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jhyoos · 5 months ago

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Rebel Girl

rockstar!sevika x influencer!reader

Chapter 6: Ex’s and Ohs

summary : you get invited to a big party downtown Vegas by a well-known celebrity. you decide to bring along the others.

mentions: modern au, fame au, drama, swearing, protective sevika, ex finn, overall finn just being a weirdo

notes: surprise! extra chapter. 🤭

chapters: one, two, three, four, five, six

The next morning, you woke up groggy but determined to stick to your usual routine—it was the only thing grounding you in the midst of all this chaos. You started with your hour-long shower, letting the water cascade over you as you tried to clear your head. Afterward, you brushed your teeth, meticulously went through your 30-minute skincare routine, and finished with a combination of lotion and baby oil that left your skin glowing. By the time you slipped into your classic baby tee and pajama pants combo, you felt like a semblance of yourself again.

Just as you were finishing up, a knock at the door interrupted your moment of peace. You padded over and opened it to find Vi and Jinx standing there, both with wide grins on their faces.

“Good morning,” you greeted them, leaning against the doorframe.

“Hey,” Vi replied, her tone casual but warm. “We were wondering if you wanted to join us for breakfast in the lobby. Haven’t heard from you all night, so we missed you.”

Jinx nodded enthusiastically, her wild blue hair bouncing with the movement. “Yeah, it’s not the same without you. You’ve got the best ideas, and we could really use your input.”

You gave them a small smile, appreciating the effort. “Oh yeah, sure. Just let me grab my stuff.”

Turning back into the room, you grabbed your phone and the bag with your hotel key, then followed them downstairs.

The lobby was bustling with activity, the smell of coffee and freshly cooked food wafting through the air. You were immediately struck by how awkward it felt as you approached the table and realized you’d have to sit next to Sevika. The tension between the two of you was palpable, but you pushed through it, plastering a neutral expression on your face as you took your seat.

Jinx, thankfully, was a great buffer, sitting on your other side and diving straight into conversation. “So, I was thinking we could do a retro-style drop for the merch—like 90s grunge but with neon accents,” she said, sliding her sketchbook toward you.

You leaned over to take a look, nodding thoughtfully as you offered suggestions. “What if you use a distressed font for the band name? And maybe incorporate some holographic details for the logos?”

Jinx’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s genius!”

Meanwhile, Vi and Caitlyn sat across the table, deep in their own conversation but occasionally looping Sevika in. You could feel Sevika’s presence beside you, her warmth, her voice, the occasional brush of her arm against yours. It was distracting, and you hated how much you noticed it.

The awkwardness shattered when your phone buzzed on the table. You glanced down and gasped, immediately catching everyone’s attention.

“Who is it?” Vi asked, curious.

You didn’t answer, too busy staring at the name on your screen. It was a call from Jayce Talis, the wildly popular YouTuber you had collaborated with a few months back. He was connected to every celebrity, constantly attending the biggest parties, events, and concerts, and making millions while doing it.

“Hello?” you answered, hoping and praying it was actually him.

“Hey, there’s my favorite girl,” Jayce’s smooth voice came through the phone. “I heard you’re in Vegas. You wanna come by one of my parties tonight? I’ll send you the address.”

You bit your lip, your mind racing as you looked at the others seated around the table. “Is it okay if four other people come?” you asked, feeling a flicker of hope.

“Sure, the more the merrier. I’ll send the location now,” Jayce said, his tone easygoing.

“Thank you so much,” you replied, genuinely grateful.

“Of course, babygirl. I’ll see you later,” he said before hanging up.

You placed your phone on the table, noticing everyone staring at you expectantly.

“Who was that?” Caitlyn asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Jayce Talis,” you said with a grin. “We’re invited to one of his parties tonight.”

“Deadass?” Vi’s eyes widened as she leaned forward. “Oh, fuck yeah. I heard his parties are crazy. So crazy you don’t even remember the next morning… no diddy.”

The table broke into laughter, the tension momentarily forgotten as everyone began buzzing with excitement over the plans for the night.

That evening, the hotel suite was a whirlwind of chaos as everyone prepared for the party. Clothes were scattered across the beds, makeup spilled across the countertops, and the music blasted loud enough to vibrate through the walls.

You stood in front of the mirror, adjusting your outfit—a short, sleek black dress with a daring slit up the side, paired with strappy heels that gave you an air of elegance. Your makeup was bold, smoky eyes with a hint of glitter and a deep red lip that made you feel confident. You finished the look with silver jewelry, your hair styled in loose waves that framed your face perfectly.

Caitlyn, ever the meticulous one, walked over and handed you a glass of wine. “You look stunning. Jayce is going to regret not staying on that call longer,” she teased, giving you a playful nudge.

You laughed, taking a sip. “Thanks, Cait. But this isn’t about Jayce. It’s about having fun.”

She smirked. “Well, if Sevika sees you like this, she might eat her words about not being serious.”

Your stomach churned at the mention of Sevika, but you quickly pushed the thought aside. Tonight was supposed to be about letting loose, not dwelling on unrequited feelings.

Meanwhile, Vi and Jinx were already well into the pregame phase, laughing hysterically as they downed shots of tequila. Vi was in a leather jacket and ripped jeans, her go-to look, while Jinx had gone all out in a neon mini dress that screamed chaos. Sevika, on the other hand, had kept it simple yet devastatingly attractive—a black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, paired with dark jeans and boots.

By the time you all arrived at the party, the energy was electric. Jayce’s mansion was everything you’d expected—luxurious, sprawling, and filled with people who looked like they belonged on magazine covers. The music thumped through the walls, a mix of EDM and Top 40 hits, as the group made their way inside.

The night quickly spiraled into drinking games, loud conversations, and dancing. Vi and Jinx had disappeared to the dance floor, while Caitlyn stayed by your side, sipping a cocktail and making small talk with other guests. You were about to join the others when you spotted Sevika across the room.

She was leaning against the bar, her posture relaxed, a drink in hand as she talked to two women who were clearly vying for her attention. One of them rested a hand on her arm, leaning in closer, and you felt your stomach twist.

Your heart sank as Sevika gave a low chuckle, her lips curling into that smirk you hated to love. She wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that she was flirting.

Caitlyn noticed the shift in your expression and followed your gaze. “Oh no,” she muttered, quickly grabbing your arm. “Don’t do this to yourself.”

You tried to pull away. “I just need to—”

“No, you don’t,” Caitlyn interrupted firmly, steering you toward another part of the room. “Come on, let’s get another drink and find something else to focus on.”

Reluctantly, you let her guide you away, but the image of Sevika laughing with those women was burned into your mind. You hated the way it made you feel—jealous, insecure, and foolish. You took a deep breath, silently vowing not to let it ruin your night.

Caitlyn handed you a fresh cocktail and gave you a reassuring smile. “Remember, you’re here to have fun. Don’t let her get in your head.”

You nodded, forcing a smile as you raised your glass. “You’re right. Cheers to that.”

But even as you tried to lose yourself in the party, the nagging ache in your chest remained, a constant reminder that Sevika would never be yours in the way you wanted her to be.

The party was in full swing, and the energy was electric. You and Caitlyn had thrown caution to the wind, taking more shots than either of you probably should have. The alcohol coursed through your veins, making everything brighter, louder, and a little more carefree.

Caitlyn, who rarely let loose like this, was surprisingly keeping up with you. The two of you sang along to every song blasting through the speakers, laughing as you tried to out-dance one another. At one point, Caitlyn leaned in close, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol.

"I think... I think I'm gonna confess to Vi," she blurted out, a mixture of determination and nerves in her eyes.

You paused, blinking at her before breaking into a wide grin. “Do it! You absolutely should! She’d be crazy not to say yes.”

Caitlyn laughed, shaking her head. “This might just be the liquor talking, but I think tonight’s the night.”

You gave her an encouraging push toward where Vi was standing, chatting with some other guests. “Go get her, tiger!”

Caitlyn took a deep breath, muttered something under her breath, and walked off, leaving you alone in the middle of the dance floor. But you didn’t mind. The music was too good, the vibe too perfect.

You found yourself dancing with a group of girls who had gathered nearby, all hyping each other up. You laughed, twirling in your dress, feeling freer than you had in weeks. The bass of the music vibrated through your body, and for a moment, you forgot all about Sevika, Jayce, and everything else weighing on your mind.

Then a finger tapped your shoulder, breaking the spell.

You turned, expecting to see Caitlyn or maybe even one of the girls you'd been dancing with. Instead, your breath hitched as your eyes landed on a familiar face.

“Finn?” you said, your voice laced with disbelief.

He gave you that same charming smirk that had once made your heart flutter. “Hey, gorgeous. What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here in Vegas?” you asked, crossing your arms.

“I got invited,” he said casually, his voice smooth.

You knew why. Finn wasn’t just any guy; he was a famous actor. His rugged looks and effortless charisma made him a perfect fit for the action and sci-fi movies he starred in. He was always the center of attention, always in the spotlight.

And once, you had been right there with him.

The two of you had been a celebrity power couple. Fans adored how well you matched—your aesthetics, your energy. Everything about your relationship had seemed perfect. And for a while, it had been.

The sex, the lavish dates, the way he spoiled you… it was like living in a dream.

Until the dream turned into a nightmare.

Your chest tightened as the memories came flooding back. Coming to his house to pick up the dog you had adopted together, only to find him in bed with one of his co-stars. The shock, the betrayal, the fury that had led you to throw hands with both of them.

And then, the final blow—him kicking you out of his house in the middle of a storm, leaving you stranded in the pouring rain.

As if that wasn’t enough, you later learned she hadn’t been the only one. Finn had cheated on you with multiple women, and to top it off, he had even stolen money from you on more than one occasion.

Now, standing face to face with him again, you felt a rush of conflicting emotions—anger, hurt, and a flicker of something you didn’t want to admit might still be there.

“What do you want, Finn?” you asked, keeping your tone cold.

He tilted his head, feigning innocence. “Can’t I just say hi? It’s been a while.”

“Not long enough,” you muttered, turning away, but he caught your arm gently, pulling you back.

“Come on, don’t be like that,” he said, his voice soft. “I’ve missed you.”

You stared at him, your jaw tightening. “Missed me? Is that what you told all the other girls too?”

Finn’s smirk faltered for a moment, replaced by something almost resembling regret. “Look, I know I messed up. But maybe we can talk? Somewhere private?”

Before you could respond, you felt a firm hand on your back. Turning, you saw Caitlyn, her expression a mix of concern and warning.

“Everything okay here?” she asked, her eyes narrowing at Finn.

You shook your head, stepping back from him. “Yeah, we’re done here.”

Finn raised his hands in mock surrender, giving Caitlyn a once-over before meeting your eyes again. “Alright, I’ll let you go. But think about it, okay?”

As he walked away, Caitlyn gave you a look. “Are you okay?”

You nodded, though your hands were trembling. “Yeah. Let’s just… get another drink.”

Caitlyn hesitated but eventually nodded, steering you toward the bar. You couldn’t shake the feeling of Finn’s gaze lingering on you, but you pushed it to the back of your mind.

Tonight was supposed to be about fun. You weren’t going to let him ruin that for you. Not again.

The chaotic haze of drinking and partying had left you feeling a little too hot under the collar—agitated, restless, and desperately in need of a moment to yourself. You stumbled your way through the crowd, searching for Jayce. The booming bass of the music thumped in your chest as you finally spotted him perched on top of an expensive-looking table, holding court with a group of people.

“Jayce!” you called, your voice cutting through the noise.

He turned at the sound of your voice, and his face broke into a wide grin. Without hesitation, he hopped down from the table, his movement surprisingly smooth for someone as drunk as he seemed.

“Jesus,” he said, running his eyes over you in a way that made you simultaneously flattered and exhausted. “You look even better than the last time I saw you.”

He pulled you into a warm hug, and you hugged him back, patting his shoulder lightly. Jayce had always been like this—overly confident and unfiltered��but you knew his heart was in the right place.

“Thanks, Jayce,” you said, stepping back. “But, um… where’s the bathroom?”

He waved a hand toward the far corner of the room. “Oh, don’t bother with the public one. Just use mine. It’s upstairs, connected to my suite. See the elevator over there? It’ll take you directly up. My guard will let you in.”

You nodded, grateful for the shortcut. “Thanks, Jayce.”

“No problem,” he said with a wink, before climbing back onto the table.

You made your way to the elevator, a burly security guard already waiting by the doors. Without a word, he pressed the button for you and gave you a curt nod as the doors slid shut.

The ride up was quick, and you were relieved to find Jayce’s suite quiet compared to the chaos downstairs. You stumbled into the bathroom, kicking off your heels as you rushed to relieve yourself. In your slightly drunk state, you didn’t even think to lock the door.

After finishing, you washed your hands, staring at your reflection in the mirror. Your mascara was slightly smudged, and your hair was a little messier than you’d like, but otherwise, you looked… fine. Passable.

The sound of the door opening behind you made your stomach drop. You glanced up into the mirror, your heart sinking as you saw Finn standing there.

“Please, baby, let’s talk,” he said, his voice low and pleading.

You turned to face him, keeping your tone firm. “I’m good, Finn. There’s nothing to talk about.”

As you tried to brush past him, he grabbed you by the waist, his strength keeping you in place as he pressed you back against the wall.

“God, you look so sexy,” he murmured, his eyes dark and focused entirely on you. “Just let me get a kiss. I’ve missed your lips so much.”

Before you could protest, his hand was on your face, tilting it up toward him. You struggled against him, trying to push him away, but he was faster. His lips crashed onto yours, stealing the kiss before you could stop him.

Your mind raced, equal parts shock and anger bubbling to the surface as you fought against his grip. You planted your hands on his chest, shoving him back with as much strength as you could muster.

“Get off me!” you yelled, your voice sharp and trembling.

Finn stumbled back slightly, his expression flickering between surprise and frustration.

“Don’t act like you don’t still want me,” he said, his voice dropping into something darker.

“I don’t,” you spat, your chest heaving. “Stay the hell away from me, Finn. I mean it.”

Before he could say another word, you darted out of the bathroom, grabbing your heels as you made your way back to the elevator. Your hands shook as you pressed the button, praying the doors would close fast enough to keep Finn from following.

When you finally made it back to the party downstairs, your heart was still pounding. The noise of the crowd was both overwhelming and oddly comforting—it meant you weren’t alone. You immediately searched for Caitlyn or anyone you trusted, needing an anchor after what had just happened.

Finn’s presence had ruined the night for you. All you wanted now was to find a quiet corner, breathe, and maybe—just maybe—figure out how to piece yourself back together.

As you made your way back onto the party floor, the noise and flashing lights felt like a cruel reminder of your shaken state. Your heels clicked against the floor as your eyes scanned the crowd, desperately searching for a familiar face. You weren’t thinking much—just running on the hope that someone you trusted could pull you out of the spiral you were sinking into.

Your gaze finally landed on Sevika. She was leaning against the bar, her focus on a small group of girls, flashing them the kind of smirk that had once made your knees weak. Her hand brushed against one of their arms as she leaned in to say something that made them giggle.

For a moment, you hesitated. But then Sevika looked up, her sharp eyes locking onto yours. The instant she noticed the tears streaming down your face, her expression changed. The playful confidence melted away, replaced with concern and something else—something almost protective.

She straightened up immediately, excusing herself from the girls without another word. Her strides were long and purposeful as she closed the distance between you, her brows furrowed.

“Come on,” she said softly, slipping her hand onto your back to guide you. She led you out of the suffocating crowd and into the night air. The quiet of the outdoors was a stark contrast to the chaos inside, and you took in a shaky breath, grateful for the reprieve.

“Hey,” Sevika said, her voice low but insistent. She turned to face you, her hands gently gripping your shoulders. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“I-I…” You tried to form the words, but they caught in your throat, choked by the sobs you couldn’t hold back.

Sevika crouched slightly, trying to meet your downcast gaze. “Take your time. Just tell me.”

You swallowed hard, finally managing to get the words out. “My ex… he…”

Her jaw clenched immediately. “What did he do? Did he hurt you? Did he touch you? Where did it happen?”

The barrage of questions came quickly, her tone growing harsher with every word. You squeezed your eyes shut, the memories flashing in your mind. “He kissed me,” you finally admitted, your voice trembling. “He made me kiss him.”

Her face darkened instantly, her entire demeanor shifting into something cold and deadly. “What does he look like? What’s his name?”

“Finn,” you said, your voice cracking. “He’s tall, has tattoos everywhere… He’s wearing bright yellow…”

You stopped yourself mid-ramble, suddenly realizing how Sevika’s fists had clenched at her sides, her whole body taut with anger. “Why?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m gonna kill him,” she muttered, her voice low and venomous. It wasn’t meant for you, but she said it loud enough for you to hear.

Her words sent a shiver down your spine. “Sevika, no,” you said, reaching out to grab her arm.

Her gaze snapped to yours, her eyes burning with a fury you’d never seen before. “He forced himself on you,” she said, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. “You think I’m just gonna let that slide?”

“You can’t,” you insisted, your voice rising. “It’s not worth it.”

“It’s worth it to me,” she shot back, her tone firm and unrelenting.

You shook your head, tears spilling again as you tried to pull her attention back to you. “Please, Sevika. Don’t do this. I just… I just need someone right now. Not revenge.”

Her shoulders dropped slightly, and for the first time, she seemed to really see you—the vulnerability, the pain. She let out a slow, shaky breath, her jaw still tight. “Okay,” she finally said, her voice softer now. “Okay. I won’t do anything. Not tonight.”

Relief flooded through you, and you took a small step closer, resting your head against her chest. She hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around you, holding you tightly.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, her voice low. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

You didn’t respond, just letting her presence ground you. For now, that was enough.

As Sevika comforted you, the quiet moment shattered when Finn stormed outside, his face twisted in anger. His voice slurred slightly, but his venom was crystal clear.

“You’re such a fucking whore, you know that?” he spat, his voice loud enough to draw attention.

Your head snapped toward him in shock, but before you could react, Sevika stepped in front of you. She squared her shoulders, shielding you entirely. Her voice was low and steady, but there was an edge to it that could cut steel.

“What did you just call her?” she asked, her mechanical arm twitching subtly as she balled her fists.

“A whore!” Finn shouted, stepping closer with an unhinged glare. “Up in the bathroom, playing hard to get, and now you’re cuddled up with some dyke?!”

“Chill,” Sevika warned, her voice dropping further, calm but laced with a deadly undertone.

“Chill?” Finn scoffed, his eyes wide with deranged fury. “Bitch, I’ll knock the teeth out of your mouth. I’ll make the rest of your life a living hell.” He took another step closer, now chest-to-chest with Sevika.

Sevika didn’t flinch. Instead, she tilted her head, giving him a slow once-over before smirking coldly. “Jesus… You dated this man? He’s pathetic.”

Before you could react to the insult, Finn’s fist flew. The sound of his knuckles connecting with Sevika’s cheek was loud enough to silence the faint chatter nearby. She stumbled back a step, more out of shock than pain, her face blank as she brought her hand to her cheek.

Then her expression changed. Fury washed over her features, her jaw tightening as she rolled her shoulders. Without another word, she swung her mechanical fist, and the sound of the impact echoed like a thunderclap. Finn crumpled instantly, hitting the ground like a sack of bricks.

You froze, your breath catching in your throat. Your hand gripped the wall to steady yourself as you stared at the scene, trying to process if this was reality or some drunken fever dream.

Sevika turned to look at you, her breathing even but her eyes searching your face for any sign of distress. You couldn’t move, too stunned to even speak.

The muffled noise of the party behind you suddenly grew louder as someone yelled, “There’s a fight outside!” The doors burst open, and a flood of people poured out to see what had happened. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd as everyone’s eyes landed on Finn’s unconscious body sprawled at Sevika’s feet.

Jayce pushed his way through the crowd, his sunglasses perched on his nose but failing to hide his wide-eyed reaction. “Oh shit,” he muttered, looking down at Finn before glancing back at Sevika. “Is he dead? I can’t afford another death…”

Sevika didn’t answer, her gaze flicking to you briefly before focusing back on the crowd.

“He’s not dead,” you said, your voice shaky but loud enough to silence the murmurs. You stepped forward, your hand trembling as you gestured toward Finn. “But he forced himself on me in the bathroom you said was guarded, Jayce.”

Jayce’s head snapped toward you, his sunglasses lifting slightly as if he needed to see you more clearly. “For real?” he asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and concern. “I’m so sorry, (Y/N). I swear I’ll look deeper into this. I mean it. I’ll take your word for it—always. You’re my girl.”

He gestured toward his security team, who immediately moved to pick Finn up. “Get him out of here,” Jayce barked. “And make sure he doesn’t come back. Ever.”

As the guards dragged Finn’s limp body away, the crowd began to disperse, murmuring among themselves. Jayce gave you a small nod before heading back inside, leaving you alone with Sevika again.

She turned to you, her eyes softening ever so slightly. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice calm but tinged with something that sounded almost like regret.

You nodded, even though your legs felt weak beneath you. “I don’t know,” you admitted quietly.

Sevika stepped closer, her presence grounding you as she placed a hand gently on your arm. “You’re safe now,” she said, her tone firm. “No one’s going to hurt you while I’m here.”

For a moment, you just stood there, letting her words sink in. You didn’t know how to feel—grateful, overwhelmed, or still shaken—but you knew one thing for certain: you felt safer with Sevika than anywhere else in the world.

Caitlyn, Vi, and Jinx rushed through the lingering crowd, their worried faces evident as they reached you and Sevika. Caitlyn was the first to speak, her eyes darting between the two of you.

“You okay… both of you?” she asked, her tone a mix of concern and urgency.

Sevika crossed her arms, her usual stoic demeanor back in place. “Yes, I’m fine, Cait,” she replied simply.

You nodded, though your voice wavered slightly. “I am too. Just… a little shaken up.”

Jinx stepped forward, her usual chaotic energy muted but still present. “It’s time to go… yeah?” she said, her voice lighter as she hooked her arm with yours. Without waiting for an answer, she started leading you toward the exit, offering you the comfort of her presence.

Vi and Caitlyn flanked the two of you, and Sevika trailed slightly behind, her sharp gaze scanning the remaining partygoers as if daring anyone else to cross the line. The group moved quickly through the mansion, the buzz of the party now a distant hum as more people decided to leave after the commotion.

The cool night air hit you like a splash of water as you stepped outside. The streetlights cast long shadows on the pavement, and the city’s noise provided a welcome distraction from your pounding heart. Jinx kept her arm linked with yours, humming softly to a song still stuck in her head.

Caitlyn glanced back at Sevika, lowering her voice so only she could hear. “You did good back there. He had it coming.”

Sevika grunted in response, but there was a subtle nod of acknowledgment.

As the group exited the mansion and approached the gates, the blinding flashes of cameras caught you off guard. Paparazzi were already gathered outside, shouting questions and taking rapid-fire photos. The flashes lit up the night like fireworks, and their voices overlapped, each trying to out-yell the others.

“(Y/N)! What happened in there?”

“Who was the guy Sevika knocked out?”

“Sevika, are you protecting (Y/N)?”

“Are you two dating?”

“Finn said you were in a relationship—care to comment?”

You instinctively shrank back, overwhelmed by the chaos. Jinx tightened her grip on your arm, glaring at the reporters. “Seriously, don’t you guys have anything better to do?”

Caitlyn stepped forward, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the flashes as she tried to create a path. “No comments. Leave her alone.”

Vi moved beside her, her presence intimidating enough to make some of the paparazzi take a step back. “You heard her. Back off,” she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Sevika stayed close to you, her tall frame a protective barrier against the invasive crowd. Her sharp gaze flicked over the reporters, daring any of them to push further.

“Sevika, is it true you assaulted Finn?” one of them shouted.

“Shut it,” Sevika growled, her voice low and threatening. The reporter quickly lowered his camera, the air suddenly tense.

The group finally pushed through the throng of paparazzi, with Vi leading the way and Caitlyn acting as a buffer. You kept your head down, your heart pounding as the cameras continued to snap.

Once inside the car, the driver quickly locked the doors and sped off, leaving the chaos behind. You exhaled deeply, leaning back against the seat as you tried to calm your racing thoughts.

“God, they’re vultures,” Jinx muttered, shaking her head. “Do they ever give it a rest?”

“They’ll move on to something else by tomorrow,” Caitlyn said reassuringly, though her brows were furrowed with concern.

Sevika remained silent, her gaze fixed out the window. Her jaw was tight, and her hands were clenched into fists on her lap. She looked like she was replaying the night in her head, simmering with barely contained anger.

Vi broke the silence, glancing at you in the rearview mirror. “You okay? That was a lot.”

You nodded slowly, though your voice was quiet. “Yeah. Just… tired.”

Jinx gave your arm a comforting squeeze. “Don’t worry, we’ll lock the doors, crank up the room service, and shut out the world for the rest of the night.”

You managed a faint smile, grateful for her attempts to lighten the mood. As the car sped through the neon-lit streets of Vegas, you couldn’t help but glance at Sevika. She was still staring out the window, her expression unreadable.

For now, you focused on the promise of quiet and comfort waiting back at the hotel, desperate to put the night’s events behind you.

Back at the hotel, the group gathered in Caitlyn and Vi’s room, the tension from earlier slowly melting away as the comforting smell of food filled the air. The table was covered with an assortment of takeout boxes—sushi rolls neatly arranged, crispy chicken wings glistening in sauce, golden fries piled high, and several tubs of ice cream waiting for dessert.

Jinx immediately dove for the fries, her mood lightening as she munched away. “This is exactly what we needed after all that drama.”

Caitlyn and Vi sat close together on the couch, their shoulders brushing as they shared a plate of wings. Caitlyn had a small, nervous smile on her face, stealing glances at Vi, who seemed completely at ease.

You took a seat on the floor, cross-legged with your sushi in front of you, watching the dynamic between Caitlyn and Vi unfold. Jinx noticed too, her eyes darting between them. “So… are you two gonna stop pretending or what?”

Vi choked on her drink, coughing as Caitlyn’s face turned beet red. “Pretending what?” Vi asked, wiping her mouth.

Jinx rolled her eyes dramatically. “That you’re not into each other. It’s so obvious.”

Caitlyn bit her lip, looking down at her hands. Vi glanced at her and then back at Jinx, sighing. “Fine. You caught us.”

Caitlyn’s eyes widened in surprise, but when Vi reached over and took her hand, her expression softened. “She was drunk, but I still accepted,” Vi said, her voice low but sincere.

Caitlyn smiled, squeezing her hand. “I asked Vi to be my girlfriend,” she admitted.

You clapped your hands together. “Finally! I’ve been rooting for you two since forever.”

Jinx leaned back, grinning smugly. “Told you so. Now kiss or something. Make it official.”

Vi rolled her eyes but leaned in to kiss Caitlyn, a soft, tender moment that made everyone cheer and clap beside Sevika but she was amused. Caitlyn laughed, hiding her face behind her hands as Vi pulled her close.

The rest of the night passed in a warm, comforting haze. Laughter echoed through the room, and everyone indulged in food and ice cream, the stress of the evening melting away.

When the night wound down, Sevika stood, stretching. “I’ll walk you back to your room,” she said, glancing at you.

You nodded, feeling a flutter of nerves. “Thanks.”

The two of you walked down the quiet hallway, the sounds of the city fading into the background. When you reached your door, you turned to her. “Thank you for tonight,” you said softly. “For protecting me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

Sevika shrugged, but her expression softened. “You don’t have to thank me for that.”

Trying to lighten the mood, you leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. “Well, I’m thanking you anyway.”

Sevika froze for a moment, her lips twitching into a faint smile as she nodded. “Goodnight.”

She turned and walked away, leaving you to enter your room. You closed the door, leaning against it for a moment as your heart raced. Shaking your head, you got into bed, pulling the covers up and letting the exhaustion of the night finally take over.

But just as you were about to drift off, a knock on the door startled you. You got up, wondering who it could be at this hour. When you opened it, Sevika stood there, her eyes intense and her expression unreadable.

“Sevika? Is something wrong?”

She hesitated for only a moment before stepping closer. “Fuck it… I have feelings for you too,” she said, her voice low and rough.

Before you could process her words, she leaned in and kissed you deeply, her hands gently cradling your face. The kiss was firm yet tender, filled with all the emotions she’d been holding back. You didn’t hesitate to kiss her back, your arms wrapping around her neck as your heart raced.

Sevika’s hands slid down to your waist, steadying you as she broke the kiss for just a moment, her forehead resting against yours. “Is this okay?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

You nodded eagerly, pulling her closer. “More than okay.”

She smiled before kissing you again, this time with more urgency. Her hands moved to the hem of your shirt, lifting it over your head and tossing it to the floor. You felt a thrill run through you as you tugged her into the room, your lips never leaving hers.

Sevika kicked the door shut behind her, the soft click of the lock echoing in the room. The night stretched out before you, a mix of passion and emotions that neither of you wanted to end.

taglist : @moodient @whatlefoop @nonexistentsourcherry @graciebloom @swordfemm4 @m00npjm @sevikasleftarm @fayecreates @artfairyyyyy @mulan-but-gay @inlovewithsevikaandambessa @sapphiellar @fudosl

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omgfangirlland · 29 days ago

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I really hate my brain.. It's 1 am and I gotta be up by 4:30am..but this are the current thoughts that I have just when I'm about to sleep.. :

1. Talia al Ghul twin sister but she's the opposite of her sister

2. neglect invincible sister.. Where is is normal but something happen that I can't think of yet that made the other like/love/obsessed of her

3. SCP scientist reader getting transported to another universe

4. Reader with a super power of luck (inspo from Deadpool 2? I think it was the second movie.. I don't remember)

5. Dazai reader? I don't know what to do with a dazai reader yet..

6. Danny phantom reader..

Okay.. I'll stop for real now.. My head is seriously killing me

-🔱

PART TWO

Am I answering more and more asks to avoid writing the next ch of TSTN?... Yes. (I'll go back on it soon-ish- just need a refresher)

I'll take the Talia al Ghul twin sister, AND throw in the Luck Manipulation meta gene Domino has.

So, the "lucky" powers Domino has is actually luck manipulation, meaning she can bring bad luck just as easily as she can bring good luck-

Now- I always found the "Actually- Ra's loves his kids and grandkids"" headcanon funny- because we definitely see a bit of it in "Murder in the family" or the second one about it(can't quite remember) where he is like "I didn't wish for your son to die, wouldn't wish that on anyone" so I'm taking that and turning it to a 100 making Ra's an official girl dad.

I'm starting this during the era when Ra's was mortal, before he lost his wife, pure headcanon, refusing to acknowledge The Dark Knight Rises-

My initial idea was honestly angst- but fluff felt better-

At first, your mother and father don't notice it, taking everything as a coincidence. When you were younger, maybe nothing happened, but during your toddler to kid years, they sure started noticing stuff-

You wanted the mangy cat that honestly kinda scared your mama?? "Maybe when pigs fly, beloved," were Ra's joking words. Cue chaos as two pigs are launched through the air. Talia immediately backs you on the two "flying" pigs.

You got the mangy cat.

Talia looked for too long at a cookie? The baker made too many in the wrong shade and couldn't simply scrape the icing off, and by tomorrow, they won't be good anymore, so he just gives them out for free as he mutters about wasting ingredients.

Your mother broke her shoe? A new shoeshmith comes out of a build offering free repairs to gain some popularity right after your mom complained that they were her favorite pair.

Baba Ra's sad that he can't find the relic of a tome he keeps searching for? The next day, it slams onto his toes and stops his whining.

I think Talia is the first to notice that it's because of you good things keep happening, so she tests her theory. She stops in front of a pomegranate tree, standing five meters tall, points at it, and in a sad tone says she'd love to get one, but it's just too high. She watches as your eyes follow her finger, watches as you pout as you realize that not even an adult would reach it, and she smiles as she hears all the fruits fall to the ground. She keeps at it for a while, until she is sure of her theory, and soon decides you are their lucky charm. The best lucky charm she could have in her life, and she tells you as such.

Soon enough, the luck seems to run out, to you at least. The middle of World War II, your father got busy with his work in that room nobody but him was allowed in, your mother grew more and more worried about Qayin, and then, one dreadful night, little Talia came running to Ra's, who was soothing you because you woke up puking, crying about your nightmare.

A nightmare only confirmed reality by Talia. That's when Ra's found out about your powers. In his mind, everything settles into place, every lucky thing he brushed off as a happy coincidence, every story your mother had about good things happening in the weirdest ways.

He didn't blame you, and neither did Tali, but you did. And it took a while to get rid of the irrational guilt, but the constant reassurance of Talia, who knew there was no way you could have influenced that without being there- she knows because she tested the long-distance luck too, she was thorough- helped. And soon finding out that the man died painfully from a freak accident, did wonders.

Ra's didn't want his girls to mingle with the League of Assassins, but after that night, he insisted on them training to at least know how to protect themselves, and while Talia seemed eager to know more and more, you didn't much care for the League.

Now, Talia didn't want to be the heir, not for a long while, she wanted to be a doctor, and Ra's was happy to hear that her daughter was pursuing something besides his dirty work. And when she left, you decided to do something far closer to home, mostly scared to leave your baba's side. Not like the old man was complaining, he still had his girls in his life, he still had you close.

The more Talia found out about Bruce, the more she thought he'd be a good protector and husband for you. She liked him, really, she did, but you always came first in her mind, it was you who she thought of when Bruce got her flowers, unknowingly, your favorites, when he stumbled over his words, she thought of how cute you'd find him.

So she plotted. She wasn't yet in love with him, she liked the idea of him, sure, but she wanted to see how he'd react to you.

Talia couldn't stop the smirk and mischief in her eyes from appearing as Bruce's breath hitched as he saw you, as he stuttered- almost calling himself by another name-, as his face got red as a tomato as you giggled at him.

Bruce was hooked, line, and sinker- and a bit guilty as he went from flirting with Talia to stumbling over the simplest words when it came to you. He felt embarrassed, honestly. He could make the biggest business deals at 14, but he could barely look at you without feeling his cheeks heat up.

As Bruce jumped at the opportunity to train under the League, just to keep close to you, Ra's glared at Talia, knowing what his daughter had cursed him with- a fool in love.

Bruce, with a threat from Talia to treat you right, and a letter to the school saying he dropped out, he found himself being led to his new room. He shook as you turned and looked at him, words catching in his throat. You were a problem. But he would love to be in your life.

It didn't take long for Bruce to find the truth about Ra's work, and he wasn't happy, but he didn't have it in him to leave- not without you.

When it came to you, he was stupid. Tripping over his feet, choking on air, almost being hit because his eyes caught yours- but somehow- with shaking hands and a shakier bouquet, he found it in him to ask you on a date.

As soon as your door closed, he dropped to his knees, crumpling like a folding chair, sighing in relief, and his hand stuck to his cheek where you kissed him. If Harvey were to see him, he wouldn't be able to live it down.

All the courage and poise he had as Batman, as Brucie Wayne, went out the window when it came to you- he was afraid, he realized. Afraid of being too cool as Batman, too much as Brucie, afraid of not being the right one for you. He didn't know what to do, so he froze, he stuttered, he fell in love deeper and harder like he was a puppy and not a man.

The more he hung out with you, the more at ease he became, and while he put on his Brucie persona with Talia, he was himself with you. Slowly learning to be just Bruce, no need for the cowl.

Ra's hated it- he thought once or twice of just throwing him into the pit, but at the end of the day, he also liked Bruce. Determined and clearly in love with you, and when the little bastard came to him and Talia to ask permission for his hand, Ra's growled a hateful yes between his teeth, while Talia laughed like she hadn't laughed in a long while.

Bruce was confused at the contradicting emotions- but he took the yes and ran.

Ra's didn't cry at the wedding, and he'll kill anyone who says otherwise.

He did bawl as he held Damian, and everyone saw it, though.

Some meme's I couldn't resist thinking of:

Bruce, Alfred, Ra's, Dick, Jason when holding Dami for the first time:

Tim when asked if he wants to hold the baby who just opened his eyes and the first thing he did was glare at him:

Cass with toddler Dami:

#🔱 anon #anon ask #fem!reader #yandere bruce wayne #bruce wayne x reader #dc universe #good dad ra's al ghul #girl dad ra's al ghul

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jaggedamethyst · 5 months ago

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circuit breaker 🔬🌌 (part four)

tutor!jayce talis x reader, ekko x reader college au

content: jayce ghosts you when you need him most...so you have no choice but to lean on your best friend, ekko

pining, mental health mentions, neurodivergence, lmk if i missed any!

notes: ekko pic...omg... (you may think this series is going slow but i hate a slow burn ass fic that has them fucking chapter three don't pmo...also this evolved way past just jayce and i need to do ekko justice...bc some of yall don't, clocked it)

word count: 2.9k

series masterlist

⭑·ﾟﾟ·*:༅。.。༅:*ﾟ:*:✼✿　��✿✼:*ﾟ:༅。.。༅:*·ﾟﾟ·⭑

“Do you know that girl Jayce is always with?”

You arrived to class, ready to learn—but not about physics truthfully. You expected to cut corners, create friendly conversation about nothing, humor Viktor. When you got there, though, you had to ask him immediately.

“Mel Medara?” Viktor looked to you with intrigue. “I know of her…but not much about her.” He leaned to his left, toward you, “Why?”

“She’s just always…around? And we spoke to each other once but I was in a hurry…didn’t get much chance for a formal introduction.”

“Are you certain that your intrigue is rooted purely in your inquisitive nature…or is there another reason you want to share?”

“No-“

The sound of the door towards the front of the class opening interrupted you—it was perfect timing, actually. You would rather not have to unpack why Mel’s presence bothered you so much; truthfully it was an inexplicable feeling. Someone walked in, and you sat up straighter.

“Hi, everyone! My name is Caitlyn, some of you may know me if you’ve ever been to the student resource center.” She smiled at you, exchanging a look of recognition. “I wanted to formally introduce myself… I will be joining as a TA. If you need anything and can’t get ahold of the professor, you can ask me your course related questions.” She moved to plug a laptop into the projector, “Here is my email for future reference.” She allowed some time for people to copy and take photos of her email down. “Unfortunately, today’s class will be canceled for an emergency…but I was instructed to relay to you that the quiz will still be held next week. It’ll be on vectors and calculating their angles. Be sure to refresh yourselves over the weekend and reach out to me should you have any questions.” People started to shuffle around her, getting up to leave class. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, guys. Feel free to use the space to get some other work done, or leave early.”

“What the fuck, this was such a waste of my time.” You glanced back towards the board, making sure you got the email address right. “I have been so tired I could be sleeping right now.”

“I’m sorry, I know you have a lot to deal with right now.” Viktor moved to the end of the aisle, grabbing his cane while slinging his bag over one shoulder. “At least you’ve been in tutoring. The quiz this week should be easier, right?”

“That’s the thing,” you reached for your phone, “We’ve only just got to vectors so far. That was hard enough.” You hovered your finger over Jayce’s contact, never actually having messaged him. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you started texting him.

hi jayce

im sorry to bother you but i have my quiz next week and its gonna be on more stuff than we got to in our sessions

do you have any time to meet with me this weekend? if not thats ok, i can ask my friend

You paused, walking behind Viktor without looking up from the phone screen.

i just need you

No, you shook your head, continuing the text.

i just need your help

lmk

You grimaced at the text bubbles, hating how you split all of that up. You imagined his annoyed face, seeing all of these desperate messages. You wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t answer. You wouldn’t answer you.

Viktor turned to you, “Are you alright?”

“Yes, just frustrated and irritated and angry…thats all.”

“That’s not a great combination.”

You shook your head. Without trying, Viktor could always cheer you up. “Unrelated, but did Jayce ask you about what snacks I eat?”

“He did,” he looked over at you, “It was odd. He said something about ‘reinforcements’ for your guys’ tutoring session.”

“Oh...okay.”

Viktor would call himself a lot of things, including perceptive. He didn’t say much, but he noticed the way your eyes lingered on one another when you first met. He was aware of the way you spoke about each other, especially when it was just Viktor around. He simply arched a brow at you, observing your concerned look at the phone screen.

“Maybe you should take the weekend to rest and recuperate.”

“I would…but the quiz-“

“Just for today. Wait for Jayce to get back to you. Then you can focus solely on next week.” He nodded reassuringly.

He returned the nod, liking the sound of the plan.

If only Jayce had bothered to answer.

——————

“Hi.”

“Come on in.” Ekko stepped back, letting you into his dorm.

“I know it’s so last minute, but I know nothing about angles …figured you could help.”

“I absolutely can help and would love to.”

You sat your stuff down, getting comfortable as you’d done dozens of times before. You turned a corner, washing your hands at the sink before heading to grab a throw blanket from Ekko's bed.

He knew your habits, calling from the living room area. “I have the heated blanket out here, too, if you wanna use that one. Know you get cold.”

You exited his room, wearing the slippers you left under his bed. “Once again, you are the best…because I am, in fact, freezing my ass off right now.”

“Want something to drink?”

“Always.”

The two of you were so in sync—it had to be that way after Powder. It became worse when Vi blamed you, suspecting one of you said something to her to make her disappear. Even though you know you did nothing wrong, there was still a self-hate there. That you couldn’t be there for a friend who needed you—so much so that she left entirely. You couldn’t do that to Ekko, he felt the same.

“So,” you pulled out the folder Jayce had given you, a slight frown on your face at the thought of him completely ignoring you. “I have this paper, its like a cheat sheet for vectors…but besides what Jayce told me I don’t know what to do. The TA said we also have to calculate the angles…that makes no sense.”

Ekko grabbed his notebook, flipping to a blank sheet of paper. He sketched a makeshift drawing—surprisingly good for how quick he’d done it. You were always in awe of his artistic talent.

“Okay, so here…is a light pole.” He moved his finger to the other side of the paper, motioning toward a little drawing of you, smiling on the sidewalk. “This is you.”

“Wait I’m so adorable here!”

Ekko chuckled, side eyeing you a bit, “Yeah…”

You snatched the pencil—quickly drawing in a stick figure of him. “This is you!”

“Is it really? Couldn’t tell.”

“Hey-“ You swatted his arm, “You’re identical in my opinion.”

“If having lines for a body is identical…then sure. But anyways…not the point of my sketch.” He grabbed the pencil back, “Thank you very much.” He flipped the pencil, using the eraser side to show you the details. “Okay…light pole…you.” He smirked, knowing you wanted to interject. Ekko raised his hand before you could, “This is the distance between you and the pole.” He made up and wrote a random number in feet under the bottom, the same for the pole. “This is the height of the pole. This is all you need to find every angle and distance measurement.”

The look on your face was one of pure confusion. “How does that make any sense whatsoever, Ekko?” You moved to close the book. “Actually, lets just watch a movie instead. I’m prepared to fail at this point.”

Ekko grabbed the book from you, reopening it. “Well, I’m not, so let’s get to work.”

He continued, explaining as best he could. It was no use, though, it just wasn’t making sense to you. You nodded, trying to get him to move on to something else.

“Does that make sense?”

“Yeah.” You reached to hug Ekko, “You’re the best.” Pulling back, you plastered on a smile, hiding the discomfort. You didn’t feel ready whatsoever. Suddenly, Ekko grabbed your hands, pulling your attention to him.

“You’re gonna do great.” He lingered on you for a while, “Promise.”

The doubt you felt made you want to hole up and skip class altogether. Eventually, it developed into a disdain for Jayce. When you thought about it, he was the reason you were going to fail…again.

——————

You decided against skipping class on Monday, but you were definitely opting out of that damn tutoring session. If Jayce can’t answer a simple few texts, how were you to know you even had a standing appointment anymore. It made you feel less than worthy of a proper notice. Above all, it just felt plain unprofessional…he’s an employee after all.

Walking into class and into this quiz felt like a walk to your execution. Midterms were quickly approaching, which meant you only had so many quizzes you could fail before the majority of your final grade was tainted by bad ones.

Viktor greeted you as normal, moving over to give you a seat. “Are you prepared?”

“As best as I can be.”

The beauty of college was that you did assessments in class and got the results as soon as you submitted. Knowing you would get your score back in the next few minutes had your stomach churning. An image of Jayce, carefree and nonchalant, popped into your head. Nothing was making sense. Reluctantly, you started choosing random answers—disregarding the calculator altogether. Before you knew it, your grade, a 56%, reflected back to you.

“Fuck,” you whispered to yourself. You closed your laptop, getting up to leave class early. “I’ll see you later, Viktor.”

Before he could reply, you were gone. Pushing through the door. You grabbed your phone from your pocket, texting Ekko.

im done early, wanna meet rn?

He replied a few seconds later.

omw

You picked up the pace, not out of urgency, but in pure frustration. Everything you’d been working towards wasn’t paying off. The time you spent not being with Ekko—with Jayce—was a waste.

When you arrived to the dining hall, Ekko wasn’t there yet. You took the time to grab both you and him something to eat for lunch. Within minutes, Ekko showed up, that warm smile on his face as usual. He leaned into you, giving you a side hug while simultaneously grabbing the food from you.

“How was the quiz?” You didnt reply, simply giving him a side eye. “Damn…I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault…but thanks for helping.”

He’d seamlessly changed the subject—allowing the two of you to talk without the reminder of your failure that day. You didn’t acknowledge how fast the time had passed and truthfully, didn’t care. You hadn’t planned to show up to tutoring…much less give Jayce any notice.

To your right, you suddenly heard a voice, interrupting you and Ekko.

“Hey.” You looked over, seeing Jayce standing there. “I figured you’d be here.” He looks between you and Ekko, hands now on his hips. “You missed our session.”

You raised a brow and crossed your arms over your chest. “Wow, really? Didn’t know we were still having those.”

“Of course we are, you have those quizzes-“

“Had.” You interrupted, “There was one today. You’d know if you checked your phone.”

He looked down, embarrassed at his phone sitting in his front pant pocket.

“I’m sorry- I know this is important for you but something came up.”

“What? What came up?” Ekko spoke up.

Jayce turned to look at him, finally acknowledging his presence again. “Something personal,” he looked away, focusing back on you. “Can we talk alone?”

Ekko spoke again, “Say what you need to say.”

“I would, but I’m not talking to you.”

A screech of Ekko’s chair resounded in the dining hall. You reached a hand out, gesturing toward them. “Ekko, please.”

Ekko looked over to you and inhaled a deep breath. He was looking at Jayce again, but kept talking to you. “I’ll see you later, okay? Call if you need anything.”

“Wait- Ekko-”

Jayce gulped, sitting down across from you. You watched Ekko leave as Jayce took his seat, hands resting on the table.

“What the hell is your problem? You ghost me then show up here with an attitude? I should be pissed…I am pissed! I failed because of you!”

He nodded, knowing the weight of his being inaccessible. “I’m sorry.”

“You said that.”

“There was a personal thing, a family emergency-“

“And yet, your phone is still in working condition.”

You didn’t want to be insensitive, but it takes seconds to reply. A simple message would’ve sufficed.

“My mom’s sick.” You froze—remembering that it’s just him and his mom. “She was in the hospital all weekend…it still hasn’t gotten better.” He paused, looking at you now, “I thought I owed you to at least show up today.”

“Well…now I feel like shit.”

“Don’t. Not your fault I didn’t tell you what was happening.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Hope she gets better?”

You reached over, placing a comforting hand on his, “I can do that.”

He let you linger there, before pulling back. “How about this week, since I messed up so bad with scheduling…we meet as much as you’d like just so you can be ready. Shit, it can be every day if you want.” He nodded, “We’re gonna make sure you pass this class if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Are you sure? I can be pretty high maintenance…”

He leaned back in his chair, a nonchalant yet playful look on his face, “Not worried about it.”

“Okay.” You shrugged, “If you say so.”

The pair of you exchanged smiles, not at all prepared for how tumultuous this week would be.

part five

taglist

@juskonutoh @sseleniaa @aerina127 @sleepysoldier @angelicmisty @1800latenitecreep @venus-in-roses

#jaggedamethyst #jayce talis #arcane jayce #jayce talis x reader #jayce talis x you #arcane x reader #arcane #jayce x reader #jayce league of legends #jayce talis x y/n #jayce talis arcane #jayce x you #ekko arcane #ekko x reader #ekko league of legends #ekko

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jayvikstolemyheart · 22 days ago

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Thinking about AU where Jinx/Powder is adopted by Jayce and Viktor

So a few people have had this idea before but there’s this one little thing that I’ve been stuck on.

How would growing up with Jayvik impact Jinx’s appearance, particularly her hair?

Hairstyle is important for both Jinx and Powder’s characters. It’s indicative of mental state, the people in her life and how she carries them with her every where (AU!Powder’s pink strand to represent Vi, our Jinx keeping long braids similar to what Vi and her mother would do for her, but they have become heavy weighing down on her physical and mentally)

And then we get to Jayvik. Neither of them no anything about looking after a little girl, and their probably going to be broke for the first bit as they get Hextech off the ground. So what, Little Powder has to do her own hair? And what would she style it as, since everything associated with her family is huge trigger now?

Then it finally occurred to me. I think Jayce would try to take Powder to the most important woman in his life and the most experienced parent he knows.

Ximena Talis!

Poor woman was already freaking out about her son sneaking out to do more crime with some guy he met the same day only for Jayce to come back telling her that he is now allowed to continue working on magic and now has a malnourished 11-year-old-girl in his arms.

(Do you think one of Ximena’s early theories was that Powder was Viktor’s daughter and he was trying to make Jayce become Powder’s step-dad? 😂)

Ximena, despite all the shock she’s in, sees the tiny crying Powder and is like “first that child needs to be fed, and THEN I’ll get answers from my son”.

Later on Ximena starts helping with Powder’s hair and other girl-to-girl stuff that Jayce and Viktor can’t really do. Having said that, Ximena had still only ever raised a son. She’s never done a little girl’s hair before. So I’m proposing she would do buns for Powder like she does for herself, and as Powder grows older she incorporates that kind of thing to her current hair.

I just think it would be a cute dynamic, even if Powder’s taste in hairstyle and jewellery is more suited for a topside old lady than for a young undercity-native girl as a result 😅.

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velvetwyrms · 6 months ago

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Happy new year folks! Here’s an update of what to expect from my blog in 2025.

Artwork:

I’m making an effort to draw more traditionally, despite people seeming to like my digital art more, so that I can improve upon and push myself and my artwork.

With this, I’m also broadening my horizons while getting back to some old fandoms that I love dearly. Expect to see lots of GaaLee, Team Shinki, a continuation of my Sand Family askblog: @ask-the-sand-fam, more JayVik and some good ol’ X-Men, my oldest fandom 🥰💖

Fanfiction:

I’m going to be writing more fanfic, aiming to update all three of my main ones this year as often as I’m able to, while taking time to make them as good as possible:

• Summertime: A Cosmic Horror, Alien Invasion + Found Family JayVik AU inspired by Cloverfield.

Also features: TimeBomb (+ adopted Isha), CaitVi, and Sevika as a disgruntled ex-boxer beer aunt. Focuses on the 60+ft Cosmic Eldritch MH version of Viktor btw.

Premise: The strangest summer of Jayce Talis�� life started with him sleeping through the apocalypse. Somehow, the events that followed just got weirder.

• Falling Fast Through Fragmented Universes: A Sci-Fi planet-hopping + They We’re Roommates GaaLee AU.

Also features: InoSaku, NejiTen and KakaGai.

Premise: An epic monsterlover romance ft. Alien!Gaara who is on a long, arduous journey through several universes, which Lee gets swept up in as a result of saving his life, with a few twists along the way.

• A Reminder: The one and only fic in the Nightcrawler/Scarlet Witch/Toad tag on ao3 🤣💖 This fic is my baby. I’ve been updating it for 6 years and it’s still going strong with the second arc concluding very soon!

Also features: Rogue/Shadow Cat, and Talia Wagner as a major plot point. This AU combines several timelines in one. Starts with X-men: Evolution that realistically develops into the first 2 X-men movies, and beyond, while remaining in-character. If you need prompting to read it, then I’ve received incredible feedback over my years of writing it 🥰😭💖

Premise: 15+ years after parting ways, Wanda and her family get an unexpected visit. Toad learns to be part of a family, and works to reconcile and move past his own demons, and some new, daunting feelings swept under the rug along the way.

Questions for you all: While I’m not asking permission to draw whatever I want, and will do so regardless of the answers, I’m curious to get to know my followers more. I have 3x questions for you all that I’d love to get feedback on:

1. Would you be just as hyped if I drew fanart traditionally as well as digitally? If so, stick around!

2. Are you excited that I’m going to be getting back to creating Naruto & some new X-Men fic/artwork? Fear not, I’m still into Arcane! Also, does OC stuff appeal to you?

3. What would you like to see more of from me this year? No promises, but I’m curious to hear back from you!

#gaara #gaalee #rock lee #naruto #arcane #jayvik #jayce talis #viktor arcane #x men #nightcrawler #scarlet witch #toad x men #mortimer toynbee #todd tolansky #kurt wagner #wanda maximoff #pinning the entomologist

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television-overload · 9 months ago

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What Really Happened

(an NCIS fanfic)

September 2024. Tali has some questions about her parents' trip to Paris nearly fifteen years prior, and she's determined to get the details.

Written for the September 2024 Tiva Fic Challenge! This month's prompt was "Jet Lag: What Really Happened?"

Read on AO3

For as long as Tali could remember, her father had told her a story.

Twenty-four hours in Paris. A whirlwind trip, romantic and magical. The thing is, every time he told the story, it was different. Details changed, dialogue was exaggerated to unbelievable proportions… What it lacked in detail, it made up for in sentimentality.

“And then I told her she was the most beautiful thing in the city, even prettier than the Eiffel Tower when it sparkles.”

“Did you kiss?” Tali would ask, eyes twinkling.

“Uh, yeah, of course. Now will you go to bed?”

Tali could see, now, he just told her whatever would get her to sleep the quickest. While she hadn’t understood back then, it couldn’t have been easy to be so suddenly thrust into fatherhood with no warning. But it never mattered to her. He was her Abba, and he was the best dad she could have asked for.

“No, tell me more!” she’d demand. “What did Ima look like?”

He would adjust the frame on her bed stand, gazing wistfully at the picture within.

“She looked like an angel, just like you.”

Only a few things stayed the same with every retelling, as far as she could figure: Her mother and father together in Paris, a quaint cafe not far from the tourist sites, and a Vespa scooter that they rode around the city together.

That all may have suited her just fine as a bedtime story when she was little, but Tali was almost eleven years old, now. She could tell she wasn't being told the full truth, and she had a feeling some of the details he would recite were entirely fabricated. She'd done the math, compared the story with what she knew of their lives before she was born—what others who knew them then had told her. Oh yeah, she had sources.

It just didn’t match up.

Time to test out those detective skills to get to the bottom of it. Surely those were genetic?

There was a box in her parents’ closet. It had been there as long as they’d lived here, shipped over from the U.S. when they first moved. Mostly, she figured it held boring stuff like paperwork and whatever else had been in her father’s desk at NCIS before he quit. But maybe there was more. Maybe it contained all the answers to every question she’d ever wondered about her parents.

Or maybe not.

Kneeling on the floor of the closet, she surveyed the contents of the plain cardboard box. It was a mess of papers. Considering the journey it had taken across an ocean and later from their old apartment to their new one, she wasn’t surprised. There were a few other items mixed in, a colorful stapler with a cartoon mouse on it, a few dusty looking service awards…

And an envelope. Now that looked promising.

Reaching in, she pulled it out, growing more and more certain that what she held was a stack of photographs. Photographs of what, she could only guess. Had she found clues that might explain what her parents had been doing in Paris years before they would ever move here? If not, what other pictures might her father have kept in his desk at work?

She held her breath as she opened it, carefully plucking at the corner of one of the colorful prints as she pulled it from the stack.

“What do you think you are doing?”

Tali jumped, only narrowly avoiding throwing the pictures across the room in reflex.

“Ima!” she squeaked, wondering if it was too late to hide them behind her back. The box wasn’t off-limits, per se, but it did have a sort of mystical quality that made digging around in it feel like a breach of some code. It was from a time long past—a time her parents didn’t talk about much, at least when she was around.

But there her mother stood in the doorway to her room, arms crossed over her chest as she fixed a suspicious glare in her direction.

“I was just—”

Her words trailed off as her mother’s expression quickly shifted from suspicion to curiosity. “What do you have there?” she asked, her folded arms falling to her sides as she made her way across the room, glancing down at the box splayed open in the closet.

Tali held out the envelope. Well, this had been a mission failure, she thought—at least the stealthy, ninja-like aspect of it. It remained to be seen if she had in fact found what she was looking for.

“Just some pictures, I think,” she mumbled, handing them over reluctantly.

Her ima slipped them out of the envelope and flipped through them, the corners of her mouth quirking up in a wistful smile.

“Honey, I’m home!” a voice singsonged from the entry hall, echoey and distant.

Her dad.

He’d started saying that when he got home from work as a joke, but now he did it unironically. It got old pretty quick, but she did find it endearing, in a way.

“Hey, where is everybody?” he asked, his voice getting louder and clearer with proximity. Before long, he was peeking his head around the doorway. “Uh oh, am I in trouble?” he asked, taking note of the box at their feet. “I swear I threw out those old magazines before we moved.”

Tali briefly wondered what magazines he could possibly be talking about, and why he would have a physical copy of a magazine in the first place, but she was much more interested in the photos her mom was holding.

“Look what our daughter found,” her ima said, waving the glossy prints in her father’s direction.

“Not the… in California…”

Her ima laughed. “No. Not those ones.”

Her father looked somewhat relieved. “Ah, then it must be the ones from my brief stint as a travel photographer,” he mused aloud, setting his briefcase aside and approaching their huddle by the closet. He took one look at the photos in her hand and grinned. “I still think that’s my favorite picture, by the way,” he said, nodding down at the one she held separate from the others, then dipping down to press a quick kiss to her lips.

“I didn’t actually get to see them,” Tali pouted, crossing her arms with a huff. “Ima took them away before I could see what they were.”

Her mother shared a look with her father, communicating in that infuriatingly wordless way they always did. What were they smirking at?

“Why don’t we go sit down on the couch in the living room and we can look through them together, my love,” Ima said at last, flicking off the light in the closet.

Tali supposed that was agreeable. Whatever she had found, she could at least now be certain they were photos from her parents’ past. She followed them out to the sofa, taking a seat between them on the cushions.

“You know what these are?” her mother asked, finally granting her a peek at what she had unearthed from the box.

It took all her self control not to whoop in excitement when she spotted familiar streets and buildings in just the first few photos.

Jackpot.

“Dad told me,” she said, smiling as she came across one of Ima looking through postcards at a shop. That must be her father’s favorite. “You guys came to Paris.”

Her mother nodded. “We were sent here for work, that’s right.”

Wait, go back a second.

“For work?” Tali asked, her forehead crinkling in confusion. “Dad never told me that.”

“He—” Ima’s head slowly turned in her father’s direction, fixing him with a meaningful glare. “What did he tell you?” she asked, her tone light and inquisitive, but Tali could sense the undercurrent of tension her comment had sparked. Dad was in troubleee.

She glanced at him quickly before answering. “Well… It all sounded very… romantic,” she spoke. To her left, her father looked like he was trying to disappear into the cushions, an awkward grin pulling at his lips.

Oh, Abba, surely you knew this would one day come back to bite you?

“Tony!” Ima shouted predictably, smacking him in the arm. “Why did you lie to Tali?”

“I didn’t lie to her,” he asserted, chuckling nervously.

“You told me that you kissed her on the Eiffel Tower!” Tali said, adding fuel to the flame. Ima's jaw dropped, and she shot him a look. It was funny to watch her dad squirm. Only Ima could make him do that.

He held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, I may have embellished a little,” he acknowledged.

Her mother grabbed the nearest throw pillow off the couch and used it to wallop him in the face, all the while concealing a smile. A woosh of air from the attack blew Tali’s hair back, and she giggled uncontrollably, falling back into the cushions.

“Tony, you have never kissed me on the Eiffel Tower,” she countered irritably.

“I haven’t? Well, we should go fix that,” he said, pretending to get to his feet to leave.

Tali rolled her eyes. “Daaaad.”

He sat back down. “Alright, another time,” he acquiesced. “To be fair, what happened in Paris has always been a bit of a secret between your mom and I. I distinctly remember you lying to Nora on that plane, sweetcheeks.”

“And you lied to McGee,” her mom fired back without missing a beat.

“I knew it,” Tali whispered. Okay, so she knew a little more than she was letting on. Uncle Tim will be delighted that she got a confession out of them.

“I’ll admit it,” Dad started, getting serious once more. “The bedtime story version wasn’t quite the truth.”

Well yeah, that was obvious.

“The truth is, we were on assignment for NCIS,” he continued. “Not very romantic, huh? I guess the way I told it is how I wish it had happened. How it should have happened, if I hadn’t been such a coward.”

This brought a fond, slightly sad smile to her mother’s face, and Tali could feel an arm drape over the back of the couch behind her.

“I wouldn’t say it was entirely unromantic,” Ima said, her fingers playing with the short hair at the back of her dad’s head. “She is old enough to hear this story, yes?” she said, her eyes imploring him to agree with her.

“Most of it,” he answered, breathing out a laugh. “I think she can live without the knitting needle incident until she’s a little older.”

“Agreed.”

Tali crossed her legs on the couch, looking back and forth between her parents. She waited with bated breath for the story to begin, but they sure were taking their sweet time.

Sometimes this happened. They'd just go silent and stare at each other with dopey smiles on their faces until someone or something snapped them out of it. It was annoying.

“Hello?” she said, hopefully reminding them of her presence. “You were saying?”

Her dad was the first to break eye contact, reaching out for the stack of photos and flipping through them.

“Right,” he started. “Do you want to start, or should I, sweetcheeks?”

“You go,” Ima said with a nod. “I want to see if you are capable of remembering this correctly.”

Dad opened his mouth as if to argue, but Tali, with the gift of foresight, distracted him with a question before he could start.

“So, what was the assignment?” she asked, blinking up at him imploringly.

“Protection detail,” he answered, shifting his attention back to her. “A witness who needed safe passage back to the U.S. for a trial. Nora was her name.”

“So you just went there to pick her up and that was it?” Tali asked, desperately hoping that wasn't the case. How boring would that be? No, she knew they had fond memories of the trip. There had to be more than that.

“Pretty much,” her dad answered. “But we flew in the day before, so we got to explore a little bit.”

“Tell me!”

Her mother chuckled, shaking her head at Tali's eagerness.

“Your father wouldn't stop making movie references the entire time we were in the city,” she said. “I think as soon as we stepped foot in the airport, he thought we were on some kind of grand adventure. I had to remind him we were there on business, and that we needed to check into the hotel before doing anything else.”

“You should have seen McGee's face when the Director picked us to go,” her dad said with a laugh. “Oh, it was priceless.”

“What happened next?” Tali implored.

Her father crossed his arms and kicked his feet up on the coffee table in front of the couch. “Well, your mom convinced me that we needed to go drop our stuff off at the hotel first, so we caught a taxi. Secretly, I think she just wanted to freshen up, fix her hair and makeup and all that after being stuck on a plane for so long. She had a crush on me back then, you know.”

His eyes met her ima’s here, one eyebrow twitching upward teasingly.

“Oh, shut up,” Ima said, rolling her eyes.

“It's true!”

“Not a crush, that was earlier. This was something different.”

“Looove?” he singsonged, his grin infectious.

“Nooo,” Ima sang right back, matching his tone. “I do not know. Maybe. I do not think even I knew what it was at the time.”

“Well I was pretty in love with you,” he responded, practically radiating heart eyes in her direction. “Obviously.”

“You were not so obvious. I thought you were just being a goofball,” Ima spoke.

Any easy mistake, Tali thought.

“I was trying to flirt with you, but clearly I didn't succeed,” he corrected. “You know, Tali, your mom refused to go sightseeing with me.”

Tali turned to her mother, surprised. “What? Why?”

“We had a mission, I was trying to keep things professional,” she said in her defense. “It was in the best interest of our witness that we get a good night's rest and stay on task.”

Yeah, but that sounded boring.

Her father, evidently, agreed. “You're no fun,” he said with an exaggerated pout.

“I went to dinner with you, didn't I?” Ima asked.

He begrudgingly nodded. “She did go to dinner with me, I'll give her that.”

“And was the dinner not romantic?”

“Hard to find somewhere to eat that doesn't fit that description in this city,” he countered.

Ziva waved her hand in the air with finality. “There you go.”

Tali couldn’t help but feel that they’d gotten a little off track, but it was still fun to hear about their time together before she was born. She tried to picture them, younger than she’d ever seen them and probably a little wilder, too. She wanted to know more.

“So you went to dinner,” Tali summarized, nudging them to tell the rest of the story. “You didn't go anywhere else?”

Ima jumped in next. “Well, your father… He had rented a scooter—you know about the scooter,” she said, referring to the one in the picture Tali still kept on her nightstand. Tali nodded emphatically. This was one element of the story that had remained consistent throughout every retelling. Her mother continued, “He got us so lost on the way back to the hotel after dinner, that eventually I had to tell him to stop so I could ask someone for directions.”

At this, her father looked highly pleased with himself, his small smile concealing an even wider grin.

“Can I let you in on a little secret, sweetcheeks?” he said.

“Hm?”

“I wasn't lost. I knew exactly where we were the whole time.”

Ima’s jaw dropped open, and Tali thought her dad was lucky that Ima was all out of pillows on her side of the couch that could be used as ammunition.

“Tony! We drove around for at least an hour!” she chastised.

“Exactly! How else was I going to take you to look at the pretty lights around the city, or to all the big tourist sites?”

“I cannot believe you.”

“Come on, you loved it,” he said knowingly, tilting his head at her. “You got to put your arms around me for a whole hour.”

Ima raised an eyebrow and Tali could tell she was determinedly resisting the urge to laugh. “Are you sure that was not your motivation for it, then?”

“Oh, it absolutely was,” he answered easily. “If that was the only time I'd get to feel your arms around me, I was gonna make the most of it.”

Blegh, Tali thought. That was one thing that made her different from most kids in her class. Her parents really really loved each other. And they weren’t afraid to show it.

“I did enjoy it,” Ima admitted. “I liked that cologne you used to wear.”

“Well, that's good,” he said, smiling, “I practically drenched myself in it whenever I knew I'd be working in close quarters with you. I think maybe I hoped it would be like some kind of magic potion that would make you fall madly in love with me.”

“I guess it worked,” her mother teased with a shrug, which her father got a kick out of.

“I guess it did,” he said. “Though I hope you love me for more than just the way I smell. That cologne went out of production years ago.”

Ima’s eyes shone, equal parts charmed and amused. “I do. You know I do.”

His lips pulled back in a smile and he leaned forward, meeting Ima’s lips with his own right in front of Tali. She was practically squished between them, forced to endure their display of affection at close range.

“Would you two like to sit next to each other?” she asked, unimpressed. “I feel like I'm not even here.”

Her parents withdrew, her father suppressing a laugh. “Sorry, where were we?”

“Dinner,” she reminded him.

“Right,” he started. “Well, before dinner, we walked around for a bit, looked at all the little shops. That's when I took this picture of your Ima,” he said, holding out the one of her at the postcard stand. “Pretty good, huh?”

“I still think it would look better in black and white,” Ima spoke, looking at it with a critical eye.

“Maybe we could get a copy made, hang it on the wall,” her father offered, which elicited a chuckle.

“Now, I would not go that far.”

“Did you buy anything?” Tali asked, wondering what someone who didn’t live in the city might want to take home with them as a memento.

“Just some souvenirs,” Dad answered. “And a postcard for McGee. ‘Wish you were here!’”

Ima smiled. “Then we sat and ate dinner.”

“You looked so beautiful that day,” her father mused, gazing fondly at the photograph in hand. “I really do wish I had kissed you. I drove you right by the Eiffel Tower.”

“Which was nowhere near our hotel,” she reminded him.

“Pretty sure we've established that I was being sneaky.”

“What happened when you got back to the hotel?” Tali asked.

Ima looked suspiciously at her. “You are being very nosy today, motek. Why the sudden questions?”

Tali shrugged, keeping her face neutral. “I've just always wondered, that's all.”

Ima narrowed her eyes, not fully accepting that as an answer, but eventually, she continued. “Well, we actually had a nice hotel to stay at, for once. Usually when we traveled, at least in the States, NCIS would book us rooms at the cheapest motels they could find.”

“But not this time?”

She shook her head. “Not this time. They wanted us somewhere close to the embassy, where we would be picking up our witness.”

“Wow.” Their jobs sounded so cool, sometimes. Of course, she knew there was a lot of un-cool stuff they hadn’t told her, but what she did know sounded fun. She still sometimes had a hard time believing her boring old parents were once gun-toting federal agents, chasing down bad guys and saving the day. It seemed even more improbable that her Grampa Gibbs had done the same.

“You're skipping over a very important part of the story, Zee-vah,” her father said smugly, bringing her attention back to the tale. “Tell her what the front desk lady said when we tried to check in!”

Ima rolled her eyes and huffed. “Tony, I can tell you want to say this part, so why don't you just do it?”

He grinned excitedly. “Fine. I will. So we walked in this huge, beautiful lobby, right? And I went up to the desk and said, ‘Excuse me, ma’am. There should be two rooms under the name DiNozzo for us, please.’”

“Two rooms?” Tali asked.

“We were just friends back then, you see,” her abba explained. “Actually, we had been going through a bit of a rough patch. Friends might have been pushing it.”

Ima was quick to correct that. “You were my friend, Tony,” she said, looking at him kind of sadly.

He gave a nod. “Friends, then. But not together. And since we were there for work, it was agency policy for two agents of opposite gender to stay in separate rooms.”

That made sense, Tali supposed.

“But then…” Ima started.

“Hey, you said I could tell this part,” her father whined.

“Alright, then get to the point,” she waved him on.

“But then,” he repeated, “the woman at the desk said there was some misunderstanding with our reservation, and they only had one room for us.”

Misunderstanding? Or mischief on Uncle Tim's part as some form of payback for not getting to go to Paris, Tali wondered. She made a mental note to ask him the next time she talked to him.

“Would you have gotten in trouble?” she asked instead.

“We probably would have gotten a slap on the wrist from H.R., and a slap on the head from Gibbs. But no one ever found out,” her father answered.

From what Tali had heard from Uncle Tim, he knew something about what happened. But the specifics were out of his reach too. That’s where Tali came in.

“God, I was so in love with you,” her abba said, gazing lovingly at her ima. “It was pathetic. I don't know how you could have missed it. That mixup with the rooms was like my wildest dream coming true.”

“Tony…”

“I'm sorry if I drove you crazy that night,” he continued, ignoring her attempt to stop him. “I think I was a little drunk on the wine we'd had at dinner still.”

“You were not drunk. I know, because I let you drive us home. You were just… Tony.”

“Mm. Just me, huh?” he asked, smirking at her with a pleased look on his face.

“I found it endearing. Even if I wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation.”

“She offered to take the couch,” he informed Tali. “I told her that she was being ridiculous, that the ginormous bed was big enough for the two of us to share, but she tried to insist. Eventually, I threatened to take the couch myself, and she came to her senses.”

“If I had given up the couch to you, you would have complained about your back the whole flight home the next day,” Ima pointed out.

“Would not!”

Tali had to agree with her mother, here. “Dad, that does sound like you,” she said.

“Now you're ganging up on me! That's not fair!”

“Your father was the perfect gentleman that night, Tali,” Ima continued. “Believe me, I was surprised too. Not even one joke about our situation.”

Her dad seemed shocked at this information as well. “Really? I didn't make any jokes at all?” he asked.

Ima shook her head. “None that I can remember.”

“Huh,” he said. “I was probably too nervous myself to say anything.”

“Why were you nervous?” Tali asked.

“Because,” he started, draping his arm over the back of the couch and over Ima’s shoulder, “sharing a bed with someone—especially someone you're secretly pining for—is a very intimate thing. You kind of lose your sense of personal space. Whatever mask you put on during the day comes off, whether you want it to or not.”

“You guys wore masks during the day?” Tali questioned. She pictured superhero masks, or maybe the kind you wear when you’re sick.

“Not that kind of mask,” he corrected. “I mean the emotional kind, when you don't want other people to see how you're really feeling, so you pretend to feel something else. I used to do that a lot when I was younger, and not quite as wise as I am today.”

“As did I,” Ima agreed.

Tali’s face screwed up in confusion. Everything seemed so simple. Why did they make it seem so complicated?

“Why didn't you just tell each other the truth?” she asked.

This time, her mother answered. “We did, more than we told others at least. But that was a very difficult time for your father and I. We were just learning how to trust each other again.”

“Didn't you always trust each other? You were partners!”

Dad’s knee bumped companionably against her own. “You have to understand, Tali, our jobs were very difficult. I don't think you’re ready for the full story quite yet, but your mom had just been through something horrible and scary, and part of it was my fault.”

Ima’s face fell, and she shook her head. “Tony. It was not your fault,” she said.

“At least some of the blame was mine,” he insisted.

“No. Tony, do not think that way.”

He gave her a small, placating smile. “Alright, we'll agree to disagree,” he said. “But the point is, Tali, it was a very strange time for the two of us. Being completely honest with each other wasn't something we were particularly good at.”

“But we got through it,” she said, reaching for his hand.

He smiled, eyes watering as he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “Yes. Yes we did. We just danced around a lot of things we probably should have discussed much sooner.”

“Like the fact that you loved each other?” Tali offered.

Her dad gave a dry chuckle. “Oh yeah. That was the biggest one of all.”

“We were not ready for that conversation yet, motek,” Ima said, running a hand through Tali’s hair.

“But that didn't stop you from getting all cozy with me that night, did it, sweetheart?”

He waggled his eyebrows at her, teasing her playfully.

“I think that is probably enough for one day,” Ima said, trying her hardest not to smile at his antics. Her cheeks blossomed pink.

“No, let's keep going!” he said, spurring her on. “Look at you blushing, I can't believe you still get embarrassed talking about this!”

“I am not embarrassed, Tony,” she countered.

“You aren't? Could have fooled me. When I brought it up in the morning at that cafe, I thought you were going to strangle me for mentioning it in broad daylight.”

Tali giggled at this back-and-forth that they were so good at. It wasn’t often that her dad managed to get under Ima’s skin in this way, it was usually the other way around.

“I thought there was a mutual agreement never to speak of that night again,” Ima responded, her voice low.

“Well, I never agreed to any such thing.”

Things just got curiouser and curiouser, Tali thought, intrigued. “What? What happened?” she asked eagerly.

“Well, we started out the night happily keeping to our own sides of the bed,” her abba explained. “A nice, sensible space between us.”

“I was asleep, Tony, I cannot be held accountable for–”

“But then your ima, here, decided that I made a much better pillow than the one she was using, so I got a face full of Ziva hair.”

Tali laughed, her mother’s indignant attempts to correct him striking her as utterly hilarious.

“If you were awake, you could have very easily pushed me off you,” Ima argued.

“Now why would I do that?”

“Because, Tony, we were supposed to be keeping a respectable distance!”

“Counterpoint: Your hair smelled really good and, oh yeah, I was super in love with you.”

Ima huffed, having no comeback for such a line. “So you have mentioned.”

“Anyway, it was the best night's sleep I'd ever had,” her father finished. “Ziva?”

“What?”

“Would you agree?” he asked.

Ima blew out a breath, thinking it over. “Well, at the time, I often dealt with nightmares.”

“And?”

“And… You just want me to admit that I woke up in the middle of the night and didn't go back to my side of the bed, don't you?” Ima stared accusingly at Dad.

“Maybe.”

She rolled her eyes. “Alright, yes, I did. I was comfortable, and the dreams weren't as bad as usual for some reason.”

“Hmm, I wonder what that reason was,” Dad said sarcastically, tapping a finger thoughtfully on his chin. But then he looked at Ima again and smiled, his expression melting into one of adoration. “I wish you would have told me all this back then,” he said. “Could have saved both of us a lot of trouble.”

“No point in dwelling on it now,” Ima surmised, and he gently rubbed her shoulder before pulling back.

“When I woke up in the morning, she was still in my arms, conked out and snoring like a freight train,” he continued his tale.

“What a lovely sight that must have been,” Ima said sarcastically.

“It was!” he said. “I could have laid like that forever. I guess, now I get to.”

More mushy stuff. Great. “Okay, I get it. You love each other. Now is that it?” Tali asked.

Dad shrugged. “Pretty much. The next morning your mom got all awkward and tried to pretend we hadn't just spent the night cuddling in the most romantic city in the world,” he narrated.

“Meanwhile, your father woke up in an unnervingly pleasant mood and hurried off to go sightseeing, while I headed to a cafe for a late breakfast.”

Tali turned to her father. “What did you go see, dad?”

“Well, the embassy isn't too far from here, actually,” he spoke, glancing toward the window in their living room. “I drove around for a bit, past the Louvre, saw everything in that area. Took lots of pictures.”

“And then we met up at the cafe for a little while before it was time to pick up our witness,” Ima finished.

“That's when we got that picture taken. The one in your room.”

Her dad told her, sometimes, about the moment he realized she knew who he was. How that picture had been her connection to him before they met, and how it later connected her to her mother while she was away.

Their family’s story was a strange one. For a long time, she hadn't known the particulars, of course. But she was the only kid at school whose mom was off who-knows-where hiding from who-knows-who and doing who-knows-what. Not that she was allowed to talk about any of that. She only picked up bits and pieces when her dad would talk to Pop Pop after she'd gone to bed, and her memories of those conversations were pretty fuzzy.

She also never fully grasped the significance of the lack of pictures from when she was a baby, or the fact that she had been born in Israel, while her father lived in the U.S.

But now, she had begun to piece some things together, and it made her a little sad. She wondered if she would ever fully understand what had happened. Why, until she was six, they had never been a family together, all in one place.

The fact that her parents had been so close, and yet so far from their happy ending back then… Almost fifteen years ago, now…

“Is that why you wanted us to live in Paris?” she asked her father.

“I guess so,” he said, reaching for Ima's hand. “Part of me, I think, hoped we'd find her here right away. Like maybe that picture frame in your bag had been a message telling me where to meet her. But also, yes. We had nothing but good memories here. Seemed a good place for a fresh start.”

“The same cannot be said for the airplane we took back to America with our witness,” Ima joked, lightening the mood.

“Oh, no. Definitely not,” Dad agreed. “If I wanted to experience mortal peril on an airplane, I would just watch Liam Neeson in ‘Non-Stop.’ But then, that movie hadn't come out yet. Come to think of it, I feel like we should have been contacted for our expertise by the studio that made that movie. Do you think they could have given us writing credits?”

Tali sensed that the rest of the story would have to wait for another day. Most of their case stories were like that. Just a couple more years, then maybe she’d be old enough.

“Thanks for telling me,” she said, interrupting her father’s rambling about movies.

“Of course, neshama sheli,” Ima said, placing her hand on her knee.

“Anytime, kiddo. This was fun.”

“And?” Ima prompted.

“And,” he continued, “I’m sorry for making up stories when you were little. I should have told you the truth.”

Tali looked at him, smiling when his eyes met hers. She leaned into his side, and he lifted his arm, welcoming her in for an embrace.

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “I liked your stories. They were like fairy tales.”

He sighed. “If only it had really been like a fairy tale.”

“It is, though!” Tali said seriously, leaning back to face him. “You got your happily ever after, right?”

Dad’s eyes lifted to meet Ima’s, and they shared a smile, another one of their silent conversations.

“You are right, Tali,” Ima said, eyes shining with some deep emotion. “Maybe we had a fairy tale ending after all.”

-.-.-

Tali waited until her parents had gone to bed before sneaking out of her own room and into the kitchen. She found the phone out on the countertop where her father had left it, and quickly navigated to the right name in his contact list.

She pressed the call button and the phone rang. While she waited, she tried to mentally count backwards and estimate the time it was in D.C., but that was entirely too much math for this time of night.

Eventually, the line connected with a click.

“McGee,” the voice on the other end spoke.

“Uncle Tim!” Tali said in a whisper.

“Hey, Trouble!” he greeted jovially. “Whatcha got for me?”

Tali’s chest bubbled with giddiness, and she bit her lip to keep from shouting the answer.

“Uncle Tim, they told me everything!”

-.-.-

Tags <3 @tiva-fic-challenges @benedettabeby @butwhenthesuncameup @earanemith @hopeless-nostalgiac @indestinatus @loudlooks @mrsmungus @nicolem194 @putthekettleon @slippery-soapbox @tivafanfic @tivajunkie @tonysziva @whoa-myninja

#tivachallenges #ncis #tiva #tony dinozzo #ziva david #tiva fanfiction #ncis fanfiction #my fanfiction #ncis: tony & ziva #jet lag

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la-petite-lapin · 1 year ago

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Double the Love | Part Eight

Double the Love masterlist

Simon "Ghost" Riley x Johnny "Soap" MacTavish x female civilian!OC Word Count: 2.1k Series warnings (may change between chapters): 18+ Minors DNI, angst, mentions of death, mentions of violence, excessive swearing, mentions of sexually explicit content, self doubt, OC has anxiety, poor communication, polyamory, M/M/F, FMC is (once again) bad at feelings

The morning after

The next morning, John calls.

Simon and Johnny have left to get some food shopping in, allowing me some much needed time to decompress. I woke up this morning feeling... I don't know. Conflicted. Confused. Like the consequences of getting myself into this - whatever this is - are finally starting to land.

"Hey, Tali," John says softly, and I can hear voices talking in the background. A woman, not Marcella, and a man who sounds fairly pissed off. It takes me a minute to recognise that it belongs to Gaz. "How are things on your end?"

I blow out a long breath. "Everything's okay."

There's a pause. A long pause. An I-know-that's-bullshit kind of one. "Talia, come on. It's me you're talking to." When I don't immediately spill my guts, he adds, "If you won't tell me what's playing on your mind, at least talk to Winslow. Marcella, even. Or, if it's something that the boys have done, try and talk to them about it. They're far more understanding than they look."

My heart stutters in my chest. That's part of the problem. And, to add to that, I don't even know what's wrong.

In the past few days, I've gone from not wanting any sort of relationship at all, to wanting nothing more than to have both of them tell me that they want me. Not even that they love me - God knows that it's far too soon for anything that serious - but something. Any sign that last night was more meaningful to them than a couple hours of mindless fun with a brand-new toy.

But I don't know how to ask. And I don't kind I'm strong enough to handle the inevitable rejection. Not when I've grown to consider them as friends.

"I would... if there was something wrong," I grumble back. My eyes flicker around the empty apartment/ Maybe having some more company around would be a good distraction. "Can you and Kyle come over again, please?"

I can hear the smile in John's voice as he replies. "We're a little busy at the moment, but I'm sure we can sort something out for the weekend. We could watch some more of those God-awful military movies Gaz likes to rip apart."

I snort out a laugh. "Perfect."

We say our goodbyes and John hangs up, muttering something about an 'incident' that he needs to deal with. But, before I can put my phone down, I catch a glimpse of a missed call and a text message from Winslow, all while I was on the call with John.

WINSLOW SLOANE: Call me xx

I'm calling her number before I can even think about it, a sense of panic gripping my chest as I raise the phone to my ear. What if she'd been in an accident? What if she was hurt? Stuck somewhere in a foreign country with no way of me getting to her...?

"Hey, honey," Winnie says immediately, answering on the third ring. Her voice soothes my frayed nerves, so much so that I almost let out a sigh of relief. Just hearing her makes me feel lighter than I have all day.

"I'm so happy to hear your voice." It's only been a matter of days since we last spoke on the phone, but it feels like it was a lifetime ago somehow. Thank God she only has two weeks of her France trip left before she's back home again. "How's Paris?"

Winnie lets out a breathy laugh. "It's been... interesting to say the least. But it's part of the reason why I called." The cold feeling of realisation slides in as she elaborates, "It looks like I might have to stay a little while longer. Just while I help them sort some stuff out and tidy up some loose ends."

My heart seizes at the vagueness of 'a little while longer'. "Okay. How long is that looking?"

"Um... maybe an extra week."

"Oh." It's the only word I can think of.

"I know, I know. I'm really sorry, Tali," Winnie says, and I can hear the genuine sadness in her voice. "I'll be back in time for Alex's birthday though, I promise."

My gaze trails across to the calendar hanging up beside the kitchen. Just under a month. In four weeks, he would have turned thirty.

We would have thrown a big party; which would have pissed Alex off to no end. He would've grumbled about it for months, complaining that he's a private person, which is just a code word for boring, but secretly loving that I'd gone to the effort. Just like his twenty-first.

My heart aching in my chest, I say, "It's okay, Win. You've got to do what you've got to do, and I have the guys here to keep me company." There's a beat of silence, so I follow it up with, "And I'm going back to work, which I've strangely missed."

We both laugh at that.

"Anyway, how've you been?" I can hear Winnie settling in on the other end of the line. I find it more amusing than I care to admit that she's still so invested in what's going on back here while she's living it up overseas. Despite it being a work trip, I've seen her Instagram posts. She's thriving over there.

"I've been good. But there is something you might be interested to know."

Winnie giggles. "Oh? Please enlighten me."

A mischievous grin forms on my lips. "I slept with them. Both of them."

There's a long stretch of silence. It's a pause so long that, for a minute, I think the call might have dropped.

"Winnie? You still there?"

She coughs, spluttering for a second. "Still here. Just stunned into silence because... wow! You really did it? With both of them? How did that even work? What was it like? I have so many questions, Tali! You can't just drop a bomb like that than and not expect me to have questions!"

A laugh slips past my lips, dissolving into a burst of laughter. "It was something new. But it was fun. They didn't take everything all serious and alpha like some guys probably would. They made it fun, we laughed about stuff, and the aftercare was perfect."

"10 out of 10 would recommend then?"

"I would," I reply, letting myself smile. Despite all of the conflicted feelings I have about what happens now, it doesn't in any way diminish how unwaveringly happy I feel thinking about last night.

We talk a bit more - mostly about all of the interesting people Winnie has met in Paris, the new places she's seen, and all the restaurants she's tried - before she has to go. We say our goodbyes and I promise to call her in the morning on my way into the office. Not long after, I hear the sound of the spare key turning in the lock, and I look up to see Johnny nudging the front door open.

He's beaming, a broad smile on his face and two overflowing shopping bags in his hands. Simon follows him into the kitchen, carrying the other three. He nods to me on his way past, a black surgical mask covering the lower half of his face.

"Want to help us with the meal plan, princess?" Si calls out from the kitchen.

Huh?

I follow them through into the kitchen to find Johnny leaning over the counter with a piece of paper and a pen, as Simon dutifully unpacks the bags. Johnny takes one glance at the questioning look on my face before offering me one of his most charming smiles. "Me and Si were talking. Did'nae think it's fair for ye to be doing all the cooking, not when ye're going back to work now. And we eat most of it."

A frown forms on my lips. "I didn't complain about it."

Si turns around now. "We know, but we don't think it's right. You do a lot for us already, darlin'. Just let us do something for you."

I try not to blush as I fold my arms across my chest. "Fine. Okay."

Johnny grins. "So, what do ye want on Monday?"

After dinner, we settle in to watch TV in the living room. I fold myself into my armchair, letting Johnny and Simon cuddle up together on the sofa.

It's hard not to keep glancing over at them; even harder to hold back the un-earned feeling of jealousy that keeps nipping at my heart. They're a couple. They're allowed to act lovey-dovey in the privacy of their own home.

Home. Thinking about that makes it even worse. At some point - when all of their army drama blows over - they're going to leave.

Logically, I know that. I know that me, them, and Winnie can't all live in this two-bedroom apartment together, but it still stings. It's irrational, and I know it.

I watch as Simon runs his fingers through Johnny's hair - the Scotsman all but asleep with his head in his partner's lap - as I swallow down the growing resentment. Bitterness coats my tongue, and I swallow thickly.

Simon looks over, because of course he does, with a questioning look of concern. Mask-free, it's all too easy to see his expression now. It almost hurts to look at his face; to know just how beautiful he was.

I shake my head and close my eyes, kicking myself for being so stupid about this.

We're all grown-ups. We agreed to have sex. It was one night.

But then why does my chest burn when I think about them, like someone's trying to squeeze the life out of me?

"You alright, love?"

I nod, my eyes still firmly shut. Why did I do this to myself? Let myself have a taste of the one thing I can't have from them?

"Hey, love," Simon calls again, voice laced with something I can't place. "Open your eyes for me, yeah?"

So, I do. I open my eyes and level him with the blankest expression I can muster. "I don't feel well. I'm going to go for a walk," I say, thankfully giving no hint of my emotions. "I'll be back before midnight."

His hazel eyes harden. "Not on your own you're fucking not."

I wince, but something in my resolve strengthens. "You can't tell me what I can and can't do."

"I'm not telling you what to do," he growls. "I'm saying it's dark out, it's cold as fuck, and I'm not having you out there alone surrounded by a bunch of creeps while I sit in here like a lemon."

We stare at each other for a long, long time.

Uncharacteristically, he breaks the silence first. "Just let me put Johnny in our room and I'll come with you." He nods to the dead-weight of a completely knocked-out Johnny's cheek resting on his muscular thighs.

My temper flares. "I didn't invite you."

I can feel Simon battling his anger from here. I also get the distinct impression that if I was anybody else - other than Johnny - I'd have already received the bollocking of my lifetime for being so damned difficult right now.

"The only way you're leaving this flat tonight, princess, is if I'm with you," he grumbles, hazel eyes dark and unwavering as he pins me with a glare. A glare that tells me Ghost is back. "I'll lock you in your room to keep you safe if I fucking have to."

I match him with a fierce glare of my own. "Why do you fucking care?"

That seems to take him aback. His eyes soften, the harsh line of his mouth pulling down at the corners, making the scars around it all the more apparent. "Of course I care."

"But why?" A hollow laugh slips past my kips and I spring up from my armchair, starting to pace in front of the TV. I'm completely aware that I must look borderline hysterical as I look at him with wild eyes. "I'm just one of the many, many women you two have fucked. Why do you care if I want to go walking at night? If I cook dinner?"

Simon's frown deepens. "That's not what this is. You know that."

"Really?" I gesture wildly to Johnny, who's still blissfully unaware of what's happening. "All night you've been cuddled up, while I've just sat here and... and watched you. Do you know how much that hurts? After last night when you made me feel so fucking included? And now you're back to making me feel like an outsider." The words spill out of their own accord, frantic and rushed as I feel the tears start to roll down my cheeks. A broken-sounding laugh bubbles up from my throat. "I've spent all day telling myself I wouldn't do this because it's so fucking embarrassing. It was one night, and now you're both going to think I'm crazy."

Si stares back at me and the expression on his face is so heartbroken that it hurts. "I... we didn't know you'd see it like that."

My heart cracks in two inside my chest. The tears pour even faster as I glare down at my slipper-covered feet.

How could I be so reckless? I've just ruined everything.

"Tali, can you come here please?"

My eyes trail back to Simon. To his hand patting the tiny space on the sofa beside him - the side not occupied by Johnny, soft snores pouring out of his mouth like cats' purrs. My feet carry me across the room. I slot myself into the gap beside Simon, trying not to let any part of my body touch his. Preparing myself for whatever it's not you, it's us speech that is inevitably coming.

a/n: hey guys! hope you've enjoyed part 8 :) sorry that it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it was getting quite long and I try to stick around 2.5k words to make it flow better i'm aiming to have part 9 out by the end of next week, but I won't make any promises just yet <3 - much love, lapetitelapin

#cod #cod fanfic #fanfic #ghoap x reader #simon “ghost” riley x reader #soap x reader #callofduty #cod x reader #ghost x reader #ghost x reader x soap #female reader #female oc #johnny mactavish x reader #johnny x reader x simon #simon riley x reader #double the love #romance #angst

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winterscaptain · 2 months ago

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🌹more Haley and mom! Plssss 🥰

send me a 🌹 for a snippet of a finished ajf chapter! let me know what you wanna see!

working title: scandalized timeline: summer 2009

“I’m not scandalized,” you lie, because you absolutely are. “I just didn’t realize this was where we were going this evening. I thought we were still on, like, sauces and wine pairings.”

“We were,” she says, solemnly. “And now we’re here. With me contemplating whether tepid oral is a legitimate reason for buyer’s remorse on a divorce.”

You nearly drop your glass. “Haley. That’s…that’s an insane thing to say.”

“I know.” She says solemnly, putting her hand over her heart. “I’m living it.”

You lean against the counter, half-laughing, half-wheezing. “Okay. Let me be clear. Are you even playfully considering getting back together with Aaron because of Joseph’s lackluster oral resume and average dick? Or is this just a broad philosophical crisis?”

She sips. “Definitely philosophical. I mean, Aaron’s not… he’s not like that either.”

You raise a brow. “Not like what?”

She gives you a look.

“Okay,” you say, laughing. “Okay, boundaries. I’ve found mine.”

“No you haven’t,” she grins. “You’re dying to ask.”

#🌹 ask game #tali talks cm #tali answers stuff #lostinthefandoms11]#linds tag #a joyful future

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notebooks-and-laptops · 2 years ago

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* I've left dalish/elvish stuff off here because that's pretty much expected of Dreadwolf with it's set up

#dragon age #dao #da2 #dai #dragon age dreadwolf

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star55 · 1 month ago

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Bed Chem: The Sexcapades of Caitlyn Kiramman Chapter Six

Title: Bed Chem: The Sexcapades of Caitlyn Kiramman Author: Star Chapter: Six/Eighteen Word Count: 12,914/207,000+ Pairing: Cait/Vi Fandom: Arcane (League of Legends) Rating: Explicit Chapter Warnings: therapy.

Read on AO3

First thing on Monday morning finds Caitlyn once again at the health clinic near the university. She feels like she needs a punch card for how many times she’s been here since the school year started. Even though this is only her third visit, she still feels like it’s been a lot, especially since she’s still in the first semester of her third year.

She approaches the reception desk and says she has an appointment. The receptionist, this time it’s a white man in his mid-twenties nods and takes Caitlyn’s details.

Caitlyn goes to sit in the waiting area, figuring she can look over her calendar while she waits.

“Miss Talis!” Gina, the Black nurse with golden brown eyes that she’s seen several times now, greets her. It’s still a relief that Gina keeps up her ruse around others. After Caitlyn’s second appointment with her, she had asked if Gina would be okay with that, and she was relieved when Gina said she would.

Caitlyn gives her a small smile and follows her into the examination room.

“How are we today?” she asks.

“Good,” Caitlyn replies. “I’m just here for another health screening.”

Gina nods. “Alright. You know the drill.”

Caitlyn gets comfortable on the chair, and rolls her sleeve up, ready for blood to be drawn.

“How many sexual partners have you had since we last spoke?”

“Two,” Caitlyn says with a slight wince. “I’d normally be in after each one, but one was on Friday, and the other yesterday, so I wasn’t really thinking about being tested in between each one.”

Gina nods. She puts gloves on and cleans the crook of Caitlyn’s elbow with an alcohol wipe, preparing to take blood.

While Gina takes the blood, Caitlyn stays silent. Once the blood has been taken, and a pressure pad put over the wound, she lowers her sleeve.

“Okay,” Gina says. “Those results will be ready in a few days. Let’s get to the boring stuff now.”

Gina asks the usual questions, and Caitlyn answers honestly. The appointment doesn’t take long, and by the time they’re done, Caitlyn is relieved.

“You’ll get a text message with the results since that’s what you have opted into. But if you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to come back.”

Caitlyn nods. She stands and straightens her shirt. “Thank you,” she says.

Gina gives her a smile. “Any time. Have a good day.”

“You too,” Caitlyn replies.

She wanders back through to the reception area, and as she pushes open the door to the outside, she comes face to face with Blake, the receptionist from the Smith Mental Health Clinic that she had visited.

“Oh!” Caitlyn says, startled when they almost crash into each other.

“Hey,” Blake says with a smile. “It’s good to see you!”

Caitlyn reflexively smiles. “You too,” she says. Then she steps aside. “Sorry, are you going in?”

“I am,” Blake replies. “But I have time to chat. Did you take my recommendation?” she asks. They both step away from the entrance of the building in case anyone else wants to get in or out.

“I did,” Caitlyn says with a nod. “Thank you for that. My first appointment is this afternoon.”

“Good! And thank you for putting in that complaint about Travis. He is officially under review!” Blake replies with a smile. “Literally everyone at the office is relieved. The atmosphere has been tense but there’s definitely a feeling of relief that he isn’t coming in every day.”

It feels odd to Caitlyn to feel good about that. She didn’t want someone to lose their job, but he was clearly not fit for the position he was in. And she can’t even begin to think about how badly he was treating others if the way he treated her was to go by.

“I’m glad things are easier for you,” Caitlyn replies as diplomatically as possible.

Blake smiles at her. “We're all just glad that he is getting what he deserves. I guess being a Kiramman has its perks.”

Reflexively, Caitlyn glances around. Thankfully she doesn’t see anyone around that she knows. “I don’t tend to use my surname around here,” she begins, “people don’t take kindly to my family at times, as you’ve witnessed.”

“Ahh, got it. Sorry,” Blake says with an apologetic look. “Anyway, I’d better go. I have an appointment.”

“Yes, of course, sorry,” Caitlyn says as she steps aside to let Blake into the clinic.

“Have a good day. It was good seeing you,” Blake says as she opens the door.

“You too,” Caitlyn returns.

She glances down at her watch and figures she has enough time to stop at the campus café before her class starts.

~*~

Later that afternoon brings about Caitlyn’s first therapy appointment with the clinic that Blake had suggested.

She’s nervous as she fills out the paperwork. She hesitates at the top of the page when it says ‘surname’ and she wonders if she should fill out the Talis surname or not. But Gina’s voice rings in her head, telling her that it’s an official medical form. And while the last thing she wants, or needs, is a repeat of what happened with Travis, Caitlyn can’t bring herself to lie on another form. In the end, she leaves it off, figuring that she’ll answer that question in person.

When she’s called through, she glances up to see a warm smile on the face of a chubby older woman with light brown skin and grey streaks in her golden-brown hair. Her brown eyes are kind, which Caitlyn takes as a good sign. She follows her through to a room that is quite large, has a bookshelf along one wall, with an array of books. Caitlyn is surprised to see novels she actually recognises on the shelves.

“I’m a bit of a reader,” the woman says. “Sorry, I’m Doctor Olivia Fields.”

“Caitlyn,” she replies with a soft smile. “Oh, I’ve read that one!” She starts to point to Mistakes Were Made and then hesitates.

“That one is a favourite of mine,” Olivia says. “My wife got a kick out of reading it because she’s more than ten years older than me.”

That statement alone puts Caitlyn at ease. “I read it recently. It was very… eye opening.”

Olivia smiles and nods. She gestures for Caitlyn to sit down on one of the couches – of which she has two. They’re plush, and comfortable looking. She sits down and immediately pulls one of the throw cushions into her lap.

“So I hear you had a bit of a confrontation over at the Smith Clinic?” Olivia says.

Caitlyn nods. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“I’m guessing that’s why you left your surname off the forms then?”

Caitlyn hesitates but nods. “Yes,” she replies. “I… I was immediately judged for my surname rather than the issues I was hoping to discuss. And, well. Here I am.”

Olivia nods. “Well, rest assured,” she starts, “I know who you are, sorry about that, but I do read the papers.”

A wince crosses Caitlyn’s face.

“Oh no, it’s all good things, I promise,” Olivia says. “But I’m also extremely good with faces. You beat my daughter for the title of Runeterra’s youngest marksman when you were thirteen.”

“That was so long ago,” Caitlyn remarks.

Olivia smiles and shrugs. “I’m good with faces,” she repeats. “So, I’m going to tell you a bit about myself, and what I do here to try and make this as comfortable for you as possible, okay?”

Caitlyn nods. “I’d appreciate that.”

“I thought you would,” Olivia replies.

The way Olivia speaks is soothing, Caitlyn thinks. She doesn’t boast or brag, she states things plainly, and when she speaks about specific achievements, there is a hint of pride in her voice, but nothing that feels like a red flag to Caitlyn.

The more distance she gets from the Travis incident, the more she realises the flags were there from the start. So she tells Olivia this. She tells her how he checked her out, and then dismissed her autism diagnosis because it came from Ionia. And then everything else comes tumbling out – the weight of being a Kiramman in another country. A country where she didn’t have the sway or power that she does in Piltover, but a place where people still knew who she was. A place that was meant to be like home to her, but felt anything but. Right down to how she blew up at her mother, and how they’ve been seeing a therapist together as well.

When she’s sure she’s gone over her allotted hour, Caitlyn sits back heavily in her seat, feeling exhausted. She’s glad she doesn’t have any classes to go to after this, because she isn’t sure she would have the capacity to even pick up a pen let alone pay attention to her professors.

“Thank you for sharing all of that, Caitlyn,” Olivia says. “I think by the time our next session comes around, I’ll have some solid starting off points for us.”

Caitlyn nods. “Thank you,” she says.

“But in the meantime, I know you didn’t go to Doctor Stewart for what you just told me,” Olivia starts, “so if you have it in you, can you tell me why you organised to see him?”

Caitlyn takes a sip of her water and nods. “I’m having relationship troubles,” she says. “It’s something I explained to my mother. But my friend Vi – my neighbour – said to come and get a professional opinion on why I think I’m unlovable.”

A sad look passes over Olivia’s face. “I have a book to recommend you,” she says, standing. She gets up and goes over to her bookcase. Among the colourful spines are also non-fiction books, Caitlyn notices, wondering how she didn’t spot that earlier.

“Aha,” Olivia says, plucking out a slim volume. “Here. Give this a start. I don’t need it back before our next session, you can keep it for as long as you like. But I suggest giving this a read. You might find it very illuminating.”

Caitlyn nods. “Thank you,” she says.

“Now, do you have someone who can come and collect you?”

Caitlyn shakes her head. “No, I drove.”

Olivia purses her lips for a brief moment. “I’d rather you take a taxi home, or get someone to collect you. Especially since it’s been such a big afternoon for you.”

Caitlyn hesitates. “I’ll see if a friend can collect me.”

“Okay,” Olivia says. “Feel free to wait in the waiting room for as long as you need. Help yourself to water and any snacks, too.”

“Thank you,” Caitlyn replies. She exits Oliva’s room and dials Jayce’s number. It goes straight to voicemail. She sighs and rubs her face. She could call her mother, or even her father, but chances are they’d both not answer, either.

Caitlyn hesitates before dialling Vi’s number.

She picks up on the second ring.

“Hey, Cupcake,” she greets, her voice cheery.

“Hey,” Caitlyn replies. “I’m sorry to ask such a huge favour off you, but are you free?” She explains that her therapist doesn’t want her to drive home and she doesn’t even get to finish explaining before Vi is agreeing, saying she’ll be there as quickly as possible.

Relief fills Caitlyn. She sits down on the couch in the waiting room and has some more water.

In the twenty minutes it takes Vi to get there, Caitlyn has finished her water, and realised just why Olivia had wanted her to wait. She yawns widely just as Vi opens the door and looks far more gorgeous than she has any right to. She lifts her sunglasses up onto her head and gives Caitlyn a soft smile.

“C’mon,” she says softly, holding out a hand. Caitlyn takes it and lets herself be hauled up off the couch.

They wander into the car park and Caitlyn looks around, trying to spot Vi’s Subaru.

“Where are you parked?” Caitlyn asks.

“I’m driving you home in your car,” Vi replies. “I caught a taxi.”

“Vi,” Caitlyn says. “That’s a ridiculously far way to go by taxi!”

Vi just shrugs. “I have all of this extra money from the Kiramman Foundation coming into my account every single week,” she says as she slides her sunglasses back onto her face with an effortless movement.

Caitlyn ducks her head, trying not to flush. She opens her handbag and fishes her keys out, passing them over.

“You’ll have to adjust the seat,” Caitlyn says. “Since I’m taller than you.”

“Are you calling me short, Cupcake?” Vi teases.

Caitlyn smiles. “Maybe.”

Vi gives her a mocked offended glance and unlocks the car. She opens Caitlyn’s door for her and after Caitlyn has slid into the passenger seat, Vi shuts the door behind her.

“When’s your next appointment?” Vi asks when they have been driving for ten minutes. Caitlyn has been silent the whole time, all talked out for the moment.

“Every Monday at four,” she replies.

Vi nods. “There’s bound to be snacks in the glovebox if you want,” she says. “Powder is always leaving candy in here.”

Caitlyn shakes her head. “I’m good, thank you.”

She doesn’t expect Vi to walk her to her front door, or to even come into the house with her, but she does.

“What else do you need?” Vi asks softly once Caitlyn is, essentially, wrapped in a blanket burrito on her couch.

“I think I’ve got everything I need,” Caitlyn says.

Vi nods. “Just call me if you need me, okay?” she says. “Any time. And I can send Powder over once she’s finished with her robotics club?”

“That would be lovely, thank you,” Caitlyn replies.

“Alright,” Vi says. She leans over and kisses Caitlyn’s forehead. “Enjoy whatever garbage show Powder has you hooked on.”

Caitlyn smiles and does just that.

It isn’t until Vi has gone that Caitlyn realises just how much Vi did for her this afternoon, and how loved she feels from those simple acts alone.

~*~

The next day, Caitlyn is surprised to see that Maddie isn’t in class. She looks around for her, wondering where she could be, but she can’t see that familiar ginger bob anywhere.

Once she’s exited the class, she heads for her reserved library room, figuring that she could get some extra work done. Her project is due before the winter holidays start, and she wants to get as much done as she can.

To her immense surprise, Maddie is in the room, waiting for her. Caitlyn does a double take and she sits down opposite her.

Maddie doesn’t say anything, though, and Caitlyn spends the entire time waiting to see if she’ll say anything.

She’s also surprised when Quinn comes in just over an hour later and kisses Maddie hotly in front of her.

“How are you, Caitlyn?” Quinn asks, her hand resting on Maddie’s shoulder.

“I’m well, and you?” Caitlyn asks.

Quinn smiles. “I’m good. Are you ready, babe?”

Babe? Caitlyn thinks. Maddie nods and stands. She gives Caitlyn one glance before standing.

“Maddie, wait,” Caitlyn says, abruptly standing. “Can we talk?”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Maddie says. She opens the door to their study room wide. “But maybe you have some more things you’d like to say to my mother? Or would you just like to fuck her again?”

If Caitlyn were anyone else, she probably would have deflated at that.

“I had no idea she was your mother,” Caitlyn says as calmly as she can.

“So that makes it okay?” Maddie asks.

Caitlyn frowns, confused. “Well, yes? We were two consenting adults. We both knew it was just sex –”

Maddie scoffs. “Caitlyn,” she says, shaking her head. “I don’t want to hear your excuses. It’s bad enough that my mum had sex with someone my own age, but it’s an entire other thing to know that it was with a Kiramman.”

She can hear that the entire library around them goes quiet. She has no doubts that Maddie did that on purpose, especially with the slight smirk on her lips. It’s gone as quickly as it came, Caitlyn notices.

She opens her mouth to say something but Maddie walks out. Quinn shoots her an apologetic look before following after Maddie.

Caitlyn shuts the door and locks it. She leans heavily against it, knowing full well that everyone within hearing distance will have heard that, and all of her careful planning and only using her first name wherever possible has been completely undone in a matter of seconds.

She had no idea that Maddie knew who she was, and she had been careful to never leave any identification around. She made sure of that with every single person she brought home, and literally every person she’s introduced herself to since starting here at the Academy. On anything that required a surname, she just wrote Talis and no one blinked. She’s never been questioned on it once, so she figured no one really cared.

How wrong she was.

Her phone pings in her pocket fifteen minutes later.

Where are you? It reads. It’s Powder.

Caitlyn texts her where she is and not even five minutes later, there’s a knock on the study room door.

“It’s Powder,” she says. “Open up.”

Caitlyn gets up off the floor where she didn’t even realise she’d sank to and she unlocks the door. Powder stares at her. Then she throws her arms around Caitlyn in a massive hug.

“I’ll gut her for you,” Powder says emphatically as she lets go of Caitlyn. “I’ll gut her like a fish and… well, I don’t know, I’m not good with metaphors.”

Caitlyn gives a wet laugh and shakes her head, trying to compose herself. “How bad is it?”

Powder’s wince is all of the answer that Caitlyn needs.

“So… the entire university knows?”

“I mean, I’m sure Vi’s space nerd friends haven’t heard yet,” Powder says. Caitlyn chuckles, shaking her head.

“I’ve been so careful, Pow,” Caitlyn says, sitting back down at the table. “I never used my own last name on anything. I… I don’t know how she found out.”

Powder shrugs and sits on the table, swinging her legs. “I don’t know… there’s something evil about gingers.”

Caitlyn nudges Powder’s thigh, and Powder just grabs her hand, putting it on her lap, lacing their fingers together.

“Alright,” Powder says. “Are we going to stay in this study room forever, or are we going to get you out of here?”

Caitlyn groans, covering her face with her free hand. “I can’t stay here forever.”

“Atta girl,” Powder says, jumping off the table. “I’ve got you, okay? I’ve got a mean glare, and I’m wearing my ‘don’t fuck with me’ boots. We’ve got this.”

Caitlyn gives her a small smile. “Thank you,” she says.

Powder gives her a hug. “That’s what family is for.”

Caitlyn grabs the rest of her things, slings her bag over her shoulder, and nods at Powder. She squares her shoulders and lets Powder lead her out of the room.

The whispers start the second Caitlyn opens the door. She walks with her head held high, and a single focus in mind to just get out of the library. True to her word, Powder glares at everyone who so much as dares to look at Caitlyn the wrong way.

They make it all the way home and Caitlyn has never been more relieved to reach her house than she is. She shuts the door firmly behind them and leans against it.

“Well, that’s fucked,” Powder says, looking at her phone. “I didn’t know that you seduced Maddie’s mum and also broke up her parents?”

Caitlyn looks at Powder, bewildered. “What?”

Powder shoves her phone in her pocket. “It’s just shitty rumours. Think nothing of it,” she says. “We can get that little… Ha, she is kind of little, isn’t she?”

“Powder, you are also short,” Caitlyn points out.

Powder pouts. “You don’t need to bring logic into this. Well, I’m sure Mama Kiramman can do something about this. Or we can go to the university head and make a formal complaint about bullying?”

Caitlyn shakes her head. “A Kiramman using their status to make a formal complaint about bullying? That’ll never go down well. Especially considering that absolutely no one is likely to side with me and say they heard what Maddie said to me.”

“Well, shit,” Powder says. “I’m ordering spicy noodles.” She picks up her phone again and Caitlyn watches her thumbs fly across the screen.

“I need to go inform my mother of all of this,” Caitlyn says, pushing off from her front door. “I won’t be long.”

Powder nods. “I’m watching your television anyway.”

Caitlyn nods at her and heads up the stairs, dialling her mother’s personal number.

Thankfully, she picks up quickly and Caitlyn relays the events of the afternoon to her. She can practically hear her mother pursing her lips. It brings her some comfort knowing she’s on her side.

“I wish you’d let me deal with this,” Cassandra says. She sighs. “But you’re right. If anything further happens, let me know, please? I’m sure there would be something I could do.”

Caitlyn nods. “Are… are you disappointed?” she asks, voice quiet.

She’s perched on the edge of her bed, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. She wants nothing more than for this day to be over, but she needs to hear her mother’s opinion.

“Disappointed in what, sweetheart?” Cassandra asks. “It wasn’t your choice for Maddie to be the daughter of the woman you were having… dalliances with. Maddie handled that very poorly. That reflects on her, not on you.”

Caitlyn can’t help but scoff at that. “Unfortunately, that isn’t true. I’ve been informed that the majority of the university knows what happened at the library. Suffice to say that reflects on me.”

Cassandra hums. “Yes, well, my point still stands. You have done nothing to disappoint me.”

Warmth blooms in Caitlyn’s chest. “Thank you, Mother. I needed to hear that.”

“I love you, Caitlyn,” Cassandra says. “If you need anything at all – even if it’s to come home for a few days, please just let me know.”

They say their goodbyes and Caitlyn hangs up, holding her phone in her hands. She stares at the black screen, wondering just how fucked up things managed to get in such a short time.

After she’s changed into her comfortable house clothes, Caitlyn heads down the stairs. Powder is laying out their food on her coffee table, and their favourite terrible reality television show is lined up to watch.

“I called Vi,” Powder says. “I told her everything because she deserved to hear it from one of us first.”

Caitlyn nods. She settles onto the couch, pulling a blanket onto her lap and picking up a container of noodles. “Thank you,” she says.

“It’s alright,” Powder replies. “Now, let’s pick up where we left off. Because shit is about to get juicy.”

~*~

The rest of the week, Caitlyn attends her classes like usual. She ignores any and all pointed comments and stares and focuses on her work. Her after class, her clubs are filled with curious glances and less whispers, but no one approaches her outright.

As far as she’s concerned, she didn’t even do anything wrong. She’s an adult who had sex with another consenting adult. It just happened to be her classmate’s mother. Of course she would have preferred it to not involve anyone she knew at all, but she can’t help that. She can only focus on moving on.

That, and she has an emergency therapy appointment scheduled for tonight.

Caitlyn is thankful that it’s Friday and she has no plans except homework.

What she doesn’t expect, however, is that Maddie is, once again, in Caitlyn’s study room when she approaches it on the Friday afternoon. She was hoping for some time alone to get some research done.

“What are you doing here?” Caitlyn asks, standing in the doorway. “I have this room reserved.”

Maddie looks up, her grey eyes pinning Caitlyn to the spot. “Actually, you’ll find that I do.”

Caitlyn frowns. She pulls up the digital room reservation on her phone and stares. “How did you change this? You knew I had this room booked for the entire school year.”

Maddie shrugs casually. She leans back in her chair, a smirk on her lips. “You ought to be careful leaving your laptop unattended,” she says. “You never know who might have a poke around.”

Without dignifying that with a response, Caitlyn turns on her heel and leaves. She can feel several gazes on her as she heads down to the main area of the library. She approaches the reception desk and patiently waits for someone to approach her.

A young boy, probably a second year, with big, round glasses, and deep brown skin walks out of the back room a moment later. He nods at her as he approaches.

“Hey,” he says casually. Caitlyn can see that his name tag reads Sam. “What’s up?”

“I’d like to see if there are any study rooms available to book, please,” she asks politely.

“Sure, one sec.” Sam turns to his computer, typing away. He frowns and then clicks a few more times. He turns back to her after a few minutes and shrugs his head. “Unfortunately, they’re all booked for the rest of the school year. Which is weird, because that never happens.”

Caitlyn frowns. “That’s odd – I passed at least five empty ones upstairs.”

Sam shrugs. “I don’t know what to tell you,” he says. “But the computer says they’re all booked. And I can’t double book them. Sorry.”

She nods. “Thank you for your help,” she says. She grips the strap of her bag tighter and heads outside. She pauses in the courtyard, mulling over everything that Maddie said.

Dread sinks in her stomach.

She pulls out her phone and texts Powder to meet her at the on-campus café when she’s finished with her last class of the day.

Thankfully, she doesn’t have to wait too long. She’s just finished off her muffin and her cup of tea when the door opens and Powder walks in. She sits across from Caitlyn and picks up the second muffin, taking a massive bite.

“What’s up?” Powder says, crumbs falling from her mouth. She shrugs at herself and dusts the crumbs onto the floor.

“How good are you with computers?” she asks.

“Pretty good,” Powder replies. “I mean, I code a lot. I’m in robotics, after all, it’s kind of essential.”

“And how good are you at finding out if someone has tampered with something on your computer?”

Powder gives her a look. “Pretty good. But not as good as my old friend, Ekko. I’m guessing this is related to Maddie?”

Caitlyn nods. “Can you arrange a time for us to meet him? I think I need someone I can trust to look at my computer.”

Powder nods. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone. She types away on her screen for a few moments, and once she’s finished eating her muffin, her phone has pinged with a reply.

“He’ll meet us tonight,” Powder says, her gaze not leaving her screen. “He requires a neutral location, pizza, and your laptop.”

Caitlyn nods. “Would he come to my place?” she asks.

Powder shakes her head. “Nope,” she replies. “He’ll come to my parents’ though. I’ll text them that we’re bringing dinner tonight.”

“Thank you, Powder,” Caitlyn says as Powder’s thumbs fly across her screen once more.

“My brothers will be home, so it’s a good thing you’re rich,” Powder says with a cheeky grin. “Because everyone will want their own pizza. I’ll make sure Vi comes, too.”

“Only if she’s free,” Caitlyn says. “I have therapy at five, so I’ll meet you at your parents’ after that, if that’s okay?”

“Yeah, that’ll be cool,” Powder replies. “Just bring the pizzas with you. I’ll text you what everyone likes to make it easier for you.”

“I appreciate this a lot, just so you know,” Caitlyn says.

Powder smiles up at her. “I keep telling you that you’re family,” she replies. “This is what family does. We stick together.”

Caitlyn can’t help but smile. “Thank you all the same.”

“Alright I had better get back – I have a robot to finish. And I am going to use it to smash someone else’s to smithereens.” Powder gets up, places a somewhat sticky kiss on Caitlyn’s cheek before exiting the café.

Caitlyn sighs. She rubs her temples with one hand and gets up. She figures she had better take a taxi to her appointment, because she has no idea how she’s going to be feeling afterwards and she’d rather be safe than sorry.

Before too long, Caitlyn is sitting in Oliva’s office, thanking her for fitting her in on such short notice.

“I have emergency appointments available for a reason,” Olivia says, sitting down opposite Caitlyn. “There’s no need to thank me. So, what brings you in today?”

Caitlyn takes a deep breath. “So I had sex with my classmate’s mother, except I didn’t know she was the mother of my classmate, and said classmate found it fit to inform the entire university.”

Olivia blinks. “Okay,” she says. She clicks her pen and positions it above her paper. “We can work through this.”

Caitlyn nods. And the entire story comes out. She says about how she’s been having casual sex with different women since she got back into Piltover. How she’d met Valerie at the bookstore, and how they’d had instant chemistry.

She tells Olivia everything, right down to Maddie catching them and telling everyone on Tuesday.

As they talk it out, Caitlyn feels lighter. She hasn’t laid it all out like that before, and it sounds wild when she realises just how much she’s been through since returning to Piltover.

Thankfully, Olivia gives her some coping strategies because Caitlyn feels so overwhelmed with everything. She takes notes in her phone and nods appreciatively when Olivia says she’ll give her paper copies as well.

“But the most important thing,” Olivia says, and Caitlyn looks up. “Is that you don’t feel ashamed. Sex between two consenting adults is hardly scandalous. The downside is that it was your classmate’s mother. Which we can’t do anything about. We can only control our own responses and reactions. We can’t control anyone else’s.”

Caitlyn nods. “I know,” she says. “But I just…” she sighs heavily. “I just want it to all go away. I liked being an anonymous student. And now that’s all gonea.”

“That violation of your privacy has to hurt,” Olivia agrees. “I can’t begin to imagine that kind of devastation you must be feeling.”

Caitlyn moves the throw cushion in her lap to the side. “It isn’t just that,” she says. “Today, at the library, Maddie heavily implied that she tampered with my computer. I have no idea how – I have passwords on everything, but it’s how she said it. Like she knew a lot more than she was letting on. Which scares me a lot.”

Olivia nods. “If you find any physical evidence of her having gone through your computer, or anything, take it to the Sheriff’s office. Cybercrime is still a crime.”

Caitlyn nods as well. She feels better with a plan. “I’ve got a friend of a friend looking over my computer tonight. I just hope we can find something.”

“Let me know on Monday if you do?” Olivia asks.

“Of course,” Caitlyn replies. She stands and stretches her legs. Olivia passes over the paperwork and Caitlyn slips it into her bag next to her laptop. “Thank you again for seeing me on such short notice.”

Olivia waves her off. “This definitely counted as an emergency. Now you have the tools you need to get through these next few days. I’ll have more literature for you on Monday, okay? And don’t forget about that book I loaned you at the start of the week.”

“Oh, yes, I had forgotten. With everything going on, it had completely slipped my mind.”

“Understandable,” Olivia says. “But it has some excellent strategies and exercises in there that I think you’ll benefit from.”

“Thank you,” Caitlyn says.

She exits and pays for her appointment, and by the time she’s done, a taxi is waiting for her. She plans out the best place to get the pizzas from – close enough to the Wolfe house so that they don’t get cold by the time Caitlyn gets there, and informs the taxi driver of where they’re going.

By the time Caitlyn arrives at the Wolfe house, it’s closer to seven in the evening. She texted Powder from the taxi as they pulled onto her street, and she’s relieved to see Powder waiting for her on the front porch.

She doesn’t, however, offer to take any of the pizzas from Caitlyn, instead letting her struggle with them. But she doesn’t mind. She finds it amusing following Powder’s instructions on where to step to get through to the kitchen.

With a sigh of relief, Caitlyn places the pizzas on the kitchen table, and many hands make quick work of taking boxes and opening them.

Once everyone has had some food, it’s then that Caitlyn notices a Black boy, around Powder’s age, with white dreadlocks sitting at the top end of the table. He gives her a nod and then looks at Caitlyn’s laptop bag.

“Is your computer in there?” he asks.

Caitlyn nods and she opens her bag, pulling her laptop out.

“Before we start,” he says, giving her a pointed look. “Is there anything… not safe for a minor to see?”

A blush creeps across her face. “No,” she replies honestly. “Apart from the fact I’ve never watched… that, the only things on my laptop are all of my assignments, my calendar, and my personal expenditure reports.”

“Nerd,” Powder says, slinging an arm around Caitlyn’s shoulder as she approaches. In her free hand is a cheesy slice of pizza.

“Takes one to know one,” Caitlyn returns, bumping their hips together.

“Cait, this is Ekko,” Powder introduces them. “Ekko, this is my sister-in-law, Caitlyn Kiramman.”

Ekko’s eyebrows shoot up. “Alright,” he says with a nod. “I see what’s on the line.”

Caitlyn blinks and nods. “Yes.” She passes over her laptop and puts the password in. “Shall I stay here or?”

“You can stay,” Ekko says. “If you know what I should be looking for, that would help, too.”

Caitlyn spares no detail in recounting what Maddie said, and her experience with the library receptionist, explaining how all of the library study rooms were all booked for the entire year, despite several rooms being empty.

“Okay,” Ekko replies. “Let’s see what we can find.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Caitlyn can see Felicia and Vander exchanging worried looks. She resolves to chat to them later, to let them know what had happened – minus the details about her sexcapades. That isn’t something she wants to share with the parents of her best friends. Especially when they’ve entrusted her with Powder’s care.

Ekko works silently, his fingers moving over her keyboard, an external mouse he connected clicking away.

A short while later, the front door opens and Caitlyn glances over her shoulder, watching as Vi comes into the kitchen. She’s got grease stains on her forearms, and she’s wearing a tank top again and it takes all of her strength not to stare.

Except she is, if Powder’s elbowing of her is anything to go by. She gives Powder a sheepish look.

“Wash those hands again, missy,” Felicia chides as Vi’s hand reaches for a pizza box.

Vi groans. “I did!” she protests.

“You, my sweet, eldest child,” Felicia starts, “clearly didn’t wash properly, because there is grease on your arms.”

Caitlyn watches, amused, as Vi bends her arms, trying to look at the spots. She catches Caitlyn’s gaze and winks at her. It makes Caitlyn’s stomach flutter pleasantly.

“Alright, alright,” Vi says. She heads off to no doubt wash up.

Caitlyn hears a pointed cough from Powder and she hastily turns her attention back to Ekko.

“Okay,” Ekko says, picking up another slice of pizza. Caitlyn tries not to wince. She’s going to have to clean her keyboard after he’s done with it.

“Do you want the good news or the bad news?”

“Bad,” Caitlyn says at the same time Powder says “Good.” They look at each other and smile.

“The good news is – I can fix it,” Ekko says. “The bad news, however, is that it’s going to take me the better part of the weekend. This girl… she’s good with computers. Not as good as me, of course, but she’s good. She’s somehow written a virus that transfers all of your data over to herself. It’s likely she has a spare computer that is harvesting all of your data as we speak. Well, not anymore, I turned it off. However, she now knows that you know. Because she’s tried to remotely erase your entire computer, but I cut her off.”

Caitlyn feels her stomach sink.

“Sorry,” she says, blinking a few times. “What does this mean?”

“It means that she has everything that is on your computer,” Vi says, walking back into the kitchen. She kisses Ekko on the top of his head. “Good to see you, Little Man.”

Ekko smiles up at her and holds out his fist for her to bump hers against.

Caitlyn glances up at Vi. “She has everything?”

Vi nods. “From that coding, she knows what she’s doing, too.” She reaches for a box of pizza, pulling the whole thing towards herself as she sits next to Ekko. He reaches for a slice and Vi bats his hand away. “Get your own.”

A pout forms on Ekko’s lips but Vi is unflinching. It makes Caitlyn smile.

“She also has everything on your phone, by the looks of it,” Vi says around a mouthful of food.

“She what?” Caitlyn asks, her hand immediately going into her pocket to pull out her phone. She sets it on the kitchen table, looking at it like it might burst into flames.

“That was the worse news,” Ekko says with a wince. “But I can also work with that. Do you have a spare phone?”

Caitlyn shakes her head. “No, but I can go get one.” She immediately stands. “Somewhere will still be open, right?”

Everyone’s gazes turn towards the clock on the wall. It’s getting close to nine now, and Caitlyn sits back down in her chair with a soft sigh.

“I can call in a favour,” Mylo says from the other side of the kitchen. “But you’ll probably be bribed out of at least a hundred dollars.”

“Done,” Caitlyn replies. “How quickly can you call that favour in?”

Mylo shrugs. “Two seconds,” he says. He pulls out his phone and texts someone. “What kind of phone do you want?” he asks.

“Whatever is the newest model of this one,” Caitlyn says, picking up her phone. “And a phone case, too, please.”

Mylo nods. “Alright,” he says. “Done. It’ll be delivered within the hour. But it has to be cash.” He says the amount and Caitlyn nods. She pulls out her purse from her laptop bag.

“Wait, you have that much cash on you?” Mylo asks, his eyes wide.

“It’s always good to be prepared,” Caitlyn replies. “Besides, I don’t know if Maddie has access to my banking details, and I’m not about to give them to her by opening the app in case she doesn’t.”

Mylo lets out a low whistle and Caitlyn passes over the cash.

“Thank you,” she says.

He just nods, taking the money from her.

Powder rests her head on Caitlyn’s shoulder. “I would just like to say, that for Solstice, I would like a car.”

Laughter bursts from Caitlyn. She turns her face to kiss Powder on the top of her head. “Done,” she says, a sly grin forming on her face.

Vi catches her gaze and shakes her head, smiling.

Powder didn’t say what kind of car, and Caitlyn happens to know of a few toy cars that she could get her. Specifically, one exactly like Jayce’s.

While Ekko works, Caitlyn and Powder move to the other end of the kitchen table to fill Felicia and Vander in on what has been happening to her. It’s nice to hear other adults on her side. And she can’t ask for better understanding from them.

Thankfully the doorbell sounds sooner rather than later, bringing with it Caitlyn’s new phone. She thanks Mylo and accepts the box from him.

The first thing she does is take a selfie of herself and Powder, who smooshes her cheek against Caitlyn’s own, grinning widely. She sets it as her phone’s lock screen. She puts in the phone numbers of everyone around her, and all of her family numbers that she has memorised and figures everything else can wait until she’s allowed to have her own data again.

“Hey, Vander,” Ekko says. “Can I stay the night?”

“Sure, kiddo,” Vander replies with a warm smile. “Your room is just how you left it.”

Ekko grins up at him. “Thanks,” he says. “I’d better let my dad know.” He gets up and pulls his own phone out of his pocket.

“I guess I’d better be going, then,” Caitlyn says, also standing. “Thank you for letting us take over your kitchen tonight.”

Felicia waves her off. “It’s nice having a full house, even just for the night. You’re welcome to stay, if it’s easier for you?”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t impose,” Caitlyn says, shaking her head.

“I’m staying,” Powder says. “I want pancakes for breakfast, please.”

Vander nods. “You got it.”

“Could I use someone’s phone to call a taxi?” Caitlyn asks. “I don’t have any of the numbers saved.”

“I’ll take you home,” Vi replies, also standing.

“Thank you,” Caitlyn replies. She feels strange leaving her phone and computer with Ekko, but if the Wolfe family trusts him, then she trusts him.

Powder follows them out to Vi’s car, grabbing a bag from the boot.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” Caitlyn says to Powder. “Just make sure that Lux is also ready to be collected, too, if you can. I want to beat the traffic.”

Powder nods. “You got it!” She throws her arms around Caitlyn in a quick, tight hug, before doing the same to Vi.

Caitlyn gets into the passenger’s seat and clicks her belt into place.

Vi stays silent for the drive, and Caitlyn is kind of grateful. She’s had a long day. She just wants to shower and crawl into bed at this point.

“What’s tomorrow?” Vi asks when they’ve pulled into Vi’s garage.

“Oh, I’m taking Lux and Powder to the zoo for their date,” Caitlyn says as they wander into the house from the garage. “We organised it a few days ago, but with everything going on this week, I forgot to tell you.”

“That… that’s really sweet of you.”

Caitlyn barely has time to glance over at Vi before she’s being crowded into the wall by the front door. “What…?” she says, bewildered.

Vi leans in close, her palm flat on the wall next to Caitlyn’s head. Her gaze is on Caitlyn’s lips and she automatically licks them. “You’re making it really hard not to kiss you right now, Cupcake.”

Caitlyn’s heart thuds in her chest. She stares at Vi for a few long seconds. “Fuck it,” she says, grabbing Vi by her belt loops and pulling her forwards.

Their lips meet in a heated kiss. Vi’s lips are exactly as Caitlyn remembers them. Her tongue is confident in her mouth and she tastes amazing.

It takes all of Caitlyn’s strength not to take this further. Vi seems to have no qualms, her lips move down Caitlyn’s neck, leaving scorching marks in her wake.

Caitlyn’s jacket falls to the floor before she even registered what is happening.

“Vi,” she breathes, pulling back. Her vision is cloudy and her heart is thudding wildly in her chest. “We can’t.”

“Why not?” Vi replies, her breath puffing against the side of Caitlyn’s neck.

“Because… because, because, because.” She puts a hand flat on Vi’s chest. Her fingers curl against the firm muscle and she gently pushes Vi back. “I need to work on myself first.”

Vi nods. There’s a dazed look on her face and her lips are so inviting. It would be so easy to just lean forwards and kiss her again.

“Yeah,” she says with a nod. “Yeah, of course.” She runs a hand through her hair as she steps back.

Caitlyn wants nothing more than to go back to kissing her. But she wants to wait. She wants to work on herself. She doesn’t want to just be casual with Vi.

“Goodnight, Vi,” Caitlyn says, her gaze lingering on Vi’s face. Her cheeks are flushed and her lips… she tears her gaze away.

“Goodnight, Cupcake.”

This has to be the hardest thing Caitlyn has ever done, she decides, as she opens the front door and walks out. The sooner she can get somewhere with therapy, the better it will be for her.

~*~

If Caitlyn wasn’t used to so little sleep, she would be feeling pretty horrible right about now. She barely slept last night – her thoughts wandering to Vi, and how she was alone in her house. And how her kisses had lit a fire inside of Caitlyn that she doesn’t want to douse.

She spends the majority of her night awake, thinking about Vi, touching herself, and falling into fitful bouts of sleep.

By the time she goes for her morning run, she’s been awake for almost three solid hours. She’s completed all of the reading material given to her by Olivia, and has watched ahead by a few episodes of the television show she and Powder are watching.

Without her laptop or her phone, things are limited. She wants to message Ekko to see how he’s going, but even she knows that messaging before the sun has risen is a tall order.

When Caitlyn has finished her run, Vi is sitting there on her front porch, a cup of tea in hand.

She looks so unfairly gorgeous, if a little sleep rumpled. Her hair is wilder than usual, which is saying something considering it’s always unkempt.

“Hey,” Vi says as Caitlyn approaches.

“Hi,” Caitlyn returns. She hesitates but then Vi scootches to the side and she immediately sits down next to Vi. “How are you?”

“I’m okay,” Vi says. She passes Caitlyn her mug and Caitlyn takes it, having a sip before passing it back to Vi. “How are you?”

“I…” Caitlyn trails off. She bites her lip and shifts her body so she’s facing Vi a little better. “It’s really hard. I feel so much when I’m with you.”

“In a good way, or…?”

“In a good way,” Caitlyn clarifies. “Definitely a good way. I’m wildly attracted to you. I have been for… well, since I laid eyes on you.”

Vi’s smirk does things to Caitlyn and she wants to kiss it off her lips. “That’s good to know. The feeling is mutual, by the way.”

That makes Caitlyn’s skin flush warm. She knew, on some level, that Vi was attracted to her – but it’s always nice to hear it.

“What time are you picking up Powder?” Vi asks.

“Not until ten,” Caitlyn replies, glancing at her watch. “I figured I’d have my run, do a workout, and be bored for two hours or so before picking her up.”

Vi nods. “What kind of equipment do you have? I’m guessing it’s in your basement?”

“I have a rowing machine and some dumbbells. Nothing too exciting.”

“You can come work out with me, if you want?” Vi offers. “I have a whole set up in my basement.”

Even though it’s probably not wise, Caitlyn says yes. She’s already in her exercise clothes, so she may as well utilise them.

She follows Vi inside, and waits for Vi to get changed. She resolutely does not think about Vi’s naked body getting changed upstairs.

But her mind wanders to much, much dirtier thoughts when Vi comes back down the stairs clad in a sports bra and loose shorts.

“I can teach you how to box, if you want?” Vi offers, completely oblivious to the fact that Caitlyn is staring at her abs – and oh how she wants to lick them.

“Cait?”

Caitlyn snaps her head up. “Yeah? Yes? Sorry.” She knows her face must be red, especially when Vi smirks at her, and she has no idea how she is going to survive this.

But she does. Vi shows her how she boxes, how to throw a decent punch, and how to stand properly. There’s some touching – Vi’s hands on her hips as she stands behind her, getting her into position.

Caitlyn has never been so turned on in her entire life.

After she’s had some practice with the bag, Caitlyn is far sweatier than she thinks she should be. But then Vi takes over. Her movements are so fluid and fast, and so enticing. She moves with such grace and ease, like she’s been doing this for years.

The downside is that Vi also looks so sexy like this and Caitlyn feels her resolve crumbling.

“Vi?” Caitlyn says more casually than she feels.

“Yeah?” Vi replies, turning to look at Caitlyn as she wipes sweat off her brow with the back of her forearm.

“Fuck the rules.”

Vi’s eyes widen. Caitlyn pushes herself off the wall she was leaning on and closes the distance between them.

She kisses Vi with an intensity she didn’t know she had in her.

Vi’s startled noise quickly turns into a moan as she kisses back.

Caitlyn once again finds herself being pushed back into a wall, and this time she doesn’t care. She doesn’t want to stop – she doesn’t have it in herself to stop. She wants this. She wants this so much that she hasn’t stopped thinking about it since they kissed last night.

Self-control is overrated.

“Fuck, Cait,” Vi says, pulling back. “I thought we were going to wait?”

“We were,” Caitlyn replies, finally getting her hands on Vi’s abs. They flex under her fingers and she wants to just sink to her knees and lick. “But your abs, Vi. Fucking gorgeous.”

Vi lets out a startled laugh when Caitlyn’s fingers gently roam over them before moving to her hips, pulling them flush against each other.

“But we don’t have to, if you don’t want to?” Caitlyn says, suddenly unsure. “We can wait?”

“Cait,” Vi says, her lips brushing against Caitlyn’s own. “I can wait. I want you to be sure. I want… Fuck I want. I can’t stop thinking about how much I want you. If you want to be casual, we’ll be casual. But I just want you any way I can have you.”

Those words should be what Caitlyn wants to hear – but something just feels… Off. She hesitates and Vi being Vi, notices. She pulls back completely, giving them some breathing room.

“We’ll wait,” Vi says softly. She reaches out and gently takes Caitlyn’s hand in her own. “Because while you work on yourself, I am going to woo you. Okay?”

Caitlyn nods. She isn’t exactly sure what that will entail, but she’s excited to find out.

“I should… I need to shower,” Caitlyn says. “And to masturbate.”

Vi’s eyes visibly darken but she makes no move to close the distance between them again.

“But I want to state that I am very open to being wooed by you,” she continues. “And I would like to woo you, too. And also kiss you a bit more.”

Vi’s brilliant smile makes Caitlyn’s stomach swoop pleasantly. “I agree with your terms, Cupcake.”

“Good,” Caitlyn says. She steps into Vi’s personal space. “Go shower,” she adds softly, her lips barely an inch away from Vi’s own. “Because you’re coming to the zoo with us. I’m going to buy you whatever stuffed animal you want, okay?”

Vi nods. It makes their lips brush and Caitlyn lingers. She doesn’t deepen the kiss, she just presses their lips together, and somehow, it’s just as hot as all of the other kisses they’ve shared so far.

“Be ready by half nine,” Caitlyn says as she steps back completely. She gives Vi one last, lingering look, and then heads up the basement stairs, knowing full well that Vi is staring at her ass the entire time.

~*~

“I think we need to lay some ground rules,” Vi says as she slides into the passenger seat of Caitlyn’s car.

“Ground rules?” Caitlyn repeats, glancing over at her. Vi’s hair is tied off into a braid and it looks so soft. The left side of her head also looks freshly shaved and Caitlyn wants to run her fingers over it.

“Yeah,” Vi says with a nod.

“Can you put your seatbelt on?”

“Not just yet, Cupcake,” Vi says.

Caitlyn arches an eyebrow in her direction. “Okay?”

“I want to know if kissing is okay? We’re not having sex, but is kissing okay?”

Caitlyn’s gaze automatically dips to Vi’s lips. “Yes… yes I think that’s okay.”

“Excellent,” Vi says and then she’s leaning over, her hand cupping Caitlyn’s neck and kissing her hotly. Caitlyn’s mouth opens without second thought, and Vi’s tongue slides against her own. She can’t help the moan that escapes, finding herself leaning into Vi a little more. The kiss is so intense that she realises that her clit is aching between her legs.

“Okay, we can go now,” Vi says as she pulls back.

Caitlyn blinks dazedly at her. She barely registers Vi’s smirk as she pulls her seatbelt on.

Caitlyn shifts in her seat and shakes her head, trying to focus. She starts the car and pulls out of her driveway, heading in the direction of the Wolfe house.

The drive is mostly silent, Vi humming along to whatever is playing on her playlist that she connected to Caitlyn’s car speakers. One of her feet is gently tapping the beat on the floor.

“What about touching?” Caitlyn asks, chancing a glance in Vi’s direction.

“Touching?” Vi repeats.

“Yes,” Caitlyn says. She reaches over and puts her hand on Vi’s thigh, curling her fingers into the inseam ever so slightly.

“This… this is perfectly fine,” Vi agrees. “But you should keep your hands on the wheel. You know, for safety reasons.”

She gently puts Caitlyn’s hand back on the steering wheel and puts her hand on Caitlyn’s thigh a little higher than she expects.

Caitlyn’s breath hitches. She finds that her leg opens up just a little and Vi’s warm, long fingers slide a little further up Caitlyn’s thigh.

She licks her lips and swallows thickly. “I…” she pauses, glancing around before pulling into an empty spot on the street in front of the Wolfe house. “I don’t want Powder to know,” she says. She feels Vi’s fingers twitch against her leg before she slowly removes her hand. “Not. Not until we know what this is. Or we have a few more ground rules in place.”

Vi’s expression is unreadable, but she nods all the same. “Okay,” she replies. “I’ll just go get her.”

Caitlyn nods. “Okay,” she says, feeling like she just fucked something up. She reaches into her handbag and pulls out her water, taking a few long sips. It won’t do her any good to overheat just because Vi has touched her leg a few times.

She can’t help but think that if this is how her body reacts when Vi just touches her fully clothed thigh, then she is going to die from spontaneous combustion when Vi touches her naked skin.

All thoughts of Vi touching her body disappear the moment Powder climbs into the car. She leans between the two front seats and kisses Caitlyn’s cheek.

“Morning!” she says brightly. “Lux has already messaged me to say she’s ready. So please hurry. I want to see my girlfriend.”

Caitlyn can’t help but smile at that. “Well, put your seatbelt on and we can go.”

Powder nods and clicks hers into place. Caitlyn glances at Vi who does hers as well. Caitlyn’s own fingers twitch, hesitating before she shakes her head once at herself and puts the car in drive.

Powder takes over the music, as per usual, as they drive to Lux’s house. It’s roughly in the same area as Caitlyn’s ancestral home, and she purposefully doesn’t say that as they drive along, but Powder, with her sharp eyes, sees Cassandra and immediately says something.

“Is that your mum?” she asks.

Caitlyn glances over and sees the exact moment her mother spots them. She bites back a sigh and rolls down her window as they slowly approach.

“Caitlyn, dear,” Cassandra says as she pulls up next to the kerb where her mother is standing. “What brings you by?”

“We’re going to the zoo today,” Caitlyn replies. “We’re just picking up Luxanna Crownguard.”

Cassandra’s face brightens. “Oh how lovely,” she says. “I’m about to head to brunch with her mother. My driver, however, is running late.”

“I can give you a lift there, if you’d like?” Caitlyn reflexively offers.

Cassandra’s gaze goes to the mostly empty back seat and she pulls out her phone. “Let me call Augatha to tell her my driving plans have changed.”

The door behind Caitlyn opens and Powder gives Cassandra a bright smile. “Sorry you’re stuck in the backseat with me,” she says. “But it’s better back here, anyway. Those two are making moon eyes at each other.”

It takes all of Caitlyn’s strength not to react to that. She hasn’t told her mother anything about Vi, and would like to keep it that way until they’re official at the very least. Which reminds her that she hasn’t said anything to her mother about the most recent Maddie incident, either. She figures she can save it for therapy.

Or, she hoped to, until Cassandra asks why Caitlyn has a new phone number.

“Oh, that’s because this classmate of Cait’s got mad at her for having sex with her mum,” Powder says. “That sounds weird. Caitlyn had sex with her classmate’s mum. And then the classmate decided to tell the entire university who Caitlyn was, and she also hacked her computer.”

“Caitlyn,” her mother says, sounding shocked. “How come I’m just finding out about the hacking now?”

Caitlyn winces. She takes a breath and tries to relax her shoulders. “Most of it only happened yesterday. The hacking… not. Not the sex. Obviously. Since you know that already.”

The last thing she wants is to be talking to her mother about the women she’s slept with. It’s embarrassing enough that her mother knows parts of it as it is from their call the other night.

Thankfully she pulls up in front of the Crownguard estate a moment later, effectively ending the conversation.

“We’ll continue this later,” Cassandra says. “If you’re free, I’d love for you to come home for dinner tomorrow. Your father and I would appreciate it.”

Caitlyn nods. “I’ll be there, Mother,” she replies.

Cassandra gracefully steps out of the car and moments later, her spot is filled by Luxanna. Caitlyn can see her hesitate, glancing between Caitlyn and Vi, who slowly turn back to face the front of the car to give them some privacy.

There are some cute little whispers between Powder and Lux that follow with a small sounding kiss. Caitlyn glances over at Vi, who has a small smile on her face. She reaches out, gently putting a hand on Vi’s arm, catching her attention for a moment. Vi smiles at her and Caitlyn can’t help but return it.

Once she’s made sure everyone has their seatbelts on, she starts the car again, and heads for the zoo.

It’s about thirty minutes out of Piltover proper, and it’s a huge place. There are easily hundreds of cars already in the parking lot.

“There’s a spot!” Powder yells, gesturing with one hand to a spot that Caitlyn is happy to drive straight passed. “…You missed it!”

“It’s okay,” Caitlyn replies, “I’ve got a spot.”

“Oh! Does your family have priority parking, too?” Lux asks from the back seat.

Caitlyn nods. “We do,” she replies. She pulls up to a section of the car park that is sectioned off. She shows her identification and the boom gate is lifted, letting her in. There are only two other cars parked in this area, so she finds a spot easily.

She can feel the gazes of the Wolfe sisters on her, so she unbuckles her seat belt and turns to face them as best as she can. “We’re long-time donors of the zoo,” she says. “In fact, my great-grandmother was one of the original donors.”

“She’s the one who founded Piltover, right?” Powder asks, and Caitlyn nods.

“That’s her,” she replies. “She had a great love of animals, and took the opportunity to give the zoo the funding it needed to get up and running. Since then, the Kirammans make yearly donations, and there’s even a wing named after us here.”

“Wow,” Powder says. “Okay, so in addition to a car for the Solstice, I would also like one of the snakes to be named after me.”

Caitlyn can’t help but laugh.

“It doesn’t work like that, sweetie,” Lux says and Powder pouts.

“Okay, then can I adopt a shark or something?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Caitlyn says before Lux can squash any more of Powder’s dreams.

They exit the car and Caitlyn shows off her family’s VIP pass to the staff at the attendance desk. They’re given all access passes and she can see Powder’s eyes widening, undoubtedly thinking of all of the things she can get up to.

“Hold up,” Vi says, pulling everyone to the side. “We need a plan of action.”

“I want to go see the snakes,” Powder says. “First, before anything else.”

Vi nods. “Lux?”

“I’m happy with everything, but I’d love to go to the butterfly enclosure.”

“Cait?”

“Oh, I hate snakes, so I won’t be going there,” she says, repressing a shudder. “But I’ll wait outside.”

“You’ll be waiting more than an hour,” Vi points out and Caitlyn shrugs.

“I don’t mind,” Caitlyn replies. “We come here once a year, so I’m quite familiar with the place.”

“We could divide and conquer?” Lux suggests. “Powder and I can go see the reptiles and the butterflies while you two see… whatever you want to see.”

Caitlyn nods. “I’m okay with that.”

Powder turns to Vi, giving her big, round, hopeful eyes.

Vi sighs. “Okay,” she relents. “How about we meet for lunch at one, and then we can see the wolves after that?”

Powder nods. She lets go of Lux’s hand to give Vi a hug. Then she hugs Caitlyn.

“Those passes will give you everything you need, too,” Caitlyn says. “If there’s an area where you’re allowed to feed the animals, show them your pass and you’ll get food to feed them. And there’s VIP toilets. Look, I know how snobby that sounds, but public toilets are the worst, so you may as well make the most of it.”

Powder’s grin grows cheeky. “What else does being a VIP get us? Can I touch a snake?”

Caitlyn sighs. “No, you can’t. No one outside of staff are allowed to touch the reptiles and arachnids.”

Powder pouts. “Spoilsport,” she mutters. “Okay, can we go now?”

“Just meet us at the cafeteria at one!” Vi says as Powder takes Lux’s hand and all but drags her away.

“And then there were two,” Caitlyn says with a soft smile in Vi’s direction.

Vi steps closer, and Caitlyn finds her breath hitching. “Where to first, Cupcake?” she asks.

Caitlyn’s gaze darts down to Vi’s lips but she forces herself to look away. “Whatever you want to see first is fine by me.”

The kiss is unexpected, but not unpleasant. It’s short, but affectionate. Then Vi’s hand is in her own, and they’re heading down an entirely different route than what Caitlyn expects.

“I love the red pandas,” Vi says as they approach the red panda enclosure.

“If I had known that,” Caitlyn starts, “I would have arranged for us to be here earlier so you could feed them their breakfast.”

Vi’s gaze is soft. She kisses the side of Caitlyn’s head as she pulls her in close, wrapping her arm around Caitlyn’s shoulders. “This is enough,” she says.

Caitlyn leans into Vi, wrapping an arm around her middle, sharing her warmth. They watch the red pandas as they manoeuvre through their large space.

She isn’t sure how long they stay there, just watching, but it’s enough to know that this is the stuffed toy Caitlyn is going to get for Vi before they leave.

“What’s something you’d like to see?” Vi asks when they leave the panda exhibit.

“I love the aquarium,” Caitlyn replies.

Vi looks at a nearby standing map. “They’re not that far away, we could head there now?”

Caitlyn nods. “That would be lovely,” she replies. Vi’s hand slips into her own, lacing their fingers together. She leads them through the throng of people, and before too long, they’re at the entrance to the aquarium.

The sight of it takes Caitlyn’s breath away. She used to come here all of the time as a kid. She could spend hours here if she was left to her own devices. And she often was. She often jokes that the fish were some of her first friends.

One of her favourites was a turtle who was already one hundred and fifty years old when she visited the zoo a decade ago. She figures the turtle has to be at least one hundred and sixty years old by now.

As they walk, she finds herself unable to stop talking. This doesn’t happen that often to her – she’s learned to control her impulses around people, but Vi is different. Her face never has the judgemental expression so many others do whenever she talks too much about something she’s passionate about.

But after forty-five solid minutes of talking, Caitlyn pauses, feeling her face flush. She’s grown a bit of a crowd of people who are listening to her talk about the many different creatures.

“Do you work here?” a parent in their thirties asks.

Caitlyn shakes her head. “No, just passionate,” she replies.

Vi takes her hand again, gently tugging her out of the way. They slip into a dark little alcove, and Caitlyn lets out a breathy sigh as she’s pushed up against a wall.

“You are so hot,” Vi says quietly. Her lips are on Caitlyn’s a moment later, and Caitlyn just gives into it. She has no idea what has brought this on. She usually has to apologise for her autistic info dumping, but this is the first time she’s had this kind of reaction.

Vi’s hands are hot on her skin, sliding up underneath her jacket, carefully untucking Caitlyn’s shirt from her trousers. The moment Vi’s hands touch Caitlyn’s bare skin, she wants to moan. She arches into Vi’s touch instead, mindful of the fact they’re still very much in public, even if no one can currently see them.

Her own hands can’t stop touching Vi’s back underneath her jacket, as well. She wants nothing more than to touch Vi properly, but she has to force herself to remember where she is.

“Vi,” she says softly, breaking the kiss. “We’re in public…”

“Yeah, I know,” Vi says, reluctantly pulling back. Her eyes are glassy and Caitlyn would just like to kiss her again, but she forces herself to stay against the opposite wall.

“Where did that come from?” Caitlyn asks, her chest still heaving.

“Your big brain is sexy,” Vi replies with a shrug.

Caitlyn just stares at Vi, trying to figure her out. But Vi’s face is honest and open, and Caitlyn can’t see any of the usual mockery she’s faced from oversharing like she just did. If she isn’t careful, she is going to fall in love with Vi. Vi whose lips are pressing against her own in the softest, most tender of kisses that makes Caitlyn just want to melt.

“Alright, we have an hour before we have to meet Powder and Lux for lunch,” Vi says, leading Caitlyn back out into the general aquarium area. “Is there anywhere else you’d like to go while it’s just the two of us?”

Caitlyn shakes her head. “You choose,” she replies.

They stop at another map of the zoo, and Vi’s gaze flits along it before she smirks, clearly having chosen what she wants to see next.

“This one is close to the cafeteria, so we won’t have to go far,” Vi says, her hand taking Caitlyn’s once more. Caitlyn doesn’t even get to glance at the map to figure out where Vi is meaning – there are several exhibits close to the cafeteria, so she could be talking about anything.

“This creature reminds me of you,” Vi says as they wander down another long path.

There are plenty of people milling about, and lots of families considering it’s a Saturday. But the further they move along, the less crowded the upcoming area seems to be.

“Mongoose?” Caitlyn asks as she reads the sign next to the exhibit.

“Yeah,” Vi says, her arm moving to slide around Caitlyn’s waist. She pulls her flush against her side and Caitlyn feels her heart flutter at that. “In a good way, of course.”

Caitlyn nods, focusing her attention on the enclosure in front of them. She can see several of the little creatures running around, and when one stands up straight, she hates to admit that she can see why Vi made the comparison.

“They’re cute,” Caitlyn says after a while.

“They are,” Vi replies.

Caitlyn can’t help it; she turns her head and kisses Vi. It’s a chaste kiss, but she hopes it conveys the things that she’s feeling.

Vi smiles at her, and moves to read the mongoose information plaque to Caitlyn giving her the lowdown on these quirky, but amazing creatures.

They take photos – together, and of the animals. Caitlyn finds herself laughing as Vi makes silly jokes about the mongoose, and how they’re like the Kirammans of the zoo. With the more Vi talks, the more Caitlyn finds herself leaning into Vi’s space, trying to get as physically close as she can while still being mindful of the fact that they’re in public.

After a while, Vi’s phone trills. She slides it out of her pocket and silences her alarm.

“I didn’t want to lose track of time,” Vi says simply. She nods her head in the opposite direction. “Come on, let’s go get some lunch.”

Caitlyn nods. She takes Vi’s hand in her own this time, making a point of leading her down the path towards the cafeteria.

“Why don’t you go get us a table, and I can order for everyone?” Caitlyn offers.

“Alright,” Vi agrees. She leans up ever so slightly on her toes to kiss Caitlyn before leaving her in the line to go search for a table for them all.

Caitlyn checks her phone and sees Powder has sent a selfie in front of the snake exhibit. She represses a shudder, but texts back that she’s glad they had a good time, and that she and Vi are at the cafeteria.

She receives a short ‘on our way!’ from Powder moments later, along with what she and Lux would both like to eat.

It’s only then that she realises she didn’t ask Vi what she wanted to eat. So she texts her.

What do you want to eat?

The reply is immediate, and Caitlyn almost drops her phone.

You.

She swallows and glances around, wondering if she can see Vi from her place in the line. She can just see the top of that familiar head of pink hair. Vi glances up, like she can feel Caitlyn staring at her, and she smirks. Her gaze drops back to her phone and Caitlyn’s buzzes in her hand a moment later.

But if you’re not on the menu, a burger would be nice.

Caitlyn licks her lips and nods to herself. She moves when the line does and tries to formulate an articulate response. She doesn’t come up with anything by the time she reaches the front of the line, though.

She places their order and steps aside to wait for it to be prepared.

I’ve been thinking, Vi’s next text says. There are a lot of things I want to do to you. Will you let me?

Heart thudding in her chest, Caitlyn has to remind herself to not outwardly react.

I suppose I could be persuaded, Caitlyn replies.

Her phone buzzes a few times in succession. She waits a beat before checking it, keeping her face completely neutral.

Good. Because I’d like to see if that flush goes

All the way

Down

Your

Chest

Caitlyn locks her phone and slides it back into her pocket. She is relieved when her number is called a second later. She steps up to grab the tray full of food, and carefully manoeuvres around the other patrons until she reaches the booth Vi is in.

She sets the tray on the table just as Powder and Lux arrive.

Thankfully, Powder starts talking about their adventures as Caitlyn divides up everyone’s food. She slides into the spot next to Vi, purposefully pressing her knee to Vi’s under the table.

Vi, however, lowers her left hand under the table with far more subtlety than Caitlyn thinks she has the right to. Her hand lays on top of Caitlyn’s thigh, seemingly innocent at first. But then her hand moves slowly upwards.

Her fingers curl into the inseam of Caitlyn’s trousers, pressing with just the right amount of pressure the higher she goes. Caitlyn squeezes her legs together, effectively trapping Vi’s hand. She wiggles her fingers free a moment later, dragging along the inside, to the outside of Caitlyn’s thigh before moving to rest her elbow on the table like it’s been there the whole time.

Neither Powder nor Lux notice, too busy recounting their morning.

Vi, in all of her nonchalant demeanour, continues to ask them questions. Caitlyn has to force herself to keep eating her lunch, and focus on that alone. It doesn’t help that Vi’s thigh is hot against her own under the table, not having moved an inch from when Caitlyn sat down.

She shifts in her seat, crossing her left leg over the top of her right, just to brush her foot against Vi’s shin. Vi doesn’t even twitch, and it makes Caitlyn annoyed at how unruffled she is.

When she’s finished eating her own lunch, Caitlyn places her hands in her lap. She has shared some of their stories about the aquarium, pleased when Powder wanted to know every single creature they saw. She likes how passionate Powder is about everything.

But now that Powder and Lux are talking again, Caitlyn feels it’s only fair that Vi gets a taste of her own medicine. She carefully puts her hand on Vi’s thigh, fingers tracing idle patterns. Vi doesn’t react at all. Her legs are open under the table, whereas Caitlyn’s weren’t. So she has a lot more leg to touch than Vi had for her.

Caitlyn takes her time, slowly moving her hand up inch by inch, wondering just how far she’ll get before Vi will give an outward reaction.

So far, nothing has ruffled her. She’s completely unflappable. Caitlyn thinks that she might have to resort to drastic measures, and just before her fingers inch even further, Vi’s hand is on hers, lacing their fingers together under the table.

And that – that’s what makes Caitlyn flush. She can handle the teasing and the flirting. But it’s the simple touches from Vi – the ones with the most affection behind them that makes her blush like never before.

Thankfully neither Lux nor Powder notice.

“Can we go see the wolves now?” Powder asks as she finishes the rest of her drink.

“Yeah,” Vi says with a nod. “Let’s go.”

She squeezes Caitlyn’s hand before letting it go so they can all leave the booth. They clean up their trays and their rubbish and they head out of the cafeteria. Powder is at one of the maps, trying to locate the wolves on it.

She and Lux walk ahead, chattering excitedly to themselves.

“They’re cute together,” Caitlyn comments as she and Vi fall into step together. She can still see Powder’s blue head of hair up ahead, her braids swinging behind her as she walk/runs in the direction of the wolf sanctum.

“They are,” Vi agrees. “So, what was that, Cupcake?”

“What was what?”

“You can play cute all you want,” Vi says, “but don’t start what you can’t finish.”

“Says you,” Caitlyn returns. “Or were those texts all talk?”

Vi’s hand subtly comes to rest on Caitlyn’s backside as they walk. Her finger hooks into the pocket back there, her hand a reassuring weight against Caitlyn’s body.

“Oh, no,” Vi says casually. “Those were promises.”

#star writes fic #fic: bed chem: the sexcapades of caitlyn kiramman #caitvi #caitvi fic #piltover's finest

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