Chapter Text
In relationships, "endgame" refers to the ultimate,final pairing,meaning the couple is destined to be together forever, often implying marriage or a lifelong commitment.
It had been nearly two years since Caitlyn and Vi had broken up, yet here she was in her new apartment with zero trace of Caitlyn except for this one picture in a frame that sat in the bottom of her Jean drawer.
It was a gift from Powder and Ekko. At least that's what Vi told herself when she was asked why she couldn't get rid of it. In reality Vi kept it to remember the version of herself that existed before she experienced earth shattering loss.
In the frame was one of Vi and Caitlyn's engagement photos. Since it was from Jinx she had customized the photo itself. She had added a her signature graffiti background around Cait and Vi and added the urban dictionary definition of endgame. Because if there was anything Jinx and all of the friends and family the couple had could agree on it was one, no two things. One, Caitlyn and Vi where made for each other and two, if you googled endgame it'd just be a picture of them.
That specific photo had always been Vi's favorite because Caitlyn had agreed that they could almost flip all of their friends and family off by holding up only their ring fingers on their ring hands.
Today would have been our first anniversary if we hadn't ended things…
But they had ended things and Vi knew they ended things for their best interest.
When Cassandra had passed Caitlyn was a wreck and she had every right to be. She had lost her mom she wasn't old she just got sick. Time hadn't been on their side her illness had spread too far and was too aggressive for Tobias to suggest any possible treatments.
Vi was Caitlyn's rock she held her hand while they sat at Cassandra's bedside. Vi held Caitlyn's body as she violently sobbed when Cassandra took her last breath. Held Caitlyn and stayed up with her when she was restless. Vi was there for better or for worse.
Then came the phone call that changed it all.
2am.
A drunk driver.
No survivors.
Vander had been hit by a drunk driver on his way home from closing up his bar. The Enforcers working the scene had showed up to the family home and told Powder and thank Janna Ekko had stayed the night. That wasn't news Powder should have gotten alone.
That was when things for Caitlyn and Vi had really started to fall apart. They hadn't loved each other any less but they were adults now. They had graduated college and had jobs and responsibilities. While their worlds had just been hit by a wrecking ball the floating rock they resided on kept spinning and what was expected of them as working adults hadn't changed.
Between finding their new normal as working adults,the nasty grip grief had on them, and the love they still did have for each other they cancelled the wedding first. Agreeing that they'd have a long engagement because getting married without their parents who had a hand in planning and organizing it wasn't something they saw themselves being ready for in the next few months.
Then they eventually just slipped into a survival state. They still talked to each other and found time to cuddle and have sex because they were human and had desires. But it just wasn't the same. Vi knew she felt like a shell of a person. She was just going through the motions of life she wasn't living like she used to.
Violet was the first to suggest a break.
Caitlyn had agreed with no argument.
Just like that their decade long relationship had ended. If either of them had any tears left to cry they probably would have flooded all of Piltover.
But there where no tears just a long hug and a simple "I love you, I'm so sorry" from Vi.
I'll always love you Violet. There's no need to be sorry we both agree we don't want to hurt each other. The world has hurt us enough as it is.
—
The picture made its way back to the bottom of her jean drawer again before Vi went out for a walk to the park.
On the way to the park Vi had decided she'd stop by The Last Bean, formerly The Last Drop brewery.
Despite their dads love for beer the girls knew nothing about it but they knew enough about coffee to reopen the bar as a coffee shop that also sold fresh baked goods.
Jinx was the genius behind the coffee blends and all of the cool hip nitro,turbo,espresso whiffle ball shots. Vi knew very little about coffee she just knew that taking it black was the best way to get max caffeine in the shortest amount of time. Which is precisely why Vi managed the baked goods and took care of the books.
She had taken business classes after all. The plan was to eventually open a gym but she was more than happy to be in business with the little shit she called her sister.
No less than 60 seconds after walking through the door of their busy little cafe vi heard in a sing song voice "Order for a miss fathandsssssss"
If the cafe hadn't been so busy Vi would have reached over the counter and strangled her sister with her supposed fat hands.
"Ha ha pow thank you for the coffee…"
Jinx slowly slid the cup of piping hot coffee towards her sister "It's as black as your soul sis! I still don't know how the hell you manage to drink that Jet fuel"
Vi lifted the cup to her lips "it's real simple you just lift the cup up and si"
"C'mon sis you know what I mean! At least put a creamer in it for Janna's sake!"
"'M good thanks for the recommendation though maybe next time" said the pink haired girl as she took a $5 out of her jacket pocket "Now if you'll excuse me it's nice out and I have a book to read at the park"
—
With her book and coffee in hand Vi finished her short walk to the park and made her way to her favorite shade tree. The one that had a bench with a plaque that read For Violet.
—
The bench had appeared sometime shortly after she had gone to the Kiramman mansion and Cassandra had asked Vi what on earth had happened to her trousers.
Violet had told the Matriarch that Vander often took her and powder on picnics in the park and they sat under the biggest tree in the park when they went. Vander and the girls would often sit there and read or just look out at the pond for hours.
Vander had less time to take them now but when Vi managed to find time after school she would drop by the park and sit under the same tree. She also explained that a blanket isn't the most practical thing to pack and take to school "just in case" she had time to go sit.
When Vi was at the park a week later there was a nice new bench with her name on it and a Kiramman crest under it.
Vi thanked Cassandra the next time she was at the house.
While she paid for it, the idea wasn't hers it was Caitlyn's. Cassandra just left out that little detail.
—
Vi spent lots of time on that bench in the past two years.
With Cassandra being buried with all the Kiramman family going to her grave to pay her respects wasn't really an option. She wanted to respect Caitlyn's space if she had wanted to hear from Vi she knew how to reach her.
So Violet came to the bench. The one that had popped up after Cassandra saw her filthied pants. She visited the one piece of her she had left. There was a point in time that she came by weekly.
Now Vi only comes by when she really needs or wants to talk to Cassandra. She no longer cares who in the park judges her for talking to absolutely no one but herself on that park bench.
—
"Hey Ca- uh, I mean Mom. No Ca-" I can hear her now Violet call me mom you are marrying my daughter for Janna's sake. "Gods, I never struggled talking to you before, I blame the coffee Powder must have put something in it."
"Nah that's not it. If I really sit and think about it, it's that today would have been mine n Cait's first anniversary. I thought seeing the date we would have gotten married come up on the calendar was gonna be the hardest." Vi let out a shaky exhale," I won't lie that was hard but today… I, I pulled out an old engagement photo when I saw the date. It's fucked up really, it's some weird form of torture I'm sure."
Vi tried her best to choke back a sob "What hurts the most is knowing I couldn't keep my promise in the way you wanted me too. The way I wanted too. I was there for her Cass in any way she let me be while we grieved you. God I wanted nothing more than to marry her mom. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Caitlyn wasn't back to herself but she was having more good days than not, we where in such a good spot and, and then Vander…
Then came the tears " I lost myself. Lost the version of me that existed because he did. As much as I wanted to tell Cait how badly I was hurting she knew. She fucking knew because she was going through it too. We, we canceled the wedding first we weren't going to be okay to party in 6 months when we lost such essential people in our lives"
Vi was sobbing on the park bench now "You said to keep her safe so I did the one thing I knew I could. I said we should take time apart. I was so angry at life. It was never her, I could never be mad at her. I just… I didn't want my anger and frustration with life to be misdirected towards her. Caitlyn, she deserves the fucking world and I, I just couldn't give it to her when mine was crumbling."
Vi tried her best to take a deep breath and collect herself "I promise my plan wasn't to come and sob to you about how terribly I messed up. I just missed you and well I've never been able to not tell you everything that's going on in my head. Guess that's my weakness when it comes to the Kiramman women."
"If it's any consolation just know that if I have hurt Caitlyn you'll never see me do it again. I, uh I've been on my own for the past two years I worked on myself. Just like I said I would, it wasn't for her. I mean it was but it was for me too, I wanted to be happy again find what made me feel like me again. I'm still not back to normal I don't know if I ever will be but I'm happy with myself and most aspects of my life again" For the first time since Vi sat on that park bench she cracked a smile.
"I figured out Caitlyn's still got the key to my heart too. I'm never gonna ask for it back either. She's the only one I've ever trusted enough to have it in the first place… and don't even try any of that You're young, you can still find love Violet stuff. I mean, I am young, I'm 27 but still my point stands if it's not Caitlyn I don't want it"
As if having a breakdown on a park bench wasn't bad enough Vi could have sworn she heard footsteps behind her. The crunch of the freshly fallen amber leaves was so distinct. At least one individual in this whole park was worried about Vi's mental state, she could only hope the stranger approaching her wouldn't try to call the authorities on her. That was when the stranger spoke and every hair on Vi's body stood straight. Because Vi heard a voice she'd never be able to forget "Violet, have you ever once considered that she'd take you back?"
Violet closed her eyes and rubbed her temples and prayed to every god that powder drugged her coffee because how was this her real life…
When Vi lowered her hands from her temples there she saw in her peripheral midnight blue hair.
"H…hu..hi Cu- CAITLYN"