Successful Failure
Caitlyn x Vi ft. Jayce
A/N: Found myself giggling at some failduo posts about Jayce and Vi, you know, the dumb & dumber jokes, girlfailure team, etc. etc. and voilá, hello new fic.
Summary: In a happily ever after AU, Jayce and Vi team up once again for the greater good. Of course things do not go as planned. (Also on AO3)
Word Count: 2.7K
"Hey... Jayce."
Jayce could feel Viktor's gentle hand on his shoulder. Having fallen asleep in the middle of work on an experiment, Jayce felt the touch was comfortable and soothing, and he welcomed it by leaning against him.
"Jayce. You have a visitor," Viktor muttered, shaking him slightly. Oh. Too bad. Jayce opened his eyes and felt displeased to see Vi standing before him, looking all smug.
"Morning pretty boy~" Jayce heard Viktor chuckle at this and he blushed a little.
"Vi? What do you want?" he asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Not the kindest way of a greeting, but he always knew that Vi was up to no good whenever she came to see him. She wasn't really the 'hi how are you' kind of fun and chatty type.
"Rude," Vi said. "I was wondering if you still wanted your gauntlets back."
Yeah, and that. She'd been holding onto those ever since, and dangled them before him like a precious prize to get every single time, only to stab him in the back with lousy deals again, and again, and again.
"Not going to fall for that again," Jayce said.
"Really now? I'm actually serious this time. War's over. I won't need them anymore. But you know I won't just give them back for free."
Even though they were never hers to give for free as she pleased, but alright. They weren't needed as weapons anymore, at least for now, but he wouldn't mind getting them back for further experiments. In fact, he'd actually love to have them back. They could be useful for other things if he improved them. Mining, construction, whatever.
Besides, he hadn't shown the details of this invention to Viktor yet. He would love to hear his thoughts and compliments on them.
Jayce rolled his eyes. "Fine. What do you need this time."
Vi smirked. "I'm having revenge on Caitlyn and I could need your help."
Oh. Well, she should've said that sooner. Jayce was now interested. "What kind of revenge? What'd she do to you?"
He noted the less smug and confident attitude when Vi chuckled in response. "Oh just, you know. Things. Be a little shit and all."
Jayce snickered. He had definitely heard Vi's shrieking voice through the hallways sometimes. Caitlyn was a menace, he was aware.
He eyed Viktor who was reading through his notes but he knew that in reality he was listening along, judging from the smile on his face.
Even Viktor had been witness to some of those humiliating things, such as Caitlyn jabbing Jayce's sides and making him cackle like a madman, or sliding a finger down his back, before looking all innocent and telling Viktor: "What did I do? Is he always squeaking like this?" She was a true evil tickle monster in disguise.
"So, what's your plan?" Jayce asked.
"If I tell you. Will you agree to help me? You'll get the gauntlets back in return. That's a promise."
Jayce nodded without hesitation. "Deal."
Moments later, they were heading towards Caitlyn's office. They needed to get her when she would least expect it - Vi had told him. Meaning.... Not at home, not in her free time when she was at ease, not during her lunch break, but when Caitlyn was working.
"Come in~" Caitlyn responded when Jayce knocked on her door. He entered the office, rolling a large machine inside. It was just a new heating machine they were working on in its early stage.
"Jayce, wow. What's going on?" Caitlyn jumped up.
"It's one of our new inventions. I wanted you to see it before we continue."
Caitlyn frowned as she eyed the huge thing. "You could've asked me to come over. That looks heavy."
Jayce patted the machine with a smug smile. "No it isn't. See? I'm rolling it. Little wheels. Clever right?"
Caitlyn walked around it. "What does it do?"
"It'll be a heater. You know. Keep people warm."
"Oh - I see! Keep people warm," Caitlyn repeated, nodding as she admired the work.
Jayce wasn't good at this. First of all, this was a dropped project, they were no longer working on this heater-no-heater-thing for a while. But it was the biggest movable object he had in the lab which he could use to transport Vi in, in secret, for their little plan.
She was hiding inside the machine and as Caitlyn approached it, should come out any second to jump on her for the surprise tickle attack. Then Jayce would jump in and assist, since, without admitting it to Vi, he would love to have a taste of that revenge too.
"So when this is done, it could replace the heating system we have?" Caitlyn asked with interest.
"Eh, well. Not replace, definitely not. It's still early phase, but I think yes, there is room for improvement there in some places. Additional heating," Jayce said, and he patted the machine.
"Will it require a lot of maintenance?" Caitlyn asked. Jayce patted the machine again. Loudly. Why wasn't Vi coming out?
"That'll be eh, a surprise!" Jayce said. He had no clue, like you know, dropped project and all, lack of further discussions about its future in a long while.
"And why did you want to show it to me now, here, so suddenly? I get the idea that you think improving the heating system with this new machine is important, but you never mentioned the project before," Caitlyn said. Maybe Jayce was a really bad liar or this idea in general just could've been better.
"T-the heater itself isn't what's really important yet as it's still a work in progress." Jayce slapped the machine loudly. Vi, come out! Now! Do your thing!
"However, the color. Its design. You know, what we're working on on the inside doesn't matter yet. But Caitlyn you've got great taste. I wanted to consult about the looks of it."
Jayce could definitely hear some movement inside, but Vi wasn't barging out yet as agreed.
"Ah, I see! So it was that urgent," Caitlyn said in a tone Jayce didn't like.
"Well yes actually. Viktor and I just can't agree on its design, so I needed your advice. R-right here, without Viktor here to influence your thoughts. I need to hear what you think... Urgently."
Caitlyn laughed. "Who knew you care that much about my opinion, Jayce."
It wasn't happening. Jayce really felt that Caitlyn was growing more suspicious soon since she didn't sound like she was buying anything he said, and he really couldn't drag this any longer. It still wasn't happening! Vi still wasn't coming out! Jayce was wondering what he should say next when at last her voice could be heard.
"J-Jayce! Argh! Get me out!"
Jayce blinked and smiled nervously when Caitlyn immediately perked up at the sound of her girlfriend's voice.
"Wait, did I just hear Vi?"
"Jayce! I'm stuck!"
Oh. Oh no. Jayce covered his face in defeat. Welp, there goes their surprise attack on Caitlyn. He sighed and kneeled down.
"Vi...." He opened the machine and could see it was indeed a little more cramped after all than initially thought. She had gotten in with ease, but it looked like getting out wasn't as simple.
"You said it'd be easy!" Vi kicked out at him, and Caitlyn raised her eyebrows when Vi's leg suddenly appeared and her foot was dangling out of the machine.
"Vi? What are you doing in there?" she asked.
"Well, heh. Surprise~" Vi sang. "I'm actually stuck, I could need some help here." She swung her leg from side to side. Caitlyn caught her leg and rubbed it fondly.
"Hmm. I think I know what's going on here."
Jayce jumped when suddenly she turned with this devious look on her face, eyeing him.
"You two were plotting something against me, weren't you? And failed." Meanwhile she lightly scribbled at Vi's leg, and some held back giggles could be heard from inside the machine.
"Plotting? Us? No! What would we be plotting? We wanted to surpise you," Jayce chirped. Caitlyn laughed.
"You've always been a bad liar, Talis. I was already wondering why you were rambling the way you did," she said while she lightly tickled Vi's leg.
"Cahahait! J-juhust hehelp me gehet out of thihis!"
Caitlyn shook her head. "Not unless you tell me what was really your plan. You wouldn't climb into something like this and roll into my office if there wasn't anything to gain, love," Caitlyn teased.
"Lihike prehetty bohoy sahaid! A surprihihise!"
Caitlyn shrugged. "Just like that? A mere surprise visit? While I'm working? I don't think so. Were you going to attack me, Vi? Like this, maybe?" Jayce almost cringed at the sight of how Caitlyn's fingers curled under Vi's knee and tickled her there in a way that made him feel his own legs tingle too.
"CAHAHAIT! Not thehehere!" Well, Jayce had never heard Vi laugh like this before besides the echoing noises from afar. Hearing it up close, he now kind of understood the appeal, from Caitlyn's point of view. Vi sounded much better when she was laughing.
"Well?" Caitlyn asked impatiently Vi as if she hadn't been tickling her so much that it kept her from speaking in a normal way.
"Thehehere was no attahahack plahahanned!"
Jayce could hear the bumping noises inside the machine as Vi struggled helplessly. Poor Vi. But Jayce found himself smirking.
"Is she telling the truth?" Caitlyn turned her attention back to Jayce, but not without stopping the tickle attack on Vi's defenseless leg.
"Oh? W-well, eh..." Jayce's hesitant response alone already gave a lot of information away. Caitlyn nodded knowingly.
"I see how it is."
"C-Cait AHh don't do thahaaaat!" Vi cried when Caitlyn took off her shoe. Jayce's eyes widened. Caitlyn started to tickle Vi's foot mercilessly.
"You know I won't go easy on you if you're not honest with me," Caitlyn said, but she wasn't saying it to Vi. She was looking at Jayce. Aaaargh. Jayce shook his head.
"She just wanted revenge on you," he quickly admitted. "And dragged me in it." Heh.
"JAHAYCE you traaahahaitor!" Vi screeched through hysterical laughter. Caitlyn twitched at the loud noise and responded by.... tickling Vi's foot even more! She held her toes back with one hand and tickled her sole mercilessly with the other.
"A revenge, huh?"
Jayce nodded. "She needed my help with it. You know, because you've always been a tough opponent," he said. Bad Jayce, but getting destroyed like this suited Vi better than himself. He smiled awkwardly and shrugged.
"Sorry, Vi. But she's already got you anyway."
"Thiihis wahasn't what we agreeeheeed on ahahaha!" Vi struggled and squirmed.
"Agreed, hm? Jayce, I think we can make a new agreement right here, right now," Caitlyn said in a bossy tone.
"First you help me get Vi out. We punish her together, you'll only need to hold her down for me and I'll do the rest. Then I'll say we're even."
Pffft. Jayce smirked. Helping her wreck Vi in return for not getting wrecked himself?
"Deal."
Together they managed to free Vi from her cage. But the moment she got out, Jayce pinned her down on the floor, holding both her arms above her head, and Caitlyn attacked her exposed torso without an ounce of mercy.
Vi was one whirlwind of laughter, filling the room with funny giggles, screams, snorts and of course, a lot of swearing.
"SHIHIHIT AHahah fuuuuhuhuck! Cahahait plehehease!"
Jayce chuckled fondly. It was funny to see the cool Vi reduced to hysterical laughter like this. She was cursing them and begging at the same time, all while laughing and giggling uncontrollably.
"Loud isn't she," Cait said when she apparently noticed Jayce wincing as soon as she tickled Vi's armpits. Vi was indeed very loud. He nodded.
"She's the most ticklish little thing I know. Even worse than you, Talis."
Eh. Jayce made a face. He didn't like her addressing his own ticklishness. Not when the person he betrayed was still right with them. And Caitlyn and Viktor were the only people who knew how ticklish he was. Well, besides his own mother.
"Appears she is," he replied sheepishly while he tightened his hold on Vi's arms; Caitlyn was just going after Vi's helplessly exposed armpits and succeeding at making her scream with laughter. Vi's legs kicked and she shook her head wildly.
"CAhahaaaait! Nooohoho!"
"She's not ticklish as you are though, when doing this," Caitlyn said, and she switched to scribbling her fingers under Vi's chin and up and down her neck.
"Caitlyn," Jayce warned. Vi's laughter switched from loud screaming to the funniest snorty giggles.
Perhaps he worried for nothing. Vi was getting tickled to death. Surely she wouldn't notice this information getting shared here.
But the choice was up to him now. He could still choose to let go of Vi's arms, pounce on Caitlyn together and have that belated revenge. He contemplated who was more dangerous to him. Vi or Caitlyn.
That smirk on Caitlyn's face, urgh. He already thought Caitlyn was a tickle monster originally but seeing the way she treated Vi... He learned that she had been going easy on him whenever she tickled him, compared to what she did to Vi.
And also the fact that Caitlyn knew him and his weaknesses so very well, better than Vi knew them. On top of the fact that Vi might be tickled so out of her mind after this that the thought of revenge on Jayce rather than Caitlyn would be nowhere to be found. Right? Vi wouldn't even think of tickling him. They weren't even on, well yeah, tickle terms with each other.
Jayce nodded to himself. Yeah. With all that in mind, he would rather choose to stay on Caitlyn's good side, for now.
"Regretting your actions yet, Violet? Does it tickle anywhere?" Caitlyn said teasingly. She was back to tickling Vi's sides and ribs mercilessly, and Vi shook her head again. Jayce spotted the tears in her eyes and the bright red color on her face.
"Cahahahait plehehease!" she laughed tiredly.
"Please what?" Caitlyn asked. Jayce really wondered if Vi would be have any begging-ability other than 'please'. Turned out she didn't.
Refusing to say more than that, Vi took a round of more tickles like a champion who was used to dealing with such challenges.
In the end, Jayce just sat there until Caitlyn was satisfied. There were no words like 'mercy' or anything, but when Vi whined "Please stohohoop!" Caitlyn finally ended the assault and she gave a nod, gesturing that Jayce was allowed to let her go.
Vi immediately curled up, and Caitlyn picked her up and cradled her in her arms. Stroking her hair, she let her catch her breath, and she smiled at Jayce.
"Thanks for the help, Talis. You may go." Pfft. Jayce rolled his eyes fondly and got back up again. He waited for Vi to curse at him, but no such thing happened. She really was exhausted now.
"Well then, I'll get back to work," he said awkwardly as he took his huge machine with him again.
"You do that. Oh and Jayce," Caitlyn said, and Jayce turned back to see that scary smirk on Caitlyn's face.
"Don't try something like that again." She winked. Well geez, she had become quite the threatening woman.
"S-sure." Jayce wasn't even going to ask Vi about his gauntlets.
Something told him this chapter wasn't closed yet, but for now, he safely returned to the lab, feeling a little out of breath even though he didn't do much.
"How did it go?" Viktor asked when Jayce came back.
Jayce chuckled and let out a deep sigh. "You don't want to know."
He replayed the whole chaos in his mind and smiled in relief. Maybe it was for the best, that their revenge plan failed. He had now learned that he didn't need Caitlyn as his enemy.
And those gauntlets? Well, never mind that. He would find another way to get them back, sometime, someday.
