scooched closer to her and grabbed her hand.
"I want to be just like you when I grow up," he said, smiling at her. It was sweet, and Sarah found herself smiling back at him.
"Thanks, kid," she replied, ruffling his hair.
The boy screwed up his face and laughed, Sarah letting out a light chuckle with him. All of a sudden, a young woman came running out of a store closeby looking frantic. Miss Fortune noticed her before the boy did.
"Damian!" she cried out. "Damian, where did you go?" Sarah assumed she was the boy's mother. Damian swung round to face the square and waved to the woman.
"I'm here, mama," he shouted back, jumping off the fountain ledge. He turned back to Sarah and gave her a little goodbye wave, before running over to his mother.
"Take care, kid," she said, waving back at him.
"Mama, did you see who I saw?" Damian said to his mother excitedly. "Did you see?"
"Yes, dear, I saw," his mother replied, and looked at Miss Fortune nervously, grabbing Damian by the arm and pulled him back into the store.
Sarah dismissed the look, and turned her attention back to the fountain. She sat contemplating what the boy had said to her until the sun was low in the sky, throwing deep gold and orange splashes over the buildings that surrounded her and turned the water around her feet a deep amber. The air shifted, and a slight breeze flew through the square, making Sarah shiver lightly. She lifted her feet out of the water and let them dry off for a moment before popping her shoes back on and heading back to Caitlyn's apartment.
Whilst wandering through the near deserted streets, Sarah picked up the smell of a fast food wagon. She felt her stomach grumble and realised she had not eaten anything for hours. Heading off in the direction of the smell, she came across a small wagon that had all sorts of fast food on offer. Burgers, fries, sweet treats and even ice cream. Sarah strolled up to the window and ordered two hamburgers, some fries, a few donuts and a sundae.
Sarah left the wagon with a paper bag full of food, munching on her sundae on the walk back to Caitlyn's. She realised she was closer than she thought, and so the journey didn't take long at all.
Caitlyn's apartment building was a marvel to look at, and Sarah always took a moment to appreciate the beauty and the architecture of it; the white paint on the outer walls, the dainty terraces with planters of small flowers, the overall classic build of the city brought everything together, while most of Bilgewater's homes were constructed using old frigate ships on the sides of the cliffs, and it's chaotic layout made it a true labyrinth of bars, trinket shops and whore houses, it was beautiful in it's own right.
Sarah pushed the door open and climbed up the marble staircase to her friend's door. Even though the complex was only 6 floors, it was still a bit of a hike to get to the top; she didn't mind though, Sarah quite liked the exercise. She knocked once she got to the door and pushed it open.
"I'm back," she said, looking around for Caitlyn.
"I'm just in here, Sarah," Caitlyn replied, popping her head over the breakfast bar. "Ooh, and you brought dinner!" Caitlyn was eyeing up the bag that Sarah carried with her.
Sarah walked over to the counter and placed the bag down, before moving to remove her shoes and hat, leaving them by the door; Caitlyn was already rummaging through the bag, searching for her share of food.
"Hey, I'm sorry again for running off on you like that. What did you get up to?" Caitlyn asked, a look of apology in her eyes.
"No worries, I know you're busy being the sheriff and all," Sarah replied, smiling softly. "I just went for a little walk and sat by a fountain for a bit. And a little boy came up to me and said he wanted to be just like me when he grew up. So I got that goin for me."
"That's cute! Did you get a chance to think about what I said to you earlier?"
Sarah looked at her friend, who was now munching on a bite of her burger. She thought about her answer for a moment before replying. Had she thought about it enough? She still wasn't sure what to do; he believed now that Graves did care for her, and the little boy had given her a confidence boost, but how to go about it? On that, she still wasn't sure, but she was sure of what she had to do next.
"I did," she finally replied. "I'm just going to straight up ask him. Then it's out of the way, there's no pussy-footing, and if it goes wrong then that's that and I don't have to think about it ever again. Right?" She looked to Caitlyn for reassurance, who nodded slowly in agreement to her plan.
"Yeah, that sounds as good a plan as any."
Sarah sighed with relief, and reached for her dinner, thinking through her plan as she ate. Once finished, she excused herself to her room to wash up and headed to her room to get ready. Heading to the en-suite, she turned on the shower and undressed. She stepped into the shower, and let the water wash away all her anxieties and frustrations she had built up.
Sarah dried herself off with a fluffy towel, and got ready for bed. She stared at herself in the mirror and formulated her plan; she had to speak to Graves about how she felt and get everything off her chest, then she would be able to move on with her life, whether Graves stayed in it or not.
By the time she was sorted and ready for bed, her mind had been made up, and there was nothing anyone could do to change it.