Chapter Text
---
Caitlyn Kiramman had a problem.
A very serious problem.
Her article was supposed to be easy.
That was the entire point.
She had a clear goal.
A clear subject.
A clear timeline.
Ten days.
That was all.
Ten days to prove that some people were simply impossible to understand.
Ten days to prove that no matter how much effort someone put into a relationship, eventually the cracks would show.
And yet, somehow, only two days in, Caitlyn was already struggling.
Not because Vi was difficult.
That would have been easier.
If Vi had been rude, Caitlyn could have written about it.
If Vi had been selfish, Caitlyn could have documented it.
If Vi had been exactly what everyone warned her she was, then Caitlyn would have had her article.
Instead, Vi was becoming a problem for a completely different reason.
She was making Caitlyn like her.
---
"This is not a date."
Vi looked up from the menu.
"Cait."
"What?"
"You invited me to a restaurant."
"Yes."
"You dressed up."
"I dress appropriately."
"You spent fifteen minutes fixing your hair."
Caitlyn immediately looked offended.
"I did not."
Vi smiled.
"You did."
"I was preparing."
"For what?"
Caitlyn opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
Because she didn't actually have an answer.
Vi leaned back in her chair, looking far too pleased with herself.
"That's what I thought."
Caitlyn narrowed her eyes.
"You are enjoying this."
"Very much."
"Why?"
"Because you are usually so confident."
"I am confident."
"Exactly."
Vi pointed at her.
"And now you're sitting here trying to pretend you don't care what I think."
Caitlyn looked away.
Which was, unfortunately, exactly the reaction that proved Vi right.
---
The plan had been simple.
A perfect date.
A controlled environment.
A carefully selected location.
Nothing could go wrong.
The restaurant was elegant.
The atmosphere was quiet.
The food was excellent.
Everything was exactly how Caitlyn imagined a successful date should be.
Which was why she should have known it wouldn't work.
Because Vi didn't belong in perfect places.
Not because she wasn't good enough.
Because she made them imperfect.
And somehow, Caitlyn was starting to realize that was a good thing.
---
"You hate this place."
Vi looked around.
"I don't hate it."
"You hate it."
"I do not."
"Caitlyn."
Vi leaned forward.
"You've been staring at the exit for ten minutes."
Caitlyn looked away.
"I was observing."
"You were planning your escape."
"I was not."
"You absolutely were."
Caitlyn sighed.
"You make assumptions."
"And you're terrible at lying."
That caught her attention.
Caitlyn looked at her.
"Excuse me?"
Vi shrugged.
"You get this look."
"What look?"
"The one where you're pretending everything is fine."
Caitlyn went quiet.
Because that was not something people usually noticed.
Most people noticed the obvious things.
The Kiramman name.
The perfect grades.
The confidence.
The composure.
Nobody noticed the moments where she was tired.
Or overwhelmed.
Or unsure.
Except Vi.
And that was becoming increasingly inconvenient.
---
After dinner, Caitlyn expected the night to end.
Actually, she hoped it would.
Not because she didn't enjoy herself.
That was the problem.
She enjoyed herself too much.
The conversation had gone off-script almost immediately.
They hadn't discussed Caitlyn's article.
They hadn't talked about relationships.
They hadn't done anything useful for her research.
Instead, they talked about everything else.
Music.
Movies.
Childhood memories.
The weirdest jobs they had ever had.
Vi had spent ten minutes explaining why instant noodles were an acceptable dinner choice.
Caitlyn had argued against it.
Vi had won.
Somehow.
---
"You know what your problem is?"
Vi asked.
They were walking down the street now, the city lights reflecting against the pavement.
Caitlyn glanced over.
"I assume you are about to tell me."
"You think everything needs to have a reason."
Caitlyn frowned.
"That's not a bad thing."
"No."
Vi smiled slightly.
"But sometimes things can just happen."
Caitlyn looked at her.
"You're saying I overthink?"
"Absolutely."
"And you don't?"
Vi laughed.
"Definitely not."
"Coworkers would disagree."
"That's because everyone who knows me is wrong."
Caitlyn smiled.
"You are impossible."
"There it is."
"What?"
"The thing everyone says about me."
Caitlyn stopped walking.
Vi noticed.
The joking expression disappeared.
"What?"
Caitlyn looked at her.
"I don't think you're impossible."
The words came out before she could reconsider them.
Vi went quiet.
For once, she didn't have a joke.
And Caitlyn suddenly became aware of how honest that sounded.
Too honest.
---
The moment passed quickly.
Almost.
Vi looked away.
"You're weird, you know that?"
Caitlyn raised an eyebrow.
"You've said."
"Yeah, but I mean it differently now."
Caitlyn didn't know what to say to that.
So she didn't.
And somehow, Vi seemed okay with that.
---
Later that night, Caitlyn opened her laptop.
The article document stared back at her.
The title was still there.
How To Lose A Girl In Ten Days.
She stared at the empty space underneath.
Then began typing.
Day Two: The subject is not responding as expected.
She paused.
That sounded too clinical.
Too distant.
She deleted it.
She tried again.
Day Two: Vi is unpredictable.
Better.
But still wrong.
Because unpredictable wasn't the word.
Not really.
Vi wasn't random.
She was complicated.
There was a difference.
Caitlyn sighed.
Then typed:
Day Two: Vi is not difficult to understand. She is difficult to ignore.
She froze.
Her fingers hovered above the keyboard.
Then, slowly, she saved the document.
---
Across the city, Vi looked at the small paper bag sitting on her kitchen counter.
Inside was a dessert Caitlyn had insisted she try.
"You've never had this?"
"I don't need fancy food."
"You need to try it."
"You sound like you're giving an order."
"I am."
Vi had rolled her eyes.
But she took it anyway.
And now she was smiling at it like an idiot.
Which was unacceptable.
Vi grabbed her phone.
Opened Caitlyn's contact.
Typed a message.
Deleted it.
Typed another.
Deleted that too.
Finally, she settled on:
The dessert was good. Don't let it go to your head.
She stared at it.
Then pressed send before she could overthink it.
Almost immediately, her phone buzzed.
Caitlyn: I knew you would like it.
Vi smiled.
Then shook her head.
"Trouble."
Because she knew trouble.
She had spent her whole life finding it.
But Caitlyn Kiramman?
That was something different.
Something far more dangerous.
---
Two days down.
Eight to go.
And neither of them realized the experiment was already beginning to fail.
Because Caitlyn was supposed to be figuring out how to lose Vi.
And Vi was starting to wonder how someone like Caitlyn had managed to find her in the first place.
End of Chapter Two