Caitlyn was bleeding out.
Fuck.
She slumped against her. Smack in the middle of fuck-knows-where. The smell of the Undercity filling her lungs and burning.
"You're good, Cupcake," Vi said, more of a statement than a question. A reassurance that she better live or else. Caitlyn grumbled in response because being difficult was her speciality.
Vi pulled her forward, scooted and shifted until Caitlyn was hoisted onto her back. Her head on her shoulder and those pretty hands fisted in her jacket.
"Ugh, your jacket is dirty."
"That's what you're worried about?"
"You're going to carry me to safety?"
Vi sighed at the subject change, Caitlyn was out of it. "Assuming you don't slip and crack your head on the fuckin' sidewalk-"
"Heh, am I your princess?"
Definitely out of it. Vi rolled her eyes so far she briefly convinced herself the back of her skull was a better view than whatever messed up relationship they have. It was tricky and ugly and weird. Made Vi chew the inside of her cheeks when she thought about it, like some kind of love struck fool.
Caitlyn was a stab wound between the ribs, and Vi was drowning in the blood. No bandages in sight.
"Let's get you somewhere safe. Then I can look at the wound and you'll stop lookin' at me like that."
Caityln breathed into her neck. Vi ignored it.
They pushed forward, through dank smelling alleyways and avoidable confrontations. Vi found an area, small and ugly, somewhere Caitlyn would hate. Not bothering to note how weird that thought was because she was too occupied slipping Caitlyn off of her back and propping her up on a box of something.
It was strange that she cared. That she didn't mind caring. Some prissy Enforcer, no better than the rest-
"Ugh! Where are we?" a cough, all dramatic and her, "it hurts."
"For fuck's sake, stop complainin'," then, softer, "gotta save your strength."
She undid Caitlyn's shirt, fingers skilled and fast on the buttons, knuckles cracked and bleeding because I need some semblance of normality. Then she pulled it to the side, ignored Caitlyn's chest and abs, and pressed her fingers about the bruising and stab wound. Caitlyn pointedly groaned.
"I'm a little outta my depth," Vi said, nervous laughter bubbling up and out. Because, despite everything, despite every fucked up rule in every fucked up part of this fucked up world, Vi didn't know if she could cope without Caitlyn. Or perhaps she could, Vi's stared loss in the eye and grinned, but she didn't want to. And that was the scariest thing of all.
Caitlyn looked at her, eyes glossy and head lolling sideways. Vi didn't want to look back, was worried she'd see, her head was the curtains and Caitlyn was peeking through, eyeing her thoughts and judging . So she focused on taking her jacket off and stuffing it over the blood.
"You're alright," Caitlyn murmured, strangely serious. "Tie it around, put pressure on it."
"Yeah, yeah."
Vi knew, of course, had treated her fair share of injury. But the guidance helped, almost. The reassurance that Caitlyn was alive, talking, was enough to have her finish the makeshift bandage with as much success as the world would allow before running a bloody hand through Caitlyn's hair.
Caitlyn grimaced, but weakly reached up and held the hand close. "That's disgusting."
"Yeah."
"Stop looking at me all doe eyed. I'm not going to die."
"I'll stop when I'm sure of that, Cupcake." Dignity halfway across the continent by now with no hope of returning.
Vi leaned in, kissed her, felt the blood on her tongue. Then propped Caitlyn up further, moving so they were shoulder to shoulder. Caitlyn leaned her head on her shoulder. Vi didn't complain.
"You're alright, Vi."
No I'm not. No this isn't. Not after everything. I-
Caitlyn looked at her, Vi looked back.
"Heh, you too, Cupcake."
End