Chapter Text
The afternoon quickly turns into night, Caitlyn’s frame still sleeping peacefully in Vi’s arms. The pink-haired woman had checked her temperature multiple times through the evening- probably more than necessary, and more than she’d like to admit to, though Vi had convinced herself it was the worry talking.
Whatever remnants were left of the thunderstorm from the afternoon had finally dissipated, faint droplets of rainwater clinging to the glass window. The streaky and somber gray clouds had evaporated into the now darkening blue sky, colors of indigo and navy swirling together in the evening sky.
It’s not until Caitlyn stirs ever so slightly that Vi looks down at her frame, a mix of concern and relief overwhelming her. She sighs, gently running her hands through her girlfriend’s dark blue hair. Her sapphire eyes begin to open, albeit slowly, and Vi notes how the cloudiness in her gaze has lessened significantly. This makes some of her worry dissolve, and she manages a soft, weary smile.
“How ya feeling, love?” Vi questions softly, careful not to startle her still half-awake girlfriend.
“Better…” Caitlyn responds, her voice tired and thick from the remainder of sleep she was still trying to shake off.
Vi nods, her grip loosening slightly as relief floods through her. “That’s good… think you can stomach some water?” She says softly, running her hands through Caitlyn’s hair.
The navy-haired woman nods, shifting slightly to sit up in Vi’s arms. “Think so..”
Vi mutters a quick “kay” before gently releasing her hold on her girlfriend. “Stay here, okay? Don’t go anywhere.” She sets her down to rest her back against the headboard before swiftly going over to the bathroom. The light flicks on, and she searches for a suitable glass to fill up some water in.
Eventually she finds a tall, thin cup- one that had definitely seen better days. It was cracked at the top and the side, and was probably once used in the kitchen but had been banished up to the bathroom after the cracks formed.
It’s gonna have to do… Vi thinks. She couldn’t afford to be far from Caitlyn right now in her vulnerable state. Filling it up with water about halfway, she then marches out of the bathroom, glad to see that Caitlyn has obeyed and is still sitting where Vi left her.
“Alright, sit up for me, love.” The pink-haired woman whispers, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing a hand on Caitlyn’s back to ease her into a sitting position. Her breaths are somewhat labored still as she shifts upright, a somewhat ugly reminder of her lingering illness. Some navy tresses of hair stick the back of her neck, a sheen of sweat now covering her face and neck.
Vi presses the damaged glass to Caitlyn’s pale and chapped lips, her eyes scanning over her girlfriend’s frame. Cait’s shaky hands come up to grasp the cup, and she slowly sips the water.
“There you go… small sips.” she murmurs. The last thing Vi needed right now was for Caitlyn to be sick. She had never really been fond of throwing up, and she desperately wished this wasn’t the case this time- she didn’t want Cait to go through the same thing.
Caitlyn eventually pulls away from the glass, swallowing the last of the water. “Thank you, darling…” she mutters, her voice thin and weary.
The corners of Vi’s mouth twitch up into a smile at the sound of Caitlyn’s voice- even if it was scratchy and hoarse. “Of course… I’m just glad you’re feeling better. It’s nice when you’re actually conscious and can answer my questions.”
A small smile makes its way onto Caitlyn’s pale face, lighting up her features and bringing some kind of light into her otherwise ill demeanor. This makes Vi’s heart flutter, and she’s relieved that Caitlyn is conscious and talking to her.
“Me too,” the blue-haired woman murmurs, running a shaky hand through her hair still damp with sweat.
And so, they stay like this, held close together to each other’s frames. The chills still wrack Caitlyn’s body, though they’ve lessened significantly over time and physical contact. Vi can’t help but let out an unsteady breath at how much cooler her girlfriend’s body has cooled down from just a few hours ago. The panic she had been feeling has almost quelled entirely from earlier that afternoon, and she swallows the uncomfortable lump that has formed in her throat, gently letting out a breath as she presses her lips to Caitlyn’s head.
Hours pass - mindless, relaxed hours, as the quiet tick-ticking of the antiquated grandfather clock pushed to the corner of Caitlyn and Vi’s expansive room continues to chime every so often, letting the two women know of the passing of the hours- until night falls.
The large glass window that once held clinging drops of rainwater now showed the inky expanse of the Piltovian sky, painting the bedroom a dark tinted blue hue, almost as if telling Caitlyn and Vi that night was waning and sleep was needed for both of them to regain the energy they had both lost in great quantities over such a short period of time.
Vi speaks up, her voice gentler than usual, smoothed around the edges from time not spent talking, only kept in company with Caitlyn: “It’s almost 11, cupcake.”
This spurs Caitlyn’s weary frame to twist out of Vi’s arms, her glossy blue eyes shifting to look at the clock on the wall. “We should get to bed.”
The gray-green sheets of the plush bed sink under the combined weight of Caitlyn and Vi laying down, the latter woman coming to bring her muscular arms around the sick woman’s frame.
Caitlyn lets out a content sigh, allowing herself to cling to her girlfriend’s frame. Her eyelids fall shut, her weary bones succumbing to the exhaustion and fatigue that had been clawing at her all day.
“Sleep well, love,” Vi murmurs, resting her cheek against the top of Caitlyn’s frame. Once she’s sure Cait’s limbs are slack and her breaths have evened out, she lets her own eyes fall shut.
Silence overcomes the entire manor, the estate seemingly settling into sleep itself. This is familiar to Vi, Caitlyn’s frame in her arms, the subtle smell of her perfume clinging to her skin as Vi inhales it.
And for once today, Vi actually lets herself relax, the pale, glowing moonlight ebbing into the bedroom and spilling onto the dappled freckles scattered across her serene face.
Sleep overcomes her then, and she dreams peacefully of rain and flowers.
A couple days go by, Caitlyn’s condition only improving as time progressed (after Vi had managed to convince her to take a few days off work, in which a stubborn Caitlyn refused over and over until she had finally given in, thank God).
Caitlyn had always been one to bounce back easily after an illness. She wasn’t sure if it was her determined Kiramman blood or just sheer will that had aided her improvement, but she was thankful nonetheless.
She was also thankful for Vi. Vi and her soft heart that only came out when they were together.
And together they would stay, under whatever rain was pouring onto the roof of the mansion, or whatever star-filled night they found themselves together under.
Together.