Chapter 15
The cool night air rustled through the trees, carrying the scent of pine and earth. The fire crackled, casting flickering shadows that danced around the small clearing in the woods. The stars above twinkled with a clarity that you hadn't seen before. The sounds of nature were overwhelming—a symphony of insects, rustling leaves, and the distant calls of birds. And in the midst of it all, you were sitting next to Vi, your legs tucked underneath you, her usual bold and protective demeanor softened by the wilderness around you.
This was supposed to be a new experience for you—a change from the structured, predictable life you were used to. You had told Vi, on one of those long, quiet nights after a particularly long day, that you'd never been camping before. That statement, more than anything else, seemed to ignite something inside her.
"You've never camped?" she had asked, disbelief thick in her voice. "Like, real camping, no fancy hotels or anything?"
You had sheepishly admitted it, the idea of sleeping under the stars, surrounded by nothing but nature, feeling more foreign to you than any of the grand events your family often hosted. Vi, of course, had taken it upon herself to correct this gap in your life.
And so, here you were, miles away from the safety and comfort of your usual world, sharing this quiet, intimate moment with her. The crackling of the fire was the only sound between you now, and it felt like the whole world had fallen away. You and Vi, alone, in the wilderness.
Her presence, as always, was undeniable. Even sitting across from you by the fire, her bold stance seemed to permeate the space. Her muscular frame, the way she leaned slightly forward, her eyes bright and intense under the stars. She wore her usual attire—worn leather jacket, combat boots, and cargo pants—but it didn't matter. In this setting, it somehow seemed to fit.
You pulled your jacket tighter around yourself as the wind grew colder, and glanced at Vi, who was effortlessly tending to the fire. The flames reflected in her fierce eyes, her pink cropped hair glowing in the light. Her tattoos, which you'd seen so many times before, looked almost ethereal in the flickering light.
"Everything okay?" Vi asked, breaking the silence. Her voice was low but steady, as if she already knew what you were going to say but still wanted to hear it from you.
You nodded, unsure of what to say. It felt strange to be out here, so far removed from everything you knew. And yet, there was something about being here with her that made everything feel easier. The world felt a little quieter when you were with her. You took a breath, staring into the flames.
"I'm just not used to this," you admitted, the words slipping out before you could stop them. "It's... peaceful. But it feels so different from what I'm used to."
Vi gave a small, knowing smile. "It's different from your usual, that's for sure. But sometimes you need to step away from everything to see things clearly."
You nodded, contemplating her words. Maybe she was right. You had spent so much of your life surrounded by the expectations of your family, the pressures of wealth, and the never-ending cycle of events and appearances that you had never truly had the chance to stop and think. To just exist, without the weight of other people's desires and demands.
As if sensing your thoughts, Vi looked at you with a quiet intensity. "Sometimes people forget to just be, you know?" she said. "You get caught up in all the crap life throws at you, and you forget what really matters. But out here? There's nothing but you, me, and the fire. Just the basics. No distractions."
The simplicity of her words rang true. It was hard to deny how much you'd been caught up in your own world—always striving to meet others' expectations, always worrying about what would happen next. Vi, with her bold demeanor and ability to cut through the noise, had a way of pulling you into the present moment. With her, things felt easier.
A log cracked in the fire, sending a burst of sparks up into the night air. You flinched slightly, your eyes flickering to the flames before looking back at Vi.
"I didn't realize how much I needed this," you said quietly. "To just... be."
Vi's eyes softened slightly, and she gave you one of her rare, genuine smiles—small but full of warmth. It was moments like this, when she wasn't the tough, brash woman you were used to, that you saw the more vulnerable side of her.
"You'll get used to it," she said, a teasing note in her voice. "Just gotta stop being so fancy all the time." Her grin widened as she caught your amused expression. "Though, I'll admit, I didn't think a fancy city girl like you would ever take to the great outdoors."
"I'm not all that fancy," you replied, trying to sound nonchalant, though the playful tone in her voice made your heart beat faster. You liked it when she teased you. It felt... intimate, in a way.
Vi raised an eyebrow, the firelight casting dramatic shadows across her face. "No? You're telling me that you're not the type to have servants clean up after you?"
You laughed, a sound that felt foreign but good. "Okay, maybe a little fancy. But I'm not totally helpless out here." You gestured around you. "I'm not gonna need a five-star dinner just because I'm in the woods."
"Oh yeah?" Vi asked, leaning forward with interest. "Prove it."
You hesitated, unsure whether she was joking or not. But then, a mischievous smile spread across your face. "Alright, I'll show you," you said, standing up and brushing off the dirt from your pants. "Give me five minutes."
Vi watched you, clearly amused, as you dug through the backpack you had brought. You pulled out a small metal pot and a few ingredients you'd picked up earlier, including some instant soup and a couple of snack bars. You glanced at Vi, who hadn't moved from her spot by the fire, still watching you with an expectant look.
You worked quickly, trying your best to remember what you'd seen the last time you cooked—an attempt to salvage some dignity as Vi remained relaxed and confident.
After a few moments, you placed the pot over the fire and began to heat up the soup. You kept glancing over at Vi as the soup began to simmer, noticing how effortlessly she seemed to settle into the calm of the night. There was something comforting about the way she moved, the way she fit so naturally into this world.
You were acutely aware of how different your life had been from hers, and yet, the more time you spent with her, the more you realized just how much you appreciated the simplicity of her life. She wasn't bogged down by the weight of societal expectations, and there was something freeing about that.
"So, what's next, city girl?" Vi teased again, her voice low and playful. "Are you gonna cook me a five-star meal?"
You chuckled nervously, stirring the soup. "Well, I'm working with limited resources," you said. "But I'll try to make it edible."
Vi gave a small, appreciative grunt and leaned back, staring up at the sky. You glanced up, too, the stars looking different here, away from the lights of the city. They seemed brighter, somehow, as if you had never really seen them before.
"Vi?" you asked, your voice quieter now, the weight of the moment sinking in.
"Yeah?"
"I don't know if I could've done this without you," you admitted, the words spilling out before you could stop them. "I've always been so... boxed in by my family and everything they want. This..." You gestured around at the fire, the forest, the sky. "This is different. It's like I'm finally breathing."
Vi was silent for a moment, her gaze softening as she looked at you. "It's easy to get stuck in a box," she said, her voice low but strong. "But sometimes, you have to step outside of it to see what's really important."
You smiled, feeling a warmth spread through you—not from the fire, but from something deeper. Something that had nothing to do with expectations or pressures. Something about this moment, sitting next to her, feeling the connection between you.
The soup was almost ready now. You stirred it one last time before bringing it over to Vi, who raised an eyebrow at the simple meal you'd managed to put together.
"Well, looks like you didn't burn it," she said, eyeing the pot. "Not bad."
You beamed, feeling proud of your small victory. "I told you I could handle it."
Vi laughed softly, reaching for the bowl. "Alright, alright, you win. It's not a five-star dinner, but I'll take it."
As the warmth of the soup filled the air around you, you couldn't help but smile at your small victory—getting through the cooking without any major mishaps. But just as you were about to take another spoonful, you felt the weight of Vi's gaze on you. Her eyes were on your lips, and you could practically feel the heat of her stare.
You froze, suddenly acutely aware of the drop of soup that had escaped from the corner of your mouth and now rested delicately on your skin.
Vi didn't say a word, her eyes never leaving you. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, she leaned in, her pink cropped hair brushing against your face as she reached across the space between you. Before you could even react, her tongue darted out, and she gently licked the drop of soup from your lip.
You froze at the sudden closeness, the unexpected intimacy of the action leaving your heart hammering in your chest. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the only sound coming from the crackling of the fire. It felt like time had slowed, and every inch of the space between you seemed charged with tension.
Vi pulled back slightly, her fierce eyes still locked onto yours. Her lips curled into a smirk, the playful glint in her gaze betraying her calm demeanor. "Couldn't let you go around looking messy," she said, her voice low, teasing.
You blinked, still trying to process what had just happened, your heart racing in a way that felt unfamiliar and thrilling. The tension in the air was thick, heavier than the fire's warmth around you.
Your breath caught as you tried to steady yourself, unsure of how to respond. The casualness in Vi's voice did little to ease the heat between you. There was an underlying current, something neither of you could ignore.
"I—uh, thanks," you said, your voice coming out quieter than you expected. You tried to maintain your usual composure, but it was impossible to ignore how Vi made you feel.
Vi raised an eyebrow at your flustered state, and that only made your pulse quicken. "No need to thank me," she said, leaning back on her hands, her posture casual but her eyes never leaving you. "I'm just looking out for you."
You could feel the playful tension still lingering in the air, something that was more than just a joke now. It was the start of something—something you weren't sure how to navigate but didn't want to back away from.
The fire crackled again, and in the silence that followed, it felt like everything in the world had narrowed down to just the two of you. You could hear your heart in your ears, your body betraying the calm front you tried to maintain.
"I..." you started, but your words faltered. You didn't know what to say. How to even begin to explain what you were feeling in that moment.
Vi was always the bold one, always the one to take charge. And for the first time, you realized just how much her presence had changed you—how much she made you feel like you were seeing the world through new eyes. Eyes that weren't blinded by expectations or forced roles. But eyes that were open to something more. To her.
Vi gave you a small, crooked grin, the kind that made your stomach flutter. "You okay there, city girl?" she asked, her tone teasing but laced with something else—something softer that you weren't sure how to name.
You didn't know if it was the fire, the quiet of the night, or the intimacy of the moment, but you felt a strange sense of courage take over. Something about her being so close, so unapologetically herself, made you want to lean into the vulnerability.
"I'm fine," you said, your voice a little firmer this time, though you couldn't quite hide the shakiness that lingered. You took a deep breath and met her eyes. "I just—didn't expect that."
Vi's gaze softened for a moment, her usual cocky exterior fading just enough to let you see the flicker of something deeper. "Didn't mean to catch you off guard," she said quietly, her tone genuine. "But you're... not so bad yourself."
You couldn't help but smile at that, feeling a warmth spread through you. It was strange, the way she could fluster you and make you feel so alive at the same time. And maybe it was the firelight, or the way her voice sounded so much softer than usual, but for the first time, you felt a weight lift off your shoulders.
It was as if, in that brief, intimate moment—where she wiped away the remnants of soup from your lip—she had bridged the gap between the worlds you both lived in. The walls you had built to protect yourself, the roles you were meant to play, all seemed to melt away with the simplicity of her gesture.
The air between you was thick with something unspoken, something both of you felt but neither knew how to name. You weren't sure what it was, but it was there. And neither of you could deny it.
You took another steadying breath and reached for your bowl, trying to ground yourself in the familiarity of the soup you had made, but it felt different now. Your fingers brushed against hers, just enough to send a jolt through you. Vi's eyes flickered down to your hands before looking back up at you, the same intensity still in her gaze.
You didn't want to say anything. You didn't want to ruin the moment. But it felt like it was teetering on the edge of something more. Something neither of you had yet fully admitted, but which was already becoming undeniable.
Vi broke the silence first, her voice low but steady. "I know I'm not exactly what your family would've wanted for you," she said, her words surprising you. "But just... don't think that you've gotta go back to the way things were. Not for anyone else. Not for them."
Her words hit you harder than you expected. It was like she was reading the thoughts you hadn't said out loud—the doubts, the struggles, the weight of being torn between the life your family expected of you and the one you felt drawn to with her.
You didn't know how to respond. How to put into words the growing feelings that you were trying to make sense of. But Vi's eyes—those fierce, intense eyes—were waiting for you to say something.
"I'm not going back," you said softly, a newfound conviction in your voice. The weight of those words settled over you, and for the first time, you felt like you were standing on your own two feet, not trying to please anyone else. Just... being who you were meant to be.
Vi's lips curved upward, a rare, genuine smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Good," she said simply, and there was something in her gaze that made your heart beat a little faster.
The air between you seemed to settle into a comfortable silence, the kind that only came after words that mattered had been shared. You could still feel the heat from the fire, still hear the crackle of the flames in the distance, but now, there was something different. Something deeper.
Vi leaned back against the log, stretching out her legs. "We've got a long night ahead of us," she said, the teasing tone creeping back into her voice. "You still think you can handle it?"
You grinned, feeling the last of your nerves fade away. "I think I can."
She gave a mock skeptical glance. "Alright, I'll hold you to that."
You both fell into a comfortable silence again, the fire crackling between you. And in that moment, surrounded by the vastness of the woods, the weight of everything else seemed far away. The future, the pressure, the complications—everything that had made things feel so heavy before—felt distant. Right now, in the flickering light of the fire, you were just two people, figuring it out as you went along. And that was enough.
For the first time in a long time, it felt like you could just be. And with Vi, you weren't afraid of what that meant.