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Vi was working unofficially with Caitlyn’s operation on finding Jinx. Unofficially because she didn’t agree with some of the assholes who Cait worked with. Their goals were different and while Vi knew that Cait wouldn’t fire on Jinx if she wasn’t being a threat to innocent people, Vi still felt more comfortable keeping herself separated from all that. Their system worked, trading information with each other, stealing kisses from each other, and sharing a bed. Despite the heavy feeling of war hanging above their heads, Vi considered this time one of the best in her life.
Vi was fresh off a lead when she returned to the Kiramman Manor to spend the night with Cait. The brawler knew her way around Cait’s house without much trouble, stopping by to wave at Tobias before making her way up the stairs to tell Cait all the details of her investigation, the good, the disappointing, and the stupid shit Vi had done.
She pushed through Cait’s door and found her girlfriend where she always was, working on the map that was pinned up with the various Jinx sightings. Cait’s hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her eyes were intense as they tried to form a reason for Jinx’s madness. The door creek had Cait at attention though, head shooting up and her shoulders tensing at Vi. Vi held up her hands in innocence, the apple she stole from the kitchen the only wrong thing she had done.
“Just me cupcake!” Vi said. Cait smiled at her, tight, before returning to her work.
“Sorry, you just,” Caitlyn paused, eyes glancing over as she wasn’t really looking at the map. “Surprised me.”
One of Cait’s older Dobermans was in her room with her. Vi wasn’t too surprised to see Molly lounging on Cait’s bed. Ever since the attack, one of Cait’s dogs was in arms reach it seemed, especially if Vi wasn’t there. Vi was more surprised that the dogs were always around when Cait was working. Caitlyn had told Vi before the Jinx incident that she had previously locked her door to keep the dogs from destroying her work and that she had invested in earplugs to block out their sad whines when they weren’t let in. Not that Vi really complained, she liked dogs, but she was a little too observant for it to slip her notice.
“Slasher!” Vi greeted the dog with a delighted smile. The Doberman perked up at seeing Vi, tail thumping in Cait’s sheets in response. Vi stepped over Cait’s work to get to the dog who was scrambling to a sitting position as quickly as her old bones could get her. Vi grinned as she scratched behind the dog’s ears.
“Her name is Molly,” Caitlyn reminded Vi from where she sat working.
“You can’t have a dog this badass and name her Molly,” Vi said as she began to roughhouse a little with the dog. Vi batted her nose playfully and Molly lifted her paws to try and stop Vi’s light attacks, leaning up to lick her cheeks. “Which name do you like better, girl? Molly or Slasher?” Molly barked twice at the attention she was getting and Vi turned to smile at Cait. “I think Slasher wins.”
Cait rolled her eyes and turned away from her work. She placed a new photograph on the map before standing up. She walked over to Vi to properly greet her in an embrace which was more of an excuse for her to press her face in Vi’s shoulder.
“Tough day?” Vi asked as Molly stuck her nose against Cait’s exposed cheek and licked it. Caitlyn chuckled at Molly’s antics, reaching out with her free hand to scratch the Doberman behind the ears.
“Your sister is as elusive as they come,” Caitlyn chuckled, pressing a kiss against Vi’s cheek.
“Tell me about it,” Vi said back, all her leads from earlier that day falling short.
“Are you staying for dinner?” Caitlyn asked as she lightly kissed the back of Vi’s neck, her breath warm against the skin there. Vi grinned, wondering why Cait was even asking that anymore since Vi always said yes.
“Depends on what’s on the docket,” Vi grinned, turning so she could wrap her arms around Cait. Cait threw her arms around Vi’s neck after Vi changed their position, her eyes warming Vi to her core. “I’m a very picky eater.”
“I’m sure we’ll be able to find some slob somewhere for you,” Caitlyn joked. Vi laughed and grinned easily.
“You know me so well,” Vi responded. Caitlyn grinned, cupping Vi’s cheek fondly.
“Afterwards if you could look over my investigation notes while I hop in the shower that would be lovely,” Caitlyn asked as she started to pull away from Vi so the pair could begin walking down the hallway.
Normally, Vi wouldn’t give it a second thought but a pattern was beginning to form. She couldn’t ignore the little signs of Cait being more…off than usual. Vi at first thought it had to do with Jinx being sighted closer and more recently around Topside. While she hadn’t been an active threat against Cait and her city yet, having the potential there would put anyone on edge.
But the stress that Cait was under felt…personal. She wasn’t sleeping as well, waking Vi up through her tossing and turning, and a gun never quite left her side. Vi had suspected that Cait would be different after the tea party, Vi knew that she herself had changed because of it. Cait had popped up, seemingly normal after a couple of days of grieving. She was stoic, strong, and a pilar for Vi to lean on during that troubling time.
Vi hadn’t questioned it then. Part of her thought nothing could shake Caitlyn and part of Vi thought it would be rude to ask if she was okay. Questioning someone’s strength wasn’t something you did unless you were trying to undermine them, and the last thing Vi wanted to do was make Cait upset. So, she kept her thoughts to herself as Cait led her to the dining room where Tobias was waiting for them with whatever he had cooked up that day. Vi watched Cait though, trying to think of ways she could ask the question without being impolite.
Vi kept an eye on Caitlyn throughout dinner. She watched the little ways that she tensed at noises in the background, how she wasn’t entirely engaged when a shadow crossed the window outside, and how there was a bulge on Cait’s hip, the pistol never quite leaving her side. Vi didn’t say anything throughout dinner, keeping up the light-hearted conversation with Tobias throughout it all. Cait joined in occasionally, but she didn’t seem like she was able to focus.
It wasn’t until Cait was getting ready for her shower that she finally said what she had noticed. Vi had been on the floor with Molly, totally giving the investigation her full attention and not playing with the Doberman instead. Cait had mentioned something about feeling disgusting since, apparently, she hadn’t showered in two days. That was the last time Vi had stayed over with her and Vi stopped playing with Molly, a window of opportunity opening.
“Hey, weird question,” Vi started. “Why do you shower only when I’m here?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Caitlyn responded, hiding her true feelings under her stoic expression. It would have fooled anyone else but Vi was learning. She stopped looking to try and find signs of what expression Caitlyn wanted to show instead now she searched for the ways Cait. The lack of any emotion proved that Vi had hit some sort of nerve.
Vi shrugged, trying to be casual. “You just always hop in the shower when I’m here. You make a point of it. And when I was with the firelights for a few days I came back and your hair was all greasy and the first thing you did was go take a shower.”
“I was busy those days,” Caitlyn said, a little quicker and sterner than usual. She went back to getting ready for her shower, trying to tell Vi that the conversation was over with the action. Vi wasn’t ready to drop it yet.
“Busier than when I came bringing information on Jinx’s location?” Vi asked. “You really beelined for the bathroom when that happened.”
“I wanted to squeeze one in before we got busy,” Caitlyn corrected, her tone bordering annoyance. “Besides, Jinx never stays in one location for long. It’s not like we could have caught up with her if we left immediately.”
While Vi wanted to continue with this thread of information, she knew better than to poke the bear. She stood up from where she was sitting and walked over to Cait who watched her wearily.
“I’m just saying,” Vi said before resulting to humor to break the uncomfortableness in the room. She slipped a hand around Cait’s waist and pulled her a little closer. “If you want to have shower sex, just tell me and I will not hesitate to walk in.”
“Noted,” Caitlyn replied but the smile on her lips wasn’t enough to make Vi feel better. It felt forced. Vi got the impression that the idea of having someone else in the shower made Cait more uncomfortable. Vi dropped her arm and went back to trying to organize Firelight’s sightings of Jinx.
Caitlyn stepped into the shower after looking in the room wearily. Vi gave Cait a confused look but the taller woman didn’t see it as she went inside the bathroom. About ten minutes later, Vi heard running water hitting the shower tiles. She turned to the dog beside her.
“Is Cait acting weird to you?” Vi asked. Molly looked at Vi with wide brown eyes, no response. Vi nodded her head as if the Doberman had agreed with Vi’s thoughts. “Yeah, me too. One of us should talk to her.” Molly yawned and put her head on her paws, licking her lips before settling. Vi shook her head. “You’re not much help, are you?”
Molly sighed as if saying “what do you expect from me?” and Vi chuckled, petting the dog behind the ears. Vi was pretty sure she should say something, but she didn’t know how to go about doing that. The brawler was trying to think of what Caitlyn would do if Vi was acting this way. Caitlyn had this ability to know when Vi was about to fall and was always there to catch her.
But Vi usually showed signs of it, Caitlyn mentioned that at one point how Vi wore her heart on her sleeve. Cait didn’t. She was sweet and cared for everyone, but her deeper emotions were harder to decipher. It was a Topside thing apparently. When Vi went with Cait to her mother’s funeral, Vi hadn’t seen anyone crying. Cait’s face had been stoic, unflinching as she read her mother’s eulogy Vi had still tried to help Cait through it and she had seen Cait cry, but it was on her own terms, her own time.
Vi didn’t know what to do with stoic Caitlyn who didn’t want to open up. Vi wasn’t witty enough to get Cait to admit to things and she wasn’t strong enough to pull open Cait’s heart. Cait was stubborn and wouldn’t give in. Vi couldn’t shake the feeling that Cait really needed her and Vi was just sitting on the sidelines, unaware.
Vi stood up, hoping that walking would clear her mind a little more. She tried to think of ways she had made Jinx talk to her when they were younger. Jinx had also bottled up her emotions, partially whenever Mylo would belittle her or one of her bots failed. Vi usually was just able to tell and would barge in like the big sister she was to fix things. She knew what to say to make Powder feel better, Cait not so much.
In her walking, Vi ended up near the door to the bathroom where a bookcase was set up. Vi ran her hands over the spines, wondering if any of them were on getting your girlfriend to open up about her feelings. During this time, the water had stopped but Vi didn’t notice it. A few quick minutes later, the door opened and a cloud of steam spilled out of it.
Caitlyn walked out fully dressed, hair not even wrapped up in a towel and looking like she was ready to go to work. Vi took in her less casual look, a little confused. When she had first come to the Kiramman household, before Jinx destroyed the council building, Cait had been far more relaxed about the whole shower thing. She didn’t walk out fully dressed and she seemed to take her time in there. At least half an hour that Vi spent trying to get a nap in.
“Hey Cupcake,” Vi greeted. Caitlyn jumped. Like actually jumped four feet in the air and came crashing down with a hand gripping a pistol that she had brought in there with her. Vi was really confused now. She had figured Cait would be on edge for a couple of weeks after the explosion, things like that did that to a person, but after all this time she was still on edge.
“What the hell are you doing there?” Caitlyn swore, angrier than Vi had ever seen her and looking scared to death.
“I just ended up there,” Vi said quickly, half a lie. She didn’t want Cait to know that she had stayed there on purpose, to make sure that Cait was okay. Caitlyn was still mad, but she looked relieved as if she had expected something else. Vi’s eyebrow furrowed with concern as she stepped closer, arms reaching out to comfort Cait. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Cait said quickly, dodging Vi’s hands and walking away. “I just–need to go get something to drink.”
“Can I come with you?” Vi asked. She knew she had made Cait mad at her for being as intrusive as Vi had been and it would be smart to give Cait space now before she really closed it up. Vi didn’t want to leave Caitlyn alone when she was acting this way. She was on the verge of being shooting a shadow and Vi wanted to support her how she could.
Caitlyn looked over Vi and she shivered at the feeling. She liked it when Cait would admire her, catching her doing it in the middle of work. Knowing that Caitlyn was attracted to her physically erased a lot of doubts Vi had about Cait actually liking her. But this time was different. Caitlyn, whether conscious of it or not, was looking at Vi like she could fulfil some use.
“If you’d like,” Caitlyn responded and started walking off into the hallway. Vi half ran to catch up with her. She expected Cait to not pay attention to her but to her surprise, the taller woman went to hold Vi’s hand. Vi tried to act casual about it and intertwined their fingers.
She tried to act normal and make conversation, but everything felt forced. Cait hardly engaged with it, giving Vi ghosts of smiles and humorless laughs as contributions. Vi kept talking through despite it, feeling like it was distracting Cait from whatever was bothering her. Despite trying to be casual, Vi couldn’t help but watch her girlfriend.
Cait was walking very close to Vi, brushing shoulders against one another. Her eyes were focused on the shadows, watching them wearily as if they would jump out at her. When they walked around corners, Cait would hesitate. Vi usually walked over them first before Cait would join her. It was all out of character for the confident, self-assured woman Vi had first met. The woman who walked without a care in now crept around her house like a mouse.
“Why are you death gripping my hand?” Vi asked as felt the feeling in her hand disappear as Cait cut off its circulation. At the mention, Cait’s grip lessened a little.
“Can’t I hold my girlfriend’s hand?” Cait asked, forced cheerfulness in her voice.
“If you’re going to press so close to me, I might as well just wrap my arm around your waist,” Vi recommended, going to do the gesture but Cait stopped her.
“I’d rather hold hands if that’s alright,” Caitlyn said. Vi gave her a look and Caitlyn’s eyes grew soft and pleading. “Please.”
“Yeah, whatever you want cupcake,” Vi said before aggressively swinging Cait’s hand between them. If she was going to act weird, then Vi was going to try to make her laugh. It was the only way to get her to relax. Cait rolled her eyes at Vi’s antics, and she relaxed a little. Vi would count that as a win, stealing a kiss as her reward.
Tobias had a pot of tea on when they arrived in the kitchen. He greeted them kindly and asked them a few polite questions about what they were doing. They filled them in on their work, Vi regaled him with tales from her day in Zaun and Tobias returned with his disastrous relationship with the next-door neighbor. Vi wanted to talk to Tobias more but her tiredness began to take her. She leaned her head on Cait’s shoulder and let out a yawn she hadn’t meant to.
“You can run off to bed, I’d hate to keep Piltover’s Finest from their much-deserved rest,” Tobias said, noticing Vi’s fatigue with a gentle smile.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Caitlyn said, kissing her father on the cheek. “Love you, dad.”
“You too darling,” Tobias replied as Caitlyn gave him a smile and began to walk down the hallway. Vi waited until Cait was out of earshot to ask Tobias about her confusion. She leaned a little closer so she could talk quietly and still be heard.
“Is Cait acting differently to you?” Vi asked, feeling bad for talking about Caitlyn behind her back but the question needed to be asked. Tobias looked at Vi, surprised at her asking but not about the subject matter. He sighed and set his teacup down.
“She has been jumpier recently,” Tobias agreed. His eyes lingered on the door that Cait had walked out of. He leaned a little closer as well, lowering his voice to a low whisper. “If you think this is concerning, she’s worse when you’re not around.”
“Really?” Vi asked as more guilt formed in her stomach.
“I’m not sure what the problem is besides the obvious,” Tobias said. He smiled at Vi though it didn’t reach his eyes. “But I’m glad you’re here with her.”
Vi waited a second before responding, her eyes over her shoulder and looking at the same doorway Tobias had been. “I just wish she’d talk to me about it.”
“Vi? Are you coming?” Caitlyn asked and Vi couldn’t ignore the underlying fear that was there.
“Yeah! One sec!” Vi shouted back before turning to Tobias. “Thanks for the tea.” Tobias smiled at her, lifting his teacup before saying good night. Vi ran off to meet Cait in the hallway and once again Cait took Vi’s hand and they walked back to her room. They didn’t speak as they walked through the halls.
When they got back, they separated to prepare for the night. Vi changed into the shirt and shorts Cait had given her to wear at night and Caitlyn ran through the skincare routine that she did before sleeping. Vi flopped down on the bed, putting her hands behind her head, waiting for Cait to join her.
It was a few minutes until Cait stepped back into the room and instead of coming to bed right away, she tried to get Molly to come up to bed with her. The Doberman wasn’t moving, grunting as Cait tried to convince her to join them. Vi smiled at the equally stubborn dog and woman, heartwarming at Cait’s pout.
“Aw, don’t be upset,” Vi said, patting the spot beside her. “I’ll snuggle with you instead of Slasher.”
“Her name’s Molly,” Caitlyn grumbled before slipping into bed beside Vi. “And I suppose you’ll work just as well.”
“Maybe a little better,” Vi said as she pulled Caitlyn closer and began to pepper kisses along her neck and face. Caitlyn giggled and Vi treasured that sound. She hadn’t heard that sound for weeks and Vi continued to kiss Cait’s cheeks until she pushed Vi away playfully.
“Darling,” Caitlyn reached out to lightly run her fingers through Vi’s hair. “We should get some sleep.”
Vi sighed with fake annoyance. “Damn it, when did you get so smart?”
Caitlyn leaned forward to kiss Vi sweetly. “Sixty-hour school weeks, love.”
Vi laughed and pulled Cait closer. “Good night nerd.” Caitlyn hummed in response, her fingers lightly tangling themselves in Vi’s shirt as they settled to sleep. It took each a while to fall asleep, Cait the first one to manage it. Vi watched her. Even sleeping, Caitlyn didn’t relax. She looked just as tense, if not more, than when she was awake. It broke Vi’s heart knowing that something was definitely wrong with the woman she loved and she was powerless to do anything.
Eventually, Vi fell asleep. It wasn’t for long though as a shifting beside her drew her attention. Vi opened her sleep heavy eyes and saw the shadow of Cait beside her start to twitch. Propping herself up on her elbow, Vi began to watch with concern as Caitlyn fought the demons in her head. Cait’s breath shifted to quicker, short breaths and her shoulders twitched more aggressively. Vi was about to shake Cait awake but the blue-haired woman woke up before Vi could do it.
Cait shot straight up out of bed, hand clutching her heart, as she shook from the nightmare she just had. Vi waited, not sure if she would do anything yet. It could have just been a dream where Cait felt like she was falling, nothing to worry about. There were a few seconds of quiet and then Caitlyn curled into herself and began to sob. Vi couldn’t ignore the symptoms anymore, she had been complacent enough.
She wrapped Cait tightly in her arms, covering every square inch as she pressed the woman against her chest. Cait turned her head against Vi’s chest and Vi found that Cait’s face was wet from tears. Vi held Cait tightly, running a hand down her hair as she whispered whatever condolences she could.
“Baby,” Vi said, slightly louder than Cait’s sobs. “Baby what’s wrong?”
Caitlyn was quiet for a while as she tried to put herself back together. She couldn’t say she was fine; she couldn’t tell Vi it was just a bad dream; this was something that needed to be addressed.
“When, when Jinx brought me to her party,’ Caitlyn said through ragged breaths. “She took me out of the shower.”
Vi’s sucked in a breath at the truth. Cait had been in her enforcer uniform, Vi had figured that she had been at work when Jinx attacked but that wasn’t the truth.
Caitlyn had been completely vulnerable. Wearing nothing, no weapon in sight, in a place she had felt safe. While Vi hadn’t been in the best spirits after being kidnapped by her sister, she at least had her gauntlets with her. She had been clothed and fresh from the high of winning. Vi already had so many negative connotations with The Last Drop after seeing how it changed so getting kidnapped there just felt as right as it could feel. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to be in Cait’s shoes.
“Is that why you wait till I’m here?” Vi asked softly. Caitlyn nodded again. Vi deflated as all breath left her. “Oh, baby.” They were silent for a bit beside Caitlyn trying to get her sobs under control. That was the last thing Vi wanted. She wanted Cait to feel her emotions, not keep them bottled up.
“You can talk to me,” Vi said softly as she began to run her hand through Cait’s hair. “It might help.”
“You don’t want to hear it,” Caitlyn replied. Vi pulled away so she could see Cait’s face clearly. Caitlyn reached for Vi but her shoulders sagged when Vi didn’t come back all the way. Her face was tear-streaked, and her eyes were not the strong blue they usually were but watery and distraught. Vi’s heart broke at the sight of it, at the idea that Cait didn’t open up because she thought Vi didn’t want to hear about her problems. The brawler placed a hand on Cait’s cheek, lightly brushing her thumb against the soft skin.
“I always want to listen,” Vi responded, her voice barely a whisper. “Tell me what your dreams are about?” Caitlyn let out a long breath, biting the bottom of her lip nervously.
“Sometimes it’s in the bathroom, sometimes the cannery,” Caitlyn mumbled as she crept closer to Vi. Vi welcomed her back in her arms, wanting to comfort Cait as Cait had done for her countless times.
“What was it this time?” Vi kept asking questions, each one opening Caitlyn a little more. Her face pressed against Vi’s front.
“The cannery,” Caitlyn replied and Vi’s grip on Cait’s back tightened. “She shot me this time. She laughed about it.”
Vi didn’t know what to say, keeping her mouth quiet as Cait continued to talk.
“It’s not just dreams…. I see her in shadows,” Caitlyn continued. “She follows me and her laugh rings in my ears. Purple eyes in the reflection of puddles and mirrors, she never leaves me alone.”
“I’m sorry,” Vi said, that’s all she could really think to say. She wasn’t going to talk shit about her sister to make Cait feel better, but she didn’t want to make Cait feel like she was overreacting, or her feelings were hurting Vi.
They did though. Vi used to promise to scare away monsters from her sister’s mind and now her sister was a monster in the woman beside her’s head. Vi didn’t know what to say to it. Part of her thought it was her fault, that somehow Vi was responsible for this. Cait had gotten Vi to see the flaws in that thinking but that didn’t erase the fact that Vi had no idea what to do now.
Her initial way of dealing with it was promising Cait she’d do anything to protect her, that she would take care of the monster in her head but Vi knew those were lies. Vi could never hurt Jinx and she definitely wouldn’t do it for Caitlyn. Not that Vi didn’t feel strongly for her but that was a line both knew she wouldn’t, couldn’t cross. So Vi was stuck offering her best condolences and running her fingers through Cait’s hair to calm her down as Cait did to her when their positions were flipped.
“I feel wrong being scared of her,” Caitlyn muttered. “Because I know in her own way she’s scared as well and firing on her out of fear feels hypocritical. She does the same and how is my doing it any better?” Caitlyn gripped Vi’s shirt. “I’m trying, I’m really trying.”
“I know baby,” Vi said, running her hands. “Is there anything I could do to make you feel better?”
“Just, you,” Cait said, her shoulders relaxing. “You make everything better.”
Vi chuckled, relieved that she didn’t make things worse like she often did. “Funny, I would say the same about you.”
“Besides, it’s not like you know where Jinx is,” Caitlyn responded. “No one does.”
The last two sentences made an idea come to Vi’s mind. It was a stupid way to make Caitlyn feel better but Vi used to do it when Powder was scared and this might help a little.
“Here,” Vi made a show of drawing a circle around the two of them, easy enough on Cait’s big bed. Her shoulder bumped into Cait a few times and it was hard to do it behind herself but Vi made it work. “There, that’s our special circle. No one else can come into it. So we’ll be safe here”
“Vi that-” Caitlyn started but Vi held a hand up to her lips, quieting her.
“Just, pretend,” Vi said, a little bit of sadness reached her voice as she remembered how Pow said the same thing when Vi first broke it out. “Safety circle.”
Caitlyn let out a long sigh before shifting closer to Vi. “Alright, safety circle.”
“Now there are rules to the safety circle,” Vi said. Caitlyn chuckled.
“Are there?”
“But of course,” Vi insisted. She didn’t have anything prepared, talking out of her ass at this point. She just knew that Cait needed a distraction since this wasn’t a problem that Vi could solve, she could at least try to take her mind off it. “First rule, we must be cuddling at all times in the safety circle.”
Vi felt Cait smile against her and there had to be no better feeling than that. It was one of the first real ones she had gotten all night and Vi would savor it forever.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Caitlyn replied, her hands drawing up alongside Vi’s sides and pulling her close. Her voice was thick with exhaustion and already fading fast the longer Vi talked. That was good, that met that Cait was getting more comfortable and her terrors were fading away.
“Second rule,” Vi continued as her hands wrapped her arms around Cait’s back. “You’re the little spoon in the safety circle.”
Cait was too tired to respond, just nuzzling closer to Vi as her chest began to rise and fall.
“Third rule,” Vi said, trying to think of something. “Ass eating must happen for the safety circle to be in full affect.” Caitlyn jabbed Vi in the ribs, awake enough to hear that part. Vi mocked an extreme pain which got Vi another smile.
“You’re impossible,” Caitlyn replied as her blue eyes slipped closed.
“Yeah but you love me,” Vi teased, running her hand down Cait’s back. Another content sigh. Vi kissed the top of Cait’s head. “We’ll follow up on the ass-eating tomorrow then.”
A sleepy chuckle and everything fell back into the peaceful moment from earlier. It felt different despite them being in the same situation they had been in countless times before. Now it was out there, the truth, and the truth was something that could shatter relationships. It was heavy in Vi’s gut, rolling around uncomfortably as Vi grappled with the fact that Jinx haunted Cait’s dreams.
It was baffling for one. Caitlyn seemed unbreakable and Vi still remembered Jinx as Powder, her little sister that hadn’t been able to scare a fly back when they were growing up. Those two worlds had collided now and Vi didn’t want to be crushed in their impact. She had a duty to her sister, of course, but now also to the budding relationship she had found. Back at the tea party, Vi would have chosen Powder no matter what but now it was more complicated, the water mixing with oil and making choices not as clear cut as they once had been.
Cait shifted in Vi’s arms and the pink-haired girl was at full attention lest Cait had another nightmare. It had only been a few minutes since Cait had fallen asleep and dreams didn’t usually come that early, at least that was Vi's experience. Vi looked at Cait’s sleeping face, seeing the tension lines on her forehead, the crinkle of her eyes as something unpleasant took over her. Vi lightly rubbed Cait’s shoulder, hopefully enough to distract her but not enough to wake her up.
“It’s alright, cupcake,” Vi whispered, hoping her voice could drown out the noise. “Nothing's going to get you. You’re a badass, just like, tell Pow about dinner etiquette, that’ll scare her off.”
Cait’s expression softened, the creases going away and a more peaceful sleep taking her. Vi smiled, a warm feeling in her stomach. She was still of service; she could still help people. Vi pushed aside the worry from before, focusing on this moment. She was in the safety circle for fuck’s sake, there was nothing that could interpret this blissful moment.
A whine from the foot of the bed challenged that idea. Vi opened an eye and looked down to see Molly with her muzzle on the bed and her eyes in full puppy-eye mode. Her eyes were focused on Caitlyn and Vi felt a little bit of jealousy that she needed to fight a dog for the blue-haired girl’s attention.
“I’m sorry, is this your girlfriend?” Vi asked the dog whose only response was a whine. The Doberman swung a paw over onto the bed, the plush comforter dipping under the weight. Vi glared at Molly to go away but the dog was pulling out all the stops. She let out another whine and wagged her tail just a little as she looked at Vi with a pitiful gaze. Vi, trying to keep Cait to herself, scrunched down just a little to push the dog away with her foot. “Go sleep in Kiramman dad’s bed, he’s got room.”
A low rumble pressed against Vi’s chest as Caitlyn laughed against her. The feeling of it made Vi feel warm inside and she continued to try and push the dog away to keep the laughter alive.
“Go back to sleep, Cupcake,” Vi said as Molly dodged another nudge from Vi’s sock. She seemed to have a sixth scene that Cait was awake and focused her efforts on the other woman. The Doberman let out another sad whine and Cait opened her eyes to look at her. Her lips turned into a pout.
“She looks lonely,” Caitlyn said, her resolve much easier broken than Vi’s was.
“Uh no she’s not,” Vi said. “There are two other dogs in this house and a Tobias, she’s fine.”
Caitlyn pouted at Vi. “But look at her.”
“Not enough room in the safety circle,” Vi said, snuggling closer to Cait with determination. “We’re at maximum capacity.”
“I’m sure we’ll find the room,” Caitlyn assured. She pulled slightly away from Vi’s arm and patted the spot next to her to urge the dog upwards. Molly’s tail wagged happily as she climbed onto the bed.
“You spoil her,” Vi grumbled. One of Cait’s hands lightly brushed the side of Vi’s head.
“I spoil you, don’t I?” Caitlyn hummed as the dog started to nudge her way between them. When a wet nose threatened to push the two of them apart, Vi clutched Cait tighter, pushing the blue-haired woman’s face further against Vi’s front. Caitlyn’s laughter was further muffled by Vi’s nightshirt.
Molly drew her ears back and pulled up her lips just to show the tips of her canines. A low growl rumbled in her chest as she glared at the brawler in bed with her owner. Vi slanted her eyes and growled back. If she was going to fight a dog for Cait’s attention, she was gonna fucking win.
“Darling, there are ways of making sure neither of you fight,” Caitlyn said softly. Vi wasn’t sure who she was saying it to.
Caitlyn turned around in Vi’s arms, back pressed against Vi. Molly’s ears twitched at the sight, tail wagging as she saw a spot being made for her. She dove into Cait’s arms, curling up in a ball against Cait’s now exposed side. Vi rearranged her arms around Cait, not entirely happy with the situation of sharing Cait but whatever. The tension in Cait’s shoulder was slowly disappearing with the addition of Molly and Vi decided that she could deal with it. If it made Cait happy then she was happy.
“Stupid Shredder,” Vi muttered as she wrapped her arms around Cait from behind.
“Molly,” Caitlyn corrected, her voice thick with sleep. Vi kissed the back of Cait’s neck.
“Go to sleep, pretty girl,” Vi said, which got a hum out of her girlfriend. She squeezed Cait once. “I’ll be here and Shredder too.”
Molly let out a sigh in agreement as she adjusted her paws. Caitlyn ran one hand down Molly’s flank before falling asleep in Vi’s arms. Vi waited a few minutes, watching Caitlyn’s chest rise and fall with even, peaceful breaths. She was comfortable now but that wouldn’t last forever. Cait would have to wake up sometime and she’d leave the safety circle at one point and then what?
Vi shifted around Cait, relaxing her arms from the strain of holding Cait as close as possible. She pressed her nose against the back of Cait’s neck, breathing in the scent of lavender and honey. Her own tension began to relax at the smell of the taller woman’s shampoo.
Cait was good at that, relaxing Vi even in the tensest of situations with the smallest of things. Vi hoped she did the same with Cait. She hoped that a brush of her knuckles made Cait’s day better, the swell of her smile could make Cait relax, and a joke would make Cait forget her troubles altogether. Vi doubted it at times but here in this moment, she couldn’t be surer of Cait’s love for her. Vi made a quiet promise, one she made many times before this one she was hellbent on keeping.
A promise that she would keep Caitlyn safe no matter what. She’d find Powder and pull together the loose strings of her family and maybe, maybe, all of this would be fixed in the future. But Vi could think more about that impossible plan in the morning. For now, she was needed here. The first step was making sure Cait was okay and Vi would do everything in her power to make sure of that.