After the war

Caitlyn closes her notepad and stretches as she takes off her eyepatch. Even though the doctors had sternly told her during check-ups to stop wearing it, she couldn’t. It was like a safety blanket for her. Whenever she took it off, she just felt irritated by the half-blurry vision and the constant headaches.

Vi had convinced her many times to leave it off at home, but even then, it was often impossible.

She blinks a few times, trying to focus her eyes. She looks at the monkey head she’d placed in a prominent spot in the study. Every time she gazed at it, her mind began to race. She thought about her mother, Jinx, the war, and Vi.

When she was discharged from the hospital, she rested for a few weeks before trying to help Ekko and Vi find a lead on Jinx's body.
Though all three knew that with the blast from the Arcane, no body would ever be found, they still tried. She could tell it helped Ekko and Vi, offering them something to focus on—something to keep them occupied.

With a heavy sigh, Caitlyn stands up, feeling around with her hands so she doesn’t bump into anything, as she can’t see depth very well. She walks out of the study and heads toward the living room.

It’s already late at night, and Vi still isn’t home. Even though Caitlyn has gotten used to it, she can’t quite rest without her partner by her side.
When she reaches the living room, she lays down on the sofa, placing her arm over her eyes.

Ever since that whole “different universe” thing, Caitlyn noticed Vi had been more careful. When Sevika asked for Vi’s help again to take on some of the Chembarons, Vi declined and came home early instead. It left Sevika with an unsuccessful mission, that she couldn’t help but ask Caitlyn to clean up the mess.

Caitlyn turns her head toward the hallway as she hears someone coming closer.

"Hey," Vi says softly, since it’s late. Caitlyn smiles softly at her, eyeing her up and down to check for any injuries. Vi sets her bag down on the floor and carefully lays on top of Caitlyn.

Caitlyn chuckles as she feels her partner snuggle into her arms. "You don’t smell like paint," Caitlyn says, stroking Vi’s hair.

"I didn’t do much today. My arm is bothering me a lot," Vi says, snuggling into the crook of Caitlyn’s neck. She closes her eyes, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.

Caitlyn frowns at what her partner said and places a gentle kiss on her head. "I’ll try to find the notes with exercises the doctor gave you."

Vi sighs deeply, tickling Caitlyn’s neck. Caitlyn smiles softly, her fingers gently brushing through Vi’s hair as she settles more comfortably beneath her. The quiet weight of Vi’s presence always brought a sense of calm that Caitlyn couldn’t quite explain. Despite the distance they had both experienced, the fights, the tension—Caitlyn always found herself at ease when Vi was near.

"I’ll find them," Caitlyn says, her voice quiet, more to herself than to Vi, though she knows her partner hears. She can’t help but frown again, concern settling in her chest like a heavy stone.
Vi’s arm had been bothering her for days now, but the stubbornness of her partner always pushed her to keep going, even when she clearly needed rest.

Vi hums softly, a sound that vibrates against Caitlyn’s neck as she settles even further, her breath warm against Caitlyn’s skin. "This is nice," Vi says.

Caitlyn’s heart skips a beat at the soft vulnerability in Vi’s voice. Her hand moves to Vi’s back, feeling the tension in her muscles, the weight she carries—both physical and emotional.

Vi had always been open with her emotions. It’s something that Caitlyn finds endearing, but also something that makes her blush. She wants to return the favor, but she doesn’t know how—or where to begin. Maybe it’s the way both of them were raised.

Vi shifts slightly, her face tilting up to meet Caitlyn’s eyes. She was about to say something when the buzz of the gates interrupts their peaceful time.

Vi tenses, her shoulder stiffening. "Who could it be at this hour?" She says getting of Caitlyn.

Caitlyn sits up, looking around for her eye patch. She can’t find it anywhere.

"Vi," Caitlyn calls, but her partner is already in the hallway, walking toward the front door. Caitlyn stands up, squinting as her eyes adjust. She winces slightly as she tries to catch up.

Vi opens the front door, peering through the mist at the figure standing by the gates.
"Who is it?" she shouts, her tone a little demanding. She hears someone clear their throat.

"C-Can I come in?"

Vi’s face softens as she recognizes the voice. She grabs the keys from her jacket and steps outside.
Caitlyn finally catches up, leaning against the doorframe. She closes her left eye, trying to make out the figure Vi is hugging, but the details remain blurred.

"Do you want something to drink?" She hears Vi asks. She relaxes as she hears starts to recognize his voice.

After the war, Ekko would sometimes come by if he couldn’t sleep. But he never came this late.

As Ekko gets closer, he gives an apologetic smile to Caitlyn for stopping by so late. But his expression shifts when he sees Caitlyn’s left eye.

Caitlyn, noticing his gaze, looks down, feeling self-conscious as Vi distracts Ekko, walking past her.

Caitlyn walks further behind them, trying to adjust her vision so she can see more clearly. She hears the two of them occasionally raise their voices, likely talking about the conversation they never finished.

"I explained it all wrong," Ekko says as they walk into the living room. Vi shakes her head.
"I should have given you the time to explain things. Instead, I just jumped to conclusions," Vi says, picking up the eye patch that had fallen under the sofa.
"Let’s go into the kitchen," she says, placing the eye patch back on the sofa.

Caitlyn steps into the living room once they leave. She closes her left eye and finds her eye patch on the sofa. She dusts it off and puts it on, walking with more confidence toward the kitchen.

"Can she see with her left eye?" Ekko asks Vi as he sits down on a chair. Vi heats up some milk and turns to face Ekko.
"It’s blurry, but the doctors said something about a dominant eye... blah blah," Vi says, letting out a yawn.

"It looks badass," Ekko says, amused, causing Vi to chuckle bitterly. It was the same thing Caitlyn’s father had said when she first showed him her eye. Let’s just say he almost got his ass kicked by Caitlyn.

"Don’t mention it in front of her," Vi warns, handing him a mug with warm milk.
"Thanks," he says, blowing on it a little. Vi nods, then pours some milk for herself and Caitlyn.

"Listen, Vi, I—I don’t want you to beat yourself up over the whole different universe thing. It’s not necessary," Ekko says, stumbling over his words.

Vi sighs heavily. She’s already cried her heart out; she doesn’t have the energy for it again.
"How did you get back here, to this universe?" Vi asks, sitting down next to him.

"Well, I went to the apartment," Ekko says, glancing at Caitlyn, who also enters the kitchen.
"I looked for little pieces of the gemstone, and with Heimerdinger’s and Powder’s help, I made a machine to get back here," he explains, taking a sip of his milk.

Caitlyn leans against the counter, letting the conversation flow between Ekko and Vi. She watches her partner, reading her body language like a book.

Vi takes a sip of her milk and sets the mug down, staring into the soft swirl of steam rising from it. "I’m impressed, little man," she says, nudging Ekko playfully. Ekko chuckles and leans in closer.

Caitlyn watches them, feeling a warmth in her chest at the way they’re acting. She looks away, a bittersweet emotion settling in. She thinks about her and Jayce when they were younger, how he used to always tease her.

Ekko glances at Caitlyn and then back at Vi. "I talked with the academy today," he begins, both of them looking at him. "I’ll start helping them with the hexgates next week," he says, glancing at Caitlyn while Vi ruffles his hair.

Caitlyn looks back at him, giving him a nod. "I’ll give you more of Jayce’s notes about the hexgates," she says with a soft smile.

"It’ll all be fine... right?" Ekko suddenly asks, his shoulders slumping.
Caitlyn walks closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Don’t worry, Ekko. We’ll help you," she says, trying to comfort him with a small smile. Ekko nods, letting out a deep breath as his confidence starts to return.

As the conversation settles into a comfortable silence, Ekko shifts in his seat, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. He glances between Vi and Caitlyn, his expression
softening as he takes a deep breath.

"Hey, uh... do you mind if I crash here tonight?" he asks quietly.
Vi glances at Caitlyn, then back at Ekko, her eyes softening with understanding. "Of course," she says gently, nodding. "You know you’re always welcome here."

Caitlyn, still leaning against the counter, offers a warm, reassuring smile. "It’s no trouble at all, Ekko. Get some rest," she says, her voice a little softer than usual. She can see the exhaustion in his eyes.

Ekko gives a small, grateful smile. "Thanks," he murmurs, standing up and stretching his shoulders.

"If you need anything, let us know," Vi says as Ekko places his mug in the sink.
"I will. Goodnight," he says, walking out of the kitchen.

Vi watches him carefully as he leaves, her posture softening. Caitlyn, too, feels the warmth of the moment, and she can’t help but glance over at Vi. They share a look, a silent communication—the kind that only the two of them could understand.

"You okay?" Caitlyn asks as her partner cleans up the mugs.

"Yeah, I’m fine," Vi replies, emptying Caitlyn’s mug. "It’s nice of him to help out.
I didn’t expect him to want to, after... you know," Caitlyn says, helping Vi.

Vi sighs as she turns off the faucet. "Cait, you’ve done so much already," she says, drying her hands.

Caitlyn finishes drying the mugs. "There’s still so much that needs to be done."

Vi rolls her eyes and holds Caitlyn’s hand. "Worry about that later. Let’s just go to bed now," she says, leading Caitlyn toward the bedroom.