Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Violet! Could you please come over and look at this case for me?”

Vi swiveled on her office chair at the startling voice, nearly splashing the hot coffee in the cup she was holding onto her white shirt. That would have been a second unfortunate incident to happen to her today and it was barely 10:00 AM.

Vi shook the remnant of sleep off her head and stood up, putting the dangerous cup away before anything could happen. “And good morning to you too, Mrs. Babette. Lovely to hear your beautiful, booming voice so early in the morning. It never fails to liven up the entire prison.”

The short, old woman gave her a snort and pushed up the glasses on her nose. “Please, child. The entire prison has been livened up since hours ago. You’re the only one who’s still asleep on your chair. Late night again? And what’s with that… angry oil slick covering your hands?”

Vi looked down at her hands and frowned at the residual black, oily stains, somehow still refusing to leave her skin even after she had tried to clean them several times. “Buddy broke down on my way here and I had to do some emergency fixes on the road. And yes, I had a late night.”

One of Mrs. Babette’s eyebrows arched up. “Even after knowing you for so many years, Violet, I still can’t believe that you give your truck a name and you pick Buddy out of all options.”

“Hey,” Vi puffed her chest out in defense. “The old guy has been with me through thick and thin, alright. He is my Buddy. I’m not just gonna call him… truck.” She walked over to the old woman. “Now, enough with the babbles. What case were you talking about?”

“Oh, right, here,” Mrs. Babette passed the files in her hands to Vi. “An inmate who was released last month is being returned to custody. She was convicted of theft before but was released early due to good behavior. She's reincarcerated because she committed the same crime again after release.”

Vi sighed, looking at the files. A photo of a skinny, disheveled woman in her late thirties stared at her. The files stated that she was a mother of two daughters, barely ten and twelve years old. Their father, the inmate’s husband, was an on-and-off construction worker. Vi’s heart stirred uncomfortably. Hopefully, he was decent enough to take care of the girls during his wife’s incarceration.

“Has her parole officer tried to help her find employment at all after her release?”

Mrs. Babette made a distasteful noise. “That useless man did no such thing, it seems. From what I know, this woman didn’t even have a correctional social worker counseling her pre-release, let alone assisting her post-release.”

Vi snapped the folders of files in her hand shut and sighed. “The warden really needs to hire a few more of us. Three correctional social workers for a prison this big is ridiculous.”

“Oh, child. We know the warden isn’t going to do such thing until either I, Sevika, or you quit or pass away. That man is only concerned with his own wellbeing," Mrs. Babette waved her hand. “Speaking of Sevika, where is she?”

“Probably had a late night for her other job too. I’m sure she’ll show up soon, sleep-deprived and cranky as usual.”

Mrs. Babette shook her head. “Between you tending your father’s bar after your hours here and Sevika working as a security guard after her hours here, you girls are going to wind up in coffins faster than I do, and that’s saying something considering how old I am.”

A laughter bubbled up from Vi’s throat. “Well, welcome to late-stage capitalism, where working multiple jobs and sleeping only 5 hours a day is still not enough to make a decent living. You should be happy you’re old and already have a house before all this mess, Mrs. Babette. The rents nowadays are atrocious.”

Vi walked out of the small, dingy office room assigned to the three of them and nearly crashed into a nasty, angry-looking male officer the size of a giant. He had probably just been punched by one of the inmates, judging by the bruise under his eye. He glared at Vi, grunted, and shoved her with his shoulder.

“Asshole,” Vi muttered under her breath, cursing the fact that she needed to keep this job because otherwise, the guy would have earned another fist to his face, strong enough to not only bruise his eye but also break his pudgy nose.

“Ugh, what a day,” she said to herself, and it was barely 10:00 AM.

===============

It was well after midnight when Vi finally entered her shared apartment with her sister. Her whole body felt sore and heavy with a bone-deep exhaustion that made her feel like she could slide onto the floor and fall asleep right there, with her jacket and boots still on.

From the right corner of the dimly lit apartment, where her sister’s room was, came a ray of bluish light from the opened door and a loud rock song that gave Vi a headache.

“Powder! Do you really need to listen to rock so loudly at this hour? Seriously?”

Vi tossed her jacket onto the coat hanger, toed her boots off forcefully because she was too tired to untie them, and kicked them off somewhere in the doorway. She dragged herself over to their small living room and crashed unceremoniously on the couch, face-first.

Somehow, her little sister managed to hear her voice over the loud, reverberating music. “Hey, sis! You’re home! Check out this cool new gadget I've just made!”

Powder jumped onto the couch with absolutely no regard for her—really, the girl all but threw her whole body weight onto Vi’s back—and Vi groaned as several of her joints cracked. “Powder, seriously, you’re no longer a toddler and you no longer weigh like one. Get off my back before you break my spine.”

“Sheesh, okay old ass,” Powder slid off her back, rolling over to the other side of the couch but still dangling her new invention in front of Vi’s face. “But really, check out this thing I made for my new project in uni.”

Vi cracked a heavy eye open to look at it as best as she could. “Uh… what does it do?”

She was capable of many things in life but robotic engineering was not her strongest suit. Powder was the gifted one in that field and the one accepted into the most prestigious engineering school in the country. And Vi was proud of her for it.

“It’s a robotic hand. Look, it can do all kinds of gestures.” Powder pressed a button on the thing and it flipped a middle finger up at Vi.

Vi snorted against her will. “Please don’t pull off that gesture when you do a demonstration in front of your Professor. I don’t want to be called in for your trouble.”

Powder feigned a miserable sigh and leaned back on the couch. “You boomers are really no fun.”

“I’m not a boomer. I’m barely 29.”

“Uh, huh, sure you are,” Powder eyed her grabbing the remote on their coffee table and turning their TV on, switching over the channels until she settled on a news broadcast. “You’re watching the news on your old ass TV while groaning about your lower back.”

“Are old ass the only words they taught you in that fancy school of yours?”

“Aged? Elderly? Geriatric? Ancient? ”

Vi threw one of the sofa cushions at Powder and she laughed, catching it just before it landed on her face. She hurled it back at Vi and hit Vi right smack at the back of her head, and despite her annoyance, Vi laughed too.

“One day, when you’re my age, you'll see.”

“That sentence is definitely not helping you against your boomer allegation.”

“Ugh, whatever,” Vi rolled over to her side and glanced at the bright TV screen, getting her nightly, mindless screen time before her bedtime. The news reporter was talking about the ongoing trial of a big scandal involving one of the richest families in their country, the very well-known and very venerable Kirammans. 

At least they were venerable, before the matriarch of their family, Cassandra Kiramman, got entangled in this very public scandal that had been going on for almost a year with no end in sight.

Cassandra Kiramman, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of their country, was accused of receiving billions of dollars worth of bribes from some shady corporate executives to give them leniency after one of their chemical plants had leaked and had contaminated a whole region. The incident had caused a serious uproar.

“You would think that coming from an affluent family with old money and being paid by the country higher than most would stop people from doing bad shit to get more money, but apparently not,” Vi grimaced.

“Well, your first mistake there is to assume that people will ever feel satisfied with what they have,” Powder yawned and stretched lazily like a cat. “Your second mistake there is to watch depressing shit before bed. You should just, I don’t know, scroll through your dating app page or something. Do fun things.”

Vi cringed at the reminder of her dating app that had remained unopened for… weeks or even months now.

It wasn't that she didn't know how to have fun. God, she actually missed having fun more than she cared to admit to Powder. But with the current lack of time she had for herself, and the current lack of money—which she didn't want to admit to Powder either—there was no room for her to date and have fun.

Vi sat up suddenly, the thought of money leading her to another realization that beat her exhaustion. “Powder, I almost forgot. Have you told your school that we’ll need more time to pay off your tuition this month?”

“Uh, I did,” Powder shifted on the couch, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “But don’t worry about it, Vi. I’m planning to take more shifts at the restaurant I’m working at to cover some–”

“No,” Vi cut her off, her voice resolute and final. “You’re not going to work more than you already do. You should spend some of your free time for other things after school. You know, hang out with your friends or something. That boy Ekko is always hanging in our bar, asking about you. Isn’t he your friend from uni?”

At this, the tips of Powder’s ears reddened. “Yeah, but I don’t know, you look like you’re about to pass out one of these days pulling your job and taking care of dad’s bar at the same time. I think I should help more—”

“Nonsense, I’m not about to pass out from some regular jobs. I have everything under control,” Vi waved her off, making it clear that she wanted to hear no more of it. “Now, go turn off that loud music of yours and go to sleep. You have class tomorrow.”

Powder looked like she wanted to say something but eventually decided against it. “Fine, fine. You go clean yourself and sleep too. You look like hell.”

With that, she walked off to her room, leaving Vi alone on the couch to stare at the water stains on their ceilings and contemplate all of her life decisions leading up to that point.

But she had made no wrong decisions that had actually led her to this difficult point. Sometimes, shit just happened in life and fucked people over, regardless of their right or wrong decisions.

Vi had gone to university, graduated properly, and did well enough financially initially. She would help people in need during the day as a social worker, and then helped her father, Vander, in their family bar at night.

Everything was fine and dandy until Vander got hit by a hemorrhagic stroke and left paralyzed on the wheelchair. Even now, a year after the initial attack, he hadn't fully recovered. He needed constant assistance to perform even the most basic tasks. It was so severe that he had to stay in a nursing home, because neither Vi nor Powder was capable of watching and taking care of him 24/7.

Both of them had to work extra not only to feed themselves but also to pay off his medical bills. And God, the amount of those medical bills was truly something.

The ache in Vi’s head pounded harder at the thought, and she decided to let the thought go before she spiraled down to somewhere darker.

Maybe Powder was right. Maybe she needed to stop inducing depressing thoughts before bed. Maybe she should open that abandoned dating app for the hell of it. Even if she couldn't afford to date currently, she could still entertain the idea for fun if not for anything else.

Vi fished out her phone from her jeans pocket. The bluish glare of light from the TV screen beside her accompanied her as she tapped the app open and browsed through the first page.

A photo of a redhead with a bob cut appeared on the screen. Rose, 22 years old. Looking for a beautiful woman to add some spices into my current love life. I have a boyfriend who's willing to join.

Vi raised an eyebrow. What the hell?

She swiped the profile away.

A photo of another woman appeared, this time sporting long, blonde hair with a layered cut. Francesca, 24 years old. Dom. Looking for a sub able to withstand pleasure and pain. Rope play on the first date is preferred to test suitability.

Wow. Maybe Vi was really getting old. Maybe coffee dates and movie dates were really things of the past.

She almost gave up and threw her phone away when a profile caught her eyes.

A photo of a woman with midnight blue hair—so dark, it was almost black—half turning away from the camera so that only a part of her face was shown captured Vi’s attention. Vi tried to squint, but the dimly lit room the photo was taken in made it impossible to discern more details of the woman’s features.

She was shadowed so calculatedly that Vi could tell nothing but the color of her hair and the color of one of her eyes, which was startlingly blue. The bluest Vi had ever seen. The kind that could put the hue of the sky on a clear day to shame.

Cait, 29 years old. Looking for someone discreet for a temporary marriage. Will require at least one year of involvement. Compensation will be more than reasonable, paid in cash.

Vi blinked.

She reread the sentences, and then blinked and reread them again.

This was even more of a nuisance than the previous two profiles.

Was someone out there truly so bored or so lonely that they would pay money to have someone pretend to be their spouse? Or was this actually a weirdly elaborate plan of a psychopath to get someone into their house and torture them in secret?

Compensation will be more than reasonable, paid in cash.

How much is… more than reasonable? Vi wondered. The promise sounded tempting, and it was claimed to be paid in cash.

Whoever this Cait woman was, she didn't sound like she cared much about the money she had to burn away for silly deals. A rich, bored woman maybe?

Vi tossed her phone on the coffee table and stood up. She needed to sleep. Clearly, the sleep-deprivation must be getting to her brain if she was starting to consider a crazy, unhinged rich woman’s offer on a dating app.

She had less than 5 hours to sleep before she had to start the grind all over again for scraps.

=============

“Good morning, Vi. You look like shit.”

“Aw, thanks, Sevika. What a nice thing to say to your friend first thing in the morning. You’re the best,” Vi dropped onto her chair, rolling her neck and massaging the back of it with her hand. She had slept on it weird and now she was in pain, great.

“You should go back to hitting the gym more regularly, that will solve your body aches,” Sevika sat on her desk uninvited, very much like Powder when it came to not respecting her personal space. “Your arms are starting to look like noodles.”

“Excuse me?” Vi scoffed. “My arms are still bigger than most. They're fine. They’re more than fine actually because I still lift. They’re nowhere close to noodles and you’re just being insufferable because you’ve got slightly bigger arms.”

“Slightly, huh?” Sevika barked out a laugh, mocking but otherwise unmalicious because they both knew that Vi was lying. As much as Vi hated to admit it, Sevika was huge and built like a tank.

“Red Bull?” Sevika offered her the can of the sweet poison in her hand, to which Vi declined.

“Only a crazy person drinks Red Bull at…” Vi checked her watch, “About 9:30 AM.”

“Whatever, more for me then,” Sevika slid off her desk, walking over to her own. “What's your agenda for today? Busy?”

“Hah! As if we ever get to be not busy, understaffed as we are,” Vi leaned back on her chair. “I have counseling to do with some inmates and then I’m going out to the public attorneys’ office later.”

“Oh? One of your inmates needs a defender for an appeal?”

“Yeah, the one who just got reincarcerated yesterday. The poor woman was stealing some things because she couldn’t find a job after her release. No one would hire her because of her history. Her husband turned out to be a useless alcoholic, and she had children to feed. Her parole officer was useless too and didn't give a shit,” Vi stopped. “Not that I have high hopes for the public defenders I’m about to see to care more than that asshole officer.”

“They probably won’t,” Sevika agreed. “They’re probably just sitting on their chairs, lamenting their low salary and wishing that they work as private attorneys somewhere.”

“Most of us get paid little but it doesn’t mean we get to fuck over other people’s chance at life,” Vi stood up. “Do you wanna go there with me? Maybe you can frighten them a little with those oh so big arms of yours and get them to agree with our plea.”

“Hah! Nope. I’ve gone there yesterday and I've had to resist my urge to punch some pretentious people in the face.”

“What pretentious people?”

“A lot. One of them being that pompous rich woman. Kiramman? Caitlyn Kiramman, that is. I can’t stand how patronizing she sounds when she talks to people sometimes,” Sevika threw her hands up. “I feel like she thinks she’s better or smarter than the rest of us, but she’s doing it in that fake polite, rich lady tone of hers, so nobody can call her out on it. It’s driving me insane.”

“Oh, that one. Tough,” Vi nodded, agreeing simply because of the rumors she had heard about the woman. Actually, she had never had to talk to Caitlyn Kiramman herself. They walked past each other sometimes, in the public attorneys’ office during Vi’s occasional visits there, but they had never actually had to work together on a case yet, so Vi knew nothing about her save for the rumors.

Caitlyn Kiramman. The one and only daughter of Cassandra Kiramman. The sole heir to their generational family wealth as far as everybody knew.

Her brilliance as a lawyer had hurtled her up the courts so quickly, making her one of the youngest lawyers to ever go head-to-head with some of the most senior lawyers in the country. And she had beaten them too. All of it came crashing down though, because of her mother’s scandal.

After Cassandra Kiramman’s dishonorable downfall, Caitlyn herself, for reasons unclear to the public, was removed from her previous position and moved to a small public attorneys’ office, going from handling cases for big organizations and politicians to handling… well, smaller cases.

Some suspected that Caitlyn had been involved in the bribery scandal. But if Vi’s memory served her right, Cassandra Kiramman had proclaimed that her daughter knew nothing of the fiasco. Many disbelieved her.

Many also said that Caitlyn Kiramman was arrogant and rude, thanks to her previous success and her imposing family name.

She was probably seething in the small public attorneys’ office she was in now, and counting the days when she could get back to her big, shiny office in the central business district of Piltover, handling big money and big fame.

“Well, I hope I’ll never have to work with her then,” Vi said, patting Sevika on the shoulder as she passed her. “See you later, dude.”

==========

Vi really should keep her mouth shut sometimes, because the universe had a funny way of giving her the exact opposite of what she wished for.

For instance, sometimes she wished for a rainless day because she forgot to bring her umbrella, only for the sky to pour almost instantly.

Sometimes, she wished for a peaceful weekend where she could just doze off on her couch, only to be called in for an unexpected problem in the prison.

Earlier today, she wished to never work with a certain, rumored-to-be bitchy person, only to get told that she had to do exactly that.

Vi shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the seat opposite of hers staring back at her emptily. She looked around, noticing that Caitlyn Kiramman had kept no personal effects at all in her small office room. The desk and the entire room was pristine, devoid of any personal trinkets and felt almost… sterile.

Maybe she really hated having to work here.

Vi glanced around some more and saw nothing but shelves filled with extremely neat rows of folders. They were color-coded, sorted by size, and placed symmetrically on each sides as if Caitlyn had measured them one by one. Not a single paper sticking out of place.

This woman’s house must be quite a sight. Her cutleries were probably sorted by size too, and her coats were probably hung in a color-coded manner.

But she was probably not punctual, because Vi was told that she would come at 2:00 PM but it was reaching 1:59 PM and she was still nowhere in sight—

“Miss Violet? From Zaun Correctional Facility?” The door behind Vi flung open at exactly 2:00 PM, and in walked the owner of the room Vi had spent 20 minutes waiting in.

Surprised, Vi spun around and shot up to her feet, only to find herself staring face-to-face with a pair of startling blue eyes. The bluest Vi had ever seen. The kind that could put the hue of the sky on a clear day to shame. Wait—

“I apologize for making you wait, Miss Violet. I had a prior engagement I needed to see through,” Caitlyn didn't offer her a handshake, like most newly met people did, and instead, walked past her to get to her own seat at the opposite side of the desk.

“Sit. Please,” she said the last word a tad later, as if it were an afterthought or something that she was trying to remember.

Vi only realized that she wasn't sitting yet because Caitlyn was also not sitting yet. She stared at Vi, raising an eyebrow subtly as if she were wondering why Vi was still standing. Maybe she was.

“Sorry, yeah,” Vi cleared her throat, sitting down gracelessly.

Was Caitlyn Kiramman always this tall? Vi had never paid much attention to her height before, but standing face-to-face made her feel like Caitlyn was over six-foot tall.

God, what an unimportant, random thought. Vi shook her head.

“You look dazed, Miss Violet. Are you unwell?” Caitlyn placed her designer bag on the desk and shrugged off her pristine white blazer, somehow doing it with more grace than anyone should have when they were… well, shrugging off coats.

She hung the blazer on the coat hanger behind her and settled on her chair in one fluid movement, somehow still looking regal even only in her simple black turtleneck and white pantsuit. Also, how did she make that loose ponytail look so professional?

“Miss Violet?”

Vi was a dumbass.

“Yeah, right, sorry. I’m just… a bit tired. Haven’t had my coffee today.”

She had, in fact, had three cups of coffee today. But Caitlyn did not need to know that.

“Do you want me to make you one?”

“Huh? One what?”

“Cup of coffee.”

Vi would go down in history as the first ever person to make Caitlyn Kiramman look confused.

“You said you haven’t had coffee, I’m offering to make you one.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Vi waved her off, her face hot with embarrassment.

“I would say there is a need for that, seeing as you’re so dazed and unfocused without it.”

Vi raised her eyes to level with the woman, suddenly wondering if this was what Sevika had meant when she said Caitlyn sounded patronizing when she talked to people. Was she? Patronizing Vi?

Vi tried to discern any hint of condescension on her expression but Caitlyn showed no sign of such thing. In fact, her face showed no signs of anything at all. She looked almost expressionless save for the little wrinkle on her forehead.

“I’m fine, trust me,” Vi shifted in her seat, pulling out the files from her messenger bag with eagerness. The sooner they moved on from this strange, awkward conversation, the better.

“Now, let’s talk about what I’m here for. I have this inmate, Mrs. Smith, who was released early from prison but was returned because of repeated theft. She’s being forced to serve two years.”

She slid the folder over to Caitlyn, who took it and read through it carefully.

“From the way you’re speaking, I’m assuming you believe that this woman deserves a shorter punishment?”

Vi was taken aback by how completely emotionless Caitlyn sounded after reading through all of those files. “You don’t think so? Even after reading her background? She’s a mother of two young girls, who are both in constant risk of suffering abuse from their alcoholic father as long as she’s not there to protect them. They were the reason she needed to steal in the first place to get something to eat. She had no other choice. No one would employ her after her release from prison.”

“Miss Violet, I didn’t say so.”

“You didn't have to spell it out, your careless tone has told me all about it.”

God, maybe the rumors were right. Maybe Caitlyn Kiramman was a bitch.

Caitlyn sat back on her chair, her blue eyes widening a bit at Vi’s snappy words. Then, her expression smoothed back to her normal calm.

“Miss Violet, I apologize if the tone I used was… inappropriate for the situation. I didn’t mean to imply anything negative. I was merely asking a question. Sincerely.”

Vi blinked, debating with herself whether this woman was telling the truth or was fucking with her. Was she? Fucking with Vi?

Caitlyn held her gaze, steady and unwavering.

Vi didn’t know what to think of that look.

She couldn’t put her finger on what Caitlyn really meant or not meant.

She was difficult to read.

“Just, please take your time to go through her files and think of what’s the right thing to do here, please,” Vi said, standing up because she needed to get away from this weird, uncomfortable situation. “I do believe she deserves a shorter time in prison. And I do believe that any lawyer worth their salt should be able to achieve that, with enough will to present proper arguments about this to the court.”

She grabbed her messenger bag from the floor, turning away to exit the room. “I’ll see you again soon. Give my office a call when you’re done reading her files.”

Vi left the room, feeling the intensity of Caitlyn’s stare following her back until she closed the door between them.

Chapter Text

The weekends were always the merriest time in The Last Drop and also the busiest.

Laughter and conversations filled the bar from corner to corner, occasionally intercepted by handclaps whenever the band on stage finished performing a song. 

Mylo, Claggor, and Ekko bowed to the audience and said their thanks with exuberant, toothy grins, seemingly satisfied with the response they had earned.

“Those boys are actually not half bad at singing,” Benzo said, pouring out a drink for one of the patrons while nudging Vi. “You should make them perform more often.”

“They’re still in university, Benzo,” Vi half-shouted over the loud music, the three boys apparently starting another song. “They have other things to—hey, Mr. Jack! Thanks! I’ll see you next weekend, yeah?” Vi raised the tip she had just received, making an appreciative gesture as one of their regulars said his goodbye.

“Phew, almost midnight and not slowing down, huh?” Powder slid over the bar counter, sitting on one of the empty stools. “Strange how we’re not swimming in money yet considering we have so many regulars coming over every weekend.”

“That’s because Vi charges them way too cheaply for all these drinks,” Benzo pointed out, bringing forward a glass of drink for himself and another glass for Powder, who took it happily and awarded him a toast.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Benzo. She’s almost as ridiculous as dad in that aspect. They’re like… the good samaritans but for alcohol, which is probably not so good for society if you think about it.”

“Dad didn’t start The Last Drop to make big bucks, okay?” Vi slung the towel she had been using to clean the glasses over one of her shoulders, placing her hands on her hips as she stared down the two.

“He just wants a place where people in the neighborhood can gather without worrying about money. Keep the community alive and all that. Most of them are his old friends. Our old friends.”

“Too old, probably,” Powder quipped, looking around and sniffing. “That’s probably why you’re still single, sis. You spend your nights in a bar filled with middle-aged people like this,” she gestured at the crowd, “And spend your days in prison. The way I see it, you’re either gonna end up married to a convict or a cougar. For your sake, I hope it’s the latter. At least she could be your sugar mom.”

Joint laughter emanated from both Benzo and Powder, and Vi flung the towel on her shoulder at her sister. It missed its target by an inch because Powder had always had way too quick reflexes.

Powder cracked up even more at her miss, picking up the towel from the floor and chucking it back at her after smushing it into a ball.

It smacked Benzo on the face instead because Vi had managed to yank him over at the last minute, successfully making him a human shield.

“Hey!”

Laughing at the old guy’s protest, Vi was about to grab the ball of towel and hurl it back at Powder when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

“Hold up,” she lifted a hand, motioning at Powder to stop being a nuisance for a moment even though she was still chuckling herself.

A short text message popped up on her screen, coming from the nursing home.

Whatever smile was on Vi’s face was wiped off.

“Vi? What’s wrong? You look pale,” Powder inched closer, trying to peek at her screen.

“It’s… dad,” Vi muttered, her own words still not quite registering in her brain as she reread the text. “They said he’s being sent to a hospital. He fell. In the bathroom.”

Her hands were already moving to rip off her apron and grab her truck key, even though her brain didn’t quite process the full meaning of the news yet. She was on some sort of autopilot, running through the crowd and slamming into some people to get to the door.

Vander had fallen.

He hadn't even fully recovered from his stroke last year and he had fallen.

And the fall was apparently bad enough to rush him into a hospital at midnight.

Thinking was the last thing Vi wanted to do.

==================

“Your father hasn’t suffered any serious injury to his head, Miss Violet.”

Vi only half-heard what the doctor say, standing ice-rigid in the white corridor that smelled strongly of disinfectants.

She didn’t even realize that her nails were digging into the skin of Powder’s upper arm, which she had grabbed onto with all of her life, unknowingly, as she waited for the doctor’s verdict.

“And? Is he alright? Is he okay now?” It was Powder who barked questions, because Vi was too breathless, her throat constricting and closing around any word she tried to form.

“He's not in any immediate danger, Miss. You can rest assured.”

It was only then that Vi felt like the world opened up and she could breathe and hear again, air rushing back into her lungs and clear sounds entering her ears again. It was like she had been submerged underwater since she received the news and only now resurfaced again.

“Thank god,” was all that she could say, sucking in a big breath as she slid down onto one of the waiting chairs in the corridor, face deep in her hands. Thank fucking god.

“However, he has broken one of his arms because of the fall. It’s not an open fracture and it doesn’t require an emergency surgery tonight, but it will still need to be fixed soon to avoid malunion and deformation. Do you consent for elective surgery, Miss Violet?”

“Yes, I do,” Vi said in a heartbeat, lifting her face to look at the doctor and wondering why the hell it was even a question.

What? Was anyone expected to say no and just let their family suffer a deformation?

Then it hit Vi that there might have been people who were forced to say no because they didn’t have enough—

“Wait, how much does it cost? The surgery?”

Dread snaked up through Vi, and then shame followed through like a sure fire as she noticed Powder looking at her. Her face darkened with red humiliation.

“You’ll have to consult with the orthopedic surgeon for that, Miss Violet. We’ll schedule a consultation. As for the… settlement tonight, for the ambulance and the ER, you’ll have to consult the front desk,” the man had the heart to sound gentle and apologetic, though it only reddened Vi’s face more with embarrassment.

“I’ll leave you two to have some time to discuss,” he said, closing the folder of files in his hand and gesturing at the room behind him. “You can see your father, too.”

==================

“Over a thousand dollars just for an ambulance ride and over two thousand dollars for the emergency care,” Powder gave a disbelieving, angry scoff, flopping on the sofa not far from the bed where Vi was holding Vander’s hand.

He was deep in slumber, taken out by the strong painkillers the nurse had infused into him to numb the pain of his broken bone.

Vi hadn’t seen him this peaceful ever since he had that stroke last year. The damage to his brain had caused not only changes in his mobility, but also his mood and personality.

Vander was a big, gregarious man. Now, he looked only slightly bigger than Vi and he fell quiet. Sometimes, he got moody and unreasonably angry at people in his vicinity too, even though they were just trying to help him eat or clean up.

He grew forgetful too, which was probably why he had wobbled into the bathroom alone in the nursing home despite instructions against it, and had slipped and fallen.

“We truly live in a time of hell if that’s the cost of medical care.”

Vaguely, Vi realized that Powder was still talking.

She only listened though, because there were too many thoughts swimming at once in her head and too many emotions swirling in her chest. At the forefront of the chaos was panic about what she had to do, followed closely by guilt and shame.

She had told Powder, less than a week ago, that she had everything under control.

Clearly, she didn’t.

“Vi?”

Clothes rustled against the sofa as Powder shifted to sit up and looked at her.

A moment of silence, seemingly stretching far longer than it really was, passed before her little sister spoke again. “I know you—we don’t have the kind of money necessary for that surgery. At least, not at the moment. We’re already fucked up enough with that three thousand dollars we had to pay out.”

An over-dramatic sigh, meant to lighten up the mood but interlaced with real heaviness that betrayed its intention, left Powder. “Do you think I should just drop off uni for now so we have less burden—”

“No,” Vi spun around, her voice coming out with a lot more heat than Powder—and even she herself—had expected because, “What the hell? Are you insane? You only have one year left and you’re done.”

She looked Powder in the eyes, vexed. “I don’t want to hear about it again. You hear me?”

“No, you hear me, sis. Stop being so stubborn when it’s clear that you can’t do anything else about this. You mean to what? Take more loans and get another job so you can work three jobs everyday? Do you suddenly have a magical ability I don’t know about that makes you not need sleep?”

Vi’s hands balled into fists.

“I will figure this out, Powder. This isn’t your concern.”

“This isn’t my concern? Really?” Powder threw her hands up in the air, incredulous. “That's bullshit and you know it.”

“Well, bullshit is letting you waste that brain of yours and throw all your hard work away when you’re already so close to the finish line.”

“What’s your alternative then? Do you have any?”

Vi ground her teeth, “I do.”

You don’t, hung unspoken in the air, but Powder was thankfully nice enough—or just fucking tired enough like herself—to let it go.

“Fine, whatever,” she rose to her feet, petulant. “I’m gonna go home and sleep and wake up for school, since that’s apparently more important than anything else. Bye.”

Vi rubbed her forehead as the door slammed behind Powder, too loud for the silence the hospital was in at such wee hours.

With the heaviest sigh of her life, Vi hauled herself over to the sofa where Powder had just left and tossed herself onto it.

Lying on her back, hand still massaging her throbbing forehead and eyes still swirling with thoughts even when screwed shut, Vi finally decided to do something unbelievable—something fucking nonsensical—because it was past 3:00 AM and she was so, so damn tired and every other thought in her mind was too complicated to consider.

Her brain resorted to something silly and stupid that probably wouldn’t result in anything, because silly and stupid were easy, and at the moment, Vi wanted nothing more than easy.

She pulled out her phone from her jacket and opened the dating app, the last profile that she had ignored a few days ago but hadn't swiped away still appearing on her first recommended page.

Cait, 29 years old. Looking for someone discreet for a temporary marriage. Will require at least one year of involvement. Compensation will be more than reasonable, paid in cash.

Sure, what the hell.

Why not? Whoever this person was, she was probably just trolling online and wouldn’t answer anyway. She didn’t even bother to use a photo that showed her entire face. Clearly unserious.

Vi stabbed the message button and began to type, half-delirious and no longer having any flying fuck to give.

Hey. I saw your ad or whatever it is about you requiring a spouse for a year. I’m interested. Let me know if you’d like to talk more about it.

She hit send, then on a second thought, removed her own profile picture and replaced it with the one where half of her face was obscured by a hoodie, because if this Cait woman didn’t want to show her whole face, then Vi could be petty and do the same. 

Now she could pretend she had a chance at fixing her problems and sleep.

=================

“The warden isn’t going to be happy about you taking a leave, but I think Mrs. Babette is ready to rant his ears off if he says anything about it. You should buy her lunch when you come back.”

Sevika placed the basket of fruits she had brought on the bedside table beside Vander. “Did he wake up yet?”

“No. I think the painkillers they gave him last night were really strong. Make me wish I could get some myself,” Vi bit into her apple, thankful that Sevika had showed up with a basket of fruits and not a bouquet of flowers. She was really hungry.

“I’m so tired but I couldn’t even fall asleep properly because well, you know.”

“Yeah, I know, I could tell.”

“Sevika, honest to god, if you tell me I look like shit today, you’re about to get punched in the face very, very hard.”

Her coworker laughed. “Fine, dude, I’ll keep it for another day then.”

“Thank you, how generous of you,” Vi snarked. “Hey, when you go to work tomorrow, can you please check if there’s a call for me? From the public attorneys’ office?”

“Ooh, expecting a call from someone?”

“Yeah, that Kiramman woman. She’s supposed to be working on a case with me but she hasn’t called and it’s been several days,” Vi rolled her eyes. “I’ve hoped that she isn’t as bad as her rumors. Seems like I was wrong.”

“I told you she’s just a pompous rich bitch pretending to be polite,” Sevika shrugged.

“Yeah, I know, but when I talked to her I thought that maybe she was just—” Vi was cut off by the buzzing of her phone in her pocket, and she unlocked the screen to see something that completely took every word out of her mouth.

It was the mystery woman from the dating app.

Good morning, Miss Vi. Thank you for reaching out to me. I’d like to discuss more details with you in person. Are you available to meet tomorrow, say, at 7:00 PM? Location will be sent if you agree. It will be somewhere public.

“Oh, my fucking hell.”

“What?”

Vi closed her mouth and looked up to find Sevika staring at her with an arched eyebrow.

“Oh, nothing. Just… uh, saw my credit card bill.”

“Hah. Understandable,” Sevika ate it up, as if that sentence completely warranted that strong reaction. Maybe it did.

“You know what, I think I’m gonna go. I’ll see you when you get back in the office, yeah?” Sevika landed a resolute pat on her back, almost sending her stumbling forward.

“See you!” Vi said distractedly, eyes back on the message she had just received.

This person was real.

And she was apparently serious about discussing a fake marriage with a stranger.

And she typed message on a dating app like she was writing a corporate email.

What a psycho.

Hi. Sure. Send me the location.

Vi was probably going to be found on the news tomorrow, dead and chopped to bits in an abandoned warehouse somewhere.

Another text popped right back in before she had time to process her bad decision.

The Grand Café. I’ll be wearing a navy-blue coat and a barrette. Please inform me what you’ll be wearing.

Heat spread across Vi’s cheeks at the last sentence. In another context, that would have sounded inappropriate, but somehow Vi knew that this person only meant business—only meant to find a way to identify her easier.

Which was probably even more psychopathic than some freaks.

Vi really would be found chopped to bits.

But the person had suggested an actual café that she knew—and everybody knew—because it was actually a coffeehouse famous for its upscale clientele.

Maybe there was hope for Vi. Maybe this person was the one fearing that she would be chopped to bits, which meant that she was likely a normal person.

I’ll be wearing a black leather jacket and a red shirt.

Noted. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Vi put down her phone, staring at the bright sky outside the window and just blinking for a good minute.

Holy shit.

It was really happening.

================

This was ridiculous. An insanity.

It took three attempts for Vi to walk into the café that they had agreed on.

For every step she took, she considered taking a U-turn and racing back to the hospital.

Then, finally, she squared her shoulders, believing that if it was just some weird fucker trying to kidnap and murder her, she could stand up for herself and give the person some serious ass beating.

Vi did boxing back then, when she was still a free and happy soul. She could do this.

She sucked in a deep breath and pushed the door of the café open, the warmth of the room and the smell of good coffee immediately washing over her. It was divine.

Vi had never been inside the café before, only ever passing by its front. The inside was actually not as overbearingly lavish as she had thought but more old-fashioned, with understated elegance.

It was half-full, with people sitting around and chatting with their friend or their partner in their own little bubbles.

Some were wearing beige coats, and some were wearing gray coats. And then Vi spotted her.

A woman with a lean figure wearing a navy-blue barrette and a matching navy-blue coat, long legs crossed calmly and hands stirring the drink in her cup.

Vi stopped dead on her track.

Her jaw nearly fell on the floor when she registered the face.

Caitlyn? Caitlyn Kiramman?

At the same time that Vi was standing still and gaping like a goldfish out of water, Caitlyn lifted her gaze, as if she could feel the stare of the fool gawking at her, and her lips parted open too.

This must be a fucking hallucination.

For a good minute, none of them moved or said anything, both too frozen on their own spots to do anything else.

Then, Caitlyn was the one who regained her composure first, standing up and motioning at the seat in front of her. “Miss… Violet. It’s unexpected to see you here tonight. Come, have a seat. Please.”

Again with the late please that sounded as if Caitlyn was still struggling to remember such a simple manner in her ripe age of—

Wait a minute. Vi froze again.

Twenty nine years old. Cait. Midnight blue hair that was almost black. The bluest eyes that Vi had ever seen. On the obscured photo on the dating app.

Vi almost smacked a hand on her own face.

How could she not see that before? When she had met Caitlyn in the attorneys’ office?

Those eyes. Of course it was her.

No one else had that kind of blue in their eyes.

“Miss Violet?” Caitlyn repeated, sounding as if she was considering to walk over and drag Vi to her seat on her own.

Around them, several pairs of eyes glanced.

Vi cleared her throat and made her way over, sitting on the seat much to Caitlyn’s relief.

“Sorry. I was… shocked. I’m sure you’ll understand given this entire—” Vi’s hand hovered awkwardly midair while gesturing at the two of them, “Whatever this is.”

“As am I.”

Somehow, Caitlyn still managed to pull a dignified smile at the waitress who came over to them with the menu. “I’ll have another cup of black tea. Thank you.”

Darned blue eyes landed on Vi.

Vi stared back.

“Miss Violet. Are you not going to order something?”

“Huh?”

“Do you want something? A beverage? To drink? It’s what one usually does in a café.”

“Right, uh, just a regular latte will do, thanks.”

The waitress took note and left to fulfill their order, much to Vi’s dismay.

She still had no idea about what to say to Caitlyn Kiramman.

“You’re wondering if you should just up and leave because this is uncomfortable, but you’re still sitting because leaving will be even more uncomfortable,” Caitlyn pointed out after a moment of silence.

“Well, aren't you? Uncomfortable? Judging from the look on your face you probably feel the same.”

“I don’t feel uncomfortable, Miss Violet. Only unfortunate.”

What?

Did she seriously just say it was unfortunate to meet Vi?

Caitlyn’s eyes flicked up, catching the fire in Vi’s gaze just as she realized how awful she had sounded.

“I didn’t mean it that way, Miss Violet. I meant unfortunate as in now you know about… this. My request.” She folded her arms but did not lean back on her seat, sitting ramrod straight even as she gathered her thoughts. “We know each other in a professional setting, so this is unfortunate, is what I meant.”

Fire died down in Vi’s chest then. Good. Because she was about to call Caitlyn some really bad names a second ago and then walk out.

“You would rather meet someone who doesn’t know you in real life, especially at work.”

“Yes,” Caitlyn said without hesitation. “But I suppose, getting married to someone I’ve had real reasons to meet before will make it less suspicious. So, it’s not completely bad. We can say that we met because of work.”

Vi was floored. “You still want to… go on with this? Really? Even after seeing who showed up?”

“As I’ve said before, this will make more sense,” Caitlyn’s choice of words would have made Vi feel like she was treated like a slow moron if it wasn’t for the fact that Caitlyn had said them so matter-of-factly. As if she really just meant those said words and nothing else that she didn’t say.

Vi rapped her fingers on the table, considering this whole situation, considering Caitlyn and all her strangeness, be it in the way she talked or the intention of her request.

The big question.

“Why are you doing this? Why do you need a fake spouse?”

Caitlyn dodged her question as if she hadn’t even asked it. “Why do you agree to this?”

“Uh, cash, obviously. It’s on your ad or whatever that is.”

“You need money?” 

“Who doesn’t?”

Caitlyn opened her mouth but shut it again, for once, wordless.

Ah. So the princess was truly sheltered and oblivious to the world outside her palace, it seemed. Either that, or she just didn’t have enough poor friends to remember that some people didn’t have millions just sitting in their bank accounts doing nothing.

All her friends were probably from old money just like her.

Be as it was, Vi felt a little sorry for shutting down the ongoing conversation back to awkwardness. “Has someone responded to your request and showed up for other reasons than money then? Like… they just wanted to what… sleep with you?”

She had meant it as a diversion, but her own question somehow embarrassed herself. They weren’t close enough to discuss their love life or sex life—

“Some, yes, were interested in sexual intercourse,” Caitlyn took a sip from her cup of tea, frowning a little when she realized that it was running out.

Vi couldn’t believe that she just said something like that and just… went back to concentrating on her tea.

The waitress from earlier came back just in time to give Caitlyn another cup of her tea. And Vi’s latte.

Vi really wanted to let the question at the tip of her tongue go, but Caitlyn was so peculiar that Vi couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “And? What did you say to them?”

“I told them the truth. That I only want to find a suitable person for this deal. If I had wanted a sexual relationship, I would have stated so.”

Caitlyn looked at her then, blue eyes all business and efficiency. “So, I asked, what do you want out of this? Because if it isn’t money that you want, I’m afraid I'm unable to do it.”

A laugh left Vi, a genuine one that she hadn’t had since Vander was hospitalized, and it was like a heavy boulder had just slid off her shoulders.

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow, as if she didn’t get what was funny about what she had just unintentionally implied.

“You’re wondering if I came because I want to sleep with you,” Vi wiped at the corner of her eyes, still shaking with the remnant of laughter. “I mean, I would but—”

She stopped. Eyes widening. Realizing what the fuck she had just said. Oh god.

“I didn’t mean I would!” she rushed in immediately to correct herself, floundering as Caitlyn watched her with a slightly tilted head.

“I just mean that you are, um, an attractive lady, and I’m sure many people would like a chance to be with you but, uh, I’m really just here for the cash prize. I promise.”

“That’s relieving to hear,” Caitlyn looked genuinely glad.

She made no comment about Vi basically just calling her hot. As if she had heard it too often or she had known about it herself.

Probably both, judging from the way she carried herself with so much quiet confidence.

“Do you have any specific requirement for this… role? Or do you just accept anyone as long as they don’t have other motives?” Vi couldn’t believe that she was seriously considering this now.

But the person sitting in front of her was The Caitlyn Kiramman, the sole heir of a very well-known, wealthy family nationwide, and not some no-name psychopath, so there was a very real chance that this wackiness could work.

Wait. Vi just realized that her original question was still unanswered. “Why do you want someone to be your fake spouse?”

A thin veil of something shuttered over Caitlyn’s eyes, something that made her look suddenly less approachable and less visible.

“I only require that you stay married to me for a year. And in that period, you are not allowed to be involved with anyone else, romantically or sexually. You will take my family name, and you will live in my place. You are to be seen in public with me whenever I need you to. Nobody is to know that this isn’t real. You have to make it believable to everyone. As for your last question–”

Vi held her breath.

“That is not your concern. In fact, one additional stipulation if we agree to this, is that you can’t ask me that question and I’m not obliged to answer you.”

The breath rushed out of Vi with disbelief. “You think it’s not necessary for me to know why you want to fake marry me?”

“Precisely. I will be paying you a lot of cash, for your agreement to all my previous clauses and for your silence on this particular topic.”

Unbelievable. This woman was utterly unbelievable. Just how much did she think—

“I will be paying you twenty thousand dollars once we have our agreement, and eighty thousand dollars once we sign the papers and you move into my place.”

Wait.

One hundred thousand dollars in total?

This silly deal would get Vi one hundred thousand dollars in total?

Was she mishearing Caitlyn?

“And at the end of our contract, after one year of our marriage is completed, a payment of three hundred thousand dollars will be made to you. I understand this is a big commitment, as you have to commit a year of your life, fully, to me and only me.”

Vi was absolutely smashed.

She stared at Caitlyn as if Caitlyn was unreal, as if she was a shadow made out of whatever psychedelic stuff was put in Vi’s latte without her knowing.

Four hundred thousand dollars in total in a year. 

Almost half a million dollars. In just a year.

“I suggest you take some time to think it over, thoroughly, and contact me again when—”

“I’ll do it,” Vi cut her off, sending her into surprise.

Caitlyn closed her mouth and frowned, her forehead wrinkling a bit with something that Vi couldn’t discern because she was too fucking smashed.

“Miss Violet, I really believe you should go home and think more about it.”

“No, I’ll do it.”

That amount of money could pay off Powder’s remaining days in her university with ease so she would never have to worry for herself and for Vi again, and it would still leave a lot more to pay their father’s medical bills and move him to a better nursing home and—

“Are you sure?” Caitlyn’s words dragged, unusual considering her usual fast, efficient way of speaking. Maybe she thought Vi was being reckless.

But Vi was four hundred thousand dollars sure.

“Yes.”

“This means pretending you like me, which you don’t.”

Vi blinked, taking a minute to process the sentence.

Crap. Had she been so obvious in her dislike for Caitlyn?

“I can… manage that, Kiramman. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Starting with calling me Caitlyn or just Cait may make that more believable, Miss Violet.”

“Uh, right. And maybe you should stop calling me Miss Violet too. Just Vi is fine.”

“Okay. Vi.”

God that was the stiffest anyone had ever called her name, Vi cringed.

They were doomed if they were to make everyone believe they were happily married when they couldn’t even call each other names casually.

“I believe I should head home now,” Caitlyn made to stand up, back to being all business. “When are you going back to work?”

“Huh?” Still sitting, Vi had to tilt her head back to look up at Caitlyn, almost straining her neck. Why was the woman still wearing high-heeled boots when she was already so goddamn tall?

“You were not at your work today. I called your office to discuss your inmate’s case. A woman picked up and said you were on leave and hung up without explaining further.”

Sevika. The icon of friendliness.

But more importantly, Caitlyn had called? Did she finally want to help?

“I’ll most likely be back in a week. I’m surprised you called. Thought you were–” Vi paused. “Never mind. Have you read through everything and prepared the arguments for her case?”

“Yes, of course,” Caitlyn stared at her as if Vi was the strange one for thinking that Caitlyn hadn’t done so.

So strange. The woman was so strange.

Never had anyone so brief-spoken and straightforward been so confusing before.

“I’ll call your office again in a week then. But I’ll message you my personal number tonight so we can discuss our own deal in more detail. Goodbye. Vi. And oh, there is no need to pay when you leave. You can order more too. They will bill it to me.”

She walked away just like that without waiting for a response, long navy-blue coat and long dark hair billowing around her as she pushed the café door open and stepped outside, carrying all her untold secrets and perplexing behavior with her.

Chapter Text

Caitlyn was right.

Vi really should have gone home that night and thought about all of this more thoroughly before she had agreed to it.

In her excitement after being offered so much more money than she had ever seen in her life, she had forgotten about the most daunting thing she had to do if she were to fake a marriage with Caitlyn.

She had to lie to all of her friends, her father, and oh god—Powder.

Powder.

Powder, who Vi would have to leave alone in their shared apartment if the deal with Caitlyn would really go through, because Caitlyn had explicitly stated that Vi would have to move in with her.

Powder, who knew for sure that Vi hadn’t been seeing anyone all this time because she had been too busy scraping a living, and now what? She suddenly not only had a girlfriend but also wanted to immediately marry that said girlfriend?

Powder, who would know for sure that Vi was only doing this for money and who would call her out on it, even though Caitlyn had made it very clear that nobody was to know their marriage wasn’t real.

What if everyone would know because Powder decided to blow up about it halfway?

What if Caitlyn got pissed and demanded Vi to pay back all the money she would have given Vi at that point?

Vi was so, so fucked.

And as if the heaven—or hell—knew about her growing panic and wanted to mess with her more, a text popped up from Caitlyn on her personal number, now no longer coming from the dating app that Caitlyn had been quick to ask her to delete.

Vi. I feel like we should arrange a meeting again. I think we should be seen on “dates” several times, for at least a month before we go on with the marriage, to make it more believable. I’m aware it’s still a short period but it will have to suffice.

Vi barely had the time to type her reply before another message popped up.

Also, I still feel like you agreed too readily. Why didn’t you ask for more details about your reward? How do you know that I’ll pay you for sure? I suggest we meet tomorrow after I finish work to discuss further. You can pick me up at my office at 6:00 PM. I think it’ll make good publicity too.

Caitlyn was dead serious about this.

But yeah, of course she was. She was the one who had gone out of her way to make a dating app profile exclusively for this purpose, and the one who had thought about all the clauses and the prices she had to pay for them.

Vi was just in this deal because she was… taken by surprise by the big numbers and chased by a very urgent need for money. A lot of money, in fact.

Her father’s surgery cost sat on her credit card bill like a movie villain, taunting her whenever she saw it. That had to be paid. And soon.

Okay. I’ll pick you up tomorrow.

She tossed her phone away after sending the text, standing up from her bed and groaning about her fate.

“Uh, why are you groaning like an ancient creature that’s about to die?”

“Powder!” Vi startled, whirling around to see her sister in the doorway.

“Uh, yes, Vi, it’s me. Nobody else lives here,” Powder raised an eyebrow. “What’s up with you? You look like you’ve just got caught doing something bad.”

She sauntered into the room and jumped onto Vi’s bed, snorting as she spread her arms and legs out like a starfish on Vi’s blanket. “If I didn’t know you better, I would have thought you were sniffing coke—or hiding a naked girl under your bed.”

When Vi offered no answer, Powder raised her head to look at her with mock surprise. “Oh, shit. Were you? Is there someone butt naked hiding under your bed now? Am I interrupting something?” She jumped up and made a show to peek underneath Vi’s bed.

Vi rolled her eyes. “Ha ha, very funny you. Obviously, there’s no one down there.” She went to grab her favorite red jacket from her chair and shrugged it on, readying herself to go out.

Although, on second thought, she wondered if this might be a good chance to start… preparing Powder for what was to come.

Vi cleared her throat and decided to give it a very subtle try.

“There may be someone out there though, just saying,” she cleared her throat even louder as if to drown her own words, the force of it almost making her choke on her own spit. God, she was horrible at lying.

“Huh?” Powder sat up, a look of confusion crossing her face. “What does that mean?” Then, imaginary light bulbs seemed to light up above her head. “Oh, shit! You’re seeing someone? For real?”

Guilt washed over Vi because despite sounding incredulous and half-mocking, there was actually an undercurrent of excitement in her sister’s voice that was unmistakable. It made Vi feel worse for lying to her.

“Um… yeah? Maybe. I don’t know. We’re still seeing how things go between us,” she tried to brush it off as something casual, but her words sounded too stilted and stiff even to herself and she wanted to cringe.

“You’re serious,” Powder stated, noticing the real weight behind her disastrous attempt to be nonchalant. “When did this happen? You didn't tell me anything! You usually told me when you liked someone new.”

Now she sounded almost offended.

Vi winced despite having expected this to happen.

“It’s a very recent development, okay? You know I don’t have a lot of time lately and I, uh, have been distracted by other things. I guess I just—forgot to tell you.”

Shit. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say. Because now Powder looked seriously offended. Her eyes narrowed into slits.

“You forgot to tell me, your only sister who you live with, that you’re seeing someone?”

“Um, yeah?” Vi said, her voice a small and sorry thing. “I guess I’ve just been dead tired and unfocused with everything that’s been going on, you know, with dad and all.”

Okay. That one wasn’t a lie at least.

Some of Powder’s anger seemed to dissipate at that, though a hint of it still remained on her face and her eyebrows still drew together into a frown.

“I get it, I guess,” she paused, looking at Vi again. “Who's this girl then? And where did you meet her if you’re so busy?”

Oh, fuck.

“Uh…”

Powder crossed her arms, one eyebrow cocked up in judgment. “What? Are you really seeing a convict in prison like I said? Please, Vi, I know you've been single for a while and you’re probably desperate as hell but—”

“Hey,” Vi interrupted, not sure if she should feel offended that her sister thought she would break workplace rules out of desperation, or feel glad that the conversation was going somewhere less tense. “She isn’t a convict, okay? Quite the opposite actually, she is, uh, a lawyer. I met her at work.”

At this, Powder went from mild irritation and amusement to pure shock. Her jaw hung open. “What? I thought you said you hated them! Didn’t you say they’re all just sharks in suits that are more concerned about money than justice and everything else?”

“Well, uh, this one is different.”

Vi prayed that her sister would just take her very unconvincing answer and run with it because she was starting to get a serious stomachache.

She really didn’t want to continue talking about this. The less she talked about Caitlyn and anything related to her, the less chance there would be for her to mess up her lie.

Not that she knew much about Caitlyn to talk about in the first place, which was also why she prayed for Powder to let this go.

“Hm, famous last words, sis. You’re starting to sound like those silly, hopeless girls who say, ooh, but this one is so different, and eventually find out that the person’s exactly the same as their stereotypes.”

“Uh, I’ll be fine, I think,” Vi forced a shrug, hurrying over to the door to leave her room as soon as possible. “I’m going to pick dad up. They’re discharging him from the hospital today. I’m taking him back to the nursing home with Buddy.”

Buddy, her trusty red Ford truck, wouldn’t ask her difficult questions at least.

“Don’t forget to do your homework and eat, okay? I made you some mac and cheese earlier,” she all but rushed out of her room while saying that, feeling the intensity of Powder’s stare following her from behind.

===============

Vi was already waiting outside the public attorneys’ office before 6:00 PM.

Still on leave from her social work, and having trusted the bar to Benzo for the night, she was left with some free time after taking her dad to the nursing home.

Parked just outside the small building, she spent her rare free time to just space out, enjoying the slow music playing from Buddy and humming along. Occasionally, her fingers tapped along the music against the steering wheel.

It was mid-autumn and the trees along the street were gradually turning into a pretty shade of yellow and orange. Although, Vi couldn’t really see them anymore because the sky was quickly getting dark.

She rolled her window down, intent on getting a better look and feeling some fresh air, when a group of lawyers—Caitlyn’s coworkers, must be—came out of the building and walked towards her direction.

They guffawed loudly about something.

“Did you hear what she said?” One of them, a guy, asked.

“It's an airship actually,” a woman replied in a mocking, pretentious tone. “An airship has a rigid metal hull. It’s not a blimp.”

“Yeah, like we didn’t know that!” Another guy boomed with laughter. “Who does she think she is? Such a know-it-all just because she’s a Kiramman. She isn’t even that great of a lawyer actually. I bet she’d be nothing without her mother’s help, and I bet I could take her on a case and beat her ass good if I want to.”

Vi frowned.

They were talking about Caitlyn.

And although Vi didn’t know much about Caitlyn’s personality, she had watched and read enough public cases to know that the last guy was spewing bullshit.

Caitlyn was a brilliant lawyer.

She had taken down older and more seasoned lawyers swiftly in head-to-head arguments, using much fewer words than they did. Her opponent could put out a whole essay and she would cut them down with one or two efficient sentences.

The woman might be a little strange in social settings, but she was smart. 

Vi wondered if having that last name—Kiramman—and being the daughter of someone so imposing and overachieving like Cassandra had made this kind of situation happen often in Caitlyn’s life.

“Vi, you’re on time.”

Startled out of her pondering, Vi turned to her right to find Caitlyn standing outside her truck, wrapped in a black coat and a dark blue scarf that matched the color of her hair. She wore her hair up in a ponytail again today and Vi thought she looked good with it.

Somehow, Vi had hopped off of her truck and had walked over to open the door for her when she realized what she was doing.

Oh, shit. She froze.

Why did she do this? Did her brain forget that she was not with an actual date? Was it some sort of muscle memory?

She considered backing off but couldn’t, because her hand was already on the handle and the door was already half-open and it would be even weirder to back off.

Caitlyn’s gaze swept over her with curiosity, and it warmed her face with even more embarrassment. She cleared her throat.

The group of lawyers from earlier whirled around, looking at their direction and then starting to whisper at each other.

Maybe Vi had been a tad too loud.

“Uh, sorry, didn’t you say you want some publicity?” she muttered under her breath, hoping that Caitlyn would just play along. “I’m doing you a favor. Hop on now.”

Something akin to a pleased approval fleeted through Caitlyn’s face before she climbed onto the seat. Vi closed the door after her and hurried over to the other side, eager to get away from the people watching them.

“Where are we going tonight?”

“I have a place in mind,” Caitlyn said instantly, like she had planned for everything in her life including something as small as where to have dinner, unlike most of them mere mortals who would usually toss the decision to pick dinner at each other for fifteen minutes before coming to an agreement.

Caitlyn fastened her seatbelt, looking straight at the road ahead and remaining unbothered by the people watching them outside. “Drive straight and take a right turn. I’ll guide you.”

================

It turned out that the place Caitlyn had in mind for their first dinner “date” was, of course, the kind of place that served sparkling water in a shiny glass-bottle for six dollars, most likely because it came from an untouched spring in an alp somewhere that was blessed by the tears of the goddesses themselves.

Vi was being dramatic, of course, but as she sat on her very well-padded chair, looking at the prices on the menu book the waiter had handed over to her, she began berating herself for not thinking about this properly before.

Of course, if one was to take Caitlyn Kiramman on a date, one must have carried more than twenty dollars in their wallet.

“I’ll just… have water, please.”

The goddamn, overpriced sparkling water.

“Are you sure?” Caitlyn asked, looking up from her own menu. “You’re not hungry?”

Vi was, in fact, hungry. Her lunch was a measly protein bar and she was actually always cursed with a very big appetite. It rivaled her father’s when he was still healthy, so much that Powder had called her a food monster.

When Vi didn’t answer, Caitlyn seemed to pick up her real reason.

“I’m paying, if that’s what’s stopping you. It’s part of our deal.”

Wow. Vi couldn’t believe those assholes were saying Caitlyn was a mediocre lawyer when she was this infuriatingly good at deducing facts.

“Fine. Dry-age beef tenderloin, please. Thanks.” Vi wanted the waiter to go away as quickly as possible before she sank into her seat and began disintegrating in shame.

“Salmon niçoise salad, and a bottle of your best Pinot Noir,” Caitlyn closed the menu book. “Thank you,” she tacked on, as an addition after she looked at the waiter.

Once the waiter had left them alone and Vi had enough time to simmer in her own bubbling annoyance, she blurted out, “Do you realize that you sound so insensitive and rude sometimes?”

Caitlyn looked surprised. Her back straightened, if that was even still physically possible considering how ramrod straight she always sat, and her eyes widened as she regarded Vi. “What did I say wrong?”

She really didn’t know? Really?

God, Vi didn’t even know where to begin with this.

“Okay, did you really need to say it out loud, while the waiter was still here, that I wasn’t ordering anything because I’m essentially broke?” Her face warmed up with embarrassment but damn, if they were going to get married and pretend they were in love, Caitlyn could not continue being like this.

“I didn’t say that you’re broke.”

“Caitlyn?” Vi was close to throwing her hands up in the air with frustration. “You don’t have to say a bad word explicitly to sound bad. It could be heavily implied, in your poor choice of replacement words, your horrible timing, and your stony ass tone. Seriously, how did you not know this growing up? I know you’re the only child in the Kiramman family, but do you not have friends at all?”

Something seemed to snap and crackle in Caitlyn’s eyes at her last question.

Heat. Fire. Licking up with blazing intensity that had never been there before.

It was so startling and unexpected on her usually calm face that Vi had to take a step back mentally and wondered if she had gone too far.

But Caitlyn didn’t yell at her or call her bad names, no. Caitlyn didn’t even tell her that it wasn’t her place to speak to her like that when they were practically strangers.

Caitlyn merely said “I know,” with gritted teeth and then finished with a very stilted but otherwise genuine, “I’m working on it.”

Working on it? Vi took a moment to mull the sentence over.

What did that mean? Was Caitlyn aware of her horrible social skills all this time and was making conscious efforts to fix them?

Was it why she kept tacking on please and thank you after she said everything, like it was an afterthought that she tried hard to remember instead of something that she was naturally raised with?

The waiter came over with their order, giving them both time to dial back their argument and cool their heads off.

Except that it wasn’t exactly an argument because Caitlyn had… agreed with Vi.

After the waiter finished serving their food and pouring their wine, Caitlyn took a deep breath and looked at Vi, sharp and honest without excuses.

“I’m bad at measuring the impact my way of speaking would have on people at times. Growing up, people around me didn’t usually comment about what I said or how I said it, no matter how blunt it was. They just took it and did it. I didn’t exactly know what they thought or felt about it, and for the longest time, I wrongly thought that they were fine.”

She left it at that, cryptic as it was, making Vi feel even more confused than before.

What people were she talking about? Surely they couldn’t be her parents and friends? Vi’s father and friends would have called Vi out if she’d said something inappropriate and they would have shown her the errors in her ways.

“I’m aware now that I could be too literal and direct, and that it isn’t how most people communicate. I’m working on it. Trust me.” She looked away, suddenly seeming uncomfortable.

Vi had never seen her uncomfortable before. Even when they had been so shocked last time seeing each other in that café, Caitlyn had handled that situation with grace.

“I suggest we move on to discuss a more important matter. The deal. Have you thought about some questions to ask? And please, do eat.”

“Oh. Right,” Vi snapped out of her pondering, looking at her food and then looking at Caitlyn again. She still had more questions about Caitlyn and not about the deal but she decided to let it go because Caitlyn was clearly ready to move on.

“I do want to ask about the payment,” Vi sliced into her steak, stabbing a piece of it with her fork and plopping it into her mouth. Oh, it was divine. “We can’t exactly draw up a written contract that lays out the details of our fake marriage plan, can we? It’ll be proof that what we’re doing is fake, and I’m not even sure the law allows it.”

“Correct,” Caitlyn said, looking glad to receive a question she could answer. “So, how do you know that I’ll pay you for sure after everything?”

Ugh. Vi couldn’t even feel mad at her patronizing question anymore because now she knew that Caitlyn didn’t actually mean to be condescending.

Her question was just that. A literal question.

Vi sighed. Did she really want this knowledge about Caitlyn? What was she going to do the next time someone badmouthed Caitlyn about it? Sevika, for example?

“Given the situation, I think a contract in the form of a prenup would be more appropriate? With an additional statement about the amount of money you’ll have to pay me if we separate.”

Now Caitlyn looked genuinely pleased. “You’re on the right track, Miss Vio—Vi.” She was quick to correct herself, but the slip into her professional lawyer voice had made Vi chuckle. And then somehow, her chuckle made Caitlyn smile too.

Vi stilled for a moment, because Caitlyn actually smiled.

And the smile was surprisingly good to see on her that Vi suddenly had the urge to find some other things to say to her that could make her smile more.

“I’m glad you’ve thought about this thoroughly, Vi. It’s important to me that you take this seriously, because it is serious to me. You’re right, we could get a standard prenup, with an additional stipulation that at the end of the marriage, you receive a payment of three hundred thousand dollars. The standard prenup would also serve to protect our assets and income from each other.”

Caitlyn leaned back on her chair, taking her glass of red wine with her and swirling it in her hand as she tilted her head to the side, watching Vi. “Not that I’m implying you would try anything underhanded. You seem like you have a good heart.”

That tilted head and that little smile on her lips was making Vi feel a bit lightheaded.

“How do you know that I’m a good person? We barely know each other. Maybe I’m secretly evil and I’m after all of your family’s wealth,” Vi was rambling of course, but she was feeling a little strange and was in need of a silly distraction.

“You’re an evil person who tells me your secretive, evil plans about me? How very convincingly evil,” Caitlyn said, taking a sip from her glass of wine. If Vi didn’t know better, she would think that there was a hint of playfulness in Caitlyn’s tone. “I meant to say that you seem to have a good heart because you came into my office asking me to help an inmate who deserves a lesser sentence. You seem to care a lot.”

Oh, right. Vi almost snapped at her that day, mistaking her for not wanting to help.

“We’ll talk more about it once you’re back at work. Although, I think it'll be better if I come into your office instead of just phoning. I found some things that I believe are good news for you and your inmate.”

“Huh? You’re coming into my office?”

“Yes,” Caitlyn nodded, decisive. “We’ll get to discuss the case with your inmate present, and we'll get to put on a show at the same time. Being able to achieve two things at once is always good.”

Of course. The ever efficient Caitlyn Kiramman.

“Who are the audiences of this act we’re putting on exactly?” Vi knew that she was fishing, but damn it, she was still curious about Caitlyn’s reason for doing this. “Is it someone at your work? Or my work?”

“Not exclusively anyone at work, no.”

Okay.

Vi waited.

There must be some more explanation coming along.

But nope, apparently, nothing else was coming along.

Caitlyn stared at her, silent as a brick wall.

“Ugh, fine,” Vi groaned, accepting her defeat and stabbing her fork into a piece of steak on her plate. “Let’s put on a show for whoever it is, I guess.”

This earned her another small smile from Caitlyn, so she supposed it wasn’t a total loss.

================

True to her words, Caitlyn showed up in the prison the day Vi came back to work, carrying a large tote bag that was different from her usual, smaller designer bag. It seemed to bulge with one too many documents.

She strode down the drab and dreary corridor to Vi’s office with fast, efficient steps that didn’t match anyone else’s, because really, it was just 9:00 AM and everyone else was barely awake.

Heck, even Vi herself was barely awake, still holding her mug under the hot water dispenser in the corridor to make herself some coffee.

Caitlyn was probably the type who rose and shone with the sun at 5:00 AM daily, commencing her morning jog or yoga or whatever it was that magazines said successful people did, and then showering, having breakfast, and getting dressed perfectly by 8:00 AM.

Vi was going to die once they started living together.

“Hell. What is she doing here?”

Oh, right. Sevika. Another mere mortal who, just like Vi, was still battling her morning drowsiness and crankiness.

“Good morning, Vi,” Caitlyn stopped before the two of them, standing tall in her 3-inch black heels and smelling freshly of shampoo and some heavenly floral perfume. She was wearing a gray pantsuit and a black turtleneck, paired with a matching gray blazer that looked tailored for her and looked way too fancy for prison.

The look of bewilderment on Sevika’s face was comical.

“Morning, Cait, it’s good to see you again.”

Vi had decided to put some effort into getting her money, but the way Sevika’s head snapped around to look at her when she said Cait was so ridiculous, she almost snorted and ruined her acting.

Sevika looked at her like she had sprouted out two new heads.

“It’s good to see you too, Vi,” Caitlyn replied politely, and without further ado, “I bring the necessary files for your inmate Mrs. Smith. Is she available to talk now?”

Vi resisted the urge to snort again, this time at Caitlyn’s inability to not act so business-like. Wasn’t she the one who insisted that they put on a show for people and made their upcoming fake marriage look believable?

God. She was even worse than Vi at faking this.

“Sure. I think she’s in the yard doing some exercises with the others. You should wait there,” she pointed at the small, empty room down the corridor that was commonly used for counseling, “And I’ll go get her for you.”

“Thank you,” Caitlyn remembered to tell her at least, and then disappeared down the hallway where some of the officers were looking at her curiously.

Sevika wasn’t as subtle in her curiosity as them, however, as Vi was immediately yanked to the side the moment Caitlyn was gone.

“What the hell was that? You’re on a first name basis with Kiramman now? And you’re saying that it’s good to see her again?” Her rounded eyes looked truly comical on her serious ass face. Vi was suffering so much from not being able to laugh.

“Didn’t you bitch about her the last time you met her in her office?”

“Alright, dude, calm down, you’re about to make me spill my coffee,” Vi placed her mug on top of the water dispenser before a disaster could happen, mulling over what to say to her bewildered friend.

Well, here goes nothing.

“We’re, uh, we’ve actually met again after that first time. Several times, in fact. And I, uh, I don’t think she’s as bad as my first impression of her? I think we’re getting along quite well actually, me and her.”

When Sevika looked like her jaw was about to fall on the floor, Vi decided to just rip off the proverbial band-aid and get it over with.

“I think I kinda like her, actually. I’ve been going on dates with her.”

“You WHAT?”

“Hush!” Vi slapped a hand onto her friend’s mouth, ignoring her violent burst of protests. She looked around to see if anyone was watching them. “Stop being so loud! Sheesh.”

“Well, excuse me for being shocked that you’re suddenly going on dates with a woman you just bitched about two weeks ago!” Sevika pushed her hand off her mouth. “What the hell happened? How did you two even go out on dates in the first place? Who asked who?”

Oh, shit. Vi and Caitlyn hadn’t actually talked about that. They really needed to come up with a fixed story later so they would have a consistent answer for everyone.

“Um, she did? Caitlyn, I mean.”

It was kind of true, considering that Caitlyn was the one who wanted this deal, but—

“Caitlyn Kiramman asked you out?” Sevika scoffed, now looking even more incredulous than before. “The Caitlyn Kiramman? Ice princess, sole heir of a wealthy family with more money than gods themselves, asked you out?”

“Hey,” Vi crossed her arms in front of herself, puffing her chest out. “I am a hot catch, okay? Many women found me irresistible.” She wiggled an eyebrow.

Sevika looked like she was contemplating hitting her in the face.

“You can’t be serious,” she turned to look at the direction where Caitlyn had gone, and then turned to stare at Vi again. “No, for real? You’re dating her now? Seriously?”

“Yep. A hundred percent serious.”

“Wow,” Sevika rubbed her face with her hand and stepped back, looking like she was having vertigo. “This is insane. What do you two even have in common to talk about?”

Shit. Right. What did Vi have in common with Caitlyn to talk about?

They were as different as could be. Vi liked to play video games, hang out with her sister and friends in loud bars, and do some boxing back when she had the time. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine Caitlyn doing any of that.

“You don’t even talk to her about anything?” Now Sevika looked wild. “Does that mean you’re just fucking around? Are you just sleeping with her? Is that what this is? Just sex?”

“Dude!” Vi smacked a hand on her mouth again, this time using more force than before because some people were glancing their way at the loud mention of sex. “Keep quiet! There are people around!” Her face reddened.

“Ooh, so it is sex,” Sevika peeled her hand off her mouth, now shaking with a deep, rumbling laughter. “Is she good in bed? Is that why you suddenly have a different opinion about her?” she whistled. “Damn, I never thought that a stuck-up, uptight Kiramman would be wild in bed, but I guess stranger things have happened in life.”

“We haven’t slept together, okay? It’s not that,” Vi brushed her off, the words burning her cheeks even redder somehow. God.

“What is it then? Is she a good kisser? Or did she just hold your hand and you immediately gave in because you haven’t been touched in so long?”

Vi rolled her eyes. “You, my friend, are an insufferable person and I’m going away.”

She grabbed her mug and stomped down the corridor, glad that Sevika only remained cackling on her spot and didn’t decide to go after her and bother her some more.

As Vi made her way to the backyard though, Sevika’s obnoxious question replayed itself in her mind and refused to leave.

Yeah, how exactly would Caitlyn, a woman who always seemed to know exactly what she wanted, kiss someone if she wanted them? Would she be as direct as she was in other situations when in bed?

The thought sent a shudder through Vi, and then a hint of shame.

Ugh. It was Sevika’s fault for making her think of such inappropriate things so early in the morning.

Really. Vi should have smacked her some more.

But also, how would Caitlyn do it, really?

Chapter Text

Watching Caitlyn work in real time was like getting shocked by three consecutive jumpscares in a horror movie, except that the jumpscares were actually good surprises and the movie was the opposite of horror.

One moment, Caitlyn was introducing herself politely to Mrs. Smith and saying that she would assist her in her case, but the next moment, instead of doing just that, Caitlyn had announced that she had gotten her husband arrested and jailed.

“You did what?” Vi asked, voice unusually high-pitched and confused on behalf of Mrs. Smith who just sat there with wide eyes.

“I had him arrested a few days ago and jailed,” Caitlyn repeated calmly, as if she were just telling Vi that she had a regular drink on a regular night a few days ago.

At the look of utter confusion on Vi’s face, she added, “Apologies, I wasn’t being clear enough. After hearing your remark about him being an alcoholic with a history of violence, I’ve done my own research on him. I found everything you said to be true, and more. In the past, there were multiple women who had filed reports against him. And on top of that, he had a crime record of armed robbery.”

“That’s… something, but how did you have him arrested—”

“I went to his address,” Caitlyn said, still sounding like she was just stating something mundane that she did daily. “I asked some of the neighbors about him and the kids, and they confirmed that the two kids are often seen outside their apartment, beaten up and bruised. Some of the neighbors have wanted to report him for a while, but—”

“The kids refused because they’re afraid they would have no one left,” Mrs. Smith was the one who finished Caitlyn’s sentence, her voice merely a whisper.

She looked up at Caitlyn then, her face teary and frightened. “Please, please, you can’t have my husband jailed. He’s a horrible man but he’s the only one my daughters have left. No one else would have them. We have no relatives who want to help and they would be on streets without him, please, please—”

“Mrs. Smith,” Caitlyn cut her off, and Vi winced at the initial bluntness of her tone, but her voice actually softened afterward. “Your daughters are currently in good hands, I can assure you. They’re being taken care of in a temporary foster home as we speak. I know the foster system in Piltover is far from perfect, but this particular home is owned by people that I personally know. They’re good people. I’m sorry I had to do all of this without informing you first, but I had to act fast because—”

She stopped herself, eyebrows drawing together in deep thought, and Vi wondered if she was contemplating whether what she was about to say would just be too much for the poor woman.

“I just had to get them to safety, immediately. I hope you understand and forgive my audacity,” she decided on that instead.

Mrs. Smith closed her eyes, her breath raspy with tears. “You promise that they’re good people, Miss Kiramman? The ones with my girls?”

“I promise,” Caitlyn replied in a heartbeat, and that absolute lack of hesitation in her words must have gotten Mrs. Smith to believe her, because she finally opened her eyes again and looked calmer.

“Okay,” she said, wiping her wet eyes. “Okay. Thank you, Miss Kiramman.”

Caitlyn only nodded, looking like she was uncertain of what to say to that gratitude. “I’ll arrange for your girls to visit you here once it’s possible. I think they’ll be happy to see you again. They talked a lot about you when I was with them.”

Now Mrs. Smith was full-on crying and damn it, even Vi was beginning to feel her own eyes well up.

Damn it, Caitlyn.

“And that’s not all,” Caitlyn continued, as if she hadn’t dropped enough surprises for the day. “Vi—Miss Violet here has requested me to look over your files and see if there’s any way for us to appeal to the court to get you a shorter sentence. However, I don't think it works that way.”

“Oh?” Vi’s heart sank, and she could feel the same happening to Mrs. Smith whose shoulders immediately dropped. Was it not possible to get a shorter time?

“A new trial would be more likely to get us that outcome, I think.”

“Caitlyn,” Vi strained, feeling like she was a second away from popping a vessel in her head from all the tension Caitlyn was putting her through. “Could you just—tell us what’s going on? Elaborately, please? How is a new trial possible?”

“It’s possible because we have new evidence that wasn’t there in the initial trial. And because Mrs. Smith’s husband will be facing his trial soon.”

“What? What’s the connection there?” Vi shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m very lost. What does her husband’s case of abuse have anything to do with her recent case of theft? And what new evidence are you talking about?”

“I didn’t mean her most recent theft that she was returned to prison for. That was just a petty theft worth less than a hundred dollars,” Caitlyn paused. “I was referring to her initial theft that was charged as a felony for stealing jewelry worth more than five thousand dollars from her ex-employer. The one that landed her in prison in the first place last year.”

She let the statement sink in for a moment before tacking on, “The new evidence is a video recording showing what really happened that night. I think it’s safe to say that abuse won’t be the only thing her husband is trialed for.”

When Vi still didn’t get it, Caitlyn turned to look at Mrs. Smith, who had grown suspiciously quiet and small in her chair. “Mrs. Smith, would you please tell us, in all honesty, about the chronological events of that night, when your husband forced you to steal from your ex-employer?”

======================

It was an hour later that Vi emerged from the counseling room, Caitlyn standing by her side and listening to all the tearful thanks from Mrs. Smith before the woman left the two of them alone.

They walked together to the office Vi shared with Sevika and Mrs. Babette in silence, and Vi was honestly glad to find the room empty.

She really needed some time to process all the information Caitlyn had just dropped on her.

“So…” she began, sitting on her chair as Caitlyn settled on the other one opposite of hers. “You went to the house where she worked as a nanny before and asked her ex-employer about that night when they caught her stealing,” she repeated, to which Caitlyn only replied with a small hum.

“And they said they only happened to catch her because they had come home earlier than expected that night, and they saw a car parked near their house when they arrived but the car immediately sped away?”

“Yes,” Caitlyn confirmed. “And when they entered their house, they found Mrs. Smith bagging the jewelry. It was all they thought about, angered as they were, and it was all they told the police.”

“God,” Vi rubbed her face with both of her hands. “And that was what everyone simply concluded. She was with the jewelry, so she was charged with theft. No one bothered to find out that her husband was literally waiting outside the house with a gun moments before, and that he was the one who had pushed her, threatened her, to do it.”

She looked at Caitlyn, still in disbelief. “No one but you.”

“Is that admiration I hear in your voice, Violet?”

“Hah. Teasing now, aren’t we?” Vi smiled, not sure if it was brought out by her happiness at all these revelations or at the amused glint shining just slightly in Caitlyn’s eyes.

“I figure that admiration is in order considering that you went out of your way and found… this,” she motioned at the pages containing screenshots of a dash-cam recording on her desk, where it was shown clearly that Mrs. Smith’s husband was practically holding her at gunpoint in his car moments before she was shoved out to steal.

“Did you just show up at all of their neighbors’ doorsteps demanding for their security camera recordings and dash-cam recordings until you found the right one?”

“Demanding is not the right word. I believe I asked politely,” Caitlyn corrected her, though a hint of playfulness ran in her voice. “And no, I didn’t show up at all of their doorsteps. That would be extremely inefficient. I examined the positions of each house relative to the ex-employer’s house and estimated which house would be more likely to get a good angle and a clear view of the car that night. Then I asked if they had security cameras installed or if they had their cars parked outside with dash-cams.”

Crazy. Absolutely crazy.

Vi couldn’t believe that Caitlyn was standing around in some neighborhood trying to visualize a chain of events in her mind and calculating angles and whatnot until she actually found what she wanted.

That was insanely impressive, or impressively insane. Vi didn’t know whether she should feel awed or terrified of her soon-to-be wife.

She swallowed.

“Why did you even decide to go there in the first place? Usually for old cases like this, you lawyers would just work with existing police reports.”

“I just wanted to get a better look. A better understanding, perhaps,” Caitlyn said. “Mrs. Smith had no prior record of crime. Her husband, on the other hand, had an armed robbery on his record. I suppose something just felt off for me, and when I have a feeling that something is off, I can't rest until I get to the bottom of it.”

She looked away from Vi then, her voice sounding far away as if she was lost in thought. “My mother always said that I’m like a dog with a bone when my attention is caught by something. She said it makes me good at what I’m doing, but it’ll also get me in trouble.”

Vi got the impression that Caitlyn’s mother wasn’t very approving of it, and she wanted to ask more about it but—

“Speaking of my mother, I think it’ll make sense if you meet her at least once before we get married. And my father, too.”

Whatever words were forming at the tip of Vi’s tongue died prematurely, and suddenly all her other thoughts fled away too. Somehow, the idea of facing Caitlyn’s parents, especially her mother, filled her with dread.

Cassandra Kiramman was an imposing public figure who came from a long line of very wealthy women from Ionia, who had moved to Piltover decades ago and whose international shipping, trade, and commerce businesses had made them one of the richest families in the country.

Sure, Cassandra had been known to be less interested in the family business and more interested in the career of her own choice in law, but it didn’t mean that she seemed more approachable than her predecessors.

She was still a very prominent woman from a very strong matrilineal family—which was uncommon in Piltover where most of the families were patrilineal—and that fact alone was enough to terrify Vi even more.

Not to mention the fact that Cassandra was currently—

“You must have questions about my mother,” Caitlyn looked at her with knowing eyes. “About her current case in the court.”

“Well, yes?” Vi agreed, not exactly articulate because her head was still spinning with the fact that she would have to meet Cassandra Kiramman soon and lie about marrying her one and only daughter.

Fuck.

“I’m afraid it would have to stay just as that, Vi. As questions in your mind.”

“What?” Vi was filled with even more disbelief and was spun by a damning vertigo. Somehow, she already knew that the topic was taboo and that she shouldn’t really dig into it despite feeling curious but, “Isn’t it important for me to know? What if someone asks me about it? You don’t think it’ll be weird for me to not know things about my own mother-in-law?”

Shit. Mother-in-law? Really? Now the vertigo was threatening to make her throw up.

“I’ve already expected that to happen. When it happens, you could just say that it’s a private matter and that you’re uncomfortable disclosing further details.”

“Caitlyn, that’s—that’s not exactly how I speak to my family and friends,” Vi cringed but refrained from adding more comments about Caitlyn possibly speaking like that to hers. “Let’s just say that they would think it's very, very weird. Besides, it isn’t exactly a private matter since your mother’s scandal is being aired publicly on—”

“My mother did nothing wrong to warrant all of those vitriols you see in the media.”

There was that startling fire again in Caitlyn’s eyes, bright and fiery, though she managed to school her face back to normalcy quickly. A second later and all that was left was her fist clenching tightly on Vi’s desk.

Vi didn’t even think Caitlyn realized she was doing it.

“That’s all you need to know, Vi. Really. My mother isn’t what you see in the media.” She stood up, reaching for her bag.

“I’ll prepare things for Mrs. Smith and her husband’s upcoming trial. We could argue that Mrs. Smith only committed her initial crime because she was under duress, and they would lessen her sentence significantly,” Caitlyn was already carrying her bag and ready to leave.

“Her last theft was purely of her own, but we could argue that she only did it to acquire some money to take her kids somewhere safe. Since it was less than a hundred dollars in value, I believe they would only fine her for a few hundred dollars, something I could easily sort out on her behalf.”

She left without saying goodbye, the rapid, sharp clanking of her heels against the floor echoing down the hallway until Vi could no longer hear her.

====================

Despite thinking that Caitlyn was mad at her, Vi couldn’t exactly say that she was surprised to receive a text from her a few days later, sounding completely normal again.

And by normal, she meant sounding completely business-like again.

Vi. I’ve talked about having you meet my parents, but I think it’ll make sense for me to meet your family too. Do you think you could arrange a meeting with them?

Of course. Somehow, the image of Caitlyn delaying important tasks for the sake of petty anger didn’t quite suit her.

Sure. What about next week?

Next week sounds good. Although we probably need to meet up again before that to get our stories straight for everyone.

Okay, I’m all yours.

Vi had hit the “send” button when she realized what exactly she had just typed. 

Oh, shit! Why did she say that to Caitlyn?

She fired another text quickly.

I mean I’m all yours because you pay me to do this.

There. Did that undo the weirdness? Or did that just make it even weirder?

Vi slapped a hand on her face.

“Hey, you’re home early today,” Powder appeared in the doorway, toeing her shoes off and locking the door behind her. She made her way over to where Vi was splayed on the couch in their living room, still holding her phone with regret.

“Yeah, Benzo agreed to handle the bar alone tonight since it wasn’t too crowded,” Vi put her phone away, looking at her sister who was plopping beside her. “Where did you come from? You smell like… a bunch of different pizzas.”

Powder laughed. “Yeah, I was with the boys at the pizzeria downstreet because we got hungry after doing our group assignment.”

“By the boys you mean Ekko and his friends?”

“Ha ha. Very funny you,” Powder rolled her eyes, her cheeks reddening.

Vi had to resist a chuckle. “You realize that I’m not against you seeing him, right? I think he’s a genuinely good guy, and a smart one.”

“I think you should be more concerned about your love life than mine, sis.”

Vi groaned. “Why do you always have to be like that?”

“Like what? Probing for more information about my sister’s mysterious girlfriend who she still hasn’t bothered to show me, or even tell me the name of?”

“Well, if you sound less skeptical and less judgmental about her for no reason, maybe I’ll actually start telling you about her more willingly.”

“Alright, color me non-skeptical and non-judgmental,” Powder threw her hands up in the air. “Who is this mysterious girlfriend of yours? And what does she look like? Come on.”

Shit. Maybe Vi shouldn’t have goaded her on.

She still felt uncomfortable talking about Caitlyn because she still knew so little about her despite having spent quite a lot of time with her in the past few weeks.

“Well, her name’s Caitlyn,” she resigned with a sigh, because sooner or later she would have to talk to Powder about this. “Caitlyn Kiramman? I think you’ve probably seen her once or twice on the news.”

“Kiramman?”

The name didn’t quite register in Powder’s mind at first, but when it did, she shot up from where she was lying on the couch, sitting up as straightly as Vi had ever seen her.

“Kiramman?” Her eyes were round and her voice was almost hysterical. “The filthy rich family that we saw on the news some time ago, who took bribes from some shitty businessmen to give them a pass after they’ve contaminated a whole region with their chemical shit? Really? That Kiramman? The one you whined about?”

Vi winced, realizing how nonsensical all of it must have sounded to her sister.

“Yes?”

“Are you fucking possessed?” Powder half-screeched, standing up and making wild hand movements. “Are you telling me that you’re dating their daughter now? Really? ”

When Vi didn’t give any indication that she was joking—because she really wasn’t, despite hoping that this was all just a stupid joke—Powder’s question turned into a loud, confused “Why?” that nearly reverberated through their entire apartment.

Vi swallowed. She had hoped that Powder would just ask how, like what Sevika had asked her, but no, of course her sister had asked her why.

And it was definitely more difficult to answer than making up a little lie about how Caitlyn and her got to meet and date.

“I don’t see why not?” she tried very subtly, bracing herself for anything that was to come. She had to do this, sooner or later. “It’s her mother who’s involved in the scandal. She isn’t the one responsible for that. She’s—I think she’s actually a good person, Powder.”

“You barely know her for a few weeks. Did she tell you that? That she’s a good person and has nothing to do with her shady family?”

“Powder, I’m not stupid,” Vi groaned, mild irritation creeping on her for once. “I know we like to joke around about me doing stupid things for shits and giggles, but I’m not so stupid in real life that I can’t tell what’s good or bad for me, alright? I’m a grown up. Caitlyn’s good. This—this relationship with her is good for me.”

Good for us, was what she really wanted to say but couldn’t.

The fieriness behind Powder’s eyes seemed to dim a bit at her last sentence, but she still had her arms crossed in front of her chest and her face crumpled with a frown.

“You really think she’s good for you?”

“Yeah.”

“And that judgment has nothing to do with all the money she’s probably showered you with? Because Vi, I swear to god, if you’re doing this for money—”

“I really believe she’s a good person, okay?” Vi chose to reinstate that instead of touching the subject of money that was hitting too close to home, because at least, she was beginning to believe that Caitlyn was really a good person despite all the unsavory rumors surrounding her, and despite her standoffish first impression.

How could Vi think otherwise?

After everything she had seen for herself a few days ago?

Caitlyn had simplified everything she did for Mrs. Smith as something she did to scratch her curiosity and get to the bottom of the case, but while that might be correct, Vi was beginning to realize that it wasn’t all of it.

Curiosity had led Caitlyn to discover all of those things she found, yes, but it was heart—a good heart—that had made her go out of her way to immediately find a safe shelter for the two kids, making sure that they were in the hands of people she personally knew.

It was a good heart that had made her promise to bring the kids to visit their mom in prison as soon as she could.

And it was a good heart that had made her interrupt herself several times when she was talking to Mrs. Smith, trying to speak more gently despite her usual, sharp directness. Caitlyn had really meant it when she said that she was working on herself.

“I know that she’s a good person, Powder,” Vi corrected herself, now having enough confidence in her own words to finally look Powder in the eyes while saying it. “And it’s one of the reasons why I like her. Trust me.”

It wasn’t a lie so it was easier to say, and this seemed to translate as credibility to Powder. The incredulous, rough edges on her face finally seemed to soften.

“Ugh, fine. What’s the other reason then? You think she’s hot or something?”

A laugh bubbled out Vi’s throat, because this was a question she could handle easily. “Honestly? Yeah. I think she’s hot. Have you seen her?”

Anyone with eyes could see that Caitlyn was a very attractive woman and Vi had no problem admitting that. In fact, she still remembered telling it to Caitlyn herself when they met to discuss their deal for the first time, though it was unintentional.

“Ugh, gross, you’re looking all smiley while imagining her,” Powder looked ill. She sighed, finally no longer sounding like she was about to barrage Vi with a hundred more challenging questions.

Vi didn’t know what smiley look her sister was talking about—she felt pretty sure that she wasn’t smiley while talking about Caitlyn—but she received the accusation with no arguments because it meant she got to slip away freely from scrutiny.

======================

It was two days later that Vi got to see Caitlyn again.

Caitlyn had requested that they meet over their lunch break, seemingly having no time to meet up after their work.

So, Vi found herself parking outside Caitlyn’s office once again, grateful that the distance between their offices wasn’t too far because she was getting really hungry. She could munch down a cheeseburger or two in under five minutes.

Caitlyn appeared from her office not long after, her hands shoved deep in her coat pockets to ward off the chill in the air that signaled winter was getting closer. 

She must have really liked the color blue or just really liked to be perfectly color-coordinated, because she was wearing a navy-blue coat again, this time long enough to reach the level of her matching navy-blue boots. 

It made her look extremely long and Vi had a funny image of a mongoose popping up on her mind somehow.

She probably shouldn’t tell Caitlyn that.

“Vi, let’s take a walk,” Caitlyn said the moment Vi hopped off her truck, one of her gloved hands snaking around Vi’s arm and pulling her along.

“Wait, hold up,” Vi scrambled to lock her truck, and she was so caught off-guard, she failed to realize that Caitlyn was linking arms with her until they were already walking a few feet away from her truck.

She looked down at the arm circling around hers and the leather-gloved hand clutching onto her own coat, still surprised that Caitlyn was doing it.

“There are people around,” Caitlyn explained, her voice in its usual calm tone.

Vi glanced over her shoulder and spotted a few people hanging back at the office building, looking at them and whispering at each other. 

Of course.

Caitlyn kept clinging onto her arm as they walked down the streets, and they were pressed so close together that Vi could finally discern the floral scent that had been coming off Caitlyn all this time. Violet? Or iris or some similarly delicate-smelling flowers, with a sweet note of vanilla. Classic, simple, and straightforward, just like Caitlyn.

Vi decided that she liked how Caitlyn smelled and found it comforting to walk with that subtle scent wrapping around her.

“We’re here,” Caitlyn announced, taking her out of her reverie.

In her enjoyment of their little peaceful stroll, Vi had forgotten that they were going somewhere to have lunch.

“Burgers?” she asked, looking up at the small joint in front of them with surprise. “Are you a mind reader or something?”

Caitlyn looked at her like she was saying nonsense and Vi realized that of course, Caitlyn couldn’t have known that she was just thinking about cheeseburger a few moments ago. It must be a coincidence.

They stepped into the building, and Vi immediately missed the warmth around her arm when Caitlyn released it.

They were greeted by the signature red and white checkered tablecloths, the sound of children yodeling somewhere, and the heavenly smell of grilled meat.

After queuing up to place their order, Vi finally got to walk away happily with her two large cheeseburgers, a large fries, and a milkshake. Beside her, Caitlyn carried her own tray of a smaller mushroom burger and a bottle of water.

Briefly, Vi wondered if Caitlyn had chosen this place because she realized that the expensive restaurant they went to last time had made Vi uncomfortable. This place didn’t exactly look like Caitlyn’s usual haunts.

They settled on an empty table in the far left corner of the restaurant, and Vi wasted no time to sit and wolf down her first cheeseburger with glee. She was halfway through her second one when she heard a sound that she had never heard before.

A small laugh, but a laugh nonetheless, from Caitlyn.

She looked up from her burger to find Caitlyn staring at her with a smile on her mouth and in her eyes, the unguarded kind that pulled at the skin around her mouth and around her eyes, making her look softer and warmer somehow.

“You’d be rushed into a hospital one of these days, Vi, either from a stray piece of lettuce going down the wrong pipe or from indigestion,” Caitlyn bit into her own burger, somehow still looking way more graceful than eating a burger with hands warranted.

“Sorry, really hungry,” Vi mumbled through full mouth, feeling her cheeks bulging out like a hamster’s but too blissed out to care about it. She took greedy, big gulps out of her milkshake, and then grabbed a bunch of fries.

“It must be pleasant, being able to eat to your heart’s content and still remaining in such good shape.”

“Ooh, you think I’m in good shape? Why, thank you,” Vi teased, still too engrossed in her food to understand what Caitlyn had really just said.

Then, when Caitlyn’s gaze swept over her appreciatively, from her forearm all the way up to her biceps, she finally understood what was really going on—that Caitlyn was checking her out—and choked on her food.

“See, I told you something is bound to go down the wrong pipe with the way you’re eating. Slow down a little,” Caitlyn grabbed her own bottle of water and handed it over to Vi, chuckling again.

“Yeah, right, maybe it’s time to slow down a little,” Vi wiped her mouth after taking some gulps of the water, finally able to breathe again. “Well, uh, I work out, if that’s anything.”

“I can see that.”

Was Caitlyn trying to send her into the hospital herself?

Ugh. More maddening was the fact that Vi knew Caitlyn had just meant it literally without ulterior motive. Not that Vi wanted her to have an ulterior motive or something.

“How’s your work going?”

Sometimes a small talk was all one needed to get away from an embarrassing situation.

“Busy. The public attorneys’ office is always overwhelmed with more cases than we could handle. I’ve been working overtime to keep up.”

It was a known fact that the public defenders often received many more cases than a private lawyer would. They couldn’t exactly pick their clients or refuse assignments.

A genuine curiosity struck Vi. “Are you always doing your own investigation for every case you get? That must be taking a hell lot of time.”

“Not always, no. I don’t think 24 hours a day would be enough for that,” Caitlyn glanced outside the window, seemingly content to enjoy her time just people-watching. “I only do it for cases that I feel strange about. And I have help sometimes, from family’s friends in various positions, to make the paperwork and process faster. It’s how I managed to get Mrs. Smith’s husband jailed and found a secure place for her daughters so quickly.”

Ah. The Kiramman family’s connections.

Vi was, indeed, amazed at how quick and seamless the process for all of that had been.

The power of money.

“Speaking of your family, would you mind telling me a bit about them? And before you get mad at me again, I don’t mean to inquire into anything deep. Just some superficial information, for when I need to answer people.”

Caitlyn turned to look at her and blinked slowly. “I... I wasn’t mad at you.”

“Please, it was written all over your face. You didn’t yell or anything but you left my office like there was a fire lit under your ass.”

“Fire under my—” Caitlyn stopped herself. “Oh. You meant that figuratively.” A small smile appeared on her lips. It was endearing. “Okay, I was, I supposed, a little irritated that day, but I meant it when I said I wasn’t mad at you. You’ve been nothing but nice to me despite your dislike for me, and I appreciate it greatly.”

Vi didn’t know which one made her feel guiltier, the fact that she had disliked Caitlyn out of baseless rumors before—her dad had raised her to be a better person than that—or the fact that Caitlyn thought she was still just tolerating her up to this point.

“I don’t—I don’t dislike you, you know. At least, not anymore,” Vi shrugged, burying her gaze in her cup of milkshake as she sipped from it, avoiding Caitlyn’s gaze. “You’re not bad to hang out with, actually. There are much worse people out there.”

“Incredibly flattering, to be compared to these much worse people.”

“Oh shit, sorry, I didn’t mean—”

A smile. A bright glint on blue eyes. And a slight tilt of the head.

Vi fell back on her chair with a big, relieved laugh. “Ooh, you’re joking now. Very funny you. I didn’t know you had it in you to joke.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know, Vi,” Caitlyn said, taking a sip from her bottle of water. It didn’t escape Vi that her own mouth had been there just a moment ago.

Caitlyn didn’t seem to mind it, surprisingly.

“Now, let’s undo some of that by learning basic information about my family, and then you could tell me about yours.”

Vi was still so transfixed, she almost missed that out completely.

Chapter Text

The Kiramman family wasn’t as hard to learn about as Vi had originally imagined.

Save for Caitlyn’s father and mother, Tobias and Cassandra, the only other person that Caitlyn had deemed important enough for Vi to know was Jayce Talis, a distant cousin of hers who remained a close friend to the family.

The day-to-day operations of the Kiramman family business in international shipping, trade, and commerce was entrusted to Tobias as Cassandra focused on her own career, although Vi got the impression that he still reported most of it to Cassandra.

The business was handed down by Cassandra’s mother after all. Caitlyn’s grandmother, who Caitlyn had been suspiciously tight-lipped about.

All that she had told Vi was, “She passed away before I was born,” and that had shut down the conversation quickly.

“What about your family?” Caitlyn had asked instead, and Vi had needed to tell her about Powder, their mom who had passed away shortly after giving birth to Powder, and their dad who had been unwell since last year.

It didn’t exactly make for a cheerful conversation either.

But at least, Caitlyn wasn’t nosey about it, and Vi was glad because she didn’t really feel like unpacking all the baggage that came with her mom’s early passing and her dad’s recent worsening of condition.

Talking about anything else was easier, even if it was about something as daunting as meeting Caitlyn’s family.

“You live here?” Vi asked, mouth hanging open as she drove Buddy into the vast yard of the Kiramman’s house with Caitlyn sitting quietly beside her.

No, actually, it wasn’t even a house. It was a fucking mansion.

It was a sprawling two-story estate, standing tall and grand at the end of the long, tree-lined driveway. The trees and shrubs were meticulously manicured, undoubtedly maintained by a group of actual gardeners. The towering wrought-iron gate that they had just passed through was opened by security guys in suits and earpieces, for god’s sake.

“Seriously, you live here? With all of these?”

“Not really.”

Vi wanted to look at Caitlyn, to ask her what the hell did that vague answer mean, but she was still too struck by the view in front of her that her mouth didn’t move the way her brain had ordered it to.

Finally, reaching the front of the grand mansion and stopping her truck, Vi stared up at the wonder of the gigantic, classic architectural work, with towering stone columns and intricate wrought-iron balconies that looked like they came straight out of a storybook.

She suddenly felt very out of place.

Heck, even Buddy felt out of place, parked next to a spotless, black Rolls-Royce that seemed to gleam even in the dark of the night.

“Caitlyn, you should have told me that you practically live in a castle. I could have dressed more appropriately,” Vi looked down at her best black coat and gray chinos, still feeling ridiculously underdressed.

“It’s not a castle,” Caitlyn sighed, somehow already looking tired before the dinner with her parents even began. “And I don’t live here. Not anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Vi turned to look at her, frowning a little when she realized that Caitlyn did not look out of place despite only wearing a simple white blouse and a pair of blue jeans. How was that fair?

“I left the house a few years ago when I started working,” Caitlyn placed her hand on the door handle, although she didn’t push the door open yet and stared at Vi instead.

“What?” Vi balked, sensing that a serious talk was coming after the long, heavy silence. Caitlyn’s blue eyes were so focused on her, it made her already clammy hands feel even clammier.

“Vi, I need you to know that this... this dinner with my parents, tonight, is very important to me. We need to look as convincing as possible.”

Vi only blinked slowly, still overwhelmed by the fact that they were really doing this.

“Do you think you could do this? Convince my parents?”

“That I’m head over heels for you and can’t live without you so I have to marry you immediately because otherwise I’ll perish? Sure, no pressure at all.”

A small laugh left Caitlyn, and the sound of it was blissful enough to make Vi feel less jittery about the whole situation. She smiled too. “Technically, I will perish without you. I need that cash prize. Maybe I can take my desperate need for money and repackage it as my desperate need to be your loving wife.”

“I’m sure that’ll help.”

The smile was still on Caitlyn’s lips, so now the two of them were just sitting in the truck in the dark of the night, leaning on their own headrests and smiling at each other.

It made what they were about to do feel less daunting.

Was Caitlyn nervous too?

Vi couldn’t see the obvious signs on her face, but the very subtle tension in her jaw, illuminated by the dim glow of the moonlight coming in through the windshield, told Vi that maybe, Caitlyn didn’t feel as calm as she looked.

“Do you want to hold hands when we go inside?” Vi suggested, and then shrugged when she saw the way Caitlyn’s eyes sparked with question. “I think it’ll make us look more convincing.”

And less nervous because we get to hold each other’s hand through this madness, was what she wanted to add. A burden shared was a burden halved, or so Vi was told.

“Sure, that’s a good idea actually,” Caitlyn agreed, and then heaved out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I realize that I’m a lot worse at this than you, despite being the one who constantly nags you to be convincing.”

“Hm, I can see that.” 

Caitlyn did what Vi assumed was her very subtle version of eye roll, and the flippant action was so rare coming from her, it actually drew a genuine chuckle out of Vi.

“Oh, shut up,” Caitlyn said, although there was a smile playing on her lips too. “Now, if you’re finished laughing at me, come, we have my very skeptical mother to convince.”

=======================

There was a man wearing a black suit opening the door for them.

“Good evening, Miss Caitlyn.”

“Good evening, Steb.”

Vi took a moment to assess him, realizing that he was likely the butler of the house.

“This is my friend—girlfriend, Violet.”

Vi bit back the smile that threatened to show at Caitlyn’s slip-up, offering her hand that wasn’t being held by her girlfriend to Steb. “Nice to meet you, Steb.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Miss Violet,” he welcomed her handshake politely, though he looked a little confused by it. He turned to Caitlyn. “Your mother and father are in the lounge. Drinks?”

“No, thank you. Do you want something, Vi?”

“No, thanks.”

Steb gave her a small smile and took her coat before disappearing somewhere down the hallway.

“You have a butler,” Vi whispered, somehow feeling like she should speak in a hush in this large but incredibly quiet house. When Caitlyn didn’t respond, she had to repeat it again like a parrot. “Seriously, Cait. You have a butler.”

“I’m aware,” Caitlyn did another one of that subtle eye roll of hers and reached for her hand again, tugging her along. Her skin felt impossibly soft and warm against Vi’s, and Vi decided to focus on that instead of the fact that she was venturing into a lion’s den.

The foyer of the house alone was bigger than Vi’s entire apartment, with dark marble floor that reflected the light of the crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.

On the center wall of the foyer was a huge gold-framed photo of Caitlyn and her parents. She was probably just ten years old, but already standing straight-backed and poised. Beside her, Tobias sat on a chair, while behind them, Cassandra stood tall and protective, one hand on her daughter’s shoulder and another on her husband’s.

A grand staircase winded upward in a wide, sweeping arc on each side of the huge photo, and where the two staircases met, other gold-framed photos were displayed in a row. All were women with high cheekbones and sharp jawlines, who looked almost like the carbon copy of each other despite the very different clothing and backgrounds.

All the Kiramman women from generation to generation, Vi concluded.

“You know, you look eerily similar to your mother and your grandmother—and your great grandmother. All of you basically have the same cheekbones and jawlines.”

“I’m glad that you’re still calm enough to make observations about my family’s facial structure,” Caitlyn said dryly. As they walked down the hallway to their left, the increasing strength of Caitlyn’s grip around her hand told Vi that Caitlyn wasn’t exactly feeling glad about anything at the moment.

They kept making their way down the ridiculously long hallway, until they stopped before huge, carved double doors that were bizarrely ornate. 

“Cait?”

“Hm?” Caitlyn looked at her, seemingly unaware that her hand had been hovering over the door handle for ten seconds already.

Vi swallowed, feeling nervous herself, but knowing that she had to take the wheel for this because Caitlyn was clearly more anxious than her about this.

She squared her shoulders.

She could do this.

She had gone through so many more challenging situations than this before.

She had learned to cook for Powder when she had been barely ten, and she had managed to survive her school years while essentially running all the house chores and parenting Powder, because their dad had been too busy working sometimes despite his best efforts to be present.

Surely, facing two rich people for a couple of hours couldn’t be more difficult than that.

“Let’s go inside,” she said, giving Caitlyn’s hand a squeeze and then pushing the door wide open for them.

==================

Tobias Kiramman was a lot less intimidating than what Vi had imagined.

When they entered the lounge, the man had all but launched himself at Caitlyn, hugging her and fussing all over her and saying that she should eat more because she was looking skinnier than the last time he had seen her.

He had regarded Vi with a smile and had given her a warm welcome too, though his smile had grown wary when Caitlyn had introduced Vi as her girlfriend.

At first, Vi had assumed that the wariness was directed at her, but upon further look, she realized that it was directed at his wife.

Cassandra, who had not given Vi a single smile since she stepped foot in the lounge, even though minutes had passed by and they had moved on to the dining room.

The woman’s reaction to Caitlyn had been a lot more stilted compared to Tobias’ too. She had only given Caitlyn a small nod and a brief “Caitlyn, you’re home,” and then Caitlyn had replied to her with an equally stilted “Mother, it’s good to see you again,” and that had been it.

It was the stiffest interaction between a mother and a daughter that Vi had ever witnessed, and it was all so strange.

Vi had expected them to be somewhat closer and warmer, considering the fierce, protective way that Caitlyn had talked about her mother before. Instead, they were sitting far apart at the dinner table without exchanging any word.

Cassandra sat at the head of the table, while Caitlyn sat to her right and Tobias sat to her left. Vi had naturally settled beside Caitlyn.

Dinner was already served on the table by the housemaids, on gleaming plates that were accompanied by crystal glasses and real silverware. Vi had no idea why she had three different forks lying in front of her.

“So, Violet,” Tobias started, placing his napkin on his lap and looking at her with his best friendly smile. “How did you meet Caitlyn? Caitlyn’s notorious for never really going anywhere except for her own apartment and her office.”

Ah. So Caitlyn lived in an apartment somewhere.

Vi gave Caitlyn a quick pinch on the thigh under the table and a look that said, really? I have to learn about this from your father?, to which Caitlyn only blinked innocently at.

Ugh.

“I met her in her office actually,” Vi said, glad that her first answer didn’t have to be a lie. “But don’t worry, Sir, I haven’t committed any crime and I’m not one of her clients. I’m a correctional social worker and I visit her office sometimes for work.”

Tobias’ nearly comical look of alarm immediately smoothened out at that. “Oh, thank goodness,” was all that he said, laughing to himself. “You had me in the first half, Violet, I'm not going to lie.”

Vi grinned, raising a toast for the guy. She quite liked him.

“When did you start seeing each other?” he probed again, an undercurrent of excitement running in his voice despite his best effort to contain it.

“We started seeing each other about a month ago,” Vi said, still reciting the truth for now. Caitlyn had said that they couldn’t lie to her parents about this because it would be a problem if the story didn’t match what Vi’s side of the family knew.

“That is exciting,” Tobias said with a giddy smile, before turning to give Caitlyn a chiding look. “Caitlyn has never been in a relationship before. I’m very happy that she finally realizes she needs to have a life outside of her job.”

“Father,” Caitlyn said slowly, her eyes drawing shut as she sighed like she had listened to this one too many times before. “Could you please not make it sound like I—”

“Like you what? Like you never had a love life before because you’re too obsessed with your work?” Tobias scolded her like one of those affectionate but mouthy mothers in TV shows complaining about their son never bringing a girl home. It made Caitlyn look so uncharacteristically helpless, and Vi was on the edge of bursting with giggles.

“You’re barely 29, Caitlyn!” he cried out, almost dramatically. “And already, you’re living a lonelier life than some of my friends who are pushing 60. See, you’re also losing a lot of weight because no one is around to take care of you while you work. Maybe you should move back here and—”

“Father, I’m fine,” Caitlyn sighed, so heavy Vi was sure that Steb could hear it from outside the dining room. “Besides, you don’t have to worry about me anymore. I have Vi now. With me. She’s—she’s taking good care of me.”

“Oh? Are you two living together already?” Tobias asked, sounding a bit surprised but looking excited still.

Then, Caitlyn decided to drop the bomb on him before Vi could even finish feeling bad for him. “Not yet, but we will soon. We’re going to get married.”

Suddenly, silence filled the entire dining room.

For a moment, not a single motion or sound seemed to traverse through the air as all of them stared at Caitlyn, like the air itself had become still with ice and had frozen over completely. Then, the icy silence shattered all at once and Tobias and Vi started speaking over each other.

“Caitlyn! Are you out of your mind? This wasn’t what I meant when I said you needed to start dating—”

“Cait, I think we should explain this better to your father before—”

“ENOUGH!”

Cassandra’s voice boomed through the room, effectively cutting off all of their debates and shutting them up.

Tobias whirled around to look at her with wide eyes, and so did Vi. Beside her, Caitlyn visibly tensed up, and Vi could almost feel the anxiousness pour out of her in waves as she turned to stare at her mother.

Cassandra had a knife clenched tightly in one of her hands and a fork in the other. She was already pale to begin with, but her knuckles were turning bone-white with the way she was gripping the knife and fork so tightly, they could snap in halves.

Her eyes were dark with bluish fire, like a hot Bunsen burner that could blister a skin with a single accidental touch.

It was the same fire that Caitlyn had in her own blue eyes whenever something infuriated her, only ten times stronger.

Vi felt like they would all melt off their chairs.

“Mother, this is what I wanted to talk about tonight,” Caitlyn managed to sound admirably poised still, despite the grinding of her jaw that was visible from where Vi was sitting.

When Cassandra only looked at her, she repeated, as if she weren't terrified of the consequence. “I want to marry Vi. I’m here tonight to tell you and father about it before we sign the papers.”

Tobias made another hysterical noise at the side but it was Cassandra’s cold voice that cut through the room once again.

“You will cease this game now, Caitlyn,” she hissed, seemingly only holding back from shouting with anger because of her strict upbringing. In that regard too, she was very much like Caitlyn.

“It’s not a game, mother. I’m serious.”

“You think I don’t know what you’re up to?” Cassandra shot, incredulous. “I know what you’re planning, Caitlyn, and it’s not going to work,” she bit out, a warning in her voice. “I’ve told you to stop going after her. If you’re still not going to listen to me, then you’ll leave me with no choice but to stop you myself.”

For a moment Vi thought that Cassandra had meant her—that Caitlyn should stop going after her—but then she remembered that this was the first time Cassandra had learned about her relationship with Caitlyn.

I’ve told you to stop going after her?

Who did she mean?

“I’m not planning anything, Mother,” Caitlyn insisted, determined to see this mission of hers to the end. “I’m choosing to marry Vi because I—” she faltered for a fraction of a second, struggling to say the word before brute-forcing it out of her mouth. “I love her. I’m not playing any game no matter what you think about it.”

To her credit, the force made her sound almost believable.

Almost, because Cassandra was still staring at her with fire.

“Love? ” she scoffed, now not only sounding incredulous but also strangely, almost sad. “Caitlyn, you haven’t even liked anyone enough to consider having a real relationship with them all this time. You might think that I didn’t know about all those short-lived, fleeting involvements you had with some of your schoolmates and colleagues before, and your father might not know about it, but I did.”

Tobias’ jaw slacked open with shock, while across from him, Caitlyn sat absolutely still. Her lack of words told Vi that Cassandra was right, but her lack of shock also told Vi that she had known that Cassandra had known.

“You know why it happened, Caitlyn,” Cassandra pushed on, sounding exasperated with this charade that she could already see through. “It happened because you couldn’t really like them despite trying to, and that happened because you knew they never really liked you to begin with,” she stated matter-of-factly, blunt and direct.

It made Vi wince despite not being the one on the receiving end, and she was ready to swoop in and say something, anything, in defense of Caitlyn when—

“You're smart, Caitlyn. You always figured out on your own that they didn't really understand anything about you and only pretended to like you,” Cassandra said, her voice heavy as something somber flickered through her eyes. “And I know that it’s been hard. I know it upsets you that people can't see you beyond what you have and beyond the words around you.”

The breath was caught in Vi’s throat then, because Cassandra’s sharp, knowing eyes moved away from Caitlyn and now settled on her.

“So you would excuse me, Caitlyn, if I’m not buying this lie about you loving a woman who barely knows anything about you. Miss Violet,” she started, wasting no time to question Vi directly. “Could you even tell me what you like about Caitlyn? And I don’t want to hear about how hardworking she is at her job or what she has achieved in her career or how she looks. Do you know anything about her at all?”

Silence fell upon the room once again, and it felt even heavier than the first time around.

The weight of Cassandra’s question was so great, it pinned the lies against the back of Vi’s throat and prevented her from saying anything.

Because Cassandra was right, Vi didn’t really know much about Caitlyn.

And Cassandra was right, Vi was just another one of the many people who remained around Caitlyn because of what she had and not because of who she really was.

Vi was literally only here because she needed Caitlyn’s money.

But then, Caitlyn looked at her, the blue in her eyes so uncharacteristically bleak like she had resigned herself to the idea that Vi wouldn’t be able to find anything she knew—and liked—about her, and Vi simply couldn’t say nothing because it would be unfair to let Caitlyn think that she had no likeable qualities beyond her money.

“I know there’s still a lot I have to learn about Caitlyn,” she spoke up, steeling herself to look Cassandra in the eyes and not shake while doing so. “And I know that one month is really a very short time to get to know someone. I’ll even admit that I’ve started the month doing exactly what you’ve said, believing the words around Caitlyn instead of trying to really know her.”

Vi sucked in a breath, trying her best to draw power from the truth of what she was about to say. “But I’ve gotten glimpses of who she really is now. I know that she could come across as blunt and unfeeling sometimes, but she cares deeply about people and how they feel. When she makes a mistake, she faces her shortcomings head-on instead of hiding behind excuses, and she never lets her ego get in the way of her efforts to do better. Not because she wants to be likeable or anything, but because she cares about how people feel.”

Vi paused, remembering the small act of consideration where Caitlyn had noticed her discomfort at eating somewhere so expensive and had chosen a different place next time without so much as being asked to.

A smile took over her face. “I know that she doesn’t seem like she cares much because she doesn’t say much, but she’s very attentive. She pays attention to what someone likes or dislikes. She does her best without needing to be asked to, and without needing to be applauded on. I’ve seen that both in and out of work.”

Vi turned to look at Caitlyn, taking her hand from where it rested on her lap and placing it on the table, gripping it tightly. “And I know that if doing her best sometimes means she has to take the longer road and go the harder way, she’ll still do it in a heartbeat. Because when she cares about something, she doesn’t play around or do anything halfway. She goes all out for it.”

She pulled a smile at Caitlyn, oddly pleased to see that the blue in her eyes had sparked to life once again.

“And I know that one month is a short time, ma’am, but it’s enough for me to know that Caitlyn is the person who I want to be with. Because I know that she cares about us and she won’t do anything halfway about us. She’ll go all out for me and I intend to do the same for her.”

=====================

It was almost midnight by the time Vi stopped her truck in front of Caitlyn’s apartment building.

The building looked large and impressive from the ground level, but after going through what was possibly the most exhausting dinner known to mankind, Vi couldn’t find it in herself to feel awed once more. 

For a moment, both she and Caitlyn only sat quietly in her truck, gaze empty as if both of their souls had been sucked out by an invisible force.

“Thank you for tonight,” Caitlyn finally managed to say after enough time had passed and their souls had returned. “You did really well. Better than I imagined, even. It isn't often that I witness my mother turn quiet in a conversation and contemplate the possibility of her making a wrong assessment about something. I think you managed to impress her a bit.”

“I doubt that,” Vi laughed, still feeling like she had barely escaped with her life. “I think she was just giving me the benefit of doubt because I didn’t sound like a complete sucker. I’m sure she still feels something is suspicious. I could feel her eyes following me after we said our goodbye.”

“She does, indeed,” Caitlyn nodded, sighing. “It would have been difficult to convince her that I want to marry someone after a year or two of dating, let alone a month.”

“You’ve been really so averse to having a real relationship all this time that she would have doubted us still if we said we’ve been together for a year?”

Caitlyn didn’t immediately answer, and for a moment, Vi thought that she wouldn’t.

But then she did, even though she had to look away from Vi and stare at the building ahead of them in order to do it. “I’m not averse to it, per se. You heard my mother. I tried, to like some people. People who wanted to be with me, or at least people who I assumed wanted to be with me. It never really worked out, so I decided that maybe a relationship is just not for me. Short-term involvement is much easier to have.”

Vi grinned.

“What?” Caitlyn asked, amusement dancing in her bright eyes in the dark of the night.

“You sound so much like your mother, do you know that? Involvement? Really? You could have just said a fling like the rest of us.”

Caitlyn did another one of her eye rolls. “Must be surprising to find out that I sound so much like my mother, considering that she’s the one who, I don’t know, gave birth to me and raised me since I was a baby?”

“Okay, smart ass,” Vi elbowed her, secretly enjoying this increasingly apparent dry humor of hers. “Was she around much when you were young? I couldn’t imagine how busy both she and your father were.”

“Are,” Caitlyn corrected her. “Or more accurately, father is still busy, managing the family business. Mother is… currently put on house arrest, so to speak,” she paused and seemed to consider carefully before deciding that Vi could know about this. “We’ve paid a great sum of bail money to keep her from being jailed during the duration of her trial, but she’s forbidden from going anywhere else and she’s put under watch.”

Something akin to regret or guilt flashed fiercely through Caitlyn’s eyes and then disappeared just as abruptly as it had appeared. “She’s always been a busybody. Being trapped in that house for a year without doing anything must be driving her mad inside. I know that it would have driven me mad.”

There was something else that Caitlyn was not telling her, but Vi couldn’t bring herself to ask because it looked like a very private matter.

“Well, at least she’s trapped in a good place?” she attempted a consolation, wondering if she sounded like an ass instead. “I mean, your parents’ house is truly massive and impressive. If I had a house like that, people would have to use force to get me outside.”

A small laugh left Caitlyn. “I suppose, but a house that big gets lonely after a while.”

Vi wondered if it had been lonely for Caitlyn growing up there, running around entire hallways and endless spare rooms but having no one to play with. Her mother and father were busy working, and the only people in the house were her butler and maids who were also busy doing their jobs, and probably too afraid to play with her.

It made Vi wonder if the people that Caitlyn had talked about before, the ones who had just taken her words without saying anything despite how blunt-sounding she was, were her maids and butler.

It would make sense. They weren’t exactly able to say anything back to her, and young Caitlyn had simply assumed that they were feeling fine.

Then another thought came up to Vi.

When Caitlyn had looked angry—or hurt—when Vi had asked her if she had no friends at all, was it because it was the truth?

“You should text me your bank account details later,” Caitlyn said, unbuckling her seatbelt and preparing to leave. “I’ll transfer the initial twenty thousand dollars that we’ve agreed on as soon as you text me. Then, when we sign the papers, I’ll transfer the eighty thousand.”

“Okay,” Vi said, suddenly lost in swirls of thoughts. Did Caitlyn think that all the things Vi had said tonight in front of her parents were just part of the deal?

Vi was fulfilling her part of the contract, but everything that she had said about what she liked about Caitlyn was true. It was partly why Cassandra had considered it at all.

If there was no grain of truth there, Vi was pretty sure that Cassandra would have sensed it right away and would have kicked her out without a second thought.

But did Caitlyn know? Or did she just assume that it was all fake?

“You’ll take me to see your family next, yes?”

Vi startled out of her thoughts. “Huh?”

“Your family. Are you going to take me to them?”

“Oh, right,” she swallowed. That idea wasn’t as daunting as meeting Caitlyn’s parents, but it was still unpleasant. “We can meet my sister, and my friends. I’m... not sure about meeting my father, though. He isn’t exactly in the best condition.”

What she meant to say was that she had no heart to lie to her father, who was unwell and unable to even remember himself clearly sometimes. It felt wrong on so many levels to lie to him when he was already struggling to recall his own memories.

“I see,” Caitlyn said, her voice careful as if she knew that it was a sensitive issue for Vi. “He’s in a nursing home, you said? Because of a stroke?”

“Yeah. A nasty one. Last year,” she swallowed again and felt like it was bile that had gone down her throat. “The doctor said something about him having vascular dementia, because of that bloody stroke. He’s been, well, not quite himself since then. It won’t be a problem, right? If we don’t see him?”

“Of course,” Caitlyn said, zero hesitation behind her words. “You don’t have to take me to him. It won’t affect our deal. I promise.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

“It’s nothing. You’ve done a lot more for me.”

Caitlyn reached out to her, running a hand down her arm and giving her elbow a gentle squeeze. “Goodnight, Vi. And thanks again for everything. I’ll see you soon.”

She got out of the truck and left Vi alone with the swirling thoughts in her mind, and a tingling sensation on her skin where she had been touched.

Vi spent way too much time sitting there and just staring at her own arm.

Chapter Text

Friday nights for Vi meant rushing to The Last Drop as soon as she was done with her work, hoping she could beat the crowd to it and save Benzo from passing out.

The guy was an old friend of her dad’s and he was used to handling the bar alone if the situation called for it, but he was also quite literally old.

Without help from Vi on the busy Friday nights, he would end up wheezing himself onto the floor in two hours flat. So, naturally, Vi had little to no patience waiting for Sevika to finish flirting with the new prison librarian on this particular night.

“Sevika! I swear to god, if you don’t come over right now!”

“Alright, alright! Jeez, so impatient,” Sevika whirled away from the woman she was talking to, bidding her sweet farewell and throwing out a wink for good measure before finally walking down the corridor to Vi.

Vi grimaced, feeling like she had just seen something she shouldn’t have seen. “I can’t believe you winked at her. That was seriously traumatizing to see.”

“Oh, shut up. You know girls love it when I do that,” Sevika sipped on her can of Red Bull, probably her fourth for the day if Vi had remembered correctly. She didn’t know which one would happen first: Sevika getting the girl or Sevika getting hospitalized.

“So, are we picking your girlfriend up before heading to The Last Drop?” Sevika climbed into her truck, immediately reclining the front seat until it was almost horizontal and lying down with a hand behind her head like she owned everything.

Vi rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s why I was hurrying your ass over.” She threw her bag onto the backseat, hopping onto the driver seat and starting Buddy up.

“Why? Can’t wait to see your girlfriend and kiss her little pointy face off?”

“No, you dumbass. I mean we have to hurry because we need extra time to go there.”

“So you don’t miss her, is what you’re saying?”

Vi turned to give her a look. “Literally nobody said that. Why are you looking for drama on a peaceful Friday night?”

Sevika laughed as she drove out of the prison’s parking lot, clearly having too much fun poking at her new relationship lately.

“I guess I still find it hard to believe that you two are really dating, that’s all. When she came to see you again two days ago, I saw you guys just talk to each other from a respectable distance, for god’s sake. No sneaky touches, no greedy kiss on the lips when you thought no one was looking, and not even a peck on the cheek,” she shrugged.

“I’ve seen you date other women before, Vi, and you were definitely not a saint in the first few months. Hell, remember when I caught you going to town on that barista about two years ago? In this very same truck, on this fucking seat, in front of your apartment building? That was traumatizing to see.”

“Oh, shut up, you know I hate remembering that girl,” Vi made a face, feeling ill.

“Okay, fine, she was an ass who cheated on you with a richer bitch and deserved to be forgotten but,” Sevika held up a finger. “My point still stands. You and Kiramman just look like, I don’t know, a pair of good friends? Or just close coworkers even.”

“Coworkers?” Vi feigned a scoff, although a tiny alarm bell rang in her head. If she and Caitlyn were planning to get married very, very soon and were still looking like a pair of coworkers, then they were clearly in trouble.

“Okay, first of all, Caitlyn was seeing me for actual work. We were having a discussion with Mrs. Smith and her two daughters. Obviously, we weren’t going to start sucking each other’s faces off in front of them,” her face warmed at her own explanation.

“Secondly, you are my friend and my coworker, bitch. I’m sure you’re aware that my vocabulary for you is a lot more colorful than for Caitlyn.”

Sevika fell into quiet contemplation, and then nodded very firmly. “Right, right. You didn’t call her an ass or a dumbass or a bitch, so I guess you’re really dating her.”

What a highly questionable logic. But, Vi was not going to point it out.

They arrived at Caitlyn’s office not long after, and Vi was not surprised to see that Caitlyn was already standing outside the building, ready and waiting and ever so punctual.

Before she knew it, she was already hopping off her truck, a spring in her step and a smile on her face.

The smile nearly turned into a grin when she saw Caitlyn’s face light up as she spotted Vi climbing the steps toward her office building.

“Vi, you’re here,” Caitlyn met her halfway down the steps, her own lips curving up into a smile. She was bundled in a beige coat and a white scarf, the tip of her nose reddened by the cold of late autumn.

“Have you been waiting outside for long? You look cold,” Vi extended her hand before she could think much about it, wanting to help Caitlyn keep warm because she was indeed looking very cold.

Somehow, Caitlyn took her hand without questioning too, and they walked down the steps hand-in-hand just like that.

It was a little strange how easily and how naturally it had happened, but Vi supposed it was fine. Maybe there was hope for them to pull off this fake marriage after all.

“My friend Sevika is here,” she whispered to Caitlyn as they made their way to Buddy, feeling like she needed to warn her of the menace waiting for her. “She’s still skeptical about us, kind of. You may want to up your game a little tonight.”

“Up my game, how?”

Vi forced a smile at Sevika who was getting out of her truck, whispering again in a hurry because they were running out of time. “Just—be more touchy? I think? She said we look more like a pair of friends than a couple.”

“Caitlyn, hi!” Sevika greeted Caitlyn with a big fat grin, way too cheerful to be a good sign. Vi could already see the ten different devilish questions her friend must have prepared in mind for Caitlyn.

“Hello, Sevika,” Caitlyn replied, sounding admirably friendly enough despite not looking as warm and as relaxed as she did with Vi just moments ago.

Sevika gestured at the front seat with the dramatic flair of a footman welcoming a princess into a carriage, and her shit-eating grin grew even wider as Caitlyn nodded a confused, “Thank you,” at her and climbed onto the seat.

Vi glared at her and made a cutting gesture across her neck that said, I’m gonna kill you later if you keep being weird, to which Sevika promptly ignored.

“So, Caitlyn,” Sevika began as soon as she settled on the backseat, clearly too excited to start poking at Caitlyn. “I can call you that now, right? Since you’re Vi’s girlfriend,” she put emphasis on the word. “Or should I keep calling you Miss Kiramman?”

“Caitlyn is fine,” Caitlyn managed a polite smile, snapping the front seat back up from horizontal to 90 degrees much to Sevika’s amusement. “You’re Vi’s friend. I’d like to be friends with you too.”

“Ooh, I’m honored,” Sevika cocked another grin, and Vi began muttering silent prayers to whatever deities were up there so she could drive them to The Last Drop as fast as possible without crashing into anything.

This could not go on for too long.

“I’m really honored, Caitlyn. I've never had a friend like you before.”

“A friend like me?”

Vi gripped the steering wheel tightly, feeling her entire body go taut with tension.

Shit.

Why must Sevika do this? Why must she keep trying to get a reaction out of Caitlyn? 

“Oh, you know, someone very high-profile with a very well-known family,” Sevika feigned innocence. “I was surprised to hear that you were the one who asked Vi out. What draws you to her if you don’t mind me asking? I’m secretly a romantic at heart and I would love to hear about this story.”

Damn it, Sevika. That was a lie and a goddamn bait. 

While Vi and Caitlyn had talked about this before and had agreed to tell everyone that Caitlyn was the one who had asked her out, they still hadn’t talked about what they had in common. Because truthfully, there seemed to be none.

Vi swallowed, while next to her, Caitlyn remained eerily silent.

Vi was ready for the proverbial bomb to tick off and explode any moment now, and—

“Sevika, I’m allowed to talk to you casually, right? Since we’re friends,” Caitlyn asked, her tone neutral as she glanced at the rearview mirror to meet Sevika’s eyes. “I can’t help but notice that you’re insinuating negative implications, about me and my reasons to date Vi. And while I could understand your concerns about me, I don’t quite understand your concerns about my reasons to date Vi,” she paused. 

“Vi’s a beautiful person, inside out. She’s a very attractive woman with the biggest heart that I’ve known. Neither my status nor my family’s status changes that fact about her. I like that about her, so I asked her out. It’s as simple as that. Surely it’s that simple for you too when you like someone?”

Sevika opened her mouth to say something but couldn't come up with anything, and Vi ended up blinking in surprise too just like her friend.

Although, she supposed she really shouldn’t be surprised anymore with Caitlyn’s way of handling things at this point.

Of course, Caitlyn wouldn’t have exploded with pointless anger that wouldn’t solve the problem and would only make it worse. Of course, Caitlyn preferred facing the problem directly and fixing it up calmly.

Vi grinned, now feeling a bit cocky for herself and proud of Caitlyn as she looked at Sevika in the rearview mirror.

“Yeah, Sevika, or do you look for something else when you decide to date someone? A complete family history perhaps? Or a whole interview with them while you’re at it?”

“Oh, shut up,” Sevika blurted, though her voice no longer carried the insidious tone it had carried earlier. She seemed to reassess Caitlyn, contemplating if Caitlyn was speaking truthfully and if she was just being a prejudiced ass to Caitlyn for no reason.

Vi was too busy grinning at Sevika and feeling all satisfied, she didn’t realize that Caitlyn was reaching out to her until the back of Caitlyn’s soft fingers touched her face. A gentle thumb pressed onto her cheek, angling her face back to the road.

“You should pay attention to the road ahead when you’re driving, Vi,” Caitlyn chided her, though her words were far too gentle to be a scold. 

Vi stiffened, especially when Caitlyn’s hand slid down from her face to her shoulder, squeezing just a bit before trailing down the entire length of her arm. Her movement was so heavy, so deliberately slow, it caused goosebumps to erupt all over Vi’s skin.

As Caitlyn rested that hand on top of hers on the gearshift, unaware that she had nearly caused a car crash, Vi realized belatedly that she had set herself up for torture tonight.

Just a few days ago, she had told Caitlyn’s parents that Caitlyn didn’t play around when it came to things she cared about. When she wanted something, she went all out for it.

And at the moment, she wanted this fake relationship to work out.

Vi had asked her to up her game tonight, so naturally, she went all out for it.

There were fingers touching Vi’s thigh now, stroking and massaging it gently.

The temperature inside and outside the truck might be chilly, but Vi was burning hot.

“God, y’all make me wish I’ve brought my own date,” Sevika groaned from behind them, and Vi just remembered again that there was someone else in the truck and she was not alone with Caitlyn.

She snapped her gaze back to the road, swallowing deeply and trying not to think of Caitlyn’s thumb now drawing small circles onto her thigh.

Sevika seemed to finally believe that they were something, but Vi wished that it didn’t have to involve her blushing like a silly schoolgirl just because Caitlyn was touching her a little. She was almost 30, for god’s sake.

How deeply embarrassing.

=================

The Last Drop was as busy as it got on Friday nights, bustling with people who were ecstatic to have finished their work week and were out to blow off some steam.

On the stage, Ekko, Mylo, and Claggor were performing, singing and strumming away on their guitars, while behind them, Powder jammed to the music and struck at the drumheads with quick, skillful movements.

The audience cheered as they finished another song, while behind the bar counter, Vi died a little because it meant her sister would soon come over and start asking questions.

Powder had already eyed Caitlyn from the stage ever since Caitlyn stepped foot in the bar, and she had also eyed Vi with a look that was hard to read.

“Your sister is the one with blue hair?” Caitlyn asked, to which Sevika answered on Vi’s behalf.

“You haven’t met Powder?” she downed a shot of whiskey, following Caitlyn’s gaze to the stage. “Oof, tough. She’s probably going to ask you more questions than I did.”

Sevika grabbed the bottle of whiskey and poured another glass for Caitlyn, something she had been doing since they settled on the stools next to each other while Vi was busy helping Benzo serve the other patrons.

It seemed like it was her own way of apologizing to Caitlyn for being an ass earlier.

“I haven’t,” Caitlyn answered honestly, sipping from her third glass of whiskey for the night. Somehow, she still looked as perfectly alert and as poised as she usually did save for the slight reddening of her cheeks.

Quite the strong drinker, surprisingly.

“Hey Sevika! Long time no see!”

Powder slid on the empty stool next to Sevika as if on cue, smacking her on the back and laughing as Sevika nearly choked on her drink.

Then, she turned to Vi. “Hey sis, you’re looking awfully serious serving drinks tonight.”

Vi swallowed. Powder must have noticed that she was trying to busy herself and avoid looking at her all night long.

“Hey, Powder. I’m awfully serious tonight because we’re awfully busy, as you could see.”

She poured one last drink for a patron and ducked out with a smile, knowing that she could not avoid this any longer.

With a silent prayer in her heart, Vi walked back to where her sister, her friend, and her fake girlfriend had sat in a straight row facing her, feeling like she might die.

“I’ve told Ekko to help Benzo so you could take a break with us,” Powder drawled. “Am I not such a good sister? Now, introduce me to your girlfriend maybe?”

“Powder,” Caitlyn was the one who spoke, turning to address Powder directly. “I’m Caitlyn. It’s nice to meet you.”

A wild glint of amusement flashed in Powder’s eyes at Caitlyn’s stretched hand, clearly too formal for people hanging out in a bar.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Caitlyn,” Powder accepted her handshake with a devilish grin, turning to give Vi a look again. “You clearly have better manners than my sister here, who still hasn’t bothered to introduce us properly. I wonder what gets her so spooked, hm? It’s like she’s hiding something.”

“I’m hiding nothing,” Vi resisted a sigh, finally looking her sister in the eyes. “I just don’t want you to start acting—” she gestured vaguely between Powder and Caitlyn, “Weird around Caitlyn.”

Powder clutched her chest and feigned an offended look. “Me? Weird? Never. I’m the sweetest sister-in-law anyone could ask for.”

At the offhanded mention of sister-in-law, Caitlyn flicked her gaze at Vi, and Vi gave her a small head shake that meant, no, I haven’t told her about it.

Powder had no idea just how true those words of hers would be soon.

“So, Caitlyn, tell me about yourself. You’re, to be honest, very different from all the other girls that my sister has dated before. I’m curious,” Powder rested her elbow on the bar counter, propping her face up with her hand as she stared at Caitlyn.

Beside her, Sevika gave a small laugh, sipping her drink and already knowing how this conversation would go.

Vi was dying.

“I suppose you mean different as in different backgrounds?”

“Well, I mean more like different personalities,” Powder made a gesture with her hand. “Vi’s usually more into the warm, friendly type.”

Ice crawled all over Vi’s skin, freezing her on her spot.

What the hell?

Powder might as well have spelled it out that Caitlyn was not warm and friendly.

“I see,” Caitlyn said, with a voice that was still neutral. “But how would you know about my personality? We have just met.”

It was asked with such a straight expression, anyone who wasn’t familiar with Caitlyn wouldn’t have noticed a thing. But Vi was getting familiar with her and she could see that the blue in Caitlyn’s eyes had darkened slightly, a very faint simmer of fire lurking behind.

All the incriminating questions tonight, and the alcohol, must have worn down her patience.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like an ass,” Powder laughed, the lack of regret in her voice betraying her words. “Must have gotten carried away by all the news I’ve seen about you and your family on the TV. What’s up with that by the way?”

Caitlyn’s fingers wrapped tightly around her glass, so firmly, Vi feared that it might shatter.

“Are the rumors about your mom and the bribery thing real? I heard a lot of people in that region were sick because of the contamination.”

“Powder,” Vi cut in, a warning in her voice. “Could you not? This is what I meant when I said—”

“Why? I’m just asking to know the truth,” Powder said, eyes still insistent on Caitlyn. “If the rumors are untrue and her mom has done nothing wrong, she could just say it and I would preach it to the next person who says shit about it.”

Damn it.

“Caitlyn, I’m sorry, you don’t have to—"

“It’s okay, Vi,” Caitlyn said, grabbing her wrist and stopping her. She gave Vi a small smile that was probably meant to tell her that she was okay, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes and it only told Vi the opposite.

“I understand your concern, Powder,” Caitlyn said, facing Powder again. “I really do. Vi’s your sister, so it’s natural that you’re looking out for her. But if I tell you the answer to your question,” she paused, her voice sincere, “Is there any chance that you would believe what I say? Or have you firmly believed otherwise?”

Silence fell around all of them.

Powder closed her mouth, her eyebrows drawing together into a deep frown. 

Her question wasn’t driven by curiosity to know the truth, no.

It was meant to insult, and Caitlyn had seen straight through it.

And Vi had always loved and adored her sister in every moment of her life, but right at this moment, she felt so, so disappointed in her.

“Alright, girls. This is getting a little too intense for a Friday night,” Sevika swooped in, aware that she needed to interrupt before something worse could happen. “Mylo! Claggor! Could you clear the pool table? I wanna play a game!”

She stood up, motioning for Caitlyn to follow her. “Come, Caitlyn, do you play pool? I could use a teammate against the boys.”

“I haven’t played before,” Caitlyn said, standing up nevertheless. “But I could try if you explain the rules to me.”

She gave Vi one last look before walking away to the pool table with Sevika.

Once Vi was alone with Powder, she sucked in a deep breath, finally really looking her sister in the eyes. She could feel the heat radiate from her own gaze.

She left the counter and walked to the storage room, fearing that she might blow up in public. Powder trailed after her, entering the room and closing the door behind them.

“You’re pissed off,” was what she said, as if it weren't obvious enough.

“Did you hear yourself earlier?” Vi snapped, whirling around to face her and barely restraining herself from shouting. “God, Powder, what happened to you? When did you grow up to be such a mean person?”

Something flared on Powder’s face, a wild mix of anger and defiance and fear. Fear of what exactly, Vi couldn’t tell.

“What? I was just asking because I wanted to know about her family.”

“I already told you that Caitlyn has nothing to do with that scandal,” Vi tried so hard not to shout, her neck straining with effort to keep her voice down. “What the fuck does her family’s issue have to do with us anyway? Why do you care so much about this?”

“Well, of course I do! I don’t want you to be associated with people who are comfortable doing all that fucked up shit to others!” Powder yelled. “That shit her mom is involved in is messed up. I don’t trust that your girlfriend knows nothing about it and that she’s a saint.”

Vi bristled. “You know nothing about her, Powder. Literally nothing at all.”

“And you do?” Powder mocked. “Or has she stuffed your ass up with so much money, it’s going all the way up to your head and clogging up your brain?” she snarked. “Don’t think I don’t know where you got all that money to move dad to the new nursing home, Vi. I know you got it from her.”

Vi clenched her jaw, and her lack of words was proof enough for Powder to scoff at her.

“See? I knew it. I knew that you’re getting money from her. That’s why you’re on your knees kissing her ass. Do you think it would make dad happy? Knowing that you’re taking filthy money from that family and using it for him?”

White hot anger flashed through Vi’s eyes, and then all she could see was red.

“I’m moving out,” she bit out, her voice foreign to her own ears. “I’m marrying Caitlyn and I’m moving in with her next month. You’ll have to live alone.”

Silence spread and choked the air between them, and for a moment nothing went on save for the widening of Powder’s eyes.

When she spoke again, it wasn’t to lash out about how ridiculous it was of Vi to marry someone she had just known for a month, but to question something else entirely.

“You’re leaving me? For her?”

There was so much hurt in her voice, something that Vi had never really heard before, and suddenly the reason for the vague fear on her face earlier became clear to her.

Powder wasn’t angry about Caitlyn’s family or about Vi taking money from Caitlyn, no.

Powder was jealous, because for the first time in her life, she thought that Vi had taken someone else’s side and not hers, even though Vi was doing all of this for her.

“You’re a grown-up now, Powder,” Vi said, suddenly realizing that she could not let this go on any longer.

Throughout her whole life, in all her teenage years and her adult years, she had always put her sister before her friendships and relationships.

Even now, as she stood before Powder and looked at her hurt expression, Vi still had the urge to run outside and tell Caitlyn to cancel their entire plan.

But she could not let this go on anymore. Not when this was clearly making Powder grow up into someone she shouldn’t be. Someone who could be so casually spiteful, driven by childish possessiveness.

“You can live without me,” she restated, more to herself than to her sister. Her heart twisted in her chest, pained to have to say it at all. “I’ll still pay for everything until you graduate, it’s my responsibility as your older sister, but Powder,” she paused, her tone pleading, “It’s your responsibility to make sure that you grow up to be a kind person, please. That’s what would make dad happy.”

She left the room then, fighting every step of the way not to turn back to her sister.

=====================

It was late at night when Vi finally arrived at Caitlyn’s apartment building, once again feeling tired like her soul had been sucked out by an invisible force.

She had been driving quietly since they left The Last Drop, and for once she was glad that Sevika was in the truck with her and Caitlyn, making small talks with Caitlyn and lightening the vibe while Vi was lost in her thoughts.

There seemed to be no animosity left between Sevika and Caitlyn, as they were able to chat about work, about the pool game they had won earlier, and even something about shooting and hunting that Vi didn’t quite catch.

Granted, Sevika was the one who did most of the talking, but Caitlyn was responding amiably.

All’s well that ends well, Vi supposed.

“Vi, would you mind walking me up?” Caitlyn asked once they were parked below the steps to her apartment building, looking at Vi inquisitively.

“Sevika, thank you for tonight. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you.”

“Same goes for you, Caitlyn,” Sevika said, sounding like she really meant it. She nudged at Vi from behind. “Go walk her up, dude. I’ll wait for you here.”

“Okay,” Vi unbuckled her seatbelt, still a little dazed by the night she just had.

She left her truck and walked with Caitlyn up the steps to her apartment, silence blanketing them.

“Vi, are you okay?”

"Hm?" Vi looked up, stopping in her tracks as a hand landed on her arm.

Worry flickered across Caitlyn’s eyes and she squeezed Vi’s arm gently. “You’ve been looking out of sorts after you disappeared with your sister earlier,” she paused, seemingly contemplating if she should inquire about it. “Is everything okay? Did I say something wrong and cause a problem?”

“What? No, you said nothing wrong,” Vi grabbed her arm too, not wanting her to think that she had messed up when she had been nothing but patient tonight with both Powder and Sevika. “You did well. You did really well.”

Silence fell between them again, but this time, it was comfortable.

Vi had no idea whose hand had slid down first, but now their hands were joined, holding each other.

“You’re sure?” Caitlyn asked.

“Yeah,” Vi took a big breath, giving her a small smile. “You didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just... I told my sister I’ll be moving out soon because we’re getting married. As expected, she didn’t take it very well. You know, because of how sudden it is.”

It wasn't the whole truth. There were a lot more reasons behind Powder’s reaction tonight, but Vi wasn’t sure she had the energy to talk about it. She was so tired.

“I’m sorry, Vi, doing this must be very hard for you.”

There was a hand cradling her face, and a soft thumb stroking her cheek. Vi looked up, meeting blue eyes that were apologetic.

“Cait, it’s not your fault,” she reached up, holding Caitlyn’s hand that was touching her face and giving it a squeeze. “I signed up for this. I’m doing my part of the deal. You don’t have to feel bad about it.”

The hand on her face slid away, and Vi instantly missed its warmth.

“Yes, I understand, it’s for the deal,” Caitlyn said, not meeting her eyes for a moment. “But still,” she regarded Vi again, meaning every word that she said. “It’s something difficult to do, and I appreciate you for doing it. So, I suppose a thank you is more appropriate than an apology.”

She leaned in, and Vi’s eyes widened in surprise as soft lips pressed on her cheek, just slightly above the corner of her own lips.

“Thank you, Vi,” Caitlyn pulled back slightly, hovering so close still, Vi could smell the faint sweetness of her lip balm and the whiskey in her breath. “I’ll see you again soon.”

She pulled her hand away from Vi’s, walking up the remaining steps alone.

Vi stared after her, wondering what it was all about.

Then she turned around to her truck and realized that Sevika was there.

A show for Sevika?

“Oh boy, you guys were really dragging it out up there,” Sevika commented once Vi entered her truck again, still dazed by the kiss she had just received. “It’s like you’re about to go to war and never see each other again or something. Maybe I was really stupid to think that you guys were just friends.”

“Oh, you are stupid, alright.”

“Heyy,” Sevika nudged her, laughing as she moved from the backseat to the front seat. “Sorry, I know I was being an ass earlier tonight. I shouldn’t have done it.”

“You really shouldn’t,” Vi said, still feeling a little pissed off when she remembered it.

“Yes, okay, I realized after like two or three hours that she was actually pretty chill. Maybe I’ve just misunderstood her awkwardness for haughtiness all this time. She’s a bit strange socially but I think she’s quite cool.”

“She is cool,” Vi stated, huffing. “And nice. And sweet. And very mature. Something that you clearly aren’t.”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” Sevika laughed. “Wow, do you hear how smitten you sound? I don’t think you’ve talked that way about any girl before.”

Did she? Never?

“Anyway, why didn’t you tell me that she likes shooting and hunting?” Sevika yapped. “I would never have guessed that a dainty lady from a wealthy family like her would be into that kind of hobby. I mentioned in passing that I like doing it and she immediately bit into it with real interest.”

“Oh, right,” Vi said, swallowing. Before tonight, she actually had no idea about it. “I just... forgot to mention it, I guess. Maybe we should go play paintball together sometimes, so she could shoot your ass as a payback.”

Sevika cackled, cocky. “Oh boy, I would love to see her try.”

Vi made a mental note to suggest it to Caitlyn later.

Somehow, she had the feeling that if Caitlyn liked doing something, she would not be mediocre at it. She would be a killer at it, for sure.

Vi made another mental note to check out some paintball places later, so she could watch Sevika come out of that game painted from head to toe like the clown that she was.

Chapter Text

Another workweek, another set of problems to face.

Vi threw her messenger bag onto her desk, not caring if it knocked off some papers and made them fly all over like some shitty versions of adult’s confetti.

She tossed herself onto her chair right after, rubbing her face with her hands as if she could wake herself up from this bad dream.

“Good morning, you look like shit,” came Sevika’s signature morning greeting, and Vi really considered lobbing her heavy bag at Sevika’s head for a moment.

“Not today, Sevika,” she groaned, face still buried deep in her hands. “I’m serious. I’m in no mood for your antics today.”

“What crawled up your ass?” Sevika settled on the chair across from her, sipping from her usual can of Red Bull and arching up an eyebrow. “Something happened to you?”

Vi didn’t even know where to begin.

Should she start by telling Sevika that Powder was mad at her and was actively ignoring her at home ever since they had that fight on Friday night, or should she start by telling Sevika about her upcoming wedding with Caitlyn that was getting really, really close?

Like, next week kind of close?

“Powder’s mad at me,” she decided to start on that, lifting her face from her hands. “She’s been ignoring me at home and it’s driving me nuts.”

“Whatever did you do to her?”

Vi sucked in a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, thinking of how best to navigate this situation. Somehow, it felt a lot easier this time because the worst had happened.

“I told her about a decision I’ve made, which is admittedly kind of sudden if you think about it, but it’s something that I feel good about,” she paused mid-lie, telling herself that she could handle this just fine because she had handled Powder and Caitlyn’s parents before. Shocking Sevika wasn’t a big deal in comparison.

“I told her I’m planning to marry Caitlyn and I’m moving in with her very soon.”

Sevika had just taken another sip of her Red Bull. Now it shot back out of her nose as she started to choke and cough violently.

The sight was hilarious enough to make Vi laugh despite her foul mood.

“What the fuck? Are you kidding me?” Sevika wiped her mouth, her eyes red and watery after the wild bouts of coughing. “You’re proposing to Caitlyn? After dating her for what, a little over a month? Are you joking?”

“She has proposed to me,” Vi said, once again reciting the story that had been agreed upon by her and Caitlyn. “And no, I’m not fucking with you. I’m serious. I’m getting married to her like, next week.”

“Next week?” Sevika half-screeched, her voice almost hysterical. “Vi, are you in some kind of trouble? What the fuck is going on? I understand that she’s hot and she’s not the snob we thought she was, but isn’t this too soon? Are you insane?”

“Back up a little,” Vi said, suddenly getting sidetracked. “Did you just call her hot?”

Sevika blinked, balking. “I—that’s beside the point!”

“Oh, but it’s not. You just called my girlfriend hot.”

Vi realized a second later about what she had just said. She had unconsciously referred to Caitlyn as her girlfriend, which wasn’t wrong but wasn’t exactly right either but—

“Oh, who cares! Everyone with eyes could see that she’s hot.”

“Okay, but have your eyes been checking her out?” Vi suddenly had the urge to reach for the newspaper nearby and roll it and smack it across Sevika’s head. “Was it when you played that pool game with her? When I wasn’t there?”

Sevika held up both hands like a criminal surrendering to an arrest. “Okay, fine. I did but it was unintentional. Can’t blame a girl for looking when a fine ass is bent over a table—"

Vi snatched the newspaper with the speed of lightning and smacked it across Sevika’s head with so much power, Sevika yelped.

“Ouch! Hey! That hurts!”

“Serves you right,” Vi sat back down, pointing at her friend with the rolled newspaper. “There will be no more ogling Caitlyn going forward, do you hear me?”

“Fine, fine. It was unintentional anyway,” Sevika grumbled, rubbing her reddened forehead. “So, could we talk about the serious issue now? About why the two of you are in such a rush to get married? No wonder Powder’s giving you shit for it.”

At the mention of her sister, Vi deflated, her mood going glum again.

“There’s no why. We’re getting married because we want to,” she paused. “And that’s enough for us. I know it’s way too fast compared to what people are accustomed to, but why waste time waiting for years when the two of us already know what we want?”

Sevika considered her words, tilting her head and assessing her with a frown. “You’re serious? But why not simply live together first? Why the sudden rush to get married? You’ve never struck me as the type who cares much about official labels anyway.”

Vi shrugged, embracing her lies because she was already deep in it. “I want to do it. It feels right with her.”

“You think you love her?”

Well. Saying that she liked Caitlyn wouldn’t cut it here, so she nodded. “I do. I love her.”

Sevika went quiet again, still frowning. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Vi, I know you have a lot more integrity than what I’m about to ask, but just wondering, are you sure this decision has nothing to do with her money?”

Vi wanted to feel offended at her friend’s question but she couldn’t even afford to. Because she was literally doing this for money. Her face reddened.

“We’re signing a prenup. I don’t get any of her assets if we divorce.”

Except for the one-time payment of three hundred thousand dollars that Caitlyn would do for her after the divorce.

“Did she propose the prenup?” Sevika narrowed her eyes, and Vi could see the negative thoughts form in her head.

“No, no, I did,” She cut in quickly, not wanting her friend to start thinking that Caitlyn was a cold calculative bitch again. “I suggested it because, uh, I don’t want her to think that I’m only after her money?”

Sevika leaned back on her chair, arms crossed in front of her chest as she ruminated on it. “Damn. You’re either really stupid or really in love with her.”

Vi rolled her eyes. “Now, if we’re done talking about this, can we talk about something else that’s more important?” She was eager to move on from the topic.

“Which is?”

“I was wondering if you could move in with Powder after I move in with Caitlyn?” She made a sheepish grin, hoping that Sevika would agree with her plan. “I’m still going to pay the rent for the apartment and my room will be empty so—” she waved her hand in the air. “I figure that you could just use it. Free of charge. Save you some money too. You could ditch your apartment.”

Vi didn’t want to think about what she would have to do once her deal with Caitlyn was done. That would be a problem for her future self, next year, to sort out. At the moment, she just worried about leaving Powder alone, even though she was the one who had stated that Powder should try living alone.

It was just impossible for her not to worry about her sister.

“You’re sure?” Sevika asked, seemingly not against the idea, which was a good sign.

“Yep. One hundred percent sure,” Vi nodded. “You could just live there freely. All I ask for is your help to check on Powder from time to time and make sure she’s okay.”

Sevika shrugged. “Alright, dude. Fine. I’m not above free rent in this economy. Besides, I’ve always gotten along well with your sister.” 

Vi grinned, feeling relieved with one less problem on her shoulder. “Thanks, dude. I owe you one.” Now, if she could go and find Mrs. Babette and ask for a leave tomorrow, her day would be even better.

After all, she had promised to go with Caitlyn to the clerk’s office tomorrow to get their marriage license. Once they got the license and waited 24 hours, they would be able to schedule their wedding ceremony at City Hall and get their official marriage certificate.

The thought made Vi’s palms sweat despite the cold season.

They were seriously doing this, weren’t they?

There would be no backing off after this.

=====================

It wasn’t often that Vi got to be the passenger and not the one driving when she had to go somewhere.

Caitlyn had decided to be the one driving today, saying that she had another place she needed to go to after their visit to the clerk’s office.

So, there Vi was, waiting on the sidewalk in front of her apartment and watching as a sleek sapphire-blue Bentley rolled to the curb. Its dark metallic sheen made it look like a jewel on wheels, way too elegant for a neighborhood that was dominated by old brick walls and graffiti.

Caitlyn rolled down her window, her head poking out with a smile. “Vi, get inside. You look cold.”

Vi hurried into the car as she was told to because she was indeed freezing her ass off.

“Hey, you,” she greeted Caitlyn once inside, realizing that Caitlyn was dressed in a crisp white blouse and black tailored slacks that made her look like she was going to work. “Uh, isn’t it your day off today? Why are you dressed for work?”

Underneath her coat, Vi was only wearing a sweater and a comfortable pair of jeans. It was her day off after all.

“I’m off work at the public attorney’s office but I have another work to do after this,” said Caitlyn without explaining further. “Have you had breakfast? I got you a sandwich, just in case.”

She reached for a carton bag on the backseat, the movement stretching the collars of her blouse that was already low-cut to begin with and giving Vi a glimpse of pale skin that was entirely too smooth and soft-looking.

Vi snapped her gaze back to the street with so much force, she nearly hurt her neck.

“Here,” Caitlyn placed the carton bag on her lap, pulling away from the curb and starting their drive to the clerk’s office.

“Uh, Caitlyn, thanks for the sandwich but uh,” Vi stared into the bag, confused. “I thought you got me a sandwich? Why are there five in the bag?”

“I didn’t know what kind of sandwich you like.”

“So, you bought everything on the menu for me?” That was funny. And kind of cute.

“Not everything on the menu,” Caitlyn said, her voice serious as she focused on driving. “Half of the menu.”

Vi laughed. “Well, you’d think that would be a question you asked someone before you decided to marry them.”

“So, tell me,” Caitlyn said, a playful tone slipping into her voice. “What do you like to eat? And while we’re at it, tell me what you like to do in your free time too. It may be useful.”

“Well, I like meat? Anything with meat, I eat happily. Pizza, pasta, and other high-carb foods are my favorites too,” she laughed at the slight arch of Caitlyn’s eyebrow. “Yeah, I know they’re bad. They’re delicious though. Hard to resist sometimes.”

“I see,” Caitlyn said, her voice a mix of concern and amusement. “Anything else?”

“I don’t like broccoli. They make me feel like I’m shoving little trees into my mouth.”

“I wasn’t aware that you’re five.”

“Heyy,” Vi protested, laughing when she saw Caitlyn smile. “This is supposed to be a no judgment zone. For the betterment of our plan and everything related to it.”

“Fine.” The smile stayed on Caitlyn’s face. “What else should I know?”

“Let’s see,” Vi rubbed her chin, looking skyward. “I don’t like my coffee black and bitter, so I usually go for lattes. If it’s black, I’ll have to add a lot of sugar into it. I like desserts, I like the color red, I like playing video games in my spare time, and I used to do some boxing. There.”

“Used to?”

“Yeah, I don’t really have the time for it these days,” Vi shrugged. “Now, you. Tell me about yourself, mysterious Miss Kiramman.”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes at the moniker. It was still surreal seeing her do something that flippant sometimes. Apparently, once she felt comfortable enough around someone, she could be doing things like this often.

“I like seafood. And I like a bowl of warm soup and rice for my breakfast. I prefer savory food over sweets, and I prefer a good cup of tea to coffee,” she paused. “I also like the color blue but I think that goes without saying.”

Vi laughed. “Yeah, you only have, what, twenty different shades of blue in your wardrobe? Even your car is some kind of blue.”

“Well, I could say the same about Buddy. That Ford truck of yours matches the color of your hair suspiciously well,” Caitlyn replied, sassy. “Why Buddy by the way?”

“Because he is my buddy. Dad gave him to me when I graduated and he’s been with me through thick and thin.”

“He? How do you even decide on that?” Caitlyn sounded so perplexed, it was hilarious.

“I have my secret ways of deciding stuff. Do you have a name for your car? Or should I name her for you?”

“Her?” Now Caitlyn sounded absolutely lost, like she was trying really hard to grasp the logic behind Vi’s decision but failing to find anything because there was really none, and Vi couldn’t help but giggle.

“Alright, alright. I’m just messing with you,” she nudged Caitlyn with her elbow, grinning. “Now, let’s get back on track. What else do you like?”

“Hm, I suppose I like watching movies when I have the time, and shooting.”

“Well, that escalated very quickly,” Vi said, feeling like she was getting whiplash. “Sevika did say that you seem to like shooting and hunting. How did that come to be?”

“It’s something I used to do with my mother,” Caitlyn explained casually, like she was talking about a mother’s and daughter’s bonding session over knitting a mitten. “She used to take me to a hunting ground out of the city when I was younger, and she would teach me how to shoot over the weekends. She said it’s a good skill to have.”

“Uh, for what exactly?”

“To keep ourselves safe, I suppose, should the need arise.”

Vi blinked. “What kind of need?”

Caitlyn hesitated for a second before speaking up. “Let’s just say that when you’ve worked in law for so many years like she has, you’re bound to make yourself some enemies along the way.”

“Oh,” Vi let the thought sink in.

Had someone attempted something at Cassandra before?

Caitlyn didn’t seem to be weirded out by it, however, as if she had gotten used to the idea of the risks and had prepared herself to keep safe just like her mother.

“Shooting is just a pastime to me now, though,” she said, still casually. “Sometimes when I have a bad day, I’d go to a target shooting ground and I’d feel better afterward.”

“You do realize that some guys would seriously run off and cancel their weddings if they hear that their soon-to-be wives like shooting when they’re angry?”

Caitlyn laughed, a deep, hearty sound leaving her lips. It made her entire face relax in a way that Vi had never seen before and made her look like a new person entirely.

She was already beautiful to begin with but that face with that bright, carefree laugh and crescent-shaped eyes were just too much.

“Well, I’m glad you’re not those guys then,” Caitlyn said, smiling as she glanced at Vi. “I’m glad it’s you who I’m about to marry. Sincerely.”

================

The process of getting the marriage license was surprisingly simple.

Once they were inside the clerk’s office, Caitlyn slid a piece of paper with a confirmation number she had received after applying online to the staff, and he typed it into his computer before asking for their identifications.

They both handed out their birth certificates, social security information, and the many other documents that were required. Vi actually had no idea about any of it and she had simply brought whatever Caitlyn had listed out for her two days ago.

She wasn’t exactly thinking of marrying anyone before this, so she had her excuse.

Eventually the staff finished printing the license and asked them to confirm all the information on it before signing on it.

Caitlyn signed first, followed by Vi a moment later with a movement that was a lot less steady. She was so nervous, she nearly fucked up her own signature.

Then they came out of the clerk’s office just like that, a marriage license in hand, ready to schedule their wedding ceremony at City Hall and get the official certificate soon.

Vi stared at the license like she still couldn’t believe that it was real.

“Is it okay if I keep this for us?” Caitlyn asked, gesturing at the paper.

“Oh, yeah, definitely, sure, take it,” Vi backed off, entirely too jumpy. She still couldn’t believe that she was really doing this, with Caitlyn Kiramman no less. It was insane.

“Have you looked at the prenup I sent you before? Is it okay?”

“Yeah, I did. Thanks. Everything’s exactly like what we’ve agreed on.”

“Okay. I’ll transfer the eighty thousand dollars as promised today,” Caitlyn stopped, assessing her. “Are you okay, Vi?”

“Huh? Of course. I’m okay. Totally okay.”

“You look like you’re about to keel over.”

Vi winced. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one who was getting better at reading Caitlyn. Clearly, Caitlyn was getting better at reading her too. Not that she was too hard to read to begin with. Vi hated that everything she felt always showed on her face.

“I just... still feel surreal about all of these,” she shrugged. “But it’s fine. I’ll get over it.”

“Okay,” Caitlyn reached out to stroke her arm, probably wanting to comfort her without realizing it. Her hand ran up and down the length of Vi’s arm while she was focusing on her wristwatch, seemingly calculating something in her brain without noticing that Vi was getting more nervous because of her touches.

“I have to be somewhere in two and a half hours, but do you think you can come with me before then? I have some items I need to buy and it’ll be easier with you there.”

“What items?”

“Wedding rings, among others,” Caitlyn said, walking ahead while tugging at Vi’s hand. Somehow slotting their fingers together, while no one was around to watch them, seemed to register as something normal in Caitlyn’s mind.

Vi was just beginning to understand how touchy Caitlyn truly was once she felt comfortable around someone.

It was a good thing, of course, considering that they wanted everyone to believe they were getting married so fast because they were madly in love.

Caitlyn getting used to touching her was good for the plan, especially because she seemed to struggle more with showing affection verbally.

Vi nodded to herself.

It was all good and it was not a big deal. At all.

=====================

The busy streets in the central business district of Piltover were something that Vi had ever only passed through without really stopping at.

The streets were lined up by towering office buildings and upscale shopping malls, selling things that would probably cost an arm and a leg.

So, Vi had never had any reason to stop by, until today.

“Good afternoon, Miss Kiramman. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

A mustached man who had been polishing a ring behind the counter of the jewelry store left his post to open the door for them, greeting them with a warm smile.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Burton. It’s been a while since I saw you.”

Vi looked around the store while Caitlyn engaged in a friendly chat with the man, admiring the gleaming, polished marble surfaces and the glass display cases that seemed to be spotless.

The store had no other customers beside them, but Vi had the feeling that one purchase from one customer in this store could probably make more money than the other stores serving up to fifty customers a day.

“How is Miss Medarda doing these days?” Vi caught the question from Mr. Burton faintly, to which Caitlyn replied rather stiffly.

“She’s doing well, I believe,” she paused. “I’m looking for wedding rings today.”

Mr. Burton’s gaze went from Caitlyn to Vi. “Oh, I see. Please, come this way.”

He led them to the glass-covered counter on the left, sheltering various rings of diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and other sparkling gemstones.

“What kind of ring do you have in mind, Miss Kiramman? A gold, white gold, or platinum band? A cluster or a solitaire?”

Instead of answering what she wanted, Caitlyn turned to Vi.

“Do you have any preference, Vi?”

Well, technically Vi would prefer not to wear a ring at all. She wasn’t used to having one around her finger and it was kind of bothersome, but if she had to pick…

“No gold band, please? And no big gemstones. I don’t want to accidentally poke myself in the eyeball when I wake up in the morning rubbing my eyes.”

Caitlyn laughed.

Mr. Burton looked at her with big eyes, as if surprised to see her do so.

“Okay. Mr. Burton, could we see that one please?” Caitlyn pointed at a diamond ring that seemed to catch her attention, as usual knowing exactly what she wanted and not wasting a lot of time dilly-dallying over something.

The ring came with a platinum band and a modestly-sized, dark purple diamond in the center, flanked by four smaller ones on each side.

“Purple diamond? I thought you would definitely go for blue, since you like it so much.”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes at her teasing comment. “Well, since I like blue and you like red, it’s only logical that we go for the middle ground. So, purple.”

“You’re applying logic to choosing our… wedding rings,” Vi chortled, feeling genuinely ticklish about Caitlyn. And at this, Mr. Burton seemed to stifle a smile too.

“Well,” Caitlyn gestured at the display counter. “Would you like to make the decision for us then? With your secret ways of deciding things?”

Vi grinned, elbowing her. “I’m just messing with you. That one is good. It’s simple but it’s pretty. Just like you.”

Oh, shit.

Did she just call Caitlyn pretty?

Vi paled, eyes widening with panic.

“You’re calling me simple?”

“What? I just called you pretty and that’s what you decided to focus on?”

Oh, shit.

Did she just call Caitlyn pretty again?

What the fuck?

“I’m just messing with you,” Caitlyn mimicked her tone, a playful glint gleaming on her eyes. Somehow, she seemed proud to be able to crack a joke and it made Vi laugh despite her initial panic.

Mr. Burton cleared his throat politely, a stifled smile still on his face, and Vi realized that the man was probably thinking that they were flirting.

Were they? Was it even a bad thing? They were supposed to be girlfriends, who were about to get married no less.

“Would you like to try the ring with your fiancée, Miss Kiramman?”

Fiancée, right. That was the word Vi was looking for.

Mr. Burton went on to explain about the ring, how many carats it had and how he could fit it for both Caitlyn and Vi, while Vi just stood there, only half-listening to his words.

How mind-boggling that she was Caitlyn Kiramman’s fiancée now.

====================

Their next stop was a boutique, down the street a little from Mr. Burton’s jewelry store.

“How do people dress when they get married in a courthouse exactly?” Vi asked out of curiosity. “I’ve only ever attended weddings in banquet halls or some outdoor venues.”

“Anything really,” Caitlyn said, tugging her down the street. It was busy and people were hurrying from all directions, so she had been gripping Vi’s hand extra hard, as if Vi could lose sight of her towering height if they accidentally got separated in the crowd.

“Are you going to wear a dress?”

“I don’t wear dresses unless I really have to,” Caitlyn said. “A courthouse wedding isn’t exactly a traditional wedding, so we could skip the troublesome attire.” She pulled Vi into the boutique she wanted. “We just need to find something presentable.”

“Good afternoon, Miss Kiramman. How may I help you today?”

Apparently, once you reached a certain level of wealth, everyone in the upscale stores seemed to know who you were.

Caitlyn explained some things to the saleswoman and the saleswoman turned her attention to Vi. Within short order, she guided Vi to the fitting room, then went about the store with Caitlyn, picking things out for Vi.

Vi didn’t even have any complaints. Shopping for clothes wasn’t exactly her idea of fun.

Usually, she would be dying at the side waiting for her exes to finish shopping for hours.

Not Caitlyn though. Caitlyn moved very decisively. She walked around the store once, laser-focused on what she liked, pointed at it for the saleswoman to grab, and ignored any other flashy temptations.

Vi decided to make herself useful and began undressing herself in the fitting room so she could get this over quicker for them. Caitlyn still needed to go somewhere after all.

She hung her sweater on the hooks on the wall and went to unbutton her jeans when the curtain behind her got pulled half open and Caitlyn froze halfway.

“Sorry,” she said, although there was a split second delay from when the word left her mouth to when her eyes moved away from Vi’s back.

“Here, try these? If none of these suit you, we could try another store.”

She handed over the tops and the pants she had chosen for Vi, somehow not immediately stepping away but lingering before the door. Her blue eyes, dark, swept over Vi’s figure one more time before she snapped the curtain shut.

Vi tried the clothes one by one, eventually deciding on a crisp, white dress shirt with black suspenders and black pantsuit.

She knew that Caitlyn was an attentive, observant person, but she didn’t know that the observation apparently went beyond her likes and dislikes.

Had Caitlyn been watching her from head to toe every time they met? Or did she just have a really good eye for measurements?

Because how did she know exactly what would hug Vi’s figure so snugly like this? All the pants and the shirts she had chosen for Vi were so perfectly form-fitting.

“Are you finished?” came Caitlyn’s voice from outside, and Vi managed a surprised “Yeah,” before the curtain was pulled open again.

Caitlyn stepped behind her, leaning in over her shoulder with interest in her new getup. Vi watched in the mirror as Caitlyn assessed her and tidied the collars around her neck, her cheekbone almost resting against Vi’s.

They were standing so close together, Vi could smell her perfume and feel her body heat warming her from behind. It made the fine hairs on her neck stand up.

Caitlyn dusted the top of her shoulders, trailing her fingers down to the end of the sleeves and then pulling them in line expertly.

Then, she took half a step back, admiring her work. “I believe the suspenders suit you, Vi.”

Soft, warm breath feathered at the back of Vi’s neck, and Vi swallowed.

Together, they made quite the picturesque sight in the mirror, with Vi in her black and white getup, and Caitlyn in her newly donned all-white suit. Her white pantsuit flared towards the ends and made her legs look even longer than usual, while her white suit jacket looked classy but daring with a dangerously low cut.

It was so low, in fact, it reached her midriff and Vi could see the curves of her breasts.

Fuck.

“We’ll be taking these,” Caitlyn whirled around, speaking to the saleswoman and stepping out of the fitting room.

It was only when her scent and warmth left the room did Vi manage to breathe again, her entire body feeling way too hot and reactive.

Damn it. Maybe Sevika and Powder were right. Maybe it really had been too long since Vi had dated someone properly.

Because why else would her body feel on fire like this just because Caitlyn was showing some cleavage? Vi had seen more from other women before and had not felt like she was becoming a human furnace.

She grunted, closing the curtain and undressing herself with rash movements.

She couldn’t wait to walk outside and get swept by the cold wind to cool her face off.

========================

They made it back to Vi’s apartment just in time, with half an hour left for Caitlyn to go wherever she needed to go.

“I’m really sorry I had to hurry earlier and pick things out for you,” she said, pulling her car to a stop. “If we had more time, I would love to let you browse around more. I hope you like what we got, at least?”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely. I’m not so big on shopping for clothes myself. Don’t worry.”

“Okay,” Caitlyn smiled, sounding relieved. “And the ring, would you mind wearing it after we get married? I realized that I should have asked you about it earlier too, but a lot of... things have been happening lately and I’ve been distracted.”

Somehow Vi couldn’t picture Caitlyn being distracted. If she was distracted by something then that something was probably her main focus at the moment.

“Work stuff?” She fished, feeling curious.

“In a way, I suppose,” Caitlyn said. “So? Would you mind wearing the ring?”

“I’m not used to wearing one but I could. It seems important enough to you after all.”

“Yes, it’s quite important,” Caitlyn looked ahead, sighing like she was tired.

Vi wondered what was on her mind.

“You’re still not going to tell me what this is all about?”

Caitlyn gave her a troubled look and Vi lifted her hands. “I know, I know. One of your stipulations is that I don’t ask anything about this. But Cait, we’re going to the City Hall and getting married for real next week. I feel like at this point, you must have some level of trust in me, because otherwise, you would have backed off.”

“What if I just carry on because I have no other choice?”

Oh. Ouch.

Vi recoiled, suddenly feeling a sharp stabbing pain in her chest.

“Wait,” Caitlyn seized her just as she was about to exit the car, her grip strong around Vi’s arm. “I didn’t—I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry.”

“There is a good way of telling someone that you just go on with them because you have no other choice?”

“Vi,” Caitlyn breathed her name out rather than said it, her voice soft and imploring as were her eyes. “I really didn’t mean you. I meant this whole marriage thing. I really have no other choice but to keep it going.”

A moment of silence passed before she let go of Vi’s arm, seemingly aware that Vi no longer wanted to bolt out.

“I meant it when I said I’m glad it’s you who I have to marry. It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just safer if you don’t know what it’s for.”

“Safer?” Vi repeated. “What do you mean exactly?”

“Just—less chance for anyone to find out that this isn’t real,” Caitlyn decided. “No one could coax the answer out of you if you don’t have the answer to begin with, that’s all.”

Caitlyn’s logical way of handling things was one of the many traits Vi liked about her, but sometimes it could be so frustrating too because she was so right she was undebatable.

“Fine,” Vi groaned, throwing her head back against the headrest. The action drew a small smile from Caitlyn.

“Is this why you don’t want anyone to attend our wedding at the courthouse too? Less chance for them to find out that we’re faking it?”

“Well, not exactly. Mother’s still facing trial and still very much under the spotlight. I wouldn’t want the reporters swarming us because we make the wedding a big deal and putting us on vindictive headlines all over the country.” Caitlyn looked troubled. “I’m used to the hate but I don’t want you to catch it too. It’d be unfair.”

Vi softened. That was actually very sweet of her. Vi hadn’t even thought that far about the media vultures. They could be scary.

But that also meant, the media and the general public weren’t the ones Caitlyn was putting this show on for. It must be for some people or someone personal to her.

“I’ll see you next week at the courthouse?” Caitlyn asked, her voice hopeful as if there was any possibility of Vi not showing up.

“I’ll be there, don’t worry.” 

“Thank you,” Caitlyn reached out, once again touching her arm. Then her hand stopped at the black tattoo snaking up Vi’s arm and her eyes landed there too.

“I wasn’t aware that your tattoo extends all the way to your back.”

“Oh,” Vi said slowly, realizing that Caitlyn had seen it earlier in the fitting room. “It does.”

“Hm,” Caitlyn made a soft humming sound in her throat, something that sounded oddly approving and oddly pleasing to hear. “Is there any story behind it?”

There was only 20 minutes left for Caitlyn to go where she needed to be.

“Let’s save it for another time. You’re going to be late,” Vi pointed out.

The heavy haze in Caitlyn’s eyes cleared up then and her hand moved away from Vi. “You’re right. I should go now. I’ll see you again next week, Vi.”

As Vi stepped onto the sidewalk and waved her goodbye, watching Caitlyn’s car roll away, a sudden realization dawned on her.

For a very brief moment, Caitlyn had been distracted from her important tasks by her.

Caitlyn was capable of getting distracted. By her.

What an oddly emboldening thought.

As Vi walked up the steps to her apartment building, shaking her head, the sight of something strange on the periphery caught her attention and stopped her midway.

She turned, spotting a black SUV that she knew for sure wasn’t one of her neighbors’ cars. It pulled away from the curb shortly after Caitlyn drove off, trailing after her car.

Vi frowned.

It was probably just a coincidence.

She shook her head again, feeling all kinds of weird today.

She should get a move on, probably starting with packing up her stuff into boxes.

She would be moving in with Caitlyn next week after all.

Chapter Text

It had been over a week and Powder still hadn’t said a word.

Vi watched as her sister exited her bedroom with a backpack slung over one shoulder, preparing to go to her morning class without so much as glancing at her.

“Powder, I said your breakfast is ready,” Vi sighed from where she stood in the kitchen, making her third attempt of the day to get her sister to drop the silent treatment. If she were to count from last week, this would probably be her fiftieth attempt.

“Would you please just take your sandwich and eat it, at least, if you don’t want to talk?”

When Powder remained silent, putting on her sneakers and leaving like she hadn’t heard Vi say a thing, frustration seeped into Vi. “This is my last day here. I’m leaving tomorrow. Are you really going to keep acting like a sulking kid to the end?”

Powder did look at her then, though her expression made Vi feel anything but relieved.

“You’re leaving tomorrow?” There was a cutting sharpness in her voice, but there was also a hint of surprise, as if she had been thinking, or hoping, that Vi had been bluffing about the entire thing during their argument because of anger.

But Vi hadn’t bluffed.

“I am,” she said, swarmed by guilt once again. “I’m getting married at the City Hall tomorrow morning and then I’m moving to Caitlyn’s place in the afternoon.”

At the reignited flame of anger and betrayal in Powder’s eyes, she rushed forward. “I’m sorry, I’ve been trying to tell you all of last week, but you wouldn’t hear me. And listen, I would love to have you there for the ceremony but Caitlyn and I—"

“Enjoy your fucking wedding, Vi.” Powder stormed out of their apartment, slamming the door so hard on her way out, it rattled all the furniture around it.

Vi let out the deepest sigh of her life, running her hands over her face and then through her hair, pulling it back. An unforgiving, pounding headache had been tormenting her since she woke up, and it had only gotten worse.

She couldn’t sleep well the night before, kept awake by too many thoughts about her upcoming wedding and all of its consequences.

The small voice at the back of her mind still told her to back off from this plan and to go chase after her sister, but she couldn’t.

Not only because she needed the money from Caitlyn but also because the thought of standing Caitlyn up one day before their wedding filled her with a real sickness.

No. She couldn’t do something that cruel to Caitlyn. They were not exactly the closest of friends yet but they were becoming friends. And Vi couldn’t do that to her.

She left the kitchen and walked to her bedroom to finish packing her belongings into her suitcase and boxes.

She could do this, she told herself.

For one year, she could do this fake marriage.

Then she would walk away from the divorce happily and Caitlyn would be able to do the same, and Powder would understand her reasons and everything would be alright.

Everything should be alright.

=======================

The City Hall was a grand, historic building with a classical design. The exterior was made of white marble, giving it a refined and monumental look.

Its portico boasted tall, ornamented columns and intricate carvings, while its huge dome rose high above the central hall. All around, tall, arching windows completed the look, allowing plenty of natural light to stream in.

Vi supposed it made quite the picturesque site for a wedding, looking better than some standard, boring banquet halls and comparable to some beautiful outdoor venues.

In another point in her life, should she find someone she truly wanted to marry one day, maybe she would choose to have a courthouse wedding again.

It seemed a lot simpler than a traditional wedding too, she noted as she waited with Caitlyn for their turn to get called after several other couples.

Real couples.

Somehow, in the midst of the genuinely happy and excited couples surrounded by their equally jubilant families, the two of them standing alone felt strikingly silent and well, a little depressing, if Vi was being honest.

Caitlyn didn’t seem to mind however—or didn’t seem to be aware of their surroundings, more like—as she looked lost in deep thought about something.

Vi wasn’t even sure Caitlyn was aware that when she focused on something, she tended to miss out on everything else going on around her. She was in a bubble.

“Vi, could I speak with you for a moment?” The bubble popped, and Vi raised her gaze from the polished marble floor in surprise.

“Sure, what’s up?”

Caitlyn grabbed her arm and led her away from the other couples.

She looked a bit less put together than her usual self, her teeth chewing on her bottom lip uncharacteristically. Vi wondered if she was feeling nervous about the wedding too, or about something else.

“I was wondering if you could kiss me later?”

“What?” The word was choked out of her throat. Kiss? Like an actual kiss on the mouth? Her face heated up. Okay, but no tongue or anything, right?

“It’s for a photo proof,” Caitlyn explained, seemingly worried that Vi might think of her request as something out of line. Which it wasn’t. They were getting married after all and all couples were obviously going to kiss each other at their weddings.

It was something expected, yet it had completely escaped Vi’s mind all this time.

“Okay, but uh, no one’s actually here to take a photo of us kissing?” Vi hated that the word still made her face hot. She felt seventeen again.

“Someone should’ve been here by now and that’s why I’ve been a little anxious—"

"Sprout! I’m so sorry!” came a loud, booming voice from the entrance, startling the two of them and making them whip around at the same time, along with a few other people.

Vi spotted a tall, broad-shouldered guy barreling toward them in an almost comical hurry. His big, clumsy steps nearly made him trip face-first onto the floor.

“Jayce!” Caitlyn half-hissed, probably wanting to quiet him and to scold him for being late in equal measure.

Jayce Talis? The distant cousin that Caitlyn had told her about before?

“Sorry, Sprout! I know I’m late!” The big guy slammed Caitlyn with a crushing bear hug, lifting her off the floor completely much to Vi’s surprise. She had never thought anyone would dare lift Caitlyn Kiramman off the ground before.

“Jayce!” Caitlyn half-hissed again, her face reddening as she darted a look at Vi. Vi was far too amused to offer any real help.

“Put me down now,” Caitlyn wriggled out of his hug, pushing him away and stepping back to straighten her white suit jacket that was getting wrinkled. “You have the audacity to be late and ruin my clothes? Unbelievable.”

Jayce gave her a sheepish grin, showing off a row of perfectly white teeth in a charming display of apology. It would probably work on many people, but clearly not on Caitlyn.

She stared at him indignantly still, her arms folded in front of her chest. There was an undercurrent of affection in her voice though, as she introduced him to Vi.

“Vi, meet Jayce, my cousin. He’s an IT professional who sits in front of his computer all day, sometimes forgetting to see the clock and forgetting to clean up too, apparently.”

“Hah!” Jayce rubbed his jaw that was covered by an overgrown beard, making a finger gun at Caitlyn. “Spot on. I can’t remember the last time I shaved or got a haircut. I probably should have tidied up, considering that I’m attending my Sprout’s wedding.”

He moved in to give Caitlyn a headlock it seemed, but stopped prematurely at Caitlyn’s withering glare.

“Jayce, behave. This is Vi, my—” she paused and seemed to search for the right word. Girlfriend? Fiancée? “My wife? My soon-to-be wife.”

It was still so surreal hearing Caitlyn say that out loud.

“Hello, Vi. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name,” Jayce grinned and moved in to pull her into a bear hug now. Vi was used to getting even bigger hugs from her dad before, but Jayce’s over-enthusiasm did squeeze the air out of her lungs a bit.

“Whoa, hi, Jayce,” she managed to laugh only after he released her, air returning to her lungs. Crushing hugs aside, it was nice to see a family member from Caitlyn’s side that wasn’t all prim and proper. 

She grinned. “Good to meet you too, buddy. Caitlyn’s told me about you.”

“Ooh, all good things, I hope?” He flashed the charming smile again, nudging Caitlyn on the arm with his elbow. “I’m her most favorite cousin after all.”

“You’re the only cousin I have in this city, so yes, I suppose that makes you my favorite.” Caitlyn elbowed him back but in the ribs instead of his arm, and used a lot more force than he’d used on her. It made him yelp in pain and sent Caitlyn into a bout of chuckles.

Vi had never seen Caitlyn interact with anyone this way before, so she supposed Jayce was really her favorite. He seemed more like a big brother to her than a distant cousin.

“Jayce is here today because we need a witness for the wedding to proceed,” Caitlyn explained. “And we need to take a commemorative photo and he happens to be good at taking photos.”

“I take good pictures, yes,” Jayce grinned proudly, showing off the huge camera that he had brought with him. “Took a short photography course back then to impress a boy in school who liked photography.”

“Ooh, one of us, I see,” Vi extended a fist of camaraderie to him, to which he quickly bumped with his own, complete with additional sound effect of explosion upon impact.

Vi decided that he was Caitlyn’s family member that she liked the most. And somehow, he didn’t even dig about why they were getting married so fast. Definitely her favorite.

“Number eleven!” a voice called out suddenly, and Vi whirled around to where she had queued with Caitlyn before, realizing that it was their number.

Oh, shit. She had forgotten momentarily that they still had the wedding ceremony to go through and they had to kiss soon.

Nervousness shot through her again.

“It’s us,” Caitlyn looked at her with eyes that were wider than usual. The nervousness seemed to be shared then, although Caitlyn was handling it way better than Vi was.

“Go, go,” Jayce shooed them away, getting his camera ready.

Caitlyn took her hand and led her to the place where The Justice of the Peace was waiting to officiate their wedding. Vi’s heart thundered uncontrollably and she felt like it might jump out of her chest any time soon, flopping around on the floor stupidly.

The Justice of the Peace was a man in his late forties, who gave them a polite welcome and invited them to take the center spot in the room.

Hands holding each other, Vi stood facing Caitlyn and got so overwhelmed by the fast thumping of her heart and the rush of blood in her head, she couldn’t focus on whatever the man was saying.

He must have said something important, but all Vi could think about was that she was moments away from keeling over and throwing up and embarrassing herself.

A minute, or an eternity, passed before she felt a squeeze on her hand. At first, she had thought that Caitlyn was trying to calm her, but after lifting her face and looking at Caitlyn, she realized that Caitlyn must have done it unconsciously because she, too, was looking the opposite of calm.

Her face was extra pale despite her best effort to look poised, and her grip on Vi’s hand felt more like an attempt to steady herself than to calm Vi down.

The realization almost made Vi burst out laughing despite herself.

God. How could they be so nervous for their fake wedding? Some of the real couples earlier weren’t even this nervous. They were both being so silly.

Caitlyn seemed to notice her failed attempt to stifle a smile and picked up on her thoughts. Her lips twitched with a smile that threatened to show too.

“Violet,” the voice of The Justice of the Peace finally registered in Vi’s mind now that she no longer felt like passing out. “Do you take Caitlyn to be your lawfully wedded spouse? To love, honor, and cherish her, in good times and bad, for as long as you both live?”

“I do,” Vi said, attempting to wipe the smile off her face with little to no success.

It made the restrained smile on Caitlyn’s lips almost come loose too.

So silly, they were.

“And do you, Caitlyn, take Violet to be your lawfully wedded spouse? To love, honor, and cherish her, in good times and bad, for as long as you both live?”

“I do,” Caitlyn said, sucking in a breath and raising her chin high in an attempt to be serious once more. She proved to be more successful than Vi.

“Now, please repeat after me,” The Justice of the Peace read their vow, and they recited after him in turns.

“I, Violet, take you, Caitlyn, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part.”

“I, Caitlyn, take you, Violet, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part.”

They still wanted to laugh.

Vi could tell because their fingers were trembling as they slid the rings on each other after being prompted to by The Justice of the Peace, who was probably confused as hell looking at them.

The ring felt surprisingly cool and comfortable on Vi’s skin despite its new weight. Maybe wearing it wouldn’t be as difficult to adjust to as she had initially thought.

“By the power vested in me by the state,” The Justice of the Peace proclaimed, “I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Vi looked at Caitlyn, huffing out and squaring her shoulders. The action made Caitlyn’s lips twitch even more, her face now full of amusement and devoid of any tension.

Vi could do this. She could kiss Caitlyn for this silly play-pretend they were doing. She had had kisses for sillier reasons before.

She surged forward, grabbing the lapels of Caitlyn’s suit jacket and pulling her forward. Their lips crashed together.

Okay. Too much force. She had miscalculated her power. Caitlyn's shocked gasp hit her lips, and Vi chuckled against her mouth despite her error. Caitlyn probably found it ridiculous too because she ended up smiling along, her lips curving against Vi’s.

Caitlyn’s hands found her hips and pulled her closer, and Vi tilted her head up, kissing her more properly.

Caitlyn’s lips were so, so soft. And her breath was warm and she smelled heavenly of her floral perfume. She nibbled on Vi’s bottom lip slowly, luxuriously almost, as if she were savoring their brief kiss before pulling back.

Vi almost, almost chased after her mouth. If it wasn’t for the sound of Jayce’s camera shutter snapping her out of her trance, she probably would have.

“And we’re done, ladies. Congratulations.” The Justice of the Peace invited them to sign the paper, and then requested Jayce to come forward to sign as a witness.

Then, just like that, Caitlyn and Vi were out of the City Hall, an official certificate in their hands, a boisterous laugh and congratulation from Jayce filling their ears, and a tingle teasing on each of their lips.

Or at least, on Vi’s lips. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, tasting the remnant of Caitlyn’s sweet lip balm on it.

God. It was real. The kiss had really happened and so had the wedding.

Caitlyn and Vi were officially wives.

=====================

There was a doorman at Caitlyn’s apartment building, who helped Vi bring up her big suitcase and three even bigger boxes, all the way to the doorstep of Caitlyn’s apartment on the top floor.

“Here’s a keycard for you.” Caitlyn handed her a keycard identical to the one she used to unlock the door. “You’ll need it to use the elevator too.”

She pushed the door open and Vi followed her in with wide eyes.

Okay. She had expected Caitlyn’s place to be fancy. But the apartment was so stunning. It looked like something straight out of a magazine.

Vi walked into an open-plan living area with warm, polished hardwood floors and rich dark oak paneling along the walls. A huge sofa took up the center space, forming a U-shape and facing an equally impressive huge TV.

To the north was a wide floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the city skyline. Then, segued into the living area was a kitchen with gleaming, dark granite countertops and a dark oak dining table next to it.

“Before you comment on how suspiciously spotless that kitchen is, yes, I don’t usually cook there,” Caitlyn’s voice snagged her attention, and Vi turned to her with an arched eyebrow.

“I wasn’t going to say anything. I was just admiring all of these,” she gestured at the whole apartment. “But please, do continue. You said you don’t cook there, but do you cook anywhere at all?”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes at her grin. “I suppose I should have said I don’t cook at all.”

“Why though? That kitchen is a killer. I’ve prayed for a kitchen like that before.”

“You cook?”

Vi laughed, moving to lift one of her boxes outside and carry it inside. “I grew up with a younger sister and a single father. Obviously, I cooked. Otherwise they would have perished a long time ago. I think I started cooking when I was ten.”

“Ten?” Caitlyn sounded bewildered—or horrified, Vi wasn’t sure—at the idea of such a small child going anywhere near fire.

“Uh-huh. What were you doing when you were ten? Taking up a rifle? Let’s be real, that’s more concerning than going near a stove.”

Caitlyn chuckled. “Not yet, no. I believe I was attending a piano class and a Judo class.”

“Judo?” Vi stopped on her tracks. “The piano class I expected but Judo?”

“Yes, Judo. Mother signed me up for it and I turned out to quite like it.” Caitlyn helped pick up one of her boxes from outside and bring it inside.

Vi was about to tell her that she didn’t have to do it, but stopped upon seeing that Caitlyn was lifting the heavy box surprisingly… easily.

Huh. So, Caitlyn had good physical strength. And she liked shooting and she could probably flip someone over with Judo moves. What a strange and unexpected combo for a lady from a wealthy family.

“Your mother seems interested in uh, making you master a lot of self-defense skills.”

“She does.”

Vi trailed after Caitlyn into the hallway to their left, where she assumed her new bedroom would be. As they walked down the corridor, she spotted two guest rooms, each bigger than the living room in the apartment she shared with Powder.

“I don’t know which bedroom you would prefer, so I’ve had both tidied up. Feel free to move around as you please.” Caitlyn placed the box down in front of one of the rooms, and so did Vi. “Each bedroom has its own bathroom, but this one has a bathtub, so I figured that you’d probably like this better.”

“A bathtub?” Vi grinned. “You figured correctly. Count me in.”

Caitlyn’s smile was relieved. “I hope you enjoy your stay here. After all, one year is quite a long time. I wouldn’t want you to live uncomfortably during the period.”

“I don’t think living uncomfortably in a place like this is even possible, Cait. I mean, do you look around? This place is heavenly.”

Caitlyn looked pleased. “Good. There’s a gym and a pool on the tenth floor, if you want to get your exercise. I seem to remember you saying you like working out.”

“I do. Do you usually go there?”

“Yes, but only in the early morning.”

Vi winced. “Okay, scratch the plan to exercise together. I forgot you’re the type that rises with the sun at 5:00 AM and gets everything in order before 8:00 AM.”

Caitlyn stopped halfway on their way to collect the remainder of Vi’s things. “Forgot? I haven’t told you that. How did you know?”

Vi chuckled, walking past her and nudging her with her elbow. “I didn’t. I just guessed. For your information, I’m not alive before 8:00 AM. The world is dead to me before 8:00 AM. Do not wake me up for exercise or anything else. I would do it at night.”

“Duly noted,” Caitlyn replied, amused.

As they finished moving Vi’s things into the apartment, Vi was hit with a curiosity.

“Hey, where do you sleep? Since I get this whole wing to myself.”

“Oh, my room is up there,” Caitlyn pointed at the opposite direction, and Vi only just noticed the staircase obscured behind the wall where the TV in the central living area was mounted. “I sleep upstairs, in the loft bedroom. The room beneath is my office. It’s more convenient that way when I need to work.”

Only Caitlyn would be so eager to sleep so close to her work.

“Also,” she hesitated for a second, looking like she was mulling over her words. “Would it sound rude if I ask you not to go anywhere near my office?”

Vi blinked, surprised. She half-expected Caitlyn to ask her to stay away from her room, as reserved people tended to view their rooms as their sanctums, but not her office.

“Not at all. I mean, this whole place is yours after all,” Vi shrugged. Then, to ease the unusual uneasiness on Caitlyn’s face, “Why? Is your office secretly your debauchery den or something?”

“Debauchery… den?”

“You know, the place where someone indulges in their sexual—you know what? Forget I ever said it. It was a joke.”

Caitlyn looked at her very seriously. “I don’t indulge in anything sexual there. That would be very disruptive to work. Not to mention highly uncomfortable because there’s only a desk and bookshelves.”

Vi was very close to laughing. “Cait, I know, it was a joke. Obviously, you have your bedroom to do your… non-work deeds.”

Vi couldn’t believe they were having this conversation because of a silly joke.

“Oh, but I don’t do that in my bedroom either.”

“Huh?”

Caitlyn moved to the kitchen, making herself a cup of tea. “When I wanted to sleep with someone, I went to a hotel. That way, I didn’t have to ask them to leave afterward. I could just leave myself. I learned the hard way that people felt upset when you asked them to leave as soon as you were done with what you came to do. I didn’t want to upset anyone, so I’d leave myself. Drinks?”

Vi blinked, getting whiplash from the sudden shift between the conversations. “Coffee, thanks. But what did you say? You just… asked the person you slept with to leave immediately after you guys were uh, done with the deed? Like immediately?”

Caitlyn looked up from the cup of coffee she was making for Vi with a wrinkle between her raised eyebrows. “Yes? Because that was what we agreed to do? Sex? We didn’t agree on doing anything else afterward.”

Vi rubbed her face. She had forgotten how literal Caitlyn could be sometimes. Then, she started shaking with stifled laughter.

Oh. Those poor people…

“I see. So, you’ve never brought anyone here?”

“Never. I suppose you’re the first one to see this apartment aside from my parents and Jayce. And oh, the cleaning lady who comes twice a week.”

Vi’s hand was still on her mouth, covering her smile. “I guess I should be honored then. Thank you for allowing me into your private sanctuary. I promise not to break any vase or spill anything on your fancy carpet.”

“Very funny you.”

Caitlyn walked over to give Vi the cup of coffee she had made, and when Vi sipped on it, she realized that it had milk and sugar, just like how she liked it.

Caitlyn had remembered what she said about the coffee she liked, apparently.

How hilarious that a girl this attentive and sweet could be so clueless and cold too, albeit unintentionally. Vi was shaken by laughter again. Oh, those poor people…

=================

The first night in her new, fancy bedroom, Vi found herself wide awake instead of sleepy. She wasn’t sure if it was the super spacious bed or the absolute lack of noises, but something was bothering her and she couldn’t quite fall asleep.

Usually, around this time, she would be curling in her much smaller bed, dozing off to the sounds of her neighbors yelling at each other, a dog barking somewhere, or even random cars honking at each other from outside the apartment.

They had become some sort of white noise for her, soothing her to sleep.

But up here on the top floor of this upscale apartment, she felt so distant and removed from everything, and she could hear her own breathing amidst the deafening silence.

Perhaps she would get used to it, eventually, but clearly it wouldn’t be tonight.

Hey, PowPow. Have you had your dinner? I left you some food in the fridge.

She typed the message on her phone and sent it to her sister, fully convinced that it would just be ignored again, along with her five other messages.

She sighed.

Her phone lit up five seconds later and she jolted up with excitement, only to find that it was a text from Sevika and not from Powder.

Hey. Are you coming to work tomorrow? Or are you too busy banging your new wife?

Vi rolled her eyes. Trust Sevika to be so inappropriate even in the wee hours.

I’ll come to work. Now go to sleep, asshole.

She sent the text away with a flurry of movement.

So cranky. I guess you haven’t been fucked then. What are you two doing?

Vi threw her phone away, refusing to humor her obnoxious friend.

She stood up and walked out of her room to get water. She had been tossing on bed for so long, she was getting parched. The last time she had water was during dinner, which consisted of the takeout Caitlyn had gotten for them. It had been some hours.

“Vi?”

Vi's soul nearly jumped out of her body, her head swiveling around to the source of the voice so quickly, she almost gave herself vertigo.

“Caitlyn?”

The entire apartment was dark save for the pale moonlight streaming in through the big window, and she had completely missed Caitlyn’s silhouette sitting there on the sofa.

“God, you scared me,” she clutched her chest, attempting to slow down her heartbeat.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Vi could almost hear the smile in Caitlyn’s voice in the dark.

She walked closer and squinted, trying to make out what Caitlyn was doing out there. Apparently, she was just sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine in hand, staring at the city lights outside the window. Maybe she was having trouble sleeping too.

“Wine?” Caitlyn raised her glass of red, and Vi really wanted to say yes but she shouldn't.

“No, thanks. I’ll just drink water.” She went to grab a glass from the kitchen and filled it with water. She did, however, go to join Caitlyn on the sofa after emptying the glass.

“I’ve noticed that despite running a bar and serving people drinks regularly, you don't really drink yourself. Is there a reason for that?”

“Hah, observant as always, I see.” Vi stretched her legs out and put her feet up on the coffee table in front of them. Beside her, Caitlyn, whose legs were neatly and elegantly crossed even in the dead of the night, arched an eyebrow at her.

“What? Too barbaric for you?”

“A little, but I suppose I’ll live.”

Vi laughed. “You will indeed.”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “So, do you have any reason to avoid alcohol?”

“Well, it’s a long story.”

“We have the time, I think, seeing as we’re both here unable to sleep.”

“Why are you unable to sleep? Have some thoughts troubling you?”

“Something like that,” Caitlyn said, swirling the red wine in her glass. She was so minimally dressed at this time of the night. All Vi could see on her was a dark satin robe that was tied loosely around her waist and the laced lingerie peeking underneath.

She forced her eyes back to the big window ahead of them.

God. Why must her fake wife be the type of woman who loved wearing just laced lingerie and satin robes at home?

This was so bothersome.

“So?” Caitlyn prompted again, reminding her of the unanswered question.

“Oh. Right,” Vi cleared her throat. “Uh, to put it shortly, I used to always turn to alcohol when I had a problem but I think I went a little too far last year, so I promised myself to keep some distance afterward.”

She shifted uncomfortably, not exactly fond of remembering herself last year. “After my dad managed to survive the worst of his stroke, I was relieved thinking that everything would be fine again. He had some trouble speaking and walking, but I thought he would get better eventually and he would be back with us.”

She paused, feeling a heavy lump in her throat blocking the words she was trying to get out. “I was wrong. He did manage to speak and walk again with assistance, but he lost more and more of his mind each day. It’s just... hard to see.”

She looked away. “I didn’t know this before, but watching someone you love, someone who used to love you too, forget everything that made you love them and everything that made them love you is a special kind of hell.”

The lump in her throat seemed to grow spikes now, scratching her neck.

It wasn’t until Vi felt a reassuring hand squeeze her knee did she manage to swallow down the painful lump. She looked at Caitlyn, finding eyes that were as soft as the moonlight reflecting in them. They comforted her better than words, somehow.

“Anyway, for some months, I relied too heavily on alcohol to dull the pain but I felt like it turned me into the worst version of myself. My sister was the only one keeping me anchored. I got back up eventually, because I knew I needed to be there for her. Ever since then, I’ve tried to avoid alcohol. I don’t want to risk falling back into it.”

Caitlyn kept her comforting hand on her knee, her voice soft and genuine as she spoke. “You’re a good sister, Vi. Your sister must be very glad to have you as her big sister.”

Vi sniffed. “Actually, I think she hates me at the moment. She’s been ignoring me.”

The hand on her knee squeezed again.

“We could go and meet your sister again if you’d like? Maybe if we make her feel more included and show her that you’re still in her life, she’ll feel less… upset?”

“You want to go and meet her again? After that awful night she put you through?” Her hand moved to rest on top of Caitlyn’s hand, holding it with a half-disbelieving laugh.

“For you, I do. This happened because of me after all,” Caitlyn paused, looking sincerely apologetic. “Besides, I’ve handled worse. And at least your sister's dislike for me comes partially from a good place. She holds some prejudice against me, yes, but I think she's looking out for you too.”

“I shudder to think of these worse dislikes you’ve faced. I was already so appalled by what my sister said to you that night.”

“Hm, it’s nothing, really,” Caitlyn said, taking a sip of her wine.

“Really? You were gripping your glass so hard when she was making those digs at your family, I was afraid you might break it.”

“But I said nothing,” Caitlyn sighed, putting her wine away. “And because I said nothing, whatever I felt inside at the time didn’t matter. I didn’t act on those feelings, so they were nonexistent to anyone else. They were nothing.”

“Do you do that often? Pretend your feelings don’t exist as long as you don’t act on them and no one knows about them?”

“I—" Caitlyn paused and seemed to be robbed of words for a moment. A frown appeared between her eyebrows. “We weren’t talking about that in general terms, Vi. I was referring to that specific night with your sister.”

That wasn’t exactly a no.

Vi frowned.

“I should try to get some sleep.” Caitlyn stood up, her hand leaving Vi’s. “I have to wake up in less than four hours. Good night, Vi. You should get some sleep too.”

Vi watched as Caitlyn retreated to her room upstairs, disappearing from her sight and leaving behind only questions.

Just how many feelings had Caitlyn forced down into a silent death in her heart whenever her brain deemed it necessary?

And had Vi missed anything?

Chapter Text

There were a few things Vi missed about living in her old apartment.

The first was her sister’s constant chatter. Listening to Powder prattling on about her school projects, usually accompanied by loud rock music in the background, had become her evening routine.

Her evenings got a lot quieter now, because Caitlyn worked long hours outside and continued working in her locked-up office once she got home.

The second thing Vi missed was her old neighborhood. She missed knowing where to go to get the best donuts or pizza when her midnight cravings hit, and the familiar people that would sell them to her with big, friendly smiles.

Here, in this upscale neighborhood, everything was too darn expensive and everyone was too darn private. The people avoided eye contact with each other.

Vi’s only consolations were the stunning view from Caitlyn’s top-floor apartment and the fact that she could now indulge in a hot, bubbly bath after a day of work.

Also, there was a kickboxing class in the apartment's gym that Vi was quickly becoming a regular attendee of.

It wasn’t exactly the boxing she was used to, but it only took a 3-minute trip and allowed her to relive some old fun despite her limited free time.

Being able to shake her bones, throwing out punches and knowing that she could still land most of them, was surprisingly more energizing than overdosing on caffeine.

She would come home from work lethargic and go to beat up her instructor, Loris, to her heart’s content, and then come out of the class with a beaming smile and a spring in her steps without a drop of coffee in her system.

Amazing. This was why she loved boxing so much back then.

“Oh, hey, you’re not working tonight,” Vi paused in the doorway, still buoyant from her class and surprised to find Caitlyn watching TV in the living room.

She seemed to have just finished taking a shower, judging by the towel wrapped around her wet hair and the matching white bathrobe draped over her.

“I think you concluded too quickly,” came Caitlyn’s amused reply, and Vi noticed the laptop sitting on her lap once she walked closer.

“Right,” she snorted. “Of course, you’re working. God forbid you’re idling for once.”

Caitlyn shifted her attention from the news on the TV and swept a slow, watchful gaze over her. “Glad to know you’re enjoying the gym. I've heard Loris say you’re becoming a regular in his kickboxing class.”

Vi wasn’t sure what that look was about. It seemed to appear more and more often lately, especially whenever she finished her workout, all red and sweaty in her sleeveless crop top.

Did Caitlyn think she looked unsightly by any chance?

“You know what, I think I’m going to shower,” Vi said, somehow unable to bear the thought. Caitlyn had told Sevika that she thought Vi was attractive. Vi intended to keep her opinion that way.

She reemerged in the living room twenty minutes later, smelling fresh of shampoo and soap. Caitlyn was still on the same spot, now giving all of her attention to her laptop.

“Have you had dinner?” Vi walked to the kitchen, opening their fridge that was no longer filled with takeout. She had done a grocery run a few days ago and stocked up.

Caitlyn frowned, raising her eyes from her laptop. “Actually, I just remember I haven’t had anything.”

“Since lunch?”

“Since breakfast.”

Vi paused. “My god. You’re a horrible case of a workaholic. How are you still sitting up and focusing on work? Come, haul your ass over here. Now.”

“That’s an interesting way of telling someone to come over, Vi.”

“You still came over anyway,” Vi shrugged, grabbing a boxed pasta, butter, cream, and shrimps from the fridge. “So, it’s a perfectly understandable and acceptable language.”

“Hm, I’m not sure about acceptable,” Caitlyn stood behind her, peering over her shoulder with a smile. She smelled heavenly of fresh shampoo and soap too. “What are you making? I spy a lot of… ingredients that shouldn’t be eaten at this hour.”

“I don’t want to hear anything about health from a woman who hasn't eaten anything all day,” Vi heated a pot on the cooktop. “I called you here to help but if you’re just going to give me a lecture, maybe you should just go dry your hair and come back later.”

Caitlyn’s laugh sounded musical in her ear and it made her smile too.

She went away just as she was told to but came back shortly after. Vi heard her footsteps and then felt a fresh towel press around her head and begin drying her hair.

“Telling me to dry my hair when you’re the one dripping water into our dinner,” Caitlyn teased from behind, her voice once again close to Vi’s ear.

“Um, yeah, thanks for that.” Vi’s hands were busy, so she had no choice but to let Caitlyn keep drying her hair for her.

Caitlyn draped the towel over her neck once she was done, sliding her hands down Vi’s shoulders and squeezing them a bit before moving away. Vi wondered if she realized just how increasingly touchy she had become lately.

Dinner was served shortly after, consisting of creamy garlic shrimp pasta for the two of them and a glass of red wine for Caitlyn.

“You spoiled me,” Caitlyn eyed the wine with appreciation, settling on the chair opposite of her. “And I have to admit, this plateful of sin does smell very enticing.”

“High compliment, coming from someone who's dined in so many fancy restaurants.”

“Fancy places don't always have good food,” Caitlyn took the first bite and Vi found herself holding her breath.

Normally, she didn’t care about anyone’s opinion on her cooking because she really just cooked to survive, but she found herself waiting for Caitlyn’s verdict with a tiny bit of nervousness.

The verdict never came, however. What did come was Caitlyn taking a second bite of her pasta, humming like she was really relishing it, before taking a bigger bite and another bigger bite until her whole plate gleamed like it had never been used before.

Vi’s grin was wide. “I take it that you like it?”

"What an understatement,” Caitlyn leaned back on her chair, releasing a deep, satisfied sigh and closing her eyes. “I hope you know that I’ve never eaten this much carb in one sitting, especially at this hour. Whatever did you put in this? This is wickedly delicious.”

Vi laughed, feeling tempted to say coke but fearing that Caitlyn might take her words seriously. “It’s a secret recipe. Just stick around me and you’ll find out.”

She finished her own pasta while Caitlyn enjoyed her wine, and then Caitlyn got up and carried the dishes to the sink before she could. She gathered the dirty pot and pan from the kitchen counter immediately too.

“Just put them in the sink,” Vi said. “I’ll place them in the dishwasher tomorrow.”

“No, they’re easier to clean if I do them right away. Besides, there aren’t too many of them. I’ll just wash them in the sink now.”

Vi lifted her hands in surrender.

She had figured out, after living with Caitlyn for two weeks, that the woman was a next level clean freak and was unstoppable.

She tidied up and organized everything down to the smallest detail, as if she would get an ulcer if something wasn’t in its designated place by the end of the day.

The silverware and knives in the cabinets were sorted by size and so were the items in the fridge, and even the cushions on the sofa were placed symmetrically on all sides.

It was funny because if Vi moved a cushion, it would magically reappear on its correct spot the next morning. Caitlyn never complained about it but it was clear that it bothered her, because she went to fix it every single time, which made it even funnier somehow.

“Hey, let me help you dry the dishes.”

Vi stood beside her and reached for a dish towel, feeling bad for some mess that she had intentionally left behind just to bother Caitlyn a bit. She felt five, but her fake wife was funny as hell, okay.

“It’s okay, I’ve got this. You’ve cooked anyway.”

“Oh, just pass me the dishes you’ve washed, for god’s sake.”

Caitlyn smiled. “Fine, if you have such a burning desire for drying dishes.”

She passed a plate to Vi once she finished washing it, and Vi proceeded to wipe it dry. Before long, they were lost in the pleasant domesticity of the task, working together like a well-oiled machine, both still in their bathrobes with their half-wet hair.

Who knew that doing the dishes could be this nice?

“Is it your birthday next week?”

“Huh?” Vi blinked, surprised. “How did you know that?”

“I saw it on your birth certificate when we were in the clerk’s office.”

“Oh, right. My birthday is on December 19th.” She realized belatedly, “When’s yours? I’m sorry I was such a nervous wreck back then, I didn’t notice a thing.”

“It’s fine. Mine’s January 4th. You may need to remember it, in case someone asks.”

“Sure. It’s just two weeks away from mine anyway. Easy to memorize.”

“Should we celebrate your birthday with your sister?”

Vi paused. “You’re serious about wanting to meet her again?”

“Of course,” Caitlyn said, passing her the pan she had just washed. “We could ask Sevika to come along if you fear that things may get too… tense?”

Vi contemplated. “Yeah, that’s actually a good idea. Maybe we could go play paintball too. Powder likes playing that, and I want to see you destroy Sevika,” she grinned.

“Destroy as in?”

“Just shoot her in the ass or something. She’s so damned smug.”

“Okay,” Caitlyn said, her lips twitching. Amusement was all over her face. “It’s a deal then. Would you organize it for us? I’m afraid I know no paintball place.”

“Of course, you only know a hunting ground and a real target-shooting ground. It’s so like you to skip all the basic, fun parts and just go straight to hardcore.”

“Are you saying I’m not fun, Violet?”

“Hah! Never. I’m afraid you’re funnier than I thought, and funnier than you know,” Vi winked and nudged her with her shoulder, pleased to see that she was smiling.

Hm, maybe they should do the dishes together more often.

====================

Unfortunately for Vi, her birthday fell on a regular workday.

She would have asked Mrs. Babette for a leave, but truthfully speaking, she had been taking too many leaves before her wedding.

So, she found herself working like usual on her supposedly special day, her only consolation being the box of cupcakes that Caitlyn had bought and left for her on the kitchen counter before she went to work this morning.

It came with a little note that read: Happy 30th birthday, Vi. Here’s a box of sugar-loaded treat for you. I know you love it but please, eat in moderation. I don’t want you to get diabetes before you turn 40. Stay healthy.

It put a smile on Vi’s face whenever she read it.

“Ew, look at you being all happy and smiley while reading your wife’s note.”

Vi sobered up at the voice, raising her eyes to find Sevika entering their shared office with a grossed out look. Happy and smiley? Was she?

“You’re just jealous you have no one leaving you cute little notes,” Vi closed her laptop, figuring that it was time they clocked out. “How’s the librarian? Did you go out on a date with her yet?”

“I did. I was going to ask her to join us tonight, but I don't want her to get caught in the explosion between your wife and your sister, if it happens.”

Vi winced. “How is she doing? Powder, I mean. I’m surprised you managed to convince her to come with us tonight considering that she’s still not talking to me.”

Sevika slung her bag over her shoulder, waiting for her to finish packing up. “She’s still upset, clearly. But I think the worst has passed. She remembers it’s your birthday and agrees to join despite knowing that you’ll be with Caitlyn. That has to count for something.”

“Right,” Vi sighed, hoping that her friend was correct.

They left the prison and went to pick Caitlyn up from her office, who was already standing outside and waiting for them as usual.

Vi hopped off her truck and went up the steps, this time meeting Caitlyn halfway with a quick peck on the lips instead of just grabbing her hand.

“Hey,” she pulled back from Caitlyn with a careful smile, gauging if there was any sign of discomfort at her initiative tonight.

There was none. If anything, Caitlyn’s eyes seemed to widen slightly with an approving look, and then she went back in for another kiss.

The kiss lasted longer this time, with Caitlyn’s soft lips moving against hers boldly as if she really wanted to kiss her. When she pulled back from Vi and Vi ran her tongue over her own lip, she tasted a sweet trace of her lip balm again, sweeter than the cupcakes she’d eaten today.

“Hey,” Caitlyn finally said back, her voice a pitch lower than usual and her eyes tracking the movement of Vi’s tongue across her lip intently. Vi wanted to—

“Oh, save it for the bedroom, you two! We’re going to be late and Powder’s going to be mad!” Sevika yelled from the truck, effectively taking them out of their trance.

Vi snapped around, walking down the steps in a hurry and feeling her cheeks burn.

Shit. Maybe their acting went too far this time.

Caitlyn seemed unfazed by Sevika calling them out, however, so Vi supposed they were doing okay. Maybe that extra kiss was just Caitlyn wanting to do well.

“Hi, Sevika,” Caitlyn settled on the front seat, offering her a smile. “Good to see you again. How was your day?”

It seemed practiced, the small talk from Caitlyn, like she knew it was something people liked to do so she did it to make them comfortable.

It sounded different from when she really wanted to know something, because then she would never stop at just one question. During their increasingly frequent dinner together lately, Caitlyn asked so many specific questions about her days, Vi needed an hour to finish her food sometimes.

Sevika babbled on throughout the entire drive until they arrived at Vi’s old apartment.

“Wait here, I’m gonna put my bag upstairs and get Powder,” Sevika hopped off the truck and disappeared into the building.

“Are the two of them doing okay?” Caitlyn asked once they were alone, sounding genuinely concerned. “I wouldn't want your sister to feel even more upset about having to adapt to living with someone new after you left.”

“Sevika and Powder? Don’t worry, they’ve been buddies for a long time,” Vi waved her off with a laugh. “You are probably having a harder time adapting to living with me than Powder is adapting to Sevika.”

Caitlyn’s lips twitched with a small smile. “I didn’t say anything.”

“The cushions on your sofa have spoken on your behalf. They told me you’ve been shoving them back to their correct spots angrily every morning. They feel sad.”

“Sofa cushions don’t feel—" Caitlyn paused. “Well, you’re clearly joking. I see it now.”

Vi grinned. “And you’re not denying that you’ve been shoving them back angrily every morning. Does it drive you insane how they’re always in the wrong spots every night?”

“Depends,” Caitlyn drawled, and oh boy, did Vi love her voice when she dragged it slowly and playfully like that. “Did you move them around intentionally or not?”

“I’ll leave the answer as a mystery, since you’re so good at solving mystery,” Vi winked.

Powder and Sevika appeared from the apartment building, and Caitlyn’s little smile disappeared. Her face went back to its usual, careful expression.

“Hey, Powder,” Vi attempted a smile at her sister once she settled on the backseat with Sevika, feeling a bit anxious. “How are you doing?”

“Fine,” came a stilted response, though it was still a response, so Vi supposed it was an improvement. Powder looked out of the window. “Happy birthday, by the way. Congrats on getting older, I guess.”

Definitely an improvement. Vi’s smile grew.

“Powder,” Caitlyn said by way of greeting, glancing at her with a civilized look. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Really?” Powder drawled, scoffing a bit into her palm. “I’d say the same but—hey!” she fixed a deadly glare at Sevika, and Vi wondered if her friend had kicked Powder or did something else to stop her from saying whatever it was she was about to say.

In the rearview mirror, Sevika’s look at Powder seemed to say: Play nice. It’s your sister’s birthday.

Okay. Maybe Vi should ask Caitlyn to spare Sevika in the game later. Sevika was being an angel tonight.

The rest of the journey was kind of awkward but otherwise peaceful, accompanied by the occasional chats between Sevika and Caitlyn, or Sevika and Powder. Vi really didn’t know what to say, afraid that she would utter a wrong word and blow up the night.

Eventually, they made it to the paintball place, which already had a group of people queuing outside, waiting to get indoors and have their fun.

Who knew that quite a lot of people enjoy playing this game on a workday? Maybe Caitlyn was right. Maybe it was satisfying to shoot something after work.

“Ugh, the queue is so long,” Powder whined, kicking a pebble with her shoe and looking bored. “Hey, Vi, you couldn’t get your wife to rent the whole place for us or something? Since she’s so rich.”

“Powder,” Sevika shoved her with her elbow, while beside her, Caitlyn’s face remained carefully neutral. Vi went stiff with tension.

“Alright, sheesh. Sorry. I was just kidding,” Powder grumbled, nearly getting flung off her feet. “No hard feelings, okay?” She looked at Caitlyn, lifting her hands. “Since we’re all here to celebrate my sister getting one year closer to being geriatric. Let’s have fun before running starts popping her knees.”

“That would hardly happen in my thirties,” Vi protested, though she was happy for the shift in conversation. “Say that again when I’m fifty.”

Powder snickered, a real smile forming on her lips as she was about to quip about something, before somebody interrupted her.

“Goodness gracious. Vi! Is that you?”

The four of them whirled around at the same time and saw a person who instantly made Vi want to groan loudly and run into the dark of the night.

It was her fucking ex, who used to work as the barista in a cafe near her work, who had cheated on her with another woman who could buy her more designer bags and jewelry and whatever the fuck it was that she wanted.

“Liz?” Sevika’s bewildered response very well represented what Vi was feeling. “What the fuck are you doing here—oh.” She paused upon seeing the other woman standing beside her, the woman she had left Vi for. “Ugh, Karen.”

Vi took pleasure in the absolute disgust dripping from her friend’s voice, but still, she wanted to get the hell away from the place. Paintball games be damned.

“Sevika, still ill-mannered, I see.”

Vi wanted to wipe that haughty look off her face. The woman led a new, successful insurance startup and immediately acted like everyone was beneath her, like she was a hot item that everyone was trying to get a piece of. Sadly, the last part seemed partially true, because Liz had been willing to ditch Vi for her.

“That’s big coming from you, Miss Whoever You Are,” Powder waved a hand off, face contorting with disgust. “Considering that you were the one going around sleeping with somebody’s girlfriend. Talk about manners.”

“Powder!” Liz gasped, clutching her chest. “You know I didn’t mean to hurt your sister—”

“Oh, cut the crap, Liz,” Powder rolled her eyes. “As if there’s a non-hurtful way of cheating on someone because they aren’t rich enough for your gold-digging ass. That was real classy of you, by the way.”

Wow.

Vi needed to get away like, right now. She appreciated her sister and friend jumping to her defense very fiercely but this was not how she pictured her birthday night would be.

“I assume you’re Vi’s infamous sister,” Karen drawled, still with that air of superiority in her voice as she looked down on them. “It’s hardly Liz’s fault looking for a more stable partner. I’m sure it’s—” she paused when her gaze landed on Caitlyn, who had been standing still beside Vi, a hard, unreadable look creasing her face.

“Oh my, Caitlyn? Caitlyn Kiramman? Is it really you?” Karen stumbled forward, moving closer to Caitlyn as if she couldn’t believe that she was there among a group of plebeians. Her voice was suddenly a pitch higher and excited.

In contrast, Caitlyn’s voice was the iciest that Vi had ever heard.

“I don’t believe we’re on a first name basis.”

Karen stopped dead in her tracks, immediately sobering up and looking a bit ashamed. “Right, um, sorry. Pardon my excitement. I’ve been trying to get in contact with your family for a long time, you see.”

“Whatever for?” Caitlyn asked, her voice still cold and sharp like a shard of ice.

It was so alien to hear her speak that way, even Sevika and Powder were turning their heads to look at her with wide eyes.

“Um, I’m leading this very fast-growing insurance startup and I’ve been wanting to offer my company’s healthcare package to your parents’ business for a while, for their employees, of course,” Karen reached into her purse in a hurry and produced her business card for Caitlyn. “Here’s my card. Please feel free to contact me anytime to discuss further details.”

Caitlyn took the card, gave it one unimpressed look, and shoved it down her coat pocket. “I haven’t heard of your company before. New in the business?”

“Y-yes.”

Oh my god. The ever cocky, fucking superior Karen was stammering.

“I see. Thank you for your offer, but my parents already have a long-standing health insurance provider they’re using for their employees. They like to stick to the time-tested ones. More stable, they said.”

The bite behind that ‘stable’ was unmistakable. Vi almost choked on her own spit. Powder and Sevika looked like they were one second away from keeling over and bursting with laughter.

Karen’s face was bloody red. “Of course, Miss Kiramman. It’s understandable.”

“Right. I’m sure you would understand.” Caitlyn turned away, looking unfazed after clearing the floor with the bitch. “Vi, let’s get inside. The queue is moving.”

She took a hold of Vi’s hand and somehow the movement made Liz screech.

“Oh my god! What is that? Are you guys married?”

Vi realized a second later that her ex was pointing at her wedding ring. Oh, good god. Now she had to suffer another round of conversation with her.

“Yes, we’re married,” Caitlyn said on her behalf, lifting Vi’s hand with hers. The identical diamonds gleamed on their fingers. “I’m her wife. Now, if you would excuse us,” Caitlyn cut the conversation short, much to Vi’s gratitude.

She dragged Vi in, while behind them, Powder and Sevika trailed with the biggest, most raucous, hyena-like laughter that Vi had ever heard.

They were wheezing their lungs out, literally tearing up and doubling over, shaking while clutching their stomachs.

“My god, Caitlyn. I didn’t know you could cause such a bloody carnage when you wanted to,” Sevika was still wheezing, wiping her wet eyes. “That was so satisfying to watch. I hate those two bitches.”

“Did you see the look on that startup bitch’s face when she heard Vi’s married to someone way richer than her?” Powder was squawking, her chest heaving up and down trying to suck in a breath. “She looked so fucking aghast, I’m peeing myself.”

They continued laughing like hyenas, clapping and hitting each other, and Vi couldn’t help but laugh herself because god, that was funny. And damn satisfying, indeed.

It was only when she let her laugh loose did she find a smile curling on Caitlyn’s lips again, her eyes gleaming almost wickedly.

Oh. So Caitlyn did know how to live up to her cold and bitchy rumors when she wanted to, and she had done it for Vi.

The realization was sobering.

Caitlyn had taken all those awful rumors about herself without a comment all this time, but she had bared her fangs and caused proverbial bloodshed for Vi.

For Vi.

====================

The paintball game turned out to be a massacre.

In hindsight, Vi realized that adding Caitlyn, who was almost like a professional shooter, in the game was clearly unfair to the casual players in the opposing team.

One moment, there were ten people on the opposite side of the field. The next moment, Caitlyn, who had positioned herself carefully and lay low behind a barricade, began shooting with such deadly precision, people in the opposing team started falling all over like flies. The round was over before five minutes.

The opposing team roared with protest, noticing the presence of someone clearly way out of their league in the game.

A second round was demanded, this time five against fifteen instead of ten against ten.

It was kind of hilarious.

Even more hilarious was the fact that Caitlyn still took most of them down with little effort, navigating the field like a seasoned pro and outsmarting them at every turn. One headshot went after another, and then the game ended seven minutes later.

The people roared again, feeling like they were in an unfair match and not getting their money's worth. A third round was demanded and Vi was close to giggling on the floor.

Sevika looked bewildered next to Caitlyn and seemed grateful that she did not have to go against that. It saved her some dignity, clearly.

Powder was impressed, judging by her whistle and claps whenever Caitlyn managed to land a headshot at the far end of the field without so much as blinking.

In the third round, some players in the opposing team began scheming to take Caitlyn out first, realizing that she was too dangerous to be left in the game.

They circled around while Caitlyn was focused on aiming, and if Caitlyn had one weakness, it was that she couldn’t register her surroundings well when she was focused on something else.

Two guys sneaked up behind her while she was in her bubble, and they would have shot her out of the game if it hadn't been for Vi leaping out from behind a barrel and surprising them, shooting them in the ass, literally, multiple times.

“That’s my wife, you assholes!”

She stood over them with hands on her hips once she was done, grinning and feeling proud of her work.

And then, something hit her really hard on the stomach. Oof.

“Vi, what the hell? Get down!” Powder yelled, but it was too late.

Someone had shot Vi right smack in the abdomen.

Caitlyn whipped her head around, looked for the attacker with the scary precision of a scanner, and immediately fired a round of shots at the poor guy until he was rolling on the floor and shouting, “Alright, lady! Calm down! I’m already out!”

The referee blew his whistle and signaled that the game was over, with their team winning once again.

“Hell,” Vi laughed, throwing herself on the floor and breathing deeply. All that running around was taking the wind out of her.

“Is my wife okay?” Came Caitlyn’s teasing voice as she stood before Vi, her silhouette looming over Vi and looking tall and sexy as hell. She took off her helmet, pushing her sweaty dark hair back and shaking them out. 

God. Sexy as hell, indeed.

Vi grinned and grabbed the hand that was offered to her, jumping up to her feet.

“Your wife is okay,” she took off her own helmet, leaning in and pecking Caitlyn on the lips. That might or might not have been intentional. “Now, let’s get out of these awful jackets. I’m starting to get hot.”

“I can see that.”

A chorus of throwing-up noises came from behind them. Vi whirled around and found Sevika and Powder looking like they were considering to shoot themselves in the eyes.

“Ew, gross,” said Powder, accompanied by Sevika’s heavy sigh and “I need to call my girl after this.”

Vi laughed, taking Caitlyn’s hand and walking out of the field with her sister and friend.

Dare she say, this was the best birthday she had ever had?

=================

After having dinner and sending Powder and Sevika back to their apartment, Vi found herself humming all the way home, her world brighter and her heart lighter than they had been in a long time.

“Someone’s in a good mood,” Caitlyn said, unlocking the door to their apartment and walking inside. She hit the nearby light switches and they lit up the entire living room.

“Well, I had a lot of fun today,” Vi said, taking her shoes off and placing them neatly on the rack. Caitlyn had been really nice so Vi had promised herself to stop teasing her with mess. “And that pizza we had was really good. I’ve missed eating there for a while.”

“Hm, maybe we should go visit your old neighborhood once in a while.”

“You want to come with me?” Vi teased. “Carbs and all be damned?”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “Well, you could eat your usual fill of carbs while I get something else. There are other things on the menu.”

“Right,” Vi chuckled. She stood in the living room, ruminating on what she was about to say while Caitlyn went to her office to pick something up.

“Hey, thanks for tonight, really.”

“For what?” Caitlyn came back, a carton bag in her hand.

“For everything,” Vi gestured vaguely at the space between them, suddenly feeling shy. “For suggesting to meet my sister again so I could make peace with her. For biting your words back when she was being a little irritating. And for standing up for me when we met my shitty ex. All of it meant a lot to me.”

Caitlyn processed her words in silence and it made her feel a bit nervous. “I think it worked, by the way. Powder seems to start seeing you in a new light. At least she believes you care about me now, to some degree. She said goodbye without looking like she wanted to murder us, so I guess that was an improvement.”

“That was an improvement,” Caitlyn finally said, smiling.

She still hadn’t said anything about the other things though.

“Why did you do it?” Vi asked, unable to hold herself back.

“Did what?”

“Scorch my ex and her annoying girlfriend,” Vi mustered a smile. “I’ve never seen you that vicious before, even when you were on the receiving end of irritation. Was it so my sister believed that we’re a real married couple in love?”

“No,” Caitlyn said after a moment of contemplation, sounding certain. “I think I just did it spontaneously because I didn’t like what they did to you.”

“Hm, my hero,” Vi curled a slow grin, sitting on the sofa. Somehow the knowledge that Caitlyn had done it out of care for her and not out of a plan to put on a show made her feel really, really good.

“So, are we real friends now? Considering that you’re willing to go out of your way to shred people for me?”

“I don’t know, you tell me,” Caitlyn smiled, sitting next to her. She placed the carton bag she had been holding onto Vi’s lap.

“Uh, what is this?”

“Gloves.”

Vi arched an eyebrow, looking into the bag and finding a pair of red kickboxing gloves. It was made of durable, high-quality material with ample padding and sturdy wrist support.

“Happy birthday?” Caitlyn said, sounding like she was testing her own words, measuring if they were strange. “I’ve never had friends who were close enough to share birthday presents before, but I hope I’m doing this right and you like my present? You are a real friend to me after all. My only one so far.”

“Oh, damn you.” Vi tilted her head up, forcing the tears in her eyes to retreat because she could not cry at Caitlyn calling her her only real friend.

Vi had always had a soft heart but damn it, she couldn’t be this soft.

She sniffed. “Thanks, you know I love boxing. These are perfect. The ones in the gym are shared by several people and smell funny sometimes.”

Caitlyn laughed, letting out a full, heartfelt sound that Vi still didn’t get to hear quite as often as she would like.

Twice now, probably.

God. She was beautiful.

“Well, it’s good to know I’m doing something right,” Caitlyn stood up, lingering with the remnant of her bright smile. “Happy birthday, Vi. I’ll see you again tomorrow, hm?”

She reached out to touch Vi’s face, running a thumb down Vi’s cheek before walking upstairs to her bedroom.

Vi stared after her, heart thumping wildly and face heating up.

Was it wrong that she wished someone were here with them, so she could chase after Caitlyn and press a goodnight kiss on her lips? Or maybe go upstairs with her and—

Vi shook her head. Firmly.

She could not lust after her fake wife, who had just said wholeheartedly that she was her only real friend, no matter how beautiful and thoughtful her fake wife was.

Vi stood up and groaned, once again blaming her desire for physical intimacy on the fact that she hadn’t dated anyone for over a year.

She needed a cold shower. Her friendship with Caitlyn was precious and she wasn’t about to fuck it up for stupid reasons.

Chapter Text

Vi had a serious problem.

Caitlyn’s birthday was fast approaching, and she still had no idea what to get her for a present. What could you buy for a woman who is way richer than you?

Vi ran her fingers through her short hair and pulled it back. She stared at the twenty open tabs of various websites on her laptop, failing to see anything noteworthy enough to buy for Caitlyn.

Whatever designer bag or luxury watch she could get for Caitlyn was never going to top what Caitlyn already had and what Caitlyn could buy for herself.

God. This is difficult.

Not to mention silly because the money she would use to buy any of these expensive items, should she decide to buy one, would be the money she got from Caitlyn herself.

“What troubles you, child?” Mrs. Babette’s voice startled her out of her thoughts, and Vi looked up to find the old woman settling at her desk across from her own.

“What makes you think I’m troubled, oh ancient one?”

“Hah!” Mrs. Babette rolled her neck and something cracked, making Vi wince. “You look constipated, that’s what. What is it? Is it a problem with one of your inmates?”

“No,” Vi clicked out of her browser, suddenly feeling bad for having used so many of her work hours agonizing about what to buy for Caitlyn. “It’s not related to work, sorry. I’m just debating about what to get for my… wife’s birthday.”

“Oh, Miss Kiramman,” Mrs. Babette’s eyes alighted with interest. “Or should I say Mrs. Kiramman? Well, you’re Mrs. Kiramman too now, so that may be confusing.”

Vi rolled her eyes. “I’m sure the water cooler gossip around here has been very fun.”

“For the younger people, yes,” Mrs. Babette chuckled. “Not for me. I’ve been around for so long, hearing about you getting married to a nice, rich lady is hardly scandalous. I’ve witnessed real scandals, I tell you.”

Vi held up a finger. “Hold on. Did you just say Caitlyn’s nice?”

“Well, isn’t she? Are you telling me your wife isn’t nice?”

“It’s not that,” Vi crossed her arms, frowning. “It’s just that everyone likes to assume she’s terrible.”

“I have never assumed that. Mrs. Kiramman has always been kind to me whenever we met and she has always been kind to her clients too. A bit stiff and reserved, she may be, but never rude. People just like to talk shit out of their asses.”

Vi laughed. “They do. And I did too, for a while. Now I’ve seen the light.”

“Good,” Mrs. Babette leaned back on her chair. “Now tell me about this birthday present problem of yours. Maybe I could offer you some sage advice.”

Vi sighed. “Well, you know how rich Caitlyn is, right? I feel like no matter what I get for her, it’ll never be as good as what she could buy for herself.”

“Well, then don’t try to get her something of significant monetary value. Get her something of significant sentimental value,” Mrs. Babette arched an eyebrow up like Vi was foolish for not thinking of something so obvious. Maybe she was.

After all, Caitlyn had understood that part and had gifted her something of sentimental value for her birthday. The cupcakes because she knew Vi loved sweets. And the gloves because she knew Vi loved boxing. None of it had been flashy and over the top.

Vi was suddenly embarrassed. She had wanted to impress Caitlyn so much, she forgot that the present should be something Caitlyn would love and not something Caitlyn would be impressed with.

Caitlyn wasn’t a shallow person.

“Mrs. Babette, I thank you for your wisdom,” she smacked her hands together. “Clearly, I’ve had my head in the gutter. I know what to do now.”

She clicked her browser open again, this time knowing exactly what she wanted to get.

==================

It was almost 10:00 PM by the time Vi arrived home.

She had dropped by The Last Drop after work, checking things out and helping Benzo. The bar was slow on weekdays, though, so Benzo had eventually shooed her away and told her to get some rest.

Vi paused in front of her shared apartment with Caitlyn, the keycard in her hand halting just before it touched the sensor, as fairly loud voices floated out from the other side.

“Caitlyn, I know you think you can take her down, but you can’t. If you keep doing this, you’ll only end up getting hurt. Your family could end up getting hurt again. Is your mother’s case not enough?” a female voice asked, frustrated.

“How about you let me worry about my family and you worry about yours?” came Caitlyn’s voice, sounding equally frustrated.

Vi rarely heard her speak that way.

“That’s unfair, Cait,” the other voice sounded actually hurt. “You know I’ve been trying my best to stop her but she doesn’t listen to anyone. Not even her own children.”

“And that’s precisely why I can’t just sit back, Mel. She doesn’t listen to words. She has to be stopped by action.”

The door flung open then, and Vi found herself face-to-face with Caitlyn and a tall, regal-looking woman standing beside her.

“Vi,” Caitlyn said, surprise clear in her voice. “You’ve been—”

“Sorry, I’ve just arrived,” Vi cut in quickly, feeling bad for having eavesdropped, albeit unintentionally. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Violet?” asked the other woman, sounding much smoother than both Vi and Caitlyn did. Gone was the trace of hurt in her voice. She offered Vi an easy smile and a hand. “Mel Medarda. Pleased to finally meet you. I’ve heard Jayce say you’re Caitlyn’s wife.”

Vi stared at the offered hand and then at Caitlyn. She wondered if Caitlyn would disapprove of the interaction, seeing as she didn’t seem to plan on Vi meeting this… Mel, but it would be rude not to accept the handshake.

“Violet, yes, that’s me.” Ugh. How eloquent. She shook Mel’s hand with embarrassment. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Well, Violet, I’d love to stay and chat more, but it seems like I have to cut our introduction short. It’s getting late. It’ll be rude of me to keep imposing on you two,” Mel passed her another easy smile, a polished one that seemed almost like a politician's.

Then she turned to look at Caitlyn, whose expression was hard to read. “I’ll see you again some other time, okay? Please, Cait, think about what I said.”

She walked down the corridor and disappeared into the elevator.

“Uh,” Vi looked at Caitlyn, resisting the urge to shuffle on her feet and scratch the back of her neck. Somehow, she felt like a kid caught red-handed doing something bad.

“Come on in,” Caitlyn sighed, holding the door open for her.

Vi supposed that was a good sign. She walked in and took off her shoes.

Caitlyn wandered into the living room, looking out of sorts and restless. Her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Vi was about to ask if she was okay and—

“How much did you hear?” 

Vi paused. “Not much,” she swallowed, grateful that it was the truth. “I really was just there for like… less than a minute. I promise.”

Caitlyn exhaled, her arms finally loosening around herself. “Okay. That’s good.”

Why is that good? Vi wanted to ask, but didn’t because the conversation was clearly making Caitlyn anxious. Not many things could make her anxious.

“Have you had dinner?” she asked, both as a diversion and as an actual question she wanted answered. The longer she lived with Caitlyn, the more she realized that the woman was horrible at taking care of herself. Tobias was right about that.

“Not yet, no. I was waiting for you,” Caitlyn gestured at the dining area awkwardly.

“You do realize that I’ve put what I cooked in the fridge so you could just eat them, right? You just have to reheat—”

“I know, and I know how to reheat,” Caitlyn sighed again, sounding exasperated. “I just wanted to wait for you, so I could eat with you.”

Oh.

Somehow that made Vi’s heart feel all jelly-like and gooey.

“You should have texted me. I could have come home earlier.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want you to work your schedules around me.” Caitlyn walked to the kitchen, opening the fridge and taking out the salmon and vegetables Vi had cooked for her the day before. “You go shower, I’ll reheat dinner for us.”

Vi did as she was told, making a mental note to come home as early as she could starting from tomorrow, except on the busy nights when she really had to help Benzo.

She also felt good about her decision on Caitlyn’s present because clearly, Caitlyn loved her cooking enough to make dinner a routine now, despite usually skipping it.

She came back to the kitchen twenty minutes later, clean and fresh and ready to do her favorite part of the day lately, which was spending time with Caitlyn.

“I’m surprised you’re not asking any question,” Caitlyn said when they were halfway through dinner, which admittedly, had gone quieter than usual.

“Well, I know you’re not going to explain much unless you’ve decided to do so on your own, so it would be pointless to ask,” Vi muttered between bites. “All it would do is make you more anxious.”

“Anxious?”

“Yes, you looked anxious earlier. Were you not aware of it?”

“I was, I just…” Caitlyn sighed, looking as though she was giving herself a mental kick. “I just didn’t realize that it was so visible from the outside. I can usually manage my emotions better.”

“Well, don’t stress yourself out. Maybe I’m just really good at reading people. I’m sure your mysterious lady charm still works on many less capable people out there.”

The joke earned her a small smile. “Please, I’m not doing it to be mysterious.”

A moment of silence passed, not uncomfortably, before Caitlyn spoke again. “Listen, Vi, I really appreciate you not pushing me to answer anything before I’m ready. Growing up, I was used to my mother probing me for answers insistently whenever she thought I was hiding something. It was a little maddening.”

“Well, were you hiding something from her?” Vi gave her a small, teasing smile. “A pretty classmate in your bedroom, perhaps?”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “I meant other things. But yes, that too, I guess. Mother could be relentless once she sensed that something was off.”

“Kinda like you, in a way.”

“I suppose. Though she’s a lot more overbearing. She could be very hard to deny.”

“But you don’t hate her, right?” Vi took a careful guess, judging by what she had heard of Cassandra from Caitlyn so far, which admittedly wasn’t much.

“Of course, not. Quite the opposite,” Caitlyn looked thoughtful as if she was recalling years' worth of memories. “Mother’s one of the few people in my life who I could tell for sure, without any doubt, love me for who I am. No hidden motives. No mind games. No pretense. I never have to second-guess her intentions with me.”

Hidden motives? Mind games and pretense? These weren’t exactly the words Vi thought someone would use to describe their relationship with any family member.

“Father’s like that too. And Jayce. Though they're a lot less observant than mother, so they understand me less. It’s always easier for me to talk with mother, even though we don’t always agree on the same things.”

Vi hummed, letting Caitlyn know that she was listening without really interrupting. It was rare for Caitlyn to open up like this.

“Speaking of Jayce,” Caitlyn exhaled. “I’m sorry he’s so loose-mouthed. I should have known he would blabber about us to Mel,” she paused, considering how much she could say. “Mel Medarda is his ex. They dated a long time ago, broke up, but remained good friends. Have you heard about the Medardas before?”

Vi searched her brain but could only come up with one memory. “The guy at the jewelry store asked you about a Medarda before. Did he mean Mel?”

“Yes, he did. I used to go there with her. But aside from that, have you heard anything else about the family?”

“No?”

“Hm, it makes sense, I guess,” Caitlyn nodded to herself. “Their family business is… rather uncommon. It’s not a very well-known industry among the public, but more well-known among government officials.”

Vi wasn’t quite following. All she knew was that the Medardas seemed to have some issues with the Kirammans, and vice versa.

But something didn’t add up if the two families were enemies. “You’re friends with Mel, right? Since you used to go shopping together and you allowed her up here.”

Caitlyn must have gone down to the lobby to pick Mel up. There was no other way for Mel to come up here. She needed a keycard to use the elevator.

“She’s more like a big sister, I think,” Caitlyn said, finishing her food. “I met her through Jayce. They’re both older than I am and they like to treat me like their baby sister. Like tonight, Mel came because she was worried about something and refused to leave until I listened to her. Normally, we would just meet over brunch once a month.”

Normally?

“You don’t hang out with her anymore?”

The two of them did sound a little strained earlier.

“We haven’t been in touch for a year, yes.”

That was around the same time when Cassandra got involved with the scandal. Mel had mentioned something about it too. Was it related somehow?

“Anyway, I think there’s something more important to discuss,” Caitlyn stood up and carried the dishes to the sink, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. “My father’s asking us to visit on my birthday. He insists on throwing a small dinner party for me, with mother and Jayce.”

Suddenly all the other thoughts fled from Vi’s mind.

Oh, shit. She would have to meet Cassandra again?

She had barely managed to escape with her life last time.

“Is that terrifying news to you?”

“You have no idea,” Vi said, eyes still wide as she walked over to help Caitlyn do the dishes. “I mean no offense, but your mother scares me.”

Caitlyn let out a small laugh. “She does have that effect on people, but I promise you, she’s kind at heart. She means no harm.”

Vi wondered just how true that statement was. 

Cassandra might be kind to her one and only daughter, but Vi had the feeling that anyone else wouldn’t be given the same kindness so easily.

===================

Visiting the Kirammans’ estate for the second time didn’t feel any easier. If anything, Vi felt more anxious this time, having to arrive without Caitlyn.

Saturday meant a hectic night at The Last Drop and she had to stay behind to help Benzo. Powder had eventually showed up and helped, but still, it took a while before Vi managed to leave.

She eyed her watch once she parked in front of the Kirammans’ mansion, wincing at the time. Nearly 8:30 PM. The dinner must have ended.

She left her truck in a hurry, but paused midway to the mansion door. Why were there seven other cars parked on the lot? All were luxury cars with gleaming finishes.

Caitlyn’s familiar sapphire-blue Bentley was one of them. But whose were the rest?

“Good evening, Miss Violet,” Steb opened the door for her, wearing a polite smile like before. “Please, come inside, everyone is waiting for you in the lounge. Drinks?”

“No, thanks,” Vi returned the smile and hurried inside, embarrassed for having been caught lingering and staring outside the door.

Steb took off her coat and led her to the evening lounge where she had met Cassandra and Tobias before. However, this time, as Steb pushed the lounge door open for her, Vi found herself in the presence of many, many more people.

About ten unknown people swiveled around to look at her, each carrying a glass of champagne and each donning a tailored suit or gown. Some looked around Vi’s age, while others looked significantly older.

Who on earth…?

“Vi!” came a voice she recognized from among the crowd, a booming baritone that sounded just as excited as it had been last time.

“Oof, hi, Jayce.” The air was knocked out of Vi’s lungs at his big hug, and then Vi found herself dragged along by his big arm that was looped around her neck.

“Who are these people?” she whispered to him, glad for his usual, enthusiastic greeting. It made her feel less awkward at all the curious gazes coming her way.

“Hasn’t Caitlyn told you?” Jayce whispered back, keeping his big grin intact for people and not moving his lips. “She told me she texted you earlier. Apparently, her father thought it was necessary to invite more relatives to celebrate her birthday.”

Oh. Vi had been so busy, she hadn’t checked her phone all night.

“So these are…?”

“Caitlyn’s uncles and aunts, and some of their sons and daughters who flew in from all over the country, or from other countries.”

The two of them paused midway upon seeing Cassandra, who gave them a look while conversing with one of Caitlyn’s aunts.

Jayce’s grin grew wider at the sight of her, but in a terrified way like he was being held at gunpoint by an invisible hand.

“Where’s Caitlyn?” Vi whispered, craning her neck to look around. “I don’t see her.”

“She went somewhere with her father. I think she’s giving him an earful. She’s pretty pissed off that he invited all these people without telling her.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, she felt the need to check her phone. Caitlyn’s text from two hours earlier read: Vi, I’m sorry. My father invited some of my relatives over.

“Is this the Violet I’ve heard about?” a lilting female voice floated from behind her, and Vi whirled around to find a woman around her age smiling at her and Jayce.

She had dark blue hair like Caitlyn and donned a cocktail dress with the same shade of blue that Caitlyn usually wore. However, where Caitlyn’s facial features heavily resembled Cassandra’s, hers didn’t. Tobias’ side of the family?

“Vi, meet Grace,” Jayce introduced the woman to her, sounding relieved to have an excuse to look away from Cassandra’s watchful eyes. “She’s Uncle Tadeus’ and Aunt Elizabeth’s daughter. Flew in from abroad for tonight.”

As if on cue, the middle-aged couple he pointed at walked over to them.

“Violet, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” the man, Tadeus, offered Vi a firm handshake and a big, jolly grin that seemed too bright somehow. Beside him, his significantly less enthusiastic wife, Elizabeth, offered her a dim smile.

Vi shook his hand and offered her usual introduction, and then shook his wife’s hand and his daughter’s—well, this was kind of awkward. Too many handshakes in a row.

“So, where did you hail from, Violet? Were you born and raised here?” The questioning began, starting with Tadeus. Vi felt like it was going to be a long night.

“Yes, sir. I was born and raised in this city. Never really left.”

“You didn’t travel? For studying abroad, perhaps?” Tadeus sounded surprised. “It’s good to expand your horizon, Violet. That’s why we sent our Grace to study and stay abroad after she finished high school here, so she could experience other cultures.”

Vi bit her words back. How should she tell him that not everyone had the kind of money to expand their horizons? Or did he assume she was rich?

“Do your parents run a business here and expect you to stay?” asked Elizabeth, suddenly curious after looking almost bored earlier. “What’s their company?”

Ah. So they really assumed that Caitlyn had married someone rich. “My parents didn’t run any company, ma’am. Mom was a teacher and dad was a mechanic. At night, he ran a small bar.”

The silence was deafening. Oh, well. Vi had only told the truth.

There was nothing wrong with those jobs. Not everyone had to be a businesswoman or businessman. If anyone thought otherwise, then they were a classist asshole and that was their problem. Not Vi’s.

“Oh, well,” Tadeus looked a little uncomfortable now, while Elizabeth went back to sipping her champagne with a dismissive look.

“And now you’re working in…?” Tadeus’ curiosity seemed to beat his discomfort. “I assume you’re a lawyer too and that’s how you met Caitlyn?”

“No, sir. I’m a correctional social worker.”

“A social worker?” His voice was high, perplexed. Clearly, it wasn’t a profession he expected. But there was nothing wrong with Vi’s job too. She wasn’t about to feel small because of some elitist expectations.

“Dad, mom, quit asking so many questions about jobs and businesses. This isn’t a work meeting,” Grace cut in, offering Vi a sweet, apologetic smile. She seemed to be more tactful than her parents, at least. “Sorry about them, Violet. They could be insensitive sometimes.”

Tadeus cleared his throat at his daughter’s quip but said nothing.

“Let’s talk about something more casual. I’m more curious about how you ended up dating and marrying Caitlyn,” Grace said. “It’s honestly impressive that you managed to stick with her until marriage. Caitlyn isn’t exactly easy to get along with, is she? She’s kind of living in her own mind palace.”

“Cait isn’t that hard to like,” Jayce intercepted, finally coming back to the conversation after going away briefly to grab a glass of champagne. “People just don’t bother understanding her because she has different interests and different ways of doing things. But that’s not her fault.”

“Of course, Jayce, I didn’t mean to imply that she’s unlikeable,” Grace clutched her chest, giving a scandalized look. “I just meant that getting to know her requires extra effort. But that’s alright. She’s worth all the efforts in the world after all, isn’t she?”

Vi glanced at Jayce and then at Grace. She was still trying to grasp what was going on when another voice swept in.

“Grace, Uncle Tadeus, and Aunt Elizabeth, I come bearing a message from Aunt Cassandra,” a dapper young man appeared, wearing a pink suit and a charming smile.

“And hello, Violet, I’m Theodore. Theo, for short. Congratulations on your wedding with Caitlyn. I hope you’re taking good care of my favorite cousin. Otherwise, I’ll have to hunt you down myself,” he winked before steering his attention back to the others. 

Well, at least this one was just a concerned cousin with no intention to interview her.

“Now, everyone, Aunt Cassandra has deemed that it’s getting late and we should all head home. I’m inclined to agree with her.”

“Oh, Theo,” Elizabeth drawled, sounding a little venomous somehow. “Always so eager to please. The perpetual errand boy.”

Theo shot her a dark look before smiling again at everyone. The abrupt change was jarring. “At least I’m not an errand boy to you, Aunt Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth looked like she was about to spit something vicious out but eventually decided against it. All of them left, along with a few others, saying their strange, stilted goodbyes before leaving Vi and Jayce alone.

Well, not exactly alone. Cassandra was still there with them.

“Jayce, you should head home too. It’s late,” her voice floated from across the room.

“Um,” Jayce turned to look at her, nervous. He scratched the back of his neck, giving Vi a troubled look. Why did he look like he was being held at gunpoint again?

“Jayce, I know Caitlyn must have told you to stay with Violet and avoid leaving her alone with me in case she's not around, but I must insist that you go home now,” Cassandra’s voice wasn’t exactly a warning, but it was clear that what she said wasn’t up for debate.

Vi understood now why Jayce looked like he had a gun pointed at his head. Caitlyn had forced an impossible task on him, which was to deny her mother.

“Leave, Jayce. Violet and I have private things to discuss.”

Jayce gave Vi one last look before going away, his eyes wide and apologetic. She gave him a tiny nod to indicate that she would be okay.

She would be okay, right?

“Come, Violet. Sit down.” Cassandra settled on one of the couches in the room, gesturing at the couch to her right. She stirred her cup of tea, her face unreadable.

Vi walked over to sit where she was told to, praying that she would be able to handle whatever question Cassandra was going to throw her way.

But whatever it was she thought the matriarch would ask, it was definitely not, “So, what do you think of Caitlyn's extended family, Violet? Now that you've met them?”

Vi stared at her for a few seconds because that was so far away from what she thought she would have asked.

“Do you like them?” Cassandra prompted, seemingly noticing that she was floundering. She probably wasn’t used to not getting the answer she wanted in a timely manner.

“It’s hard to say for sure. I’ve only just met them once after all.”

“Hm,” Cassandra sipped her tea, looking neither impressed nor disdainful at her answer. “I suppose that’s acceptable. At least, you didn’t say that you like them. I would either think that you’re terrible at reading people, or you’re lying, or you're one of their kinds. Birds of a feather flock together, after all.”

Vi raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t like your family?” She realized a second too late that she had blurted the question out loud and not just thought of it in her head. Fuck. Her eyes went wide.

Surprisingly, though, Cassandra didn’t look like she wanted to torch her. She simply stated, very impassively, “They’re not my family, in a sense. They’re my husband’s.”

Huh. All of them were from Tobias’ side? Not a single one was from Cassandra’s side? And somehow Cassandra didn’t see any of them as her family?

That was cold. Vi got that they were kind of unpleasant, but surely that wasn’t enough reason to alienate them completely?

“The Kiramman family has only had one child per generation. Caitlyn’s an only child. I am an only child. And even my mother was. It’s unfortunate for us, but quite fortunate for others, you see. It leaves them with plenty of opportunities and resources to take, should the only Kiramman left be weak enough to be manipulated into doing so.”

Vi’s eyebrows raised even higher. “That’s a very cynical way of viewing people.”

Oh, shit. Apparently, her mouth had decided that it had its own mission tonight. To probe the lioness in her den. Vi was about to be mauled by the said lioness.

But really, what Cassandra said sounded too... distrustful of everyone.

“Surely, not everyone’s like that? Some people could really mean well,” she added hopefully, praying that Cassandra wouldn’t bite her head off.

Her response was thankfully just a scoff.

“Even the most well-meaning people start having second thoughts if they see a large sum of money that's easy to snatch. If not money, then a position of power to earn respect and to do anything they want. But the bottom line is, there is always something people want from us. And if they can’t get it from us, sometimes they’ll sell us out to the highest bidder to get it.”

Her blue eyes sparked with interest then and locked with Vi’s. “The question here is, what do you want from Caitlyn, Violet? And before you say love, I’ll have to remind you that you couldn’t even be bothered to come early tonight despite knowing that it’s her special day.”

Vi blanched. “I’m sorry. I had to stay behind and helped at my father’s bar because—”

“I know what you had to do. Caitlyn has told me about it. I guess she really does care for you, because she was so insistent in defending you, saying that you wouldn’t miss the night if you had another option. But you see, that’s all she is to you, isn’t she? An option. You have your own family to take care of, and you will always place them above her. She isn’t exactly family in your brain, is she?”

Vi’s face went red. Admittedly, her brain hadn’t registered Caitlyn as family because well, their marriage was a sham, but it didn’t mean that Caitlyn was some unimportant last option to her.

“I think that’s a flawed way of looking at love. Love isn’t some… limited resources to be divided and fought over. Love for parents, for siblings, and for a partner could all coexist and be equally meaningful. One doesn’t take away from the others or make the others less important.”

Vi cleared her throat, wondering if she had been speaking too insolently. “Well, I know that in some cases, to some people, they could be severely imbalanced, but not to me. Caitlyn isn’t less important to me just because I care about my sister and my father too. I can assure you.”

Cassandra tilted her head and watched her carefully.

Vi resisted the urge to fret under the assessment of the hawk’s eyes.

“Very well then, if you believe you’re so different from others. I’ll give you the benefit of doubt for your confidence. But do know that I’m always watching, and if you end up hurting my daughter or betraying her in any way, there will be serious consequences.” 

Cassandra’s eyes glinted with her warning. “One too many times, when Caitlyn was much younger, she’d trusted a friend, opened her heart to them, only to find out that they didn’t really care about her and only liked what she had. One too many times, I’ve seen her hurt. That's why she's a lot more closed-off and careful now that she's older. Though deep down, I know she still longs for a real friendship.”

"So, Violet," she paused, casting Vi a dangerous look. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on between you two, whether it’s really love, as you both proclaimed, or something else, but if you do decide to stick with Caitlyn now, you'd better follow through to the end. It’s clear to me that she really values you now. I don’t want to see her hurt again.”

Vi swallowed. “You have my word. I’ll stay with Caitlyn for as long as she wants me to.” This she could promise. After all, Caitlyn wanted her to stay for a year and she already intended to do so, to the end.

It didn’t matter if Cassandra didn’t know the real meaning behind her words. Or did she? Vi couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman knew more than she let on.

Clearly, she still wasn’t fully convinced that they were really married out of love. But she seemed to have accepted the idea that they were genuine friends now.

“Okay,” Cassandra said, finally looking satisfied. “You stay loyal to her, you take good care of her, and I have no qualms with you. You may leave now.”

Vi blinked. It was baffling how Cassandra didn’t ask a single question about her job or her parents’ jobs like the others.

Apparently, she didn’t care for flashy status. She only cared about finding a good person for Caitlyn. Despite her cold and strict demeanor, Cassandra was a loving mother.

“Before you leave, Violet, one last question. Has Caitlyn mentioned anything about her trust fund from her late grandmother?”

Vi paused halfway to the door, whirling around to look at her mother-in-law again. “No. We never really talked about the Kirammans’ money. We talked about other things.”

Cassandra nodded, looking half-pleased and half-troubled with some other thoughts that Vi couldn’t quite explain.

“Very well then. Goodbye, Violet. Keep my daughter safe, will you?”

=====================

From the moment Vi had seen Caitlyn after her talk with Cassandra—breathless and pale, as if she had run across the whole mansion to find Vi after hearing from Jayce that Vi was alone with Cassandra—Caitlyn hadn’t stopped badgering her about it.

Even now, as they stepped into their apartment, Caitlyn still went on with the same question that she had asked Vi five times over.

“Vi, I’m really sorry. I should have stayed there and waited for you even though I wasn’t sure you could come. Are you sure my mother didn’t say anything—”

“Cait, it’s fine, really,” Vi had to laugh, because really, her conversation with Cassandra hadn’t gone that horribly. Caitlyn was just being paranoid for some unknown reasons.

“Your mother didn’t threaten to gut me or anything, I swear.” Well, she did give Vi a different sort of threat but Caitlyn didn’t need to know that. “Besides, weren’t you the one who said she’s kind at heart and she means no harm? Why are you so afraid?”

“Well, I did, but—” Caitlyn paused, frowning.

“No buts,” Vi waved a finger. “Everything’s fine, I promise. She just asked me some questions, like everyone else did.”

“I doubt my mother just asked the same questions that everyone else did.”

“Well,” Vi scratched the back of her head, seeing no way out of this. “Okay, listen, since it seems like you wouldn’t be able to sleep well without knowing exactly, in detail, what went on earlier, how about you take a shower first, take a moment to relax, and then we meet again here to talk about it?”

Caitlyn pondered for a moment before conceding. “Fine. I’ll see you again in twenty minutes.”

She speed-walked upstairs to her loft bedroom, probably making a real countdown in her head. Exactly twenty minutes later, Vi found her already sitting on the sofa in the living room, dressed in her usual satin robe and ready to investigate her.

What a woman.

“So?” she asked the second Vi sat next to her on the sofa, and Vi had to resist laughing.

“My god, Cait. I can’t imagine being a criminal or a witness at the receiving end of your questioning. Must be terrifying. No chance to dilly-dally at all.”

Caitlyn’s response to her was just a dead serious look.

“Uh, fine. Your mom asked me about what my intentions with you are. I think she doesn’t fully believe yet that we’re married out of love, but she seems to believe that we’re real friends now.”

“Okay,” Caitlyn said, a small frown still between her eyebrows. “That’s not too bad, I suppose. Anything else?”

“She warned me not to, uh, hurt you? Well, she said many variations of that but all of them meant the same, I think.”

Caitlyn exhaled. “That’s her usual thing to say, I’m sorry. But by any chance, did she demand you to stop doing this with me? Or did she—” she trailed off, looking conflicted about what she was about to ask somehow. “Offer you anything to stop?”

“Offer me anything?”

“Never mind,” Caitlyn brushed off her own question, suddenly looking away from her.

Vi raised an eyebrow. What's making her so restless?

It took her a moment of serious thinking before it finally clicked for her.

“You’re worried that your mother would offer me money to admit we’re lying, bigger than what you offered me, and that I would leave you for that.”

Caitlyn’s silence was a loud confirmation.

“Wow, Cait. I may be in need of money, but I’m not that money-hungry, you know?” If there was a hint of hurt in her voice, it was there because she sucked at hiding her emotions. She did feel a little hurt.

And the fact that she half-expected Caitlyn to say, I know, but Caitlyn still remained stone-silent was even more hurtful.

“You really believe I’d drop you for money? You really think I’m that kind of person?”

“I don’t think you’re that kind of person,” Caitlyn finally spoke, though her words were stilted and her jaw was tight. “I know you’re a good person.”

“Then why asked that question at all?”

“Because I make mistakes in my judgment sometimes, okay?” she bit out, the muscles in her face and neck straining hard to keep her emotions from showing, but betrayed by the thin layer of tears misting her eyes.

“I’ve been wrong before. I’ve believed some people meant well and cared more about me than money, only to find out it was the opposite. So, I don’t know. I can never know for sure if what I believe is real or if it's just wishful thinking.”

She whipped her head away from Vi, her hand moving up to wipe her eyes.

A wave of shock and guilt washed over Vi. She hadn’t meant for the conversation to make Caitlyn cry. “Cait, I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

“Have you met my extended family tonight?” Caitlyn asked, keeping her gaze fixed on the dead TV screen in front of them and refusing to look at her.

“Grace was there, wasn’t she? The one who wore a blue dress? She and I are the same age. We used to attend the same schools since we were eleven, learned to play the piano together after classes, and shared the same clothes because we both love blue. Back then, anything of mine she wished to have, I’d give her in a heartbeat because I thought of her as my sister,” Caitlyn sucked in a breath, wet with tears.

“She said she thought of me as her sister, too. But in high school, I found out that she had been going around for years, telling everyone that I was strange and unbearable to be with. That she only stayed with me because I kept hanging on to her like a fool.”

She shut her eyes, tears leaking from the corners again.

“Her parents? Uncle Tadeus and Aunt Elizabeth? Claimed to love me like their own child and reacted so supportively when they found out from Grace that I only like women. What a great uncle and aunt, I thought, until I overheard them say that if I keep living my misguided way, it will work out well for them because there will probably be no Kiramman after me. Their grandkids can take over the business.”

She opened her eyes again, looking skyward and drawing in a shaky breath.

Vi wanted to tell her that it was okay to stop this horrible walk down the memory lane, but she realized that Caitlyn was no longer explaining to her.

Caitlyn was pouring all of these out because she wanted to get them off her chest.

She had kept them buried so deep in the crevices of her heart all these years, unspoken and unmended, they seemed to have grown insidiously like a tumor.

“There’s also Theo. I got him the job he wanted in the law firm I used to work at, before mother’s scandal. He wouldn’t shut up about how I was his favorite cousin for years afterward, and he liked saying that he’d mess up anyone who messed with me. But when the real mess happened last year, when everyone in the firm turned their backs on me, he wouldn’t even look me in the eyes, let alone stand up for me. He avoided me like a plague in public, keeping his smiles only for private gatherings now.”

“So, yes, Vi, I really would like to believe that you’re staying with me not just because of money, but also because you think of me as a real friend now, as I do you, but I can’t be a hundred percent sure. A small part of me will always fear that I’m making the wrong assumptions again. It doesn’t matter what’s said to convince me, that small part will always be there. It’s not an issue with you. It’s on me.”

Caitlyn brushed the tears away from her face and swallowed hard, forcing herself to regain composure.

When she no longer looked so wrung up as though she might recoil from a simple touch, Vi scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I understand,” she pulled Caitlyn in, letting her rest her head on her shoulder as she gently rubbed her arm. Caitlyn had been avoiding her eyes and seemed to hate being seen crying, so by staying like this, with her head tucked just below Vi’s chin, she could lean on Vi without being seen.

“I really do, now. I’m sorry you had to face all those terrible things since you were little,” she paused, drawing Caitlyn even closer and stroking her hair gently with her free hand.

Her thumb brushed the soft hairs on Caitlyn’s hairline as she considered her next words carefully.

“Your mother didn’t offer me anything to leave you, and even if she had, I wouldn’t have accepted it. I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it. I’ll never abandon you halfway for anything.”

She drew in a breath, aware of how these words would fall on Caitlyn’s ears now.

“But I know telling you that I genuinely like you for who you are, that I think you’re worth more than your family’s money, aren’t things you could fully trust anymore. So, I’ll prove it to you in other ways. If you can’t trust words, I’ll show you through actions. We don’t even have to talk about this anymore.”

A moment of silence passed before Caitlyn’s voice, finally no longer thick with tears, floated out. “You’ll really do that for me? Even though the fault lies with me and you owe me no proof whatsoever?”

“Yes,” Vi squeezed her shoulder, nuzzling closer and resting her cheek against the top of Caitlyn's head. “Because I care about you. A lot.”

The words left her face a little warm, but Vi refused to take them back because she meant every single one of them. She would show Caitlyn that she meant so much more than just her family’s name and wealth.

“I’m going to start with something small, which is your birthday present.”

“You got me a birthday present?” Caitlyn finally looked up to her, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy but no longer wet with tears.

They were so close together, Caitlyn’s eyelashes could almost brush against the underside of her jaw.

“Yeah, it’s just something small, but it’ll serve to remind you everyday that I meant what I said.” With her free arm, Vi reached for her bag nearby and took the gift out for Caitlyn.

“This is…”

“A lunchbox, yes. It’s for you to bring to work. I’ll pack you some food every morning so you won’t ever forget eating again while you work, you horrible workaholic.”

“Vi, I really appreciate the thought and I love your cooking, but…” Caitlyn trailed, almost smiling now. “You wake up by the time I arrive at work.”

“Hah!” Vi waved a hand, brushing her off. “That’s not a problem. I can wake up earlier.”

“You said the world is dead to you before 8:00 AM.”

“Well, it’s alive now.”

“You told me not to wake you up for anything before 8:00 AM.”

“You don’t have to wake me up. I’ll wake up by myself.”

Caitlyn’s confused eyebrows were so high up her forehead, they did brush against the underside of Vi’s jaw now. But her lips were curling with a smile.

“Are you sure you want to do that? Wake up early every day even though you hate it just to what? Make sure I eat well?”

“Yes.”

“You’re a very perplexing person.”

“And you’re a very fussy woman. Just thank me for being the most awesome wife there is and call it a day. It’s rude to question a gift.”

Caitlyn actually stopped fussing and smiled at that. “Well, thank you, for being the most awesome wife there is. I'm sure many women out there are green with envy because they've missed out on such a prized catch.”

“Now, now, don’t stretch it too far. It won’t be believable.”

They both laughed.

Comfortable silence blanketed them together as Caitlyn nuzzled closer. Gone was the tension in her body. She leaned heavily against Vi, pretty much melting against her.

“Can we stay like this for a while?”

There was no way on earth Vi was going to say no to that. 

“Of course.”

They leaned on each other, one of Vi’s arms wrapped around her. Her head rested in the crook of Vi’s shoulder as Vi’s head rested against the top of her head. Then, they leaned back on the sofa and just stayed together quietly.

It wasn’t long before Caitlyn felt heavier, and Vi realized that she had fallen asleep.

She must be exhausted from everything tonight, not to mention that she had been out since early morning to work on something. She seemed to have a… personal project outside her regular job, even on weekends.

Vi contemplated where to take her, eventually deciding on her own bedroom because it would feel wrong to go into Caitlyn’s bedroom without permission.

She scooped Caitlyn in her arms and stood up, carrying her to her bedroom. Once she reached the bed, she placed Caitlyn down gingerly, careful not to stir her.

“Goodnight, Cait,” she pulled the blanket over her and pushed a strand of hair away from her face, curling it behind her ear.

Vi considered going to sleep in the other guest room but eventually decided to pull a chair nearby and sit beside the bed, watching Caitlyn sleep for a little longer.

Caitlyn had made her so happy on her birthday last time, the least Vi could do for her on hers was keep her company after all the shit she'd been through.

And next time, should she ever meet any of Caitlyn’s extended family again, there would be no politeness involved.

She would shred those bastards to pieces, good manners be damned.

Chapter Text

As it turned out, starting the day earlier didn’t actually suck.

By waking up at six instead of eight, Vi was able to do some stretches on the balcony while watching the city slowly come to life, no longer having to rush to take a shower as soon as she opened her eyes.

Heck, she could even listen to songs while brushing her teeth now, instead of rushing so much that she’d accidentally ram the toothbrush into her gum.

Another plus point was that she got to see Caitlyn in the mornings too, instead of just in the evenings.

Caitlyn was a creature of habit. She would come back from her morning swim at exactly six-thirty everyday, brew herself a cup of tea in the kitchen and read news on her phone, before going up to her room and taking a shower.

The first time Vi had seen Caitlyn come back from her morning swim, Vi had nearly walked into the kitchen counter and crashed her hip bone on it.

Caitlyn had walked around the kitchen with a bathrobe that only draped loosely over her shoulders, completely unfastened and doing a very poor job of covering her up. Underneath, her wet swimsuit clung to every curve greedily.

Vi could see every swell and dip on her body, and it was honestly too much visual input at six-thirty in the morning. Her brain had short-circuited every single time.

Even now, having seen Caitlyn that way many times, Vi’s brain was still fried.

“Morning, Vi. Did you sleep well?”

Vi had a very, very hard time ripping her gaze away from a stray droplet of water that was dripping from Caitlyn’s wet hair, falling onto the glorious swell of her chest.

The damned droplet seemed to be mocking Vi, because it got to glide down smugly between Caitlyn’s breasts.

“Vi,” Caitlyn snapped two fingers in front of her face, and Vi’s eyes finally snapped back up to her eye level.

“Oh, yeah. Hi. Hello. Good morning.”

When did Caitlyn walk over to her? And fuck, what was she saying again?

Caitlyn’s eyes danced with amusement. “Are you okay? You look very out of it.”

Saying ‘out of it’ instead of ‘horny’ was merciful.

Vi stepped forward and grabbed Caitlyn’s bathrobe, yanking its two sides together and tying it up. Caitlyn raised an eyebrow as she watched Vi fasten her bathrobe.

Well, she couldn’t expect Vi to hold a civilized conversation while looking like that, okay? That was unfair.

“It’s cold. I think you should cover up, especially because you’re still, uh, wet.” Vi walked away quickly to the kitchen, ignoring the fact that the apartment had an excellent heating system.

Time to focus on making breakfast and packing up lunch, and stop thinking about ample breasts and bare, long legs that seemed to stretch forever.

Ugh.

“You’re so grumpy in the mornings,” Caitlyn smiled, walking past her and ruffling her short hair. Vi wished she could tell Caitlyn that the mornings had nothing to do with her stilted vocabulary. It had everything to do with Caitlyn walking around looking like a swimsuit model and dripping wet with water.

Vi shook her head and started working on their breakfast, a simple set of salmon onigiri and miso soup because, well, Caitlyn had said that she liked having rice and soup for breakfast. Vi could pack some of the excess for her lunch too.

“Can I help you with something?” Caitlyn asked from where she was sipping her tea and reading news, putting down her phone. “I feel bad just sitting around while you cook.”

“No, thanks. I appreciate the thought but the last time you joined me in the kitchen, we had burnt chicken for dinner.”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “That was one mistake.”

“Uh, do you forget the overcooked steak that ended up like rubber the other day, and the strange vegetables that were half-mushy and half-crunchy somehow?”

At the reminder, even Caitlyn couldn't help but chuckle at herself. “Okay, fine, chef. I’ll politely bow out of your kitchen, lest I cause a disaster. I’ll go and take a shower.”

She walked past Vi and gave her waist a gentle squeeze, and Vi nearly sliced off a finger instead of a piece of tofu. Damn. Caitlyn really shouldn’t be anywhere near the kitchen when she cooked.

So dangerous in so many ways.

About forty minutes later, Caitlyn reappeared, neatly dressed in a white blouse and navy-blue tailored suit. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she was professional-looking once again. This was a much safer look for Vi’s heart. Not that she didn’t think Caitlyn looked smoking hot and distracting in a power suit too.

“Where did you put your laptop this time?” Caitlyn asked, looking underneath the sofa cushions to find Vi’s elusive laptop. She had a new habit of packing Vi’s bag for Vi lately. “It still baffles me that you put your laptop in a different place every night. What’s up with that?”

“We don’t all operate with your consistency, ma’am.”

Caitlyn put all the cushions back to their spots and then went over to Vi’s bedroom to find the missing laptop. She had been going there from time to time ever since that night she had spent sleeping there.

They never really talked about that night, though. Caitlyn seemed embarrassed of her emotional outpour that night.

“Found it,” came Caitlyn’s voice from her bedroom, and Vi had to smile as she started arranging breakfast on the table.

“Where did it hide this time?”

“Under one of your pillows. God knows how it got there in the first place.”

“Oh, I remember now.” Vi laughed. “I was checking some emails before sleeping.”

“Trust you to pass out and forget something like that,” Caitlyn reappeared, slotting the laptop into Vi’s bag on the sofa and then going to hunt for Vi’s notebook and pen next. She found them on one of the dining chairs a minute later.

Okay, so Vi might have forgotten them there after scribbling some notes last night. It was unintentional. But Caitlyn’s little huffs as she went hunting for Vi’s items every morning was funny, okay.

“Laptop, notebook, and pen are all in. Wallet, car key, earbuds, vitamins, hand rub, tissue,” Caitlyn mumbled to herself as she packed all of them neatly into Vi’s bag, and then slipped in a bar of chocolate. “Eat the chocolate in moderation, okay? Half of it better still be here tomorrow. Don’t let your sweet tooth get carried away.”

Vi was smiling so much, her cheeks hurt. “Yes, ma’am.”

Caitlyn went to grab Vi’s water flask and filled it with coffee, made with milk and sugar just the way Vi liked it. She put it into the bag too.

All of these felt very… domestic somehow, like they were a real married couple.

Vi shook her head, refusing to dwell on the thought for too long. A part of her brain tried to justify that all of these were no big deal, but another part, larger and louder, yelled at her that friends did not do these for each other. Couples did.

“Are we going to eat or are we going to just stare at all these delicious foods you’ve made?” Caitlyn’s teasing voice brought her out of her trance.

“Oh, yeah,” Vi cleared her throat. “Let’s eat.”

They sat down and started eating their breakfast, Caitlyn humming with each bite. She finished her portion a lot faster than Vi did. It was endearing to watch.

Normally, no one ate faster than Vi. And normally, when they dined outside, Caitlyn ate at a much slower pace than Vi did, too.

“You can go now. Don’t worry about the dishes. I promise I’ll wash them right after this and won’t let them sit in the sink all day long.”

The look on Caitlyn’s face was amused. “I haven’t said anything.”

“Yes, but I can already hear your brain shout at you to get up and wash everything immediately. You’re already in a suit, Cait. Don’t be silly.”

“Fine,” Caitlyn smiled, standing up and taking the lunchbox that Vi had put on the table for her too. “Thanks for the breakfast. And for lunch too. I think I’m going to drop by the supermarket later after work. Can I get you anything?”

“Nothing for me personally, but I’ll text you our grocery list.”

“Okay,” Caitlyn walked away, grabbing her attaché and handbag. “Let’s hope I can differentiate a ripe watermelon from an unripe one this time.”

“If it’s unripe again, you’re going to eat all of it alone. I’ll have none of it.”

Caitlyn’s laugh as she exited the apartment was musical.

===============

“You’re looking very happy these days, Violet. And you’re always in the office so early too. Whatever happened to the old you, hm?”

Mrs. Babette’s teasing look told Vi that she already knew the answer to that.

“And good morning to you too, Mrs. Babette. Sevika’s still not here, I assume?”

“Not yet. Maybe if she manages to find herself a good wife, she can finally start appreciating the early morning too and be less grumpy about it.”

Vi settled on her chair and took a sip from the coffee Caitlyn had made for her, smiling. “Well, do you appreciate your early morning with your husband? Is that your secret to being so happy in the mornings all these years?”

“Me? Good heavens, no. Not anymore. I’m too old for morning sex now, girl.”

Vi choked on her coffee and coughed violently. Okay, that was not what she thought Mrs. Babette had implied about having good mornings.

“Whatever are you so shocked about?” the old woman chuckled. “I’ve never seen you shy away from the mention of sex before. Both you and Sevika are usually so rowdy about it. Has your wife’s good manners rubbed off on you?”

Vi wiped her mouth, finally no longer wracked by cough and able to breathe. Damn.

“Uh, something like that,” she said. But actually, if she really thought about it, Caitlyn never shied away from the mention of sex either. She wasn’t rowdy about it, yes, but she had mentioned sex offhandedly a few times before.

She wasn’t a prude. She might be the opposite, even.

Ugh. Vi shouldn’t be thinking about this any further.

“I’m going to see Mrs. Smith,” she stood up, bringing her laptop with her. The sooner she started working, the less she could think about Caitlyn and sex. Dangerous combo.

“Oh, she’ll be released next week, won’t she? Your wife did a really good job defending her in that retrial. New evidence and all. I can’t believe she managed to save her and condemn her shitty husband at the same time. Remarkable.”

Vi grinned, feeling a surge of pride for Caitlyn. “She is remarkable. Very much so.”

“Alright, enough gloating about your wife,” Mrs. Babette chuckled. “Now get out there and help Mrs. Smith transition out of prison smoothly. Meanwhile, I have to go listen to the warden talk about our new payroll system. How boring.”

“What new payroll system?”

“They’re planning to open accounts in a new bank for all employees and transfer all the salaries there. Something about streamlining the process so they won't have to transfer salaries to all the different bank accounts.”

“Huh. That’s annoying. I don’t need a new bank account. I already have some.”

“Me neither, girl. But apparently, all the government institutions are doing it now. They said the new bank has great digital services and cheap fees.”

Vi sighed. “Whatever they say, I guess. I’ll see you later, Mrs. Babette!”

===============

It was always both exciting and worrying when any inmate under her counsel was going to be discharged.

On one hand, Vi felt happy for them, being able to resume their lives again soon, but on the other hand, resuming life after prison was never easy.

It was very difficult for formerly incarcerated individuals to find employment after being released from prison.

“So, do you have any questions about the things we’ve discussed?” Vi asked, making sure that everything they had talked about, from the reentry program to the vocational programs and peer support, were all well understood by Mrs. Smith.

“None for now, Miss,” Mrs. Smith said, still sounding a bit timid despite the excitement in her face. Her eyes, usually dim and sunken, had come alight since her last trial, when her sentence had been overturned and her husband had been sentenced to eight years.

Caitlyn did not play around.

“Is it okay if I contact you again outside the prison, if I have new questions?”

“Of course. Feel free to call the number on my card anytime. I’ll still keep in touch regarding the reunification plan for your daughters as well. It’s going to take a while because the child welfare agency will require proof of financial stability and completion of some legal processes first, but my wife—”

Vi paused, her cheeks warming up at her blunder. How unprofessional of her to refer to Caitlyn as her wife in a work setting. But Mrs. Smith’s knowing smile soothed her mortification a little.

“I mean, Mrs. Kiramman said that she knows an attorney who specializes in family law and can help you navigate the legal processes.”

Mrs. Smith’s smile grew brighter. “Thank you both, Miss. I can’t describe in words just how grateful I am. Please, send my regards to your wife. I haven’t had the chance to thank her properly for everything she’s done for me and my daughters.”

“I’ll relay that to her,” Vi smiled, closing her laptop. “Maybe we can arrange a day out with your daughters once you’re released. I’m sure they’ll love to see you again.”

Vi said her goodbye and left the counseling room, smiling in wonder. Three months ago, when she had come to Caitlyn with this case for the first time, they were strangers.

Now, at the closure of this case, they had been married for two months.

Life could be so unpredictable sometimes.

===================

There was a boisterous laugh floating out from the living room as Vi set foot into the apartment. She closed the door and took off her shoes, craning her neck to see whose voice it was as she placed her shoes on the rack.

Considering that it was a male voice and there were only two men allowed into Caitlyn’s apartment—and the voice was definitely too loud to be Tobias’—it didn’t come as a surprise to Vi that Jayce was the one popping up in her field of vision.

“Vi! Finally, you’re here!” Jayce bounded over to her, a wide grin plastered on his face. He was always a happy guy, save for that time when he was stressed out trying to keep Vi from Cassandra, but the look on his face now was even brighter than usual.

“Hey, Jayce. Good to see you again. What’s going on? You’re beaming at me very brightly now like I’ve just saved the world and your life.”

“Well, that’s not exactly wrong,” Jayce laughed, dragging her along into the living room. “You are saving my life. I’m one second away from passing out because of hunger. Cait wouldn’t let me eat anything.”

“That’s an incorrect accusation,” came Caitlyn’s voice from the kitchen, where she was standing over two large plastic bags on the kitchen island. They contained multiple to-go containers. “I said you could eat, but we should wait for Vi.”

As Vi got closer to the kitchen, the delicious smell of the food in the containers finally hit her nose. No wonder Jayce was dying. Smelling all of this without being able to eat must be torturing.

But also, Caitlyn refusing to let Jayce take any bite before Vi arrived was hilarious, considering that she had bought so much food.

“Sprout, there’s enough food here to feed five people,” Jayce whined, voicing the same thought as Vi’s. “Your wife would still have plenty for dinner if I take one—”

“What if she wants to eat that one?” Caitlyn slapped his hand away as he attempted to take one of the containers out of the plastic bag, making him yelp. “I bought all of these so she could take her pick.”

Jayce sighed dramatically. “This must be how parents feel when the child they worked so hard to raise ends up putting them second to their spouse,” he made a show of looking heartbroken, though there was mirth dancing in his voice. “My little Sprout is all grown up now and madly in love. I am but a forgotten old man.”

Vi would have snorted at his dramatics if it wasn’t for the fact that Caitlyn’s face, usually calm and collected, was suddenly very red. Was she… blushing?

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not forgotten. I just want to keep all of these for Vi to pick from because she deserves to indulge herself after spending the entire week making me good food. It’s her day off from cooking.”

Jayce laughed. “I was just kidding, Sprout. Besides, you don’t have to make a speech rationalizing your affection for your wife. She is your wife, right, not your secret crush?”

Oh, shit. Vi darted a look at Caitlyn, suddenly alarmed.

Had they been too lax and accidentally made Jayce notice something odd?

“Of course not,” Caitlyn said instantly, though her eyes went a little wider. It seemed like she was alarmed too. “Vi knows that I… love her.”

Oh, god. Vi was torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to hide under the kitchen counter. Caitlyn was still so horribly awkward at wording out affection.

And Jayce, rightfully, raised a confused eyebrow at her.

“Uh, I think I’m going to take a shower before dinner,” Vi cut in, needing to break off the awkward conversation. “Cait, just let Jayce eat something. You know I’m not picky.”

To add more conviction into their roles as real, loving wives, Vi stepped into Caitlyn’s space and planted a quick kiss on her lips before making her way to her bedroom.

Except that she couldn’t make her way there because Caitlyn shot a hand out and grabbed her by wrist, yanking her back.

For the silliest fraction of second, Vi’s heart hammered with the anticipation that maybe, Caitlyn wanted to kiss her again.

She was met with wide, unblinking eyes instead, and the faintest tilt of Caitlyn’s head to the direction of her loft bedroom.

Oh, shit. Right. Jayce couldn’t find out that they were sleeping in separate bedrooms.

Vi had nearly, royally fucked up and had somehow thought of kissing Caitlyn again instead of remembering where she should be.

Her face warmed, and went even hotter when Caitlyn finally did lean in to kiss her again, because she had already pulled Vi back and it would look weird to just let her go.

Vi sighed despite herself, because whenever Caitlyn decided to kiss her, she never just gave a quick kiss. She kissed thoroughly, cradling Vi’s face in her hand and pressing into Vi with just enough force to make Vi want more, but not enough to satisfy her.

It was maddening.

And Caitlyn had the audacity to smell really heavenly while doing this, giving off waves of sweet scent from floral shampoo and whatever rich, creamy lotion she had lathered on her skin after shower. Vi wanted to burrow herself into all that sweetness and warmth and never leave.

“Hm, that’s more like it,” Caitlyn muttered as she pulled back, her voice sounding way huskier than it had the right to be. Her blue eyes looked darker somehow.

She placed a hand on Vi’s chest and, after a moment of delay, pushed her back with seemingly great effort. “Now go shower. I’ll make sure Jayce leaves some food for you.”

Jayce made a complaining noise, but Vi couldn’t tell if it was because of the food restriction or because of their overt, physical display of affection.

Vi’s heart was pumping way too fast for her to really comprehend anything. She made her way to the staircase, pretty much sprinting up to Caitlyn’s bedroom to escape.

Her heart rate only slowed again once she was alone in the loft bedroom, away from Caitlyn. Vi shook her head, taking a moment to calm herself before looking around.

This was the first time she had been in Caitlyn’s bedroom.

While most of the apartment had darker wood tone, Caitlyn’s room used lighter wood accents and dove white walls. The space looked softer and warmer somehow.

Her bed was huge, with a heavy wooden base, and neatly tucked in at all corners. To the right were large windows that stretched from floor to ceiling. A long, padded seat was built directly into the window frame and was cushioned with pillows and a blanket. Vi could easily picture Caitlyn curling up there with a good book, lost in her own world.

To the left were a dresser and a bookshelf. All the little items on them were lined up neatly. Having any semblance of clutter would probably make Caitlyn break out in hives.

Vi smiled and went on to observe the three framed photos hanging on the wall nearby.

The first one was a photo of high-schooler Caitlyn carrying a rifle and wearing a gold medal around her neck, smiling surprisingly brightly with proud-looking Cassandra and Tobias standing by her sides.

The second one was a photo of Caitlyn in her academic regalia during her graduation from law school, accompanied by her parents and Jayce. There was a valedictorian stole draping over her. Vi cracked a smile again because of course, Caitlyn would graduate as the valedictorian of her class.

A woman with a sharp shooting skill and even sharper mind, damn.

The third one was a photo of Caitlyn, Jayce, and Mel Medarda, seemingly on a trip abroad. Vi paused at this one for a moment because seeing Mel there was a surprise.

Caitlyn and Mel seemed a lot closer in the photo than they did the last time Vi had seen them together. Mel was standing in the middle, her right arm looping around Caitlyn’s shoulders and her left arm linking with Jayce’s. All three of them smiled brightly at the camera, almost laughing.

Whatever happened between the Kirammans and the Medardas last year must have been pretty severe to create such a rift between Caitlyn and Mel.

But the fact that Caitlyn still kept her photo here told Vi that Caitlyn didn’t hate her. If anything, Mel was definitely one of the few people Caitlyn genuinely liked, because none of Caitlyn’s extended family or schoolmates or colleagues were even in any photo.

“Vi?”

Vi startled and whipped around, finding Caitlyn with a small bag in her hand.

“Uh, yeah? Sorry, I was just—”

“I figured that you would be panicking once you realize you have nothing to wear after shower,” Caitlyn chuckled, passing the bag she was holding to Vi. “Here, I sneaked your clothes and underwear while Jayce was too busy stuffing himself with food.”

Vi’s face went crimson at the thought that Caitlyn just went through her undergarments. She snatched the bag from Caitlyn’s hand with the speed of lightning.

“Thanks. I was worried that I would have to wear one of your laced lingerie.” When in mortification, a joke was the easy way out.

It proved to be effective because Caitlyn laughed, not pointing out any sign of embarrassment from Vi’s side as she left the room. “Finish your shower quickly before Jayce cleans out all the food. He’s a food monster.”

Vi did as she was told, opening the door to her left—oh, okay, that was a walk-in closet, not a bathroom—and then opening another one to finally find the bathroom.

She showered with the realization that Caitlyn didn’t seem to mind her being in her bedroom and looking around.

It felt a little surprising at first, but if Vi really thought about it, Caitlyn had never told her to stay away from her bedroom. It was her office downstairs that she had forbidden Vi from coming anywhere close to.

What on earth could possibly be there that was more private than the content of her bedroom?

The curious question plagued Vi so much that she couldn’t help but pause in front of the locked office door once she finished her shower and went downstairs.

The locked door stared back at her without answer.

“Vi! Come here and eat with me!” Jayce yelled from the dining table, taking Vi out of her thoughts. “Caitlyn keeps scolding me whenever I take a bite out of something. She’s mean when you’re not around.”

Caitlyn, sitting beside him, rolled her eyes. “Telling you to eat slowly and to leave something for Vi and me is hardly being mean.”

Vi sat across from them, enjoying their little banter. It was nice to see Caitlyn be so laid back and relaxed around someone.

“You guys want some of this?” Jayce motioned at the container of pasta that he was eating from, chewing sloppily.

“Very kind of you to finally remember us after massacring that whole container with your saliva-covered fork,” Caitlyn said dryly. “I told you to use a plate, Jayce.”

Jayce shrugged and then looked at Vi, still holding out his offer.

Vi shrugged too and grabbed a fork because well, she was hungry, and that creamy tomato pasta and burrata smelled divine. “I’ll take some.”

“Clearly, you two are cut from the same cloth,” Caitlyn watched the two of them eat straight out of the containers with a look of half-amusement and half-horror. “I should have seen this coming.”

“Hmm, table manners don’t matter when the food’s great, Cait,” Vi threw her head back and closed her eyes, sighing contentedly. “These are so good. Why do I feel like I know these? They taste familiar somehow.”

“That’s because they came from your old neighborhood.”

Vi paused. “You had these delivered all the way here from my old neighborhood?”

“Well, no, I drove there.”

“What?” Vi blinked, at a loss. 

Caitlyn frowned, looking as if she, too, were at a loss as to why Vi was making a big deal out of it. “You said you missed having food from your old neighborhood, no?”

“Well, yes, but it’s an hour's drive away from here and the traffic is horrible after work. At least use the delivery service next time—”

“No. Delivery mangles the food sometimes. I’m not serving you sloppy and soggy food after you’ve spent the entire week making me good food. That’s unacceptable.”

At Vi’s baffled expression, Jayce laughed.

“That’s Cait for you. She goes out of her way to do things for someone and then fails to understand why the person receiving them would feel touched,” Jayce said between bites. “Complicated crimes are somehow easier for her to unravel than simple feelings. I’ve seen some women go insane waiting for her to pick up on clues about their feelings. But luckily, you’re her wife and not some poor sap pining away for her love in secret.”

Vi’s grip on her fork became very tight.

An uncomfortable feeling swooped low in her stomach.

“Well, yeah, lucky me,” she shoved another forkful of pasta into her mouth, hoping that swallowing it would bury whatever that feeling was. “Speaking of love life, how’s yours, Jayce? I heard you used to date Mel Medarda. Any new woman or man afterward?”

The loud groan from Jayce was relieving to hear. Vi wanted to move on from that conversation. It made her fretful somehow.

“No luck so far,” Jayce whined, stabbing a piece of tomato with his fork mournfully. “I keep going on dates, but I keep finding a deal breaker every time. Either questionable political views, or lack of commitment, or something else. Dating is so hard these days, and this is coming from someone who swings both ways.”

“So, why broke up with Mel at all?” Vi chewed, knowing that she was fishing but unable to stop herself because damn it, she was curious. “She seems like a nice lady.”

Caitlyn visibly tensed up beside Jayce.

“Well, yes, she’s a lovely lady, but her mother is unbearable.”

“Her mother?”

"Yes, Ambessa Medarda," Jayce said, looking as though he almost shuddered just at the mention of her name. “Arms industry tycoon, staunch supporter of the military force, and power-hungry shark in general. Not exactly the mother-in-law I want.”

“The Medardas’ business is in the arms industry?”

“Well, Mel wants nothing to do with that industry and decides to build her own business in media as a publisher, but yes, her mother owns the biggest defense company in the country, manufacturing weapons and other military technology. Has Caitlyn not told you about Ambessa—”

“Ambessa is irrelevant to Vi,” Caitlyn cut him off, her face completely stony. “Besides, nothing good comes out of knowing too much about her. You were right to keep a wide berth from her.”

“Well, I can only hope that you’re doing the same, Sprout.” Jayce looked strangely serious for once. “Anyway, thank you for the wonderful dinner tonight. I suppose this is a nice reward for my awesome photo.”

Caitlyn finally smiled again. “That photo is, indeed, quite awesome. You did a good job.”

Vi followed the direction of Caitlyn's gaze to the wall far behind her, and oh, wow. She hadn’t noticed the huge photo hanging near the TV screen. A huge photo of her and Caitlyn kissing during their wedding.

Vi left the dining table without realizing, her feet taking her closer to the photo in some sort of autopilot mode as she stared up in disbelief.

The photo was beautifully shot. They were kissing against the backdrop of the grand City Hall, smiling against each other's lips. It looked real. Like no one could tell that they were just laughing at the absolute ridiculousness of the situation.

They looked like they were in love, captured eternally in black and white.

A familiar warmth came up behind her, and then came Caitlyn’s voice next to her ear, soft and silky. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Vi couldn’t think and say much beyond that, because Caitlyn’s cheek was almost touching her ear, and her chest was pressing against Vi’s back.

“I love it too,” Caitlyn turned her head a little, whispering into her ear. “You looked dashing in those suspenders.”

Goosebumps erupted down Vi’s neck and back.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to smile, turning her head toward Caitlyn until their lips were merely inches apart. “So did you in your white suit, beautiful.”

Acting. She could do this. She could play this game. She could flirt with her fake wife. 

Caitlyn’s eyes were the most vibrant blue she had ever seen.

“Aaand that’s my cue to leave,” came Jayce’s voice from somewhere behind them, and he was in the doorway within seconds, as though he didn’t want to risk staying longer and accidentally witnessing something he wouldn’t be able to erase from his memory. “Bye, you lovebirds. Have fun.”

The spectator left. The door closed. But Caitlyn remained where she was, as if she didn’t notice anything else but Vi. Her gaze stayed heavy and fully focused on Vi’s eyes, before dropping to Vi’s lips. Her own lips parted slightly and she seemed to move closer.

“Cait.”

“Hm?”

“What are we doing?”

Caitlyn stopped just before their lips brushed, her eyes flicking back up to meet Vi’s eyes. They were so close together, Vi could feel her exhale against her mouth.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize that Jayce has left,” Caitlyn took a wide step back. Her face was suddenly difficult to read. “I’ll go do the dishes. You should go to sleep.”

Normally, Vi would insist on helping Caitlyn with the dishes, but the wild thundering in her chest told her that she needed to get away from Caitlyn tonight before she could do something stupid.

“Okay. Goodnight, Cait. Sleep well later.”

Vi darted into her bedroom, shut the door behind her, and turned the lock twice with two resonating snaps. She hadn’t locked the door once before, let alone twice, but tonight, it felt necessary to do so.

God knew how much she wanted to rip the door open and go out to finish what Caitlyn had nearly started.

It was a mistake.

Caitlyn was just unaware that Jayce had left.

It meant nothing.

Vi shouldn’t read more into it.

Vi threw herself face-first onto her bed and groaned into her pillow.

Chapter Text

Something was different between them.

Vi couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was, but there was something different after that strange night two weeks ago, when Caitlyn had nearly kissed her.

The most obvious change was that Caitlyn no longer lingered too close to her when they were alone. Gone were the casual squeezes on Vi’s arm, the playful ruffling of her hair, and the occasional, gentle stroke on her cheek.

Caitlyn still smiled at her jokes, prepared her bag for work every morning, and waited for her to come home for dinner, but she kept a wide distance between them.

And Vi hadn’t realized how much she'd gotten used to Caitlyn sticking close to her and showering her with physical affection, until she had to spend two weeks completely devoid of that affection.

It felt horrible.

Her days felt wrong and off-kilter.

So, when Powder had texted her one day and asked if she wanted to take their dad out of the city for a short trip, to celebrate his birthday, Vi had instantly said yes.

She couldn’t believe she was willingly putting Powder and Caitlyn under one roof for three days, but she wanted to be out in public with Caitlyn again, around people who assumed they were real wives.

If Caitlyn still wouldn’t come close to her, then… something was definitely wrong.

And Vi would have to find ways to fix it because she couldn’t bear it.

“Cait, I was wondering if you could take leave from Wednesday to Friday next week?” she asked over dinner, bracing herself for a refusal since it was such a sudden request. Caitlyn’s schedules were always packed up to the brim.

“Next week?” Caitlyn looked up from her bowl of rice with surprise, and then concern. “I have quite a lot of appointments, but I think they’re reschedulable if necessary. Is something the matter?”

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just—” Vi trailed off, suddenly feeling bad for asking Caitlyn to reschedule all her important appointments just to go on a trip with her. “My dad's birthday is coming soon. Powder and I want to take him out of the city for a three-day trip. There’s a lake he loved to visit and fish at back then. I wanted to rent a cabin there for the weekend, but it was already booked, so…”

At Caitlyn’s little frown as she looked at the calendar on her phone, Vi backpedaled. “You know what? It’s okay if you can’t make it. I’ll just go with Powder and Sevika.”

“No, I think I can make it,” Caitlyn put down her phone, her frown finally smoothing out.

“Are you sure? Your appointments seem important—”

“So is your father to you, and you’re my wife, so,” she left the sentence unfinished, as if the rest of it should be obvious enough to Vi.

It wasn’t.

“So, you mean you want to come along because you’re worried my sister would think it’s weird if you don’t? Because you’re my wife? If that’s the case, don’t worry, Cait, I could tell her you have a trial—”

“It’s not that,” Caitlyn sighed, looking equal parts exasperated and conflicted about which words to choose to explain her thoughts. “Just know that I want to be there. Not strictly for that reason. Tell your sister and Sevika I’ll come with you.”

She was so, so strange ever since that night.

“Okay, thanks. I appreciate that.”

“Don’t mention it.” Caitlyn picked up her bowl again to finish her food. “My schedules are manageable. I’m more surprised you asked me to come with you at all.”

“What do you mean?”

“You said you weren't sure about taking me to meet your father before.”

Vi paused. “Right. I did, but that had nothing to do with you personally, I promise. I was just unsure because lying to him about us, while he's already struggling to remember real things, felt... wrong.”

“I know, Vi, and I’ve never taken it personally. I’m just surprised you’ve changed your mind. Why have you?”

Vi paused again.

Why indeed?

Back then, at the start of their deal, it had felt wrong to take Caitlyn, who was kind of a stranger, to meet her sick father and lie to him about. Now, though, Caitlyn was no longer a stranger she agreed to fake-marry just for money. Caitlyn was someone important to her. Someone more than just the deal.

It felt right to have Caitlyn around her father now, around everyone who was important to her, because she was important too.

“Well, we’re… good friends now? And my dad has always known all of my close friends. I think I’d like him to know you too while he still retains some parts of himself. One day, it may be impossible for him to recognize anyone at all. The doctor said dementia is progressive. It’ll only get worse as time passes.”

Something twisted in her chest, as it always did when she talked about Vander. So much time had passed and she still hadn’t made peace with the fact that she would never get him back. Her heart still ripped all the same.

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter what I’ll have to introduce you as. Wife, friend, anything. I just think it’ll be nice if the two of you could meet while he’s still himself sometimes.”

Caitlyn’s hand, soft and warm, landed on top of hers on the table and squeezed.

“Okay. I’ll meet your father.”

She seemed to slip back to her normal self for a second, her eyes soft as she stroked the back of Vi’s hand with her thumb. Then, she paused abruptly and snatched her hand back like she had accidentally touched fire.

“I’ll get you some more water.” She stood up and grabbed the empty glass in front of Vi, walking to the kitchen and leaving Vi alone wondering what the hell was going on.

When she came back, she pulled her chair a little farther from Vi’s, sitting stiffly and sliding the glass toward Vi without moving an inch closer.

She remained rooted there for the rest of the dinner.

What the hell was going on with her?

=================

Vi hadn’t been out of Piltover for longer than she cared to admit.

Compared to the polluted city air, the crisp, fresh air of the forest, carrying the scent of damp wood and earth, felt like a feast for her lungs. She inhaled greedily the second she jumped out of her truck, her boots squishing the moss underneath.

Caitlyn seemed just as taken by the green surroundings as she stepped out of the truck, no doubt having been stuck in the city for far too long, too.

“This place is beautiful,” she muttered, her gaze fixed on the tranquil lake and the cabin nestled at the edge of it. It had a rustic wooden exterior that blended well with the surrounding forest, and large windows that overlooked the calm water.

A wooden dock stretched out from the shore, and a small rowboat was tied to it. The rowboat bobbed lazily with the gentle ripples of the water, shimmering under sunlight.

Everything was exactly as Vi remembered it. Vander used to take her and Powder out on that small rowboat when they were younger, to go fishing. At night, they would grill the fish they'd caught for dinner.

“Well, aren’t you glad you decided to come with me?”

“I suppose,” Caitlyn gave her a sideway glance and a smile. “This reminds me how unpleasant the city is, air thick with car exhaust and streets overwhelmed by noises.”

Vi chuckled. “Yeah, I wish I could stay here forever. Come on, let’s get inside. I think my dad and the others are already in.”

Sevika had brought her minivan to accommodate Vander, his wheelchair, and Ekko, who had been invited by Powder. Vi’s truck couldn’t fit everyone, so they had to split into two vehicles. Caitlyn’s car wasn’t even in the discussion. That shiny, fancy thing was meant to stay on the city streets.

“Here, let me carry your suitcase."

“It’s fine, I can carry it myself.” Caitlyn tried to take the suitcase from Vi’s hand, but promptly snatched her hand back when their skin brushed against each other.

She almost jumped back from Vi too.

“What’s the matter with you?” Vi asked, frowning. “You’ve been avoiding touching me like—”

“Hey! Vi! Are you guys going to come in? You can continue flirting once you’re inside, you know?” Powder’s shout from the porch cut their conversation short.

Caitlyn pulled her hands to herself, crossing her arms awkwardly in front of her chest. Vi swallowed her confusion and took both of their suitcases to the cabin.

“Hey, sis. It’s been a while,” Powder drawled as Vi settled in. She sounded a lot less hostile now than she did a couple of months ago. Ever since Vi’s birthday, when they'd gone out to the paintball place, she had been replying to Vi’s texts on and off. They weren’t exactly back to normal yet, but Vi supposed they were okay.

“Powder,” Caitlyn said by way of greeting, and Powder steered her gaze to her.

An old worry crept up on Vi.

“Well, hello, sister-in-law. Good to see you made it here, I suppose.”

Okay, that wasn’t too bad. But still, Vi cringed a little.

“Powder, that’s a terrible way of welcoming someone.” Ekko came up behind her with a nervous laughter that sounded sorry on her behalf. “Hey, Vi. And hi, Caitlyn. I’m Ekko. We’ve met before at The Last Drop but we haven’t had the chance to talk.”

“Yes, I remember you on the stage,” Caitlyn accepted his handshake, glad to have a civil conversation. “You were good with your guitar. And Powder was good with her drum. You two are… friends?”

“Hah!” came Sevika’s snort from somewhere down the hallway. She popped her head out. “They’re fools, that’s what they are. They both like each other but insist that they’re just friends.”

“Sevika!” Both Powder and Ekko whipped around to yell at her at the same time, and it filled Caitlyn’s face with pure amusement. Vi was on the brink of laughing herself.

Ooh, this she could get behind. Maybe it was a good idea to have Ekko here. Less chance for Powder to bug Caitlyn and more chance for everyone to bug Powder.

Vi snickered. “Yeah, Powder. Why are you not bringing your other friends here? What’s different about Ekko?”

Powder huffed. “Mylo and Claggor are busy, that’s all.”

“All of you are classmates. If they’re busy, so are you and Ekko.”

Powder threw her hands up. “You and Sevika are insufferable. Maybe your wife is a better company after all. She’s quiet and doesn’t make obnoxious comments.”

Caitlyn's lips twitched with a small smile.

“Anyway,” Powder brushed off, “Dad is on the back porch. Go put your suitcases upstairs, in the room to the left, then come down and see him.”

Vi froze. A sudden realization dawned on her and wiped her smile off. Beside her, Caitlyn tensed and her small smile fell off too.

Shit. Vi had been so preoccupied with the idea of testing whether Caitlyn would stick close to her again in front of everyone, she had completely missed the fact that by taking Caitlyn here, they had to sleep in the same room.

Why the fuck had she missed that?

God. She was a fucking idiot.

But Caitlyn’s wide eyes and pale face told Vi that she had missed that too.

Apparently, they were both idiots.

“What are y’all looking surprised for?” Powder raised an eyebrow, snickering. “Were y’all hoping for the lone master bedroom down here so you could fuck in peace at night?”

“Powder!” Vi groaned, feeling her face burn up. She couldn’t bring herself to glance at Caitlyn after that crude comment, so she had no idea how Caitlyn was reacting to it. “It’s not that. Of course, dad has to stay down here. Ekko better be staying here with him. The two of you are not going to sleep in the same room, do you hear me?”

She pointed a finger at Powder and Ekko. “I support the idea of you two stop being fools and start dating but no fucking. At least, not around here.”

Powder rolled her eyes. She was the one turning red now, along with Ekko. “Ha ha, very funny of you, sis. I’m sleeping upstairs with Sevika, right across from your room. You better be quiet with your wife. I don’t want to wake up to traumatizing noises at night.”

Vi rolled her eyes too. Her face still felt too warm. “Cait, come on, let’s go upstairs.” 

“Yes, let’s.” Caitlyn was already moving, swiftly grabbing both of their suitcases that Vi had placed on the floor earlier, and walking upstairs quickly.

Okay, she really could carry all of that alone. Vi let go of the idea of taking the suitcases back from her because it would probably just create a scene.

Caitlyn was so jumpy around her these days.

And now they had to sleep in the same room. In the same fucking bed. God.

The two of them ended up standing awkwardly in front of their room once they reached it, staring at the queen-sized bed that awaited them. God, it wasn’t even a king-sized bed. They would have to sleep right next to each other.

They both tried to walk in at the same time, accidentally squeezing into each other in the narrow doorway, and then jumped back at the same time like they had been torched by fire. This was ridiculous.

“You first,” they both said.

Vi was half wanting to rub her face off and half wanting to laugh. Caitlyn, though, looked so incredibly stressed out that Vi had to fight back the urge to laugh.

“Fine, I’ll go in first,” Vi stepped forward, not wanting Caitlyn to pop a vessel in her head from all the strange tension she seemed to have. Caitlyn followed her in and closed the door behind them briskly.

“I could sleep on the floor tonight,” Vi offered out of kindness.

She wished Caitlyn no headache and she didn’t even expect gratitude in return, but the last thing she expected to get was a sharp, almost offended “What?” followed by Caitlyn snapping her head around from where she was placing their suitcases down.

“First you ran off and locked your door, and now you would rather sleep on—” she cut herself off, biting her words back. Her jaw went tight and her neck strained. She closed her eyes and swallowed whatever it was she was about to say.

Vi was so, so lost. “Cait, what are you talking about?”

No answer.

“Would you please tell me what’s going on? You’ve been acting very weird lately.”

“Weird,” Caitlyn opened her eyes again as she repeated the word. She looked almost pained by the unusual chaos of her mind. “I suppose I’ve been acting weird. I shouldn’t be like this. I’m normally not like this—”

“Could you please just tell me what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Caitlyn decided with finality, as if she could push any issue out of existence with her sheer willpower. “I refuse to give names to a foolish problem that shouldn’t be here in the first place. And I’m not giving it real weight by involving you in it. It’s nothing. Let’s go see your father.”

Vi’s mouth fell open. “Is this one of those times when you pretend your feelings don’t exist, as long as no one knows about them? Because Cait, this isn’t how you’re supposed to handle problems.”

They’d had this conversation before, on that first night when Vi had just moved into her apartment three months ago. Both of them had talked in the dark, quiet living room because they’d had trouble falling asleep.

Caitlyn had kind of fled back then, and she was doing it again. Her hand was already on the doorknob.

“I’ll never use your feelings against you, no matter how foolish or weak you think they are, if that’s what’s worrying you. I know all those fuckers in your family might have exploited them in the past, but I have no intention to do so. I will never.”

Caitlyn paused in the doorway, her back to Vi. When she spoke again, her words were sighed. “I know, Vi, you’re a good friend. And that’s precisely why I don’t want to mess this up. Give me time to sort myself out.”

She turned to look at Vi then, her face weary. “Now, could we please go downstairs before everyone starts asking what we’re doing up here? Let’s go see your father.”

===============

Vander was sitting on his wheelchair on the back porch, a word-search puzzle lying on his lap as his vacant eyes gazed somewhere far ahead of him.

It was hard to see how small and quiet he had become, a far cry from his big build and his loud laughter in the past. But still, it was good to see him again.

“Hey, dad. How are you doing?”

Vander startled as he looked up at her. There was no recognition on his face. Some days, he could recognize who she was, but those days were getting rarer and rarer.

“Hello,” he said hesitantly, gripping his armrests and looking anxious as if Vi was a stranger invading his space, not his daughter.

“It’s me, dad. Vi.”

“Vi?”

“Yes, Vi,” she swallowed the lump in her throat. “Your daughter.”

“Daughter?” he balked, going from anxious to near panic. Vi had to remind herself to go slower with the reminders. They had the tendency of making him feel confused and overwhelmed and eventually, angry. “I don’t have any children.”

“It’s okay.” It wasn’t. “Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?”

“Yes,” he said, looking down at his puzzle. “I haven’t had anything all day.” It wasn’t true. Powder said they’d stopped for lunch on their way here. His memory was getting worse.

“Okay. I’ll go make you some food. But dad, I want you to meet someone first. This is Caitlyn.”

Caitlyn stepped up beside her, seemingly aware that she shouldn’t get too close to Vander to avoid scaring him.

“Cait, this is my dad, Vander.”

“Hello, Vander. I’m Caitlyn.”

It was unusual to hear Caitlyn address someone older by name. In her Ionian family, the younger ones used honorifics to address the older ones. But she adapted well.

“Hello, Caitlyn,” Vander said, looking nervous again. He averted his eyes to his puzzle. “I have to work on this puzzle. The nurses said I have to do it.”

It was more than a little heartbreaking that he had spent so much time in the nursing home, he had an easier time remembering his nurses than his daughters.

An old, heavy guilt struck Vi again at the center of her chest.

“Okay. Cait, can you please stay with him here while I go cook?” Vi whipped around, making her way inside before her eyes could burn any hotter. “Just make sure he doesn’t wander off alone. He’s prone to falling.”

“Okay.”

She could feel the weight of Caitlyn’s gaze following her inside, but Caitlyn remained outside, drawing a chair to sit beside Vander. She stayed close enough to reach him should anything happen, but not too close to make him uncomfortable.

“He isn’t doing very well, is he?” came Powder’s voice from behind Vi in the kitchen, and Vi had to wipe off the water from the corner of her eyes quickly.

“Yeah. His memory is getting worse.” She hoped her voice didn’t sound as cracked as her heart felt. “Hey, did you guys get some food from that family store down the road? Please tell me you got some fresh stuff, not just canned goods.”

Normally, Powder would roll her eyes and say something snarky. But this time, she sounded unsettlingly gentle. “We did. They’re in the fridge.”

“Good.” Vi went to rummage through the fridge, still not looking at anyone.

“Vi?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t have to feel guilty about leaving him in the nursing home. We both know we can’t watch over him 24/7. Not with my school and your job. We’ll be neglecting him.”

Vi paused, tilting her head up and willing herself not to tear up. Her voice cracked eventually. “I know. We have no choice. Still, it feels shitty.”

“It does,” Powder’s voice sounded uncharacteristically somber too. “But the new nursing home you moved him into is nice. Much nicer than the previous one. I’m sorry I gave you shit for it. I was just pissed because I knew you got the money from her.”

Her.

Caitlyn.

“You did get the money from her, didn’t you?”

Vi sighed, closing the fridge and finally turning around to level with her sister. They needed to talk about this, sooner or later. “Yes, I did. She gave me money. I don’t see why that’s a big deal. Couples help each other all the time.”

“Calm down, I’m not making a big deal out of it. At least, not anymore.” Powder looked uncomfortable for a moment before shrugging. “I was being an asshole about it because I felt like you ditched me for her, or her money, or whatever. You gotta admit that your wedding and move-out were so fucking sudden. Couldn’t blame me for losing my shit.”

“I know, it was all so… quick,” Vi exhaled, lacking a better word. “We had our reasons. I’m sorry that it had to be that way, though. Are you still upset?”

Powder shrugged again, looking a bit awkward but honest. “Not so much, I guess. It’s hard to stay upset at you when you look so stupidly happy with her.” She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, y’all were so gross that day when we hung out. I haven’t seen you look that smiley and dumb with anyone else. It was eye opening.”

An uncomfortable feeling swooped low in Vi’s stomach, similar to the ones she’d had whenever she thought of her strange… relationship with Caitlyn lately.

What did it mean if she was truly happier with her fake wife than she was with any of her exes who had been in real relationships with her?

Even when Caitlyn was being maddening, as she was right now, Vi wasn’t unhappy with her. Merely frustrated.

The unnamed, uncomfortable feeling in her stomach grew a thousand fold stronger, threatening to take her over completely.

“It would be shitty of me to keep you from being happy. You deserve to be happy after looking out for me for so many years. Besides, I don’t think she’s that bad now,” Powder snickered. “Sure, she has the emotional range of a fucking ice cube, but apparently, she could snap when you’re hurt. Her shredding of your gold-digger ex was hilarious to watch. I guess she does care about you.”

Powder looked out to the porch, where Caitlyn was sitting with Vander. Caitlyn seemed to be speaking about something to him, while he was calmly listening. Vi had no idea what Caitlyn was saying to him, but he looked much more relaxed than he did earlier.

At one point, he tried to stand up and wobbled, and Vi almost rushed out to help him, but Caitlyn caught him just in time and gently helped him back to his wheelchair.

“And okay, she’s pretty good with elderly people too,” Powder sounded half surprised. “I guess she isn’t just some spoiled rich lady. Not bad.”

“You could just say she’s good, you know? It wouldn’t kill you.”

“Hah!” Powder snorted. “Yeah, well, not gonna overdo it now.”

Vi smiled.

Something seemed to click back into its right slot after so many months.

The world seemed to turn a little easier again.

Now, if only she could sort out her problem with Caitlyn too…

=================

Dinner on their first night consisted of grilled fish that Ekko and Sevika had caught, and the baked potatoes and grilled vegetables Vi had made.

Powder had complained about having nothing to do while they cooked and had dragged Caitlyn, who also had nothing to do, to attempt sautéing some shrimp. They’d ended up nearly setting the entire cabin on fire, so Vi had shooed them to the sideline and asked them to serve only moral support.

Funny how equally disastrous they were in the kitchen.

All of them gathered around the table once dinner was ready, the crackling flame in the nearby fireplace keeping them warm as they ate and chatted.

Vi took her dad to his room once he finished eating, noticing that he was getting sleepy. Afterward, she came out to find that beer cans had magically appeared on the table.

“Who brought these, huh?” She settled on the chair next to Caitlyn, not missing the way Caitlyn startled a little. She had been doing that all night, fretting whenever they came too close to each other. It was still a mystery why.

“I did,” Sevika raised a can. “What’s a getaway without some alcohol? Caitlyn, you want some?”

Caitlyn and beer? Now that was something Vi hadn’t seen. Beer didn’t seem like her first choice of alcohol. Wine was. And occasionally, whiskey.

“Sure,” Caitlyn said, surprising her. She grabbed a can from Sevika, cracked it open, and downed several big gulps right away. That was even more surprising to watch. What was going on with her?

“So, Vi, how does it feel to be married?” Ekko teased, throwing a sideway glance at Powder and grinning. “Is it good to be the one getting taken care of finally?”

“Finally?” Powder glared at him. “Are you implying that I've never taken care of her when she lived with me? I cooked for her once when she was sick!”

“Keyword once,” Ekko held up a finger. “And you probably just served her canned chicken soup.” Powder must really like him because normally, no guy would survive unscathed after poking fun at her.

Vi laughed. “Yeah, Caitlyn is… taking good care of me.” She eyed Caitlyn, who was done with her first can of beer and already reaching for a second one.

Vi forced the worry out of her voice. “She always cleans up after me, makes sure I have everything I need before I go to work, and waits for me at night. It’s nice to see her first thing in the morning when I wake up, and come home to her every night.”

Caitlyn’s fingers wrapped tightly around her can of beer, firm enough to dent it.

Powder made a retching noise, while Ekko and Sevika laughed.

“Okay, I’ve heard from these two that she proposed to you, but how did that go exactly?” Ekko asked, eyes moving from Vi to Caitlyn. “Like, what was it that made you fall for Vi and know for sure that you wanted to marry her?”

Caitlyn put down her second can of beer, already empty too. It was alarming. Her cheeks were slightly red.

“She made efforts to really understand me.” The words took a while to come out and sounded stilted, but Caitlyn did manage to look at Vi again after avoiding her gaze all night. Her eyes looked like the picture of impossibility, guarded but vulnerable at the same time.

“I know that’s something basic everyone should do when they’re getting to know someone, but I also know that I haven’t always made it easy for people to really know me. So, having someone persist in doing that, despite hindrance from me, and from everyone else, was surprising. I haven’t met anyone as resilient as her in giving love.”

She looked away from Vi and stood up. “I’m sorry, I think I drank too much. I’m a little lightheaded. I’ll be going to bed first.”

That was a lie.

Vi had seen her drink so much more before, unfazed.

And Caitlyn had never lied before. She had always been blunt and honest, sometimes to a fault. Why was she lying now?

She bent down to drop a kiss on Vi’s lips, but it was brief unlike her usual lingering kiss, and Vi could tell in an instant that it was forced. It failed to make everything feel right again as she had hoped.

The rest of the night passed in a blur afterward. Vi tried to listen as everyone talked and laughed around her, but her mind kept straying back to Caitlyn.

An hour later, when everyone finally decided to call it a day and go to sleep, Vi made her way upstairs in a hurry, her heart hammering in her chest.

Caitlyn was already in bed, curled under the blanket on the left side. Her back was to Vi.

“Cait.”

No answer. Vi couldn’t tell if she had fallen asleep or if she had simply refused to answer her. She couldn’t see her face.

She stood there for a minute, debating what to do. Eventually, with a heavy sigh, she decided to let Caitlyn have the night off. She had asked for time after all.

Vi walked toward her suitcase and fished out her sleepwear. She searched for something to spread on the floor too, so she could sleep there.

“Sleep with me on the bed.”

Vi paused.

She had so many questions, but Caitlyn’s words broke no argument.

“Okay.”

Vi pulled her t-shirt over her head and put on her sleeveless top, changing into her pajama pants and then crawling onto the bed, next to Caitlyn.

Caitlyn’s back was still turned to her, her dark hair spilling over her white pillow. Her shoulders rose and fell with each breath.

Vi spent a long time just staring at those shoulders in silence before finally losing her internal battle to hold her questions back. “Are you still not going to talk?”

“Vi, no,” was all that Caitlyn said. “Not tonight, please. Don’t make this harder for me.”

“Make what harder?” Vi really shouldn’t be probing her, knowing how much she disliked being pushed, but she hated not knowing what was wrong. “Cait, I’m your… friend, I’m not going to make anything harder for you. I just want to help,” she paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I just want us to go back to normal. I don’t like us being like this.”

“I am trying,” Caitlyn sighed. “To go back to normal. To be your friend. All I asked from you is more time.”

What did that mean? Trying to be her friend?

“Are you mad at me? Have I done something wrong?”

“No. You’ve done nothing wrong. You’ve done all your parts right, believe me.”

That didn’t clear out the confusion, but it did dissipate some of the worry in Vi, at least.

“Okay, but whatever it is, even if it’s not something I did, do you think you'll be alright?” A pause. “Do you think we’ll be alright?”

“Yes. I promise we’ll be alright. I won’t let anything happen to us.”

“Okay,” Vi said after a moment. She still didn’t like not knowing what was going on, but as long as Caitlyn promised not to let anything bad happen to them, she could give her more time, however frustrating waiting might be.

She turned away from Caitlyn, gripping her own pillow. 

Sleep took a while to claim her afterward, and when it did, it mocked her with a dream of Caitlyn laying her head on her chest as she slept, holding on to her instead of facing away from her.

=================

It was still dark when Vi opened her eyes.

She sat up on the bed, hearing footsteps downstairs.

Reaching for her phone blindly on the nightstand, she found 3:17 AM glaring brightly at her. She stepped out of bed and looked around, using her phone as a source of light.

Caitlyn was deep in sleep, her back still turned to Vi but her breathing softer. Gone was the tension in her body that had been wringing her all day.

Vi made her way out of the room as quietly as possible to avoid waking her up.

Who could be roaming downstairs at this hour? The door to Sevika’s and Powder’s room was shut. Ekko? Her dad?

Her bleary eyes snapped wide open at the last thought.

She rushed downstairs, nearly tripping down the steps. The dining area was shrouded in darkness, but Vi could see a shadow move around frantically.

She hit the light switch on.

“Dad?”

Vander whipped around. Vi’s body went cold at the sight of him, wild-eyed and delirious. “Who are you?” he snapped, taking a step back and pressing against the kitchen counter. He looked like he would scream if she were to come any closer.

“Dad, it’s me, Vi.”

“I don’t know you,” he snapped again, gripping the kitchen counter behind him firmly.

“Dad, it’s okay. Where are you going? You should go back to bed.”

“I—I need to go,” he looked out of the window into the wilderness, desperate. “I need to meet Felicia. I promised I would meet her.”

The cold ice in Vi seemed to grow spikes and stab everywhere all at once. “Mom—Felicia isn’t here, Dad.” She hasn’t been here for over twenty years.

The sharp spikes seemed to pierce deeper.

“I know, that’s why I have to go out there and find her.” Vander kept looking out of the window before finally turning to her again. “Who are you?”

“I’m Vi. Violet.”

“I don’t know you. I need to see Felicia. What time is it?”

“It’s past three in the morning, dad. Nobody is out there at this hour.”

“Three in the morning?” he wobbled, moving unsteadily on his weak legs. He looked outside again and then turned to Vi, his eyes narrowing. “Why are you in my house at this hour? You're a stranger. Get out!”

“Dad, I—”

Vander attempted to run toward the door, but his legs failed him and he tripped, falling forward and hitting his head on the door with a loud thud.

“Dad!”

Vi rushed forward, but the second she touched him, he swung his arm backward blindly. His elbow slammed against her mouth with full force.

Black spots erupted in Vi's vision as pain and blood flooded her mouth. Vander whipped around to look at her, eyes wild and forehead dripping with blood.

“What’s going on?” came Caitlyn’s voice from the stairs. Her robe was hastily tied around her waist, like she had jumped out of bed in a hurry. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Vi bleeding all over.

She dashed forward, her knees hitting the hard floor with a loud thud as she leveled with Vi and took a hold of her face. Her eyes were blown with worry. “God, baby, what happened? Your face… You’re bleeding all over. Your lip is split—”

“I’m fine, it’s just an accident. Dad tried to leave and tripped—” Vi turned to look at Vander, and he flinched away from her. She stood up and took a step back, hoping that the gap would help him calm down. Caitlyn stood up with her, gaze following her injury.

“Can you—can you please talk to him? Maybe he’ll listen to you. I tried calming him down but it wouldn’t work.”

Caitlyn finally managed to tear her gaze away from her and looked at her dad. She lowered herself to the floor again. “Vander?”

“Who are you?” Vander shrank back, drawing his knees to his chest.

“My name’s Caitlyn. I’m here to help you.”

“Are you one of the nurses?”

A pause. “Yes, of course. I’m here to help you. You’re injured.”

“My head hurts,” Vander said, no longer sounding as frightened, as if he knew that nurses would be able to help him.

“I know. You’ve hit your head. Do you mind if I take a look?”

He nodded. “My head hurts. I don’t remember what happened.”

“It’s okay, I’ll help you take a look at your head and fix you up. Stay still.”

“What’s going on?” Ekko came out of his bedroom, looking red-eyed and bleary. “Oh, shit. Vi, you’re bleeding, and Vander—”

“Stay back,” Vi kept him from approaching Vander and Caitlyn, not wanting him to accidentally freak out Vander again. “He woke up and tripped. It was—an accident.”

“Vi, could you please go upstairs and take the first-aid kit in my suitcase?”

“You bring a first-aid kit?”

“Yes, I always bring one when I travel.”

“Okay,” Vi ran upstairs, ignoring her own throbbing lip. Once in their room, she unzipped Caitlyn’s suitcase and flipped it open, taking the first-aid kit from the inside pocket.

She ran downstairs again, feeling more thankful than ever for marrying someone so organized and so well-prepared.

Vander was already seated on one of the chairs in the dining room, Caitlyn next to him.

Ekko was searching for something in the cabinets and then running toward Caitlyn. He handed her a small flashlight. She used it to see something in Vander’s eyes, probably checking his pupils or doing something else that Vi was still too anxious to understand. Then she put the flashlight down and asked him to follow her finger.

It went on for a while before she looked at Vi again. “I think your father’s alright. The injury seems superficial. Can I have the first-aid kit?”

“Here,” Vi passed it over, careful not to jolt Vander.

“Nurse?”

“Yes?”

“My head hurts.”

“I know,” Caitlyn said patiently, cleaning up his wound. “Hold on for a moment. I’ll patch you up, then I’ll give you something to numb the pain.”

“Okay.”

Caitlyn did patch him up nicely and then brought him a glass of water for him to take his painkiller with. “Vander, is it okay if my fellow nurse here takes you to bed?” She gestured at Ekko, and Vander observed him for a moment.

“Yes, okay.”

“Good. Ekko, would you please?”

“Right,” Ekko hurried over, taking Vander and leading him to their room. “I’ll watch over him for the rest of the night. You two go back to sleep. Sorry I wasn’t awake earlier.”

“It’s fine, thanks, Ekko,” Vi waved him off, forcing herself to smile despite the awful pain stinging at her upper lip. She could feel Caitlyn’s gaze on her.

“Come here, let me take a look at you too.”

“It’s fine, I’ll clean myself up.” Vi hurried down the hallway to the bathroom.

Normally, she wasn’t the one to evade conversations, but she didn’t want Caitlyn or anyone else to see how miserable she was at the moment. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Caitlyn wasn’t supposed to see this. Vander wasn’t supposed to forget who Vi and Powder were. None of these was supposed to happen.

There were tears streaming down her cheeks, she realized as she closed the bathroom door behind her and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She looked just as horrible as how she felt. Her upper lip was swollen and her chin was smeared with half dry blood, all the way down to her neck.

“Vi? Can I come in?” Caitlyn’s voice filtered in through the door, soft.

Vi hadn’t heard her speak that softly in three weeks. She had missed it. And now, feeling so rough and ragged, all she wanted to do was sink into that softness despite her reluctance to be seen in such a horrid state.

“Yeah. Come in.”

Caitlyn opened the door and paused at the sight of her.

Vi sniffed. “What? Surprised to see me so charming?”

“Never.”

“Never surprised or never thought I’m charming?”

“Never surprised,” Caitlyn stepped right in front of her, humoring her weak attempt at a joke and closing the door behind her. The bathroom felt so small with the two of them in it. “Let me see your wound.”

She put the container of iced water and towel that she had brought in the basin, taking hold of Vi’s chin and angling her face to the light. Her blue eyes peered at Vi carefully. They were so close together. They hadn’t been this close in weeks.

“The split is quite deep but it’s stopped bleeding. Stay still while I clean you up, hm?” 

“Okay.”

Caitlyn began patting around her lips and chin with the wet towel, the iciness of it soothing the burning sting on Vi’s lip. Once all the blood was cleaned, she dipped the towel in the iced water again and pressed it gently against Vi’s swollen lip. Relief washed over Vi.

But even then, that relief paled in comparison to feeling Caitlyn’s palm cradling her face again, her thumb gently stroking Vi’s cheek. Vi melted into her palm, closing her eyes and basking in the softness, in the familiar comfort she had missed.

“It’s done,” Caitlyn’s voice was barely a whisper, as if she knew that Vi couldn’t handle anything louder at the moment. She didn’t move away from Vi this time. She stayed with Vi, holding Vi’s face in her hands and letting Vi lean into her touch. Her thumb brushed gently over Vi’s bruised lip.

It was too much.

Being touched so tenderly like she might crack at the slightest force, while she was already feeling so fragile from everything that had happened, and while she was already missing Caitlyn so badly, was just too much. Tears leaked from her eyes again.

“Oh, Vi.”

She found herself pulled against Caitlyn’s chest, Caitlyn’s arms wrapping tightly around her and erasing whatever unspoken thing was standing between them. A hand was stroking her back, while another was squeezing the back of her neck.

She locked her own arms around Caitlyn’s waist greedily, sinking into her.

Her eyes were still closed, but she could feel soft lips pressed onto her ear, and then her temple, and then the tender spot under her eye where it was wet with tears.

There were no spectators this time. No audience to put on a show for. Only Caitlyn’s lips pressed softly against her skin. Caitlyn’s fingers caressing her face like she was the most precious thing she’d ever held. And Caitlyn’s voice whispering that she’d be okay.

The unnamed feeling that had been threatening to take over her for weeks, or perhaps for even longer, was no longer deniable. It had grown so strong and so intense that Vi could no longer pretend it wasn’t there.

She could no longer pretend she didn’t know what it was.

She wanted Caitlyn.

Not as her fake wife, and not as her good friend, but as someone who would hold her like this daily, kiss her like this daily, and love her like this daily.

She had been so foolish to ignore what had been so obvious all this time, hiding it under the guise of shallow physical attraction, and behind the excuse that she was just craving closeness with Caitlyn because she hadn’t been with anyone for too long.

She couldn’t do it anymore.

She couldn’t brush it off as something insignificant anymore.

For all those times she had found it too easy to pretend she was in love with Caitlyn, perhaps she had been really in love with her all along.

Chapter Text

Vi woke up feeling warm and cozy.

The bright sunlight filtering in through the window hurt her head, and her upper lip stung, but the rest of her body felt comfortable.

An arm was slung over her waist, and someone was lying behind her.

It took her a moment to realize that it was Caitlyn sleeping behind her, and to remember everything that had happened earlier in the wee hours.

Vander trying to leave the cabin. Vander tripping and accidentally hitting her. Caitlyn tending to his injury, and then tending to her injury, and then—

Caitlyn had held her and kissed her in the bathroom.

Nothing so frontal like a kiss on the mouth, but soft, whispered kisses all over her face that had carried just as much meaning, if not more.

Vi closed her eyes again as she recalled the gentleness and the intimacy of it all, in the quiet, small hours of the day, when the rest of the world was asleep and no one was around to watch them.

There was no coming back from that.

Caitlyn still hadn't spelled out what was going on between them, as she’d been occupied with taking care of Vi after the whole mess and soothing her to sleep, but Vi knew that Caitlyn knew something was going on between them.

She was beginning to piece all the little bits of Caitlyn’s behavior lately into a full picture.

Caitlyn almost kissing her that night when Jayce had left. Caitlyn looking hurt when she’d mentioned about Vi running off and locking her door after that near kiss, possibly because she’d assumed Vi didn’t like her crossing the boundaries of their deal. Caitlyn keeping distance because of that. Caitlyn looking hurt again when she’d thought Vi would rather sleep on the floor than share a bed with her…

Only the most foolish of fools would still doubt that they were on the same page after all of that.

But still, if Caitlyn wasn’t ready to spell out what was going on between them yet, Vi would wait and let her have all the time she needed to be ready.

Because now, she knew there was nothing wrong between them.

Quite the opposite.

“Vi?” Caitlyn’s voice was as soft as her breathing that had been fanning against the back of Vi’s neck, slow and steady. Vi wished that she could hold on to the peaceful moment a while longer, but she knew that Caitlyn would immediately jolt upright the second she realized where she was and what she was doing.

And jolt upright, Caitlyn did.

“Sorry, I—” she trailed off, shaking the remnant of sleep off her mind and swallowing. Her hair was flattened on one side, a sign that she had been sleeping in the same position since dawn, holding Vi from behind. “You… had trouble falling asleep and this seemed to help, so…”

“It’s fine, Cait,” Vi turned, lying on her back and giving her a smile. Okay, ouch. That small stretch of her lips somehow hurt very badly.

"Are you okay? Does it still hurt a lot?" Awkwardness forgotten, Caitlyn bent over her, touching her lip with a thumb and leaning in to assess the split with a frown. Her long, dark hair fell around Vi like curtains, but she didn’t seem to notice, taken by worry.

“I’m okay, it just hurts a little.” Not true, but Vi didn’t want her to be too concerned. “From the scale of one to ten, how horrible do I look right now?” She attempted a joke. “Do I look like an over-lipped lady who’s had too many lip fillers yet?”

“A bit,” Caitlyn still looked worried despite playing along with her joke. The small frown remained between her brows. “But you don’t look horrible. I don’t think you’re capable of looking horrible. I’m going to make you breakfast so you can eat and take a painkiller. It’s not good to take it on an empty stomach.”

“Cait, I’m fine.” Vi sat up as Caitlyn stood up, the blanket falling off her torso. Oh, shit. Her white top was stained with dry blood. “You don’t have to cook—”

“I’m not going to set the cabin on fire. I can cook simple things like bacon and egg just fine,” Caitlyn paused halfway to the door and stared at her bloody shirt. “Take that off, I’m going to wash it.”

“Um, now?”

“Would you rather I do it next week?”

Vi rolled her eyes and then chuckled. Ow, ouch. The bloody split on her lip truly hurt like a bitch. Maybe she really needed that painkiller after all. “Okay, fine.” She started to pull her shirt over her head, but she was only halfway there when—

“Vi! Are you okay? I heard about—” Powder froze in the doorway just after flinging the door open. “Aw shit! What are y’all doing so early in the morning?” she whipped around, covering her eyes as if she’d seen something traumatic. “Aren’t you hurt? How do you even plan to get down to business with that mouth? Seriously, lesbians.”

“Powder!” Vi groaned, dropping her hands from her shirt. “I was just going to take this off so Caitlyn could wash it. We weren’t about to—”

Powder finally turned around to face them again and peeked through the gap between her fingers. “Okay, so, it’s safe then, phew,” she dropped her hand.

Vi rolled her eyes. Near her, Caitlyn looked a bit red as she realized what the scene must have looked like. She pulled her night robe together—it was sliding off one of her shoulders—and tied it more tightly around her waist, tidying herself up.

“So, are you okay? Ekko told me about what happened earlier. I’m sorry I was dead asleep and didn’t hear anything.”

“It’s fine. I’m fine.” Surprisingly, Vi meant what she said. She hadn’t been fine when it happened, but now… “Caitlyn took care of everything. Dad’s alright too.”

“Yeah, I’ve checked on him. He seems okay save for the bruise on his forehead. But are you sure we don’t need to take him back to the city today for a check-up?”

“I don’t think he has a concussion, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Caitlyn supplied. “I’ve checked the size of his pupils. They were normal. No blurred vision, and no light sensitivity. I’m going to check on him again after this, just to make sure.”

Powder turned to her and blinked slowly, surprised. “How do you know all of that? I thought you were a lawyer.”

“I had a case involving a car crash some time ago and ended up reading a bit about head injury.”

Vi would have chuckled if not for the split on her lip. She was pretty sure that the ‘reading a bit’ Caitlyn meant was equivalent to diving deep into the topic, possibly for weeks on end. Caitlyn could get so engrossed in her research sometimes.

“Wow, and Vi said I could get obsessed with stuff,” Powder mused. “Okay, if you’re sure he’s alright. I’ll leave you two to, err, carry on with your business.” She hurried downstairs as if she might accidentally witness something indecent if she stayed longer.

Vi sighed.

Caitlyn looked at her again. “Well?”

“Huh, well what?”

“Your shirt.”

“Oh, right.” Vi forgot. She peeled off her shirt, handing it over to Caitlyn.

Caitlyn’s eyes lingered on her for a moment before she moved away. It reminded Vi of all the similar, strange looks Caitlyn had given her before, especially whenever she’d just finished working out.

Oh. So that was what those gazes meant.

The two of them truly had been fools for such a long time.

===================

Breakfast for Vi consisted of a simple serving of bacon and egg.

Caitlyn had stayed true to her words not to set the cabin on fire. Thankfully.

She sat at the table with Vi after serving her breakfast, no longer flinching away when they got too close like she’d been doing days prior. If anything, she stuck so ridiculously close to Vi now, even going as far as insisting on cutting up the food for Vi.

“Cait, I can eat on my own. I hurt my mouth. Not my hand.” Vi’s face was blooming red, especially at the teasing looks that Sevika and Ekko were giving each other. Powder was snorting as she tried to feed Vander. He looked calm this morning, much to everybody’s relief.

“I know, I’m just slicing these so it’s easier for you to eat without opening your mouth too wide and hurting yourself.”

God. It was so hard to stop Caitlyn from doing something once she set her mind on it. She wasn’t even aware of everyone smiling at them, so focused on her mission to cut everything into bite-sized pieces for Vi.

“Why don’t you feed her while you’re at it, Caitlyn?” Sevika drawled, teasing. “Vi used to tell me she loves getting fed by her girl when she’s sick.”

“You do?” Caitlyn stopped, raising a questioning eyebrow at Vi as if she was seriously considering doing it if Vi wanted her to.

“No!” Vi was going to strangle Sevika once they got back to work. Ugh. Look at her snickering with Powder and Ekko. “I mean, yes, it’s nice being fed when I’m sick but—”

“But you don’t want me to do it? Despite liking it in the past when other girls did it?”

“What? No! Of course not—” Vi paused and resisted the urge to reach across the table and smack her giggling friends and sister across their heads. Ugh. “Cait, whatever you want to do for me, I’ll always love it, regardless of other girls doing it too or whatever. But I’m not sick now, so I can eat on my own.”

“Okay,” Caitlyn finally acquiesced, seemingly blushing a bit at the realization that she’d reacted too strongly at the mention of Vi’s exes, enough to warrant a reassurance.

Was she… jealous? Vi knew Caitlyn felt something for her now, but was it so serious that she would get jealous over the idea of Vi with other women? It sounded like wishful thinking to Vi. Not to mention jealousy itself seemed too silly to be put in the same sentence as Caitlyn, considering how level-headed she usually was.

Maybe Vi was just imagining it.

“Anyone wants to go fishing with me again today?” Sevika finished her breakfast, suddenly sighing heavily. “Or do you guys prefer to just stare into your lovers’ eyes all day long? And that includes you two.” She pointed at Powder and Ekko, who responded with “We’re not lovers!” in harmony.

Sevika ignored them and sighed again, heavier. “I really should have asked my girlfriend to come along. Being a fifth wheel is so sad.”

Vi wanted to laugh at her, but ouch, her lip was still hurting whenever she so much as cracked a smile. And like clockwork, every wince from her was followed by a frown forming on Caitlyn’s face and a seriously concerned look.

For someone who was injured, Vi felt a little too good.

===================

Ekko and Powder—well, just Ekko—took pity on Sevika and decided to go fishing with her in the afternoon. By extension, that meant Powder went along as well.

Vi watched them from the back porch where she was sitting with Vander, trying to stop herself from smiling whenever she saw Powder throwing a fit after failing to reel in a fish, or Sevika making fun of her, and then proceeding to lose her fish as well.

At some point, the two of them started bickering over something and rocked the small rowboat so violently, it flipped over and sent all of them splashing into the lake with unceremonious shrieks, poor Ekko included.

Vi had to clamp her hand tightly over her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

Having a wounded lip was such a struggle.

She looked over to where Caitlyn was sitting underneath a tree facing the lake, wanting to see if she was laughing too. Instead, she found Caitlyn deeply immersed in whatever she was reading on her lap. Vi hoped that it was a book, but it was likely a case report from her work. Caitlyn’s eyebrows were furrowing in the way that told Vi all of her focus was currently on that thing.

She always did that. When she looked at something, she gave it all of her attention, undivided. Vi was beginning to realize that it was why her heart always skipped a beat when Caitlyn looked at her. Well, that, and she was beautiful. Unfairly so.

“Vi?”

“Huh?” Vi startled, immediately turning to face her dad. Excitement rushed through her. Did he call her name? Did he remember her again?

“Violet?” he repeated, squinting at her from where he was sitting beside her, looking as though he was trying to make sure that she was the Vi he knew. But he knew. The look of recognition on his face told Vi that at this moment, he knew who she was.

Unbridled joy shot through her.

“Dad!” she pulled him into a hug, nearly tipping her chair over. Her lip stretched into a smile so wide, it hurt like hell, but she didn’t give a damn. She smiled still, and then smiled even wider as she snuggled closer to him. “Oh, dad. You’re back. I’ve missed you so much. I’ve missed you so, so much.”

She tightened her hold around his neck, feeling as though he might slip away again if she didn’t hold him firmly enough.

“What are you saying girl?” He laughed, sounding painfully similar to how he used to whenever he watched Vi talk about some nonsense with Powder back then. “You see me everyday.”

Tears leaked from Vi’s eyes despite her best effort to keep them at bay. She let go of Vander, but only because she wanted to take a good look at his face again, while she could see the recognition in his eyes.

“Oh, why are you crying, Vi? Did some girl at school break your heart? Or did some boys say something stupid to you again? Do I need to have a word with them?”

Vi wiped her eyes, laughing despite the fact that her tears were still streaming down. He was mistaking her for her younger self, perhaps her college self, but still, it was better than him not recognizing her at all.

“No one’s tried to mess with me for a while, dad. And no one’s broken my heart for a while too. I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Powder’s fine too, look.” She pointed into the far distance where Powder was splashing water at Sevika and Ekko and guffawing loudly, seemingly having the time of her life.

Vander squinted at the distance and looked confused. “Is that Powder? She seems… a lot bigger than Powder. But I suppose I’d recognize that bright blue head and that troublemaker laugh anywhere.”

He smiled, turning to look at her again. “You look… older too, Vi. Are you tired? Are you not getting enough sleep? You always do that. You’re always taking care of everyone but yourself. You need some rest too.”

Tears were streaming down Vi’s face uncontrollably now.

“And who is that?” Vander asked, looking to where Caitlyn was sitting under the tree.

Vi wiped her eyes again and looked over. “Ah, that’s my, um…”

Okay. How should she go about this exactly? Now that Vander was lucid, she was suddenly tongue-tied.

“Judging by the blush on your face, I’m going to assume that’s your girlfriend?” He smiled at her. “No wonder you said no one’s broken your heart for a while. All’s good then? Is she good to you?”

“Yes, she is. And she’s very good to me. Her name’s Caitlyn. Caitlyn Kiramman.”

“Caitlyn Kiramman? A pretty name.” He was still assessing Vi closely, looking a bit worried because she was still tearful. “And a pretty face too. Very much your type.”

Vi chuckled despite herself because her dad was right. On all accounts. “Yes, she’s so pretty, isn’t she? And she’s so smart too. She’s, um, studying to become a lawyer.”

“Law school student?” Vander laughed, deep and hearty like the old times. “Is this where I should say, in Powder’s words, that you get a big win? Or something like that?”

“Yeah, something like that.” Vi was filled with so much joy at his ability to remember those small sayings, no matter how fleeting the ability might be. “Big win.”

“Good then. I’ve always wanted you to find a nice, smart girl and settle down one day. I want you to have someone by your side, taking care of you when I’m not around.”

“I do, now. Caitlyn’s always so fussy when she’s taking care of me. She’s even fussier than you.”

Vander chuckled. “She’s good then. I like her already. Now, I know you probably want to run off to her, but sit with me here for a while longer, will you? I want to hear stories about your day at school, and about Powder’s.”

“Of course,” Vi said, moving her chair closer to him and holding his hand, smiling. “Now, where should I start…”

===================

Powder nearly tripped over her own feet in her hurry to hug Vander when she came back from the lake and found out that he recognized her.

He looked lost at first, as to why she was really so much taller than he remembered, but eventually wrapped his arms around her too.

Vi watched them for a while before wiping her wet eyes and deciding to give them a moment alone, knowing that Powder had missed him just as much as she had.

She made a cup of tea in the kitchen and brought it over to Caitlyn, who was still sitting in the same spot, completely unmoving after so many hours, still poring over the papers on her lap with utmost focus. At the rate she was going, she would probably stay there until dusk if Vi didn’t decide to come bother her.

“Tea for you, my lady?” She bent down and offered the hot cup of tea to Caitlyn with a dramatic flourish, to which Caitlyn startled at.

“Thank you.” She took the cup from Vi, and then her eyes went wider still when Vi dropped a blanket around her shoulders, wrapping it tightly around her.

“It’s cold out here, and you’ve been sitting here for hours. You’re going to freeze your ass off.” Vi settled beside her, noticing that the papers on her lap were, indeed, reports from her work. Trust Caitlyn to be on a trip and still doing work.

“My… behind is fine, thank you.” Caitlyn took a sip of the tea, and Vi had to stifle a chuckle at her inability to say ass.

“Yes, your behind is very fine indeed.”

Caitlyn gave her a slow look that she always gave when she wasn’t sure if Vi was joking or was being serious. Vi resisted a smile.

“I hope the tea is to your liking? Well, it's just some cheap brand off the shelf and not the special blend you have back home, but I hope it's not too bad.”

“It’s okay.” Caitlyn took another sip and then sat straighter, seemingly just realizing that she’d been poring over her documents for so long, her back and neck were aching. She rolled her neck and something cracked.

Vi should probably be concerned about that pop. But her eyes were busy tracking the slow movement of Caitlyn rolling her neck. The curve of her neck was long and elegant, and her jawline was sharp. Vi wanted to press a kiss right there, where her neck met her jaw.

“I didn’t realize it’s already sunset,” Caitlyn said, taking her out of her reverie. Her eyes settled on the amber sky and the calm surface of water shimmering with golden sunlight, before moving to Vi. “How are you feeling? Does your lip still hurt?”

She reached out to Vi, running the pad of her thumb gently over her lip.

Vi held her gaze, held the moment, and willed Caitlyn to stay in it.

Caitlyn’s eyes flicked up from her mouth to her eyes. Vi could see the split second of hesitance fleet in them, and grasped Caitlyn’s wrist before she could pull away.

“My lip’s fine. Your painkiller helps.”

It was okay if Caitlyn wasn’t ready to talk about them yet. But Vi would make it known to her—make it very clear to her through actions—that Vi was in this. That contrary to what Caitlyn had agonized over for weeks prior, assuming that Vi didn’t want her to cross the boundaries of their deal, Vi very much wanted her to cross the boundaries.

She placed Caitlyn’s hand on her lap, enclosing it with her own hands.

“Also, dad seems lucid today. He recognizes me and Powder. So, I’ve been feeling pretty happy. Painful lip be damned.”

“He does?” Caitlyn looked over to the cabin, noticing Powder talking animatedly to Vander, throwing out big gestures and big laughs. “That’s nice to see. Very nice.” Caitlyn smiled to herself. Something about the way she looked so genuinely happy for Vi’s family made Vi’s heart swell with warm feelings.

“Do you want to go meet him?”

“It’s fine. Let your sister have all the time she needs with him.” Caitlyn turned to face her again, searching her face. “Did you talk to him enough? You should head back inside and be with him.”

“It’s okay, I’ve spent some time with him earlier. He asked me about you.”

Caitlyn’s eyes widened. “Me?”

“Mm-hm,” Vi ran slow circles on the back of her hand with her thumb. Caitlyn looked down at the movement, possibly stunned, since Vi had let her initiate most of their touches so far and had rarely initiated one herself. “He asked me if the pretty girl sitting alone by the lake is my girlfriend.”

Caitlyn stared at her for a moment before raising an eyebrow. “Are you joking?”

“No,” Vi chuckled. “He really asked if you’re my girlfriend. And he really said that you’re pretty and you have a pretty name too. He said you’re exactly my type.”

Caitlyn’s face was suddenly flushed. She looked away to the setting sun. The golden rays falling over her face and reflecting on her eyes just proved further that she was, indeed, beautiful.

“Am I?”

“Are you what?”

“Your type?”

Vi’s heart thrummed. “Mm-hm. Very much so. You have no idea.”

The hand on her lap flexed, as if Caitlyn had unconsciously gripped her hand harder.

“And what did you say to him? When he asked if I was your girlfriend?”

“I said yes, you are.”

The hand beneath hers squeezed more, and the tension seemed to snake up all the way to Caitlyn’s forearm.

A day ago, Vi had no idea what the tension meant. Now, she did. Oh, she really did. And she’d never despised her split lip more than she did now, because all she wanted to do at the moment was surge forward and kiss Caitlyn senseless. Kiss all those doubts and second thoughts out of her beautiful mind.

She pushed a stray strand of hair out of Caitlyn’s face and curled it behind her ear, pulling the blanket tighter around her neck and then sliding her hand down Caitlyn’s shoulder and arm.

Caitlyn looked down to watch each movement greedily like she wanted to take all of them into her memory, like she was still so stunned that Vi was touching her first while no one was around to watch them.

“You should go inside,” Vi said. “It really is getting terribly cold out here.”

“It’s fine. I still… have some things to go over.” Caitlyn looked at the papers on her lap and frowned, like she couldn’t believe that she’d temporarily forgotten about them.

“You do realize that you can still read those reports in a warm room, near a fireplace, and not only out here freezing by the lake, right?”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. Oh, how Vi had missed that smile.

“Of course, I know. It’s just easier to concentrate out here alone. I can get a little overwhelmed with all the noises. Not that I blame everyone for being… loud. It’s a trip after all.”

Vi stifled a laugh. She was well aware that Sevika and Powder could sound like they were constantly in a shouting match sometimes. “Okay, fine. But get inside before it’s too dark, okay? Else, I’ll come out here and carry you inside myself.”

Caitlyn gave her a pointed look. “You will not.”

“Oh, I will. Try me. I’ve carried you once before, when you were asleep. It was easier than scooping up a sack of feathers, I tell you. I’ll do it again.”

Caitlyn’s face was flushed again despite her subtle eye-roll. “Fine. I’ll get inside before it’s too dark. Now, leave me to my work.”

Vi went away with a chuckle, knowing that Caitlyn’s stare was following her against the order from her brain to start focusing on her work again.

==================

Vander seemed to have lost his lucidity again by nightfall, but at least he looked calm and unafraid, a relieving state compared to his state yesterday.

Vi made sure he took his medicines with his dinner and then helped him to bed early. They’d have a long journey home tomorrow.

“All of you, don’t stay up too late either, okay?” She pointed at Powder, Ekko, and Sevika, who were still sitting around the dinner table. “And Sevika, don’t drink too much beer tonight. You’re driving tomorrow.”

“She used to be so much more fun,” Sevika cupped a hand beside her mouth as if it could block what she was whispering to Powder from Vi. “I guess marriage really does age people.”

Vi rolled her eyes. “I’m gonna throw that back in your face when you get married to your girlfriend. If you’re not stupid enough to lose her halfway.”

Powder snorted. “She probably will, since she’s so stupid. Hey!” She frowned and rubbed the red spot on her forehead where Sevika had flicked a finger at. Ekko laughed.

Vi waved them goodbye and went upstairs. She was, admittedly, feeling quite sleepy. The lack of proper sleep yesterday was starting to catch up with her.

“Cait, are you sure you don’t want dinner–”

Vi froze in the doorway just after pushing the door open, caught off guard by the sight of Caitlyn dressed only in a thin, silk nightdress. Her usual robe was still clutched in her hands, which she was probably just about to shrug on before Vi barged in.

The word sorry was hanging at the tip of her tongue, but… why would she say sorry? It wasn’t like Caitlyn was naked. Although, okay, the silky material of that nightdress seemed to have a weight and glided down every surface of Caitlyn’s skin like fluid, showing quite some… shapes.

Vi only realized that she was zeroing in on Caitlyn’s chest when Caitlyn’s voice floated to her, probably saying something like, “It’s fine. I’m not hungry.”

“Huh?”

Caitlyn raised a pointed eyebrow, shrugging on her robe and finally putting a stop on Vi’s treacherous line of sight. “I said I’m not hungry.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Are you not going to come in?”

“Huh?” Apparently, huh was the only word her brain knew.

“You’re still standing in the doorway.” Caitlyn looked amused.

“Oh, right. Yeah.” She stepped in, feeling like an idiot. She closed the door behind her and went to rummage through her suitcase, looking for something to change into so she could go to sleep.

She changed into her usual pajama pants and then shed off her t-shirt and bra, putting on a black muscle tank top. When she turned around, midway drawing the tank top down her midriff, she paused because Caitlyn was staring at her with such a startling, heated intensity that was enough to burn holes through her.

How had they managed to keep their hands to themselves all these months?

When they were this hungry for each other?

Absolute tomfoolery, they had been doing.

“Are you still going to work?” Vi finished tugging down her tank top, being the one to put a stop on Caitlyn’s treacherous line of sight now. A smile threatened to hurt her lip.

“Yes, I—ah, I’ll have a lot to catch up on after these three days off. If I can get some work done tonight, the following days will be less chaotic.” She settled on her side of the bed and took her laptop from the nightstand, putting it on her lap. “Do you mind if I keep the night lamp on? Or will that keep you from sleeping?”

“Nah, I can sleep with the lamp on or off. It doesn’t matter,” Vi flopped onto the bed, right next to her. “You have to sleep with all the lights off, I assume?”

Funny how they were just beginning to know each other’s sleeping habits after all this time living together because well, they had always slept in separate rooms before.

“Yes. All lights off. And no sound. You have no idea how relieved I am that you don’t snore in your sleep.”

Vi snorted despite her best attempt not to. She turned to lie on her side and face Caitlyn. "What would you have done if I had turned out to snore really loudly yesterday? Would you have kicked me out of bed or would you have just lied there, accepting your fate in silence?"

“I suppose I would have just gone downstairs and slept on one of the couches.”

Well, that seemed like something Caitlyn would do. She would trouble no one and just go look for her own ways in silence. A double-edged sword. It could prevent so many problems but also cause so many problems.

“Has there ever been a situation where you had to sleep with someone who snored and you had no way to escape?” 

Somehow, the mental image was funny.

“I’ve never had to sleep through the night with someone else before.”

“What?” Vi lifted her head from her pillow.

“Didn’t I tell you before?”

Memory caught up with her. “Oh, right. You asked all those poor women you slept with to leave immediately after you guys were done with the deeds. And then you realized that it upset them, so you decided to leave on your own.”

The snort that left her was both undignified and painful but damn it, Vi couldn’t stop herself from giggling again at the reminder.

Caitlyn looked down from where she was sitting against the headboard. “I’m glad my past sex life is of entertainment value to you,” she said dryly. “But please don’t split your lip open again over it.”

Vi tried to tamper down her giggle, but by now everyone should know that when you were told not to laugh, the urge to laugh seemed to magnify a hundred times stronger. She giggled again, shaking under the blanket.

A smile tugged at Caitlyn’s lips too, undoubtedly the result of Vi’s uncontrollable bouts of giggles instead of the conversation itself.

“So… you’ve never shared a bed with someone all your life? At all?”

“Well, if you count the time when I was little, I did stay in my parents’ bedroom at times. Father snores, though. So, I decided to stay in my own room pretty quickly.”

“Your father snores? Really? He doesn’t seem like the type.”

“It baffles me too,” Caitlyn smiled again. “I have no idea how my mother has been tolerating that kind of noise every night for so many years.”

“Maybe that’s why she’s so grumpy?”

Caitlyn actually laughed this time. Vi loved, loved hearing that rare, full blown laugh from her so much. She felt as light as the feathers in her pillow.

“Perhaps,” Caitlyn said, looking at her with tender eyes. “Maybe you should point that out to her the next time you meet her, should you dare.”

“Hah!” Vi turned to lie on her back. “No, thanks. I enjoy staying alive.”

A moment of silence passed before Caitlyn’s voice, quieter than usual, drifted off between them. “You’ve never really talked about your mother.”

It wasn’t exactly a question. It was more like a careful statement, one that left Vi with the freedom to either elaborate or not. But at this point in their… relationship, there was little to nothing that Vi felt uncomfortable talking to Caitlyn about.

“Well, I’ve told you before, briefly, that my mom passed away shortly after giving birth to Powder. The pregnancy and the childbirth left her struggling with serious complications.”

Caitlyn seemed to take this in carefully.

“Do you still feel… sad if you talk about her?”

“About my mom? Well, of course. But it no longer hurts as much as it used to. I was eight or nine years old when she passed away. Over twenty years have passed.”

“It must have been hard for you, losing your mother at such a young age.”

When Vi turned her head to face Caitlyn again, she was met with soft eyes.

“It was hard, yeah. Dad and I, well, we had to deal with grief and learn how to take care of a newborn at the same time. The two of us weren’t exactly the most knowledgeable about feeding and raising a baby, of course. I was a school kid, for god’s sake.”

A beat of silence passed again as Caitlyn frowned, processing the unspoken meaning behind her words. “Your childhood must be affected greatly.”

Vi swallowed. “Well, yes, it was inevitable. A lot of… missed hangouts and parties and whatever stupid shenanigans kids usually get up to. Not that they ever mattered more than my sister, but…”

“But it would have been nice to experience them, because you were a kid, too.”

“Yes,” Vi closed her eyes, exhaling like someone had finally taken out a rusty, ancient weight out of the depth of her chest. “Exactly that. You get me.”

She opened her eyes again, smiling at Caitlyn. “Don’t ever tell this to Powder, though. I don’t want her to feel guilty. I slipped up once, when I was in high school and we were having a fight, I accidentally blurted out that I hated having to give up on so many things for her, and it stayed with her for a long time. I still feel bad about it to this day.”

Despite saying earlier that she planned to work, Caitlyn put her laptop away and settled down on her pillow, as though she wanted to make sure that she was on eye level with Vi before continuing this hushed conversation.

They ended up staring closely at each other. Their elbows, folded underneath their heads, were touching. Caitlyn’s face looked so soft under the dim night light.

“I’ll never tell her, of course. But Vi, you don’t have to carry that guilt with you forever. You’re a kind person, but you’re still a person. You were bound to make some mistakes along the way, especially when you were younger. I’m sure your sister understands that now.”

“I guess. But it was a shitty thing for me to say, especially since she’d already felt like she was some kind of jinx for our mom’s death. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”

“You’re too hard on yourself. You were a teenager.”

“Hm, but that didn’t make it okay.” Absent-mindedly, Vi reached out to brush Caitlyn’s hair out her face, stroking her cheek. Caitlyn’s gaze dropped to her palm. “Speaking of Powder, I think you should know that she no longer holds anything against you. She’s come around. She says you’re not bad, which, in her dictionary, means you’re good.”

Caitlyn closed her eyes, seemingly leaning into her touch. “Well, I’m glad then. One less concern for you.”

When she opened her eyes again, they were contemplative. “I’ve been thinking about how to solve some of your other concerns too. Your father’s currently in a nursing home quite far away from where we stay, yes?”

“Yeah,” Vi said, confused. “Why?”

“What if we move him somewhere closer to us? I think it’ll be good for both you and him if you could visit him more often.”

Vi’s hand halted where it was stroking Caitlyn’s face.

“Cait, I don’t have the money to move him into the nursing home in the downtown area.”

“But I do.”

“No.”

“I can pay for you, Vi.”

“I know you can, but I can’t accept that.”

Caitlyn looked half confused and half frustrated, like she couldn’t understand why Vi was rejecting a clear solution to the problem. “Why can’t you?”

Well, what are we? Vi wanted to ask.

Where will we be after we finish the remaining nine months of our fake marriage?

How will the arrangement for everything work exactly? After the deal is over?

Everything was still uncertain. They needed to sort out their status first. But Vi was still waiting for Caitlyn to come around.

“Listen, I appreciate the thought, I really do. It means a lot to me that you care so much about my family and you want to help, but let’s just… keep that thought for later, okay? I can’t accept more money from you for now.”

Caitlyn looked like she was about to say something but eventually decided against it.

A small smile crept on Vi’s lips despite herself. “What? Are you going to say that it’s only money, so you don’t know why I’m making a big deal out of it?”

“Well, yes and no,” Caitlyn frowned, sighing. “I used to say that all the time, not realizing that it bothered people and made me sound extremely entitled. I’ve learned over the years to stop saying it, because it isn’t only money to a lot of people. Only someone born into wealth could have the privilege to dismiss money so easily. So, yes, I was about to say it, but no, I’m not going to say it.”

Vi chuckled. “You grew up surprisingly well. I’ve met some rich kids with a lot less self-awareness. They were insufferable.”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “I suppose I was insufferable too when I was younger, but yes, I picked up on some things along the way, especially after I entered the workforce.”

As if the mention of work suddenly reminded her what she needed to do, she turned to look at her abandoned laptop on the nightstand.

“Forget about it, Cait. It’s already late.” Vi resisted a yawn and rubbed her eyes. They had been talking for quite some time, in the dimness and quiet of their room. It was nice.

“We should do this more often.”

“Do what more often?”

“Talk before bed. You’re a very charming conversationalist, apparently.”

“Oh, shut up,” Caitlyn’s small laugh was self-derogatory. “You know I’m the furthest thing away from a charming conversationalist. Or any conversationalist, in general.”

“Not true. To me, you are. I could listen to you ramble all day.”

“You should sleep,” Caitlyn said, her voice mirthful. “You can barely keep your eyes open right now.”

“I still want to hear you talk, though.”

“You’re already slurring. Go to sleep.”

Vi chuckled in defeat, because really, her eyes were growing very heavy.

“Okay. But only if you go to sleep too. I don’t want you to work this late.”

Caitlyn paused, then after a moment, sighed. “Fine.”

She inched closer to Vi, settling more comfortably on her pillow.

Vi scooted all the way into her space and threw an arm over her waist, pulling her in with no care in the world. She could hear the sharp intake of air from Caitlyn and then feel the shallow exhalation against the base of her neck.

“Vi—”

“Sleep, Cait.”

She rubbed her thumb on the spot behind Caitlyn’s ear, over her hair. It took a moment but she finally felt Caitlyn relax against her. Eventually, Caitlyn rested her forehead completely in the curve of her neck, just under her chin.

An arm wrapped around Vi too. Hesitantly at first, but then securely.

“Goodnight, Cait.”

“Goodnight, Vi.”

Vi hit the light switch on the headboard and darkness fell over them like a second blanket.

This time, there was no dream taunting her with the image of Caitlyn holding her to sleep. This time, Caitlyn was really holding her to sleep.

Vi had never slept better in her life.

Chapter Text

Vi couldn’t tell exactly when Caitlyn’s apartment had started feeling like home, but when she stepped into the place after three days away, she did feel like she was home.

She took off her boots and dragged both of their suitcases into the living room, as Caitlyn locked the door behind them and arranged both of their boots on the rack.

“I’m going to take this to your room,” Vi announced, not waiting for Caitlyn’s answer before making her way upstairs with Caitlyn’s suitcase.

Faintly, she heard a sigh. “Fine, thank you.”

She stifled a smile. For someone who had grown up with a squadron of maids, Caitlyn could be so opposed to having others do things for her sometimes. It was funny.

She put the suitcase in Caitlyn’s bedroom and then came back downstairs, finding that her own suitcase had magically disappeared from the living room. Caitlyn walked out of her bedroom a second later.

“You know, I don't get why you're so opposed to me doing things for you, when you also like doing things for me. It doesn’t make any sense.” Vi shook her head, amused.

“Well, I’ve had enough of people thinking that I’m a princess who likes to be served all the time, so I like doing things on my own.” Caitlyn walked to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water.

Vi watched her with a smile. “For the record, I don’t think of you as the princess type. At least, not anymore. So, you should stop making a fuss whenever I try to do something for you. I only do it because I want to.”

“Not anymore? So, you mean to say that you used to think of me as the princess type?”

“I’ve just proclaimed my burning desire to do things for you but that’s what you take away?”

Caitlyn turned around, leaning on the kitchen counter as she took a sip of her water. A smile was perched on her lips. “Fine then, if you have such a burning desire to be kind to me, I’ll accept your generosity.”

The two of them stood there smiling at each other for a while, and the ease of the moment lent Vi the courage to ask the question that had been plaguing her mind throughout the entire drive back to Piltover.

“Do you want to sleep with me tonight?”

She had only thought about how bleak it would be to sleep alone again after knowing the warmth of cuddling Caitlyn to sleep, but the wide-eyed look on Caitlyn’s face struck her with the realization of how her question had sounded.

“I don’t mean sex!” she corrected herself quickly, but oh crap, would that give Caitlyn the wrong impression that she didn’t want her again? Caitlyn could be very literal sometimes. “I mean, not that I don’t want to have sex with you but—”

Oh, god. When did speaking become so disastrous?

Thankfully, Caitlyn looked nowhere near offended with her little blunder. If anything, she looked amused, with the faintest shade of pink dusting her face.

“I’ll sleep with you,” she repeated Vi’s exact words, seemingly entertained by the flushed look on Vi’s face. “I’ll go take a shower and do some work first, but I’ll come to you later? If you’re not asleep yet?”

“Come to me anyway, even if I’m asleep. It doesn’t matter.”

“Okay.” Caitlyn’s eyes seemed to glimmer with an excitement Vi had never seen before. She looked almost... giddy. And giddy Caitlyn was a brand new Caitlyn that made Vi feel ridiculously giddy too. She felt like a silly teenager who had just secured her first date, floating on cloud nine.

“I’ll see you later, Vi.”

Well, ‘later’ turned out to be a time period too long.

Okay, it was actually only three hours, but every minute ticked by painfully slowly for Vi. She tried to busy herself with unpacking her suitcase after showering, checking work emails, and even reading a book, but her overjoyed brain cells seemed to be shouting 'Caitlyn!' at her every five seconds.

Eventually, she gave up reading and threw her head back on her pillow with a sigh, blinking up at the ceiling. Briefly, she considered going to Caitlyn’s office and telling her to come to bed herself. It was past midnight anyway.

Why couldn’t she just work moderately—

“Vi?”

Vi shot up from her bed, faster than a bolt of lightning. 

"Hey!”

Okay, that ‘hey’ had probably come out too enthusiastically, but she found that she didn’t give a damn. Especially because there was a smile on Caitlyn’s lips as she slipped into the room and closed the door behind her.

“Why are you still awake? I thought you’d be asleep by now.”

“I was waiting for you. Here,” she patted the spot next to her and then held the blanket up, waiting for Caitlyn to crawl in. Caitlyn did so, and after a brief moment of hesitation, slotted herself in between Vi’s arms and pulled Vi down with her to lie on the bed.

Smooth warmth engulfed Vi, and it was an absolute bliss.

“You smell really nice,” she only realized that she had voiced her thoughts out loud when Caitlyn’s soft breathing against her chest turned into a puff of air. A chuckle.

“Why, thank you.” Caitlyn positioned her head more comfortably on Vi’s upper arm, using it like she would a pillow. "I suppose that overpriced shampoo I use has its merits."

“Mm-hm, definitely has its merits.” Greedy for more, Vi pulled her closer, until Caitlyn’s face was buried in her chest. Caitlyn seemed to approve of this, judging by the small, satisfied hum she made against the fabric of Vi’s shirt.

“Tired?” asked Caitlyn, as if she hadn’t been the one working past midnight. “You drove a long way earlier. You should have let me take turns driving with you.”

“You? Driving my Ford truck?” Vi chuckled, slinging her free arm over Caitlyn’s waist. She realized that her other arm underneath Caitlyn’s head would probably lose all sensations in the morning, but who needed their left arm anyway? “Can’t imagine it. Sorry. You should stick to your pretty Bentley. It matches you better.”

“Are you calling me pretty, Violet?”

Another chuckle left Vi. “Well, it wouldn’t be my first time, would it? I’ve said that a few times before. You must know by now that I’ve always found you very attractive.”

"Very attractive?"

“Now, now, you’re just milking it. Haven't you heard that from enough people? I'm sure plenty of others over the years have told you the same thing.”

“Well, tell me anyway. I want to hear it from you.”

“My, my. Who would have thought that the stern Caitlyn Kiramman could be so vain?”

“Oh, shut up,” Caitlyn laughed, though she didn’t back down from her request, so Vi supposed she really wanted to hear it from her. Some kind of confirmation, perhaps.

"I think you're very beautiful, Cait. And I don’t mean just on the outside either. Remember all those things I said to your mother when she first asked me what I like about you? Well, none of those were lies. I meant every single word. I think anyone would be lucky to have you in their life."

A pause. Caitlyn’s hand clenched on her shirt. "You really meant everything you said that day? You didn’t just say it to appease my mother and fulfill your part of the deal?"

“Well, your mother was terrifying, but trust me, I didn’t just say it to appease her and do my part of the deal. I really meant everything I said.”

Another beat of silence passed before Caitlyn sighed into her chest, deep and heavy and somehow, self-berating. “You must think I’m selfish.”

“Huh? What for?”

“For asking you, at the very beginning of our deal, to keep this strictly business. And then asking you again now, if everything was only business,” she paused, and her voice grew quieter. “For fretting and needing you to… assure me how you feel about me, when I couldn’t tell you in clarity how I feel myself.”

A slow smile spread on Vi’s lips. She ran her fingers through Caitlyn’s hair. "It's fine, Cait. I know you're not doing it intentionally. None of us knew what would… happen when we agreed on that deal. I'm just rolling with the punches better because I’m used to dealing with things in life as they come, without plans. You, on the other hand, are a creature of plans. I know you get all stressed out when things go out of your control."

Caitlyn gave off a self-deprecating laugh. "Saying 'stressed out' is a kind way to put it. I think 'terrified' is more apt, though."

Vi paused stroking her hair and tilted her head up so she could meet her eyes. “Cait, I know this is all… new to you, but there’s no need to be so terrified. I’m not going to push you into doing anything you aren’t ready for. You should know that.”

Caitlyn sighed and buried her face in her chest again. "You know, you said anyone would be lucky to have me, but I think it's you who anyone would be lucky to have. It’s unbelievable how patient and understanding you could be.”

"I know I don’t look like it at first glance, do I? I think someone once said that I look like I punch people in the face for a hobby."

“Well, technically, you do punch people in the face for a hobby,” Caitlyn’s voice was playful. “You like boxing after all. But yes, if only people knew how soft you are inside.”

"And if only people knew how hard-headed you are, beyond your posh lady looks."

The sound of Caitlyn’s laugh was musical.

"We should get some sleep. It’s already so late. Goodnight, Vi."

“Goodnight, Cait. Sleep well.”

Vi could get used to this, saying goodnight to Caitlyn every single night and holding her to sleep. Only, she wished that her lip hadn’t been hurt so she could press a goodnight kiss to Caitlyn’s forehead.

=================

“Goodness gracious, Violet. Whatever happened to your mouth?” Mrs. Babette halted on her way to her desk, staring at Vi with big eyes as she placed down her bag. “I thought you went on a trip with your family. Did you get into a fight with someone?”

“Nah, it was just an accident,” Vi waved her off, opening her laptop and suppressing a wide yawn. Another workweek to tackle.

Granted, this particular Monday didn’t feel as heavy as the other Mondays because Vi had woken up this morning to Caitlyn dropping a feather-light kiss on the corner of her lips that wasn’t injured, and Caitlyn stroking her hair softly.

Caitlyn had assumed she was still sleeping, and well, Vi had been too afraid to open her eyes and scare her away, so she had pretended to still be asleep.

A tiny part of her felt guilty about it, but the rest of her felt way too celebratory to dwell on it. It took all of her willpower not to grin like a fool the entire morning.

"By the way, I have some reports to drop off at the public attorney's office later, but I have a meeting right after lunch. Do you think you could do me a favor and deliver them for me during lunch break?" asked Mrs. Babette, a knowing smile on her face. "You could just drop them at the front desk and then go see your wife."

"Hm, a solid selling point, that one. Fine, I’ll take them there."

The old woman chortled. “Oh, to be young and in love again.”

Vi grinned, not bothering to say a word to deny it, because she was in love.

She wrapped up her work at 11:55 AM, using the spare five minutes to brush her hair back, roll up the sleeves of her black dress shirt up to her elbows, and then spray some perfume on herself, before rushing out at exactly 12:00 PM.

She was pretty sure she was humming all the way to Caitlyn’s office complex, throughout the drive and even while parking.

She only stopped humming when she hopped off her truck and saw a little girl selling flowers on the sidewalk.

“Flowers, Miss?”

The girl looked barely twelve, standing behind a cart carrying buckets of various colorful blooms. She had smart eyes on her and an even smarter mouth, apparently. “For your girlfriend, maybe?” Her smile was cheeky. “You look like you’re visiting your girlfriend. I’m sure she’ll appreciate a bouquet of beautiful flowers on this annoying Monday. Mom said office workers always hate Mondays.”

Vi had to laugh at her gall. “A promising entrepreneur, aren’t you? How do you know that I’m visiting a girlfriend anyway?”

She had meant that as a question of ‘Do I really look like a lovestruck fool?’, but the little girl’s answer floored her.

“Well, you don’t look like you would have a boyfriend?”

Vi had to give it to her. A sage at such a young age. She nodded wholeheartedly. “So true, Miss. I’ll take a bouquet of your flowers for that sharp observation skill, thanks.”

The girl’s happy grin was brighter than the sun. “Roses?”

Well, actually, Vi had no idea what Caitlyn’s favorite flowers were. Did she even like flowers at all?

The little girl raised an eyebrow at her. “You don’t know your girlfriend’s favorite flower? Really? You aren’t a very good girlfriend, are you?” she slapped a hand to her own mouth. “Oops, sorry, mom said I shouldn’t question any buyer. Bad for business.”

Vi chuckled. “It’s fine, where’s your mom anyway?”

“Bathroom break,” the girl grinned sheepishly. “So, what flowers?”

Vi rubbed her chin and thought very, very hard. “Violets, I think? Uh, her perfume smells like it, so she must like it, at least.”

The girl quirked an eyebrow at her again as she went about arranging a bouquet of violets for Vi. “You really should talk more to your girlfriend about things, Miss.”

“Hey, whatever happened to not judging your customers?”

The girl giggled. Oh, she was trouble, alright. Just like Powder when she was younger. Vi had to smile at her ballsiness.

“Here, a bouquet of violets for your girlfriend.”

“And here, a payment for your flowers and sage advice. Keep the change.”

“Thanks, Miss!” the girl called after her, and Vi waved her goodbye as she made her way up the steps to Caitlyn’s office building.

It took her a moment to realize that everyone in the office would notice the bouquet of flowers in her hand and would immediately know that she was there to… well, visit Caitlyn as her wife. She shrugged. The idea didn’t seem bad. 

“Good afternoon, Miss. How may I help you?” asked the lady at the front desk, eyes dropping to the flowers in Vi’s hand and looking confused, just as predicted.

Vi cleared her throat. “I’m here to meet Mrs. Kiramman.” She looked around, noticing some of the other lawyers walking out in groups, most likely to have lunch together. Caitlyn was nowhere among them.

“I’m afraid this is lunchtime and she isn’t available for—”

“I’m her wife,” Vi said, clearing her throat again. “I’m, uh, not here for work.”

“Oh, I see,” the lady blinked, understanding settling on her. “In that case, I believe she’s having lunch in her office. The last one down the corridor.”

“Thanks,” Vi passed her a smile and headed in the said direction. Actually, she still remembered where Caitlyn’s office was.

It was funny to think that so many things had happened since her first visit all those months ago, when she’d brought Caitlyn a case and accused her of not caring enough about the poor inmate. Now, if anyone so much as suggested that Caitlyn was that kind of person, Vi would smack them herself.

She paused in front of Caitlyn’s door, forgoing the idea of knocking like a normal person, and opting for surprise.

“Flowers for you, Mrs. Kiramman?” She cracked the door open just enough to slip her hand in, holding up the bouquet of flowers like an offering before popping her head in a second later. The wide-eyed look on Caitlyn’s face was enough to send her bursting into laughter, realizing how silly she was behaving.

“Vi! What are you doing here?” There was a smile spreading uncontrollably across Caitlyn’s face despite her surprise, and she stood up from her chair to walk over to Vi in an instant. Vi closed the door behind her with a grin.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m visiting my dear wife on her lunch break and bringing her flowers.” Her grin grew even wider, pained lip be damned, at the indescribable delight on Caitlyn’s face as she took the flowers from her.

“You bought me flowers?”

“Well, yes, I didn’t steal them from the little girl selling it outside. Trust.”

Normally, she felt like Caitlyn would roll her eyes at that joke, but at the moment, she seemed too pleased to care about it. It was surprising how happy she looked receiving a simple bouquet of flowers, considering she’d probably received much bigger gifts all her life. Vi made a mental note to buy her flowers more often because apparently, she loved them.

“So, do you like violets? Or do you have any other favorite flowers? I had to face some serious judgment from the little girl selling these because, quote, ‘I don’t know what my girlfriend likes and I’m not a good girlfriend.’”

Caitlyn laughed, bringing the flowers over to her desk and placing them down gingerly. The lunchbox Vi had prepared for her earlier that morning sat beside it, open and already half-empty.

“I do like Violet,” she settled on her chair again, eyes glinting with something as she swept a playful gaze over Vi. A smile was playing on her lips.

Violet? Not violets? Oh, she could be such a tease sometimes.

“Have you had lunch?” Caitlyn asked, motioning at the remaining food in her lunchbox. “We could share. I still don’t understand why you didn’t buy two lunchboxes when you got me this. You should have one too.”

“Well, I was busy thinking about your birthday present, not about myself,” Vi settled on the chair across from Caitlyn. It had been a while since she’d been here.

“I’ll get you one if you’re not getting it yourself.” Caitlyn reached for her phone, typing something with the seriousness of typing a work email.

“Uh, what are you doing?”

“Buying you a lunchbox.”

Vi laughed. “Like, right now?”

“Yes. I’ll have it delivered to our home.”

Our home.

God. Would it be too embarrassing if a girl melted right off her chair because of that?

“Here, have the rest of this,” Caitlyn pushed the lunchbox over to her. Vi knew that tone. It was a tone that implied Caitlyn would accept no argument.

“Fine,” she gave in, taking the lunchbox with a laugh and beginning to eat. Hmm, she did cook well. She gave herself a mental pat on the back.

“How’s your day at work?”

Thinking of you constantly. Daydreaming of you kissing me this morning.

“It’s fine. Just another regular Monday.”

Vi looked around. Unintentionally, her gaze landed on something she believed hadn’t been there the last time she’d visited. In anyone else’s cluttered office, it would have been easily missed, but Caitlyn’s office was so clear—almost completely devoid of any personal trinkets—the small, white-framed photo sitting on her desk was unmissable.

“Is that… a photo of us? From our wedding?”

Caitlyn’s gaze followed hers to the photo, and her cheeks flamed red.

“Well, yes, it’s—” Vi could see the explanation form at the tip of her tongue, the usual recycled statement that it was just so her coworkers knew that she was married, but then she closed her mouth again and swallowed. “I like looking at it.”

Close enough. A small improvement, but an improvement nevertheless.

Vi only realized that she was grinning so widely because her lip hurt again.

“Hm, I should get myself a frame too, I think.”

“What, you mean you don’t already have a photo of your dear wife on your desk?” Caitlyn’s voice was playful as she used Vi’s own words against her. “How scandalous. I sure hope you’re not taking off your wedding ring when your dear wife isn’t around.”

“You, my lady, could be very bratty sometimes, do you know that?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Caitlyn said, smiling. “But yes, I’ll print a photo for you too, if you’d like.”

“I’d love that.”

“Okay,” Caitlyn hummed, leaning back on her chair and looking pleased. “Now, tell me why you’re really here. Are you here to bring Mrs. Babette’s reports? Someone down the hall has been complaining loudly since early this morning because he couldn’t start working without those reports.”

At the mention of the reports, Vi blinked. “Oh, crap. I just realized I forgot them in my truck. I was supposed to drop them at the front desk.”

The look on Caitlyn’s face was pure amusement. “You came all the way here to bring those reports but ended up forgetting them and bringing me flowers instead?”

Vi flushed. She could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks. But whatever. “Yes, yes, I know it’s silly. But I’ve been busy thinking about you, okay? Not about some reports.”

A pause. Caitlyn seemed to hold her breath, and when she released it again, her voice was hopeful. “You think of me? Often?”

Vi would deliver whatever she hoped for. “Yes, very often. Probably too often, if I’m being honest. You’re all I think about all day.”

Caitlyn was the one turning red now, her cheeks slowly taking the shade of Vi’s hair. “I—well, I think of you too. Often. More often than I should.” She frowned, looking at the stack of documents on her desk. “You’re bad for productivity, honestly.”

Oh. Vi shouldn’t feel so damned smug but, “The great Caitlyn Kiramman, master of the utmost focus, is having trouble focusing because of me? Really? The size of my head may never fit through any door again.”

“The size of your head may never…? Oh,” Caitlyn smiled, looking proud to get her joke. It was endearing. “You mean it’s metaphorically inflated.”

Vi grinned. “Yes, so if I couldn’t walk out of here, it’s your fault. Although, I should probably go get those reports and drop them at the front desk now. If I stay here any longer, people will assume that we’re doing something inappropriate. I might have told the front desk lady that I’m your wife and I’m not here for business.”

“Something inappropriate?” Caitlyn looked almost offended. “I’ll never do that at work.”

“What? Too crass for you?” Vi laughed, standing up. “Wouldn’t it be good if you want a show for everyone, though? You know, you could leave your lipstick mark on my neck and mess up my hair before I walk out of here, that would definitely get everyone’s attention.”

“I can’t tell if you’re joking or being serious,” Caitlyn said, her face turning crimson again. The tips of her ears seemed to redden too. Well, apparently, the idea seemed to get her a little hot and bothered.

Vi grinned. “Bye, I'll drop the reports at the front desk and head back to work. I'll see you later at home, okay?”

“Yes, I’ll see you later. Drive safely, please.”

It was possible that Vi wasn’t walking but floating down the corridor after exiting Caitlyn’s office. The lady at the front desk and some other people gave her curious looks, not even trying to be subtle.

Words certainly spread quickly when they concerned Caitlyn Kiramman.

Vi shook her head, going to the parking lot to retrieve the reports she had forgotten. The little girl from the flower cart earlier waved at her with a grin, now standing with her mom. Vi gave her a thumb-up to indicate that her flowers had been a successful hit.

Halfway to her truck, though, she paused because she noticed an incredibly huge man roaming around, peering into Caitlyn’s car, a few cars down from her own.

Who the fuck…?

“Hey!” she shouted at him, striding over to him quickly.

He whipped around, eyes widening at first, then quickly settling back to calm upon seeing her, as if she weren’t worth being alarmed over. He was, after all, twice her size.

“What are you doing peeking into someone else’s car?” she barked out, undaunted by his physique. She could strike one or two weak points should he decide to fuck around and find out. Guys of his size were usually slower than her. Usually.

"Easy, lady," he said, lifting his hands in surrender. His voice was deep, coming from behind his thick beard and mustache. “My mistake, I’m looking for a friend of mine. I thought this was his car.”

“Oh yeah? Because there are so many luxury cars sitting around this parking lot?”

She wasn’t stupid. There weren’t many cars similar to Caitlyn’s in this neighborhood.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, lady,” he laughed, backing off from her with his hands still lifted up beside his head. "I don't even know what kind of car this is. I'm more of a motorbike person than a car person. I just thought the color looks similar to my friend’s car. My bad, really.”

He walked away, and Vi wondered if she should call the cops on him. But what would she accuse him of doing exactly? What was he trying to do? Break into the car? Steal it? Or do something else?

Was she just overreacting?

Just to be safe, Vi pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the man as he walked away and hopped on his motorbike. She zoomed in on his license plate number and frowned. Normally, she wouldn’t be the one to contact… one of her exes, but desperate time called for desperate measure.

She needed a cop's help.

She searched for ‘Sarah Fortune’ on her contact list and began typing a message, requesting her help to check on the license plate number.

They hadn’t actually spoken since their breakup, over five years ago.

Vi hated having to ask for a favor after not speaking to someone for so long, it felt rude, but the worry of having a strange man anywhere near Caitlyn outweighed any of her discomfort.

She looked up from her phone, finding that the man had disappeared, along with his motorbike. That was even more suspicious because wasn’t he supposed to meet his friend here?

Vi could only pray that Sarah hadn’t blocked her after their breakup, which, admittedly, was Vi’s fault. She had spent so much time prioritizing Powder back then, Sarah had finally had enough and decided to walk out on her.

The answer to her prayer, much to her surprise, came in mere seconds.

My, my, Vi. Not a single hi in 5 years, and not even a simple how are you to begin with, and you’re immediately asking for a favor? Whatever happened to you? You used to be much sweeter.

Vi swallowed. Well, good news, Sarah hadn’t blocked her. Bad news, Vi felt bad. But guilt and shame be damned, she needed to make sure Caitlyn would be safe.

I’m sorry. It’s kinda urgent. Could you run a check on him? He looked very suspicious. I promise I’ll find a way to pay you back.

Sarah’s reply came several minutes later.

The name’s Rictus North. The vehicle’s a regular civilian’s vehicle. The guy has no criminal record. Completely clean. You owe me a drink btw. As payback.

Vi breathed out in relief. Okay. So, the guy wasn’t an armed robber or a serial killer, at least. That did quell most of her worries, though a part of her remained wary.

Thanks. Come down to The Last Drop when you have time. You know where it is. Drinks will be on the house. As much as you want.

Sarah’s reply came a second later, complete with a smiley emoji.

Promises, promises. I’ll drop by when I have time.

Well, at least, she didn’t seem to hate Vi anymore.

=================

The whole week passed, but the thought of the strange guy from Monday lingered in Vi’s mind. She was pretty sure she was just overreacting, but still, doing a little research wouldn’t hurt.

Seated in the living room on a peaceful Saturday morning, Vi decided to search the internet for any trace of Rictus North.

The guy turned out to be incredibly private, as Vi couldn’t find anything about him online, be it professional or personal.

Well, almost couldn’t find anything, because she did find an obscured account of his on one of the older social media platforms that the younger people didn’t really use anymore. But it was locked. Damn.

“What’s got you so stressed over there?” came Caitlyn’s voice from the kitchen, where she was making a cup of coffee for Vi and a cup of tea for herself. “You’re frowning at your phone like it’s committed a serious crime against you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Vi looked up, sitting straighter on the sofa. She put her phone away as Caitlyn walked over to bring her the steaming cup of coffee. “Thanks. And wow, would you look at that, a glazed donut to go with the coffee. You really know how to win a girl’s heart.”

"Only your heart, I think, since nobody else I know above the age of 30 likes to have a sugar coma so early in the morning," Caitlyn mused. She went over to grab her cup of tea before coming back to sit beside Vi on the sofa.

It was nice, sitting with Caitlyn and mindlessly watching the morning news on TV, both of them still in their wrinkled sleepwear and in no rush to get to work.

Slow mornings like this were rare for the two of them.

Although, Caitlyn would probably have something to work on later. She always did.

“Are you planning to go somewhere today?” Vi could barely get the question out, distracted by how closely Caitlyn was pressed on her side. Caitlyn had her legs tucked beneath her as she leaned back against Vi, sipping her tea and watching the news.

Everything about her was soft and warm, relaxed in a way she so rarely was.

This was Vi’s favorite version of Caitlyn.

“Mm-hm, a little later. I have to go meet someone.”

“For work?”

“Of course,” Caitlyn looked at her as if she were being silly. “As if I have any friends to hang out with on weekends, or on any day.”

Vi felt like she shouldn’t laugh at that—really, she shouldn’t—but the deadpan way Caitlyn said it was what made her chuckle. “I mean, who knows, maybe you’ve made some new friends I don’t know about.”

"All I do daily is work and spend time at home with you. Unless a new friend magically materializes out of thin air in this apartment, I think my social circle will remain just you and Jayce. And that’s okay with me."

Well, that was flattering, but still, Vi wished more people could get to know Caitlyn and see how lovely she really was. And funny too, occasionally.

A moment of silence passed, with only the news broadcaster’s voice filling the room, before Vi spoke again. “Speaking of Jayce, could you give me his number?”

“Jayce?” Caitlyn looked at her again, a question in her eyes. “Sure. Why?”

"Nothing, I just think it’d be nice to have your family’s number, your mom’s and dad’s included, in case I need to reach them," Vi cleared her throat, trying to suppress the worry that had been gnawing at her since Monday. "We live together, after all. Whatever happens to you, I’ll be the first one to know, and I may need to contact them.”

Caitlyn mulled it over before nodding. “You’re right. In that case, you should give me your sister’s number too.”

“I will, and Cait,” Vi said, grabbing her wrist just as Caitlyn stood to leave the sofa and take her empty cup of tea to the kitchen. “Set me as your emergency contact on your phone, okay? First speed dial. And I don’t care what time of the day it is, if you need anything, just call me.”

“Anything at any time?” Caitlyn looked confused now, and half-amused.

“Yep, anything at any time.”

“Like flat tires at ten in the evening?”

“Sure.”

“And airport pickup at four in the morning?”

“Absolutely.”

The half-amused look on Caitlyn’s face grew into full amusement. "Tea when I run out of my favorite brand in the office midday?”

“Now you’re just teasing me, but sure, I’ll do that too if it makes you happy.”

Caitlyn chuckled. “I was just kidding, yes. I’ll never inconvenience you with small troubles like that. But thank you, for caring so much about me. I promise you’ll be the first person I call if there’s anything urgent. And you should do the same. Call me before anyone else if you ever need anything, hm?”

Still standing while Vi was sitting, Caitlyn reached down and ran her thumb along Vi’s cheek, her palm soft against her skin.

Vi could tell that Caitlyn was thinking of kissing her, because her gaze dropped to her lips. It gave her just enough courage to turn her face a little, until her lips were grazing Caitlyn’s palm. She pressed a kiss to its soft center, and Caitlyn’s following intake of breath was sharp, unmissable.

“I’ll do that,” Vi said, and then smiled when Caitlyn muttered something about having to go take a shower and speed-walked to the kitchen to put her empty cup away.

Shy Caitlyn was a brand new Caitlyn that she thoroughly enjoyed too.

====================

Saturday afternoons usually meant going to The Last Drop and preparing with Benzo to face the busiest night of the week. Yet, this time, Vi found herself staring up at Jayce’s apartment building instead.

It wasn’t as upscale as Caitlyn’s, but still, it was far better than most.

Vi had called him after getting his number from Caitlyn earlier, just after Caitlyn had left for her appointment. Normally, she wouldn’t hide anything from Caitlyn, but she wanted to be sure whether this… issue was worth Caitlyn’s worry before bringing it up.

“Hey, Vi! Good to see you again!” Jayce threw his arms out as soon as he spotted her in the lobby, pulling her into his usual bear hug. Somehow, he was still in his pajamas.

“Did you just get out of bed?” Vi raised an eyebrow, following him into the elevator. A couple of people in the lobby turned to look at him too. “It’s almost 3:00 PM, Jayce.”

“Well, it’s almost 3:00 PM on a Saturday,” Jayce reminded her, grinning. "If you hadn't called me earlier, I might not have gotten out of bed until 6:00 PM."

“And I thought my little sister could be too much with her bed-rotting on weekends.”

“I’m always known to excel at things far ahead of everyone else, yes.”

Vi snorted, just as the elevator opened and they walked down the corridor to Jayce’s. “Here’s my humble abode,” he held the door open for her, making a dramatic gesture for her to enter.

“You rich people really have no idea what humble is. This place is not humble,” Vi shook her head, laughing as she walked in. “This place already makes my old apartment look rundown.”

“Well, this is humble, if you compare it to Caitlyn’s. Drinks?”

“Well, we shouldn’t compare anything to Caitlyn’s. That’s a losing battle. And water is fine, thanks.” Vi looked around and then cringed a little internally. Okay, maybe not so internally, because Jayce laughed at the look on her face.

“You know, it’s not polite to judge the state of a guy’s apartment after calling him and asking him for help.” He brought her a glass of water and sat with her in the living room. “I know it’s a little messier, well, a lot messier, compared to Caitlyn’s place, but didn’t you just say we shouldn’t compare anything to Caitlyn’s?”

Vi rolled her eyes. “Of course, you’ll hear me on that.”

Jayce grinned. “Now, chaotic apartment aside, what can I help you with? You said there’s something important you need help with.”

Vi hesitated for a moment. “Actually, I’m not even sure if you could help me with this, but Caitlyn said once that you work in IT?”

“That’s true. Though, I’ve been doing freelance jobs lately and not a full-time job. Why?”

“Do you think you can access someone’s locked social media account?”

At Jayce’s surprised blink, she quickly added, “I mean, I’m not sure exactly what IT professionals can or can’t do, but if it’s something possible, I’d like to check someone’s account. This guy is... um, kinda suspicious. A lot suspicious, actually.”

“What kind of suspicious do you mean?”

"Well, I saw him lurk around Caitlyn’s car a few days ago. A huge guy with a menacing look. He said he mistook the car for his friend’s, but then he fled without waiting for his friend. It’s probably nothing, but it’s been bothering me all week."

She hated how that explanation immediately made Jayce, who was always so laid back and playful, suddenly sit ramrod straight and look way too serious.

“Show me his account,” he said instantly, with an urgent voice that sounded so unlike him too. Somehow, it made Vi’s worry flare up in every direction.

“Here,” she showed him Rictus’ account, and he took one look at it before standing up and going to grab one of his laptops. He sat back down with it and typed something with a speed and efficiency Vi had never seen from him before.

A long, painstaking moment passed before he finally stopped typing, his face going pale. “Oh, shit,” was all that he said.

“What is it?” Vi asked, scooting over to sit next to him and taking a look at his screen.

Rows of old photos of Rictus were displayed on the screen, dating back over fifteen years. At first glance, nothing seemed unusual, until her gaze landed on one where younger Rictus, along with a group of other big men, was posing in military uniform.

“The fuck? He’s in the army? But his license plate was civilian’s—”

“I think he’s a civilian here, in Piltover, but not in that place. Do you see that badge?” Jayce pointed at the small badge on his uniform. “That's a Noxian badge. He must have moved here from Noxus. And almost every single Noxian ex-soldier I’ve met in Piltover so far is tied to one person.”

He still looked terribly pale as he turned to face her.

“Vi, you have to tell Caitlyn to stop whatever she’s doing now. This is bad. Like, really, really bad.”

“What do you mean? Speak clearly.” The fine hairs at the back of Vi’s neck were rising.

“This guy… he must be tied to Ambessa. Ambessa Medarda. Do you remember? I told you about her before. She’s a trouble, Vi. A real trouble. And her men aren’t afraid to do whatever she asks them to do. They could play really dirty. They don’t care for laws. Ambessa doesn’t care for laws. She’s backed by some really powerful people in the government, especially in the military. She’ll do anything to get what she wants and she’ll likely get away with it.”

“But what the fuck does she want from Caitlyn?”

“Oh, Caitlyn’s going to kill me if I tell you this. She didn’t even let me finish speaking about Ambessa to you that night. She’ll be so angry—”

“Jayce, please. I need to know what’s going on. You’re freaking me out.”

Jayce looked at her for a long moment, conflicted.

"Jayce! Please, I need to know what’s going on if I’m going to help keep Caitlyn safe."

Her last sentence seemed to break his last bit of hesitance. “Fine. Okay. I—I don’t know things in detail, because Caitlyn keeps me in the dark most of the time, out of concern for my safety, but from what I’ve heard from her and Mel, that scandal Aunt Cassandra’s involved with was schemed by Ambessa.”

“That scandal?” Vi repeated, baffled. “Why? Did Cassandra cross her or something?”

“Oh, no. It wasn’t Aunt Cassandra who crossed her,” Jayce bit his lip. “It was… Caitlyn, actually. Over a year ago. She picked up on some trace of Ambessa’s crime, and she wouldn’t let it go. You know how she is. She could be like a dog with a bone when she suspects something. And no one can stop her. Aunt Cassandra, Mel, and I kept telling her to stop, but she wouldn’t listen. Eventually, her investigations got too close to Ambessa, and Ambessa gave her a warning.”

“By setting Cassandra up?”

“Yes, because Ambessa is a smart woman. Cruel but smart. She knew that if she had gone for Caitlyn instead of Cassandra, Cassandra would have retaliated with full power. She wouldn’t just sit and watch Caitlyn go down without tearing Ambessa apart too. Caitlyn is her world. But by striking Cassandra instead of Caitlyn as a warning…”

“Caitlyn wouldn’t be able to fight back fully because Cassandra would be stopping her, and Cassandra wouldn’t be able to fight back fully either, because she’s worried that Ambessa might strike Caitlyn next.”

“Yes, Ambessa is a terrifyingly smart woman indeed, very good at reading people’s thoughts and weaknesses,” Jayce muttered, worrying on his lower lip again. “From what I know, it’s been over a year since Aunt Cassandra decided to cut off financial support for Caitlyn. She doesn’t want Caitlyn to have the resources to investigate and go after Ambessa and her people.”

He looked at Vi again, confused. “Honestly, I have no idea how Caitlyn’s still doing independent investigations on them up until now. She never talks about her investigations with me anymore, but I know that she’s still doing them. There’s no other reason for this Noxian guy to show up near her if it’s not for that.”

A chill crept over Vi, like ice slowly spreading down her spine.

The trust fund Cassandra had mentioned before, from Caitlyn’s late grandmother.

Could it be…?

“You have to stop her, Vi,” Jayce pleaded, desperate. “Caitlyn has never been the type to listen to anyone, but—but maybe with you, she’ll be willing to listen, at least a little. I’ve seen how she looks at you, how she treats you. She’s never been that way with anyone before. If anyone could talk some sense into her to back off from these dangerous things she’s doing, it’s you, Vi. Please.”

Vi swallowed, the ice in her spine seemingly spreading even further at that plea. Because deep down, she had a sinking feeling that she was the very reason why Caitlyn could still carry on her investigations at all.

That trust fund from her late grandmother.

Was it possible that it was the reason why Caitlyn needed to be married in the first place? To fulfill some sort of requirements to receive that fund?

Was Vi the very reason why Caitlyn could still involve herself in all these dangerous businesses?

Oh, fuck.

Chapter Text

It was a miracle that Vi hadn’t crashed into another car on her way home from Jayce’s.

She had been calling Caitlyn’s number repeatedly, unable to pay attention to the road and nearly swerving lanes several times. The loud, furious honks from other cars had only added to her anxiousness.

She fired off a quick text to Benzo once she arrived home, telling him to close The Last Drop for the night, because there was no way in hell she could go help after finding out what was going on with Caitlyn. She hit the call button on Caitlyn’s number again.

Where on earth was she? Why wasn’t she picking up?

Vi’s mind raced with so many possible answers, and none of them was good. 

She paced around the living room like a lunatic, phone pressed to her ear for so long, it started burning up her skin.

By the 15th missed call, she considered calling Cassandra and asking for help to find Caitlyn. Her thumb hovered over Cassandra’s name on her contact list, just as an incoming call from Caitlyn flashed on her screen.

“Vi? Is everything okay? Sorry, I was—”

“Caitlyn!” Vi nearly jumped, a wild surge of relief washing over her. She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose and willing herself to calm down. “Where are you? Are you done with your appointment? I need you to come home now. Like, right now.”

A pause.

“Is something the matter?” Caitlyn asked, alarmed.

Nothing was actually wrong with Vi, but she needed Caitlyn to come home immediately, regardless of what she was doing. “Yes, I need you to come home now. Please, Cait.”

“On my way. I’ll be there soon, okay?” Caitlyn ended the call, undoubtedly rushing to apologize to whoever it was she was meeting and taking her leave early.

God, was her appointment today related to Ambessa too? Was that what she had been working on all this time, outside her regular office hours?

And had Vi been going about her days peacefully all this time, unaware that Caitlyn was playing with fire and exposing herself to danger everyday?

Fuck.

The front door flung open half an hour later, and in walked Caitlyn, looking breathless and wind-blown as if she had run the entire way home. Strands of her dark hair escaped messily from her ponytail.

“Vi! Are you okay?” She dropped her things in the doorway, not even bothering to take off her heels before rushing to Vi in the living room.

In seconds, her hands were on Vi’s face. Her blue eyes, wide with worry, swept all over her for any sign of injury. “Did something happen? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“I’m fine,” Vi swallowed, suddenly feeling guilty for making her so worried. But this conversation could not wait. “I just—I need to talk to you about Ambessa, Cait. Now.”

Caitlyn’s eyes, previously sweeping all over her, snapped up to meet hers and froze. “Ambessa?” she asked, her voice suddenly a tone louder than usual. Her nerves seemed to fire in all directions. “What happened? Did she send someone after you? Did she do something to you?”

“No, it’s not that. She hasn’t… hurt me or anything.” Vi grabbed her hands, which were still clutching her face tightly. She took a deep breath and looked Caitlyn in the eyes, willing her to calm down too. “I mean we need to talk about you investigating her and putting yourself in danger. I know what you’re doing now, Cait.”

Silence stretched between them, and she could see the widening of Caitlyn’s eyes as understanding dawned on her. Vi swallowed. “I know about Ambessa setting up your mom as a warning for you, and about you still insisting on chasing her down despite that. Despite everyone telling you that it’s a bad idea, really.”

She could feel Caitlyn’s hold loosen from her face, and immediately grabbed her hands tighter to stop her from retreating. This was not the time for her to withdraw into herself again and keep secrets.

“I know about your mom cutting off financial support for your investigations. And I know you’ve been using the trust fund from your late grandmother. I know why I’m here, Cait.”

It was a wild shot, an unconfirmed theory in her mind, but the way Caitlyn really pulled away from her and turned to face the large windows in the living room instead of her, unable to say anything, was confirmation enough.

“How did you know about this?” came her voice a moment later, her back still turned to Vi. Vi could only see her expression in the vague reflection of her on the window’s glass, but it was clear that she was distressed.

Her eyes were drawn shut, and a deep frown was creasing her forehead. Her arms wrapped tightly around herself before she lifted a hand to rub her face, an uncharacteristic gesture.

“Did my mother tell you? Or was it Jayce? Is this why you asked for their numbers?”

“I didn’t ask for their numbers to dig into any of this. Hell, I didn’t even know about any of this until two hours ago. Granted, your mom asked me about the trust fund at your birthday dinner, but I didn’t even know what she meant back then.”

She paused, walking over to pull Caitlyn by arm so she would look her in the eyes again. “I asked for their numbers because I was worried after spotting someone lurking around your car a few days ago. Someone who Jayce and I found out to be a Noxian ex-soldier,” she stressed out the last word, needing Caitlyn to realize how fucking serious and dangerous this was.

But Caitlyn, much to her horror, didn’t even bat an eyelash. She stared at Vi, unbudging like a boulder, like that information wasn’t enough to terrify her.

Vi was floored. “Cait, what the fuck? Do you even hear me? An ex-soldier, tied to a morally bankrupt businesswoman who’s known for stopping at nothing to get what she wants, is stalking you. How could you listen to this and remain so unfazed?”

When Caitlyn offered no answer still, she snapped. “Can you talk to me for once? I’ve never pushed you to answer anything you weren’t ready for, and I’ve always given you time to think, but could you think about how worrying all of this is to me?”

Caitlyn sighed, screwing her eyes shut again as she ran her hand through her face. “I’m sorry,” she forced the words out against her palm, sounding frustrated but otherwise sincere. Her eyebrows were still tightly drawn together. “I just… I didn’t want you to mingle with anything related to Ambessa because I don’t want to put you in danger.”

She opened her eyes then, and the pure concern in them was enough to douse off the fire of anger in Vi. "I thought the less you knew about what I know regarding Ambessa, the safer you’d be."

She stared at Vi for a long moment before finally exhaling and reaching out to grab her hand. “I’ll explain everything now. Come with me to my office?”

==================

When Caitlyn had asked her to steer clear of her office months ago, right after she moved in, she had assumed that it was for the confidentiality of the cases Caitlyn was working on, or for Caitlyn’s own privacy.

Never in her life had she imagined that it was to hide all of this.

The walls in her office were covered by large cork boards from corner to corner, and on those cork boards were pinned photos of various people, sticky notes scribbled with Caitlyn’s handwriting, and newspaper clippings. They were pinned onto certain locations on a map, and connected to each other by small red strings.

Vi recognized no one in the photos, but she could see that all of the red strings led up to one photo that was pinned far above the others, showing a tall, formidable woman surrounded by her bodyguards.

The resemblance to Mel was noticeable. Ambessa Medarda, no doubt. And Caitlyn was clearly obsessed with her case because the entire room was filled with it. God, how many hours had she spent working on all of this?

“I’ve been investigating Ambessa for over a year.” Caitlyn watched as she roamed around, looking up at the boards. “It started when I was still working in that law firm in the central business district. An old man came to me with a request to defend his daughter. She was accused of driving under the influence of drugs and causing a car crash that killed an entire family.”

Vi turned, seeing Caitlyn point at one of the photos on the board.

“Her name was Sky Young. Her father insisted that she would never drive under the influence of drugs, because she had never used drugs to begin with. I had my doubts, of course, because some parents had no idea what their children might be up to, but he was so sure. He insisted that she despised drugs. She’d lost her younger sister to drug addiction before. He wasn't one of the firm’s usual wealthy clients, but he was willing to shell out so much money because he was so certain of her innocence.”

Caitlyn bit her lip. “Something about him stuck with me, so I took the case and did a thorough research on his daughter. I found out that he was right. She was clean. She even donated and volunteered regularly at rehabilitation centers for addiction. She had a high-paying job as a software engineer at a successful tech startup too. Her father said she was content with her life.”

“So… you felt like something was off?”

“Yes, a lot of things were off, actually,” Caitlyn sighed, looking at the newspaper clipping above the photo of Sky. It was a headline about HexTech, a successful tech startup that had been developing groundbreaking software for other businesses, pushing the limits of innovation and reshaping business models. All sorts of institutions, from banks to hospitals to government facilities, were using their service.

“This was where she used to work at,” Caitlyn pointed at the news. “I met her in the hospital after she regained consciousness, and she said some very... troubling things.”

“About the company?”

“Yes,” she hesitated. “I had no solid evidence at the time, but going by what she said, it seemed like someone had drugged her the night of the accident. Someone related to her job. She didn’t tell me in detail because she was still so disoriented after the crash, but she mumbled something about having disagreements with some key people in the company, and that some of them seemed afraid that she might speak to the public.”

“The hell? Are you saying they tried to get her killed just because they were worried that she might become, what, a whistleblower?”

“You’ll be surprised by how many multibillion-dollar corporations have been doing that for decades, always under the guise of suicides or accidents.”

The fine hairs at the back of Vi’s neck stood up. That was fucking disturbing. She had no idea how Caitlyn could say all of this with such a straight face.

“But the place she worked at, HexTech, isn’t a multibillion-dollar corporation, right?” Vi checked the news again. “They said it’s a startup. Surely, it’s not that big yet?”

“I thought so, too, at first. I did some research on the executives of HexTech, and all of them seemed… inconsequential. Even their CEO, Salo,” Caitlyn pointed at one of the photos on the board, “Is someone without prior experience in leading any business. The chosen people in their management seemed so random and nonsensical to me.”

Caitlyn sighed, massaging her temple. “It bothered me so much because how could a startup led by a group of inexperienced executives be so successful? How could they have so much funds for research and development to begin with? Why were so many government officials promoting their service despite them being a private business?”

She walked over to her desk and took out a folder from the neatly arranged rows of files on the bookshelf beside it.

“With help from some family contacts and private investigators, I managed to trace their accounts and found that they’ve been paying out money regularly to all the politicians who became their spokesperson. Everything was hidden under layers and layers of obscured accounts, but I found that all the money came from one source.”

Vi looked at the report Caitlyn showed her, surprised. “Ambessa’s corporation is the one backing this?” She read again. “But why? I thought her business was in the arms industry. Why the sudden interest in tech?”

“That’s what still eludes me,” Caitlyn tossed the report on her desk. That movement was so careless and so unlike her, Vi could tell that she was still so goddamn frustrated having no answer. “That’s what I’m still trying to figure out.”

Another thought, more terrifying and more disturbing than before, suddenly came to Vi. “Cait, what happened to that woman? The whistleblower, I mean. Sky.”

Caitlyn turned to look at her again and took a long moment before giving her an answer that she wished she hadn’t heard. “She’s dead. A day after I met her in the hospital. They said her condition worsened, even though the doctor had said she was recovering well the day before.”

Cold spread all over Vi at once.

Oh, no.

No, no, no.

Fucking no.

“Caitlyn, you will stop your investigations right now,” her voice shook as she pointed at the boards lining the wall. “All of this will mean nothing if you get yourself killed too. Do not fuck around with people like Ambessa. I mean it, Cait. You need to leave her alone. Clearly, she isn’t afraid to kill people to get what she wants.”

“I can’t do that, Vi.”

“What do you mean you can’t?” Vi nearly shouted. She had never raised her volume at Caitlyn before, but this was a nuisance. A suicide mission. “What could possibly be more important than your life?”

“What if she’s planning something big that could hurt a lot of people in the long run?”

“I don’t care about what-ifs, Cait!” The shout finally left her. “You are the one who could get hurt for real. Like, I’m sorry if I can’t stop every twisted, rich fucker out there from possibly committing crimes and ruining the world, but I’ll do what I can and that is to protect my family, my people, and that includes you.”

She looked at Caitlyn, the anger in her chest quickly morphing into desperation laced with fear. “So, could you please, stop putting yourself in danger and leave this issue for someone else to sort out? Please?”

“But who else could sort it out?” Caitlyn asked, exasperated. “If even people like my mother and I, people who have the power and resources to set something straight, turn a blind eye to this kind of thing, then who could set it straight?”

Vi hated this. She hated that Caitlyn was saying something she would normally agree with in any other situation.

Because in this moment, she wished nothing more than for Caitlyn to be the uncaring rich woman the rumors and stereotypes painted her to be. Just this once, she wished Caitlyn were like her wealthy peers who had broken moral compass. She wished Caitlyn weren’t so selfless she was going to get herself hurt.

“Are you going to leave me?” Caitlyn asked, her voice cracking despite her best effort to sound steady. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if bracing for the consequence of her decision.

It was clear that she wouldn’t back off from her investigation, no matter what.

“I want you to know that I've never put you at risk in my efforts to go after Ambessa. You were safe and you’ll always be safe if we continue, but I’ll understand if you want to… put an end to this marriage because of this. You didn’t sign up for this.”

Vi’s eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’ve hired people to watch over you all this time. Professionals. They’re covert, unlike Ambessa’s brutes. They've been stationed at the places you frequent, just in case any of Ambessa’s men try to approach you.”

Vi was speechless. Caitlyn had been doing that all this time? “But have you hired people to watch over yourself? Because I’ve seen strange people lurk around you more than once, Cait.” Her mind drifted back to the black SUV she had seen tailing Caitlyn months ago. It could be just a coincidence but after knowing all of this…

“I haven’t. My resources are still limited, at least for now.”

“Are you insane?” Vi almost shouted again. “You hire people to watch over me, but not over yourself? When you’re the one directly going after Ambessa?”

“Well, until the one-year period of our marriage is completed, I won’t be able to receive the rest of my grandmother’s fund. I’ve only received a quarter of it after our wedding. It’s quite huge but it’s not limitless. I have a team of private investigators I have to pay too. Besides, I want Ambessa to focus on me, so she wouldn’t focus on you. I’d rather put the target on my back than risk anything happening to you.”

Fuck. Those words. Those damn words. Any other moment, they would have melted Vi into a puddle on the floor. Even now, in this horrible moment, half of her was melting because that was the loudest unspoken ‘I love you’ she had ever heard in her life.

The only thing stopping her from striding over to Caitlyn and pulling her into a kiss right then and right there was the other half—the half that was deeply, deeply concerned.

God, why must Caitlyn make this so difficult?

“I can defend myself just fine and I carry a gun with me all the time, if that makes you feel better.”

“It doesn’t, Cait,” Vi sighed, burying her face in her hands.

This was so, so difficult. Even the easiest way to stop Caitlyn, which was reporting the marriage as a fraud to Cassandra and asking Caitlyn for a divorce, would hurt the two of them unimaginably. And Vi could take the hurt if it meant Caitlyn would be safe, but hurting Caitlyn? Breaking her heart? Leaving her to face all of this alone? Walking out of her life after she had opened her heart and showed so much of herself to Vi?

That was unimaginable. 

"I can’t leave you,” Vi said, pushing her hands from her face to her hair. The thought of leaving Caitlyn alone, without anyone staying by her side and supporting her, was so dismaying, she felt like pulling her own hair.

She raised her gaze then, meeting Caitlyn’s eyes, and the absolute relief she saw in those blue eyes she had come to love so much was what sealed it for her.

“You should know by now that I love you. The thought of leaving you alone, just now, nearly split my heart in two. I can’t do it.”

Vi had no idea how long Caitlyn just stared at her, but suddenly, in a blur of movement, Caitlyn was on her. Her lips were on Vi’s, pressing urgently, and her hands were clasping tightly around her face.

Vi surged into her with the same urgency, grabbing her waist and pulling her in until there was no more gap between them. She couldn’t leave Caitlyn. Couldn't bear the thought of letting her be so alone again after everything. She would walk with her to the end and make sure she was safe, come hell or high water.

She grabbed the back of Caitlyn’s neck and kissed her with the same intensity of that burning resolve, her eyes screwed shut and her movements guided purely by the fire crackling somewhere deep in her.

Every frantic, feverish kiss Caitlyn pressed against her mouth, she returned twice as hotly, until they were just a messy tangle of limbs and lips, grasping at each other desperately and melting at each other’s fingertips.

Caitlyn’s breathing was harsh against her mouth, and when she ran her tongue over Vi’s lower lip, Vi took the chance to slip into her mouth.

A hand was at the back of her head, grabbing a fistful of her red hair, as she pushed deeper into Caitlyn’s mouth to meet her tongue and taste her for the first time.

She was all silky, wet heat.

Vi moaned at the taste of her, at the slickness of her against her tongue, and the hotness of her breath in her mouth. Her fingers grazed down Caitlyn’s rib cage and squeezed firmly at her waist, then dug into her hips to pull them closer.

Caitlyn gasped against her mouth as their hips rocked together, and Vi used the moment to grab both of her thighs and lift her off the floor cleanly.

Tongue still deep in Caitlyn, she placed Caitlyn on her desk, pushing off all the items on the surface. They clattered messily on the floor but Vi couldn’t find it in herself to care. Caitlyn didn’t care either, because she was busy wrapping her legs around Vi’s waist and wrapping her hands around Vi’s face, pulling her in for an even deeper kiss as if they weren’t already sharing the same breaths.

Clothes. There were too many clothes between them.

Vi pushed off the coat Caitlyn was wearing, and Caitlyn followed suit by pulling her own white blouse over her head almost immediately. Then, she began unbuttoning Vi’s black shirt with impatient, trembling fingers, and the realization that Caitlyn wanted her so much to the point where she was shaking to have her made Vi moan again.

She pulled Caitlyn down by the nape and crashed their lips together again, unable to wait a second longer. Caitlyn gave up undoing the last button of her shirt and just latched on to her too, splaying her hand over the muscles on Vi’s chest, her shoulder, her back, and everything.

“Cait,” Vi barely managed to breathe her name out, overwhelmed by the sensation of Caitlyn’s hand grasping and raking blindly all over her body. Each movement was driven by desperation and unbridled desire. Dazedly, she managed to unclasp Caitlyn’s bra and sent it sliding to the floor to join the rest of her clothes.

She barely pulled her head back slightly to look down and admire the full view of Caitlyn’s breasts, before a hand grabbed her chin and tilted her head up again.

“Kiss me again, Vi,” Caitlyn pulled her in for another kiss, catching her lower lip between her teeth before biting it and running her tongue over it to soothe it.

Vi moaned, feeling a wet heat pool between her legs. She kissed down the length of Caitlyn’s throat once Caitlyn released her mouth, each brush of her lips and each stroke of her tongue stoking the fire brighter between the two of them. Caitlyn’s skin felt feverish against her lips, and her pulse thumped quickly against her tongue.

Vi bit on that beating pulse, and Caitlyn arched into her almost instantly.

“Vi,” her voice was a low, shaky whisper, quivering deeply as if she were hurting from pleasure instead of pain. Her hand moved to grab Vi’s, pushing it up from her ribcage to her breast. Then, she pressed that hand hard against herself. Vi moaned at the full feel of her in her palm, soft in every place except for one taut spot. She closed her hand around all that softness before taking the hard spot between her fingers and rolling it.

The groan that ripped out from the back of Caitlyn’s throat was so rough and deep, it seemed to vibrate against Vi’s mouth that was kissing up the column of her throat.

God. Vi wanted to hear more of her. Wanted to hear how much she wanted her.

She lowered her head and went for that taut nub her fingers had been teasing, taking it into her mouth and sucking it. Low, breathy noise left Caitlyn again, as her legs wrapped tighter around Vi’s waist and drew her closer. Vi flicked her tongue at the nub over and over again, until Caitlyn’s hips bucked against hers urgently. She pulled Vi’s hips in, grinding against her with a low, pained whine.

It made her realize that Caitlyn still had her pants on, unable to fully relieve herself.

“I got you.” She dragged kisses up from Caitlyn’s chest to her mouth, using her hands to make quick work of Caitlyn’s pants. The second she finished unbuttoning and unzipping it, she pulled it off Caitlyn immediately and hurled it away somewhere, along with her soaked underwear.

Taking a step back, she admired the sight spread before her, heart thumping loudly.

Caitlyn was sitting on the edge of the desk, wearing nothing except for her black heels that were too bothersome to take off because the straps wrapped around her ankles. The look on her face was bare too, open and wanting.

“You’re beautiful,” Vi almost didn’t recognize her own voice, her words sounding startlingly reverent even to her own ears. She wished Caitlyn could hear the reverence too. “So beautiful,” she pressed a soft kiss to the underside of her jaw, willing her to feel the reverence. “Lie down on the desk for me? Let me take care of you.”

Caitlyn’s skin was flushed and her breathing was shaky as Vi pushed kisses to her neck and ran her hands over her waist, lowering her to the desk until she was lying flat on it.

Vi dropped to her knees and wrapped her hands around Caitlyn’s thighs, pulling her forward until she was right in front of her face. Shaky thighs rested on her shoulders and long legs dangled down her back.

She could see how much Caitlyn wanted her, could smell the heady scent of her, and could feel the heat radiating off her. All that was left was tasting her.

Vi dove in, lapping at her gently at first, and then more firmly. She pressed her lips and tongue all over Caitlyn, licking, nibbling, and pulling at her until she was whimpering and writhing against her.

Wetness pooled into her mouth, hot and slick. Vi held her still, gripping her thighs and forcing her to stay steady as she jerked against Vi. Her fingers found Vi’s hair, tugging and then digging into her scalp. Heels sank into the muscles on Vi’s back as Vi kissed and licked all around where she ached.

“Vi,” came her voice from somewhere above Vi, raw and needy in a way that Vi had never heard before. “Please. I can’t take it anymore.”

Vi moaned at the desperate sound of her, the painful throbbing between her own legs becoming nearly unbearable. The muscles in Caitlyn’s thighs seemed to tense as she grabbed Vi’s hair and angled her face to where she needed her. “Please.”

Vi still wanted to take her time—to love Caitlyn forever if she could—but it was clear that both of them were reaching their limits. She pushed her tongue where Caitlyn was swelling, flicking her with firm, repeated movements. Caitlyn’s back arched off the desk, and her heels sank even deeper into the muscles on Vi’s back as she pulled Vi’s head firmer against her center.

The noises that she let out by now were something that Vi had never thought she was capable of producing. Wild, loud, and erratic. She was unthinking, completely out of control for once, and only capable of feeling Vi.

She kept her tongue where Caitlyn needed it to be and slipped a finger into her heat, pushing into her easily because of how soaking wet she already was.

“More, Vi. More.”

Vi shuddered at the sound of her, goosebumps breaking all over her skin. She pressed another finger into her heat, and then curled all two up at once.

A moan wrenched out of Caitlyn’s throat, and her hips jerked upward. Vi splayed her free hand over Caitlyn’s stomach and pressed it down, holding her in place as she wrapped her lips around her and sucked.

Caitlyn sounded near crying.

With one last curl of her fingers, Caitlyn’s back arched off the desk, violent spasms rippling through her body as her jaw slacked wide open. She came with a tight grip on Vi’s head, the taste and warmth of her flooding Vi’s mouth.

Vi licked her clean before dragging herself up, her knees burning and hurting and her entire body shaking. The throbbing ache between her own legs had become intolerable.

“Cait,” her voice trembled, as she folded herself over Caitlyn on the desk and moved against her, desperate for some relief. “I—I need you, please.”

“Come here,” Caitlyn caught her lips in a kiss, reaching down to tug her belt and unbuckle it for her. Her eyes were half-lidded and the darkest blue Vi had ever seen as she unzipped Vi’s pants and pushed a hand down her underwear.

Vi groaned, eyes screwing shut as Caitlyn touched her where she had been aching all this time, gliding over her easily because of how slick she already was. Her knees buckled at the touch and her whole upper body weight dropped onto Caitlyn, her breathing harsh and ragged against the crook of Caitlyn’s neck.

“So wet for me already, Vi,” Caitlyn muttered, surprised by how soaked she already was despite not being touched properly yet. Caitlyn grabbed the back of her head, splaying her fingers over her hair, and then ran the tip of her tongue all over the shell of her ear. Her breath was hot against Vi, and Vi moaned at the sensation. 

Caitlyn rubbed where she was swelling and hurting, over and over again, until deep tremors began to run through her. 

“Cait,” she warned, feeling herself coming apart. She throbbed painfully in Caitlyn’s hand, growing tauter and tauter with each stroke.

“Come for me, Vi,” Caitlyn whispered into her ear. The pace and pressure built by her fingers increased, until it reached a point where all the taut cords in Vi’s body seemed to stretch to their maximum limit, before finally snapping and hitting Vi all at once.

A loud groan tore out of Vi, her body jerking against Caitlyn’s violently as white-hot pleasure erupted all over her. Caitlyn held her close as she rode out her high, running her fingers through the hair at the back of her head.

A moment passed before she slid her hand out Vi’s pants, and Vi had just enough brain capacity to notice that Caitlyn was dipping her fingers into her own mouth, tasting her.

The sight made her groan again, and Caitlyn chuckled.

“You’re going to be the end of me.”

“No,” Caitlyn said, cleaning her fingers with her tongue. Her heart beat steadily underneath Vi’s ear. “I have no plan to let anyone end you. And that includes myself.”

Vi still had half a mind to laugh at that, at least.

“Can you get back on your feet, hm?”

“Not sure,” Vi mumbled against the soft skin of her chest, feeling blissfully drowsy. “My knees still feel like jellies. Why?”

“Let’s go upstairs. To my bedroom. I stay true to my words that this place is… uncomfortable for sex. My back hurts.”

Vi laughed again. “Well, maybe you shouldn’t have started kissing me here then.”

“Hm,” Caitlyn hummed, tilting her face up so they could look each other in the eyes again. Her eyes were the brightest blue that Vi had seen so far. “Hard not to. You were standing there, seriously proclaiming love and saying all those sweet things. A woman could only have so much self-restraint.”

She brushed her lips against Vi’s, smiling and stroking her face. “Take me to my bedroom? I want to have you again. I want you to have me again.”

Oh, fuck. There was no way in hell, heaven, or earth that Vi was ever going to say no to that. Jelly-like knees be damned.

“Okay,” she gathered her remaining strength and pushed herself up from the desk, standing upright again. She shook out her arms before lifting Caitlyn again, feeling Caitlyn smile against her neck as she carried her upstairs.

==============

It was unclear how many hours had passed when Vi regained consciousness.

The sheet beneath her front felt soft, as did the blanket that was wrapped around her. The pillow underneath her face smelled divinely of Caitlyn’s hair, and it was how she could tell that she was in Caitlyn’s bed despite not fully opening her eyes yet.

“Hey, you,” came Caitlyn’s voice, hushed and close to her. Vi forced one eye open properly to find her lying on the pillow next to her, her face soft under the silverish glow of moonlight streaming in through the large window and her smile even softer.

“Hey, you. What time is it?” She looked at the darkness all around her and at the full moon outside, feeling disoriented. The last time she had been conscious, carrying Caitlyn and tumbling into bed with her, the room and the sky outside had been bathed in the golden color of sunset.

“It’s nearly nine,” Caitlyn said, reaching out to brush strands of red hair out of her eyes. The back of her fingers glided down Vi’s cheek slowly, and the smile on her lips seemed to reach her eyes too. She looked happy.

And happy Caitlyn meant happy Vi.

Vi squeezed her hand, pressing a kiss at the back of it. “You should have woken me up. How long have you been lying there just watching me sleep?”

“A while, I suppose,” Caitlyn’s eyes followed the soft kisses Vi planted on her knuckles, looking like she couldn’t believe that they could be doing all of this with each other openly now. There was such a wonder in her eyes that made Vi’s heart thrum.

“Well, I guess you really know how to knock a girl out. I blacked out completely.”

Caitlyn chuckled. “Please. We barely went three times.”

“Barely? ”

Caitlyn’s smile curled higher, as she scooted closer to Vi until they shared the same pillow. She pressed a kiss to Vi’s lips, moving slowly and languidly like she had all the time in the world to luxuriate on Vi, before pulling back slightly. “Barely, yes. Seeing as I couldn’t get enough of you.”

“High compliment,” Vi grinned, slinging an arm over Caitlyn’s waist. She was still bare under the blanket too, her skin all soft and warm against Vi.

Vi ran her hand up and down the slope of her back, enjoying the smoothness of her and all the curves and shape of her. “Does that mean I’ll never get kicked out of your bed, unlike all the unfortunate women before me?”

“Hm, never,” Caitlyn leaned in again, nibbling at her lower lip slowly.

Vi felt like she was in heaven. She wished she could stop the time at this peaceful moment. Forever. “I guess I have my exceptional bedroom skills to thank then.”

Caitlyn’s lips curved against hers. “Please, that’s not the only reason.”

Vi cracked a lazy grin as Caitlyn pulled back.

For a moment, none of them said anything, lost in the wonder of each other’s eyes, and in the fact that they were really together now.

“I should probably tell you more about this… marriage deal, seeing as it’s already out in the open now,” Caitlyn said. This was the first time she had initiated a conversation about her plan without Vi having to pry it from her.

“Sure. Tell me all about it.” Vi lifted a hand to stroke her cheek, caressing soft skin with the pad of her thumb. “Why did your grandmother make it a requirement for you to get married to receive that trust fund? That’s a strange requirement.”

Caitlyn sighed. “Well, grandmother was a very conservative woman, at least from what I’ve heard about her. She had always put great emphasis on carrying the family name and legacy. Mother was… apparently quite a rebel when she was younger, refusing to join the family business and insisting on building her own career in law. At one point, she was against getting married too, and I think it spooked my grandmother.”

Vi laughed. “Now, why does that attitude remind me of someone? So goddamn feisty and stubborn.”

“Oh, shut up,” Caitlyn rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. “Anyway, I think mother gave grandmother a serious scare. Even though she met father a few years later and ended up marrying him, I think grandmother was still so worried, she decided to arrange a trust fund for her future grandchild, stating that the grandchild has to marry and carry the family name in order to receive it. Honestly, I think it’s a very archaic mindset, but that was how she was.”

Vi chuckled. “Your mother must have really scared the shit out of her. But why did she end up marrying your father if she was against marriage?”

“Well, clearly, plans don’t always work out. Sometimes someone could just come into your life and… what are the words again? Sweep you off your feet, I suppose.”

Vi really shouldn’t be grinning so wide, but the way Caitlyn said it, like a frustrated admission, made it hard not to. “Are you telling me you’re swept off your feet, Cait?”

“Hm, maybe telling you all of this was a mistake.”

Still grinning, Vi scooted even closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Too late now. I already know all of your secrets.”

Caitlyn, for once, didn’t look bothered by that. Her eyes seemed to dance as she looked at Vi. God, there was so much affection in them, Vi felt like melting.

“So, I assume, all the shows we’ve put on so far, are for your parents? Since they’re the only ones who know about the trust fund from your grandmother.”

“Yes, they’re for my parents.”

“But why did we have to be so… thorough everywhere? It’s not like your mother’s out and about to monitor us. She’s, well, still under house arrest.”

“That’s true, but she has extensive reach. A lot of people still work for her. I’m not the only one with private investigators, trust me. I learned about the best of them from her actually. I wanted to make sure that the plan wasn’t going to be ruined midway. Just in case she asked anyone to look into us, they’d find no evidence of fraud. We have the certificate, and everyone knows we’re married.”

At the mention of private investigators, Vi sat up straight and went silent. Actually, the thought of this whole thing hadn’t fully left her since earlier today.

“Something the matter?” Caitlyn rose from the bed too, propping herself up with her elbow. “You look serious all of a sudden.”

Vi sighed. “Listen, I know you don’t want your mother to find out about us faking this marriage because you’re afraid she’ll… tell the trustee and stop the trust fund from going to you, but what if we just ask her for help anyway?”

At Caitlyn’s immediate frown, she added hurriedly, “We don’t have to tell her it’s a lie. I mean, it’s not even a lie anymore, seeing as we’re really together now,” she noticed the flush growing on Caitlyn’s face. “But what if we just ask her for help anyway? Since you’re so hellbent on investigating Ambessa, with or without her help anyway.”

“She wouldn’t listen to me, Vi. I’ve tried.”

“But what if we try? Together?” Vi supplied, hopeful.

Caitlyn tilted her head, looking both skeptical and amused. “You believe you can convince my mother better than I could?”

Vi chuckled. “Well, no, I mean, maybe a neutral party can help… soften the discussion between the two of you? Like, I’m sorry, but your mother and you are way too similar, Cait. You’re both headstrong as hell. None of you is going to back down in an argument without someone mediating in the middle.”

Caitlyn hesitated, though she seemed to agree with some of Vi’s points because she hadn’t flat out refused yet.

“Can you do this for me, please?” Vi asked, coaxing. “I’m not going to tell her that our marriage is fake, and I’m not going to stop you from doing what you want since it’s clearly futile, but you’ll have to do this for me, Cait.”

She touched Caitlyn’s face, stroking her cheek again. “I don’t want you going around investigating Ambessa without proper backup anymore. If you’re set on doing this, then I want you to do this safely. I don’t want you to risk your safety. This is the only thing I ask of you. Please.”

Caitlyn stared at her for a long moment before finally exhaling. “Fine. We’ll meet my mother and ask for her help. I’ll… let you do the talking.”

Vi grinned, leaning down to plant a kiss on her lips. “Thanks, for listening to me. And one more thing, you’re not going to drive alone to and from work anymore. I’ll drive you to work and take you home every day.”

“That’s ridiculous. We have different schedules sometimes—”

“It doesn’t matter. We can work around it. We can wait for each other.”

Caitlyn opened her mouth to refute, probably to say how impractical that would be for the two of them, but Vi kissed her argument back down. “Oh, fine,” she exhaled against Vi’s mouth, finally conceding. “We can do that. I think.”

“Good. And I’ll also need you to use a phone tracker app, so I could see where you are all the time.”

Caitlyn pulled her face back, her eyebrows arching up in an almost comical way. “This is escalating very quickly. I believe some women would be genuinely terrified to receive this type of request.”

“Well, you aren’t some women. Some women aren’t stubbornly chasing after criminals,” Vi pushed a finger at her chest, gently though, and earned herself a smile from her. “So, just do me a favor, okay? I just want to know you’re safe. Nearly lost my mind today thinking that something happened to you.”

Caitlyn’s smile softened.

“Okay,” she said, running a thumb over Vi’s lower lip. “I’ll do that.”

She pressed another kiss to Vi’s lips before standing up, collecting Vi’s discarded clothes from the floor all around the bed. “See, I can be agreeable sometimes. I’m not always as stubborn as you claim.”

“Keyword sometimes,” Vi emphasized the word, shaking her head. She leaned back on her elbows, enjoying the sight of Caitlyn walking around, still completely naked. The dips and swells of her back muscles highlighted by the moonlight should be an art framed in a museum somewhere. Or not. Vi liked the idea that she was the only one allowed to see Caitlyn like this. So free and unguarded.

“Do you want me to order something for you to eat?” Caitlyn shrugged on her black shirt instead of going to grab her usual satin robe, and the sight of her in Vi’s much larger shirt, covered down to the tops of her bare thighs, was doing weird things to Vi’s lower abdomen. It was possible that she wanted to stride over and get Caitlyn naked again.

“Sure, thanks. I’ll, uh, go back to my room?”

Caitlyn paused just before the staircase, turning to look at her as realization dawned on her. Then, “No,” she said, smiling. “Leave the guest room and move your things here.”

“You’re sure?” Vi felt like she needed to confirm, even though her heart was already leaping in joy. “You’re really ready to share your space with me all the time?”

“I think I can handle you just fine, Vi,” Caitlyn laughed, walking downstairs.

And indeed, she could handle Vi just fine. The entire afternoon had been proof of that.

Vi sighed in contentment, rising out of the bed to walk over to the bathroom. Under the brighter lighting of the bathroom, and with the clarity of the mirror, she realized that there were red lines all over her chest and even her back. Nail marks.

Hm. Truly some handling.

Chapter Text

The idea of visiting the Kiramman mansion again didn’t feel as daunting as the previous two times, but it still made Vi a little nervous.

By now, she knew that Cassandra wasn’t opposed to her being with Caitlyn, but that didn’t mean Cassandra was fully welcoming her into the family yet.

The matriarch hadn’t even smiled at her once. Granted, she didn’t seem to smile much at anyone, but Vi couldn’t help but worry that Cassandra might not like her personally.

“Hey, you.” The sound of Caitlyn opening the door to the passenger seat startled her. Vi realized that she must have spaced out for a while, because usually, she would have noticed Caitlyn coming out of her office building and walked out to meet her.

“Hey, you. Sorry, I was lost in thoughts,” she leaned in, meeting Caitlyn halfway for a quick peck on the lips. Caitlyn always wanted a kiss now, whenever Vi dropped her off at work in the morning and picked her up in the afternoon. It was endearing. “How was work today? Busy?”

“Quite busy,” Caitlyn stroked her cheek with her thumb, looking happy to see her again, even though they had only been apart for nine hours. “But nothing unusual. What were you thinking about? Meeting my mother?”

Vi winced. "Yes, that's spot on." She reached over to help Caitlyn fasten her seatbelt as Caitlyn laughed.

“Well, remember, you were the one who insisted on doing this. I’m not fully on board with this idea. We could cancel the dinner and head back home if you want?”

“Nope,” Vi sighed, starting the engine and driving out of the parking lot. “We’re doing this tonight. Besides, I’m no longer terrified of your mother. I'm just a little worried.”

“Hm, suit yourself then,” Caitlyn said, amusement dancing in her voice. She reached out for Vi’s hand on the gearshift though, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “It’ll be fine. I’ll try to be on my best behavior tonight, so you won’t be caught in the middle of an argument between my mother and me. Father said it’s quite something.”

"I bet it’s something. And damn, maybe I should have called him and asked for help. I need to know how to mediate a disagreement between two Kiramman women.”

Caitlyn smiled. “It’s too late for that, I think.”

A moment of comfortable silence passed as Vi enjoyed the feel of Caitlyn drawing slow circles on the back of her hand with her thumb, before a thought occurred to her.

“I have a question. Your mother and you are both very private people. Aside from Jayce and your father, I don’t think there’s anyone who knows you two well enough. So, how could Ambessa seem to know so much about the two of you?”

Jayce had said that Ambessa chose to strike Cassandra instead of Caitlyn as a warning, because she knew how it would play out. It seemed too… well-profiled.

Caitlyn exhaled deeply. “Mother used to have an assistant who worked closely with her, handling her correspondence and paperwork when she was still the Chief Justice. This… woman turned to Ambessa. She was the one profiling us for her, I think,” she paused. “She was also the one who used mother’s credentials to open some obscured offshore accounts and receive the bribe mother’s accused of taking.”

“Oh, shit. Why? Did Ambessa offer her money or something?”

"Probably. I don’t know. I haven’t seen her since she set us up. She disappeared." Caitlyn’s jaw clenched. “For her sake, I hope she never appears again. I’m not sure I could keep it… pretty if I see her again.”

There seemed to be something more to her anger. Something personal. The look on her face reminded Vi of when she was speaking about her extended family—people she trusted personally—backstabbing her.

“Did you know this woman personally?”

“Yes.” A moment passed before Caitlyn spoke again, the anger in her voice turning into regret. “I was the one who introduced her for the job. She was a classmate in law school, and I thought she was a decent person. That was a mistake, of course.”

God. Just how many people in Caitlyn’s life had turned out to be like this?

No wonder she kept fearing that she might misread people, and no wonder Cassandra was so skeptical of everyone. Maybe Vi shouldn’t have said Cassandra was being too cynical last time. But this was such a weird, new world to her. The people around her were usually not so choked-full of hidden motives and deceptions. 

“You know what? You’re right. Let’s hope we never see her again,” Vi fumed. “It won’t end up pretty for her, yes.”

Caitlyn’s lips twitched. “Why do I feel like that’s a physical threat? I meant I’ll throw her in jail, Vi, not give her a punch in the face. Please don’t send her into a hospital? I don’t care for her, but I don’t want you to be the one getting jailed.”

Vi grinned. “Well, you could just defend me in court. Since you’re so good at your job, I’m sure I’ll be alright after teaching the asshole a thing or two.”

“I can’t defend you in court, Vi. You’re my wife. That’ll be a conflict of interest.” A small frown appeared between her brows as she looked at Vi seriously. “Promise me you won’t punch her in the face if we ever meet her.”

Vi laughed. “Not even a kick in the shin?”

“No.”

“What if I just pretend to accidentally bump her shoulder hard enough to send her flying? Preferably down a flight of stairs?”

The fact that Caitlyn paused to consider her words made Vi laugh even harder, and then Caitlyn laughed too, her frown fading away.

“You’re terrible.”

“Oh, come on. You can’t possibly tell me that the idea doesn’t sound appealing. I could see it in your eyes. You were considering it.”

“Well,” Caitlyn said, leaning back on her seat with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “I do think she deserves some misfortune. And Ambessa, too, if possible.”

“Have you ever met Ambessa? Or has she only ever sent her minion to mess with you?”

“I did meet her once, at a charity event she hosted. She sent me an invitation not long after I found out about the connection between her company and HexTech.”

Vi raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know if I should be more confused about Ambessa hosting a charity event or about her inviting you to it.”

“Corrupt industrialists hosting charity events is nothing new. It makes a good front. Good publicity. So, I think the more surprising part was that she invited me.”

“What did she say when you met her?”

“She told me she was impressed with my work, and that it would be a shame if all my brilliance went to waste because something unfortunate happened to me.”

Vi blinked. “What the hell? That was a direct threat. I thought she would be more… dodgy about her crimes. Didn’t she basically just admit out loud that she could hurt people to get what she wanted?”

“Yes, but Ambessa has never struck me as the dodgy type anyway. She probably thinks being dodgy is cowardice. She seems very confident in her power, backed by all her political and military connections. I don’t think she cares about being subtle, because she believes she can get away with anything.”

Vi swallowed. “Well, that’s one more reason for us to meet your mother tonight and ask for help.”

Caitlyn sighed. “I don’t know, Vi. I told you I’ve tried before. And I’d rather be in bed with you than spend the whole night debating with my mother again without any result.”

Vi smiled, squeezing her hand. “You’ll be in bed with me eventually. But first, let’s talk to your mother. We may be able to change her mind together.”

=================

Sitting in the evening lounge of the Kiramman mansion once again, with Cassandra’s sharp eyes watching her from behind the steam of her hot cup of tea, was indeed, still a nerve-wracking experience.