Chapter Text
The sun shone against the lace curtains of Caitlyn and Vi’s apartment — the curtains, of course, were chosen by Caitlyn. Cars and people crossing the road could be heard all the way to the window of their shared space.
The place they both call home is a cozy space filled with memories of their friendship over the years, and of course, their own personalized touches. Vi’s punching bag, boxing gloves, and vinyl records were all scattered around the place—not in a messy manner, but in a way that made it clear she lived there. Meanwhile, Caitlyn had her own personal touches, such as the lace curtains that brought elegance—an elegance that she couldn’t escape from, even while living away from her parents. It was something she’d grown accustomed to.
She also had her bookshelf, a small desk, and a comfortable chair where she spent most afternoons drinking tea while reading her favorite mystery novels.
Their place smelled of lavender (because every soap, shampoo, and perfume of Vi’s was lavender-scented), jasmine tea (something Caitlyn couldn’t live without), and vanilla (Caitlyn lights a vanilla-scented candle every now and then).
Caitlyn had decided two years ago to move out of the Kiramman estate — which, of course, made her mother almost have a heart attack when she heard the news — (“No Kiramman has ever lived outside the family estate, Caitlyn.”)
But Caitlyn had made up her mind already. She and Vi had been friends for years; they had been together through everything: their first prom, first college party, first drink, first heartbreaks, first everything. They were each other’s pillars of comfort and support. Moving in wasn’t a hard decision at all—which is why they moved into an apartment near campus just before college started. And now? They had just graduated a few weeks ago.
The door opened, making Caitlyn put the paperwork she was working on down for a second to take a sip of her freshly brewed tea. Vi entered, a gym bag slung over her shoulder and a small towel in her hand, using it to dry the sweat off her skin. Vi took off her shoes and dropped her gym bag down.
“Oh,” she paused, taking her wired earphones off and looking at Caitlyn. “Hey, Cupcake. Paperwork again?” she greeted with a smile. She walked to the fridge, took out a carton of milk, poured herself a glass, and took a gulp.
Caitlyn smiled, playfully rolling her eyes. “All I do is paperwork. I’m this close to burning all of it down,” she groaned, picking up the papers again to keep working.
Vi whistled teasingly, “That’s called arson, Enforcer Cupcake. You’re a bad influence.”
Caitlyn groaned and leaned back in her chair. “I hate this job. I should be out there, solving crimes and shooting people down. Not nose-deep in boring paperwork,” she complained.
Vi laughed, walking behind Caitlyn and slowly massaging her shoulders. “Just relax, Cait. You’re just starting out. Don’t tell me you’re giving up over paperwork?” she teased.
Caitlyn sighed.
“You know our jobs don’t start immediately. We still have time,” Vi assured her, continuing to massage her best friend.
Caitlyn huffed, “Yes, but I need to learn all of this material before I start.”
“Are you a slow learner, Kiramman?” Vi teased. Caitlyn could already tell Vi was grinning and that she was coming up with something.
“Excuse you, Lanes. I am nowhere near slow.”
Vi laughed, “I know, Cupcake. Which means you can learn all of this,” she said, motioning over the piles of paper on the table, “and it can be finished in less than three weeks.”
“Where are you going with this?”
“I mean, we should take a vacation before we have to step into our adult shoes and work sucks the life out of us.”
Caitlyn considered it for a moment. I mean, it does make sense. A vacation with her best friend right before they step into adult life sounds great; no harm in that. Right?
—
And that’s how they ended up here, holding their suitcases and currently waiting in the hotel lobby.
Caitlyn and Vi were laughing and sharing stories about how the last few weeks of their college life had been. They reminisced about a few memories and laughed at the most embarrassing moments of their college life.
“You do remember that—that carrot-looking girl you dated during our first year of college? What the hell was her name again?” Vi asked, carrying both her and Cait’s bags while Caitlyn was scrolling through her phone and checking for a few details like some appointments they had booked.
“Maddie Nolen, you mean?” Caitlyn asked with an embarrassed smile on her face.
“Yep! Carrot girl with the major jealousy issues and clung onto you like a sloth on a tree!” Vi snorted.
“Ugh, don’t remind me. I don’t even know why I dated her in the first place. She was overly clingy, overly sensitive, and overbearing.”
Vi laughed again, earning a glare from Cait.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about all your embarrassing exes, too. This’ll be fun for me, especially since you date someone new every two weeks. I always some ex of yours to talk about,” Caitlyn retorted, a proud smirk plastered on her face.
“Ugh, fine. You win!” Vi groaned, raising her arms in the air in mock surrender.
Caitlyn smiled, playfully hitting Vi’s shoulder. They finally made it to the front desk, where Caitlyn was talking and arranging their stay while Vi was busy ogling the fancy decorations.
“Ah, Miss Kiramman. You’ve reserved the honeymoon suite? Oh my, congratulations! I didn’t know you had gotten married,” the front desk lady smiled politely.
“Excuse me?” Caitlyn asked, confused. She had booked everything a few weeks ago, and she did not remember booking this honeymoon suite.
The lady turned her attention to Vi, looking her up and down, obviously checking her out. “This must be your wife. Congratulations, Mrs. Kiramman.”
“We aren’t—”
“The honeymoon suite actually includes access to a private pool, free dinners, and a few other activities.”
“You must be mistaken; we aren’t—”
Vi chuckled nervously, grabbing Caitlyn’s waist and smiling at the lady. “Surprise, babe,” she grinned, looking at Caitlyn with a look that screamed ‘play along.’
“I booked everything. Didn’t tell the wife that I didn’t book the regular suite,” Vi replied to the lady. Caitlyn felt warmth crawling up her neck, eyebrows raised with the ‘what the hell are you doing?’ look.
“Ah, great! Well, I’m Agnes. If you need help with anything, there’s a phone in the room. Congratulations again, Mrs. Kiramman. Enjoy your stay,” Agnes smiled, politely giving them their keycard. Vi nodded in acknowledgment, grabbing the card, their bags, and Caitlyn.
Once they reached the elevator, Caitlyn pulled away from Vi’s strong grasp, crossed her arms, and glared. “What the hell are you up to?”
Vi let out a nervous chuckle and shrugged, “Well, Cupcake. Did you not hear what she said? A private pool and free dinners!” she retorted, hands up in the air. “Well, you idiot. That’s because I accidentally booked the honeymoon suite! We aren’t married!” Caitlyn sighed.
The elevator dinged, and the doors opened, revealing the floor that led to their room. Vi grabbed the bags again and followed Caitlyn, who was looking at their keycard and trying to find the room number they were supposed to be in.
Vi jogged to keep up with Caitlyn. “Cait! Could you walk any slower? I’ve got all these bags, and I can’t keep up with your long legs,” she called out. Caitlyn paused, let out a small smile, and rolled her eyes. She walked over and took a few bags from Vi’s hands.
“Darling, you’re the one who insisted on carrying everything. Not my fault,” she chuckled, showing the adorable gap between her teeth.
“That I did. I’m a great wife, aren’t I?” Vi teased, to which Caitlyn scoffed. “I don’t expect you to be the wifey type, actually,” she replied.
Vi dramatically gasped, “Excuse me?” she said in mock offense. Caitlyn chuckled, “What? You have major commitment issues. What’s the longest relationship you’ve been in?” she retorted. Vi gasped again and pouted, “Six months? I think,” she replied.
Caitlyn snorted, tucking Vi’s bangs to the side and cupping her jaw. “See? Commitment issues. You’ll never get married,” she shrugged and continued walking.
“I will,” Vi said. “Eventually.”
Caitlyn laughed and continued looking for their room. After walking for a few minutes, they finally found it: Room 516, where they would be staying for a week. She used the keycard to unlock the door and let Vi enter first. “Ooh, what a gentlewoman,” Vi teased, placing the bags down. “Damn,” she muttered, hands on her hips. “This place is fancy.”
“Probably because it wasn’t designed for a friendly outing. This is the honeymoon suite. With one bed. One bed!” Caitlyn complained, opening the curtains to let the light in.
“Meh, we’ve shared a bed before. Plenty of sleepovers. Remember when we snuck in through your room’s window after sneaking out to buy snacks?” Vi asked, plopping down on the fluffy and comfortable bed.
“How could I not forget? It was our first sleepover, and my mother pointed a rifle at us, thinking we were intruders,” Caitlyn laughed, remembering the sheer terror on Vi’s face and the confusion on her mother’s.
“Also, get off the bed. You’re in your outside clothes,” Caitlyn reminded, placing the bags neatly on a counter. Vi groaned, slipping off the bed. “You know, I thought your mother would’ve despised me after that encounter.”
Caitlyn turned to face Vi. “Despise? Pft, she loves you like her own daughter now. Always asking me when’s the next time you’ll come. Oh, and don’t get me started on my father! He adores you so much that he makes sure all your favorite foods are present during dinner.”
Vi smiled, “I’m just that charming, Cupcake.”
Caitlyn groaned, “You’re never going to let that nickname go, are you?”
“Nope.”
After unpacking their things and getting situated in their suite, they decided to head out for a walk around the hotel they were staying at. They had arrived after lunch, so it was currently around 2 PM.
They exited their hotel room and walked around, checking the restaurant, pool, spa, and lobby. While walking around the outside area of the building, where the pool and garden were, Vi was blabbering about how fancy the place was, and Caitlyn was sharing stories about how this was the place they used to go to as a family for vacations.
“Mrs. Kiramman!” a man greeted. Caitlyn recognized him as one of her mother’s acquaintances (no, not friends; Cassandra Kiramman doesn’t do friends). He used to arrange their stay every year when they went here as a family.
“Richard, pleasure to see you,” Caitlyn smiled politely, while Vi bowed her head slightly.
“Mrs. Kiramman, how come you didn’t tell us sooner that you’d gotten married? We weren’t even aware that you had a partner,” he cheerfully asked, smiling politely in Vi’s direction.
“Uh, well, we had a small ceremony. You know I’m not like my mother when it comes to big events,” Caitlyn smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes—a telltale sign she was just doing it to be polite. Vi reached her hand for a handshake. “We wanted to keep it intimate, just family,” she added. Richard took her hand in a firm shake and let out a pleased smile.
“That’s understandable. Have you enjoyed your stay so far, Mrs. Kiramman? If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call for me.”
Caitlyn shook her head. “We’re quite alright, actually. But thank you; I’ll keep that in mind.”
He bowed politely and walked away to assist other guests.
Vi let out a sigh and grabbed Caitlyn’s hand. “Well, Mrs. Kiramman, news spreads fast,” she laughed.
Caitlyn rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated groan. “You seem to be having a field day, Violet. This whole thing is ridiculous. I don’t know whether to be offended that they think I’m not capable of getting into a relationship or offended because they think I am in one.”
Vi laughed, tugging her hand as they continued walking by the pool. “Well, you should know by now that people love being nosy, especially when the topic’s last name is Kiramman,” she replied. Caitlyn just sighed and continued walking around.
They headed to their hotel room shortly after, resting to get rid of the awful jet lag they had just experienced after a five-hour flight.
After a few hours, Vi, who was lying in bed on her stomach while scrolling on her phone, grumbled. Caitlyn, who was reading a book beside her, looked up and lifted one of her eyebrows. “Yes, darling?” she asked.
Darling.
Caitlyn always used that term with close friends; Vi had grown used to it after a few years.
“I’m hungry,” Vi replied, brows furrowed and lips slightly jutted. Caitlyn chuckled, placing her book on the bedside table. “Are you a big baby or something?” she teased. “Let’s go get dinner, then.”
Vi nodded, throwing herself off the bed and waiting for Cait to grab her purse, the keycard, and her phone. Vi just shoved her phone in her pocket and called it a day.
“Okay, let’s go,” Caitlyn called, heading to the door and checking her purse for any forgotten items. Vi nodded, standing up and opening the door for Caitlyn.
This was usual for their dynamic. Vi was a sweetheart under all that tough exterior; Caitlyn was used to it (but still immensely grateful for) her being such a big gentlewoman. They had grown used to many things, actually, such as Caitlyn buying everything Vi stared at for more than six seconds and Vi buying every snack that Caitlyn complimented since she loved making sure Caitlyn ate.
When they reached the restaurant, the hostess immediately bowed. But it was obvious she was eyeing Vi up and down, her eyes scanning Vi’s obviously muscular structure.
Caitlyn cleared her throat, wrapping a hand around Vi’s bicep. “Should be under Kiramman,” she reminded. The hostess was immediately pulled out of her trance.
“Ah, Kiram—Mrs. Kiramman,” she said, scanning the tablet with the reservations. “Oh, you’re married,” she whispered, more to herself.
“What was that?” Caitlyn asked, knowing damn well she heard it.
“Sorry, that was nothing, Mrs. Kiramman. You may head to table 6; it’s near the windows on the far right. Enjoy your evening.”
Caitlyn smiled politely and pulled Vi to their table. “Was she flirting with me?” Vi asked as they settled into their seats. “Was it not obvious?” Caitlyn replied, scanning the menu.
“Were you jealous?” Vi grinned, her voice laced with obvious teasing.
Was I? Caitlyn thought.
“No?” she replied.
“Are you answering or questioning?” Vi asked.
Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “Just order something, Violet.”
“Uh-oh, what’s with the full government name? You’re not going to kick me out of the bed later, are you?” Vi teased, earning a glare from Caitlyn.
“I might.”
They ordered their food shortly and were served two glasses of champagne while they waited.
“So, what’s the plan?” Vi asked, placing the champagne flute back down after taking a sip.
“Hm, we could explore the city, there’s a beach nearby, ooh, and a lot of good Ionian restaurants are near here,” Caitlyn replied. “My father and I used to love going together while my mother was caught up in meetings.”
“Sounds like a plan, then!” Vi smiled, raising her champagne flute. “To our very friendly honeymoon,” she teased. Caitlyn rolled her eyes but chuckled, picking up her own champagne flute and clinking it against Vi’s.
“Cheers, darling.”
They had eaten dinner while talking about the old times when they were young and naive—young, dumb, broke high school kids—and how much they had changed throughout the years.
“Do you remember Sarah Fortune?” Vi had questioned before taking a bite of her food.
“How could I forget? You ogled her every time she was around. Not to mention you kept bringing her into every conversation we had. It was utterly insufferable,” Caitlyn responded.
“Why did you break up again?” Caitlyn asked, slicing a piece of her steak and offering a few pieces onto Vi’s plate.
“Thanks, Cupcake,” Vi said, appreciating the gesture before answering the question. “Well, she’s a bigger player than I was, so,” she replied with a shrug, taking a bite of her food.
“She was what? She played you?” Caitlyn interrogated.
“She said she wasn’t looking for anything serious and that she just enjoyed the attention,” Vi shrugged, “and probably the se—”
Caitlyn interrupted her, shoving a piece of garlic bread into Vi’s mouth.
“I, nor the rest of the restaurant, would like to hear that.”
Vi laughed, biting the piece of bread and taking the excess away from her mouth.
“Okay, damn!” Vi chuckled, hands in the air in surrender.
“What about you?” Vi inquired.
“What about me?”
“Are you not looking to date?” Vi asked casually, taking a drink of her champagne.
Caitlyn shrugged. “Not specifically. I think I wouldn’t have time, especially with my job starting soon. But if fate has a plan, then I’d gladly accept.”
“How about you?” Caitlyn asked.
“Same thing as you, actually. I don’t want to look for anything, but if something finds me, why not?”
Caitlyn hummed at that, taking her glass of champagne. “Cheers to that.”