Crumbs, Kisses & Clanging Pots
As a few soft hours passed, the clock now read 9:00 a.m. In the quiet attic room, the mugs of blueberry latte lay forgotten on the nightstand, their contents gone cold. Vi and Caitlyn dozed beneath the twisted blankets, pressed close together as if nothing could intrude on their shared warmth. Then, a sudden clatter of pots and pans echoed from downstairs, jolting Vi from her doze and sending her heart racing. Caitlyn stirred, brow creasing. “What…?” she mumbled, blinking up at Vi.
Vi breathed out a small laugh, forcing her tense muscles to relax again. “Probably just Powder or someone,” she reassured, stifling a yawn. With one arm still curled around Cait’s waist, she traced gentle circles over Caitlyn’s bare back. “Sorry to wake you.”
Caitlyn’s gaze softened, and a slow, dreamy smile took over her features. A few quiet minutes floated past, basking in each other’s presence before Caitlyn spoke up. “I never thought I could feel like this,” she whispered, her voice hushed in the morning light.
Vi exhaled, meeting Caitlyn’s eyes. She understood exactly what Caitlyn meant because she felt it too—a kind of lightness and weight all at once. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “Me too.”
They lapsed into a contented hush for a moment before Vi asked, “You… you’re okay with last night, right?” There was a hint of vulnerability in her tone, lingering doubts surfacing.
Caitlyn’s response was to lean up, eyes half-lidded, and brush her lips against Vi’s in a kiss. The memory of their closeness from the night before flooded back in a sweet rush, making Vi’s heart skip. When Caitlyn pulled back, she hummed, “I loved every second. And I can’t wait to do it again.”
Vi’s cheeks grew warm, words failing her as she smiled broadly. She couldn’t recall ever feeling so utterly captivated. Caitlyn, reading Vi’s bashful, adoring look, swung her legs over the bed and stood, stretching her arms overhead.
“I need a shower,” Caitlyn said, hair still delightfully tousled from sleep. She shot Vi a teasing look over her shoulder, a small spark in her eyes. “Any chance you’d wanna join me?”
Vi’s pulse kicked up, a flicker of fluster settling in her cheeks, but it melted into a mischievous grin. “Well,” she said, pushing the covers aside, “you know I’m always up for saving the planet any way I can.”
Caitlyn’s laugh echoed through the small attic. With bright eyes and warm smiles, they headed for the shower hand in hand. The steam soon enveloped them, creating a private little oasis where they could forget everything else for a while. Vi worked the shampoo into Caitlyn’s hair, her fingers moving in soothing circles against Cait’s scalp, and Caitlyn leaned into the touch—content, safe, and utterly at ease.
"You know," Vi began with a mischievous grin, "Powder heard us this morning."
Caitlyn's eyes flew open, her cheeks turning a shade of pink that rivalled Vi's hair. "Wait, what? She heard us?" Caitlyn asked, mortified, as she looked at Vi in disbelief.
Vi chuckled, clearly enjoying Caitlyn's flustered reaction. "Yeah, she said she could hear us from the furthest room downstairs. You must have quite the vocal range, Cupcake."
Caitlyn covered her face with her hands, her laughter mingling with her embarrassment. "Oh, god. I can't believe I was that loud," she groaned, peeking at Vi through her fingers.
Vi rinsed the shampoo from Caitlyn's hair, her grin never fading. "Hey, I'm not complaining," she teased. "But you might have to face some teasing from Powder at breakfast, and also probably Mylo."
Caitlyn playfully splashed water at Vi, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Great, just what I need," she said, her voice light with amusement despite her earlier shock. "You better back me up."
Vi laughed, pulling Caitlyn closer under the warm spray. "Don't worry, I've got your back," she promised, her eyes twinkling. "Besides, it just means we had a good time, right?"
Caitlyn rolled her eyes, but her smile was affectionate as she took her turn to wash Vi's hair. "Next time, we’ll have to be a bit more discreet," she suggested, though the playful challenge in her voice hinted that she didn’t mind too much.
As they continued pampering each other, their laughter and playful teasing filled the steamy bathroom, cocooning them in a warmth and closeness that made even the thought of facing the morning chaos downstairs seem bearable. Eventually, Vi twisted off the shower, the last trickle of warmth running down their arms. Steam curled around them as they towelled off in comfortable silence, exchanging soft, conspiratorial smiles—a hush of contentment lingering after sharing easy jokes and washing each other’s hair under the spray.
Vi hung up her towel, a determined crease now forming between her brows. “We really should let Grayson handle this,” she insisted, voice low but resolute. “That way, at least someone’s in your corner. Officially.She can handle it discreetly; no one would have to know”
Caitlyn, still drying her hair, shot her a wary look. “It’s not that simple,” she said, an undercurrent of tiredness in her tone. “My parents have expectations. They might not let me file an official report—much less involve the captain.”
“Who cares what they let you do?” Vi retorted, frustration edging into her voice. “They weren’t there when—”
“You don’t understand,” Caitlyn broke in, bracing herself against the sink, knuckles white. “They have every say in my life. I can’t just ignore that.”
Vi’s breath hitched. “So you let them control you forever? Let them bury what happened? No. I’m not letting that happen.”
Caitlyn snapped the towel from her shoulders, eyes flashing. “Vi, it’s not that I want to let it go. But if I do something they don’t agree with once more, I’ll lose—” She hesitated, swallowing down a rush of emotion. “I’ll lose everything here. You weren’t born into this, you couldn’t possibly—”
Vi flinched at the sting in Caitlyn’s words, her jaw setting. “So I’m not royalty—fine. But I’m with you in this. Don’t you get that?”
A heavy silence fell. Caitlyn exhaled a shaky breath, sorrow pooling in her gaze as she realized how her words might have cut. “I know,” she whispered, stepping forward. “I’m sorry. But please—just… drop it. For now.”
Her hands came up, cupping Vi’s cheeks gently, thumbs brushing across her skin. “I appreciate you fighting for me,” Caitlyn murmured, voice softening, “but I’m too tired to fight right now.”
Vi searched Caitlyn’s eyes, torn between her protective instinct and the exhaustion clear in Caitlyn’s posture. At last, she let her arms drop to her sides, releasing a subdued sigh. “Alright,” she said, voice thick with frustration she couldn’t fully banish. “I’ll leave it. For now.”
Caitlyn’s lips twitched in gratitude, and she leaned in to rest her forehead against Vi’s. “Thank you,” she breathed, relief mingling with the ache of unresolved tensions.
They slipped back into the attic bedroom, rummaging through drawers and piles of clothes. Vi tossed a pair of shorts and a loose tee at Caitlyn, pulling on a similar outfit for herself but adding a sports bra underneath.
Caitlyn snorted lightly, wiggling into the shorts and tee. “So, I don’t get a bra, huh? Let me guess—it’s for your viewing pleasure, right?”
Vi went rigid, turning bright red. “wha—? No no, not at all,” she stumbled, hands flying up in mild panic. “It’s just… your, um, your tits are way bigger than mine. I don’t have anything that’d fit you.”
Caitlyn sauntered closer, mischief twinkling in her eyes. The shape of her breasts pressed into Vi’s chest as she wrapped her arms around Vi’s waist. Vi’s gaze dipped automatically, and her cheeks only deepened in colour.
Caitlyn smirked. “Mm-hmm. You were saying?”
Vi swallowed, gaze flicking between Caitlyn’s face and, well… below her face. “See?” She let out a breathless, nervous laugh. “Point proven.”
Caitlyn grinned, pressing a quick kiss to Vi’s cheek. “Guess I’ll just have to make do, then.”
They heard another loud crash from downstairs, followed by Vander’s irritated roar: “Mylo, for god’s sake—what are you doing?! You’ll wake the whole bloody neighbourhood!”
Vi and Caitlyn exchanged wide-eyed looks before breaking into small, breathless laughs. “We should probably see what’s going on,” Vi said, already heading for the bedroom door, Caitlyn hot on her heels.
Descending the stairs, they were met by a chaotic sight in the kitchen. Mylo and Powder stood in the middle of the floor, both covered head to toe in flour, while Claggor stood off to the side, his hands dyed a startling purple. The smell of something burning hung ominously in the air.
“What the hell is going on here?” Vi asked, half amused, half exasperated.
Powder, eyes wide, glanced back at the stove. “We were trying to make breakfast,” she grumbled, “but then Mylo knocked over the flour, and Claggor spilled the… uh…” She paused, wrinkling her nose as she caught the scorched smell. “Crap—they’re burning!”
She spun around and lunged for the stove, but Vander gently but firmly nudged her aside, shaking his head. “Alright, alright, let me handle this,” he said, voice carrying a stern edge softened by familiarity. “All of you—go sit down. I’ll fix this in a minute.” He threw a wry glance at Vi and Caitlyn, eyebrows raised. “You two included.”
Vi bit back a grin, tugging Caitlyn out of the kitchen and into the dining room. They settled into chairs at the table, where Powder, Mylo, and Claggor joined them shortly, all looking thoroughly defeated. Flour drifted off Powder’s hair with each step, and Mylo was pouting while Claggor stared down at his dyed hands.
Caitlyn pressed a hand to her mouth to smother a laugh, eyes shining with amusement. “Never a dull moment in the Lanes household, is there?”
A collective groan went up from Powder, Mylo, and Claggor in unison. “Nope,” Mylo muttered, trying fruitlessly to brush flour off his shirt.
“Could’ve fooled me,” Powder huffed. “I thought we had it under control.”
Claggor lifted his purple-stained palms in defeat. “Next time, we leave the cooking to Dad, yeah?” he said dryly, clearly regretting having been roped into the whole affair in the first place.
Vi shrugged, shooting a smirk at Caitlyn. “Hey, at least we’ll have a good story to tell.” She leaned back in her chair, thoroughly entertained by the spectacle around them.
Powder plopped her elbows onto the table with a smug grin, looking directly at Vi. “Ah, yes,” she drawled, resting her chin in her palms. “One day, we’ll tell your future kids about how your first time ended with an almost-burnt-down kitchen.”
Vi stiffened. “Powder,” she warned, a deadly seriousness in her voice, “shut it.”
But it was too late—Claggor and Mylo simultaneously straightened, eyes going wide. Mylo pointed an accusing finger. “So that’s what those noises were last night?”
Caitlyn’s cheeks went beet red, and she all but buried her face in Vi’s shoulder, refusing to say a word. Vi slung an arm protectively around her, shooting her siblings a withering glare.
“Alright, that’s enough. Zip it,” Vi snapped, ignoring the pink tint creeping into her own face. “I swear, if you three don’t shut up, I’ll—” She made a show of flexing her fist, her protective streak in full force.
Before the argument could escalate, Vander emerged from the kitchen, balancing two plates piled high with pancakes. “Alright, that’s enough,” he said in a firm but calm tone, setting the plates down in front of Vi and Caitlyn. “We’ll talk about that later. Eat first.” He shot Vi a knowing wink.
Caitlyn, still scarlet-faced, seemed to melt into the chair, grateful for the distraction. Vi rubbed comforting circles on her thigh beneath the table, murmuring a quiet reassurance. Vander’s gaze flicked between them, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” he said kindly. “You’re safe here, Caitlyn. And we’re not exactly delicate about privacy if you hadn’t noticed.”
Caitlyn managed a shy smile, appreciating both Vander’s words and Vi’s gentle touch. Vi leaned in with a small, quick kiss on Caitlyn’s temple, echoing Vander’s sentiment. “You’re safe here. Promise.”
Before Caitlyn could respond, a firm knock rattled the front door. Everyone froze—flour-covered siblings, Vi and Caitlyn mid-embarrassment, Vander still gripping the syrup. Another knock followed, more insistent.
Caitlyn let out a weary sigh, shoulders sagging as a creeping sense of dread settled in. “Guess it’s for me,” she murmured under her breath, resigned to whoever might be on the other side.