Chapter Text
Caitlyn turned the page in her book. She only read two sentences before letting out a heavy sigh. Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at the clock on her nightstand for what felt like the twentieth time. Vi had said she would be spending the night, but it was already quite late.
She tapped her finger on the corner of her book as she attempted to tamp down her worry. Things between her and Vi were great, better than Caitlyn could have ever hoped for, considering everything they had been through in the last year. But Vi had been noticeably busier over the last few weeks, and as a consequence her girlfriend usually didn’t make it back to Piltover until after nine at night.
A frown pulled at the corners of her mouth. At least, that was on the nights when Vi was able to stay over. Caitlyn shook her head, she knew Vi couldn’t spend all of her time in Piltover, but Caitlyn still couldn’t help herself from wanting her girlfriend to come home to her every night.
The more she thought about it the stupider she felt for spending time worrying over something that she couldn’t change. Vi said she would come over, and that meant that she would. It was as simple as that.
With her resolve set she continued to read, and after a few minutes she was able to relax. She had managed to get halfway into the next chapter of her book when she heard the familiar noise of her bedroom window being pushed open. Not wanting to seem too eager or make Vi feel self conscious for showing up so late, Caitlyn pretended to keep reading.
She heard Vi grunt as she climbed through the windowsill, then a couple of moments later Vi slowly meandered into the room. Upon hearing the footsteps stop Caitlyn glanced over to find Vi tiredly grinning down at her.
Vi tapped on the top of Caitlyn's book, “I can see how heartbroken you are that I got back late.”
“Oh, shut up,” Caitlyn rolled her eye, before pulling Vi down by her collar and into a kiss.
When she eased away she saw from the bags under her girlfriend’s eyes and her slumped stance just how exhausted Vi must have been.
“You look like you had quite the day,” she reached up and stroked the side of Vi’s face. “Get out of those clothes and come to bed.”
Vi nuzzled into her hand before kissing it, “I will, but I want to shower first.”
Caitlyn let her hand drop so she could grab Vi’s fingers, “Do you want company?”
A tired smirk pulled at the corner of Vi’s lips, “Always, but I only have enough energy to make it to the shower and back.” Vi winked and squeezed her hand, “Next time, Cupcake.”
Caitlyn watched her girlfriend saunter to the bathroom before picking up her book with a grin. She hadn’t intended to proposition her girlfriend, but to Vi’s credit showering together had always led to some sort of congress. A soft laugh left her as she flipped back to the page she had been reading.
It was a good handful of minutes before Vi stepped out of the bathroom with a towel tied around her waist and a smaller one draped around her neck. Caitlyn couldn’t help but peer over the edge of her book as her gorgeous, and quite topless, girlfriend lumbered to the dresser to rummage through the drawer Caitlyn had cleared out for her to use. When Vi dropped the towel around her hips to get dressed, Caitlyn bit her lip, her eye lingering on Vi’s form. She was all curves, muscle, and intensity.
But as unquestionably attractive as her girlfriend was, Caitlyn’s favorite thing about Vi wasn’t on the outside. It was how passionate Vi was about everything that she did and felt that Caitlyn had fallen in love with. There was a raw honesty and openness that Vi wore without a second thought, and Caitlyn found it to be comforting. When she was with Vi she hardly ever found herself guessing how her girlfriend felt or what she might want, her words and actions were always genuine and as freely given as her affection.
Vi walked over to the bed in a tank top and boxer shorts, then unceremoniously collapsed onto the bed, facedown, and released a long groan into the mattress.
Caitlyn laughed as she dog eared her page, “Was your day really that bad, darling?”
Vi pushed herself up on an elbow, “No, just long.” Her girlfriend yawned, “I can’t remember the last time I was this tired.”
She shook her head and grinned, “Come here then.”
With exaggerated effort Vi crawled over and laid next to her, but still at a bit of a distance. Vi looked up at her then down at the book that was still in Caitlyn's hand and her lip stuck out in a subtle pout. Caitlyn shook her head and smiled. She set her book on the nightstand then grabbed Vi’s arm, pulling her girlfriend so that Vi’s head could rest on her shoulder and chest. Then she wrapped her arm up and around Vi’s broad shoulder so she could gently scratch the side of her girlfriend’s head. A long sigh escaped Vi as she entangled their legs and pulled at Caitlyn’s waist to hug her.
Relaxing with Vi brought Caitlyn a kind of contentment that was exceedingly rare. She bent down and kissed the top of her girlfriend’s head. Vi was many things, but few people, other than her, knew just how adorable she could be.
She rubbed Vi’s head for a few more moments, then tentatively asked, “Do you need to go straight to bed?”
It would be easy enough to stop reading and turn off the lights. Extra sleep wouldn’t hurt her chances of completing the many tasks she needed to do at the station tomorrow.
“No,” Vi mumbled into her chest. “It’s just such a long walk from the Undercity. Do you think your dad would be willing to relocate the mansion?” She turned her head slightly, “Hell, I’d almost be willing to talk to the new weird Jayce if it meant a shorter commute.”
The comment made Caitlyn’s nose crinkle. It had been a mere two months since Jayce had returned from wherever in the arcane he had disappeared to with Viktor. She didn’t like the moniker Vi had given him, but sadly Caitlyn couldn’t refute it. The Jayce that had returned was a little older and far more reclusive than he had been before. In some ways he was the same, however there were things that had changed about him that made Caitlyn wonder. She understood why he had set a hard boundary on anything other than repairing existing Hextech, but he still tinkered and built new devices at an incredible rate in his lab. Which reminded her that he had a new set of prototypes that she needed to pick up for the department.
Deciding to change the subject, Caitlyn smirked and scratched the back of Vi’s head, “Why don't you just borrow a hoverboard?”
“Ha, ha.” Vi responded dryly.
It was an old joke at this point. Vi helped Ekko train new recruits and solve problems in Zaun, but after a single failed attempt at trying to stand up on Ekko’s board Vi had sworn off the tech.
“I was in south Zaun by the time I finished up,” she continued. “It was so far away I almost stayed with the Firelights, but didn’t want you to--” she let out a yawn, “worry. Since I said I would spend the night.”
Caitlyn kept massaging Vi’s head, but her eye narrowed in thought as she considered what Vi was doing in south Zaun. If she wasn’t at the Firelight base, then she was usually sorting things in the Lanes. There wasn’t anything wrong with her traveling so far away, but it did leave Caitlyn curious as to what her girlfriend was getting up to.
If it had been something she had anticipated ahead of time, Vi most likely would have told her about it the night before. But since she hadn’t it was likely an unexpected detour. Her brain worked to puzzle out what was of interest in the southern region other than the docks, but it was to no avail.
“What were y—”
Light snoring interrupted her, and Caitlyn couldn’t help but let out a silent laugh. It really must have been a long walk back.
She kissed the top of Vi’s head again and lovingly brushed red hair out of her girlfriend’s eyes. It had become dreadful trying to get to sleep without Vi curled up next to her or cuddling her from behind. Though, Caitlyn knew she was wildly lucky to have Vi in her life at all.
She picked up her book after adjusting so that she wouldn't wake Vi. Her face grew serious as studied her girlfriend’s sleeping form. It meant everything that Vi always came back when she said she would. It was a kind of dependability that was rare in anyone, let alone a partner. And while she didn’t love that Vi stayed the night in Zaun half the time, she trusted that it was always because Vi had to and not because she needed space or was unwilling to commit to their relationship.
A small smile pulled at her lips as she continued to read while lovingly scratching Vi’s head. Whenever Vi couldn’t come back to the manor at night, she would be starving for Caitlyn's attention the next time they saw each other. She had lost more than one shirt to Vi’s coming home passion.
Home…
Caitlyn glanced up from her novel in thought. Being with Vi all the time, instead of only some nights of the week, was something she imagined often. Though she knew it was too selfish to voice such a desire out loud. Vi was working every day to help rebuild and revitalize Zaun, while she was doing everything she could to put things back together in Piltover after the war. The new council had instated Caitlyn as the acting Sheriff of Piltover. It was a probationary position and title, and had led to weeks of heated debate between the members. Even though she had given up her mother’s seat to allow for Zaun to have a place on the council, there was still well deserved animosity against her in the undercity and segments of Piltover population. She knew how lucky she was to be given a second chance; she needed to make the most of it.
Her hand paused its movement and simply rested on Vi’s head. They each had responsibilities that were vital and so many people that counted on them both. So as much as she wanted to be with Vi all the time, she knew she didn’t have the right to hope for such a thing.
A solemn frown marked her face as she protectively hugged Vi. Duty was a burden she had earned and accepted, which meant not getting everything she wanted.
Caitlyn leaned into Vi as they stood in the warm morning sunlight of her open bedroom window. Vi tilted her head up to give her a quick kiss goodbye, but Caitlyn could never get enough of her girlfriend’s lips. Especially after the morning they had just shared. So she pulled her back in for a longer kiss.
With a good night of sleep under her Vi had woken up hungry for something other than breakfast, and Caitlyn was sorely tempted to ask her to stay a while longer.
“See you tonight?” Caitlyn asked playfully. “I didn’t get nearly enough of you just now.”
Vi grinned brashly, “Really, you looked pretty satisfied when I came back up for air.”
Caitlyn snaked her hand up Vi’s chest and then around to the back of her neck, “Oh, I was quite satisfied. But hearing you call my name never fails to turn me on.”
“Dammit, Cupcake.” Vi blushed, “You are going to make me crawl back into bed with you and make us both late.”
That was exactly what Caitlyn wanted to do, but she also knew that they couldn’t shirk their respective obligations. So with a smirk she kissed Vi chastely, “So, I’ll see you tonight then?”
Vi pulled her in close with a delightfully strong grip, and her eyes lingered on Caitlyn’s lips, “Not even a swarm of shimmer goons could keep me away.” She looked up into Caitlyn’s eye before kissing her, “I love you, Cait.”
The words caused Caitlyn’s smirk to transform into a contented smile, “I love you too, Vi.”
Her fingers absently rubbed against the hair at the back of Vi’s neck as she looked into her girlfriend’s gray eyes. Holding in a sigh, she pulled away, “Be safe.”
Vi grabbed the window frame and turned back to wink over her shoulder, “Always.”
Caitlyn’s longing turned into a tiny pang of regret as she watched Vi climb down and stride away from the manor. She loosely clenched her fists and let out a small huff as she looked out the fenestration. She shook her head as she pulled her thoughts together and walked to the full-length mirror near her dresser, straightened her uniform, and adjusted her eye patch.
After one last inspection and a curt nod to her reflection she strode to her bedroom door. Upon opening it, the smell of fresh baked goods and coffee met her. As was her father’s tradition, he was making breakfast and almost certainly packing her a nutritious lunch to take to work. It wasn’t that she was incapable of making her own meals. She had learned enough from him to sustain herself, but as she had grown up she came to realize that it was one of the ways that he liked to show that he cared about those around him. Cooking was an act of love on his part. A way to take care of people after he had given up his medical practice.
Caitlyn walked down the stairs and then around the banister to enter the kitchen. The space looked like it did most mornings before she headed into work, the counter was full of food and his back was turned away from the door as he worked over top of a pan on the stove. There were two freshly baked loaves on the counter, one of which looked like his sweet orange, cardamom bread. There was also a bowl of fruit that had already been chopped and had a spoon placed inside for serving, and a roast turkey from the icebox was sitting partially sliced on the counter next to a cutting board full of sliced tomatoes, onions, lettuce and an untouched wedge of cheese.
“Good morning, father,” she smiled at him.
He turned his head slightly to acknowledge that he had heard her, “Good morning, dear. Go ahead and get started, the eggs will be done shortly. Oh, I made bread. You should slice enough for you and Violet.”
Caitlyn raised her eyebrow at his suggestion. It wasn’t unusual for Vi to join them for breakfast, but Vi had come in through the window late last night and left the same way this morning. She looked through the glass of the kitchen’s double doors, it was possible that he saw Vi walking down the path when she left. Her room was practically on top of the kitchen. But if he had seen her leaving then why would he tell her to make up breakfast for Vi as well?
There was a small frown on her face as she continued to think on the matter, “Vi’s not here. She had things to attend to in Zaun today.”
“Oh,” he said as he tilted the pan and slid a large omelet out onto the plate he had grabbed, “I could have sworn I heard—” he stopped himself and then shook his head with a barely perceptible grin. “At any rate, I’ll make sure to save her some orange cardamom bread, I know how much she likes it. Do you think she’ll be home for dinner?” He looked at her almost hopefully as he handed her the enormous omelet that had, apparently, been meant for two.
Caitlyn studied him for a moment, “Not sure.” It wasn’t like him to stop a train of thought so suddenly. “She’s been rather busy lately, but said she would come by tonight.”
What could he have heard that let him know that Vi was here—
Her eye widened and she fought to keep her face from flushing.
“Ah, well,” he grabbed the knife next to the turkey and started to slice into the wedge of cheese, “either way I will make sure there is enough to eat. I was hoping to teach her a new recipe tonight.”
Caitlyn watched him and tried her best to maintain her composure. There was no part of her that wanted to discuss what she had just discovered.
Her father grabbed a long serrated knife and started to cut the regular loaf of bread, “When you do see her, will you make sure to let her know that she doesn’t have to keep using the window to visit? The front door won’t wake me at night. You did give her a key after all, she might as well use it.”
Suddenly, Caitlyn felt shame layer itself on top of her already unsettled state, “I, uh.” She paused with a frown, “No, I haven’t given her a key to the manor yet.”
“Oh?” He looked up with a worried expression.
She shook her head as she tried to hide her own embarrassment, “No, it’s not like that.” She fidgeted with her hands, “I just haven’t— well, I hadn’t really thought to do so.”
Her father smiled knowingly as he started to assemble a sandwich, “She’s the first person you’ve kept around this long that you actually care about.”
She wrung her fingers under the table, then looked away, “Yes.”
“Well, if you aren’t sure about something, you should ask her.” He glanced up at her with a serious face, “Being open to communication is the cornerstone of any relationship, romantic or otherwise.”
“I agree,” she grabbed her fork and took a bite of her eggs to give her time to think. Even though the subject matter was uncomfortable, she did appreciate the fact that her father was himself enough to have conversations like they used to. After a second mouthful she added, “We just have very different roles that rarely overlap. If I gave her a key it might make her feel obligated to be here more often, and I don’t want to take her away from helping people in the Undercity. Nor would I be able to stay with her in Zaun to share the burden of traveling between the two cities.”
Her father sliced the sandwich in half and then paused for a moment, “She did stay with us for quite some time after your mother passed.” His shoulders slumped and he frowned, “I know at the time I wasn’t pleased about it,” he looked her in the eye, “but after everything you two have been through. I think it is likely that you are overthinking things.” He shook his head and smiled, “Violet has never struck me as the type to get pushed into anything she doesn’t want to do.”
She considered his words as she took another bite. Shortly after they had made things official, Vi had started to spend more time in Zaun and consequently more of her nights at the Firelight base. She had been careful to not pressure Vi into staying in Piltover, but deep down she selfishly wished that Vi could come home to her every night. Caitlyn wanted more time together. Sex with Vi was always phenomenal, but she craved the quieter moments far more.
She was certain, from the way that Vi looked at her with a happy, lazy grin when they cuddled, that her girlfriend felt similarly. But she had no idea as to how spending more time with each other was possible, they both had important responsibilities that frequently kept them apart from each other.
“You’re probably right,” she smiled. “It would be nice to be able to give her something tangible to represent the progress in our relationship, besides a drawer in my dresser.”
He smiled, “I’m happy that you two are together again. You’re a splendid match, don't be afraid to grow your relationship.” He placed her sandwich onto a piece of wax paper and smirked before asking, "However, could you perhaps keep things a bit quieter during the morning hours?"
Caitlyn’s eye twitched and she instantly wanted to sink into the floor and out of existence.
She had gotten caught secreting women home plenty of times. However, this was the first time that her father had met and spent quality time with the someone she was sleeping with.
How was she supposed be in the same room as the two of them when she knew that her father had heard her make Vi—
“I have to go.” Caitlyn stood abruptly. “I— just remembered I have to be in early today.” She snatched an uncut piece of fruit from the counter and quickly headed for the front door.
“Sweetheart,” her father called out, “you don’t have to rush out! What about your lunch?!”
“I’ll grab something near the station,” she quickly mumbled back as she grabbed her bag and reached for the handle of the front door. “Thank you for breakfast!”