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"You're a king, and I'm a lionheart.
And as the world comes to an end, I'll be there to hold your hand."
- King and Lionheart, Of Monsters And Men
"Are you okay?"
Jayce looked up and turned his head towards the voice. Caitlyn had stepped out on the balcony, stopping next to him. She was watching him out of her bright, blue eyes. There was some light in them now. Different from the last few months, different from what he had seen before he was sucked into the Arcane. The pain, the sadness, the hate, the will for revenge had clouded them for so long. Now, his old friend seemed to see much clearer. Her eyebrows were furrowed. She was worried about him.
"I'm fine," he said.
"Mhm." She didn't believe him. How could anyone be alright, knowing what was about to come? Still, she didn't dig deeper. She leaned right next to him, underarms against the stone railing of the balcony. Her eyes wandered over their hometown. People were still getting ready. By this time tomorrow, all hell would break loose. War was on their doorstep. Right now, there was a calm. The calm Cait had only read about in so many books in the grand Kiramman library. And she wasn't sure how they were supposed to withstand the storm. Jayce followed suit, his gaze taking in the streets he knew so well. There was a hint of salt in the air, fresh and clear. He had always loved that about Piltover. "What do you think?" he said after a small pause. "What are our chances?" He had seen it. A possible future. We're meant to lose this fight. Part of him still thought that. Another part searched for a glimpse of hope in Cait's eyes. She was silent for a moment. "I think we have a strong defense," she said. "But Ambessa and her army are powerful, and they will stop at nothing. She will stop at nothing. She usually gets what she wants." She clasped her fingers together, in an attempt to hold them still. "And Viktor and his machines are a whole other battle. I think... we are as prepared as we can be. If we manage to kill Viktor, there's a good chance. If we manage to kill Ambessa, the Noxian army's going to respond to Mel. Two people, Jayce. If we manage to neutralize them, we win. If. And these are a lot of "ifs." She took a deep breath. "I still think... that we have quite the chance," she murmured. "We just need to be faster. And smarter."
Jayce looked at her, head tilted. When did you grow up so much?, he wondered. He still remembered that little girl he had met for the first time in her parent's house all those years ago. The twelve-year-old year old following him everywhere, asking so many questions. So eager to learn. The teenager pouting when he teased her about some silly little crush, only to comfort her and take her out to her favourite café for a hot chocolate when one of those crushes crashed and burned. The eighteen-year-old who grinned when she realized she was almost as tall as him. Hell, even the twenty-three-year-old only a few months prior, stubborn and dead set on finding her own way in life, against her parents' ideas. Before the darkness started to creep in. Now, he saw a soldier in front of him, a leader. A young woman willing to risk everything to protect her home. It made him proud and sad all the same. "Maybe you're right," he murmured. He wanted to believe it. Caitlyn closed her eyes for a second. "There are so many things worth fighting for, Jayce. Our home, our families... if there's a chance, we need to take it." She looked over her shoulder, where Mel and Vi were indulged in a quiet conversation. There was a glow in her eyes, a fondness. A warmth. He watched her, bowing his head. Cait had grabbed Vi's hand during their briefing. Had intertwined their fingers, as if to ground them both. One more thing worth fighting for, for the woman next to him. "You and Vi?"
That made her blink, then smile. "Yeah. Seems like I didn't mess up as much as I thought. Didn't think she... would forgive me. After all the shit I did."
"She loves you," Jayce mused. "And you love her. Tough as you two are.. the glances you share are pretty telling. I saw you being smitten with quite a few girls. Never saw you looking at someone like that."
"Like what?" Cait turned her head back to him. He smiled softly. "Like she's your whole world."
"Mh." She looked back at the pink-haired woman. Her smile deepened. "I suppose that's exactly what she is."
He studied her face; the light in her eyes was even brighter than before. Yes, she was in love. Had found it in the darkest of times, in an unlikely place. And Jayce prayed that she would get the chance to actually enjoy it. To live it. To be alive and happy. She needed to survive. He needed her to survive. Because underneath all that hardened exterior, her internalized mask that came with her name, she was still the young girl he had learned to love like family. Watching her like that, he realized he could not lose her. He grinned slightly, nudging her with his shoulder. "So, did you..."
"Jayce! Oh my Gods!" Caitlyn elbowed him, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. "We had a moment here; why'd you have to make it weird?!"
"That's my job, Sprout." He laughed, rubbing his arm where her elbow had hit it. And Caitlyn, as much as she tried to bite it back, started to laugh, too. "You are truly insufferable."
"I know." But if it made her laugh, if it helped her forget, even for a brief moment, what was about to come, that's all the young man wanted. Cait smirked, then her expression faltered. "I can't lose her," she said. He nodded. "You won't."
"How can you know?" There was a slight tremble in her voice now. Jayce shot her a soft smile. "I might not know her well. But I know enough about your girl to be certain that she'll fight tooth and nail to stay with you. Just as you would claw yourself out of your own grave to be with her."
She studied his face for a moment. "When did you become so wise?"
He shrugged. "I guess we all changed. Every one of us."
Caitlyn didn't answer that, knowing he was right. Was there even anything left of the kids they once had been? "What about you and Mel?" she asked, trying to sway her mind to another topic, less heavy. Jayce looked down at his hands. "I don't know. I think she doesn't, either. Maybe we'll have a chance to talk about it, one day." And then, there was still Viktor. And whatever kind of affection he still held for his old partner. Next to him, Caitlyn took a deep breath. "I wonder... what my mother would say. If she could see me now."
"She'd be proud of you, Cait. I'm certain about it."
"Even after everything?"
"Especially after everything." She had found her way back. Out of the dark hole anger and hate had pulled her in. She looked down at her hands, feeling none of the certainty her best friend seemed to feel. "I hope you're right," she murmured. "I just wish... I had more time to... grow up. Before she left." She sounded so sad. There was still so much unresolved grief. "Hey." He gently nudged her, smiling. "You're gonna be alright. We're gonna be alright." He couldn't believe it himself, not really. But he wanted to. For this moment. For Cait. They fell back into an almost comfortable silence. He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. Salty air, clean and fresh. When he opened his eyes again to look at Cait, he saw that she was doing exactly the same. Breathing in the familiar scent before tomorrow, it would be heavy with heavy smoke and the metallic smell of blood. Holding her face into the warm light of the setting sun, taking in the peaceful moment. There was a shadow of a smile on her lips.
"Are you scared?"
"No." A lie. Caitlyn was a terrible liar. She knew that. And he knew that, too.
"Yeah. Me neither."
When they parted ways that evening, he pulled her into a tight hug. He could feel her arms around him, pulling him even closer. Her face buried on his shoulder. He knew why. That was her way. When words were too heavy, too hard. When she couldn't speak up. I know. I love you, too, he thought. His little sister. His strong, brave, stubborn little sister. When they let go of each other, he smiled. His typical, slightly crooked grin.
"See ya, Sprout," he said.
"We better," she retorted.
"Promise."