Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The keycard gave a soft beep as Caitlyn swiped it, pushing open the door to her shared dorm room. The light was already on, though no one was inside. A damp towel was draped over the desk chair, a pair of training shoes kicked off just inside the door. The faint scent of citrus shampoo and sweat lingered in the air, a telltale signature of her roommate, Akali.

Caitlyn stepped inside and shut the door behind her with a sigh. Her satchel landed beside her desk chair with a soft thud, and she slipped out of her coat, folding it neatly over the backrest. The sky outside had turned that pale orange shade that meant she’d been in the library far longer than she’d meant to. Again.

Her fingers itched from note taking. Her mind buzzed from hours of forensic theory, crime scene reports, and behavioral psychology essays. But despite the exhaustion, she couldn’t help the satisfaction that hummed beneath her skin. Caitlyn Kiramman thrived in order, in logic. In puzzles with answers.

She turned toward the electric kettle, aiming to reward herself with a quiet cup of tea, when the door burst open behind her.

“I’m so screwed!”

Akali’s voice tore through the room like a hurricane. Caitlyn turned just in time to see her roommate rush in, tank top twisted from being halfway into her hoodie, gym bag thudding to the ground, and wild eyes scanning the mess of her side of the room.

“Late for something?” Caitlyn asked, not looking up as she calmly poured water into the kettle.

“Weigh-ins started ten minutes ago!” Akali hissed. “I had a meeting with Coach, then I ran into Jayce, and you know how that man talks ugh, where the hell is my wait, have you seen my mouthguard?”

“Desk. Under the protein bar you didn’t finish,” Caitlyn replied dryly.

Akali snatched it up with a triumphant noise.

“You are literally the only reason I function,” she muttered, jamming it into her duffel bag. “Also you’re coming with me.”

That made Caitlyn pause.

“Excuse me?”

“Boxing matches. First official meet of the year. I’m in the fourth match.” Akali shouldered her bag, already half out the door. “And there’s a debut you need to see.”

“I’ve spent my entire day watching undergraduates butcher MLA citations and lying about overdue reserves,” Caitlyn said. “I’m fairly certain that’s more excitement than I need for one evening.”

Akali popped her head back in.

“C’mon. It’s Vi’s first match, shes our debut. She’s new. Rough around the edges, but she’s damn good. I swear, you’re gonna love watching her.” A pause. “Plus, I need someone to hold my jacket.”

Caitlyn narrowed her eyes. “So I’m moral support and a coat rack.”

“Exactly.” Akali grinned. “Meet me at the gym. You’ll want to see this.”

And with that, she was gone.

⸻

The Piltover University Boxing Gym wasn’t exactly Caitlyn’s usual environment.

The moment she stepped inside, the world shifted. The gym was pulsing with energy, sweaty, charged, and loud. Music thumped through overhead speakers, mixing with the sound of gloves hitting pads, sneakers squeaking against the floor, and students calling out to their friends from the stands.

Caitlyn found a seat on the higher bleachers, tucking her coat around her knees and crossing her legs with measured composure. She scanned the crowd students in matching tracksuits, boxing coaches pacing with clipboards, curious spectators. Akali’s voice echoed somewhere near the ring, laughing with her teammates.

She was about to check the time when the announcer’s voice cut through the static of the gym’s speaker system.

“Next up! In the red corner, representing Piltover University in her debut match give it up for Vi!”

A cheer went up students, fighters, even a few coaches whistling.

Caitlyn looked toward the ring.

And then she saw her.

Vi emerged from the tunnel, shoulders squared, chin lifted with casual arrogance. She had short pink hair, shaved on one side, and tattoos just visible beneath her sleeveless warm-up jacket. Her expression was sharp and unfazed, as if she’d been doing this for years, not minutes.

She climbed into the ring like she owned it, bouncing on the balls of her feet, rotating her wrists, punching the air. There was a wildness to her. Unrefined, but controlled—like someone who’d taught herself to fight before she’d ever learned the rules.

Caitlyn tilted her head, her curiosity piqued despite herself.

The bell rang.

What followed wasn’t just a fight—it was an introduction. Vi moved like a brawler but thought like a tactician. She took the first few hits with a grin, adjusted her stance, and then owned the next two rounds. Her punches weren’t clean, but they were fast and heavy—and she landed them with purpose.

By the time her opponent staggered against the ropes in the third round and the ref called it, Vi stood grinning like she was just getting started.

Caitlyn was on her feet. She hadn’t even realized she’d stood.

⸻

After the match, the crowd filtered out, but Caitlyn stayed where she was, watching as fighters and coaches crowded around Vi, slapping her on the back or throwing her sweaty towels and praise.

Akali found her halfway down the bleachers, towel slung around her neck.

“So? Impressed?”

Caitlyn hesitated. “She’s… unorthodox.”

“That’s Cait-speak for badass, right?”

“It’s Cait-speak for ‘she should keep her guard up and stop taunting her opponents mid-round.’”

Akali laughed. “Yeah, good luck telling her that.”

A new voice broke in.

“Telling who what?”

Caitlyn turned—and found herself face to face with Vi.

She was close. Closer than expected. Still in her gloves, her jaw already swelling where a left hook had landed, sweat beading on her brow—but none of it dimmed that grin.

“You the critic in the front row?”

“I’m not a critic,” Caitlyn replied, coolly. “Just an observer.”

“Seemed like you were analyzing me like I was a chemistry experiment.”

Caitlyn arched an eyebrow. “You made yourself difficult to ignore.”

Vi laughed. It was unfiltered—surprisingly warm.

“I like her,” she said to Akali, then extended a hand to Caitlyn. Her knuckles were still wrapped, stained faintly red. “Vi.”

“Caitlyn,” she replied, shaking it. Her grip was firm, despite Vi’s bruised knuckles.

“You box too, or just spectate?”

“I study criminal behavior,” Caitlyn said. “Boxing isn’t exactly my specialty.”

“Shame,” Vi said, cocking her head. “You’ve got good posture. Bet you’d have a killer jab.”

Caitlyn blinked, surprised. “You’re oddly observant for someone who led with her face.”

That got another grin. Vi leaned in slightly, lowering her voice.

“I win better than I warm up.”

Caitlyn’s lips twitched.

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Akali rolled her eyes. “Okay, this is weird. You’re both flirting with logic puzzles.”

Vi gave a mock bow. “Guess I’ll see you around, Caitlyn. Don’t be a stranger.”

And just like that, she was off—back into the gym, surrounded by teammates, noise, and adrenaline.

Caitlyn stood there, watching her go. Her tea was long forgotten. Her notes, untouched. Something about that girl—rough, unpredictable, and raw—stuck with her more than any textbook ever could.

And somewhere deep in her chest, something stirred.

Maybe boxing wasn’t such a waste of time after all.

Chapter Text

Vi’s POV

⸻

Morning - Dorm Room, Piltover University

Vi woke to the sound of moaning and the unmistakable rhythm of a creaking mattress.

She groaned, dragging her arm over her eyes as sunlight sliced through the blinds and across her face like a knife. The pillow smelled faintly of lavender and tequila. Her roommate’s brand.

From the other side of the dorm, a deep male voice mumbled something unintelligible, followed by the rustling of sheets.

“Goddammit, Sarah,” Vi muttered under her breath.

She sat up, the muscles in her back already tight with the nerves that came from fight day. She rubbed a hand over her buzzed hair and blinked blearily at the chaos unfolding across the room.

Sarah Fortune, red hair tousled, still half-wrapped in yesterday’s lacy robe, looked entirely too pleased with herself. She was perched on the edge of her bed, smirking down at a very shirtless and very young looking blond guy tugging on his pants like he was late for class and possibly regretting his life decisions.

“You want coffee or a cab?” Sarah asked him sweetly, reaching for her vape without missing a beat.

Vi raised an eyebrow.

“Is that the same guy from Tuesday?”

Sarah glanced over her shoulder and grinned. “Tuesday was Vin. This is Vance.”

Vi snorted. “You’ve got a type. All V-names and daddy issues.”

“Takes one to know one, sweetheart.” Sarah took a long drag and blew smoke toward the ceiling. “Big day today, huh? You ready to punch your way into campus fame?”

Vi rolled her neck until it cracked.

“Born ready.”

Sarah eyed her over the rim of her vape pen. “You nervous?”

“Only that I’ll hit too hard and get kicked off the team.”

Sarah cackled. “Atta girl.”

⸻

Midday - Piltover U Women’s Boxing Gym

The gym was packed.

Too packed for comfort, but Vi liked it that way. The buzz, the sweat, the tension thick in the air it grounded her, kept her present. The arena wasn’t flashy, but the local fight crowd had shown up, lining the bleachers and circling the mat. She caught glimpses of students, faculty, and off-duty enforcers. Probably half of them were here for Akali already known for her speed and style but the whispers had started early about “the new girl with the attitude.”

Vi felt them looking. Let them.

Coach gave her a slap on the back as she stepped up to the ring. “Keep it clean. Keep it mean.”

“Always.”

As she climbed into the ring, she rolled her shoulders back, taking in the room in one sweeping glance.

And then she saw her.

Sitting on the highest row of the bleachers, arms crossed, pressed shirt and dark slacks like she’d walked into the wrong event and refused to leave. Cold blue eyes scanned the ring like she was assessing a crime scene, not a sports match.

Vi smirked.

Akali’s roommate. Caitlyn.

Prim and proper, completely out of place, but not once looking away. That alone made Vi want to put on a show.

⸻

The Match

Round one was warm-up. Vi was testing the waters light footwork, fast jabs. Her opponent was quick, sharp, but too defensive. That was the thing about boxing you could tell in the first thirty seconds who was afraid to get hit.

Vi wasn’t.

By round two, she was slipping punches and countering like she’d done it in her sleep. Her adrenaline was singing, a steady thrum behind her ribs, and every hit she landed gave her another jolt of clarity. Her opponent was gasping, already tilting back under pressure.

In the third, Vi ended it.

A quick feint, a hook to the ribs, then the right cross to the jaw perfectly timed, perfectly placed. The girl dropped. The ref waved it off. The crowd roared.

Vi didn’t hear any of it.

Her eyes were already back on Caitlyn.

Still standing there, arms crossed. Same unreadable face.

But something had changed.

That poker-stiff expression had cracked just a bit. Caitlyn’s head tilted. Her eyes had narrowed, focused. Like maybe Vi was more interesting than she’d expected.

Vi’s heart thudded, not from the match.

She grinned.

⸻

Evening - Post-Match, Outside the Locker Room

The hallway outside the gym was mostly quiet, the post-fight crowd already drifting toward bars and dorm rooms. Vi was toweling off her hair, gym bag slung over her shoulder, when she spotted Akali near the vending machines bouncing on her toes, mid sentence.

Talking to her.

Caitlyn.

She looked somehow cleaner than before, like she’d changed just to look slightly more judgmental. Her sleeves were rolled to her elbows now, revealing lean forearms. Her face unreadable. Again.

Vi walked up before she could talk herself out of it.

“Telling her what?” she asked, tossing the towel over her shoulder.

Akali turned, smirking. “Telling her you’re not a total brute.”

Caitlyn looked at her, and Vi could see the calculation happening behind her eyes. The internal checklist.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” Vi said casually. “You don’t strike me as the blood-sport type.”

“I’m not. But Akali insisted.”

“Lucky me.” Vi grinned. “Guess I gave you a show.”

“You made yourself difficult to ignore,” Caitlyn said coolly.

Vi let out a low laugh. “Not sure if that’s a compliment.”

“It’s an observation.”

She liked this liked the way Caitlyn never looked away. Liked how she stood her ground, even when Vi stepped a little closer, just to see if she would.

“Vi,” she said, offering a hand.

“Caitlyn.”

Her grip surprised Vi. Firm. No hesitation. There was steel behind the politeness.

“You box?” Vi asked.

“No. I study people who do.”

“Criminology major?”

“Top of my class,” Caitlyn replied.

Vi whistled low. “Smart girl.”

“And you?” Caitlyn asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you always this forward with strangers?”

“Only the interesting ones.”

Caitlyn’s mouth twitched. Just barely.

Akali groaned. “Oh my god, just make out already.”

They both ignored her.

⸻

Night - Back in the Dorm

The door clicked shut behind Vi as she stepped into the dim dorm room. The post-fight buzz was fading, but the adrenaline still lingered under her skin.

Sarah Fortune was sprawled across her bed in an oversized shirt, lazily flipping through a fashion magazine. She glanced up, eyes twinkling.

“Well, look who made it out of the ring alive.”

Vi tossed her gloves onto her desk. “Did more than survive.”

Sarah grinned. “That uppercut’s already gone viral. They’re calling you ‘Pink Punch’ on campus threads.”

Vi rolled her eyes, unwrapping the tape from her hands. “God.”

“Also saw Akali posted a picture. With her roommate in the background.” Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Tall. Blue eyed. Looks like she files her essays a week early.”

Vi paused. “Caitlyn.”

“So, what’s her deal? She into you?”

Vi shrugged, trying to play it off but her mind flashed back to that moment in the ring. The way Caitlyn hadn’t cheered. Hadn’t flinched. Just stared like she was trying to read something beneath the surface.

“No idea,” Vi said. “But I kinda hope I see her again.”

Sarah smirked. “Careful. You’ve got that look.”

Vi didn’t answer. She laid back on her bed, arms behind her head, the ceiling a blur above her. She’d fought a clean match. Got her win. Made her debut.

And somehow, the only thing stuck in her head was a girl in a pressed shirt and piercing eyes who looked like she didn’t want to be there but stayed anyway.

That alone made Vi want to find out why.

Chapter Text

Caitlyn’s POV

The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of Caitlyn’s dorm room, casting a warm glow on the meticulously organized space. Books were stacked neatly on the desk, and her uniforms hung crisply in the closet. She sat at her desk, sipping a cup of black tea, the aroma grounding her as she reviewed her notes for the day’s classes.

A soft knock interrupted her concentration.

“Come in,” she called, already knowing who it was.

Akali stepped in, her teal hair tied up messily, a mischievous grin on her face. “Morning, Cupcake.”

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow. “Really? You’re adopting Vi’s nickname for me now?”

Akali laughed, flopping onto Caitlyn’s bed. “It’s catchy. Besides, you haven’t stopped thinking about her since the match.”

Caitlyn sighed, closing her notebook. “I have more pressing matters than a boxing match.”

“Sure you do,” Akali teased. “Like staring at your notes until they rearrange themselves?”

Ignoring the jab, Caitlyn stood, gathering her materials. “I’m heading to the criminology lecture. Are you coming?”

Akali shook her head. “Nah, I’ve got a sparring session. But let’s grab lunch later?”

“Sounds good,” Caitlyn replied, already halfway out the door.

⸻

The lecture hall buzzed with chatter as students filed in. Caitlyn took her usual seat near the front, pulling out her notebook and pen. Professor Thorne entered, his presence commanding immediate silence.

“Today, we’ll delve into the psychology of criminal behavior,” he began, launching into the lecture.

Caitlyn scribbled notes diligently, her mind absorbing the information. Yet, despite her focus, Vi’s image kept intruding her confident stance, the way she moved in the ring, the smirk that seemed to challenge the world.

She shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts.

⸻

After class, Caitlyn made her way to the campus café. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods enveloped her as she entered. Spotting Akali at a corner table, she approached.

“Hey,” she greeted, sliding into the seat opposite her friend.

Akali looked up from her sandwich. “Hey. How was the lecture?”

“Informative,” Caitlyn replied, taking a sip of her tea.

Akali leaned in, a glint in her eye. “So, any plans to see Vi again?”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “I don’t have plans involving her.”

“Maybe you should,” Akali suggested. “Listen she may seem…Rough around the edges.. well she is, BUT- Shes a good person Cait, she has a good heart, maybe you should try to get to know her a little bit?”

Caitlyn considered this, the memory of Vi’s smirk resurfacing. “Perhaps.”

⸻

Later that evening, Caitlyn found herself wandering the campus, the cool breeze brushing against her skin. Her feet led her to the gymnasium, where muffled sounds of punches hitting pads echoed.

Curiosity piqued, she stepped inside.

Vi was in the ring, sweat glistening on her skin as she moved with precision and power. Her focus was intense, each movement deliberate.

Caitlyn watched from the shadows, captivated.

As the session ended, Vi noticed her.

“Well, if it isn’t Cupcake,” she called out, grabbing a towel.

Caitlyn approached, maintaining her composure. “Impressive session.”

Vi grinned, wiping her face. “Thanks. Didn’t expect an audience.”

“I was passing by,” Caitlyn replied.

“Sure you were,” Vi teased.

They stood in silence for a moment, the air thick with unspoken thoughts.

“Care for a walk?” Vi offered.

Caitlyn hesitated, then nodded.

⸻

They strolled through the campus, the night enveloping them in a cocoon of quietude. The air smelled faintly of petrichor and garden soil evidence of a recent drizzle. Trees swayed overhead, their leaves rustling just enough to fill the silence between them.

Caitlyn kept her hands tucked into the pockets of her coat, the edge of her shoulder brushing against Vi’s every now and then. She didn’t move away.

“You’re different from most people here,” she said softly, eyes forward.

Vi looked at her, brow raised. “Is that a compliment?”

Caitlyn glanced over, lips curling just slightly. “It’s an observation.”

Vi chuckled, low in her throat. “I’ll take it as a compliment anyway. Beats being forgettable.”

“You’re far from forgettable,” Caitlyn murmured so quietly that she wasn’t even sure Vi heard.

But Vi did. Her steps slowed a beat, then resumed.

“You’re not so typical yourself,” Vi said after a moment. “You carry yourself like everything’s already figured out. Like you’re ten steps ahead of everyone else.”

“I try to be,” Caitlyn replied, a hint of dry amusement in her voice. “Planning is easier than winging it.”

“Planning’s safe,” Vi said, her voice thoughtful now. “But sometimes you’ve gotta just throw a punch and see what lands.”

Caitlyn laughed softly, a genuine, quiet sound. “You would think that.”

“You’d be surprised how much thinking goes into a punch,” Vi said, side-eyeing her with a smirk. “People think it’s just fists and instinct. But if you don’t know how to read someone how to time it you’ll end up eating the mat.”

Caitlyn looked at her, curious. “So boxing isn’t just fighting.”

Vi shrugged. “It’s honest. You get what you give. You can’t fake it in the ring.”

Caitlyn nodded slowly. She understood more than she expected. That need for control. That craving for clarity.

“I can see the appeal,” she admitted.

They walked a little further, the conversation dipping into a silence that wasn’t awkward just full. Like they were both still sorting through what had just been said.

They passed under a low-hanging arch of ivy, their steps echoing against the old stone. The dormitory came into view warm-lit windows glowing against the night sky.

Vi stopped at the foot of the steps.

“So this is your stop, huh?”

Caitlyn paused beside her. “Looks like it.”

Vi looked at her really looked. Her usual smirk softened into something quieter, more thoughtful.

“Thanks for the walk. And the conversation.”

Caitlyn tilted her head, holding Vi’s gaze. “You’re not what I expected.”

“Good,” Vi said. “I hate being predictable.”

They stood there, on the edge of something neither of them had named yet. Not a goodbye. Not quite a beginning.

Caitlyn felt the words before she said them.

“Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Vi’s grin returned gentler now. “Count on it, Cupcake.”

Caitlyn hesitated a beat longer, then turned toward the stairs. She felt Vi’s gaze on her as she climbed the first few steps, not looking back until she reached the landing.

Vi was still there, hands in her pockets, watching her like she was still trying to figure her out.

Caitlyn didn’t smile. Not quite.

But her expression softened.

“Goodnight, Vi.”

Vi gave her a lazy two fingered salute. “’Night, princess.”

Caitlyn disappeared inside, her heartbeat oddly loud in her ears. Back in her room, Caitlyn sat by the window, the city’s lights twinkling below. Thankfully Akali wasn’t back at the dorm yet. Her thoughts were a whirlwind, emotions she couldn’t quite name swirling within.

Vi was a disruption to her ordered world, a spark igniting something she’d kept buried.

And for the first time, Caitlyn wasn’t sure she wanted to extinguish it.

Chapter Text

Vi’s POV

Mornings were never quiet in Room 206 of East Hall.

The dorm was barely big enough for two beds, two desks, and a wardrobe with doors that never closed properly, but Sarah Fortune made it feel like the main stage of a cabaret show. Even when she wasn’t having sex which Vi was grateful for today she was loud in other ways. Singing, humming, talking on the phone while applying eyeliner with the precision of a sniper.

Vi lay on her stomach, face buried in her pillow, listening to the soft clatter of Sarah’s makeup bag being rifled through.

“Don’t you have class?” Vi mumbled.

Sarah didn’t look up from the mirror she had propped against her desk. “Eight-thirty sociology. Professor Hard-Ass. I’m skipping.”

Vi groaned. “It’s Tuesday.”

“Mhm.”

Vi rolled over and sat up, scrubbing her hands through her pink hair. “You skipped Monday too.”

Sarah smirked and finally turned to face her. “Sweetie, I’m acing this semester. You don’t need to go to class when your TA has a crush on you.”

Vi snorted. “Charming.”

“I try.”

She watched Sarah apply a final swipe of lipstick deep red, like fresh blood and pop it back into her bag. She wore a tiny black crop top with jeans that looked painted on. No bra, of course. Vi didn’t even know if Sarah owned one.

“Where you off to now?” Vi asked, standing and stretching her sore shoulders.

Sarah winked. “Brunch with someone who thinks he’s taking me to dinner.”

Vi shook her head, amused despite herself. “You’re gonna break that boy’s heart.”

“Not my fault men are weak.”

And with that, she was gone, swaying out of the dorm room like she was walking a runway. The door clicked shut behind her, and the room fell into silence. Vi exhaled, finally alone.

She gathered up some clothes for after her work out, which was just a hoodie, a compression shirt and some sweats, and put them all in her bag. Ready to get a move on the day.
_______

Vi loaded another pair of plates onto the barbell, the clang of metal on metal echoing through the near empty campus gym. Her muscles already ached from the last set, and her fight last night, but she welcomed the burn it was easier to focus on pain than the girl with sharp blue eyes who’d been living rent free in her head all day.

She ducked under the bar, braced her stance, and lifted. The weight settled heavy across her shoulders, grounding her. Down. Up. Controlled. Again.

“Keep your head in it,” she muttered, breath ragged as she pushed through the reps. “You’ve got training. Deadlines. Not time for… distractions.”

But no matter how much weight she added or how fast she moved between machines, Caitlyn kept slipping through. The way she tilted her head when she was curious. The way she didn’t flinch around Vi, even when she probably should’ve.

Vi reracked the bar with a hard exhale and moved to the pull up bar, jumping to grip it. One. Two. Her shoulders screamed. Still better than thinking about the way Caitlyn had looked last night under the campus lights soft, thoughtful, like she wanted to know more.

She dropped down, chest heaving. Grabbed a towel. Wiped sweat from her brow like it would clear her head too.

“Not even my type,” she said aloud this time, trying to convince herself. “Too clean. Too composed. To boring.. those legs though.. Damn i would love to worship them-

That’s when she heard it.

“Vi!”

Seraphine’s voice, chirpy and unmistakable, bounced off the gym walls.

Vi leaned on the ropes, watching her best friend skip into the gym like she owned it, all pastel hair and energy.

“You look like hell,” Seraphine said cheerfully, tossing her purse next to Vi’s duffel bag.

“Good morning to you too.”

“You didn’t eat breakfast again huh? I made some banana bread.”

Vi blinked. “You did?”

Seraphine smiled, pulling a small foil wrapped piece from her bag and handing it over. “Don’t say I never do anything for you.”

Vi unwrapped it, took a bite, and nodded. “Okay, fine. You win.”

“I always do.”

They sat on the turf ground of the gym Vi still in her wraps, Seraphine cross legged and already checking her schedule on her phone.

“So…” Seraphine said, barely hiding her grin, “Caitlyn huh? I heard from a little birdie they you two were flirty last night.”

Vi groaned. Must have been Akali, she thought

“Why does everyone keep bringing her up?”

“Because she’s smart, gorgeous, and way out of your usual league.”

“She’s not a league,” Vi muttered.

“Oh, you’re in deep,” Seraphine sang.

Vi balled up the foil and threw it at her. “We talked. That’s all.”

“She stayed through your whole match.”

Vi shrugged. “Akali dragged her. She was being polite.”

“Akali says she didn’t drag her.”

Vi opened her mouth, then closed it.

“Huh,” Seraphine said, watching her. “You’ve got it bad.”

“I’ve got midterms.”

“Midterms don’t make you smile like that.”

“I’m not smiling.”

“You were.”

Vi got up and started loading plates onto the barbell again, trying to will the heat from her cheeks away.

She wasn’t smiling. Not really.

Right?

⸻

The afternoon dragged.

She skipped her econ class in favor of loitering around the quad, half napping in the sun with Seraphine and a few others from the women’s boxing team. Nothing serious some light talk, a few jokes, someone passing around bad campus coffee.

Still, Vi couldn’t stop looking at her phone.

No new notifications. Not that she expected any. It wasn’t like she had Caitlyn’s number or anything.

But still.

By the time the sun started dipping low, Vi figured she might as well head to the ring and chill there, listening to music and throwing punches at a dummy

She shoved her hands into her hoodie pocket and made her way across campus, earbuds in, some punk playlist blaring just loud enough to drown out her own thoughts.

⸻

The gym was her second home. Sometimes it felt more like her first.

She arrived before the rush, letting herself in through the side door with the code Coach had given her. Inside, the lights flickered to life, illuminating the scuffed floors, racks of free weights, and the worn leather of the heavy bags. It smelled like sweat and tape and chalk familiar and grounding.

Vi dropped her bag in the corner, wrapped her hands, and stepped into the ring alone.

She started slow, warming up with a few footwork drills. Her body still ached from, working out earlier, and the match. She had a small bruise forming on her ribs from that last cross, but it was nothing serious. Pain was part of the rhythm now. Like a drumbeat she could follow.

Jab, jab, slip. Pivot.

She lost herself in the repetition.

She didn’t think about midterms, or her GPA.

She didn’t think about Caitlyn, either.

Okay, maybe a little.

The image kept flashing in her brain Caitlyn, lips pressed tight, eyes focused. Like she didn’t want to be there, but couldn’t stop watching.

Vi threw a hook, harder this time, trying to shake the thought.

It wasn’t until she turned around with her reaching for her towel, that her eyes locked onto her again.

Caitlyn. Standing there like she’d stepped out of a catalog ad for rich girl intellect. Neutral colored sweater. Hair flawless. A sleek leather bag over one shoulder. And that same unreadable expression.

Vi blinked, caught mid step.

Then she smirked.

“Well, if it isn’t Cupcake,” she called out, grabbing her towel.

Caitlyn approached, maintaining her composure. “Impressive session.”

Vi grinned, wiping her face. “Thanks. Didn’t expect an audience.”

“I was passing by,” Caitlyn replied.

“Sure you were,” Vi teased.

As Vi stood in the silence for a moment, she couldn’t help but check Caitlyn out a bit, That clean side part, those low rise denim jeans, and that sweater that showed just the right amount of skin, She continued to check her out until she spoke again.

“Care for a walk?” Vi offered.

Caitlyn hesitated, then nodded.

Vi walked beside Caitlyn, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her grey sweat pants, the night air cool against the sweat still drying on her skin. Caitlyn’s shoulder brushed hers every few steps barely, like the wind might’ve done it by accident. But it wasn’t the wind. And Caitlyn didn’t move away.

“You’re different from most people here,” Caitlyn said, her voice low, like it wasn’t meant to carry past them.

Vi turned her head slightly, brow lifted. “Is that a compliment?”

Caitlyn looked at her then, just for a moment. There was the faintest curve at the corner of her mouth. “It’s an observation.”

Vi huffed a soft laugh, the sound catching in her chest. “I’ll take it as a compliment anyway. Beats being forgettable.”

Caitlyn murmured something too soft to be confident, but Vi caught it. “You’re far from forgettable.”

Vi didn’t say anything right away. Her steps slowed half a beat before she matched pace again, eyes ahead.

She felt that one, in a place where she shouldn’t have.

“You’re not so typical yourself,” she said eventually, glancing sideways at the girl walking next to her. “You carry yourself like everything’s already figured out. Like you’re ten steps ahead of everyone else.”

“I try to be,” Caitlyn answered, that dry little twist in her voice. “Planning is easier than winging it.”

Vi nodded slowly. “Planning’s safe.” Her voice softened without her meaning it to. “But sometimes you’ve gotta just throw a punch and see what lands.”

That earned her a laugh quiet, but real. The sound pulled something loose in Vi’s chest.

“You would think that,” Caitlyn said.

Vi gave her a sideways smirk. “You’d be surprised how much thinking goes into a punch. People assume it’s all brute force, no brain. But if you don’t know how to read someone how to time it you’re eating the mat.”

Caitlyn looked at her with that curious, steady gaze again, like she was parsing a deeper meaning out of everything Vi said. “So boxing isn’t just fighting.”

Vi shrugged. “It’s honest. You get what you give. No pretending in the ring.”

She hadn’t meant to open up like that, but somehow it didn’t feel weird. Caitlyn nodded, slow and thoughtful.

“I can see the appeal,” she said quietly.

They walked on, neither rushing to fill the silence that followed. It wasn’t awkward it was weighty. Comfortable, in a strange way. Like both of them were sifting through something bigger than the words they’d said.

They passed under an arch of ivy, old stone stretching above them. The dorms came into view soft yellow lights glowing from the windows, casting long shadows across the grass.

Vi slowed when they reached the steps.

“So this is your stop, huh?”

Caitlyn stopped too, a half-step beside her. “Looks like it.”

Vi looked at her then, really looked. Her usual defenses felt… lighter tonight. Her grin was gone, replaced by something more genuine, more curious.

“Thanks for the walk,” she said. “And the conversation.”Caitlyn tilted her head a little, and Vi could feel the weight of her gaze. “You’re not what I expected.”

Vi’s lips tugged up at the corner. “Good. I hate being predictable.”

They stood there in the quiet, streetlamp light soft on their faces, just barely brushing the edge of something they hadn’t named yet. Not a goodbye. Not yet a beginning. Something suspended in between.

Caitlyn’s voice broke the stillness, soft but sure. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Vi’s grin came back smaller now, warmer. “Count on it, Cupcake.”

Caitlyn lingered for half a second more, then turned and started up the stairs. Vi didn’t look away. She watched her climb step by step looking at how her hips swayed in those jeans until Caitlyn finally paused at the top landing.

Their eyes met across the distance. No smile. Not exactly. But something shifted in Caitlyn’s face softer, easier.

“Goodnight, Vi.”

Vi lifted two fingers in a lazy salute. “’Night, princess.”

She stayed there long after Caitlyn disappeared inside, hands still in her pockets, heart doing something dumb in her chest.

Then finally she started her route back to her own dorm.

_______

Back in her room, Sarah was still out. The silence was almost suspicious, but Vi didn’t question it.

She tossed her hoodie onto her desk chair, grabbed some clean sleep clothes and grabbed her towel and went straight to take a shower

She didn’t know what this thing with Caitlyn was.

Didn’t know if it was a mistake, or a warning sign, or a weird fluke of fate.

But it made her feel alive.

And for once, she didn’t want to overthink it.

After her shower she ended her night with laying in bed searching on instagram for Caitlyn’s profile, and clicked the follow button to test her luck.

Soon enough her phone dinged and it was Caitlyn who followed her back.

She went to sleep that night cheesing in her sleep, maybe dreaming about what future there is to come between them.

Chapter Text

Caitlyn’s POV

The sun slipped through the blinds in pale slats, stretching across Caitlyn’s bed and warming the exposed skin of her shoulder. Her alarm had gone off ten minutes ago, but she hadn’t moved. She lay there, staring at the ceiling, fingers interlaced over her stomach as her mind churned with the events of the night before.

Vi.

That damn walk back to the dorm.

Caitlyn had replayed the conversation a hundred times in her head, hearing Vi’s voice in the dark, watching her smirk beneath the campus lights. She hadn’t planned on running into her at the gym. She hadn’t planned on walking through campus with her. And she definitely hadn’t planned on liking it.

But she did.

Caitlyn sat up slowly, exhaling through her nose as she reached for her robe. She padded to the sink, twisting her hair up lazily as she washed her face, trying to scrub the memory of Vi’s voice from her skin but it lingered. The way she’d said “Cupcake” with that teasing heat. The way she’d looked at her like she could see everything beneath the surface.

And the worst part? Caitlyn hadn’t hated it.

She finished her routine with practiced precision toner, moisturizer, mascara, lip balm then reached for the navy-blue shooting jacket folded neatly on the back of her chair. Thursdays meant target practice with Jayce. A tradition. A ritual. Something familiar.

And today, she needed familiar.

⸻

The Piltover University sharpshooting range sat at the far edge of campus, tucked between the engineering labs and a quiet grove of elms. Caitlyn made her way there with her gear slung over one shoulder and a steaming thermos of tea in hand.

Jayce was already waiting, lounging by the check in counter with his long coat and confident grin.

“There she is,” he said, holding out a protein bar like a peace offering. “I figured you’d skip today, what with your mysterious new obsession with the boxing team.”

Caitlyn narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

Jayce took a bite of his own bar, chewing exaggeratedly. “Oh, I don’t know. Akali said something about you hanging out at the gym? Watching matches? Walking home with a certain pink haired delinquent?”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes, trying to suppress the heat crawling up her neck. “Akali has a big mouth.”

Jayce smirked, walking beside her as they headed into the range. “So? Is it true?”

“I watched a match. That’s all.”

“Uh-huh,” Jayce said, clearly unconvinced.

Caitlyn set her gear down at Lane Three, methodically unpacking each item. “Let’s just focus on the drills.”

Jayce, to his credit, dropped the subject. He knew when to push and when to pull back. It’s why they’d remained close, even as their social worlds diverged. She, the meticulous scholar. He, the charming engineer with a heart of gold and a GPA of “barely passing.”

They slipped on their safety gear, checked their sights, and loaded up. The rhythmic sound of metal on metal and muffled shots echoed through the range as they settled into the comfort of familiarity.

Caitlyn breathed in through her nose, held, and fired.

Bullseye.

Again.

Again.

⸻

By noon, the targets were shredded, and her mind had cleared just enough to allow the ache in her shoulders to fade. Jayce clapped her on the back as they packed up.

“Lunch?”

Caitlyn hesitated. “I’ve got some reading to catch up on.”

“You’re always reading,” Jayce said, swinging his bag over his shoulder. “Do you ever just… live a little?”

She raised a brow. “Is that what you do?”

“Every day,” he said, grinning. “Come on. Just one hour.”

Caitlyn relented, and they made their way to a nearby courtyard café. Jayce ordered something fried and monstrous, while Caitlyn opted for a salmon salad and a second tea.

“So,” Jayce said between bites, “what is it about her?”

Caitlyn looked up. “What?”

“Vi,” he said. “You’re still thinking about her.”

“I’m not”

He held up a hand. “Don’t lie. You’ve got that look. The one where your brain’s spiraling, and you’re pretending you’re above it.”

Caitlyn sighed, tapping her fingers on the side of her glass. “She’s… distracting.”

Jayce smirked. “Sounds like a crush.”

“She’s reckless. Loud. Completely inappropriate.”

Jayce leaned forward. “And you like that about her.”

Caitlyn didn’t answer.

Because he was right.

⸻

She spent the rest of the afternoon in the library, half pretending to study. The criminology readings blurred on the page, and her notes were a mess of crossed out lines and inconsistent margins. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Vi in the ring. Heard her laugh. Remembered the way her eyes softened right before they reached the dorm steps.

“Thanks for the company, Cupcake.”

It echoed in her head like a gunshot.

And she couldn’t deny how much she wanted to hear it again.

Caitlyn’s Dorm – 10:42 PM

The dorm room was dimly lit, bathed in the glow from Caitlyn’s bedside lamp. Akali had knocked out early with some hardcore rock band’s music playing through her earbuds, leaving Caitlyn in the quiet hum of late night. Her hair was still damp from her shower, and a mug of hot coco steaming softly on the windowsill beside her.

She had her phone in hand, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram.

Nothing special. A few memes. A shot of Jayce posing with a cup of overpriced espresso and the caption “Grinding ☕🧠”. Someone complaining about the dining hall again.

Then one story made her pause.

@vi.haymaker

A photo of a dim, empty boxing ring, lit from above. The caption read:
“Better than therapy. Kinda.”

Caitlyn smirked faintly, watching the story loop again. After a moment’s hesitation, she tapped “reply.”

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Looks like you’re starting to settle in.

A minute passed. Then three. Just as Caitlyn reached to set the phone down, the reply popped in.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Working on it. Don’t know if the campus is trying to welcome me or eat me alive.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Depends. Did you try the campus sushi yet? That’s usually how it starts.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
So THAT’S the trap. Good to know.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
You’ve been here longer, right? What’s the trick to surviving Piltover U?

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Don’t eat anything that looks too colorful. Don’t fight the squirrels. And stay out of the east wing elevators.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
You say that like you’re speaking from experience.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Let’s just say I’ve had… a semester.

⸻

Vi reacted to the message with a laughing emoji.

Then:

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
I feel like there’s a story there. Possibly involving you and an elevator.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Maybe. Or maybe I just don’t want someone else getting stuck for 45 minutes with a drama major doing vocal warmups.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
That’s… horrifying.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Welcome to the arts program.

⸻

There was a pause again. Then:

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
You’re funny when you’re not being intimidating, y’know.

⸻

Caitlyn blinked at that, then smiled faintly, amused.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
I’m not intimidating.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Right. Totally. Says the girl who stared me down like she was about to profile me during a boxing match.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
I was observing. It’s different.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Sure, Sherlock.

⸻

The banter had shifted now, slower but warmer. It wasn’t flirty, exactly but it wasn’t not, either.

Caitlyn tapped her fingers along the edge of her phone, then typed:

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
How’s it been? Transferring in second year can’t be easy.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Not gonna lie, it’s been weird. Everyone already has their people. You kind of feel like a background character in someone else’s show.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
But boxing helps. And Seraphine. And now… this, I guess.

⸻

Caitlyn’s gaze softened.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
“This”?

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Talking to the mysterious girl with perfect posture and a criminal law binder thicker than her wrist.

⸻

Caitlyn let out a quiet laugh. She could hear Vi’s voice in her head, casual and a little smug.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
I’m not that mysterious.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Exactly what a mysterious person would say.

⸻

They went quiet for a moment. The silence between texts stretched, but neither of them logged off.

Finally, Vi sent:

@vi.haymaker:
Thanks for not making me feel like a total alien here.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t survived the library basement or made it through your first finals week.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Finals I can take. That walk back to your dorm last night though? That felt like a psychological exam.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Please. You’re lucky I didn’t take notes.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Wouldn’t put it past you. You totally had that “analyzing subject A in natural habitat” look going on.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
And you had that “walks girls home to make them blush” smirk on the whole time.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Guilty. Though I wasn’t sure it worked. You kept your cool.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
You think I’d make it through law courses if I melted every time someone smirked at me?

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
So you’re saying it did almost work?

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
I’m saying I didn’t not notice.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Noted 😏

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Still… that walk was nice. Even if you hit me with the world’s most intense observation halfway through.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
You mean “you’re different from most people here”?

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
Yeah. That one. No one’s ever said that like it wasn’t an insult.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
I didn’t mean it as one. I still don’t.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
I figured. That’s why I stuck around.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Glad you did.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
If I promise not to smirk too much, maybe you’ll walk me back next time?

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
If you promise not to flirt like that again, maybe I won’t.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
…So I’ll see you around then?

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Count on it.

Caitlyn set her phone down at last, the glow of the screen reflecting faintly off her cheek.

Outside, the campus was still.

And inside, somewhere she hadn’t expected, a little part of her stirredwarming.

Chapter Text

POV: Vi

Vi didn’t oversleep, but she wanted to.

The sunlight bled through the slats of the blinds, slicing right across her pillow. Her face was still warm from the night before though not from sleep. It was Caitlyn’s fault, technically. Her dry texts. Her stupidly sharp replies. That quiet confidence Vi hadn’t stopped thinking about since she got back from the gym.

And the way she’d said “Goodnight, Vi.” Like it wasn’t just a polite send off. Like it meant something.

Vi rolled onto her back, blinking up at the ceiling in her barely furnished dorm. Sarah’s bed was empty again. No surprise there. Her side of the room was a hurricane of clothes, bras, and the faint scent of vanilla body spray that never completely faded.

Vi let out a groan and sat up, her core sore from yesterday’s circuit. She rubbed the back of her neck and reached for her phone. No new messages.

Not that she was checking.

She threw on a hoodie and joggers, grabbed a protein bar, and headed out.

⸻

Piltover U’s campus during the day was a different beast than it was at night. Sunlight bounced off pristine marble steps and too green grass. Everyone looked like they had somewhere important to be, coffee in one hand and stress in the other.

Vi didn’t know half the buildings yet.

She got lost trying to find her media communications lecture, again, and ended up texting Seraphine who sent her a voice note with unnecessarily cheerful directions. (“You literally walked past it, babe. Turn around.”)

Class itself was fine. She doodled in the margins of her notebook and tried not to fall asleep while the TA droned about interpersonal conflict in digital spaces. Her mind wandered back to last night. Back to Caitlyn’s sharp, clever words and how calm she always seemed, even when Vi was trying to get a reaction.

She’d gotten one, eventually.

And it was addictive.

⸻

By lunch, Vi found herself at one of the outdoor tables near the quad, sunglasses on, stretching out her legs and ignoring the light throbbing in her shoulders. She watched students go by buttoned-up types, art kids with paint on their jeans, athletes clumped in packs.

She didn’t know where she fit in yet.

Tye only friends she has was seraphine, Who was in a whole other section of the campus due to her department

And Akali, who was more over on the popular side that Vi definitely didn’t fit into.

Sarah was barely a friend so that out of the way

"But Caitlyn..- No no she would never want to be caught hanging out with me"

Vi thought to herself

She belonged nowhere

Except maybe the ring.

That still made sense.

Her phone buzzed once in her hoodie pocket.

Instagram DM.

Her lips curled before she even looked.

But it wasn’t from Caitlyn.

It was Seraphine

@s.eraphine: “Heard you’re making friends with that tall girl from the law building 👀 spill.”

Vi groaned and texted back:

@vi.haymaker: “I said two words to her at the boxing gym the other day.."(she lied)
@vi.haymaker: How the hell do you even know we were texting??

@s.eraphine: Oh i have my resources.. Her name starts with an A..🫣

Akali, Of course she would be the one to run her mouth

@s.eraphine: But anyways Vi, Walking her home?? Texting her?? Come ON, please tell me you actually are interested and aren’t just doing it for he thrill, I know you

Vi sighed out, taking a bite out of her chicken sandwich before responding

@vi.haymaker: I mean, shes hot.. Like super hot, not normally my type but shes beautiful.. I dont know Seraph, shes so like organized.

@vi.haymaker: She actually has her life set and shes very..put together, I just dont know if someone like that would like someone like me

@s.eraphine: And what do you mean by saying someone like you?

@vi.haymaker: Seraph you know, im reckless, loud, stubborn, I literally fight people as a sport, She definitely wouldn’t go for someone like me

@s.eraphine: Violet you fucking Idiot, you walked her home right? You guys text right? If she wasn’t interested she wouldn’t be doing these things with YOU?!

Vi pauses for a moment just staring at the text, before she could answer her alarm went off on her phone

"Well thats the end of my lunch break"
Vi thinks to herself as she puts her phone in her pocket
And grabs her bag to head off to her next lecture
⸻

POV: Caitlyn

Caitlyn was organized. That was how she coped with everything.

Folders. Checklists. Color coded notes. The scent of highlighters. It was how she grounded herself, especially after nights like the last when she’d stared too long at her phone, waiting for a new message that never came.

Not that she cared. It wasn’t like that.

She stepped out of the lecture hall that afternoon, the sun slanting low in the sky, warmth brushing her face. Akali was waiting by the steps, sipping a matcha and looking way too smug for someone who just finished a money management class.

“Well?” she asked, handing Caitlyn a second drink.

“Well what?”

Akali grinned. “Are you two dating yet or just exchanging flirty DMs until one of you combusts?”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and took a sip. “We’re not anything.”

“Right. Except she walks you home at night, you stalk her at the gym, and now you check your phone like someone who’s waiting for a reply. You know i say you texting her last night.. The light of your phone woke me up."

"All i could hear was you giggling lightly and saying" "oH vi" Akali mocked in Caitlyn’s British accent

Caitlyn's face flushed a deep red, eyes widening as she looked away,

"I didn’t.. Sound like that did I?"

She muttered more to herself but Akali heard

"Yep ya did, But don’t worry, if you want i can totally find out how Vi feels about you, Ive got resources you know?"

Akali says as she puts a arm around Caitlyn as then walk down the stairs of the law and order lecture hall building

"I dont newd your help Akali, Me and Vi and just basically strangers, hell acquaintances at most"

"yeah whatever, i don’t know why you feel the need to hide things from me"

Akali said before she took another sip of her matcha

⸻

Later, back at the dorm, she sat cross-legged on her bed, laptop open in front of her but barely typed a sentence.

Her thoughts kept circling back to Vi.

There was something about her raw and unfiltered, but also… not reckless. Like she knew exactly how much of herself to give, and when.

Caitlyn didn’t know people like that.

She was used to control. To logic. To tidy answers and predictable outcomes.

Vi was none of those things.

And yet Caitlyn found herself scanning Instagram again, checking if Vi had posted anything new. She hadn’t. Just the photo of her after she won her debut match the other night

She couldn’t help but zoom in on Vi in the picture

Zooming in on her face, and how she has that smug and cocky grin on her face

The small bit of smeared blood on her cheek

And the sweat the piled on her forehead..

And of course.. The in print of Vi’s member down below against the shorts she was wearing..

Caitlyn caught herself staring hazily at Vi in that picture before she heard the bathroom door open and Akali’s loud grunt when she flopped onto her bed, thats when she quickly exited out of the picture

____

That lingering silence between her and Vi was unfamiliar. Not heavy. But noticeable.

She thought about messaging first.

Didn’t.

Thought about it again.

And Did.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
You find the history building today, or are you still making laps around the science wing?

⸻

The reply came two minutes later.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
i’ll have you know i was only lost for ten minutes today. progress.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
You should get a campus map.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
i have one. i just like your directions better.

⸻

Caitlyn stared at that for a moment longer than she meant to.

Then she smiled.

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Careful. That almost sounded charming.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
almost? i’m losing my touch.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
…walk with me after training again?

Caitlyn hesitated for only a breath.

Then typed:

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
Maybe.

⸻

@vi.haymaker:
that’s not a no

⸻

@caitlyn.kiramman:
It’s a “don’t keep me waiting.”
______

POV: Vi

Vi had just gotten back from the connivence store when she got the message.

Careful. That almost sounded charming.

She leaned back on her bed, tossing the bag of small snacks onto her desk, in some shorts, and a loose, half zipped hoodie, the shower steam from earlier still lingering faintly on her skin. Her thumb hovered over the keyboard, a grin tugging at the edge of her mouth as she sent his reply:

Almost? I’m losing my touch.

She hadn’t expected Caitlyn to text first.

Hell, she hadn’t expected Caitlyn to text at all after last night. Not after the way Vi had lingered. Looked too long. Stepped too close. But now, their back and forth felt easier than it had any right to be.

And when she asked if Caitlyn wanted to walk again?

Maybe.

Which meant yes. Probably. Hopefully.

Vi sighed, tugged the towel from her nightstand to her hair, and ruffled it dry. She didn’t know what this was whatever was starting between her and Caitlyn but it was real enough to keep her smiling like an idiot at her phone screen. She tucked it under her pillow and turned toward her desk to check her class schedule for tomorrow.

That’s when the door flung open.

Vi didn’t turn around immediately.

She didn’t need to.

The heels. The laugh. The scent of cheap body vanilla spray and sex of course .

Sarah.

Here we go again.

“Oh my god, this is my roommate I told you about!” Sarah’s voice rang out, saccharine and loud. “The boxer. She’s kinda hot, right?”

Vi turned just in time to catch the tall brunette Sarah had dragged in looking directly at her wide eyed and uncertain, clutching her tote bag like it might save her from this moment.

Vi raised an eyebrow. “Uh. Hi?”

The girl squeaked out a greeting, which Sarah promptly ignored, busy kicking off her heels and tossing her purse onto her bed like she hadn’t just burst into a shared space with zero warning.

“You don’t mind if we crash here for a bit, do you?” Sarah asked, winking at Vi to let her know whats about to go down.

Sarah, already pulling off her coat and dropping it somewhere in the vicinity of her dresser. “It’s just… This girl needs a little privacy… Will you give me that?

Vi blinked, then sighed getting up from her bed and slipping some slides on. “It’s your dorm too. I guess.”

“Oh my god, thanks! You’re the best,” Sarah said, clearly taking Vi’s passive tone as enthusiastic consent.

Vi stood up, zipped her hoodie, and stuffed her phone into the pocket. “I was just heading out anyway.”

“Where to?” Sarah asked distractedly, already dragging her guest toward her bed.

“Library,” Vi lied.

The brunette gave her a sympathetic glance. Vi didn’t return it.

⸻

The hallway outside the dorm was quieter than expected. Vi walked with no real destination, letting her hoodie soak up the warmth from her skin as she headed down the stairs and into the cool air of campus.

She wasn’t annoyed, exactly. She knew what kind of roommate Sarah was when she signed up for housing late. It came with the territory. You don’t get to be picky when you’re a second year transfer student with no campus connections and no early application window.

Still.

She thought about Caitlyn.

About her voice cool and clipped, but never cold.

About that look in her eye when she critiqued Vi’s footwork.

About how her hips swayed up the stairs during their night walk

About how their walk last night had started in silence and ended in something… softer. Like tension, but not the kind that needed to be solved. Just acknowledged.

She pulled out her phone again.

No new messages, but the DM was still there. Caitlyn’s name lit up in her inbox like a dare.

Don’t keep me waiting.

Vi smiled.

“Not planning to, Cupcake.”

Chapter Text

POV: Vi

Vi slouched on the edge of the quad bench, hoodie pulled tight around her shoulders, phone balanced in one hand. Her dorm had officially become unlivable Sarah had dragged a guest in, leaving Vi alone and sitting in the dark atmosphere on the bench she usually eats at for lunch. She had nowhere to go for the night so she resorted to asking her one real friend for a place to stay.

She typed quickly, hoping Seraphine might be her lifeline.

@vi.haymaker: hey… kinda weird question… can I crash at yours tonight? Sarah kicked me out

Her phone buzzed almost immediately.

@s.eraphine: oh god no… i already have company tonight, sorry Vi!!

Vi groaned, burying her face in her hands. Figures. Seraphine always had plans, and apparently tonight was no exception. She could picture her best friend sprawled across the couch with some tall, charming guy, laughing over a bottle of wine somewhere in her dorm. Vi shook her head, muttering under her breath. Fine. Plan B.

Caitlyn. Caitlyn was organized, quiet, probably alone especially since Akali had been spending the night at her girlfriend’s dorm lately. That left Caitlyn’s dorm as a perfect, quiet option.

"ok… maybe Caitlyn then? she’s probably alone, right?" She thought to herself

She waited, tapping her thumb nervously against the phone. Then she typed again, a little more urgently.

@vi.haymaker: hey… random, but could I come over to your dorm tonight? dorm drama with Sarah.

Her phone buzzed almost immediately.

@caitlyn.kiramman: dorm drama? what kind of drama are we talking about?

Vi smiled faintly, typing back.

@vi.haymaker: nothing too crazy… just Sarah and her guest taking over the room. can’t really… exist there right now

@caitlyn.kiramman: i see… why me though? you know plenty of people on campus, miss i won my match on my debut

Vi hesitated for a beat before typing honestly.

@vi.haymaker: i don’t really know that many people… and honestly, you’re the only other person i could think of asking tonight

Her phone buzzed again, Caitlyn’s reply coming quickly.

@caitlyn.kiramman: …alright. makes sense. Akali went to some girl’s dorm for the night, so it’s just me. door’s unlocked

Vi let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. Akali and Seraphine weren’t just busy they were busy with each other. A small, amused smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. She shoved her phone into her hoodie pocket and started walking across campus. The night air was cool, carrying faint scents of freshly cut grass and coffee from the late night café. The quad was almost empty, lit only by lampposts casting long shadows across the marble steps.

By the time she reached Caitlyn’s dorm, she was laughing quietly at the absurdity of how nervous she felt over something as simple as spending a night in someone else’s room. But it wasn’t simple. Not with Caitlyn.

⸻

POV: Caitlyn

Caitlyn sat cross legged on her bed, laptop open but completely ignored, her mind elsewhere. Akali had gone to some girls dorm for the night, leaving Caitlyn alone for the first time in a while. Her phone buzzed, lighting up the dim room. Seeing Vi’s name on the screen made her chest tighten in a way she didn’t expect.

@caitlyn.kiramman: …door’s unlocked. but i have to know why exactly do you want to come over?

Vi’s reply was almost immediate.

@vi.haymaker: like i said… dorm drama. honestly, i don’t really know that many people… and you’re the only person i could think of asking

Caitlyn smiled, amused by the honesty. Her roommate Akali might tease her endlessly if she knew she was letting Vi in, but she didn’t care. There was something easy about Vi, chaotic but not in a way that made Caitlyn uncomfortable. It was… refreshing.

@caitlyn.kiramman: fair enough… i suppose i can deal with your chaos for a bit then

@vi.haymaker: chaos? that’s generous

@caitlyn.kiramman: careful… i might take offense

Vi’s response was instant, playful. “Good. Keep me on my toes.”

Caitlyn felt a warmth in her chest she hadn’t anticipated. She typed back quickly.

@caitlyn.kiramman: fine… come on over then. i’ll try not to scare you off

@vi.haymaker: i highly doubt that will happen

⸻

POV: Vi

Vi stepped into Caitlyn’s dorm, feeling an immediate sense of relief. The dorm apartment was tidy, cozy, and smelled faintly of vanilla candles. Caitlyn’s calm presence was like a balm after the chaos of her own dorm.

“Thanks… for letting me crash,” Vi said softly, following Caitlyn into her bedroom and settling onto the edge of her bed

“Of course,” Caitlyn replied, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “Make yourself comfortable.” She said going to sit at her desk

Vi leaned back, hoodie sliding slightly, hair curling at the ends. She felt Caitlyn’s eyes on her and grinned faintly. “This is nice… quiet. I could get used to this.”

Caitlyn chuckled. “You’re lucky Akali isn’t here to tease me about this.”

Vi smirked. “Or lucky for me, depending on how you look at it.”

——————————————————————————

During the time Vi was there, they talked about everything and nothing. Vi teased Caitlyn mercilessly about her obsession with organization, and Caitlyn retaliated with subtle digs at Vi’s chaotic and cracked phone, teasing her for having to put tape over one of the spots that had shattered on the back of it.

“Seriously,” Caitlyn said, pointing at a hoodie carelessly tossed on the floor that belonged to Vi, “how do you function like this?”

Vi shrugged, grinning. “It’s an art form. You wouldn’t understand.”

She hopped off of the bed and demonstrated an exaggerated “Defensive stance,” pretending to spar with the air. Caitlyn laughed quietly. “You’re ridiculous, what in the world are you doing Vi?” she said, shaking her head, though her smile lingered far longer than she expected.

“Ridiculous but charming,” Vi shot back without missing a beat, "And if you must know i am showing you what a defense stance looks like in boxing," and Caitlyn’s cheeks warmed at the "charming" way Vi tried to clearly impress her

Their conversation drifted into quieter territory. Caitlyn asked Vi about home, about her past, and Vi spoke candidly, her voice softer than usual. She told Caitlyn about Zaun its chaos, its noise, the way it had forced her to grow fast, and learn how to fight, and about the people who shaped her. Caitlyn listened, noticing the little things: the way Vi bit her lip when she thought, the faint redness on her cheeks from exertion, and the warm feeling that Vi’s voice brought her when she listened to it.

In return, Caitlyn talked about her routines, her obsession with organization, and why she felt more comfortable and calm, when she controlled spaces. Vi teased her lightly, but there was genuine interest in her eyes, and Caitlyn found herself relaxing more than she expected.

They shared snacks granola bars, leftover fries Caitlyn has in her rooms mini fridge, the two os them laughing over the smallest things: Vi’s disastrous first sparring session, Caitlyn’s attempt at baking that had triggered a fire alarm, and even a misadventure with Vi’s laundry.

Hours passed, Caitlyn had finally moved onto her bed with Vi, the room filling with soft laughter, playful nudges, and long stretches of comfortable silence. Vi’s hand brushed Caitlyn’s occasionally, each touch lingering slightly longer than necessary. The energy in the room shifted to a more intimate and comfortable environment, soft and charged.

“You’re really something,” Caitlyn whispered, her eyes dancing around Vi’s face before meeting Vi’s eyes that were also tracing over Caitlyn’s face.

Vi leaned slightly closer. “I could stay here forever… Something about this atmosphere you bring every time we are together.. Its so comforting and I-.. I feel like I can tell you anything almost.” she murmured, her voice low, sincere and intimate.

Caitlyn’s chest tightened. “I… I wouldn’t mind that you know?.. And i get what you mean, you are very ridiculous, But you have this softer and gentle side that im starting to see,” she admitted softly.

Silence fills the room as their hands meet, intertwining, as both of their eyes flicker around eachothers faces, Their faces drifted inches apart. Breaths mingled. Vi could see the hesitation and anticipation in Caitlyn’s eyes. Her heart raced. Caitlyn’s lips curved slightly, inviting, curious.

Suddenly, Vi’s phone rang loudly, cutting through the quiet. The name flashing on the screen made her groan.

"Shit.." she mumbled before answering “Hello?” Vi answered reluctantly.

“Vi! You can come back now! The guest is gone!” Sarah’s voice was loud and grating, perfectly timed to ruin the moment.

Vi’s shoulders slumped. “Figures,” she muttered. She looked at Caitlyn apologetically. “Well… looks like my luck ran out.”

Caitlyn laughed softly, shaking her head. “Sarah always knows how to ruin the good parts, huh?”

Vi grabbed her hoodie, tugging it up over her head. “Always. Guess… I have to go.”

Caitlyn walked her to the door, their hands brushing lightly. Neither moved away. “Thanks… for tonight,” Vi said quietly, thumb brushing Caitlyn’s hand fleetingly.

Caitlyn’s fingers twitched. “Anytime, Vi,” she whispered, her eyes lingering.

They leaned in almost imperceptibly, breaths mingling. Vi’s heart pounded. Caitlyn’s lips curved slightly.

*She will never like you or have feelings for you, Shes neat, Organized, and has her life together, and what about you? You’re reckless, a slob, and let alone from zaun, you could never be someone she would be interested in, or let alone someone who could give her what she wants in a relationship*

Thoughts rang through her mind, and not very positive ones, She had such a good time with Caitlyn tonight, and tonight has indeed conformed her crush for Caitlyn.. But could she ever feel the same? Could she ever be someone that Caitlyn would be interested in? Could she even..Be a good Girlfriend to Caitlyn considering what happened in her last relationship?..

Then Vi’s eyes widen her heart dropping as she cleared her throat to stop the kiss from happening, glancing at her phone again. Her mood obviously shifting “I should really go before Sarah gives me a lecture,” she murmured.

Caitlyn smiled dropped into a confused face as to why Vi had stopped the kiss, a quiet ache settled in her chest, but she knew Vi had to go back to her dorm apartment now“O-Oh- Yeah right ok, I’ll see you later then?,” she asked as vi started to walk down the hallway.

Vi glanced back with a small fake smile a small breathy chuckle leaving her lips before saying, "Yeah.. See ya later cupcake." She said before putting her hood on and walking down the stairs of Caitlyn’s dormitory apartment building

Caitlyn watched her go, standing at the doorway, caught between wanting to call her back and savoring the moment… instead she closed the door softly, but the electricity of the night lingered, leaving both of them thinking about what could have beenand what would come next.