Forks
“How was school?” Vander asked as Vi and Powder walked into the kitchen, Powder stumbled to the nearest barstool, practically dragging herself onto it, always a drama with her.
“Oh you know” Vi sighed, tossing her bag aside as she kicked off her shoes “The usual”
Fell asleep in English, made out with Kiramman in the toilet, ate shit in PE.
The usual.
“That’s good” he shrugged, then directing his attention to the younger girl sprawled across his counter “Powder?”
A long, gravelly, drawn out groan followed.
Vander locked eyes with Vi, who rolled hers, settling into a seat at the dining table, gently kicking at Powders gangly limbs.
“Vi, stop” Powder said, muffled by her face being buried in her upper arm “I’m so stressed”
“Ah yes” Vi mused, rolling her eyes, kicking out at her sisters outstretched legs “Those third year exams hitting hard?”
Powder turned to glare at her sister.
“Like you didn’t care” she spits, her lips curling up into a sneer.
Vi scoffed, regretting her jest. Powder had an inability to take a joke. She’d make plenty at your expense, but when you made a jab at her, she exploded.
“I didn’t” Vi sighed, leaning back with her hands above her head, stretching out her abs, still a little sore from training and her ‘workout’ in Kiramman’s backseat.
Powder scoffed, turning away from Vi.
“Yeah cause you’re not fucking smart” she mumbled, shaking her head slight, long blue braids swaying slightly.
Vi didn’t answer, just sighing softly to herself, knowing that in an hour or so Powder would be knocking on her door asking if she wanted to watch some shitty TV series with her.
Instead of replying to her sister’s jab, Vi stood with a grunt, snatching her bag off the ground as she wandered away.
“Don’t forget work in an hour, make sure you eat something before” Vander called, as Vi crossed the small distance through the living/dining/kitchen area and hallway into her shoebox of a bedroom.
Vander had never intended to have children, Vi had always known this, he was always the heart of Zaun’s community, the star centre back - Vi’s position - back in his day, now running the local bar in the heart of the small village, a rickety building made up of two stories and a small outdoor area.
People relied on Vander, they came to him for advice, leaned on him during tough times and looked to him for leadership even when he hung up his hurl and dropped his jersey in the gear bag one last time.
For Vi and Powder, he had always been Uncle Vander, Vi’s godfather, someone she had looked up to from the moment she was conscious, she watched him with fascination from the sideline, watching the way he barrelled into forwards, summoned the ball into his hands and shut down the star shooter of any other team with a slam of his hurley, the bas’s meeting in a resounding clash of the ash.
When their parents passed, things became unclear, murky for Vi and Powder. Countless meetings with counsellors and social workers, through it all, Vander was there, a rock to cling through in the storm.
It took 6 months for his guardianship to go through, and they stayed with him from that moment on. It was an adjustment, he had a big enough space for the three of them, having inherited his old family home and the bar, but income was tight, even tighter now with kids to support especially since he refused to touch the money left by Vi and Powders parents until Vi was 18. Vi had seen him many nights with his head in his hands pouring over documents, bills, paperwork.
That’s why she did everything she could to help, she worked shifts at the bar, down the street in Babette’s corner store and training some of the younger teams for a little cash from Sevika. It wasn’t much, but it lessened Vander’s burden, so she was willing to keep it up to support Powder, her future was a hell of a lot brighter then Vi’s and Vi would do anything for her sister, anything.
She shut the door to her room with a thud, leaning against the door and sighing.
Shrugging her shoulders she threw her bag to the ground, slipping off her school blazer and tossing it onto a chair in the corner, piled high with all types of laundry, dirty and clean, who knows.
It looked like a bomb went off in her room, clothes, shoes, books, sliotars, all littered her floor, there were even a few glasses, long drained of water and empty food wrappers strewn across her bedside locker and chest of drawers.
She continued getting changed for work, pulling on her loose blue jeans and her black t shirt, stripping off the stuffy school uniform that constantly got her in trouble.
What school had a blazer and a jumper?
And a tie.
That she never wore.
Hence the many demerits for uniform.
After a quick squirt of deodorant and a comb through her hair she reemerged from her room, ready for her Wednesday shift at ‘The Last Drop’.
Vander often gave her the more relaxed shifts, at least until she was actually legally able to work there. So Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Saturday middays were her regular shifts. Only working intense nights when someone called in sick or Vander needed an extra hand. She was happy to work in any way she could.
“Huck’s on with you tonight” Vander said causally, stirring the large steaming pot on the cooker.
Vi groaned, plopping on the couch to pull her sneakers on.
“Don’t sound so disappointed” Vander chuckled lightly.
Vi clicked her teeth rising to her feet to join Vander in the kitchen, moving past him to get to the fridge where she knew a protein yoghurt was waiting for her.
“He’s a dry as a wall, and he’s awkward as shit, he’s smashed, so many glasses Vander” Vi rambles, struggling with the top of her yoghurt.
“He’s good people, and you could talk for Runeterra” Vander tutted “I say you balance each other out perfectly”
Vi rolled her eyes, dropping the lid into the bin and rifling through the cutlery drawer for a spoon.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to prove that” Vi scoffed, shoving a spoonful of the chocolate flavour mouse into her mouth
She glanced at her watch, realising her shift started in 10 minutes.
“I better go” she muttered, moving out of the kitchen “Where’d Powder go?”
“Where do you think? Slaving over a science textbook - I’ll be to check on ye in an hour” Vander said, turning away from the pot to face Vi, who dumped the now empty yoghurt pot into the bin.
“Alright, bye” Vi called, grabbing her keys and bouncing down the stairs, opening the connecting door into the bar.
Her shift started off without a hitch, Huck was ten minutes late and apologised profusely, talking about some sort of business he hand and deadlines to meet for college, stuff Vi didn’t understand and didn’t care about, so she just waved him off and told him she wouldn’t say it to Vander.
Vander was right about Huck being good people, as annoying as he could be, he was as good as Zaunites came.
Wednesday were always deathly quiet, save for the odd regular and the known alcoholics, which were quite a few around here, but they weren’t much trouble, normally too plastered by the time they came in to cause any.
Vander came down after an hour, assigning them various tasks and telling Vi to start on her homework behind the bar - no chance.
Instead as she leaned against the back counter of the bar, surveying briefly as Huck took note of the stock, she pulled out her phone, tapping on the contact labelled ‘C’.
Maybe out of boredom, maybe out of need.
Who’s knows?
‘Any plans for the evening?’ she chewed at her bottom lip, watching the text bubble appear, the three dots bouncing gently, disappear, reappear.
‘Not much - aren’t you working?’
She remembered that?
Vi shook her head, typing out her response before the thought could go any further.
‘Yeah, never stopped me before? I’ll be done at 11’
What was she even doing?
‘You know that’s past my bedtime’
Vi sighed, clicking her teeth to herself - Huck still muttering numbers to himself.
‘Don’t be lame’
She dropped the phone to her side, running a hand through her hair.
‘Awww, sorry to disappoint you darling’
Vi tutted, shaking her head.
Her phone buzzed again, Vi looked down and immediately had to double take, jaw hanging loose. A second buzz she daren’t look at, a customer approached to break her from her stupor.
“Can I get a pint of Coors” the man asked, eyeing her weirdly.
Maybe the shocked expression was harder to shake than she thought, her mind was still stumped, hands still a little shaky.
The top of the pint spilt over the edge as she shakily placed it on the bar top, pawing around for the card machine, wanting only to appreciate what had just landed in her inbox.
The fact of the matter was Caitlyn Kiramman had just sent her a nude.
How was she supposed to be chill.
She finished serving the man as quickly as possible.
“Hey, Huck, I gotta piss, I’ll be back” Vi called, not even waiting for him to respond before rushing into the back room.
Vi let out a shuddering breath as she took in the photo properly for the first time. She wasn’t fully nude - that might have sent Vi over the edge - but she may as well have been, her face was cropped out, but her lean figure and washboard abs were identifiable enough, she stood in her bathroom mirror, in just a sports bra and boxer shorts, long fingers toying with the hem.
The message that followed read;
‘Take that as consolation xx’
Vi shook her head, huffing out a laugh, feeling a clench in her core - fuck, this girl.
‘That was mean :(’
‘Deal with it’
She shoved her phone back in her pocket, taking a deep breath and bracing herself for the longest 5 hours of her life.
When she’d first started getting to know Kiramman, she never would’ve expected that she would be, kind of freaky, or anything like how she was frankly.
It was all up to fate really, how they’d gotten together, long afterschool practices, watching Kiramman during matches, playing with her instead of against her, brushes at training, eyes meeting in locker rooms until something finally snapped.
Just the two of them, packing away cones after a particularly gruelling training session, Vi watched her intensely as she bent over to drop the pole bag on the equipment room floor.
When Kiramman straightened she turned, catching Vi red handed. A hot blush spread across Vi’s face, instantly her eyes shot to the ground.
“Vi” she said softly, as if broaching a wild beast
When Vi looked up she had stepped closer, cerulean eyes unsure, questioning.
“Why-why are you so nice to me?” Vi began, scratching at the back of her neck, trying to hide the shake in her hands.
It had all been too much, the way her eyes were drawn to Kiramman’s, the way she practically drooled over the way the taller girl played, how Kiramman’s hand brushed over Vi’s when she dropped her jersey into the gear bag with a smile.
All she could think was why?
Why did she feel this way? Why was Kiramman making her feel this way?
Why was she so nice to her.
“Uh” Kiramman began, crossing her fingers over each other in a subconscious pattern “What do you mean?”
Vi blew air out of her mouth, shuffling slightly, glancing out the equipment room door at the murky evening, fog and rain rolling across the emptying pitch.
“You- you don’t act like the rest” Vi sighed “You act like we’re just teammates”
Kiramman furrowed her eyebrows, her mouth hanging open in confusion.
“Because that’s what we are?” Kiramman stated plainly, punctuated by a slight shrug of her shoulders.
Vi tutted, shaking her head, folding her arms across her chest. She couldn’t wrap her head around it, truly, what was her play? Butter her up before the club season? Tease her?
“You know it’s more than that” Vi gritted, pulling her eyes away from Kiramman’s, instead focusing on muddied legs, long muddied legs, impossibly close to her.
She heard Kiramman shrug through the crinkly windbreaker she wore.
“Doesn’t seem like that to me” she mumbled.
Vi sighed, watched as Kiramman took another bold step closer to her.
A hand came to her face, a shock of warmth, forcing her to look up into those eyes, a chill running down her spine.
“Do you want it to be like that?” Kiramman furthered, and Vi’s mouth went dry.
Kiramman’s face was impossibly soft, and Vi’s could feel herself sinking into her touch, her eyes darting to Kiramman’s lips, before landing back on her eyes, spelling out all kinds of emotions that you could never discern from the taller girls face.
Vi had never bought that whole ‘eyes are the window to the soul’ shit until she’d gazed into Kiramman’s - they told all, betrayed her in ways Vi couldn’t even begin to comprehend. It was captivating, a whole story told in a single gaze.
“No, not at all” Vi breathed, a shaky hand landing on Kiramman’s hip.
Kiramman’s eyes flashed down to Vi’s lips, then back up to her eyes, then back down to her lips, back up once again, holding Vi’s gaze.
Vi hoped her face was expressing exactly what her mind and heart was screaming.
Kiss me, Kiss me.
So when she finally did, Vi completely melted, pulling Kiramman closer, her arm slinking around Kiramman’s impossibly small waist.
They pulled away for a second, Kiramman glancing to the door, no one approached, there wasn’t a sound from outside but the sound of rain hitting tree leaves.
Vi leaned in again, dropping the hurleys she held to wrap her other arm around Kiramman’s waist, wanting her close, as close as possible.
Kiramman’s hands held Vi’s face; on slipping around her neck to run through Vi’s hair.
After what felt like an eternity but also painfully short, Kiramman pulled away, the two of them panting, Vi’s lips tingled, itching for more.
“We-“ Kiramman began
“Fuck everyone else” Vi blurted out, her fingers delicately touching her lips in disbelief, both at her saying that and the kiss.
“I mean” Kiramman laughed, clearing her throat “We should talk, about-“
“Shut up” Vi laughed, pulling her in again, if Kiramman protested it wasn’t for long, the two instantly melting into one another, feeling whole even if for just a moment.
Vi chuckled now, cleaning a glass as people began filtering out, the clock reading 22:43, everything had felt so much more complicated then, but now she saw Kiramman more then she saw her sister.
Sure it was stressful, getting with each other in school was risky, but Vi was nothing if not a risk taker, and it seemed Kiramman enjoyed the rush of it as well.
Aside from that their frequent hookups in Kiramman’s car or pub bathrooms also left Vi wanting for very little, they were almost like a real couple - like that was possible.
—-
Vi woke up bleary eyed the next morning to her alarm blaring, she slammed her hand around the cluttered bedside table, no doubt knocking several items over, as she groaned.
Her screen blinded her as she finally put an end to the bomb raid siren that was her alarm, the time reading 7:30.
She shivered as she rolled over, it was starting to get brighter in the mornings as the school year ticked to an end, the sun wasn’t up yet but the sky was brightly awaiting it’s ascent.
As Vi sat up, an hour old notification from Kiramman catching her eye.
‘I have a proposition’
Vi’s eyebrows shot upwards at that, clicking into the contact and beginning to type.
‘Oh yeah? What’s that?’
She chuckled lightly, then caught herself, shaking her head as she ran a hand down her face.
When Kiramman didn’t respond right away (probably doing some insanely intricate morning routine) Vi threw the phone back screen down onto the bed and threw her covers off, stepping onto her barely visible bedroom floor and stretching.
She stripped out of the ratty pair of sweatpants she slept in, when she had pulled her tank top halfway off her head her phone buzzed, undoubtedly a reply from Kiramman
‘Can I see you this evening?’
Vi worked her lower lip, dropping her top to the floor. She didn’t do anything on Thursdays, but Vander was never suspicious if she left the house with a hurley in her hand.
‘Sure.’
She yawned stiffly, making a mental note to grab a Redbull or something on her way to school, lest she fall asleep in English again.
‘Okay, bridge, 8 o’clock?’
Vi nodded, mainly to herself, that would leave her about 4 hours when she got back from school to shower, make some attempt at homework and cook dinner for herself and Powder - Vander would be on the bar tonight and with exams coming up Powder might as well not be there at all.
‘See you then ;)’