Chapter 17
The drinks had long since been half drunk, and the conversation around the table drifted naturally from one topic to another.
Cait leaned back into the worn leather sofa, her fingers wrapped around the glass . Vi absent-mindedly rested one arm along the back of the seat behind her. Every now and then her fingertips brushed the back of Cait's shoulder without either of them really thinking about it.
Next to them, Nyx was midway through telling a story about the life in Bilgewater.
“….Honestly, the tavern was a complete dump.”
Cait smiled over the rim of her glass. "That bad?"
Nyx laughed. “You'd walk in and the first thing that hit you was the smell of fish, stale ale and wet sailors."
Vi grimaced. “Sounds delightful."
"Oh, it was charming” Nyx snorted . "The floor was always sticky, somebody was always starting a fight, and every Friday some idiot tried paying for drinks with shells."
Jorin snorted into his beer. “Didn't you say one bloke try paying with a crab once?"
Nyx pointed at him. “He did! A live one."
Even Gerhard chuckled quietly into his drink.
Cait couldn't help laughing.
"But I didn’t care…” Nyx shrugged. “…It was work and we were free. That’s all that mattered. I worked behind the bar, pulled pints, cleaned tables, threw drunk idiots out when they got too handsy."
"You?" Helix laughed
"Oh, don't look so surprised." She grinned. "I'm tiny. People underestimate tiny."
Vi raised her mug. “That's because tiny bites."
"Exactly."
"What about Caleb?" Cait asked.
Nyx's expression softened immediately.
"He couldn't sit still," she said with a fond smile. "The moment we reached Bilgewater and... well..." She gave a small shrug. "The moment we finally managed to escape and disappear he started inventing."
Cait didn't interrupt.
Nyx had spoken to her before about how she was sold and brought to this place, about the years before Zaun, and she knew there was no need to revisit the darkest parts of that story. They all carried enough ghosts without inviting them to every conversation.
"We kept our heads down," Nyx continued. "Never used our powers. Never told anyone who we really were. We just wanted to be two very boring people."
Vi snorted. "You? Boring?"
"I know, impossible." Nyx grinned. "But we gave it our best shot." She absent-mindedly traced circles on the rim of her glass as she spoke. "He was happy, so happy. See most of the harbour companies had old cargo equipment that broke every other week. Cranes, lifting frames, loading ramps... all built years ago and patched together a hundred times over."
Cait listened with genuine interest. "So he repaired them?"
"He improved them." Nyx smiled proudly.
"He'd come home every day covered in grease with another sketch tucked under his arm. Said there had to be a better way of lifting cargo without half the dock workers throwing their backs out."
"He designed new loading systems," Jorin added. "Lever mechanisms that needed fewer people to move twice the weight."
Nyx nodded. "He kept saying that machines should do the hard work, not people."
Cait smiled warmly. “That sounds very much like him."
"It is."
For a moment Nyx simply looked down into her drink. "I loved our little apartment."
Her eyes drifted somewhere beyond the walls of the club.
"It was nothing special. One room above the tavern with crooked floorboards and a roof that leaked whenever it rained. We had one tiny kitchen, a table Caleb built out of old shipping crates and a bed that squeaked every time one of us breathed."
She smiled to herself. "It was the first place that was ours."
Something about the way she said it made everyone at the table fall quiet.
"It wasn't much," she continued softly, "but every evening we'd open the little window overlooking the harbour. We'd sit there with whatever food we could afford, watch the ships coming in and pretend one day we'd own a place that didn't smell like fish."
Jorin reached and gently squeezed her hand. "I remember you talking about that place."
"It felt..." Nyx searched for the right word before smiling. "...free. I don't think I've ever slept as well as I did in that little room," Nyx admitted quietly. "Not because it was comfortable…but because every night I went to bed believing we'd finally found a normal life."She let out a small breath before her smile returned. "Turns out the universe had other ideas."
How long were you there for?” Gerhard asked
"We only stayed there about six months."
"So why leave?" he asked
Nyx was quiet for a moment before giving a small, almost amused shrug. "We didn't plan to." She looked down at her drink, turning the glass slowly between her hands.
"When we escaped... we genuinely thought we'd made it." A warm smile touched her lips. "For the first time in our lives nobody owned us. Nobody was telling us where to go or what to do. We were just... us."
Her eyes drifted somewhere beyond the crowded club.
"The universe's timing has always been crap." Vi added sarcastically taking another sip of her drink.
“Tell me about it” Nyx said Nyx smiled faintly into her drink before letting out a quiet sigh.
“So what happened?” Helix asked now completely absorbed into her story.
"We really thought we'd made it." Nyx gave a small shake of her head, though there was no bitterness in her voice anymore. "Six months later they found us. We were captured, chained up again, tossed into the ship and sold to a chem-baron in Zaun. But when the ship docked we managed to again.” She lifted one shoulder in a small shrug. "You know the rest."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
The music continued around them, people laughed somewhere across the room and glasses clinked together, yet their little corner of the club seemed to grow quieter.
Vi slowly nodded. "Yeah..." she said softly. "I know that feeling."
Cait turned towards her.
Vi rested her forearms on her knees absently tracing the rim of her glass with one finger. "I stopped counting how many times I tried to escape Stillwater." A faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, though there was little humour behind it. "Every time I thought I'd finally made it..." She exhaled through her nose. "I'd get dragged straight back into that same stinking cell."
Without thinking, Cait reached across the back of Vi's neck, her fingers disappearing into the soft pink strands at the nape of her hair. She gently combed them through with her fingertips before leaning in to nuzzle her cheek.
A soft kiss followed lasting no more than a heartbeat but it was enough.
Vi closed her eyes briefly, instinctively leaning into the touch before turning to look at her. The sadness softened into something infinitely warmer. "Until she came," Vi said quietly, her smile now completely genuine.
Cait smiled back with that same mixture of affection and quiet pride that always seemed reserved only for Vi. "I'm rather glad I did."
Vi chuckled, unable to stop herself from stealing one quick kiss before settling back into her seat.
The heaviness lifted almost immediately.
"So..." Vi said, looking across at the other couple. "How did you two meet?"
Nyx looked at Jorin before laughing."Oh, that's Caleb's fault."
Jorin groaned dramatically. "Oh no..."
"Oh yes."
She pointed at him. “Them two met first. Caleb got a job on one of the construction sites after we arrived in Zaun. Jorin was already working there. They became inseparable. Like two peas in a pod." She laughed. "They'd finish work covered in dust, disappear to get food together, then spend the evening arguing about engineering."
Jorin raised a finger. "They weren't arguments. They were professional discussions."
Nyx looked at Cait. "They once spent an hour debating the structural integrity of a bloody support beam."
“It was only about Forty-five," Jorin corrected.
Nyx threw her head back laughing. "You see what I had to put up with?"
"So when did the lover boy over there ask you out?" Vi asked.
Nyx gave Jorin a sideways glance that made him smile before she answered. "Oh, constantly."
"Constantly?" Cait echoed.
"He'd walk me home after work."
"I was being polite."
"You were pestering me."
"I was persistent."
"You were a pain in my arse."
“She told me to fuck off." Jorin nodded.
"Every single time."
“Vi told me I was an asshole criminal in fancy uniform” Cait nodded toward her and the whole table erupted with laughter.
Nyx almost choked on her drink “You definitely came far since”
Vi was laughing so hard she nearly spilled her drink. "So what changed?" Vi managed to ask through laughter
Nyx's laughter gradually faded as she looked across the table at Jorin.
For a moment, all the noise of the club seemed to melt into the background.
"I don't know." Her voice became softer.
"There was just... something about his eyes."
Jorin looked at her with the same expression he'd worn from the moment she'd started speaking.
"They were kind." She smiled almost shyly.
"When he looked at me..." She searched for the words before quietly laughing at herself. "...I used to lose myself in them."
Without saying anything, Jorin leaned across the small space between them and pressed a gentle kiss against her temple.
Nyx's smile had grown even brighter. "The more I got to know him..." she said, still looking at him, "...the more he felt like home."
Jorin reached out finding her hand . Their fingers intertwined automatically.
"I think," Nyx continued with a mischievous grin returning to her face, "he also has a rare talent to put up with an unbelievable amount of my shit."
"I do," Jorin admitted solemnly.
Vi immediately pointed across the table at Cait. "So does she!"
Cait turned to look at her, one eyebrow lifting. "Oh?" she said with mock surprise. "So we're admitting that now?"
Vi grinned shamelessly. "Babe..."
She reached over, gently taking Cait's hand and lifting it to kiss her knuckles. "Anyone willing to accept my family deserves a fucking medal."
Cait laughed so hard she had to put her drink down.
"You make it sound like some impossible target." Jorin laughed
“You haven’t met them."
That only made everyone laugh harder.
Cait shook her head affectionately before cupping Vi's cheek, her thumb stroking lazily across her skin.
"I don't need a medal."
"No?"
She leaned in until their foreheads rested together. "I already got the prize.
Vi’s grin widened as soon as she looked into Cait's eyes. "Funny how home has a way of sneaking up on you."
Across the table, Nyx caught Jorin's eye and smiled. “Yap…it does.”
She understood exactly what Vi meant.
Sometimes home wasn't a place at all.
Sometimes it was simply the person who reached for without thinking, kissed away your nightmares and somehow made the whole world feel a little less frightening.
Looking around the table, surrounded by laughter, teasing and people who had chosen one another despite everything life had thrown at them, it was hard not to think they had all finally found exactly that.
….
The music changed, the steady rhythm giving way to a heavier bass that vibrated through the floorboards and rattled the empty glasses on the tables.
Vi's grin widened instantly.
"Oh no," Cait sighed, recognising that look.
"Oh yes." Before Cait could protest, Vi had already taken hold of her hand. "Come on."
"Vi..."
"No excuses."
With one determined tug she pulled Cait to her feet.
Cait laughed despite herself, stumbling after her as Vi confidently led the way through the sea of dancers.
Behind them Nyx exchanged an amused glance with Jorin.
"We're being abandoned."
"I think we're expected to follow."
She rolled her eyes dramatically before offering him her hand. “Well then. Don't step on my feet."
"No promises." He laughed grabbing her waist and kissing her neck.
She laughed then looked across the table towards Gearhand and Helix “What about you two?”
“Do we look like someone who enjoys dancing?” Gearhand lifted his brow
“On a second thought…”
“Yeah exactly.”
“Right see ya.” She giggled as Jorin now dragged her away. They disappeared into the crowd just behind the other couple.
Once she had Cait where she wanted her, Vi threw herself into the music as though someone had fitted springs beneath her boots. The heavy beat seemed to travel straight through her, setting every part of her in motion as she bounced lightly on the balls of her feet and rolled her shoulders with complete abandon.
Cait, on the other hand, swayed her hips smoothly enough, but her blue eye kept darting across the crowd. She watched the people around them with the wary concentration of someone who had entered an entirely different dimension.
Vi continued for several seconds before noticing.
Her grin faltered into puzzled amusement. “Cupcake?”
Cait looked back at her. “Yes?”
“You all right?”
“Perfectly.”
Vi studied her face. Cait was still moving with the music, but she looked less like a woman enjoying herself and more like a deer caught in the headlights. “You don’t look perfectly.”
“I’m dancing.”
“Technically.”
Cait lifted an eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means your hips are here, but the rest of you looks like it’s planning an escape route.”
“I am merely observing.”
“The exits?”
“The people .”
Vi glanced around at the crowd, where several people were moving with enough force to suggest they were either deeply committed to the music or fighting off invisible attackers. “And?”
“I’m trying to understand the rhythm.”
Vi laughed. “The rhythm is hitting you in the ribs, babe.”
“Yes, I’ve noticed.”
The bass dropped hard enough to make the glasses on the nearest table tremble. Cait flinched almost imperceptibly, then attempted to disguise it by adjusting the strap at her shoulder.
Vi’s smile widened. “Right.”
“What?”
“This isn’t your kind of music.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Cait gave the room another cautious glance. “It is rather aggressive.”
“It’s music, not an interrogation.”
“I’m not entirely convinced.”
Vi burst out laughing and stepped closer, catching Cait by the hips before she could retreat.
Cait was smiling now, despite herself, and Vi took full advantage of it. She slid one hand around Cait’s waist and drew her closer until the frantic movement of the club no longer mattered quite so much.
“Forget everyone else,” Vi said. “You don’t have to dance like them.”
“I wasn’t attempting to.”
“You were studying them like you were about to write a report.”
“I like to know what I’m dealing with.”
“You’re dealing with me.” Vi hooked a finger under her chin turning her gaze until their eyes met.
“That has rarely made anything simpler.” Cait giggled.
Vi grinned and began moving more slowly, matching Cait’s natural rhythm instead of the relentless pounding around them. “Better?”
Cait relaxed almost immediately, her hand settling against Vi’s shoulder as their bodies found a pace that belonged to them rather than the room. “Mmm.” she nodded
Vi’s palms settled back against Cait’s waist, warm and confident as she began moving with the music and encouraged Cait to follow. Every time Cait instinctively straightened her posture, Vi laughed and nudged her hips again, refusing to let her retreat into the stiff elegance of a Piltover ballroom.
“Stop thinking.”
“I’m not thinking.”
“Cait…”
“I am not.”
“You’re counting.”
“I am not counting.”
“You’ve counted every beat since we got up.”
“I have excellent rhythm.”
“You have excellent paperwork.”
Cait burst into laughter. “That doesn’t even make sense.”
“It does in my head.”
“I’m beginning to worry about what’s in your head.”
“You should.” Vi flashed her that infuriating grin. “It’s a dangerous place.”
Gradually, Cait stopped attempting to anticipate every movement and allowed herself to follow Vi’s lead. Her body softened against hers, the stiffness disappearing as their hips finally began to move together.
“There…” Vi murmured, clearly pleased with herself. “That’s it.”
“I hate admitting when you’re right.”
“I know.”
“It’s deeply irritating.”
“I know.”
“And you’re enjoying this far too much.”
“I am.” Vi’s teasing smile lingered, but her expression changed as she looked at Cait properly. For a moment she appeared completely captivated, her gaze roaming over the violet streaks in Cait’s hair, the dark eyeliner framing her eye and the elegant line of her neck. She pressed her closer and buried her face into her hair. Cait leaned into it.
One of Vi’s hands wandered with suspicious innocence from Cait’s waist to the small of her back and continued steadily downwards. Cait caught her wrist before it could reach its destination.
“No.”
“What?”
“You know exactly what.”
“I was only appreciating the craftsmanship.”
“The craftsmanship?”
“Very intricate tailoring.”
Cait snorted. “Your hand is nowhere near the tailoring.”
Vi glanced down at her hand with exaggerated surprise. “Would you look at that.”
Shaking her head, Cait lifted Vi’s wandering hand and placed it firmly back on her waist.
“You’re no fun.”
“I’m keeping you out of trouble.”
“I quite like trouble.”
“I know you do.”
Vi’s smile turned decidedly wicked as she leaned closer, her lips barely grazing Cait’s ear. “I’ve been trying not to stare at you all evening.”
Cait’s breath caught despite herself. “You were staring. And people can see.”
“I know.” Vi let her lips ghost along the edge of Cait’s jaw before pressing the briefest kiss beneath her ear. Cait’s fingers tightened involuntarily against Vi’s shoulders.
“Vi…”
“Hm?”
“We’re supposed to be dancing.”
“We are dancing.”
“This isn’t dancing.”
“I’m improvising.”
Cait laughed, though it emerged far less steadily than she intended when Vi’s lips found the side of her neck. The music continued pounding around them, but Cait was beginning to hear very little beyond the rush of her own pulse.
“Vi…”
“Mhm?”
“You are pushing your luck.”
“I like my luck.”
“I am serious.”
“So am I.”
Vi followed the words with another fleeting kiss, then another. Cait’s eyes closed for a moment before she summoned what remained of her resolve, placed both hands against Vi’s shoulders and pushed her back just far enough to breathe.
“You are not,” she said, attempting to recover some trace of her usual authority, “the only one exercising self-control tonight.”
“I thought I was suffering alone.”
Cait bit back a smile. “You have absolutely no idea how difficult you’re making this.”
Vi released an exaggerated sigh, although her hands remained securely around Cait’s waist. “I was hoping to completely unravel the Sheriff tonight.”
“Behave”
Vi leaned close enough for their foreheads to touch. “I can literally hear your heartbeat.”
Cait giggled. “You’re a menace, you know that?”
“You’re still marrying me.”
Cait laughed and shook her head. “I haven’t married you yet.” her fingers treading through the red strands as she nuzzled Vi’s cheek.
Vi grinned. “Still time to run then.”
“As if I’d ever manage to get very far.”
The grin on Vi’s face softened into something smaller and unexpectedly shy. For several seconds they simply stood there, smiling at one another while the music thundered and the crowd moved around them. Then Vi’s hand began wandering again, almost as though it possessed a will of its own, and came to rest squarely on Cait’s backside.
Cait huffed faking irritation.
“What?”
“You know what?”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
With a sigh that was almost entirely for show, Cait caught Vi’s hand and moved it back to her waist.
“You’re taking all the fun out of this.”
“I’m preserving what’s left of your dignity.”
“I had dignity?”
Finally surrendering, Cait shook her head with a fond smile and draped both arms loosely over Vi’s shoulders. “For someone who claims to be teaching me to dance,” Cait murmured, “you’re remarkably distracting.”
“I consider it part of the lesson.”
“Our lesson appears to have abandoned the music entirely.” She smiled softly as their noses brushed together.
Vi titled her head catching her lips once, then the second time. Instead of fighting it Cait’s lips parted, she reached out for Vi just as she pulled back drawing a smile out her fiancee. Vi’s hand reached out, fingers closing around Cait’s cheek closing the small space between them and kissed her passionately.
Cait’s arm tightened around Vi’s shoulders while her other hand slid into the short hair at the nape of her neck. Vi melted into her without hesitation, pulling Cait firmly against her as the noise and movement of the club disappeared around them.
Across the dance floor, Nyx happened to glance their way.
She watched the two of them standing forehead to forehead, grinning at one another as though the rest of the club had disappeared.
A fond smile spread across her face.
"Kids."
She shook her head.
Jorin chuckled.
"What?"
"You can sound like a proper old biddy sometimes."
Nyx gasped dramatically.I “ am old. I'll have you know “
Jorin looked her up and down with exaggerated consideration. "Not from where I'm standing."
"Is that your best line?"
"I've got better."
"I'm waiting."
She was already opening her mouth to fire back another clever remark when Jorin's hand slid gently to the back of her neck.
Before she could think of a response, he drew her into a kiss.
The words dissolved into a contented hum against his lips.
Her fingers found their way into his hair automatically as she relaxed into him, smiling without even realising it.
When they finally drew apart, she gave him a playful shove against the chest.
"That was cheating."
"I know."
"You interrupted my comeback."
"I did."
"I was about to win."
He smiled innocently. "I'll never know now."
Nyx rolled her eyes, though she couldn't stop smiling. “Man you can be so cocky.”
He slipped his fingers through hers. “You’re still tolerating me.”
She squeezed his hand. "I suppose I do."
Together they disappeared back into the music.
…..
By the time they returned to the table, everyone was ready for another drink.
“Alright, next round is on me.” Cait reached into the pocket of her trousers and produced a small leather-bound notebook, followed by a slim fountain pen.
Vi watched her flip neatly to a blank page. “What are you doing?”
Cait glanced up as though the answer should have been perfectly obvious. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m taking orders.”
“You brought a notebook and a pen to a club?”
“You never know when you might need one.”
“I give up.”
Vi smirked and continued looking at her with baffled fondness she usually reserved for discovering another one of her fiancée’s habits. One by one everyone gave their orders, which Cait recorded in tidy handwriting before closing the notebook and slipping the pen carefully back into its spine.
Nyx glanced towards the crowded bar. “Are you sure about this?”
Cait looked faintly offended. “I’m perfectly capable of ordering a few drinks without a babysitter.”
“I didn’t say you weren’t.”
“You were thinking it rather loudly.”
“Go get ’em.” Vi kissed Cait’s temple
With a dignified little nod, Cait tucked the notebook into her pocket and set off towards the bar. Nyx watched her disappear into the churning mass of bodies before slowly turning to Vi.
“Is she gonna be all right?”
“Yeah…she’ll be fine. She fought a Noxian general and survived,” Vi said nonchalant as she plonked into the sofa “I’m pretty sure she can handle a few drunk Zaunites.”
“If you say so.” Nyx shrugged not so convinced
Cait progressed through the crowd navigating between people with repeated murmurs of, “Excuse me, thank you,” and “Pardon me,” each phrase delivered with the same precision she might have used while crossing a council chamber or Piltover ball room. Several people gave her strange looks when she thanked them for moving aside, but most simply carried on dancing.
She finally reached the bar only to discover that the friendly bartender who knew Vi wasn’t there. In his place stood a broad-shouldered man with an impressive set of tattoos, augmented arm and the remarkable ability to look directly at Cait without ever acknowledging her existence.
“Excuse me,” Cait called, lifting one hand.
The bartender walked past her.
Cait lowered it slowly.
A man squeezed into the narrow space beside her and immediately shouted his order over Cait’s shoulder. The bartender served him without hesitation.
“I beg your pardon,” Cait began, but the customer had already taken his drinks and vanished into the crowd.
She inhaled deeply and tried again. “Excuse me. Whenever you have a moment.”
The bartender turned away to wipe several perfectly clean glasses.
Cait’s jaw tightened.
Another woman pushed in front of her, slapped a coin onto the counter, exchanged few friendly words with the bartender and received a drink almost instantly.
“Excuse me, but I was here before her!” Cait attempted to protest, but neither the woman nor the bartender paid her the slightest attention. She checked the clock mounted behind the bar and rolled her eyes frustrated.
From the table, Vi’s confident smile slowly faded.
“What’s taking so long?” Jorin asked.
“Either the order,” Vi said, rising from her seat, “or she’s writing down evidence for the prosecution.”
Nyx peered through the crowd. “You’d better go.”
“Yeah. I’m starting to think she’s either kidnapped or she’s arresting someone.”
Vi slapped palms of her hands on her knees and pushed herself up. She began weaving towards the bar.
By then, Cait had been ignored three more times. Her polite smile had vanished entirely, and every fresh order served around her seemed to pull her spine a little straighter.
When the bartender passed in front of her again, Cait reached across the counter, seized a fistful of his shirt and hauled him towards her so abruptly that his polishing cloth fell from his hand.
“I have been standing here for fifteen minutes and forty seconds,” she said, her voice dangerously calm. “That is approximately fifteen minutes too long. You will take this order now, or I shall personally introduce you to my fiancée, who is considerably less patient than I am. And I can assure you, neither of us will enjoy what follows.”
Vi reached the bar just in time to find Cait leaning across it, one hand twisted into the bartender’s shirt and the other on top of his head as she held him firmly pinned against the counter. She stopped a few feet away, then a slow, thoroughly delighted grin spread across her face.
The bartender was left in complete shock and disbelief.
A familiar voice came from behind him. “You really don’t wanna meet her, mate.”
Vi’s friend, the other bartender, had returned and now stood at his colleague’s shoulder, looking deeply amused. He gave the man a sympathetic pat before turning to Cait.
“You all right, love?”
Cait released the shirt with a final little shove and smoothed the front of her own outfit as though nothing unusual had occurred. “Perfectly.”
“Course you are.” He held out his hand. “Let’s have the list.”
Cait removed the note from her diary and passed it across the bar. “Thank you.”
“Nice handwriting.” He glanced down at the order. “That’s the nearest list I’ve seen in my life”
“I like accuracy.”
“I can see that.” He laughed
Vi came up behind Cait and gave her backside a quick pinch.
Cait spun around so fast that her fist was already halfway raised before she recognised her.
“Whoa!” Vi threw both hands into the air “Friendly fire, Cupcake.”
Cait lowered her fist and glared at her. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Frequently.” Vi’s gaze flicked towards the shaken bartender. “You all right?”
“I am now,” Cait said, rolling her eye.
Vi slipped an arm around her waist, still grinning. “Did you threaten him with me?”
“I informed him of the likely consequences of continuing to ignore me.”
“You threatened him with me.”
“I may have mentioned that you were less patient.”
Vi looked almost touched. “That might be the most romantic thing you’ve ever said.”
“I have said considerably more romantic things.”
“Yeah, but none of them made a bartender look like he was about to write his will.”
Behind the counter, Vi’s friend laughed as he began preparing their order. “She had him by the shirt, mate. Nearly pulled him clean over.”
Vi turned to Cait with unmistakable pride. “That’s my girl.”
“Your girl spent nearly sixteen minutes attempting to behave like a civilised person.”
“Sounds exhausting.”
“It was.”
Vi drew her closer and kissed her temple. “Next time, elbow your way in and shout.”
“I will do no such thing.”
“Grab another bloke by the shirt?”
Cait considered it for a moment. “That was surprisingly effective.”
Vi burst out laughing and tucked her more securely beneath her arm. “Zaun’s rubbing off on you, Cupcake.”
“I certainly hope not.”
“It suits you though.”
“Shut up.” Cait smirked despite herself.
…..
The drive back towards Piltover began quietly enough. Cait guided the car through Zaun’s narrow streets while the lights of the Lanes slid across the polished bonnet in flashes of green, violet and gold. Vi lounged beside her with one arm draped along the back of Cait’s seat, still pleasantly warm from the drinks and the dancing, while Nyx, Jorin and Gerhard occupied the rear seat.
They had barely reached the wider road leading towards the bridge when two Enforcers stepped into the middle of the street and began waving their arms, forcing Cait to stop.
“What the hell?” Vi huffed.
Cait struck the brake so sharply that everyone in the back was thrown forward. Jorin caught himself against the front seat, Nyx collided with his shoulder, and Gerhard narrowly avoided planting his face into the back of Vi’s head.
“What’s going on?” Jorin asked, rubbing his chest where the seat had caught him.
“Probably some shit came down further up,” Nyx said, stretching between Cait and Vi in an attempt to see past the windscreen.
“Could be an accident,” Gerhard suggested, craning his neck towards the two officers.
One of them approached the driver’s side with his breathing mask still secured over the lower half of his face, each breath distorted into a low mechanical rasp. Cait lowered the window and regarded him with the patient courtesy of someone expecting a perfectly reasonable explanation.
“What seems to be the problem, Officer?”
“Get out of the car.”
Cait blinked. “Pardon?”
“Stop pardoning and get out of the car. The lot of you.”
Vi leaned forward, her expression hardening. “Are you trying to be funny?”
The officer glanced past Cait and gave Vi a contemptuous look. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, starting with how you got hold of this car.” he said taking his mask off.
Cait’s eye widened. “It is my car.”
The second Enforcer laughed from the middle of the road. “Gods know what this lot’s taken.”
Vi stared at Cait for a moment before gesturing impatiently towards her coat. “Just show them your badge.”
“I don’t have it.”
Vi blinked . “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Why would I carry my badge on a night out in Zaun?”
“You always carry your badge.”
“Not when I’m going out.”
“You carried it to dinner last week.”
“That was because I had come directly from work.”
“You had it at the zoo.”
“I forgot it was in my pocket.”
While they argued, the officer’s patience finally snapped. He yanked open Cait’s door and reached inside, closing his hand around her upper arm as though he intended to drag her from the seat.
Vi moved so quickly that he barely had time to register her expression.
“Get your fucking hands off her.”
The warning came low and vicious. Vi was already leaning across Cait, one hand clamped around the officer’s wrist, and there was nothing playful left in her face.
Cait placed her free hand over Vi’s before the situation could deteriorate beyond repair. “I am Caitlyn Kiramman, young man, and I strongly suggest you release me and explain yourself.”
The two officers stared at her for half a second before bursting into laughter.
“Yeah,” the man gripping her arm said. “And I’m Councillor Ballor.”
Nyx leaned between the seats until her face appeared over Cait’s shoulder. “You fucking dipshit, she’s the fucking Sheriff.”
That only made him laugh harder.
Vi’s fury shifted almost instantly into delight. She released his wrist, sat back and grinned at him as though he had just volunteered to ruin his own life. “Mate, I can practically see you losing your job.”
Realising that there was no way to prove their identities from inside the car, Cait exhaled slowly and unfastened her belt. “Very well. We will get out, but you will keep your hands to yourself.”
They climbed from the vehicle one by one. Cait stepped onto the road and smoothed the front of her leather trousers with as much dignity as she could recover, while Vi immediately moved to stand beside her. Nyx, Jorin and Gearhand gathered behind them beneath the sickly glow of a nearby chem-lamp.
The second officer approached Vi and reached for her arm.
She caught his wrist before he could touch her. “Try that again and I’ll break your arm at the elbow.”
The man hesitated, suddenly far more aware of the strength in her grip than he had been a moment earlier.
“Please can we resolve this without any violence?” Cait turned back to the first officer, and the patience in her face had worn dangerously thin. “For the final time, I am Caitlyn Kiramman, Sheriff of Piltover, and I am ordering both of you to end this absurdity at once.”
The officer looked her slowly up and down. His gaze lingered far too long on her clothes before travelling back to her face, and when he stepped closer, the movement carried none of the professionalism his uniform demanded. He invaded what little space remained between them and wet his lips with the tip of his tongue.
“This your weekend outfit, Sheriff?”
Cait became very still.
Then her knee drove sharply upwards.
The man folded with a strangled gasp, both hands flying between his legs as he collapsed against the side of the car.
Vi’s mouth curved into a deeply satisfied smirk. “Man, you didn’t just lose your badge, you just lost your balls as well.”
Gearhand winced in sympathy. “Fuck. That must hurt.”
Jorin laughed, but the sound had barely escaped him when the second officer turned and struck him across the face. The blow snapped Jorin’s head sideways and sent him staggering into the car.
Nyx erupted.
“You fucking…”
She lunged forward, but Vi thrust one arm across her chest and stopped her before she reached him.
“Easy,” Vi said.
“I’ll tear his fucking throat out.” Nyx yelled.
The humour had vanished from Gerhard’s face, while Cait’s expression had gone cold enough to freeze the road beneath them.
Vi studied the two Enforcers for a split second, then glanced at the car and smiled.
“Tell you what,” she said, stepping forward with her hands held loosely at her sides. “You got us. We didn’t swipe the car ourselves. We found it sitting on the side of the road and figured we’d take it for a little joyride. No harm done.”
Cait turned sharply towards her, but Vi caught her eye and gave the smallest wink.
“Buuut…” Vi leaned a little closer to the officer, lowering her voice “How about you cuff all of us and take us down to the station? Cut us a deal, and I can tell you who probably did swipe it from Topside in the first place.”
The officer’s expression shifted.
Vi pressed on, her smile widening. “Think about it. The Kirammans get their car back, you bust whoever’s responsible, maybe even someone upstairs decides you deserve a promotion. You help us, we help you.” She nugged his shoulder.
Beside her, Cait’s eye brightened with understanding.
“Yes,” she said, folding her hands neatly in front of herself. “I think that is an excellent idea.”
Nyx stared between them before a slow grin spread across her face. “Oh, this is going to be good.”
The first officer was still hunched against the car, struggling to breathe through clenched teeth. “Cuff them.”
His partner pulled several sets of restraints from his belt. Vi immediately turned around and placed her hands behind her back with almost indecent enthusiasm.
“Not too tight. I bruise easily.”
Nyx snorted as the officer secured her wrists. “Do we get one of those little prison wagons, or are we walking?”
“Shut up and get in the back,” he said shoving her down
Cait looked appalled. “You are not driving my car.”
The officer stared at her. “Get inside and shut the gob or I’ll shut it for you. “
“Cait!” Vi gave her a look.
“I mean it,” The officer grabbed Cait by the elbow and shoved her towards the back door. Cait huffed and sat in the back next to Nyx.
Vi inhaled slowly and allowed herself to be guided into the rear seat beside her.
Cait watched the man place his hands on the steering wheel with the expression of someone witnessing a stranger reach for a loaded weapon.
“Do be careful with the gears,” she said.
He ignored her.
“And the clutch is rather sensitive.”
“Cait,” Vi murmured.
“What?”
“You’re being arrested.”
“That does not mean he is permitted to destroy my gearbox.”
The engine started with an ugly grind.
Cait’s entire face tightened.
Vi bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself laughing.
As the car pulled away, Nyx leaned closer to Cait and lowered her voice. “How long before they realise?”
Cait glanced towards the back of the driver’s head. “That depends entirely on whether anyone competent is working tonight.”
…….
The station was quieter than usual at that hour of the night. A few officers lingered near the main desk, finishing reports or drinking something hot from chipped ceramic cups, while the lamps along the walls cast a soft amber glow over the polished stone floor.
The officer escorting them pushed open the doors with far more confidence than the situation warranted and marched the group inside as though he had personally solved the greatest crime in Piltover’s recent history.
The man behind the front desk looked up from his drink.
His eyes landed on Cait first.
He inhaled sharply and immediately began choking.
The cup clattered against the desk as he coughed into his sleeve, staring at her as if she had materialised from thin air. Then Vi stepped into view behind her, wrists still bound, wearing an expression of such delighted anticipation that the desk officer’s confusion only deepened.
“What the hell…” he managed.
The arresting officer gave Cait a rough shove forward. “Book them in for vehicle theft. They found Kiramman car from the lower roads and took it for a joy ride. I’ll question them myself.”
The desk officer stared at him.
The arresting officer mistook the silence for admiration and continued. “You’ll need to contact the family and let them know we recovered it. Expensive thing, too. Probably worth more than half the district.”
Behind Cait, Nyx made a small strangled sound that might have been a laugh.
The desk officer opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
At that moment the door behind the counter swung open and the deputy emerged carrying his usual late-night cup of tea. He looked tired, mildly irritated and entirely unprepared for what awaited him.
He took one step into the room, glanced up and stopped so abruptly that the tea sloshed against the rim of his cup.
For a long moment he simply stared.
Vi smiled at him pleasantly. “Evening.”
Cait inclined her head as much as the restraints allowed. “Good evening. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could uncuff me.”
The arresting officer laughed. “Ignore her. She’s not all there. Thinks she’s Caitlyn Kiramman.”
The deputy’s face changed. “Because she is Caitlyn Kiramman, you fucking moron!”
His voice exploded across the station so loudly that the desk officer jumped and spilled the remainder of his drink over three unfinished reports.
Every conversation in the room stopped.
The arresting officer’s expression went blank.
Vi leaned closer to him, smiling with almost unbearable warmth. “Congratulations. You’ve just earned yourself a promotion.”
The man turned slowly towards her.
“What?”
“Yeah,” Vi said. “Straight to civilian.”
Whatever colour remained in his face vanished.
The deputy slammed his fist onto the desk. “Don’t just stand there. Uncuff them, you dipstick!”
The second officer fumbled for the keys so quickly that he dropped them. They struck the floor with a metallic clatter and slid beneath the desk.
Nyx watched him scramble after them “Smooth.”
“Shut up,” he muttered.
“Oh, I don’t think you’re in a position to start giving orders,” she replied sweetly.
The first officer looked from Cait to the deputy and back again, as though hoping some alternative explanation might suddenly present itself. “She didn’t have a badge.”
Cait’s expression remained perfectly composed. “I was on a private evening out.”
“She was dressed like that,” he blurted.
The entire station seemed to grow even quieter.
Vi’s smile disappeared.
The deputy closed his eyes briefly, the way a man might when trying to prevent his soul from leaving his body. “You should stop speaking.”
“I only meant…”
“Stoooop!” He yelled
“He also grabbed her,” Vi added.
The deputy opened his eyes again. “He did what?”
“And then made a comment about her outfit,” Nyx said. “Right before she kneed him in the balls.”
Several officers at the far end of the room nearly burst out laughing and became very interested in their paperwork.
The deputy looked slowly towards Cait.
Cait gave a small, dignified nod. “That is an accurate summary.”
Gearhand cleared his throat. “It was a very effective knee.”
Jorin, whose cheek was beginning to swell, added, “He also hit me.”
The deputy’s gaze moved to the second officer.
The second officer swallowed.
Vi’s grin returned. “This is getting better by the second.”
The keys were finally recovered, and the desk officer hurried around the counter to release Cait first. The moment the restraints came away, she rubbed one wrist and looked down at the red mark left against her skin.
Vi exhaled through her nose and allowed the second officer to remove her cuffs, although the look she gave him made it clear that his survival remained a temporary arrangement.
Once Nyx, Jorin and Gerhard had been freed as well, the deputy turned towards the two officers. “Badges. Now.”
Neither moved. “I said now.”
The first officer slowly unclipped his badge and placed it on the desk. The second followed, his hand trembling slightly.
Cait stepped forward “These men stopped us without establishing probable cause, attempted to remove me forcibly from my own vehicle, ignored repeated identification, used unnecessary violence against a civilian and behaved in a manner entirely unbecoming of this department.”
The deputy’s jaw tightened. “I understand.”
“No,” Cait said, her voice remaining calm. “I don’t believe you do yet.”
The room fell silent again.
Her gaze moved to the officer who had touched her. “He also believed that the way I was dressed gave him permission to speak to me however he pleased.”
The officer looked down.
“That,” Cait continued, “concerns me considerably more than his inability to recognise my face.”
Vi shifted closer until her shoulder brushed Cait’s. Her hand found the small of Cait’s back, the touch light but steady.
The deputy nodded once. “There will be a formal investigation.”
“There will,” Cait agreed. “Beginning first thing Monday morning.”
The confidence drained completely from both officers.
Nyx folded her arms. “Do they still get to call the Kirammans and tell them they found the car?”
Jorin snorted.
Gerhard covered his mouth, though it did little to hide his smile.
Even the deputy’s stern expression cracked for half a second.
Vi turned to Cait. “I reckon you should answer the call yourself.”
Cait gave her a tired smile. “Imagine the confusion.”
The desk officer cleared his throat, still red-faced from choking. “Sheriff, would you like me to arrange transport back to the estate?”
Cait glanced towards the doors. “Where is my car?”
The arresting officer raised one uncertain hand. “Outside.”
“Then it won’t be necessary. Thank you.” Cait drew in a slow breath. “Deputy, please ensure these men give their statements I will sort out the rest on Monday. It’s been a long day.”
“Yes, Sheriff.”
“Good night.” Cait said and pushed the door open.
“Well Kiramman” Nyx smirked as they walked outside “You got arrested in your own car, kneed a bloke in the balls, and walked into your own station in handcuffs. You can’t say we didn’t give you a fun night out.”
“Best night ever.” Vi grinned
Cait looked around at the four grinning faces surrounding her and sighed with profound resignation. “I need another drink.”
Vi slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple. “That’s my Sheriff.”
…..
The bedroom door swung open with a crash of laughter, Cait and Vi tumbling through in a tangle of breathless giggles and flushed cheeks still laughing about the arrest. The night air still clung to them, exhaustion and adrenaline from whatever chaos they'd just escaped melting into something warmer, something electric.
"Race you," Cait called out, already darting toward the spiral staircase that curled up toward the loft.
"You're on," Vi grinned, pounding after her.
Cait's feet barely touched the steps, climbing with that eager, slightly unsteady energy of someone who'd had just enough to drink to feel golden. Her hand gripped the railing, hauling herself upward, but halfway up her foot caught on a step. She pitched forward with a yelp but caught herself, palms slapping against the metal steps as she stumbled.
"Whoa there," Vi laughed from below, warm and rich. Before Cait could recover fully, she felt Vi's hands plant themselves firmly on her backside. "Up you go."
Cait shrieked, laughing so hard her sides hurt, the pressure of those hands pushing her upward step by step. "You're gonna make me fly!"
"Just helping a lady out," Vi teased, giving her an extra playful shove that sent Cait stumbling onto the landing, breathless and bright-eyed.
They finally made it upstairs, Cait leaning against the wall with a dramatic huff, her chest heaving. "God, I desperately need a shower," she sighed, pushing damp hair from her forehead.
Vi's eyes lit up, that mischievous spark dancing in them as she leaned against the doorframe. "Y'know what? Shower's a fantastic idea."
She was already moving, her fingers found the laces of her heavy boots, working them loose with practiced efficiency. One boot hit the floor. Then the other.
But Cait wasn't waiting.
She pushed off the wall with sudden intent, crossing the space between them in three quick strides. Her hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of Vi's shirt and yanked.
Vi stumbled forward, eyes widening, but there was no time for words. Cait pulled her in and crashed their mouths together.
It wasn't gentle. It was hungry, desperate, coming from the woman who’s been starving for this all night. Vi made a sound against her lips, surprised and pleased, and then her hands were finding Cait's waist, pulling her closer, closer.
They broke apart only long enough to tear at each other's clothes, fingers fumbling with buttons and zippers in their haste. Cait's coat hit the floor. Vi's belt clattered somewhere. Cait tried to shimmy out of her trousers, tight and unforgiving things that had looked fantastic earlier but were now a prison, and nearly went down again, her balance tipping.
"Easy," Vi breathed, catching her elbow.
"Off," Cait demanded, laughing against her mouth, and let herself fall backward onto the sofa with a soft *whump*.
Vi didn't hesitate. She dropped to her knees in front of her, fingers hooking into the waistband of Cait's trousers and pulling, slow and deliberate, dragging the fabric down Cait's legs until it pooled on the floor. But when Cait moved to sit up, to pull Vi down with her, Vi had other ideas.
She surged forward between Cait's knees, pressing her back against the sofa cushions, and started kissing hot and open-mouthed down Cait's stomach. Each press of lips made Cait gasp, her abdomen trembling under the attention. Then Vi was back at her mouth, swallowing her sounds, before dipping lower again to trace the curve of Cait's breast, teeth grazing just enough to make Cait arch.
"Vi…" Cait's hands tangled in pink hair, tugging insistently every time Vi abandoned her lips, pulling her back up unwilling to lose the taste of her.
They were a mess of limbs and half-removed clothing, the room too warm, the air too thick. Cait managed to get her hands under Vi's shirt, pushing it upward, and Vi pulled back just long enough to let her wrench it over her head. The shirt sailed across the room, forgotten immediately.
Then Cait was pulling her back down, and Vi went willingly, settling her weight over her. Cait's mouth found Vi's shoulder first, kissing the muscle there, the old scars, the strength. And then traced upward to the hollow of her collarbone, tongue sweeping against the tendon, feeling Vi shudder above her.
"Come here," Cait whispered, breath hot against Vi's throat, and dragged her higher still to capture her jaw, the sharp angle of it, then the soft spot just below her ear, then back to her neck where she could feel Vi's pulse hammering wild and fast.
Vi groaned, her whole body pressing down, pinning Cait to the sofa, and Cait wrapped her legs around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer, skin seeking skin, neither of them laughing anymore, just breathing, just needing.
Vi hovered above her, the playful urgency momentarily suspended as her eyes traced Cait's face, searching, memorizing, drinking in every detail. The flush high on Cait's cheekbones, the parted lips still glistening from their kisses, the way her chest rose and fell in shallow, eager breaths.
Then something in her shifted. The wild energy softened, tempered into something tender and reverent. Vi's hand lifted, fingers trembling slightly as they brushed a stray strand of blue hair from Cait's forehead, tucking it behind her ear with infinite care.
"Gods," Vi whispered, her voice rough, almost broken. "You're stunning."
Cait's smile bloomed slow and radiant, something private and precious meant only for her. Her hand slid upward, fingers threading through Vi's hair, gripping gently but firmly, anchoring her.
"Come here," she breathed. And she pulled.
Vi didn't need to be asked twice. She sank into the kiss like coming home, slow and deep, her tongue sliding against Cait's with a rhythm that promised everything. Her hands roamed down Cait's sides, over her hips, learning every curve, every tremor, every gasp she drew out.
Vi settled her weight between Cait's thighs, pressing her down into the soft. Cait’s legs wrapped around Vi's waist, heels digging into the small of her back, pulling her closer, closer.
Intimacy of it made Vi dizzy, made her heart stutter in her chest.
"Vi," Cait whispered, her voice breaking as Vi rolled her hips, creating friction that made them both moan. "Please…"
Vi soothed, kissing her jaw, her throat, the hollow where her pulse hammered wild. "Inpatient.” she smiled and kissed her again. Her hand slipped between them.
Fingers finding her hot and welcoming, and Cait's head fell back with a silent gasp that Vi swallowed with another kiss. She moved slow at first, watching Cait's face, her lips parted on breathless gasps, the small groove forming between her brows. But Cait was impatient, her hips bucking, demanding more, and Vi gave it to her.
The rhythm built between them, steady and deep, Vi's hand working in tandem with the roll of her hips, driving Cait higher. Every sound Cait made, every whimper, every moan, every desperate word went straight to Vi's core, burning her up from the inside. She peppered kisses along Cait's collarbone, down to her breast, taking a nipple into her mouth and sucking hard, feeling Cait clench around her fingers in response.
"You're so beautiful," Vi gasped, looking up at her, at the way Cait's hair spilled across the sofa, at the sheen of sweat on her skin, at the absolute trust in her eyes. "So perfect. So mine."
"Yours," Cait agreed, her voice ragged, her hands gripping Vi's shoulders, nails digging in just enough to sting. "Vi, I'm…."
"I know," Vi whispered, feeling the tension coiling in Cait's body, feeling her begin to tighten, to shake. "Let go, baby."
She curled her fingers, finding that spot inside that made Cait see stars, and Cait came apart with a moan that Vi caught in her mouth, her whole body arching off the sofa, trembling as wave after wave crashed through her. Vi held her through it, murmuring praise, love, devotion against her lips, keeping her anchored, keeping her safe.
But her lover wasn't done. She kissed her way down Cait's body, down her sternum, over her stomach, her hip, the inside of her thigh, settling between her legs with reverent hands. She looked up once, meeting Cait's dazed, heavy-lidded gaze, and then she lowered her mouth.
Cait gasped, her hands flying to Vi's hair, gripping tight as Vi tasted her, worshipped her with lips and tongue. She was sensitive now, oversensitive, but Vi was gentle, patient, drawing out aftershocks that had Cait whimpering and writhing, her legs trembling on Vi's shoulders.
"I…" Cait breathed, her voice wrecked, her body pliant and exhausted and utterly undone. "I adore you."
Vi kissed her thigh, her hip, trailing upward over her stomach, between her breasts, up her throat and finally found her mouth again. The kiss was deep, soft and full of everything they couldn't quite put into words . Cait melted into it, her body loose and heavy, every muscle turned to jelly, her heart hammering a slow, satisfied rhythm against Vi's chest.
Vi shifted reaching over Cait toward the floor.
“What are you doing?” Cait giggled
“Wiping my hand.”
Cait looked sideways and laughed “into your shirt?”
“It needs a wash anyway.” She laughed and collapsing beside her then rolled to lay her head on Cait's breast, her cheek pressed against the soft warmth there, listening to the thunder of her heartbeat. Cait's arms came around her immediately, and then her legs too, wrapping around Vi's waist from below, tangling them together in a knot of limbs and sweat and breathless contentment.
They lay like that for long moments, the city quiet outside, the room filled with the sound of their breathing slowly evening out. Vi pressed a kiss to Cait's breast, nuzzling there, her hand tracing lazy patterns on Cait's hip.
“Tickles” Cait giggled. The sound bubbled up from somewhere deep and happy, bright and unexpected in the hush of the room. Her chest shook under Vi's cheek, and Vi lifted her head, grinning.
"What?"
Cait looked down at her, eyes shining, her smile so wide it hurt. "We..." She laughed again, breathless. "We definitely need a shower now."
Vi stared at her for a beat, then burst out laughing, burying her face back against Cait's breast, shaking with it. "We do," she managed, pressing kisses to Cait's skin.
"Your fault," Cait accused fondly, her fingers carding through Vi's hair, holding her close. "You started it."
"Pretty sure you grabbed my shirt first, Sheriff."
"Details."
Vi lifted herself up, crawling over Cait again to capture her mouth in a slow, sweet kiss, full of promise, full of tomorrow, full of everything they were just beginning to build together.
"Shower," Vi murmured against her lips. "Then bed. Then maybe..." She nipped at Cait's lower lip. "Round two?"
Cait's laugh was bright and warm and all Vi ever wanted to hear. "Definitely round two….But I’ll need some food first.”
They stumbled to the shower together, still laughing, still touching, still unable to keep their hands off each other—their love written in every glance, every kiss, every breathless, happy sound.
-
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