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Caitlyn hates going to the gym with Vi and Jayce.
Which, yes, might be a bit of an exaggeration because it rarely happens considering their schedules align perhaps once in a blue moon with life, work, and training preferences. Such as the fact Vi enjoys a morning workout and says it helps her get out some early morning energy freeing her up to have the run of the night to get up to her worst behaviour. While Caitlyn has a preference for a post-work workout. A wonderful opportunity to vent her frustrations at being a Junior DA fighting the system’s internal bias and her colleague's perception of her as nothing more than an entitled nepo baby with a prominent Senator as her mother opening doors she hasn’t earned. And Jayce is… well the Man of Progress. In truth, she has no clue how often he manages to go into his lab in between all the PR events while dating both his lab partner Viktor and rising star in the House of Representatives Mel.
It’s all so busy and frantic with none of the comforting consistency or proximity of Uni days and Jayce is truly her brother in all but blood and Vi is the love of her life. So it should be fine – wonderful even – to have possibly her two favorite people close by to share a quip with between reps and encourage each other to keep pushing and so on and so forth. Unfortunately as of lately both of them have committed to this bit of being absolute menaces and it’s going to ruin her reputation because now they are roping her into it.
For a second she misses the way they had once postured at one another. Jayce glowering that no one could be worth Cait’s time and Vi sneering that Jayce wasn’t going to scare her off no matter who he had backing him. It had been a frustrating time until they’d been forced to go on an ice run during a family/friends BBQ event and they’d come back arms slung over each other chatting animatedly about how rigged the NFL is for the Chiefs and not a cube of ice in sight as they drank fucking boba.
Caitlyn had in turn been tipsy and pissed because they needed the ice for a reason – mimosas were crucial and everyone else with a license had already started drinking when the lack of supplies was noted. Her heritage as an English and Indonesian woman had also bristled as she couldn’t for the life of her care for the sham that is american ‘football’ - it makes no sense proper football is actually played with one's feet a majority of the match, as the name implies, and has existed long before the american bastardized version! They had the audacity to team up against her when she’d made her case.
After overcoming that hurdle it would seem every time they get together it becomes their mission to stress every single one of her nerves. Perhaps in the most endearing way because they don’t even seem to realize it’s happening. But the throbbing in her temple persisted as when one of them is sent to complete a task and it goes well enough. Yet when they’re allowed within proximity of each other for seemingly even a second some chemical reaction must be occurring and they become as effective as a square through a circular hole.
At a cafe once Viktor, Mel, and herself had watched as they both struggled to open a push door. That was clearly labeled in brass lettering. They’d even stepped aside as a patron exited. Just to resume pulling after the bewildered woman had wandered away. It took them 15 minutes to finally make it to the trio's table as they watched in morbid fascination that these were the people they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with.
Which leads to now. Because it’s sooo much worse when they have time to actually plot their nonsense. A casual Saturday workout with lovely weather and a moment to just exist in the moment - except for these absurd outfits. Vi in loose shorts that barely fell halfway over her thick thighs and hug her ass in a way that makes Caitlyn thank every designer of this admittedly pretentious gym that the cardio section is placed on the upper deck with a spectacular view of the free weights and lifting section. Allowing her to savor the bend and stretch of that taught muscular body. That she would be appreciating more if it weren’t for the ridiculous black shirt – sleeveless exposing her binding wraps and tattoos, a saving grace she refuses to admit to being the reason she allowed herself to be seen with Vi in such a travesty – with large block white letters stating boldly ‘Big Dick is Back in Town’. As Jayce hovers spotting her as they swap off and on in a pair of grey sweats rolled to reveal the lip of his boxers and his own gaudy shirt cropped just enough to expose a bit of his navel the shirt is unfortunately readable in the mirror wall that stretches across the entire weight lifting section. His shirt questioning ‘Who Ate All The Pussy?’
She had stealthily taken an obligatory photo and sent it off to the Moron-sexual™ group chat so that Mel and Viktor could suffer at least a modicum of her embarrassment.
She had already rolled her eyes profusely on the way here after looking at Vi’s choice in attire but now she had to participate as Jayce threw her one of her own. Already pre-cropped. She could at least appreciate the detail of knowing if she was going to wear something outside of her typical sports bra and tights it couldn’t constrain her waist lest it threw off her breathing and made her feel weird. At first, she had staunchly refused easily shrugging off Jayce’s pleas because he was annoying and dumb and she didn’t have to listen to him. Until Vi, the traitor, had given her the eyes.
Not the ones that prompted her to drag Vi to the premium member changing room and take advantage of the private shower stalls. That would be too easy. Too fun. Instead, Vi pulled out the puppy eyes. Caitlyn’s greatest weakness combined with a hesitant “c’mon cupcake, please?” and Vi knew that was fighting dirty. But she was ruthless striking hard and fast when she jutted out that bottom lip and made her eyes big enough to where the grey caught the sunlight just right that she was hypnotized by the flecks of blue in the magnetizing depths.
Caitlyn was not a woman interested in fighting losing battles. So she merely huffed before snatching back the stupid shirt from where it had come to rest against Jayce’s chest after she threw it back at him for the audacity of thinking she’d wear such a thing. She was moderately placated to discover she left a cropped hoodie in her locker. Something she snagged before heading to her cardio oasis away from those blasted conspirators.
So yes. Caitlyn hates going to the gym with Vi and Jayce.
But as she watches them jokingly shove one another and laugh boisterously she’s willing to suffer it. Because she loves them and these silly gimmicks. Loves that they wanted to do something so dumb and silly. And will never admit that it makes her heart swell that they thought to include her in their mischief. So she was warm and happy content beyond a satisfying workout.
Until she sees they’ve started gathering a feminine set of admirers.
If she cuts her cool-down lap a little short to rush down and make a couple of things clear about who exactly gets to appreciate how - ahem - functional Vi’s muscles are. Well, the dumb little black crop top with white lettering saying ‘Lebanese’ gives her the right to stake a bit of claim. She’ll sell Jayce out to the wolves because in truth she is an only child and she refuses to share.