Chapter Text
Caitlyn was not in love.
Call it an infatuation, if you will. It was slightly annoying, like an itch she could not reach, if you could even call having feelings for someone an itch. Frustration was more like it, simply because it was something she could not control, and being a creature of habit, loss of control was unkind to her state of mind.
She couldn’t remember the last time she felt such a way for anyone—anyone that wasn’t a fling of sorts, or a casual happenstance that turned physical. But this? This was new to her, but not fresh. Such feelings blossomed over time, very small but present and persistent in nature. With it, had come confusion and a sense of fluster that she had taken pride in hardly ever experiencing. Now? Well, now not so much.
What was worse was the fact that she had not been blindsided by it all, she had to live through every moment of it happening, becoming highly aware of it as it progressed. It was maddening.
And something completely unattainable.
The universe absolutely loved to mock her sometimes.
Because the person that had Caitlyn’s heart faltering at a mere gaze, was entirely off limits. The woman that had unknowingly captured her affections, already belonged to another. And with such a thing, came boundaries. Boundaries that Caitlyn had set herself so as not to come off as disrespectful; not that anyone quite knew of her current plight.
No one needed to know, really. Nothing came from having such a detail revealed for fear of things becoming uncomfortable within Caitlyn’s group of friends. Because yes, Caitlyn couldn’t refrain from falling for a particular friend she had been acquainted with for a few years.
Close enough to be cordial, but distant enough to be nothing more than that other friend that joined in on dinner and drinks on a weekend or two. Even then, Caitlyn made sure to draw certain lines, staying firmly on one side of it. And it wasn’t because she didn’t trust herself to violate the sanctity of someone else’s relationship.
But because it hurt. Perhaps not a tremendous amount of hurt, but enough to put Caitlyn in a slump on her worst days. Those days when she would stare at her blank canvas with a festering agony, before it exploded with colors of envy, guilt, disappointment—all aimed at herself. Feelings that suffocated her.
On the worst days.
Fairer days brought forth a calmness that was centered on her sadness, but even then, she couldn’t bring herself to really explore such a muse, because even that felt like she was intruding on something that was not hers.
Distance dulled the pain, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so completely, not without harming her friends or raising some sort of suspicion; so, it was all enough to live with. She could still laugh and feel joy, feel angry or sadness at other things—these emotions did not defy her, though they were still a part of her. These feelings pained her, but she did not hate them.
Gods, was it love?
Her thoughts stilled when she finally took a moment to take a much needed, deep breath. She welcomed the salty air of the ocean, the sound of the waves as they stuck withering rocks. Caitlyn welcomed the cacophony of seagulls as they graced the skies. She had to smile to herself, because even with all the disharmony within her heart, she could still find beauty in the tranquility that came with the seaside.
As she stood from her stool, Caitlyn turned her back to the still blank canvas, wiping paint-stained fingers against an overused rag, making a mental note to properly wash up before dinner. For now, she simply wanted to bathe in the comfort of the beach house, courtesy of her parents.
She would often escape to one of their many properties, wishing to be alone as she worked. And while the solitude was a welcoming relief to a lot of her stresses, recently, she’s been struggling to regain her artistic focus.
Sometimes, it bled through the coziness of it all.
But most times, it was simply…perfect. She loved it here.
Just as she was about to fully immerse herself in the loveliness of it all, Caitlyn was yanked back to reality upon feeling the vibration from within one of the pockets of her overalls. With a strained sigh at the interruption, she fished out her phone, adding fresh smudges to it.
A single text from her best friend, the only person who was really allowed to contact her on one of her weekend getaways, other than her mother…
Caitlyn’s eyes widened with genuine surprise, a new wave of emotions cascading over her at the news, the message reading:
Powder:
Couldn’t wait to tell you!
Vi and her girlfriend broke up. She says it was mutual.
Taking it well. Crazy, right?
Thought it was going to last forever!
Never liked her girlfriend, tho…
Caitlyn could barely keep up with Powder’s bombardment of messages, rooted to the spot as her thumb hovered over the spot. Her friend could see that they were being read, so the young painter would have to send some form of reply eventually, but now, she couldn’t even fathom what to say.
Finally, she urged herself to send back:
It really is a bit of a surprise.
They were together for the better part of three years.
Is she really alright?
Caitlyn waited with a tentative breath, blue eyes locked on the screen as she watched Powder immediately start on a response, the bubble moving ever so slowly, until…
Powder:
Seems like it.
She says it was a long time coming, whatever that means.
I think they had been rocky for a while.
Caitlyn hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath until her body was shuddering at the words, something in her heart growing tight, before it grew soft, feeling elated suddenly. Not because she was happy at the news, but because she felt certain chains fall, and she was quick to shake them loose.
She hadn’t realized she had been nibbling on the nail of her thumb, clearly overtaken by the thought of Vi and what it all suddenly entailed.
For the longest time, she had limited her interactions with the other, seeking distance as a refuge, but she wondered if this new development brought forth change. Gods, but she was still so unsure, a new fear taking hold.
Caitlyn sent out one more message to her friend:
Let’s talk more about it when I get back.
She was quick to pocket her phone once more, eyes now lingering on the canvas she had walked away from just a few moments ago. Her phone vibrated once more, but she ignored it, making her way back to the wooden stool.
Her throat clenched in apprehension, trying to organize current thoughts, her heart pounding with a hope that Caitlyn immediately tried to bury. She didn’t want to celebrate the news, after all, this was Vi and her relationship, if she was hurt in anyway…
There was no joy in that.
However, despite throwing caution to the wind, Caitlyn reached for her palette, eyes glued to the canvas as a certain person came to mind. And for the first time, she allowed herself the opportunity to touch upon something she never allowed herself to do.
Slowly, she took her paintbrush and dipped it gently into the crimson paint…
Fall Into Me
Caitlyn’s worn-out tennis shoes squeaked against the airport floors as she hastily made her way to the baggage claim. She had wanted to get a head start after having gotten off a stifling full airplane. She wasn’t a fan of overwhelmingly crowded public places—a small price to pay for a getaway.
She had sent Powder a quick message, letting her best friend know that she had finally arrived, but had not received any sort of response from her since letting her know of her departure. Still, Caitlyn didn’t lose her mind over it, she just wanted a quick in and out.
With music still blasting in one of her ears from a trusty earbud, she settled herself behind a pair of older fellows, securing her bag over her shoulders. Blue eyes scanned her surroundings, trying to make out a certain short-haired, blue-head amid mingling bodies. Caitlyn breathed out a small sigh of annoyance, hoping Powder wouldn’t be late. Departure traffic was atrocious.
Sometime after, the conveyor belt began to move, prompting everyone to scoot a bit closer; Caitlyn delved into her music, watching for her suitcase as she bobbed her head slightly. It really was proving to be a feat, trying to move closer to the front, but everyone had the same idea, blocking her view as they reached for luggage.
“Come on…” Caitlyn muttered upon missing her navy-blue suitcase by an inch, watching it slip further away. Not wanting to wait for another lap around the beaten belt, Caitlyn quickly cut through the throng of people, hand stretching out for it. But just as slender fingers were about to grip the handle, someone else fished it off the belt before she had time to even react.
Surprised, she was about to make an indignant remark, when she came eye to eye with a powder-blue gaze…
“I got it, Cait.” The woman reassured her, setting the suitcase down in front of her.
Caitlyn’s heart slammed hard on the brakes, nearly making her choke, “Vi???”
“Caitlyn???” Vi was quick to match her reaction in playful banter, before chuckling, “I’m going to take a guess and say that Powder didn’t tell you I was coming?”
Quickly recovering from her sudden shock in being utterly blindsided, Caitlyn shook her head, “N-No. I haven’t heard from her since before I got on my flight. Is she waiting for us in the car?” Eyes flickered past Vi’s form as she said this, half-expecting Powder to come running towards them, but nothing.
“Weird. She just told me she got caught up with something. Maybe she just forgot to tell you?” Vi offered a speculation, already moving away from the conveyor belt, much to Caitlyn’s fluster. She seriously doubted Powder forgot about something so important; no, Caitlyn could smell her conniving intention from a mile away.
Even if Caitlyn never openly shared her feelings about Vi, that didn’t mean her friend didn’t pick up on the vibe—she knew Caitlyn inside and out. She had appreciated Powder’s consideration in not bringing up the topic, but now, all Caitlyn could do was think about how she was going to get back at the little jinx.
“Sorry she made you come all the way, Vi. The drive must have been abhorrent.” Caitlyn breathed, removing her earbud as she followed the other past the double-sliding doors of the airport. Immediately, they were hit by the cool, damp breeze of the city, a wild contrast to the beaches she had just returned from.
“No sweat off my back. I had nothing else to do.” Vi shrugged.
It was only then that Caitlyn got a better look at Vi as she walked ahead of her, mostly because Caitlyn had begun to drag her feet. Vi was wearing black, slim-fit jeans, coupled with a pair of old, red Reebok shoes in pure, high-top fashion.
She had gotten a quick look at her black and red Nirvana tee, with Kurt Cobain stringing on his guitar and forever plastered on the front of it. Topping everything off, was an aged, leather bomb jacket with quite a bit of fade on it, a piece of her father’s former riding gear. A favorite.
Gods, she looked too good to be real.
“Is that okay?” Vi cut through her thoughts, making Caitlyn blink furiously as she took a few, long strides to fall in step with the woman.
“Sorry?”
“I said if it’s okay if we stop by somewhere for food. I thought I could make it there and back, but the drive was longer than I thought. Plus, I don’t want to deal with rush hour.” Vi further explained as they quickly made their way across the walk, heading towards the connecting parking garage.
For a moment, Cailtyn’s thoughts began to scatter again, struggling to contain the bubble of excitement that soon began to rise within her; not only was this her first time being alone with Vi for more than just a few minutes, she was tossing out an invitation for a casual sit-down.
A part of her wanted to refuse, but the little voice in her head was quick to remind her that there was nothing tying Caitlyn down anymore. Vi was free of commitment, and it appeared that she didn’t mind such a fact.
“I could eat.” She agreed with a nod.
It wasn’t long before Vi was placing Caitlyn’s suitcase in the back of her crimson Stinger, a sports car she often cruised on up with a certain fiery red-haired ex-girlfriend—a little detail Caitlyn couldn’t help but think about as she slipped into the passenger seat. Another first for her.
She took in the scent of leather, already feeling a little jittery as she heard Vi shuffling about with her stuff, before closing the trunk. Honestly, Caitlyn was hardly ever like this, but it only proved to further stretch the point that Vi had a profound effect on her. And when said person was easing into the car right beside her, it was only then that Caitlyn really took in the proximity of their bodies.
“Alright, let’s get out of this shit-fest.” Vi said, pulling out of the parking spot and aiming for the exit.
Caitlyn remained quiet at the start, trying her best not to glance over at Vi too often, taking note of the way scarred brows furrowed slightly in concentration as she tried to fight her way through the hindering, airport traffic. If she was feeling any kind of annoyance, Vi didn’t show it, shoving her way into certain lanes to the tune of Master of Puppets. She would then floor it, gunning down the highway as she opened her Stinger up just because she could.
It was exhilarating to say the least, Caitlyn taking in the blurred cars as they sped forward, leaving the airport far behind them.
Once they were out in the clear, Vi turned to grin over at Caitlyn, seeming proud. “She’s a shredder, isn’t she?”
Caitlyn was about to agree, but the excitement that came from the ride, prompted a tongue-in-cheek moment, “It’s no Porsche.”
“You’re so full of shit.” Vi laughed, bringing forth a smile on Caitlyn’s part, the initial nervousness gone once she had been pumped full of adrenaline.
Taking the liberty to roll the window down, Caitlyn was met with the cool whip of the wind, her silky locks dancing along the rhythm of Metallica. With her chin resting on her arms, she allowed her hands to glide alongside the car, meeting the rough push of the wind. Lungs took in the crisp air; eyes closed to shield themselves from the push of said wind.
It was a nice, little distraction. Not that she wanted a reason to stop talking with Vi, but her heart was driven to such a state, she needed a little respite for fear of doing or saying something that would surely embarrass her. Besides, she wanted to further ease herself into comfort since they were soon to find a place to have a sit down, a first with just Vi.
And sometime after, Caitlyn could feel the course of the car change, seeming to pull out of lane and prompting her to finally open her eyes while settling back fully in her seat. As the exit came into view, Caitlyn rolled the window back up, combing her hair with slender fingers as she did her best to wrestle with tousled strands.
She only turned back towards Vi when her blue eyes took in a particular neon-green sign, dulled by daylight and likely more vibrant beneath the evening skies. “Burgers sound good, I hear it’s a great place but never been.”
Vi’s expression piqued with interest as she leaned over slightly to get a better look. “Oh, hell yeah. I’m down for that.”
With a rev of the engine, they were soon cruising into the parking lot of Jericho’s Sloppy Burgers.
Tasty.
They hadn’t been in the car too long, but Caitlyn was happy with the ability to stretch out her arms and legs, still recovering from the cramped seats of the airplane. Taking just her phone and wallet, she was quick to follow Vi inside, the hunger chasing away the butterflies in her stomach, if only just for a moment.
Upon entering the establishment, she was met with the fine smell of patties on a grill, the scent of onions, bacon, and cheese coming together so deliciously, she was glad the bustle of customers masked her growling gut.
She felt Vi nudge her and Caitlyn turned to see what she was pointing at, “Look at the size of those burgers. Holy shit, it’s about the size of my head!”
Sure enough, Caitlyn took note of one of the burgers being called to be picked up, one of the largest she’s ever seen. Seems like the buns were made from scratch, coupling well with the massive, yet juicy, patties. “That must be Jericho’s Special from what Powder has told me. Impressive.”
“I think I’ll just stick with the classic. Just looking at that thing makes me want to sweat.”
“Nothing beats the best, though: bacon and cheese.” Caitlyn chirped as she moved to get in line, which was a bit of a mistake considering that Vi stepped in right behind her. However, she didn’t sit on the thought for long as Vi was quick to carry the conversation forward.
“Just a bacon with cheese? Lettuce? Tomatoes? Onions?”
Caitlyn shrugged, “The only vegetable allowed on a burger are pickles.”
“Caitlyn Kiramman, your words offend me. The classic burger is perfection.” Vi poked as they moved up in line.
With a chuckle, she tossed back, “Your take on a perfect burger is what offends me.”
“You really are my sister’s best friend, the both of you are crazy.”
She felt a gentle blush brush over her cheeks, glad that Vi couldn’t get a good look at how flustered she was. This was going to take some time to get used to. It was much easier when they were in a group setting with Powder taking the brunt of Vi’s conversation, which often left Caitlyn on the sidelines. And even then, they didn’t meet up a lot of the time as she was busy making a life with her then girlfriend.
But now…
A sudden hand on her shoulder yanked Caitlyn back from her thoughts, turning to face Vi as she sought her attention, nodding at the menu once she had it. “How do you feel about fries and milkshakes?”
“You mean like when you dip the fries into the milkshake?”
“Yep.”
Caitlyn then truthfully replied, “I’ve never had it.”
The look that crossed Vi’s face was of pure disbelief, her powder blue eyes taking in every detail of Caitlyn’s face, likely to see if she was joking. “You’re serious?”
“I’ve had fries, and I’ve had milkshakes but I’ve never…” She trailed off, finishing with using her hands to motion the dipping of fries.
“Okay, I’m getting you some, can’t have you go on without at least trying it once. Which is weird to me, Powder should have introduced it to you by now.” Vi was shaking her head as if it were some sort of travesty, which had Caitlyn chuckling a bit.
“I think she simply assumed I knew of it. It was never really brought to the table.”
They shuffled further to the front as Vi continued, “Well, it’s about to change your life.”
Soon, Caitlyn placed her order, having half a mind to buy her own milkshake and fries but Vi insisted she would, that it would be her treat. The gesture wasn’t something she looked too deeply into, but it made Caitlyn feel good, nonetheless.
With receipt in hand, she waited on the side for her order, pulling out her phone to send Powder a text message:
I know what you’re doing.
Almost immediately, she received a reply, but Powder had only sent a single emoji.
She stuck out her tongue.
“You little Jinx.” Caitlyn mumbled. Vi had always been an unspoken topic between the two, but Powder was quick to pick up on every little thing involving her sister and what Caitlyn felt about her. This was her way of merging both paths into one and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that just yet, a part of her felt like it was too soon.
But then again, without an initial push, Caitlyn wasn’t so sure she would have trusted herself to take that first step.
“If you want, you can grab a table for us, I’ll take our stuff over.” Vi offered, and Caitlyn simply nodded in turn, handing over the receipt with her number on it.
The restaurant was quite busy, but not as busy as it would be during lunch hour, so finding a table was easy enough, plus, Caitlyn was glad for a little break to gather herself. She took a moment to pull her hair up into a messy ponytail, debating whether to rage war with her best friend, but at the same time, a part of her was thankful. She was spending some one on one with Vi and so far, it was going smoothly.
Blue eyes shifted to watch Vi as she waited for their food, seeming relaxed and in a good mood. If she was feeling any other way about her most recent break-up with her long-term girlfriend, she was doing a magnificent job of hiding it. She had known Vi long enough to know that she wears all her emotions on her sleeve. She was very outspoken about her opinions and when she was frustrated or annoyed, it was clear.
It was very likely that she had no qualms about the break-up at all. She seemed…more jubilant, as if she was free from a rather unpleasant arrangement. Regardless of the reason, Caitlyn only hoped that it wasn’t all a façade and that Vi truly was happy with her decisions. At the end of the day, that’s all she really wanted for her.
“You’re going to love this.” Vi said as she set their tray of food on the table, quickly popping off the top of the Styrofoam cup that held the chocolate milkshake.
“Oh, so we’re diving right in. You’re not going to let me have a bite of my burger first?”
“So that your food palate is further ruined by lack of onions and tomatoes before getting to know this divine taste? Nah.” She pushed the fries towards Caitlyn, along with the milkshake.
“Gods, you’re judging me, but Powder loves plain cheese pizza, that’s an even bigger war crime.”
“Well, my sister is fucking psychotic, so there’s no judging that. Dip the goddamn fries.” Vi was quick to interject and that alone had Caitlyn bubbling up with laughter as she did as she was told. She noted how Vi was impatiently waiting for her reaction as Caitlyn finally took a few fries and dunked them into the milkshake, quickly putting them in her mouth right after, a few drops hitting the table despite her best efforts.
She wasn’t sure about what she had been expecting, but it was certainly not this. The fries were chilled but crunchy, the sweetness complimenting the saltiness so well. Caitlyn understood certain combinations really made the flavors pop, like salted caramels, and that was much like this. And she was not disappointed.
Vi was the first to gauge her reaction and promptly boast, “I told you! It’s good, isn’t it? I can tell by the look on your face.” She reached for some fries herself and followed suit, the two of them settling themselves over such a treat.
Milkshake and fries, who would have thought? Completely different from each other, and yet, perfect together all the same. Something about that little detail felt promising to Caitlyn, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but the feeling was welcoming all the same.
“Powder told me you were out of town this weekend, was it for work?” Vi asked as they ate. Caitlyn wiped the grease of her fingers as she nodded.
“Mm, I went to a beach house that belongs to my parents. Sometimes it helps to get away from the bustling streets of Piltover. I feel like I paint my best work when I’m isolated and surrounded by things that calm me.”
Vi seemed mildly impressed, “Sounds great. Your parents have properties all over?”
Caitlyn felt the back of her neck tingle with embarrassment as she averted her eyes, settling on the half-eaten burger in her hands. “That would be their style, yes. I take advantage of the fact that Mother doesn’t expect anything in return when I ask to stay somewhere for a weekend.
It seemed that Vi was able to clock the expression on Caitlyn’s face, because she then asked, “I get it. The Kiramman name is in every city I’ve been to, it’s natural to want to get away from that sort of spotlight. I think it takes a lot of grit to do your own thing when everyone else sees you as an heiress.”
Caitlyn grimaced. She was used to the term, but for some reason, it felt wrong coming out of Vi’s mouth. She was happy she found a group of friends that didn’t hold that light to her, but it still found a way to make her feel a little bitter. It’s not like she could really blame anyone.
She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, after all. Her family owned a hotel empire and being the only Kiramman child, she often bumped heads with her mother when it came to taking over the family business. Caitlyn had no interest in such a thing, and despite her mother having loosened her grip over the past few years, she was still a shadow in Caitlyn’s life.
“I think Mother is still hoping I’ll come around in my later years. Probably letting me live out my young adult life before pressing the issue again.” Caitlyn rolled her eyes, gazing back up at Vi, only to be met with a look of understanding.
“Eh, I feel that. My dad is the same way. Only for him, he thinks I can do a better job elsewhere than taking over his business.” Vi took a big bit out of her burger, a look of satisfaction on her face because yes, the food was that good.
That’s right, Vi was a mechanic at her dad’s shop. It was local, didn’t quite branch anywhere else beyond their small town of Zaun, just on the outskirts of Piltover. From what Powder had told her over the years, it was a business that thrived, more so because of the quality of the work rather than the quantity. Vander was a pillar of his community, often offered his services pro bono for struggling families.
Vi grew up learning the skill and trade, but Caitlyn knew the stance both father and daughter took in the matter. Vi wanted to take over the business and continue its legacy, which would require her to move back to Zaun once Vander decided to throw in the towel. However, her father pushed Vi to do more than just settle in a small town, felt like she had potential for bigger and greater things. Both were stubborn and both refused to budge.
But Powder had told Caitlyn that she believed Vi was the type to sacrifice what she really wanted to do to help others out. She hardly ever put herself before anyone else and it seems like Vander didn’t want that for her. Whatever the case was, it was for Vi to really tell and it seemed like she wasn’t gunning for that deep of a conversation, so Caitlyn shifted gears.
“Do you think Powder will kill us if we don’t take her something from here?”
Vi sat up, licking one of her fingers, “You know she would, let me go back up there.”
Caitlyn breathed a small sigh of relief once Vi set off to place an order for Powder, rubbing her neck slightly. Topics like that often made her tense up, but with Vi, it ran rather smoothly. Despite that, however, she could tell that they both weren’t quite there yet and that was fine. Whatever little time they were spending together was enough.
There would be more days for that.
The ride home was quite entertaining, easily avoiding some serious topics and settling on casual ones. They talked music for most of the time, with Vi going on about Nirvana, Metallica, and AC/DC. And Caitlyn expressing her desire to have been able to experience the era of Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, and of course, Mötley Crüe.
But on the last leg of the trip home, they both had settled on the iconic Queen, singing loudly and enthusiastically to Don’t Stop Me Now, Caitlyn feeling Freddie’s energy course through her veins, drunk on the rhythm as she danced in her seat with Vi vocalizing her support.
She wasn’t sure what it was that chased away her initial nervousness, but maybe it was something as small as loving the same kind of music, seeing the way Vi’s eyes lit up every time Caitlyn mentioned a song they mutually loved.
The once bleeding colors of the setting sun gave way to darkened skies, stars disappearing against the bright lights of the city. She was happy to be home and more so that she was living such a rush with Vi and it was very evident that she loved every moment of it also.
What more could she ask for really.
At some point, Powder was sending her texts about her whereabouts and if she was close to getting home, but they went unanswered. Not wanting it to be over, Caitlyn pointed towards a detour that would take them to the heart of the city.
Vi obliged.