Orion
“You see those ones? That’s Orion,” Caitlyn explains.
“Mm,” Vi hums in response, playing with Caitlyn’s long hair.
The two are cuddling on a picnic blanket, sipping wine, and basking in the low light of the stars.
“That’s a planet, I’m not sure which one though,” Caitlyn says.
Vi yawns and just nods against Caitlyn’s body to let her know that she’s still listening.
“Tired?” Caitlyn asks.
“A bit,” Vi whispers. She yawns again, but attempts to prevent it by locking her jaw.
“Stop, that’s bad for you,” Caitlyn mumbles, swatting at Vi.
Vi smiles and grabs Caitlyn’s face in her hands, planting a soft kiss on her girlfriend’s lips. Caitlyn melts into the touch, smiling against Vi.
They pull away from each other after a moment and breathe. Vi scans Caitlyn’s face and sighs, brushing a stray piece of her hair from her soft skin.
“I love you,” Caitlyn whispers.
Vi’s eyes widen in surprise. It is the first time either of them have said those three magic words.
“You do?” Vi asks quietly.
Caitlyn nods, biting her lip. “And…?”
“I love you too, Cupcake,” Vi says, softly kissing Caitlyn’s cheek. “I’ll love you forever.”
“All the way to Orion?”
“All the way to the farthest star that you can’t even see with your eyes.”
“I’ll love you always, Violet,” Caitlyn chirps, resting herself against Vi’s body.
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Vi bursts through the door, the grocery bags being thrown on the ground before she’s even fully in the apartment.
“Oh my fucking god, you guys,” she exclaims, collapsing onto the ground with the grocery bags.
“What?” Viktor asks.
Both Jayce and Viktor are still working in the kitchen when Vi makes her dramatic entrance.
“You’ll never guess who I fucking saw,” she mumbles, running her hands across her face.
“Shit, who?” Jayce asks. Jayce and Viktor make their way over and sit down next to Vi.
“Caitlyn.”
The silence is thick and dangerous. It is quite difficult to access the thoughts and reactions of Jayce and Viktor.
Both look stunned, but there’s more to their expressions.
Viktor looks confused, and unashamedly so. Jayce looks… angry? Definitely annoyed, but there is something much more intense, much more passionate behind his eyes.
“Caitlyn?” Viktor repeated.
Vi nods, not pulling her face from her hands.
“How are you feeling?” Viktor asks.
Jayce is still painfully quiet. There is a lot running through his head.
Vi finally glances up, making eye contact with Viktor first, then moving to Jayce.
“I’m… alright? I think? I’m honestly not sure. It was so fucking awkward, she was weird and intense and she looked…”
“Like?” Viktor asks.
“I don’t know, like shit I suppose. She’s never looked worse,” Vi whispers.
Jayce takes a deep breath and breaks the silence. “Did you two speak?”
Vi nodded, not saying anything.
“About?”
“How she broke off her engagement. And how I was pronouncing Cay-enne wrong.”
“It’s ‘Cayenne’,” both Viktor and Jayce say at the same time.
“Goddamnit.”
“Anything else?” Viktor asks.
“She told me that she’ll see me again soon and to take care.”
“How did you respond?” Jayce asks.
“I… didn’t really,” Vi admits.
Jayce nods approvingly, the thoughts in his mind unraveling with every second. “I’m proud of you for standing your ground, Vi.”
“Thanks, it was strange.”
“I bet it was,” Jayce says. “What an odd encounter.”
“How so?” Vi asks.
Jayce suddenly turns rigid. “I just mean-”
“With you talking with Caitlyn the other day?” Viktor asks.
“Viktor!” Jayce exclaims.
“Jayce?” Vi asks.
“I’m sorry, she asked to speak to me and we had a short, very short, conversation about how she needs to break up with Maddie and spend some time healing herself,” Jayce explains. “And how she needs to let you heal too,” he out mumbles the last part.
“What!” Vi yells, suddenly feeling slighted.
“Don’t be upset.”
“I am! You saw my ex without telling me, Jayce! And told her shit that I didn’t give you permission to tell her,” Vi accuses.
“Vi, listen,” Jayce says.
“I don’t want to!” she says, standing up.
Viktor grabs her wrist to stop her. “Vi, sit down and listen to him. He wasn’t and isn’t trying to hurt you.”
Vi glances from Viktor to Jayce, her heartbeat pounding against her rib cage, her pulse high with anger.
“Fuck this,” she says, pulling her wrist from Viktor’s grasp and making her way to the front door.
Jayce stands up and blocks it. “Violet, stop.”
“I don’t give a fuck, you’re being a bad friend trying to-”
She’s suddenly caught off by Viktor throwing a glass of water in her face. “Sit down and take a deep breath, goddamnit.”
Vi and Jayce both stare at Viktor in shock and slight impress. “I…”
“Cool off for a minute before you make any of your anger based decisions like you always do,” Viktor says, leading Vi to the couch.
“I don’t make-”
“You do, now stop for a minute, jesus christ,” Viktor mumbles, bringing over a glass of water this time for her to drink.
Vi takes the water from Viktor, sipping on it slowly. It’s been about six minutes before she finishes the liquid and breaks the silence.
“I’m… sorry.”
“So am I,” Jayce whispers.
Both Jayce and Vi turn to Viktor once again, waiting for him. He raises an eyebrow and shakes his head.
“I’m not.”
Jayce lets out a huff of a laugh and sighs. “Vi, she’s also my friend. I don’t see her frequently, but if she needs my help, you know I am going to help her. I told her nothing too personal about you, just that you both need time to heal from the breakup. Just because it’s been two years doesn’t mean either of you have been coping in a healthy way and you deserve the time to do so,” he explains.
Vi nods and looks at her hands. They’re shaking and she can’t quite bring herself to steady them. “I understand that, Jayce, and I don’t know why I threw a bitch fit. I think it’s hard to know she spoke to you casually after the shit she did.”
Jayce nods. “I understand. I never meant to hurt you. Can you forgive me?”
“Of course,” Vi says. “Just tell me next time, k?”
Jayce laughs under his breath and nods. “Promise.”
“And you forgive me?” Vi asks.
“Of course,” Jayce repeats. “Just don’t look like you’re gonna punch Vik and I next time something happens.”
“Well, you already agreed to there not being a next time…”
“True,” Jayce admits.
Viktor nods, approving of the interaction. “So… dinner?”
“Dinner,” Vi agrees.
“Give me a few to finish it up! Put on your Barbie movie,” Jayce laughs.