Chapter 4
Caitlyn never thought she’d find her soulmate. Never thought she’d have someone on her wavelength like she wanted or, as she was only just beginning to understand, like she needed. And then in walked Vi.
It was an odd feeling, really. The ache that came with knowing that you were one half of a whole. It’s not that she didn’t see herself as a full, complete, and confident individual. But she was beginning to understand what everyone meant when they said that finding your soulmate changes you. It felt like a breath being released from deep in her chest, like a weight being lifted from aching shoulders. It felt like seeing the sun rise high over the first blooms of spring after a harsh winter. It felt like she could finally do anything at all, if Vi was alongside her.
She never thought she’d find her soulmate. But once she did, she never thought she’d loose her just as quickly.
Her ears were ringing from the explosion, vision blurry. There was a flurry of movement around her, writhing, shouting… flapping? Her vision focused on Marcus’ dead eyes lying on the ground just beyond her. But she couldn’t focus on him, too lost in the ache of her silent conversation with Vi somehow just moments before.
You’re staying, aren’t you?
“It’s been real, Cupcake.” She had murmured into Caitlyn’s shoulder, gripping tighter around her. “Thanks for everything.”
If you need me, anytime, anywhere, I’ll be there, Vi. Whatever you need from me, I’ll give you it.
Thank you, Cupcake. I’ll never be able to… to make it up to you.
You don’t have to.
Still… Goodbye, Caitlyn.
She might have imagined the way Vi’s gaze lingered on her mouth. How she hesitated before jerking away and pulling her hood up. She might have imagined the way her muddled thoughts still reached out to her even as Vi was walking abruptly out of Caitlyn’s life. But it didn’t matter now, not since Caitlyn was dying.
You’re not fucking dying, Cupcake.
Strong hands grasped at her, cupping her face. Jerking her back to the present. Vi…
Was here! Vi was kneeling beside her, blocking everything else about the smoking scene on the bridge out of her view, eyes anxiously scanning her face. Caitlyn blinked, the ringing in her ears slowly subsiding.
“Caitlyn!” Vi shook her gently, thumb stroking over cheek, her face swimming with concern in front of her immediately. Are you okay? Oh fuck, what hurts? Can you stand?
Caitlyn nodded, wrenching herself upwards but not without her body buckling with the shooting pain in her knee, thankfully caught by Vi.
I’ll be okay, Vi. She coughed, not quite believing that to be true. She avoided looking at the corpses and injured littered around her.
Fuck, I thought you- I’ll get you out of here. Vi hooked an arm around her, pulling her upwards with a grunt.
They staggered upwards. Vi dragging them along. A shadow stepped out of the mist, a familiar slim figure who stopped them in their tracks.
Powder
“Shoulda known you’d come back for her, Sis.” Jinx sounded almost disappointed, the tremble in her voice betraying her cocky grin. She waved her gun, cocked upwards and facing the sky, in a circular motion. “Two halves of the one blah blah blah. Still, never thought you’d go for the Piltie type.”
“Pow-” Caitlyn felt the weight of Vi a little more around her. She reached up weakly with the hand not slung around Vi’s shoulder, hoping to give comfort but Vi just flinched from the touch. She looked torn, her mind was unreadable. Caitlyn didn’t know what to say. Jinx’s attention was dragged from them, a twitch in her frown as she caught the eye of someone else.
“Look who it is, the boy saviour!” She jeered.
Ekko stepped in front of them, his youthful face hardened beyond his years. He caught her eye, assessing quickly before looking up at Vi.
“Go, get her out of here!”
He half-turned to Jinx, the two of them seeming to exchange something that neither Vi nor Cait could understand. Jinx’s eyebrows knitted together, her face fixing into a smile. Ekko sighed heavily but stood his ground. Caitlyn tugged at Vi’s jacket and, like coming out of a trance, Vi finally moved to haul the two of them a safe distance away. They folded into a doorway, Caitlyn hissing as she was lowered to the ground. The wound on her leg would definitely need stitches. Vi crouched before her, looking world-weary and torn. Caitlyn’s hand twitched towards her.
Caitlyn, I gotta. Fuck, I don’t think I should leave them-
“Vi…” Are you leaving me?
“No, I- Will you be okay here a minute? Just a minute.”
Caitlyn hesitated, thought about demanding she stay, that they walked away together and never looked back. But she couldn’t ask that of Vi. She couldn’t do it. As soon as she nodded, Vi was tearing away from her.
Be safe please.
No promises, Cupcake.
The seconds were agonisingly long, her breathing felt ragged. Her heart jumped into her throat when she heard the pounding beat of enforcer boots running towards the bridge. She reached out to Vi but she felt too far away. She waited another painful moment. When she felt like she had been patient enough, she steeled herself, braced herself on the ground and attempted to hoist her aching body upwards with a cry of pain. She doubled over again and would have landed face-first in the cobbles, if Vi hadn’t chosen the perfect time to return.
“Fucking hell, Caitlyn, I leave you for five minutes.”
“I got bored.”
Vi snorted a laugh, shaking her head slightly as she looped her arm around Caitlyn’s waist again. “Didn’t know you had a sense of humour.”
“I’m full of surprises.” Caitlyn grunted.
“Enforcers, they-”
“I saw.” They hobbled their way away from the bridge. “What’s the plan?”
“We can try and make it to the ferry crossing before they no doubt shut it down.” Vi muttered, pausing for a moment just to pull Caitlyn’s hood over her head. “I can blag our way on or find a way to sneak us, or-”
“I still have some coin.”
“Yeah, that’ll do it.”
The stench of the docks rose up as Vi manoeuvred them quickly through the run-down under city streets. It wasn’t easy, the speed at which they had to travel to make the crossing burned the muscles of Caitlyn’s already exhausted body, but she had managed to get Vi to stop apologising every second hasty step of the way. Parted with a meagre number of coins (Though apparently still too many, according to Vi who wanted to barter with the ferryman, even at a time like this), they were on their way.
The ferry wasn’t as packed with people as the furniculars usually were, but the pair kept their guard and their hoods up. Vi found a small leaning-bench to perch Caitlyn on, one hand gripping her waist to keep Cait balanced and the other gripping the wall behind to counteract the moment of the crossing tides. Caitlyn herself kept a steadying arm grasped at Vi’s belt though she couldn’t quite figure out if that was for Vi’s benefit or hers. The vessel rocked and chugged as they made the short passing between cities. There was already a frenzy of activity and movement around the docks in Piltover by the time they arrived, making it a lot easier to slip away unnoticed in the fray. The further they got from the bridges, the centre of activity, the harder it was to keep prying eyes from narrowing at the two of them.
Vi pulled them into an alley to catch their breath, lifting Caitlyn’s chin with one hand to check on her, her liquid silver eyes running across her face. Caitlyn shivered, pushing the hand away gently, someone still keeping the contact as both their hands fell to their sides. She looked away.
“I’m okay, I can make it back home at least.”
“You look exhausted.”
“Says the woman who was stabbed and bleeding out a mere day ago.”
Vi shot her a withering look but the twitch of a smile was evident at the corners of her mouth. She watched Vi hunch over and stretch her back, a small but audible click sounding from the action before she straightened up again to roll one shoulder.
“I think we should take to the rooftops.”
“Excuse me?”
“It will be quicker and easier to move undetected.”
“Quicker for who, hmm?” Caitlyn scoffed, gesturing to her battered leg. Vi pursed her lips, visibly holding back laughter.
What?
“Nothing, Cait.” Vi shook her head. “Look, I promise it’s gonna be no more difficult than down here.”
Caitlyn remained unconvinced.
“Trust me?”
And despite her better judgement, she did. She sighed and rolled her eyes but she let Vi hoist her upwards towards the highest rooftops in Piltover. They paused a moment. She had never taken in the view from here. She stood, catching her breath again and appreciating how the glint of the rising sun caught the golden highlights of metallic architecture around her. How the brilliant whites of marble buildings shimmered and glistened under the rays. It was-
Beautiful.
Caitlyn turned, her face curling into an expression of surprise as she caught Vi’s soft gaze on her face. Their eyes caught and Vi blushed furiously, her freckled cheeks turning almost as pink as her head. She cleared her throat, shifting slightly away as she pulled Caitlyn’s arm somewhat roughly back onto her shoulders. She let the moment slide, content to be pulled alongside Vi as they stepped gingerly over gaps in between the buildings towards the palatial rooftop of her own home looming in the distance. When they got to a particularly large alley, Vi guided her down a series of windowsills and water pipes back to the safety of ground level, before Caitlyn took the lead and directed them the rest of the way.
There were no guards posted outside, no flurries of activity. It all boded well for Caitlyn having a smooth, secret return home. She guided Vi around ti a shaded part of the estate with a fencer usually reserved for staff. Punching in the code, the buzzer clicked and they were carefully trekking through the grounds. Caitlyn slid up to the wall, shimmying them along and guiding them towards what she knew was the weak point of her family’s security system. She knew it well, in fact.
“Why can’t we just-”
“Shh!” Caitlyn clamped a hand over Vi’s mouth, pushing her back against the brick wall and narrowing her eyes. Seriously, we have a whole secret method of communication and you insist on making the most noise you possibly could instead?
Vi quirked an eyebrow, her eyes dilating slightly. She slowly raised a hand up, dragging Caitlyn hand away to reveal a breathtaking, scarred smile underneath. Caitlyn forced herself to keep thinking normal thoughts.
Most women like it when I’m loud. Vi cocked her head to the side, her dimples only growing with her grin.
Fucking hell. Not this one! Caitlyn hoped her scowl would disguise her furious blush. From the smug look on Vi’s face, she hadn’t succeeded. She shook her head. Well, not in this context.
She turned, smothering the smile of satisfaction at the muffled choking noise Vi made behind her. She matched- or, hobbled- onwards, leaning most of her body weight on the wall. She heard the crunch of Vi’s boots on gravel just behind her.
We can’t just walk through the front door, to answer your question, because I’m technically supposed to be sulking in my room.
Cupcake, you’ve been gone for like three days.
You overestimate the attentiveness of my parents and underestimate my infamous stubbornness.
Noted, I’ll try not to piss you off.
You’re failing thus far.
Ouch.
They stopped walking. Caitlyn gestured upwards, jerking her head towards the slanted roof of the windowless armoury she knew well.
Here, there's a spot here that is easy to climb, though I fear I might currently need a boost.
Without another thought, Vi effortlessness lifted her towards the ledge, letting Caitlyn pull her groaning body up onto it before hopping up to join her with barely an exhale. Caitlyn peered through one of the ornate glass windows at their eyeline on the adjoining structure, searching for any figures moving within, before deciding it was clear enough to start scrambling past the hallway, towards her room.
This one, it will still be open. She gestured to the familiar windows, reaching up to pull one of the framed panes outward slightly.
Vi nodded, cautiously peeking her head in over the ledge before jumping over it in a fluid movement. After a quick scan of the empty room, she reached a hand down, supporting Caitlyn into the space with her.
Wow, so this is-
The door caved inwards, a thump of boots slamming into the wood as the barrel of a gun stared directly at them. They stopped in their tracks, mouths agape.
“Caitlyn?” Her mother exclaimed, eyes darting suspiciously between them, slowly lowering her weapon. To say she looked shocked would be an understatement. Pissed, sure. But absolutely, completely flabbergasted. Caitlyn knew by the way her mother shook her head, her brain must have been a mess of thoughts. .
“Oh, we were so worried!” Her father rushed towards them. She immediately slipped out of Vi’s hold and into her father’s arms for a bone-crushing, world-righting hug. “Thank goodness you’re safe.”
“And you’ve found a stray.” It wasn’t said with malice, more matter of fact. Like the act of sneaking undercity prisoners into her bedchambers was a standard Tuesday night for Caitlyn Kiramman. Not far off, but she still shot her mother a look.
“This is Vi, and I’ll have you know she’s my-” Caitlyn stammered a moment. Was she really going to say it out loud to her parents? It felt like there were too many eyes on her. She glanced back at Vi, waiting for some sort of signal or even a voice to tell her it was okay, but instead the other woman was hanging back, eyes huge and face open, looking way out of her depth for the first time since she met her.. It made Caitlyn suddenly and extremely self-conscious. She hesitated, looking back at her parent’s expectant faces. “She’s - my friend. She’s from the undercity.”
“So I see.” Her mother’s tight lipped smile at Vi was barely beyond a grimace. Caitlyn exchanged a look with her father, before he glanced up in that wordless way to Cassandra again. “Could we have a word, Caitlyn.” Her mother’s light tone was betrayed by the ice in her gaze, “In private.”
You’re in trouble, cupcake. Somehow, Vi’s usually playful, cocky tone sounded shaky in her head, like it was laced with something akin to blame. Like she was going to bolt as soon as Caitlyn’s back was turned. She really hoped that wasn’t the case.
Shut up. She held back her sigh, shaking her head slightly with a roll of her eye to her father. I’ll be right back. Make yourself comfortable.