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Caitlyn loves Vi.
She really does.
And she loves her even more since she surprised her with this hiking weekend. Because Caitlyn loves hiking. Not as much as she loves Vi, sure, but still. She enjoys many outdoor activities, but there's something about being surrounded by nature and away from people. Plus, the view you get is worth the effort.
So yeah, her best friend is an angel for that surprise.
It's not unexpected, though. She has known for years now, and they went through a lot together. Caitlyn couldn't imagine a life without her.
And well, if Caitlyn's in love with her (she would never tell anyone though, too afraid of ruining a good thing), well, that was hers to know and hers alone. She's been good at pretending that she just wanted a friendship from Vi.
But, God, sometimes she wishes her feelings would go away because she's way too whipped. After all, there's no way someone as intelligent and prepared as Caitlyn Kiramman would have agreed to this if it wasn't for Vi. Because she can't say no to her cute and pouty face.
People weren't lying when they said that love does make you dumb as hell.
So yeah, Caitlyn loves Vi.
But right now, she wants to kill her, plain and simple.
(She's also about to reconsider her hiking stance; she does like it when it's sunny and warm.)
And she would if she could …
But she's freezing.
She can't feel her fingers and toes anymore, and frankly, it's a miracle she can still (barely) move, think and breathe.
They've been walking for the past five hours, two in the storm, and, honestly, at this point, she's pretty sure she's already dead.
Vi, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be as affected by the cold as her, even if Caitlyn can't see her face.
She's walking fast and, to Caitlyn's surprise, hasn't complained once.
Maybe she's better at hiding it, Caitlyn thinks. VI's always been good when it comes to hiding her emotions, so… Or maybe Caitlyn wasn't that good at reading her best friend.
Before she can overthink everything, Caitlyn can hear Vi calling her.
Vi wasn't the type of person to cry easily. Sure, she did before: when she was a baby and wanted to eat or shit; when Vi was really pissed and tired, or she got punched really hard. But other than that, it was hard for her to cry. You wouldn't catch her crying while watching a movie or youtube videos (even those with dogs).
But now, she really was about to cry in the middle of a forest.
You see, Vi's never been that good at planning. While she's good at improvising, the organization is more of Caitlyn's thing. And that's why they work very well together.
But this was supposed to be a surprise, so Vi couldn't really count on Caitlyn's skills. Instead, she had to rely only on herself, which made this whole thing really hard.
She just wanted to do something nice for Caitlyn. That's what best friends do, right?
It's not like Vi was in love with the brunette or anything, and organizing this weekend meant being alone with Caitlyn, with no distraction, for like 3 days. Nope, not at all. It didn't mean anything.
*narrator's voice* what do people say about love, again? Oh yeah...it turns smart people into dumbasses...
And really, she thought she was doing great organizing that nice 3-days hike, and she was... pretty much...until...
Until that damn blizzard...
She can already hear Caitlyn telling her that she should have been more careful and checked the weather before this hike.
To Vi's defense, she did check the weather app and nothing was out of the ordinary. Definitely not a blizzard. But then again, we shouldn't take those apps too seriously and be prepared for everything, especially while hiking a mountain.
Like it's been said before, planning is NOT Vi's thing.
So now, they are stuck walking in the middle of a blizzard with non-appropriate clothes, and Vi can't help but pray that her map is accurate and that the shelter is close because if not, two bodies will be found.
They reach an intersection, and Vi is again on the verge of crying when she looks at the way they're supposed to follow. It's a steep slope, which would have been easy for them if it weren't as snowy as it is now. The only good thing about it is that it means they're only 1 mile away from the shelter.
She turns to let Caitlyn know.
After turning, Vi realizes that she can barely see Caitlyn's face because of the blizzard, but she knows her best friend well enough to sense that Caitlyn is probably mad (and freezing, but that's a given) right now.
"Normally, there should be a cabin a mile or so away from here," she says softly, hoping that it won't make Caitlyn more pissed.
"Normally…" she can hear her best friend reply, and Vi knows (and understand very well) that she's about to lose it.
She can hear Caitlyn mumbling something else, but at this point, Vi's way too cold and tired to ask and knows that if she does, it will only aggravate the situation.
So instead, she keeps her mouth shut and starts climbing the slope.
That last 1 mile (or more like 3 but really, at this point, who's counting) was the most challenging and annoying thing Caitlyn has ever done in her life.
You would think that her training as a police officer would be helpful in a situation like this, but nope. It seems as if the snow completely annihilated her cardio training.
She was definitely going to die, and she's not being dramatic.
She's ready to give up and just lay down and wait for death right there when she hears a scream (as loud as it's possible when you're tired and cold as hell) from Vi, "CABIN."
This is the best news Caitlyn has ever received in her life. And again, she's not being dramatic.
The shelter is empty when they arrive.
Vi supposes it's normal considering the storm that's happening. Surely, people wanting to hike around here are way better than her at forethought and chose to delay their trip.
She doesn't know what she expected, but this is definitely not what she had in mind.
The shelter is oddly comforting even though it smells musty, looks straight outta the 30s, and is not really warm inside.
There's a big couch, though, a big dinner table, a wood-burner stove, a small kitchen, and she can see a bedroom.
From her peripheral vision, she can see Caitlyn checking if there's food in the fridge, and according to her sigh of relief, there is. At least, if they somehow survive the cold miraculously (and if she survives Caitlyn being pissed at her), they won't die from hunger.
After checking if they have everything they need to stay there a few days, (not that the pair wants to, but you never know), changing their clothes, and taking a shower; They made their way to the couch, and ...
Nothing... Just silence...
The only sound you can hear is coming from the storm outside.
It's funny, Vi thinks. She didn't picture this when she imagined them in a cabin in the woods. She had this romantic vision of them drinking hot chocolate, sitting on a couch while watching the fire in the chimney, maybe exchanging some kisses, etc...
She didn't think it would be like this... that bad... and she's desperate to change that.
Vi will later blame this on her freezing brain, her lack of tact, and the uncomfortable silence, but she can help but blurt, "It could be worse…I mean, think about it .. we could be stuck in an airport without a proper bed on Christmas day."
Caitlyn hates this.
She's not talking about the shelter and the security it provides. Right now, she's not even talking about the blizzard.
No, she's talking about the tension between her and Vi.
Sure, they had fought before like pretty much everyone else, especially when you're two stubborn people. But it's never been like this; it's never been uncomfortable between them.
Honestly, at this point, she would rather go back outside in the storm than be in the situation with her best friend. OK, no, scratch that she wouldn't actually go outside, but you get the idea.
She looks at Vi, and Caitlyn can tell that she's in pain, and it's not from the cold. She's clenching her jaw, and her gaze is stern. A gaze that makes it a mission to not look at Caitlyn. And gosh, Caitlyn desperately wants Vi to look at her.
Before she has the time to break the silence, Vi says: "It could be worse…I mean, think about it .. we could be stuck in an airport without a proper bed on Christmas day."
The only response Caitlyn can give at this point is a glare.
She's not mad but honestly, what the hell?
The dark-haired girl can hear her friend grumbling, "wrong timing got it, sorry," while busying herself with the fire, and she can't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. (yes, her brain is frozen.)
She laughs, and she can't stop. She's also pretty sure that Vi is looking at her like she's insane (she probably is, but again it's the cold's fault).
A few moments after, she's still clutching her sides, but one look at her best friend's face, and Caitlyn sobers up.
"Vi," she tries.
"I'm sorry.." Vi is still not looking at Caitlyn. "I just wanted to spend some time with you! I mean, I know we work together and all that …But we haven't done that in so long, and I... I just missed you" she said the last part so quietly that Cait would have missed it if she wasn't paying attention that much to her.
Vi…" she tries again.
"For what it's worth, I know It was dumb and irresponsible; that's who I am, I guess… and I know that I should have been more careful. It was reckless and dangerous… I've never wanted to hurt you or…."
"Vi.." Caitlyn says a little louder, but it still doesn't work.
"The thing is I know you love hiking, nature and that kind of thing … I guess I just wanted to do a little something for you like you always do for me, but I realize now that I was stupid… you're freezing and not having a good time, and that's my fault... I'm sorry."
"STOP" Caitlyn yells, hoping that her best friend will finally stop talking and start listening. It works, and Vi is finally looking at her.
"You're not dumb and irresponsible." She can see a look of doubt on Vi's face. "OK, that wasn't your brightest idea, sure, but we're not dead. Plus it's not like the weather is something predictable, and like you said, it could be worse, we could still be outside of this cabin that you found… so I'd say that you're not that bad..."
Vi doesn't seem convinced, though. Even with Caitlyn's smile and their intertwined hands, two things that usually work.
Caitlyn truly needs her best friend to understand that she's not mad but doesn't know what to do. (Except she does)
Later, she will be mortified when she realizes what she came up with (or not).
But, in the meantime, Vi is close, like really close. And Caitlyn never functioned properly near a pretty girl, especially when said cute girl is Vi. (Useless lesbians because Vi is not better with Caitlyn). She also lost some neurons in the cold.
So, Caitlyn feels a confidence she's never had before. She survives the storm after all.
She looks at Vi and sees her looking at her lips. It makes her realize that maybe her feelings aren't one-sided after all.
Maybe to get a great thing, you have to ruin a good one, after all, she thinks.
Maybe she's done pretending.
And frankly, if they are one-sided, she'll just go outside and die (drama queen who?)
So, she takes the risk and kisses Vi.
It's not like what's written in the books or movies. There are no fireworks, no explosions, nothing of the sort. It's also not rough, fast, or hungry. Instead, it's slow and languid; It's like coming home; finally finding that missing piece and feeling complete. It feels right. Like they both wanted this for so long. Like they know they're not in a hurry and have all the time in the world.
They break apart only because they need to breathe.
Caitlyn looks probably the most content and happiest she's ever been because that's how she feels.
Vi also wears a look of pure happiness, but there's also insecurity and vulnerability as if she needs to be sure that's it's real, that they're both on the same page.
"Does that mean you like me?" Vi says softly, not caring at all if she sounds desperate.
A smartass answer is on the tip of Caitlyn's tongue, but she knows her best friend (/girlfriend?). She knows that this isn't the time to joke. Instead, she settles for the truth: "I do … so much…."
It was the right call because Vi is wearing the biggest smile on her face.
"Well, that's a good thing because I like you too...just thought you should know."
Caitlyn laughs softly as she watches VI trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing as if they both weren't a mess: «You're such a softie."
"Hey, take that back," Vi pouts, and Caitlyn can't stop herself from kissing her again, not that Vi minds anyway.
There's silence again in the shelter. But this time, it's not uncomfortable, quite the opposite.
They're both thinking of what just happened and what it'll mean for their future.
Again, Vi is the one breaking the silence, "I love you," she says with rare confidence when it comes to expressing her feelings. She guesses that it's because of Caitlyn. She always felt safe with her.
"I love you too," Caitlyn answers without missing a beat, "Thank you for the surprise."
Vi makes a face as if she's still not entirely convinced that Cait is not pissed at her, "You don't have to lie, you know …But like …Promise you're not mad?"
"Promise. Being stuck here with you is actually the best thing ever," Caitlyn answers and kissing Vi's doubts away.
When Caitlyn wakes up a few hours later, they're not on the couch anymore but on the bed.
The snowstorm is still going and doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon.
Not that she cares that much anyway. Not anymore.
She is still tired from today and cold from the snow, but as she looks at Vi's sleeping form in her arms, she realizes that she's pretty grateful for the weather.
THE END.