Work Text:
The day spiraled into chaos. Even though Caitlyn had everything planned down to the minute, things were very different when Vi was involved. They spent their workday together moving from one place to another, doing their best to run ahead of schedule as the heat kept building, turning the pleasant, cool morning into living hell, making coherent thinking nearly impossible.
The whole day seemed to last forever, never giving them any chance to rest. Caitlyn could feel her uniform clinging unpleasantly to her back, the fabric sticking to her skin every time she shifted. She had spent much of the day tugging at the collar of her uniform with growing irritation, casting Vi a sideways look as she lounged there, utterly unaffected by it. Caitlyn had never quite understood how Vi managed it. High temperatures never seemed to bother her the way they did everyone else. Whether it was preference or something the years in Stillwater had done to her tolerance, she could stand under a blazing sun and still look perfectly content.
Even now, when the sun hung low and the windows were wide open, the heat didn’t let go. The hot air drifted in, skimming along the walls, ruffling the curtains with barely noticeable wind.
Caitlyn was sitting cross-legged on one side of the bed. The documents she took from the station lay scattered in front of her, each piece in a very specific order. Beside her, on her stomach, was Vi. She remained still for a moment. Then, the small, restless movements rippled through the mattress and nudged Caitlyn’s neatly arranged papers slightly. Keeping her focus suddenly required far more effort.
“Are you… mad at me?”
Caitlyn immediately broke her concentration and looked up from the papers. Vi was staring at her with an unmistakable pout, and Caitlyn couldn’t quite understand where it had come from. As far as she could tell, the day had gone perfectly fine. Still, she had learned by now that sometimes Vi’s mind simply decided to wander into unnecessary worries. Caitlyn studied her for a moment, one eyebrow lifting in quiet confusion.
“Why is that?” she asked, slightly amused by Vi’s growing pout.
“No cuddles,” Vi whined, shrugging as if it were rude to even mention that. Caitlyn couldn’t help but laugh softly. Not only had Vi always been strangely immune to the hot weather; she was often complaining about being cold. Which was particularly ironic, considering she radiated enough heat herself to be mistaken for a small furnace.
“You’re hot, Vi,” Caitlyn tried to reason, turning back to the files. A second later she was surprised by Vi’s head on her lap, grinning proudly.
“Oh? Thanks, cupcake.”
Caitlyn rolled her eyes and shook her head. Some stray strands of hair clung to her sweaty forehead.
“You’re welcome,” she murmured, glancing down at her. “But I meant you’re literally hot.”
Vi smirked wider. “I knew you couldn’t resist me.”
“Vi. Not like that!”
“No?”
“Yes. I mean, no. I- Vi! You’re doing it again.”
Vi only chuckled, shifting slightly so she could settle more comfortably against Caitlyn’s lap. “And yet I’m still not getting any cuddles.”
After a few long seconds of staring into each other’s eyes, Caitlyn let out a quiet sigh and set the papers aside, rubbing the bridge of her nose. So much for finishing tonight. But there were more important things at the moment. Even if it meant dealing with sticky skin. Love, apparently, made it worth it.
Vi took the invitation straight away, nuzzling her face against Caitlyn’s belly.
“Fine,” Caitlyn muttered, though a small smile betrayed her. “You win.”
Vi made a pleased sound, pressed herself against Caitlyn, and for a brief moment, Caitlyn wondered if this had been a particularly poor decision.
She pulled Vi closer anyway, discarding the thought, and they both fell onto the pillows. Vi settled comfortably against her, and Caitlyn immediately felt the heat radiating through the thin fabric of their clothes.
“Do you ever get hot, Violet?” she asked after a moment, brushing Vi’s hair away from her face.
“I’m hot all the time,” Vi replied without hesitation, and Caitlyn nudged her side.
“Hey!” Vi pouted again and nuzzled closer. “Yeah… no. I don’t.” She let out a long exhale. “This is nothing compared to Zaun,” she mused, closing her eyes. “I didn’t realise how much I appreciated the wind.”
Caitlyn hummed softly, absently brushing her fingers through Vi’s hair. Perhaps that was something the council should look into improving the ventilation system. She suspected they had rather bigger concerns, though. Still, it was something to consider.
The quiet stretched comfortably between them. Before long, the exhaustion of the day began to catch up, and they lay there. Sweaty. Content. Calm.
In the place they were always meant to be.
Together.