Chapter Text
“Would you stop that?” Sarah calls her out “You’re making me anxious with all this pacing, you’re gonna leave a mark on the floor or something”
Ahri suddenly stops walking, causing Kiko to bump into her back. She looks up to Sarah, who’s sitting on the couch next to Ezreal.
As they made their way home from the mission, Ahri still held out hope that Kaisa would be waiting for her at home just as she begged her to, even though Akali had told her about Kai’sa calling her in tears.
But when they arrived, there was no sign of Kai’sa—not in any of the rooms. She even asked Kiko to track her down using his sense of smell. But her computer had been put away, and Ahri’s bed was made, because of course Kai’sa would be this painfully nice. Ahri had answered Kai’sa’s messages as soon as the mission was over, but she knew it was too late.
Sunday, 3:30am
Kai’sa: is everything okay?
it’s been almost three hours…
i’m worried Ahri
Sunday, 5:15am
Ahri: Kai where are you???
i’m okay
i’m really sorry
Ahri has been fighting the tightness in her throat and the tears forming in the corner of her eyes ever since she’s come back to her empty room.
“I’ve called her ten times and she won’t pick up what if―” Ahri’s ears drop “what if something’s happened to her?”
Or what if…
“I’m sure she’s okay, Ahri” as much as Ezreal usually pisses her off, she actually appreciates him trying to comfort her right now. “Maybe she doesn’t answer because she’s tired and already sleeping”
“Or” Syndra rises from the armchair and approaches her, arms crossed in her chest “maybe she’s mad you abandoned her and doesn’t want to speak to you”
That.
Ahri can’t take off her mind the face Kai’sa made when she left her alone. The confusion, the frustration, the fear and the disappointment in her eyes were so clear. Ahri didn’t want to leave, she just wanted to stay sleeping next to her warmth, but duty called and she had no choice but to go. And Ahri knows that Kai'sa has every right in the world to be angry with her and not want to see her, but that doesn't make her heart ache any less.
The only thing that comforts Ahri right now is clinging to the hope that Kai'sa will understand. That when she explains everything, Kai'sa will forgive her and that she won’t hate her for this.
“Syndra!” Soraka scolds her “Don’t listen to her, Ahri. Ezreal is probably right. Here, have this” she hands Ahri a warm cup of tea and Ahri takes it and lets her guide her to the couch so she can settle next to Sarah.
“Don’t you have someone to bully elsewhere?” Sarah glances at her and Syndra just shrugs before walking upstairs to her room. Soraka and Ezreal follow her shortly after, leaving Sarah and Ahri alone.
Ahri sips from the tea trying to let it relax her body and her mind, but her thoughts are too loud and her heartbeat is too fast.
“You want to tell her, don’t you?” Sarah asks quietly. Ahri just nods in reply “You know that means breaking part of the Oath, right?”
“Exceptions are allowed in the Oath”
“Having a crush is not an exception, Ahri” Sarah sighs.
Ahri opens her mouth to object, but closes it as soon as she realizes she doesn't know what to answer. Instead, she looks away from Sarah, focusing on the tea in her hands.
She thinks about Kai’sa and her cheeks grow a bit warmer at the most recent memory of her; how close they both were laying in her bed and how Kai’sa reassured with the sweetest voice and words and…and how Kai’sa had called her baby, of all things.
And that wasn't all.
Ahri still recalls how protective Kai’sa acted with her when Ezreal set the kitchen on fire, keeping Ahri behind her at all moments (without knowing that Ahri is able to protect herself with her own magic, of course). And how to forget when Kai’sa gave her her own shirt just so Ahri wouldn't freeze.
Ahri’s lips curl into a small sad smile.
The first time she met Kai'sa back in class, she didn’t expect to become this attached to her. Sure, she thought she was very cute. And her shy and easily flustered personality quickly piqued Ahri's interest.
But Ahri didn't expect Kai'sa to want to be her friend, to put up with her teasing, or to let her stay close. And she certainly didn't expect Kai'sa to treat her like this... like she cares about her.
Ahri also finds her stupidly good-looking, to the point it’s becoming a little bit harder to breathe when they lock eyes. Maybe Sarah is right, maybe the initial teasing is growing into something deeper.
“Maybe you should call Akali, see what she thinks”
“I already know what she thinks” Ahri huffs “She threatened me with cutting my tail off with one of her kunais if I dragged Kai into this mess”
“Maybe you should try talking to her nicely, without making it seem like…you know, like you're attacking her” she’s cautious with her words, knowing it’s a delicate subject.
“She hates me” Ahri crosses her arms in her chest.
“That’s not true, Ahri. She once admired you, she just hates the decision you made and its consequences” Sarah uncrosses Ahri’s arms and puts the phone back in her hand “Look, you both care about Kai’sa, if there’s a reason worth you getting along, it’s her, isn’t it?”
Kiko chirps beside her, nudging her hand to encourage her.
Ahri looks at the phone and takes a deep breath before typing Akali’s number on it. Because, yes, even though Ahri doesn’t know exactly when she started feeling this way, keeping Kai’sa close is worth everything to her right now.
“She’s not answering me either” Akali voice comes dry, almost angry “So don't even bother interrogating me, bye”
“Wait!” Ahri cuts her before she gets the chance to hang up on her “We need to talk, Akali”
“About what?” she huffs.
“Don’t play the fool, you know about what”
“I’m really not in the mood right now”
“Guess what? I don’t fucking care I―” Sarah’s elbow in her ribs makes her reconsider “Look, we can’t keep this from her forever”
“Oh, and what is your brilliant idea, captain?” the resentment in her voice hurts Ahri more than she is willing to admit. “Tell her about a whole new magical dimension that is trying to corrupt our world? Do you have any idea what you’re suggesting right now? And we took the Oath”
“I don’t care about the damn Oath, okay? And Kai’sa already knows about the Void, doesn’t her father investigate it? And besides, Kai’sa is smart, she would understand and adjust to it” Ahri tries to argue.
“Kai’sa is the smartest person I know, I would never underestimate my best friend” Akali sounds angrier the more she speaks “But that’s not enough. Ahri, we can’t just expose her to this! We are not allowed to involve civilians for a reason”
Ahri takes another deep breath trying not to scream back at her “I don't wanna put her in unnecessary danger. I already told you she feels left out, what do you think will happen if you keep doing this to her?”
“Excuse me? Doing what, exactly? Protecting her?” she hisses. Ahri is sure that if Akali was here right now she would try to punch her in the face "Don't you dare telling me how to treat my best friend”
“I'm telling you she already suspects something is going on. We just can’t keep this lie forever, Akali” Ahri shakes her head “And the call? How are you gonna explain that to her? You can't lie to her anymore, she’ll just end up hating us”
“You know what?” Akali huffs “You only know her for a few months. I've known her since we were little kids, we’ve grown together. Do you have any idea how hard keeping this from her is to all of us? Probably not, since you are only able to think about yourself, you egocentric fox.” she barks not even trying to hide the hate “All the lying…all the effort is to protect her, I―fuck, we even moved out for her! We don't want her near any damage, and I intend to keep it that way, so don't you dare saying anything”
“I―” Ahri doesn’t even know what to say, because deepdown, she knows Akali is right.
She knows she has no right to ask any of them to throw away their effort to protect their friend just because Ahri can’t stand the thought of not having Kai’sa close.
“I swear by the First Star that I would never put Kai’sa in danger on purpose, I would never let anything happen to her and―”
“Oh yeah? Just like Neeko right?”
That’s all it takes for Ahri to stop being able to hold the tears, because that decision was the biggest mistake Ahri has ever made and it doesn't matter how bad Ahri tries to make up for it, it will never be enough. The admiration and appreciation the other Star guardians had for her are long gone, replaced by distrust and resentment. And this is just a painful reminder of it.
So Ahri doesn’t try to justify or defend herself, she doesn't try to push. She has no energy left for it. Instead she chooses to be vulnerable and honest.
“I…I just can't stand seeing Kai’sa like this. She’s hurt and confused and she misses you guys so much and I―” Ahri takes a moment so she can stop sobbing “I’m scared, Akali. I’m afraid that if we keep protecting her…lying to her, she will just go away and lose her trust in us”
Akali doesn’t say anything in reply. In fact, she has gone very quiet, much to Ahri’s surprise. She really thought Akali wouldn't waste an opportunity like this to tell Ahri how pathetic she really is.
“I know I'm asking too much, Akali” she adds, sensing Akali has no intention to insult her “I promise I wont tell her anything and I understand you want to protect her, but―” Ahri bites her lips “please, Akali. I’m begging you to reconsider your decision because I―I don't want her to distance herself from us…” she closes her eyes before adding in a whisper “...from me”
“Damn it”
That’s the only reply she gets before Akali hangs up on her. She turns to Sarah, who has listened to everything, with tears running down her cheeks and the redhead immediately opens her arms to embrace Ahri in a tight hug, letting her sob in her shoulder. Sarah runs her hand on Ahri’s back trying to soothe her, but it takes a while for Ahri to actually calm down.
When Ahri’s vision is clear enough she looks back at Kiko, who has made herself comfortable in her arms.
Kai’sa won’t just leave you, everything will be fine. Kiko rubs her fluffy head in Ahri’s hand to get some cuddles.
“I hope you are right, Kiko”
***
Kai'sa's latest discovery is that running all the way home in the middle of a freezing winter night makes you feel like shit.
After Akali’s call, Kai’sa left Ahri’s house in tears and went back home on foot. She arrived with red eyes, out of breath, defeated, and shivering from the cold. She took a long hot shower before going back to sleep that helped a little bit to regulate her body temperature, but she still ended up tucked up in her bed under several blankets cursing herself and regretting her choices.
Next morning when she wakes up, the first thing she notices is that her head hurts like hell and that the blankets are definitely not enough, as she is still shivering. She brings her hand to her forehead to confirm her suspicions.
A fever, great. Kai’sa sighs as she leans back against the pillow.
She closes her eyes again, not caring about what time it is, hoping she can get more rest. After all, it’s sunday and she has no responsibilities or anything scheduled for today, so she can die in peace for the day.
Unfortunately her intentions are interrupted by her phone vibrating next to her. Kai’sa hesitates before taking it to look at the screen that shows an Akali incoming call. Kai’sa sighs and lets her finger wander on top of the answering button but ends up hanging up. She is not in the mood for whatever excuse Akali wants to tell her.
However, on top of the 20 missed calls from Ahri and 15 from Akali, Kai'sa also notices she has a ton of unread messages and decides to unlock her phone to check them.
Sunday, 5:15am
Ahri: Kai where are you???
i’m okay
i’m really sorry
Sunday, 5:23am
Akali: Kai c’mon pick up pls
Sunday, 5:40am
Ahri: Kai’sa are u there??
Are you okay?
Sunday, 5:50am
Akali: im sorry I swear Kai
i just wanna talk to you
at least tell me you are okay
Ahri won’t stop fucking asking about u
Sunday, 6:30am
Ahri: I understand you’re mad but please
just tell me if you’re home safe
Sunday, 7:00am
Akali: dude Kai c’mon
we are worried
Sunday, 8:11am
Akali: Kai??????????
Sunday, 10:03 am
Akali: okay, I’m calling Kassadin
The last message makes Kai’sa sit up straight so fast that it makes her dizzy. She checks the hour: 2pm. She wasn’t aware she has slept this much, but given she feels like shit emotionally and physically it makes sense. If Akali has really called her father, he probably will be here any minute.
Sunday, 2:03pm
Kai’sa: what the hell Kali, why would you
call him????
Sunday, 2:04 pm
Akali: KAI
FINALLY
you weren’t showing signs of life dude
what did u expect?
we were worried sick
Kai’sa is furious. Or angry. Or disappointed. At this point she doesn’t even know how she feels, all she knows is that Akali has no right to be paranoid about where she has been, when they are the ones constantly disappearing without explanations. And on top of that, she called her father to supervise her? Kai’sa is an adult, she can take care of herself―most of the time―, she doesn’t need Akali to send her father. She starts typing all of that to Akali but she doesn’t get to send the message as she is interrupted by the door of the house being opened and her father’s familiar footsteps running up the stairs.
“Honey, I’m home!” he announces when he reaches Kai’sa’s dorm.
“I can tell” she leans back again in the bedframe.
Kassadin sets down the backpack he's carrying on his back and leans against the doorframe “So…um” he’s clearly unsure on how to explain why he’s here when he wasn’t supposed to come back until Monday.
“I know Akali called you” there’s no reason to hide it when both of them already know it.
“Yes, she did”
“What did she tell you?” Kai’sa asks cautiously.
“Just that you weren’t answering any of her texts, not even Ahri’s. She was just worried something happened”
Kai’sa sighs and Kassadin gives her a concerned look. He comes closer to her until he’s sitting on the edge of the bed right beside her. His concern only grows wider now that he is close enough to notice her sickness.
“You don’t look well, are you feeling alright?” he puts a hand on her forehead “Did you take any medicine?”
Kai’sa shakes her head without looking at him.
“Let me get you some food and medicine and then you can explain to me what happened, okay?
A few minutes later Kassadin comes back with a grilled cheese sandwich, a glass of water and a pill for Kai’sa to take. He sits again next to her and waits until Kai’sa finishes everything to ask her again.
Kai’sa really doesn’t want to explain anything to him, mainly because she herself doesn’t even know what really happened. But for some reason, Kai’sa also finds herself not wanting her father to have a bad impression of Ahri. Even if Kai’sa can’t find a logical explanation for her leaving, and being annoyed about it, she can’t bring herself to fully explain the truth.
“Nothing happened really, I just…decided to leave” she says after a while.
“Mhm, you left Ahri's place, you've been ignoring her, and now you've got a fever because nothing was happening” Kassadin raises a brow “C’mon Kai, you know you can talk to me”
But what is Kai’sa supposed to explain? That Ahri left her in the middle of the night to go to a place that was probably dangerous and involved gunshots, and that Akali was there too? It sounds suspicious. It would sound like Kai’sa is accusing her of being―what, criminals? She really doesn’t want to say that.
“Everything was going fine, Ahri and her friends are great but um, at some point I started to feel left out I guess” Kai’sa says instead “They kept talking about their things and they wouldn’t explain to me anything. I felt kinda ignored and―I guess I got mad and didn’t want to be there anymore”
It 's not a lie at least. Kai’sa did feel left out even before they literally left her behind. But it does feel wrong to say it anyway, because they all treated her well. Especially Ahri, of course.
No matter how angry and hurt she is, what has been really in her mind the most since she left, is how softs Ahri’s lips felt against her hand, how adorable she looked sleeping on her shoulder, and how vulnerable she allowed herself to be with Kai’sa. It hurts Kai’sa to say Ahri ignored her, because that can’t be farthest from reality, but she knows it's the only excuse Kassadin will buy as serious enough for her to look like this.
“Oh, honey I’m sorry” he pats her leg. “I’m sure they didn’t want to make you feel like this, maybe there’s like a really good reason they didn’t want to explain you somethings”
“I don’t know”
“You have every right to be mad, but your friends are worried enough to have called me, so please text Ahri and tell her you are alive” Kassadin gives her a small smile “Then you can keep ignoring her as long as you want”
Kai’sa rolls her eyes “Fine”
When Kassadin leaves her alone again, Kai'Sa spends quite a while staring at the ceiling until she finally decides to open Ahri's chat. She knows her father is right, she should have at least told Ahri she was okay, despite Ahri being the one who ignored her first.
Kai’sa sighs before typing.
Sunday, 6:30am
Ahri: I understand you’re mad but please
just tell me if you’re home safe
Sunday, 2:31pm
Kai’sa: I am home and safe
She reads the text; simple, straight to the point. Satisfied, she sends it and puts her phone away in order to take a nap. But she is interrupted by her phone buzzing not even a second after she closes her eyes.
Sunday, 2:31am
Ahri: thank goodness
Kai I’m so sorry
Can we talk tomorrow after class?
Kai’sa’s heart does a little something at the speed of Ahri’s reply, because that means Ahri was really waiting for her to text her, right? Still, she doesn’t feel ready to confront her and hear whatever she has to say. Not her, and not Akali. Luckily for her, she does have a real excuse.
Sunday, 2:34pm
Kai’sa: I won't be going to class tomorrow
I don’t feel well
Sunday, 2:35am
Ahri: Oh…
Kai'sa is disappointed by that response. Not that she was expecting anything specific, but if Ahri was so worried about her, why is that all she says? Kai'sa sighs; she doesn't have the energy to overthink this, reading too much into it will make her head hurt and that’s the last thing she needs.
***
Ahri rarely gets nervous, not even on the battlefield when she has to face the deadliest creatures. Actually, one of her favourite things about herself is her almost unshakable confidence; she has always known how to handle any situation, and people have always turned to her and trusted her in moments of doubt. Even now that things are more tense, the other Star Guardians still seek her approval, something that Ahri loves.
This is why it feels so unnatural for Ahri to be fidgeting with the edges of the plastic bag she holds in her hands while she waits in front of Kai’sa’s house door. Ahri is definitely not used to this kind of…restlessness, of being worried about what other people think of her.
But Kai'sa? Kai’sa has been surprising her ever since they met, and she seems to be the only person capable of bringing out this side of her. Ahri doesn't care what anyone else thinks of her—except for Kai’sa.
And right now Kai’sa probably hates her, and the thought of Kai’sa looking at her with anything other than appreciation makes Ahri feel unsteady. So she decided to ask Taliyah for Kai’sa’s address and invite herself over to her house.
She certainly hasn't shown up at anyone's house like this after an argument. But even though Akali won't let her be honest with her, she owes her at least a proper apology. Ahri would really appreciate havig Kiko flying around her right now and bringing some comfort and reassurance to her, but she had to convince him to stay home since Kai'sa can't know anything about the whole Star Guardian worlds. Even though Kiko is dyig to meet Kai'sa.
Ahri almost doesn’t notice when a middle aged man opens the front door.
“Hello, can I help you?” he asks, a little confused.
Ahri looks up and smiles at him, forcing herself to put all the anxiety aside and pretend she knows what she is doing. “Hello sir, I’m Ahri—Kai’sa’s friend. Is she home?”
“Ahri!” His eyes suddenly spark and a smile spreads on his lips “Kai’sa didn’t tell me you were coming, of course, come in please!” He gestures to her to step inside and she follows without hesitation.
“Thank you, sir” she smiles back “Actually, Kai’sa doesn’t know I’m here, I’m afraid I come uninvited. Sorry about that”
“Oh, no need to apologize” he waves her hand “You are always welcomed here, I’m sure Kai’sa will be very happy to see you”
Ahri doesn’t say it out loud, but happy is not one of the words Ahri would use to describe Kai’sa’s probable reaction. Still, she doesn’t let her smile fade and keeps following Kai’sa’s father upstairs to what Ahri thinks is her bedroom.
They end up in front of a closed door decorated with a hand painted purple “K” in the center. He knocks on the door just once before opening it without really waiting for an invitation.
“Kai, your girlfriend is here!”
Ahri’s confidence shakes. Her cheeks grow warm.
What was that?
Not that Ahri dislikes that word—especially related to Kai’sa—but it definitely caught her off guard. What did even Kai’sa tell her father about her that made him say something like that so casually? Ahri tries to snap back to reality, and when she does, her gaze meets Kai’sa’s, who drops her phone on her own face in shock when she realizes Ahri is there.
“How many times have I told you not to hold your phone like that while lying down? One of these days you’ll break a tooth” he shakes her head “And I’ll be the one paying for it”
“Not now dad” Kai’sa looks so embarrassed wiping a little bit of blood from her lip.
“I have the clumsiest daughter in the world” he whispers to Ahri, who has to smile at that.
“I heard that” Kai’sa complains over the bed.
“Anyway, I’ll leave you two alone” he puts a hand on Ahri’s shoulder “Please make yourself at home, if you need anything, I'll be downstairs”
“Thank you, sir”
The silence that follows once he’s out is so intense that Ahri is almost sure she can hear her own heartbeat. Or maybe it’s Kai’sa’s, who is still attending to her bruised lip—or at least pretending to—and avoiding looking at Ahri.
“Hi” Ahri leans against the doorframe.
Kai’sa looks up at her but still doesn’t meet her eyes “What are you doing here?”
The question doesn’t bother Ahri, mostly because she sounds genuinely confused and Ahri can’t blame her for that. She herself doesn’t have a true explanation of what she is really doing here.
“Well I wanted to talk to you, and since you said you were not going to class, I took the liberty of coming to you” she then adds with the slightliest teasing tone “I'm not the type to take “no” for an answer”
Kai’sa huffs “That I know”
“I did bring you homemade soup though” she shows her the plastic bag in her hands “Soraka helped me, she said it will make you feel better faster”
“Oh” Kai’sa’s expression shifts to a softer one “Um, thank you. You can leave it there” she points at the desk inside the room.
Ahri carefully enters the room and sets the bag down where Kai'sa told her to.
This room is very different from her own. The walls are barely visible under the posters of characters and celebrities Ahri doesn’t recognize, and the shelves are filled with books, figurines, and CDs. Ahri takes the liberty of browsing through her CD collection; most are by bands she doesn’t know, though a few, like “Paramore,” do ring a bell. What catches her attention the most are the pink CDs at the end. Ahri picks one of them up and carefully takes it out of the shelf.
“You like Blackpink?” she asks, surprised.
“Are you here just to make fun of my music taste?” Kai’sa crosses her arms on her chest.
“What? No, I love Blackpink, I just wasn’t expecting you to like them!” Ahri turns to her, shaking her head. She then puts the CD back where it was and walks slowly to the edge of the bed.
“I’m actually here to apologize”
Ahri has always had a hard time giving in and admitting she's wrong. She can't even count the number of times she's argued with Sarah because neither of them would apologize. However she doesn’t even need to think twice with Kai’sa.
Kai’sa doesn’t say anything right away, instead she sits a bit more straight and actually meets Ahri’s gaze. It’s not that Kai’sa is the most put-together person in the world, but Ahri is used to seeing her in cute outfits with perfect hair. Now Kai’sa is in her pajamas, with dark circles under her eyes, a red nose, and a pale face—although she still looks beautiful. Ahri hadn’t realized just how sick she is, and suddenly feels the urge to take care of her.
“I’m sorry, Kai”
“You are?”
Ahri was worried that Kai’sa would look at her with hatred, but the truth is that Ahri can't quite figure out how Kai’sa is looking at her. She seems confused, surprised and relieved, yet resentful. And there's also a hint of something else... something more soft that Ahri can't quite grasp.
Ahri nods and steps closer to the edge of the bed where Kai’sa is.
“I am sorry I left you like I did, without explanation”
Kai’sa looks at her almost hopeful “So…are you gonna explain?”
Ahri sighs “I can’t, Kai”
This time Kai’sa throws the sheets to the side and stands up in front of Ahri “What?”
Ahri backs up startled by Kai’sa’s sudden closeness “I’m sorry I can’—”
“Stop that, Ahri!” Kai’sa places a finger in Ahri’s chest “I know you are hiding something from me, all of you! And I know Akali was there with you and I heard gunshots in that call, Ahri. Gunshots. And you’re telling me you are not going to explain why the hell you left in the middle of the night for literally hours to some kind of fight?” Kai’sa shakes her head “No, you are going to explain”
This is what Ahri feared, Kai'sa being actually angry at her, enough to raise her voice, even if only a little. Ahri tries to keep her composure and not cry as she gently moves Kai'sa's finger away from her chest.
“You are right”
“I am?”
That response takes Ahri by surprise. When she looks up to meet Kai'sa's gaze, she notices that her cheeks are red—but not the same shade as when Ahri flirts with her. She actually looks paler this close, and now that she's removed her finger from her chest, it seems Kai'sa is having a little trouble standing up straight. Ahri immediately puts her hand on Kai’sa’s forehead just to confirm her theory: a fever.
Ahri is starting to regret coming here, because now Kai'sa isn't just feeling unwell but she's also agitated because of her. So she gently guides Kai’sa back to her bed, and Kai’sa lets her. She then sits on the edge of the bed right next to her.
“Yes, you deserve an explanation” she wants to reach to her, she wants to hold her hand so Kai’sa can truly understand how much she cares about her, but she doesn’t want to push too far now.
“I really want to explain everything, you deserve the truth. But you’re right, I’m not alone in this and speaking about it it’s not my choice to make” she admits.
“You don’t trust me” Kai’sa looks defeated.
Ahri tails drops at the sudden sad look in Kai’sa’s face “Kai, of course I trust you”
“Then I don’t understand why you can’t tell me anything”
“I made a promise to someone and I don’t wanna break it” she sighs “I know I should not ask you for anything after all of this and I understand if you are mad and if you want me to leave” she pauses “But please Kai I need you to trust me on this” she begs again, just like that night.
“Okay”
“What?” now is Ahri’s turn to be surprised.
“Okay” Kai’sa repeats “What if I made questions and you just answer whatever you think you are allowed to say?”
Ahri thinks about it for a moment. She hasn’t talked about this with Akali but she guesses this is fair enough. Kai’sa deserves at least a chance. So Ahri nods.
“Did you disappear for the same reason the night of Ezreal’s party?” Kai’sa shoots the first question like she has been waiting ever since to ask it. Which she probably has.
“Yes” Okay, easy one.
“Was it Ezreal’s birthday?”
Ahri giggles with that one “No, I don’t know where that came from”
“Damn I must have looked so dumb wishing him a happy birthday in front of everyone” she covers her face ashamed remembering the moment. “Okay. Were those—um…were those real gunshots?”
“Mhm” Ahri nods remembering how Sarah was covering Akali’s back during that call.
“So you were in real danger” Kaisa frowns with concern. “Is that why Akali was limping the other day? Why do you keep putting yourself in danger? Are you…” Kai’sa pauses for a moment to analyze Ahri's face “You are not going to stop doing whatever this is you’re doing, are you?”
“It is dangerous, but we keep it as safe as possible. I’m okay, see?” Ahri points to herself from ears to tail as if to confirm it, but Kai’sa doesn’t seem to buy it. “You don’t need to worry so much, cutie” she tries to ease the mood.
“I will always worry if it’s you, Ahri” Kai’sa head drops back and Ahri’s heart skips a beat. How can Kai’sa say that so casually? Probably the fever, but still.
“I’m sorry that you worry” and this time Ahri does reach to her, placing her hand on Kai’sa’s warm cheek “But I promise you I’m as careful as I can possibly be”
“Is it Akali?” Kai’sa asks in a whisper. When she realizes Ahri hasn’t understood the question she adds “Did you promise Akali you wouldn't tell me anything?”
“I already messed up with her once, I don’t want to lose her trust again” Ahri gently strokes her cheek with her thumb “You should talk to her”
They stay like this for a while. Kai’sa closes her eyes, not fully leaning into Ahri’s hand but not moving away either. And Ahri can’t do anything other than stare at her and hope she said the right thing.
At some point Ahri’s phone buzzes and she checks it with her free hand.
Kai’sa suddenly opens her eyes “Do you have to go?” she pouts.
“Sarah is asking to pick me up, but I don’t have to go” she tilts her head “Unless you want me to”
“Stay” she closes her fingers on Ahri’s wrist in her cheek and fully leans in now. “Please?”
And all Ahri wants to do at this sight is jump for joy.
“I’ll tell her to pick me up in a few hours” she smiles at her “But I do need both hands for that, is kinda hard typing one-handed with claws” she shows Kai’sa her long nails with a perfect manicure on her free hand.
“Fine” Kai’sa reluctantly agrees to let go of Ahri's wrist.
Ahri texts Sarah to come pick her up in a couple of hours and ignores her friend’s reply hinting that Kai’sa likes her. When she looks up from her phone, she sees Kaisa with her eyes half-closed, shifting restlessly.
“I’ll be right back”
She then goes downstairs to find Kassadin and asks for medicine for Kai'sa. He quickly prepares it, not without thanking Ahri at least ten times for caring about his daughter.
Back in the room, Ahri places a cold, damp cloth on Kai'sa's forehead in an attempt to ease the head ache and brings the medicine to her lips so she can take it.
“You don’t need to do this” Kai’sa says after swallowing the pill.
“Do what?”
“This” Kai’sa moves her hands vaguely above the cold damp and the glass of water Ahri brought for her.
“You’re not the only one that worries, you know?” Ahri sits next to her in the bed without asking for permission “I don’t need to but I want to, Kai” she smiles at her.
Kai’sa’s cheeks whole face is kinda red because of the fever, but the ink undertone she just gained doesn't go unnoticed by the Ahri. And Kai’sa seems to realize that because her lips curl into a shy smile and she lowers the cloth in her forehead to her eyes as to hide from the vastaya. Ahri can’t help but to giggle.
“Don’t laugh at me” and to Ahri’s surprise, instead of hiding further behind the cloth, Kai’sa decides to bury her face in Ahri's shoulder.
Ahri tries not to melt “You’re so adorable and you don’t even know it”
“Stop!” Kai’sa tries to bury her face even deeper between Ahri’s blonde hair tickling Ahri's skin.
“Okay, okay” she now fully laughs as she tries to fight the tickles.
The two of them fall silent for a moment.
The silence between them has never been awkward (even though Ahri loves to talk). In fact, Ahri considers these moments with Kai’sa as a form of connection—almost a form of intimacy. Ahri looks down at Kai’sa resting on her shoulder. She really doesn’t deserve her. Far from hating her for literally abandoning her in the middle of the night, Kai’sa is letting Ahri be close to her, and somehow trusting her even more.
“I’m sorry” she musters an apologizes even though she knows Kai’sa deserves a lot more than just words.
Kai’sa hums “Just don’t disappear on me again, please”
“I’ll try for you” she whispers so low that she’s not sure that Kai’sa has heard her.
Maybe Sarah was right.
Because as captain, Ahri values duty above everyone and everything else, but if Kai'sa asked her right now not to go on a mission, Ahri would probably hesitate.
And that 's new.