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Vi wasn’t sure what had happened. One moment she was stuffing valuables on her bag and the next she was watching the whole balcony come down. It had taken them one mistake, one simple thing that had caused them to have to run, and for Vander to chew her head off over putting the kids in danger. As if she wasn’t a kid too. She had huffed and tried to ignore the annoying feeling in her chest, the one that told her that even when she tried to act though, she had been scared shitless that day. She couldn’t even picture being the reason any of them got hurt.
She glanced towards Powder, her sister sitting on the floor while tinkering with one of her newest inventions. The redhead had been the one to help the younger one to run away, and the feeling of Powder’s hand trembling while Vi pulled her away from the explosion still haunted her nightmares. She was sorry. She felt guilty, she felt everything that Vander wanted her to feel. But the plan had been sound. She was confident that everything would go alright. So what had gone so wrong for them to end up empty handed?
Vi needed a new score. She was going nuts under Vander’s watchful eye. The redhead bit the side of her thumb, ruining the small progress she had done the past few days. She glanced around the room, trying to find any escape route. She had heard about an easy mark… an easier mark. One that would most likely not end up with them running away from a blast. She was drawing blood from her thumb and it snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Shit,” she whispered, grabbing a rag to clean her finger. She couldn’t do it, she couldn’t put them in danger again. But she knew that Vander was right, anywhere she went they would follow. She would have to go alone, but how?
“Vi?” Her sister called out. “Can we go upstairs? I’m hungry.”
She ran her fingers through her hair before sighing. “Sure, Pow. Let’s go.” She wrapped her arm around the kid’s shoulders and guided her to Vander’s pub. “Let’s see what the cook has whipped out for us tonight.”
The redhead would stay up late that night, watching the smoke-covered sky while she used the knife Vander had gifted her to carve random lines on the table. She couldn’t stop thinking about the mark. She had heard about it up in the pub, a couple of Vander’s friends whispering about the Kiramman estate being empty for the weekend but neither of them having the balls to try to get in. Could she truly pull it off?
Her sister and the boys were deep asleep, Mylo’s snoring breaking the silence of the room. She stabbed the table with her knife, looking at the sleeping kids before making a decision. She grabbed her bag and stuffed it with anything she might need, making sure to tuck Powder in tighter before slipping out of the room, making sure to avoid Vander’s door as she walked outside.
The air was cold but the city was still awake, screaming and laughter boomed all over the alleyway as she sneaked around. She kept her head down, her hood up covering her hair and face as she hid from any patrol that dared to walk around. She finally made it to Piltover and sighed. Everything was nicer in this place, and she hated it. She hated how she could look up and see the stars, hated how she could hear her own footsteps because of the silence that surrounded the town and she hated that anyone that still walked the streets did it without a worry in the world. She couldn’t wait to steal all of their places, but she had one objective in mind today.
The downside of Piltover is that information was easily acquired. The more she walked around, the more she learned about the Kiramman and where they lived. It didn’t take long for her to find the house, if it could be called that, if it were up to Vi it would be called an obnoxiously big manor. She glanced around, making sure the patrolling officer passed by her before climbing up the gate. The redhead dropped down, hiding behind a bush for a few moments to avoid detection.
Vi couldn’t help the chuckle that left her lips. This was the other problem with pilties. Too much trust in their police force, not enough alarms. She kept herself low as she rounded the place, looking for any sign of a loose window or a door they forgot to lock.
“There,” she mumbled, noticing a small movement on the second floor, a curtain fluttering from the small opening on a balcony door. “Idiots must have neglected to double check.”
Her hands were shaking, it was her first time breaking in alone, but she couldn’t take the risk of hurting the kids again. She stalked closer to the wall and stared at it for a few moments, trying to find a way up to the balcony. It would be a difficult climb, but not impossible. Slowly but surely she made the climb, slipping a few times but managing to catch herself before dropping to the floor. Her fingers hurted, some of them had splinters deep into them and the others had the skin cut but if the score was good enough she wouldn’t even complain.
She glanced inside, the room was dark and seemed to be a girl’s room. She noticed the books thrown around and a much-too-big bed in the middle of it. She gently pushed the door, her cheeks heating up as she was hit with the scent of the girl’s perfume. It was… nice, she decided. She stepped inside, pulling a flashlight from her bag to be able to look around without breaking things.
“Holy shit,” she muttered. She was standing in the prettiest room she had ever been in. The bed was a four post one, something she only knew from the books she had managed to steal. There were at least 200 hundred books in a library on the other side of the room and like 30 more thrown all around. She itched to steal some of them, but they would just slow her down. She started to walk around, touching the spine of the books before taking one out.
She smiled as she read the back cover. Whoever the owner of the room was seemed to like cheesy romances. She put the book back before walking to the desk, trying to find something valuable. She found some jewellery and stuffed it into her bag before walking out of the room.
“Fuck, how does someone lives like this?” She growled, looking around the place. She was tempted to break everything, to just take out her knife and destroy the paintings. And she was about to, her knife already in her hand, when she saw her.
It was the portrait of a girl that looked about her age. She seemed to be trying not to smile, the corner of her lips turned up but her lips tightly together to not give into the smile. Her hair was long and an incredible shade of blue and those eyes. She could get lost in those eyes. Her hand fell, the knife loosely grasped between her fingers. The girl was obviously a pampered one, taking into the account the house that surrounded the painting, but Vi couldn’t help but wonder if she had a nice laugh. She looked down, reading the plaque that only said the year it was made. It had been a year since the painter gave it to the owners so the girl might be a bit older now. It was most likely the owner of the room she came in through.
The thought angered her even more, why would she want to know that about a piltie? She quickly turned around, finding an expensive-looking box and shoving it into her bag, knowing that something of value would be found inside. She snatched a few other things, aware that she would be able to sell it for a decent amount of money. The mansion was bigger than she thought it would be, and she realized that she wouldn’t be able to check every room. She hesitated before walking back to the girl’s room, her eyes scanning the bookshelves and focusing on a book, removing it from the shelf and taking it with her.
She made it back home as the sun was coming up, her bag already empty after selling everything, except for the romance book. She wouldn’t sell that one. That one was for herself.
By the time Vander woke up she had already saved some of the money on her usual hiding spot and handed the rest to him, avoiding his eyes. The man frowned, staring at the amount. “Where did you get this, Vi?”
“I got it, that’s all you need to know.” The girl answered, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.
“Right, and how did you get it? Did you get the kids in danger again?”
“No! This was all me! Be lucky I am honorable enough to give you a cut. I should’ve kept all of it,” she growled, stepping back but her shoulders slumped defeatedly. “I wouldn’t get them in danger again, you know that… right?” The hesitation hurt more than she thought it would. “Wow, okay. Yeah, I get it. Whatever, man. I’m out, tell Powder not to follow.” She grabbed her jacket and bag and stormed out, ignoring Vander saying her name.
How dare he not trust her? It had been only one time. She had fucked up once. And suddenly she was untrustful. She couldn’t believe it. She was enraged, climbing over walls and jumping from roof to roof until she got to her usual hang out spot. Her eyes focused on the clouds of smoke rising from the city below as her mind drifted to the painting of the piltie girl. She wondered about her, much to her dismay. She opened her bag and pulled out the book she had stolen, the cover faded for the most part from too much use and the pages had a faint scent of perfume and old books. She recognized the perfume as the same that was in the girl’s room and the redhead couldn’t help but to blush, her ears turning red first.
Vi opened the book with reverence, the first page blank except for one thing. Written in loopy calligraphy was the name of the owner.
Caitlyn Kiramman.
Even her name dripped money through its pores. Vi hated it. But she still ran her fingers through the loops, wondering how the girl would pronounce her own name, if she had a bit of an accent like all pilties. Did she have a deep voice or was it girly like the rest of her? The redhead shook her head, dissipating the thoughts, and instead focused back on the book.
It was a cheesy romance, that was for sure. But Vi’s eyes widened as she realized the small detail that the cover of the book hid. It was a romance between two girls. Her face turned the same color as her hair as she read, her heart pumping harshly against her ribs. It was… sweet. Really sweet. She pondered if she could ever be that sweet with someone.
Her soft hands brushed some hair away from the brunette’s eyes, she read and frowned. She glanced at her hands, the callouses and scars transforming them into everything but soft. She wondered if Caitlyn would like a softer touch or if she could enjoy her rougher hands. She choked on air as the thought crossed her mind and shut the book sharply. What the fuck was she thinking? She shoved the book back into her bag and realized that she had been reading for hours, the previously opaque city gaining its colors as Zaun’s night people came to life. She had to get back to Vander’s, no matter how mad she was to him.
The moment Vi walked into The Last Drop a body crashed to hers, Powder looking up at her with a frown. The redhead just hugged her back, knowing that the younger girl was mad at her but needed the comfort of her sister.
“You left,” the girl grumbled as she snuggled deeper into her sister’s hold.
“Just for a few hours, and I am back, am I not?” The older girl answered and playfully ruffled the blue hair. “Everything alright?”
“Yes. Though I would’ve preferred it if you hadn’t left. But Vander bought me some supplies with the money you gave him, so thanks.”
“Anything for you Powpow. Now come on, I wanna eat.”
—
Vi wasn’t sure what she was doing back here. Her eyes took in the sight of the giant mansion, the lights off from everywhere she could see, the book safe on her bag. There was not a soul around as she climbed the fence and made her way to the same room as the last time, her lungs drowning on the same perfume that had disappeared from between the pages of the finished book. She bit down on her lower lip, hesitating before walking to the bookshelf. She returned the book with a blush as she took in the titles of the rest.
Ever since she heard the Kiramman’s were taking longer than anticipated to come back she knew she had to grab another book. Zaun lacked a public library and she couldn’t exactly walk into Piltover’s one, so she had to take advantage of the opportunity.
And so she did. She came back night after night, reading books in the room until it was time to leave and grabbing one to read during the day. She was obsessed with the girl’s taste in books and she couldn’t stop herself from running her fingers through her name in their first pages. She didn’t have much longer though, hearing talks that the Kirammans would be back the next day. So she braved once again and climbed over the fence, sneaking into Caitlyn’s room.
But something was wrong that night. Vi couldn’t place her finger on it as she returned the last book she had taken, until she saw it. One of the books she knew she had placed back was missing. The redhead looked around the room, trying to figure out if she had misplaced it. But she hadn’t.
A cold sweat dripped down her back as she realized what was happening.
Someone was at the mansion.
Vi tried to make her way to the balcony silently, her steps calculated to not make a noise. But it was in vain. The room’s door opened before she made it out and a light was turned on, allowing the redhead to see the person.
The girl in the painting was standing before her, a rifle on her delicate hands as she leaned her weight on the doorframe, some white bandages showing that she was hurt. The redhead froze, knowing that if she moved a bullet would fly through the air. Normally she would doubt the piltie’s ability with a gun, but something about the blue-haired girl’s eyes told her that if she tried something she would not see another day.
“Do not think about moving, Zaunite.” The girl growled, her finger away from the trigger but the threat still working. Her voice was unlike what Vi had imagined but in a way it was even better.
“I’m not moving, Piltie. Now put the gun down before someone gets hurt.” The redhead shot back, inching her foot closer to the balcony, waiting for a split second to run away.
“Throw your bag to me,” the girl said.
“Why?”
“Because I’m the one holding the rifle, now do it.”
Vi couldn’t find a flaw in the girl’s logic, so she shrugged her bag off and threw it to her feet. “There, happy?”
“Don’t leave, guards will be walking by down the balcony just now, so if you do not want to be spotted you will stay where you are.”
The redhead growled, her plan of leaving as the blue-haired girl checked her back quickly ruined. She watched as the girl ruffled to the bag, pulling out the book she was about to steal.
“So it was you,” blue eyes met Vi’s with a bit of curiosity. “You’ve been stealing my books?”
“It isn’t stealing if I bring them back, is it?” She cursed at herself for answering, her hands becoming fists. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I bet the guards are long gone.” She feinted towards the door only to be stopped by a grunt and a rifle being pointed back to her head.
“Fuck,” the piltie whispered as she clutched her side, the rough movement to grab the gun enough to make her injuries protest. “I didn’t say you could leave.”
“What do you want from me? I’m not apologizing. And how the fuck did you know about me? The mansion was empty! I made sure of it.”
“Did you? Truly?” The mocking tone was infuriating.
“Yes!” Vi exclaimed but remembered how she never ventured to the other wing of the mansion.
“You never checked the east wing, did you, darling?”
“Don’t call me that. Either shoot me or let me leave, piltie.”
“Caitlyn, my name’s Caitlyn. Though if you were stealing my books I’m sure you would know that by now.” The blue-haired girl said as she limped to her chair, still pointing the rifle at Vi. She flopped down, a flash of pain appearing on her face. “What’s yours?”
“I’m not fucking telling you.”
“Now now, is that how you talk to all your librarians?” Her smirk was irritating, but Vi couldn’t help but stare at it. “What’s your name?” She asked, her voice softer than before.
“Vi,” the redhead unconsciously answered before stepping back, the tip of her ears turning red but she couldn’t decide if it was from anger or embarrassment.
“Alright, Vi. The way I see it, no crime happened here… after that first night, don’t think I didn’t see the empty spots.”
“How long have you been here?”
“I never left, the ones leaving were my parents. I had to stay behind to,” she hesitated before lifting her chin. “Get better.”
The redhead stared at the bandages for a moment. “Why weren’t you in your room then?”
“Because I had to be moved to a room closer to my caretaker. But I was able to walk around during the day, that’s when I noticed my books going missing. Did you enjoy them?”
“Let me go,” Vi said instead.
“Not until you answer me. Did you enjoy the books, Vi?”
Damn her and her stupid accent. “Yes,” she hissed. “Satisfied?”
“I would be more satisfied if you kept coming over.”
The answer surprised the redhead but she could only see the truth in the girl’s eyes. “What?”
“You want books, I have books. Why would I deprive you of them?”
“Because you are a piltie?”
“I,” Caitlyn cleared her throat uncomfortably, lowering the rifle. “I’m not like my parents. Now, do you want to keep reading or not?”
“What do you get in exchange?”
“That is for me to know and for you to find out. Do we have a deal?”
Vi faltered as she saw the rifle disappearing behind the chair, showing that the blue-haired girl was trusting her. She could leave right then and never come back, but her eyes flickered to the unread books. “How would I get past your guards?”
“Leave that to me. Just sneak in through the west side fence instead of your usual one. Do we have a deal?” She repeated as she tried to stand up.
The redhead’s jaw twitched before she nodded. She hated being in a piltie’s debt but the offer was too generous, she would see what she would do when it came back to bite her in the ass. “Yes.”
“Great,” Caitlyn’s smile was bright and Vi found herself hypnotized by it. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, Vi.” She said before throwing her the book she had planned to steal. “Now go, I will distract the guards.” She limped to the door and grabbed a pair of clutches that she had hidden before she started threatening the redhead.
—
Vi stared at the fence in front of her almost as if it had done something to offend her. She couldn’t believe she truly came back. But she had already finished the book she had borrowed the night before and she realized it was actually the first part of a series. And she needed to know how it continued.
With a huff she started the climb, making sure that no one was watching as she approached the balcony. She climbed the vines and jumped into it, hesitating before knocking on the door. This could go either of two ways, either Caitlyn allowed the redhead in and lent her the books or one of her parents opened and called the enforcer. But something in the blue-haired girl’s eyes from the night before made the Zaunite trust her.
She grabbed the book from her bag as she waited, her fingers trembling. The door opened gently and a smile blinded her.
“You came,” the piltie whispered before motioning the redhead to enter the room.
“Do you have the next book?” She asked brusquely, shoving the book to the girl.
Caitlyn giggled as she used the crutch to walk towards the bookshelf. “Good night to you too, Vi. Oh! How have I been? Perfectly fine. In a lot of pain but at least I’m walking, aren’t I?” The blue-haired girl had a one-sided conversation as she searched for the second part of the series, and the teasing tone brought a blush to the girl’s face.
“Just give me the book so I can leave.”
“Who says you can leave? After all the effort I went through to get snacks for the both of us, you just want to leave?”
The mention of food brought Vi’s attention to the desk where some Piltoverian candies waited. She had never tried them, and the sight was mouthwatering. She paused for a moment, trying to figure out why the other girl was going through so much trouble for someone like her. She crossed her arms defensively, scared that one wrong move meant she wouldn’t see Powder again. “Why?” She heard herself asking.
“Why what?” Caitlyn asked as she reached up to grab the book.
“Why would you get us snacks?”
“I thought you might enjoy them,” her voice came back a bit breathless as the movement she was doing pulled on her injuries.
“But why?” Vi felt like a five year old trying to understand the world, but she was just trying to figure out the girl in front of her. The blue-haired girl offered the book as she limped towards her bed, flopping with a read of her own.
“Because I wanted to, is that explanation enough?”
Vi’s jaw tightened as she stared at the girl. How could she be so nonchalant over having the redhead in her room? Her eyes flickered between the Piltie and the candies, waiting until she was sure she wasn’t being watched to grab one. The explosion of flavor was amazing and she sneaked a few more before putting some on her bag, needing to bring them to Powder. After eating her fill she hesitatingly sat down on a one person chair, curling up with the book and starting reading.
The only sound in the room was the turning of pages and their breathing. If Vi paid close enough attention she was able to know when the blue-haired girl got to an exciting scene in her book and she could also tell when she had to move around to try and calm the pain on her body. The redhead couldn’t help but wonder what happened to her to be this hurt, but she quickly put a lid on her curiosity.
Caitlyn was a means to an end, not a person she needed to care for.
They spent the rest of the night in silence and by the time Vi realized she should leave, Caitlyn had fallen asleep over her covers. The redhead had finished the book so she decided to borrow another from her bookshelf, putting it on the bag along with the rest of the snacks. It wasn’t as if the girl would miss some measly candies. Vi hesitated at the balcony, her eyes moving back to the slumbering girl. Even with the low light she could see how her skin was filled with goosebumps and how she was shivering. The clutch was thrown on the floor and the few bandages she could see were slightly stained from the whole day. She couldn’t just leave, could she?
Vi clenched her hands into fists, cursing under her breath as she walked back into the room and towards the bed. She hated herself for caring. She gently positioned the sleeping girl under the covers, tucking her in before turning the lights off, the darkness claiming the room. The redhead grabbed the clutches from the floor and placed them against the wall, giving the piltie easier access to them before slipping away into the night.
—
Caitlyn Kiramman wasn’t sure about what she was doing. She had been sneaking a Zaunite into her room for the past few weeks and she couldn’t understand why.
Well, that was a lie.
She knew exactly why.
Ever since she had laid eyes on the redhead she felt the exact same things her books had narrated time after time. The butterflies on her stomach, the clammy hands and the pumping of her heart harsh against her ribs. She had entered the room determined to shoot whomever had been stealing her books during her recovery days. But that determination faltered as she saw those baby blue eyes and hair the same shade as fire. So instead of defending her home, she invited the demon back in.
She dropped her head to the desk, groaning in pain as a flare up started on her side. She was mostly healed from the explosion that happened in Jayce’s house but some places were still tender. She clutched her right side ribs, a shivering breath leaving her lips as she straightened back up. Caitlyn glanced back towards the balcony’s door. She knew that Vi wouldn’t appear this early in the day, but she found herself daydreaming what she would do if she did.
Maybe the redhead would ignore her and go directly to her bookshelf. The thought brought a smile to her face. She hadn’t met someone that devoured books quite as Vi. Caitlyn was a fast reader, faster than most, but the way the Zaunite would read at least one book per day surprised her. That first night together, before falling asleep, she had simply stared at the redhead reading. It was a sight to behold, the way her eyes followed the words and her fingers turned the pages with a touch that was almost reverent. The blue-haired girl sighed as she glanced back at her homework. She huffed as she continued working on it, counting down the hours until the Zaunite visited her again.
Caitlyn wasn’t sure when she fell asleep but she suddenly startled awake as a presence entered the room. The redhead stood still at the balcony’s door, surprised to find her asleep. She smiled sluggishly. “Hey,” she managed to croak out before sitting up.
“I can leave,” Vi whispered back, squirming uncomfortably.
“No, don’t. I’m awake, I swear.” She rubbed her eyes and reached for the cane. She no longer needed the clutches but walking still hurt sometimes. She stepped closer to the Zaunite, a smile stretching her lips. “How are you tonight?”
They hadn’t spoken too much the past few nights, Vi was closed off to any attempt of interaction, but Caitlyn could see her walls breaking down. “Good,” she answered, shifting her weight around anxiously. “I was wondering if…”
She waited for her to continue but quickly realized that it wouldn’t happen without prompting. “If?”
“If you could recommend one of your books,” she finished under her breath. Her shoulders were tense, obviously not used to asking for anything.
The blue-haired girl’s eyes lit up as she limped towards the bookshelf. “Heck yeah I can! What are you feeling like reading tonight? I have mystery, romcom, thriller and…”
“Your favorite,” the redhead cut her off, still standing next to the balcony door. “I want to read your favorite.”
The girl’s hand stopped midair, her eyes flickering back towards Vi shocked. “I… Alright. I can do that.” Her voice shook as she searched for her favorite book, a blush appearing on her face. She had never had a pretty girl ask about her favorite book and she wasn’t sure how to react. She grabbed the volume and walked back to Vi, offering it to her with a small smile.
The redhead took it, her fingertips grazing Caitlyn’s hand gently, but instead of walking to the couch she usually used she stayed standing, hesitating again.
“What’s wrong?”
“Will you ever tell me why you are being so nice to me?” She muttered, her hands tightening around the book.
“Why do you need to know that, Vi?”
“To know if this is real or if you will throw me to the wolves the second something happens,” she snapped. “I can’t keep coming over, risking everything because of the whims of a Piltie that just found it funny to toy with me! Why are you nice to me, Caitlyn?!”
The blue-haired girl shushed her instantly, covering her mouth with her hand and glancing towards the door, waiting to see if she heard footsteps approaching. She sighed in relief as no one came to investigate the noise before realizing how close she was standing to the Zaunite. Her face turned the same color as the other girl’s hair as she stumbled back. “Sorry,” she whispered.
The redhead just stood there, staring daggers at her. “Are you going to answer or what?”
“What will happen if I don’t?”
“Then this is the last time you’ll see me, cupcake.”
Vi took one step back just as Caitlyn shot forward, her arms wrapping around her neck and pulling her towards her body, ignoring the way her injuries screamed in pain as she kissed the redhead desperately. “Don’t leave,” she whispered against her lips, surprised as her eyes filled with tears. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the pain or the thought of Vi never coming back.
She felt Vi’s hands wrapping around her waist, trembling as the redhead pulled her closer, leaving a softer kiss on her lips with some doubt, as if she thought Caitlyn would disappear from between her arms. “Is this why?” She asked under her breath, the book long forgotten on the floor after she dropped it to grab Caitlyn.
“Yes.”
“What does this mean, Caitlyn?”
“Whatever you want it to mean, Vi.”
“I…” Her hands tightened on her waist as her eyes fell to the floor, squirming nervously. “I don’t know how this works, Caitlyn.”
It was strange to see the Zaunite so shy but the sight melted the girl’s heart. She cupped the redhead’s cheek and made her look at her. “Do you like me?” She asked softly and smiled widely as the girl nodded. “Then that’s enough for me.”
“But how does this work? We can’t precisely come out and say we are together, can we? Your parents would freak out.”
“I don’t care about what they think. For now I just care that you keep visiting me, we keep meeting and we stay here forever if we must.”
The redhead thought about it for a moment before nodding. “Alright.”
“C’mon,” the blue-haired girl offered her her hand. “It’s still early, how about we read a bit?” Vi bent over to grab the book and the cane that Caitlyn had dropped during their kiss. She helped the girl to the bed and just as she was going to walk towards the couch she was pulled into the covers. “Where do you think you are going?”
“To the couch?” She asked confused, a blush taking over her face.
“Nope, you are staying right here.”
“But.”
“No buts, come here.” Caitlyn pulled her closer and she cuddled to the girl’s side, getting comfortable against her to read. “Isn’t that better?”
Vi nodded silently, her eyes focused on the girl’s side profile before glancing at the book in her own lap. “Caitlyn?”
“Yes darling?”
“Will you read it to me?” She asked, handing her the book.
The request made butterflies appear in her stomach as she grabbed the offered volume shakily. “Are you sure? I’ve been told that I read too fast out loud.”
“I don’t care. Just read, please.”
They would spend the rest of the night curled up into each other, taking turns with the book, their voices barely whispers in the silence of the night.