Work Text:
Sleep. It was never a thing Vi enjoyed, it was just a necessity to keep her body functioning. She hated it, it was always met with nightmares that clung to her like a second skin. Nightmares of her past, of the endless battles she had fought, of the faces of those she had lost.
When she was younger she spent most of the time watching after Powder, making sure to chase away the nightmares her sister experienced. Then when she was put in Stillwater she always had to keep one eye open and be ready to spring up at a moment's notice. Sleeping soundly was a luxury she couldn't afford.
After she got out she didn’t have time. Sleep still wasn’t a luxury, she was constantly moving.
Once Jinx blew up the council room and brought the city to its knees, there was no respite. Helping Caitlyn find her own sister became her obsession, her purpose. There was no room for sleep when searching through the ashes of a broken city, sifting through ruins and debris like a hopeful scavenger. She had to find Jinx, had to find Powder. The guilt of failing her once was enough; she wouldn’t let it happen again.
Her nights were scattered with sleepless hours spent reminiscing about the past, and dreams filled with images too hard to bear, the faces contorted with anger, pain, and worse... disappointment.
To Vi, sleep became an enemy, an arena in which she was forced to fight personal battles that left her battered and bruised each dawn. She carried the weight of those nightmares into her waking life as constant reminders of what was at stake.
For every step she took towards finding Powder among the rubble and chaos, there was an echo of Jinx taunting her from the shadows. After they did find her and she left Piltover… it was once again the same. Sleep wasn’t even a second thought, the only thought she had on her mind was punching the first person she could find and a drink in her other hand drowning out the thoughts.
But the ghosts of her past seemed to thrive in the dark corners of the bars she visited, their specters dancing along with the smoke and shadows, whispering taunts and pouring guilt like a bitter drink. In every clink of glass and flicker of candlelight and banner, she saw her. She saw Caitlyn.
She avoided sleeping all together to not see her, only pushing herself to the point where she had to pass out when her body deemed it, only to wake up again, groggy and irritable, her throat parched and her body aching, but it was a pain that she could manage. It was a pain that she had come to know as familiar. It was far more bearable than the night terrors that came when she surrendered herself to slumber completely.
And then Jinx came back, pushing her along to find Vander. Finding him again was a peace she hadn’t felt for a long time, but it still didn’t provide the solace she craved. Vander was a balm, but not a cure to the deep seated unrest that consumed her. Even amidst the happiness of the reunion, there was always the lingering, haunting image of Caitlyn, and the unspoken words that passed between them.
The sleepless nights continued unabated, filled with consuming thoughts and ghostly memories. But along with sorrow and regret came growth too. With each passing day she found herself evolving, morphing into someone who could face the darkness with an iron resolve previously unknown to her. Vi endured not because she had to but because she wanted to, for Jinx, for Vander, for Caitlyn, but more importantly for herself.
The nightmares never left, in fact they grew more vivid as if somehow feeding off her growing strength.
It wasn’t until the war with Noxus was over Piltover and Zaun finally found some peace. Of course it wasn’t the peace they all had dreamt of, but it was a start. The city was still recovering, as was Vi.
She lost so many people she cared about, friends… family. She had their names etched in the back of her mind, echoing through the alleys of her thoughts, each one a ghost haunting the ruins of what had once been a carefree spirit. She carried their memory with her, not as a burden, but as a testament to their existence, their influence. Each name was a scar on her soul, making her stronger, lending her the courage she was often deprived of.
In the end of it all she had Caitlyn, she could rest. For the first time in twenty three years Vi felt safe. Safe… warm… loved. For the first time in decades, she dared to shed her armor of worry and guilt, allowing herself a moment of vulnerability.
Opening her eyes slowly she blinked a few times furrowing her brow as the light came through the blinds, at first she was confused staring up at the green drapes above her until she heard the sound of a page turn beside her. Slowly turning her head not to bring attention to herself she looked at Caitlyn sitting beside her, engrossed in a book, oblivious to Vi’s wakefulness. A content sigh escaped Vi’s lips as she studied Caitlyn.
The woman had her eyepatch off still dressed in the clothes she wore to bed last night, a thin purple dress with a cover thrown on to ward off the morning chill. Her fingers traced the outline of the words in the book, lips moving slightly as she immersed herself in its world. The scar on her eye, usually hidden under the eyepatch, was now visible and slightly bathed in the early morning sun. To Vi, it was a badge of bravery displayed without shame.
Vi watched Caitlyn for a while longer, taking in the peaceful domestic scene unfolding before her. The troubles of their city left at the doorstep, at least momentarily, and their complex lives stripped down to this quiet simplicity of an early morning.
Sleeping now was peaceful, she was still getting used to it of course, a warm bed, four walls around her. The nightmares were still there but they were becoming less frequent. With Caitlyn beside her, she somehow found the strength to confront them, to recognize them for what they were: The past. A past that couldn't hurt her any more than it already had.
She closed her eyes again, not to fall asleep but to savor the beautiful silence wrapping around them. It was calm, quiet.
Slowly she shifted her hand under the blanket letting it run up along Caitlyn’s leg, the other woman didn’t jump at the touch but a faint smile tugged at her lips as she continued to read.
She knew that when the nightmares dared to invade, Caitlyn would be there, a beacon of strength and resilience. Sleep was no longer an enemy.
Rolling over she pushed her face into Caitlyn’s side taking a deep breath, she felt the woman’s hand rest on her back as she continued to read in silence. Vi lay there for a while, soaking in the rhythm of Caitlyn’s steady breathing, the scent of her skin. It was a comfort that quieted her restless thoughts, a sanctuary that felt like home.
Home.
She relished the word in her mind, it was a term she had never dared to associate with anything, or any person, before. But now, her heart swelled. Home was not just the four walls enclosing them or the city rebuilding itself around them.
Home had a name. Caitlyn.
Gently Caitlyn moved her hand, tracing lazy circles on Vi's back. The tenderness of the simple act stilled Vi's thoughts entirely.
“Sleep well?” Caitlyn murmured, closing the book carefully and setting it aside. She looked down at Vi, her eyes now softened in the early morning light. Vi looked up at her, meeting her gaze with sleepy eyes of her own.
“Better than ever,” she replied quietly, letting herself relax further into Caitlyn’s comforting touch.
Caitlyn’s lips curled into a warm smile that did funny things to Vi's heart. Slowly the woman shifted down, tugging the blanket up around them before wrapping her arms around Vi, pressing their foreheads together.
"I'm glad," Caitlyn whispered, her voice barely audible.
Vi hummed, pushing her hand up, threading her fingers through Caitlyn’s hair as the woman's scent enveloped her. It was a mixture of vanilla and something uniquely Caitlyn that Vi had come to adore, god she loved it so much.
"And you?" Vi asked softly, brushing her thumb against Caitlyn’s temple in a soothing rhythm.
Caitlyn only hummed in response, burying her face into the crook of Vi's neck.
"No nightmares," Caitlyn finally mumbled against Vi's skin, her breath sending a warm shiver down Vi’s spine.
A wave of relief washed over Vi, and she tightened her hold around Caitlyn, pulling her closer. Sleepless nights were no strangers to either of them, but they endured because they had each other.
“Good.”
Caitlyn shifted, pulling her head back and kissed Vi’s nose before she rubbed them together with a playful grin. "Sleep some more, Vi. We have all the time in the world."
In that moment, Vi felt a warmth flood her chest, a feeling so profound that it threatened to choke her. After years of running away from shadows and fighting off nightmares, it felt surreal to be wrapped in such tranquility. Rolling them slightly, Vi felt Caitlyn’s legs entwine with hers causing a shiver of content to dance up her spine.
Resting her hand beside the woman’s head she pushed herself up looking down at her. The way Caitlyn’s hair was splayed against the pillow, a few stray curls falling onto her face made Vi’s heart flutter.
Her fingers gently moved to tuck the strands behind Caitlyn’s ear. Their eyes met, both filled with an emotion that neither needed to voice out loud; it had already been woven into the very fabric of their existence.
“I love you,” Vi said. The words flowed naturally from her like breath, each syllable embodying a piece of the emotion within her. Three words didn’t feel enough to encapsulate what she felt for Caitlyn, the feeling in her chest that hurt so much in its fullness. She had loved before, but this wasn’t that. It was like comparing a flickering candle to the sun. The kind of love that consumed her with its intensity, a love so profound it touched the very marrow of her bones. The kind of love that made her feel safe.
Caitlyn's eyes widened slightly at Vi's confession, but she kept her gaze locked with hers. Her lips parted the small gap in her teeth showing as she scrutinized her face and then twisted into a knowing smile. "I know," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I love you too."
Closing her eyes Vi felt warm tears pool before falling down. Hands rested on her cheeks as she cried. It wasn’t sadness, but an overwhelming joy that burned in her chest. It was a glorious feeling, one that she wanted to feel every day, one Caitlyn could bring with only a look, a word, a kiss, everything about her.
"I've always loved you, Vi." Caitlyn's voice carried through the stillness, not breaking it but adding a beautiful harmony. She pulled Vi into her arms once more, holding her tightly against her chest.
Vi could only nod against Caitlyn's chest, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. She snuggled closer into Caitlyn's embrace, feeling the echo of each heartbeat. “I know we have to get up… and start the day… but can we just stay like this, for a little longer?” She murmured into Caitlyn's chest, her voice muffled by the soft fabric of Caitlyn's nightgown.
Caitlyn let out a soft chuckle, her fingers tracing slow, soothing circles on Vi’s back. "For a little longer," she agreed, pressing a tender kiss to the crown of Vi’s head.
Vi loved sleeping now, because that meant when she woke up she would see one of the things that mattered most in the world to her, Caitlyn. Seeing her first thing in the morning was more beautiful than any sunrise, any piece of art that nature could create. And so there, in the soft early light, she allowed herself that small pleasure of just being with Caitlyn, their bodies tangled together under a blanket..
Caitlyn's hand moved lower down her back, fingers lightly skimming over the faint bruises there, remnants of their life before this peace, but also a testament to their endurance. Vi didn't wince this time; while it still hurt, it was an acceptable price to pay for what she had now.
Instead, she nestled closer into Caitlyn’s warmth and let out a relieved sigh as a comforting hand continued to massage her aching muscles. Her body slowly yielded under Caitlyn's touch, any remaining tension melting away like snow under the first touch of spring.
The reality they lived in wasn’t ideal or perfect but at the end of the day when shadows began to stretch out and the first stars peeked through the fading blues of the sky, it was theirs and that was enough. Life had thrown them curveballs, had tested their limits, yet here they were, together and stronger for the challenges they had faced.
Vi felt Caitlyn's fingertips tracing her scars as though memorizing them, fingers sliding lightly over the rough terrain of her skin. It wasn't a gesture of pity or condolence – it was acceptance, a promise to stand by Vi and share her burdens, however heavy they may be.
She could rest now.