warning: i am not a writer! and english isn’t my first language! i hope this still makes sense :) its a bit messy its not very well explained sometimes but i hope i got the point across! enjoy!
Ekko was sent by benzo to deliver things at jayce’s workshop and vi and claggor join because ekko’s quite young to go on his own anyways, vi is like, acting as the bodyguard and shes looking all tough and mysterious making sure ekko is okay constantly
they knock and stand at the door, vi staying behind ekko to look around and jayce is like come in! bc they have quite a lot of things and while vi stands back still cautious, she completely drops her tough demeanor when she sees young cait tinkering with some of jayce’s stuff, goggles on. Vi tries to be discreet but her eyes keep darting back at Cait while ekko and jayce conclude business, claggor catches vi but doesnt say anything, and cait comes towards them, taking the goggles off, a big smile on her face.
"Nice to meet you all!" she goes in her thick british accent and she offers a handshake to Vi who doesnt know what to do with that so she kinda blushes and stares at cait, cait going "I’m Caitlyn!" and, embarrassed and flustered, vi just frowns and doesnt say anything, sorta turning around and caitlyn takes that VERY personally and from that point on she’s got beef with her and Vi kinda regrets how stupid she acted but tries not to think about it too much.
now everytime ekko has business in piltover, vi INSISTS on joining, saying its for safety but really its in the hopes she’ll run into caitlyn again. one time at a fair, benzo has a booth to sell things in piltover and ekko runs it, naturally, vi and the other kids join, Jayce and Caitlyn visit the booth and when cait sees Vi she just turns her head away with a frown, still upset at their last interaction and refusing to look at her, and Vi decides to tease her and ask about what theyre doing here. Cait kinda ignores her at first but ends up yapping about jayce’s and her’s latest experiments and shes talking sooo much and vi listens to all of it and when cait realized shes been talking too much they both kinda laughs and then jayce says they have to go so they leave and they smile at each other
throughout the fair Cait tries to “accidentally” walk in front of ekko’s booth again, and when she does, Vi is gone and she asks Ekko where she went and ekko shrugs, cait keeps walking around until she sees Vi walk around and cait joins her and they just kinda tease each other and argue the whole day but in a cute way but they both try to pretend they dont like the other bc they have such different lives and vi keeps calling cait entitled but she doesnt even mean it. From then on, Vi starts sneaking out to meet Cait outside her gate, but she has no idea how to get her attention, so she kinda sits there in the rain for a while until one of the dog starts barking, waking, thankfully, only Caitlyn up who looks out her bedroom window and goes outside to see little wet puppy vi standing at the gate and trying to make up an excuse as to why shes here like jayce forgot a tool from ekko and it was just easier to get it to her house instead and they end up talking until so late even tho its freezing outside, the gate still separating them, like the wall that socially separates them.
they start meeting up almost every week, like clockwork, outside of Cait’s house to talk, and for Cait to yap about things she likes while Vi listens. one day, Cassandra catches them and forbids Cait to see Vi again. They both cry themselves to sleep and Vander notices Vi’s change in mood after that, and asks her about it. she tells him everything and apologizes for lying and sneaking out but vander isnt upset, he hugs her and tells her theyre going to figure it out.
Vander decides to go talk to Cassandra at the next Piltover-Zaun event, Vi standing shyly behind Vander’s leg, Caitlyn standing straight next to Cassandra, both girls so excited to see each other again even tho its weird and awkward with their parents talking in front of them, Cassandra listens to Vander who’s putting on The Charm™️ and she eventually sighs and allows them to see each other bc she sees Vi isnt a menace
that day they both walk around Piltover, often almost holding hands but theyre too shy so they don’t, but Vi wants to show Cait she likes her but she doesnt know how to because they shouldnt and also because she doesnt know how to show love in a way that Caitlyn would understand. they walk around and its comfortably quiet this time, even tho theyre used to yapping and yapping for hours but this time they just want each other’s presence. at one point they walk through a tiny crowd and theres a small group of Zaunites laughing at them, at the contrast between their clothes and demeanors and they hear one of the boys call Caitlyn and a not-so-nice words like stuck up or worse, Vi isn’t even sure but she immediately knocks him down in one punch and Cait has absolutely no idea what to do or say but she then grabs Vi’s hand and they run away, when theyre safe away from that crowd, Caitlyn gets SOOO mad in her little british accent and Vi just sits, knuckles bloody, listening to Cait lecture her.
Eventually, cait calms down and looks down at Vi’s hands and sighs, starting to unwrap her bandages to check her wound muttering “You are such an idiot, Violet.” and Vi just smiles as Cait cleans her wounds.
bonus:
cait begging her mom to let her bring vi to one of the shooting tournaments and Vi joins and they have so much fun and cait lets vi try out her rifle and shes so bad and they laugh and caitlyn teaches her and theyre having a moment but cait’s parents interrupt and theyre blushing and being silly teenagers with a crush and they dont know how to deal with it. cait is definitely the one to fall first even tho she represses it bc vi is from zaun and thats not how she was raised, but she becomes closer with vi and vi realizes wayyyyy too late that she has a massive crush and also that cait is not being slick about it in the slightest. she talks about it with vander at the last drop she sits at the counter with her head in her hands like ughhhhhh i hate having a crush its so stupid and vander laughs
summary. singing songs for powder to fall asleep to has become a regular thing for you, and violet seems to appreciate that.
cw. young!violet x youngfem!reader, wlw, sugar sweet fluff.
wc. 840
cr. young vi gif from arcanegifs on tumblr.
notes. this is so cute, i had fun writing this. (⭒ ์ ⲳ ์ ) a bit ashamed that it's awfully short, but i feel it's better this way? ┐(‘～`;)┌
disc. killing me softly
The otherwise dim room that provided an illusion of safety was lit by a single lantern that was left on a wooden table, with dust particles surrounding the warm, orange light emitting from within, behind the lines of metal. The right side of the room has two patchy couches of poor condition accompanied by a barrel with a record player placed on top and that wooden table, the left side of the room was Powder's little corner, a twin sized bed with wooden frames, the same patchy design of the couches were relayed for her blanket.
The couches were deserted except for a single seat sofa, where Violet's slouched body sat, left hand's fingers threaded through the strands of her pink hair, right leg bouncing persistently being left overlooked by her, heel of her shoe tapping against the wooden floor. Her demeanor told a glaringly similar story when compared to what's transpiring behind her skull, steel blue eyes staring off at the orange light in front of her.
You were settled down onto Powder's bed, sitting upright at the edge of it with Powder laid curled up behind you, her small, cold hand a sharp contrast to your palm's warmth and the circular motion of your thumb upon the top of her hand that she found comfort in, she'd open and close her mouth if she were to explain as to why that is– but in the depths of her essence, she knows it's because it brings familiarity to her of someone she held dear.
Her cheek was smushed onto the blanket, knees held close to her chest. She returned your gaze with a growing smile, eyelids weighed heavy, and she blinked languidly. “Y/n, can you sing that song again?” Voice kindred to a breeze, words expressed openly with a concoction of expectation and knowings. “Which one, Powder? I've sung many.” She lightly groaned in response. “Um..” Her eyes sealed shut, and a quiet moment passed you by.
Soft humming arose from below you, Powder trying to impart the song to you through recollecting the past. “Ah, alright.” You nod your head, clearing your throat, right ankle moving to cross over the other, legs stretched. She stops, waiting patiently with her eyes closed.
“Strumming my pain with his fingers.” You sing in a whisper, tune unbroken, and with confidence you used to not have regarding your vocals, somewhat deep and smooth like satin. “Singing my life with his words. Killing me softly with his song, killing me softly, with his song. Telling my whole life, with his words, killing me softly, with his song..” Your feet tapped, curating the beat from how you remembered it, and it was without a doubt accurate.
“I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd, I felt he found my letters, and read each one out loud.” Voice rising slightly at the right time, lashes fluttering shut when you feel that strong wave of passion in you, behind your eyelids, a place for vivid imagination, a single white light from above shining down on you and the stage you stood upon– “He sang as if he knew me, in all my dark despair, and then he looked right through me.” Eyebrows pinching together, channeling those emotions as if it were truly yours. “As if I wasn't there.” – a crowd that harmonized with you, saying the words you imagined that you crafted and put your sweat and tears into with equal fervor, echoing in your skull. A dream out of reach, fingertips aching, itching to touch that blinding white brilliance in an abyss of black.
That tapping your ears were used to hearing had stopped, you're surprised you even noticed in the first place.
And when you opened your eyes, Violet was gazing back at you, the right corner of her lip was curled upwards, head held up by her closed hand, elbow digging into the armrest of the sofa. Your words went airy for a moment before regaining its stable balance when your ears caught onto her humming. Present, unforgivably supportive, the one who shone the brightest in your front row seats.
Smiling back at her only makes her face reflect yours. It grows on her. This night was a small breath of fresh air that you'll never let leave your memory bank, rustic lid sealed tight.
You both finish the song together, Violet mostly humming but tapping in to sing a few words with you every now and then until it has finally come to an end. Violet's eyes drift from yours to check on Powder, you did as well. The little girl was soundly asleep, her hold on your hand had waned long ago, and faint snoring filled the renewed silence.
“Your voice is beautiful.” Violet commented, unhidden sincerity in the way she said it. The same hand she had her head lean onto shifted to scratch the nape of her neck, her other hand lying stagnant on her thigh, upper body leaning back in her seat.
Contains: fem reader, Vi & reader as teenagers, friends to lovers (adjacent), slowburn (emphasis on slow), reader is Ekko's sister/benzo's kid, events of S1 episodes 1 (SPOILERS), some dialogue quoted directly from the show, no use of y/n
WC: 6.24k
Trigger Warnings: mentions of abuse/parents dying, reader has a panic attack
Summary- After Vi saved you, she became intrigued by you. And as the two of you begin to get to know each other, you grow closer and form a unique friendship of sorts. But it leaves you both wondering if that's all that it is.
A/N: hello beautiful people, welcome to part two of my Born to Die series. Part 1 and the series masterlist are on my blog if you haven't read it yet (and want to) and I hope you enjoy!
<- Previous part here next part here ->
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The ringing in your ears was the first thing that brought you back to consciousness. As you slowly blinked your eyes open, you were met with the sight of a blurry face surrounded by pink hair.
Vi was kneeling beside you on the ground. From the angle she was looking down at you from, and the lack of discomfort around your head and neck, you realized that your head was lying in her lap.
"Dammit" you heard her curse under her breath.
You blinked slowly a few times before your eyes managed to stay open. You reached up to your neck with a shaky hand, and when you pulled it away, you could see that it was covered in blood.
Vi quickly tugged at the bandage wrapped around her wrist, tearing the end of it off and holding it to your neck to stop the bleeding.
"Okay shit, um, just try to hang on, and-" Vi was internally panicking, but she knew that couldn't afford to panic right now. She needed to get you somewhere safe.
Ideally, getting you back to your home, at Benzo's shop, would've been her call. But the urgency of the circumstances, paired with their location, meant it would be faster and safer to take you back to the Last Drop.
"Okay, I'm gonna pull you up, and when I do, try to stand. Got it?" You managed a small nod, preparing the remainder of your strength to get up. "On three." When she finished counting down, Vi grabbed your wrists and pulled your upper body up. You mustered up the strength to get your legs stable, and Vi helped you the rest of the way to a standing position.
Vi wrapped one of her arms gently around your waist, and held on to your hand to keep it around her shoulder. You leaned some of your weight on her, still keeping the bandage pressed against the wound on your neck.
"The Last Drop isn't far from here," she said as she started to take small steps, moving slow enough for you to remain steady. "Do you think you can make it?"
"Yeah, I can make it," you croaked softly. The stinging in your neck hadn't subsided one bit, and you still had knots of worry tied up tightly in your stomach. You didn't dare mention any of that though.
As you walked, you tried to distract yourself from the pain, which led to you occasionally glancing at Vi to take in as much of her appearance as you could. Even though you already knew what she looked like, with her half-shaved choppy pink hair and pale blue eyes, there were details that you only noticed from being this close to her.
The first new thing you noticed was the array of freckles that faintly dusted her cheeks. Then, you spotted a small area on her right eyebrow, where a scar interrupted it.
That was only the beginning. Each time your eyes fell on the scrapes and bruises from her fight with the boys from the alley, a pang of guilt ran through you. But that aside, you couldn't help but notice that she looked.....pretty beautiful, actually.
What's wrong with you? You silently cursed yourself. Your thoughts fell silent, as you instead focused on moving your feet forward.
When the two of you reached the Last Drop, she sat you down at the first free seat she could find. "I'm gonna get Vander. Don't move." With that, she disappeared into the crowd of people.
You sighed as you felt your blood begin to soak through the bandage. A few minutes later, Vi returned, with Vander and Benzo right beside her. Vander was holding a bottle and a rag, and Benzo had a seriously concerned expression on his face.
Benzo called your name out to you, as he quickly rushed over. "Lord, what happened? Are you alright?"
Meanwhile, Vi was recounting the events of the night to Vander. She explained she heard someone yelling for help, and saw you getting mugged by the three boys. He seemed just as concerned about her injuries as Benzo was about yours.
Your exhaustion and weariness from being attacked was finally catching up with you, and the blood you had lost probably wasn't doing you any favors either. Your eyes grew heavier as you leaned back against the wall. They slowly closed, and as they did, the last thing you took in was that Vi was still there.
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The room was dark. A faint light flickered in the corner, projecting a weak orange glow across the room. The door to the room was old, and the paint was peeling. something descriptive as you realized where you were.
You were back in your parents home.
Except there was no way you could be back there. It had been years since they had left, in search of something better for themselves. Four years, to be exact.
You'd struggled through nightmares for as long as you could remember, and a lot of them started this exact way. But that never made them any easier to get through.
You jolted as the door shook, something loudly pounding on it from the other side. The door was visibly shaking as the thumps from the other side grew louder.
Open the door, whispered chilling voices from every corner of the room. Open it.
The shadows from the corners melted towards you, shrouding the room in complete darkness. You could only watch in horror as their expressions ran like water through every emotion. Anger, fear, happiness, until they all settled on a look you could only describe as evil. Just pure evil.
The shadows surrounded you until you were engulfed in them. All the light was gone now. It was just you and the monsters, and you were alone and you were trapped-
You shot up as you were snatched out of the world of you dream, your breathing fast. Immediately, you felt a pair of hands softly press down on your shoulders, pushing you back down.
"Hey hey hey, take it easy." A voice spoke to you gently. You could still feel your heart beating rapidly in your chest as you gasped for air, trying to calm yourself down. As your senses slowly returned to you, you began to take in your surroundings.
You were lying on an old, beat up couch. A somewhat scratchy pillow was propping up your head, and a small, thin blanket covered your legs and torso.
The room was lit with a few stray candles and a lantern, which sat on a small table beside the couch. A couple chairs were facing opposite the couch. Various thick pipes were twisted around the walls, and in the back of the room, you could see a dusty old cabinet, with a couple pictures on top of it.
The voice that had spoken to you came from directly by your side. As the blurring affect faded from your eyes, you looked up at the person standing next to you.
"Don't try to move too fast," Vi said. She stretched behind her to reach a small cup of water that had been sitting on the table, before handing it back to you. "Here, drink this if you can."
You shifted a bit on the couch to lift your head up as you gratefully accepted the small glass. Your arm still felt awfully weak as you raised it to hold the glass.
You took a small sip of the water. The inside of your mouth was dry, and you could feel that you had been clenching your jaw as you had slept, and had bit down on the inside of your own cheek.
"Were you in here all night?" you asked her. Her eyes widened slightly, and a faint flush duster her cheeks.
"I fell asleep on the chair," Vi admitted, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "On accident."
"What?" You sat up slightly, wincing from your soreness, and the stiff feeling in your neck. "That's a really quick way to wreck your back, you know."
Vi just shrugged tiredly. "I'll be fine. I've probably slept in weirder places."
“That’s not exactly reassuring,” you responded.
“Seriously. I’m all good. Plus, you’ve got recovering to worry about.” She gestured to your neck. As you tentatively reached up to touch where the wound was, you felt the soft material of a bandage covering it.
"It's not that bad, is it?" You asked hesitantly, not sure if you wanted to know the honest answer or not.
"That all depends on how reasonable you're gonna be about all this," a deep voice boomed from the other side of the room. You stretched your neck around to see Benzo standing next to Vander by the door frame.
"You've really gotta be more careful, kiddo," he said, his voice betraying a slight hint of softness. "You're lucky that Vi found you when she did." You sighed softly.
"I know," you replied. "We really needed the food though, and-" you cut off, silently cursing yourself as the realization hit you. "They took the food. Shit."
Benzo didn't look as upset at that information as you thought he would have. "We'll figure it out. I'm just glad you're safe."
"We won't let you starve," Vander added. After a few moments, Benzo spoke up again.
"Alright, well I've got to go back to the shop and check up on Ekko. You can stay here a bit longer until you're feeling well enough to come back." You nodded, grateful as you thought that you still needed a bit more rest before you were feeling up for going back to the shop.
The whole time, Vi had been sitting in the chair next to the sofa silently. Vander gave her a silent look that you were unable to interpret, before he and Benzo left the basement. Your head flopped back on the pillow as you stared up at the ceiling.
Yeah, this was already shaping up to be a fantastic week.
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Sitting in the corner of the noisy bar, Vi couldn't get you out of her head.
The night before, after you passed out in the Last Drop, Benzo took you down to the basement, where Vander said that you could sleep for the night. Benzo thanked Vi many times for helping you. Vi didn't answer any questions from Claggor or Mylo, or even Powder.
That night, she had watched you more carefully than she'd admit. Even though this was technically the first time you'd met, you intrigued her. Vi credited herself for being pretty good at reading people, but she couldn't quite figure you out.
Yes, you were clearly a kind sister to Ekko, and from hearing Benzo tell Vander about you, she figured that you were smart. But that was the extent of what she knew for sure. And you weren't really helping her figure that out. You mostly kept to yourself, with the exception of Ekko, of course.
Powder had come home talking about you one time. She had been at Benzo's with Ekko when she first met you. She raved for a short while about how she thought you were the prettiest girl in the whole world. She then sheepishly apologized to Vi, and quickly reminded her that she was just as pretty, but she had just laughed it off anyways.
She wasn't wrong though, a small voice inside Vi's head spoke up, but she quickly shook it off. Sure, you were objectively good-looking. Vi had noticed that herself. But it didn't bring her any closer to getting a read on you.
"Hello....Vi, you in there?" She snapped back in as Mylo dramatically waved his hand in front of her face. She grumbled to herself, pushing his hand out of the way.
"What?" She asked him.
"What were you thinking about just then? You seemed pretty focused," he smirked at her. Claggor bit down on the inside of his mouth, holding back a laugh. Even Powder had an amused twinkle in her eye.
"Nothing. I just zoned out," she replied to them, frowning at the expressions decorating their faces. "Seriously, what?"
"You just got lost in thought there? What was it you were thinking about, exactly?" Mylo's teasing only grew more relentless the more Vi pushed back. "Were you thinking about her?"
Vi rolled her eyes at him. "You're gonna have to be more specific."
"Ekko's sister. Who you're totally whipped for, by the way." Mylo's smirk was only getting bigger by the second.
"No, I- shut up, I just hope she's okay, is all" Vi said, a faint flush rising to the surface of her face.
"Ooh, I know! You should marry her, and then she can be my sister and she can show me how she braids her hair!" Powder was practically bouncing out of her seat with excitement. Even Vi had to chuckle lightly at that.
"I just met her, Pow. We don't even know each other," Vi said to her. Powder frowned at her.
"But you kept staring at her....and your face is all red." Mylo let out a loud cackle, and Claggor covered his mouth with his fist to hide his laughter.
"You're all assholes," Vi muttered under her breath, but she was smiling too.
At the very least, it couldn't hurt to get to know you better. Right?
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"How are you feeling?" You sat up slightly as Vi poked her head into the room.
"Better," you admitted as she sat down in the chair across from where you were laying down. "I don't think I said thank you. For...y'know, saving my ass." Her lips tugged up into a small smile.
"Don't mention it," she said.
"Seriously. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up when you did." Vi just shrugged.
"It's not a big deal. I'm just glad you're okay." You smiled weakly at her.
"I don't think we ever actually met, officially." You extended your hand as far as you could, offering it to her. "I'm ________." She repeated your name to herself, and you had to admit that your heart skipped a beat at that.
"Vi." She took your hand, shaking it carefully.
---
You'd never understood the phrase 'we just clicked' before Vi. There were a lot of things about friendship you didn't understand before Vi. Because that was its own category of your life now; Before Vi.
You hadn't ever been able to find good parts of living in Zaun. Hell, you never believed that there were any, beside the calm afternoons you had all to yourself, or with Ekko. But Vi seemed to have it figured out.
Eating at Jericho's, going down to the old abandoned arcade, even just hanging out on the couch in the basement of the Last Drop. Vi gradually started to open these parts of her life up to you, and in turn, you started to show her parts of yours.
You showed her the old gadgets at Benzo's that you liked to fix up, took her down to a secret small beach you had found at the riverbed, and gave her a tour of some of the street art that you liked to look at.
You spent hours talking; about whatever the hell was going on with Ekko and Powder, the things you liked, music, your dreams for the future. Almost every night was spent together, up late, on the roof of the Last Drop or a ledge somewhere overlooking the city.
Sometimes when you were with Vi and she was able to truly relax, if you said something funny, she would just laugh, and you could see the years of pressure and stress fade away, leaving just her. Who she could have been, if the world hadn't forced her to be something else.
And if it was a sunny day, and the light caught your face just right, Vi could see your eyes light up with a hopeful twinkle, on the rare occasions that you dared to dream of a better life for yourself.
You both stole lingering glances at the other silently, each never saying a word about it. But the more you both got to know and understand each other, the harder you both fell.
One day, you were down at the old arcade. You were sitting on an old crate, tinkering with a small device you had brought along while Vi was at the fighting machine.
"You never told me why you helped me that night."
She finished the round, her score lighting up on the leaderboard overhead. She raised her eyebrows at you as she undid the straps of the boxing gloves.
"What do you mean?" she asked you.
"I mean," you swallowed nervously. "We didn't even know each other when you saved me from those guys. But you did anyway. Why?"
She dropped the gloves on the side of the machine, and made her way over to the crate where you sat.
"I knew who you were. It's not like you were a total stranger." She answered.
"Right, but you still didn't have to do it."
She sighed, sitting down next to you on the crate. "To be honest, I kind of didn't think about it. I just knew I needed to help you." You were a bit surprised, but didn't push it. "Plus, it's not like you're complaining about it." You laughed softly to yourself.
"Yeah, definitely not."
You both fell into a slightly awkward silence for a few moments, before Vi spoke up again.
"I'm taking us on that job tomorrow."
You frowned. "What job?"
"Ekko gave us a tip about a job topside," she explained. "Some fancy apartment." You sighed, running a hand back through the top of your hair.
"How the hell does he manage to keep finding new ways to almost get himself in trouble..." You muttered to yourself.
Vi laughed and shook her head. "Kids that age tend to manage it pretty well, believe me." Her mind went to Powder, and it was so clear that you knew exactly what she was thinking about.
She stood up, walking back to the punching machine and putting the gloves back on. She flipped the switch on again, and started up.
You watched the way she moved, ducking the machine's attacks before throwing her own punches. With the way she moved, it was like she was born to fight, but maybe it was just that she had been fighting so long that it was all she knew.
“Who taught you to fight?” You asked her. She seemed a bit surprised at the question, but answered anyways.
“Vander did. His friend Sevika a bit too, but it was mostly him.” An idea formed in your head as you thought back to the night that you met her.
“Can you teach me?” She didn’t seem confused at the request, but you watched her eyebrows knit together slightly as she studied you. "To fight, I mean."
"Okay," she finally replied.
---
"So which one is your dominant hand?" she asked you. You were both standing in front of the punching machine, and now you had the boxing gloves on. You raised your dominant to show her. "Okay, so put your opposite foot forward and keep your knees bent."
You copied her stance, raising your fists in front of your face. "Okay good, but keep your hands in front of your chin so you don't block your eyes." She gently took ahold of your wrists, pulling your hands down to the proper position.
She demonstrated a few punches, and then walked you through them. It took you a few minutes to catch on, but you got it eventually. You didn't have a ton of strength behind your punches, but Vi just shrugged it off and said it would build up over time.
"Do you know how to dodge a punch?" You shook your head no. "Okay, I can show you." She mirrored your stance across from you.
"So when I try to punch you-" she slowly moved her arm in the motion. "You shift your weight and roll under it. Then you can punch me back in the stomach. Not actually, though" she added, with a small grin on her face. "Got it?"
"I think so," you responded.
"Okay, lets see it then." She sped up her mock punch for you to dodge this time, and you managed to do it. "Perfect. You're a natural. A bit faster this time."
But this time, something snapped when she threw the punch for you to dodge again. You froze. Your heart started beating rapidly, and your breathing stopped. Vi stopped short of actually coming into contact with you when you didn't move to dodge the punch.
"Are you okay?" She asked. You didn't respond. You couldn't. All you could see were the memories and the scars and the reminders of everything they did to you.
You frantically tried to tear the gloves off, but one of them got stuck. Vi immediately grabbed your hand, undoing the strap and quickly letting go. You threw the gloves away, sinking to the floor.
At this point, you were hyperventilating, the whirlpool in your mind turning into a hurricane. It was like everything came crashing down all at once and you were stuck.
You'd had panic attacks before. You'd never had one in front of another person though.
You grabbed your hair, rocking yourself back and forth as your breathing only got faster. It was like no matter what, you couldn't get enough air. You thought your throat was closing up.
Vi quickly knelt down beside you, but she didn't touch you. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not going anywhere. You're gonna be okay." You tried to hold on to her words as the tears started forming in your eyes. Vi held out her hand, giving you the choice to take it if you wanted.
You quickly grabbed onto her hand, squeezing it tightly as you desperately tried to get your breathing under control.
"Take your time. We're safe here," she continued. She sat with you, whispering reassuring words as the panic attack ran its course. It always took a while for you to fully calm down, but you didn't always have someone helping you.
As your panic attack finally subsided, Vi never once dropped your hand, instead, drawing small patterns on the back of it with her thumb. You looked over at her, still teary-eyed.
"How did you know what to do?" You asked in a shaky voice.
"I didn't, honestly. I just said what I hoped would help." She kept her hold on your hand as she stood up, pulling you up with her.
"Let's get you home, yeah?" She gave you a soft smile, squeezing your hand again. She didn't let go for the entire walk back to Benzo's.
And when she said goodnight to you, she let her grip linger for a few seconds too long, before dropping your hand, pulling her hood up, and disappearing into the night.
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"Hey Powder, come take a look," Vi called over her shoulder to Powder. They were standing on top of a Piltover building, staring at the sky scape of the city. Ultimately, Vi had made the call to take the job, especially considering how strapped they were at the moment.
Powder wandered up to where Vi stood. "Whoa," she said, looking over the city, her eyes widening. Vi's voice hinted at a small bit of happiness at being able to show this to her sister.
"It's nice getting above it all, huh?" The sisters kept watching for a few more moments, Claggor and Mylo catching up behind them, when an airship flew overhead, causing the roof they were standing on to tremble slightly.
"One day, I'm gonna ride in one of those things," Powder said with determination in her soft voice.
"And one day, I'm gonna shoot one of them down." Mylo raised his arm, making a finger guns gesture at the airship as it flew out of sight. Vi pushed his arm away, walking to the edge of the roof.
"Vi, are you sure about this? Look, if we get caught-" Claggor started.
"We're not gonna get caught," Vi responded, hopping down onto the roof. "We'll be in and out before anyone notices." Claggor followed behind her, along with Mylo and Claggor.
She sounded so confident when she said it, that they all truly believed it.
---
Vi kept her hood up and her eyes down as she walked through the Last Drop later that night. She caught Vander's gaze briefly, but quickly looked back down and kept moving.
When they made it to the basement, she flopped down in a chair, pushing her hair back with her hand. "Vander learns none of this," she said to the others.
"No worries there, Powder took care of the evidence." Mylo said in a bitter tone, kicking his feet up on the table.
"I tried, okay? You don't get it, you're older, you're bigger- it isn't fair!" Powder protested.
"So stick with us, take a punch or two-" Mylo started on her, but he cut off when Vander entered the basement.
"Everyone alright?" He asked, surveying the room.
"Never better," Mylo replied, a hint of sarcasm betraying his voice.
"Good." The door shut behind him as he walked around the couch. "I don't suppose you can explain why it is that I'm hearing about an explosion and a foot chase topside? Four children fleeing the scene." He paused, as Vi continued to avert his gaze.
"What the hell were you thinking?" He asked, turning to Vi.
"That we can handle a real job." Her hand fell as she finally looked up at him.
"A real job?"
"We got our own tip, planned a route, nobody even saw," Vi protested.
"You blew up a building," Vander said, his hands starting to move as he spoke.
"That wasn't-" she began, but Vander cut her off.
"Did you even stop to think about what could have happened to you? Eh? To them?" The room fell silent once again as Vander pointed at the others. Mylo, Claggor and Powder all averted Vander's gaze as Vi's eyes fell over them.
He sighed. "Where did you even get this tip?"
"We just heard it at Benzo's shop," Powder responded sheepishly.
"From?" Vander pried.
"Little Man," she finally said, nervously. Vander sighed again.
"I took us there. If you wanna be mad, be mad at me. But you're the one who always says we have to earn our place in this world." Vi stood up as she spoke, finally fully facing Vander.
I also told you time and time again, the Northside's off-limits. We stay out of Piltover's business," Vander responded, his voice growing louder.
Why? They've got plenty, while we're down here scraping together coins. When did you get so comfortable living in someone else's shadow?"
"Everyone out." Vander's voice was calmer now, as slowly, the others exited the room.
"Sit down," Vander ordered her.
"I'm fine," she started.
"Sit. Down." She sighed, sitting back down in the chair.
"Those kids look up to you." Vi leaned back, reaching up to rest her chin on her hand.
"Yeah, I know," she responded.
"You know, but you don't know. When people look up to you, you don't get to be selfish."
"I'm not-" she began, but he kept going.
"You say run, they run. You say swim, they dive in. You say light a fire, they show up with oil. But whatever happens, it's on you."
Vi sighed, looking down as he spoke up again. "Just like it's on me what happens to us down here. We make ourselves a problem for Piltover, and they will send the enforcers."
"So? Why answer to them? These are our streets. Someone should remind them of that."
"You're not hearing me. That path? This?" He grabbed one of her wrists, holding up her hand. The bandages on her knuckles were covered in blood. "It's not gonna solve your problems. Just makes more of them. We clear?" She looked at her hand for a moment longer, as Vander uncorked a bottle and poured some of the alcohol on a cloth.
He dabbed the wound above her eyebrow gently, but she still winced at the sting. "How'd you get this?" Vi scoffed lightly in response.
"Some idiot was following us."
"On our side? Who?" Vander's eyebrows raised.
"I don't know. He was after the stuff."
"Where is it now?" Vi sighed.
"We lost it."
"All of it?" She nodded. "Good. Nothing can tie you to what happened up there. You're gonna have to lay low for a bit, understand?
"Okay," Vi sighed. "We're gonna be fine, right?
"I'll take care of it." Vander stood up to leave, but paused for a second. "Oh, you did put that idiot on his ass, though, right?" Vi chuckled to herself weakly as Vander gave her a small smile, laughing to himself as well. She stayed seated in the chair as Vander left the room.
---
"We've all had bad days," Vi said, looking at at the bunny that was still stuck in between two pipes. She was sitting on the roof with Powder, trying to cheer her up. Her expression softened as she continued, looking at Powder. "But we learn. And we stick together."
She squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. Powder, in return, gave a small smile. After she showed Vi the crystals, she continued.
"Mylo's wrong, Powder. You're stronger than you think." She stood up, looking out at the city lights. "And one day, this city's gonna respect us."
---
"Ekko, what's going on with that thing?" Benzo called out to him. He was twisting a device with a wrench.
"Give me a few seconds. The canon pinion's still busted."
"Finish it later. Vander and I need a word." Benzo looked over at where you were sitting in the corner. "You too," he said to you. Ekko picked up his boxes, as you grabbed his arm, quickly pulling him out of the shop as Vander stared at him.
"Vander's gonna kill you if he finds out you gave Vi that tip," you muttered to him as you shut the door behind you. As you saw Claggor standing outside, with injuries all over his face, you sighed.
"So you guys actually went then?" You asked him. He nodded sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. You clenched your teeth.
"I'm gonna go check on Vi," you told Ekko. He smirked at you.
"Have fun," he teased you. You shoved his shoulder lightly, before pulling your hair back and walking off.
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
"You've really got this whole mysterious angsty thing down, huh?"
Vi looked up from where she was sitting on the edge of the roof. You watched her face slip from a grumpy exhausted expression to something....happier. You didn't exactly have the right words to describe it. But you could see clearly that it was there.
You sat down on the edge of the roof next to her. "Powder told me that you were up here." You paused, flushing faintly. "She actually said a whole lot more than that. I think she and Ekko have been plotting something, but I'm too scared to ask what at this point."
Vi's cheeks quickly heated up as she imagined all the things Powder might have said to you, but she still managed to chuckle to herself at your comment. "Yeah, between the two of them, whatever it is probably isn't good."
You smiled at that. "Don't worry, she was on her way to go to bed. She seemed pretty exhausted, poor kid."
"She had a rough day," Vi replied. She looked back out at the skyline of the city, as a light in the distance flickered.
"Yeah, I heard," you sighed softly. "I'm pretty sure Vander's gonna kill Ekko for giving you that tip." Her expression hardened slightly.
"He thinks I'm too reckless," she said as she looked down at her hands, which were still covered by the bloody bandages. You followed her gaze down to her hands. Your eyebrows knitted together as you saw the dried blood on them.
"What happened? Claggor looked really beat up." You finally asked her. She sighed, not looking up.
"Some assholes followed us. They were after the stuff," she quickly added when your expression grew even more concerned. Your eyes dropped back down to her hands.
"That's wrapped really tight, you know," you spoke up softly. She just shrugged in response. You sighed, and scooted closer to her, to the point where your leg was pressed against hers. You grabbed one of her wrists, placing her hand in your lap as you started to unwrap the bandage.
Vi looked over at you with a confused expression. Her mouth hung open slightly and the blush on her cheeks was back, but she didn't protest. She simply watched as you pulled the bandages off her right hand, before moving to her left hand.
Once you were done unwrapping her hands, you held onto them for a second longer than you needed to, before gently setting them back in their place in her lap. "There. Much better," you said.
You smiled softly to yourself when you noticed her expression, and the shade of pink that coated her cheeks. A nauseous feeling returned to your stomach as you remembered what you had come here to tell her.
"I'm sorry about the other day." You dropped her gaze, looking back out at the city. Vi's heart, which had been beating of of her chest, slowed down as you looked away from her.
"You don't have to be sorry. Fighting isn't for everyone," she said softly to you.
"I know, just....I feel stupid about it is all." She watched as your fingers moved through your hair, pulling it out of the knot you had tied it in. It fell over your shoulder in waves as you tried (somewhat successfully) to smooth it down.
"Can I ask why you...reacted like that?" She spoke up nervously after a few moments of silence. You sighed quietly, looking down at your legs as they swung back and forth against the side of the building.
After a long minute of silence, you worked up the courage to speak. "Before I lived with Benzo- I mean, before my parents left, they..." your voice trailed off, unable to continue, but Vi seemed to understand what you were saying.
"That's why I froze in the alley. It just brought me back." Your voice shook slightly, but you kept your stare focused on the city lights.
Vi was left in shock. This was the first time you had been this vulnerable with her. "I'm really sorry," she said softly to you. You just shrugged.
"It is what it is. And they're gone now. They can't hurt me anymore." The tone of your voice betrayed the fact that you needed to reassure yourself of that just as much as you needed to reassure her. After a few minutes in silence, you spoke up again.
"So, what about you then?"
"What about me?" She frowned, confused.
"I mean, how'd you end up with Vander?" You paused, noticing her demeanor quickly shift.
"I had parents. They were killed by enforcers. When I was nine." Her voice was quiet and soft, and her eyes hardened as she tried to hold back the tears that rose to the surface.
"I'm so sorry, Vi," you whispered to her. She cleared her throat, trying to shake the feeling off.
"Don't be....it's not like you did it," she replied, her voice a bit firmer this time.
"It's still shitty," you replied simply. "You know I'm always here if you want to talk about it, right?"
She nodded, and with that, the two of you were left in silence. Your thighs were still pressed against each other as you both watched the movement of the city.
"You know," you said, causing her to turn her head towards you. "You're the only person I ever told. Hell, I think you might be the only friend I've ever had."
Her breath caught in her throat, but she managed to smile softly at you. "Well, I'm happy to help." You chuckled softly at that.
Before you could think further about what you were doing, your hand moved away from your side. You reached up to where the bruise on the side of her cheek had turned purple. Your fingertips tenderly brushed the area around the bruise. The very end of your pinky traced the edge of her lip.
Your touch was delicate and soft. Vi's breathing slowed down as she watched you. A short strand of your hair had fallen in front of your eye, and when you paused for a moment, she tucked it back behind your ear.
Vi had already known how she felt about you. But this brought it to life all over again.
And you knew how you felt about her too.
"This is real, right?" Her voice was small and soft, and you thought the sound of it was the best thing you’d ever heard.
"Yeah," you whispered softly back. "This is real."
Your hand dropped as your body leaned over. Your shoulder bumped against hers, and the side of her head leaned against yours. You stayed like that, with your hands laced together and your bodies pressed tightly against one another.
Vi didn't think she'd ever felt more at peace.
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
End note: OMG if you made it this far I admire your willpower. My apologies for the cliffhanger, part 3 is in my drafts now and will hopefully be dropped in about a week. I'm sorry if the romance is written in a cringey or unrealistic way (yes I'm horribly single, what gave it away?) but I'm always open to feedback!
