Chapter Text
Akali sighed as she rubbed her stomach. "Damn, that boba hit the spot."
"Are you sure it's not going to storm soon, 'Kali? Maybe we can Uber home and come back tomorrow."
Kai'sa raised her head and worried brow towards the rapidly graying sky, wrapping her arms around herself as she timidly stepped out onto the bustling streets of New York City. Not that it was cold out, she just never broke the nervous habit of holding herself so closely.
Akali swaggered her way over to their shared set of wheels for the day, cooly flipping a shiny purple helmet in her hand before offering it to her girlfriend. Kai'sa took it gently from her, but not before Akali caught her eye. "You trying to tell me you're afraid to get a little wet, babe?"
A thought crossed her mind that Kai'sa wished she had snatched the helmet from her instead. Akali never spared a moment to be suggestive, and although it tended to grate at her nerves, especially when it was time to be serious, Kai'sa never faulted her for it, she was always her true, authentic self. It's what made her annoyingly endearing.
"No, you dummy." Kai'sa brushed past Akali, swinging a leg over the motorcycle as she seated herself. "I just have a weird feeling that I can't shake. I'll feel much better once we get home safely."
She pulled out her hair elastic, elegant fingers gliding through her raven and turquoise locks, an attempt at training them to lay down nicely behind her shoulders.
Adjusting the visor on her custom helmet while she held it in her hands, Kai'sa's eyes slid over to Akali as she gawked. She could practically read her mind as Akali's gaze traveled down her black leather jacket, past the kiss of cleavage, and along the curve of her ass in those dark wash denim leggings that clung to her strong legs. If she wasn't so freaked out by the sudden change in weather, she wouldn't have minded Akali's apparent appreciation of her form.
When Akali did look back up to Kai'sa's face, she released the hold she had on her own bottom lip, sensing that they were on two different pages.
Akali approached her slowly with sincerity in her eyes and sans the previous playfulness in her tone, landing on something sweeter instead. "Hey, we'll make it back to the crib in less than ten. I got you, Mandu ."
Standing on the curb, Akali was now eye level with her partner, smiles creeping up on both of their faces. Akali tucked that pesky strand of hair behind Kai'sa's ear, the one that always stuck out and brought her hands up to cup her lover's face, soft thumb pads caressing her cheeks.
Moments like these reminded Kai'sa what else she loved about her. When Akali wasn't being a goofball, she was sensitive, and a lot more intuitive than she gave herself credit for. Gentle touches like this were the surefire way to hard reset Kai'sa's brain, all of her worries got sucked up into those intense hazel eyes of Akali's. There was a warmth to them that Kai'sa could never quite describe, she just knew that they were gorgeous, and she would happily get lost in them at any time.
Akali wet her lips, that signature sly grin of hers danced along her face as she spoke, leaning into Kai'sa ever so slightly. "Have I ever told you how good you look on my bike?"
Kai'sa gave her an affirmative nod, bumping their noses together, feeling herself smile even harder as Akali continued. "You're the-"
"-Hottie on the Ducati," Kai'sa doubled, quietly chuckling against Akali's lips, "I remember."
Akali happily hummed as she nodded. "Good." The corner of her mouth curled up as she leaned into Kai'sa even closer. "You know, a little bit of sugar goes a long way."
Kai'sa always held her breath whenever Akali did that thing that she loved. Like the gentleman she aimed to be, Akali would drop her gaze down to Kai'sa's lips to show her what she wanted, then look back up into her eyes as if to ask for permission. It was that little time in space where Akali would pause and Kai'sa would hold herself in anticipation, and right when she would feel that suspension take over her nerves, Akali would come in and save her every time, swooping in for a passionate kiss, because she never kept Kai'sa waiting too long.
Kai'sa, ever the romantic, considered Akali to be the greatest kisser of all time. Perhaps it was the personal bias of being her long-time best friend and now, as of the last three years, her girlfriend. Either way, Kai'sa never turned down the opportunity for Akali to show her just how much she loved her by what she did best.
A few more moments passed before Akali reluctantly pulled away, sorely missing the contact by the way that she sighed.
Kai'sa tried to rub away the ghost of her lipstick on Akali's lips, but she put a hand on hers, stopping her. "Wanting to stay marked?"
"Always, baby."
Kai'sa laughed a little louder this time, watching how Akali's eyes lit up at the sound of it, truly enamored. Setting her helmet down on the handlebars of the bike, Kai'sa dragged a hand down Akali's matching jacket and snuck up underneath of it, digging purple painted nails against smooth skin and chiseled abs while the other rested against Akali's neck as she toyed with the little hairs by her nape. The duality of simultaneously being a touch rough and a tad sweet was something that never failed to drive Akali crazy, she called it 'sweet torture,' and Kai'sa was always willing to give it to her.
Running her tongue along her teeth, Akali pressed further with her words. "We should uh, head out y'know. Wouldn't wanna get caught out here. In the rain, I mean."
Akali cared nothing about people witnessing their public displays of affection, she couldn't be bothered, and there had been several times over that Kai'sa's warned her about being a little too handsy outside of the apartment, but it didn't mean she couldn't play along.
Kai'sa hummed her approval, slowly scratching and teasing at Akali's scalp. " Mmm , I think I catch your drift. Are you ready, love?"
"Oh, I'm always ready." In a flash, Akali excitedly hopped onto her bike, shaking her hair a bit before fashioning on her glowing helmet. "To the crib."
"Safely. " Kai'sa added, fixing on her helmet as well.
Akali looked back just as Kai'sa leaned forward, both of them adjusting to their combined weight on the bike. Any bit of nerves that Kai'sa had left subsided once she wound her arms tight around Akali's waist, giving her a couple of quick squeezes.
Akali walked the bike backwards before kicking up the stand and revving the engine loudly, reveling in the way heads turned their direction. Kai'sa's absolute favorite part was when Akali would carefully look both ways preparing to enter traffic, only to peel out onto the street with grandiose flare, burning rubber as she whisked them away.
"Showoff!" Kai'sa tried her best to yell over all of the noise as Akali expertly dipped the bike between cars.
"I love you too!"
As much as it scared Kai'sa to cut so closely next to vehicles, their hair whipping back and forth as they flossed through the lanes, it was equally as exhilarating. She never considered herself much of a thrill seeker, but she did live for the experience whenever she was with Akali.
Kai'sa felt that this was as close to flying as she could get, the high speeds and zooming on two wheels had her stomach doing somersaults, but she never felt unsafe. Kai'sa trusted Akali with everything, she would never put her in harm's way.
The familiar scent of rainfall seeped through Kai'sa's helmet before it began to tap against her head. Adjusting to the sudden weather change, Akali slowed the bike down significantly, choosing to stick to just one lane, probably due to Kai'sa's effect on her, 'taming the daredevil' as Akali would say.
Approaching a red light, Akali eased the bike into a stop, the engine idling as the rain began to pelt down on the both of them.
Akali playfully called over her shoulder, the smile hidden in her helmet but heard all the same. " Mandu, can you believe that you're actually psychic? You see anything coming."
"No, I just happened to look up at the sky. Maybe you should try it sometime, babe."
"But that'd mean I'd have to take my eyes off of you?"
Kai'sa laughed at the flatterer, removing her hands from Akali's waist to stroke at her thighs. "Eyes on the road, sexy."
"Heyyy!" Akali revved the engine again as Kai'sa squeezed. "You know I can get a little excited when you do that."
She managed to swat at Akali through a fit of giggles. "Stop it!"
"Okay, okay!"
The light turned green and they were on their way, the pair only had a few more minutes left until they got home.
Kai'sa was busy with her thoughts of planning out their dinner when she noticed an eighteen-wheeler, parallel to them, barreling through the intersection just up ahead and from the looks of it, several tires were blown.
Oncoming and incoming traffic surrounded the bike on both sides, with nowhere left to go but forward, and at the speed that they were going, if Akali braked too quickly, they'd be flipped off of the bike instantly.
They were going to crash head on.
"'Kali?!" Kai'sa shrieked.
Akali cursed as she called out. "Shit, hold onto me!!"
The only way they would make it out would be to slide underneath the trailer. They might be able to make it out alive with some scrapes and bruises, but at least they would make it.
Kai'sa would just have to lean with Akali when-
A car to the right of them suddenly lost control, fishtailing into both lanes as the vehicle struck Akali's bike.
In an instant they were launched, that same familiar weightless feeling Kai'sa knew was multiplied tenfold, it was hard to see which way was truly up. All she knew was that Akali had grabbed her, somehow, and curled her body around hers as they were suspended in the air.
"Got you!"
It took a second, but Kai'sa realized they were going to hit the ground. Hard.
Everything they went through, everything they shared since childhood all came flooding back in a rush while they neared the black pavement, strangely slow as if time was stopping.
Kai'sa had prepared herself for a whole lifetime with Akali, all of their hopes, their plans, and their dreams. Kai'sa realized that it would all end here. They would never get the satisfaction of growing old together.
At least they would go out together.
As soon as they landed Kai'sa heard a loud crack, even felt it as it reverberated throughout her body as her vision went dark.
//////
A hollow-sounding noise tore through the air and cut through the ringing in Kai'sa's ears. She awoke quickly, confusion bogging her brain as her head pounded. Alarms blared from every direction and Kai'sa began to panic, wondering who she was, where she was, and what exactly was that sound ?
Kai'sa opened her eyes to the dark, cloudy sky, water droplets dousing them so hard it hurt to keep them open, but she had to. She had to keep her eyes open to remember, but remember what exactly?
All she knew was that her head hurt, and she was still so confused, she needed ask Akali-
Akali.
The pressing weight of realization crushed Kai'sa, each monumental wave hit harder and harder with each passing second, and then she remembered. She remembered that there was an accident and that Akali had kept them alive.
But again what was that sound?
That sound was a cry, someone was wailing, the noise bellowing out from the depths of their gut like they were dying out on that very street.
It hit her then, Kai'sa knew that it was her own voice.
Distorted and raw, probably from the intense, searing pain that came from her leg which was quickly approaching the threshold of becoming unbearable. Kai'sa moved her arm to feel what was wrong with it and saw stars, bright lights flashing in her eyes as she pulled back. Her entire body was on fire and she could barely move her arm, but she needed to find Akali, she needed to know if she was okay.
Gathering whatever strength she had left, Kai'sa swallowed down the sand in her throat to call out to her. "Kaaahh!-"
Her cries sounded nothing like Akali's name but Kai'sa kept trying, fighting through the flames that threatened to burn her whole.
The distant whirring of sirens began to come closer, circling like a harrowing murder of crows, the pressure of impending doom setting in.
This was really bad, she thought to herself.
Kai'sa turned her head to the right despite the pain, and she fell silent, trying to piece together in her mind what she saw before her.
Kai'sa ignored the steadily growing crowd of onlookers in the corners of her vision and focused on Akali, lying on the ground, the back of her tattered jacket facing Kai'sa. Only shreds of leather were left, exposing Akali's bloody and marred skin to the elements. As rain pattered onto the grimy asphalt, Kai'sa was close enough to see the water mix with the roadside oil, rainbow hues intertwining with murky crimson, the same deep velvet that ran from the back of Akali's head.
Kai'sa wasn't sure how she managed to weep so loudly, the sight before her knocked the wind clear out of her lungs.
Akali began to stir as she came to, groaning as she slowly flipped onto her back. She winced at the contact, but kept rotating until her fluttering eyes met with Kai'sa's.
Kai'sa reached towards Akali, willing herself past the sharp stabs in her arm as she cried much softer now, taking in the cuts and shattered glass that peppered Akali's beautiful face. "My baby..."
Regret pinched at Akali's brow, her tears blending in with the heavy downpour as she croaked out. "S-sorry. I'm so sorry, babe."
Akali thought that this was all her fault.
Thunder boomed from up above as tremors shocked throughout Akali's body, eyes widening as she seized uncontrollably, gasping and choking at the blood that she spat outward onto the ground and Kai'sa's face.
Kai'sa screamed and it was as if no one could hear her. She was stuck, forced to watch Akali with her chest heaving as she lay there helpless, unable to even sit up straight.
Several pairs of feet surrounding her dying lover's body was the last thing that Kai'sa could remember before it all went dark again. The very last image burned into her eyes was Akali staring at her through the sudden sea of people as she was hoisted away onto a stretcher, her calloused hand twitching out in Kai'sa's direction.
Death seemed a lot like that in between sleep and consciousness to Kai'sa. Her mind lost to an endless bog, deep and full of unknowns. She could hear voices sometimes, though she couldn't answer them. Kai'sa was just there, waiting until she could resurface from the depths of her murky sump.
Until she heard faint beeping. Soft and steady.
Hospital?
Kai'sa tried to blink through the drowsiness that pulled her under, and yank at whatever was poking at her body and holding her down, but one of her arms felt really heavy, too heavy to even move.
"Oh! You're up!" She heard a voice chime out. Upon a few blinks, Kai'sa saw a sweet-faced young woman with vibrant blue hair, very unique in style. "Good morning Ms. Wells!"
Kai'sa asked the first thing that was on her mind. "...Where's Akali?"
The woman's giant twin ringlets bounced as she nodded. "Just hold tight, and I'll get Dr. Singh."
The peppy nurse whisked up and away out of the door, leaving Kai'sa alone in the sterile room.
She was suddenly aware of just how much white everything was, the walls, the monitors, her sheets, and even the casts upon her leg and arm.
Kai'sa felt the beginnings of pain ebb into the forefront of her mind, whatever meds they had her on were starting to wear off. It was uncomfortable, but what really took all of her attention was the fact that there was an empty bed next to her.
She hoped to God it wasn't Akali's.
"Hi there!" A tall, dark-haired man with a handsome smile walked in and the room seemed to brighten with him. "Can you tell me your name?"
Kai'sa nodded slowly. "...Kai'sa Wells."
"Good! Do you know what year it is?"
A few more beeps rang out as Kai'sa paused, swallowing again and again as her throat felt incredibly too dry. It was a little hard to think at the moment. "Um, Twenty-twenty-one?"
"Correct! Do you know who the president is?"
Kai'sa turned her head away from the cheery man and looked away at the cloudy sky, the outside air a bit foggy like her brain felt currently. She settled for staring out the window as she watched two birds swoop and dive around each other, pretty winged creatures free to go wherever they pleased. They reminded her a lot of herself with Akali.
And it felt like this doctor was stalling. Kai'sa didn't have time for this, she needed answers. "Where's Akali?"
Dr. Singh looked at the nurse who followed him in, giving her a small smile. "Can you bring Ms. Wells some water, Gwen?" And just like that, she disappeared into the hallway.
"Can you please tell me where she is? I need to know if she's okay."
Kai'sa's voice sounded so foreign to herself, worn and haggard, she probably looked it too, but she'd hoped the desperation in it would get the doctor to tell her something.
"Don't be alarmed, but Ms. Tethi is in the ICU."
Akali's alive.
Dr. Singh eased into a chair next to her bed, his eyes warm...and sympathetic.
He did not have good news.
"You both were in pretty bad shape when you came in, but we were able to get you both into surgery fairly quickly-"
Kai'sa interrupted, tension pulling at her throat and chest as she spoke. "-How bad is it?"
The doctor sighed, pausing to collect his thoughts. "...Because of the extent of your injuries, we had to put you both in a medically-induced coma. But externally? Ms. Tethi will be okay with lots of time to rest."
Kai'sa started to lean forward, preparing to walk straight to Akali, cast and all. "Okay, well let me just talk to-"
Dr. Singh gently laid a hand on her good shoulder. "-You can't, Ms. Wells."
"Why?"
"Ms. Tethi hasn't woken up yet."
"She might if I come visit." Kai'sa said, sounding smaller and smaller, the hope of seeing Akali's smile again dwindled as she took in the grim expression on the doctor's face.
"Ms. Wells, there's no telling when she will."
Kai'sa sniffled, the sting of her tears welling up seemed miniscule to the now gaping hole inside of her chest. "I…don't understand?"
"We did some scans and there's still some brain activity just, not a lot. I'm…so sorry."
Akali not being conscious was something Kai'sa couldn't ever really comprehend, even after the doctor left, and even days after she was cleared to go visit her unit.
Akali was always a light sleeper, waking up at the slightest noise, or anytime Kai'sa moved in her sleep. The latter perpetually felt bad about being the reason Akali lost out on rest but she always reassured her that it wasn't a problem, Akali was always happy to protect Kai'sa from anything, even if it was her own mind. That made her sleep better, and that sense of relief turned her night terrors into nightmares, something much easier to manage.
So when the nurse brought Kai'sa to Akali's bedside, those lovely eyes of hers closed as her heart monitor beeped on, all because Akali protected her again, the guilt swarmed and rattled around her insides and Kai'sa couldn't stop crying.
"K-Kali, please wake up!"
"Ms. Wells, I understand you're upset, but your arm-"
Kai'sa shook her head furiously past the throbbing hurt because that nurse had no idea, there was no way possible she could understand exactly what Kai'sa was going through, what Akali was going through, the both of them now alone.
//
It was strange how painstakingly slow time seemed to move for Kai'sa. Granted, her new reality was very much boring and even though being a data analyst wasn't the most inspiring work, it did keep her mind busy enough during the daylight. The security of it was nice too and the steady paycheck involved low risk, as the office was straight across from the apartment. However, heading home was the absolute worst part of her day, as when the night crept in, so did the constant reminder that Akali wasn't home.
Once she got past her bouts of physical therapy and her now less frequent counseling sessions, Kai'sa had to do something around the house or she felt she'd go mad with just how quiet it was. She cleaned, almost meticulously, save for the few things Akali left about like a pair of sneakers, or a few sketches on what her next piece should've been. But even then those belongings started to feel like mementos from a future that was taken from her all too quickly, and it became way too loud.
Kai'sa's next thought was to pick up a second job at a grocery store, hoping it would clear out the echoes of Akali's frail state in her mind, and it did work for a bit.
Kai'sa was grateful to the management in the store as well. They were actually gracious when dealing with Kai'sa and her overwhelming anxiety as the register proved to be a lot to handle, and Kai'sa was much too afraid to stock the bulkier items for fear of reinjuring her leg. The doctors just couldn't convince her it had healed wonderfully despite the numerous x-rays showing that her femur and tibia were strong and fully intact.
So they stuck her in the produce and floral department which Kai'sa quickly found was her niche. Caring for vegetation and nurturing various plants helped her focus, and made her feel like she was doing something right, nothing like suggesting an impromptu date with her girlfriend to go get bubble tea on one of the rainiest days recorded in history.
The idea of picking up extra shifts to help break things up in her mind was a temporary fix as the only thing it was good for was to help put a dent in all the medical bills she had accumulated over the past year. The cost of keeping the power running to Akali's hospital bed was nothing too great in Kai'sa's eyes, it just meant no take-out or new work clothes for a while. The sacrifice was well worth it to keep her alive.
Doing all of that, however, did not prepare Kai'sa for the one day that she looked forward to.
Akali waking up.
Kai'sa got the call halfway through making an arrangement, dropping the pot and all when the nurse said that she could come and visit Akali in the morning during visiting hours.
An anxiety-filled night of little sleep and a quick call-out from her day job and Kai'sa was on her way to the hospital, slowly so as to not have a repeat of what happened the last time she was with Akali.
Checking in was just as nerve-wracking. Kai'sa felt like she couldn't stay still as she tapped her fingers against her leg and when that didn't calm her down, she fidgeted with her phone, opening and closing apps because she just couldn't focus. She almost sent the damn thing flying when Dr. Singh called her name while a shy-smiled Nurse Gwen stood close behind him.
"Hello, Ms. Wells, it's good to see you again! And look at that stride, you've healed up well!" Dr. Singh said warmly, and Kai'sa did begin to feel a little at ease. His greeting was much more pleasant to hear than the comments Kai'sa would usually hear about how gaunt she looked or how much weight she had lost since the accident.
Dr. Singh's mention of healing up sent a sharp pang straight to Kai'sa's chest, some wounds in fact did not heal.
"Yeah, thanks. You too. I mean-good to see you again as well." Kai'sa said with a tight-lipped smile, lastly giving a small nod to the young nurse.
"Shall we get going?"
"Mmmhm."
Dr. Singh led the way as the three of them made their way through brightly-lit hallways, briefly pausing every now and then for him to tap his badge against the keypads, giving them access to delve deeper into the building.
Kai'sa gave a little nervous laugh once they passed by another set of rooms. "This is a long walk."
"It's how I get my steps in! I don't know about you but I'm trying to hatch a Pokémon egg, a ten kilometer one."
The mere mention of Pokémon Go brought a smile to Kai'sa's face, happy memories floated about in her mind from when she and Akali would go walking just about anywhere to play the game together. Now, with the news of Akali waking up, Kai'sa realized they could play it again sooner rather than never. She knew a wheelchair would only make Akali more excited to go to more places as she always thought wheels were more efficient than feet, and to be honest, she was probably already itching to be out of the hospital.
Dr. Singh spoke again, gently as if not to rouse Kai'sa from her sudden daydream. "Ms. Tethi is doing very well, you'll be happy to know. The first thing she did last night was try to walk to the bathroom. Of course, she was laughing at herself when the nurses came in, but that's a good sign. Most people freak out."
Tears welled up as Kai'sa grinned but she blinked them back, not wanting to cry just yet. "That sounds just like her, always on the move."
Nurse Gwen chimed in as she sped up to walk beside Kai'sa. "She's also quite the chatterbox. We've had to remind her that she shouldn't strain her voice so much just yet. Even patients who've been under for a couple of weeks can struggle with speech, so she definitely needs more time to warm up. Slowly . It's been a long nine months."
"That's one thing about her, Akali has only two speeds: fast and faster."
"Ah, here we are."
The three of them parked their feet in front of a room, the numbers '412' pressed neatly on a sign, followed by an 'A.Tethi' written just underneath with a dry erase marker. And just through the looking glass of the closed door, Kai'sa could see Akali sitting up in her bed, staring at something out of the window closest to her. The sight of Akali awake and well made Kai'sa grow still and question if the woman was actually real, Kai'sa was only used to seeing Akali in what seemed like an eternal slumber, eyes closed and face emotionless.
"A bit of a warning though, Ms. Wells, everything is still very fresh to Ms. Tethi so she may be easily confused and overwhelmed. Just remember that you both should take your time. I'll give a knock and go in first."
Kai'sa wanted to tell him 'no' and that this was moving all too fast, but Dr. Singh was already there, sticking his head in the doorway.
Another moment too soon and Kai'sa was ushered in by the nurse and doctor as they stood back to give her some privacy with Akali.
It was surreal, to have Akali's intense gaze on her again after so long, Kai'sa was unsure of what to do with it. Her legs moved of their own volition towards the bed, and the closer Kai'sa got, the wider Akali's eyes grew, staring intently at her face.
Suddenly Akali smiled, big and bright, like she was truly seeing Kai'sa for the first time, and Gods above Kai'sa felt as if she were to melt into the ground. It took everything within her not to flop onto the bed and drape herself around Akali, but she did bring a hand to the woman's cheek as she sniffled, not caring that she looked a mess with her watering eyes and dribbling nose.
"Hi." Akali croaked out in a gravely tone. Concern pinched at her brow heavily as she leaned into Kai'sa's hand.
Kai'sa couldn't help but laugh as she continued to cry, emotions were washing over her so harshly like the tide, it was hard not to get pulled under by how overwhelmed she felt by hearing Akali for the first time in...forever.
She gave Akali another once over, caressing her hollowed cheek before speaking weakly. "You're supposed to be resting your voice, not talking, silly."
"Yeah, well you're too pretty to cry like this."
Kai'sa gave a bit of an ugly smile at the phrase, it was something Akali would always say whenever her emotions got the best of her.
"Akali, you know me. I'm always crying. At anything, really."
Akali's expression kept morphing, changing into something Kai'sa couldn't place, like she didn't recognize her.
Like Akali didn't recognize Kai'sa at all.
Though she couldn't see them, Kai'sa felt the doctor and nurse behind her cease their movement, just frozen in place as the sterile air in the room suddenly felt too cold.
Kai'sa's chest was aching, dread quickly filled her lungs and dried out her throat as a weight suddenly sank deep in her gut. She was too afraid to ask what she already knew, but she had to voice it out loud.
"Akali, you…you don't remember me?" Kai'sa said quietly, though it felt like someone else had said it for her as her presence haunted the room like a ghost, she wasn't really there in her own body at the moment.
Confusion, panic, and lastly, heartbreak painfully crossed Akali's face before giving up, shaking her head as she turned away to shield Kai'sa from the hurt in her eyes, protecting her yet again.
"No, I don't. I'm sorry."