Writing corner

Lesbian. Adult. Instrumentaldyne on ao3

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Masterlist

Hi, everyone!

I've decided to make this blog to share my writings on this platform, so there's a backup in case ao3 goes down. The list below is categorized by fandom and (main) ship, if any.

Ratings: General, Teen and up, Mature, Explicit. Eventual trigger warnings will be on the fics' pages.

Arcane

Vi x Caitlyn

Shower Me with Your Care (M) (ao3)

My Canvas of Glory (M) (ao3)

Heartache / Heartthrob part 1: Heartbeat / Heartbreak (T) (ao3)

Heartache / Heartthrob part 2: Heartbeat / Heartthrob (E) (ao3)

All I Could Think About Was the Sand at the Bottom (M) (ao3)

Love at First Indulgence (E) (ao3)

What Am I Really Aiming for? (M) (ao3)

All I Want this Season is My Ugly Sweater! (T) (ao3)

Sugar? Yes, please! (E) (ao3)

The Solo Ride of Love (T) (ao3)

Aged Like Fine Wine (M) (ao3)

Of Dates and Poros (T) (ao3)

Training With You, Forever and Always (T) (ao3)

Your Tongue Is Like a Dagger (M) (ao3)

Losing One Thing, I've Gained Another (M) (ao3)

Like Honey in a Bear's Mouth (M) (ao3)

Who Needs a Spa When You're Right Here? (E) (ao3)

Last Bailout (T) (ao3)

Miscellaneous

Oops, I Helped You Again. Or Did I? (T) (ao3)

Oh, dear mother (T) (ao3)

Baldur's Gate 3

Dame Aylin x Isobel Thorm

Moonangel saga part 1: Of Angels and the Moon They Fly Towards (M) (ao3)

Moonangel saga part 2: Sweet Vengeance Upon Those Who Deserve It (E) (ao3)

Lae'zel x Astarion

Cazador darling, you have no idea what's coming for you (M) (ao3)

Supergirl

Kara Danvers x Lena Luthor

Can't Help Falling in Love with You (T) (ao3)

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

High Winds on the Wings of Love

Vi just shrugged, letting an innocent smile tug at the corner of her mouth. One of her hands snatched the hem of Caitlyn’s dress, looking searchingly into her eyes.

“Oh, just rid me of it already.”

Rating: E

Can be read either on ao3, or under the cut!

Once the snow had melted off Piltover’s proud buildings, the Council had decided that it would be a splendid idea to host a gathering with influential people. It was their hope to find new trading opportunities and talent.

While plenty of citizens had decided to stay and build a more robust cooperation between Piltover and Zaun, enough workforce had moved out with their families to what they believed to be better places across Runeterra. And nothing was worse than losing out on new ways to ensure the treasury would have all the finances it needed so the cities would flourish and for leading families to still make a profit.

On the other side of the room, Vi was standing in front of some tables with a glass of Shuriman wine in hand. Several guests had complimented her on her attire - a green suit with dark blue floral patterns, brown suede shoes, and a navy blue necktie with green flowers. All the socializing had tired her while getting very formally introduced as Caitlyn’s companion, and so she’d retreated to a place she could just observe from.

When Caitlyn looked her way, Vi was talking to Sevika. As always, those two could never see eye to eye about anything. It was amusing to see them try to pretend that they could tolerate each other, however.

“We aspire for excellence and yet we’ve got a long way to go, don’t we?”

Many guests surrounded Caitlyn, their cacophony varied enough to meld into static noise. But the pointed words cut through the din. She turned her head around to see an elderly woman standing there, looking at her from quite the distance below. Hoskel’s successor. She swallowed a groan and plastered her best smile on her face, wishing that the councillor wouldn’t have approached her.

“Councillor. Lovely to see you,” she said with friendliness in her voice, trying to at least pretend that she was happy to see the woman. After socializing for hours on end, Caitlyn was not sure of anyone’s names anymore. The one standing in front of her sure looked like an Elvira to her, though.

“Who else? I just wanted to pay a compliment to your family for organizing this exquisite venue,” Elvira said, her hands now clasped behind her back. “While you’ve been busy parading your paramour around, I’ve managed to snatch a few deals for ensuring a prosperous future.”

If Elvira’s smugness was anything to go by, Caitlyn’s mask must have slipped, revealing her disgust. She knew there were people in power out there who still resented her for everything that had happened while under Ambessa’s command. But did they really have to remind her on every occasion that she’d fumbled the kind of responsibility she hadn’t even been trained for?

Was it not enough to host this unnecessarily posh party, on top of all her efforts to help rebuild the two cities for the past year? To wear this damned navy blue dress that exposed her back, with elegant stars embroidered on it? To bother with matching earrings and black pumps that made her feet feel like they were snapping in two?

How much did she still have to prove to the nobility that she’s been taking responsibility for what she’d done, that she’s been working hard to mend things? It’s never enough for them.

“Cat got your tongue, dear?”

A server walked by with champagne flutes, and Caitlyn grabbed one. She drank half of it in one go, not bothering to try to sound amiable anymore once the glass left her mouth. “Definitely not,” she replied, staring down at Elvira as if that would have had any chance of intimidating the woman.

“If you really must know, introducing Violet to our esteemed guests has guaranteed us some lucrative agreements in regards to military power.”

“What you mean to say is, she’s not just a pretty face and you’ve used that to your advantage. Looks like your mother’s political prowess hasn’t skipped you, after all.”

Caitlyn scoffed and continued sipping from her flute as they both looked into the direction where Vi was listening to Sevika. Vi seemed bored enough to play with an exotic fruit in her hands and not even look at Sevika. When making eye contact with Caitlyn, she brought the fruit to her mouth and winked seductively right before chomping inelegantly into it.

Elvira snorted. “You really know how to choose them, Kiramman. Excuse me. I have more enticing prospects to look forward to.”

With her gone, Caitlyn couldn’t help but replay that wink in her head and wish Vi’s mouth would work on her instead of that fruit. She could feel her skin starting to burn up and her pulse go up, undoubtedly from blushing.

It had been a stressful day. She needed to drink something way stronger than this champagne. She needed to hide herself from this superficial crowd of socialites before she’d get any more annoyed and sully her family’s name by snapping. She needed Vi to tell her how good of a job she’d been doing and worship her the minute after.

Caitlyn returned the wink to Vi with one last drop of composure, and spun around to make her way to her office room. It was usually a good book or burying herself in paperwork that would soothe her soul in there. There was too much noise coming from every direction for her to concentrate on any of those in the moment, however.

Once she stepped into the room and closed the door behind herself, she walked to the window. Her eyes closed while she heaved, and she pressed her palms flat onto the windowsill in an attempt to calm down. The world around her disappeared until her heart regained its normal rhythm.

A conversation from the garden downstairs brought her completely with her feet back to the ground.

An elderly merchant was stroking his beard, as if deep in thought. “Do you believe there’s any chance of us ever getting something like the Hex Gates ever again?”

“Why not, if our most brilliant scientists put their heads together. Didn’t you know, teamwork makes the dream work!” a younger noble replied, causing them both a good laugh.

It was easy for these people to only think about how others would make them more money, even when great minds got lost to fate. Caitlyn still mourned Jayce, despite them not even having had the opportunity to say goodbye to each other before he vanished. While others may never care to remember her closest friend, she vowed to honor his memory forever.

The guests’ words got lost to the wind as the office door opened and closed swiftly, followed by a locking sound. She didn’t need to turn her head to know that the steps coming her way belonged to her lover.

Vi encircled Caitlyn’s waist with her arms, setting her chin on top of a pale shoulder. They observed the diplomats in the yard, who, even after tiresome hours of being there, were still talking animatedly with exquisite finger foods and drinks in hand.

Hovering over one of Caitlyn’s ears, Vi whispered, “I can’t believe how brave you are, to stand in front of such powerful people and talk so easily.”

Caitlyn shuddered from the warmth of Vi’s breath and put a hand on her forearm to support herself. One of her heels accidentally ended up on Vi’s shoe, but she retracted it quickly and didn’t bother with excuses for the mishap.

She scoffed, gesturing vaguely with her other hand. “Darling, did you think that I have not been thoroughly educated in the art of shameless diplomatic flirting just because I’m a gunslinger?”

“Let’s just say you find ways to amaze me every day,” Vi replied, brushing her lips tenderly to Caitlyn’s ear. The smell of that fruit Vi was eating earlier wafted over to  Caitlyn’s nose, making her crave its taste. One hand moved onto Caitlyn’s exposed back to caress it, while the other traversed its way from her waist to raise the hem of her dress.

It had been a considerably fruitful day in regards to extending and securing additional contracts for Piltover and Zaun’s prosperity. Caitlyn had effortlessly been doing it through letters and the seldom in-person meeting since her recovery, after Ambessa’s martial law had ended. However, putting on a friendly mask to mooch off the most influential people in Runeterra in real time was a whole other level of demanding for her.

She needed someone to unshackle her from her daily duties, help her lose herself in a sweet moment, take the wheel for a bit. And right now, that wheel was being stirred by Vi, who had managed to drag Caitlyn’s dress high enough to reveal a pair of tight, black polyester shorts.

Vi squeezed one buttcheek through the delicate material, and a slight gasp escaped Caitlyn’s mouth, quiet enough just for the two of them to hear. Caitlyn turned around swiftly to see Vi smirking all amused, not hesitating to smack their lips together as soon as they’d made eye contact.

It became a hungry kiss fueled by the staring contest that allowed their tongues to battle for dominance. Even with her vision gone in one eye, hidden by an eyepatch, Caitlyn’s gaze was ferocious in that moment. Their hands grasped desperately at each other’s hair and clothes until Vi’s blazer got discarded onto the floor and she stood there with her necktie and button-up shirt undone, Caitlyn's fingers latched onto it.

Caitlyn’s pumps already lay strewn across the room, her dress pushed so much upwards that the only way for her to be comfortable was to have it taken off. She broke the kiss suddenly and tightened her grip into Vi's shirt, murmuring, “Violet… make me forget about all the embellishments I’ve sold those pretentious pricks today.” The anxious tremble in her voice made it sound more like a plea than an order.

“Needy, are we?” Vi asked and then brought one of Caitlyn's hands to her mouth, taking her time to kiss the knuckles one by one.

Caitlyn’s shoulders relaxed from the softness of the lips being pressed onto her skin and she exhaled, looking into Vi’s soft eyes with hunger. “I presume you know why.”

Of course Vi knew. Every now and then, they'd get this unnecessarily sudden urge to jump each other's bones. They would revel in each other for hours on end, after which they would barely share a kiss throughout the following week.

And tonight, it was definitely this urge that made them both crave each other so rabidly. The frustration of having to deal with entitled merchants and cunning warlords was just the tipping point.

“I know, I can feel it too,” Vi said softly. “I think we're synchronizing again.”

Caitlyn’s index finger tapped onto Vi’s freckled nose as she giggled. “What were the chances…”

Vi just shrugged, letting an innocent smile tug at the corner of her mouth. One of her hands snatched the hem of Caitlyn’s dress, looking searchingly into her eyes.

“Oh, just rid me of it already.”

The dress ended up on the floor with a soft thud, leaving Caitlyn just in shorts and a simple black bra. If the lustful way Vi looked at her gave any clues, she could officially announce to herself that she felt smashable. And the woman standing in front of her was equally so.

She prodded Vi backwards with her palm till Vi’s calves hit the edge of the brown leather chair behind the desk, getting pushed right onto it. Caitlyn straddled her, mellow chair creaks joining their urgency.

They shifted in the seat until Vi could comfortably unclasp Caitlyn’s bra, which was shrugged off unceremoniously onto the desk.

Vi fondled a boob tenderly as Caitlyn steadied herself with her hands on broad shoulders. “Better?”

“I can finally taste freedom,” Caitlyn said with a sigh, closing her eye. She shivered when her nipple got pinched, and let herself sway backwards for better access when Vi’s tongue started encircling the other one.

She flinched again when a moan threatened to escape her mouth and Vi’s other hand covered it. “Shush. You want people out there to find out you’re having fun on their dime?”

As much as Caitlyn wanted to let herself go unleashed, Vi was right about the walls and half-open windows not being able to hide much of their little escapade. They were supposed to mingle with people who could influence the future of their region, not lock lips in private.

Caitlyn just smirked into Vi’s hand and kissed it. At the occasional greedy lick, pull and bite on her breasts, Caitlyn couldn’t help but move her hips. She didn’t expect to run into any resistance when pushing herself forward the first time, yet bumped into something from between Vi’s legs.

Realizing what it was, she cheekily licked Vi’s palm, provoking a brief squirm in it. Vi let out a soft, vibrating hum onto her chest, but didn't look up to ensure everything was alright; she must have known her secret got discovered.

With another tentative push forward, Caitlyn found the perfect angle to make the most out of the friction. She rocked slowly back and forth with her shorts onto the discreet bulge in Vi’s pants, until she’d found a steady pace. Suddenly, she remembered that she needed to breathe, her exhales coming in hot and damp onto Vi’s hand.

Her wet breast felt chilly as Vi removed her mouth from it and whispered, “Will you keep quiet if I free your mouth?”

An affirmative nod granted her freedom, when the hand moved to the small of Caitlyn’s back. It kept her steady for grinding while Vi’s other hand still teased at her breast. Her inhales and exhales gradually spiked in speed as Vi kissed down her flushed neck, nipping at it playfully now and then.

Caitlyn knew she was close when her hips had gained a mind of their own, and she felt a pleasant sting in her core from Vi biting on her collarbone. She opened her eye and pulled at red locks with her slender fingers, until Vi gazed up at her so darkly she could kill a Yordle.

“I’m close,” Caitlyn whispered, pursing her lips forcibly when an obscene whimper threatened to get out.

Vi cradled her back with both hands and pulled her closer. “I got you, Cupcake,” she said gingerly right before joining their parted lips.

The fake kiss offered a safe way for Caitlyn to deliver a concert of sighs and moans when riding out the wave that had just hit her. She wrapped her arms around Vi weakly when there was no more to feel, waiting for her hips to stop moving. And when they finally did, she thanked Vi with a long kiss on top of her scarred lips.

They sat embracing in silence for a few minutes, only listening to whatever gossip people next to the door were discussing. Quite a few claims were groan-worthy, but Caitlyn couldn’t bring herself to comment on them, for once.

It wasn’t that Vi wouldn’t have understood all the political jargon. If anything, it was impressive how much she’d learned since her recovery. But this room was Caitlyn’s safe space for the moment, a place where she could forget all about her responsibilities. Annoyed from a comment about the increasing price of spices, she unpeeled herself from Vi’s embrace and bent down to search for something in the desk drawer.

When Caitlyn turned around with a tube in her hand, Vi was sitting with a flush spanning from the top of her head all the way to her collarbones, her fingers digging into the leather of the chair and her legs spread.

“What’s the matter, Violet?”

Vi gulped, looking intimidated by the knowing smirk on Caitlyn’s face. “Nothing, I-” She looked to the side, averting her gaze. “I just had a really good view from this angle.”

“My, you manage to tease me with that little extra something in your pants, and now you’re getting shy. Don’t tell me the aperitif comes without a meal.”

“Of course you’ll be served. You just have to order,” Vi said with a shy smirk of her own, peeking at Caitlyn with the corner of her eye.

Caitlyn bent down again, this time to grasp Vi’s chin with the empty hand and turn it around so steely grey would find neon blue staring back all famished. “Forgive my assumption, but I believe it’s time for the main course.”

Vi nodded, licking at her dry lips. She tried to mock Caitlyn’s accent, but was a bit too flustered to do a good job of it. “You are forgiven, as your assumption is correct.” 

Without breaking eye contact, Caitlyn put the tube on the desk.

“How cute,” she murmured as her hand brushed down Vi’s sweaty torso, enjoying the way her lover’s nipples perked up from the slow touch leading downwards.

She then took her sweet, sweet time unbuckling the belt, until Vi’s hands joined hers to help out. When it was finally undone, Caitlyn moved her hand from Vi’s chin to rest on her thigh instead, and looked down at the thing poking out of the pants.

“Glad to see you’ve gone for the blue one, darling. How about you show me what you can do with it?” she asked as she started dragging Vi’s pants down, eventually leaving her wearing just the disheveled shirt and the harness holding the blue appendage.

It wouldn’t have been the first time either of them had used one. After all this time they’d been a couple though, they’d agreed to try it out together.

“Aren’t you cheeky, not bothering to wear any underwear today of all days…” Caitlyn trailed off, her voice raspy, tone deep. Her eyes looked from between Vi's legs to her silvery eyes and then back down, wriggling an eyebrow suggestively.

“Oh, but it would have gotten in the way of making us both feel good,” Vi claimed all smug while looking down at the dildo, playfully flicking it a few times. “Ready for the main course, babe?”

Caitlyn snorted in the most inelegant way she could muster at her girlfriend’s humor. Was she ready for it? She looked at the blue toy between Vi’s legs, worrying her lower lip anxiously with her front teeth. She could swear the darn thing was sparkling as it swayed back and forth, but knew it was just the way the afternoon light was shining on it.

Her hands sprawled behind her onto the desk, as she imagined herself bent over it with Vi hovering over her. The room suddenly got hotter, and Caitlyn felt warmth pooling at her nether bits again. She thought about how Vi would press onto her from behind in a moment while still having the freedom to please her with both hands.

The reflection of Jinx's pink eyes flashed behind hers, as if she was about to be kidnapped and tied up in the shower again. Caitlyn's hands tensed up on the wood, and Vi stood up urgently to wrap her arms around her.

“Hey, hey. What's wrong?”

“Jinx…” Caitlyn whined, her hands automatically wrapping around Vi’s waist for comfort. She leaned her head on Vi’s shoulder, and closed her eye with a sigh of relief.

Vi stroked her dark hair soothingly. “She’s not here. And even if she were, you’re safe with me.”

She’d been having a hard time being intimate without eye contact ever since Jinx had kidnapped her. She’d needed Vi to never take her by surprise, no matter how satisfying it would have felt after the initial shock.

Of course, Vi had respected her boundaries every time. That, together with the silicone shaft currently poking at her middle, brought Caitlyn back to the present and melted her fear. Forever, she hoped.

Flashbacks of pernicious sisters be damned.

Caitlyn already missed Vi’s warmth as she leaned back onto the desk with her eye still closed. She let out a long exhale, trying to regain her composure as if she didn’t just remember one of her worst memories.

“Can we try something new?” she asked, opening her eye to see Vi standing there wordlessly, with an eyebrow quirked in question. “I’ve got an idea.”

Vi didn’t offer any resistance when she got pushed away lightly, but her curiosity still remained. “Go ahead.”

Caitlyn turned around with a wink, bending over the desk with her forearms on it. She looked back at Vi, whose shocked expression was somehow even funnier than a few minutes prior.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked with a sudden blush on her face, wiggling her butt shyly but invitingly. “Serve me.”

Vi’s eyes moved on from Caitlyn’s face to her bottom, gulping audibly at the tantalizing movements. She came closer, gave Caitlyn’s back a gentle swipe with one callused hand and then wrapped her fingers around the hem of the shorts when observing no signs of distress. “Sorry for the wait, love.”

The apology was met with another inviting wiggle, this time pressing warmly into Vi. They looked at each other for a second, trying to stifle their laughs at how enthusiastic they were. Caitlyn looked away, letting herself be served accordingly.

Her shorts got dragged down slowly, together with damp underwear. Vi traced her fingers on the muscular, freshly-shaved legs until she was back up. She grabbed the lube and spread it onto the blue toy, allowing the sloshing sound to fill the silence.

Vi tapped a soft buttcheek before carefully inserting the shaft between wet folds, provoking a pleasant gasp from the front. Slowly, she started rocking back and forth, holding Caitlyn’s waist for support as the toy moved in and out. The speed increased gradually as Caitlyn’s breath gained urgency.

“Vi, this feels -ah- so much better than I remember.”

Two of Vi’s fingers filled Caitlyn’s mouth when her breath hitched high enough to almost be heard from outside the room.

As she swirled her tongue around Vi’s fingers teasingly, Caitlyn brought a hand down to her own crotch to stimulate the already sensitive clit. The ragged breaths from behind were music to her ears; quiet enough to be heard only by the two of them, yet feral enough to help the tension building up inside of her.

Her teeth sunk into the strong fingers, not letting go until her entire body went limp from the sudden tiredness of her orgasm.

Vi’s motions slowed down, coming to a halt when Caitlyn rested her head on the desk with a blissful smile. She peppered the sweaty back with wet, languid kisses as her hands roamed soothingly on Caitlyn’s torso.

A soft whimper left Caitlyn when Vi pulled out, and she let herself be held from behind until she could move again.

“How did you find the dish?” whispered Vi into her ear, finally letting go when Caitlyn turned around.

“I’d like to ask how I may extend my compliments to the chef, as it was quite… delicious,” Caitlyn whispered back while leaning in for a kiss, her hands finding purchase in disheveled red locks. Soon enough, they were getting lost in between greedy kisses, ending up with Vi getting straddled on the chair once again.

When they stopped to catch their breaths, Vi murmured almost inaudibly, “Suck me off.”

“Hm, what was that?”

Vi looked to the side, suddenly shy. “I want you to suck me off… please.”

“Acting coy now, are we?” Caitlyn asked and patted around on the desk until the necktie’s shiny material made contact with her hand. It was quite amusing for her to hear such demanding words come out so bashfully.

She put part of the necktie into Vi’s mouth, tying the rest behind her head in a comfortable but dampening knot. “As much as I enjoy hearing it, I’m afraid that seductive voice of yours will need a break while I enjoy dessert.”

Caitlyn descended until she was face to face with vibrant blue. Enticing as her come looked on it, she didn’t feel like tasting herself then and there. She made a mental note to buy some flavored condoms in the future, to avoid getting bothered by the stench of come mixed with silicone.

The toy got removed from its place swiftly and got thrown in the direction of the office’s restroom. Caitlyn looked up when hearing a questioning hum from above. While her long fingers traced Vi’s happy trail lazily, she said, “For now, I’ve got a better idea.”

Her claim was met with an eyeroll and a muffled “Fiiiine” from Vi, but that didn’t stop her from pushing the harness upwards to fully expose the bushy, wet cunt.

“You get one moment of glory and get all hard from it, don’t you?” Caitlyn asked with her eye fixated on the hardened clit. All she could hear in reply was the mimicking of a frustrated moan, and tried not to laugh at the helpless position Vi had suddenly found herself in.

Caitlyn teased with her lips along a sweaty thigh up till the thatch of red hair and then back, feeling light squirms under her touch. She knew that was a subtle sign that she should start eating her dessert, but couldn’t help playing around with it first like one would with tiramisu on a plate.

The teasing turned into open-mouthed kisses, and Caitlyn didn’t even finish traversing both thighs before Vi redirected her face towards the needy core with an impatient hum.

She gave the dripping fluids a tentative taste, not regretting her earlier decision one bit. The salty aroma was intoxicating, reminiscent of late evenings spent together on the Pilt’s shore. Caitlyn inhaled it once more before delving with her tongue between the folds, working it until her head got jerked upwards.

The way Vi was looking at her indicated that Caitlyn should rush, help her get her sweet release. And how could that command be declined, when her silky blue hair was now being patted so affectionately?

Bowing down once more, Caitlyn sheepishly kissed the clit before wrapping her lips around it. She just teased with lazy tongue swirls, until she felt a desperate tug on her hair. One accidental bite into the little nub, and Vi’s thighs pressed onto her ears from the jolt it must have sent throughout that irresistible body.

In that moment, Caitlyn was thankful to have someone as doting and handsome and, if she were being honest, perfect, as Vi wrapped around her head. Entwining their free hands, she licked apologetically at the zone she’d just hurt. Her lover could take a good beating and come back up as if nothing had happened, but Caitlyn could somehow still hear muffled whimpers from above and with them, real pain.

It had turned quickly back from pain to pleasure. Vi’s wish to be sucked off, albeit differently, had become true as well. When she came, her grip on Caitlyn subsided, and her head bent over the backrest soundlessly. She sat like that until Caitlyn’s frame towered over her to get rid of the necktie.

“Gotta hand it to you, babe. You really know how to spin my words in a good way,” Vi muttered weakly, her voice hoarse.

Caitlyn planted a kiss onto Vi’s lips, holding it there for a few seconds. “I know,” she said with a rasp after letting go, looking all cocky while brushing salty fluids off her own face. “But I gather we should hurry back, we must have been out for a suspiciously long time.”

They put their clothes back on without speaking much, and grabbed the dildo on the way to the private restroom. Vi fixed both their makeup with haste after cleaning the toy, and Caitlyn knotted her necktie elegantly.

When Caitlyn’s hand reached for the doorknob, Vi’s hand settled on top of hers. “Go out first, Cait. I’ll follow you in a bit.”

“Hmm? And why is that?”

“They’re going to put two and two together, when they see us coming out at once. I don’t want them to think we don’t respect them.”

Caitlyn hummed, mirth visible in the way she smiled. “You’re so cute when you worry, Violet. They’re all probably too inebriated or engrossed in their conversations to notice anything strange.”

Vi retracted her hand, moving it to Caitlyn’s lower back instead. “Let’s go, then.”

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Snowdown Exchange

Vi followed her to the door, stopping at the doorframe when Caitlyn did. Her hands, calloused from too much garden work rather than fighting, were now held and caressed by Caitlyn’s soft fingers.

“There’s something you should know about,” Caitlyn said in a sultry tone, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

Of course, Vi couldn’t help but look at those mesmerizing lips while trying to find her words. “And that is…”

“Above you.”

Can be read either on ao3 or under the cut!

Small snowflakes were falling peacefully from the sky for the first time in a few years now, gradually covering Piltover in a blanket of white coldness.

Caitlyn was lounging on the window nook of a large arched window with a mug in hand, sipping from time to time while watching the garden get covered in snow.

On the other side of the living room, Tobias hummed to the tune of a jazzy song playing on the record player. He kept collecting baubles and garlands from a box, to arrange them into a multicolored ensemble on a pine tree.

As she stepped into the living room with a yawn, Vi took it all in. Suddenly, the atmosphere felt different with various decorations dangling from the fireplace, windows and furniture. It offered an elevated level of coziness, making the air warmer and more fragrant than usual.

“Are we celebrating something?” Vi asked as she kneeled in front of the fireplace with her arms outstretched towards the warmth. She watched the swirls of smoke provoked by each crackle with wonder.

Caitlyn turned to face the fireplace, with her lips curled up into a smile. “Oh, Vi. I didn’t hear you come in.” She patted the blanket on the window nook when Vi looked back at her. “Come here darling, let’s watch the snow together.”

Vi rushed to sit down on the other side of the nook, with her back resting on plushy pillows and her arms crossed. “So?” she asked and blew some heat into her hands, before she turned to watch the scenery with curiosity.

“During Snowdown, we don’t go out much. To make it a bit more bearable at home, we decorate, give the place a spirit of its own.”

Vi’s eyebrows furrowed. “Is this something Pilties do?”

Caitlyn took a sip from her mug and took her time coming with an answer, rushed by Vi poking her foot with one of hers. “No, Freljordians came up with it. We’ve just adopted it to have an excuse for trading with them.”

“It started around five years ago, when you were…” Tobias started from the other side of the room, trailing off when seeing Caitlyn’s aggravated expression and Vi’s arms flexing uncomfortably. He approached them and apologized for reminding them so directly that Vi was in jail at that point.

Vi’s arms slowly relaxed, and she dropped them onto her lap while turning to face Tobias.

“No worries, old man. I’m slowly putting that part of my life behind me,” she said and shook her head nostalgically. “You’ve just reminded me of when I used to exchange loot with Powder and the rest. We figured giving each other things we’d snatched from the Topside would make us feel better that we didn’t have much, y’know?”

The Kirammans exchanged a glance before Tobias spoke again. “Why don’t we organize a fancy dinner next weekend, just the three of us? We could exchange some presents and tell stories while grabbing a bite.”

“That actually sounds amazing, father,” Caitlyn said with a grin that kept broadening by the second. “I could hunt down a wild boar, like in the old days.”

“And I can help cook it,” chimed Vi in as she stood up from the nook. “Great idea, pops!”

“I’m looking forward to it, girls.”

The three of them spent the rest of the day decorating the mansion, in the process teaching Vi what kind of ornaments should be placed where. Sneakily, Caitlyn planted a mistletoe on the dining room’s doorframe.

The following week went by in a whoosh, with everyone enjoying some time off from their usual duties. Vi baked delicious cookies, Caitlyn could be found with a book or another in the reading nook, and Tobias sewed clothes that needed repairs.

At times, they’d hide from each other so they could prepare the presents without the others seeing them in advance. Once, Caitlyn was caught hovering over a photo album by Vi.

“What do you have there?” Vi asked while entering the study room.

Caitlyn closed the album with a thud. “Oh, this? This is for father,” she replied and reopened it when Vi stood next to her at the desk. “I wanted him to have memories of our family, especially of mother.”

Vi browsed through the pages, having all sorts of lighthearted reactions to the photos. She then cleared her voice and bowed her head all serious, speaking in a low tone. “You know, um, I don’t know what would be appropriate for me to gift him. Can I get some help?”

Caitlyn held Vi’s hand gently within hers and squeezed it reassuringly. “Definitely.”

When the day came, the three of them put their gifts under the tree and teamed up to set up the table. Then, Tobias took a seat on one side of the table, with his daughter and her girlfriend next to each other on the other side. Not once did any of them dare sit at the head of the table since Cassandra had passed away; it would forever remain her honorable seat.

As promised, a wild boar lay on a silver platter with a shiny red apple in its mouth, covered in aromatics and surrounded by all sorts of fruit and vegetables. A charcuterie board with finger foods from various parts of Runeterra lay next to it. On the other side of the boar, a small pot of rice pudding let out steam that carried its sweet, milky fragrance throughout the room.

“Let’s begin, shall we?” asked Tobias, which prompted everyone to fill their plates.

They ate mostly in silence, sometimes asking each other to pass spice bottles, plates or wine. There was barely anything left by the time any of them said something unrelated to food.

Vi laid back in her seat with her hands cradling her full belly while absent-mindedly listening to the others. The Kirammans were discussing the current state of affairs in Piltover, which had improved since Caitlyn had resumed working full-time to aid the Council.

When silence threatened to seep in for more than a minute, Vi cleared her voice. “Gotta hand it to you. It was brilliant to set this up at a time like this.”

Tobias smirked into his glass of red wine, with a tinge of red painting his cheeks. “Why, thank you Violet. I’ve been feeling for a while that we need something cheerful at the end of the year. Leave the negative behind, proceed with the positive.”

Caitlyn grabbed her glass of wine, looked into it, and sighed. “It’s indeed been quite an eventful and unforgettable year.” She then glanced at Vi. “It wouldn’t have been possible to pull through without you there with me,” she said, and raised her glass. “To us getting together and helping unite our cities!”

Vi picked up her own glass and raised it. “To us, and a more peaceful future!”

“To those we have lost!” Tobias exclaimed and chugged the entire glass in one go, the red of his face deepening swiftly. He slammed the bottom of the empty glass on the table, his eyes now wild from alcohol. “Ahh. Let’s open those presents!”

Their glasses got emptied in record time, but not without Vi and Caitlyn first sharing a worried look from the sudden outburst. Afterwards, Tobias sat all tipsy at the table while Caitlyn cleaned it up, and Vi occupied herself with bringing the gifts. In just a few minutes, five neatly wrapped boxes occupied the table.

Caitlyn reached out for one of the boxes, let her hand hover over it for a few seconds, and retracted it all empty. “How should we go about this?” she asked, suddenly a bit shy.

Vi took a box from the pile and handed it to Caitlyn with a wink. “Giving the gift to whom it belongs should do the trick. Open it.”

Taken aback by how heavy the box was, Caitlyn carefully steadied it on the table and unwrapped it. A pistol engraved with “C.K.” in cursive letters on both sides, similar to that which was pointed at Vi in Janna’s temple a few months back. “Vi, this is…”

“The best handgun you’ll ever own?” Vi asked excitedly, her fists playfully formed into finger guns.

“Isn’t it Jinx’s?”

“No, I bought it off Ekko and engraved it myself. He’s had it for years now.”

Caitlyn studied the pistol for a few more seconds and gently put it back into its box. “I shall put it to good use, then.” She then grabbed one of the unopened gifts. “This is for you, my love,” she said, as she handed it over to Vi.

Quickly, the wrapping got opened to reveal a thick green book with a flower bouquet drawn on the cover. “The Harmony of Flowers - Learn to Mix and Match ‘em” Vi read out loud and traced the golden letters. “Is this your way of telling me to make you bouquets from all those flowers in the garden, Cupcake?”

A blush crept up Caitlyn’s cheeks. “Perhaps.”

Vi placed the book on the table and bowed excessively in her seat. “I promise you’ll be spoiled with the most delightful bouquets when the garden comes back to life.” She then picked up the largest package in the diminishing pile and handed it over to Tobias.

“Thank you,” he said before unwrapping his gift. “Oh, what’s this? A memories album? Am I not a bit too young for this? I can still remember you.” He looked at his daughter with a cheeky grin, and then said while pointing at Vi, “and you.”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes at her father’s theatrics. “Just open it, father,” she mentioned with amusement in her tone and hopped off the chair together with Vi to stand behind him.

Tobias took his time perusing the album, stopping every now and then to remark on the memories that had moved him most.

One of the photos had Cassandra facing Caitlyn in her rookie uniform, grimacing at each other. Tobias looked up at his daughter, with a proud smile that reached the corners of his eyes. “You know, I’ve never told you how glad I am that you’ve paved your own way. Being on the field has always suited you best.”

When the end of the album was reached, Tobias gasped dramatically. “Someone is missing from here.” He picked up the golden camera from the gift box and loaded a filmroll into it. Shortly after a click sound, a photo of Vi’s puzzled face came out of the camera. Tobias waved it a bit and inserted it into an empty slot inside the album.

“I’ll be right back,” Vi said before dashing out of the dining room, leaving the others confused. A moment later, she reappeared with a framed picture of Cassandra and handed it to Tobias. “Let’s take a proper family photo, shall we?”

Caitlyn put one arm around Vi’s shoulders and one on her father’s right shoulder. From the other side, Vi put one hand on Tobias’s left shoulder and the other one Caitlyn’s waist. Tobias hugged his wife’s picture to his chest and pointed the camera towards the group. “Ready?”

“Born ready.”

Click

The camera spilled out a new photo, which Tobias held up delicately. “What do you girls think?”

Vi nodded enthusiastically in agreement when Caitlyn answered, “Worthy of being on the front cover, I would say.”

The photo got its rightful place on the album cover while the two women silently reclaimed their seats. The album and camera got set aside on the table, and Tobias pushed the remaining gifts towards their recipients.

Caitlyn opened the golden envelope and squinted with her good eye at its contents. “A trip for two to the most luxurious spas in Runeterra?” Her eyebrow furrowed. “I don’t believe taking such a long break would benefit us at the moment.”

Vi snorted. “Can’t wait to get some peace and quiet, huh pops?”

With his hands held up in mock defense, he admitted, “I think you girls deserve it, after everything you’ve done this year.”

A murmur escaped Vi’s lips while concentrating on unwrapping her gift. “You don’t say…” A posh suede case now stood open in front of her, exposing a black suit with a remote control next to it.

At Vi’s confused expression, Tobias supplied, “A suit that can change color. Don’t be shy, try it out.”

Vi took the remote, and, after studying it for a bit, clicked on a button that slowly turned the suit pale blue. A few more options were tried, until both her and Caitlyn ended up with tears in their eyes from laughing at some of the more ridiculous choices. “How does it really work?”

“Only Caitlyn’s grandmother knows. While a very talented scientist, she wasn’t the type to leave papers laying around,” Tobias replied, inhaling as if he was trying to remember something. “Perhaps that machinery of yours contains some information on it,” he continued, nodding towards Caitlyn.

He let out a wheezing cough, the type of which was becoming more and more frequent as of late. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll retreat for the night.”

“Take care, father” and “Rest well, old man” could be heard from the two women as he stood up to leave with the camera in hand and the album under his arm.

It stayed silent in the room for a few seconds after he left, until Caitlyn eventually bit her lower lip and said, “Follow me.”

Vi followed her to the door, stopping at the doorframe when Caitlyn did. Her hands, calloused from too much garden work rather than fighting, were now held and caressed by Caitlyn’s soft fingers.

“There’s something you should know about,” Caitlyn said in a sultry tone, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

Of course, Vi couldn’t help but look at those mesmerizing lips while trying to find her words. “And that is…”

“Above you.”

As instructed, Vi looked above their heads to see a small bundle of mistletoe attached to the doorframe. “So this is how I’m being introduced to floral arrangements, isn’t it?”

“It’s not just an arrangement. Mistletoes represent love and affection, so people often hang them up during Snowdown to garner the attention of those worthy enough,” Caitlyn explained and started leaning in towards Vi, who was trying to absorb the information without getting too distracted by the way she was being looked at.

Vi leaned in as well, close enough for their noses to touch. “And am I worthy?”

Their lips brushed briefly, teasingly. “Always,” Caitlyn whispered, while they were both closing their eyes in anticipation.

Their mouths met in a languid kiss which got lost in time. They held each other in an embrace, soft, heartfelt, and their kiss deepened like their lives depended on it. 

One of them broke the kiss at some point, and their eyes opened lazily to take each other in with soft giggles.

“So, about that luxurious trip-” Vi started, but got interrupted swiftly when she felt a tug at her hand and saw Caitlyn nod towards the staircase.

“Oh Violet, I’m afraid that will have to wait. For now, I’ve got other plans with you.”

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

My Canvas of Glory

Caitlyn blinked and shook her head a few times to try to get rid of the sting behind her eyes, at the same time feeling a wave of convulsion wash over her from head to toe. Once the writhing had subsided, Caitlyn could swear her clothes felt more constrictive on her body.

When she opened her eyes, she saw something akin to cobwebs for a few seconds. She looked downwards as her eyes adjusted to the surroundings, noticing her legs had visibly bulked up, but not to the point where the pants would come apart.

The fabric of her shirt confined certain movements as Caitlyn moved her arms around to admire the newly gained muscles. She grabbed the microphone with a bit too much strength, provoking some feedback before speaking.

“I have the pleasure of announcing that I am feeling,” she started, looking at the attentive crowd with pink-colored eyes, her tone turning seductive on the last word, “fantastic.”

Warnings: Substance abuse

Can be read either on ao3 or under the cut!

“Tonight, we’ve gathered to celebrate the new direction Shimmering Desires is taking,” a voice boomed from across the spacious room, turning the heads of patrons sitting at the numerous tables scattered across the space.

Caitlyn Kiramman, the new leader of the aforementioned Zaunite business, stood behind a golden microphone on the stage at the front of the room. Clad in brown slacks supported by elegant leather suspenders draping over a white button-up shirt, she held a glass of pink liquid that shone bright thanks to the colorful neon lighting that cut through the haze of cigarette smoke suffusing the space.

She rolled the glass in her hand as the speech continued, trying to drown out the anxiety of having her first public appearance in front of the very people who were going to benefit from, and even market her family’s innovations.

“For decades, my parents have conducted the business with great effort, achieving exceptional results without involving third parties. However, as you all may have heard,” Caitlyn started, nodding once to steel herself and shifting into a more somber tone, “Cassandra Kiramman is no longer among us.”

A few people gasped, while others simply took their hats off and brought them to their chests, allowing for a moment of silence for one of the most prolific Chembarons the Undercity had ever seen.

Caitlyn brought her hand to her chest and looked at the patrons who’d come to the grand opening of the speakeasy. Most of them had gained their fortunes by sucking up to Cassandra, yet didn’t even care enough to notice that she’d been missing from the public eye for a while.

They were no different from the protégés who had disgraced Cassandra’s name in Piltover. At the end of the day, those who’d made a name for themselves through her family gave no shits about having used it as a stepping stone. No matter where they came from.

It was disgusting to think that now Caitlyn had to stand in front of them, endure their farcical show of respect while trying to come to terms that these were going to be her business associates from now on. Exactly a minute later, she broke the silence.

“My mother’s brilliance will not be equaled. Her sudden departure has left behind shoes that not many would be able to fill on their own. As such, my father and I have agreed to handpick a few illustrious minds to help bridge the gap between the excellence and success of Shimmering Desires, and that of Zaun.”

A rumble of curious murmuring spread slowly throughout the room until Tobias stood up from one of the tables close to the stage. He took a moment to make his presence known by turning towards the guests and clapping loud enough to stop the restless voices.

Several figures from Tobias’s table made their way onto the stage when he had indicated with one hand for them to do so. One by one, they introduced themselves by name and role while the guests remained silent.

When the introductions ended and no reaction surfaced from the public, Caitlyn reclaimed the microphone from the last speaker with a strong, albeit anxious grip.

Caitlyn had this fear that the kind of patrons who’ve abused her mother’s kindness wouldn’t warm up that quickly to the new face of the Kiramman name. She was not shocked at the lack of reaction to her words tonight, but disappointed nonetheless. 

After letting the new partners introduce themselves, she’d started doubting whether the decision to let others so closely to family affairs had been a good idea. Although good at their craft, these scientists and businesspeople were all still an untrustworthy bunch.

A silent sigh left Caitlyn’s mouth, and she blinked once, slowly, before letting go of the microphone. Whatever may come, this would be the moment that would set her public image for the future.

“To commemorate the inception of our collaboration, as well as the opening of this fine establishment,” she said, gesturing at the room with her hand, “I am honored to be the first to have a drink of my father’s newest concoction, ‘Shimmer Delight’!”

“Erm, what’s so special about it?” someone from the crowd asked.

Caitlyn looked in the direction of the voice, finding a smiling middle-aged man playing with his mustache.

“Didn’t you know, pink sells nowadays!” someone else exclaimed mockingly.

Laughter filled the room, and Caitlyn felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach. But she couldn’t show any signs of weakness in front of these people. She had to be strong, and looked at her father’s encouraging face to regain her bravado.

Then, she cleared her throat and replied, “Well, I am very glad you’ve asked! As you all know, Shimmer usage has been on the rise for illegal activities lately.”

“And?” the guy from before asked and crossed his arms.

“And… Imagine those working for you getting strong and agile without you worrying they’re going to go on a rampage and cause damage to your business! This right here,” Caitlyn said, lifting the glass she was holding, “is the key to that. A stable version of Shimmer that, with responsible consumption, should aid in much more than pit fighting.”

Exclamations of disbelief and incredulity populated the room.

Caitlyn waited for the commotion to subside. Then, with a smirk to the public, she raised the glass into the air, exclaiming “Time to find out, then!” and brought it to her mouth.

Though as thin as wine, the liquid made its way to Caitlyn’s stomach with difficulty, requiring short breaks in between chugs. It burned so badly that she could visually imagine flames traversing through her while the guests watched the demonstration in awe.

Her gaze narrowed down to the glass in her hand as her fingers started twitching imperceptibly. Faint purple coursed through the veins on her hand and she watched the pulsating skin with fascination.

She was so captivated that she didn’t even notice the shattered glass whose shards hadn’t even left a scratch on her hand. The gasps of wonder from the public went by unnoticed, too.

Caitlyn blinked and shook her head a few times to try to get rid of the sting behind her eyes, at the same time feeling a wave of convulsion wash over her from head to toe. Once the writhing had subsided, Caitlyn could swear her clothes felt more constrictive on her body.

When she opened her eyes, she saw something akin to cobwebs for a few seconds. She looked downwards as her eyes adjusted to the surroundings, noticing her legs had visibly bulked up, but not to the point where the pants would come apart.

The fabric of her shirt confined certain movements as Caitlyn moved her arms around to admire the newly gained muscles. She grabbed the microphone with a bit too much strength, provoking some feedback before speaking.

“I have the pleasure of announcing that I am feeling,” she started, looking at the attentive crowd with pink-colored eyes, her tone turning seductive on the last word, “fantastic.”

The neon lights piercing her eyes made it hard to see people’s reaction. But she didn’t care to know it. Her role here was to convince people her family was still relevant in this ever-changing world.

“Our new drink can be found at the bar, for those brave enough to venture into its embrace,” she said, and stepped down from the stage as everyone hurried to empty their pockets on her father’s invention.

The sudden eruption of excited voices and cogs being thrown around at the bar had flooded Caitlyn’s ears so much that the room started feeling heavy, dizzying. She needed a break from the commotion, from her new responsibilities, from the reality that her mother was truly gone now.

Caitlyn didn’t want to spend one more moment among these mongrels tonight.

With inhumane speed, Caitlyn made her way outside the building. By putting her foot outside the entrance door and closing it behind herself, she’d already managed to escape the crowd’s cacophony.

In the distance, however, Zaun’s busy districts were still loud enough to flood Caitlyn’s ears with unpleasant discord. After spending a few agonizing minutes alone in front of the bar to calm herself down, the remaining adrenaline provoked the urge for her to run towards the very source of said discord.

How could she not, when the lights emanating from the shopping district were tingling her eyes with such taunting fuzz?

Citizens looked at her fleeting form questioningly as she sped through the busy streets, raising dust into the air with every hurried step.

Caitlyn’s eyes couldn’t keep up with everything being so bright in such close proximity, and she was thankful people couldn’t notice her struggle to keep them open. Her ears had started ringing from the overwhelm of the busy night life, making her question why people would want to subject themselves to such debilitating side-effects.

It was only when hearing something completely different that she could regain some focus. She ran towards the music, its words becoming clearer and clearer with each step.

🎶 Rebel girl, rebel girl, you are the queen of my world 🎶

She stopped running when ending up in front of a two-story building. At ground level, several shops and service centers ensured the street would be kept alive while the tenants upstairs would go about their nightly activities.

🎶 I think I wanna take you home 🎶

With barely one step taken towards the building, Caitlyn had become mesmerized. The transparent glass doors of a business revealed a room covered in pastel pink neon lights, their particles dancing harmoniously in front of her eyes like a wave tumbling in the Pilt.

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” someone asked from a few feet away.

Caitlyn turned her head to the left, trying to place the feminine voice. “I beg your pardon?”

The stranger’s lips turned upwards, the shiny snakebites on her chin following suit. “I said, what are you doing here on this beautiful night?”

For a few seconds, Caitlyn’s eyes stayed fixated on the stranger’s bandage-wrapped hand bringing a cigarette to plump lips coated in a dash of pale red. The stranger sucked some of it into her lungs, holding in her breath for a moment before exhaling in puffs of big white circles.

A wisp of smoke drifted past Caitlyn’s nose, provoking a slight sneeze from her. The stranger chuckled and shook her head, waiting for a reply with mirth in her gaze.

“What am I doing here?” Caitlyn asked. She quickly sized up the stranger a few times, looking twice at the tattoos adorning her neck and muscular arms. She may have felt her cheeks gain a new color while stealing a few glances at the perfectly circular belt buckle situated way below its usual spot on some ragged striped pants. “What are you doing here?”

The last remainders of ash fell from the cigarette onto the asphalt. “I work here,” the stranger replied, casually discarding the cigarette butt and extinguishing it under her work boot.

“What exactly is it that you do?” Caitlyn asked, stealing more glances at the stranger’s body. While everything around the two of them was pulsating in ambiguous shapes, the stranger and her workplace were the only clear things Caitlyn could perceive.

“I tattoo people.”

Caitlyn’s eyes widened. “You paint people’s skin… With permanence?” 

The stranger licked at her lips, attempting to stifle a laugh. “You could say that. Well, have a good night. I gotta get back inside, break’s over.”

Her muscular frame started making it through the glass doors, and before Caitlyn could think twice about it, her hand darted out to grab the stranger’s arm, tugging her back with surprising force.

The stranger froze, her head turning around slowly. Her eyes flickered to the hand grasping her arm, and then back to Caitlyn’s eyes, an unspoken challenge in the gaze. Danger, it said, Back off.

“I would like you to work on a piece for me,” Caitlyn said, staring into the stranger’s eyes.

The one thing Cassandra had told her daughter was to never blemish her flesh with tattoos and augments, the way many did in Zaun. Like the rebel she was, however, Caitlyn had been fantasizing of using her body as a canvas of glory. She had the perfect design in mind, and tonight was as good as any to begin her journey.

The stranger’s gaze shifted from Caitlyn’s eyes to get a good glance at the rest of her, lingering on the pink pulsating through Caitlyn’s hand. Then, she looked back into hopeful, bright pink eyes before her face turned sour. “Now?”

“There’s no better time, is there?”

“Your eyes, your hands… that looks like Shimmer to me.”

With her lips turning into a wicked smile, Caitlyn nodded once in affirmation.

The stranger shook her head disapprovingly and murmured “Come back when you’re sober,” before trying again to enter the studio. The grip on her forearm prevented her from moving away, however.

“Wait a moment, please. I’m feeling adequate.”

“Sure you are,” the stranger said, snorting. “And you’ll be waking everyone up with your screams once my machines touch you.”

Caitlyn looked upwards at the residential apartments, squinting at the blur, and then back down to the stranger. “I believe there isn’t one apartment in this building that has its lights off.”

“So what? Just because people aren’t sleeping doesn’t mean they don’t need quiet to relax after working their asses off all day.”

“Why did you set up your business here then, if you’re so concerned with peaceful evenings?”

“You don’t know how much effort it takes to rent a place anywhere here, do you?” the stranger asked with a sigh.

Caitlyn squinted as she considered the stranger’s situation. She craved getting that tattoo, now. Surely, she could afford to make an irrefusable offer in order to get it. “Perhaps I don’t understand your struggle. But should you do a good job, I could assist you in relocating to a more appropriate space.”

The stranger's brows furrowed in confusion before asking, “And who are you, to make such promises?”

“You will soon find out… If you can trust me enough to rise to the opportunity, that is.”

“Trusting a complete stranger with the future of something I’ve spent my entire life building… what could go wrong?” the stranger asked, rolling her eyes.

“Think about what could happen, should you ignore my benevolence.”

Only the song from inside the studio could be heard as the two ladies stared each other down, neon blue boring into steel grey until the latter succumbed to defeat.

“Fine. But don’t close my business down if you wake up tomorrow and find out you didn’t want this,” the stranger said, rolling her eyes.

“You have my word that I will not,” Caitlyn promised with a comically wide grin, jokingly bringing her arm up into a salute.

The stranger shook her arm out of Caitlyn’s grasp, now that it had weakened. “Follow me, then,” she said as she opened the door to the studio and stepped in.

Caitlyn followed suit, then stood awkwardly in the middle of the studio while the stranger flipped a sign on the doors. She took in the place, considering it almost too sterile for Zaun.

“So, what did you have in mind?” the stranger asked while pulling thick, black curtains over the doors. She then turned to face Caitlyn, and crossed her arms in expectation.

“My body shall become a canvas of glory, in time.”

“Gotta give it to you pal, your vocabulary is quite colorful. ‘A canvas of glory’,” she repeated with a snort, trying, and very much failing, to imitate the posh accent.

Caitlyn cocked an eyebrow, mirroring the stranger’s pose in defensiveness. “If you believe your behavior won’t be playing a role in me aiding you, you are mistaken.”

“And if you think I’ll be changing my behavior at the whims of rich people, you’re also mistaken,” the stranger replied, her voice more high-pitched than before, her body stiff.

Caitlyn hummed as she wondered if she was pushing the stranger a bit too much. Considering taking it down a notch, she uncrossed her arms. “Fair enough. Tonight though, I would like you to paint the top of my back with something that will honor my family.”

The stranger went to sit at a desk where some drawing tools lay scattered. She picked one of the sharpened crayons up and hovered it over a paper, then looked at Caitlyn through long eyelashes. “And that is…”

“A test tube half-filled with Shimmer, with fumes coming out at the top,” Caitlyn started while walking towards the desk.

She waited for the stranger to finish drawing it, and then continued, “The tube lies protected by two golden keys that cross each other.” 

When the stranger’s hand suddenly stopped, Caitlyn took a handkerchief out of her pocket and put it on the desk, spreading it out so that her family’s crest would be visible. 

“Here, the symbol that my family’s held for centuries now.”

The stranger studied the labyrinth-like shapes that adorned the handkerchief, tracing them with a finger. “Gotcha,” she said and resumed drawing.

Only the music kept them company until the stranger finished drawing and turned to face Caitlyn with an excited look. “What do you think?”

Caitlyn looked at the paper with a finger pressed to her chin, humming. A few moments later, she murmured “Perfect,” after which she got invited to make herself comfortable on the bed.

The shirt got discarded onto the bed, while the brown leather suspenders ended up on the headrest. Caitlyn lay with her front on the shirt, shifting until she’d found a comfortable position.

The stranger sat on the chair on the left side of the bed and dragged a tray trolley towards herself. While mixing the necessary inks, she asked “Are you sure you want to do this? Last chance to tap out.”

“I would not be embarrassing myself like this in front of a stranger if I weren’t convinced it was something I’d wanted,” Caitlyn replied, glancing downwards at her exposed skin and then up again at the stranger. “I think introductions are in order. What should I call you?”

“Vi,” came the reply from the woman whose cheeks were now a pale shade of red. “And you are…”

“Caitlyn.”

“Caitlyn…” Vi trailed off while arranging the sketch paper on the middle of Caitlyn’s back, ensuring that the design stayed put on the skin. “Sounds like a name some Piltie royalty would have.”

She chuckled at the way Caitlyn bristled under her touch, before returning to business. “Alright, I’d like you to get comfortable on the headrest before we begin. Make sure you’ve got enough room to breathe.”

Vi put some glasses and gloves on, and Caitlyn watched the motions attentively. The gloves were made of navy blue suede, finishing off in metal fingertips connected to vials of ink. Each glove had a button on the back of the hand, which would reveal needles on the fingertips when pressed.

“What do these gloves do? I’ve never seen something like this before,” Caitlyn said.

Vi pressed one of the buttons a few times, making the fingertips open and close with a drilling sound. “Oh, these? Each fingertip has needles that will make it faster to tattoo you. It’s like ten guns put together.”

Caitlyn’s eyes followed the fingertips, anticipating how those would feel on her. “Interesting,” she said with a pleased smile, moving her head so that her face poked through the oval crevice of the headrest.

“Here we go,” Vi said softly before starting to trace the sketch lines, navigating around pulsating veins with steady hands.

Caitlyn squirmed lightly when the fingertips caused a rough tingling sensation on her back.

Vi stopped so she could press on a glove’s button, its needles quickly hiding inside the fingertips. She then used the smoothened hand to keep Caitlyn’s back in place. “Try not to move,” she instructed, pushing strongly when her subject still kept squirming and let out a vaguely suggestive gasp.

The punk music that had attracted Caitlyn to the studio was now playing at a bearable volume through some speakers on the wall. She tried focusing on it as the needles drilled into her skin again, to trace the outline of the tattoo.

“So… you’re not from around here, are you?” Vi asked curiously while switching the vials to golden ink, preparing to start with the keys.

“My accent’s betrayed me, hasn’t it?” Caitlyn asked sheepishly, hissing when the machine touched her skin again.

“It was the way you looked, actually. I’ve never seen someone take Shimmer without transforming into a mindless brute before. Figured it must have been some Piltie invention.”

“Your assumptions are correct. My family moved from Piltover to Zaun when it was still considered just an undercity. My current state can be attributed to my father.”

“That’s unexpected,” Vi said absent-mindedly, trying to concentrate on the task at hand. Allowing the other woman to talk seemed to have lessened the times she’d had to keep her from squirming, but still had to be held tightly every now and then.

“Quite,” Caitlyn acknowledged. “My father hid himself in his lab for a while after my mother’s death. He was… devastated. Without knowledge of my family’s financial affairs, all he could do was follow the Piltovan protocol of handing the keys to everything to the heir.”

A chuckle escaped Vi’s mouth. “So pretentious. How did you end up with pink eyes, experiment gone wrong?”

Caitlyn huffed, annoyed at the idea of her father being demeaned. “What my father managed to create was a stable form of Shimmer. To keep our finances afloat, he’s perfected the serum into beverages.”

The skin had started bleeding again, and Vi reached out for a paper towel to wipe the blood away with. “Let me guess. You were the first one to test it out, weren’t you?” she asked, putting the paper towel back onto the tray and switching to purple ink.

“Indeed,” Caitlyn replied. “I was required to as the new head of my family’s business, in order to present the concoction at our new establishment.”

Vi’s head shook from left to right a few times in disapproval. “Oh, Vander. I’m glad you’re not here to see any of this,” she murmured, applying more pressure than necessary when coloring the test tube on Caitlyn’s spine.

Caitlyn hissed and bit into the suspenders, keeping her teeth sunken into the leather until the pressure was replaced with a tolerable amount of pain.

“Shit. Sorry, Cait. I guess we’ve both lost a part of our family recently.”

Caitlyn slowly unlocked her jaw, letting the leather fall away as she forced herself to relax. “My condolences,” she said apologetically, feeling a wave of heat upon her neck from the nickname. “This piece aims to honor my family’s legacy. Do you have any of your own, to cherish the memory of… Vander?”

Vi stopped the gun for a moment, using a hand to lift her shirt just enough so Caitlyn could see the depiction of a glass containing whisky on the rocks right under her breasts. “I do.”

Without bothering to rearrange her shirt, she continued tattooing Caitlyn’s back.

Shimmered eyes traced Vi’s abdomen as every movement displayed her muscles at different angles. Just as Caitlyn’s imagination had started running wild with what she’d do to those abs, the glove’s buzz stopped one last time before it got discarded on the trolley along with the other one. 

Vi picked up the cloth again to wipe some more blood off, and patted gently at Caitlyn’s lower back, expressing her amazement in a lower register. “Good girl. You’ve barely made a squeak. You can stand up now, if you’d like."

Tonight had been a night of surprises, but nothing compared to the shiver that traversed Caitlyn’s spine from the first two words that Vi had just said. It had always been Caitlyn praising others both in and out of her bed, but had never heard it back. She never thought it would feel so electrifying for someone to finally say it, let alone someone as hot as Vi.

She sat up on the table with her legs crossed, revealing her beet red face while clutching her shirt to her chest. Plenty of inappropriate replies had crossed her mind, until she’d managed to settle on something that wouldn’t betray her thoughts. “Thank you for your speedy efforts.”

“My pleasure. You can check the piece out in front of that mirror,” Vi said, nodding her head towards the large mirror in the corner.

Caitlyn walked to the mirror, and looked at the fresh colors on her skin. Even among the purple veins, the tattoo looked exactly like she’d imagined. “Vi, it’s… marvellous! Exactly the way I’d imagined it.”

Vi stood up from her chair with a pleased smile. “I’m glad you like it,” she said, approaching with a roll of plastic wrap and scissors. “One last step.”

She cut some of the material and applied it on Caitlyn’s back. “There.”

“Thank you,” Caitlyn said, nodding with a smile of her own. She looked downwards, and then back to Vi. “If you don’t mind…”

“Oh, uhm, of course.” Vi’s cheeks were starting to grow red, and she turned around laughing awkwardly. She went to the cash register, taking the time to prepare a paper bag.

A few too many gears clinked onto the table when Caitlyn emptied her pockets a moment later. Vi counted them one by one, her eyes growing wide in amazement at the sum.

“Uh, Caitlyn, that’s too much,” she said, pushing the extra amount towards Caitlyn together with a bag of aftercare instructions and vials.

“Nonsense. I have never been given such quick service before and I promised to help you relocate. I would, however, wish to visit again so I learn more about how these work,” Caitlyn said and pointed towards the gloves on the tray trolley.

Vi’s eyes lit up at the sudden interest. “It’s something I’ve made together with my sister after Vander died. I’d be happy to show it now, if you’d like?”

Caitlyn looked at the wall on the clock, but was unable to make out the numbers. A bit frustrated, she’d decided that running her family’s business could wait until morning. 

“I would love that, if you’re willing. I can feel the effects of Shimmer dwindle and this place gives me comfort.”

“Of course!” Vi exclaimed, then rushed to grab her tools before inviting Caitlyn to sit together with her on the bed.

They sat like that until morning, with Caitlyn listening intently to the explanations that Vi gave about the technology behind the items that had allowed for tattooing so quickly and precisely.

Whether they’d agreed to meet up again outside of the studio, Caitlyn could not remember the next day after a long sleep.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Shower Me with Your Care

“What are you doing, Cait?”

With a wink, Caitlyn replied, “Just making sure that my handsome handywoman gets the appreciation she deserves.”

Warnings: Nudity, but not the naughty kind

Can be read either on ao3 or under the cut!

The pitter patter of water droplets echoed as they fell onto the marble tiles of a spacious, gold-gilded bathroom. Steam had started to enshroud everything, setting a calming mood while a solemn tune floated through the tendrils of vapour curling under the shower.

Dirty red hair dangled awkwardly onto the intricate design tattooed on its owner’s wide back, as she brought two chap-skinned hands to each side of the shower faucet to sustain her haggard body.

Not having registered the opening and closing of the bathroom door, she inhaled a sharp breath when a set of arms had unexpectedly wrapped around her midriff. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and her hands moved from the wall reflexively to grab the forearms of the one holding her captive.

“Relax, darling. It’s just me,” Caitlyn murmured reassuringly into Vi’s ear. Her arms loosened their strong, albeit not tight, grip around the battle-scarred skin.

Vi’s muscles went slack, and her hands released their hold on the forearms so Caitlyn could retract them unhindered. She turned around with a sigh of relief, seeing Caitlyn standing there just as naked as she was. Even the eyepatch was gone from her face, allowing for her beauty to be appreciated at its fullest.

They looked at each other lovingly until Vi grasped Caitlyn’s jaw between her fingers, and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. They stood there embracing under the shower for a moment, taking each other in after a tiresome day.

“How did you find it, assisting Father today?” Caitlyn asked, one of her cheeks now resting on Vi’s shoulder. 

She could feel Vi’s lips move on top of her head, a pleased curve to her lips as Vi replied, “Fantastic! I didn’t know there would be so much to do around here.”

Caitlyn smiled into Vi’s shoulder.

“Is that so?” She asked as she slightly moved away from Vi, to ensure her genuine curiosity could be both seen and heard. One of her hands patted around blindly on the metal shower shelf behind her until it found a bar of soap.

With the bar in hand, Caitlyn leaned forward till her mouth reached one of Vi’s ears and whispered, “I want to hear all about it.”

“To start with, your father made me mow the lawn,” Vi began excitedly, a yelp escaping her when cold hands suddenly started lathering up her arms. “What are you doing, Cait?”

With a wink, Caitlyn replied, “Just making sure that my handsome handywoman gets the appreciation she deserves.”

“So I’m your handywoman now, huh? I was hoping that my title wouldn’t be ‘Property of the Kirammans’ after ditching the Pit.”

Vi closed her eyes, revelling in the dance of the fleeting feathery touches across her skin, despite the mocking comment. Her head leaned backwards, welcoming the shower’s gentle rain onto her face and hair.

Slim hands dutifully roamed from Vi’s arms towards her broad shoulders, and then back a few times.

“We’ll find something more interesting for you to do, soon enough. But for now, let’s relish today's success. Tell me more,” Caitlyn encouraged as her fingers scrubbed the tattooed back, taking the time to trace the intricate design adorning it.

With an innocent grunt, Vi resumed talking about her day. “And then, I trimmed the bushes,” she said, trying to stifle a laugh at the double entendre.

Something soft and warm draped over her chest, and she hummed in pleasure as her skin recognized Caitlyn’s against hers. Vi’s hands automatically looped around behind Caitlyn’s back, holding her close. She inhaled sharply as Caitlyn rubbed against her teasingly, spreading the sharp citrusy scent of the soap as well as a spark of heat through her skin.

“Tease,” Vi grumbled, getting a deliciously low laugh in her ear as a reward for voicing her discontent.

A few delicate kisses graced Vi’s neck, and then the pressure on Vi’s chest went away as Caitlyn started descending on a trail of languid kisses, letting the shower wash off the suds before she’d touch the clean skin.

“Don’t stop on my account, darling,” Caitlyn said while busying herself with washing Vi’s legs.

Vi could feel her cheeks burn as she iterated through the remainder of her day, stopping for a few seconds before giving the last details.

“Tobias got very tired all of a sudden. So I carried him up and tucked him in.” she said, looking down at Caitlyn, who was kneeling at her feet on the wet tiles.

The reverent way Caitlyn tended to Vi’s limbs was mesmerizing. Tenderness leveraged towards herself was an unfamiliar context, especially when done so lovingly.  By far though, it was a welcome contrast to the harsh cold and discomfort of the Stillwater showers.

Caitlyn stopped massaging the taut muscle of a thigh, meeting Vi’s affectionate gaze with a cocked eyebrow. “ You tucked my father in?”

One of Vi’s hands patted Caitlyn’s wet hair a few times, before gently cradling her jaw. Caitlyn leaned into the touch as they shared a warm smile before the reply came in with a frown on Vi’s side.

“He whispered your name right before he drifted off. He’s not in great shape, Cupcake. I’m sure that you’ve noticed.”

“I am aware of his diminished state, it’s just…” Caitlyn’s nose scrunched, her good eye closing as she let out a heavy sigh. 

“He’s never let anyone in like this. Since when does he favor you?” she asked, a hint of jealousy obvious in her pensive tone.

Vi’s lips shaped themselves into a shit-eating grin. “Maybe I’ve put something in his tea.”

Caitlyn slapped one of her legs playfully. “Violet, don’t you dare-”

“Relax. That’s a tactic for my enemies, not for my…”

Caitlyn opened her eye to look upwards, finding Vi suddenly too shy to continue. “Your…” she provided, expectantly.

Vi broke eye contact bashfully. “Family,” she finished in a low, insecure tone that could barely be heard over the gentle thrum of water splashing to the floor.

Whether Caitlyn had managed to hear the word or had used her good eye to read her lover’s lips was irrelevant. It meant the world to Vi when Caitlyn rose to her feet so that they’d meet each other at eye level, the latter’s softened gaze more endearing than ever in the moment.

“Family,” Caitlyn repeated out loud while her arms wrapped around Vi’s back for a prolonged hug, neither of them bothered by the fact that the water pouring from above had started to turn cold.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Last Bailout

When alcohol's the only thing soothing one's soul, problems appear. They multiply until the dam breaks, and even one's one and only companion has had enough.

So, what happens when that companion brings out the harsh truth?

Warnings: Mentions of alcoholism and hooliganism

Can be read either on ao3 or under the cut!

In the quiet of the night that only came about during midnight, a thin set of light blades cleaved through Zaun as a luxurious black car sped through the empty streets.

Caitlyn’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, her jaw tensing despite her complete focus on the road. Soft music filled the uncomfortable silence that occupied the unusually claustrophobic space.

She chanced a glance over at her passenger, who was sitting with her legs spread casually and jaw propped onto her right palm. Vi stared casually out of the window at the dark surroundings, as if the view could offer anything other than the shadow of old buildings and gardens that had failed to blossom. As if the streets could offer her absolution.

“You just can’t seem to keep yourself out of trouble, can you?” Caitlyn asked with a snarl, losing the battle with silence. She snapped her eyes back to the road, unwilling to meet Vi’s gaze.

Vi’s legs closed, her fingers clasped on top of her dirty jeans, and her head shifted so she could face Caitlyn.

“C’mon, it wasn’t that bad,” she said with a smirk, cockiness acting as a front to hide her anxiety. The stench of stale alcohol wafted across the car,  and Caitlyn’s nose scrunched in distaste.

“What part of vandalizing the Council building and shouting profanities at its members wasn’t that bad? It’s one of the worst crimes out there, Vi!”

“Rich old farts getting offended and calling the enforcers when the citizens they’re responsible for yell the truth at them? Color me shocked, cupcake,” Vi said mockingly. Her fingers drummed her thighs restlessly before twining with each other and then going back to drumming once again.

Caitlyn’s eyes unglued themselves from the road, to look at the drunkard sitting in the passenger seat.

“Did you just call my mother an ‘old fart’?” Caitlyn asked, incredulous. Vi’s mouth gaped at the question, while her eyes widened. “Do you think that me having a soft spot for you allows for bearing no respect whatsoever for authority?”

Her icy glare pushed Vi further back into her seat before Caitlyn resumed paying attention to the road. “I’m not sure what you were expecting, a welcoming party?” Caitlyn continued, refusing to provide any opportunity for a reply.

“Oh, I don’t know. How about being taken seriously? But instead I got dragged to the station like every other Zaunite before me,” Vi said, her tone louder than before.

“They’re never going to take you seriously if you don’t present yourself in a proper manner to them,” Caitlyn said matter-of-factly. A sigh escaped her lips. “This is the last time I’m bailing you out.”

“Why, has the ocean run dry of money?”

The mocking words were delivered lightly, but landed as intended. Caitlyn inhaled sharply. “No. But you’re never going to pull yourself together if you have me there to always get you out of trouble. You need help, Vi. But not like this.”

“Yeah? Think I don’t know that? And what d’ya think I should do about it, spend money that I don’t have on a shrink?” Vi asked.

“Precisely that. Your father’s death hasn’t been easy on you. You need help to get over it, and getting yourself arrested every time you reach the bottom of the bottle is not it,” Caitlyn snapped back. “I won’t stand back and enable this self destruction any longer, Vi. I can’t.”

Silence followed her outburst, the music from the radio giving them some much needed space to think.

Perhaps Caitlyn had been harsh in her previous remarks towards Vi. It broke her heart to observe her words cut such a deep wound on this inebriated individual, whom she’d grown to care so much about. Vi needed to hear the truth from someone however, and Caitlyn would have it be her, rather than someone who would entertain a fist-fight.

“Listen, I’m so-”

“I, uh. I think you’re right,” Vi said, sniffing, interrupting Caitlyn’s apology before it had a chance to fully form in the silence between them. “But I don’t have a way to pay for it.”

Caitlyn peeked through the corner of the eye at the shuffling of Vi’s jacket, only to find the woman brush some tears away from her own cheek.

“Don’t be daft,” Caitlyn said curtly, hope blooming anew in her chest, diminishing the frustration from moments ago. “I’ll be paying for it for as long as you’re serious about the appointments.” 

She pulled up in front of a shabby-looking apartment complex and turned to meet Vi’s eyes, giving her a small, but genuine smile.

Vi reached out and gently squeezed Caitlyn’s hand. “You’d do that?” Caitlyn raised an eyebrow in response, causing Vi to chuckle sheepishly. “Thanks, I appreciate it. Do uh - do you want to come inside?”

The warmth of Vi’s hand offered comfort, like a blanket during the cold season. Those light blue eyes of hers were hard to resist when they pierced one’s soul. Caitlyn found herself wanting to kiss those plump lips, scarred by too many fights. 

Oh, she was hopeless. No wonder Vi kept getting away with everything.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea right now, Violet,” Caitlyn said, magnetized by those damned, soulful eyes.

Vi pulled her hand back slowly, the hopeful smile on her face dimming slightly. Caitlyn mourned the loss of contact, her hand suddenly cold and sweaty without Vi’s hand around it. “Right,” Vi said sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“It’s ok. Good night, and make sure to stay out of trouble. I’ll send you details for the rehab clinic in the morning,” Caitlyn said with a small smile of her own. 

The door on the passenger’s side opened, allowing Vi to get out. While she’d mostly sobered up, she used the door for support when her legs gave way.

“I can’t promise anything - but for you, Cait, I’ll try,” she said with a wink, leaving the officer all alone in the car after closing the door with a loud thud.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Who Needs a Spa When You’re Right Here?

Caitlyn can't seem to stop working even while on vacation. Her frustration is picked up by Vi, who persuades her into taking a chance to relax. Of course Vi then finds herself helping her wife destress, as a Kiramman's idea of relaxation is completely different to the commoner's.

Warnings: Smut (of sorts)

Can be read on ao3 or under the cut!

They’re sitting all alone on the veranda at the Summer house, watching the sunset from a comfy cream-colored sofa. It’s so hot that they would have melted if it weren’t for the shield offered by the spacious glass-covered room and the custom-made ventilation system.

Finally having a moment of rest from all the activities Caitlyn had dragged her into this week, Vi’s trying to take in the scenery beyond the glass. Lush grass spans for quite the distance, leading to a vast lake unperturbed by nothing aside from the season’s gentle breeze.

It’s so relaxing that Vi almost falls asleep with a cocktail in her hands, feet propped onto the wooden coffee table. Her eyes close for a moment and then reopen when a sudden sound erupts from the left side. Vi peeks through the corner of the eye towards her wife, who’s sighing in frustration after having thrown a leather-bound notebook onto the table.

“We’re supposed to be on vacation. Take it easy, Cait,” Vi murmurs softly and takes a sip of her drink, smacking her lips at the aftertaste that lingers.

Caitlyn looks Vi’s way, nose scrunched in annoyance. The way Vi’s lips move is hypnotic, though she’d rather not admit. However, the motions help her unscrunch, sink into the sofa, relax. “Perhaps you’re right, my love.”

The sofa becomes lighter as Cait stands up a few moments later. “I’m going to get some refreshments. Do you want anything?” she asks.

One of Vi’s fingers repeatedly traces the glass’s edge before she takes the next sip and licks her lips. “Nah, I’m good. This cocktail is sweet enough, but not as sweet as you are,” Vi replies, grinning lazily. The flush in her cheeks matches Caitlyn’s, whose thoughts are clearly somewhere else in the moment.

As Cait goes into the house, Vi sinks deeper into her seat. A few more mouthfuls of the amber liquid renders her pleasantly buzzed, after which she puts the empty glass somewhere on the other side of the table. Vi’s hands join together onto her abdomen as she looks at the scenery with half-lidded eyes.

It’s such a tranquil area that she’s thinking maybe this is where she and Cait should retire. The neighbors seem nice, their every need is met within walking distance, and the chance that the place would get overcrowded is low.

Vi’s reverie gets interrupted by the whoosh of the veranda door when Caitlyn walks back in. There’s a picnic basket in her left hand, and her lounge wear has been replaced with a lavender negligee.

Vi can’t help but stare at the fine material when Cait sits down next to her, the basket now laying discarded between them on the floor. The distraction is so potent that she didn’t even notice soft music had started playing after Caitlyn walked in.

“See something you like?” Caitlyn asks with an amused, well-knowing smirk.

Vi’s hands unclench when her feet move to the floor and her posture stiffens a bit. “You’re wearing the gown I got you. It… looks great on you,” she musters, suddenly noticing her throat go dry.

One side of the basket gets opened by Cait as she lets out a pensive hum. “Is that so?”

“So much that I’d like to take it off you right now, Cupcake,” Vi replies, her pupils visibly dilated.

They laugh for a minute or two, joking about how far they’ve come from lunging at each other’s throats to being… corny. Domestic, even.

Caitlyn takes out a freshly washed beach towel from the basket after sharing a quick kiss with Vi and puts it on the sofa. She then lays with her back on it, in such a way that her feet sit comfortably on Vi’s lap and her head on a throw pillow.

Awkward silence pops its head out for a bit, and Cait breaks it when noticing Vi hasn’t caught onto her intentions. “There’s more than a towel and refreshments in that basket.”

“Huh?” Vi asks, confused.

“What, you thought I’d bring a towel here just to sleep on the couch? Go ahead, check what’s inside,” Cait says, excitement obvious in her tone. Her feet leave Vi’s lap so the latter can bend down.

One of Vi’s arms snakes its way into the basket, emerging victorious with a plastic bottle stating Erotic massage oil - Calming green tea and lilac blossom .

“Oh,” is what Vi says when it dawns on her. “You want a massage.”

Caitlyn’s lips form into a mischievous grin. “According to you, we’re supposed to be relaxing.”

“And it’s up to me to help with that, huh? Since it was my idea and all…” Vi trails off.

“You know what you have to do,” Cait replies with a wink.

Vi takes her sweet time emptying the basket’s contents, getting acquainted with each item in the process and accidentally toppling over Caitlyn’s notebook. If Cait notices the mishap, no comments are made. 

A few small towels, bottles of massage oil and a water bowl now lay strewn across the table, making the place look more like a spa than a veranda people could peek through. 

Luckily for them, people rarely passed by so late into the evening. Their closest neighbors were too old to be out at this time, while youngsters wouldn’t even look their way when driving home from wherever they’d wandered off to.

The sunset had always been a safe space for the couple. A space where they could do whatever they wanted, without a worry in the world. A space where the light would cast itself upon them in a magical way, helping them seek some well-deserved relief.

Vi shifts on the wide sofa so that she hovers over Caitlyn, with her legs around the latter’s waist and hands on each side of long navy blue hair. “Hey you,” she says in a low voice, eyes still a bit hazy from the alcohol but full of desire nonetheless.

One of Cait’s hands cups Vi’s jaw, dragging it down. “Hey you,” she replies, thin pale lips brushing against full ones before they kiss. It’s slow yet hungry, their tongues battling for dominance until Vi suddenly pulls herself away to the other end of the sofa.

At Caitlyn’s quirked eyebrow, Vi reaches out for the former’s right leg and flexes it with the knee upwards. A kiss is planted at the base of the leg, followed by more until Vi’s mouth reaches the bottom of the negligee. The other leg then gets the same treatment, before Vi settles her jaw atop Cait’s knees with a questioning look.

It’s when Caitlyn nods that the negligee is slowly pulled upwards until she remains just in lacy lavender hipsters. What Vi sees when looking below is a tired, albeit flirty, woman who’s on a well-deserved holiday. Battle scars and bruises are scattered across Cait’s body, her innocence gone ever since she’s taken up fieldwork. And Vi’s about to make it all feel better.

The water bowl is used to wash Vi’s hands. A bottle of plum-scented oil then gets picked up and loses its cap among the other bottles. Cait watches mesmerized as a small dollop of liquid gets poured and warmed up into Vi’s hands, the inappropriate sloshing sound not ceasing to amuse them.

“Should we start with the back?” Vi asks, her fingers flexing in eagerness. Barely any time had passed since finishing the drink, but she’s pretty sure the gorgeousness in front of her rendered Vi sober.

Caitlyn hums. “Not today. I want to be able to see you, Violet,” she says with her teeth biting her lower lip seductively.

Vi winks wordlessly in acknowledgment and gently starts to glide her hands on Cait’s left arm. Once the oil is spread, the motions turn to kneading in search of muscle tightness. When found, the tension gets relieved with the help of calloused thumbs rubbing themselves repeatedly onto the skin. It goes on like that for a few minutes, after which Vi lifts Caitlyn’s arm gently to press a kiss to the back of her hand.

Cait can feel a tingle traverse from the hand all the way to her belly. “Why, you’re being so gentle with me today,” she remarks, feeling her cheeks catch on fire.

“Someone’s gotta be that when our daily lives are anything but gentle to us,” Vi says as she puts the arm back onto the beach towel.

Caitlyn’s right arm then gets taken care of the same way. Another languid kiss is shared between them before Vi starts spreading oil onto Cait’s right leg. The foot gets ignored, at least for now.

The feather-like touches behind the knee and inside the thigh cause Caitlyn to jerk a bit, eliciting a lighthearted laugh from them both. The sensation goes away once Vi’s hands treat those areas a bit more roughly, working out her thumbs onto the leg’s knots. Once done with it, the motions repeat on the other leg.

A moment is taken for Vi to wash her hands before choosing another oil to massage with. The aroma of sandalwood and vanilla reaches Cait’s nose when sturdy hands touch her shoulders. It’s so pungent she almost sneezes, but the smell gets dampened when the oil gets lathered across her shoulder blades, collarbones and stomach.

There’s no kneading this time around, no roughness. Only light, circular motions applied by Vi’s hands that serve to soothe the torso, relax it. Caitlyn’s eyes close to amplify the relief and she sighs contently.

The warmth disappears from her body for a moment while Vi washes her hands again, and she already misses it. A whimper escapes Cait’s mouth when the liquid that splashes her breasts a minute later is cold. Her eyes flutter open to see Vi pour directly from the bottle of erotic massage oil, and she chuckles.

“You didn’t expect that now, did you?” asks Vi, joining in with a laugh of her own.

“Definitely not.” Cait says, nodding her head. “What’s gotten into you?” 

A pleased smile appears on Vi’s face. “You looked so blissful with your eyes closed… I figured I’d surprise you.”

“Well, you certainly did… Now, if you don’t mind,” Caitlyn says, looking downwards.

Vi complies right away with a “Yes, ma’am” muttered between her teeth. Her palms spread the oil onto the breasts with circular motions, slowing down now and then to play with the nipples.

Cait closes her eyes again, this time to feel more of Vi’s playful fingers. Her legs wrap around her wife’s black tank top, eliciting a fake-frustrated “Oh great, now I gotta take it off” from her.

Vi stops to take the top off, revealing her breasts to the temperature that’s been getting colder and colder the more the sun had been setting. Her back’s now getting warmed up as well as oiled up by slippery legs when she resumes massaging Caitlyn’s torso.

Labored breaths escape both of them after a few minutes of massaging and softly spoken words. When one of Cait’s hands makes it down to the hem of her hipsters, Vi helps take them off and discards them on top of the negligee.

Not wanting to risk more chastising, Vi quickly pours more oil onto her hands and warms it up. Approval is asked for while her fingers suggestively stroke up and down one of Caitlyn’s thighs.

Cait’s hand joins Vi’s, impatiently bringing them to the top of her hairy mound. “Go ahead, darling. Show me that expensive bottle’s worth the money.”

Upon being set free, one of Vi’s hands keeps stroking at the thighs while the other combines the scented oil with the wetness that’s previously gathered between Caitlyn’s legs. 

“Of course it’s worth the money, Cait. Look, it mixes so well with your juices,” Vi says excitedly, splaying her fingers just enough for Caitlyn to gasp at the fluids dripping down the hand. Holding eye contact, Vi presses a kiss on top of the mound before her hand finds the tender flesh again. 

Gentle strokes are then applied to the sensitive skin, becoming rougher and rougher by the minute. Gradually, Cait’s breath speeds up, getting interrupted by sudden moans of pleasure and half-whispered words now and then.

When feeling her wife’s closing in on a climax, Vi bends down to drag her lips across Caitlyn’s neck and face. With encouraging words being spoken into her ear, Cait’s mouth lets out a sharp cry while her entire body twitches.

Vi stops the motions when her arms get slapped at, and lays down next to Caitlyn with a quickened breath of her own. She doesn’t bother to wash her hands before treading them lovingly through sweaty dark blue hair.

They lay there cuddled into each other for warmth, listening to soft music as the sun finally hides from them in its entirety.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Like Honey in a Bear’s Mouth

The gang stops at a gas station on their way to the beach. It's so hot outside that someone gets the idea to wash the car themselves instead of putting it through the automatic wash.

That same someone seems blissfully unaware they're giving a show to others, which may or may not have dangerous side-effects.

Warnings: Suggestive crack

Can be read on ao3 or under the cut!

The entirety of Runeterra got struck by a heatwave as of late. It made people either go out and bathe in the sea, or stay at home with their faces shoved into a fan in an attempt to avoid a literal meltdown.

A metallic purple convertible was parked at a gas station, its dirty metal getting warmed up by the torrid sun. While most of its passengers went inside to buy snacks for a trip to the beach, one was standing next to the car with a sponge in hand and a bucket of soapy water on the ground.

Caitlyn walked out of the station’s shop with a strawberry ice cream cone in hand just as Vi started washing the car. Her grip on the cone tightened when seeing her girlfriend slowly soap up the convertible’s windshield.

Vi seemed very much unaware that she was being watched through the other side of the windshield or that her breasts, half-covered by just a swimsuit bra, were basically glued to the glass. Very focused, she just scrubbed while singing something that Cait couldn’t really make out.

The ice cream started melting, some of it having already found its trajectory down Cait’s slender fingers. Not that she’d noticed, when Vi stood in front of the car’s hood with soapy water dripping onto it like honey into a bear’s mouth.

And in that moment, Caitlyn wished Vi’s honey were dripping right between her thirsty lips. Her jaw clenched as Vi’s muscular arms flexed every time the sponge was squeezed. The scrubbing motions brought Vi’s tattoos to life, and Cait could swear foam got blown her way as if through a kiss.

Whether Vi had actually acknowledged her presence or if she was just being an oblivious dork, Caitlyn couldn’t figure out. The car sides got all lathered up with the sponge before Vi sat with one buttock on the hood to give it one last rub.

Cait would have worried at how carelessly Vi was hopping on and off the hood to clean the vehicle, were it not one specifically assembled for heavy duty. Memories of them having fun in and on the car resurfaced for a brief moment, only to get interrupted by someone clearing their voice.

“Good thing you’re wearing flip-flops, Cait. That ice cream’s having a party on them,” said Jayce, who had somehow materialized next to Caitlyn with a beer can in hand.

“Huh?” Caitlyn looked down to see ice cream had dripped onto her footwear and feet, suddenly uncomfortable about how sticky the liquid felt on her.

She awkwardly stepped away from the red splotches on the hot asphalt to throw the cone into the nearest trash can. “Thanks,” she said upon coming back and accepting a set of paper napkins from Jayce.

“No problem, sprout,” Jayce said, observing Vi sit on her knees on the hood, this time with foam dripping sensually on her torso and red short shorts. “Never a boring moment with her, is there?”

A snort escaped Cait as she bent over to clean the ice cream off herself and the flip flops. “Certainly not. That’s what I love about her.”

Jayce laughed shortly. “I get it. I mean, look at her!” he exclaimed, pointing at Vi winking at them while laying on the hood seductively. “Her randomness definitely complements your stability.”

Just as Caitlyn was about to reply, Mel appeared from behind.

“Aren’t you going to help her?” she asked while pointing at Vi, who was now dancing around with a hose to clean the foam off the car.

When Cait no longer felt icky, she stood up straight. “No, it’s good for us. I mean her. I mean, it’s therapeutic.”

Mel chuckled into a knuckle, holding a bag full of snacks in her other hand. “Whatever you say, Cait. Whatever you say.”

While they were making small talk, Vi had finished polishing the vehicle and made it their way with the cleaning materials.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you earlier, Cupcake,” Vi said with a toothy grin, making Cait yelp by spraying at her feet with the hose.

The rest of the day was, without a doubt, going to be interesting.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Losing One Thing, I’ve Gained Another

Everyone needed rest after the final battle, even Piltover's finest. The medical team hired by the Kirammans was one of the best, and yet Vi and Cait knew they wouldn't have recovered without each other's support. One last detail, however, haunted Caitlyn's mind.

Warnings: Brief descriptions of Cait's eye injury

Can be read on ao3 or under the cut!

It’s been a few weeks since the Twin Cities had escaped the Noxian grasp. The military troops had retreated with their new leader, Mel Medarda, to hopefully carry on her mother’s legacy in an honorable way.

Great efforts were being made to repair the damages caused during the enforcement of martial law. The former commander’s wrongdoings had been absolved without much opposition, if only because she had led the team that managed to make the occupants go away. Caitlyn did, however, rescind her seat at the council so that someone more worthy could have their voice heard.

Tough as enforcers were supposed to be, neither Vi nor Caitlyn were quick to recover from the grand battle. Despite having some of the best medics tend to them, some things couldn’t go back to the way they used to be. It took them around a week to have enough strength to get out of bed, after intensive care at the Kirammans’ mansion.

Very begrudgingly, Vi had come to terms with the fact that her arm would never be as strong and agile as it used to be. After a few days of emotional agony and dramatic arguing with the medical staff, she started doing recovery sessions and learning how to leverage utilizing her good arm.

Finding Jinx would have to wait, now that Vi knew her body had never been found by the rescue team.

Meanwhile, Caitlyn was having it rough. Exercises were started in order to learn how to keep her balance and adapt to the surroundings with having vision in only one eye. It sounded like it wouldn’t be long until she’d be able to start shooting again, seeing as the damaged eye was not the one used in the field of work. 

It was, though, a mental strain for Caitlyn to feel herself whole, proper, acceptable by society’s expectations. She’d managed to command people into wreaking and undoing havoc in the Twin Cities, and all she got out of it was a visible disability. Something that made her not even want to look into the mirror.

What Cait didn’t consider soon enough though, was that she had also gained a faithful companion. Vi’s existence had mostly been ignored for the first two weeks of their recovery. It was during that time they’d slept on opposite sides of the bed, thinking they needed lots of space to heal - both physically and otherwise.

They were wrong however, for when one of them would wake up screaming or crying, the other would always rush to hold her tightly and murmur soothing words while caressing whatever spots needed most care.

The more time passed, the smaller the gap between them had become in bed and outside it. 

Vi had slowly but surely become able to use her arm almost to the extent prior to the last battle, and thus was no longer worried Caitlyn would accidentally bump into it throughout the night.

The swelling on Cait’s head had subsided little by little, eventually no longer hurting when she’d lay on the side to face Vi.

With less and less time needed for recovery, they had managed to deepen their bond through spending time together. With nothing productive to do, they’d taken walks on the estate, told each other personal stories, and found relaxing activities to do at home.

When all the bandages on Caitlyn’s head had come off for the last time, she felt freedom. It wasn’t just about them obstructing the vision in her good eye, but also about how the material had felt on her skin for all those weeks.

The meshy fabric had produced itches that Cait wasn’t supposed to scratch but did anyway when nobody else was around. It had created a frustration over not being able to see one’s face uncovered. Behind the fabric lay the symbol of suffering she wouldn’t have caused, were she not caught by a snake in a moment of vulnerability.

And then, Caitlyn got to see herself in the mirror for the first time in what felt like forever, with Vi standing silently behind her in the bathroom. She was, for lack of a better word… Disappointed.

The medics had kindly warned Cait that she would be looking different, and she thought she’d be at peace with that. But the person looking back at her with one eye closed didn’t resemble herself. Her right eye, the one used for shooting, was as vibrant as ever. The other one, though, was gone .  

Cait wasn’t the only person who’d ever lost an eye, yet her perception was that she had become a monster , unworthy of everything and everyone good in her life.

The moment she fell to her knees, Vi kneeled down to encompass her into strong arms. “You’re still hot, Cupcake,” Vi whispered into her girlfriend’s ear with a smirk on her lips. Vi had, of course, seen Cait without the bandages every time she helped change them.

The attraction never went away, no matter how many times Caitlyn had thrown tantrums due to pain or made remarks of low self-esteem.

“I don’t feel hot, Vi. Not even cute,” Caitlyn replied with a sigh, bringing her arms around Vi and resting a tired head on one of her shoulders for comfort.

“I know. I-” Vi started while gently stroking Cait’s back. “Look, I got all sorts of injuries when I fought in the pit. Y’know, the one I told you about a few months ago?”

“Mhm. What about it?” Cait asked, snuggling into Vi. The voice didn’t betray her having started to cry, but the unsteady body shaking certainly did.

“I had to accept those as part of me if I wanted to continue living, y’know? Even if others could see them. My body’s changed with every new cut and tendon that won’t ever fully heal. But I’m still me, and I’m here. And I know you still love me despite all of it,” Vi explained breathlessly, ending with a little bit of cheekiness.

A muffled chortle erupted from the crook of Vi’s neck. Caitlyn unhooked her head from the safe space and, with tears lining her puffy red cheeks, moved backwards so she could look at Vi. “I do, darling, I do. But nobles expect my looks to encompass the riches I have inherited from Mother. I have a status to uphold.”

“In that case…” Vi stalled with a lip bite, trying not to laugh at how endearing Cait looked in her confusion. “Wait for me here. I’ll be right back,” she said, carefully unlatching from her girlfriend to vanish into their bedroom.

While waiting, Caitlyn stood up on shaky legs. Her hands rested on the edge of the sink as she took her reflection in again. The initial shock was now gone after the short talk, having left her with hope of accepting her new reality sooner or later.

It wasn’t something people would normally expect from someone of her status. But she had been a commander who did her best to save Piltover and Zaun, once she realized her wrongdoings weren’t the right way to avenge her mother’s death.

If men who have held the same position in the past could bear their scars with pride, so will she.

Just as Cait was brushing tears off her cheeks, Vi came in with a small square black box wrapped in a fancy blue bow. Caitlyn turned around and pointed at the box. “You’re not proposing to me now of all moments, are you?”

Vi’s head shook with a chuckle as she extended the gift. “Why don’t you find out for yourself?”

Cait took the box out of calloused hands and untied the bow, unceremoniously throwing the latter onto the sink. Taking the lid off the little square revealed a navy blue satin eyepatch, the same hue as the hair of its future wearer. Caitlyn treaded the back of her index and middle finger on it a few times, back and forth. “Vi, this…”

“We can return it if you don’t like it,” Vi said, anxiously scratching at the back of her neck. She was so excited to give something of significance to her lover that she’d forgotten it might have not been deemed too appropriate of a gift for someone who’d grown up having everything.

The accessory got taken out of the box by nimble fingers. Cait turned to the mirror, looking intensely into it as the eyepatch got slipped into place. A few adjustments later and she was facing Vi again.

Vi looked at her expectantly with a raised eyebrow. “So?”

Caitlyn tested different angles, to get a feeling of how the texture fit in with the rest of her being. “It’s perfect,” she concluded. “It will make me look distinguished enough in front of those who care for appearances.”

Vi’s sigh of relief flooded the bathroom. “Come here.”

Caitlyn threw herself into Vi’s arms, hugging her so tightly that they lost balance for a moment. “Thank you,” she simply said and didn’t wait for a reply before joining her lips to Vi’s for a passionate kiss.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Your Tongue Is Like a Dagger

Sick of sneaking around at work, Vi takes Caitlyn to lunch in the hopes that their secret affair would turn official.

Can be read on ao3 or under the cut!

The sheriff’s door opens around lunchtime, and someone starts talking from its frame. “Grab your hat, Cupcake. We’re going out for lunch.”

Caitlyn looks at the door to see her coworker, Vi, standing there with an eager smirk on her face. Without a word, she grabs her hat from the hanger and joins Vi on the precinct’s corridor.

“Where are we going?” Caitlyn asks as she puts the hat on.

A side eye is thrown her way while they’re walking towards the exit. “It’s a secret. All I will say is that it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.”

Crossing her arms, Cait says “Fine, Violet. Keep the mystery to yourself.”

The trip to the restaurant is made in silence, both of them too preoccupied with thoughts of their latest cases to talk. The car gets parked next to a place that serves sushi, and Caitlyn is surprised to discover that Vi has visited the place before.

They get directed to their table after being greeted at the entrance. The place is cozy, with candles lit on every table, and leather seats arranged in such a way that everyone could enjoy some privacy. The walls depict heroic stories from across the continent, while a conveyor belt runs with plenty of small delicious plates in the middle of it all.

The two women are given some time to look through the menu. Since it’s possible to order only one type of delicacy at once, it’s decided that Vi would order a fish-based plate, while Caitlyn would go for chicken.

When the plates arrive, the portions are abysmally small. Vi uses a pair of chopsticks to steal a piece of fried chicken from Cait’s plate, encouraging the latter with a wink to grab a sushi roll.

They continue making small talk while swapping food as more plates come to the table. The air grows a bit heavy when dessert arrives, neither of them daring to say anything. Caitlyn takes a few bites of the tiramisu in front of her before interrupting the silence.

“So, what’s the occasion for bringing me here?” she asks. “You’re not one for fancy restaurants, if I remember correctly.”

Vi plays with the teaspoon into her dessert, considering her words carefully. Leaning back into the seat, she replies, “We’ve been hiding at work, acting like teenagers. I don’t want to sneak around to have fun in closets anymore, Cait. I want people to know about us. So, what do you say?”

Her intense stare pierces through Caitlyn’s soul like a dagger, pushing itself deeper and deeper until there’s no more room to breathe. For once, the most unbothered person known to the world was serious.

Cait’s gaze becomes just as intense as Vi’s, thus initiating a contest. She tries to buy time by helping herself to a spoonful of tiramisu from Vi’s bowl, keeping the teaspoon wrapped around her lips for a few seconds.

With Vi’s eyes having shifted to her mouth, Caitlyn knows she’s got an advantage. The teaspoon gets dragged out slowly as a smirk forms onto Cait’s lips. One shoe silently gets discarded to the floor, allowing her foot to reach Vi’s thighs from under the table.

“I could perhaps entertain the idea,” Cait replies, holding eye contact while teasingly traversing a toe across Vi’s thighs.

The feather-light movements on the jeans’ rough texture kick off a wave of heat under Vi’s belly. She peeks around to ensure nobody’s looking, and almost lets out a whimper when Caitlyn’s toe places itself strategically close to her core.

The stare-off continues for a few more moments, while Vi struggles to keep a straight face. Frustration mixed with the need for release makes her lose control of her breath, her nostrils going into overdrive to keep up.

Without much calmness in her tone, Vi tries to get an answer. “It’s a simple question, Cait. Yes , or no?”

“Darling, why don't you join me in the lavatory and we shall find out the answer together,” Cait replies with a shit-eating grin, finally stopping the teasing and retracting her foot from where it had left a fluster.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Training With You, Forever and Always

The couple has grown bored with their training routine and have decided to spice it up a bit by commissioning an obstacle course. A race to the finish line is in order, to see whether the money's been well-spent!

Can be read on ao3 or under the cut!

“Ready, ladies?”

An obstacle course was laid out across the Kiramman estate, commissioned by Caitlyn for spicing up her and Vi’s training routine. They had hoped that having some impediments during their daily run would help them gain agility quicker. 

And they would get to test it out in a race today, with Jayce on standby in case something would go wrong with the setup. He was standing next to the start line, where the two women were in position to begin their training.

“I was born ready, pretty boy,” Vi said, turned to face Caitlyn with a smug grin, and winked. Without a word, Cait just rolled her eyes and smiled all amused in return.

“Alright. On the count of three…” Jayce started.

“One,”

Caitlyn repositioned her legs.

“Two,”

Vi’s fists clenched.

“Three!”

They started running in a straight line on the dirt path that led into the forest. Once they were out of sight, Jayce produced a phone out of a pocket and opened the app that would allow him to track the current progress of the race.

The equipment also ensured that Caitlyn and Vi up were provided with a way to communicate in case of emergency.

The first obstacle was a long metal bar placed between two trees. Cait easily jumped over it, while Vi opted for crouching, losing speed in the process.

“What happened, Vi? I thought you were born ready!” yelled Caitlyn from the forefront without slowing down. That only served to taunt Vi, who managed to catch up.

A few of the next obstacles required the same strategy as the first, followed by some human-shaped wooden targets. One couldn’t go wrong with having to move to the left or to the right to avoid hitting those. That is, until the targets would suddenly come out of the ground and, should someone not pay attention, bump into the hard material.

It was definitely something Caitlyn got to experience while picking on Vi’s aptitude of dealing with the course. Upon hearing a sharp hiss of pain, Vi stopped running, instead going to check up on her wife. Luckily, Cait seemed fine save for a pained nose.

They resumed the race after reassuring Jayce that everything was in order, managing to clear most of the remaining obstacles without much of a struggle. They stumbled here and there until the finish line was in sight.

The advantage was on Caitlyn’s side, as it usually were in their daily runs. Today was special however, due to it being a race that Vi felt she should be winning. And since no rules had been established to prevent the other runner from getting to the finish line, both of them hit the ground when Vi tackled Caitlyn from behind.

They fought each other to get up without success, eventually ending up rolling on the ground until they crossed the finish line at the same time. Entwined. Laughing at their failed attempt to admit that one of them could be a better athlete. Making out on the ground. Being told to get a room. 

And most importantly, being content with their new playground.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Of Dates and Poros

The gang goes to an amusement park to have some fun. Cait and Vi, who have been flirting for like forever, are left on their own by the rest of the group. Will this turn into their first date?

Can be read on ao3 or under the cut!

The hot season had just started, and the gang decided to go to the amusement park to celebrate.

Once arrived, quite a few of them had expressed the wish to split up into smaller groups due to different interests. That’s how Mel ended up with Jayce and Viktor, Jinx with Ekko, and Caitlyn with Vi.

It was quite obvious that Vi and Cait were into each other, as they would more or less flirt shamelessly every time the entire group hung out. So much so that Jinx was starting to be annoyed with neither of them having the courage to ask the other out for real.

So, unbeknownst to the two of them, Caitlyn and Vi got set up for a first date of many.

With plenty of energy in store, they first went to the arcade. Vi had proven herself to be quite skilled at games that required quick reflexes such as digital skateboarding and dancing to the beat. However, it was Caitlyn who’d managed to gain the most tickets by being, in her own words, “an excellent shot” at games that required precision.

Their pooled gains had won them a cute but quite spacious backpack, with pockets aplenty. Some schoolgirls laughed at Vi walking around with a bright pink accessory like that, but they didn’t care.

Whenever they’d play something competitive, Cait would beat Vi. It’s like she didn’t know she had to let others win once in a while, to let them feel like they’re worth something.

With a few more prizes shoved into the backpack and cotton candy in hand, they casually strolled through the park as the sun was starting to set. Caitlyn’s hand latched onto Vi’s under the pretense of not getting lost from each other while navigating the crowd. Of course, Vi smirked and let out a “Sure, Cupcake.”

They ended up at the ferris wheel still hand in hand, where they clumsily stepped into one of the booths. Neon lights flashed from the structure’s axes as it turned, the colors more and more visible the more the night was setting in.

“I felt like a sore loser today,” Vi suddenly said, releasing the grip on Cait’s hand but still cupping it lightly with hers.

Cait entwined their fingers instead when feeling uneasiness settle in. Her thumb caressed Vi’s hand in an attempt to assuage the situation. “How so?” she asked, looking at Vi with eyes that kept changing hue based on the status of the wheel.

A defeated sigh left Vi’s mouth. “You’re great, and I’m… right behind you. But not in a way that makes me feel good. I would have liked to come in first for at least one game,” came the explanation.

Caitlyn’s free hand covered her own heart. “Oh but Violet, you’ve got first place right here. You don’t have to feel bad about yourself when going against someone who’s been practising every year.”

She could have been ironic, but that was not Cait’s way. It was often hard to know what she felt, but this time. Well, this time her unironic expression said it all.

“Does that mean I get a prize from you, then?” Vi dared to ask with a hopeful gaze. Their date was coming to a close and Vi was ready to take their friendship further after so many months of ambiguous flirting.

Caitlyn’s face lit up. “A prize? Let me look in the backpack. I believe it’s only fair we split the spoils of our ‘war’.”

Vi turned with her back to Cait so that the latter could open the backpack and peek through the contents. Caitlyn’s hand emerged with a Poro plushie a few seconds later, thereafter zipping the backpack back up.

The Poro got placed on Vi’s lap slowly, carefully. Almost as if she or the plushie were made of crystal.

“What should we call him?” Cait asked, holding the toy in place.

The wheel stopped with them at the top just as Vi placed a hand on the plushie. Caitlyn tried to retract her hand when their fingers brushed, but a strong pull from Vi prevented it. 

The two of them shared a questioning gaze for a moment, until Cait became distracted by Vi licking at dry lips.

Not wasting a moment, Vi wrapped her free arm around Caitlyn’s shoulders and dragged her closer. Their lips brushed shily for a few seconds, until they gained enough courage to unite into a gentle kiss.

It was like time had stopped just for them. And in that moment, they wished for it to stop forever.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Aged Like Fine Wine

A few years ago, a big fight ended up with Cait and Vi breaking up. The two of them bumped into each other randomly at the lesbian bar years later, only to discover there still were some lingering feelings between them. Will they be getting back together, now that they can acknowledge it?

Can be read on ao3 or under the cut!

Thin lavender drapes struggled to keep out the light of an early Saturday morning, allowing for the Sun to make its way right into Vi’s closed eyes. Bothered by the scorching feeling and thus no longer able to sleep, she opened an eye and got met not only with more rays of light, but also with the sleeping figure of someone with silky long dark hair.

There was an eerie familiarity in the beauty marks strewn across the other woman’s back, neck and arms, and the way they moved with each deep breath. Unable to control the finger that started tracing the delicate, naked spine of the other person, Vi was hoping that her inebriated self from the previous night hadn’t made the mistake of bedding her ex.

Not just an ex, but the only one she’d ever gotten close to proposing to. The only one who had managed to bring both bliss and pain into Vi’s life for years on end. Until the pain was too much to bear and one of them had decided to move out and cut all contact.

The still sleeping figure flinched slightly and turned around, now facing Vi. Horrifyingly enough, it was her ex. Caitlyn Kiramman, a politician’s daughter who didn’t think she was stooping too low in choosing to date someone from a lower social class. The one who was always trying to see the best in people and understanding their struggles, yet still felt entitled to everyone’s time and effort.

She bore all signs of aging with grace, unbothered with respecting society’s absurd obsession with looking young until one’s last breath. It was impossible for Vi to stay away from the freckled skin, inadvertently brushing the lines that had sneaked their way onto Caitlyn’s face within the past few years. The short gentle trip ended with the press of a fingertip on top of the aquiline nose, which prompted the sudden opening of neon blue eyes.

Cait’s eyes seemed hostile as her reflexes mindlessly took over. One of her hands swiftly grabbed Vi’s, pushing it away so forcefully that Caitlyn ended up tackling the redhead so her body was fully on top. She then sat upright to get a better look at the intruder who had dared wake her up.

Squinting revealed a very shocked individual laying on their back, whose mouth was now agape and fists pinned above the head. A good once-over of the red mane and tattoos gave clarification as to who it was, and Caitlyn scowled before her gaze softened just enough to no longer look intimidating. “Vi?”

Vi winced as her heart skipped a beat upon hearing that accent for the first time in so long, accentuated by a voice deeper than she remembered. “Caitlyn.”

“What are you doing here?” Cait asked and let go of the fists. She took another look at Vi now that she’d woken up with clarity, this time noticing the lack of clothing on the redhead’s torso. Then she gazed upon her own unclothed breasts and her entire face and neck reddened. “Oh,” she whispered in understanding, not knowing whether the heat pooling in her nether regions was due to shame or arousal.

It had seemed like both of them had the sensibility to keep that part of themselves covered after whatever had transpired the previous night, which Caitlyn was very grateful for at present.

Vi’s hair may have grown wildly since their breakup and quite a few creases may have started forming on her face from constantly scrunching at others, but it was still the woman Caitlyn had never ceased loving. Cait was now wondering why she’d given up so easily on their relationship, when she could have gotten over herself all those years ago.

Mockful laughter filled the room from below. “‘Oh?’ Is that all you have to say now that we’re both sober?” Vi asked. The way her teeth dug into her bottom lip to try to stifle further laughs was just unfair.

Caitlyn crossed her arms, if only to hide the fact that Vi’s raspy voice combined with the slight wiggling caused by laughter were having an unsubtle effect on her body. “And what would you like me to say, Vi?” she asked and looked to the side with a blush still adorning her cheeks. “That I wish we’d never met again? Or to apologize for walking out on you when you needed me most?”

A click of the tongue was followed by a reply. “I’ve learned how to be happy on my own since you’ve walked out the door, Cupcake. Thank you very much.”

One of Vi’s thighs shifted upwards in mock indignation, exuding a yelp from above. Caitlyn got off Vi and repositioned herself to lay on the side with her jaw resting on top of a palm. “Go on then,” she encouraged, curiosity painted on her grin.

Vi sighed and turned to face Caitlyn, trying not to stare at the enticing bits that lay uncovered. “Listen, I don’t expect any apologies about you having walked out. I remember a bit of our conversation from last night. It sounded like we’ve finally figured our shit out,” she said as one of her toes instinctively got preoccupied with latching onto Cait’s.

Caitlyn wriggled her toe out and latched it on top of Vi’s, starting a playful fight that culminated with them rolling around in bed until they were both out of breath. A few sweat droplets dripped from Vi’s chin when she ended up hovering over the other woman.

Holding eye contact, Cait used one of her hands to brush the sweat off Vi’s face. She then brushed the rest off herself and used the sheets to clean up the moisture. It was hard to resist the soft yet hungry look in those eyes, something that hadn’t happened with all the one-night stands that were supposed to fill the gap over the last few years.

None of the other people that had visited Caitlyn’s bed had seemed worthy of attention outside of it. Slowly, the gap had grown bigger and bigger, until it almost swallowed her whole. That was, until she had hit up the lesbian bar the night before and had found a tipsy ex who was celebrating a job promotion together with some colleagues.

Try as she might, Cait couldn’t ignore the perfume radiating off Vi’s neatly ironed shirt every time she passed by to get another drink. Caitlyn took her chances once the group had dissipated, as she was pretty sure all those stolen glances meant Vi wanted to reconnect. 

So, in their drunken haze, they did. And now they were making up for lost time in a queen-sized bed like it was nothing. Like their last fight didn’t end up with one of them leaving for good. 

Caitlyn’s hands made it back to Vi’s face, allowing slender fingers to slowly get reacquainted with it. The eponymous tattoo was still there, albeit now split in half by a fresh scar. The nose ring had been moved to the middle of the plump lower lip. The freckles had just multiplied and the smudged make-up was valiantly trying to hide the effects of aging.

When one of the hands relocated to tread through Vi’s disheveled hair, her eyes closed in content, and a relaxed sigh left her mouth. “I’ve been missing this, Cait. Every day since our breakup… I’ve been missing us.”

The hand froze into place, only to resume its ministrations a few seconds later. Cait’s other hand started traversing Vi’s back, taking its sweet time caressing the many scars gained in the line of duty. “Me too, Violet. Me too.”

Vi’s eyes slowly opened and she brushed some stray hairs away from Caitlyn’s before looking at her searchingly. Worrying her bottom lip, Vi asked “We should talk about it… About us getting back together.”

Caitlyn cocked an eyebrow, letting her hand run down from Vi’s back to her boxer-clad ass to pinch it. The sucked-in breath that followed was definitely worth the cheekiness. “You want us to get back together.” It was more of an affirmation than a question, murmured pensively.

“Why not? Maybe I was wrong about us being like oil and water. Maybe you’re the only one who can match my chaos. Maybe-”

A sharp index finger pressed against Vi’s lips, rendering them quiet. “Or maybe, Violet… You should shut that handsome mouth of yours up and kiss me.”

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

The Solo Ride of Love

The first sunny day of the year finds Caitlyn and Vi planning their wedding. It's all been going great on their part, until they needed to involve others to organize the perfect event. Drama ensues!

Can be read on ao3 or under the cut:

The sun was shining bright up in the cloudless sky for the first time in months, allowing nature to wake up from its well-deserved seasonal slumber. It was the perfect opportunity for people to resume their outdoor hobbies, expose their handcrafts to the warmth as a means to attract more customers, and, among other things, plan events.

On that day, Caitlyn and Vi found themselves in the last category, frantically trying to iron out the last details of their wedding. Throughout their years together, the advantages and disadvantages of getting married had come up several times, and it seemed like the former weighed more in the end. So when Cait had proposed during their latest luxurious vacation, Vi didn't hesitate to accept.

As soon as they’d gotten back to Piltover, the couple researched the traditions pertaining to such an occasion, managed to come up with a simple yet elegant design for the invitations, and decided who those fancy laminated papers would get sent to. Unfortunately for them, aspects that didn’t require just their input had fallen a bit short.

For example, the tailors who had done a splendid job of Caitlyn’s custom outfits in the past were suddenly too occupied with preparing costumes for upcoming theatre plays and serious ceremonies.

“No biggie, we’ll find others,” the two women had told each other in an attempt to keep up morale.

The slight disappointment had turned into frustration however, when they couldn’t manage to rent a venue in the twin cities without having to share the space with random people. Their wish was to celebrate only with family and close friends, unhindered by the woes of notoriety.

Venue owners had provided all sorts of excuses, with some having remarked that all seats needed to be filled in order to hold a private event in their precious space. Others, a bit more brazen, had boasted about being able to organize “the best wedding in Runeterra!” way later than the couple desired it.

It had felt like a ridiculous amount of rejection was coming from the very citizens who were getting saved on the daily by the sheriff of Piltover and her dutiful enforcer. It had never occurred to them that perhaps, venues in Piltover and Zaun didn’t wish to be publicly associated with the kind of couples that worked in the same place. Or perhaps, a few wrong steps in the very public life of the Kiramman matriarch had landed the entire family’s image in the danger zone lately. Or some other peculiar reason.

Caitlyn was sitting on the turquoise sofa of her and Vi’s apartment, which they had moved into quite early on into their relationship. As she was sipping on the already cold tea, Cait’s tired eyes followed Vi’s frame while the latter paced around in the living room gesticulating with her tattooed, muscular arms.

“I don’t get it, Cait. There has to be at least one place in this damn area that we can rent this year. What happened, do they think they have to go above and beyond just because you’re a Kiramman?” Vi asked and turned around with a panicked expression to look at Caitlyn. Her piercing glare denoted that she wasn’t in a state to be listening to any words that could result in arguments.

Slender fingers tightened their grip on the tea mug anxiously, bringing it to their owner’s mouth. Cait was starting to get frustrated as well, and her fiancée’s attitude was making it easier to give in to negative feelings. Her next words would have to be chosen carefully however, as one wrong sentence could result in losing Vi’s cooperation when it’s most needed. 

“Doubtful, darling. It must have to do with my mother’s lack of interference in the matter. She’s been trying to keep her fingers out of my pie ever since she’s found out about us tying the knot.”

Vi frowned, seemingly thinking of a proper answer. If there was something therapy sessions helped with, it was replacing her more violent impulses with words. What they didn’t help with, however, was the lack of manners. She casually plopped down on the armchair opposite the matching sofa and grabbed a chocolate cookie from the bowl situated on the coffee table in-between.

“Good moment she’s chosen to fuck her daughter over, don’t you think?” was all Vi could muster, her words muffled by chewing. The sudden intake of sugar calmed the panic in her steely eyes, replacing it with curiosity rather quickly.

On the other side of the table, Cait cocked an eyebrow before slurping the rest of the tea from the mug, holding eye contact with Vi the entire time. Although a proper upbringing taught her to be silent at the table, tense moments like these would always lead to subtle misbehavior. Especially when a discussion with her soon-to-be wife would border on an argument and Caitlyn needed an excuse to try to keep her loose filter under control.

It was their compromise as a couple that Vi would work on her anger management issues with a therapist and in return, Cait would make an effort not to blurt out insensitive words like “What, do you not have parents?” out loud. This was certainly a moment where control was needed, so Caitlyn took her sweet time to think of a clever answer while emptying the cup. 

Her first instinct was to joke about Vi having gotten used to the privilege that came with dating a Kiramman and missing it now that it was mostly gone due to Cassandra not butting in to influence things. It would have been too much in the moment however, so Cait settled on something that wouldn’t point fingers at the woman sitting in front of her.

As the now empty cup made its way from her mouth to her lap, Caitlyn cleared her voice.

“It’s certainly unexpected that Mother has suddenly stopped forcefully micromanaging my life, but I’m glad about it. You and I have been wishing for her to see me as a resourceful adult for so long, and now she’s finally granting us that wish. Perhaps making our relationship official on paper may have woken her up to the fact that I’m not a helpless little girl. I never was,” she finished with a sigh, looking towards the hallway while crossing her arms and legs defensively. 

It would have been a lie to say Cait didn’t miss not having to make an effort to get access to the finest things in life, but there was also a certain satisfaction that came with putting in the extra legwork.

“Did she have to make it difficult for us to plan a nice wedding, though?” Vi asked while reaching out for another cookie.

“I don’t think that was her intention. She trusts you, darling,” Caitlyn said, turning her head to face Vi again with a pleased smile. It had taken quite a bit of effort on both parts, but Cassandra and her future daughter-in-law had managed to warm up to each other ever since they got introduced.

Vi perked up an eyebrow while munching, showing incredulity but giving Cait the opportunity to finish speaking.

“I think she trusts us to manage things just fine on our own, without the legacy of my surname dangling from the ceiling. I frankly prefer it this way, too. I’ve grown tired of the media watching our every step and making it all public.”

“I will certainly not be missing that ,” Vi agreed, now taking a napkin from the dispenser to clean up the cookie crumbs littering her black jeans. She let out a sigh of resignation before continuing. “Maybe it’s better this way in the long run. But we’re still without a place for our wedding and I need a break from all those stuck-up pricks who’ve been denying us the opportunity.”

Vi disappeared into the kitchen without waiting on a reply, leaving Cait alone for a moment. The red mane of Vi’s hair poked through the living room door a few minutes later, the rest of her body following suit.

“I’m going to drive around, I need to clear my head. You coming with?”

“No, I’ll… try to make a few more calls. Maybe one of them will pan out,” Caitlyn said, knowing fully well that she’ll probably end up watching TV instead. Even though there were no visible signs of it, she was just as irked as Vi about the situation and needed a break as well. Alone. Without anyone around to see her cry, not even her fiancée.

The jangle of keys resounded in the living room as Vi picked them up from the coffee table. She moved to stand next to Cait, gently squeezing one of her bony shoulders before caressing it. Vi then leaned down to place a chaste kiss on the shoulder and instead got met with Caitlyn’s lips for a brief goodbye kiss.

Cait was left in complete silence as the apartment’s door opened and closed with a loud thud. She set the tea mug on the table before her hands started shaking, unable to contain the heaviness in her chest. In her entire body, even. The feeling of being stuck got the better of her emotions not soon after, allowing the woman to let the tears flow.

💍

The elevator dinged upon reaching the lowest level of the apartment complex. A well-lit underground garage full of luxurious cars got revealed when the metal doors opened.

Vi stepped out of the little claustrophobic box into the more spacious area, hurrying with echoing footsteps towards the dark blue vehicle that was still charging from last night’s drive. The car unlocked with the help of a gentle yet rushed handle grab, allowing the woman to get in after unplugging it from the charging station.

For a few seconds, Vi basked in the freedom the driver’s seat offered, now that the winter jacket she’d been wearing for the past few months got swapped with a thinner black leather jacket. Her mobility increased, making the motions feel less restrained as her arms made their way to start up the vehicle and drive off.

The plan was to just drive around Piltover, forget all about it all for a bit. But when the short trip turned out to increase her annoyance, the car brusquely got turned around towards a road outside town. That road had just been opened for driving, and Vi wanted to be reminded of how it was to explore things on her own like in the old days.

Once on the road, she realized she’d grown domestic to the point of complacency, rarely going anywhere for fun on her own anymore. Caitlyn had become Vi’s safe space and the other way around after a few tough missions where they had gotten to know each other in their most vulnerable state. It seemed like they’d forgotten how to be people on their own once they got together as a couple.

She drove, and drove, and drove, not even noticing she hadn’t set a destination on the map system, or turned on the music that usually kept her company. It was just Vi, the car and the long road decorated with budding trees on each side.

In the deluge of thoughts, a tear fell onto a tattooed cheek. Vi tried to ignore it as the singular tear got joined by two, then three, until they eventually formed a full-on sob. There was nobody else on the road, so Vi let it all out unashamed until her vision had become so blurred her eyes needed wiping.

Deep down, Vi was doubting the wedding should happen. Every time marriage got brought up, it sounded like a way to get roped into a commitment she wasn’t up for. It’s not that she didn’t love Caitlyn. On the contrary, she’d even averted any attempts at flirting from others, especially the more insistent ones like Sarah Fortune.

But pessimistic thoughts bubbled up in regards to the ups and downs of their relationship throughout the years. Some of the more serious arguments had resulted in the couple not speaking for several days and avoiding each other while in the same household. That was, until one of them would apologize and they’d talk things through.

It just didn’t sit right with Vi, despite the advantages this marriage could come with. She wondered whether it was a common occurrence for other couples to experience this much drama. At the very least, they could hold themselves accountable for their own mistakes and look at things from a more pragmatic lens, believing they could salvage their relationship every time.

Maybe the barrier they had met concerning the wedding was a sign that they shouldn’t be putting their feelings in an official registry, for the Zaunite to finally be graced with a surname. She still didn’t feel worthy of it after all this time, despite all the steps taken to improve herself and the efforts to be a good partner.

A real barrier on the road stopped her thinking just in time for the car to not bump into it. Vi’s right leg made it to the break with quick reflexes, pushing it all the way down as the woman shouted expletives in panic.

The vehicle came to a halt with the sharp noise of wheels screeching on the newly-built asphalt. Vi got shaken around in the seat, being grateful for actually bothering to put the seatbelt on before driving outside Piltover. Her strong hands reached out for the steering wheel shakily, in an attempt to recollect herself. A few deep breaths later, it was like nothing had happened.

Still feeling like more reflection was needed though, Vi wasn’t ready to drive back home. Instead, she ran a sweaty hand through her disheveled hair, took a turn to the left, and started on the only other street that wasn’t closed off. 

The new path became less and less asphalted the further ahead she drove. It turned into a one-lane dirt road down the line, enshrouded in different species of trees whose naked branches were hanging so low they could almost touch the car.

While there were no indications of a speed limit, Vi slowed down just in case someone else would suddenly emerge from the other side. It was a good call, really, for a sharp cliff presented itself on the right side of the path, without a guardrail to ensure safety.

However, that didn’t stop the guy in the car behind from blinking his lights aggressively for her to hurry up. Out of spite, Vi didn’t. Not until the forest was left behind and got replaced by a primitive parking lot where other cars were already present.

The guy drove by honking and shouting something about rich people inconveniencing everyone. Vi just flipped him the bird and parked between two vehicles. She shrugged, put on her fancy sunglasses, and nonchalantly claimed to not be from the area when a few youngsters were visibly amused by the situation.

An info panel indicated that this was a touristic area consisting of a historical bridge, a few picnic tables, clean toilets, and a camping spot where people could get some rest.

Vi started on the stony dirt path leading to the bridge, taking in the blossoming trees and exchanging smiles with people passing by her either on foot or bike.

Further down the path, a small dog rushed towards Vi, to sniff and grab at her legs with its minuscule paws. She crouched to pat the little animal as if they’d known each other for a long time, encouraging it to lean its head into her touch. The owner just blushed, smiled politely at Vi and wished her a pleasant day before dragging the pet along.

Vi returned the fake pleasantry as she stood up. 

Taking the rest of the path brought her to the bridge, which the info panel advertised as this long majestic attraction that turned out to be comically short. Its red metal frames bore signs of aging, with some material having been peeled off or faded by the weather throughout the centuries.

The walking portion was relatively new, thankfully. It invited Vi to cross it back and forth a few times, until she got bored of the way the slight wind brushed her hair. She settled in the middle of the walkway with her forearms on top of the metal frame.

Looking around from that part of the bridge revealed a plethora of tall trees surrounding the area, most of them still devoid of flowers. The river that had once required the existence of the overpass had almost completely dried up. The remainder consisted of stones, mud and collapsed tree barks, all barely covered by the water reflecting the sun.

To the left side of the river, there was a grassy area with benches and tables that a few couples were sitting at. Vi’s stomach clenched at the sight, wishing Caitlyn were here too, to avoid feeling lonely and… jealous. 

A few pictures and videos of the area were taken with Vi’s phone, her face also appearing in some of them. She sighed when remembering how it was always Cait who would immortalize beautiful moments during their trips together.

Upon descending onto the grassy part, the various discussions going on at the tables mixed themselves in a storm of words and laughter, carried away into the air by the gentle breeze.

Uninterested in joining any of the conversations, Vi stepped towards the river, where two elderly yordles sat on big stones. They were watching over a few kids playing in the mud, gathering things off the riverbed, or throwing little flat stones across the water.

One of the children turned around, his eyes all watery. “Why are my rocks not jumping around in the water like they do when you throw them?” he asked, using a finger to swipe at a tear that was trying to escape onto his cheek.

One of the elderly yordles let out a small chuckle before the other one lightly slapped his wrist and mumbled “Don’t be rude, Feigs.” Then a reply came towards her grandson with a patient and non judgemental voice.

“Don’t get discouraged, little one. Your technique is good. You just need to wait for the water levels to go up when it rains, is all.”

The little yordle sniffled, nodded his head in understanding and smiled while some of the other children stopped what they were doing to express amazement at the statement. Vi would have laughed at the scene, except for trying to exercise her politeness. She also had the odd feeling she’d heard that voice somewhere before.

“Babette?” Vi asked while approaching the elderly couple from behind. 

The old woman turned around slowly, for once not holding a cigar in her scrawny hand, nor wearing any makeup like she used to. She’d aged since the last time the two of them had seen each other, gracefully so. It took a few seconds for Babette’s wrinkly eyes to widen in recognition at the young woman casually standing with her hands in the jeans’ pockets. “Vi? What brings you so far away from home, dear?”

Vi took a deep breath before replying, her fists visibly clenching inside the pockets. “I needed to get out of Piltover for a bit to figure some things out.”

“Oh?” Babette’s eyes may have started going cloudy from old age, but her curiosity could still be read in them when they sparkled. Just like when Vi and Cait used to go to her brothel to exchange information about cases that warranted gossip in such places. She patted the empty space next to her on the boulder. “Sit down, tell me about it.”

Vi sat next to Babette with half her ass sticking out awkwardly due to the lack of space. That wasn’t something to complain about, though. Seeing the old yordle again after so many years felt like visiting a well-respected aunt who moved out of town after retiring. “Caitlyn and I are getting married,” Vi said while her hands found their way out of the pockets. She instantly regretted the coldness that took over them.

Feigs, presumably Babette’s partner, whistled appreciatively at the claim. “About time you two tied the knot, no?”

“I guess,” Vi replied with reddening cheeks and shrugged. “Our planning has been going great so far, except… we can’t find a place to host it. We can’t send the invites out without an address now, can we?” 

Babette and Feigs nodded solemnly. “What did you have in mind for it?” one of them asked.

“Something private, family friendly. There’s only going to be our families, a few friends and you two if you have the time to come, of course. We wanted it to be in Piltover or Zaun. That’s where we’ve been spending all our life and we wanted it to be symbolic, y’know? But nobody wants to let us have it, not this year anyway.” Vi finished with a sigh. “Maybe it’s a sign that Cait and I aren’t meant to be…” she said as her gaze moved to look at the kids who were congratulating the first successful stone throw of the little fella from before.

Babette gasped dramatically, slapping Vi’s arm out of reflex. It was a surprisingly strong slap for someone so frail-looking, yet it felt like a feather touch on Vi’s bicep. 

“Don’t you dare break that lady’s heart, you heathen! The two of you make an excellent pair. One of the best, and let me tell ya, quite a few of my girls left the brothel after meeting decent clients they hit it off with. But none of them have it as good as you two,” she reassured, winking.

Another blush crept up Vi’s cheeks. “Gee, um. Thanks,” she said while one of her hands reached to rub at the back of her neck. “So, we’re a bit clueless about what we can do.”

None of them said anything while thinking, their pensive hums joined by the noise of kids playing on the riverbed. Babette hummed unnecessarily loudly one last time, before shouting “I know what you can do!”

Her partner and Vi lost their focus to look at her. “Yes, my love?” the former asked as his jaw got settled on top of his palm in interest.

“This space right here is perfect for setting up a few more tables. It has a great view.” Babette outstretched an arm to point at everything around them. “It’s got enough space to sleep after getting our bellies full. And it has toilets so clean you could eat Jericho’s food right out of them! Hah! Not even the best restaurant in Piltover has that, I bet.”

A snort left Vi’s mouth. “You think people would be willing to drive here? I almost fell off the cliff on the way and my driving skills are unmatched.”

The two elderly yordles shared an amused look. “You must have gone through the forest. There’s a highway that way,” Feigs pointed in the direction opposite the forest drive, trying to stifle a laugh.

Vi let out a frustrated moan as she dragged a palm down her face.

“Janna’s tits… the one time I don’t use a map and I almost lose my life driving somewhere.” The three of them laughed while the young woman repeatedly shook her head in disbelief. “I gotta tell Cait about it. I’m not sure she’s going to agree to this. She likes… fancy stuff.”

“What other choice do you have, on such short notice?” Babette asked. “Unless you’d like to spend lots of money to get everyone somewhere far away. Not that money’s an issue for the two of you.”

“Wouldn’t that be something now…” Vi said, excusing herself for a moment.

💍

Caitlyn was laying on the sofa, deeply focused on the glossy magazine in her hands. She’s had a few unsuccessful calls since Vi had left. Maybe her fiancée was right to be so upset, and now Cait regretted not joining her on the drive that seemed to be taking forever.

After the fourth venue that had said “no” to Caitlyn, she decided her energy would be better spent looking at wedding clothes instead. If the best tailor in Piltover wasn’t going to accommodate them, they could always learn to be happy with a premade selection. 

It was, in reality, just her that wasn’t used to it. Vi couldn’t care less where the attire came from as long as it was appropriate for the occasion.

Cait’s phone buzzed on the coffee table just as she was turning the page. The magazine got discarded onto her lap before lunging for the phone. Surely, a spot has been made available for the wedding and she was getting called about it, right? 

Disappointingly, there was just one notification from Vi, the preview of which read “Hey, hey🧁guess what?”

After all these years, Vi hasn’t ceased calling Cait “Cupcake”. And in return, Caitlyn has just considered that using Violet’s full name was enough to tease the enforcer. 

“What, Violet?” she replied with a message of her own, scrunching down at the screen in annoyance.

A few seconds later, a photo appeared on the screen. It was of Vi with sunglasses on, standing on a raggedy bridge smiling, while the sunlight was shining brightly on the trees, water and mud in the background. Another message got sent. 

“Wish you were here with me 🌿” it read.

Caitlyn smiled fondly at how cute Vi was being. Not just because she missed how handsome those sunglasses made Vi look, but her excitement at being in some random place and wanting to share that with the woman she was going to marry. 

“Is this where our wedding is going to be held, Violet? 😂” Cait asked jokingly through another message.

“Why not?” came the reply. It was usually Vi who would joke around, but on very rare occasions, she wouldn’t. And on those occasions she wouldn’t use emoticons, so it was safe to assume her text was not a joke.

So Cait treated it seriously as well. “I don’t know… It looks like a wild place in the middle of nowhere? Are there any dangerous animals around?”

Vi started a call a few seconds later, which Caitlyn accepted.

“Hey,” they said at the same time and chuckled sheepishly.

“No dangerous animals in sight, unless you count the little dog that sniffed my legs earlier. How about I show you around, huh?” Vi asked, already starting to move away from where she was standing.

“Sure Violet, sounds good,” Cait said, leaning back into the sofa all curious.

The phone first got directed to where Babette and Feigs were sitting. They waved at the camera and shouted their congratulations to the two women on their marriage. Cait thanked them kindly and said she couldn’t wait to see them at the wedding. Afterwards, Vi said goodbye to the old couple and moved away, taking some time to showcase the river, the bridge and the picnic area.

“But that’s not all,” Vi said and moved up to the area where the camping spot and toilets were situated. “Babette swears by the cleanliness of these!”

“Why do you sound like a salesman, Vi? Are we getting roped into some pyramid scheme here?” Caitlyn asked with a crease in her forehead. The whole pitch sounded a bit strange.

“No, no,” Vi replied. “I’m just… You should see the place, Cait! We’ve been trying to find a good spot for the wedding and everyone just turned us down… I’m so excited to have finally found something for us, y’know? A place that won’t say ‘no’ to us.”

“It’s not going to be just us and our guests though, by the looks of it. We wanted something private,” Caitlyn reminded her.

“We did, but it’s free. Why bother spending a lot of money at a restaurant where people are going to recognize us and ask for pics or swear at us? I’ve been here for quite a bit and haven’t turned any heads. Except Babette, but I said hello first,” Vi admitted with cockiness in her tone, not realizing she was starting to talk like her sister.

“Uh huh… and who’s going to deliver food all the way there?”

Vi looked to the side, biting her lip. “Jericho’s.”

“Is that really our only option?” asked Cait, still remembering the first date they’d been on in Zaun. She had found the food there to be anything but appetizing, especially what Jericho would call “the house special”.

“Their place does custom orders too, so we can ensure it’s not the kind of stuff you found icky last time.”

A defeated sigh could be heard from Cait’s end. “Fine, the place looks nice enough to be worth it. I want us to visit it together before I agree to it, though. Spend the night there, to ensure the camping is up to the task,” she said with a smirk.

Vi quickly caught on to the intent and cocked her head with a smirk of her own, shaking with silent laughter. Her head then turned up and she shouted “Deal! I’ll be home in around an hour. Love ya, Cupcake!”

“Love you, Violet,” Cait replied with a tired but appeased smile right before the call ended and she resumed browsing through wedding magazines.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Sugar? Yes, please

Once they got back together, Caitlyn and Vi couldn't wait a minute longer to consummate their love. The place of their first time was unexpected, as was Vi's hunger for the impish woman standing in front of her. And even more unexpected was the fact that Vi could fumble quite a bit more than the pesky belt on her lover's hips, but it's all in good humor.

Warnings: Smut

Can be read on ao3 or under the cut:

It had been quite a while since Vi got laid with anyone, as she couldn't bring herself to get invested in another relationship ever since her prison wife got discharged for good behavior.

She didn't expect to fall for some random Piltie, much less one who turned out to be one of the most important people in the region. And now said Piltie was standing with her back pinned to a jail cell wall, her front half covered in light coming from the hallway, with her breasts uncovered and ass exposed to the breeze.

If there was one thing Vi truly appreciated after getting to see the light of day again, it was eating and drinking. She didn’t have much to eat while growing up, having spent most of the day hustling and bustling outside of home. And then, she got even less while entrapped among wrongdoers.

But now, with her world reopened and Caitlyn's legs even more so, Vi was insatiable. She never expected their first time to be in the kind of decrepit place she'd spent a significant portion of her life, and if Vi was frank, she never thought she'd take up on her sister's advice to finally pursue happiness for herself.

Happiness meant being on her knees on the cold concrete floor at that moment, showing Cait what burning passion looked like. They were both clearly tired of misery after so much roughness throughout the past few months. Some sweet respite was required before joining everyone else in facing Ambessa's assault on the city.

Vi's hands, despite being damaged from too many pit fights and frustrated wall punches, found it easy to be gentle with Caitlyn. Her fingers feathered over Cait's skin, which, surprisingly, felt more muscular than it let on. But they did not shy away from acting fast after fumbling with an unnecessarily intricate belt, nor did Vi's lips cease planting slow kisses on Caitlyn's body as she made her way down without breaking eye contact.

Vi could not get enough of looking up. She would drink in the blue eyes drowning her from above like a dangerous ocean wave with every inch of skin worshipped. Cait’s muscles would twitch under Vi’s gentle touch while the dark blue hair would gradually set itself free from its already disheveled ponytail.

When the scent of Caitlyn's core hit her, hunger took over. Unexpectedly for a woman of her stature, Cait reeked like someone who'd overworked themselves, who hadn't slept in a while and hadn't had the good measure to take care of themselves for a bit. Vi very much liked seeing that the once delicate but thorny pink rose had grown into a full-on multicolored rose bush.

One quick, final kiss was offered just below the navel before Vi spread Caitlyn's legs to make space for dragging her voracious tongue from the back of Cait's slit to the front and then back again several times, taking in the shape of her meal before finding the bundle of nerves most worthy of devouring. Vi circled around the clit, picking up speed until she could feel it twitch beneath her tongue. She sucked on it with as much hunger as the first night she got out of prison and ate with gusto at Jericho's.

It was a welcome surprise that the light from outside the cell allowed them to see each other’s pupils all dilated, full of desire. Even as Caitlyn shoved Vi's face further between her legs and started letting out expletives in between whimpers and moans, the latter’s grey eyes never left her. Not even when Cait’s head fell backwards in pleasure. And when she came with Vi's name on her lips, her juices got cleaned up like one would do with a plate they'd enjoyed eating and forgot their manners.

As Caitlyn was coming down from her orgasm and her body was barely twitching anymore, she looked down to find Vi gazing at her lovingly from below, eyes still glazed over with lust. She couldn't help but play with Vi's hair while Vi applied soft kisses to her trembling thighs, keeping her still with bloodied hands.

When Vi’s ministrations finally stopped, she smirked up at Cait, provoking a weak smile in return. An unexpected sound interrupted their basking in the afterglow: a hiccup escaped Vi's mouth, making the two of them shudder.

Caitlyn closed her eyes and brought a hand to her forehead, wiping at the sweat that had accumulated there. "Why am I not surprised at this coming from you?" she murmured, still trying to catch her breath, keeping her shaky body steady with the other hand on Vi's shoulder.

"Hey, what's that supposed to—” another hiccup interrupted Vi’s question, “—mean?" she asked, leaving a trail of wet kisses on Cait's torso as she made her way up, continuing to hiccup in between planting her lips on the sweaty skin. She could feel Caitlyn's frame twitch under her hands, obviously trying to keep laughter in.

As Caitlyn felt a familiar warmth approach her face, one of her eyes opened to peek into steely grey ones, whose lust never waivered after the reveal of having been given the freedom of choice and blessing to find happiness together with the woman she loved.

Vi's intense, loving gaze didn't disappear as another hiccup left her mouth. Cait looked at how those full lips, glazed with her fluids, moved to make the sound of yet another hiccup. She licked her lips before replying, "Nothing, Violet. It means nothing when you're here with me." She then found the strength to lunge at Vi for a kiss.

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

Oh, dear mother

Caitlyn thinks about the relationships she'd had with Vi and Maddie, in the context of her grief and actions.

Inspired by this piece of art from Twitter.

In the silent night, Caitlyn found herself sitting all alone at the feet of the memorial built to honor the council members who had expired in the aftermath of the explosion caused by Jinx a few months prior. Her commander cape proved to be a suitable seating option so the grass wouldn't soil her dark grey pants, which Cait had grown quite fond of as of late.

She couldn't believe that she'd been freed from the short-lasting relationship between her and Maddie. It had been the kind of bond where she took, and took, and took, but didn't give much beyond a warm body for Maddie to hold in the spacious bed of the chamber they used to share.

And just like that, it was over between the two of them when the ginger, almost teary-eyed, told Caitlyn that she could no longer be together with someone so devoid of passion and soul. Someone who'd become a husk of the vibrant person they once were. 

The murmurs of the fire cracks at the feet of the memorial tried to soothe Caitlyn as her grip tightened on the Kiramman key held in the left hand, while the other hand wiped at a few tear drops on her cheeks. 

Her grief and plunge out of the once sheltered world she'd lived in for a long time made Cait leave Vi all alone at the spot of the last mission together, for what she thought would be forever. Her ambition pushed Maddie away, the only other person who'd seemed to care for her deeply enough to never let go. 

All Caitlyn had ever wanted was to be rebellious towards her family in a way that could have helped people, and all she'd managed to do instead was bring sorrow with the kind of actions she could not take the time to properly analyze beforehand. She let her ego take the better of her, make her think she was the hero of the story for just a little while, when she in fact turned into the kind of person she'd tried to fight all this time.

"Oh, dear mother, were it not for my arrogance, you wouldn't have paid the price and would still be here. With me, with father. With the woman I got out of prison and have to say I... love," Caitlyn admitted to herself, not caring if anyone could hear her wails.

She didn't bother to get up. Not until dawn cracked. Not until all her tears were gone.

Feedback and appreciation are welcome, both here and on ao3!

[instrumentaldyne-writes]

All I Want this Season is My Ugly Sweater!

While the other woman’s back was turned, Cait’s eyes definitely did not roam on her hair, one half shaved, the other long enough to cover a broad shoulder. They clearly did not see the tattoos on her exposed neck, or how muscular her legs looked through the black ripped jeans. And lastly, they totally did not notice the… ugly sweater… that Caitlyn had been desperately looking for a few minutes prior to driving here.

A tall woman wearing dark grey slacks, a matching blazer, and light-blue footies was standing crouched above an open box labeled Peanut Patrol Cozy Sweaters, searching relentlessly.

“It must be in here, mustn’t it?” she muttered to herself, too concentrated to notice someone was watching the struggle. A few more seconds of fruitless searching later, she groaned and grabbed the first sweater that would hopefully fit her. Static overtook her slender, long legs once she stood up, making her shake them to get rid of the feeling.

A chirpy voice startled her from behind. “Hey Kiramman, what are you still doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be like, on vacation?”

Caitlyn turned around to be met with the comically wide pink eyes of her co-worker, who was sprawled lazily on one of the chairs nearby. They’ve always had a love-hate relationship as colleagues, and at that particular moment, anyone’s presence was a nuisance. Especially Jinx’s, the nut job from ballistics. 

Regardless, an attempt at being diplomatic was in order, with it being “the season to be jolly” or whatever people called it nowadays. “I could ask the same of you, Jinx. How come you, of all people, are working overtime? You’re usually the first one running out the doors at the end of the work day.”

“My car won’t start and none of our mechanics are working right now,“ Jinx said flatly. “Besides,” she gestured with her head towards the window at the end of the hallway. “They’ve announced a snowstorm.” Snowflakes were slowly making their way down to the ground, highlighted by the warm light of the lampposts outside. “Figured you’d help me out since you’re the only person I trust in this entire building.”

“And how do you expect me to help out? I cannot change the weather for you.” Caitlyn rolled her eyes and started walking towards her office, in the hopes of being left alone. Unfortunately, the colleague didn’t get the hint, producing light footsteps behind her as she walked.

“Of course not, you’re not Janna.” They both snorted at the mention of a Goddess neither believed in. “I was thinking you could drive me home.”

With her body starting to stiffen at the thought of entering Zaun, Caitlyn replied without turning to face Jinx. “Now, why would I do that? It’s a long ride both ways and I could very easily get stuck in the storm on my way back home. Should anything happen, you wouldn’t want to have a politician’s daughter on your conscience, would you?”

It was a brave and mayhaps stupid move to guilt-trip someone who’d never displayed any signs of remorse when others were hurting, but Cait couldn’t just stand there and be taken advantage of.

“Well, since you’re bringing up your high and mighty status… where’s mommy Kiramman? I haven’t seen her on the news lately,” Jinx asked, totally ignoring Caitlyn’s first question, and then gasped exaggeratedly. “Don’t tell me! She eloped somewhere with daddy dearest and left you all alone for the holidays?!”

Still not facing her colleague, Caitlyn winced and stopped walking, barely avoiding a collision with the other woman. “As a matter of fact, the two of them are in Ionia right now, visiting my father’s parents. There was too much to occupy me here, so I couldn’t join them, sadly.” 

The fact that Cassandra and Tobias didn’t want their daughter anywhere near her Ionian cousins and their kids was still something nobody else at the Patrol knew. Every year, their excuse was something about not corrupting innocent souls with her rebellious nature, even when said souls were already adults.

She’d always end up flipping her parents the bird and storming out of the Kiramman mansion without a word to either go shooting in the forest they owned, or hitting up lesbian bars to drown in warm bodies and not return home for the rest of the year.

“The horror! Say, what are you going to do once you get to your big mansion? Watch boring TV shows and marinate? I bet there’s not even any food in that ginormous fridge of yours right now.”

“I- “ Cait tried to reply while turning around to finally face her colleague, but once Jinx started talking, she wouldn’t stop. It stung how right the words were though, casually thrown around by someone who had no business being as deep as they were in that moment. She groaned and rolled her eyes.

A colleague with ginger hair, who was just passing by in the hallway, muttered something that could perhaps be understood as “A jolly good season to you too, princess” and huffed, continuing to walk.

Jinx brought a hand to her mouth, shielding the ginger from hearing her question but speaking loudly enough to be heard anyway. “What’s her problem?”

Looking down for a brief second, Caitlyn bit at her lower lip, considering if she should share her little secret. Afterwards, her eyes relocated to Jinx. “We’ve dated back when Maddie was just a rookie. The break-up was unpleasant enough to leave some resentment.”

“Sounds like the rookie mistake was yours for dating in-house,” Jinx said, shrugging. “Anyway, let me do you a favor, Kiramman. You drive me home and get to sleep on my couch so you won’t get stuck in the snow on the way back to yours. Deal?” Jinx offered and bit her lower lip anxiously, her eyes shifting from left to right repeatedly to show her worry.

“I would not like to impose, especially when it would be just the two of us,” Caitlyn replied, not bothering to hide her annoyance in regard to the chance of stepping into the home of a potentially dangerous person.

There were moments when Jinx seemed completely innocent, lucid even. However, there were a lot more moments of instability, which sometimes made Cait flat out fear for her life when they were all alone in the same room.

And for a long time, there’s been the issue of never being sure if the other woman was hitting on Caitlyn or not, due to the ease with which compliments were given on the regular, especially after flailing guns around. The mystery surrounding that got cleared by the comment about dating in-house, however.

Jinx blinked quickly several times, seemingly confused. “Huh? My family will be there as well. They’ve all cleared their schedules to visit me in little old Zaun.” She shoved her hands into her hoodie’s pockets, suddenly looking downwards as if her new leather boots were the most interesting thing in the world.

One seemingly crazy person was enough for Caitlyn. Now she’d have the opportunity to be around multiple? “Thank you for the invitation, but I fear there will be one too many with me in there.”

“Nonsense, the more the merrier! My sister will be cooking, so you don’t have to worry about anything,“ by which Jinx meant there would for sure be no poison included in the meal. “What do you say, you in?”

Caitlyn crossed her arms and looked around at the walls pensively, trying to make a decision. If Jinx were to be left alone to roam the station over the weekend, she’d probably wreak havoc somehow. And the Piltovan would rather not bring someone so unpredictable into her home. Her desolate home, devoid of the staff that usually went grocery shopping and cooked. 

Resigned, Cait let out a long sigh as she put her fancy boots on. “Fine, I will drive you home. But only because it’s Friday and you’re promising food. And do not get the idea of joking about me being your girlfriend.”

Jinx cackled. “Don’t you worry your pretty head about that!” She followed Caitlyn to the underground parking lot after shooting someone a quick message and making sure to put some extra layers on.

The drive to the Zaunite’s home was surprisingly quiet, with her sleeping in the passenger seat while Caitlyn carefully navigated through the snowfall. The easiest part was by far driving through Piltover, as there were enough street lights to ensure no traffic rules were broken. But as soon as the car exited the city, only its headlights could serve as guidance to avoid accidents through the increasingly fast snowfall.

As the snow had started to fall shortly before leaving the station, it was too early for the streets to have been plowed. And so, in the dark, Caitlyn got to see the ground change color more and more, until everything had become white.

While being an excellent driver, even Cait’s eyes couldn’t adjust well enough to the snowflakes flooding the windshield, resulting in skidding on the road from time to time. In some places, the snow had even gotten to high enough heights that the vehicle had trouble passing through without strain.

The only upside to all this struggle was that they were the only ones on the road, unbothered by drivers who may have forgotten how to drive through harsh conditions.

After getting lost a few times in Zaun due to the GPS not playing along with the weather and Cait mumbling about the failures of modern technology, they finally arrived.

Jinx woke up with a yawn just as the car got parked in front of the modest house. The lights were all on downstairs, revealing the silhouettes of several people moving around busily behind the curtains.

“C’mon in, don’t be shy. I’m the only weirdo in that family,” Jinx promised in a playful tone with a smirk.

Caitlyn snorted. “That’s reassuring. I assume you’re also the smartest.”

Although the reply was meant to be sarcastic, Jinx sat deep in thought in the passenger seat for a few seconds, manicured fingers covering her sharp jaw. “Mmm, not quite. Claggor is about as smart as I am. Makes for good conversation when I’m bored.”

Growing up surrounded by more knowledge than the average person proved to be quite difficult for forming friendships both in Caitlyn’s teenage years and in the present. The tightness in her chest, spun by kinship, prodded her to nod and smile empathetically at the other woman. “I understand.”

With nothing left to say, the car’s doors opened at the press of a button, and the two of them made their way inside the house, dragging quite a significant amount of snow in. Their boots and coats got replaced with comfy slippers and ugly sweaters from work, in an attempt for them to get into a festive mood.

As Jinx’s brothers took a short break from setting up the living room to introduce themselves, the Piltovan reciprocated. She then got stuck taking in the minimal decor for a few minutes. 

Usually, people’s living rooms would have big pine trees stuck in a corner somewhere, adorned with garlands, baubles, and other paraphernalia. But the room they were all standing in at the moment was simple and suspiciously tidy, with no natural elements in sight.

A fireplace occupied half the back of the living room, the fire inside crackling gently in an attempt to heat up the home. Family photos and artsy paintings lay sprawled on the walls in a chaotic ensemble that somehow managed to look harmonious, while a few speakers made sure to cover the wind’s whir by way of music.

What could have been the space for a TV instead fostered a large bookcase with books and board games mostly related to science and crime solving. Two brown leather sofas covered in white fur blankets were placed on opposite sides of a square table in the middle of the room. Various doilies, candles, and jolly figurines adorned the table, the smell of spicy cookies and freshly cooked food emanating from it.

A fake cough woke the detective up from her unsubtle inspection.

“We don’t decorate much until the very end of the year. Way less to clean up on the daily before the big party,” Jinx clarified and turned towards the kitchen. “Come, my sister’s this way.”

The sweet aroma of freshly baked apple pie flooded the kitchen, shrouding the silhouette of someone walking from the fridge to the prepping counter with quite a few ingredients in their arms. How the red-haired figure in front of Caitlyn could hold all of it without dropping anything was beyond her comprehension of physics, and yet it was possible.

While the other woman’s back was turned, Cait’s eyes definitely did not roam on her hair, one half shaved, the other long enough to cover a broad shoulder. They clearly did not see the tattoos on her exposed neck, or how muscular her legs looked through the black ripped jeans. And lastly, they totally did not notice the… ugly sweater… that Caitlyn had been desperately looking for a few minutes prior to driving here.

The green and silver garment was definitely not a bit too tight on the thick arms with which the food was being prepared at that moment. In the entire section, it was only Cait that had requested these colors, so there was no mistake the sweater was hers.

A pang of jealousy overtook her body, short fingernails digging into her palms to keep herself at bay. She was really fixated on getting that sweater, seeing as the one she was currently wearing was a size too large for her slim frame, which made the woolen texture graze her skin annoyingly.

It was not fair to be stuck with the more uncomfortable option when the right one was right there. At the same time, the view in front of Caitlyn was quite… delicious , for lack of more appropriate words. It would have been a pity to ruin it, so she’d have to come up with a plan to nicely extract the only precious element she needed for herself.

“Hey sis, we got a guest!” Jinx chirped, the cheerful tone stopping Vi from energetically mixing a bowl of ingredients. “Stop cooking for a mo’ and come say hi.”

Instinctively, Cait licked her lips just as Jinx’s sister turned around and walked towards them, eyes still focused on the colorful garment. Dirty fingers got cleaned off on a kitchen towel and a calloused hand got extended for a shake, prompting the detective to look upwards.

“Oh, you must be Jinx’s colleague. She mentioned earlier that someone from work was going to drive her home and stay over. I’m Vi,” the redhead introduced herself and smiled so widely that her perfectly sharp, white teeth came into view. There was no indication about whether she’d noticed Caitlyn’s little gesture from just a few seconds ago, but if she did, Jinx’s colleague was thankful for the lack of teasing.

Her hand, delicate by contrast, shook Vi’s. As far as shaking hands went, it was the first time Cait had ever experienced a grip so strong from another woman. It felt strange, but somehow as if their hands fit perfectly together, one calloused, the other peppered in plasters from strenuous detective work. She tried not to think about the electricity of Vi’s touch, as the last thing she needed was to get the shovel talk from Jinx later on. “Caitlyn,“ she said and cleared her throat after noticing how dry it had become. “Kiramman.”

Vi whistled as her hand casually let go of the long delicate fingers. “Sis, when you said we were going to have a guest over, you forgot to mention she’s royalty. I would have baked an extra pompous cake just for this occasion,” she said without taking her eyes off Cait, the previously amicable smile turning into a shit-eating grin that the latter wanted to wipe off her face.

If Caitlyn had known her status would get belittled like this, she’d have just left her colleague to beg someone else to drive her home. “Surely, I can’t be royalty if commoners can persuade me into bringing them home and not the other way around?” she asked, the tone resembling something akin to false confusion combined with a smidge of vitriol.

Jinx snickered and made to leave the kitchen without a word. As she was just about to escape through the door, the other occupants of the room pleaded for her not to leave them all alone. “Your little squabble here has nothing to do with me, ladies. I was just a damsel in distress that the knight in shining armor eventually decided to help out. Laters,” she said as she walked out with a casual peace sign.

Vi and Caitlyn first looked at the wooden door that had just closed with a soft click and then at each other, dumbfounded at being left in each other’s company so suddenly.

“I should probably drive home, since my presence here seems to be bothersome for you,“ Cait said, now looking out the window with her arms crossed, face contorted in a grimace. The sight of snow getting flown around the yard at dangerously high speeds made her flinch and cross her arms tighter.

They were lucky to have gotten here through the snowfall, but now it seemed the storm would make it impossible to drive all the way to Piltover without incident. To drive its point home, the wind whirred louder just in that moment like a giant taking a deep breath. And if it weren’t for the warmth emanated by the oven, the wind’s strength could have been felt through the bottom of the old window.

A firm hand squeezed one of Caitlyn’s shoulders, its thumb running up and down several times in an attempt to comfort her. Cait looked back into worried, blueish-grey eyes, as the whistle of the wind and the hum of the oven complemented each other in the silence.

“Stay. You’re not bothering anyone, I was joking earlier. And I bet no car can handle that kind of weather,” Vi said and pointed her head towards the window.

Caitlyn bit her lower lip while assessing her options. “Fine, this ‘knight in shining armor’ will stay. She would, however, like some extra compensation for the trouble.” She smiled broadly, revealing a slight, endearing tooth gap. “And I don’t mean money.”

Vi chuckled. “Alright, alright, I’ll bake something special just for my sister’s hero,” she said with a wink. The oven timer rang right at that moment, prompting the Zaunite to take the pie out of the oven with the help of a wet towel. The hand’s warmth on the shoulder was missed for a brief moment, until the pie got handed over to Cait, rough fingers brushing with hers. “One last quest before your reward? Bring this to the other room.”

With the pie already in hand, Caitlyn just wasn’t in a position to refuse. The wetness of the cloth was making it uncomfortable to hold the tray and all she wanted was to get rid of it. “Sure,” she replied, already turning on her heels to bring the dessert into the living room.

A few minutes later, she was back in the kitchen. As nice as it was to chat with the people in the other room, she felt more comfortable hanging out with someone her age. The fact that there seemed to be an instant attraction between them was most definitely not the reason for ditching the others. Or was it?

Vi had already poured some baking mix into a form and was arranging it in the oven when Cait returned. The Piltovan just stood there gawking awkwardly as the other woman set the temperature and timer, followed by hopping to sit on one of the clean, empty kitchen counters. 

Looking at the jean-clad legs that dangled casually above the floor, Caitlyn realized there were no chairs or tables in the kitchen. The assumption was that they were not needed when the house was inhabited by only one person. With nowhere to sit, she tried to strike up a conversation. “I assume my reward is in the oven now? What is it?” Cait asked, clasping her hands with a curious smile.

The friendly, toothy grin from earlier returned to Vi’s face. “Something that Pow- Jinx mentioned you’d like.” She crossed her arms proudly, playfully moving her legs back and forth.

Caitlyn’s left eyebrow perked up, distracted by the motions. “She spoke about me to you?”

“Quite a bit, yeah. I was being a jerk to her when she first joined the Patrol. Our family’s had unpleasant moments with them.” Vi sighed at the last statement and continued the explanation at a faster pace. “She took on a new name, and I was worried she’d get into trouble. You know her bombastic personality. But then she brought you up, said everyone was lucky you were keeping things in place.”

“And then she couldn’t stop talking about me.” Caitlyn smirked knowingly.

“And then she couldn’t stop talking about you.” Vi matched her smirk.

They gazed at each other for a moment, trying to stifle their laughs. Grinning until their jaws hurt, they eventually let it all go out by filling the silence with uncontrolled laughter.

For the first time in a long time, Cait felt relaxed around someone, like she could finally take off the mask worn in the presence of most other people. After one of them sighed contentedly, she was the first one to speak. “You know everything about me, it seems. But I know nothing of you.” She lifted an eyebrow expectantly.

“Oh, Jinx didn’t mention her family at work? That’s surprising.” Vi laughed awkwardly while scratching the back of her neck and continued. “I’m 28, work as a chef at a fine dining restaurant in Piltover by day, boxing instructor by evening and… I’m pretty sure that’s as far as the interesting stuff goes.”

Well, that certainly explained the muscles. But that was not why Caitlyn gaped while crossing her arms defensively. In her world, time off meant one shouldn’t be doing for others what they usually did at work, unless they’d get compensated accordingly. “And your siblings couldn’t bring themselves to give you a break while you’re off-work?”

“I was a bit of a control freak when we were growing up. Didn’t let them touch anything in this very kitchen until I moved out,” Vi replied, flailing her arms around to demonstrate the space.

Cait smirked. “And then they never learned?”

Vi smirked in kind. “And then they never learned.” She sighed as if there was some regret in her gatekeeping the others from learning to be independent in housekeeping.

A tooth worried at Caitlyn’s lower lip while she was considering whether sharing this part of her childhood was appropriate. “It’s embarrassing to admit now that I think about it, but consider me equally pampered.” 

It’s not that nobody wanted to teach Caitlyn how to work her way around nutrition and cleaning. She’d just had different interests growing up, like studying from morning till midnight and occasionally visiting the forest to hunt for game.

Her parents figured that coming in with birds, deer, and other animals she’d caught contributed enough to the family’s well-being, albeit funny for someone to hunt for their dinner in this day and age. And so, they never bothered to push Cait into doing what she didn’t like. Especially not when they had enough money to hire staff so they wouldn’t ever have to lift a finger.

Vi bent forward with a fond smile, resting her elbows on the knees to support her head between her hands. “You may not know your way around the kitchen, but a little birdie told me you used to hunt for your own dinner.”

That little birdie may have been the media, who managed to catch young Kiramman in the act of hunting on the family’s private property. Caitlyn could still remember her mother desperately calling everyone who could help take down the materials which spread like wildfire on the internet. According to Cassandra, what happened on their private property was supposed to stay private, no matter how disturbing.

“That was a long time ago,” Caitlyn replied with a sigh and rubbed at her temple, trying not to seem too annoyed by something that private resurfacing so long after it’s been buried.

Vi pursed her lips. “Sore subject?”

“No, it’s just…” Cait pinched the bridge of her nose with two fingers, looking down. “I wish I had some company for it nowadays. It gets boring quite quickly when the only one to make comments with is your own person.”

Vi hummed, her expression now pensive. “If you have the patience to teach someone like me to shoot, I could be your company.” Her words dripped like honey into a bear’s mouth.

At the notion of having a partner in hunting, especially one this attractive, Caitlyn could feel warmth in her chest. After the little childhood mishap, her parents got the idea to publicize her skills by signing her up for competitions, as those didn’t involve living targets and thus couldn’t bring more negative publicity to the family.

As more and more trophies occupied the display shelves in the Kirammans’ home, Cait got to draw her weapon upon game less and less, until one day when she got asked what she was shooting for. She considered the question was about what she wanted to do in life, not about her participation in competitions and gave no reply.

Caitlyn knew she wanted to do good, and the other competitor exposing what they did to improve the lives of people served as inspiration for whom the woman had managed to become in the present. That was her last competition, choosing to focus on training to join the Patrol instead, to hopefully make a real difference. 

Since then, Caitlyn’s shots had been about helping others without expecting flashy rewards, and about having fun at her own discretion, always wary of journalists. But the more she shot for her own pleasure, the more bored and lonely she felt. It had reached a point where the forest lay untouched for a few months now.

“That sounds delightful,” Cait replied with a genuine smile, her nose getting set free from the grasp of her fingers. “I’ve never tried to teach someone, so it will be a first for the both of us. I assume Jinx hasn’t given you my contact details along with my entire life history, has she?”

“She tried to, but I refused to get the details of someone I’d never met. No matter how much you like someone, you can’t just contact them out of nowhere when they don’t even know you exist.” Vi’s right hand covered her mouth when she’d just realized what her last sentence meant, eyes wide in disbelief at the confession. Her legs had finally stopped moving, too.

Caitlyn’s brow furrowed. “What?” She asked, making her way from the center of the room to where Vi was sitting. It was surprising to hear so randomly that she was the object of someone’s desires, but found herself not minding it coming from Vi, between whose legs she was now situated. Gently, her left hand grabbed Vi’s, slowly dragging the both of them down from the latter’s mouth and resting them on the Zaunite’s right thigh.

“Easy, easy, you haven’t said anything wrong,” the Piltovan cooed, running a thumb over the calloused hand.

Vi looked anxiously into the other woman’s warm, almost seductive gaze. “No, but-”

The grip on Vi’s hand tightened suddenly. “Listen, we’ve barely been in each other’s company for a few minutes, but I feel like I can finally let my mask fall off and be truly honest with you, unlike with most other people.”

Unmoving, they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, until Vi shily brought her free hand to cup Caitlyn’s jaw, waiting for any signs of rejection. When none came and the jaw even jutted a bit forward, she gently brushed at a cheek and leaned in for a soft kiss.

Cait closed her eyes, leaned into Vi’s frame, and wrapped her free arm around the redhead’s back, rubbing soothing circles onto the woolen material. Caught by the unexpected urges, she’d totally forgotten about the sweater. Her ugly sweater.

They parted for air a few heated minutes later, foreheads pressed together, lips curled upwards. The lights had become dim in the room, perhaps from one of them accidentally rotating the light switch in the heat of the moment, when their hands messily roamed each other’s bodies.

A soft, satisfied sigh escaped Caitlyn’s mouth. “You know, you’re wearing my sweater.”

“Mm, is that so?” Vi asked in a languid tone, ghosting her lips over Caitlyn’s teasingly, the scar on her upper lip offering a distinct feeling upon contact. The touch felt foreign and raw, scratchy even. By contrast, Piltie ladies were soft, unblemished, unhurt. And between the two, the former was definitely more enticing.

Cait’s hands rested on Vi’s sides, rubbing at them teasingly through the garment. “Yeah, I’ve been looking for it like crazy today. I thought they forgot to order me one and I stole someone else’s from the box. With my luck, it’s probably my boss’s.” The hands stopped moving, now grasping the waist with a bit of added force, but not enough for it to be unpleasant.

The rhythm of Vi’s breathing stalled in preparation for the gulp that followed. “What am I going to get in return, if I give it to you?” she asked, her lips curling up playfully.

An exchange was unexpected by Caitlyn in this situation. It was her sweater, so why should something be given in return? Needing some time to come up with an answer, a devilish smile crept up on her face to cover her confusion, and she started tickling the redhead.

Two sets of giggles filled the kitchen while their owners were preoccupied with tickling each other. The first one to give up was Vi, who was already short of breath after a few minutes. “ Ha- aaah . Okay, okay, stop, I’ll surrender the sweater! My sister must have picked up the wrong one the other day.”

As the teasing died down, Caitlyn ended up grinning with tears in her eyes. Vi’s flushed cheeks were definitely a sight to behold, very pinchable. But Cait refrained from more physical advances, as they couldn’t afford to spend much more time in the kitchen if they wanted to still join the others.

“ Oh , I believe your sister knew exactly what she was doing. These sweaters are custom-made for the Patrol. Only for the employees. Can't complain though,” Caitlyn said with a wink, brushing the tears away when feeling just how uncomfortably they were sitting at the edge of her eyes.

“Is that so?” Vi leaned back on the counter casually, palms sustaining her body weight from behind, eyes curious. Without waiting for an answer, her hands reached the hem of the sweater and dragged it over her head, the torso remaining clad only in a white tank top which may or may not have revealed the presence of piercings in some places underneath.

Here it finally was, the sweater. It lay in Vi’s outstretched hand, waiting for Cait’s gaze to stop lingering on the torso and the newly-revealed tattoos spanning from the back of the Zaunite’s forearms, all the way up to her neck. It was wondrous artwork, hard to make one look away even in the dim lighting.

Not hard enough however, as the oven timer rang for the second time that evening, prompting Vi to throw the sweater into Caitlyn’s arms unexpectedly, jump off the counter, and take the pastry out of the oven. While Vi was fumbling around with the hot tray without any protective mittens or towels, Cait took the opportunity to swap her own clothing unseen.

The Piltovan was no stranger to getting undressed in front of others, but this time around, the setting was not appropriate for the kind of thing she was yearning for. Not with the redhead’s family within earshot.

By the time Caitlyn finished donning her rightful sweater, Vi had managed to tame the tray and set the dessert to cool down. They turned around to face each other pretty much at the same time, almost colliding in the small space.

“Should we go join the others?” Vi offered awkwardly, her cheeks still a little bit red. “Your reward needs to cool down for a bit before you can claim it.”

Curious, Cait looked behind Vi's shoulder at the tiny form on the counter. So far, it looked like a muffin, and simple things like those were certainly not among her favorites. “Yeah, let's go,” she replied with an unreadable expression on her face, handing the other sweater to Vi while trying not to sound disappointed.

When opening the door, the fleeting thought of trying to be happy with people’s efforts to please her crossed Caitlyn’s mind. Perhaps… a proper New Year’s resolution could be to stop being incessantly picky? With the people she cared about, at least. She didn’t even notice that by handing the sweater over to Vi, she’d given something in return.

The siblings stopped talking amongst themselves to look up at the two women upon their entrance into the living room. The group’s all-knowing smirks and the fact that some of the candles had already burnt halfway through was everything Vi and Caitlyn needed to realize that their prolonged absence didn’t leave much for interpretation.

“What took you two so long?” Mylo asked in an amused tone with a bushy, cocked eyebrow.

“Yeah sis, did you forget about us?” Jinx asked with a pout and pointed at several places of her baby blue hair.

Claggor was just sitting there with his chin resting on top of the back of his hands, a sympathetic expression on his face. He couldn’t bring himself to make fun of the ladies, but also wouldn’t stop the others from teasing them. It was quite fun to watch two adults getting roasted for something they may or may have not done.

Caitlyn’s nose crinkled as she looked into Vi’s direction, not understanding what Jinx’s gesture was about until noticing how tousled the red hair was. The assumption was that, perhaps, her own hair shared a similar fate after what transpired in the kitchen.

Despite how ridiculous the situation was, Cait felt herself relax and tried not to laugh. What should have been an uneventful sleepover turned into the usual indulgence of charming the first woman she laid eyes on and having her way with her.

Except the roles got reversed this time around, with Vi charming her way into Caitlyn’s soul with a laid-back attitude. She wasn’t actively looking, but knew she needed someone in her life who could keep calm while she was under pressure. And knowing how to cook - a very important skill for someone to have when one’s parents had just laid off half the kitchen staff on a whim.

Vi looked at Caitlyn and with an almost quiet laugh, one of her hands reached out to smoothen some of Cait’s hair and tuck it behind the ear. “I don’t know, did we forget about these heathens?”

Thin, long fingers made their way to cover its owner’s mouth as a snort escaped it. “What can I say, it’s easy to get sidetracked when baking.” With flushed cheeks, Caitlyn ruffled Vi’s hair and pinched her left cheek, thinking that the latter could have looked like a rock star by using a bit of hair wax.

“Ew, I hope you two haven’t… you know,” Jinx grimaced and let out a “blergh.”

They didn’t, but Caitlyn for sure wished they did just to spite her. “Do you think us uncivilized brutes, to do something like that in someone else’s house? On a first visit, no less,” she defended instead, crossing her arms and furrowing her brows with a jokingly affronted look towards the table.

“This is Violet’s house too. She’s free to do as she pleases as long as the shared space is clean,” Jinx said, raising her hands defensively.

“She just moved out recently so she wouldn’t road rage on the way to work every day,” Claggor supplied and casually chugged alcohol from a mug.

Cait looked at Vi with a cocked eyebrow. “Is that so? I didn’t peg you for someone who disturbs the traffic.”

“Hey, we’ve just met! You’ve got things to learn about me, missus,” Vi teased, trying to keep the tone casual enough as to not offend. “But if my sister would like to stop being a buffoon, I’d very much like to eat. Shall we?” she asked, bringing an arm forward to point at the two empty seats on the sofa Jinx was perched on.

Not wanting to sit next to her colleague, Caitlyn encouraged Vi to sit down first, then claimed the spot at the edge of the sofa. Vi stuffed her plate with roasted potatoes, several cutlets and bread, pouring some sauce on top of it all. Cait opted for a salad consisting of veggies, fruit and salty cheese, complimenting the mix after taking the first crunchy bite.

The two of them ate while the others drank and discussed their daily lives. That’s how the guest found out Mylo was, after repeating a few grades in school, now studying to be a tailor. Claggor had just gotten promoted in the research department of Talis Industries. Vander, their adoptive father, was showing signs of aging, but still spent long days like today working at the bar he owned.

As for Violet, well… Cait snorted through a mouthful of mulled wine when hearing that the redhead went to prison a few years prior for stealing blueprints and samples from the very same company that currently employed Claggor. A few droplets made it onto the table and disappeared just as quickly when Vi grabbed a paper towel to clean them off. 

Once Jayce, who was like a brother to Caitlyn and who never mentioned anything of the matter, had realized how much of a gem Claggor was in the lab, he got Vi set free. And so, the woman chose to learn how to be a professional chef when given the opportunity to continue her life as if nothing happened.

Except, things did happen in jail, which left enough of a mark on the Zaunite for her to lose trust in topsiders and have moments of sudden anger, among other hurdles. Thankfully, those moments could be tamed in controlled environments like her boxing lessons.

Jinx rested against the back of the seat, letting out a satisfied sigh while rubbing a full belly. “Man, the world is so small… All this time we’ve been colleagues and I never knew you were on such good terms with my brother’s employer. I would have asked you to bully him into preferential treatment!”

Light chuckles turned into guffaws across the table, covering the music coming from the speakers the guys set up earlier. Caitlyn shrugged sheepishly once the laughter died down, replying “I don’t gossip about people from work with my family, so Jayce had no idea I knew you either. But if you’d like to bully him yourself, go ahead. He needs a reminder he’s not the center of the universe sometimes.” She took another sip of mulled wine, this time making sure none of it would end up spraying anything or anyone.

All plates and cutlery disappeared from the table after everyone finished their meals, leaving only soda cans and mugs.

For a few hours, they played board games and the family got to know the real Caitlyn. The one who gets tipsy when she knows she’s in a safe environment and won’t have to drive under the influence. The one who grabs Vi’s hand in comfort or touches her thigh soothingly when siblings say something that would make her body tense up. The one who is surprisingly not that good at sleuth board games, despite being one of the smartest at work.

It had been such a long time since Cait got the opportunity to have a cozy time with others this time of the year. Her parents were all about giving gifts, but not bothering to spend time together, not even to decorate the tree in the last month of the year before running off to Ionia. 

For the past few years, Jayce had been too preoccupied with work or with his lovers to pay any attention to one of the two people he used to treasure the most. And her friends, well… did Caitlyn even have any, or just booty calls? Needless to say, she was now grateful for giving in to Jinx’s request instead of sitting at home all miserable and alone.

When everyone else went to their own rooms to rest, Vi excused herself to finish preparing the dessert. 

Meanwhile, Cait took it upon herself to extend one of the sofas into a decently sized bed. Afterwards, a few blankets and pillows were thrown on it. There was some hesitation when it came to whether to leave the artificial lights on or make use of the candles that hadn’t yet burnt all the way up. 

In the end, the romantic side of Caitlyn won, with the candles now lit up in a heart shape on the table and the previously jolly music having been replaced with something more appropriate for the mood.

A few moments later, Vi made her reappearance with a plate in hand, freezing in place at the view. Cait was laying on her right side on the sofa, the dim candle light shining on her figure while she was preoccupied with something on the mobile. Judging by the fast change of tracks, it most likely had to do with finding the right song.

Vi cleared her throat, bringing Caitlyn's attention to her. “I didn't know you could be so…”

Cait’s left brow quirked up. “So…?”

“Romantic.” Vi finished, exhaling in relief.

“What can I say… your sister hasn't told you everything about me, ” Caitlyn said with her lips upturned in a seductive smile as she repositioned herself to sit in front of the table.

Putting the plate on the table revealed its contents to be a big cupcake with pink frosting surrounded by smaller cookies of different cutesy shapes. Now that centerpiece looked more like the fancy stuff Caitlyn was into.

She’d never revealed any preferences related to desserts to anyone at work, but guessed now that stuffing her face with half the tray at one of the last Patrol parties might have given her away.

As Vi sat at the edge of the makeshift bed, Cait used her left hand to pick up the cupcake and inspected it with glee in her eyes and a genuine grin. “Looks like your sister knows exactly what I like. Careful, Violet, you might just have a contender,” she said, looking at Vi in a teasing way through the corner of the left eye, making it obvious there was no underlying interest in someone that much younger.

Vi snorted, chuckled and shook her head. “Easy there soldier, she’s already spoken for. She’s been together with this guy for a while, doing science together in their spare time. They seem to be on the same wavelength,” she said and rubbed at her elbows. Her cold, right hand made it to Cait’s thigh, producing a light yelp from the woman.

In return, Caitlyn took the first bite out of the cupcake and moaned in content, which didn’t stop the other woman from speaking, but definitely made her blush visible in the candlelit room. “It’s good for her, having another intellectual around. I’m sure you’ve noticed she’s been having less episodes lately. It’s part of why I could bring myself to move out.” 

Vi’s grip on the thigh tightened for a few seconds, afterwards going slack in tandem with Caitlyn's breathing, making it a bit hard for her to concentrate. It was clear the move across the river hadn’t been easy, but something she did out of trying to give her sister space to grow on her own.

There had been fewer reports of mishaps from the ballistics department within the last few weeks, now that Cait thought about it. “Yeah, I’ve noticed,” she said as she picked up a mug from the table, raising it into the air with her right hand. “To mental health!”

Strong fingers picked up the other mug from the table and bashed it lightly to Caitlyn’s. “To my sister finally pulling her shit together!” Vi shouted, not caring if said sister could hear it from upstairs. It was so endearing to see the redhead so pumped up that all Cait could do was bark a laugh all the way from the belly, her eyes closing and head tilting slightly backwards in the process.

Using the inattention to her advantage, Vi, who was sitting on the left side of the sofa, leaned in and bit into the cupcake, looking up coyishly just as Caitlyn opened her eyes to check what was applying extra pressure to her hand. The redhead looked like a cat that had just been caught by its owner in the act of doing something stupid, which somehow seemed even more endearing to the detective.

The innocence in Vi’s eyes, however, didn’t stop the soft gasp that left Cait’s mouth upon both of them imagining things that perhaps shouldn’t be happening tonight. Not when they’re both tipsy and the hearth is barely keeping up with the cold that's seeping through the bottom of the windows.

Were it not for the snowstorm outside, Caitlyn would have just up and proposed driving to her place, to get lost in each other in complete privacy. Instead, the mugs and cupcake were put back on the table, after which some of her fingers treaded softly through Vi’s disheveled hair while others brought the latter’s face up so they’d be on the same level.

They licked the bittersweet frosting off each others’ lips in swift, hungry motions. In between quick kisses, Vi pushed lightly at one of Cait’s shoulders, looking into her eyes with intent. Caitlyn took the hint, dragging Vi on top of her as the former carefully laid on her back.

The redhead sustained her weight on an elbow, using one hand to massage one of Cait’s arms while the other played with the latter’s dark blue hair. Caitlyn used one hand to play with the tuft of hair at the nape of Vi’s neck, the other rubbing all sorts of shapes on the redhead’s broad back.

They settled into a slow rhythm, not fighting for dominance like they did while making out in the kitchen. This time, the way their tongues danced was passionate rather than competitive, their hands no longer grabbing desperately at every bit of exposed skin, no longer pulling roughly at hair.

When tiredness took over, they limited themselves to just speaking in hushed tones about anything and everything until the sweets and wine disappeared from the table, and the last candle ran its course.

With their eyes slowly closing, the two women fell asleep cuddled into each other in a comfortable position, the temperature too warm to bother with blankets.

Vander came home soon after, taking the time to properly clean the snow off his boots and coat. The snowstorm had turned back to light snowfall, the wind no longer being bothersome for those who seeked rest.

Upon entering the living room, his haggard face changed into one of endearment when seeing his adoptive daughter and her new girlfriend huddled together, light from the lampposts outside shining on their sleeping frames. Getting out of the sumps sure did Vi good from a social standpoint, even though the old man lost one of his best aids at the bar.

With a warm smile, Vander picked a blanket off the sofa and covered them, whispering “Relax, it’s just me,” when Vi reflexively grabbed his arm in a strong grip in her sleep. After the arm got slowly released, he put a few more logs onto the fire so that the room wouldn’t get too cold by morning. Then he, too, retreated to his room to sleep.

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