When Vi wakes up, the first thing she registers is the sleeping lump of her girlfriend under the fluffy plush covers slumbering peacefully. It’s still in the earlier hours of the morning, and Vi’s mind is still hazy and disjointed from her sleep, but she can still make out the small, almost inaudible snores coming from under the bunched up blankets. A lopsided smile finds its way onto Vi’s face, and though she wants to hug Caitlyn tight and wrap her strong arms around her adorable sleeping frame, she doesn’t. The pink-haired girl makes a mental note to do that later, instead carefully sitting up in the large bed so as not to jostle Cait out of her sleep or accidentally make her stir.
The second thing Vi notices is that her own sleep was deep and placid. She hadn’t woken up once during the night- or woken up to Caitlyn hovering above her, shaking her out of a fitful nightmare, her gorgeous, sharp features tightly strung with worry.
It still gnawed at her, that dreadful feeling that always seemed to settle in the pit of Vi’s stomach whenever she thought about it; the “what if” of if Vi could’ve saved Jinx that day. The guilt haunted her, hanging like a thick cloud of fear and anguish over her shoulders, plaguing walking form and while she was asleep, too; Vi never seemed to be able to escape it.
But the fact that she was able to elude the nightmares, even for just one night, made something in Vi’s heart swell, and she found herself smiling again for the second time that morning- that must’ve been a record.
Looking around, Vi realizes that it seems whiter in Caitlyn’s bedroom than usual- and normally, she would’ve laughed about the undertones of that sentence; but right now, Vi was half-awake, blearily rubbing her eyes and blinking back whatever remnants of sleep were left in her fuzzy expression.
It’s not until Vi’s gaze lands on the large glass window to her right- it’s almost comical at the sheer size of it. It almost takes up the entire wall, filtering in the sun’s first rays into the great expanse of the room. The glass is clouded with thick, frigid air, and Vi physically restrains herself from going over and smudging a smiley face onto the cold glass with her fingertips.
Instead, she focuses on how white it is outside. The normal, bustling view of the heart of Piltover was now muddled by white, fluttering down from the sky and sticking to the window. It takes Vi’s foggy mind a minute or so to realize that it was snowing outside.
It didn’t snow in Piltover much, or enough that Vi had remembered it greatly. There were a few times when it had flurried back at The Last Drop and Vander had given them permission to go out and have fun- not before lots of begging and promising that they would all be okay and that they would wear coats.
The fond memories come rushing back into Vi’s mind, and it doesn’t take long before her eyes light up with excitement and she’s shaking Cait awake in one fluid motion.
“Cait- Caitcaitcaitcait,” She whispers, barely able to contain her enthusiasm as she rustles the thick covers her girlfriend has hid under, no doubt to escape the cold chill that has now settled into their room.
Caitlyn awakes with a groan, pulling the covers back just slightly. She blinks, trying to wake up faster than her mind will allow her to. “What..? Vi-”
“It’s snowing,” Vi grins, shifting and patting her thighs with her hands, trying to contain her excitement- and failing miserably.
Caitlyn can sense her elation, and she sits up, rubbing her face. “Is it now?” Her voice is thick with sleep as she glances out toward the vast window, a small smile of her own blossoming onto her sleepy exterior.
Vi nods, following her gaze. “Can we…can we go out in the snow?” Her eyes flicker back over to the still-coming-out-of-sleep Caitlyn, who is unable to hide her sleepy grin.
Cait sighs, amused, before pulling the thick covers off her in one swift motion. She presses a soft kiss to the top of Vi’s head, running a hand through her hair affectionately. “I think I’ve got some snow clothing in the closet.”
~
Caitlyn enters from out of the bedroom in a thick coat, accompanied by an oversized pair of- what Vi had deemed “snow-veralls” - and some old hiking boots. A winter beanie sits atop her head, and Vi can’t help but smile at the sight of her girlfriend, all bundled up in thick winter attire. They both dug through their closets, finding whatever old clothes they could that would be appropriate enough to trudge out into the snow.
“Come on, cupcake!” Vi beams, dragging Caitlyn’s gloved hand and practically sprinting out into the backyard of the Kiramman manor, which was now covered in a dense layer- or five- of snow, making the courtyard a dazzling winter wonderland. The glimmering beans of the sun stream down onto the powdery ground, making the snow sparkle glamorously.
Suddenly, a cold thud hits Vi’s back, and she flinches slightly, turning on her heels to see Caitlyn stifling a giggle. Frost clings to the stray strings of wool on her gloves, and she wipes it on her snow-veralls.
Vi smiles. “You throwing snowballs at me, cupcake?” With no hesitation, she kneels on the ground, the snow crunching under knees, gathering up snow to clump together into snowballs. The cold air bites at her exposed skin, nipping at her nose. She quickly gathers up a handful of snowballs, cradling them carefully in her arms, before turning back to Cait.
It doesn’t take long for a fully-fledged snowball battle to commence. Vi attacks first- though she claims it was Cait, since she actually threw the first one.
It’s a long, perilous battle, with both women using their Enforcer training to their advantage- Cait taking the defensive behind a tree, trying- and failing- to stealthily throw snowballs in Vi’s direction.
It’s not until Vi dramatically admits defeat, slumping down on the snow-blanketed ground and sighing. “You got me, cupcake,” She says, sighing and closing her eyes.
Vi hears the crunching of snow under footsteps, drawing closer and closer, until Cait comes to lay next to her, sighing.
“That was quite the battle, darling.” Caitlyn sighs, resting her head on Vi’s chest and closing her eyes. Vi only hums in response, slipping the beanie off of Cait’s head before running her hands through her navy locks.
Snow continues to fall from the sky, gathering on Vi’s lashes and melting on her rosy, flushed cheeks. It’s silent for a moment, the only sound being the slight rustling of fabric and the steady breathing of both women.
Finally, Vi speaks up, her voice thick and reminiscent. “Y’know… Jinx woulda loved this. When she was little, we always used to go out and play in the snow. She’d get sick, after- Powder being Powder.” A small, bittersweet chuckle escapes her lips. “And then I’d take care of her,” She adds after.
Vi couldn’t help the sinking feeling in her stomach as she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. The memories of Vi’s time with her sister was always a delicate subject for her to talk about, even with Cait. The feelings associated with Powder were sometimes too much to handle even for Vi’s own mind.
“She’d be proud of you,” Cait whispers. “I know that. I’m proud of you.”
Vi’s heart practically melts at her girlfriend’s words, subconsciously holding her frame closer. The words, however short they may be, still brought a sense of comfort to Vi’s mind. “She would, wouldn’t she..?” Vi trails off, remembering Jinx’s fiery personality, and how Vi knew she cared for her, even if Jinx didn’t necessarily want to show it. “I just… I think about her a lot.”
Caitlyn nods, humming softly. “Of course you are…she was your sister, Violet. It’s perfectly normal to think about her.”
“I know… I just- I still think about what might’ve happened if I could’ve saved her, Cait. Maybe… maybe everything would be different.” The guilt eats at her, consuming her thoughts.
Little flurries of snow continue to fall from the clouds, settling and melting on Vi and Caitlyn’s frames, intertwined together as they lay on the ground. The occasional breeze whips through the courtyard, causing Caitlyn’s navy locks to sway slightly against Vi’s chest.
“And I don’t want you to think I’m not happy here, because I am, I just-”
“Hey,” Cait says, looking up at Vi. Her eyebrows are furrowed together in concern, her sapphire eyes darting around Vi’s distressed face. “It’s alright, darling. I know. I know.”
Vi can’t help the few stray tears that fall from her eyes. She quickly goes to wipe them away with her gloved hand, sitting up every so slightly. “Shit, Cait- I’m sorry…” She murmurs.
Caitlyn doesn’t respond, only sitting up as well, wrapping Vi up in a tight embrace. She wraps her arms around the muscular woman’s body, allowing her girlfriend to relax under her touch. “It’s alright..” She whispers, soothingly rubbing her back as Vi closes her eyes, all the tension melting away from her frame.
The two women stay like that for what feels like forever, their bodies pressed flush against each other, breathing steadily in the peace of the blanketed snow of the courtyard. It feels peaceful, almost tranquil, under the clouds. The snow begins to fall harder, the flakes larger and quicker as they float mindlessly in the air.
Vi pulls back, sniffling slightly, a mixture of the cold weather and her tears creating a not-so-fun combination. “Guess it’s snowing harder now…” She says, looking up.
“We should probably get inside… we don’t want you to get sick, darling.” Caitlyn smiles softly, patting Vi’s head.
The pink-haired girl nods, beginning to stand up, taking Cait with her. Together they walk through the snow-covered courtyard, back inside to the warming heat of the manor. It envelops the two women as they enter, melted snow dripping off their clothes and onto the rich hardwood floors.
~
Vi holds a mug of hot chocolate in her two hands, the ceramic cup warm in her fingers as she holds it close to her now-blanketed body. The steam rises in the air, filling Vi’s line of sight. “You really didn’t have to do all this, cupcake.” She says, her body curled up against the lavish couch in the sitting room, the plush blanket plucked from one of the baskets and tucked delicately over Vi. She had stripped out of her sopping wet snow clothes and into a more comfortable sweatshirt and sweatpants that most definitely belonged to Cait.
“Nonsense, darling.” Caitlyn responds, dismissing her protest as she comes to sit next to Vi. She pulls her body closer to her own, closing her eyes and letting out a content sigh. “Now drink.”
Reluctantly, Vi presses the mug to her lips and takes a sip, the thick liquid warming her insides as she swallows it. She much rather would’ve preferred a cheap coffee, though Vi would gladly drink anything her girlfriend made if it made her happy.
“I love you, cupcake.” Vi murmurs, closing her eyes and resting her head against Caitlyn’s shoulder.
“I love you too, darling.” Caitlyn mutters, and Vi can practically hear the smile on her face without looking up.