As they enter Caitlyn’s room, Vi feels accosted by its vastness. Everything is pristine and untouched apart from the abundance of papers splayed out on a contained area on the ground close to the bed; markings trail over documents punctured by pins connecting strings and photographs together. The walls are towering, the ceiling impossibly high. Gold accents meet pale cool colours; sages and lavenders and pastel blues. Lavish ornamentations snake around every corner and pillar of the room. Vi walks warily behind her. This is opulence like she’s never dared to dream of. Despite how kind Caitlyn has been to her, she feels like a filthy foreigner in her home, sullying the immaculate land with every step she takes.
“You must be exhausted, Vi. You can take a shower and rest for now. How does that sound?”
“That sounds great, thank you.”
Caitlyn opens the door to the bathroom and gestures towards the shower, “Everything should be there, but let me know if you need anything else. Make yourself at home.”
She wishes she could, to show appreciation to Caitlyn for how welcoming she’s been given the circumstances, but the longer she spends time in Piltover the more she feels like an intruder. She misses her true home. But what home is at this point she isn’t even sure of herself. Home used to be the Undercity, it used to be Vander’s hearty laughter and the clinking of Powder working at her trinkets, the bickering between Claggor and Mylo interrupted by her teasing pleas for truce – all the warmth from the people who cared for her and who she cared for in return. It was the blissful cacophony of chaos at the bar, explosions of laughter and the occasional fights that resulted in broken glass (and maybe a broken bone or two). Home was a sort of tough love, thorny and rough around the edges but soft on the inside. But it’s been years since she’s been gone, and now the Undercity is a strange land. When she roamed those once familiar streets after being released from Stillwater, everything was so quiet and eerie. And Piltover is unsettlingly quiet too, almost orderly in the noise levels it seems to tolerate.
Vi enters into the impeccably white marble bathroom adorned by lustrous gold. A grand mirror is plastered on the wall to her side; she glances over at it and finds her darkened reflection standing starkly against the polished backdrop. Her eyes are sullen and haggard, her skin sunken and wan. She takes a deep breath before turning away and making her way to the shower. In the wall there are a few aureate knobs and a gleaming shower head that hangs high above her head. She twists one of the handles, anticipating waterfall, but nothing happens. She presses every knob, pushing down and twisting in any direction she can think of to no avail.
“Hey, Cait?” she calls out, “How do you turn this thing on?”
Caitlyn rushes over, “Ah, here. You pull the knob,” she demonstrates, and the shower starts hissing as the water splashes on the tile, “And twist for the temperature. Left for cold, right for hot.”
“Oh… I see, thank you.”
“Do you not have showers in the Undercity?” Caityn teases as she shuts off the water.
Vi scoffs, feigning offence but secretly feeling a bit pathetic, “Well, not fancy ones like these!”
“You can also bathe if you’d like.” She nods towards the tub, “I don’t presume they have bathtubs at Stillwater?”
As much as she knows Caitlyn is just joking, being reminded of her time there feels like a slap to the face. Memories of that wretched place fall back on her in an instant like a tonne of bricks. Endless beatings in the middle of the night, that incessant smell of rot in every cell, the suffocation of sweating bodies crammed together… all the ruthless violence and demoralising depravity. She feels her face drop and tries to smile despite the heaviness in her stomach.
“I mean, of course they don’t…” Caitlyn laughs weakly, and now it’s her who feels foolish.
“Well, lucky for me I got stuck with someone who does.” She reminds herself she’s free now, and is currently surrounded by ridiculous wealth beyond her imagination. Even if it’s only temporary, she’s still impressed that she has managed to step foot inside a building so regal without having to break her way in.
“Why don’t I draw you a bath then?” Caitlyn says, “I think it’s well deserved.”
“How can I refuse?”
Caitlyn closes the door and turns the tap on. Within seconds they are enveloped by vapour. She opens a cabinet beneath the mirror and sorts through various glass bottles, “Is there a particular scent you like?”
Vi raises her eyebrows, “Scent?”
“Yes, a scent. A smell.” Caitlyn jabs at her ribs playfully with her elbow, “Don’t play dumb, Vi, just choose one you like! There’s lavender, rose, orange blossom, mint…”
“Cait…”
“Fine! I’ll pick one for you.” She takes one of the bottles out and pours its contents into the tub, bubbles start to form on the surface of the water as it sloshes around the ongoing stream, “I know this is very frivolous. But I can’t imagine you’ve had the chance to indulge in things like these very much. So, just enjoy it for me, will you?”
Vi’s expression softens, “Anything for you, cupcake.”
Caitlyn feels her lips involuntarily lift into a smile and lowers her gaze. Once the tub is full and the room is imbued by a soft fragrance, she turns the tap off and stays in place. They face each other awkwardly, their expressions blurred by the steam. Vi thinks of what to say next, I guess I’ll go ahead then, or I’ll take it from here, but suddenly her throat is dry and she can’t form the words to leave her mouth.
“You know,” Caitlyn starts, “My mother used to wash my hair when I was little, and it always felt really nice.” She pauses for a second and looks up at her, “Will you let me do it for you?”
Vi is taken aback by the offer, but she plays along in an attempt to hide her discomfort, “Hah, do you take me for a child?”
“Obviously not,” she pushes her shoulder lightly, “Vi, come on!”
“Alright then, if it makes you feel good to dote on me.” Their shared laughter abates, and they’re once again left unsure of what course of action ought to follow.
“Um,” Caitlyn turns around and lowers her head, “You can get in now if you’d like.”
“Oh, right.” Vi’s mind spins frantically with the inability to make her body follow through.
Her ears ring loudly as she removes her jacket and unbuckles her boots. The hot air is suddenly suffocatingly thick, the entire room disconcertingly quiet except for the rustling and clattering of her movements. She does away with her shirt and pants, and is left standing in her underwear, hugging her waist in trepidation. She holds her breath and quickly takes off the rest of her garments, bunching them up into a pile and placing them behind the tub where Caitlyn won’t be able to see. She recognises the absurdity of it, that she’s placing a weird connotation to the situation that neither of them intend. And it’s not like she’s never been naked in front of others before (the showers in Stillwater never allowed for much privacy), but she’s never really enjoyed it. Tension ripples through her body as she slowly submerges herself into the aromatic water.
Caitlyn listens carefully as Vi’s movements dampen, “Can I turn around now?”
“Yes.”
She turns. Vi sits in the tub with her back to her. The foam covers her entirely, but Caitlyn can tell she’s hugging her knees to her chest, making herself as small as possible. She pulls out the faucet from the side of the tub and turns it on, checking the temperature with her hand.
“Won’t the water go everywhere?” Vi asks quietly.
“Don’t worry about it, there’s a drain on the floor that opens when there’s overflow.” Caitlyn raises the faucet and tilts Vi’s head back gently, “Let me know if I should adjust the temperature.”
“Mhm.” She closes her eyes.
A pleasant warmth shrouds her as Caitlyn runs her fingers through her hair, making sure every strand is sufficiently saturated. Then the flow of water stops and there’s rustling to her side before the delicate touch returns. Catilyn’s fingers massage her head in gentle dexterity, a quiet whooshing behind her ears as the soap suds up in her hair. A light jasmine aroma wafts past her nose, and the tension in her shoulders slowly melts as Caitlyn tousles her hair, the harsh contortion of her eyebrows softening while her body drifts into tranquillity. For the past few days – or years really – she hasn’t been able to breathe even for a minute, and now that she’s finally resting she realises just how exhausted she is. She allows her mind to slip into thoughtlessness for once.
Caitlin’s fingers move along her hairline, trailing from her temples to her nape with steady pressure, she focuses on her neck for a moment before going back to the crown of her head. Being touched like this feels invasive, but there’s a certain intimacy in the way Caitlyn holds her head so tenderly and deliberately that she’s never experienced before. She’s completely exposed and vulnerable, helpless yet comfortably so. Under her touch… she feels safe. Now that the initial awkwardness has waned, she allows herself to relax. For the first time in a long time she feels she could fall asleep unguarded, letting her drowsiness pull her into a potent rest.
A sudden rush of water rouses her. Catlyn rinses her hair off dutifully and pulls away slowly once she finishes. The now empty space between them sends shivers down Vi’s body. They sit in silence, their breaths piercing the stillness of the atmosphere like daggers through their lungs.
“Wasn’t too bad was it?” Caitlyn says finally.
Vi chuckles, “Of course not. Thank you, Cait.”
Caitlyn stands up and says guilelessly, “You know, I could tell you were strong from when I first saw you, but I didn’t realise the extent of it before seeing your shoulders up close,” and Vi pulls her knees closer still as the tips of her ears turn red, “Maybe if I get as strong as you they’ll take me more seriously as an Enforcer.”
Vi’s head feels like it’s about to explode. She laughs awkwardly, unable to shake Caitlyn’s stare off her spine. She knows she can’t actually see her body, but even the thought of her examining what is visible makes her chest thud loudly.
“I’ll leave you to it then,” Caitlyn paces to the door and stops before opening it, turning her head slightly, “Let me know if you… need anything else.”
Vi nods. Caitlyn closes the door softly behind her and she’s left alone. For a few minutes, she’s unable to unravel the tight knot she’s entangled herself into. The water is still warm, her face burning. She wants to stay like this forever.
Later in her bedroom, Caitlyn sits cross-legged on the floor, rearranging pictures and connecting new threads together in uninterrupted concentration. Vi approaches quietly and observes. She wears an intricate expression of focus, lost in deep thought as she organises newly revealed evidence, her eyes darting zealously from one point to another. Vi can see the gears turning in her head. She’s so transparent, she thinks. It makes her feel at ease.
She takes a deep breath, feeling reinvigorated. If even for a few hours, she’s able to pretend her life isn’t happening to her, to delude herself into believing the future isn’t murky. Soon, she will have to leave this isolated dreamscape and confront reality. But for now her heart rests easy, and she lets herself be immersed into a life so far beyond her own, so shiny and pure and crystal clear. The freshly sweet scent from the bathroom lingers into the room. That scent, she realises, is Caitlyn’s. Comforting and light.
Finally, Caitlyn notices the silhouette in front of her and is jolted out of her tunnel vision, “How long have you been standing there?!”
“Not too long. You look cute when you concentrate.”
“Shut up!” She stands, “How was the shower?”
“Good,” Vi averts her eyes to the bathroom’s entrance, “You gonna go in?”
“It’s okay, I used the one in my parent's room.”
There’s a knock at the door. A muffled voice informs Caitlyn that there’s food prepared for them in the dining room. Her parents will be gone for the evening. She thanks them and turns to Vi, her sapphire eyes beaming.
“I’m starving,” she says, “Shall we?”
Vi’s stomach flutters, that warmth from earlier still floating around her like a soft, nebulous cloud.
“After you, cupcake.”