Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Caitlyn sat at the island in Jayce’s kitchen, holding a glass of lemonade and watching mindlessly as he cleaned the counters. Somehow, he had managed to spill half of it while attempting to pour her a glass, but had refused to let her help him clean it up.

“When are you going to date Mel?” Caitlyn asked, stirring her lemonade. From across the counter, Jayce choked on air, momentarily pausing his cleaning to fix Caitlyn with a shocked look.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Caitlyn replied, raising an eyebrow at his expression. “You’re taking forever to ask her out. At this rate, I should go ahead and do it for you.”

Jayce’s mouth hung open for a few moments longer until Caitlyn had to gesture for him to close it. “Miss Medarda and I are only friends, nothing more,” he replied firmly, continuing to wipe down the kitchen counters. “Although if you want to discuss the topic of love, have you found anyone yet?”

Caitlyn set down her spoon and fixed him with a glare, and Jayce put his hands up innocently. “I am perfectly content by myself, thank you. I would rather focus on my grades than relationships.”

“It’s summer break,” Jayce pointed out, and Caitlyn took a long sip of her lemonade to avoid replying. He smirked, knowing that he had won, and Caitlyn set down her drink and got up from her chair.

“I’m going to spend some time with my friends now,” she informed him, rolling her eyes at his smile. “Which I do have, before you make some sort of snide comment.”

“Oh good, maybe they’ll find someone for you!” Jayce called after her as she made her way to the door.

“And maybe I’ll ask out Mel for you!” Caitlyn shot back, shutting the door behind her. She heard his laughter from inside, sighed, and picked up her bike from where she discarded it on Jayce’s front lawn. It had taken her years to convince her mother to let her bike places instead of being chauffeured to where she wanted to go, and even then, Jayce’s house was one of the few places she was allowed to bike to.

As she pedaled away and toward the ice cream shop downtown, Caitlyn shook her head, muttering to herself. “Have I found anyone yet,” she huffed. “As if I’m some desperate girl begging to be in a relationship.”

As she crossed the bridge, entering downtown Piltover, her thoughts shifted. Caitlyn slowed to a stop and started walking her bike along the crowded sidewalk, wondering just how mad Jayce would be if she really did ask Mel out for him.

Caitlyn had known both Jayce and Mel since she was a baby (both of them worked with and were close friends with her parents), but she had always been closer with Jayce. He was like her annoyingly overbearing brother, but Caitlyn wouldn’t have it any other way. He was always the one she went to when she got into fights with her mother, which was becoming a more frequent occurrence.

Mel, she had always liked, but she was not nearly as close with her. Caitlyn was hoping to change that by setting the two up together, or at least, by giving them a push. She saw how they looked at each other already.

Arriving at the ice cream shop, Caitlyn left her bike leaning against the wall and entered. Piltover had the lowest crime rates out of the nearest five cities, so she had no worries about it being stolen.

Instantly spotting her friends, Caitlyn noted that she was the last one there. She also realized that they had all ordered already, so she got in line first. Only once she received her ice cream—french vanilla in a waffle cone, her go-to order—did she make her way over to her friends.

“Hey,” she greeted, dragging a chair over to the table they had claimed.

“What took your chauffeur so long?” Emery asked, and Caitlyn didn't miss the judgemental once over she gave her.

“Oh, I biked, actually!” Caitlyn replied as cheerfully as she could, praying she sounded unbothered. But as her friends exchanged glances, her smile died a little. “So, where are we going after this?” Caitlyn asked, pretending not to notice.

If they were caught off-guard at the sudden topic change, her friends didn’t show it. “A new dress store just opened a few blocks away,” Sasha said excitedly. “I’ve been dying to see it.”

Natalia smirked, holding up a credit card between two fingers. “My dad’s today. Let’s see how much we can spend there.”

Caitlyn bit her tongue, knowing better than to comment. She had access to her parent’s credit cards as well, but she felt guilty every time she used one, even though her mother refused to let her use—or earn—her own money. But her friends never seemed to have any reserves about spending money that wasn’t theirs, and too often it turned into a competition of who could spend the most. A competition that Caitlyn lost every time, without fail.

“Caitlyn, finish your ice cream so we can go,” Sasha complained. “I doubt they’ll let food into the store.”

Caitlyn forced a smile and opened her mouth to reply, but Natalia cut in before she could. “She can walk and eat. Come on, this card is burning a hole through my pocket.”

“Oh, but how will I walk my bike?” Caitlyn protested. Emery dragged her out of her seat and nudged her to start walking.

“It’ll be fine, just leave it.”

“Yeah, no one will steal your precious bicycle,” Natalia snorted, pushing open the door. Caitlyn paused on the sidewalk, gave her bike a pained look, then hurried to catch up with her friends. Natalia was right, no one would want to steal it. The residents of Piltover were far too rich for that, a fact which Caitlyn’s friends—and mother—reminded her of constantly.

They didn't seem to understand why she chose to bike places. She certainly got enough judgmental looks from strangers, and lectures from her mother about how doing so was ‘tarnishing the family image’ and ‘making them look like members of the lower class.’ But Caitlyn didn't care about any of that. For her, biking provided a sense of independence, of freedom that was otherwise restricted by her status in Piltover. It was the only thing that gave her a sense of control. But as she glanced over her shoulder at her bike, leaning against the wall of the ice cream shop, she felt that control slipping.

She looked back until the bike was swallowed in the crowd.

Chapter Text

The moment Caitlyn entered the bookstore, her carefully composed expression crumbled. Being around those girls, pretending not to notice the jabs they took at her—it was draining. She had escaped to the bookstore as soon as she could without seeming suspicious, using the excuse of having to be home before the sun set. They didn’t know how long biking from downtown Piltover to her house took, so Caitlyn was confident in her lie, although she still felt some amount of guilt for telling it.

Taking a deep breath as a reset, Caitlyn headed straight for her favorite section, historical fiction. As her gaze flitted over the rows and rows of books, she made mental notes as to which ones she’d already read. After a few minutes of browsing, her eye caught on one that she hadn’t seen before, and Caitlyn took it off the shelf, flipping it open only for it to immediately slip out of her hands. “Oh, fuck me,” she muttered, snatching it off the ground a bit more aggressively than necessary.

“At least let me buy you dinner first,” the girl next to her joked, and Caitlyn froze. She hadn't registered that she wasn't alone.

Caitlyn turned to find a girl maybe an inch shorter than she was, with short, dyed pink hair, holding a book upside down. Of course, one of the few times she swore, she did it in front of a cute girl. Of course. Lovely first impression I must have made, she thought, annoyed.

The girl raised her eyebrow, and Caitlyn realized that she had been staring in shocked silence. “I, uhm—sorry, you startled me. Is that book upside down?”

The girl blinked, glancing down at the book. “Oh.” She flipped it around, staring at the synopsis on the back. “Do you know if this is any good?”

Recovered from her shock but still a little caught off-guard, Caitlyn examined the book. “Oh, it is, actually! That’s one of my favorites,” she replied excitedly. “If you like this genre, then you'll love that.”

But the girl shook her head. “It’s not for me. It's for my sister, Powder. She's a huge bookworm.”

“Well, I’m sure she’ll like it too,” Caitlyn replied, turning back to inspect the book she was holding. But as she read the back and then the inside sleeve, her attention kept wandering to the girl next to her, who was scanning the shelf, brows furrowed. Caitlyn caught herself examining that expression and quickly looked away, mentally scolding herself.

“Well, thanks for the help,” the girl said suddenly, tapping the book with finality. Caitlyn nodded to her, and the girl added with a wink before she walked away, “And let me know when we’re going on that dinner date.”

“Is that an offer?” Caitlyn asked under her breath, flicking her gaze back to her book. She had already forgotten what it was about.

“What was that?” the girl asked from behind her, and Caitlyn froze again, panicked that she had been heard.

“Nothing!” she squeaked out, giving the girl her most charming smile. “I, uh, I hope your sister likes the book!”

The girl watched her for a second, unsure, then forced a smile back and disappeared into a different section. Caitlyn let out a breath, resting her head against the bookshelf. Why had she said that?

To cope with the humiliation that she had just put herself through, Caitlyn grabbed the book she was holding, plus the entire series that it belonged to. She justified spending the money by telling herself that her mother would see the charges and think that she was at the bookstore with her friends, having fun. Not there by herself, using retail therapy to make up for embarrassing herself in front of a pretty girl.

Just as Caitlyn was starting to relax again, she approached the checkout to find the pink-haired girl at the one directly next to the only one left open. Cursing her luck, Caitlyn made her way to it, smiling at the woman behind the counter and pretending not to notice the girl. Unfortunately for her, the girl seemed to have the exact opposite intentions.

“Hey, thanks again for the recommendation,” she said, and her genuine smile forced Caitlyn to respond.

“Of course,” she replied politely, turning her attention back to the woman behind the counter and hoping that the girl would take the hint.

She did not. “Which ones did you buy?” she asked, leaning over to get a look at Caitlyn’s haul.

“I…don’t remember the title,” she dismissed, attempting to hide her blush. She didn't know the title because she was too distracted by the pink-haired girl to bother to read it.

The girl saw her blush and her smile turned into a smirk. “Oh, something you shouldn't be reading, hm? Hey, I don't judge.”

“What—” Caitlyn spluttered, snatching the receipt and shoving it into the bag. “It is a historical fiction series, for your information. I don't read filth like that.”

The girl just watched her, still with that insufferable smirk on her face, and Caitlyn could tell that she didn't believe her. “Uh-huh. Buried that receipt pretty far, didn't you?”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Caitlyn snapped, digging around in her bag to find it. “Look, historical fiction. Satisfied?”

The girl barely examined the receipt, her gaze fixed firmly on Caitlyn. “Yeah.”

Suddenly, Caitlyn’s mouth was dry. The stare, the smirk, the tone of her voice…it was too much. She knew she was blushing, and she hated it, but she stood frozen under the pink-haired girl’s gaze.

“Move along!” the cashier told them, gesturing toward the door. Caitlyn snapped out of whatever trance she had been in and quickly brushed by the girl, not making eye contact. The girl laughed and followed her, exiting the store to find Caitlyn picking her bike up.

“Hey. Hey!” She tapped Caitlyn’s shoulder and she turned around with a huff, gripping the handlebars of her bike tightly.

“Yes?”

The girl gave her an easy smile that made Caitlyn’s heart skip a beat. “What’s your name?”

She blinked, caught off guard by the question. “I’m Caitlyn.”

“Cool. I’m Vi. Nice to meet you, Caitlyn.” She stuck out her hand somewhat awkwardly, and after a moment of hesitation, Caitlyn took it.

“Pleasure to meet you as well, Vi.”

Chapter Text

“What am I doing?” Caitlyn muttered to herself for the twelfth time that hour, checking her reflection in the mirror. Somehow, she had wound up with Vi’s number in her phone. To make sure that she arrived home safely, Caitlyn reasoned to herself. Vi had been taking public transport home, and the singular flash of concern across Caitlyn’s face was all that insufferable girl needed to tease her into exchanging numbers.

Aw, are you worried about me?

Nonsense, I just met you.

Admit it, you're worried.

I am not. Goodbye, Vi.

Wait! Don't you want to make sure I get home safe?

And damn her, but Caitlyn had turned around, and Vi snatched had her phone from her with a grin, and Caitlyn had begrudgingly allowed her to enter her contact information, and alright, yes, maybe she did smile a bit when Vi texted her that night, and then smiled more three days later when Vi texted her yet again and asked if she wanted to hang out. But Caitlyn still didn't know what had compelled her to agree. She hardly knew the girl.

And so, on her thirteenth “What am I doing?” of the hour, Caitlyn deemed her outfit good enough and headed downstairs, hoping to avoid her mother. Thankfully, her parents were both out, and Caitlyn seized her chance and grabbed her bike. They were meeting up downtown, it wasn't that far.

Caitlyn worried the entire ride there. Why had she said yes to this? What were they going to do? Would it be awkward? Why had Vi asked her to hang out in the first place? Surely she had better things to do. But as she arrived at the park, all anxious thoughts left her head as she caught sight of Vi.

Had she gotten cuter since the last time Caitlyn saw her?

Vi saw her from across the park and immediately grinned, waving with her whole arm. “Hey!” she called out cheerfully, gesturing Caitlyn over.

Good Lord. This was going to be interesting.

Caitlyn left her bike in the bike rack and crossed over to her through the empty park. “Hello, Vi,” Caitlyn greeted, sitting across from her at a picnic table. “How have you been?”

“Alive and unharmed, as you can see,” Vi answered proudly, gesturing to herself. “Piltover’s public transport is like, the nicest thing ever. You had no reason to worry.”

“I wasn’t—” Caitlyn caught herself, sighing through her nose and changing the subject. She would not let Vi get a rise out of her that easily. “So, what did you have in mind to do?” she asked instead, glancing around at the shops across the streets that surrounded the park.

“You mean apart from window shop? Uh…”

“Window shop?” Caitlyn repeated. “What’s that?”

Vi gave her a strange look. “You know, when you look at stuff but don't buy anything. You don’t do that?”

“Oh.” Caitlyn wasn't aware that people went shopping with the intention not to buy anything, but she wasn’t about to let Vi know that. “I didn’t know there was a name for it,” Caitlyn lied, and Vi blinked, her easy smile returning.

“Yeah, me and Pow do it all the time. We used to take our brothers, but they'd actually buy stuff, and then Dad would be mad. But—sorry, I’m talking too much. Do you have siblings too?”

“I—ah, no. Only child, I’m afraid. Although Jayce is like my older brother, I suppose,” Caitlyn added after a moment. “And if he dates Mel, then maybe she would be like my older sister. We’re already close, but not as close as I am with Jayce.” Caitlyn realized that she was now the one rambling and forcibly stopped herself. “Sorry, you have no idea who either of them are.”

Vi laughed, and Caitlyn hated to admit it, but she liked the sound. “Nah, it's fine. Let’s both backtrack. Powder, Pow, she's my little sister. The one I was buying the book for.” Caitlyn nodded, wanting to ask if she liked it but holding her tongue. “My brothers are Mylo and Claggor,” Vi continued. “And my Dad’s name is Vander.”

Caitlyn watched her expectantly, waiting for a mother’s name, but it didn't come. “RIght, ah,” Caitlyn said a little awkwardly, hoping Vi hadn't realized why she had been staring at her. “Jayce is a friend of my parent’s, and I’ve known him since I was a baby. He’s a bit overbearing, to be honest, but I suppose he is like my older brother. Mel is also a friend of my parent’s, they work together, and I’ve known her since I was small as well. Actually, I’m trying to set them up together,” Caitlyn admitted, and Vi gasped, her eyes widening.

“Oh, you’ve gotta let me help you. I’m so good at schemes, you don't even know.”

Caitlyn laughed. “By all means. They’ve clearly liked each other for a while now, but neither one will make a move. It’s almost tortuous, the way they stare at each other from across the room and end up saying nothing.”

Vi nodded, leaning forward and clasping her hands together. “Right, so here’s what you’re gonna do…”

They ended up talking for an hour at that park bench, and Caitlyn didn’t feel awkward once. In fact, talking with Vi felt right. Natural. Only once she shivered from a breeze and looked around did Caitlyn realize that the sun would be setting soon.

“It’s getting kinda cold, wanna start shopping?” Vi suggested, standing up. Caitlyn nodded and followed her across the street, for once not thinking about leaving her bike or getting home before curfew. Her mind was empty of all thoughts except ones revolving around Vi. Maybe a little too empty, because when Jayce called her two hours later and Caitlyn saw the time, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.

“Sorry, I have to take this,” Caitlyn told Vi, who was in the middle of deciding which jacket she liked best. Vi nodded and Caitlyn walked a few steps away, phone pressed to her ear. “Hello? Jayce?”

“Where are you?” he demanded at once, and Caitlyn winced. “Your parents just called and asked if you were at my house.”

“What did you tell them?” Caitlyn asked anxiously.

“I told them yes, but you owe me,” he snapped, and Caitlyn blew out a relieved breath. “Now, are you going to answer my question, or do I need to call your parents back and tell them that you’ve been kidnapped?”

“No no, I’m fine,” Caitlyn said hurriedly, glancing back at Vi. “I’m in downtown Piltover with…my friend.”

“Cait, it’s past your curfew—”

“I know,” she responded, rushing her words. “I’ll be home soon, I promise. Thanks for covering for me.”

She hung up before he could scold her more and turned back to Vi, surprised to find herself dreading the thought of going home. More specifically, telling Vi she had to leave.

“So, we're officially friends now, hm?” Vi asked her with a lopsided grin, and Caitlyn realized with a start that she had heard her.

“Were you eavesdropping on me?” Caitlyn accused, and Vi shrugged with zero remorse.

“I mean, you didn't walk very far away. Who were you talking to, your mom?”

“Unbelieveable,” Caitlyn muttered, and Vi just laughed. “And no. For your information, I was talking to Jayce. He told my parents that I was at his house, but I have to get home soon. It’s already past my curfew.”

Vi raised an eyebrow at her, hanging the jackets back up, but followed her outside and back to the park without argument. “You know, if you’ve already missed your curfew, what's the harm in staying out a little longer?” Vi suggested with deceptive innocence.

Caitlyn paused and gave her a glare. “The harm is that my mother may decide it would be a good idea to revoke my biking privileges.”

“When’s your curfew?”

“Seven thirty.”

“And what time is it right now?”

Caitlyn checked her phone and died a little inside. “Eight forty.”

“Hmm. I think if she wanted to take away your bike, she would have already decided that by now,” Vi said smugly, and Caitlyn shot her another glare. “Come on, just stay a little longer.”

Her answer should have been no. It should have been an immediate no, and she should have gotten on her bike and pedaled home as quickly as possible. But the pleading look that Vi was giving her made her stop and debate for a long moment. She truly did want to stay with her. And Caitlyn had never been out past her curfew before, so her mother’s punishment wouldn't be that harsh.

Caitlyn sighed, and Vi grinned and hopped onto the monkey bars. “You’re going to fall,” Caitlyn reprimanded. Vi fully disregarded her and instead offered her hand to help her up. “I’m going to fall,” Caitlyn protested, taking her hand anyway.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you,” Vi told her with a wink, and the wink paired with the fact that her hand was in hers made Caitlyn’s heart flutter.

Curse her heart. She had just developed a friendship with this girl, and any feelings she may have were not about to ruin it. “Hmph.” Determined to balance herself, Caitlyn pulled her hand away the moment she was settled on the monkey bars, although some small part of her wished that she hadn't.

They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the cars drive by. “Vi,” Caitlyn asked tentatively, staring out into the growing darkness, “what made you want to see each other today?”

Vi shot her a sideways look, having clearly not expected the question. “I don't know. Had to prove to you that taking public transport won't kill me, hm?” She cracked a grin at her joke, but Caitlyn just watched her, waiting for a real answer. Vi sighed, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her red jacket. “My dad told me I had to stop worrying about Powder so much. Said I should start making some real friends, have a social life, be a normal teenage girl, y’know?” Vi shot Caitlyn a sideways look, offering a small shrug. “You seemed nice.”

Caitlyn processed this, breaking eye contact to stare at the ground that seemed so far below them. “And…now that you know me better, would you like to be actual friends?”
“Yeah, I do,” Vi reassured her, and Caitlyn blew out a silent breath of relief. “What about you, huh?” she asked with a teasing smile, nudging Caitlyn gently so she wouldn’t lose her balance. “Why’d you say yes to hanging out with me today?”

Caitlyn froze, her heartbeat becoming prominent in her ears. Why had she said yes? In the short interaction they had had at the bookstore, Vi had driven her crazy, and not in a good way. What had compelled her to agree to this? “I don’t have many friends either, I suppose,” she answered honestly, gaze fixed on her shoes. “Although I have always been somewhat of a misfit, so perhaps it’s my fault. The friends I do have are…artificial. But you seemed different.” Caitlyn glanced up at her shyly to find Vi grinning at her. “Don’t let that go to your head,” she reprimanded teasingly, and Vi scoffed. “You still have an incredible way of annoying me about everything.”

Vi gasped with mock offence, and Caitlyn giggled. “I do not. That’s just my charm, you’ll get used to it.”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and Vi nudged her. Emboldened, Caitlyn elbowed her back, and Vi shoved her—a little too hard, as Caitlyn lost her balance. She tilted to the right with a yelp and Vi grabbed her arm, dragging her back up.

The two stared at each other for a long moment, both breathing heavily. Vi’s eyes were wide, and she looked like she wanted to say something, but Caitlyn panicked and cut her off. “It’s getting late, I should really be going.”

“Oh. Yeah, for sure. Here, I’ll help you down.” Only once Vi released her arm did Caitlyn realize that she had been holding her there the whole time. She swallowed hard and jumped down after Vi, taking her hand only to be polite, not because she needed any help. Vi walked her to her bike and watched her take it out of the rack in silence, and only once Caitlyn swung her leg over the seat did she speak up.”Cait?” she asked suddenly, and Caitlyn turned to look back at her, trying and failing to ignore the tornado of butterflies that awoke in her stomach at the nickname.

“Yes?” she responded, panicking at the fluttery feeling that would not go away.

Vi shifted her hands in her pockets, kicking the woodchips at her feet. “Thanks for taking a chance on me.”

Caitlyn blinked, then smiled softly, happy that she felt safe enough around her to be vulnerable like that. “Same goes for me,” she answered, and the two girls exchanged their last smiles before Caitlyn found the strength to turn away and start biking toward home.

As the euphoria wore off, the fluttery feeling in her stomach was replaced by dread. It was possible that she had a small crush. Just a small one. But it would be alright; they had just become friends mere hours ago, and she still hardly knew the girl. It wasn't as though they would work out, anyway—as cute as Vi was, she was insufferable at best, driving Caitlyn crazy with that taunting smile and tone of voice and—

Damn. This friendship was either the best or worst thing that had ever happened to her, and Caitlyn wasn’t sure if she wanted to find out which it was.