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“That’s it! I’m never dating again!” Caitlyn Kiramman announced dramatically, marching into the apartment she shared with her best friend and flopping spread eagled on Mel’s bed. “Time for me to accept my fate as a spinster and focus on becoming the weird but cool aunt to your children.”
“Oh dear, what happened this time?” Mel asked with a smile, not bothering to hide her amusement as she emerged from the bathroom.
“What didn’t happen?” Caitlyn groaned, throwing one arm across her eyes. “He was five minutes late to start.” Mel hummed, perching next to Caitlyn’s head, that wasn’t a great first impression - she knew how much Caitlyn cherished punctuality, a side effect of growing up with a former military parent. “In sweatpants.”
“Ouch.”
“Talked about nothing but himself for an hour. Then demanded I pay because clearly ‘I can spare the cash’.” Caitlyn repeated, relying heavily on the use of air quotes for the last part. She already had misgivings about her family’s financial situation, having come from old money built on exploitation of good people across generations. Sure, Kiramman Enterprises weren’t run like that anymore, her mother ruling the company with an iron fist and steel resolve for community outreach. Still, Caitlyn hated that her family name was all anyone saw when they looked at her. As if that was all she was, and that she hadn’t gotten into the most prestigious university in Piltover on her own merits.
Mel hissed in sympathy, stroking stray strands of midnight blue hair from where they’d fallen across Caitlyn’s face. “That’s no good.”
“You can say that again,” Caitlyn grumbled, closing her eyes and basking in the soothing touch, letting it calm her. “I mean it this time, I’m not going on any more dates. I’m about this close to letting my mother set me up with someone,” Caitlyn held her thumb and pointer finger barely a centimeter apart, letting out a whine in protest when Mel slapped her shoulder.
“None of that now!”
“Mel!”
“You’ve had, what? Five dates that haven’t gone well?”
“Feels like fifty.” Caitlyn grumbled, rolling her eyes.
“So five bad dates?” Mel confirmed with a grin. Caitlyn put entirely too much pressure on herself, too used to excelling at everything she did. Middle and High school came easily to her, she was smart and pretty, possessing the easy charm that accompanied years of careful tuition preparing her to run in diplomatic circles when she inevitably inherited the company. It wasn’t exactly her fault she wasn’t used to things not going exactly the way she thought they would.
Caitlyn pulled a face at the teasing, lazily raising a middle finger at Mel. Unfortunately for her, Jayce, her other best friend chose that exact moment to walk in. He was wearing a stupidly bright summer shirt left unbuttoned and a garish pair of white knee length shorts. “Why is Caitlyn in our bed, again?”
“Bad date.”
“Another one?”
“I am right here .” Caitlyn protested half-heartedly, not bothering to move as the bed dipped and Jayce half flopped - half sat next to her.
“What’s up, Sprout? Someone else not worshipping the mind behind the smile?”
“ Screw you, ” Caitlyn mumbled, batting Jayce’s prodding finger away from her ribs where he knew she was ticklish.
“Nah, that’s Mel’s job.” Caitlyn rolled her eyes again, she could practically hear the wink in his voice. Though even she couldn’t keep the smirk off her lips at the sound of a sharp smack and a yelp. Her friends were weird.
“When you two are quite finished,” Caitlyn sat up with a huff, deliberately not looking at Jayce who she knew sported a broad, too white smile. “Why can’t I just meet someone I get on with, like you two did?”
“Oh, sure. Cause we got on like a house on fire!”
“Shush,” Mel chastised him, shuffling so she could sit with her back against the pillows stacked against the headboard. “I think what Jayce is trying to say is we’re not exactly the most straightforward example of how relationships work,” she said with a gentle smile.
Logically, Caitlyn knew that. Mel and Jayce had been in this on-again-off-again situationship thing since they’d met at the start of uni 2 years ago. And she was pretty sure Jayce was also seeing this other guy - Viktor or something- Caitlyn didn’t pretend to know or even try to keep track. Jayce’s love interest changed practically weekly. But somehow they worked. And call her jealous but part of Caitlyn wanted that for herself. Someone to talk to, to know, to spend time with outside of work and study.
“You can’t force these things, Cait.”
“I know,” she mumbled, dragging a hand over her face tiredly, “Doesn’t stop me wanting it though.” The three of them sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, content not to say anything but feeding off each other’s presence for support.
“I know!” Jayce popped up with a bright smile, his eyes twinkling with ideas. “When was the last time you took a break?” He asked, addressing them both. Caitlyn turned to Mel, her eyebrow quirked sceptically only to find an equally confused Mel.
“It’s… been a while,” Mel admitted.
“Same.”
“Well, what’re we waiting for?” Jayce bounced onto his hands and knees excitedly. “Spring break’s in like a week. Let’s do something!” Nobody spoke. Until Caitlyn did, and she was sure Mel did a double take when she did.
“What the hell, why not?”
“YES!” Jayce pumped the air with his fists. “Spring break, here we come!”
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On the other side of town, Violet Lane was having one hell of a morning. Head bopping to the tune pulsing through her headphones, she was in a world of her own as she entered her building in the same outfit as last night. She was on a high. It had been a good good night. Though now she was craving some decent food and her own bed for some actual sleep.
Slinging her red hoodie over the back of the sofa she headed to the kitchen, pulling ingredients out of the fridge that she could use to throw together a quick omelette. She had it all ready in the pan, the eggs were sizzling and she was just about to flip it when someone grabbed her headphone away from her head, letting it twang painfully back against her ear.
“Hey!” Vi protested, turning to find her sister standing in a sleep shirt and shorts with her arms folded across her chest looking like the freshly raised dead.
“How are you so chipper? It’s not even 7 in the morning,” Jinx scowled at her, stifling a yawn behind her fist.
“Sorry, sis.” Vi winced, struggling to actually sound apologetic. She was in far too good a mood, still buzzing from the multiple rounds of bliss from a few hours ago. “Coffee?”
“Obviously,” Jinx grumbled, sliding into a seat at the breakfast bar to wait while Vi rustled up a fresh pot, making it extra strong the way she knew Jinx preferred. “I take it you had a good night?”
“You could say that,” Vi smirked, sliding a steaming mug of black goodness in front of her sister before turning back to her omelette. She cursed loudly when she flipped it and saw it was a bit blackened on the underside. Damn, that sucked… not a deal breaker though. Still edible.
Jinx fake retched into her hand. “Don’t be a baby,” Vi sniped, rolling her eyes as she took the omelette off the heat and started eating it straight from the pan. At Jinx’s half-disgusted expression, Vi frowned and paused with a fork full of food halfway to her mouth. “What?”
“How are we from the same parents?”
“Beats me,” Vi shrugged and resumed digging into her breakfast with vigor. Her phone chose that moment to buzz, lighting up on the counter. Vi reached for it and was unfortunately not fast enough.
“My eyes!” Jinx yelped dramatically, slapping a hand across her face. It was too late though, she’d already seen the contents of the message that had popped up on Vi’s unlocked screen. The very explicit picture of a half-naked woman pouting and twirling her hair around her finger. Vi chuckled and reclaimed the device, smirking when she laid eyes on the pic, suddenly getting a second wind. Maybe sleep could wait after all?
“Haven’t you any decency?” Jinx whined, still covering her eyes with her hand but peeking through a gap in her fingers.
“You’re the one who grabbed my phone, that’s on you!”
“Why can’t you just be normal ? Settle down with someone? You know Vander’d stop bugging you then.”
“Hey, I’m here for a good time, not a long time,” Vi smirked. Scraping the last of her omelette into her mouth she quickly washed the pan and stuck it on the dishrack to drip-dry. “And just because you’ve practically been married since you were ten doesn’t mean I have to.”
“Me and Ekko are just friends !”
“Keep tellin’ yourself that!” Vi cackled, heading for the bathroom while checking her phone one more time. She had just enough time to grab a quick shower and throw on some new clothes before she had to head out again. This week was already shaping up to be a good one - good company, no assignments, she was heading home in a week for spring break to work and see her family. Yeah, things were going good.
Nothing could bring her down.
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Finally , Caitlyn thought, unfolding her body from Jayce’s tiny Fiat 500. Two hours was way too long to be cooped up for, especially crammed in behind Jayce’s seat. The large man needed so much leg room it was actually ridiculous. Groaning loudly, she stretched each part of her body in turn, taking in the scenery with a smile.
Zaun was Piltover’s sister city, sitting on the other, lower side of the peninsula and only accessible via twisting mountain roads or the occasional passenger flight. It wasn’t exactly the nicest of places - having a bit of a reputation for being rough - but that was exactly what made it a university student’s vacation haven. Cheap, plenty of booze and one hell of a night life, if the reviews on travel sites were to be believed. And just close enough to Piltover so they didn’t have to waste more than a day on travelling.
“Come on, Caitlyn!” Mel called her attention back to the car where she was in the process of unloading their suitcases. Jayce had disappeared, probably checking them in already with the lodge owner. After much discussion, they’d decided on somewhere near the edge of town. Close enough that they could walk to the places that interested them but far enough away that they wouldn’t be disturbed by loud music pounding all night if they decided to stay in.
“Sorry,” she laughed and jogged over, taking her small suitcase and shoulder bag from Mel with a smile. “It’s beautiful here.”
“I can’t believe you’ve never been!” Mel exclaimed, taking her own bags and shutting the trunk with a slam.
“I never realised how much I was missing out on,” Caitlyn beamed, nudging Mel with her elbow. Zaun really was beautiful - lush greenery covered the sloping streets, heat rising from the pavements making the air shimmer. One of the perks of Piltover’s cliffs, she guessed—they literally trapped the heat in, making it practically tropical compared to their very temperate climate.
“Besides,” Caitlyn continued, “If anything my parents have actively discouraged me from travelling, especially on my own.” That much was true at least. Her parents were … a tad protective of her. Always concerned about her safety even in regards to ordinary activities. Memories of school trips chaperoned by private security guards came to mind. Caitlyn shuddered, casting the thoughts away. That was a long time ago. Her parents had gotten better as she’d grown older - though part of her was convinced the self defense classes they’d made her take in high school had something to do with them easing off over the years.
Being the sole heir to the Kiramman legacy meant she had a lot of expectations to live up to. Her mother was one of Piltover’s most prominent politicians. Constantly campaigning for equal rights and better housing and free healthcare for everyone. She came from a long line of public servants and lawmakers, very few had been as liberal as her mother was though. Not to mention her father, Tobias. While only a Kiramman by marriage- he had accomplished great things at Piltover’s University Hospital. Creating revolutionary treatments by combining traditional Ionian medicine with advanced techniques available in Piltover to drive medicine and surgery as they knew it leaps and bounds.
Yeah. There was very little pressure on Caitlyn. Not .
At that moment, Jayce reappeared from the lobby, a bunch of keys clutched in hand. “Alright, ladies. We’re all checked in, if you’d like to follow me,” he grinned. He was enjoying this far too much, Caitlyn thought with a light shake of her head. Not that she could blame him. The sun was out, it was spring and it was warm - like actually hot enough to wear summer clothes warm. Not like the pathetic excuse of spring Piltover got three months late every year where you still had to wear thermals if you didn’t want to freeze.
Inhaling deeply, Caitlyn allowed Zaun’s warm air to fill her lungs, catching a hint of something sweet from all the plants growing in the hedgerows. Hell yeah, she thought, beaming, she was going to enjoy this.
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“There they are!” Vander’s voice boomed excitedly through the Last Drop as Vi pushed the doors open, Jinx at her side. “The Prodigal Daughters return!” He laughed, many of the regulars filling the tables joining him, smiling and raising glasses towards them with a cheer as they made their way towards the bar. Jinx instantly ducked away out back, hunching her shoulders and hiding behind her bangs. Vi, quite happily slung her duffel bag to the floor and grabbed a stool.
“Hey Vander, how’ve you been?” She beamed up at him, leaning heavily on the bar top. Her adoptive-father’s excitement at having them home was contagious; it wasn’t long before Vi felt the tension she’d carried in her shoulders start to ease. She loved coming home. Every time it felt right , like this was where she was meant to be. She did not, however, like having to navigate the treacherous mountain roads between the two cities. Especially not when night was falling. But Jinx had a late lecture that she couldn’t miss and they both wanted to get home to spend as much time with their family as they could.
“I’m grand, Vi,” The great bear of a man finished drying the glass in his hand then leaned over the bar, pulling her bodily into a hug. “Even better now you’re both here.”
“Alright, alright!” Vi slapped at his arm half-heartedly as Vander squeezed just a bit too tight for comfort. As soon as he let go she was shaking her shoulders, pulling out the collar of her leather jacket and clearing her throat. She had an image to maintain, come on!
“What?” Vi asked, catching Vander’s arched eyebrow at her fussing.
“I’ve never seen you so bothered with your appearance,” he smirked, multitasking easily behind the bar. For a Friday night it was reasonably quiet and Vi recognised many faces from growing up here; the patrons of the Last Drop were as much her family as the man who’d adopted her and Jinx. But then again, spring break had barely started and even then The Last Drop wasn’t the most popular student destination.
“It’s spring break!” She exclaimed as if that explained everything.
“And that means…” Vander raised an eyebrow, his lip curling up into a smirk.
“God you can tell you’ve been out of the game for a while,” Vi rolled her eyes, half grumbling at the man.
“That wouldn’t be Violet’s voice I hear, is it?” Vi hung her head and groaned as Silco emerged from the rooms behind the bar, looping an arm warmly over Vander’s shoulders. “You wouldn’t be trying to avoid me now, would you?” He teased.
“Of course not! How’re you doing, Silco?” Vi leaned over the bar again to embrace him. Silco was as much a father figure to her as Vander was, the only difference being he hadn’t legally adopted them. The two men were thick as thieves and had been since they were boys, or so she’d been told. And when Vander first opened the pub and needed someone to help with the rent, Silco moved in - using one of the back rooms as an office for his accountancy business.
“I’m fine, Vi, thank you for asking.” He smiled warmly at her, allowing her to sink back onto her stool. “You look well.”
“Thanks Silc. Someone here was just saying I’m trying too hard,” Vi grinned, jerking her thumb towards Vander who was just finishing with a customer in the corner.
“That is not what I said , and you know it.” Vander flicked a dish towel at her face, rolling his eyes, his shoulders shaking with laughter. Vi scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out, laughing right alongside him.
G ods, she’d missed this! Missed them! Missed the easy banter and how Zaunites weren’t afraid to speak their minds. Pilties could be so uptight at times, so concerned with the political correctness of a statement and offending someone to just talk!
Before either of them could think of a new topic to bicker about, Silco was placing a cola in front of her, asking, “Do you have many plans for your break?”
“Mmh-” Vi paused mid-slurp, “I’ve been talking to Sevika, she’s gonna give me a few shifts over at Shimmer on the bar. Said she might even put me up on the decks if a slot opens up. Other than that…” Vi trails off with a relaxed shrug. “You guys need me to help out here at all?”
“Ah, I appreciate the offer kiddo, but we got it handled.” Vander shut her down with a kind smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “This is meant to be your break, Vi, don’t work too hard.”
For a second, Vi forgot where she was and opened her mouth to say something entirely inappropriate. Thankfully, her brain rebooted before she said anything, closing her jaw with a click of teeth and nodding. She had no concerns about working too hard, and had full intentions of making the most of her break - visit some old haunts, catch up with her mates and make some new friends… intimately.
“You look tired,” Silco murmured.
“I am,” she hummed. “Long drive. And I swear those mountain roads get worse every time.” The two men looked at each other and muttered in agreement. Now that it had been said out loud, exhaustion hit her like a brick. Full force, no warning. Stifling a yawn behind her fist, Vi finished her cola then leant down to grab her bag from the floor. “On that note, I think I’m gonna head to bed. See you guys in the morning?”
“Count on it, kiddo.”
“Goodnight, Vi.”
With that, Vi pushed her way through the door behind the bar leading to the backrooms and headed upstairs. She could navigate this place with her eyes closed, which was lucky as her eyes drooped with every step, her body giving in to the promise of sleep.
Tomorrow, spring break would start proper and Vi could not wait.
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“Wakey wakey!” Mel burst in, sing-songing in a voice far too bright for this early in the morning. Caitlyn groaned loudly, flipping over and burying her head under the duvet as Mel threw the curtains wide open. Sunlight streamed into the room, already warm despite the early hour.
“ ‘T’s too early. Bugger off .” Caitlyn moaned, rolling to the other side of the bed with a scowl as Mel flopped on top of her.
“Come on, Caitlyn! It’s past nine, time to get up!” Mel laughed
“ Sod ooo-ffff,” Caitlyn groaned again, much less energetically this time. Now that she’d semi-woken up, her head was pounding. What the hell did Zaun put in their drinks? She’d only had one cocktail …
Jayce. Motherfuck- he’d bought shots.
Lots of shots.
Shit.
Mel pulled the duvet off her with a flourish. “Ta-da! Now you have to get up!”
“ Screw you,” Caitlyn frowned but sat up. Her hair was all knotted and tangled from tossing and turning in her sleep and her mouth felt as dry as the Sahara but otherwise she was in one piece. Still wearing the clothes she had on last night, but no worse for wear from it. “ How are you not hungover?”
“Because I have a tolerance, darling.” Mel smirked at her but handed over a pint glass of crystal clear, cool water that Caitlyn downed in a matter of seconds. “ Damn girl!”
“I’m never drinking with you and Jayce again.”
“Oh don’t be melodramatic,” Mel brushed her complaints off with a roll of her eyes, moving around the room and rummaging through Caitlyn’s belongings, throwing things into a tote bag.
“What are you doing?”
“Packing darling,” Mel replied as it was obvious.
“Right.” Caitlyn blinked. She should know by now, Mel never answered questions where she ought to know the answer seriously. She tried again, “What for?”
“Well, where better to nurse a hangover than the beach?”
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Caitlyn is going to kill her friends. Absolutely, 100%, locked up for life murder them.
Not only had Jayce got her drunk last night. Together, they’d dragged her out of bed at some stupid o’clock, drove down to the beach, staked out a spot somewhere in the middle under a small umbrella and promptly abandoned her , racing into the sea to throw water at each other like children .
Not that she was really complaining, she certainly wasn’t in any condition to be tumbling about in the surf. Her stomach felt like she’d swallowed the sea, waves of nausea washing over her and her head still throbbed despite the aspirin she’d taken almost an hour ago. The only thing that really helped was hiding in the shade, sunglasses firmly over her eyes, and sipping at the massive bottles of water she’d brought, one of which was already half-empty.
The beach had been quiet when they arrived, there’d been a few early birds staking a claim to umbrellas near the beachfront bars and juiceshacks. But other than them, plenty of white sand stretched between groups. That all changed within a few hours. More and more people arrived, most of them spring breakers if the range of cheap swimsuits and flip flops was any indication. The beach rapidly filled up, the sand disappearing beneath beach towels, and the bars filling with rowdy patrons already shouting and yelling with glee.
That was all normal - especially for a tourist spot - and Caitlyn had expected it. What she hadn’t expected was the weird collection of metal frames and ramps of various sizes set back from the beach between the bars. It had been empty most of the time they’d been there but as the sun climbed higher in the sky people were beginning to gather. Some wore boots with wheels on their feet, other people rocked up on bikes that looked too small for them, short frames, tiny wheels with oddly large tyres. Yet more people were either riding various sized boards with wheels or had them in hand while they gathered in groups to talk.
That was when she saw her .
Rolling along the pavement on a board of her own, red hair trailed down her back like a mane, all shaggy cut and free flowing underneath a solid black cap set backwards on her head. She was wearing dark grey cargo shorts and a maroon tank top that was a few shades darker than her hair. Black tattoo lines curled across her shoulders and down her arms and Caitlyn could see the definition of her muscles from here.
Good god, who is she and where has she been all my life? Caitlyn thought, her jaw dropping unconsciously as she tracked the woman through the crowds. All she needed was for the adonis to turn so she could see if their face was as attractive as their body -
“Earth to Caitlyn? Come in Caitlyn?” Jayce’s voice cut through her reverie as effectively as a bucket of ice water being dumped on her head.
“What?” Caitlyn startled, snapping her head around to face her friends. “I wasn’t staring! You were!”
Jayce and Mel looked at each other with matching smirks and raised eyebrows, their eyes twinkling with mischief. Caitlyn felt her cheeks flush with heat and knew without looking they’d be bright pink. Oh… she was in trouble now.
“Staring at who, darling?” Mel teased, her smile as wide as Caitlyn had ever seen it.
“Surely not that hunk of muscle skating down the boardwalk?” Jayce chimed in. The heat in her cheeks intensified and Caitlyn couldn’t help but risk another glance at the woman who’d stopped now and was greeting a girl with blue dreadlocks beside the ramps. “It is, isn’t it!” Jayce burst excitedly, leaning forward as he sat beside her on the towels. “The red haired butch!”
“Sssh! Not so loud!” Caitlyn hissed, slapping at his arm in an effort to get him to shut up. Unsuccessfully, she might add.
“Oh darling,” Mel mused in fake sympathy, folding her legs delicately beneath her to sit on Caitlyn’s other side. “I don’t think I’ve seen you this bothered since you were with Leo-na .” She smirked, emphasising the other woman’s name even as Caitlyn fixed her with a death stare. Or what she hoped passed as a death stare and not just a look pleading her to shut up about her apparent gay panic.
“Uh-oh, don’t look now but I think she’s about to get even more attractive,” Jayce taunted, his eyebrows raising even further into his hairline.
Caitlyn couldn’t help herself. Of course she couldn’t. It was impossible, the other woman drew her gaze like a magnet, and Caitlyn was caught hook line and sinker. The red-head turned and oh lord she was even more attractive than Caitlyn first thought. Round cheeks, a heart shaped face, gorgeous full lips with - was that a scar?
Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity fuck fuck. She was so screwed. She was so attractive. Even though Caitlyn couldn’t see her eyes, hidden as they were behind a pair of thick framed Ray Bans, she knew they would be smolderingly intense. Even the way she held herself, god - the woman was broad but she wasn’t afraid of taking up space, keeping her shoulders framed she held herself with a confidence Caitlyn wished she could emulate.
“I think we’ve lost her again,” Jayce teased, speaking more to Mel than to her. Caitlyn ignored him. The woman had finished speaking to the girl with dreadlocks and propped her board up against a wall, stretching and swinging her arms out with a confident grin. Caitlyn couldn’t help but imagine how she’d sound - her voice a bit rough and husky, so sure of herself, sexy…
As she watched, the redhead and her friend set themselves on either side of the frames. With a nod they began jumping, running and weaving through them, keeping within the square but chasing each other. No - the redhead was chasing. Her friend appeared to be running from her. Before long, they’d gathered a crowd of people around them, obscuring Caitlyn’s view. But not before she’d seen the redhead, skin shining with a sheen of sweat, cocky grin on her face, slap the dread-head with a flat palm on her ass.
Oh, and she has big hands….
Caitlyn swallowed. She was so screwed.
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Music filled the air - loud and pounding. The beat pumping and pulsing. The atmosphere, already thick but somewhat muted. Throngs of people milled around as Vi entered Shimmer, fist-bumping the bouncer who recognised her and let her straight in. She headed right to the bar, leaning against it casually as Sevika bustled about serving customers.
“There she is, just who I was hoping to see!” Sev greeted her, popping open a bottle of something fruity yet alcoholic that she knew Vi liked and handed it over. “What d’ya say about putting some life into this place, Vi? That dance floor’s looking awful empty.”
Vi grinned, taking a sip from the bottle. “Gimme 5 to get a buzz going, Sev! Jeez!” She laughed, throwing her head back as Sevika gave her a lazy middle finger. “Oh, yeah! Real mature!”
“Smartass!”
“Bonehead!”
“Fat-hands!”
“One-Arm!” The two women leaned closer over the bar, staring at each other intently then burst out laughing.
“Damn I missed you kid!” Sevika laughed, picking up a towel to dry the washed glasses behind her so she could restack them. “Nice to have you back!”
“Cheers, Sev!” Vi chuckled, having to shout over the generic popular music currently playing through the club. “Who chose this shit?”
“Three guesses.”
“Urgh, Deckard?” Vi hung her head, rolling her eyes. He was a year older than her but had been busted down to her year sometime in middle school and for some reason had a major problem with Vi. “Why’d you hire him?”
“He’s cheap!” Sevika shrugged.
“He’s shit!” Vi countered.
“Well, y’know, my favourite DJ upped and moved Topside. I was kinda stuck!” Vi stuck her tongue out at Sevika’s jibe. “Go on, kid! Show him how it’s done, please. Before he totally kills the vibe in here.”
Vi waved her pleas off, draining the rest of her drink and exchanging it for an unopened bottle of water then headed off to the raised DJ decks that looked over the dance floor. Climbing into the booth she jerked her head at Decker, scowling for him to get lost which he thankfully did without a fight. Unzipping her hoodie, Vi stripped down to her tank top, plugged in her headset and reduced the volume of the music so she could replace it with her own mix.
“ALRIGHT PARTY PEOPLE!” Vi yelled, her mic carrying her voice all around the club, drawing people’s attention to her stand. “Now, a little birdy told me it was Spring Break?” A cheer rose up from the crowd, Vi’s enthusiasm slowly infecting people. “What do you people say we get this party started?” The cheer was louder this time, picked up by more people. Vi spun her discs, queuing up her first track.
“I can’t hear you!” The cheer got louder again. Vi grinned. “That’s what I’m talking about people! I’m ULTRAVIOLET and I’ll be your DJ tonight!!!”
Without further ado, Vi hit play and the beat of P!NK’s ‘Raise Your Glass’ started pulsing through the club. The crowd surged towards the dance floor. The energy in the room climbed cataclysmically as people began jumping to the beat.
Vi grinned, pulling her headset back over both ears and bouncing along to the music along with the clubbers. She liked to enjoy herself up here, the DJ set the whole energy of a place so it was important for her to build the mood to something people could enjoy. And she missed DJing, especially here. Sevika was pretty chill and trusted her to come up with sets that suited the atmosphere of the place - a bit down and dirty, a little grunge but energetic.
As the night wore on, Vi worked through her set - Kesha’s ‘Die Young’, OMI’s ‘Cheerleader’, ‘Dynamite’, and of course the classic ‘Last Friday Night’ - just to name a few. That was when she saw her …
Tall. Legs for freaking days. Arms raised up over her head and grinding to the music. The neon lights danced off her dark hair making it shine a million different colours. Then she turned and Vi’s heart actually skipped in her chest. She had a slender, pretty face. Cheekbones so sharp you could cut yourself on them and gorgeous eyes. She was smiling and biting her lip when suddenly their eyes met from across the room, the woman looking at Vi with hooded eyes and a cocky smirk as she moved her hips to the beat.
Fuck me … Vi thought, blood rushing from her brain down to her core, her clit pulsing with sudden need. Not now. Not now. Not now , she repeated mentally, dragging her gaze off the gorgeous woman and back to her discs, queuing up the next song. She was almost done. Her set almost finished. Then she could actually go and introduce herself. Yeah. Solid plan. That’s what she was gonna do. She just had to be patient. Sevika would kill her if she finished early just to get into someone’s pants.
And Vi was very very keen on living.
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The last 15 minutes of her set positively dragged . But Vi stuck with it, playing songs and keeping the energy high for the clubbers even as numbers started dwindling as people left for the night. Thankfully, that just meant it was even easier to find the long-legged goddess once she was done.
“Hey.” Vi drawled, sauntering up to the woman, biting her lip enticingly.
“Hello yourself.” Fuck , she was a Piltie. Had a proper accent and everything. Vi was going to die and she’d be happy about it. The woman met Vi’s gaze with a lusty stare of her own. Vi faltered momentarily. Holy crap - how could she be even more gorgeous up close?
“I’m Vi.”
“Caitlyn.”
“You -”
“Do you want to get out of here?” Caitlyn beat her to the question that she’d been dying to ask. Vi swallowed, caught off guard. Who was this woman? And what was this feeling in her gut, screaming for her to get to know her?
“Absolutely!” Just like that, Caitlyn took her by the hand and was dragging her out of the club. Vi had just enough sense left to shoot off a hurried text to Vander telling him she’d be staying out tonight and to not worry. Then she was shoving her phone deep in her pocket and chasing after Caitlyn, hunger burning hot in her gut.
She had to get to know her. Needed it . And Vi would be damned if she wasn’t going to find out what exactly was Caitlyn’s deal…
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‘Oh my god. Oh my god! What the fuck am I doing?’ Caitlyn had just enough cognizance to recognise the words her brain was screaming at her. Was she really going to do this? Hook up with a random stranger in a club - albeit a very very attractive stranger that she was dragging out the club.
Caitlyn gasped as they finally broke free of the crowd into the night. It was as if she was taking her first breath after drowning, all clean and cold and sobering. But then Vi’s hand was on her hip, gripping and squeezing and pulling her closer. Greedy fingers dipped under the hem of her shirt and - oh - where those calluses? They were! Caitlyn keened a little as rough fingertips dragged over the sensitive skin of her stomach. She had a feeling Vi knew how to use her hands, now she was seriously looking forward to putting her skill to the test…
Hot lips found her own. Biting. Sucking. Urgent . Vi pressed impossibly closer. Caitlyn groaned loudly, tipping her head back to break the kiss, thankful that the street was now deserted. Last entry had been a while ago and the night was cold enough that no one was particularly eager to hang around longer than necessary.
“Mmmh,” she panted. One hand fastened tight to Vi’s shoulder, clutching the corded muscle flexing, her fingertips pressing harder to feel it even more. Caitlyn’s other hand found purchase flat against the other woman’s chest, pushing hard to dislodge her lips from where they’d now landed exploring her neck. “ Vi!”
“ That’s it, say my name, Cupcake. Say it for me ,” Vi growled, her voice dropping an octave. She surged against Caitlyn’s hand, lips and teeth fastening against her neck and beginning to suck a mark only for Caitlyn to shove her off.
“Not… here.” She gasped, taking in the shorter woman. Vi’s eyes were all stormy grey and blown pupils, her chest heaved as she panted, one hand raised to feel where Caitlyn pressed against her as if she was desperate to still feel her there. Vi licked her lips. How someone made such an indecent action look so attractive… Caitlyn forced the thought away, focusing on Vi and the next words she said.
“You have a place in mind, Cupcake?”
Caitlyn puffed a strand of hair out of her face, “As a matter of fact, I do.”
------------------------------------
Caitlyn woke to the feeling of soft lips kissing their way across her chest. Furrowing her brow, she scrunched her eyes shut, letting out a disgruntled groan. She was answered with a quiet chuckle and a strong arm squeezing her waist.
“Good morning, sunshine.”
Caitlyn smiled as the memories of last night slowly came back to her. Of the club. Of Vi - the DJ. Of what they did… “Morning, handsome.” She cracked her eyes open, taking in the delectable sight of Vi’s very naked body sprawled beside her on the bed.
Vi chuckled again, flexing her arm again to squeeze her waist before she pushed herself up onto her elbows. “Sleep well?”
Gods… part of her wanted to wipe the cocky smirk off Vi’s smug face but Caitlyn knew that’d be unfair. The butch had more than earned that right after her performance… Caitlyn couldn’t remember the last time she’d come that hard. Or more than once. Not with a partner at least. Plastering a smile to her face, she leaned up, accepting a swift kiss.
“ Very. Thank you.”
“What for?” Vi’s brow crinkled adorably in puzzlement. And, not for the first time, Caitlyn was struck not only by how damn attractive this woman was, but also her sweetness.
“I don’t… do this kind of thing… often.” She stumbled over her words, inexplicably overcome by an urge to just talk . To explain. Say something! Anything.
“Sex?”
“No!” Caitlyn blurted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as Vi watched her with curious eyes. “I-I mean, yes. I mean-”
“Cupcake,” Vi cut her off gently, putting one hand on her arm and giving her a reassuring smile. “It’s okay.”
“It is?”
“ Fuck, yeah .” Vi squeezed her arm lightly and sat up. “I mean… you were incredible.”
“I was?” Caitlyn hated how insecure she sounded, wishing she was able to take a compliment at face value and not over analyze it. But that’s not how she was raised. The world of politics was a minefield of false praise and double meanings and people trying to grow close to improve their own standing.
“Truely,” Vi said seriously. Then her face cracked into a smile once more, “10 out of 10. Would fuck again.” Caitlyn couldn’t help but laugh. Curling her body around Vi she nuzzled her head into the pillow then looked up at her.
“You’re such a charmer.”
“Glad you think so.” Vi leaned in to kiss her. But before their lips could meet, her phone vibrated violently on the dresser, the notification sound pinging repeatedly. Vi groaned, “I’m assuming that’ll be my sister wanting to know where I am.”
“Should I be worried?” Caitlyn mused, pouting a little as Vi drew back.
“Not at all.” Vi stole a quick kiss then scooted to the edge of the bed, her face contorting into a grimace.
“You okay?”
“Yeah… my pa’s car broke down and they need me to rescue them.” Vi groaned, scrunching a hand over her face. “Sorry, but I gotta go.”
“That’s ok,” Caitlyn sat up, wrapping the bedsheet around herself out of instinct. Carefully masking her expression so she didn’t show how truly disappointed she was, she murmured, “I understand.”
Vi groaned, looking at her phone then back to Caitlyn. Then the device was in her hands, a new contact file loaded up on the screen ready for her. “Give me your number?”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” Vi nodded seriously. Caitlyn had no words. Nothing she could actually rely on anyway without sounding like an absolute simpering idiot. It was just sex… get a grip of yourself woman. But her fingers were already moving, typing her number and saving it in Vi’s phone.
Leaning in urgently, Vi kissed her again. “I’ll message you,” she promised. Then she was gone, the door closing behind her with a click.
Caitlyn groaned loudly, dropping her chin to her chest and dragging her hands over her face. For fuck’s sake… This. This is why she didn’t do this kind of thing , she reminded herself. Because she can’t separate sex and feelings. She just couldn’t. She wanted a relationship. Craved one dammit!
And now she knew what Vi felt like… sounded like… she couldn’t help but want more.
‘Coffee. Coffee will make me feel better ,’ reluctantly she dragged some clothes on and made her way to the kitchen, clicking on the fancy coffee maker and pouring herself a cup.
“Heh-hey! There she is!” Caitlyn froze at Jayce’s overly jovial voice, staring blankly at the wall ahead. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Please, no . She turned slowly, mug held close to her chin as if she could hide behind it. “How was your night, Cait?” He asked with a suggestive pump of his eyebrows, grinning madly.
“Oh please, please please, kill me now,” she prayed, wincing when Mel joined them, an uncharacteristic but identical grin on her face.
“Now, now, darling, don’t be dramatic.” Mel taunted all too happily. “I think your god went that way,” she pointed to the front door with a giggle. Caitlyn scrunched up her face even more and pressed her forehead against the rim of her cup.
“How much did you guys hear?” She asked, despite being sure she didn’t want to know the answer.
“Only… a lot,” Jayce slung a heavy arm around her shoulders. “Sounded like you had fun.”
“Ok! Nope!” Caitlyn pulled away sharply. Jayce yelped, only just able to catch himself against the counter instead of face planting the floor.
“Hey!”
“Nope!”
“Caitlyn!” Mel called after her. She ignored her, retreating into her bedroom and loudly slamming the door. She was not ready to deal with this. Not remotely…
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On the other side of Zaun, leaning against the driver’s side window, Vi was miserable. Not only had Jinx interrupted what was going to be a really great morning with her text, she was now late. After leaving Caitlyn's, it had taken her 20 minutes to walk home, her hands shoved deep into her hoodie pockets and her shoulders hunched against the cool morning air.
Another 20 minutes later, here she was, outside Benzo’s junkyard, watching the minutes tick by on the car’s digital display waiting for her sister to appear. “Goddamnit Jinx, where are you?” she muttered, glancing out of the window then back down to her phone, her thumb hovering over Caitlyn’s number.
Throwing her head back, Vi groaned and locked the screen, slipping the device back into the usual pocket. ‘ Enough’s enough ,’ she thought and with no regrets pushed her hand against the horn.
BBBBBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP!
BEEEEP. BEEEEP. BEEEP. BEEEEP.
“Alright! Alright! I can hear you!” Jinx appeared from behind a heap of haphazardly stacked metal, long blue hair dishevelled and grease smeared half across her face. Vi scoffed and rolled her eyes, ‘Yeah, not with Ekko my ass. Speaking of…’
The Boy Wonder himself appeared from the same stack of junk, his clothes strangely rumpled and white dreadlocks distinctly stained with black dots. Fingerprints. Jinx stuck her tongue out at her sister then turned and wrapped herself around Ekko. Vi shook her head again at the pair as they leaned in, their kiss rapidly turning heated again.
Growling, Vi rolled the passenger window down and leaned over, snapping, “Would you hurry up and get in already? Some of us have plans!”
“I’d better go before she drives off without me,” Jinx pouted, stroking Ekko’s face. “Will I see you later?”
“I’ll make sure of it,” he grinned. Then with a quick wink, he pressed another kiss to her cheek and disappeared back into the junkyard. Jinx watched him go for a moment then slid into Vi’s passenger seat, closing the door a little harder than necessary.
“ Finally.”
“ Oh chillax! You weren’t waiting that long.” Jinx retorted. Leaning back as far as she could, she stretched her neck with a snap. “Oh yeah, that’s a good one!”
Vi grunted and huffed, pulling away silently.
“Ooooooh, someone’s tetchy,” Jinx taunted, waggling her fingers in Vi’s face. She slapped them with one hand making Jinx cackle.
“‘M not in th’ mood.” Vi grumbled, scowling at the road as she tried to focus. Her mind kept drifting back to this morning though and what she’d said. ‘ Ten out of ten. Would fuck again.’ Who even says that! She fumed at herself. Not that that was even the main problem. She was more concerned about her newfound desire to message Caitlyn. She didn’t do that . Didn’t do more than hookups, preferring to keep things simple. No strings attached. Caitlyn wasn’t any different! Except she was… on every single level.
“Jeez! Who peed in your cornflakes?” The clench of Vi’s jaw did all the talking for her. Jinx was silent for all of thirty seconds before she managed to join the dots. “OOOOOOOHHHHH! Is this about a girl ?”
“No.”
“YES!” She exclaimed, grinning gleefully. “It is, isn’t it?”
“It’s nothing,” Vi grumbled, her scowl growing as Jinx squealed and kicked her feet beside her.
“What’s her naaaame? ”
“No. Not doing this.”
“ Viiiiiiiiiiiii ,” she whined and Vi just knew if she looked at her sister her eyes would be all big and puppydog-like and she’d be pouting. She hadn’t changed since childhood.
“No.”
“ Pleeeeeeeeeeease?”
“I swear to God - I will pull over and you can walk back to the Drop.”
“Fine.” Jinx grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. “This isn’t over.”
“Yes it is.”
“I’m gonna find out eventually.”
“Not if I can help it.”
“Did you at least-”
“ JINX!”
“Fine…”
------------------------------------
Days later, Vi still wasn’t fine . She didn’t know what the hell was wrong with her, she never got like this. Not over a girl. Definitely not over someone she’d fucked. Usually a quick hook up was enough to sate her attraction. Not this time. Her dumb brain was still fixated on Caitlyn: the way she moved, the way she sounded, that cute little gap in her teeth - NO!
She shook her head violently as if that would help dislodge the thoughts. No dice. ‘ Get a fucking grip, she’s just a girl. A really, really hot girl, but still just a girl ,’ she berated herself, scowling. ‘ I need a drink ,’ she thought. No, what she really needed to do was delete Caitlyn’s contact and move the fuck on. But she wasn’t going to do that. Which is exactly how she found herself pulling her favourite leather jacket on and heading to Shimmer way earlier than normal.
She hadn’t even sat down at the bar before Sevika was in front of her pouring two doubles of something strong and sliding one in front of her. “You look like shit.”
“Gee, thanks,” Vi grumbled but accepted the shot nonetheless, throwing it down her throat and grimacing at the burn. Oh yeah, that hit the spot.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the pretty girl you left with the other night, would it?”
“How does everyone seem to know about that?”
“Eh,” Sevika shrugged and tossed back her own shot. “I’m just observant.” Vi fixed her with a deadpan stare. “Less of that.”
Vi groaned but fixed her face into her usual grimace. “Can I have another?”
“Are you gonna talk to me ‘bout what’s going on?”
Vi remained silent for a minute, weighing up her options. It was a loaded question and she strongly suspected whether or not she would be served depended on her answer. “... Yes?”
Sevika poured another two doubles. Right answer - thank fuck . She let Vi sit for a minute, clearing away their old glasses and picking up a rag to wipe down the bar. It was early, too early for Shimmer to really be open but Sev liked operating quiet hours for people who still wanted to go out but not party late.
“So?”
“I don’t know what the fuck’s wrong with me, Sev!” The words burst out of her chest unbidden and even Vi looked surprised at the strength of them. “I never get like this, but I can’t stop thinking about her!”
“The -”
“Yes! The pretty girl from the other night!” Vi snapped, throwing back her shot with no hesitation. Sevika didn’t say a word, a smirk playing on her lips as she refilled Vi’s glass. The younger girl groaned and allowed her head to hit against the bar top. “ Why? Why am I like this?”
Sevika shook her head and chuckled. Leaning back, she switched towels and began drying glasses from the clean rack so she could restack them. “Fucking hell, you’re just like your father.”
Vi lifted her head and looked at her in confusion. She’d known Sev practically her whole life and she never once remembered the woman mentioning her biological parents. Surely she would’ve by now if they knew each other? Right?
“Not your bio folks - Vander,” Sevika clarified, playfully flicking at the furrow in Vi’s brow with her normal hand. “He sat in the exact same position when he first met Silco. Moped about for weeks, he did. It got boring, fast.” Sevika said with a smile, though it had dropped by the last sentence. She fixed Vi with a semi-serious look, “Please don’t put me through that again.”
Vi huffed and grumbled something to herself, receiving a damp dish towel thrown in her face in retribution. “What would you have me do?”
“What any normal person would do,” Sev replied, incredulously. “Call the woman! You clearly want to.”
“But what if-”
“Ah! Ah! Nope. I am not your agony aunt. I swear, I put up with Vander’s whining, I am not putting up with yours too.” She pointed a warning finger at her then sighing, softened her approach. “You can’t be a lone wolf forever, Vi. Vander tried that and look at him now. All happily loved up with the man of his dreams.”
Vi screwed her face up at the thought of Vander and Silco doing anything together. She shuddered. Nope. She was never getting that image out of her head. Holding a finger up to Sevika, she sat up, half looking like she wanted to puke. “First of all - gross! Don’t ever talk to me about Vander or his relationships ever again.”
Sevika only laughed. “And second?”
“I-” Vi paused, her mouth open before she snapped it closed. She frowned, grabbing the refilled glass and drinking that one too. “Shut up.”
------------------------------------
Vi didn’t stay too much longer at Shimmer after that. The night was drawing in and the usual club crowd was gathering, jostling for space at the bar. Much as she was normally a fan of club nights, Vi really wasn’t in the mood tonight. She paid her tab, flipped her jacket collar up and headed out.
She found herself wandering aimlessly through the streets, not ready to head back to the Last Drop yet, her head pleasantly buzzing and warmth in her chest. Her feet led her to the beach and to the Chase Tag Ring where she’d spent much of her youth, climbing, running, playing with her friends. With a smile, Vi hauled herself to the highest bar and sat, legs dangling, facing out to watch the moonlight glint on the waves.
It was so peaceful like this. Cool night air washed over flushed skin and, closing her eyes, Vi inhaled the salty breeze, deep in thought. Much as she loathes to admit it, Sevika did have a point. Not that she’d ever tell her that, the woman’s head was big enough without Vi adding to it.
She should call Caitlyn.
Or at least text her. It was the decent thing to do. She had said that she would, after all. And there was no time like the present…
Vi pulled her phone out, loading up the new text chat and typing out a quick message before she could talk herself out of it.
‘Hey, this is Vi. Sorry didn’t message sooner, got a bit busy.’
She sighed, putting her hands down and holding the device face up in her lap. It was done. The ball was in Caitlyn’s court now. The cursor in her own text box blinked at her hauntingly. Then there was a chime and three dots appeared on the screen. Caitlyn is typing.
The dots appeared and disappeared a few times and Vi felt like her heart was in her mouth. Then the message came through, and it left a slightly bitter aftertaste in Vi’s mouth.
Caitlyn: ‘Hey. Wasn’t sure I was gonna hear from you again. What’s up?’
This was it. Her hands shook slightly as she typed out her next message and not for the first time, Vi was glad she’d plied herself with liquid courage.
Vi: ‘Yeah. Sorry about that. I… had some things I needed to work through. But I had a really good night with you.’
Caitlyn: ‘Oh?’
Vi: ‘Look, I… don’t really do relationships. Or anything really. So, when we woke up together I freaked a little.’
That sounded bad.
Vi: ‘Not because of you. You’re amazing and gorgeous and really, really fantastic. I just freaked a bit at my feelings. Cause, if you’re up for it, I’d kind of like to get to know you.’
Vi held her breath while she waited for a response. Her leg bounced nervously against the bar. The three dots appeared and disappeared several times then they stopped.
Caitlyn: ‘When you say ‘get to know me’, how do you mean?’
Caitlyn: ‘Cause if this is just gonna be a fling for you, I can’t do that.’
Her breath escaped her all in a rush. It wasn’t a no. Vi scrambled to respond.
Vi: ‘That’s fair. And I promise, this isn’t that.’
Vi: ‘... I really like you Caitlyn. And I’ve never felt like this for anyone before. It’s kinda scary’
Vi found herself holding her breath again as no response came. Had she been too open? Too forward? Dammit!
Her phone buzzed in her hands, she had an incoming call. From Caitlyn. Shaking, Vi swiped the green button and held it up to her ear. “H-Hello?” God damn, she’d never sounded so nervous!
“You don’t need to sound so scared, you know?” Caitlyn’s voice was lilted with humour. Vi instantly relaxed, breaking out into a beaming smile. She couldn’t help but picture her, laid in bed, phone up to her ear, twirling a stand of midnight blue hair around her finger…
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s kind of cute.” Vi felt her cheeks flush with heat and she ducked her head in half embarrassment. “Well… aren’t you going to ask me?”
“Ask you?”
“Out.” Caitlyn said bluntly, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “I mean, unless you weren’t serious…” Her voice was light, teasing, enough for Vi to know she was joking. But it still prodded her into action.
“Would you go out with me? On - on a date? Sometime?”
Caitlyn honest to god giggled . “I’d love to, Vi. Will you message me?” Vi’s heart soared. She’d never felt so high.
“You can count on it.” And just like that the call ended. Vi lowered her phone from her ear, grinning stupidly. She had a date. God- damn . She had a date!
Who knew being suckerpunched by love could feel so good?