Work Text:
Caitlyn Kiramman knew how ironic it was that Cupid herself was far from romantic, but could you blame her?
Decades of fixing up couples that she was sure were meant for each other, all her hard work to ensure that their paths crossed, was always thrown down the drain by some stupid argument in one way or another.
She couldn’t forget that one couple that she had fought tooth and nail to get together, how many arrows she’d wasted just for them to keep missing each other, and when they did get together, they broke up after two measly months after an argument over the laundry.
She was sure that was the last straw for her belief in romance.
So now her usual fixing up was on simply on a first-glance basis, driven more by visual traits than anything deeper. She kept her arrows to herself, too, not wanting to waste more of the Medardas’ time with their little love potions. She’d try her best to keep her meddling to a minimum too, finding that it would only complicate things even further.
She still recalled that one target that had fallen in love with her instead, and Caitlyn had to make haste and leave town before her calls got borderline obsessive and she was waiting outside her home with roses and a multitude of chocolates.
But recently, there’s one target that she simply couldn’t keep out of her mind.
Well, the target’s sister, to be precise.
Vi Lanes. Five foot eight, muscled, tattooed, and gorgeous. She worked nights at a bar in downtown Zaun, frequented mostly by middle-aged men (usually familiar faces), and on occasion, underage kids who snuck in with a fake ID.
Vi wasn’t the one Caitlyn was targeting originally; it was in fact, her younger sister, Powder.
Now, Caitlyn had a thing for people pining, and she’d never seen pining the way it dressed itself up in Powder. And the worst part was? The girl that Powder was pining after felt the exact same—the two were just too stupid to figure it out.
So Caitlyn had shown up at The Last Drop, dressed in her most casual clothes, and sat herself down next to Powder with a pleasant smile.
“Not interested, toots,” Powder had immediately said, barely sparing her a glance as she continued to scribble in a beat-up journal.
“I know,” Caitlyn told her, resting her cheek against her knuckles. “You’ve got your heart set on someone else.”
That got Powder’s attention. A scowl crept on her face almost immediately. “And what the hell do you know about that?”
“A lot,” Caitlyn simply said. “I’m Cupid.”
Powder had burst into a round of manic laughter, slapping her hand against her knee repeatedly. Caitlyn was sure she saw actual tears gathered in Powder’s eyes, but she didn’t take any offense—this wasn’t the first time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. They all laughed at Caitlyn, but they’d end up eating their words eventually.
“Oh, yeah?” Powder snorted.
“Yes,” Caitlyn said, matter-of-factly. “If I weren’t Cupid, how would I know about the crush that you have on Luxanna Crownsguard, and that you’re debating on dyeing a strand of your hair pink because she said it would look adorable on you?”
Powder’s laugh stopped almost as immediately as it started. Her eyes widened, shining with wonder. “Holy fuck,” she sputtered. “How do you know that? Did she tell you that? I wasn’t going to do it—”
“You were,” Caitlyn interjected.
“No I wasn’t!”
“You were. You’re drawing it on yourself in your journal,” Caitlyn pointed out a small doodle that Powder drew of herself between the margins, a pink-coloured streak in her hair.
Powder slammed her book shut. “You don’t know me, lady!”
A second later, Caitlyn saw Vi. She was wearing a look of caution on her face, approaching the two of them—she had probably thought Caitlyn was picking a fight with her sister, which, of course, was the furthest thing from what Caitlyn was trying to do.
“Everything alright here?” Vi asked—
And Caitlyn’s heart skipped a beat.
Huh. Never done that before.
“This crazy lady says she’s Cupid,” Powder scowled. “Say, how much alcohol did you put in your drinks today?”
Vi’s eyes flickered over to Caitlyn. Steel grey. Interesting colour.
Another skip of her heart. She’d have to get it checked with Jayce.
“Nothing unusual,” Vi responded. “Cupid, huh?”
Caitlyn nodded. “Yes,” she said.
“Where’s your little bow and arrow then?” Vi asked, placing her forearms against the bar. She slid forward, as if examining Caitlyn.
Caitlyn has now started to think she’s having a stroke, but then wondered if it were even possible for that to happen to her.
“I left it at home,” Caitlyn responded.
Vi snorted. Powder scoffed.
“But it’s true. I can prove it to you,” Caitlyn then turned to look at Powder (with difficulty, because Vi was staring her down quite deeply). “Luxanna will tell you that she likes you—though her feelings are much deeper than that—tomorrow night at 10PM, when she meets you after her final class with Professor Heimerdinger at Piltover University.”
Powder’s jaw dropped. “The fuck?” she squawked. “Are you stalking her? I’m gonna kick your ass—”
“—I told you,” Caitlyn interjected. “I’m Cupid. It’s my job to know these things.”
Powder exchanged a look with Vi. “This isn’t like… one of those creepy astrology things where you read my tarot cards, right?”
Caitlyn waved her off. “Oh, no. Tarot card readings are a complete waste of time. The Fates have determined your future long before you were born, nothing can change that.”
“The Fates,” Vi repeated under her breath.
Powder didn’t even look like she was registering what was happening anymore. “You’re telling me that Lux likes me?”
“I mentioned that it was more than that, actually,” Caitlyn said.
“And she’s going to tell me tomorrow,” Powder repeated.
Caitlyn nodded.
“If she doesn’t, I’m going to kick your ass for real,” Powder warned, standing up and jabbing a finger in Caitlyn’s face.
Caitlyn raised her arms in surrender. “Not that I don’t admire your penchant for violence, Powder, but there isn’t much you can do to me.”
“How do you know my name?” Powder demanded.
“I’m—”
“—Cupid, I know, fuck!” Powder snapped, grabbing her journal with a frustrated huff. “If this is fake, I mean it! I’m gonna kick your scrawny ass!”
Powder scrambled away without so much as a goodbye, looking more frazzled than Caitlyn presumed she’d ever been. With a shrug, Caitlyn clambered off her chair to leave. She wondered if Powder knew how scrawny she, herself, was to be throwing stones at glass houses.
“Hey Cupid,” Vi called, causing Caitlyn to pause in her tracks and turn around. “You’re not getting a drink or anything?”
“I don’t imbibe,” Caitlyn responded simply.
“’Course you don’t. Can’t shoot arrows while drunk, right?” Vi asked, probably thinking she was making a joke.
Caitlyn nodded seriously. “Yes.”
Vi blinked. “Right,” she said. “Can I get your name, at least? Or is it just… Cupid.”
“Caitlyn,” she responded.
“Cool. I’m Vi,” half a smile crept on her face, and Caitlyn thought she looked quite handsome.
Ugh, that ridiculous heart-skip thing again. Did Caitlyn have a medical condition? Could she have a medical condition? Perhaps she’d contact Viktor instead.
“I know,” Caitlyn said. “I know everything.”
“Alright,” Vi chuckled. “Then will you be coming back tomorrow to prove Powder wrong?”
Hm. Caitlyn had never done that before.
“I’ve never done that before,” Caitlyn shrugged. “I’m usually correct, so I know it’s going to happen. There’s no need for me to prove anyone wrong.”
“There’s gotta be a first for everything, right?” Vi gave her another lopsided grin. “If you’re right, I’ll get you a drink. Non-alcoholic, of course—I’ll make you one of those sweet mocktails. Something tells me you’ll like ‘em.”
Caitlyn tilted her head. “Okay,” she said. “Sure.”
So that’s how she ended up at The Last Drop the next night, nursing a fruity mocktail in hand, watching Luxanna and Powder giggle and cuddle in their little booth. She was right, of course—Luxanna had professed her love at approximately 10:05PM (held back by awkward chatter and fidgeting), bursting into near tears as she waxed poetry about how much she liked Powder.
Caitlyn had long forgotten how it felt to see two of her targets get together, but she admits, she felt a little warm seeing the two of them embraced. She’d never seen two souls so different, yet so perfectly fit together.
Vi had slid over the fruity mocktail within seconds, giving her a smile and a soft headshake.
“Say,” Powder ended up leaning against the bar top a few minutes later, Luxanna—Lux, the bubbly blonde had corrected—hanging off her arm. “Why don’t you fix up my sister?”
Caitlyn’s eyes followed Vi on the other side of the bar, casually chatting up with a few familiar faces, a smile on her pretty face. Something in Caitlyn’s stomach twisted in displeasure at the thought, but she figured it was the sugar in this drink that Vi prepared for her—it nearly topped the sweets in Mel’s family home.
“Oh, yes!” Lux gushed. “Vi has been single for way too long and she deserves someone great. Who better else to fix her up than Cupid herself?”
Caitlyn pondered over this for a moment. “Has Vi expressed interest in dating anyone?”
“Well, not with like, words… but she’s a hermit when she’s not working and I know that getting a girlfriend would be good for her,” Powder said. “She’s gonna spend the rest of her life sleeping around if she doesn’t!”
Lux nodded vigorously. Caitlyn tilted her head. “What’s Vi’s type?”
Powder and Lux exchanged glances. “I dunno,” Powder offered. “Hot?”
Lux nodded in agreement—Vi never had a particular type of woman that she brought home; she seemed to like them all, as long as they enjoyed each other’s company… amongst other things. Which cements the fact that Caitlyn would have her work cut out for her.
With a resigned sigh and nod is how it starts. Caitlyn’s entrance into Vi’s life as a constant fixture, bringing various women into Vi’s line of sight, and then weeding them out as soon as Vi expresses the slightest bit of displeasure.
Caitlyn doesn’t get it. She’s found the most gorgeous, fun women for Vi and yet nothing.
“This is so aggravating!” Caitlyn finds herself in Jayce Talis’ home, pacing his grandiose living room with a frustrated sigh. “It’s been months—months, Jayce, and I’ve found no one that suits her interest! I could plop Seraphine herself in front of Vi and she wouldn’t blink an eye.”
“Maybe she’s aromantic?” Jayce offers.
Caitlyn shakes her head. “Powder says she isn’t.”
“You can’t really expect her sister to know that.”
“No, I can. They’re close. Very close,” Caitlyn sighs, flopping onto his couch. “I don’t understand. I feel like a failure. Vi is lovely, she deserves to find a woman that suits her and makes her happy.”
Jayce examines her like he would one of his contraptions.
“Caitlyn,” he says slowly, as if approaching a cornered animal. “How long have you been at it with Vi? And give me a proper number.”
“Six months give or take,” Caitlyn shrugs.
“You’ve never spent so long on a person before. Usually if their first two weeks didn’t take, you’d give up and move on,” Jayce closes the book in his lap, uncrossing his legs. “Six months is an awful long time for you to spend on a target.”
Caitlyn’s cheeks warm, and she doesn’t even know why. “Yes, well,” she huffs, petulant. “Vi and I are friends.”
“Friends?” Jayce’s eyebrows raise in surprise.
“Oh, don’t act so surprised! I’m capable of having friends,” Caitlyn immediately refutes.
“I’m well aware that you’re capable of having friends, Sprout. I just didn’t know that you were befriending targets again after…” Jayce trails off.
Caitlyn knows he’s referring to Maddie, a once-close “friendship” of Caitlyn’s that had turned awry. Once finding out who Caitlyn really was, Maddie had attempted to steal one of Caitlyn’s arrows. What she had planned to use it for, Caitlyn would never know, but she found out and put a stop to it instantly.
“She’s different,” Caitlyn says.
“Is she?”
“Stop it, Jayce,” Caitlyn replies, petulant. “Vi is… kind, and warm. And she hasn’t tried anything; not the way Maddie did.”
“If you’re sure,” Jayce tells her.
“I am,” Caitlyn’s voice is stone. “She’s not like anyone I’ve ever met.”
Jayce regards her with curious eyes once more, before he opens his book again. “Sure,” he offers. “Whatever you say.”
The next night, Caitlyn introduces Vi to Sarah Fortune.
Sarah is a beautiful, red-haired woman, with a humorous personality to boot. Vi gives Caitlyn one of her signature I’m exhausted faces, and Caitlyn gives Vi one of her usual, Trust me, please, faces, and Vi is resigned to a night of entertaining Sarah at the bar.
Caitlyn busies herself with the jukebox in the corner, humming under her breath. She doesn’t even flinch as Powder rounds in on her, an eyebrow raised.
“Hey Cupid,” Powder greets.
“Hello Powder,” Caitlyn continues to hum, deciding on Our Love, remembering that Vi is fond of it.
“Another one today?” Powder asks, referring to Sarah and Vi chatting in the corner.
“Yes,” Caitlyn says. “I have good feelings about this.”
“You had good feelings about the last… fifty,” Powder retorts.
“I did not bring along that many,” Caitlyn frowns, affronted.
“Felt like it,” Powder mumbles. Caitlyn’s frown deepens—had she wasted so much of Vi’s time? Powder flips one of her long braids over her shoulder. “I’m surprised you’re still at it.”
“Yes, well, Vi—”
“—Deserves someone that suits her, yeah, I know,” Powder recites Caitlyn’s reasonings from the top of her head. “When I brought it up, it was mostly a joke. I didn’t think you’d take it this far and for this long.”
“It’s my job.”
Powder’s lips curl into a frown. “If Vi is just a job to you, then I’d recommend you march your ass out of here and leave us alone.”
Caitlyn blinks, then realises she put her foot in her mouth. “Oh, no, I just…” she trails off. “I apologise. I hadn’t meant it like that, it’s just. Yes, it’s my job, but I’ve also never spent this long on someone before. I suppose I truly care for Vi and want to see her happy. Because she’s my friend.”
Powder regards her with squinted eyes. “Friend, huh?”
Caitlyn nods once. Ignores the sinking feeling that has become a reoccurring thing when Caitlyn refers to Vi as just a friend and blames the jam tarts she had at Jayce’s.
“You know, I spend all this time with you and I’ve never actually asked,” the twinkle in Powder’s eye has suddenly turned mischievous. “Are Cupids capable of falling in love?”
Caitlyn pauses. Takes a minute to think—
“I’m not quite certain,” Caitlyn says. “Our goal in life is to make people fall in love, but I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Really? So Cupids just… don’t feel anything for the people they meet?”
“No, I suppose not,” Caitlyn shrugs. “Not in my time, anyway. I don’t really get to know anyone in two weeks, and they’re usually already in love with someone else.”
“Huh. So Vi is the first time you’ve targeted someone that wasn’t already in love with someone else, and the first person you’ve spent more than two weeks on?”
Caitlyn finds herself starting to get annoyed at Powder’s accusatory tone. “Yes, and so what?” she asks, a little defensively.
“Nothing. It’s just interesting,” Powder doesn’t even care that Caitlyn’s glaring daggers into the side of her face as she swirls the drink in her hand with her straw. “It’s also interesting that Vi stopped sleeping around once you started coming over.”
Caitlyn’s eyes flicker to the pink-haired woman mixing drinks at the bar. She hadn’t known that. Usually Caitlyn would implement check-ins on her targets now and then, but remembering how uneasy it made her feel when Powder mentioned Vi slept around, she preferred it was best that she remained out of the loop for Vi’s… extracurricular activities.
“Perhaps she’s turned over a new leaf and is prepared to find love, like you said,” Caitlyn retorts.
Powder snorts. “Nah.”
“You seem very sure of whatever assumptions you’ve stumbled upon.”
“That’s ‘cause I’m always right,” Powder shrugs.
“We both know that’s not entirely true,” Caitlyn says. “You were convinced you’d beat me in a shooting competition, and that never happened.”
“Yeah, ‘cause you’re Cupid and you were born to like, shoot stuff. You have built in aimbot.”
Caitlyn’s eyes widen. “You dare!”
“You’re so damn corny,” Powder shakes her head. “You dare,” she mimics Caitlyn’s accent—quite atrociously—and pushes herself away from the jukebox. “Anyway, you better handle that.”
Powder jabs a thumb in Vi’s direction, and to Caitlyn’s alarm, she looks to be arguing with Sarah Fortune. Caitlyn scrambles over to the bar, in which their voices seem to be rising at an alarming rate.
“You need to get the fuck out of my bar right now.” Vi.
“It was a joke!” Sarah.
“What’s going on?” Caitlyn asks, a frown on her face.
“Nothing. She just needs to go,” Vi shakes her head, wiping her hands with a dish rag.
“It was a harmless joke, you can’t be serious,” Sarah scoffs, cheeks flushed.
“Yeah well, I am. I’m running on three hours of sleep and you don’t want to piss me off right now, alright?” Vi snaps, turning her back towards the two of them.
Sarah lets out a grunt of frustration, grabbing her jacket to shrug it on with a huff.
“Sarah, what happened? What did you say?” Caitlyn asks, trailing after her as she storms towards the door. “Please, if I can fix it—”
Sarah spins on her heel, eyes aflame. “If you wanted to set me up with someone, maybe try not to set me up with your fucking girlfriend, alright?”
Caitlyn’s jaw drops. “What? She’s not my—”
“—I don’t know what kind of sick, cuckold thing the two of you going on, but I’m not interested,” Sarah interjects. “You told me that you had a nice, single girl for me, and I believed you. But clearly it was a bunch of bullshit.”
“Vi is single!” Caitlyn stammers. “I can assure you, Sarah, I had no intention—”
“—You had no intention, huh?” Sarah laughs mockingly. “It doesn’t matter what your intention was. If the two of you really aren’t dating, then you need to sort your shit out, because whatever is going on here isn’t normal.”
With a flip of her glorious red locks, Sarah leaves the bar without another look back. Caitlyn blinks at the spot she once stood, before turning around to look at Vi. She seems to be unbothered, wiping a few glasses as she chats with Mylo behind the bar.
What the hell is going on?
“Hey,” Vi greets her as Caitlyn approaches the bar again. “You good? Hope she didn’t say anything to you.”
“No, it was… it was fine,” Caitlyn says, head still a little fuzzy. “She was angry, but we got it sorted.”
“Not like she has anything to be angry about,” Vi huffs, shaking her head.
“What happened, Vi?”
“Nothing. She just said some shit.”
“What did she say? I’ve never seen you react like that.”
“Nothing,” Vi repeats.
“Vi, please,” Caitlyn leans forward slightly. “If it’s something that bothered you, I need to know. Perhaps this could be something that I stray away from when I bring someone else to you.”
Vi exhales, clenching her jaw. “She just said something about you and I thought it was pretty fucked up, alright? Could we please move on?”
Caitlyn’s heart skips again. She swallows, feeling her throat dry suddenly.
“She did?”
“I dunno. I overreacted, maybe. But it was a stupid comment, and I didn’t like it,” Vi runs a cup under water, and Caitlyn still can’t look away from the side of her face. “I can’t be with someone who doesn’t respect my friends.”
Friends. Right. Caitlyn feels her wings wither, but it’s not like she didn’t know that she and Vi were friends. In fact, that’s all they could possibly be.
Powder’s put a ridiculous notion in her head about Cupids falling in love, but Caitlyn knew she couldn’t. Not with Vi.
“Alright,” Caitlyn says softly. “I’ll take note of that.”
“Yeah.”
Vi pulls away without another word, taking another order at the bar.
When Caitlyn tells Powder the next day, she bursts out laughing.
“Oh yeah,” Powder says. “Vi stays dodging women that makes comments about you.”
Caitlyn’s eyes widen. “What do you mean?”
“They always think you two are dating and it made them uncomfortable, so they tell Vi to ease up with how often she sees you and that’s usually the last straw,” Powder explains through a mouthful of ice cream. “She usually breaks it off at the three-week-Facetime-call frame.”
Caitlyn’s frown deepens. “That’s awful.”
“Is it?” Powder raises an eyebrow.
“Yes, of course!” Caitlyn responds. “I’ve been trying so hard to get her someone that understands and deserves her, the whole time it’s been me who’s been standing in the way! I feel awful.”
Powder honest to god facepalms. “Oh my god, what the fuck.”
Caitlyn nods in agreement. “Truly. This can’t go on.”
“Ugh, stop talking like a Jane Austen novel for once, would you?” Powder snipes. “If Vi’s choosing you over the multiple women you’ve brought over, don’t you think it means something?”
Caitlyn pauses. “I’m simply a wall between her and a healthy relationship?”
“I’m gonna kick your ass,” Powder growls, narrowing her eyes.
“What?!” Caitlyn squawks in a way that makes her sound like she’s saying Wot, and it makes Powder’s lips twitch.
“I have a theory,” Powder says. “Bring her another girl tonight, someone you know, maybe. Get her to say something awful about you. See how Vi reacts.”
“And what is that going to prove?”
“A hypothesis that I knew I was right about all along,” Powder smiles smugly, filling her mouth with another spoonful of ice cream.
“Are you going to tell me what it is?”
“Nope,” Powder retorts. “I’ll save that for when I’m laughing in your little mongoose face.”
“Mongoose?”
“Vi said you looked like one. All gangly and shit. I can see it.”
“That’s terrible!”
“Yeah. See why she can’t get a girl now?”
Caitlyn nods, resigned. She’d have to talk about Vi’s unflattering jokes when she sees her again.
That night, Caitlyn brings Mel over to The Last Drop. It’s ridiculous, she knows, considering Mel is dating Sevika, but it isn’t like Caitlyn’s being serious about setting her and Vi up, so she hopes Sevika doesn’t mind. Powder approaches them immediately, eyes bulging as she regards Mel.
“Who the fuck is this?” Powder gapes.
“This is Mel. She’s my best friend,” Caitlyn says.
“I said bring a girl, not… her!” Powder exclaims. “Vi’s going to actually want to fuck this one!”
Caitlyn’s jaw drops. Mel grins, flattered.
“Powder! That’s terrible!” Caitlyn says, subtly stepping in front of Mel to stop her from Powder’s immodest eyes.
“Oh, relax,” Mel says, placing a hand on Caitlyn’s shoulder. “I’m spoken for, darling, but thank you for the compliment.”
Powder’s cheeks flush at Mel’s sultry tone. She gives Caitlyn a warning look—“Tell Lux about this, and I’ll kill you.”
Caitlyn nods assuredly. She knows the effect Mel has on people; it’s not often that people are able to ignore the Medarda genes; they were born beautiful, and with age, their beauty always seemed to grow. Mel was a goddess if Caitlyn had ever seen one, but she knew nobody—Powder at the least—could be able to handle Mel the way Sevika could.
“Are you going to tell me what this ridiculous… experiment is all about, then?” Caitlyn asks.
“Like I said, I’m trying to prove a point,” Powder crosses her arms.
“If you’re going to get me to insult one of my dearest friends behind her back, you’re going to have to at least let me know,” Mel says.
Powder’s eyes flicker between the two, before she sighs and takes Mel by the elbow, leading her away. Caitlyn watches as they interact with hushed whispers, their eyes flickering back and forth occasionally. Caitlyn immediately feels like a zoo animal as Mel’s smile grows and her nods grow more frantic.
She approaches Caitlyn a moment later. “Darling, you never told me how charming Powder is.”
“I have. On multiple occasions,” Caitlyn frowns.
“Oh, right. Perhaps I was too distracted by the stories of her exploding things,” Mel says, placing an arm on Caitlyn’s shoulder. “She’s simply brilliant.”
Powder’s cheeks have turned an even deeper red, and she kicks her feet. “You’re just sayin’ that.”
“I’m lost!” Caitlyn explodes. “Explain it to me, too!”
“No,” both Mel and Powder chorus in unison.
“You dare!” Caitlyn shouts.
“Go fetch yourself some water,” Mel waves her off, already turning her eyes towards Vi, who hadn’t noticed that their group had entered the bar as she fixed the bottles of liquor on the highest shelf.
“Good luck,” Powder says to Mel, who waves her off with a flick of her hair.
Caitlyn does as Mel tells her, gulping down a glass of water to hide her frazzled state. She turns to see Mel and Vi engaging in conversation, and to her surprise, Vi looks genuinely engaged—more engaged that she’d ever been with previous women. Vi’s eyes are locked on Mel’s face, leaning against her forearms as they chat.
There’s that uncomfortable pit in Caitlyn’s stomach again.
Gods. It’s not like Mel’s doing this seriously… but…
Vi’s actually going to want to fuck this one!
Damn it, Powder.
Caitlyn tries to press herself against the wall as much as possible, creeping in on their conversation.
“The Medarda Estate is beautiful,” Mel tells her. “We have horses, as well. They love to graze.”
“I love horses.”
“You’ll have to come over sometime and see them.”
Vi chuckles, a soft, husky sound that Caitlyn has never heard before. Her fingers tighten around her glass.
“Yes, Caitlyn’s not the biggest fan, though,” Mel says with a chuckle. “She fell off once, when she was very young. I swear, she has two left feet.”
Vi seems to pull back a bit at the mention of Caitlyn’s name. “Oh, yeah. Horse-riding isn’t really… simple. It was her first time, right?”
“Nope,” Mel feigns a giggle. “She’s done it a few times. She’s incredibly clumsy, bless her heart.”
“Yeah, well. She’s a little taller than most, so,” Vi offers. “Somethin’ to do with her centre of gravity or some shit.”
“Oh, I highly doubt that,” Mel sighs. “She’s always been a bit of a klutz. Once, during a soiree, she dropped an entire bottle of champagne just standing there!”
Caitlyn winces, remembering that painful moment all too well. It never bothered her considering everyone had laughed it off and so did she, but a frown was creeping on Vi’s face, and she seems to have pulled away from Mel even more.
“It was just an accident,” Vi says, defensive.
Mel’s eyes squint slightly and flicker over to Caitlyn oh-so-quickly; quickly enough that Vi hadn’t seen it. She leans closer to Vi and in her expression, Caitlyn knows she’s about to deliver a devastating comment.
“Between you and I, Caitlyn’s always been a bit of a stickler for attention,” Mel says. “So many men and women came to her rescue, it would be a miracle if it wasn’t planned.”
“Alright, hey,” Vi pulls back completely, arms hanging at her sides. “That’s not cool. I thought you were her friend.”
“I am! I’m just stating something I’ve observed,” Mel shrugs.
“Caitlyn doesn’t need to pretend to drop shit for attention, alright? She gets it just fine on her own—have you seen her?” Vi retorts, shaking her head. “I don’t like the way you talk about her, so why don’t you piss off and forget we had this conversation, alright?”
Mel’s lips twitched, amused. “You don’t have to get so defensive. Caitlyn can handle herself.”
“Clearly not if she’s letting people like you into her life,” Vi scoffs. “We’re done here.”
Vi proceeds to walk off, leaving Mel in the dust. She hums, not looking offended at all, and approaches Caitlyn to pat her on the shoulder.
“I like her.”
Caitlyn blinks as Mel finds Powder to deliver the results, and shakes her head. Vi had cut off her and Mel’s interaction so quickly, Caitlyn never would’ve guessed that Vi was interested in her in the first place. All semblance of flirtation had disappeared within seconds after Mel started insulting Caitlyn.
And those weren’t even the worst insults Caitlyn had overheard!
“Vi,” Caitlyn finds herself calling without meaning to.
Vi jerks her head up in surprise. “Cait, hey,” she says. “When did you get here?”
“I need to talk to you,” Caitlyn says, placing her glass on the table.
“Ooooooh,” Claggor choruses in passing.
“Shut up,” Vi rolls her eyes before she exits the bar. “Is everything okay?”
Caitlyn grabs Vi by the wrist, dragging her towards the back of the bar. She finds the fire exit and all but pushes Vi out into the open air, closing the door behind her.
“What is your type?” Caitlyn demands.
Vi’s eyes widen. “What?”
“What is your type of woman, Vi?” Caitlyn asks, voice leaking frustration. “Because I’ve fought tooth and nail to bring you every single woman that I think would fit your impossible criteria, and you’ve turned every one of them down! Even Mel, and Aphrodite herself wouldn’t turn down Mel Medarda!”
“Cait, what’s going on?”
“I’ve driven myself crazy trying to find you the right person, watching you every night, flirt and walk away like it’s nothing. And now Powder tells me you’ve been cutting it off with multiple women every three weeks! What is this, Vi? Have I been running myself ragged for nothing?” Caitlyn cries.
Vi remains quiet, avoiding eye contact.
“Tell me, for goodness sake, Violet, what is your type of woman?!”
“You!” Vi finally shouts. Caitlyn actually has to take a step back once she realises what Vi has said. “I like you, alright? My type is you. I like women that are funny, and kind, and genuine, and beautiful, and that’s what you are.”
“What?”
“I’ve liked you for fuckin’ ages, alright? Since the day you sat your tall ass down in my bar and told Powder about Lux’s love confession. I thought you were such a damn nerd. When I asked you to come back the next day and you actually did, I just…” Vi presses her fingers against the bridge of her nose. “Look, I know that it’s your fuckin’ job to make people, like, fall for each other and stuff. But it never would’ve worked with me, alright? Because I’m the dumbass that fell in love with Cupid herself.”
Caitlyn’s heart skips again. And again. And again. And she doesn’t think it’s a medical condition this time.
Warmth follows next, blooming in her chest. It’s such an unfamiliar feeling—so foreign, when she compares it to the loneliness that she’s felt all her life, watching others fall in love.
“You don’t have to say anything. I know that it’s not really… possible for Cupids to like someone. I don’t know, I didn’t spend a lot of time looking into the fucking lore, and there’s probably a lot that I’m missing, but…” Vi shrugs. “I feel pretty damn stupid. And maybe agreeing to all these set-ups was a selfish mistake to keep you around for longer than you should’ve been, but I just didn’t want you to leave. I’d rather be friends with you than not have you at all.”
“Vi,” Caitlyn says. “I think I like you too.”
Vi’s head lifts up so quickly that it almost gives her whiplash. “You think?”
“I’ve never liked someone before, but… that feeling,” Caitlyn trails off. “The first time I saw you, I thought I was having a stroke, you were so handsome. And afterwards, I found out you were kind. And today, I found out that you’re possibly one of the best people I’ve ever met.”
“That’s… not possible,” Vi trails off.
“It is,” Caitlyn steps forward, reaching out a hand to trace her fingers over Vi’s knuckles. “I think you have a beautiful soul, Vi. You’re strong, and genuine, and I’ve never met anyone else like you. And I, myself, don’t know if it’s possible for Cupids to fall in love, but if it is, then perhaps I feel that way for you.”
Vi lets out a shaky breath, looking up at Caitlyn. “You’re not just playing with me, right?”
Caitlyn smiles, tooth gap on full display. “I could never lie about this, Violet.”
Vi’s hands slip over the sides of Caitlyn’s neck, tugging her forward to connect their lips together. Caitlyn lets out a small sound of surprise but relaxes in Vi’s arms. Immediately, it feels like all the tension in her body slips away, and it feels… right.
Is this what Caitlyn’s targets feel when they’ve been hit by her arrow?
Happiness. Complete, utter, and truly, happy.
Caitlyn can’t help the giggle that escapes her mouth when they pull away, a hand cupping Vi’s cheek as she strokes her cheekbone.
“I love you, I think,” Caitlyn says. “If this is what love is supposed to feel like, I do.”
Vi’s arms slip around her waist, tight and secure. “I love you too.”
When Caitlyn and Vi emerge from the back of the bar, both of their mouths looking freshly kissed, Powder’s reaction is instantaneous and violent.
“I fucking knew it!” Powder howls, slapping her hand against the table. “I knew it, I knew it. Everyone fucking pay up!”
To both Caitlyn and Vi’s horror, slowly, each patron of the bar shuffles to Powder’s table to place a few dollars in front of her.
“You made a bet?!” Vi asks.
“Of course. Who would I be if I didn’t capitalise off the absolute disaster that is your love life?” Powder smiles smugly, counting the dollar bills in her hand. To Caitlyn’s horror, even Mel slips a five dollar bill into Powder’s grip.
“Mel!” Caitlyn chastises.
“Oh darling, I wish I had bet with Powder, but it was before I had a proper chance to meet Vi!”
“The two of you planned this?” Vi gestures between Powder and Mel.
“Technically it was the three of us, but I didn’t tell Caitlyn about the fun bits,” Powder says, continuing to look triumphant as she pocketed her money.
“Is this what your hypothesis was?”
“That my sister is madly in love with you and has no sense of emotional intelligence to tell you? Yep,” Powder retorts smugly. “I bet that Vi would kind of have no choice but to tell you, though. Everyone else said Caitlyn would break first.”
“She did, technically,” Vi says. Caitlyn gives her an affronted look.
“I’d like my money back,” Mel says.
“No, no! But who confessed first?” Powder cries.
“That was Vi,” Caitlyn says quickly.
“Hey!”
“I’m keeping the money, thank you,” Powder sniffs.
Caitlyn sighs, shaking her head. A moment later, Vi slips her arm around her waist, tugging her closer.
“Hey Cupid,” Vi’s thumb rests against her waist, stroking at her skin soothingly. “Want a drink or something?”
Caitlyn grinned. “Lead the way.”