Chapter Text
Kai’Sa has always enjoyed the quiet moments.
There are more of them nowadays, after finishing another round of stadium tours and K/DA formally taking an extended hiatus. They’ll come back eventually, but for now, they’re more than happy to spend some time with just each other, settling into as much of a domestic life as they choose to.
Akali and Evelynn have left for a date night in the city, leaving Kai’Sa and Ahri with the house to themselves. The movie they put on after dinner has long since finished, the two of them curled up on the couch together, purely enjoying being in the other’s presence. Kai’Sa gently scratches at the base of one of Ahri’s ears, other hand intertwined with hers.
Ahri is definitely almost asleep, breathing deeply with a faint purr rumbling in her chest. Kai’Sa doesn’t mind one bit, Ahri always looks so cute when she’s tired, and the warmth of her body against her own has her blinks growing heavy as well. She wouldn’t change a thing. She loves Ahri more than anything, and she loves these quiet private moments they’re able to share.
Naturally, peace is always ruined by something. Kai’Sa hears the sound of the garage door opening, followed by the roar of a car engine pulling up, along with the rattling of metal hitting the pavement.
Ahri whines and sits up, rubbing her eyes. “What the hell are they doing back?” She mumbles.
Equally clueless, Kai’Sa shrugs. Neither of them expect Akali and Evelynn to be back this early, if tonight at all. Usually they spend the night at Evelynn’s extra apartment after dates. “Maybe they forgot something?”
“Forgot that other people live here, more like,” Ahri groans, stretching her arms above her head. “I was falling asleep on you.”
Kai’Sa smiles, fully sitting up as well. “I could tell. I wasn’t far behind, either.”
Car doors open and are slammed shut, and the sounds of excited laughter follow. Kai’Sa and Ahri wait with held breath for Evelynn and Akali to appear in the house proper, eyes fixed on the kitchen that the garage leads into. Kai’Sa notes the similarity of their stances, sitting on the edge of the couch and leaning forward at the same degree. She even catches herself doing a small head tilt along with her.
The door to the kitchen finally opens, then Akali’s voice echoes through the previously silent house. “Guess what!”
Kai’Sa and Ahri exchange a continually confused look. “What?” They say in unison.
Evelynn rounds the corner into the living room first, almost dragging Akali with her by the hand, their fingers interlocked. In her other hand is a folder of papers, the contents of which are hidden. The two of them come to stand a few feet in front of the couch, leaning into one another.
Akali reaches for the folder, a wide smile stuck to her face. “Do you wanna tell them, or should I?”
Evelynn is smiling just as much, a rare sight, but one that Akali manages to make happen far more than anyone else. She dangles the folder just out of Akali’s reach. “I thought I was going to?”
“I wanna say it too,” Akali says, leaning closer into Evelynn and still trying to grab the papers, which Evelynn now holds high in the air above their heads.
Evelynn cluckles, then closes the gap between them and kisses Akali, both of them melting into the embrace. She lowers her arm, and Akali holds the back of Evelynn’s head instead.
“Hi, yes, still here,” Ahri says in an attempt to regain their attention. “What the fuck is going on?”
Akali and Evelynn separate, and Evelynn steps forward, handing Ahri the folder of papers. “We’ll say it at the same time, okay?” She half-whispers to Akali.
Kai’Sa leans in to see as Ahri opens the folder. Kai’Sa’s eyes flicker back and forth between the papers and the couple, not sure which she should be paying attention to more.
Ahri finishes reading faster. “You got married?”
“We got married!” Akali and Evelynn exclaim at the same time, disregarding Ahri.
Ahri ignores them all the same, shoving the papers into Kai’Sa’s hands. “Kai’Sa, I’m not fucking hallucinating, am I? Tell me I’m reading this right.”
Kai’Sa, also somewhat in disbelief, calmly reads over the document at the top of the packet, and sees that Ahri is right. It’s a marriage certificate, fully signed. “Did you two… plan this?”
“I mean, not really,” Akali responds. “We knew we were gonna eventually, and while we were out we were just like, ‘hey, why not get the boring paperwork out of the way and just throw a party about it when we feel like it? Why wait if we don’t have to?’”
Ahri takes the certificate out of Kai’Sa’s hands, holding it up to the light and checking both sides. “This is real, right? This can’t be real. Did you fucking bribe someone to get it done this late at night?”
“It’s very real,” Evelynn says, then kisses Akali again. “And I only had to make a couple calls.”
“What the fuck,” Ahri sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“We thought you’d be a little happier for us,” Akali says. Evelynn gives a nod in agreement.
“I am, it’s just…” Ahri stumbles over her words for a moment. “Sudden? I expected this eventually, but you know, I would be aware before the fact. Give me a couple minutes.” Ahri rubs her temples, like she’s trying to turn the gears in her brain manually.
Kai’Sa runs a supportive hand up and down Ahri’s back as she sorts out her thoughts. “I’m also a little caught off guard,” she says. “But I’m very happy for you as well. Congratulations.” She’s not lying, she’s always loved Akali and Evelynn as a couple, and thinking about it a little more, it makes perfect sense they’d do something off the rails like this. They certainly aren’t fans of doing anything they’re told to.
“Aw, thanks Kai,” Akali responds warmly. “And don’t worry, you can still have the title of being my Best Man at our wedding party.”
Kai’Sa laughs. “I’d be honored.”
“You’re not drunk, are you?” Ahri chimes in suddenly.
“I drove us back here, of course not,” Evelynn responds. “We’re both in a perfectly clear state of mind.”
“The media outlets are going to have a field day with this,” Ahri sighs out, more to herself.
“Don’t be so dramatic, dear,” Evelynn says with a roll of her eyes. “I for one, am quite excited to see what fantastical theories about our ‘secret engagement’ they come up with.”
“And you say I’m the attention whore.” Ahri shoots back.
“Hey,” Akali says, with a facetiously stern tone of voice. “Don’t talk to my wife like that.” Her grin grows even wider at her own words. She and Evelynn dissolve into a fit of giggles, their hands tracing the features of the other’s face, clearly growing restless.
Evelynn looks back at the couch. “Well, I think we’ll be headed out again. Just wanted to let you in on the big news first.”
Almost comically, Akali bends down for a moment and scoops Evelynn up into a bridal carry. “Hope you’ve been having a good night as well, lovebirds. We’ll be back in a day or two when we can finally walk again.” Evelynn snickers at the last comment.
Ahri laughs a little too, finally. “God, yes, get out of here, and please call at some point tomorrow. I love you both very much.”
“Love you too, Ahri,” Akali says.
“Enjoy the rest of your night,” Kai’Sa adds as Akali walks herself and Evelynn back towards the garage.
“See you later, darlings,” Evelynn calls as the door shuts.
The engine roar begins again and fades as the car speeds away down the road, along with the same rattling of metal, which Kai’Sa now reasons is probably cans tied to the bumper of the car like she’s seen in movies. Silence then returns to the house, both Kai’Sa and Ahri once again staring dumbfounded at the empty space. They break at the same time, laughing as the ridiculous nature of the events settle in.
“I can’t believe them,” Ahri says. “I mean, I can, but still. Oh my god. They’re married now.”
“To be honest, I’m not sure I could realistically imagine them having a regular engagement or anything. This feels more like them,” Kai’Sa notes.
Ahri hums in agreement. “Yeah… wow.” Ahri looks back at Kai’Sa, eyes meeting her own.
Kai’Sa feels a new tension materialize in the air, swallowing nervously at Ahri’s gaze. “Yeah.”
They’ve only ever very lightly touched the topic of marriage themselves, nothing more than a passing comment or two, both definitely attracted to the idea, but neither making an attempt to approach it seriously.
Propriety already thrown out the window tonight, Kai’Sa decides now is as good of a time as any to bring it up. “Is that…” she starts, suddenly realizing she has no idea what to say. “Wait, this isn’t me like, asking asking, but—”
“Absolutely, yes,” Ahri cuts in, catching on immediately. “Not like that,” she points towards the kitchen, “But yes. I want to get married.”
“Okay,” Kai’Sa breathes out, reaching for Ahri and pulling her in so that they can return to the cuddle that had been interrupted. “I do too.”
Ahri giggles against Kai’Sa’s chest. “Okay. Did you want… or should I, I mean, you don’t have to, uhm. I’m not making sense, am I?”
“I think I’d like to be the one to propose, if that’s alright with you,” Kai’Sa says, unable to stop smiling. “You’ve already given me so much.”
Ahri’s tail starts to wave happily. “That’s more than okay with me. Whenever you’re ready, and maybe not in public. I like it when it’s just us,” she adds, settling in closer, pressing a kiss underneath Kai’Sa’s jaw.
Kai’Sa hugs her tighter and kisses the top of Ahri’s head. “So do I.”
…
Akali and Evelynn’s wedding party is held a few months later, on a warm summer night. It’s the perfect weather for their choice of venue, atop the roof of the tallest building they could reasonably rent out for the day. Being so far above the city makes Kai’Sa a little queasy at first, but once the party kicks into full swing it’s much more manageable. There aren’t too many people thankfully, all of True Damage and many other friends filling the space quite well, but there’s more than enough room to breathe.
There’s no ceremony, they bought their rings a few days after signing the papers, and so they skip straight into a dinner reception. Akali and Evelynn both give speeches that make the other cry, and Kai’Sa has to keep a firm grip on Ahri’s hand the entire time in order to hold back her own tears. Ahri is less successful, and she has to redo her makeup in the bathroom before doing anything else.
Dancing follows, and the energy of celebration and love in the air is more than enough for Kai’Sa to completely let loose, feeling very comfortable in the crowd, though the drinks she’s had certainly don’t hurt either. She makes sure to get a dance with both Evelynn and Akali, offering them congratulations once more, which they’re overjoyed to receive. She doesn’t think she’s ever seen either of them so happy. It brings up a thought of how happy she and Ahri will be on their own special day, the idea very suddenly and overwhelmingly becoming extremely appealing. She resolves to think more about it another time before she accidentally stresses herself out.
Kai’Sa finishes her dance with Evelynn, sending her off with a firm hug, mindful of the jewels on Evelynn’s personally designed white party dress, in place of a wedding gown. Akali wears a similarly ornate suit, and there’s definitely a couple stray gemstones on the dancefloor somewhere. Kai’Sa spots Ahri off to the side, talking with Ekko and smiling at the crowd in front of them.
Kai’Sa makes her way over, giving a friendly excited wave to Ekko, and wrapping an arm around Ahri, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “Hi sweetheart, having fun?”
“I am, thank you,” Ahri responds, wrapping her own arm around Kai’Sa’s waist. “Seems like you are as well.”
“Definitely, and it’s lovely to see you again, Ekko,” Kai’Sa says.
Ekko smiles in return. “It’s a great night, I’m really glad I was able to make it. I wasn’t aware Evelynn was capable of smiling this much, it’s nice. ‘Kali really brings that out of her, huh?”
Ahri chuckles. “I’m really happy for them. I still might not ever forgive them for the surprise of it all, however.”
“I swear,” Ekko laughs. “Akali texted the TD group chat a few days after about it, and I totally thought it was another prank of hers for like an hour. I’m glad it wasn’t, though. It kinda makes sense for them.”
“That’s what I said. No way were they ever going to do any of it ‘normally,’” Kai’Sa says, punctuating the last word with air quotes.
Ekko nods, taking a sip of his drink and looking back at the dancefloor. He then looks back at the couple next to him, and adopts a playful smirk. “Well then,” he starts, pointing with one finger of the hand that holds his glass. “I guess that means you two are next?”
“Oh,” Kai’Sa says, mouth turning dry. She looks at Ahri, who meets her eyes with a bashful smile, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink. “I, uhm. I guess we are.”
“We’ll send you an invite when the time comes,” Ahri steps in, always finding the words when Kai’Sa can’t.
“Aw, that’s sweet, thank you. You guys are adorable, I’m never gonna forget Kai’Sa happily dancing to herself in Paris whenever you texted her, before you were even dating.” Ekko’s memory has always been sharp, one of the reasons Kai’Sa enjoys learning choreographies with him whenever they get the chance to hang out.
Ahri giggles. “I’ve heard stories.” She reaches up and pokes at a dimple in Kai’Sa’s cheek. “I sure do have the cutest girlfriend in the world, don’t I?”
Kai’Sa rolls her eyes, despite the smile. “I’m never going to live that down, am I? I didn’t even realize I was doing it.”
“Senna might still have a video of it, too,” Ekko says.
Ahri gasps excitedly. “Oh my god, I need her to send that to me.”
“You’ll have to ask her about it.”
“Oh, I very much will,” Ahri says with a wide, mischievous grin.
Kai’Sa tugs Ahri closer into her side. “You’re a menace, you know that?”
Ahri giggles again, looking up at her, her golden eyes sparkling. “And yet you love me.”
“Isn’t that just so silly of me?” Kai’Sa chuckles, leaning down just slightly to kiss her. She knows Ekko is still there in front of them, but that doesn’t matter to her. Loving Ahri isn’t something she wants to be subtle about. She decides that, when she feels ready, she’s going to buy Ahri the shiniest diamond ring she can find.
———
Ahri doesn’t exactly do breaks.
Deciding to formally proclaim a hiatus for K/DA had been a struggle, but the three other girls had her very stubbornly outvoted. She resolved that she would sink all her extra time into Charmed and FOXY Cosmetics again, until she’d been urged to take a sort-of-break from that as well. Most of the responsibilities have been handed over to Karma, her usual second-in-command, for the time being. Ahri still isn’t fully convinced that Kai’Sa hadn’t secretly met with Karma at some point so that they could push the decision from both sides, but they made very compelling arguments. They were right of course, Ahri has been enjoying the more relaxed schedule, but she’s incapable of not working on anything.
She keeps a journal with fragments of song lyrics that come to her in moments of inspiration, an idea stolen from Seraphine. She only ever shows it to Akali, who offers praise and fair criticism of such lyrics, and there’s nothing fully written yet, but it’s nice to know that there’s some place to start from when they’re all ready to start making music again.
For now though, she sits awkwardly on the kitchen countertop by the sink to look out the window above it, facing their expansive yard. She watches leaves shake in the late morning wind, the first hint that autumn is on its way. The otherwise still water of the pool ripples with it, and she’s reminded she hasn’t used it much this summer. Maybe she should, soon. It’s supposed to be a bit warmer later in the week.
“We have other windows to look out of, you know.” Evelynn’s voice suddenly comes from behind her, walking into the kitchen with a mug of tea.
“Shit, Eve,” Ahri curses, startled, almost falling over into the tub of the sink. “Walk louder. Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
“Aren’t you supposed to have good hearing, dear?” Evelynn teases as she takes a seat at the island, facing Ahri.
Ahri doesn’t climb down. “My hearing is perfect, thank you very much. I was just thinking.”
Evelynn leans forward, intrigued with a devilish smile. “About anything fun?”
“No,” Ahri says, briefly sticking her tongue out at her. “Just boring thoughts about the season changing.”
“God, that is boring. Makes you sound like a grandmother.”
“Oh, shut up. Kai’Sa says I’ve just finally accepted domestic life.”
Evelynn huffs out a laugh. “Aw, how cute, so you can both be boring together.”
Ahri grabs a spoon from off the countertop and throws it at Evelynn’s head. Miraculously — or maybe unfortunately — Evelynn catches it before it can hit her square between the eyes.
“Woah, nice throw, Ahri.” Akali comes down from upstairs. She stands behind Evelynn, draping herself over her, lightly kissing her cheek. “And even better catch, babe.”
A small smirk tugs at Evelynn’s lips. “Thank you, my love. Are you all ready for today?”
Akali flicks down the aviator sunglasses that had been resting at the top of her head, the final accessory to her outfit of a leather jacket and dark jeans. “You know it.” She spins around and strikes a couple of fun poses, radiating her expected aura of coolness and spunk.
In all their time off, all the members have taken up some kind of new hobby. Kai’Sa, surprisingly, found that she quite enjoyed riding Akali’s motorcycle, and bought one of her own so that they can spend some days just racing around together. Ahri had been sickeningly nervous about it at first, but once she took a ride on the back of Kai’Sa’s bike, seeing just how careful she was, she started to worry far less. The speed is still far too much for herself though; that ride had resulted in a lot of screaming and a suffocating hold around Kai’Sa’s waist.
Ahri smiles at the memory. She watches Akali place her sunglasses on Evelynn, and mimes the act of taking pictures of her. Akali plays up the scene, giving words of encouragement typical of fashion photographers, mixed in with flirtations and verbal astonishment that she’s married to her. Evelynn returns the energy, never one to turn down an impromptu photoshoot — even a fake one.
“How’d they turn out?” Evelynn asks through a laugh, once Akali is done.
“Ah, can’t beat the real thing.” Akali lays her arms atop Evelynn’s shoulders and kisses her, slowly.
Ahri realizes she might as well be invisible to them, and so she turns away just slightly. She’d be lying to herself if she said she isn’t a little envious of the new kind of fun Akali and Evelynn have been having since the wedding. They’d utterly bathed in the media attention, never confirming or denying any specific details, just to further the rumors. Ahri hasn’t checked them since, but she knows the comment section on Instagram posts about the wedding party are filled with endless threads of arguments about who asked who, or what the ceremony was like, as well as quite a few people upset that Akali or Evelynn hadn’t married them instead.
She hopes that the reactions to the posts she and Kai’Sa will make will be a little more normal, but that seems a bit too optimistic. All the annoying celebrity gossip accounts are already drafting theories about what kind of dress she’ll wear, or trying to decode a secret message that doesn’t exist in Kai’Sa’s tweets, thinking she’s already proposed secretly.
As if summoned by her thoughts, Kai’Sa comes down the stairs and approaches her, wearing a nearly identical outfit to Akali’s. Even if she’s still wary of the safety of riding a motorcycle, Ahri could never deny that Kai’Sa looks ridiculously attractive doing it.
“Hey,” Kai’Sa says, a phrase so simple, and yet the charm with which it leaves her mouth is enough for Ahri to feel a little weak in the knees; the leather jacket is just an excellent final touch. “We’re headed out.”
Ahri hops down from the countertop, and as soon as she can reach, she grabs the front of Kai’Sa’s jacket and uses it as an anchor so that she can balance standing on the tips of her toes to kiss her. She keeps it quick and chaste, giggling softly when she falls back onto flat feet. “Be safe, okay?” She says with an affectionate pat to Kai’Sa’s cheek.
Kai’Sa blushes at the gesture. “We will, I promise.” She leans down and presses another soft kiss against Ahri’s lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.” Ahri reaches down and gives Kai’Sa’s hands a small squeeze as an additional goodbye. She runs her thumbs across the tops of Kai’Sa’s fingers as she pulls away, and for a moment, Ahri expects to feel the metal of a ring.
The thought completely consumes Ahri’s brain as Kai’Sa and Akali make their way out the door. She registers their waves and parting words of have fun, see you later, but more pressing is the realization that she very much wants to officially say that the tall and gorgeous dancer that just left the house is her wife. She wants to scream it from the rooftops, plaster it all across billboards, she wants something tangible to point to and say, yes, we’re spending eternity together. Not that anyone ever doubted it.
Ahri pictures it briefly, how Kai’Sa will look bent down on one knee, how she’ll probably take a deep breath before asking — like she always does when she’s a particular kind of nervous — the cute smile she’ll adopt when she first says “this is Ahri, my wife,” it’s all so appealing, and she has to desperately remind herself to be patient.
“So,” Evelynn says, voice cutting through the vision. “How are things?”
Ahri breaks away from staring at the closed door and shoots Evelynn a glare, one eyebrow raised. “You don’t do small talk.”
Evelynn runs a finger around the rim of her mug. “Can I not ask a simple question? Check up on how you’re doing?”
Ahri crosses her arms and stands firm, her tail slowly swaying from side to side. “Get to the point, Eve. I know you better than this.”
“Then you must know what I’m going to bring up,” Evelynn says. “Unless you haven’t seen it yet.”
Realization hits, and Ahri’s face falls, the annoyance in her voice exchanged for anger. “What is it now?”
Evelynn takes out her phone and slides it across the countertop. “See for yourself.”
Ahri grabs the phone and sees an article pulled up. It’s a typical trashy tabloid site, complete with an equally obnoxious headline that reads, “Top 10 Celebrity Couples That We Can’t WAIT to See Married!! Number 5 May Surprise You!”
“You know I don’t read this shit,” Ahri says as she scrolls through the list. She’s pretty sure she can guess what she’s supposed to be looking for. “It’s probably just the same paragraph that was in last month’s version.”
Sure enough, she stops scrolling once she sees a picture of herself and Kai’Sa from a couple weeks ago.
“Number 1: Ahri and Kai’Sa (K/DA) — We’ve loved following these two POP/STARS since they went public about their relationship two years ago (though we’re still a little mad they kept the secret from us for so long!), and it seems to be going strong. Thing is, they’re still just girlfriends! You’d think after the surprise wedding of their band-mates Akali and Evelynn they’d get the message it’s the year to put a ring on it, but they’re taking their sweet time, huh?! Maybe there’s more trouble than we know of in that big house of theirs, or maybe we won’t have to wait long at all. We’re all #Kahri4Life-rs here, so we’ll be overjoyed if/when Ahri shows up with a sparkling diamond ring in her next interview, or we learn Kai’Sa’s started choreographing a first dance. Hopefully this sweet couple turns into something MORE!”
“Groundbreaking journalism, isn’t it?” Evelynn says.
Ahri groans, sliding the phone back over and runs her hands over her face. “It’s none of their fucking business. They don’t actually care about us, they just want something new to report on.”
“If I recall correctly, you were only at the number three spot last time. They’re really getting pushy.” Evelynn drops the sarcasm.
“It’s every interview, every paparazzi crowd, ‘when are you getting married? Any engagement plans yet? Have you thought about children?’ It’s ridiculous. It’s like having a thousand sets of parents. I think. Parents do that, right?” Ahri stops pacing around in circles and looks back at Evelynn, who simply shrugs. “Ugh, whatever. You get what I mean.”
Evelynn hums in agreement. “How does Kai’Sa take these sort of things?”
“You know how she is with the press in general. I’d hope it isn’t bothering her too much. She hasn’t said anything, but… I still worry about her sometimes.”
“I can make some calls if you’d like,” Evelynn says with a devilish grin. “Scare them silly so they get off your back for a while.”
Ahri knows the offer is genuine. It’s the only reason she and Kai’Sa were able to have any kind of peace after publicly coming forward about their relationship. People don’t call as often if there’s potentially a literal demon on the other end of the line.
“You’re a lifesaver, Eve. Thank you so much.” She comes around to hug Evelynn from behind.
Evelynn leans into it just enough to be noticed. “Anything for you, darling. I want you two to be happy.”
“We’re very happy,” Ahri says as she keeps a hold of Evelynn, swaying them back and forth slightly. “And I’ll be even happier when she finally asks me to marry her.”
“Ah,” Evelynn laughs. “The articles have gotten to you, then.”
Ahri playfully hits Evelynn’s shoulder and takes the seat next to her. “It’s not the fucking articles. She’s hot and gorgeous and good at everything. Of course I want to get married. Kai’Sa just wants to be the one to ask.”
“Such romantics,” Evelynn says before taking a sip of the tea in her mug.
“Okay, sorry that we’re not ones for eloping like you and Akali—”
“That wasn’t eloping,” Evelynn interrupts. “We had no intention of getting married when we left that night, and we still had the normal party part of a wedding later. Also, I wasn’t even trying to insult you that time. I think it’s sweet. You were made for each other, I see how she looks at you, and how you look at her.”
Ahri smiles and her tail takes up a much happier wave. “I love her. She could give me a bent paper clip for a ring and I’d still say yes.”
“Somehow I don’t believe you’d really be okay with that,” Evelynn says flatly.
“Okay, not really, no. I’d like to show off at least a little.”
Evelynn chuckles warmly. “Has she been dropping any hints recently? Think she’s planning anything?”
Ahri shrugs. “She’s a terrible liar, I’d know if she was.” She doesn’t say it with any kind of bite, Kai’Sa’s consistent honesty is one of Ahri’s favorite things about her. “I’m not expecting a full surprise, though I would be impressed. It’s just a matter of waiting, for me.”
Evelynn takes another sip of her drink, an eyebrow raised. “You hate waiting.”
“Ugh,” Ahri groans, laying her forehead on the countertop. “I do.”
———
Kai’Sa thinks that Ahri might be the softest thing she’s ever known. Whether it’s the fur on her tails, the skin on her thighs, or her caress when it feels like the world is spinning all too fast, it’s something Kai’Sa indulges in every time. She knows the world has tried to harden her, forced her fangs and claws to be bared, but it has not damaged the soft nature within. Kai’Sa has made sure of it.
Ahri looks like a goddess no matter what she does, but especially now, simply sitting up in the middle of their bed and running a brush through her hair. She’s singing a small tune to herself, but not one that Kai’Sa recognizes. Even so, she falls into the melody, and somehow falls more in love. She can’t look away — not that she even wants to.
Kai’Sa runs her fingers through the the fur of the one tail that lies across her lap, a satisfied smile stuck to her face. She giggles a little when the tail twitches.
“I’m not bothering you, am I?” Ahri asks, turning back to her briefly.
Kai’Sa shakes her head. “Not at all.”
“Okay, just making sure.” Ahri pauses for a moment. “I love you,” she adds with a smile, then returns to moving her brush and singing the same song.
“I love you too,” Kai’Sa replies. She means it, with all that she is. Every single piece of her heart and soul is intensely grateful that she gets to hear and return those words each day. The meaning never lessens, it only grows, and with it, Kai’Sa cements the desire to show proof of it to the world.
She considers the entire process of the engagement, the essentials of the ring and some moment they’re alone, she should probably take Ahri somewhere special for the day, Evelynn and Akali should know beforehand, her own dad too, she should really call more often— she lets out a long exhale to stop herself from getting overwhelmed. There’s no use giving anything serious thought at this time of night, already feeling quite tired. She’s quite content to simply watch Ahri exist in the perfect way that she does, slowly letting her song become a lullaby that carries her to sleep.
“Hey, silly.” Ahri pokes the middle of Kai’Sa’s forehead, causing her eyes to snap back open. The hairbrush is gone, and the bedside lamps are turned off. “Don’t fall asleep sitting up like that.”
Kai’Sa laughs a little, shifting to lay down more properly on the pillows. “It’s not my fault. Your voice is so pretty, I like just listening to you.”
Ahri gives a soft giggle as she leans over Kai’Sa, then comes down to kiss her, an equally soft brush of lips that she smiles into. When she pulls back, a purr is rumbling in her chest. “You’re so cute.”
Kai’Sa gently drags Ahri down to lay on top of her. “And have I ever told you how gorgeous you are?”
Ahri‘s purr grows a little louder, and she rolls them both over onto their sides. Even in the dark, her cheeks are clearly dusted with a shade of pink that nearly matches the ends of her hair. “Every day, sweetheart.”
“Just making sure,” Kai’Sa says, keeping her close. “And I’ll continue to tell you every day, until the end of time if you’ll let me.”
“Is that how you’re proposing?” Ahri teases, lightly tracing heart shapes on Kai’Sa’s collarbone with the tip of a finger.
Kai’Sa nearly chokes. “What? No, oh my god, no. I promise I’ll do something much more impressive than that.” She feels her face heat up, her hands curled into fists with suddenly sweaty palms.
Ahri laughs so sweetly, leaning forward to press a kiss to Kai’Sa’s lips. “Relax, honey.” Another kiss, one that Kai’Sa actually responds to. “It was just a joke.”
“I know,” Kai’Sa sighs, ever so slightly letting the tension dissolve out of her body.
“But if you had been,” Ahri continues, “I still would have said yes. Every moment is perfect with you.”
Kai’Sa can’t think of any suitable response other than pulling Ahri in closer and muttering a very soft, “I love you,” into the top of Ahri’s head. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Ahri whispers back, and Kai’Sa can feel her smile against her chest.
———
Fall comes around, and Ahri continues to find herself in front of the kitchen window. With fall comes cooler temperatures, leaving the bed just a little colder when Kai’Sa gets up at some ungodly hour of the morning. Ahri finds it a little funny that for someone so adamant about her taking breaks and relaxing, Kai’Sa doesn’t know how to lie in. Ahri normally stays in bed far longer, but this morning she felt the need to stretch her legs earlier than usual and figured she can just meet Kai’Sa downstairs when she’s done with her typical morning routine.
After a short while of watching the morning clouds slowly move across the sky, Ahri recognizes the pattern of footsteps that come from behind her, and sure enough, she’s greeted with Kai’Sa wrapping her strong arms around her from behind. Kai’Sa’s body radiates warmth, she’s definitely just come out of the shower, the smell of peach scented shampoo hanging in the air.
Kai’Sa bends her neck down and lays kisses across the top of Ahri’s shoulder. “Good morning, lover.”
Her tail curls around Kai’Sa’s leg, and Ahri leans into the embrace, humming a pleased noise. “Hi baby,” she sighs happily.
The upward curl of Kai’Sa’s lips against her skin is easily felt, and Kai’Sa journeys up farther to Ahri’s neck, surely leaving marks in her wake. She’s ever so gentle, as always, but there’s a simmering heat beneath it all, one that drips down Ahri’s spine and causes the room to feel far warmer than it naturally should.
“You’re lively this morning,” Ahri says before slipping into a low purr. She tilts her neck more to the side, letting Kai’Sa do what she wants. She is far from complaining about this course of events, even if she hadn’t been expecting it.
Kai’Sa chuckles, her wrap around Ahri’s middle growing tighter. “You’re the one who’s up early,” she says between lingering kisses. “Something the matter?”
Ahri smiles, one fang biting into her bottom lip, very pleased with Kai’Sa’s initiative. “Not at all. Especially when you’re doing that.”
Kai’Sa’s next chuckle is low, more akin to a growl. She just barely sinks her teeth into the side of Ahri’s neck, but it’s enough for Ahri to involuntarily gasp.
A surge of want comes over Ahri, overtaking any other thoughts that had been her head prior. She manages to turn around in Kai’Sa’s hold, fisting her hands in Kai’Sa’s hair and dragging her into a messy, passionate kiss. Kai’Sa makes a noise, clearly caught just a little off guard, but then she leans into it, slipping her hands under Ahri’s loose shirt. Her fingers dance across her stomach, just barely moving upwards. Instead she pushes just enough to send a message, leading Ahri to lean against the countertop of the kitchen.
Ahri places one hand back to grip the edge of the countertop to keep herself steady. They kiss like they’ll never get enough, hungry for and lost in each other. One of Kai’Sa’s legs is slotted between Ahri’s own, and she’s just seconds from purposely pressing herself against it, until Kai’Sa very quickly pulls back.
Her spectacular purple eyes are still fixated on Ahri’s lips and her hands are still restless, her blunt nails tracing the lines of Ahri’s ribcage. “Fuck,” she exhales. “I’m getting distracted.”
Ahri frowns, a bit confused. “I think you’ve got a good thing going so far.” She arches her back just slightly to try and get Kai’Sa’s hands to move with intention, whether it be higher or lower, she just wants her to make up her mind and touch her somewhere.
Kai’Sa kisses her again, though it’s annoyingly chaste. “Sorry. I meant to ask you something.”
“Please tell me this isn’t where you’re proposing,” Ahri says before she can stop herself.
Kai’Sa laughs, her stupid, perfect smile never faltering. “Do you seriously believe I’d choose to ask in the kitchen at nine in the morning on a Tuesday?”
“I don’t fucking know, okay,” Ahri whines. “I can’t exactly think critically when your hands are up my shirt.”
“I’m sorry. We can get back to that later,” Kai’Sa promises, giving her a final kiss as she drops her hands to rest atop Ahri’s hips.
Ahri sighs, letting Kai’Sa take half a step back and look her in the eye properly. “I’ll hold you to that. What did you want to ask?”
“I wanted to ask what you’re wearing to that event tomorrow night. I thought we could coordinate.”
Still annoyed with this change of conversation topic, Ahri rapidly mentally searches through her expansive wardrobe. “It’s just a fun get-together, so probably that one backless dress. You’d look great in a suit and tie next to me, and your earrings can match my necklace.”
Kai’Sa nods. “That’s what I was thinking too,” she says in a quiet voice.
“Aww.” Ahri delicately brings a finger under Kai’Sa’s chin to keep her head and focus up. “Thinking about what you like seeing me wear, huh? You like what that dress shows off, don’t you? Is that why you were in the shower for so long?”
“Shut up,” Kai’Sa laughs, rolling her eyes. “You’re the worst.”
“Am I wrong, though?”
“Not entirely,” Kai’Sa admits, her face turning red.
Ahri gives a mischievous giggle, forever amused at how easily she manages to fluster her girlfriend. She brings her hand up and runs her thumb back and forth across Kai’Sa’s cheek. “I’ll definitely be wearing that dress, then.” She leans in closer to speak right against Kai’Sa’s ear. “And I’ll let you take it off of me at the end of the night, hm?”
Kai’Sa’s loose hold on Ahri’s hips grows tighter, and she kisses the side of Ahri’s face. ”I’d very much like that.”
”Good deal.” Pleased with herself, Ahri lightly pushes Kai’Sa away so that she can walk towards the fridge, intentionally playing up the sway of her hips and wave of her tail. “Hungry? I’ll make you breakfast.” She revels in the wide-eyed stare Kai’Sa is giving her.
“Are you sure?” Kai’Sa asks after a beat of silence. “I don’t mind, I can—“
“I want to,” Ahri cuts in. “Let me spoil you a little, it’s only fair. You should be learning how to relax as well.”
“Alright,” Kai’Sa says, giving in. “But you can’t stop me from watching to make sure you’re not going to accidentally poison me.”
“Oh hush.” Ahri scrunches her nose at her in a scowl. “I can manage breakfast.”
She does manage, serving them both warm and fluffy pancakes. She attempts to get the ones for Kai’Sa in the shape of a heart, but they come out a little wonky and a tad singed. For a moment she’s upset with herself, thinking Kai’Sa deserves better, and that she’ll be disappointed. The fear is immediately dissolved as Kai’Sa takes her first bites, and gives a smile sweeter than the syrup she’s poured all over her plate.
———
Even while on break, K/DA gets a lot of invitations to all sorts of industry event parties. Most of them get declined, either because the host definitely just wants them there for their own social benefit, or simply because they don’t feel like it. There are exceptions of course, the four of them still enjoying the opportunity to hang out with friends they don’t see much otherwise.
Tonight is one of those instances, the release party for Sona’s new album bringing together all familiar faces for Kai’Sa and the others. Paparazzi had hounded them all outside, but now, inside the venue, everything feels more at ease.
An hour or so into the event, Kai’Sa catches sight of Seraphine’s striking pink hair in the mild crowd and makes her way over. She’s greeted with a bright smile and enthusiastic wave, the two of them sharing a brief hug when the distance is crossed.
“Hi!” Seraphine’s voice is as cheery as ever. “It’s so good to see you! You look really nice.”
“Aw, thanks Sera.” Kai’Sa smiles at the compliment. Ahri was right, she does look extremely good in a suit, and she carries herself with an extra edge of confidence. “You do as well.”
Seraphine gives a small playful curtsy, holding the edges of the short skirt on her white party dress. “You’re too kind. How have you been?”
“I’m doing well, very much enjoying relaxing at home for the most part. How about yourself? I haven’t seen you since the wedding party.”
“I’m great! Oh my gosh, I got so inspired by seeing those two just so happy and in love that night, I filled up like, five whole journal pages with lyrics over the next week. Akali said she’d get me in touch with Yasuo at some point, to see what thoughts he has on my work and if we can maybe whip up an EP together. I’m really excited.”
Kai’Sa isn’t surprised by the news of Seraphine’s creative burst, she admires it. “That’s great! I can’t wait to see what you do next, especially with that night giving inspiration.”
“It was so magical, right? I’ve only been to a couple weddings, but none of them even come close to that. I’m not sure any that I go to in the future could, either.” Seraphine takes a brief, but obvious pause. “Where’s Ahri, by the way?”
Kai’Sa bites the inside of her cheek, fairly certain she can guess how those dots connected in Seraphine’s ever clever head. She still scans the crowd for her girlfriend, also not sure where she’s gone off to since they last saw each other. Ahri is easy to spot, standing by the bar and chatting with a few other partygoers. Kai’Sa instinctually smiles at the sight, especially appreciating the skin and lightly toned muscles left exposed by the cut of her deep blue dress. She really does have a knack for fashion.
Remembering she was in the middle of a conversation, Kai’Sa tears her gaze away from the ethereal woman she intends to spend her life with, and turns back to Seraphine. Seraphine herself however, also appears to be lost away in thought, looking off into a different section of the crowd. Kai’Sa follows her starry-eyed stare, finding it to land on a girl with wavy blonde hair, wearing a black dress adorned with many chains as accessories. She recognizes her as Rell, featured on a couple recent Pentakill tracks and vocalist of her own pop-punk band.
“Hey,” Kai’Sa says with a smirk, poking Seraphine’s shoulder. “Earth to Seraphine.”
Seraphine shakes her head, coming out of her trance and snapping her head back to look at Kai’Sa again. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Were you saying anything?” Her face rapidly turns to a shade of pink.
Kai’Sa chuckles. “I wasn’t, but I have a couple questions now,” she teases, and points in Rell’s direction.
“Oh my god,” Seraphine repeats, very quickly turning back to confirm the subject of Kai’Sa’s gesture, and hides her face in her hands when Rell just barely looks her way. “Oh, that’s so embarrassing. I swear it’s nothing.”
A full laugh erupts from Kai’Sa’s chest. “Doesn’t look like ‘nothing.’ Are you two friends?”
“Well, uh, yeah, sort of. Not really. I mean. Okay.” Seraphine takes a deep breath. “We follow each other on social media and have had like, two small conversations in DMs, but that’s it.”
“You should probably go talk to her, then.”
Seraphine’s eyes widen in mild horror. “No, oh my god no. She’s way too cool for me.”
“I bet she thinks the same about you.” Kai’Sa places a hand on Seraphine’s shoulder. “You already know each other, it’s not like she’s a total stranger. Come on. I believe in you.”
Seraphine stands a little taller, taking another deep breath. “Alright. I’ll talk to her. At the very least I can maybe get a song idea out of this.”
“There you go,” Kai’Sa says, proud. “We can catch up more later.” She pats Seraphine’s shoulder and very lightly shoves her in Rell’s general direction. “Go talk to your crush.”
Seraphine glares back at her. “You better not tell Akali about this, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
Kai’Sa winks. “No promises.” She lets Seraphine go, and makes her own way over to Ahri, who she notices is now sitting alone. She smiles to herself when she looks back for a moment and sees Seraphine and Rell in full, excited conversation with one another.
Kai’Sa arrives at the bar, and walks her fingers across Ahri’s bare shoulder as she comes to stand beside her. She adopts a smirk as she looks her up and down. “Well, hello there Miss.”
Ahri snorts, giving Kai’Sa the same glance-over, taking a long sip from the glass of wine she’s holding. “Can I help you with something, handsome?”
“I just don’t recall seeing you around here before,” Kai’Sa says, continuing the game she’s started. She’s an awful actress, unable to bite back the smile spread across her features. “I would remember a pretty face like yours.”
In contrast, Ahri’s acting is stellar. Her expression is flat, now watching the swirl of deep red liquid she starts by moving her glass in circles against the table of the bar. “My, my, a flatterer, I see. Though unfortunately for you, I'm here with someone.”
“How unfortunate indeed,” Kai’Sa sighs. “Can't be that serious though,” she points towards Ahri’s hands. “I don’t see a ring.”
Now Ahri breaks a little, smirking just slightly before meeting Kai’Sa’s eyes again. She offers Kai’Sa her glass. “Ah, well, she’s lucky I’m a very patient woman.”
Kai’Sa takes the glass and takes a sip, winking over the top of it. “She’s very lucky indeed.” She sets the glass down and shifts a little closer. “One dance can’t hurt, can it?”
Ahri turns to fully face her and brushes her hands across the lapels of Kai’Sa’s suit jacket. “Hmm, I’ll have to think about it. What else have you got going for you besides a charming smile?”
“I’m a good kisser,” Kai’Sa says. That at least, she knows isn’t a lie.
Ahri grabs Kai’Sa’s tie and drags her to lean down so that she’s speaking directly against her mouth. “Oh, then I would love a demonstration.”
Kai’Sa chuckles as she moves to close the gap, before a voice catches their attention.
“I didn’t realize I had walked into some low budget rom-com.” Akali stands with an unamused expression as she faces the couple.
Ahri’s eyes widen in exasperation, grip tightening on Kai’Sa’s tie. She then glares in Akali’s direction. “Do you need something, Akali?”
“Just thought I would stop by and see how you were doing.” Akali says. “Really Kai’Sa? ‘I’m a good kisser?’ That’s the best you can do?”
“Shut up,” Ahri groans, turning back to Kai’Sa and giving one last tug to get the kiss she’d been promised. Kai’Sa obliges, parting her lips and her heart flutters at the feeling of Ahri smiling into it. Once she pulls back, Ahri very confidently sighs out, “She’s not lying.”
Kai’Sa raises an eyebrow at Akali. “Any other notes from the director?”
Akali laughs at that. “Oh, yeah. Also thought I’d give you a heads up that a couple more truckloads of cameras just got here. Security’s letting some of them in, for some fucking reason.”
“Ugh,” Ahri rolls her eyes. “We’ll deal with it.”
“Annoying,” Kai’Sa sighs. “Thanks for the warning at least.”
Akali flashes finger guns at them both. “No problem. You two having fun?”
“Fun that you interrupted,” Ahri shoots, glaring harder.
Kai’Sa runs a comforting hand up and down Ahri’s arm. “It’s okay, sweetheart.” She returns her focus to Akali. “Yes, we’re having a good time. I caught up with Seraphine a little, she’s doing great.” She politely decides to not let details of their conversation slip just yet. Akali will probably figure things out on her own anyway.
“Oh, sweet, I should find her.” Akali says. “You two seem to have your own thing going on anyway.”
“You’re so incredibly observant, ‘Kali,” Ahri says, words laced with sarcasm.
Akali’s devilish grin only grows wider as she walks off. “I’ll see you around, lovebirds.”
“Stop calling us that,” Ahri half-heartedly calls after her, then looks at Kai’Sa again, throwing her arms around her waist.
“I think it’s cute,” Kai’Sa says, brushing her thumb across Ahri’s cheek, then pinches it lightly. “But not as cute as you when you’re angry.”
“I’m not angry,” Ahri huffs, her ears falling flat against her head. “I just wanted to kiss you. You look so good tonight.”
Kai’Sa feels herself blush, and kisses the cheek she isn’t holding. “And you’re as gorgeous as ever, my love.” She kisses her again. “And cute.” Another. “And pretty.” She lists several more compliments, each separated by another kiss, until Ahri is giggling and squirming in her hands.
“Okay, okay, you absolute dork,” Ahri laughs, playfully shoving her away. She takes a hold of Kai’Sa’s hands and leads them away from the bar. “Come dance with me, Kai-Kai.”
Kai’Sa can’t help but smile and follow; she’d follow Ahri anywhere. As she’s willfully led to the dancefloor, a couple clicks of cameras catch her ear, though they’re soon drowned out by the pulse of the music. Ahri doesn’t let her dwell on it too long either, throwing her arms atop her shoulders and sparking the energy between them both.
Dancing, like most things for Kai’Sa, is so different with Ahri. They become tied together by the beat of the song and their hearts. Kai’Sa predicts Ahri’s movements just as she does with her, each in perfect tandem with the other. It always draws the attention of a crowd, even when they’ve settled down to gently sway together to a slower piece.
“They’re all staring at us, you know.” Kai’Sa can feel the eyes on her back, but she keeps her own focused on the woman she holds in her arms.
“Let them,” Ahri says, bringing their bodies ever so slightly closer. “I want the world to know how much I love you. Let them see that I’m yours.”
Kai’Sa’s heart swells in her chest, and for a moment she considers dropping to one knee right then and there, but instead she leans forward to press their foreheads together. “Then I really am the luckiest person in the universe.”
Ahri gently brushes the tip of her nose along Kai’Sa’s cheeks, her lips giving a breath of a kiss as she speaks. “No, I think that’s me, actually.”
“We can agree to disagree,” Kai’Sa laughs softly, before pouring the love she can’t express through words into a kiss against Ahri’s lips. Ahri melts instantly, deepening the exchange, giving all she has in return. The push and pull drowns out the beat of the song that’s playing, the passion burning brighter than the flash of cameras around them.
When they eventually part they don’t go far, still speaking against each other’s mouths. “I can’t wait,” Kai’Sa says between kisses she can’t help herself from stealing, “To marry you.”
Ahri smiles, her fingers drumming against the back of Kai’Sa’s neck. “I’m not going anywhere, all you have to do is ask.”
“I will, I promise.” Kai’Sa leans her head back just enough to properly see Ahri’s eyes sparkle in the dim light of the room. “I was close, just then. But not here.”
“Aw, why not?” There is zero disappointment in Ahri’s tone, her head tilting to the side, making a show of her tease.
Kai’Sa kisses her again, for good measure. “We agreed it would be a private moment, and besides sweetheart, I think we’ve given the media enough material tonight.”
Only then does Ahri tear her gaze away from Kai’Sa to scan the crowd of various other partygoers and photographers, all seemingly holding a collective breath. Kai’Sa even catches sight of Akali, Evelynn, and Seraphine anxiously holding onto one another in anticipation.
Kai’Sa and Ahri look back at one another and laugh briefly, before Ahri unfurls herself slightly from being practically melded into Kai’Sa’s body, and turns to the crowd.
“Not tonight, folks,” Ahri calls out to them, the charm and professionalism in her voice perfectly practiced.
There comes an audible group sigh of mild frustration, before the crowd begins to dissipate slowly. A few stray photographers remain until Evelynn scares them off with a glare.
“I haven’t even gotten you a ring yet,” Kai’Sa admits, once they’ve resumed moving along with the rhythm of the new song that echoes throughout the hall.
“That’s okay,” Ahri says, reaching up to playfully tap the end of Kai’Sa’s nose. “Just make sure it can’t be missed next time we have our pictures taken.”
Kai’Sa laughs, resting her head on Ahri’s shoulder. “That was already the plan.”
…
“Ahri DENIES the Engagement Rumors! What’s Next for K/DA’s Dance Line Power Couple?”
The title is all it takes for Kai’Sa to shut her phone off and leave it face down on the living room table. She doesn’t know how Evelynn does it, brushing aside all the outrageous theories and invasive questions thrown her way week after week. It’s horrible, the way the press combs through every single action she does in order to spin some tale for a couple of clicks. Kai’Sa tries not to worry about Evelynn too much, knowing she’s more than capable of handling herself. When the subject of the stories becomes Kai’Sa’s own life however, it all seems impossible to move past.
A small part of her wants to dive into the comments of all the articles, to tell them how wrong they are about everything. How she is going to marry Ahri, and how it’s none of their fucking business when or how she chooses to ask for her hand. However, she knows that’s exactly what they want, they’d just have more material to write trash about, so she doesn’t. There’s nothing she can do but pretend the articles and threads of comments on her posts don’t exist.
Unfortunately, she’s never been good at pretending.
Each new assumption and theory stakes itself a claim in Kai’Sa’s head, demanding attention and digging her deeper into a pit of worry. She’d seen a comment the other day wondering if Ahri even knows what marriage is, being a gumiho and all. That had pissed Kai’Sa off to a new level, requiring a lengthy and strenuous workout to even half-forget about. Ahri doesn’t talk much about her magical nature and Kai’Sa never pries, just listens, accepts, and loves every part of her.
Ahri is out of the house at the moment, spending the day in the office. She only goes in about once every two weeks and never stays later than she needs to, something Kai’Sa and the others are very proud of her for. They know they can’t keep Ahri away from a project, but the least they can do is encourage a more sustainable schedule.
That does mean however, that Kai’Sa has to find someone else to talk to when all the comments and doubts send her into a little bit of a spiral. What if people are right? What if they can see something she can’t? What if Ahri doesn’t actually want to get married? She knows the thoughts are ridiculous, but she can only hear that from herself so many times.
Her mind once again turns to Evelynn. She’ll have to know about her plans eventually, so now might as well be the time. If something is wrong, Evelynn won’t hide it from her, but if she says everything is fine then Kai’Sa might finally believe it.
“Eve,” Kai’Sa says, briskly making her way into the diva’s bedroom, careful to not swing the door too much in her haste. She tries to suppress the anxiety in her voice, pushing down the lump in her throat that hasn’t seemed to go down for the last half hour. “I have a question.”
Evelynn spares Kai’Sa a brief glance as she sits at her vanity, painting her perfectly manicured nails a fresh coat of silver. “Do I want to give an answer?” Her tone is flat, clearly anticipating some kind of joke.
Kai’Sa comes to stand behind her and watches her in the mirror, feeling like her stare could cut the glass itself. “Please, Evelynn.”
At the sound of her full name, Evelynn’s eyebrows rise to their full height on her forehead and she ceases the stroke of the small brush in her hand, finally matching Kai’Sa’s eyes. “Oh,” she says. “Something serious.”
“Yeah,” Kai’Sa breathes out.
Evelynn screws the top back onto the jar of nail polish and turns around in her chair to face Kai’Sa properly. “Do you want to sit down? You’re shaking, love. Should I be calling Ahri?”
Only the last sentence registers in Kai’Sa’s thoughts, and she vehemently shakes her head. Ahri isn’t supposed to know she’s planning anything, she knows that much. “No, don’t. Please don’t call Ahri.”
Now Evelynn really looks concerned, and Kai’Sa knows she’s messing this up. Evelynn stands and leads them to her bed, on which they sit down on the edge of, side by side. Without a single word Evelynn brings Kai’Sa’s head down to rest on her shoulder, waiting for her to speak.
It takes a couple minutes for Kai’Sa to feel like she has enough air in her lungs to actually say words out loud again. “Sorry,” she decides to start with.
“Don’t be. Whenever you’re ready, I’m here to listen.” Evelynn’s gentle voice softly carries Kai’Sa out of her spiral.
“It’s just…” Kai’Sa sits back up straight and shyly looks at her. “I want to ask Ahri to marry me, is that alright with you?”
Evelynn barks out a quick laugh before trying to pass it off as a fit of coughs. She fails, the amusement extremely evident by the crinkle of her eyelids. “God, Kai’Sa,” she half-heartedly scolds. “You looked so frightened I thought for a moment something had happened between you two.”
Kai’Sa laughs at herself a little, now. “No, no, everything’s perfect. Hence me asking.”
“Well that’s wonderful, I don’t know what I would do with myself if something truly was wrong, I couldn’t stand to see either of you upset with one another. The love you share is quite special, you make her so happy.”
A blush settles on Kai’Sa’s cheeks. “Yeah, I mean. I love her with all that I am, I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and the idea of having something concrete and official about it all… I’d quite like to call her my wife.” The last admission comes with a smile she couldn’t stop if she tried. She almost feels like a young girl talking about a crush at a birthday sleepover, it all feels silly, if she weren’t completely serious.
Evelynn hums a pleased noise, and she touches the gold ring on her own hand as she speaks. “I understand completely. But why are you asking for my permission?”
Kai’Sa scratches her scalp, unsure how to phrase her next words. “I mean, she doesn’t exactly have parents to ask, I figured you were the next best person to bring it to, and like, you might know more of her thoughts on the whole ordeal? Marriage seems like such a human thing, and she’s… not quite that.”
“Neither are you,” Evelynn states plainly.
Kai’Sa frowns a little at the reminder of the patch of silver scales currently resting on her back. “I know, but Ahri’s different. I thought she might be more honest with you about it all. I want her to really want it for herself, not just something that I want that she’ll drag herself through just for me.”
“She’s explicitly told you she wants to get married, has she not?” Evelynn asks.
“She has, but—”
“Kai’Sa, darling.” Evelynn interrupts, placing a hand on Kai’Sa’s knee and looking at her directly. “Ahri loves you more than anything else in this entire world, and she could never lie to you. Of course she’ll marry you. She’s probably been waiting for you to ask since the first month you started dating. You have nothing to worry about, I promise.”
“And you’re sure you’re okay with it?”
Evelynn sighs out a laugh. “Yes, dear. As the closest friend of your intended bride, I give you my official and full blessing. Is that good enough for you?”
The wave of relief washes over Kai’Sa, finally feeling like she’s able to breathe freely again, and she smiles wider at Evelynn’s jest. “Yes, thank you, Eve. I trust Ahri with everything, it’s just, I got stuck in my own head a bit, and I needed to tell someone, it feels so wrong to be hiding things from her.” She exhales deeply. “It’ll be worth it, though. I can’t even imagine how excited she’ll be when I ask.”
Something twinkles in Evelynn’s eyes at the reference to the actual proposal. “Do you have any ideas about how you want to go about that?”
Kai’Sa shakes her head. “Not exactly, though we’ve agreed that it should be just us, which I’m glad for. I know she likes her attention, but I think we’ll get enough of that after the fact.”
Evelynn stands up as Kai’Sa speaks, picking up the bottle of nail polish again, then takes one of Kai’Sa’s hands when she sits back down. “This color okay?” This isn’t a new thing, Evelynn has done this a few times before, she greatly prefers to be doing something else while having any kind of genuine conversation. At Kai’Sa’s nod of approval, Evelynn smiles, then twists out the brush and gets to work as she starts talking. “Any rings you’re looking at? I’d be more than happy to offer a second opinion.”
That, Kai’Sa knows, is Evelynn phrasing it nicely. She’d never be forgiven if she bought a ring without at the very least running it by her. “I haven’t really been looking, not seriously at least, so I’d definitely appreciate the help. I want to make sure she’ll absolutely love it, she deserves something perfect.”
“You really do spoil that girl,” Evelynn teases.
“I can’t help it,” Kai’Sa says. “I love her.”
They talk more as Evelynn finishes dressing Kai’Sa’s nails in silver, adding a top coat with a hint of sparkle. Kai’Sa feels miles better, the excitement at the prospect of the proposal overtaking the anxiety once more. It makes her doubly happy that Evelynn seems to be excited as well. She thanks her for the reassurance and stands to head back downstairs.
“Promise you won’t tell Akali any of this? I’d rather tell her myself,” Kai’Sa asks. She trusts Evelynn enough to probably not do that, but figures you can never be too careful; gossip does seem to be one of her main hobbies.
“Of course my dear,” Evelynn responds, but then a smirk pulls at one end of her lips. “On one condition.”
Kai’Sa stops walking as she’s halfway out the door, not expecting the additional comment. “And that is…?”
Evelynn breaks out into a full, devilish grin. “I get to design your wedding dresses.”
Kai’Sa smiles back. “Deal.”
Once Kai’Sa returns to the living room she picks up her phone again. She’s gotten a few texts from Ahri, but the most recent message is from her dad, who she had been texting earlier in the morning.
Kassadin: Your flight details look good! I’ll pick you up from the airport like usual. (P.S. Please bring Ahri with you!!)
Kai’Sa laughs a little and rolls her eyes at the joke, the same one Kassadin makes every time she books to go visit him.
Kai’Sa: Yes Dad, she’s coming too, that’s still the plan.
Kassadin: Just making sure! Please tell her I say hello, I’m very excited to have the two of you here again!!
Kai’Sa: She’s working right now, but once she gets home I will. I love you very much.
Kassadin: I love you too, my little explorer.
Kai’Sa smiles at the use of her childhood nickname. She’s excited to see her father too, forever grateful for his support with everything. He’ll likely be completely overjoyed to hear about her engagement plans, he’d almost blown out her phone speakers from excitement when he learned she and Ahri started officially dating. She decides to save this new announcement for their visit at some point, and she’ll just have to hope that Ahri doesn’t overhear. It’ll be fine. She can worry about that later.
For now, she has some more texts to answer. She opens Ahri’s messages, finding she’s sent a picture of herself, clearly taken from beneath a desk. She has a cute pout on her face, looking down at the camera on top of her lap.
Ahri: this meeting is so boringggg :(((
Ahri: i miss you <3
Ahri: and i love you!!
Kai’Sa saves the picture to her camera roll before responding.
Kai’Sa: I love you too, princess. Come home soon?
Ahri sends another selfie, her eyebrows raised and lips puckered, still looking down at her phone.
Ahri: are there kisses waiting for me at home??
Kai’Sa: Yes, baby. Cuddles too.
Ahri: ok say no more im ending this meeting rn
Ahri: karma’s gonna be a little pissed but idc
Ahri: see you in twenty minutes <3
True to her word, Ahri bursts through the front door twenty minutes later, and leaps into Kai’Sa’s arms. Kai’Sa catches her, as she always will, and kisses her hello.
Ahri changes out of her work clothes and then watches as Kai’Sa starts making dinner, seated at the kitchen island. Ahri says it’s because she just likes to spend time with her, but Kai’Sa’s pretty sure it’s also because she likes seeing her muscles work as she cuts up vegetables.
Ahri makes a noise as she takes a sip of her drink (water, at Kai’Sa’s insistence), then points at Kai’Sa’s hands as she sets the glass down and swallows. “You painted your nails.”
“Oh, yeah,” Kai’Sa says, laying the knife still and extending her hand so that Ahri can hold it and see the color up close. “Eve did them.”
Ahri kisses the top of Kai’Sa’s knuckles, looking up with curious eyes. “It’s a lovely color. What were you talking about?”
Kai’Sa laughs awkwardly, taking her hand back and continuing her dinner preparation. “Ah, just… stuff.” She quickly changes the subject. “How was work? Besides the meeting.”
Ahri’s stare narrows for a moment, and Kai’Sa tries not to visibly wince at herself. Thankfully, Ahri doesn’t press further. “It was fine. Not particularly exciting, but not awful. It’s mostly just a waiting game until the new test samples for Charmed get here.”
“When’s that supposed to be?”
“Some time next week. Ugh, I don’t want to talk about work,” Ahri groans, leaning over and laying her cheek against the cool marble of the countertop, with her tail waving high in the air. “Tell me something fun. What else did you do today?”
“Not much,” Kai’Sa half-lies. “Just got some things sorted, booked our flight to see my dad. He says hi, by the way.”
“Oh, hello to him too,” Ahri says, perking up a little. “I’m looking forward to seeing him soon.”
“Me too.” Kai’Sa smiles. “I’m looking forward to a lot of things.”